text:
Last year, a large number of residents submitted a petition to Brisbane City Council calling for a drop in the speed limit on Montague Road, West End. I requested a speed limit review because I felt the road is too fast and too dangerous.
Council outsourced the review process to a consultancy, but bizarrely, the consultancy only looked at crash data from between 2007 to 2011, rather than focussing on more recent crash histories. As shown in the accompanying image, they also made some terrible choices in locating their traffic counters. They placed traffic recorders up near the Jane St traffic lights and down towards Orleigh Park, but didn't collect any data on speeds or traffic volumes in the fastest and most dangerous section of Montague Road.
Below is my (long) speech to council about why I think the speed limit should be lowered (preferably to 40km/h south of Vulture Street). It's pretty dry, but a few traffic planning geeks might enjoy it. And here's a link to the report produced by the consultancy that council outsourced to…
I'd like to unpack a couple of major flaws in the speed limit review process, which is the basis of council's opposition to lowering the speed limit at this time. I'll then go on to highlight some of the key arguments weighing in favour of dropping the speed limit on Montague Road.
So council conducted this speed limit review in response to safety concerns raised by a number of local residents and business owners. My general concern is that the speed limit review process which the Queensland Government encourages councils to follow doesn't necessarily yield sensible outcomes in inner-city suburbs, particularly in areas that have recently undergone rapid development and transformation. This is in large part because the process does not include pedestrian or cyclist counts and deprioritises the needs and concerns of pedestrians and public transport users.
The speed limit review process is inherently resistant to changes that would improve pedestrian safety and amenity. It is overly bureaucratised and heavily centralised and does not sufficiently account for local context or the need to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users ahead of cars. If we'd followed this process in the CBD, it would have recommended against dropping speed limits to 40 km/h. But I think we can all agree that 40km/h is working pretty well in the CBD and that if the State Government's review process contradicts that, then the review process is flawed.
It's also kind of morbid that the review process relies so heavily on crash data as the primary indicator regarding safety. This creates a situation where no matter how dangerous a road is and no matter how many residents and local businesses complain that an area has become more dangerous, council won't act until after multiple serious crashes have occurred.
So I'm not convinced that this speed limit review process should be relied upon by council as our only tool of analysis and decision-making regarding speeds, particularly in areas with lots of pedestrians.
However, for the purposes of discussion today, I wanted to raise specific concerns about this particular speed limit review. I hope these concerns will be conveyed to the relevant council officers and that Councillor Cooper will be good enough to take these concerns in good faith as they are intended. The outcome I'm seeking is that we hold off on responding to this petition until further research has been conducted. An alternative outcome I'd like to see is that this administration will remain open to conducting another speed limit review in the most dangerous section of Montague Road sometime in the next few months, once newer crash data becomes available.
The speed limit review report relies heavily on data from two traffic recorders, which recorded both traffic volumes and speed data over a seven day period.
But unfortunately, this data is fundamentally flawed due to the poorly thought-out locations of the traffic counters.
One traffic recorder was positioned right down at the southern end of the road near Cordeaux St, which is a lower density residential neighbourhood that receives substantially less traffic than the rest of Montague Road. This is just before the approach to Orleigh Park, where the road narrows and vehicles slow down to turn onto Orleigh Street.
The other traffic recorder was positioned at the very northern end of the review area, immediately before the Jane Street traffic lights. The segment of Montague Rd between Jane St and Vulture St also receives far less traffic, because the majority of vehicles travelling into and out of the peninsula currently turn onto Vulture Street, avoiding the Jane St intersection altogether.
So the independent consultancy has put these recorders in places where there are lower traffic volumes and lower speeds than the most dangerous stretch in the middle of Montague Road. It's a little bit like measuring how fast a bunch of sprinters are running by positioning the speed gun twenty centimetres in front of the starting line.
So even though my concerns and the concerns of residents were primarily related to the middle stretch of Montague Road near Victoria Street, the consultancy has measured the vehicle speeds and traffic volumes at the far ends of the road, away from the major trouble spots.
My second related concern is that this report doesn't include pedestrian or cyclist counts, even though pedestrian safety issues were the primary trigger for this speed limit review. The report goes into a lot of detail about the number of vehicles per hour and what speeds they were travelling at, but doesn't make any serious attempt to explore how frequently pedestrians cross the road or where pedestrians cross most often, which should logically be the focus for this kind of review. The report's failure to focus at all on cyclist safety and comfort is deeply concerning, and again defeats a key purpose of the speed limit review.
My third and perhaps most significant objection is that the independent consultants appear to have relied on very out-of-date crash data in assessing safety concerns. This is particularly problematic because it seems to have been the crash data, as part of the Environment Assessment component of this review, that tipped the balance in favour of retaining the current speed rather than dropping it.
The review relied upon crash data from 2007 to 2011, even though this review was conducted at the end of 2016. This is in spite of the fact that I have repeatedly emphasised to council how significantly traffic conditions and crash frequencies have changed in the last few years. Back in 2007, Montague Road was a lot safer. There were far fewer cars and far fewer pedestrians. People didn't have to play chicken with semi-trailers every time they wanted to get to the bus stop or the local shops.
In the period from 2007 to 2011, there were fewer than 15 significant accidents along Montague Road. Nowadays, there are dozens of accidents along Montague Road every year. I'm personally aware of five accidents that have occurred along the Victoria Street stretch since the beginning of January this year, and I'm sure there are more that I haven't heard about.
I'm extremely sceptical of claims that no relevant crash data from 2011 onwards was available, or that more recent data was not suitable to be relied upon. I know the State Government can be pretty slow to release this sort of information, but a lag of five years is pretty hard to believe. If it really was the case that more recent data was unavailable, it would have been better to exclude crash data from the review altogether, rather than relying on crash statistics that were between 5 and 10 years old.
The Montague Rd precinct has changed dramatically in recent years. This area is undergoing a process of rapid densification, with dozens of warehouses and industrial businesses replaced by high-density residential along with commercial uses that generate higher volumes of traffic – both pedestrian and vehicles – than previous land uses.
Montague Road includes a range of uses that generate high pedestrian volumes including the blue cityglider bus route, a major supermarket, and several smaller supermarkets, commercial offices, major dance schools, high-density residential, a large new childcare centre that's currently under construction, and the very popular Davies Park Markets. It's also a key connector to the local primary school and the riverside parklands.
The opportunity we have along Montague Road is to create a walkable neighbourhood more reminiscent of Grey Street at South Bank, with a lively and vibrant streetscape and high volumes of pedestrian and cyclist traffic.
As the West End population grows, we need to make it easier, safer and more comfortable for people to use active transport and public transport rather than relying on private vehicle transport. This will improve local amenity and commerce, and will also allow for larger numbers of commuters to travel in and out of the suburb along Montague Road.
The LNP's South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan reinforces this vision. It says that along Montague Road, retail development, street upgrades, landscaping and building design will establish an attractive and comfortable environment for pedestrians. So it sounds like we all share similar visions for how this road will evolve, and should be working together to achieve that vision.
A crucial and necessary step in this transformation of Montague Road is lowering the speed limit. This will reduce noise and air pollution, which will make the footpaths a more comfortable pedestrian environment, and will improve amenity for the many residents now living in apartments along the road. It will also improve the actual safety and perceived safety for cyclists who ride along this corridor.
Dropping the speed limit will make it easier and safer for vehicles to turn onto Montague Road from side-streets and driveways, and will also reduce hassles and safety concerns for Cityglider bus drivers who are pulling out of bus stops.
During peak periods, traffic along Montague Road already moves very slowly, and dropping the speed limit is unlikely to have any significant impact on travel times for private vehicles during rush hour. However it will significantly improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists throughout the day. In the last two or three years, there's been a significant increase in crashes and near misses along this corridor. The Victoria Street intersection near the ALDI supermarket is the most notorious hotspot for collisions and near misses.
Pedestrians of all demographics cross Montague Road on a daily basis, including dozens of school children, people with impaired mobility, and people with impaired vision. Thousands of commuters cross Montague Road each day to access CityGlider bus stops, particularly at the Victoria St intersection. If council pushes ahead with the installation of more pedestrian refuge islands along Montague Road, it would make sense to drop speed limits at the same time.


