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Strelitzia nicolai, the white bird-of-paradise "tree " reaches 20' (6 meters) in height in Florida but even higher in its native habitat- coastal forests and dune thickets of eastern South Africa. Based on local (central Florida) observations, the species can be grown where winter temperatures do not drop below around 26 F. (leaves will be killed), although even temperatures just below freezing will damage the leaves unless the plant is in a protected location.
S. nicolai is a spectacular landscape plant capable of forming clumps of stems with leaves 8 feet long. It is considered an herb rather than a tree because of the paucity of ligneous fibers in its stem, which is comprised of overlapping, tightly packed leaf sheaths similar to the banana. When mature the plant forms a large basal caudex that is sometimes considered as semi-ligneous. Another species in the genus is the better known, smaller orange bird of paradise (S. reginae) which is more cold sensitive, and therefore restricted to southern Florida, California and Hawaii in the United States.
The bird-of-paradise name refers to the flowering structures (inflorescences) which emerge from a large, thick boat-shaped bract. The bract is initially closed but then opens along the top providing space for the emergence of highly modified bisexual flowers . A series of six to eight flowers sequentially emerges from the bract. Each flower consists of 3 petals and 3 sepals, one of the former being conspicuously blue and arrow-shaped. The other petals and one of the sepals are white and relatively large . The remaining sepals are concealed within the large bract and therefore are not visible without cutting it away.
The blue arrow-shaped petal holds within its elongated fold the sexual structures. As it ages, the flower and its blue petal arc upward, becoming vertical relative to the horizontal bract. On the 3rd day the flower, if unpollinated, dies. Within 48 hr, the next flower emerges from the bract, and so on for each flower until the last one has emerged. When mature the blue petal stands erect and the female structure (a thin, 3-part stigma about 4 cm long attached to a style over 9 cm long), projects beyond the tip of the petal. The stigma has a sticky surface, perfect for catching and holding pollen grains.
The male parts ( five linear, pollen- producing anthers attached to very narrow filaments), are entirely contained within the blue petal, but positioned just inside the petal's opening. In the photo above, several of the stamens have been pulled out of the blue petal. Pollen can be seen on the narrow anthers. Manually separating the lobes of the blue petal reveals that the anthers release pollen within the petal , although some pollen also appears on the exterior of the petal (photo below).
A surprising amount of clear liquid (presumably nectar) collects where the bases of the petals and sepals overlap to form a cup within the large bract. In some cases there's enough liquid to overflow the bract and stream down its exterior. The large volume of liquid cannot be explained by precipitation because there have been no recent rains. This liquid was very attractive to paper wasps, honeybees and flies. However I was unable to detect a sugary taste to the nectar such as is found in nectar from honeysuckles and other plants. Possibly the insect visitors have more proficient sugar receptors than I have. Sugar concentrations vary widely in plants and may be well under 10% (Nicholson and Thornburg). But amino acids, lipids and other organic compounds occur in nectar and these substances might explain the eagerness of the insect visitors. The wasps and bees were competing vigorously for access to the nectar with the wasps attacking the bees to chase them away. It did not appear that the insect visitors were collecting or feeding on pollen and the bees lacked pollen in their pollen baskets. Thus these visitors were not serving as vectors for transferring pollen to Strelitzia stigmas. Despite the presence of several other Strelitzias in the neighborhood, there appeared to be no fruit or seed development in our Strelitzia (in this or in prior years) as one would expect in the absence of cross-pollination.
In Africa, Strelitzias are pollinated by sunbirds- small, colorful, long-billed birds belonging to the Nectarinidae family (80 species in 15 genera. As the family name implies, sunbirds take mostly nectar besides feeding insects and spiders to their young. Sunbirds have some habits similar to those of hummingbirds, and, in fact, convergent evolution between the New World hummingbirds and sunbirds has been suggested. Both groups access flowers to consume nectar. One difference is that hummingbirds hover while sunbirds must perch in order to take nectar. In a study of the pollination of S. nicolai by four species of sunbirds in South Africa, Frost and Frost (1981) found that the birds cued to the angle made between the mature flower and the bract as an indication of nectar flow rates. The sunbirds perched such that pollen was transferred to the stigma via the bird's feet- a very different approach than hummingbirds! Seed set was high indicating the efficacy of sunbirds as pollinators. Other species visited S. nicolai flowers (bushbabies, monkeys and insects) but none were significant pollinators. The pollination of Strelitzias by hummingbirds in central Florida would run into seasonality problems even if there were no other limits. S. nicolai flowers in winter months when hummingbirds are in their Central American wintering grounds. There may be a better opportunity to evaluate pollination in southern Florida where some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds winter or in California where several species of wintering hummingbirds and flowering Strelitzias may co-occur.
References used include: Frost, S.K. and P.G.H. Frost 1981. Oecologia 49:379-384. Nicholson and Thornburg: http://www.bb.iastate.edu/~thorn/www/Publications/pdfFiles/112_Nectar_ChemistryProof).pdf


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Impacts of Extreme Weather Events & Climate Change
You might have noticed that the weather has been pretty strange lately. Extreme weather conditions and natural disasters are making headlines around the world more frequently today than usual.
Climate change is happening right before our very eyes. We are witnessing extreme weather conditions which can be indicators of global climate change. Data from Climate Communication suggests that the Earth's average temperature is continuously rising, despite some natural year-to-year fluctuations.Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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ABC has unveiled the list of eight amateur singers that will take part in Duets.
The hopefuls will be partnered up with either Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, John Legend or Jennifer Nettles for the brand new talent show.
The four artists will travel the US to find aspiring musicians talented enough to perform duets with them each week.
They will then perform with their two hopefuls each week in front of a live studio audience, until only one duet partner is left standing to win a recording contract with Hollywood Records.
The eight finalists are as follows:
- Bridget Carrington, age 34, from Farmville, Virginia, partnered with John Legend.
- Olivia Chisholm, age 21, from Charlotte, North Carolina, partnered with Robin Thicke.
- Jason Farol, age 23, from Torrance, California, partnered with Kelly Clarkson.
- Alexis Foster, age 21, from Knoxville, TN, partnered with Robin Thicke.
- John Glosson, age 32, from Douglas, Georgia, partnered with Jennifer Nettles.
- Johnny Gray, age 37, from Shoreline, Washington, partnered with John Legend.
- Jordan Meredith, age 21, from Kimberly, Wisconsin, partnered with Kelly Clarkson.
- J Rome, age 25, from Laurel, Maryland, partnered with Jennifer Nettles.
Kelly Clarkson recently stated that the Duets mentors treat their hopefuls with "respect".
John Legend replaced original Duets mentor Lionel Richie after he dropped out with scheduling conflicts.
Duets premieres Thursday, May 24 at 8/7c on ABC.
Watch a preview of Duets below:


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Tolls are ridiculous! May 31, 2009Posted by agstick in Travel.
Tags: GW Bridge, New Jersey, New York, tolls
2 comments
First I want to thank Afflatus for adding me to the blog. I hope my posts enrich the already dope material on it. I'm on am iPod right now so I apologize up front for any typos and what not.
Anyway, having just got back from a semester in Madrid two weeks ago I went to visit some of my boys down at school in DC. Ever since I started driving my family has had the EZ-Pass so I haven't payed much attention to toll prices…until today. While stuck in traffic at the GW bridge (connecting New Jersey and New York City) I decided road signs would be a terrific way to pass the time. One of these forms of reading material informed me that it currently costs $8 to cross the Hudson River. To put that in perspective, a bus ticket from NYC to DC costs $20. For $12 more dollars than the bridge toll one can travel hundreds of miles down the east coast. Though I am not one New Jersey commuters should be livid if they are not already.


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The Glass Craft Studio
Opening Times:
Thursday to Saturday 11am to 4pm
Work also on display at the Gallery Shop
Welcome to my shop-The Glass Crafts Studio. As the name suggests, I love crafting with Glass or materials for decorating glass.I work from my studio in West Kilbride which is a village on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It is known as Craft Town Scotland and has many individual specialist craft studios which are open to the public.


