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- Visit the Dog Clothing & Accessories Store for a huge selection of dog collars, leads, coats and jumpers from great brands at top prices.
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- Also check our best rated Dry Dog Food reviews
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Lily's Kitchen Adult Chicken & Duck Complete Dry Food for Dogs 7kg
|Price:||£35.99 (£5.14 / kg) & FREE Delivery in the UK. Delivery Details|
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- 38% Freshly Prepared Meat: Chicken 31% Duck 7%
- Packed full of Fruits, Vegetables and Botanical Herbs
- No Derivatives, Preservatives or Fillers
- Easy on the Tummy
- Made in the EU
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Our grain-free, delicious, complete dry food is bursting with natural goodness. Made with freshly prepared chicken and duck meat, healthy vegetables and botanical herbs. We only use freshly prepared meat in our dry foods - not dried meat or meat meals (i.e. carcass). Our unmatched, biologically appropriate, wholesome food doesn't contain any fillers, artificial additives or rendered meat meals, just 100% natural ingredients of the highest quality. This recipe is perfect for sensitive stomachs and contains salmon oil, a fantastic source of Omega 3 & 6, great for the coat, heart, brain and joints. Lily gets so excited when she sees the bag, so it comes highly recommended!
Freshly Prepared: Chicken (31%), Duck (7%), Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chicken Liver (4%), Eggs, Chicken Gravy, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil, Apples, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, Botanical Herbs (Alfalfa, Golden Rod Cleavers, Dandelion Root, Nettles, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Burdock Root, Milk Thistle, Chicory Root), Vitamins and Minerals. Nutritional Additives per kg: Vitamin A 20,000iu, Vitamin D3 100iu, Vitamin E 95iu, Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 1.58mg, Sodium Selenite 0.64mg, Cupric Chelate of Amino Acids Hydrate 144mg, Zinc Chelate of Amino Acids Hydrate 320mg, Manganous Chelate of Amino Acids Hydrate 224mg, Ferrous Chelate of Amino Acids Hydrate 320mg.See all Product description
From the manufacturer
About our dry food for dogs
Lily’s Kitchen dry dog food is not like an average kibble. We clearly list all ingredients so what you read on the label is what you get. The raw ingredients that make it into our food and the way we gently cook them is what makes it special.
Although it’s a dry kibble, we don’t use any rendered carcass meals (labelled as either ‘dry meat’ or 'meat meal’). We use freshly prepared muscle meat and specially selected nutritious organ meat in our recipes to provide the very best nutrition for your dog.
The difference is obvious as soon as you open the bag. Our kibble is not greasy to touch – we do not add unnecessary fats for taste, only essential fats and oils for health. We do not add any artificial colours, preservatives or sweeteners. Lily’s Kitchen dog food is only made with yummy, natural ingredients so it smells and tastes amazing.
What makes Lily’s Kitchen dry food so good?
1) Our dry food is made with freshly prepared muscle meat and specially selected nutritious organ meat.
2) None of our foods contain meat meal.
3) We use a blend of 14 specially-selected holistic and botanical herbs for optimum health
4) We use high-quality chelated minerals as they’re more easily absorbed.
5) All ingredients are gently cooked just once, to retain all the goodness and nutritional benefits of each and every one.
6) No unnecessary additives, fats or sugars.
7) 100% goodness - delicious, wholesome ingredients.
8) Our recipes are nutritionally complete - to keep all dogs in the best of health.
A holistic approach - from the inside out
Strong bones: We supplement our recipes with calcium, phosphorous and other minerals, which are essential for bone formation and maintenance.
Joints: We use a natural sulphur-containing compound produced by kelp in the ocean (called MSM) to promote good joint health.
Lean muscles: The freshly prepared muscle and organ meat we use for our food for puppies is full of highly digestible protein - essential for good muscle and healthy tissue growth.
Kidney & liver health: Our recipes contain milk thistle and dandelion, which may act to protect and repair the liver cells.
Healthy immune system: Our nutritious food helps maintain a healthy immune system, to support disease resistance.
Shiny coat and healthy skin: The ingredients we use are packed full of phytonutrients and essential fatty acids which can help achieve itch-free skin and a gleaming coat.
What goes into our food?
We are extremely passionate and very particular about what goes into our recipes. Over 100 dedicated producers and farmers work to provide us with nature's harvest. Each recipe varies, using flavourful combinations that may include:
- Freshly prepared muscle meat and organ meat
- A selection of protein sources
- Sustainably sourced fish
- A variety of healthy fruit and vegetables
- Seeds and pulses
- Added glucosamine and nucleotides
Added love with botanical herbs
There's something naturally nutritious about herbs forming part of your pet's diet. This adds a full spectrum of nutrition and wellness. 'Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food' is a mantra we subscribe to. We work with a specialist pet herbalist who is an expert at putting together the combination of hand-milled herbs and phytonutrients in each of our recipes, including:
Alfalfa: This natural antioxidant is recommended for healthy joints, mental agility and even bad breath.
Aniseed: Excellent for the digestion and maintaining happy stomachs.
Burdock Root: Considered to be a blood cleanser and purifier, and a tonic for the liver and kidneys.
Celery Seeds: Supports the natural reduction of excess uric acid in the joints and can help calm the digestive system.
Chamomile Flowers: Soothing and calming, chamomile can help to relieve anxiety, or encourage dogs to settle at night.
Chickweed: Known to have a wide range of herbal benefits for maintaining optimal health, particularly with itchy skin.
Chicory Root: Benefits the gut's good bacteria and is used as a prebiotic to encourage beneficial bacteria.
Cleavers: Cleanses the liver and detoxifies the lymphatic system. This rich source of vitamin C can help soothe dry skin and skin irritations.
Dandelion Root: Supports healthy function of all the organs as well as keeping a healthy balance of microbial gut flora.
Golden Rod: Good for kidney, bladder and urinary tract health. May also help keep skin clear.
Kelp: Rich in essential nutrients, especially iodine which can support regular thyroid function. Helps maintain optimum coat and skin condition.
Marigold Petals: This herb, taken internally, can help cleanse and support all organs of the body, notably the skin.
Milk Thistle Seeds: Full of antioxidants, these assist in eliminating toxins and maintaining good liver health.
Nettles: Valuable addition to the phytonutrient mix, specifically as a nutritive and restorative tonic for overall health.
Passion Flowers: Helps to calm dogs who are nervous or anxious. We add the flowers to our Bedtime Biscuits to help with a restful night's sleep.
Rosehips: A rich source of vitamin C, rosehips have been known to support the immune system and help with the absorption of essential minerals.
Turmeric : Aids digestion and helps support liver function and new blood cell production.
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Top customer reviews
I have 2 dogs, one 7 year old staffy (Aiko) and a 5 month staffy pup (Logan). Logan has always been on Lily's since he arrived with us, his coat is wonderfully shiny and he is in good shape - he cannot get ENOUGH of this stuff!
When we first got Aiko, I was young and stupid, didn't do much research in what goes into dog food. She was eating what was available in stores like Waitrose and Tescos purely for convenience. She was attacked last year by a Chow and she had 5 puncture wounds. She is a very timid dog and doesn't really like rough play so we got Logan after much consideration as a friend for her and also to help build her confidence with other dogs. This has worked. The only issue was where the vet shaved all her hair off to treat her puncture wounds the fur was not growing back. We suffered an awkward shave for over 6 months which apparently is not normal! So, this was when I decided to look into the what was in her food as there was zero sign of full fur recovery.
We switched her onto Lily's. She's VERY VERY FUSSY! Maybe because I fed her human food and cooked boiled chicken for her now and then? She took to Lily's and guess what! After 3 weeks her hair magically grew back!! Coincidence, maybe? But I doubt it - it was the only change in her lifestyle at that point. Her coat is now a bed of glowing fur!
As mentioned earlier Logan loves the entire range but Aiko is a little fussier, seems like she's not keen on any of the fish flavours - she has her days where she will devour it and other days she will be snooty about fishy fish pie or the fish supper. I now bulk buy 2 bags of 7Kg dry and 30 X 400g tins AND 30 X 150g trays to feed them for a month. I originally did this on fetch or the Lily's website but I have since finding myself checking the prices of both websites and Amazon to see what is on offer etc to get the best value for me. I highly recommend this food, both dogs love dinner time and they don't stalk me for my human food.
No more horrible sloppy
Dog plop to clean up either . Expensive, but worth it.
Sadly Charlie went gently to sleep last Wednesday due to his fifteen and a half years. However Lily's Kitchen was definitly his favourite food
Most recent customer reviews


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Properly placed organic mulch can benefit soil and plants in many ways. With so many choices of organic mulches on the market, it can be confusing. This article will discuss the benefits of pine bark mulch. Click here for more information.
Different mulches work better for different purposes. The kind of mulch you choose can have positive or negative effects on the plants. This article will address the question: what is river pebble mulch, as well as ideas for landscaping with rocks and pebbles.