text:
"Smeshariki" (literally translated "laughing balls") was created in order to educate the younger generation and teach children to avoid being judgmental. It is the first large-scale animated series for kids in Russia that is being produced with the assistance of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
"Smeshariki" represents an imagery world in which events happen to be reality-based, the ones a child might face in day-to-day life. Villains do not appear in the series, while main characters are benevolent and frank. Each episode is a separate metaphorical story, either comical and funny or lyrical and thought-provoking.
Here is a video from Russia Today tells about Smeshariki:
But our main video is "Smeshriki meet Maslenitsa" (The cartoon is in Russian – but you and your kids will understand everything. I promise!)
Read more and watch more videos about Russian Maslenitsa:
1) Maslenitsa 2010 in Russia! (Yummy and Fun!)
2) From Russia: Maslenitsa Time of the Year!
3) Russia: Maslenitsa, I Miss Real Pancakes!(Blini)
4) Russian Video: Russia meets Maslenica
5) Russian Video: Farewell Maslenitsa, Hello Spring!
Russian Video from Russia
Svet and Kyle
comments always welcome.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rebecca Hossack Miami Project is now open in the East Little Havana neighbourhood of Miami, with an exhibition of work by Kansas-based artist, John Holcomb.
In this body of work Holcomb explores the beauty and mystery of the female form. It is a vision imbued with a rich sense of both romanticism and history.
For Holcomb, the appreciation of beauty is a cornerstone of human existence.
'I can now stand in front of a woman carved 2,000 years ago out of marble, scratched into broken pottery dug up from our ancestors or painted on canvas a mere 500 years ago and instantly be transported back in time. I intrinsically know that whoever made it said the same thing I would have: That is a beautiful woman - I must do something about it!' – John Holcomb
Holcomb uses bold colours and confident lines to energise his romantic paintings, drawing on influences as diverse as Fauvism, Matisse, Gauguin and Warhol.
In each artwork, the background is composed entirely of one colour. Within the monochrome passages Holcomb inserts a myriad of references to the beauty of women, including photographs and famous paintings. Each space has been decorated with vases, fruits and fabrics, all of which reflect the shape of a woman and how she makes the artist feel. This lush sensuality of imagery in Holcomb's paintings confronts the historical repression of American puritan traditions.
Unlike the static background, the woman in each painting is alive in wild complimentary colour. In Holcomb's anti-natural style, the colours are a reference to the fact that skin colour doesn't matter – every colour of skin is a beautiful colour.
John Holcomb has exhibited across the USA at art fairs in New York, San Francisco, Miami and Palm Springs, as well as in Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris. This is his first solo exhibition at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery.
The new Miami space will give the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery a presence in America's fastest-growing city and emerging art capital.


text:
(CN) - D.C. Councilman Jim Graham need not face claims that he interfered in a property-revitalization plan to help a contributor, a federal judge ruled.
The dismissal comes two months after U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer tossed breach-of-contract claims against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in the same case.
In 2008, the authority entered into an agreement Banneker Ventures, a developer, to negotiate the development of three lots next to the Shaw-Howard/Florida Avenue Metrorail Station in northwest Washington.
Banneker submitted a $40 million proposal for a multiuse development called The Jazz at Florida Ave, which would include 130 apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail space, and underground parking.
Despite three time extensions, however, Banneker's exclusive right to negotiate expired in March 2010 without reaching an agreement with WMATA.
Banneker claimed in court that councilman Graham, who was then a voting member of the WMATA board of directors, engaged in "bid suppression and bid rigging," with the aim of selecting a major campaign contributor, LaKritz Adler Development, as the developer for the project.
In its 50-plus page complaint, Banneker claimed that the councilman had offered to vote for a D.C. lottery contract that would benefit one of Banneker's then principals, Warren Williams, if the firm would withdraw as the developer for the project.
Williams refused.
Banneker also accused Graham of convincing the WMATA Board to add affordable housing requirements, thereby decreasing the value of the project for Banneker; and it said the WMATA had conspired with LaKritz Adler to interfere with Banneker's exclusive negotiation rights.
In the end, WMATA did not sell or lease the site to LaKritz Adler Development, whose officers are also named as defendants in the case, but instead sold the site to a third developer, JBG Construction, for $10.2 million in July 2011.
Judge Collyer found in December 2013 that WMATA had sovereign immunity as to its actions because choosing a developer for the project required it to weigh the possible social, political, and economic repercussions - the kind of discretionary judgment immunity is intended to protect.
Meanwhile, the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government conducted an investigation of the matter and concluded Graham had violated the city's Code of Conduct by inappropriately favoring LaKritz Adler in the negotiation for development of the site.
The D.C. Council subsequently reprimanded Graham for improperly offering to support Williams' bid for the D.C. lottery contract in exchange for Banneker's withdrawal from the project.
Judge Collyer dismissed the claims against Graham on Thursday as barred by sovereign and absolute immunity. Graham and the LaKritz Adler defendants also proved that Banneker had failed to state a valid claim under the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure.
"The court previously held that Banneker's tort and quasi-contract claims against WMATA were barred by sovereign immunity because the critical decisions challenged here, such as for how long to negotiate a final contract and what terms to include, were discretionary," the 26-page ruling states.
"Because WMATA and the cistrict are immune from liability for certain claims where the act complained of was done in an official capacity and was discretionary, Mr. Graham, in his official capacity, also is immune from liability," Collyer added.
Fatal to Banneker's argument was its misinterpretation of the district's Standard of Conduct.
"The Standards of Conduct do not compel a WMATA Board Member to take any particular action with regard to a real estate deal," Collyer wrote. "In fact, the WMATA Standards of Conduct describe how not to act, not how to act. Mr. Graham's actions were discretionary. He exercised discretion in deciding whether to vote for an extension of Banneker's exclusivity period; he exercised discretion in deciding whether, and on what terms, to vote for a final contract with Banneker. Accordingly, Mr. Graham, in his official capacity, is immune from the claims set forth against him in the Amended Complaint."
With sovereign immunity barring the claims against Graham in his official capacity, the allegations fail for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Collyer applied the same rationale to Graham's motion for protection by absolute immunity.
"The argument again misses the mark," she wrote. "The Standards of Conduct describe ethical considerations, but do not define the duties of WMATA board members. Mr. Graham's conduct was within the perimeter of his official duties - that is, Mr. Graham's alleged conduct regarding Banneker and the negotiation of the proposed development contract was related to the general matters committed to his control and supervision.
"Because Mr. Graham's actions relating to the negotiation for development of the Project were discretionary and related to his duties as a member of the WMATA Board of Directors ... Banneker's claims against him will be dismissed," she said.
Collyer went on to toss the Banneker's claim for tortious interference "because it has not alleged a valid business expectancy."
"Banneker alleges that the 'failed business expectancy' at issue was the failure to reach a final contract for the Project," she wrote. "But Banneker only hoped to enter into a final contract with WMATA. Any final contract was contingent upon approval and execution by the WMATA Board of Directors, a possibility that was too remote to establish a valid business expectancy. Moreover, Banneker has not alleged that the interference by the LaKritz Adler Defendants actually caused termination of the business relationship/expectancy or actually caused a failure of performance by WMATA."
The antitrust claim meanwhile failed for not alleging injury to competition or an agreement among individuals who were competitors in the real estate development market.
"Banneker alleges that the LaKritz Adler Defendants petitioned Graham to involve them in the project, even though Banneker had the exclusive right to negotiate a deal to develop the site," the opinion states. "This conduct may have harmed one competitor (Banneker), but it cannot be said to have harmed the marketplace competition. Without an allegation that competition itself was harmed, no actionable antitrust injury is alleged."
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.


text:
Look back on the good ol' days with these food and travel bingo cards that you can download!
- While we're waiting for the new normal to come, why not spend your time remembering the trips and pig-out sessions you had?
- Use WAUG's food and travel bingo cards that feature the attractions and food of Japan, Korea, US, Taiwan, Philippines, and more!
- If you can't wait to explore the world or even just the bit around you, download WAUG here and sign up for an account. We'll give you a $3 discount coupon that you can use on your first day out!
Explore more: 7 Things You'll Like About WAUG — Korea's Best Travel App
Travel Bingo Cards
1. Bali
Did you know that you can get unlimited access to Bali's comprehensive bus system by getting the Kura Kura Bus Pass? This travel card will let you use routes that cover most areas in Bali!
2. Taiwan
If you've been to Taipei but have not visited Yehliu, Shifen, Jinguashi, and Jiufen, bookmark this tour for future reference!
3. Japan
Visit Namba, Dotonbori, Osaka Tower, and more on a blazing go-kart ride! Watch our YouTube video here to see how fun Japan can be!
4. Cebu
Haven't tried parasailing in Cebu yet? Check out this activity that will let you parasail across the crystal clear waters of Cebu!
5. Hong Kong
If you have not visited this charming country yet, do so in the future when conditions permit! You can book this SIM card in Hong Kong at a discount!
6. Paris
Don't feel bad if you've missed a couple of attractions in Paris that we've featured in this travel bingo card! When you travel back to France, you may want to consider getting this tourist pass so you can gain instant admission to over 50 popular sites!
7. Airport Bingo Card
Featured in this template are the most recognized airports in the world! Which ones have you visited?
8. Travel Hacks Bingo Card
Anything in this travel hacks bingo that you haven't done but would like to try?
Food Bingo Cards
1. Vietnamese
Did you know that there's a food and bike tour that gourmet chefs offer in Da Nang? If you're planning to visit Vietnam once we've flattened the curve, you can book the culinary adventure tour here. It's designed for foodie lovers!
2. Japanese
If you love traveling to Japan and want to try Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo on your next visit, you can book one or a couple here. Of course, if you'd like to eat in a low-key izakaya, you can also find these options on our app.
3. Singaporean & Malaysian
There are many things to love about these two countries, and if you've been to both, you know that Malaysian and Singaporean food are nothing short of delicious. If you haven't visited Singapore yet, read about this transportation card that will let you get to the hawker centers conveniently!
4. American
American food can be quite hard to characterize given the many flavors that define the states. If you'll do this food bingo card and feel like you've missed out, don't worry! You can always come back to visit (or explore home when the time is right, if you're from the US!).
5. Thai
Fancy a luxurious trip in Thailand? Book this cruise that's operated by Shangri-La Hotel for a romantic night in Bangkok. You'll love the city lights that you'll see from Chao Phraya River! (Promotion ends on October 2020.)
6. Taiwanese
If you love Taiwanese beef noodles, make sure to try this restaurant in Taipei on your next visit!
7. Filipino
Filipino cuisine is popularized by adobo, sinigang, and sisig. If you'll visit the archipelago soon, there's no better way to sample the specialties than by visiting a local buffet restaurant like this one!
8. Korean
Our team at WAUG handpicked the restaurants that we think foreign visitors to Korea would love. If you are a fan of Korean BBQ, make sure to visit this nice dining spot near Seoul Station and Itaewon!
9. Indian
If you know your Indian food, can you name at least two desserts from the country?
10. Italian
Do you dream about traveling to Rome? Make sure to try this wine and cheese tasting tour when you make it happen in the future!
Got everything marked on your food and travel bingo card?
Let us know in the comments section below and be recognized!


