Easter is almost here, which means it's time to start thinking about sweet treats for your family to enjoy. And these pretty pastel Easter egg popcorn bars are going to be a must on your Easter table this year!
The recipe for these popcorn bars is super simple. All you need is popcorn, butter, marshmallows and mini chocolate Easter eggs. If you want, you can also melt chocolate or caramel to drizzle on top of the bars.
White chocolate will make these bars look extra Easter-y and gorgeous, but you can also melt colored candy melts and drizzle the chocolate on top. Try these Wilton candy melts that come in spring pastels. Use a few different colors to give your bars lots of visual appeal, highlighting the hues of the season.
Find the full recipe on Keat's Eats.
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can get creative and alter ingredients to suit your own palate. For example, you can use plain popcorn, buttered popcorn or even kettle corn in these popcorn bars. Pop your own in the microwave or with an air popper, or buy pre-popped corn such as Angie's BoomChickaPop.
Or try this variation from It Bakes Me Happy. Emily makes her Easter popcorn bars extra special with the addition of bunny-shaped graham crackers and rainbow sprinkles. You can keep the Easter theme going by using pastel-colored sprinkles, such as with these pastel round confetti shapes.
As for the graham crackers, you can use plain, or you can try chocolate or even snickerdoodle. Or if you'd rather not use mini chocolate eggs, you can try adding in chocolate candies like M&M's. There are many flavors and colors to choose from, but how perfect would the new White Chocolate Marshmallow flavor be?
What are you waiting for? Bunny hop over to the grocery store and get started on your popcorn bars!


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Tech Design Forums
PCB Topics
Design Integrity
Layout automation and simulation support DDR4 at lower system cost
By Tech Design Forum | No Comments | Posted: April 15, 2015
Topics/Categories: PCB - Design Integrity, Layout & Routing | Tags: DDR3, DDR4, power integrity, signal integrity | Organizations: Cadence Design Systems
The introduction of the DDR4 memory-bus standard will allow system designers to meet aggressive performance targets for their next-generation systems. But the changes required to support the higher datarates of DDR4 place stringent demands on the PCB designer.
The introduction of the DDR4 memory-bus standard will allow system designers to meet aggressive performance targets for their next-generation systems. The jump in performance and power efficiency is a big step from DDR3 — much larger than that of DDR3 from DDR2. The speed increases from 2133Mbit/s to 3200Mbit/s, with an extension allowing a doubling to 4266Mbit/s. At the same time, voltages reduces from 1.5V to 1.2V.
The changes required to support the higher datarates DDR4 place stringent demands on the PCB designer, particularly in systems that have to meet aggressive cost targets in order to be successful in the marketplace. The memory devices themselves will often be designed to go into lower-cost plastic packages that use leadframes rather than organic flip-chip packages. The higher inductance and capacitance of the leadframe design will leave less margin for the PCB designer, who will also need to find a way to accommodate the complex routing requirements of DDR4 buses on a low layer-count PCB.
Although protocols such as DDR4 have borrowed techniques from the lessons learned by designers of high-speed, low voltage-swing serial interfaces, the nature of the memory bus makes it more difficult to handle in PCB design than serial channels. The bus is bidirectional and can have multiple drops along it, known in the standard as the 'fly by' topology, an approach that was introduced to deal with the signal-integrity issues of the tree topology favored by the DDR2 standard. And, being a bus, it suffers from skew across the individual channels. The DDR4 protocol has a number of features designed to accommodate the timing problems of the fly-by topology, such as write leveling.
Reduced margins
The initial 3200Mbit/s form of DDR4 reduces the unit interval (UI) from 469ps to 313ps. The move to 4266Mbit/s, double that of DDR3, reduces the UI even further and channel interconnect skew and jitter already consume 50 per cent of the 2133Mbit/s DDR3 timing budget. Other factors, including the effects of impedance discontinuities, pin-to-pin capacitance variations, crosstalk and inter-symbol interference, mean that DDR4 designs are far more challenging to design, simulate and test.
It is not just the signal itself. The power distribution network (PDN) plays a major role in the design's operating margins and signal integrity. The maximum ripple of the PDN falls from ±75mV for DDR3 to ±60mV for DDR4, making the design even more vulnerable to the effects of simultaneous switching noise (SSN).
The result is a requirement that attacks the problems of signal and power integrity at all levels. A solution is needed that employs a combination of system simulation and more intelligent PCB design tools that take into account the difficulties of designing with highly skew-sensitive buses.
The PCB designer dealing with buses such as DDR4 has to cope with potentially competing problems – to meet timing constraints as well as guarantee signal integrity for each trace. Constraint-based design evolved to help the layout engineer meet the timing requirements for each trace more quickly and efficiently. But traditional approaches to constraints management tend to focus on absolute targets that specific traces need to support. DDR4 and similar memory buses call for a more flexible approach because their timing and skew requirements are interdependent. Signals need to be matched against each other to ensure strobes are not misaligned with data. The reduction of the skew window with the move towards 4266Mbit/s buses makes this problem even more critical.
Dealing with constraints
Part of the issue is the way in which constraints are represented by the tool. When the constraints are primarily to do with individual signals, it makes sense to show the data in spreadsheet form as this matches the source of the constraints, which will be primarily datasheet descriptions or product specification documents. But the spreadsheet view makes it difficult for the designer to visualize how well a layout will meet the interdependencies of a high-speed memory bus.
Image Automated routing in Allegro is used to insert bumps that normalise timing across channels
The Cadence Design Systems Allegro TimingVision Environment provides another way to view the effect of the constraints – on the design itself. An embedded route engine evaluates complex timing constraints and interdependencies among signals and color-codes their status. A green trace meets its targets, a trace is marked red if it is too short relative to those that meet their constraints and yellow if too long. This provides the designer with instant, usable feedback on how traces need to be altered to meet their skew requirements.
In many cases, the solution is not to meet the minimum timing constraint, as it may be practically impossible to meet that target without increasing PCB layer count, but relax the shortest paths. The Auto-interactive delay and phase tuning features of Allegro provide the tool with the intelligence needed to adjust traces so that they meet the application's targets. Phase tuning ensures that each differential pair is matched correctly, an important step before moving onto delay tuning across bundles of differential pairs.
The next step is to ensure that the resulting layout meets its signal- and power-integrity targets as well as core timing. Interference and other sources of signal loss may call for certain traces to move into the inner layers of the PCB. Simulation using the Sigrity suite provides the necessary information to drive those decisions. The auto-interactive routing modes within Allegro ensure that the changes can be made simply and efficiently.
Capture the entire signal path
It is vital that signal integrity take into account all aspects of the signal path – which means evaluating everything from the chip I/O buffers through the package into the PCB and on to the receiving I/O buffer. Sigrity allows the engineer to extract all of the key parameters and parasitics for a design, including the package's signal redistribution layer, PCB effects and connector attributes. A hybrid solver in the Hybrid SI technology models the signal, power, and ground interconnect information needed to judge how well the signal path meets signal and power integrity requirements.
The SystemSI tool performs the judgment by using the interconnect models and running simulations of data patterns to see how well the bus will meet bit error-rate targets across a range of scenarios through to worst-case conditions such as all data lanes changing state from one cycle to the next.
Advanced models of the I/O cells written to the IBIS Algorithmic Modeling Interface (AMI) allow for exploration of equalization techniques such as pre-emphasis that are required to accommodate high-speed interfaces with low voltage swings. These techniques now used on memory interfaces have been successfully deployed on serial interconnects. As a result of this end-to-end support, the combination of Sigrity and Allegro tools allow designers to meet both high-performance and low-cost targets.
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Reliability is growing to match security as a key challenge for PCB design. These tools and techniques will help you rise to it.
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Copper's future is troubled but it's likely to stick around
The metal has done sterling service for 20 years but the time is approaching to find a replacement for copper as problems with parasitics continue to build up, work presented at last month's IEDM shows. But it's not an obvious switch.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Kubaš je bivše samostalno naselje s područja današnje općine Berkovići, Republika Srpska, BiH.

