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Our Guest Today: IRA Cummings
Ira Cummings is my guest on the Feisworld podcast. Ira is an Artist, Printmaker, Draftsman and Designer. I called him out as the first introvert ever invited to the podcast (perhaps, others may just be better at hiding it). But let’s face it, #IntrovertsRule. They are focused, thoughtful, and often bring the most surprising ideas and solutions to the table. Ira is one of them, whom I had the pleasure to work with in the past year on a variety of projects at Arnold Worldwide. Ira has a Open Studio coming up Friday April 10th – 12th 2015. If you happen to listen to this podcast before the show, look up Miller Street Open Studio in Somerville and that’s where you will meet Ira and his artworks.
In this one hour conversation with Ira, we talked about design, branding, experiencing the brand as a customer and vice versa – engaging with customers as a brand.
Ira and I are also in the process of rebranding the feisworld podcast. He says:”When my friends embark on something that’s so close to their hearts, I like to help them out!” Ira has been a huge supporter from the very beginning of my podcast. Feisworld isn’t the only one, Ira has helped out on American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Design Exchange Boston (DXB), Design Museum Boston.
“My interest and love for both art and design fuel the pursuit whether it’s for work, myself, all of none of the above.” – Ira Cummings
Here are some of the core themes and questions of our conversation:
- Why did Ira help feisworld podcast with its first rebrand? [4:30]
- What is it like to work as a designer at a big agency such as Arnold Worldwide? [11:30]
- What does it take to work as a freelance designer and what are some of the design and non-design problems Ira has encountered? [13:00]
- #IntrovertsRule, how does it play out for Ira as a designer? [14:30]
- Ira’s origin stories (from a small town in Vermont to Boston). Plus,what does punk rock have to do with all this?
- What are the art mediums Ira likes to work with and why? [33:00]
- Ira’s version of the “indescribable freedom” and the most risk he has ever taken [36:00]
- Brand is about experience (not the logo, or general look and feel) [44:00]
- How does Ira influence experience with design? [49:00]
- What are some of the brands Ira finds inspiring – including how Zappo’s CEO turned Las Vegas into startup fantasyland? [51:00]
- Rapid Fire Questions (i.e. what advice would you give to your 20-year old self? What’s one thing you’d change about yourself? What’s in your go bag? [56:00]
Lead photo by Liz Linder Photography
Word Cloud, Keywords and Insights From Podintelligence
Welcome to the phase world podcast, engaging conversations that crossed the boundaries between business, art and the digital world.
Fei Wu 0:18
I would Cummings is my guest on the face world podcast today. He’s a senior designer at Arnold worldwide with a background and training in illustration. I call them out as the first introvert ever invited to my podcast. Perhaps others may just be better at hiding it. But let’s face it, introverts rule. Sometimes they’re focused, thoughtful, and often bring the most surprising ideas and solutions to the table. Ira is one of them, whom I had the pleasure to work with in the past year on a variety of projects. Ira has an open studio coming up this Friday, April 10, through Sunday, the 12th 2015. If you happen to be listening to this podcast before the show, look up Miller Street open studio in Somerville, Massachusetts. And that’s where you will meet IRA in his artworks. In this one hour conversation with Ira. We talked about design, branding, then experiencing the brand as a customer and vice versa, engaging with customers as a brand. I had to open up my favorite topic with Ira that is, what is Iris secret origin? And what are some of the things I didn’t know about him that essentially shaped him into who he is today. Ira is a savvy cyclist who spent a week and a half biking the mountains in Colorado, five to six hours a day. He told me that biking the mountains, and just be so free that you could go wherever you want is the indescribable freedom. We close the interview with rapid fire questions, including the new one I had never asked before. What is an iris to go back? In other words, what would Ira take with him without knowing where he’s going next? If you liked this episode, please check out the other episodes on the face world podcast and let me know your feedback via Facebook face world or my Twitter handle which is also face world. Tell me everything, anything and please share it out with your family and friends. Faye Chang God’s here that is thank you very much in Chinese. Without further ado, please welcome Ira Cummings.
Ira Cummings 2:52
To drink from that place. Which place the one who went to?
Fei Wu 2:56
I think it’s called soft power. Oh yeah, that’s okay. Yeah.
Ira Cummings 3:02
It’s like 10 $10 $10 for fun stuff.
Fei Wu 3:08
Yeah. $10. And brown rice bowls, and fusion Asian food. And every there’s Asian. And if you just walk like another block, you’d be in the middle of Chinatown getting all the most authentic
Ira Cummings 3:21
and half the price. Exactly half of the price. It’s close, though. So. Yeah.
Fei Wu 3:29
So I’m super excited to be here with Ira Cummings. I don’t think I’ve ever said your last name once. It is correct. That’s correct. So IRA is here. Ira is a phenomenal designer, artist, biker cyclist. Bunch of things we want to talk about on this podcast. And thank you so much for joining.
Ira Cummings 3:51
Thanks for having me.
Fei Wu 3:52
I really appreciate it. We’re, we’re at Arnold, everybody’s very busy working 80 hours a week. So sparing half an hour here. 45 minutes. It’s really It’s phenomenal. So I want to jump right in and introduce you in a way that I wasn’t able to for my other guests, which is that you are contributing significantly to the face world podcast itself. You have basically helped me rebrand face world, which, if you’re listening to this podcast, you can go to face world.com FEISWOR LD and I have a lovely business cards and I’m talking about create a little section to showcase this whole thing. So why did you decide to help me again? Remind me
Ira Cummings 4:38
Oh, because you’re my friend. And you know, I really I really think that you’re doing you know some interesting stuff. And whenever, whenever my friends embark on a project that’s so passionate and close to their heart, I like to help them out whenever Right, and so,
Fei Wu 5:01
so I’m not the first one obviously know, some of the other projects you’ve helped out with in the past,
Ira Cummings 5:07
um, I have done a few other things. I like being involved with the design community in Boston. So I’ve, I’ve volunteered for AIGA on various things, both smaller things. And then my friend Jason Stevens runs a annual design conference that’s gone gone on for the past couple of years in Boston called Design exchange, Boston, or dxp. And I helped with their website this past year. And kind of helps just sort of from a higher level or direction, creative direction standpoint. I’ve also worked with design museum Boston, on an exhibit that they did a couple years ago called Getting there about the design of travel, and just kind of helping out here and there, where I can
Fei Wu 6:03
is it? Do you think it’s normal? Now, when I say that is because for me also working for an agency, that sometimes the The hours can be pretty intense in terms of on a really good week, I feel I feel like 4050 hours and oftentimes much beyond that, and people in the in the industry will completely understand. So for you to kind of do that. And in addition to that, working nights and weekends, and when what trigger you to want to do that, is it? Is it for kind of self improvement, or is it sort of just happen organically?
Ira Cummings 6:42
I think most designers would probably answer this question sort of the same way. Because pretty much everybody got into design because they really liked doing it. And so the lines between what you do for work and what you do for fun blur a lot. I’ve, as you mentioned, I’m an artist as well. And I think there’s definitely a in terms of like the final product or the final outcome. There’s a really strict or qualifiable goal, or outcome that is different from design, but how the process works, what the outcomes are, what the I don’t know what the pieces what that make up the whole, those are all they’re kind of porous, like my art and force, my design, my design forms my art. There’s a lot of kind of interplay between the two. And there’s like, my interest and love for both really sort of fuel that interest in pursuing it, whether it’s for work, whether it’s for a friend, whether it’s for myself, whether it’s for none of the above. Yeah, so that, that I was is really, I mean, it’s putting in the hours, but sometimes it feels like work. Sometimes it doesn’t, you know, I
Fei Wu 8:11
echo much of that, for me, it’s there is balance, filling the void of, you know, in all honesty, you cannot get everything there is in life out of work as much as the it’s really important. And we do great work for our clients. For me, you know, podcasting, connecting with people, learning so much more about them is very fulfilling, and very rewarding as well. So tell me about for you the difference between being at work working on client work versus your personal project. So paint that picture for me a little bit was it was different and what’s similar?
Ira Cummings 8:48
Well, I’ve always worked for consultancies. So with a consultancy, you’re always working for a client. It’s the the contrast would be being in house at company. And that there’s there’s a lot of gray in between those two poles. But with a consultancy, the client is always your, your reason for being in, in a situation. So the client for me is always the end. And that’s really the main differentiation between anything I do at work, and anything I do for myself. A lot of the things that I do on a freelance basis also focused on that sort of client designer relationship, but then things start to blur more where it’s a design project that I do for myself or it’s an art project that I do for myself or for someone else or just because I feel like doing it sort of thing.
Fei Wu 9:57
I feel like you you look, you look super Young for the longest time, I thought you were like significantly younger than I am. And so you’re in your 30s. And most of my 30s, we’ve been going at this for a little while, and some of my listeners, whether they’re artists or not, or musicians, I wanted you to share sort of your experience in terms of how you get into freelancing. And what people don’t realize is they people think about freelancing in terms of I get on whenever I want, and I build these fantastic relationships, I have drinks and go out to lunch with my clients. That’s sure that’s true in some scenarios, but oftentimes, when you don’t have is an account team, you don’t have a project manager to help you kind of manage the timeline, their expectation, payments, collection, all these things along the line. So do you find that challenging? Or how do you kind of mitigate and manage that on your own.
Ira Cummings 10:57
Um, I’ve kind of have had a bunch of iterations of my career. Even though, as I mentioned, I’ve always operated in sort of a consultant basis, it’s been, you know, I’ve worked full time at places I’ve worked full time, and supplemented with freelance part time, I’ve been full time freelance. So it’s, it’s kind of in a spectrum. But one of the reasons why I really wanted to work at Arnold is I haven’t had previously the experience of working with a large company where there is all those capabilities and roles in house. So that’s been a really great experience for me having people to really maintain client relationships. And it’s not something that I need to devote huge parts of my day to having people that are just exceptional writers and being able to consult with them, and helping shape direction with them. Having people that do animation, that shoot video that shoot photos, that just all those pieces that come together to do really good work. In a smaller place, you sort of do all of them, sort of at at the cost of quality sometimes, you know, because a lot of times you’re just trying to do stuff as quickly and efficiently within budget constraints for any particular goal. You know,
Fei Wu 12:24
about the budget. Continue?
Ira Cummings 12:27
Yeah. So with my freelance work, when I was a full time freelance practitioner, it was definitely a big learning curve, in terms of figuring out how to bid projects, how to manage money, how to how to grow relationships, how to make new ones, how to maintain ones that you already have. And I liked it, it was enjoyable, but it you can look at it as a design problem. And it is to a certain extent, but just filing receipts is not a design problem. So I just don’t like that stuff. So that’s part of the reason, the reason why I’ve gotten to the place where I am basically
Fei Wu 13:19
speaking of design relationships, and I think what you said about Arnold is totally true. And I feel like I come from a digital agency background. And now I’m meeting a lot of people who has knowledge much beyond what I’m familiar with TV production print out of home, I didn’t know what Oh, H actually is. And learn that you’re a fascinating. And I’m going to jump into sort of a personality question here that we start talking about, do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert,
Ira Cummings 13:51
very much an introvert, very much, very much
Fei Wu 13:54
an introvert. So I want to congratulate you for perhaps being the first introvert face world podcast. I never asked that question. I never needed to because everybody kind of jump on the podcast and, you know, people who reach out to me or whom I reach out to tend to be fairly extroverted, given the roles are in artists, artists kind of tricky. It really depends. But musicians, business people, project managers very, very verbal, vocal and, and it’s interesting you you mentioned that so well, you also said about our noticed the people, the amount of people that volunteer have to deal with every day and build relationships with. You have to deal with the clients do you think has ever come to you as a challenge? Or how do you kind of, you know, sort of
Ira Cummings 14:45
come to work for my extrovert mask on?
Fei Wu 14:48