domain: agronomy


This app requires the iWavit Premium or iWavit Blast products. It will not work without it!! The iWavit is an iPhone accessory which adds new hardware capabilities to the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. See www.thinkoptics.com for more details.
The "iWavit PS3" app turns the iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) into an RF (and IR) Remote for controlling your Sony Playstation 3.
You will be able to pause, play, skip, rewind your Blu-ray movies from more than 300 ft away. You will also be able to freely navigate the main menu of the PS3 with the virtual D-pad.
This app also doubles as wireless USB keyboard. Now you bring up a virtual keyboard on your iPhone and can enter text without cluttering your living-room with a large USB keyboard.
What about your TV and Home Theater System? You can control those as well. The iWavit includes hardware to be able to act like a Universal IR Learning Remote so you can control almost any IR equipment like TVs or surround sound systems.
Insert the iWavit USB Dongle & IR Lightbar into the Sony Playstation 3. (This is Plug & Play. No WIFI network is needed). Now, plug the iWavit Attachment into your iPhone and you will hear a sound indicating that the iWavit has paired successfully with the iPhone.
You are now ready to control your Sony Playstation 3! The iWavit will communicate wirelessly with the USB dongle up to 300 ft away (100 meters).
In addition to controlling your PS3, this app includes the ability to control any device that has a built-in IR receiver (TV, Home Theater System, etc.). Initially there are no IR codes stored in this app. This means that you can take any Remote Control and "transfer" individual button functions into virtual buttons inside the app.
Another great feature of the iWavit is that the USB Dongle & IR Lightbar can act like a RF-to-IR extender.
Finally, there is one more button on the lower left of every screen. This is the HOME button. Pressing the HOME button will take you to the app called iWavit Flow, if it is installed. This app provides a convenient cover-flow way to navigate between iWavit apps.
This "iWavit PS3" app is part of a family of iWavit Virtual Remotes for Major-Brand electronic devices and Computers. For those who wish to create their own custom Remote Controls, we have created the Ultimate Remote Control app called Tabula Rasa (and Tabula Rasa HD for the iPad). With this app you can create remotes, download remotes, upload remotes to share them, search our limited IR database or learn IR codes directly from your old IR remotes. You can even create macros for embedding multiple functions inside a single button. You can also use the app to control PCs/Macs using USB Keyboard strokes or through the patented DirectPointing air-mouse technology built into the iWavit. You can even take pictures of real remotes and virtualize them by overlaying transparent buttons. This is the ultimate app if you want to create your own remote control masterpiece. And when you do, you can share it online with the rest of the world.
Note: The iWavit DirectPointing mouse cursor control does not work on the PS3.
Sony and PS3 are trademarks of Sony Corporation. This app, iWavit and ThinkOptics are not affiliated with Sony.


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Plasmonic Nanostructures for Controlled Drug Delivery
Goodman, Amanda M
Halas, Naomi J
Doctor of Philosophy
Drug delivery and photothermal ablation based on resonant illumination of near-infrared-absorbing noble metal nanoparticles that have accumulated in tumors are highly promising cancer therapies. Crucial aspects of these therapies include the nanoparticle size and biocompatibility, and the ability to remotely trigger the release of therapeutic cargo, once the particles have relocated to the tumor site. Yet, maximizing tumor uptake, reducing non-specific toxicity, and achieving flexible drug loading and release strategies remain challenges in developing a nanocarrier system. Here, a class of nanoparticles known as hollow Au nanoshells (HGNS) is investigated because near-IR resonances are achievable in this system with diameters less than 100 nm. However, we report a surprising finding that in vivo HGNS are unstable, fragmenting with the Au and remnants of the sacrificial Ag core accumulating differently in various organs. Stability studies across a wide range of pH environments and in serum confirmed HGNS fragmentation. These results demonstrate the importance of tracking both materials of a galvanic replacement in biodistribution studies and of performing thorough nanoparticle stability studies prior to any intended in vivo applications. Using biocompatible nanoshells, near-IR light-induced DNA release was studied as a platform for controlled drug delivery wherein therapeutic drugs can be released from a DNA host. Yet, tailorability of this system is limited. Understanding the mechanism of DNA release will allow easier control of release for various molecular cargos. Our studies have shown that under irradiation by a continuous wave (CW) laser, nanoparticle heating, as opposed to hot electrons, is responsible for DNA dehybridization and is highly dependent on nanoparticle concentration, requiring the bulk solution temperature to rise above the DNA dehybridization temperature to induce release at particle concentrations feasible in tumors. Alternatively, DNA release due to femtosecond irradiation can be achieved by breaking the Au-S bond via a hot-electron transfer process without any considerable bulk temperature increase. This is critically important for cancer treatment, as the cellular environment is very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and nanoparticle uptake in tumors is highly variable. Remotely triggering release of host DNA with no bulk temperature increase can enable selective drug release, drastically reducing the nonspecific side effects of typical chemotherapy treatments. Intracellular light-triggered release of chemotherapy drugs was investigated using low levels of CW and pulsed NIR light from both DNA and protein scaffolds. The results showed a higher percent cytotoxicity for CW laser-induced release from a DNA scaffold. Using the protein scaffold, increased cytotoxicity was observed for release using pulsed light in cancerous cells, while non-cancerous cells were unaffected. These results show that light-triggered drug release is an effective non-toxic drug delivery vehicle to selectively kill cancers cells. Furthermore, by simply exchanging the chemotherapy drug, this system can be extended to treatments for many cancer types. Achieving the flexible loading and release strategies shown here will allow release to be more easily controlled and tailored for various chemotherapeutic drugs and cancer types.

domain: chemistry


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I’m sorry I didn’t post yesterday on the anniversary; I must have lost my head! But today’s post will still honor the one year anniversary of my first publication, A Single Man’s Valentine, which you can win by simply leaving a comment and your email address!
So this past year has been a blast with a release and a ton of writing going on. I’m working on two different full length novels at the moment. One is over 40 thousand words! O_O The other isn’t quite as far along, less than 10 thousand, but it’s getting there.
The longer novel is m/m and about a guy that is raising his teenage sister on his own and going to college. In order for them to survive, he works six days a week as a high-end escort, catering to the wealthy men of his city. His first day of college, he meets a man that he’s instantly attracted to, but doesn’t think he has the time for with all of his responsibilities. That night, his client ends up being the guy from school. Can you imagine the drama that could cause?
As for the other novel, well, there’s not much to say at the moment without giving away everything I’ve written so far as it’s so short at the moment. All I can tell you right now is that it’s a romance (of course) with a little bit of supernatural twist, and it’s a m/f pairing.
I still can’t believe it’s been a year since my first eBook was released. I also can’t believe how well it did, especially in the first quarter. I was just hoping to get one book sold, and lets just say, I did way better than one sale. :)
I can only hope that when I finally publish my first full-length that it’ll be as successful as my first short story has been.
Because this is an anniversary post, I guess I should tell you a little bit about the book this anniversary is honoring. It’s called, A Single Man’s Valentine and you can get it at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, and Bookstrand. (click on the links and it’ll take you right to the book)
Kris Goodwin wants to spend his first Valentine’s Day since his divorce alone in his apartment with a case of beer. But his best friend Jake has other ideas and shows up unannounced. Jake has brought supplies for what he calls the perfect single man’s Valentine’s Day; take-out, flowers, romantic comedies and a box of chocolates.
As the evening progresses, Jake admits the harmless crush he’s had on Kris isn’t quite as harmless as he’s made it out to be. He’s actually in love with Kris. Then Kris tells Jake the real reason behind his divorce.
* * * * *
Thank you all for celebrating this wonderful occasion with me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever be celebrating the release anniversary of something I had written. I can truly say that writing is a dream I had and now I am living it. I want to thank everyone that has made this possible for me, especially everyone at Rebel Ink Press. They have been so good to me over the past year and I can’t wait to have them take on my next project.
All the Love,

