text:
In Los Angeles, the chances of a child developing type 2 diabetes fluctuates by ZIP code, according to Ellen Iverson, M.P.H., a medical anthropologist and public health investigator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
At the Nov. 6 AHCJ chapter meeting, at the Los Angeles Times, Iverson and Steven Mittelman, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatrician/cancer researcher at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles who directs the Diabetes and Obesity Program, discussed why diabetes disproportionately affects kids in certain neighborhoods and what community interventions could be effective.
Mittelman’s field is childhood cancer. In adults, obesity raises the risk of developing cancer by 20 percent but, in children who have cancer, obesity leads to significantly worse outcomes. According to Mittelman, diabetes hits kids harder than adults. Most adults can control diabetes with drugs like metformin for years. “Most kids need insulin within three to five years,” Mittelman said.
Factors that include the barrage of junk food advertising aimed at kids, our evolutionarily developed efficiency at storing fat, the upswing in portion size (in the past 70 years, serving sizes increased 63 percent) and ubiquitous sugar (soda drinks containing sugar don’t have the same degree of satiety as sugar in food) contribute to obesity.
Mittelman referred to Professor Brian Wansink’s tongue-in-cheek ice cream social experiment, in which Wansink served ice cream to a group of nutritionists while surreptitiously using different sized bowls and scoops, proving that even nutritionists are bad at judging portion size. Mittelman also brought up emerging research into potential triggers for diabetes, such as intestinal bacteria changes, the role of fine particulate air pollution creating bigger fat cells and heightened insulin insensitivity, and the effects of pesticides.
Iverson and her team study the social ecology of communities at risk; examining factors like under-resourced schools that depend on fast food sponsors to pay for their school programs, families who have to work at multiple jobs, have little time to cook and limited access to grocery stores carrying fresh vegetables and depend on fast food because it is affordable.
Iverson cited neighborhoods such as mostly African American South Los Angeles and mostly Latino East Los Angeles, where an overwhelming percentage of schoolchildren depend on subsidized lunches, more than half of families reported food insecurity, and there are few parks and recreational spaces. In the higher-income neighborhood of Manhattan Beach, just one ZIP code over, nearly every kid was in afterschool sports.
Iverson discussed a series of interventions developed after two years of brainstorming with community leaders, such as a hugely successful summer camp offered through a local church. As part of the church’s outreach, congregants are referred to primary care. Iverson emphasized the importance of initiatives being developed via input from the community and that had sustained follow-up and rigorous assessment.
“Helicopter interventions don’t work,” she said.


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Author has written 4 stories for Princess Diaries, Harry Potter, and Janet Evanovich.
Where: small town in Minnesota, USA
My favorites are:
Books: Harry Potter, Princess Diaries, Mediator, All American Girl, Eargon, Stephanie Plum Series, and a lot more that I cant remember right now. The sign of Seven triolgy by Nora Roberts ROCKS!! Just so you know. Check it out thefirst book is blood Brothers. If you like a book that has to do with curses, witchcraft, special powers, and romance, you'll love this one!
TV Shows: Charmed, Medium, myth busters, Law & Order. I have recently found that i love NCIS. Awsome show, check it out sometime if you havent all ready. every weekday USA has reruns from 4 to 7. and CBS i belive has the new season every tuesday.
Movies: Harry Potter (of course), Pirates, Practical Magic, Ella Enchanted, Dirty dancing (the original), Princess diaries (only the first one), Prince and Me, Delta Farce (Hilarius!) and a lot more that I cant think of right now!
I love to read and write! I will read any kind of books from young adult to Mystery to romance to whatever! If its fiction and its written in English i'll just about read it. sometimes i stay up all night just trying to finish a book. Some might call me obsessed I say i'm passionate.
I also like to watch movies and TV when I have the time.
I think that Fan Fiction archives are really great because it gets peoples creative juices flowing. It's really good practice for Grammar (which I'm not so good at) and for just practicing writing. If you have trouble imagining your own characters or with plot, fan fiction can really help you better yourself at writing. Heck, Meg Cabot, author of the Princess Diaries Series, herself wrote Fan fictions; and look where she is today! If she can anyone can !
I have also posted some stories on Ginny Potter and Sink Into Your Eyes. My pen name there is bookworm 19. So you can check me out there as well.
Nortice to readers! I have not given up on my stories Return and reactions or Busted! I have just started my first year of college and am still getting into the hang of college life and working part-time at the local grocery store. So pleae hang in there, i promise i'll update soon, it's just taking me longer than i liked. Hopfully in the next couple of weeks i'll have more time because one of my classes was only half a semester and mid semester just passed. Thanks for hanging in there!
I would like to introduce you all to Fluffy. you can go to amatson.fluff-friends.com check it out.
Thanks hope you enjoy!
love yourself love the world :)

domain: hobby


text:
If you are up for exploring the UK capital, here is a list of things we guarantee you will do in London. Take our word or come and check it for yourself!
FUME ABOUT BIG BEN BEING CLOSED FOR RENOVATION
Indeed it is covered in scaffolding so tight that you can hardly recognise the iconic landmark. It is also muted, so no chance to hear the sound of the bongs that became a symbol of Britain all around the world. End of construction works is planned for 2021, even though with current situation in the country we would not be so sure to see that the famous Victorian clock back by then.
Looking at the bright side of the story, shutting the Big Ben down caused a lot of curios aftermaths. You can find hundreds of videos in the internet that will teach you how to photoshop the ill-fated scaffolding away from your photos. Watching those is already amusing on it’s own. HP Sauce has changed its label for the first time in 123 years. The brown sauce bottle’s famous label – featuring Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge – will now reflect the refurbishment works. You can even see the new Big Ben’s outfit on Google Maps 🙂
It will definitely be in the history books one day!
So maybe it is still worth coming to London now? Why not to take Big Ben’s photos in this unusual setting and then return in a few years to see it in all it’s glory. There are too many things to do in London in one visit anyways…
SEE LONDON EYE UP CLOSE
Essential part of London skyline, London Eye is visible from hundreds of viewpoints across the city. But first time tourists of course rush in Waterloo direction to see the world’s famous Ferris wheel up close. Well – they have all the reasons, the view is spectacular, especially at night time when it is illuminated.
Being sponsored by Coca Cola, London Eye is mostly light up in red. However you can witness plenty of exclusions where light colours are changed to mark various special occasions. Just a few 2019 examples from the top of our heads – on the night of London Pride the famous attraction was shining with all the colours of the rainbow; it turned white, red and blue to celebrate the arrival of a royals baby and went juicy green on Saint Patrick’s day. If you are curious to see the iconic landmark in an unusual light – just keep an eye on their Twitter account. They announce all the planned changes beforehand.
Should one take a ride on the London Eye though? Well, at least once in your lifetime – hell yes. Despite of a biting price (and do ask your Google if any discounts or offers are available) it is going to be an outstanding memorable experience. Just keep in mind that waiting lines in summer time or during Christmas holidays can be enormous (regardless of the actual entry time that you have on your ticket). One of my friends gave up after an hour of queuing and left without refunds (you won’t get any if you decide to change your mind). Which makes late autumn and early spring best time for a London eye experience. One should also keep in mind that during the rain, drops naturally settle on the surface of the capsules – like they would do on any window. This will give your photos quite a cool effect, but if you prefer to have regular photos without any effects – then choose a dry sunny day for your ride 😉
WATCH CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Having been around for more than 3 centuries, this masterpiece of military parade art is probably known to you from the school bench. Catchy scarlet coats and funny bearskin hats actually cover carefully selected, highly skilled in defence British soldiers. And their count on each day will depend on The Queen’s presence in the palace at the moment. There is a known protocol to tell this. If the Royal Standard (the official flag of the reigning British sovereign) is flying above the Palace, The Queen is in her residence and the number of sentries during the ceremony will be increased. If the Queen is out you will see the Union flag flying from the palace and the count of the Guard will be smaller.
Procession starts outside Her Majesty’s residence at 10.45 am and lasts for about 45 minutes, with the actual handover taking place at 11 am sharp. However Official Website recommends to ‘always check the calendar as the Queen’s Guard can change at different times due to operational requirements, ceremonial events and road closures’. And you definitely want to be there far before the ceremony starts to stake the best viewing spot. At this hour half of your fellow tourists will be at the gates of Buckingham Palace as well, looking out for the world famous spectacle.
For those who are curious to enter the palace and see with their own eyes interiors the Queen spent most time of her life in- The Royal collection trust offers Buckingham Palace tours run during late summer, as well as on selected days during the year
BLEND WITH THE TOURIST CROWD IN PICCADILLY
Time Square of the Eastern hemisphere, it attracts visitors with the flashing lights of huge advertising screens, famous monuments and a whole army of street artists and performers. There are M&Ms and Lego stores beloved by children and adults, famous Cafe de Paris – one of the word’s oldest cabaret establishments nearby, plenty of popular restaurants, bars and high street shops. To check the latest trends from thousands of global fashion brands head to Regent and Oxford street. For artisan shopping and eating experience and to escape from the tourist madness take a quick turn to one of the smaller and quieter streets. Brewer street to the north of Piccadilly Circus is a true impersonation of London Soho district.
Closer to the evening chances are to spot some Hollywood celebrities presenting their new movie to London public. (Not at arm’s reach of course, such events are usually by invitation, but you can get a zoomed photo from far away…)
Having thoroughly explored the area around the famous road junction, don’t forget to pop up for the old Swiss Clock experience where doll figures dressed in national costumes move around the pole accompanied by bells and music. The Swiss Glockenspiel stands on Swiss Court, Soho, W1D
STOP BY THE TOWER OF LONDON
You can just have a walk around, or buy quite expensive entry tickets and thoroughly explore the world famous grounds. If you are ready to commit and book your visit some one year ahead – it is also possible to see the ancient Ceremony of the Keys, where the main gates are being locked for the night.
Buying tickets online you’ll get a 10% discount and will make times spent in the queues bit shorter. But even with that little save be prepared for rather long queues. Tower of London is one of the world’s top attraction after all. With an official ticket you’ll be able to explore all the internal public areas, hop on an amusing tour run by one of the Beefeaters – ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London, and of course access to the collection of Royal Jewels.
Every November Tower of London attracts even more visitors than ever because it hosts installations commemorating the end of the First World War. You might have seen pictures of the Tower drowning in red poppies or dotted with the lights of thousands candles. Every installation is an enjoyable experience, definitely worth seeing and soaking up the atmosphere.
TAKE YOUR BEST PHOTO OF THE TOWER BRIDGE
One of the most photogenic jewels of London, Tower Bridge, can easily make you lose a track of time. Those who like to get the most of every moment might want to check the bridge lift times, to enjoy it in all it’s glory. And those who want to walk on the glass floor above the drive way enjoying the panoramic views of Thames can book rather affordable by London standards ticket for a Tower Bridge exhibition
As for the photographs and simply enjoying the majestic views- check all the four angles of the this architectural marvel. Most common spots where tourists take the pictures of the Tower bridge are promenades next to the London City Hall, and the Tower. Lesser attended but even more beautiful are a lovely viewing area in front of The Tower hotel at Saint Katharine docks and Butler’s Wharf path. On your way to the latter, for proper close ups watch out for a small passage in the very first building of the cobbled Shad Thames. It will take you to another small but precious photo spot
RIDE THE FAMOUS DOUBLE DECKER
Even after 5 years in the UK I still love to climb upstairs, take the front seat and enjoy riding along the streets full of history, admiring mix of medieval, Victorian and modern architecture.
There are plenty of hop on hop off tours in London. But since the biggest advantage of such tours (open air sitting on the top deck) often vanishes in unpredictable British weather – you can easily replace those with a cheaper but fancier option of a regular bus. Some most scenic routes in the central area are:
#9 with the views of Hyde Park, Piccadilly, St. James’s Palace and Trafalgar Square
#11 passing St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey
#73 leaving behind Buckingham Palace gardens, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, and most part of the Oxford Street (which can be painful due to enormous traffic but incredibly beautiful in winter when the Christmas lights are on).
You would need an Oyster card or a bank card with the contactless chip to pay for the ride and it will cost you only £1.5
TAKE A SELFIE WITH THE RED BOOTH
Also called a telephone box, or a kiosk. Taking after the latter, models of different years were named K1 to K8 (Kiosk #1, Kiosk#2 etc). Hardly used for their original purpose nowadays, those booth have become one of the most recognisable symbols of Great Britain of the 20th century. And a classic tourist can still find plenty of them in different areas of London. Which model is there in your Instagram feed by the way?
The one that probably gets most attention is the booth located not far from the Houses of Parliament. The reason is obvious, one can fit quite a few world famous touristic phenomenons into a single picture. You can find the booth on your right hand side while walking away from Westminster Bridge along the Great George street.
One booth is not enough for you? Then Board Court in Covent Garden boasts 5 of them set next to each other.
Arched entrance to the Royal Academy of Arts in London’s Piccadilly shelters other two.
Another couple is ready to welcome guests of the capital in Hay’s Galleria next to the London Bridge station.
And real masterpiece of contemporary art – featuring 12 phone booths – installation called ‘Out of Order’ created by David Mach is permanently residing in the streets of Kingston Upon Thames borough.
Those are only few spots we could think of from the top of our heads. While you may want to go out for your own red phone booth hunt and find a dozen of other locations

