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Dissecting supply chain attacks in the aftermath of the solarwinds hack: Who will guard the guards?
What has been labelled as one of the most advanced intrusion attacks in the past 20 years, has brought more questions than answers, but it has also given organisations a chance to reorient their security policies and move to an approach that embraces protection of identity and applications, while ensuring that their data is accessible, at its core, only to them.
By Sandip Kumar Panda, CEO & Co-Founder, Instasafe Technologies
The Solarwinds Hack brings to light several new findings everyday, even as federal agencies and corporate security teams continue scurrying to strengthen their architecture and prevent such attacks in the future. What has been labelled as one of the most advanced intrusion attacks in the past 20 years, has brought more questions than answers, but it has also given organisations a chance to reorient their security policies and move to an approach that embraces protection of identity and applications, while ensuring that their data is accessible, at its core, only to them.
What was the Solarwinds Orion Breach?
Solarwinds is an IT giant that builds IT management and monitoring tools for various federal and private entities. One of its primary products, Orion, is used to monitor availability and performance of systems in corporate environments. In December 2020, Solarwinds revealed a large scale breach, wherein hackers had breached Solarwinds and uploaded Trojan files to the source code of Orion. Orion, at the time, was being used by 80% of the Fortune 500 companies, and most of the US federal agencies. This essentially meant that via Orion, the state-actors had breached some of the most critical assets of the world. The malware secretly moved laterally through the network of 18,000 of the customers that Solarwinds served, exploiting mission critical data.
While the consequences of the breach has been undetermined, it is assumed that potential losses due to the breach run into hundreds of billions. At the same time, it exposed the loopholes in expensive cybersecurity policies and technologies.
Who will guard the guards?
The anatomy of supply chain based cyberattacks is such that an attack on a single supplier could result in a chain reaction, affecting a myriad of consumers. As such, it is imperative to ask the question, why do we have to give our suppliers unfettered access to our data? And additionally, third party hacks can be nipped in the bud with periodic vetting of their security posture and contractual obligations relating to upgrading their security.
A major reason why such attacks were left untended is a lack of constant visibility and monitoring over the organisation's entire network. Large multinationals have some of the most complex security policies that one can ever witness, with a veritable bedlam of tools that create an intricate web of vulnerabilities. In addition, multiple tools being used to secure multiple assets leads to an opaque environment in terms of visibility.
In this scenario, organisations have adopted a proactive approach to vendor risk management. While some MNCs are performing supplier security posture assessment on a deeper level, other prefer to have a security strategy that is all encompassing, taking into account their suppliers as well.
One of the preferred strategies for handling supply chain attacks is the now famous Zero Trust Strategy. Taking strongly after the Bond movies, Zero Trust models are known to extend only 'need to know' access of resources to vendors, and keep the entire network inaccessible by blackening servers and dropping all traffic at the IP. This essentially means that no one but an authorised user can actually see the network, and even then, they see only what they are allowed to see.
But how does this stop a supply chain attack? Zero Trust models delve deeper into the realms of data privacy by following what is called a Split plane architecture. In essence, a Zero Trust vendor applies the Zero Trust idea of "Need to Know" to itself as well when accessing its customers data. It separates data into a control plane, where authentication of the user is done, and a data plane, where critical user data flows. As per Zero Trust principles, the data plane simply doesn't flow through vendor machines. No one but the company itself can actually access the data. This approach has been hugely successful in preventing supply chain attacks, and is looked at as the future of cybersecurity.
But the buck doesn't stop here. To ensure a more comprehensive approach, companies may have to be stringent, doing comprehensive penetration testing of any software before it is deployed in their network, to nip the potential bug in the bud. They are also using vendor access monitoring and management tools which basically monitor and record any vendor access sessions to flag off any suspicious activity.
The Solarwinds breach has certainly been an eye-opener for federal and private agencies alike. As such, one hopes that it will result in a stronger security assessment process, and a better security posture, with a focus on adoption of newer, innovative technologies.
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Issue 19: Planetary Solidarity - Arte y territorio
Christian Bendayán
The Voice of the Amazonian Gods and Spirits. Interview with Chonon Bensho and Rember Yahuarcani
Artist and curator Christian Bendayán reviews a current of Amazonist art through the work of the artists Chonon Bensho, from the Shipibo-Konibo people, and Rember Yahuarcani, from the Áimen+ clan of the Huitoto-Murui people, who articulate ancestral knowledge to remember other forms of existence beyond the white logic that has deformed the territory known as Peru.
A current of Amazonian art is changing the way of seeing in Peru. Its source is the energy that is born among the Indigenous people of the Amazon, which gives form to stories that are usually transmitted orally, and which now, gives us a new perspective that allows us to see the protagonistic role humans, plants, animals, rivers, forests, skies, and mythic beings play in the destiny of the world.
The Amazonian art practice is aware of dangers that in they don't warn us in the city about, such as the threat of ecocide and the loss of the spirits who have inhabited the Amazonian forests since time immemorial. In Peru, 48 Indigenous peoples remain, grouped into 17 linguistic families; they constitute the largest contribution of cultural diversity in Peru and they are full of knowledge, myths, stories, and visions that are fundamentally geared towards the survival of humanity. Artists like Chonon Bensho, of the Shipibo-Konibo nation, and Rember Yahuarcani of the Áimen+ clan of the Huitoto-Muri, create works that are distinctive for their creative processes and their intrinsic relationship with the forests and rivers, and above all spirits that guard them. It seems that climactic changes are causing the Amazon to overflow—and not only its waters, but also the energy of its people, who have protected their ancient knowledge; it has survived inclement nature and perpetual injustice and genocide, and today appears in Peru's cities in the form of art, which is also the voice of the gods and mythical beings, who manifest themselves in order to help us to encounter our human, Indigenous, and spiritual essence. The following is a conversation with both artists that was produced in spaces that are very distinct and distant, physically speaking. The interview begins with Chonon Bensho, who corresponded with me from her home in the Indigenous community of Santa Clara, where he is preparing his first individual exhibition that will open in Lima at the beginning of 2021.
Christian Bendayán (CB): Chonon, in pieces like Koros Kené, that refer to constellations, and Maya Kené that represents the circular pathways of the rivers—as well as in the entirety of your work—you evoke the idea of harmony between the land and the beings—both physical and spiritual—who inhabit it, along with the iconography of traditional Shipibo art. How does this harmony that you represent in your pieces manifest in your daily life?
Chonon Bensho (CHB): I am an Indigenous woman, raised on love and the poetry of my ancestral language, surrounded by its affect and its lessons. At my birth, my mother buried her placenta in the ancestral land of the Santa Clara de Yarinacocha Native Community. This custom is performed to create an unbreakable bond between the newborn, the land, its family, the ancestors, and the spirits. I have done the same with my daughter Isa Biri, placing her umbilical cord in the roof of our house. Although not every member of the same Indigenous nation will always agree about everything, we have a shared cultural base, and this base is intimately tied to the land, to the plants, to memory, to affect. For us, the land is not a place without a soul and without a consciousness. Rather, every living thing is endowed with intelligence and a language.
CB: How important is the ancestral knowledge embodied in the kené (the name of a Shipibo-Konibo design) in our contemporary times?
CHB: We live in conversation with the elements of nature. Because of this, I believe that neither Indigenous people, nor Indigenous art, nor ancestral knowledge, nor the land exist as distinct entities. To sever ourselves from the land would be to lose our identity as people of a distinct nation with regard to the rest of society organized according to the idea of the nation-state. The land is our past, it is our present, and, if we would like to continue to be Shipibo-Konibo, it must also be our future. And I believe that the same can be said of all of humanity because human beings are part of nature: if we continue to destroy the environment, in the name of our greed, we will continue to become sick and dehumanized.
CB: When I referred to your work as being the result of a particular creative process, I was thinking in particular of pieces like Jene Noma, in which you present the spirit mother who inhabits the aquatic world of the Amazon, the same spirit who possesses the knowledge of the beautiful kené designs. In what way do these spirit beings participate in the process of making kené?
CHB: For Indigenous people, dreams in general allow us to elevate our souls and connect with different spiritual beings.
I believe that we, the Indigenous, and especially Indigenous women, are very sensitive to the voice of the land and of the invisible worlds, and have a special capacity to dream with the spirits.
This ability, this gift, has also come to me because I have been treated with medicinal plants and wisdom since I was a child. My grandfather was a traditional doctor of great knowledge. I descend from the line of Merayabo (enlightened sages of unfathomable wisdom) and I have inherited, at least a little bit, the sensitivity of their perceptive faculties. Thus, all of my art is created in an oneiric atmosphere—of enchantment, because I am giving testament to my relationship with the spirit worlds and with the Lords of the different plants and the dynamic designs.
CB: Despite having enrolled in the painting department of a school of fine arts, you chose to remain tied to the aesthetic and technical traditions of your people—the very reason why we are currently able to enjoy your rich work, an art that is generated from the love of creation, nature, and an ethics of respect for all beings. In what aspects of your work can your formal training in fine arts be found?
CHB: It is important to me that my art be modern, that it be in dialogue with certain Western painters (like William Blake with regards to oneiric symbolism and composition, and with Van Gogh, in palette), and with certain other Indigenous artists (like the Canadian artist Christi Belcourt, whose works I deeply relate to), but that it also be rooted in the worlds of my ancestors that my soul has visited in my dreams. The work of Elena Valera, who is also a Shipibo artist, is a source of inspiration and continued learning.
CB: Your work is not only engaged in ideas of the aesthetic or the critical, it also functions as medicine, like shamanic songs for example, but as visual constructions. What relationship does your work have, both thematically and formally, with traditional medicine?
CHB: In addition to having the ability to cure, the ancient doctors were wise people who entered spiritual realities of great intensity in their dreams and visions. It is these realities that I am interested in portraying in my art. A luminous and vibrant beauty descends from the spirt worlds and fills our hearts with joy and elevates our thinking. The spirit beings are beautiful and kind-hearted, and they show us how to be like them, to act harmoniously and legitimately. I believe that the Amazonian land, as well as the other natural spaces, bears testament to the knowledge of God. And in this knowledge, there is a moving beauty. As an artist, and especially as an Indigenous creator, I believe my mission is to help manifest the spiritual beauty in our world, to contribute to the creation of beauty along with the Spirit of God in order to console its suffering, alleviate its pain, bring clarity, and elevate the heart of the people towards goodness, compassion, and affection.
CB: What is the link between kené, its forms and movement, and the spirit and the health of humans and the world?
CHB: The kené design that the ancient Shipibo practiced must be understood first and foremost as something aesthetic, since they decorated all their objects, clothing, even their bodies, as a way of emulating the spirits. In our way of thought, the good is always beautiful; and only what is good inside—that which contributes to life and health—is beautiful. In large measure, my understanding of art finds inspiration in the practices of the traditional doctors: after expelling the demons of witchcraft and the bad airs of disease, the doctor opens the aromatic worlds with his chant to perfume his patients, bless them, and endow them with new happy and calm thoughts. The doctor's chanting draws a kené pattern around the patients. It surrounds them, and this kené, which is beautiful, is also medicine. I want my art to be a form of medicine, as a way of offering positive support to humanity.
CB: Unlike Chonon, the artist Rember Yahuarcani moved to Lima, the capital of Peru, almost two decades ago. He has not only made his presence be known through his exhibitions, but also through his contributions in many different conferences and publications. It has been a long time since he has worked in his studio located in the Plaza San Martín, the epicenter of civic participation in the political destiny of Peru, where the most influential massive protests have occurred. My questions begin with the great contrast in lifestyles, between his town in the Amazon and chaotic Lima. Rember, as an artist belonging to the Aimen+ clan, how do you experience the spirituality that you have inherited from your people, that which inhabits your paintings, in the reality of Lima?
Rember Yahuarcani (RY): As you mention, my studio is located in one of Lima's most important plazas, where the Peruvian people express their discontent with a political class more and more removed from the reality of the people, in daily protests. It is also a plaza where every race and ideology in the country converge. Standing in the middle of it, you can see the entirety of Peru reflected in thousands of faces. The spirituality that I have received from my ancestors is of vital importance in these times and I try to be as consistent as possible in my principles. Being Indigenous and living in the city brings with it great responsibility, because we are the voice and image of those who are in our communities, and they expect your fight to be collective, and not individual. That you pursue the wellbeing of everyone—of the young, of the old, of the little girls and grandmothers.
CB: What do you say in the face of the injustices and abuses that Indigenous people continue to experience, of those whose voice seems not to matter simply because they live far away from the center of political power?
RY: My responsibility as an Indigenous person multiplies in front of a dirty and arrogant state. Currently, there are professional Indigenous people who have a lot of experience, and for this reason, I believe that in order to push through the mental and geographic block with regards to the Amazon, it is urgent that we include Indigenous professionals in all the different levels of government.
CB: The natural world of the Amazon is not only the source of sustainable raw material for your work and that of your parents, who are also artists. Above all, it is a source of stories, through which your origins and your development as an Indigenous nation remain alive. In what way do you interact with this nature? What is the dynamic that you and it engage in to create pieces of art that later travel the world?
RY: I interact with many forms. In the woods, the senses become sharper, more sensitive to the smallest details and sounds produced by the wind, the breeze, the currents of the water, barefoot steps over grass or dry leaves, or the babbling of hundreds of nocturnal insects. Building a new ranch, fishing, planting, are thousand-year-old quotidian activities that encircle a level of relationship with nature that the West ignores almost in its entirety. This interaction was not arrived at from day to night. It took years of learning by the healers of every Indigenous nation.
As an artist I am not disconnected from the activities of my people. The realization of a new house or the harvest of food are dynamics that allow me to experience the survival of my people first-hand.
CB: A little while ago, you visited your town and spent the health crisis quarantine there.
RY: Yes, last month, for example, my family prepared a new ranch. With axes and machetes in hand, we cleared the mountain together. Where I was working, I came across a big jergón, a deadly venomous snake. I reacted quickly before the animal could bite me and was able to kill it. It had been a long time since I had had an experience with the deadly part of the forest. Having the snake in my hands very much influenced the paintings I made after that—his form, color, movement, and the experience of being before death. The Amazon is not only a green space with great biodiversity and a tropical climate. It is its people, its dangers, its sadness, its scarcity, its extreme poverty, and its polluted rivers. I live with all of them and try to show the possibilities of the Indigenous world to create genuine work that has identity. I also live with its myths and stories, which are not static, but in constant movement. In the words of a fisherman or a hunter, the myth takes on another form and movement, like a great snake that slithers among the roots. The myth transforms itself into something real, alive, and transcendent that doesn't die. In this dynamic, human is nature, and nature is human.
CB: The fundamental rights of the people who inhabit the Amazon have been overrun innumerable times; the land is being stripped and destroyed, and its forests and rivers polluted. What isn't being understood? What other impacts can this have?
RY: They don't understand the "humanity" of Indigenous society. They consider us inferiors, a second society with zero possibilities for managing our future. This perception is offensive and wrong. Let's not forget that only 90 years ago, my ancestors were considered savages that needed to be civilized. The relationship the West has had with Indigenous societies is one of colossal arrogance: its sense of superiority is aberrant and unacceptable. If there aren't substantial changes in society, the breech that the inequality and other evils that afflict us is opening up will be unsalvageable and will end in huge, convulsing social protests.
CB: What role do artistic practices play in changing this situation?
RY: In my view, artistic practices are the activity through which Indigenous society best develops itself. Some art galleries, museums, and curators see in our society a genuine art, of great sociocultural relevance with its own identity. But they don't fool us. Many may believe that art made by Indigenous people is experiencing a privileged moment in the local art scene, but I still think that Indigenous artists are still considered inferior compared with whatever urban artist. This is because Indigenous creators have not partaken in equal measure in the city's most "contemporary" spaces, those which officially decide what is and what is not "art." For this very reason, it is urgent that Indigenous artists and their works gain access to commercial art galleries, contemporary art museums, and art fairs, and that they also achieve fair remuneration in the art market. However, we have been robbed of our voice by people tied to the extractivism in the Amazon, as well as cultural workers, designers, and artists, who have appropriated our knowledge without understanding that it is of vital importance that there be an authentic "collaboration" between Indigenous thinkers and academics in order to achieve a more just society.
TAGS: Amazonía arte amazonista Chonon Bensho Christian Bendayán indígena mitos Peru Rember Yahuarcani saberes ancestrales
Daniel Lie, Juliana Dos Santos
60 Years of Migration and 17,790 Kilometers Away
Chatvichai Promadhattavedi
Spectrosynthesis, Exposing Tolerance: LGBTQ Art in South-East Asia
Issue 10.5: ALAC Reader "Soñadores"
Suzy Halajian
Counterspectacles
Gelare Khoshgozaran, Eunsong Kim
Archiving for New Worlds
Joey Terrill
Anthony Carfello
Let the Building Be the Sign