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'worship' tag.
Where the mist rises from the sea
Where the waves creep upon the shore
Where the wrack lifts upon the strand
I have seen the Lord.
Where the sun awakens the day
Where the road winds on its way
Where the fields are sweet with hay
I have seen the Lord.
Where the stars shine in the sky
Where the streets so peaceful lie
Where the darkness is so nigh
I have seen the Lord.
The Lord is here
The Lord is there
The Lord is everywhere.
The Lord is high
The Lord is low
The Lord is on the path I go.
Landscapes of Light: An illustrated Anthology of Prayers; David Adam
Psalm 84; The Message.
What a beautiful home, God of the Angel Armies!
I've always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God of Angel Armies! King! God!
How blessed they are to live and sing there!
And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives becomes roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn–Zion! God in full view!
God of the Angel Armies, listen:
O God of Jacob, open your ears–I'm praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God,
than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions.
It's smooth sailing all the way with God of the Angel Armies.
We know from scripture that two things God requires of us as Christians are prayer and worship. We have been instructed in God's Word to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). As any true prayer warrior will tell you, prayer is two-way communication between God and the person(s) praying.
Too often we deem prayer as only one-way communication, when we talk to God but give Him no opportunity to speak to us. We want what we want, but have not inquired of God what He wants. We make every effort to carry out our plans when in reality, we have not sought God's direction or His plan for us. We only told God our plans; but did not wait for His answer; perhaps we don't even want His answer. God has shown me in my Christian walk that He is at perfect liberty to change my plans, no matter how well-thought-out I had initially deemed them to be. When I went through an extended period of unemployment and the uncertainty in my mind was abundant, He let me know that my agenda meant little in light of His perfect plan for me. He taught me to humble myself all over again, and understand that it really isn't about my limited ability or resources, but His total sufficiency.
The same is true in our worship to God, be it public or private. When we enter into God's presence in worship, there should be two-way communication, as well. God wants to speak to us in our times of worship. I believe that we can sometimes attempt to "manufacture" God's presence and His voice in worship. But we must understand that God is perfectly
capable of speaking for Himself. Our job is to listen for His voice (Proverbs 8:34). We speak to God in worship – extolling Him for His greatness, wisdom, care, and love. And just as in our times of prayer, God desires to
speak to us in our times of worship. Before I go any further, please understand that when I use the term "worship", I am not referring merely to church attendance. Regular church attendance does not make us worshipers.
Having attended
a church service begs the questions, "Did you worship while you were there?" "Did you go to meet God or just be part of a gathering?"
Not only does God desire sincere prayer, but He insists upon sincere worship as well. In Luke 18:11-13 as the Pharisee prayed thanking God he was not as other men, the tax-gatherer, aware of his own unworthiness, pleaded to God for mercy.
The prayer of the tax-gatherer caught Jesus' attention because he humbled himself. This was not so for the Pharisee.
In Psalm 51 when David prayed for God to create in Him a clean heart, he states in verse 6, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts. . .". The sole criteria God has given us for coming to Him in worship is "in spirit and in
truth" (John 4:23-24). This kind of worship is Holy Spirit-led, and in a manner according to the truth of God's
Word. God Himself desires to be present today in the middle of our prayers and our worship.
Jesus taught the disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. I find it interesting that The Lord's Prayer (or The Model Prayer) begins and ends with worship. It begins with "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. . .". The word "hallow" points toward adoration, or reverence. The prayer ends with "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen." The kingdom is His, and the power and the glory are His also. Psalm 29:2 tells us to give unto the Lord the glory due His name.
The power of space to change and enhance worship is rarely considered, except perhaps when a building is (or was) being designed by an architect. The space and the furnishing of the place of worship directly impact people's experience of God's presence and how they perceive God and one another. The atmosphere, the visuals, the furniture, the spatial distance, the size of the sanctuary, the "look and feel" from inside and out, converge to influence and shape the worshipper's response to God.
The important feature of Christian worship is that the internal experience of salvation in Jesus Christ, combined with immediate external expressions of this experience, has stamped the use of space in Christian worship with a particular character. Spatial arrangements differ as a result of varying emphases on table fellowship, preaching, baptism, the orders of ministry and gifts, and the sense of body ministry.
Worship in emerging churches as a holistic experience of the saving grace of God is created in part by space. The return of worship to the people, as a work of the people, permits greater use of artistic interpretation, Scripture reading and prayer. In that participatory experience, worshippers acknowledge and celebrate God's mighty acts of salvation.
Worship is no longer something to be watched or listened to, but something to be done by the people. Thoughtful reconstruction of worship space in sanctuaries constructed many years ago can bring new life and direction to a congregation. Large aisles and larger chancel space allow for greater movement and participation in expressions of worship. Churches that invite people to come forward for prayer, for laying on of hands, and for other kinds of ministry need adequate space for these functions of worship ministry.
New attention is being paid to church architecture. New or refurbished church buildings need to facilitate the relationships of people to one another, renew the holy and allow for appropriate use of artistic symbols, sights and sounds. Above all, the church building must express hospitality and acceptance.
In Romans 12, worship is described as presenting our whole beings to God as living sacrifices because of his grace and mercy. These sacrifices are a spiritual act of worship, sacrifices of ourselves for God's glory. God reveals Himself to us in worship; we respond to him in joy, praise and thanksgiving. He speaks to us through His Word: the story of His kingdom communicated verbally, visually, spatially and experientially. His Spirit convicts our spirits, hearts, mind and emotions; we are changed; we repent.
God extends his love and mercy to us and in worship, we offer ourselves to him, loving him with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls and our strength. We experience personal connection, personal healing and personal restoration. We experience joy.
This morning I find that I need a fresh wind, a fresh breath from the Spirit of God. My heart and soul have been stirred for weeks about creating Breathing | Space, and although I have a sense of how to do this, I realize again that only God can do the work, can give the vision, can create the plan and light the way for each step.
As I was reading "The Message" a contemporary translation of the New Testament, Psalm and Proverbs by Eugene Peterson, I realize once again that only God can do this work, and that to run ahead of God is foolhardy.
Let me share some of what I read in Psalm 19 this morning:
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right, showing the way of joy.
The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.
God's reputation is twenty-four carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
God's Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.
There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise, how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
The Message.
I love the visual pictures in this passage… hidden treasure, sun-washed, scrubbed clean, easy on the eyes, start the day fresh.
I choose to start this day fresh, scrubbed clean and sun-washed, believing and trusting God that He will do the work. I can't take his work over. The work of sharing his love with others is what He calls me to do, but in reality, it is his work. How he will do it through me is his responsibility. I can only be a conduit, allowing the clean, fresh breath of the love of God to flow through me over and into the hearts and souls of others today.
The Breathing | Space alternative worship team will create a once-a-month worship event called breathe | deep. The first event will not be planned or advertised until there are 100-125 active and committed participants / members of Breathing | Space small groups. All who come to be part of this community will be encouraged to pray for and prepare for the first breathe | deep worship event.
The worship gathering will be designed with some of the following elements:
- visual art, imagery in worship
- creative storytelling/teaching about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
- prayer and meditation stations
- communion – the sacred mystery
- tapestries / wall hangings
- use of technology
- natural elements
- creative writing
- music – vocal and instrumental
This worship event will be created by a team of people who are a part of the Breathing | Space community. Anyone connected with the community will be encouraged to participate in the monthly planning process and bring their gifts, insights and creativity to the planning "table".


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Often when it comes to wellness, we tend to focus on changes we need to make for a healthy lifestyle. At times it is good to stop and recognize the good things that are happening in our lives.
Today spend a few minutes appreciating your accomplishments from this past week.
Can you challenge yourself to list 10 things?
I'll start.
1. I flew to Montana. (only 2nd time traveling by air)
2. I have walked every day.
3. I tried some new vegetarian dishes.
4. I played hide n seek.
5. I hung out at a college campus.
6. I've had chia tea every day.
7. I was asked to pray with a group of college students.
8. I spent some time dreaming.
9. I hung laundry on the clothes line.
10. And discovered a new way of getting around town.
Q. Care to share some of your good things from this past week?


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Over the years, I've seen Adam and Christina grow as a couple and evolve as special needs parents. I've witnessed Max' progress. I have cried for him. I have cheered for him. And I have hoped for him.
I know many autism parents refuse to watch Parenthood, "I live it, I don't need to see it on TV." And I get that. I do. But I am so grateful that Max' character existed. I am grateful that the writers showed the ups and downs of raising a kid with autism. I am grateful that they showed their fight for acceptance in the school system. Because when people who don't have kids with autism, watch Parenthood – they are more likely to understand my day-to-day.
I feel like I have walked this journey right alongside Adam, Christina and Max. I have felt all of their emotions. I have had to work through my own moments of accepting autism. And I've had my moments of pride and joy. And Max' final scenes gives me something to hope for. Because when you're an autism parent, hope is the thing you cling to.
What was your favorite moment of the Parenthood finale?


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Initiative 74 has officially qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State's office announced on Tuesday.
By gathering 247,331 signatures, opponents of same-sex marriage easily surpassed the legal requirement of 120,577 valid voter signatures — even though 50 apparently fraudulent petitions are under investigation.
In February, Washington became the seventh state (plus the District of Columbia) where marriage equality is the law. Under the state's referendum law, however, the law is put on hold until voters decide its fate.
The campaign is likely to be expensive.
The campaign for marriage equality, under the banner of Washington United for Marriage, raised an estimated $150,000 at a weekend fundraiser. But opponents' National Organization for Marriage is expected to shell out big bucks in the fall campaign.
It will need to. No state has ever voted for same-sex marriage. In 2009, however, Washington voters approved Referendum 71 and ratified the Legislature's "everything but marriage" law.
A Washington Poll, out last fall, found that 55 percent of those surveyed said they would approve a marriage equality law if it was enacted by the Legislature. A recent Strategies 360 survey pegged support at 54 percent.
Maryland and Maine are set to vote on same-sex marriage. Maryland became the eighth state to approve marriage equality. As with Gov. Chris Gregoire here, a Catholic governor — Martin O'Malley — championed equality legislation strenuously opposed by the Catholic hierarchy.
Minnesota will vote in November on an opposing measure. Sponsored by Republican legislators, with priests ordered by their archbishop to support it, the measure would enshrine marriage as between a man and a woman in the state constitution.
On Referendum 74, a "yes' vote is to approve the state's new same-sex marriage law. A "no" is to repeal it.


