text:
ACT on STAGE
Read these 9 Acting In Theater Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser.
1. Emotional Scenes
For many actors, learning to "cry on cue" is one of the hardest skills to learn. There are many exercises one can do to reach the emotional level where tears can come freely. The best method may be not to try. In other words, the more we attempt to use a technique, the less it can work for us. This is because we remove ourself from the scene at hand. Imagine: Your best friend tells you she never really liked you. Now, would you stop and say to yourself, "Okay. I have to cry. How can I make that happen?" Of course not; the emotion of the "scene" would naturally take over. You have to trust that same organic wave of emotion when you are playing a scene as well. Who knows? Maybe you won't cry at all, but have another reaction entirely. And in scenarios where your character must cry, sometimes the best method is to, well, act. Next time you cry in real life, note how you do it. What does it feel like? Sound like? Learn to recreate this so that you can cry in a realistic manner...even if no tears come.
2. Drama and Mood
There is a saying in drama that you should leave your personal problems at the stage door. In other words, don't let your current mood affect your performance. Remember that while on stage or in front of the camera, you are the character you are playing, not the other way around. However, you are human, and the character you are playing is (usually!) human. Don't deny your feelings, but patiently observe them so that you can call upon them to breathe life into your future roles.
3. Drama School Electives
So you've decided to go to drama school. Good for you! Now what courses should you take? Remember that your goal is to become a well-rounded performer. Don't shy away from classes that challenge you. For example, if you can't sing, take a singing course anyway. There's more to learn than carrying a tune. As an actor breath control is vital, and there's no better way to learn the tricks of this skill than a course in vocal music.
4. Drama and Acting
Drama entails a plot and characters that are governed by a certain overriding theme. As an actor, it is your duty to understand this theme and let it suffuse your work. Work within the drama and let it flow through you and the relationships that you build with other characters. You can begin by discussing the stage- or screenplay with your fellow actors and/or the director (or dramaturg, if one is available). Coming to a common agreement about the motivations of each character will help round out the production as a whole.
5. Drama Strategy
A simple strategy for creating honest drama is through the use of mantras. While you are acting in a scene, recite an appropriate motivational phrase over and over again in your head. The mantra will subconsciously affect your performance, making it seem more natural. For example, if you are playing a love scene, you may want to try reciting, "I love you," in your head during the scene. The mantra will help to add depth to your character.
6. Elements of Drama
The primary elements of drama are plot, character, and theme. The theme is the central idea of the work, or the message the writer wishes to impart on the audience. The theme governs the progression of the plot. The plot in turn governs the characters, who move through the plot's conflicts, thereby helping to further develop the theme. Other elements such as irony and symbolism can be added to lend more subtle touches to the drama, making it more human and accessible.
7. Drama and Playing
Drama, and the act of performing drama, forces us to re-engage the spirit of discovery. As children, we played and discovered. In the artificial creation of human relationships, and the mimicry of human relationships that stem from drama, we are forced to relearn how we engage in relationships. The writer of drama must examine how to bring characters together within the plot, while the actor of drama must learn how to imitate these relationships on stage. It is perhaps why we call it "playing" a role, or even why a dramatic production is called a "play"!
8. Drama and Humor
Humor comedy acting is often a critical component of drama, though it is one that is difficult to create. Because humor is subjective, one can't be sure what will make an audience member laugh. Usually the best rule of thumb is not to try too hard. In life, many things can make us laugh, even in moments of high tension. Ideally the writer will have achieved honesty in the script, so as an actor you have only to portray the role as honestly as possible. One of the worst things to do is go for the laugh or "milk" the audience for a laugh. The audience will feel manipulated and lose interest in the world you have created with your character.
9. Drama School
Drama schools tend to have a highly competitive admissions process. Applicants must submit to an audition process before they are granted admission. Drama schools focus on the development of acting technique, usually focusing on work in the theater. Although the work is performance based, students typically also learn about stage craft. Classes on set building, lighting design, and even dramatic writing are often offered so that students get a well-rounded education.


Charlestowne Hotels will oversee the operations and management of The Bristol Hotel, a boutique hotel property opening in downtown Bristol, Va. Expanding the company’s portfolio of independent hotels and resorts, franchised properties and condo-hotels around the country, the eight-story, 65-room Bristol Hotel is currently under construction with an anticipated late summer 2017 opening. Charlestowne Hotels was appointed by developer McCall Capital, LLC.
Steeped in history, the development of The Bristol Hotel is expected to repurpose downtown Bristol’s notable Executive Plaza, which dates back to 1925, revitalizing the city center as a new destination point with direct access to the city’s most prominent landmarks and activities. Upholding the building’s historic value, the construction will preserve the original stucco exterior, display windows and main façade which features nine window bays with concrete sills and soldier course lintels.
The hotel will include 56 guest rooms, seven junior suites and one executive suite as well as a top floor penthouse measuring 1,200 square feet with views of downtown Bristol and the Appalachian Mountains. It is located adjacent to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate.
Additional features include the region’s only hotel rooftop bar offering amazing views of both the city and the nearby mountains. A farm-to-table restaurant on the first floor will serve Southern cuisine with fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Additionally, the hotel will offer up to 3,000 square feet of meeting space, the most distinct of which includes a 2,800 square foot former arcade available for dinners, weddings and other events, as well as a spa.
“The revitalization of Executive Plaza into The Bristol Hotel serves as a catalyst for the growth of Bristol, Virginia while preserving the influential nature of the city’s historic legacy,” says Michael Tall, president and chief operating officer of Charlestowne Hotels. “We aim to develop a top-tier boutique hotel and unique brand that is authentic to the city’s roots while elevating the dining, social gathering and beverage experience, attracting both visitors and the local community.”


text:
Resveratrol may help prevent and treat fatty liver in alcohol abusers
Scientists looking for ways to help treat fatty livers have discovered that an ingredient in red wine known as Resveratrol can help protect from -- and possibly even be used to treat fat buildup in the liver that goes hand-in-hand with chronic alcohol use. Most Americans have likely heard about the antioxidant found in red wine, grapes, berries, and peanuts. Resveratrol has previously been linked to health benefits for cancer and heart disease, and extending the length of a healthy life.
The researchers note that Resveratrol has been shown to activate molecules that are also important in fat metabolism in the liver. Chronic alcohol abuse inhibits these molecules. In this study, alcohol-fed mice treated with Resveratrol also had enhanced activity of these protective molecules in their livers. "Collectively, these results demonstrate that Resveratrol treatment protected against the development of alcoholic [fatty liver] in mice," they write. The study appears in the October 2008 issue of The American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.
The study, led by Joanne M. Ajmo at the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center in Tampa, looked at the effects of Resveratrol in alcoholic fatty livers of mice. The scientists found that the alcohol-fed mice who were supplemented with Resveratrol had less fat in their livers and the fat broke down more quickly than alcohol-fed mice not given a Resveratrol supplement.

domain: medical


The Freeman 15º Coil roofing nailer is an Amazingly powerful tool that is extremely fast with its nail delivery, making it the perfect choice for installing asphalt and cedar shingles, Roof and wall sheathing, flooring underlayment, Siding, and wood fencing. The heat treated one piece hardened steel driver blade, anodized aluminum Cylinder, and high quality rubber o-rings ensure an extended life for your tool. The body of this gun is constructed of die-cast magnesium for low weight and durability, giving it the same feel and dependability as the most expensive guns on the market. The PCN450 uses 15-Degree Coil roofing nails ranging in size from 3/4 in. To 1-3/4 in. An efficient side-load magazine holds up to 120 roofing nails, and the transparent bucket allows you to check how many nails are left while you are working with just a glance. The magnetic nail holder makes it easy to Align the nails when loading, and when you get to the last nail in the Coil it will keep it in place to ensure jam-free firing. Work quickly using the bump fire mode, and ensure each nail is driven with consistent spacing by using the adjustable shingle guide. With a comfort grip handle and a light weight construction, you can work all day without tiring out your Arm. The Freeman 15 degree Coil roofing nailer is covered by a 7 year warranty.
- Transparent bucket fits 15° roofing nails (3/4″ to 1-3/4″) to install shingles, sheathing, fencing, and more
- Durable construction with lightweight magnesium body, 1-piece drive blade, and rubber O-rings
- Adjustable shingle guide ensures consistent shingle spacing
- Tool-free depth adjust makes it easy to ensure the perfect driving depth
- Bump Fire makes it easy to work quickly, and the safety lock prevents accidental firing


Hactivist group Anonymous may have targeted Sony’s web sites and online services in the past week as a way to protest its legal action against PS3 jailbreaker George "Geohot" Hotz, but soon it will take the fight offline like it did with the Church of Scientology. The group announced that it is staging a 4-hour in-store boycott at Sony stores around world on Saturday, April 16. Over 1,000 people have committed to joining in on the protests through Facebook.
Last Monday, Anonymous launched a DDoS attack on the PlayStation Network (PSN) that made it inaccessible for most of the day. At the same time, an Anonymous offshoot calling itself "SonyRecon" targeted individual Sony employees. But taking down the PSN was not the most popular of decisions; PS3 users complained that the takedown was doing more harm than good to gamers.
Anonymous reversed the hack and took down the Sony Careers page instead. "Anonymous is not attacking the PSN at this time. Sony’s official position is that the PSN is undergoing maintenance. We realize that targeting the PSN is not a good idea. We have therefore temporarily suspended our action, until a method is found that will not severely impact Sony customers," Anonymous wrote in a blog post.
Public awareness and generating publicity to group activities and causes is probably a better avenue to follow than hacking and embarrassing Sony employees.
We will continue to follow this story as it develops.
Source: PC Magazine


text:
- Physical Chemistry
- Oxidation-Reduction and Electrochemistry
What is the oxidation number?
This content was STOLEN from BrainMass.com - View the original, and get the solution, here!
What is the oxidation number of:
P in P4
© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com September 23, 2018, 6:50 am ad1c9bdddf - https://brainmass.com/chemistry/oxidation-reduction-and-electrochemistry/oxidation-number-54408
P in PO4 -3
C in CO3 -2
Cr in Cr2O2
The oxidation state or oxidation number is defined as the sum of negative and positive charges in an atom, which indirectly indicates the number of electrons it has accepted ...
The solution provides a detailed and step-by-step explanation for the problem.

