text:
You are at:Home » Other Sports » Rugby Tips » Rugby Union: Why England appear overrated for Springboks challenge
Rugby Union: Why England appear overrated for Springboks challenge
By Editorial Team on	 Nov 4, 2016 Rugby Tips, Tips
SPORTS BETTING analyst Ben Hathaway (@SkipHopz) reckons England look a little overrated for their opening autumn international against South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday.
England v South Africa | Saturday 14:30 | Sky Sports 1
Imagine a scenario, if you will, where a bookie will offer you 9/2 (Paddy Power) on a side in the Match Odds with the following information freely available to all…
One side is W11-D1-L1 in the head-to-heads, and that's at all venues, including winning the last four away games.
That side have lost once in the head-to-heads in over a decade, and that was a slender two-point defeat on their travels when they were 13-6 in front at half-time.
You'd think with such a dominant record, 9/2 on the side which has lost 11 of the last 13 would seem about right, maybe a touch of value at home. But then you see the most recent games is W4-D0-L0 in favour of the other team so maybe 9/2 is potentially on the anaemic side.
Then you look closer, and see it's the side that have the dominant record, who've an 84.6% win rate over the last decade. It is they who are 9/2 to win.
You can also now get them (South Africa) with an 11-point headstart at 11/10 (Bet365). How can that possibly be right?
It was only a year ago that South Africa lost in the semi-finals of the World Cup to the greatest side of the modern era New Zealand, and that was by a very fine two-point margin when they were five points up at half time.
The Springboks powerhouse second row of Eben Etzebeth and Luuk De Jager looked like they could bully any team off the park.
England had long since packed their bags, of course, in their home World Cup. Their back row of Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw and Billy Vunipola had been exposed as ITM cup standard, at best whilst Mike Brown would've looked slow and ponderous on the county circuits. The knacker's yard beckoned.
Don't discount the Springboks
Fast-forward a year, England have won their last 10 games, completed a Grand Slam and the world is rosy.
The Boks are in disarray. Not one of the Francois Louw, Schalk Burger or Duane Vermeulen back row remain. Quotas, odd selection, strange coaching decisions, inconsistencies and a plethora of other sins surround them.
The Boks are down, in theory, to their sixth or even seventh choice openside. They are a side short on confidence. But how bad are they?
In the last 12 months South Africa have played nine games and W4-D0-L5; not great, yet not abysmal. Have they had any freebies against the farmhands of Italy, or the tinpot French side, for example? No. Six games in the Rugby Championship against elite opposition, and a tri-series against Ireland, which they won.
The Boks have taken a duo of fearful hammerings against the All Blacks but who hasn't? Taking the games against the Men In Black out of the picture, they've not lost by more than six points. And losing away in Argentina by two is no disgrace.
Have South Africa played well over the last year? Absolutely not. Can they play well? Absolutely. Will they play well on Saturday? Probably not. Yet their issue has been in letting games slip, losing ones they shouldn't, not closing them out, or being sloppy. They aren't routinely getting slaughtered home and away by 20.
Their tight five is remarkably good. Their set piece should go well (whether it does or not, who knows, but the personnel are there). Willem Alberts would be their first choice blindside, for me, and he surprisingly plays. Warren Whiteley is no mug – he's not Vermeulen, but very few are.
It's a very strange looking back line, however. What does Rohan Van Rensburg have to do, exactly, to start at inside centre? Genuinely baffling stuff.
England at their weakest ebb in 2016?
Talking of genuinely baffling, we switch attention to the W9-D0-L0 record of England in 2016. How can you criticise them under Eddie Jones? You can't. What you can do is identify the factors that helped England get this record.
I would argue heavily their most important players during this run, in order, have been Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, George Kruis, Billy Vunipola, and James Haskell. Three of those five are missing here.
The age-old conundrum rears its head, the openside turnover issue. This has been answered by a 21 year-old second row that has been able to play like an openside, both in turnovers and tackles, as well as his traditional second row duties. Throw in Haskell 2.0, playing his best ever games in an England shirt (v Australia) and you've covered the issue. I don't think this is unrelated to Haskell having a year playing alongside George Smith at Wasps.
Now, Jones has an issue. Tom Wood and Robshaw have shown, plodding round the field, padding their stats against the weaker nations, time and time again, they aren't a good enough back row combination against the top sides.
Courtney Lawes is a downgrade on Kruis, and Itoje. You have the magnificent work rate of Joe Launchbury as a plus, but this is the worst England pack of the year. Three Northampton players make-up England's eight – odd given the dross they've served up this season up front.
Wood ahead of Nathan Hughes and Marland Yarde ahead of Semesa Rokoduguni are on a par with decisions by the Boks to start Damian de Allende instead of Van Rensburg.
The betting angle
All I've read is about how bad South Africa will be and that England should win by 25+ points. They may well do. I think it's certainly less than a 50/50 shout that they lose by more than 11 points, however, and comfortably.
I think this could be relatively cagey and have therefore considered South Africa/England in the Half-Time/Full-Time market at 6/1 (SkyBet). Other markets of interest were the Springboks with a +5 first-half handicap start at 1/1 (Betfred) and England -6 on the second-half handicap at 10/11 (William Hill).
I like the widely available South Africa +11 points at 11/10 (Bet365). This may even drift further by kick-off, so I'm holding fire and trying to wait for +12, but I still like the 11-point start at the odds available.
England v South Africa – South Africa/England Half-Time/Full-Time (6/1 SkyBet)
England v South Africa – South Africa -11 handicap (11/10 Bet365)
A bit like Charlie from Charlie's Angles, the ubiquitous WeLoveBetting Editorial Team are the all-seeing eyes of the site, making sure the web monkeys keep the site running.
English Football Tips


text:
KC Lightfoot (born November 11, 1999, in Lee's Summit, Missouri) is an American athlete specializing in pole vault. KC cleared  at the Texas Tech Shootout on February 13, 2021, to set a new United States collegiate indoor pole vault record. He placed fourth at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Competition record

US Track and field Championships

He finished third at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a personal best jump of 5.76 m.

References

Notes

External links

 KC Lightfoot profile at Baylor Bears

 KC Lightfoot results at Lee's Summit High School
 KC Lightfoot news at Vaulter Magazine

1999 births
Living people
American male pole vaulters
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States
Baylor Bears men's track and field athletes
Track and field athletes from Missouri
People from Lee's Summit, Missouri

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Build Fund and King Park Featured on Off the Circle Podcast
By Steven Meyer News November 1, 2018
Recently, Build Fund and King Park were featured on Off the Circle, an Indianapolis business podcast. We shared our commitment to transforming and revitalizing Marion County with a focus on Indianapolis. To accomplish this positive impact on our community, Build Fund fulfills niche needs in lending, specifically for businesses that have a difficult time obtaining a traditional loan through a bank.
As a community development financial institution (essentially a mission-driven bank), we can be more flexible with our terms, This has allowed us to provide lending and development services to 81 businesses since 2015. These lending projects range from $100,000 to $1 million and contribute to commercial real estate or equipment for our borrowers.
One of the aspects that Build Fund takes into account when evaluating a borrower is the impact that could be made on the greater community. Will they be rehabilitating a vacant building? Revitalizing a brown space? Overall, the business should contribute to the community at large. Some of our favorite success stories, like Cannon Ball Brewing and Tinker House, have already become local favorites and need to expand after only a few short years.
Included in the loan stipulations are job creation requirements. Generally, the businesses have one to two years to create these. In the loans that Build Fund has already closed, there are 148 job commitments with 106 of those already established. In working with other job-focused organizations, like the Edna Martin Christian Center or Recycle Force, we make sure that people who are trying to get their life on track have the first opportunity to get jobs in their own neighborhood.
We have pulled together great organizations that would otherwise be disparate. After a business receives a loan, some need further support. Even if we can't provide it ourselves, we can direct them to someone who can. This has also contributed to our own success. While there are a number of moving pieces in what we do, Build Fund has brought together experts that we can rely on and trust, such as our diverse loan review committee and our board.
One of King Park's board members, Jenn Lisak Golding of Sapphire Strategy, fell in love with the area and even bought a house there. Thanks in part, to Build Fund's community development projects, her home has gone up 80% in value over the two years that she's lived there.
"[King Park] went from one organization to supporting four different initiatives, and that takes an incredible amount of talent and work," says Jenn.
Build Fund hopes to continue driving economic growth and contributing to comprehensive community development through our business services. If you want to get involved with us, feel free to reach out for more information about us or urban neighborhoods. If you'd like to start or expand your business through a Build Fund loan, you can start the process here.
Steven Meyer / About Author
Steven has long served the Indianapolis area in several non-profit and government positions. As the Executive Director of King Park, Steven has continued to build on the success of the strong and diverse housing market and foster economic development. He has focused on leveraging the strengths and connections of the King Park area to attract new partners, new neighbors, and new economic opportunities.
More posts by Steven Meyer
Tinker Street Restaurant Receives $20,000 in CDBG Funds for Renovation
King Park Development Corporation is happy to announce that "Tinker Street", a new restaurant in Herron Morton Place, will be…
King Park Hires Steven Meyer as Executive Director
After an exhaustive 10-month search, King Park Development Corporation tapped Steven Meyer as the new Executive Director. Steven has long…
King Park Hires Evan Tester as Deputy Director
Evan Tester joined King Park Development Corporation as the new Deputy Director. In his role, Evan will augment King Park's…
King Park Acquires Tinker Flats Building for Redevelopment
King Park Development Corporation acquired the historic property at the corner of 16th and Lewis Streets, commonly called Tinker Flats. King…
King Park's New Website Goes Live!
King Park is pleased to announce that our new website is live! Our mobile-optimized website includes many helpful features, including:…
You're Invited! 1-Year Assembly Celebration
You Are Invited… Make plans to attend the NE Corridor Assembly on Thursday, April 23rd, 2015 from 6-7:30 pm for…
King Park Creates a Community Development Loan Fund
King Park Begins Work on Tinker Flats
After months of delays, work is beginning on the historic Tinker Flats building! The environmental work is underway now and…
Successful Homeowner Repair
We're excited to have the opportunity to assist homeowners with much-needed repairs to their homes. Here's our most recent completion….
New Office Location
Thanks to Reveal Properties, King Park's office is now located at 1704 Bellefontaine Street. You can find us in the…
Open Position at King Park
King Park Development Corporation is looking to hire a part-time staff person. Please click the link below to view the…
King Park Backs East 16th Street Retail Project
We're happy to announce that we are financially supporting more revitalization on East 16th Street. The owners of Tinker Street…
IndyStar Story About The Delaware in Fall Creek Place
Fall Creek Place is in the news! King Park has been collaborating with Cedarview Management on The Delaware, a four-story apartment…
King Park Development Impacts Herron-Morton Neighborhood
The revitalization of East 16th Street and downtown Indianapolis homes has positively impacted the King Park neighborhood of Herron-Morton. One…
Build Fund Supporting Indy Business Through Mission-Driven Loans
King Park's small business loan fund, the Build Fund, was featured in a story on TechPoint about strengthening Indy business through…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Under this scheme, full assistance is made available to the coconut growers @ Rs 35000 per ha in two equal installments for two consecutive years for maintenance for existing coconut orchards through adaptations of integrated management practices in disease effected gardens. The objective of the program is to encourage the farmers to adopt the technology developed for the management of the dieses affected coconut gardens. Demonstration plots will also help in motivating in adoption of result oriented production technologies. Fertilizers, pesticides, inter cropping etc. are the critical inputs, for which a miscellaneous expenditure, the financial assistance is provided to the farmer. Each beneficiary is given assistance for a plantation of minimum 0.2 ha or minimum 35 plants to maximum 1 ha or 175 plants only, owned individually incase of scattered plantation. A display board indicating that demonstration plot is financed by the coconut development board shall be erected in front of the plot. Full package of technologies developed for management of coconut gardens shall be followed by the beneficiaries. Record shall be maintained by the farmer as well as department staff indicating all basic information, base yield, operations taken up, inputs applied, yield data, etc.
This programme preferably should be implemented on cluster approach basis which will argument the income of farmers and increase productivity. This will create a visible impact in the farming community. While selecting the cluster, preference should be given for areas with high incidence of pest and dieses. The compact area to be extended of 25 ha shall be selected for implementation of the scheme where a minimum criterion for 35 plants is not applicable. All the small & marginal farmers coming under the cluster shall be consider as beneficiary of the programme based on the suitability of that coconut gardens irrespective of size land holding. Before implementation, the present status of crop as well as the farmers should be recorded and properly documented. Preference should given to groups which are promoted or supported by NGO/ Community based organization/ Co-operative societies. Each cluster should have technical resource groups consisting of field functionaries of the department, SAU, CDB officials and scientists from research station; for monitoring implementation of different components of the program. This recourse group should visit different areas in the cluster in fixed days in a month. A farmer leader should be identifying for each group in the project area and the leader should be trained on all technologies to be adopted in the project area. The technical program and the calendar of operations for the year shall be prepared and distributed to the beneficiary's immediately for making arrangements for supply of inputs and timely adoption of the management practices. Supply of quality coconut seedlings is to be ensured in the selected clusters for new planting/ under planting.
To promote to use of organic manure like vermin compost, coir pith compost, ordinary compost and FYM in coconut holdings, financial assistance of Rs 20000 per unit (50% of the cost of production) is provided for setting up of a unit.
Farmers having coconut gardens shall be selected for the purpose. The organic manure unit shall be set up either in coconut garden or in the backward of the house hold of the farmer. The specification of 1 unit will be 15m x 1.5m x 0.7m with a production capacity of 10MT per cycle. A bamboo shed with a size of 15m x 1.5m x 1.5m has to be constructed over the pit to protect from rain and also prevent evaporation loss. After completion of the construction work, earthworms shall be released inside the pit having green matters following the recommended procedure.Vermi compost shall be obtained after 2-3 months of inoculation and this cycle of production shall be repeated throughout the year. In a year there can be four cycles producing about 40MT of compost. For composting 1 tonne of waste, about 1 kg of earth worm is required. About 1000 average sized worms will weigh 1kg.The worms can be easily multiplied in a mixture of cow dung and compost totally mulched with decaying straw or grasses. Subsidy will be released to the beneficiary after completion of the unit including earthworm rearing. The compost thus produced shall be applied to the coconut palms which will help in increasing the productivity.
However, smaller units can be promoted and financial assistance shall be reduced accordingly.