domain: travel


text:
RHYTHM - SOFT GREY WALLPAPER
Made to Order: 4-6 Weeks
Contents: Eco Friendly clay coated paper, prepasted, digitally printed with earth friendly water-based inks
Width: 27" (printing width)
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Description: Our Studio Collection was born from Shell's desire to bring her organic watercolor paintings to life in softly sophisticated products for the home. This painterly wallpaper collection honors the lines, layers and nature inspired color palettes that have become part of the Shell Rummel signature design aesthetic.
Minimum: 1 roll
No CFA offered - we guarantee a close color match to your sample.

domain: artistic


text:
For the airline industry, the war's end may look like the light at the end of the tunnel -- but getting there will make for some dark days.
The Air Transport Association, a trade group representing the commercial airline industry, said Wednesday that overall traffic in the week since the war began was down 10% from year-ago levels. Routes over the Atlantic were hit hardest, with traffic off 25%, while Pacific routes saw a 13% drop.
Going forward, the situation looks even more grim.
The pilots' union at
, parent of American Airlines, the world's largest airline, said Wednesday that the company is looking to furlough 1,000 pilots, on top of the 1,078 already on leave. The latest cuts are part of American's campaign to trim costs by $4 billion, or join rivals USAirways and
, parent of United Airlines, in Chapter 11.
The woes continued at UAL as well, as the company said Wednesday that it lost $367 million during the month of February. It added that the war would hurt earnings and cash flow going forward. With losses mounting in March and with bookings uncertain due to the war, the chances that UAL will be in violation of its debtor-in-possession agreements increase -- and so do the odds that it could be forced to liquidate.
joined the warnings parade, reportedly saying it expects to post "significant" first-quarter and full-year 2003 losses. The carrier made the warning in a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Meanwhile, Jim May, president and chief executive of the ATA, said in a conference call Wednesday, "As unfortunate as the declines in actual traffic were
in the first week of war, when you look ahead 60 or 90 days, there is even more bad news. According to the data we've gathered, domestic bookings are off 20% going forward, and international bookings off well over 40% in some regions. On some days, some carriers are reporting more cancellations than bookings for the same flights."
Wednesday's ATA warning comes two weeks after the group released a report saying that a war in Iraq would cost the airline industry $4 billion, with traffic levels falling 15% and thousands of jobs being cut. To combat the effects of the war, the airline industry has been lobbying Congress for relief, proposing a plan for $9 billion in tax cuts, elimination of security fees and other aid.
But when President Bush unveiled his $75 billion supplemental war budget proposal, the White House didn't include a provision to help the airlines. While many in Congress, most notably Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R., Tenn.), have said that some kind of relief is probably in the cards, the ATA gave no signs that such aid was imminent.
"We have been heartened by a number of comments from both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Hill, but I don't think we can say we have any sort of agreement that anything will happen yet," said May. "We're continuing to make our case with Congress."
In a best-case scenario, the Senate would add help for the airlines in with its version of Bush's war-appropriations package, which could cushion the blow dealt by the war effort. But if the airline aid doesn't make it into the war-appropriations bill, the airlines would have to wait for Congress to draft, debate and ultimately pass legislation -- a process that could take months as the airline industry hemorrhages cash, cuts jobs and eliminates flights.
Wednesday's somber news in the industry followed an announcement from
Delta Air Lines
on Tuesday, when the nation's third-largest carrier said its first-quarter loss would be equal to or worse than the year-ago quarterly loss of $2.90 a share, excluding all items. Going forward, Delta CEO Leo Mullin said the company will post losses for 2003 and that the airline industry won't recover until 2004, at the earliest.
On Wednesday, many of the major carriers reversed early gains in reaction to the ATA's report. American dropped 3.1% to $2.18, while Northwest fell 3.1% to $4.83. UAL was unchanged at 85 cents. Delta gained 1.4% to $9.95, and Continental inched up 0.9% to $5.89.

domain: economics


A once-in-a-lifetime discovery
YOU cannot help but admire the skill, hard work and perseverance of the team of Guernsey divers who spent four years searching for the resting place of a long-lost First World War German U-boat and the British ship which sank her.
The wrecks has lain undisturbed at the bottom of the seabed for more than a century.
Many divers had previously tried and failed to find them.
In the end they were discovered in 70m of water, 40 miles west of their historically recorded position.
The amazing achievement of this team, led by local filmmaker Karl Taylor and including the Guernsey Press’s picture editor Peter Frankland, should not be underestimated.
The submarine was one of only a handful of undiscovered UC Class II U-boats from that era and the fact it and the the Royal Naval ship it was attacking were both sunk in the same battle makes the find even more noteworthy.
The wreck site has now been recognised as a war grave and a plaque has been placed in honour of the 28 German sailors who died there.
The resulting feature-length documentary film, complete with stunning Guernsey scenery and underwater footage, which will premiere in Guernsey next month ahead of its national release on the BBC, is a real coup for the island.