domain: chemistry


text:
The Financial Times has seen fit to identify a number of “Tesla-disruptors” for would-be investors. The newspaper argues that solid state batteries will reach production sooner than many people expect and will pose a threat to Tesla’s hold on the electric car market.
Solid-state batteries have the potential to offer greater range, faster charging and a longer lifespan than the lithium-ion batteries commonly used at present.
However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has rarely commented on the technology and the firm’s stated ambition is to increase the energy density of its lithium-ion batteries by 50 per cent over the next three years.
Writing in the FT’s ‘Lex in depth’ column, June Yoon said: “[Tesla’s] hold on the electric vehicle market has as much to do with the longer range and fast charging times of its models as its innovative software and disruptive marketing. Yet its network of superchargers around the world would give little competitive advantage if cars could be charged as quickly at home.”
According to Brian Sheldon, professor of engineering at Brown University: “Fast charging does not pair well with liquid electrolytes. The heat generated in the process can damage batteries and absolutely raises the risk of fires. Solid-state batteries could solve that risk.”
Late last year, we reported on the solid-state battery produced by QuantumScape, a start-up that saw a 1,000 per cent rise in its share price at one point in 2020.
While the firm is garnering more attention than most, the FT says it lacks manufacturing clout and so points instead to established Asian companies such as Toyota, Samsung and Hitachi Zosen as better bets for investors. The last of those recently claimed to have developed the 'world's highest-capacity' solid state battery, which is due to be tested in space.
“For these companies, and their investors, solid-state batteries are a lucrative bet,” writes Yoon. “Each incremental improvement in such technology has generated windfalls for the first movers.”
Yoon points out that the number of new global patent applications for batteries and electricity storage equipment has grown four times faster than the average of all other technology fields, and that patents related to solid-state batteries have shown the biggest rate of growth. This is presented as a sign that mass production could arrive sooner than has widely been expected.
“How soon we get to mass production is simply a function of how much is invested,” said Donghwan Kim, chief executive of Seoul-based venture capital firm, Hana Ventures. “In chip making, for example, most limitations — including those once said to be technologically impossible — have been overcome by increasing funding. The recent growth in the electric car market means that much more capital can now be allocated to bringing solid-state batteries to market.”

domain: news


text:
Tom Holland has an apt response for Martin Scorsese who had unkind things to say about superhero movies.
Recall that in 2019, Scorsese caused an uproar when he said Marvel movies are “not cinema.”
Now, speaking in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Holland who plays Spider-Man in No Way Home, spoke about his possible Oscar nomination for that role, and what he thinks about Scorcese’s comment.
“You can ask [Martin] Scorsese ‘Would you want to make a Marvel movie?’ But he doesn’t know what it’s like because he’s never made one,” said Holland.
He continued: “I’ve made Marvel movies and I’ve also made movies that have been in the conversation in the world of the Oscars, and the only difference, really, is one is much more expensive than the other. But the way I break down the character, the way the director etches out the arc of the story and characters—it’s all the same, just done on a different scale. So I do think they’re real art.”
The 25-year-old actor further compared superhero films with smaller budget films, saying that most actors approach superhero films the same way they do any other project.
“When you’re making these films, you know that good or bad, millions of people will see them, whereas when you’re making a small indie film, if it’s not very good no one will watch it, so it comes with different levels of pressure,” he said. “I mean, you can also ask Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr. or Scarlett Johansson—people who have made the kinds of movies that are ‘Oscar-worthy’ and also made superhero movies—and they will tell you that they’re the same, just on a different scale. And there’s less Spandex in ‘Oscar movies.’”

