text:
package org.jgroups.tests;

import org.jgroups.Address;
import org.jgroups.Global;
import org.jgroups.blocks.MethodCall;
import org.jgroups.conf.ClassConfigurator;
import org.jgroups.util.Bits;
import org.jgroups.util.SizeStreamable;
import org.jgroups.util.Util;
import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;

import java.io.DataInput;
import java.io.DataOutput;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

/**
 * @author Bela Ban belaban@yahoo.com
 * @author Ovidiu Feodorov
 **/
@Test(groups=Global.FUNCTIONAL)
public class MethodCallTest {

    protected static final Method CALL, FOO, GET_P, SET_P, GET_SP, SET_SP;
    protected static final Map<Short,Method> methods=new HashMap<>();

    static {
        try {
            CALL=MethodCallTest.class.getMethod("call", boolean.class, Boolean.class, int.class, double.class,
                                                float.class, byte[].class, String[].class);
            FOO=TargetClass.class.getMethod("foo", int.class, String.class);
            GET_P=TargetClass.class.getMethod("getPerson");
            SET_P=TargetClass.class.getMethod("setPerson", Person.class);
            GET_SP=TargetClass.class.getMethod("getSPerson");
            SET_SP=TargetClass.class.getMethod("setPerson", StreamablePerson.class);
        }
        catch(NoSuchMethodException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        methods.put((short)1, CALL);

        try {
            methods.put((short)2, TargetClass.class.getMethod("foobar"));
        }
        catch(NoSuchMethodException e) {
            throw new IllegalStateException(e);
        }
    }

    public static class TargetClass {
        protected Person           p;
        protected StreamablePerson sp;

        public static boolean foo(int a, String b) {
            System.out.println("test(" + a + ", " + b + ')');
            return true;
        }

        public static void bar(String[] a, String b) {
            if(a != null) {
                for(int i=0; i < a.length; i++) {
                    String s=a[i];
                    System.out.print(s + ' ');
                }
            }
            else
                System.out.println("a=null");
            if(b != null)
                System.out.println("b=" + b);
            else
                System.out.println("b=null");
        }

        public static void foobar() {
            System.out.println("foobar()");
        }

        public void setPerson(Person p) {
            this.p=p;
            System.out.printf("person set to %s\n", p);
        }

        public Person getPerson() {return p;}

        public void setPerson(StreamablePerson p) {
            this.sp=p;
            System.out.printf("person set to %s\n", sp);
        }

        public StreamablePerson getSPerson() {return sp;}
    }

    @Test(enabled=false)
    public static void call(boolean b, Boolean bool, int i, double d, float f, byte[] buf, String[] strings) {
        System.out.println("b = " + b + ", bool=" + bool + ", i=" + i + ", d=" + d + ", f=" + f +
                             ", buf=" + buf.length + " bytes, strings=" + Arrays.toString(strings));
    }

    final TargetClass target=new TargetClass();

    public void testMethod() throws Exception {
        Method m=TargetClass.class.getMethod("foo", int.class, String.class);
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall(m,22, "Bela");
        Assert.assertEquals(mc.invoke(target),Boolean.TRUE);
    }

    public void testMethod2() throws Exception {
        MethodCall call=new MethodCall(CALL, true, Boolean.FALSE, 322649, 3.24, (float)54.345,
                                       new byte[]{'b', 'e', 'l', 'a'}, new String[]{"Bela", "Michelle"});
        call.invoke(this);
    }

    public void testTypes() throws Exception {
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall("foo", new Object[]{35,"Bela"}, new Class[]{int.class,String.class});
        Assert.assertEquals(mc.invoke(target),Boolean.TRUE);
    }

    public void testTypes2() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("bar", new Object[]{new String[]{"one", "two", "three"}, "Bela"},
                       new Class[]{String[].class, String.class}).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testTypesWithArray() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("bar", new Object[]{new String[]{"one", "two", "three"}, "Bela"},
                       new Class[]{String[].class, String.class}).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testTypesWithNullArgument() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("bar", new Object[]{new String[]{"one", "two", "three"}, null},
                       new Class[]{String[].class, String.class}).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testTypesWithNullArgument2() throws Exception {
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall("bar", new Object[]{new String[]{"one", "two", "three"}, new Object[]{}},
                                     new Class[]{String[].class, String.class});
        try {
            mc.invoke(target);
            assert false: "we should not get here as there should be an argument mismatch exception";
        }
        catch(IllegalArgumentException ex) {
            System.out.println("caught IllegalArgumentException - as expected");
        }
    }

    public void testTypesWithNullArgument3() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("foobar", new Object[]{}, new Class[]{}).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testTypesWithNullArgument4() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("foobar", null, null).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testTypesWithNullArgument5() throws Exception {
        new MethodCall("foobar", new Object[0], new Class[0]).invoke(target);
    }

    public void testSignature() throws Exception {
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall("foo", new Object[]{35, "Bela"},
                                     new Class[]{int.class, String.class});
        Assert.assertEquals(mc.invoke(target),Boolean.TRUE);
    }

    public void testBufferSize() throws Exception {
        MethodCall m=new MethodCall("foo", new Object[]{10,"Bela"}, new Class[]{int.class, String.class});
        byte[] data=Util.objectToByteBuffer(m);

        MethodCall m2=Util.objectFromByteBuffer(data);
        System.out.println(m2);
        Object[] args=m2.getArgs();
        assert args.length == 2;
        assert args[0].equals(10);
        assert args[1].equals("Bela");
    }

    public void testSize() throws Exception {
        MethodCall m=new MethodCall("foo", new Object[]{10,"Bela"}, new Class[]{int.class, String.class});
        byte[] data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 30;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall(FOO, 10, "Bela");
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (METHOD): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 30;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);
    }

    public void testSizeWithIDs() throws Exception {
        MethodCall m=new MethodCall((short)0, 10, "Bela");
        byte[] data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 30;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);
    }

    public void testSizeWithSerializable() throws Exception {
        Person p=new Person("Bela Ban", 55);
        MethodCall m=new MethodCall("setPerson", new Object[]{p}, new Class[]{Person.class});
        byte[] data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 230;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall(SET_P, p);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (METHOD): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 230;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall("getPerson", null, null);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 20;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall(GET_P);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (METHOD): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 20;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);
    }

    public void testSizeWithStreamable() throws Exception {
        ClassConfigurator.add((short)2233, StreamablePerson.class);
        StreamablePerson p=new StreamablePerson("Bela Ban", 55);
        MethodCall m=new MethodCall("setPerson", new Object[]{p}, new Class[]{StreamablePerson.class});
        byte[] data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 110;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall(SET_SP, p);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (METHOD): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 110;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall("getPerson", null, null);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (TYPES): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 20;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);

        m=new MethodCall(GET_SP);
        data=Util.streamableToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.printf("size (METHOD): %d\n", data.length);
        assert data.length < 20;
        m=Util.streamableFromByteBuffer(MethodCall::new, data);
    }

    public static void testOLD() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] {"abc"}, new Class[]{String.class});
        Target target = new Target();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public static void testInheritanceOLD() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] {"abc"}, new Class[]{String.class});
        TargetSubclass target = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public static void testMETHOD() throws Exception {
        Method method = Target.class.getMethod("someMethod", String.class);
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall(method, "abc");
        Target target = new Target();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public void testInheritanceMETHOD() throws Exception {
        Method method = Target.class.getMethod("someMethod", String.class);
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall(method, "abc");
        TargetSubclass t = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(t);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public void testTYPES() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] { "abc" }, new Class[] { String.class });
        Target t = new Target();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(t);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public static void testInheritanceTYPES() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] { "abc" }, new Class[] { String.class });
        TargetSubclass target = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    /**
     * This tests whether overriden methods are correctly identified and invoked.
     */
    public static void testOverriddenForTYPES() throws Exception  {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("overriddenMethod", new Object[] { "abc" }, new Class[] { String.class });
        TargetSubclass target = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("TargetSubclassABC", result);
    }

