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Winter on Mackinac Island is probably different than anything you have ever experienced! It can take a little while to adjust to the winter on the island, but once you do, you love it with all your heart!
This year on February 1st and March 7th, there is an awesome experience happening - the Fort Mackinac Turtle Trek! Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau said this about the event: “A unique lantern-lit cross country ski and snowshoeing event on 2 miles of the island’s immaculately groomed trails. Trail begins at Greaney Grove, located next to Fort Mackinac.” Be sure to bring your own cross country skis and meet the group at the starting location at 5:30 PM!
What an exciting way to see Mackinac Island in the beautiful winter snow. Don’t miss out on this fun community event.
Looking for somewhere to stay or eat while you are on the island this winter? Click here to visit the Tourism Bureau’s list of businesses that are open during the winter months.
Don’t forget, there are just 99 days until Little Luxuries (our sister shop!) is open for the 2020 season - and we will open soon after. We can’t wait to see you!


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Treatment begins with a daytime consultation with a sleep specialist.
After the consultation, if needed, a staff member schedules a sleep
study in our comfortable, relaxing facility during the patient's normal
During the sleep study sessions, technologists use noninvasive,
state-of-the-art equipment to monitor a patient's heart, respiratory
system, muscle activity, brain activity, oxygen level, body position and
sleep movements. Later, patients return to discuss sleep study results
and treatment recommendations.
Articles from the Well Ahead Community
Learn more about the Sleep
Centers at Riddle Hospital and Main Line Health Center at Exton
For more information, call 1.866.CALL.MLH.

domain: medical


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I am blocked. It’s not a true writer’s block, more like I might not be ready to deal with the aftermath kinda block. The first eight years, I was able to romanticize the abandonment I felt as a result of both parents not being in my life. I skipped through the sexual molestation I experienced from an early age. I was able to do this because I had a village looking over me and I knew I wasn’t alone and my story wasn’t unique. I had another cousin and friends that were living with their grandparents. Friends who were also touched. This next chapter in my life the support wasn’t there. For the very first time in my life I felt invisible. I went from obnoxious little girl to a shell that retreated to books.
These years are very much a part of my life, but are harder to share. As an adult I now know my story is not unique, millions of children share in this story I’m going to share. I’m not ashamed of my story and wouldn’t change a day of it, but I’m protective of the people that are a part of my story, namely my mother.
Also revisiting the most painful time in my childhood, is emotionally taxing. I might require more time to develop and process each story. I know I only have a handful of readers now, but I respect and appreciate your support and don’t want to be disingenuous.
The story continues…

domain: sociology


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WEEKEND ONE (2-days): June 22 – 23, 2019 Classes run 9 am – 4 pm daily and students are welcome to stay late in their studio.
Soft natural plant fibres such as rush, sedge, cattail and flower leaves offer the basket maker a beautiful material for weaving fine twined vessels.
Participants will have the opportunity to weave with these materials exploring various methods of starting round and square bases. The focus will be on twining techniques but within this there are many variations. Other weaving patterns such as plaiting and open weaves will also be explored. Shaping soft twined vessels can be done with or without molds and both options will be presented. The ancient skill of making cordage will also be explored.
Discussion will cover the identification of useful plants, sustainable harvesting, storage and preparation of materials for weaving.
All levels welcome
Tuition includes daily lunch and snacks. Prices are listed in Canadian Dollars and are inclusive of all applicable taxes. An accommodation package, which includes breakfast and dinner is available separately. Click here for further details.
Joan Carrigan is a full time basket maker and basketry teacher living on Salt Spring Island, BC. Over the past 27 years, her passion for baskets has led her to study, travel and explore many different techniques and materials within the medium. Her inspiration comes from the plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature.
Joan’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has received two Project Grants from the Canada Council of the Arts and is the recipient of two Handweavers Guild of America Awards. Joan teaches extensively both close to home and in Europe and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.
Out of stock - Join the waitlist to be emailed when this product becomes available
Sold Out – Thanks for your interest.
Classes are open to students at least 19 years of age at the start of their registered workshop
Refunds will be issued within 30 days of confirmed receipt of MISSA’s online withdrawal form and will be processed through PayPal.
Click HERE for the form.
BEFORE April 15: for each course withdrawal, a refund inclusive of tuition and any applicable supply fee will be issued, minus a $50 admin fee.
AFTER April 15: for each course withdrawal, a tuition credit for MISSA 2020 will be issued, minus a $50 admin fee. Any applicable supply fee will be refunded. As a courtesy, a full refund will be issued if withdrawal application is received within 48 hours of an initial purchase (up until June 7, 2019).
If MISSA must cancel a workshop, a full refund (tuition, supply fee and accommodation) will be issued. Transferring into another workshop is a possibility. On-Campus accommodations can be canceled at any time prior to arrival and will be refunded within 30 days after receipt of the cancellation form.
NO COURSE REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE START OF MISSA (after June 7, 2019).

domain: hobby


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The impact of production network economies on spatially-contiguous conservation– Theoretical model with evidence from the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region
Charles R. Loesch and
Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2021, vol. 107, issue C
This paper examines the impact of production network economies on designing cost-effective conservation targeting strategies. We first develop a theoretical model to study the decision to convert land from an extensive (or biodiversity-friendly) use to an intensive use (e.g., crop agriculture) in the presence of network economies in land use returns. The model supports the possibility of multiple land use equilibria due to network economies and identifies policy outcomes that increase welfare. Bandwagon effects can occur whereby spatial production spillovers from lands under intensive use can prompt further conversions on proximate lands under extensive use. Conversely, conservation sites can be placed strategically to block conversion cascades. Lands that support moderate ecological benefits but have strong intensive use potential are desirable conservation targets when these preempt conversion cascades, which is in contrast with the conservation strategies that aim to maximize ecological benefits per unit cost. When network economies exist in land use returns as well as in ecological benefits, a Pigouvian subsidy is shown to favor extensive land cover while a subsidy payment upon preservation of adjacent lands can tilt incentives in favor of either land use. We illustrate our findings with landscape-level simulations calibrated to the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Finally, we estimate grassland conversion hazard by employing satellite imagery to provide statistical evidence for land use network economies in the PPR.
Keywords: Bandwagon effects; Conservation mechanisms; Land use cascades; Network economies; Production spillovers; Spatial topology; Satellite data; Waterfowl conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D23 H4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3) Track citations by RSS feed
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:107:y:2021:i:c:s0095069621000255
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domain: geography


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An Open-Label, Phase 2, Pilot Study Investigating the Safety, Clinical Activity, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of Oral Treatment With the BTK Inhibitor PRN1008 in Patients With Newly Diagnosed or Relapsing Pemphigus Vulgaris
Phase of Trial: Phase II
Latest Information Update: 08 Mar 2017
At a glance
- Drugs PRN 1008 (Primary)
- Indications Pemphigus vulgaris
- Focus Adverse reactions; Therapeutic Use
- Sponsors Principia Biopharma
- 04 Mar 2016 Status changed from not yet recruiting to recruiting as reported by ClinicalTrials.gov record.
- 11 Jan 2016 New trial record
- 07 Jan 2016 Preliminary results from this trial are expected in 2016, according to a Principia Biopharma media release.

domain: news


3 Lessons Learned: Supplies
A Guide on Buying and Leasing Industrial Equipment
The tools and equipment industry came to be because it was proven that human effort cannot perform some task especially the heavy and hard jobs.When it comes tools and equipment however, requires you to pay a lot of attention because they need a lot of maintenance and repairs to be done if there to serve you for long time. An example of these tools and equipment is the industrial equipment. Industrial equipment are used for various reasons for example, construction and manufacturing businesses. Most people use this industry equipment to increase the productivity of their businesses. Handling industrial equipment is risky and therefore requires you to of proper functioning equipment so that you can guarantee the safety of the employees. There’s some questions that you should ask yourself before making a decision of buying or leasing and equipment especially if you are starting a business and you need to own an industry equipment.
The first question that should ask yourself is whether you want to rent, lease or by the equipment. Leasing is an agreement on the specified conditions in terms where the owner gives the second party the right to use the equipment for period of time and after the contract is ended, the second party against equipment to the owner and if there any damages done on the equipment the second party pays.
Before making the choice of either renting leasing or purchasing equipment, you have to know your financial position. This is important because it will influence your decision, buying equipment is more expensive because you have to be there or lump-sum while leasing allows you the freedom to pay less money as compared to purchasing.
On the other hand, the frequency of use of the equipment should affect your decision on buying or leasing. For example, some equipment is constantly working day after day for years, for instance, the forklifts, heat transfer units in the belt while others like backhoe adjust used was and never again, hence you should ask yourself the question of are often the equipment to be used.
Equipment as noted earlier, are made to serve for long time but not forever. Your decisions will be influenced by whether to lease or by the equipment by offering its need to be replaced. Buying and equipment limits your freedom to replace it with a new one because you have to sell first to buy a new one while leasing gives you the freedom to keep on updating when the contract ends.


