Jewels of the sea: Microscopic images of sand reveal jaw-dropping beauty that is invisible to the naked eye
- Images taken in Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and La Réunion
- Take a look at the shapes and textures of sand, usually invisible to the eye
- Photos reveal an island's geology, from coral reefs and volcanic basalt
- Kuoni teamed up with photographer Harold Taylor to create the 21 photos
A series of microscopic images have revealed the incredible details of sand and marine fragments from five Indian Ocean destinations.
Macro photographer Harold Taylor created 21 jaw-dropping photos showing what sand from seven different beaches in the Indian Ocean looks like under a microscope.
MailOnline Travel is providing the first look at the shapes, colour depth and textures of the sand, which are usually concealed from the naked eye.
Despite their tiny size, the Sri Lanka beach grains show evidence of a rich offshore reef environment including caramel coloured shell fragments and spiral-shaped forams
This sand from Trou aux Biches in Mauritius exemplifies the rich biodiversity on the reefs. It includes brown and purple urchin spines and coil-shaped forams.
These fragments are mostly comprised of reef organisms with fragments of sea urchin spines, shell fragments and a rosy pink grain of coralline algae
La Réunion's coastal landscape varies from white sand to rocky black cliffs (pictured: grains from Saint Paul)
The photos, which reveal a layer of hidden beauty, compare breathtaking sand samples taken from beaches in the magical resorts of the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and La Réunion.
Travel company Kuoni initiated the project to refresh people's perspective of the Indian Ocean destinations.
The new microscopic sand photos aim to prove that when explored, the smaller details of the sand can reveal the unique character and personality of each island.
Sheena Paton, product manager for the Indian Ocean at Kuoni, says: 'At Kuoni we understand that small details make a big difference.
'It's amazing to see this quite literally illustrated with the sand images.'
The sand grains from Anse Lazio on Praslin Island in the Seychelles originated both on land and on the reef. The grains from the sea include a sclerite (right), a spine from a sea fan or other soft coral
This beautiful lavender coloured fragment (left) is likely coralline algae, a stony kind of seaweed; at right is an urchin spine
Grains from Saint Lev show colourful coral and marine life fragments (left); this beautiful perforated round disk (right) is a foram, Marginopora, a tiny marine organism related to amoeba
She added: 'The biodiversity of the Maldives' sand grains hint at the fantastic reef diving and snorkelling opportunities to try there, whereas the variety of grains from the Mauritius sample reflects the island's more varied coastline, which has lagoons, wetlands and mangroves for you to explore as well as the sandy paradise beaches.'
Taylor said: 'First I sort through a sample using a stereo microscope and a very thin paint brush - the most time consuming part of the process.
'I use specialised Canon macro lenses (MPE-65) to reveal the rich mixture of colours but photographing at such high magnifications can be very challenging due to a very shallow focus and vibration problems'.
Grains from Club Bentota in Sri Lanka show evidence of a rich offshore reef environment including caramel coloured shell fragments and spiral-shaped forams
Mauritius: The rosy pink fragment is from the encrusting foram, Homotrema rubrum, which forms irregular, bright-red skeletal masses on coral and shells.
Kate Clover, sand expert and co-author of new book, Secrets of Sand, said: 'When viewed under the microscope, sands reveal their local geology and marine ecology.
'For example, in the sample from Saint Lev in La Réunion, the sand is mostly comprised of reef organisms.
'There are purple sea urchin spines, a cream coloured foram, a pink and white striped shell fragment, and a rosy pink grain of coralline algae.'
Samples from West Beach on Bandos Island in the Maldives include six tiny snail shells and elongated rod fragments of sea urchin spines
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Dr. Abha Amin is an ophthalmologist in Valhalla, NY and is Chief of Complex Anterior Segment Surgery at the Westchester Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Medical College of Pennsylvania and has been in practice 25 years. She specializes in cataract, cornea, and glaucoma surgery.
Education & Training
Mount Sinai School of MedicineFellowship, Ophthalmology, 1997 - 1998

domain: medical


Addressing the Gulfport Business Club, Barbara Blackmon got down to dollars and cents. She says her fiscal responsibility plan stresses government belt tightening, keeping taxes low, and saving taxpayer dollars.
Blackmon says state lawmakers would have better control over spending if they knew just how much is being spent and that's why if she's elected lieutenant governor, she says she'll push for a performance audit.
"A top to bottom audit of spending in state government is the best way for us to get a handle on state spending," she says.
Blackmon says the audit will help put spending in line with current state revenues.
"Getting spending in line with our current revenues, this would help us fund better schools, jobs and health care."
Health care is part of Blackmon's fiscal plan. She wants Mississippi to join other states that participate in a prescription drug purchasing compact.
"This would save taxpayers approximately 75 to 100 million dollars and it would lower the cost of prescription drugs to our senior citizens who get their medication through Medicaid."
Blackmon says right now state pays half a million dollars to buy prescription drugs through Medicaid.
"We would pool those resources with all those other states and when you pool those resources you have better bargaining power with the pharmaceutical companies," she says.
Zero based budgeting is another part of the Blackmon fiscal plan. Blackmon says each state agency should start with a zero balance and then justify how it spends money.
Blackmon, a Democrat, faces incumbent Amy Tuck in the November general election.


Tesla is putting its considerable electric muscle into the SUV market now, though they don’t really want you to call the forthcoming Tesla Model X (reservations start at $5,000) an SUV–and certainly not a minivan. And that’s understandable, especially with the AWD model’s ability to go 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. Also no SUV can boast of the majestic ‘Falcon Wings’ the X has for doors, lifting up vertically Lamborghini style. Of course unlike most gas-chugging SUVS, this one uses no gasoline, and Tesla says the X has a center of gravity lower than any other SUV, so handling should be superior.
Tesla Model X: Falcon Wing Your Way Past The Gas Station
Rides By on Oct 15, 2013
Tesla Model X
Rides By on Feb 13, 2012
The Leaf and Volt have been nice little entries into the slooooowly blossoming electric car market, but the no-gas-necessary bar is about to be raised by Tesla. The Model X ($49,900) crossover will have room for 7 passengers, a 17″ touchscreen display, and “falcon-wing doors” which float skyward, allowing easier access to the third row of seats. Plus, the styling is just magnificent. Tesla’s already greasing the publicity skids for the late 2013 release, and getting support from bands like Foster the People surely doesn’t hurt the hype now, does it? Pumped up kicks, charged up rides–whatever it takes.


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A Job To Do: New Zealand Soldiers of `The Div' Write About Their World War Two (Hardback)John Gordon (editor)
Hardback 368 Pages / Published: 06/11/2014
- We can order this
What was it really like for the soldiers of 2 New Zealand Division in the Second World War? How did they spend their time and how did they see their lives as servicemen, from training at home and sailing off to war, to setting up camp, relaxing off-duty, fighting in hostile environments and possibly being taken prisoner? This anthology is a personal selection of material describing the experiences of these men, with the great majority of the collection written from within its ranks. Colloquially known to its members as 'The Div', it was by far the major part of New Zealand's Second Expeditionary Force, making it our main contribution to the war. Naturally it had a distinctly New Zealand character, and despite being caught in several difficult situations in its early years - and not necessarily of its own doing - it gained an international reputation for courage, reliability and achievement. In this book John Gordon presents a lively and illuminating selection of the published words of members of 'The Div' or those with close associations. The chosen extracts are drawn from memoirs, fiction, verse, news reports and magazine articles penned by soldiers of all ranks. The result is a compilation of the written views and experiences of over 80 insiders, creating an intimate glimpse of life and war within 'The Div'. From the declaration of war to the return home, this is a sample of the experiences of well over 100,000 New Zealand men who served in the Division: how they coped with discipline and disaster, sacrifice and success. They write with the same frankness, humour, wry cynicism and understatement that they used to cope with the challenges of their war.
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 1157 g
Dimensions: 242 x 184 x 36 mm
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domain: literature