    public static void testNoArgumentMethodForTYPES() throws Exception  {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("noArgumentMethod", new Object[0], new Class[0]);
        TargetSubclass target = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("noArgumentMethodResult", result);
    }

    public static void testSIGNATURE() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] { "abc" }, new Class[] {String.class});
        Target target = new Target();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public static void testInheritanceSIGNATURE() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] {"abc"}, new Class[] {String.class});
        TargetSubclass target = new TargetSubclass();
        Object result = methodCall.invoke(target);
        Assert.assertEquals("ABC",result);
    }

    public static void testMarshalling() throws Exception {
        MethodCall methodCall = new MethodCall("someMethod", new Object[] { "abc" }, new Class[] {String.class});
        System.out.println("methodCall: " + methodCall);
        MethodCall m=marshalAndUnmarshal(methodCall);
        System.out.println("m: " + m);
    }

    public void testMarshalling2() throws Exception {
        Address addr=Util.createRandomAddress("A");
        MethodCall call=new MethodCall("foo",
                                       new Object[]{"hello", 23, addr},
                                       new Class[]{String.class, int.class, Address.class});
        MethodCall m=marshalAndUnmarshal(call);
        System.out.println("m = " + m);
    }

    public static void testMarshallingMETHOD() throws Exception {
        Method m=TargetClass.class.getMethod("foo", int.class, String.class);
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall(m,22, "Bela");
        MethodCall call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);

        mc=new MethodCall(CALL, true, Boolean.FALSE, 322649, 3.24, (float)54.345,
                          new byte[]{'b', 'e', 'l', 'a'}, new String[]{"Bela", "Michelle"});
        call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);
    }

    public static void testMarshallingTYPES() throws Exception {
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall("call", new Object[]
                                     {true,Boolean.FALSE,322649,3.24,(float)54.345,
                                       new byte[]{'b','e','l','a'},new String[]{"Bela","Michelle"}},
                                     new Class<?>[]{boolean.class, Boolean.class, int.class, double.class, float.class,
                                       byte[].class, String[].class});
        MethodCall call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);
    }

    public void testMarshallingID() throws Exception {
        MethodCall mc=new MethodCall((short)1, true, Boolean.FALSE, 322649, 3.24, (float)54.345,
                                     new byte[]{'b', 'e', 'l', 'a'}, new String[]{"Bela", "Michelle"});
        MethodCall call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);

        mc=new MethodCall((short)1, true, Boolean.FALSE, 322649, 3.24, (float)54.345,
                          new byte[]{'b', 'e', 'l', 'a'}, new String[]{"Bela", "Michelle"});
        call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);

        mc=new MethodCall((short)2);
        call2=marshalAndUnmarshal(mc);
        System.out.println("call2 = " + call2);
    }

    private static MethodCall marshalAndUnmarshal(MethodCall m) throws Exception {
        byte[] buf=Util.objectToByteBuffer(m);
        System.out.println("marshalled buffer size: " + buf.length + " bytes");
        return (MethodCall)Util.objectFromByteBuffer(buf);
    }

    public static class Target {

        public static String someMethod(String arg) {
            return arg.toUpperCase();
        }

        public String overriddenMethod(String arg) {
            return "Target" + arg.toUpperCase();
        }

        public static String noArgumentMethod() {
            return "noArgumentMethodResult";
        }
    }

    public static class TargetSubclass extends Target {

        public String overriddenMethod(String arg) {
            return "TargetSubclass" + arg.toUpperCase();
        }
    }

    protected static class Person implements Serializable {
        private static final long serialVersionUID=-3554749804011321665L;
        protected String name;
        protected int    age;

        public Person(String name, int age) {
            this.name=name;
            this.age=age;
        }

        public String toString() {
            return String.format("name=%s, age=%d", name, age);
        }
    }

    protected static class StreamablePerson implements SizeStreamable {
        protected String name;
        protected int    age;

        public StreamablePerson() {
        }

        public StreamablePerson(String name, int age) {
            this.name=name;
            this.age=age;
        }

        public String toString() {
            return String.format("name=%s, age=%d", name, age);
        }

        public void writeTo(DataOutput out) throws IOException {
            out.writeInt(age);
            Bits.writeString(name, out);
        }

        public void readFrom(DataInput in) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
            age=in.readInt();
            name=Bits.readString(in);
        }

        public int serializedSize() {
            return Global.INT_SIZE + Bits.size(name);
        }
    }
}


Even nature, as the ants and eagle demonstrate, support true love. So Psyche, paranoid as all hell, tricked Cupid and while he was sleeping she looked at him. It could have been adapted from a folk-tale or have its roots in ancient myth. In her shock, she spilled a drop of hot oiland it dropped onto his shoulder. Venus, outof jealousy, commanded that her son, Cupid, ensure that no manwould ever love her. But what she saw left her breathless: a beautiful winged god was sleeping in her bed.
He is known as the messenger of spring. In this view, a loving encounter is often the occasion for an intensification of the individuation process. She told her son to curse Psyche to fall in love with something hideous; a convoluted plot involving a prophecy with Psyche's weirdo sisters and a prophecy of some sort took place that ultimately failed, because Cupid stupidly pricked himself with one of his own arrows, causing him to fall in love with the first thing he saw - Psyche. This time, an eagle helps her and fills the flask. In revenge, she instructs her son Cupid to make her fall in love with a hideous monster; but instead he falls in love with her himself. Psyche, brokenhearted, set out to find her beloved, not knowing that he had returned to Olympus where his mother tended his wound and had him guarded lest he return to earth.
Canova was born in 1757 in Possagno, a small town in north-eastern Italy. Cupid fin … ally agrees to her commands after a long debate. Cupid went to Psyche, but accidently stuckhimself with t … he tip of one of his arrows, and fell in love withher. He awakens her, puts the sleeping spell back in the box, and takes her to to request her immortality. Neumann maintains that secondary personalization sheds light, not only on the formation of myths and fairy tales, but also on the course of personal development.
Cupid revived her by touching her with his arrow. The key here is that Psyche places her desire for beauty in the service of devotion to her beloved and for no one else. Individuation is accomplished through a conscious encounter with the unconscious, which is symbolized by contrasexual symbols: the male achieves individuation by confronting his unconscious, personified as a feminine anima and the female meets her unconscious personified by male figures. A drawing of the embrace by was engraved in 1886 by. According to Neumann this is a dramatic way of expressing the dangers encountered as the female attempts to incorporate masculine dimensions of the psyche. She lives happily with him, never seeing him, until one day he tells her that her sisters have been crying for her. The group stands on a high cylindrical pedestal decorated with garlands of flowers and a butterfly.
She arose, lit a lamp, and turned to look for the first time upon her beloved: When lo! She and Cupid are married. They asked Psyche what her husband looked like, and she said he was a beautiful young man who liked to go hunting. . Psyche follows these instructions and returns a sizable quantity to Venus. As she does this, it upsets Cupid greatly, and he decides as long as the curse stays on Psyche, he will no longer shoot arrows, which will cause the temple of Venus to fall. But do you know the ending of the saying: Curiosity killed the cat? Being human, Psyche as are we all was susceptible to distinctly human tendencies in behavior like: Curiosity, Doubt, Fear, Despair. Aphrodite created many tasks that would have her lose her beauty but none of them were successful, so she sent her looking for a box.
Nevertheless, Neumann interprets her as the divine joy of mystical union and, together with the Eros-Psyche archetype, a perfect expression of the result of individuation. The upper part of the base could be turned by a handle that can still be seen today, but is now blocked for the protection of the sculpture. Venus shows her a heap of seeds and tells her that she must sort them all in one night's time if she wants to see Cupid again. The sisters not only represent aspects of the matriarchy, they push Psyche beyond this state of development. She watches him fly away, and she falls from the window to the ground, sick at heart. It was the one rule. When the sisters came the next time, they asked again about her husband.
She understood her husband was Cupid, the god of love himself. So Zephyr went to the top of the mountain and carried her sisters to the enchanted palace where Cupid and Psyche lived. Justin Lee Chiara Ty Anna Hwang Annissa Bensalah Human Motives To Create Myth: To show that human imperfectness can be put aside and fixed for what you want Love can bring the biggest joys. With gravely speech the Tower imparted golden how-to tips that would win Psyche free range through the Underworlds. She begged the voice to let her see them. After a while she was too weary, so she fell to the ground. Psyche's father prays to Apollo for help, and Apollo instructs her to go to the top of a hill, where she will marry not a man but a serpent.
The story continues to explore the distinction between humans and gods, as Venus is bitterly jealous of a mortal who draws other mortals away from her, a goddess. She raises his left hand with her own, to place a butterfly on his palm. Venus was nothappy to find that the girl had performed her tasks so well. This is why we are likely to miss the psychological dimension of these stories and why Neumann advises us not to be side-tracked by the secondary personalizations involved in the specific details of the intrigues of Eros, the sisters, Aphrodite and Psyche. The amazed goddess, still at it, now orders Psyche to fill a flask from the mouth of the River Styx. In the 19th century, it notably inspired an ode by John Keats, a prose version by Walter Pater and a long poetical work by William Morris, illustrated by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Eros, son of Aphrodite Venus , divine love, is the many-aspected energizing force of love which manifests universally both as the Divine yearning to express and become aware of itself and, at the human level, as desire which, being dual, can be directed either towards worldly fulfillment or towards oneness with the divine.