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Gibbs Farm is located in Northern Tanzania, in Karatu, just 30 minutes from the Manyara Airstrip. It is situated between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater and provides stunning vistas over the Great Rift Valley and the Ngorongoro Forest.
18 cottages are immersed in a lush jungle landscape, each with private patios, fireplaces, outdoor showers and charming farm-style décor. A family cottage is available and we find this to be a very captivating environment for children. It has gorgeous views and a really thoughtful and homey feel, making it perfect for both honeymooners and families.
We love this charming property. Part of its appeal is that it is a working farm with livestock, a coffee plantation, fruit trees, a vegetable and herb garden, a bakery, and their own dairy farm. Gibb's Farm is self-sustainable and involved in the local community. It is independently-owned and operated and provides a unique and authentic experience.
Activities include optional walks through the Ngorogoro Forest, a guided tour of the Elephant Caves, and bike excursions. There is also a nice pool and a spa that spa offers traditional Maasai healing treatments.
Gorgeous rooms, totally exceeded expectations."
Gorgeous lodge, quaint, very good food."
What a special place, incredible organic gardens resulting in fabulous divine meals... Love the enthusiastic and friendly staff. They sang Happy Birthday to me in Swahili which was very special."
Plenty to do on this property that is not wildlife related. A very family friendly choice... I wished I had one more cup of that amazing coffee with fresh milk before I left!"
Loved the fireplace in the room. The food was fantastic and we even had dinner at the private table with the fireplace located in the garden."


Roberta was close with her daughter Arkeisha and looking forward to the birth of her son.
The Marion County Sheriff's Department produced a short video about this open and unsolved homicide.
James in 1996 and an artists rendering of what he might look like today.
View James Cooper's entry at The Charley Project.
A small clip of audio from this segment was used in episode seven.
Matthew is raising their children and waiting for answers.
The Winnipeg Free Press put together a chart and map of missing and murdered aboriginal women. The results are startling.
Jennifer's parents wait for answers.
Bernice Catcheway has created a Go Fund Me to help finance their trips north to search for Jennifer. Can you help?
Have you seen Amber McFarland?