domain: literature


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Last Updated on by Rodrigo @ OutofYourComfortZone
Palau is a marvelous island and destination in Micronesia. It’s a place where you’ll find one of the most unique attractions in the world: Jellyfish Lake! It’s a place where tourists can swim with thousands of jellyfish that don’t sting. However, Palau isn’t an easy place to get and, like the other countries in this region, it’s made up of several islands. In the case of Palau, to make things easier, the main islands have government ferries.
Here are the islands of Palau that are connected by the ferry
- Babeldaob (Koror)
This is the main island of Palau. It’s here that you’ll find the international airport, the capital Ngerulmud, and the main city, Koror.
Famous for its World War II battles, it attracts tourists interested in abandoned war fortifications and equipment besides being an incredible location for diving. Watch out for leftover land mines, though, if you venture off on your own.
It’s a small island south of Peleliu that can explored in a few hours. You can also find leftover military supplies for World War II.
The atoll of Kayangel is made up of various islands and has a population of only 138 people. You’ll find it north of Babeldaob.
There are many private boats and small planes that’ll cost you from $50 to more than $300 to get between these islands.
However, if you are like us and want to explore Palau cheaply and save on transportation between the islands, there’s an option to use the Palau government ferries that do the same rates for a much cheaper price than the private companies.
The routes are:
Babeldaob (Koror) – Peleliu
Babeldaob (Koror) – Angaur
Babeldaob (Koror) – Kayangel
Unfortunately, there are no official connections between Peleliu and Angaur. However, to do this connection, you’ll have to get a private boat between Peleliu and Angaur or go to back from Peleliu to Koror (Babeldaob) with the state ferry and then take another one of Angaur. Or, if you want to be adventurous like us (and please don’t blame us if this doesn’t work out), you can just show up on Peleliu and hope you can find a generous local to hitch a ride with to Angaur….. though it likely won’t be nearly as cheap as the official government transportation.
The prices of the state ferries are really good. Some start as low as US$5.00!
You don’t need to make a reservation but as there’s a limit to the number of people that can fit on the boat, the first to arrive will be the first to embark so I advise you to arrive early to guarantee your spot.
Below is an official table with all of the hours, dates, and prices for the trips done by the State Ferries between the main islands of Palau. There’s also telephone numbers to contact in case you want to confirm the hours (which I recommend you do), as the schedules can change without notice (usually in the case of bad weather).
Going with the government public boats and ferries is definitely the cheapest way to move around the islands of Palau.
In less than a month, I will personally visit Palau and add much more information here about how to visit this little paradise the cheapest way possible.
So, follow us to know when we post more information about Palau!
We just finished a trip to Palau and it was incredible!! So you can do the same, we prepared 2 Palau articles:
When it comes to the boat schedule, the days are correct but the times can change. In one of the days that we went to Peleliu, our boat left 2 hours later that what was marked on this table. So it’s always better to call or visit Koror’s tourist center to check the schedule.
Besides this, the cost of the tickets for tourists between Koror and Peleliu has increased. Now it’s US $15.00.
If you know of any other changes, please let us know in the comments below so we can keep the article up-to-date.
SEPT/OCT 2017 UPDATE: Reader “Bjorn” was nice enough to let us know that the schedule has changed. Be sure to read his comment in the comments area below to get the most up-to-date schedule.
And enjoy Palau!!
Planning your next trip?
Then don’t forget travel insurance! You don’t want to get stuck paying a ton of money and ruining your trip if you get sick or have an accident without travel insurance. WorldNomads is ideal for adventurous travelers, backpackers, or anyone looking to be protected during their trip. They cover almost every single activity you can image!
Already reserved your hotel or hostel? If not, we recommend Booking.com. They have a huge selection of hotels and hostels all over the world. Plus, in most cases, you can cancel your reservation without any costs up to a few days before the check-in date!
Still haven’t booked your plane ticket and want to save big? Take a look at Momondo. It’s a flight aggregator that combines several other ticket search websites to make it easier for you to compare prices and make sure you are getting the best deal.
And finally, will you need to rent a car during your trip? Then check out Rentalcar.com to search and compare car rental companies from all over the world in a single website. Then, you can find the cheapest price for the best car!
If you want to hear about new articles, check out our latest pictures, and read our newest updates, be sure to follow us here….
…..and subscribe to our newsletter below!

domain: geography


Could there have been a breach of the State’s Executive and Public Officers Laws after a leak at the Joint Commission of Public Ethics? Brendan Lyons, State Bureau Editor for the Albany Times Union, shared his latest reporting on the matter.
December 5, 2019: Potential JCOPE leak
By David Lombardo|2021-03-10T17:47:06-05:00December 5th, 2019|
Medical marijuana companies prepare for recreational marketMay 31st, 2023 | 0 Comments
National Grid’s future in New YorkMay 31st, 2023 | 0 Comments
New warehouse worker protections consider in Albany
Narrowing environmental review scope on housing
Promoting transparency of hospital services


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Water Safety Signs
Choose from our water safety sign systems which are designed to comply with the latest standards and best practices to better protect people and reduce liability risk – whether it’s at your pool, beach or waterpark.
More Information about Water and Environmental Safety Sign Systems
Pool Safety Signs
Our pool safety sign system uses state-of-the-art graphical symbols, color, language and special formatting to communicate the most serious water safety hazards like no other signage on the market today. Our pool safety signs are expertly designed to comply with the latest standards and to help fulfill your legal duty to warn.
Beach Safety Signs
At Clarion, we use our expertise in global standards and graphical symbol design to create innovative standards-based systems of beach safety signage. Our system of signs uses symbols, eye-catching color-coding and the latest ANSI Z535 and ISO design principles to convey the most important and potentially dangerous beach hazards – and how to avoid them.
Waterpark Safety Signs
Our waterpark safety sign systems are highly visual in their presentation of important safety information to help guests at your waterpark to be better protected from harm. By working in close collaboration with your park’s risk management and operations staff, our customized signage is designed to clearly communicate slide, ride, pool and beach safety rules specific to your park environment.

domain: design


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Rhapsody Project Partners
Our partners help us explore cultural heritage at festivals, schools, and community centers across the Pacific Northwest. As annual hosts for our program's Songster students, each partner creates more opportunities to study with culture bearers and perform live.
Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival
The Centrum Foundation's Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival has partnered with the Rhapsody Project to bring young people from historically marginalized communities to the Acoustic Blues & Fiddle Tunes workshops. Our Rhapsody Songsters are given the opportunity to study with internationally renowned blues masters, facilitated by our instructors and chaperones.
Wintergrass Music Festival
The Wintergrass Festival has worked with Rhapsody instructors since 2012 to develop and deliver innovative roots music education. In 2016, this partnership launched the Rhapsody Songsters program, which equips young musicians with the tools needed to thrive and organize in the modern worlds of American roots music.
Northwest Folklife has supported our mission to facilitate cross-cultural, cross-generational interactions through roots music since our inception. Our students and instructors have been featured for a two hour-long showcase at the NW Folklife Festival each year since 2014, and our concert series has been supported through their promotional support.
Community Arts Create
The Rhapsody Project is a program of Community Arts Create, a non-profit founded in 2010 to build community through self-discovery and shared experience. CAC works to enhance a richer way of life by creating harmony through creative expression within south Seattle’s diverse culture. This non-profit is an Associated Program of Shunpike, a 501c3 non-profit literary and art service organization, whose mission is to strengthen the Seattle arts community by partnering with small and mid-size arts groups to develop the business tools they need to succeed.
Thus, to make a tax-deductible contribution to help support Rhapsody Project, simply donate to Community Arts Create online by going here.

