"The author in his reasoning creates confusion in the rules of clothing allowances of officers, military personnel and contractual military service. To a certain credibility used quotes from dubious sources who do not know any terminology or understanding of the differences between subjects working uniforms, tropical uniforms, casual uniforms of sailors, "- he said. According to him, "the current working uniform of conscripts, consisting of sets of cotton navy blue caps and currently meets all the conditions of life on the ships."
"In 2008. for military personnel of all categories (from sailor to officer) was additionally introduced seafarers working uniform with reflective strips to work exclusively on the upper deck. It is moisture, retains heat and is used for mooring ships and other works on the upper deck with a view of adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, "- said the representative of the Navy.
"It is not true, and the author's article that caps and hats in the Navy will be replaced by knitted hats and berets", - he said.
"The officers' blue jacket with stand-up collar was introduced additionally in 2011, and not as a substitute for other items of uniforms, as stated in the article. The tunic is designed for officers and established itself over time as the subject of comfortable traditional form of clothing used while carrying ship or watch duty on the ship "- reminded the agency.
"Information about the poor conditions on the ships shape washing clothes is also not true," - said the representative of the Navy.
"When the ship docked in the base laundry work is carried out on a regular basis, outsourcing companies. While at sea wash uniforms and linen is made with special and household washing machines which are placed on the board, "- he recalled.
"The author of the article should know that the cleanliness and order on each ship of the Navy, regardless of his rank, historically built into the sacred tradition", - said the representative of the Navy.
"It can be concluded that the publication of a series of repeated incompetent and misleading publications military topics in this edition of", - said the representative of the Navy


Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Trucks and Trailers' started by Mclaughld, Feb 14, 2005.
Thanks for showing us the pic i have been waiting for them. It shows how much room the truck has when i can see equipment on it. Looks really really good actually better then a trailer. How is the snapper b/c most people dont talk about them much and what do they cost. Are you going to put your name on the trucks? Which mower do u use on a .25 acre or less lot. Can u use that snapper when the grass is wet like after a rain.
Actually the snapper ended up in that picture because the client had watered their grass earlier that morning and with the fear of leaving big tracks in the lawn my crew decided to use the 2 hondas instead of the snapper.
Snapper has been great for us. It's not a dual hydro and both the Wright representative and the Snapper rep. advised me not to put a sulky on it...well after I got on the sulky at the dealer and whipped around the lot a couple of times they were amazed at how well it turned. I made such an impression they sold one to the guy in the parking lot that was walking out with just the same snapper.
I will put some type of signage on the vehicle but not sure just yet.
My guys will use the snapper as much as they possibly can. It takes a ton of time off their schedule. If they can squeeze it around the lawn, they will use it.
Ant - Nice trucks. Do they have the V6 in them? How many accounts do you service? Do you have a similar business model as TJ, low overhead and budget price mowing?
I have been looking for a late model dakota with a I-4 that has been totaled from a t-boning in the bed area or a hard rear end colision, I want to cut the bed off of it, and chop the frame off about 12" behind the cab and build a solid 2"x5" tube frame that extends out 10', go with a stock drive axle and have a drop idler axle behind that, then buy a 6x12 landscape trailer and cut the suspention off of it and the tounge too and bolt it to the chassis, extend the ramp gate 2-3' and BAM instant <$5k lawn care truck that is capable of getting 20+ mPG and can still haul 2 52" ztr's or whatever I can load on the back, it is one less set of tires, one less license plate I have to buy, one less trailer I have to insure
Are you adding another axel? A dakota can't handle 3,000 lbs in the back (stock atleast).
the trucks are V6. We have enough accounts to keep our trucks busy and continue to add about 10 new accounts a week. We run tight overhead. I was an auditor for a big 4 accounting firm before doing lawn maintenance. We have a good mix of small residential clients and larger residential clients. Our main push is the small residential clients but we fit in the larger accounts as well.
yes, adding a second drop axle on airbags like a dump truck
Anyone know why I cannot see Ant Knee's pictures in his posts???????
At the time this Ant knee posted pictures on this thread I was able to view them and several others.
Can anyone else view Ant knees pictures?
All I can see is a RED X.


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text:
For the past three years, the Yan family has run Beijing Dumpling, an authentic Chinese dumpling shop in Binghamton. But as they neared the end of their lease, they spotted a space available near Rochester, and it was so beautiful they couldn’t pass it up.
The family recently opened Yanhuang Gourmet next to Eagle Vale Golf Club; the space at 4400 Fairport-Nine Mile Point Road in Perinton was previously home to Thai Mii Up.
The restaurant has two inviting dining rooms separated by a spacious bar. A 16-seat outdoor deck provides an idyllic vantage point for dining outdoors and watching the golfers pass by in their carts.
The Yan family is originally from Beijing, China. Zhengxuan Yan, the mother, along with her son, Yunzhi, immigrated to Seattle in 2014. Yingquan Yan, the father, along with his son Lizhi Yan, arrived two years later. Lizhi is now 18, and goes by the name David.
After Seattle, they landed in Rochester before moving to Binghamton. Yunzhi Yan, the older son, currently owns and runs Seasons’ Noodle in the Columbus Building on Chestnut Street downtown.
David notes that most Chinese restaurants in America seem to share a common menu. Instead, the family is forgoing big sellers such as General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken to focus on dishes that are authentic to Beijing.
That’s why they chose to use “Yanhuang” in the restaurant’s name. It refers to Yan and Huang, two legendary leaders from ancient times; they are regarded as the fathers of Chinese people. Not only does Yanhuang contain their surname, it also conveys that their approach is true to the original, David Yan said.
Its signature dish is scratch-made handmade dumplings, which had a large following in Binghamton. (Once they are settled in the new restaurant, they plan to make frozen dumplings to sell to their loyal customers in Binghamton.)
Zhengxuan Yan learned to make dumplings as a young girl in China. Together with Liu Yang, each woman can make 1,500 dumplings a day, including making the dumpling wrappers from scratch.
Six fillings are available; some of the more popular are vegetable; pork and chives; and pork and Napa cabbage. They may be ordered steamed, fried and in soup. The steamed and fried dumplings are served with two sauces, one savory and one mildly spicy.
The menu also offers appetizers, noodle dishes and main courses. If you wish to explore the cuisine beyond dumplings, a great place to start is a noodle dish.
Beijing zhajiang noodles ($12.99) is a dish that is ubiquitous in Beijing. Homemade noodles, similar in texture and thickness to lo mein, are coated with zhajiang, a thick, fragrant, salty and lightly sweet sauce, and served with ground pork and slivers of fresh cucumbers. Shrimp and vegetable fried noodles ($13.99) have similar noodles and are served with shrimp and tender-crisp leaves of baby bok choy. Both noodle dishes are garnished with tart pickled vegetables that refresh the palate.
The restaurant offers a vegetarian and vegan menu. It offers gluten-free items as well; discuss options with your server.
The family has applied for its liquor license and will begin serving alcohol as soon as soon as the license is secured.
Where: 4400 Fairport-Nine Mile Point Road, Perinton.
Takeout: Delivery is available for an $8 fee.
Dine-in: Call (585) 598-3114 for reservations. David Yan noted that like other restaurants in Rochester, they have struggled to find staffing. Until that situation is resolved, diners should be prepared for a wait at popular times.
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Close don Mondays.
Parking: The building has plenty of free parking.
Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter as well as storytelling coach for the USA Today Network’s Storytellers Project. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram as @RahChaChow. Thanks to our subscribers for supporting local journalism.

domain: food


text:
Via Anderson Copper 360°
One Fund Boston
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston’s Mayor Tom Menino says the city has established ‘One Fund Boston’. “At times like this we are one state, one city and once people,” Governor Patrick said. Boston based insurance company John Hancock has already committed $1 million to the fund, which will raise money for families most affected by the bombings.
Donate to Onefundboston.org
The Red Cross
If you have not yet connected with your loved ones who were running the race, or if you were on the scene and haven’t let your loved ones know where you are, please use the Red Cross’s Safe and Well website. The Red Cross also has valuable information about dealing with an emotional crises.
Governor Patrick said there is a need for blood on a sustained basis. Anyone wishing to give blood should keep checking with local hospitals and organizations like the Red Cross in the near future to see where the need may be and where to donate.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army deployed canteen trucks to the area to provide food. Officers have been dispatched to assist those in need.
“The Salvation Army continues to assist those impacted by the Boston Marathon explosions,” Maj. Ivan Rock said. “Canteens were positioned at various sites throughout the city, including the Unified Command Post, the Family Assistance Center and Kenmore Square. An additional canteen roved throughout the impacted area supplying food, snacks and beverages to those in need. The Salvation Army will remain on site at the Family Assistance Center, located at the Park Plaza Castle as long as support is needed.”
Rock continued, “The runners, their families, and the first responders also received emotional and spiritual care from 12 Salvation Army officers and 23 Salvation Army staff volunteers. Eight Salvation Army officers were deployed to various hospitals throughout the Boston area offering pastoral care as needed.”
The Salvation Army has established a specific fund for the victims in Boston and you can donate to it here.
Boston Children’s Hospital
Ten of the victims were taken to Boston’s Children’s Hospital. The hospital is updating its website with news as it becomes available. Follow @BostonChildrens on Twitter for updates.
The Children’s Hospital website also has useful resources for guidance on how to talk to children after a tragedy.
Donate to Boston’s Children’s Hospital
Utilize social media
People often turn to Twitter for quick ways to connect. If you are in the Boston area and are looking for organizations seeking volunteers, or if you are far away but want to keep up with ways o help, follow the hashtag #BostonHelp on Twitter.
You also can also follow @CNNImpact or Impact Your World on Facebook as well as their website.

