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ORCA Grow Film® is made from threads of a high density specialized reflective plastic which are bonded together creating a unique surface topography. The resulting geometry of the microfibers and the submicron pores within the microfiber, create a highly reflective and diffuse surface. The same principal is found in snowflakes, where normally transparent water is transformed into reflective bright white snow through the unique geometry of ice crystal formation. Diffuse reflection is important to hydroponic growers because it eliminates hot spots and creates the even, efficient distribution of light plants desire.
100 times magnification
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ORCA Grow Film™ is unique when compared to traditional
reflective foils because its surface reflection is both:
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text: Hi Jada! What beautiful eyes you have!! I have to say I never have met a syphinx that intrigued me like you have. Your expressions in your pictures are so precious. You seem so special and I am so happy to hear how much your person enjoys your special ways. Hope you are enjoying being Cat of the Day today and always!

subset: commoncrawl


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The crews of Atlantis and the International Space Station today opened the newly attached Destiny laboratory and spent the first full day of what are planned to be years of work ahead inside the orbiting science and command center.
Station Commander Bill Shepherd opened the Destiny hatch, and he and Shuttle Commander Ken Cockrell ventured inside at 8:38 a.m. Central. Members of both crews went to work quickly inside the new module, activating air systems, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, computers and internal communications. The crew also continued equipment transfers from the shuttle to the station and filmed several scenes onboard the station using an IMAX camera. Cockrell also set Atlantis steering jets to fire periodically over the course of several hours to gradually boost the station and shuttle's altitude by almost five miles. The reboost was the first of three such maneuvers that will be performed while Atlantis is docked. When complete, the reboosts will increase the station's altitude by more than 18 miles.
After a full day working side by side, the station and shuttle crews parted company at 4:40 p.m., closing the hatches in preparation for a second spacewalk by Astronauts Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam on Monday. After the hatches closed, Shuttle Pilot Mark Polansky reduced Atlantis' cabin pressure slightly while Jones and Curbeam wore oxygen masks, part of a protocol to purge nitrogen from the bodies of spacewalkers. The protocol prevents the spacewalkers from suffering decompression sickness when they go to the extremely low-pressure environment of spacesuits. Monday's space walk will be highlighted by the movement of a station docking port, called Pressurized Mating Adapter 2, from a temporary storage location to a permanent position at the end of the Destiny lab, where it will serve as the primary shuttle docking port for future missions. During their space walk, Jones and Curbeam also will install several handrails and slidewires on Destiny's hull for use by future space walkers.
Jones and Curbeam will begin donning their spacesuits at about 6:43 a.m. Central on Monday. Just before 9 a.m., Astronaut Marsha Ivins will power up Atlantis' robotic arm. She will latch onto the mating adapter about 20 minutes later. Jones and Curbeam are to exit Atlantis' cabin and begin their work outside at 9:43 a.m., providing visual cues as Ivins in maneuvers the adapter into place. The spacewalk is planned to conclude at 4:13 p.m. Central. As the spacewalk winds down, other work inside the station and shuttle will command large gyroscopes to begin spinning, a key space station system that will control the complex's stability without consuming propellant. The spin-up of the station's four Control Moment Gyroscopes is planned to start at 3:43 p.m.
The station and shuttle crews will go to sleep at 8:13 p.m. Central today. The shuttle crew is to awaken at 4:13 a.m. Monday and the station crew is to awaken half an hour later. The Johnson Space Center newsroom will close at 8 p.m. and reopen at 4 a.m. Monday. The next mission status report will be issued at 5 a.m. Monday.
NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to email@example.com. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.