extrovert mask. Exactly.
Ira Cummings 14:50
This huge challenge for me. More than more than the design stuff is it’s really a challenge for me. I feel like I can figure out the design stuff. Even if I don’t know how to design the thing that I’m designing right now, I feel like I’ve figured it out enough times in the past that I can do it again. So really like the people is the biggest challenge. And I mean, like challenging in a negative sense, I mean, in a sense of a problem that I need to solve. And I think it’s, I’m kind of, at the point in my career where I’m kind of mentoring younger designers. To a certain extent, it’s not, it’s not the main focus of my role, but it’s something that I do, and it’s something that I really enjoy. So being getting better at that and figuring out that, that that way to interact with people, whether it’s more junior designers or account people are anything to help them understand the process, how to help them do their job, or the challenge of working with people at the executive level, that are making decisions that really impact my day to day, and figuring out the best way to interface with them so that they understand what it is I do and what the value that I bring to the process is. That’s That’s all a huge thing that I’m trying to get better at. And I think it’s that’s really difficult for introverts because, I mean, myself, especially, I have kind of a halting way of speaking it’s because I’m like thinking and processing stuff before I speak. I don’t do that. Yeah, goes anywhere. Yeah, my I have too much of a of a filter and kind of a block before I actually verbalize anything if I do in fact verbalize something
Fei Wu 16:54
I’m gonna dive into why that is. But um, before that, I want to say that is therapy session. You know, I’ve come to realize that I guess the past couple years or so that I feel that extrovert people, you know, extroverts are, are overrated, in many scenarios, cases, whereas, you know, introverts kind of undervalued at times, there’s a really interesting TED Talk, which I will send it to you that it’s about this woman who is an introvert and whose kids are introverts and she described not forcing them to become extroverts and how they could succeed and, but add to that I recently have been falling is a fantastic entrepreneur, and podcaster, whose name is Jonathan fields, and I was reading his bio on the train last night, and it was hashtag introverts rule. So and this was like, the day before interview, I got really excited, I started to reflect upon the sort of your presence and the impact you’ve had on my projects, which we’ve worked on. Many we’re working on really big projects, which I cannot announce on the podcast hasn’t been official. And but this is probably the biggest project you and I have collaborated on on a regular daily basis and all these milestones. But prior to that, we worked on you Western International University, in Phoenix and all the other accounts, what I really what I always find intriguing, this may may be like pushing your button a little bit, but in a good way, is, you know, when I have people like Caleb Brown, Josh Green, who are my guests previously on previously on face world podcast, when they walk into the room, I know their presence, I noticed right away, they’re very noticeable, I can predict the, I cannot predict exactly what they’re going to say. But I can almost predict their actions picking up, you know, a marker for some ways, my marker here, and, and then how they’re going to facilitate and drive the meeting. So and they’re very effective. But in general, sometime in our industry, the loudest people are not often the most intelligent, or the the biggest value added, folks in the room, what I notice about you, which is really intriguing as sometimes I don’t, you’re you might not be the most noticeable, and certainly not the loudest person in the room. But once in a while, you know, all of us kind of go into this, go into the space and put a really difficult problem on the table. And we all get stuck. And as a team, we’re trying to get Unblocker unstuck. And then just in the corner of the room and hear like a whisper I could barely hear it. I remember just in my head, I was like, oh my god, that is the solution. That is the answer to this thing that we’re discussing. I remember I have to look over and there you are, you know, it’s like I would I and then the funny thing is I never I could never see it coming but to your point I always felt like you think things through very carefully. But it’s yeah, you’re absolutely a very much valued player and kind of surprised me on a regular basis. And I don’t think I get surprised very easily. But I like that for some reason. I like that just completely out of the blue. And so, yeah, thank you for being my team.
Ira Cummings 20:26
Well, thanks. I mean, I think the way that a lot of businesses is structured in at least in my experience is probably obviously, biases sort of northeastern Greater Boston area, business models, but I think generally business kind of favors extroverts. I don’t think there’s really one better than the other, but I do think introverts are undervalued. But it’s hard for us to speak up. Collectively, as a group,
Fei Wu 21:02
you should motivate other introverts. Yeah,
Ira Cummings 21:05
I’m working on motivating myself first, and then then we’ll deal with other people.
Fei Wu 21:12
Yeah, maybe you should recruit some extroverts, but then make sure they don’t talk. So I gotta put, I was like, Stop me if I’m doing all the talking. I want to know about your origin story, like sort of a secret origin things that people don’t know about you already. According to you. That’s everything, because you haven’t been very vocal about your life. But yeah, tell me why. Why do you think were you kind of born or raised this way, what has contributed to you being an introvert, or perhaps, who knows when you’re three, you’re complete extrovert, and you decided to,
Ira Cummings 21:47
I think I ever was really, really any more extroverted than I am right now. I guess my parents could speak differently. And I’m sure as a kid, you have less of a filter. But I grew up in semi rural Vermont, that’s outside of the biggest city in Vermont, which is, you know, 40,000 people. So, you know, it doesn’t get much more populous than that. But there was I was, you know, my parents are really great there. They’ve always been really supportive of me. They’re both kind of ex hippies to a certain extent. And so they weren’t really afraid of a son that really wanted to go into art, or do something that wasn’t being a lawyer. Very supportive. Yeah. Yeah, they were. And, you know, I think kind of my current, like, the foundation for who I become, as an adult, I feel like I can most pinpoint back sort of two around the high school years, both from a good and a bad standpoint, like, from a good standpoint, I started to really sort of define my identity, for a bad standpoint, and it was just a very awkward time and feeling very, like I didn’t fit in with anybody. I always felt like I wasn’t really like a pariah, or anything like that. But I certainly didn’t run real close with the the cool kids, if you will, you know,
Fei Wu 23:31
what were the cool kids doing versus what you were doing. They’re probably like,
Ira Cummings 23:35
drinking and getting into trouble. You know, like, I’ve always been a pretty kind of a student, sort of guy. And I’ve never been into drinking or drugs. I in high school, I got into hardcore and punk rock music and I I wasn’t sort of am still straight edge which is like a lifestyle choice based around not consuming drugs and alcohol. And it was kind of this like, label that I adopted, you know, other people are, were doing it so there’s a camaraderie of that but it’s also sort of like a way to I don’t I thought it was cool to like ostracize myself a little bit for some reason.
Fei Wu 24:29
Because firstly, of all I want I want to clear definition what punk rock is. Yeah. And in China, where I grew up when kids listen to punk rock, those are the troublemakers Yeah, the I guess the good kids that straight a kids are listening to jazz, classical music, or some pop music. But what is punk rock? Punk Rock Music Exactly. Like what’s your definition? What who are some of the musicians that inspire you? Because I feel like
Ira Cummings 24:54
Yeah, I mean, in high school, it was like, like Earth crisis. and strive for were, like two of my favorite bands. And I don’t know there’s a whole whole long list but I don’t know it’s yeah, it’s sort of like, you know, the the golden age of punk rock for me is around like 1976 in New York and London and it was, you know, started by the Ramones and
Fei Wu 25:22
calling, are they anything clash? The clash? Yes, that’s one that Yeah,
Ira Cummings 25:26
I mean, those are the two like Seminole punk rock bands that made probably the biggest wide, wide, mainstream splash, but there was so much happening kind of, out of the mainstream and out of like, unless you were in, in the days before the internet, when you had to be like, in this sort of super niche subculture, and you knew where the shows were. And just seeing like, all those of those bands, like, you know, black flag or the Bad Brains, or minor threat, or SSD, or any of those bands that would never ever play on the radio, like, outside of college radio would never play on like the top 40. But they kind of, you know, the, the, the, the punks that you kind of think of is like safety pins and spiked hair and stuff. I mean, that’s all kind of an affectation. And just sort of a mode of dress, and it gets the really important things for punk where the idea is that you can just do whatever you want to do. Like, if you want to put out a record, you put out a record, if you want to start a band, you start a band, if you want to dress however you want to dress, you just do it. And and the other thing is really kind of the questioning of of any sort of established dogma, you know, whether it’s religion or government, or something related to the educational system, just question kind of everything and that sort of skipped assist.
Fei Wu 27:10
Maybe this is obvious, but do you think there’s kind of a direct connection or conclusion between you being an introvert didn’t fit in like everybody else? Yeah, maybe there are more people who felt the same way that you thought they did. Yeah,
Ira Cummings 27:23
I mean, that’s, that’s kind of like the draw of punk a little bit like a lot of it’s like the outcasts getting together, sort of, I think some people were in it for the, for the fashion or for the drugs or for just to like, stir things up. But for me, it was it was more about like DIY and, and kind of just questioning social norms. So
Fei Wu 27:48
so that’s, again, the introvert who’s, it’s interesting when I think people take different actions, for me kind of fulfill another creative side of myself, it could be podcast, could be painting could be martial art. For you, I feel like instead of being very vocal about it, and I feel like you’re largely influenced by the music that you listen to, and I’m also familiar with a lot of the bands you mentioned just now and makes me want to revisit them, and really listen to the lyrics is another thing, like, I’m not sure you feel the same way. But growing up, when you listen to music, especially the catchy ones, you know, really listening tuning in the lyrics you don’t almost don’t care about, it’s more about the tempo of the music itself. But I think the music you described, has, you know, as much content to do kind of an essence to do the lyrics. And there’s just to the music alone.
Ira Cummings 28:42
Yeah, yeah, I think it was, it was key, you know, like, I guess the biggest downside of punk rock is that it’s just sort of buying into a different ideology, instead of just the mainstream ideology. But I do think it like filters out to other parts of life, if you don’t get caught up too much in that, like, black leather jacket, spiky hair kind of thing. In in, just going back to your question about like, the origin story, I think, I think that sort of mindset. Like generally filters in you know, I think I think it’s one of the things that makes it really exciting to be working right now. Because, like, you know, when I was growing up, if you wanted a radio show, tough luck, but like what you’re doing right now. So now you can start a podcast, you know, like if you wanted when I was coming up if you wanted to publish a book, tough luck, but now you can. Now you can do that and you can talk to people. Yeah, you know, whether it’s like you want to have your own video program whether in just create your own Any kind of thing you want to do, it’s so much easier to do that. Now, I think that’s super amazing.
Fei Wu 30:08
That’s I want to add to that, because we kind of started talking about this different area daily stand up today is you’re going to have an art show coming up very soon. And by the time we released this probably getting even closer to the date. And my as you know, both my parents are artists and my mom in particular, you know, back then we’re talking about 70s and 80s. Tough luck, if you want to have your own art show. Yeah. Because there are only such limited galleries and you have to be a certain status, you have to know the right people. Yeah, then any any point of that connection that you fall through, there’s no chance but for you, you’ve been going out for a little while, tell us about the show you’re going to have.
Ira Cummings 30:47
Well, it’s less of a show. And it’s more like Open Studios. So, yeah, a studio where where I’ve worked at, and it’s a building of artists. in Somerville, where I live, is having open studios, April 10 11th, and 12th. It’s called Miller Street Studios. And it’s something they do by annually. So this is kind of the the one opportunity for the next two years. So best place to check it out is Miller Street studios.net. And that’s as pretty much all the information,
Fei Wu 31:24
they include that link in there and speak in which you helped design the website. For them.
Ira Cummings 31:29
Yeah, very superficially, I more like help them install WordPress and connect the dots.
Fei Wu 31:38
I think that’s huge. Because I’ve again, I’ve echo much of this, I’ve helped a lot of my friends, businesses kind of take off setting up websites, social channels, maybe just they’re kind of in the background, or now you don’t think too much about them. But I’m sure the effort was much appreciated. What are some of the types of work or media that you work within for this particular show, and as well as in general, like pieces shown, versus at home?