March 27, 2018 admin Comments Off on .
March 21, 2018 admin Comments Off on Tell Someone Today!
Click below to see the latest happenings at New Hampshire Gospel Radio!
The New Hampshire Gospel Radio (NHGR) network is made up of stations WVNH at 91.1FM in Concord and WANH 88.3FM in Meredith New Hampshire along with associated translators is New Hampshire's largest Christian Radio Network sharing the Good News of redemption and life changing power that is in Jesus Christ. With its studios in Concord, NHGR has the capability of reaching an estimated 250,000 people, providing Christian music and solid Bible teaching from the syndicated Moody Broadcasting Network of Chicago as well as local programming.
Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inviting all to a personal faith in Him is the reason NHGR exists. We desire to build up the body of Christ through sound Biblical teaching and to draw churches together into a common unity of His Lordship. Encouraging and discipling believers are fundamental to this ministry, and we pray our broadcasts will reach beyond the church to those who are seeking to know the Truth. NHGR is for those seeking answers and practical steps to living life to the fullest as God intended through personal Christian faith.
Thank you to our underwriters!


text:
class Address::StreetName < ActiveRecord::Base
  attr_accessible :name

  validates_presence_of :name
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Two spiders new to science were discovered and described by BINCO members under the supervision of African spider specialist Rudy Jocque. Koen Vanderhaegen discovered Dusmadiores elgonensis in coffee forests on Mount Elgon (Uganda) in 2015 during fieldwork for his PhD. The species was named after the study site where it was discovered and the description was published in the scientific peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. A spectacular white wolf spider was discovered by Merlijn Jocque in 2012, and collected by Siel Wellens in 2016 in northwestern Madagascar in collaboration with Operation Wallacea. The spider was found on a few white sand beaches of inland lakes, surrounded by dry forest. The species was named Ocyale ghost, referring to its white habitus and a wink to the large white direwolf in Game of thrones. The description appeared in the European journal of Taxonomy.


text:
Home \ SLEUTH \ Alfa as popular as BMW? Well, they're going to need product:
Alfa as popular as BMW? Well, they're going to need product:
The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) wants Alfa Romeo to rival BMW, Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz in popularity among the well-heeled car buyers. For North Americans, the 2015 4C sports car is just the tip of Alfa's spear. Up next will be the Giulia (say Julia out loud) that will launch in 2016 (one of eight planned new models that Alfa plans to release by 2018). The Giulia, a sporty little sedan, is aimed squarely at the BMW 3-Series and the performance M3 offshoot. The Giulia represents one heck of a moon shot for Alfa Romeo, but the recently announced Quadrifoglio (now there's a mouthful) version will use a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that produces 510 horsepower. Let's see where this goes.
For every automaker that has claimed it will become as popular as BMW, not a single one has achieved it. BMW has earned its place and it will take a miracle for a relative market newcomer to make any inroads.
SLEUTH | July 13, 2015 8:21 pm
The next-generation Scion FR-S could be based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata chassis:
Gambling on the need for speed:


text:
South African architect Jo Noero has been practicing since 1984, making his name internationally during the Apartheid era, when he working for NGOs, Desmond Tutu and the Anglican Church on schools, community centres, churches and homes in the townships, such as Soweto. With the arrival of democracy, the scope of Jo's work broadened to include offices, public buildings, schools and the homes of some of South Africa's leading struggle heroes, business leaders and arts personalities.
"Architecture," Noero has said, "is a social art and as such has a responsibility to not only be useful, but also beautiful. This objective runs through the work that we do at Noero Architects."
During his career, Jo has completed more than 200 buildings. He is perhaps best known internationally for the Red Location Precinct in New Brighton, a township in Port Elizabeth. The Red Location Gallery was named the Best Building in the World at the 2013 Icon Awards in London. The Red Location Museum won the Lubetkin Prize in 2006 for the Most Outstanding Building Outside the EU, as well as The Dedallo Minosse President's Award, The RIBA International Award, and a World Leadership Award for Public Architecture.
Jo has also received many of South Africa's highest architectural honours. In 2010, he was awarded the South African Institute of Architects' Gold Medal for Architecture. His practice has also won three Awards of Excellence, 15 Awards of Merit and 14 Project Awards from the Institute.
The architecture of Jo Noero has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the MAXXI National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome, the Museum of Architecture in Munich, and at Biennales in Venice, São Paulo, Singapore, Chicago and Istanbul. He is also one of only three architects who have exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Cape Town. He has also been the Ruth and Norman Professor and Director of Graduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis (1995–2000); Professor of Architecture (2000–2015) and Director of the School of Architecture and Planning (2000–2005) at the University of Cape Town, becoming Emeritus Professor in 2015.
Work by Jo Noero (Click thumbnails to enlarge)
Red Location precinct
Red Location Museum of Struggle
Fossil Museum
Fossil Museum, interior
Small house in Cape Town
New offices in Cape Town
Daycare in Delfft
Soweto Careers Centre, 1991
Tbc1


Downloading songs from iTunes is one of the basic ways the Web has altered our life. It wasn't that lengthy in the past that songs lovers experienced to discover the local music store and buy the complete CD if they needed to hear their favorite band or tunes. This created a lot of disappointment and frustration, simply because so numerous albums had only one or two "good tunes" on it.
When you go online, you will be able to discover a great deal of songs and lessons because they are always uploaded by other individuals. To be in a position to play in front of your buddies and astonish them, you require to play some new tunes which they like as nicely, and then begin surfing the web and appear for online videos to learn guitar tunes.
First, we require some thing that is not bright. That is a definite concept. All of the lighten on the world will not come back again a hotel tub towel to vibrant following it is utilized in an urgent to deal with a Kool-Aid leak. Intelligent parents will always select black, stain-hiding bathroom towels sets. Something else is just a party invitation to discoloration and aggravation.
For free online guitar classes you do not have to go anywhere. You can effortlessly sit in the ease and comfort of your house and cope up with the learning. On-line you would first get tips on how to choose the best instrument for learning. A guitar for a novice and a guitar for an expert is not the exact same. A proper website will inform you about the type of instrument you must go for. At the starting you may have trouble in tuning the guitar. The online programs will precisely tell you how best to do the tuning and learn guitar confidently. You can make use of an electric tuner and you can go to a local hitet e reja shqip 2019 for the purpose.
If he seems to adore songs, get him the guitar he covets, and then inspire him to make cash for classes. There is absolutely nothing as motivating as passion. And enthusiasm cant be produced, it has to be discovered via exploration. So inspire your kid to explore what interests him.
I confess I was mesmerized. Absent were all the negative vibes I harbored towards him. Viewing him play like the acoustic musicians I have lengthy admired made me feel like I'm a little bit nearer to my dream than ever before. "He plays my preferred songs nicely", I listened to myself whisper. Even if I was viewing from afar, I could inform that it took him many years to perfect what ever it is that he does and I all of a sudden admired him for all the years of self-discipline he went via in order to perform the acoustic guitar so nicely.
After the essential interruptions of running a blog and on-line networking, back again to actuality: Critiques. I received both readers' feedback and expert reviews over time. Reviews are essential; you paste them as ads anywhere you require them.
If you have any query elated to buying an instrument, learning songs devices or obtaining tuitions from songs school then you are welcomed to call or email. The team of music lovers will follow up your question and try to fulfill you with appropriate answer. All the songs lovers must know that it is not a college but it is a place exactly where you can be your self and appreciate and share their time with songs and other music lovers like them.


text:
After His Own Heart is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama film based on a 1919 short story of the same name by Ben Ames Williams. It was adapted for the screen by Albert Shelby Le Vino and directed by Harry L. Franklin. The film stars Hale Hamilton and Naomi Childers and was distributed by Metro Pictures Corp., a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A copy of the film is archived at the Cinémathèque Française under the title Une Cure Merveilleuse.