text:
Posted on 2021-01-08
Hello! John here with a beginners guide to Adobe Illustrator.
Even though Adobe Illustrator is a visual program, I am going to run through some of my favorite tools and their purposes on the program. These tools will be helpful in anyone looking to begin learning the software or are just starting out. Also, look for some helpful keyboard shortcuts at the end of this post.
Right away, the best tool for me personally is the pen tool. I see a lot of great artist use the brush tool, and they do amazing things with it! For me though once you master the pen tool, you can create things just as cool and if not faster than most who use the brush tool. The best way to learn besides my professors, was to hop right onto the internet and search things up. Adobe also does a great job of offering free lessons and videos, on the Creative Cloud app under discover, they offer challenges and live videos to help push you along even further. No matter your skill level, Adobe seems to always have something to offer to help give you an edge over the rest. So, when learning the pen tool, don’t be shy to look it up, and find out more on how brilliant it is. Don’t forget to practice as much as you can, having hands on experience is the best learning tool.
Next for me the shape builder tool. It’s something that speeds up my design process immensely. Simple tools like this one can be very helpful in building the foundation to your design. This tool allows you to select two or more shapes that overlap each other you’ll see a small ‘+’ sign appear beside the cursor to the bottom right. To join shapes together, all you need to do is click on one of them and drag your cursor right through the shapes. And there you have it, multiple shapes now as one. Another way to get this result is using the Pathfinder tool. Either way you will achieve the same result.
Lastly one of my new favorite tools is the blob brush. If you right click on the brush tool, you’ll see the blob brush right there. The blob tool is something new to me and at the same time I find myself wanting to use it more and more. Sometimes when I want to make a shape, I have to color it in, and then that creates even more lines and anchor points. The blob brush though, creates that shape and doesn’t add any additional layers to it. It simply maintains the shape you made and auto fills it with the color selected. The best way I can explain this without visuals, is If you imagine using a paint brush. Painters use many strokes to fill in the shape or area they want. The blob brush allows you to create many different strokes meanwhile you still end up with one single shape. If you did this with a regular brush, you’d have a lot of vector lines and lines that would overlap and very hard to grab.
Ultimately, each designer, beginner or advanced, is going to have their own favorite tools. The ones I listed are helpful to me, but you may find other tools to complete the same task. Keep practicing and learning and you’ll develop your own set of favorite tools.
Be sure to let us know if any of these helped you!
As promised here are some of my favorite shortcuts I love to use when I’m designing
01. Hand Tool - Mac: Spacebar / Windows: Spacebar
02. Lock selected artwork - Mac: Cmd+2 / Windows: Ctrl+2
03. Blob Brush - Mac: Shift+B / Windows: Shift+B
04. Shape Builder - Mac: Shift+M / Windows: Shift+M
05. Pen tool - Mac: P / Windows: P


Warner Music India and Jjust Music have announced a strategic partnership marking the record label’s foray into Bollywood. The deal will also benefit Jjust Music’s artists who will have access to Warner Music’s global network. Their first joint release will be a pop track in English by Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff.
Jackky Bhagnani launched Jjust Music in 2019 with the creative vision to produce music that resonates with the masses across genres; including singles, non-film and film music.
Actor-producer and founder of Jjust Music, Jackky Bhagnani, said, “Jjust Music emerged from an ambition to create pathbreaking music content and provide independent Indian artists a platform, while supporting them with our experience, expertise, and resources. I am thrilled to bring to life my vision for Indian music through this unique collaboration with Warner Music India. Giving Indian music and artists the same exposure, support and opportunities as international music, this collaboration would only boost confidence and enhance quality of the music created by artists on our roster.”
Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Warner Music India and SAARC, shares, “We’re absolutely delighted to partner with Jackky Bhagnani and Jjust Music. This collaboration will help us add value to our artists’ careers by offering support in a huge range of areas from live shows to brand partnerships. We’re eager to get into the Bollywood scene, but just as motivated to give a platform to talented and interesting artists performing non-film music.”
Alfonso Perez-Soto, President, Emerging Markets, Warner Recorded Music, added, “Jackky has a brought energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial flair to the Indian music market and he’s just the sort of person we love to work with. This deal will see Jjust’s artists benefit from our global network while Warner Music makes its Bollywood debut. It’s an exciting moment for us and we hope also for those many Indian artists who want a place on the global stage.”


text:
Presidents and Their Justices, by Douglas Clouatre
Presidents and their Justices offers an innovative look at the relationship between a president and the Supreme Court justices they appoint. Based on a 2005 survey of historians, lawyers, and political scientists that ranked presidents according to their Supreme Court appointments, the ratings offer a distinctive analysis of the relationship between presidents and the justices they appointed. Among these were Herbert Hoover, as the fifth-ranked president based on the Court nominees and Harry Truman, as one of the worst twentieth-century presidents for the justices he appointed. The book delves into presidential Court appointments and how a justice's career affects a president's legacy. Among the presidents studied are Warren Harding, Ulysses Grant, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Franklin Roosevelt. The work is divided into sections of great presidents who made successful appointments, great presidents who failed in their appointments, and mediocre presidents who made successful appointments.
Trade Paperback. Excellent, near-mint condition. 2010. 277 pages.
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domain: law


