The Twittersphere has love on the brain, as recent trending topics reveal. In its lastest spurt of poetry, users tweeted the qualities that would make someone a potential romantic interest, using the hashtag #ImAttractedTo.
Some of the responses are just precious.
Moving beyond the noble streak, there are the jaded loners.
There are the trolls who clearly don't give a damn.
Ouchhh. Those are just some of my favorites.


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Concert & Film Music
Game of Thrones: The Musical
The Frat Party
Thor: Jurassic Park
Directing Resume
Musicologist, Composer, and Playwright
(Submission Forthcoming) Article: "A Singer from Casanova's Circle: Louise 'Lolotte' Gaucher, Fille d'Opéra (c. 1717-1765)"
(Submission Forthcoming) Article: "Revolutionary Songs and Opera in French Saint-Domingue during the Haitian Revolution"
(Submitted / Under Review) Article: "By Cover of Darkness: Western Travelers, Exoticism, and the Forbidden in the Séga Music of Pre-Abolition Mauritius"
Chapter: "Rise of Online Higher Education, Global English Collisions, and the Academic American English Dialect" in Stanley D. Brunn, Roland Kehrein, eds., Handbook of the Changing World Language Map (Springer, 2019)
Chapter: "High Class Pretension and Low Expectations: P.G. Wodehouse and the Middlebrow in American Musical Comedy," in Ann Rea, ed. Middlebrow Wodehouse (Ashgate Publications, 2013)
Chapter: "La Fille du Régiment and the Construction of French Patriotism and Identity in the Inter-Empire Period," in Roberto Illiano, ed. Studies on Italian Music History, Vol. 8 (Brepols Publications, 2013)
Article: "Corporate Musical Gems in the Hagley Library Collections," Hagley Library Newsletter
Article: "Need and Action: A Reflection on Vocations and Currents of Change in the Catholic Church," Anna Howard Shaw Center Newsletter 29:2
Doctoral Dissertation: Priests, Pirates, Opera Singers, and Slaves: Séga and European Art Music in Mauritius, 'The Little Paris of the Indian Ocean' (2013) abstract
Paper: "A Singer from Casanova's Circle: Louise 'Lolotte' Gaucher (c. 1717-1765), Fille d'Opéra and Courtesan," Midwest Chapter of the American Musicological Association Spring Meeting, Minneapolis, MN [12 April 2014]
Paper: "Boscawen's Repulse and the Sound of the Drums: A Case Study in Ethnomusicologically-Informed Military History" Midwest Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Meeting, Appleton, WI [5 April 2014]
Invited Lecture: "Liszt, the Symphonic Poem, and Wagner's Mature Style." Townsend School of Music at Mercer University, Macon, GA [24 May 2013]
Paper: "Challenges to Greco-Roman Concepts of Music in Marin Mersenne's Questions Harmoniques (1634)," Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA [4-6 April 2013]
Paper: "Music Ministry in the Catholic Church: From Clerical to Lay Leadership," Catholic Vocations in a Time of Change Symposium, Boston, MA [21 March 2013]
Paper: "Music and the Pirates of Madagascar," American Musicological Society – New England Chapter, Medford, MA [2 February 2013]
Paper: "The Rise and Fall of Classical Music in Colonial Mauritius, 'The Little Paris' of the Indian Ocean," Joint Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Society of Ethnomusicology, and Society for Music Theory, New Orleans, LA [1-4 November 2012]
Paper: "Re-Attributing London-Royal College of Music MS1070: New Technologies and Insights," Boston University Medieval and Renaissance Symposium, Boston, MA [9 October 2012]
Paper:"Identity in Mauritius: the Role of Government Policy and Tourism in 'National Culture,'" International Musicological Society Congress, Rome, Italy [1-7 July 2012]
Paper: "Glocalization, Tourism, and Employment Opportunities for Musicians in Mauritius," Current Trends in Ethnomusicological Research 4, Hildesheim, Germany [27-30 June 2012]
Paper:"La Fille du Régiment and the Construction of French Patriotism and Identity in the Inter-Empire Period," VIVA V.E.R.D.I. Conference, Pistoia, Italy [17 September 2011]
Paper:"Confrontation and Accommodation in the Battle of Séga and Christian Song in Mauritius," Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives, Ripon College Cuddesdon [3 September 2011]
Paper: "Under Cover of Darkness: Slavery, Exoticism, and Illegal Dance in Colonial Mauritius," Northeast Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Meeting [2 April 2011]
Paper: "The Tudor Rose, Anne Boleyn, and Heraldry in the Attribution of Royal College of Music Manuscript 1070," Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting [26 March 2011]
Paper: "Pamphlets Seen and Sung: the Reformation Drawn and Countered," Propagandes Objectifs et pratiques au 16e siècle et au 20e siècle, Université-Libre-de-Bruxelles [23 October 2009]
Paper: "Death by Education: the Soviet School System and the Decline of Armenian Folk Song," American Musicological Society Pacific Southwest Chapter Meeting [16 February 2008]
Paper: "A Music Book for Lowinsky: Tudor Iconography in London-Royal College of Music Manuscript 1070," Boston University Turbo Talks [3 April 2007]
Book Reviews, Concert Reviews, and Magazine Features
Book Review: "Byrd, by Kerry McCarthy," in Early Music America (Winter 2013).
I joined the staff of the Boston Musical Intelligencer in 2013, writing concert reviews and featured articles on musical topics. For a current listing of these writings, please see my author page on the BMInt website.
Me @ The Boston Musical Intelligencer
Me @ The Twin Cities Arts Reader
Me @ The Twin Cities Daily Planet
Really Spicy Opera
Performer News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Employees tends to marijuana plants at a grow house in Denver. According to law enforcement officials, Colorado's legal marijuana marketplace is in some cases serving as cover for a host of illegal drug traffickers who hide their product among the stateís many legal growing operations, then covertly ship it elsewhere and pocket millions of dollars from its sale.
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, second from right, takes questions during a news conference in March that discussed an indictment alleging that 32 people exported tons of marijuana to other states over four years, in Denver.
DENVER – Seeking a safe haven in Colorado's legal marijuana marketplace, illegal drug traffickers are growing weed among the state's sanctioned pot warehouses and farms, then covertly shipping it elsewhere and pocketing millions of dollars from the sale, according to law enforcement officials and court records consulted by The Associated Press.
In one case, the owner of a skydiving business crammed hundreds of pounds of Colorado pot into his planes and flew the weed to Minnesota, where associates allegedly sold it for millions of dollars in cash. In another, a Denver man was charged with sending more than 100 pot-filled FedEx packages to Buffalo, New York, where drug dealers divvied up the shipment. Twenty other drug traffickers, many from Cuba, were accused of relocating to Colorado to grow marijuana that they sent to Florida, where it can fetch more than double the price in a legal Colorado shop.
These cases and others confirm a long-standing fear of marijuana opponents that the state's much-watched experiment in legal pot would invite more illegal trafficking to other states where the drug is still strictly forbidden.
One source is Colorado residents or tourists who buy retail pot and take it out of state. But more concerning to authorities are larger-scale traffickers who move here specifically to grow the drug and ship to more lucrative markets.
The trend also bolsters the argument of neighboring Nebraska and Oklahoma, which filed a lawsuit in late 2014 seeking to declare Colorado's pot legalization unconstitutional, arguing that the move sent a tide of illicit weed across their borders. The Obama administration last month urged the Supreme Court to reject the lawsuit, saying that the leakage was not Colorado's fault.
No one knows exactly how much pot leaves Colorado. When illegal shipments are seized, it's often impossible to prove where the marijuana was grown. But court documents and interviews with law enforcement officials indicate well-organized traffickers are seeking refuge in Colorado's flourishing pot industry.
"There's no question there's a lot more of this activity than there was two years ago," said Colorado's U.S. attorney, John Walsh. Some in the legal industry say police have exaggerated the problem and put unfair scrutiny on people who legally grow pot on behalf of patients. Lawmakers last year limited unregulated pot growers to no more than 99 plants in an effort to crack down on those selling untaxed pot.
The federal government allowed Colorado's experiment on the condition that state officials act to keep marijuana from migrating to places where it is still outlawed and out of the hands of criminal cartels. Federal authorities acknowledge that both things are happening but say that, because the state is trying to keep its industry tightly regulated, there's no reason to end the legal pot trade.
The pot industry also acknowledges the criminal activity and insists it is doing all it can to keep legally grown weed from crossing state lines. Among other safeguards, Colorado law requires growers to get a license and use a "seed-to-sale" tracking system that monitors marijuana plants at every stage.
Many of the illicit growers come from elsewhere, never obtain a growing license and "don't even attempt to adhere to the law," said Barbra M. Roach, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Denver field division.
"It's like hiding in plain sight," she said.


There are many things to consider when faced with eminent domain.
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How will that property be utilized?
How will the use of the property by the government effect the rest of my property?
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Do I have to pay for an attorney to represent me?
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Copyright 2013 The Law Office of William P. Sullivan, LLC. All rights reserved.