Synopsis
Thomas Wentworth Duncan, a millionaire, faces the prospect of being broke after a fraudulent trustee absconds with his money. Duncan is now faced with getting a job to support himself, but he has never been accustomed to doing anything more strenuous than polo. Duncan has also fallen in love with Sally Reeves, an old flame, but he realizes he no longer has the fortune and lifestyle to which she is accustomed and obviously cannot ask her to marry him. After returning from a gala that he fully expects to be his last one with his elite friends, he finds a mysterious letter on his table inscribed "personal and important". The letter informs him that his financial woes are well known to the letter-writer and if he will give one month to an unexplained project, the sender will pay him $250,000. Duncan decides to reject the offer in the letter, but the thought of being with Sally makes him change his mind. The next day, a limousine arrives for Duncan and with it a huge man whom he names Goliath. Duncan is taken to the hospital of Dr. Spleen, a fanatic who wants to transplant Duncan's perfectly good heart into the body of Judah P. Corpus, Sally's rich uncle, who wants to remain young. When Duncan learns that Spleen's previous heart transplant patients, which were two dogs, that both died, he becomes nervous and wants out of the deal, but he is prevented from leaving by Goliath. As Spleen is about to perform the operation, the excitement proves to be too much for him and he drops dead. Sally's uncle doesn't know that the Dr. has died, and thinks the operation has been performed. After leaving the hospital, Duncan receives news from the authorities that the trustee has been found and that his fortune is saved, so he and Sally can now get married.

Cast

Hale Hamilton — Thomas Wentworth Duncan
Naomi Childers — Sally Reeves
Mrs. Louis — Mrs. Martin
Frank Hayes — Vincent
Harry Carter — Dr. Spleen
William V. Mong — Judah P. Corpus
Herbert Pryor — Adrian Keep
Stanley Sanford — Goliath

Background
The film is based on the short story After His Own Heart by Ben Ames Williams, published in All-Story Weekly, January 1919. Metro Pictures obtained the story especially for Hamilton, who was a popular stage comedian at the time. The studio thought his appeal would carry over into the film adaption. The publicity department at Metro suggested to exhibitors showing the film that they use tag lines to promote the film, such as: "Thomas wanted to give his heart away and these people wanted to buy it! — and — What kind of heart is worth a quarter of a million dollars?" The studio was also concerned with the horror aspect of the plot, and assured exhibitors: "Don't by any chance infer from the story that the picture has a gruesome touch. The theme is treated from the farce angle and unfolds many laughs without giving any ugly thrills."

Reviews and reception
Peter Milne wrote in his review for Motion Picture News, that the "various scenes between the hero and his captors have a high comedy value", but thought the early scenes were "held too long and the detail introduced is tiring". Overall, he said the film "brings a goodly number of laughs". In Hanford C. Judson's review for The Moving Picture World, he stated that the film has "touches of fresh humor" and noted that the character "most strikingly acted" was Dr. Spleen, played by Harry Carter. Judson opined that the part "fits him to perfection, and he makes the situation quite convincing." A review in the Exhibitors Herald was critical of the film, saying that "there are no incidents or story angles that bring forth more than mildly amused smiles from a chance audience". The Herald said that a "drop-in gathering" at a Chicago theater "seemed to find little in the play to amuse them".

References

External links

1919 films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
1910s English-language films
1919 comedy-drama films
1910s American films
Silent American comedy-drama films


text:
Bits o' Islanders News
Griffin Reinhart Reaches Entry Level Deal with New York Islanders
By Dominik@LHHockey Aug 2, 2012, 5:39pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Griffin Reinhart Reaches Entry Level Deal with New York Islanders
Reinhart is the one in the middle.
As clipped earlier and now officially announced by the team, the New York Islanders have reached an agreement with 2012 first-round pick Griffin Reinhart on an entry level deal.
For the CBA-averse among you, that means a three-year deal for a player of Reinhart's age (18). Terms were not disclosed, but the rookie salary cap remains $925,000, while potential performance bonuses and signing bonuses can take an ELC cap hit up to $3.77 million territory (e.g., see CapGeek's unofficial outline for Nail Yakupov's ELC).
It's not likely that Reinhart, as the fourth overall pick, is compensated quite that high:
The Isles' 2011 5th-overall pick Ryan Strome had the max salary of $925,000, but bonuses took the cap hit only up to $1.77 million. (And that cap hit will be lower now, because for cap accounting some of his bonus was assigned to 2011-12, but without playing 10 games the "slide" rule moves the rest of his contract up one year.)
2010 5th-overall pick Nino Niederreiter took the then-rookie max $900,000 NHL salary but higher bonuses that took his cap hit to $2.825 million (it is now also lower after a year of "slide" in 2010-11).
At minimum, before official terms are released leaked, you can bet Reinhart is taking home a signing bonus in excess of $200,000 like his peers Niederreiter, Brock Nelson ($270k bonus according to CapGeek) and Strome (whom, per the beauty of Twitter, Reinhart should be beating up about now).
And of course, even without making the NHL roster he gets some cash and a contract now, before any potential work stoppage this fall and before the next CBA, which -- if the owners get their way -- could further limit young players' movement and earning capacity.


Often people tend to make decisions and choices using a chaotic way of thinking. When the brain is running in 'survival mode', we have to make split-second decisions so we just do what needs to be done.
In hindsight, we probably would've made a very different decision or choice had we been in a different place or situation.
In the world we live in, being coherent is the state of mind that's generally expected and sought after. But it is natural for the brain to have a chaotic, creative, wild side too.
This is well-represented by the feminine energy, which is not just inside women, but men too. It's the natural state where chaos drives creativity, whereas masculine energy is more coherent and direct. In order to create anything though, you need a mix of both.
I (Angie) think the feminine energy does have a coherent aspect to it as well, although Shane doesn't agree. If we really break it down, there's both the masculine and feminine of chaos and masculine and feminine of coherent.
These are linked to each side of the brain. We have two hemispheres in the brain, but it does require some balance. It requires you to understand you do have a left and a right side and they do two very different things - one's more creative and the other is more logical.
We can bring balance to the brain and create a marriage of opposites using the breath. The way to do this is by using the 'alternate nostril'.
Each nostril is connected to the opposite hemisphere and it's been scientifically proven that the nose switches between mainly breathing the left and right sides throughout the day, for about 40-60 minutes at a time.
This has everything to do from up-regulating or down-regulating those different sides of the brain to cooling the different sides of the brain. So there is a natural process that happens.
How do you know which side your nose is feeding? Here's a little hack: just check in with your nose and see which nostril feels like it's breathing more freely. Check in with that if you are in the decision-making process and want to know if you're creative or if you're analytical. If the left nostril is flowing freely, the right brain, the creative brain, is active, and if the right nostril is flowing freely, it's the left/analytical brain that's working.
The other thing we find with breathing and mind control is that it helps you to 'identify your identity'. It can help you start to bring your imagination, your will, and your desire into focus.
These things are all housed in the mind. They're all separate types of energies but we believe the breath is the perfect tool to start weaving these things together. So they are all one thing and a part of you.
We often have clients say, "I've got these bad habits but I can't stop myself." Chocolate seems to be a popular one. They think their body takes over their mind, but it's really just people have what we call identity issues.
Sometimes they become so locked in to believing they don't have control. They think it's "just the way I am", when really it all comes down to beliefs.
Often people are having an identity crisis. There are different energies - desire, will, intellect, imagination - that pull you in different directions. Because of that, people don't understand there's a balance between the masculine and feminine aspects or the coherence and the chaos.
So then there's more separation going on. Is it any wonder that sometimes these days people think they have got split personalities or are going crazy? They're not in touch with their identity.
While you're in a 'meat sack' on this earth, one of your jobs is to understand these energies and bring them into balance and into alignment.
We've spoken on previous podcasts about integration and why it's important. When you integrate these identity parts of the mind, you start to focus on integrating the two hemispheres of the brain, the masculine and the feminine.
When this happens, a lot of the useless ideas and beliefs and behaviours you had - the running commentary, we call them - will disappear.
Using the breath to weave them together creates a peak state. The peak state shuts off the critical part of the brain which allows the brain to reorganise itself.
Think about it like this: what do you do when the apps don't work on your phone and everything starts bugging out? The first thing you do is you turn the phone off and on again That's like a master reset. We do the same thing. We're kind of clearing the mental cache using the breath.
There is a similar effect you have when you use your breathing to either induce a peak state and/or use the breath as a clearing tool.
When I (Angie) have been in that chaotic state of mind, making a decision was quite stressful. On top of that I would have this running commentary telling myself how I'm not good enough, or that I can't handle the chaos and pressure.
But using the breath means I can perform a master reset to integrate the two hemispheres of my brain and therefore create some space between my thoughts. This bring more of the coherence state into the chaos and more of the chaos state to the coherence.
My greatest lessons have been finding the coherence in the chaos and understanding them. Once I was able to do that, I really started to have a heightened sense of awareness. I also had a better connection with myself, which allowed me to choose which beliefs I wanted to latch on to.
Mind control really comes down to you and your choices. It's about reorganising and choosing the way you want to apply your mind, because your mind is a tool. The ego is part of that, it's like a pet. You want it to be sharp and turned on.
The mind is also connected to the body and the body's connected to the mind but we have a tendency to sever the body from the mind.
When the breath starts going, it integrates all these things so you can be the best you. The breath is the thread that holds it all together.
If you haven't had a taste of the types of breathing we are talking about yet, take our free 7 Step Quick Start Breathing Program for a test drive. You'll be amazed what can be achieved in just 3 minutes.