text:
Vendors split over reuse of mobile gear
Mobile phone components can be reused in consumer and medical devices, Sony Ericsson says, but it remains to be seen if other mobile makers are keen to step in this direction.
Sony Ericsson's head of corporate sustainability Mats Pellback-Scharp, said earlier this month in a interview with BusinessGreen.com, that a growing number of companies are realizing it is more cost-effective to buy color displays, cameras and touchscreen technologies from old handsets, rather than build these components from scratch.
Mobile recycling volumes are "now at a scale where it is perfectly feasible for companies to take the old components and reuse them", Pellback-Scharp said, adding that there are already devices in the market today that contain Sony Ericsson's old mobile components.
In an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, Hirokazu Ishizuka, Sony Ericsson's corporate vice president and Asia-Pacific head, said the company aims to collect 1 million used mobile phones annually under its global "takeback" program from 2011. As part of its environmental sustainability efforts, Sony Ericsson is targeting to reduce its carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2015.
Specifically in the reuse of mobile components, the phone maker has been involved in developing guidance documents that cover various aspects such as design, collection, refurbishment, recycling and trans-border movement, he added.
"No" for Nokia
At least one handset manufacturer, however, has expressed concerns over the resale of components to a third party. Finnish mobile giant Nokia told ZDNet Asia it does not sell mobile components to third parties for use in other devices "because of safety and ethical issues".
But, the company is focused on component and material recycling, said Francis Cheong, the company's environmental affairs manager for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. For instance, plastic can be recycled and reprocessed into items such as safety cones and plastic pallets, he said in an e-mail.
Metals derived from used mobile devices can also serve a variety of purposes, he noted. Stainless steel, which is used for phone covers, external detailing and internal components, can be adapted for kitchen ware and bicycle frames. Copper, used in circuitry, can be tapped for piping in homes or musical instruments such as saxophones. Gold and platinum extracts can be turned into dental fillings or jewelry.
According to Cheong, a global study by Nokia last year found only 3 percent of mobile users recycle their old or unused phones. He said the mobile vendor observed that people are actually keen to recycle their mobile phones "if they are aware of easy and convenient ways to do so".
A 2008 estimate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that 150 million handsets were retired on an annual basis but less than 20 percent were recycled.


text:
I've been posting this on my Facebook page for a few years now so I thought this year I'd share it here.
At least once a year:
Watch the sun rise.
Watch the sun set.
Stare at the stars in wonderment.
Witness the handle of the Big Dipper pointing towards the north star.
Follow caterpillars.
Witness butterflies.
Listen to birdsong.
Taste grass and leaves.
Pallet a flower.
Watch a bee find its way home.
And stop a car in the middle of the street with flailing arms and panic shouts.
We are not alone.
Never forget we belong
Picture taken in Deadwood, SD.


text:
On February 23/24th I was very fortunate to have made my 10th observation of C/2007 N3 Lulin. The reason I was lucky was because the forecast was for overcast conditions over N. Ireland, and indeed it looked hopeless during the even with a solid blanket of stratus blocking the stars. During the late evening I took a cat nap then suddenly awoke with the comet in mind. I looked out the window and was shocked to see a clear sky. In the E was planet Saturn in Leo well placed above the local rooftops. I ran outside with the 10x50mm binos for a quick look incase it clouded over. This was the main night observers had been waiting for because Lulin was at its closest to Earth (38 million miles) and only 2 degrees below Saturn. The binos showed both very clearly in the same field with an anti-tail pointing away from the planet. The sky was getting better by the minute and soon it was 100% crystal clear with a black sky filled with brilliant stars. I set up my camera and took approx 30 images at different focal lengths and when content that I had a digital record of the event I then set-up the 8.5" F/7 reflector in the back garden in preparation for a serious look at this wonderful comet.
When full dark adaption set in I could see Lulin easily below Saturn as a large 5th mag elliptical haze much like a fainter version of Messier 44. Then with amazement, using averted vision, but just once, I could glimpse the anti-tail without optical aid as a slim line pointing away from the golden planet above. This was the first time I have ever seen this kind of tail with the naked eye. This set the mood for an unforgettable observing session. Over the next 1.5 hours I observed the comet in extreme detail making this the best view I've had to date. I was struck by just how much the comet had changed since I last observed it. It was obvious that this close Earth approach combined with a forward scattering/opposition effect had enhanced the magnitude of the main dust features. The coma was a huge green elliptical haze over 25' in dia and moderately condensed with a vivid white coloured central condensation. Lurking in the centre of this was a lovely bright star-like false nucleus which seemed to be exploding with activity. I was under the impression that the real nucleus, unseen and cocooned within those white mists, was a large object indeed. Faint field stars lurked within the green coma and a grouping of brighter stars could be seen near the coma's edge. This chance arrangement came in useful for gauging the comet's rapid motion. Within a few min's it was obvious that the comet was moving to the W and N as the comet-star angle gradually changed. This was very striking even in this low power 32mm 2" super wide angle eyepiece. It was amazing to think that this comet was moving more than sixty times faster than a bullet as it raced past planet Earth. One thought came to mind - thank goodness it didn't have our name on it - Lights out!.
The anti-tail was absolutely incredible. When I first seen it in the scope against such a dark sky back ground I felt an instant release of adrenaline due to the excitement of it's appearance. The tail blazed across the FOV for at least 1 degree to the SE. It was broad at the base where it emerged the coma then tapered to a point way beyond a bright field star which tried to compete for attention but failed miserably. The tail looked for all the world like a monstrous green blade or sword!. The eerie light along it's entire length was very intense, uniform, and complete with perfection sporting a sharp edge on either side. A film of material from the coma curved gracefully down from the elliptical head and blended in with the anti-tail's base. I watched with awe as this green phantom passed over back ground stars which further accentuated the comet's speed and size. That tail must have been huge!. Glancing further N to the opposite side of the coma I could just make out a strange looking ion tail pointing away from the Sun. Unlike the solar-pointing spike to the S, this tail was colourless, faint, and elusive so required good dark adaption and movement of the scope to bring out the details. This tail was not like it's brilliant brother, but instead seemed to 'jut' out from the coma at an awkward 45 degree angle to the NE. A closer look revealed a multitude of fine streamers forming a wedge-shaped enhancement. Taking in both these tails and the coma at the same time was a sight I will never forget. Guiding the scope two degrees above the comet I could see Saturn with it's near edge-on ring system and several of it's Moons which only added to the experience, an experience that gave me a euphoria like a kid playing with their old toys or children in a candy shop. What a memorable session I had!.


text:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A veteran actress says it is the "delicious" scripts and unvarnished realism of the female prison inmates that draw viewers to "Orange is the New Black," while the creator of "House of Cards" credits a ruthless yet vulnerable power couple for the thriller's success.
The unconventional approach to TV at Netflix Inc netted 31 Emmy nominations on Thursday, a major achievement for a company that plunged into original programing just last year.
"Thirty-one nods - not bad for the new kid on the block," said "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey, nominated for best actor in a drama series for the second straight year.
It is still less than a third of the nominations for cable competitor Time Warner Inc's HBO, but Netflix is now nipping on the heels of networks that have been in the TV business for decades and is advancing careers for people who have been around a long time.
"I have never been nominated for an Emmy before, and I've been acting for 40 years," said Kate Mulgrew, a supporting comedy actress nominee for her role as a powerful inmate in "Orange is the New Black." "It has particular resonance for me."
Netflix made history last year when it shook up Hollywood with the first nominations in major categories for shows delivered exclusively over the Internet. Netflix took home three Emmys for "House of Cards" for its 14 nominations overall.
At that time, "Orange is the New Black," a dark prison comedy, was just gathering steam with its surprising twists and turns in season one.
When a new script arrives, Mulgrew said "my heart pounds a little faster because I know within those pages there is going to be something so unexpected, so awful, so delicious."
The relatable characters, who wear little makeup and only drab prison garb, also drive the show's appeal.
"Those are not surgically enhanced lips," Mulgrew said. "Those are not porcelain veneers. These are real women in a really challenging situation. They are trying, each of them in their own way, to survive it as well as she can. You are drawn in."
The diverse cast includes the first openly transgender Emmy nominee, Laverne Cox, for her portrayal of an inmate who committed fraud to pay for a sex change procedure.
Netflix is investing in original shows to help attract new subscribers to its TV and movie streaming service. It has made a mark by releasing all episodes of a season at once, fueling binge-viewing and getting new fans, although the company does not release ratings.
Upcoming Netflix shows include "Marco Polo," an epic drama being filmed in Asia, and comedy "Grace and Frankie" starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
Other digital outlets have joined Netflix in producing original content but have not made it to the Emmy race. Amazon.com Inc actively campaigned for nominations for its John Goodman political comedy "Alpha House" with billboards and mobile ads urging Emmy voters to recognize the show.
Beau Willimon, creator and executive producer of "House of Cards," said Netflix has "deep respect for the creative process" and allowed him, Spacey and costar Robin Wright to create "layered characters who aren't just reduced to their ambition and ruthlessness."
"They show vulnerability and humanity in ways that surprise us," Willimon said. "I think audiences have come to expect those sophisticated complex characters on their TV screens or tablets or phones."
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan Oatis)