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'Vice' Captures All the Flaws and Excesses of Dick Cheney
More agitprop than biopic, Vice has enough depth to excite pity, fear, and a creepy, corporeal dread.
By Stuart Klawans
Adam McKay's Vice. (Photo by Matt Kennedy / Annapurna Pictures)
Adam McKay plays for laughs in Vice like Scheherazade playing for time. Lives are at stake—the lives of people everywhere subject to American power—and McKay figures that if he can just keep the jokes coming, and so coax us into watching the exposé he's built around the lumbering, grunting, tooth-sucking figure of Dick Cheney, we might yet rise up from the multiplexes and save ourselves.1
He has followed this narrative strategy before, in The Big Short (2015), where he achieved great advances in the art and science of the celebrity footnote. (Example: Margot Robbie in a bubble bath, explaining how subprime mortgages can be packaged as bonds.) But the gallows humor in The Big Short concerned only the deliberate engineering of a financial collapse that ruined millions. In Vice, McKay's theme is nothing less than an oligarchic coup, to which he believes Cheney quietly devoted himself throughout his career as White House chief of staff, congressman, and finally vice president—a coup that announced its success with shock and awe in the skies above Baghdad, and a rattling of hollowed-out democratic institutions at home. A subject so large and terrible demands that McKay take in earnest the title that he and Will Ferrell gave their comedy website, Funny or Die, and deliver that proposition's all-in cinematic expression: a long, loose, raunchy variety show in which actors play dress-up and put on silly voices in pursuit of a desperate purpose.2
The sense of desperation actually comes first in the movie, established in two contrasting images of situations careening out of control. Vice begins on a dark Wyoming road in 1963, where a car driven by a blind-drunk young Cheney is veering toward probable disaster. Then, without transition, the camera is suddenly pushing along behind Cheney on the morning of September 11, 2001, as a Secret Service agent hurries him into a command room. Just like that, shakiness and speed plant their flags in the film's visual style, calamity lays claim to the atmosphere, and McKay's Cheney impersonator, Christian Bale, goes from being a lean-jawed young tough to a bald, portly usurper of presidential power, no longer taking foolish risks after a bar fight but now gambling on the fallout from mass murder.3
The voice-over narrator—an informative mystery character—sums up this introduction by asking how Cheney became who he was: a man who could give the Pentagon shoot-to-kill orders on his own authority. Vice sets out faithfully to answer that question about an individual's moral formation; but since this film is as much agitprop as biopic, as much political history as comedy, it further complicates the opening by adding what you might call McKay's Law: a theory of the electorate's Cheney-enabling obliviousness.4
You see the evidence flash before you in found images: self-involved men playing golf while a forest fire rages in the background, slack-jawed women dancing spasmodically in the throes of pop-music possession. The mystery narrator argues that a population overburdened by work and overwhelmed by the world's complexity can't be expected to behave otherwise, but the grotesqueness of the pictures McKay has chosen suggests he might harbor a less sympathetic attitude. You catch a whiff of resentment from the professional funnyman who has to jolly the audience into paying attention—a hint about why McKay bypassed the Cheney-specific title Vice President and went for the culture-wide allegation of Vice.5
At the Movies With Stuart
Alfonso Cuarón's Worldly Approach
Stuart Klawans
I usually dislike such finger-wagging, and I regret its recurrence later in the film, but McKay's gags hit their mark so often, and his case against Cheney is so detailed and compelling, that I'm willing to say, provisionally: Fair enough. Besides, when McKay finally moves into the main body of the film, it becomes clear that he's put more into it than laughs and scandalmongering. Vice has enough depth that it also can excite pity, fear, and a creepy, corporeal dread.6
McKay interprets Cheney as a terse and fundamentally mediocre yes-man driven onward in life by his wife's ambition, and so you might describe Vice as a satirical variation on Macbeth. Amy Adams burns coldly in the role of Lynne, Lady Cheney; a roster of right-wing moneymen, making cameo appearances at think tanks and on Fox News, helps put the time out of joint for the rising killer. And yet this tale has no witches to draw the king of shadows toward his end—none except the flaws and excesses of Cheney's body.7
By the time you reach the climax, McKay is literally staging the action above a hole where Cheney's heart ought to be. Having suffered multiple coronary incidents over the years, Cheney received an organ transplant at age 71. But in McKay's boldest passage of moviemaking, he elides the date of the surgery, 2012, and recapitulates several years of Cheney's accomplishments as a grand montage sequence, centered on the bloody cavity on the operating table. Civilians and soldiers burst apart in Iraq, detainees writhe under torture, schoolchildren flee from rampaging gunmen, liars multiply unchecked on the airwaves, migrants huddle in detention, a fossil-fueled planet combusts—and those are only the public events that circle the gaping void. Also passing by in the montage are people who (in McKay's view) were used up by the man who corroded his own heart: Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, George W. Bush, and (most grievous of all) Cheney's daughter Mary, who found that his quiet defense of gay marriages such as hers became expendable to her sister's political ambitions.8
But let's back up. As I reread this climactic summary, I realize that McKay is right to want to lighten the mood now and then. Before I inadvertently talk you out of watching Vice, let's change the topic to Christian Bale.9
Gossip sites have been avid to report how the sometimes recklessly self-transforming actor put on weight to play Cheney, but these news items do nothing to prepare you for the sight of a great-bellied Bale swathed in pajamas at a bathroom sink. This vision appears at a critical moment—Cheney must decide whether to accept the offer to be Bush's running mate—and in one of the film's subtler jokes, McKay and Bale convey his habit of deliberation by making you watch Cheney brush his teeth. He gives them a thorough scrubbing. He lowers his heavy head and spits, copiously. Then, as if you hadn't already seen enough, he knocks back a cupful of mouthwash and gargles. McKay confines this action to a single long shot, but by the time it's over you feel as if you've been close enough to the Bale-Cheney corpus to have caught the spray.10
At other moments, Bale performs veritable ballets of discomfort: leaning back in satisfaction in the desk chair of a minuscule White House office and almost bumping the wall, or sinking lower stride by stride while entering Congress, as if walking into quicksand, because he's having yet another heart attack. The best of Bale's physicality, though, comes out in smaller gestures, which don't so much imitate Cheney's mannerisms as bring the character's thoughts to the surface. The fits and starts of Cheney's speech, the lateral sneers that bare one set of incisors, the pauses for breath that are also half-swallowed growls: These are Bale's manifestations of a mind at once patient and brutal, wary of exposure but entirely sure of itself.11
It's the mind of a man who has no talent for flippancy—unlike his mentor Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), who dazzles the young Cheney by getting away with talking dirty in public—and who expects the average person to dislike him. In another of McKay's subtler gags, he has Cheney mumble his way through a stump speech during his first run for Congress, as if hoping that once he's permitted his words to project a few inches into the air, he might do the safe thing and suck them back in. Lynne gets along much better with the crowd when she takes over for him, though her notion of oratorical inspiration is scarcely less ridiculous. Crying out with all the verve and conviction that Amy Adams can give her, Lynne boasts that Wyoming women aren't unnatural, like those East Coast feminists: "We don't burn our bras. We wear them!"12
Cheney's ultimate foil, though, as Vice has it, is George W. Bush: a man who, in Sam Rockwell's gleeful, runaway performance, is every bit as warm, candid, garrulous, and naive as Cheney is cold, devious, taciturn, and cynical. Moviegoers who continue to bear a grudge against W. may need to work up a little compassion once they've seen Bale, under hooded eyes, study an eager, loose-limbed Rockwell the way a trout angler appraises his expected dinner.13
And yet McKay has enough compassion of his own that he doesn't portray Cheney as having always been so horrid. There's a distinct moment in Vice when you see Cheney stop being a servile, quasi-buffoonish aide to Rumsfeld and turn into a hard, dangerous man. It happens at a funeral back in Wyoming, where Cheney warns his despicable father-in-law never to come near his family again. At that brief instant, you get to feel you're on Cheney's side, as you witness for the first time his peculiar imperviousness: a preference for operating behind a protective barrier while lobbing credible threats of massive retaliation. He seems not merely justified but admirable—after which McKay begins the long tale of how Cheney applied those same faculties to the consolidation of absolute executive power.14
Vice crams so much detail about this subject into its 132 minutes, and is so determined to keep up the necessary pace for japing characterizations and comic digressions, that cracks eventually open in the surface. Topics are broached and then abandoned (remind me: What exactly happened with Valerie Plame?); new scenes start out of nowhere. McKay has the energy to carry you past these rough spots, though on a second viewing you might wonder about the material he must have cut, and wish he'd done a better job of smoothing the edits. And while McKay makes no such flubs when he integrates social-psychology research and propaganda methods into his story—here are the public-relations focus groups that helped sell the Iraq War, and the pristine blonde flamethrowers of Fox News who kept America heated up—the lessons have a village-explainer tone. Despite Naomi Watts's uncredited turn as a Fox News talking head, these passages diverge from the celebrity footnotes of The Big Short. For one thing, they're not funny; and if we, the movie-going public, are indeed as abased, as vitiated, as McKay's Law implies, then it's presumably too late for us to learn from them, anyhow.15
That said, these are small complaints about a daringly large movie. Vice succeeds both as a brash, try-anything entertainment, full of outrage, sorrow, and a sense of absurdity, and as a guide to how we fell into our current predicament. A career politician, addicted to secrecy, pushed America toward autocracy when he was vice president. Now our president is a career scam artist, addicted to publicity, and the power he craves is at hand.16
Poland, 1949: Two musicologists and their Communist Party–appointed minder travel the frozen countryside—villages of crumbling wooden shacks where the chickens underfoot outnumber the humans; expanses of snow void of anything except a single tree to piss against—to record people's wailing love songs and take note of the singers' names. The minder isn't impressed; where he comes from, he grumbles, every drunk sings like that. But soon two truckloads of rural folk are rolling into the muddy yard of a repurposed country estate, there to try out for a new troupe that will honor the true culture of Poland's masses and bring it to city audiences, albeit cleaned up a little.17
This is how Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), the arranger and conductor of the musicological team, locks eyes for the first time with Zula (Joanna Kulig) in a drafty audition room. He's dark, lanky, iron-jawed, and brooding, with a lock of hair that droops over his vast forehead. She's blonde, full-lipped, fiery-eyed, and carries herself with a swagger. Wiktor knows Zula isn't really from a village and has done time in jail—and if people don't want to hear a Polish folk song, he quickly learns, she's just as happy to give them a number picked up from a Russian movie. No matter. Wiktor has to have Zula for the troupe. Zula has to have Wiktor. Fifteen years of mad love and misery ensue, on both sides of a divided Europe.18
Cold War, it's called: the new foray into black-and-white historicist romance by Pawel Pawlikowski, writer-director of Ida (2013). With its sexy lead actors and nostalgia for the old bohemian Paris—France is where the lovers settle for a while, and 1950s French film is where Pawlikowski finds much of his style—Cold War gives audiences a lot to swoon over. It even makes a fetish out of communist Poland—tacitly, of course, but with guarded affection. A rotten, terrifying society, you'd think; but its suffering was so noble, and its kitsch was such fun.19
But to give Pawlikowski his due, he's clever. Cold War is about people who can't feel authentic no matter where they are, East or West; and at the same time, it's about its own inevitable rootlessness, as symbolized by a song in Zula's repertoire. The tune originates as a village lament, cried out by a half-starved young girl in pigtails and a ragged sweater. It turns into a lush chorale for the prancing Polish folklore troupe, then a number to be crooned in a Parisian jazz club, and finally a breathy pop song with fancy French lyrics. By that point, Zula and Wiktor know they have a home, a doomed one, only in one another; and Cold War has owned up to being an old-fashioned melodrama—a good one at that.20
Stuart KlawansStuart Klawans is the film critic for The Nation.