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Thompson posted a celebratory birthday post for his now four-year-old son Prince, as seen above. Thompson posted a series of three photos with his son and added the caption, “Happy birthday Princey!!! I’m soo lucky to have you as a son papa. Your heart and soul is pure gold. Your sister is soo lucky to have a big brother like you to watch and protect her. Daddy Loves you baby boy.”
Kardashian – who recently re-followed Thompson on Instagram – commented six heart emojis. Some fans thought Kardashian was out of line commenting on a photo of Thompson’s son with another woman. Thompson shares Prince with his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig.
One user commented, “girl bye don’t put [heart emoji] under someone’s son.” Another user added, “couldn’t just be about him … had to make it about you and True as well……” A follower chimed in writing, “khole does not come from a good place.” Another commented, “girl get off here with that you never acknowledge this little fellow but got the nerve to be commenting now. You messy.”
Kardashian’s Fans Stood by Her
Kardashian didn’t reply to any of the comments, but her fans and followers still had her back. One fan replied to a negative comment, “WHY are u so bitter? Khloe comes from a pure and good space, the hearts were fine.” Many of the other comments echoed that sentiment.
A fan replied to another negative comment, “just stop it. The child is family to her now- just stop with the negative drama and look into your life before you come on social media judging other people- enough now. There is too much going on in the World to still have us been nasty to each other.”
Another fan chimed in, “I see her posts, watch her interact with her daughter, she strives to be a GREAT WOMAN and I support anyone that works hard for their best version of themselves.REAL WOMEN FIX EACH OTHERS CROWNS.” One follower wrote, “Easy to speculate and assume , nobody knows their household and family dynamics, what I see tho is genuine sincerity from parents trying to be the best version of themselves for their children.”
Some of the Kardashians Unfollowed Thompson
Khloe Kardashian’s comment comes less than a month after she unfollowed Thompson on Instagram. The couple had rekindled their romance while spending quarantine together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last few months, they seemed to be officially dating, with Thompson tagging along to many Kardashian celebrations, including Kim Kardashian’s 40th birthday island getaway.
Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kris Jenner, and Scott Disick have all unfollowed Thompson on Instagram. Thompson still follows Khloe Kardashian, but not Scott Disick, Kylie, Kendall, or Kris Jenner. Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian also still follow the NBA player, and he follows them back.
Khloe Kardashian may have given Thompson the follow back over the last few weeks, but the rest of her family hasn’t. The 36-year-old Good American founder is the only one of her family members to switch from unfollowing to following Thompson.
READ NEXT: This Kardashian Will Appear in a Movie

domain: celebrity


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domain: entertainment


October 3, 2016; American Libraries
At the first lecture of a series entitled “Truman and Israel” at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) in Missouri, city police arrested both an attendee and the library’s director of programming and marketing. The alleged violation? Asking a question during the Q&A session following a talk by U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross.
The talk was cosponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Truman Library Institute, along with the KCPL. Activist Jeremy Rothe-Kushel of Lawrence, Kansas, was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, and library employee Steven Woolfolk was charged with interfering with that arrest.
Woolfolk said the foundation came up with idea of getting security for the talk. According to Woolfolk, the library will do this from time to time at a speaker’s request, but in this case, the JCF arranged for private security guards as well as off-duty police officers to be present. This was, according to this article, in part because of lingering public sensitivities following the April 2014 shootings by a lone gunman at a Jewish community center in Overland Park, Kansas.
“We agreed to the additional security on two conditions,” Woolfolk said. “First, the guards were not to remove any audience member for asking an unpopular question. Second, if the library staff concluded that there was an imminent threat—such as a weapon drawn or people rushing the stage—the security team would consult with us before taking any action. They agreed to those conditions.”
Rothe-Kushel went to the mic to ask a question, with a preamble that asserted that the U.S. and Israel have engaged in state-sponsored terrorism. Ross disagreed, but answered the question anyway. When Rothe-Kushel attempted to persist in making his case, Woolfolk says, there was a “scattering of boos from the audience, but no calls to shut up.”
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One of the private security guards then grabbed Rothe-Kushel. At that time, Woolfolk says, “I tried to intercede and deescalate the tension.”
After the question session, I thought the incident was over. The security guards had asked Rothe-Kushel to leave, he agreed, and I showed him how to go out the back way to the lobby. I needed to talk to my supervisor, Deputy Director of Public Affairs Carrie Coogan.
But as he left, Woolfolk also was grabbed—this time by an off-duty policeman. A second policeman arrived, kneed him in the leg, and handcuffed him. A number of people asked why the arrest was occurring, but each time, the officers said either “We don’t know” or “We can’t say.”
Coogan had both Woolfolk and Rothe-Kushel released on a signature bond. Even though the library has protested from the beginning that the arrests were a violation of the First Amendment, the court continues to hold periodic status hearings with the two. KCPL Executive Director R. Crosby Kemper says that the library decided to publicize the incident to the media because the city was still pursuing the case.
“The last appearance was in mid-September,” Woolfolk said, “at which the judge agreed to depose three witnesses for the library. The next hearing is November 16th.”—Ruth McCambridge


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RELEASE DATE: 14th December 2016
BLURB: When State Trooper Travis Kinslow is injured right before Thanksgiving, the only positive is that for once he won’t be working during the holidays. Since he has no family, Travis was absorbed into his best friend, Joe’s, and he considers them as good as his own. Everyone except Joe’s brother Noah. Travis has been in love with the younger man for much of his life, but he’s always kept his distance.
As an ER nurse, Noah is a caretaker by nature. When his brother’s best friend is hurt, he’s happy to help Travis while he heals. He’s only ever allowed himself to think of Travis as the next best thing to an older brother, but by the light of the Christmas tree, Noah finally sees Travis’s true feelings. And in that moment, everything changes.
When faced with opposition and a Christmas nothing like they imagined, will their hopes for the future be enough to carry them through?
Are you looking for a sweet story taking place around the holidays? Don’t look further. His Needs is the perfect read for you. This is a light, very entertaining, and heartwarming story, featuring my favorite troop, the from friends/brothers (no incest if that’s not what you like, they aren’t blood related) to lovers type of story with all the good feels and two absolutely lovable main characters.
This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. It is a simple story with no real angst, a great build-up and a bit of an outer conflict for good measure. We get the perfect ingredients to create a good holiday meal, I mean read. We have a hot, wounded state trooper (Travis), a loving best friend (Joe) and his entire family (which quasi-adopted him when he was a teen), and the handsome younger brother of said friend (Noah), who happens to be a nurse, and who Travis happens to have been in love with… for a long time. The writer added all the important spices to make a simple dish festive. There’s a good amount of build-up, a bit of kink, a bit of conflict, lots of great friendship and family feels, enough sizzling sex-time, and the magic of the holidays.
The writing is solid, the MCs have great chemistry and the turn of their relationship is very well portrayed. They truly are the perfect match for each other. However, I would have loved to get to know them and their personalities a bit more in depth. The story has all the great elements of a light and enjoyable holiday story, and I read it in one sitting. Hope you enjoy it as well.
****The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book****