text:
He watched himself on the coaches' film, watching only things he should have ignored. Wade Davis didn't study his technique or repetitions. He focused on how he was standing.
Why, he asked himself, did he have to stand there like a gay man? Why, when he left the Washington Redskins' sideline, did he run onto the field into the team's secondary in such a way? And as he sat there watching the footage, he wondered: What if others saw it, too, realizing the cornerback had a secret?
"Stop running like that," Davis remembers telling himself, recalling that he promised to never wear certain clothes or stand in that way ever again. "It's such a terrible place to be when you're trying to make a team, when you're more worried about the way you're running."
Davis — who is now 36 and the executive director of the You Can Play Project, a group that works to remove homophobia from sports — came out publicly in 2012. He played parts of four seasons in the NFL, the last of which came in 2003 with Washington.He never advanced past an NFL team's practice squad, and maybe that was because rather than focusing on improving, he saw only the things that might out him. This was more than a decade before University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam announced he is gay, which likely will make him the league's first openly gay player.
Davis had hinted at his sexuality during his younger years, but he could never say the words. He came closest when he played for NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder in 2001, but he backed away — lying about himself, as he had done for years.
He kept his secret in classrooms and on football fields, starring as a defensive back and going on to play in college at Weber State in Utah. He spent summers in weight rooms and on tracks, trying to outwork and outrun the perception that homosexuality somehow made him weaker and slower; that he was less of a man because he wasn't straight.
Davis wore oversize shirts and baggy jeans, fighting even the "metrosexual" label of a well-dressed man, because that swung too close to an identity he hoped to fight off like a cough.
"You just can't get away from this idea," he said, "that you're not man enough."
He wasn't drafted in 2000, signing as a rookie free agent with the Tennessee Titans. They cut him, and he played 10 games with Berlin and became one of the Thunder's most dependable defenders. Davis tried again the next season with the Seattle Seahawks before returning to Europe. He joined the Redskins in 2003, but a knee injury finally pushed him out of the league at age 26.
Afterward, he lied again, to himself and his friends. Only this time, he hid his past as a football player and told anyone who asked that he was gay. He moved to New York, leaving his football apparel in Colorado and refusing to spend Sundays watching the sport he had loved. This was the only way to avoid questions about being gay in the NFL.
As the years passed, he said, he became an activist — shedding his own secrets, owning up to his truths, and marking each day with the hope that for a future generation, these tests will come easier. He joined You Can Play and counseled active NFL players who have come out to teammates but not to the public. Davis won't say how many gay players he believes to be on NFL rosters, but he says there are plenty.
"Just because the general public doesn't see these athletes, we make assumptions that the NFL is homophobic," he said.
For the past year, he has met with NFL representatives at the league's New York office, preparing for a player to announce he is gay. Davis said the league was receptive and eager, knowing that the day was approaching — and preparing to make that player feel welcome.
Davis said of the league's message: "How can we change the conversation so people don't just see him as a gay man but as an pretty commonplace athlete who happens to be identified as gay?"
Last month, Davis said, Troy Vincent called. Vincent, a former NFL star who is now the league's senior vice president of player engagement, told Davis about Sam and his impending announcement .
Davis met Sam and discovered that the 24-year-old possessed a comfort with himself that came much later for Davis — long after he was gone from the NFL. Sam came out to his college team before the 2013 season, and his teammates and coaches protected his secret. If there were incidents or offensive words used within earshot of Sam, he didn't talk about them. Davis believes that discretion will quickly earn Sam trust in an NFL locker room.
At a dinner in California last week, a gathering meant to prepare Sam for his announcement, Davis and Sam talked about their pasts, about football, about family and about understanding. They ate dinner together with a group of former athletes and then posed for a picture to mark the occasion. Davis was at the far left, with an arm around Dave Kopay, who in 1975 became the first former NFL player to come out.
"Look at how things have moved along," said Kopay, who played two seasons in Washington. "I mean, they're changing everything, and thank God, right?"
Afterward, Davis returned to New York and met again Tuesday with league representatives at the NFL office. The representatives asked what's next, repeating that they want to guarantee Sam makes a team.
Still, Davis said, roadblocks await, for Sam and for the movement. Davis said Sam's announcement could compel other gay NFL players to withdraw deeper into secrecy; others might find a kind of comfort Davis never knew in football.
"Whenever someone in the world stands up and tells their truth, the world changes," Davis said. "Something is going to change, but I don't know what or how it's going to look. What I do know is that the people will start to look at the NFL from a different perspective."


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Go to Indicator definition
This indicator provides the share households that are headed by unmarried women with children in the neighborhood where the average poor child of different racial/ethnic groups lives. For instance, if the value is 10% for poor Hispanic children, this statistic is interpreted as "The average poor Hispanic child in this metro area lives in a neighborhood where 10% of households are headed by unmarried women with children."
Households headed by unmarried women with children are defined as those including only "Own children," who are never-married children under 18 years who are sons or daughters by birth, stepchildren, or adopted children of the householder. Excludes metro areas with less than 5,000 children of the specified racial/ethnic group.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, Summary File 3.
Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy • The Heller School • Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • email@example.com
Copyright 2020, diversitydata.org
>> For a wider selection of data on child wellbeing, visit our partner site, diversitydatakids.org.
diversitydata.org is powered by Velir's Datacenter.


text:
Our physical exams include a head-to-tail assessment:
- Check body weight and temperature.
- Look at the eyes, ears, and nose.
- Check the lymph nodes.
- Look in the mouth to assess the health of the teeth and gums.
- Evaluate the heart and lungs.
- Feel the abdomen to check the internal organs including the kidneys and liver.
- Evaluate the muscles, spine and joints.
After the examination, we carefully document our findings and give you our recommendations for any health problems we find.


text:
International Union of Mail-Artists
Jennie Hinchcliff is a zine and mail artist from San Francisco, CA. She attended American Library Association Annual Conference to promote zines in libraries...
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Join International Union of Mail-Artists
Thanks, Ruud,for uploading this interesting video and the others from ExPostFacto, etc.
Good to see discussions with the Mail Art "veterans":
the Bennetts, John Held, Jr., Ginny Lloyd, Jennie and others.
Sending something in the mail:
sending her some mail.... (you could do that too!)
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Forever Living Products has helped millions of people all around the world achieve dreams they never imagined possible.
The Forever Opportunity has given me the chance to share a wonderful business and amazing products with the entire world. I have achieved financial independence and better health through this amazing opportunity. If you are serious about your health and taking control of your financial future, then let's see if Forever is the opportunity for you!


