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SARA LYSGAARD: a Few (Real) Things About Existing In The Art World
The hardest part of living is to exist truthfully; especially if it means exhibiting parts of life in public. We've all learned to survive in a new world where the depersonalization of truth has become the lasting circumstance of every human interaction, it’s people I swear I miss the most.
Speaking with Sara Lysgaard began like most of my experiences in contemporary living: two individuals coming together in a confined space, pretending to talk about life. Everyone lives, yet no one seems to want to explain why, and I’m certain the misuse of trust is one of our biggest tragedies. Yet, if we continue cultivating a society where everyone echoes the same sterilized answer that suggests that we’re breathing but not feeling, where—and especially how—do we grow from here?
At times, it takes a combination of patience and something as humanly-fabricated as hope for some ordinary encounters to turn into beautiful encounters. The Copenhagen-based collector and gallerist-turned-entrepreneur Sara Lysgaard proves to be one of them. A few moments into our conversation, she realized that the worst she could do was waste time with things that have probably never meant anything to anyone. The only way to be alive is to realize all this while others are existing just the same. And I think it's a good start.
Lara Konrad: You once said, “Art is immediate. It doesn’t need to save the world.” I think it demonstrates well how you meet art with enthusiasm, yet no expectation.
Sara Lysgaard: Art doesn’t need to be everything; it doesn’t need to be political or to ‘save the planet.’ Quite the opposite, actually. It just needs to be what it is.
LK: You had a gallery in Copenhagen, and after five years decided to shut it down. How come?
SL: Running the gallery was wonderful, as well as challenging. The best part was meeting and working with artists; you form such a special bond with their work, but also their humanity.
Since a new opportunity came up, I decided to shut down the gallery and go off into new territory. Sometimes you need to close a door in order to open another one. I actually didn’t think about it too much, it somehow just happened naturally. And I haven’t regretted anything ever since. I think it’s often these types of drastic changes that make you feel most alive.
LK: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when owning and directing the gallery? Did your relationship with art change?
SL: I have to admit, had I known how challenging it would be, I probably wouldn’t have done it. But that’s also the beauty of it, right?
When I got into the business, I was 25 years old; I was very naive, and definitely too young for an environment that in the end is very close-minded and old-fashioned. There’s a certain way you present art, how you talk about it and how you run your gallery; and people make sure to tell you all the time!
So, as a young woman trying to enter a tight, male-dominated market, it certainly did not come without difficulties. But hey, what business is easy?
LK: In what ways did the art business feel antiquated? I guess, I can only emphasize. We’ve fostered a world where we encourage a constant state of being underwhelmed, instead of overwhelmed…
SL: Nothing works if you don’t do it with passion. That’s a given. However, as my mother says, “You need to feed energy into those things where the energy is at.” You don’t need to waste your time by feeding energy into things other people ‘think’ is best for you, and your business. There’s a difference between good and bad advice, of course, and you should take the good advice as much as possible.
During my time as a gallerist, I met a lot of ‘why don’t you do it like this’ people, which just showed me how old-fashioned the art world is run. That was quite shocking to realize. I had thought the art world was more relaxed and open. I mean, I was 25, I didn’t know much at the time. But man, did I learn fast…
LK: Can you give an example of a time you went your way and people didn’t agree?
SL: I’ll give you a rather funny example, just to underline how absurd it is when people think they’re entitled to give you advice. I certainly don’t want to sound too arrogant, I’m a firm believer of listening instead of speaking because you might actually learn a thing or two. However, you still need to be selective with what you let in; unfortunately not everyone has your best interest at heart.
Returning to the example, it was between Christmas and New Year's, and I was thinking a lot about my gallery and its upcoming calendar. I had three very large windows facing out towards the street, at a rather prominent address in Copenhagen. So I thought I wanted to display the exhibition program for the next 6 months in one of the windows next to the entrance. I had a pretty cool graphic design team setting up this amazing way of presenting the shows — I thought it was brilliant. My next door colleague, also a gallerist, made sure to tell me what an awful idea it was. He went on and on about how a gallery shouldn’t show that much face, how it should be quiet, how it should be the anonymous white cube space. I printed the foil even bigger than first anticipated, and hung it in my window for 6 months.
Still to this day, I don’t know if he was right or wrong. But I followed my heart and vision at the time, and I think that counts for something in the long run.
LK: Did the sudden visibility of the program boost the traffic at your gallery?
SL: I’m not really sure it did. At least I can’t remember if it had any particular impact in terms of the number of visitors. But it was also meant to be more like a ‘service’ to the viewer, a way to connect with the people who passed by on the street. I often felt people who weren’t in the art world, were a little hesitant to just walk in and take a look.
LK: Yeah, and no wonder why. Look at your former colleague…
Regarding your gender, did you experience difficulty in terms of your role as a gallerist? Or did that type of reality never concern your profession?
SL: It was never really a concern of mine. Of course, I felt it in some occasions, but I never wanted to tap into it. Maybe it was more my age or lack of experience that created challenges, and with good reason.
LK: By saying you didn’t “want to tap into it,” you're suggesting it was a conscious choice. But maybe it was also a certain lack of awareness?
SL: I felt similar until sort of recently, claiming that I never felt particularly affected by our male-driven world. I realized, however, that I’d just not been very truthful to my realities of the past. I think everyone is always a part of it, and therefore affected. This does not mean victimization of oneself, it merely means to look at the reality of things.
I like your point though. I actually believe it was a semi-conscious choice to not tap into it. To be honest, I felt it at times and often wanted to play the ‘female victim card.'
I used to work in the shipping industry for a couple of years, and that’s an area packed with men too; a lot of them. So I already tapped into it a lot, and decided that I would much rather focus on doing a good job and hope that people recognize it for what it is, disregarding my gender.
It’s an entirely different story being a female collector than being a female gallerist. Being a female collector is sort of a ‘cool’ thing, especially here in Denmark, where we’re a tight crew of collectors, and very few women. Go figure…
LK: Actually, coming to think of it, you’re like the third female collector I’ve spoken to…and I’ve met a few collectors by now. Why are there so few female collectors in Denmark? Is it a matter of power or money?
SL: There aren’t a lot of collectors in Denmark, period! We’re such a small country. As I’m sitting here, I can only think of a handful of female collectors besides myself. And maybe that’s even a stretch.
I don’t know why there aren’t more female collectors, aside from the obvious fact that the art world is undeniably male-driven; and this goes from artists to collectors to gallerists. But that reality still puzzles me.
The Guerilla Girls posted this ‘letter’ the other day: “Dear art collector. It has come to our attention that your collection, like most, does not contain enough art by women. We know you feel terrible about this and will rectify the situation immediately. All our love, Guerilla Girls.”
It resonated with me and I posted it on my Instagram, because there’s such truth to it. A female artist, whom I’m fortunate enough to own a piece by, wrote a comment back to me: “I’m happy to be in your collection. And it's always a question about good or bad art—not about man or woman.” I think that’s true as well. So at times I’m quite torn.
Is it a matter of power? To be honest, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s more a matter of following conventions, and being afraid to step out and do something different. I believe the stage in every business is equally open for both men and women, but who dares to claim the spotlight?
LK: Is it a personal goal to actively support and collect female artists?
If I take a closer look at my collection, it’s in fact dominated by male artists. I want to support talented female artists, but I have to like their work too. Otherwise it just doesn’t make sense for me.
Due to the fact that male artists are more displayed and highlighted in public, collectors (and myself included) are likely to choose a piece by a man rather than a woman. That doesn’t mean works by great female artists aren’t out there. Women need to step up and claim their spot, and the art world needs to start looking outside the box.
LK: What’s a personal solution for cultivating more female collectors and artists? What can we do so change continues, every day?
SL: That’s an extremely challenging and important question. I’m not sure I can answer it justly, but I believe it starts within us. As women, we need to feel and act like equal participants in our world, that we’re worthy of everything we want. And this awareness needs to build within our very bones.
The potential of women is absurdly untapped. I guess all of us (which includes myself) need to ask ourselves what we can do in order to get out into the world and make an impact. This occasion should be lived every day. And in the meantime, we need to remember to surround ourselves with people who want to support our goals.
LK: Do you mind if we briefly return to this idea of you playing the “female victim card,” what did you mean by that?
SL: I really sort of caved into this idea that it was ‘tougher’ because I was a female gallerist. I experienced the same while working in the shipping industry. All my male colleagues would hammer down beers and point at me while yelling across the bar, “Finish yours in one go, too!” They were having fun at my expense, because often times I was the only woman amongst 30 men in a pub in London. That can be a little tough, to be honest. But it will surely roughen you up!
Truth be told, it can also be extremely rewarding being around and working with men. There’s no bullshit in your daily operations. As mentioned, I’m cautious about going ‘down’ that road, it doesn’t serve any good to play the ‘female victim card.’ Only when you do so, you feed energy into the topic. Best is to rise above it and make no particular case of it.
LK: After quitting your job as a gallerist, what followed?
SL: My father’s friend called me one day as I was still running my own gallery in Copenhagen. He talked for a long time about this huge art center in Mallorca, and said it might be a great opportunity for me to join as they were looking for partners. I was 4 years into managing my own gallery, so I was really intrigued by the idea of joining a partnership; hence, not deciding every freaking detail on my own…!
I took a flight down there, with a bag filled with prejudices about the island. But I was (not surprisingly) wrong about this magnificent island, its generous people and amazing food. I was over the moon about this art center, which was and still is located at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains in Andratx. I immediately plunged into the project wholeheartedly, and signed up as a partner.
Now 6 years in, I’m at the point of searching for new opportunities. It has been a great ride and I’ve learned so many things. I can learn a lot more down there, for sure, but I’m just not interested in learning more of what they can teach me.
LK: I found pictures of your current home, as well as from the one before. It’s amazing how different they are from one another. Now you live in an ocean of colors, whereas before everything was white; not clinical-white, but somewhat ‘save’ in aesthetic. It just such a drastic change.
SL: The transformation of my house has been, by far, my most fun home project to date. It was actually the separation from my ex-boyfriend that sparked the transformation, since I stayed behind in our joint house.
So, even though the reason behind this shift was unfortunate, it really was a fun and interesting journey to get to know myself. It took me about a year to complete the house, and I realized how materialistic this project was. But at the same time I realized how important this journey was, to get to know myself through this process. I found so much color hiding inside, it was bursting to get out of me. I can’t really imagine life without colors now. I have one room upstairs which is still white, but I think you need that one white space in order to appreciate the colors more.
LK: And also all this color to appreciate the white. Did your taste in art also change accordingly? Perhaps the meaning you search in art? Why did it take a breakup in order to access all this color?
SL: I think my taste in art changes all the time, at least I would hope so. Since I regard the collection as a visual diary of my life, I hope it shows that I’m on a journey which takes me in all sorts of directions. Obviously your eye will sharpen, evolve, and grow over time. Seeing so many pieces will naturally affect your taste in art. The great task at collecting is to connect all of these threads. This happens naturally, I think, if you stick to your core beliefs.
LK: Your father and grandmother were collectors way before you began...
SL: I remember sitting across from my father during family meals, and behind him hung a piece by the Danish artist Paul Gadegaard. I didn’t understand the work, so I often asked him what it meant. The only thing he’d repeat was, “One day you’ll understand it.” It drove me crazy, because I wanted a straightforward response. Now I get it though. Art never gives you the right answer, and that’s the beauty of it.
I was about 17 years old when my father took me to a gallery in Silkeborg, Denmark. Both of us stood in front of a David Spiller piece (‘I Want to Be Where Love Is’) and it was right then when suddenly his passion for art poured into me. I asked my father to take out all my savings, so I could buy it. It was such a special day. He died one year later, but I’ll forever be grateful for this moment we shared. In every venture concerning art, I always feel connected to him in some way.
LK: You avoid researching artists before you take a look at their work, since the information messes with your experience of viewing their work. Why does certain kinds of information change your initial experience?
f course I try to buy ‘smart’ art too, but I’m really conscious about buying with my emotions. Otherwise I feel this sacred space gets ruined by boring and calculated facts that only pertain to potential investment gains.
LK: What do you think would be a way to champion the intrinsic value of art, rather than just its capital value? While directing your former gallery, did you apply a similar ‘rule’ as you do with your collection?
SL: I find it very challenging to be simultaneously emotional and commercial about art. So as I grow older, and hopefully slightly wiser, I really feel the need to separate the two. Partially that’s also why I wanted to move on from the Mallorca project, and really just focus on collecting. I do other investments in the more ‘traditional’ business industry, and it’s going fairly well. So why not stick to doing business there, earn money and spend it in the art world. If you ask me, that’s the perfect balance.
Text: Lara Konrad
Photography: David Stjernholm for Collecteurs