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Today has been an interesting day. After having a great class in the morning and OK class in the middle of the day, I was oh-so-happy to end my day with the WORST CLASS I HAVE EVER HAD. I've had these kids nearly every week since I started, but they've never really warmed up to me.
For the past 3 weeks, I've had the whole class together (it usually splits in two) two times a week. So, today, while the kids refused do what I specifically asked them to and they talked back to me, the teacher sat there and did nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, she seems to think it's funny when the kids don't pay attention and talk among themselves. It was wonderful.
On my walk home, I decided, once and for all, that I never want to be a teacher. Sure, I love teaching the classes full of kids excited to learn, who ask questions and listen when I talk (like the class I started my day with), but the bad classes, full of little shits, just ruin everything. Today has even led me to question whether I want to stay in this position next year, (that is, if I'm offered a job). Anyway, I'm going to have to give these kids a verbal beat-down auf Deutsch when I have them next week — nothing else has worked.
Further, to make this day better, I received an email from a hotel that I thought would hire me (Frankie had referred me, and is working there this summer). Turns out, they have nothing to offer me. So, it's looking more and more likely I'll be home in Michigan this summer, which, thankfully, is also seeming less and less horrible.
I'll admit: I miss Michigan. I miss my family and friends and dogs. I miss having money in my bank at the end of each pay cycle. I want to have a place/home that I will live in for more than 8 months and I want to start a "real life." But I know most of these sentiments will change once a plan of action is in place — so functions my tiny, flighty, fickle brain.
Blah. Just blah. It's one of those days where I question everything going on in my life. Maybe one of these days, everything will make sense and there will be a big lightbulb and angels singing. Until then, you'll get to read about all of my messes here. 🙂


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Friday, October 29, 2010
Addio, senza rancor
I've said it before: Lord love the Met orchestra and chorus. The latter sang with precision and the characterization which is crucial to the groups in Acts II and III. Roberto Rizzi Brignoli conducted a relatively light and lively reading of the score, with nice impulsion (if some pacing issues.) It's understandable that this Bohème should be a vehicle and opportunity for relatively young and inexperienced singers. But the results were uneven. Paul Plishka (obviously anything but inexperienced) took on Benoit and Alcindoro with panache, and presented two very different old fools. Shenyang sang a warm and sympathetic Colline, albeit without the depth and fullness of resonance which I had expected, and I had trouble understanding him. Takesha Meshé Kizart scooped her way through an unsubtle Musetta. Mimi may be consumptive, but she has a backbone, and I didn't get that from Maija Kovalevska's thin, fairly uniform sound, which I'm tempted to call anemic. And she was flat. This was a drift in the first part of the evening, and she just settled below the tone and more or less stayed there in the fourth act. I felt sorry for her. Fabio Capitanucci was a stand-out as Marcello: warm and robust of tone, sympathetic of manner, and a sensitive actor. He's just thirty-five, and this role marks his Met debut; he seems to have a busy schedule in Europe, but hopefully we'll see more of him.
I confess that I have been annoyed by Vittorio Grigolo's publicity (and his air of being rather too pleased with himself), and remained unimpressed by his CD. But his Rodolfo was engaging: heard live, I liked his tone, although I wasn't ravished. His Italian, of course, is beautiful, although I would like more legato phrasing. I think that he may achieve more emotionally affecting and effective singing with less emotionalism in the voice. He acted an awkward-impulsive Rodolfo, and exercised unexpected and touching restraint in the final scene (effacing himself from the center of attention, and refraining entirely from a histrionic sob at the end, only that heartbroken "Mimi!") I'd go to hear him as Nemorino, for instance, or either Massenet's or Puccini's Des Grieux, with anticipation rather than apprehension. But for now, I'm sitting on my couch with a glass of wine and my gold standard Bohème like a confirmed Opera Curmudgeon.
2 comments:
Oh yes! to the excessive applause thing. I can't stand that. I'm not sure if you can entirely blame the audience, though. If the performers really wanted to minimize applause and keep going without a pause they could. But they probably don't want to. (I just saw two Rusalkas that didn't stop after the Song to the Moon despite excellent sopranos! It can be done!)ReplyDelete
(I am also glad I'm not the only person who finds the Marketing of the Grigolo incredibly annoying.)
So comforting to know I'm not alone! No "Song to the Moon" applause is very impressive (yet another motivation to apply for research grants in Germany, haha.)ReplyDelete
I'm hoping to see the excellent cast in Don Pasquale, but I might want a Regie DVD as a palate-cleanser between Zeffirelli and Schenk.


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Environmental group sues Missouri over land-purchasing law
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - A Missouri environmental group is suing to overturn a law that lengthens the process the Department of Natural Resources must use to buy land.
The case was filed Thursday by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and a Phelps County resident named Thomas Sager. It argues that a law passed last year that requires the department to notify local officials, post newspaper notices and hold public hearings before it can purchase large tracts is unconstitutional because it doesn't apply to other departments.
That law was passed after then-Gov. Jay Nixon angered lawmakers by overseeing the purchase of several new state parks with little outside input.
The Department of Natural Resources and the attorney general's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


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For the past three winters, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has taken the lead in counting the city and county's homeless populations. Data from that census informs federal, state and local assistance funding and policies, giving officials a better understanding of which services are most needed where.
Data analytics is helping the city find new ways to combat substance abuse, homelessness, crime and mental health issues. Read more.
The ClientTrack Homeless Management Information System will streamline intake and reporting capabilities and provide data visibility across departments. Read more.
Leveraging a IBM Smarter Cities Challenge award, the Denver metro area's Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System assesses the needs of the homeless and matches them to appropriate housing resources. Read more.
The annual count has four components, with the largest effort consisting of a three-night event where 8,000 community volunteers are tasked with visually counting the area's homeless. Besides the overnight census, LAHSA counts homeless people in shelter and institutions and young people living the street. It also conducts a demographic survey that asks about the onset and duration of homelessness.
The volunteers are split into teams and sent out at night with maps and tally sheets to count the number of homeless individuals in designated census tracks. In the morning after each of the three nights, the LAHSA reviews the tally sheets to determine who should be added from the sheets into its electronic database and verifies that the information is entered correctly.
Once the overnight census is complete, the data is sent to the University of California-Los Angeles, where researchers combine the information from the overnight count with data taken from shelters and institutions, demographic surveys and a youth count survey. All of this information is then sent to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which uses the information to distribute funds from its Continuum of Care program.
"If you part of the CoC program, you are required to conduct a census every other year," JuHyun Sakota, interim associate director of data evaluation at LAHSA, told GCN. "We are one of the rare communities that conducts counts annually."
LASHA started counting the homeless population in 2005. In 2015, the organization decided to make the count an annual process and added a youth count to assess the number of unsheltered youth living in Los Angeles between the ages of 18 and 24. Counting young adults separately was made a HUD baseline requirement starting in 2017.
For the demographic survey, LAHSA hires full-time surveyors and USC students to ask homeless individuals a specific list of questions during the daytime. Approximately 5,500 surveys are conducted each year over the course of a two-month period. For this year, the period lasts from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15 to coincide with the homeless count period.
LAHSA uses the information from all of counts to make decisions on how to distribute resources and funding for different jurisdictions across the county. LASHA makes the data available for the city's council districts and county service planning areas.
The data from the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count shows the number homeless on a given night is continuing to rise. The total number of homeless people across the county was 57,794 in 2017, a 23 percent increase from 2016.
"In the past three years, we have seen an increase in the number of people experiencing homeless for financial reasons," Sakota said. "Unlike New York or the east coast where it is too cold to be outside, you see a lot of people living on the street under hard living conditions."
According to HUD's 2017 Annual Homeless Report, Los Angeles County has the second largest homeless population in the country after New York City.
About the Author
Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for GCN, covering cloud, cybersecurity and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.
Before joining GCN, Friedman was a reporter for Gambling Compliance, where she covered state issues related to casinos, lotteries and fantasy sports. She has also written for Communications Daily and Washington Internet Daily on state telecom and cloud computing. Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.
Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.
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BENEFITING: International OCD Foundation
Jace K. wrote -
Hi my name is Jace. I am 11 years old and I live in Elk Grove, Ca. Thank you for visiting my fundraising site!
One thing I'd like you to know about me, is that I have OCD, however, OCD does not define me! I'm just a typical kid. I like to have fun, hang out with my friends, and eat cookies & cream ice cream. I also like watching cool videos on youtube, especially Dan TDM, he's my favorite! When I am not drawing you can find me outdoors playing, hiking or on the golf green.
There is something important that I am about to do and I would like to share it with you. Would you please join me and my team to help fight Vamps, my OCD bully and others like me Overcome, Conquer & Destroy OCD on June 10, 2017 at the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk in Sacramento, Ca?
I have set a personal fundraising goal of $11,000 for a couple reasons:
1. Since I am 11 years old, setting a goal of $11,000 made perfect sense to me :)
2. Health care is exepensive for anyone. Throw in an OCD diagnosis, it's VERY expesenise. Did you know on average a person spend $10,000 in healthcare?
A person with an OCD diagnosis requires specialized treatment; therapy (CB & ERP) and treatment costs quickly add up. Alot of times, insurance companies will only cover 3-5 treatment sessions and let me tell you first hand, you need well over 5 treatments when you suffer from OCD. So I want to do my part to help others like me by stopping the stigma, bringing awareness and education people about OCD.
I am thankful me and my family had the access to educational materials, resources and support through the International OCD Foundation. It has been beyond helpful. So please join me and help stop the stigma, bring awareness, hope and funds to support the important programs of the International OCD Foundation!
Please join my team and/or consider making a financial donation and show your support! Together we can reach the $11,000 fundraising goal.
Thank you for supporting me and many others on June 10th as we join together at the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk in Sacramento, California.
Jace :)