text:
No Vacation for Cyber-Security SolutionsBy Dennis McCafferty Print
Cyber-security is No. 1 on the priority list of many government agencies.
Providing cyber-security can be a relatively glory-free mission, but it's still No. 1 on the priority list of many government agencies, according to a recent survey released by CDW Government. Consider the following statistics:
• 54 percent of all federal agencies participating in the survey said they experience a cyber-security incident at least once a week.
• 33 percent said malware is the top daily cyber-security issue, and 25 percent said remote user access is the top daily issue.
• External sources account for 47 percent of an agency's biggest threat, such as state-sponsored cyber-security warfare programs that target DOD-linked enterprises.
See Also Tech Tools for Tough Times
Clearly, the demand for IT solutions that can keep up with the numerous hackers out there won't slow down anytime soon. "Despite technology implementation and employee education programs, few agencies are seeing an actual decrease in the number or severity of cyber-security incidents," says Andy Lausch, vice president of federal sales for CDW-G.
"Unfortunately, they are simply outpaced by organized crime, increasingly sophisticated hackers and state-sponsored professionals. What's more, employee noncompliance with security procedures, inappropriate Web surfing and carelessness with devices open the gate to external cyber-security threats.
IT Solutions Builder TOP IT RESOURCES TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD
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text:
If you live in Ontario then you know that the Labour Day Classic features the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Other parts of Canada have similar "classics" that actually feature much better teams but I like my CFL local.
Labour day is the ultimate comfort day if you have anyone in your house that starts school tomorrow or teaches again after a summer in Europe. I have short ribs, from Valeriotes Market, braising in the oven (4 hours at 25o) and am making mashed potatoes to serve with them. This is a comfort wine day – the day when you reach in the cellar, or cupboard, and pull out an old favorite. These are the wines that I recommend becoming your old favorites.
1. Nero D'Avola LCBO 143164 | Price: $ 9.95 from Sicily – a simple red at a great price. Leave a couple in your basement at all times.
2. Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier LCBO 624494 | Price: $ 14.95 South Australia – a manly Shiraz on a cool day but she'll like it too.
3. Bouchard Pere & Fils Gamay Macon LCBO 164582 | Price: $ 13.95 France. If it warms up outside today I may lightly chill my new favorite from the LCBO.
Go Argos!


text:
Mr. Speaker, let me answer the future former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration by quoting a statement he made to the Devoir on September 23, 2003. He said, "The facts are clear. The hon. member for LaSalle—Émard is our de facto leader".
Therefore, I find it rather strange, to say the least, that the future former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration would answer by praising the current Prime Minister when his statement kind of paved the way for the current Prime Minister to leave earlier than planned. The members opposite are all the same.
That is why they are turning today's motion into a non-confidence vote. They are scared witless. They are all afraid of being turfed out as ministers, the future former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration included. They will vote according to a very narrow interpretation of the motion brought forward by the Bloc Quebecois and say that it is a non-confidence vote that could bring the current government down.
That is what they are going to do in order to keep hiding their true colours and behaving like hypocrites. By showing the current Prime Minister the door—


text:
You know I just noticed some disturbing behavior in the cruise control system of my 99 Mazda Protege.
An input from the clutch or brake should toggle the cruise control function off. However I noticed that if I press in the clutch while I'm pressing down on the lever the signal is hidden, and when after I've down shifted I let up on the lever, the throttle engages!
Which lever?


text:
Search results
The Internet provides marketers with many opportunities to elicit personal information from children. Kids love playing on the Web, and commercial sites for children are continually ranked as top online destinations.
Many preschoolers are already active computer users. According to a 2012 Ofcom report, one-third of children ages 3-4 access the Internet using a computer, while a 2011 survey by Common Sense Media found that roughly the same number have used mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. While children at this age have a limited attention span for online activities, Internet images and sounds can stimulate their imaginations and add to their experiences.
Screen-Free Week is an annual event that traditionally takes place in April. Each year people from around the world make a conscious decision to turn off screens of all kinds for the week.
Most kids live as much of their lives online as they do offline. But on the Internet there are lots of moral and ethical choices that don't have to be made offline. These tips lay out ways you can help your children develop a moral compass to guide them through those choices.
We always hear that sharing is a good thing. And thanks to technology, we can share our ideas, opinions, pictures and videos with our friends and other people we choose to share it with. Most of the time, sharing is good. But if we aren't thoughtful about how we share, we run the risk of hurting ourselves or someone else. Also, remember that the things you share with your friends can end up being shared with others. That's why it's important to think before you share.
How can we help young people develop affective empathy? The best approach depends on how old they are. Children begin to understand empathy as toddlers, but at this stage they are so completely "in the moment" that the best approach is to watch out for situations where we can model and talk about empathy with them. When a child does something or witnesses something that makes somebody feel sad, quietly explain to them how and why it made them feel that way. (It can be valuable to do this with other emotions, such as fear and happiness, as well.)
For most youth, the Internet is all about socializing and while most of these social interactions are positive, increasing numbers of kids are using the technology to intimidate and harass others – a phenomenon known as cyberbullying.
Media and communications technology play an important role in a student's health and physical education, for better or for worse. The new Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum provides a spring board to start discussions related to health and media literacy.
Media and communications technology play an important role in a student's health and physical education, for better or for worse. The new Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum provides a spring board to start discussions related to health and media literacy.
You can make the world a better place TODAY. 10 tiny ways you can make the world a better place today.