Povijest

Za vrijeme socijalističke BiH ovo je naselje pripojeno naselju Suzina.

Izvori

Naselja u Republici Srpskoj

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Some iPod owners, especially those deep in the iOS ecosystem find it a bit of a pain when they have to sync to iTunes each time they want to transfer files to or from their iPod. Yes, iTunes is a fairly easy to use software but not as easy as the 'drag and drop' that is the mainstay transfer mechanism for iOS and Windows users. Even loyal iOS and Mac users would, for a number of reasons, love to have an iTunes alternative. Below is a comprehensive list, complete with advantages and disadvantages, of the top 3 iPod to iTunes transfer software.
Fully support to transfer songs from iPod to computer successfully.
A simple and beautiful UI that's a perfect blend of design and functionality.
File manager, dubbed Two-way Transfer, that allows transfer of files to and from your iPod to and from your Mac or PC.
Helps you manage a large number of your photos and contacts on your iPod without breaking a sweat including purchased songs, movies and books.
Delete simply by selecting and clicking on contacts, photos or other media, etc.
Supports the newly released HEVC and HEIC formats for videos and photos respectively.
Users need to purchase the pro version for the full recovery.
Besides to transfer music from iPod to iTunes free trial on computer, iCareFone also offers you solutions to many iOS related software issues: random crashes, corrupted operating system and irritating malware like viruses and popup ads. Even more, it's a great alternative for backing up and restoring your files. Multiple solutions under one roof is the only befitting description for this service.
dr. fone Transfer allows you to by-pass iTunes restrictions when managing your files and their transfer from/to a PC and iPod. Once connected with Android phone, the word 'Android' at the tail end of its name can be a tad misleading but it only points to an extra layer of functionality: it works with both iOS and Android devices.
User interface that's both easy to use and beautiful to the eye.
A simple three step process of connecting your device, selecting data and commencing file transfer.
Manage photos, music, videos, contacts among a wide range of data types.
Compatible with iOS 7, iOS 8, iOS 9, iOS 10 and iOS 11.
Priced affordably at .99. For an extra you get a lifetime license.
dr. fone iOS Toolkit, a bundle that offers different solutions to other iOS related software issues, is feature packed but will set you back .95.
Most of the features in its full package are present in iCareFone at just over a third its price.
iSkysoft iTransfer helps you leap over the high wall in Apple's ecosystem by allowing to easily, seamlessly and efficiently transfer files between your iPod and other iOS devices. No matter your problem is how to transfer music from iPod to iTunes Windows 10 or on Mac, this tool is always able to achieve that.
Support multiple file types such as videos, music, TV shows, music playlists, iTunes U, among others.
Transfer and backup photos, contacts and SMSs in bulk.
Offer more functionality by allowing you to manage apps: install, uninstall and backup apps directly from your computer.
Rebuild your iTunes library in case you lose or delete it.
Convert songs to playable iOS device format.
Priced at .95, it is slightly expensive.
Limited support of common video and audio formats. Most of which are fully supported on other iTunes alternatives.
When looking to purchase an iPod to iTunes transfer software, look no further than ease of use, compatibility and functionality. Tenorshare iCareFone checks all boxes and might be the best iPod transfer software.


Lodwick Point is one of the several viewpoints in Mahabaleshwar. It is located close to elephant head point. This point was set up in memory of General Peter Lodwick, reportedly the first British Officer to climb up. The memorial is about 25 ft tall and has some inscriptions detailing the general.
Last 1 km needs to be covered by foot. Alternatively one can take a horse ride.
Some photos of Lodwick point for you.
This stone says Peter Lodwick led British troops in 1824 war in Kittor- against Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Rayanna. Thus he was responsible for lots of bloodshed in South India. Nonetheless Peter Lodwick is credited with establishing Mahabaleshwar hill as a hill resort.
View from this point is normal- same valleys as you'd see elsewhere in Mahabaleshwar.
Valley and Ghat roads as seen from Elephant head point.
Nice to know about this place. Nice vistas.


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Experts in: 18th century
ARSENAULT, Mathieu
Professeur adjoint
Empire and imperialism
Epistolary exchanges
DALTON, Susan
Professeure agrégée
Sexual and gender identity
Following on my work on the history of women in the 18th century, I have been studying theoretical gender issues and in particular the relationship between the public and private spheres at the time. Looking at the sociability of salonnières in France and Venice, I realized that this public/private distinction was difficult to maintain in reality.
My current research looks at Venetian salonnières (like Giustina Renier Michiel and Isabella Teotochi Albrizzi) and the men who attended their salons (like Ugo Foscolo, Ippolito Pindemonte and Melchiorre Cesarotti), in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In particular, I have found that these salonnières drew on the roles they played in literary salons to offer themselves as cultural intermediaries in their publications, by simplifying the erudite writings of men of letters in their circle and making them accessible to a wider readership. I am also a member of the Interacting with Print research group.
DESLANDRES, Dominique
Professeure titulaire
European discoveries and exploration
Socio-religious history
Religions, identities and politics
Early Modern Times
Authority and power
My research concerns the comparative history of identity construction in 16th-18th century Europe and the Americas, with a number of complementary aspects: the vision of the Other and the question of self (episteme and mentalities; objectives and methods of persuasion); the role of the two sexes in the individual and collective construction of identity; historical evidence and the memory of self. With regard to this first theme, I published Croire et faire croire. Les missions françaises au 17e siècle(Paris, Fayard, 2003), showing the far-reaching connections between the perception of otherness and the representations of modern identity in the context of the first globalization, i.e. missionary imperialism, at a time when France was undergoing true domestic colonization. A second theme developed from this research, and allowed me to embark on two parallel publications: the first, Les autobiographies spirituelles et l'émergence du sujet moderne, is aimed at understanding how men and women in France and its colonies learned to see themselves as acting subjects. The second publication, the third of my research themes, is entitled Memoire de soi, mémoire des autres, and compares the annals of various religious congregations in France and New France to determine the traces that small communities wished to leave for posterity, sometimes at the cost of a certain distortion of the historical record. On the basis of this work, I was invited to edit a scientific history of the Sulpicians of Canada in which the chapters I wrote concern the duty of memory, identity markers, and relations between others and the Sulpicians, who were key figures in Montreal history (D. Deslandres, John A. Dickinson and Ollivier Hubert, eds. Les Sulpiciens de Montréal. Une histoire de pouvoir et de discrétion (Montreal, Fides, 2007). Along the same lines, I co-edited, with Raymond Brodeur and Thérèse Nadeau-Lacour, Lecture inédite de la modernité aux origines de la Nouvelle France. Marie Guyart de l'Incarnation et les autres fondateurs religieux (Quebec City, Les Presses de l'Université Laval, 2010) to mark the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. I am currently writing a biography of Marie Guyart de l'Incarnation, founder of the very first school for women in America, while continuing my work on the roles of the sexes, religion and politics in the history of modern-day French expansion.
DESSUREAULT, Christian
New France
I devoted the early years of my career to studying the seigniorial regime in Canada, the rural economy, farming families' material lives, social structures, and the family and family networks in rural Quebec in the 18th and 19th centuries. In recent years, in co-operation with other scholars, I have been pursuing research into local institutions, including parish fabriques, sedentary militias and school syndics, so as to better understand the ways in which elites were recruited and renewed in the pre-capitalist Quebec countryside.
DEWAR, Helen
Atlantic world
HAMZAH, Dyala
Pan-Arabism
Pan-Islamism
Arab renaissance
My research interests concern the processes of reform and centralization in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire throughout the 19th century (Egypt, Syria, Iraq, North Africa), from a cultural and social perspective. The central role of the press and associations in the emergence of a public space during the Arab Renaissance and the issues of education and citizenship in the colonial and post-colonial periods are central to my research.
At the same time, my work bears on the symmetrical processes of professionalization and the popularization of Islamic expertise in the 20th century. More specifically, I am interested in the institutional and curricular development of mosque-universities such as al-Azhar, Zaytuna and Qarawiyyin, from the 18th century until their nationalization in the 1960s, and also in the legacies and uses of Islamic historiography, philosophy and law in the contemporary period, particularly in nationalism and Islamism.
My current research aims to contribute to the cultural history of Arab nationalism and to define its key institutions: volunteer associations and secret societies; scouting movements; school textbooks.
HUBERT, Ollivier
I am interested in the people who lived in the St. Lawrence Valley in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly under the British Regime. I want to determine the rules by which they lived, the images that shaped the way they perceived the world, and the power structures they created or suffered under. This curiosity has made me a historian of pre-industrial Quebec society. I began by studying how religious precepts legitimized certain conceptions of order. In the past few years, using documents left by other institutions, tribunals and educational institutions, I have tried to understand how social identities were formed, negotiated and mobilized.
KEEL, Othmar
WIERDA, Meagan
Professeure adjointe