domain: sociology


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I’ll never forget the day I nearly lost my faith over an old skull. I was sixteen and a sophomore in High School. My biology professor, a staunch evolutionist, was writing on the chalkboard. He looked suspiciously like the chimpanzees he admired—large protruding ears, prominent forehead, and thick lower lip. We had just opened our textbooks to chapter 12 and I was preparing once again to plug my ears and hum through the lecture when I glanced down at a picture on the left-facing page. I froze. There, staring out at me from blank and empty sockets was the most arresting skull I had ever seen. As the son of a physician, I had spent lazy summer afternoons browsing my father’s musty collection of anatomy books and I had the intuitive sense that I was now looking at something extraordinary. The brow bone was thick and ribbed like that of a Klingon, but the nose was slim and aquiline, surprisingly human, as was the mandible, the maxilla, and in fact the entire brain case. I was astonished. The label under the picture read, “Cro-Magnon Man”, or something like that. I don’t remember anything else about the class that day, or the next, or the next. I was in a fog, a trance. I had just seen the missing link, or what passed for it my sheltered mind. What on earth could it mean?
I wish I could say I had some great epiphany in church that Sabbath and got everything straightened out in my brain. But the truth is, from that single moment in time until now I have been revising my view of space, time, and creation.
The Language of God, by Francis Collins, is part of that revision. The book has breathed fresh wind and fresh fire into my quest to reconcile faith with science. And I am certainly not alone, as evidenced by the book’s handsome place on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Collins, like his hero C.S. Lewis, made the journey from atheism to belief as a young man. And now, as head of the Human Genome Project, Collins is a veteran of the war of worldviews that has repeatedly tried to split his faith away from his life’s work. Collins has come under heavy criticism recently from militant atheists like Richard Dawkins (author of The God Delusion) who sneer at Collins’ “unscientific” belief in God. (See the February 2007 National Geographic and the November 2006 Time Magazine.)
In a brilliant touché, The Language of God refutes the tired stereotypes and straw man arguments that have created an artificial divide between science and religion. Collins demonstrates convincingly that faith is not the enemy of scientific rationality.
But the book is not for the casual saint. Collins’ honesty is apt to frustrate his admirers as much as his opponents. Collins is brave enough to walk the line between fact and faith in a way that is absolutely unflinching. He treads serenely over the sacred cows of both atheistic materialists and Creationists alike. For example, Collins clearly lays out the genomic case for a common ancestor of mice and men. This would seem devastating to those who cannot imagine God’s relationship to man apart from a special creation as advertised in Genesis.
Fortunately Collins does not leave us there. He deftly shows how our understanding of evolution, far from standing in the way of faith, reveals a universe of greater ingenuity and subtlety than would seem credible within the confines of Young Earth Creationism or Intelligent Design.
Collins takes the view of theistic evolution, or “BioLogos” as he calls it. He speaks of it this way:
“The need to find my own harmony of worldviews ultimately came as the study of genomes—our own and that of many other organisms on the planet—began to take off, providing an incredibly rich and detailed view of how descent by modification from a common ancestor has occurred. Rather than finding this unsettling, I found this elegant evidence of the relatedness of all living things an occasion of awe, and came to see this as the master plan of the Almighty who caused the universe to come into being and set its physical parameters just precisely right to allow the creation of stars, planets, heavy elements, and life itself.”
BioLogos rests upon several premises:
- The universe came into being out of nothingness, approximately 14 billion years ago.
- Despite massive improbabilities, the properties of the universe appear to have been precisely tuned for life.
- While the precise mechanism of the origin of life on earth remains unknown, once life arose, the process of evolution and natural selection permitted the development of biological diversity and complexity over very long periods of time.
- Once evolution got under way, no special supernatural intervention was required.
- Humans are part of this process, sharing a common ancestor with the great apes.
- But Humans are also unique in ways that defy evolutionary explanation and point to our spiritual nature. This includes the existence of the Moral Law (the knowledge of right and wrong) and the search for God that characterizes all human cultures throughout history.
“If one accepts these six premises,” Collins says, “then an entirely plausible, intellectually satisfying, and logically consistent synthesis emerges: God, who is not limited in space or time, created the universe and established natural laws that govern it. Seeking to populate this otherwise sterile universe with living creatures, God chose the elegant mechanism of evolution to create microbes, plants, and animals of all sorts. Most remarkable, God intentionally chose the same mechanism to give rise to special creatures who would have intelligence, a knowledge of right and wrong, free will, and a desire to seek fellowship with Him. He also knew these creatures would ultimately choose to disobey the Moral Law.
This perspective makes it possible for the scientist-believer to be intellectually fulfilled and spiritually alive, both worshiping God and using the tools of science to uncover some of the awesome mysteries of His creation.”
Collins gives ample space for all the questions this brings up, including “What about Adam and Eve?” But I’ll leave that to your reading pleasure.
Some believers may not want to stain their robes on the oily mechanics of science. But abstinence may not always be the best policy. As Teilhard de Chardin wrote: “Purity does not lie in separation from, but in deeper penetration into the universe.”
For me, the experience of reading Collins was like donning and doffing old clothes—comfortably uncomfortable layers of cognitive dissonance and smoldering suspicions that had been with me for years. Upon finishing the book I felt lighter, if a bit naked. Most importantly, I found that the old skull in my high school textbook had lost the power to haunt.
The Language of God is a landmark work in the ongoing discourse between religion and science. It’s a book that invites all of us¬—atheists, agnostics, and believers alike—to live a state of humble inquiry together. We are invited to listen more, argue less, and free ourselves from the toils of the ego. We are invited to seek the truth in all its stranger-than-fiction fullness and refuse to retreat behind ideological lines where emotional investment clouds our judgment.
Collins’ observations have the ring of truth of someone who has lived and battled long enough to know that truth seldom lies at the extremes—but instead, somewhere in the center of all that we know. In true sage fashion, Collins finds a middle way that a good many readers will find both breathtaking and satisfying.
Marc Wagner obtained his MD degree and Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda University, 2000. He lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife Janine, 4-year-old son Levi, and 10-month old daughter, Cortney. He enjoys words and music, windsurfing, snowskiing, and going on adventures with Janine and the kids.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://spectrummagazine.org/node/111


09 November 2019
This house is located in Ecopark Township - an ecological urban area, located in the southeast of Hanoi. Each house here follows the same design language for the exterior design, based on methodical planning, synchronous infrastructure, with water surface space and trees covering every angle ... all creating a fresh atmosphere, a perfect living environment for the residents living in it.
From the survey for designing, we have determined that the natural environment here is very perfect and this factor should be fully exploited, the green of the grass needs to be more included in the design, the natural light must be given priority to all indoor spaces. It is also very coincidental that our idea received a great deal of support from the host.
Let's start with the first floor space, where every family member spends the most time together, we choose to divide the vertical route for the layout to bring the living room, the kitchen, the dining table for being closest to the garden, with sun and wind. Along with that, the dividing walls were removed, the windows were widened to a maximum for nature to serve as a matchmaker for spaces inside and outside. From any functional area, the distance to the garden is the closest and the most unique, this approach has created a very unique style for the house.
From the main entrance, the minimalist wooden staircase leads us to the second floor, the space of silence, the bedroom of parents and two daughters. Spacious but not abundant, suffice to use and not wasteful, is our credo when designing this space. The privacy of each bedroom is guaranteed, but it does not reduce the connection between parents and children, where they can read books or chat or simply watch movies together in the warm atmosphere of the family room. The third floor is dedicated to worshiping space, guest bedrooms, and laundry facilities. Each floor has its own function on the basis of simple needs, but it is given our profuse carefulness in the layout design to accompany the existing nature.
After many constructions, we are still and will continue to exploit the natural element to bring into the living space for each client, when the urbanization scene in big cities is happening strongly, when pollution is being a "specialty" of developing countries, then greening a house like planting a tree in a forest, though small, is something we should do.
Renovation houseView map


text: Having a clear-out so I have this shredder for sale, I bought it when I had a tree to remove and this enabled me to dispose of the huge amount of smaller branches that were left after felling the tree. Since that one time it has stood in my garage surplus to requirements. It's a Ryobi RSH2455, is as new, comes with it's collector bag and operators manual. Auto reverse unblocking system. Automatic self feeding operation. Live power indicator. Very quiet operation. Powerful 2,400 watt induction motor. Overload protection. Safety cut off switch. Large hopper for easy feeding of branches. Robust tubular frame. Large capacity collection bag simply clips to shredder body. Crushing and cutting action is ideal for composting. Large wheels for easy transportation. PM me if interested, I paid £260 and would like £150 for it collected from Chester.

domain: hobby


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Arts and Culture
The City of Guelph and Wellington County are known for rich architectural heritage, a vibrant cultural life and wonderful assortment of music festivals and events. Guelph and Wellington are home to festivals, cultural events and celebrations. The City of Guelph Arts and Culture page gives an overview of the activities on offer.
- The River Run Centre is the City of Guelph’s signature performing Arts Center.
- The Sleeman Centre hosts the local Hockey team’s home games as well as other sports activities and concerts.
- The Centre Wellington Community Guide is a guide to Centre Wellington’s sports and leisure activities. Featuring programs offered at the Centre Wellington Sportsplex, Victoria Park Seniors Centre, Fergus Grand Theatre, Elora Centre for the Arts.
- Drayton Festival Theater was founded in 1990 and was an immediate success. Check their website for current performances.
- Hillside Festival is a family friendly music festival held every year at Guelph Lake.
- Guelph Dance is a festival held every year in different venues across the city, giving everyone the opportunity to see amazing performances.
- The Guelph Jazz Festival presents innovative jazz and creative improvised music in a community setting. It includes free concerts in downtown Guelph.
- Check out the many Conservation Areas to visit in Guelph Wellington which offer hiking, swimming camping and other outdoor activities.
- Ignatius Farm has beautiful walking trails and also sells fresh vegetables and rents out Community Garden plots for those who want to grow their own fruits and veggies.
- The City of Guelph has an extensive system of parks and trails for you to explore.
- The University of Guelph Arboretum is a great place to go for a walk or take a guided tour to learn about art, botany, wildlife and gardening.
- Starkey Hill Conservation Lands offers a 4km trail through forest and wetland areas.