Fox News Channel need not worry about the nascent calls for an advertiser boycott of the entire cable station. It won't happen. And why should it? It is not the job of advertisers to decide what gets broadcast on news channels, nor should it be. Calls for a total boycott of Fox came after host Glenn Beck vilified the liberal Tides Foundation on his show, and continued to do so after a gunman was arrested en route to kill the non-profit's staff.
Brand managers and advertising clients who are asked to join such a boycott face an impossible choice: To agree would make them targets of endless demands that other types of content should also be avoided, and advertisers have to draw the line somewhere.
Currently, that line encircles only Beck. Since Beck called President Obama a racist last year, advertisers have run for the exits. Not a single household name -- beyond News Corp.'s (NWS) own house ads -- now buys time on Beck's show.
Part of Fox's upfront pitch will include a slide that shows its share of 25- to 54-year-old viewers with household incomes of $100,000 or more. Among its broader competitive cable set, Fox has 26% share of cable's gross rating points among that audience, more than History (12%), Discovery (11%) and CNN (9%).
Fox News captured about $511.4 million in ad dollars in 2009, according to Kantar Media, handily trumping CNN's $420.2 million (MSNBC notched just $131.7 million, according to Kantar).
CNN, which invented the genre, now has a smaller primetime audience than MSNBC and is now specifically regarded by advertisers as the tinier, safer alternative to Fox. Only two companies have said they will not buy ads on Fox: Apple (AAPL), which never bought much anyway, per Ad Age, and Clorox (CLX), which said it would avoid all news commentary programming at the beginning of the Beck flap. Huge sums of advertiser money are at stake, and most companies cannot live without the medium that delivers more news viewers than anyone else: Fox.
There have been recent attempts to calm the hysteria that has developed around cable news. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was part of that, and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann recently retired his "Worst Person in the World" segment.
Advertisers don't want their brands tainted with politics, which is why they have a second incentive to continue buying time on Fox: As long as they're also on CNN, Fox helps them prove their bipartisanship. They literally can't not advertise on Fox, because to do so would "prove" they are taking sides.
An Assassin Poses a Question for Fox Advertisers: "Killing People, Right or Wrong?"


text:
If there were a single person I would want so desperately to describe, and yet feel so inadequately short of words every time, it would be Chris Trani.
I came to Chris in the midst of facing my mother dying of terminal cancer, while simultaneously fumbling through significant life changes, including struggling to navigate an 'off-and-on' relationship, as well as coming out as a lesbian to a harshly conservative family and community. She helped me bring clarity to the difficult conversations going on inside of myself, and more miraculously, the difficult conversations that needed to be had with my dying mother, loved ones, and those around me.
Chris honored my life as a complex whole, while simultaneously helping me free myself from the overwhelming tangles of it all, and guided me to navigate each piece as it's own. She helped me make my path. . . not just one that was less overwhelming, but one now equipped with tools that allow me to more gracefully explore life, and forever appreciate it as a predictably difficult, but beautiful journey full of endless possibilities.
Whitney Ferwerda
Artist & Owner, Blue Crow - Arts and Services

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Country singer who is best known for singing in the band Love and Theft. He found acclaim as the source of inspiration for Taylor Swift's song "Hey Stephen" off her 2008 album Fearless.
Love and Theft's first release was called Live in Savannah in 2008.
He released a song about Taylor Swift called "Try to Make It Anyway" in 2011. He has 10,000 followers on his stephenbarkerliles Instagram account.
He married Jenna Michelle Kennedy in 2014.
He and Daniel Skye are both singers from Florida.


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Fixing the "Textbook Lag" with FRED (Part II)
Monetary policy in a world of ample reserves
Your economics textbook may still say the Federal Reserve uses open market operations to influence the federal funds rate. But in today's economy, the Fed uses different policy tools.
In simple terms, this is how monetary policy currently works: The FOMC sets a target range for the federal funds rate (FFR) and uses interest on excess reserves (IOER) and the overnight reverse repurchase agreement (ON RRP) facility to keep the FFR rate in the target range. (See our previous post for an introduction to this topic.)
The Fed pays IOER to banks holding reserves at the Fed, which offers those banks a safe, risk-free investment option. Arbitrage ensures that the FFR doesn't drift too far from the IOER rate. If the FFR drifts much below the IOER rate, banks then have an incentive to borrow in the federal funds market at the lower FFR and deposit those reserves at the Fed to earn the higher IOER rate.
From December 16, 2008, to June 13, 2018, the IOER and ON RRP rates, respectively, served as the upper and lower limits of the FFR target range. The FFR moved between the two rates, but over time it has moved closer to the IOER—that is, the gap between the two has closed, as shown in the FRED graph above.
Again, because the IOER rate was set at the upper limit of the target range, as the FFR moved closer to the IOER rate, by definition it moved closer to the upper limit of the range. To ensure that the FFR remained within the range, the Fed has lowered the IOER rate by 5 basis points at three different times in the past year: June 13, 2018; December 19, 2018; and May 1, 2019. The IOER is now set 15 basis points below the upper limit of the target range.
These changes weren't changes in monetary policy (which affects the choice of target range), but rather were slight adjustments to where the FFR sits within the range. Chairman Jerome Powell explained that the adjustments were intended to "move the federal funds rate closer to the middle of the target range" in his press conference on June 13, 2018. The changes can be seen on the FRED graph below: Prior to the June 13, 2018, adjustment, the upper limit of the FFR target range and the IOER rate were indistinguishable because IOER rate was set at the upper limit of the target range. After June 13, 2018, the IOER rate (green line) is below the upper limit of the FFR target range (red line).
These changes have ensured that the FFR has remained between the upper and lower limits of the range throughout the period, as illustrated by the FRED graph below.
How these graphs were created: For the first graph: Search for "interest rate on excess reserves," select "Effective Federal Funds Rate (daily)" and "Interest Rate on Excess Reserves," and then click "Add to Graph." Adjust the dates to reflect the indicated range: from December 16, 2008, to the current date. For the second graph: Search for "federal funds rate target" and select "Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit," "Federal Funds Rate – Lower Limit," and "Effective Federal Funds Rate (daily)," and then click "Add to Graph." From the "Edit Graph" panel, use the "Add Line" option to search for "Interest Rate on Excess Reserves" and then select "Add data series." Adjust the dates to reflect the indicated range: from January 1, 2018, to the current date. For the third graph: Search for "federal funds rate target" and select "Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit," "Federal Funds Rate – Lower Limit," and "Effective Federal Funds Rate (daily)," and then click "Add to Graph." Adjust to date to show the entire period: from December 16, 2008, to the current date. In each case, you can adjust the colors to your liking by using the color palette in the "Edit Graph" panel's "Format" tab.
For more information on this topic, see "A New Frontier: Monetary Policy with Ample Reserves."
Suggested by Scott Wolla.
View on FRED, series used in this post: DFEDTARL, DFEDTARU, DFF, IOER


