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I saw these kittens when I was in Ozd in Romania. Due to the lack of vets, there are a lot of unwanted kittens born.
These kittens were lucky and are being looked after by the Bonus Pastor Foundation volunteers.
Beautiful kitten my sister MaryMac rescued on in Botswana just like this one he is a beauty they have thwe same problem
beautiful kittens wish they could be guaranteed a happy life its so sad
Completely adorable! Well captured. Good to know these are two of the lucky ones.
P.S. I was keeping an eye out for your flint knapping so I could find out what it was...?
Thank you KathK and MaryMac! It's really nice to meet another two sisters taking photos. My sister is a photographer as well - we both upload most of our work to Flickr (no upload limits and we found that one first...). I'm just putting the photos I think are my very best on here so that I have a portfolio.
It must be really interesting living in Botswana. Another of my sisters is currently living in Cambodia - I'm hoping to visit her soon.
Hi Ukulele_Lady - thank you so much for the encouragement! I did take a lot of photos when I was flint knapping and am pleased with some of them, but I can only upload one photo per day here. I'll put one up tomorrow for you to see.
Beautiful kittens. Great colours! Glad they're being looked after well, it's easy to forget when my own are so pampered!
Oblivious to what the future holds, they look so happy playing with each other. Nice to know that they have a chance. Well spotted and captured.
Lovely fun shot of 2 gorgeous kittens.
great shot,love them gingers
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The Unit comprises of steam jacket electrically heated, inner chamber & lid made of stainless steel, works on 3-phase, 440V., A/C, 50 HZ supply fitted with automatic pressure control switch, safety valve etc.
The chamber is made of heavy gauge, stainless steel, fitted with stainless steel forged ring and forged lid, chamber is fitted with two safety valve of stainless steel, pressure gauge, water outlet valve and Air inlet valve, stainless steel steam condenser, tube with stainless steel eject valve.
Steam Generator :–
The steam generator is made out of stainless steel heavy gauge fitted with pressure gauge and water draining valve.
Outer Cover :–
The outer cover is made out of stainless steel, duly insulated with high density mineral wool from the inner chamber and fitted with stable legs.
The steam generates from the jacket and gets condensed by the help of the eject valve which goes through condensing tube and the dry steam gets into the chamber to penetrate into the packs contained in the chamber.
Available in following capacities :–
dia × depth load
300 × 500 mm 4 kw
400 × 600 mm 6 kw
Spare accessories (YSI–402, 403, 404) :–
• Pressure gauge/compound gauge
• Water level gauge glass
• Wings nuts for vertical autoclave
• Neoprene Rubber jointless gaskets
Dia : 250mm, 300mm, 350mm, 400mm, 450mm, 550mm
• Heating elements : “L” type (Vertical Autoclave)
1.5 Kw, 2.0 Kw, 3.0 Kw, 4.0 Kw


text:
Declaring bankruptcy and cleaning your credit history, together with your debts, is tense. On top of that, attempting to create an important acquisition like buying an auto can seem to be frightening.
But here is some positive information. Acquiring an auto loan after personal bankruptcy is possible most of the time. You’re not the only person to go through the personal bankruptcy process, there is loan providers prepared check out the financing goals of consumers in this situation.
Many people declaring case of bankruptcy file for a kind also known as part 7, wherein the debtor’s non-exempt possessions are sold together with profits fond of the lenders. Declaring section 7 case of bankruptcy takes around 120 time, or four several months, before situation was closed therefore the credit are erased. The case of bankruptcy can then stay on the debtor’s credit file for as much as decade.
Others major brand of personal bankruptcy https://www.getbadcreditloan.com/payday-loans-ne/milligan/ are section 13, built to make it possible for people who have constant earnings to hold onto property which may normally end up being shed through bankruptcy proceeding procedure. Plans is created your debtor to pay all or section of their credit to creditors over 3 to 5 age. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy may stay on the debtor’s document for seven many years.
You do not always need hold off decades to buy a motor vehicle, but think about spending sometime to rebuild the credit before applying for car finance after personal bankruptcy. , a debt-help organization, recommends making an application for a secured credit card, and having to pay it off each month for year, before transferring onto an unsecured credit card and looking for a car loan. A positive credit history will help your credit rating, which can be an integral factor in determining whether you’ll be eligible for an auto loan, and what interest rate you may get, says the Consumer Investment defense Bureau (CBPB).

domain: economics


Tetracast - Episode 232: Ninety Five Canadian Dollars
Welcome to the latest edition of the Tetracast, RPG Site's regular, seemingly weekly podcast!
In our last regular episode of the podcast for 2021, Adam kicks things off with an indie RPG released earlier this year - Wildermyth- which has tactical battles and a procedurally generated storyline. James and Chao then discuss spoiler-free impressions of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. Bryan has done some catching up, playing the 2nd part to Apple Arcade RPG Fantasian, while Josh dabbles in numerous games like Omori, Another Eden, and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth.
News this week is headlined by The Game Awards, of course, but we also highlight all of the news that came both before and after Thursday's presentation. We have a new game announcement in Vestaria Saga Gaiden: The Sacred Sword of Silvanister, new ports like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for PC and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax for modern consoles, release dates for Forspoken, Babylon's Fall, and Lost Ark, and a whole lot more.
This edition of the Tetracast features Bryan Vitale (@ZeoMassicot), Josh Torres (@HD_Kirin), James Galizio (@Theswweet), Adam Vitale (@King_Seda), and Chao Min Wu. You can find links to the full episode of the podcast below along with our RSS feed, and also subscribe to us on iTunes or Google Podcasts, and follow on Spotify!
MP3 Download // Podcast RSS Feed // iTunes Feed // Spotify Feed // YouTube
- 0:00 - Intro
- 3:51 - Wildermyth
- 35:22 - Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- 57:28 - Fantasian
- 1:15:25 - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
- 1:19:10 - Another Eden Complex Dream (Chrono Chross Collaboration)
- 1:32:25 - RPG Site Features: Dungeon Encounters Review and Final Fantasy XIV Op-Ed
- 1:34:15 - English version of Vestaria Saga Gaiden: The Sacred Sword of Silvanister releasing on Steam in 2022
- 1:33:30 - First-week sales hit six million for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
- 1:41:10 - Loop Hero now available for Nintendo Switch; PC version hits 1 million sold
- 1:42:16 - Legend of Mana now available for mobile devices
- 1:44:10 - Tales of Crestoria shuts down on February 6, 2022
- 1:55:30 - Tales of Arise wins Best RPG at The Game Awards
- 1:59:06 - Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launches for Epic Games Store on December 16
- 2:07:53 - Forspoken launches May 24, new gameplay trailer at TGAs
- 2:15:10 - Babylon's Fall launches on March 3, 2022
- 2:17:14 - MMORPG Lost Ark launches on February 11, 2022
- 2:21:18 - Persona 4 Arena Ultimax launching for PS4, PC, and Switch in March 2022
- 2:32:45 - Other The Game Awards Trailers (Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, Steelrising, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, DokeV, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Wonder Woman)
- 2:46:39 - Edge of Eternity is coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles on February 10; Switch on February 23
- 2:49:08 - Super Robot Wars 30 December update and Takanobu Terada departure
- 2:54:44 - Granblue Fantasy Relink news during Granblue Fantasy Fes 2021
- 2:57:37 - Signoff


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Notting Hill is famous for its bustling market on Portobello Road, it’s brightly coloured terraced houses and also the hit film starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
The 1999 film titled Notting Hill draws in many tourists to the area year after year, as they come to find the recognisable spots from the movie.
However, the once popular filming spots and tourist attractions have been left deserted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The lack of tourists in the area has had a negative impact on the market traders and shops that cater to and rely on business from visitors.
For more news and features about London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here.
280 Westbourne Park Road
The famous blue door seen in the movie, and the exterior of William’s (Hugh Grant) house, is normally a must-visit photo-op for fans of the film.
The original blue door used in the film was removed and sold for almost £6000 by Christies in 1999.
Portobello Road Market
The usually heaving market is unrecognisably deserted as London goes through another national lockdown.
The market is world-famous in its own right, not just because of the film, and draws in visitors from all over the globe.
However, for now the market stalls are left empty, traders are few and far between and crowds are non existent.
Have you visited any of these famous spots?Let us know in the comment section here.
142 Portobello Road
Along Portobello road fans of the film will find the spot that was William's travel bookshop.
Fans shouldn't be too disappointed that the travel book shop does not in fact exist, as instead they can find a gift shop in its place.

domain: travel


New carrier mission control software system for drones will provide refueling and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) was tested for the first time on April 11th to evaluate its software compatibility, data communication abilities, and electro-optical camera, for future use in refueling and reconnaissance operations.
According to statements by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the evaluation focused specifically on the ability of the UMC system hardware and software to integrate and communicate with the aircraft carrier’s network.
The hardware of the UMCS consists of an improved and adapted version of the Navy Sea Systems Command’s Common Display System and the Common Processing System that is used by the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), the Navy’s newest warship.
In terms of software, the UMCS uses a version of the Navy’s Common Control System (CCS). The CCS software has a unique architecture that allows user interfaces and other components within a common framework to be specifically adapted for integration with unmanned systems.
To create the unmanned air vehicle’s software, the UMCS program team loaded existing mission management, and planning and sensor control software applications onto the multi-purpose CCS mission systems platform. According to Capt. Beau Duarte, PMA-268 program manager, the test on April 11th proved that unmanned systems applications can be successfully transplanted to a common software architecture to perform their functions in a new context, in this case, in the aircraft carrier mission system.
“We have the ability to really drive interoperability and…we have had the opportunity to leverage many existing technologies and capabilities from other Navy platforms and integrate them into this program,” explained Duarte.
The UMCS software and hardware systems were tested using a Mobile Aviation Interoperability Lab (MAIL) truck imitating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to exercise the command and control feasibility of the UMCS.
The test also evaluated the voice trunking capability of the UMCS, which is the strength of the connection between the operator and the UAV, and its ability to have multiple communication signals emanating from a single source, according to industry developers.
Another focus of the test were the data sharing capacity of the UMCS, which meant testing the compatibility of the Automatic Identification System, a collision avoidance technology, and Electro-optical/infrared camera with the data communication UMCS software, according to a NAVAIR press release. Data sharing evaluations also looked at the system’s ability to process real-time mission adjustments and re-planning.
This UMCS test marks the start of an annual evaluation and demonstration schedule as improvements are made to the system.
The next step will be using the UMCS to operate smaller unmanned aerial systems and future developments will include the integration of a flight and cyber security approval mechanism, according to Duarte. Tests will also be conducted using unmanned system software developed specifically for the MQ-25 UAV, rather than adapted existing software applications, to test their compatibility with the CCS and aircraft carrier mission systems.
Ultimately, the ability to control UAVs from carriers will allow UAVs to become reliable and durable refuelers for the Navy’s strike fighters, said the NAVAIR press release, extending mission distances and durations and giving aircraft carriers a wider force extension. The UAVs could also provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data that is more relevant to the specific needs of the aircraft carrier.