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We check over 450 stores daily and we last saw this product for £30.00 at Sunspel.Go to Sunspel
We've been making luxury men's underwear since 1860. Sunspel's own John Hill not only introduced the boxer short to Britain in 1947, he also perfected its design. This, together with our obsession with developing exceptional fabrics, make us confident that Sunspel boxer shorts are the best that you will ever wear. Initially only available in America, it was Sunspel's own John Hill who saw the opportunity in bringing the boxer short to the UK in 1947. Working from the Sunspel factory in Long Eaton, he refined the design to craft the boxer short as we know it today. With just a few minor tweaks here and there, to this very day we produce our boxer shorts to the original specifications developed by John Hill. The seams are double-turned and feldlocked so that there are no rough edges. The rear features a distinctive back panel rather than an uncomfortable central seam. And all of the excessive bagginess left over from the early 1930s styles has been eliminated so that our boxers can be worn with a slimmer trouser without being restrictive. At Sunspel, not only are we obsessive about fit, but fabrication too. For over 150 years we have sourced the finest raw materials from around the world and innovated to develop unique luxury fabrics. When it comes to our boxer shorts, the fabric that we use is no exception; each pair is cut from 100% long staple fine cotton for unparalleled lightness, softness and breathability. Whether you opt for our classic or long cut boxer short, wear with our superfine cotton vest or crew neck underwear t-shirt to create the perfect foundation for all your looks. Classic design, barely changed since 1947. Back panel and enclosed seams for added comfort. Elasticated waist. Open fly. Loose, comfortable fit - true to size. 100% fine cotton. Machine washable. Designed in England. Made in Portugal. Colour: white
Sold out
|Go to Sunspel View


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FiberBenders "School of Flight" Where CHAMPIONS are SHAPED and SHARPENED Year Around... DAY by DAY... SINCE 1985
Pole Vault
Alex Barker Places 11th at USA Indoor National Championships
Alex Barker has set some seriously "lofty" goals for his senior year. The Conrad Weiser HS senior recently competed in the USA High School Indoor Championships at the Armory in New York City. Following his performance there... he may be well on his way to acheiving those BIG goals. more
Jared Jodon, VA Tech & PA, Laurel Highlands HS grad
is training for the US Olympic Pole Vault Trials in Florida
and he has a NEW PR of 17'-10" more
Justin Amaquizita,
Duke Univ (Highlands, NJ HS grad)
the two-time NJ HS Meet of Champions Champ has a NEW PR of 17'-2" more


text:
Political leaders around the world have today unified in their condemnation of the current aggressive stance by North Korea. The timing is being censured as both tasteless and inconsiderate, when most heads of state or their senior diplomats will wish to pay their respects to one another at the Thatcher funeral on Wednesday, away from the stress of formal summits. This time should be set aside for quiet reflection in sorting out trade and arms agreements.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that Kim Jong Un has 'gone too far' this time, waving his missiles in everyone's faces and threatening to crack one off. A senior official from the UN stated that starting thermonuclear war this close to the funeral will undoubtedly blight the travel plans of several senior attendees, not to mention the seating plan at the funeral and subsequent evening dinner. From the British perspective, he said that on their 'big day', the last thing the artistic director for Operation True Blue needs is sudden interruptions to the live BBC coverage being upstaged by errant missiles fizzing all over the Sea of Japan.
South Korea has offered a 'Gangnam tribute' to Maggie for the funeral, but amid concerns that a war might cause problems with airline schedules this may have to be via video conference instead. A spokesman for PSY said he was worried that this might detract from the gravitas of the performance. He offered 'Something should be done about these unstable dictatorial leaders starting wars for political gain, particularly when they can't afford to kit out their armed forces.
Who does this Kim Jong chap think he is? Tony Blair?'


text:
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Australia's BIGGEST Weddings & Party Sale STARTS NOW! Hurry, while stock lasts! >Shop Now
Easter Bunny Circle Stickers ( Set of 35) - Custom Printed
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- We love these labels for any Easter occasion.
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- On the sticker you have Two lines of text:
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- Mix and match with our other personalised Easter themed favours, party labels, stickers, thank you cards and decorations to create the perfect themed soiree!


text:
Artist description:
[Link] I love this song ♥ Pushed myself to draw realism with portraits and love how it came out ♥ Yeyy Im still alive 8D And those are Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie, singers on Youtube~
Java Draw Created Aug 30, 2011 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2011 Zanjux.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Amazing!! So much detail 5h collect
i ♥ christina grimmie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! team grimmie rawwks \|/
this is sooo awesome! i had no idea who else listened to sam tsui! i love his song dont want an ending ^^ great drawing. 5/5
nice! I love the mic you drew ^^
lol i just happened to be listening to this cover when i seen this ?!
Really cool drawing!!!!! :-D 5/5!!!!
It's magnificant!
BEJEEZ. That's amazingly realistic! 5/5 hearts.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is this a picture???!!!!


