text:
Medications and Drug Injuries
In manufacturing and selling pharmaceuticals, companies owe to consumers a duty to assure that their drugs, medications, and medical devices are reasonably safe when used as intended. Too often, a pharmaceutical company will create an unreasonably dangerous product by failing to properly research a drug's possible risks before placing it in the stream of commerce. In such instances, without being warned in advance of using the drug, human beings serve as unwitting guinea pigs. A drug's approval by the FDA is not a guarantee of its safety and will not shield a drug manufacturer from liability.
Before selling pharmaceuticals to the public, drug manufacturers are obligated first to understand the drug's dangers and possible side effects and then assure that the public is informed of the risks. A pharmaceutical that can be reasonably safe if accompanied by thorough warnings will be unreasonably dangerous absent such warnings according to the law.
The means used to inform the public vary with the nature of the pharmaceutical. With non-prescription drugs, the manufacturer's warning is conveyed to users by proper labeling and enclosures. Simple written warnings, however, without a physician's intervention between manufacturer and consumer, will not render all pharmaceuticals safe. Rather, the use of certain medications require a doctor's supervision.
Prescription drugs represent a class of pharmaceuticals, the use of which requires the supervision of a learned intermediary, such as a physician. With such drugs, the manufacturer has a duty to warn only the intermediary, not the consumer. In most cases, as long as the drug company properly informs the physician of the drug's dangers, the company has fulfilled its duty to the public.
Before a physician prescribes a pharmaceutical to a patient, the physician is duty-bound to fully apprise the patient of the drug's risks, so that the patient is capable of making an informed decision in determining whether or not to take the drug. If the doctor fails in his or her duty to relay the manufacturer's warning to the patient, responsibility usually will lie with the physician, not the drug manufacturer.
Physicians know that when they prescribe drugs, their knowledge concerning the medication is generally far superior to the patient's. Consequently, the physician understands that the patient ordinarily relies heavily on the doctor's judgment. Once the doctor has been advised of a prescription drug's hazards, the doctor and not the patient, is in a position to understand whether the drug is appropriate for a particular patient. Likewise, the physician should take precautions against over-prescription. Because the doctor is well aware that the patient normally relies heavily on the doctor's judgment in prescribing such drugs, the doctor should readily accept responsibility for the patient's safety with regard to the prescription drug.
In seeking legal redress against a drug manufacturer for injuries caused by pharmaceuticals, the usual theories of products liability (strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty) are applicable. If the physician's conduct is to blame, a negligence suit in medical malpractice would be justified.
Drug manufacturers and drug-prescribing physicians hold positions of trust. Many people heavily rely on their expertise. The drug companies and physicians should thus expect that if their imprudence causes damage, they will be held responsible.


text:
Fallon Played 'Christmas' on Classroom Instruments With Anna Kendrick and Darlene Love
Jimmy Fallon's relentless cheerfulness was made for moments like this. On Monday, The Tonight Show released a new installment of its "Classroom Instruments" segment. Basically, Fallon and The Roots bring in artists to play their songs backstage almost entirely on classroom instruments (or in the case of Migos, office supplies). What comes out the other side is a little kitschy, but it's usually a lot of fun.
The new video has actress Anna Kendrick joining Fallon and the Roots to sing Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with the singer herself. Love originally recorded the song back in 1963, and it's the exact kind of song that thrives rewritten in an arrangement featuring a Casio keyboard, xylophone, and kazoo. It feels far less novel than a classroom instrument rendition of, say, Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
This is the second time in just a few days that "Christmas" has made a late-night appearance on NBC. The song was a part of a Christmas medley by the Foo Fighters on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
Watch the full performance above, then dig up some older classroom instrument performances, like Ed Sheeran playing "Shape of You" with The Roots.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Submit a request
Sign in
Help Center
Students and Visitors
Students and Visitors
FAQ and troubleshooting articles for Students and Visitors
Identity and Access Management
Establishing your digital identity at Northeast
Updating your alternate email address
What to do if you can't access your account
Campus Wifi
How do I to connect to the WiFi in a Campus Dorm?
How do I connect to the Campus Wifi Network?
How do I connect my Apple TV or Game Console to the Wifi Network?
How do I find my MAC address on my Game Console or Apple TV?
MyNEMCC Mobile
Is the MyNEMCC mobile app available for Android devices?
How do I report a bug or issue with the MyNEMCC mobile app?
I have a suggestion to improve the MyNEMCC mobile app.
How do I login to the MyNEMCC Mobile App?
I can't remember my Tigerline PIN. How do I get a new one?


text:
Answer: The Lighthouse, Inc.
Philadelphia's Kensington was hard hit by a financial depression at the turn of the 19th century, and alcoholism and homelessness were rampant throughout the industrial neighborhood. At the time, Kensington had more than 100 saloons in a five-block radius. In 1893, Esther Warner Kelly frequently traveled through Kensington to visit her brother, who worked as a medical intern at the Episcopal Hospital at the corner of Front and Lehigh Streets. Kelly was inspired to improve the neighborhood and began holding men's Bible classes at the hospital two nights a week. These classes provided an alternative to the saloons as a place to gather and socialize.
Kelly's classes proved popular and she soon had to find a larger meeting space. With help from family and the Union Benevolent Association, Kelly acquired a three-story building at 140 West Lehigh Avenue, to serve as a social club for the men of Kensington. By 1895, the organization was operating as the Lighthouse, and it was incorporated under that name in 1901.
Since its formation, the Lighthouse has evolved to meet the needs of the community. During its early years, programs focused on unemployment relief, public baths, savings banks, and tuberculosis education and prevention. In the 1920s, the Lighthouse directed more of its efforts toward recreational programs and services including its library, gymnasium, and pools. It helped establish the nation's first Meals on Wheels program in the 1950s and became devoted to causes such as women's rights, children's education, and community development. The Lighthouse continues to serve the community from its facilities located at 152 West Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia.
HSP has an extensive collection of the Lighthouse's records (#1970) dating from 1893 to 2000. It contains a wide range of materials covering most aspects of the organization's history through everything from administrative and financial files to membership records and photographs.
Image: Boys boxing at the Lighthouse club, undated


text:
The final installment of the series The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel was definitely not a let down. It is, as all last books should be, fast-paced, action packed, and chocked full of epic battles to the death.
1. The plot of this whole series is incredibly well thought-out and equally well-written. So, the plot could have turned out pretty boring and conventional. But Michael Scott turned it into something extraordinary. I loved all the little nuances in the story that made the series unique and fascinating. Michael Scott created an amazing world that is just as compelling and detailed as J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. Okay, maybe not as detailed or unique, but close enough.
2.One thing Michael Scott does that J.K. Rowling doesn't do quite as well? He makes his characters super lovable. You get to form genuine emotional connections with all the characters in the series because they're all relatable and compelling. On the other hand, I was sort of ambivalent toward about 80% of the characters in Harry Potter, including Harry Potter himself. No, scratch that. Especially Harry Potter himself. Michael Scott creates wonderful, well-rounded characters with so depth and complexity.
3. The villains aren't the conventional 'let's destroy Earth and kill of all the humans, it'll be a whole lot of fun' kind, which makes for a great plot that's not all about killing the stupid maniacal villain who has a penchant for giving long speeches and torturing poor innocent cats for fun. The villains are driven by impulses deeper and more complex than just a illogical desire for vengeance/violence, and likewise for the heroes- they're not just one-sided, really powerful (a.k.a. boring) self-righteous superheroes who sound more like preachers/pastors than normal people.
4. If you're interested in myths and legends and heroes, this is the book for you. Michael Scott does a supremely good job at bringing all these characters to life and mixing them together. It's fun when you get to read about one hero and one villain, but with twenty heroes and twenty villains, there's twenty times the fun.
5. There are a lot of twists in the plot, so you're kept on your feet, constantly being swept from one heart-stopping revelation to the next. You never really know what's going to happen next, and that's what makes this series so good. Right till the end, you're still trying to figure out who the bad guys and who the good guys are, because there's really just a grey line separating the good and the evil.
The Not So Awesome
1. There is really not much of a coherent ending to this book, which wouldn't be so much of an issue if this wasn't the last book. But it is. So it is an issue. After a long, hard-fought battle with evil that lasted six five hundred page books. I think we deserve more of a celebration. One second, everyone's locked in mortal combat, fighting for their lives, and then the next minute, we get cut off to Nicholas Flamel and Perenelle having a touching old-people moment on a bench. One page letter, that scene ends and we're given an one-and-a-half page letter in the epilogue. Nothing gets wrapped up properly, and it's really annoying, sort of like someone walking off for tea while he's supposed to be playing hide and seek with you, so you just sit in your dark damp closet for hours, wondering where he/she went.
2. Honestly speaking, I still don't really get what happened at the end. I probably have to go back and do a little timeline because the moving back and forth thirty thousand years bit is really taxing on the brain. Contrary to what you're probably thinking, Michael Scott, having your readers draw a timeline to figure your plot out is not necessarily a good thing.
3. There's way too little of Scathach.
4. Why are all the people chosen to rule Danu Talis the Egyptian Gods/Pharoahs, i.e. Bastet, Anubis, Aten, Isis, and Osiris? Before this book, the series was a hodgepodge of all the myths and legends of mankind, from Greek heroes to Viking gods and Mayan/Aztec lizard things, which is what makes it so interesting. In this book, though, there's been an inexplicable shift toward of Egyptian gods and pharaohs, and me no likes it. It makes the series seem as though its a continuation of Rick Riordan's Egyptian God series (which was a flop).
If you haven't already read the rest of the series, here's a list of the books in the main series:
1- The Alchemyst (i.e. Nicholas Flamel)
2- The Magician (i.e. Dr. John Dee)
3- The Sorceress (i.e. Perenelle Flamel)
4- The Necromancer (i.e. Josh Newman)
5- The Warlock (i.e. Niccolo Machiavelli)
6- The Enchantress (i.e. Sophie Newman)
He's also written two side-stories, one of Billy the Kid and presumably Scathach and Aoife in the book "Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Vegas", and the other one about Joan of Arc, titled "the Death of Joan of Arc".
Admittedly, the "Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Vegas" book does sound a little trashy, as in, Twilight-esque, Vampire Diaries trashy, but believe me, it won't be. Anything written by Michael Scott about Billy the Kid and Scatty won't be trashy. I hope. (My favorite authors do have an annoying tendency to shoot themselves in the foot by coming up with gross sequels to their awesome main series, i.e. Rick Riordan's Carter Kane series.)
There's also supposed to be a movie coming up based on The Alchemyst, and it's supposed to be out this year, but I'm not sure if that's really happening.