Eternal life means more than merely continuing to exist. Its qualitative value will be determined by what we believe and do while in mortality and by our conformity to eternal law in the life to come. Eternal existence would be most undesirable if that existence became fixed and static upon arrival there. "It is hope and expectation and desire and something ever more about to be" that gives lilt and verve to mortal and immortal life. We cannot imagine, nor would we desire, an eternity without opportunity for growth and development. We believe in eternal progression.
Faith in God and the ultimate triumph of right contributes to mental and spiritual poise in the face of difficulties. It is a sustaining power when a confining or antagonistic environment challenges one's courage. Similarly if one has a vivid sense of his own divinity, he will not be easily persuaded to deprave his mind, debauch his body, or sell his freedom for temporary gain. Goethe is right when [p.172] he makes Mephistopheles, his devil, say, "I am the spirit of negation." Negation always bedevils life.
Thus we recommend faith as a present, living power for good here and now as well as for what it will do for us in achieving salvation hereafter.
Wherever in life great spiritual values await man's appropriation, only faith can appropriate them. Man cannot live without faith because in life's adventure the central problem is character building—which is not a product of logic but of faith in ideals and sacrificial devotion to them. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews saw the intimate relationship between the quality of faith and the quality of life and called upon his readers to judge the Christian life by its consequences in character.
We cannot avoid looking ahead and to some degree basing our activities upon things which we cannot see. But bit by bit we gain assurance. We have some knowledge of what that is and of what has been. But it is necessary that we have faith in that which is yet to come.
In this universal venture of life, its full meaning can be understood only by the application of faith, wherein the best treasures of the spirit are obtainable only through courageous open-heartedness and the kind of character which is possible to all men of deep conviction.
But every discussion of faith must distinguish it from its caricatures. Faith is not credulity. It is not believing things you know are not so. It is not a formula to get the universe to do your bidding. It is not a set of beliefs to be swallowed up by one gulp. Faith is not knowledge; it is mixed with lack of understanding or it would not be faith. Faith does not dwindle as wisdom grows.
No message short of religion has ever met man's need in this estate. Faith that God himself is pledged to the victory of [p.173] righteousness in men in the world, that he cares, forgives, enters into man's struggle with transforming power and crowns the long endeavor with triumphant character—such faith alone has been great enough to meet the needs of men.
God help us to rise to a point where we can retain faith in the future, whatever it may hold. When suffering, we need most of all to remember there is an explanation, although we may not know exactly what it is.
Religious faith gives confidence that human tragedy is not a meaningless sport of physical forces. Life is not what Voltaire called it, "a bad joke"; it is really a school of discipline whose author and teacher is God.
Faith is a rod to truth, without which some truths can never be reached at all. The reason for its inevitableness in life is not our lack of knowledge but rather that faith is as indispensible as logical demonstration in any real knowing in the world. Faith is not a substitute for truth but a pathway to truth.


text:
Two All Star Starters ain't worth what it used to be
The Los Angeles Lakers make up 40% of the Western All Star Team's starting lineup. And they will probably miss the playoffs. What?
By C.A. Clark Jan 23, 2013, 10:40am PST
Share All sharing options for: Two All Star Starters ain't worth what it used to be
Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
On Sunday, February 17th, the NBA will hold its 2013 All Star Game in Houston, Texas. When the game tips off, the Los Angeles Lakers will represent 20% of the players taking the court, 40% of those donning the Western Conference jerseys. Not too shabby for a team that will probably miss the playoffs. Such is the weird state of the Los Angeles Lakers, in which a team full of top flight talent is vastly under-performing.
Of course, being an All Star starter is decided by fan voting, and has been a popularity contest more than a deserved honor since the system was instituted. Every year, it seems, one of the guys voted in as a starter doesn't even deserve to be at the game. Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming, Allen Iverson ... the league's most recognized faces have all had seasons where, through performance or injury, they didn't deserve the honor and got it anyways. It happens all the time. Just this year, two of the Eastern Conference starters are from the 20-21 Boston Celtics (providing the Lakers company in the 'talent does not equal success' category), and neither Kevin Garnett nor Rajon Rondo are having seasons worth remembering.
Here's the thing, though: Kobe and Dwight ... kinda deserve to be there. At least as far as the numbers go. Kobe is scoring off the charts, and until the last three games, he was doing so at an efficiency that was historic in his already historic career. He's second in the league in scoring, ninth in PER, and sixth in the league in win shares despite the fact that stat is tied heavily to a team's overall win total (something which the Lakers are pretty terrible at). Sure, he spent most of the season playing terrible defense, but that's not even really a criteria for the All Star team anyways. This game has always been about offensive capability.
And Dwight, though nowhere near the form that people associate with him, is still just about good enough to be considered a legitimate All Star. He's leading the league in rebounding by a sizable margin (though Anderson Varejao was killing him prior to the season ending blood clot injury he sustained). He's fifth in the league in blocks and sixth in eFG. His 17.1 points per game is below career average, but hardly terrible. Dwight Howard, on paper at least, is a legitimate all star. He shouldn't be starting (not with Tim Duncan having a ridiculous season), but he should be in the game.
That is the conundrum facing the Lakers. They have two superstars, and both are playing well enough to deserve a call up to the All Star game. Kobe is playing about as well as he ever has. Dwight is far below his career norms, but is still providing quite a bit. And Steve Nash hasn't diminished all that far from the form that saw him named to the All-Star team last year. He won't be named this year, because he hasn't played very much and his numbers are down from what was a fringe campaign anyway, but still ... the Lakers are getting decent production out of 3 out of their 4 stars, decent being enough to garner an All Star invite for two of them. And they still look so terrible as a team that I'm not 100% convinced they aren't already tanking for some reason.
This isn't how basketball is supposed to work. Talent is too important to a game in which you can only have five players on the court at the same time.The Lakers have quite a bit of talent, enough to be well represented at the league's celebration of it. But that talent isn't providing them anything where they need it most ... in the win column.


I. There should be robust engagement between police departments and the communities they serve around the policies and priorities of policing.
II. When possible, policing practices should be guided by rules and policies that are adopted in advance of action, are transparent, and are formulated with input from the public.
III. Police departments should develop and use sound metrics of success that encompass all of the goals of policing, including community trust.
Beginning at our initial conference on Democratic Policing, individuals and organizations from around the country have signed our Statement of Democratic Policing Principles.


text:
'Species' Magazine poets and writers to read at Old Capitol Books
December 31, 2017 oldcapitolbooksmonterey
For information on Todd Boss's poetry event, click here.
Saturday 6 January 2018, 4-6pm: Species magazine poets and writers will appear at Old Capitol Books this coming reading to read their stories, poems, and other writings. This Species reading will feature Joe Donohoe, Zen priest Ed Bowers, and Nicole Henares (Aurelia Lorca).
Joe Donohoe has been doing independent publishing in San Francisco for 30 years. A former punk rock DJ and cab driver he is now a nurse case manager masochistically dedicated to producing Speciousspecies Magazine almost every year. Species is an anthology of cultural journalism anchored on interviews with seminal counter culture types from the late Spain Rodriguez to Elaine Pagels with thematic articles. Species #8 is all about Islands and Apocalypses.
Ed Bowers
Ed Bowers is a Zen priest and former security guard and poet of the austere school. If resiliency matters then Ed is the poet laureate of the Tenderloin.
Nicole Henares (Aurelia Lorca) began writing as a violinist/lyricist in a punk rock cover band called Unfortunate Mustaches with the legendary Roxi Christmas, but was promptly kicked out upon having laser electrolysis. She then worked part time as a secretary for the Evil Dark Overlord of The Zen Baby Federation, but was eventually let go because she just couldn't wield a staple gun that quickly.
This event is free and open to everyone.
Previous PostTheory & Philosophy 32: Friendship as a Form of LifeNext PostJeff McKown, author of Solid Ground, to appear at Old Capitol Books
Theory & Philosophy Reading Group VI: Edward Said's Orientalism
History of African Americans of Monterey County


text:
This Canadian City Is Hosting a Fully Legal Pot Festival This Year
Canada is expected to legalize recreational marijuana in mid-2018 | © Cannabis Culture / Flickr
Emily Paskevics
The Canadian federal government's Cannabis Act is expected to pass through Parliament later this summer (2018), which will make the recreational use of marijuana legal across the country. In Montreal, there are already plans for what could be the first legal pot festival in Canada.
Pot Fest Montreal intends to highlight the versatility of marijuana, and it will be designed as part trade show and part celebration. There are plans for exhibitions and demonstrations from over 50 industry-related businesses and merchants, including licensed producers, seed companies, hydroponic equipment manufacturers, nutrient and fertilizer suppliers, dispensaries, health and wellness providers, medical clinics, and more.
Marijuana March in Vancouver | © Cannabis Culture / Flickr
There will also be how-to demonstrations for making marijuana-based butter, oils, and producing hashish. Local Montreal chefs will be present, creating their own signature marijuana-based dishes. A tropical Massage Spa is also in the works, and participants will be able to enjoy curated edible cuisine pairings in the "Munchies Village."
Edibles | © Cannabis Culture / Flickr
Canada has regulated medical marijuana since 2001, with users required to get a prescription to purchase from approximately 40 federally regulated producers. The call for legalizing recreational use was one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's major campaign promises; he has long been an advocate for both the decriminalization and regulation of marijuana.
Studies show that Canadians are among the world's biggest consumers of marijuana, with around 44% of the country admitting to having used weed in some form at least once. Additionally, according to a poll conducted last year, about five million Canadian adults now smoke pot at least once a month. It has been projected that around 900,000 could join them when legalization is finalized, counting at a 19% increase.
Cannabis activism | © Cannabis Culture / Flickr
Both the date and location of Pot Fest Montreal are still to be determined, but co-organizers Perennial Productions (responsible for creating unique Montreal festivals such as Lobster Clam Jam, Dog Fest Montreal, and La Pizza Week) and the smoking accessories retailer Prohibition, project that the event will take place soon after the legalization of marijuana is officially announced.
With legalization having been projected for mid-2018, then, Pot Fest Montreal could become the first of many large-scale and legal marijuana celebrations across the country.