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Home News & Analysis Deals Investors build hopes on Chinese cement
Investors build hopes on Chinese cement
Anhui Conch has benefited from an anticipated recovery in the Chinese cement industry by securing a $200m investment from Morgan Stanley and the IFC.
Andy Thomson
Morgan Stanley and the International Finance Corp (IFC) – a member of the World Bank – have acquired a 14.33 percent stake in Anhui Conch, China's largest cement producer, for $200 million (€165 million).
The two organisations paid around eight yuan a share, with Morgan Stanley taking a 10.51 percent interest and the IFC 3.82 percent.
In the first quarter of last year, Anhui Conch saw profits plummet more than 80 percent amid over-capacity in the sector and government restrictions on new buildings.
Since September 2005, however, the firm's share price has shot up 40 percent amid the perceived bottoming out of the cement industry and the anticipation of strong performance in 2006.
According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Morgan Stanley declined to use the traditional method of an offshore structure to acquire the company. Instead, they bought non-tradable "legal person" shares from Anhui's parent company, which is owned by the government and is retaining a 35.24 percent stake.
The deal is still awaiting the approval of regulators.
Formed in 1997, Hong Kong-listed Anhui Conch is engaged in the development, production and sale of middle and high-grade cement and clinker. Its products have been used in a number of high-profile infrastructure developments in Shanghai including the Oriental Pearl television tower and Hongqiao airport.
Established in 1956 and part of the World Bank Group, the Washington DC-based IFC is the largest multilateral source of loan and equity finance for private sector projects in the developing world.


The smartphone was supposed to kill old school watches but several new startups that cater to millennials have brought them back in vogue.
Old school watches are back in vogue and millennials are leading the way—as both consumers and makers.
Everybody assumed gadgets like our smartphones and the Apple Watch would doom sales, but the opposite is true: Analog watch sales have been gradually rising since 2009. But the buzz around them (remember the Swatch craze?) certainly died down, as did our love affair with the luxury watches, like Rolex and Patek Philippe pieces.
In recent years, there's been an explosion of affordable watch startups founded by millennials; these brands have brought the buzz back and are churning out cheaper Chinese-made quartz timepieces priced between $100 and $300 a pop, on par with Fossil.
One of the first brands to strike it big was Daniel Wellington. Founded in 2011 in Sweden by a 24-year old, the brand created a line of expensive-looking, minimalistic watches inspired by Rolex and Piaget timepieces, but priced under $200. By marketing through a network of Instagram influencers, the brand managed to rake in $200 million in revenue by 2016, selling over a million watches a year. This past February, Inc. named Daniel Wellington the fastest growing company in Europe. "It's become the poster child of the online watch brand movement," says Jennifer Chong, cofounder of Linjer, a Barcelona-based design studio that recently launched a watch on Kickstarter that generated $1 million in preorders.
Daniel Wellington's spectacular rise inspired other millennial entrepreneurs to launch watch brands, each with a slightly different aesthetic. In 2013, a pair of L.A.-based 24-year-olds launched MVMT, which has now sold millions of sleek, stylish watches to urban millennials. In 2014, a 24-year old German founded preppy watch brand Kapten & Son, which quickly took off and is now sold at Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters. The same year, a Norwegian 26-year old launched Brathwait, which aims to offer higher quality watches than its peers, but at lower price points thanks to a transparent, direct-to-consumer approach.
Then there's Rosefield, Oak & Oscar, and a spate of European watch brands that sound like Ikea furniture: Cluse, Klarf, and Aevig. You get the general idea. The question is, why this boom in watch brands? And why now?
Artjem Weissbeck, the co-founder and CEO of Kapten & Son, launched his brand around the same time the Apple Watch came out. At first, it was unclear whether smart watches would squelch the analog watch market. They didn't.
Weissbeck points out that generation Z, who are now between 5 and 25, don't remember a time before smartphones and may never have needed to wear an old-fashioned timepiece. But millennials have distinct memories wearing watches while they were growing up. There was a time when a watch was a necessity, rather than a lifestyle choice. At school, you needed a watch to time yourself during an exam or to be sure you weren't late to your next class.
Many millennials have a nostalgic association with analog watches. They're looking for timepieces that look more sophisticated than the plastic Swatch or Casio Baby G watches they wore when they were children, but don't want to shell out thousands for a high-end luxury watch. "I think it's just pleasant to feel that something simple–that you've had in your life for decades–still makes you happy," he says.
Given how utterly saturated we are with technology, a watch may not seem like a significant way to cut through the constant barrage of information. But for Jennifer Chong and Roman Khan, the founders of the Linjer, the simple act of wearing a watch liberated them from the endless stream of push notifications. "As entrepreneurs working day and night, we were really stressed every time we looked at our phones to check the time because there would be WhatsApp and Facebook notifications, and emails–all these things that basically become "to dos,"" Chong says.
They might be right. Over the last three years the brand has been in business, they've gone from making $300,000 on an Indiegogo campaign to selling more than a million watches. Kassan and his cofounder, Kramer LaPlante, have spent years crafting MVMT's image, largely through social media. Taking a page from the Daniel Wellington playbook, the brand works with carefully selected influencers who photograph how the watches fit into a busy, fashionable life. The brand's Instagram feed features 20- and 30-somethings in cities around the world, surrounded by skyscrapers and brick walls; or in some exotic vacation destination in Thailand or Brazil. The watches are styled to match slick suits or a wrist full of bracelets.
For consumers, treating a watch as a fashion item also changes their buying behavior. In the past, if you weren't a watch collector, you'd generally buy one or two watches to wear everyday. MVMT's customers sometimes buy many watches to match different looks. The brand also sells interchangeable straps, so a customer might buy one watch, but change the color of the strap to match their outfit. "We're seeing customers buy several of the same watch with different color faces, just because our watches are so affordable," he says.
Most of these new fashion watch brands haven't focused on quality. All the watches I've described in this story manufacture their watches in China using inexpensive parts, rather than in Switzerland, where high-end watchmakers continue to craft luxury products. Part of this has to do with the fact that millennials tend to have less disposable income to spend on high-end watches. But millennials also have a different approach to luxury than baby boomers. Research shows that millennials don't want to pay inflated prices for fancy brand names. They aren't necessarily going to buy a Rolex or a Patek Philippe watch just because they saw an ad for it in a glossy magazine.
But as the market for $100 to $300 watches continues to grow, some brands are trying to differentiate themselves from the competition by emphasizing the quality of their products. Take Linjer. The brand focuses on creating products using the best possible materials, but charges fair prices thanks to a direct-to-consumer approach that avoids middleman markups. In 2016, when they launched their $249 watch inspired by the Oslo Opera House, they focused on sourcing high quality components: the movement is made by a Swiss quartz company called Ronda, the glass is made of sapphire crystal, and the strap is made from Italian vegetable- tanned leather. The whole timepiece is then assembled in China.
Torp spent two years exploring the watch industry, with the help of the watchmaker in the shop next door to him, to better understand the difference between cheap and expensive watches. He discovered that there is a lot of price inflation in the watch industry. The components in a $1,000 watch tend to be high quality, but they are not that expensive. He believed he could take those same components and create a watch of equivalent quality, without the markup. And to take his approach a step further, Torp would offer transparent pricing in the same vein as Everlane. On each product page, it lists out how much the components cost. For instance, the $159 watch uses a Swiss Ronda movement that costs $10, whereas the $359 watch uses a $55 automatic Miyota movement.
Brathwait is clearly targeting a different consumer than Daniel Wellington or MVMT. It attracts watch fans that care about the complexity of the materials under the hood, and who are looking for a classic timepiece that will last a long time. While the brand's core collection is made in China, it has just released a $595 limited edition watch that is made in Switzerland by experienced watchmakers.