text:
With both teams in a good run of form of late, both Stoke City and Watford's players have been among the most impressive in the league.
However, when it comes to joining the strongest members of both together, who would make the cut?
Goalkeeper: Jack Butland
Despite suffering an ankle injury last March on international duty with England, Butland claims the number one jersey. The 23-year-old is a class above competitors Lee Grant and Heurelho Gomes.
The ex-Birmingham City shot stopper thrived for The Potters prior to the misfortune he endured last Spring. Eager to again prove his worth and showcase his ability, the player may soon find he is required at a club possessing more stature.
Right-back: Glen Johnson
Experience and leadership are to crucial elements when sourcing talent to construct a strong team. Stoke City's Glen Johnson possesses both these traits making him the clear choice to fend off any left-wing threats.
The 32-year-old has made more than 300 appearances in England's top flight for sides including: West Ham, Portsmouth, Chelsea and Liverpool. Additionally, the player has 54 caps for England and unlike any of his selected teammates has a Premier League winners medal.
Centre-back: Ryan Shawcross
Ryan Shawcross, probably England's most underrated centre-half. Typically overlooked when it comes to international selection, the Stoke City skipper thrives at the heart of his defence. His height and physical presence make him an ideal candidate for any manager hoping to quell creativity and goals in the final third.
The Potters legend may not have speed, but he makes up for such with his ability to read the game. Despite injuries hampering his last two seasons, Shawcross is a worthy of inclusion on this team sheet.
Centre-back: Miguel Britos
Miguel Britos is debatably Watford's best central defender. Since his arrival from Italy in July 2015 the Uruguayan international has featured regularly for The Hornets. Having made 99 appearances for his last side Napoli, Britos sought after a new challenge in his career.
Life in the English capital has been no walk in the park for the 31-year-old. Funnily enough his first game in the English top flight was against Stoke City, in which he aided his side in keeping a clean sheet. His inclusion in this eleven was an easy decision.
Left-back: Jose Holebas
Having received October's 'Player of the Month' award voted for by Watford fans, Jose Holebas is the clear choice to take the sides left-back position. The Greek international played a crucial part in helping his side keep three consecutive clean sheets last month, and additionally scored a stunning match winner against newly promoted Middlesbrough.
He offers a great overlap, great delivery and great defensive awareness making him an essential part to this eleven piece puzzle.
Central midfield: Etienne Capoue
The Frenchman has notably improved since failing to impress fans at Tottenham Hotspur upon his arrival to English football. Following his transfer to Watford in the summer of 2015, it was anticipated the player would grow in stature and confidence.
Hornet supporters have witnessed week in week out this season why the holding midfielder earned himself Ligue 1's 'Young Player of the Year' award in 2013. The ex-Toulouse star offers a physicality unlike those alongside him in this formation, meaning he is a pivotal selection.
Central midfield: Joe Allen
A midfield maestro and legend in his own right; Joe Allen claims one of three spots in central midfield. The ex-Liverpool and Swansea City player, referred to by some as the Welsh Xavi, is a crucial part of this eleven.
Shockingly let go by Liverpool despite featuring in UEFA's Euro 2016 'Team of the Tournament', the 26-year-old has hit the ground running under Mark Hughes. The player has already scored four goals for Stoke this campaign, and his ability to pick a pass renders him an important part of any team.
Central midfield: Roberto Pereyra
The ex-Juventus man is the creative spark in the middle of the pitch. Roberto Pereyra has a wicked right foot and is held in high regard by Watford boss Walter Mazzarri. It is said fitness and skill hold equal importance in today's modern game and the Argentinian has an abundance of both.
The 25-year-old featured nearly seventy times for Juventus in two seasons, and to represent a club of that magnitude so frequently earns him inclusion.
Right wing: Xherdan Shaqiri
Arguably Mark Hughes's best piece of business as a manager was securing the signature of Xherdan Shaqiri. The Swiss international was often linked with clubs who offered European football including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old opted to leave German giants Bayern Munich to continue his life in Stoke-on-Trent.
Shaqiri is an explosive forward who offers pace and power. His left foot has produced several wonder strikes and he can boast to other professionals that he is one of few players to ever score a hat-trick in the history of the World Cup. All these points justify his spot in this joint eleven.
Left wing: Marko Arnautovic
An impressive campaign last year for Stoke City saw Arnautovic linked with several top clubs throughout Europe. His eagerness to inflict frustration on opponents via his commitment to made him irreplaceable. Despite a poor start to this season the Austrian is beginning to find his way.
The 27-year-old joined The Potters from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for £2 million in 2013, making him an absolute steal. He is the perfect winger and trumps anything Watford have to offer in wide positions, hence his spot in this combined team.
Striker: Troy Deeney
It was a difficult case to argue in favour of any Stoke forward considering their barren run in front of goal. Wilfred Bony, Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters are names which offer little excitement when spoken. Troy Deeney however, musters performances that see bums lifted from seats with excitement.
The Watford captain wears his heart on his sleeve and puts 110% into every match he plays. His eye for goal and his commitment to chase down lost causes make him an ideal fit for this side.


text:
Lepore & Associates can show you how to improve and even transform the administrative process of your institution.
Get the most from your technology dollars. Make sure that the features that you bought and paid for are actually used, and used to their best advantage.
We coach executives, managers, and other essential personnel so that they can excel in their present positions. We mentor potential leaders so that they are ready for their next positions.
Welcome To Lepore & Associates
Our mission is to ensure client institutions can compete, perform efficiently, and educate their students for today's world.
Lepore & Associates, LLC is a management consulting firm supporting the unique needs of higher education institutions and related businesses.
Formed in 2010 and drawing on decades of our experiences as faculty members and administrators, our team will help you establish your priorities, from strategic to operational, and make sure that your organization fulfills those priorities efficiently and effectively. Our combined experience covers the depth, breadth, and scope of the operation of institutions of higher education, including nonprofit, for-profit, private and public, academic medical centers and other specialized institutions.
We can quickly assemble a team to address the unique requirements of your institution. You may need us to perform an analysis of existing conditions and prepare a report with suggestions and priorities; provide temporary supplemental staffing; train or mentor key employees; or assist in identifying key employees for changes in responsibilities. Whether your need is for short-term projects or long-term programming, our associates will work with you to increase effectiveness and control costs. In our collective experience, we have made technology pay its way, developed, recruited and trained staff, completed capital campaigns, developed new revenue streams, led academic reform and growth, and launched successful online programs.


text: Here's a short/not so short film of me in a north London nature reserve, randomly waffling about wild plants and foraging…unrehearsed and unplanned, I was about to take a a photo of some tasty looking young hawthorn leaves and instead I ended up making this film, without taking a breath for about twenty minutes. Actually I quite enjoyed it and if anyone manages to watch the whole thing and/or respond favourably, I might make one each month. If I do I will remember to film the next one as a landscape rather than the less conventional portrait format, and I might even think about what I'm going to say beforehand, although that will probably spoil it.Click the photo to the watch the film………..Feedback and suggestions please.


text:
BERLIN — For all the efforts Germany has made in coming to terms with its Nazi past, the fate of one of the prime architects of the Holocaust has long eluded the authorities and historians.
Heinrich Müller — the chief of Hitler's dreaded Gestapo, or secret police — was one of the most senior Nazis to escape capture or certified death at the end of World War II. Holocaust historians say that Western investigators, at the very least, looked for him intensively for years after 1945, and there were reports placing him everywhere from Czechoslovakia to the Soviet Union or even Brazil.
Now, the question of Müller's fate has taken a disturbing twist, as Prof. Johannes Tuchel, head of an association that watches over memorials to German resistance fighters, claims to have uncovered a document indicating that he was killed, probably on May 1, 1945, hastily buried in a provisional grave near the Nazi Air Force ministry, and later reburied in a mass grave in the Jewish cemetery in Mitte, in the heart of Berlin.
While the claim is not definitive — lacking, for instance, any forensic verification — it was credible enough to stir a mixture of sorrow, outrage and shock in this city where so much blood and treasure have been spent, and beyond.
The news, first reported on Thursday by Germany's best-selling newspaper, Bild, "makes my stomach turn," said Dieter Graumann, the chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. "It is devastating for everybody, but especially for a Jew." He expressed complete bafflement that the apparent fate of Müller — "a technocrat of terror," senior even to Adolf Eichmann, the war criminal tried and executed in Israel in the early 1960s — could have gone unreported for so long.
Efraim Zuroff, chief Nazi hunter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, was incredulous when reached by telephone. "I can't think of a worse desecration of a Jewish cemetery than to bury Heinrich Müller there," he said.
Professor Tuchel said in a telephone interview that he stumbled on the discovery after investigating Müller's role in the suppression of a rebellion in the Moabit district of central Berlin on April 22-23, 1945. As the Nazi Reich was crumbling under sustained Allied bombing and Soviet tank and infantry advances, the Gestapo leader apparently fiddled while Berlin burned, Professor Tuchel said, finally ordering 18 resistance fighters in Moabit shot.
His interest piqued, Professor Tuchel said, he scoured archives and found out that Müller was killed in the dying days of the war in May 1945, and buried and reburied, he said.
An estimated 70,000 civilians and soldiers are said to have been killed in the last three weeks of the war in Berlin. In the months after fighting ended, each city district organized nonprofessional teams of gravediggers to collect corpses and bury them in mass graves, Professor Tuchel said, adding that there were 16 such graves containing an estimated 2,700 bodies in the Mitte Jewish cemetery, which is the resting place of the 18th-century philosopher Moses Mendelssohn but was not used for burials after 1829.
Müller was among the Nazi commanders who planned the Holocaust at the infamous conference at Wannsee lake in Berlin in January 1942. Mr. Zuroff, who has a doctorate in Holocaust history, called him "one of the leading lights of the Third Reich" and said it was hard to believe that investigators who were hunting for him in the 1950s and 1960s did not know what Professor Tuchel said he had uncovered.
The professor said he had found a document stating that a gravedigger, Walter Lüders, had approached the local police in West Germany in 1963, saying he had buried Müller, and was then interrogated — just once — by more senior investigators after Bild reported Mr. Lüders' appearance.
Upon being shown a picture of Müller by the senior investigators, Mr. Lüders, according to a document found by Professor Tuchel, stated, "I have compared this photo with the face of the corpse" that he had reburied in August 1945.
He added, "I can say that the person pictured on the photo was in appearance identical with the corpse."
Asked why nothing more was done, Professor Tuchel speculated that it was because the Jewish cemetery was in East Berlin. He said he had found no evidence that the West Germans ever asked the East Germans, or that the Western allies inquired of the Soviets what had happened.
Mr. Zuroff said of the reported discovery: "This would solve a very perplexing mystery, if it's true. But again, I'd feel a lot better if there was forensic evidence."
The cemetery, which was handed over to the Jewish community in 1948, is now a leafy site of remembrance in the heart of one of Berlin's trendiest districts. In this, it is typical of the German capital, and of its turbulent history. The "perverse" story that unfolded on Thursday, noted Deidre Berger, head of the American Jewish Committee in Germany, shows "how little respect there was for human lives."
"It is not possible even in death to disentangle the victims from the perpetrators," she added.