Hello, friends! Today I've got 2 new Twist & Shine balm stains from Jordana and a new shade of Lip Out Loud lip gloss. I have always been a fan of the Twist & Shine line so I'm extremely excited to see 2 new colors added to the line. And, of course, who couldn't use more lip gloss in their collection, right?
The Twist & Shine lip stains some of my favorite products from Jordana because the color lasts and it doesn't dry out my lips like some other products do. They apply smoothly and with ease. These two shades may look darker because of the packaging but if you look at the swatches, they are very light in color and easily buildable.
Gorgeous Peony is one of those colors that can be worn daily, even if you don't put any other makeup on. It's such a beautiful, natural color that anyone can wear it.
Lip Out Loud shade BRB is a shimmery natural-colored lip gloss. It adds a nice shine over any natural lip color and adds a glossy touch if worn on its own.
Jordana Twist & Shine is available at Walgreens for $2.99 and Lip Out Loud for $1.99. Be sure to check them out the next time you're at Walgreens! At these prices, stock up on all your favorite shades!
Those Twist & Shine products look really good!


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Crawley Tiles Project
In 2003 Project Art Works received a major commission from West Sussex County Council for permanent installations of art in a new special school build in Crawley – Manor Green College and Manor Green Primary School.
We worked with pupils to create tiles for permanent installations in the new hydrotherapy pool and school foyers.
Project Art Works also designed and fabricated an integral signage system using text and symbols to help pupils navigate the new building. The school, merging Manor College and Manor Green School, was opened in April 2004. A publication showcasing the artworks throughout the building was produced in July 2004.