domain: sociology


BANGKOK- Thailand's caretaker government rejected a call by the election commission to postpone the Feb 2 polls, after clashes between protesters and police left one policeman dead and scores injured.
"The February 2 election will go ahead," Acting Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said in a televised address. "There is no law allowing the government to delay the election."
The issue has plunged ASEAN's second-largest economy into deeper political uncertainty three weeks after street protests forced then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to dissolve the House of Representatives and seek a fresh mandate.
Violence broke out yesterday after anti-government protesters, who want the election to be postponed pending political reforms, tried to enter Bangkok stadium. It is being used as a registration centre for political parties registering their party lists.
After warning them, police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to repel the invasion while protesters hurled rocks and bottles. In the ensuing melee, one policeman died after being shot in the chest. By about 3pm yesterday, 66 were injured, said the Erawan Emergency Centre.
Both police and protesters accused each other of using excessive violence. Spokesman Akanat Promphan for the self-titled People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) said: "The police attacked the anti-government protesters."
Still, the election commission (EC) yesterday managed to allocate to 30 political parties the order in which they would appear on the ballot paper. Its commissioners were later evacuated by helicopter from the stadium.
The EC has not changed the venue for party-list registrations despite a blockade by anti-government protest groups from Monday. Its five commissioners issued a statement yesterday urging the caretaker government to postpone the polls until both sides in the conflict reach an agreement.
It said: "The violence would be more serious if the election goes on", adding that they were ready to mediate talks between the government and protesters.
If nothing was done to ease tensions, each commissioner would act according to his own discretion, the statement said.
The call sparked an angry response from caretaker Interior Minister and Puea Thai party leader Jarupong Ruangsuwan, who said yesterday: "The election commission has a duty to carry out the whole process."
The latest developments have cast a pall over the registration of election candidates for individual constituencies, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow.
Yesterday's violence was the second major confrontation between police and protesters in the two-month-long bid to topple the Puea Thai party-led government. The protest is backed by royalists, the urban middle class and old money, as well as many from southern Thailand - a stronghold of the opposition Democrat party which is boycotting the polls.
The PDRC wants to rid Thailand of the influence of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Yingluck's brother. He is seen as holding power behind the scenes despite having lived in self-exile abroad to evade a jail sentence for corruption. Thaksin remains popular among the masses in Thailand's populous north-east, which guarantees the Puea Thai party a win in the Feb 2 polls.
The tycoon, said a Bangkok Post report, recently urged all his family members to adopt a "low profile". Ms Yingluck is the top candidate in Puea Thai's party list for the upcoming polls, and Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat is second on the list.
The protesters want political reforms under a "people's assembly" before elections are called.
Ms Yingluck, meanwhile, has suggested reforms to be undertaken by the new government immediately after the Feb 2 polls, with an agenda set by a "national reform council" drawn from a group of 2,000 representatives of various professions.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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Selena Gomez is in a “really good place.”
The 27-year-old singer is preparing to release her next album – the follow up to 2015’s ‘Revival’ – towards the end of the year and is looking forward to her fans hearing it because she’s feeling positive and ready to share what she’s been through.
A source told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Selena is in a really good place. She just celebrated her birthday in Italy and is really enjoying this time off before things ramp up again. Selena has been working on new music and plans to release some this year. The new music is going to be a different side of Selena and very personal. Selena has gone through a lot over the years and is ready to share it with the world.”
The brunette beauty’s new LP will touch on the “huge moments” in her life including a kidney transplant, a stint in rehab to address her mental health issues and break-ups with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd.
Selena said recently: “It took me four years now to even feel at a good place with this album, and it’s just because I had such huge moments that happened in my life personally that [it was like] how was I going to capture that and how was I actually going to feel good about what I was saying? So, I kept going and I’m relieved now.”
Meanwhile, the ‘Wolves’ hitmaker – who has one of the most followed Instagram accounts in the world – recently insisted that although it’s an “amazing platform”, spending too much time online can leave young people “exposed”.
She said: “For my generation specifically, social media has been terrible.
“I understand that it’s amazing to use as a platform but it does scare me when you see how exposed these young girls and boys are. I think it’s dangerous for sure.”

domain: celebrity


text:
It's not easy trying to take a
pic of yourself.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio (and surrounding
Member of the GPAA
93' Ford Ranger 289,000 miles currently08'
F150 SuperCab 4wd
of the UAW Local 402 Springfield,
Copyright(c) 2000-2009 gehring-ent.com. All rights reserved.

domain: geography


text:
The hometown airport of the Pikes Peak region, Colorado Springs is known for its convenience, comfort and friendly neighborhood feel. It’s a great option for residents traveling outbound, as well as visitors and meeting/convention attendees coming into town.
Colorado Springs already includes four major carriers, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier and United. On March 11, 2021, Southwest Airlines® joins the roster bringing even more flights and fare options to Colorado Springs travelers. Curious what this addition means for the region? Here are the top benefits and what you can expect.
- Added convenience. COS Airport is already known for its convenience due to its proximity to downtown, close and affordable parking, short walk to the gate and uncrowded, safe environment. The addition of another major carrier means travelers can choose from their favorite airlines and book the best possible flight.
- More flights and fare options. Beginning March 11, 2021, Southwest will fly nonstop to five destinations from COS with a total of 13 flights per day. Routes include Chicago (Midway), Dallas (Love Field), Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Added competition for flights should lead to more competitive fares with Denver.
- Bigger domestic network. Southwest Airlines® has the largest domestic network of all carriers, serving 157 airports across the U.S. With the Colorado Springs market added, it will complement Southwest’s service in Denver, providing convenient access to the full Southwest Airlines network and new options that don’t currently exist.
- Economic boost. Increased usage of the COS Airport increases airline efficiency, raises revenues and helps lower costs, making it even easier for air carriers to be profitable in the region. It will also allow the region to reach a new sector of visitors and residents who exclusively use Southwest as their airline of choice and didn’t previously book through COS.
- Southwest love. Southwest will bring even more love to COS with benefits like low fares, no change fees and up to two bags checked for free. For a limited time, the new routes are discounted even further. Travelers can book now for March 11 trips at https://coloradosprings.gov/flycos.
(Disclaimer: Failure to cancel a reservation at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure may result in forfeited travel funds. No change fees, but fare difference may apply. First and second checked bags are free. Weight and size limits apply.)


text:
A Handbook of Rune Magic
by Edred Thorsson
"The runes embody the greatest and the smallest secrets of nature, and they are themselves the keys to those secrets - for they are indeed the secrets themselves."
This complete book of rune instruction includes rune history and lore, its basis in metaphysical thought and mysticism, complete definitions of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, and the etymology, phonetic value and interpretation of each rune. The reader is shown how to perform chants and rituals using runic energy, how to sign and send runes, and given suggestions for runic meditation. The author's presentation of this powerful system is lucid and profound, and provides a valuable tool for spiritual transformation and self-development.
This is a great book for the serious rune worker. It covers magickal meanings and applications for each of the runes. It also has many chapters about ritual and magick for runic studies. Highly recommended. - 13 Moons

domain: literature


text:
Won’t be long now
One of the most heavily rumored and requested characters for Street Fighter 5 for years of the game’s life, and now we know when her return to the grand stage will be coming.
Alongside her big gameplay showcase at the Spring Update event, Capcom also announced Rose’s official release date for SF5, and she’s coming within the next few weeks.
Rose will be hitting SF5 in just 13 days with her release date set for Monday, April 19 though that’s not all coming to the fighting game on that day.
The upcoming fighter is said to have five costumes in total incoming though the only one we got to see during the stream was for her traditional dress that looks like an updated version of the one she wore in her arcade ending of Street Fighter Alpha 2.
They did not confirm whether or not all of her outfits will be available on launch day or if she’ll only have the standard story and battle costumes out the gate to choose from.
For those looking to pick up the game in its fifth year, Capcom is holding a special sale promotion until April 29 with the base game discounted to $8, $20.09 for Champion Edition and $14.99 for the Champion Edition Upgrade Kit on PlayStation 4.
Rose will be available for purchase separately for $5.99 or as part of the Season 5 Character Pass for $24.99. The Premium Pass is $39.99 and comes bundled with everything from the Character Pass plus bonus character Eleven and additional costumes.
Rose’s release timing matches up to what we previously predicted, as Capcom seems to have followed a similar window as to what they did for Dan following the Winter Update stream.
The Spring Update stream went over all of Rose’s moves including her specials and entire V-System as well as some complete rounds from actual gameplay, so we’ll have a full breakdown of absolutely everything shown coming shortly from our own resident Rose superfan Jonathan ‘Catalyst’ Grey.

domain: game


text:
Summer is just around the corner and even here in the usually cooler Pacific Northwest, we’re seeing temperatures climbing into the eighties. What does that mean? Time for the annual reminder of warm weather safety with your dogs.
First and foremost, don’t leave your dog in the car when it is warm out. I know, you were just running into the store for a minute, but that is no excuse. The inside of a car gets very hot, very fast, even with the windows cracked. (And don’t be an idiot if you come across a dog in a car on a hot day. I have seen dogs with some incredible AC systems in their car kennels, so make sure a dog is actually in need of assistance before you rush to the rescue and break someone’s window.)
Don’t quit training during summer months, but keep your sessions short. Train your dog during hours when it is cooler, such as early mornings or later evenings. This goes for walks, too. If you have a working dog, or have to have your dog out during the warmer parts of the day, acclimate your dog to it. If he spends all morning in a nice air conditioned house, then goes out into an 85* day, it is going to be hard on his system.
Make sure your dog always has clean, cool water available. This goes for you and your dog. Hydrate!
If you’re outside, make sure there is a shady spot he can rest.
Avoid hot surfaces, such as asphalt, that can burn your pet’s paws. Remember the basic rule that if the ground is too hot for the back of your hand, it is too hot for your dog’s paws.
Keep your dog well groomed and brush out dead excess hair, but don’t shave a dog that should keep its coat. That does more harm than good.
Finally know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke in both your dog and people. I have seen handlers paying so much attention to their dog’s needs they ignore their own signs of distress.
A few other precautions as the temperatures get warmer:
If you take your dogs swimming, know their limitations. Pay attention when your dog is in the water, even at a pool. If they get tired or nervous, they may forget how to get out. Be aware of water conditions and hazards if you are at a lake or river. Never let them drink unclean water or chlorinated pool water.
Summer brings out the bugs that can cause serious problems for your pup, so stay up to date with your flea and tick preventatives as well as heartworm protection. There is almost no area in the US where heartworm cases are not on the rise.
So, take appropriate precautions both with the heat and the ongoing COVID pandemic, and get out there and do something with your dog.Happy summer!