domain: artistic


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The night wasn’t planned that way, but the beauty of South by Southwest is that sometimes cool stuff bubbles to the surface when you’re not looking. On the last night of festival, it hit me that show after show I was seeing all of these mind-blowing, talented and powerful frontwomen back-to-back.
All of them were incredibly different in their musical style, but all were rocking the fest in their own inspiring ways.
Yissy: Yissy García first got on my radar at the Sounds from Cuba showcase Friday night where her hip Afro-Latin jazz fusion band Yissy & Bandancha performed. She not only has mad percussive skills, but also leads the group. She’s the daughter of musical hero Bernardo García, who founded the groundbreaking Cuban group, Irakere. Yissy brought her fierceness to the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake while backing other Cuban artists Telmary Díaz and Kelvis Ochoa.
Miss Garrison: Francisca Straube of the Chilean electro pop-rock outfit Miss Garrison is another drummer who doesn’t stay on the sidelines. Her hauntingly beautiful voice also has enormous power. During a live show you can see her rock out on the drums, sing and play the keyboard. What can’t this woman do?
Maureen Choi Quartet: Originally from Detriot, Michigan, the virtuoso violinist Maureen Choi now lives in Spain. According to quartet’s bio, she’s one of the few violinists in the world who can blend the virtuosity of classical music with improvisation and driving Latin rhythms.
Nitty Scott MC: So I couldn’t tear myself away from the Maureen Choi show early enough to catch Nitty Scott MC, but she was one of my picks for U.S.-based Latin acts at SXSW. The New York rapper has been on the rise lately with her socially conscious music that explores themes from her Afro Latina identity to mental health and spirituality. The half-Puerto Rican, half-African American artist has collaborated with rappers such as Kendrick Lamar and Action Bronson. Luckily, Austin 360 writer Deborah Sengupta Stith did catch Nitty’s awesome show. Here’s what she had to say: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDKWkxZjHmw/?taken-by=deborific
Madame Gandhi: When I ran into a friend early Saturday, he recommended this project to me and described it as an “electro-feminist” group. I kind of like that description. Kiran Gandhi, vocalist and drummer (that’s three kick-butt female drummers leading their respective bands!) and Alexia Riner are uber smart, savvy and talented musicians. Gandhi is also a feminist activist, earned an MBA from Harvard and has toured professionally drumming for M.I.A. Dear SXSW, can Gandhi return next year and also be a speaker at the conference?
The sun shone on a dry Auditorium Shores Saturday afternoon after the free shows on Friday evening were cancelled due to severe weather. But for a while last night, I worried that there was a chance that the Latino concerts would suffer the same fate as they did last year.
In 2015, the free Latino showcases at Auditorium Shores were cancelled because of standing water following a heavy downpour. Disappointed fans never got to see the evening’s headliner, Intocable, which the festival invited back this year.
But thankfully on Saturday, the park’s gates opened and festgoers enjoyed the laid-back vibe that these shows offer. Children kicked around soccer balls, others played frisbee between shows, which started at 2 p.m. with soulful Cuban artist Telmary Díaz followed by Cuban trova singer Kelvis Ochoa. Both of them were featured performers at SXSW’s first Sounds from Cuba showcase.
Kicking up the party atmosphere on Saturday afternoon was 3BallMTY from Monterrey. The group of young DJs who are both SXSW and Pachanga Festival alums helped popularize tribal dance music by mixing regional Mexican sounds with electronica and cumbia. They had fans of all ages bouncing to their beats (look mom, no laptops). That’s right, the guys were making beats on stage as opposed to hitting play on a computer.
As lead vocalist with genre-mashers Ozomatli, Asdru Sierra has been helping redefine Latin music for a new generation. Now the Grammy Award winner has teamed up with LA producer, DJ and actor Balt Getty for a passion project that fuses electronic music, Latin rhythms and moody atmospherics.
Ahead of their South by Southwest showcase at 10 p.m. Saturday at Lucky Lounge, Sierra shared how the duo came together and what festgoers can expect from their live shows.
How did you guys hook up; What drew you together?
We met at our kid’s elementary school! Always had a great connection. One day Balt asked if I would sing on his “Solar Drive” record on a song we wrote called, “Go Away.” There was a great energy that made our creativity flow.
Once I showed Balt a few demos of songs I wrote, he loved an early version of “Marcando Paso.” Which became a first of many for Abstrakto.
He then said to me, “Make ten more just like that!” Since Balt launched his record label, Purple Haus Music, he asked me if I would be on it as an artist. Felt he could really produce my record. He did!!! Been magic ever since, man.
Ozomatli is known for energetic live shows, what can fans expect from Abstrakto live?
The record itself is a sonic, cinematic journey. Live, we try to recreate that, but approach it in an electronic sense, using the original music as organic loops and rolling the beats and rock the crowd that way. Almost like hip hop with Balt as a DJ and myself on vocals, trumpet and keys.
We also have a percussionist with us on congas and timbales. It’s different than Ozo, but we still have this intensity we create live that rocks the crowd.
Any new Abstrakto music/projects on the horizon?
We recently launched a double vinyl album with the leading vinyl company, the Vinyl Factory out of the U.K. They do all the major vinyl releases from all the big artists like Radiohead and Florence + The Machine. The vinyl release comes with one record being the original album, and the other being a few remixes we had some buddies do! Artists like Mexican American hip hop star, Kap G, who is out of Atlanta and signed to Pharrell’s label, are on it. There is also production from King Dave and Anthony Valadez from KCRW to give the remix album a unique and diverse sound. There are some electro and hip hop elements. We called the remix album “Abstrakto Remex” to play on me being Mexican…and the lyrics being in Spanish.
Honestly, the record sounds way better on vinyl, in my humble opinion. Since this is a record we intended to be really listened intently to, the music nerd side of me really shows when it comes to this. The digital version is coming very soon, so look out for it!
Balt’s vision as a label mogul and producer makes all this possible. We are looking to also release b-sides and possibly more remixes. Hey…maybe a second Abstrakto album. I’m sure more things will come!
The music has been described as cinematic and featured in a show for Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey network. Any plans to hook up with the filmmaker while you’re in Austin for SXSW?
Ah!!! No plans made. I really hope to meet him, some day. I know he writes his own music to his movies. But I hope for a collaboration some day. Balt is also a triple threat as an actor! So I hope there’s a mega, creative, awesome venture in our future.
It was an honor that he used one of our tracks on his TV show! I love everything he does! My kids and I love “Sharkboy and Lava Girl,” which, from what I understand, he wrote with his kids!! I still geek out every time I watch “Dusk Til Dawn,” pythons and all.
Daymé Arocena performs at SXSW 2016. Photo by Nancy Flores
Twelve Cuban musicians. Five bands. One night.
“You tell me if you think this was easy to put together,” artist Telmary Díaz teased the crowd at Speakeasy on Friday night. “Hell no!”
Díaz kicked off South by Southwest’s first-ever Cuban music showcase by thanking the festival, showcase organizers and fans for helping make history. Over the years Cuban artists like songstress Danay Suárez have been featured at SXSW, but this year’s performances were part of the first Sounds from Cuba showcase, which was presented by Roads & Kingdoms magazine and Cuban artist center Fábrica de Arte Cubano.
Díaz, a soulful rapper, singer and poet, was backed by musicians from the Afro-Latin jazz quintet Yissy & Bandacha, who also performed later in the night. Watching the chill-inducing artist combination and other music masters throughout the night made Speakeasy the perfect place to hunker down for a few hours while severe weather threats loomed outdoors. While the festival urged participants to seek shelter, those already inside Speakeasy couldn’t imagine leaving anyway.
Díaz’ style ranged from delivering spitfire rhymes that had the crowd cheering to danceable grooves that kept the fans swaying. Her blow-your-mind performance set the bar high for the rest of the musicians who all showed the richness in Cuba’s musical diversity.
Adding some modern jazz interpretations to the lineup was Yissy & Bandancha, who fused jazz everything from electronic music to Afro-Cuban rhythms. Yissy, the drummer and bandleader, launched her solo project in 2012.
Rising R&B artist Daymé Arocena, brought inimitable bilingual grooves that easily make her an artist to watch. Her powerful stage presence, charisma and robust vocals kept the crowd asking for more.
Rounding out the showcase were veteran performers X-Alfonso y La Flota and Kelvis Ochoa (who will also perform at 3 p.m. Saturday at the free SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake, which was formerly called the Auditorium Shores stage).
As the presence of Latin music steadily grows at SXSW, let’s hope that these country-specific showcases continue to show people the quality of musicians beyond our borders.
The third time was the charm for Tijuana-born singer-songwriter Vanessa Zamora who applied to be a South by Southwest showcasing artist twice before finally getting her chance this year.
Zamora, who released her “Hasta la Fantasía” debut album in 2014 has been turning heads in the Latin independent music scene for her heartfelt lyrics, authenticity and limitless potential. She’ll perform at two official SXSW showcases — at 9 p.m. Friday at the Departure Lounge and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Blackheart.
Zamora began playing piano and guitar as a young girl, but it wasn’t until she was 18 that she began writing her own songs. They were more like diary entries than songs, she says, but they helped her deal with a breakup that had her feeling depressed. She was also at a crossroads in her life, trying to figure out whether to pursue her communication studies even though her heart wasn’t into it.
“I was afraid of singing, though,” Zamora says. “I’m not sure why, but sometimes we can be our own biggest obstacles.”
She credits Julia Cameron’s self-help book, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” to helping her realize that all those diary entries could actually be songs and that she should keep writing. She soon started sharing her music on YouTube and her friends helped spread her musical message.
One day, a video of Zamora singing a cover of Latin Grammy winner Carla Morrison’s song “Esta Soledad” caught Morrison’s attention. When the singer-songwriter shared it on her social media networks, Zamora gained new fans. Since then Morrison, who is part of an important wave of Mexican female Latin alternative artists, has taken Zamora under her wing.
“I’m a new artist, and I have a lot to learn,” says Zamora, who doesn’t read music. “I’m letting my ears tell me what to do.”
After SXSW, she plans to concentrate on her new material in her hometown of Tijuana. Although she’s lived in Mexico City for the past two years, Tijuana’s still the place where she feels the most inspired and creative.
Zamora’s enthusiasm about what lies ahead is contagious. The pop-folk songs that her fans have come to love are only “2 percent of what I can give,” Zamora says. She’s looking forward to recording a more energetic album that’ll have people moving and dancing. She hopes to record a couple of songs in English as well.
“Music is my therapy,” Zamora says. “And I have a lot more to say.”
Colombia’s presence at South by Southwest remains strong with artists representing the diversity of the South American country’s sound. At Speakeasy on Thursday night, rock band Velo de Oza kicked off the night with an energetic bang.
The quintet, which proudly represents the mountainous Andean uplands of Colombia’s Boyacá region, likes to sport traditional Colombian poncho-like ruanas over their rocker clothes and even penned a hip-shaking song in its honor. Their flair, style and humor raise the bar for showmanship skills and make them a fun band to watch live. Between songs, they keep the crowd laughing with their witty double entendres and light-hearted sense of humor.
In order to showcase their unique fusion of rock-pop with the Colombian folk music of carranga, they incorporate instruments such as the tube-like guacharaca, which produces a rhythmic sound when scratched.
Bringing another kind of animated energy on the stage was Medellin rapper Kiño, who was backed by a live band. When a pair of uninhibited dancers dashed near the stage and let loose, it broke the ice for the entire crowd who then joined in and started the party atmosphere that remained strong throughout their set.
Other featured Colombian performers at the showcase, many who have additional SXSW showcases, included reggae band Tarmac, alternative pop duo Pedrina y Río, hip-hop fusion band Duran, and Latin funk band Cirkus Funk.
Garage punk rockers Los Nastys from Madrid made their American debut at South by Southwest this week. The raucous band formed part of the group of featured artists who performed at the Sounds from Spain showcase, which promotes Spanish music internationally.
Los Nastys released their latest album “Noche de Fantasmas” earlier this month and were looking forward to connecting with other musicians as well as music industry professionals during the festival. “There’s nothing quite like South by Southwest in Europe,” said guitarist Fran Basilio in Spanish.
For bands like Los Nastys who emerged from Spain’s underground scene, the country’s economic downturn hasn’t been easy. “All of us have day jobs,” said bandmate Luli Acosta Quintas in Spanish. “I work in a clothing retail store to make ends meet.” Still the band looks forward to touring in the U.S. for the first time (they head to California after SXSW) and expect to get many song ideas while on the road for a future second album.
Catch Los Nastys at 8 p.m. Thursday at Lucille, 11 p.m. Friday at Lucille and 9 p.m. Saturday at Maggie Mae’s.
With a powerful stage presence that commanded the attention of the room, African songstress Elida Almeida strutted on the stage at the Russian House Wednesday evening and captivated world music lovers with her enchanting voice, moving spirit and fun-loving nature.
At just 23 years old, Almeida already has an incredible depth and charisma as an artist that stretches beyond her years. Perhaps it’s because she wears her heart on her sleeve. Though danceable and uplifting, some of her songs in Portuguese reflect on melancholy moments from her childhood including the death of her father when she was just a girl and the conversation she had with her mother when she found out Almeida was pregnant. At 17, Almeida wrote her first song.
But Almeida also knows how to turn it up with Afro-Latin and folk rhythms. She tied a scarf around her hips for a booty-shaking session that had the crowd cheering. “It’s easy,” she said with a smile. When the crowd begged to differ, the room filled with laughter.
Keep your eyes on this rising artist from Cape Verde, an island off the west coast of Africa, who has turned her life’s struggles into a drive that pushes her forward. “You have to believe in yourself,” she told the crowd.
Almeida’s performance was part of a Sounds from the World showcase, which featured other international artists such as Cabezas Flutantes of Brazil who present upbeat, pop experimental songs that showcase tropical soundscapes.
After the success of the first Pakistan showcase at South by Southwest last year, a new slew of artists representing the country performed on Wednesday evening at the Victorian Room at the Driskill Hotel. The showcase, which is a project of the Foundation for Arts, Culture and Education (FACE), aims to highlight the best of Pakistani culture through music.
When energetic folk singer Wahid Allan Faqir took the stage, he animated the crowd with his festive spirit and colorful traditional outfit. The showcase brought together many ex-pats who sat on the carpeted floor in front of the stage while others danced and encouraged Faqir to step off stage and dance among the festgoers.
This year’s performers also included electronic music producer Dynoman, soulful songstress Mai Nimani, singer/poet Imran Aziz Mian Qawwal and rock band Overload. Some of the musicians have additional shows throughout the festival. Check the SXSW schedule for dates and times.
Organizers said they hope the Pakistan showcase, which has support from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, becomes an annual tradition at SXSW.