The live theatre show Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, to be performed from 29 September to 9 October 2011 at Malthouse Theatre as part of Melbourne Festival, is a serious investigation into the issues about cultural appropriation: it explores who has the authority to tell stories, and how - via symbols, rituals and the like - stories can be told.
Back to Back Theatre is a theatre company with an ensemble of actors with disabilities at its core. In presenting Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, Back to Back is seeking, in part , to examine how individuals who are perceived to be outsiders (of all kinds), can comment and respond to, and so by extension, be more strongly integrated into a pluralistic society. Through our work, we are seeking to engender dialogue and tolerance.
In our opinion, Ganesh is treated with great respect in the work. His integrity and status is never threatened. He is all powerful. Ganesh is the hero of the work and has an embodiment of goodness and greatness. The representation of Ganesh is not ridiculed or engaged in violent action in the performance.
In developing the show, Back to Back Theatre has researched how Ganesh and other deities have been represented in cinema, theatre, graphic novels and dance from the 1960s to the present. We consider the representation of Ganesh in the work is within the parameters of the cannon that currently exists.
We would like to assure members of the Hindu community that it is not our intent to portray Ganesh in a way that is disrespectful. We regret any inadvertent concern or apprehension about the play which may have arisen prior to its performance.
Created by Back To Back Theatre.
Presented as part of Melbourne Festival.


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Our experience in the handling and protecting our own confidential, proprietary and trade secret information (and technology of Eureka as well as that of our clients) gives us first hand industry knowledge. We understand what is in fact a trade secret and how to determine whether or not wrongful disclosure or misappropriation of trade secrets has occurred.
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Planview, Inc. v. Computer Associates International Inc.
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Manufacturing activity slips for second month; construction spending unchanged in September
Published Thu, Nov 1 2018 10:00 AM EDT Updated Thu, Nov 1 2018 10:23 AM EDT
Economists polled by Refinitiv expected the ISM manufacturing index to hit 59 in October.
The slowdown came as the new orders index fell to 57.4 percent, a decrease of 4.4 percentage points from the September reading of 61.8 percent.
Spending on U.S. construction projects was essentially unchanged in September; spending was expected to have risen 0.1 percent.
ISM Manufacturing Index comes in at 57.7, lightest since April
U.S. manufacturing activity fell short of expectations in October with a gauge of new orders easing to its lowest level since April 2017.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity dropped 2.1 percentage points to 57.7 last month from 59.8 in September. A reading above 50 indicates growth in manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the U.S. economy.
Economists polled by Refinitiv expected the ISM manufacturing index to hit 59 in October. An index tracking new orders registered 57.4 percent, a decrease of 4.4 percentage points from the September reading of 61.8 percent.
"Demand remains moderately strong, with the New Orders Index easing to below 60 percent for the first time since April 2017, the Customers' Inventories Index remaining low but improving, and the Backlog of Orders Index remaining steady," Timothy Fiore, Chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said in a press release. "Consumption softened, with production and employment continuing to expand, but at lower levels compared to September."
Despite the moderation in the manufacturing numbers, October marked the 114th consecutive month of overall economic growth, according to the Manufacturing ISM report.
The latest read on the health of the manufacturing sector comes amid an ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China as a part of President Donald Trump's "America First" policy. The White House hopes that it can pressure Beijing into a more favorable trade deal through taxes on Chinese goods.
The president escalated the economic spat in September, imposing tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of goods from China as of Sept. 24. The next wave of tariffs started at a 10 percent rate before climbing to 25 percent at the start of 2019 if the disagreement between the two nations is not resolved.
The rift has not yet had a major impact on U.S. economic activity, with the first read on third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) showing growth of 3.5 percent on an annualized rate. The Commerce Department said last month that inflation has remained relatively tame and that consumer spending surged.
Spending on U.S. construction projects was essentially unchanged in September. It is the weakest showing since June, as an increase in home construction was offset by a slide in spending on government projects.
The Commerce Department says that the flat reading for September followed a 0.8 per cent rise in August. Construction spending, meanwhile, was expected to have risen 0.1 percent in September.
The strength last month was driven by a 0.6 per cent increase in residential construction and a smaller 0.1 per cent increase in nonresidential activity, which pushed this category to an all-time high. However, these gains were offset by a 0.9 per cent drop in spending on government projects.
The increase in residential construction featured an 8.7 per cent jump in apartment construction, which offset a 0.8 per cent drop in single-family homes.
— CNBC's Thomas Franck contributed reporting.
Thomas Franck


If you rely on athletic fields for most outdoor programming, take a proactive approach in influencing the budget and quality of the fields. Strategic planning and caring for the fields--especially those that support multi-purpose activities--cultivate a safe and attractive space that fully supports camp programming.
However, before you start to see the maintenance dollar signs and worry about how it will drain the budget, you might be surprised to learn that most of the strategies don't cost a penny, and they will pay dividends in retaining campers and staff who will enjoy being outside and active. Also, the proper "care and feeding" of athletic fields can minimize the risk of injury, which can prevent costly litigation that may result in accidents from standing water, bare spots in high-traffic areas, exposed sprinkler heads and uneven playing surfaces.
Keep a log, a permanent record that includes the dates and times of mowing, irrigation, fertilizer applications, broad leaf weed control and aeration. Also, be sure to document the protocol for field inspections, which should be conducted before every activity. From sprinkler heads to equipment left behind to securing the footings of the goal cages, there can be many moving parts to even the most basic athletic fields, and serious injuries can result when these hazards are discovered after the fact.
Talk it over. Whether you can afford to hire a professional landscaper or decide to use the resources of a local agricultural extension agent, discuss the kind of testing that needs to be done to select the right grass that will thrive in your geographic area. Conduct soil testing to determine the field-specific needs for fertilizer. And while you are at it, assess the field's susceptibility to disease and damage from insects. If the extension agent doesn't have the time, ask if there is free literature or a Web site that has information tailored to the local climate and soil conditions.
Preach the values of rotation. Make sure staff is trained to rotate activities away from high-traffic areas used in competition. This will make a huge difference in the cost of maintaining a safe and playable athletic field. This is especially true for fields that have areas in front of soccer, field hockey and lacrosse goals. Also, be sure to have plenty of traffic and field cones available for the leaders of activities. They should use these whenever possible so that the goal mouths' grass can recover until there is a need for full-field play. Incidentally, small games that use cones for goals make sound, instructional sense because they involve more players who are directly involved in the action, which means their fitness and skill develop more rapidly.
Insist on a great cut. Don't hold back on the suggested intervals for sharpening blades. Also, avoid cutting the field when it is wet, and be sure to alternate directions of the mower after each cutting. Another tip is the importance of mowing at a consistent height and knowing when it's time to mow.
Avoid night watering. It's so tempting to irrigate in the evening to avoid scheduling conflicts with people who want to use the fields during the day. But to avoid fungal diseases, the best time to irrigate an athletic field is at dawn. An added bonus of watering at dawn is that the demand for the water supply is the lowest. You'll benefit from better water pressure and a more even distribution of water.
Find money to aerate. Spending money on weed control and fertilizers and then skipping aeration is much like getting a blood transfusion but opting out of an urgently needed coronary bypass. Aeration provides the channels for nutrients that keep grass healthy. Aeration is a process of drawing out three-inch plugs of turf and soil to keep essential nutrients flowing to the grass. It prevents soil compaction so that oxygen and water can reach the root system. In addition, it prevents fertilizers from becoming stagnant and thatch buildup, which commonly strangles the grass plant.
Select seed over sod. In the majority of athletic fields, seeding and over-seeding will be more effective and less costly than installing sod. With the proper care, the root system from seeding will take less time to become fully established, and it will be less susceptible to disease. In many cases, it can be difficult to prevent the seams of the sod strips from knitting, and the uneven spots can cause injury.
Invest in an irrigation system. You will actually save money over its lifecycle. Manually providing water is labor-intensive and puts fields through the stress of the summer heat and increased wear and tear. However, irrigation at the optimal time before dawn (thank goodness these systems have automatic timers) will relieve some of the pressure. Additionally, most applications of fertilizers and broad leaf weed control will be more effective when irrigation follows.
One other suggestion that ties together all these strategies is to think about attending seminars on turf management. Check out a local college or university agronomy department to find how to attend a workshop at little or no cost. That might just be the best investment in the safety and quality of athletic fields.
Susan Langlois has over 25 years experience as a college professor, athletic administrator, camp director and sports facilities consultant. She is currently the campus director at Springfield College School of Human Services in Manchester and St. Johnsbury, N.H. She can be reached at susan.langlois@comcast.net.