Ira Cummings 32:09
I would say I think of the work that I do, as as my artistic practice as drawings, they, if someone else was looking, they probably call them mixed media or collage, I look at them as drawings, just because that’s how I think of them, I approach them as a stress person, I think far more linearly in terms of like drawing of lines then form and dimension and space. So that’s, that’s how I classify them and in how I generally describe them, but really, they’re, they’re a combination of a bunch of different dry media, whether it’s graphite, or, or pastel or colored pencil or kind of whatever I have handy with some wet media, I usually use acrylics, but sometimes squash with and then collage and I started sort of sanding them to kind of play with the layers and the layering and the textures and that kind of stuff. So it’s kind of a mixed media practice. I really like working on paper, it’s ice, I had been doing a lot of printmaking previously. I just like the warmth of, of paper versus working on canvas. I like working on panels, some, but it’s just sort of more expensive, more cumbersome. And I think the warmth of paper is really nice like it has it has its own character that it brings to the piece that I don’t get from Canvas,
Fei Wu 33:55
I noticed that it’s noticed the same feeling when I read a book, as much as you know, I used to travel a lot for work. And the last thing I need was a actual book or two, three books in my suitcase and my carry on. But I always enjoy flipping through the pages. I love drawing on paper rather than you know, in contrast to that is reading a book on Kindle on iPad on my computer. Yeah. So I think there’s like really interesting intimacy. And working with pen pencils.
Ira Cummings 34:26
Yeah, so yeah, I mean, I try not to be a Luddite. But just everything I do for my work is digital. And the creativity flows differently, digitally versus analog for me, and I think the analog stuff is you sort of have to commit to it. And I think that’s, that’s good for me, like having 100 layers and 50 Undo states when I’m doing something that’s more art focused. Probably I’ll just get lost in the details. So
Fei Wu 35:05
a few years ago, I started looking to try to learn Photoshop because I have to, we worked on a couple of small art projects. And the moment I opened up Photoshop, and I just like one, like, punch myself in the face, and like, wow, there’s been like another five versions. I don’t know where the buttons go. And yeah, I tried to learn Photoshop and I remember a lesson one from I forgot the website is like, you should close Photoshop and start thinking about planning for what you’re trying to design. A general advice for more junior designers out there, especially if you’re listening to this, I think drawing working with paper and pencil are not just a unique skill that you could you should think about, but I think it’s it’s a requirement almost. So I’m glad that you echoed the same. Yeah. So let’s, let’s jump around a little bit, I really want to get to this whole your connection to nature, I think people will talk about nature a lot on my podcast, Matt loomly, Caleb, and in the context of, you know, people like to be outside in general, like, take a walk doesn’t matter. It’s like five degrees here in Boston, I personally, I, I need to be connected to nature, I like to feel the wind on my face, to kind of take that to the next level, you are a your biker kind of biking around and Boston and you’ve taken that on as a very significant personal interest. So tell us about that.
Ira Cummings 36:30
Well, when I started riding a bike, probably as most most people did, as a kid to give some mobility, but then with the whole, living in a rural place, probably the farthest I could ever bike was about a mile, my friends are eight, eight plus miles away. And so then there was a point when I would just get my parents to drive me or eventually I got my license. So I’d start driving myself. So I kind of stopped biking anywhere, and then moving to Boston, bikes are just the best way to get around. So I started doing it, it’s kind of intimidating, it’s not the most bike friendly city certainly got better. But when I started it, it was worse. And but you know, I just really enjoy it, I think you, you’re way more present than when you’re on the T or in a car, and you see things and you’re not constrained really to anybody else’s time schedule, or we kind of have to follow the roads for the most part, but you’re not really constrained to where the T goes or where a bus goes or, and it’s a lot faster than walking. So and then there’s just kind of like the kind of indescribable freedom that that allows, combined with this idea of like, I just got myself from one end of Boston to the other in less than an hour under my own power, or I just biked you know, 40 miles under my own power. Something I could have driven in, you know, a 10th of the time, but I got there, just by my own legs turning, you know. And really, I’m really passionate about mountain biking, it’s, if I could do it all day every day I would. But that’s you got to go outside be in the woods, you can do it alone, it’s a little more risky. But it’s awesome to do with a small group of friends. And you get kind of the rush of the downhills combined with kind of the it’s sort of a mental challenge of picking the line, like sort of the path of not always Least Resistance but most efficiency through any sort of given point. You’ve taken
Fei Wu 38:59
a trip. And when I say recently, I think is within the past year or so to Colorado with some of your friends. How was that? What was that experience? Like? And I guess, maybe nothing of that compares to what you do here in Boston. Tell us about that.
Ira Cummings 39:13
That was a trip I took with my brother. I flew out to Grand Junction in Minot with him and we camped around Grand Junction and in rode bikes every day for a week and a half.
Fei Wu 39:25
Every day, how many hours a day. Exactly.
Ira Cummings 39:27
It was probably five, six hours a day. I was great. I really liked it. I don’t think I would want to live there just because it’s beyond biking. There’s not much else.
But it’s it’s really beautiful around there. It’s totally different from here. I mean, I’ve been places. I’ve been to Texas a little bit and it’s just dry with no not much vegetation but this protocol Rado was it was drier, but there’s still some green and but the you know the rock formations like the cliffs they’re just unreal you know you can see how just centuries of of weather have eroded the landscape and shaped it and then you can ride on it is it’s totally unreal at the same time. Like that’s definitely the most risk taking I’ve ever been in my life. I know you had Chris on before who’s jumping out of planes, but for me like riding along the edge of a cliff that was like you know, a couple 100 feet down, especially being scared of heights was like, pretty pretty out there for me.
Fei Wu 40:44
Yeah. It’s I find I find it interesting to talk about cycling, biking in general, again, originally from Beijing. bikes were, you know, absolutely part of my life there. I think it’s much safer to bike in China first to certain degree because you have a separate you’ve always expected people expected drivers are better at it. And you have a separate lane. I mean, just in your lane. Totally different. Totally different. There’s nobody in your way. Certainly not cars.
Ira Cummings 41:12
I would love to see this country to top that maybe at least in the cities.
Fei Wu 41:15
Usually. I could absolutely imagine you I’ve had other American friends so fondly called American friends actually feel kind of out of place when I go home to kind of integrate back to China. But I’ve had people who don’t bite nearly as much as you do, you know, father and son showed up in Beijing. And they’re like, Yeah, forget taxis. They literally just bike through the entire city. Yeah, great time. I can absolutely see you do that with Chris and your wife with your brother.
Ira Cummings 41:41
You know? Yeah. I mean, I, I think it’s really difficult to convey to people that have never done it. But I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. With my own experience, I’ve seen it with my wife’s experience, I’ve seen it with my friends experience, like you have a total different interaction with the city when you start biking it and it can be anything from like, a super easy to ride bike everything up to you know, dudes and spandex, you know it, it can kind of be whatever you want it to be and it’s very much like can be a different way of expression and kind of a realization of, of what you’re into. And I like to get around
Fei Wu 42:26
totally when I I don’t think I’ve mentioned this to you before, but I wouldn’t my friend Pamela me took a three week trip to Europe. She’s actually in Paris right now she texts me this morning’s like, hey, remember, we have stale bread in Paris. We literally spent $2,000 All together hotels for three weeks. So no, like I have living in the shady is like hotels and not having enough food. But one of the things I noticed we love the most compared to the rest of the people are traveling with with us is we didn’t want to be on the bus the whole time. We loved walking around the city. We we thought about getting on bikes, language issues, whatnot, we couldn’t really get the rentals for me to add to that I love visiting local schools. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I just love it. I want to be in the classroom. And I feel like there’s something about being around children. We’re kind of the educational system you get the most transparent feeling and integration into the city. I did take the train and literally had no idea where I was going. Yeah. But then you have to get up and walk to these random places. So absolutely agree that exploring cities at the same level. So we can we we we talked you talked for a long time. But what are some of the things that you want to you wanted to talk about that we haven’t gotten the chance to?
Ira Cummings 43:46
I’m not too sure. What else? I mean, I I haven’t really talked too much about design. I guess I could talk about that a little bit. I feel like I’ve sort of chosen a little bit of a strange path but I think it’s it’s something that’s getting a little bit more popular but I got started doing or working with a relatively small but a little bit kind of mid sized company in Vermont called select Design and they they really got a start kind of doing some marketing stuff and sort of grew this branding capacity and capability and so that’s that’s really where I got a lot of my foundation for design. I don’t have a design, formal design education.
Fei Wu 44:51
Studying college I studied illustration,
is that not consider like traditional design path.
Ira Cummings 44:59
No different The not, you know, illustration is like, what you would see accompanying, like, on the, on the cover of The New Yorker or something, you know, it’s like it’s had somewhat of a resurgence, but especially digital illustration, but like I, I hardly had to touch a computer in school I liked to so I did. But I was one of the few people that graduated school with an actual functioning website, portfolio. But it was otherwise it was a very traditionally based program, which, you know, it kind of made sense to me, because I was, I started drawing, I always loved drawing, so it was sort of like an evolution of that. But then I was just kind of burnt out on it after school and wanted to do something different. And I was kind of interested in design my, my best friend, all throughout school, and you know, who’s still my best friend was is in was in the Communication Design program. And he was kind of he was roping me into helping him with projects I was, I was looking at what he was doing. So I kind of had an idea of what design was, and some of like, the big, the big ideas, but it was through that first job that I really developed a love for it and, and start to understand what it was and started to do more research and started to educate myself and then kind of the the brand piece. And that’s it’s kind of a buzzword, I guess is like branding. In business these days. I think people generally use it in the sense where they’re, where they’re referring to a logo or like, the things around a logo, like the colors, the type. For me, brand is always about experience. And you can have a really horrible logo, but still have a good brand. Like, Zappos would be a really good example, like people have, like, horrible. Yeah, people have like a really like, you know, that’s a great shopping experience for most people, you know, sometimes maybe it’s not what you really want, maybe you’re, you’re looking for, like super high end stuff, and you only want to like walk into the store and you know, have someone give you things or sell you things for very exorbitant prices. But like, you know, Zappos is a horrible identity, but a good brand, because they’re, they have great customer service, they, you can pretty much get what you want. Like free shipping, like people have all these warm, fuzzy experiences with, with the company, you know, they’re like, transforming downtown LA into, I guess you could say for for better or worse, but they’re like having some sort of revitalizing change in the environment. So it’s like, this is like cultivating that. And then like how you interact, how the bigger sort of organization interacts with the people that it touches. That’s, that’s like the experience, that’s really the brand.
Fei Wu 48:28
Also designer, especially the bigger agency, you know, we have a brand experiencing brand team planning team design team. You I feel like there’s a theme throughout the podcast, you focus a lot about experience, whether it’s outdoor being, you know, providing the experience of feeling connection to people, how do you think as a designer, that you’re able to kind of bridge that gap? As a designer, you know, you’re tasked to design a logo, how do you choose to kind of navigate around that and trying to influence the actual experience of things? Because in some people’s minds, that’s that’s digital strategy, that’s business strategy, all these things that people can’t quite connect to design. How do you see that?
Ira Cummings 49:12