text:
As I write this, I am filled with gratitude. It is hard to believe that I have been part of Focus Magazine Online for eight years. It really does not seem like it has been eight years. When Tim first approached me about being part of Focus, I was so excited, and I jumped at the opportunity. First, because Tim is such a dear friend and brother, to think that he would invite me was special. Second, to be able to express myself to others was equally as exciting. Then, when I found out the other men who would be part of this, I asked myself, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" The men who have written are great men of faith. They each have a perspective that is so encouraging and needed. They are truly fellow-laborers and friends as well. So, to each one, my heartfelt thanks for helping me grow as a Christian. I am indebted to you all.
My gratitude is even greater to all who have read what I have written. I have received so many encouraging responses. I have even met people from other parts of the country who have come up to me and personally told me they have benefitted from something I wrote. I cherish all of these. You are the reason I wanted to share a few things these past eight years. So, from the bottom of my heart, "Thank you!"
My deepest gratitude goes to our Lord. All I am and all I have had the opportunity to write, is because of Him. He opened doors for me to be part of this. More than anyone, I want to please Him. I pray fervently that I have done nothing to detract from the glory He deserves. I pray fervently that with what little I have, I have used it to bring glory to Him. It is easy to get drunk on the accolades of others. They are sweet. But the approval of my Lord is what matters the most. If I have disappointed Him, I am so sorry! He is my all in all.
May God bless each one of you in your walk with Him. Remember "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John. 4:4).
I leave, sharing the sentiments of Paul, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind" (Phil. 12-16).
by Rickie Jenkins


text:
Prog rock lovers, beware! This album has nothing to do with progressive rock music whatsoever. Boguslaw Balcerak's Crylord is a Polish power metal band and that is what you get on this album: true neo-classical power metal! Guitar player and band leader Boguslaw Balcerak comes up with twelve classic power metal tracks in the vein of Yngwie Malmsteen. So, listen to it and marvel at huge riffs, fast arpeggios, dynamic rhythms, speedy melodic guitar solos and powerful, dramatic vocal parts. Guest singers on this album are Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire), Carsten Schulz (Evidence One) and Goran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, Karmakanic). So if you're into power metal mixed with influences from classical composers like Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart, then you're in for a treat with this album. For me it's all a bit too much as the music sounds rather old-fashioned. All songs tend to sound alike, which is mainly due to the very familiar riffs and guitar melodies. Furthermore I'm not really a fan of the voice of Mark Boals, so four songs sung by him are already too much according to my taste. Best songs are the power ballads Valley Of The Dead and When The Time Has Come, but there's nothing new under the sun! However, for Malmsteen aficionados this debut album of Boguslaw Balcerak's Crylord certainly is a must!
** Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen)
Where to buy?
All Rights Reserved Background Magazine 2013


text:
How to download the "The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune" eBook online from the US, UK, Canada, and the rest of the world? if you want to fully download the book online first you need to visit our download link then you must need signup for free trials. If any problem you can contact our customer manager.
Please Live Chat with our customer manager he will must help you find the Book online.
Book Details
|The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune
|Published date
|Download Now
How to Download The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune eBook
Please Sign Up to Read or Download "The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune" eBooks in PDF, EPUB, Tuebl, and Mobi. Start your FREE month now! Click the Download or Read Now button to sign up and download/read the The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune books. Fast Download Speed 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Commercial & Ad-Free.
The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune eBook Free Download
Register Your account to Download or Read " The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune eBook" Books in PDF, EPUB, Tuebl, Audiobooks, and Mobi. Click the Download / Read button now to get the "The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune eBook" Books, Unlimited Books. Start a month FREE Now. Your 100% guarantee is satisfactory.
How it works:
- Register a free 30-day subscription
- Access as many books as you like (Personal use)
- Cancel the membership at any time if not satisfied
- High-speed access
- Unlimited access
- 100% legal
- No waiting time
- Secured and Anonymous
Final Word
Search for "The Damning Stone by T.J. Klune" Books in the Search Form now, Download or Read Books for FREE, just by Creating an Account to enter our library. More than 1 Million Books in Pdf, ePub, Mobi, Tuebl, and Audiobook formats. Hourly Update.
Get a Copy


text:
Top 15 PCs for Windows 8 at CES 2013
Lots of new gadgets, hardware devices and other products are unveiled at the annual Consumer Electronics Show. At CES 2013 in Las Vegas many brands showcased their products and featured their devices. This year was important for everyone as launch of Windows 8 brought new capabilities of touch. So as the result more than 1,500 new hardware are certified for Windows 8 among which many were on display.
From those which were in display at CES 2013 top 15 as per Microsoft are shown here with a little description. These devices include all-in-ones, convertibles, tablets, PCs & table PCs. Microsoft Surface tablet is already in market and will have a good competition from new range of products. Have a look at the most stunning products best suited for your lifestyle:
Dell Inspiron R Series: New Dell Inspiron R Series Laptops combine versatile features and impressive battery life into a sleek, stylish design, starting around 1-inch thin. Available in 14-inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch screen sizes, the laptops include a built-in optical drive, stunning graphics options and fast processors, providing freedom to take your projects or videos with you wherever you go. The new Inspiron 15R is thinner and lighter than before, nearly 5 mm thinner than the previous generation and starting at 5.03 pounds. It also features an optional Full HD display for exceptional visual detail, and a 10-key numeric keypad for easy number crunching or directional control in games.
Sony Vaio T Series 15: The new Full HD, touch-enabled T Series 15 incorporates Sony's innovative digital imaging and audio technologies, and packs high performance and mobility into a stylishly slim magnesium and aluminum design for daily trips to the office or campus.
Toshiba Satellite U845t: Weighing just 4 pounds and measuring only 0.8 inches thin, the Satellite U845T offers all the performance of a conventional PC but with slimmer styling and less weight. Featuring a 14-inch diagonal HD touchscreen display ideal for Windows 8, the Satellite U845t is constructed of durable aluminum in Ice Blue and includes a spacious ClickPad with Windows 8 gesture support.
Toshiba Qosmio X875: The new Qosmio X875 is powered by a third-generation Intel Core processor that delivers amazing performance and stunning visuals boosted by a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M graphics processor with 3 GB of GDDR5 discrete graphics memory to take on graphics-heavy projects and the latest 3-D games. The multimedia powerhouse laptop is encased in Toshiba's sophisticated Black Widow styling, featuring a diamond-textured aluminum body and a glowing red LED Qosmio logo on the cover with raised tile LED-backlit keyboard and 10-key numeric pad.
VIZIO 11.6-Inch Tablet PC: An uncompromising tablet that taps into all of the remarkable power that Windows 8 has to offer, the new VIZIO 11.6-inch Tablet PC featuring Windows 8 challenges the very notion of what a tablet can do. Ultrathin and ultralight, the VIZIO 11.6-inch Tablet PC looks as great as it feels in-hand. With 11.6-inch Full HD touchscreen, premium sound and 64 GB of onboard storage, the VIZIO 11.6-inch Tablet PC puts power and performance in a portable package that you can take anywhere. And with Windows 8 functionality, you can run and install your existing Windows-compatible programs for unparalleled productivity and content creation at full throttle.
Vizio 14″ Thin Light Touch: Elegantly combining a powerful PC with premium entertainment features and an expansive touchscreen display, the VIZIO All-in-One Touch PC with Windows 8 does it all. With a stunning 24-inch diagonal Full HD touchscreen display, 2.1 subwoofer-enhanced audio with SRS technology, remote control and dual HDMI inputs, the VIZIO All-in-One Touch PC delivers serious entertainment. Featuring AMD's top-of-the-line Quad Core processor A10, 802.11ac standard and Windows 8 with the Microsoft Signature experience, you can conveniently jump between the Web, movies, shows and work with just a tap, swipe or pinch while making downloads or streaming HD content a snap.
VIZIO 24-Inch All-in-One Touch: Elegantly combining a powerful PC with premium entertainment features and an expansive touchscreen display, the VIZIO All-in-One Touch PC with Windows 8 does it all. With a stunning 24-inch diagonal Full HD touchscreen display, 2.1 subwoofer-enhanced audio with SRS technology, remote control and dual HDMI inputs, the VIZIO All-in-One Touch PC delivers serious entertainment. Featuring AMD's top-of-the-line Quad Core processor A10, 802.11ac standard and Windows 8 with the Microsoft Signature experience, you can conveniently jump between the Web, movies, shows and work with just a tap, swipe or pinch while making downloads or streaming HD content a snap.
Lenovo Ideacentre Horizon Table PC: As a Table PC, Horizon can lie flat on any surface, lets two or more people use the screen at the same time, supports interactive physical gaming accessories, and is designed for touch-screen gameplay among several players. Horizon takes advantage of Windows 8 touch functionality to bring customized games to life in a way players have never before seen. Horizon can also easily transform into a 27-inch high-performance desktop to handle whatever productivity tasks users need to do.
HP Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook: The HP Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook and the new HP Pavilion Sleekbook provide affordable performance in a thin, light package. Powered by an AMD A-Series APU, they feature a 15.6-inch diagonal HD display, 1 terabyte of storage, and exclusive innovations including HP CoolSense, HP ProtectSmart, HP Connected Photo powered by Snapfish, and HP Connected Music powered by Meridian. A full array of ports including HDMI, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 provide fast connections. The Sleekbooks also include HP TrueVision HD Webcams and HP MyRoom for video calling and sharing photos.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S: Users now have another option for choosing one of Lenovo's groundbreaking flip and fold, 360-degree hinge IdeaPad Yoga convertibles. The new Yoga 11S comes equipped with a new low power lineup from Intel with up to third-generation Intel Core i5 processors and Windows 8 to give users the full power of multitasking. IdeaPad Yoga 11S features an 11.6-inch HD IPS display that supports 10 finger multitouch and comes with unique features previously only available on Yoga 13. Motion Control lets users simply swipe their hand in front of the webcam to advance photos, videos and other documents. And, with Lenovo Transition users can automatically open applications like PowerPoint in full-screen when using Yoga in its other three modes: tent, stand or tablet.
Lenovo Thinkpad Helix: The ThinkPad Helix defines the next generation of mobile computing through its groundbreaking "rip and flip" design. This special design gives users absolute mobile freedom and versatility with four unique ways to use it. ThinkPad Helix first functions as a high-performance ultrabook. For added mobility, the 11.6-inch tablet can separate from its base to become the thinnest full-function Intel third- generation Core tablet with vPro. Besides its game-changing design, the ThinkPad Helix comes with exceptional performance and productivity features and runs up to 10 hours for a full day of work and play.
Samsung Series 7 Chronos: Delivering professional performance in a thinner and lighter form factor, the new Series 7 Chronos provides enhanced processing power. Ten-finger multitouch capabilities enhance the overall experience, allowing people to interact directly with the screen as well as the touchpad and keyboard. With a full aluminum body, the new Series 7 Chronos follows the design DNA of its predecessor while packing a powerful Intel quad-core processor with up to 16 GB of memory, up to 1 TB of storage and dedicated 2GB external graphics into a slim chassis that measures just 20.9mm (0.82 inches). The laptop wakes up in as little as two seconds and boots in under 12 seconds, making it ready at a moment's notice to access virtually anything the user needs for serious work.
Samsung Series 7 Ultra Touch: As the first Ultra in the Series 7 family, the Series 7 Ultra embodies superior mobility and performance in an ultraslim and light, full aluminum body. Designed as the ultimate Ultrabook for multimedia, the Series 7 Ultra offers crisp visuals and powerful sound features. The laptop's display is brighter and wider than previous models and features a 178-degree viewing angle, making it great for sharing multimedia with friends and family, or work content with colleagues.
ASUS VivoTab Smart Tablet: The ASUS VivoTab Smart Tablet features an Intel Atom Z2760 dual-core processor for fast and responsive performance, while still providing up to 9.5 hours battery life on a single charge. Just 9.7mm thin and 580g light, ASUS VivoTab™ Smart has a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with a crisp 1366 x 768 HD resolution. IPS display technology delivers 178-degree wide viewing angles and ensures clear and bright images, even when seen from the side. VivoTab Smart also features five-point multitouch for fluid fingertip control with Windows 8. The TranSleeve Keyboard is an innovative accessory that is a cover, keyboard and stand all rolled into one. It not only aids in the typing experience but protects the tablet as well.
ASUS Transformer Book TX300CA: The ASUS Transformer Book TX300CA allows people to instantly switch between an ultrabook and a tablet by simply detaching the screen. It is aimed at users who prefer the portability of a multitouch tablet computer for leisure but still want access to a more familiar Ultrabook design for productivity use. The Transformer Book TX300CA delivers performance and an excellent user experience thanks to the latest Intel Core i7 processor with HD4000 graphics. It also features ASUS SonicMaster technology to deliver crystal-clear sound with deep rich bass through its integrated speakers. This lightweight ultraportable is available with a 13-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS display with multitouch capabilities.
So what you want to choose from these awesome products.