There are a lot of horror stories about people paying out more for their health insurance coverage than they do their monthly mortgages. While it's true there are circumstances that can drive policy premiums through the roof, it is possible to get cheap health insurance coverage without sacrificing quality. To find the best policy to meet you and your family's needs, it is important to understand the facts about cheap insurance.
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This immaculate 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse is located in Los Altos and is within easy walking distance to all the local amenities. The beautiful sandy beaches of the Orihuela Costa are just a short stroll away and there are several 18 hole golf courses within a few minutes drive.
Situated on a very well maintained complex overlooking a park, this property is comprised of a driveway, a front terrace with steps up to a glazed entrance porch with door to the lounge, separate dining room (formally the third bedroom), a fully fitted independent kitchen with serving hatch and a shower room on the ground level.
Upstairs there is a master bedroom with patio doors on to a balcony with distant sea views, a twin bedroom and a family bathroom.
A second staircase leads up to the solarium with fantastic distant sea views.
This property benefits from having the use of a fantastic communal swimming pool, is fitted with air conditioning and most of the furniture is available by negotiation.
We think – "This property comes to the market in excellent condition throughout and is situated in a very nice position with fantastic views".


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Forestry has been a key industry in North America ever since the first settlers landed on the east coast. In 2014 NA represented 28% of the global industrial production of "Roundwood", which is the term for trees that have been cut down but have not yet been processed. As far as economic significance is concerned, the United States is the largest producer and consumer of lumber. However, the U.S. typically produce Roundwood, export it for processing, and then import the finished product to be used for construction. Meaning they break even in the forest product trade balance. Canada, on the other hand, has the largest forest product trade balance, totaling roughly $19 billion a year.
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In 2021, ZERO is rolling out the virtual "blue" carpet at the Bold for Blue Award Ceremony to celebrate the outstanding individuals and teams who have made a bold impact in the fight against prostate cancer. The award ceremony will be held during the 2021 Virtual ZERO Summit.
Impact Awards: ZERO's Newest Honor
In 2020, ZERO celebrated more than 25 Bold for Blue Award winners during the awards ceremony, plus Legacy Award Winners. Click here to see photos of 2020's most impactful champions in the fight against prostate cancer. In the third year of the Bold for Blue Awards, ZERO will again honor three individuals who have gone above and beyond in their local communities to end prostate cancer with the Impact Awards, which was first introduced in 2020.
The first-ever Impact Award winners were:
Dr. Randy Kam of Bakersfield, CA (pictured here), is a Stage IV prostate cancer patient who has run more than 150 marathons wearing a bib that draws attention to prostate cancer awareness;
Stan Rosenfeld of Marin, CA, has spent two decades leading a support group for men with prostate cancer, ultimately changing the lives of more than 1,500 men; and,
Joseph Musumeci of Woolwich Township, NJ, who also leads a support group that encourages men to open up and share about their disease experiences.
2021 Nomination Process
Nominees can be anyone who has made an impressive difference in the fight against prostate cancer. Whether the individual is a ZERO Champion, a prostate cancer patient, survivor, caregiver, Veteran, or medical practitioner, if they care about men and families, they are eligible!
Nominations for the 2021 Impact Awards are now open! Click here to fill out the nomination form. Nominations will be accepted until November 15, 2020. ZERO's National Board of Directors selects Impact Award winners. Nominees will be notified in mid-December by ZERO. Winners will be announced at the 2021 Bold for Blue Awards held during the ZERO Summit.
It's easy to nominate someone for an Impact Award! Return to this page then to begin the nomination process. Nominations for the 2021 Impact Awards will be accepted until November 15, 2020. Questions? Email shawn@zerocancer.org.
See photos from past Bold for Blue Awards ceremonies on Facebook (2019) and (2020), and read about past winners (2019) and (2020) on the ZERO blog. You can also view ZERO's 2020 Bold for Blue Awards Program to learn even more about recent winners.
The Bold for Blue Awards are sponsored by:
Why ZERO?: Our Mission and Impact
Learn: For the Newly Diagnosed


I feel like summer is already here. It's been in the upper 80s to mid 90s the past week and boy oh boy it's HOT. I knew this summer was going to be tough being pregnant and all, and let's just say it's already been a doozy for me, and we're only halfway through May. Say a little prayer for me in the upcoming months. ; ) But with these hotter temps also come my cravings for fresh, bright and veggie-filled dishes like today's recipe, my Summer Zoodle Salad.
The idea came to me while talking to my in laws about zoodles, and I thought it would be fun to make a "salad" using some lower carb veggies that are chock full of vitamins and nutrients your body l-o-v-e-s. Like asparagus, brussels and cherry tomatoes… Y'all it just doesn't get much better than that! I kept the tomatoes and brussel sprouts raw, but blanched the asparagus to make it a little softer, and cooked my zoodles in some olive oil until tender (I actually spiralized zucchini AND squash cuz #summer).
Here's the spiralizer I use and LOVE. I used to have a giant contraption that looked super fancy, but not only was it a pain to wash all the little parts after every use, but it just didn't seem to work the way I wanted it to. This other one is so much smaller, easy to store and clean, and spiralizes so well. I HIGHLY recommend it!
One of my favorite parts about the whole recipe was the avocado "dressing" I tossed the zoodles in. I wanted something fatty to help keep me full, and avocado just sounds SO good this time of year! I simply blended together some ripe avocados, lemon juice, basil and water until creamy, and voila. A delicious avocado dressing that added loads of fresh flavor and healthy fats to the dish. Mmm mmm mmm!
As for protein, I ended up running by Chick-fil-a after barre class because I was ravenous and needed something to eat asap in order to make it home. Y'all… low blood sugar while pregnant is NOT a good idea! While getting my waffle fries – hey, baby gets what baby wants! ; ) – I decided to order some nuggets to go on top of the salads rather than cooking up something at home. And I promise I 100% intended to order grilled nuggets (they are SO good) but apparently I actually ordered regular ones instead. Oops. I didn't notice until I got home and then decided to just go with it.
And let's be real. The nuggets were amazing, as always.
This Summer Zoodle Salad was SO easy to prep, and Isaac really liked it, which is always a win for me. His exact words were "This is great! It's so fresh." Basically, the best compliment ever.
You betta believe this will be a staple this summer! I love how easy it makes loading up on veggies, and it was so filling and tasty. Winner winner!
Create noodles out of the zucchini and squash using a spiralizer. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the zucchini and squash and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the asparagus. Cook for 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Slice the tomatoes in half and shred the brussels sprouts. Set aside.
In a blender cup, blend together the avocados, water, lemon juice and basil until thick and creamy. Add to the zucchini and squash, and stir to completely cover the zoodles.
Prepare the bowls! Start with the zoodles, then top with the tomatoes, asparagus, brussels and protein. Can be served warm or cold!
Have you ever tried making zoodles before?
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you purchase an item using that link at no extra charge to you. This is to help keep the blog running, and giving me the ability to bring you amazing content!
All opinions in this post are my own. I was not paid, nor did I receive any items in exchange for this review. I'm just sharing what I love because I love y'all!


