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A year is a long time in pop, and it’s been over two since Christina Aguilera’s ‘Bionic’ hit the charts. In truth, it’s been almost ten since she was A Big Deal, but she’s one of the most enduringly interesting survivors of the teen-pop era, so when Sony invited us to their offices to listen to her latest album, ‘Lotus’, we were excited to hear what she’d been up to.
They said “see you at 1pm”. We said “great, we’ll be there”. Then they said “actually, can you make it 12.30pm?”. We said “yes, okay.” An exciting insight into our email inbox there, readers. Let’s listen to the album…
1. ‘Lotus Intro’
“This is the beginning” is a fitting lyric for an opening track, isn’t it? A choral riff heralds the rebirth of a very grown-up pop princess spouting on about emerging from pain, “broken pieces” and “never dying” over a heavy hip-hop beat. Christina resolves to “leave the past behind and say goodbye to the scared child inside”. Blimey. There are bongos too. A decent overture that sets the scene for what’s to come.
2. ‘Army of Me’
The first thing that springs to mind here is “ooh, this is all a bit Katy Perry”. Namely, the insistent 4/4 thud of the beat, reminiscent of the defiant ‘Part of Me’, and the lyrics and overall “mood” evocative of ‘Firework”s cardboard cutout inspiration. A reference closer to home would be Aggy’s own ‘Fighter’ – the words “wiser”, “stronger” and “fighter” all figure in the chorus. We quite like the line “there’s a thousand faces on me”, because it sounds like it might be supposed to be a bit rude. Single potential!
3. ‘Red Hot Kinda Love’
A pulsating radio-friendly “jam”, featuring the sound of a motorcycle vroom and the chorus hook “oh baby I’m burning up, you got that red hot kinda love” – oh Christina, you can get a cream for that! Not one of the strongest tracks on the record (but not at all bad. There’s just better to come!).
4. ‘Make the World Move’ (feat. CeeLo Green)
It’s collaboration time! How better to capitalise on your status as a top TV talent judge than by inviting your spinning chair colleague to join you on record? CeeLo duets with Xtina on a galvanising call to arms that equates music with love – “the time is now, no time to wait, turn up the love, turn down the hate”. A mid-tempo banger. Our favourite lyric is “spinning faster, round and round, let me hear that future sound”.
5. ‘Your Body’
A pop stormer produced by certified pop genius Max Martin; you’ve probably heard this one already. Whether this song can redefine Christina as a true competitor to Rihanna, Gaga, etc remains to be seen (it probably won’t; the world of pop moves on quickly and mercilessly) but it’s her most arresting lead single since ‘Dirrty’ and something of a return to form.
6. ‘Let There Be Love’
“I want to tell you my secret”, Christina says, as she hops onto a trend that the charts are tiring of. Yes, what we have here is a synth-heavy Euro club track. The problem here is that this song isn’t doing anything that Rihanna or Usher weren’t doing literally two years ago, and with David Guetta and Calvin Harris beginning to saturate and stagnate, the smart stars are starting to steer clear of the sound. However, it’s a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable example of the genre, and one of our favourite songs on the album. Surely Christina knows this stuff is far from groundbreaking, but maybe she’s just having fun? It’s not pretending to be anything other than a dancefloor anthem with a gloriously unrestrained vocal, after all.
7. ‘Sing For Me’
Now here’s a niche in which Ms Aguilera excels – the self-help ballad. From ‘Beautiful’ to ‘The Voice Within’, 2002’s ‘Stripped’ album was wall-to-wall with these, and ‘Sing For Me’ deftly adds another fine specimen to the canon. The lyrics are really rather wonderful, from the boastful (“all I have is three million melodies to kill the hurt”) to the anatomically worrying (“when I open my mouth my whole heart comes out”). Like many of the songs on the album, it delivers just as much as you want it to without outstaying its welcome.
8. ‘Blank Page’
Before Sia Furler was a guest vocalist for Flo Rida and David Guetta, she didn’t half know her way around a decent ballad. Luckily, this is still the case. ‘Blank Page’ is the best song on this album. “I know there’s hurt, I know there’s pain but people change, Lord knows I’ve been no saint”, the song begins, with a restrained (if not exactly plaintive) vocal that allows an often OTT warbler to display some rare vulnerability. It’s an attractive quality. The lyric “let our hearts start and beat as one forever” is fairly direct in its loveliness, too. A triumph, and there’ll be riots (of the virtual, internet forum type) if this isn’t released as a single.
9. ‘Cease Fire’
Military drums and war metaphors ahoy! “Throw down your weapons, I’m on your side”. Clunky lyrics aside, this is quite charming in a track-9-on-a-Christina-Aguilera-album kind of way. Another mid-tempo we reckon we’ll find ourselves singing along whilst doing the ironing.
10. ‘Around the World’
This is more like it. “Tell me where you really wanna go”, demands a flirtatious Xtina, the pace quickening for a danceable romp from “Hollywood to Japan, Tokyo to Milan”. Deliciously silly lyrics include “sit back and enjoy the ride…making love worldwide”.
“Spin around in circles on my little middle finger”. Yes, you heard right. Hilarious and disgusting, two admirable qualities in a popstar. An angry rock track which sees Christina berating the haterzzz for “talking shit-a, shit-a!” Oh my. There’s something simultaneously cringeworthy and amazing about this (less dignified) sequel to ‘Fighter’. The last line is “round and round, motherfucker!” (and yet ‘Your Body’, six tracks earlier, is featured in its clean version. Weird.)
12. ‘Best of Me’
A slightly misleading acoustic guitar intro gives way to military drums (hmmm, a little too similar to ‘Cease Fire’, perhaps). We take issue with the lyrics “knocked down and mistreated, heartbroken and beated, still I rise undefeated” as they skim just a little too close to Aguilera parody. Skip this one next time.
13. ‘Just a Fool’ (with Blake Shelton)
“Who knew that love was so cruel?” The album concludes with a swinging country ballad duet, in which Christina waits “so long for someone who’ll never come home”. Overwrought and predictable, but quite sad. :(
So, there we are. ‘Lotus’ isn’t a perfect record, but undeniably Christina Aguilera’s most accomplished set of songs in ten years. As a post-divorce Christina enters her thirties, sex and self-examination feature heavily (but then sex and self-examination have always featured heavily with Christina).
In the decade that’s passed since ‘Stripped’, Ms Aguilera’s potency as a chart force and a relevant cultural icon has waned quite considerably. We can’t help feeling that if she hadn’t bothered with all that Forces Sweetheart jazz nonsense and had released ‘Lotus’ as the immediate successor to ‘Stripped’, she might well still be a dominant figure on the pop scene.
The most striking thing about the album, and the secret to its success, is its conciseness. Thirteen songs. 47 minutes and 29 seconds. Xtina has undoubtedly found herself a victim of her own creative ambition on more than one occasion in the past. Whether she’s being kept on a tight leash or has simply become aware enough to exercise a little self-editing, it’s a blessing.


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Create Your Holiday
La Nena battello fluviale
We take you in pleasant and relaxing excursions, to experience fresh air and immerese ourselves in a river nature, between sky and water, on Po di Primaro, on Po di Volano, on Great Po. Nena and Lupo, our boats, renovated, repainted, wide open and spacious, awaite you at Darsena S. Paolo in Ferrara.
Via Darsena, 57 - 44122 Ferrara

domain: geography


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As one of the leading commercial and residential manufacturers of plumbing products, our client has a database of over 10,000 products marketed across multiple industries. While the company evolved over time to become a modern industry leader, its digital experience didn’t project that image. Their marketing technology also lagged behind the state of the art, so they were interested in replacing their legacy marketing systems with enterprise-grade tools that would help them compete more effectively in the modern marketplace.
Convertiv worked closely with a branding agency and client stakeholders to design, develop, and implement a new digital interface focused on engaging key user personas on optimal online journeys. The new architecture introduced updated tooling to streamline the user experience, including integration of historical product and website search data collected through Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager and information from the company’s customer services representatives.
Convertiv led the client through a multi-faceted approach to meet their goals.
First, Convertiv designed and developed a new digital experience based on modular design and development for quicker and more efficient go-to-market for new experiences on the site.
Second, we worked with the product information management (PIM) team to clean up the product data and transition from a WordPress database into a fully hosted Salsify solution. This included cleaning up legacy products and creating guidelines and definitions for product hierarchies and product information management, ensuring data cleanliness across the entire product portfolio.
We also worked with the client’s team to create a more efficient and meaningful product search function. Using Algolia search powered by Salsify data, Convertiv developed a lightning-fast whole site and product search application to meet users’ demands, reducing friction for users looking for their product on the company website.
Collaboration between client and Convertiv teams turned the company’s website into a completely integrated digital application for users. It also helped create guidelines for data cleanliness and rules for SKU creation and data handling across the different PIM toolsets currently utilized within the organization. We also worked together to remove years of technical debt and create a modern digital architecture that can be extended and enhanced over time to meet the ever-changing needs as the digital landscape evolves.