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Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy for mechanically ventilated children following cardiac surgery: a prospective observational service evaluation.
Children with cardiac conditions often remain intubated and mechanically ventilated during their acute recovery from surgery. Anaesthesia, intubation, surgery and muscle relaxants leave the child´s lungs vulnerable to retained secretions and alveolar collapse.
One role of physiotherapy in cardiac intensive care is to address these sequelae using a number of different techniques, including manual techniques and endotracheal suction. The evidence to support such interventions remains limited and relies on studies with a heterogenous population. Although children post cardiac surgery were included within these populations, lack of subgroup analysis means that the benefits of physiotherapy to this particular group of children are uncertain.
A prospective observational service evaluation was undertaken at a single tertiary centre.
Children who had undergone cardiac surgery within the previous five days, were intubated and mechanically ventilated, and for whom cardiorespiratory physiotherapy was deemed necessary (assessed by an independent clinical physiotherapist), were observed. Ventilatory and haemodynamic data were documented at one-minute intervals for 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after physiotherapy treatments. During physiotherapy, individual treatment components were observed and recorded.
Twenty two children (seven males) were observed before, during and after physiotherapy. They were aged between 3 days and 17 years (median age 3.9 months). Ten of the children had a delayed sternal closure.
Physiotherapy interventions included positioning, saline instillation, manual hyperinflations with or without chest wall vibrations and endotracheal suction. There were no significant changes in haemodynamic outcomes following physiotherapy.
There was a significant reduction in end tidal CO2 following physiotherapy from mean (SD) 5.04 (0.7) to 4.7 (0.76) kPa, mean change (95% confidence intervals), -0.34 (-0.5 to -0.1), p=0.003.
Minute volume increased significantly from 1.8 (1.3) to 2.0 (1.3) L/min, mean change (95% confidence intervals) 0.11 (0.04 to 0.2), p=0.006, and tidal volume increased significantly from 9.8 (2.6) to 10.4 (2.7) mL/kg, mean change (95% confidence intervals) 0.6 (0.11 to 1.04), p=0.019.
Improvements reached the critical threshold for clinical importance (a change of 10% or more, representing a greater change than that attributable to normal physiological variability) in 8 (36%) children, whilst most others remained within the limits of normal variability. There were brief but clinically important deteriorations following 2 (9%) treatments.
From this small number of children, it can be observed that physiotherapy resulted in statistically significant improvements in terms of ventilatory parameters, without any detriment to haemodynamic stability. The combination of treatment components (positioning, saline, manual hyperinflation, chest wall vibrations and suction), appeared to have a positive effect on end tidal CO2, minute volume and tidal volume for the group, with clinically important improvements in some children.
Generalisability cannot be assumed, since this was a service evaluation. The findings suggest that physiotherapy was effective for most of these children following cardiac surgery. Advances in technologies, and the use of 'big data,' could provide continuous and accurate measures of respiratory and haemodynamic outcomes, thereby creating a more comprehensive picture of the impact of physiotherapy on the patient's overall recovery, including time to liberation from the ventilator and hospital length of stay.
This project was undertaken in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an MSc in advanced cardio respiratory physiotherapy from UCL. No additional funds were required.
Author(s) Althawadi R., Shkurka E., Carter L., Woyda J. and Shannon H. Service/Institute Mohamed Bin Khalifa Bin Sulman Alkhalifa Cardiac Centre (MKCC) BH, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust UK and UCL, GOS Institute of Child Health UK.


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Charlize Theron and Andy Samberg to Host SNL
Charlize Theron and Andy Samberg will help close out Saturday Night Live's 39th season, NBC announced Wednesday.
Theron will make her second appearance as host on May 10 with musical guest The Black Keys. The following week, Samberg will return to the sketch series for its finale with St. Vincent, who makes her musical guest debut.
Get scoop on 39 must-watch finales
Theron and Samberg join previously announced host Andrew Garfield, who will make his debut on May 3 with five-time musical guest Coldplay.
Behind on SNL? Catch up on episodes here and see what shows are Samberg's favorites below.
View original Charlize Theron and Andy Samberg to Host SNL at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


Minister of Transport Merja Kyllönen regards it as important that a functional selection of measures be found during the government budget discussions in order to adapt to the sulphur regulations for marine transport. The overall impacts of the solutions need to be thoroughly considered.
Kyllönen regards the measures supporting environmentally friendly technology as the best and most sustainable adaptation measures. She has made a proposal concerning support for environmental investments for the autumn budget discussions.
From the point of view of commerce and industry, funding the adaptation from the appropriation for basic infrastructure maintenance is not a sustainable solution either.
"A functional transport infrastructure has a greater significance for society than the appropriation set aside for it in the government budget. There are already pressures to increase the appropriation for basic infrastructure maintenance," stated Minister Kyllönen.
The appropriation for the transport infrastructure is used to fund the maintenance of public roads, rails and waterways. Basic infrastructure maintenance ensures the functioning of transportation and travelling and the condition of the transport infrastructure.
The shipping route fee is collected from the ships conducting merchant shipping in Finnish waters. Income from the transport payment covers the maintenance and service of the infrastructure and safety equipment, as well as the government costs incurred from services for ship transportation and ice-breaking. The most significant cost items are ice-breaking and basic infrastructure maintenance.


Is it the red wire, the other red wire or the other other red wire?
Rainy days are great for progress! My new A/V cable with 3.5mm jacks & plugs works 100% with little to no interference unlike what I was getting before. Picture is clear and audio is crisp. I started wiring up the buttons for the controller and only have a handful more to do. I've seen a lot of things I've could have done better so when I start the next one I'll have a good idea as to what needs to be done to do it right the first time.
Current problem at the moment is the D-Pad as the way I have it mounted is making it not as responsive as I'd like. So I'll be playing around with that a bit and hopefully I can get it fully functional. As mentioned on the forums, I will be selling this unit once complete, so I need to make sure the quality is there because if my name is going on this outside of my home, it damn well better hold up!
But, as always be sure to check out the forum for a more in-depth update as well as more pics! Shooting to have this done by the end of April, but we'll see how that goes. I will be in Holderness tomorrow evening working on the final design for the vacuum box of my vacuum former. This is going to be one hell of a machine when it's done. Though it won't be as grand as a $10,000 dollar system, this will be the highest end DIY vac-former out there. Keep you all informed about that one as well!


In the 1980s, Larry Sultan and Tina Barney reinvigorated portraiture by turning their lenses on their own families to document their personal histories. These images record intimate moments these artists have elected to share and offer a glimpse into the private world most choose to reserve behind closed doors. The familiarity of these photographs belies a more elaborate process behind the lens. Having a parent, spouse, or sibling who is a photographer means living with the constant presence of the camera. These subjects are accustomed to an observer who is also an inseparable part of their daily lives.
Close to Home presents photographs made during the past three decades by both established and emerging artists. It features thirty-two color and black-and-white photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent collection by nine contemporary photographers: Tina Barney, Virginia Beahan, Christopher Dawson, Muriel Hasbun, Martina Lopez, Elaine O'Neil, Larry Sultan, Margaret Strickland, and Carrie Will. The exhibition includes many new acquisitions, which are on view at the museum for the first time. Toby Jurovics, formerly the museum's curator of photography, selected the photographs in the installation.
The Bernie Stadiem Endowment Fund provided support for the exhibition.


The purpose of this study is to target the efforts of Toyota Motor Thailand to create an effective advertising plan for the Camry.
Kosumapa, Ampika, "The advertising plan of Toyota Camry for Toyota Motor Thailand Co. Ltd" (2004). Theses Digitization Project. 2556.


Whether you're getting a head start on Christmas shopping or looking to treat yourself this year-end, these limited edition teas and gift-appropriate teacups are fit for tea lovers.
Count down the days of December leading up to Christmas with small surprises from T2. The Big Book of Secret Teas and Brews to Please will help you stay sane amidst the holiday craziness. In the box are fun facts and riddles. Flavours range from chai, chamomile and early grey to lemon sorbet, green rose and twinkle berry.
Available at all T2 stores.
Collaborating with six artists, designers and illustrators, T2 has upped its game with its Tall Tales Artist Collaboration. These vibrant teaware designs are perfect for teatime and will add a little cheer to your office desk.
Online tea marketplace Teapasar's first physical outlet opened at NomadX in Plaza Singapura. It brings together local and international tea brands, as well as rare teas from independent plantations. Marrying tea with tech, it can match consumers' individual taste preference with the different tea taste profiles in Teapasar's database.
There are 300 blends to choose from. The lychee oolong from Antea Social for one is sweet and refreshing - ideal for our warm and humid weather.
Available on Teapasar's online store and at NomadX.
Photo: The 1872 Clipper Tea Co.
The teabar at ION Orchard recently got an upgrade with a dozen more seats. But now's not the time to take a breather. Without missing a beat, The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. rolled out two festive blends - Peach of My Heart and Two to Mango. One's peach green tea while the other is mango tangerine. Steering away from conventional Christmas flavours, the homegrown tea brand sought inspiration from tropical fruits.
Available at all 1872 Clipper Tea Co. stores and retail counters.
The homegrown tea brand has had quite a year. In June, it opened two salons and boutiques in London and now TWG Tea is getting into the Christmas spirit with its latest product launch.
At the heart of the collection is the Night of Noel tea - black tea blended with wild forest berries, caramel, and a scattering of nutty silver needles. If that's not enough, satisfy your sweet tooth by nibbling on Night of Noel Tea-infused macarons with strawberry ganache (starting from $12 for a gift box of six) or bring a Night of Noel Tea-infused log cake to the next family gathering. The log cake is made of chestnut sponge, layered with strawberry confit and tea-infused Bavarian cream, glazed with red chocolate and topped with a gold leaf and a whole chestnut.
Available at all TWG Tea Salons and Boutiques.


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Q: select all data except current month mysql I want to get sum of all amounts except the current month. What should I write after WHERE?
SELECT SUM(amount) FROM transactions WHERE ...