text:
Dear friends,{this includes friends I know personally, in real life, along with those of you I get glimpses of while cruising through Facebook on my way back to Reality.}
I am "special." You know, that politically correct term for people who are "different" and I don't mean in an obvious way, you can see with your eyes. As a matter of fact, I blend in quite smoothly, with all of the "normal" people. (Left corner of mouth rises in prideful delight…"wait?" Eyebrows scrunch in confusion, as doubt gives way to reason; "Is that the left side of my mouth?" Hand raises in front of my face, "This is my left hand, right?"
Things are so confusing on a keyboard. Usually my brain distinguishes left from right based on prominence, but when I type, neither hand is dominant. This challenges the logic I use to identify my right hand which then points out my left by process of elimination. wow! That was a long, or I guess just a "normal," rant for me. Half smirk completed as left corner of mouth reveals canine tooth.)
I am so easily distracted. It is impossible to focus when information is constantly being thrown at me from so many directions. Each and every piece of knowledge, idea, experience and feeling is like a seed that somehow takes root in my mind upon impact. I do not have the option of choosing which ones I would like to see develop. There is no order, organization or containment to these seeds. n.
My mind is overwhelmed. I wish I could just store the seeds in nicely labeled packets until it was the right season to plant them. But instead, they will continue to fall, against the will of my fertile mind. Taking root wherever their ovules land and branching out wildly in every direction.
I feel lost. I can no longer tell where a tree begins and a weed ends. They have become one in the same, as they close in on me, collectively. The darkness hides directionality and I have lost my ability to move forward or backwards.
I am trapped. I feel incapable of escaping from this densely overgrown, dark forest. I know the light is still up there, but I can no longer see it. The forest has overtaken the heavens. Suddenly, a small opening appears, and a glimmer of light breaks through the chaos. It calls out to me, "fly." I remember who I am, and realize why I feel so small and overtaken by this big forrest.
I am a bird. I am a free. I can stay or I can flee.


text: Blue-Sunrise 0 Posted December 13, 2012 I would like to know if you guys out there use some house rules for Descent 2? Maybe you added some elements to make the game become more harder, or there are some rules u do not like and changed them. Regards Hendrik Our House Rules! (so far) 1st: We don´t like the rules for line of sigth, so we changed it to tracing the "shortest" pathway from one corner to another. Hasn´t affected game play as far. The "thing" we consider: To make Lieutenant a little bit stronger, some of our players suggested to make them count as Heroes instead of an monster with almost all benifits. Make them become real officers. ^^ The Search order should be removed for the Lieutenant! Stand up order for Lieutenant: He gains two Red Dice insted of one and the Overlord could use his cards to make him move or attack (once for the double attack) Maybe some specific monsters should gain the ability to Help him up (Humanoid like Creatures as Gobbos) ?! To deal the finishing blow the Hero who downed the Lieutenant has to make an an Attribute test vs the officers main attribute (e.g. Lieutenants highest attribute is Strength. the hero has to make an test on Strength test.)If it i sucessful the Lieutenant is defeated and removed from the game as normal, otherwise he is Downed. We tested this only once, but will keep on play testing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Saudi Arabian Teachers' Uses of ICTs in Science Classrooms
2017-07-09T23:15:28Z (GMT) by
Schemes for education reform were initiated in Saudi Arabia. These Schemes involved importation of science curricula and information and communication technology (ICT) integration in education. The imported science curricula require teachers to adopt student-centred approaches and to use ICT. This study explored the Saudi Arabian science teachers use of ICT. The study showed that the Saudi Arabian science teachers use of ICT was tokenistic and limited. Teachers mainly used ICT as a tool to deliver and supplement the content. However, few teachers were able to make effective use of ICT by using ICT to engage the student in the learning process. Based on these teachers a model for effective use of ICT was suggested. This study revealed that many factors affect teachers use of ICT and adoption of student-centred pedagogies. These factors include macro-level, meso-level and micro-level factors.


text:
Air Propogation
Past Articles
View Demo
Buy Online
Conact Us
Join Our
Mailing List:
First Name:
Last Name:
Email Address:
Plant Propagation by Layering: Instructions for the Home Gardener
Erv Evans, Extension Associate
Frank A. Blazich, Professor
Department of Horticultural Science
Published by
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Stems that are still attached to their parent plant may form roots where they come in contact with a rooting medium. This method of vegetative propagation is generally successful, because water stress is minimized and carbohydrate and mineral nutrient levels are high. The development of roots on a stem while the stem is still attached to the parent plant is called layering. A layer is the rooted stem following detachment (removal) from the parent plant.
Some plants propagate naturally by layering, but sometimes plant propagators assist the process. Layering is enhanced by wounding the stem where the roots are to form. The rooting medium should always provide aeration and a constant supply of moisture.
Types of Layering:
Simple Layering
Simple layering can be accomplished by bending a low growing, flexible stem to the ground. Cover part of it with soil, leaving the remaining 6 to 12 inches above the soil. Bend the tip into a vertical position and stake in place (Figure 1). The sharp bend will often induce rooting, but wounding the lower side of the bent branch may help also. Simple layering can be done on most plants with low-growing branches. Examples of plants propagated by simple layering include climbing roses, forsythia, rhododendron, honeysuckle, boxwood, azalea, and wax myrtle.
Simple layering can be done in early spring using a dormant branch, or in late summer using a mature branch. Periodically check for adequate moisture and for the formation of roots. It may take one or more seasons before the layer is ready to be removed for transplanting.
Tip Layering
Tip layering is quite similar to simple layering. Dig a hole 3 to 4 inches deep. Insert the tip of a current seasons shoot and cover it with soil.
The tip grows downward first, then bends sharply and grows upward. Roots form at the bend. The re-curved tip becomes a new plant (Figure 2). Remove the tip layer and plant it in late fall or early spring.
Examples of plants propagated by tip layering include purple and black raspberries, and trailing blackberries.
Compound (serpentine) Layering
Compound (serpentine) layering is similar to simple layering, but several layers can result from a single stem. Bend the stem to the rooting medium as for simple layering, but alternately cover and expose sections of the stem.
Each section should have at least one bud exposed and one bud covered with soil. Wound the lower side of each stem section to be covered (Figure 3).
This method works well for plants producing vine-like growth such as heart-leaf philodendron, pothos, wisteria, clematis, and grapes.
Mound (stool) Layering
Mound (stool) layering is useful with heavy-stemmed, closely branched shrubs and rootstocks of tree fruits. Cut the plant back to 1 inch above the soil surface in the dormant season. Dormant buds will produce new shoots in the spring.
Mound soil over the new shoots as they grow (Figure 4). Roots will develop at the bases of the young shoots. Remove the layers in the dormant season.
Mound layering works well on apple rootstocks, spirea, quince, daphne, magnolia, and cotoneaster.
Natural Forms of Layering
Sometimes layering occurs naturally, without the assistance of a propagator. Runners and offsets are specialized plant structures that facilitate propagation by layering.
A runner produces new shoots where it touches the growing medium (Figure 6). Plants that produce stolons or runners are propagated by severing the new plants from their parent stems. Plantlets at the tips of runners may be rooted while still attached to the parent or detached and placed in a rooting medium. Examples include strawberry and spider plant.
Plants with rosetted stems often reproduce by forming new shoots, called offshoots, at their base or in the leaf axles. Sever the new shoots from the parent plant after they have developed their own root systems. Unrooted offsets of some species may be removed and placed in a rooting medium. Some of these must be cut off, whereas others may simply be lifted from the parent stem. Examples include date palm, bromeliads, and many cacti.
About Air Propogation
Documented Results
Buy Online
Conact Us
Airpropogation.com ©