domain: design


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Nevertheless, was the breakfast ever meant to be a full meal?
The surprise of receiving a vegan breakfast consisting of a banana and nothing else has been described by a Japan Airlines business class guest. The traveler had specifically requested a vegetarian vegan meal, and even utensils and a pair of chopsticks were sent along with the fruit.
One banana is provided for vegan travelers.
On February 20, the incident happened on a Japan Airlines flight between Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). Using the user name “Kris Chari,” Kris Chari shared his story on the flyertalk aviation site.
Fortunately, the traveler found the humor in the situation and said that the banana was “one of the best” he’d recently had. Perhaps it would be more understandable if the traveler had unexpectedly asked for a vegan dinner and the airline was unprepared. Chari noted, however, that he had in fact reserved a Vegetarian Vegan Meal (VGML), and had checked this with the flight attendant before receiving his banana.
“Today’s flight attendant confirmed that I had ordered VGML and that my breakfast consisted of a banana before takeoff, which I took to mean that breakfast included a banana. I mistakenly though the banana she brought out after takeoff was simply a meh appetizer, but it was actually the complete lunch service! It was one of the finest bananas I’ve recently tasted, yet it still seems more fitting as a snack. Is CGK catering always this disappointing?”
More funnier was the crew’s choice to give Chari chopsticks and utensils to eat his banana with. One can order special meals in advance of a flight through Japan Airlines’ website or by calling one of the airline’s call centers. The special inflight meals page for the airline features an image of a typical vegan lunch made up of many plant-based foods.
An entire breakfast or a snack?
In contrast to the late-night flight (JL726) leaving at 21:35, which, according to Japan Airlines’ website, does not provide breakfast, Chari’s trip out of CGK looks to be the early morning 06:35 rotation (JL720), as one commentator on flyertalk pointed out.
A look at the standard business class menu for the February flight JL720 reveals that there is no mention of a breakfast meal either. Instead, passengers were likely given a snack and some drinks before receiving a full lunch service a few hours later. This may help to explain why the vegan “breakfast” was so meh because a complete breakfast was never intended.
A complete lunch of “barely seasoned spaghetti” was eventually given to the passenger. Japan Airlines has been contacted by Simple Flying for comment on this article; an update will be given when they respond.
Other problematic vegan dishes
It’s not the first time a vegan has been given a dubious “meal,” and it most likely won’t be the last either. According to The Independent, a female passenger on an Air Canada flight who requested a vegan meal was astonished to only receive a single bottle of water.
She was eventually given a makeshift dinner of fruit and bread rolls made from trays from the business class that were left behind. An animal-based meal featuring butter and cheese was delivered to a British Airlines passenger in 2020 despite their request for a vegan choice.

domain: travel


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I miss these guys so much! :) Don't judge, but I absolutely love Nick Jonas ohmygoodness. ♥♥♥ (I literally can't stop smiling/spazzing right now eeeeeeeee) Allow me to indulge in a little nostalgia and fangirling for just a moment, please.
So here are my favorite, never-gets-old Jonas Brothers tracks: Fly With Me and When You Look Me in the Eyes. Enjoy!

domain: entertainment


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A posting on THO's message board implied that short sellers can minipulate the stock price. I posted the following question but no one responded. Perhaps someone on WGO's board will. I almost feel like there's a giant conspiracy going on and I'm the only one not in on it. But if these assertions are true, than I'm getting out of the market and you would be wise do to the same.
I'm still trying to learn about the stockmarket so can you please explain to me how shortsellers can minipulate the stockmarket? If they can do this, does the SEC ever find out? Do they loose money when they do this? Why can't laws be passed to stop it. If this is true, why would any honest person invest in the stock market? Many thanks for your reply.
>Have you considered dollar cost averaging? You agree that this is a good buy, but you seem to want the absolute lowest price. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get it? You should accept your inability to be perfect, just as I have (I bought some at $38 and more at $36) and simply spend some money, knowing that you will get a good price, if not the very best price. Winnebago will go higher, and any shares you buy now will have a much higher price a year from now. Isn't that a good enough reason to buy them now?
I admit I haven't been around as long as you if you've been there since 1922-1932.
I starting investing in late 60's & early 70's. Buy and hold doesn't work during a secular bear market.
As far as my statement "When investment goes against them" vs your take "If investment goes against them" I'll stick with my statement. Problem with most longs is they feel their investment will go in their direction and don't protect themselves when it doesn't go there way. They ride it down further than they should. Very few use stops.
I agree that WGO looks like a good buy but I'm not buying. I want to see what the next set of numbers look like. Expanding capacity which adds overhead is not good if demand isn't there. I feel there is still time to get in.
Best thing that could happen for market is war to start immediately. It has discounted a lot of bad news in that direction already and what it needs is to have the uncertainty removed. I feel that once the war starts and oil doesn't shoot up to $60 a barrel and gold doesn't jump to $500 the market will be a more reasonable place to be.
This doesn't mean that the economy will turn around which is driving us toward a secular bear market - deflation is not good.
Lot of luck longs
PS: I'm not short on this stock and have only traded it long.
The act of short selling cannot and does not move the price of a stock lower. The short sales can only be done on an uptick. Only the persons that own the stock can move the price lower by selling at the bid.
All of which does not mean that WGO will not go lower.
While shorts can't push a stock price down, they can keep it from going up since their short sale orders overhang the market as sale orders.
Biggest problem I find with shorts is that they tend to have more tenacity and stick-with-it than longs. Short don't bail out as much as longs do when stock goes against them.
I've learned to get leery (sp?) when I see a stock with a high short position. I know it's positive from the long term perspective that these shares eventually have to be purchased to cover the short - but it is often at lower prices rather than higher. High short position is probably established from hedge funds who may ride out short term upticks in the stock rather than from individual investors who might bail out a lot quicker when stock moves up against their position.
Just my thoughts.
I'm sorry to inform you that hedge funds which are short can manipulate the market for a small cap stock like WGO and THO. Usually, only a short period of time. To see an example, check out ALD and ACAS if you would really like to see what a "gang" of short position hedge funds (with the help of their accomplices' in the financial press) can do to a company's stock. If you are savy enough to understand an ailment in the short selling logic, you can make out very well. I have done quite well with ACAS and ALD, but I spent a tremendous amount of time researching the short seller's arguments. Do not automatically presume shorts are the only ones that manipulate the market.
On the other hand, the long position holders can manipulate the market as well.
Furthermore, management may not be telling all the facts (or may not know all the facts). A well seasoned and honest management helps alot here.
Management maintains credibility by NOT CONSTANTLY SELLING OFF THEIR SHARES. Ya hear that? Our managers at WGO seem very trustworthy, but I give the stock only a "buy" rating now because they don't hold their stock after they receive their options every October. Now some of you folks may think I'm expecting too much of management to hold more shares of their company. But in the case of ALD and ACAS, the management up and down the line were all buying their own stock during the short attack. The CEO of ACAS has never sold a single share, ever!
Yes the market is tricky short term. Don't count on SEC action. In the long term, the market follows the earnings path of business.

domain: finance


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The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World returns August 31st until November 13th.
Shop, dine and discover must-see Festival events from book signings and top chef tips to much more. Plus enjoy international foods where you will find 30 unique kiosks, you can nosh on the spot or take to go. Culinary demos, beverage seminars, master mixology, cake decorating and other fun food and drink techniques. Drink in the history, production and tasting rituals of wine and bourbon at the beverage boot camp. Also cheese seminars and guest speakers.
Check out some sizzlin’ sounds from BIG artists including:
- Delta Rae – August 31st – September 1st.
- The Hooters – September 2-3rd.
- Baha Men – September 4-5th.
- Fuel – September 6-7th.
- STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas – September 8-9th.
- Lauren Alaina – September 11-12th.
- Plain White T’s – September 13-15th.
- Sister Hazel – September 16-17th.
- Air Supply – September 18-20th.
- David Cook – September 21-22nd.
- Everclear – September 23-24th.
- Sugar Ray – September 25-27th.
- .38 Special – September 28-29th.
- Mark Wills – September 30th – October 1st.
- American Authors – October 2-3rd.
- Christopher Cross – October 4-5th.
- Devon Allman – October 6-8th.
- Dennis DeYoung: The Music of STYX – October 9-11th.
- Taylor Dayne – October 12-13th.
- Jeffery Osborne – October 14-15th.
- Postmodern Jukebox – October 16-17th.
- 10,000 Maniacs – October 18-20th.
- Toad the Wet Sprocket – October 21-22nd.
- Kenny G – October 23-24th.
- Billy Ocean – October 25-26th.
- Tiffany – October 27-29th.
- Hanson – October 30th – November 1st.
- Blue October – November 2-3rd.
- Living Colour – November 4-5th.
- Boyz II Men – November 6-8th.
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – November 9-11th.
- Squeeze – November 12-13th.
More info or to purchase tickets visit: disneyworld.disney.go.com
Follow @WaltDisneyWorld on twitter
Tampa Bay Sports Commission and the Event Development Institute will join forces once again to host the fourth annual Tampa Bay’s Tailgate Taste Fest presented by Coca Cola Beverages Florida. The Bay’s best tailgating foods will be on display as the festival returns to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa on September 30th.
Enjoy the day’s best college football matchups on large LED screens, live music, cold beer courtesy of Pepin Distributing and plenty of the best food from around Tampa Bay. Kids and adults alike will enjoy family-friendly activities in the Stubb’s BBQ Fan Zone featuring activities from some of the area’s sports franchises.
Admission is FREE and the event is family- and dog-friendly. Food sample wristbands and VIP packages are available for purchase online now as well as on site the day of the event.
More info visit: tailgatetastefest.com
Follow @SportsTampaBay @CokeFlorida on twitter
Brevard Home and Garden Expo on July 22nd and 23rd at the Melbourne Auditorium. Where you’ll be able to find the area’s leading contractors, suppliers and home and garden products to assist your with your home projects as well as special “show only” sales, deals and giveaways.
Plus the Home Depot will conduct a Kids Workshop for kids of all ages. Each child will receive a Sailboat Workshop Kit, a Kids Workshop Apron and a Certificate of Completion. There is space for up to 200 Kids (Saturday only).
Explore, canvas and discover dozens of new and familiar products and services including: renovation, remodeling, new home construction, electrical/solar power, plumbing, flooring, garage and automotive, air conditioning/climate control, home entertainment, pest control, cleaning products/services, landscape and outdoors, home decor, furnishings, kitchens and baths, health and wellness, financial, mortgage, real estate and insurance, windows, screens and doors and any other product or service related to the home.
More info visit: www.brevardexpos.com
The City of Altamonte Springs and XL 106.7 FM present another spectacular Independence Day celebration “Red, Hot & Boom” on July 3rd to honor the birthday of America.
Come rain or shine, Red, Hot & Boom will deliver an unforgettable night of great performances, mouthwatering eats and beautifully synchronized fireworks. Join one of Central Florida’s most patriotic traditions and come on out for a night filled with good old-fashioned fun.
Live music from:
- Austin Mahone
- Hey Violet
More info visit: www.altamonte.org
Follow @CityofAltamonte on twitter
Party louder and play later at the newly revamped Busch Gardens “Summer Nights” kicks off June 16th until August 6th.
Featuring park-wide party zones, summer cuisine, thrill rides in the dark and an all-new summer ice show.
- Fiesta Festa – Cheetah Hunt Plaza transforms into the Fiesta Festa party zone, complete with an immersive and authentic Latin experience including lively entertainment and a flavor-packed menu, including slow roasted mojo pork, jerk chicken empanadas, and chicharróns. This area will also feature several drink options including sangria, margaritas and international and domestic beer selections.
- Luau – Pantopia becomes the Luau party zone with tropical drinks, entertainment inspired by the islands, and a Hawaiian-inspired menu, including huli huli chicken, Hawaiian barbecue ribs, and pineapple cheesecake parfait as well as tropical cocktails, craft brews and much more.
- Vibin’ Village – The Vibin’ Village party zone takes over Stanleyville and will transport you to Africa with an immersive experience of tribal entertainment and an authentic cuisine featuring craft beers, artesian wines and cocktails, chicken mafi with peanut sauce, tamarind shrimp watermelon cooler and a smoked chicken pocket with harissa.
- The Moroccan Palace is now home to the hottest show on ice, Turn It Up. This all-new, original ice show vibrantly celebrates summer with contemporary performances, aerial moments and eclectic pop music.
- It’s not summer at Busch Gardens without thrill rides in the dark. Florida’s top thrill rides will be open for Summer Nights, including favorites like Falcon’s Fury, Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra and Busch Gardens’ newest spin coaster, Cobra’s Curse.
More info or to purchase tickets visit: seaworldparks.com
Follow @BuschGardens on twitter
This year 80s in the Park will be happening at Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, a 3 day party and rock convention September 22nd until the 24th.
80s in the Park will be turning it into the Rocking Hotel Weekend Party. All bands, shows and guest will be rocking around the hotel all weekend. There will be acoustic and plugged in shows on the ocean deck every day plus headliners at night in the 80s Flashback Ballroom and of course the famous. Meet and greets after the parties each night.
Music lineup to include:
- Lynch Mob
- Enuff Znuff
- Phil Lewis of the L.A Guns
- Randy Jackson of Zebra
- House of Lords
- Ted Poley
- Lillian Axe
- Nova Rex
- Gene Loves
- Kenny McGee
- Simon Wright of AC/DC
More info visit: 80sinthepark.wixsite.com
Follow @80sinthepark on twitter
Daytona Beach is the official destination for Biketoberfest happening October 19th until October 22nd.
Soak up the sun with live music and watch the pros compete in Daytona International Speedway’s Motorcycle Races. Enjoy a walk or curise on the beach. Plus a wide variety of motorcycle vendors and the latest models, parts and accessories.
More info visit: www.daytonabeach.com
Follow @Biketoberfest @DaytonaBeachFun @DISupdates on twitter