After extensive testing, research, and development, Bearden Oil Co., Inc. proudly introduces STC2. We have reformulated our STC Strip Grip to better provide the two most important characteristics of a good traction compound. Simply put, the creation of a groove and good traction. These characteristics are directly related to certain properties. The first is adhesion or stickiness. The second is cohesion or the ability to resist sheer; it's what helps the STC2 stick to the track.
The tire has to have a proper surface to grab, the stickiness of STC2 alone is not sufficient. So, STC2 grabs the minute particles of rubber and melds them or helps them adhere to the track surface. The STC2 softens the rubber and holds it to the track. So, it's not solely the stickiness of STC2 that provides the traction but its ability to allow the rubber from the tires to blend with the track, creating a "groove". However, be careful, one of the most common problems in track prep is overspraying. When the STC2 is piled up, it becomes elastic, and the tires can't grip because the track tends to rip up or move around. It's a common mistake to think that more compound equals better traction. It's better to drag the track and apply light coats of STC2 until the proper traction is achieved vs. spraying excessive compound because a driver is complaining his car won't hook up. It's also easier to apply more compound than it is to remove excess, and layering on too much will cause the track to become loose or greasy.
Remember, traction is just as important down track to preclude the higher horsepower cars from moving around or spinning the tires in that area, so, spray consistently and everything should be fine.
After a good racing surface is achieved, you'll know how much compound to apply before each race. To achieve a consistent track, it must be scraped, cleaned and sprayed before each race. Consistency is the most important factor in drag racing. STC2 Strip Grip is made to exact specifications each and every time. Every drum you receive will contain exactly the same premium product every time.


text:
Coast to Coast September 2010
ECO Folder/Gluer Adds to Finishing Lineup
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Flower City Printing has added capacity to its finishing capabilities with the installation of a 41˝ ECO 105 folder/gluer from Heidelberg. The company, which specializes in retail signage, POP, POS, folding cartons, litho labels, packaging, and kit-packing/fulfillment, was impressed with the ECO 105's productivity—up to 50,000 lockbottom cartons per hour—as well as its flexibility to process lock- and double-wall boxes, along with four- and six-corner cartons. According to Director of Marketing Tina Beauchemin, the ease of use and fast makereadies enabled by the new folder/gluer are also a big plus for the handling of frequent job changeovers needed to process multiple short runs from 5,000 to 50,000 pieces.
"The ECO 105 has become a valuable addition to our folding and gluing operation due to its ability to handle a wide range of folding configurations and sizes," says Kevin Neureuter, Director of Operations.
Established in 1970 and with annual sales revenue in the $60 million range, Flower City operates three facilities in the Rochester area employing a total of around 285 employees.
LOS ANGELES—Digital Room, Inc. and U-Printing Network have purchased a five-color 40˝ automated Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S sheetfed press with aqueous coater to expand the offset capabilities at U-Printing's production facility here. The new press will feature the SimulChanger plate-changing system for plate changes on all units in just over one minute.
WILLOWBROOK—Splash Graphics, Inc., a premedia and graphics company, has invested in a KODAK FLEXCEL NX digital flexographic system to expand into printing plate production for flexographic printing.
EVERETT—Agfa has announced that H.K. Graphics has installed an :Anapurna Mw as part of its overall strategic business growth plan. The unit adds single pass pre-white and multi-pass post-white to the :Anapurna M series. This wide-format industrial UV inkjet printer is designed to produce photorealistic quality for POP, displays, retail signage, trade show graphics, and more. It features a print resolution of 720 x 1440 dpi and a maximum printing width of 62 inches.
Agfa Corp.
Davis-Standard, LLC
Eastman Kodak, Graphic Communications Group
Mark Andy
Nilpeter


abstract	 High pressure processing is an emergent technology for food preservation that causes minimal changes in the characteristics of the foods, preventing food spoilage and foodborne diseases. In this work, 12 different foodborne bacteria were submitted to high pressure (300 MPa, 15 min, room temperature) in order to assess the bacterial reduction and the alterations induced with this processing in cellular components. It was observed that all the Gram-negative bacteria were inactivated to undetectable levels while Gram-positive showed resistance to pressure, being Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus the most resistant, decreasing only 2 logs. Listeria monocytogenes decreased about 5 logs. IR spectroscopy was used to investigate the differences in the spectra of the cells after the pressurization. Regarding cellular modifications, it was possible to notice that changes in hydrogen bounds appear to be on the basis of the modifications observed in the spectra after high pressure processing. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Wanna be part of my Gangnam Style (YouTube Japan Style) collab? Even if you don't live in Japan you're welcome to join in!
Basically what I need is a clip of you dancing to Gangnam Style or re-enacting a scene from it.
OR upload the file to a site like Gigafile (linked above) and then forward the link to me!
Just a little bit, or some of the dance, is totally OK!
質問があればコメントしてくださいね! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!
Last week I tried my hand at some modelling with Lisa (Paint with Stars) in Roppongi! I think my modelling needs a LOT of work. If only watching every single season of America's Next Top Model had helped a little more...!
実は六本木はあんまり詳しくないです!I actually very rarely go to Roppongi.
そしていつものコンバース。And the same old Chucks I always wear.
Thanks to Lisa for the amajjing pics!
Check out her blog here and her YouTube HERE!
You seriously do only have to press them on. Well - okay - unless you're used to having MONSTER NAILS (I am 100% not) you do have to file them to an acceptable size (small file included in the package).
And the sticky part of the nail is really just a little bit too big, which you can't really do anything about, so it gets a bit dirt-ridden. I guess that's the only thing that bugged me about them.
The price is ¥1260, which is a little less expensive than most of the Japanese products like this.
This is what it looks like when you open it up!
5日目、親指のネイルがちょっとはがれてきている。After five days it's coming off a bit (just the thumb).
6日目、簡単にオフ!チップがちょっと汚れているね。それはこの商品の一つの悪い点。のりがちょっと多いから汚れやすいです。あたしのネイルが小さすぎるからかもしれません。After 5-6 days I decided to pull them all off. Not all of them were lose but the thumb was kinda annoying me!
Here you can see that the part of the glue exposed above my nail got kind of dirty (I did kinda pull some of it off but there wasn't really a solution to that). I guess it's for people with longer nails than me!!!
みんなのメイク夏祭り Minna no Make Summer Festival!
I'm a premium member of a website here in Japan called "Minna no Make" (Everyone's Make-up), and every so often they have really fun events like this one, a Summer Festival (of sorts).
I actually got to go inside the TBS Broadcasting Centre for this one, which was fun! At first I couldn't even find the Centre itself because the elevator up from the station deposits you right in the middle of a theme park-like affair promoting TBS shows.
In the end though, despite my severely lacking sense of direction (where can I buy a good one, seriously?), I managed to find the meeting place and we all got shuffled along and deposited in the restaurant Pronto. The food looked scrumptious, but as a vegetarian there wasn't much to eat, which I'd prepared for by eating a big lunch. I did nom on some olives and tomatoes though - delicious.
Making a weird pose of weirdness with the other Premium Members, Harunyan and Kim Dao (the links will deposit you at their respective YouTube channels). I've met Harunyan before, she's very nice and easy to get along with so it's always a pleasure.
It was my first time meeting Kim, who came all the way from Perth, Australia to melt in the unbearably hot Tokyo Summer. She is seriously the cutest gal I've ever seen, not lying! Check out her blog plzkthnx!
On the way home Kim talked me into some purikura (okay, okay, it didn't take any "talking into"). She has ninja-level purikura skillz. Mine are finally developing, but def no match! I really hope she comes back to Tokyo soon!
Yesterday was Hetare BBoy's Summer Meet-up! The beach made the whole thing super-fun...all the boys had a great time throwing each other into the water. And so many cute viewers turned up!
In which I attack Mahoto!
I got this adorable Maple Honey & Choco pocky-type treat from an adorable viewer. More than the utter deliciousness (ate it all in one go, naturally), it was so special to receive something with such a sweet message on it♡ Thank you!
In the end, the beach is my favourite place.
Somehow or another, I ended up making another English video with Dante.
I think he's improved quite a bit! What do you think?
I've almost lived in Japan for a full 3 years, but I feel like my Japanese really isn't improving that fast. Maybe in the next year I'll advance to kindergarten level! I'd better go study if that's gonna happen.
My 100th vid, shot with a bunch of my favourite YouTubers at the Kashiwa Matsuri.


