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Today it is my great pleasure to write a travel book review for Lonely Planet’s newly published, Cooks, Clowns and Cowboys – 101 Skills and Experiences to Discover on Your Travels.
A travel book review can sometimes be a chore trying to put a new spin on a typical compilation of ‘must-see’ sites and reviews of traditional tourist stops. I’m happy to say, this is not the case with Cooks, Clowns and Cowboys. I was almost giddy with excitement when the book arrived and today I indulged my imagination with a journey across the globe sampling unique experiences as I turned each page.
This unusual travel guide is an introduction to over one hundred unique cultural experiences that travelers can plug into as they go adventuring. Have you ever wanted to dance a sensual rumba in Havana, ride with Gauchos in Argentina, paint Easter Eggs in the Ukraine or learn how to keep a perfect poker face in Las Vegas? This travel book will spark your imagination with opportunities to leave the tourist trail and mingle with locals and learn new skills.
The immersion experiences are grouped into categories Music & Dance, Food & Drink, Arts & Crafts, Culture & Language, Flora & Fauna, Mind & Body and Active, clearly something for everyone. This travel book is a gateway to local artisans and cultural icons, and serves as an icebreaker to interact with the heart and soul of the country you are visiting.
Some of my favorite experiences include:
Cheese Making in Malta, Pg 38
Perfume School in France, Pg 46
Weave a Blanket on Kodiak Island, Pg 74
Learn Shaman Skills in the Amazon, Pg 78
Make Clay Pots in Cappadocia, Pg 136
Distill a Dream Dram in Scotland, Pg 156
Gelato Lessons in Bologna, Pg 192
But you’ll find your own experiences to light your travel flame. I for one can’t wait to go adventuring again, learn some great new skills and meet local artisans up close and personal. Pick up this great new travel book and dream about your own new adventure!

domain: library


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0.29 CT. T.W. Diamond Flower Cluster Teardrop Pendant in 10K White, Rose or Yellow Gold
Item #: 20136436
A dainty look that's full of shimmer, this modern diamond pendant expresses your affection. Crafted in your choice of 10K white, rose or yellow gold, this teardrop-shaped contoured design holds a sparkling flower-shaped cluster of diamonds. Radiant with 0.29 ct. t.w. of diamonds and a brilliant buffed lustre, this pendant suspends along an 18.0-inch rope chain that secures with a spring-ring clasp.
Diamond Total Weight (CT. T.W.)
Lifetime Diamond Commitment
|Stone Carat Range||0.25 to Under 0.50|
|Stone Setting||Shared Prongs|
|Metal Colour||White, Yellow or Rose|
Diamond carat weights (CT.) represent the approximate total weight (T.W.) of all diamonds in each setting and may vary no more than .07 below the stated weight. Typographic errors are subject to correction. Merchandise enlarged to show detail and may not always be exactly as pictured. Promotions, prices, styles and availability may vary by store and online.

domain: design


I wrote this brief to preview A Tribe Called Red’s Seattle show for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
Canadian trio A Tribe Called Red brings a unique perspective to dance music, combining hip-hop and electronic music with elements of aboriginal music like chanting and percussion to make “powwow step,” most recently showcased on its latest, Nation II Nation. ATCR also created Electric Powwow, a monthly event featuring indigenous DJs, to further this eclectic sound. With Riz Rollins, J Justice. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. 21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
I reviewed the Pharmacy’s Spells for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this review here.
The Pharmacy, Spells (out Aug. 12, Old Flame Records, thepharmacyband.com) Throughout its 12 years, The Pharmacy has experimented with just about every genre, from fuzzed-out punk to alt-rock. Now with Spells, the band’s fifth full-length, the trio wades deeper into the psychedelic waters it dipped into on 2012’s Stoned & Alone. A quick listen, six of Spells ’s 10 songs clock in at less than three minutes. Tracked live with producer Kyle Brunette (Night Beats), there’s a raw yet mellow energy to it. Some songs, like “Anna Bella,” play at a leisurely pace, while tracks like “Masten Lake Lagoon” pick up the tempo. And though the majority of Spells, written in a cabin in Big Sur and recorded in the basement of a used-car museum in Tacoma, is hazy in nature, there are a few surprises throughout—like the doo-wop-influenced vocals on the punky “Cool and Calm.” There’s a relaxed vibe to singer/guitarist Scottie Yoder’s voice, and drummer Brendhan Bowers and keyboardist Stefan Rubicz follow suit, letting the band’s easy rapport shine through.
Next Show: Wed., July 30, Sunset Tavern
I wrote about an incredible Portland-based melodic rock trio called Rags & Ribbons for The Inlander. You can also read this article here.
Searching for Symmetry
For Portland’s Rags & Ribbons, it’s all about balance
By Azaria Podplesky
Portland melodic rock trio Rags & Ribbons takes a measured approach to everything it does.
From incorporating darker elements into its piano-heavy sound to finding the right people to add to its team, the band strives to find middle ground between heavy and light, emotion and business, excitement and intimidation.
Guitarist/vocalist Ben Weyerhaeuser, 29, formed Rags & Ribbons with pianist/vocalist Jon Hicks after they graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. A mix of Sufjan Stevens and synth-pop marked the band’s early years, which Weyerhaeuser calls the “weird, figuring-out stage.”
"Jon really wasn’t too much into harder rock music at the time," Weyerhaeuser says. "And I was just trying to balance out whoever I was working with at that point."
The addition of drummer/vocalist Chris Neff, who has a background in hard rock, added a heavier aspect to R&R’s piano-driven music.
"We started writing and the three pieces came together to make the current sound," Weyerhaeuser says.
Read more …
I wrote this brief to preview Rakim’s upcoming Seattle show for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
Twenty-seven years after he debuted with DJ Eric B. on their first full-length, Paid in Full, Rakim, long heralded as one of the most influential MCs of all time, is still a sought-after collaborator. The rapper teamed up with DMX on 2013’s “Don’t Call Me” and has contributed verses to tracks by Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and Linkin Park, among many others. With ill Chris, Gifted Gab, Romaro Franceswa. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
I wrote about an awesome Spokane-based break dancing crew called the Paper Cutout Crew for The Inlander. Huge thank you to Khay for all of her help :) You can also read this story here.
Step by Step
The Paper Cutout Crew wants to introduce Spokane to break dancing - one move at a time
By Azaria Podplesky
You can hear them before you see them. Past balance beams and uneven bars at Spokane Gymnastics, tennis shoes squeak on hardwood floors. Long after typical workout hours, four break dancers practice intricate footwork and tricky spins. Eventually, four more dancers arrive.
This is the Paper Cutout Crew.
For the next hour, the dancers — five PCC members and three breakers visiting with EWU’s Asia University America Program — take turns throwing down a few moves. At various points, a member steps away to work on a move, rejoining the group when they’re ready to try again.
It’s a small but supportive community, one the dancers want to introduce to as many people as possible.
Read more …
I wrote this brief to preview Thunderpussy’s Seattle show for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
Thunderpussy is your new favorite Seattle supergroup. Since late last year, bassist Leah Julius (Cumulus, Sundries), guitarist Whitney Petty (The Grizzled Mighty), vocalist Molly Sides (This Bitch Don’t Fall Off), and drummer Lena Simon (La Luz, Kairos) have been writing rock ’n’ roll jams with a sultry blues twist. This is only the band’s second public show, but, judging by footage from its first, the quartet has the chemistry and stage presence of a group that’s been playing together for years. This show is a fundraiser for Hangin’ Tuff, a wonderfully wacky online music variety show in which host DJ Bobbi Rich, who is also emceeing this event, interviews local bands in, of all places, a hot tub boat. With Lozen, Dusty Lips, Un-Protected Sax. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. $10. 21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
I wrote this brief to preview Wye Oak’s Seattle show for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
The carefully crafted Shriek, the fourth full-length from indie-rock duo Wye Oak, belies the fact that the band traded ideas while singer/guitarist/bassist Jenn Wasner was in the duo’s hometown of Baltimore and drummer/keyboardist Andy Stack split his time between Portland and Marfa, Texas. What’s even more impressive, though, is the shift in sound the pair has accomplished with this album. From 2011’s Civilian to their latest, Wasner and Stack have exchanged guitar-focused jams for a softer take on synth-pop. There’s a dreamy interplay between Wasner’s lush vocals and Stack’s vibrant-yet-hazy keys throughout the album, especially on singles “The Tower” and “Glory.” Shriek’s not as boisterous as its title suggests, but Wye Oak’s rejuvenated sound still makes a statement. With Pattern Is Movement. Neumos. 8 p.m. $18 adv. 21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
I wrote this brief to preview 4,000 Holes’ 25th Anniversary Celebration. You can also read this brief here.
Bob Gallagher never thought his record store, 4,000 Holes, would make it this far. Opened in 1989, the store was hit hard by slow music sales in the early aughts and was on the brink of closing. But with a resurgence in vinyl’s popularity over the past few years and older customers introducing their children to the store, 4,000 Holes is now better than ever. To celebrate, Gallagher is holding a 25th anniversary event with music from local alt-country act Cursive Wires and giveaways from labels like Sony and Sub Pop. “I think our future looks good, which, in the past, I wasn’t able to say,” Gallagher says. “It was pretty iffy, but I think we’re going to be around for a long time.” 4000 Holes, 1610 N. Monroe St., 325-1914. Sat., July 12, 11 a.m. -Azaria Podplesky
I wrote this brief to preview Slim’s Cornbread Ball for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
There’s no shortage of festivals this time of year, but Slim’s Cornbread Ball isn’t your average one. Now in its fifth year, the fest showcases some of the Pacific Northwest’s best Americana and country roots acts. This year, Knut Bell and the Blue Collars, an alt-country quartet that describes its sound as “Honkahillarockabilly,” tops the roster, along with blues-rock duo Dead Man (featuring Slim’s own Mike Lucas) and the Disco Cowboys, an outfit that adds Southern flair to disco hits. Presented by Slim’s with John “Hamhock” Hagan, who will perform with his band The Rooster Run, the ball is a benefit, too—for Childhood Cancer Sucks–The Jakob Ellis Foundation, an organization working on finding a cure and easing the financial burden on families of cancer patients. With Twang Junkies, Hartwood, Earle Thunders and His So-Called Friends, Darci Carlson, Michael Scott Thomas, Tom Howard. Slim’s Last Chance, 5606 First Ave. S., 762-7900, slimslastchance.com. Noon. $15/$12 with new, unwrapped toy. 21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
I wrote this brief to preview the Antlers’ Seattle show for Seattle Weekly. You can also read this brief here.
There’s an understated elegance to Familiars, the fifth album from Brooklyn indie-rock trio the Antlers, which makes it both unassuming and breathtaking. The mid-tempo instrumentation, including a wistful trumpet and twinkling keys from multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci, shifts between cinematic and somber, and Peter Silberman’s emotionally charged vocals and lyrics on the theme of identity add to the moody atmosphere. With Yellow Ostrich. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $18 adv. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY


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2019.6.20 Now Playing
Comedy / 103 / English / June 20
Four friends - Vivian, Diane, Carol and Sharon - are part of a monthly book club that has met for 30 years. During their meetings, they discuss various aspects of literature.
The next book that sparks their interest, however, is none other than the famous “Fifty Shades of Grey.” While some deem the contents as “inappropriate” for their club, all of them are eventually persuaded to read the book.
As the four friends read through the book, they began flirting around in their real lives as well.
Vivian, a successful hotel owner, runs into Arthur, whose marriage proposal she’d turned down 40 years prior. Diane, recently widowed, meets Mitchell on her way to see her daughters in Arizona. Sharon is a federal judge who’s been divorced for 15 years, decides that it’s time to start dating again and opens an online dating account. Carol is happily married to Bruce, but they’ve recently grown distant and she is ready to try almost anything to entice him again.
The women go on to read the next books in the series, “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed,” and try to figure out their own romances based on the books.
The four friends are played by veteran actors Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen.
Happy as Lazzaro (12)
Drama, Fantasy / 127 / Italian / June 20
In a beautiful, isolated estate called Inviolata, 54 peasants work on a tobacco farm through sharecropping arrangement, which has long been illegal. Yet as they were cut off from the rest of the society, the people are unaware and continue to be exploited, working unpaid under the keen eye of notorious Alfonsina de Luna, “Queen of Cigarettes.”
Lazzaro is one of the workers on the farm who obeys every order given by the head and the marquis, who is also Alfonsina’s son, Tancredi. Under unlikely circumstances, the two become friends, as Tancredi grows sickened with the everlasting cycle of exploitation of the farm. The two soon plan a scheme to topple Alfonsina by faking Tancredi’s kidnapping.
The film was invited to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, where director Alice Rohrwacher won the Best Screenplay Award.
Drama / 86 / English / June 20
Sebastian Prendergast is an obedient 17-year-old who works as a guide at a tourist attraction called “The House of Tomorrow,” which he also lives in with his grandmother Josephine. He is fiercely loyal to his grandmother, and it never dawns on him that she may be controlling every aspect of his life, until he meets Jared.
Jared introduces Sebastian to punk rock, and Sebastian immediately grows addicted to music. In fact, he soon strives to become a punk rocker like Jared, and the pair decides to form a band, which Josephine disapproves of. But that doesn’t stop Sebastian from following his passion.
Sebastian is played by Asa Butterfield, who is known to as Otis Milburn from the Netflix drama series “Sex Education” which came out earlier this year. His obsessive grandmother is played by actor Ellen Burstyn.
Men in Black: International (12)
Action, Comedy, Science Fiction / 115 / English / June 12
Men in Black’s branch in London has recruited a new female spy named Agent M (Tessa Thompson) to join their ranks and help protect Earth against alien invasions. She is paired up with one of the top agents, Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), and the two of them are tasked with getting rid of a group of aliens known as The Hive.
The two agents travel around the globe to destroy The Hive and protect the world as they’ve always done.
Hemsworth and Thompson have worked together in “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) and most recently, “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). Liam Neeson also appears in the film, playing the head of MIB’s British branch.
My Neighbor Totoro (All)
Animation, Family, Fantasy / 87 / Japanese / June 6
In 1958, a university professor and his two daughters - Satsuki and Mei - move into an old house so that they could be closer to their mother, Yasuko, who is staying in a nearby hospital due to illness.
One day, the younger sister, Mei, chases two small spirits and falls into a hole in a large tree, where she meets an enormous soot spirit whom she names Totoro. She quickly befriends the spirit and is eager to introduce him to the rest of her family. Strangely, she is never able to find Totoro’s tree again.
One rainy night, Satsuki is waiting with Mei at the bus stop for her father. With Mei asleep on her back, Satsuki is sitting quietly when a large shadow looms up next to her. It turns out to be Totoro, the spirit Mei has been telling her about all along.
Drama / 131 / Korean / May 30
Ki-woo is the eldest son in a poor family. His four-member family lives in an underground basement, where they struggle to maintain jobs and make ends meet, until his friend Min-hyuk offers him a part-time job as a tutor to a rich family’s daughter. Although Ki-woo doesn’t go to university, his younger sister Ki-jung forges a document to make it look like he goes to the best university in Korea.
When he enters the rich family’s mansion and gets to know the family members, he forms a plan, and, one by one, gets his entire family working for the rich family. Everything goes smoothly until one stormy night the former housekeeper visits the mansion, pleading to be let in to retrieve a possession she forgot to take with her.
This movie took home the Palme d’Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, held last month.
Drama, Fantasy / 121 / English / June 5
Based on the life of legendary pop star Elton John, the film starts with the childhood of Reginald Dwight - John’s real name. Gifted with natural musical abilities, Dwight is considered a prodigy and begins studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Soon music becomes the only ray of hope in Dwight’s unhappy childhood.
As a young man, Dwight decides that he wants to become a rock star instead of further pursuing his studies in classical music, giving himself the name Elton John. Befriending songwriter Bernie Taupin, John instantly rises as a star from the moment he performs at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Elton John is convincingly portrayed by Taron Egerton, who befriended the singer while preparing for the role. Egerton is best known to local audiences for his role in the popular Kingsman films, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) and its sequel, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (2017).
Action, Adventure, Science Fiction / 114 / English / June 5
Discovering her telepathic and telekinetic powers after a childhood tragedy, Jean Grey learns to control her powers at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. She eventually becomes part of the X-Men, and helps save people from catastrophes.
During one space mission, she accidentally absorbs a mysterious cosmic source that threatens her life. Yet she returns stronger than ever, her supernatural powers enhanced to an unmeasurable level.
But with her amplified superpowers, she senses another powerful personality growing inside of her that goes by the name Dark Phoenix.
Unlike Grey, Dark Phoenix is cool and confident about her powers, but she is also determined to destroy the Earth and unravel everything the X-Men have worked for to bring peace between mutants and rest of the world.
The film is the final installment of the X-Men franchise, with the original cast, such as James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan and more, all making a return.

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Uncommon Grounds - by Mark Pendergrast (Paperback)
Unravel the captivating journey of coffee, the world's most beloved beverage, with Uncommon Grounds. With a compelling narrative, Mark Pendergrast takes readers on a fascinating ride from coffee's humble origins in Ethiopia to its present-day dominance epitomized by Starbucks. This thought-provoking book explores the significant cultural shifts that have shaped the coffee industry, including the devastating Coffee Crisis, the emergence of Fair Trade, and the ascent of the discerning third-wave coffee enthusiasts obsessed with unparalleled quality. As coffee maintains its unquestionable influence on society, Uncommon Grounds serves as the ultimate guide, offering valuable insights into the relentless evolution of this universally adored drink.