domain: artistic


text:
Newswise — How much do white Americans think it "costs" to be black in our society, given the problems associated with racial bias and prejudice?
The answer, it appears, is not much.
When white Americans were asked to imagine how much they would have to be paid to live the rest of their lives as a black person, most requested relatively low amounts, generally less than $10,000.
In contrast, study participants said they would have to be paid about $1 million to give up television for the rest of their lives.
The results suggest most white Americans don't truly comprehend the persisting racial disparities in our country, said Philip Mazzocco, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University's Mansfield campus.
"The costs of being black in our society are very well documented," Mazzocco said. "Blacks have significantly lower income and wealth, higher levels of poverty, and even shorter life spans, among many other disparities, compared to whites."
For example, white households average about $150,000 more wealth than the typical black family. Overall, total wealth for white families is about five times greater than that of black families, a gap that has persisted for years.
"When whites say they would need $1 million to give up TV, but less than $10,000 to become black, that suggests they don't really understand the extent to which African Americans, as a group, are disadvantaged," Mazzocco said.
These results also offer insight as to why more than 9 out of 10 white Americans reject proposals to give reparations to the descendants of slaves, said study co-author Mahzarin Banaji, the Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard University.
"Our data suggest that such resistance is not because white Americans are mean and uncaring, morally bankrupt, or ethically flawed," Banaji said.
"White Americans suffer from a glaring ignorance about what it means to live as a black American."
The study appears in the current issue of Harvard's Du Bois Review.
The researchers did a series of studies in which a total of 958 whites of different ages and from different parts of the country were asked variations of the same question: "How much should you be paid to continue to live the rest of your life as a black person?"
In most cases, the participants were told to imagine they were actually black, but had always passed for white. The imagined race change required no physical transformation, just a change in public status.
They were also asked how much they should be paid for giving up television, and how much they should be given to change their officially listed state residency (without having to move). These questions were asked, Mazzocco said, to compare what people requested for relatively trivial changes, like a new listed state residency, as compared to a more life-changing request, like giving up television.
Results suggest white people considered a race change as relatively trivial, along the lines of a change in official state residency, as opposed to the seemingly big sacrifice of giving up television.
In some of the studies, the researchers changed the scenario in order to learn more about what white Americans thought about the costs of racial disparities.
One issue with the previous scenario is that participants may minimize the disparities they would face as a black person, because they had always passed as white. So in one study, whites were told to imagine that they were about to be born as a random white person in America, but they were being offered a cash gift to be born as a random black person. Once again, white participants requested relatively small sums to make a life-long race-change. In addition, some were given a list of some of the costs of being black in America, such as the racial wealth disparity. The result was that whites in this latter scenario requested significantly higher amounts than those in the previous studies " about $500,000.
Finally, some participants were given a similar scenario except all references to blacks, whites and America were taken out. They were asked to imagine they were born into the fictional country of Atria, and were born either into the "majority" or "minority" population. They were given a list of the disadvantages that the minority population faced in Atria (which were identical to the real disadvantages faced by blacks in America). In this case, white participants in the study said they should be paid an average of $1 million to be born as a minority member in Atria.
"When you take it out of the black-white context, white Americans seem to fully appreciate the costs associated with the kinds of disparities that African Americans actually face in the United States," Mazzocco said. "In this case, they asked for a million dollars, similar to what they want for giving up television."
Mazzocco said blatant prejudice was not the reason for the findings. Results showed that whites who scored higher on a measure of racial prejudice did not answer significantly differently than others in the study.
The researchers are conducting new studies to examine more closely why whites do underestimate the costs of being black. Mazzocco believes many white Americans have a perception that race bias in the United States has been virtually eliminated, and that blacks are no longer disadvantaged.
"While there has been progress in making racial conditions in American more equal, there's clearly a lot more work to be done," he said. "Blacks and whites are not experiencing the same America."
When whites do understand the extent of racial disparities in the United States, they are more likely to support reparations. The findings showed that whites who wanted more money to be publicly recognized as black " suggesting they understood the true costs of racial disparity " were more likely than others to say they would support reparations.
But there are many reasons why nearly all whites oppose reparations. Mazzocco said some whites may believe slavery happened so long ago that slave descendants today don't deserve to be compensated. The researchers examined the "too long ago" rationale in another study.
The researchers asked participants to imagine that their great, great grandfather, a wealthy shipping magnate, had been kidnapped about 150 years ago. The kidnappers demanded and received a large ransom that bankrupted the shipping magnate. That ransom was used to start a successful company that still survives today and is worth $100 million. Participants were asked whether they would be willing to be a part of a large suit against the present-day company that could net them each about $5,000.
In this scenario, 61 percent agreed to have their names listed on the lawsuit. The researchers noted that this is about the percentage of blacks today who support reparations for slave descendants.
"When white Americans find it within themselves to say 'I must be compensated for a past injustice done to me' but the same logic evaporates when the injustice concerns black Americans, they are staring straight at bias," Banaji said.
Mazzocco said the results of this research have implications for the fledgling reparations movement in America. "Surveys show that 90 to 96 percent of white Americans are against slave descendant reparations. It is nearly impossible to get that many people to agree on anything, so it is an issue that really deserves attention to see why that is. We wanted to take a heated and emotional issue and look at it through a scientific lens," he said.
The research was facilitated by a postdoctoral fellowship to Mazzocco from Ohio State's Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
Other co-authors of the study included Timothy Brock of Ohio State, Gregory Brock of Georgia Southern University and Kristina Olson of Harvard.
MEDIA CONTACTRegister for reporter access to contact details
Du Bois Review

domain: news


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The parent company of Enterprise Holdings today announced that it is making a strategic investment and reaching a global affiliation agreement with China-based eHi Auto Services. The investment and agreement, representing an approximately 15-percent stake in eHi, provide Enterprise Holdings representation on eHi’s board of directors.
In addition to helping both companies meet the needs of their respective car rental customers, this new agreement also marks Enterprise Holdings’ entry into China. “We are excited to invest and partner with a market leader in China like eHi,” said Greg Stubblefield, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Enterprise Holdings. “Under this agreement, not only are our customers assured of a high level of service when traveling in China, but eHi’s customers also will be introduced to our award-winning and friendly service globally.”
“At eHi, we continue focusing on meeting customer needs by delivering convenience and reliable service. We are excited that Enterprise Holdings has chosen to invest in our future growth,and this investment partnership is a further endorsement of our credibility as a leading car rental operator in China,” said Ray Zhang, eHi’s founder, chairman and chief executive officer. “This is a comprehensive partnership covering business development, knowledge transfer and strategic planning, while enabling us to leverage Enterprise Holdings’ 55 years of success.”
As recently reported in Auto Rental News magazine, China’s car rental industry is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. Through this collaborative agreement, Enterprise Holdings will offer eHi’s services to its business and leisure customers whose travels take them to China, including all Tier 1 cities – namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Further, eHi’s customers will have worldwide access to the Enterprise Holdings’ portfolio of brands, including at the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver international airports initially.
eHi – a leading Chinese car rental services provider – operated a fleet of more than 7,600 vehicles and served both individual and corporate customers from 383 locations in 48 cities across China at the end of 2011.
Currently, through its regional subsidiaries, Enterprise Holdings owns and operates the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in North America. The company also operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in the UK, Germany and Ireland, and a licensee network that operates the National and Alamo brands throughout the Americas. Enterprise Holdings also recently acquired Citer SA in France and Atesa in Spain.


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Twenty years ago this week, North Tonawanda teenager Amanda “Mandy” Steingasser disappeared after a night of drinking and partying with friends.
Almost five weeks later, two young men, out looking for mushrooms in Lewiston’s Bond Lake Park, found her body.
From the beginning, detectives from the North Tonawanda Police Department were convinced that they knew who killed her. The suspect was a classmate of Mandy’s, who was seen picking her up in his car in the early-morning hours of Sept. 20, 1993.
Two decades later, detectives are still working the case, still trying to obtain enough evidence to help Niagara County prosecutors build a case against the target of their investigation – a Buffalo-area man in his late 30s.
Police have not given up the hunt for Mandy’s killer, said Thomas E. Krantz, chief of detectives with the North Tonawanda police.
“I can’t go into detail, but it is still an open case. We still are working on this case,” Krantz told The Buffalo News.
“It’s the most frustrating case I ever worked on in 35 years of police work,” said Jack Dierdorf, a former North Tonawanda police captain, who worked on the case for nine years before retiring in 2002. “I retired 11 years ago, but it still bothers me to this day ... I know it is a cold case, but it’ll never be a closed case.”
Aside from confirming that the murder case is an “open investigation,” Niagara County District Attorney Michael P. Violante declined to comment.
Mandy’s parents, Richard and Lorraine Steingasser, also declined to comment about the investigation or the loss of their daughter.
The Steingassers are “just too devastated, too heartbroken” to discuss the events of two decades ago, according to a family friend, retired Detective Chief Gabriel DiBernardo.
“They’re still in deep mourning over their child,” said DiBernardo, who has known Richard Steingasser for more than 50 years. “I feel terrible about it, too. I knew this family, and I knew this beautiful young girl. I was the chief of detectives when this happened. I feel like it happened on my watch.”
The violent and mysterious case upset residents of North Tonawanda and especially students at the high school, where both Mandy and the suspect were in the same senior class.
“It was a very traumatic time at the high school,” recalled Mary Jane Clark-Wolentarski, a retired North Tonawanda guidance counselor, who worked at the high school at the time. “Not only were the students very upset about this young girl being murdered, but they were wondering about who did it.
“Some students were thinking, ‘Which one of the students in this building, which one of my classmates is a murderer?’ Some students were petrified by the whole thing. It was also a scary time for staff members, and you also had parents wondering if their son or daughter was going to school with a killer.”
Adding to the discomfort was the fact that some students knew the identity of the classmate who was last seen with Mandy on the night she disappeared.
It was a “difficult year,” Clark-Wolentarski said. “We had to counsel a lot of kids.”
Friends who spoke to The News about the case described Mandy as a good-hearted, strikingly beautiful teenager who enjoyed partying and sometimes made bad choices about the people she partied with.
On the night of Sept. 19, 1993, she embarked on a night of partying and drinking with several friends. They got an older friend to buy them bottles of whiskey and rum. They traveled that night to a house party in North Tonawanda and a rock-and-roll bar in Buffalo, where they were turned away because most in the group were underage.
At about 1:20 a.m. on Sept. 20, 1993, Mandy got into a car at Oliver Street and Fifth Avenue with an 18-year-old male student from her high school. The male friend later told police that Mandy was only in his car briefly and said he dropped her off a few blocks away.
But police believe that the male friend drove Mandy to a “lovers’ lane” area of Bond Lake Park, where she was murdered.
Later that morning, the male friend was seen cleaning up his car at a coin-operated car wash, police said.
There were “numerous discrepancies” in the statements that the male friend gave to detectives after Mandy’s disappearance, police said. Police also told The News that the male friend asked at least two of his friends to lie about his whereabouts after he picked up Mandy.
Because he has never been charged with anything in the case, The News has not published the male friend’s name in connection with the Steingasser case.
“If anyone has any information about what happened that night, please call our office at 692-4312,” Krantz said. ”Even if there is something that they think is insignificant, it may be something that will give us a piece of the puzzle that we’re missing.”
The target of the murder probe spoke briefly to a News reporter during the summer of 2000, insisting that police were wrongfully trying to pin the slaying on him. He said he had no reason to harm Mandy and accused police of conducting a “biased investigation.”
He also said he felt terrible about Mandy’s death.
“I didn’t do it,” he told the reporter. “I’m not the guy they make me out to be.”