In Italian opera's wondrous evolution from Paisiello to Puccini in the Nineteenth Century, more than half a century of the art form's history was dominated by a single composer: Giuseppe Verdi. From the première of Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio in 1839 until the last laugh of Falstaff in 1893, Verdi's operas were the musical manifestations of the turmoil and triumphs that engendered Italian unification and nationalism. Beyond Italy's borders, far more composers were influenced by Verdi's work than would ever have admitted it, and it was from Verdi's heroines that Puccini's Manon Lescaut, Mimì, Cio-Cio San, Minnie, and Liù received their lifeblood. Now, 116 years after Verdi's death, affection for his music is stronger than ever. Operatic laity have never hesitated to declare passionate devotion to Verdi's operas, but elitists and so-called connoisseurs have often hidden their tears for Gilda and Violetta. Perhaps Aida inspires fewer tears than some of her sisters, but few of opera's protagonists have sparked imaginations and won devotion as Aida has done in the century-and-a-half since she first sang in 1871. Obliged throughout so much of the opera to take refuge within her own guarded hope for deliverance, sustained only by dreams of a life ever receding further into impossibility, she is the rare Verdi heroine for whom escape is feasible. When she might flee to the cherished land of her birth, Aida prefers death in the arms of her lover. Her ultimate choice is not the enslavement of living without the love for which she braved the perils of a princess's hatred but the liberation of death on her own terms. She is a modern woman in an ancient setting, made timeless by music that throbs with every beat of her tormented heart.
The longtime slogan of the National Endowment for the Arts, 'a great nation deserves great art,' can be easily adapted for the opera house. Grand stages deserve—and demand—grand opera. As the intimate theatres in which opera's infancy and childhood transpired gave way to more expansive spaces, the dimensions of the music written to fill them—the music of opera's tempestuous adolescence—also grew more imposing. Horns found work as more than harbingers of distant huntsmen, and string sections became small towns. The complex stage machinery of Baroque and Classical opera incorporated every relevant technological advancement, bringing everything from live animals to running water to the world's opera houses. The charismatic Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, Ismail the Magnificent, undoubtedly wanted an opera that reflected his epithet to inaugurate the opera house built in Cairo as a part of his initiatives to modernize and cosmopolitanize the Egyptian capital. Though the first production suffered the ill effects of the Franco-Prussian War, the score that Verdi produced in fulfillment of the Khedive's commission ingeniously amalgamated elements of Italian lyricism and Parisian grand opera in a work requiring grandiose scenic effects, episodic dance, and voices of the highest calibre. The set pieces of Verdi's early and middle periods are still present, but the skill with which Verdi integrated them into the opera's through-composed structure yielded a piece with tremendous theatrical impact. His republican sensibilities incensed, Verdi bitterly objected to the first Cairo performance of Aida playing to a specially-invited audience of aristocrats and dignitaries. The composer's revenge goes on unabated: aside from Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's Mimì, few operatic heroines have touched as many 'ordinary' lives as Aida continues to do everywhere that opera is performed.
In an absence as inexplicable as many of Washington's political quagmires, which is to suggest that money is likely at least partly responsible, Aida has not been staged at Kennedy Center since 1990, when the cast included Aprile Millo and Maria Noto as Aida, Vladimir Popov as Radamès, and Stefania Toczyska as Amneris. That the 1990 production failed to win its scheduled leading lady's approval is part of American opera lore, but Kennedy Center's new effort, a production shared with San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, and Minnesota Opera, is a colorful, even flamboyant experience in which audiences are asked not only to listen to Verdi's music but also to ponder why the characters sing it. Under the direction of WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, whose work exhibits an uncanny gift for finding new but valid ways of interpreting familiar repertory. Her groundbreaking productions of Berlioz's Les Troyens and Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen enriched these works' performance histories with visions both innovative and intuitive. With the assistance of Associate Director E. Loren Meeker, whose gorgeous production of Madama Butterfly for North Carolina Opera is among that company's greatest artistic successes, Zambello staged Aida with an apparent goal of bringing the opera's narrative closer to modern audiences without distancing it from Verdi and his librettist, Antonio Ghislanzoni.
The political fray that serves as the backdrop against which Aida's personal dramas play out was meaningfully integrated into the production, emphasizing the tense atmosphere in which Aida's, Amneris's, and Radamès's lives intersect. The tableau of Amneris and Radamès receiving the acclaim of the Egyptian people in the Triumphal Scene was reminiscent of images of Eva and Juan Perón on the balcony of Casa Rosada, and the subjugation of the conquered Ethiopians evoked scenes of oppression from Biblical times to Tiananmen Square. Jessica Lang's athletic but artistic choreography was characterized by a range of motions both stylized and natural: muscles and emotions moved in tandem, and the dancers—Patrick Coker, Julie Fiorenza, John Harnage, Eve Jacobs, Kana Kimura, Milan Misko, Thomas Ragland, Rachel Secrest, and Jammie Walker, complemented in the entertainment for Amneris at the start of Act Two by a troupe of splendidly acrobatic boys—executed Lang's steps expertly. The vehemence of the Egyptian priests' calls for the slaughter of their Ethiopian prisoners was a timely reminder of the sickening toll of fanaticism, making the horrors of Aida's life at the mercy of her foes real for the audience. Art cannot and must not always be comfortable and comforting. Art plays a vital rôle in altering perceptions and ending prejudices, and in doing so it must press observers to face truths that are less threatening when ignored. Zambello's Aida is not a Boudicca, Jeanne d'Arc, or Libuše, but she is a woman with a fully-developed social conscience that did not impede her ability to loft Verdi's melodies to the farthest reaches of the auditorium.
This Aida leapt from imagination to stage via the concept design and sketches of graphic artist RETNA (né Marquis Duriel Lewis). Patrons who expected a graffiti artist's Aida were either surprised or disappointed. His was no glitzy but generic Hollywood-esque Old Kingdom with cardboard pyramids and potted palms. Rather, the opera house's stage became the epicenter of a functioning totalitarian state in which clerical authority superseded even royal prerogative. RETNA's sketches produced artwork that dressed the stage in dazzling jewel tones. The visual symbolism incorporated into virtually every aspect of the production was remarkable for both looking authentically Egyptian and being wholly original. Even without an ankh to be seen, the production was more faithful to Verdi's score and Ghislanzoni's libretto than many stagings that go to ridiculous lengths in efforts at achieving 'authenticity.' Bringing to his work on this production nearly fifty years of experience, Michael Yeargan designed sets that were ideal canvases for RETNA's graphics. Intelligently illuminated by University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumnus Mark McCullough's lighting designs, the sets were dynamic without being distracting. The military attire central to Anita Yavich's costume designs for the male characters would not have been out of place in Mussolini's Italy, Stalin's Soviet Union, Castro's Cuba, Gaddafi's Libya, or Mubarak's Egypt, and Aida's simple dress contrasted starkly with the stunning citrine, pure white, and sapphire gowns for Amneris. The visual components of this Aida amplified the emotions of Verdi's music and Ghislanzoni's words, not grasping at manufactured relevance but harnessing the wealth of pertinence that already exists in the opera's drama.
Conductor Evan Rogister paced the performance with energy, but his leadership was occasionally undermined by idiosyncratic tempi and breakdowns in coordination between stage and pit. Balances and timing in the largest ensembles were fortunately spot on, but there were instances in which principals and conductor disagreed about niceties of phrasing. Still, Rogister cued the singers impressively, and his conducting was attuned to the subtleties of Verdi's orchestrations. Verdi composed a large-scale Overture for Aida as an afterthought but ultimately preferred the simpler Preludio with which he originally launched the opera. At Rogister's slow tempo, the music seemed almost Impressionistic: unexpectedly, Pelléas et Mélisande loomed as prominently on the musical horizon as Otello. Throughout the performance, the WNO Orchestra's playing was marvelous, with the masters of the difficult herald trumpets in the Triumphal Scene earning particular admiration for their flawless intonation. The rhythmic bite of the musicians' performances of the dance interludes—the Danza sacra delle sacerdotesse (actually della sacerdotessa in this production) in the second scene of Act One, the Danza di piccoli schiavi mori in the second scene of Act Two, and the Ballabile in the Triumphal Scene—gave these passages the momentum that they need. Chorus Master Steven Gathman rehearsed the WNO Chorus to a level of preparation that rendered the choral singing one of the finest elements of the performance. As Pharaoh's army, the Egyptian populace, the captive Ethiopians, and the priests standing in judgement of Radamès, the choristers sang fantastically. Unlike their colleagues at Teatro alla Scala and the Metropolitan Opera, WNO's chorus and orchestra cannot boast of career-long acquaintances with Aida, but their performance benefited tremendously from the absence of routine.
Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Program is a phenomenal source of young talent with which to populate the casts of the company's productions, and enjoyment of this Aida was markedly enhanced by the presence of well-trained singers with voices of true quality in rôles in which mediocrity is all too frequently encountered. As the Messaggero who brings the momentous news of the Ethiopians' invasion of Egypt, tenor Frederick Ballentine voiced 'Il sacro suolo dell'Egitto è invaso dai barbari Etiopi' incisively, his voice secure throughout the range of the music. In the second scene of Act One, soprano Madison Leonard sang the exotic exhortation 'Possente Fthà, del mondo spirito animator' with attractive tone and excellent breath control. Both of these young artists will be welcome additions to the rosters of the world's opera companies.
Another alumnus of WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, bass Soloman Howard has already offered audiences a plethora of evidence of his mastery of Verdi repertory, which he will expand further with his portrayal of Sparafucile in North Carolina Opera's January 2018 production of Rigoletto. As the Re d'Egitto, the rôle of his Metropolitan Opera début, the strikingly handsome singer's Pharaoh exuded the confidence that comes with unflappable comfort with the music. Vocally, his performance began promisingly and continued to gather strength with each successive phrase. In Act One, Howard voiced 'Alta cagion v'aduna, o fidi Egizii' with firm, rounded tone, and he declaimed 'Iside venerata di nostre schiere in vitte già designava il condottier supremo' with the majesty of a man in communion with his deities. His 'Su! del Nilo al sacro lido' radiated patriotic fervor. In Act Two's Triumphal Scene, Howard's Re addressed Radamès with a robust 'Salvator della patria, io ti saluto,' but his solemn delivery of 'Al tuo consiglio io cedo' suggested that a shrewd statesman lurked behind the warmongering façade. In the long performance and recording histories of Aida, many voices have been heard in the Re's music that caused listeners to wonder whether it might have been Pharaoh's wobbling that dislodged the Sphinx's nose. There was no wobbling in this performance to endanger the integrity of Egypt's infrastructure, but the sheer power of Howard's vocalism was awesome.
Imposing bass Morris Robinson was a Ramfis who towered over his countrymen, in stature and in menace. A priest who did not hesitate to use violence to advance his agenda [even the unoffending Messaggero fell victim to his fists], this Ramfis was unmistakably an ancestor of the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo. In Aida's opening scene, he sang 'Sì: corre voce che l'Etiope ardisca sfidarci ancora' zealously, and 'Gloria ai Numi! ognun rammenti ch'essi reggono gli eventi' poured from him like the surging Nile. 'Mortal, diletto ai Numi, a te fidate son d'Egitto le sorti' in the scene in the Temple of Vulcan was dispatched with near-fanatical ardor. There was no lunging for the top F: the note was in the voice, and Robinson found it effortlessly. The rugged brawn of his singing was stirring, but his handling of the lovely cantabile 'Nume, custode e vindice di questa sacra terra' was also riveting. It was obvious in his granitic 'Ascolta, o Re' in the Triumphal Scene that this Ramfis expected his advice to be heeded. It was equally apparent in 'Vieni d'Iside al tempio' in Act Three and in the Judgment Scene in Act Four that neither Amneris's despair nor her fury were of the slightest consequence to Ramfis. Robinson voiced 'Spirto del Nume, sovra noi discendi!' lithely. His thunderous repetitions of 'Radamès!' were terrifying: the final utterance of the name, each syllable forcefully articulated, was haunting. In a sense, Ramfis is the last man standing when Aida reaches it conclusion. Aida and Radamès have perished, Amneris is devastated by guilt, and the legitimacy of the King's reign has been weakened by his espousal of a traitor. In some performances of Aida, these outcomes seem to be the work of destiny, but Robinson was a Ramfis who manipulated the drama from the start. When his machinations were enacted with singing of such vigor and security, the ambitions of this Ramfis could not be thwarted.
His portrayal of the title rôle in Opera Carolina's 2014 production of Nabucco confirmed Gordon Hawkins to be one of today's most accomplished Verdi baritones. In WNO's 2016 staging of Wagner's Götterdämmerung, his unforgettable Alberich disclosed Hawkins's ability to markedly influence a performance even as a character whose time on stage is relatively brief. As Amonasro in WNO's Aida, these feats merged exhilaratingly. First seen among the humiliated Ethiopians in Act Two's Triumphal Scene, the nobility of Hawkins's Amonasro was discernible despite the monarch's efforts at remaining anonymous. His cry of 'Non mi tradir!' to Aida was as much a royal decree as a statement of desperation, and the top Fs that punctuated his plea for the conquering Egyptians to show mercy, 'Questa assisa ch'io vesto vi dica che il mio Re,' were galvanizing. The voice sometimes sounded unsteady, but Amonasro's music is ferocious, and Hawkins's voice is a large instrument used with such control that moments of strain were not worrying.
Reuniting with Aida along the banks of the Nile—evoked by sounds of a nocturnal riparian setting in Verdi's score if not visually in this production—in Act Three, Hawkins sang 'A te grave cagion m'adduce, Aida' muscularly. Then, his account of the cantabile dolcissimo 'Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate' was tenderly paternal. There is pitifully little tenderness in Amonasro's bullying of Aida, and Hawkins hurled 'Su, dunque! sorgete, egizie coorti!' at her ruthlessly, roaring the top F♯. As Aida implored him to take pity on her suffering, Hawkins's Amonasro retreated, covering his face with his hands and clearly feeling the sting of his own cruelty. A father's compassion returned in the baritone's voicing of 'Pensa che un popolo vinto,' and the ascent to top G♭ was now an expression of victory rather than viciousness. His shout of 'Di Napata le gole!' after Radamès unwittingly revealed the secret of the Egyptians' intended route into battle bore the weight of the blow that turned the opera's course inexorably towards tragedy. Amonasro is an intriguing anomaly in Verdi's studies of parent-child relationships, but he is not the heartless brute that some singers portray. There was unusual depth in Hawkins's realization of the part, and he sang Amonasro's music with aptitude that is even more unusual today.
Some of the best singing heard at the 2017 Bayreuther Festspiele was supplied by mezzo-soprano Marina Prudenskaya, whose Waltraute in Götterdämmerung brimmed with urgency and vocal opulence befitting a daughter of Wotan. [She returns to Bayreuth in 2018 to sing Fricka and Schwertleite in Die Walküre.] Looking as glamorously regal as Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, Prudenskaya was a calculating Amneris who toyed with Aida and sprang her fatal trap with feline sensuality. The core of her interpretation was restraint, however: there was no excess, not one superfluous gesture. In her Act One duet with Radamès, Prudenskaya intoned 'Quale insolita gioia nel tuo sguardo!' caustically, but her purring of 'Vieni, o diletta, appressati' in the subsequent trio with Aida and Radamès was slyly casual. Later, celebrating Radamès as the gods' choice to lead the Egyptians into battle, she voiced 'Di mia man ricevi, o duce, il vessillo glorioso' with conspicuous affection.
The scene for Amneris and her attendants that opens Act Two can seem out of place. The ladies in Amneris's company are identified by Ghislanzoni as slaves but were courtiers in Zambello's production, a believable departure from the libretto: Amneris shaming Aida before gossiping Egyptian ladies heightened the scene's dramatic significance. Merely as a setting for Prudenskaya's supple singing of 'Ah! vieni, vieni, amor mio,' the scene was gratifying. In the duet with Aida that follows, the mezzo-soprano unleashed an avalanche of duplicity with 'Fu la sorte dell'armi a' tuoi funesta.' Affected sweetness pervaded her singing of the cantabile 'Io son l'amica tua' and 'Ebben: qual nuovo fremito ti assal, gentile Aida?' The character's fury explodes with 'Trema, vil schiava,' and Prudenskaya's heated performance ignited both music and text. Perhaps having learned from the examples of interpreters of Amneris who burn out before meeting the demands of Act Four, there was perceptible caution here and in her traversal of 'Venga la schiava, venga a rapirmi l'amor mio,' the treachery imparted by inflection rather than volume. At the start of Act Three, this Amneris responded to Ramfis's instruction to pray with a touchingly sincere 'Sì; io pregherò che Radamès mi doni tutto il suo cor.' The savagery of her censure of Radamès's treason at the act's end was intense but tempered by sadness.
To seek a comparison in Prudenskaya's German repertoire, Act Four of Aida is for Amneris an ordeal similar to what Fricka faces in Act Two of Die Walküre. Alone with her thoughts as the act begins, Amneris contemplates the consequences of her jealousy. Musing over Aida's escape from Amneris's clutches, Prudenskaya infused 'L'abborrita rivale a me sfuggia' with bile, but she avoided vocal harshness. Confronting Radamès for the last time, this Amneris attempted to maintain a calm detachment in 'Già i sacerdoti adunansi arbitri del tuo fato,' but as she sang of her love being supplanted by anger she became increasingly frantic. Her voice seething with emotion, Prudenskaya dominated the pair of exposed top B♭s. Amneris's loathing of Ramfis and his self-serving exercise of pseudo-religious authority erupted in the Judgment Scene, but the voice was never unduly pushed. The sudden frailty of her 'Ohimè!...morir mi sento' and 'Numi, pietà del mio straziato core' was a moving indication of Amneris's love for Radamès. Even the bright, sonorous top A with which she ended the scene was guarded, the ire directed at Amneris's flawed character as much as at the hypocritical priests. In the opera's final scene, Prudenskaya sang 'Pace t'imploro, salma adorata' as a broken woman. Prudenskaya was an uncommonly cerebral Amneris, a vulnerable woman aware of her power but also powerless. There were ensemble passages in which she could not be heard as clearly as her colleagues, but this perceptive artist took the ethos of the production to heart by looking beyond the notes on the page and sharing with the audience why her Amneris sang them.
Hailing from Arlington, Virginia, a stone's—or a Washington Nationals pitcher's—throw across the Potomac from Kennedy Center, tenor Carl Tanner is the standard bearer for the mostly-extinct and little-remembered tradition of his fellow American tenor Barry Morell. Musical, insightful, and effective in lyric and heavier rôles, he shares with Morell the under-appreciated distinction of being an exceptionally reliable artist who brings to virtually every performance the preparedness and dedication that some singers only fitfully exhibit. As Radamès in this Aida, Tanner was bold and charismatic, his singing stentorian when appropriate and always aptly romantic. In the opera's first scene, his Radamès daydreamed with a schoolboy's enthusiasm about being chosen to command Egypt's troops. It is often alleged that Richard Strauss hated the tenor voice, but only in Die Frau ohne Schatten did he rival Verdi's 'gift' to the tenor in Act One of Aida. Beset by the recitative 'Se quel guerrier io fossi!' and romanza 'Celeste Aida' with only a few moments of warmup, Radamès immediately earns sympathy, but no forgiveness was necessary for Tanner's performance. He brought to 'Celeste Aida' genuine legato and unflinching attack on its three top B♭s. In the following duet with Amneris and the trio that ensues, he sparred almost playfully with Prudenskaya, but the change in his attitude upon Aida's entry was appreciable in his enunciation of 'Dessa!' Radamès having been announced as the celestially-appointed leader of the Egyptian army, Tanner voiced the cantabile 'Nume, che Duce ed arbitro sei d'ogni umana guerra' in the second scene with bravado, the repeated top B♭s in the scene's final pages conveying the character's pride and elation. In Act Two's epic Triumphal Scene, Tanner approached both 'Re: pei sacri Numi, per lo splendore della tua corona' and 'Spento Amonasro, il re guerrier, non resta speranza ai vinti' with the simplicity of a decent man speaking his mind rather than the complexity of a schemer considering the implications of his words.
Rendezvousing with Aida in their duet in Act Three, Tanner's Radamès was again the free-spirited youth with absolute faith in the kindness of fate. Singing 'Pur ti riveggo, mia dolce Aida' with disarming passion and gleaming tone, he made Aida's task of learning from him the Egyptians' intended route into battle all the more distressing. He shaped his performances of 'Nel fiero anelito di nuova guerra il suolo Etiope si ridestò' and 'Sovra una terra estrania teco fuggir dovrei!' with sensitivity, making an admirable endeavor to comply with Verdi's request for a dolce top B♭. The duped Radamès betrayed by Amneris to the bloodthirsty Ramfis, Tanner fired a preemptive volley with his clarion 'Sacerdote, io resto a te,' his top As formidably heroic.
The scene for Radamès and Amneris in Act Four contains some of the most breathlessly tense music that Verdi wrote, and Tanner and Prudenskaya engaged in a battle of wills that was an eery counterpart to their first meeting in Act One. Tanner eschewed bitterness in his traversal of 'Di mie discolpe i giudici,' rejecting Amneris's arguments resolvedly but not unkindly. At the end of an arduous afternoon, Tanner sang particularly beautifully in the opera's final scene. The resignation expressed by his reading of 'La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse' was palpable, and his mezza voce in 'O terra, addio' gave Radamès's final moments humanity and humility, not least by enabling him to avoid resorting to falsetto on the top B♭s. Especially at the top of the range, Tanner was happiest at full volume, but his happiness was never prized above adherence to the composer's wishes. Tanner sang Radamès's music extremely well, but the foremost achievement of his performance was his credible depiction of Radamès as a man whom both Aida and Amneris could love.
Soprano Leah Crocetto, who returns to Kennedy Center in March 2018 to sing Elisabetta in WNO's production of Verdi's Don Carlo, was an Aida whose experience in the rôle in the San Francisco première of Francesca Zambello's production was apparent in every musical and dramatic detail of her performance. The first Aida, Antonietta Anastasi-Pozzoni, was acclaimed in Milan for her portrayal of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust but transitioned in the years after Aida's troubled Cairo première to singing mezzo-soprano rôles, making it impossible for modern Verdians to surmise precisely how her voice sounded. Aida was sung in the opera's first European production at La Scala, considered by Verdi to be the true première, by Teresa Stolz, a versatile singer who was denied the honor of creating the rôle in the Egyptian première by musical politics and for whom Verdi also wrote the soprano solos in his Messa da Requiem. Though she reintroduced Leonora to the public in the first performances of Verdi's revision of La forza del destino, Stolz also had extensive and much-lauded bel canto credentials. Her refined singing in San Francisco Opera's 2015 production of Verdi's Luisa Miller affirmed Crocetto to be an artist worthy of Stolz's legacy, and her Aida for Washington National Opera was a noteworthy personal and professional success.
Making her first entrance in Act One, Crocetto moved gracefully but deliberately, from the start establishing Aida as a woman of royal lineage subjected to the profound shame of servitude. Joining the trio with Amneris and Radamès, she sang 'Ohimè! di guerra fremere l'atroce grido io sento' urgently, her soaring top As and fortissimo top B rousing but unexaggerated extensions of the line. Aida's aside of 'Mio padre!' when it is learned that Amonasro was the leader of the invading Ethiopians was delivered by Crocetto with special emphasis, her character daring to envision her freedom restored. She voiced 'Per chi piango?' with dignity, lofting her top C over the ensemble with technical finesse. The challenges of 'Ritorna vincitor!' were overcome with lavish assurance. The soprano's slashing top B♭ crowned an incendiary account of 'L'insana parola, o Numi, sperdete!' Crocetto encapsulated the essence of Aida's anguish with her wrenching 'I sacri nomi di padre...d'amante.' Impressive as her full-throttle singing was, it was her ravishingly hushed voicing of 'Numi, pietà, del mio soffrir!' that was most memorable.
The dramatic magnitude of Crocetto's 'Ritorna vincitor!' was redoubled in Aida's Act Two duet with Amneris. Voicing 'Felice esser poss'io lungi dal suol natio' mesmerizingly, the soprano projected Aida's misery and trepidation across the footlights without distorting the musical line. Cresting first on a top B♭ and then on a brilliant fortissimo top C, she gave 'Che mai dicesti! misera!' and the agitated 'Ah! pietà!...che più mi resta?' wealths of expressivity. The voices of many Aidas are lost in the tumult of the Triumphal Scene, but Crocetto was always audible—and always heard with pleasure. Her exclamation of 'Che veggo!... Egli?... Mio padre!' was a poignantly private moment in one of opera's most opulent public scenes. Verdi's assault on the soprano's upper register in the final minutes of Act Two is unrelenting, but the indefatigable consistency of Crocetto's high notes prevailed.
Slowly revealing her presence to Radamès in the final scene of Act Four, Crocetto's Aida pronounced 'Son io' delicately, the words clearly intended solely for her beloved's ears. She mastered the tricky writing in 'Vedi? di morte l'angelo radiante a noi s'appressa,' transitioning the mood of the scene from one of despondency to one of transfiguration. Crocetto and Tanner performed 'O terra, addio' like one singer with two voices, emphasizing the catharsis of their characters' deaths. Alternately humbling herself before Amneris, scrutinizing her conflicting loves for Radamès and her homeland, or weathering her father's denunciation, Aida never enjoys true happiness during the course of the opera, and she takes control of her life only by choosing to end it. Crocetto's performance provided great happiness, however. When sung and acted so compellingly, Aida, too, has her revenge on her oppressors.
As in all of Verdi's late operas, the real marvel of Aida is its juxtaposition of intimate emotions with storytelling on the grandest of scales, and that grandeur is in the music and the ways in which individual sentiments and universal themes are intertwined. Aida does not need camels and endless parades of shendyt-clad supernumeraries. Aida needs great voices and a thoughtful setting in which they can sing this amazing music, and Washington National Opera's Aida gave Verdi and those who love his operas a rare opportunity to savor those needs being outstandingly satisfied.
Apologies to the artists for the poor quality of the curtain-call photographs.