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The Canadian university system costs about $25 billion a year. The total income for all Canadian universities from licensing their intellectual property is around $50 million. Subtract the cost of managing that IP and you're left with a net income of only $15 million. Getting technology to market is clearly not a big income stream for the typical Canadian university.
Those numbers come from The Way Ahead, Meeting Canada's Productivity Challenge, by Tom Brzustowski, a professor at the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management. While the book is a few years old, the overall trend illustrated by those numbers hasn't changed. However, Brzustowski also quotes Doyletech's Denzil Doyle, who puts these numbers in their proper context. According to Doyle, the IP income to universities represents only 2.5 percent of the new sales generated by products based on it. Do that math and you arrive at $2 billion — $2 billion in annual sales for the Canadian economy. That isn't an insignificant sum.
A few weeks back we touched on some of the essential elements for successful technology transfer from the university lab to the marketplace. That post provoked some enthusiastic response from several readers hip deep in the process, so much so that we thought it worth another look to explore in more depth the issues and challenges we face in commercializing university research.
Granted, the title of today's post doesn't get us off on the most positive footing, but we'll start with the bad and the ugly and finish next week with the good.
When it comes to who retains ownership of IP born on the university campus, Canada is a dog's breakfast of disparate policies. A few weeks back we spoke with Tim Jackson of Waterloo's Accelerator Centre about that region's culture of collaboration. He attributed Waterloo's growth as a tech hub in part due to the University of Waterloo's progressive IP policies. Researchers retain ownership of their inventions, which has helped to attract world-class researchers to the area.
This, however, isn't the norm in Canada. For Scott Valentine, director of marketing and communications at Solium Capital, a key barrier to greater university commercialization is Canada's lack of an equivalent to the U.S. Bayh–Dole, or Patent and Trademark Law Amendments, Act. In essence, Bayh-Dole allows researchers to maintain control of intellectual property they have created through government-funded research. In a Canadian context, that would obviously include research done under the auspices of a university.
"There's no national strategy, no will at the federal level," Valentine said.
Since researchers often struggle to understand what rights they have and must negotiate the terms and conditions for licensing their inventions, "what happens 80 percent of the time is nothing happens." Researchers, being researchers and not entrepreneurs, don't know how to develop a business plan, seek market validation or get in front of investors and "peal money out of them." More often than not, their IP ends up gathering dust.
Wesley Clover's Andrew Fisher emphasized the need a while back for any government-supported program to back winners and ditch losers.
The challenge, of course, is levering the expertise of private sector individuals who have the requisite business chops. David Mayes, after having experienced firsthand how private industry and universities work to bring technology to market from the likes of Stanford, MIT and Santa Fe, sees crucial gaps in the commercialization chain for Canadian university IP.
"There just isn't the experience here or the knowledge of how that networking works, to commercialize out of university," he said.
Mayes is a founding partner of international business development firm Global Internet Group in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has also engaged with the B.C. tech community on several fronts, including founding solar energy company Sola Renewable Energy.
Efforts are underway in B.C. to change that, with a coordinated effort between startup incubators, investors, universities and business schools, which we will talk about in more detail soon. However, such broad-based initiatives do create fresh challenges, which bring us back to the political complexities of actively choosing winners.
"It's about the efficient use of the capital," he said.
We've talked before about appetite for risk being a defining characteristic of an entrepreneurial culture. For Mario Kasapi, an aversion to risk is all too common among seed investors when it comes to banking on the commercial potential of university IP.
Kasapi is director at UBC Research Enterprises and associate director of the University of British Columbia's University-Industry Liaison Office. For him the challenges boil down to access to capital and building that pool of experienced, successful entrepreneurs who are willing to get involved and take university IP to market.
U.S. capital is easier for his office to access than Canadian capital because early stage investors on this side of the border are "ultra-conservative." Many who claim to be seed investors will ask ill-thought questions about revenue when the IP in question is still an idea on paper in the lab.
"In Vancouver, we're OK for that, but there's a big gap in other parts of Canada," he said.
In an upcoming post, we'll take a look at what is being done, what should be done and who needs to do it to address the gaps in Canada's commercialization ecosystem for university IP.
This is the 27th article in a continuing series that examines the state of the ecosystem necessary to successfully bring technology to market. Based on dozens of interviews with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, business leaders, academics, tech-transfer experts and policy makers, this series looks at what is working and what can be improved in the go-to-market ecosystem in the United States, Canada and Britain. We invite your feedback.


For those in the women's sector, police and/or wider social care DASH RIC will be a familiar acronym. It stands for "Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment Risk Indicator Checklist. It was developed by Laura Richards (a criminologist) and CAADA (now known as Safe Lives) and is an evidence based system for assessing risk in a situation where someone is being subjected to abuse, stalking and/or harassment from a partner or family member.
Once someone has received training in understanding the DASH method, they can complete a checklist with anyone who has been subjected to abuse. The result of the checklist is an assessment of Standard, Medium or High Risk. There is no "low risk", abuse always results in at least standard risk of harm.
DASH was developed through researching the common factors for people (mainly women) who had been murdered by a partner or family member, with the purpose of preventing serious injury or murder through identifying risk factors proactively.
The whole system was developed through studying the lives of people who had been murdered. The vast majority of abusers do not kill their partner, yet they do destroy their partner's life. They do not necessarily physically harm their partner, but they do irreparable damage to the spirit and soul. To base an entire system of responding to abuse on risk of murder or serious injury is likely to ignore the "emotional terrorism" of abuse.
I have been present when a woman was described as "a standard" in relation to the limits of support a service could give her. They had risk assessed her as "standard" and therefore could not attend court with her as she faced the man who had abused her and fought to regain custody of her children. This practitioner had designated this woman as "standard". She wasn't a person with needs, hopes, dreams. She was no longer a woman who has been subjected to abuse and trauma. She was a standard.
Domestic abuse services have limited resources and hard decisions have to be made as to how to share those resources out based on need and requirement, however reducing women to "a standard" is never acceptable.
Although training should always be included before people use DASH, the quality of the training is not guaranteed and often training will not re-educate people about the prejudices and negative attitudes held by society about abuse. Victim blaming and the reducing the culpability of abusers is rife across all sections of society, including police officers and social care professionals. The DASH RIC was designed to be easy to use and simple to complete, but the downside to this is that people use it as a tick box exercise. No explanation is given. It's a 5 minute paperwork exercise, rather than a tool designed to begin a conversation that could last a couple of hours.
Often DASH is used in a way that is very disempowering to those who have been subjected to abuse. They are asked the questions without any explanation about what DASH is or how it will be used. At the end of the process, they are informed of the risk level, without any explanation about how that conclusion was reached or what it means for their life.
I have used DASH with women in a way that gives them knowledge and understanding. Explaining why each question is asked and what the purpose of the process is. It can be used in a way that gives women power over their lives and knowledge, or it can be used as something that is "done to" women, another thing they are subjected to.
One of my biggest concerns about DASH is the way risk is allocated. She is labeled as a "high risk victim" when in reality it is her partner (or ex) who is a "high risk perpetrator". She is "at risk" from him; yet that nuance is too often lost.
If we label her "high risk", in both our language and practice we place the responsibility for that risk on the woman. By simply adjusting our language and referring to him as "high risk" we maintain the focus on him as the abuser.
The DASH RIC has made its way into so many aspects of good practice in protecting those who have been subjected to abuse and that's isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as with any tool, it is only as good as the person who holds it, and it is up to each of us to work towards a system that protects the vulnerable and holds abusers to account.
We wanted to respond to some of the concerns raised in this article, so have written our own blog post in response (linked above). It's hugely healthy to have debate and discussion about how best we support victims of domestic abuse.
Thank you for raising your concerns. Training is vital, everyone would agree with that. We must not forget that the DASH has transformed how police and others respond to domestic abuse, stalking and harassment and so-called honour based abuse. It means questions are asked proactively about what is happening. A risk based approach is very much needed as these are the circumstances where women and children are more likely to be murdered – at the hands of someone who should love and protect them.


London Food Month is here this June to celebrate the culinary excellence that the capital has to bring. There is over 400 events taking place throughout the month, and the Night Market will be in Perks Field of Kensington every night bringing different together over 50 different cuisines in a festival like environment, along with an open air cinema which you can book separately.
Having been kindly given VIP passes to the night's events, which included free canapés, drinks and access to the covered area, we headed down straight after work to try out as much as we could possibly manage. But first, we took cover in the VIP tent, which ended up being such a blessing with the weather, and also the fact that it was so busy everywhere else. We took advantage of the canapés, which were all delightful, and I think we could both agree that the brownies were the highlight!
We then ventured out and assessed the options before coming to our final decision. Jessica opted for hot wings and fries from The Joint. The meat was so succulent, falling off the bone with ease, and the flavour was immense! Of course you can never go wrong with fries, and having this only gave her a craving to have more. We did spot someone with cheesy fries, but unfortunately we couldn't find where these had come from!
Whilst we're on the topic of cheese, we did queue up for the Cheese Truck for what looked like amazing cheese sandwiches. Unfortunately they didn't take card payments, but it does only mean that we'll have to pay them a visit at their site in Camden Lock Market! Instead, I went for a parma wood fired pizza from L'Ombrello, which was definitely worth the wait. There was a bit of a queue for this one, but it came freshly made out of the oven and it was superb!
We wish we had room for more but we had to call it a night at this point. Although the market was smaller than we thought it would be, it was filled with such quality food, and definitely enough options to keep you going back for more and more, and more! All of the food was reasonably priced, although there is an entrance fee which some may find a bit racy.
Adults £15, Kids £8. £35 family pass. Under 5s go free.
Westfield Open-Air Cinema – add onto your Night Market ticket. Adults £4, kids £2.
The market is open from 5pm – 10.30pm Monday to Thursday, and until 11pm on Fridays. It is also open from 12noon on weekends, giving enough time for all Londoners to pop down for some quality food in a buzzing environment.
Disclaimer: we were given complimentary entry tickets to attend the opening date. But as always, all our opinions and photos are our own.
I love the umbrellas but I can believe that the brownies were the highlight very easily!
I'm going this weekend – can't wait!
This looks awesome!!!! ALL THE FOOD!! I think the prices are really reasonable and I love that you have the added extra of the open air cinema too!!
The brownies and the pizza look amazing! 😍 The umbrellas on the ceiling look so cool too! I'd love to go – it's a shame being too far from London just to pop by. Maybe next year!