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Emmons County
Westfield, Emmons County, North Dakota
Westfield: Township in Steele County, North Dakota
Westfield is a township located in the county of Emmons in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Its population at the 2010 census was 59. After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 56 inhabitants.
Quick Facts about Westfield
State : North Dakota (United States)
County : Emmons County
Westfield is located at 46°1'46"N 100°12'8"W (46.0294400, -100.2023400).
Westfield map
According to census records, the population of Westfield decreased by 5.36% in 10 years.
Schools in Westfield
College & universities near Westfield, ND
Sitting Bull College Fort Yates (ND) 58538-9721
Post offices near Westfield
Strasburg Post Office Strasburg (ND) 58573
Westfield , Indiana city in Indiana, USA with a population of 46,145 people.
Westfield , Massachusetts city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States with a population of 41,063 people.
Westfield , New Jersey town in Union County, New Jersey with a population of 29,238 people.
Westfield , New York town in Chautauqua County, New York with a population of 2,962 people.
Westfield , Ohio unincorporated community in Morrow County, Ohio with a population of 1,255 people.
Westfield , Pennsylvania borough of Pennsylvania with a population of 1,027 people.
Westfield , Wisconsin town in Marquette County, Wisconsin with a population of 607 people.
Westfield , Illinois village in Westfield Township, Clark County, Illinois with a population of 552 people.
Westfield , Maine town in Aroostook County, Maine with a population of 505 people.
Westfield , Vermont town in Vermont, USA with a population of 491 people.
Westfield , Iowa city in Iowa, USA with a population of 126 people.
Other cities in Emmons County
Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods & Other Populated Places in Emmons County , ND.
Strasburg 355 Human settlement in Emmons County, North Dakota, United States of America
Hazelton 207 Human settlement in Emmons County, North Dakota, United States of America
Hague 62 City in North Dakota, United States
Linton 28 City in and the county seat of Emmons County, North Dakota, United States of America
Braddock 28 Human settlement in Emmons County, North Dakota, United States of America


Choose: Egg Roll or Wonton Soup or Egg Drop Soup or Can Soda for extra $1.00, or Hot & Sour Soup extra $1.50.
Order all menu items online from Chang Sing - Little Falls for delivery and takeout. The best Chinese in Little Falls, NJ.


Having access to the fountain of knowledge residing in the cyberspace, fueled by word of mouth information and aided by social media, patients' behavior is fast changing globally. Its degree may vary. But the change is real. The good news is – in a digital world of today, people are talking about 'digitalization' to rejuvenate per dollar productivity even in the pharma business, while navigating through a strong environmental headwind.
But, the bad news seems to be, that many pharma players, especially in India, can't possibly quite fathom, just yet, the profound impact of the changing customer profile. With the hype of 'digital marketing' and associated cacophony, most of them seem to be focusing on automation of various processes with digital tools, rather than a customer-centric pan-organization digitalization of business. In this article, I shall dwell on the relevance of such intervention in the pharma marketing model, including the processes, before it's too late for an organization.
Consumers in the healthcare sector are becoming more informed, empowered, and demanding.
The vast majority of connected patients using an array of digital tools, to take control of their health and the health care services they access and buy.
Over 70 percent of patients who are online in the United States use the Internet to find healthcare information, and around 40 percent of people who diagnosed their condition through online research had it confirmed by a physician.
Patients equip themselves with information about product safety, efficacy, cost comparison, quality indicators from websites and online communities.
The more healthcare data become digitally accessible, the more patients will use it to weigh—and potentially reject—expensive health care treatments, as is particularly true in the United States.
These patients are demanding more information, so they can apply the same cost-benefit analysis and research techniques they use to purchase cars or phones when they purchase health care.
They are also making more informed, rational choices about where they put their money.
If pharma companies do not join the digital dialogue and influence the conversation, they will lose an opportunity to shape it, and they may be put on the defensive trying to refute the statements made by those that do take part.
In this evolving scenario, the expectations of pharma customers even in India, are also changing. It may not be as fast as in the United States, but certainly can't be ignored in any way, for long term business success. Thus, I reckon, it would be futile to keep the basic process of business as tradition-bound as it has always been, of course, with some interesting tweaking here or there.
When everybody talks about digital intervention, what it is really?
To effect this desired change, all concerned are now talking about 'digitalization'. It has already become a buzz word and is often considered as a 'magic wand' by many enthusiasts. There is nothing wrong in this hype, provided this process is properly understood. I tried to explain it in my article, published in this Blog on January 2018. Are we missing wood for the tree? Let me start with the current 'digitalization' focus of pharma marketing in this area, particularly in India – as I see it.
Where's the current focus on 'digitalization' in pharma marketing?
In my view, 'push marketing' involves targeting physicians through Medical Representatives and other means, including several contentious ones. These ensure that the doctors "push" the identified pharma brands of the company while writing prescriptions for patients. Some experts call it an 'inside out' and brand focused strategy of the industry players to drive sales.
Many companies are taking major digital steps to introduce automation in this area, which are not transformative, but incremental and aimed at improving productivity. Such drive encompasses many areas of a pharma organization, including the field staff related functions. For example, replacing usage of paper-based items, such as detailing folders or reporting material, with algorithm-based digital tablet devices. These reforms help answer customer questions promptly, besides almost real-time entry of accurate doctors' call related data into a remote computer server for continuous analysis and feedback.
Automation of such types may free enough time of the field staff for greater customer contacts in different ways, but may not be considered as digitalization of the organization. Moreover, these are not transformative in nature either, as the overall process of doing business remains the same.
Nonetheless, process automation and its re-engineering add significant, but incremental value to the business, as the organization continues to maintain similar 'inside-out' focus on brands. The re-engineered processes also become faster and more accurate to help improve productivity. However, patients' knowledge-base, needs, demands, values and aspiration keep changing fast, which just process automation can't leverage to excel in business.
Unlike 'push marketing', 'pull marketing' targeting pharma consumers who are increasingly becoming more informed and want to get involved in their treatment decision making process, including selection of a drug. The evolving trend suggests, to succeed in business, pharma players would require focusing more on patients, using various digital tools and platforms of engagement, in different ways.
To make this process meaningful, it is essential for a drug company to venture into mapping the patient's journey from end-to-end for a specific disease or a set of diseases. This means capturing real-life data right from the time patients feel the need for a medical intervention, through the search for the right treatment, to effective disease management or cure, including follow-up, if any. Thus, mapping this arduous and complex odyssey would demand application of state-of-the-art digital tools.
Thereafter, equally sophisticated measures structured on digital platforms and formulated accordingly, require to be and implemented on the ground. It then becomes the ground-rock to transform the company's focus – 'through brands to patients' to – 'through patients to brands.' Dovetailing this new marketing concept to a pan-organization initiative will call for new insight and wherewithal of the right kind.
When implemented by the right kind of people, this approach will encouragepatients to "pull" the demand of the selected brands, as they participate along with doctors in the drug selection part of the entire treatment process. The informed patients won't hesitate posing questions to doctors – why 'this' drug is being prescribed and why not 'that' drug?' The doctor would require responding with convincing answers in that situation. Some experts have termed this process as – an 'outside in' strategy.
It's important to reiterate that the impact of digitalization for an 'inside-out push strategy', is generally incremental. Whereas, the same for 'outside-in pull strategy' is expected to be transformative in nature, not just in the business performance, but also the way pharma business is viewed and conducted as on date, especially in India.
As I understand, process automation may be based on digital platforms and even with the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or robotics, the overall business process remains unchanged. It brings greater efficiency in the same business processes, improving employee productivity, and usually adds incremental success to brand performance.
Whereas, digitalization helps create a new way of achieving excellence – gaining a new insight for the business. This happens, first through generation, and then detail analysis of an enormous amount of relevant customer-centric data. Effective interpretation and use of the same, help transform the business – giving shape to new business processes for organizational distinction.
Simply speaking, automation improves the business efficiency with its key focus on 'pushing brand prescription demand', as much as possible. Whereas, digitalization aims at business transformation for a long-term organizational effectiveness. It creates a new purpose for business based on changing customer profile, across the organization. A sharp focus on delivering research-based and well-targeted customer values help 'pulling brand prescription demand', the decision of which is often jointly taken by the doctors and the patients or will happen that way even in India, sooner than later.
In this perspective, what we see in pharma marketing, generally in India, is automation of various types, of course, by using digital tools, platforms and even AI, in some cases. There isn't anything wrong in that. But, digitization would call for much more. First, the core organizational focus to shift from being 'brand-centric' to 'customer-centric' for financial achievements, and then effectively delivering customer values through each 'company-brand-customer interface' and beyond that. This is essential for sustainable excellence of pharma players in the digital age.
This entry was posted in Pharma by Tapan Ray and tagged Automation, brand, Business, centric, changing, consumers, customer, digital, Digitalization, digitization, focus, Hype, IMPACT, incremental, India, intervention, marketing, Patients, Pharma, Profile, pull, Push, Ray, Tapan, Tapan Ray, transform, transformative.