text: Diet: Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.Energy Intake: Total number of calories taken in daily whether ingested or by parenteral routes.Energy Metabolism: The chemical reactions involved in the production and utilization of various forms of energy in cells.Dietary Fats: Fats present in food, especially in animal products such as meat, meat products, butter, ghee. They are present in lower amounts in nuts, seeds, and avocados.Diet, Reducing: A diet designed to cause an individual to lose weight.Body Weight: The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.Weight Loss: Decrease in existing BODY WEIGHT.Dietary Proteins: Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS.Animal Feed: Foodstuff used especially for domestic and laboratory animals, or livestock.Obesity: A status with BODY WEIGHT that is grossly above the acceptable or desirable weight, usually due to accumulation of excess FATS in the body. The standards may vary with age, sex, genetic or cultural background. In the BODY MASS INDEX, a BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2 is considered obese, and a BMI greater than 40.0 kg/m2 is considered morbidly obese (MORBID OBESITY).Fats: The glyceryl esters of a fatty acid, or of a mixture of fatty acids. They are generally odorless, colorless, and tasteless if pure, but they may be flavored according to origin. Fats are insoluble in water, soluble in most organic solvents. They occur in animal and vegetable tissue and are generally obtained by boiling or by extraction under pressure. They are important in the diet (DIETARY FATS) as a source of energy. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)Diet, High-Fat: Consumption of excessive DIETARY FATS.Dietary Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates present in food comprising digestible sugars and starches and indigestible cellulose and other dietary fibers. The former are the major source of energy. The sugars are in beet and cane sugar, fruits, honey, sweet corn, corn syrup, milk and milk products, etc.; the starches are in cereal grains, legumes (FABACEAE), tubers, etc. (From Claudio & Lagua, Nutrition and Diet Therapy Dictionary, 3d ed, p32, p277)Cattle: Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.Adipose Tissue: Specialized connective tissue composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It is the site of stored FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. In mammals, there are two types of adipose tissue, the WHITE FAT and the BROWN FAT. Their relative distributions vary in different species with most adipose tissue being white.Diet, Fat-Restricted: A diet that contains limited amounts of fat with less than 30% of calories from all fats and less than 10% from saturated fat. Such a diet is used in control of HYPERLIPIDEMIAS. (From Bondy et al, Metabolic Control and Disease, 8th ed, pp468-70; Dorland, 27th ed)Eating: The consumption of edible substances.Energy Transfer: The transfer of energy of a given form among different scales of motion. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed). It includes the transfer of kinetic energy and the transfer of chemical energy. The transfer of chemical energy from one molecule to another depends on proximity of molecules so it is often used as in techniques to measure distance such as the use of FORSTER RESONANCE ENERGY TRANSFER.Dietary Fiber: The remnants of plant cell walls that are resistant to digestion by the alimentary enzymes of man. It comprises various polysaccharides and lignins.Fatty Acids: Organic, monobasic acids derived from hydrocarbons by the equivalent of oxidation of a methyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde, and then acid. Fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated (FATTY ACIDS, UNSATURATED). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)Body Composition: The relative amounts of various components in the body, such as percentage of body fat.Dietary Fats, Unsaturated: Unsaturated fats or oils used in foods or as a food.TriglyceridesVegetables: A food group comprised of EDIBLE PLANTS or their parts.Lipid Metabolism: Physiological processes in biosynthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) of LIPIDS.Lipids: A generic term for fats and lipoids, the alcohol-ether-soluble constituents of protoplasm, which are insoluble in water. They comprise the fats, fatty oils, essential oils, waxes, phospholipids, glycolipids, sulfolipids, aminolipids, chromolipids (lipochromes), and fatty acids. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)Dietary Sucrose: Sucrose present in the diet. It is added to food and drinks as a sweetener.Fruit: The fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds.Cholesterol: The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.Insulin: A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1).Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated: Fatty acids which are unsaturated in only one position.Cholesterol, Dietary: Cholesterol present in food, especially in animal products.Blood Glucose: Glucose in blood.Intra-Abdominal Fat: Fatty tissue inside the ABDOMINAL CAVITY, including visceral fat and retroperitoneal fat. It is the most metabolically active fat in the body and easily accessible for LIPOLYSIS. Increased visceral fat is associated with metabolic complications of OBESITY.Fat Body: A nutritional reservoir of fatty tissue found mainly in insects and amphibians.Fats, Unsaturated: Fats containing one or more double bonds, as from oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid.Fatty Acids, Unsaturated: FATTY ACIDS in which the carbon chain contains one or more double or triple carbon-carbon bonds.Random Allocation: A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.Meat: The edible portions of any animal used for food including domestic mammals (the major ones being cattle, swine, and sheep) along with poultry, fish, shellfish, and game.Corn Oil: Oil from ZEA MAYS or corn plant.Liver: A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.Insulin Resistance: Diminished effectiveness of INSULIN in lowering blood sugar levels: requiring the use of 200 units or more of insulin per day to prevent HYPERGLYCEMIA or KETOSIS.Weight Gain: Increase in BODY WEIGHT over existing weight.Mice, Inbred C57BLBody Fat Distribution: Deposits of ADIPOSE TISSUE throughout the body. The pattern of fat deposits in the body regions is an indicator of health status. Excess ABDOMINAL FAT increases health risks more than excess fat around the hips or thighs, therefore, WAIST-HIP RATIO is often used to determine health risks.Abdominal Fat: Fatty tissue in the region of the ABDOMEN. It includes the ABDOMINAL SUBCUTANEOUS FAT and the INTRA-ABDOMINAL FAT.Subcutaneous Fat: Fatty tissue under the SKIN through out the body.Cross-Over Studies: Studies comparing two or more treatments or interventions in which the subjects or patients, upon completion of the course of one treatment, are switched to another. In the case of two treatments, A and B, half the subjects are randomly allocated to receive these in the order A, B and half to receive them in the order B, A. A criticism of this design is that effects of the first treatment may carry over into the period when the second is given. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)Diet, Atherogenic: A diet that contributes to the development and acceleration of ATHEROGENESIS.Starch: Any of a group of polysaccharides of the general formula (C6-H10-O5)n, composed of a long-chain polymer of glucose in the form of amylose and amylopectin. It is the chief storage form of energy reserve (carbohydrates) in plants.Fatty Acids, Omega-3: A group of fatty acids, often of marine origin, which have the first unsaturated bond in the third position from the omega carbon. These fatty acids are believed to reduce serum triglycerides, prevent insulin resistance, improve lipid profile, prolong bleeding times, reduce platelet counts, and decrease platelet adhesiveness.Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted: A diet that contains limited amounts of CARBOHYDRATES. This is in distinction to a regular DIET.Food Habits: Acquired or learned food preferences.Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena: Nutritional physiology of animals.Adiposity: The amount of fat or lipid deposit at a site or an organ in the body, an indicator of body fat status.Linoleic Acid: A doubly unsaturated fatty acid, occurring widely in plant glycosides. It is an essential fatty acid in mammalian nutrition and is used in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and cell membranes. (From Stedman, 26th ed)Plant Oils: Oils derived from plants or plant products.Safflower Oil: An oily liquid extracted from the seeds of the safflower, Carthamus tinctorius. It is used as a dietary supplement in the management of HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA. It is used also in cooking, as a salad oil, and as a vehicle for medicines, paints, varnishes, etc. (Dorland, 28th ed & Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)Glucose: A primary source of energy for living organisms. It is naturally occurring and is found in fruits and other parts of plants in its free state. It is used therapeutically in fluid and nutrient replacement.Dietary Supplements: Products in capsule, tablet or liquid form that provide dietary ingredients, and that are intended to be taken by mouth to increase the intake of nutrients. Dietary supplements can include macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and/or MICRONUTRIENTS, such as VITAMINS; MINERALS; and PHYTOCHEMICALS.Leptin: A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from WHITE ADIPOCYTES. Leptin serves as a feedback signal from fat cells to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM in regulation of food intake, energy balance, and fat storage.Swine: Any of various animals that constitute the family Suidae and comprise stout-bodied, short-legged omnivorous mammals with thick skin, usually covered with coarse bristles, a rather long mobile snout, and small tail. Included are the genera Babyrousa, Phacochoerus (wart hogs), and Sus, the latter containing the domestic pig (see SUS SCROFA).Diet, Mediterranean: A diet typical of the Mediterranean region characterized by a pattern high in fruits and vegetables, EDIBLE GRAIN and bread, potatoes, poultry, beans, nuts, olive oil and fish while low in red meat and dairy and moderate in alcohol consumption.Feeding Behavior: Behavioral responses or sequences associated with eating including modes of feeding, rhythmic patterns of eating, and time intervals.Feces: Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.Rats, Sprague-Dawley: A strain of albino rat used widely for experimental purposes because of its calmness and ease of handling. It was developed by the Sprague-Dawley Animal Company.Cereals: Seeds from grasses (POACEAE) which are important in the diet.Food Preferences: The selection of one food over another.Fatty Acids, Omega-6: FATTY ACIDS which have the first unsaturated bond in the sixth position from the omega carbon. A typical American diet tends to contain substantially more omega-6 than OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS.Diet, Protein-Restricted: A diet that contains limited amounts of protein. It is prescribed in some cases to slow the progression of renal failure. (From Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)Diet, Vegetarian: Dietary practice of completely avoiding meat products in the DIET, consuming VEGETABLES, CEREALS, and NUTS. Some vegetarian diets called lacto-ovo also include milk and egg products.Fasting: Abstaining from all food.Organ Size: The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.Fructose: A monosaccharide in sweet fruits and honey that is soluble in water, alcohol, or ether. It is used as a preservative and an intravenous infusion in parenteral feeding.Soybean Proteins: Proteins which are present in or isolated from SOYBEANS.Rats, Inbred Strains: Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.Time Factors: Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.Ketogenic Diet: A course of food intake that is high in FATS and low in CARBOHYDRATES. This diet provides sufficient PROTEINS for growth but insufficient amount of carbohydrates for the energy needs of the body. A ketogenic diet generates 80-90% of caloric requirements from fats and the remainder from proteins.Body Mass Index: An indicator of body density as determined by the relationship of BODY WEIGHT to BODY HEIGHT. BMI=weight (kg)/height squared (m2). BMI correlates with body fat (ADIPOSE TISSUE). Their relationship varies with age and gender. For adults, BMI falls into these categories: below 18.5 (underweight); 18.5-24.9 (normal); 25.0-29.9 (overweight); 30.0 and above (obese). (National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Fish Oils: Oils high in unsaturated fats extracted from the bodies of fish or fish parts, especially the LIVER. Those from the liver are usually high in VITAMIN A. The oils are used as DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. They are also used in soaps and detergents and as protective coatings.Lipoproteins: Lipid-protein complexes involved in the transportation and metabolism of lipids in the body. They are spherical particles consisting of a hydrophobic core of TRIGLYCERIDES and CHOLESTEROL ESTERS surrounded by a layer of hydrophilic free CHOLESTEROL; PHOSPHOLIPIDS; and APOLIPOPROTEINS. Lipoproteins are classified by their varying buoyant density and sizes.Fatty Liver: Lipid infiltration of the hepatic parenchymal cells resulting in a yellow-colored liver. The abnormal lipid accumulation is usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES, either as a single large droplet or multiple small droplets. Fatty liver is caused by an imbalance in the metabolism of FATTY ACIDS.Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer: A type of FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY using two FLUORESCENT DYES with overlapping emission and absorption spectra, which is used to indicate proximity of labeled molecules. This technique is useful for studying interactions of molecules and PROTEIN FOLDING.Oxidation-Reduction: A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471).Embolism, Fat: Blocking of a blood vessel by fat deposits in the circulation. It is often seen after fractures of large bones or after administration of CORTICOSTEROIDS.Diet Records: Records of nutrient intake over a specific period of time, usually kept by the patient.Sucrose: A nonreducing disaccharide composed of GLUCOSE and FRUCTOSE linked via their anomeric carbons. It is obtained commercially from SUGARCANE, sugar beet (BETA VULGARIS), and other plants and used extensively as a food and a sweetener.Diet Surveys: Systematic collections of factual data pertaining to the diet of a human population within a given geographic area.Calorimetry, Indirect: Calculation of the energy expenditure in the form of heat production of the whole body or individual organs based on respiratory gas exchange.Calcium, Dietary: Calcium compounds used as food supplements or in food to supply the body with calcium. Dietary calcium is needed during growth for bone development and for maintenance of skeletal integrity later in life to prevent osteoporosis.Disease Models, Animal: Naturally occurring or experimentally induced animal diseases with pathological processes sufficiently similar to those of human diseases. They are used as study models for human diseases.Cholesterol, LDL: Cholesterol which is contained in or bound to low density lipoproteins (LDL), including CHOLESTEROL ESTERS and free cholesterol.Diet Therapy: By adjusting the quantity and quality of food intake to improve health status of an individual. This term does not include the methods of food intake (NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT).Conservation of Energy Resources: Planned management, use, and preservation of energy resources.Lactation: The processes of milk secretion by the maternal MAMMARY GLANDS after PARTURITION. The proliferation of the mammary glandular tissue, milk synthesis, and milk expulsion or let down are regulated by the interactions of several hormones including ESTRADIOL; PROGESTERONE; PROLACTIN; and OXYTOCIN.Pregnancy: The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.Lauric Acids: 12-Carbon saturated monocarboxylic acids.Solar Energy: Energy transmitted from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation.Analysis of Variance: A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.Carotenoids: The general name for a group of fat-soluble pigments found in green, yellow, and leafy vegetables, and yellow fruits. They are aliphatic hydrocarbons consisting of a polyisoprene backbone.Nitrogen: An element with the atomic symbol N, atomic number 7, and atomic weight [14.00643; 14.00728]. Nitrogen exists as a diatomic gas and makes up about 78% of the earth's atmosphere by volume. It is a constituent of proteins and nucleic acids and found in all living cells.Garcinia cambogia: A plant species of the family CLUSIACEAE. It is a source of hydroxycitric acid.Muscle, Skeletal: A subtype of striated muscle, attached by TENDONS to the SKELETON. Skeletal muscles are innervated and their movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary muscles.Hypercholesterolemia: A condition with abnormally high levels of CHOLESTEROL in the blood. It is defined as a cholesterol value exceeding the 95th percentile for the population.Cholesterol, HDL: Cholesterol which is contained in or bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), including CHOLESTEROL ESTERS and free cholesterol.Basal Metabolism: Heat production, or its measurement, of an organism at the lowest level of cell chemistry in an inactive, awake, fasting state. It may be determined directly by means of a calorimeter or indirectly by calculating the heat production from an analysis of the end products of oxidation within the organism or from the amount of oxygen utilized.Nutritive Value: An indication of the contribution of a food to the nutrient content of the diet. This value depends on the quantity of a food which is digested and absorbed and the amounts of the essential nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins) which it contains. This value can be affected by soil and growing conditions, handling and storage, and processing.Thermodynamics: A rigorously mathematical analysis of energy relationships (heat, work, temperature, and equilibrium). It describes systems whose states are determined by thermal parameters, such as temperature, in addition to mechanical and electromagnetic parameters. (From Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 12th ed)Rats, Wistar: A strain of albino rat developed at the Wistar Institute that has spread widely at other institutions. This has markedly diluted the