A: SELECT SUM(amount) FROM transactions WHERE month != "July";
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/not-equal-to-transact-sql-exclamation?view=sql-server-ver15

A: You do that via  CURRENT_DATE() , MONTH() and YEAR()
SELECT SUM(amount) FROM transactions WHERE MONTH(columnName) != MONTH(CURRENT_DATE())
AND YEAR(columnName) = YEAR(CURRENT_DATE())

YEAR should be current

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Please submit any useful information about climbing Cnoc an Fhreiceadain that may be useful to other climbers. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of Cnoc an Fhreiceadain, as well as the logistics of climbing to the summit.
Use this relief map to navigate to mountain peaks in the area of Cnoc an Fhreiceadain.


text:
Q: how do I solve this error:'Tensor' object is not callable when I want to fill a tensor? when I want to fill a tensor with the value of another tensor it produces this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 80, in
      wtm_Fill=wfill(temp(0,0))
TypeError: 'Tensor' object is not callable

wtm=Input((28,28,1))
image = Input((28, 28, 1))
conv1 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl1e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(image)
conv2 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl2e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(conv1)
conv3 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl3e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(conv2)
#conv3 = Conv2D(8, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl3e', kernel_initializer='Orthogonal',bias_initializer='glorot_uniform')(conv2)
BN=BatchNormalization()(conv3)
#DrO1=Dropout(0.25,name='Dro1')(BN)
encoded =  Conv2D(1, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same',name='encoded_I',dilation_rate=(2,2))(BN)

#-----------------------adding w---------------------------------------

temp=tf.reshape(wtm,(28,28))
wfill=Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x:tf.fill([28,28],x))
wtm_Fill=wfill(temp(0,0))
add_const = Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x: x[0] + x[1])
encoded_merged = add_const([encoded,wtm])

I need sth like this:
wtm=
0 1 1
1 1 0
0 0 1

wtm(0,0)=0 so I want to produce this
 new tensor with shape(28,28,1)
0 0 0 ... 0
.
. 0 0 ... 0
0 0 0 ... 0

from keras.layers import Input, Concatenate, GaussianNoise,Dropout,BatchNormalization
from keras.layers import Conv2D, AtrousConv2D
from keras.models import Model
from keras.datasets import mnist
from keras.callbacks import TensorBoard
from keras import backend as K
from keras import layers
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import tensorflow as tf
import keras as Kr
from keras.optimizers import SGD,RMSprop,Adam
from keras.callbacks import ReduceLROnPlateau
from keras.callbacks import EarlyStopping
from keras.callbacks import ModelCheckpoint
import numpy as np
import pylab as pl
import matplotlib.cm as cm
import keract
from matplotlib import pyplot
from keras import optimizers
from keras import regularizers

from tensorflow.python.keras.layers import Lambda;
#-----------------building w train---------------------------------------------
w_expand=np.zeros((49999,28,28),dtype='float32')
wv_expand=np.zeros((9999,28,28),dtype='float32')
wt_random=np.random.randint(2, size=(49999,4,4))
wt_random=wt_random.astype(np.float32)
wv_random=np.random.randint(2, size=(9999,4,4))
wv_random=wv_random.astype(np.float32)
w_expand[:,:4,:4]=wt_random
wv_expand[:,:4,:4]=wv_random
x,y,z=w_expand.shape
w_expand=w_expand.reshape((x,y,z,1))
x,y,z=wv_expand.shape
wv_expand=wv_expand.reshape((x,y,z,1))

#-----------------building w test---------------------------------------------
w_test = np.random.randint(2,size=(1,4,4))
w_test=w_test.astype(np.float32)
wt_expand=np.zeros((1,28,28),dtype='float32')
wt_expand[:,0:4,0:4]=w_test
wt_expand=wt_expand.reshape((1,28,28,1))

#-----------------------encoder------------------------------------------------
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wtm=Input((28,28,1))
image = Input((28, 28, 1))
conv1 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl1e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(image)
conv2 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl2e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(conv1)
conv3 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl3e',dilation_rate=(2,2))(conv2)
BN=BatchNormalization()(conv3)
encoded =  Conv2D(1, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same',name='encoded_I',dilation_rate=(2,2))(BN)

temp=tf.reshape(wtm,(28,28))
wfill=Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x:tf.fill([28,28],x))
wtm_Fill=wfill(temp[0,0])
add_const = Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x: x[0] + x[1])
encoded_merged = add_const([encoded,wtm_Fill])

#wfill=Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x:tf.fill([28,28],x))
#value=wtm[0][0][0]
#x=tf.fill((28,28,1),value)
#add_const = Kr.layers.Lambda(lambda x: x[0] + x[1])
#encoded_merged = add_const([encoded,x])
#encoder=Model(inputs=[image,wtm], outputs= encoded_merged ,name='encoder')
#encoder.summary()

#-----------------------decoder------------------------------------------------
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
deconv1 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl1d',dilation_rate=(2,2))(encoded_merged)
deconv2 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl2d',dilation_rate=(2,2))(deconv1)
deconv3 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu',padding='same', name='convl3d',dilation_rate=(2,2))(deconv2)
deconv4 = Conv2D(64, (5, 5), activation='relu',padding='same', name='convl4d',dilation_rate=(2,2))(deconv3)
BNd=BatchNormalization()(deconv3)

decoded = Conv2D(1, (5, 5), activation='sigmoid', padding='same', name='decoder_output',dilation_rate=(2,2))(BNd)

model=Model(inputs=[image,wtm],outputs=decoded)

decoded_noise = GaussianNoise(0.5)(decoded)

#----------------------w extraction------------------------------------
convw1 = Conv2D(64, (3,3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='conl1w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(decoded_noise)
convw2 = Conv2D(64, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='convl2w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw1)
convw3 = Conv2D(64, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='conl3w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw2)
convw4 = Conv2D(64, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='conl4w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw3)
convw5 = Conv2D(64, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='conl5w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw4)
convw6 = Conv2D(64, (3, 3), activation='relu', padding='same', name='conl6w',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw5)
pred_w = Conv2D(1, (1, 1), activation='sigmoid', padding='same', name='reconstructed_W',dilation_rate=(2,2))(convw6)
w_extraction=Model(inputs=[image,wtm],outputs=[decoded,pred_w])

w_extraction.summary()

this is my new code but after implementation it produces this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 106, in
      model=Model(inputs=[image,wtm],outputs=decoded)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\legacy\interfaces.py",
  line 91, in wrapper
      return func(*args, **kwargs)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 93, in init
      self._init_graph_network(*args, **kwargs)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 231, in _init_graph_network
      self.inputs, self.outputs)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1366, in _map_graph_network
      tensor_index=tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1353, in build_map
      node_index, tensor_index)
File
  "D:\software\Anaconda3\envs\py36\lib\site-packages\keras\engine\network.py",
  line 1325, in build_map
      node = layer._inbound_nodes[node_index]
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute '_inbound_nodes'

A: To produce such tensor you need to:
Suppose tensor shape is (28,28,1)
value = tensor[0][0][0]
wtm = tf.fill((10,10,1), value)

This will output tensor of shape (10,10,1) filled with value


Girl Gone Local – Musings, stories and pictures from a girl who's always at home when exploring.
Travel has always been a passion of mine but never to be a tourist. I love experiencing the everyday, those local highlights and rituals that aren't in the travel guide. The feeling of having lived in a place, even for just a short while, is always my favourite souvenir.
Through stories and photography, this is where I'll be sharing these new experiences and the ones that have shaped me until now, travel-related and otherwise.


Five. Four. Three. Two. One! Say goodbye to 2018 and hello to the New Year by hosting a theme party for friends and family. Whether you're looking for over-the-top fun or a more low-key celebration, the countdown to midnight will pass in a flash with these nine fun New Year's party ideas.
Invite your guests to contribute to the execution of a successful New Year's party by hosting a potluck. Ask each guest to bring a savoury food dish, dessert or drink. Ensure there's a variety of things to feast on by making a list of specific items you want (keeping in mind dietary and allergy restrictions) and assigning one to each guest. It's the best way to make sure you provide options for all your guests to enjoy. These 11 potluck recipes are sure to be a hit if you're looking for recipes that make great sharing dishes. Remember to let guests know ahead of time in order to avoid duplicate or disappointing dishes. In the end, it's all about coming together and counting down to a New Year.
To make this healthy appetizer, stuff cucumber slices with cream cheese, salt, mayonnaise and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. Then, finish the appetizers off with a halved grape tomato garnish.
Deck your home with black and gold accents to celebrate the New Year in luxe style. Start by incorporating black and gold helium balloons—they will float up to the ceiling and hang dramatically as your guests walk through your home. If you plan on having a sit-down dinner, your dinnerware should follow the same colour scheme as your theme. Adorn your table with gold candelabras and black candles to add a touch of sophistication and romance to the overall setting. Hints of gold glitter add an extra-special touch and tie the theme together. Stuck for ideas? How about edible glitter on the rim of cocktail glasses, or a DIY gold glitter 'Cheers' garland that can be used as a backdrop for a photo station where your guests can goof around with props and capture some of these memorable moments.
Say one last goodbye to those decadent foods that most people plan on giving up after New Year's with this indulgence-themed party. Are some of your guests cutting back on sugar? Dairy? Red meat? Create a dessert table with everyone's favourite treats, or serve the cheese and charcuterie platters of their dreams! The possibilities are endless with this theme, so be sure to enjoy these guilty pleasures one last time with those you love before it's time to stick to those New Year's resolutions.
Ask one guest to serve as the "official" photographer to take before and after photos, or do it yourself. As guests arrive, invite them to pose with one person seated and the other standing next to a chair (like an old-time photo – no smiling allowed). You could provide old-fashioned hats and maybe a shawl or scarf for props.
Later, take "after midnight" photos of your guests in their holiday party outfits showing off their noisemakers. Post all the photos online to share, permission granted of course.
To protect everyone, have a sober person drive intoxicated friends home, call, Uber, a cab, or take their keys and let them sleep at your place. A simple bacon, eggs, and coffee breakfast will be fine for these overnight guests.