domain: pet


how do I make my player shoot in 4 directions like zelda on the nes
you can use one of the @jngthree games as example:
open the editor and explore the player behaviours!
Temple Explorer 2 is pretty old, but it will be easier to salvage stuff on the V2 engine.
Even though this way it will look out of whack, but the behaviors will be copyable because it’ll use the new engine.
Feel free to use any behaviors you like


Pressure reducing valve for controlling the upstream, downstream pressure p2 applicable for liquids, steam and gases up to 350°C.
The valve closes when the downstream pressure rises.
- Self-operated proportional regulator without
- auxiliary energy
- Nominal diameter DN 15…100
- Nominal pressure PN 16…40
- Globe valve with flanges
- single seat unbalanced / balanced
- Valve body made of GP-240-GH or stainless steel 1.4408
- Reduced Kvs-values are standard
- Set points from 0,05 bar … 15 bar
- Control connection external
Actuators + springs are simply exchangeable
Installation and maintenance manuals


These Miami and Atlanta natives pump up the wobble on the Jay Z classic.
Tag Archives | jay-z
Last night Beyoncé and Jay Z kicked off their On The Run Tour in Miami. The couple switched back and forth between their respective songs over the course of a sprawling 43-song performance. Check out some photos above and the epic setlist below. 01. “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” 02. “Upgrade U” 03. “Crazy In Love” [...]
Mr. and Mrs. Carter kicked off their On the Run Tour in Miami last night and Rap-Up comes through with quality footage of Hov and B’s co-headlining tour. More after the jump. Previously: Video: JAY Z & Beyoncé – Run (Trailer)
To cap off the NBA season in championship style, we fielded an All Star team of rappers and NBA players that even the most merciless haters can’t help but embrace.
Ciph and Peter get Sadat. He tells stories about Brand Nubian and Biggie, Pac & Jay. I haven’t listened to this yet but looking forward to going through it. Previously: Sadat X ft. Cormega & Lanelle Tyler – On Fire


Name: Cecily Meza-Martinez
Twitter Handle: @ItsCecilyYall
Job Title: Audio & Technical Resource Specialist on the News Operations Desk
Where You're From: Santa Ana, California
An Inside Look:
You're a Audio & Technical Resource Specialist. What does that mean?
I provide any and all audio for all the shows, reporters and live, special coverage. I manage the audio recording requests, quality, logistics and execution of all audio that is needed. I support and launch any logistics needed for special coverage. I also provide support to all remote and in-house reporters, manage the studio usage for in-house production and external clients, such as Member stations. On top of the many daily tasks News Operations takes on—we stay busy here on the third floor!
How did you get started here? What advice do you have for someone who wants a job like yours?
I started as an intern with the Arts Desk in Fall 2014—one of the most creative and talented bunches in this building! I went back to California to finish my last semester of college then took a huge leap and moved to the east coast for some temp work at NPR. I bounced around between News Operations, Morning Edition and Programming and landed a full-time permanent position after about six months at News Ops. Some advice: DO NOT STOP HUSTLING. There is tons of work here in this building and you never know what could pop up. Just keep emailing, checking in, and standing out.
What's your favorite #NPRLife moment? What are some cool things you've worked on?
I worked on Media Row during the Democratic National Convention during the summer of 2016 and engineered live and pre-produced segments for our member stations and NPR newsmagazines.
What's on your desk?
I have tons of Drake merchandise. I'm a big fan and have him pinned all over my desk. I also have post cards of the recent places I've traveled, media credentials, campaign swag, wine and a Cowboys pennant. Cheat sheets galore too—a lot having to do with News Ops related work.
Favorite Tiny Desk?
T-Pain and Gucci Mane! Fingers crossed that we can get Drake up in here.
First thing you do when you get to the office?
Drop off my purse, get my breakfast out and get ready for what the news day has in store. I spend much of my morning reading the wires and events happening in DC while puzzling the pieces together of what audio coverage we can get for reporters and desks.
What were you doing before NPR?
I worked at In N Out Burger! I lived and traveled with them to open up new markets in California, Arizona and Texas. I also interned in D.C. at Talk Radio News Service, which is now known as Talk Media News.
What are you inspired by right now?
I feel inspired every day with a motivational song and artist to get me through the work day, work out and to the weekend. Currently: G-Eazy, Rotimi, 50 Cent and Drake are my music inspirations to get me through the week.
How do you destress from the daily news cycle?
Bad reality TV, ESPN and my regular TV shows on repeat: Power, Being Mary Jane, American Horror Story, and The Walking Dead.
What do you love about public radio?
It's free—and many of my family and friends, who have never heard of NPR until I started working here, now listen!


text:
One-time sports reporter Abby Hornacek has signed up as a travel and lifestyle host on its subscription-based streaming service, Fox Nation.
Eh, some folks have a lifestyle, some have a life.
She’ll first pop up on Super Bowl Sunday as host of a promotional special “Fox Nation: In Depth,” (an oxymoronic title if ever there was one) which will air during halftime of the Big Game.
The special will promote Fox Nation to absolutely no one’s surprise.
Once past that, Hornacek, a former ESPNer and Fox Sports sideline reporter, will host two new shows: One will be travel-focused and one of those “behind the scenes” looks at national landmarks.
And, just what you have been pining for, she’ll also host a “ride to work” series, where she will pick up various Fox Nation personalities and interview them during their commutes to work.
If the last name sounds familiar, she is the daughter of Utah Jazz legend and former New York Knicks head coach, Jeff Hornacek.