Maybe, maybe I’m entitled, but I think designers have been should have as much a seat at that table in those kinds of decisions. I think designers have, I guess you could say it’s, it’s, it’s somewhat unique, I think it’s certainly a focus, and kind of an empathic quality, that a lot of people that are just looking at two by twos don’t always have. And I think designers can kind of marry that like, Okay, here’s the concrete thing that we’re going to make, like how does that tie into the bigger sort of experience as a whole so it’s like the bigger holistic view married with that really like finite and focused? What? What is the outcome? What’s actually? What’s it actually going to feel like in I kind of hate that field? Word and in terms of design, especially when you talk look and feel that’s one of my least favorite phrases in all of design? Sorry, I didn’t. Yeah, I just think it’s like, it’s, it’s, it’s bigger than that, you know, that’s it. Like, if you’re just talking about sort of logos and the identity piece, it’s very superficial, I think it’s really kind of missing, really missing the opportunities and, like the impact that design can have in the bigger, like, business picture.
Fei Wu 50:46
What are some of the brands that you find inspiring, and it could be anything, it doesn’t have to be constrained to a certain industry? I’m saying that because you’ve given me some of the customer testimonials, and I’ve been able to follow some of that, but what are some of the brands that you that gives you that not look and feel, but gives you that feeling of you, provide you with a better experience, especially in such a crowded marketplace these days? You know?
Ira Cummings 51:15
Um, I guess I mean, it tends to lean more towards like, lifestyle stuff for me. And it’s, it tends to be things that I consume, kind of because I, the brands, the brands appealed to me like vans as in the shoes, and and they’ve kind of grown into apparel and all this kind of stuff. I think they’re one of the more I think things are starting to fall apart a little bit. But they’re very, they have their roots very much in skateboarding and surfing and kind of California alternative culture. And I think they’ve cultivated that fairly well as they’ve grown and kind of similar similar voltcom They have always kind of a different,
Fei Wu 52:12
what are some of the brands that you you buy and love
Ira Cummings 52:18
it you know, those two, definitely. I love Adidas for some reason, like, I played soccer when I was a kid. And I just kind of like their aesthetic better than I do. Nike. Plus Nike shoes don’t fit me. They they build them around forms that are for people with really narrow feet.
Fei Wu 52:43
Interesting. Yeah. Maybe for Nike to consider a better experience. Yeah, the customers there. Yeah.
Ira Cummings 52:49
I mean, I don’t think I think like Adidas is not the most innovative company. But I think they have more like style cred. In a certain sense, then that Nike does,
Fei Wu 53:01
I’m surprised, are you so far we haven’t brought up Burt’s Bee because we had this conversation, perhaps when we’re working on an account, I think could be junk free to, but some of the ideas of was one of them as well. The funny thing is, like, before we had that conversation, I own nothing from Burt’s Bee. And I started to realize that when I go to CVS or I’m looking for, you know, like facial products, or like lip balm, I started to think about Burt’s Bee and trying to explore to see why you were very intrigued by the brand and I so far I’ve been super pleased. And they I noticed that was such an interesting experience with them to have their separate, I’ll always so it’s never kind of diluted by other brands. There’s no competition, they’re kind of like we’re our own thing. And so winter again in Boston was like five degrees out super dry. And I was looking for, you know, like moisturizer on Amazon. And Versace was like top of the line with like, 3000 positive reviews. So there’s got to be, I’m always fascinated by brands who are able to build to attract such cohorts of, you know, customers who just in love, and once nothing else.
Ira Cummings 54:16
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think Burt’s Bees is a really smart brand, I think, I think is that ugly, they’re not as sophisticated as I think they could be. But I think they’re, they’ve aligned themselves with causes. Specifically, you know, the environmental message and well just, you know, like they’re they have of the things that you can buy in a grocery store. Burt’s tends to be the highest percentage of natural ingredients and you know, like they support environmental causes and things like that. So they align themselves with a cause so that people that are passionate about the cause are also passionate about birds. So it’s kind of like a one feeds into the other sort of thing. I do use their their product. I just, I feel like what? Well, to your, to what you’re referring to I think they’ve, they tend to think about more of that experience than some other companies. I think I think other companies are catching up. But, you know, like they’ve they have all that. Like they’re rare, their presentation is pretty focused,
Fei Wu 55:35
very consistent. Yes. Yeah, that’s the look, you know, like nothing else, like I never get confused by the brand identity. So I’m running a little bit out of your time, actually, the time committed. So I’m going to wrap up with a few rapid fire questions. And are you into reading? Books? Do you read books on a regular basis, and
Ira Cummings 56:02
I’m trying to read more. That will include a list
Fei Wu 56:05
of blogs and things you find inspiration, and especially when it comes to design? We’ll include that in the blog post. But let’s, one of my favorite question to ask my guests is looking back. What is that advice that you will give to your 20 year old self? What would you say to your 20 year old self?
Ira Cummings 56:25
I would say just like, loosen up and not worry too much about what other people think about you just kind of own it. You know, it’s something I still struggle with. But I think that the more that no matter what you do, the more that you can just be confident in being kind of who or whatever you are, you know, just everything else sort of falls into place one way or another.
Fei Wu 56:58
I really liked that. And Sam Smith, I believe it’s a singer’s name. I don’t I don’t recall that name until watching Grammys this year. And the young gentleman who came up and said I’ve been seeing for a long time, until I was trying to be myself that I’m able to achieve the success that I have today. He took away like all the Grammy Awards that just came out of nowhere. And my second question is, well, given where you are right now, what is that one thing that you would change about yourself? Could be anything? Any interesting questions, I just say James Altucher, this question is pitched to James Altucher, who’s like number one influencer on LinkedIn, he’s like, I really wouldn’t mind being having Brad Pitt’s Look, I just saying. Anyway,
Ira Cummings 57:45
um, the one thing I would change. Um I think it’s, I mean, this is always kind of a tough thing, because I have I think about regrets probably more than I should, but at the same time, I really acknowledged that the, my path here has been pretty dependent on the choices that I’ve made. Maybe just to probably take an interest in, in design sooner. Maybe the other thing would be to kind of commit professionally, a little bit more in a more focused way. Just because I’ve even even though I’ve, there, there’s been kind of some through lines in my career, it hasn’t really been, it’s more like been based on what I was good at, or what there was demand for or things like that versus kind of really bleeding into any one particular thing. I tend to be a generalist a little bit. So I think pushing myself to focus earlier,
Fei Wu 59:24
what are some of the focus areas that you would like to consider now?
Ira Cummings 59:30
Um, I, I really do want to be better at mentoring younger designers and helping them to get better at whatever it is that they want to do. And kind of help, you know, help them get to where they want to go without some of the stumbling blocks that I had to Learn from my experience, and, and kind of try to foster creativity because I think it’s I don’t know that people really how much people take it for granted. But I think it’s, it’s kind of awesome to have a job where you get to be creative every day. And you really don’t have to put up with doing things you don’t want to do if you have ambition, because they’re, you know, the the times I see job listings for designers every day, just not even looking. But you know, people say, I’m looking for someone to do this, or, you know, anybody who could do that, or I heard about an opening at this, like, there’s a lot of opportunities, there’s tons of opportunities for designers. So if you’re, like not doing something that you’re not interested in, like, just go get a new job.
Fei Wu 1:01:02
Or something else, just start something on your own. Yeah. And the friends project. Yeah, we’ll close on a very lighthearted question. Which hasn’t been I haven’t pitched this to anybody else. I find it kind of intriguing that in there’s a saying in the US I don’t think there’s an equivalent in China, which is a to go bag. Like you know, if you have a to go bag, it gets imagine like a student backpack size. Not like a ccm for people in there will be in the back for you.
Ira Cummings 1:01:36
Um, there’d be a sketchpad and like, dozen different pencils, there would probably be you know, enough books to keep me busy for a while. I don’t I don’t know if a phone would be in there, but definitely some way to listen to music.
Fei Wu 1:02:01
Have fun when I’ll be in there.
Ira Cummings 1:02:03
You know, I have a love hate relationship with it. It’s, it enables a lot but it also, I think makes people kind of overly reliant as well. So
Fei Wu 1:02:14
let’s say you have like 50 pounds of stuff. Most of the empty will be like
Ira Cummings 1:02:19
maybe some food
Fei Wu 1:02:24
like that answer maybe next time for my next podcast open with that because there’s so many trigger points from that is like, why did you decide to do that? Thank you so much for being on my podcast. Thanks. It was a pleasure. Fantastic. Well, we’ll include information on how to follow you is Ira cummings.com.
Ira Cummings 1:02:43
Yeah, it’s Ira coming SATCOM is is my design work Ira Cummings. art.com is my more art focused stuff. I’m Ira F. Cummings at most social networks. So that’s usually the way to find me.
Fei Wu 1:02:58
Right and you post regularly to Facebook, Twitter,
Ira Cummings 1:03:02
Twitter, Facebook tends to be for people that I know so I keep keep it kind of siloed Instagram as well. Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr. Those are the main ones. We include
Fei Wu 1:03:14
all of that information in a blog post.
Listen to more episodes of the face world podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes where visit face world.com that is f e i s wo rld where you can find show notes, links or other tools and resources. You can also follow me on Twitter at face world. Until next time, thanks for listening
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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From Relief to Renewal: Hispanic Federation Responds to Crisis
Ever since its founding more than 25 years ago, Hispanic Federation has always responded to crises in our communities. That was never truer than after Hurricane Maria. In 2017, the superstorm changed everything for Puerto Rico and Hispanic Federation. In response to the worst storm to hit the island in a century, we launched a comprehensive relief and recovery effort on the island. The storm may have passed but the challenges facing the island are as serious as ever before. In 2018, we turned from relief to renewal in Puerto Rico.
Our Unidos Disaster Assistance Program has committed $30 million to support emergency relief and recovery efforts on the island including support for vital resiliency projects in the areas of agriculture, housing, economic development, health, renewable energy and water access. In 2018, we opened an office on the island to manage our growing body of work.
As part of the Unidos program, we launched the Amanece Road to Recovery Fund which makes grants to local nonprofits in support of recovery and sustainability projects on the island. Some of the most notable projects we are supporting include:
Alianza Agua, Community Aqueduct Project
A partnership with the Community Foundation of PR, Bosque Modelo, and OxFam, the goal of this project is to rebuild and strengthen community run aqueducts throughout the island that will ensure access to clean water to 200+ rural communities.
Housing Collaborative Project
A pioneering coalition-building initiative that will provide marginalized communities with a platform to advocate with regard to Puerto Rico's long term housing needs, receive community-centered legal services, and rehabilitate over 160 homes.
Flamenco Beach Culebra Restoration Project
HF is partnering with the Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico and Para la Naturaleza to rebuild and renew Flamenco Beach, and spur greater tourism and economic activity for the island of Culebra.
Coffee Industry Initiative
HF is providing multi-year, comprehensive technical assistance to small coffee farmers to improve their agricultural outcomes, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the island's coffee sector.
Rio Piedras Market Solarization
In partnership with the Clinton Foundation, the Solar Foundation, and in coordination with the municipality of San Juan, HF is helping to solarize the main Rio Piedras Market, which houses hundreds of produce and retail vendors daily.
But our crisis response work wasn’t just limited to Puerto Rico. When the Volcán de Fuego volcano erupted in Guatemala in early June, 2018 we established the Guatemala Disaster Relief Fund. We raised more than $75,000 to support community-based organizations in the area to provide immediate food and medical aid, housing assistance, and support efforts to rebuild the communities destroyed by the eruptions.
In 2019, we know that we will likely be called upon to help guide and manage our communities’ responses to crises. Thanks to our growing family of supporters, we will be ready for whatever comes our way.