Corner one bedroom apartment in 220 Madison Avenue. The approximately 850SF apartment has a large entrance foyer with 3 large closets, huge living room, dining alcove and windowed kitchen with new appliances. The bathroom is renovated and separated. The large southern facing bedroom has a huge walk in closet. All of this within a wonderfully maintained coop on Madison between 36th/37th. The building has newly renovated elevators and hallways and an updated lobby. There is a live-in super and the location is perfectly centralized steps away from Grand Central and Penn Station, and is directly across the elegant and historic Morgan Library and Museum. There is a roof deck currently under renovation with beautiful 360' views and a direct view of the magnificent Empire State Building. A garage is connected to the building. The staff is amazing and there is large laundry room in the basement. Also available are bike storage and larger private storage rooms. For a perfectly located apartment in a convenient, safe, and historic neighborhood, do not hesitate. Please call for a showing today!


text:
Home > Europe > Southern Europe > Spain > Madrid
Alphabetical Most Popular
Crete 883494
Tenerife 825882
Lanzarote 670269
Benidorm 608461
Fuerteventura 550945
Majorca 547028
Playa de las Americas 436125
Corfu Town 405174
Gran Canaria 361024
Malta 276703
Sunny Beach 233535
Menorca 218357
Benalmadena 212889
Albufeira 211709
Costa Adeje 202049
Paphos 200910
Tenerife South 200235
Algarve 192554
Riviera Maya 191607
Vilamoura 176646
Holidays in Madrid
Madrid Weather Forecast, Spain
The warmest day over the next 25 days weather in Madrid is forecast to be Monday 3rd February 2020 at 18°C (64°F) and the warmest night on Friday 31st January 2020 at 9°C (48°F). The average temperature over the next 25 days in Madrid from this forecast is 13°C (55°F) and there will be 3 days of sunshine . The average for January is 6°C (43°F).
Wed 29 Jan 14°C (57°F)
SW 7mph
(12kmh)
Night 8°C
(46°F)
Thu 30 Jan 12°C (54°F)
Fri 31 Jan 15°C (59°F)
Sat 1 Feb 17°C (63°F)
Sun 2 Feb 16°C (61°F)
(5kmh)
Mon 3 Feb 18°C (64°F)
NNE 4mph
Tue 4 Feb 17°C (63°F)
SSW 7mph
Wed 5 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Thu 6 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Fri 7 Feb 13°C (55°F)
NE 7mph
WNW 6mph
Mon 10 Feb 12°C (54°F)
Tue 11 Feb 12°C (54°F)
Wed 12 Feb 9°C (48°F)
Thu 13 Feb 9°C (48°F)
Fri 14 Feb 9°C (48°F)
Sat 15 Feb 9°C (48°F)
Sun 16 Feb 12°C (54°F)
Wed 19 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Thu 20 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Fri 21 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Sat 22 Feb 14°C (57°F)
Madrid Hourly Weather Forecast
18:00 12°C (54°F)
0:00 10°C (50°F)
6:00 9°C (48°F)
12:00 9°C (48°F)
Upcoming events in Madrid
Madrid IMAGES
14°C (57°F)
Madrid february averages
Spain Weather
Madrid Annual Averages


My sessions are focused and intentional, with an aim to create ease of movement so you are freed up to do life the way you want. Your body should be what carries and empowers your lifestyle and interests, not a restriction or a barrier to something you'd like to do. My approach is rooted in anatomy, and my goal is to work together to find the perfect level of pressure, treat specific areas, and relax the nervous system in a deeply calming way. I try to find the balance between a massage that feels great and one that gets real work done for your body.
I work with precision and strategy by zeroing in on particular muscles that are driving tension patterns, while keeping a larger picture in mind. I will help you to be inquisitive about your own definition of health, what it would look like if you felt better, and how to tailor our work to your individual process.
I work with TMJ disorder for clients who have popping or clicking in the jaw, difficulty opening or closing the mouth fully, or pain in the jaw or ears. Intraoral massage is a gentle type of work that can help relieve painful symptoms by working with the neck, head, outer jaw, and inner mouth. I have an Intraoral Endorsement from the Washington State Department of Health to work inside the mouth, accessing the deep muscles at the back of the jaw that can drive headaches and chronic jaw pain. TMD can be associated with clenching and grinding at night, dental procedures, stress, migraines, whiplash, chronic sinus congestion, or trauma to the head or face. The goal is to improve pain-free range of motion, release muscular tension, and work towards balanced alignment of the jaw.
This work can also help with tinnitus (a ringing, buzzing, whistling, or clicking sound in the ears), and studies show that massage of the neck, ears, head, and jaw can significantly reduce symptoms or eliminate them altogether.


Back in November, we posted a podcast of the Cass Sunstein CBI, "The Second Amendment: The Constitution's Most Mysterious Right." In our continuing effort to add more video to the blog, please find below a recording of the the talk (you can also download a Quicktime version here).
This right is only mysterious if you're a yankee liberal who didn't notice the Founding Fathers didn't just have a letter-writing campaign but actually shot at British soldiers once in a while as part of a guerilla struggle against a standing army of occupation. When they weren't doing that they were defending their families and their wives' honor from the depradations of savage Indians and low life criminal elements.
A collective right of the people to bear arms in defense of their state or nation implies that an individual right exists to do the same. I can't imagine how a collective might defend itself against an aggressor if it is comprised of individuals who are denied the right to bear arms. Thus, one really is not forced to choose between two readings of the 2nd Amd. The first reading, that "militia" entails the right of the people as a collective to self defense, is given meaning by the second reading, that individuals shall be allowed to keep a and bear guns.
100 years after the Declaration of Independence, Colorado became the 38th state.
In the Colorado State Constitution Article II, Section 13 states: Right to bear arms. The right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question.
Thirty-nine states guarantee an individual right to arms. Is this also a fraud?
You guys should actually watch the lecture..
He is pro 2nd amendment. Don't be such cliche-bots.


text:
By Connor Hirsch
Published December 4, 2019 4:32 pm
Opposition feels concerns weren't heard after Boone County Commission approves MidwayUSA rezoning
Intersection of Highway 40 and Route J, the location of the new MidwayUSA Facility
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After a couple of hours of public comment Tuesday night, the Boone County Commission voted 2-1 to approve a request to rezone land for a MidwayUSA facility.
Denny Stephenson and 44 others were at the meeting, presenting their arguments and over 400 signatures on a petition. On Wednesday Stephenson said he felt like their concerns were ignored.
"I would find it difficult to believe that they didn't come in presupposed," Stephenson said. "Which is counter to the public hearing. The public hearing isn't just for us to vent, it's to help them make a decision."
The county's planning and zoning commission had previously denied the request to rezone the 193 acres on the southeast corner of Highway 40 and Route J between Columbia and Rocheport for a new headquarters. The land had been zoned for agricultural use.
Those opposed were concerned the new facility would not fit the culture of the area, decrease property value and cause problems for farms in the area.
Northern District Boone County Commissioner Janet Thompson opposed the rezoning. During the meeting, she spoke of a similar proposal that the commission had denied in the past.
Thompson said the commission typically respects and upholds any ruling of the planning and zoning commission unless it is contrary to the law. She said the planning and zoning commission ruled this development would "fundamentally change the character of the area."
"How do we reconcile what we've done before?" Thompson said. "How do we look at those regulations that give us that sense of certainty?"
Stephenson agreed with Thompson.
"You may have seen the demise of planning and zoning as we know it in Boone County," Stephenson said. "Anyone that can use this as a precedent case if it stands can come in anywhere and do anything."
Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill and Southern District Commissioner Fred Parry voted in support of the rezoning request, citing economic development as one rationale for approving it. Parry said this was a "gut-wrenching decision."
"I would not want to live next door, or across the street or anywhere in the proximity of a warehouse," Parry said.
Stephenson said he was shocked by the statements Parry made.
"I think that's poor representation of the people that vote for him," Stephenson said.
Parry said he is currently protesting a medical development in his neighborhood on Broadway in Columbia.
"I don't want it in my backyard, I don't want it in my neighborhood," Parry said. "So I can completely relate to sort of the sentiment of the neighbors who believe their quality of life is about to change drastically."
Parry also argued there are already commercial developments in the area, so the development would not stick out.
"I think what's best for the entirety of Boone County is for us to approve this," Parry said. "And hold MidwayUSA's Mr. Potterfield's feet to the fire on making sure they are good neighbors, and that this building is built in a way as much as it can protect the integrity of that area."
Parry said the $4.5 million in annual property tax the development would bring in is hard to look over.
Atwill said the 1,200 jobs the facility could provide would help the county.
"Jobs generate more jobs, new employees buy groceries, homes, furniture, clothes … countless things we all use every day," Atwill said. "All of these transactions produce sales and taxes which are used to maintain schools, roads and services of all kinds."
Parry also criticized MidwayUSA CEO Larry Potterfield for only sending letters to the neighbors, saying the "heated arguments" could have been avoided if Potterfield would have held meetings with residents.
Potterfield said Wednesday he agrees with Parry.
"I think that I've learned the lesson to think of the community as more as part of the team," Potterfield said. "And being a team player I would think in the future I will communicate more with the team in advance of what's going on."
Potterfield thinks many of the new employees will buy houses and the area will expand.
"Everything I do, I do on the basis of what I think is right and what I would like," Potterfield said. "If I were living across the street, what would I like, I think that way, and I put myself in my neighbors' position."
Stephenson said his issue is with the commission, not MidwayUSA.
"I don't blame the Potterfields for this," Stephenson said. "I blame the commissioners for this, if it were my business, I'd do anything to put it where I wanted it."
ABC17 reached out to MidwayUSA for a timeline on the project but has not received a response.
Columbia / Economy / Mid-Missouri Business / News / Top Stories
Connor Hirsch
Connor Hirsch reports for the weekday early evening shows, as well as Saturday nights.
Officials say gravel is trickier to treat than pavement during snowy conditions
Two accused of starting fire in Jefferson City Salvation Army
Web Extra: Patrick Mahomes speaks on Day 4
Darin L Clements says:
Duh. They're talking about a tax increase. Think your tax bill compares to Midways? You never stood a chance against the money grubbing scum that are selected officials.
Mr. Parry and Mr. Atwill together have allowed the destruction of Midway as we know it. Money talks – their eyes began to twinkle when the developer put up the $$ numbers. Money talks – MS Thompson was the ONLY one that "got it." She listened, understood our concerns, and voted with the recommendation of the P&Z commission. Mr. Parry and Mr. Atwill will NOT be getting my vote for anything in the future. Even though I supported them before, that support has now ended. MS Thompson is an exemplary example of what a person representing the public should be. Kudos to her for her independence, her not joining the "good ol' boys," and for representing the people of Boone County. As a wise man said "we will never solve our problems simply by changing regulations to serve an individual. Ultimately, the source of our problems lies at the level of the individual So long as people give priority to material values, then injustice, inequity, intolerance and greed — all the outward manifestations of neglect of inner values — will persist."