Download Free the latest version of Syncthing for Mac 1.17.0 (2021) free Download Latest Version for MAC Apple.
Over time, using flash discs to move data seems to be forgotten. Cloud-based data storage technology seems to be more popular today. Cloud-based data storage systems can automatically synchronize each piece of data so you can access it anytime, anywhere, without the terms “forgotten” or “left behind.” Many data storage services are currently available. The most frequently used ones are Gdrive, Dropbox, Skydrive and so on.
One of the drawbacks of this cloud storage service is that users need to be connected to the internet to access their files. Files cannot be accessed offline and free space is limited.
However, there is currently software that can access these files offline outside the external server. The magical software is Syncthing for Mac. Syncthing for Mac is Kastelo’s open source software that allows you to sync files between local network devices or between remote devices over the Internet.
When it comes to security, Syncthing for Mac takes great care of the privacy and security of your personal data. The data is stored on your computer, not elsewhere (central server). This is very different from distributed data systems owned by Dropbox and other cloud data storage services. All access uses good encryption. Therefore, there is little chance of hacking the data.
Another advantage of Syncthing for Mac is very detailed authentication. Each existing node is identified using a complex system, a robust cryptographic certificate. In addition, Syncthing for Mac Free Download is extremely portable as it is available throughout the software. It also eliminates the need for complicated settings and IP addresses that you have to carry with you everywhere. All you need to share data with clients and colleagues is an ID. You can also specify who can access which folder. The interface provided by Syncthing for Mac is also easy and effective to use. Use only your internet browser to access all of this.
The minimum requirements for Syncthing for Mac to work properly on Mac OS X 10.9 and later. The file for installing the Syncthing free download is also lightweight, only 17.84 MB. The latest version currently available on the Internet is Syncthing 1.17.0. Syncthing free download software is available on Mac as well as on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Solaris, Darwin, and BSD operating systems. Just download Syncthing for Mac and you’ll experience the latest data synchronization.
Download now the Free Software Syncthing for Mac 1.17.0 (2021) free Download Latest Versionto install on your MAC PC. The installation process of the program depends on its developer.
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Security, availability of the latest version and download speed depend on the software administrator.


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The Last Drop: Climate Change and the Southwest Water CrisisFunded by a grant from the Kresge Foundation
Author(s): Ackerman, F. ; Stanton, E.A.
Water is already a major concern in the Southwest, where homes, businesses and farms use far more water than is produced by rain and snowfall, and groundwater reserves are shrinking.
This study quantifies the impact of climate change on the problem. It finds that without prompt action to reduce water usage, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah will face a combined shortfall of 1,815 million acre feet from population and income growth alone, plus 282 million to 439 million more from climate change – at a combined cost of as much as $5 trillion.
And that's if the shortfall can be made up at all. As conventional water sources dry up, the Southwest could find itself facing serious water crises in dry years, with unexpected disruptions that could devastate agriculture and affect homes and businesses as well.
"Climate change is affecting Americans in many areas; the water crisis in the Southwest is one of the clearest examples," said Frank Ackerman, director of the Climate Economics Group at SEI-U.S. and lead author of the study. "Climate policy choices we make today are not just about exotic environments and far-future generations – they will help determine how easy or hard it is to create a sustainable water system in the most arid region of the country."
The authors also evaluate potential ways to meet the shortfall, including water imports, desalination and additional groundwater extraction, and conclude that none can solve the problem. To avoid serious water crises, they recommend, the Southwestern states should promptly implement substantial conservation and efficiency measures as well as price increases for both urban and agricultural users. They also advise phasing out low-value crops, some of which are worth less than the water used to grow them.
This report is part of a package that also includes California Water Supply and Demand: Technical Report and The Water-Energy Nexus in the Western States: Projections to 2100.
In the Media:
"Climate: A New Study Finds That Global Warming Could Dry Out the Southwest," by Bryan Walsh, Ecocentric on TIME.com, Feb. 10, 2011.
"Longterm water projections dismal for Southwest," by Mike Lee, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 10, 2011.
"Study suggests water in southwestern U.S. may dry up sooner than expected," by Eric English, ABC-15 Phoenix, Feb. 10, 2011.

domain: geography


text:
In April 2012 the Company acquired Earth Surfaces of America, Inc. (“ESA”). ESA manufactures high-end Terrazzo paving slabs and other related products. The acquisition was rescinded on December 18, 2012. As of December 31, 2012 the Company had no operations. The company is a development stage enterprise and has been focused on identifying and negotiating with merger and acquisition targets.
Coastal OTC Stock Ownership Analysis
The company had not issued any dividends in recent years. Coastal Capital Acquisition Corp. produces and sells terrazzopolished concrete products, and marble and stone custom products. Coastal Capital Acquisition Corp. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Naples, Florida. Coastal Capital operates under Telecom Services classification in the United States and is traded on OTC Exchange.The quote for Coastal Capital Acq is listed on Over The Counter exchange (i.e., OTC), and the entity is not required to meet listing requirements such as those found on the Nasdaq, NYSE, or AMEX exchanges. For more info on Coastal Capital Acq please contact the company at 239-435-7875 or go to http://www.earthsurfaces.net.


Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Jason Wu, the wunderkind who designed Michelle Obama's inauguration ball gown, showed this morning. Here's what they're saying around the web:
1.) Jezebel: Jason Wu "does this structured yet effortless dress thing so well," showing "frocks fit for a First Lady — or anyone interested in ladylike ensembles."
2.) The Cut: "The lovely printed, full-skirted dresses that followed looked like pieces Michelle Obama would wear (she wasn't at the show, sadly). Wu also showed a number of chiffon gowns in shades of gray, nude, violet, and ivory. Chanel Iman wore a bright-fuchsia-and-red cocktail dress with black beading on the bodice. Anna"—that would be Wintour, obvs—"had a faint smile on her face throughout the show, clapping and grinning once Wu took his bow. She approves!"
3.) Fashionista: The packed show was "filled with very pretty clothes meant more for photographing than anything else" and "We're sure Michelle will have much to pick from for the coming year."


There is never a “silver bullet” when it comes to developing an effective marketing and media strategy. At ZIGT we believe an integrated approach based on consumer behavior adds tremendous value.
Our specialized media consultants weigh the advantages and limitations of different communication channels helping you to communicate your brand value proposition in an effective way. Feel free to visit the GFK site to get a general impression of media statistics across various industries in different countries.
Share your initial thoughts on how, where and when to communicate your brand value proposition with us. Please do not hesitate to contact us


Apple to initiate building it customized chips for its iPhones, iPads and mac systems by replacing the Intel chips manufactured by Intel Corp.
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Aggregation and breakage of aggregates of fully destabilized polystyrene latex particles in turbulent flow was studied experimentally in both batch and continuous stirred tanks. Small-angle static light scattering (SASLS) was used to monitor the time evolution of two independent moments of the cluster mass distribution (CMD), namely, the mean radius of gyration and the zero angle scattered light intensity. In addition, information about the structure of the aggregates was obtained in terms of the static light scattering structure factor. It was observed that decreasing the solid volume fraction over more than one order of magnitude resulted in monotonically decreasing steady-state values of both moments of the CMD. Using a combination of batch operation and continuous dilution with particle-free solution in the stirred tank, it was found that the steady-state distributions were fully reversible upon changing the solid volume fraction. These observations indicate that the steady-state CMD in this system is controlled by the dynamic equilibrium between aggregation (with the second-order kinetics in cluster concentration) and breakage (with the first-order kinetics in cluster concentration). In addition, by dilution to very low solid volume fractions, we demonstrate the existence of a critical aggregate size below which breakage is negligible.
- polystyrene latex particles
- stirred tank