Last week, I started the discussion of how developing countries can contribute to alleviating anthropogenic (human caused) climate change. The main goal is to mitigate climate change by achieving a global agreement to transition to more sustainable energy choices. I made mention of the important role efficiency could play for developing countries in using energy resources to enhance their GDP. (Interestingly, the same date that I posted last week also marks the beginning of the COP18 Doha Climate Change Conference to start the continuing efforts to reach global agreements on mitigation and adaptation policies.) Following Sandy’s impact on the most populated region in the States, and President Obama’s recent reelection, there is now some optimism that the United Stated might show heightened leadership in the struggle against climate change. I started the November 26 blog with Governor Romney’s response to a ScienceDebate question about his thoughts on Climate Change. I will repeat the quote here in order to emphasize a different issue:
The reality is that the problem is called Global Warming, not America Warming. China long ago passed America as the leading emitter of greenhouse gases. Developed world emissions have leveled off while developing world emissions continue to grow rapidly, and developing nations have no interest in accepting economic constraints to change that dynamic. In this context, the primary effect of unilateral action by the U.S. to impose costs on its own emissions will be to shift industrial activity overseas to nations whose industrial processes are more emissions-intensive and less environmentally friendly. That result may make environmentalists feel better, but it will not better the environment.
I would like to explore this claim that compares China to the United States in terms of overall responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint by shifting its energy sources. It is important because Governor Romney’s statement can be understood as advocating that as long as China does not reduce its carbon footprint, the US will follow suit, focusing only on R&D in order to not sacrifice economic advantages to China. The argument has a NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) flavor that I discussed in a previous blog (June 18) – we recognize the need to act, but as long as China and other developing countries refuse to get involved, we will deny our own duty.
In the table below I ask undergraduates from my course (General Education – no prerequisites) to use primary sources to collect some relevant data about four countries and the World, and to answer a few questions by evaluating this data. I have filled in part of the table with the appropriate data for 2008 – the last year that data were available for the indicators in which I was interested.
Fill up the following table:
Rank the four countries in terms of total energy use and CO2 emissions.
- Compare (in %) the top user and emitter with World use and emission.
- Rank the four countries in terms of energy use and CO2 emission per capita, and compare the numbers with global data.
- If the GDP growth continues – how many years will it take China to catch up to the US?
- If the GDP/Capita growth continues – how many years it will take China to catch up to the US?
- What will the World’s GDP be at that time?
- What will the World’s population be at that time?
- If you assume that the last three terms of the IPAT equation will not change – what will the World’s CO2 emission be at that time?
- Assume that only half of the emissions will stay in the atmosphere and that the Climate Sensitivity is 2.50C for doubling the concentration of CO2 compared to the pre-industrial levels – what will the climate consequences of 8 be?
Problems started with the first question – Half of the class has ranked both energy use and Carbon Dioxide emission in the following order – US, Germany, China and India.
Now – try it yourself and make a comment.
Large outcry was heard when answering the second question – “Professor – how it can be that the top energy user (US) is using 417% of the World’s total usage? Isn’t the US part of the World?”
Good question – yes it is. When Governor Romney uses carbon emissions from China and the US as criteria for needed efforts to curtail these emissions – what number should he be using – the number per person or the number per country? For me, it is a simple issue of Environmental Justice – every person is equal in his or her right for economic development, and comparisons should be based on people, not countries.


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On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) criticized the Bush administration this morning for not doing enough to provide aid for ill rescue and recovery workers who were at Ground Zero.
Outside the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey campus in Piscataway, Pallone said the WTC Medical Monitoring & Treatment program needs more funding. "We're not going to sweep this under the rug," said Pallone, who noted funding would end in October for the program, which currently is helping 1,036 rescue and recovery workers.
Dr. Iris Udasin, principal investigator at the program, said it offers screening and referrals for treatment, which its patients have not had to pay for so far.
There is $50 million in House appropriations that will go to the center and other New York universities and hospitals treating workers as part of the program, Pallone said.
But Udasin said the program's costs were hard to determine, and more people had been treated through the program than expected.
Pallone will head a Congressional meeting next week adressing 9/11-related health concerns.
"The focus will be on what health problems there are, how we're going to get people screened, and how we're going to pay for it," he said.

domain: sociology


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In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity Phytochemical and Cytotoxicity of Methanolic Fruits Extract of Capsicum frutescent
Capsicum frutescen is known in Sudan, is one of the most commonly used pepper species in cooking and in Sudanese folk medicine. The present study was conducted to investigate antimicrobial (bacteria and fungi) and cytotoxicity (Brine Shrimp Lethality Test) of methanolic extract of Capsicum frutescen (fruits). The extract have been tested in the present study to investigate the in vitro potential effects against Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and fungi. The selected organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans using the cup plate agar diffusion method. The methanol extract of Capsicum frutescen (fruits) exhibited inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli with zone of inhibition (23 mm) and Klebsiella pneumonia with zone of inhibition (17 mm). The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of Tannins, Saponin, Alkaloids, Anthroquinoles and Terpenoids. The Cytotoxicity of methanolic extract of Capsicum frutescens was LDR50R 64.68 μg/ml. The activity and presence of compounds known to be biologically active are a validation for the use of Capsicum as a food ingredient and as a therapeutic element of traditional medicine.


Raanjhanaa success party
"Raanjhanaa" team along with director Anand L. Rai celebrated the success of the film at a party. A host of B town celebs including Prabhudeva, Anil Kapoor and Kangna Ranaut were also present here.
Latest Bollywood News
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Denmark is an almost cashless country, where some shops actually put up signs saying they prefer not to take cash if possible. Instead, the Danish population uses a combination of global and local payment methods for online and offline transactions.
I recently expanded my own business into the Danish market, so I’ve compiled my findings into this useful guide. Read on to find out which payment methods you should consider accepting to appeal to a Danish audience.
6 Top Payment Methods in Denmark
Dankort is Denmark’s national debit card. It’s also the country’s most common card, with about 4.5 million members. Most versions of the card are combined with Visa or Mastercard, allowing cardholders to pay with Dankort abroad as well.
Dankort cards are used both online and in-store. Denmark is a mostly cashless country, so most shops prefer to accept Dankort or credit cards over cash.
In 2015, contactless payments with Dankort became possible. Today, they represent 80% of transactions with this card.
MobilePay is a digital wallet used mainly in Denmark (but also in Finland) that launched in 2013. The payment app is widely accepted throughout Denmark, used by over 4 million people out of the country’s population of 5.8 million. Customers spent more than 23 billion euros through MobilePay in 2021 alone.
MobilePay is common for online payments, thanks to its security measures. Each account is attached to the user’s CPR number (national security number) so the police are able to track payments easily if someone gets scammed.
MobilePay is also used in-store. Some supermarket chains even integrate the payment method directly into their own shopping apps. It’s common to see the service used by door-to-door salespeople or charity collectors, as well as at small stalls and pop-up events.
3. Apple Pay
In 2021, 63% of mobile devices sold in Denmark were Apple products, so Apple Pay is a popular payment app in the country. Many of Denmark’s residents use Apple Pay for cashless payments in-store. In 2020, Apple Pay began supporting Dankort cards.
Only 1% of Denmark’s payments are made with cash, so contactless payments are very popular. There is no minimum spend to use Apple Pay in stores in Denmark. Customers can even use their iPhone or Apple Watch to buy a stick of gum at a corner store.
4. Google Pay
About 40% of smartphones in Denmark use the Android operating system. Many of these devices come with Google Pay preinstalled, so users can use Google Pay for contactless transactions. Apple users can also download Google Pay to their devices.
Google Pay supports cards from most banks in Denmark, but does not support Dankort cards. Android users must pay with their physical cards if they want to use Dankort in-store.
Mobile wallets are also widely accepted in online stores. Google Pay and Apple Pay are commonly offered alongside PayPal and the local option, MobilePay.
PayPal is popular in Denmark for peer-to-peer payments with people outside of the country. It’s commonly used by contractors and freelancers working internationally. However, as a payment method for online shopping, newer services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Mobile Pay are much more popular.
6. Immediate Credit Transfer (Straks)
Danish banks can use a transfer for domestic payments that deliver money into the recipient’s account in 1.5 seconds. This can be used for transfers under 500,000 DKK (around $70,000). Customers can make these transfers at any time of day on any day of the year.
Straks transfers are commonly used to pay contract workers like accountants or decorators who use an invoice system to receive payments.
The Best Way to Accept Global Payments
Our global payment processing system works behind the scenes to overcome hurdles like traffic routing, expired cards, and insufficient funds. With top-level PCI DSS compliance and 3DS2 authentication, we keep your payments secure and protect your business from payment fraud.
You can use our developer-friendly APIs to integrate Pay.com into your existing website or app, or choose one of our no-code solutions to get started quickly with a hosted checkout page.
The Bottom Line
Accepting payments from customers in Denmark doesn’t have to be a challenge.

domain: finance


One of BEW’s outside sound counsultants, Hessler Engineering, arrived this afternoon and began setting up to commence baseline operations sound measurement. The goal is to bring the facility to 75% throughput and take an array of samples surrounding the site, fanning outward at set intervals, and in various directions. In order to eliminate any extraneous sound sources not associated with the plant, the testing must be done in the dead of night. The crew scheduled a start time of 4AM, when the plant would be the only thing in the area generating any sounds (other than frogs and crickets!).
Hessler will be particularly focused on identifying any specific components which still produce isolated sounds after the blankets we’ve installed on some of the larger, noisier pieces of equipment. We’ll report back on just what may be causing the other sounds.


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Richard Mack felt apprehensive about coming to Coeur d'Alene. Speaking moments before he was to take the stage as the controversial keynote speaker during the Republican party's primary fundraiser, Mack said he never felt as unwelcome as he did before coming to Coeur d'Alene. "This has never happened to me before," the Republican candidate in Texas for the U.S. House of Representatives told The Press about the decision by the local party to bar him from speaking. But the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee re-invited Mack to speak at its Lincoln Day Dinner and Mack said he was glad to accept it - again. "After I saw the crowd and talked to the people I felt good," he said. "I guess I didn't hurt attendance any"/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: What will be the fallout of this event?

domain: news


Each and every product manufactured at DigiProces goes through an End Of Line functional test before arriving to your hands. In this stage we test the overall functionality of the product after the manufacturing process.
When in the prototype phase or during the first round of NPI, we can afford using manual set-ups or ‘non-professional’ systems to perform the FCT, but when the volumes grow a high testing throughput rate is crucial.
For this reason, the test procedures developed to test the first series, or maybe the prototypes, need to be optimized to achieve a short cycle time and reliability, with the focus on a higher yield. Our Test Engineering team can assess you to create a suitable test strategy for your product.