text:
Hickenlooper makes emergency plea for lawmakers to extend children's health insurance program
The $9.6 million request would fund the Children's Health Plan Plus for an extra month
By JOHN INGOLD / The Denver Post
Marbell Castillo, who often takes her granddaughter Maia to her doctor appointments, worries about future health coverage for the little girl if CHIP is not funded.
Matt McClain, The Washington Post via Denver Post
Colorado may use state money to extend the life of a health insurance program for children, as Congress continues to delay reauthorizing the federal funds that normally pay for it.
Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday sent an emergency request to lawmakers to dip into state coffers and extend the life of the program for one month — until the end of February. The program, which in Colorado is known as the Children's Health Plan Plus, is currently set to end on Jan. 31 unless Congress reauthorizes the money for it.
"Vulnerable children and pregnant women are being used as bargaining chips," Hickenlooper said in a statement. "This request is not a cure. It's a one-time only bandaid as we wait for Congress to do what's right."
Without money to extend it, state officials expect to begin sending out letters next week to families covered by the program, notifying them of the program's end.
CHP+, which is part of the national Children's Health Insurance Program, serves about 75,000children and pregnant women. To qualify, families must be low-income but make just enough to be above the cutoff for Medicaid.
Read the full story on denverpost.com
With nearly half-full Snowstangs, CDOT says bus service to ski areas has been a success so far


text:
Best Anime That You Can Watch On Hulu This September
For all that Netflix is good for — its original content, documentaries, international TV shows — there is one genre that Hulu has particularly excelled in: anime. Before Netflix had dreamed of making an original anime, Hulu had already accrued a treasure chest of titles that had only gotten bigger over the years. That, evidently, makes flipping through the infinite pages of anime overwhelming for curious outsiders. If you're struggling, we've broken down what's available right now into the quintessential titles of various genres, and what to do with them when you're eventually searching for more and more.
1. Space Dandy
This may be the biggest TV show I've ever seen — not just anime, but TV, as a whole. The extremely complicated show has one of the easiest concepts since the series follows Dandy, a bounty hunter, and his peculiar crew on the hunt for exotic alien creatures. Masterminded by Shinichiro Watanabe (a name that's going to come up a lot here), every episode brings Dandy and company to a different world, apparently making it a new show every time. One episode is a zombie book, the next a romantic drama, or even an intergalactic dance battle. Another installment relies solely on the concept of a robot seeking to learn and appreciate how to love.
2. Ergo Proxy
While Ergo Proxy lasted just a single season, it made quite an impact thanks to its spectacular visuals and often challenging philosophic tales. It takes place in the future, where humans and androids reside side by side in harmony before the virus gives the androids a sense of self-consciousness and an urge to destroy. Inspector Re-l Mayer soon learns that another species named Proxy may carry secrets that will determine the destiny of human beings and androids alike.
3. Hunter X Hunter
A series of adventures unlike any other, even if the modest beginning of Hunter x Hunter might lead you to think otherwise. What begins with young Gon facing some tests to become a Hunter — a member of the elite who has been given the privilege of doing all kinds of dangerous, unique activities — becomes a much more ambitious effort. Each arc becomes more creative than the last, with an uncanny ability to switch styles and bring them to a satisfying end. The group expands exponentially, but the series still finds a way to create a plot that makes all characters interesting and well-realized.
4. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is based on a manga that sold more than 9 million copies and won numerous awards. It follows the love-hate relationship between the main characters, Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane. After, he reached his anime amongst a slice of life anime lovers because it was over the top face-off against the lead character. Student Body Chief Miyuki Shirogane and Vice-Chairman Kaguya Shinomiya seem to be the right couple. Kaguya is the youngest daughter of the corporate family, and Miyuki is a well-known high school student in the region.
And even though they like each other, they are too proud to admit their feelings, so they fear that someone who does so will fall first.
5. Black Clover
Black Clover is a shimmering fantasy adventure. It's actually in the midst of its season, but it still has dozens of episodes available at the time of this writing. The plot is pursued by two young guys, one with great magic power and one with virtually zero. They all make it into the Magic Knights, expecting someday to become the Wizard King. A lot of people refer to this as Fairy Tail Jr because of the identical structure with magic users and guilds, but frankly, the two of them couldn't be any different. Hulu has both subbed and translated versions, so you can see anything you want.
6. Baccano
If you're in the mood for an ultra-violent and scandalously fun time, the hectic activities of Baccano are right up your alley. The story bounces around numerous gangs of mobsters and even more sinister lawful people, with some everlasting characters, tossed into the mix for good measure. The sequence is masterfully built, as it moves forward and backward in time until the climactic point of convergence, where the hysteria of everything turns out to play a part. The ensemble is extremely friendly, and the animation is comprehensive enough to make you feel at the most horrific times.
7. Outlaw Star
Fans of Joss Whedon's TV series, Firefly, may notice a number of recognizable elements in western space, the Outlaw Star. But the anime and manga that had inspired Firefly a few years before. In this season, Gene Starwind and the motley crew of the Outlaw Star took on a few odd jobs to keep their ship in working order. They're still searching for a galactic treasure in the universe as Gene develops romantic feelings for Melfina, an advanced bio-android. Just 26 episodes were made, but that also allowed Outlaw Star to draw a satisfactory conclusion.
8. Steins; Gate
Steins; Gate's time journeys frantic trips on an engrossing plot that holds you on your toes with unpredictable and well-established twists and turns. What at first seems to be an enjoyable time with Rintaro "Okarin" Okabe and his troop of perhaps-scientists ends up being a grand, exciting, and often sad tale that won't let go before you reach the end. Do yourself a favor and give it a shot before reading any more of the series because it's the kind of show that rewards those who go blindly into it.
9. Assassination Classroom
In what is one of the greatest ideas I've ever come across, Assassination Classroom deals with an octopus alien who claims he's going to conquer the world in one year unless he can be destroyed. Yeah, and if you don't think he's serious, he's just blowing up three-quarters of the moon. The steps that have been placed in motion here are that a class of students — the bottom of the barrel — are assigned the job of being trained as assassins to take him down, collecting a billion dollars in the process. The criteria, though, are that this alien is their teacher and that he is unable to harm any of his pupils, with them getting a year to get away from their jobs so that the world is not lost.
10. K-On
K-ON, man! It can be concisely summed up as the exploits of a group of high school students who entered the pop music party, but stopping at that is a disservice to the story. What raises is not what, but how; K-ON! It's about the downtime between rehearsals, going out with mates, the mysterious and universally relatable sensation of adolescence. Director Naoko Yamada's uncanny ability to get into the heads of her characters and make them live out their childhood as real people are never at odds with the cartoon-y, pure fun side of the series. The fun of the first season is followed by a much more atmospheric and emotionally charged series.
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view all related dvds | view all related news | view all related listings
[11/02/21 - 01:02 PM]
HBO Max Renews "Sweet Life: Los Angeles" for a Second Season
Season one, which debuted in August, is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
[08/19/21 - 10:13 AM]
"Cry Macho," "Malignant," Limited Series "Scenes from a Marriage," The Third Season of "Doom Patrol," and "Adventure Time: Distant Lands - Wizard City" Arrive on HBO Max This September
Additional series premiering during the month include the third season of series "Tig n' Seek," and the series premiere of "Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs."
Video: HBO Max Reveals Official Trailer and Key Art for "Sweet Life: Los Angeles," Debuting August 19
Exploring themes of loyalty, legacy, and love, this coming-of-age series follows a group of long-time friends in South Los Angeles as they navigate the relatable, chaotic, mid-20s moments at the quarter-life mark and propel each other into adulthood success.
"The Suicide Squad," "Reminiscence," "Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union," Season 3 of "Titans," "Sweet Life: Los Angeles," and "Hard Knocks: The Dallas Cowboys" Arrive on HBO Max This August
A-list films including the "Jurassic Park" trilogy, "Magic Mike XXL," "Inception," "Malcolm X," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Requiem for a Dream," and the "Sex and the City" movie all debut in the month.
Video: HBO Max Launches a "Summer of Unscripted" with Premiere Dates and First Look Sizzle for "FBOY Island," "The Hype" and "Sweet Life: Los Angeles"
They'll launch Thursday, July 29, August 12 and August 19, respectively.
HBO & HBO Max Summer Programming Overview
"Betty," as previously announced, will kick things off on Friday, June 11.
HBO Max Announces Unscripted Series "Sweet Life: Los Angeles" from Issa Rae
The series gives an honest and unique look into what it means to be young, Black, and in constant pursuit of one's dreams in the heart of South Los Angeles.
SWEET LIFE: LOS ANGELES (HBO MAX)
Returns in TBA 2022 (Exact Date TBA)
BROADCAST HISTORY:
8/19/21 - ???
returning in 2021/2022 (date TBA)
TIME SLOT:
not on the schedule
2 (??? episodes)
VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE
Season 2 ordered on 11/2/21
(from HBO Max's web site, August 2021) Tight-knit childhood friends pursue their dreams in the heart of South Los Angeles, offering a unique and aspirational look at what it means to be young, Black, and full of ambition from executive producer Issa Rae.
CREW INFORMATION:
· Ashley Calloway as PROD
· Issa Rae as EP
· Jimmy Fox as EP
· Leola Westbrook as EP
· Montrel McKay as EP
· Pyongson "Sunny" Yim as CO-EP
· Rajah Ahmed as CO-EP
· Sara Rastogi as PROD
· Sheri Maroufkhani as EP
· Sun de Graaf as EP
· reality (all)
· reality (documentary)
STUDIO INFORMATION:
· HOORAE
· Main Event Media
· Morning Dew Pictures