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Terracotta Floral Bouquet Gold Belgian Wall Tapestry
Select Rod Select Tassels
|Artist||Jan Van Huysum|
|Composition||80% Cotton, 20% Viscose and Polyester blend.|
|Origin||Woven in Belgium|
|Dimensions||0.15 x 48.00 x 64.00 IN|
Terracotta Floral Bouquet is a Belgian wall tapestry based on a design by Jan van Huysum for the Duke of Mecklenburg circa 1740. Huysum (1682-1749) was a famous Dutch painter known as the most distinguished flower painter of his time several of his works are on display at the Louvre in Paris. His style was much imitated: the light colours he used, the even lighter backgrounds, and the openness of his intricate compositions became distinguishing features of 18th century Dutch floral still life painting. A fine accent to your home décor.
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domain: design


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No.21 fringed mini skirt
Black silk blend fringed mini skirt from No21. Size: 40. Gender: Female. Material: Silk/Polyester/Acetate/Viscose.
Free Delivery Code: FREEDELNo.21 NO. 21 Embellished satin mini skirt
Adorned with black clear and amber-yellow crystal and beaded flowers No. 21's black satin mini skirt is a pretty new-season pick. It's a structured piece with a loose fit and a comfortable elasticated waist. Wear it all night long with a strong block heel.
No.21 Giorgina Embroidered Mini Skirt
A short, sweet style with a lacy look and lots of tonal embroidery; Elasticized waist; Pleated front with extended sides; Plain back; Fully lined; About 15"L; Polyester; Dry clean; Made in Italy; Model shown is 5'10" (177cm) wearing US size 4.
No.21 No. 21 Double-Breasted Mini Skirt w/ Tags
Ivory No. 21 double-breasted mini skirt with tonal stitching throughout, dual seam pockets at sides, gold-tone button accents featuring anchor design at front, box pleat at front and concealed zip closure at side.