text:
Shropshire Council New Recycling Scheme
The rollout of our new recycling collection service will begin in the Shrewsbury area on Monday 3rd October, before being phased in across the rest of the county over the next 6 months. The service will have two new elements. Firstly, the collection of cardboard with paper in a 75 litre, reusable blue bag. Secondly, residents will no longer need to present glass bottles and jars in a separate box to the plastics and metal containers, so these can be mixed in whatever way is convenient which may reduce the number of boxes needed.
Veolia will begin delivery of the blue bags in the Shrewsbury area on Monday 19th September, and these will be accompanied by a leaflet which explains the service and gives more information on the waste service as a whole. A copy of the leaflet is attached for your information, along with a set of Frequently Asked Questions.
There will also be a new initiative to assist residents in flats and other properties with shared waste containers. This focusses on an orange bag with two compartments which residents can use to carry the recyclable material to the shared collection points. This service is explained in a separate leaflet, also attached, which will only be delivered to those properties affected.
Finally, a reminder that as in future cardboard for recycling will be collected from the kerbside, the temporary Bring Banks for cardboard will be removed towards the end of October. Stickers informing residents will be placed on the banks at least two weeks in advance of their removal to limit any inconvenience.


text:
Bobby Gray and Mike "Beanpole" Barber jumped together and made the first planned canopy contact. They made it in summer 1975.
CRW got a lot of publicity. Some jumpers made demo CRW jumps in the US Nationals in 1976 (I'd like to know who did it?).
There was also a long story in Parachutist (Nov 76) written by Dan Poynter.
The first written rules in Parachutist concerned break off altitudes:
1. With four participants or less: 200 feet AGL
2. With five participants or more: 300 feet AGL
The biggest formation was a 4-way (I hope to get more info).


text:
Ana Mendieta at London's Hayward Gallery
Outstanding Among Feminist Museum Exhibitions
By: Charles Giuliano - Nov 19, 2013
Most of the modern and contemporary art museums that we visited recently in Dublin and London, with the exception of Paul Klee at Tate Modern, featured women of varying degrees of obscurity, in their special exhibitions.
These included: Leonora Carrington: The Celtic Surrealist and Eileen Gray: Architect Designer Painter at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (through January 26), The Brazilian artist Mira Schendel (to January 19) and Lebanese artist Saloua Raouda Choucair (closed November 17) at Tate Modern, the only female member of Arte Povere, Marisa Merz, at Serpentine Gallery (through November), Sarah Lucas: SITUATION Absolute Beach Man Rubble at Whitechapel which we didn't get to visit (Through December 15).
An exception was the lively Pop Art Design at Barbican through 9 February 2014. We also saw Facing the Modern: The Portrait in Vienna, 1900 at the National Gallery through 12 January.
The dominance of feminist reclamation projects in museums may be an overcorrection and swing of the pendulum after centuries of neglect. But this curatorial adjustment may be out of sync with the art world or the interest in niche explorations by audiences.
During our full day at Tate Modern, which is currently undergoing renovations and expansion, we found that the enormous Paul Klee retrospective with numerous small works was mobbed, while the exhibitions of works by Mira Schendel and Saloua Raouda Choucair (curated by Jessica Morgan formerly of ICA Boston) were sparsely attended.
While admission to Tate Modern is by voluntary contribution the special exhibitions are not. Visitors were willing to pay to see the work of Klee but apparently balked at paying to view work by unknown artists.
For the Tate this appears to be a counterproductive policy. It's fine to charge for Klee but the other shows should be free to the public. This is work that should become more familiar. Isn't that the point?
I was pleased to see the work of Schendel a serious abstract artist who adds dimension to the very interesting Brazilian scene which we are becoming ever more familiar with. The exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Saloua Raouda Choucair, unfortunately, was tedious and dull not reaching the standards of a renowned museum.
Whatever the social and political curatorial incentives it is imperative that there is a strong aesthetic rationale behind exhibitions in major museums.
The special exhibition Ana Mendiata:Traces at Hayward Gallery through 15 December met all of these criteria and then some.
The generous retrospective of the Cuban born artist (18 November 1948) was compelling, insightful and often gut wrenching.
At the time of her death (8 September 1985) Mendieta was not well known beyond the inner circles of the New York art world. She was found dead some 34 floors below the apartment she shared with her husband, Carl Andre, a minimalist sculptor.
During dinner in a restaurant that night they were observed drinking heavily and arguing. When police arrived Andre was found incoherent in an apartment that included a number of empty champagne bottles.
A sensational trial for murder, often compared to that of O.J. Simpson, resulted in a verdict of not guilty.
In her retrospective there are numerous uncanny works that evoke rape, violence to women, and murder.
A familiar triptych of three works on paper depicts bloody hands and arms dragged down in outward Vs. There is a poor quality video, among a number in the exhibition, showing her making the iconic works. The drawings were readily familiar from the collection of the Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University. They were a part of an exhibition, including a Mendieta candle piece, organized by former curator Susan Stoops who is now with the Worcester Art Museum.
This riveting overview enforces that Mendieta was a conceptualist and site specific artist with seemingly little interest in making saleable work. Today, however, the archival documents, photographs, drawings, and artifacts are of enormous aesthetic and monetary value.
It is remarkable that so much of the work was temporary and ephemeral or created in remote locations which are now pilgrimage destinations and shrines for votive offerings. Her transient materials included piles of leaves, burned out pits in the shape of primal women, mud, sand and swampy settings.
Even the documents, now fading and distorted color photographs, are proving to be ephemeral. One wonders if the estate would allow curators to make archival prints from the original slides or Photoshop and reprint the photographs. They are now so out of kilter that it is a distraction.
So it was a revelation and relief when we moved on to a gallery of large, superbly printed, black and white enlargements of her ersatz Neolithic rock carvings. This all the more resonated with us having just visited such sites as Newgrange (3200 BC) and an ancient burial site on the lunar landscape of The Burrne in Ireland. The pre Celtic carving of those and other monuments resonate with the primal women of Mendiata's ritual carving, graves and monuments.
She was striving to evoke the humanistic essence of the earliest depictions of mankind. Initially, they almost entirely rendered rotund fertility goddesses. The earth mothers reflect theories that the earliest communities were matriarchies.
The Silueta Series comprised transient works of the 1970s surviving in film and video documentations. In addition to primeval sources she also employed the Santeria rituals of her native Cuba. She was taken to the U.S. at the age of 12 but retained her Cuban heritage. It was while a student in Iowa that she found her own way, mandate and identity as an artist.
Today, her work is indelibly fresh, current and visceral. It is arguable that the art world has caught up with her agenda which included gender and identity.
Just as Marcel Duchamp developed a female identity as Rrose Sélavy there are photographs of Mendieta with moustache or whiskers. In a series of images she plays with personas and disguises.
There are many aspects of her body work.
In a series I was previously unfamiliar with she smashes her body against flattening panes of glass. There are numerous images of Mendieta as a forest goddess covered with mud and merging with the spirit of a tree. Or lying naked in the landscape.
Overall, it is outrageous, radical and riveting work. We staggered out of the exhibition completely shattered by its power and impact.
Mendieta takes no prisoners and needs no excuses to be seen, respected and appreciated.