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The world of “Off the Record” interpreted by 5 emerging artists
In recent years, Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery has been holding exhibitions with young and active artists making effective use of the large space available at our gallery, such as Kneading by Taro Izumi (2010), Everyday Life / Hidden Reasons (2011), Whirl by Hiraki Sawa, and many others. The current exhibition is the third in a series of group exhibitions "Everyday Life / ", entitled Everyday Life / Off the Record. This year, the exhibition will take place at the Middle Studio in Kanagawa Arts Theatre (KAAT), which is basically a space for body expressions. This is our first time to realize an exhibition not in "white cube" but in "black box". “Off the record” is a term used in the media and means "not to keep memory of something". Using the methods and materials they are best at, the 5 artists (Shinya Aota, Yukako Ando, Toshiyuki Kajioka, Masaharu Sato, Lyota Yagi), active in and outside Japan, interpreted this term and devised everyday records and memories that are to be kept off the record in their artworks. Why don’t we uncover these hidden things in the exhibition space?
- Opening hours
2014.1.11(Sat) - 1.30(Thu) 10:00 - 18:00
* Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre <Medium Studio>
281,Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan [Access]
Adult = 600yen
Student / 65years old or more = 500yen
Under high school student = free
* With a certification of disability, admission is free as well as that of an accompanying care-giver.
- Organized by
Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery [KANAGAWA KENMIN HALL / Kanagawa Arts Foundation]
The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences
Japan Arts Fund
Imura art gallery
Koganecho Area Management Center
Masayoshi Suzuki Gallery
Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery
TEL : +81-45-662-5901
(Monday - Saturday, 9:00 - 17:00)

domain: artistic


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We’re preparing for the construction of our new building for the permanent collection—the David Geffen Galleries. Opening in 2024, the building will breathe new life into thousands of years of art history.
Learn more about LACMA’s transformation and construction timeline.
While the original permanent collection galleries are closed, art from the museum’s collection will continue to be on view in exhibitions in BCAM and the Resnick Pavilion. Urban Light and Levitated Mass will continue to be open to visitors.


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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Discussions toward a possible settlement have begun in a lawsuit filed by actor Nick Nolte and his wife against Allstate Insurance Co. over the insurer's handling of their claim filed after their Malibu property sustained significant damage during the 2018 Woolsey Fire, attorneys in the case told a judge.
During a case management conference Friday, the lawyers informed Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Christopher K. Lui that talks toward a potential resolution are ongoing, but that no discovery between the parties has taken place.
The judge scheduled a post-mediation status conference for Jan. 25, 2022, and trial for April 25, 2022, if no settlement is reached.
The 80-year-old “Prince of Tides'' actor and spouse Clytie Lane brought the lawsuit last Oct. 29, alleging breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The couple seek unspecified damages.
On Nov. 8, 2018, the couple's residential property and possessions were “either destroyed and/or substantially damaged'' by the Woolsey Fire, the suit states. One of the residential structures, known as the Rock House, sustained substantial smoke and heat damage, and several other structures were burned to the ground, the suit states.
“In addition, extraordinarily valuable and more importantly, deeply personal, film memorabilia that spanned the entire career of Mr. Nolte was destroyed,'' according to the suit.
The fire caused $3 million in damage to the structure and contents of the house, but the home was not destroyed, firefighters said at the time.
After the fire, Allstate “unreasonably delayed the handling, adjustment and resolution of the claim, and have taken unreasonable coverage and claim positions,'' the suit alleges.
Allstate's conduct is “contrary to the terms of the insurance policy, their duties owed to plaintiffs and the controlling law,'' according to the suit.
In its handling of the couple's claim, Allstate, “wrongfully put its interests ahead of'' those of Nolte and Lane, the suits states.
The plaintiffs provided Allstate copies of the couple's consultants' reports and findings that the insurer disregarded and ignored, the suit alleges. Nolte and Lane also allege Allstate misled them into the false belief the insurer wanted to reach a settlement when the company's actual intent was to dissuade them from suing.
The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties burned nearly 100,000 acres. It killed three people, destroyed more than 1,640 structures and forced the evacuation of around 300,000 people.
Photo: Getty Images
Copyright 2021 City News Service, Inc.


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Immerse yourself in the unique and inspiring sound world of electronic duo Darkstar — processed analogue synth textures and loops, rich sub-basses, pitched-down drums, and icy, warped vocals, each layered with subliminal spectral echoes of rave culture and industrial white noise — ghosts in the machine, bleeding in and fading out.
Haunted House expands on the sonic palette of Darkstar’s 2020 album Civic Jams, out now on Warp Records — ‘a photonegative of a dance record’. From mournful and ominous, to warm, heartfelt nostalgia, each sound is full of character and emotion, designed to create tension, depth and atmosphere for any setting — from contemporary electronic music, to hybrid, modern film, TV & games composition. Presented in our award-winning, easy-to-use dedicated plug-in, this versatile tool offers a range of controls and effects, so you can immediately transform each preset to facilitate your own vision.
Which Way? - Hinako Omori (0:00 / 3:27)
Into The Depths (feat. Albion Neo) - Jo Paterson (0:00 / 2:56)
Not The Same - Homay Schmitz (feat. Intimate Strings) (0:00 / 2:19)
Haunted House (Soundtrack) — Darkstar (0:00 / 6:08)
Violet - Leo Wyatt (0:00 / 2:57)
Midas - Louis Rugg (0:00 / 1:03)
Zero Point - Oliver Patrice Weder (0:00 / 0:59)
— 44 presets
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— For producers: suited to a wide range of genres, from house to ambient electronic music, grime, 2-step and beyond
Darkstar’s journey into electronic music began with sequencers and extensive sampling — found sounds from the real world, films, TV shows, and samples of existing music. Their unique approach to sonic experimentation is palpable in the colour and shade of this versatile collection, made from analogue synths, organs sampled at Union Chapel, found sounds, vocals and drums, transformed via finely tuned processing techniques — from tape saturation to outboard re-amping, implementing warmth and texture in various ways.
A distillation of a sonic palette built up over the last few years, Haunted House swings from introspective to expansive, moody and industrial to nostalgic beauty, from the highs and lows of nocturnal inner-city life, to the dawn coming through. Electronic beds of uneasy ambience are haunted by disquieting white noise, peripheral shimmers, taking influence from various dance music genres — from shoegaze to deep house to grime, and the euphoria of 90s rave abandon — echoes of millennial-era underground dance parties at clubs including The Void and Plastic People (with presets named in tribute to Darkstar’s favourite club nights).
Haunted House invites you to reimagine, recreate or completely pull apart Darkstar's sound world, following the release of Darkstar’s acclaimed 2020 record, Civic Jams, out now on Warp Records. The Civic Jams album is available to purchase via Warp Records, either on its own, or as a bundle (limited edition 12-inch vinyl + download + sample library).
Both Civic Jams and Haunted House explore Darkstar's experience of the ever-changing London music scene — the claustrophobia and the euphoria; the sense of belonging found amidst the isolation of inner-city life; the uncertainty of its future. Reminiscent of the hauntology movement, these sounds reflect the things which lurk at the back of our mind or in memory alone — the beauty and heartbreak found in everyday life; a nostalgia for a future promised that never came to pass; faded cultural memories, with sinister undercurrents; London as a shell of its former cultural self. It captures the collective spirit of a city in mourning and its desolate horizons — a ghost town, waiting for the dawn.
Darkstar's origins in dance and bass music offer a fresh sonic perspective. Discovering electronic music through their love of sampling, they found their home and community in the London club scene. Their idiosyncratic take on electronic music has positioned them as key voices within the scene for the best part of two decades. In recent years, Darkstar have worked with the likes of Actress, Wild Beasts and Zomby, releasing music with Empress Of (XL) and Gaika. They have scored groundbreaking live dance performances with choreographer Holly Blakey (Mica Levi), as well as the Palme d’Or nominated short film, Dreamlands.
Darkstar were commissioned to write work for Organ Reframed festival, which they performed together with the London Contemporary Orchestra at Union Chapel in 2018. In 2019, they performed two of their new compositions at Queen Elizabeth Hall for Unclassified Live. They have worked with Metal Liverpool, Arts Council England and Harthill Community centre to create an installation and performance piece with teens from migrant communities. The final performance, TRACKBED, was performed at the Barbican, London.

domain: entertainment


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Kids DIY Kit
Shopping for the creative kid can be challenging but we're here to take that stress away! Each kit comes boxed with all of the materials for the recipient to create a unique masterpiece.
You will receive an email when your kit(s) is ready for local pick-up or the kits will ship for $10.
** There is an additional $5 added for the #202 Tic-tac-toe kits as they include wood 'X' and 'O' cutouts.
-3 paint tubes
-3 paint brushes
-wood cutouts (if applicable)


