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City Design describes the history and current practice of the four most widely accepted approaches to city design: the Modernist city of towers and highways that, beginning in the 1920s, has come to dominate urban development worldwide but is criticized as mechanical and soul-less; the Traditional organization of cities as streets and public places, scorned by the modernists, but being revived today for its human scale; Green city design, whose history can be traced back thousands of years in Asia, but is becoming increasingly important everywhere as sustainability and the preservation of the planet are recognized as basic issues, and finally Systems city design, which includes infrastructure and development regulation but also includes computer aided techniques which give designers new tools for managing the complexity of cities.
This new, revised edition of City Design includes a larger format and improved interior design allowing for better image quality. The author has also included wider global coverage and context with more international examples throughout, as well as new coverage on designing for informal settlements and new research conclusions about the immediacy of sea level rise and other climate change issues that affect cities, which sharpen the need for design measures discussed in the book.
Authoritative yet accessible, City Design covers complicated issues of theory and practice, and its approach is objective and inclusive. This is a comprehensive text on city design ideal for planners, landscape architects, urban designers and those who want to understand how to improve cities.
Table of Contents
1. Three City Design Challenges 2. Modernist City Design 3. Traditional Design and the Modern City 4. Green City Design and Climate Change 5. Systems City Design 6. An Integrated Way to Design Cities
Jonathan Barnett is a well-known, widely experienced city design practitioner who also teaches and writes about city design. He is a Fellow of the American Institure of Architects and also a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He is a Professor Emeritus of City and Regional Planning and former Director of the Urban Design Program at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
"Jonathan Barnett presents a comprehensive yet direct portrait of four principal city design traditions. His engaging book provides a timely use of the history of modernist, traditional, environmental, and systems approaches to engage current issues in urbanism. City Design is an excellent source for beginning students and seasoned practitioners." –Frederick Steiner, School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin
"Jonathan Barnett has set out to create nothing less than a coherent, all-inclusive framework for ideas about cities, past and present; as a primer for new students of urbanism, City Design is without parallel. For a knowledgeable reader, City Design Is laced with fresh new insights about the familiar warhorses of urban discourse." –Daniel Solomon, Mithun
"Jonathan Barnett’s new edition of City Design expands his brilliant critical framework for understanding the design of cities, also now addressing emerging issues of scale, such as the impacts of climate change and rise of informal settlements from migration and displacement. City Design is an invaluable compendium of global relevance, essential to the built environment professions, city administrators, financiers, politicians, students and academics." –Alec Tzannes, Dean, University of New South Wales, Built Environment
Praise for the First Edition:
"In City Design Jonathan Barnett, who is well known and highly regarded as both an educator and practitioner, has developed an informative textbook covering the history and thought behind urban design and its effect on contemporary cities, concluding with a proposed future of city design….
"The strength of City Design is Barnett’s brilliance at documenting the lineage of urban design thought in an accessible and engaging manner. Throughout, Barnett includes a contextual and historical background that places the shape of the city and the thoughts of those trying to change the form of the city within the context of the time, Moreover, Barnett incorporates examples of the "nuts and bolts’ of planning tools, each of which ties abstract ideas to the real world context of planning and design…
"Jonathan Barnett is a believer (as am I) that architectural ideas have had a vital role in shaping cities. To bolster his assertion he lays out in City Design a rich history of the styles, movements, and ideas that have shaped cities from the Renaissance forward. He puts in context everything from "garden cities" to "megastructures" and places these movements in the broader arc of civic history. Particularly interesting is Barnett’s interweaving of landscape design and architecture, since few books have looked at the interdependence of the two fields and their effects on city design." –Craig Whitaker, Architectural Record
"According to Jonathan Barnett, FAICP, there are four different kinds of city design, and each has its insights and its blind spots. It will take more than one to meet such challenges as climate change, unprecedented growth, and the "inability of local institutions and a wide range of respected design professionals to respond effectively" to major city-design issues following 9/11 and Katrina….The book is brisk, straightforward, and magisterial, and the author, a professor in the University of Pennsylvania's Urban Design Program, seems to have been everywhere, read everything, and assessed it with precision (and without wasting words)….Perhaps this instant classic can do for the rancorous partisanship of city design what no one has been able to do for national politics." –Planning magazine
"Jonathan Barnett has devoted his professional career to the education, theory, practice and intimate understanding of urban design. With City Design, Barnett untangles the complexity of diverse urban design approaches through a careful consideration of four basic design positions on the city; Modernist, Traditional, Green and Systems design. His text provides a much needed sense of perspective for the design of contemporary cities in an increasingly dynamic and globalized urban world." –Alfonso Vegara, President of Fundación Metrópoli, Madrid, Spain
"The strenght of City Design is Barnett's brilliance at documenting the lineage of urban design thought in an accessible and engaging manner." –Sarah P. Church, University of British Columbia, Journal of Planning Education and Research
"For those who somehow missed Jonathan Barnett's magisterial 2011 book, a second edition is itself improved in design. Now City Design: Modernist, Traditional, Green and Systems Perspectives offers more international cases (Helsinki's 2050 plan aims "to replace modernist highways with boulevards and streetcars") and more discussion of "informal settlements" and the increasingly dire threats posed by sea-level rise resulting from unaddressed climate change." –Harold Henderson, Planning Magazine

domain: design


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Originally written as Tricia Mills
Alexandra Landon once loved running the Grayton River through the Colorado canyons near her home and couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life but continuing the family’s river rafting business. But that was before her father died in a rafting accident and she developed a full-fledged fear of drowning. It’s been nearly a year since her father’s death, and the arrival of another summer means Alex has to face the river, the question of whether she can ever recapture her love of rafting, and the return of co-worker and former boyfriend Sean Kenley.
One way or the other, this summer is going to change Alex’s life forever.
Note: This is the second edition of this book, the first time it’s been available outside the U.S. or in electronic form. It was originally released in mass-market paperback form under the author name Tricia Mills from Razorbill Books.

domain: library


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domain: food


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Has the long weekend got the better of you?
We just can't hack the Bank Holiday session and today is generally a day for ringing up the local takeaway and settling in for the night with a good film or TV show.
It is still our national holiday though, so here are a few deadly Irish films and TV shows on Netflix right now.
The Hardy Bucks Movie
The party-loving lads famous for their YouTube skits plan a road trip to Poland to take in some soccer and sights but the madness ensues when they hit Amsterdam en route.
John Connors plays the role of Jay Connolly in this film which follows a group of young lads from Darndale in Dublin, who sell drugs to make a living.
Based in Dublin in the 80s, Sing Street follows a teenager who forms a rock band to fit in and win a girl's attention - something 90% of the population can possibly resonate with.
The Young Offenders
The TV show is brewing up a storm at the moment and if you've yet to check out the original movie, then get going! The loveable rogues Conor and Jock steal bicycles and set off to the coast to find a bale of cocaine from a smugglers capsized ship.
The Siege of Jadotville
Winner of four IFTAs, this Netflix original film tells the true story of Irish Soldiers who were besieged by enemy forces while on a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo.
This film starring Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands focuses on the real life events of the 1981 hunger strikes by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland.
Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope
This dark comic drama written by Stefanie Preissner and starring Amy Huberman is about two young women, one of which starts to spiral out of control.
The Magdalene Sisters
In 1964, three teenage Irish girls are sent to a Magdalene asylum. There, the girls perform hard labour supervised by cruel nuns and dream about escaping.
Brendan Gleeson plays an honest and good-hearted priest who struggles against his cynical, spiteful community after he receives a death threat from an unknown parishioner.
When the mother of young Evelyn Doyle abandons her family, her devastated father Desmond, played by Pierce Brosnan, is left to care for Evelyn and her brothers on his own. Evelyn and her brothers are removed from his care and sent to separate orphanages but Desmond challenges the Irish courts to bring his children home.
How about some Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson this Bank Holiday Monday? After a particularly difficult job, hit men Ray and Ken head to Belgium to hide out until things cool down.

domain: artistic


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Vamerolyn Chapman, 36, of Flint, and Mary Chapman, 72, of Holly, were sentenced to 18 months probation Monday, Feb. 25, by Genesee Circuit Judge Archie Hayman after pleading no contest to second-degree vulnerable adult abuse.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such at sentencing.Both women were also charged with first-degree felony murder for the death of 71-year-old Joann Christopher but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
The murder charges were dismissed after a medical examiner declared cancer as the cause of death.
Authorities said Christopher died on a couch in Vamerolyn Chapman's Stanley Road home with barely anything in her stomach and weighing 64 pounds.
State records show Christopher's guardian, who was appointed by an Oakland County court, placed the woman in a then-licensed home at 1325 Beard St. in Flint. Instead, Christopher was living in an unlicensed home on West Stanley Road at the time of her death.
Attorney Frank J. Manley, who represented Vamerolyn Chapman, said that Christopher and others were staying at his client's home while other housing facilities were being renovated.
Prosecutors said Christopher was malnourished, dehydrated and had severe bed sores. A medical examiner testified previously that it appeared Christopher had been neglected and also had cancer.
Neither Chapman spoke extensively about Christopher's death during the sentencing hearing. However, Vamerolyn Chapman, who first contacted her grandmother after Christopher's death, admitted that she made a mistake in not immediately contacting emergency personnel.
"I did the best I could," said Vamerolyn Chapman.
Attorney Leon Weiss, who represented Mary Chapman, said that the incident has had a lasting impact on his client.
"This has taken a great toll on her," Weiss said, noting that Christopher was a friend of Mary Chapman.
Both women were also sentenced to time served in jail and prosecutors asked that they be banned from caring or housing any other wards of the court in the future.