|Publication number||US4814864 A|
|Application number||US 07/056,629|
|Publication date||Mar 21, 1989|
|Filing date||May 29, 1987|
|Priority date||May 29, 1987|
|Publication number||056629, 07056629, US 4814864 A, US 4814864A, US-A-4814864, US4814864 A, US4814864A|
|Inventors||Jeffery A. Pritchard|
|Original Assignee||Eastman Kodak Co.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (26), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (18), Classifications (6), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of signal processing for video cameras and, in particular, to an automatic color balance circuit for a video camera.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
A video camera is correctly color-balanced when it reproduces a picture of a white card as a neutral white without any identifiable hue. (As a result, color balance for a video camera is often referred to as white balance.) Such a balance is ordinarily obtained when the card is illuminated with the light source used for recording and the red, green, and blue signal channels provide equal output amplitudes. If the light source is changed, such as in going from an indoor (tungsten or fluorescent lighting) to an outdoor setting, the camera must be rebalanced to provide the same output in relation to the white card with the new source of lighting (in this case, the sun). The usual practice is to hold the gain of the green channel fixed and alter the gain of the red and blue channels until the red and blue amplitudes match the green amplitude.
Many cameras now are automatic in that the red and blue amplitudes are matched to the green amplitude by an automatic gain control circuit at the touch of an "auto white" button. The procedure is to point the camera at a white card in the light used for recording, to frame the card so that it occupies the entire picture, and to press the "auto white" button. White balance is thereby effected although "auto" is somewhat of a misnomer since the camera user must manually engage the white balance circuit for each new lighting condition. Many cameras are also equipped with a memory circuit that stores the gain factors of the red and blue channels so that the camera will remain balanced for a particular light source.
It is clearly inconvenient to have to manually rebalance the red and blue channels whenever illumination conditions change, and especially inconvenient to do so in connection with a white card. Moreover, the illumination should come from as wide an area as possible so that color measurements relate to the color characteristics of incident light on the scene, rather than to reflected light from the subject, which may possess an unusual color bias. The tendency, consequently, has been to find ways of predicting white balance by comparing illumination levels for isolated areas of the ambient spectrum (that is, without resort to a white card). In U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,730 the ratios of red light to green light and blue light to green light from external sensors are used to effect an automatic white balance adjustment. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,598 the luminous intensities of two areas of the ambient spectrum (mercury and certain infra-red wavelengths) are used to identify the character of the light source.
An automatic white balance system that measures different regions of the ambient scene spectrum must content with a wide variation in illumination level, i.e., a wide dynamic range. This complicates the light measurement procedure because extreme light levels tend to drive the measurement toward its extremities, e.g., the extremities of a time-based measurement or of an analog-to-digital conversion. This is especially critical if white balance is based upon a ratio of illuminants, since poor resolution in the numerator and denominator leads, in many cases, to either meaningless values or ratio values indistinquishable one from the other. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,598 tries to deal with this problem by logarithmically compressing the light measurements prior to A/D conversion. Logarithmic compression at this point in the circuit, however, tends to reduce the resolution of light measurements, especially for extreme light levels.
Adopting a different approach, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,161 discloses an automatic white balance control circuit which standardizes the red and blue light measurements with respect to the green light. All three colors are simultaneously integrated but only the green integration is directly controlled in relation to a reference level. When the green integration signal matches the reference level, all three integrations are sampled and held. In this way, the green signal is made constant regardless of the amount of incident light and the concurrent integrations of red and blue are standardized to a fixed reference--the green signal. This is said to produce increased stability in color balance. Nonetheless, a reference level has to be established with respect to some expected light condition. The dynamic range of ambient illumination is such that some measurements will be unsatisfactory as the green integration either quickly terminates in extremely bright light or drags on in extremely dim light.
The invention adopts the technique of light integration in which red, green and blue light is allowed to integrate until it matches one or more preselected reference values. The time that this take in each spectral region is thus a measure of the chromatic character of the illuminant. Ordinarily the integration range is chosen to straddle some average, expected light level so that reasonable time resolution can be expected for the light-related signals. Nonetheless, as already pointed out, very low and very high light levels defeat this technique of white balance, since the light measurements either ten to crowd into but a few time counts (high intensity) or tend to overflow the maximum limit of the time base (low intensity). This invention provides an automatic solution to this kind of problem.
A color balance circuit improved according to the invention includes a light sensing arrangement for generating a color balance signal representative of the brightness of the illuminant in at least one spectral region. The circuit provides for the integration of the color balance signal over time in relation to a reference parameter. The benefits of the invention are obtained by prescaling the reference parameter according to the intensity of ambient illumination. The color balance signal is then integrated in relation to the prescaled reference parameter. A balance-adjusted gain control signal is generated from the integrated color balance signal. In one embodiment the reference parameter is a threshold voltage and the scaling procedure adjusts the threshold voltage in order to control the period of integration (for the given illuminant) in relation to the midrange capacity of the integrator. The reference parameter may also be a frequency-dependent time base and the scaling procedure adjusts the time base frequency in order to control the time-wise precision of the integration measurement. In the preferred embodiment, both the threshold voltage and the time base are adjusted.
The invention will be described in relation to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video camera incorporating a prescaled color balance circuit according to the invention;
FIGS. 2A-2E show a flow chart of a procedure, including the prescaling feature according to the invention, for automatically balancing the color channels of the camera of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a graph showing the effect of prescaling one parameter, in this case the integration reference voltage; and
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the effect of prescaling two parameters, both the integration reference voltage and the frequency-dependent time base.
Referring to FIG. 1, a video camera is illustrated having a lens 10 for directing image light from a subject (not shown) to an imager 12 through a color filter 14. While the specific type of video camera is not of particular importance, the color balance circuit has been adapted to an electronic camera for taking still photographs. As shown schematically by the arrows 16a and 16b, the field of view of the imager 12 is limited to a predetermined angle determined by the optical system, as symbolized by the lens 10. The video signal generated by the imager 12 is applied to a signal processing circuit 18, which separates the colors (red, green, and blue) by means of a sequencer 20, applies gain corrections in separate gain-controlled amplifiers 22a, 22b and 22c, and processes the gain-corrected color signals through a matrix 24. The matrix 24 produces a luminance (Y) signal and a line-sequential stream of color difference signals (R-Y, B-Y). The luminance signal and the color difference signals are input to a modulator 26, which provides a selected preemphasis to the input signals and frequency modulates a suitable set of carriers with the preemphasized signals. The modulated signal is amplified by a head driver circuit 28 and applied to a recording head 30, which records the modulated signal on a suitable medium (not shown), such as a magnetic disk.
Automatic color balance is obtained according to the invention by varying the gain signal applied to the amplifiers 22a and 22c on respective lines 32a and 32c. (A fixed gain signal is applied to the green amplifier 22b on a line 32b.) Color balance information produced by three photodiodes 34a, 34b and 34c, which are respectively shaded by three infra-red filters 36a, 36b and 36c and red, green and blue filters 38a, 38b and 38c. As a consequence of the color filters 38a, 38b and 38c, the photodiode 34a response to red light, the photodiode 34b to green light, and the photodiode 34c to blue light. A shown by the arrows 40a and 40b, the set of photodiodes 34 responds to a field of view that is independent of, and ordinarily greater than, the field of view described by the lens 10 so that a reasonable sample of ambient, or surrounding, illumination can be seen.
The collection and processing of color information is under the control of a computer 42. A multiplexer 44 receives instructions from the computer 42 to ground the anode of a selected one of the photodiodes 34a, 34b or 34c. The grounded photodiode provides a circuit path for the flow of photocurrent to a balance measuring circuit 46. The circuit 46, which employs an integration cycle in its measuring process, cooperates with a counting procedure (exemplified by a timer 48) in the computer 42 to arrive at a brightness value of the selected spectral region of the ambient light. The measuring circuit 46 includes an integrator composed of a capacitor 50 connected between the inverting input and the output of an operational amplifier 52. The output of the amplifier 52 is an integral over time of the photocurrent produced by the selected photodiode 34a, 34b or 34c and applied to the inverting input of the amplifier 52. A reset switch 54 is connected across the capacitor 50 for resetting the circuit 46 according to the condition of a signal INT on a line 56 from the computer 42.
The output voltage of the amplifier 52 and a reference voltage VR are provided to a comparator 58. The value VR is output as a digital number from the computer 42 and converted into an analog voltage by the digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 60. The analog voltage VR is switched through a multiplexer 62 (controlled by the computer 42) to the comparator 58 when a voltage comparison to required. The output voltage of the amplifier 52 increases until it equals the reference voltage VR. When equality occurs, the output of the comparator 58, which is connected to the computer 42, changes state, thereby indicating the end of an integration cycle. The computer 42 includes the timer 48, which can be zeroed at the beginning of an integration cycle and stopped when the comparator 58 changes state. The value in the counter 48 at that moment therefore represents the integration time, which corresponds to the brightness of the light received by a selected photodiode 34a, 34b or 34c. The type of control circuit employed is further described in connection with exposure control systems in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,508 and Research Disclosure items 21504 (March, 1982; pp. 70-71) and 22822 (April, 1983; pp. 157-159).
The operation of the balance measuring circuit 46 according to the invention is determined by the value of two reference parameters: the reference voltage VR and a frequency-dependent time base provided to the timer 48. The procedure for scaling the reference voltage VR is determined by a VR scaler 64 (shown in broken line to indicate that it is part of the computer 42). The time base is scaled by selecting one of a pair of count signals provided by the computer 42: a basic count signal CLK and a fast count signal 4XCLK operating at four times the basic count frequency. As will be shown in connection with the flowchart of FIG. 2, the scaling process involves a predetermination based on the integration of a sample of green light. In particular, the period of the pre-integration--as determined by a green count value GCNT in the timer 48 when the integrated voltage matches a nominal reference voltage VRNOM supplied to the comparator 58--is compared to a threshold count value to select the appropriate count signal. This period measurement is also used in the VR scaler 48.
The balance circuit 46 is operated sequentially with respect to the photodiodes 34a, 34b and 34c in order to obtain a set of three counter values, each corresponding to the brightness of the respective part of the ambient spectrum. These counter values are formed into ratios (red/green and blue/green) and applied to a set of R/G and B/G tables 66. The tables contain a digital representation of the particular gain control adjustment for each R/G, B/G ratio that will produce a suitable white balance when applied to the red and blue channels. From these tables 66, the corresponding (blue) white balance (BWB) and (red) white balance gain (RWB) voltages are generated by the computer 42 and applied to the aforementioned D/A converter 60. The converted red and blue gain control voltages are switched through the multiplexer 62 to a dual sample/hold circuit 68. The sampled red and blue gain control voltages are provided on respective lines 32a and 32c to the red and blue amplifiers 22a and 22c, which are accordingly adjusted in gain to automatically obtain white balance.
The procedure for obtaining automatic color balance is shown by a flowchart extending over FIGS. 2A to 2E. The first steps, as shown in FIG. 2A, involve the prescaling process that is the special feature of this invention. A graphical representation of this feature is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As soon as the shutter is actuated (by lightly depressing a shutter switch 70 part way through its shutter stroke; and FIG. 1), a nominal reference voltage VRNOM is supplied to the comparator 58 (i.e., VR =VRNOM). As shown by FIG. 3, the voltage VRNOM is set somewhere about midway between zero volts and a maximum voltage VRMAX. Then the counter time base is set to the frequency of the basic count signal CLK. The computer 42 instructs the multiplexer 44 to ground the green-receiving photodiode 34b and the integrated voltage increases (in a process step 114) until it reaches a level GV that matches the reference voltage VRNOM.
The count GCNT in the timer 48 at this time is compared in a process step 116 to a threshold count. In the preferred embodiment, the counter is an 8-bit counter, thus reaching 256 before overflowing. The time base of counter 48 and the reference voltage VR should be set up so that, after prescaling, a reasonable level of counts is reached regardless of light level. For this reason, a threshold of 32 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. If the green count GCNT is less than the threshold (32 counts), the counting frequency is scaled up by a factor of 4 in a process step 120 (by selection of the count signal 4XCLK), so that even very bright scenes will still accumulate a reasonable number of counts. This conclusion is illustrated by the lower time scale on the abscissa coordinate of the graph of FIG. 4.
Next, a value of VR is calculated in a process step 118 so that the integrated voltage will reach the reference voltage nearer the midpoint of the counting scale (or at least away from the scale extremities). This is shown by FIGS. 3 and 4. In particular, a reference is selected such that
V.sub.R =V.sub.RMAX -GCNT/MAXCNT V.sub.RMAX
The calculated voltage VR is then coupled from the computer 42 to the comparator 58 via the D/A converter 60 and the multiplexer 62 (the multiplexer is appropriately addressed at this time for this purpose).
The next portion of the flowchart shown by FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrate the integration, after prescaling, of a red voltage RV, a green voltage GV and a blue voltage BV. In each case, (referring to FIG. 1) the integrator is cleared by closing the switch 54, the proper photodiode is activated according to the address received by the multiplexer 44, and integration proceeds until the voltage at the output of the amplifier 52 matches the reference voltage VR supplied to the comparator 58. At the latter moment, the timer 48 is stopped and the value therein is denoted as either a red count RCNT, a green count GCNT, or a blue count BCNT.
As shown by FIGS. 2B, 2C and 2D the procedure incorporates several default routines in which the counts are compared to especially low (5 counts) and high (256 counts, or overflow) values. The present of such values indicate extreme illumination conditions (low counts corresponding to very high illumination and high counts to very low illumination). An especially small red count or especially large green or blue counts correspond to tungsten lighting while the converse indicates an unusual situation in which daylight default is believed to usually be the safest choice. In FIG. 2C, a process step 100 is included for halving the value of the reference voltage VR before blue light integration begins. This is done because of the lower sensitivity of a photodiode to blue light than to red or green light. (The high sensitivity to red light is the reason for the infra-red filters 38a, 36b and 36c in front of the respective photodiodes.)
In FIGS. 2C and 2D process steps 102 and 104 are included for calculating red to green (R/G) and blue to green (B/G) ratios. Each ratio is tested against extreme high or low values and the proper default is again applied if the R/G ratio is high (meaning a lot of red light) or if the B/G ratio is low (meaning little blue light). In such situations, tungsten lighting is assumed. For the converse situations, daylight is selected. After the default tests are completed, and as shown by FIG. 2E, the table 66 is addressed by means of the R/G and B/G ratio values and suitable gains adjustments are selected an coupled by way of the computer 42 to the red gain-controlled amplifier 22a and to the blue gain-controlled amplifier 22c.