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U.S. Department of Defense
|Presenter: British Army Maj. Gen. Doug Chalmers, deputy commander, strategy and sustainment, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve||June 23, 2016|
CAPTAIN JEFF DAVIS: So, general, just want to make sure you can hear us and we can hear you.
MAJOR GENERAL DOUG CHALMERS: Jeff, I can hear you loud and clear.
CAPT. DAVIS: OK, very good.
We're pleased to be joined today by British Army Major General Doug Chalmers. He's the deputy commander, strategy and sustainment, for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, coming to us today live from Baghdad to brief us on the state of the operations.
General, we'll turn it over to you for opening comments.
GEN. CHALMERS: Thank you, Jeff.
Greetings to the Pentagon press corps. Good morning. I'm Major General Doug Chalmers, the deputy commander for strategy and sustainment for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.
It's good to see you again. Much has happened in Iraq since March when I last spoke with you. We've seen pressure against Daesh increase significantly and their so-called caliphate continue to unravel and crumble under that pressure.
I've got a short opening statement for you before I take your questions.
The Combined Joint Task Force strategy of degrading, dismantling and defeating Daesh by striking them across the breadth and depth of their formations, by increasing the capability and capacity of our partners, and by harnessing the power of the 65-nation international coalition is making progress.
Just over a year ago, the town of Ramadi fell to Daesh fighters, which was the high water mark of the Daesh expansion. Since then, we've seen the tide turning on Daesh. Not only have their advances been stopped, the terrain they have briefly controlled has been taken back by the Iraqi Security Forces and by Syrian opposition forces dedicated to defeating the terrorist group.
We are striking them on multiple fronts -- their fighters on the front lines, their command and control apparatus, their leaders, their industrial base, and financial system, their communication networks, and the system that they use for bringing foreign fighters in to fill their ranks in both Iraq and Syria.
In other words, we are forcing them to fight in multiple locations and in multiple directions.
In Iraq, we're seeing the Iraqi Security Forces performing much better on the battlefield. While there are multiple reasons for this increase in combat proficiency, we think there are three significant factors.
Firstly, improving Iraqi coordination between the elements of their security forces, the confidence of those forces and the manner in which they work with coalition support.
In Fallujah, we've seen the benefits of all forces involved in an operation under a single chain of coordination, and this has enabled them to act far more in concern than we have seen before.
Coalition support continues to accelerate. Our strikes, in support of the ground advances of the Iraqi Security Forces continue to provide overwhelming combat power at the right time and place on the battlefield.
You already know that we have trained more than 23,000 Iraqi Security Forces, and have seen improved performance from those units that have gone through our build partner capacity sites.
We are also increasing training for Iraqi police officers, and we'll soon be expanding that training to the border security force.
So, not only with the Iraqi Security Forces be able to liberate their territory, they will be better set to be able to hold it and secure the population within it.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we've seen an increase in confidence from the Iraqi Security Forces as they face Daesh fighters on the battlefield and defeat them.
Now, those are not just words. And if you remember when I spoke to you last time in March, we were talking about how this momentum might go.
But the recent advances that they've made in both the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys at the same time, concurrently, is deeply impressive -- not just in fighting terms, but also in sustainment terms, which is a topic that we discussed back in March.
In Syria, we've seen the same trends by our partnered opposition forces. The multi- ethnic components of the Syrian Democratic Forces are united against Daesh. We've seen opposition forces in the northeast, near Mara, and in the southeast near At Tanf remain focused on defeating Daesh and removing its influence from their homelands.
Our advise and assistance to those forces does increase their effectiveness in combat.
In conclusion, we've seen advances against Daesh in both Iraq and Syria, increasing the pressure on the group throughout both countries. Ongoing operations in Manbij, Fallujah and the Tigris River Valley are shaping the battlefield and establishing the conditions for the two big future fights: Raqqa and Mosul.
We've seen Daesh's desire to mount attacks against the military forces involved in the ongoing fight and against innocent civilian populations.
There will be tough days ahead for our partner forces and for those of us in the coalition that work with them day by day.
But we see the campaign progressing and the military defeat of Daesh in Iraq and Syria as inevitable.
With that, I'll gladly take your questions. Memory tells me -- and I can't quite see into the room -- that the first question goes to either Bob or Lita.
CAPT. DAVIS: And they're, unfortunately, not here. So, we'll -- we'll give the first question of the day to Joe Tabet from Al Hurra.
Q: Thank you, General Chalmers. I don't know if you can give us an update about the ongoing operations in Manbij and Fallujah.
I know you might not like to talk about timelines. Do you know how long it will take to enter Manbij and to clear Fallujah?
GEN. CHALMERS: Fallujah -- first, I think -- and you've seen this in reporting and even some of our own reporting, we were slightly surprised at how quick, actually, some of it was going. And that's where you might have seen a misstep in how much the area was cleared.
But as we've looked to gain a better understating through our Iraqi partners who are the ones who are doing this clearing coordination -- they are well over half way through and now very firmly in the northern part of the city.
And that speed and momentum, the requirement then is sort of what we call back clear, which is go back over ground afterwards. We've still got a while to go. But it's going to be far quicker than we probably had estimated -- a couple of weeks ago. That's for Fallujah.
Over in Manbij, you'll know that the -- the multi-ethnic sort of Syrian democratic piece has effectively isolated that and is now moving towards the city, but you rightly indicated in your question that in terms of future operations and exactly how that next phase will go, I will defer to the commanders on the ground to that one.
Q: Quick follow-up on Manbij. What are the obstacles that the SDF are facing in the Manbij operation?
GEN. CHALMERS: Um, we're -- all we're seeing is -- is quite similar to what you see in Iraq and elsewhere. So we see the IEDs, we see, sort of, rocket fire positions and the sort of berms, et cetera, in that area. So it is a similar type of defensive type network that they are working their way through.
CAPT. DAVIS: Next we'll go to Idris Ali from the little British wire called Reuters.
Q: General, there was a report today by the Syrian Observatory that the SDF forces had fought Islamic State inside Manbij. Could you confirm that?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think -- it depends what you mean by inside Manbij and I think that's the piece we are trying to get. As with any city, they're sort of outlying sort of areas -- suburban areas -- a better word -- or villages and hamlets -- they are in those, but actually -- exactly where they are inside the center of the city is not yet – is my word.
So I think -- I can understand the report. Our understanding is it's more on the outer edges of the -- some of the villages in that area.
Q: And on Fallujah, I mean, just looking over the pictures and some of their reporting, it looks like the destruction of the city is quite widespread. Could you give some details as the clearing operation goes, how much destruction has taken place and in what you are seeing?
GEN. CHALMERS: I mean, this is something after is something after Ramadi, as you remember, we spent quite a lot time sort of analyzing, because we know exactly where all our munitions go. We know there was damage in the city before, which wasn't reconstructed from previous fighting.
And we also know that during the ground combat phase, there is a lot of destruction done in that -- by -- by the ground forces, both the tank munitions, et cetera, and rockets. And sadly, we also know that Daesh rig a lot of these houses. We call them house-born IEDs in that way.
So we are -- we are seeing destruction in Fallujah. It's too early, really, to say how widespread that is and perhaps more important, it's hard to say how much in terms of explosive remnants that still litter the ground.
But the speed with which we're seeing some of the Iraqi Security Forces move through that area in a different way to what we saw in Ramadi, sort of indicates that -- hopefully that challenge will be slightly less than the one that's faced in Ramadi.
CAPT. DAVIS: I'll go with Courtney Kube from NBC News. We're getting the mic to her right now.
Q: Hi, general.
I wanted to ask you about that the Russian strikes in At Tanf. I think I'm saying that incorrectly. But from late last week that the U.S. had a call about -- have there been any other strikes, to your knowledge -- Russian strikes in Syria that have come close to U.S.-backed or coalition-backed opposition forces? And can you give us any -- there were some reports soon after those Russian strikes that they may have used -- dropped some cluster munitions. Has the coalition been able to confirm that at all?
GEN. CHALMERS: I'll go with the first bit and then come further forwards.
I think firstly we were very surprised by the strike on in At Tanf in that garrison. It wasn't close to any of the regime forces. It was way outside of the normal pattern of Russian activity that we've seen in that way.
Our -- our people on the ground reported that they were under -- that they had been attacked by cluster munitions. We're analyzing those reports very carefully, but what we're hearing is what you're hearing, and we're just working through that in detail. But definitely, the people we advise on the ground reported cluster munitions.
In terms of your -- and as you know, there were subsequent high-level discussions between both the U.S. and the Russians to try and work that through. And those discussions were at a much higher level, above our level in terms of interaction, and moving that dialogue further forward.
But what I can say to answer the first part of your question is no, we have not seen any further strikes close to any opposition forces that we are supporting in the fight against Daesh.
Q: And then just two follow-ups on that, just to be clear. When you say that your -- the people on the ground, your people on the ground were reporting that, were those -- so those were SDF forces?
GEN. CHALMERS: I apologize. I work so closely with some of these partners that you often -- you get a sort of a relationship there. These are -- these were the partner forces of occupying that garrison.
Q: And have you seen any numbers on how many of the partner forces, how many individuals were injured or killed in the strikes?
GEN. CHALMERS: I have. A number were killed. A number were wounded. But I have to -- I don't have the precise figure at hands right now.
Q: And then if my colleagues don't mind, I actually have another question on Fallujah.
Q: Thank you.
We're going to call this a one-on-one interview, just so you know.
Can you give us any update -- I know we've asked several times of Colonel Garver and some of your colleagues there about the -- the reports of civilian Sunnis who are trying to flee Fallujah being detained or even killed as they're trying to leave the fighting there, primarily I think by PMF forces. Have you gotten any more insight into how many -- whether that's continuing? And how many individuals may be involved -- that is, civilians who may have been detained and/or tortured or killed?
GEN. CHALMERS: Yeah, I break your comments there, really, into three. So, detained or killed, and into two parts. And the reason I do so is quite deliberate.
So, we have heard these -- the allegations. I'll pick on those of, you know, deliberate attacking of civilians, not as collateral damage, but a deliberate act to attack civilians, or you used the word "torture" in that way. Those are the allegations that concern us.
But I can tell you, having had a lot of high-level engagement with senior generals in the Iraqi forces, and perhaps more importantly, the prime minister, he is equally as concerned and focused on these allegations and has directed his generals to run, in turn, investigations to try and identify exactly what has happened and hold those who -- if that is found -- if an assessment is found to have bearing, to hold those involved to account through some form of judicial process.
The reason I break the two words up is as the individuals are brought out of -- IDPs, or the displaced people move out of Fallujah, they are screened, and by the Iraqi security forces. And this is something that, you know, the International Committee of the Red Cross, et cetera, have access to. And bearing in mind the time of year and volumes, that then -- you know, these screening centers by the Iraqi police do a great, great job under pretty trying circumstances, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Where individuals are identified as being suspicious, they are detained. And they are detained under police custody to undergo further investigation to then make a judgment to whether they should then face prosecution or whatever with inside the Anbar court system, or then be released back out.
And that's why the sentence you put there, I divide into two. So there are abuses against the civilian population, then there are these screenings which may lead to detention of people that are found that warrant further investigation.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, the queue is empty. Anybody? Laurent, you look curious. Oh, go ahead, Andrew Tilghman, from Military Times.
Q: Just a quick question. I'm wondering with all the activity in Fallujah, if there -- if you can say whether any of the American forces have moved into the military facility, once known as Camp Fallujah, there on the south side of the city? Is there -- is there any American, or I guess, more broadly, coalition presence in that particular location in Anbar?
GEN. CHALMERS: No, no, we haven't -- I mean, we haven't needed to.
As you know, we operate from the base in Taqaddum, and our relations with those who are moving through. And the way really we are able to advise and assist has functioned very well, as you've seen, actually, by the speed of movement by the Iraqi Security Forces.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, and next, we will go to Brian Everstine from Air Force Magazine.
Q: A follow up on the question of progress on Fallujah. Can you quantify the coalition support as the Iraqis move through the city? Are there strike aircraft on station the whole time, or has it moved to sort of an ISR role? Is -- can you quantity how the coalition air forces are participating?
GEN. CHALMERS: Well, it's a blend of both, as you can imagine.
So, we -- the ISR footprint is the most important piece. And the ISR then, obviously, queues up and strike aircraft that move into that area.
And the ISR is probably the most important part, which then queues up the strike aircraft -- which is, you know, you know very well, can move from one part to the other part incredibly quickly.
CAPT. DAVIS: Next, we will go with Laurent Barthelemy from Agence France-Press.
Q: Hello General, as the -- about Manbij. As the SDF forces are closing into the center of the city, does that change anything for the U.S. advisers that are on the ground?
Does that mean, for instance, that there will be more of them to help the SDF in that -- in the most difficult part of the battle?
GEN. CHALMERS: No. As you know, the advisers are back more with sort of the headquarters helping our planning and coordination role. And that won't change as the forces go into there.
It becomes more complex, and ideally -- and actually, the same question we had about Fallujah comes to part about sort of ISR, and then enabling sort of -- (inaudible).
But no, there's no change to our profile. Strong relationships are in place with those headquarters and they will continue.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, anybody else?
Corey Dickstein from Stars and Stripes, and we will go back to Courtney after that.
Q: Hi general.