original strain.Glucose Tolerance Test: A test to determine the ability of an individual to maintain HOMEOSTASIS of BLOOD GLUCOSE. It includes measuring blood glucose levels in a fasting state, and at prescribed intervals before and after oral glucose intake (75 or 100 g) or intravenous infusion (0.5 g/kg).Biological Availability: The extent to which the active ingredient of a drug dosage form becomes available at the site of drug action or in a biological medium believed to reflect accessibility to a site of action.Risk Factors: An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, or inborn or inherited characteristic, which, on the basis of epidemiologic evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.Food, Formulated: Food and dietary formulations including elemental (chemically defined formula) diets, synthetic and semisynthetic diets, space diets, weight-reduction formulas, tube-feeding diets, complete liquid diets, and supplemental liquid and solid diets.Adipocytes: Cells in the body that store FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. WHITE ADIPOCYTES are the predominant type and found mostly in the abdominal cavity and subcutaneous tissue. BROWN ADIPOCYTES are thermogenic cells that can be found in newborns of some species and hibernating mammals.alpha-Linolenic Acid: A fatty acid that is found in plants and involved in the formation of prostaglandins.Digestion: The process of breakdown of food for metabolism and use by the body.Mice, Obese: Mutant mice exhibiting a marked obesity coupled with overeating, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, marked insulin resistance, and infertility when in a homozygous state. They may be inbred or hybrid.Food: Any substances taken in by the body that provide nourishment.Antioxidants: Naturally occurring or synthetic substances that inhibit or retard the oxidation of a substance to which it is added. They counteract the harmful and damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues.RNA, Messenger: RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.Weaning: Permanent deprivation of breast milk and commencement of nourishment with other food. (From Stedman, 25th ed)Isoflavones: 3-Phenylchromones. Isomeric form of FLAVONOIDS in which the benzene group is attached to the 3 position of the benzopyran ring instead of the 2 position.Mice, Knockout: Strains of mice in which certain GENES of their GENOMES have been disrupted, or "knocked-out". To produce knockouts, using RECOMBINANT DNA technology, the normal DNA sequence of the gene being studied is altered to prevent synthesis of a normal gene product. Cloned cells in which this DNA alteration is successful are then injected into mouse EMBRYOS to produce chimeric mice. The chimeric mice are then bred to yield a strain in which all the cells of the mouse contain the disrupted gene. Knockout mice are used as EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODELS for diseases (DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL) and to clarify the functions of the genes.Fatty Acids, Nonesterified: FATTY ACIDS found in the plasma that are complexed with SERUM ALBUMIN for transport. These fatty acids are not in glycerol ester form.Postprandial Period: The time frame after a meal or FOOD INTAKE.Glycemic Index: A numerical system of measuring the rate of BLOOD GLUCOSE generation from a particular food item as compared to a reference item, such as glucose = 100. Foods with higher glycemic index numbers create greater blood sugar swings.Apolipoproteins: Protein components on the surface of LIPOPROTEINS. They form a layer surrounding the hydrophobic lipid core. There are several classes of apolipoproteins with each playing a different role in lipid transport and LIPID METABOLISM. These proteins are synthesized mainly in the LIVER and the INTESTINES.Adipose Tissue, White: Fatty tissue composed of WHITE ADIPOCYTES and generally found directly under the skin (SUBCUTANEOUS FAT) and around the internal organs (ABDOMINAL FAT). It has less vascularization and less coloration than the BROWN FAT. White fat provides heat insulation, mechanical cushion, and source of energy.Aging: The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time.Dose-Response Relationship, Drug: The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.Nutritional Requirements: The amounts of various substances in food needed by an organism to sustain healthy life.Diet Fads: Diets which become fashionable, but which are not necessarily nutritious.(Lehninger 1982, page 484)Renewable Energy: Forms of energy that are constantly and rapidly renewed by natural processes such as solar, ocean wave, and wind energy. (from McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)Milk: The white liquid secreted by the mammary glands. It contains proteins, sugar, lipids, vitamins, and minerals.Adipose Tissue, Brown: A thermogenic form of adipose tissue composed of BROWN ADIPOCYTES. It is found in newborns of many species including humans, and in hibernating mammals. Brown fat is richly vascularized, innervated, and densely packed with MITOCHONDRIA which can generate heat directly from the stored lipids.Caloric Restriction: Reduction in caloric intake without reduction in adequate nutrition. In experimental animals, caloric restriction has been shown to extend lifespan and enhance other physiological variables.Oleic Acid: An unsaturated fatty acid that is the most widely distributed and abundant fatty acid in nature. It is used commercially in the preparation of oleates and lotions, and as a pharmaceutical solvent. (Stedman, 26th ed)Thermogenesis: The generation of heat in order to maintain body temperature. The uncoupled oxidation of fatty acids contained within brown adipose tissue and SHIVERING are examples of thermogenesis in MAMMALS.Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2: A subclass of DIABETES MELLITUS that is not INSULIN-responsive or dependent (NIDDM). It is characterized initially by INSULIN RESISTANCE and HYPERINSULINEMIA; and eventually by GLUCOSE INTOLERANCE; HYPERGLYCEMIA; and overt diabetes. Type II diabetes mellitus is no longer considered a disease exclusively found in adults. Patients seldom develop KETOSIS but often exhibit OBESITY.Food Deprivation: The withholding of food in a structured experimental situation.Colon: The segment of LARGE INTESTINE between the CECUM and the RECTUM. It includes the ASCENDING COLON; the TRANSVERSE COLON; the DESCENDING COLON; and the SIGMOID COLON.Vitamin E: A generic descriptor for all TOCOPHEROLS and TOCOTRIENOLS that exhibit ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL activity. By virtue of the phenolic hydrogen on the 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol nucleus, these compounds exhibit varying degree of antioxidant activity, depending on the site and number of methyl groups and the type of ISOPRENOIDS.Diet, Sodium-Restricted: A diet which contains very little sodium chloride. It is prescribed by some for hypertension and for edematous states. (Dorland, 27th ed)Anti-Obesity Agents: Agents that increase energy expenditure and weight loss by neural and chemical regulation. Beta-adrenergic agents and serotoninergic drugs have been experimentally used in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) to treat obesity.Appetite: Natural recurring desire for food. Alterations may be induced by APPETITE DEPRESSANTS or APPETITE STIMULANTS.Oxygen Consumption: The rate at which oxygen is used by a tissue; microliters of oxygen STPD used per milligram of tissue per hour; the rate at which oxygen enters the blood from alveolar gas, equal in the steady state to the consumption of oxygen by tissue metabolism throughout the body. (Stedman, 25th ed, p346)Fat Necrosis: A condition in which the death of adipose tissue results in neutral fats being split into fatty acids and glycerol.Hyperphagia: Ingestion of a greater than optimal quantity of food.Diabetic Diet: A diet prescribed in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, usually limited in the amount of sugar or readily available carbohydrate. (Dorland, 27th ed)Butter: The fatty portion of milk, separated as a soft yellowish solid when milk or cream is churned. It is processed for cooking and table use. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)Nutritional Physiological Phenomena: The processes and properties of living organisms by which they take in and balance the use of nutritive materials for energy, heat production, or building material for the growth, maintenance, or repair of tissues and the nutritive properties of FOOD.Soybeans: An annual legume. The SEEDS of this plant are edible and used to produce a variety of SOY FOODS.Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena: Nutrition of a mother which affects the health of the FETUS and INFANT as well as herself.beta Carotene: A carotenoid that is a precursor of VITAMIN A. It is administered to reduce the severity of photosensitivity reactions in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (PORPHYRIA, ERYTHROPOIETIC). (From Reynolds JEF(Ed): Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia (electronic version). Micromedex, Inc, Engewood, CO, 1995.)Absorptiometry, Photon: A noninvasive method for assessing BODY COMPOSITION. It is based on the differential absorption of X-RAYS (or GAMMA RAYS) by different tissues such as bone, fat and other soft tissues. The source of (X-ray or gamma-ray) photon beam is generated either from radioisotopes such as GADOLINIUM 153, IODINE 125, or Americanium 241 which emit GAMMA RAYS in the appropriate range; or from an X-ray tube which produces X-RAYS in the desired range. It is primarily used for quantitating BONE MINERAL CONTENT, especially for the diagnosis of OSTEOPOROSIS, and also in measuring BONE MINERALIZATION.Homeostasis: The processes whereby the internal environment of an organism tends to remain balanced and stable.Models, Biological: Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal: Fatty tissue under the SKIN in the region of the ABDOMEN.Energy Drinks: Beverages consumed as stimulants and tonics. They usually contain a combination of CAFFEINE with other substances such as herbal supplements; VITAMINS; AMINO ACIDS; and sugar or sugar derivatives.Adiponectin: A 30-kDa COMPLEMENT C1Q-related protein, the most abundant gene product secreted by FAT CELLS of the white ADIPOSE TISSUE. Adiponectin modulates several physiological processes, such as metabolism of GLUCOSE and FATTY ACIDS, and immune responses. Decreased plasma adiponectin levels are associated with INSULIN RESISTANCE; TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS; OBESITY; and ATHEROSCLEROSIS.Lipase: An enzyme of the hydrolase class that catalyzes the reaction of triacylglycerol and water to yield diacylglycerol and a fatty acid anion. It is produced by glands on the tongue and by the pancreas and initiates the digestion of dietary fats. (From Dorland, 27th ed) EC 184.108.40.206.Zea mays: A plant species of the family POACEAE. It is a tall grass grown for its EDIBLE GRAIN, corn, used as food and animal FODDER.Gene Expression Regulation: Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.Caseins: A mixture of related phosphoproteins occurring in milk and cheese. The group is characterized as one of the most nutritive milk proteins, containing all of the common amino acids and rich in the essential ones.Satiation: Full gratification of a need or desire followed by a state of relative insensitivity to that particular need or desire.Hyperlipidemias: Conditions with excess LIPIDS in the blood.Yawning: An involuntary deep INHALATION with the MOUTH open, often accompanied by the act of stretching.Body Temperature Regulation: The processes of heating and cooling that an organism uses to control its temperature.Appetite Regulation: Physiologic mechanisms which regulate or control the appetite and food intake.Lipolysis: The metabolic process of breaking down LIPIDS to release FREE FATTY ACIDS, the major oxidative fuel for the body. Lipolysis may involve dietary lipids in the DIGESTIVE TRACT, circulating lipids in the BLOOD, and stored lipids in the ADIPOSE TISSUE or the LIVER. A number of enzymes are involved in such lipid hydrolysis, such as LIPASE and LIPOPROTEIN LIPASE from various tissues.Fat Substitutes: Compounds used in food or in food preparation to replace dietary fats. They may be carbohydrate-, protein-, or fat-based. Fat substitutes are usually lower in calories but provide the same texture as fats.Proteins: Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein.Rumen: The first stomach of ruminants. It lies on the left side of the body, occupying the whole of the left side of the abdomen and even stretching across the median plane of the body to the right side. It is capacious, divided into an upper and a lower sac, each of which has a blind sac at its posterior extremity. The rumen is lined by mucous membrane containing no digestive glands, but mucus-secreting glands are present in large numbers. Coarse, partially chewed food is stored and churned in the rumen until the animal finds circumstances convenient for rumination. When this occurs, little balls of food are regurgitated through the esophagus into the mouth, and are subjected to a second more thorough mastication, swallowed, and passed on into other parts of the compound stomach. (From Black's Veterinary Dictionary, 17th ed)Colonic Neoplasms: Tumors or cancer of the COLON.Plant Extracts: Concentrated pharmaceutical preparations of plants obtained by removing active constituents with a suitable solvent, which is evaporated away, and adjusting the residue to a prescribed standard.Satiety Response: Behavioral response associated with the achieving of gratification.Kinetics: The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.Ascorbic Acid: A six carbon compound related to glucose. It is found naturally in citrus fruits and many vegetables. Ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient in human diets, and necessary to maintain connective tissue and bone. Its biologically active form, vitamin C, functions as a reducing agent and coenzyme in several metabolic pathways. Vitamin C is considered an antioxidant.Hypothalamus: Ventral part of the DIENCEPHALON extending from the region of the OPTIC CHIASM to the caudal border of the MAMMILLARY BODIES and forming the inferior and lateral walls of the THIRD VENTRICLE.Mice, Transgenic: Laboratory mice that have been produced from a genetically manipulated EGG or EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.Anthropometry: The technique that deals with the measurement of the size, weight, and proportions of the human or other primate body.Intestinal Absorption: Uptake of substances through the lining of the INTESTINES.Exercise: Physical activity which is usually regular and done with the intention of improving or maintaining PHYSICAL FITNESS or HEALTH. Contrast with PHYSICAL EXERTION which is concerned largely with the physiologic and metabolic response to energy expenditure.Oxidative Stress: A disturbance in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance in favor of the former, leading to potential damage. Indicators of oxidative stress include damaged DNA bases, protein oxidation products, and lipid peroxidation products (Sies, Oxidative Stress, 1991, pxv-xvi).Atherosclerosis: A thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of ARTERIES that occurs with formation of ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES within the ARTERIAL INTIMA.Questionnaires: Predetermined sets of questions used to collect data - clinical data, social status, occupational group, etc. The term is often applied to a self-completed survey instrument.Violaceae: A plant family of the order Violales, subclass Dilleniidae, class Magnoliopsida.Thinness: A state of insufficient flesh on the body usually defined as having a body weight less than skeletal and physical standards. Depending on age, sex, and genetic background, a BODY MASS INDEX of less than 18.5 is considered as underweight.Animal Nutrition Sciences: The study of NUTRITION PROCESSES, as well as the components of food, their actions, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease in animals.Cohort Studies: Studies in which subsets of a defined population are identified. These groups may or may not be exposed to factors hypothesized to influence the probability of the occurrence of a particular disease or other outcome. Cohorts are defined populations which, as a whole, are followed in an attempt to determine distinguishing subgroup characteristics.Inflammation: A pathological process characterized by injury or destruction of tissues caused by a variety of cytologic and chemical reactions. It is usually manifested by typical signs of pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function.Gastrointestinal Contents: The contents included in all or any segment of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT.Apolipoproteins E: A class of protein components which can be found in several lipoproteins including HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS; VERY-LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS; and CHYLOMICRONS. Synthesized in most organs, Apo E is important in the global transport of lipids and cholesterol throughout the body. Apo E is also a ligand for LDL receptors (RECEPTORS, LDL) that mediates the binding, internalization, and catabolism of lipoprotein particles in cells. There are several allelic isoforms (such as E2, E3, and E4). Deficiency or defects in Apo E are causes of HYPERLIPOPROTEINEMIA TYPE III.Meals: A portion of the food eaten for the day, usually at regular occasions during the day.Sex Characteristics: Those characteristics that distinguish one SEX from the other. The primary sex characteristics are the OVARIES and TESTES and their related hormones. Secondary sex characteristics are those which are masculine or feminine but not directly related to reproduction.Intestines: The section of the alimentary canal from the STOMACH to the ANAL CANAL. It includes the LARGE INTESTINE and SMALL INTESTINE.Amino Acids: Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.Calorimetry: The measurement of the quantity of heat involved in various processes, such as chemical reactions, changes of state, and formations of solutions, or in the determination of the heat capacities of substances. The fundamental unit of measurement is the joule or the calorie (4.184 joules). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)Rats, Zucker: Two populations of Zucker rats have been cited in research--the "fatty" or obese and the lean. The "fatty" rat (Rattus norvegicus) appeared as a spontaneous mutant. The obese condition appears to be due to a single recessive gene.Models, Molecular: Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.Nutritional Status: State of the body in relation to the consumption and utilization of nutrients.