domain: sociology


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By F B Pinion
The presentation of Tennyson's own and poetic improvement is supplemented by means of an advent, short biographical sketches of greater than 30 of his pals, and maps of proper parts in Lincolnshire and the Isle of Wight.
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Extra resources for A Tennyson Chronology
He does not recognise her, but atones by visiting her the next evening. ) 29 On returning to Cheltenham, T finds a letter from Henry Hallam with an enclosure from Sir Robert Peel, who tells Hallam that he proposes to recommend an annual pension of £200 for T. T accepts, and explains his delay in replying. 30 He calls on Brookfield in London, shows him Hallam's letter and Peel's proposal, and stays for dinner. 8 October Brookfield, Tom Taylor, and others dine with T. October (mid) T has recently returned home from London.
A. ) During the month John Stuart Mill's defensive but discriminating review of T's 1830 and 1833 volumes appears in The London Review. 1 September According to Charles Tennyson d'Eyncourt, Alfred has been so 'violent' about the terms of the will that Mr and Mrs Bourne, with whom he has been staying at Dalby, have sent him away. e. in Fleet Street), with JS, Fitz, and the latter's old Trinity friend William Makepeace Thackeray. 1836 19 April T is staying with his Cambridge friend Monckton Milnes at the latter's home in Bawtry.
He would rather shake hands with the critic against whom he wrote in a boisterous, petulant mood. Some of his poems were early compositions, full of faults, and he would hate to see them brought to public notice again in reply to the 'ravings' of the 'unhappy coxcomb' Mr Lake. June John Heath (formerly an Apostle, now an assistant tutor at Trinity College, Cambridge) comes to Somersby with his brother Douglas. allams at Molesey Park near Kingston. From I
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domain: literature


A range of immediate measures is needed to secure long-term solutions and end the war on Ukraine’s terms rather than on Russia’s.
If you do not regard Ukraine as a European democracy with full sovereign rights, and if you do not see Russia as a fascist, imperialistically minded state, this is probably not the publication for you. But you would also be ignoring the evidence to hand. These labels are facts, and they lead to what ought to be inescapable operational conclusions.
As noted in the introduction, there is a potential world of difference between what should happen and what will happen in this war. Ukraine ‘should’ win (in the sense that it is essential on both moral and practical grounds that it does); whether it will win is not yet determined. But if the policy pitfalls described in the preceding chapters are avoided, then Ukraine has a much stronger chance of victory. Concomitantly, Russia will be more likely to lose, with European security and the rules-based international order more likely to be preserved.
This is a solutions-based report, designed to help get to the ‘should’ – the optimal outcome. In this context, the report has repeatedly challenged the notion of compromise with Russia and the related aphorism that one should ‘not let the perfect be the enemy of the good’. Outwardly reasonable suggestions about ending the war in Ukraine often reference the ‘reality’ of settlements and imperfect peace agreements achieved in other conflicts – such as in Colombia and Northern Ireland – where justice for some families and communities was subordinated to a wider regional or national stabilization agenda. Crucially, however, those two settlements were put to referendums (Ireland’s was approved, Colombia’s narrowly rejected).
The evidence shows that if the same were to be attempted in Ukraine, an overwhelming majority of citizens would vote against anything less than a restoration of pre-2014 borders (including Crimea), reparations from Russia (if not already addressed through the seizure and repurposing of Russian individuals’ and state assets), and a judicial reckoning for the crime of aggression (with the leading perpetrators of atrocities and war crimes, presumably including President Vladimir Putin, tried in international courts). Taking into account the nature of the Russian regime, any settlement that does not encompass these elements would be guaranteed to fail.
Another misconception is that the stakes are not as high as Ukraine and its supporters claim, at least in the sense that the rules-based international system is not at risk. Quite apart from the dubious inference that Ukraine can be sacrificed for some greater good, and that everywhere beyond Ukraine would thereafter and forever be secure, this position disregards Russia’s track record across the globe and its embrace not only of conventional aggression but of other hostile measures such as extraterritorial assassination and electoral manipulation. If Russia wins, not only is Ukraine gone; no one is safe from a Kremlin made bolder by success.
What is needed is a greatly enhanced commitment by all of Ukraine’s backers to providing war-winning materiel as swiftly as it can be delivered and absorbed by Ukraine’s armed forces.
Only an overwhelming Ukrainian military victory can deliver what Ukrainians themselves reasonably demand. This can only be achieved with external military support, in particular from the US. The arguments against providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry are spurious. What is needed is a greatly enhanced commitment by all of Ukraine’s backers to providing war-winning materiel as swiftly as it can be delivered and absorbed by Ukraine’s armed forces. This should include more air defence systems, long-range missiles, combat aircraft, advanced main battle tanks, and other such weapons systems as may be identified as essential to victory. Half-measures short of this will prolong the conflict, at a continuing cost in Ukrainian lives and also at great cost to the long-term prospects for the security of Europe.
There also needs to be a clear acknowledgment that Vladimir Putin has passed the point of no return and has to go. The president is an intrinsic part of the problem of Russian expansionism – although by no means its sole architect. The immediate issue of safeguarding Ukraine can be achieved by defeating Russia militarily. But addressing the longer-term challenge to Europe, given deep-seated attitudes and assumptions held across Russian society, requires change within Russia itself. Such change needs to be far more constructive than the kind Yevgeny Prigozhin – himself a staunchly nationalist, pro-war figure – would have brought had his challenge to Putin succeeded. Nevertheless, a lasting resolution, with or without the recovery of Ukraine’s territory, is simply impossible with the current political configuration in Moscow. To believe otherwise is to misunderstand Putin himself, his personal obsession with Ukraine, the broader antipathy of much of the Russian population towards Ukraine, and the popular assumption within Russia of entitlement to empire more broadly. For all the talk of security guarantees for Kyiv, up to and including NATO and EU membership, Ukraine and the West can never feel secure while Putin remains in power, and while Russia’s leadership and many Russian people believe the Ukrainian people and polity should rightly be ruled from Moscow.
For all the talk of security guarantees for Kyiv, up to and including NATO and EU membership, Ukraine and the West can never feel secure while Putin remains in power.
What happens if Russia is not defeated
We already have multiple guides to the consequences of a false peace with Russia. The drive to end conflict by imposing unworkable ceasefires led to the ‘six-point plan’ for Georgia after Russia’s 2008 invasion, multiple flawed ceasefire agreements in Syria, and the two Minsk agreements on Ukraine following Russia’s first invasion in 2014. Crucially, capitulations by the West not only allowed Russia to retain occupation of substantial parts of Georgia’s and Ukraine’s sovereign territory, they also showed Russia it could go further. This encouraged the full-scale onslaught on Ukraine in 2022.
But the scale of the 2022 invasion is such that the international ramifications of a settlement imposed on Ukraine would now be far greater. First, Ukraine’s existence as a sovereign state would be fatally undercut. Next in line could be Moldova, an obvious target considering its adjacency to Ukraine, its unilateral exit from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in May 2023 and its broader westward drift. After that, the Baltic states and Poland – despite their NATO membership – would be left more vulnerable by the message that the West is not prepared to face down Russia. After all, if Western states cannot enforce the specific commitments in the Budapest Memorandum, why would they honour the vaguer promise of collective defence enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty? (Contrary to how it is routinely portrayed, Article 5 does not unequivocally oblige member states to use armed force – or in fact take any measures at all – in support of another member under attack.) Some Balkan states could also be at risk from an unrestrained Russia.
This report has argued that any proposed solution which leaves Ukraine with less than 100 per cent of its territory restored and Putin in power is not viable. Unless or until such point as Ukraine’s defeat is assured and there is no other option, calls for compromise are specious. This is not only because compromise will be unacceptable to Ukraine, which perfectly well understands that the West has let it and other countries down repeatedly this century in conflicts with Russia. It is also because any perception of success – which Russia will measure by ground held, not by lives or materiel lost – will convince the Kremlin that its assault on Ukraine was the correct choice.
A ticking clock – the case for urgent action
Most publications of this nature seek enduring relevance, a ‘shelf life’. Not here. US assistance remains decisive, but America is approaching another momentous electoral fork in the road, with a stark choice between an administration currently doing the right thing – albeit hesitantly and with one foot on the brake – and one that would wish to abandon Ukraine or, if possible, Europe altogether. This, then, is the decisive year in which to give Ukraine the necessary military assistance to win, before the 2024 US election distracts from and constrains Western action – or, in the event of a victory for Donald Trump or his fellow travellers, hands victory to Russia. Far too much time has already been lost to timidity and misplaced fears of Russian escalation. This delay could well prove tragic. If the recommendations in this report – principally to ensure Ukraine’s military victory and the reduction of Russia as a future threat – are not taken up within months, all is potentially lost.
This is the decisive year in which to give Ukraine the necessary military assistance to win, before the 2024 US election distracts from and constrains Western action – or, in the event of a victory for Donald Trump or his fellow travellers, hands victory to Russia.
Western politicians too readily use the word ‘unacceptable’. Wars of aggression, annexations, mass killings, breaches of the Geneva Conventions, radiological and chemical weapons attacks, mass murder of airline passengers, ecocide as exemplified by the June 2023 destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, and the vast array of Russia’s hostile actions against its neighbours and perceived adversaries further afield have all been described thus. But Russia has never been confronted with sufficiently severe consequences for its behaviour, which therefore has been de facto accepted as the norm.
Ukraine, by contrast, understands the true meaning of unacceptable actions because they threaten its existence. The lesson from Ukraine and its plight is to understand that if you consider something unacceptable, you must stand against it, defeat it and prevent it from happening again. This means imposing meaningful costs and consequences on the perpetrator. As observed by Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, Russia’s leaders have seen throughout history that there is little consequence or sanction for waging war – it is essential now to break the cycle in which, through the centuries, one country in Europe repeatedly attacks its neighbours with minimal accountability.
At the time of publication of this report in June 2023, as a Ukrainian counteroffensive gets under way and as the Kremlin survives an attempted power grab from a paramilitary entity of its own creation, Ukraine’s fate hangs in the balance – and with it the longer-term security of the European continent. A plethora of wrong choices is available. They would crystallize Ukraine’s territorial losses, cost more lives in the longer term, and perpetuate and encourage Russia’s global malignancy. This report is a plea for making the right choice.
Summary of principles for Western policy on the war
- Ukraine must not be pressured, directly or indirectly, into a negotiated pause to the fighting. Instead, Kyiv must be allowed to fight the war to a conclusion before a peace is negotiated. Anything short of this grants Russia success and will encourage future Russian invasions.
- Ukraine’s Western backers must recognize that territorial concessions by Ukraine – including over Crimea – are not a workable solution. Granting Russia its wishes will confirm for Moscow that the path of conflict is the right one.
- Ukraine must be provided with genuine security guarantees to provide for its future safety. ‘Neutrality’, Ukraine’s status before 2014, provides no such guarantee. This war proves that real safety against Russia lies only within NATO, and with Ukraine’s completed transformation from former Soviet republic to full and free partner within the transatlantic community. Ukrainian membership of NATO and the EU should be a priority.
- Ukraine’s Western backers must overcome their fear of inflicting a clear and decisive defeat on Russia. The dangers of this defeat are far outweighed by those of Russian success or an ambiguous end to the conflict.
- The potential for political instability within Russia should not be a deterrent to pressing home Ukraine’s advantage. Indeed, the attempted Wagner Group mutiny of 24 June 2023 showed that domestic tumult can offer a tactical edge to Ukraine. The war has shaken the Russian regime, as the rebellion showed, although state fragmentation is unlikely even in the event of Russia’s defeat.
- The financing of support for Ukraine must be recognized as an investment in Euro-Atlantic security, and one which is yielding enormous returns in neutralizing the most acute threat to that security. Western governments should make it clearer to their electorates what this investment buys, and if necessary adopt public communications strategies challenging narratives around the fiscal costs of supporting Ukraine. For example, governments should make clear that headline figures on the value of weapons and other equipment supplied to Ukraine mostly do not represent new costs, but materiel already purchased and on hand.
- NATO must urgently increase production of munitions and weapons systems, with the aim of matching rates of consumption in Ukraine. This is not only to sustain the Ukrainian armed forces in the current conflict, but also to replenish and augment stockpiles across NATO in readiness for an extended period of military tension, and the possibility of high-intensity warfare. NATO should facilitate international defence procurement collaboration and – in consultation with the EU – remove systemic obstacles such as protectionism impeding multinational defence orders.
- The vital requirement for justice for Russia’s war crimes and atrocities must not be disregarded for the sake of a settlement with Moscow. Only accountability will prompt change in Russia. Most pressingly, Ukraine needs ongoing assistance with its vast caseload of war-related proceedings, as well as with the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression. Ultimately, support to win the war is necessary to allow a prospect of justice being delivered.
- Economic and financial sanctions must be constantly refined and honed to ensure they remain effective. Policy in this area should be informed by an understanding that Russia is involved in a huge effort to get around sanctions. Sanctions remain important in imposing a cost on Russia. They will have an increasing role in constraining the ability of the Russian military-industrial complex to rebuild offensive military capability eroded in Ukraine.
- The frozen assets of the Russian state and private individuals must be repurposed to finance reconstruction of Ukraine’s society, infrastructure and economy. Western government funding and private sector investment will not be enough on their own to meet Ukraine’s needs. Asset seizures or some variation on them, quite apart from being the moral choice and a source of substantial additional finance, are also necessary to show Russia and the Russians that crime doesn’t pay. In fact, they should be an essential part of the de-Putinization process that Russia must undergo if it is to join the civilized community of nations.
- Finally, it is essential that Western countries – and partners further afield – recognize and accept that the outcome of Russia’s war on Ukraine is a key determinant of their own future safety and security. Any genuine, durable plan for peace can only be implemented after hostilities have ended in Ukraine’s favour. And it must enshrine the principle of respect for the country’s sovereign independence and pre-2014 territorial borders. Any other outcome will set a precedent that encourages aggressors worldwide and degrades the rules-based international order. Ongoing, long-term deterrence of Russia after this war is an essential condition for preserving peace.