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Spanning over 2,000 sq.ft of internal floor space is this beautifully extended period home arranged over three floors with six bedrooms and an abundance of entertaining space on the ground floor.
Under half a mile from Acton Central station (Overground) and under three quarters of a mile from Acton Town tube station and Acton Main Line station (forthcoming Elizabeth line).
170 High Street,
London, W3 6QZ
Call us 7 days a week 8am-8pm
- Sales: 020 8896 2112

domain: geography


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Over the past decade, Sandburg’s girls’ swim program has been blessed with talent and depth, which translated into a streak of 10 consecutive sectional championships and downstate appearances.
This season, however, the Lady Eagles’ roster boasts just eight swimmers. That represents a significant drop-off, percentage-wise, from the 11 or 12 athletes that coach Jane Caliendo has typically had available to her.
But despite the situation, Sandburg narrowly missed extending its string of sectional crowns. Only the host Lady Porters bettered the Lady Eagles at Saturday’s Lockport Sectional, and the winners’ margin of success was slim: just six points.
Sandburg did well enough, though, to amass 280 points and, more importantly, qualify people in seven events for this weekend’s state meet. The Lady Eagles advanced six individual swimmers, a diver and two relay units.
“We’re very pleased with the way we swam and competed [at the sectional],” Caliendo said. “We thought we would likely qualify in five events, and anything beyond that would be icing on the cake. To have seven was great.
“This is the smallest sectional team we’ve ever had, and those eight girls were just great [on Saturday].”
Sophomore Clare Lawlor led the way for the Lady Eagles by taking first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles (24.34 seconds and 53.58, respectively) and also swimming a leg for the triumphant 400-free relay team. Senior Caitlin Krull and juniors Caitlyn Olson and Mia Robin rounded out the relay quartet, which posted a winning time of 3:35.90.
Lawlor, freshman Devin Apps and juniors Tricia Mangila and Stephanie Pappas joined forces to give Sandburg a runner-up finish in the 200-medley relay (1:49.73), and Apps did likewise as a solo act in the 100-breaststroke (1:06.91). Apps’ individual time was a lifetime best for her and eclipsed the Lady Eagles’ existing frosh-soph record in the race.
Kull provided a pair of second-place showings, doing so in the 200- and 500-freestyles in respective times of 1:55.12 and 5:09.47. Also winding up second was diver Anna Girlich (404 points).
“We knew the 400-relay was a lock, and we knew both Caitlin and Clare would advance in their events,” Caliendo said. “I think, the fact that we won the medley was a bonus [and] Devin Apps’ performance in the breaststroke was a great accomplishment. She also dropped five seconds in the IM.
“Everybody that swam sectionals had at least one lifetime-best time. They’re all very dedicated, and that’s what we want to see. Caitlin’s been to state meet every year, and I know she especially wants to finish her career in a memorable way.”
Shepard finished sixth in the sectional with 90 points.
Victories by Megan Vallance in the 50-free (24.57) and Sophia Shalabi in the 100-breaststroke (1:05.16) propelled Stagg (254 points) to a third-place finish at Saturday’s Lyons Township Sectional. The host Lady Lions (287) and Hinsdale Central (273) were the only schools to better the Lady Chargers’ team total.
Vallance and Shalabi also helped Stagg prevail in the 200-free relay (1:37.73), along with seniors Adrienne DiFoggio and Samyah Isa. Isa was right behind Shalabi in the breaststroke after timing out in 1:06.97.
Shepard opened up its season last Tuesday with a tough 1,909-1,901 defeat against TF South at Centennial Lanes. The Astros’ Eric Walters led all bowlers with a 264 game and 466 series.
On Thursday, Shepard scored a 2,059-1,851 South Suburban Conference Red dual win over Reavis at El-Mar Bowl. Individual leader Brandon Dietz rolled a 280 game and 511 series to boost the Astros.
Sandburg fell short of Joliet West (1,830-1,665) in its season-opener last Tuesday at Orland Bowl. Jared Saba rolled a 223 game and 373 series to lead the Eagles in the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue encounter.
Sandburg bounced back two days later to edge Joliet Central 1,798-1,777 behind Brandon Torres’ 279 game and 442 series at Orland Bowl. The meeting with the Steelmen was also a conference affair.
Like Shepard and Sandburg, Stagg began its 2013-14 season on the wrong end of a final score. Lockport beat the Chargers 2,020-1,560 last Thursday in an SWSC Blue match at Strike ‘N’ Spare II.


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UPDATE: All Restaurants Closed in Area of Milton
Halton Region has issued a follow-up statement regarding the recent Boil Water Advisory.
On Friday, December 7, Halton’s Medical Officer of Health issued an advisory to boil water before drinking it, putting it in your mouth or using it in cooking, due to a watermain break.
As a result, all restaurants and other food preparation facilities in the affected areas are closed until the advisory is lifted.
The advisory is expected to remain in place until at least Monday, December 10.
The Region has said that it will advise affected residents and businesses by telephone, web and social media when the water is safe to drink.
Residents can check here to see the affected areas.
We’ll update with further info as it becomes available.
- Desperation for Rentals Reaches Fever Pitch in Halton
- Police Looking for Owner of Dog Believed to be Hit by Car in Burlington
- UPDATE: Oakville Regional and Town Councillor Refuses to Step Down After In-Laws Charged by OPP
- Police Searching for Suspect Wanted on Warrants for Assault and Failing to Attend Court
- Here's How Much House Prices Have Fallen in Halton


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The rental price continues with the adjustment started in early 2020 . Although the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated this process, especially in large cities, the truth is that the residential rental market had been showing signs of exhaustion for some time after adding five years of price increases .
Now, the latest X-ray produced by the real estate portal apartments.com places the average rental price in Spain at 9.67 euros per square meter at the end of July, which represents a decrease of 1.48% compared to the same month of the year. previous. However, the result is 0.42% higher than the previous month.
And how have rental prices behaved by provinces? The analysis of the real estate portal reveals that Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Valencia and Santa Cruz de Tenerife have starred in the biggest drop in prices in the seventh month of the year. Specifically, rents have fallen by 14.82% in the interannual rate in Las Palmas, while they have fallen by 11.90% in the province of Valencia, and by 11.22% in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
On the contrary, the provinces of Guadalajara, Huesca and Palencia have registered the highest year-on-year increases in rental prices. Rents have risen by 16.67% in the city of La Mancha in July, while they have risen by 15.44% in Huesca and about 15% in Palencia.
The rental market has also gained momentum in the provinces of Lugo, Zamora and Almería. In all three cases, renting a home is now 10% more expensive than just a year ago. In a monthly rate, the provinces that registered the highest price increase were Cantabria (3.57%), Guadalajara (3.10%) and Lleida (3.07%). On the opposite side are León (-3.10%), Ourense (-3.09%) and Albacete (-3.08%) .
Rental prices rose in 25 Spanish provinces in July compared to the previous month, while the figure drops to 17 provinces when compared to the same period in 2020.
Madrid and Barcelona
As for large cities, which have traditionally led the rankings of price increases, experts confirm that renting is getting cheaper. In Madrid, the prices of rental homes have fallen by 4.20%, while in Barcelona they have fallen by 6.82%, in line with the rest of the provinces of Catalonia.
“The adjustment that, for some time, has been dragging the main provincial capitals, is putting them at the same price level as other first-line municipalities and with a high population density, but which do not have this condition of main administrative focus” , says Ferran Font, director of studies at piso.com.
The spokesperson for the real estate portal explains that the behavior that is taking place in these locations has accelerated with the coronavirus pandemic, which has made the “progressive and desirable alignment between income and salaries accelerate.” This phenomenon has gained momentum thanks to teleworking and online training , which have decongested cities and increased the offer available in the residential market.
Despite the fact that renting in big cities is getting cheaper and cheaper, the truth is that the requirements that landlords ask of their tenants have tightened considerably after the pandemic. In general, owners now require several months of deposit – not just one as stipulated by law – and other additional guarantees , such as a second owner in the rental contract. “In the event that the applicant has a temporary job, guarantees and bank deposits come into play as tools to provide security for the monthly payment,” they explain from piso.com.
The most expensive areas
The monthly report of the real estate portal also names the most expensive areas to live for rent. Regarding regions, the list is led by Madrid (12.38 euros / m²), followed by the Balearic Islands (11.27 € / m²) and Catalonia (10.72 € / m²). On the contrary, the cheapest communities are Castilla y León (4.63 euros / m²), Extremadura (5.37 euros ?? / m²) and Castilla-La Mancha (5.41 euros ?? / m²).
In the classification of provinces by income, the first position is also occupied by Madrid, with 12.38 euros per square meter. They were followed by Barcelona (€ 11.62 / m²) and Guipúzcoa (€ 11.58 / m²). The red lantern on the list is Cuenca, which closed the July ranking with 3.59 euros / m².
The latest monthly report from piso.com also crowns Ávila and Toledo as especially cheap provinces to live in. In the city of Castilla y León the square meter is 3.69 euros ?? and in the town of La Mancha at 3.73 euros / m².
As for the provincial capitals, the city of Donostia-San Sebastián is confirmed as the most expensive city for tenants. Specifically, the square meter has reached 16.05 euros in the Basque city. They are followed by price Barcelona (15.79 euros / m²) and Madrid (15.15 euros / m²). On the contrary, Zamora was the cheapest provincial capital with 5.76 euros per square meter . Along with it, other provincial capitals such as Lugo (5.82 euros / m²) and Cáceres (5.85 euros / m²) stand out.


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A crypto Defi rug pull in China resulted in the seizure of approximately 6 million yuan ($1 million) in cryptocurrency and the arrest of eight persons.
With the start of the new year, Beijing’s war on cryptocurrency continues, with Chinese police freezing roughly 6 million yuan ($1 million) in cryptocurrency and arresting eight persons involved in it. In addition, the public security department of Chizhou discovered a crypto rug pull fraud involving 50 million yuan ($7.8 million), according to a story published in Nikkei Asia.
The deceptive DeFi initiative enticed investors by promising big returns.
In June of last year, Chinese police launched an inquiry after investors lost 590,000 yuan in cryptocurrency. The investigation resulted in the arrest of eight people from various provinces. Authorities also seized luxury automobiles, homes, and other valuable objects allegedly obtained with the defrauded funds from the defendants. The deceptive DeFi program enticed investors with promises of big returns through liquidity swapping. Instead, however, after the investors put their money in, the scammers laundered it through anonymous pools and made off with it all.
Rug pulls have become one of the most popular DeFi con games.
“After the investigation and analysis by the police task force, it was established that this case was a typical case of illegally gaining virtual currency by exploiting blockchain technology,” Chizhou public security said. Rug pulls have become one of the most prevalent DeFi scams, owing to how easy they are to pull off. Rug pulls cost investors almost $2.8 billion last year, according to Chainalysis data. These schemes frequently entice investors with promises of huge returns, and once the pool has amassed sufficient funds, the scammers disappear with the money.