text:
Updated for 2021.
If you are planning a trip to Victoria in February, then you’ve probably got questions like:
Disclaimer: I may make a small commission from some of the links on this page.
If you’re visiting in February, the first thing you will notice is that we can be rather smug about the fact that the rest of Canada is usually under several inches of snow and we are starting to think about spring flowers. Occasionally it does snow in February but virtually never like the storms you might see elsewhere in the country. In fact, February is the first month when our famous cherry blossoms start to bloom - usually the ones on View Street first, then the rest of the city follows in March and April.
Thanks to Valentine's Day, many businesses cater to romance in February and feature a variety of specials geared to couples. It is the perfect time for a getaway. Whether it is touring our beautiful city in a horse-drawn carriage (with a cozy blanket of course!) or an oceanfront spa and mineral bath, Victoria is a place for lovers. I suggest to use TourScanner for packages to some of our most romantic deals.
Monday, February 15, 2021 is Family Day which is a statutory holiday. Almost everything is open except for banks and government offices. Some businesses may have reduced hours. Prior to 2019, Family Day was celebrated on the second Monday in the month but was changed to the third Monday to keep it consistent with other provinces.
Overall, on average the weather in Victoria in February is slightly cooler than January with highs around 6 degrees and lows around minus 1. It is the only month where our average low temperature dips below freezing. It is also a whole lot drier than January with an average of just 70 mm of precipitation - almost always in the form of rain. If it does snow however, it doesn't usually stick around very long because it generally warms up and melts away and we start dreaming of flowers again!
Unfortunately though, every few years the conditions are ideal in Victoria in February for heavy snowfalls and as a city, things can deteriorate quickly. The main reason for this is the lack of equipment to deal with the snow (due mainly to the fact that we rarely need it). So, if it snows, it's either going to melt quite quickly or essentially shut the city down!
On warm February days, don't be too surprised to see a few brave souls in their shorts - they just can't wait for spring to arrive! But for many of us here in the Pacific Northwest, we are usually still in our winter gear of toques, sweaters, gloves and scarves. It is ideal to dress in warm layers and a 3-in-1 waterproof jacket is perfect along with waterproof footwear.
Not sure what a 3-in-1 jacket is?
I personally wear a 3-in-1 by Columbia although if I could find one to fit, I’d likely wear an Arc’teryx jacket. They are stylish, functional jackets designed and tested here in British Columbia.
Several of our local restaurants take advantage of local seafood, meats, cheeses, breads, beers, wines and produce. February is still fairly slim for fresh fruits and vegetables but there is a variety of seafood available. Food tours are popular throughout the year.
Fruits & Veggies
Seafood & Herbs
By this time of year, "rainy season" is over and people are starting to spend more time outside. We have a wonderful network of fairly flat and accessible trails throughout the region suitable for every member of the family and many people start taking advantage of them to get back out enjoying nature.
If you appreciate Mother Nature, then a trip to Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park should be on your list. It is about a 4-5 hour road trip from Victoria (although you could fly in a fraction of the time with Tofino Air) and the extraordinary scenery alone is well worth it. It is the final month of storm watching season on the wild, west coast where visitors from across the planet marvel at the dramatic skies and crashing waves of a raging Pacific Ocean. A favourite place to stay while in the area is the Wickaninnish Inn.
Festivals and Events include:
I truly hope you enjoy your visit to Victoria in February.
Oct 04, 21 02:49 PM
French Beach Provincial Park: A easy day trip from Victoria that is worth including in your itinerary.
Oct 04, 21 11:51 AM
With towering trees and a well packed easy trail, Francis King Park is a delightful destination for toddlers and those with mobility concerns.
Oct 04, 21 11:17 AM
Two of the finest heritage attractions in Greater Victoria - don't skip a visit to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites


text:
StemExpress has launched a new website dedicated to reaching potential donors of whole blood, maternal blood, Leukopheresis/apheresis (white blood cell collection), and bone marrow.
All donors are pre-screened and, if qualified, are compensated for their donations.
Individuals can make a direct impact on sustaining the quality of life of another by donating blood or bone marrow. StemExpress works with local hospitals in the area to collect tissue and blood samples for research. Donating to StemExpress costs nothing and qualified donors are compensated. All donations are used for research purposes only. Leading medical scientists require live cells for research, testing and product development. By donating, individuals are helping to advance medical science and save lives.
To learn more, and to apply to become a donor, please visit the Donor Center website at www.stemexpressdonors.com.

domain: medical


text:
There are certain things in rock n roll that could doom a band for eternity. One of those disastrous plunders is having an appallingly distasteful and horrendous album cover. Now, here is the thing- album covers on vinyl records are supposed to be beautiful, representative or abstract. At the lowest common denominator, an album cover is supposed to entrance the viewer or intrigue the potential music listener. There is only one thing that can be said for the jacket sleeves on this subsequent list- yuck.
Jacky, Circo Encantado da Jacky
How any record company could allow this fatal flaw, or album cover, come into existence is beyond me. Circo Encantado da Jacky is a twisted nightmare in graphic design and imagery. It is not suitable to any rational human being. Furthermore, the concept of the design is horribly wrong. What it is, essentially, is Brazilian chanteuse, Jacky holding a magic hat and dressed as a magician. Further, what Jacky is pulling out of the hat are animals. Those animals are the depictions of an ebullient elephant and goofy looking dog. It is beyond comprehension that something this tacky and trite could be released for the greater music consumption population. Sorry, Jacky, but this is just one of the worst album covers of all time.
The Monkees, Pool It!
The Monkees have written some great and bad songs in their long lasting musical career. This is the band that brought you the hit song, “Daydream Believer,” among may other hits. However, the album cover for Pool It! is almost beyond words. Do you know that family pool picture your mother always keeps in one of the buried photo albums that was a big mistake in photo-op history? Well, a good way to imagine this album cover is to picture the worst pool photo of all time and inside that photo are the three grown Monkees inside the same pool toy. What is this even supposed to signify? Furthermore, what does Pool It! even mean? This album asks all the wrong questions and it does not take long to realize you are staring at a big photographic mistake.
Deerhoof, Milk Man
Whatever Deerhoof or their management thought about the creature on the album cover to Milk Men were completely off the mark. Not only is this alien-like creature weird it is creepy as well. I do not know whether to be afraid or grossed out. This brings me to my next point, if an album conveys or inspires mixed emotions like this, chances are it is an album cover that was properly displayed. In other words, this choice of album cover is as horrendous as it gets. This cover begs the question what in the world was the band thinking when they chose this graphic design?
Jason Kane is a vinyl record collector and avid music blogger. Jason collects his vinyl from SoundStage Direct, an online record retailer.
- License: Creative Commons image source

domain: entertainment


Apple Pitches Revamped Apple TV as One-Stop Content Aggregator
Apple was the first to crack digital music. Can it repeat its success with video? In what is billed as Cupertino's biggest strategy change since the iPhone in 2007, Apple has announced its long anticipated move into streaming video subscription. It also launched a bundled news and mobile games service.
"This represents a landmark moment for Apple with a major event solely focused on services," says Paolo Pescatore, PP Foresight, Tech, Media & Telco Analyst. "It underlines a growing and strong focus on services as a future source of revenue growth. In essence Apple is seeking to become a Netflix of everything in services: music, news and magazines, video, and games."
Its video approach is two-pronged. Populated with original content, new subscription service AppleTV+ will be available inside a revamped Apple TV app that is already pre-installed on Apple devices. AppleTV+ is due in the autumn and will feature new shows from top directors and actors including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Octavia Spencer, J.J. Abrams, and others.
The revamped Apple TV app's Apple TV Channels feature will now allow you to subscribe to any channel individually, instead of via a cable service. Significantly, partners include Hulu and Amazon Prime as well as Showtime, Epix, HBO, and BritBox.
"The Apple TV app and Apple TV+ will effectively become the largest single SVOD catalogue available in the U.S.; acting as content aggregator for selected cable and SVOD platforms alongside Apple's iTunes," says Richard Cooper, Research Director, Ampere Analysis. "The combination of Amazon Prime and Hulu's subscriber base alone gives the service the potential to become largest single VOD platform in the U.S."
Apple TV will display premium movie and TV titles from all the services it encompasses alongside each other, along with AppleTV+ original content, making Apple TV+ far greater than the sum of its parts.
"The stronger revamped video service somewhat mirrors the strategy of rivals," says Pescatore. "These latest moves take Apple TV closer to a one-stop-shop destination for consumers with live TV, on-demand, and Apple's own original shows in one place."
The new look Apple TV will be available from May via a software update across iOS and MacOS devices, in addition to distribution on smart TVs from Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio, as well as Amazon FireTV and Roku.
On the plus side, Apple will look to take advantage of a massive 1.4 billion install base of its devices and can plug the revamped app into this ready market.
As Oprah Winfrey said at the event, "The Apple platform allows me to do what I do in a whole new way—because they're in a billion pockets, y'all. A billion pockets—that represents a genuine opportunity to make a genuine impact."
On the downside, of course, Apple has given rivals like Netflix—which is not part of the service, along with Disney—a huge head start. It launches into a market in which content production and acquisition costs are already stratospheric. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney,, and AT&T (WarnerMedia) are investing a combined $20 billion this year alone on content, while Apple's spend is reckoned to be about $1 billion.
While Apple sits atop a $245 billion cash reserve, analysts believe it will have to dig deeper to fund originals or even acquire a major video content company.
"Apple will spend a metric ton of cash on this endeavor, and unless they can turn Apple TV+ into a hit-making machine, will have to buy a library, an MSO, a wireless carrier, or successful SVOD business to win here," said Ian Greenblatt, head of TMT at marketing services house J.D. Power.
Fragmentation or Consolidation?
Apple's pitch to consumers for AppleTV+ was premium content and innovative first-class storytelling endorsed by the likes of Abrams and Spielberg.
Analysts seem split on whether this will impact Netflix. Pescatore thinks more content and media owners will pull programming off Netflix and that "Apple represents a key partner for them in reaching new audiences at scale across numerous devices."
On the other hand, while the service wants to be a one-stop SVOD shop, it's likely that the service will become one of many SVOD services from which consumers will pick and choose.
The propensity for this is quite high, particularly in the U.S., such that Apple's service won't impact the growth of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. According to Futuresource Consulting, in the U.S., there are nearly 80 million households with SVOD services, and on average each of these households takes two services.
The analyst predicts a trend towards consumers taking three SVOD services in future, particularly in the U.S. and that the figure will be "marginally lower" in Europe.
Ampere's analysis has the average U.S. SVOD household paying for 2.6 subscription services. "The creation of a single point of access for such catalogues once again offers a compelling reason for US consumers buy into Apple's service ecosystem," Cooper suggests. (nScreenMedia puts the number of services per household even higher, at 3.4.)
Futuresource also predicted users will take out trial memberships and special offers, "dipping in for short periods and then cancelling subscriptions" as choice in the market continues to grow.
The rollout paves the way for the introduction of new business models: "In the future we might even see users pay for a service bundle and receive a new iPhone every year," suggested Pescatore.
No pricing was shared for the new streaming service. "Apple has the bankroll to undercut all other market participants with somewhat predatory pricing in order to build an audience and constrain competitor's cash flow," added Greenblatt.
One reason Apple is making this move is because the smartphone and overall devices market is stagnating. Lower than expected sales of the iPhone in the last quarter were blamed on the economic slowdown in China, but the issue is more chronic. People aren't replacing their devices as fast as they used to (in part because of the price levels for models like iPhone XS Max at $1,250). Reliance on iPhone sales is not considered a sound strategy, hence the need to ramp-up its subscription services business.
Also announced is a subscription news service combining stories from newspapers, websites, and magazines into a new tab in the existing Apple News app.
Participants include The Wall Street Journal with media organizations expected to hand over a 50% cut of the revenue to Apple.
As prelude to launching Apple Arcade, a games subscription service for mobile desktop and Apple TV, Cook said 1 billion games had been downloaded from Apple's app store making games its most popular app category and iOS the most popular gaming platform.
Apple Arcade will feature 100 exclusive new games on launch and is accessed via a new tab in the app store. This service won't take on new cloud-based streaming offerings like Google Stadia. Instead, it will focus on iPhones and iPads and bundle together paid games from different developers that consumers can access for a monthly fee. No pricing was released.
The SVOD will debut on November 1 in over 100 countries and regions for $4.99 after a 7-day trial period, with access for six people per account.
Unconfirmed reports say Apple's Apple+ subscription video service will debut by November with a monthly price of $9.99.
Sky and Netflix also announce moves to double down on original spend for pay TV and direct-to-consumer services
Yes, there's a way to compete against giant content providers like Netflix and Hulu. It involves creating a bond with viewers and giving them something they can't get anywhere else.
Apple announced a variety of releases today at its Worldwide Developers Conference, with video enhancements showing up multiple times.
Is the long-awaited Apple TV OTT service nearing launch? Apple told its entertainment partners to be ready, says one report.
The goal is to create, store, and distribute only one version of each piece of media. HTTP Live Streaming is the key to that kind of efficiency, Apple says.
While a late entrant to the OTT space, Apple has big plans, taking its free service to over 100 countries shortly after launch.