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Tag Archives: Liv Ullmann
INGMAR BERGMAN'S AUTUMN SONATA (1978)
May 7, 2018 Alfred Eaker	Leave a comment
Ingmar Bergman is a damned important filmmaker. As an artist and Catholic, I've experienced his body of work and without reserve, I rank him with the likes of Buñuel, Tarkovsky, and Dreyer. Yet, I'm now in my fifties, and I've come to the point where I can relate to the conductor Leopold Stokowski, who—late in life—said he was done with the pessimism of composer Gustav Mahler. Likewise, I hope I'm never asked to watch a Bergman film again for the remainder of my life. Not that this site asked me to; I did it to myself.
Still, Bergman was by no means a one-note filmmaker. Like Mahler, whose 4th symphony is as sunny as Mahler can get and still be Mahler, Bergman had a more pleasing side on occasion (i.e. The Magic Flute). So, I'm glad to be ending this Bergman series with Autumn Sonata (1978) followed by Fanny and Alexander (1981) next week. As pleasurable as these examples of late Bergman are, I'll still look forward to something a tad lighter, perhaps a camp fest or a dumb summer blockbuster.
For Autumn Sonata, Bergman cast Casablanca actress Ingrid Bergman (no relation). It proved to be her last film before succumbing to cancer. She plays the famous pianist Charlotte Andergast who has abandoned her family to pursue her career. Charlotte accepts daughter Eva's (Liv Ullmann) invitation for a visit, despite not having seen her for years. Having recently lost her longtime lover, Charlotte wants to stay at her daughter's Norway parsonage for emotional support. Married to the reserved clergyman Viktor (Halvar Björk), Eva's world is a far cry from the celebrity and glamour of her mother's life. The complexities of their relationship are incandescent, and this may well be the most well-acted film of Bergman's oeuvre.
Ingrid's casting was poignant on numerous levels. She had longed to make a film with her namesake. Both she and Ingmar had been in exile from Sweden (the director for tax evasion—he was later found innocent). Ingrid had been harshly criticized for abandoning her family to purse an affair with the married Roberto Rossellini and, after her films were widely picketed and banned, she fled Sweden. Ingrid was initially skeptical because the parallels between actress and role were so disconcerting. She overcame her trepidation, however, to deliver a tour-de-force swan song. Ullman is, in every way, Ingrid's equal, and although this is ultimately an ethical and psychologically healthy chamber film, it is inherently Bergmanesque.
At first, the reunion seems to be a joyful one. Charlotte has barely settled in, however, when old tensions between mother and daughter arise. Eva, a writer, is also a pianist, but she is angst-ridden with an inferiority complex that she blames on her mother. Eva's fear of playing Chopin to her hypercritical mother is validated. Even the musically illiterate can detect the difference between Eva's subpar performance and Charlotte's sublime interpretation. The brilliance of Bergman lies in divided sympathies. We can identify with Eva feeling patronized and shamed, but we also acknowledge Charlotte's valid aesthetic criticisms.
A more painful source of contention is the surprise of Eva opening her home to her sister Helena (Lena Nyman). Suffering from a degenerative disease, Helena is a provocative reminder of Charlotte's neglect and narcissism.
The scene in which Eva confronts Charlotte throughout the night is lengthy, riveting, and drenched in emotion. Charlotte's propensity for bragging and her lack of humility, her inability to listen and perhaps even to fully love, is punctuated by Eva's demand of silence, and, ultimately by her mediocrity. Yet, we also see Eva's strength as a giving savior/saint to both her husband and sister—a role that Charlotte is utterly incapable of. Lesser filmmakers would have taken sides and painted the scene solely in hues of pathos, but Bergman is not so monochromatic: he uses humor, awe, and sensuality. Bergman and cinematographer Sven Nyqvist opt for intense extreme closeups, filmed in gorgeous oranges and browns. It's called Autumn Sonata for a reason, and the engrossing music (Chopin, Bach, Beethoven) is of equal importance to the theatrical-like visuals.
Björk is, as usual, superb, but ultimately it's not his film. We go through the wringer with Eva and Charlotte, and there is no sophomoric resolution, because reconciliation sure as hell isn't microwaved. It's sacramentally built; and Bergman leaves us with the hope, and the feeling, that it will be built. In that, I find Autumn Sonata to be as close to Catholicism as Bergman comes.
1978DramaIngmar BergmanLiv UllmannSwedish
INGMAR BERGMAN'S SHAME (1968)
April 23, 2018 Alfred Eaker	Leave a comment
I only vaguely recall 1968. What I do vividly remember was both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy being assassinated within the space of a few months. Even the majority of the bigots at mother's church (not all, by any means) were horrified, and during those moments, at least, practiced an extremely rare shut-mouth spirituality. It was surreal as hell. Things only became more nightmarish in the years immediately following, with the escalation of Vietnam and Watergate.
A continent or so away, Ingmar Bergman produced what most of us felt: Shame. Bergman was normally not an outright political filmmaker. The extremists certainly sniffed out the moderate artist within him. Not that they would watch his films anyway, being put off by subtitles (I don't know how many times I've had to bite my lower lip after hearing camo-clad bumpkins proudly proclaim that they didn't want to read a movie).
The focus of Bergman's anger is war, but reeling from the criticisms he had received from utilizing the infamous footage of a Vietnamese monk's immolation in 1966's Persona, Bergman is more ambiguous here. He doesn't state that his subject is Vietnam per se, which is why Shame is not as well-known as that previous film. Bergman's ambiguity in a way neuters his own work, preventing it from becoming an equivalent to Picasso's "Guernica," which still provokes war-minded leaders (George W. Bush's lackeys had a replica of that famous painting covered up with a black curtain at the United Nations). We could see Shame one way: like Buster Keaton, Bergman is a consummate artist lacking the courage of his ethical and social convictions (which were hinted at in Persona, although that film did not overtly subscribe to any specific ideology). In the case of both artists, their aesthetics are undermined by fear of being labeled political. In the case of Keaton, it took an artist of more elementary aesthetics (Charles Chaplin) to call out racism, sexism, and eventually Fascism. Likewise, Bergman's Shame is rendered less impactful compared to his earlier opus and to the wave of anti-Vietnam films to come. Bergman plays it safe, indirectly shifting blame to a God in the sky instead of any persons or factions. Of course, we could also look at Shame as a desolate parable that transcends a specific time and place. It's not an either/or assessment as much as it's both/and.
In his later 1990 biography, "My Life in Films," Bergman writes that he had previously been very proud of Shame, feeling that it exposed the personal violence of war, but added that he had come to be disappointed in it after realizing the his intentions were self-defeating.
Regardless of one's view, Shame is aptly not a comfortable experience. The story centers around a musical couple, Jan (Max von Sydow) and Eva (Liv Ullmann) Rosenberg. Although loving, they are tormented by Eva's barrenness, poverty, and the civil war surrounding their dilapidated home on an unnamed island.
Despite its enigmatic qualities, Shame is still superlative Bergman and startling. Having fled larger society, the Rosenbergs have become recluses, but their imperfect and monotonous tranquility is consumed by warfare.
The killing of a parachuter, arriving militias, arrests, incarceration, and torture are not typical Bergman themes, yet all are prevalent here. Smartly, Bergman's focus is indeed a personal one. When Jan witnesses his wife flirting with another man, he is aroused; probably for the first time in a long time. Later, after she has sex with an interrogator, Jan becomes jealous and exacts revenge. In the beginning of the film, it is he who is weak. However, after being engulfed in despair from the barbarism that has engulfed them, he mantles fierceness. In contrast, Eva, once the romantic, is utterly crushed.
There are no battlefield scenes typically associated with war films, and that's refreshing. The path of Shame is highly idiosyncratic; paradoxically pragmatic in its psychology and yet, pensive.
By the time we become desultory refugees with the Roenbergs, we are as drained as they are. Although Shame avoids direct political commentary of the era, it oddly become more poignant today because the one pointed portrayal of Bergman's that is relevant today lies in that of the shameless authoritarian and his knee-bound sycophants, along with the effect of that demagoguery on ordinary lives.
1968Black and WhiteDramaIngmar BergmanLiv UllmannMax von SydowParableWar
INGMAR BERGMAN'S CRIES AND WHISPERS (1972)
The iris of Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers (1972) is a red deathbed of intense and frightening passion unequaled in the whole of cinema. As the filmmaker himself indicated, Cries and Whispers is a film predominantly told by color. I first encountered Cries and Whispers in the early 1980s and it lingered: an unforgettable, altering experience. The only thing I can compare it to is the first time I stood before one of Pablo Picasso's rose period paintings of a maternal subject. It stirs you in a way that makes you feel simultaneously alive and small, and glad to be small before an authentic artist whose mastery is so expressively humane as to be hypnotic and humbling. As filtered through the abdominal lensing of Sven Nykvist, Cries and Whispers imparts a vision of infinite beauty.
This is a female world, taking place over a period of two days in the life of four women. Yes, it is also about the dying process and death, but accompanied by resurrection and endowment.
At her English manor, the 40-ish, matronly Agnes (Harriet Andersson) is dying, and this is not a stylish, incandescent death. She is in unspeakable agony amidst her kitsch surroundings. Watching this film again recently, it gripped me personally, having spent two days with my father dying of the cancer that brutally and unmercifully took away his life; quickly, but not quickly enough. And that's why Cries and Whispers is intimately affecting.