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What Google Chrome Canary Is [Technology Explained]
Google Chrome is now my default browser for pretty much everything. The stable release has finally got to a point where it is stable enough for me to use all the time. I've even been using the beta/developer builds of Chrome on my laptop without any problems.
On July 22, Google, being all about speed, announced that they were going to shorten the release cycles of new, stable versions of Chrome from quarterly to 6 weeks. With this announcement came the Canary release channel.
In this article, I am going to explain exactly what Google Chrome Canary is and why you should be excited about its release. I will explain the meaning of its name, as well as its overall purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Why Call It Canary?
By calling the release Canary, Google is referring to the old technique of using canaries in coal mines. Back in the day, coal miners used to bring canaries down in the mines with them as a precaution. If there was any kind of deadly gas build-up, the canary would be the first to die. If the canary died, everyone knew it would be a good idea to leave the mine as soon as possible.
Chrome Canary offers the same set of precautions. The Canary build is less stable, but it will be used to test even more cutting-edge features than the developer's build, which already tests new features before they are pushed to the beta build. If a change "kills" Chrome Canary, Google will block it from the developer build.
What's Different About It?
Chrome Canary is somewhat of a mix between the Chrome developer build and the Chromium snapshot builds. It can be run side-by-side with any other channel, which is a new feature. This means that it isn't linked to your other Chrome installs and can therefore run different sync 3 Cool Tips To Get More Out of Your Bookmarks in Chrome Read More profiles, themes, apps, and use different preferences.
Unlike the other channels (beta and dev), Canary's side-by-side feature allows builds to be installed without overwriting a regular Chrome build, which means that, technically, you can install both a Canary build and a regular build that could be on the stable, beta or dev channel.
If you install Chrome Canary, you will notice that it has a different, all-yellow icon instead of the multi-colored Chrome icon or even the all-blue icon you might be accustomed to. Also, the skin of the browser is blue, helping you tell it apart from other versions of Chrome as well.
[Note]: As Canary is a secondary installation of Chrome, you cannot set it as the default browser. Also, it is currently only available on Windows.
Why Is It Necessary?
Giving users the option to run a more advanced version of Chrome without having to fully commit to alpha testing it should help increase the number of people willing to use the browser.
Canary will auto-update more frequently than any other versions available to developers. Google is working on making it update as often as they have successful nightly builds, according to their developer's email list. When something doesn't work on the Canary, you can just fall back on your beta version.
Also, by speeding up the Chrome development cycle, it will begin testing new features with the public and collecting feedback more quickly. The data – especially crash statistics – that they get back from users will help them find (and fix) regressions in the software faster.
[Note]: Since the Canary version of Chrome will be very unstable, it should only be used by those who are willing to risk losing browsing data in the event of a program crash.
Well there you have it. As I stated earlier, I use Google Chrome as my browser, so I am quite pleased with the news of a faster development cycle. Google seems to be very enthusiastic about getting their browser to the top and surpassing Mozilla once and for all.
From a user's standpoint, I think this is good news for all of us. Quicker releases mean better features, and better features for Chrome should inspire some of these other companies to pick up the pace with their browsers as well.
What do you think of this news? Will you be giving Canary a try?
Leave your thoughts, ideas, and comments below, and please share this story with others if you found it useful.
Image Credit: Thepollen
Affiliate Disclosure: By buying the products we recommend, you help keep the site alive. Read more.


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One More Watcher
Tweet One more Amur tiger kept a close eye on us at the zoo Monday. http://the35thillusion.blogspot.com Tweet
The Watcher Becomes The Watched
Tweet Monday, my sister Sara and I took a trip to the zoo on one of her last days before leaving for the Peace Corps. Despite being a fairly warm and humid day, the animals didn't disappoint. While some slumbered away in the summer heat, others let their personalities out on display. At times you […]


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IPL Awards are as creative as they can get
Indian Cricket finally has something of a global scale to cherish on its own. The IPL proved to be the biggest boon for the fans and the BCCI alike. It tried to create a distinctive identity of its own from the beginning. Since the start of the Indian Premier League, it has tried to distinguish itself from the other modes of Cricket, especially International Cricket. The domestic Cricket leagues in England and Australia were well known not only to their players, but also the fans around the World. One could ask any Cricket fan in India about the names...Read More


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If you are attending the coming Fortune Global Forum in Delhi and find an Indian businessman talking during the evenings about vanishing to a gambling party, don't automatically write him off as too high a risk for that great deal that you've been discussing. He and his friends will only be planning to do what many Indians do at this time of year – gambling at cards till the early hours.
This is a strong tradition across India, and especially in the north, because we are now between two big Hindu festivals: Dussehra, which was celebrated on Sunday (Oct 21), and Diwali, the festival of lights, on November 9. These have followed other Hindu festivities – all of which combine to demonstrate what a celebratory and fun-loving country India can be.
In the nine days before Dussehra, scenes from the ancient Ramayana epic were enacted across the country, especially in the north where every city has a large park area known as a Ramlila Ground.
The story concernsKing Rama battling with Ravana (left), a rival king, who had abducted his wife Sita to what is now Sri Lanka. (Controversy over these events has caused a row about dredging a shipping channel between India and Sri Lanka .)
On the 10th day, there is a ceremonial burning of effigies celebrating Rama's victory over Ravana, signifying victory over hubris and ego. So last Sunday, thousands of effigies of Ravana went up in flames at dusk, or soon after. In the smallish colony of Golf Links, where I live in central Delhi, a crowd of local residents, aged from two or three to over 80, watched this spectacle (right).
It sounded like a battleground as fireworks exploded around the city. In Old Delhi, at the biggest event, prime minister Manmohan Singh sat next to Sonia Gandhi, Italian-born leader of India's parliamentary coalition, who watched with a grandchild on her knee.
In much of the rest of India, the days before Dussehra are marked by a festival for the Hindu goddess Durga, who is worshipped with different names around the country – such as Amba in Gujarat and Chamundeswari in Karnataka.
On Saturday night in central Delhi, Gujaratis were celebrating in the grounds of the Talkatora stadium with mass Garbha dancing, which is associated with worshipping the goddess. Hundreds of people dressed in festive gear danced in large circles to raucous music and (sometimes racy) songs for hours on end at an event sponsored by television and music companies – marking the commercialization of such events.
India's modern spirituality is rooted in a traditional respect for the material world – "arth" or material prosperity is one of the four aims of life.
Elsewhere that evening, Bengalis held Durga Pujas – staged in huge, often highly decorated, tents that had been erected near temples – for a mixture of a street festival, family holiday, and religious rites.
Food stalls and music events ran alongside shrines, where people worshipped clay statues of the goddess Durga marking, a Hindu woman friend tells me, "the primal strength and mystery of the feminine principle" – or, to put it another way, the triumph of good over evil, as in the Ramayana. (see these two pictures of the goddess Durga). On Sunday, the images were immersed in the River Yumuna and other rivers across the country, and in the sea.
But back to the gambling. Your business friend can claim that he is only following the scriptures which sanction a fortnight of gambling, following the example of the goddess Parvati who played dice during the Diwali festival with her husband Lord Shiva.
Parvati decreed that whoever gambles at this time prospers for the rest of the year, bringing the blessings of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
So wish your friend well, and maybe go with him to his gambling party! That might set you in the right frame of mind for India's roller coaster stock market!


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Historic Abu Dhabi palace converted to hotel
A historically important former palace in Abu Dhabi has been converted into a luxury hotel.
Global hospitality management chain Swiss-Belhotel International said it has continued its expansion in the Middle East with the launch of Swiss-Belresort Ghantoot – a heritage building on the shores of the Arabian Gulf that was originally built as a palace for the Abu Dhabi ruler.
Gavin Faull, Swiss-Belhotel international chairman and president, said: "Swiss-Belresort Ghantoot is a prized addition to our portfolio. It is a wonderful, venerable property.
"Swiss-Belhotel International is in the midst of an exciting period of growth in the Middle East, with three more hotels set to be launched before the end of next year. And our growing footprint there is matched by our global progress."
The recently refurbished resort's architecture exemplifies Arabian luxury and style, with golden walls, soaring domed ceilings, capacious balconies and generous living spaces.
The former palace also offers a health club with squash courts, gymnasium facilities, table tennis, billiards and rooms for steam, sauna and jacuzzi with massages provided by expert therapists.


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Here's some pics of the army as it stands. Sorry for the picture quality on a few pics- the main light in my study is pretty poor, which made the pictures a bit fuzzy. Cancon prep is all done, well ahead of schedule. All in all, the minis are in base colours with a bit of detail here and there, but all of them have their bases done up, so they do look quite presentable.
Termies- shaded/base colours + eyes. Hey, its three colours and based :)
Assault Squads, Bikes, Dread, Pod and power armoured ICs (down the very end).
Stormraven is looking good!
After this I only have some small tasks to do to get the terrain all ready to go, and will be providing between four and five tables worth with medium coverage. Getting very excited at this point :)
Game Reminders
As I'm still relatively new to this army I've forgotten a lot of key points and special rules in a couple of games. They're mainly rules that apply to either the BA models or core mechanics of the unit type. So, thinking that i'd like to make a good showing at Cancon I decided that a reminder/cheatsheet would be beneficial- i can keep this on hand and read up on things that will be helpful, as well as any ideas or planned tactics (ie refusing all Challenges!)
This is what's on my reminder sheet, hoping it helps me out somewhat!
After Deployment:
· Roll for Red Thirst! (on a 1, swaps ATSKNF for Fearless, and gains Furious Charge).
Sanguinary Priests:
· BA units attached/within 6" subject to FnP (5+) and Furious Charge.
Furioso Dreadnought:
· After deploying from Drop Pod, pop smoke if not in range for melta/flamer shooting.
Independent Characters:
· Librarians to cast Prescience in the majority (re-roll to hit in shooting or cc).
· All IC's- refuse challenges/ not to declare challenges unless absolutely necessary or heavily in their favour.
· IC's will be placed in the mid-rear of units to keep them alive long enough to use their buffs.
· IC's (and upgrade Characters- Sgs etc) have 'Precision shot' (allocate wound to mini of choice on '6' rolls to hit)
Jump Pack units:
· Not shooting this turn? RUN RUN RUN! Get those Meltaguns/bombs in range. OR get to cover!
Jump pack charge range percentages- options:
1. Move 6", charge 2D6" using jump pack- get to re-roll charge dice, gain Hammer of Wrath.
2. Jump pack move 12", charge 2D6.
Total dist 6"% 12"%
9" >99% 100%
10" 99% 100%
11" 97% 100%
12" 92% 100%
13" 83% 100%
14" 66% 100%
15" 48% 97%
16" 31% 92%
17" 16% 83%
18" 5% 72%
19" 58%
20" 42%
21" 28%
22" 17%
23" 8%
24" 3%
Bike Rules
· Movement 12"- any movement at all gives 'Jink' (5+ cover save).
· Bikes have 'Relentless'- move and fire as though stationary even when moving.
· Bikes have 'Hammer of Wrath when charging- 1 attack per bike at Str4 In.10 auto hit.
· If not shooting, bike may 'turbo-boost' up to an extra 12", gaining a 4+ cover save.
· T5 is now used for ID tests- with 2 wounds per bike, can only be killed outright by Str10 hits
So, my hope is that with these reminders I can keep on top of things, stress less about the rules and just have a great time. Does anyone else do things like this, or is it just me??
Hopefully I can get a bunch of great pics up from Cancon on each day, I know you'll all want to see the armies that come along.