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Course Dates & Fee Details
City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Picture and Frame Conservation
City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Gilding
City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Picture Conservation
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Painting and Frame Conservation
Student Awards & News
Restorers without Frontiers
Blog – Restorers without Frontiers
Archive: February 27, 2016
Time to say thank you
As we start to pack our bags, this first phase of the Restorers without Frontiers project has almost come to an end. The final piece is the dinner to be hosted by His Grace the Archbishop tomorrow night with all the students.
On behalf of all those who have taken part in this extraordinary fulfilling and life changing experience, I would like to thank His Grace Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao for having invited us to the all embracing care of the Archbishop's House. We were given a fabulous big meeting room turned into a functional studio which spilled into the garden on one side and an inner courtyard on the other, which students accessed with immense pleasure.
Now that the first leg of teaching is at an end, and after a few days off to go and visit Hampi, I have had some time to think back and reflect on what we have achieved.
Throughout the world since the beginning of visual art, there has been restoration of paintings, or sadly more often repainting of paintings. The 1966 flood in Florence saw many priceless artworks retrieved from the floodwaters in appalling conditions due to water, mud and oil amongst other things. It was a turning point for the ethos of conservation. There was to be no more repainting, but instead minimal treatments which allowed what was original to stand out. I was fortunate to have as my teachers and mentors the main restorers from the flood, who had to learn to salvage these works of art. This has enabled me to conserve and subsequently teach conservation/restoration in London to students coming from all over the world.
On a previous trip to Old Goa I became aware of how much work was needed to preserve the multitude of art pieces. I felt the need to share how best to preserve our global heritage for future generations, and to pass on my thirty five years of knowledge and experience. I approached Father Loiola and very kindly, after speaking to His Grace Felipe Neri, we were invited to set up a programme similar to the one which we have been running in London for the last 20 years.
The task of starting to conserve a collection which is in precarious condition due to extensive repainting is by no means a project on which to embark lightly. With the help of 2 colleagues with extensive experience and 5 current students from around the world, we started teaching our level 2 City and Guilds programme to eight local Goan students.
The work and the written projects by the students in Goa speak for themselves – they will be presented to the City and Guilds in London for assessment. This is a start to conservation where minimal intervention with reversible treatments are used at all times. I am confident that the students are following the ethos of conservation which is to preserve their heritage.
It has been an exhausting trip but worthwhile for the commitment and work done by local young conservators. It has been a full-on programme necessary to understand what conservation is, and our motto is 'less is more'. We set out before we arrived with three aims – to conserve, to teach and to leave a legacy. I feel that we have achieved this, and set the foundations for future work. The students are by no means fully fledged restorers, but they have a very good understanding of their limitations.
Let us hope that the concept of Restorers without Frontiers can become a reality and that other restorers from around the globe will join in, take part and give their time and expertise to help conservation wherever it may be needed. We need to work together by communicating, sharing and above all commitment.
Last day as students
10 o'clock and the studio is empty apart from Georgina who greets me cheerfully, she looks at home and she is getting a very slight colour. The students have been told very clearly to bring their last core unit project and finish all the restoration on the statues and tidy up all the loose ends.
By 10.30 the clock is ticking and the students trickle in one by one, not even two by two. Milena is looking gorgeous in one of her bright outfits and is already telling us what needs to be done on all her projects, she seems to have brought half of Goa's heritage which has been lying I am not quite sure where – but neither a dry nor a clean place in one of her outbuildings. She informs us that her ivory/wood polychrome statue needs to be gilded, her 18th century Madonna and child painting surface dirt remove and so on. I see that it is going to be going another very busy day.
By lunch time the paintings have all been varnished and are looking splendid. The students have not all appeared as they are busy finishing their core unit although no creative piece for the core unit has materialized. Clearly 'Houston' is not receiving the messages (think space programme and messages from the moon)! Elizabeth has gone to see Rita who is a conservator specializing in polychrome statues. She saw what problems she had to battle with (extreme overpaint, limited resources, high humidity and heat among other things).
Sebastian appears having spotted a copperhead barbet and a lesser goldenback, it is their last day. We go and have lunch at our favourite cafe, Sensorium and the boys decide to show off on the scooter together for a last time.
The students still have NOT produced their artwork but are all here smiling and busy showing each other what they have worked on. Houston is asleep I am afraid. I am now threatening them. I know how exhausted they are, how they work at night on other jobs and on their projects, but I need to push them a little further.
At 3 we meet the Archbishop His Grace Felipe Neri, his secretary our angel Father Loiola, Father Valerian and Father Manuel to discuss our achievements and how to go forward. This includes how to create an inventory, a guide to conservation/preservation of Churches and our future commitment. Elizabeth and Sebastian have a few minutes to meet the Archbishop and leave to catch their plane. The meeting was essential and fruitful to the future of Goa's heritage.
The project in Panjim has come an end. The paintings of the first 7 Archbishops of Goa are ready to go back on the wall above the throne. My students are no longer just students but young conservators ready to help preserve and start the basic conservation of their heritage. Tomorrow they will start their new journey with a test clean of some art work in the Seminary of Rachol.
We have the finishing line in sight!
The day started with Eveny and Conrad at 7 o'clock bird watching at Britano. It was pure joy to have experts showing us some of the 450 species of birds which inhabit these shores.
At 10 we had our usual theory and explained the types of varnishes and the practical side of making a varnish be it natural or synthetic. This was followed by all the students final retouching of their Archbishop and brushing their inner frame which had been gilded under the ever watchful eyes of Elizabeth. Incredible but true but by 5 o'clock all the Archbishops were reunited to their frames (thanks to Caetano's drill as the wood was so dense that nails could not be hammered into the frame)
Georgina our last English student has arrived at the weekend tired and slightly anxious. Despite her best instructions the taxi had dropped her at the Archbishop's House instead of the nuns' Convent at seven in the morning when no-one was around, but Ruthie finally found her and took her under her wing. The first day she was overwhelmed by jetlag, by what was going on in the studio (the scale of projects to be completed) and by the hustle and bustle of India. By day two, having organized herself and once she realised that the motorised rickshaw taxis were safe despite not having safety belts, she is now a natural. She goes from treatment to treatment with a great smile and enthusiasm, executing each task to perfection.Thanks to her bringing some of the ingredients in her suitcase we made Italian relining paste (I am sure a first in India) to reline Milena's painting.
Every student who has joined from London ( Joanna, Anna, Jenny, Ruthie, Zuraida and Georgina) has been brilliant and all their interventions have been successful and greatly appreciated by the Archbishops and local Goan students. When each one leaves they are sorely missed – they might not appreciate how much they have achieved in such short a time, but each one has had a significant impact. What is fascinating is they all came at the right time: Anna shrunk, strip lined, cleaned,consolidated, Joanna cleaned, consolidated, filled and retouched, Jenny, Zuraida and Georgina jumped in where needed moving with great ease from one project to another, Ruthie was a real star in so many ways and Elizabeth has brought it all together with her wonderful smile and no-nonsense attitude and is always encouraging. Many thanks to my resident wallah blogger Sebastian for yesterday's wonderful blog!
Unfortunately today Elizabeth returns to London after having spent 10 days gilding everything on site and more if we had let Milena, Rhea, Eveny, Wynzel, Manu and Sandesh loose! She has managed to remove the old overpaint on the last Archbishop's cassock with Wynzel (which I had not been able to shift), and together with the ever enterprising Joseph who dyed the relining canvas, restretched Milena's early 18th century Madonna and Child and so much more besides. I have no words to express my gratitude to all of them, but suffice it to say that everybody's efforts have paid off, the portraits are going up next week and they look fantastic.
"They also serve who only stand and wait" – with thanks to our guest editor Sebastian Roberts
One of the many delights of being married to a picture ("and frame" she would remind me) restorer ("and conserver, first and foremost ") is that her work, so absorbing and painstaking, gives me lots of time for reflection – and contributing to this blog.
So this edition is respectfully dedicated to the spouses, partners,families and friends of "the restorers without frontiers". Milton's words make a suitable motto for all of us who have the honour of following and sharing the agony and the ecstasy of picture (AND frame!) restoration and conservation. This morning for instance, I was innocently enjoying the flora and fauna of the Archbishop of Goa's beautiful garden, reflecting as I spied a pair of Indian Golden Orioles, that St Francis probably loved the birds as much as they loved him, when I heard the call of my own beloved. I responded with all the speed possible in a man with a pair of binoculars who spots a Brown-headed Barbet, a Black Drongo and a pair of Red-whiskered Bulbuls en route, and a mere 7 minutes later asked how I could help.
"The students have been working very hard" she said in the sort of low but penetrating voice that librarians use to rebuke people who talk in the carrells. Her words were full of import; I picked up at least two unstated messages: first, the teachers hadn't been slacking much either, and second, I HAD. "They need sustenance. Something sweet for energy. Carrot cake would be popular."
Realising that this was not the moment to ask just how many calories one exhausted stroking a couple of nanograms of gold leaf onto a 17th century Saint with a squirrel hair brush (the mere wind from the whack I would so richly deserve would blow tens of thousands of rupees worth all over the cloister), I employed the invaluable ruse of the selectively deaf: "I've had an idea darling: why don't I go and get you all some carrot cake?" "Don't you ever listen? That's just what I said!" "Oh good: great minds think alike." "I wish you'd get a hearing aid! Now just run along and get something delicious: we need it for elevenses."
I shimmied out of the door into the cloister like an Argentine dancing-master, leaving as little wake as a marine special forces midget submarine, to avoid disturbing the gold leaf, the students engrossed in cleaning with exquisite tenderness the hands, faces and vestments of the first 7 Archbishops of Goa, or my beloved, who was looking quite disturbed enough already. Ten minutes (and an exquisite Plum-headed Parakeet in the treetops above the road to the excellent gallery-cum-cafe next door) later I was trying to persuade the manager to part with his day's supply of carrot cake. I'm not certain if it was my silver tongue or my silver, but after a negotiation lasting only another 5 minutes, I was carrying the last carrot cake in Panjim triumphantly back to the exhausted and ravenous conservers.
Delayed only by a Rufous Treepie (a glamorous relation of the Common Magpie) I made it back to the atelier with seconds to spare before 11 o'clock, and made a grand entrance: "it's the box-wallah" I announced, to a stony silence. The whole class, students and teachers, were engrossed in the pearly wisdom of Caterina, which was being filmed for posterity. If looks could kill, the carrot cake and I would now be six feet under, pushing up the Goan equivalent of daisies. I beat a hasty tactical retreat into the Archbishop's garden, to commune again with the barbets, bulbuls and drongos.
Hey-Ho, I could be in England, cold and wet: being a restoration camp-follower in Goa beats it into a cocked hat…and they all loved the carrot cake.
Behold the Heritage – O Heraldo Sunday Review
The article below appeared yesterday (Sunday) but we did not hear about it until today!
By Vishal Rawlley
Goa has a fair share of tourists visiting its heritage sites. After they have "done" all the beaches, they descend in busloads and scooters to visit the churches, temples and forts. Still in their beach wear – bright floral clothes, flip flops, goggles and hats – they take a quick 'selfie', share it on social, light a candle, have a snack, throw the packet and a can around, and they are "done" with this too.