text:
It's often easier to show kindness and compassion to a friend or loved one than it is to ourselves. Many of us grow up thinking that being hard on ourselves is the way to success—but an inner voice wired for self-criticism actually holds us back from living fulfilled and joyful lives.
In this week's mini-episode, Dhru sits down with Dr. Andrea Pennington and Dr. Kristin Neff to talk about where self-criticism comes from and the biggest hurdles that stop people from loving themselves.
Dr. Andrea Pennington is an integrative physician, acupuncturist, meditation teacher, #1 international bestselling author, and TEDx speaker. With her extensive medical expertise and training in trauma recovery combined with her experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, Dr. Pennington helps people to build resilience, reclaim vitality, and thrive despite the inevitable trauma and drama life brings.
Dr. Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.
Find Dhru's full-length conversation with Dr. Andrea Pennington here.
Find Dhru's full-length conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff here.
For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here.
Interested in joining The Dhru Purohit Podcast Facebook Community? Submit your request to join here.
This episode is brought to you by BLUblox and InsideTracker.
As someone who is on the computer a lot, I realized all that screen time was negatively affecting how well I slept. I started learning about blue light and how it disrupts the body's natural melatonin production, so I decided to try blue-light blocking glasses throughout the day to see if they helped—and they totally did. I love the blue-light blocking glasses made by BLUblox. BLUblox glasses reduced my digital eye strain and dramatically improved my sleep, and I have more energy throughout the day. Right now BLUblox is offering my listeners 20% off, just go to blublox.com/dhru and use code DHRU at checkout.
InsideTracker helps people live long, healthy, productive lives by optimizing their bodies from the inside out. InsideTracker's cutting-edge technology analyzes your blood, DNA, lifestyle, and fitness tracker data to give you science-backed recommendations for positive changes to your daily habits. With their app, you can track your progress every day and they have an amazing support team to help with all your questions.
InsideTracker looks at everything from metabolic and inflammatory markers to nutrients and hormones. It even tests your cortisol levels to help you better manage stress and you have the option to see how your inner age compares to your chronological age. Traditional lab tests can be hard to read on your own, but InsideTracker makes their results easy to understand and even provides tips on how to use food first for optimal nutrition.
Right now, they're offering my podcast community 25% off. Just go to https://www.insidetracker.com/DHRU.


text:
Responding to Charlottesville shocking car attack with a message from a ex-white supremacist.
By Jason Williams
Taxpayer Association of Oregon
The violence is still fresh and the details are still coming in on Saturdays violence at a White Supremacist rally where a supporter drove a car through a crowd of counter-protesters — a textbook terrorist attack method I might add. I saw this video from a Morgan Freeman National Geographic series earlier this year and found it a fitting response.
Too often White Supremacists live in a perverted bubble where they feed off public attacks. The video shows this exact point as ex-white supremacist Brian Wydner explains that in getting a Nazi tattoo brought him attention and fights — which is, as sick as it sounds, exactly what he wanted. This is why we need to fight extremism and supremacistism in more ways than one. Highlighting an ex-white supremacist is one of the bigger insults you can deliver and it is a chance to try to change their minds and pull people out. The video is surprising on how difficult it was for Brian Wydner to leave once he changed his mind — it almost cost him his life.
The media reports that there were 15 people injured due to fighting at the Charlottesville event even before the car attack happened (read report here). My thoughts and prayers to the victims.


text:
What's a Columbia School of Social Work Graduate Doing at Google?
The use of technology in social work practice is steadily growing, as is the use of technology in the social work classroom–as evidenced by the Columbia School of Social Work's thriving online campus.
But what about the use of social workers in the technology industry? As far as alumna Amy Schapiro (MSW'12) is concerned, social workers have important roles to play in high-tech companies.
To find out more about Amy's views on this nontraditional area of social work, we asked if she could spare a few moments to tell us about her innovative career path—culminating in her current position at Google, leading an important social initiative.
Hi, Amy, and thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions. First, can you tell us what led you to studying for your MSW at Columbia?
I started my career as an educator and community organizer, leading programs that aim to develop the educational and career potential of marginalized youth across the United States and around the world. Social work has always appealed to me because of my interest in the inclusion of under-resourced groups. I decided to move to New York and pursue my MSW at Columbia because I wanted to develop my leadership skills and have even more of an impact. I was a Management Fellow in the Social Enterprise Administration method, with a focus on organizational management.
You are a strong believer in the use of technology to empower marginalized communities. When did you develop this passion?
The first time I used technology for community building was in 2008, when working for a San Francisco-based youth development organization. I was a community manager, partnering with Nike to implement their corporate responsibility campaign in support of youth using sport to create social change, part of which involved managing a national blogging and on-the-ground campaign, organizing hundreds of volunteers. Since earning my MSW, I've found some thrilling opportunities in the tech field that have changed my life and inspired me to help others change theirs. Immediately after graduating from CSSW, I consulted for Bard College in human resources, developing a new employee performance review system for one of its graduate schools—but then I received an offer I couldn't refuse from a startup nonprofit based in my hometown of San Francisco. Called CODE2040, the organization was founded with the mission of increasing representation of Blacks and Latino/as in the innovation economy. CODE2040 recruited me as their first full-time hire, and I was put in charge of developing their flagship Fellows Program, which places top-performing Black and Latino/a college level computer science students from around the country in an intensive summer career accelerator. I led strategic partnerships, student recruitment and management, technical recruiting, fundraising strategies, thought leadership, and organizational operations (among many other things). In the process I became fascinated with the need to find ways to address the lack of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
And now you are working with Google?
A couple of years ago, I left CODE2040 to contract at Google and learn how to support another demographic that is very underrepresented in the tech field: women.
What kind of work do you do at Google?
I am currently co-leading the Women Techmakers initiative, Google's global program for industry-level women in technology. It provides visibility, community, and resources to empower women in tech. I focus on strategic initiatives and partnerships, including the launch of a brand new global initiative, Women Techmakers Membership. My work involves supporting both existing resources for the community as well as developing new strategies to best serve the thousands of women in our network—and the thousands more we hope to serve and empower. The Membership program empowers women in their careers by providing access to curated resources and events, as well as information and tools form Google, our partners, and the global tech system.
People don't automatically associate social work with Silicon Valley, but since arriving at Google, you've brought a couple of other CSSW alumni into the fold: Jenni Choi (MSW'12) and Nadine Rose Carole (MSW'13). How can an education in social work prepare you for a career in tech?
People frequently ask me "So you're a social worker—what are you doing in tech?!" I have observed that success in the fast-paced world of high-tech innovation requires effective communication, a strong sense of teamwork, negotiation, dedication to working towards a unified mission despite ambiguity or a possible lack of sufficient resources, and the ability to iterate quickly in response to possible high-stakes contingencies—all skills that are strongly emphasized in the social work curriculum. Jenni, Nadine and I use our background in social work every day at Google. In fact, I think our non-traditional background for the tech industry complements the often more technical or corporate-oriented training and experience of our peers.
Finally, can you offer any advice to other women who may be contemplating careers in tech?
Working in the tech industry can feel like you're on a roller coaster, so get ready for a wild ride that's exhilarating, inspiring, occasionally terrifying, and unlike any other field you've ever experienced…and if people try to make you feel you don't belong, remember you are more powerful than any imposter syndrome you're experiencing. Seek out the people, opportunities, and strategies that maintain your sense of holistic well-being and help connect you to your inner motivation and drive.
Thank you, Amy. We are always hearing about social work opening doors to a wide range of career paths. It's great to learn that these paths may now include jobs in the high-tech sector. What a powerful way to help others!