domain: entertainment


text:
Taiwan Museum of Art
National Museum of Natural Science
The city that will be your home for the next few months is located in Central Taiwan, on the west coast. Check out the following sites for more information.
Taichung Tourism Bureau
TISC, Taichung Branch 4/F, #216 Min-quan Rd., Taichung
Taichung is regarded as the Cultural Capital of Taiwan and has two interesting museums, the Taiwan Museum of Art at #2, Wu-quan West Road and the National Museum of Natural Science on Xi-tun Road (second entrance on Guan-qian Road). The first is a big place with 24 exhibition rooms and it's worth it to check regularly if there isn't any interesting being shown. You'll find sculptures, Western as well as Chinese paintings and once in a while even 'installations' on exhibit. The gift shop has interesting publications and artefacts at normal prices. Open from 09:00 to 17:00.
The Science Museum, a place where amusement and museum meet, is divided into three parts with separate admission fees: the Science Center, with experimental equipment and an audio-visual room costs only NT$ 10; the Space Theater costs NT$ 100 (NT$ 70 with student card); tickets for the Life Science Hall and the other exhibitions cost NT$ 100. A ticket for the 3-D Theater has to be bought separately, but it is worth its NT$ 70 and the (generally short) waiting line; they show really impressive stuff there. A handy English brochure of 56 pages costs only NT$ 25. There are other English publications available and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Open from 09:00 to 17:00, but you may indeed need an entire day to stroll through the whole place. Jam-packed on Sundays and official holidays. To be avoided then.
Not too far from the Museum of Art, on Ying-cai Road, you can find the Taichung Municipal Cultural Center. It regularly features good exhibitions about a variety of subjects (bonsai trees, woodcarving, the graduating art department of Tunghai University, . . .). The library seems to be very well documented, but is mainly interesting for the local residents due to the lack of foreign language publications. Admission is normally free. All three are closed on Mondays as most museums worldwide.
As in every Chinese community there is a wide variety of temples to be found in Taichung. The most renowned are the unadorned Confucius Temple on Shuang-shi Road and the Bao Jue Temple on Jian-xing Road with its famous pot-belly Buddha, the only Zen-temple in the city. Strewn all over the city are numerous examples of heavily ornamented Tao-temples or less decorated Buddhist temples and shrines.
There are several big and small parks to enjoy in Taichung. Probably the most famous is Taichung Park downtown with its lagoon for rowing boats. There also is a stage towards the back that always features some form of entertainment albeit a woman singing with a Karaoke machine. All types of Chinese society pass through the park's gates so it's a good people watching place. On Sundays, especially, it gets crowded with families taking a stroll or old men playing mahjong, but toward nightfall it gets a little seamy. Best to head out by then.
Calligraphy Greenwaycomes in 3.6 kilometers, ranging north from National Museum of Natural Science to National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in the south. It’s an urban space structure shaped in a kind of long and wide stripe. Along the stripped space, National Museum of Natural Science, Civil Square, Park Lane by CMP, gallery space, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and food court are gathered here to offer a variety of merry events, activities, etc., upbeat spirits, fun in all forms. That’s why this urban space is named Calligraphy Greenway owing to that the atmosphere, tempo, and movement of those events within it are free, flexible that’s just like the cursive writing of Chinese calligraphy.
The Taichung Folklore Park (#73, Section 2, Lu-shun Rd.), close to the intersection of Wen-xin Rd. and Cong-de Rd., is a nice re-creation of a traditional Chinese village of years ago with some craftsmen present and working. There's a rudimentary folklore museum in the basement of the traditional Chinese house in the right corner. The Arts and Crafts shops sell typical souvenirs. Your student ID from Feng Chia University can qualify you for a student discount (only NT$ 20), so bring it with you here as well as when you go to other cultural places. Open Tuesday through Friday from 09:00 to 17:30 and the weekends from 09:00 to 19:00.
On the outskirts of town to the east, where the hills meet the plain, is Da-keng Park with its challenging hiking trails (eight all together now) and interesting playground with barbecue facilities, an amusement park and water world, and Encore Gardens, which features nightly sound and light shows. If you like to see water dancing to traditional Chinese ballads and pop hits, then this is your place. Avoid the Da-keng trails on Sundays (unless at the break of dawn) if you don't want to walk and climb in an endless line.
The Feng-le Sculpture Park is a relatively addition to the city's tourist attractions. With its arched bridges, waterfall, artificial lake, kids' playground, activity center, walking paths and of course the 52 pieces of statues, the result from previous outdoors competition, this area is a nice oasis of green and calm. (intersection of Wen-xin South Road and Yong-chun E. 1st Road).
As said before, if you really want to stay in touch with what goes on in and around Taichung, your best bet is to get a copy of the Compass magazine or to log on to the website, which now also has started to cover almost all of Taiwan.
There are many gorgeous towns and areas to visit in Taiwan, and you'll have many opportunities to get out of Taichung on the weekends. Traveling is easy, cheap and convenient. Take advantage of the free weekends and holidays because there are so many incredible sights to see.
Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan and easily accessible from Taichung. Though the city has a bad reputation for being an overcrowded and seriously polluted place with miserable rain most of the times, it has a few good sides too. A real highlight is the National Palace Museum, which features some of the most magnificent cultural treasures including artifacts from ancient times to modern, calligraphy works, paintings, an outstanding jade collection, bronze statues, etc. The list goes on, but the point is that you've got to visit this place. It will be a day or an afternoon well spent, guaranteed. The exhibited items are regularly rotated, so you may find different artefacts the next time you go. We visit the museum on one of our cultural trips.
Taipei 101, the tallest building until 2007, is a must see especially on New Years' Eve where the largest, most extravagant fireworks show is displayed. Imagine a 101 floor building setting off thousands of fireworks at once for a minute!
There are also a lot of well known hot springs in the outskirts of Taipei, primarily in the Yangmingshan, Peitou, and Wulai areas
Living in Taichung provides easy access to a number of worthwhile places you can visit for either overnight or just for the day. The travel guides provide information about the scenic spots in the area and give details about getting there and away. Just to mention a few:
The Cross Island Highway begins outside of Taichung, and winds its way through the central mountain range ending up in Hualian, a fairly small, easygoing city (in comparison with Taichung) on the East coast. Along this highway are many places to visit including:
You could consider to combine your stay here with some travel throughout South-east Asia, either for a visa trip after six months or after you finish your studies. Here are a few suggestions about places to visit.
These are just a few places. Talking to your classmates and referring to a reliable guide such as the Lonely Planet guide is a good bet.
It is advisable to book a ticket early enough, because more and more Taiwanese discover the pleasures of traveling abroad and take off for example for the Chinese New Year holiday and during July and August.
Traveling to China is a great way to practice the Chinese you have been studying at the Feng Chia Chinese Language Center. It is a very inexpensive place to travel (outside cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou – though even in these cities, bargains can be found) and is generally safe. Unfortunately, due to the political situation between Taipei and Beijing, there are no direct flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. With the KMT returning to the office after a landslide victory in the 2008 presidential election, President Ma Yin-jiu vows to establish direct air links between Taiwan and China to boost both economic and social ties. We'll just have to wait and see.
As it is right now, to get to China, the best way is to fly either through Hong Kong or Macau. From there, you can either take a plane to nearly anywhere in the Mainland (except Tibet) or you can take a train from Kowloon in Hong Kong to Guangdong Province.
In China itself, you can get around on a very comprehensive train system. Problem is that purchasing tickets is easier in some places than others. Shanghai has a special ticket office for foreigners where they speak English and reserve hard to get tickets for their ‘foreign friends’. You had better have your foreign passport with you or they won’t sell you the tickets. In Ji’nan, on the other hand, even if you speak fluent Chinese, unless you want to go to other places in Shandong Province or to Bejing, it is almost impossible to get tickets unless you have connections or use a travel agent to get the tickets.
Once you get your tickets, two things are highly recommended to bring along with you on the train. First, a mug. Hot water is available on every train, and when I say hot, I mean hot! It is free. Second, tea. It is a wonderful way to make acquaintances among your neighbors on the train (and give you increased opportunities to practice your Chinese). It will also put you in their good graces for the entire trip. Almost invariably, as a foreigner who speaks Chinese, the people will clamor to ask you questions. Quite often, Chinese passengers consider themselves fortunate to be near a Chinese-speaking foreigner because, for many, it is their only contact with the outside world.
Long distance busses are also an option, but unless the trip is a short one (i.e. Changchun to Jilin) or trains are not an option, this is not recommended. The ride will almost certainly be one of the roughest you have ever been on. In addition, if you don’t like cigarette smoke (most Chinese men are heavy smokers), ‘no smoking’ rules are almost never enforced. Even on trains, you may have to ask an attendant to enforce the rules, but they generally will once you point it out to them.
Of course, planes are an option. However, besides their steep price tag, you also miss out on the opportunities for interaction with ordinary Chinese that you will have on the train. You won’t see too many peasants taking a plane from place to place, they generally take the train.
Beijing is the capital of Mainland China and has been so off and on (mostly on) since the Yuan Dynasty. As a result, Beijing contains many of China’s national treasures. The Palace Museum (gugong) is a must see, especially if you were as enraptured by the film “The Last Emperor” as many others were. Better known as the Forbidden City, many parts were in the process of restoration just a few years ago and should be even more spectacular than it was then.
Another must see is Tian’anmen and Tian’anmen Square (Tian’anmen Guangchang). Tian’anmen means “Gate of Heavenly Peace”, though as we all know, it wasn’t so peaceful during the spring of 1989. The Square itself, across the street from the Palace Museum, is the largest public square in the world. You will also find the tomb of Mao Zedong, though if you visit it, I wouldn’t brag about it to the Kuomintang old-timers when you return to Taiwan.
An oft overlook gem in the city is Beihai Park (Beihai Gongyuan). Through the gentle climb to the summit where you will see a traditional Chinese temple, you will be met with traditional Chinese architecture and nice shady areas. It is a nice, relaxing stroll, especially if you go during the week and the top offers a spectacular view of the city as well as the Palace Museum. It isn’t mobbed with foreign tourists like many other landmarks in Beijing are.
Of course, if you are in Bejing, you must visit the Great Wall (chang cheng). There are at least three sections that have been restored and are easily accessible from the city by bus. There are many other sections that have not been restored. Generally, the best way to get to these areas is by taxi (though it can be a bit on the expensive side because the wall goes through the northern outskirts of the city).
If you only eat once in Beijing, you must eat Beijing Duck (Beijing kaoya). Ask locals were you can get good Beijing Duck, because there is a wide variance in the quality of the duck.
Shanghai has replaced Shenzhen as the economic capital of China (not counting Hong Kong of course). Shanghai has enjoyed an incredible transformation over the past thirteen years from a sleepy metropolis to a bustling city beginning to relive its rather seedy past. If you are looking for Chinese culture, you may want to pass this city by or only spend one or two days there. Unfortunately, the city is rapidly losing its soul.
If you do make a stop in the city, make sure you visit the Bund (waitan). It is along the west bank of the Huangpu River on Sun Yatsen East Road (Zhongshan Dong Lu). You will be astounded by the mixture of modern neon lights and colonial-era European buildings from the days when Shanghai was the playground of the British, French, and other Europeans. From there, talk a walk along Nanjing Road. Sample more colonial-era architecture and take a look at the shops along the road. Foreigners and non-local Chinese (waidiren as they are known, rather derogatively in Shanghai) love to shop on this street, but the locals will tell you that Huaihai Road is the place to shop in Shanghai. Better yet, save your shopping for Hong Kong, as many Shanghainese do. When you get to Tibet Road (Xizang Lu), take a left and walk a couple of blocks to the People’s Square (Remin Guangchang). People’s Square is the hangout spot in Shanghai. The Shanghai museum is there. Across the street is the building for the Shanghai government, a rather ugly structure, especially compared to the beautiful, albeit ultra-modern, performing arts center right next door on the left.
Shanghai food is nothing to write home about. However, the best fare can be found on Yellow River Road (Huanghe Lu) and Yunnan South Road (Yunnan Nan Lu). The one Shanghai dish that is recommended is called Xiaolongbao. You will find it at Xiaochidian throughout the city. You will also find some quality Uyghur restaurants in the city if you want to try some delicious lamb without traveling to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Shanghai’s nightlife is unrivaled in the Mainland and is quickly re-establishing itself as one of the most seedy cities in Asia (though it is still quite far behind Bangkok). There are many discos and bars throughout the city, though the most popular with foreigners are along Maoming Road. Prostitution has also become visible in many of the higher-class establishments in the city.
Many countries maintain consulates in the city, so if you are in the area (Nanjing, Hangzhou among others) and you need consular services, Shanghai would be the place to visit for many nationalities.
Guangzhou is the capital of the southern province of Guangdong. It has been for centuries one of China’s most open cities and has long been exposed to the outside world. This will explain their sophistication in their dealings with foreigners (though even they haven’t fully recovered from the decades where China was closed to most of the Western world).
Take a stroll along the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang). Sections of it offer surprising serenity in an otherwise bustling city. Take a bus or a taxi to White Cloud Mountain (Baiyunshan). Every Guangdongese knows it, one of their soccer teams is named after it, and it offers beautiful views of the city (except during the summer when the city is shrouded in smog.) Without a doubt, the winter is the best time to visit this city with temperatures in the mid to high 20s, common even at Christmas.
Guangzhou has some wonderful night markets, though be prepared to haggle for prices. Knowledge of Cantonese would help here, but Mandarin should suffice for the overwhelming majority of shops. This would also be a good place to try some local desserts, famous throughout China.
A large number of countries have consulates in Guangzhou.
Most recently the capital of China until 1949 (unless you consult certain maps in Taiwan which still list it as the capital), Nanjing offers a wealth of places to visit. If you are interested in Chinese culture and history, this is a far better place to visit than nearby Shanghai.
Surprisingly, most of the city wall from the Ming Dynasty still stands. This is a highly recommended sight, though the part that overlooks the lake is the most beautiful section to behold. You will also want to visit Zhonghua Gate facing to the south of the city. It is actually a fort built into the wall. It offers a great insight into Ming-era city defense as well as a birds-eye view of the south of the city. If heights make you feel a little queasy, don’t do this right after lunch.