text:
Canadian Composer Jeffrey Ryan (and wonderful old friend of Catalysis Project's Veronika Krausas) has just ventured back from a music festival in Australia … but more on Australia soon … here are Jeff's impressions…
World New Music Days (Australia) International Society for Contemporary Music
by Jeffrey Ryan
Like most people, I expect, I have a list of places I'd visit if and when I have free time and vacation money. Being a freelance composer, that list rarely gets shorter. Australia has been on that list for a long time, but it's moved higher up since I relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia in 2002. Before that, I lived in Toronto and the thought of travelling all that way and making however many transfers at however many airports was too much of a hurdle to overcome. From Vancouver, it seemed just a wee bit more realistic.
My chance to go to Australia came earlier this month when I went to Sydney for the World New Music Days festival. This is an annual event sponsored by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). Each year it happens in a different country, and though it sounds appallingly some-sort-of-centric, this was the first festival to take place not just in Australia but in the entire southern hemisphere. It was also the first time that I'd had a piece programmed (in this case a quintet called Burn). Thanks to 75,000 Aeroplan points, I was there.
One has to be careful at new music festivals. Listening to piece after piece that one has never heard before requires sustained focused attention. There is always the threat of brain fry. So whenever I'm at a new music festival, I pace myself. I had two busy days of rehearsals and concerts, so I also gave myself two days that could largely be devoted to sight-seeing.
A couple of things particularly struck me. One was that everywhere I looked I saw an exhilarating juxtaposition of old and new: huge Victorian buildings retrofitted as high-end shopping malls, historic tiny rowhouses in perfect condition still in use as homes or turned into little galleries just steps off a busy modern street, a stunning glass-and-concrete ferry terminal across from stone cottages (now boutiques). Clearly Sydney is a city that never got bombed during the war.
The other striking thing, more directly related to the festival, was the involvement of ABC Radio, the national broadcaster. Here in Canada, we have a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) where there are fewer and fewer classical concert recordings, and fewer shows to broadcast them on anyway, while here was a national broadcaster that had a dedicated classical station. Wow. The first thing I did when I got to Sydney was go straight to the ABC studios, where "The Music Show" was giving a half-hour focus on the festival, including live performances by Ensemble Offspring of two excerpts (one of them from my piece), and interviews with Matthew Hindson, artistic director for the festival, the ensemble's percussionist Claire Edwardes, and me. (This followed another segment on that show that highlighted the Melbourne Symphony's new music festival, happening at the same time.) Many of the festival's concerts were broadcast live-to-air, some were recorded for later broadcast, and afterwards it was all made available for webstreaming on a special site within the ABC site. The presence and participation of ABC at this festival was amazing. But it made me miss the CBC I used to love.
I love looking at architecture but my two-dimensional photos never adequately capture my experience of three dimensions. Recordings, too, don't capture the three dimensional experience of being in a concert hall, but for the next best thing, go to http://www.abc.net.au/classic/iscm2010/ and enjoy the World New Music Days concerts. There's some fantastic music from around the world, and a lot of great stuff from Australian composers especially. Burn is second on the programme called "The World in Sydney". You can watch some video interviews as well. It's nice to know there are some places in the world where people just get it right. Thanks, ABC!
more information about Jeffrey Ryan can be found at: http://www.jeffreyryan.com


text:
Komar Alliance is proud to offer our customers the complete line of YKK® zippers and fastener products.
This broad spectrum of zipper products includes all types of industrial and apparel application zippers in every size and configuration imaginable. Whether your application requires one hundred pieces or 100,000 we can take care of your order quickly and economically with the highest quality zipper products available anywhere.
If you currently buy nylon zippers in either coil or molded styles in any size of length, or if your manufacturing calls for chain and sliders, Komar is the source for you. We also supply brass zippers to the jeans trade as well as aluminum products to the furniture industry in both chain and finished form.
If you are unsure of what zipper to use for your product or if you just need some manufacturing or application advice, please call one of our experts to help solve your problem free of charge.
In addition, Komar Alliance stocks a superior line of generic zipper products that are both cost effective and high quality for multiple purposes.
*YKK®is a registered trademark of the YKK Corporation


text:
Did'nt have time to try out the ibanez through my rig when i got it home..but when i did "WOW"..the Seymore Duncans sounded beautiful. It's like I had four guitar tones in one with the push/pull pots. Kenny you're the MAN..and that's from the bottom of my heart brother. Now I feel one with the universe..Cheers Mate.
P.S. Please don't move away from Wellington.
Kaisara M


text:
Ford Fiesta Special Edition
Ford has introduced another limited edition model called the Celebration
Half a year or so after the launch of the very, very yellow Anniversary version of the Fiesta, Ford has introduced another limited edition model called the Celebration.
It's based on the 98bhp 1.6-litre Zetec S but it comes with various pieces of extra equipment, including a chequered roof decal, Ebony Haze leather upholstery, privacy glass and Panther Black door mirrors, side mouldings, roof spoiler and tailgate handle.
Starting next month, just 400 examples will be sold at a price of £12,595.
The thing that's being celebrated, incidentally, is the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the original Mk1 Fiesta.


text:
Business Landlines
The Best Way to Switch
Our Switching Formula
SwiftSwitch will provide you with a dedicated account manager to discuss you business requirement.
We search the market on your behalf to find the most competitive utility contracts for your business needs.
Our team of experts will simplify the entire switching process by removing the burden of switching from you.
Once you are happy with your new contracts, your dedicated account manager will be on hand to assist with any queries that may arise.
We would love to hear from you. If you want to save money, time and hassle on your utilities, get in touch and have a chat with one of our energy experts.
You can call us on 020 7701 5189 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
I was successful in creating several new cards yesterday. It was like a breath of fresh air to FINALLY get some time to be creative. I had a list of thank you's to make, and projects to try to out for my May Stamp Clubs. I got so much done — and I love all of the cards I made! No duds……amazing! The hardest cards for me to create are masculine cards. I wanted to create a very special card for the doctor who let Allyson come and shadow him last week at his clinic. She had a fantastic experience, by the way. I was inspired by a card in our monthly demonstrator magazine, Stampin' Success. It used a new set that I don't have, but I was able to adapt it and use "Lovely As A Tree". This is a very old stamp set, that I thought woud retire about 3 years ago. I still own it, and I still use it for masculine cards. I don't own very many sets for "manly" stamping. I think I better invest in some more pretty soon.
There is one new accessory item on this card. Do you see the tiny twine along the left side? This is a new Summer Mini Catalog item called Baker's Twine. It is available in solid white, Cherry Cobbler/White, or Early Espresso/White. I'm really liking it because it has a more masculine feel to it (not so frilly like ribbon) and it is very tiny. It will not cause alot of bulk when you tie it or mail you cards.
Colors used: Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede (ink only)


text:
Choice Application - English
Choice Application - Spanish
Have you already submitted a choice application for the 2020-21 school year but are interested in the Round 2 application?
Email email@example.com to make changes to your application.
Tyner Middle Academy 6-8 pdf
Howard Connect Academy 6-8 pdf
Lookout Valley Middle/High 6-8 pdf
Red Bank Middle 6-8 pdf
Sequoyah High 9-12 pdf
Soddy Daisy Middle 6-8 pdf
Woodmore Elementary K-5 pdf
Hamilton County Collegiate High School* 9-12 pdf
Gestamp Work-Based Learning Program* 11-12 pdf
HCS Mechatronics Akademie at Volkswagen* 11-12 pdf
Polytech Academy* 11-12 pdf
Questions regarding school choice can be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Slow Stomach (Delayed Gastric Emptying) Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
When food enters the stomach, it is churned with stomach acid and digestive enzymes. This both chemically and mechanically digests food partially so that it can be further digested in the small intestine where the majority of nutrients are absorbed. The fluid containing partially digested food, gastric acid, digestive enzymes and water that exits the stomach is known as gastric chyme. It is released in a controlled manner into the small intestine and this release from the stomach is known as gastric emptying.
What is a slow stomach?
The term slow stomach is a common way of describing a medical condition known as delayed gastric emptying. However, it can be misleading since some people refer to the entire abdomen or digestive tract as the stomach. Therefore in these instances a slow stomach can also refer to other conditions such as constipation. For the purpose of this article, the focus will be on delayed gastric emptying.
The stomach releases gastric chyme in a controlled manner through the pyloric sphincter which is the end portion of the stomach. This ensures that the small intestine is not suddenly flooded with undigested food but at the same time has to ensure that the stomch does not become excessively stretched with too much of food. In some people, however, the outflow from the stomach is very slow.
Read more on weak bowel movements.
Emptying from the Stomach
The end portion of the stomach which connects to the small intestine is known as the pylorus. A band of smooth muscle controls flow out of the stomach and this is known as the pyloric sphincter. Therefore it is also known as the pyloric pump. Not only does it open and close to release the stomach contents but it also prevents fluids like bile in the duodenum (small intestine) from entering the stomach.
The control of the opening and closing of the pyloric sphincter is controlled by the acidity within the stomach, nerve impulses from the stomach wall and duodenal wall as well as certain hormones. It is a complex interplay to ensure that digestion is coordinated for the maximum utilization of food. The entire process of stomach digestion and emptying after eating a meal can last for several hours.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of delayed gastric emptying can be similar to may other more common digestive conditions. The main symptoms include:
- Nausea especially after eating.
- Projectile vomiting.
- Fullness after a few bites of food.
- Stomach pain (upper left abdominal pain).
- Excessive burping (belching).
- Abdominal cramps.
- Heartburn.
- Lack of appetite.
- Foul-smelling belches (like sulfur or rotten eggs).
- Constipation.
Delayed gastric emptying can also result in low blood glucose levels and unintentional weight loss which may occur with a reduced appetite. It is important to note that delay gastric emptying may occur with or be caused by conditions like gastritis and peptic ulcers which also present with the same symptoms. Therefore delayed gastric emptying can be missed for long periods while these more common conditions are being treated.
Read more on projectile vomiting.
Causes of Slow Stomach
There are two main reasons why delayed gastric emptying may occurs. First is a problem with the nerves, muscles or hormones that impeded outflow from the stomach which is collectively referred to as gastroparesis. Second is a mechanical obstruction preventing outflow from the stomach which is known as gastric outlet obstruction.
- Diabetes neuropathy (nerve damage) occurs with long term poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and this may affect the nerves controlling gastric emptying.
- Surgery to the vagus nerve and/or stomach may damage the vagus nerve that controls the pyloric sphincter.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can also affect gastric emptying.
- Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia may also damage the nerves and muscles responsible for gastric emptying.
- Hypothyroidism where there is a slow down of the metabolism due to low thyroid hormone levels can also slow down gastric emptying.
- Drugs, both pharmaceutical and illicit drugs, may impair gastric empting as is seen with opiates, anticholinergics, calcium channel antagonists among others. Chemotherapy may also be reponsible.
- Viral infections particularly those infections involving the stomach and nerves can hamper control of gastric emptying.
- Parkinson's disease where there is slowness of movement and nerve dysfunction can affect the stomach nerves and muscles in later stages.
- Amyloidosis of the stomach muscles and scleroderma may cause hardening and thereby dysfunction of the muscles controlling the pyloric pump.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction
- Swelling of the pylorus due to inflammatory conditions like gastritis and peptic ulcers.
- Hardening or narrowing of the pyloric sphincter (pyloric stenosis) which may occur with scarring of an ulcer in the duodenum and adult hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
- Polyps in the stomach which are benign growths from the stomach wall.
- Gallstones that are large can block the outflow from the stomach.
- Pancreatic pseudocysts which can arise a period of time after pancreatitis.
- Cancer of the stomach, duodenum, pancrease or gallbladder.
- Congenital duodenal webs which are present from birth.
Diagnosis of Stomach Slowness
Delayed gastric emptying cannot be diagnosed by the symptoms alone. Diagnostic investigations are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. These investigations include:
- Ultrasound
- Upper GI endoscopy
- Barium x-ray
- Gastric scintigraphy
- Gastric manometry
- Electrogastrography
Always consult with a doctor about the possibility of delayed gastric empting to ensure that the necessary investigations are conducted to confirm such a diagnosis.
The treatment of a slow stomach depends on the underlying cause. Sometimes surgery may be necessary to remove the causative factor and improve gastric emptying. Dietary modificationi s helpful in managing the condition and this involves eating many small meals in a day and avoiding certain foods. However, this is not a treatment for the underlying problem which needs to be attended to so that the condition does not worsen.
Certain drugs can speed up gastric emptying. This includes:
- Metoclopramide is a prokinetic agent that stimulates stomach muscle contractions.
- Erythromycin is an antibiotic that also simulates the muscles of the stomach.
However, the condition will not resolve if the underlying cause is not properly treated and managed. Other drugs may be prescribed to control the symptoms such as antiemetics for nausea and antacids for heartburn.