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Whether you are looking to purchase your Michigan dream home or sell your current upscale home, you want to be certain that you are working with a Michigan real estate agent who is a specialist in residential properties, who knows the market, and who puts customers' needs first.
What sets us apart
Technology, up-to-the-minute information, and taking quick action distinguish us from other real estate services . Every Michigan real estate agent should be committed to making your home buying or selling experience fun and professional. We take it one step further by using the latest technologies to help you understand the market and involve you in the process. We team up with the best Michigan real estate experts – inspectors, contractors, and lawyers – to make sure you're getting the right house for the best deal. If the house is hot on the market, we guarantee to show the property and submit the offer to the seller within 12 hours.
Our agents are all well-educated, detail-oriented and on top of every new listing, sometimes even before a home is officially on the market. Our sales team is led by Bill Wang, an experienced negotiator with 10+ years in the real estate industry. Our marketing team is dedicated to making sure your home is presented beautifully with professional photography and placement in a variety of media. We believe these things make a difference to your experience:
- Efficient and responsive agents
- Results are data driven, and decisions are based on facts
- Weekly activity updates and responsive agents
- Large network of qualified buyers and motivated sellers
- Dedicated agents who understand your needs
- A marketing team that understands new media and its impact on home sales
- Most team members are also real estate investors and landlords
Contact Us
For additional information for home buyers and sellers please visit our For Buyers and For Sellers pages on this site. For any additional questions or more information please contact me.


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Apple Certified Mac Technician (ACMT) is a 4-day course that enables participants to become certified to troubleshoot and repair Mac computers. Interactive discussions and hands-on exercises guide participants through macOS setup, maintenance, features, and associated services. Participants also learn how to troubleshoot macOS and Mac hardware and perform repairs on Mac computers. Participants' knowledge and skills are tested and reinforced by working through real-world scenarios and hands-on labs.
Course Overview
Duration:4 days
Exam:Mac Service Certification Exam (MAC-16A)
Upon completion of the Apple Certified Mac Technician (ACMT) course, students will be able to:
- Use Disk Utility to prepare a volume for OS X and describe the macOS installation process using both the Mac App Store and macOS Recovery
- Identify the proper methods to migrate data from one Mac to another using the data migration tools in macOS
- Identify the power states of a Mac running macOS, and describe how to troubleshoot power states on Mac models that don't have a sleep indicator light
- Explain how to maximize the battery life of an Apple product in a way that a customer can understand
- Identify the different types of accounts in macOS and describe the capabilities of those accounts, including keychain and password options
- Identify and describe various security settings for macOS, including Gatekeeper, FileVault 2, Firewall, Firmware (EFI) password, location service settings, and more
- Describe how to use Time Machine in macOS to create, restore, and manage a secure backup for a customer
- Describe how to configure and use OS X features, such as Spotlight and Mission Control
- Use System Preferences in macOS and Apple accessories to configure a wired or Wi-Fi connection to an existing network and securely share data over that network
- Use tools in macOS to configure online services, such as an Apple ID account, iCloud, Mail, and Continuity
- Troubleshoot, evaluate, and isolate a given issue with a Mac to learn how to resolve it
- Given an isolated issue, categorize it as hardware (including accidental damage), software, or environmental, or as an educational opportunity
- Identify the online resources necessary to ensure that a given Mac model is serviced properly and safely
- Describe the purpose of specified diagnostic tools
- Use Apple documentation, approved tools, and appropriate service strategies to safely repair various Mac computers
What You'll Learn
- macOS Setup and Maintenance
- macOS User Accounts
- macOS Security
- macOS File System
- macOS Permissions
- Time Machine
- Power Management
- macOS Networks
- macOS Troubleshooting Tools
- Troubleshooting Startup Issues
- Mac Troubleshooting
- Service Guides
- Mac Diagnostics
- Repairing all Macs
- Servicing Macs
- Successful completion of Apple Service Fundamentals.
This course is intended for anyone wishing to become certified to repair and troubleshoot macOS devices.
Who Should Attend


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So this post-"Every-body Loves Raymond" career is going pretty well for its star, Ray Romano. Actually, it's going great.
Following his dramatic turn on NBC's "Parenthood," Romano has landed a co-starring role in HBO's rock 'n' roll drama pilot alongside Bobby Cannavale ("Boardwalk Empire").
Martin Scorsese is directing the project, which is set in the hedonistic music business of 1970s New York.
Romano will play Zak Yankovich, the confidante and right-hand-man of record executive Richie Finestra (Cannavale), who is trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound as punk and disco are taking over.
The pilot co-stars Olivia Wilde and is set to film this summer. Scorsese is also executive-producing with Mick Jagger and co-writers Terence Winter ("Boardwalk Empire") and George Mastras ("Breaking Bad").
Romano starrred on "Raymond" for nine seasons. His recent credits include co-creating and starring in the TNT drama "Men of a Certain Age."


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If one were to make a list of English literature's great comfort books, those that generations of readers have returned to again and again for intelligent amusement, it would almost certainly include Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson," Jane Austen's novels and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. These are the old reliables that we discover in youth and are still happily rereading at 70.
To this select company I would not only add John Aubrey's "Brief Lives," but also now include Ruth Scurr's innovative biography of its author, perhaps the most endearing figure of 17th century England. As a committed antiquary, collector and preservationist, as well as an inveterate scribbler, Aubrey (1626-1697) left a huge mass of papers about everything that interested him, from the natural history of his home county of Wiltshire to the stone circles at Avebury to tales of ghosts and fairies. Not just studious, he was moreover always eager for "ingenious conversation," so that his learned friends soon included philosopher Thomas Hobbes, architect Christopher Wren, scientists Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke and William Harvey, diarist and gardener John Evelyn, mapmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, collector Elias Ashmole (after whom the Ashmolean Museum is named) and even William Penn, who would emigrate to America. Eventually Aubrey drafted fact-filled and anecdote-rich pen portraits of all his friends and many other eminences of the era, though the "Brief Lives" were never quite completed and were only published long after his death. Even now, a fair amount of this curious polymath's more specialized writing remains in manuscript.
['Letters of a Dead Man': A travel guide like no other]
Displaying an admirable chuztpah as well as scholarly care and sensitivity, Cambridge historian Ruth Scurr actually relates Aubrey's life using only his own words. In effect, she has mined his archival and printed work to fashion his own personal — and wildly entertaining — diary. When "John Aubrey, My Own Life" was published in Britain in 2015, reviewers could hardly wait to name it their book of the year.
How could it not be, since — among much that is unfamiliar — Scurr reuses some of the most celebrated passages from "Brief Lives." In 1670 Aubrey notes that "not far from Cirencester, there came an apparition, which when asked if it be a good spirit or bad, returned no answer, but disappeared with a curious perfume and most melodious twang. My friend Mr. William Lilly believes it was a fairy." Again, during a visit to the ominous-sounding Mortlake, once home to the Elizabethan magus John Dee, he learns that children playing in the churchyard "would use Dr. Dee's gravestone as their base and run to it in their games." Such inimitable details are Aubrey's stock in trade.
Throughout "John Aubrey, My Own Life" history's immortals appear as people you might drink with or gossip about. After meeting a "prodigious young astronomer," Aubrey urges Edmund Halley to study astrology. Discussing Descartes, he recalls that visitors to the great Frenchman would sometimes beg to see his mathematical instruments. "He would draw out of a little drawer under his table, and show them a pair of compasses with one of the legs broken; and then, for his ruler, he used a sheet of paper folded double."
At several places in this diary, Aubrey swoons over the greatest beauty of the age, Venetia Stanley, who was courted by many gallants before becoming the mistress of the Earl of Dorset. Despite her past, Sir Kenelm Digby— courtier, diplomat, alchemist and much else — married her, saying "he could make a virtuous wife out of a whore." Aubrey adds: "I have heard some say . . . that after her marriage she redeemed her honour by her strict living." All quite commendable, no doubt, but the truly romantic detail about Venetia involves her former lover: "Once a year the Earl of Dorset invited her and Sir Kenelm to dinner, where the Earl would behold her with much passion, and only kiss her hand."
As Aubrey himself exclaims, "how these curiosities would be quite forgot, did not such idle fellows as I am put them down." While "tumbling up and down in the world," he records details about Oxford during the English Civil War, life in London at the time of the plague and after the Great Fire destroyed much of the city, the doings of the Royal Society's natural philosophers and scientists, and the unfolding of the so-called Popish Plot to bring a Catholic to England's throne. Striking factoids abound: We learn that Aubrey's friend Francis Potter attempted a blood transfusion between two chickens and that Christopher Wren's sister Susan became a doctor, "a rare she-surgeon."Aubrey himself is hounded for years with a punitive lawsuit over a broken marriage contract and then grossly exploited by fellow antiquary Anthony Wood for whom he does extensive, but unacknowledged biographical research for a history of Oxford University. When penury eventually forces him to borrow money, Aubrey repays the loan with valuable books. In his last years, he does all he can to save his papers from the what he liked to call the shipwreck of time.
Today John Aubrey might be surprised to learn that he is honored not only as a historian and biographer but also as the master of a highly readable, loose-limbed English prose. Plain and empirical as his sentences are, they can nonetheless create verbal music from nothing more than simple place names: "In Minty Common, in Malmsbury Hundred, near the road that leads to Ashton Kayne, there is a boggy place called Gogges, where springs rise up out of blue clay."
Anyone who loves history or human idiosyncrasy will almost certainly love "John Aubrey, My Own Life." I only wish Ruth Scurr had found reason to include perhaps the most winsome anecdote from "Brief Lives." It features two versifiers of the time. During the First English Civil War, George Wither was in danger of being executed for treason, but Sir John Denham pleaded with the king not to hang him, saying that so long as Wither lived he himself "should not be the worst poet in England." Wither went on to write for another 25 years.
Michael Dirda reviews books on Thursdays in Style.
Read more:
A new biography, 'Beyond the Robot,' looks at the life and work of Colin Wilson
By Ruth Scurr
New York Review Books. 518 pp. $35