No visit to Nanjing would be complete without a visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial and Museum. As you enter the memorial, one can’t help but be struck by the number 300,000. This is the number of people who died during the Rape of Nanjing in 1937. Many more were tortured and raped. Personal accounts from people who survived the Massacre are inscribed in stone tablets. Inside the museum itself, the course of events leading up to the Japanese conquest of Nanjing is outlined, with special emphasis on what the Japanese did to the local inhabitants in other cities. Pictures of the massacre (their authenticity is still questioned by many Japanese) are on display as well as maps depicting the battle tactics used by the Japanese to conquer the city (though one wonders how important they were because the KMT abandoned the city without much of a fight). About four hours is recommended to completely take in everything there. It will forever leave an impression with you at the inhumanity man is capable of inflicting on itself.
This is one of the most beautiful cities in eastern China. It is famous for West Lake (Xi Hu). Spend an afternoon taking a boat through the lake. There are a few temples on islands in the lake where most tour boats will stop and let you off to stroll and take a look.
Walk along the lake and you will see shops. Two things to buy in Hangzhou are silk and tea. Hangzhou craftsmen produce some of the most beautiful silk articles in the world. The amazing thing about this is that they aren’t really that expensive (a fraction of what you would pay in Western countries, Japan, or even Hong Kong).
You must also get some of the local West Lake Longjing Tea (Xihu Longjing Cha). It is one of the most famous teas in China and some varieties of it are very hard to find overseas because it is illegal to export them. Find a tea shop (you will find a sign with the character cha hanging from most of them), sit back and enjoy the tea while you decide which tea you would like to purchase. This alone could take two or three hours, so sit back, relax and enjoy.
One piece of advice about Hangzhou: don’t visit on weekends or holidays!!! Shanghainese love to take one or two-day trips to Hangzhou so it is incredibly crowded during these periods. Pick a two or three days during the week to truly enjoy and relax in the city.
In Shandong Province, this is the hometown of Confucius. He was a Chinese philosopher and master teacher who lived during the Warring States Period about twenty-five hundred years ago. His teachings still profoundly affect many today in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and his ideas are even enjoying a resurgence in the Mainland. He lived during a war torn period of Chinese history (his own area being contested for constantly by the Qi and Lu states), and his writings are certainly influenced by this.
The family homestead is a popular tourist attraction. It is not known where exactly he is buried, but many of his family members as well as some of his students are known to be buried on the grounds.
Located by the Shandong city of Tai’an, Taishan is one of the holiest mountains to the Chinese. Seemingly hundreds of traditional temples (sadly, many are still in disrepair from the Cultural Revolution) are found on all parts of the mountain. Many Chinese like to take a night train to Taishan, climb the mountain and see the sunrise from the summit of Taishan. If you begin your climb by midnight, you should have a good chance to make it in time. Do not do this during the summer. Your chances of an ideal sunrise are close to zero. The best time to get a good sunrise is the winter, but it will feel like Siberia when you do it. Early spring and late autumn offer a reasonable chance of seeing a beautiful sunrise without feeling like you left polar bear training school when you return.
This is the capital of China’s most populous province, Shandong. It is on the southern banks of the Yellow River (Huang He). See if bus #4 still runs up there and take a look. You will be surprised by the large earthen walls that separate the river from the city. In normal conditions (especially during the winter and spring), the level of the river will be above that of the city itself. This is because over the course of thousands of years, Ji’nanese have built up the earthen levees to separate their city from the river as the silt carried from the Loess Valley upstream has caused the river bottom to rise. Now, the river is regularly dredged to prevent its continued rise.
Ji’nan is often called “The City of Springs”. Unfortunately, many of the springs in the city are dry or drying due to increased desertification in northern China. Still, two worth visiting are Baotuquan and Heilongquan. Try the local beer if you are into that sort of thing. Baotuquan Pijiu is considered by many to be better than its Qingdao counterpart.
During Imperial times the lake near the center of the city was strictly off-limits to anyone not affiliated with the royal family. Today, it is the most popular place in Ji’nan. Many festivals are held here throughout the year (especially on National Day – 1 October – as well as Chinese New Year).
In the city, you must try the dumplings. Some consider them the best in China. The local mantou (steamed bread) is also widely known.
Ji’nan is easily accessible by rail from Beijing, but try getting your onward ticket at the same time (unfortunately, not always possible because as of my last experience traveling in China, there was no central ticketing system – hopefully this has changed) because getting tickets in Ji’nan is difficult (or at least was as of a few years ago).
Qingdao is easily the most beautiful city in Shandong Province. It was first a German outpost, then suffered under virtual Japanese occupation. The interesting thing is that while the German influence is still easily seen, there is almost no evidence of a previous Japanese presence.
Qingdao is most famous for Tsingdao Beer (Qingdao Pijiu). It is the most exported Chinese brew and can be found around the world. They will soon build a brewery right here in Taiwan.
Talk a walk along the coast. During the summer, it is a pleasant walk with a summer breeze (especially in the afternoon). Take a boat ride into the ocean and observe the old German section of the city. Afterward, take a stroll through it. Also take a look at Chiang Kai Shek’s Qingdao residence, still rather well preserved, in the city.
This city is a gem in the Northeast region of China sometimes known in the West as Manchuria (a term most Mainlanders despise by the way). Dalian is easily the most developed city in the region that has become known as China’s “rust belt”. It is located on the Liaodong Peninsula and provides some breathtaking views of the Yellow Sea. On a very clear day, you can even see the Korean Peninsula.
Stroll around the old city and experience colonial-era Russian architecture. Much of it has been restored.
Dalian has several nice parks, including one with a giant soccer ball in it. This is a city that takes pride in its soccer team (Dalian Shide), who have just won their seventh Chinese championship in nine years and are constantly in the running for the Asian club championship (the closest they have ever come was a controversial loss in pk’s to Suwon in the finals back in 1998).
During the summer, the city puts on musical and artistic performances near Victory Square, located near the train station. They are popular and well attended by locals of all ages.
If you enjoy Chinese history, this is the place in the Northeast to visit. You will first be struck by how dirty this city is (in the late 90s, it had surpassed Mexico City as the world’s dirtiest city, though Mexico City has since regained that title). However, there are some incredible gems here, especially as this was the capital of the Manchu Kingdom before it conquered China in 1644.
Shenyang has its own Palace Museum (gugong). Though smaller, it is better preserved and represents more architectural diversity than its counterpart in Beijing. Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan influences are all evident throughout the structure. You will note the statue of Emperor Taiji on horseback, symbolic of the nomadic nature of the Manchu people at this time. Walk along Shenyang Road outside the Palace Museum to see traditional Chinese architecture, and enjoy the comfortable pedestrian walkways.
Be sure to visit the Northern Tomb (Beiling). It is an impressive structure, and home to numerous deceased (one hopes) Manchu kings and emperors.
Try the beef noodles (niu rou mian) in Shenyang. They are very inexpensive and very good.
A handful of countries, including the United States have consulates in Shenyang.
Shanhaiguan is actually in Hebei Province, but it is just as easily reached from Shenyang as from Beijing. This city is noteworthy because this is where the Great Wall meets this sea. This is also the location where a Ming traitor opened the gates of the Great Wall, allowing the Manchus to come through and establish the Qing Dynasty.
The entire city wall is still standing. In fact, the Great Wall itself is the eastern wall of the city. Take a stroll along the First Gate Under Heaven (Tianxia Diyiguan), best known as where the Manchus came through.
Also visit the naval fortress constructed where the wall reaches the sea itself. An impressive structure. You can also take a motorboat ride into the Yellow Sea.
Be warned: This is a small town, and the locals become vultures when they see foreigners, especially on slow days. They will try to rip you off at every turn. This is the only city in China where I have ever had problems getting taxi drivers to use their meters. If you didn’t bring too many bags, walk to the city if they won’t use it, it isn’t very far. Being stalked during virtually my entire stay there made what should have been a very pleasant stay into a nuisance. Unless you have a strong dose of patience, you may want to avoid this city.
Dandong is a small city right on the North Korean border. Really, the only reason to go there is to get a glimpse of one of the world’s most secretive regimes. You can also purchase North Korean stamps, coins, and even paper currency on the cheap. A must for collectors everywhere.
Visit the park right on the border of the river. Get your picture taken with North Korea in the background and a sign noting that this is the Chinese-North Korean border (with the flags of both countries included). This can be a great conversation piece with your friends back home, especially in many Western countries. You can also take a speedboat ride on the Yalu River. You will be on the North Korean side for most of the trip, but don’t worry, nothing on the North Korean side looks like it can even be propelled, and China still has reasonably good relations with North Korea.
You will see that a new “Friendship Bridge” has replaced an older bridge built by the Japanese (more on this later). There is actually very little traffic on this bridge, and most of it seems to be Chinese.
The first bridge across the Yalu River was built by the Japanese in 1911 to connect their Japanese colony in Korea with their growing economic interests in northeastern China. The United States “accidently” bombed it in 1950 (by an interesting coincidence, I was there less than two months after the United States “accidently” bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade). The North Koreans have dismantled their side of the bridge, but the Chinese side remains as a memorial to the U.S. bombing in 1950. In fact, when I identified myself as an American, they were eager to point out to me where the U.S. missiles hit.
If you like Korean food, this is one of the best places to get authentic Korean food in China due to the large ethnic Korean population in this area. Numerous restaurants (many of the small, family-run variety) serve excellent Korean food.
Like Shanhaiguan, this is a small town. Unlike Shanhaiguan, some of the nicest people you will ever meet in your China travels will be here in Dandong.
This is the capital of Jilin Province and was the capital of the Japanese puppet state of Manzhouguo during the 1930s. It was renamed Xinjin (New Capital) during this period. Changchun means ‘long spring’ in Chinese, but in reality, it should be named Changdong (for long winter) because its winters are long and cold. In the summer, however, Changchun has absolutely delightful weather.
The main reason to make a stop in this city is to see the Puppet Emperor’s Palace (Weihuanggong). If you have seen the movie The Last Emperor, you will know that Puyi became the puppet of the Japanese and this is where he set up shop. Today, it has been converted into a museum to display the various crimes perpetrated by the Japanese on Manchuria during the occupation. Interestingly enough, there where a large number of Japanese tourists visiting the place when I visited.
If you have some time to kill while waiting for the train, take a stroll through one of Changchun’s many parks. They are very pleasant during Changchun’s warm (but generally not hot) summer afternoons.
If you can tolerate arctic weather, go to see their Winter Festival. While not as famous (and therefore not as crowded) as its counterpart in Harbin, you will see a fascinating array of ice sculptures.
Jilin is a rather nondescript city in the heart of China’s rust belt. Industrialized in the 1950s, it has long since been passed over by more modern development in the south. If you are interested in history, some interesting temples will be found here, as it is the historic capital of Jilin Province. However, this city can just as easily be passed over for more interesting Harbin if you are short on time.
There is a Confucian cultural temple that is worth visiting. It is surprisingly well preserved. Sadly, when I visited, there were only a handful of others there. During Imperial times, candidates would pray and prepare here prior to taking the provincial level exams.
This city is one of the best kept secrets in Northeastern China. Rapidly transforming from a rust belt city to a modern international city, modernization is evident throughout the city.
Looking back to the city’s past first, along the Songhua River is Stalin Park (Sidalin Gongyuan). There is a monument to a flood that was beaten back in the 1950s. You will also find souvenirs in small roadside stalls that you will find through the park along the shore of the river. A delightful place to take a stroll and sit on a park bench, as long as the namesake of the park doesn’t stir any unpleasant thoughts.
One of the main roads in downtown Harbin has been completely closed off to motorized traffic (though you may see an occasional motor scooter try to get through, before being nabbed by the local police). It has been beautifully rebuilt into a pedestrian walkway. Take a stroll. This is another good place to pick up some souvenirs, as well as see any number of street-side performances that are being offered up for the evening. You will find some fabulous snack foods as well, and some wonderful opportunities to chat with locals and practice your Chinese. If you are a Westerner (especially with blond hair), don’t be surprised if they call you a Russian and try to speak to you in Russian. Just tell them politely that you are not Russian and don’t speak it (unless you actually are or you speak the language).
You must check out the Church of Saint Sophia. It is a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church. It has been completely restored and has become an art center in Dalian. You must visit it both during the day as well as during the night. During the day, enjoy the architectural beauty of the building as well as any art exhibit being presented at the time you are there. Make another visit during the evening, because it takes on a completely different character with the building outlined in green and red lights, lit water fountains in the front of the building, young couples holding each other in the square in front of the church, and street performers entertaining anyone willing to watch. It really takes on a street festival atmosphere and you can easily spend an entire evening there.
Another must visit is the Siberian/Manchurian Tiger Park (Dongbei Laohu Senlin Gongyuan). You will take a bus or an SUV through the park. Through the vehicle won’t necessarily have the protective metal meshing, don’t worry as the tigers will be to busy either sleeping or munching on the live cow that had just been provided for them. It is quite a site to see the tigers stalk and pounce on the helpless cow. It is quite a sound to hear the cow squeal as it is being eaten alive. Not recommended for small children.
Heihe is a small city in far northern Heilongjiang Province. It lies on the Russian border on the Heilong (Black Dragon) River, known to the Russians as the Amur River. It is a very pleasant small city, and definitely worth a visit if you want to see the Russian border and enjoy the Heilongjiang countryside.
Of course, the main draw to the city is the Heilong River and the Russian border. You can take a boat ride on the river. The ride takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour. You will be on the Russian side much of the time. If you are white and you see Russians swimming in the river, they may yell to you in Russian. Just wave and smile. While on the boat ride, you will see that there is considerably more traffic between the Chinese and Russian borders here (despite the lack of a bridge) than you would see in Dandong between China and North Korea. Russian-Chinese trade has really flourished with the demise of the Soviet Union and the increasing economic development in China’s northeast.
Check out the open market in the city. You will find many Russian goods there for far less than you will find them in Western countries. You can even find books of old Soviet stamps (at least you could as of a couple of years ago) in excellent to mint condition. They will cost a fraction of what they will run for in other countries.
Heihe is an eight hour train ride from Harbin. You would take an overnight train to Heihe, stay there a day (all you really need), sleep in Heihe that night. Then, you should take a day train to return to Harbin. The forests and rolling hills of the northern Heilongjiang countryside are breathtakingly beautiful.
Here's a list of recommended travel agencies people have used before and had good experiences with. You can also check the ads in the China Post, Taipei Times and the Taiwan News and then compare their prices.