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Following the retirement of head of G10 FX James Bindler,
Citi is reorganising its business structure by merging its G10 and emerging markets FX activities into a
single global foreign exchange trading business.
reported by Profit & Loss,
Itay Tuchman has been appointed to head the new business, reporting to Nadir
Mahmud, head of FX and Local Markets. Tuchman will be relocated from Sydney,
where he is currently head of the Markets and Securities Services business for
Australia and New Zealand.
the Australasian role, Tuchman was head of FX and G10 rates trading in Japan.
to an internal memo seen by Profit & Loss,
as part of the changes Citi is also creating a distinct global local rates
trading business, which will include EM rates trading as well as local markets
Vaish has been named global local rates head, also reporting to Mahmud. Viash
is currently head of Markets and Securities Services in Mexico, prior to which
he was head of Markets and Securities Services for Citi South Asia, and earlier
had several senior trading assignments across multiple asset classes in Citi
and Lehman/Nomura in New York and India over a 25 year career.
appointment will be effective after a transition period once Viash’s
replacement as Markets and Securities Services head Mexico has been selected.
K. K. Tan
will continue as the global head of local markets treasury and as a member of Citi’s
FXLM Management Team, reporting jointly to Viash and Mahmud, as well as to
James von Moltke, treasurer of Citi, in his franchise balance sheet management
Viash will join Citi’s FXLM management team and work with the regional trading
heads as equal partners, according to the memo.

domain: finance


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Shisha Charcoal is charcoal, which is a black residue containing impure carbon, produced by removing water and volatile components from animals or plants. Generally you will get this just by heating wood, sugar, bones and various other objects. The following are the basic ingredients for making Shisha charcoal, including:
What Are the Basic Ingredients for Shisha Charcoal?
- Wood Charcoal Source
Shisha charcoal is charcoal made from wood, the most widely used is for cooking purposes. Other uses are as a water purifier, use in the health sector and much more. Shisha Charcoal is usually obtained from various types of wood, namely Halaban wood.
This charcoal from pohacee is the best type of charcoal made with a much longer burning than other types of charcoal. The best temperature is needed to burn this one charcoal, because this charcoal is the type of charcoal used for barbeque and industrial purposes and is therefore very good.
Also burned at the best temperature, which is about 2-3 hours of burning time at 1000 F with a very slick heat consistency. This will produce less charcoal ash for the benefit of society. Cooking will certainly be more comfortable because you use this one charcoal.
This type of charcoal is also very suitable to be used for grilling, smoking, and cooking in the room. Burning hookah Charcoal and Shisha Charcoal is very different, the difference lies in the length of use. Apart from this, this charcoal product is also more environmentally friendly and very affordable.
- Basic Ingredients of Sawdust Charcoal and Charcoal Briquettes
Pohacee also produces sawdust charcoal which is charcoal made from sawdust. The process of making it by burning, usually very easy to get from the right sawmill is also a leftover material that is rarely used by the owners so it is cheap.
This charcoal is usually used by a mixture of fertilizers and can be processed into charcoal briquettes. Charcoal briquettes are Pohacee products which are produced from sawdust, litter charcoal and husk charcoal. This type of charcoal can be used immediately and of course will run out quickly.
This charcoal will also be much more durable if it is converted into charcoal briquettes, the purpose of making this charcoal briquettes is to increase the burning time and save costs. This type of charcoal also goes through a series of production processes and is directly produced so that it can produce the best type of charcoal.
Obtained from tamarind trees, mangrove trees, guava trees and various types of trees that are the best in making charcoal. Hookah charcoal itself is made from a variety of natural raw materials, namely coconut wood from Sulawesi and Sumatra. Combustion is also not easy to just pass
This type of charcoal is also proven to be environmentally friendly, as a consumer you will find a different experience just by choosing this type of charcoal. Namely made of hard wood with coconut sawdust, the charcoal briquettes produced are also confirmed to be much longer than other charcoals.
Not only that, because we guarantee the quality of charcoal will be much better than other charcoal products. Made from a combination of binders as well as natural fillers in the form of dust or coal though.

domain: chemistry


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Postmenopausal women may be able to reduce their risk of heart disease almost 30 percent by taking fish oil supplements.
Natural remedies for menopause, such as soy, licorice root and black cohosh, have been prevalent for some time. Enter into the foray the Peruvian plant maca. Unlike the former, which all introduce phytoestrogens into the body as a relief agent, maca regulates the flow of estrogen throughout the body, according to biological researcher Gloria Chacon, Ph.D. Rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, protein, carbohydrates and vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E and some fatty acids, maca has been reported to assist with fatigue, mood swings and hot flashes.
Contrary to popular belief, recent research shows wearing a back belt while doing heavy lifting isn’t as effective at preventing injuries as previously thought. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported those who routinely wear back belts 2–3 times per week reported the same number of lower-back injuries as those workers who either only wore a back belt 2-3 times a month or who never wore them at all.
According to the journal Nature, the elderly can significantly increase their cognitive skills by simply developing a regular walking regimen. Of the 120 sedentary, elderly individuals tested, those who increased their stamina by walking three times a week, between 45–60 minutes each time, were more adept at switching mental skills quickly than those who aborted walking in favor of stretching and toning. Such news should be received favorably by many drivers, considering those quick-thinking skills are the same needed when operating a vehicle.
Those in high-stress jobs are often the first to forgo a formal vacation. Don’t do it. Researchers found the chances of an at-risk, middle-aged man dying from a heart attack are reduced by one-third when he takes an annual sojourn. The results, reported at an American Psychosomatic Society meeting, back the researchers’ deduction that vacation time away from the office helps reduce stress, thereby facilitating sound health.
Look Good, Feel Better (LGFB) is in the business of makeovers. Not the talk-show variety; the kind with a purpose. LGFB’s mission is to help improve the confidence of women with cancer by providing a free service teaching basic beauty techniques (from skin care to choosing a wig) to improve not only outer but inner beauty. LGFB believes by beginning with improving the tangible, each woman can better face her disease and treatment with an increased sense of optimism. Since its inception in 1989, more than 200,000 women have participated in the program.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology reported overweight persons have a six-times higher chance of developing arthritis in their knees than those with a normal body mass index (BMI), and the clinically obese are eight times more likely to develop arthritis. Researchers from the University of Ulm in Germany found the connection between obesity and osteoarthritis to be the result of the strain of excessive body weight upon the knees through mechanical actions rather than a metabolic link.
Exercise is an extremely important element in overall health, and, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), can benefit both mother and baby in a normal, healthy pregnancy. Physicians have given the OK to a moderate, already established exercise routine for pregnant women, but advise that any new regimen should be discussed with a primary care provider.
While many types of exercise may be beneficial to your health, only a few can increase bone strength. Researchers at Washington University recently studied the effects of both resistance (weight training) and impact training (aerobic exercise, running) on 27 non-active women. Both styles of training put pressure on the skeletal framework, thus provoking a rise in calcium absorption. One group performed only resistance training while the other did only impact training. After nine months, both groups increased bone density by 2 percent.