You said it several times now that the fight in Fallujah has gone quicker than you expected. Can you talk at all about what has made it gone so quick -- or go so quick? Is it soft resistance, or just a force that is operating better than you expected?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think, as I said, I think there's really three factors, I think, that will bring it into there.
One is that, better coordination between the elements. We sort of had federal police, the counter-terrorism service, and one of the commando elements. And that coordination between the three was very good, actually, in terms of bringing that through.
Two, I think the confidence of those involved was better. And three -- and I mentioned this the last time we sort of spoke, that, you know, war is often trial and error. And you see how the Iraqi Security Forces have learned how to deal with some of these Daesh obstacles and how they fight. They have adapted as well.
And the fighting was -- to get into Fallujah, it was probably some of the fiercest I think I've probably seen, particularly to break through some of the defensive belts on the southern side. And how the Iraqi Security Forces worked their way through that, once they made their way through that, how they then sustained momentum.
So, I put it down to three things: better coordination, adaption and lessons learned from previous clearances, which led to confidence.
Q: And just a quick follow up. Do -- do you guys have an idea how many Islamic State fighters are still -- still in Fallujah, and where, kind of, they are?
GEN. CHALMERS: No. I mean, there's estimates and there are numbers, but you know, I would just be adding and fueling sort of -- (inaudible). Are there still Daesh fighters there? Yes. But I'd rather not put a figure on it, because those figures -- I could read three reports in a day that have a different figure.
CAPT. DAVIS: Very good. Next, we'll got to Phil Stewart from Reuters. Hi, there.
Q: Yes, could you just give us a quick update about what's happening inside Manbij City? You know, how many forces are aligned with the Syrian-Arabs, and -- and I guess, some -- some Kurds are fighting inside the city right now.
How many Islamic State are there? Are there any civilians left?
And then I had a follow up question on your comments earlier about Russia.
GEN. CHALMERS: On the Manbij, a live ongoing operation, as you -- as you know only too well.
So, the actual -- I'd rather not give precise definitions of -- of where they are and how they are progressing through. Apart from the ingredients you have just described there, we believe are all still there. So, there's still a civilian population. There is -- or Daesh in defense areas, and the Syrian Democratic Forces are moving closer to them, and have worked through some of the defensive belts we touched on earlier on.
Q: The city proper now?
GEN. CHALMERS: (inaudible) the conversation we had earlier on about this. It depends what you describe the city proper.
The reporting I've had puts them on the edge and the outskirts of some areas, which I describe as the outer element of the city, rather than the city proper. And it's the definition of what we described as the city proper.
Q: And just on Russia, in the statement that came out following the VTC, I don't know, the video conference with the Russians that the -- there was some discussion about improper use of the secure communications channel.
What -- what was that, what is -- what was the improper use? Was it not heeding the U.S. warning, in that way, it was improper? Was it improper -- and was it dismissive? In what way was the communication improper?
GEN. CHALMERS: I -- I was on that conversation, so it would probably be -- and I wasn't on the subsequent discussion that took place between the U.S. and Russia.
So, I'm going to defer that one back into the building that you're in now, actually, if I may.
CAPT. DAVIS: Next, we'll go with Carla Babb. Actually, we'll -- just in the interest of keeping it in order there, we'll go with Lucas Tomlinson from Fox News, and then back to Carla.
Q: Hello, general. What was your first reaction when you found out that the Russians bombed U.S. and coalition-backed rebels in Syria?
GEN. CHALMERS: The fact they bombed them where they had, I think was one of genuine surprise.
It was out of the standard profile that we'd seen. This was not an area where I'd say it's complex or complicated. The last time we spoke back in March, we often talked about how, in some of the areas inside Syria, it's quite a complex network.
That is -- that is not really the case down in here. So, my reaction was one of surprise.
Q: Thank you. And going back to Fallujah, what percentage of the city has been retaken by Iraqi Security Forces?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think this is where we got into a little bit of a numbers counting about three or four days ago as to exactly what the Iraqis are saying and what we thought was done – the overhead imagery.
I think the Iraqis this morning were saying that they had cleared about 70 percent of -- of the city. And from where we see of where their front line traces, I wouldn't demur from what the Iraqi ground commanders are saying. There's almost certainly going to be a little bit of back-clearing to be done behind that, but they're well on top of the northern half of the city at the moment.
Q: So you think that 70 percent is about right?
GEN. CHALMERS: There or thereabouts. I mean, this is where we -- we look at what the Iraqi ground commanders have passed to us, and then we sort of -- we check it across it. And as I say, looking at where they are in terms of the northern part of the city, I think 70 percent there or thereabouts in terms of significant Daesh resistance is right.
Q: General, would you and the other generals inside Iraq want more troops on the ground?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think this is probably linked to an article I think I read last night. We had this discussion I think rightly back in March. So as we've increased momentum, you know, you see this in the Tigris and in the Euphrates River valleys we move on, we understand what works and we understand how we can sustain that momentum. And it was a conversation we had back in March.
And so we're constantly looking to see if we're right-sized. And General MacFarland, who I've had the honor of working with now for nearly a year, is not a man that gets frustrated. (inaudible) -- the article definitely sort of mischaracterized some of the dialogue that goes on. The engagement dialogue up through his chain of command, where he thinks there might be an area that we might require an increase in capability.
And I use that word "capability," because it can be a raft of forums as we spoke about last time. It could be logistics, equipments, or air support or ISR across that piece. And some of that dialogue is going on at the moment, but it would be wrong of me to comment further on that.
Q: Okay. Thank you.
CAPT. DAVIS: And next to Carla Babb from Voice of America.
Q: Hi, general. Thank you for doing this.
There have been reports that on June 12th, the Free Syrian Army was firing on the Kurds outside of Aleppo, both supported by Western forces. Can you confirm the reports that there have been in-fighting between U.S. and coalition-backed fighters in Syria?
GEN. CHALMERS: I've read that -- I read that on the Internet, the – a couple weeks ago. The answer is I can't confirm or deny it. It's not actually an area that I'm -- I know that well. And it's not an incident that I -- I read it in the open source, as you just described now. So sadly, I can't shed any more light onto that.
Q: That's -- that's very different from what we've been told about Manbij, where it's both Kurds and Arabs working together to retake the city. What's the overall feel of the coalition-backed forces? Are you seeing some tensions overall? Maybe not talking specifics like that incident on June 12th? Or has there been a sort of feeling of still working together?
GEN. CHALMERS: Well, I think it's one of still working together. And it's very much the same in all these areas. The partners that we work clearly all have their own sort of agendas and aspirations. And you've seen that change, and you will have watched the Syria situation over many a year. And that's -- that expectation and that desire, particularly if the peace process in the state that it is at the moment, often can lead to tensions.
But for those that we support, they understand that, you know, we as the broader coalition are still in support of them. And it hasn't risen up to any significant rift, which I think may have been implied in your sort of question. But there is tension, yes. That reflects the complexity of Syria. But it's no more now that it has been probably for the last couple of months, by my take.
Q: And are you concerned that the Russians could bomb U.S. and coalition-backed forces again in Syria?
GEN. CHALMERS: Well, it goes back to your question, you know, I was surprised by what they did. So is that a concern? Yes. Is that one of the reasons why those high level talks took place between the U.S. and Russia? Yes.
And so, everything we're doing very much is on trying to avoid that sort of -- exactly sort of situation you have described happening.
Q: (inaudible) -- repercussions if that were to happen again, that you're aware of?
GEN. CHALMERS: I would defer that sort of to the high-level diplomatic discussions that are ongoing.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay. Give the mic back to Courtney Kube from NBC, who had some follow-ups.
Q: Hey, General. So just one more on the Russian strikes last week. Now that it's been five or six days since it occurred, what is the military analysis of why Russia conducted those strikes? Have you -- have you seen anything? What was their inventive to hit that area?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think -- I think it's -- because we're still surprised and those are those high-level discussions, which I haven't been privy to, have probably untangled some of that more. Not sure of what, you know, the options as to the why, I think it, you know, being as well captured in open -- open press as they have within.
Now I know that's a rather loose answer, but it comes back into my point that, you know, we were surprised at what took place. And I have not been privy to those high-level conversations that have been going on since that strike.
Q: Sort of analytical question. We've seen several -- several cases, Rutbah is on that comes to mind where, when -- when the coalition or the Iraqis or the SDF are moving towards an area, they move through sort of more easily than we had heard they would be.
Obviously, Fallujah and Ramadi and -- are not the -- not the case. But some of the sort of the smaller towns and cities, and it seems that we're hearing that ISIS is just fleeing from some of these areas, or they're backing up or they're moving to other areas.
I'm curious if you have -- if you have seen also any military analysis of this? Is there any -- what's the -- what is your understanding of why ISIS might be -- rather than staying and fighting in some of these areas, fleeing?
Are they backing out to other areas, or moving and creating new strongholds in other parts of Syria or Iraq? Are they moving out of the area -- I guess, what is the trend that you're seeing, if there is one?
GEN. CHALMERS: Well, I think -- I'm just trying to see if I've used the language in my opening statement. I don't think I did. But I know it's been written before.
You know, we -- we've -- we've worked pretty hard at sort of attacking Daesh across their depth, and that has had an effect. And they are definitely weaker now than they were when I first came into see -- to see this area.
So they are making choices, and sometimes that choice is to cede a town and move back. In some times, it is to hold and stand firm on that piece of -- of decision. But I suppose if -- to summarize it is where -- when I first came in, they sort of held everywhere. Now you are seeing them make choices, which I think is what -- your questions gets at quite rightly.
But the other thing I would say, and it comes back into the confidence of the Iraqi Security Forces. You know, a year ago they were very hesitant. So, you know, even the lightest bit of resistance would cause them to pause and to hold off.
That increase in confidence now means that the Iraqi Security Forces, and Rutbah was a good example of it, moved forward until they hit hard resistance rather than be sort of slowed down by -- by light resistance.
And that is probably -- so there's two reasons to why you're saying what you're saying. One, Daesh are weaker. Two, the Iraqi Security Forces are stronger. And that's causing, I think, what you're -- what you're saying in terms of momentum is -- would be the word to describe it.
Q: Thank you.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, anybody else?
Back to Phil Stewart from Reuters.
Q: Just a quick question on Fallujah. Do you think that the way that the Iraqis carried out the operation on Fallujah is going to, on a strategic level, improve ties with the Sunnis?
GEN. CHALMERS: I think -- I hope so, but I think it's still fairly early to say.
We've got a very good governor in Anbar. And this is where -- you know, the work with the governor's office and the government of Iraq, in terms of managing of an incredible exodus of pretty malnourished refugees or displaced people from that town. How that will -- how the follow-on story will be pretty important.
But the manner in which -- and we talked about the abuses, but actually I don't you know, speaking to a lot of the Iraqis there, these allegations are being taken very seriously. But they have never fulfilled some of the fear of how Fallujah would go when this was first discussed about a month ago.
So, I think it has gone very well. And I think the governor of Anbar and the Government of Iraq are very aware that this story will continue, and it's how some of these displaced people are looked after in the aftermath that will matter next.
CAPT. DAVIS: We will go back to Lucas Tomlinson from Fox News.
Q: General, just one more crack at it, going back to the potential for more troops going to Iraq.
You mentioned that it, quote, "might be an area of something that's being discussed." How many troops are we talking about here? Are people talking about increasing the number of trainers or any other kind of forces?
GEN. CHALMERS: No. And you will completely understand why I'm going to have to decline that, because that is an ongoing dialogue that, you know, that we are -- General MacFarland is sort of leading up with his chain of command, and it is a dialogue. And so, it's pre-decisional at this moment, items have been discussed.
But it would -- it would be therefore be -- definitely wrong of me to try to put on. And it links into the sort areas that we talked about it. You touched on it there, as well. You know, trainers, some of the logistic elements and some of those other areas that we will be looking in, to help the Iraqis sort of sustain their momentum.
But to put a figure on it at this time, as this dialogue is ongoing would be wrong of me.
Q: And just lastly, are we talking hundreds or thousands, or more in the hundreds scale?
GEN. CHALMERS: Well, I can guarantee you, it's not the thousands. And the -- but it would be -- it would be wrong of me to take it any further than that.
CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, anybody else?
All right, with that general, we thank you for your time today. Did you have any closing comments for us?
GEN. CHALMERS: No. And thank you, again for these sort of questions.
I think it's quite useful to do these things several months apart. And I think -- we haven't really about is the Iraqis ability to sustain. I mean, it's a topic of conversation we had sort of last time. And if you look at what the Iraqis are achieving in terms of momentum, both in the Euphrates and the Tigris River Valley, and sustaining these consumption rates in there with those vehicles, it's deeply impressive.
Actually, the last time I came in front of you in March, I probably inferred that I wasn't 100 percent sure we would able to sustain this momentum. We have reached into help them, to achieve velocity of spare parts and munitions, but what they're achieving -- and when you think about it, it's only been a year and a bit since, you know, as an army, they were massively on retreat and abandoning equipment. It is a significant advance.
And the Iraqis generals who are facing this sustainment challenge, I worked on a daily basis. You know, they are -- they're pretty focused on trying to sustain this momentum.
Are we reaching in to help them? Absolutely. And that comes back into some of the questions we just had now, just to help them maintain that momentum.
But thank you.
CAPT. DAVIS: Thank you, everybody.
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domain: news