Winning Spirit has a wide range of promotional clothing from basic tees, polos, business shirts to industrial workwear, team uniforms and beach gear. Featuring quality products for the Australian market, all Winning Spirit clothing & accessories feature a quality finish, modern styling and comfort. All products are made of durable fabrics, while meeting AUS/NZ standards.
Great for casual wear, team uniform, sports, adventure, hospitality, work and fun! Buy bulk wholesale, get up to 20%, 30% or more off the prices.


So far cvcf_admin has created 6 blog entries.
This video will show you how to distress wood to achieve a weathered, yet natural looking finish on your furniture.
This video will show you how to apply distressed paint techniques to wood.


text:
Q: To encounter someone/something or to encounter with someone/something? I have seen both forms and I don't know which one is the more appropriate (if there is a difference).
The actual sentence in which I want to use it is "particles can encounter (with) the atoms of the material".
But I'm also interested in the general case.

A: In this instance, it's the verb form, and you would not use "with".
If it was the noun form, you could use "with", like
"I had an encounter with an old girlfriend on saturday".
See http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/encounter


There's a movie I wish most parents would watch, called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, which focuses largely on the childhood of a world-renowned surgeon who pioneered advances in separating conjoined twins.
He grew up in the projects, a poor black kid who had an illiterate young mother dreaming of a better life for her kids. Sadly, he was failing in school as late as grade four. I absolutely love the scenes where she makes changes in parenting that result in her boys skyrocketing scholastically. It's a teachable moment for anyone who has kids in their lives.
Its point is, parents should never underestimate the power of teaching a little extra at home. Maybe it'll mean the difference between a life lived in mediocrity or a life spent in a brain surgery O.R.
Let's talk about things you can do to make a rec room or a spare bedroom into a great space for learning.
Bright colors are energizing and powerful. If you're trying to make a space that's an exciting place to learn and soak up information, consider going bold.
Reds, yellows, blues, greens — you name it, if it's bright and filled with primary-color fun, most kids will look forward to time spent in this space. That's half the battle.
Consider breaking the space up, color-wise. Use more calming colors — like whites, blues, greens, greys — where you want them to focus and knuckle-down with work, but if it's where you want them engaged and involved, asking questions and feeling ready to go, fill this with the brighter, more dynamic reds and yellows. Don't shy away from painting out blocks of color or using bold stripes, either.
Think decals, stencils, and photography here. Whether you're finding a giant map of the world, stenciling math equations all over a wall, or creating a natural history mural of animals and geography, there are a lot of great ways to incorporate learning with decor. So many sites sell wall decals of all sizes now, even 10×12 feet across! Browse the web and I'm sure you'll have many finds.
Keep your kids in mind. What do they most like learning about? Use that to inspire you in this room.
Do they love marine biology? Make a deep-blue wall with everything from decals of dolphins through to hand-written notes made showing the different layers of the ocean, or a giant illustration from Jules Vernes' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Put an aquarium against the wall and use algae and sea forests as decals across the wall behind it.
If they love music, wallpaper a section with old sheet music. Put old salvaged instruments on the wall as decor, and use that as their practice area.
Have fun with wall treatments but try to keep them on-theme in a way that will inspire your kids not just today, but in three or four years too.
Desk, bookshelves, and chairs are the obvious suspects in this case, but this time you want to think of multi-function and storage.
Installing something like a floating wall 3 feet out with storage cubbies facing the rear wall and a blackboard/bulletin board on the back, facing the center of the room, becomes a powerful built-in solution that gives you a ton of storage that isn't an eyesore, and a focused learning wall.
Finding old-school desks with lifting tops and attached chairs is a great way to keep the day-to-day items your kids use organized just for them, plus it gives them a sense of ownership over their space.
As long as you have a comfortable table and chair configuration for your little person, you're providing the basics.
For a perfect learning environment, you'll want things to be easily moved and arranged. This will give you maximum flexibility if you ever want to, say, make a giant baking soda-and-vinegar volcano in the middle of the room or something. To keep things flexible, invest in lots of good quality castors and put wheels on everything.
We live in a post-globe world, but there's something kids and pre-teens love about the hands-on quality of a globe. You can find a wide variety of them if you're open-minded about antique and curios stores.
I like old maps and globes because there are so many different place names now. Think of all the lessons right there! Why was Burma changed to Myanmar? What's a coup? What's imperialism? Why do countries change so much?
Maps, science-y looking gadgets, space and planetary things (like a planet mobile), cultural pieces — these are all great learning-theme items to bring into play.
This is a room you'll never regret investing in if you strike the right balance between discipline and fun. Learning should become a life-long hobby for all of us, and this is where it begins.
With a mix of fun accessories, comfortable workspace, bright colors, good lighting, and a willingness to answer a whole lot of questions, you might find this is a project that makes it easier for you to fulfill the promise you made to see that your child will lead as good, or better, a life than you.


text:
Q: Deploying Alexa skill from Codepipeline errors out saying "Not authorized for requested operation" I'm trying to deploy an Alexa skill following the document provided by AWS. I'm using code commit as the source and Alexa skills kit as the deploy for deploying the skill.
I'm getting this error - Not authorized for the requested operation.
I'm unsure why I get this as the LWA security profile is also set up with the right permissions.

A: The issue was with the generation of refresh token with ask cli version 2.
It's now resolved after using ask cli version 1 to generate the refresh token.

A: How did you generate a refresh token with ask cli v1, i'm using version 1.7.23, and keep geting erro to authenticate when try to generate the token


text:
using Newtonsoft.Json;
namespace Nexmo.Api.Accounts
{
    public class Balance
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The balance of the account, in EUR
        /// </summary>
        [JsonProperty("value")]
        public decimal Value { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// Whether the account has auto-reloading enabled
        /// </summary>
        [JsonProperty("autoReload")]
        public bool AutoReload { get; set; }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The nail is in the coffin! The year 2014 is dead — dead, dead, dead!
But before it was buried and put to rest though, a number of sites online took a minute out from writing retrospectives to look ahead at what we might see in the coming year.
What will be the big trends of 2015? I've got a half-dozen links posted below. And there is some overlap of ideas between them, especially when it comes to simply pointing out the extension of trends which already hit the ground running in 2014.
I separated the above link from the others because it is largely a report about food. That said, there is also a lot in the report about bars and booze. It's a 19-page document, not a web list like all the other lists. And there's a lot of interesting ideas and predictions proposed.
Everyone wants to be ahead of the curve.
Me? I can't wait to be completely blindsided by something awesome this coming year, whether it's just a new flavor, product, brand or technique — or whether it's something that turns the whole industry on its ear.


text:
Workforce and Wages
Location and Climate
2019 Quarter 1
Design-Based Manufacturing
Alliance Injection Molding acquired an existing building on the north side of Three Rivers. The company will make a $350,000 investment in the space and add two new jobs while retaining three more.
Skilled Trades Training Fund
Formerly known as the State of Michigan's Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF), the Going PRO Talent Fund provides funds to companies for short term, in-demand training. Training is not limited to "skilled trade" occupations; training has included welding, CNC operator, CNC programmer, robotics, IT training, electronic health records, and on-the-job training for individuals to be hired. Here are just a few Southwest Michigan companies earning awards at the end of 2018:
A & O Mold and Engineering
American Axle & Manufacturing
Eimo Technologies, Inc.
Erbsloeh Aluminum Solutions
Kalamazoo X-Ray Sales
KSS Enterprises
Le Vannes, Inc.
MANN+HUMMEL USA Inc.
National Flavors, Inc.
OptiMed Specialty Pharmacy
Parker Fluid Connectors, Brass
Senior Care Partners
Sigma Machine Inc.
Singh Automation
Weber Specialties Company
White Pigeon Paper Company
XL Machine Company, Inc.
Zoetis Inc.
Sturgis Molded Products, a plastic injection molding specialist in Sturgis, is investing $3 million in its facility and equipment to accommodate growth from a new product line.
Agriculture/Food Processing
Walther Farms, a third-generation potato farm, is investing $8 million in the construction of a new 110,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse in Mottville Township near Three Rivers. The expansion will create 12 new jobs.
Michigan Milk Producers Association, a dairy farmer-owned cooperative and dairy producer serving more than 1,700 farmers in the Midwest, plans to add a new 7,500-square-foot processing area to its existing facility in Constantine. The project is expected to generate a total investment of $24 million and create 11 jobs.
XL Machine, a turnkey supplier of precision build-to-print components and assemblies, will expand its shipping area to accommodate increased product demand from Three Rivers.
Mendon Seed Growers will establish a new location in Sturgis. The company received a $50,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to create a full-service, turnkey seed production facility.
Due to increased production volume, Banks Hardwoods, a valued supplier of hardwoods in White Pigeon, expanded its warehousing space by 30,000 square feet.
Download 2019 Announcements
© 2019 Southwest Michigan First. All Rights Reserved.
Made in Michigan by NK