domain: entertainment


text:
“I think he’s dead.”
“He’s not dead you idiot. He’s just... immobile.”
“It’s a h-hangover.”
I groan my aggravation at the voices that were bombarding my already-pounding head.
“Get out of my room.” I say, grinding each word out of clenched teeth.
I snap my eyes open enraged, not at all surprised to find the source of the voice to be Hagen.
I shut my eyes when the aggressive sunlight attacks my fragile irises, barely catching a glimpse of the positions of my siblings around my bed.
“What time did you get in last night?” Josey asks gently, knowing that I wasn’t the nicest when I was hungover.
“I don’t know, now leave.” I instruct, knowing full well they wouldn’t listen.
“Why is Samantha knocked out on the kitchen island?” Hagen asks with a nervous chuckle.
“I don’t know.” I grind out once more. “Don’t you guys have school or some shit?”
“It’s summer.” They say all at once making my head ring in pain.
“A-Are you still taking u-u-us out today?” Peter asks and silence falls after him as they await my reply.
Take them out?
I was supposed to take them out? When the fuck did I agree to that?
“Hey, adopted one, there’s a new arcade that opened up in the mall.” Damon announces, walking into the kitchen with the rest of our siblings following. “Can you take us or what?”
“A- the fact that I’m adopted means that I’m the only child we know for sure was wanted.” I reply with a smirk. “B- don’t you drive?”
“My license got suspended.” He says nonchalantly and I stare at him for a second to make sure I heard him right. “Yes or no?”
“Next Sunday.” He replies and I nod.
In between the sounds of sizzling breakfast, I could hear Hagen calling out to our parents.
“Dad, did you want me?!”
-----end of convient flashback------
“Can’t do it.” I mumble before rolling over and stuffing my head under my pillow.
“You promised.” Hagen whines and I chuck said pillow in his direction.
“I didn’t promise shit,” I say into my bedsheets. “I said sure.”
They all begin to groan so loudly I swore my eardrums ripped open.
“Levi.” Josey drones, shaking me violently which only resulted in me quickly kicking her off of me and onto the floor.
The room is silent after her thud and I let out a breath, grateful for the numbing silence that fills the air. Almost instantly, I find myself fading back to sleep.
A series of voices whine together and I swear I popped a vein at it. I sit up angrily, turning around with flaming eyes as I pull myself out of my bed.
“Fine! Fine!” I shout despite my abusive headache. “I’ll take you all to the fucking arcade! Happy?! But I swear to Goddess, if you guys make a sound on the way there, I’ll crash the car and kill us all!”
They all fall silent and look at me with this stupid accomplished grin on their faces. I swear if they weren’t my family I’d pull a Damon and punch them all to death.
“I guess it’s true that the adopted ones are more likely to commit suicide.” Damon says humorously before slinging his arm over a snickering Josey. They file out the room with laughter, Peter being the only one to bid me thanks before following after the rest of them.
I flop back down onto my bed with an exasperated sigh, praying to Goddess for the floor to eat me alive and take me to the Astral Plane or better yet, Hell.
Okay maybe not Hell. Maybe Heaven would take me. Though I doubted it, I heard they were keen on my kind.
And by my kind, I meant the gay kind.
“Your parents almost had sex on me.” Sammy says pressing two fingers to her temples as she stumbled into my room.
“Ew.” I say shaking a little in my spot.
“You’re telling me.” She groans before lying down beside me on the bed. “I need ice cream. Stat.”
“Jupiter’s Cone?” I question and she nods ferociously.
“Fuck yes.” She says rolling around until she was comfortable.
Sam and I had this really dumb tradition of binging on ice cream after hangovers. It didn’t help them in the slightest, but we just kept doing it.
“I don’t remember coming here last night.” She mumbles.
“Do you even remember anything from last night?” I muse with a playful smirk.
“I was in a threesome.” She reveals making me snort as I laugh.
“No, you weren’t.”
“No, I wasn’t.” She agrees with a sigh.
“I kissed the pavement.” I say filling the silence after a moment. My hangover fading slowly as my supernatural body, which I loved very much at the moment, got to work.
“It was a nice pavement.” Sam offers and I can’t help but let my smile grow.
Eventually, I get out of bed and throw a hoodie and sweats to Sam to wear while I strip out of last night’s clothes and find something for myself.
Once we looked less Walk of Shame and more Hopeless Romantic Hobo, we grab our stuff and left with the others.
“Okay, what about that one?” I question nodding discreetly to the guy who was walking by with about five shopping bags in each hand.
“A solid seven, with good style. Yeah, I’d bang.” Sam says sucking on her ice cream spoon. “Three o’clock.”
I turn my head calmly, my eyes landing on a tall, overly muscular guy with a glare that said ‘don’t touch my protein shake’.
“Hmm, the muscles are doing it for me- I won’t lie.” I admit as I tilt my head a little. “A good eight point five. He’d probably hatefuck me, so yeah- I’d smash.”
“Eight point five?” She questions in surprise. “I’d say more of a six- pass. Plus I bet his dick is tiny.”
“How do you know that?” I question laughing as I dig in my cup for more caramel.
“A gym addict that beefed up- best believe his cock didn’t grow with the muscles.” Sam says with a helpless shrug and I quickly cover my lips to keep myself from spitting out my ice cream.
“What would you do if you got a mate with a small dick?” I question making her face wrinkle in places, her eyebrows meeting in disgust.
“Assuming I did have a mate, then I guess we’d revert to pegging.” She says with a grin that made me chuckle. “And if he’s really my mate, ya know, made for me, meant for me and all that cult shit, th-”
“It’s not a cult.” I groan with a helpless smile. Sam had the undying belief that I was part of a cult and couldn’t see it.
“That’s what people in cults say.” She counters.
“It’s a pack!” I protest helplessly but she just swats me off.
“Potato tomato. Back to real world topics, if he’s really meant for me, then his dick wouldn’t be small. It’d be just right.”
“Of course it would.” I say rolling my eyes.
“Don’t worry Levi, your mate will be packing too.” She says assuredly and my smile falters slightly.
“I don’t have a mate.” I say for what must’ve been the millionth time.
“Yes you do.” She replies for probably the billionth time. “God Levi, you have a mate. There’s no way someone as kind and caring as you doesn’t have another half floating around out there.”
“Okay, okay.” I say trying to make her drop it. I knew that I was a rogue and was mateless. Arguing with Sam about that undeniable fact would not do either of us any good.
I lean back into my chair, my eyes dancing around the busy food court.
As soon as we parked the car, Damon led the group of hooligans to their beloved arcade while Sam and I came straight to the food court. Since Jupiter’s Cone had the best ice cream in town, it was obvious we’d find ourselves here.
We sat at a small table next to the railing that overlooked the interior of the mall’s back section which included the food court and basically everything phone related.
Luckily for me, the new arcade was within my line my vision and I would be able to see or smell if any of my siblings wandered off.
“Fresh meat.” Sam says making my attention drift back her way. I lift my head and follow her eyes with interest. My eyes widen at the sight of an abnormally handsome guy who stood behind a cash register. His height towered over everyone in his vicinity, his blue eyes piercing those they fell on.
“He’s hot.” I admit as I study the man. “Like, Ian Somerhalder hot.”
“Nine point nine nine nine nine hot.” She says with a small groan that told me she found a new target.
“Ten bucks says he’s gay.” I say as she stands and brushes her face clean.
“Twenty says he’s not interested.” She combats before smirking. “But he will be.”
Without another word, she makes her way over to the counter. She doesn’t bother going into the line, she just walks straight up to the register and leans over it.
The man’s eyes raise to Sam with a certain dull, bored expression that just made him hotter. They chatted for a bit, Sam leading the conversation completely. Throughout it, his face remaining stoic, until finally a small smirk took hold of his lips.
Soon enough, Sam swirled on her heels and headed straight back to me. The guy’s eyes following her the whole way, when she sat back down he looked at me briefly before getting back to work.
“I’d like my payment to be in one dollar bills.” Sam states proudly making me laugh hysterically before we dive back into conversation.
“I’m not getting them.” Dad says while he moves around the library, Po following him with his eyes like a needy puppy.
“Why not?” He groans in response.
“Because I said no Aiden. Now leave me alone.” Dad replies with clear agitation.
“But it’ll be really good and it’d look great with the tattoo.” Po says hopefully. When dad ignores him, he makes a move to trap him against a bookshelf.
I wasn’t spying on my parents love life- I swear. I was only here cause Damon was here; organizing the pack library was next on his to-do list. I was helping out as well. The faster we got this done, the faster I’d be back out there.
Since dad kept this place in a perfect state, it wasn’t as hard as the enormous space suggested.
I tried to stay close to Damon and keep us both working diligently, but it was a bit hard when your parents were approximately two bookshelves over arguing.
“That tattoo was a drunken mistake and you know it.” Dad hisses back and I could practically hear the blush in his voice.
(A.N If you don’t know what tattoo they’re talking about, it’s in chapter 15 of Perfect Mates)
“The best mistake since Hagen.” He counters and Damon and I laugh to ourselves. We’d definetely be using this against the kid later.
“Aiden, the answer is no.” Dad says firmly and for a moment I believe Aiden gave up.
And what a beautiful moment that was.
“But Jewels! If you got nipples piercings it’d be really hot!” He whines loudly making our heads turn their way.
“Aiden!” Dad hisses angrily, the ows that followed told me Dad was probably hitting him.
After that, heavy rushed footsteps filled the space before the dinging of the elevator appeared.
“Jewels!” Aiden calls desperately.
“Have fun with your hand tonight!” Dad shouts back and the elevator shuts behind him.
Damon and I carefully peak our head out of our column to look over at our now pouting father. He rose his right hand up and stared at it for a moment in sadness.
“Guess it’s just you and me again buddy.” He says with a weak smile that breaks Damon completely as he begins laughing hysterically.
Po’s eyes immediately pop up to look at the two of us, a rare blush taking his cheeks as he ducked his hand behind him.
But the damage was already done and Damon’s laughter wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
“Seriously old man, you’re pathetic.” Damon laughed out after a minute or so.
“Says the kid who thinks Santa Claus is real.” Aiden spits back and Damon immediately straightens.
“Prove to me that’s he’s not and then we’ll talk.” Damon countered strongly and I just roll my eyes at the pair.
“Keep bothering me kid, and I’ll make Peter the next alpha.” Dad threatens and Peter immediately looks up from his corner on the floor with a scared look.
“Oh please, like if that shaking leaf could lead people.” Damon scoffs. “He’d force us all to read and never go outside.”
“I wouldn’t m-make you r-read, I k-know you’re m-mentally c-challenged.” Peter counters and I had to slap my hand over my mouth to quiet the laughter that broke through.
Dad didn’t even try to hold it, a loud roar like series of chuckling filling the space supposedly meant for quiet.
“Burn!” Dad cheers, lifting Peter into a tight hug he let himself sink into. “Have I ever told you how much I love you kid?”
“Whatever.” Damon grumbles under his breath before going back to the shelf we’d been previously working on.
“Can I head out early?” I ask looking to dad who was still hugging Peter tightly. “I want to spend more time out there.”
“Tell your father first. Make sure the men on patrol know you’re leaving and to stay near to your area.” He says seriously while cradling Peter’s head. “Take Caspar and don’t wander too far.”
“Kill that beast.” Damon prompts causing dad to frown deeply.
“Don’t go close to it.”
“I won’t.” I promise making Damon’s smile fall.
“You guys are no fun.” He mumbles but I ignore him.
“Stay out of trouble.” I say rubbing his head playfully before giving Po and Peter quick hugs and leaving.
It wasn’t hard to find dad. Following his scent, I found him at Amelia’s house which luckily for me, was close to the boarder. I told Caspar through our link that we’d be heading out again, so he was probably already waiting.
I knock gently and wait. I didn’t mind saying hi to Uncle Beckett and Emitt. The door swung open, though no hand was placed on the knob. I smile widely when my eyes land on the magical source.
“Jacob!” I cheer lifting up the little boy as I step into the house. He giggles in my hold as I throw him up a couple times before tucking him in my arms and tickling his weak spots.
“Levi!” He laughs loudly as he squirms in my hold. When he starts getting so excited we’re levitating, I stop and my feet land back on the strong wooden floor.
Jacob was a warlock who was adopted by Emitt and Beckett when there was an unfortunate case in the supernatural world.
His coven had killed many werewolves in offering to him to boost his power and his strength in this world.
Yeah, it was pretty fucked up.
When the coven was slaughtered and all that remained was the baby, a trial was put in session. A lot of people demanded he be ‘put down’ before he could grow to his full potential of ‘evil’.
Uncle Emitt decided he wasn’t evil and kept him as his own. And though the Supernatural Board demanded close supervision, with one of their own living in our pack, Jacob was a happy kid.
He didn’t know of his past and hopefully he never would. He just knew he was in a home with people who loved him and that’s all that mattered.
“He gets so excited whenever you’re around.” A voice says and I lift my head to see Uncle Emitt walking over to me with a weak smile. “It’s good to see you Levi.”
“You too.” I say truthfully as I bend down to give him a hug, careful of Jacob still in my hands.
“Why do you keep getting taller?” He questions once we pull apart. “It’s bad enough my own daughter is taller than me.”
“I like you small.” Uncle Beckett says as he comes to meet us. “Damn kid, you’ve really grown up.”
“Thanks, I think.” I say with a chuckle as Jacob pulls at my collar for me to pay attention to him. “Jacob here has gotten even bigger than me.”
“I’m a man.” Jacob says puffing out his chest and I laugh as Emitt pulls him from my hands and sets him on his hip.
“You’re my little man.” He says nuzzling his neck with his nose, making Jacob laugh.
“You’re here for Julian I’m assuming.” Beckett says as we follow after his mate and their child. I nod and he leads the way. “You look good Levi.” He says shortly and I look up to him in surprise. “I’m glad you’re growing up nicely.”
“Thanks. You look happy too.” I say flashing back momentarily to a time when he wasn’t. He gives me a small smile, probably thinking the same.
“I am.” He says as we draw closer to the living room. “But I never said you were happy.” He says turning the corner before I could question him further.
“Levi?” Dad says with a questioning look, a half eaten cinnamon stick in his hand.
I shake my head a little to dust off Beckett’s words before I smile at him.
“Hey, I’m going back to the woods now.” I say nonchalantly hoping it wouldn’t set him off.
“Remember the safety rules.” He says sternly as he stands to meet me.
“Pack a bag with water and food in case of an emergency.” He continues.
“Stay close enough to the boarder that the patrolling can reach you by link.” He insists and I nod even though I knew I wouldn’t.
“Dad, okay I got it. Can I go now?” I beg, already inching my way out of the room.
“Levi, I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He says stopping me in my tracks. “You don’t know how difficult it is to let you go out there alone. Especially when I know what lives there.”
“I know dad.” I say gently. “I’ll be safe and I’ll keep an eye out always.”
“Good.” He breathes out smiling back at me a little. “Now go, and get back here as soon as you can.”
“Okay.” I say giving him a quick hug. “It was great seeing you all, I’m happy to be back in the pack.”
“It was great seeing you too Levi.” Emitt replies fondly as he snuggles into his mate on the couch.
“And you,” I say squatting down to meet Jacob’s height. “I’ll take you out one day and we can play with all this magic inside of you.” I say squeezing his sides gently and he laughs, nodding viscously in agreement.
I bid them all a last goodbye before leaving the house, letting out a breath of exhaustion as I make my way to Caspar.
I’d been exploring beyond our pack for about two weeks now and every time was better than the last.
I knew the little land I’d explored like the back of my hand now, and had little to no problem getting around.
And not once did I see track marks of the ‘beast’, or smell the scent of a rogue. There was no trail of dead animals; no dark eyes that followed me.
It was as though the thing didn’t even exist and in all honesty, I was beginning to believe it didn’t. Maybe it was just folklore, created to scare children away. Maybe, it was real, but not as big and bad as it was described to be.
But if it wasn’t real, then why did my dads return home so many times covered in scratches and bites with their own blood splashed over them.
Why did everyone who ever went after it and survived, describe its attack in the same way, with the exact same order of events occurring each time.
Firstly, they were separated from their hunting party.
Then once they had wandered to far away to be heard by anyone, they’d feel it’s eyes.
Feel it trailing them, feel it studying them, feel it stalking it’s prey. But not once would they see it themselves.
And then it’d attack.
Moving faster than light, being bigger and stronger than an alpha.
When you finally looked into its eyes, seeing the monster that would haunt you until your dying breath, in that moment, you knew you were going to die...
... or so they say.
What took you so long? - Caspar questions as I approach him, my prepacked bag held between his teeth.
Got caught up by the parental. Sorry - I say taking the bag from him with a grateful smile. I rub him a little before we begin walking.
Warning you of the big bad wolf? - Caspar teases and I shove him a little with my knee.
We drop the conversation when we’re far enough from the park. We didn’t really talk much when we were out here, just focused on the things around us. Or at least I did. Maybe Caspar was just happy being out of the pack for once. Goddess knows he hated the way people jolted away from him.
“What the...” I whisper to myself when my eyes catch sight of blooming flowers. I turn in their direction, curious why there seemed to be so many clustered in one area.
I head towards it, Caspar following with a sound of annoyance. He didn’t share my love for flowers but that was okay. Because whenever he saw a fish in a pond or even an aquarium and wanted to watch it for hours on end, I stood silently beside him.
As we drew closer, my lungs found themselves filling with air at the sight before me. A tree stood tall with large, buttress roots that wrapped themselves around it. They piped up and down through the earth as it claimed the space around it as its own.
But that wasn’t what had me circling it with wide eyes. It was the abundance of this unusual pink flower that spiraled up the length of the tree.
I’d never seen a tree that had flowers surrounding its trunk, from the bottom all the way to the top. The flowers were small, fragile and gorgeous. When I’d circled it for what must’ve been the sixth time, I pulled out my phone and took as many pictures as my storage would allow me to.
“Goddess Caspar, have you ever seen something so beautiful?” I say when I’d satisfied my needs.
Can’t say I have - He replies boredly. Now let’s head back, we’ve wandered too far.
“There’s a yellow one!” I exclaim when my eyes catch sight of an identical tree not too far from this one. But this time the flowers were yellow instead of pink.
Levi - Caspar warns as I rush towards it.
“I’ll be quick.” I say absentmindedly.
But by the time I reached the tree, I was already in a world of my own as I stared up at the beauty.
Okay, that’s enough. Let’s go - Caspar says looking around the space.
“Okay, okay.” I say turning back to face him. “Lead the way Grinch.”
I love Christmas so that statement was invalid - He retorts. I follow behind him while looking around the space I’d run into blindly.
I take pictures of what I can, wandering a little off course whenever I could without Caspar noticing before running back to meet him.
We weren’t too far from the land we were familiar with when I caught sight of a colony of bunnies. I stilled in my spot as the little family bounced around, eating the plants nearby peacefully.
I look to Caspar who was trailing forward before turning towards them. I move silently for Peter’s sake, getting as close as I could before taking out my phone and taking more photos. Zooming in close for a better view of the baby ones.
When I had enough to last Peter a lifetime, I headed back to where Caspar was, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Caspar.” I call out but no sound came in response. “Caspar, come on.”
I look around aimlessly, my heart beginning to pick up speed as I took a few steps forward.
Firstly, you’re separated from your group.
Caspar - I call through our link desperately.
Levi! Where are you?! - He answers immediately and I audibly let out my fear as my back slouches with relief.
I guess I went off farther than I thought - I say apologetically.
I’ll come find you - He insists.
No, let’s meet at the pack border. It’ll be faster - I say starting my journey.
Be quick - He says giving in.
I tighten my hold on my backpack, pushing my phone deeper into my pocket. Walking back the way I believe we came, I say a small prayer of thanks to Goddess.
Almost like a laser directed on my back, I could feel the presence of eyes trailing me. Glancing back, I smile when I catch sight of one of the baby bunnies behind me. I give it a small wave as if it’d understand before getting back to walking.
But what I didn’t realise, was that the cute little bunny wasn’t the owner of the eyes I felt on me.
Ooooo cliffhanger lol.
As I said on my Instagram, i only have a couple days left of my vacation so I’m really busy. Doesn’t help that as soon as I get back to school, it’s work none stop.
So it’s not fair that you guys are waiting for an update not knowing when it’ll come.
From now on I’ll be updating once a week, on Saturday or Sunday.
I may update more if I have time. If I don’t I’ll make sure to let you guys know on my insta why.
Until next time,