FIGS. 3 and 4 graphically show the effects of low and high illumination, respectively, in the prescaling process illustrated by FIG. 2A. The lines 110 and 112 represent the initial integration of green light in the process step 114 of FIG. 2A. In the example of FIG. 3, the light level is quite low and the integration voltage does not reach the nominal reference voltage VRNOM until the count GCNT in the timer 48 reaches about 200. Since the count GCNT is greater than the threshold of 32 (process step 116), only the reference voltage VR is adjusted in the process step 118. The calculation there shown results in a voltage VR less then VRNOM and, consequently, a shorter integration time for subsequent integrations. If, as in FIG. 4, a high light level causes the integrator to reach VRNOM before the threshold count is obtained, the decision step 116 causes activation of the clock scaling process in the step 120. A shown by the lower time base scale in FIG. 4, subsequent integration will be timed by a clock running at four times the nominal rate. In addition, the subsequent adjustment of the reference voltage VR in the step 118 moves the voltage VR closer to VRMAX. Then, as a result of both time base and voltage adjustments, subsequent integrations will reach the reference voltage VR in the approximate midrange of counter capacity. Prescaling, as shown in both FIGS. 3 and 4, places normal light levels toward the midrange of the counter 48, thereby ensuring that abnormal light levels will not result in extreme counts, either near zero or overflow conditions. The resulting R/G and B/G ratios are therefore better predictors of actual scene color balance.
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a presently preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the thresholds that trigger the clock scaling process 120 in FIG. 2A and the defaults in FIGS. 2B and 2C are representative of an empirical determination; other thresholds would clearly be workable. Likewise, the calculation of VR in the process step 118 of FIG. 2A is the result of an empirical formulation and is not intended to dismiss other equations of similar usefulness. The use of but two frequencies for time base variation can be extended either to many discrete frequencies or to a smoothly varying scale of frequencies.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US3735026 *||Sep 3, 1971||May 22, 1973||Columbia Broadcasting Syst Inc||Automatic color corrector for a color video signal|
|US4047202 *||Oct 7, 1975||Sep 6, 1977||Robert Bosch G.M.B.H.||Automatic color balancing system|
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|US4159174 *||May 31, 1977||Jun 26, 1979||Eastman Kodak Company||Method and apparatus for adjusting the correction levels in a settable matrix printer|
|US4168120 *||Apr 17, 1978||Sep 18, 1979||Pako Corporation||Automatic exposure corrections for photographic printer|
|US4217648 *||Oct 16, 1978||Aug 12, 1980||Agfa-Gevaert, A.G.||Method and apparatus for evaluating color photographic negatives prior to copying|
|US4244653 *||May 22, 1978||Jan 13, 1981||Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.||Color detecting device for color printer|
|US4279505 *||Oct 17, 1979||Jul 21, 1981||Gretag Aktiengesellschaft||Method for print exposure control|
|US4281337 *||Mar 13, 1979||Jul 28, 1981||Sony Corporation||Apparatus for detecting the color temperature of a source of light and automatic white balancing means for use therewith|
|US4299479 *||Sep 11, 1980||Nov 10, 1981||Pako Corporation||Photographic printer with sensitivity control for classification of negatives|
|US4335397 *||Jun 24, 1980||Jun 15, 1982||Sony Corporation||Method and apparatus for digitally adjusting white balance|
|US4339517 *||Aug 15, 1979||Jul 13, 1982||Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.||Color correction method for color negative|
|US4340903 *||Aug 6, 1980||Jul 20, 1982||Sony Corporation||Television camera|
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|US4395730 *||Oct 23, 1981||Jul 26, 1983||Shen Chou Ming||Automatic color-temperature compensation device|
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|US4575225 *||Sep 14, 1983||Mar 11, 1986||Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha||Color enlarger|
|US4584598 *||Jun 3, 1983||Apr 22, 1986||Sony Corporation||Electronic camera|
|US4638350 *||Nov 2, 1983||Jan 20, 1987||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Color image sensing device|
|US4646161 *||Sep 10, 1985||Feb 24, 1987||Sony Corporation||Automatic white balance control circuit|
|US4682210 *||Mar 31, 1986||Jul 21, 1987||Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd.||Automatic white balance adjusting circuit for image pickup device|
|US4731661 *||Nov 14, 1985||Mar 15, 1988||Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha||Color document reader with white balance adjuster for determining light emission periods for a plurality of different-colored light sources and corresponding integration times for a light sensor by reading a white reference area|
|JPS61184079A *||Title not available|
|1||*||Reseach Disclosure, Apr. 1983, No. 22822, pp. 157 159.|
|2||Reseach Disclosure, Apr. 1983, No. 22822, pp. 157-159.|
|3||*||Research Disclosure, Mar. 1982, No. 21504, pp. 70 71.|
|4||Research Disclosure, Mar. 1982, No. 21504, pp. 70-71.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US5264921 *||Apr 23, 1992||Nov 23, 1993||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||White balance including means for preventing colored object from disturbing the balance|
|US5289268 *||Nov 12, 1992||Feb 22, 1994||Nikon Corporation||Apparatus using brightness information from a photometering circuit and a brightness-converted green component from a color metering circuit to ultimately adjust white balance|
|US5389969 *||Dec 21, 1993||Feb 14, 1995||Nikon Corporation||Apparatus using brightness information from a photometering circuit and a brightness-converted green component from a color metering circuit to ultimately adjust white balance|
|US5402182 *||Jul 15, 1991||Mar 28, 1995||Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha||Automatic white-balance controlling apparatus|
|US5670985 *||May 9, 1994||Sep 23, 1997||Apple Computer, Inc.||System and method for adjusting the output of an output device to compensate for ambient illumination|
|US5880859 *||Apr 25, 1996||Mar 9, 1999||Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.||Image reading apparatus|
|US6137533 *||May 14, 1997||Oct 24, 2000||Cirrus Logic, Inc.||System and method for enhancing dynamic range in images|
|US7683305 *||Sep 27, 2007||Mar 23, 2010||Aptina Imaging Corporation||Method and apparatus for ambient light detection|
|US8174486 *||Jan 22, 2009||May 8, 2012||Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.||Light sensing circuit, liquid crystal display having the same, and method of driving the same using detected external light, internal light, and peripheral light|
|US20090084943 *||Sep 27, 2007||Apr 2, 2009||Johannes Solhusvik||Method and apparatus for ambient light detection|
|US20100045908 *||Jan 22, 2009||Feb 25, 2010||Doo-Hyung Woo||Light sensing circuit, liquid crystal display having the same, and method of driving the same|
|EP0467685A2 *||Jul 17, 1991||Jan 22, 1992||Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha||Automatic white-balance controlling apparatus|
|EP0467685B1 *||Jul 17, 1991||Jan 8, 1997||Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha||Automatic white-balance controlling apparatus|
|EP0533488A2 *||Sep 18, 1992||Mar 24, 1993||Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha||Image sensing apparatus having two image sensing portions and one signal processing portion and allowing improved white balance control|
|EP0533488A3 *||Sep 18, 1992||Jul 7, 1993||Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha||Image sensing apparatus having two image sensing portions and one signal processing portion and allowing improved white balance control|
|U.S. Classification||348/227.1, 355/35, 348/E09.052|
|Sep 29, 1988||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK A CORP.
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:PRITCHARD, JEFFREY A.;REEL/FRAME:004948/0638
Effective date: 19870528
Owner name: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK A CORP.
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:PRITCHARD, JEFFREY A.;REEL/FRAME:004948/0638
Effective date: 19870528
|Jul 21, 1992||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Aug 21, 1996||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|Aug 30, 2000||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
Nature Drawings With Crayons Creative Awareness
|Include In Article|
|Published Date||Sunday , June 16th 2019|
|Uploaded By||Christan Henry|
Drawing Online. Sunday , June 16th 2019.
Quote from Nature Drawings :
The outcomes are blocks, which you are able to fill with color. Explain the way the browning is the consequence of the oxidation practice. The type of the whole Graffiti is important too. Among the coolest types of expression isn’t a doubt graffiti. There’s a cartoonish element that ought to be played up using a good deal of pop colours.
Not only are you going to learn to craft with ink, you are going to progress in how you need to express yourself as an artist. If you’re not pleased with the colors you have chosen, you don’t need to start from the start. The image can be negative or positive based on the function of the image. To make an image working with an orb the next steps ought to be carried out to get a dramatic image. Because photos can easily be doctored. The surveillance camera taking footage of the house’s front entrance wasn’t working.
Light painting is a technique which isn’t widely utilized in photography and lots of people search for a decent light painting tutorial. There are many types light painting. Bearing that in mind, consider a couple of things that you ought to know about figuring out how to craft this sort of art, legally, and safely for that issue. When it has to do with art, you can’t understand what they’re likely to call the next Mona Lisa. Impressionism art emphasizes how the artist interprets a scene instead of painting a precise picture. The artist would need to be well recognized by a large quantity of people and the artwork had to highlight some type of beauty. 37 artists from all around the world traveled to Wilhelmshaven in Germany.
Hands and feet are definitely the most complex pieces of your anatomy and are easily available subject issue. Drawing an adult face is difficult enough, baby faces are so a lot more difficult.
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text:
Are you feeling creatively stuck and you’re not sure how to get out of the rut?
It’s frustrating when you feel you’re not able to come up with any new ideas.
The sacral chakra is associated with creativity and sexuality, so when it’s deficient or excessive in energy, we can experience creative blocks.
Tarot cards can help.
By using Tarot cards, you can explore what’s blocking your creativity and work through those blocks so you can increase your chances of creating anything you want.
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to do that!
What is the sacral chakra and what does it do?
The sacral chakra is below the navel in the lower abdomen. It’s associated with creativity, sexuality and handles our ability to feel pleasure and joy.
- Sanskrit name: Svadhisthana, which means “sweetness.”
- Color: Orange
- Element: Water
- Identity: Emotional
- Shadow: Guilt
- Development Stage: 6 months to 2 years of age
With a balanced sacral chakra, we’re:
- creative with sexual energy flowing through us
- confident and feel connected to our desires
- creatively expressive and experience pleasure fully
If the sacral chakra is out of balance, we:
- feel disconnected from our emotions or our sexuality
- experience a lack of creativity
- have low self-esteem
- experience sexual issues
- lack passion or excitement
The characteristics I’ve mentioned above aren’t a complete list.
How can Tarot cards help increase your creativity?
The combination of colors, symbols, and archetypes found in the Tarot keys can help to activate the creative flow of energy in the sacral chakra.
In addition, working with the Tarot can help you become more attuned to your inner desires and needs, as this is also a center for your gut instinct.
As you become more aware of what you want and need, you can trust your choices, as they’re in alignment with your highest good.
By working with the Tarot, you can heal and balance your sacral chakra, opening yourself up to greater creativity and pleasure.
You might like: 6 Effortless Tarot Tips to Help You Trust Your Intuition
What are some of the best Tarot cards for creativity and the sacral chakra?
The suit of cups (minor arcana linked with the element of water) is often associated with the sacral chakra, as it represents emotions, feelings, and relationships.
Ace of Cups (a minor arcana key) is a potent card for this chakra, as it symbolizes new beginnings, emotional healing, and spiritual purity.
Other strong minor arcana contenders for the sacral chakra include:
- Two of Cups (harmony and balance)
- Six of Cups (childhood memories, nostalgia, sexuality)
- Nine of Cups (wishes come true)
You can also look to the Major Arcana keys that represent change and new perspectives, such as The Tower, The Moon, and The Fool. These keys can help you break free from old patterns and open up to new possibilities.
I like to pull out The Magician major arcana key when I need some creative writing focus. The keywords of this key are “focused concentration.”
I look at it for a few minutes and then write, holding the image of The Magician in my mind.
This is a practice I learned from the late Dr. Paul Foster Case, whose work is an enormous influence on my development as a tarot reader.
How can you use Tarot readings to boost your creativity and achieve your goals?
If you’re looking for guidance to help you achieve your goals, consider turning to Tarot readings.
They can provide valuable insights into your subconscious mind, helping you to identify and overcome any obstacles that may hold you back.
Understanding the symbolism associated with each card can help to spark your creativity and come up with new ideas.
When used correctly, Tarot readings can be incredibly powerful for achieving your goals.
You might like: How to Interpret and Read Tarot Cards for Yourself
Tarot major arcana keys for increasing your creativity
Listed below, you’ll discover some of the Major keys you can use to get your creative juices flowing again:
1. The Magician
I mention this key again because it’s a powerful one.
The Magician signifies the power of creativity and the ability to manifest one’s desires.
He reminds us we are the creators of our own lives in partnership with the Universe. Everything we need is already within us to make our dreams a reality.
– Break free from old patterns
– Look for new perspectives
What can you create in your reality with focus and concentration?
2. The High Priestess
This beautiful key suggests that to increase your creativity, you need to go within and access the wisdom of your intuition and subconscious mind.
She teaches us we all have an inner well of creativity and knowledge that we can access if we learn to quiet our minds and listen.
– Go within to access your subconscious mind
– Quiet your mind to listen for guidance
How can you tap into the deep well of wisdom within you so you can create your next masterpiece?
3. The Empress
The union of the Magician and High Priestess, the great mother, signifies abundance, fertility, and creative potential.
The Empress is a reminder that you have everything you need to create something beautiful. Using your imagination is imperative to creating what you want.
– Nurture your imagination
– Trust your ideas
– Pursue your passions
What are some things you could do to develop your imagination?
4. The Emperor
The theme of this key is organization, structure, and discipline.
He suggests you need to set some guidelines and parameters for yourself. By doing so, you’ll see results more quickly.
– Set goals and create a plan of action
– Follow a routine or schedule
– Be patient and consistent with your efforts
What daily routines or structures can you implement to support your creative endeavors?
5. The Hierophant
This key represents higher authority. Is there someone you can reach out to who can offer you some sage advice?
This could be a creative mentor, teacher, or even a trusted friend.
– Get feedback from others
– Take a class or take part in a workshop
– Collaborate with other creatives
Who can you turn to for support as you pursue your creative goals?
6. The Lovers
The theme of this key is all about new experiences, growth, and expansion, so be willing to try new things.
Step out of your comfort zone and explore the unknown.
Take some risks and see where they lead you.
You never know what kind of brilliance you may find when you let go and allow.
What new things are you willing to try? What risks are you willing to take?
7. The Chariot
The theme of this key is work, dedication, and determination. You’ll need to put some effort and action into it.
Develop a creative practice you can stick to even when it gets tough.
Be persistent and don’t give up on your dreams. It’s true when they say, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Some ways this key can help you spark creativity:
– Be persistent and dedicated to your craft
– Put in the work and don’t give up
What are some things you can do to make time for your creativity? How can you stay motivated when things get tough?
If our creative endeavors are to be truly successful, they must be based on truth, fairness, and balance.
All too often, we can get caught up in our egos and allow our fears to take over.
Justice is a reminder we need to stay grounded in our truth and be fair to ourselves if we want to create something of lasting value.
– Get clear on your values and what you want to create
– Be honest with yourself about your creative process
– Make sure your actions are in alignment with your goals
How can you make sure that your creative endeavors are based on truth, fairness, and balance? What adjustments do you need to make to ensure this?
I hope you can see that by working with your sacral chakra and incorporating some of these keys into your practice, you can increase your creativity and bring more balance to your life.
By working with the keys that resonate most with you, you can develop a creative practice that supports your sacral chakra and helps you achieve your goals.
Which of these keys resonates most with you?
The sacral chakra is all about creativity, sexuality, and passion.
If you’re feeling creatively blocked, your sacral chakra may be unbalanced.
In this post, you learned how Tarot cards can help you work through creative blocks so you can increase your chances of creating anything you want.
What will you do with this new knowledge?
Pick a card (or two) and see what message they have for you. Take some time to meditate on the advice and see how you can incorporate it into your life.
Trust that you have everything you need to create something beautiful.
The world is waiting for you to share your gifts with it. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get creative!
Please share this post with a friend who’s also looking for a creative recharge.
Together, let’s help each other increase our creativity and sacral chakra energy so we can create anything we want in this world!
Thanks for reading!
Love and Blessings.