text:
Rutgers earns first win in regular season finale
In a game where the Rutgers men's soccer team trailed early and was tied up for some time and was outshot 22 to 11, the Scarlet Knights escaped Peoria, Illinois, with their first win of the season.
"It was our last chance to get the win that we've so badly been wanting," said head coach Dan Donigan.
Rutgers (1-13-2, 0-6-2) continued its trend of allowing early goals by giving one up in the sixth minute. Bradley defender Falk Dennert gobbled up a loose ball on the edge of the box, shot it from 16 yards out and rifled it past senior goalkeeper David Greczek to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, junior striker Jason Wright received a long pass from Greczek, kicking from 12 yards out past two defenders and evening the game up at a goal apiece.
Rutgers would continue to pressure the Braves, executing on long and short crosses looking to take its first lead of the game.
Success came for the Knights in the 20th minute when Wright scored his second goal of the contest on a free kick.
Three minutes into the second half, Bradley would make Saturday's game more tense than Rutgers would have liked. Freshman TJ Rea sent a diagonal cross to defender Donald Link, who then set up five yards out, striking it past Greczek and tying the game up at two.
The game would remain tied for less than a minute.
In the 49th minute, Wright, the Knights' leading scorer, would assist sophomore midfielder Thomas Dovell, who would blast the ball past senior goalkeeper Logan Ketterer, scoring his first career goal and handing Rutgers its first win of the season.
The valiant effort to close the game out after allowing 10 shots in the final 40 minutes gave Greczek something to finally to be proud of.
"First off, the whole team collided and we got the result, we finally got the win," Greczek said. "I'm just happy that the boys and myself were able to stick it out for the whole 90 minutes. I mean, there were games where we came close to getting the result but tonight we finally closed it out."
In a game where Rutgers was outshot 22-11, committed 20 fouls and had four less shots on goal, Wright explained what had to be done.
"We had to fight and push through, we kept fighting," he said.
The Knights hope to carry some momentum into their play-in-game against Big Ten foe Michigan on Saturday. But one thing Donigan knows is that his group of guys haven't given up – and won't.
"I told my guys at the end of the game, 'Look we've had a lot of ups and downs, we've had a lot of tough matches, tough breaks, tough bounces,'" Donigan said. "We've made our own share of mistakes that cost us games. The fact that the guys have never thrown in the towel and never bailed on us, I think it says a lot about the character and the group as a whole."
For updates on the Rutgers men's soccer team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
Comments powered by Disqus
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Targum.


text:
Indonesia 2017 Films
Film: Denias, Singing on the Cloud (Denias, Senandung Di Atas Awan)
Director: , 2006
Languages: Indonesian, Papuan Malay
Summary: A movie based on a true story about a boy in a remote village in the island of Papua, whose learning spirit is so strong he's willing to take a long, rough journey to go to a school. Denias is from Aroanop, a small village at Jayawijaya Mountain in western Papua Island. A poor villager in Papua, Denias's dream is to get a better education by going to school. He travels for days crossing fields, mountains and rivers to get to a school in the nearest city, but when he gets there, he faces discrimination due to his lowly status as a peasant. Regardless of the hardships he faces, Denias never gives up, and with the help of two friends, he finds the strength to persevere.
"… a fantastic film with some wonderful acting and absolutely breathtaking views of West Papua in Indonesia. … tremendous insight given in to the inhabitants of this remote region. We see the education system in this neck of the woods and the opportunities or lack of opportunities. It really puts Indonesia on the map; generally news coming out of such an amazing country tends to be rather negative. Great actors and some brilliant scenes full of emotion."
Received the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Children's Feature Film.
Selected as the official Indonesian entry to the 2008 80th Academy Awards, in the Best Foreign Language Film category.


text:
Milo loves easter, and who isn't ready for spring… so we kicked off this spring season with a simple little craft using bottle caps and some construction paper.
I did the measuring, he did the gluing and cutting. It was great team work. when it was all done, we hot glued a magnet to the back and viola! Bring on the bunnies and the sunshine!


text:
No man is an island
The Island President directed by Jon Shenk (2011), focuses on former president in the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed and his first year in office as he is facing the serious issues of … Continue reading
Surveilance of citizens in the 'Dictatorship-Belt'
Imagine being stopped in the streets while taking a picture of a massive colorful building, asked to pack you camera and leave immediately, being beaten up by the police because … Continue reading
The Price of Sex
Human trafficking has become one of the biggest and the most wide-spread crimes in the world in last two decades or so. Since the break up of USSR, hundreds of … Continue reading
When your enemies become your friends
Masha Drokova is a spokesperson for NASHI, Putin´s political youth organisation in Russia. Being as active she is within the NASHI, Masha has a bright future a head of her, … Continue reading


text:
5 Success Stories of People with Disabilities That Would Inspire You
A true success story would be someone who has overcome disabilities of all sorts to not only lead a normal life but also has found mega success. Strength, courage and undying spirit are some of the virtues that highly successful people with disabilities have. On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disablities on December 3rd, here's a list of some of the biggest success stories:
Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking is one of the most well-known physicists in the world, and he was able to achieve that in spite of being diagnosed with ALS when he was 21. His disability however has never been an excuse to give up on his desire to study the universe, specifically the framework of general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
A U.S. president who helped guide the nation successfully through World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a wheelchair-user, is considered a great president. Upon starting his political career in gusto, he contracted polio while drinking water at a campground and became paralyzed from the waist down.
Ralph Braun
The late founder of the Braun Corporation, one of the leading manufacturers of wheelchair accessible vehicles, and named "a champion of change" by President Barack Obama, Ralph Braun was a man who thrived on bringing the freedom of mobility to people with disabilities.
Helen Keller
An American author, political activist and lecturer on the Alabama state quarter, Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a college degree.
Lenin Moreno
One of the most powerful people with a disability to hold public office since FDR, Lenin Moreno was the Vice President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2013, making history and bringing attention to the needs of the disabled people in his country in the process.
Source: The Huffington Post