domain: literature


text:
In Arizona during the Civil War, Apache girl Abanaki (Ann Michelle, PSYCHOMANIA) is sentenced by an unsympathetic French missionary priest (Paul Vincenzo) to be sent into the desert on horseback to die of exposure for stealing a soldier’s (Aldo Ray) horse and for witchcraft. Abanaki, who discovered that the soldier and the priest were in cahoots to steal gold, curses the responsible parties and vows to follow them until the truth is revealed. In the present day, English actress Jennifer Baines (Michelle again) is on her way back to California after a visit home when her car breaks down at the abandoned Apacheland Movie Ranch. That same day, two workmen install a telephone booth in the cemetery (the film was originally called THE GLASS CAGE) next to the ranch. The ranch is owned by Michelle (Virginia Mayo, CASTLE OF EVIL), her sons Patrick (Jim Negele, FRATERNITY ROW) and Russ (Brad Reardon, SILENT SCREAM), and gruff caretaker Andrew (Ray again). Michelle suffers from hysterical blindness after a fiery stock footage car crash – attributed to Abanaki’s spirit – that killed her husband. Michelle’s doctor (Vincenzo again) tells Patrick that Michelle needs psychological treatment and suggests that she go to a sanitarium. Patrick decides to commit her, sell the ranch, and take Patrick with him to Milwaukee against the objections of Andrew, who has been in love with Michelle and resents her memories of her husband. The next day, Patrick drives his mother to the sanitarium and drives Jennifer to town to see about her car. The mechanic tells her that it needs more work so Patrick invites Jennifer to stay on at the ranch as they pack up to leave. While Jennifer and Patrick carry on a casual dalliance – more casual to Jennifer – Andrew answers a call from the cemetery phone booth from Abanaki telling him that “the old hag” is waiting for him. He takes a boat across the nearby lake to a cave where Rosarita, an old witch, tells him that Abanaki has reincarnated herself in Jennifer and that he must kill her in order to find the gold. When the witch requests a cut of the gold, Andrew kills her. When Patrick goes to town to check on Jennifer’s car, Andrew abducts Jennifer and plans to kill her.
HAUNTED is an extremely redundant horror film. First, a barely scrolling text screen tells us about as yet unintroduced Abanaki’s fate and her possible possession of the as yet unintroduced Jennifer Baines. Then we get a pre-credits flashback depicting what we’ve already been told (only in the flashback, we’ve got to listen to Vincenzo’s horrible line delivery and Ray’s abrasive, gravelly voice). Then we get the title sequence scored with the awful Billy Vera song “Indian Woman” which explains the entire story yet again. Finally, as Patrick shows Jennifer around the movie ranch, he tells her the story of Abanaki, the priest, the soldier, and the stolen gold which should have dispelled her presence since the wrongdoing seems to be common knowledge now. The film also scuttles basic horror expectations. After a prominent part in the flashback, Vincenzo turns up again in the beginning of the modern day sequence as the family doctor (seen only in long shot that suggests a lack of coverage) before disappearing from the rest of the picture and not getting his just desserts from Abanaki (in his interview, Negele says that a large chunk of footage was ruined by a fault in the film gate, which may have included the doctor’s fate).The military soldier in the flashback who reads the sentence also shows up in the present day as a bartender (Fred Carroll), but nothing happens to him. The hidden gold is never found or even searched for by any of the characters (even though Jennifer finds a map that the witch gave Andrew years before to find the treasure). Worst of all, Jennifer never shows any sign of possession by Abanaki as the opening text suggests. As such, about a third of what is described in the opening text screen – as well as the theme song – never happens in the film. The whole love triangle bit with Andrew, Michelle and her dead husband adds to the muddle (Andrew is really Gordon, who was Michelle’s husband’s brother, but since the brother was sterile, he’s also Patrick’s and Russell’s father, but who cares?). Its payoff is the sight of Virginia Mayo getting felt up by a shirtless, muscular, blonde guy (intercut with her getting groped by Ray, who should have had his back waxed before shooting). The surprise appearance of Abanaki at the end seems less like the typical 1970s/1980s “resurgence of the supernatural after the logical explanation” surprise ending, and more like the punch line appearances of real ghosts at the end of much older horror comedies like THE GHOST BREAKERS, CARED STIFF and ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN but has no impact, humorous or otherwise.
The film is otherwise padded with bits of local color, like Patrick and Jennifer’s visit to a pizza parlor whose chief entertainment is music played on a giant pipe organ (the camera wanders all over the details of the instrument’s inner workings) or characters swimming at the lake or walking around the admittedly atmospheric ghost town. William Hines’ photography is occasionally attractive – especially when capturing the characters against the vast expanses of the ghost town and the surrounding desert – but the night scenes are underlit and the day-for-night is just as bad (Hines went on to a prolific TV career with stints on T.J. HOOKER, CHEERS, THE A-TEAM, MACGUYVER and MURPHY BROWN among others). Lor Crane’s score – which includes the energetic underscoring of the theme song – only really comes to life during Andrew’s visit to the old witch with drums and atmospheric chanting (Lor Crane’s soundtrack actually had an LP release, and “Indian Woman” is heard in its entirety on the Code Red disc’s main menu screen). Crane’s only other scoring credit was HAUNTED director Michael DeGaetano’s sex comedy SCORING. De Gaetano’s only film prior to HAUNTED was a sci-film called UFO: TARGET EARTH (available on Retromedia’s MAD MONSTER RALLY set), and his only credit after HAUNTED is the Troma pick-up BLOODBATH IN PSYCHOTOWN co-directed with one Alessandrao DeGaetano (PROJECT: METALBEAST).
Ray had given some throwaway performances in other late 1970s and 1980s low-budget fare such as the awful slasher/alien invasion film EVILS OF THE NIGHT (with John Carradine, Neville Brand, Julie Newmar and Tina Marie) – in which he really seemed to be drunk throughout – and STRAIT-JACKET/DARK SANITY as a superfluous detective. Here he seems committed, but that does not result in a better performance. His distinctive voice grates on the nerves the more he goes off the rails (HAUNTED is not to be confused with the 1977 thriller HAUNTS which also starred Ray along with Cameron Mitchell). Mayo is also poor as the blind mother trapped in the past. Saddled with ridiculously soapy dialogue, the actress’ delivery seems downright amateurish. Raised by a German au pair girl who herself went on to film fame as actress Elke Sommer, Ann Michelle only appeared in one film together with her twin sister Vicki: THE VIRGIN WITCH. Of the two sisters, Ann has the more impressive CV of sexploitation appearances with LOVE IN OUR TIME, HOUSE OF WHIPCORD, CRUEL PASSION (the adaptation of De Sade’s “Justine” with Koo Stark), MISTRESS PAMELA, YOUNG LADY CHATTERLEY and THE FRENCH QUARTER (also with Mayo). In HAUNTED, Michelle is rather uneven, starting the film off with a very emphatic “classy” British accent before sliding into a more casual one while spouting dated “free love” philosophy to Patrick. Negele is a bit bland and Rearden is whiny; neither of their characters adds much to the story anyway.
First released on tape in the U.S. by VCII – the short-lived non-porn sub-label of adult video distributor VCX (Code Red has also licensed the VCII titles NIGHT OF THE DEMON and MARDI GRAS MASSACRE) – the dark and grainy fullscreen transfer (exacerbated by the bad day-for-night, a lack of bounced light on faces in the sunny exteriors, and impenetrable night scenes) was slightly windowboxed to accommodate a VCII watermark at the bottom of the frame (it was likely not visible due to overscan). The film was re-issued on an LP tape by Video Treasures, presumably from the same old master. Code Red’s new 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is certainly an improvement over the older video master (the widescreen framing also makes it seem less like a TV movie, despite the fade-outs). Since the transfer was made in the early 1980s that should go without saying, but the improvements are notable. The night scenes are still pitch black, but that’s the original cinematography. The colors are also more attractive. Several scenes that seemed to be poorly graded with reddish flesh tones on tape are revealed to be lit with red gels, which are now distinct form the flesh tones. While only the awful theme song (and the awful “love theme” by Freya Crane) stood out on the tape release, the Dolby Digital mono audio reveals some interesting touches in the music score. The tune that Michelle repeatedly plays on the harmonium early in the film is now recognizable as a version of the “Lifetimes” sung by the film’s assistant director Ronald A. Romano, which is later played on the organ later at the pizza parlor.
Actor Jim Negele appears in a video interview titled “The Making of THE HAUNTED” (9:59). He calls the film, his first film role, an unrewarding learning experience. He believes that the producers took advantage of Ray’s drinking problem to get him to do more work for less money and tells us that he and Ann Michelle were outcasts at first from the mostly gay crew (who thought he was just stuck up rather than straight) and that Brad Rearden really was as obnoxious as his character. He mentions that a chunk of footage was ruined because the Hollywood contact who was supposed to check the shipped rushes daily, checked them on a Moviola instead of a large screen and did not notice the fluttering of the faulty film gate, and that his kids have never been able to make it through the entire film.
One of the inaugural titles in Code Red’s “Maria’s B-Movie Mayhem” line, the film features an introduction and closing remarks by WWE wrestler Maria Kanellis, who has expanded her interests into modeling, acting and singing. The bits here feature Kanellis in busty Native American garb green-screened in front of a desert background talking about the film (and reacting to it afterwards). Both segments are short and shouldn’t detract from one’s “enjoyment” of the feature – in the case of HAUNTED, they could only enhance it – and there is an option to view the film without the book-ending segments. Kanellis’ music video “Fantasy” (5:33) appears as an extra (the song is also used to score the “Maria’s B-Movie Mayhem” opening and closing credits). Kanellis also introduces the trailer reel which includes LOVE ME DEADLY, THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CAMPUS CORPSE (these two will be on a forthcoming “Maria” double bill), Byron Quisenberry’s SCREAM (which will be reissued on a double bill with NIGHTMARE CIRCUS), BLOOD MANIA, THE HEARSE, I’M GOING TO GET YOU ELLIOT BOY, THE BABYSITTER and THE BLACK GESTAPO. (Eric Cotenas)
BACK TO REVIEWS