domain: psychology


text:
Subtle and introspective
From one point of view, The Wonderful Country is a slow-paced Western with too little action. And certainly if you are expecting another Robert Mitchum gringo-in-Mexico picture with revolutions and machine-guns you are going to be disappointed.
However, on reflection the film is an intelligent, subtle, introspective story about a man in search of himself. On these terms, it is excellent.
One of his greatest performances
How Mitchum loved Mexico! This was already the fourth time he had worked there. Author of the novel The Wonderful Country Tom Lea (writer and artist Thomas Calloway Lea, III) and director Robert Parrish, who set up the project, had first wanted Henry Fonda and then Gregory Peck for the part, and only went to Mitchum when they turned it down. But Mitchum was perfect for it. He spoke passable Spanish (though they took the slightly odd decision to have him speak English with a Mexican accent in the Mexican scenes, and straight American when he was in Texas). Mitchum genuinely liked Mexico and felt comfortable there. He always thought of himself as a renegade adventurer. He was just right for the part of Martin Brady, an American who fled across the Rio Grande when young and became a Mexican, but who would always be regarded as a gringo there and a Mexican when in the States. It was one of Mitch’s greatest performances.
It was also probably Parrish’s best film. He had not worked much on Westerns previously. He had done an 1850s San Francisco tale, The San Francisco Story, with Joel McCrea; the excellent modern rodeo picture The Lusty Men (also with Mitchum, outstandingly good), which he did, uncredited, with Nicholas Ray; and Saddle the Wind, a Robert Taylor Western which I think rather enjoyable (though John Sturges apparently directed some scenes uncredited).
Julie London. Looks like a nun. But she ain't.
The last-named also starred Julie London. We often think of Ms. London as a jazz or pop singer and indeed, that was really where her fame lay, but before that, in the early and mid-1950s, she acted in quite a few pictures. Between Saddle the Wind and The Wonderful Country she had been rather good in Man of the West with Gary Cooper. She turned up on the set in Mexico with her boyfriend, Route 66 writer Bobby Troup, whom she later married and who took her away from movies into music.
Lea says “Mitchum had a very sharp lawyer” and took over the picture (Mitchum was executive producer) but adds, “But I got to like Mitchum”. Lea wrote the screenplay close to the novel but it was revised (by Robert Ardrey and Walter Bernstein) to give a bigger part to Julie London, among other changes.
Some friends of Mitchum’s were cast. Mitch offered his pal Anthony Caruso any role and he chose to play the Mexican farmer Santiago. Rowdy Charles McGraw (Blood on the Moon, Saddle the Wind) had a good part (and did it well) as the doctor who treats the hero in Texas when he falls from his horse and breaks his leg. Jack Oakie is a railroad man.
Railroad man Jack Oakie
Albert Dekker (the marshal the year before in These Thousand Hills and later to be Pat Harrigan in The Wild Bunch) is rather good as a sympathetic captain of Texas Rangers in a frock coat.
Captain of Texas Rangers Albert Dekker
‘Bad Chuck’ Roberson was stunt double and coordinator, and, as he often did, acted a minor character (Barton). Writer Lea appears too, as the barber. Probably the strongest minor character was that of the black Sergeant Tobe Sutton, a part which a judge released baseball star Leroy ‘Satchel’ Paige from a Florida prison to play. He turned up on the set with a young girl. “She’s my daughter’s babysitter.” Mitchum said, “But your daughter’s not here.” Paige replied, “How about that?”
Durango in those days was still a pretty wild town. One night when Roberson and Mitchum were in a bar, two Mexican men got into an argument and one shot the other in the head. He died at the Americans’ feet.
The picture suffered at the editing stage and it causes some oddities. For one thing, Brady and Helen (Mitchum and London) never really get close while he is in Texas and yet the whole picture really depends on the fact that they are in love. But Mitchum never watched his own films and once shooting had finished, lost interest.
The Wonderful Country is an interesting movie. It has some action but is not really a shoot-‘em-up Mexican Western. It’s quiet, deliberately steadily paced and really rather sad.