text:
This Friday is the very first Local Charities Day, a day to celebrate small, local charities and community groups.
Local charities are being encouraged to use the day to showcase their great work and celebrate their successes.
In January, I posted results of research carried out by TSB, which suggested that only 10% of the population could name two or more local charities. Perhaps Friday will be a good reason to spread the word about the wonderful work of local charities that happens every day!
To join in with showcasing your local charity, find out how here. And of course, you can join in on Twitter using the #LocalCharitiesDay tag.


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domain: entertainment


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Establishing a solid taxonomic framework is crucial for enabling discovery and documentation efforts. This ensures effective communication between scientists as well as reproducibility of results between laboratories, and facilitates the exchange and preservation of biological material. Such framework can only be achieved by establishing clear criteria for taxa characterization and rank assignment. Within the anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota), the need for such criteria is especially vital. Difficulties associated with their isolation, maintenance and long-term storage often result in limited availability and loss of previously described taxa. To this end, we provide here a list of morphological, microscopic, phylogenetic and phenotypic criteria for assessment and documentation when characterizing newly obtained Neocallimastigomycota isolates. We also recommend a polyphasic rank-assignment scheme for novel genus-, species-and strain-level designations for newly obtained Neocallimastigomycota isolates.
|Rhif yr erthygl||005449|
|Nifer y tudalennau||7|
|Cyfnodolyn||International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology|
|Dynodwyr Gwrthrych Digidol (DOIs)|
|Statws||Cyhoeddwyd - 19 Gorff 2022|