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GOSTELOW REPORT—“Two years ago the team looked at me rather strangely when I started talking about kindness. We had been weeks away from re-launching the hotel after a two-year massive renovation when J6 happened,” says Amanda Hyndman, general manager of the 181-key Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, and area vice president of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
J6 was the hotel’s much-publicized fire, on June 6, 2018, but from the start it has always been called J6.
“At the time, we did our utmost to keep our arms around our colleagues, supporting them both financially and emotionally. There were a lot of emotions and insecurities to tend to,” she recalled.
Owned since 1996 by Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, the hotel retained, on full pay, its entire 600-strong team, including those running Bar Boulud, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Rosebery.
‘’My main priority was to retain the team for the re-opening, and I knew that with so much time at home they could be bored and tempted to get other jobs. Everyone was so kind to us after J6 – from the Fire Brigade themselves and the Salvation Army to other hotels. They cared for guests and colleagues on the day itself.”
To give back, FANtasticLondon enabled the team to volunteer, working with the underprivileged, including the homeless, senior citizens and local schools. They worked alongside colleagues from different departments and seniority to deliver, in all, 40,000 hours of community service before re-opening, and 7,000 hours after it.
“FANtasticLondon continues to an objective going forward. It really bonds the team, it supports almost 100% retention,” the GM said.
The hotel re-opened on April 15, 2019, with the vision “to become one of the finest hotels in the world, reinvented and reimagined, through kind and generous service.” Ironically, only 344 days after that glorious re-opening, the hotel had to close again because of coronavirus.
Once again, the team has been kept on (this time, the U.K. government makes up 80% of salaries). Once again, Amanda Hyndman is leading her troops, but this time partly from home as well as, in atypical smart-casual gear, visiting the property’s skeleton maintenance and security personal several times a week.
“All virtually, I start with a senior team brief at 9 a.m. and a second one every day, same participants, at 3 p.m. They, in turn, lead weekly meetings with their own teams. We have regular update calls with department heads. Teams produce their own weekly fun newsletters. Senior team leaders check in with every individual for a weekly one-on-one just to check that they and their families are doing OK,” Hyndman explained.
“Everyone can access our MyMO app, on which I upload a general update video every Friday. We have a new #StayingEngaged competition, to post pics and videos of what people are up to – we share recipes, wellness tips or highlighting new skills. All this communication is, in addition, complemented by purely voluntary daily learning and development activities led by HR, and by daily wellness videos from San Jose, California-based Grokker, to nurture hearts, minds and bodies.”
Hyndman finds Microsoft Teams great for document sharing, video calls (small), and chats. Zoom is preferred for virtual meetings of 10 or more, and Skype is used for online training. When it comes to general messaging, and communicating with global colleagues she turns to WhatsApp, and for group calls it is LoopUp and GoToMeetings. The teams add Facebook and Houseparty too, she admits.
The entire team remains on standby. “Yet again, as was the case this time a year ago, we truly cannot wait to re-open and welcome our guests back. There will be more kindness than ever. This is our rallying cry for tomorrow.”


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Ideally located in the Long Island City district of Queens,
Microtel Inn by Wyndham Long Island City is located 5.6 mi
from Citi Field, 6.2 mi from Arthur Ashe Stadium and 11 mi
from Aqueduct Racetrack. Featuring a shared lounge, the
3-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, each
with a private bathroom. Belmont Park Race Track is 14 mi
from the hotel.
Languages spoken at the reception include English and
Spanish, and guests are invited to request advice on the
area when needed.
Museum of Moving Image is 0.9 mi from the hotel. The
nearest airport is LaGuardia Airport, 4.3 mi from Microtel
Inn by Wyndham.


text:
Episode 59: How Still
Manage episode 349409347 series 3352045
Episode 59: How Still is about the Brady Bunch, paper dolls, asses, and Mrs. Santa Claus. Actually, it’s about a perfectly lovely Matsuo Basho haiku sent to us on a postcard from Japan in the year 2013. And it’s also about the Brady Bunch, paper dolls, asses . . .

domain: entertainment


The world of Norwegian black metal is already twisted enough as is, not only for the image that the musicians have created for themselves but also because of the notoriety that many of the biggest figures involved have achieved for their lives outside their work. One such band that exemplifies the world of black metal is none other than Mayhem, whose members have went all around from noted arsonists, murderers, and even neo-Nazis – with one among these people being Varg Vikernes of Burzum (who reportedly had despised this film). But looking back at the formation of the band and their noted album De Mysteriis dom Sathanas, there’s already a fascinating story that can be told here given the crazy things that have happened beyond the band’s formation for the creative process will almost seem secondary to what more you would hear about how it remained one of the most influential black metal albums of all time. But Lords of Chaos is not the film that such a story deserved, and for the matter, it doesn’t really have all that much interesting to show even about how fascinating the formation of Mayhem was, you just have a bunch of bad dudes being bad dudes as they show you here.
Norway’s black metal scene is responsible for creating some of the very best music that the world of metal has ever experienced, but in covering the story of how Mayhem came to so well-known, it’s also not one that came free of misanthropy, Satanism, or even deaths. Told through the eyes of Øystein Aarseth, otherwise known as Euronymous (Rory Culkin), we see how the teenaged metal star’s fascination with music had come about – from the formation of Mayhem to the suicide of the former vocalist and lyricist Dead, to Euronymous’s eventual meeting with the peculiar Varg Vikernes (Emory Cohen). But there’s nothing particularly fascinating about the bunch that we’re seeing here, aside from the fact that we all knew that the group was formed by a bunch of awful people – yet director Jonas Åkerlund (fittingly enough, a former black metal drummer himself for Bathory) keeps you sticking around with them. It all only ever comes to the point where these people just ring as nothing but insufferable caricatures of those who buy into their own image to a damaging degree.
Looking back at these people in a modern context you would also be thinking that these are the same sorts of people who take part in some sort of sick joke from 4chan and expect everyone to be in on it. But the more you stick around it all ever comes off as nothing more than purely repulsive. Which is fitting enough, especially given the sort of people that Lords of Chaos would be about but the film doesn’t have anything insightful to say about their worldview either. Everything is purely aestheticized for the sake of shock value, whether it be the suicide of Dead or even Euronymous’s reaction afterwards, but you’re still made to stick around with people committing horrible act one after another – yet Åkerlund also keeps to an idea that they’re also just merely angsty. Which seems to conflict with the tone of the film given the stories of the actual people (it’s especially egregious in regards to Varg Vikernes’s portrayal), but it also makes a case for how much does Åkerlund truly care about the world of black metal. These are people who present themselves as being the embodiment of “true” black metal, but Åkerlund doesn’t ever have much interest in the music either so it’s hard to tell what he even wants us to make of them other than the fact they were just a bunch of people doing bad things to make names for themselves.
If there’s anything else that Åkerlund has really succeeded at, it’s clear enough in the way in which he captures the atmosphere that made Mayhem’s image every bit as notorious as it was. The scenes where you have the churches burning down are every bit as terrifying as you would ever expect them to be, but it’s also rightfully portraying these people for being the exact opposite of what they want to make themselves out to be. The performances all across the board are fantastic, with Rory Culkin’s own turn as Euronymous even being relatively moving in the most appropriate sense. Yet the film continually has to remind you that you shouldn’t be feeling for him because that’s not what Euronymous ever wanted out of his own legacy behind Mayhem. Considering the image that black metal had already drowned itself in, whether it be misanthropy or Satanism, it’s almost fascinating to see how these people descend into madness in order to build their own idea of a celebrity status, and it’s also built up like a great horror movie too. But what more does Åkerlund expect us to believe out of Mayhem, other than the fact they were just a bunch of awful people? And what does Åkerlund want us to make of their music, if he won’t even let us hear any of it – just having a score by Sigur Rós of all bands here instead?
You’re better off reading about how wild the history of the Norwegian black metal scene is than you are watching whatever Lords of Chaos thinks it’s saying about the creative forces behind it. It’s not only a film that cares so little about the actual music, but it’s also a film whose sick aestheticizing of actual deaths will leave a bad taste in the mouth to those who are unfamiliar with Mayhem’s history. It all feels like we’re made to laugh along with everything that goes on, yet none of this ever happens to be that. For a film that was all about making a sensation out of a bunch of murderers and arsonists who believed themselves to be the “true” faces of black metal, you’ll only leave the film thinking that Mayhem and Burzum were a bunch of posers because this film only ever feels hell-bent on downplaying how significant their impact on the entire music scene was because Lords of Chaos can’t be bothered to care about the music if it actually did. It all feels like the wrong lessons were taken from GoodFellas and just came alive here. Only thing is, you wouldn’t be laughing at Varg Vikernes reciting Joe Pesci’s “funny how?” moment, just knowing that he’s a neo-Nazi and a murderer roaming freely. I’ll probably just put on an album by Mayhem, Emperor, or Ulver to remind myself how wonderful the music actually is before I’ll ever come back to watch Lords of Chaos demean them all as posers.
Watch the trailer right here.
All images via Gunpowder & Sky.
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Screenplay by Dennis Magnusson, Jonas Åkerlund, from the book by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind
Produced by Kwesi Dickson, Danny Gabai, Jim Czarnecki, Erik Gordon, Jack Arbuthnott, Kō Mori
Starring Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen, Jack Kilmer, Sky Ferreira
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Running Time: 118 minutes