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Alphabet Soup: How Picture Books Are Made, From A to Z
What to Expect
Guests can view eighty unique pieces from the Museum’s holdings, including preliminary materials such as sketches, storyboards, and printing blocks. They can take inspiration from 100 years of illustration history, viewing original artwork dating from the Golden Age to today’s born-digital art. They are invited to make their own miniature books to contribute to the exhibition’s community zine library.

domain: artistic


Twitter Permanently takes away @realdonaldtrump handle, accuses him of incitement
Twitter said on Friday that it had permanently suspended President Donald Trump from its service “due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” effectively cutting him off from his favorite megaphone for reaching the public and capping a series of actions by mainstream sites to limit his online reach.
Twitter said in a blog post that Trump’s personal @realDonaldTrump account, which has more than 88 million followers, would be suspended immediately.
The company said two tweets that Trump had posted on Friday — one calling his supporters “patriots” and another saying he would not go to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 — violated its rules against glorifying violence.
The tweets “were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” Twitter said, referring to the storming of the Capitol by a mob of Trump loyalists.
Within minutes, Trump’s account on Twitter was no longer accessible. His posts were replaced with a label: “Account suspended.”
Trump tried to evade the ban late Friday by using the @POTUS Twitter account, which belongs to sitting U.S. presidents, as well as other accounts to lash out at the company.
But his messages were almost immediately removed by Twitter. The company forbids users to try avoiding a suspension with secondary accounts.
The moves were a forceful repudiation by Twitter of Mr. Trump, who had used the platform to build his base and spread his messages, which were often filled with falsehoods and threats. Mr. Trump regularly tweeted dozens of times a day, sending flurries of messages in the early morning or late evening. In his posts, he gave his live reactions to television news programs, boosted supporters and attacked his perceived enemies.
“Twitter’s permanent suspension of Trump’s Twitter account is long overdue,” said Shannon McGregor, a senior researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “This is the key de-platforming for Trump.
The inability to tweet cuts off his direct access to the press — and, by extension, the public.”
In a statement late Friday, Trump said Twitter was trying to silence him. He said he was negotiating with other sites and promised a “big announcement soon,” adding that he was looking at building “our own platform.”
“Twitter is not about FREE SPEECH,” Mr. Trump said. “They are all about promoting a Radical Left platform where some of the most vicious people in the world are allowed to speak freely.”
A day earlier, Facebook had barred Trump for the rest of his term, and other digital platforms — including Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch and Reddit — also recently limited Mr. Trump on their services.


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It’s super easy to register a Robinhood account. Simply visit their website and submit some forms with some fundamental info. Next, you’ll need to validate your identity and link your external bank account so that you can deposit and eliminate funds. When that’s done, it’s time to send your application, and you’re good to go.
At the time of this writing, the business was promoting shares of Apple, Ford, or Sprint. Savvy financiers know that a share of Apple is particularly valuable out of that group. However in Robinhood’s own words, these shares are “chosen randomly” from their inventory of settled shares. New account holders can anticipate their totally free share to be worth anywhere in between $2.50 and $200. Robinhood consumers can rest ensured that their funds and trades are safe and protected.
Robinhood belongs to the Securities Financier Defense Corporation (SIPC). As such, stocks and options accounts as much as $500,000 are protected. Account passwords are secured using the newest file encryption innovation. A two-factor authentication is an option for those seeking included security. Robinhood has a slick self-service consumer support platform.
As a small business, they most likely do not have numerous staff members stacked in a call center. While you may not have the ability to talk to an advisor on the phone, Robinhood has actually gone above and beyond by offering great deals of easily absorbable educational material on their site (Robinhood 1099-Div). So, if you have any questions or desire some suggestions, the resources on their site can be especially helpful.
That said, I think it’s quite neat how they have actually arranged this content and I envision lots of people will find it useful. Commission-free trades on stocks, funds, optionsNext-level cryptocurrency platform (also commission-free)Instinctive, easy-to-use website and appsEnjoyable user experienceThey give you a totally free stock when you open an accountNo customer assistance over the phoneNot a real bank (no monitoring or cost savings accounts)No tax-advantaged pension choices (such as a 401k or Roth Individual Retirement Account)A few of Robinhood’s main competitors consist of: Bear in mind that each of these business uses different services from Robinhood, and a few of them charge costs – Robinhood 1099-Div.
Here are some responses to the most typically asked questions I find out about Robinhood. You can quickly transfer funds from your Robinhood account to your linked savings account. This process can be initiated on the Robinhood website or right in the mobile app. Per federal policies, you’ll have to wait a few days to withdraw money after making a trade.
They are a reputable monetary services company. At the very same time, it bears duplicating that all forms of financial investing featured some risk. Still, Robinhood’s platform is no riskier than its competitors. Perhaps. I would say that Robinhood is a decent trading platform for newbies. Nevertheless, I do not advise purchasing stocks without doing a reasonable quantity of research study initially.
So, anybody entering there to make trades has to do their own research study beforehand. Trading is hard; if it were easy, we ‘d all be super-rich. If you’re new to the investing world, do not fret, though. There’s lots of info out there about the very best ways to get going. You can research my financial investment guidance here. Robinhood charges $0 per trade.
The only time you’ll pay a fee is if you trade margins (as described above). If you’re a seasoned trader of stocks, funds, options, or cryptocurrencies, Robinhood deserves consideration. The no-fee technique rapidly builds up for regular traders. Also, if you’re experienced with margin trading or wish to evaluate the waters, you might find value from a Robinhood Gold account.
Bottom line? It’s your choice to decide who to trust with your hard-earned cash. I hope this post has made it much easier for you to identify if Robinhood is the ideal fit for your investing requirements. Thanks for reading, and here’s to a healthier monetary future!.
Investing can be made complex and costly, specifically if you do not understand what you’re doing. But utilizing an app like Robinhood can save you time, cash, and headaches. Robinhood is a trading platform that is entirely complimentary. If you are interested in trading stocks or other properties, then you likely understand how costly the charges can get.
Robinhood is different, as it looks for to get rid of the negatives of trade fees by offering a truly complimentary experience. Robinhood 1099-Div. This all sounds amazing, but is Robinhood truly an excellent trading app that you can rely on? Take a look at this Robinhood evaluation so you can learn whatever that you need to know.
It’s always clever to look into opportunities that can save you cash, so dig in and get the essential details to make a notified decision. The functions of this application are really impressive. It does do not have a few of the advanced trading tools you will get with more prevalent trading apps, however it’s fully featured for something that’s totally free.
There are now 39 total states where you can purchase crypto, and “you can buy 7 cryptocurrencies on Robinhood Crypto: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.” Robinhood Gold has actually been a premium alternative for a while, but they have actually recently enhanced it considerably. According to their blog, “In addition to margin investing and larger instant deposits, it now consists of brand-new premium functions like extensive research and data.” The premium includes you’ll get include: Morningstar Research Reports Nasdaq Level 2 Market Data Gold costs $5 per month and you’ll get access to bigger instantaneous deposits and a margin account.
Robinhood likewise just recently acquired a media company called MarketSnacks, which had a monetary news podcast and newsletter. They’ve relaunched under the name Robinhood Snacks, which provides you “digestible and simple to understand financial news you’ll enjoy.” You can trade stocks, cryptocurrency, and more utilizing this hassle-free trading platform. This can be done from your cellphone.
The mobile user interface is user-friendly, and it feels comfy to browse. Having a smooth experience while trading makes things that better. You will not fumble around in menus while trying to figure things out. This app simply clicks with individuals easily, and it makes your trading time more pleasant since of it.
It makes getting details basic so you can go into a trade with self-confidence you are making a move right for you. The most enticing aspect of the Robinhood app is there are no involved costs. Most trading platforms use trade costs, but Robinhood has a various philosophy.
There are minor trading costs, however, which is needed by the SEC. Here’s what Robinhood needs to say about their costs: Investing with Robinhood is commission totally free, now and permanently. We do not charge you charges to open your account, to maintain your account, or to transfer funds to your account.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Market Regulatory Authority (FINRA) do charge a little cost for stock sell orders. They charge these costs for all sell orders, no matter the brokerage. Robinhood doesn’t benefit economically from these charges, and we pass them along to the appropriate regulative companies when we collect them.
This cost is assembled to the closest penny. FINRA Trading Activity Charge (TAF): $.000119 per share. This fee is rounded up to the nearby penny and no greater than $5.95. Registering for Robinhood will be easy. You just require to make certain you have at least $2,000 to open an account.
You’ll need to offer your social security number, individual info, contact information, and a technique to money your account. After that, you can trade quick, and everything can be done from your mobile phone. Go into the Robinhood trading app with full self-confidence. The security of this app is impressive.
According to Robinhood, they’re an: “SEC-registered broker-dealer, and a member of both the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Defense Corporation (SIPC). This indicates stocks and choices in your account are secured up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for money). For information, have a look at the SIPC website, and to learn more on Robinhood Financial, you can discover us on FINRA Broker Check.” They likewise take your information security seriously – Robinhood 1099-Div.
Delicate information, such as your social security number, are encrypted prior to they’re kept (Robinhood 1099-Div). Our mobile and web applications firmly communicate with our servers utilizing the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol with the most up-to-date configurations and ciphers. We don’t keep your electronic banking credentials, and we never ever will. Your banking credentials are used once to verify and confirm that the defined account comes from you.
You can take pleasure in a fully-featured application that makes trading as simple as it can be (Robinhood 1099-Div). Accessing your trades and account info from anywhere is a real benefit. It provides you the power to make trades and substantial relocations whenever you need to. The versatility of the Robinhood app is worthy of to be commended.