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Every now and then, I expand my dialogue about storytelling by going beyond the boundaries of books and out into the mediums of TV and film. I do so by doing these analysis pieces once in a while about a TV show or film that has reached a significant time in its history (i.e. series premiere, series finale, film release, anniversary of a release, etc.).
Five years ago, I started doing these various analyses on different TV shows and films of the past and present that have been part of my life to some capacity, and that all started with the ABC series, “Fresh Off the Boat;” the first sitcom in over 20 years to center on an Asian American family. Today, following its series finale last night, I am using this time to look back on its evolution over the last six seasons, and how the media landscape has changed along the way.
(WARNING: There will be minor spoilers from throughout the series, including last night’s finale.) Continue reading “The End of an Era for a Forever Historical Show: About “Fresh Off the Boat””
A year ago, I blogged the day before last year’s Academy Awards, in speculation of what’s to come from that year’s ceremony. This time around, I’m coming to you nearly a week after this year’s ceremony, and I feel surprisingly rejuvenated from both that and some recent events in my life and beyond. Continue reading “A Time for Filmmaking”
Actor Will Yun Lee Has Been Making Strides in Hollywood For Two Decades – For the Center for Asian American Media, I spoke with the “Good Doctor”/”Altered Carbon” star on his journey as an Asian American actor in Hollywood.
‘Abominable’ Brings All the Charm in This Magical, Heartfelt Adventure – For The Nerds of Color, I give a spoiler-free overview of my thoughts from watching this upcoming Dreamworks and Pearl Studio co-production.
Review of Anime Supremacy by Mizuki Tsujimura – For Goodreads, I go over my thoughts on this dynamic novel that gives a glimpse at the chaotic anime industry.
Review of Frankly in Love by David Yoon – For Goodreads, I discuss my thoughts about this heartfelt, YA romance debut novel.
How Disney’s ‘So Weird’ Deepened My Connection to My Filipino Side – For The Nerds of Color, I dive into how this 90’s Disney Channel series has had an unexpected effect on me this past year.
Review of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli – For Goodreads, I give my latest impressions on a novel I grew up with, ahead of the film adaptation’s release.
Christopher Sean Talks About Being the First Asian American Lead of “Star Wars” – For the Center for Asian American Media, I dive into this overlooked first for the “Star Wars” universe, as I speak with the lead actor of “Star Wars Resistance.”
Critics are calling “Abominable” “absolutely gorgeous” – My review of “Abominable” was quoted by Dreamworks Animation for promo leading up to the film’s release.
Young adult (YA) fiction: This is a subject I’ve been wanting to revisit for quite some time. After spending part of this past week reading a favorite, Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, I felt that now is just as good of a time to finally write about this topic again, after previously writing about it over five years ago. After all, thoughts and opinions about certain subject matter can change overtime, the more you learn and grow. In the case of YA fiction, my thoughts and feelings towards it have definitely morphed. Continue reading “Thoughts About Young Adult Fiction REVISITED”
So this news is a little over a week old, but for the sake of its context, it’s something I wanted to dive into and dissect, while providing my personal take on it. After all, one of my long-term goals is to become a professional screenwriter myself, much like the bad-ass that is screenwriter Adele Lim. Continue reading “The One About Screenwriter Adele Lim”
The Timing and Timeliness of ‘Hamilton’ – For The Nerds of Color, I dive into my experience of finally getting to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical. (This is an altered cross-post of my post that was originally published here.)
Review of The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang – For Goodreads, I manage to write and present a quick overview of my thoughts on the second novel of this page-turning fantasy trilogy.
From “Greetings from Bury Park” to “Blinded by the Light”: The Making of a British Pakistani’s Cinematic Personal Story – For the Center for Asian American Media, I go in-depth on the making of this feel-good, motivating film, by way of conversation with the writer-director and writer.
The Significance of Iko Uwais in ‘Wu Assassins’ – For The Nerds of Color, I point out something special about the lead character of this fantasy-crime-martial arts Netflix series.
Review of Greetings from Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor – For Goodreads, I go over my thoughts about the memoir that served as the inspiration for the film, “Blinded by the Light.”
Chicago theater: ‘The Band’s Visit,’ ‘The Great Leap’ and more previews, openings Aug. 30-Sept. 5 – My Q&A with playwright Lauren Yee was quoted in this listing for her play, “The Great Leap,” in the Chicago Sun-Times. (To read the full interview with her, you can read it here.)
Spider-Man, Pokémon, and Star-Crossed Lovers: Mixed Race Characters Take the Lead – For my debut piece for The Nerds of Color, I do an analysis on three different films released over the last six months that feature mixed race characters and interracial relationships front and center.
Matt Braly on Bringing Thai American Representation to Disney Channel’s “Amphibia” – For the Center for Asian American Media, I speak with the creative mind of Disney Channel’s upcoming animated series on how childhood trips to Bangkok served as the inspiration for the show.
Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix’ For the First Time – For The Nerds of Color, I go beyond Keanu Reeves’ brief role in “Always Be My Maybe,” as I watch and react to one of his more iconic roles from the last 20 years.
Review of This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila – For Goodreads, I give my general impression on this debut collection that gives a very real look at Hawaii.
Actor Charles Melton Discusses Filming “The Sun Is Also a Star” – For the Center for Asian American Media, I sit down with the “Riverdale” star as he gives me a deep analysis of his role in the upcoming teen drama.
Review of Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen – For Goodreads, I give a brief rundown of my thoughts on this debut novel that will surely tug on the heartstrings.
Actress Nichole Bloom Discusses Her Journey to “Superstore” at CAAMFest 37 – For the Center for Asian American Media, I did a cover story on the conversation with one of the lead actors of the NBC hit series on how she got her start and her journey in acting.
The Stars and Director of “Always Be My Maybe” on Creative Collaboration and Love for San Francisco – For the Center for Asian American Media, I sit down with Ali Wong, Randall Park, and Nahnatchka Khan to discuss the making of this upcoming Netflix rom-com.
Review of I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn – For Goodreads, I go over my general impressions of this author’s first venture into the YA genre.
defining the fil-am identity with lauren lola – I was recently interviewed for a feature profile for Asienne Magazine. I talk about living life as a mixed race Filipino American, my journey as a writer, and my desire to collaborate with Wong Fu Productions on a short film one day.
I’ve done quite a few public events in the past that are typical for an author. I’ve done readings and I’ve also participated in a few book fairs. However, never have I done a presentation about my work as a writer before, in the format of a guest lecture for a college class. Continue reading ““Thank you for coming to my TED talk.””
Playwright Lauren Yee on New Worlds and Inspirations – For the Center for Asian American Media, I interview this rising prolific playwright on how she gets her ideas for her wide variety of plays, the origin story of “The Great Leap,” and her thoughts about what it’s like to be a working playwright where diversity in the performing arts is no longer just lip service.
Review of I am Jake by Jake Zyrus – For Goodreads, I go over my shell shock and praise for this very honest memoir from one of the Philippines’ (and the world’s) best music artists.


Park, Forest conduct prescribed burns
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - The park has completed two of three South Rim prescribed fires planned for this spring. Firefighters completed ignition of the 222-acre Picnic Prescribed Fire last Wednesday and the 319-acre Quarry Prescribed Fire on Friday.
Some fire activity and smoke may be present within the interior of the burn unit for several weeks, as logs and other heavy fuels continue to smolder. Firefighters will continue to patrol the area until the fires are completely out.
One additional burn, the Moqui Prescribed Fire, is planned on the South Rim this spring. Fire ignition will only occur when environmental factors such as wind, temperature, and relative humidity are favorable.
The entire Moqui burn unit is 743 acres in size and starts at the south boundary of the park in the immediate vicinity of the South Entrance Station. It last burned in 1996.
For information on plans for South Rim prescribed fires, call (928) 638-7958. To learn more about fire management in Grand Canyon National Park, visit www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm.
Fire managers with the Kaibab National Forest plan to implement the Road Hollow prescribed burn on the North Kaibab Ranger District within the next two weeks. The project area consists of two units (Unit A - 1,696 acres and Unit D -456 acres), located south of Jacob Lake, four miles west of the Dry Park Area and adjacent to Forest Road 22.
The objectives of the burn are reducing hazardous fuels, decreasing fire risk and improving forest health.
When fuel and weather conditions are appropriate for the burn, fire personnel will use hand and aerial ignitions to light the units.
For additional information, please contact Edward Hiatt, North Zone Fire Management Officer, (928-643-8101).