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Introducing itself with a laid-back jazzy tune — something a little reminiscent of what an Anti Lilly & Phoniks track could sound like, think “It’s Nice Outside” — before hitting us with Sipho the Gift proclaiming in a melodic switch-up, “I might just need an advance on that cheque okay” — “Growth” featuring YoungsatCPT, is Sipho the Gift’s latest single following the release of “Dark Matter” ft. Maglera Doe Boy, Old Soul ft. Thato Saul and Nia Long.
The single serves as a lead up to the release of his 11-track project titled LOTUK (Legend of the Underground), set to drop October 29 2021.
Dreaming of becoming a rapper while growing up in Kimberley, then later studying in Stellenbosch is as far-fetched as it gets, but for Sipho the Gift, it somehow created one of the most widely known voices in the South African hip hop space.
In a sense, the single is about this journey of growth as an artist but also as an individual. As he shares “I wanted to create a song that detailed my journey as an artist and man while celebrating the people that have championed me at all times.”
The young rapper and producer started making music by emulating the music he listened to growing up. However, he quickly realised that he wanted to tell his own story and this culminated into his catchy, yet thought-provoking and cleanly produced sound often described as introspective rap with melodic elements inspired by other genres.
The single makes for easy and familiar listening, it doesn’t seek to be experimental or flip any major sonic switches — what sets it apart though, is the lyrics rootedness in both Sipho the Gift and YounstaCPT’s personal stories.
“Growth” boasts clever word play and tight-in-the-beat-pocket delivery styles from both Sipho and YungstCPT, the song is a flexi-bration: “Pretty dark nigga, I need handsome receipts and I smile so much I need gold on my teeth.”
A sonic celebration, of roads walked, obstacles overcome and progress made, with the support of those we call Fam. Listen to “Growth” here and keep your eyes peeled for the Lotuk drop on October 29 2021.


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Maximilian long sleeve base layer for woman.
- Advanced lightweight, stretchy and quick-dry technical fabric
- Beautiful feminine fit with curved side panels
- Designed and tested in Germany
- “Two Hearts. One Team.” logo on the inner side of the left forearm
- M symbol on the right arm and full logo on the back in shiny silicone
- Zip and flexible collar for the best comfort
Maximilian long sleeve base Layers are a must-have essential in every rider’s wardrobe. They have been created from the most innovative, breathable, 360º stretch lightweight fabric to give you incredible comfort and flexibility. They are perfect for keeping cool during the summer months or using as an under layer during winter. Not just for riding, these base layers are also amazing for running, gym and other fitness activities.
Sizing: true to size (model wears size S). Our base layers are designed to fit like a second skin. Size up if you prefer a looser fit.
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North Suburban YMCA Partners with the American Red Cross to Host Community Blood Drives
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, many of the organizations that hosted blood drives for the American Red Cross, such as churches and schools were closed, leading to an urgent need for blood and places to donate it. The closures of these buildings over the past 18 months have led to a critical supply shortage.
"Over the past year, we saw so many blood drives canceled so we made a decision to start an ongoing partnership with the American Red Cross, right after shelter in place happened in 2020," said Kathy Fielding, CEO of the North Suburban YMCA. "Even during the pandemic, we discovered that people wanted to donate, they just didn't know where to do it safely, so it made perfect sense to use to use our facility to help in their efforts."
With many record-breaking blood drives so far in 2021 and 3 more on the books in November, December and January of 2022, the American Red Cross has already collected over 600 units of blood, saving well-over 1800 lives. Most blood donors have come from the community and are members of the NSYMCA.
"We not only have saved thousands of lives this year, but we had over 60 new participants donate for the first time and put into the blood donor system," stated Kim Nyren, director of Community Investment. "Through this commitment, we have learned that hosting the blood drives in a safe, clean environment like our YMCA help increase donor participation and we are proud to be a part of it."
The American Red Cross Account Manager for Donor Recruitment, Lisa Peterson said that although registrations for the May and June blood drives filled up quickly and actually exceeded the Y's goal in donations, appointments have suddenly declined throughout the U.S., making these drives even more important than ever.
"The dedication and hard work that the Y has put into saving lives through blood donation has been a great success over the last year," said Petersen. "The need for blood is constant and we have an emergency need right now, and the Y proves to be a great center for people to feel comfortable and inspired to give back by giving lifesaving blood. We are very thankful and proud of our partnership with the NSYMCA."
The American Red Cross added that people deciding whether to give blood to note that the entire process of donating lasts no longer than 45 minutes to an hour, with the time spent actually collecting the blood lasting about 8-10 minutes. They also stated that participants may donate every 56 days for whole blood and 116 days for Power Red donations.
The next Y blood drives will be held on 11/2, 12/7, and 1/6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register for any of these blood drives at the NSYMCA, visit the Red Cross. For more information on the North Suburban YMCA visit nsymca.org.
About the North Suburban YMCA
The North Suburban YMCA services Northbrook and 14 surrounding communities with programs and tools that help its residents become healthier, more connected, and confident, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, income, or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. The NSYMCA focuses on Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility and is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, inclusive and welcoming to all in our community. Learn more at NSYMCA.org.

domain: medical


A couple weeks ago, Genzyme informed its Fabry patients again that it had had a manufacturing failure with a newly made lot of Fabrazyme. The company said that this would cause further delays in making the product fully available to patients - who would again have to ration reduced doses of the life-saving drug.
Today, it's been reported on Pharmalot blog that a patient group is again asking the NIH to allow march-in rights that would give another manufacturer a shot at making the drug. The argument is that since the underlying patents for Fabrazyme were federally funded - then the Bayh-Dole Act provides that patient access to the patents can't be banned just because Genzyme is unable to produce.
Previously, NIH turned down a similar petition earlier this year saying that it was unlikely a firm could come in and produce the drug in the short-term to help the petitioning (or other) patients. Now Genzyme has failed again.
The plaintiffs attorney had this to say,
It would be unconscionable to refuse march-in at this point. Genzyme has caused three recent drug shortages...After nine consecutive false promises to patients, investors, and, now, the NIH, there is no reason to believe that Genzyme will ever be able to properly supply drug to Fabry patients. After what these Fabry patients have had to endure, they deserve a reliable drug supply, which the NIH has the power to grant.
Posted by Bruce Lehr April 5th 2011.