domain: entertainment


text:
Suitable for all skin types
Moisturizes, nourishes and soothes body skin, enhances blood circulation and deeply relaxes muscles due to the anti-inflammatory properties possessed. Vitamin E regenerates and restores tissues, stops ageing process.
Excellent for massage.
Made from Meadowsweet, St. John’s Wort, Yarrow, black Willow Bark and Thuja infused Grape Seed Oil. Enriched with Essential Oil of Clove Buds.
Apply a small amount of Oil on a cleansed skin and massage in.
INGREDIENTS (INCI): Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Flower Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Oil, Eugenol*, Isoeugenol*, Benzyl Alcohol*.
*Components of Essential Oils.
3,4 fl oz
Store from +5 C˚ to +20 C˚
Valid for 1 year from manufacturing date

domain: health


The Starry Purple color variant of the OPPO F9 is coming to the Philippines on September 15, 2018.
OPPO F9 Starry Purple
If you’re planning on getting an OPPO F9, I suggest you wait a few days for the Starry Purple color variant to hit stores. This is perhaps the most attractive color of the phone. The gradient changes from light purple to a darker shade of blue-violet, and features gold highlights such as the trimmings on the rear camera and fingerprint scanner, the OPPO logo, and specs of it all throughout the back panel.
The other colors, Sunrise Red and Twilight Blue, are not bad at all. But if I had to choose one, then I would probably go with Starry Purple.
Related: OPPO F9 review: Embrace the notch
The OPPO F9 features a 6.3-inch full HD+ Waterdrop display, a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio, 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor, 6GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, a 25MP selfie camera, and a 16MP + 2MP dual sensor module at the rear. It is powered by a 3,500 mAh battery with VOOC fast charging, and runs on ColorOS 5.2 on top of Android Oreo.
The OPPO F9 is available in stores with a suggested retail price of PHP17,990. It also comes in Sunrise Red and Twilight Blue.
OPPO F9 specs:
- 6.3-inch Full HD+ Waterdrop LTPS TFT Display (2340 x 1080, 409 ppi)
- Corning Gorilla Glass, 90.8% Screen-to-Body Ratio
- 2.0GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P60 Processor
- Mali-G72 MP3 800MHz GPU
- 6GB RAM
- 64GB Storage, microSD up to 256GB
- 16MP + 2MP Dual Rear Camera, f/1.85, LED Flash
- 25MP Front Camera, f/2.0, AI
- Dual Nano SIM
- 4G LTE
- Wi-Fi 802.11
- Bluetooth v4.2
- GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU
- OTG Support
- Headphone Jack, FM Radio
- Fingerprint Sensor, Face Unlock
- ColorOS 5.2, Android 8.1 Oreo
- Dimensions: 156.7 x 74 x 7.99 mm, 169 g
- Colors: Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue, Starry Purple
- 3,500 mAh Battery, VOOC Fast Charging


text:
Maids Abuse Essay
The society of Gilead in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale is based upon the idea of making a safer place to live by producing freedoms from things such as rape to protect the women society The essay will proceed with theories of discourse by Michel Foucault, in order to conclude how power, in the form of oppression, works and how the terms language, “truth” and action are used to make that possible in The Handmaid’s Tale. Although little has been written about these abuses of black women during slavery, the fact remains that the plantation slave masters raped women The abuse allegedly occurred over a four-month period. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a. Other forms of abuse such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence are more readily known about and easier to label and. How Were Indentured Servants Treated by the English? One out of five Singaporean household hires a maid, as of 2019. The term can be classified on various bases. Verbal abuse-harsh insults, threats and belittlement-often accompanies physical abuse and takes place in an overall context of excessive workloads, sleep deprivation, insufficient or poor quality. Stephanie Land’s new memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, sheds light on the grueling work—and the bureaucratic complications—of being a maid and a single mother Domestic Violence and Child abuse University of North Carolina at Wilmington Social Work 311: Child Abuse and Neglect M. Nearly as quickly as there were people brought to the Colonies to settle the land, there were extra people needed to work the land. Types Of Abuses Physical Abuse Physical injuries causing pain are caused by beating with hands and legs, blunt objects such as canes or wooden sticks or any house-hold items easily Physical exhaustion due to overwork and insufficient food Forced labor. Although little has been written about these abuses of black women during slavery, the fact remains that the plantation slave masters raped women The Handmaid's Tale Summary. Sample papers give you information on what your rape essay should look like. The issue of maid abuse in Singapore could worsen if left unchecked as the number of families who employ domestic helpers is increasing. immigration policies and national laws by entering or remaining in the United States without proper permission from the United States government ("Illegal Immigration"). Violence against spouse, children or elderly is few of some commonly encountered cases. Any how the maids were both girls and looked very poor Employers often verbally and sexually abuse their maids, and can withhold paychecks and subject the women to confinement. Of these housemaids, thousands will run away each year to their embassies complaining of mistreatment and abuse , non-payment of wages, or overwork Some may say that maid abuse is not a widespread problem and that the irresponsible reporting of maid abuse by maids abuse essay the local papers and television is the problem. Search. During the eighteenth century, “roughly one African woman was carried across the Atlantic for every two men” (Paton) which reveals that women arrived in American colonies as a minority (Paton). the other two women are always in a position of power over the maid Personal identity papers and travel documents had been confiscated by the employer in 85% of cases, with two thirds indicating they were prevented and/or restricted from leaving their place of work/residence. Some may say that maid abuse is not a widespread problem and that the irresponsible reporting of maid abuse by the local papers and television is the problem. The Handmaid's Tale is a novel by Margaret Atwood, which depicts a dystopian world where a theocracy has taken the place of the United States government, and women. It aims to highlight the plight of victims and people who fight against discrimination from a. On the other hand, others believe that maid abuse still remains a widespread problem. You are also not alone in discovering that writing this type of paper is really difficult Hong Kong is home to more than 340,000 foreign domestic workers, who can be found in one of every seven households.
Make good essay transition, abuse maids essay
Changes in an individual’s career, marital status, health and other matters often affect the whole family. In 1868, Elizabeth Keckly published Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House.The memoir detailed the 50-year old Keckly’s three decades as a slave, how she secured freedom for herself and her son, and her friendship with the Lincolns during the Civil War Rape is a serious issue affecting many societies. See more ideas about Slavery, Black history, African american history.. A woman who has worked for years as a maid at President Trump Donald John Trump Governors' approval ratings drop as COVID-19 cases mount Gohmert says he will take hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19. Essay Glance. Abuse of foreign domestic workers must end now a Filipina maid, would have been yet another horrible but all-too-familiar and easily forgotten tale of overseas domestic labour gone sour if it. before my nanny and relative would watch over me, I was so young and having to go through this. See more ideas about Slavery, Black history, African american history Essay Sauce : All the ingredients of a good essay. She was also sexually abused by her step-dad when she was younger. typing your essay in the space below. 25:24. On the other hand, others believe that maid abuse still remains a widespread problem. Some may say that maid abuse is not a widespread problem and that the irresponsible reporting of maid abuse by the local papers and television is the problem. In fact, most college students are assigned to write good Maid Abuse Essay quality papers in exchange for high marks in class. Lic. Stephanie Land’s new memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, sheds light on the grueling work—and the bureaucratic complications—of being a maid and a single mother The Loathsome Den: Sexual Assault on the Plantation, #MeToo of the 19th century. Maid Abuse in Malaysia EssayTopic: Maid Abuse In Malaysia Thesis Statement: Maid abuse, which is caused The unfortunate thing is that maid abuse does not only cause both mental and physical injuries to the maids, but it also jeopardize our international friendship with countries involved. Female slaves endured horrific physical, and sexual abuse. Domestic violence is present in almost every society of maids abuse essay the world. The paper received from our company may be used as a source for a deeper comprehension on the subject, or as a source for your own academic research..Essay down there One of the many sad aspects of The Handmaid’s Tale is that the women who are subjected to abuse and oppression soon comply with the roles that have been assigned to them, both permitting and perpetuating abuse against and amongst themselves In fact, a 2015 study by HOME shown that more than half experience verbal abuse, and 25 percent experienced poor mental health. There have been several cases of extreme maid abuse shown in the. by Curtis Harris. The need for maids to make life easier is a need to people who have lesser. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Salon, the Guardian, the Rumpus, and many more. typing your essay in the space below. She hopes that her experience will encourage others to tell someone and get the help they need While domestic abuse strikes couples of all races, religions, social economic status, and sexual orientations, risk factors for men or women becoming victims or abusers include poverty, lack of a high school education, witnessing family violence as a child, having a low sense of self-worth, and attitudes of male domination and substance abuse. The Hidden Lives Of 'Housegirls' - Full documentary - BBC Africa Eye -. Welcome to Essay Sauce – the free student essay website for college and university students. Essay down there One of the many sad aspects of The Handmaid’s Tale is that the women who are subjected to abuse and oppression soon comply with the roles that have been assigned to them, both permitting and perpetuating abuse against and amongst themselves Reasons behind maid abuse. Detectives say the bedroom in their Rancho Cucamonga.