domain: artistic


text:
Mason Wood will undergo surgery in the next 24 hours following a confronting incident in last night’s win against Collingwood.
The 30-year-old was stretchered from the ground after colliding mid-air with teammate Zaine Cordy in the first quarter of the game.
Wood received a concussion as a result of the clash, but will now also undergo surgery to repair a broken collarbone.
“Obviously you’d prefer your players not get injured at all, but considering the angle and way Mason landed, we could’ve been dealing with something far more serious,” EGM Football David Misson said.
“Mason’s set for surgery in the next few hours, which is a great start. He’ll now get his rehab started pretty much straight away.
“We’ll have a better idea of a return to play timeline after his initial recovery from surgery - we think it’ll be around the six-week mark, but we’ll be able to provide a clearer picture early next week.
“If we know anything about Mase it’s that he’s extremely diligent and professional in how he looks after his body, so we know he’ll be doing everything he can to get right and be back on the field as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Liam Henry will undergo a scan to assess some hamstring tightness.
“We took Liam out of the game towards the end as a precaution,” Misson said.
“We’ll provide a further update once we have those results back.”
The club’s full injury update will be posted on saints.com.au on Tuesday.


Web development strategy for your business: dos and don'ts
Tue, Feb 15, 2022 •8 min read
Category: Business Stories / Software development
3Whether you're in charge of a local small business, an emerging start-up, or an established company, you should realize the importance of your digital strategy and the online presence of your brand. Having helped many companies reach their digital goals, we created a full list of tips on how to approach your web development strategy so it serves your customers the best way possible. We'll also let you know what's a big no-no in website development in 2022. Keep on reading!
Your brand digital presence is everything - especially during the pandemic
Due to a survey conducted by Salesforce, 71% of small and medium businesses survived the pandemic by going digital and enhancing their online presence. Additionally, 66% of business owners claim they couldn't have survived 2020 using the technology from a decade ago. If that doesn't show us the magnitude of staying on top of technological trends and updating your company's tech stack - we don't know what would. To sum up the survey results:
if your brand isn't present online yet - you should change that immediately,
if you have a website and it hasn't been updated in months/years - that might be worse for your business than having no site at all!
When you decide to invest in digital, you should also remember to allocate the proper budget to keep your online presence fresh and updated. And the right website development strategy will help you achieve just that.
3 rules of good website development strategy
After you've decided to strengthen your online presence, it's time to focus on the strategy. As there isn't a one-fits-all solution that suits every case, it's good to know basic rules and a few tricks to maximizing your website dev ROI.
1. Find the best web development company for your use case
Sure, there are hundreds of website development agencies when you browse through Google search results. But how to recognize the one that will understand your business requirements, is absolutely tech-savvy, and knows all of the principles of good design? Start with looking for web development companies by browsing their case studies portfolio. If they have projects similar to your own, you're on the right track. Experience in working with customers from your industry is invaluable when you're looking for something more than just a vendor. In such a case, a web development company becomes your partner and the best advisor. Let's look at Rumble Fish as an example - after successfully working with many Blockchain-oriented investors, we are now able to exceed even the most demanding expectations of other companies that operate in this area. We know their pain points, the best technology & tools to apply, and we can easily lead them in the right direction if they're not sure what to do next.
The next thing you might want to check out when looking for web development services is the tech stack used by the company. It's important that their UI/UX designers know the latest trends in web & app development as new tools and solutions might be exactly what your website needs to satisfy your clients. Check out if they use languages like React, React Native, or Nest, as they are very useful when it comes to smooth & modern website design. If your project is more complicated and requires enhanced security and privacy features, make sure that your software house can handle that.
While building bigger online platforms dedicated to thousands or millions of users your dev team needs to be diverse enough to cover all the bases of the project - you might need cloud or Blockchain engineers to help you achieve your goals. Make sure to discuss that with your potential software house in the early stages of your talks.
In 2022 it's more clear than ever that we don't have to be in the same room/city/country to be business partners. So don't limit your search to the local companies only. Sure, in some cases face to face meetings might be helpful but as Covid-19 proved to us, Zoom is just as effective. So if you've found a company from another country or continent but you really like their work and approach, don't be afraid to try them out.
2. Focus on your customers and their specific needs
Don't ever assume that you know everything about your customers and their preferences. People tend to be very surprising and might use your product in a way you never would've imagined. That's why it's important to talk to them, analyze their behavior online, observe them when they use your product.
If your industry is, for example, healthcare or HealthTech, you should be especially sensitive to users with disabilities and accommodate their needs accordingly. Your website should be WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliant, which means it should be built in a way accessible for people with various disabilities. WCAG is a set of technical standards that gives your web development team specific details on how to build accessible pages. At Rumble Fish, we have extensive experience with WCAG standards - both in QA and implementation of the guideline. Read the case study.
3. Explore your options - a website is only one of them
In some cases it's obvious - your business needs a website to serve as your company's portfolio. No additional tricks are required. But what if your customers wanted to log in to schedule an appointment or download materials? If you want improved functionalities you're no longer creating a website, but a web application. And sometimes it makes more sense to develop a mobile app instead of an elaborate web app. The form you choose should be carefully analyzed with a team of digital experts who are masters at their craft. One thing that is certain is that your digital branding should be mobile-friendly. The rest is a matter of preference and business incentives.
How not to design digital products in 2022
1. Focus solely on the aesthetic
We all want our websites to have a sleek and modern look. That's a no-brainer. But there is nothing more annoying for your potential customer than looking up your business online and seeing a beautifully designed website with no basic info to be found. It's crucial for your web design team to know the current trends but it's also important to remember why you're setting up your digital presence in the first place. And good design should be complementing your content, not replacing it.
2. Skip the discovery phase
In theory, everyone knows the importance of the discovery phase but, as experience shows us on a daily basis, it's often being forgotten in practice. Sometimes, startup founders or product creators seem to think that they know their stuff the best and no discovery phase is necessary. But if you want your product to reflect exactly what your customers need and require, you have to ask them first. And that is one of the phases of a product discovery workshop. Not to mention the money you can save in the process. A well-planned product is much cheaper to develop than using a trial and error methodology. By conducting a discovery workshop, you greatly boost your chances of delivering a better product. In this piece, we explain the details and benefits of a good discovery workshop.
3. Forget the importance of UX
Good user experience design is crucial in the web development process. Why? For the same reasons a good product should have a discovery phase. Good UX can increase your sales, drive business growth, expand your customer base. UX puts your customer in the center therefore you need to be able to put your own preferences aside. User experience is not about guessing what the end-user wants but researching and testing it on your target group. Good design makes your website, web app, or mobile app more useful, credible, and accessible.
Whether you want to launch a small website, an e-commerce business, or a specific mobile app, you need to focus on your target group, their needs and desires. An experienced software development company should help you every step of the way, delivering the team tailored to your requirements.