domain: medical


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- While providers who responded to a recent survey on ICD-10 are worried about the effect the coding switch will have on revenue, productivity and workflow, a growing minority say they are prepared.
- When the American Health Information Management Association and the eHealth Initiatives surveyed 349 providers, 38% said they think revenue will decrease in year following the switch from ICD-9, while only 6% said they think revenue will increase.
- Despite these concerns, 40% of respondents say they will be prepared to do end-to-end testing by the end of this year.
In most cases, having only 40% of providers feel comfortable with a major change in medical practice doesn't bode well for that change. But researchers with CMS seem very happy with the results, which are certainly a step up from the gloom and doom of previous years. Sensibly, CMS is now trying to capture the best practices of providers who are ready to proceed with the switchover and share them with those who are still struggling. Despite the improvement in morale, it's important not to forget that 38% of providers think the ICD-10 switch will cause them to lose money next year. If CMS can export practices from prepared providers to those who fear a financial loss, it could significantly smooth the transition.
After a delay announced in April, the ICD-10 changeover is set for October 1, 2015.

domain: news


Schuberth SC2 BASED on Sena 50S?
How could there be a new Schuberth C5 helmet without a completely new Bluetooth communication system? There couldn’t be! The new Schuberth SC2 is based on the SENA 50S, and thanks to this the new system has the MESH 2.0 network intercom. Sena is the market leader in the world of communication systems, at least if you ask us – so we’re very excited about this new product.
Installing this communication is a doddle, it only takes a minute! The helmets themselves have all the necessary parts preinstalled: speakers, antennas – you name it. All you need to do is click the module, battery and microphone into place and you’re away.
The SC2 communication system allows you to connect with up to 24 riders with the MESH group intercom system, or an unlimited amount of riders with the MESH open intercom system. Of course you will be able to use the regular bike-to-bike Bluetooth intercom protocol, which allows a maximum of 4 riders.
This new state-of-the-art system offers support for Siri and Google Assistant. It is also possible to listen to music via your mobile device or via FM radio. You can also use the SC2 system in combination with your GPS navigation system.
- Up to 12 hrs Bluetooth intercom talk time, or 8 hrs with MESH intercom
- Up to 2 days standby
- Bike-to-bike intercom max. 4 riders
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 2 Bluetooth channels
- Bluetooth intercom distance up to 2 km
- MESH intercom distance up to 2 km
- Open Mesh intercom: unlimited amount of riders
- Group Mesh intercom: maximum of 24 riders
- Active noise control
- Music sharing: yes
- FM radio: yes
- Audio-multitasking: yes
- Charging time: about 2 hrs
- Voice control
- Support for Siri and Google Assistant
- USB-C cable included
- Fits all Schuberth C5 helmets


Sion resident docs protest, want better living facilities
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- Hummer horror: Senior policeman suspended for secretly meeting Kerala businessman
Resident doctors at Sion Hospital on Saturday staged a protest demanding better accommodation. They have have been seeking bigger dormitories for nearly two years. The issue gained momentum after KEM Hospital recently got a swanky, multi-storeyed building for its resident doctors.
"If doctors have to work round the clock, their living conditions have to be habitable enough. Three months ago, the then dean of the hospital had assured us that we would get bigger residential quarters. But the promises have remained on paper," said a member of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors.
There are around 800 resident doctors at Sion Hospital. One of the floors in the newly-opened OPD building on the hospital premises was to be for the resident doctors' accommodation. However, the plan has not materialised.
Dr Suleman Merchant, who recently took over as dean of Sion Hospital, said he was doing everything in his capacity to provide better living conditions for the resident doctors.
"I have been working on this issue relentlessly since I became dean. We have appealed to higher authorities to provide the necessary budget," Merchant said.


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Hey, there fellow Mac users and passionate WoW gamers! Are you struggling to download and install World of Warcraft on your Mac computer? Fear not, as I have the solution to your problem! In this article, I will guide you through the step-by-step process of downloading and installing World of Warcraft on your Mac.
This guide will be focused on and optimized for Apple Silicon Macs. The guide demonstrates how to download World of Warcraft, and how to get it working on Apple Silicon hardware. World of Warcraft is one of the very first games that were optimized for the native Apple Silicon Mac, which is why it runs great even on the base M1 hardware.
The guide emphasizes the importance of Apple Silicon hardware optimization because it is one of the few games from Blizzard that is actually optimized for native M1 or M2 Macs, requiring no kind of translation.
You can use the following links to scroll to the section of the article you need:
- How to download WoW on Mac?
- How to install WoW on MAC? (Video Guide)
- How to download WoW Classic on Mac?
- How to install WoW Classic on MAC? (Video Guide)
How to download WoW on Mac?
STEP 1. Go to the Battle.net website and click on the “Download Battle.net” button
To download and install World of Warcraft on an Apple Silicon Mac, the first step is to go to the Battle.net website and click on the “Download Battle.net” button.
STEP 2. Allow downloads from Blizzard.com and download the Battle.net setup file.
To start the download you will need to press the allow button, telling MAC that you trust this file.
STEP 3. Open Finder, go to the Downloads folder and double-click on the Battle.net setup file.
After the download is complete you will see a Battle.net-Setup file in the downloads or your default download location. With this, you are all set to start the installation process.
To see how to install World of Warcraft on MAC you can watch the video in the next section.
How to install WoW on MAC?
After allowing downloads from Blizzard.com, the Battle.net setup will be downloaded and saved to the downloads folder. You can now follow these simple steps to complete the installation or watch the full video below on how to install WoW on MAC.
- Open Finder, go to the Downloads folder and double-click on the Battle.net setup file.
- Follow the prompts to install Battle.net on your Mac.
- Log in with your Battle.net account or create a new one.
- Once Battle.net is installed, find the “World of Warcraft” game in the “All Games” section of the launcher.
- If you don’t already have World of Warcraft, purchase it from the shop and add it to your account.
- Click the “Install” button to start the installation process.
- Wait for the installation to complete (requires 78GB of storage space).
- Click the “Play” button to launch World of Warcraft.
- Log in to one of the game servers and agree to the social contract.
- Access the frame rate by pressing “Ctrl + R”.
- Enjoy playing World of Warcraft on your Apple Silicon Mac!
How to download WoW Classic on Mac?
To download WoW Classic on MAC you need to follow the same download steps as for the Word of Warcraft Retail version:
- STEP 1. Go to the Battle.net website and click on the “Download Battle.net” button
- STEP 2. Allow downloads from Blizzard.com and download the Battle.net setup file.
- STEP 3. Open Finder, go to the Downloads folder, and double-click on the Battle.net setup file.
The WOW client is the same for both WOW Classic and WOW retail. After installation, you can select the version of the game you want to play as shown in the image below.
How to install WoW Classic on MAC?
To install World of Warcraft Classic you need that standard World of Warcraft already installed. If you don’t have it installed yet, you can check out the section above on How to install WoW on MAC?
After that, it is as simple as selecting World of Warcraft Classic and clicking the button install. See the image below.
If you get lost in the process you can watch the video below that guides you on how to Install Word of Warcraft Classic.
In conclusion, downloading and installing World of Warcraft Retail and its vanilla classic version on a Mac can be easily accomplished by following a few simple steps as described in the article. In addition to the steps above, you also need to ensure that your MAC meets the minimum system requirements for the game. Additionally, users can download and install addons to enhance their gameplay experience. Popular add-ons include DBM, Recount, and WeakAuras, but that is a topic for another article 🙂