The Love + Radio podcast is one of WBEZ’s edgiest enterprises. Over three seasons and more than half a decade, Nick van der Kolk has carved out a space akin to Errol Morris in the audio world. After his season two episode “The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt” won the top prize at the Third Coast International Audio Festival in 2011, WBEZ became a finanical backer of the experimental podcast.
While the content of the podcast is far darker and explicit than anything else we produce, it is compelling to hear first person accounts of questionable life choices. Like the best of cable dramas, Love + Radio features stories of conflicted characters- every one of them at least somewhat morally ambiguous.
In the new episode, titled “Jack and Ellen” listeners get a detailed first hand account of a young woman who practices pedobaiting- defined by Urban Dictionary as “the act of pretending to be a sexually active minor online in order to lure (‘bait’) pedophiles.” If that weren’t enough of a moral grey area, this woman also blackmails those who fall for her scheme and lives off those profits.
If you’ve read this far, you probably know this is content intended for adult audiences. Fans of HBO dramas should be fine with this episode.


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|BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS|
He exhibited in the B.C. Artists exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery from 1939 to 1945. He was living in Nelson at the time.
He exhibited with the Island Arts and Crafts Society in 1937.
He exhibited a pastel with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibition in 1942.
Amsden died in Comox in 1992, his occupation noted as "farmer."
|1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8||VAG B.C. Artists 8th Annual||Self Portrait|
|Thimble Berry and Cedar Tree|
|1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13||VAG B.C. Artists 9th Annual||Forest Winter|
|Above the Lake|
|1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19||VAG B.C. Artists 10th Annual||Green Forest|
|Cedar Tree with Snow|
|1942 May 15 - 31||BCSFA 32nd Annual||Birch Trees by the Lake|
|1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20||VAG B.C. Artists 12th Annual||The Johnstone Place|
|1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22||VAG B.C. Artists 13th Annual||On a Mountain|
|1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21||VAG B.C. Artists 14th Annual||Still Life|
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE (refer to BCVS)
www.thepeerage.com/p22667.htm: page for Amsden
Artists in Canada
" ... a pastel by P.H. Amsden ... all contribute much to this extraordinary show."
From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts Display Sets New High Mark" by Palette Vancouver Province, May 16 1942

domain: library


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Sex in Consumer Culture: The Erotic Content of Media and Marketing considers the use of sex to promote brands, magazines, video games, TV programming, music, and movies. Offering both quantitative and qualitative perspectives from leading scholars in a variety of disciplines, this volume addresses a range of integral issues such as media promotion, racial representations, appeals to gay and lesbian communities, content analyses, and case studies. Chapters represent diverse perspectives, addressing such questions as:
*What happens when sexual content created for adults reaches children?
*What meaning do sexual words and images have within the contexts of sporting events, trade shows, video games, personal ads, or consumer Web sites?
*What effects might sex-tinged images have on audiences, and where should the focus be for new effects research?
*Where are the current boundaries between pornography and mainstream sexual depictions?
Exploring sexual information as it is used in mass media to sell products and programs, Sex in Consumer Culture is an important collection, and it will be of great interest for scholars and students in advertising, marketing, media promotion, persuasion, mass communication & society, and gender studies.
Table of Contents
Contents: Foreword. Preface. T. Reichert, J. Lambiase, Peddling Desire: Sex and the Marketing of Media and Consumer Goods. Part I: Sexualizing Media. M.B. Oliver, S. Kalyanaraman, Using Sex to Sell Movies: A Content Analysis of Movie Trailers. J. Andsager, Seduction, Shock, and Sales: Research and Functions of Sex in Music Video. S.L. Smith, E. Moyer-Gusé, Voluptuous Vixens and Macho Males: A Look at the Portrayal of Gender and Sexuality in Video Games. J. Lambiase, T. Reichert, Sex and the Marketing of Contemporary Consumer Magazines: How Men's Magazines Sexualized Their Covers to Compete With Maxim. J. Skerski, From Sideline to Centerfold: The Sexual Commodification of Female Sportscasters. J.A. Fullerton, A. Kendrick, Selling Spanish-Language Programming: A Comparison of Sex and Gender in Univision and NBC Promotional Announcements. Part II: Sexualizing Products. C.J. Pardun, K.R. Forde, Sexual Content of Television Commercials Watched by Early Adolescents. A. Ramirez, Jr., Sexually Oriented Appeals on the Internet: An Exploratory Analysis of Popular Mainstream Web Sites. J. Chambers, Taste Matters: Bikinis, Twins, and Catfights in Sexually Oriented Beer Advertising. T. Reichert, T. LaCaze, From Polo to Provocateur: (Re)Branding Polo/Ralph Lauren With Sex in Advertising. D. Merskin, Where Are the Clothes? The Pornographic Gaze in Mainstream American Fashion Advertising. J.E. Schroeder, P. McDonagh, The Logic of Pornography in Digital Camera Promotion. Part III: Sexualizing People. J. Lambiase, Erotic Encounters: Female Employees and Promotional Activities. S.J. Gould, The Fetishization of People and Their Objects: Using Lovemaps to View "Style" From the New York Times Magazine. D.E. Mastro, S.R. Stern, Race and Gender in Advertising: A Look at Sexualized Images in Primetime Commercials. D.S. Grimes, "Getting a Bit of the Other": Sexualized Stereotypes of Asian and Black Women in Planned Parenthood Advertising. G. Soldow, Homoeroticism in Advertising: Something for Everyone With Androgyny. L. Lance, Searching for Love and Sex: A Review and Analysis of Mainstream and Explicit Personal Ads.
"This book bares it all--how the media and advertisers entice and excite with nudity and eroticism. The book covers (or perhaps 'uncovers' is a better word) how a variety of media and cultural forms, including video games, music videos, commercials and even trade shows, appeal to carnal rather than critical thinking."
—Lawrence Soley, Colnik Professor of Communication, Marquette University, Author of Censorship, I
"Sex in Consumer Culture is a timely and significant piece of scholarship on an enduring element of advertising theory and practice. The book brings together the most contemporary thinking on this controversial subject and is a 'must read' for every serious advertising, communication, and marketing scholar."
—Leonard Reid, Professor of Advertising, University of Georgia
"It's truly astonishing how little serious study has been devoted to sex in marketing--a significant, though rarely admired, aspect of the field--until now. In this book, Reichert and Lambiase have gathered more serious studies of sex in marketing, and exposed more diverse viewpoints on the same, than in any single book ever published. This book isn't light reading for the prurient interest, but for those of us who study advertising's impact on society, it's nonetheless exciting."
—Jef Richards, Ph.D., J.D., Professor of Advertising, University of Texas at Austin
"Sex in Consumer Culture is a great one-stop-shop for readers looking for examples of how sex is used in media."
—Journal of Mass Media Ethics