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No, most of the hotels and motels are about a 10 minute drive from the track. Auburn is the nearest city, lots of accommodations and other businesses on the main strip. No buses that run out there, but there should be enough people coming in to carpool with. I don't live as close to the track as Brian, but I can provide a ride as needed from a hotel to the track, provided that you leave your pits set up over night. Check out the Washington forum and get a conversation going over there, I am sure that lots of people would be willing to help out, maybe even provide a floor to crash, thus saving hotel costs.Any Hotels/Motels within walking Distance of the track?
This sounds like a bitchen plan! Count me in along with at least one more Norcal rider.http://www.motorspeedway.info/pacific_raceways-speedway-kent-wa-hotel-options.html
maybe I can check out a hotel and see about a group discount

domain: geography


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Photos of unveiled new Naira notes by President Muhammadu Buhari can be seen below.
Glamtush reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday unveiled the new naira notes of N200, N500 and N1,000 as proposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The unveiling of the new notes took place before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting, presided over by President Buhari.
Emefiele said it was the mandate of the CBN, to redesign and reissue the notes, assuring that henceforth, the exercise would take place after five to eight years.
“After today, the CBN will begin to redesign and reissue the naira for every five to eight years,” he said.

domain: news


Not all musicians can create music that taps into an art form and can make it “radio friendly” like 10 Years does. That is what makes 10 Years a band that is severely underrated in the rock world. 10 Years’ new album Violent Allies, released on September 18, is one of the best albums they have recorded since The Autumn Effect.
Violent Allies feels like a band that has returned to itself. That vibe is evident in every song on this record. Violent Allies sounds more true to how 10 Years sounds performing live as well, especially on the heavier tracks such as “Dejavu,” “Cut the Cord,” and “Sleep in the Fire.”
The first single, “The Shift” was eerily right on and a track fans can relate to because of everything that has been going on in the world with the pandemic. “The Unknown” lyrics were also accurate with current world events and it seems like the band was able to have their pulse on the world as if they were predicting the future when they were recording this album at the end of 2019. The piano part in “The Unknown” was a chilling addition which made it stand out on this record.
10 Years is known for hard-hitting and personal lyrics, which is another layer that makes Violent Allies such an incredible album. The lyrics on this album makes the listener feel the personal connection lead vocalist Jesse Hasek has to them. It is evident that Hasek poured his heart and soul into the lyrics in “Waiting,” and “Say Goodbye.” “Say Goodbye” is a very personal song for Hasek being about him recently losing his grandfather. This track is so well done musically and lyrically and can bring comfort to anyone who has suffered through a loss of a loved one.
“Start Again” is another strong track that also gives hope to fans that are struggling in their lives. “Set me free, free from myself. It’s only when we’ve lost everything we are free to start again, start again.” It is a very powerful song and tells the listener that they have it in themselves to overcome and carry on. And that hitting rock bottom can “set you free” to build yourself back up again.
Violent Allies is a true testament to the talent 10 Years possesses as a band. This album is a reflection of how much they have grown musically over the years. 10 Years put their focus, blood, sweat and tears into this record. It can not only be hard but also felt in every guitar riff, drum beat and lyric.