domain: game


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Kafka on the Shore- Book Review
Book Title: Kafka on the Shore
Author: Haruki Murakami
Translated by Philip Gabriel
Publisher: Random House
(Penguin Vintage Books)
My Rating: ****
About the Author: Haruki Murakami is a popular contemporary Japanese writer, who studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo. His writing is heavily influenced by Western culture, particularly Western music and literature. His books have been translated into more than 50 languages and many international honours and awards have also been conferred upon him.
I'd read that Haruki Murakami's books are easily accessible yet profoundly complex. After reading 'Kafka on the Shore', I understand what that exactly means.
As a professionally trained commercial artist, I've learnt about 'Surrealism' as an art but I've never seen it applied to writing, in this fantastic a manner. Haruki Murakami is a magician as far as this book goes!
The book progresses simultaneously in two parts- All the odd number chapters is in the first person narration by a 15 year old boy called Kafka Tamura who runs away from home to escape the dark fate that his father (whom he hates) has predicted about him. All the even numbered chapters tell us the story of an odd little old man called Nakata who is not so bright, but can talk to cats. The storytelling is slow paced at the beginning but undeniably gripping, and intriguing.
I doff my proverbial hat for the way this author can build all of his characters, besides the protagonists in focus. Around 150 pages into the book, the story takes the most unexpected of turns and from thereon its a roller coaster ride with the most mind-boggling characters, that keep appearing one after the other; Johnnie Walker, an infamous cat-killer in whose dictionary, hesitate is one word you wont find; Oshima, a hemophiliac of undetermined sex who runs a private library, and owns a secluded shack at the edge of the labyrinthine forests in the mountains; ghost-like Colonel Sanders dressed in whites, neither god-nor a Buddha, who plays a key-role for Nakata's mission. Even those that make short appearances, like Mimi the Siamese cat, the boy named Crow, Hoshino in the Chunichi dragons cap, all are so interesting, entertaining and memorable.
The reader will definitely be awed by the way the stories that are seemingly disconnected at the start, running parallel like two trains collide into a magnificently philosophical, meta-physical, explosive and stunning end. It all ties-in, in the most unimaginable way!
I have deducted one star most reluctantly because of a very personal opinion. The extremely descriptive cat-torture and incest scenes that I couldn't get out of my head, felt very disturbing to me, and it seemed like the author bordered on promoting the immorality. Maybe, the intention and voice was lost in translation, or I've missed the point totally, but those are the only points in the story which I wished I could omit.
Overall, I am in a complete Murakami hangover! And, this book definitely makes me want to read more from this author because I want to dip into his vast knowledge of literature, philosophy and music.
My verdict- Kafka on the shore is not meant for all readers, but if you enjoy surrealism then this is a MUST READ!
Submitting this Book Review as the
Fiction-NonFiction Challenge 2021 #FNFReads2021 with @VinayLeoReads
for the category: A book originally published in the 2000s

domain: artistic


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Dust storms were not new to the region in the 1930s, but a number of demographic and cultural factors were new first there were a lot more people living in the region in the 1930s than there had been in the 1880s. Transcript of economic & social effects of the dust bowl united states during the 1930s economic & social effects of the dust bowl in one of many causes of. The great depression was a time of great economic crisis during the 1930s it began in the united states, but quickly spread throughout much of the world. During the 1930s the united states experienced one of the on the causes of the 1930s dust bowl: of much of the great plains as the dust bowl. In the 1930s a section of the great plains of the united states-extending over southeastern colorado, southwestern kansas, the panhandles of texas and oklahoma, and northeastern new mexico-was called the dust bowl. The dust bowl, also known as the dirty thirties, was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the american and canadian prairies during the 1930s severe drought and a failure to apply dryland farming methods to prevent wind erosion (the aeolian processes) caused the phenomenon.
Climatic events in the history of the united states was the dust bowl drought which devastated the united states central states region known as the great plains (high plains) the dust bowl all but dried up an already depressed american economy in the 1930's creating millions of dollars in damages. Dust bowl of the 1930s that has affected the united states the “dust bowl” was the name given to the great however there were some natural causes. How can the answer be improved. The dust bowl in the 1930s united states in the heartland of the in combination with overgrazing caused destruction. Dust bowl: could it happen again in areas where the amount of dust in the air causes bowl struck the plains states in the 1930s.
United states canada australia free great depression graphic organizer: causes, themes, dust (25 slides) including: causes of the dust bowl. During the 1930s there was a period of severe drought and dust storms the ecology and agriculture in the canadian prairies and the united states was damaged severely this period became known as the dust bowl the dust bowl was caused because of wind erosion that occurred because of the drought.
The dust bowl of the 1930s lasted about a and years of sustained drought caused the dust bowl of the country and affecting 27 states. What caused the dust bowl during the 1930s, the central part of the united states experienced a drastic water what causes black blizzards.
Documenting the dust bowl the causes and consequences of the dust bowl and contrasts the migrant farmers of people across the united states. The dust bowl was a series of periodic dust storms in the midwestern migration out of the dust bowl states the dust bowl - definition, facts & causes.
A farmstead and farm equipment buried in dust during the mid-1930s (image: noaa/department of commerce) although the 1988–89 drought was the most economically devastating natural disaster in the history of the united states (riebsame et al, 1991), a close second is undoubtedly the series of droughts that affected large. The event leads to an investigation of the explosion and the disaster causes major public distrust of the dust bowl in the united states in the 1930s.
The agricultural devastation helped to lengthen the great depression, whose effects were felt worldwide one hundred million acres of the southern plains were turning into a wasteland of the dust bowl large sections of five states were affected — texas, oklahoma, kansas, colorado and new mexico. Dust bowl causes and effects of dust bowl the drought by the end of the 1930s especially somebody who traveled around the united states looking for work. The dust bowl was the name given to the us states that suffered severe dust storms during the 1930s the united states what was the dust bowl. Learn more about the great depression of the 1930s, including the dust bowl, causes, effects, facts, and comparisons to today. Results of a dust storm, oklahoma, 1936 america from the great depression to world war ii, 1935-1945 between 1930 and 1940, the southwestern great plains region of the united states suffered a severe drought.
This map shows the extent of the dust bowl over six states where the dust bowl took place in the united states portal sites, 1930s the dust bowl. Quick answer the dust bowl was a severe drought that hit the us midwest in the 1930s it was caused by irregular fluctuations in ocean temperatures, dry climates and poor farming techniques it was characterized by massive dust storms that contributed to the harsh and dry climate. While “black blizzards” constantly menaced plains states in the 1930s, a massive dust storm 2 miles high traveled that overran the dust bowl states in. Europe did not have the time for growing crops so they bought food from the united states dust bowl lack of rain back in the 1930 dust bowl was caused. Dust bowl: hit the united states between 1933 and causes of the dust bowl one of the most devastating environmental (“united states history”) in 1930s.