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Police in Tunisia chased and shot dead three suspected Islamist militants after they attacked two police officers, killing one of them, in the coastal city of Sousse on Sunday, authorities said.
Tunisian security forces shot dead three suspected Islamic militants who rammed their vehicle into police officers and attacked them with knives, killing one and injuring another in the Mediterranean resort, authorities said.
A security official described the incident as "a terrorist attack" without giving any further details.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
An Interior Ministry statement said the assailants took refuge in a school after the attack and died in a shootout with security forces.
Hatem Zargouni, director of security for Sousse, said the attackers stabbed the officers and then fled with their weapons.
The injured officer was taken to hospital.
Five years ago an Islamic State militant shot dead 39 foreigners on a beach in Sousse, triggering an exodus of tourists and severely damaging its economy.
Thirty Britons were killed in a terrorist attack on the beach in June 2015.
Since then Tunisia has grown more effective in preventing and responding to attacks, foreign diplomats say, but sleeper cells still pose a real threat to the country, especially with the return of jihadists from Syria, Iraq and Libya.
"Terrorists stabbed two policemen at El Kantaoui district, in Sousse. One of them died. The police pursued the terrorists and killed them," said Houssem Jbebli, a National Guard spokesman.
According to the Interior Ministry, the suspects used a car to ram the policemen.
"Security forces surrounded the terrorists and exchanged fire with them, killing the three terrorists," the ministry said in a statement.
Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine went to the scene of and to the hospital in Sousse to visit the injured policeman, the ministry said.
Kantaoui is a district full of hotels currently empty as tourists stay away during the coronavirus pandemic.
The last serious attack in Tunisia was in March when two militants on a motorbike blew themselves up outside the US Embassy in Tunis, killing a policeman and wounding several others.
Hundreds of Tunisians have travelled to Iraq, Syria or Libya in recent years to join Islamic State, and in 2016 members of the group rampaged across the border with Libya and fought the army in a border town, but were repulsed.

domain: news


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We've come to a close on day 2 of the Life (as an art form) workshop. It's been fascinating to work with only 10 photographers in close quarters, and being mentored by Jesh de Rox, and Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser (of the Image is Found). I have so much to share but time is short when there is so much to soak in over three days. Check back soon for more! and when I've had more sleep.
Thanks for the well wishes and thoughts during these last few horrific days of fires. We are safe where we are located, but a few of the workshop attendees who are local to this area were affected by the evacuations. It's amazing to see their outlooks and spirits. The air still continues to be very nasty to breathe and ash continues to fall in the air. But we were able to get down to the ocean today for a photo shoot and it was a nice change of pace to smell ocean air instead.

domain: artistic


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A new study suggests that eating coffee and eggs may increase the risk of developing a serious cancer. The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found that people who ate more than two cups of coffee and two eggs per day had a higher risk of developing a type of cancer called pancreatic cancer. The findings are concerning, as pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 9%. While the study does not prove that coffee and eggs cause pancreatic cancer, it does suggest that people should be aware of the potential risks associated with eating these foods. Fortunately, there are many healthy alternatives to coffee and eggs that can help reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the best way to reduce the risk of developing any type of cancer.
Coffee and Eggs Increase the Risk of This Serious Cancer, New Study Suggests — Eat This Not That
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that drinking coffee and eating eggs may increase the risk of developing a serious form of cancer. The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, looked at the dietary habits of more than 1,000 people with colorectal cancer and compared them to the dietary habits of more than 1,000 people without the disease.
The researchers found that those who drank more than two cups of coffee per day and ate more than two eggs per week had a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than those who did not. The risk was even higher for those who drank more than four cups of coffee and ate more than four eggs per week.
The researchers concluded that drinking coffee and eating eggs may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, and they suggest that people should limit their consumption of these foods. They also suggest that people should focus on eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
If you are concerned about your risk of developing colorectal cancer, it is important to talk to your doctor about your dietary habits and any other lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can help reduce your risk of developing this serious form of cancer.
Sitting down to a breakfast of coffee and eggs might sound like a relaxing way to spend a morning off work (and it is). There’s just some news worth hearing, if these are two pleasures you enjoy: A group of researchers says both eggs and coffee, along with two other common factors in many diets, have just been found to be associated with what’s often a life-threatening type of cancer.
A group of medical and public health researchers from Iran University of Medical Sciences, the U.K.’s Imperial College London, and Nipissing University in Canada teamed up to review the findings from 226 past studies on ovarian cancer that had all been performed up until January 2020. Following their analysis of these past studies, on Wednesday the authors published a new paper in the peer-reviewed Journal of Ovarian Research.
To start off, they stated: “Following cervical and uterine cancer, ovarian cancer (OC) has the third rank in gynecologic cancers. It often remains non-diagnosed until it spreads throughout the pelvis and abdomen.” They added that identifying the most influential risk factors for ovarian cancer can be one way to “help take prevention measures.”
Within their abstract and the paper itself, they noted several factors which they concluded may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Keep reading to see what those were, and read Nutrition Tips Everyone Should Follow After 50, Say Dietitians.
The first factor the researchers mentioned in their abstract are two specific genetic mutations in the DNA of women in some families. They said those mutations are the Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism (abbreviated as MTHFR C677T) and Fokl rs2228570.
Those representations may not make sense to you here—but if you were ever to undergo genetic testing for cancer or other diseases, the medical professional who guides you through that process may look out for the presence of these two genes.
Sign up for the Eat This, Not That! newsletter.
The researchers noted that estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy and hysterectomy in a woman’s medical history were reported in some studies as being related to ovarian cancer risk.
RELATED: Walking Can Help Fight This Common Aging Problem, New Study Says
The researchers also stated: “Some diseases, such as diabetes, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome, as well as several genetic polymorphisms, cause a significant increase in ovarian cancer occurrence.”
Some females’ health choices may increase the risk—the researchers specified that “obesity, [being] overweight, smoking, and perineal talc use, significantly increase the risk of ovarian cancer.”
The dietary factors linked with ovarian cancer that the researchers listed were coffee, eggs, alcohol, and fat intake, which may all “significantly increase the risk of ovarian cancer,” they reported.
We should note one possible limitation of these conclusions related to ovarian cancer risk: While this analysis included more than 200 past studies, only two to four studies analyzed each of these individual factors. So while this sounds like a thorough and comprehensive review, it’s important to take caution before strongly concluding that any of these singular factors absolutely causes ovarian cancer.
To know more about your own possible cancer risk, speak with a medical professional. And for ideas to keep your diet and lifestyle in balance, keep reading:

domain: medical


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Save precious time with pre-cut felt pieces. Glue or sew onto craft projects. Fuzzy, soft material is great for tactile learners. Each package features 500 pieces in cool shapes and bright colors; assortment may vary.
- 500 felt shapes in vibrant colors and interesting shapes
Made in USA


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Not your grandmother’s curio cabinet. The Henson cabinet is designed with an airy aesthetic in mind. The drifted oak cabinet features three walls of glass panels to display personal artifacts. Beautifully proportioned, the cabinet storage sits atop a iron base.
Available in a drifted oak and black finish.
- Height: 69"
- Width: 45.75"
- Depth: 16"