A must have item for casual and sportswear fans out there. Soft and comfortable as well as durable enough to withstand saveral washings.
Fabric: 100% polyester with moisture-wicking finish
Weight: 4.3 oz.
- Tagless hea-tseal neck label
- Contrast 3-Stripes application detail on shoulders and sleeves
- Set-in, open-hem sleeves
- Contrast embroidered logo on lower right hem
- Open-bottom hem with vents on lower sideseams
- Climalite heat-seal on lower left sideseam


text:
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English (North American), English, English (British), Japanese
Afghan, England - Received Pronunciation (RP, BBC), England - South East (Oxford, Sussex), England - South West (Cornwall, Devon, West Country), Japanese, US General American (GenAm)
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I have been attending various performing arts schools for 18 years, and have also performed in several theatre productions and local musicals.
I have attended performing arts school for 18 years.
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Challenge completed: First-ever Steamboat Ski Ascent Series a success
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Going into the inaugural Town Challenge: Ski Ascent Series, Steamboat Springs Parks and Recreation Marketing and Special Events Coordinator Emily Hines had few expectations. As the town partnered with a local, grassroots series, the basic goals were to develop a website, draw attention to the sport and bring in a diverse age group of competitors.
The series did that and more. Bringing in 82 individual participants over four races, the Ski Ascent Series featured newbies as well as seasoned ski mountaineers.
“The whole series exceeded our expectations,” said series director Charlie MacArthur. “The first race we had almost 50 people and held those numbers. It was a success by almost every measure we set at the beginning of the year.”
MacArthur was one of the original creators of the series, which was smaller and not as formally organized. Since 2014, a dozen or so serious skinners communicated through Facebook and designed races up and down Steamboat Resort. Wanting to make the series a little larger, MacArthur, along with Brian McGovern, Kyle Lawton and Alex Pond reached out to the town.
From the partnership was born a series formatted similar to the mountain bike Town Challenge that Hines runs over the summer. Multiple divisions allowed less experienced and younger athletes to feel comfortable trying the sport.
“I think people were really excited to have different divisions,” said Hines. “It wasn’t intimidating to go out and try it. From a logistical standpoint, it felt like everything went really well. It was great having the support of the ski area and Howelsen hill.”
Three of the races were at Steamboat Resort, including the most-popular race, the Vertigo Craze, which brought in 47 people Jan. 15.
Trying to keep things interesting, the series included a circuit-style race at Howelsen Hill. With it being so different from the other races, no one involved really knew how it would turn out, but everyone seemed to love it.
“It wasn’t as much vertical as those folks are used to doing,” Hines said. “Everyone really enjoyed being under the lights and the festive atmosphere.”
Competitors passed by the base lodge multiple times, allowing people to actually gather and watch the race. Having a crowd and lights illuminating the course made the Howelsen Hustle Circuit on Feb. 26 a special part of the series. Hines said next year, they might look into doing another race at Howelsen.
Another benefit of racing at Howelsen, was having less ground to cover for setup. The races at the resort required hours of setup, which Lawton discovered was the biggest challenge of making the series larger. Often it was difficult to get more than a couple of people together, leaving a small group of skiers to set all three courses for each race.
“When it was just me and one other guy, we would set one course for every ability. There were never three different courses,” said Lawton. “A lot of times we would set at 5 in the morning.”
MacArthur’s favorite race was the final one, held March 11. The course took skiers up through the trees along Valley View and Heavenly Daze before they descended back to the base.
“It was just a couple days prior to the mountain shutting down,” said MacArthur. “It winds up adjacent to Valley View. With the time change, you’re up there in the sunset and it’s warm. It’s a really beautiful course.”
Volunteer Troy Lawrence had a unique perspective of the races as a course marshall. He would sweep or be the caboose on the junior course, stand at a split in the course and guide skiers and cheer them on.
As a regular volunteer for the mountain bike Town Challenge, Lawrence said he enjoyed the early season races that were entirely in the dark.
“It’s really unique seeing that many headlights come through the trees,” he said.
When the headlights neared him, he said he was usually greeted and thanked by the participants for helping put on the series.
Unfortunately, participants and volunteers couldn’t celebrate the success of the first-ever series. To conclude the series, there was one final race scheduled for March 26, the Sunset Happy Hour Hustle, but it was canceled after the resort closed due to the novel coronavirus. After climbing up to Thunderhead Lodge, everyone was planning on gathering for drinks and post-season awards.
The awards are based on a point system, which was designed to include the final race, so it’s unclear if the top participants will be awarded. The race organizers have yet to be able to gather to discuss that possibility, though, as well as any potential changes when the series returns next winter.
“I think once all of this blows over, we’ll hold a fun party to get everyone back together,” said Hines.
Thankfully, there were plenty of gatherings throughout the series. After each race, there were raffle prizes, as well as discounted food and drinks.
“The vibe of everybody was super positive. Every night after we finish a race, people were hanging out, the enthusiasm was great,” said Pond. “The feedback from everybody is they all felt the challenge was great. It wasn’t too hard. It wasn’t too easy. It was something they didn’t think they would or could do but once they did it once, it was totally doable and just right.”
To reach Shelby Reardon, call 970-871-4253, email sreardon@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @ByShelbyReardon.
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What was the moment like for you the first time you sat down to type out your book of fiction? Did you write that first sentence and then the story took off? Was that first sentence the most difficult to write? (As it has been for me.) Or, by the time you sat down to type, had you already sculpted the protagonist and all her qualities in your mind so you were equipped to build the plot?
I'll be honest: I find that the first 25k words of a book are the toughest. I know that some people struggle with the second half...they lose momentum and run out of ideas, which is why so many people have half-written novels tucked away in the archives of their computers, but for me, starting out is the hardest. Because it just seems SO DAMN DAUNTING. That, like, from this blank page, a novel will emerge.
But, on to your question.
No, I didn’t (and don’t) just sit down and start writing. Both times, I had a pretty good idea of at least the first half of the book, as well as the characters who would be in it. I really like to come up with a loose plot – and I say loose because a lot of things change once I start diving in, ie, in TDLF, one of the main love interests wasn’t even an original love interest at all, and I’d planned to have a different character fill that role...but when I started writing, things just fell into place organically – and spend some mental time with my characters before I start writing. I think that if you don’t do that, you’re prone to writing rambling chapters without enough plot because you’re sort of feeling your way as you go. And that doesn’t lead to good writing. (See: my first draft of my first novel!)
So rather than force yourself to write, which, by the way, is still a good way to exercise your fiction muscle, I’d instead focus on your key character and what you want to do with her. What’s her story? What are the conflicts that she might be dealing with? Is she a go-getter? Ballsy? Complacent? Is she happy in her job/relationship/life? Etc. Spend a little time kicking that around, and then the writing will come easier, I think. In fact, after I get to know the characters in my head, the first line and the opening scene come to me pretty easily. I'm guessing the same will be true for you.
So readers - what's your process? Do you sit down and write or take some time to craft a background story before you begin?