domain: library


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ND Men’s Tennis: Men’s squad avenges loss to Louisville to capture this year’s title
Deirdre Krasula | Monday, April 23, 2007
Notre Dame may have lost last year’s Big East championship to Louisville, but that was a mere memory Sunday when the No. 4 Irish cruised past the Cardinals 4-0 to capture the 2007 Big East title.
Senior Stephen Bass proved why he holds not only the captain’s position but also the No. 1 singles and doubles spots. Bass aided Notre Dame in its win by capturing the deciding singles point and the deciding doubles point with senior partner Ryan Keckley.
The No. 3 duo of senior Barry King and junior Andrew Roth opened up doubles play for the Irish with and 8-1 rout of Chris Herrlinger and James McArthur. Louisville battled back at the No. 2 spot when David Simon and Robert Rotaru defeated the Irish duo of junior Sheeva Parbhu and sophomore Brett Helgeson 8-2.
With doubles tied at one apiece, Bass and Keckley battled at the top spot against No. 22 Damar Johnson and Slavko Radman. The match was back and forth for over an hour until Bass and Keckley broke serve to take the win 9-7. It marked the second time this season that the Irish duo has knocked off the No. 22 Cardinals duo.
With the doubles point in hand, Brett Helgeson quickly polished off Kenneth Nordheim at No. 3 singles. Helgeson defeated Nordheim in straight set victories 6-1, 6-0.
With the 2-0 lead, Notre Dame coach Bobby Bayliss noted that Louisville began to feel the need to step it up.
“Brett really set the tone when he got off the court so quickly,” he said. “He put a lot of pressure on the Louisville guys.”
Following the tone set by Helgeson, King was off the courts next for the Irish. King made quick work of Robert Rotaru as he defeated him 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 4 spot to bring Notre Dame within one point of the win. King dominated play with his aggressive on all ends.
“He dictated off the ground, got to the net, and asserted his authority in good solid all court play,” Bayliss said.
Bass once again stepped up for the Irish at No. 1 singles as he clinched the win for Notre Dame with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Slavko Radman. It was the second time in the past month that No. 9 Bass has defeated No. 68 Slavko Radman.
Bass has been a guiding force on the Irish squad this year.
“It’s exactly what you want to see as a coach,” Bayliss said of Bass. “To assume that amount of responsibility and take the ball.”
Notre Dame defeated Villanova and St. John’s by scores of 4-0 and 4-0 en route to the championship against Louisville. The 4-0 win over the Cardinals guaranteed the Irish an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.


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Tina Turner Recording Session art print by Michael Ochs Archives. Our art prints are produced on acid-free papers using archival inks to guarantee that they last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All art prints include a 1" white border around the image to allow for future framing and matting, if desired.
CIRCA 1969: Tina Turner of the husband-and-wife R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner sings during a recording session in circa 1969. (Photo by Michael Ochs... more
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These filters have large surface areas and unique fluted flow channels that resist compaction and flow loss under heavy dirt loading. All of our sediment filter cartridges are guaranteed cleanable and reusable when used on potable water. They are constructed of a proprietary media consisting of a fixed matrix of cotton, and polyester fiber with thermosetting resin, for durability. The center core is made of high strength polypropylene and the end seals are composed of flexible plastisol.
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How should urban transport be managed to have cities free of traffic and smog?
There Toyota accepted the challenge and launched a program of sustainable mobility that "represents a harmonious transport network " which limits road congestion and increases the level of harmony between motorists. THE public transport they are greener than private cars but it is a real stress having to wait for connections and buses.
The experiment launched by Toyota is called Harmonius Mobility Network, abbreviated with the abbreviations "Ha: Mo". The program Toyota is based on two lines, the first exploits electric vehicles offered in sharing, the second uses public transport. Both lines can be conveniently managed by your own smartphone!
Using an application, the user can make the best choice based on the route to be traveled. It analyzes a mix of various means of transport such as trains, buses, taxis and "coms"... The app also takes into account traffic congestion. The system provides information on parking spaces, on the availability of parking spaces etc.
Ha: Mo, offers a service that allows the optimal management of urban traffic but also a fleet of electric vehicles as alternative means of transport that will help the user to move from one station to another. There urban mobility, with Ha: Mo, manages to integrate individual needs with public transport lines. The fleet of electric vehicles It's composed by ultra-compact cars. The model used is the COMS electric vehicle of Toyota.
For the first year, Toyota offers the use of the COMS at no cost. Currently the program Harmonius Mobility Network it is limited to 100 people but will soon be expanded to 1000 citizens who will have to divide a fleet of 100 electric vehicles. Toyota, to improve the efficiency of its service, has implemented an energy data management system (EDMS) whose purpose is to reduce the overall energy consumption transportation.
The project Toyota City demonstrates the technological avant-garde of Japan. As if that were not enough, soon there Yamaha will take the field introducing electric motorcycles and other means of transport for Japanese commuters such as pedal assisted bicycles.