WASHINGTON – National Journal spoke with DLCC interim President Heather Williams about the DLCC’s sweeping successes in 2022 and 2023 and harnessing that momentum to win battleground states in 2024. Williams outlined Democrats’ strategy to chip away at Republican power in state legislatures through early investments and prioritizing protections for fundamental freedoms like abortion access.
The DLCC plans to take our winning playbook into 2024, where we have critical opportunities to expand Democratic power. The DLCC is laser-focused on protecting our new Democratic majorities, flipping key chambers, and breaking up Republican supermajorities – making 2024 our most important year yet.
To read the full story, click here.
From National Journal:
- “Deeming 2024 the ‘year of the states,’ Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee interim President Heather Williams told National Journal that the committee sees ample opportunity to continue to expand their power in 2024 following a series of successful cycles. The organization’s goals are backed by what Williams says is the ‘most expansive’ budget yet, set at an initial $60 million. ‘We’re really grounding ourselves in, ‘What have we learned? How do we hone in on the successful strategy that we’ve already established? What do we know that needs to be done?’’ Williams said.”
- “In 2022, the party defied expectations and picked up four legislative chambers […]in a midterm year that historically has meant the party of a first-term president losing state legislative seats. This year, Democrats flipped the Virginia House of Delegates and maintained their majority in the state Senate. Williams said their success in the commonwealth is thanks to their early and sustained investments with messaging focused on issues at the top of voters’ minds—most notably, reproductive rights.”
- “The DLCC highlighted five chambers where they are making a play for the majority in 2024: the Arizona House and Senate, the New Hampshire House and Senate, and the Pennsylvania Senate. Among defensive targets, the organization said they are focused on protecting the chambers they gained in 2022—the Michigan House, the Minnesota House, and Pennsylvania House. The committee is also investing in chipping away at supermajorities in a number of safely held Republican chambers—the Georgia House, Kansas House and Senate, North Carolina House and Senate, and Wisconsin Assembly and Senate.”
- “‘One of the things that we do at the DLCC as the party committee and as the driver of opportunity in the states is that we’re really looking for, ‘Okay, how do we put this puzzle together?’ If there’s a special election, what does it mean in the context of where that legislative chamber is and how we build towards power. States are dynamic,’ Williams continued.”
- “‘We know that as Democrats, we cannot just focus on what is happening in our federal races, we have to care as much about what’s happening in the states. And in order to do so, in 2024, you’ve got to be involved in state legislatures,’ Williams said.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.