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When planning your food for a camping trip, it is important to consider what kinds of activities you will be doing. If you plan on hiking and being active during the day, you will need foods that will give you energy and sustain you through the day. However, if you are planning on relaxing at the campsite, you can bring foods that are less strenuous on your body.
There are also other factors to consider, such as how much food you will need, what kind of food everyone will like, and how to keep the food fresh – need refrigeration or not.
Here are some food you can bring to your camping.
1. Dry Foods
Dry foods are ideal for camping trips because they are lightweight and easy to transport. Plus, they have a long shelf life so you don’t have to worry about them going bad during your trip. Here are some of the best dry foods to bring on your next camping trip:
- Dried Fruit and Dried Meat
- Nuts and seeds
Oatmeal is one of those foods that are perfect for camping. They are lightweight, easy to prepare, and very filling. Oatmeal also has a lot of nutrients that can help keep you healthy while you’re out in the wilderness.
Here are some of the reasons why oatmeal is a great food to bring camping:
- high in fiber which can help keep you feeling full.
- good source of complex carbohydrates which will give you sustained energy throughout the day.
- good source of vitamins and minerals, including iron and magnesium.
- help regulate blood sugar levels, which can be helpful if you are camping in an area with limited access to food.
- easy to prepare and doesn’t require any special equipment or ingredients.
- versatile and can be eaten plain, or with a variety of toppings such as fruits, nuts, or spices.
Rice is also a great food to bring camping because it is lightweight, doesn’t spoil easily, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Plus, rice is a filling food that will help keep you energized during your camping trip.
There are many different types of rice available, so you can choose the kind that best suits your needs. For example, brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice, but it is more nutritious. Basmati rice has a light, delicate flavor that goes well with many different dishes.
Rice can be cooked in a pot on top of a camp stove or over a fire. It can also be boiled in water or broth. You can even cook rice in a solar oven if you are camping in an area that gets plenty of sunlight.
If you are looking for a quick and easy meal, try making rice bowls. Simply cook the rice and then top it with your favorite ingredients. For example, you could top your rice with grilled chicken, veggies, and a tasty sauce. Or, try a rice bowl with shrimp, beans, and salsa for a filling and flavorful meal.
Dried Fruit and Dried Meat
Compared with fresh fruit and fresh meat, dried fruit and meat has a longer shelf life and are more portable, making them ideal for camping trips.
Dried fruit is not only a nutritious snack, but it can also be used to add flavor and sweetness to meals. Just be sure to rehydrate it before eating. Dried meat is a great way to add protein to your diet while camping. It can be used as-is or added to dishes like stews and chili.
Jerky, beef sticks, pepperoni, and summer sausage are all great high-protein options that will last a long time without refrigeration. They’re perfect for snacks or to add to meals.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are nutritious, protein-packed snacks. They’re also a good source of healthy fats, which can be helpful for maintaining energy levels while camping.
2. Canned Foods
One advantage of canned foods is that they are already cooked. This means that you can save time by not having to cook them over a campfire. Canned foods are also easy to heat up if you do want to eat them hot.
Another reason why canned foods are good for camping is that they are lightweight and easy to transport. Cans can be easily packed into a backpack or cooler and taken with you on your hike.
Canned foods are also a good option if you are camping with young children. Children often get hungry quickly and can be picky eaters. Having a variety of canned foods available will ensure that everyone in your family has something to eat.
Also, canned foods are affordable. You can usually find them on sale at your local grocery store or online. This makes them a great option for families on a budget.
So, next time you are planning a camping trip, be sure to bring along some canned food. They are an easy and convenient way to make sure everyone in your group has something to eat.
3. Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits provide natural sugars that give you energy, as well as vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health. Some of the recommended fruits to take camping include:
When packing fruits for your trip, make sure to wash them thoroughly and pack them in airtight containers to prevent them from going bad.
Like fruits, vegetables are also healthy and easy to carry when camping. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and they will provide you with essential nutrients that your body needs. Vegetables are a good source of fiber, which helps with digestion, and they are also low in calories, making them a great choice for those who are trying to watch their weight.
As with fruits, make sure to wash your vegetables thoroughly before packing them for your trip. You can either pack them in airtight containers or wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them fresh.
Some of the best vegetables to take camping include:
- Sweet potatoes
Beans are a great source of protein and they are also very filling. If you are planning on doing a lot of hiking or other activities while you are camping, then beans will help to keep you fueled up. They are also relatively lightweight, so they won’t weigh you down too much.
Another great thing about beans is that they can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can simply boil them and eat them as is, or you can add them to other dishes. For example, you could make a bean soup or stew, or add them to a rice dish
5. Fresh Meat
Meat is a great option for camping trips because it is packed with protein and nutrients that will keep you energized and satisfied throughout your trip. Here are some of the best meats to bring on your next camping trip:
Beef is a great source of protein and nutrients, and it can be easily cooked over a campfire. Steak or hamburgers are always a hit when camping, and ground beef can be used to make chili or tacos.
Chicken is another great option for camping trips. It can be grilled, roasted, or even cooked in a foil packet over the campfire.
Fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and it can be grilled, roasted, or baked.
Pork is a delicious and versatile option for camping trips. It can be grilled, roasted, or baked, and it makes a great addition to chili or tacos.
When packing meat for your camping trip, be sure to pack it in a cooler with ice to keep it fresh. If you are going to be cooking over a campfire, make sure to bring along some skewers or foil packets to make grilling easier. And, of course, don’t forget the condiments. Ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce are essential for a successful camping trip.
6. Water and Beverage
Bringing the right beverages on your camping trip is just as important as packing the right food. You’ll need to stay hydrated throughout your trip, so be sure to pack plenty of water.
If you’re looking for something with a little more flavor, sports drinks and juices are always good options. And, of course, don’t forget the coffee. Coffee is essential for early morning hikes and fishing trips.
Alcohol is also a popular choice for camping trips, but be sure to drink responsibly and only bring enough for the adults in your group. Beer, wine, and hard liquor are all good options, but keep in mind that they can add extra weight to your pack.
Eggs are a staple when it comes to camping food. They are easy to cook, high in protein, and will give you the energy you need to explore the great outdoors. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways, so you can always find a way to make them work with what you have on hand.
How to Cook Eggs While Camping
There are many ways to cook eggs while camping. The most popular methods are scrambling, frying, and boiling. Scrambled eggs are easy to make and only require one pan. To fry an egg, you will need a pan and some oil. Boiling an egg is the easiest method, as all you need is a pot of boiling water.
What to Serve with Eggs
Eggs are versatile and can be served with a variety of different foods. For a hearty breakfast, serve them with bacon, sausage, and toast. If you are looking for a lighter option, try them with fruit or yogurt. Eggs can also be served as a main course for lunch or dinner. Try them with ham, cheese, and vegetables.
No matter how you cook them, eggs are a great addition to any camping trip. They are filling, nutritious, and easy to make. Be sure to pack some eggs on your next camping trip and enjoy a delicious meal in the great outdoors.
Cheese is a great option for camping because it is versatile and can be used in many different dishes. It can be eaten alone as a snack, or added to other foods to create a more filling meal. Cheese is also easy to store and does not require refrigeration, making it a great option for camping trips.
Chocolate is a camping trip essential for two reasons: it’s delicious and it provides a much-needed energy boost. Dark chocolate is the best option because it contains more cocoa solids, which means more flavonoids and antioxidants. Plus, dark chocolate won’t melt as easily as milk chocolate, so it’s perfect for packing in your backpack.
Bread is also a great food to bring camping because it is lightweight, nutritious, easy to store, and does not require refrigeration. It will not spoil quickly and you can eat at any time.
Bread provides complex carbohydrates, which are a good source of energy, and it is also a good source of fiber. Whole grain breads are especially beneficial because they contain more nutrients than white breads.
Bread is a versatile food that can be used for meals or snacks. It can be eaten alone or with other foods, such as peanut butter or cheese. Bread can also be used to make sandwiches, which are a convenient option for camping meals.


New Documentary: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
If a more interesting documentary comes along this year, I will be shoc ked.
Check out the trailer for a new documentary called The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 below.
The film largely consists of hundreds of hours of previously-unseen footage shot during the height of the Black Power Movement, including interviews with Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael and many more. These searing images and fascinating interviews are coupled with poignant and insightful commentary from the likes of Talib Kweli, ?uestlove, Harry Belafonte, Erykah Badu and Bobby Seale.
This is a must see, people. If you actually shelled out $10 to see The Help, consider this your chance at redemption. Just sayin…


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Woman's dashboard camera captures mechanic taking her car on a 200-MILE joy ride instead of repairing her radio
- Veronica Pief took her Kia Soul to Peak Kia North in Windsor, Colorado, in late June to have radio repaired
- Mechanic at the dealership took Pief's car on 'test drive' that lasted 17 hours spread over four days
- Pief's dashboard camera caught worker driving to McDonald's, Sam's Club, a bank and his own house
- The joyriding mechanic - who has now been fired - ran a red light in Pief's Kia and failed to fix her radio
A Colorado woman who took her car to a dealership for repairs came away with an additional 200 miles on her odometer after a mechanic took the vehicle on a joy ride that was captured on a dashboard camera.
Veronika Pief said she expected staff at the Peak Kia North dealership in Windsor, where she took her Kia Soul in late June to have the radio fixed, to take care of her car.
Instead, one of the workers at the business used Pief's car to run personal errands, including trips to the bank and Sam's Club, a pit stop at a MacDonald's and his house. The unnamed driver even traveled to Ault, Colorado, in the course of the four-day ‘test drive.’
Scroll down for video
Car owner: Veronika Pief, who took her car to a Colorado dealership for repairs in late June, came away with an additional 200 miles on her odometer
Road trip: A mechanic at the dealership took Pief's Kia on a joy ride that was captured on a dashboard camera
Lunch break: Instead of fixing Pief's radio, the worker drove her car to a McDonald's
‘To me, a test drive is going and driving a car, not going and doing personal errand runs,’ said Pief, according to NBC News.
The dashcam video inside the Kia caught the worker singing happily off key while cruising in the woman's car for 17 hours around northern Colorado without her permission. At one point, the rogue mechanic even ran a red light.
‘It's solid red. He guns the car,’ Pief said. ‘You could hear my engine rev up and he drives straight through the red light.’
When the car owner showed the video to the management at the dealership, they apologized and offered to pay for the extra mileage, cover any repairs and even buy back her Kia.
Careless: The dashcam video caught the mechanic running a red light in the woman's Kia
The unauthorized 'test drive' lasted 17 hours spread over four days - dashcam captured the footage above at different pitstops along the way
The Peak Kia North management has fired the mechanic and offered to buy back Pief's car
The renegade worker who took Pief's car without permission has since been terminated.
To add insult to injury, Pief said that after all the aggravation her broken radio has not been fixed.
‘It's still not fixed and I don't want to take my car back to them,’ Pief said.
Adding insult to injury: Veronica Pief's radio is still broken and she does not want to take it back to the dealership


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While we're in the middle of so many -ennials, such as the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World War I, I did want to pass on this article from Simithsonian.com about American artists sent to Europe by the War Department (as it was called then) to sketch a historical record of what was happening. While the artists were sent late in the war (coinciding with America's late entry), it "marked the first time that the U.S. government commissioned artists to capture a war effort." [A serious aside to the Smithsonian and other sites…don't make it so difficult to copy a short quote if you'd like an article to be shared.]
Other countries were already doing this, realizing this was a history-changing event. According to the article, the American sketches were much more documentary, though, compared to other artists' expressionistic works.
The American History Museum digitized the collection and a paperback version of Art from the Trenches: America’s Uniformed Artists in World War I by historian Alfred Cornebise will be released next month.
Date of work: September 26, 1918

domain: history


Wareham Schools to close for one week
Editor’s note: On March 15, Governor Charlie Baker ordered all schools to close through at least April 7. Click here for that story.
The bagged breakfast and lunch schedule has changed slightly. Click here.
Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood has announced that all Wareham Schools will be closed for one week due to the threat of the coronavirus.
She will continue to re-assess the situation and notify families of her decision about reopening schools by next Friday, March 20.
In a letter posted to the school district website, Shaver-Hood wrote that she made the decision for the “health and safety of our school community.”
“I realize this may create a difficult situation for some families and for this I am sorry,” Shaver-Hood wrote. “My decision is based on keeping our students and staff as healthy as possible.”
Those with concerns are asked to contact Dr. Shaver-Hood directly or get in touch with the principal of their student’s school.
Bagged breakfasts and lunches will be distributed between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. at the following sites: Wareham Middle School, the Onset Bandshell, Gleason Family YMCA, Woods at Wareham, Swifts Beach Playground, Brandy Hill, Shangri La Playground, Decas Elementary School, and the West Wareham School.
All students are welcome to pick up meals. The meal service will begin on Monday, March 16, and continue “until we return to school or until further notice.”
All updates related to the virus will be posted to the district’s website, www.warehamps.org, and can be found by clicking on “Coronavirus Information and Updates” in the “District News” section of the site.