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Philadelphia’s local favorite Great Time is here to save your summers yet again. This week, the wild and unpredictable trio (vocalist Jill Ryan, drummer Donnie Spackman, and guitarist Zack Hartmann) released their final EP in the ‘Sounds Like’ trilogy series. Following months of touring, playing sold-out shows with another Philly star Japanese Breakfast (killer sax skills from Jill), and much build-up media hype, the band is closing the chapter on a saga well close to their hearts. Much like the other projects, Great Time excels with its trademark signature ever-flowing musical range. In support of the EP release, Great Time released a music video for “Was I Right.”
The ‘Sounds Like’ series is something of a blueprint for young emerging bands trying to cater to the overall musical media outlets’ views. The outlets that pick apart and destroy the very fabric of what makes an indie band successful in service to “constructive criticism” end up doing more harm than good. Point blank? Great Time doesn’t give a damn what critics have to say about their sound. You would have more luck trying to 1v1 Micheal Jordan than actually trying to capture the sound and influence of Great Time.
The 3 part project allowed the band to address their long-standing criticism of the band, their refusal to pick a distinct sound. Jill Ryan spoke about the goal of the ‘Sounds Like’ series back in support of their first entry.
Says Ryan, “The idea behind this “Sounds Like” series of EPs is simple: We want to make what we want to make. We’re inspired by tons of different styles and sounds, and we feel most genuine when we’re creating music without any limitations or boundaries. The title is a response to the critiques we received on our first album. Critics have suggested that we should pick a lane or a genre, and ‘Sounds Like’ is our way of defying that while staying true to ourselves.”
On their third entry, we can spot what seems like a journey into their rock influences. At face value, Great Time offers their takes on 90s post-grunge rock while paying homage to the new wave rock that came after the birth of Fall Out Boy and All-American Rejects. As the final project in the series, the EP touches on where the band came from and how to continue that growth.
Ryan explained exactly what this project means in the realm of her own mental health.
“This EP represents the arc of my emotional processing, similar to the 5-stages of grief; it’s a coming to terms with all of my emotional parts. This EP was inspired by the music we grew up listening to: Bloc Party, No Doubt, Blink 182, Modest Mouse, Incubus, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs… the list goes on.
Filming the music video for I Could Be was a really special experience. It was incredible to be directed by Marisa Dabice. I felt so comfortable in her presence. She commands a room not only on stage performing with Mannequin Pussy but also on set. Getting direction from her was empowering. You really have to trust the person that’s telling you what to do and how to move in order for you to perform your best and most authentically and I felt very connected and safe with her to do that. This song is a reaction to traditionality, patriarchy, “the man” and everyone that wants to make me feel small. ”
The ‘Sounds Like (Vol 3)’ is available to stream now on all music platforms.

domain: artistic


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Chopin – Trois Valses
Schubert-Liszt – Valse no.6 “Soirée de Vienne »
Scriabine – Valse op.38
Schoenberg – Valse op.23 n°5
Saint-Saëns – Etude en forme de Valse
Liszt – Valse oubliée n°1, Méphisto-Valse
Beethoven – 33 variations Diabelli op.120
Exceptionally gifted pianist (winner of more than 20 international competitions) and an enlightened mind (qualified in law and published several legal works on intellectual property), Andrei Korobeinikov returns to the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. For this recital, he widens the scope, and presents a meeting of four of the greatest names in romantic piano: Beethoven and his remarkable Diabelli Variations, Chopin, Schubert and Liszt. In addition, Korobeinikov has made a name as one of today’s foremost performers of Scriabin, and will perform the inimitable Valse op.38.