Marketing Support Manager
A leading multi-national organisation based in Victoria, Central London are looking to recruit a 'Marketing Support Manager'.
The role is paying £30-33K (£30K basic plus £3K bonus).
You MUST have a minimum 2-3 years marketing experience, ideally in an agency working on e-mail campaigns etc. You will have experience of using Web/CMS platforms, ideally Eloqua, Salesforce and Adobe Analytics.
You will also be responsible for being the 1st line support for all internal queries using the marketing platform.
Main Duties & Responsibilities:
- Act as the first point of contact for 'how do I’ enquiries from UK offices
- Deliver new starter training for all marketing applications
- Ensure marketing users are confident in the use of marketing applications including the delivery of refresher training
- Proactively monitor incidents and requests to, in conjunction with the Digital Marketing Director and Digital Director, improve service levels, work flows and training materials
- Assist business users in their communication with Digital, Data and IT support teams and escalate issues as appropriate
- In conjunction with the Divisional Marketing Director, identify and communicate best practice in terms of delivering optimised web experiences, marketing automation campaigns and data-driven decision making
- Create and maintain effective communication channels with business users
- Establish communication channels with global (Digital, Data and IT) support teams
- Proactively identify critical business issues in advance and escalate to the appropriate department head
- Represent the business (Voice of the Customer) in Support Team calls / meetings
- Provide 1st level support to business users for the above-named Adobe and Oracle products
- Provide 1st level support on data related enquiries
- Escalate major incidents to appropriate parties in line with agreed processes and procedures
- Effectively cascade Divisional strategy and initiatives in relation to marketing applications and process to business users
MINIMUM EDUCATION LEVEL:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant business / technology discipline
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
- Exceptional communication skills demonstrating an ability to effectively communicate with both business teams and technical teams
- Experience of email design and basic skills in HTML and CSS
- Previous experience of working with web CMS platforms or marketing automation or analytics applications
- Previous experience of working in a marketing function or directly with marketing users
- Demonstrate analytical, logical thinking capability
- Ability to operate in a high paced demanding environment
- Ability to prioritise and handle incoming enquiries effectively
- Previous experience of Eloqua, Salesforce, Adobe Analytics, Adobe Experience Manager would be advantageous
- Previous experience in the B2B / B2C events industry
- Front End Web Developer Skills
- Previous experience of delivering successful business user training programmes
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a leading organisation with excellent career prospects and generous staff benefits.
PLEASE APPLY NOW!


The Production of Arrival Neighbourhoods – The Role of Housing Stock and its Dynamics for Socio-Spatial Segregation and Social Cohesion
The project investigates specifics of the housing stock that influence the emergence and further dynamics of arrival neighbourhoods. It assumes that the interplay of specific demand and supply situations has a decisive influence on the emergence of arrival spaces.
There are currently few studies that analyse the type and nature of housing supply in arrival neighbourhoods and the strategies of various housing providers to respond to immigration and increasing diversity. The existing body of literature is rather vague and shows various gaps. In the course of a systematic literature review, research results from Germany and Europe are evaluated in order to present a coherent picture of the research landscape and the state of scientific knowledge on the subject.
Methodical approaches to the recording of relations between the built environment and its conditions of use, on the one hand, and social dynamics, on the other hand, are examined more closely using the example of arrival neighbourhoods.
- What significance do residential structures have for the emergence of arrival neighbourhoods?
- Which structural and spatial specifics do arrival neighbourhoods have in the area of housing in comparison to the respective urban area as well as to other parts of the city influenced by migration?
- How did they change over time?
- What significance do strategies, portfolio development, letting and occupancy practices of different housing providers play for the emergence of specific housing market situations and framework conditions?
- How can relevant mechanisms and practices be better understood in the future?
Characteristics of the stock, its ownership structures and supply-side mechanisms of housing access are identified that contribute to residential segregation and influence social cohesion under the specific conditions of arrival neighbourhoods.
In this context, the role and impact of relevant policies and practices of urban development will also be considered. The aim is to examine governance of actors and other forms of formal and informal cooperation, with a special focus on different housing providers.


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If nothing else, you have to give Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers credit for refusing to ape the Kirby aesthetic in any way. Oh, there are moments in the first issue where Joe Casey manages moments that feel appropriately Kirby-esque (The captions that explain “War can often breed sudden tragedy—as Captain Victory pays the ultimate price! And yet—this is where it all begins!” for example, have a rhythm and emphasis that feels true, to me), but this isn’t merely a cover version or rehash of what’s come before.
The problem is, I’m not entirely sure what it is, just yet, either. The first issue feels very familiar, but I can’t quite place the source; for all the Kirby influence, I got a taste of Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple’s Omega the Unknown series from a few years back (and, from that, the echoes of Gerber/Skenes/Mooney’s original Omega, which feels like a very clear influence on one of the plot threads this issue introduces). There’s some Frank Miller in there, too, from the The Dark Knight Returns era, right at the end (or maybe it’s Alan Moore’s Halo Jones, with the unappealing slang: “Oh, biz. That bulldog riffer don’t look kosher t’me,” indeed). As obvious as it seems given the presence of Nathan Fox as primary artist, Paul Pope figures in here, somewhere, too.
If all of that sounds great, then—it is? Or almost is? The problem is, it doesn’t come together as a coherent whole just yet. I suspect that’s by design, at least partially. One of the ways in which this first issue rejects Kirby is by doing away with the concept of the issue complete and and of itself—while Kirby’s original Captain Victory was arguably his most serialized work, in many ways, this new Dynamite series is going to be even more demanding on the reader’s patience, with the first issue throwing out at least three disparate threads to follow up in future issues, with at two very much teases or previews instead of anything more substantial.
Another difference this series has from Kirby—and also the earlier Dynamite revivals of his characters, as well as the even earlier Topps revivals—is the removal of the dynamic omniscient narrator outside of the opening pages. It’s an interesting tactic that works, I think: we start with something approaching the character and set-up as we know it, and then as disaster strikes, our expectations fall away and we’re left in this new world (or, to be precise, three new worlds) without a guide. There’s a sense of… uncertainty, perhaps, and something else that seems appropriate to the story/stories being told that’s appealing.
And, of course, the book looks amazing. The jam structure works well—Fox takes on the main narrative, with Jim Rugg and Ulises Farinas illustrating very specific sequences that break from that main story, so that it doesn’t feel as fragmented as some books with multiple artists; everything feels deliberate and coherent, even if it rejects a lot of the wonderful, still-attractive-to-these-eyes Kirby aesthetic (By which I mean his storytelling as much as his character design or dynamism; Kirby was a very controlled artist in his pacing, whereas this is much more freewheeling).
Whether or not the new Captain Victory works for you isn’t as much of a Kirby thing as previous attempts at revival, but instead a test of your willingness to sign onto something that remains almost as much of a mystery in terms of its intent and direction after its first issue as it did before the series launched. Me, I know this isn’t perfect and could easily fall into prevention or, worse, incoherence all too easily, and yet, I’m on board. There’s something about not knowing that appeals, and if nothing else, it’s a beautiful book. On some level, Kirby would be proud.
(For those wondering: You’ve not missed this issue last week; it’s out this Wednesday–I got an early preview copy from Dynamite.)