Surrounding Agnes are her sisters, Karin (Ingrid Thulin) and Maria (Liv Ullmann), along with her loyal peasant servant, Anna (Kari Sylvan), who maternally responds to Agnes' needs. She cradles Agnes and attempts to comfort her. Yet, this is also a film about pain; like a late Edvard Munch painting of feverish icy dreams. As a motherly figure, Anna cannot ease Agnes' suffering. Like Anna's biological daughter, Agnes will die.
The sexual symbology is as vivid as those various shades of (red). Agnes, never knowing intimacy (white) is dying of ovarian cancer. Maria's adulteries drove her husband to suicide. Karin performed a bloody self-mutilation in revenge against her husband. All this segues into the pain of distance, of touching and withdrawing from touch; neither Maria nor Karin can look upon Agnes as she gasps for life. Familial emotional distance parallels the impotence of religious comfort (black). The cleric, there to give extreme unction, utters a prayer that betrays his faithlessness and cluelessness, because before him is the Pieta to which he is blind. Agnes attempts repeatedly to vomit in a basin, but it is to no avail. She parallels the Corpus Christi, cradled by Anna's Madonna: the sole beacon of faith and the sole embrace who draws her lifeless charge to dry breasts. Yet, Anna gifts a renewal from cancer of the womb.
Although faithless herself, Agnes receives absolution, and we hear her alive again in the startling finale. Her voice rises from her journal, and we see the sisters together again in a paradisaical setting: "I wanted to hold the moment fast, and thought, Come what may, this is happiness. I cannot wish for anything better. Now, for a few minutes, I can experience perfection."
1972DeathHarriet AnderssonIngmar BergmanIngrid ThulinLiv Ullmann
232. HOUR OF THE WOLF [VARGTIMMEN] (1968)
March 9, 2016 Gregory J. Smalley (366weirdmovies)	Leave a comment
"Directors always say—and I think they mean it—that they're telling a story. They tell a story and they don't want to have an interpretation of what it 'means,' symbols… I think, for example, Hour of the Wolf, it can look like it was a lot of symbols. I don't think it is. It's a scary story, narrated very simply, even if the persons are very surreal."–actor Erland Josephson (Baron von Merkins)
DIRECTED BY: Ingmar Bergman
FEATURING: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann
PLOT: The prologue explains that the artist Johan Borg disappeared from his home on the Frisian islands, and that this film is a recreation of events from his diary and the recollections of his wife. Borg has disturbing dreams, and the characters from the dream, along with an old flame, appear before him in real life. As the days wear on, the hallucinations become so intense that his wife seems to share in them, and the ghostly party invites the couple to visit them at the local castle.
According to the film, "the hour of the wolf" is the time between midnight and dawn when most people die and most babies are born.
The film began life as a screenplay entitled "The Cannibals." After Bergman was hospitalized with pneumonia, he stopped working on the script and instead produced Persona.
Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann had an affair during the making of Persona, and Ullmann became pregnant with Bergman's child. The actress did not want to relocate to Fårö to live with Bergman (who was still married to concert pianist Käbi Laretei at the time), and stayed in Oslo until Bergman sent her the script for Vargtimmen and convinced her to come to Fårö to make the film. She gave birth to the child before the movie was completed.
INDELIBLE IMAGE: When describing the figures that appear to him in his nightmares, Johan Borg mentions "the old lady, the one always threatening to take off her hat. Do you know what happens if she does? Her face comes off along with it, you see." That's not just a tease; although we never see Borg's sketch of the character, Bergman later comes through with the literal vision of the old woman removing her face along with her hat.
THREE WEIRD THINGS: Boy at the beach; walking on the ceiling; face-off hag
WHAT MAKES IT WEIRD: Themes of creative frustration, infidelity, humiliation, forbidden sexual impulses, and existential angst manifest as a court of demonic aristocrats who lure the artist and his love into a web of madness and self-destruction in Hour of the Wolf. Gothic imagery fits Ingmar Bergman like a comfortable shadow, and his only outright horror movie is every bit as philosophical, eerie and inscrutable as you could hope.
Clip from Hour of the Wolf
COMMENTS: According to Liv Ullmann, when, pregnant, she fled Ingmar Bergman's arms after completing Persona, he convinced her to Continue reading 232. HOUR OF THE WOLF [VARGTIMMEN] (1968) →
1968ArthouseBlack and WhiteGothicHorrorIngmar BergmanLiv UllmannMax von SydowPsychologicalRecommendedSwedish
139. PERSONA (1966)
March 6, 2013 Gregory J. Smalley (366weirdmovies)	4 Comments
"[The persona is] a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual… one result of the dissolution of the persona is the release of fantasy—disorientation."–Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology
FEATURING: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann
PLOT: Without explanation, Elisabeth, an actress, suddenly decides to stop talking and checks into a mental hospital. Alma, a young nurse, is assigned to take care of her, and even travels with her to vacation at the psychiatrist's summer home as part of her therapy. Once there, Alma grows attached to the mute actress and begins confessing secrets to her; but as the two women spend time together, their personalities seem to merge, and Alma finds herself being mistaken for Elisabeth…
Ingmar Bergman wrote the script while in the hospital recuperating from a viral infection. He was partly inspired by seeing a photograph of actresses Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann together and noticing how similar they looked.
Bergman said that "Persona saved my life… if I had not found the strength to make that film, I would probably have been all washed up." He also said that "…in Persona—and later in Cries and Whispers—I had gone as far as I could go… I touched wordless secrets that only the cinema can discover."
Although they were both married to other people at the time, Bergman and Liv Ullmann fell in love on set and had a child together after the film was completed. Bergman had previously had an affair with Andersson, as well.
An almost subliminal shot of an erect penis (it lasts for about one-eighth of a second) was cut from most prints during the film's original run. The film also occasionally ran into censorship problems due to Bibi Andersson's long erotic monologue.
Persona was ranked the 18th greatest movie of all time on Sight and Sound's 2012 critics poll, and came in 13th on the director's poll.
INDELIBLE IMAGE: Beautifully lensed by Bergman cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Persona is justly celebrated for its many doubling shots where the faces of the lead actresses overlap; at one point, their images are overlaid in a mirror, and at another we actually see a composite woman made up of half Liv Ullmann, half Bibi Andersson. The most meaningful of these effects comes near the very beginning of the movie, then recurs again near the very end. A mysterious, gangly young boy looks at a glowing screen with a face on it; the image blurs, then resolves into Andersson, then defocuses and morphs into Ullmann. The boy caresses the screen as if he's trying to feel the face.
WHAT MAKES IT WEIRD: The first five minutes bring us an erect penis, a tarantula, a sheep being eviscerated at a slaughterhouse, nails hammered into palms, and corpses in a morgue. It's an assault of images from a boiling id, but mixed with formalist reminders that we are watching a film: the first shot is of a projector's arc lamp lighting in an incendiary burst, followed by film spooling, cartoons projected upside down, and so on. All of this before the title appears. Are you convinced the director has weird intentions yet?
Original U.S. trailer for Persona
COMMENTS: If you are a fan of the identity-morphing brainteasers Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Drive (2001), or Performance (1970), or Continue reading 139. PERSONA (1966) →
1966AmbiguousArthouseBibi AnderssonBlack and WhiteCriterion collectionDramaIdentityIngmar BergmanLiv UllmannMust seePsychologicalSwedish
CAPSULE: HOUR OF THE WOLF [VARGTIMMEN] (1968)
September 21, 2010 Eric Gabbard	1 Comment
FEATURING: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullman
PLOT: An artist is haunted by memories of his past. While isolated on an island with his pregnant wife, his demons catch up to him. Madness and delusion creep deeper into his mind as a gang of mysterious island dwellers intervene in the couple's life. A secret, scandalous affair surfaces, and when supernatural forces intervene, the couple's relationship and sanity is strained.
WHY IT SHOULD'T MAKE THE LIST: This is a tough film to decipher. The ending is certainly weird, but the lead-up to that point is too ponderous and ambiguous. Bergman is a master and his lone foray into the horror genre is an excellent piece of film-making; his artistry in delving into the lower depths of the human psyche is better established in his other well-known masterpieces, however.
COMMENTS: The older I get, the more I appreciate Ingmar Bergman films. There is something about Swedish movies that encapsulates human existence like no other country. Scenes are left dangling on a thread waiting to snap. The slow, or still, images can verge on monotony, but are usually necessary to convey the pathos of the souls here. Sometimes watching scenes slowly transpire is the best way to fully grasp how life can unravel around us. A scene in this film actually plays out for an entire minute with the main character staring at his watch to express how even sixty seconds can feel like an eternity. Time can sometimes lay heavy on a burdened mind. What I'm trying to suggest here is that Bergman is amazing at capturing exactly what it means to be human. We sin and regret, yet we still long for penance and understanding. Even when our existence feels loathsome, it sure is nice to have someone else around to share in our misery. Modern Swedish director Roy Andersson (You, The Living) knows this as well and, like Bergman, his films are wrought with longing stares of sadness. Both Swedes capture these depressing moments and bring them alive with precise balance and well thought out execution. Even dialogue is matter-of-fact. Nothing said in their films seems to be unimportant or drivel; it's Continue reading CAPSULE: HOUR OF THE WOLF [VARGTIMMEN] (1968) →
1968AmbiguousBlack and WhiteHorrorIngmar BergmanLiv UllmannMax von SydowPsychologicalSwedish