On Thursday the Office of Special Counsel, which isn’t affiliated with former special counsel Robert Mueller and his collusion investigation, issued a stunning, first-of-its-kind report calling for White House counselor Kellyanne Conway to be terminated for alleged violations of the Hatch Act.
According to Politico, never before in the office’s 40-year history has it ever called for a White House official to be terminated.
“The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today sent report to President Donald J. Trump finding that Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on numerous occasions by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media,” a statement from the OSC reads.
— Alex Mallin (@alex_mallin) June 13, 2019
The OSC first targeted Conway in early 2018, when it referred her to the president for two alleged violations of the Hatch Act as per statements she’d made on FNC’s “Fox & Friends” and CNN’s “New Day” in 2017 about the then-upcoming special election in Alabama.
While she did speak positively about Republican candidate Roy Moore and disparagingly about his Democrat challenger, Doug Jones, the White House insisted at the time that she’d merely been echoing the president’s positions. Note for instance what she said on “Fox & Friends.”
“Doug Jones in Alabama, folks don’t be fooled,” she said. “He’ll be a vote against tax cuts. He’s weak on crime, weak on borders. He’s strong on raising your taxes. He’s terrible for property owners. And Doug Jones is a doctrinaire liberal, which is why he’s not saying anything and why the media are trying to boost him.”
Was this wrong to say?
When Trump’s transition team announced in late December of 2016 that Conway had been tapped to serve as his counselor, it noted that in her position she’d “continue her role as a close adviser to the President and will work with senior leadership to effectively message and execute the Administration’s legislative priorities and actions.”
The inclusion of the term “message” suggests that one of her roles as counselor is to convey the president’s opinion on policies, elections, etc. And that, it would appear, was exactly what she’d been doing vis-a-vis the special election in Alabama.
When confronted by various media reporters last month about these alleged violations, the White House counselor disputed them, saying, “You’ve got outside groups who have political agendas trying to file actions against me,” and accusing said groups of trying to silence her. She also made a sarcastic remark about a “jail sentence.”
The OSC cited these remarks in its statement Thursday.
“[D]uring a media interview on May 29, 2019, Ms. Conway downplayed the significance of the law as applied to her,” the statement reads. “When asked about the Hatch Act, she stated, ‘If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,’ and ‘Let me know when the jail sentence starts.'”
It’s unclear if this means that sarcastic remarks also count as violations of the Hatch Act …
The White House has for its part responded to the OSC’s stunning accusations by accusing the agency of trying to violate the White House counselor’s free speech rights.
And the White House hits back: “The Office of Special Counsel’s (OSC) unprecedented actions against Kellyanne Conway are deeply flawed and violate her constitutional rights to free speech and due process.” pic.twitter.com/FLGN6dD0h4
— Sara Cook (@saraecook) June 13, 2019
“The Office of Special Counsel’s (OSC) unprecedented actions against Kellyanne Conway are deeply flawed and violate her constitutional rights to free speech and due process,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Steven Groves said in a statement.
“Others, of all political views, have objected to the OSC’s unclear and unevenly applied rules which have a chilling effect on free speech for all federal employees. Its decisions seem to be influenced by media pressure and liberal organizations — and perhaps OSC should be mindful of its own mandate to act in a fair, impartial, non-political manner, and not misinterpret or weaponize the Hatch Act.”
The evidence suggests he’s correct. Flashback to 2016, when the OSC found then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro guilty of having violated the Hatch Act during a Yahoo interview.
“Secretary Castro’s statements during the interview impermissibly mixed his personal political views with official agency business despite his efforts to clarify that some answers were being given in his personal capacity,” that report read.
“It is very clear that [Democrat presidential candidate] Hillary Clinton is the most experienced, thoughtful, and prepared candidate for President that we have this year,” he’d said.
But instead of recommending Castro’s termination, the OSC sent a report to then-President Barack Hussein Obama without a recommendation. Obama then chose to take no action, according to Law & Crime.
“The Office of Special Counsel found that there was absolutely no question that this was a blatant violation of the Hatch Act. The agency forwarded the full report to President Obama, who chose not to take action,” the legal blog noted at the time.
“He owned up to it, and he’s taken the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again. I think that’s the expectation that people have when you make a mistake, particularly in a situation like this,” then-White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in defense of Obama’s decision at the time.
Granted, no defense was needed, since neither the OSC nor the liberal mainstream media had any interest in pestering Obama about Castro’s misdeeds.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Biden snubs Netanyahu thus far after big election win, but call expected ‘soon’ - November 6, 2022
- RNC chair flips CNN ‘election denier’ narrative: Dems are ‘inflation deniers… crime deniers’ - November 6, 2022
- Tudor Dixon goes scorched earth on Stephen Colbert after ‘apology’ for doubting Muslim parent is real - November 6, 2022
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.


text:
Title: Love A Little Stronger
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Publisher: Srishti Publishers
Publication Date: 27th April, 2018
My Rating: 4 stars
Often occupied with our daily schedules and deadlines, we tend to overlook though little but very priceless moments of our life. Do we ever cherish such little moments? Do we capture them and recall them when we are in low spirits?
Well, in this book, the author has brought together fifty such pleasing stories of her life where few are her experiences or few her observations which will recollect all the positive vibes in your life and seize them for forever.
The book has been divided into five parts narrating snippets from her life talking about amusing moments with her children, siblings and parental love, cheerful short life incidents and moments and all things positive and inspirational.
I was absorbed in the book from the very beginning and found myself smiling and giggling through the stories. Where few stories will leave you in intense thought whilst others will influence and enlighten you.
When the author narrates amusing stories of her children, the reader is sure to get nostalgic. It reminded me of my cheerful childhood moments too. Moreover, the book can be related by each and every person regardless of their age.
Owing to simple yet impactful writing style, it was so effortless connecting with the author and her stories.
The best thing I learned as a reader and aspiring writer from this book, that an encouragement to write about all such small yet precious moments of my life too.
Why to read this book
You will love this book irrespective of whether you read short stories or not. These stories are comforting and tranquilizing. You must grab this one for sure.
Have you happened to read this book? Or already read it?
Do share your thoughts in the comments below.


text:
Pumpkin cream, rolled in chocolate, topped with hazelnuts
(pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, dairy free dark chocolate, maple, salt, almond butter, vanilla, hazelnuts, coconut flour, coconut oil) calories: 242, carbs: 21 g, fat: 17 g, protein: 4 g
These truffles arrive in a compostable clamshell container and will be delivered Monday-Wednesday, Nov 25-27 between 12:00-3:00. Please contact us if you need them on a specific day.
Note that this is for the small size clamshell. You will receive 6 truffles.

domain: food


text:
By Madeline Sky, Weekend Meteorologist - bio | email
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – June is peak tornado season in Wisconsin. And in a typical year, Wisconsin sees around 25 tornadoes. But so far this year, there's hasn't been a single one.
“We have no tornadoes yet in the state of Wisconsin,” said Dan Baumgardt, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in La Crosse. “There's only been nine years since 1950 that we've gotten this late [in the year] without a tornado.”
And it's not just Wisconsin; nationally tornadoes are down as well. So far there have been around 550 tornadoes across the United States. In a normal year we would have seen 891 by now.
According to Baumgardt cool weather and lower humidity has played a big roll in keeping the numbers down this year.
“Tornadoes occur in very special environments,” said Baumgardt. “Not only do you need thunderstorms, and so you need heat and humidity. But you need a very specific wind profile not only at the surface but above the surface. And so you need all these special ingredients to come together and we just haven't see that this year in Wisconsin.”
But even without tornadoes, weather this time of year can still be very dangerous.
Floods and flash floods are the number one thunderstorm related killer in the United States, and are responsible for an average of three deaths per year in Wisconsin. Tornadoes, on the other hand, are responsible for an average of one death per year around the state.
Persons with disabilities who need assistance with issues relating to the content of this station's public inspection file should contact Administrative Assistant Theresa Wopat at 507-895-9969. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, at 888-835-5322 (TTY) or at email@example.com.


text:
Could we BE any more excited about the news of the Friends reunion?! I mean, we've waited long enough right?!
Make sure you and your little ones are ready for it with our awesome Friends collection! We have t-shirts, pajamas, backpacks and more - all perfect for true Friends fans of all ages!
What are you waiting for? Get your hands on them all by clicking here!