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Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. But fear and deceit are in the air: their enemies are poised to strike. The Martells of Dorne seek vengeance for their dead, and the heir of King Balon of the Iron Isles is as black a pirate as ever raised a sail.
A Feast for Crows
Song of Ice and Fire , Book 04

domain: library


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Professor Linda Fried honoured
Linda Fried, Dean and DeLamar Professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and a leading expert on healthy aging, has been honoured with the prestigious 2016 Inserm International Prize, a scientific award, made each year by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. Professor Fried is a public health leader in the fields of epidemiology and aging and has done seminal work in defining frailty as a clinical syndrome and illuminating both its causes and the potential for prevention as keys to optimizing health for older adults. Professor Fried’s scientific discoveries have transformed science, medical care, and public health around the world, inspiring greater interest in helping older populations thrive.
Professor Fried who serves on the CAPRISA Board of Control said that her “interest in the science of healthy aging has been guided by a belief that science and society, working in concert, can optimise our innate capacity for good health”.

domain: biology


CALN — A violent encounter between two Coatesville high school students that left one in the hospital with serious injuries was captured on a video camera, according to a criminal complaint filed against the 16-year-old suspect who is now in custody.
On Wednesday, authorities announced the arrest of Oddell Quarn Cannon Jr., who is alleged to have stabbed the other student in a dispute over a stolen vape cigarette cartridge. The two had agreed to fight and did so in a bathroom in Coatesville Area Senior High, where police found the second youth suffering from multiple stab wounds on Tuesday.
Cannon, of South Third Street, Coatesville, turned himself in to Caln Police on Tuesday evening, after news reports said authorities were searching for him throughout the day. He was arraigned at about 8:30 p.m. by Magisterial District Judge John R. Bailey of Exton, who set bail at $750,000.
Cannon is currently being held in Chester County Prison awaiting a scheduled June 1 preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Ann Feldman of Downingtown. He is charged as an adult with attempted murder of the first degree, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon on school property, possessing instruments of crime, and related charges.
The victim of the stabbing, reported to be Mickey Rayner, 16, was reported to be at Paoli Memorial Hospital, recovering from non-life-threatening injuries, including a slashed colon.
The school violence came the same day as a mass shooting at a school in Texas, which left 21 people, including 19 children, dead at the hands of a lone gunman. It is the second-worst mass shooting at a school in the nation’s history and has led to a call for gun safety legislation to pass Congress.
“Yesterday was a horrific day for school students and their families,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan in a press release about Cannon’s arrest. “Not long after Oddell Cannon violently stabbed a classmate at CASH, another young man wreaked horror on a school in Texas. This must end. And it must end now. Parents should never have to worry when they send their children to school. Children should feel safe and protected while inside school walls.”
Ryan vowed that her office “will hold Oddell Cannon responsible for his actions to the fullest extent of the law. We will not tolerate school violence. It is our duty — and society’s duty — to protect children, especially when they are in school.”
According to a criminal complaint filed by Caln Township Police Investigator Stephen Parkinson, police were called to CASH at 7:25 a.m. Tuesday for the report of a stabbing that occurred in a second-floor bathroom. When police arrived, they found the 16-year-old victim with multiple stab wounds to the neck, shoulder, armpit and lower back.
Multiple witnesses identified Cannon as the perpetrator, with one saying they saw him leave a bloody knife in another bathroom and another saying they saw him walking down a hallway in the school after the stabbing with a bloody hand.
In his complaint, Parkinson said the he had been able to view a video posted to social media on Tuesday showing Cannon and the victim fighting in a bathroom stall, consistent with the bathroom stall located in the second floor bathroom near the central staircase of the school.
In the video, Cannon can be seen wrestling with the victim, and then gripping something in his right hand. The video shows Cannon stabbing the item gripped in his right hand three times into the lower back of the victim.
Shortly after the stabbing in the second-floor bathroom, another witness was walking down the southern staircase and saw Cannon walking from a first-floor bathroom near the central staircase toward the southern staircase, according to the complaint. The witness said they observed that Cannon’s hand was bleeding.
A witness told investigators that the victim believed Cannon had stolen a vape cigarette cartridge from him and wanted to fight. The witness stated that Cannon and the victim first met in a second-floor bathroom to fight, but a teacher came into the bathroom and dispersed the crowd.
The witness told detectives that the group of students, including Cannon and the victim, moved to another bathroom on the second floor. The witness said the two went into a bathroom stall and started to fight.
Another witness stated that he observed the victim bleeding from an area near his neck, and heard the victim say, “Bro, he stabbed me.”
Investigators found a large amount of blood in the bathroom where the stabbing occurred. The knife that was allegedly used also was recovered at the school.
The 16-year-old defendant is reportedly the son of the notorious Coatesville crime figure, Odell Quarn “Zelly” Cannon, who was involved in a series of violent confrontations with rivals in the city in 2006, the year Cannon Jr. was born. The elder Cannon is currently serving a 25-to-50 year sentence in state prison for the death of Brian Keith Brown, an associate of Duron “Gotti” Peoples, a bitter enemy of Cannon Sr. and his brother, Jonas “Sonny” Suber, who was killed at his home in an alleged “murder for hire” plot in October 2006.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Carlos Barraza is the assigned prosecutor. Cannon is represented by Philadelphia attorney David Moscow.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Det. Steven Parkinson at 610-383-1821.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.


Today Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala’s house at Devprayag was attacked reportedly by the agents of the Alaknanda hydro company that is building the 330 MW Srinagar hydro project in Uttarakhand. A Press note condemning that attack:
The lobbying attempt is evident from the factually wrong claims in the report: “Hydro-projects are more eco-friendly, cost-efficient and a renewable source. They do not emit green house gases”, the reporting agency and its author seems to have no idea that not only hydro projects generate green house gases like methane and carbon dioxide, they are not eco friendly, cost efficient or green.
Shockingly, the report goes on to advocate carbon emission reduction credits for the project, which is totally unjustifiable, as these projects DO NOT deserve CDM credits as they are neither additional nor sustainable, which are basic requirements for any projects to qualify for CDM credits.
The report is also WRONG on basic facts: it says installed hydro capacity in India is 34 GW, when it is in excess of 40 GW already.
Instead of looking at the falling efficiency of the existing hydropower projects, the study claims that hydro production is falling due to long gestation period required for projects due to terrain complexity and geopolitical issues of the areas in which the projects are located!


Recently in one of the allergy Facebook groups of which I’m a part someone asked an interesting question: If you’re covering your pillow with multiple layers of organic cotton, but allergic to the pillow’s fill, does what’s inside the pillow really matter? This question was a very timely one for me, because I changed all my bedding except the polyester fill pillows to cotton and wool two weeks ago. This includes the dust mite covers – they were changed from laminated cotton to organic cotton. I also received a lot of 100% cotton underwear around this time, including the seams, which are sewn with cotton thread.
I’ve also been noticing a somewhat horrifying symptom of my contact allergies – nonspecific pain. I believe this symptom is specifically tied to my propylene glycol allergy. Polyethylene glycol can also create a reaction (cross-react) in people who have a propylene glycol allergy, and polyethylene glycol is used in excess to make polyester. (Polyester is consequently used to make spandex/lycra/elastane.) This pain can be joint pain, pain like a bone bruise, pain like soft tissue injury or strain, or other; it’s really hard to pin down. Before Christmas and over the December holidays, I had regular, sharp pains from the top of my hip bones to the bottom of my ribs, switching sometimes, and getting worse when I got up from a sitting position. I also had pain at the top of my bum, around the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius. Sometimes I had pain down the sides of my legs, near the side seams on my pants. Since I stopped wearing the PJ pants that had a polyester-based satin waistband, the hip and rib pain disappeared. Since wearing 100% cotton underwear more often, the gluteus pain has mostly gone away, and even the outside leg pain has diminished considerably. This may seem like a strange digression in my talk about pillows, but bear with me.
When I switched the bedding, I switched the dust mite case as well, to 100% cotton. 100% cotton dust mite covers are not as good as laminated (plastic-coated) cotton ones in that they have a slightly looser weave, and no waterproof (impermeable) layer. This means that they will not allow dust mites through, but they will allow bed bugs and moisture through. Before changing the dust mite cover from laminated cotton to 100% cotton, I was experiencing moderate eye symptoms about once every 5 to 7 days. I attributed some of this to my sweat helping me to absorb loose molecules from the polyester that migrated through my pillow case.
Within three days of switching the dust mite cover to 100% cotton (but not switching my pillow), I was noticing slightly increased eye symptoms (less intense, but more frequent), itching along the back of my neck and shoulders, and pain between my shoulder blades. My scalp was also having problems, particularly on the back and front sides, and a reactive lymph node on my jaw started acting up a lot, causing neck and jaw pain. I should point out that while I mostly sleep on my side, I often woke up on my back during this time. Luckily, the removal of plastic/synthetic barriers from my sleeping environment, and the addition of wool, made my sleep 95% less sweaty. This continued for a week. The fibres that go into these pillows are of all lengths, from long to fairly tiny, and every time you squish or hit a pillow, some of those fibres are released into the air. Hold a pillow in front of a bright, sunny window, and squish it firmly a few times to see. It’s not just surface dust.
I suspected that my polyester fill pillow, combined with a more permeable dust mite cover, was the culprit, so I sat down at my sewing machine with my cotton barrier fabric and some kapok fibre (fluff from the seed pods of the kapok tree), and finally made myself that new pillow I’ve been planning. Total cost for kapok fill and 1/2 meter of wide fabric was about $30, though I also used cotton thread I already had on hand, and bought the cotton barrier fabric on clearance. I stuffed my new pillow into my (washed) 100% cotton dust mite cover, put a clean cotton pillow case on top, and slept. (I should mention that I also washed myself. You have no idea how much kapok spreads until you try fluffing it to stuff a pillow. Let’s just say my hair and clothing looked like I’d been inside one of those Build-a-Bear stuffing machines, except with natural fibres. So did my sewing machine and floor, just from being in the vicinity of the stuffing process.) Overnight, the intense itching along the back of my shoulders and neck cleared up, though I had some residual itchiness on the sides of my neck. The pain between my shoulder blades disappeared, and the eye symptoms cleared up completely. My jawside lymph node stopped reacting, and the neck and jaw pain that had been plaguing me disappeared. It’s far too soon to judge my scalp symptoms, since they tend to have a slower recovery, but my head hasn’t itched since the switch.
Having tried this three different ways, experiencing consequent symptoms of each, I can say this:
- If you are allergic to polyester and have a polyester fill pillow, do NOT put 100% cotton covers on it and expect everything to be fine. This is the worst combination you can use, as it allows the polyester fibres to exit your pillow and affect you the most. It goes without saying that you don’t want any partner(s) that sleep in your bed using this combination either. If the fibre is small enough to get out of your pillow, it can definitely float over to you on tiny air currents from your partner’s pillow.
- If you cannot afford a natural fibre pillow, use a cotton laminated dust mite protector on your synthetic-fill pillow. It will minimize migration of polyester fibres out of your pillow. It’s not the ideal solution, but it is the most affordable, and has the added bonus of protecting your pillow from moisture and at least somewhat from bed bugs.
- If you can afford the outlay, a 100% natural fibre pillow (casing and fill) and natural fibre dust mite cover are the best choice. Your pillow will be considerably less sweat-inducing, and no allergenic fibres from your pillow will be able to harm you, because they won’t be there.
Other synthetic fibre fills should behave similarly to what I have described above. If you have a latex or rubber-filled pillow, and latex/rubber are issues for you, you may not have the same results because latex and rubber are not fibrous in nature, and thus their migration out of pillows will be different, including possible off-gassing. I do suspect that the ideal solution(s) may be similar to above.
Have you had an allergy to your pillow? What did you do and how effective was it? Have you had painful reactions to polyester? Comment below.