domain: sociology


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Wallingford, Pa. : Pendle Hill Publications, 2001.
LibraryThing member QuakerReviews
This lovely pamphlet is beautiful in several ways. It includes 7 of Eichenberg's wonderful woodblock prints. It includes marvelous quotations from Lao Tsu, Dostoyevsky, and Eichenberg himself. It enlightens us on the very special art of this Quaker wood engraver and lithographer Fritz Eichenberg. And it illuminates his spiritual path and wisdom. If any of these appeal to you, do not miss this one.
0875743536 / 9780875743530
Pendle Hill Pamphlet 353
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domain: artistic


text:
We went there with several pople to celebrate a 70th birthday. I had the fried squid with coleslaw and fries. Others had the haddock with shrimp, swordfish and scallops. We called ahead to reserve a table for 7 which they had set up for us. The food was good. I normally have clams but with the... read more
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domain: food


text:
Tomato Ketchup Bottle Decoration
This Tomato Ketchup Bottle decoration is great for adding a touch of fun to your Christmas Tree.
Shiny Red shaped bottle with a white tomato ketchup label finished off with a sparkly gold glitter accent.
With a silver hanging string so it’s ready to take it’s place on your Christmas Tree.
A perfect present for any fans of the tomatoey condiment!
Height : 13cm.
Material : Glass, will smash if dropped.

domain: design


text:
Home » Earthbound Papas
Nobuo Uematsu is a well-known game soundtracks composer especially famous from creating music for “Final Fantasy” series. Few years ago he set his first rock...
Top 10 Drummers in Prog Rock, Metal & Around in 2014
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Copyright © 2010-2015 Prog Sphere & Prog Sphere Promotions. All rights reserved.

domain: entertainment


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Doctors and public health officials weigh in on coronavirus myths
Scientists don't yet know whether or not a vaccinated person can still carry or transmit the disease, which is why public health officials like Nola Aigner Davis in Polk County recommend mask-wearing and social distancing until a majority of the population is vaccinated.
"We have to continue wearing masks and social distancing until a majority of our population is vaccinated," Aigner Davis said in a Zoom call on Thursday. "Think about this, I wear a mask not only to protect myself but to protect you."
One myth often seen online is that the vaccine actually gives you COVID-19 to build up immunity. Dr. Jeff Brock, the Infectious Disease Pharmacy Specialist at MercyOne in Des Moines, says that's just not true.
What he says is actually in the vaccine is Messenger RNA (mRNA) which tells your cells to make antibodies that stop the spike protein in the virus from infecting you.
"This is not full coronavirus," Brock says. "This is just bits of the RNA so some of the genetic make-up that tells our body to make those proteins to make the antibodies."
He says you shouldn't confuse that with DNA. Brock says the vaccine never touches a cell's nucleus, meaning the vaccine won't change your genetics, another fear among those hesitant to vaccinate.
"That RNA is never incorporated into your cell nucleus which is where we host our DNA so it's up never taken by our cells or incorporated into our genetic makeup," Brock said.