By Jennifer Giering
Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce
This summer, Dearborn was bustling with community events providing citizens numerous options to enjoy food, festivals and music, specifically along the Michigan Avenue corridor. These events were made possible through public and private partnerships between the city of Dearborn, the downtown development authorities, Dearborn Community Fund, the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and others to enhance the quality of life in Dearborn.
Music filled the air with the annual Music Under the Stars concert series featuring various artists throughout Dearborn. Friday Nights in the Park brought live music to Muirhead Plaza near the Bryant Library and the popular Jazz On the Ave. concert series hosted by the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority brought hundreds of music enthusiasts to the lawn of City Hall each Wednesday.
More than 700 foodies enjoyed the annual Taste of Dearborn West event in June. Michigan farmers and artists came together for the annual Farmer’s and Artisan Market where children participated in fun activities, aspiring chefs watched regular cooking demonstrations, and shoppers had access to fresh produce, picked that morning. Each summer more than 18,000 people visit the market.
Food truck rallies hit Dearborn in July, August and September bringing more than 1,500 people to each rally. With the help of the Michigan Mobile Food Vendors Association, “restaurants on wheels” featuring gourmet fare pulled into Dearborn where families enjoyed food, camaraderie and live music.
There were no shortage of popular festivals including the Dearborn Animal Shelter’s Mutt Strut, and Homecoming including the Cruisin’ Dearborn Car Cruise and Special All-Stars Day, an event designed for adults and children with special needs. The Block Party in west Dearborn and Oktoberfest are also new to the lineup. Both are sponsored by the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority and are a great way to bring the community together through live entertainment, food and spirits in an outdoor venue. Oktoberfest will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday on West Village Drive between the parking decks and will feature outstanding bands, food trucks, spirits and a Vegas tent.
Opinions and debates are heating up as we approach election day in November. But locally, we can all agree that working together for the greater good of Dearborn is the only way to move forward.


Norwich City fans took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to have their say on Neil Adams' resignation.
Adams has been in charge since April last season, with former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan taking charge of first team affairs for the time being.
According to bookmakers, the Watford, Norwich City and Brighton bosses are the likeliest Championship managers to leave their post.
With games and goals in short supply for Gary Hooper at Norwich City, should the former Celtic striker be looking to leave Carrow Road?
Phelan returns to football for the first time since the end of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United, where he was the Scot's assistant.
Phelan worked as assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson during the final years of his reign at Old Trafford, and will form part of Neil Adams's backroom staff at Carrow Road.
Neil Adams believes that the Norwich City squad is lacking in ‘leader’ figures after losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest.
The 28-year-old netted a brace against the Trotters.
Norwich City boss Neil Adams has praised the way Mark Clattenburg dealt with an allegation of racism last night in the game against Leeds United.
Neil Adams is aware that Leeds will pose a big threat to Norwich, despite their turbulent start to the season.


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Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. refiner HollyFrontier Corp reported a fourth-quarter profit, compared with a year-ago loss, helped by cost cuts.
Net income attributable to the company's shareholders was $53.2 million, or 30 cents per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $43.9 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier.
The Dallas, Texas-based company's sales and other revenue rose marginally to $2.96 billion. (Reporting by John Benny in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

domain: finance


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Division Zero (Division Zero #1), by Matthew S. Cox
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Ghosts, Cyberpunk
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
Publication: March 7, 2014, by Curiosity Quills Press
Goodreads Summary: Most cops get to deal with living criminals, but Agent Kirsten Wren is not most cops.
A gifted psionic with a troubled past, Kirsten possesses a rare combination of abilities that give her a powerful weapon against spirits. In 2418, rampant violence and corporate warfare have left no shortage of angry wraiths in West City. Most exist as little more than fleeting shadows and eerie whispers in the darkness.
Kirsten is shunned by a society that does not understand psionics, feared by those who know what she can do, and alone in a city of millions. Every so often, when a wraith gathers enough strength to become a threat to the living, these same people rely on her to stop it.
Unexplained killings by human-like androids known as dolls leave the Division One police baffled, causing them to punt the case to Division Zero. Kirsten, along with her partner Dorian, wind up in the crosshairs of corporate assassins as they attempt to find out who – or what – is behind the random murders before more people die.
She tries to hold on to the belief that no one is beyond redemption as she pursues a killer desperate to claim at least one more innocent soul – that might just be hers.
*Review copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.*
DNF @ 71%
I have given the genre of cyberpunk/steampunk many tries and chances, but after reading this book, I realized that it just isn't for me.
Adding the concept of paranormalcy into this just hooked me right in. And I believed that there will be a hint of romance added into this as well (who doesn't want romance?) so I requested to read this and be part of the blog tour immediately. Turns out, this just wasn't the right read for me.
I struggled while reading this book. For its sake, I wanted to really like it and enjoy it. But having a psionic cop solving who's killing random people just isn't my thing, I guess. I usually fall for these type of mysteries-- murder and paranormalcy together equal a great deal of enjoyment for me. Was it because this falls in the New Adult genre? I don't know, but the concept and plot really unsatisfied me.
This was about Kirsten Wren, who is a gifted psionic cop who's living an abnormal life. It is the future. In 2418, a violent rampage has left almost no wraiths in West City, but there is more left than just few shadows and whispers. When mysterious random murders by human-like androids begin turning up all over the city, Kirsten and her partner Dorian are up to find out who's behind all of this and why.
Books that have incorporated androids such as Cinder by Marissa Meyer have really left me stunned. Androids are such an interesting exotic topic that rarely exists in the literature world today, and many people such as myself are left wanting the books that incorporate the subject more than anything. The androids in this book didn't feel real. Of course, there isn't such thing as human-killing androids, but in a book that has this kind of atmosphere should really pick up the pace and give us that feel that gets us to believe that the world we're in really exists and that we're currently in it when reading the book. So therefore, the world-building in this book absolutely sucked, in my opinion.
The plot was another thing. In the beginning to about 25% of the book, everything was starting off great. I really liked the story and how the author introduced the characters and events to us, and everything felt pretty real. As we moved on quickly towards the middle, I just lost track of everything that was going on and just got bored. Everything moved on to be slow-paced and I realized that the idea just wasn't for me. At that point, I didn't know how I was going to stand to complete the novel. I stood on reading until the seventy-one percentage, and then just let it go because it was just too horrible. So part of the 1.5 star rating goes to that advantage in the beginning. But the rest disappointed me because of the no-point sucky plot. No twists were incorporated that stunned me, and everything was predictable.
Kirsten was just a regular clueless protagonist. She was a good fighter and thinker, but I didn't really like her personality. She was too stuffed up and in that 71% that I read, I didn't feel like I got to meet her. She differed from other characters that I liked.
I really ended up liking Dorian, the only other good thing in this book. He was the sugar and spice of the book and came to be a really good friend to Kirsten. I totally ship: Korian!
So sadly, I didn't even care to find out the ending of this book. It disappointed me too much and left me not wanting anything to do with these characters or storyline. Unrecommended to YA readers because it's not what we're really looking for in a book. It was very unenjoyable.


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The Dangerous Summer has been on tour this fall with 10 Years Under the Sun, paying homage to their debut full length album Reach For the Sun. The Dangerous Summer have been playing together for the last 10 years and this tour was a way to celebrate that.
Fans managed to pack the tiny venue close to capacity Friday night. There was not one still body in the venue, everyone gave their full attention. Everyone was very polite, it felt like one big family gathered around ready to share this one moment together.
The Dangerous Summer played at a little venue with capacity of 150. Their music filled the tiny room, it felt the same joyful, happy feeling from all angles in the venue. Their fans patiently waited for them to get out on stage and managed to pack in once they did. I really
enjoyed watching each fan be fully drawn in, like they are the only one in the room and no one else mattered.
The Dangerous Summer is on tour in the United States until November 24!
Connect with The Dangerous Summer!
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify


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In front of a screaming New York City crowd on Saturday, Cabello joked about
Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is a Canadian singer and songwriter.
He's always sleep-talked, but it happened a lot during the pandemic because we were going to sleep together every night.
Like any other couple, they have fights and it's all not mushy all the time.
"I probably have a nurturing attitude because I also like being nurtured. I'm lucky that my partner is the same way. There's a lot of sweetness and tenderness," Cabello said, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Earlier in the day, she was spotted leaving a radio interview to promote her new single, ‘Don’t Go Yet’. During one of her recent interviews, Camila opened up about Shawn‘s good looks.
The duo flew to the Caribbean to celebrate their special day. Mendes took to his Instagram handle and posted a steamy photo of them kissing on the beach. He captioned the picture as, "Happy 2 years my baby."
Recently, singers Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes also appealed to their social media fans to extend support to India in its fight against the virus.
The 22-year-old Canadian singer took to his Instagram account and shared a beautiful picture featuring himself with the birthday girl.
His caption reads, "Grateful. The sun, coffee, my health, my family, old Mariah Carey songs, music, humans!!!
"The album is like a reflection of my life at the moment, or, rather, over the last six to seven months," Mendes shared.
The post shared by the star shows a toddler Katy being kissed by her father.
According to People Magazine, while speaking with Mendes as he covers VMAN magazine, the 73-year-old pop-icon John told the 'In My Blood' singer to be cautious of fame and letting the idea of celebrity get to his head.
The two pop stars wrote the song with Daniel Caeser, Frank Dukes, and Mustafa, the Poet. 'Monster' marks the first time the two musicians have worked together
This is crazy. This is what I can do. This is art. This is bigger than me. It was the first time I had the chance to even think about someone more than me. It was the first time I had enough space in my heart
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domain: celebrity