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Smooth as Chrome – An Interview with Sweden’s Mitch Murder
A quick trip to Sweden’s official website will reveal that there’s so much more to Sweden than death metal and IKEA. For example, did you know that it’s slightly larger than the state of California and that for almost two whole centuries, Sweden has not officially participated in any war or conflict? Maybe it’s because the Swedish people are so focused on other, more worthwhile pursuits other than violence that make them a peaceful and industrious people. I found the quote below concerning Swedish design to be particularly interesting:
Diversity is the keyword of the Swedish design scene. Emotional values are now reckoned to be as important as function in Swedish craftsmanship and design in general. Everything is tested and retested, both aesthetic norms and traditional ways of working.
“Emotional values are now reckoned to be as important as function…” I can’t help but feel that this idea carries over into more than just design for Sweden. Take, for example, the music of Sweden. There’s a succinct, emotional cord that Swedish musicians know how to tug on. You have the oft-karaoke’d “Dancing Queen” from Swedish darlings, ABBA, the fluffy cloudiness of Air France, and the tropical, Carribbean-inspired sounds of Korralleven. Just listen to the music, there’s this undeniable “happiness,” a certain elements that “pops” in their music.
The music of Swedish electro-powerhouse producer Johan Bengtsson, otherwise known as Mitch Murder, is no different. Don’t let the name fool you – Bengtsson’s music is some of the most upbeat stuff you’ll hear online these days. Not only does Bengtsson inject that poppy ingredient into his music, but a few seconds into any Mitch Murder track reveals that he is a student of perfecting that principle mentioned above—emotional value as important as function. In that capacity, Mitch Murder is balls-to-the-walls delivering that in full force.
Mitch Murder’s music stands so far apart from other artists out there who are giving the 80s sound a go in a way that you would swear you were listening to a track actually written, recorded, and mastered during the 8’s. Aerobics videos, VHS tapes, Deloreans… Mitch Murder bottles all of this into one big time capsule and leaves it for his listeners to uncover and revel in.
If you’re reading this article, you’re either familiar with his work or by now already know that here at Synconation, we’re A.O.K. with giving a nod towards all things 80s-influenced. That being so, it was only a matter of time before we uncovered the gems that Mitch Murder has to offer. I was able to talk a bit with Johan Bengtsson about his recent Burning Chrome full-length album, his upcoming Current Events album, and yes, even his home country of Sweden. Do yourself a favor and listen to “Remember When” from his This Is Now EP while reading this piece. It’ll help set the mood.YouTube responded to TubePress with an HTTP 410 - No longer available
Synco: I have to ask about the name. It’s so aggressive! I wouldn’t expect a sound such as yours to come from an artist with that name. Is there a story behind it?
JB: Well, to be honest with you I’m not a big fan of my artist name. It actually started out as a hip-hop/G-Funk instrumentals project about 4 years ago, and when I started making 80’s music “full time” I kept the name for some reason. You’re right though, it doesn’t really fit at all, but I feel it’s too late to change now.
Synco: It seems fairly obvious that you have some 80s electro influences. I also read that you generally don’t listen to modern music and instead prefer revisiting music from the 80s from artists such as Jan Hammer, David Frank, and the like. Why is music from that era important to you and in what way do you think that it influences your music?
JB: I listen to a lot of music these days, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t listen to any modern music, there are a bunch of awesome current artists out there for sure, but I tend to prefer older music, be it 1930’s jazz, cheesy 50’s bossa nova, 70’s motown or 80’s pop, most of what I listen to tend to belong to past decades. I’m not sure why that is.
There’s something special about music from the 80’s though that is hard for me to put into words, but I guess a lot of it is just pure nostalgia, it’s when I grew up after all, and I have loads of random childhood memories that for some reason all include music.
As for influences, if it wasn’t for Paul Hardcastle and his self titled 1985 album, I probably wouldn’t even be doing what I’m doing right now. I bought it sometime back in ’97 or something and remember listening to it for weeks straight, I really couldn’t get enough of it, and after a while I began trying to replicate the sound of it using old PC-tracker software, like Scream Tracker and later Impulse Tracker. So if I had to pick one 80’s artist that truely influenced and inspired me, it’d have to be Hardcastle. David Frank, Jan Hammer and Vince DiCola etc. are all huge influences of mine as well, only I discovered them much later.
Synco: Tell me about your relationship with Rosso Corsa Records. How did you end up working with them and what role do they play in your career at this point in time?
JB: Well, right after I had self-released my first Mitch Murder EP on iTunes back in 2009 I started looking for a fitting label for my upcoming stuff, first I got in touch with Karakasa Music (very cool net label) through a friend and released my “Television” EP, then one day I just randomly found Rosso’s profile on MySpace and thought it looked like the perfect place for me to release my music, so I mailed them, not really expecting a reply, but then one or two days later I was on their roster and it’s been my favourite 80’s label ever since. There’s just so much talent there, Multipac, Miami Nights 1984, Lazerhawk, etc. All pure 80’s bliss.
There are so many indie artists and labels out there these days that release 80’s influenced music, but Rosso Corsa is still one of the few i know of that puts out music that sounds as if it were actually made in the 80’s and not just inspired by it, which is extremely inspiring to me.
Synco: Recently you seem to have been doing more collaborations with vocalists like Kristine. What aspects of working with other artists do you enjoy? Does it change how you approach writing a song or is your approach pretty much the same?
JB: I had zero experience working with vocalists up until about a year ago, but I really love it so far, it tends to bring a whole other dimension to my music that I never even considered before, and it’s really fun. I’ve only made a couple of tracks that was specifically written with vocals in mind so far, but it’s a challenge I really enjoy, since I’m not used to structuring tracks in a “vocal-friendly” way.
Synco: More and more people seem to be paying attention to artists coming out of Sweden these days. Airy, upbeat music from bands like Air France and Korallreven come to mind. Could you describe the atmosphere and mood that exists in the Swedish community and how it’s affected you and your music?
JB: I suppose Sweden has been known for its overly melodic upbeat music ever since ABBA, and those you mentioned are no exception. I’m not sure why this is, but I guess one theory as good as any would be how we need upbeat and fun music to persevere through the long, cold and dark winters we have here.
As for me I’ve just always enjoyed melodic music for as long as I can remember, and when working on tracks I often have to stop myself from going too crazy with the melodic parts, if that even makes any sense.
On one hand I often feel like making improvised melodies that goes on for minutes straight, but in the end I usually prefer shorter, well thought out melody sections that gives the track its own identity. It’s an endless struggle though!
Synco: With so many artists (France’s Valerie Collective comes to mind, i.e. College, Anoraak, Minitel Rose, etc.) donning the 80s/electro flag, do you think that an over-saturation might be happening? How do you see Mitch Murder’s sound fit into this revival that’s been happening for a while now?
JB: There are many half-assed attempts at 80’s music out there for sure, and a lot of it is starting to sound the same, but I don’t really mind since once in a while you’ll come across something that stands out from the generic majority, if you’re willing to look for it. It’s just sad that a lot of these artists go virtually unnoticed, people like Jupiter Gang for example, dude’s got so much talent but hardly any followers on his SoundCloud / YouTube.
As for the whole 80’s revival going on right now I don’t really see myself as part of it, even though I obviously am whether I like it or not, but I’ve been making 80’s tracks on and off for the past 10 years (though only seriously and putting out releases for the past 3 or so), and this throwback revival thing really doesn’t have anything to do with me making this kind of music. Of course it doesn’t really hurt either, but I’m sure I’ll still keep doing it even after it goes out of style.
Synco: Let’s talk about the new album you just wrapped up. You posted a teaser on your Soundcloud page and it certainly has some similarities to Burning Chrome. What were you hoping to accomplish with the new record?
JB: Well, it’s just more Mitch Murder. People who heard my last album seemed to enjoy it so I figured I’d put out another one since i can’t seem to stop making tracks anyway. It’s as simple as that really. The two albums are similar in style, sure, but I try to stick to some sort of theme when making releases like these. Even if I’m the only one who has any idea what they’re about.
Burning Chrome was just one big homage to 80’s movies. My upcoming album, Current Events, is all about everyday life during the 1980’s in general to major events that defined the decade. Most of the time it’s pretty subtle though. I just enjoy working around a set theme.
Synco: Do you have any plans to perform live or tour in support of the new record?
JB: Not at the moment, no. I’ve thought about doing live gigs for years but i just never got around to it. I’ve had some requests lately though so maybe I’ll finally work up the courage one of these days, hah!
Synco: I understand you have some other projects aside from the new record in the works. Could you talk a little bit about what we can look forward to in terms of upcoming projects?
JB: I’ve got almost too many projects going on right now, that’s what it feels like anyway since I seem unable to say no to anything. Aside from working on my album for the past 10 months or so and doing several remixes, I’m also doing music for a 20 episode web series, a documentary about arcade game culture (The Video Craze, check it out!) and a movie. Just recently I’ve also gotten the chance to work on some stuff for a video game, though nothing’s settled yet. There’s also a couple of vocalists waiting for me to send them new material, and this isn’t even my day job!


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May 9, 2010
2 cubes butter
2 2/3 C evaporated milk
4 C powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
Use a large pot. Melt butter on low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. Add evaporated milk and powdered sugar and turn heat to medium high. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to about medium (just keep a low boil going) and set timer for 8 minutes. You don't want it boiling too hard. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. It will thicken up a bit. It makes 5 - 6 cups.
*I almost always halve this for our family and boiling for 6 minutes is about right for halving it. I've found that half a bag of chocolate chips is one heaping 3/4 C not just 1 C even.
*This is my mother-in-law's infamous recipe. She says she has tried other chocolate chips and it's the best with Nestle semi-sweet.

domain: food


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You are working a miracle again,
laying your hands on a convoluted mass
of steel, coaxing, wrenching life
into the shape of a machine.
And watching you, I wonder
if you can diagram my intricate workings,
this mess of organic wiring and
inner gears you’ve put in reverse;
if you know how to trace these impulses
and their careless electric trails
coursing through my circuits;
if you feel every metallic fitting and
shift, molecular, of this transmutation
– pistons into muscle, axles and oil
into bones and blood – the rapture
igniting at your touch on my skin
like metal, reverent.
Long note: This finally came out of a rather Asimov draft from forever ago.
Galatea was the name of the statue that Pygmalion the sculptor fell in love with in Ovid’s Metamorphoses – Aphrodite brought her to life for Pygmalion.
In this interpretation, Galatea is cast as a Juliet-type in an I, Robot setting.


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MEXICO CITY – Mexico said Thursday that more than 30,000 people have been killed in drug violence since President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown against cartels in late 2006.
The government said the violent La Familia cartel in western Mexico has been “systematically weakened” by recent arrests and deaths of leading members of the gang.
Attorney General Arturo Chavez Chavez told reporters that about 12,500 people were killed between January and November, compared to 9,600 for all of 2009. That was an increase from the last official report of deaths in the drug war, in August, when the country’s intelligence agency director said 28,000 had died.
In a joint statement later Thursday, Chavez Chavez’s office, the army, federal police and navy said the La Familia cartel was reeling from the recent deaths or arrests of some of it leaders. It said the cartel had begun to pursue false propaganda campaigns depicting itself as a protector of inhabitants of the western state of Michoacan.
“The systematic weakening of this criminal group due to the actions of the federal government has forced some of its members to adopt false rhetoric about helping the people of Michoacan, when in fact their operational methods are to terrorize and rob them,” according to the statement.
That was an apparent reference to a Dec. 9 recording by La Familia leader Servando Gomez, who urged cartel supporters over a radio frequency to continue fighting, hours after the death of the group’s leader, Nazario Moreno, nicknamed “The Craziest One” or “The Doctor.”
“God is with us, onward to victory!” Gomez is heard saying in the tape, in which he urged cartel supporters to join recent demonstrations calling for the withdrawal of federal police and the army. Gomez is also heard complaining that the government had not accepted the cartel’s offer to declare a temporary truce.
In its statement, the federal government stressed it would not negotiate with cartels. “The only option that remains for these criminals to hand themselves over to the authorities,” it said.
The statement also stressed that federal forces are in Michoacan largely because local and state police are unable to handle the fight against the cartel. It noted that only 15 percent of state police officers and only 9 percent of municipal officers in Michoacan had been vetted or subject to background checks.
Many local police forces have been accused of collaborating with drug gangs.
Also Thursday, the navy reported it has seized 240 200-liter (53 gallon) drums of a precursor chemical used to make methamphetamines. It said the shipment was seized Thursday at the Gulf coast port of Altamira.