Managing the vibration impacts associated with blasting is a challenge for mine planners and operators. In an open cut mining environment production blasting is often an integral part of operations. The management of surface water is a key operational requirement for open cut pits and mine water dams are often a part of the water management infrastructure. Consequently, mine water dams are often subject to blasting impacts.
For the mine operator the foremost questions are, "how close can mine blasting progress towards the dam?" and "what is the maximum vibration that the structure can be safely subjected to?" For the dam safety regulator the key concerns are around potential modes of failure, consequence of failure, the likelihood of failure and the management of risk.
With reference to case studies, this paper will discuss the acceptable blasting limits for earth dams, impacts on various dam elements and failure mode analysis. Failures modes discussed include embankment cracking, slope failure and deformation, foundation cracking and outlet structure cracking. Risk mitigation measures will be presented including design, operation and monitoring controls.
Keywords: blasting impacts, embankment dams, coal mine.


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Shin Sung Rok Describes His Role As A Successful Businessman Who Loses It All In New Drama
MBC's upcoming drama "Kairos" (literal title) has unveiled a new sneak peek of Shin Sung Rok! The actor also delved into what initially drew him to the drama as well as how he intends to portray his role.
"Kairos" is a new "time-crossing fantasy thriller" about the interconnected fates of Kim Seo Jin, a man who falls into despair after his daughter is kidnapped, and Han Ae Ri, a woman who is searching for her missing mother. From Kim Seo Jin's perspective, Han Ae Ri is living exactly one month in the past—but after the two miraculously communicate from their different times, they set out on a thrilling quest to save their missing loved ones.
Shin Sung Rok will star as Kim Seo Jin, the youngest director at his company and the object of his colleagues' bitter envy. Despite being a perfectionist who seemed to have it all, Kim Seo Jin loses everything in the blink of an eye when his beloved daughter is unexpectedly kidnapped.
The new stills preview the various sides of Kim Seo Jin. As a businessman, he dresses impeccably in a chic suit and his hair is carefully styled. However, as he begins his race against time to find his daughter, he trades the suit for a brown jacket and a more casual hairstyle. Another still gives a glimpse of the immense stress he is under as he makes a phone call to someone, his hair disheveled and dirt on his face.
Shin Sung Rok had high praise for the drama's script as he said, "Among all the scripts I've received, this script was the highest quality. It didn't take long for me to become fascinated with it and decide I wanted to try taking on the role." He expressed his affection for the drama, continuing, "I think this will be a good drama with plot twists every episode. I don't think you will regret taking the time to watch it."
The actor said that he is working hard to portray the character of Kim Seo Jin in the best way possible. "I hope that viewers will be able to feel the painful emotions that he is concealing," he explained. "I'm paying special attention to expressing how he slowly breaks down in a raw and realistic way."
When asked whether he fit well with his role, Shin Sung Rok humbly responded, "The director told me I synchronize well with the character of Kim Seo Jin, so I'm trusting his opinion and working hard to immerse myself in the role."
"Kairos" will premiere on October 26 at 9:30 p.m. KST.
Watch more information of upcoming drama "Kairos (2020)" at here.
Source: [Soompi]
Tags: #Kairos; #Shin Sung Rok; #Lee Se Young; #Ahn Bo Hyun;