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ANNOUNCEMENT (Oct. 16, 2023) — John R. Bethea, PhD, has been selected to serve as the chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).
In this role, Bethea will lead a team of distinguished research and teaching faculty who are national and international leaders in neural cell biology, neurotherapeutics, cancer cell biology, and medical/health sciences education. With an impressive portfolio of research in neuroimmunology and leadership experience, he will oversee the department academic programs, guide future departmental growth, facilitate future collaborations, and support research efforts.
“Dr. Bethea’s vision and expertise will lead the department - and the school - in cross-cutting initiatives. He is a consensus builder who emphasizes communication among colleagues,” said Barbara L. Bass, MD, Walter A. Bloedorn Chair of Administrative Medicine, professor of surgery, vice president for health affairs, dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and CEO of the GW Medical Faculty Associates. “Under Dr. Bethea’s leadership, I am confident that the department will continue to advance science and grow its research portfolio.”
Bethea was most recently a professor in the Department of Biology at Drexel University, where he served as the Department Head from 2014 to 2019. Before joining the faculty at Drexel, Bethea held multiple positions within The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Bethea maintains an active, well-funded research program focused on the mechanisms and therapies for chronic neuropathic pain, mechanisms of spinal cord injury-induced immune dysfunction, and TNFR2 (tumor necrosis factor receptor-2) dependent sex differences in functional recovery and mechanisms of remyelination and neuroprotection with funding from the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense. He also serves on numerous NIH and DoD review panels and has chaired the New Jersey Commission of Brain Injury since 2012.
Bethea earned his PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Case Western University and a Multiple Sclerosis Society postdoctoral fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He has published nearly 100 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and research monographs on neuropathic pain in Multiple Sclerosis, cytokines in brain trauma, and spinal cord injury. He has served on the editorial boards for Neural Regeneration Research, the Journal of Neurochemistry, and the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. Bethea currently serves on the editorial boards for Experimental Neurology, he is the chief editor of Trends in Neuroinflammation, and he is a reviewer for many other journals.
He is a seasoned educator who has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in neuroscience, immunology, and cell and molecular biology, throughout his career. Bethea is a talented mentor, actively guiding the development of more than a dozen PhD students as well as postdoctoral fellows and research assistant professors in his lab.
The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology has an international reputation for advancing knowledge in cellular and molecular neuroscience, as well as key teaching roles in Anatomy for SMHS and health sciences programs. The Department is currently home to 11 tenured/tenure track faculty members and 15 non tenure track appointments. Bethea plans to sustain current research programs and build new multidisciplinary collaborations linking neuroscience to immunology and pathology across the SMHS.
“I am honored to join the faculty of George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences as Professor and Chair of Anatomy and Cell Biology. The SMHS is an outstanding research, educational, and health care institution and I look forward to working with members of the Anatomy and Cell Biology department, as well as members of the faculty, students and leadership across the enterprise to enhance basic and translation neuroscience and neuroimmunology research,” said Bethea.
Bethea began serving in the position of Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology on Oct.1, 2023.

domain: biology


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Antique Chests / Wardrobes : Coffers
Antique oak coffer
17th century oak coffer with lovely old wax patina. Frame and panel construction with a carved fluted frieze. Raised on stile feet.
Send Whatsapp to Thakeham Furniture
Tim, Belinda & Harriet Chavasse
Thakeham Furniture Ltd
Golden Square Petworth West Sussex
GU28 0AP 01798 342 333


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I am Camille
14 years living until now.
Asian:] (no, my eyes aren't like Chinese)
My friends call me DaringDarling because I would do any dare! ;)
Black,Neons,Red. <-- Favorite colors!!!! :D
I love reading and singing. sometimes I would write my own stories and songs.
My inspirations are Black Veil Brides and my favorite song is Let Love Bleed Red by Sleeping With Sirens.
Want any fashion or personal advice? I'm always free to talk to.
I'm okay with:
-different religions (I'm Christian)
Be rude and mean to me and I'll show you what real hurt is. :)
Never Give In~Set Me Free,


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Britannia The Original BourBon Choco Kreme Biscuits 390g
- Thick, rich and delicious chocolate packed between two crunchy chocolate biscuits, topped with sugar crystals – presenting, the original Bourbon, from the house of britania.
- Bourbon lovers across the country have been caught opening this chocolate couplet, licking the cream, and nibbling at the melt-in-your-mouth biscuit, bit by bit.
Only 14 left in stock
SKU: BRIT_027 Categories: Biscuits, Cream Biscuits, Snacks & Ready Made Tags: Bourbon, britannia, CHOCOLATE, Cream biscuits, GREAT TASTE


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Charleston. Pittsburgh. Atlanta. Once more we have seen what appears to be the devastating result of racial hatred and our nation’s inability to address gun violence. A recent study by Stop AAPI Hate documents the rise in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders over the past year, marked by a pandemic which some of our leaders have not only politicized for their own agendas but racialized as well. It is in that context that we see clearly where fanning the flames of racism leads.
Everytown for Gun Safety documents the shootings yesterday in Atlanta as the third mass shooting this year in the United States and the 244th mass shooting since January 2009. And yet the carnage has yielded little to no movement from our elected leaders on sensible policies that the vast majority of people support to curtail the suffering that gun violence wreaks on families and communities with alarming frequency.
Too many statements today will note how ‘we are stunned and heartbroken’ and yet not lead to any significant change in our laws. Too many leaders will offer their ‘thoughts and prayers’ while tomorrow resisting any action that would mitigate the next round of offering ‘thoughts and prayers’.
The letter of James, 2:14-17, states the challenge for us in this moment clearly and unequivocally: “What good is it, my sisters and brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
There can be no tolerance of the race-baiting rhetoric that stokes the fire of hate crimes against communities of color. And while the offerings of ‘thoughts and prayers’ so easily and cheaply flow in politicians’ press releases and Twitter feeds, the true measure of the moment will be taken by what actions follow.
It should be a basic article of faith that we demand our respect for human life and dignity result in common-sense, reasonable restrictions on guns in our country. Pax Christi USA pledges our solidarity with all those who have been affected by gun violence and will continue to work alongside all who seek a world where no one suffers because of another’s armed hate. The grief that we share with all those affected by these deaths will be matched by our commitment to make the change that puts an end to these acts which lead to our mourning.
Click here to see past statements from Pax Christi USA related to gun violence and racial justice.


Based on revolutionary Intel Core micro-architecture, the breakthrough Intel Core 2 Duo processor family is designed to provide powerful energy-efficient performance so you can do more at once without slowing down.
|Physical + Memory Specifications|
|L1 Cache Size||128 KB|
|L2 Cache Size||2 MB|
|Processor Speed + Class|
|Processor Speed||1.60 GHz|
|Number of Processor Cores||Dual-core (2 Core)|
|Processor Socket||Intel Socket PGA-478|
|Processor Class||Intel Core 2 Duo|
Related CPU Processors
Leaders of the pack seeking monster performance, look no further. With...
Delivering high performance, scalability and overall customer valueThe AMD
The Intel Core 2 Quad processor blows through processor-intensive tasks in
An integral part of Intel's new family of processors, the new Intel Core...
AMD proudly presents the new AMD Opteron 6200 Series-the world's first and


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We'll do the cooking and mix the drinks while you and your guests enjoy the festivities.
The semi private room holds up to 40 but we can make special arrangements for larger groups.
Most popular options are our Taco and Fajita bars!
Stop in, call, or email for more information!
Fiesta can also prepare large quantities of our food for you to take home!
Give a Fiesta Cancun gift card!
Available for purchase in our Cantina.