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Seeing as tomorrow will be my first day on land in seven days, I thought it was time for my first blog post. The last week has been filled with new experiences, and lots and lots of new people.
To backtrack a little, Shannon and I spent two days in London before boarding the ship. While it was a short trip, we got to see a lot of the London we had in our heads – most of the big touristy spots – and explore more local areas as well. I LOVE Ferris Wheels, so going on the Eye was a must. We walked across a big bridge to get there, which felt a lot like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge funnily enough. The Eye is set in a cool fair-like park, with street performers, musicians, a funhouse and more. The views from the top were amazing…Big Ben, the palaces, the Thames River and more.
We also visited Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace…how insane to think people actually live there!! They were massive. There were also surprising number of cars going in and out, and not a huge amount of security, at least openly. We walked into Harrods’s, a crazy big department store that looks like a palace from the outside and has everything you could imagine and more inside (including a full grocery store). My favorite activity was tea at Harvey Nichol’s, another big department store. The restaurant was on the roof, and tea was served on a three-tiered dish filled with scones, finger sandwiches, etc. Parent Trap, anyone?
Aside from those visits, much of our two days were spent wandering and walking into random bars and restaurants to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi and lowered drinking age (it took us a bit to figure out our hotel Wi-Fi)…I learned I’m a big fan of pear cider. We ate a lot of great food, and I got my long-awaited London Indian food. The samosas and Chana masala did not disappoint.
On the ship, I’ve been adjusting to sea life and a new schedule – so far we’ve made it to one breakfast…7:30-8:30 is just a tad early for our liking. It’s definitely strange to be away from Instagram and Snapchat and sometimes see absolutely nothing but open water around you, but those aspects pale in comparison to the incredible views any time I pass a window or step out on deck.
Though the community on board is definitely majority American, there are students from almost every other continent too. It’s been so interesting to hear them share their opinions in class and lectures, of which there are many. Semester at Sea does a fantastic job of keeping the evenings full of things to do. In my travel writing class, where we are focusing on what makes a city livable as we go to different ports, the topic of class came up. Students from Egypt and Colombia talked about the complete lack of middle class in their countries; if you’re born rich, you’re rich, if you’re born poor, you’re poor. There’s no room for movement, they said. Hearing them talk definitely gave me more insight into and appreciation for the “American dream,” something that I think is easily forgotten.
We’ve had a lot of prep for Russia, including cultural and historical talks, and lectures in my classes on the education and economic systems in the country, so I’m very excited to get off the ship tomorrow morning (!!!) and explore.
Thanks for reading!


Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani trailer was unveiled on Tuesday. The trailer has drama, romance, and comedy. While Alia plays Rani Chatterjee, Ranveer plays Rocky Randhawa. The duo’s chemistry is on point. After the trailer was released, Karan Johar hosted a live session on Instagram. Karan, who is returning as a director after seven years, was asked about Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo in RARKPK.
Karan Johar talks about SRK’s cameo in RARKPK
When asked if Shah Rukh Khan would be seen in the film, KJo replied, “No, he is not (in the film) but his love and blessings are always with me. He is family to me and he was the first person to put out the first unit of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.”
As many are aware, King Khan had a special appearance in Karan’s last directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which featured Anushka Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
On the other hand, when one of KJo’s fans asked if he will be seen in RARKPK, the filmmaker replied, “Fortunately for all of you, I’m not in the film.” Adding to that, KJo teased fans saying, “There are three surprise cameos in the movie. I’m not revealing any of the names.”
Reportedly, Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, and Janhvi Kapoor are said to make cameo appearances in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Speaking of Ananya, fans spotted her in the trailer of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. She was spotted in what seems to be a dance number. Ananya is seen in a red shimmery outfit while dancing next to Ranveer Singh.
ananya and ranveer? bye pic.twitter.com/PVIy5IMYGj— ًhay (@shiqayat) July 4, 2023
On the other hand, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani also stars Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi. Apart from that, RARKPK also stars Tota Roy Chowdhury, Churni Ganguly, Namit Das, Aamir Bashir, Kshitee Jog, and Anjali Anand. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is slated to release on 28th July.
Also Read: Is Rani Mukerji also a part of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani? Karan Johar drops a major hint


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Magnet - Flower art - Shining
Warming gold and rose gold tones shining for you. A little burst of original art, perfect for the fridge, the home office or the coffee machine.
It's useful. It's noice. It's a little bit cute. Collect the whole set!
Magnet Bundles also available!


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In this guide, we’ll explain to you which of the best cards you should invest in, which epic cards you should get and which cards you should ignore. Keep in mind that this is our opinion based on experience and statistics from the most used cards at the top players in Clash Royale. We have been playing almost since the beginning of the game and have seen all the trends, the improvements and worsening of cards, and the cards that have always been popular and effective. Trying to concentrate on these cards will help you in the long run, especially in the higher areas. First, let’s start with the top 10 ordinary and rare cards that you should focus on, improve, and ask for donations from your clan.
Table of Contents
The best cards to improve and the worst to ignore
The ten best ordinary and rare cards
Barbarians – The Barbarians has always been popular and also a good card. For the price of only 5 Elixir, summon a strong group of 4 Barbarians. To demonstrate their unification, a Level 8 Barbarian has 579 hit points and 96 damage per second. So they have a total of 2316 hit points and 384 damage per second, no other card gives you so much for so little. The barbarians are not good for their offensive but very good for the defensive. They can defeat the strongest offensive combination in the game, including Pig Rider, Prince, PEKKA, Golem, Skeletons, and so on. So it’s no wonder why barbarians are always on TV Royale.
Archers – Similar to the spear goblins, they cost one more elixir. The costs are related to the fact that they are much better. They do more damage and have many more hit points. For example, Level 8 spears goblins have 100 hit points while level 8 archers have 241 hit points. Spear goblins die of arrows, baby dragons, mages, and many other cards, but the archers do not and that’s what makes them so special. Only in higher areas are the archers outclassed by the princess.
Fireball – The fireball card is another excellent card to win. Players often underestimate this card to attack the opposing tower. What makes the fireball one of the best cards in the game is its potential to earn an elixir advantage. This card is a defensive breaker. It is best used against large clusters of enemies. An example: The fireball card is an excellent counter to the often used barbarian card. Since it only costs four elixirs, their use against barbarians is always a good choice. It is even better to wait and shoot the fireball so that the units behind it are hit to make it as effective as possible. For example, barbarians are often played in combination with ranged fighters. So you should wait until the barbarians are over the bridge and see that you also catch the units behind with your fireball. The difficulty with a fireball is timing and hitting him properly, but over time you get better and better with him as you gain experience.
Leprechauns are also among the best cards in Clash Royale because they are so cheap, they only cost two elixirs! While they cause a lot of damage together. For example 3 level 8 goblins do 261 damage per second, which makes them excellent for defending. With only 2 Elixir, they cost very little and you can quickly earn an Elixiervorteil with them. You can see goblins and spear goblins in combination, even among the top players.
Lakaienhorde – Like the Barbarians, the Lakaienhorde is also a strong card on the defensive and the offensive. It is often used as it merely counters many strong cards. The Lakaienhorde is one of the best defensive cards in the game. It can be killed with one shot, unlike the Barbarians of Arrows, but it is a fast card and can often kill a large threat before your opponent can even play the arrows.
Arrows – Arrows have always been a trendy card and it is played in all levels. This is very high quality and only costs three elixirs and can give you an elixir benefit if you use them properly. It has a very large hit radius and allows you to damage multiple enemies. For example, you use arrows on a footman horde and a group of spear goblins that instantly gives you a four elixir benefit. So it’s no surprise that the arrow card is one of the best and most popular cards in the game.
Pig Rider – The Pig Rider is undoubtedly one of the best offensive units in the game. He has a good amount of hit points, is fast, strong and can rush straight to a tower. This makes him an annoying card that is hard to stop. Not only that, the best point for pork riders is that they only cost four elixirs! So it can have a big impact on the game if you have a small elixir benefit.
Spearguns – Speargooks is one of the cheapest cards in the game and has a high value. It can be the first card you play without losing many elixirs to explore your opponent. The spear goblins are also very strong against air targets behind a tank like a giant or a golem. They are a great way to make good use of Elixir. Just use it as a defense along with your towers. For example, if your opponent sends a mini PEKKA, send simple spear goblins into the arena along with your tower, quickly kill the mini PEKKA without harming you and earn elixir benefits from 2 elixirs. You can also have a baby dragon let your tower attack, only then you put the spear goblins. You lose a few hit points, but you get a 2 Elixiervorteil and still have your spear goblins with whole hit points. Yes, this card is meant to win.
Tesla – The Tesla is one of the strongest defensive cards in the game and only costs four elixirs. Not only that, he can escape area damage because he hides under the ground. To make the game faster, Supercell has decided to weaken all defensive buildings, according to the motto “offensive before defensive.” But the Tesla remains the best defensive building in the game.
Wizard – The wizard is one of the best cards due to his in-game skills. He does excellent damage and what makes him special is that he causes area damage.
He is an excellent card to kill units from huts or some of the often-used cards, such as Barbarians or Horde’s Minions. The only other surface damage cards the air units can attack are the Baby Dragon and the Witch. The baby dragon and the witch are a much weaker card than the mage; they have trouble killing a card like a lackey horde in time. This makes the magician such a good and important card. He also trumps the musketeer because of his area damage.
Now we come to the best epic cards in the game, which you should get and should also be improved. Here are our top 5.
The five best epic cards
Baby Dragon – The Baby Dragon is the best choice when it comes to the best epic card in the game. He is not the strongest card but fits in every deck. He’s holding out so you can place your ranged fighters behind him. He makes area damage against ground and air forces, which is very important to defeat cabin units and hordes of enemies. The other two units that can attack surface damage and air units are the sorcerer and the witch, but what gives the baby dragon an edge is that it costs only four elixirs, with the sorcerer and witch costing 5. Also, the baby kite keeps more and is less prone to the fireball.
Dark Prince – Like his brother, the Dark Prince is also one of the best offensive cards in the game. The prince is bad against many simple units, but the dark prince is not, he does area damage and can kill them all at once. He is not as aggressive as the prince, but his area damage ability is critical. His many hit points also make him a good defensive card. Not to mention that the costs only four elixirs, one elixir less than his brother.
Poison – The poison is a dangerous defensive card that not only slowly kills and slows down your enemies but slows them down as well. Best of all, it only costs four elixirs, which is very worthwhile when used against units with little hit points. Also, he slows down troops that endure a bit more. Do not forget that your Arenaturm also helps in defense, in combination with the poison; you can get a big elixir advantage. This makes the poison a very good and dangerous card.
Golem – The Golem is one of the best cards in the game. Unfortunately, the golem is also one of the most expensive cards in the game; it costs eight elixirs. But that’s also understandable because of his many hit points, his death damage, and his ability to create Golemites after his death. All this together makes it one of the best epic maps.
Prince – In addition to the Pig Rider, the Prince is one of the best offensive cards in the game because of his attack power and speed, as well as his ability to assault a target and cause double damage. Not only because of that, but also his relatively many hit points make him strong. Meaning, you can use it not only as a defense but also as an attack unit in combination with ranged fighters.
So these are our top 5 epic maps. Now let’s introduce you to the five worst cards in Clash Royale we think you should ignore.
The five worst cards in Clash Royale
Three Musketeers – The Three Musketeers is one of the strongest cards in the game and one of the worst cards in the game. The reason for this is the cost of 10 elixirs! So you have to spend all your elixir to summon 3 Musketeers and all the enemy has to do is shoot a four elixir fireball to counter it. Ten elixirs are not worth summon three musketeers.
Royale Giant – The Royale Giant is one of the worst cards in the game. It costs six elixirs and is super slow and weak. It is very good that he is a ranged fighter and has relatively many hit points. But you can not use your other ranged fighters behind him because he’s just too slow and standing behind himself. Not only that, he only attacks buildings, which is not bad, but he does not do too much damage.
Skeletal Army – The Skeletal Army is good at defense but cruel on offense and is instantly killed with a rain of arrows. She will trump the gravestone and the barbarians. It also dies instantly when attacked by units that cause area damage. And in combination with an arena tower, it’s super easy to stop a skeletal army. So not a card worth investing in.
Valkyrie – The Valkyrie is not a bad card, but at higher levels, it is quickly trumped by the Dark Prince. Like the Valkyrie, the dark prince does area damage against ground units but is better overall. Not only that the Valkyrie cannot attack air units, but she is also not a unit that does not stand much. The baby garden is therefore much better than the Valkyrie. So you better upgrade the Baby Dragon and the Dark Prince instead of the Valkyrie.
Anger – The Fury spell is a super spell in Clash of Clans. But in Clash Royale, the problem is that it does not strengthen your units, but only gives them speed. You should rename the spell to Speed Magic because that’s what he is. This card is not a good card, not even with slow troops like the PEKKA, giant skeleton or the balloon. Also because all the troops are also easy to distract. And the anger spell gives only 35% speed, which is not enough.
This was our list of the best and worst cards in Clash Royale, if you disagree, write a comment and let us know your opinion. We hope this list will help you create the right and best deck for you.
Double elixir Challenge
- The first round is FREE! Yeah! The next cost 100 gems each.
- Like other challenges, the battle begins with a choice between 2 cards. You choose one of these cards and the other one is given to the opponent. You pick four cards and you get four from your opponent.
- Elixir charges like in stoppage time constantly and twice as fast.
- There is the challenge to win unique rewards. The rewards are very good! The first reward you get at two victories.
- The Double Elixir Challenge starts on May 12th and ends on May 15th.
|Number of victories||profit||One-time rewards|
That’s a 124,000 gold bonus for you, and we have not mentioned the card rewards yet. So, if you’re an F2P player, good luck on the first round!
The best tips for 12 wins in the Double Elixir challenge
Always choose at least one victory card! This is probably the most important thing you have to do while playing the challenge. It’s challenging to win the game without a winning card. You just can not hope for victory. Victory Card + Supporters are always better than Glass Cannon Decks.
Choose one of these cards if possible. All of them work very well in any challenge as they require special counter-attacks. If your opponents do not have these counters, they will find it hard to defend against these cards.
Choose a direct damage spell. Sometimes you have no luck and you will not get a victory card. Then you need a direct damage spell to take the tower out. This challenge is “Double Elixir,” so you’ll quickly come back to your spell after using it. Since the Elixir regeneration rate is very high, your opponent will probably play multiple troops at once, giving you the chance to get positive elixir trades.
Keep your deck cheap, but not too cheap. Otherwise, you have to play with ten fingers.
In the challenge, the decisions are usually quite similar (for example, lackeys vs. lackey equestrians). Choose the cheaper cards! It’s best to keep your deck low. You never know what your opponent will give you. What if your opponent gives you Lavahund, Golem, and Giant? Then it will be challenging for you to win the fight.
Better safe than sorry!
Make sure most of your cards fit well. Choose the cards that can meet a variety of cards!
For example, bang, fireball, skeleton army, goblin gang, knight, etc. can deal with different cards; They are also relatively cheap, so they are a good choice.
As we mentioned in the second tip, your opponent may have some special cards that are hard to counter with certain cards, so it’s better to choose versatile cards.
Do not forget your ace up your sleeve! This is the card that your opponent would never think of, find a good opportunity to play it at the right moment.
Having at least one of these cards is ideal. It could be frost, balloon, graveyard, three musketeers, etc.
It’s often good to have at most one of these cards in your deck. This is a card that your opponent least expects, so play it at the best possible moment.
Good luck, people! See you in the Double Elixir Challenge!