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We've had the opportunity to help to sell over 1,500 properties (nearly 700,000 acres) across Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. We have archived the last 3 years of properties Reck Agri has offered for sale and closed on for you to view the type of properties we have sold and, more importantly for you as a buyer and seller, to update and be current with land values. View details by clicking on the property listing.
SOLD! 308.0+/- ac, 261.6 ac dryland, 38.5 ac pasture (could be farmed) - E Central Yuma Cty, CO, SW of Wray, CO - L/L share of growing wheat to Buyer(s) - 145.7 ac planted to wheat - 115.9 ac wheat stubble - Seller reserves owned mineral rights for 10 year.
SOLD! Sedgwick Cty, CO, 3 mi W of Julesburg, CO; Owned mineral rights to Buyer; L/L share of pasture rent to Buyer.
SOLD! 8/17/2017 FOR $135,000. 164.9 ac dryland, 81.2 ac growing wheat, 83.7 ac summer fallow, L/L share negotiable, owned mineral rights to buyer, Class II, III, & IV soils
I will forever remember Marc's professional caring in answering my many questions and patiently “walking-me” through the auction process.
SUCCESSFUL AUCTION! TOTAL BIDS OF $3,032,500
120 ac pivot irr - 80 ac Eco-drip Irr - 1,443.6 ac dryland - 396.8 ac grass – Logan County, CO - Possession subject to existing farm lease on growing wheat & irr – possession of stubble upon closing – L/L share of cash rent to Buyer - Seller to convey owned mineral rights to Buyer; offered in 11 parcels & 4 combos
SOLD! Good opportunity to purchase a dryland quarter with a wind turbine. Income producing turbine land lease. Possession upon closing on wheat stubble. Asking Price: $190,000.
SOLD! From Sedgwick, CO, 2 mi NE on Hwy #138, 1 mi N; Possession of land subject to farm lease; Possession of improvements subject to tenant lease; 1 irrigation well w/15 hp motor and pump; 106 acre within Julesburg Irrigation District; Primarily Class II soils; Percentage owned mineral rights conveyed to be negotiated.
1,825.8+/- ac total; CRP, EXP CRP, Dryland, Pasture and Improvement site in SW Logan County, CO – 10 Parcels - 4 Combos - East Unit - West Unit
SOLD! Reck Agri Realty and Auction New Listing – Goranson Dryland for sale southwest of Gurley, NE; 159+/- Total acres
SOLD! 261 acres dryland, N of Strasburg, CO, rolling terrain, underground gas storage revenue
SOLD! 427.5 ac pivot irrigated land for sale, Possession upon closing, 3 Valley pivots, 3 irrigation wells, Excellent water area; 345.9 ac pasture.
I have sold approximately 15 properties in the western half of the US [with other realtors] and I must say this was painless.


There are cell phone apps for everything these days, including as it turns out, spying. Yes,that's right, spying—like 007 himself. And they’re not as hard to use as you may think.
Google banned an application from the Android marketplace that forwards SMS text messages. The idea is simple: a message is sent to one phone, and without the user knowing it, it automatically forwards it to a second phone. It's as easy to setup and install as Angry Birds, or any other cell phone app out there.
Other spying applications can track cell phones via GPS. The Android game Tap Snake acts as a shell for the app GPS Spy. Tap Snake sends GPS data every 15 minutes to a second phone with GPS Spy enabled. Though considered malware, the program is still widely available online.
There are some commercial packages that can seemingly do it all—record email messages and SMS sent from the phone and monitor the phone location via GPS. They run in the background, hidden from the user, and are marketed primarily toward parents wanting to keep track of their kids and employers suspicious of their employees.
The more sophisticated our phones get the more programming possibilities—good, bad and ugly. With allthat's happening, is it surprising that we’re seeing a rise in anti-malware and virus protection for smart phones? Probably not. It's something to consider along with more generic security procedures such as password locks and application prompts for GPS and Internet access.


Employees working in the public transport sector in Malappuram district of Kerala are part of a unique charity initiative where they often dedicate a day’s earnings to the cause of helping the poor and sick.
The buses, autorickshaws and taxis that are part of the drive often flaunt special banners announcing the cause for which the donation would be made.
#MGChangemakers - Episode 2: THE 21-YEAR JOURNEY OF CHANGE | Driving India Into Future
Live Now #MGChangemakers Episode 2 : Touched by poverty, untouchability and atrocities against Musahar- the Mahadalit community of Bihar, Padma Shri Sudha Varghese decided to dedicate her life for their upliftment. Watch the video to learn about her inspirational journey & how she is ‘Driving India Into The Future’. #MGChangemakers powered by MG Motor India and supported by United Nations India. Show your support by donating now: http://bit.ly/Milap-MGChangemakersPosted by TheBetterIndia on Wednesday, July 18, 2018
“Malappuram and its people are known for their philanthropic culture. The people respond zestfully whenever there is a genuine case. The charity drives by the bus workers and autorickshaw drivers are a reflection of that culture,” Kiliyamannil Ajmal told The Hindu. Kiliyamannil Ajmal heads a committee that is helping raise funds for a man suffering from renal failure.
Just last week, privately-run buses on a few routes in the district organised a day-long drive to collect funds for Chelakkadan Riyas, who too has lost both his kidneys.
Many of the passengers travelling on the buses that day did not ask for their balance back, knowing that the money was going to a good cause. Even students who usually get concessions for travel refused to avail of them with the intention of contributing to a charitable cause.


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Viengsay Valdes Photos
Viengsay Valdes Biography
Notable: Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Viengsay Valdés began her studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School and finished them at the National School of Arts, both in Havana. Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professor. While studying, she won numerous prizes and distinctions, including being named a Principal Dancer of Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In 1993 she won the Gold Medal in the Vignale Festival of Dance, Italy. In 1994 she graduated with a degree in dance and choreography, with gold honours, and joined the company.
She has performed widely in Europe, the Americas and Asia. She is best known for her interpretations of the female lead roles in the ballets Carmen, Giselle, Swan Lake, Blood Wedding, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, and The Nutcracker, among others, as well as pas de deux from the Le Corsaire, Diana and Acteon, Silvia, etc. She has also performed in contemporary works by Cuban and foreign choreographers.
Since 1994, Ms. Valdes has been a participant in the International Ballet Festival in Havana. In July 2001, she was promoted to the category of Premier Dancer in the Company. In 2002 and 2004, she performed at the World Stars Ballet Gala in Budapest and was awarded the Prize for Popularity in 2004. In 2003, she was a guest in the World Gala, “Les Étoiles du XXIe Siècle,” which took place on the Champs Elysées in Paris. That year she was awarded the Medal “Alejo Carpentier” by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba. In 2004, she danced Swan Lake in the 1st Festival of Ballet of Beijing. In 2005 she was awarded at the Etoiles du Ballet 2000 Festival in Cannes. In 2006, she participated in the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo.


McDonald’s just wrapped its Q3 2020 earnings call, and while the fast food chain shared its vision for many grand plans to be rolled out in the near future (all of which we’ll parse out later), one announcement from the call has everyone atwitter: In 2021, McDonald’s will be testing a new plant-based burger in several markets. The name of this new burger? The McPlant.
“As we have worked to better understand customer demand, some markets around the world have tested plant-based products,” international president Ian Borden said in a statement. “Informed by those learnings, we have created a delicious burger that will be the first menu option in a plant-based platform we are calling McPlant. McPlant is crafted exclusively for McDonald’s, by McDonald’s.” (To clarify, Beyond Meat helped out.)
Look, we know that every move McDonald’s makes is carefully market-tested and focus-grouped. So when it decides to name its new flagship meatless sandwich McPlant, we assume there is a wealth of data to support the choice. But still... it feels like a bit of a lost opportunity, foiled by the brand’s insistence upon its signature McPrefix.
Here are some alternative names for McPlant that The Takeout staff has brainstormed. We’d love to hear your ideas, too.
- The Rawnald McDonald
- Burger n’ Lies
- The UnBeefwich
- Planty McPlantface
- HapPea Meal
- Mickey P’s (the “P” is for plant or pea protein, whatever, who cares)
- Starch Deluxe
- Cheese-and-Pickle Delivery System


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Kanye West Apologizes to Drake, Denies Involvement in Pusha-T Beef
'Ye addresses everything.
Here’s Everyone That Eminem Disses on His New Album ‘Kamikaze’
Detroit vs. Everybody.
Nicki Minaj, Ski Mask The Slump God and More Unite in Support of Lil Uzi Vert’s Plans to L…
Nicki Minaj, Ski Mask The Slump God and more are all showing their support for Lil Uzi Vert's plans to launch a foundation to help XXXTentacion's family.
Hip-Hop Fans Name the Most Disrespectful Diss Track of All Time
Some very interesting choices here.
Lil Pump, Quavo, Bhad Bhabie and More Hit the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet
Hip-hop hit the red carpet in style at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.
Here Are the Best Parts of J. Cole’s Impromptu Twitter Q&A
Here's a look at just about everything we learned from J. Cole's impromptu fan Q&A sessions.
Hip-Hop Reacts to Kanye West Showing Support to President Trump
It was all good just a week ago.