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'Skyfall' rises with new director
After 50 years on the big screen, James Bond was bound to show his age. In "Skyfall," the reinvigorated 23rd installment in the beloved spy franchise, Bond (Daniel Craig in his third appearance in the role) is most certainly off his game — out of shape, outsmarted and burdened by baggage from his past. But if there's one thing director Sam Mendes' ("Revolutionary Road") take on Bond proves, it's that we're more than willing to forgive Bond's weaknesses, including the 2008 dud "Quantum of Solace," as long as his movies strike that quintessential balance of outrageous intrigue, sex appeal and escapist fun that made him such an enduring screen legend in the first place.
You can't celebrate a golden anniversary without looking back, and Mendes and screenwriters John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade pay worthwhile tribute to Bond's legacy, while still moving the franchise forward into some unprecedented territory. Out of the gate, we're jolted with the first two notes of the vintage Bond theme, then dropped right into a spectacular, totally impossible opening sequence that has Bond chasing a bad guy who stole a top-secret computer hard drive holding the identities of every NATO agent embedded inside a terrorist ring, through the old city of Istanbul. On foot, on motorcycles, on top of a speeding train, it seems nothing can stop our invincible spy, until a desperate order by his trusted commander, M (Judi Dench), accidentally takes him out, leaving Bond feeling betrayed by the one person he trusted.
Don't start shouting spoiler. This all happens in the beginning the movie. (And did you really think James Bond would go out like that?) But Bond's spirit for service is pretty much dead after M's cold tactics. It isn't until cyber-terrorist Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), who also has a personal bone to pick with M, hacks into MI6's computer system and blows up the headquarters that Bond begrudgingly returns to track him down. Even with the help of his new gadget geek Q (Ben Whishaw, smug yet endearing in his repartee with Craig), Silva outsmarts Bond at every turn — even tempting him with desertion — as he inches toward vengeance on his true target.
It all sounds very dramatic, and it could easily have become so with the film's weighty themes of obsolescence and maternal betrayal, and the fact that Craig is, and remains, the darkest member of the Bond stable. But Mendes and crew create just as much nostalgic fun as they do angst, beginning with Bardem's villain, a bizarre concoction of smarm, psychosis and comedy relief. He also has the honor of being the first man to make Bond squirm with sexual advances.
Battling against age and irrelevance in a world of high-tech espionage, Craig's Bond keeps his signature grit, but the film's playfulness gives him more opportunity to lighten up, especially when it comes to the Bond tradition. From the surreal opening credits that blend sleek, modern styling with a vintage '60s flair, to the cameos by some iconic Bond gadgets (and yes, the car), "Skyfall" is as much a joyful trip down memory lane as it is a 21st-century Bond adventure.
The film also reveals new pieces of Bond's past, specifically his childhood and the roots of his relationship with the frosty M, another MI6 relic struggling to remain pertinent in a world where government bureaucrats, like British Intelligence and Security Committee Chairman Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), feel entitled to drag MI6 out of the shadows and under their supervision.
Is there still a place for these rusty pieces of spy machinery? Do their lives have value, to the world and to each other, beyond their usefulness as lethal trigger pullers and bad-guy hunters? These are questions the film mulls over repeatedly, to the point where the answers and the portentous speeches surrounding them grow repetitive. But make no mistake, in "Skyfall," James Bond is still more than fit for duty.


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Friday, January 24, 2014
White turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria)
Curcuma zedoaria is very similar in appearance to golden turmeric, although somewhat smaller-growing and not quite as prolific. The primary visual difference is that the rhizomes are white instead of the yellow-orange color of turmeric.
This species is also known as white turmeric or zedoary, although herbalists often sell several different species under the name zedoary. Sometimes they will differentiate between "long zedoary" and "round zedoary" based on the shape of the rhizomes of the different species. Apparently they have similar medicinal uses, which may explain part of the naming confusion. There was also much confusion among early plant collectors and their plant descriptions. I base my identification of this species on a scientific paper titled "Taxonomic and nomenclatural puzzles in Indian Curcuma". It's probably only worth a look if you have a background in botany or taxonomy!
The leaves are broad and thin-textured, reaching 2 to 3 feet in height. Plants are in active growth during the warm months and go dormant as the days shorten in late fall and early winter. Growth resumes by mid-spring.
The rhizomes can be dug anytime the plants are dormant. Break off the "fingers" for use in the kitchen and replant the main rhizome for next year's crop. To me it tastes something like a strong-flavored carrot-parsnip blend with a peppery aftertaste. I like it grated in a salad or finely chopped into mixed vegetables or stir-fries. It's frequently added to pickled vegetables or curries.
Zedoary is used medicinally to treat inflammation, anxiety, stress, and fatigue according to WebMD, although there has been little scientific research done on this plant. Pregnant or breast-feeding women are advised not to take this supplement. Zedoary may also be applied directly to the skin as a mosquito repellent.
Curcuma zedoaria is native to Southeast Asia. It grows well in USDA Zones 8-10 and can be grown as a container plant in colder locations.
Also see: Curcuma longa
2 comments:
- David The Good said...
I was given some of these last year so I planted them - didn't know any details... until now. Thanks again for another good post.
- January 24, 2014 at 9:36 PM
- Grower Jim said...
This one's not very common in cultivation so you're lucky to have some!
- January 25, 2014 at 3:33 AM
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Noza updates its file weekly, averaging 250,000 records an update or around a million records each month. (For a "snapshot" of the data coverage, go to http://www.nozasearch.com/aboutdatasnapshot.asp.) All the data comes from publicly available Internet sites and is accessible by free search engines. Noza even supplies links to the original site listings, though some of the links may have been removed or updated by the time the searcher reaches them.
Database records include:
Each full record also carries a link to the Internet location where the information was found, allowing users to do their own verification and perhaps exploration of the information. Harris said, "Prospect researchers love to verify data, especially when they're thinking of changing an ask-amount.' That's when they need proof."
Boolean elements help filter searches, e.g., double quotes for exact string searching or a minus sign to remove a word or phrase. Partial record results from a "search by name" contain donor name, city and state of recipient organization, and year of gift; such partial records are free. Full record results can be read directly or exported to a spreadsheet format. No more than 2,000 records will be displayed from a single search.
The system will also create lists scanning entries based on multiple criteria (at least two fields) (http://www.nozasearch.com/searchlistinfo.asp). Again users can scan preliminary results and designate the records they wish to view, but the "create-a-list" option allows searchers to click on headers to select fields on which they want the list sorted.
Charges for Noza data start as low as $10 for setting up an account, and there are no monthly or annual subscription fees. Users purchase credits; each credit is the equivalent of viewing one complete record. The more prepurchased credits the user buys, the lower the unit cost. At a minimum, $10 buys 100 credits (unit cost 10 cents per record). Buying more credits lowers the unit cost: $25/275 credits; $50/650 credits; $100/1,450 credits; $250/4,175 credits; $500/10,000 credits; $1,200/40,000 credits.
Noza founder and CEO Craig Harris described the two-prong strategy behind the company's business. Noza will promote the use of its file directly on its own Web site and through resellers. "There are 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S.," said Harris. "The subset with the largest budgets would access us through resellers probably, e.g., higher education research departments. The mission that interests us the most is serving the other smaller nonprofits, the homeless shelters, community kitchens, local arts, grass roots and community-based ones with no fundraising arms, much less prospect research staff. Our mission is to keep developing and evolving our product till it becomes a critical mass."
Harris expects its resellers to provide additional services, such as electronic screening, and/or supplementary content. "We're partnering with the top companies providing services to prospect researchers," said Harris. At present, Noza has five authorised resellers and strategic partners. Three of the resellers provide electronic screening services: Blackbaud Analytics (http://www.blackbaud.com), Kintera (http://www.kinterainc.com), and Target America (http://www.tgtam.com). The other twoiWave Information Systems (http://www.iwave.com) with its Pro Platinum service and LexisNexis (http://www.lexisnexis.com) with its LexisNexis for Development Professionals packageprovide an array of data sources, including Noza's file, packaged for prospect researchers.
The resellers take the Noza data and load it into their own systems with their own interfaces. One user testing the Noza data mentioned that the interface seemed somewhat "clunky." Prospect researchers on a list (email@example.com) complained about the service being slow. Apparently these experienced searchers accessed Noza data through the iWave reseller, which still has some glitches to iron out with the data and some system updating to do, according to Harris.
Cecilia Hogan, prospect researcher for the University of Puget Sound and author of Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits and a series of prospect research articles appearing in Searcher, saluted the Noza file. Hogan said it would be a vital resource, particularly in "the first stage of the prospect research project to help create a lead list to explore." From the lead list, Hogan predicted she would go to other sources, e.g., a Guidestar record. "This is a significant development," said Hogan, "Just look at all the buzz on the PRSPCT-L list. Not so many years ago, to get this kind of information, you needed to get the nonprofit reports directly and plow through them. Today most of the informationexcept for the smallest foundations or organizationsis on the Web, but going through a Google search is no good. The information is often buried. That's why Noza is really interesting."
Hogan indicated that Noza is not alone in the field of donor databases. Since 1995, Waltman Associates (http://www.waltmanassociates.com) has produced the Waltman Donor series. Inez Bergquist, president of Waltman Associates, also provides a biographical profile series as well as prospect research training. The donor information service initially appeared on floppy disc, then moved to CD-ROM, and now can be found on the Web. It provides some unique historical archiving as well as current information, totaling around 6 million records (half that of Noza). The data updates monthly with cumulative information from 1995, as well as some earlier information from the 1970s and 1980s, according to Bergquist. Harris checked Noza's listings and found only about 400,000 records dated before the year 2000.
Waltman's Biographical Profiles provide background information on family tree structure, work history, community activities, suggested personal contacts, and financial capability, as well as donation histories from their own service. Profiles cost around $200 per person, plus any additional costs such as D&B reports, online searches, etc. This kind of customized service is not provided by Noza. Harris said that there were a number of companies offering detailed profiles and that Noza had no interest in competing with them. Speaking of freebies, check out the list of sources provided by Waltman at its "Prospect Research Tips" page (http://www.waltmanassociates.com/rsrchtips.html), if you want to start your own list of favorites/bookmarks for donor hunting.
Barbara Quint was senior editor of Online Searcher, co-editor of The Information Advisor's Guide to Internet Research, and a columnist for Information Today.