domain: news


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A Ten Year Leap in Graphics - Stepping into a Time Machine with Halo 2: Anniversary
CampaignOne of the amazing things about Halo 2: Anniversary's campaign is the fact that you can switch from the new to the old graphics instantaneously without any load times. Even during the middle of a firefight, you can switch from the old to the new graphics and see the improvements in everything from the plasma grenade explosions to the gun sounds. At times, it's hard to even advance in the game because you're constantly walking around, and doing the graphics switch on every single object in the game to examine just how different Halo 2 is from Halo 2: Anniversary. You're able to see instantly the improvements that have been made in texturing, modeling, lighting and effects. For instance, fighting a Hunter in the original Halo 2 shows a very low-res creature with not much detail, switch to the Halo 2: Anniversary graphics and you'll see a highly-detailed creature, made up of small worm like creatures. It's clear that the techniques used in game development have increased significantly in ten years time, from higher resolution textures to the use of normal maps and a higher polygon budget. It's easy to take for granted the graphics we have available to us until you essentially go back in time ten years. That is very much how Halo 2: Anniversary feels when you're playing it, like a time machine.
You can see from the image above just how much detail was added to Halo 2: Anniversary, the rocks in the original Halo 2 were extremely jagged and low resolution. Those same rock formations in Halo 2: Anniversary consists of much higher resolution geometry, higher res textures and normal maps to make the rocks feel much more organic. You’ll also notice the very prominent lack of shadows in the original Halo 2. In Halo 2: Anniversary you can see the crisp shadows being cast from the trees, rocks and buildings, and the use of ambient occlusion to help accentuate the deep crevices in the rock formations and trees. You’ll also notice the detail in the foliage from Halo 2: Anniversary compared to the original, the moss on the rocks is no longer simple textures, and the sides of cliffs have various vines and foliage growing up the side. You can also see the lack of any real atmosphere in the original Halo 2, there is no mist, fog or any type of effect to add depth to the scene. In Halo 2: Anniversary there’s a nice distant fog that adds atmosphere to the level.
Another very dramatic improvement from Halo 2 to Halo 2: Anniversary are in the cut scenes, which were done by Blur Studios who also did cut scenes for Halo Wars and some of Halo 4’s cut scenes. Now, obviously the original cut scenes from Halo 2 were in-game cut scenes done in the game engine. The cut scenes done by Blur Studios are pre-rendered. So the graphical fidelity between the two is going to be substantial. Even so, you’re able to be drawn into the cut scenes in Halo 2: Anniversary much more than the original, the characters feel more alive, the animations are fluid and polished, and many of the changes to the camera cuts have made a dramatic improvement to the story being told through the cut scenes.
You’re really able to get a whole new look at the Halo Universe through the cut scenes done by Blur. We really liked the new details you’re able to see in the Elites, their rows of razor sharp teeth and the small details in their skin really made them feel more gruesome and powerful than the original cut scenes did. You can really see this is what the developers had in mind for the Elites, but simply weren’t able to show it with the technology that was available ten years ago.
The multiplayer in Halo 2 has also been remastered, and includes six remakes of classic Halo maps like Zanzibar, Lockout and Coagulation. While the overall layout and feel of the original Halo 2 maps have been left intact the maps had to get a complete graphical overall.
As stated by Justin Walters who worked on remastering the maps, “Everything had to be recreated. Halo 2 was a graphical powerhouse when it was released ten years ago, but at this point there’s been so much advancement in game visuals that nothing could really be salvaged from the original. However, we had access to a lot of assets from previous Halo maps that Certain Affinity has worked on as well as Halo 4. The textures from these assets were re-baked at higher resolutions and put through Substance to update everything and take advantage of the Xbox One’s hardware.”
That’s a large undertaking for the team at Certain Affinity who were responsible for recreating the classic multiplayer maps that so many fans know and love, but the team was given creative freedom on the design of the maps from 343 Industries, “Aesthetically we were given a large amount of creative freedom, as long as the final art felt like it was a part of the Halo universe. From a design perspective Halo 2 is such an important game for so many people. The multiplayer was a true milestone for online gaming and millions of gamers spent countless hours playing it. The remastered maps have a few alterations and interactive elements added to them, but are true to the originals in layout and feeling.” Justin explains.
We were really impressed with just how much work was put into remastering these multiplayer maps, and you can see from the image above the difference between Ascension in Halo 2 to Halo 2: Anniversary. One of the first things you can notice is the skybox. No longer is the Halo ring shrouded in fog, but rather beautifully reconstructed to show just how vast the world is. You can also see the detail that went into redesinging the different alien structures that made up the environment, the shaders give off a feeling of a mettalic material rather than the flat grey cement that is in the original Halo 2.
As Justin Walters explains there are challenges to building a map from scratch and remastering a map that has already been built, ”In my personal experience there are positives to both. When you’re creating something original you have absolute creative freedom and a chance to carve out something that’s never been done before. When you’re working on a project like remastering classic multiplayer maps from Halo 2, you have an amazing opportunity to build off of something that has an incredible legacy.”
And that is exactly what has been done here, the maps themselves have their original structure but given a complete next-gen overhaul.
When you’re playing Halo 2: Anniversary it is truly like stepping into a video game time machine, and getting to experience a game from ten years ago, and the same game, only with today’s graphical capabilities. It is extremely impressive to see just how far the fidelity of video games have come in ten years and its exciting to think about the advancements we can expect ten years from now.


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Home / Bollywood / Ranveer Singh, Kriti Sanon can’t keep calm as Amitabh Bachchan shares proof of his midnight cravings. See pic
Amitabh Bachchan has shared a glimpse of his midnight snack session on Instagram. The 77-year-old posted a picture of a crushed food wrapper after he binged on chocolates at night.
Putting out the proof on Instagram, he wrote, “Raat ko 12 baje jo is khaane ka maza hai, wo kahin aur nahi (there is nothing more fun than snacking at midnight).”
His industry colleagues also reacted to the post which received more than 150,000 ‘likes’ within a few hours. Kriti Sanon reacted, “My favvvvvvvv.” Ranveer Singh wrote, “Oh Bachchan sahabbbbbb!!! Uff yeh kya kar rahe ho aap!! (Wow, what are you doing).” Amitabh’s Brahmastra co-star Mouni Roy also dropped some drooling face emojis in the comments section.
The Sholay actor however, did not stay awake any longer after enjoying his midnight snack and went to bed to wake up early for work. After wishing his fans who had their birthdays on that day, he wrote on his blog in brief, “Ok .. Good night .. working tomorrow .. so need the early bed ..”
The actor has started filming the 12th season of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) with proper protection amid the coronavirus pandemic. After recovering from Covid-19 last month, he visited a set for the first time a few weeks later since the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March forced shut film and television shoots.
The 77-year-old actor on his blog shared his experience of shooting with a minimal crew, all wearing PPE kits. “It has begun. The chair, the atmosphere... KBC 12. Started year 2000, today year 2020. Unimaginable that the years have passed, that the show has lasted, that the nerves are back. It’s a sea of limited blue on set. “Quiet, conscious, each delegated work routine, precautions, systems, distanced masks, sanitised and the apprehensions of not just what shall happen to the show... but what shall the World look like after this dread COVID-19,” Bachchan wrote.
Also read: Happy birthday Vivek Oberoi: Did you know he was considered too good-looking for Company, stayed in slums to convince Ram Gopal Varma?
The veteran actor observed a “loss of camaraderie” on set as no one spoke to each other, unless it was work related. “It’s like a laboratory where some rather deep scientific experiments abound. This was never expected, never the time to see such visuals, but there it is,” he wrote.
(With PTI inputs)
Follow @htshowbiz for more

domain: celebrity


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This column provides a daily update on key presidential actions as well as comments, whether spoken aloud or on Twitter, by President Trump. Like the stock market, the deadline for Trump Today action is 4 p.m. Eastern time, even as we acknowledge that substantive news can and does occur after hours.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is “disappointed” in Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation and hailed a “big step” on the path to repealing and replacing Obamacare after the Senate took a key procedural vote.
‘TIME WILL TELL’ ABOUT SESSIONS
At a news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Trump was asked about Sessions, whom he again criticized on Twitter Tuesday morning. “I’m very disappointed in the attorney general,” Trump said. But Trump stopped short of calling for Sessions to resign or saying he would fire him. “We will see what happens,” Trump said. “Time will tell.”
In a tweet, Trump said Sessions had taken a “very weak” stance on Hillary Clinton’s emails and intelligence leakers. The tweet came after the Washington Post reported Trump and his advisers are discussing the possibility of replacing Sessions.
Trump also targeted acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe on Twitter, saying his wife got $700,000 from Clinton. As CBS News reports, McCabe’s wife ran unsuccessfully for the Virginia state legislature but didn’t get $700,000 from Clinton. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s political-action committee donated nearly $500,000 to Mrs. McCabe’s campaign, CBS said. McAuliffe is a Clinton ally.
‘BIG STEP’ ON HEALTH CARE
Trump said Senate Republicans had taken a “big step” by opening debate on a health-care bill. Vice President Mike Pence voted to break a tie on the so-called motion to proceed, but it’s uncertain what bill, if any, may pass the Senate.
Trump also thanked Sen. John McCain for returning for the vote, calling him an “American hero” on Twitter and again praising him during the news conference with Hariri. McCain made a “tough trip,” Trump said. The Arizona Republican is under treatment for a brain tumor. Trump criticized McCain during the presidential campaign, saying he wasn’t a “war hero.” McCain was captured and held as a prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese.
TRUMP DEFENDS SON-IN-LAW
The president said Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, did “very well” answering Senate questions on Monday about contacts with Russian officials. Trump said Kushner proved he didn’t collude with the Russians and repeated his statement that the Russia probe is a “witch hunt.” He joked that his 11-year-old son Barron would be the next to be questioned.
Kushner returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday for a second day of private meetings with congressional investigators.
‘MAJOR’ TRADE DEAL WITH U.K. IN WORKS
Trump said he was working on a “major” trade deal with the United Kingdom, and that it could be “very big and exciting.”
This week, the U.K.’s international trade secretary, Liam Fox, is in Washington discussing the potential for a U.S.-U.K. trade deal after the U.K. withdraws from the European Union in March 2019. No deal can be signed until after then, as the BBC notes.