To make this process even more efficient the tourism department is planning on air dropping tourists from hot air balloons, helicopters, and ropeways. For the tourists, they realize, it's the journey that matters, not the destination.
As such, these heritage destinations benefit in no way from the hordes of tourists visiting them. Huge crowds visit the Portuguese-era churches of Goa. These 16th-17th churches are still in use: services are held and ceremonies are performed regularly. These churches have several original and priceless paintings and sculptures adorning its interiors. These lie quietly tarnishing in a corner,or have been overzealously restored in garish colours. The tourist parade marches past all this, stopping briefly, only for a 'selfie'.
But there was one visitor who could not just walk past all this. Caterina Goodhart was making a casual visit to Goa on a holiday. But the state of the neglected heritage stunned her. She is, after all, a restorer by profession, with more than 30 years of experience, and runs the London School of Picture and Frame Restoration. She wanted to do something to restore this valuable heritage. She decided to meet with the church authorities. They welcomed her and appreciated her concern. Over the course of a year, a plan was formulated.
Another organization at the forefront of heritage conservation in Goa, Fundação Oriente, became a partner in this program. Maria Inês Figueira, the director of the institute, feels that this heritage does not just belong to Goa. As a Portuguese person living in Goa, she too can relate to it very much. "It is part of world heritage. Conserving this should be an international effort," she says.
Fundação Oriente invited Rita Gordo, a young restorer and conservationist from Portugal, to join this program. Rita had earlier done some voluntary restoration work in Goa and was familiar with the situation. However, in Goa, the small number of restorers compared to its vast heritage is hugely disproportionate. Where does one start?
Fr. Joaquim Loiola Pereira, from the Bishop's palace, was the key driver of this program. He suggested that they first start with the Portrait Gallery of the Archbishops of Goa next to his office- with Caterina Goodhart taking charge, along with some of her students from London. St. Michael's Church in Taleigao was chosen as the other site – thanks to the enthusiasm shown by their Socio Cultural Centre. Rita Gordo was chosen to work here.
But how much can a handful of restorers do in just a few weeks?
With the key things in place, the problem of shortage of trained craftspersons was handled with the most ingenious solution. It was decided to ask volunteers to apply to become part of the conservation effort though a workshop program. It is one of the most unique efforts of this kind in the world!
"Something of this sort cannot be imagined in Europe," Caterina Goodhart testifies. A group of trainees were to work hands-on, handling original heritage pieces, under the guidance of limited number of experts. But given the ad hoc process happening otherwise, this was still a much better option. Rita Gordo agrees that it was a daunting task, but she felt that "even if I could convert one person, I would have made a start." And when they did start, there was no stopping.
The motely of workshop participants that finally assembled turned out to be a rather special bunch of people. Who dreams of spending three weeks of their time working painstakingly, without incentive, to clean grime, scrape paint and fill cracks? There came a businessman from Mumbai, a student from Bangalore, a merchant navy officer, a retired bank employee, and artists, sculptors, designers and architects from Goa. Allof varied ages and experience. But none of them were prepared for what they underwent.
Deborah, a senior artist, loves to paint on old wood, but spent more time peeling off layers of plastic emulsion from badly restored sculptures. But for her it was "magical to see the original shades show through". Sandesh, a young painter, learned so much about the history of the painting process. "More than what I learned in all my years at art school," he said. Liza, a dexterous crafts person, had to re-learn to wield familiar tools."I had to adjust to the idea of becoming a conserver, instead of a creator." Rhea, a young architect, has discovered so many insights that she says "I now look at historical art in a whole new way. There are so many layers of meaning and context in each work." Karen, a successful interior designer, has learned a lot about organic pigments and the property of natural materials. "I would like to employ this rich information in my contemporary work," she says. But none of them had imagined that the workshop would be so rigorous and so rewarding. Working on these ancient sacred art pieces "has been a blessing" for every one of them.
The expert restorers have been more than giving. They have pushed the limits of what can be achieved if one can train and motivate a good team. They have had to ride over cultural differences and inculcate a different work ethic. They have had to find alternative solutions when plans have not worked out. "In this profession there are no shortcuts," say Rita. "If you do something wrong, you have to just re-do it all over again." Caterina has made sure that the students "not only know how to do a certain process, but also know why they are doing it."The restorers have made sure that things are as thorough as can be. This workshop has gifted Goa a new crop of personnel well informed in the conservation and restoration process.
The restored pieces look very different from what they were. The dullness and grime is gone, the colours look fresh but also natural, and the gold leaf has a sheen that is rich but not gaudy. There is altogether a different aura that has emerged. The restored pieces exude a sober dignity and subtle sublimity, which has almost vanished. The faithful shall now certainly have a new relationship with these holy objects. These have always adorned their places of worship, but now they look resplendent in all their glory. Perhaps the lay tourist may also notice this: the magnificent antiquity presented in its "original" form. And when you absorb with your eyes and observe with your mind, time stops. You lose your 'self' and forget the 'selfie'.
(Vishal Rawlley is a media professional and urban documentarian. He creates public interventions using art and media to encourage community participation in civic issues. He has been a recipient of several grant and fellowships in areas of urban research and community building)
Weekend preparing work, and bird watching
The clock is ticking and we are confident all the students are working on their written work (you should see the emails on 'restoration artists' a WhatsApp joined by all the students). The message sent by Sandesh 'anyone completed assignment…' all the other phones happened to be out of range!
We are trying to find the Italian relining paste recipe which I forgot in London and Georgina who arrived Saturday has brought the right flours but we shall try with local flours to compare so that when we are gone they can make it themselves. Very exciting. We must use methods that will be reversible and also sympathetic to the climate.
While Ruthie has volunteered to stay in the Archbishop's House and retouch the extensively damaged painting with Caetano (this is his project), Elizabeth, Sebastian, Christopher and I went to purchase linen canvas in Mapusa – a very colourful market. With two pairs of binocular we then scoured the North of Goa landscape for indigenous birds. in three days we spotted over 78 species, very thrilling.
Eveny (one of the students) has invited us to her house to meet her partner Conrad, see her very accomplished work (pastel, wood burning, acrylic, multi media). Conrad is also an amazing artist and with extraodinary paintings of birds, and we then indulged in more bird watching near her house. What an experience.
Friday's guest editor is the wonderful Ruth Bothwell
Finally Caterina and Christopher have gone off for some down time this weekend as it has been a roller coaster week of lectures, students on going course projects along with planning future projects! I don't know how Caterina can keep up with it all but she just does! A Blessing for all of us all undoubtedly!
So lovely to see Elizabeth again, she is an outstanding gilder and and teacher for years, we are privileged to have her here. The students have now completed their gilding unit and the studio is gleaming with their gold and silver carved relief mouldings.
Zuraida is spending the weekend with her parents who have come all the way from Malaysia to visit her. She has been so great this week, retouching beautifully and helping the students to perfect their techniques also. Melina's very beautiful stature of Out Lady is almost finished! An epic project that took endless care and patience, well done Melina! It was so worth it! Thanks to Zuraida for her help also.
As there is no class today, I took the opportunity to quietly spend the morning retouching as there is still so much work to do! So continued retouching of gesso filled Portrait No 1. The multi problem one ! Remember this canvas was painstakingly removed from its inappropriate disintegrating backing board by student Caetano some weeks ago. The canvas has had a very successful reline, left now are many hours of retouching!
Caetano came to the studio to catch up on his course work as he missed a day this week.he gilded his carved relief and completed retouching his statue of Our Lord and applied 23.5 ct gold leaf to areas of loss. It's amazing as this piece was in many pieces to begin with now it's a fine example of a well conserved polychrome statue. Excellent work !
Luckily for me I got invited to a great lunch in a local haunt in Panjai, very yummy! Thanks Caetano. Georgina the last of our lot arrived tomorrow for the last leg of the project. Yikes a log to achieve next week! Georgina's help will be very necessary.
The Seminary of Rachol
This morning we left Elizabeth to finish the core unit with the students, while Father Loiola, Ruthie, Christopher, Sebastian and I piled in the car to go down south to the Seminary of Rachol. It took over an hour which passed quickly as we soaked in the ever bright green paddy fields, the portuguese style dwellings, the ever present myriad of birds not to mention the odd pig and monkey.
Rachol is the biggest and most renowned seminary in Goa, once surrounded by a moat with its front gate still standing. As we entered we could feel presence and imposing importance of the past, it had 700 Seminarists at one time, today it has 93 Seminarists.
We saw the most exquisite small murals depicting hell, purgatory, heaven and hell as well as the portrait of two Saints in the entrance hall, in bad need of restoration but thankfully untouched. As we proceeded the visit we saw painting after painting disintegrating, murals fading, several altars covered in grime but thankfully they all seemed to have had little aggressive restoration. It is a mammoth task but next week on Friday the students and I will go to test clean a few small areas to see if the Rector would like to proceed with an initial project of conservation by the students (only dirt surface removed and consolidation) of a few pieces. Ruthie will hopefully come next year to start the conservation of the murals.
We returned to the Archbishop's House in time for lunch which is lovingly prepared by the nuns – rice, goan curry, vegetables, fish and fruit. Milena brought us some delicious coconut in syrup with raisins and nuts, Manu fantastic prawn croquettes and so we eat discussing paintings, food, birds,deadlines, exotic fruits but not the weather.
We are now all completely focused on finishing 6 paintings and conserving 4 more. We have at least 9 statues of various sizes almost finished. 2 gilded ornament one from Rachol and one from Father Mansueto to surface clean. The estimate and the projects to complete. I have to say that with Elizabeth, Ruthie and Zuraida guiding them we are hopeful and upbeat.
No time for a joke today but later we will post photographs including a bird we saw last night.
Elizabeth is holding the Fort on Ash Wednesday
Ruthie, Christopher and I decided to explore Anjuna market today (only Wednesday) and Elizabeth is going next week. It is quite a drive, considering the detour we had to undertake with great patience and skill from our driver. Signs like 'road closed' do not mean anything and so everyone is on a dirt single track with no concept of stop, go back, wait orbe patient. C. got out of the car and directed the traffic to get us out of an impossible pickle. We finally got there and the most striking feature is undoubtedly the bright colours against the most perfect blue sky that any painter could imagine. We each came back satisfied with one small purchase.
Back at the the House, Elizabeth was finishing the demonstration of the application of silver on board, and then the students were let off to create their own interpretation of a small gilded mirror frame for the core unit of our syllabus.
The studio was looking much tidier thanks to Joanna (last three weeks) and Zuraida who noticed yesterday morning than we had gone slightly messy and untidy after the hard and stressful work on the statue. I do have to say that every two hours one of us will take the broom for a walk and sweep after a messy treatment, and the students are now aware of health and safety on premises.
Sebastian (Elizabeth's husband) is an expert on bird watching and is showing us the birds he has spotted on the day, and guess what… so far the most spectacular ones seems to be in the Archbishops' Gardens. We must try better when in the garden brushing off the front or back of the painting, and look up from time to time!
We have had the best stuffed crab ever at Venite, the owner Luis unbeknownst to us turned out to be a friend of Eveny, one of our students.
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The end of the road (for this year)
Work more work
Half week and a super moon
It's been a crazy week
End of the week
Copyright 2016 - The London School of Picture and Frame Conservation Ltd.