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Regular contributor Paul Stevenson is back with his thoughts on Alex de Campi and Fernando Ruiz’s Archie vs. Predator and Keith Davidsen and Randy Valiente’s Reanimator.
Hello friends. I’m gladly returning to share with all of you some more of my random thoughts and suggestions. I chose two very recent comic book limited series which I really loved. Each one with very different themes, however both have a pretty violent narrative revolving around some classic characters.
First up is Archie vs. Predator, a four-issue miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Alex de Campi (Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight, No Mercy) and illustrated in the classic Archie Comics style by penciler Fernando Ruiz (Life with Archie, Archie and Friends) and inker Rich Koslowski (3 Geeks, The King). It has the cartoon-ish look, bright colors, and idealized female body shapes that you would expect to see in any Archie comic. This is very fun, very fast, and has plenty of bloody action that involves the Predator from the films and the comics crossing into the world of Riverdale.
The story is pretty straight forward and easy to follow. All the kids from Archie universe win a beach resort vacation during spring break. Like always, Betty and Veronica are fighting over Archie, Betty gets punched in the nose and runs off into the jungle. She stumbles upon an ancient cave-like shrine and finds a sacred knife inside which she picks up and the cave starts to rumble. As she runs off, she drops the knife and it falls into her pocket. The kids all leave the island shortly after all this. Betty accidentally leaves the island with the knife still in her pocket, taking it all the way back to Riverdale. It turns out the Predator was stalking them on the island, all this time. He follows them back stateside and almost immediately starts shredding people in the most horrific ways. As he picks off the group of kid that were on the island one by one, Betty tries to figure out what the significance of the knife is and how she can stop the Predator before he kills her beloved Archie.
I highly recommend this for a very entertaining, unusual crossover story. It’s so much fun and just an easy read. If you have ever wanted to see most of the people from Archie getting splattered, ripped apart, and gutted in an irreverent tone, then you should get this. All the individual issues have been released in print and digital (on Dark Horse’s digital comics service) and the hardcover collecting the miniseries is due to hit retail on November 4, 2015.
Now, my second choice and even better recommendation for a limited series is Reanimator, a four-issue miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment. This comic is written by Keith Davidsen (Poison Elves) with art by Randy Valiente (Army of Darkness, Grimm Fairy Tales); and as we so often see with Dynamite, a nice variety of variant covers from great artists like Jae Lee (Inhumans, Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born), Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle, Afterlife with Archie), Tim Seeley (Ex Sanguine, Hack/Slash), and Andrew Mangum (So… I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse and All I Got Was This Podcast). The interior artwork is pretty good, although not always incredibly detailed. The panels are very well laid out to tell the story and the colors by Jorge Sutil (Vampirella, Swords of Sorrow) are great. The story is well-written and the persona of protagonist Herbert West feels authentic to the character from the cult classic movie of the same name.
I will say that if you don’t know the movie, then you can still enjoy this, but will probably not follow it quite as easily. If you haven’t seen The Reanimator, I highly recommend watching the original movie from 1985. It is definitely a body horror/gore-fest classic, and I believe it’s available to rent as a DVD on Netflix and can be streamed on the Hulu subscription service.
The comic’s story takes place in a modern era New Orleans, after the events of the first movie and the sequel. Hebert West is back to his usual work with new methods and ideas on how to re-animate the dead using chemistry and microbiology. He rescues a woman from a drug deal-turned-violent named Susan Greene. He quickly figures out that she is a skilled tech for a lab where she was stealing drugs and selling them. He re-animates one of the men he just killed in front of her and demonstrates what some of his work is about. He then offers her a chance to help him continue his work. Susan, who has become something of a thrill-seeker since the murder of her fiancé, accepts West’s offer.
We soon find out the Hebert has ulterior motives aside from perfecting his serum. He also knows more than he let’s on about Susan and the death of her partner. As you would expect from a Reanimator story, everything quickly turns insane and Hebert moves flawlessly through all the chaos he has orchestrated to acquire freshly dead specimens and try out his creations, all while executing his plans perfectly. The man is two steps ahead of everyone and he assumes an almost vigilante/anti-hero role which is an interesting spin for this character. All of the individual issues are available in the usual print and digital comics outlets, with a trade paperback collection almost surely coming out as well in the near future.
OK, that’s all I’ve got, thanks for reading and please leave a comment to let me know what you think. Check out my toy photography and other random stuff on Instagram (@paultstevenson).


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Rates a night for two people with small gourmet breakfast and tourist tax.
The arrival at the Mas de l'Arrivette will be between 15h and 19h (If it will be later, thanks to warn first).
Rooms will have to be freed before 11h
The breakfast will be serve between 9h and 10h30.
Extra bed (Olivier and Lavandes) breakfast included :
- Below 3 years old : Free
- Between 3 and 12 years old : 20€
- More than 12 years old: 30€
Pets (with a previous agreement) 10€
Mode of payment & terms of sale
Payment: Bank transfer or cash.
The room will be book after a first deposit of one night or two (depending of the duration of your stay). You will receive a mail to confirm your booking after the payment.
If you cancel :
- Less than 10 days before your arrival, you will have to pay for the whole stay.
- From 10 days to one month before your arrival, your deposit be kept.
- More than one month before your arrival, your deposit will be kept but it will be possible to book for another stay with this deposit for one year.
Click HERE to book our rooms

domain: travel


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A member of the Texas House may be in violation of federal campaign finance laws.
Texas Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth) is named on the host committee for an upcoming fundraiser for Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), according to the Texas Scorecard.
Phelan is scheduled to have a fundraiser on April 10 in Dallas with a list of state representatives, including Goldman.
Goldman will be facing businessman John O’Shea in a runoff in the Republican primary in May to fill the seat of Texas’ 12th Congressional District. The seat is currently filled by U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX), who will not seek re-election.
Federal election law makes it illegal for candidates running for federal positions to participate in non-federal campaign fundraiser events unless the fundraiser event has a “clear and conspicuous oral or written disclaimer that the solicitation is not being made by the federal candidate,” reported the Texas Scorecard.
Furthermore, federal candidates cannot solicit funds for non-federal races over the federal limit of $3,300 per person. The event, however, has host levels as high as $50,000.
“This is a huge screwup on Goldman’s part and it leaves the donors and other participants in the event exposed for potential federal campaign finance violations,” Texas campaign finance attorney Tony McDonald told the Texas Scorecard.
Goldman’s campaign has not been without controversy. As reported by The Dallas Express, campaign donor Eric Fox was allegedly caught stealing signs targeting Goldman. Fox had reportedly donated $3,300 to Goldman’s campaign on November 16, 2023.
Another incumbent going into May’s runoff election has recently been scrutinized for their fundraisers.
Texas Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-North Richland Hills) is facing a runoff against David Lowe and is having a fundraiser in Austin on April 3. The hosts include former Speaker of the Texas House Dennis Bonnen.
Bonnen announced his decision not to run for re-election in 2019 after a quid pro quo scandal, in which an audio recording appeared to capture Bonnen trying to offer Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans media credentials in exchange for media targeting of 10 House Republicans, per the Texas Scorecard.
Sullivan posted on X, “Looks like [Rep. Klick] is going to be in Austin on April 3, asking lobbyists to protect her from her record and her constituents….”
The Dallas Express reached out to Goldman’s office but the representative was not immediately available for comment.


HADES ALMIGHTY - Millenium Nocturne (HAMMERHEART - LP 1999)
Hades… Who from the third album became Hades Almighty… For me they were one of the best Norwegian bands, but I say so mainly as I love their first two records. I worship them and oh yeah, they are fantastic. I also really like album number four… but what about their third opus? Well, it’s also damn good, but surely not even half as exceptional and killer as the early stuff. Anyway, we can surely say that Hades were / or maybe still are, as new album will come soon, among the best and most excellent bands from Norge. One of those bands which had their own personality and sound. I have all their stuff on vinyl, also the album number three “Millenium Nocturne”. Which I remember to be hugely disappointed with, when it came out. I had it on tape first and felt like it’s so damn boring haha! I actually didn’t listen to it for quite many years, so after giving some justice and good reviews to the previous Hades albums, I decided it’s also time and good opportunity to remind myself about “Millenium…” record.
I guess that one of the things, which for me personally works against the album is that it feels like the majority of it, basically every song, sounds the same. Like for example the tempo is practically similar all the way through – and it is a slower pace, which accompany to those majestic, monumental riffs… But you know, the previous albums were also slow, but somehow they were better in every aspect, the riffs were better, the whole songs were more interesting, with some stunning, memorable fragments and truly cold, dark atmosphere. “Millenium Nocturne” continues doing that, but in less effective way I suppose. None of these songs can match the previous materials and even if there are still some fragments of pure brilliance, then they sort of disappear in the entire, long album (which is 60 minutes long… maybe a little too long, for this sort of slow paced, monotonous music). I guess I could pick up some awesome parts from every song, some ideas, which I love totally, some excellent riffs, great vocals of Janto… Each song has something spectacular, but it is still not enough to impress me, when taking the whole album as one. Or let me put it that way – it is good album, no doubt, it is enjoyable, sometimes brilliant, but it fades, when compared to previous efforts and as a whole it’s just too monotonous.
Obviously Hades Almighty will be always a special band. They play something unique, original and special on the Norwegian black metal scene. The previous albums are simply perfect, so maybe that burden was too much to handle and besides, you just can’t make three amazing albums in row. “Millenium Nocturne” is a natural evolution of the style from the previous records, but it failed to deliver something utterly exceptional. I feel always torn apart, when I listen to this LP, because as mentioned before, there are some brilliant parts, but the entire album drags on as fuck and all songs melt into one. More so, I feel like it would be just better if we cut off some fillers, songs like “Carnival Blaspheme” for example, which is basically based on one or two themes that are going for six minutes and is just boring! Sure, such song shows also that Hades was progressing, started to experiment, but I just prefer simpler, but more in the face stuff and darker, more obscure approach they presented on previous LPs. Another rather filling song on the album is I think “To Reach Devine Fullfillment”… again, rather simple, one dimensional riffing and drumming, slow pace … but it just goes for seven minutes without a special excitement. It’s not a terrible song, but I guess I could have lived without it one the album. “Nightmare Endurance” – the same. Long as hell, dragging on forever!
On the other had such songs as “Dream Traveller” really kick ass with some great riffage, thundering drums (ha, sounds cheesy, but find out what I mean when you hear the song!) and generally really monumental atmosphere. I also love that mix of harsh vocals with weird, eerie howling... that sounds just uncanny. Hades was always a very riff based band, they didn’t use much of the keyboards or other stuff, their songs were always concentrated on the power, the strength of good, heavy riff… Song like “Dream Traveller” reminds us that. As mentioned, basically every song has something spectacular to unveil, but I must also mention “Nemesis”, as this one belongs to the most powerful and energetic songs on the album, even though the riffing in it has also some more progressive touch in few parts… but in this case, it just worked fine. “Gardens of Chaos” has the best motif from the entire record, I just love how this song begins, with nice acoustics, etc. and it just sounds superb, very much like the good, old Bathory, but that calm, acoustic theme is suddenly interrupted by awesome, harsh and aggressive riff – and real hell breaks loose, what a good song that is! Very heavy, doomy, but also powerful and truly monumental. Yes! “A Ballad of Death ad Obsession” is again starting with a nice acoustic theme, which is a trademark for Hades, so known on the previous albums and I love it. Further on this song has some better and worse moments, but is a decent and worthy one for sure. It’s just maybe too long again… It again has some of these howling vocals from drummer Remi (I think), which sound just like he was a Viking possessed by demons. Or drunk hehe! He has very specific voice and I know that not everybody will like his vocals, but I do.
OK, to conclude… this is solid record, yes, but it contains some better and worse moments. As a whole, I think it is just too long and too monotonous and so even these truly splendid fragments can’t save the entire record. In my opinion, this is Hades (Almigty) weakest recording. But I can’t imagine not having it on LP. I need this band’s entire discography, as they’re worth of that praise I give them!
Standout tracks: “Gardens of Chaos”, “A Ballad of Death ad Obsession”, “Dream Traveller”
Final rate: 69/100