domain: hobby


Johansen pointed out that Norwegian companies need backing to engage in the poorest countries. But the statistics show that a large part of the money has gone to Southeast Asia, and a substan-tial part to the so called tiger states. NORAD will find few sharing the wiew that these countries are among the world's poorest.
We would also like to know why Norsk Hydro needs economic support of the order of 80-90 000 Norwegian Kroners, to draw up, so called establishment alternatives in developing countries. As far as we know the company is making billions of kroner surplus, at the same time it is state majority owned. There is no need for a big effort from the side of the authorities to get the company to place such small sums of its own fund.
All of this gives an impression that the arrangement for the support of prefeasibility studies serves the industry more than the worlds poorest. But this Johansen does not accept.
Norwatch Newsletter 5/97


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A sensation caused by the artist Sherine Seif Al-Nasr, after she stated that nine years of her artistic life had gone during her presentation of the play "Body Guard" with the artist Adel Imam.
She explained that a large number of her fans and fans believed that she had moved away from the artistic scene, but in fact she had spent nearly 9 years during which she had participated in the play Body Guard, which was the last theatrical work of the artist Adel Imam,
A large group of stars, including Raghda and Lucy, and a large number of artists who are accustomed to the participation of the artist Adel Imam in his theatrical works, participated in the championship.
Sherine Seif Al-Nasr added that this play consumed a lot of her energy, in addition to the fact that she did not film the play, and this caused her to be in a bad psychological state, so she did not appear on the artistic scene after that.
Sherine Seif Al-Nasr is preparing to return to the artistic community again
Sherine Seif Al-Nasr confirmed her return to artistic work again, but not this period, considering that the last period was a truce,
And that she is currently reading a number of dramatic artworks, and she will decide her decision to engage in them during the coming period.
It is worth noting that the artist Sherine Seif Al-Nasr appeared on the media scene again during the past weeks after she was robbed by one of her friends, who used to visit her home on a daily basis and trusted her blindly.


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New York, USA – The Russian Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble will be the special guests at Paul Winter’s 24th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration in New York City’s Cathedral of St John the Divine, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, on 18, 19 and 20 December 2003.
Founded in 1973 in Moscow by Dmitri Pokrovsky (1944-1996), the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble performs a
wide variety of music, including songs of different traditions and styles of the Russian countryside,
spiritual music, and works by classical composers such as Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Shchedrin and Shnitke.
Paul Winter and the Consort met the Pokrovsky Ensemble in 1986, at the end of the Consort’s first tour of the Soviet Union. The magic of that first concert planted the seeds for the 2 groups to come together again in 1987 to create the Grammy-nominated album Earthbeat and in 1988 for a 25-city tour of the United States.
A milestone recording, Earthbeat was described by Pete Seeger as a “ground-breaking
album” in which Winter may have “set a new path – of juxtaposing and superimposing different idioms”. Dave Brubeck said of the Earthbeat album: “Paul’s fusion of this 1,000-year old Russian ethnic choral tradition with the personal style of his group is a forceful statement of his belief in the oneness of our earth song“.
After many performances together in the USA, Russia and Asia, the Paul Winter Consort and the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble continue to break new ground. In 2003 they have delighted audiences in Russia, Spain and Israel. In December 2003 they will come together once more at Paul Winter’s celebrated annual Winter Solstice Celebration, a world music, theatrical and environmental concert which has become one of the best-attended holiday events in New York City.
Tickets for this, Winter’s 24th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration, are on sale online via
http://www.livingmusic.com/solstice/wintersolstice.html#tickets, by phone from CityTix® at 212-581-1212 (1-877-581-1212 from outside metropolitan New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut); in person at the Cathedral Box Office, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street. For group, student and senior discounts, contact the Cathedral Box Office (212 6622133).
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has been writing about world music and progressive music for many years. He founded the websites worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. Angel produced several specials for Metropolis (TVE) and co-produced “Musica NA”, a music show for Televisión Española (TVE) in Spain that featured an eclectic mix of world music, fusion, electronica, new age and contemporary classical music. Angel also produced and remastered world music and electronic music albums, compilations and boxed sets for Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Music of the World, Lektronic Soundscapes, and Mindchild Records. Angel is currently based in Durham, North Carolina.