text:
'You must be mad' - that was the unanimous response from colleagues back at the office when I told them I had been invited to try the very first cricket pie fresh out of the ovens at Pieminister HQ on Stokes Croft.
It might not be up there with the kangaroo testicles and fish eyes eaten by contestants on I'm a Celebrity, but it's not often you get to eat insect pie in a Bristol restaurant.
Pieminister launches the special limited edition pie, The Hopper, on March 6 in time to celebrate British Pie Week.
Co-owner Tristan Hogg, who joined me as I tucked into the first Hopper to be cooked in the restaurant, says they have only made around 1,000 of this limited edition pie, and they will be sold in their shops and restaurants next week.
They are even sending The Hopper to a few radio celebrities, including Chris Evans and Radcliffe & Maconie in the hope they might mention the cricket-filled pie, perhaps accompanied by the 10cc hit Dreadlock Holiday - a song famous for its line "I don't like cricket oh no. I love it."
The Hopper is inspired by a Mexican cricket and black bean pie cooked in a rich tomato, chipotle chilli and sour cream sauce with fresh lime and coriander.
And if eating crickets sounds weird, it isn't. Around 70% of the world's population sees eating insects as the norm and sustainability experts cite insects as a high-protein, low-fat alternative to eating other meats.
The Pieminister team hopes that The Hopper will challenge peoples' preconceptions of what eating insects can be like and help raise awareness of the environmental issues surrounding sustainable sourcing for food production.
The crickets for The Hopper were supplied by Crunchy Critters, the UK's leading supplier of edible insects. Crunchy Critters source their insects from ethical suppliers whose sustainable stocks have been organically fed. The crickets have been farm raised within Europe.
So what does it taste like?
I sliced through the crisp, buttery pastry to find a generously filled pie - it was filled to the top and there wasn't the usual gap like you find in many mass produced pies.
The tomatoey, coriander-flecked filling is rich and creamy due to the addition of sour cream and surprisingly spicy thanks to the chipotle chilli - it's a spice that gradually builds up as you eat the pie.
At first, it's actually quite hard to differentiate between the black beans and the crickets, but the main difference is the initial crunch of the crickets, which is slightly alarming but also quite pleasing.
Beyond that crunch, the cricket 'meat' is soft, not at all chewy and not too dissimilar to the mince beef you find in your cottage pie. Any insect flavour is masked by the sauce so it's more of a textural experience and you don't really taste the crickets.
The verdict
Having eaten things like calf's brain, pig's trotters, squirrel and just about every conceivable type of offal in restaurants before, I have to admit I wasn't unduly concerned about this particular culinary Bushtucker trial. Spicy, comforting and with a gentle and rather satisfying crunch, The Hopper is far more enjoyable as it might sound so I suggest you hop down to Pieminister next week and grab this limited edition pie.
How much are they?
To celebrate British Pie Week, Pieminister is serving their pies with mash for just £5, from March 6 to 12.
Where can I try the pies?
Pieminister has three shops and cafes in Bristol - at 24 Stokes Croft; 7 Broad Quay or in the Glass Arcade, St Nicks Market.


text:
Source: www.ipindia.nic.in
In the question hour of Lok Sabha on August 6, 2018 the focus was shifted on the pendency of the Patent Applications with the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM). The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu was questioned on the same.
The queries raised was regarding the statistics of the Patent and Trademark pending application and the reason for rapid increase in the number of pending patent applications. To which Hon'ble Minister replied that the patent pendency is measured in terms of pending requests for examination after the request is filed. Giving numbers he showed that the pendency of patent applications at examination stage has reduced from 2,04,177 as on March 2017 to 1,55,438 as on June 2018. Similarly, for trademarks, 4,54,833 applications are pending at various stages of disposal, out of which 42,304 are pending at the examination stage.
Further, the Hon'ble Minister was questioned about the proposed action plan to develop infrastructure in all patent offices in the country and other steps proposed to be taken by the Government so as to deal with the mounting number of patent and registration applications. The Hon'ble Minister in his reply highlighted the steps taken by the Government to reduce the pendency. Some of the steps mentioned were:
- That the issue of lack of technical manpower for examination and disposal of patent applications was addressed by increasing the available manpower through creation of new posts.
- Recruitment of 459 posts of Examiners of Patents and Designs.
- Sanctioning of 84 new posts of Examiners and 95 posts of Controllers.
- 2016 Amendment of Patent Rules to simplify procedures for disposal of patent applications.
- Updation of the website of Indian Intellectual Property Office to make it more interactive, informative, user-friendly and transparent.
- The steps, like enablement of computerised work-flow, automation and IT, taken in order to facilitate the examination work and optimize the speed and quality of examination were also highlighted.


text:
Save this one for when you have some time. It's an hour and ten minutes of overlanding action as three mates head up the wild east coast of Australia's northern Cape York Peninsula.
When I say wild, I do mean wild. They've gotten permission to drive much of it along the beach and have to take tides into account when rounding rocky points and crossing rivers. That and, of course, avoiding the crocodiles while doing a bit of night fishing. It looks like a lot of fun.


text:
Article Text
BACKGROUND--In order to clarify the treatment of sleep hypoxaemias in Duchenne muscular dystrophy polysomnographic studies were performed on patients at home with the purpose of recruiting them into two clinical therapeutic trials. Observations concerning the nature of sleep hypoxaemia in these patients are presented. METHODS--Twenty one non-ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 13-23 years with no symptoms of sleep hypoventilation or apnoea were studied for two consecutive nights with eight channel polysomnography. A comparative study was performed in 12 age matched normal male subjects. The evolution of sleep hypoxaemia with age was studied in 14 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. RESULTS--Thirteen of the 21 patients had hypoxaemia below 90% during sleep, and 12 of the 13 had discrete hypoxaemic dips in association with apnoeas; 60% of all apnoeas were obstructive in nature. The hypoxaemic periods became more frequent with increasing age and, in two patients at three year follow up, were more frequently associated with central or possibly "pseudocentral" apnoeas. Although the normal subjects had a few apnoeic episodes, none had sleep hypoxaemia below 90% saturation. CONCLUSION--The sleep related breathing abnormality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy is initially obstructive and this has implications for management.
Statistics from Altmetric.com
Request Permissions
If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center's RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.