domain: finance


How taxes can rise during retirement (Part IV): How assets are taxed & how that can change
Published: Oct. 26, 2022 at 4:43 PM CDT
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - As talk surrounding inflation continues, many are also thinking about their retirement plans.
Colin Evans, financial adviser with Evans Financial Group in Shreveport, joined KSLA in the studio on Wednesday, Oct. 26 to discuss the way assets are taxed and how that can change.
Evans discussed the following topics:
- What could changes look like if the government alters how retirement assets are taxed?
- Will there be a higher cost-of-living adjustment next year?
- Are these truly increases in benefits?
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW>>
Copyright 2022 KSLA. All rights reserved.


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I think of the impact from Holy Week and the event that we celebrate as Easter… the significance and gift of the resurrection… some of the afterglow that lives within us has an impact every day, and every single week of the year. To me, it’s coming to the table every day… bringing something good… working the right angle…Â getting really sticky about it.
The disciples went out after Jesus rose from the dead and shared the good news. They were excited. This was based on a true event in history. There were witnesses. The word spread like wildfire and still does 2,000 years later. This story of a wandering carpenter who healed people with his bare hands… who spoke the truth in love… the one who lived the perfect life… and who died a horrid death nailed to a cross… he died for us… for all of us.
Shouldn’t we be living for him?
The Other 51…

domain: literature


Posted on 25th August 2020 by M.S. Electronics
Each year over half a million people across the UK take action to promote a healthy environment and sustainable future. Climate week is a nation-wide event where people from any background can get involved in the major environmental issues facing our planet, economy and society.
London Climate Action Week 2020 (14-20 November) will be a larger event and convene communities and citizens from across London. .. dependant on how the present situation develops. Last year the UK held London’s first ever Climate Action Week, bringing together climate expertise and talent from across the world.
The campaign is designed to raise awareness of important issues, encourage innovative thinking, and promote sustainable behavior. Over 3,000 events are held in schools, businesses, public organisations and charities, in order to showcase practical solutions to climate change.
We at MS Electronics are fully committed to do all we can to be part of helping our environment. All our products are energy saving controls, designed and produced to efficiently and effectively manage energy use for the benefit of the environment.


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Westmoreland County sees dramatic increase of fentanyl-related overdose deaths
As opioid-related overdose deaths continue to mount, Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha said he has noticed a troubling trend in recent months — an astronomical spike in the level of synthetic fentanyl involved in fatal cases.
One victim last month had 170 nanograms of fentanyl per milliliter of blood in toxicology test results, he said. That's more than 20 times the average of 8 nanograms typically found by NMS Labs, which performs the coroner's toxicology tests. A very small amount of fentanyl — as little as 2 or 3 nanograms per milliliter of blood — can be deadly, according to Bacha and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It also depends on other drugs a person may have used, he said.
"You could have a tanker truck of Narcan (naloxone), and it wasn't going to save them," Bacha said, referring to the opioid overdose reversal drug first responders carry.
Of the 174 drug overdose deaths investigated by the Westmoreland County Coroner's Office in 2016, fentanyl was present in 109 cases, heroin in 94. In 2015, there were 124 overdose deaths in the county; fentanyl was involved in 24 and heroin in 56. Both drugs were present in some cases.
In Allegheny County last year, 650 people died of drug overdoses, with fentanyl present in 412, heroin in 330. That's a shift from 2015, when 424 died and fentanyl was found in 126 cases, heroin in 284 cases.
The synthetic opioid was developed as a painkiller and anesthetic for pharmaceutical uses, but it has become an attractive substance to manufacture illicitly in laboratories. New forms — which can be made by tweaking the molecular structure — regularly pop up in heroin stamp bags and toxicology reports.
Fentanyl is many times stronger than heroin, said Dr. Karen Hacker, director of the Allegheny County Health Department. "The problem is it looks basically the same as heroin."
Investigations into five Westmoreland overdose deaths in recent months uncovered the use of carfentanil, a potent elephant tranquilizer, Bacha said, and a toxicology report this week showed that the blood of an overdose victim contained four different types of fentanyl. Allegheny County Medical Examiner Dr. Karl Williams said his office has seen nine carfentanil cases so far in 2017, compared to none in 2016.
It's clear to law enforcement that dealers oftentimes sell "heroin" that doesn't even contain that drug or which includes a drug mixture. The evidence is sky-high levels of fentanyl and their analogs — "well beyond survivability," Bacha said — found in victims' bloodstreams.
"They don't know what they're getting in the bag," Bacha said.
Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
More than 52,000 people died from overdoses across the country in 2015, a figure that grew to about 64,000 last year, the New York Times reported.
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids aside from methadone climbed to 9,500 nationwide in 2015 — a one-year increase of 72 percent, according to the CDC.
"The explosion of fentanyl we have seen across the region is quite troubling," said Patrick Trainor, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. "We see bags of what are sold as purported heroin that contain absolutely no heroin at all."
The pace is on track to continue for 2017.
Greensburg police officers now assume a stamp bag of heroin contains fentanyl, Capt. Bob Stafford said.
"It's mixed with heroin, but you don't get much that's just heroin anymore," he said. "Everything seems to have fentanyl in it now."
Last year, police departments across the country began taking precautions — such as wearing gloves and not field-testing stamp bags — when handling suspected drugs after an advisory from the Drug Enforcement Administration. In Greensburg, officers began taking those precautions last year in the event they came in contact with fentanyl, but now they just assume that whatever they are touching has the deadly opioid in it, said Stafford.
DEA investigators use victims' toxicology reports to learn about new forms of the synthetic opiate, such as butyryl fentanyl and 3-methylfentanyl, and where they are found. Even drug dealers who are arrested with what they believe is heroin, it's actually fentanyl, Trainor said.
"This is a very, very dangerous time to be someone who is struggling with substance abuse," he said.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374, firstname.lastname@example.org or via Twitter @byrenatta.

domain: news


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Jason Sizemore’s favorite Alfred Bester novels
Posted January 19, 2014on:
Remember I said Lesley Connor was someone to thank for the upcoming Book of Apex blog tour in February? Jason Sizemore is the other person to thank. Apex Magazine is quite literally his baby. By the way, as you are reading this, Jason and I are hanging out at ConFusion.
The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination, by Jason Sizemore
Jason Sizemore is the two time Hugo Award-nominated owner and editor of Apex Publications. You can find more information about him and Apex at http://www.apexbookcompany.com
I had a late matriculation into science fiction. It wasn’t until my college years did I begin to read hard genre fiction. But what I did read had a profound effect on my future reading tastes and choices.
The first science fiction novel I remember reading is Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man (our first Hugo Award-winner back in 1953). Its plot features a powerful telepath (Powell) waging a battle against a damaged and powerful businessman (Reich). The book reads as a futuristic sort of police procedural. It’s an insightful examination of human nature, showing us that things haven’t changed all that much from the 50s.
The Demolished Man is my go to book when readers ask me for a good science fiction book to ease them into the genre. The hard SF aspects of the novel are core to the plot and the world Bester creates feels sufficiently futuristic even 60 years later.
But Alfred Bester wrote a second classic that affected me and influenced me even more, and it was the second science fiction novel I read: The Stars My Destination. This is the story of Gully Foyle, a man abandoned alone in a ship for six months after it was attacked. Gully eventually fixes the ship and paints his face with some wicked tattoos and goes after the megacorporations who he feels produced and prolonged his six month predicament.
Despite being released in 1956, it contains the seeds of many common contemporary plot devices: mega-corps owning the world, teleporting, the unstoppable revenge killer, psionics. You walk down any bookstore genre aisle and a good percentage of the books you see will contain ideas from this 1956 novel.
While neither novel is considered overtly dark, they did imprint me with a preference for science fiction with an edge. And The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination are two of the edgiest books I’ve read.