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on 11 January 2009
The Battle of Le Cateau, fought on 26 August 1914, was an outstanding feat of arms by the BEF, specifically Gen. Smith-Dorrien's Regulars of Second Corps - some 60, 000 men - facing the entire German First Army of Gen. von Kluck. Despite British C-in-C Sir John French's order to continue the Retreat from Mons, Smith-Dorrien chose to fight along the Roman Cambrai-Le Cateau road. He was outnumbered three to one.
It was a defensive battle akin to Waterloo, also lasting one day, on a compact battlefield (still very much as it is today), with infantry and gunners - firing over open sights - exposed to enemy rifles, machine guns and batteries. With 1200 dead they inflicted perhaps three times that on the enemy and left the field in good order. Smith-Dorrien had won a tactical battle, but was later sacked while Haig, First Corps Commander, who had marched away from the sound of gunfire, was promoted C-in-C in 1915.
Antony Bird, the co-author of an excellent military anthology [Voices from the Front Line, Summersdale] has written an elegant, penetrative study of the men, weapons and tactics that decided the battle. But unlike another recent battlefield guide to the battle, Bird looks behind the heroism and sacrifice to examine the motives, shortcomings and strengths of warring generals. He is particularly good on weaponry, on the aftermath of the battle and its implications, and has done some useful work on calculating casualties. Maps are clear, integrated photos are helpful, there is a good index and there are pithily and amusingly written pen portraits of the protagonists.
But on another level this is a damn good read. One cannot fail to be moved, thrilled even, by the Boys Own stuff - how three VCs were won rescuing the guns for example. The BEF were all but wiped out after First Ypres but feats described here bear witness to the skill, marksmanship and bravery of a vanished breed.
Jacqueline Buchanan, Guild of Battlefield Guides
on 30 September 2012
This is a battle that should to be better known, as important as Mons. Von Kluck was dealt a blow and the BEF largely got away to fight another day. Gen Smith-Dorrien deserves to be reassessed as a general with a rare feel for the battlefield, a general who was badly treated by French and whose loss was a blow to the command of the Western Front. This book tells of the heroism on the field of battle aa well as the context.
on 14 April 2015
General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien was the commander of II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force in France. His decision to ignore Field Marshall Sir John French's orders during the Retreat from Mons and to make a fighting stand at Le Cateau, was arguably one of the finest fighting actions of the British Army which certainly saved the BEF, and probably France.
One of the few survivors of Isandlwana, Smith-Dorrien was a rare field officer and commander of genuine ability who had an almost unique view of the battlefield, and with that vision he was able to transmit though his men as to what was required of them and expected. He was without doubt the hero of the Mons retreat, lambasted and removed from his position at the time, his ability and worthiness has now been rightly recognised. This book goes along way to cement the legend of the man and of the "contemptible little army" who fought so magnificently during the Retreat from Mons.
Good book detailing a remarkable battle.


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Blockchain Australia is displeased with the way in which its authorities is treating the crypto trade regionally.
In line with the affiliation, the federal government is judging the trade via malicious scammers and actors who’re tarnishing its picture via their actions. Blockchain Australia believes that the authorities ought to have interaction with the trade to develop rules that’ll match all functions.
Blockchain Australia Engages The State
There was quite a lot of discussions between the affiliation and the State in latest instances. The Australian authorities has been reviewing the significance of the blockchain & Fintech trade to its nationwide targets and in addition wanting into crypto rules.
Associated Studying | Vitalik Buterin Urges Ethereum To Develop Past DApps
Final week, the CEO of Blockchain Australia, Steve Vallas, appeared earlier than the Senate Committee in command of the “Australia as a Know-how & Monetary Centre.”
In the course of the assembly, Vallas said that the affiliation doesn’t agree with the assertions that the crypto trade is “a wild west.” He additionally talked about that they’ve been keen to take a seat down with regulators and create an all-purpose regulatory framework for the trade.
Vallas went forward to hint the ICO growth from 2017 to 2018 and accused the federal government of not displaying curiosity within the trade.
In line with the CEO, there’s no urge for food for Preliminary Coin Choices within the nation, and regulators should not even curious about ICOs taking place once more. In Vallas’s assertion, the Australian authorities continues to be ready to see if the trade will succeed, and that has stored them removed from what different international locations are attaining.
Steve Vallas Arguments On The Matter
One other high participant within the Australian crypto trade had additionally echoed Vallas’ argument. Michael Bacina is a accomplice of Piper Alderman, a legislation agency in Australia. His space of specialization is on digital legislation round Digital property, fintech, blockchain, and regtech.
In his arguments, Bacina agrees that the Australian authorities is taking a passive strategy to the crypto trade. However he made just a little comparability between america and Australian crypto regulation points. In line with Bacina, folks within the US are finding out prosecutions to grasp just a little about crypto rules.
Nonetheless on the problem, Chloe White, the MD of Genesis Block, additionally talked about that the federal government is normally curious about crypto when there’s hype out there.
Associated Studying | American Banks Inspired To Accomplice with Cryptocurrency Corporations
In line with her, this intermittent curiosity has prevented native policymakers from fully understanding the trade. As such, they solely maintain a reactive stance relating to evaluation and coverage recommendation.
Prior to now, one other high shot within the authorities, Senator Andrew Bragg, had implored the federal government to do extra. He had requested for clear crypto property rules to encourage tech & monetary improvements to stay on the frontlines.
Featured picture from Pixabay

domain: economics


text:
Conflict is a nagging element in a relationship. However, it is not the conflict but the passive approach that ruins the vitality in a relationship. Every relationship has its share of ups and downs. A constructive approach will keep you get going, while negativity thinking consumes you in a relationship. In other words, you can be as successful or unsuccessful in dealing with a conflict as your approach towards resolving it. However, conflict is a prevailing phenomenon in a relationship. Nonetheless, you can minimize the possibility of conflict with the right attitude and right course of action.
BiWi shares some pivotal guidelines that will help you resolve relationship conflict with a constructive approach:
1. Understand the Differences
Sometimes, conflicts happen as a result of difference of personalities. There are always some factors that come in conflict with your partner. By identifying those factors, you can save yourself from a conflict and its residual effects. Start by analyzing the fundamental differences you share with your partner. Understand the intellectual, emotional and temperamental differences of your partner that conflict with your personality. This will allow both of you to be on the same wavelength while you discuss matters in a conversation.
2. Accept Each Other
Majority of the conflicts happens when you fail to accept your partner. When you start complaining in a relationship, you tend to develop the element of conflict. No one is perfect in this world. Accepting each other helps you coexist in a relationship and reduces the chances of conflict. Living together is about making small adjustments in life. Respect each other’s point of views and be sensitive about the things that your partner feels strongly about.
3. Communicate With Your Partner
Effective communication is the key in a successful relationship. Even the best partners are at stake of conflict due to lack of communication. Communication helps you convey the existing hurdles in a relationship and enables you to empathize with a situation. Be open about the issues you are facing with your partner and convey them to your partner without letting him feel the heat. Be a good listener when your partner talks back to you. Never give general statements about the issues you face with your partner. Rather, you should explain to him with specific examples of the things that cause you problems.
4. Don’t Be Judgmental
If you want to take a relationship to next level, then nagging is never an option. Instead, you should take a constructive approach and put across your opinion on the matter. Rather than judging your partner, you should take a problem-solving attitude. Work out things together for the betterment of the relationship. Find out a way out of a situation that is conflicting with both of you. This will help you pinpoint the things that clash with your equation in the relationship and help you make things better for each other.
5. Be Honest
Always speak your mind while discussing issues with your partner. Tell him with all honesty about all the bad things that make you angry without embarrassing him. At the same time, you should appreciate all the good things that you like about him. Do not let your partner take you for granted because you are too sweet or too sensitive.