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Ok, it's been a while since anyone's posted in this thread, so I dunno if I'll even get a reply, but I've been working on this one for a while, and I'm stuck.
I've gotten to the point with the 3 "bands" of data, and I know the encoding for the first group (fairly simple), but the 2nd and 3rd groupings have me baffled. Given how easy the first group was, I feel like I'm probably overthinking the other 2.
If anyone out there still reads these forums, could I get a push in the right direction? Anything would be appreciated


text: Zachary Worden and Jordan Miller recently showed residents at the United Helpers Nursing Home how to bowl and play golf using the Nintendo Wii. The gaming console was made possible by donations received through the Society of the United Helpers Wish Book Program. Wish Books consist of a list of items that are requested or "wished for" by the Administrator, staff and residents. Donors simply browse the book and choose which item they would like to sponsor. The Wish Book program is available to view online and at most of the United Helpers facilities. To learn more about the Society of the United Helpers Wish Book Program, please call the Development Office at 393-3074 extension 230 or 271. Pictured from left are Martha Hayes, resident; Zachary Worden, Luci Worden, Lisa Worden, employee; Lawrence Worden Jr., Activities Director; Jordan Miller, and Sally Silk; resident.


text:
Faculty Vincent H. Stefan
Email Address: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone Number:718-960-7728
Office: Davis Hall, Rm. 411
Rank: Professor
Degrees and Sources of Degrees: B.A., University of Wyoming; M.S., Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Vincent H. Stefan, Ph.D.: University of New Mexico (2000)
Dr. Stefan's field of general interest is physical anthropology with specialization in human skeletal biology. His fields of study include human osteology and skeletal biology; forensic anthropology; paleoanthropology; quantitative methods; Rapa Nui (Easter Island) skeletal biology; Polynesian skeletal biology. Current research interests include the documentation and analysis of contemporary and prehistoric human skeletal variation. This interest in biological anthropology has led him to study fossil, prehistoric, and contemporary human remains, and to apply this knowledge of human variation in the analysis of prehistoric human remains, as well as to cases of medicolegal significance (forensic cases).
Dr. Stefan has used his knowledge of human variation, multivariate and population genetics statistical procedures to evaluate the origins and evolutionary prehistory of the Rapanui (Easter Islanders) and other Polynesians. Current projects include the continued analysis of the prehistoric Rapa Nui, Marquesans, and other Polynesian populations, incorporating both biological and ethnographic data. Future research will focus on the use of these same procedures to assess metric cranial/skeletal variation for understanding the peopling of all of Polynesia and Oceania.
Currently Professor Stefan regularly consults with the Nassau County Medical Examiner, East Meadow, NY, the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, Hauppauge, NY, and the Westchester County, Department of Laboratories & Research, Office of the Medical Examiner, Valhalla, NY in cases involving human skeletal remains. He is expert in the recovery of decomposed/ skeletonized human remains, and in the identification of victims from skeletal remains. Dr. Stefan regularly lectures to the Advanced Crime Scene Investigation Seminar, Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research, Valhalla, NY in forensic anthropology. He is a Full Member of the American Association of Physical Anthropology and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He is member of DMORT Region II, National Disaster Medical System, USPHS and the Centre for International Forensic Assistance, Dept. of Forensic Medicine and Science, Glasgow, Scotland. Before his appointment at the Lehman College, Dr. Stefan was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a forensic anthropology consultant to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Also, in 1998 he served as a forensic anthropologist to the UN ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the analysis of skeletal remains of individuals executed after the Serbian capture of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995.