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A group of seven Northern Virginia rabbis has called on U.S. Rep. James P. Moran (D-8th) to resign because of remarks he made at a town hall meeting in Reston. Rabbi Jack Moline of the Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria said Moran's criticism of Jewish leaders "was very much the last straw.
"This one just crossed the line," said Moline. "He's not a competent congressman."
At the March 3 meeting at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, the congressman expressed his opposition to war with Iraq. "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq," Moran said, "we would not be doing this. The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should."
But in remarks that now appear prescient, Moran also said, "I've spoken up far more than I should have in circles where I should have kept my mouth shut." Moran refused to be interviewed for this article.
Moline, who said he considered Moran a friend, said he could not ignore the Northern Virginia congressman's remarks. "From a personal point of view, I am very sad. From a political point of view, I have to take action."
This is not the first time Moran has been embroiled in controversy. A few years ago, Moran delivered a speech to a Muslim-American group that Jewish leaders said presented a "revisionist" view of Israeli history, Moline said.
FACED WITH MOUNTING criticism, Moran Monday issued a four-paragraph apology in which he said religious groups should be more outspoken in their opposition to war with Iraq.
"I should not have singled out the Jewish community and regret giving any impression that its members are somehow responsible for the course of action being pursued by the administration, or are somehow behind an impending war," he said. "I don't blame anyone who has criticized me for making such unreflected, if unintended, comments. I have only myself to blame. As such, I deeply regret any hurt that I may have caused and sincerely apologize to anyone I may have offended."
But Ralph Nurnberger, a former lobbyist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), said the seven rabbis were wrong to call for Moran's resignation.
"What they should do is sit down with him and talk to him," he said.
After speaking with Moran, Nurnberger said he was willing to stand by the congressman.
"Sometimes words come out of Jim's mouth before they go through his thoughts, and this was one of those occasions," said Nurnberger, a resident of Arlington, who is both an international relations professor at Georgetown University and a lobbyist in private practice.
MORAN'S APOLOGY did not satisfy Ronald Halber, the executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington. "His apology is too little, too late," he said. "This time he went over the line. He crossed into anti-Semitism."
On Monday, the Council sent Moran a letter urging him to "do more than just issue half-hearted, meaningless pro-forma apologies after continuous inaccurate, insensitive and bigoted remarks."
Ira Forman, the executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, said Moran's statement does not reflect the diversity of views in the Jewish community.
"There's majority support in the Jewish community for war on Iraq, but the Jewish community is split like the country," he said.
Moran has also been criticized by his own party.
"Congressman Moran's comments were intolerable and highly inappropriate, especially from a Democratic member of Congress," said Guillermo Meneses, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee. "Congressman Moran has apologized and rightly so. That kind of rhetoric is unacceptable and goes against the values and beliefs of the Democratic Party."


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Atlanta, May 22, 2019 (PRWeb) -- Bluefin, the leading provider of payment security technologies including PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) solutions for retail, hospitality, healthcare, and higher education, today announced the expansion of its European patent, Systems and Methods for Creating Fingerprints of Encryption Devices, to additional countries.
Virtual "fingerprinting," or associating unique attributes of an encryption device, is critical in the validated P2PE process. Bluefin's fingerprinting process is used to validate transactions from each payment device. The digital fingerprint of a payment device extends beyond a unique serial number. Much like 2-factor authentication, the digital fingerprint is used to additionally verify the authenticity of a payment device.
When provisioned, a digital fingerprint of each device is stored. Subsequent transactions from the device are compared to the original provisioning to ensure the authenticity and nonrepudiation for the device. Failure of this verification is an indication of potential device compromise. This allows platforms such as Bluefin's P2PE Manager® to mark the device as malfunctioning and suspend processing from the device in question pending research and resolution.
The country validation of patent EP3120593 now extends to Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
"We are very pleased to expand coverage of this key patent to additional countries across the European theater," said Ruston Miles, Bluefin's Chief Strategy Officer. "Many of our more than one hundred connected partners supporting our PCI-validated P2PE solution have a global presence, and protection of key differentiators is crucial to Bluefin and our partners' worldwide commercial efforts. Our portfolio of 14 patents protect the intellectual property behind our P2PE program management platform and unique service delivery methods."
In additional to its suite of 14 U.S., Japanese and European patents, Bluefin has 17 additional patents pending for encryption and payment security innovations. The company's P2PE network currently includes over 100 connected partners operating in 29 countries, with over 80 devices/applications and 14 Key Injection Facilities (KIFs), as well as remote key injection services (RKI).
On June 4 at 1 pm EST, Bluefin will host a webinar, P2PE in POI Environments: Scope, Cost, Benefits and Implementation. The webinar will overview the POI/POS threat landscape and detail how criminals obtain access to cardholder data.
The webinar will also include discussion on the evolution of P2PE, the differences between certified and non-certified encryption solutions, benefits of PCI-validated P2PE solutions in POI environments, including compliance management and scope reduction, and the roles of tokenization, EMV and P2PE in protecting data. Registration is now open.
About Bluefin
Bluefin provides the leading payment security platform that supports payment gateways, processors and ISV's in 29 countries. Bluefin's secure payment platform is key to the holistic approach to data security. Designed to complement EMV and tokenization, Bluefin's PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) solutions provide a solid security defense against current and future data breaches. Bluefin supports point of sale solutions for retail, mobile, call center and kiosk/unattended environments, and secure Ecommerce technologies. Bluefin is a Participating Organization (PO) of the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) and is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in New York, Chicago, Tulsa and Waterford, Ireland. For more information, please visit www.bluefin.com/.
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information: bankcardlife.com?orid=33533&opid=1 .
Source: Company press release.
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Address24a Pervomayskaya Street, Luban
Phone: +375 -1794-55141
Olympic Day celebrations will be held across 40 venues of the Olympic Sports Complex in Minsk on 24 August, Head of the Olympic movement development at Belarus' National Olympic Committee (NOC) Dmitry Dovgalenok told reporters, BelTA has learned.
He noted that this is the first time Belarus will mark this event in August. The celebrations will feature 45 sports federations. The opening ceremony will be attended by senior officials of the National Olympic Committee, Sports and Tourism Ministry and Minsk City Council.
The festivities are expected to draw a lot of people. Visitors will be able to meet with Belarusian Olympians and other renowned athletes.
According to Dmitry Dovgalenok, visitors will get extensive information about Minsk-based sports facilities and consultations of representatives of sports clubs and schools.
Visitors will be invited to take part in the Olympic Quest contest where they will try their hand at various sports. They will need to collect stamps on their 20-challenge stamp card. For that they will receive a pedometer watch. They will also get a brochure about the results of the 2nd European Games.
Olympic Day is a celebration of the Olympic Movement and commemoration of the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894. At present Olympic Day is celebrated on 23 June every year by millions of people all over the world. The International Olympic Committee suggests that national Olympic committees choose the day for celebrating this event at their discretion. Taking into consideration the time-line of the 2nd European Games, Belarus decided to mark Olympic Day on 24 August from 11:00 to 18:00.