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If you had visited the home of the Italian philosopher Umberto Eco, before his death in 2016, you would have been blown away by the sheer number of books in his possession.
Eco had over 30,000 books in his apartment in Milan and another 20,000 in a vacation house near Urbino. 50,000 books is a lot. The vast majority of people will never read anywhere near that figure in their lifetime.
Indeed, one of the things that annoyed Eco the most when people saw his vast personal library for the first time was their reaction. They would often exclaim, “What a lot of books! Have you read them all?”
While this may sound like a logical question to ask a man with a huge collection of books, on deeper introspection it is the wrong question.
In a way, the question is whether the mountain of books is merely a tool for showing off. A way of saying to everyone who enters the apartment, look how intellectual and learned I am.
That is missing the point spectacularly.
Eco did not have all these books just for show, they were there to fulfil his intellectual curiosity. To plug gaps in his knowledge.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in The Black Swan, refers to this as an ‘antilibrary.’ He states that one’s library should contain as many books as you haven’t read as those as you have. Money permitting of course.
The idea of the antilibrary is simple. If you read more books, the perimeter of your knowledge will increase. However, there is a secondary factor at play. By reading more, you realise how little you know, thus necessitating the need to read more to fill those gaps.
To gain true knowledge and stay on a path of curiosity in life, it’s important to acknowledge Socrates’ old maxim:
“I know that I know nothing.”
Table of Contents
Reading is one of the best ways to attain knowledge. Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, but they are lacking in one key area. The medium has only been around for a decade at best.
Whereas, books have been around for much longer. The ability to read a book written by someone 2,000 years ago is one of the most useful tools you can have to improve your knowledge.
Despite the progress we have made over that time, many of the problems we face today were relevant back then too. Anxiety, the trappings of success and greed, were issues faced by the ancients and us today.
Knowing this keeps you grounded. It makes you realise that your problems are not unique. They have afflicted us for millennia.
The Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote about wasting your life in his classic essay On The Shortness of Life, during the height of the Roman Empire. Today, his writing and the problems remain relevant.
The sheer number of books that have ever been published is well into the millions. A lot of those will not be worth reading. However, even by disregarding those books, there will still be hundreds of thousands of books that will have a positive influence on your life.
Unless you dedicate your entire life to reading those books, you are very unlikely to read anywhere near that number of books. It may seem silly then, to own all these books without ever reading them, but that is missing the point.
The books serve as a constant reminder of all the things that you don’t know. The purpose of a large collection of books should not be to stroke your ego, rather it should be to keep you intellectually curious and hungry.
Looking at the books that you have yet to read should light a fire inside you to keep learning. It serves as an exercise in intellectual humility and will stop you from getting ahead of yourself.
We should treat knowledge as a muscle that needs to be constantly massaged and trained, otherwise, it will wither away and regress. As Lincoln Steffens stated:
“It is our knowledge — the things we are sure of — that makes the world go wrong and keeps us from seeing and learning,”
Learning is for life
Learning should be a lifelong pursuit. It does not begin and end in school. In a world that is changing at a rapid rate, it’s important to make learning a fundamental part of your life.
Setting up an ‘antilibrary’ is one of the best ways to do this. No one has all the answers in life and no one is going to be able to read all the books in the world to provide that knowledge.
A simple way of explaining this is to look at the universe. There is much we know about the workings of the universe. We know that the planets orbiting the sun are held in place by a force called gravity.
We know that the universe is expanding and that the stars we see in the night sky are how they appeared millions of years due to how long it takes light to travel.
However, there is much more that we don’t know. Scientists estimate that we only know what four per cent of the universe is comprised of. The other ninety-six per cent is based upon educated guesses regarding dark matter and energy.
If we know so little about the universe we inhabit, it stands to reason that the same applies to life. Knowledge is not personal property, it is not a castle that needs to be defended, rather it is a house that needs continual renovation, a painting in progress, it is something we need to nurture and develop not parade around.
Surrounding yourself with books that you may or may not read sounds like a foolish investment on the surface, but when you scratch away at it, the idea makes sense.
The books that you have read are less useful than the ones you haven’t. Unless you intend to return to them for reference or further reading, the books you haven’t read offer more value.
They are a reminder that knowledge is not fixed, it is malleable and needs constant nourishment. They serve to keep us grounded and humble and stop us from getting ahead of ourselves and believing that we know it all when we don’t.
We should not view this as a failure, we should view it as a source of inspiration and future learning. Much like Eco, we should see this as a reminder that there is much to know and that we don’t know what we don’t know.