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Remember that amounts and terms may vary by states and lender.
We would also like making it clear we’re maybe perhaps not a loan provider. We usually do not make credit or loan choices plus don’t broker loans. This sites aim would be to notify site site visitors of feasible loan providers and connector. A scam if someone for example calls you saying they are representing us and offers you a loan, itвЂ™s 100.


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The word Meditation comes from the Latin root 'meditatum' which means to ponder. Meditation can be described as a practice that helps silence the mind.
Mindfulness and meditation can help you cope with this special brand of holiday stress.
A new study, publishedin the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, shows that older adults who practice meditation regularly may have improved memory functions and better objective cognitive performance than those who don't.
Weight loss is an internal process as much as it is an external one. And this is where Mediation comes to help. Here's how meditation can help with weight loss.
According to a new Canadian research, just 10 minutes of meditation daily can help people who are more prone to anxiety and negative thoughts to focus and calm down.
Meditation has been identified as a practice that makes you stronger, better and more efficient at work
Much of the health benefits associated with mindfulnes meditation training is due to the changes that this form of meditation causes in the brain, suggests new research.
If you're not already into meditation, there's something slightly comical about trying to do it. You have to think about thinking. Or, stop thinking about thinking!
Patients in the meditation and music groups reported significantly greater reductions in anxiety and fatigue after biopsy than those receiving standard care.
A new study suggests that practice of meditation may help veterans to relieve themselves from chronic pain.


Last month, Frankfurt’s City Council and the Hessian State government announced the cancellation of a concert Waters scheduled to be performed there in May, over his rank antisemitism, calling him “one of the most widely spread anti-Semites in the world.”
Now rabid Israel-hater Katie Halper – fired from The Hill for calling Israel an “apartheid state” – has launched a petition calling on “those who have canceled Waters’ concerts to reverse their decisions.”
We artists, musicians, writers, and other public figures and organizations are deeply disturbed by the recent efforts by German officials to discredit and silence musician Roger Waters. On February 24, 2023, Frankfurt’s City Council and the Hessian State government announced the cancellation of a concert Waters scheduled to be performed on May 28 at the Festhalle. The Frankfurt City Council says that they canceled Waters’ concert “set a clear signal against anti-Semitism,” describing the musician as “one of the most widely spread anti-Semites in the world.” As evidence, the Council says that Waters “repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.”
There is no other evidence other than these two claims: that Waters has supported the Palestinian-led cultural boycott of Israel campaign and that he has compared contemporary Israel’s government to the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Neither of these claims is unique to Waters or outside the boundaries of mainstream public opinion. Human Rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Israel’s B’Tselem, United Nations agencies, and South African officials have defined Israel as an apartheid state, and therefore, many of these organizations and individuals have made the comparison between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa.
The extremists are the Israeli Government, not its critics. Recently, Israeli citizens have been pouring into the streets to protest their government’s violent treatment of Palestinians and sweeping anti-democratic judicial changes.
Waters’ criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is part of his long-term advocacy on behalf of human rights across the globe. Waters believes “that all our brothers and sisters, all over the world irrespective of the color of their skin or the depth of their pockets deserve equal human rights under the law.” With regard to Israel and Palestine, he says, “My platform is simple: it is implementation of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all our brothers and sisters between the Jordan River and the sea. Antisemitism is odious and racist and I condemn it, along with all forms of racism, unreservedly.”
The officials vilifying Waters are engaging in a dangerous campaign that purposely conflates criticism of Israel’s illegal and unjust policies with antisemitism. This conflation perpetuates the antisemitic trope which presents Jews as a monolith who blindly support Israel. Some of Israel’s loudest critics are Jews. But those who weaponize antisemitism are fine contributing to it.
Officials in Germany, concert organizers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights. We call on those who have canceled Waters’ concerts to reverse their decisions and consider their own history of antisemitism, racism and genocide and how instances of these can be stopped today in other parts of the world, including in Occupied Palestine.
Brian Eno, Musician
Peter Gabriel, Musician
Anwar Hadid, Musician
Tom Morello, Musician
Noam Chomsky, Laureate Professor of Linguistics, University of Arizona
Cornel West, Professor, Philosopher, Author, Activist
Susan Sarandon, Actor
Ken Loach, Film Director
Nick Mason, Drummer
Eric Clapton, Musician
Gabor Maté, Physician and Author
Immortal Technique, Artist and Producer
Low Key, Rapper and Activist
Andrew Feinstein, Author and Former ANC Member of Parliament
Julian Schnabel, Artist and film maker
Robert Wyatt, Musician
Dread Scott, Artist
Emily Jacir, Artist
Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Professor of Modern Culture & Media and Comparative Literature, Brown University
Ilan Pappé, Historian
Julie Christie, actor
Michael Malarkey, Musician
Terry Gilliam, Film Director and Actor
Norman Finkelstein, Writer, Professor
John Pilger, Journalist
Sophie Calle, Artist
Artists for Palestine, UK
Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers
Beth Miller, Jewish Voice for Peace Political Director
Medea Benjamin, Code Pink
Yanis Varoufakis, Author
Noura Erakat, Human rights attorney and author
Susan Abulhawa, Author Mornings In Jenin
Miko Peled, Author and Activist
David Cross, Comedian, Actor, Writer, Director
Ramin Bahrani, Film director
Alia Shawkat, Actor
Sara Driver, Film director
Caryl Churchill, Playwright
Lady Bunny, Performer
Alexei Sayle, Actor, Author, Comedian
Adam Broomberg, Artist, Educator and Activist
John Smith, Artist Filmmaker, Emeritus Professor of Fine Art, University of East London
Rosalind Nashashibi, Artist
Glenn Greenwald, Journalist
Chris Hedges, Journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner
Katie Halper, Journalist
Vijay Prashad, Journalist
Abby Martin, journalist and Filmmaker
Mike Prysner. Journalist and Filmmaker
Mohamed Hadid, Developer
Robert Scheer, Journalist, Professor USC Annenberg
Krystal Ball, Journalist
Eugene Puryear, Journalist
Rania Khlek, Journalist
Ros Petchesky, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Political Science, Hunter College & the Graduate Center-CUNY, Jewish Voice For Peace
Gerald Horne, Historian, John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston
Steven Donziger, Human Rights Attorney
Adolph Reed, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
Greg Grandin, Professor of History, Yale University
Daniel Bessner, Historian
Frank Barat, Film Producer
Tami Gold, Filmmaker, Professor of Film & Media Studies at Hunter College
Omar Al-Qattan, Film producer and Cultural Activist
Josh Olson, Screenwriter
Zeina Durra, Film Director
Vin Arfuso, Producer, Filmmaker
Karen Zelermyer, I Was Never There podcast
Christian Parenti, Professor of political economy John Jay, CUNY
Marcie Smith Parenti Writer and Attorney
Noah Kulwin, Writer
Nora Eisenberg, Novelist, Journalist
Dave Anthony, Writer
Freddie DeBoer, Writer
Robin D.G. Kelly, Writer, Gary B. Nash Professor of American History at UCLA.
Greg Goldberg, Chair, Sociology Department, Wesleyan University
Felix Hoffmann, Arthistorian and Artistic Director Foto Arsenal Wien
Barbara Smith, Writer and Activist
Doug Henwood Journalist/Radio Host
Liza Featherstone, Journalist
Margaret Kimberley, Editor, Black Agenda Report
Nora Barrows-Friedman, journalist
Yasha Levine, Journalist
Mark Ames, Journalist
Adam Horowitz, Journalist Mondoweiss
Phil Weiss, Writer
Michael Mack, Publisher
Max Blumenthal, Journalist, The Grayzone
Stefania Maurizi, Investigative Journalist
Norman Solomon, Journalist
Branko Marcetic, Journalist, Jacobin
Alfreda Benge, Artist
Bill Morrison, Artist and Film Director
Alessandra Sanguinetti, Photographer
Robin Rhode, Artist
Jim Goldberg, Artist/ Professor Emeritus California College of the Arts
Alec Soth, Photographer
Jewish Voice For Peace
Nina Felshin, Art Curator, Writer
Tai Shani, Artist
A number of things strike me about the petition.
Firstly, the petition itself reeks of antisemitism. It seems to compare what is happening in Israel to what happened in the Holocaust, insomuch as it asks the German authorities to “consider their own history of antisemitism, racism and genocide and how instances of these can be stopped today in other parts of the world, including in Occupied Palestine.”
Also, if you look at the high profile names backing it, you will notice they are, for the most part, the usual suspects of Israel-haters and rabid antisemites. These include rabid Jew-haters like Susan Abulhawa, Ken Loach, and Mohamed Hadid. Having them support you is hardly helping Waters’ cause in convincing people he is not also a Jew-hater.
I do have to point out how disappointing it is to see the names of Eric Clapton and Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam there. I had no idea they were morally compromised.
Meanwhile, Waters is reportedly going to sue over the concert bans.
Musician and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters is taking legal action against planned bans on his concerts in the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich.
Waters believes “this blatant attempt to silence him could have serious and far-reaching consequences for artists and activists around the world if left unchallenged,” the artist’s management in London said Tuesday night.
The cancellation of the concerts was “unconstitutional” and “unjustified,” the management defended. They were based “on the false accusation that Roger Waters is anti-Semitic, which he is not,” it added.
The musician has “instructed his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to reverse this unjustified decision and ensure that his fundamental human right to freedom of expression is protected,” the statement continued.
Bans don’t feel so good do they, Roger?
Meanwhile, I would love to see him argue he is not a Jew-hater. If I had a dollar for every “receipt” I have showing he is indeed one, I would be almost as rich as he is.