Business Insider wrote an article about our glow-in-the-darkish line , which seems tremendous cool and retains you safe. The corporate is planning to move into the building in November or December. The newsroom of Enterprise Insider occupies the thirteenth floor of 257 Park Avenue South, overlooking the sidewalks and snail-mail considerations of Twenty-first Street. We all know that whistleblowers are protected by employment law.
The ramped up security procedures had been put in place after 4 males were arrested on the weekend in raids carried out throughout a number of Sydney suburbs. He was sitting within the principal's office chatting casually with an adviser when the vice principal approached him with an offer from Marvel Studios.
From the air, the gathering of panels appears to be like identical to a cartoon panda. But if everybody from Oprah Winfrey to Richard Branson is meditating usually, it is one thing to pay attention to. Science proves that meditation has phenomenal benefits , from bettering your happiness to your social life.
Few people have the time to activate a tool at a selected time to settle in for some programming," Blodget mentioned. Despite shuttering the enterprise, Jawbone believes it's still price a big sum of money on account of its pending litigation with rival Fitbit, in response to the supply.
A web site called The seventy four – a non-partisan news site protecting training in America – published a complete story concerning the FOUNDATION Curriculum network artfully stating that we've blended collectively the world's finest schooling practices"…and grow to be perhaps the nation's most outstanding community of colleges.


This is an excitingopportunity in Columbus, Indiana for an EPBU IT Application Analyst Principle. Cummins USA is where you can work on industry leading projects.
Remains current on emerging application and solution trends and functionality; provides functional expertise for assigned applications and systems.
Leads analysis of potential application solutions, identifying and recommending solutions to address functionality gaps in the application.
Partners with process owners, business analysts, systems analysts and architects to gather, document and review functional, architecture and technical requirements and define application functional designs.
Serves as subject matter expert and point of contact on content, processes, procedures and functionality associated with assigned applications for projects and application support (as needed).
Educates, coaches, and trains new and existing team members to improve quality and efficiency in daily process of support requests.
Will be the SME (Subject Matter Expert) on SC & Key engineering IT Applications with a focus on EPBU's end to end needs and will lead important transform projects such as PLEX (ERP), Maximo, Solidworks, Creo, Windchill, Ariba Cloud, BOLT etc.
Will ensure effective coordination, Planning, Reporting, Compliance, Information Security, IT Communications to EPBU's SC (Supply Chain) & Key Engineering projects & be single point of contact for Business Stakeholders on subject matter.
Provide guidance to other application analysts and IT PM members of EPBU IT department.
Coordinate with IT Vendor resources at distant sites of EPBU (Columbus, Talent, Milton Keynes, California) and own solution designs, govern deployments & provide the functional guidance, coaching and mentoring as necessary.


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On 'Lavender,' Half Waif Is Done Holding Back
After decamping to the Hudson Valley, a singer finds her voice
maxfreedman | April 26, 2018 August 12, 2019 | Photo by Tonje Thilesen
For her newest album as Half Waif, Nandi Rose Plunkett knew she needed a change. Just under a year ago, she and Half Waif guitarist Adan Carlo and drummer Zack Levine (who's also Plunkett's partner) relocated from their longtime home of Brooklyn to the much quieter, tinier town of Chatham, New York. They now share a home – and a life – in a small town not far from where Plunkett grew up in Williamstown, MA.
Living this close to home for the first time in years, with a long-term partner, away from the madness of the big city, Plunkett was able to approach her music more consciously than ever before. On Lavender, Half Waif's sophomore album, she's unsparing and honest as she explores the complex, potentially ephemeral nature of familial and romantic relationships. Although it's not unfamiliar subject matter for Half Waif, over the band's most assured and robust electronic art pop arrangements to date (not to mention some truly haunting piano ballads), Plunkett's almost philosophical straightforwardness is profoundly bone-chilling, maybe even radical. "There's something to be said for…crafting something with the conscious thought of, 'Okay, I want to write the song in this manner. I want to come into it with this specific goal,'" she tells AdHoc over the phone, with Carlo also on the line, as she recounts Lavender's genesis. Her deliberacy has resulted in a thrilling next step for an already exciting act.
Lavender is out April 27 via Cascine. You can catch the record release show with Hovvdy and Lily and Horn Horse at Baby's All Right tomorrow April 27.
Adan, how has being in Chatham, where you haven't previously spent much time, influenced your writing with Nandi and Zack?
Adan Carlo: Being up here offered us the opportunity to really be 100% in a creative space. In a place like Brooklyn or even somewhere like Montclair…we wouldn't necessarily be living together. We wouldn't have been able to focus on [making Lavender] as much as we did. It was waking up, working on it…'til we were going to bed.
Nandi Rose Plunkett: We don't really see anyone else except for each other. [Laughs] There are days that are just completely filled with making music. It's great; we don't have anything else to do. [Laughs]
I really love that I can structure my days and focus on this band.
Now that you all live together, is there ever a time when you're not focusing on the music super intensely?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: I really love that I can structure my days and focus on this band. That's what we hoped to do when we left New York and our day jobs: make this a reality. We have a lot of work to do with Half Waif.
It's great to be busy with this project, but I also find that, sometimes, I need other activities to give my brain a break from music. I really love reading; I try to always be reading a book just to delve into some other world. Usually, nonfiction will inspire me to write songs.
I have the pleasure of sharing a bedroom wall with Adan, and I can hear him play his music; he's a songwriter as well. He's been able to work on his own music, being up here. It's a very beautiful house and a very creative house at all times. We all like cooking, and that's another very creative outlet for us.
Adan, is there anything that you ever write that makes its way into Half Waif? Nandi, has any of your reading informed the topics you discuss on Lavender?
Adan Carlo: Something I do often when I'm playing my instrument is just riffing, and even if it doesn't turn into a full-blown song, there's been moments in that space when I'm improvising my instrument and then…we will all start jamming on it. In those moments, we've been able to find pieces of songs.
Nandi Rose Plunkett: "Keep It Out," specifically, is a song that started from a rehearsal that Adan and I had when we were living in Brooklyn. He played that really cool opening riff with that sound on the pedal, and that pulled out the rest of the song and the vibe of the song.
We're generally, when writing songs now, finding that there are a lot of different approaches to take. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, developing new tools and ways of writing songs. Looking at the songs on the record…they're all connected through the breadth of our playing and our ideas, but the songwriting approach was really varied.
I've been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic. It's about creativity and the creative process and viewing creativity as a discipline. What she was saying, what I've been thinking a lot about, is that we prioritize…that spark, that moment when things easily come together, that moment when you feel that you're channeling the divine. I've been telling myself, "Right now, I'm not in a very creative period. I'm not writing a lot right now, and that's okay." The stuff that I am writing, I'm coming to it really consciously. At some point, maybe I'll tap into something greater and start channeling again, but it's kind of a nice reminder that the creative process doesn't have to be one specific thing.
How does all of that play into the lyrics in particular?
I used to really not focus that much on lyrics. Listening to other people's music, [lyrics] were not really my entry point into enjoying a song. Usually, I would be listening for melody, production, arrangement, rhythm, harmonic movement, all of these other things. Lyrics were just one other facet of that. In the past, I wouldn't go back and edit lyrics; I would write whatever came out. I was pushing myself more, on this go-round, to say what I wanted to say.
Your lyrics sound deliberate. You open the album by saying that you miss New York, and later you have a whole song called "Back in Brooklyn."
Nandi Rose Plunkett: There was definitely more thought. Even the idea of calling the album Lavender and then opening with a track called "Lavender Burning"—immediately burn it to the ground! [Laughs] A symbol of purification, just immediately turn that to ash.
What is your relationship with New York like these days, and how has that informed Lavender?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: Even when I was living in New York, it was such a love-hate thing. Everyone who lives in New York knows that feeling. There's still very much a part of my heart there. It's where most of my friends are. It's where Half Waif started. It was a really formative time, so on one hand, I miss that connection with people, and I miss the energy, but on the other hand, I also feel like I'm looking back on a chapter of my life and recognizing that it's done, that I've moved past it. That chapter was so vivid and gave me so much. I'm on to the next thing, and that feels good.
How did your grandmother passing inform the album?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: It's interesting. She was 95 when she died, which is not an unexpected age at all, but when she died, it was really sudden. When I was writing Lavender, I was anticipating losing her, which is what the songs "Leveler" and "Lavender Burning," which I wrote in her house when I was literally watching her walk in her garden and knowing that I was going to be losing her soon, [are about]. There was this recognition that I was approaching a time when I was going to lose a person who was extremely close to me.
It's taken on even more meaning now. It's something I can offer back to the world, a piece of her. The idea of Lavender and the image of lavender burning is directly from her. It's a way of sharing her story through me, and I carry so much of her, both in spirit and in blood. It feels even more powerful and important for me to be sharing this record now.
How does what you talk about with relationships of the romantic sort on Lavender apply to relationships that you have with your family?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: I am a child of divorce. My parents separated when I was 14. That is a story I've carried with me. I'm still carrying that. I've come to terms with it in some ways, and time does heal, but it was really traumatic for me to go through that at that age. It makes me question, "What are the nature of relationships? Is this an inevitability, that people grow apart?" My parents were married for 26 years. That's a really long time. It's so painful to see them separate.
That modeling of relationship is something that I think about, especially because I'm in such a healthy and good relationship. Am I combating that model? Am I forging my own path? Am I following down this dark road, that I don't even know where it's going to end?
The song "Solid 2 Void" is specifically about my parents and their divorce. They don't even know the part of me [that stems from their divorce], even though they raised me. Looking at that distance that arises between members of your family, people that you share blood with, even these people who raised you and should know you the most as you get older…. That's really sad, that you can't share everything with the people who are closest to you. You can't share everything with your partner because you can't turn yourself inside out. You can't externalize everything that you feel. There's this necessary distance, and that's something that I wrote a lot about on Lavender.
Do you think that Lavender was your closest attempt to that sort of externalization?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: I do. I hope that with everything I write, it gets closer to that ultimate communion. I don't expect it will ever happen; I don't expect it will ever totally hit at the core, but that's kind of a fun quest, and I think it'll keep me going as a songwriter.
How are you able to stay so level-headed when you talk about these huge topics?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: I think part of it is just age. I didn't write about my parents' divorce for many, many years. I couldn't. Part of it was being afraid to hurt [my parents]. I still definitely don't want to hurt them, but eventually…having more distance from it, and being able to recognize that this really is a big part of my story that has shaped the way I see the world and interact with people…. I want to start talking about it, [but] not in a way where it's the focal point of any album. There's "Frost Burn" [from 2017's form/a EP] and "Solid 2 Void," but more generally, the experience of watching two people in a long-term relationship fall apart finds its way into other songs.
I'm almost 30. It's time to put to rest some of those stories that I don't…want to hold me back anymore. I'm in my next chapter of casting off some of these stories that I've made my identity, that feels done now. I'm ready for new stories.
What's next for you all? What are you most excited about moving forward?
Nandi Rose Plunkett: Ooh, what's next! [Laughs] It's fun to think about! The record's not even out yet, so it's hard to know what's gonna happen. We're doing this tour with the band Hovvdy, and they're friends of ours, so that's going to be really nice. Some dates with Japanese Breakfast. We're going back to Europe in the fall.
I'm also really excited to have most of the summer here in Chatham; we're not doing a ton of touring. I really wanna take some time and space to write, because as I said, I haven't been in a very creatively fruitful period. I'm excited to see what comes out of this next period and being here for the summer when it's so beautiful. It'll be a really nice time to dive deep into some new sounds and ideas and keep pushing ourselves to write the best music that we can. I'm trying to get an upright piano for the house. I need to return to playing a real piano! That might be a big part of the next record.