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BHUBANESWAR, SEPT 13
Water purifier major Kent RO Systems Ltd aims at increasing its revenue to Rs 950 crore in the current financial year (FY 2018-19) from Rs 850 crore garnered in FY 2017-18.
Speaking at the launch of its new range of ‘Next Generation RO Purifiers’, Kent RO Systems Chairman Mahesh Gupta said, “The company is targeting 15 per cent growth during the current financial year, and a turnover of more than Rs 950 crore as its five-lakh-unit-capacity Noida manufacturing plant is going to be inaugurated on September 24.”
“Production at the new plant in Noida, set up at an investment of Rs 115 crore, has already started though it will be formally inaugurated on September 24. We aim to achieve the full capacity of the plant by 2021-22”, added Gupta.
Exports contributed Rs 20 crore to its overall business last fiscal. This year, the company expects the figure to rise to Rs 30 crore, Gupta further stated.
Gupta said Odisha is an important market for its business, and it contributes around 6 percent to its pan-India business.
Kent RO Systems today launched its Next Gen RO Water Purifiers in Odisha market. These water purifiers are equipped with UV protection and real-time digital display of purity such as filter life and mineral content in purified water.
Kent has added an additional layer of security in the form of UV-LED protection in the storage tank of the newly launched water purifier which ensures that purified water does not get re-infected by external impurities and stays 100 per cent pure for longer duration.


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Predicting hotel booking cancellations to decrease uncertainty and increase revenue
António, M. C.
; Almeida, A.
Predicting hotel booking cancellations to decrease uncertainty and increase revenue, Proc TMS Algarve, Faro, Portugal, Vol. 0, pp. 0 - 0, December, 2016.
Digital Object Identifier:
Booking cancellations have a substantial impact in demand-management decisions in the hospitality industry. Cancellations limit the production of accurate forecasts, a critical tool in terms of revenue management performance. To circumvent the problems caused by booking cancellations, hotels implement rigid cancellation policies and overbooking strategies, which can also have a negative influence on revenue and reputation.
Using data sets from four resort hotels and addressing booking cancellation prediction as a classification problem in the scope of data science, authors demonstrate that it is possible to build models for predicting booking cancellations with accuracy results in excess of 90%. This demonstrates that despite what was assumed by Morales and Wang (2010) it is possible to predict with high accuracy whether a booking will be canceled.
Results allow hotel managers to accurately predict net demand and build better forecasts, improve cancellation policies, define better overbooking tactics and thus use more assertive pricing and inventory allocation strategies.


Date of Award
Master of Science
Gregory D. Peterson
Michael W. Berry, Nathanael R. Paul
The high performance computing (HPC) community is obsessed over the general matrix-matrix multiply (GEMM) routine. This obsession is not without reason. Most, if not all, Level 3 Basic Linear Algebra Subroutines (BLAS) can be written in terms of GEMM, and many of the higher level linear algebra solvers' (i.e., LU, Cholesky) performance depend on GEMM's performance. Getting high performance on GEMM is highly architecture dependent, and so for each new architecture that comes out, GEMM has to be programmed and tested to achieve maximal performance. Also, with emergent computer architectures featuring more vector-based and multi to many-core processors, GEMM performance becomes hinged to the utilization of these technologies. In this research, three Intel processor architectures are explored, including the new Intel MIC Architecture. Each architecture has different vector lengths and number of cores. The effort given to create three Level 3 BLAS routines (GEMM, TRSM, SYRK) is examined with respect to the architectural features as well as some parallel algorithmic nuances. This thorough examination culminates in a Cholesky (POTRF) routine which offers a legitimate test application. Lastly, four shared memory, parallel languages are explored for these routines to explore single-node supercomputing performance. These languages are OpenMP, Pthreads, Cilk and TBB. Each routine is developed in each language offering up information about which language is superior. A clear picture develops showing how these and similar routines should be written in OpenMP and exactly what architectural features chiefly impact performance.
Peyton, Jonathan Lawrence, "Programming Dense Linear Algebra Kernels on Vectorized Architectures. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2013.


Made in Brooklyn will take place Nov. 6 at NS, a new performance space that opened Oct. 1. Formerly a sawdust factory, the venue underwent a $16 million retrofitting and is now home to contemporary music programming. The space can accommodate up to 350 people. In addition to Gershwin's work, the Taylor-helmed concert will feature the music of Oscar winners Aaron Copland, John Corigliano and Elliot Goldenthal. It will also feature the world concert premiere of Goldenthal’s String Quartet No. 1 "The Stone Cutters" performed by Flux Quartet; and the "Chaconne" from Corigliano’s Academy-Award winning score for "The Red Violin," performed by Tim Fain and Stephen Gosling.
NS is an artist-led, non-profit venue dedicated to providing a home and support for composers and musicians across varied genres in which they can develop new work. Visit NationalSawdust.org for more information.


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Have you tried Kombucha? It is an amazing health elixir – the ancient Chinese actually doted it as an “immortal” drink. Essentially, Kombucha is fermented tea. The health benefits are outstanding and include:
~ High in Anti-Oxidants
~ Healthy Digestive System
~ Increased Energy Levels
~ Healthy Liver Functioning
~ Natural Stress Reliever
~ Excellent source of glucosamine
~ May contribute to Cancer Prevention
Now who wouldn’t want a bottle of all that?
I do have to warn you that Kombucha is a bit of an acquired taste. It won’t be love at first sip, but I promise you will love it after a few times.
You can buy Kombucha at most health food stores – I usually purchase mine at Whole Foods Market. My favorite is this GT’s Kombucha. Pictured is the Gingerberry flavor, which I find to be scrumptious. You’ve got to try my favorite – the Multi-green flavor – for an extra boost of spirulina, chorella, and deliciousness 🙂
You can also try making your own Kombucha. Although this is a somewhat lengthy process, it’s sure to be bursting with healthy goodness.
Whatever way you try it, you will definitely have a new love for Kombucha after you begin drinking it!


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South Korea is a very old country. Their history goes back thousands of years and they are very proud of their heritage. Seoul, while it is a completely modern and updated city, has existed as the capital of Korea for quite a long time as it was one of the first cities to be established and many royal families lived in the area spanning hundreds of years. This allowed for the construction of many palaces and temples throughout the Seoul vicinity.
South Korean architecture is quite beautiful and unique; they generally focused on multiple open air pagodas on palace grounds as well as smaller buildings for sleeping and leisure. Most of the palaces and temples are done in the traditional Korean colors which include red, blue, green, yellow, and white. They also include imagery such as symbolic animals, moons, suns, and mountains that are intertwined within the architecture.
I visited one of the largest palaces that exists in South Korea today, Gyeongbokgung Palace is centered in the heart of Seoul, aligned with the mountain range in the background. The grounds of the palace are sprawling with a moat, throne room, sleeping quarters, temples, a library, and a massive garden that wraps around the perimeter. In the summer, there are people that wear traditional dress called Hanbok and play traditional music on South Asian instruments. What makes it better is there are signs at every building to give an explanation of when it was built and what it was used for.
But the palaces and temples (as well as most historical sites and artifacts) come with a sad history; before the Korean War and Japanese Occupation, most of the original buildings stood exactly as they had been built, when the Japanese came in to annex Korea, they destroyed everything that had to do with Korean history in the hopes that they could make the country Japanese. After the Japanese lost control of Korea, all of the buildings had to be restored, this took place mostly from the 1970s-90s, because of this, almost all of the historical sites in South Korea are reconstructed representations of what they were previously. Even reconstructed, they are important to Korean history as a whole and are worth being visited as they are extremely beautiful.
Student blog entries posted to the Roos Abroad Blog may not reflect the opinions and recommendations of UMKC Study Abroad and International Academic Programs. The blog is intended to give students a forum for free expression of thoughts and experiences abroad in a respectful space.