The Verano has a sizable 14. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders. The application of sound deadening in and outside of the car--triple-sealed doors, laminated window glass, an acoustic glass windshield, and numerous foams, baffles, and mats--makes the Verano a very quiet vehicle, with good isolation from road, wind, and engine roar. Perrine Buick tried to hit me over the head with an excessive lease deal. This makes the car more enjoyable to drive.
The Verano Convenience trim adds heated front seats and a full suite of active safety features. Where's the delete button when you need it? This Verano is longer but significantly lighter, more fuel efficient and has more interior space than its predecessor. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders. The standard wheels are impressive 18-inch aluminum-alloys. To see what's new for 2014, click , or check out a of the two model years. Finding your tire size is simple.
All upper trim levels Convenience, Leather, and Turbo also come standard with forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. I just purchased a 2014 Buick Verano. It actually blows cool air when it's cold outside. The Convenience, Leather and Turbo models gain heated front seats and a three-channel programmable garage door opener as standard equipment. The dealer wanted to replace the cover and make me pay for it.
More than mere marketing lingo, its QuietTuning technology effectively quells unwanted noise and vibration. You get a lot for your money if you ask me. Top speed is limited by the tires to 129 mph, and fuel economy barely suffers a single mile per gallon. Buick's latest offering, the 2012 Verano, which was revealed at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, is the smallest car in the company's lineup. Well-shaped front seats are plush and supportive and wrapped in a nice leather trim for an extra cost.
The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. The front seats are comfortable and spacious, but the rear seats are cramped and short on legroom. The rear seatbacks flop forward nearly flat, and the lid features a wide opening. The 2014 Buick Verano offers a host of features — some not even offered by its competitors — at a lower price.
Sound isolation is equally impressive. The Detroit Auto Show begins next week, but Buick decided to reveal the Verano — the automaker's new compact — a little early. Base cars have a softly sprung feel, and Turbos dial that to only slightly tauter settings. The automatic isn't hesitant, but shifting it manually means putting a hand to the shift lever--the Verano isn't offered with shift paddles. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. The show often features championship matches or or bet matches where the competitors risked their or hair on the outcome of the match.
But this Buick doesn't quite conceal its roots from the more budget-friendly Chevrolet Cruze. With the standard 180-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, the Verano's performance is acceptable but not exceptional. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year. The 2014 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan is offered in four trim levels: Verano, Verano Convenience Group, Verano Leather Group, and Verano Premium Group. The differences are far more subtle at the ride-and-handling level. Think of it as a sophomore-year hand-me-down — and one that any car should want.
We got the convenience model, but it should be called the insanely valuable model! New for 2014 Forward collision alert and lane departure warning are newly available safety features. Once you are at your vehicle, write down the following highlighted numbers located on your sidewall in the order shown below. The recall is expected to begin in late March 2014. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year. Rear seats are well contoured for adults, too; the only thing that calls the Verano out as a compact is the need to compromise legroom between front and rear if there are several lanky occupants riding at once. Overstuffed front seats have uneven support and lack full power adjustment. Used models are typically much less expensive as well.
New for 2014 Forward collision alert and lane departure warning are newly available safety features. The Verano has been a timely addition to the Buick lineup. Vehicle Details Like its larger LaCrosse sibling, the 5-passenger Verano's interior is appealing thanks to high-quality materials and comfortable seats. Buick offers the 2014 Verano in four trim levels: base, Convenience, Leather, and Turbo. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Two engine choices are available in the 2014 Verano.


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. marching in support of the pro-life movement. These anti-abortion protesters hope this year, the Supreme Court will finally overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.
On a cold Friday afternoon in Washington, D.C. thousands of people from across the U.S. gathered for the March for Life event.
“This is not to condemn or criticize,” said Elizabeth Miller who is pro-life. “It’s to open arms and say you’re loved.”
“Everyone here is so excited to stand up for life and I’m so excited to be here and I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” said Jolie Lloyd who is pro-life.
“Everyone getting off the metro here seems to be all pumped up,” added Jane Bullington who is pro-life.
Some of these anti-abortion supporters passed out flyers, held up signs and listened to speeches from members of congress to religious leaders. This March usually happens around the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalizes abortion nationwide. But this year, supporters are hopeful the highest court will reverse that decision.
“I would love for Roe v. Wade to be overturned because these children deserve to have a choice over their life,” said pro-life supporter Jessi Wenger.
Less than two months ago the Supreme Court took up a Mississippi case that would put a ban on abortions after 15 weeks and depending on that decision, it could essentially weaken Roe or overturn it altogether. When we spoke with pro-choice supporters, they said keeping Roe is vital for women’s health and their right to choose what to do with their bodies.
“The only way we can have our constitutional right to an abortion and have our religious freedom intact is if every single person in this country can make their won health and moral decisions,” Sheila Katz who is pro-choice told us back in December 2021.
According to Guttmacher Institute, if Roe is overturned, 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortion. At the rally in D.C. they’re hopeful this year will be the year that happens.
“We’re really supporting that there really is a choice other than abortion,” said Hannah Bates who is pro-life.
The Supreme Court is likely to make that decision on the Mississippi case in the summer of 2022.

domain: sociology


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Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is the most threatening disease of potato. So far, plant breeding for late blight resistance has been focused on the introduction of cytoplasmic NLR resistance (R) genes. However, any introduced R-gene has been defeated by the pathogen rather quickly, indicating that alternative resistance mechanisms should be studied. Recently, the receptor-like protein ELR was identified in a wild potato species, Solanum microdontum (Sm). ELR confers response to elicitins, a highly conserved family of secreted effectors of Phytophthora and Pythium. It has been shown that upon INF1 elicitation, ELR forms an inducible complex with the receptor-like kinase (RLK) SERK3. In order to study whether ELR associates with potato SOBIR1, another RLK involved in immunity, co-immunoprecipitation studies were performed. We found that ELR is indeed forming a constitutive complex with SmSOBIR1. Moreover, SmSOBIR1 seems to have a stabilizing effect on ELR, leading to a higher accumulation of the receptor. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) studies of SOBIR1 homologues in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in a compromised response to INF1 of P. infestans. This response could be complemented by expressing a synthetic version of SmSOBIR1 that is not targeted by VIGS. Additionally, the same NbSOBIR1-silenced plants were more susceptible to a number of P. infestans isolates. This indicates that SOBIR1 plays an important role in plant defense against P. infestans, as shown for other pathogens. Further studies aim to demonstrate whether ELR physically associates with INF1 in a direct or indirect fashion.
|Publication status||Published - 30 Nov 2016|
|Event||XVII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions - Portland, Oregon, United States|
Duration: 17 Jul 2016 → 21 Jul 2016
|Conference||XVII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions|
|Period||17/07/16 → 21/07/16|


Ralph Vaughan Williams – Henry V: Overture (orchestral version)
Frederick Delius – In a Summer Garden
Ralph Vaughan Williams – EFDS Folk Song March
Gustav Holst – The Mystic Trumpeter, Op.18
Plus 2 more...
Old meets New; East meets West. Experience musical worlds fuse at Music Interflow.
Reach for the stars! Possibly our biggest orchestra ever will assemble to play Holst’s Suite: The Planets
In Aid of St Ann's Hospice


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Rui Lee is a local art teacher here in Santa Cruz. The incredible works of his students are diverse in both media and content. In addition, we also have the work of participants in the Ageless Art Program. This program serves seniors living in residential care facilities through quality art education delivered by local volunteers. Finally, hanging in the meeting room, we have the work of Yi Xu. Join us upstairs at the Downtown Library to meet the artists.
224 Church Street
Santa Cruz, 95060
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Full run of show May 1, 2019 - Aug 31, 2019