Background: DinoDaughter gave me a book for the holidays called Just Write One Thing Today containing 365 writing prompts. The post title above is Prompt #93, and it's my reflections on a song written by that same daughter. The lyrics of the song are below, with my musings indented.
The sun is long gone and the night is well underway. The clock is ticking, and I have to get to sleep. Why do I lie here staring at the ceiling? Is it the light of the full moon keeping me awake?
Be at peace now, things will be alright.
But will they? My mind is racing, going over and over all the ways things can go wrong, and I can't stop it. Can't even start to slow it down.
When the stars shine, look above and feel quiet stillness, for our souls to heal.
I get up, leave the bedroom, and wander the house aimlessly. Finally I open the patio door and step out into the mild night. I look up and there they are: the stars, shining gently. They've been there longer than I've drawn breath, and will remain long after I'm dust. I do feel my soul slowing down in the face of their eternity.
Let the darkness ease your troubles; let the night remove your cares. Find the calm that you deserve, and the answer to your prayers.
Somehow the empty darkness surrounds me and gently teases away my tension. My stomach un-knots as I feel the calm night descend upon me, draping over my heart like a baby blanket. I whisper a wordless prayer into the ether, and swear I can feel its comforting echo return on the light breeze.
Lay down, sleep well; soon enough the day will break. May you find serenity, and love be with you when you wake.
Another welcome back! i wondered why you had gone AWOL again?
Oh, that is lovely — thanks to both of you!


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Supplier Showcase
CCBA Publishes List of Recommended Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Resources
Dec 17, 2020 | Industry
The Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Committee of the CCBA has published its initial list of recommended resources to assist craft breweries across Canada in addressing and combating all forms of discrimination and racism.
"This is the first phase in the rollout of a comprehensive initiative," said Steve Beauchesne, chair of the committee. "We see this as a long-term effort to make craft beer more inclusive and welcoming to those who are marginalized and underrepresented in our industry."
The resources list includes articles, books, and videos on the subject of racism, discrimination, diversity and equity. All can be used by individuals to educate themselves, and by craft breweries to engage their employees in the conversation. It also includes a list of consultants and groups working in this area.
"This is a starting point for developing a deeper understanding of racism and discrimination and the ways we can ultimately reduce and eliminate it.", said Chloe Smith, co-chair of the committee. "We invite our members and the craft beer community at large to submit additional resources to enrich the list."
The resources page and submission form can be found here.
About the CCBA Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Committee
The Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Committee was established by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association to lead its effort in reducing discrimination against Black, Indigenous, POC, LGBTQ, Women, Asian Canadians, Disabled and other marginalized or underrepresented groups. The committee was formed in the spring of 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement.
CCBA Seeks Communication and Member Support Coordinator – Contract Position Available
CCBA Strives for Inclusion & Anti-Discrimination in Craft Beer
CCBA Announces "Seal Deal"
Implementing Traceability Webinar now viewable on CCBA website
CCBA Urges Canadian Government to Exclude Aluminum Cans from Retaliatory Tariffs List
Canadian Craft Brewers Association
Association des microbrasseries canadiennes
info@ccba-ambc.org
1400-340 Albert St., Ottawa, ON
K1R 7Y6
© CCBA-AMBC 2019 | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions


Aramith Premier League Pool Balls - 2 (51mm) Blues & Yellows"
Set of 2" Red & Yellow pool balls with either 2" or 1 7/8" cue ball. ( 1 7/8" ball usually used with coin-operated tables). These Phenolic Premier balls are more highly finished than other Aramith options.
Perfectly round and balanced with uniform weight and hardness, these balls last up to five times longer than other balls made from polymers or polyester.


Travel through the city of Managua, Nicaragua, and your first impressions may be of urban streets packed with traffic and people. However, visitors find more to the capital of Nicaragua than the typical tourist attractions. Lonely Planet says "the city pulses, with great nightlife, excellent restaurants" and a selection of interesting sights. A tour of Managua is a safe and interesting way to get an overview of this busy city.
City Discovery (city-discovery.com) runs the Managua City Explorer tour, which takes you to see Managua's highlights such as the two cathedrals, the Loma de Tiscapa Park and Managua's museums. Take a tour of Managua by night with the same company, which visits downtown bars and cafes and finishes with a meal in a Nicaraguan restaurant. Tours include transportation in air-conditioned minibuses, the entrance fees to sites, a bilingual Spanish/English guide, drinking water and a dinner on the night tour.
Often a first stop on a tour of Managua, the Loma de Tiscapa National Park is home to Managua's most easily recognized landmark, the statue of Sandino. Sandino was executed with his followers in 1934, a statue commemorating him stands on the site of the former Presidential Palace. Climb the Loma de Tiscapa hill to reach the Volcán Tiscapa crater lake with views of the city and Volcán Momotombo. On your tour you'll see other national landmarks -- the Ruben Dario Theatre and the National Baseball Stadium, Estadio Denis Martínez, home of Beisball Nica and the national championships.
From the top of Loma de Tiscapa you see the two cathedrals of Managua, strikingly different from each other. Take a closer look when your tour takes you through downtown Managua. The New Cathedral is, according to Lonely Planet an "architectural marvel that leaves most visitors, well, scratching their heads." The 63 cupolas symbolize the 63 Catholic churches in Nicaragua. The Old Cathedral was damaged by 1972's earthquake and only a shell remains, decorated with carvings of stone angels.
Stop off at the Huellas de Acahualinca (footprints of Acahualinca) on your tour of the city because these fossilized tracks are of archeological interest. A museum explains the tracks, which were made by around 10 people plus birds and animals as they crossed the shores of Lake Managua more than 6,000 years ago. Tours also visit the National Museum (manfut.org/museos/nacional.html) in the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, a museum that charts the formation of the lakes and volcanoes that surround Managua, the impact of the colonial period and the revolutionary eras.
Carr, Louise. "Tours of Managua, Nicaragua." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/tours-managua-nicaragua-54254.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.
The Augusto Sandino International Airport in Managua. Took this picture before my flight in May, heading to Bluefields.


The BLEICHERT montaflex® montaflex accumulating conveyor can be integrated into a variety of facilities and industries. They can connect manual and automatic work stations. Greater distances can be achieved by connecting multiple conveyors.
The core of the BLEICHERT montaflex® are the friction driven pallets with maintenance free, enclosed hysteresis couplings. The bearing strength of the workiems is deflected via the rollers and not via the drive chains.
This is why the montaflex® accumulating conveyor are especially smooth-running and only require little maintenance.
For wear and maintenance-free pallet transport, BLEICHERT uses the permanent-magnetic hysteresis effect.
This hi-tech feature provides the opertator with distinct advantages in daily use where operating conditions are harsch or difficult.
For wear and maintenance-free pallet transport, BLEICHERT uses the permanent-magnetic hysteresis effect. This hi-tech feature provides the operator with distinct advantages in daily use where operating conditions are harsh or difficult.
The core components of the BLEICHERT montaflex "SMART" are the 300mm long pallets, each with 4 rollers and a hysteresis-element. The pallet propulsion takes place via a toothed belt. The load transfer and control takes place via the prism rollers. The montaflex "SMART" is space-saving and therefore suitable for narrow areas and small work items.


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Авіаційно-космічна система «Спіраль» — система, що складалась з орбітального літака, який мав виводитись у космос гіперзвуковим літаком-розгінником, а потім розгінним блоком на орбіту.

Проєкт «Спіраль» з'явився як відповідь на американську програму створення космічного перехоплювача-розвідника-бомбардувальника X-20 «Dyna Soar».

У США і у СРСР ці програми були згорнуті на різних стадіях розробки.

Керівником проєкту «Спіраль» був Гліб Євгенович Лозино-Лозинський.

Розробки орбітального літака почались влітку 1966-го року в конструкторському бюро ОКБ-155 Мікояна, в якому працював Лозино-Лозинський.

Літак-розгінник
Потужний повітряний корабель-розгінник (маса 52 т, довжина 38 м, розмах 16,5 м) мав розганятись до шестикратної швидкості звуку (М = 6), потім з його «спини» на висоті 28—30 км мав стартувати 10-тонний пілотований орбітальний літак довжиною 8 м і розмахом 7,4 м.

«Літак-розгінник до 6 махів передбачалося можливим використовувати і як пасажирський літак, що, безумовно, було раціонально: його високі швидкісні характеристики дозволили б збільшити швидкість цивільної авіації».