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Once in a while I have a temporary problem with the hardware of my laptop. It's a Dell Inspiron that was originally loaded with Windows Vista which was never used and then completely replaced with the ArchLinux distro.
However, I had to dig around a bit for drivers for the software. The problem is that they sometimes stop working. This morning my wireless card didn't work until I restarted computer, and last night the display on the laptop went into a test pattern (red/green/blue and black/white flashing) when I launched Xwindows.
I have no way to determine exactly why this happens once in a while. I hate that computers are so complex now that almost anything could be the cause of the problem and it could be a simple random bug.


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Prosecutors: Woman held underage drinking parties, sexually abused two teens
A Villa Park woman accused of throwing underage drinking parties to lure teenage boys for sex is being held on $100,000 bail in DuPage County jail.
Stefani Litton, 35, of the 400 block of S. Harvard, is charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of boys between the ages of 13 and 16.
Prosecutors said Villa Park police received an anonymous tip to investigate Litton after a recent party at her home.
After that party, prosecutors said, Litton drove a 14-year-old boy home but not before pulling over to kiss him and sexually assault him.
During the investigation, police discovered Litton also had sexually abused a 16-year-old boy over six months that ended over the summer, prosecutors said.
"It is alleged that this defendant preyed on two young boys simply to satisfy her own sick sexual desires," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said after Litton's bail hearing. "These allegations are extremely disturbing and, if found guilty, could land the defendant behind bars for a significant amount of time."
Should she post bail, Litton is prohibited from having contact with any minors, except for her own children. She also is required to turn over her FOID card and any guns to Villa Park police.
Litton is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Jan. 2 before Judge George Bakalis.


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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Architect Norman Foster: Building on the green agenda
This is a compelling video of Sir Norman Foster that was filmed in Munich in 2007 at DLD (Digital, Life, Design); a conference covering digital innovation, science and culture. He presents a macro view of urban design and public buildings that are sustainable and "celebratory". These are agenda setting ideas. He illustrates them using his own work; including the London Gherkin, and mega scale projects in China and the Middle East. In Manhattan, Lord Foster has completed the striking Hearst building on 57th Street and is working on one of the new towers on the World Trade Center site.


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2007 Mitsubishi L200 Animal 2.5 from UK and Ireland
Head gasket blew at 73000 miles.
Blew again at 76500.
Fuel getting into sump.
General Comments:
The car is excellent, apart from these faults. The head is now sorted. Now need the fuel problem sorted. Any suggestions?
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th September, 2012


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Heavy rain made a fierce comeback overnight, causing airport delays and big road closures including portions of Lake Shore Drive.
Police shut down the northbound lanes of LSD between Chicago and Fullerton early Friday because of flooding. Those lanes were back open and moving by Friday morning rush hour, but standing water persisted in the tunnel from Michigan Avenue to northbound LSD.
Areas along and north of I-88 and I-290 saw some of the heaviest rainfall, though most flooded viaducts and roadways across the suburbs were cleared by morning.
At O'Hare, lightning prevented passengers to board planes, and some were stuck on planes for three hours.
A flash flood watch expired Friday morning for portions of Illinois and northwest Indiana, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Lake counties in Illinois. For the most part, the big cluster of storms cleared the Chicago area, leaving the area to dry out for the next couple days.
In place of rain is a mild, humid Friday with highs between 85 and 90. Heavy fog takes over in some spots Friday evening into Saturday morning, and the weekend begins with very warm temperatures and more humidity.
The Chicago area officially broke a 122-year-old record during Wednesday night's storms, and Thursday rain only added to the books. Isolated thunderstorms return to the forecast on Sunday to cap that record.
More Flooding Forced Closures, Delays
It's already been a month for the record books, but more rain overnight added to it
Heavy rain made a fierce comeback overnight, causing airport delays and big road closures including portions of Lake Shore Drive.


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I thought the cold snaps we've been having were going to ruin my lettuce but they seem to love it. There are about five gigantic full-grown heads that have suffered no ill effects and the babies that are coming up are also fine. There is one in the in-between stage and it seems to be destroyed by the cold or too much wet. I planted fava beans at the same time (late summer) and they are tall and healthy. They are companion plants for my lettuce and beets. I believe the fava are protecting and sheltering the lettuce. Even if some of the fava are a couple of feet away from the lettuce, the fava "fix" nitrogen into the soil. Adding to all the green is a clump of bright yellow calendula flowers that love the cold. A welcome splash of cheerful on a dreary winter's day.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny's Cookbook. Available here:
eBook or computer download through Smashwords:
eBook through Barnes & Noble:


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It is an outdoor patio rug and we like that. Some of you astute readers of Olive Out had suggested a natural fiber rug in another post when I was carrying on about the pink one. I do pay attention to every comment. After all this is porch rattan furniture {all from a garage sale}.
The print, on the stone fireplace, is framed in a metal frame and that is important and really the main reason we bought it other than the bluish gray coastal image. The fireplace causes wood frames to get very hot. We are looking for an interesting large metal something to hang up there and we will know it when we see it.
I am partying here:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Wow Us Wednesdays
Table Top Tuesday
grace surrounds us


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By now everyone knows that tornadoes hit from Arkansas through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, and Georgia. Hundreds if not thousands injured and two hundred eighty confirmed dead so far mostly in Alabama. They were unbelievably strong storms. The worst since 1925. It could be from the Mississippi-Alabama line through Tuscaloosa and Georgia and Southwestern Tennessee, one tornado reported fifty to sixty times travelling over 219 miles rivaling the one in 1925. It had winds over 200 miles per hour and the devastation eerily similar to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Pray for all the people there that lost their lives and are hurt. For all the homes and businesses lost and that they get quick assistance. The same for the tornadoes that hit earlier in the week and all the flooding. Plus more dangerous weather on the way. Just bad weather or more prophesy. You will hear of so many more storms, earthquakes, wars and famine. Are we getting there. It looks like it. Let the Lord save you.
St. Matthew 7-7 Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
St. Matthew 7-8 For everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.


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Tuesday January 29, 2013 21:30
Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum (Music review), Tamil – G V Prakash Kumar
Aavarangaatukulla has a pleasant tune, but rehashes the ghatam-based sparse folk sound once in vogue, kick-started by Rahman. Pothi vecha and Nariga uranga hold textures similar to Rahman's Taj Mahal number Kulirudhu kulirudhu, but are wonderful compositions on their own, thanks to their thoroughly appealing tunes! The melancholy in Poraale and Anname sound anesthetic at best, while […]
- Category: Tamil OST
- (2) Comments


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FIFA 15 Has Shirt Pulling, Player-Specific Movement, More Finesse Moves
The newest soccer game's movement and controls are getting a number of improvements and additions.
Every year, developer EA Sports changes and adds features to the players in its popular FIFA series in order to achieve greater realism. This year is no different. The newest entry in the soccer franchise, FIFA 15, will improve and add to the way players move, according to a new trailer published by Electronic Arts.
First, the short video showcases the changes made to finesse movement. In this year's game, players will be able to dribble the ball with even more control, because they will now take into account balance and positioning. In addition, there will be a number of new stutter and dodge moves which allow you more opportunities to beat defenders.
Most interestingly, the players in-game will move and react like their real-life counterparts. The video highlights Lionel Messi and how, in FIFA 15, he will now favor his left foot as he does in real games.
EA Sports is also overhauling the way the ball moves through the air. Every time the ball makes contact with a player, the ground, or a goal post, its spin will determine where and how fast it bounces off.
The developer has changed tackling as well. When defending a player with the ball, your player will use his body more, attempting to knock the other player off-center. Slide tackles are also improved so that the defender keeps the ball closer to himself after stealing it away from an opposing player. In an effort to increase the physicality of defenders even more, the developer has implemented shoulder bumps, shirt pulling, and other such moves.
FIFA 15 launches on September 23 in North America, September 25 in Europe, and September 26 in the UK. Clint Dempsey and Lionel Messi will be on the cover in the United States. EA Sports recently promised that FIFA 15 would feature a "whole new level of visuals" compared to past games.
Are you excited by what EA has said about FIFA 15 so far? Let us know in the comments.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.com


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We take in a lot of things in our body the whole day. They need to be simultaneously excreted out of the body to maintain the body's steady state. This process of removal of chemical wastes from our body is known as excretion. There are a number of substances that our body needs to get rid of. Some of them are carbon dioxide, nitrogenous wastes, excessive salts and vitamins, water and bile pigments. Excretion in humans occurs through the kidney, sweat glands, lungs etc.
Kidneys are the chief excretory organs and are mainly concerned with the excretion of urea in the form of urine. The function of our kidney is monitored and regulated by the feedback mechanisms which involve hypothalamus, juxtaglomerular apparatus, and the heat.
Regulation of Kidney Function
When there is excessive loss of fluid from the body, osmoreceptors are activated which stimulate the hypothalamus to release ADH – antidiuretic hormone from neurohypophysis. This hormone helps in reabsorption of water from the latter parts of the tubule and prevents the loss of water from the body. When the fluid volume of body increases, osmoreceptors are switched off and the release of ADH is suppressed. ADH may also increase the blood pressure thereby increasing the glomerular blood flow. When the glomerular blood flow decreases, juxtaglomerular cells release renin which converts angiotensin in blood to angiotensin I which is further converted to angiotensin II. This causes an increase in glomerular blood pressure. It converts angiotensin in blood to angiotensin I. It is further converted to angiotensin II. This causes an increase in glomerular blood pressure.
Another function of angiotensin II is activation of the adrenal cortex to release aldosterone which causes reabsorption of sodium ion and water from the distal parts of the tubule. This also leads to an increase in blood pressure and glomerular filtration rate. This entire mechanism is known as the renin-angiotensin mechanism. The atrial Natriuretic factor is released when there is an increase in blood flow to the atria of the heart. It can cause a decrease in blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.
To learn more about kidney function or other biology articles, visit Byju's.