domain: biology


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A mere 15 kilometres from the city centre, John Paul II International Airport has excellent transport links into Kraków. We break down the different ways to travel and what to expect once you arrive.
John Paul II International Airport, Kraków
For full details of facilities at John Paul II International, see our dedicated Kraków Airport page. If you’re arriving at Katowice Airport rather than John Paul II, see our page on How To Get To Kraków. If you’re flying home, we cover the return journey on our Getting From Kraków City Centre To Kraków Airport page.
If you want details about which airlines fly to Kraków and other information, read our Kraków flights page.
Deciding on the best route to the city centre depends on where you are staying. We recommend booking in advance, rather than leaving it until you arrive. Our Where To Stay In Kraków guide has an overview of each main area with suggestions for each budget. With your room safely booked, you can choose the most appropriate transport into town.
Transport To Kraków City Centre
Although Kraków Airport is open 24 hours, planes are usually scheduled between 5.30am and midnight. It’s worth noting that trains only run until 12.20am at night. So, if you land after 11.30pm, you may be looking at an alternative mode of transport. There are hourly buses through the night and you will always be able to get a taxi.
You should also be aware that access to the central train and bus stations is limited after 11pm. With this in mind, we recommend you pre-book a private transfer if your plane is due to land after 9.30pm.
Private Transfer From Kraków Airport
Without a doubt, an airport private transfer is the easiest way to get into Kraków. You can arrange everything in advance and somebody will be waiting at Arrivals to take you directly to your accommodation, no matter what time of day. These can be booked through GetYourGuide at reasonable cost with no nasty surprises. It may even cost less than a taxi.
You’ll receive instructions when you book but any pre-arranged pickup service will likely be waiting for you in the Arrivals Hall, directly outside the Customs exit. They’ll hold up a board with your name on it, making you feel like a VIP. The drive to central Kraków is about 25 minutes.
Airport pickups in Arrivals
There are several reputable Krakow private airport transfer services available. These include private car transfer for a dedicated airport-to-hotel experience, electric car transfer for environmental advantages, and the cheaper shared shuttle transfers.
Make sure you have a contact number to hand in case your plane is delayed or something else goes wrong.
Taxi From Kraków Airport
When you emerge from Customs into the Arrivals Hall, look slightly left for the exit to the street. It’s easy to see and well signposted. Not only do the airport’s ‘official’ taxi drivers have a rank, they get their own dedicated lane of traffic, directly in front of the building, and this will be the first thing you see when you get outside.
Kraków Airport taxi rank
There’s usually a long string of cars waiting to pick up passengers, though you can also book in advance and have a driver wait for you in Arrivals. There is a machine in the Baggage Claim area for booking cabs, but I’m skeptical it offers any real advantage over joining the queue at the rank, and may end up causing confusion.
Kraków Airport Taxi runs a flat-rate with set prices, so you always know what you’ll be paying upfront. The airport is 15km from the city, which costs 89zł (roughly 20€) at time of writing. Mastercard, Visa, and American Express are all accepted. As with a private hire, the journey time will be about 25 minutes. The drivers should speak English, but have your destination written down just in case.
Straightforward so far. However, there is a massive caveat. Many locals consider the advantages given to Kraków Airport Taxi a bit of a scam, pointing out that many cheaper cab companies operate in the city. We’ve already noted that a pre-booked private hire may be more competitive and Uber is available here. Otherwise you may want to explore iCar on +48 12 653 5555 and +48 12 888 0000 or iTaxi on +48 737 737 737. There are no dedicated ranks for these cabs and don’t expect to flag one down. The base rate is 7zł and roughly 3zł per kilometer – perhaps 52zł to the city, compared to the ‘official’ cost of 89zł – though rates will be higher at night and Sundays. Ultimately, it comes down to cost versus convenience. You could also consider sharing a cab with someone else in the queue.
Train From Kraków Airport
The train is an excellent and stress-free way to travel into central Kraków. It’s a fraction of the cost of a taxi or private hire and takes roughly the same amount of time. The trains are modern and comfortable, with pleasant views outside. You arrive in the very centre of Kraków, right next to the Old Town. And, as the station is built into a large shopping mall, it’s handy for getting cash, food, SIM cards, and the like. See below for more details.
Ticket machine for trains
There are three places to buy tickets: in the Arrivals Hall, on the station platform, or from the guard on the train itself. The Arrivals Hall is probably best, as you can take your time without a queue of impatient people behind you. I would only risk buying on the train if it’s just about to leave and you need to jump on. Not all trains have a ticket machine and the guard will only accept cash. There’ll almost certainly be a ticket inspector on board, so don’t try to dodge the fare.
The ticket machine is just to the left of the currency exchange in the Arrivals Hall. Bus tickets are dispensed from a different machine, so make sure you use the right one. It says ‘Małopolska’ on the side with a brightly coloured logo and the front of the machine says ‘Małopolska Karta Aglomeracy’ with a logo of a map pin.
Select the UK flag on the touchscreen to change the default language to English, then the ‘One-pass tickets’ option. On the next screen, select ‘Train one-pass ticket’ and ‘BUY TICKET TO Cracow Main Station’. The next screen allows you to specify the number of tickets you need. Then click through to select the ticket type. You want the one-way ‘END-TO-END’ option at the top of the menu.
At time of writing, a single ticket to Kraków Główny costs a 17zł (just under 4€). You can pay with cash, Mastercard, or Visa but not American Express. Machines accept contactless payments, as well as PIN.
Escalator to upper level: trains, ATM, Costa, and hire cars
Skywalk bridge from Kraków Airport to train station
Sign to Kraków Airport train station
To the left of the ticket machine is an escalator. Take this to the first floor and turn left at the top. This covered bridge links the airport terminal with the train station. Follow the signs that say ‘Train to city’ to the very end of the bridge and take the escalator down to the train platform. The layout is very logical and it’s almost impossible to take a wrong turn.
Escalator from airport bridge down to train station
Kraków Airport is the final stop on the line and every train from here goes to the main station. So don’t worry about getting on the wrong one. Everything is clearly marked in English on the departure boards. Trains run every half-hour between 4.25am and 12.20am.
Kraków Lotnisko train station
Airport train to Krakow Główny
Airport train to Krakow Główny
You want to get off at Kraków Główny, the fifth stop, which takes roughly 20 minutes to reach. See section below for details of what to expect when you arrive.
Kraków Airport bus stop
Bus From Kraków Airport
There used to be a regular bus from Kraków Airport to the main station in the centre of town but this was recently discontinued and the current routes now only serve less convenient parts of the city.
As such, taking the bus is only really useful at night, once the trains have stopped running. Tickets are cheaper than the train (free with the KrakowCard) and the journey into central Kraków takes roughly 45 minutes.
902 is the night bus, which run from 11.25pm, then hourly between 12.20am and 3.20am, with two final services at 3.55am and 4.55am. This terminates at Dworzec Główny Wschód – the main bus station, but it’s better to get off at the Teatr Słowackiego stop at the top end of the Old Town. See section below for what to expect when you arrive.
Bus ticket machine
You can buy tickets from a machine in the Arrivals Hall or at the bus stop. These cost 6zł at time of writing (a little over 1€). Look for the escalator to the left of the currency exchange. The ticket machine is close to the bottom, attached to a metal pillar. It’s dark blue and says ‘Krakowska Karta Miejska’ on the front. Train tickets are dispensed from a separate machine, so make sure you use the right one. You can also buy a ticket from the driver but this is cash only, with the exact money.
There are chunky touchscreen buttons under the screen. Push ‘Languages’ and select English, then choose ‘Single and multiple journey tickets’. Click ‘Zones I+II suburban services’ then ‘Normal 6,00zł’ on the next screen. You’ll get an odd warning page (‘Please exercise caution when making the payment!’). Just click ‘continue’ and then either insert money or select ‘Cards’ on the final screen. Mastercard and Visa are both accepted, using either PIN or contactless, but not American Express.
Once you have your ticket, exit from the terminal and turn right. Walk to the very end of the building outside the Check-in Hall, where you’ll find the bus stop on a strip of pavement, between the separate traffic lanes for taxis and buses.
You need to validate your ticket in one of the small yellow or orange machines, once you’re on board. Push the ticket into the slot (face up, arrow pointing forward) and you’ll hear it stamp. If in doubt, copy what the other passengers do.
Coach From Kraków Airport
Hire Car From Kraków Airport
Local government has done a good job of restricting car use in the very centre of Kraków. Most things are within walking distance and the public transport is very good. However, if you plan to drive outside the city centre (to Zakopane for example), a hire car might be worth considering.
There’s a number of car rental companies at Kraków Airport. Quickly check availability and compare prices to hire a car using the search box below.
All the car hire companies are located on the upper floor. Take the escalator directly opposite Arrivals. Once you reach the top, you’ll see a corridor with slanted windows directly in front of you and a sign that says ‘Rent-a-car’ and ‘Travel agencies’. Each company has a separate counter which is clearly marked.
Hire car booths Kraków Airport
What To Expect When Arriving at Kraków Główny
If you’ve opted to take the train or bus to the city, you’ll arrive at Kraków Główny. While the airport is a relatively serene introduction to Poland, Główny is big and bustling, and a little disorientating at first. The train station practically sits inside a huge shopping mall, with a tram stop underneath and the bus station at the back. And there’s a carpark on the roof. But it doesn’t take long to get your bearings, and the building’s location, just north of the Old Town, is unbeatable.
Galeria Krakowska, the shopping mall attached the train station, is also excellent. We cover the facilities on a separate Galeria Krakowska page.
Arriving In Kraków By Train
Once you’ve disembarked at Kraków Główny, take the stairs, escalator, or lift down to the next level. You’ll find youself in a long hallway lined with shops and cafés.
Sign to left luggage lockers
Left luggage lockers
If you want to drop your bags off at left luggage, go down another level to the ticket hall. Follow the signs with an icon of a suitcase and key (or a hand holding some tickets). The lockers are tucked into alcoves on either side of the ticket windows. Prices range from 8-15zł (2-4€) for 24 hours, depending on luggage size. The catch is that you’ll need the right change.
Sign to Old Town and Pawia
To get out of the station, follow the signs for ‘Stare Miasto’ and ‘ul. Pawia’. Curiously, instead of emerging out on the street, you’ll find yourself in the basement of the Galeria Krakowska shopping mall. At this point, you can sort out money, snacks, or buy a SIM card if you need to. Otherwise, take the escalator to the ground floor. You’ll see the exit to ul. Pawia straight ahead.
Exit from Kraków Główny train station
Escalator leading out of Galeria Krakowska
We’ll cover onward transport in a moment but it’s nice to know that if you turn left on Pawia and walk for a few minutes, you’ll find Planty Park and the Old Town. You have truly arrived in the very heart of Kraków!
Arriving In Kraków By Bus
Airport buses terminate at the east end of the train station. During the day, you can exit via the train station and Galeria Krakowska shopping mall. At night, however, these are closed, so it’s better to get off a couple of stops early at Teatr Słowackiego. This landmark is on the north-eastern tip of the Old Town and you can make your way from there.
Please Note: Entry to Kraków Główny via the shopping centre is closed after 11pm (10pm on Sunday). Access to the station is more limited and the information above will not always apply. If your plane is due in after 9.30pm, you should consider hiring a taxi or private car direct to your accommodation.
Alternatively, there’s an exit that leads out between Galeria Krakowska and the railway tracks into plac. Jana Nowaka Jeziorańskiego, adjacent to Pawia. Ask a member of staff to point you in the right direction. You can also leave via the bus station into Bosacka. Use Jakdojade to navigate to your accommodation (see next section).
Onward Transport From Kraków Główny
If you’re staying anywhere near the Old Town, chances are your accommodation will be walkable. However, if you’ve picked somewhere like Kazimierz, you’ll need to take a tram or bus. The best way to work out where you’re going is to use Jakdojade, Kraków’s fantastic online route planner.
Open up the page in your smartphone web browser and it can geolocate your current position – or you can manually type it in. Add a destination: it accepts points of interest, including many hotels, as well as specific addresses. Give it a moment and it will calculate the optimal route, broken down into tram, bus, or on foot, with greater accuracy than Google Maps. You can search for routes immediately or change the time and date.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be using it all day. There are dedicated apps for iOS and Android but I found these less friendly to use.
Kraków bus and tram ticket machine
Buses and trams accept the same ticket. There are machines at most stops, and on the vehicles themselves – although these may not accept cards or notes. They’re simple to use and give the option for English language. Tickets are sold according to duration, from a 20-minute trip through to a 7-day pass. The basic 20-minute journey (currently 2,80zł) should cover about five stops and get you as far as Kazimeriz, for example. Jakdojade can work out accurate timings. Remember to validate your ticket in the yellow or orange machines once you start your journey. Alternatively, the extended version of the KrakowCard gives you unlimited use of buses and trams.
Vintage Kraków tram
Public transport runs from 5am until 11pm, with a sparser schedule of buses and trams through the night.
If the route to your accommodation looks too complicated for public transport, there’s a taxi rank in the bus station. You can also get a taxi from the roof of Kraków Główny. Find the lift that serves platform 4 in the main hallway of the train station and take it to level +1. You’ll find the taxi rank just to the left once you step outside. Have your destination written down, just in case the driver doesn’t understand you.
Taxi rank at Krakow bus station
If it’s late and there aren’t any cabs at the rank or you can’t get access to the roof, you can try iCar on +48 12 653 5555 and +48 12 888 0000 or iTaxi on +48 737 737 737. There’s no guarantee you’ll get an English speaker if you phone, so you might want to try your luck with the apps instead. The base rate is 7zł and roughly 3zł per kilometer, though rates will also rise at night and Sundays. Uber also operates in the city. All cabs operate from ranks so you’re unlikely to hail one in the street.
Kraków Airport To City Centre Map
This map shows the distance and route by road between Kraków International Airport and the city centre. Note that Kraków is also served by an airport at Katowice, which is much further away. Click any pin on the map for more details about each place. Click on the icon in the top left corner for an index of every location, sorted by category. You can zoom in and scroll around, just as you would on any Google Map.