text:
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Charles Rosen - Chopin, 15 May 2011
Nocturne in B major, op.62 no.1
Nocturne in E major, op.62 no.2
Barcarolle in F-sharp major, op.60
Mazurka in A-flat major, op.50 no.2
Mazurka in C-sharp minor, op.63 no.3
Waltz in C-sharp minor, op.64 no.2
Ballade no.4 in F minor, op.52
Sonata in B minor, op.58 no.3
I expected to enjoy this recital; I wanted to enjoy this recital… Unfortunately, I gained the impression that it came a good few years too late. Charles Rosen is a great musicologist and, more than that, a great public intellectual. Moreover, as one can readily forget, he was a pupil of Moritz Rosenthal, and thus a grand-pupil of Liszt, and has forged a distinguished career as a pianist. I had never heard him before in concert, so jumped at the opportunity. On the basis of the present recital, at least, his technique has in good part deserted him.
The two op.62 Nocturnes are far from easy, but ought to have presented a relatively safe way in. The B major Nocturne, however, proved heavy-handed, distended, and at times strikingly uncertain of direction: all the more surprising from a pianist who, as we know from his writings, understands this music so well. There was perhaps more direction to its E major companion, but it opened in casual fashion, quite charmless, and, despite a few instances of interesting voice-leading, sounded as unlike a Nocturne as any recent performance I can recall. Fioritura not only failed to hint at the vocal – one might, I suppose, claim that as an interpretative choice – but sometimes failed to materialise at all. The Barcarolle had its moments, but quite lacked charm and also suffered from considerable uncertainty. A couple of Mazurkas and the C-sharp minor Waltz replaced the advertised three op.59 Mazurkas. The A-flat Mazurka, op.50 no.2, failed to dance, though that in C-sharp minor, op.63 no.3 replaced liveliness – it is marked Vivace – with true poignancy. The waltz charmed in parts but, alas, there was more than one occasion when the right hand ran away from the left, and these were not occasions on which one could ascribe that to old-fashioned, purposive asynchonicity. Again, despite some telling instances of voice-leading, there were a few ornamental passages that did not properly run their course.
Perhaps surprisingly, it was the F minor Ballade, replacing the Fantasy-Polonaise, which, heard immediately prior to the interval, came off best. Here, despite the slips, was a true sense of purpose. Rubinstein it was not; there was little to beguile. There remained, however, a sense of almost Lisztian struggle, such as had also characterised the stronger passages of the Barcarolle. The Third Sonata had the second half to itself. There was something of that Beethovenian purpose to the first movement, married moreover to a properly neo-Bachian sense of polyphony. Light and shade, however, were for the most part absent and pauses sometimes seemed inserted to gather breath rather than to serve rhetorical ends. The Scherzo came and went, hardly scintillating, but steady and dogged. Much the same, unfortunately, could be said of the slow movement – and the finale. It was, I am afraid, a relief to reach the end, though two encores ensued: Liszt's transcription of the song Moja pieszczotka ('Meine Freuden') and the first published mazurka.
5 comments:
- Lisa Hirsch said...
I've seen Rosen twice in the last five or six years, once playing the last three Beethoven sonatas and once the Brahms-Handel variations. Neither was very good - he was bangy in both, made the same mistakes on repeats in the Beethoven, not anything like what they would have been like in his great years. So I am not surprised by this report....
- 16 May, 2011 16:32
- Dominic Sargent said...
You are very kind to him. Rosen's playing would rightly, from a younger pianist, have ruled out a career. It should never have (dis)graced the stage here in London or anywhere else.
What about the bravos and the standing ovation? Extraordinary.
- 16 May, 2011 16:52
- Mark Berry said...
Lisa: thank you. That's interesting - and makes me feel a little less alone...
Dominic: that makes me feel still less alone. Yes, I think I stretched charity as far as I could, partly because I found it genuinely difficult to believe what I was hearing. I have heard unprepared pianists give far less than their best, but the more I reflect upon the present recital, the more I realise that this went quite beyond that. The audience reaction was literally incredible.
- 16 May, 2011 17:24
I agree entirely with your review though I'm not sure it's entirely advancing years which account for the shortcomings. The Bmajor Nocturne which can be heard on Youtube -from an earlier vintage- is no less impatient and charmless than what I heard on Sunday.
I'm all for cutting out the sentimentality (eg. Weissenberg's glacial playing)but there seems to be a lack of sensation, and drama in Rosen's approach.
- 18 May, 2011 11:47
what Rosen has said and written - as opposed to how he plays - remains brilliant and imperishable. I don't think all the shortcomings on Sunday were due to advancing years-the Chopin Bmajor Nocturne which can be heard on Youtube (from earlier in his career) is no less brusque.
I like his recording of Carter's piano sonata.
- 18 May, 2011 11:52


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WRITER and former Londoner Terry Durack recalls that when British chef Heston Blumenthal created a Christmas pudding for England's Waitrose supermarket chain, things went a little crazy. "When the pudding was first released in the UK, it sold out in a single weekend," Durack recalls.
Now the puddings, which contain a hidden orange or mandarin, are available at Coles along with fruit mince pies, so we asked Durack, and our columnist Jill Dupleix, to give them a try.
Dupleix found the pud "very dark, very sweet, and VERY moist, with a lovely Christmassy spicing throughout. The 'hidden orange' is fiendishly clever, as its juices just keep juicing up the pudding from the inside. I wondered if it would be hard to carve so that everyone got some orange as well, but it was simple. It would make a great gift for someone who wasn't up to making their own plum pud". Dupleix found the top seal peeled back as soon as she started steaming the pudding, and re-sealed it with plastic wrap.
For Durack, "the best part of the pudding was how the candied orange released its juices and created a kind of instant sauce". For a man brought up on fairly solid and dry-ish grandmother's and aunt's home-made puds, this was very lush, moist and spice-laden, although it didn't taste very boozy which people, other than myself, would probably find a good thing. Personally I'd much rather find a shiny coin than an orange in my pudding, but it's a great talking point."
Durack remembers the UK pudding frenzy ending with them "being sold on eBay for up to 250 quid a pop. Is it worth 250 quid...erm, no.
"I found the pudding excessively dense and rich, which is not a problem if you show a little restraint with serving portions. Would I buy one for the family? Yes probably, if only so I can say: 'Here's one Heston made earlier'."
Available at Coles supermarkets, 227 grams, $7; 1.2 kilograms, $18.
Janne Apelgren