text:
Dallas Vanden
iJosetv is casting for iJosetv
STAYLEAVE & MG Project, MidWest Production is casting for "Kalifornia" Music Video
Encore Visuals is casting for Castle of Glass
Jaie Laplante Recognized by King Felipe VI
(released 4/5/2018) Tweet Subscribe
His Majesty King Felipe VI has granted Mr. Jaie Laplante the Knight's Cross of the Order of Isabel la Catolica. The King wants to recognize Laplante for his loyal and constant defense of Spanish cinema and film in Spanish in Florida.
Jaie Laplante is a film screenwriter, actor and since 2010 the executive director and curator of the Miami Dade College's Miami Film Festival. The festival is committed to being a portal for Spanish and Latin American filmmakers, both established and emerging.


Considered one of the most influential individuals in the green building movement today, Jason F. McLennan's work has made a strong impact on the shape and direction of green building in the United States and Canada and he is a much sought after presenter and consultant on a wide variety of green building and sustainability topics around the world. He is a winner of the Buckminster Fuller Prize, considered the highest award for socially responsible design, an Ashoka Fellow and has been named one of Yes! Magazine's Breakthrough 15 individuals helping to reshape the world.
Jason focuses all of his time on creating innovative, breakthrough solutions that transform the built environment. Now CEO of his own green design firm, until 2015 he served as the CEO of the International Living Future Institute – a global NGO that focuses on the transformation to a world that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Under the Living Future Umbrella, Jason also operates the Cascadia Green Building Council, the Pacific Northwest's leading organization in the field of green building and sustainable development.
His work in the sustainable design field has been published or reviewed in dozens of journals, magazines, conference proceedings and books including Forbes, CNN World News, Times Magazine, Architecture, Architectural Record, Dwell, Plenty, Metropolis, The NY Times, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, The Seattle Times, The World and I, Ecostructure, Arcade, Green Source and Environmental Design and Construction Magazine. He is the author of four books; The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, Zugunruhe – The Inner Migration to Profound Environmental Change, The Dumb Architect's Guide to Glazing Selection, and the Ecological Engineer. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design has been used as a textbook in over seventy universities and colleges throughout North America and is distributed widely throughout Europe and North America.
Jason stays connected to the most high-performing projects currently under development through his partnership with Integral Group – a deep green engineering firm dedicated to providing the most efficient and effective engineering possible. With Integral, Jason focuses on global innovation helping to improve the potential of projects across the world.


Now, it's high-time we levelled the books in The Pixel Empire's staff contest, and what better way to achieve this than by putting the current leader firmly in his place? I must admit, I was smarting behind the bravado after being narrowly defeated by Shane at Rez. Losing at a game I admire greatly and have played extensively was tough to take, even for my hardened brain. I digress however; I now aim to prove that old dogs can still inflict a large bite. Our editor Tom is to be my victim, as both Alan and Shane have failed to thwart his gaming skills thus far, so I will now redress the balance and record some points for the veterans. I'm choosing a classic PlayStation title, one of which I am confident I have the experience and expertise to prevail over TC himself. He better bring his A-game, this will be a rough ride.
Perhaps the most daunting Duel to date, nevertheless, it's a challenge I simply couldn't resist taking up as Chris proposed a battle on Wip3out. Completing every race, with every craft on Phantom class ranks alongside finishing the feat of finishing Resident Evil with an 'S' rank in terms of personal gaming achievements. Perhaps a sign of just how much skill the game demands, it's one of the few that requires two or three days of play to recapture old skills, rather than just a few hours. Reactions must be honed and at their absolute sharpest, cornering must be finely-judged and utterly committed. Neither of us will be able to afford any mistakes as the laps are short, sharp and viciously unforgiving. I'm hoping all those hours poured into it at the turn of the century, and indeed eventually reaching Zone 75 on WipEout HD (an experience that literally left my hands tingling) will have me playing at a good standard. All goes well, and I'll be partying like it's 1999, and sending Chris back to the Hi-Octane school of futuristic racer drop-outs. And besides, after playing TOCA 2, everything seems easy, right?
Stripping Wip3out down to the very basics, the challenge is a straightforward best lap time affair. To eliminate any outside interference from the CPU and to level the playing field in terms of weaponry, the task is to be contended in Time Trial mode. This removes other craft from the track and disables all power-ups, bringing the challenge down to a test of raw racing proficiency against the clock. The track has been agreed, the speed class set; the only variable is the choice of craft either of us can pilot, limited to the first four selectable vehicles only. If we had access to the other ships, we would both end up using the Assegai or Icarus. Like the last duel, the challenge will run concurrently between midday Friday 17th May to midnight Saturday 18th May. Scores will then be presented shortly after, and I will finally claim my win.
Rules: Speed Class: Rapier. Course: Stanza Inter. Mode: Time Trial. Craft permitted: FEISAR, Goteki 45, Auricom, Piranha-A. No cheats are allowed, the winner will be who posts the fastest single lap with screenshot as evidence. Final race time is irrelevant.
Stanza Inter; a true WipEout enthusiast's course with many varied elements to test a player's dexterity at AG racing. Upon fleeting casually over the track to grab a few key-point screenshots for this very article, it dawned on me that only two of the craft available would be fit for the job. The FEISAR and Goteki 45 are too sluggish, even though I have had past good experiences with the latter. (My very first perfect laps were achieved in this) The Auricom and Piranha-A are matched for top speed, with the balances tipped opposite ways for shield energy/handling. I started out with my old favourite, the Auricom. The thrust of this ship is superior to the Piranha, but negligible in use on Stanza Inter due to the track's single long straight lane. After posting maximum times of 32.00 with it, I switched to the Pirhana with its superior maneuverability and immediately improved by scraping under the 32 second mark. The exchange of boost thrust to sharper handling made an astonishing impact of the times I could set. Now it was time to concentrate.
Due to work commitments, Friday and Saturday evenings were to be my Wip3out sessions. Kids in bed, missus at work, I had peace and space to re-tune my rapidly ageing gaming reflexes. I knew from previous playing that it's possible to achieve 24 second lap times in the Icarus (fastest craft in game) on Stanza, so weighing up the Piranha's abilities, I estimated that a time of 27 seconds would be the very best I could hope for. I of course assumed Tom would be using the same craft, coming to similar conclusions as myself, so thus knew he would be going all-out. Friday's evening session went by with a fair degree of frustration and gritted teeth. After remembering that taking the left lane at the fork is suicide for me, I practiced my chicane navigation for a few rounds before going all out at setting a decent time. After an hour I was still cursing my own arthritic laxity. Lap after lap, it seemed impossible to break the 30 second barrier. Also, I couldn't seem to get all the required parts of the course correct in one lap, making basic errors after performing a quality move. If I weaved quickly through the chicane, hit the boost pad on the right and the next apex, my mind would congratulate itself prematurely and… a crash on the final turn would result. Over time I became more relaxed and finally breached the 30 second hurdle posting a nifty 29.56. Happy with my nights work, I switched off and spent the next 12 hours thinking about how to improve. I had big doubts this time would be enough to beat TPE's Duel King.
With the default Rapier record sitting at 35 seconds, I felt confident I could immediately start challenging. It takes time to get up and running though, and my best initial-run lap (albeit in the pedestrian FEISAR) was 39 seconds. Bugger.
Still, choosing between the four ships was the easiest decision ever. The Piranha-A exhibited what the other three lacked: raw pace and mobility, with Stanza Inter absolutely demanding both. By my second run, the time was down to 34.96, a bit tidier and it was 31.64. On the first evening, I'd (foolishly) decided to try my hand at first-lap successes; hoping that the speed lost from standing-starts would be offset by the launch-start and perk of having full boost, something I felt would be difficult to retain if I had to motor round each time on a 'warm-up' lap. I continued to take the left-hand fork as I always had on Stanza Inter; the narrow straight path offered a preferable alternative to the tunnel, where a series of jinks negate the potential of boosting and present more opportunities for prangs. After brief panic/demoralisation as a couple of small improvements were eradicated due to the game crashing (no auto-save!), I ended the night on 30.52. A perfect lap, Wip3out told me. But I couldn't help but wonder, was it a fast one?
On a game that exhibits such lightning speed, it was perhaps fitting that Chris and I should be separated by the merest coat of Piranha paintwork. Nevertheless, in a series where extracting every extra tenth can feel like a marathon in itself, Chris's fantastic lap proved thoroughly worthy of victory. He found those extra thirteen hundredths of a second in a gloriously punishing challenge that demanded skill, commitment and eye-of-the-needle precision. I had the notion that nearly every one of Wip3out's circuits would make for a worthy Duel, and who knows, maybe I can coax Chris into putting his futuristic-racing crown on the line again sometime in the future for another battle. But that's for another day; I'm happy with my efforts in Duel #4 and though the better racer won, I found Stanza Inter an entirely apt setting for an incredibly exciting Hi-Score Duel.
When the results came in and I had overcome Tom by the narrowest of narrow margins, it wasn't a feeling of elation, more one of relief. Rapidly approaching my 40s, I've still got some gaming acumen it seems. However, Tom's time was outstanding and I would have lost if I had been complacent with my first final time. We both appear to be equally proficient at Wip3out and on another day Tom would have won, and deservedly so. Interesting that we choose different routes at the fork; I have always had trouble exiting the narrow path Tom took, so ignored it entirely. A great, exhilarating duel, as close as it could be, and as Tom says, Stanza Inter proved to be a perfect host. I'm more than willing to accept his offer of a rematch, maybe a Qirex-only face-off on the P-Mar Project! But for now, I have redeemed some pride for the oldies, so if you'll excuse me… Get in!