text:
Tyga Previews Response to Lil Durk's Diss
Tyga has responded to Lil Durk's recent diss. On Sunday, May 4, the 24-year-old Compton rapper took to Instagram to preview a new "Chi-Raq" remix in which he's featured calling out Durk by name.
"Who the f**k is Lil Durk, I dust you like ash and purp/ Your flow wack and my flow crack," Tyga raps. Shortly after the preview hit the web, Durk responded to T-Raww's bars on his Twitter and Instagram.
"Everytime a n***a rap beef he get clapped up in a couple weeks ig comments and a couple tweets Location on we can go and meet #chiraq," Durk wrote.
In late April, the Chicago rapper made headlines after blatantly dissing Tyga in the verses featured in Meek Mill's "Chi-Raq" remix. "Tyga only got one name, but that n***a ain't got one stripe," Durk raps in the track.
Durk recently explained how his feud with Tyga started. In a new interview with XXL, he said that the beef began after he talked about Tyga's fiancee Blac Chyna in a track he recorded with Chris Brown and French Montana.
Tyga wasn't too happy with the lines and wanted Durk to change the it. Durk was willing to re-do the lines if Tyga agreed to do a collaboration. Tyga said yes, but he later backed out of the plan.
"He's been texting me like, 'I'm going to send you something, you going to send me something, etc.' Then he stop replying and s**t, and I felt some type of way and said, f**k it then, I'm not going to kiss his a**," Durk explained.
More Tyga News
- Khloe Kardashian Reveals Secret to Her Big and Perky Butt
- Disney Opens Up About Leia's Role, Han Solo Movie and the Future of 'Star Wars'
- Rihanna's Pals Begging Her to Stay Away From Chris Brown Amid Rumors Exes Are Reconnecting
- Elisabeth Moss Stands Up for Herself in 'Handmaid's Tale' Full Trailer
- Kendrick Lamar Goes After Donald Trump and Fellow Rapper on 'The Heart Part 4'
- New 'Alien: Covenant' Poster Features Xenomorphs Suffocating the Engineers
- Listen to David Guetta's 'Light My Body Up' Feat. Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne
- Britney Spears Freaks Out After Sex Tape Leaks Online


text:
1998 Reynolds Racing Supermodel
Here's my rare, red, Reynolds Supermodel. Some of the components include a Chris King headset, Sun Ringle Bazooka stem, Sun Ringle BMW wheelset, Sun Ringle pedals, and Profile cranks. To this day, the Reynolds is one of the best BMX bikes I have ever ridden!
Submitted by tracerfireDiscuss this bike
- Company: Reynolds Racing
- Material: 4130 Chromoly
- Headtube size: 1-1/8"

domain: hobby


text:
HONEY BROOK, Pa. - The Dickinson women's golf team shot a combined score of 365 to sit in fourth place after day one of the Centennial Conference championships at Honeybrook Golf Club.
Himeno Yamane was the top Devil on the afternoon firing a 16-over 87 on the 5514-yard par 71 course. Both Jillian Graff and Charlotte Hancox carded 92s to finish in a tie for 17th. Mia Henry had a solid day as well shooting a 94 to be in a two-way tie for 20th. Olivia Chae rounded out the scorecards for the Red and White after heading to the 19th-hole with a 106.
Jessica Lamarca from Ursinus College leads the field after an eight-over 79. However, her lead is tenuous as three other players are within a shot of her. Gettysburg College leads the team standings with a 342, followed by Marymount (347), Franklin & Marshall (359), Dickinson (365), Muhlenberg (379), Ursinus (381), Cabrini (406), and McDaniel (447).
Next on the Tee
Dickinson returns to Honeybrook Golf Club tomorrow beginning at 12:30 p.m. for the final day of the Centennial Conference championship.

domain: sports


text:
The bestselling and highly-rated “Don’t Know Much About…” series of books by Kenneth C. Davis are a kind of Reader’s Digest Condensed compendium of knowledge. Each book conveys important facts and events in a conversational tone, making the material much more accessible to teens and adults whose eyes glaze over at the thought of having to study such subjects as History and Astronomy. These are great companions to traditional textbooks.
“Reading [Kenneth C. Davis] is like returning to the classroom of the best teacher you ever had.” —People
Revised, updated, and expanded, the Twentieth Anniversary Edition of Kenneth C. Davis’s classic anti-textbook Don’t Know Much About History revitalizes the landmark book’s ability to revolutionize the way we look at our past. Like Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, Davis’s Don’t Know Much About History captivates readers with a wry and lucid, comprehensive and comprehensible narrative. With a new section covering the twenty-first century’s most significant events, from the Great Recession to Hurricane Katrina to the election of Barack Obama and more, the Twentieth Anniversary Edition of Don’t Know Much About History reinvigorates the book’s crucial promise of delivering fascinating, insight-driven learning to a new generation of readers.
The latest installment in the New York Times bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series — a magical journey into the timeless world of mythology
It has been fifteen years since Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic Don’t Know Much About® History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don’t hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth.
Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia’s Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha.
Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes — from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse — continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don’t Know Much About® Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.
Who dug those canals on Mars? What was the biblical Star of Bethlehem? Were the pyramids built by extraterrestrials?
From the ancients who charted the heavens to Star Trek, The X-Files, and Apollo 13, outer space has intrigued people through the ages. Yet most of us look up at the night sky and feel totally in the dark when it comes to the basic facts about the universe.
Kenneth C. Davis steps into that void with a lively and readable guide to the discoveries, theories, and real people who have shed light on the mysteries and wonders of the cosmos. Discover why Einstein was such a genius, the truth behind a blue moon or two, the amazing secrets of Stonehenge, and even how one great astronomer lost his nose.
With the fun question-and-answer format that has appealed to the millions of readers of his bestselling Don’t Much About® series, you’ll be taking off on an exciting armchair exploration of the solar system, the Milky Way, and beyond.
For years, Kenneth C. Davis has enlightened and enthralled us, opening our minds and tickling our fancies with his wonderfully irreverent, fun, and factual Don’t Know Much About® books.
He has carried readers on wild and edifying rides through history, mythology, geography, the Bible, the Civil War, even across the universe. Now, following on the heels of his triumphant New York Times bestseller Don’t Know Much About® Anything, comes Don’t Know Much About® Anything Else, his latest one-stop potpourri of intriguing information.
Chock-full of delightful historical snippets and fascinating people, remarkable milestones and boneheaded blunders, and eye-opening, brain-boggling facts about simply anything and everything in the world, here is the ideal companion for those long car rides, plane flights, quality family hours, or relaxing downtime.

domain: library


text:
- You are here
- [Ryo] Heukun Hair Strengthener shampoo 500ml * 1pc + conditioner 500ml * 1pc
The Best Online Store for Fans of Korea
HOW TO USE
1. Wet the scalp and hair using lukewarm water.
2. Apply adequate amount and lather bubbles for scalp and hair while massaging.
3. Rinse off with lukewarm water throughly.
INGREDIENTS (Ryo Hair Strengthener shampoo)
Purified water, sodium laurethsulfate, ammonium laurylsulfate, sodium chloride, dimmedicon, flavouring agent, sodium benzoyate, sodium salicylate, sathyl alcohol, cocamide m.e., loricade, menthol, phenoxythanol, trichyloxysterine, sodium citrate, caprylic glycol, guahydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, malt extract, cithrixide, dysodium idithii, polyquitium-11, ethanol, butylene glycol, sodium ascovate, C12-15 pars-3, cocamidopropylvetane, hydrolysed corn starch, guju pine leaf extract, black bean extract, salicylic acid, ginseng extract, sodium hydroxide, soy protein, sacral extract, erseong herb extract, etchylglycerine, camellia oil, oedic extract
INGREDIENTS (Ryo Hair Strengthener conditioner)
Purified water, glycerine, dipropylene glycol, stearyl alcohol, sathyl alcohol, Stearamidoprodimetchiamine, dimecon, rockicade, flavoring, caprylic glycol, ethylene hexylglycerine, butylene glycol, ethanol, hydrolysed corn starch, Castile leaf extract, phenoxythanol, black bean extract, ginseng extract, soy protein, eosung herb extract,sacral extract, natto-gum, 1,2-hexandiol, camellia oil, tocopherol, dysodium idithii, audition extract