domain: library


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The 30 best original films to watch on Netflix, ranked
From ‘Private Life’ and ‘Always Be My Maybe’ to ‘El Camino’ and ‘Roma’, Ed Power picks the streaming service’s best original offerings
Having established itself as a power-house of binge TV, Netflix has more recently turned its attention to movies.
But with dozens of Netflix original films to chose from, how to sort the gold from the feature-length dross?
To help you make sense of the service’s mind-boggling viewing options here’s a countdown of the best original movies available to stream on Netflix UK.
30. I Am Mother
This rickety-looking science fiction thriller delivers where it counts with a twisting, turning plot and several genuine surprises. In the far future, a maternal robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) raises a young woman (Clara Rugaard) as her daughter. But when an outsider (Hilary Swank) makes her way to their bunker, their perfect life is shattered forever.
29. Private Life
A bohemian middle-aged couple struggle to have a child. Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti are hilarious and poignant. And the pathos is piled on as twenty-something college drop-out Sadie (Kayli Carter) parachutes into their life. High jinks follow, though director Tamara Jenkins ensures the existential sadness that has become part of the protagonists daily life never quite fades.
28. High Flying Bird
Steven Soderbergh has become something of a Netflix regular, with his Meryl Streep-starring The Laundromat recently premiering on the service. This earlier movie is about a basketball agent (André Holland) in a game of skulduggery between players (mostly black and uneducated) and team owners (white and wealthy). It’s a great sports film and also a commentary on the racial and social schisms that divide America.
27. I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore
A quirky though ultimately quite dark indie movie about two misfits, Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) and Tony (Elijah Wood), on the trail off a burglar who made off with a silver spoon belonging to Ruth’s grandmother. Whimsical on the surface, I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore is in fact a meditation on what happens when you’ve had enough of life’s fundamental unfairness and lash out.
26. Triple Frontier
This team-up heist movie stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnum and Pedro Pascal as old marine corps buddies headed to South America for one final pay-day. It’s hugely flawed – but Affleck is convincing as a guy losing his way amidst divorce and middle age. And JC Chandor (Collateral) directs the action scenes with pizzaz. It comes close to being a great action flick for grown-ups before ultimately fizzling out.
25. A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Straight-to-video production values don’t do it any favours, but this biopic about the founder of American satirical magazine National Lampoon, Douglas Kenney (Will Forte), has its heart in the right place. It’s a by turns poignant and hilarious accent of Forte’s rise, his descent into drugs and infidelity – and his strained relationship with Lampoon co-founder Henry Beard (an unrecognisable Domhnall Gleeson).
24. Velvet Buzzsaw
Critics trounced this stylised horror starring Jake Gyllenhaal are a vainglorious art critic. Certainly, as commentary on the vacuousness of the art world it’s a whole lot of stating the obvious. Yet enjoyed as a Argento-esque OTT romp, Velvet Buzzsaw is a delight, as director Dan Gilroy subjects his victims to a series of ever more absurdist and grisly ends.
23. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
This would be higher on the list were it not for the fact it really isn’t a film. Best thought of as a two-hour Breaking Bad episode, it takes up the story of Jesse Pinkman after he’s fled the dying Walter White and driven into the blue yonder. The milieu is the familiar New Mexico underworld of Breaking Bad and its gentler prequel, Better Call Saul. BB fans will nonetheless relish a return, however brief, to the Vince Gilligan expanded universe. Plus all – yes ALL – your faves from the Ballad of Walter White are back for cameos.
22. Gerald’s Game
With his Doctor Sleep adaptation now in cinemas, Mike Flanagan has established himself as the latter-day top dog off Stephen King retellings. He gave us a taste of what he was capable of via his gruelling adaptation of the 1992 King novel about a woman (Carla Gugino) who ends up bound to a bed when her husband dies during a sex game. Don’t try this at a home – or anyone else for that matter – kids.
21. The Incredible Jessica James
Former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams is a revelation as a romantically adrift young playwright who tries to come to terms with a break up by projecting blinding over-confidence. She strikes up an unlikely chemistry with Chris O’Dowd’s awkward everyman – with results that achieve a rarefied mix of funny and sweet.
20. Bird Box
Sandra Bullock in a blindfold whispering to two terrified children might not sound like the stuff of blockbuster gold. Sci-fi horror Bird Box is certainly flawed. It also had the ill fortune to come out six months after the thematically adjacent A Quiet Place. Nonetheless, there’s an undeniable pulpy thrill to this tale of aliens that drive you mad on sight (hence the blind-folds). Keep an eye out, too, for a fantastic cameo from Tom Hollander.
19. Always Be My Maybe
Ali Wong and Randall Park play former childhood sweethearts from San Fransisco whose lives take very different paths after they consummate their friendship. She becomes a celebrity chef engaged to a dead-eyed property developer; he’s a home town schlub still living with his dad. Screwball antics ensue as their paths cross again. So far, so cliche. But there are enough surprises – and one hilarious cameo – to prevent Always Be My Maybe feeling hopelessly formulaic.
Magic realism comes to Netflix in this coming-of-age story set in Dakar, Senegal. Ada (Mame Bineta Sane) is betrothed to a wealthy man but then falls in love with construction worker Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré). When he vanishes her world is tipped head-over-heels. In truth, the bare-bone plot is merely the chassis upon which director Mati Diop drapes a hallucinatory romance and mystery with elements of the supernatural.
17. The Two Popes
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Price twinkle ecumenically in this two-hander about Pontiffs Benedict XVI (Hopkins) and Francis (Price) who are thrown together at a time of crisis for the Church. The two leads were nominated for Oscars, as was screenwriter Anthony McCarten, adapting his 2019 play of the same name.
16. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
Netflix has become an unexpected champion of the humble romcom and this was the movie that established its reputation in the genre. Lana Condor plays a shy high-school student who writes pretend letters to her crushes. But when the missives are stolen and made public, she feels obliged to enter a fake relationship in order to preserve her dignity. All your favourite romcom tropes are ticked off – but with a knowingness that falls satisfyingly short of cynical.
15. The Fundamentals of Caring
Paul Rudd takes a break from Ant-Man to play the carer of teenager Trevor (Craig Roberts), who has muscular dystrophy. A heart-warming road movie ensues as they somehow end up crossing America in the company of flinty hitchhiker Dot (Selena Gomez). Rudd’s likability is dialled all the way up in a feel-good weepie sure to shred the heartstrings.
14. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
King of motion capture Andy Serkis ropes in some famous pals – Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett. Benedict Cumberbatch etc – for a fang-baring tilt at Rudyard Kipling. Shunted back because of Disney’s own “live action” Jungle Book remake, this one is far grittier – a children’s movie with enough tooth and claw not to feel like a fairytale.
13. Dolemite Is My Name
Eddie Murphy puts in one of his best performances in years in this biopic about Blaxploitation comedian Rudy Ray Moore, whose potty-mouthed albums and movies in the mid Seventies were credited with helping invent hip hop. Moore’s “Dolemite” character was based on old black homeless man he encountered in San Fransisco and caused both a sensation and a scandal at the time. Murphy brings this complex figure to life with an alternately hilarious and affecting turn.
Lovecraftian weirdness by the bucketful from director Alex Garland. Natalie Portman heads a team of researchers venturing into a quarantined swampland where the laws of nature have been rebuilt from the cellular level up. Mind-bending body horror, with echoes of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
11. Beasts of No Nation
Cary Joji Fukunaga will shortly make his Bond debut with No Time To Die. But he was better known for directing original season of True Detective when his adaptation of Uzodinma Iweala’s Ghanian civil war novel was acquired by Netflix. It’s a nightmarish tale of child soldiers dehumanised by conflict, with Idris Elba chilling as the adult commander of the boy combatants.
Netflix has been churning out serviceable horror movies for several years now. This Wicker Man updating by The Raid director Gareth Evans features the standard feral yokels, to which he brings his own innovation via oceans of gore. Dan Stevens is a naive outsider who, in 1905, travels to a remote Welsh island hoping to locate his vanished sister. He discovers a cult headed by Michael Sheen’s crazed preacherman, a whole lot of trouble and something terrible hiding in the dark.
With Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite winning the Palme d’Or, what better moment to revisit his brilliantly weird and charming morality fable from 2017. Co-written with John Ronson, this is a by turns heart-warming and chilling story of a young girl (Ahn Seo-hyun) and her friendship with the titular bio-engineered super-pig. It sounds, and frequently is, bonkers but Joon-ho plays with our heartstrings as if manipulating a Stradivarius, while Tilda Swinton is outstanding as an evil tech messiah masquerading as an environmentalist.
8. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson head the cast in Noah Baumbach’s comedy drama about worldly Manhattanites struggling with their lives of sophisticated privilege. Baumbach is on solid ground marshalling the inter-familial tension. But he also reminds us why he’s a master at locating universal truths within the self-involved lives of neurotic Americans.
An unflinching survey of race and politics in the Southern United States immediately before and after the Second World War. Carey Mulligan and Mary J Blige head the cast, while Dee Rees guides the story with tremendous tautness. Mudbound was expected to receive a clean sweep of Oscar nominations in 2017. In the end it received just four, in relatively minor categories. The first rumblings of Hollywood’s hostility towards streaming and its impact on cinema?
6. Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler blazes like a diamond-drill in Josh and Benny Safdie’s sensory-rush drama about a jeweller and gambling addict trying to hold onto his sanity as his world comes crashing down. It’s an exhausting, sometimes overwhelming watch – but with Sandler as the audience’s lodestar, it’s a journey worth staying with.
5. Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach draws on the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Jason Leigh in this unflinching chronicling of a modern divorce. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are compelling as a couple who wake one morning to discover they’ve fallen out of love, while Laura Dern deservedly won an Oscar as Johansson’s force-of-nature attorney.
4. The Other Side of the Wind
For a reminder how unhinged film-making became in the Seventies, buckle up and lose yourself in this posthumous restoration of a never-completed Orson Welles movie from the period. What would have been Welles’s swansong is a maniacal, meta meditation on art and fame, with John Huston playing a buccaneering director – in essence, a heightened composite of himself and Welles. There are also parts for Peter Bogdanovich and Dennis Hopper. Welles’s editor, Bob Murawski, together with Bogdanovich and Welles’s daughter Beatrice, assembled the cut from 100 hours of footage. It only occasionally makes sense – but, as an experience, it’s unforgettable.
3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
When Netflix asked the Coen brothers to make a binge-friendly TV series, Hollywood’s quirkiest siblings obviously went their own way. This anthology movie features six stories set amid the Coens’ deeply quirky and revisionist take on the Old West. The spirit of their classic O Brother, Where Art Thou? is tapped enthusiastically, with Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco and Tom Waits heading the starry cast.
2. The Irishman
Teaming up with De Niro, Pacino and Joe Pesci, Martin Scorsese suggested The Irishman might be the cinematic event of the decade. There is certainly lots to love in this generations-spanning tale of hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro) and his relationship with union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) and his own daughter (Anna Paquin). True, the film isn’t quite a classic at the level of Goodfellas. The de-aging technology employed to turn the cast into thirtysomething gangsters feels rubbery and unconvincing. And the 209-minute running time left many viewers suffering numb bum. But it’s still Scorsese doing mobsters and unmistakably the work of a director reaching for a big artistic statement.
The privileged Mexico City childhood of director Alfonso Cuarón inspired his affecting, quasi-autobiographical treatise on class, privilege and love. Yalitza Aparicio is the semi-invisible maid to a wealthy family, her life a story of small moments unfolding against the backdrop of political upheaval. Netflix was denied its Best Picture Oscar but Cuarón was an uncontroversial pick for Best Director at the 2018 awards.


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regarding gas prices.
Europe is worse than most places, but the price of gas itself is not the issue. In Paris, gas costs $5.54 per gallon. Of that, 70% is in taxes. That's $3.88!
The highest price is in Amsterdam at $6.48 per gallon.
The best? Caracas, Venezuela - are you ready? - 12¢ per gallon!
no, i have no intention of moving to Caracas. Hugo scares me more than the Tsar...