domain: geography


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY — Lawmakers gathered Wednesday at the state Capitol to consider legislation favorable to nursing home owners, while one lawmaker had his own public hearing to decry the possible effect of the legislation.
Richard Morrissette, a south Oklahoma City Democrat, said a provision included in proposed legislation would make it even harder for a family to sue a nursing home. The controversial provision would require that a third party must agree that a lawsuit was warranted before the case could move into the courtroom.
Wallace Collins, a former Norman legislator, said the so-called “tort reforms being proposed are actually court deforms.”
Gov. Mary Fallin called the Legislature into special session this week to consider legislation for tort reform provisions that were approved in 2009 but tossed out by the state Supreme Court that ruled the legislation violated the single subject rule in state law.
Longtime advocate Wes Bledsoe said that a recent study showed Oklahoma ranks No. 48 in the nation for the level of nursing home care provided. The study was done by a Florida group called Families for Better Care.
“Oklahoma represents what’s terribly wrong with nursing home care and oversight in America,” said Brian Lee, executive director of the group.
State Rep. James Lockhart, of Heavener, said nursing home staffing levels are at about 70 percent.
He said if someone is raped in their home, police are called and charges are filed. But if such an incident occurs in a nursing home or assisted living, there are few — if any — requirements that police must be notified.
About 25 people concerned about the legislation met on the south steps of the state Capitol and in a committee room where they shared stories about abuse of loved ones in nursing homes.
Chris Rich said his mother entered a south Oklahoma City nursing home about a year ago after suffering a broken hip. She also had Parkinson’s disease and other maladies. Rich said that in a couple of weeks, his mother had bed sores and bruises. The family used a mini-cam that recorded nursing home employees mistreating his mother.
Since then, the family has moved their mother to another facility.
Morrissette asked Rich the name of the nursing home where the mother was mistreated. Rich said the family had entered into a settlement with the home.
“I am under pretty much a gag order,” he said, although the data could be found in subsequent police reports about the case.

domain: law


text:
Table of Contents
Definition of Palpitations
Palpitations is perception that the heart is racing, pounding, or skipping beats.
Palpitations are may represent signs of underlying cardiovascular conditions such as arrhythmia though frequently signal high stress, anxiety, or excessive consumption of stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine (via cigarette smoking).
When palpitations do suggest arrhythmia, they tend to occur along with other symptoms such as weakness and syncope (fainting).
Awareness of the heartbeat is common during or immediately following strenuous exercise, when the heart feels as if it were pounding, and right before falling asleep at night.
Causes of Palpitations
|SUBSTANCES THAT CAN CAUSE PALPITATIONS|
The most common presentation of palpitations is the premature beat, which can be atrial or ventricular and feels like a skipped beat though it is not. Because the premature beat is early, there is a slight pause before the regular beat which makes the regular beat feel enhanced.
Such palpitations are nearly always the result of stimulants (including cold and flu preparations) or anxiety, and go away either when the stopping the stimulant or removing the cause of stress.
Palpitations require a doctor’s evaluation when they occur
- Frequently or for sustained periods of time
- With syncope or lightheadedness
- With chest discomfort
- With shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- In people who have diagnosed forms of cardiovascular disease (cvd) such as hypertension, coronary artery disease (cad), and arrhythmia disorders
The arrhythmia disorders most likely to include palpitations among their symptoms are atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (pat), also called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). These disorders typically cause periods of rapid heartbeat.
Though disconcerting, these arrhythmias are rarely dangerous. Hyperthyroidism may also cause palpitations, which go away with treatment for the hyperthyroidism.
An electrocardiogram (ecg) provides the necessary information to determine whether palpitations indicate an arrhythmia or other heart problem.
A Holter monitor (24-hour recording of the heart’s electrical activity) and an exercise stress test help identify arrhythmias and conduction disorders that are intermittent or brought on by physical exertion.
Unless there is a significant underlying arrhythmia disorder, there is no need to treat palpitations. Meditation, relaxation techniques, and eliminating substances that can have a stimulant effect on the heart often reduce or end the palpitations.
Page last reviewed:

domain: health


text:
Since 1998, Cumberland County Government’s Violence Intervention Partnership (VIP) has coordinated our community response to domestic violence.
Project partners are:
The work of the Violence Intervention Partnership is guided by a project advisory council, including our project partners as well as representatives from:
Our goals are to:
We are promoting advocacy and outreach to victims of trafficking and commercial sex exploitation. Download and print off posters to help with this goal.

domain: sociology


text:
Free Marry Christmas Tree ScreenSaver
We would like to remind you how beautiful a winter forest is. Can you see this little green tree? The snowflakes will now cover it, and the tree will turn into a snowy hill. Take off and make a trek to the country now along with the Merry Christmas Tree screensaver and enjoy the purity of the forest. The New Year's screensaver will show what time it is now and tell you how many days are left until Christmas.
|Last Updated:||Fri Dec 19 2008|
|Requirements:||2000 2003 95 98/ME Vista XP|
|File Size:||610 kB|


text:
Al Ain forward Ryan Babel has put himself at the center of a sexism controversy after some tweets Friday.
The 28-year-old former Liverpool player tweeted a user who questioned why he disliked Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez. Babel went on a rant about how the user, a female, should "stay in her lane." (NOTE: Crude language in first tweet.)
@Shannxo i think u should concentrate on growing some tits instead of speaking about football... Ur a girl.. Stay in ur lane..— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
Atleast let your brother or your boyfriend make the comment then we can argue...— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
Not gonna argue with a lil girl, with all the respect.. C'mon now— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
Babel then tweeted what he claims to be his mobile number, inviting people to direct their displeasure personally. He said he would discuss the "twitter tragedy" on his Snapchat account.
Tomorrow my remarks on snapchat about this twitter tragedy lol pic.twitter.com/uvojxTh1rs— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
The former Netherlands international has found trouble on social media previously.
Babel was fined £10,000 ($15,391 in today's money) by the Football Association in 2011 after posting a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt following a Liverpool loss.