domain: literature


The new weather report for UAE is not good for people who want to travel to Dubai. Hot and Humid Weather to continue in UAE for the next few days.
Latest UAE Weather report:
As per the National Center of Meteorology latest weather report, UAE people have to face Humid weather. New reports say Hot and Humid weather to continue in UAE for the next few days. In addition, there is a chance of fog or mist formation in the same areas of Coastal and internal areas.
Wind speed in UAE for next few days:
Wind speed in UAE is going to remain good. Partly cloudy and windy at times. Southeasterly to Northeasterly moderate winds will give fresh air. Wind speed is expected from 10km to 35km on some days. “The sea will be inadequate in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea.”
Weekend Temperture UAE:
On a Sunday, however, the temperature will tend to increase lightly over coastal areas. The NCM said Monday would be humid by morning. Chance of fog or mist structure over farther Westward areas of the homeland and fair to slightly cloudy times.
Citizens can also expect Northeasterly shifting Northwesterly light to medium winds fresh at times. Speed 15 – 25 reaching 40 km/hr. The sea will be slender to moderate. You can expect rough Westward by a late night in the Arabian Gulf and slight in the Oman Sea.
Next week weather report UAE:
On Tuesday, the weather will also be humid by morning. Chance of fog or haze formation over some Eastern internal areas. It will be sunny to partly cloudy and overcast during the daytime. Low clouds will appear over the hills Eastward by afternoon with a decrease in temperature.
The sea will be moderate to a bit rough in the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea. Read about Bharat Biotech vaccines for Kids in India.


The MP took to Twitter to share his dissatisfaction over his move and even termed the government's decision as "anti-national".The MP went to say that he was forced to move the court.
"Air India disinvestment process restarts today. THIS DEAL IS WHOLLY ANTI NATIONAL and I WILL FORCED TO GO TO COURT. WE CANNOT SELL OUR FAMILY SILVER (sic)," the MPs Tweet read.
Following the government's idea, Congress leader Kapil Sibal has come down severely on the government. He addressed the media on the blunt mistake of the government.
"When governments don't have money this is what they do. Govt of India has no money, growth is less than 5% and millions of rupees outstanding under MNREGA. This is what they will do, sell all the valuable assets we have," he said.
The Centre has announced that a 100 percent stake in Air India will be sold which is in deep debt.
Air India and the Air India Express which are in the debts of Rs 60,074 crore will be sold for Rs 23,286 crore reportedly. The balance amount which is around Rs 27,000 crore will be absorbed by the Centre.


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The year 2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of English author Anthony Powell, who is most remembered for his 12-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time. Born on December 21, 1905, in London, England, Powell studied at Eton College (1919-1923) and Oxford (1923-1926). Early in his career, he worked for London publisher Duckworth, and, in 1931, published his first novel, Afternoon Men, with Duckworth. Powell wrote several novels on prewar society, including Venusberg (1932).
Powell embarked on a career in journalism in 1936, and in total he wrote for The Daily Telegraph for almost 50 years. Following service in World War II, Powell wrote the biography John Aubrey and His Friends (1948). Then, in 1951, Powell published A Question of Upbringing, the first volume in his masterpiece series of 12 novels known as A Dance to the Music of Time. When Hearing Secret Harmonies was published 24 years later in 1975, the series ended.
Powell wrote additional novels after his famous series was complete. He also published his memoirs To Keep the Ball Rolling in 1983. Anthony Powell died on March 28, 2000 near Frome, Somerset, England.
To Keep the Ball Rolling: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell
London: Heinemann, 1976.
Infants in the Spring: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell
New York: Holt, 1977
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., no year.
Originally published in 1931, this book was Powell's first novel.
Two Novels by Anthony Powell: Venusberg and Agents & Patients
Boston: Little Brown & Co., no year.
First published in 1932, Venusberg was a study of society before World War II, one of
several books Powell published on that theme.
A Question of Upbringing
London: Heinemann, 1952.
Powell published this book in 1951; it was the first novel in his 12-part cycle of novels, A Dance to the Music of Time.
A Dance to the Music of Time: A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1955
Hearing Secret Harmonies
New York: Popular Library,
1975. This novel, published in 1975, was the last in the series A Dance to the Music of Time.
Letter to Handasyde Buchanan
Typed Letter, signed, dated 5/17/1966 from Anthony Powell to bookseller Handasyde Buchanan.
Letter to John Monagan
Typed Letter, signed, dated 3/14/1969 from Anthony Powell to friend and U.S. Congressman John Monagan.
Photograph of Anthony Powell