text:
Listener question: How did you get into this?
What's so funny?
Several listeners to the January 28 web seminar I did with Tom Skazy of TerraCycle wrote in with questions we didn't have time for. Here is the first question:
Q: What drew you to the story of Ben & Jerry's?
A: Jeff Furman and I like to go out for coffee and tell each other jokes. He is chairman of the board of Ben & Jerry's, I am a freelance journalist, we both live in Ithaca, NY, and over the last decade Jeff told me the company's story in an off-the-record kind of way. Two years ago, when Jeff said he was ready to talk on the record, I already knew that the story of Ben & Jerry's was amazing, outrageous, and funny. So I jumped at the chance.
Once I told a joke Jeff liked so much that he borrowed it, and now he tells it all the time. Here it is: An architect in Vermont has an important decision to make. His girlfriend is moving out west, so he must choose between staying with his own successful practice or following the woman he loves. As the architect is agonizing over this question, he hears that the Dalai Lama is looking for someone to design a Zen center. This is perfect, he thinks. I'll design the center, meet the Dalia Lama when he comes to look over the drawings, and ask him what to do.
The architect puts hundreds of hours into the project and designs a beautiful center. The Dalai Lama arrives and wordlessly comes into the conference room to look at the drawings. So the living manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion is standing there, and the architect knows this is his chance. He launches into it in detail, babbling away, but the Dalai Lama is still saying nothing, just staring at the drawings. The architect ends with his question: "I love her, but I also love my work and my life here. What should I do?"
The Dalai Lama doesn't answer, and he turns around to walk out. But as he's leaving the room he turns back to the architect and says, "up to you!"
My expectations for this book were high, and the story exceeded them. I worked on it full-time for a year and a half, and although I was not supported or supervised by either Ben & Jerry's or Unilever, I had their full cooperation. The whole thing has been Jeff's best joke on me, so far.
Tags: Ben & Jerry's, Dalai Lama, Jeff Furman, joke, video, webinar
Excerpt in Ethical Corporation Magazine
Question 2: Product vs. social mission?