text:
YouTube has backtracked on removing a video, in which Conservative MP David Davis criticized Covid-19 restrictions and vaccination certificates. That's after Davis called it an “attack on free speech.”
The video was uploaded on YouTube earlier this week by a civil liberties group called Big Brother Watch. There, Davis, who is also an ex-minister of state for Europe and a former chief negotiator for exiting the EU, slammed various restrictions imposed by the government in the name of fighting the Covid
Speaking at the Tory party’s annual conference, Davis called the restrictions “draconian actions” that “failed to achieve their purported aims” while repeatedly stating that giving up people’s freedoms contradicts both the history and the very spirit of the British nation.
“There is no greater current example for this disregard for our freedom than vaccination certificates,” Davis said, while maintaining that he is “a strong believer in vaccination.” He then stated that a mandatory vaccine
passports policy is a sign of an “illiberal” and “incompetent” government since such a policy would achieve nothing in terms of stopping the spread of the virus. Fully vaccinated people can still contract Covid
-19 and infect others even if they do not fall ill themselves, the MP argued.
YouTube then removed the video just days after it was published. In a notification letter sent to Big Brother Watch, the video hosting site said: “YouTube doesn’t allow claims about COVID
-19 vaccinations that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO).” The group then said it would appeal the decision.
The move also drew the ire of Davis himself, who called it an “outrageous attack on free speech.” The MP said that the incident served as another example of a “worrying trend of strangling free speech” by Big Tech.
Davis also used the occasion to criticize the Online Safety Bill – a draft act submitted to the UK Parliament and aimed at improving internet security. It would particularly oblige internet platforms, including social media, to take action against illegal as well as ‘legal but harmful’ content. The bill’s critics argued that would just mean a new way of censoring content that would have otherwise been considered perfectly legal.
“This harmful piece of legislation is nothing but a censor’s charter that only hands more power to these unaccountable Silicon Valley giants,” Davis said. “The unambiguous attempt by YouTube to censor my speech is a warning. If YouTube is happy to attempt to silence elected Members of Parliament, then they are also happy to censor anyone uploading content to their services,” he added.
As of Thursday evening, Davis’ video is once again accessible on YouTube, although it is not exactly clear what made the video hosting platform reverse its decision. Davis himself called his speech “carefully researched, wholly accurate and backed up with the latest scientific facts.” YouTube has not provided any comment on the reversal so far.
As for the vaccine
passports, the introduction of mandatory vaccination certificates at crowded venues such as nightclubs were put on hold by the government last month. It said, however, that the measure could still be introduced as ‘Plan B’.


Users Meet Clarifying Questions: Toward a Better Understanding of User Interactions for Search Clarification
The use of clarifying questions (CQs) is a fairly new and useful technique to aid systems in recognizing the intent, context, and preferences behind user queries. Yet, understanding the extent of the effect of CQs on user behavior and the ability to identify relevant information remains relatively unexplored. In this work, we conduct a large user study to understand the interaction of users with CQs in various quality categories, and the effect of CQ quality on user search performance in terms of finding relevant information, search behavior, and user satisfaction. Analysis of implicit interaction data and explicit user feedback demonstrates that high-quality CQs improve user performance and satisfaction. By contrast, low- and mid-quality CQs are harmful, and thus allowing the users to complete their tasks without CQ support may be preferred in this case. We also observe that user engagement, and therefore the need for CQ support, is affected by several factors, such as search result quality or perceived task difficulty. The findings of this study can help researchers and system designers realize why, when, and how users interact with CQs, leading to a better understanding and design of search clarification systems.
Zou, Jie; Aliannejadi, Mohammad; Kanoulas, Evangelos; Pera, Maria Soledad; and Liu, Yiqun. (2023). "Users Meet Clarifying Questions: Toward a Better Understanding of User Interactions for Search Clarification". ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 41(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3524110


text:
Endahl Family History & Genealogy
Biographies & Family Trees
Endahl Last Name History & Origin
Nationality & Ethnicity
These are the earliest records we have of the Endahl family.
Endahl Death Records & Life Expectancy
According to our database of 42 people with the last name Endahl that have a birth and death date listed:
These are the longest-lived members of the Endahl family on AncientFaces.
- Gertrude J Endahl lived 97 years
- Peter S Endahl lived 94 years
- Agnes Endahl lived 94 years
- Hedwig Endahl lived 93 years
- Clara Endahl lived 90 years
- Helga W Endahl lived 88 years
- Maurice E Endahl lived 86 years
- Betty J Endahl lived 89 years
- Gilma Endahl lived 86 years
- Ardith Elaine Endahl lived 85 years
Leave a message to start a discussion about the Endahl family with other AncientFaces Members.

domain: history


text:
Assistant Professor of Biology, NYU Shanghai
Jungseog Kang is an assistant professor of Biology at NYU Shanghai. Prior to joining NYU Shanghai, he was a Research Scientist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He holds a Ph.D. from UT Austin and a B.S. from KAIST in Korea.
Professor Kang’s research interests are chromosome segregation, mitosis, and antimitotic cancer drug screen. His works in these fields have appeared in Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, PNAS, Molecular Cell, Cell, and others.
He studies how mitotic checkpoint pathway ensures faithful chromosome segregation in higher eukaryotes and tries to build quantitative models of mitotic process by which therapeutic intervention of cancers can be probed.
- Spindle assembly checkpoint kinases
- Chromosome segregation and mitosis
- Cancer drug screen by single cell-image analysis
- Ph.D., Molecular genetics and microbiology
University of Texas at Austin, 2003
- M.S., Molecular biology
Seoul National University, 1994
- B.S., Biology
Korea Advanced Institute of Technology and Science, 1990

domain: medical


text:
Jeanne Yang, DDS
Dr. Yang received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Dentistry in 2008 and received her certificate in Public Health from George Mason University in 2021. She was an adjunct dental faculty member at UIC School of Dentistry teaching first and second year dental students in the Restorative Department. She has practiced in private practice and in public health settings with a focus on Pediatric Dentistry. She currently works at the Joseph Willard Health Center.
|Location||Joseph Willard Health Center|
Graduate EducationDDS, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Dentistry, 2008
Certificate in Public Health, George Mason University, 2021
Undergraduate EducationBS, University of Virginia, 2008


text:
Freezing Drizzle/Rain Tonight
Hey folks! Hope everyone had a great Saturday on what turned out to be a very rainy day. We ended up with 1-3″ of rainfall across the region during the day. The greater flooding was across the eastern part of the state last night, where they received >3″ of rain.
Today will not be nearly as gloomy. We are looking at thick cloud cover and drizzle throughout the day, but nothing like what we saw yesterday.
Temperatures will be dropping through the day from their current perch in the upper 40s. By this afternoon, we’ll be in the mid 30s and heading for an interesting situation tonight.
Some extra moisture looks to move into the region late this evening and overnight. This may result in some freezing drizzle across the region for a brief 1-3 hour window.
I think the most likely time for freezing rain will be between 8 pm and midnight. We aren’t expecting significant accumulations, but light amounts of freezing rain often cause the most issues.
Monday morning commutes look like they could be impacted. If a winter weather advisory is issued, we will have the update!
Monday will be a bit cooler and drier, but it should feature some break in the clouds. I don’t think we’ll see sunshine all day, but I do think we’ll see some breaks in the clouds.
Highs look to be in the mid 40s, with thicker clouds building in Monday night. I’m just glad that we won’t have to lug umbrellas around campus all day on Monday.
Look lows on Monday night to end up in the lower 30s.
Uncertain Tuesday Forecast
Tuesday has the most uncertainty in today’s forecast. That makes sense, but given we are three days from the event, I would like a little less uncertainty!
Alas, that is not the case. One model keeps Tuesday sunny early, with clouds building in later in the day. The other keeps it cloudy with isolated showers moving through during the day.
Either way, I do think that Tuesday ends up being a little blend of both at this time. I think partly sunny skies build in during the afternoon, and showers approach the region Tuesday night.
Obviously, the cloud cover will have a significant impact on how our high temperatures pan out. Right now, I see them working into the lower 50s.
Be sure to check out our live weather feed @wxornotBG. Have a great day everyone!


If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that it’s become so much more than the stories and histories of my family. It truly is about Our “unbounded” Heritage. Meaning, that these posts cover a vast array of enlightening, informative, and unbridled themes and content intended to help us better define who, where, and what we are today as a result of who, where, and what we were across the centuries.
Today’s post, for example, is attributed to a theme or logo that has been metamorphic and ever-expanding in its use since the days of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. His slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On,” rallied the British people during WWII, and helped him lead his country from the brink of defeat to victory. Yet, if we look further back in time, we find these words written in the Bible’s Book of Isaiah (believed to have been written by the First Isaiah and the prophet for whom the entire work is named) in Chapter 7, verse 4 :
Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart . . . ‘
Bottom line . . . if these words were good enough for these two examples, then they’re definitely good enough to screen print on any number of today’s daily items.
So, here’s the story that dates back to these words use in 1939 in Great Britain:


text:
Some of these images will make us take a sobering, deep look at ourselves.
You’ve probably seen some images like these making their way across newsfeeds but here a few more by John Holcroft.
The talented illustrator depicts everything (he believes) is wrong with modern society.
Do you agree with the images above? You can check out even more from John Holcroft over at his website.
Be sure to give this post a thumbs up and a share with your friends on Facebook before you go. For more stories, subscribe to our free e-mail list. (h/t True Activist)