text:
As Lazaro Villalon emerged from a row of mausoleums in Havana's Cementerio de Cristobal Colon, his smile shone bright.
The gardener at the more than 140-acre cemetery with nearly two million interned saw in us two Americans wandering aimlessly among the stone monuments. Strolling over, he asked in very good English if we had seen the fire fighter tribute. Then, he apologized for his "very bad English," before taking us to the massive monument we had seen earlier, without realizing its significance.
The 75-foot tall memorial paid tribute to 28 firemen who lost their lives in a historic 1890 blaze, using a variety of symbolic pieces and carved portraits. As we walked to other significant monuments, including one to "the only domino player to ever die playing the game," Lazaro uttered the most memorable line from the trip, which surpassed even the story about the time he learned English and it had something to do with R Kelly.
"I'm happy you're here," our guide said. "I'm glad Americans want to be friends again."
Articles had warned us of scam artists. Lazaro jumped right into a friendship and offered a very valuable service as a guide to one of the largest cemeteries in the Western Hemisphere. He walked with us, asking us questions and telling us about his life and struggles.
Wearing his 1997 Major League Baseball All Star Game T-shirt, Lazaro was set to walk away from us when we told him we needed to head to lunch. He expected nothing in return for his generosity. We gave him a few CUCs, the Cuban money for tourists, and he flashed his smile again before returning to his work.
Cuba was nowhere as difficult to travel to as nearly every outlet had reported prior to our departure in early February. And the experience was life changing and eye-opening.
I ventured to the island with my long-time girlfriend, Alyssa, mostly to see the culture and historical significance of America's relative neglect. As a drinks writer, I was of course enthusiastic about the potential for a thriving beverage community. Two microbreweries in Havana quickly joined a beer bar we'd read about on our detailed agenda.
The beer in Cuba is fine, but is far from a draw. Rum is without a doubt the focus for most visitors, even those not normally into spirits. Preferably, do as the locals do, and sip on aged rum neat. It's cheap and tasty, even the blended Havana Club Anejo Reserva, which can be found for $4 a pint at local grocers.
If straight booze isn't palatable, Cuba offers an endless array of $3 cocktails at nearly every bar and restaurant, where mojitos are made with a full jigger of rum and a long pour for good measure.
Havana Club has left its mark across Cuba, with every bar offering a multitude of aged options. Nearly every drink is served in tall Havana Club branded glasses.
Despite the prominence of rum, the signs of beer are emerging.
The two ubiquitous brews of Cuba, Bucanero and Cristal, are both brewed by the Cuban state brewery Cerveceria Bucanero, which is owned in part by AB InBev. The beers are about you might expect of a mass-produced state beer.
Cristal was the crisper, cleaner brew of the two. Its green label with white lettering across a red band is the more aesthetically pleasing branding of the two. At 4.9% alcohol by volume, Cristal is refreshing for the lengthy hot days on the island nation.
Bucanero's red and black pirate branding is relatively cartoonish, but extremely recognizable. The name is strewn across many mediums as one of the country's most notable brands, much like Budweiser is in the United States.
Cristal is a tad sweeter than its higher alcohol brother Bucanero, which runs 5.4% ABV, and is often the most available. Also heavily distributed across the capital city was Presidente, the Dominican Republic-produced light lager which is very reminiscent of Cristal.
It is clear Cubans are not too experimental in their beer adventures. Sol and Heineken made rare appearances in restaurants and stores, as did Marten. At the large state-owned Hotel Presidente, Miller Lite made the only surfacing of our visit.
As widely distributed as the state-owned beers were, I'm left wondering how and why there are two small breweries in Havana.
The Cuban economy is still heavily restricted and businesses are hard to start, but the myth of bad food in Cuba is shattered by the privately-owned paladars that dot the city. Restaurants now offer superb charcoal-grilled seafood for nothing compared to the same dish in a seaside restaurant in America. El Idilio, right around the corner from our AirBnB, offered a $12 bowl of paella jammed full of flavor which could have easily filled the stomachs of five diners.
Cuba's free education has netted a nearly 100% literacy rate and an over-abundance of doctors and other highly-educated professions, who are paid no more for their work than workers in other roles. Some of the highly-educated resort to tipped jobs. Many of our taxi drivers were either working on the side or had completely abandoned their educated path, like the software engineer who returned us home the first night and spoke at length about Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon's decision to remove Jon Lester and replace him with Cuban Aroldis Chapman in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series
Enthusiasm wasn't derived from the beer itself, but rather the visit President Barack Obama made to the business on his trip to Havana."
Juan Carlos made 40 CUC on the lengthy drive south of Havana to Ernest Hemingway's former estate, his wait, and return to trip to Old Havana for us. The cash was quick and more than most Cubans make in a month. He spent four hours with us and told us all about the Cuban culture and his economics education, which he no longer uses.
He dropped us off at the Museum of the Revolution before we made our way to the European-style Plaza de Vieja at the center of Old Havana, where we found Cerveceria Factoria Plaza Vieja.
Tall plastic beer towers filled the patio, signaling to tourists that beer was there. The server described the beers as simply as possible: "light, medium, and dark." On the menu they read Clara, Obscura, and Negra. Most customers in the bar were drinking the lightest, straw-colored beer, but our server said the medium was the best.
It was hard to tell the beer in our three mugs apart, aside from their color. All three were more malty and sweet than the mass produced beer, but aside from a light and gradual increase in roastiness, very little separated the three when tasted side-by-side.
When asked about breweries, most Cubans were enthusiastic about Cerveceria Antiguo Almacen de la Madera y El Tabaco on the harbor. Enthusiasm wasn't derived from the beer itself, but rather the visit President Barack Obama made to the business on his trip to Havana.
Like Factoria Plaza Vieja, the brewery in a former tobacco factory offered Blond, Marron, and Negra, served in mugs or tall towers. Old rum barrels lined the front wall of the spacious room, and inspired hope for beer innovation, but there weren't any sours or barrel aged stouts in our future. All three offerings again left much to be desired.
As imagination, resources, and entrepreneurship continues to rise in Cuba, a future visit could yield a more fruitful endeavor for beers. For now, mojitos, Cuba Libres, and pina coladas are the draw, and Havana Club Ron is where it's at.
The beer served is adequate, anyway, to accompany warm weather, old architecture, and classic cars. Even if there is more Soviet-style architecture and more modern cars than you might anticipate.
Much of the Cuban experience is indescribable. Until you visit, there is no full way to comprehend the sights, sounds, smells, and hospitality that infuse the island.
AB InBev is an investor in October through its venture capital arm, Zx Ventures
Hamburg Is Germany's Most Underrated Beer City
"We really have developed a little capital, a northern lighthouse when it comes to craft beer."
No Roads Lead to Canada's Northernmost Brewery
A remote location and complex alcohol laws were just the beginning of Nunavut Brewing Company's struggle to open.
Inside Michigan's Not-So-Secret Craft Beer Getaway
In a state revered for its beer, Traverse City might just be the best getaway for beer lovers in Michigan.


text:
We want to see how much fun you had during your event.
Send us your best 3 photos so we can show the rest
of the Drive 4 UR School and Drive 4 UR Community world.
California Residents
Exercise your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act here.
* No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years of age or older with a valid Driver's License and valid Automobile Insurance. Donation of $20 per test-drive, up to 300 total test-drives, for a maximum total donation of $6,000 per event. Limit (1) donation per person and (1) donation per household.


text:
Email: email@example.com
What is it?
Game Tactics
Laser Tag Guns
Here are the basics of playing Laser Skirmish for those who are new to the game. Contact your local field to book your birthday party or sports team event. Or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Laser Skirmish Aiming
The most basic skill of Laser Skirmish is to learn how to aim effectively. The first thing to realize is that you have to hit the sensors to make hits, therefore you should aim at the sensors (either on the head or the gun).
Even if you can see the players head or part of the gun, you should in most cases hold fire until you can actually see the sensor.
Remember that shooting gives away your position and wastes ammunition so you only want to shoot in when you are confident of making a hit. The exception to this is when you serve as a supporting class, and lay down suppressive fire to allow your riflemen to maneuver. When you do start firing, especially if your weapon has a large magazine capacity, its possible to create an area effect on the enemy. By firing in fully automatic mode and creating a tight circle with your weapon. Simply move your rifle aim around the target area.
The result is that even if your target moves he/she is still likely to be hit. If you are using a telescopic scope, the scope is mounted such as it is between 10-15cm above the actual barrel.
Each week at Laser Skirmish HQ we zero the scopes in to make sure that that scope and the lens assembly are in parallel so the sight is correct out to any distance. With telescopic scopes, one needs to keep your eye steady and around 6cm (varies from scope to scope) back from the back of the scope to see through it clearly.
Too close or too far away and the vision will be black or very narrow. Using telescopic scopes effectively takes practice however they do allow very accurate fire at range.
With Red Dot scopes, typically found on most gaming guns you should make sure you can see the red dot in the scope and keep the red dot near the centre. You then put the red dot 5-10cm above the targets sensor.


text:
So the long haul was in order to get to Cappadocia and have 2 nights with one full day....it was well worth it.
We arrived very late, in time to see the moon rise and hear the call to break the Ramadan Fast, just in time because I was about to expire from hunger. (Luke is now past amazement at how much I can eat) Our camp site over looked the valley of cave dwellings.
We met a couple travelling by motorcycle from Italy and had dinner.
Eating more interesting food and an excellent Moussaka.
We decided to take a hot air balloon ride that did cost a lot but was well worth it.
We asked this guy to take a photo and he had us going there for a minute because as you can see from the photo he had the camera turned backwards (on purpose).
Dressed warm, high altitude.
It was glorious....all the hot air balloons lifted at the same time over the Cappadocia Valley at sunrise.
Probably 30 or so, our operator was Graham, a British bloke who lives in Colorado.
These guys picked me up and threw me on top to push the balloon back in the bag.
Then Luke and I went for 2nd breakfast. :) where the check arrived in this neat little box.
Walked back to camp around 9ish, went swimming and napped.
Finished up a perfect day with some riding, this time I rode as a pillion. ???
And of course we had to eat again, he's starting to understand this.
No trip would be complete in a tourist mecca like this without a visit to a dreaded rug shop but thankfully I got out of it with a $5 key chain since I did not want to use the zip tie anymore.


text:
Back in 2010, Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy inked a three-book deal with HarperCollins for Wildwood Chronicles, a young adult adventure series set in Portland, Oregon. The first novel, Wildwood, was published in August 2011. Now, TIME has confirmed that its followup, Under Wildwood, is due September 25. Check out the first three chapters at TIME's website.
TIME notes that the first book was centered on a seventh-grade girl, Prue McKeel, whose brother is "abducted" by crows and transported to a confounding forest called "the Impassable Wilderness." Under Wildwood is a continuation, "as Prue and [her friend] Curtis are thrown together again to save themselves and the lives of their friends."
The Wildwood Chronicles also feature folkloric illustrations from Meloy's wife, the artist Carson Ellis, which are very Decemberists.
Pretty busy time for indie rock writers from the Pacific Northwest. As mentioned earlier today, Carrie Brownstein just confirmed a memoir for Riverhead/Penguin. Might I suggest listening to her band Sleater-Kinney's 2005 song "Wilderness" while perusing these Wildwood chapters?
Or check out the Decemberists' David Foster Wallace-inspired "Calamity Song" video:


text:
Abathur Build
Abathur build used at HGC winning matches in USA, Europe and Asia. Abathur, the Evolution Master of Kerrigan's Swarm, works ceaselessly to improve the zerg from the genetic level up. His hate for chaos and imperfection almost rivals his hatred of pronouns.
Abathur Build
Abathur Abilities
Symbiote (Q)Spawn and attach a Symbiote to a target ally or Structure. While active, Abathur controls the Symbiote, gaining access to new Abilities. The Symbiote is able to gain XP from nearby enemy deaths.
Cooldown: 4 sec.
Toxic Nest (W)Spawn a mine that becomes active after a short time. Deals 159 damage and reveals the enemy for 4 sec. Last 90 sec. Stores up to 3 charges.
Cooldown: 10 sec
Locust Strain (W)Spawns a Locust to attack down the nearest lane every 15 sec. Locusts last for 25 sec, have 300 health and deal 35 damage with each Basic Attack.
Cooldown: 15 sec.
Symbiote Abilities
Stab (Q)Shoots a spike towards target area that deals 124 damage to the first enemy it contacts.
Cooldown: 3 sec.
Spike Burst (W)Deals 125 damage to nearby enemies.
Cooldown: 6 sec.
Carapace (E)Shield the assisted ally for 163 . Lasts for 8 sec.
Cooldown: 12 sec
Abathur Talents
|Pressurized Glands
|Increases the range of Symbiote's Spike Burst by 25% and decreases the cooldown by 1 sec.
|Survival Instincts
|Increases Locust's Health by 50% and duration by 40%.
|Regenerative Microbes
|Symbiote's Carapace heals the target for 71 Health per sec over 4 sec.
|Envenomed Nest
|Toxic Nests deal 75% more damage over 3 sec.
|Prolific Dispersal
|Reduces the cooldown of Toxic Nest by 2 sec and adds 2 additional charges.
|Increases Toxic Nest's range to global and increases duration by 25%.
|Sustained Carapace
|Increases the Shield amount of Symbiote's Carapace by 40% and allows it to persist after Symbiote ends.
|Adrenal Overload
|Heroic Symbiote hosts gain 25% increased Attack Speed.
|Increases the damage and range of Symbiote's Stab by 20%.
|Vile Nest
|Toxic Nests slow enemy Movement Speed by 40% for 2.5 sec.
|Networked Carapace
|Using Symbiote's Carapace also applies an untalented Carapace Shield to all nearby allied Heroes, Minions, and Mercenaries.
|Calldown: MULE
|Activate to calldown a Mule that repairs Structures, one at a time, near target point for 40 sec, healing for 100 Health every 1 sec. Grants 1 ammo every 3 sec.
Cooldown: 60 sec.
|Ultimate Evolution
|Clone target allied Hero and control it for 20 sec. Abathur has perfected the clone, granting it 20% Spell Power, 20% bonus Attack Speed, and 10% bonus Movement Speed. Cannot use their Heroic Ability.
Cooldown: 70 sec.
|Evolve Monstrosity
|Turn an allied Minion or Locust into a Monstrosity. When enemy Minions near the Monstrosity die, it gains 5% Health and 5% Basic Attack damage, stacking up to 40 times. The Monstrosity takes 50% less damage from non-Heroic enemies. Using Symbiote on the Monstrosity allows Abathur to control it, in addition to Symbiote's normal benefits. This Ability can be reactivated to automatically cast Symbiote on his Monstrosity.
Cooldown: 90 sec.
|Assault Strain
|Locust Basic Attacks cleave for 50% damage and explode on death for 106 damage.
|Bombard Strain
|Locust's Basic Attacks become a long-range siege attack that deal 70% more damage.
|Spatial Efficiency
|Symbiote's Stab gains 1 additional charge and its Cooldown is reduced by .5 sec.
|Soma Transference
|Symbiote's Spike Burst heals the host for 67 Health per enemy Hero hit.
|Envenomed Spikes
|Abathur's Symbiote's Spike Burst also slows enemy Movement Speed by 40% for 2 sec.
|Adrenaline Boost
|Symbiote's Carapace increases the Movement Speed of the target by 40% for 3.5 sec.
|Locust Brood
|Activate to spawn 3 Locusts at a nearby location.
Cooldown: 45 sec.
|Volatile Mutation
|Ultimate Evolution clones and Monstrosities deal 142 damage to nearby enemies every 3 sec and when they die.
|Evolutionary Link
|As long as the Ultimate Evolution is alive, the original target of the clone gains a Shield equal to 25% of their max Health. Refreshes every 5 sec.
|Evolution Complete
|Monstrosity gains the ability to Deep Tunnel to any visible location once every 25 sec.
|Symbiote creates an additional Symbiote on a nearby allied Hero. This symbiote mimics the commands of the first, but does half damage and shielding.
|Locust Nest
|Activate to create a nest that periodically spawns Locusts. Only one Locust Nest can be active at a time.
Cooldown: 45 sec
Abathur Features
From their conception, the zerg have been driven to pursue the perfection of their race through merciless, predatory evolution. If the Overmind has been the force behind this directive, the being known as Abathur was born as the instrument of its will.
Abathur is an old organism, long serving as an "evolution master" – a guiding hand spinning the strands of zerg DNA into mutations of existing zerg and entirely new strains. Left to its own devices, Abathur's approach to evolving the Swarm is unorthodox: consuming living tissue, and dissolving it into genetic components able to be quickly reassembled (often painfully).
Abathur's methods are far from the only means of evolving the Swarm, but the creature has refined them over years of wanderlust following the death of the original zerg Overmind. During its time on Char, the detached, meticulous Abathur modified any zerg it stumbled across, and grew fixated on diversifying the Swarm.
As much as a hive creature can, Abathur sees itself as personally responsible for the continuation of the zerg. It undertakes each experiment as though the survival of the species depended on it alone, and tolerates no evolutionary backstep. Abathur will push the swarm forward…and change it utterly in the attempt.
Abathur is one of the heroes introduced in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. His main function in the Swarm is to dissect, gene-splice and genegineer advanced upgrades for the different Zerg units. He was formerly created by the Zerg Overmind in planet Zerus to evolve the zerg DNA strains and those of the races assimilated into the zerg.
In Heroes of the Storm, Abathur plays a very intriguing and innovative role. Abathur is a support character where the player doesn't fight directly one-on-one against other players. Abathur can teleport to various explored locations throughout the map to assist other friendly team players with special buffs and abilities.
"Must evolve. Swarm not good enough. Not."
"Perfection. Deep in the core. In strands."
"Pronouns. Unclear."
"Teammates. Much to improve. Reanimated tissue. Humanoid-beast hybrids. Inefficient. Unacceptable."
"Work harder. Better. Make faster. Stronger. Evolution never over."
"Perfection. Goal that always changes. Can pursue, cannot obtain. Similar to Ashbringer."
"Anger. Product of stress. Adrenaline. Clicking. No clicking, no anger."
"Design must be simple. Elegant. Implementation, less so. Sequences must change. Intent static, product fluid. Always can improve. Stressers reveal flaws. Flaws reveal potential. Always improving. Good."
"If evolution product of design, is evolution... evolution? Hmm. Line of thought not productive. Hmm."
"Abilities of organism Abathur well-designed for Alpha. Likely to change. Entity Blizzard notorious for iteration."


text:
Will This Solve Spam?
State and local governments this week resumed a push to lobby Congress for far-reaching changes on two different fronts: gaining the ability to impose sales taxes on Net shopping, and being able to levy new monthly taxes on DSL and other connections. One senator is even predicting taxes on e-mail.
Taxes on email? Well, that's spam sorted. Pity about the collateral effects.


text:
Project Description
Khwae Noi River dissects the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of the Western Forest Complex (view direction North-South). The image clearly shows the protected areas as the forested hills to both sides of the valley: on the left (Eastern) side Lum Khlong Ngu, Kuan Si Nakharin and Erawan National Park, on the right (Western) side, Thong Pha Phum and Sai Yok National Park. The valley itself is heavily used by agriculture right to the borders of the protected areas.