Літак-розгінник був першим проєктом гіперзвукового літального апарата з повітряно-реактивними двигунами. На 40-му конгресі Міжнародної авіаційної федерації (FAI), що відбувся 1989-го року у Малазі (Іспанія) представники американського Національного управління з аеронавтики і дослідження космічного простору (НАСА) високо оцінили літак-розгінник, відзначивши, що він «проєктувався відповідно до сучасних вимог».

Орбітальний літак

Орбітальний літак був літальним апаратом зі стрілоподібними крилами з консолями, що відхилялись догори для зміни поперечного кута атаки. При спуску з орбіти літак самобалансувався на різних ділянках траєкторії. Фюзеляж був виконаний за схемою несучого корпусу зі значно затупленою опереною трикутною формою в плані, через що отримав прізвисько «лапоть».

Теплозахист був виконаний із застосуванням плакованих пластин (матеріалу, вкритого шаром металу методом гарячої прокатки поверхні) з ніобієвих сплавів з покриттям на основі дисиліциду молібдену. Температура поверхні носової частини фюзеляжу на різних стадіях спуску з орбіти могла досягати 1600 °C.

Рушійна установка складалась з рідинного ракетного двигуна (РРД) орбітального маневрування, двох аварійних гальмівних РРД з витискувальною системою подачі компонентів палива стиснутим гелієм, блоку орієнтації, що складався з 6 двигунів грубої орієнтації і 10 двигунів точної орієнтації; і турбореактивного двигуна для польоту на дозвукових швидкостях і посадці, що працював на гасі.

На дозвуковому аналозі орбітального літака (МіГ-105.11) здійснювали випробування льотчики Петро Остапенко, Ігор Волк, Валерій Меніцький, Олександр Федотов. На літаку МіГ-105.11 Авіард Фастовець стартував з-під фюзеляжу важкого бомбардувальника Ту-95К, остаточний етап випробувань аналога здійснював Василь Уряд.

Для порятунку пілота у випадку аварії орбітального літака передбачалась відокремлювана кабіна у вигляді капсули з власними пороховими двигунами для відстрілу від літака на всіх етапах його руху від старту до посадки, а також із керівними двигунами для входу в щільні шари атмосфери.

Були розроблені проєкти орбітальних літаків:
 Фото- і радіорозвідники;
 Для ураження авіаносців, що мають ракети з ядерною бойовою частиною і системою наведення з супутника;
 Перехоплювачі космічних цілей у двох варіантах. Перший варіант для фотографування та передачі фотографій каналами зв'язку, другий — для ураження цілі.

Космонавти проєкту
Для підготовки пілотів орбітального літака 1966-го року в Центрі підготовки космонавтів була сформована група, до якої увійшли члени загону космонавтів, що мали достатню льотну підготовку. До першого складу групи увійшли:
 Титов Герман Степанович, що вже побував у космосі
 Куклін Анатолій Петрович
 Лазарєв Василь Григорович
 Філіпченко Анатолій Васильович
Після реорганізації 1969-го року Центру підготовки космонавтів був створений 4-й відділ 1-го управління ЦПК, начальником якого призначили Титова. До відділу набрали молодих льотчиків, що проходили космічну підготовку:
 Кизим Леонід Денисович (підготовка в 1969—1973)
 Березовий Анатолій Миколайович (1972—1974)
 Дєдков Анатолій Іванович (1972—1974)
 Джанібеков Володимир Олександрович (липень — грудень 1972)
 Козельський Володимир Сергійович (серпень 1969 — жовтень 1971)
 Ляхов Володимир Афанасійович (1969—1973)
 Малишев Юрій Васильович (1969—1973)
 Петрушенко Олександр Якович (1970—1973)
 Романенко Юрій Вікторович (1972)

7 січня 1971-го року у зв'язку з виходом Титова із загону космонавтів начальником відділу призначили Філіпченка, а 11 квітня 1973-го року — інструктора-космонавта-випробувача Лева Воробйова. 1973-го року відділ було розформовано у зв'язку з припиненням робіт за проєктом.

Підсумки проєкту
Під час розробок для демонстрації реалізованості проєкту були створені підпроєкти: літака-аналога 50-11 (МіГ-105.11); суборбітальних апаратів-аналогів БОР-1 (Безпілотний орбітальний ракетоплан), БОР-2, БОР-3; космічних апартів-аналогів «ЭПОС» (, Експериментальний пілотований орбітальний літак) БОР-4, БОР-6.

Міністр оборони СРСР Гречко не дозволив запуск майже готового до випробувань корабля у космос, зазначивши, за різними джерелами, резолюцію «Фантазіями ми займатись не будемо» або «Це — фантастика. Потрібно займатись реальною справою».

За 15 років до американської програми шатла в рамках проєкту «Спіраль» велися розробки жаростійких теплозахисних матеріалів «типу пінокераміка», що відображено в документі 1966-го року. Це сталося за 16 років до першого випробування радянських кварцових плиток на БОРі-4, за 22 роки до польоту «Бурана».

Космічний апарат БОР-4 (у рамках проєкту «Буран») був безпілотним експериментальним апаратом — зменшеною копією орбітального літака «Спіраль» у масштабі 1:2. БОР-4 був моделлю-аналогом бойового орбітального літака «Спіраль», на якому відпрацьовувався теплозахист для «Бурана». Технічні рішення, отримані під час розробок рідинних ракетних двигунів фахівцями ОКБ Заводу Клімова, також були використані при будівництві «Бурана».

«На базі БОРа-4 розроблялися маневрені бойові блоки космічного базування, основним завданням яких було бомбардування Америки з космосу з мінімальним підлітним часом до цілей (5…7 хвилин)». Лукашевич В. П., фінансовий директор ВАТ «Міжнародний консорціум Багатоцільові авіаційно-космічні системи».

Роботи зі створення, зупинені 1969-го року, відновились 1974-го року. У 1976—1978 роках було проведено 8 випробувальних польотів, під час яких апарат жодного разу не літав у космос. Роботи над «Спіраллю» остаточно припинились після початку розробки сучаснішого проєкту «Енергія-Буран», що здавався тоді перспективнішим. Основні фахівці, які раніше працювали за проєктом «Спіраль», були переведені з ОКБ Мікояна і ОКБ «Радуга» (, Веселка) наказом міністра авіаційної промисловості до НВО «Молния» (, Блискавка). Станом на 2013-й рік аналог бойового орбітального літака можна бачити у Центральному музеї Військово-повітряних сил РФ у Моніно.

Див. також

 Багаторазова авіаційно-космічна система
 Байкал-Ангара
 Буран (орбітальний корабель)
 Космос-1374
 Безпілотний орбітальний ракетоплан
 Російський аерокосмічний літак (Ракс)
 SpaceShipOne
 SpaceShipTwo
 North American X-15
 Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar

Примітки

Література
 Лукашевич В. П., Афанасьєв А. Б. Космічні крила — М.: Стрічка Мандрів, 2009, 496 с.- іл.
 Розділ 10 Повітряно-орбітальний літак «Спіраль» (с. 201—218)
 Розділ 11 Експериментальні літаки-аналоги (с. 219—244)
 Розділ 12 Бойові пілотовані орбітальний літаки (с. 245—255)
 Розділ 13 Створення епосу (с. 257—278)
 Розділ 15 Перші безпілотні орбітальні ракетоплани (с. 287—300)
 Розділ 16 Літаючий «лапоть» (с. 301—344)
 Мікоян С. А. Ми — діти війни. Спогади військового льотчика-випробувача — М.: Яуза, Ексмо, 2006
 Розділ 23 Освоєння космосу і авіація  (с. 438—456), і Розділ 28 На новій роботі  (c. 539—566)

Посилання
 Проєкт «Спіраль»
 ЕПОС (105.11) експериментальний пілотований орбітальний літак
 Фото МіГ-105 «Спіраль» в Моніно
 ГЕНЕРАЛ Зоряні війни — Документальний фільм Телестудії Роскосмосу

Космічні літаки
Авіаційно-космічні системи
Нездійснені проєкти радянської космонавтики
Літаки СРСР
Експериментальні літаки

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Trump VP pick raises legal questions for some Wall Street donors
Since Pence is the Indiana governor, his selection may raise legal questions for those who've managed Indiana's money.
Trump VP pick raises legal questions for some Wall Street donors Since Pence is the Indiana governor, his selection may raise legal questions for those who've managed Indiana's money. Check out this story on detroitnews.com: http://detne.ws/2a0a2Qu
Gov. Mike Pence, R-Ind., speaks during a campaign event to announce Pence as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate on, Saturday, July 16, 2016, in New York.(Photo: Mary Altaffer / AP)
In choosing Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump went with a champion of free markets who boosts the ticket'sappeal to the Republican donor class.
But since Pence is the sitting Indiana governor, his selection may also raise complex legal questions for some Trump supporters who've managed money for the state, including the billionaires Wilbur Ross, Stephen Feinberg, and Tom Barrack.
All three run private-equityfirms that are listed as vendors in the Indiana Public Retirement System's 2015 annual report. A Securities and Exchange Commission rule sets limits on contributions to political candidates who control investment decisions, either directly or indirectly.
The "pay to play" rule was put in place in 2010 after a series of scandals in which money managers were accused of trying to improperly influence state officials to win investment management business, including by arranging political contributions.
In an e-mail message on Saturday, Ross said "I will abide by the rules" and that he's currently researching the matter "to be sure that whatever I do going forward will continue to be in compliance." Representatives for Feinberg and Barrack had no immediate comment.
The pay-to-play rules now apply to the Trump-Pence ticket, Kenneth Gross, a political-law partner at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in Washington, said on Friday. The"draconian" measures can lead an investment firm to be barred from doing business with a state for two years, he said. In some cases, it may even apply to people who raise money for a candidate, even if they don't contribute themselves.
The picture is murkier for donations to super-PACs, which operate independently from campaigns and can accept donations of unlimited size from individuals and corporations. The rule was put in place before super-PACs rose to prominence. Lawyers disagree about whether a donor barred from making a contribution to a candidate would be able to donate to an allied super-PAC.
Ross, whose WL Ross & Co. is listed as an Indiana money manager, held a fundraiser for Trump at his Southampton, New York, vacation home earlier this month. Feinberg, the co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, co-hosted an event in Manhattan for Trump in June, and he and his wife contributed a total of $ 678,800 to a Trump joint-fundraising committee.
Barrack, the founder of Colony Capital, hosted Trump's first fundraiser at his home in Santa Monica, California in May, and gave $415,000 to a committee supporting Trump's campaign and the Republican Party.
Funds run by some of Trump's other prominent backers, including Robert MercerofRenaissance Technologies, John PaulsonofPaulson & Co., and Anthony ScaramucciofSkybridge Capital, don't appear on the Indiana list.
Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2a0a2Qu