This is the type of handgun that was confiscated from a 17-year-old student at East Boston High School.
A 17-year-old student East Boston High School student was held on $25,000 cash bail for allegedly bringing a loaded gun to school with him last Thursday.
Brendan Campbell, 18, of Roxbury was arraigned in East Boston District Court Friday on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, unlawfully carrying a firearm on school grounds, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and trespassing.
Assistant District Attorney Brenna Flynn told the court that Boston School Police responded to East Boston High School after Campbell was seen entering the building through a side door at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
When the officers approached Campbell outside the cafeteria and said he had to speak with a school administrator, he allegedly slapped his palm against his forehead and sighed. The officers also detected the odor of marijuana coming from Campbell's person.
The officers brought Campbell to the school police office for a search in light of his entry through an unauthorized door. They asked if he had any drugs or weapons on him.
Campbell allegedly became very nervous and began to make statements about smoking marijuana. The officers stopped him and read him his Miranda warning. Campbell allegedly became extremely upset, responding in a manner the officers thought disproportionate to his admissions of marijuana use.
The officers became concerned that Campbell might have a weapon in his bag. When they attempted to pat it, he allegedly gripped it close to his body until the officers took it from him, laid it on a desk, and patted it down for weapons.
One of the officers could feel the outline of a handgun inside the bag. Campbell was handcuffed and told the officers the pocket that it was in. The officers recovered a .25 caliber semiautomatic Raven Arms handgun from that pocket.
Police soon found that the firearm was loaded with six rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. The serial number had been obliterated.
Campbell was taken into custody for the firearm and given a civil citation for a partially burned marijuana cigarette found in his pocket during the booking process.
Campbell was represented by attorney Michael Cerulli. His case will be prosecuted in the Suffolk County Gun Court, where he is due back on June 20. If he posts bail, he must wear a GPS device and is banned from Boston Public School property.
The gun, a .25 caliber semiautomatic Raven Arms, has been a constant source of controversy among gun control advocates.
Known as a 'junk gun' or 'Saturday Night Special' these handguns are mass-produced, relatively cheap ($60-$75) and often times fall into the hands of young men living in depressed urban areas.
In 1968 the U.S. passed a law restricting the import of small and inexpensive guns into the country from overseas.
A man named Bruce Jennings began the gun manufacturing company Raven Arms in response to the law and over the next 20 years sold over two million junk guns.
In 1995, the three most frequently guns traced by the National Tracing Center of the ATF at the request of police departments trying to identify the point of sale of firearms used in crimes were the .25 caliber semiautomatic Raven Arms (like the one found on Campbell last Thursday at EBHS), the Lorcin P-25 and the Davis Industries P-380. Both Lorcin and Davis Industries are linked to Jennings. Lorcin was launched by a former Jennings associate while Davis Industries was launched by Jennings' son-in-law Jim Davis.
Jennings has repeatedly rejected charges that his inexpensive guns play a greater role in crime than more expensive guns made by up-scale manufacturers.


In most cases, restaurant owners and/or head chefs agonize, almost to perfection, on every single item on their menu…at least that's how it's supposed to go. But no matter how hard or how long you work on your restaurant's recipes, how you like it doesn't translate to how your patrons like it. Here are some ways you can tell that, depending on how your patrons like it, that you might have to spice things up a bit.
If you receive back a menu item asking for more or less of something, or worse getting an initial order with extra of this or less of that, you have a problem. Having to add, remove, or alter stuff for your menu not only adds prep time and cooking time, but also adds to ingredient costs. But most importantly, that there's an added psychological cost to both the patron that they're not getting what they want for the money without having to request a few modifications. That's all right for pizza or other items that need the a-la carte treatment. But if it's spaghetti, then it's time to go test kitchen mode.
This commonly happens when you have many menu selections to choose from. Commonly you're supposed to have at least one or two (preferably three) items that are the most popular, and the rest are equally proportioned. But if you start to see that some menu items aren't getting ordered at all, you're just burning menu and valuable menu space.
You can consider remarketing that menu item such as offering discounts or doing something with happy hour, but that can be a hit-or-miss. Either do that, revise that menu item, or ditch it all together.


Lisa Rinna, Kim Fields, and other celebs were wowed by the FLOTUS' stunning look.
President Barack Obama gave his final State of the Union address on Tuesday night. While the Commander in Chief had some important words for all Americans to keep in mind for the year ahead, it was First Lady Michelle Obama who stole the show in her sleeveless Narciso Rodriguez midi dress in marigold. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fashionista Lisa Rinna told her tweeps that the gown looked "gorge."
"@TIME: Here's where Michelle Obama bought her State of the Union dress https://t.co/WwcRhZg3Q9 pic.twitter.com/7IvFpqKTVX" Gorge!
The Real Housewives of Atlanta newbie Kim Fields also showed some love for Michelle. "OKAY FLOTUS!!!! [sic] yeeaass!" Kim tweeted Tuesday night.
In fact, many other movers and shakers also thought the First Lady turned it out for her husband's final State of the Union address.
@BarackObama/@POTUS was gangsta. Loved the #STOTU speech #inspiring. And @MichelleObama looked stunning and powerful in her @narcisostudio.
Michelle Obama looks AMAZING IN YELLOW!
If you were hoping to try to look as glam as Michelle did at the State of the Union, we've got bad news for you. The lovely sheath that had been available for purchase through Neiman Marcus' online store now appears to have unfortunately sold out, according to TIME. But we're sure the First Lady will be serving up plenty more style inspiration before President Obama's term is up.
RHOA will be heading to our nation's capital in Sunday night's episode. Get a sneak peek of the political party in the clip, below.