Fortune News | Apr 03,2023
Cross-country buses providing public transport services in Addis Abeba have stopped operations despite the City Administration renewing contracts with the owners.
Nearly 560 buses operating under 13 associations have provided public transport services since October 2020, signing agreements with the Addis Abeba Transport Bureau officials. The buses, which can seat between 45 and 65 passengers, have been on duty six days a week, charging tariffs determined by the Bureau. They were assigned to operate under the state-owned Sheger Mass Transportation Services Enterprise. The latter joined the transport sector in 2016 with 150 buses assembled domestically by the former Metals & Engineering Corporation (MetEC).
The Enterprise doubled its routes to 93 after the arrival of the cross-country buses, most of them connecting the city centre with destinations in the outskirts, where large commuters to the city reside. Many of the buses, categorised based on seating capacity, stopped providing their services last April following city officials’ failure to renew contracts and disburse delayed payments.
“Payment was delayed because it takes time to approve the budget,” said Etsegenet Abebe, communications director for the Transport Bureau.
Two weeks ago, Tiratu Beyene, general manager of the City Administration, decided to settle arrears of 160 million Br. A former Mayor of Hawassa town, Tiratu was appointed to manage the city in 2020. He favoured renewing contracts with the cross-country transport associations, extending the service period to next September.
It has not panned out as he hoped. Eighty-six cross-country buses have reported for duty, Habtewold Shewangizaw, deputy head of operations at Sheger Bus, told Fortune.
Abay Level-One Cross Country Bus Owners Association, with 106 members, has deployed the largest fleet among the 13 associations. Last year, Abay assigned 98 buses to the capital. But the fleet size it has dispatched since last January has dropped by over two-thirds.
Meles Kiheshen, the Association chairperson, attributed the fleet drop to a lack of maintenance. The agreement with the City Administration compels bus owners to cover maintenance and fuel expenses and pay drivers’ salaries. Buses dispatched under Abay received 17 million Br from the city for three months of service beginning April this year.
The Association plans to restore its fleet to full capacity, Meles disclosed to Fortune. However, several buses under Abay sustained breakdown and wear due to the mandatory transport service they provided to the federal government during the militarised conflict in the north.
Tiratu pledged to cover costs to bus owners after his office received a confirmation letter from the Ministry of Defense.
“This process took two months,” said Meles.
The decision to lease the cross-country buses came following a delay in delivering 3,000 buses assembled by the Ethio Engineering Group (the former MetEC). It forced the City Cabinet to approve the lease to ease the transport crisis observed in the capital.
With a fleet dispatched to 125 routes, the state-owned Anbessa City Bus Enterprise serves 300,000 commuters daily, while Sheger ferries 229,000 passengers daily with 289 buses. The Public Transport Enterprise also caters to over 60,000 commuters with a fleet of 254 buses. Under Dawit Yeshitla, the Transport Bureau dispatches close to 8,000 minibuses a day, serving over 600,000 people.
However, the fleets are insufficient to meet the demand from millions of commuters in Addis Abeba and the surrounding towns that depend on public transport.
Engida Tadie, a lecturer of urban planning and transportation management at Kotebe Metropolitan University, urges city officials to get the cross-country buses back on the streets as soon as possible. He observes the support would have been crucial in easing the city’s transportation ordeal over the past couple of weeks, as fewer buses and minibuses operated due to a diesel shortage.
The leaders of transport associations say the administration’s failure to revise contracts adjusted for the rise in fuel prices and climbing maintenance costs influenced their decision not to deploy buses under the scheme. Depending on seating capacity, the City Administration pays associations up to 4,300 Br daily for each bus. Payments are made at the end of the month, though the authorities retain the right to delay payments for up to seven days.
The latest payment came after a two-month delay.
Although the associations were paid for the three months of service since the initial contracts expired, the new deal does not account for fuel prices, according to Birhane Zeru, chairperson of Hidase Level-One Cross-Country Bus Owners’ Association.
Fuel retail prices have been adjusted twice in the last four months. The most recent jump pushed the cost of a litre of benzene to 47.83 Br, a nearly 30pc increase. A litre of diesel retails for 49.02 Br, up 40pc.
Established a decade ago, Hidase, which operates 35 cross-country buses, received 70 million Br for its services over the past three months.
“We’re in a situation where we can’t extend the contract anymore,” said Birhane.
Transport associations have filed pleas for contract reviews no less than five times.
“We request not only the renewal of contracts but also further discussions with city officials,” said Birhane.
Discussions with officials, including Tiratu and Dawit, had been scheduled for last week but were pushed back to the coming week.
“We’re hoping to settle our differences,” said Birhane.
PUBLISHED ON Jul 17,2022 [ VOL 23 , NO 1159]
Fortune News | Apr 03,2023
Fortune News | Sep 08,2019
Verbatim | Nov 12,2022
Radar | Aug 13,2022
Agenda | Jan 22,2022
Commentaries | Sep 10,2023
Viewpoints | Aug 13,2022
Fortune News | Apr 09,2023
Radar | Nov 27,2023
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Mountain View Spraying Service is now offering Lawn Aeration:
Lawn aeration is the secret weapon in making your lawn healthy. Aeration involves making holes in the lawn either by pushing a rod into it or by “coring”, extracting a plug of soil. By aerating your lawn you provide the following benefits to your lawn and its root system:
â€¢ Oxygen gets to the roots and the soil allowing it to “breathe”
â€¢ Fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system
â€¢ Water is able to better soak the soil and reach the root system
â€¢ Helps to break up thatch
â€¢ Tight, compacted soil is loosened up allowing the root system to grow
Lawn Aeration Equals a Healthier and Greener Lawn!
Contact us today to schedule your Lawn Aeration during the month of September.

domain: agronomy


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On Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams eagerly touted ongoing trouble for the nation's largest breast cancer charity: "...the controversy involving the Susan G. Komen Foundation has soiled one of the great names and best-known brand names in all of charity....it was the symbol of the fight against breast cancer until controversy came along and Komen cut funds for Planned Parenthood, a decision it later reversed."
Williams noted how "senior leadership has given way" as "founder, Nancy Brinker, whose late sister was Susan G. Komen, is stepping down from her role as CEO." He wondered: "But will it be enough to restore faith and quiet the critics?" Correspondent Lisa Myers declared the move "was welcomed as much-needed change at Komen affiliates."
At no point in the segment was Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, described as controversial.


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Preserving Family Memories: Scanning
New year, new family history goals! Do you have photos, scrapbooks or slides that you want to digitize? Join Genealogy & History Manager Stephanie Bennett to learn about the ins and outs of family history scanning and digitization and how the Heritage Lab located on the 8th floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library can help you achieve your family history preservation goals!
The Creative Spaces: Heritage Lab is a place to digitize irreplaceable family memories and create new ways to celebrate them. It is generously supported by the Dallas Genealogical Society, the Friends of the Dallas Public Library and the General Levi Casey Chapter, NSDAR.

domain: library


Greg Cosell from NFL Films joined Fan Interference to recap both title games, and what he sees on film from the teams that are going to the Super Bowl. Greg also talked about the game […]
How do you stop Peyton Manning??? It’s easier said than done. NFL Guru Jason Cole called in to Out of Bounds Tuesday to offer advice to the Seahwaks. Check it out!
One of the greatest Seahawks of all time joined Marc Ryan and Jeff Pantridge Tuesday night to preview Super Bowl 48. He also taled about what the vibe in Seattle is right now and what […]
Details, including the referees, National Anthem singer and the color jerseys the Broncos will wear have come out in anticipation of Super Bowl XLVIII in less than two weeks.
What does Seattle have to do in order to win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history?
Here, for entertainment purposes ONLY, we present to you the betting odds on the biggest names in Super Bowl XLVIII, courtesy of Bovada.com:
It’s been a while, but we finally have the teams with the two best records in the regular season facing off in this year’s Super Bowl. Can Seattle’s lockdown defense slow down Denver’s high-powered offense in the big game?
In anticipation of the AFC and NFC Championship games this weekend, we’ve pulled together America’s leading sportscasters to make their predictions and picks for Patriots-Broncos and 49ers-Seahawks.
The good news: either Manning or Brady will get to go to another Super Bowl. The bad news: one of them will not, and be denied adding more to his legacy yet again.
From NFL Films, Greg Cosell joined Fan Interference to give us his thoughts on the upcoming AFC and NFC title games. Greg wanted to start out by making sure that the guys were not making […]