Raspberry Pi 3 is the perfect experimental tool, whether you want to use it as a desktop computer, media center, server, or monitoring/security device within your home. There are no limits. Linux-based operating systems run on the Pi with plenty of access to free software and downloads!
Bundle 2 - Includes Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Motherboard, Official Case, and Heatsink.
Bundle 3 - Includes Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Motherboard, Official Case, Heatsink, 5V2.5A Power Supply, and SanDisk 16GB Micro SD Card.
I have tested this by installing NOOBS and it works fine! Thank you! 5 Stars!
product ordered from france (vaucluse) arrived faster than-very quickly, well packed free flawless products description i recommend this seller!
Super ultra fast shipping, super highly recommend!!
That was fast! Only one week (5 working days to Spain)! Thanks!
perfect thing this RPI3!! i want to buy the second one even without knowing why :)) greatest product. the seller is the best too, 2 weeks shipping to Saint Petersburg.
it all and complete suitable in working condition.
100% genuine. Good price. I'm very happy.
Excellent. looks good only falta test operation.


text:
Charlton vs Aston Villa U21 Prediction, Odds and Free Betting Tips (30/11/2021)
Charlton vs Aston Villa U21 Free Tips
Selection and odds*
Recommended bookie
Place the bet
Both Teams To Score	 Yes - Odds Not Yet Available	 NetBet
Draw or Aston Villa U21 - Odds Not Yet Available
Team Total Goals
Aston Villa U21 Over 1.5 Goals - Odds Not Yet Available
The EFL Trophy Play-Offs start next week and we have an incredibly interesting fixture between Charlton and Aston Villa U21. Villa's youth formation has had an incredible tournament since now and has good chances against Charlton.
Charlton vs Aston Villa U21: Top Free Betting Tips
Charlton had an easy group in the EFL Trophy and secured the second place with two decisive victories against Crawley and Southampton U21. Aston Villa, on the other hand, surprised us all with three incredible wins against teams from League One and League Two.
1 Charlton vs Aston Villa U21: Top Free Betting Tips
2 Top Betting Odds and Stats for Charlton vs Aston Villa U21
3 FAQs regarding Charlton vs Aston Villa U21
Both Teams To Score – Yes
Aston Villa and Charlton were among the teams with the highest numbers of goals in their three matches in the group stage. We expect to see something similar in this 1/16 fixture. Charlton got two decisive victories with 4:1 and 6:1 before losing the final match while Aston Villa won all three games with 1:3, 2:4, and 2:4. We obviously see that both sides play well offensively and it would be a complete surprise to see this match end with a low number of goals.
Double Chance – Draw or Aston Villa U21
Aston Villa were part of one of the most difficult groups in the EFL Trophy tournament. Their group consisted of three League One teams, while most other groups had one or two teams from League Two. Yet, they won all three games against those teams and those matches were incredible. Aston Villa U21 scored 11 goals in three away games, winning all three games with 2 goals difference.
Charlton are placed lower in the current standings of League One than Villa's previous three opponents. Yes, Charlton played very strong in the EFL group stage but we expect Villa to get something out of this game, at least at full time. We do not expect them to lose this match. Charlton have been playing four matches per 10 days since the start of the season while Villa are a youth formation that participates in the EFL Trophy only. We expect them to come on top again.
Team Total Goals – Aston Villa U21 Over 1.5 Goals
Once again, we bet on Aston Villa's scoring ability. As mentioned above, the team scored 11 goals in three away games against League One opponents. Unless Charlton come with everything they've got, which we doubt, we expect Villa to get enough chances to score at least two goals. After all, they have no other games to focus on.
Top Betting Odds and Stats for Charlton vs Aston Villa U21
Aston Villa U21
Charlton vs Aston Villa U21
No head-to-head matches to display for these two teams
FAQs regarding Charlton vs Aston Villa U21
• How many goals did Charlton and Aston Villa U21 concede in the EFL Group Stage?
Both teams had an impressive goal difference although Villa conceded more goals. Charlton conceded three goals in three games while Villa allowed a total of five.
• When does the match start?
This fixture has been scheduled for 19:00 UTC on Tuesday, November 30.
• Where will this match be played?
This fixture will be played at Charlton's home ground – The Valley, which has a capacity of 27,111 spectators.
Como vs Crotone Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips (22/01/2022)
SPAL vs Pisa Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips (22/01/2022)


Winged Bast and Sekhmet, for the Feast of Sekhmet and Bast before Ra.
"Daisy Bast," aka Bast of the First Time, based on a dream I had at the Wep Ronpet Retreat this year.
The photos do not do these pictures justice at all — they are gorgeous!
Dua Sekhmet! Dua Bast! Nekhtet!