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Coffee Morning in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care
- Tue 15th Oct
- 10:00am
- Falmouth
Cornwall's Local Events Guide Submit Event Log In/Sign Up
The What's On Guide is one of the most comprehensive listings for local events happening here in Cornwall!
Want to submit your event?
Enter your details here and follow the instructions.
Once it's online, not only is it available for all our website visitors to search through - but we'll also use this information to give it a plug on-air, as part of the What's On Guide.
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A just-married bride slowly rappelled down the side of a downtown Miami hotel after her wedding atop the building Friday, stopping at times so a photographer could take pictures of her as she made the descent.
Rebecca Shackelford sped up along the bottom portion of the building and reached the ground just before 6:40 p.m.
Her husband, Carlos Gato, made his way down the JW Marriott Marquis Miami at a much faster clip.
He said beforehand, "I think that after this we can get through anything, because I was so impressed that when I asked her, I originally thought that she was going to put up a little bit of a fight for me, saying, 'No, no, I don't want to do that.' But it was immediately 'Yes, yes, that's a great idea. So I'm like, that's awesome."
The couple, the winners of a social media contest tied to the Miami Children's Initiative "Over the Edge" fundraiser, are among hundreds of South Floridians rappelling 19 stories down the hotel at 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way on Friday and Saturday.
The wedding was scheduled for 5 p.m. on the hotel's 19th-floor pool deck, publicist Julia Wakefield said. It ran late, however.
"And then after the wedding is over, the couple will exchange a kiss and then rappel down," she said.
The couple, who won the "Wed Over the Edge" contest, were greeted by friends and family on the ground.
It's not the first time Gato and Shackelford's love story has made the news, as they got engaged in a flash mob at IKEA.
This is the second year the rappelling fundraiser has been held for the Miami Children's Initiative, a nonprofit group that works to improve Liberty City and break the cycle of poverty "by investing in the potential of every child."
"Based on the success of our first 'Over the Edge' event last year, we are receiving tremendous interest in this year's event and we expect to have an even higher turnout," said Cecilia Gutierrez-Abety, the organization's managing director, in a news release. "It is inspiring to see so many South Floridians ready to literally go 'over the edge' for Liberty City's children – truly a testament to the importance of our mission."
Participants were required to raise at least $1,500 for the chance to come down the side of the skyscraper.
"I'd like to say that I was thinking about child welfare, but I was thinking about my own welfare to be honest. And my wife's welfare. It's a little crazy," said Charles Auslander, the CEO of The Children's Trust.
Said his wife Colleen: "I was looking down seeing how many of these do I have to go."
One of the community leaders set to rappel was Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho, who was due to make his descent after the wedding.
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In my world, Sunday nights are for curling up on the sofa in my onesie (it was a birthday present… don't judge me!), eating copious amounts of chocolate and watching The Voice of Ireland. But last night being the final of the show, I decided to don a dress, some ridiculously high heels and head in to catch up on the live action.
I watched the show backstage with last year's winner, Pat Byrne, which made it all the more interesting. I'm sure he was sick of me asking him: "How did you feel at this point last year?" But Pat is a lovely guy and was a very worthy winner. He's hugely talented and I know we'll see plenty of him over the coming years.
But back to tonight and another very worthy winner – the small guy with the big heart, Keith Hanley. Keith, from Team Jamelia, wowed us with two brilliant performances. His first was a duet with Ryan Sheridan, singing Jigsaw and his second was a fantastic version of Beggin by Madcon.
I caught up with Keith and his coach, Jamelia, after the show and I think it's safe to say, I can see why the public have fallen in love with him.
"I can't believe it," he says, in his sing-song Cork accent. "I really can't believe it! I can't stress how grateful I am to everyone who's supported me. But there's still a journey ahead of me – I'm going to have a good time tonight and then work starts first thing in the morning."
When asked what he thought clinched it for him in the end, Keith answered: "I don't know what it was. All I did was just be myself, getting on the stage and doing my thing." Jamelia was quick to butt in, saying: "You gave amazing performances, that's what did it. You proved yourself week after week."
In those final moments before the winner was announced, Keith stood on stage with fellow contestant, Kelly Mongan. Kelly, who's more than nine months pregnant with her first child, has had the nation captivated week after week, with her angelic voice and her ever-growing bump. "Kelly is an amazing vocalist," said Keith. "She's such an inspiration and if she'd won, I really would have been so happy for her. She's been the favourite all along and really has something special."
Jamelia was clearly over the moon at Keith's win but conceded that he would have done well no matter which of the coaches he'd been with. "I've loved every second of coaching Keith. It's been so much fun. And he's not just the most talented contestant; he's also the nicest guy in the world. It was so important to me to get to know Keith as a person too. I've really grown to love him – he'll be a lifelong friend."
Keith has secured a recording deal with Universal Ireland and I wanted to know if Jamelia would be involved in the making of his album. "I'm definitely going to be involved," she said. "I'm so excited about going on this journey with him, writing songs with him and watching him grow musically."
Keith is a care assistant for children with special needs and he brought Jamelia down to meet them during the week. She was clearly bowled over by the experience. "That whole day will stay with me forever," she said. "I expected to be sad when I met them but they're so full of life, so happy and so inspiring. It made me think I want to be around them more – I really learned so much from it. I'll be bringing my girls down to meet them as soon as I can. They adore Keith and it's clear he loves what he does."
"And music makes such a difference to them," said Keith. "It's a therapy and they can come out of themselves so much more when they listen to it. I'm dedicating this win to them – and to my mammy, of course. I'm a real mammy's boy!"
Jamelia replaced Brian Kennedy as a coach this year and has been popular with both the public and the contestants. "I've really loved my time here," she said. "It's been exhausting but a brilliant experience." I think I can speak for most of us when I say I hope she'll return next year.
I briefly caught up with Kelly after the show, before she went to put her feet up. "I'm not really disappointed, to be honest," she said. "I'm delighted to have come second out of thousands. It's a huge show and the whole experience has been unreal. I felt nervous tonight with the baby due any minute but I really enjoyed it at the same time."
Kelly's coach, Kian Egan, couldn't speak highly enough of her. "Kelly is a great girl. She's really talented and has been an inspiration throughout the show. Of course I'm disappointed for her but Keith is a great guy and a very deserving winner." Bressie, whose act, Shannon Murphy came fourth, agreed that Keith is a true artist and deserved to win.
Sharon Corr, who was the only coach with no acts in the final, also endorsed Keith's win. "He's an amazing guy and was outstandingly good tonight. His performance with Ryan Sheridan was just brilliant."
Last year, the format of the show meant that each coach had one act in the final. Changes this year saw Sharon lose the last of her acts, John Gaughan, last week. "It was hard to see John leave," she said, "but we all agreed to the new format. I think John is pretty amazing though – he's a very talented artist. He's going to be supporting me on tour and I'm going to do everything I can to help him along the way."
Sharon is releasing her new album later in the year and planning a world tour, so her fate as a coach in the third series hangs in the balance. I, for one, would love to see her back next year but I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
I have to give a special mention to the other two finalists – Shane Mc Laughlin from Team Kian and Shannon Murphy from Team Bressie. Both gave wonderful performances tonight and I feel any of the final four would have been very deserving winners.
With The Voice of Ireland finished again for another year, I'm going to have to find something else to do on my Sunday nights! It's been a fantastic series. I think one of the reasons it's so successful is the fact that the coaches, although they champion their own acts, just want the very best artists to win. Unlike some other talent shows, they nurture the contestants and are all about building up their confidence. Keith got the seal of approval from all the coaches tonight – I definitely think he's a star in the making.