Bravo Sports products are warrantied against defect in material & workmanship for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase. At Bravo Sports sole discretion, defective products will either be replaced or repaired and may be repaired or replaced with a reconditioned part. All returns should be shipped with a "RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER" provided by Bravo Sports, as well as a written description of the problem encountered. Freight must be prepaid but products found defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced and returned at no additional cost. This warranty does not cover any damage to the product cause by accident, misuse, failure to follow installation and operating instructions, misapplication, alteration or attempt unauthorized repair by anyone other than Bravo Sports. Due to the unusual stress on all parts used on the race track, Bravo Sports does not warranty any parts used for racing purposes.
Repair or replacement by Bravo Sports of defective products is the customer's sole and exclusive remedy. Except as otherwise provided herein, no warranty, either expressed or implied or including those of fitness for a particular purpose and merchantability, is given by Bravo Sports. Under no circumstances will Bravo Sports be responsible for any incidental or consequential damages.


text:
Destinations | Inspiration | Intel | Book Your Trip
Israeli Escapes for the Design Nerd, Beach Babe, Gourmand, and Wine Lover
by Lotte Beilin
The Olympic-size pool at Elma Arts Complex. All photos by Lotte Beilin.
Wonder where Tel Avivians go for a domestic refresh? Local journalist Lotte Beilin shares a few of her favorite Israeli escapes.
TEL AVIV – Israel's second city is your modern, vibrant, innovative, and cool Mediterranean destination. But even with the cuisine, the markets, the people, and the parties, there comes a time when escaping the city for fresh air and peace and quiet just makes sense. Whether you're in the market for a weekend getaway or an easy day trip, there are plenty of food, art, and nature-filled happenings within driving distance of Tel Aviv. Here are a few of my favorites for every type of traveler.
Elma Luxury Arts Complex.
Inside Elma Luxury Arts Complex.
The view from Elma Luxury Arts Complex.
FOR THE DESIGN NERD
Some 40 miles up the coast from Tel Aviv lies Elma Luxury Arts Complex, an innovative 95-room hotel set amid 28 acres of beautifully arranged gardens on the rim of Mount Carmel in Zichron Yaakov. The art complex, the brainchild of patron Lily Elstein, whose collection is scattered throughout the hotel, is outfitted with restaurants, concert halls, galleries, a luxurious spa, an outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, and awe-inspiring views of the Mediterranean. All of which make this under-the-radar spot well suited for style-conscious weekend getaways with friends and family, in colder months, too.
FOR THE BEACH BABE
Endless sand dunes and choppy waters punctuate Hof Mayaan Zvi, a pillowy stretch of coast outside Zichron Yaakov. During the summer months, the beach becomes a camping destination for locals who build zoulas ("chill-out spots", fittingly enough) to live in for days on end, a relatively new phenomena on certain beaches in Israel. Bring a surfboard to take advantage of the rough breaks and supplies for a bucolic beach picnic. If setting up camp yourself isn't an option, book a ready-made zoula from Toro Village and soak in the sea and sun without breaking a sweat.
Helena restaurant.
The beach in Caesarea.
FOR THE GOURMAND
A meal at Helena, Caesarea's culinary institution, is certainly worth a day trip. The restaurant, blessed with exquisite views of the ancient town's old port and the timeless Mediterranean, is known the country over for its fresh, upmarket takes on Israeli cuisine. Burrata on pumpkin carpaccio with crunchy sage leaves, aged balsamic, new olive oil, and pumpkin seeds is an example of what to expect from the ever-changing menu. Secure a window seat for an even more perfect meal, and cap off the evening with a stroll along the beach, a pop into the the historic city, or a show at the Roman amphitheater.
FOR THE WINE LOVER
For a unique viticultural experience, drive out to Israel's Negev Desert for a tour of Midbar Winery. That's right. A winery. In the middle of the desert. What was once an impossible process is now an 80-acre operation in Ramat Negev, an area in Mitzpe Ramon with a unique microclimate created by its proximity to Ramon Crater and tempered by a cool evening breeze year-round. After a look behind the scenes at the winery in Arad, pick up a bottle or two, score fresh cheese from nearby Na'ama Farm, and find a nice a scenic spot to lay out your picnic mat for lunch in the desert.
Travel All The Time
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Filed under: Foodie, Israel, Nature, Tel Aviv, Three-Day Weekend
Lotte Beilin
Lotte is a Tel Aviv-based journalist. You can follow her on Instagram at @lot_ski. She travels for never-ending landscapes and golden hour snaps.
We make every effort to ensure the information in our articles is accurate at the time of publication. But the world moves fast, and even we double-check important details before hitting the road.
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St Mary's Parish is dedicated to leading our teens to Christ through various social and service activities, participation in liturgy and other worship experiences, through catechesis, retreats and by encouraging them to a deeper prayer life. Education in the Catholic Faith is offered through 5-week mini courses, held in three times a year, at 9:00—10:15am on Sunday mornings.
The Journey Retreat Program: This 3-day retreat is held two or three times a year and is hosted by St. Kateri Parish in Niskayuna, (Schenectady) New York. It is primarily, a peer run retreat which has been enjoyed by many of St Mary's youth over the past years and several of our teens have returned to be a part of the retreat team. For more information about this retreat, please email Bridgette in the Faith Formation office to be put in touch with past "Jouneyers".
National Catholic Youth Conference: This event, held every two years in November, is the largest gathering of Catholic youth in the United States and has been described by those who have attended past conferences as faith filled, action packed and fun!! We hope to again bring a group from St Mary's to the next NCYC event in November.
The Conference includes concerts, worship experiences, comedians, inspirational speakers, service opportunities, workshops and much more. Please help support us in our fund raising efforts so we can make this trip affordable for our teens.
Click here to visit the Conference web site and see videos and previews of the event.
The goal of the Christian Leadership Institute is to foster the leadership potential of each individual. If you are . . . A current high school sophomore, junior or senior.
· Mature, responsible, enthusiastic, team player and dedicated.
THE PROGRAM: The Institute offers an opportunity for Christian leadership development through a period of learning, prayer and community living provided by The Associate Director of Youth Ministry of the Office of Evangelization, Catechesis & Family Life and a team of youth & youth ministers from the Diocese staff CLI.


Digestibility and nutritional value So different from Chlorella this much!
There may be many people who question about how Chlorella and Spirulina are different. Indeed, the ingredients, and even the color and shape of the tablets are also similar. But, there're various differences between, for Spirulina belonging to the blue-green algae and for chlorella belonging green algae. Rather, it can be said that it is Spirulina that newly appeared as a solution to overcome the shortcomings of Chlorella.
Firstly, the drawback of Chlorella is that it is too small. Since it is about 0.3 to 0.5 micron in diameter and only 1 / 1000th the size of Spirulina, it is necessary to use a method which takes time and effort very much called centrifugation operation for collection. On the other hand, Spirulina can easily be harvested by filtration. Spirulina is far more suited for mass production.
About 95% digestion in 2 hours!
Next, since Chlorella is a unicellular plant, the cell wall is hard and it mentions that it is very bad digestion. In order to improve digestion, it is necessary to mechanically crush it or process it unnaturally, there is worry that the ingredients will be damaged to naught.
On the contrary, since Spirulina is multicellular, the cell membrane is so soft that it can be digested very well without adding hands. So, it is hard for the feces to turn green.
Please find the table. It shows the difference in digestibility between Spirulina and Chlorella quite obviously. If the Chlorella is in untreated stage, the digestibility rate after 1 hour is 12.0%, and even if the cell membrane is destroyed, it is 58.7%. In case of Spirulina, if even it's not processed anything, it's 80.0%, and after 2 hours, it's 95.1%, which shows a very high digestibility, indeed.
Also, the table below compares the nutrients of Spirulina and Chlorella.
This table shows that Spirulina has higher nutritional value overall than Chlorella.
Especially, the content rate of protein, pro Vitamin A, and Vitamin B12 seems high. There are other differences, such as the fact that the content of dietary fiber is 2 to 3% in Chlorella, while in Spirulina is 8 to 10% which is about 4 times of the former.


President Potato of the Greater Federation of Asteel was today met by the First Minister in Earth Orbit. The president arrived in his star yacht escorted by the gold plated vessels of the Imperial Guard Squadron.
The First Minister himself flew one of the pacifiers in the Squadron that met President Potato's yacht just as it docked. He said on landing that it reminded him of his youthful days flying Pacifiers in the Imperial Flight.
There is a full itinerary of visits to Earth for President Potato including discussions over the Amoss Crisis, renewal of the Treaty of Old London and the Strategic Starship Arms Limitation Treaties. The President is also expected to meet with the First Citizen at a barbecue before beginning a tour of the Solar system.
3208.256/7 - Discussions between FM & POGFA. Based in FM reservation in West Africa (a private residence in the nature reserve park). POGFA to be enrolled as a Chief in the Asante nation and given a ceremonial stool.
3208.259 - Visit to Havana for more discussions and local sightseeing.
3208.260 - President Potato's tour of the Solar System to start, accompanied by FM to Old Mars.