text:
Veiled like a medieval princess on her tomb, Daphne Guinness lay dead still, just one hand shivering inside its armored "glove."
The event held in London last week to display the collaboration between the artistic Ms. Guinness and the jeweler Shaun Leane was more than an extreme fashionista making an exhibition of herself. It was symbolic of the umbilical cord that now ties fashion to art.
Since the seminal book "Marketing Culture and the Arts" by François Colbert, a Canadian professor, appeared in the late 1990s, there is no doubt that fashion has become the big winner and its exhibitions money spinners.
At any given moment there are at least a dozen museums across the world offering major fashion displays — not to mention exhibitions in galleries or even department stores.
While Ms. Guinness was reclining last week, a private view was taking place across London at Somerset House: "Masters of Style" marks the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy with fashion photographs of iconic advertising campaigns from the country's fashion houses — Armani through Ferragamo to Prada (until Aug. 14).
This week in Paris will see the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the conceptual designer Hussein Chalayan at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (until Nov. 21).
In what could be a precursor of digital-only exhibitions, Valentino is to unveil on Wednesday a fascinating project that offers an online exploration of the couturier's fashion history.
On Thursday, the haute couture collections will close with a celebration at the Grand Trianon in Versailles of an exhibition called "The 18th Century Back in Fashion" (until Oct. 9). It is curated by Olivier Saillard, who says, "I am very inspired by the 18th century." The show will face off today's designers, from Jean Paul Gaultier to Vivienne Westwood, and historic costumes and accessories.
The same curator is behind the acclaimed Madame Grès exhibition at the Musée Bourdelle in Paris (until Aug. 28), where Mr. Saillard, creative director of Palais Galliera museum, has created a dialogue between clothing and sculpture.
Fashion exhibitions are thus the height of fashion — and omnipresent. This global phenomenon includes the Alexander McQueen "Savage Beauty" show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (extended to Aug. 7 because of its popularity). That was the birthplace of fashion exhibitions, when Diana Vreeland, under the stewardship of then-museum director Philippe de Montebello, created a study of Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 — the first living designer ever given a museum show.
Last year an exhibition at the Petit Palais in Paris once again put Saint Laurent — after his death — center stage.
The longevity of designers and brands offers constant opportunities for landmark events.
The Jean Paul Gaultier show "From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk" (until Oct. 2) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts marked 35 years in fashion for the maverick designer. Nathalie Bondil, the museum's director, was adamant that the show had to be independently curated and funded. It already is slated to travel the world — from Dallas and San Francisco through Madrid and Rotterdam.
That phenomenon of the traveling exhibition, offering vast global reach, is another expanding aspect of the museum world. The hats of the British designer Stephen Jones were displayed in 2009 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London before moving to Brisbane, Australia, and a separate Jones exhibition was recently in Istanbul after appearing at Mode Museum in Antwerp (known as MoMu), where the curator Kaat Debo works mainly with living designers.
Is fashion really so exhibition worthy? And, more importantly, are there explicit standards by which the various shows should be judged?
Crowds are pouring into the Pushkin Museum in Moscow for an "Inspiration Dior" exhibition (until July 24) installed by the house of Dior to compare and contrast fashion with major works of modern art. In the same vein, Chanel showed "Culture Chanel," a modernist exhibition it put together, in Shanghai. It will move to Beijing in October.
Such self-funded exhibitions are not purely promotional — they have an artistic base. But they also underscore the history of a brand and educate residents of what will soon be the world's largest luxury market.
Sidney Toledano, president and chief executive of Christian Dior, explains the strategy, referring also to the house's previous collaborations with Chinese artists in Beijing and Shanghai.
"It is a way of speaking about the savoir faire, the creator, the house and its history — and the 150,000 people who go to the Pushkin understand that Mr. Dior was an artist and that there is a way of contemplating the dresses with fine art," says Mr. Toledano.
The explosion of museum exhibitions is only a mirror image of what has happened to fashion itself this millennium. With the force of technology, instant images and global participation, fashion has developed from being a passion for a few to a fascination — and an entertainment — for everybody.
The reason there are so many exhibitions is, as Beatrice Salmon, director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, explains, because fashion consistently attracts a large audience.
The museum factor has certainly transformed the way designers treat their own archives. At a new museum at Getaria, Spain, the birthplace of Cristóbal Balenciaga, dresses are linked to their original owners, some of whom were at the opening ceremony this summer. Hubert de Givenchy, a force behind the Balenciaga museum, spent a decade persuading couture ladies to donate.
It was slightly different for the editor Hamish Bowles, who mounted a Balenciaga exhibit in New York last year and recently at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Mr. Bowles had access to the archive used by the current Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière. But as guest curator in San Francisco, he worked with the museum's archive and other loans.
Thirty years ago it was not normal practice to archive part of a collection. Katell le Bourhis, who worked with Ms. Vreeland on the 1983 Saint Laurent exhibit, remembers that the house had a single brown lace dress available for the Met's Costume Institute show. Ms. Vreeland, herself a Saint Laurent devotee, asked American women to donate dresses. Only afterward was an archive established by Pierre Bergé, Y.S.L.'s partner. That period marks the beginning of fashion's acceptance as not just a decorative art, but part of a cultural heritage.
Now all brands are constantly building from their pasts — not least because history is used as inspiration. Gucci will open a dedicated museum in Florence in September. Frida Giannini, its current designer, says the museum, which will be in the 15th-century building that was formerly her office, will "mix fashion with art."
Ferragamo already has a museum in Florence — suggesting that the Italian brands are ahead on what will surely become a brand trend.
Significantly, it was the Italian maestro Giorgio Armani whose exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2000 caused controversy because the designer was a benefactor. Pamela Golbin, curator in chief of Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris, sees that exhibition as one that "changed the landscape."
All the many different efforts to energize the past, to offer "stimulating visual elan" as Mr. Bowles puts it, raise one simple question: What is a fashion exhibition for?
The subsidiary questions are: Who should be the keeper of the flame, especially with a living designer? Should an independent museum curator take an objective exterior approach, or work in tandem with a designer? And can an exhibition mounted by a house ever be considered objective?
Claire Wilcox, senior fashion curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, draws on a lifetime of experience mounting shows and says that, in taking a historical approach, she allows herself what can be "years of research." Because the museum focuses on art and craft, the curator is equally involved in textile conservation and innovations in that field. She also focuses on catalogues and images available online and says that it is because she has worked with the "most wonderful collections in the world" that she began to "understand the vocabulary of design."
Fashion and the Museum Exhibit
6 Photos
View Slide Show ›
"For me, objectivity is the key," says Ms. Wilcox, particularly now that designers are increasingly aware of heritage and value their own history.
In spite of the V&A's scholarly approach to fashion, it also has had fun with an exhibition of the singer Kylie Minogue's show wardrobe, imported from Australia, and with a continuing series called "Fashion in Motion" that draws a hip, young crowd. (Yohji Yamamoto was at the museum on Friday for the live catwalk shows. An exhibit of his work continues there until Sunday.)
By contrast, an exhibition like "The Golden Age of Couture" in 2007, curated by Ms. Wilcox, was presented from a historical perspective and made a point of technique — something that Damien Whitmore, director of public affairs and programming at the V&A, says is part of the museum's responsibility.
"My main focus is on creating a program because our collections are so varied," says Mr. Whitmore, who has 100 exhibitions of various sizes on display around the world. For example, the museum's "Cult of Beauty" exhibition on the Aesthetic Movement (until July 17) will move to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris in September and on to the de Young in San Francisco next February.
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is, like the V&A, a decorative arts museum, although that even includes Ralph Lauren's vintage car collection (until Aug. 28), which Ms. Salmon says is about the art and craft of the automobile.
Ms. Golbin, who joined the museum in 1993, has produced exhibitions on fashion as varied as Balenciaga and Viktor & Rolf, said, "I know what can work. It has to be strong enough from design point of view."
Her next exhibition, after Chalayan, is already raising eyebrows: Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. Ms. Golbin sees a story about the industrialization of the 19th century followed by the globalization of the 20th. Others might read it as pure promotion.
Ms. Salmon says the 2012 exhibition will reflect the museum's attitude, drawing around 50 percent of the items from its own archives of Louis Vuitton leather bags and trunks. The Jacobs material will come from Vuitton, which will be the show's sponsor, just as the Alexander McQueen exhibition in New York is sponsored by the house of McQueen, part of the PPR luxury empire.
The subject of sponsorship is delicate. With all museums short of money, almost no fashion exhibition could take place without some external investment. Mr. Saillard is even frustrated that sponsors — in fashion or art — are drawn always to the same big museum names and that wealthy brands do not try to help museums with funding, even though their creative teams do research there. To the curator's chagrin, luxury groups like LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and PPR are investing in contemporary art projects, rather than in museum fashion.
In Montreal, Ms. Bondil is adamant that "a museum is not a showcase."
"Independence is sometimes expensive, but freedom is priceless," she says. "I hate the word 'blockbuster.' If we compare ourselves with cinema, we belong to the independent circle — not the Hollywood one. When we organized with San Francisco the Saint Laurent first retrospective, I insisted on having an independent curator and expert. In my mind it was not possible to conceive of such an exhibition which still had an active commercial brand without any independent outlook."
Although Ms. Bondil sees funding, and curating contemporary art in general — not just fashion, as a complex subject, Ms. Debo, director of MoMu in Antwerp, refuses to view sponsorship as a moral issue.
"I don't have a problem. It comes down to how you collaborate. Sometimes the press are too suspicious, thinking that a museum cannot decide anything," Ms. Debo says. "It is important how you use the collaboration and what kind of agreement."
However, it is difficult to imagine how a deep critical appraisal — suggesting, for example, that the most creative years of a famous designer were far behind — could possibly appear in an exhibition sponsored by the brand.
Some museums have a crystal clear vision about what constitutes a proper subject for a fashion exhibition. John E. Buchanan Jr., director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, says that the first is whether a show can "find its strength and derive its origin" from the museum's permanent collections of textiles, costume and couture, citing the 46 Balenciaga pieces that provided a springboard for the Bowles show.
"Second is the fact that fashion designers are artists," says Mr. Buchanan. "In considering a monographic exhibition, we look for 'the genius factor.' We want the designer who is seminal — who has created a singular vision, silhouette, technique or style unlike that which came before and who has a broad-reaching oeuvre that inspires and influences successive generations of designers."
That judgment is easier to make of a designer who has passed into history. But, aside from the funding issue, the other big debate about museum exhibitions is whether they should be led by the will of a living designer.
Ms. Debo, whose Antwerp exhibitions have included monographs on the Belgian designers Martin Margiela and Veronique Branquinho — as well as Mr. Jones and his hats — thinks it essential that a living designer works with the curator.
Although she says she has to redirect the designers' tendency to show their latest work, the Antwerp curator says, "There is a value in working with living designers. With Dior, you can't ask Mr. Dior himself."
She cites her coming exhibition in the autumn on the Antwerp designer Walter Van Beirendonck and the need to surround herself with his collaborators to get into the "Walter World." But she says the Margiela exhibition was a different experience, as the designer said: "You are the curator. Propose me your concept."
It certainly made sense for the Met to have the input of the set designers of McQueen's fantastical runway shows. The museum installation includes a cabinet of curiosities, displaying jewelry by the same Mr. Leane who made the Daphne Guinness armor and hats by Philip Treacy, as well as videos of shows.
However, it was definitely Andrew Bolton, who works with Harold Koda at the Costume Institute, who had the vision of the McQueen exhibit. He divided the show into categories (all starting with "Romantic"): Gothic, nationalism, exoticism, primitivism and naturalism.
"Our exhibition strategy is very specific," says Mr. Bolton, referring to a need to put clothes in a context of social history and education and to "present costume as living art."
The Met's approach is therefore thematic and interpretational, putting fashion in a context. The museum criteria for a monographic show, like those on Paul Poiret, Chanel or McQueen, is whether the designer "changed the course of fashion history," Mr. Bolton says. Another type of exhibition was "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" based on masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection.
Mr. Bolton, who came from the V&A, says that the main difference is that the London establishment is a design museum "but the Met is an art museum with the main focus on artistic merit."
Since the furor surrounding the Saint Laurent show in the 1980s, the Met does not do monographic shows of living designers. But the museum has a strong New York rival in FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), where the curator Valerie Steele produces exhibitions with piquant subjects.
Jean Paul Gaultier is unquestionably a highly creative designer, and the exhibition in Montreal matches that imaginative talent, using mannequins with "talking heads" created by digitally projected faces. Mr. Gaultier was involved in the choice of sections titles, including "Skin Deep," "Punk Cancan" and "Urban Jungle."
But the exhibition, two years in the making, has the curatorial vision of Ms. Bondil, who stresses the importance of craft and the need for a decorative arts museum to concentrate on Mr. Gaultier's exceptional work in haute couture.
"I am not a fashion specialist but an art historian, and the museum's mission is to show works which are not usually accessible," she says. "It is also to show excellence, which includes the high standards of haute couture, and to enlarge its public. In my mind, design presents a special interest, as the public can easily recognize an object through its form and function. That can attract them towards other fields, which need more learning."
"We try to promote social, humanist values in the programming far beyond art," Ms. Bondil continues. "When art supports a more engaged message it reaches all kinds of people, not only the amateurs and specialists: the museum then talks a universal language."
That fashion dialogue takes many forms. And one of those is Ms. Guinness, muse, animator and fashion original. Not only is Mr. Leane's extraordinary jeweled glove (five years in the making) going on display in London at the White Cube Gallery of the modern art supremo Jay Jopling but an exhibition, "Daphne Guinness", is to open at the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York on Sept. 16 — making her the Marina Abramovic performing artist of a fashion world with art as its beating heart.