domain: health


Heuristic evaluation was used by Jakob Nielsen in 1990 to describe a type of inspection method , for identifying usability problems of computer software
Extracts from this document...
Heuristic Evaluation Stella Mills Department of Computing & Multimedia University of Gloucestershire The Park Cheltenham GL50 2QF, UK e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org Heuristic evaluation was used by Jakob Nielsen in 1990 to describe a type of inspection method , for identifying usability problems of computer software and, in particular, the user interface . Heuristic evaluation is the most informal method of usability inspection methods and 'involves having usability specialists judge whether each dialogue element conforms to established usability principles. These principles are normally referred to as the heuristics ...' [1, p.5]. Alternatively, heuristic evaluation is a usability engineering method 'for finding the usability problems in a user interface design so that they can be attended to as part of an iterative design process. Heuristic evaluation involves having a small set of evaluators examine the interface and judge its compliance with recognized usability principles (the "heuristics")' . Usability engineering applies the principles of engineering to user interface design . There is, therefore, no commonly accepted formal definition of an heuristic evaluation but essentially, a number of heuristics or principles are derived, usually from the literature, and then applied to the artifact to be evaluated, generally as a checklist. Potential problems for users are identified and suggestions made for their solution. The method does not involve the system's users and is generally completed by at least one, but preferably up to five, human factors' experts who should not have been involved in the development of the software. The need for experts, but not system users per se, places heuristic evaluation within the 'expert method' category of general methods of research in the social sciences. ...read more.
Table 3 Timing of use of heuristic evaluation in the lifecycle Heuristic evaluation can be used at any time in the lifecycle but, as with all human factors/ergonomics evaluation methods, the sooner it is used the more likely it is that problems will be identified and so will be cheaper to remove. Providing sufficient focus in terms of the characteristics of the users and the functionality of the system can be given, heuristic evaluation can be used on the first interface designs, even if these are in paper. If these evaluations are done by double experts then basic interface design errors, such as misuse of colour, too small font size of text etc., can be avoided. In systems which use templates for the interface design, such as is the case with an increasing number of websites, this can be most advantageous in terms of cost and time savings. However, it should be noted that even if heuristic evaluation is used at the beginning of the lifecycle, it should be used again, especially before the ?-release (the first version to be tried by actual users in the field of domain) since problems can creep into the interfaces design as it is developed. One of the advantages of heuristic evaluation is that the same heuristics can be used as the interface develops but it is wise to vary the evaluators since familiarity with an interface may lead to errors and omissions. The commercial use of heuristic evaluation Heuristic evaluation is quick to use since it can be accomplished in a few hours, especially if interface templates are used and there is, therefore, much commonality between the various screens of the system. ...read more.
Other evaluators may not place such emphasis on these problems; this may be particularly evident when severity ratings are used. In practice, the evaluators often meet after rating the problems in order to reach a consensus about the ratings so that the system's developers can have clear guidance about the importance of the problems cited. Such a group discussion can help to reduce the bias of each individual and is useful in informing the results of the evaluation. Group discussion and group working can be difficult owing to the different personalities in the group. It is important, therefore, that any group post-evaluation is formally chaired allowing each evaluator to express their views within the group. A chairperson should also sum up the findings formally so that a consensus of opinion is expressed in the report presented to the client. A full discussion of the problems of group working is beyond this article but such problems can arise within heuristic evaluation and can cause a slant upon the evaluation well beyond that of ordinary personal bias. Conclusion Heuristic evaluation is an inexpensive but efficient method of evaluating the interface of a software system and while it may not exhibit every usability problem of the system, it can be enlightening in terms of potential difficulties for different categories of user. Commercially, it is cost effective and consequently is used in industry to provide feedback, often well before the software is released for testing. While it is best achieved using 'triple' experts, it can be done by others since any reliable feedback is thought to be better than none. ...read more.
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our University Degree Computer Science section.
Found what you're looking for?
- Start learning 29% faster today
- 150,000+ documents available
- Just £6.99 a month
- Join over 1.2 million students every month
- Accelerate your learning by 29%
- Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month


text:
Immerse yourself in Russian culture with food, entertainment and music this weekend. The community is invited to the Ann Arbor Russian Festival for its sixth annual event, held on the grounds of St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church in Dexter Sept. 15-16, 2018.
This September festival kicks off with an opening ceremony of Russian bell ringing and continues with Russian food and drink, a tea room with authentic sweets, dancing, souvenirs for sale, church tours and more.
The main kitchen will have food for sale both days of the festival until closing. For adults over 21, an infused vodka tasting will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Kids will feel welcome at the event with a Kids Corner open daily until closing featuring a bounce house, playground, games and coloring. Little ones can cool off with some ice cream, take part in crafts or have their caricature drawn. You’ll also find hair braiding and a children’s puppet show both days of the festival.
The hours for this year’s fest are as follows:
- Saturday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Sunday: 1-7 p.m.
Admission to the festival and parking are free. Parking is available at the church.
For more information on the 2018 Ann Arbor Russian Festival in Dexter, or other upcoming family fun things to do this weekend, visit the Metro Parent calendar.
Photo from the Ann Arbor Russian Festival Facebook page
This post was originally published in 2015 and is updated regularly.


text:
Antonin Scalia: Holocaust Was Partially Brought About By Judicial ActivismBreaking News
tags: Holocaust, Antonin Scalia, SCOTUS, judicial activism
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's warnings on judicial activism appear to have gained a new chapter at the Utah Bar Association's 2013 summer convention.
The Aspen Times reported Sunday that Scalia drew upon the Holocaust as an example of how judicial activism can lead to problems. According to the Utah Bar Association's website, Scalia was slated to be the keynote speaker for the 2013 Summer Convention event, which was held from July 17-20 in Snowmass, Colo....
Scalia opened his talk with a reference to the Holocaust, which happened to occur in a society that was, at the time, “the most advanced country in the world.” One of the many mistakes that Germany made in the 1930s was that judges began to interpret the law in ways that reflected “the spirit of the age.” When judges accept this sort of moral authority, as Scalia claims they’re doing now in the U.S., they get themselves and society into trouble....
comments powered by Disqus
- Smithsonian launches campaign to raise $10 million for women’s history initiative
- Trump Was Not Always So Linguistically Challenged
- 75th anniversary of the World War 2 black uprising that the American public never heard about
- Longest serving governor in U.S. history to resign after confirmation as Trump's ambassador to China
- Did the First Human Ancestor Emerge in Europe, Not Africa?
- Jill Lepore: Americans Aren't Just Divided Politically, They're Divided Over History Too
- AHA joins protest of Trump’s plan for drastic cuts to the NEH
- Diane Ravitch says the Democrats paved the way for the education secretary's efforts to privatize our public schools
- Mark Moyar explains why he came to believe the Vietnam War was winnable
- How should Texas high schoolers learn history?

domain: history


text:
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
1,200 sq ft!
When you live above Etsy’s London headquarters in one of the capital’s best-known design hubs, you might feel some pressure to ensure your flat is up to the high standards of your neighbors. Heather Kane rented this flat in Clerkenwell, which use to be a part of London’s industrial heartland. Now, the warehouses are home to design agencies and magazines, the factories have become exclusive bars and restaurants, and the slum housing has been turned into exclusive flats for young professionals. A mix of personal items, vintage finds, and eclectic eBay purchases, Heather has managed to highlight the open plan living space as well as create a sense of warmth with her home decor.
photo credit: Kirsten Madsen
All photo credits (other than one): David Telford
London Flat Rentals
Name: Heather Kane
Location: Clerkenwell — London, UK
Size: 1,200 square feet

domain: geography


text:
Siesta Key and fun-in-the-sun go hand-in-hand, which is why you’ll find so many festivals and outdoor events take place on the island all year long. Whether you live on Siesta Key, plan on visiting Siesta Key, or are even thinking about buying a home or condo on Siesta Key, each of the annual festivals and events hosted here are a fun and educational way to celebrate local food, culture, and the arts. And while our list of the top Siesta Key festivals is hardly compressive, here are just a few events we look forward to each and every year.
CRYSTAL CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL SAND SCULPTING FESTIVAL
Planned for mid-November, the Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival is a real favorite for competitors and visitors. The annual competition not only delights guests with some fantastic creations of powdery white sand, but also helps to generate interest in the region during the traditional off-season.
SIESTA KEY CRAFT FESTIVAL
Late February, meanwhile, is the time to view some great artwork while strolling the Siesta Key Craft Festival. The free event features everything from jewelry and paintings to photography and sculptures.
SIESTA KEY BEACH SEAFOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL
Don’t miss out, either, on the Seafood and Musical Festival, planned for early December. The two day festival brings together food, live music and arts and crafts in one convenient location.
Finally, Siesta Fiesta is noted as an outdoor fair and street party that traditionally marks the final party of the season. Held in April, the event just celebrated four decades of tradition.


B&K 2245 Sound Level Meter with Enviro Noise Partner has been designed with your specific needs in mind. Dust- and water-resistant to IP55, it is ideally suited for indoor or outdoor use, and comes ready with everything you need for environmental noise surveys. Features include simple measurement of a wide range of parameters, statistics and frequency analysis. Post-processing and reporting are also made quicker and easier with intuitive marker editing and audio playback tools. With the new B&K 2245 Class 1 sound level meter, you have everything you need and reliably in one easy-to-use package. What is special about this sound meter is that it works seamlessly with specially designed mobile applications as well as with your computer, contributing a whole new level of efficiency and control. Accurately measuring, analyzing and documenting noise has never been so simple.
Here you can find more information about the new Sound Level Meter 2245 - Brüel & Kjaer
Reliable, reliable, functional by Brüel & Kjaer noise leaders
The 2250 - L sound level meter is the lightweight version of the 2250.
A sound level meter that can measure with two microphones simultaneously.
To the WEBNOISE.EU application for measuring, monitoring and real-time display o ...
A major hardware component of the WEBNOISE.eu solution
The solution is based on the highest class of noise measuring equipment - acoust ...


text:
After getting in trouble with the Australian authorities back in May over the issue, actress Amber Heard, who is married to Johnny Depp, has now been officially charged with two counts of illegally bringing the couple's two pet Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo into the country.
She has additionally been charged with one count of producing a false document.
The two pets were not taken through customs when the couple travelled to Queensland via private jet, nor did they undergo the country's required, and strictly adhered to policy of a 10-day quarantine.
The couple were given a deadline to remove their pets from the country, which they did just prior to said deadline lapsing. Had they not done so, the terriers would have been put down.
The Australian authorities are very strict when it comes to what can and cannot come through customs and into the country. It is also important having the correct documentation for certain items, as well as animals (if you've ever seen Border Security: Australia's Front Line, you'll know what I mean). As Barnaby Joyce, the Australian Agricultural Minister said at a press conference that
"Australians are deadly serious about their bio-security protocols."
Should Heard be found guilty over illegally importing the two dogs, she faces up to 10 years in jail and a $75,000 fine. A guilty verdict against her for the false document charge means she could face 12 months in prison and a $7,500 fine.
Do you think she'll be found guilty? Were the authorities too harsh when they threatened to put down the pets? Comment below and let us know!

domain: law


Re: "OHCI Unrecoverable Error"
- Hi Mike,
Thank you for responding on this.
> Did you try swapping the power supply for the NSLU2? There have been aI've read this on the nslu2 website indeed. We tried with a new power supply but the issue remains... We installed an openslug 3.8, may it change something if we install another OS on our nslu2 ?
> rash of PSU failures with symptoms similar to this; it seems that the
> USB subsystem is the first affected as the PSU dies.