text:
Open Spina Bifida Fetoscopic Repair Project
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.|
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03562286|
Recruitment Status : Unknown
Verified June 2018 by Gerardo Sepúlveda González, Medicina Perinatal Alta Especialidad, México.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
First Posted : June 19, 2018
Last Update Posted : June 19, 2018
|Condition or disease||Intervention/treatment||Phase|
|Myelomeningocele||Procedure: Fetoscopy||Not Applicable|
|Study Type :||Interventional (Clinical Trial)|
|Estimated Enrollment :||45 participants|
|Intervention Model:||Single Group Assignment|
|Intervention Model Description:||Intervention model: single group assignment Masking: None (Open label) Primary purpose: treatment|
|Masking:||None (Open Label)|
|Masking Description:||Open label|
|Official Title:||Open Spina Bifida Fetoscopic Repair Project|
|Actual Study Start Date :||October 1, 2017|
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :||December 31, 2018|
|Estimated Study Completion Date :||December 31, 2018|
Experimental: Experimental Fetoscopy
All participants will undergo fetoscopic repair of open spina bifida
Performing a minimally invasive procedure using a fetoscopic technique in order to access to amniotic cavity and make the endoscopic repair of the fetal neural tube defect.
Other Name: Fetal surgery
- Capability to achieve successful closure of the myelomeningocele by fetoscopic surgery [ Time Frame: Time of procedure (day 0) ]Binary variable (yes/no) describing if the neural tube defect (myelomeningocele) has been successfully closed (placed dissected and dropped into the open spinal canal, cystic tissue resected and edges closed to the midline), by fetoscopic surgery, and without conversion to open surgery.
- Surgery time (minutes) [ Time Frame: Time of procedure in minutes (day of surgery / day 0) ]Time between the skin incision and skin closure
- Delivery gestational age (weeks and days) [ Time Frame: From surgery and up to 21 weeks after the procedure ]Gestational age at birth
- Premature rupture of membranes PROM (weeks and days) [ Time Frame: Between the surgery to 37 weeks of pregnancy (18 weeks after repair) ]Amniotic fluid leakage before onset of labor
- Chorioamnionitis [ Time Frame: Between the surgery and delivery (up to 20 weeks after repair) ]The presence or absence of an intrauterine infection
- Mode of delivery [ Time Frame: Delivery, up to 21 weeks after surgery ]Vaginal or cesarean delivery
- Neurodevelopment evaluation by Bayley Scales of infant development II [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months after birth ]Score of the Mental Developmental Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at 24 months of age. The score ranges from 50 (minimum) to 150 (maximum). A score of <70 indicates severe developmental delay; 70-84 indicates moderate delay; >85 indicates no delay.
- Childhood motor function on physical examination [ Time Frame: 24 months after birth ]Difference between the anatomic upper border of the lesion level and motor function based on the physical examination at 24 months of age. A positive score of 2 indicates a functional level 2 vertebrae higher than lesion level. A score of -2 indicates a function level 2 vertebrae lower than the lesion level.
- Ventriculoperitoneal shunt [ Time Frame: After birth and up to 12 months ]Need for a cerebrospinal fluid shunt within the first year of life
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03562286
|Contact: Gerardo Sepúlveda González, MD||52 (81) email@example.com|
|Contact: Iván V Dávila Escamilla, MD||52 (81) firstname.lastname@example.org|


text:
Wealthy individuals and institutions contract their own firefighters.
By ANDREW FOERCH Staff Reporter
As wildfires consume more than 4 million acres of land in California this year, high net worth individuals and institutions have turned to private firefighters for protection.
Chris Dunn, chief executive of security training firm Covered 6 in Simi...
Read latest SFVBJ Digital Edition online.


text:
A couple weeks ago Everett Golson was guiding Myrtle Beach to a state championship and in a couple more weeks he'll be a freshman quarterback at Notre Dame.
"I'm leaving January 14," Golson responded when asked when he was reporting to Notre Dame. "Right now, I'm just going to enjoy the time I have left down here and get ready to head up to South Bend. I'm really looking forward to it."
Golson had long been committed to North Carolina, but after taking an official visit to Notre Dame for the Utah game, he knew that he would likely switch his commitment to the Irish.
"Actually the next day I told coach Alford that I was going to commit," Golson recalled. "Right when I got to the hotel the last night I was there, I felt that I wanted to commit. I told him that I was going to give it a week and a half and think it over.
"Notre Dame had everything that I was looking for. I was really comfortable with a lot of the guys there. T.J. (Jones) was my host and I really felt comfortable around him. I just felt like I could be myself around him and the other players.
"I wanted to get a good degree and I know I can do that at Notre Dame," he said. "I also want to win a national championship. I found all of those things at Notre Dame and that's the direction I went."
To go along with his state title, Golson also help South Carolina to a 42-10 win over North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl. Golson connected on 9 of 15 pass attempts for 79 yards and a touchdown.
"I really wanted to just go out there and have fun and let what ever happened, happen," he said. "I wanted to get the win and everything, but I wanted to have fun.
"I didn't think I played all that well. We got behind by ten at first, but with the offense we ran, it's so fast paced that you can put points on the board."
Golson is Ready for Notre Dame
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domain: sports


text:
skip to content
The Sri Chinmoy Library
About the author
AUM — Vol. 4, No. 8, 27 March 1969
First published by
AUM Centre Press
. Published on srichinmoylibrary.com with the permission of Sri Chinmoy.
Table of Contents
The Song universal[fn:: This was a special lecture, given under the auspices of the Church Center for the United Nations, closely connected with the U. N. The function, which took place on 26 November 1968, was arranged and organised by Namita and Satya Karma (Mrs. Linda and Mr. Ladislav Spacek). Sri Chinmoy offers them his deepest, grateful blessings.
Man and his goal
Report typographical errors
This book series can be cited using cite-key
This work is licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License


text:
Lana Del Rey has shared a teaser clip for her upcoming ‘Lust For Life’ music video.
Del Rey’s new album ‘Lust For Life’ is expected to be released soon, although an official release date has not yet been announced. It has so far been preceded by lead single ‘Love’, recent song ‘Coachella – Woodstock In Mind’ and this title-track and Weeknd collaboration.
This trailer clip teases her upcoming video for The Weeknd collaboration ‘Lust For Life’ and sees the camera zooming out from Lana’s left eye to show the singer in front of a microphone in a red outfit. It ends by indicating that the video is “coming soon”. Watch below.
Speaking to Dazed recently, Del Rey said of her Weeknd collaboration: “Maybe that’s kind of weird to have a feature on the title track, but I really love that song and we had said for a while that we were gonna do something; I did stuff on his last two records.”
Lana Del Rey had previously appeared on The Weeknd’s tracks, ‘Prisoner’ and ‘Stargirl Interlude’.
Describing the new album as ‘more socially aware’, Del Rey has said of the record: “I started out thinking that the whole record was gonna have a sort of a ’50s-’60s feeling, kind of some kind of Shangri-Las, early Joan Baez influences.”
“But I don’t know, as the climate kept on getting more heated politically, I found lyrically everything was just directed towards that. So because of that, the sound just got really updated, and I felt like it was more wanting to talk to the younger side of the audience that I have. I guess it’s a little more socially aware. It’s kind of a global feeling.”


text:
When the going gets tough, the little bit of time spent in the kitchen is everything to me. 🙂 Mini Spanakopitas are simply the best.
Ingredients (5-6 servings):
- 8 sheets phyllo pastry
- 5oz bag rinsed and chopped baby spinach
- 1 small chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup diced feta
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Add olive oil to a pan over low-medium heat. Add onions and cook until light brown.
- Once caramalized, pour in spinach and salt and stir around until wilted and take off heat.
- On a clean surface, lay out a long and narrow single strip layer of phyllo and brush it with butter.
- Add on another sheet and brush with butter again.
- Repeat process one more time.
- Place one tablespoon of spinach mixture onto one corner of the strip.
- Add about a teaspoon of ricotta cheese and a teaspoon of feta cheese.
- Fold over the phyllo pastry into a triangle as seen in the picture above. Keep folding over until you reach the end of the sheet.
- Place the mini spanakopitas over parchment paper on a baking tray.
- Brush spanakopitas with butter.
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.
Come say hi on social!

domain: food


text:
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has up to date its ‘Green List’ of countries, areas and territories, with the latest record efficient from Wednesday, June 23 together with 31 totally different places.
Compared to the earlier Green List efficient since June 13, the brand new record consists of Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. It leaves out Cuba, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
Passengers arriving from these locations can be exempt from necessary quarantine measures after touchdown in Abu Dhabi Emirate, and can solely be required to endure PCR testing upon arrival at Abu Dhabi Airport. Travellers who’re vaccinated have to then endure a follow-up PCR check on Day 6, whereas those that are usually not absolutely vaccinated must endure follow-up PCR assessments on Day 6 and Day 12, with Day 1 being the day of arrival.
The locations on the up to date Green List embody:
29. Taiwan, Province of China
30. United States of America
Applicable for arrivals
The new Green List, introduced by tourism sector regulator, the (*31*) of Culture and Tourism (DCT) replaces the June 13 record.
The DCT has additionally clarified that the Green List solely applies to the place passengers have arrived within the UAE from, not their citizenship. Inclusion on the record is topic to strict standards of well being and security to make sure the well-being of the UAE neighborhood, it added.
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