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One study that analyzed the typical Japanese diet concluded that green tea might enhance life expectancy. This could be attributed to the various ways green tea positively impacts health, all of which compound and help one live longer.
Another American study states that though tea might promote longevity, calcium supplementation is important in those cases – as green tea contains caffeine, and caffeine intake can lead to calcium loss (15). And a Stanford study stated that green tea drinkers usually showed less disability with age. Those who drank green tea are less likely to develop functional disability, which can shorten life expectancy as one ages (16).
To Safely Purchase Quality Green Tea at Compeditive prices, Click here: eBay – Japan Green Tea


Tuesday, April 3, 2012
As I write this, I'm almost done rescanning the 2 byte block. 0000-FFFF unless something happens between 00FB and 00FF then I don't think there's going to be anything here. :(
I think my next target will be trying to ape the kind of stream the radio sends out. (Maybe I'll even rig up something to spit it back to it, see what it thinks of that)
Of course, one possible application when I figure this out maybe making my own remote head. Others might use it to make a D-Star homebrew head that can control the radio as well as do the digital voice. Or maybe I'll eventually figure out multiple radios and make a protocol droid to translate from one control head to a different radio. RC-D710 maybe? As I posted before, It's possible to use that head with other radios, as an APRS tnc. But without control.
One thing I'd love to inspire is some sort of USB for radios. Or some sort of multivendor connection standard. It'd be great to connect multiple radios into a bus along with a control head that can operate all of them. I'm not talking just Ham Radios either.
Update: Scan finished. No hits in 0000-FFFF. :(


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This weekend's National Eventing Championships will mark 30 years of eventing at Wandin Park, just northeast of Melbourne. Sixty international events have been held at Wandin in that time. A proactive organising committee, headed by property owner John Anker, has invited all past committee members, sponsors and volunteers to join in celebrating 30 years and 60 events.
The action will start on Saturday with dressage and some showjumping, with the cross country and remaining showjumping to be held on Sunday. Mr. Anker's daughter, Emily Anker, has just returned to Australia from competing in the UK at the Badminton and Burghley horse trials.
She will ride her two top horses, Balmoral Cavalier and Keniski, in the international three-star section, plus Play Fair in the pre-novice section and Positive Measure in the introductory section. Anker would love to take out the national title at the 30th anniversary celebrations.
She was very much born in the saddle - her parents started running the famous Wandin Horse Trials when she was just two years old. She said it was this that led to her passion for the sport of eventing. Along the way she has met gold medallists, world champions and even royalty. Anker said that in the beginning she was "starstruck", and this had developed into an ambition to compete overseas.
She has competed in international four-star events at Kentucky in the US, Luhmuhlen in Germany, and Badminton and Burghley in England. But she said it was the Wandin Horse Trials that turned a dream into a reality.
This year's Wandin International Event will also include riders from Japan, the US, Finland and Canada.
Photo: Aiming high, Emily Anker and her horse, Balmoral Cavalier, will compete at Wandin Park.

domain: news


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Aug 1, 2013, 5:52 PM EST
This morning I linked a story about the feds taking an interest in Biogenesis and investigating whether or not it sold drugs to high schoolers and things. The Daily News has a more thorough story about it here.
I hadn’t thought of this before — my lawyer skills are atrophied, it seems — but a friend of mine just pointed out that this set of circumstances could possibly present a problem for Major League Baseball.
The problem: as a target of a federal investigation, Bosch would be well-advised to clam the heck up. If he testifies or speaks anywhere, his comments will be used against him in any subsequent criminal proceedings. That includes if he speaks at, say, an arbitration following a ballplayer’s appeal of a Major League Baseball suspension. If Bosch has a good lawyer, that lawyer is telling him NOT to go on the record anyplace if he fears federal prosecution. Especially given that his testimony at an MLB arbitration would be all about how he sold drugs to people.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily create a huge problem. For one thing, Bosch’s former employee, Porter Fischer is both cooperating with the feds and Major League Baseball. It could very well be that baseball is relying way more on him than Bosch and that his testimony would be sufficient. It’s also possible that Bosch himself is under no illusions that he’s going to escape federal pain and could very well make a deal with the feds in time to help baseball if they need his testimony to sustain player discipline.
But it is an interesting wrinkle. One that, if you were a lawyer for a player trying to decide whether or not to appeal Biogenesis discipline, could certainly impact your thinking on the matter.
- Yasmany Tomas signs a six-year, $68.5 million deal with the Diamondbacks 86
- No, the Red Sox signing Pablo and Hanley is not proof that baseball needs a salary cap 162
- Red Sox announce four-year, $88 million deal with Hanley Ramirez, DFA Juan Francisco 35
- The Cubs have offered Jon Lester “north of $135 million” 68
- Pablo Sandoval’s deal: five years, $98 million plus an option 43
- Kyle Seager, Mariners close to $100 million extension 26
- The 2015 Hall of Fame ballot is out — Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez are new on the ballot 286
- So what would the Red Sox look like with Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval? 49
- The 2015 Hall of Fame ballot is out — Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez are new on the ballot (286)
- No, the Red Sox signing Pablo and Hanley is not proof that baseball needs a salary cap (162)
- More Hall of Fame ballots like Adam Rubin’s please (140)
- Report: Pablo Sandoval chose the Red Sox over the Giants because he felt disrespected (137)
- UPDATE: The Pablo Sandoval-Red Sox deal is done, pending a physical (133)


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The case: On May 9, a home burglary was reported to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Deputies subsequently took Shawn Aaron Johnson, 27, of Newberg, Crystal Castillo, 34, of Tigard and Jennifer Susan Condon, 27, into custody. Detectives were able to recover a large amount of stolen merchandise, including an urn that held the ashes of the homeowners' 6-month old son, who died in 2010. Among the other recovered items, a flip phone and laptop contained the only video the family had of their son, according to Sgt. Bob Ray, sheriff's office spokesman.
Update: On Aug. 9, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count each of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft and abuse of a memorial. Castillo has been released since she was not able to be charged in Washington County, according to Beth Roberts, deputy district attorney for Washington County. Condon, who began serving a sentence for crimes in Yamhill County on July 24, was arraigned Sept. 6 and pleaded not guilty. Condon's pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17. Condon has been charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree theft, abuse of a memorial and felon in possession of a firearm.
Sentence: Johnson was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by three years of post-prison supervision which includes drug abuse treatment. Johnson must pay restitution of $7,167.50, $1,100 in attorney's fees, a $500 fine and is to have no contact with the victim or co-defendant.


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Morning, and I see the sky reflected in my washing up bowl. Two bowls gleam in the sunlight, and Christmas cacti stream downwards towards the bowl. Their flowers are still in bud, some have already flowered. You see how things are not as light as we imagine them. More mid tones than bright ones, only real highlights are on the bowls. Indoor plants help me stay happy….
I could add edges to this photo and make a more definite heart shape, but I like it as it is. Late summer fluffy clouds drift in a sky that turned cloudy and grey an hour later. Laurel, Russian vine and Wisteria frame the blue. The vine has been cut back and the flowers are turning brown. The Wisteria needs pruning and the laurel is blocking out most of the light in our sunny patch.
Most of the rest if the garden is covered over with trees. The leaves gather light from every gap. It’s amazing how they space themselves so they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
You look up and try and see dragons or puppies in the sky. Dancing horses, faces, hands, ufo’s, giraffes, teddy bears. It’s all there, up in that heart of sky.
Our of a clear blue sky, I saw a plane flying overhead. I was bewildered at first to think what it was! In world where the birds are singing in the cold spring sunshine it was incongruous. Jarring even. I grabbed my phone and took a photo. I could even see the plane itself. Flying West to East, High above the earth.
I wonder about the ground control teams at airports? Are they short staffed, they must be essential staff, and what about pilots and crew? Are they quarantined when they land so they don’t pass it on? This could be a passenger aircraft, or air freight.
Like a castaway on a deserted beach, I wondered if they could see me.

domain: hobby


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MASSACHUSETTS — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday stopped a lower court’s restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone from taking effect, a win for the Biden administration and for women in Massachusetts who can continue to access the drug that his been in use for more than two decades.
The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the drug to reject limits on mifepristone’s use imposed by lower courts, at least as long as the legal case makes it way through the courts.
The drug has been approved for use in the U.S. since 2000 and more than 5 million people have used it. Mifepristone is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, in more than half of all abortions in the U.S.
The underlying issue in the case is whether the Food and Drug Administration went through the proper procedures in approving the drug. Although the court maintained FDA approval of mifepristone for now, it’s likely not the last time the court will weigh in on the issue.
Essentially, the court said, medical abortions are a state issue.
State and federal elected officials in Massachusetts hailed the ruling as a "victory."
"[Friday's] Supreme Court order is a victory for patients and providers across the country – a victory for science, medicine and the law. However, we never should have gotten to this point. Mifepristone has been used safely and effectively for decades and it is the gold standard in medication abortion," Gov. Maura Healey said.
After the Texas ruling, Healey began stockpiling mifepristone to continue access for residents amid uncertainty in the courts.
House Minority Whip U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, said the turmoil over abortion medication is linked to a wider battle over abortion access.
"MAGA extremists are weaponizing our courts to achieve a national abortion ban. As this battle continues, House Democrats will use every tool at our disposal to protect Americans’ right to make their own health care decisions, including our fight to enshrine abortion access into law with the Women’s Health Protection Act. We are on the side of the American people and on the side of freedom," she said Friday night.
The case before the high court stems from a Texas judge’s April 7 ruling. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone, the drug that is used to carry out a majority of U.S. abortions and was approved by the FDA in 2000. Kacsmaryk’s decision overruled decades of scientific approval.
Less than a week later, a federal appeals court modified the ruling so that mifepristone would remain available while the case continues, but with limits. The appeals court said that the drug can’t be mailed or dispensed as a generic and that patients who seek it need to make three in-person visits with a doctor, among other things.
The generic version of mifepristone makes up two-thirds of the supply in the United States, its manufacturer, Las Vegas-based GenBioPro Inc., wrote in a court filing that underscored the perils of allowing the restrictions to be put into effect.
The court also said the drug should only be approved through seven weeks of pregnancy for now, even though the FDA since 2016 has endorsed its use through 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Complicating the situation, a ruling by a federal judge in Washington ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that filed a separate lawsuit.
The challenge to mifepristone is the first abortion controversy to reach the nation’s highest court since its conservative majority struck down Roe v. Wade last June. States have since put together a patchwork of abortion laws, a dozen of them enacting laws so restrictive that abortions are effectively banned.
Even in states where abortion is legal and available, providers would have to limit services to in-clinic procedural abortion if mifepristone became unavailable or switch to a misoprostol-only abortion regime, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The drug can be used alone to terminate pregnancies, but medical experts have said it is not as effective as the standard two-pill regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol.
Also, patients whose providers prescribe abortion pills during clinic visits or via telehealth would no longer be able to pick them up from participating pharmacies or in the mail.
The impact would be far greater in 10 states — Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington — where women’ access would be even more limited if providers don’t offer a regimen of misoprostol alone, according to Guttmacher.
Original story HERE.