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By Shawn Ness | October 24, 2021
With a few new renovations planned for the quads on campus, here’s what to expect. Some renovations will be coming to Colonial Quad (Paine and Zenger halls) as well as a smaller project on State Quad. On Colonial, Paine Hall, Zenger Hall, and the dining hall area beneath the living areas, lounge, and flag room, will be undergoing a full renovation, costing $43 million.
This renovation is a follow-up to a 2016 renovation on Herkimer hall, which earned a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. According to Associate Director on Communications Michael Parker, it is estimated that after this renovation, the building now uses “25% less energy and 46% less potable water than a baseline code-compliant building.”
Parker stated that the use of recycled material was central to the project: “the environmental and indoor air quality impact of the materials used on the project was improved by achieving 20% recycled contents in materials, 63% regional materials, 67% FSC-certified wood, and low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coating and flooring systems.”
The renovations will replace ceilings and floors, and furniture will be provided to Delancy, Clinton, and Morris halls, according to Parker. These additions will also address some student complaints made apparent in a petition in late September.
The renovations come after Beverwyck and Schuyler halls, on Dutch Quad, received a full renovation costing $34 million. This project converted the dining hall into the new Health and Counseling Services facility, which temporarily moved off-campus while its old home in the Hudson Building was under construction. According to University Spokesman Jordan Carleo-Evangelist, UAlbany has spent over $250 million on major residence halls and apartment renovations over the last decade.
Similar to Herkimer, that project got a LEED Gold Certification in April. It was estimated that the building used “23% less energy and 43 % less potable water than a baseline code-compliant building.” According to Parker, “The project diverted 90 percent of the construction waste from landfills by recycling and/or salvaging materials. The environmental and indoor air quality impact of the materials used on the project was improved by achieving 20 percent recycled contents in materials, 30 percent regional materials, and low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coating, and flooring systems.”
According to Parker, to determine what areas of the university are in need of renovations, the Office of Facilities Management conducts studies to guide investment decisions of both repairs and budget. The OFM commissioned “‘master plans’ to guide renovations, upgrades and new projects for extended timeframes,” Parker said, The most recent facilities master plan (FMP) was commissioned in 2012 and was designed to run through 2023.”
Renovations are determined based on regular upkeep, as well as making sure old buildings are being renovated to match the style of new buildings, and designed to use less energy, according to Parker.
State Quad will be receiving lighting upgrades and dining hall upgrades, although Parker said the start date for this project is yet to be determined.


§ 23. Mr. McQuarrie
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further progress has been made in negotiations with the Spanish Government on the lifting of restrictions on the dependent territory of Gibraltar.
§ Mr. Whitney
Since my right hon. and learned Friend's meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister, Sr Moran, in New York on 26 September, there have been contacts with the Spanish Government through diplomatic channels on various matters concerning Gibraltar. We expect to review these with Sr Moran at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels tomorrow.


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Conductor and Co-Founder
Conductor and composer Jesse Brault studied orchestral
conducting at the Juilliard School with Maestros Alan
Gilbert and James Ross. After making his New York...
Praised for his “lustrous tone” (Musical America), Italian
flutist Giorgio Consolati has performed at the Marlboro
Music Festival, Carnegie Hall, and the Beijing China...
Through “mesmerizing” and “commanding” performances (The New
York Times), pianist and composer Robert Fleitz curates
artistic experiences that surprise as often as dazzle. He...
Gergana Haralampieva is a Bulgarian-American violinist and
educator passionate about making classical music relevant
and accessible. As an in-demand chamber musician, Gergana
has performed with...
A clarinetist, writer, and marketing consultant, John Hong
has enjoyed plaudits from The New York Times for playing
“quirky theatrical and musical elements with...
Eric Huckins is a french horn player, music educator, and
entrepreneur dedicated to sharing classical music through
creative programming and presentation creating emotionally
Indiana-native Ana Kim is a versatile cellist based in New
York, who actively performs on modern and historical
instruments with various ensembles throughout the...
Theo Van Dyck
Theo Van Dyck is an emerging young artist quickly making a
name for himself as a highly versatile trumpeter in New York


text: These late Palæolithic people not only drew remarkably well for our information, and with an increasing skill as the centuries passed, but they have also left us other information about their lives in their graves. They buried. They buried their dead, often with ornaments, weapons, and food; they used a lot of colour in the burial, and evidently painted the body. From that one may infer that they painted their bodies during life. Paint was a big fact in their lives. They were inveterate painters; they used black, brown, red, yellow, and white pigments, and the pigments they used endure to this day in the caves of France and Spain. Of all modern races, none have shown so pictorial a disposition; the nearest approach to it has been among the American Indians.


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Choose from the following to find a site:
A variety of terrains challenge riders of all skill levels on the off-highway trails. Before you start out, there are some things you will need to know.
Off-highway use on the Tahoe National Forest is regulated under both Federal and State Law. Briefly, users are required to have a license, a properly registered vehicle, and a working spark arrestor. They are also required to stay within Federal noise limits, ride safely, and abide by the area's off-highway restrictions. These regulations, enforced by Forest Officers, are designed to minimize environmental degradation and to reduce conflicts between users. It is your responsibility to know the regulations and to abide by them.
Riders also need to be aware of and in compliance with the rules regarding routes and seasons of use that are shown on the Tahoe National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM).
For Additional Riding Opportunities in California - http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/
2016-17 OHV Grant Applications Notice of Public Review and Comment Opportunity
The Tahoe National Forest (TNF) is submitting its annual Preliminary Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Applications to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) for funding to maintain and enhance its OHV program.
This grant cycle the TNF will be submitting grant applications for:
- Ground Operations (OHV trails and facilities maintenance)
- Law Enforcement
- Cal-Ida Connector Trail – Conduct finish work on a 20-mile trail connecting Halls Ranch and Chimney Rock OHV trails (Rough cut to be conducted under a separate RTP grant)
- Little Sugar Reroutes – Construct 5 reroute segments (approx. 9-miles) to replace unsustainable trail segments within the Sugar Pine OHV Trail System
- Restoration (Forest-wide) – Monitor 16 previous restoration projects for effectiveness and conduct additional restoration/closure work where needed Forest-wide. Focus Areas: restore/obliterate OHV trails after sustainable reroutes are constructed in the Sugar Pine OHV Trail System; analyze proposals to restore/obliterate certain routes that are adversely impacting portions of a subwatershed of the Truckee River (CA 303(d) Impaired Water Body for sedimentation); effectively close Greenhorn Creek; restore/obliterate a steep unauthorized route on Red Mountain
- Education and Safety – Focused education at Tahoe NF OHV “Hotspots” through Forest Service personnel, Volunteer Trail Rangers and signage
The TNF OHV Preliminary Grant Applications will be available for public review and comment from March 7 to April 3, 2017, on the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division’s website at www.ohv.parks.ca.gov. Public comments need to be submitted to both the Tahoe National Forest and the OHMVR, instructions on how to comment are on the OHMVR’s website.

domain: geography


Chapter 3994 Blithe Lord Is Dead
The next second, Blithe Lord saw a blinding bolt of light charging toward him. “Do you really think it’s possible to hurt me with a mediocre weapon like that? Dream on! Let me show you how powerful my ultimate weapon is.”
Blithe Lord let out a deafening bellow as he channeled his energy into his sword before hurling it at the bolt of light. Zing!
Dazzling sparks instantly exploded from the sword as its blade transformed into a massive energy storm and tore through the air toward the bolt of light.
Blithe Lord sneered, thinking that there was no way a distant attack could break through the energy storm barrier.
He intended to leverage the shockwave of the energy storm to strike and take down the King class spirit beast after blocking his opponent’s attack.
However, the next instant, the smile on his face stiffened. “How is this possible?”
The bolt of light had easily broken through the barrier created by the energy storm of the blade. At that moment, the air stilled and silence ensued.
At the same time, the atmosphere seemed to have solidified as a gust of frosty wind swirled past. Blithe Lord’s ultimate weapon was frozen and was then struck by the bolt of light and reduced to dust.
“This is bad!” Blithe Lord had an ominous feeling and his pupils contracted. He immediately started cultivating to activate an energy shield to protect himself.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! An energy with a thickness of hundred feet was instantly formed. Almost simultaneously, Levi’s Cardinal Spear hit the outermost layer of the energy shield, shattering it into pieces.
Crack! More importantly, the Cardinal Spear was still traveling at the same speed, unaffected by the obstruction of the energy shield.
“Shit!” Blithe Lord knew that things were not looking good and wanted to dodge to the side. However, it was all too late. In a flash, the Cardinal Spear pierced through his chest.
Even though Blithe Lord was wearing armor made with the finest materials, the spear had still easily penetrated his body.
The strong impact from the hit sent him flying backward at such a fast speed that only an afterimage of him could be seen in the sky.
Finally, Blithe Lord was nailed against the cloudship that was floating in mid-air.
The cloudship started shaking violently and only came to a halt after being knocked almost a thousand feet backward.
“T-This is impossible!”
Disbelief was written all over Blithe Lord’s face.
Immense lightning energy and cold energy filled the man’s body, charring his internal organs before freezing them.
Spurts of blood shot into the air in the shape of frozen red roses before landing on the ground.
Blithe Lord’s army was shocked beyond belief as they watched him get killed.
“Blithe Lord is dead! How is this possible?”
“What was that flying object? How can it possess such terrifying power?”
“Blithe Lord’s sword is one of the most powerful ultimate weapons around. I can’t believe it was destroyed so easily.”
“What do we do now? Are we going to continue to attack Astre Lune Sect?”
Blithe Lord’s army was at a loss after losing its leader.
No one from either Astre Lune Sect or the Prime Association spoke a word.
Levi stood with his hands behind his back, a serene expression on his face.
However, despite his calm appearance, adrenaline was pumping within him as he had just killed a Kenfort fighter effortlessly.
Overlooking Blithe Lord’s army whose morale had completely shattered and who were trembling in fear after their leader had been killed, Levi felt as if he was the ruler of Kenfort.
Levi was the God of War in the mundane world. However, as time went by, he had become unbeatable.
It was only when he arrived in Kenfort and met the fighters there that he felt excitement flowing through him again.
The feeling of having his competitive spirit ignited was indescribable, especially after he had long forgotten how it felt.
Kenfort fighters, get ready to beg for your lives. I’m coming for you! Levi exclaimed in his heart as a strong fighting intent flashed in his eyes.