text:
FundayFactory
Why Games are Appealing
About Funday Factory
What is it games do to us mentally?
6 years ago, the iPad was launched and over the years, various mobile devices have become an integrated part of our daily life. However, parents are still struggling to figure out how to govern the platforms that children are experts of.
We sat down with Andreas Lieberoth, Assistant professor, Educational Psychology, Danish School of Education, to discuss what games do to us mentally, in order to understand how we can benefit from games.
In recent years, games have evolved from a stationary and time consuming hobby to a portable and casual experience. The change in accessibility has broadened the audience significant and both children and parents spend time playing games, like never before.
According to many psychologists the reason for our devotion to games, is that games speak to some basic human instinct that makes us feel good about ourselves.
"It seems that games are good at creating intrinsic motivation, where the reward is internal and driven by ourselves."
Andreas Lieberoth, Assistant professor, Educational Psychology, Danish School of Education
Different genres, different outcome
Of course, there are many different genres within games and therefore many different outcomes to how a game might influence the player - eg. behavior, mood, self-image etc. One of the theories that is often used to explain why we play games is the self-determination theory. The self-determination theory explores how games fulfill our needs for Competence, Autonomy and Relatedness. Let's take a closer look at the three needs.
The importance of feeling competent
According to Andreas, feeling competent is central in our life. Humans need to feel challenged while still being able to accomplish the tasks ahead. One of the beautiful things about games, is the freedom to fail and the encouragement to bounce back.
Competence doesn't necessarily mean the experience has to be fun or easy: It can be intense, it can be thought provoking, it can be challenging. The important factor is a sense of curiosity; a desire to discover what happens next.
"Very often, what makes a game experience meaningful is the feeling of success when finishing a task you could not previously accomplish. We need to experience the difficulty and then move beyond."
Games give you the freedom to choose
Games often contain many choices that each gives you the autonomy to pick between characters, levels, tasks, challenges and so on. Even after completing a level, many games will give you the freedom to pick that level again, and allow you to beat your own score. The important thing is the autonomy: The freedom to choose for yourself.
But why is autonomy important in games?
We play games because we enjoy it. We don't see it as a constraint to play games. That's something that games have in common with play, it's done out of your own volition. If playing games becomes forced, it loses the feeling of autonomy, that makes playing games special.
That's why using games in schools, or when training at work, can be uncomfortable at first. We're used to games being something that we choose to engage in, it's an intrinsically motivated decision, and the motivation disappears when the game is forced upon us.
That being said, there is still a lot to gain from gamified education, it's just important to be aware of the threshold that the player might need to move beyond, if the game feels forced.
At Funday Factory we occasionally deal with parental concerns about what games do, or fail to do, socially. What is your response to that?
As a parent myself, I understand the concern. We still don't know how the use of digital media affects the brain. I guess it is with games as with many other things in life - "everything in moderation". That being said, some would argue that games can be used as alibis for interactions.
"Games can give you a reason to relate to other people: You see many groups meeting up either online, or out in the world, coming together to play games."
So games can help you relate to, and understand, other people?
Relatedness can also be the relation to a character in the game: What we call parasocial relationships. You can have a relationship to a fictional character in a game, just as to a rock musician that you like or to a person in a TV show. Those relationships are just as real as other relationships, they're just pretty one-sided usually. The relatedness can also be with a story - a desire to see how things play out. The feeling of relatedness can help you define who you are, and define something that's greater and beyond you. It's why many games have a narrative: The narrative conveys a sense of progress, but also a sense of being progressively engaged in something that's meaningful, something you can relate to.
What does the future hold for games?
Games are a great gateway to introducing new technologies to a broad audience that doesn't necessarily think of themselves as tech savvy. Games are about seeing often complex systems, moving through them and understanding different levels of interaction, which are all great skills, that translates into other aspects of your life. We see evidence of people with a positive relationship to games, having an easier time conveying the value of games into learning, either at school, at work or in other aspects of their life.
Despite the perceived positives in gaming, we still need more data to understand how games impact our brains. At Funday Factory we encourage children to play games, and for parents to engage in the selection process. Parents should take responsibility for what games are played, and ensure that the game is age-appropriate. Just remember, that gaming, as well as every other form of entertainment media, is best enjoyed in moderation.
Andreas Lieberoth, Assistant professor, Educational Psychology
Andreas researches the psychological capabilities of games, using neuroscience, media psychology and other areas of expertise, and has published many articles within his field. He particularly works with games designed for communication, learning, motivation and research.
Seminar: Digital Kids Today 2017 vol. 2
Maurice Wheeler, Partner @ The Little Big Partnership shares recent research on children's motivation for playing games.
Branded Games
Why you should consider branded games as part of your marketing strategy.
Age Appropriate Game Design
3 tips on how to design for toddlers, pre-schoolers, primary-schoolers and tweens.
hello@fundayfactory.com
Funday Factory ApS
Søndergade 4, 2nd Floor
Denmark, Scandinavia
This site uses cookies. By using this site, you accept this. Read more


Tomahawk Hills Golf Course in beautiful Shawnee, Kansas is the oldest golf course in the metropolitan area. The course was built in 1910 and is ranked as one of the area's most challenging public courses. Set among picturesque rolling hills, adjacent to Shawnee Mission Park and the lowland area of Little Mill Creek, Tomahawk Hills offers patrons a challenging 18-hole championship course of over 6,000 yards, which plays to a par 70. Designed for today's golfer, our course includes beautiful Zoysia grass fairways and driving range, bent grass greens, and a new club house.
Tomahawk Hills Golf Course is located at 17501 Midland Drive in Shawnee, Kansas and is accessible from Midland Drive off I-435.


Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold were brilliant and wealthy University of Chicago graduate students. In 1924 they kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks, for the thrill of committing a "perfect" crime. It was quickly dubbed the "Crime of the Century" and provoked a media frenzy. In the sensational trial that followed, they were defended by the most famous lawyer in America, Clarence Darrow. This episode of the award-winning Chicago Stories series tells the story of a crime that is no less compelling today than when it first captivated a horrified nation.


Tag line: "Your favorite creeps...together again!"
We open in a cemetery, the fog hugging the ground as mourners line a freshly-dug grave to say goodbye to one of their own. The ceremony completed, the group slowly shuffles off, leaving the undertakers to complete their task. It's a familiar enough beginning, one you'd find in any number of scary movies. But there's more to this film than horror; the moment the family and friends of the deceased are gone, the two undertakers tip the casket, dropping only the body into the open hole (thus preserving the coffin for later use). At this point, the tone of the movie switches as the action speeds up to a frenzied pace (a la The Benny Hill Show), with the morticians tossing dirt into the grave as quickly as possible to cover up their deception. It's a humorous start to a movie that will live up to its title, The Comedy of Terrors.
The deceitful undertakers are Waldo Trumbull (Vincent Price) and his assistant, Felix Gillie (Peter Lorre), and they're cutting corners because business has been kinda slow lately. Having inherited the small enterprise from his father-in-law Amos Hinchley (Boris Karloff), Trumbull is having a hard time making a go of it, and to add to his misery he quarrels often with his wife, former opera singer Amaryllis (Joyce Jameson). When the landlord, John Black (Basil Rathbone), demands that he pay his past due rent, Trumbull decides to take matters into his own hands. So, that night, he and Gillie set off to murder someone, thus "creating" a new customer for them to bury. Oddly enough, the victim they eventually settle upon is none other than John Black himself! But when the stubborn Mr. Black refuses to die, Trumbull has no choice but to get a bit "creative" to get the job done.
Despite featuring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff, 1963's The Comedy of Terrors, Like The Raven before it, emphasizes guffaws over screams, and while most everyone gets in on the fun (Karloff's Amos, a senile old man, has his moments; and Rathbone seems to be lampooning himself by playing John Black as a hammy Shakespearean actor, spouting off lines from MacBeth for no apparent reason), it's Price who delivers most of the movie's laughs. A nasty, self-centered cad, Trumbull insults his wife on a regular basis (when Amaryllis talks of how her father liked to collect "curious objects" from around the world, Trumbull snaps back "He did more than collect curious objects, madam. He also fathered one!"). What's more, he blackmails the elderly Gillie (who escaped from prison some time ago), forcing him to take an active part in his various illegal activities (many of their scenes together have a slapstick vibe, with an obvious double standing in for the aging Lorre when the action heats up). Having played his share of tortured souls in movies like House of Wax and The Pit and the Pendulum, Price clearly relished the chance to portray a comedic jerk, and he makes the most of the opportunity.
Aside from its three stars (all horror icons in their own right), The Comedy of Terrors was also directed by Jacques Tourneur (who helmed such classic scare flicks as the original Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie), and written by Richard Matheson, who, along with his science fiction output, penned the scripts for Spielberg's Duel as well as The Legend of Hell House, and the 4th (and best) segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". With talent like this, you'd think The Comedy of Terrors would have been a bone-fide horror film. That fact that it's a good comedy instead is a testament to its cast and crew, who prove that jokes and terror are more closely linked than most people imagine.