text:
This Weird Online Fiction About Football Is Also a Crash Course in Empathy
Heaven is scary in the groundbreaking digital fiction "17776"
It's been one year since Jon Bois's visceral and unparalleled 17776 was posted on SB Nation, and trying to define it is still a half-impossible endeavor. Wikipedia calls it a "serialized speculative fiction multimedia narrative" — the story unfolds as a transcription of untagged, color-coded dialogue, images, and gifs. Its alternate title — What Football Will Look Like in the Future — is technically an accurate depiction of its subject matter, but it might be better described as "three sentient satellites pass the time watching America's now-immortal population try to pass the time." I could say it's a hilarious and heartbreaking meditation on what it means to be human, even when you have been stripped of the hallmarks and drawbacks of the human body. But the best way to experience 17776 is to just click the link and read — and watch — it for yourself.
Three satellites have been roaming space for thousands of years: Pioneer 9 (Nine), Pioneer 10 (Ten), and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice). Nine is the last of the three satellites to gain consciousness, and they serve as our window into this new world, our questioning tether. Ten is their encouraging, self-appointed sister, Nine's guide (and ours) to understanding America in 17776; Juice is a non-sequitur, rip-roaring delight with diction pulled straight from the depths of the internet.
"On April 7th, 2026, people stopped being born. On the same day, people stopped dying, and people stopped aging," Ten explains.
"ham cheese. ham cracker. cheese cracker. ham and cheese cracker. ham and cheese," Juice says. "rip lunchables"
That extra "7" in 17776 isn't a typo; the bulk of the action in the story takes place 15,000 years in the future. It's a future that's at once totally alien and strangely familiar: for reasons that no human or satellite has been able to puzzle out, people stopped dying, aging, and being born in 2026. Everyone on earth in 17776 has been alive for 15,000 years, too. In the time between, humanity fixed everything that needed to be fixed and solved everything that needed to be solved (or, more accurately, decided that they had reached their plateau). All that's left for mankind now is recreation — they make games, and they play them. In America, they play football.
17776 takes the shape of a horror story where the agony of boredom is the enemy, and empathy the triumphal hero. It's thrumming with the barely-contained unease of this new world. 17776 doesn't dwell on the terror of its premise, but horror is pressing up against every part of the narrative from underneath, right below the surface. It's is a masterwork of suspense, both in individual chapters like Chapter 17 ("No no no no no no.") and over the course of the whole story (my heart stopped when Nine's battery warning flashed in Chapter 23). It's a suspense that makes your skin crawl from the very beginning: though you can access 17776 from a dedicated title page if you've visited the link before, it's first introduced as a seemingly normal SB Nation story that slowly dissolves into repetitions of "Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong." In Chapter 1, you feel Nine's raw desperation and isolation, compounded by the fact that neither you — nor they — understand what's happening to them. And the format itself just increases the unease — in order to continue the narrative, you have to physically scroll farther and farther, the months and years of the calendar stretching into physical space.
Even when the narrative dives into the details and goes long about the minutiae of the specific football games, the satellites uncover the human impetus behind each increasingly unbelievable game format. "Boredom is their only enemy," Ten explains. "And they get up in the morning and fight it every day of their eternal lives." "the point of play is to distract yourself from play being the point," says Juice. In Chapter 20, Eddie Krieger — a player who has been hiding out in the same cave, with a football that's still in play, for 9,313 years — admits to the agony of endlessness: "The game only barely matters to me at this point," he says. "It's enough to keep me going. It's an objective, you know? It's an objective." The stranger Eddie is talking to is a missionary — a true believer in God—but he offers up one of the most chilling lines in 17776: "Maybe I am in Heaven, and Heaven is scary." That's perhaps the best description for the world of 17776, where mundane anxieties and griefs are swept away in favor of the deeper horrors of eternity: a scary heaven.
The fact that 17776 is funny, and often beautiful, keeps you at arm's length from the abject horror of what endless life on Earth would actually look like. While Bois fleshes out his world with an enormous amount of detail, there are certain questions that are never answered. Are people unkillable, as well as immortal? Has no one tired of soldiering through eternity and tried to find the answer to that question? But no one talks about death — self-imposed or otherwise — except as a relic of a time that no longer exists.
17776 looks its premise in the face with relentless optimism — an optimism that I found a little bit hard to believe. When Nine asks Ten why technology hasn't advanced in the past 15,000 years, she replies that "those advances would inevitably intrude on their humanity. People wanted to walk. They wanted to take the bus that smelled like cigarettes. They wanted those precious three minutes between asking a question and knowing the answer."
I'm not sure if this is true of the world we live in, but it's true in the world of 17776, where all other ills have been done away with. Yes, it's the end of the world; yes, whole cities have sunk into the sea, but our worst impulses have vanished with them. And that's because 17776 loves people. That's its antidote.
It focuses on people at their best and most human, which is made doubly beautiful by the fact that everyone in 17776 has either learned to become human or fought to maintain their humanity in the face of becoming something different. (Are we human without all our worst parts? Are we human without death?)
17776 loves the way that people love people, and the way that people love satellites, and lightbulbs, and the useless, myopic detail of the games we create. The whole narrative is an ode to that same character trait that causes people to reach out and try to pet their Roombas — or to affectionately draw fan art of anthropomorphized satellites.
Juice spends all of Chapter 10 explaining the world's ugliest stadium with all the pride of a parent, exhibiting an enthusiastic obsession with the people who built it. Whenever anyone apologizes for being boring or annoying, their conversational partner is eager to reassure them. "No, no, no, it's a beautiful story," says Nancy in Chapter 8, after listening to a citizen of Bee, Nebraska, talk about a small and inconsequential ballroom. "I love it."
This hyperempathy is overflowing from every facet of 17776, but I was most affected by it in Chapter 20, where Eddie Krieger — the man in the cave whose isolation rivals Nine's — is found by the missionary, a member of a group called No Rock Unturned. "No Rock Unturned is a project made up of people like me who walk all across America," the man begins cheerfully. "Our goal is to eventually count everyone in America as a friend!" In this version of America's future, no one is left behind; no one and nothing is allowed to be lonely or forgotten — not even the ordinary landmarks that Juice shows Nine in Chapter 16, ponds and sidewalks that no one has visited in thousands of years.
17776 loves small things by watching them. It lavishes attention on things that we would not consider meaningful in 2018, much less 15,000 years in the future. Ten recites a eulogy for the Livermore Bulb, a lightbulb that burned from 1901 to its untimely destruction-by-football in 17776: "The bulb lived, to us, and life deserves to be immortal," she says. "It will live on in our memories, where it will perhaps find more happiness than it ever did hanging from a ceiling. We love you and we will miss you."
Even the close-to-last words from our three favorite satellites are simply a mutual declaration: "I love you guys." "Love you too." "love y'all too"
After the end of the world, human curiosity is still intact, and it's what keeps us alive. So even when 17776 centers on the futility of endless play, it walks that razor's edge between horror and the beauty of love. People latch onto football out of desperation, because it gives them a reason to live. People latch onto football because creating things with other people is what we're built for.
It's 2018 now, which means we're one year closer to April 7th, 2026. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer is being tested right now, and we're fast approaching its 2022 launch. We're one year closer to 17776, but we seem to be moving farther from its idealized picture of humanity with every day that passes. The past year, on a global level, has been exhausting, and heartbreaking, and full of reminders of the worst and most inhuman things that people can do to one another. The horror of the world is enormous and overwhelming.
But: It's 2018, and right now, the Livermore Centennial Lightbulb is still burning in its socket, soft and yellow-orange, just as it has been for 117 years. Its glass is cloudy. The light it gives off is not bright; it hardly even fills the firehouse of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. But it is steadfast, it is cared for, and it is loved. It's a beacon — for some, a pilgrimage.
17776 gave its residents immortality. What they did with it — and the kindnesses they chose to do to their neighbor — was entirely up to them. And every day, they choose to latch on to the things they need in order to survive one more day, because with every new day comes the chance to notice someone for who they are, and for who they are capable of becoming.
The verse on the missionary's question list in Chapter 20 is Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things."
It's this sense of awe that permeates the narrative as much as — if not more than—the horror does. "the mere fact that anything exists is a miracle in the first place," says Juice. 17776 pays unwavering attention to the beauty in ordinary things, because in the end, that is what's most important: remembering the things that were, and loving the things that remain.
The world is big, and it is terrible. We are not the sun, or even a street lamp. But each one of us can be the Livermore bulb. In 17776, Jon Bois sees the love that we are capable of. Each one of us can pour ourselves out in the way that everyone in 17776 does, and the way the Livermore Bulb does: quietly and steadily, with empathy for everything and everyone. We can notice, and from noticing, watch; we can watch, and from watching, love.
We can choose to keep living for love. It's what 2018 needs from us.


text:
Glorious Gay Days
Welcome to Our Glorious, Marvelous, Surprisingly Ordinary, Very Gay Days.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Free Tickets
We got free tickets to the Dallas Stars hockey game. Attending a sporting event with really good tickets is a lot of fun. I think hockey needs to slow down a little bit, because I had a hard time seeing the puck go into the goal.
When I was in high school (in the 1900's) I worked at a video store with Meg, who was a few years younger than me. Meg was the biggest Dallas Stars hockey fan. I can still remember how thrilled she was when the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999. She died a few years ago in a car crash. I couldn't stop thinking about about Meg at the hockey game.
Posted by
No comments:
Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Nusi Malani
Nusi Malani Audio Pronunciation
2020 – Appeared in seven of UVA's 10 games … one of 12 UVA true freshmen to appear in a game … made collegiate debut at No. 1 Clemson … made one tackle against NC State … notched two stops in the win over Louisville … named to 2021 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Played defensive end at Junipero Serra High School for head coach Patrick Walsh …named West Catholic Athletic Defensive Lineman of the Year and named Bay Area Preps HQ's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 … rated No. 15 player in the Bay Area by San Jose Mercury News in its preseason Fab 40 ranking … made 61 tackles, including 35 solo stops as a senior … added 4.0 sacks and caused one fumble as a senior … finished with 7.0 tackles for loss …. helped Serra to the 2019 CIF D1-A state final … played on Serra's junior varsity team as a sophomore due to ACL knee injury, then joined varsity for postseason play that saw team win the 2017 CIF Division 2-AA state championship … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247sports.com … competes in discus and shot put for track squad … finished third in shot put at 2019 WCAL finals with a personal best of 48-3 … plays center on school's basketball team … major is undeclared and is currently studying in UVA's College of Arts and Sciences … recipient of the 2021-2022 E. Paul Rogers, Jr. Memorial Scholarship for Football


text:
The cost of police services involving major sports events ¾especially football matches¾ has been a source of controversy for some time. Police services have to provide a large number of officers, which may condition their staffing resources, and consequently the service they offer. In 1989, after the Hillsborough disaster, in the United Kingdom, where over 90 people died due to, along with other factors, a lack of police resources, the country's police organisation demanded resources to address the security needs of professional football matches. The 1996 police law established English clubs' obligation to pay a rate for police services.
The amount of the rate has been a permanent source of controversy. Last November, London's Metropolitan Police published the annual cost of Police expenses related to security at football matches, over 12 million pounds, denouncing the fact that the city's clubs only contributed a small amount.
In Catalonia, four years ago, a rate was approved for the Generalitat Police force− Mossos d'Esquadra, although this exclusively applied to high-risk matches.
These amounts tend to lead to a response involving legal challenges in courtrooms.[1] In Germany, in the middle of February 2018, the higher court of the City State of de Bremen maintained the rate established by the government for high-risk matches. Specifically, the rate for the match between Werder Bremen and HSV Hamburg in August 2015 was discussed. The land's Police force used 969 officers in order to guarantee the security of both clubs' supporters. The upper court argued that the police forces of the länder are obliged to maintain the security of their respective territories, also at football matches and other types of events involving large concentrations of people. In order to be able to address this obligation, the corresponding rates to finance such services must be established so that the necessary resources are provided. Authorities can decide whether there are people who are particularly responsible for risks generated by their activities when, furthermore, these generate significant economic revenue, as in the case of football clubs, and consider that the rate is proportional as it is calculated in accordance with the number of police officers on duty.
[1] In Catalonia, FC Barcelona has legally challenged the application procedure applied for such a rate.
Aquest apunt en català / Esta entrada en español / Post en français


text:
You may have seen an emoji symbol with a number before the name of your friends on Snapchat, this unique feature is called "SnapStreak". SnapStreak is one of the unique features of Snapchat.
If this feature is disappeared from your Snapchat, then there is a possible way to get it back. Let's see how to get your Streak Back on Snapchat.
How to Get Your Streak Back on Snapchat
Here are the simple steps for getting snapchat streak back:
Step 1. First, go to support page of the Snapchat app.
Step 2. Then click on the Contact Us option from there.
Step 3. From that page, you will find the support list, locate "My Snapstreaks Disappeared" option from that list and select it.
Step 4. A message will pop-up describing Snapstreaks. After reading this message choose "YES" to confirm that you still need Snapchat streak back help.
Step 5. Then you have to fill a form. Complete the answers to the questions given in it that will inquire about your name, type of phone, phone number, and with which friend you have lost your Snapstreak.
Step 6. Remember to fill in as many details as possible. Also, it will be of huge help if you remember dates and times to the mentioned friend you last shared snaps with.
Step 7. When you complete this form, click on the "Send" option.
Step 8. Now just wait for the Snapchat to get back for helping you out with snapchat streak restore process.