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Isla del Canal de Afuera
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Directions to Isla del Canal de Afuera
On the northeast side of the park we find Isla Canales de Afuera, approximately 16 miles from Isla Coiba, has several sisters Isla Canales Afuerita and Canales de Tierra.
Its large area of shallow corals, where it finds great variety of marine species and its white sand make it the ideal place where to spend a day in communion with the nature; is special for activities such as sea tourism, kayaking, diving, snorkeling or just lounging on the sand. It also has special points for the sport fishing of Wahoo, Dorado and Tunas, among others.
How to Get There:
You must hire a boat, that takes you from the coast, the most popular places are from Santa Catalina, Playa Banco among others that is located almost to the front, only about 70 minutes journey.
However, if you are in the city of Santiago and do not want to drive two hours to any of these locations, you can make the journey from Puerto Mutis or from Bongo de Montijo. It is just over two hours; the trip begins by sailing along the San Pedro River, passing the community of Hicaco, until reaching Punta Brava, then passing by Santa Catalina, where you will set the course to your destination.
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The Buenaventura Zoo is a wildlife rescue center that invites you to find out more about conservation and have a closer relationship with nature. It is a rehabilitation center for animals that, in turn, provides a learning experience about animals and their conservation for the whole family.
Escudo de VeraguasVeraguas,
Hidden beaches, crystal clear waters, white sands and thick jungle make this destination an earthly paradise. There lives a gnabe community and animals as wonderful as the lazy pygmy and the red frog.
Isla IguanaLos Santos, Panama
Isla Iguana is the top natural attraction of the Azuero Peninsula offering the only white sand beach and the best preserve coral reefs of the region.It is a snorkeling an...
La Yeguada Forest ReserveVeraguas, Panama
La Yeguada is the first forest reserve in Panama and due to its spectacular scenery with mountains, lakes and even a waterfall it has become one of the most popular campi...
Cebaco Island has 8,500 hectares with a population of approximately 650 people. Most of the inhabitants are native fishermen, humble and hardworking. Isla Cebaco offers a phenomenal setting for diving, snorkeling and other water sports.
Coiba National Park - Isla CoibaVeraguas, Panama
Coiba National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Panama. It offers diverse marine life, coral reefs, wildlife, hiking trails, sport fishing and great swimming b...
International BrewersCauseway, Panama City,
Welcome to The Crew
Every day, homebrewers around the world create delicious brews, but they can only share them with their closest friends. Today, in order to reach a greater audience, brewers have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in expensive equipment, locations, licenses, marketing, and distribution.
Golfo de MontijoVeraguas,
The tropical humid forest predominates, there are also pastures, savannahs, ciénegas and secondary vegetation. In the Gulf, the mangrove forest predominates, with different representative species such as red mangrove, black mangrove and white mangrove.
Volcan BaruChiriqui, Panama
Volcan Baru National Park houses the highest point in Panama and offers a challenging hike to conquer the summit of the only volcano in the country giving you a view of P...
Wet-Rappel and India DormidaCocle,
Ideal activity for groups of friends who love nature, requires some physical conditions for the hike on the sleeping Indian trail, you walk approximately 20 minutes to reach the salto del sapo waterfall where rappelling takes place and then 45 min to the top of the sleeping Indian.


The Nissan IMs concept introduces a new segment – the "elevated sports sedan." It transforms the traditional sedan into something fresh and new, with provocative proportions and a sleek new look that emphasizes its sporty electric vehicle performance. The IMs is the latest in a series of advanced Nissan electric vehicle concepts that
Key to the groundbreaking proportions of the IMs is a new electric vehicle platform with dual front and rear electric motors and a flat, high-capacity battery pack located underneath the passenger compartment.
The car's overall silhouette features a slipstream cabin arch over a B-pillar-less interior space, enhancing its technical modernity and premium high-quality appearance. Sporty 22-inch wheels and tires give the car a powerful stance and a raised cabin for easy ingress and egress, as well as a high seating position for the occupants. Thanks in part to an extended wheelbase, interior space is maximized, allowing the designers to create an open, airy cabin that can play the dual role of a commanding cockpit or a lounge-like room.
"There are two distinct breakthroughs in the design of the Nissan IMs," said Satoru Tai, executive design director for Nissan. "First, the exterior's fresh proportions, simple shape
The IMs' exterior design is composed of a powerful linear body block that encases a spacious cabin. In the plan view, the dynamic movements of the sheer surfaces create a simple yet dramatic design statement.
The emphasis on interior space is apparent from the exterior design. The car's body and greenhouse are visually separated, prioritizing the size and shape of the cabin, while maintaining the sleek, seductive look of a performance vehicle.
"The impression of the IMs' overall proportions is clearly different from current sport-back sedan designs," said
Contributing to the open-air cabin's appearance are a unique glass roof, thin pillars, super-flush side glass
The B-pillar-less design allows the rear doors to open rearward, creating an unobstructed view of, and access to, the cabin. With no traditional center console, the interior feels even more spacious at first glance, as well as when inside.
"The deep door sections and three-dimension-hood execution is part of the IMs' 'formal modernity' expression," Arroba added. "The sharp, edgy treatment almost feels like a well-tailored, well-pressed dress shirt, something you'd feel special about."
The IMs' low drag coefficient is the result of the car's smooth front end, flush lighting, invisible door handles and wing cameras in place of side view mirrors, which fold into the body when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode. The front fenders, lower door section, rear fenders, an integrated rear spoiler
The lighting system has dual functionality for manual and autonomous driving modes. The deep, V-motion design signature is apparent in the placement and shape of the headlamps, which are offset from the front body surface, also aiding air flow.
The headlamps are integrated into a horizontal light blade that runs across the hood. When the car is in operation, pulses of light travel from the light blade to the interior signature lights and then to the rear holographic lamps, before meeting at the center of the rear combination lamp and starting up again in the front. The lights glow light blue when the vehicle is in autonomous mode. The rear combination lamps also feature a subtle etched pattern, providing a "floating" appearance with directional motion.
The IMs' roof treatment is highlighted by gold accents that suggest the ring of moonlight during an eclipse. A geometric graphic pattern, inspired by the traditional Japanese Asanoha pattern, is printed in gold over the smoked glass surface. The pattern is used throughout the vehicle, including on the wheels and inside the cabin.
The exterior of the IMs is finished with a special "liquid metal" paint that is meant to suggest an imaginary mineral on the moon. The qualities of this color, inspired by kimonos, enhance the car's unique and beautiful sculptural form in a subtle way, with shifts in gradation inspired by the image of superheated metal, applied to the areas of the body which are subject to higher air pressures.
Formal Modernity: Traditional elements combine with high-tech design
The confident, modern interior design of the IMs projects a sporty, premium image. Supporting the vision of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the interior functions flawlessly in either manual or autonomous driving mode, enabling seamless switching between the two modes at the driver's whim.
At Nissan, every car is designed with the driver in mind. Although it has
The powerful electric drivetrain provides excellent acceleration, while the vehicle's air suspension system with adaptive ride sensors provides a smooth ride quality and keeps the car stable through corners. The vehicle's all-wheel-drive system also ensures maximum traction and grip.
"With the elevated seating position and the car's excellent performance, the driver can take full advantage of multilayered technology, from the air suspension to the intuitive controls, to the information displays," said Arroba. "But just as easily, the IMs can transform from an engaging driver's car to a fully autonomous vehicle, allowing the driver to engage in conversation with passengers, catch up on work or just enjoy the numerous entertainment options."
Dominating the rear space is the innovative "Premier Seat," an oversized center seat that emerges from the three-across rear seat when the slim outboard positions are folded. The delta-shaped seating pattern is also ideal from the standpoint of executive travel, enabling the occupant to maximize time efficiency while moving, for example, from the office to a private jet.
The interior color treatment uses darker materials in contrast to the lighter, simpler exterior. The instrument panel and door panels are covered by woven black material with fabric gold mesh accents. In fact, gold details are found throughout the interior, providing elements of light in the same fashion as Japanese paper door screens provide light for traditional Japanese tatami rooms. Even the flooring is unique to automotive design, combining custom carpeting with a "Shock Diamond" pattern to give the cabin a feeling of "formal modernity."
"We wanted to create an environment that's more like stepping into a luxury movie theater than an ordinary passenger sedan," Arroba explained. "The interior graphics are the result of Nissan designers' respect for the company's Japanese heritage, and while the overall design here may not follow convention, we wanted it to feel techy, with the promise that its occupants are about to experience something new."
Breaking new ground through purity and simplicity
In an era where electric cars with autonomous driving capabilities dominate global auto shows, the Nissan IMs stands out with its simple, unadorned design language and advanced technology, provided by Nissan Intelligent Mobility.
"Inside and out, the focus is on enhancing user efficiency through an elevated experience in both manual and autonomous driving modes," Tai said. "Even the most out-of-the-world aspirations must be rooted in reality in order to succeed. The Nissan IMs meets every one of those criteria."
# # #
Om Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan er en verdensomspændende bilkoncern som sælger mere end 60 bilmodeller under mærkerne Nissan, INFINITI og Datsun. I regnskabsåret 2017, solgte koncernen 5,77 millioner biler i verden og nåede en omsætning på 11,9 billioner yen. Den 1. april 2017 startede virksomheden Nissan M.OV.E. frem mod 2022, en seks års plan med en målsætning om 30% forøgelse af den årlige omsætning til 16,5 billioner yen i slutningen af regnskabsåret 2022. Dette skal opnås sammen med et akkumuleret frit cash flow på 2,5 billioner yen. Som del af Nissan M.OV.E. mod 2022 planlægger firmaet at øge førerpositionen inden for elektriske biler, blandt andet symboliseret ved verdens mest solgte elbil i historien – Nissan LEAF. Nissans hovesæde i Yokohama, Japan, administrerer seks markeder: Asien og Oceanien; Afrika, Mellemøsten og Indien; Kina; Europa; Latinamerika og Nordamerika. Nissan beskæftiger 247.500 personer i verden og har været partner med den franske bilproducent Renault siden 1999. I 2016, opkøbte Nissan 34% af aktierne i Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi er i dag verdens største bilfabrikant-alliance, med et samlet årligt salg i 2017 på 10,6 millioner biler.
Om Nissan Europe
Nissan er en af de oversøiske bilproducenter, der har flest aktiviteter i Europa, med mere end 17.000 medarbejdere fordelt på lokalt baserede aktiviteter inden for design, forskning & udvikling, produktion, logistik samt salg & marketing. Sidste år blev der på Nissans fabrikker i Storbritannien, Spanien og Rusland produceret mere end 640.000 biler inklusive de prisbelønnede crossover-modeller, varebiler og Nissan LEAF, som er verdens mest populære elbil. Nissans Intelligente Mobilitets vision er målsætning for Nissans fremtidige produkter og teknologier. Denne 360 graders tilgang til fremtidig mobilitet er hjørnesten i virksomhedens beslutninger, om hvorledes biler skal drives, føres samt integreres samfundet. Nissan arbejder stærkt på at blive det største asiatiske mærke i Europa.
Nissan Nordic Europe Ltd.
er Nissans import- og marketingorganisation, der opererer i Finland, Sverige, Norge, Danmark og de Baltiske lande (Estland, Letland og Litauen). Selskabet har base i Espoo i Finland og beskæftiger ca. 185 mennesker. nissan.dk/
For yderligere information om vores produkter, services samt arbejde med bæredygtig mobilitet, besøg venligst vores hjemmeside på nissan-global.com. Du kan også følge os på facebook og YouTube.
Ønskes yderligere information, kontakt venligst:
Strøby Ann, Communications Manager