domain: sociology


A Hodges man is now facing a charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana after he was involved in a vehicle accident over the weekend.
According to a report from the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were contacted by South Carolina Highway Patrol at about 3 p.m. Friday after SCHP officers found marijuana and a handgun in a vehicle involved in an accident at the intersection of U.S. 25 N. and S.C. 254. When deputies arrived, SCHP had one man, identified as Terrence Lamar Jackson, 26, of 104 Delta Drive, Hodges, in custody.
According to the report, Jackson took full responsibility for all the contraband located in the car, a 2007 Dodge Charger. Deputies found two mason jars containing about 50 grams of a substance believed to be marijuana and a .32 caliber Charter Arms revolver in the glove box of the vehicle. Deputies also found $767 in cash on Jackson, which was seized due to the probability of being involved in the illegal sale of narcotics.
According to the report, Jackson was ticketed by SCHP for failure to surrender plate, violation of beginner’s permit and driving too fast for conditions in addition to the PWID marijuana charge.


text:
A piece of paradise waiting to be discovered
Ko Kood or Ko Kut as this piece of paradise is known, can only be described as wild and wonderful. In part due to the island’s vast virgin tropical rain-forested interior, which is mostly smothered in slender swaying coconut palms and rubber plantations but also in part due to its outlying location close to Khmer territory near Cambodia on the eastern side of Thailand.
Many of the inhabitants living here still have some Khmer blood running through their veins, as both Thai’s and Cambodians who were once resident in Cambodia, fled the French control at the turn of the 12th century and settled on Ko Kood.
Islanders number less than 2,000 and make most of their living from fishing or the cultivation of coconut palms as well as the collection of rubber from the boundless plantations on the island.
The most populated area of Ko Kood is at Ban Khlong Hin Dam which also doubles up as the administrative centre of the island. You will find a police station, a hospital, a school and the island’s main temple but little else. The village is just two kilometres eastbound from the main Hin Dam Pier on the western side of the island and 9 kilometres southbound from Ban Ao Salat Pier on the northern side of the island.
I suggest you go to Ko Kut Natural opposite the hospital for the best source of information regarding the island. The English teacher and computer specialist here will help you get settled. While you are here, you can access the internet, rent a motorbike or mountain bike as well as hire imported sea kayaks.
Don’t forget to pick up a free map of the island showing all the best beaches, waterfalls and more importantly the island’s road system. Albeit the roads are few, narrow, unpredictable, concrete in places, then right on down to mostly dirt and stone trails.
Although Ko Kood is 25 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide while covering some 105 square kilometers, there is only a grand total of around 20 kilometers of concrete roads then again alternated by gravel and sandy tracks. Exploring the island by foot can be a rather pleasant alternative.
Ko Kood Island
Koh Kood is the fourth largest of Thailand’s islands and the second largest of the 52 island archipelago located in the province of Trat on the east coast of the country. Ko Kood lies just south of Ko Chang and is considered to be one of the perfect places for lovers of nature as it retains a somewhat sensual beauty. Not only because of its natural forested interior, but also the island has simply not become overly commercialised. Yet that is.
Substantial parts of the plains are still wonderful, wicked and wild. Oh! How I enjoy this phrase… I just have to say it again. Wonderful, Wicked and Wild. This particular phrase surely sums up many aspects of life in Thailand. Wild tropical jungles. Wild thunderstorms. Wild parties. These are just some thoughts I’ll leave you. Well, now where was I… Oh! Yes! Wild was it not.
Towards the southeast interior of the tropical rain forest here is Khao Phaenthi, the highest point of the island at only 315 metres. It’s a wonderful area to explore on foot, especially during the cool season between November and February as refreshingly light breezes prevail on most days.
Exploring the interior
Towards the north of the interior near Ban Chum Phon, you’ll discover a five-hundred-year-old Maka tree known to the locals as the Dtohn Maai Yai or Nariphon. It stands tall at some 35 metres or more. Lianas and epiphytes hang from its branches but more than that, this mysterious tree bears fruit in the shape of young women. See the photo at the top of this page.
To reach the Maka tree, you’ll need to take the one-kilometre path from Ban Chum Phon which runs through the forest and rubber plantations. It requires some navigation so it’s best to take a local guide to show you around.
The interior also provides refreshing freshwater pools from several waterfalls where you can enjoy a leisurely swim. The best-known one is the three-tiered Nam Tok Khlong Chao waterfall accessible from Ao Khlong Chao beach via a canal and towards the north-west you would stumble across the three-tiered Nam Tok Khlong Yai Kee waterfall, accessible via a short steep path.
Exploring the Beaches
Ao Taphao Beach
Ao Taphao is considered the most popular beach on Ko Kood, located on the western side of the island near the Hin Dam Pier. It’s a wonderful stretch of coastline with soft white silky sand and a background of sweeping coconut palms.
It’s peaceful and relaxing with fabulous sunsets to enjoy. From here you can take a stroll to all the nearby inlets and bays. The beach is conveniently situated near the administrative village of Ban Khlong Hin Dam as I mentioned earlier.
Ao Klong Chao Beach
Ao Klong Chao a little further south but still on the west coast, is a long bay separated by a canal. This pleasant beach is quite safe for swimming. Tucked away in the jungle close by is the Nam Tok Klong Chao waterfall which can easily be reached by trekking along the canal or by kayaking through a lush mangrove forest. The waterfall cascades down into a large pool and provides a welcome spot for some freshwater swimming if you so wish.
Ao Khlong Yai Kee Beach
Ao Khlong Yai Kee is a winding bay situated on the mid west coast consisting of a 500-metre long beach where you can enjoy some scuba diving or perhaps kayaking through the mangrove forest in the area.
There is a great observation point where you can view the small island of Ko Raet as well as witness some amazing sunsets. Nam Tok Klong Yai Kee waterfall is situated four kilometres inland and accessible by road from nearby Ban Khlong Mat.
Ao Klong Mat Beach
Ao Klong Mat is a quiet beach situated slightly further south of Ao Khlong Yai Kee and very close to the small village of Ban Klong Mat where you will find the island’s oldest fishing community. The locals here offer a warm welcome to tourists as it gives them a chance to sell some of their souvenirs.

domain: geography


text:
MSP: do not travel to the Highlands to self-isolate during coronavirus crisis
Contribute to support quality local journalism
Another Highland MSP has added his voice to calls for people who do not live in the Highlands to stay away during the coronavirus crisis.
Conservative member Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “You will be very welcome when this health crisis is over. Until then, you are not.”
He said: “Over the weekend, I was contacted by constituents concerned by the number of camper vans and other vehicles heading into communities across the Highlands and Islands, clearly hoping to isolate themselves from coronavirus.
“I raised this with the minister responsible for islands and for ferries, and I am pleased that the government has responded by restricting those who can travel to the islands to residents, those with essential need to travel and to supplies.
“However, this does not address the concerns of mainland communities across the Highlands and Islands region, and it’s important that more action is taken to stop people from outside the region travelling to the Highlands in the hope of self-isolating.
“As well as the increased risk of spreading the virus, it puts real pressure on local resources, as well as the potential for putting additional strain on already limited local health services.
“Thankfully, some campsites are now closing and turning away would-be visitors. But there’s the concern that some visitors will just look at wild camping.
“The message to anyone thinking of travelling to the Highlands and Islands to self-isolate should be clear – you will be very welcome when this health crisis is over. Until then, you are not.
“You should follow government advice and stay at home”.
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domain: politics


text:
Eddie's for Doggies
I previously had 2 mini-schnauzers and terribly miss having dogs. Many years ago I cared for a bulldog from a shelter that had been abused. I had a pet parakeet & fish for many years as a child. I have a love for all of these animals. Your pet and I will have joyous walks & play time. I also have experience with giving dogs oral medication by fooling them with a little peanut butter ...

domain: pet


Eh, I read the article, and am a bit conflicted. The suggestion that the Celts were learning new skills in British Roman workshops, suggest that the Celts were learning the Roman technologies. In most of my studies of Celtic history and lore, I've found that the great inventions of war: chain mail, the short stabbing sword, the long sword, even the turtle formation of a unit covering themselves in their shields against missile fire are all Celtic inventions. What the Romans had was disciplined professional soldiers, and that alone gave them the advantage in war. The Roman gladius short stabbing sword was first encountered by the Romans in Spain, wielded by the Celtiberians. It took a full century to pacify Spain, after which the Romans were so impressed with the Celtiberian 'gladio' sword, that they adopted it has their primary weapon, and called it the Gladius (to make it sound more properly Roman). When Julius Caesar invaded Gaul, that was the first time Romans encountered long swords as were being produced by the Gauls. The Iranian technology of pattern welded swords had reached Gaul before Caesar arrived. So the Celts were already producing some of the best swords.
In my studies, I've discerned that the Romans didn't invent much, rather they borrowed or stole ideas from those they warred with - and primarilly from the Celts.
Too many historians in the past give too much credence to Rome and it's 'technologies'. More and more current period historians are revealing the true nature of Celts and other socalled Barbarian peoples of Europe, but there is still a core of Romano-centric historians that are too dug into their misguided beliefs.


Tags punk rock, drum & bass, indie rock
Genres indie, alternative, indie rock, rock, alternative rock (beta)
(flag as incorrect)
March 13, 2011
Getting ready for a day or just because including music by Band Of Horses, Beach House and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
Her Poetic Letters by Sun_Was_High
requested by herpoeticletters~.
requested, indie, indie folk
When The Sun Goes Down by Sun_Was_High
chilled tunes for a hot summer day.
chill, indie, dream pop, chillwave
Chill Vibes by Sun_Was_High
Positive vibes forever.
chill, good vibes, vibes, indie rock, indie
Summer days, summer hours by Sun_Was_High
Eight tracks including music by Arcade Fire, Cat Power, and Tegan And Sara.
alternative rock, indie rock, chill, folk, indie