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So, I read this clever gem on Sunday night, and it painted a nice little visual for me during the offertory yesterday at mass. I highly recommend a read, as it's a nice start to Holy Week.
After mass, I sat in on a class about the New Evangelization. Self-reflection set in. A mini form of depression followed, with the horrifying revelation of, "wow, maybe I'm not as awesome at this as I thought."
"This" being evangelization. There seem to be many right ways to go about it, that is, to bring the good news to others. However, there are many wrong ways of going about it as well. And while it's easy to pretend that you have all of the answers and do it all right when you're writing a blog, it is of course another thing entirely to actually live it out in your daily life. In other words: You know that feeling you get during a homily at mass when the priest says something and you feel like he's speaking directly to you? And you can't be sure, but – oh my gosh – he's definitely looking right at you. Basically the entire [three hour] class session I felt like that. A healthy serving of humble pie, just in time for Holy Week 🙂
Sincerity of heart. Loving those with whom we speak. Not debating just to win. Not letting pride get in the way of the pursuit of the Truth. Having the courage to admit you were wrong and to say you're sorry.
Yep, lots of stuff to continue to pray for this Holy Week.
In other news: I'm planning to write Thursday's post about why you should participate in the Easter Triduum. But incase you don't see it in time, here's a spoiler: You should definitely take part in the Triduum (mass on Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday service, and the Easter Vigil). If nothing else, you should do everything you can to get to the Easter Vigil (especially if you've never been before). Just trust me on this one.