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BONITA SPRINGS - What: Community forum about the Bonita Springs YMCA
When: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 20
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Road, McClure Hall
Moderated by Daily News' Jeff Lytle, editorial page editor
Redistricting isn't limited to politics and could happen soon in Southwest Florida.
Bonita Springs may move — on paper — to be included in the charter boundaries of the South County Family YMCA, which operates in southern Sarasota County.
The south Sarasota organization has acquired the YMCA in Fort Myers, so the concept would be to unite Lee County, said Ken Modzelewski, president and chief executive officer of South County YMCA.
"We're just beginning that conversation with YMCA of the USA," he said. "It has been done before. It has been done case-by-case."
If a takeover of the Bonita Springs YMCA happens, it doesn't necessarily mean its recently closed center at 27200 Kent Road would reopen.
"Whether there would be a new building, a storefront or the existing building, that is all up in the air," he said.
Modzelewski isn't enthusiastic about the current location east of Interstate 75 or the design of the 24,000-square-foot building. The $7.2 million Bonita center opened in 2005 and was operated by YMCA of the Palms in Collier County until financial losses forced its closure last month.
"My sense is it is not an ideal location and if I had built that building, I would not have built that building," he said.
William Burke, chairman of YMCA of the Palms, which also operates the Naples YMCA off Pine Ridge Road, said his board approached South County last year.
"We want there to be a Y in Bonita and if YMCA of the Palms can't do it, then we welcome another Y to do it," he said.
When asked about a time line for a potential takeover, Burke thought it could get done by the end of the year.
The Bonita center has $1.5 million in combined debt for the building's construction and operating losses of $150,000 a year for the past four or five years, Burke said.
The board made the decision to close it, despite working on a strategic plan during the last 18 to 20 months to come up with a solution to shore up the losses.
Membership never lived up to initial projections; Bonita needed 2,500 memberships to thrive. It peaked at 1,600 and declined to less than 1,000 with the recession, said Brandon Dowdy, chief executive officer.
"The financial projections back in 2004 are completely different," he said.
Dowdy understood that South County YMCA was only interested in the Bonita building if it was debt free.
"We did go through a variety of other options," Dowdy said. "I wouldn't rule out we wouldn't come up with something but we don't have an offer on the table."
Also troubling was a lack of consensus among members of the Bonita YMCA advisory board about the debt tied to the Bonita building, Burke said.
Before its construction in 2004, the YMCA board issued $3 million in bonds and the question became how much in pledges was intended to offset the bond debt, he said.
"The number we have arrived at is $1.5 million in debt is associated with that building," he said.
Bonita YMCA advisory members who were reached declined to comment about the closure.
One member, Jack Brown, thinks there is hope, however.
"I think it's a to-be-continued story," he said.
Part of the membership hardship can be attributed to growth of fitness clubs in gated communities, two operated by the NCH Healthcare System, for-profit centers, and expanded programs by Collier County's Parks and Recreation staff.
When talks began with South County, the Bonita center was still open; its closing doesn't help the situation, Modzelewski said.
"Now all the members have left and all the YMCA business has gone someplace else," he said.
Don Hillebrands, who worked at the Bonita center, said members were stunned by the closing and those he has spoken with feel jaded about going back if it reopens.
"They feel they were thrown under the bus," he said.
Hillebrands said he and other employees were told they would have jobs at the Naples YMCA but most weren't offered enough hours. They have moved on to other fitness centers.
Modzelewski said the Bonita prospects are on the back burner now, except for seeking new charter boundaries, because of the May 1 acquisition of the Fort Myers YMCA. He declined to speak about the financial terms of that deal.
"We have acquired all of their assets and we are looking at new initiatives down there," he said, adding that his organization is doing a market study of all Lee County. "We are a very strong YMCA but obviously we cannot come and rehabilitate everyone overnight. Lee was struggling, Naples is struggling. Lee was willing to merge so we went that route and that's worked out well."
He has looked at the debt held by YMCA of the Palms, which stood at $8.5 million, according to its 2009 tax-exempt filings with the IRS, the most recent year available.
"They have a lot of debt," Modzelewski said. "It's hard for anybody to come in from the outside and not running the day-to-day operation, to get a true picture of what's gone on. We would have done something different but I can't say exactly what."
He acknowledges the recession hurt membership everywhere, but he believes the Bonita YMCA's location is equally a factor for its bad times.
"My sense is it's a little of both," he said.
* * * * * * * * * *
According to the 2009 IRS filings, the YMCA of the Palms had net assets of $6.2 million, a decline of more than $1 million from the year before when net assets were $7.3 million.
For both years, the YMCA lost about $1 million. Total expenses came in at $6.8 million in 2009 and revenue at $5.7 million.
When it comes to membership dues, program fees, contributions and fundraising, the YMCA took in $5.5 million in 2009, a decline from $5.6 million the year before.
According to 2009 IRS filings, YMCA of the Palms had net assets of $6.2 million, a decline from the year before when net assets were $7.3 million.
For both years, total expenses came in at $6.8 million in 2009 and revenue at $5.7 million.
As for dues, program fees, contributions and fundraising, the YMCA took in $5.5 million in 2009, a decline from $5.6 million the year before.
Annually, the YMCA reported serving 25,000 people, which included 10,000 children, and provided $622,722 in direct financial assistance for all program scholarships, which includes assistance for needy kids enrolled in its Gaynor Child Development Center.
With respect to the $8.5 million mortgage debt in 2009, Burke said that has since been paid down and is close to $7 million. The independent financial audit for 2010 isn't finalized.
The Naples YMCA building has $5.5 million in debt, he said.
For some time now, the YMCA of Broward County has been providing financial and human resource guidance to the Collier organization, said Sheryl A. Woods, president and chief executive officer of Broward.
"Since the YMCA of Broward County is a larger organization and has many more resources it only makes sense to help the YMCA of the Palms," Woods said.
That dovetails into the longtime philosophy of YMCAs helping other organizations that are struggling, said Judi Erickson, Broward's marketing director.
Part of the membership hardship can be attributed to growth of fitness clubs in gated communities, two operated by the NCH Healthcare System, for-profit centers, and expanded programs by Collier County's Parks and Recreation staff, Burke said.
"Our facility is relatively old by Naples standards," he said, but discarded criticism that maintenance has been scaled back or that there is musty smell in some areas of the facility. "We completely renovated the locker rooms three or four years ago. I think we have a clean facility and I don't detect on odor. I have used it for 15 years."
When asked if the program reach of the entire family, from kids to elders, may be overbroad, CEO Dowdy countered that the family focus is the YMCA's strength.
He pointed to the mission nationally of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
"The advantage we have is our family atmosphere, so we need programs to promote families to us," Dowdy said. "We aren't the same as the big box fitness centers."
__ Connect with health-care reporter Liz Freeman at www.naplesnews.com/staff/liz_freeman
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
Monday-Friday: 6am-6pm / Saturday: 7am-3pm / Sunday: 7am-2pm


There have been several robberies within the past week.
RELATED: River North shooting: Teen killed by gunman waiting outside Grand and State Red Line stop, CPD says
The CTA said guards will have a more visible presence on the system during key hours of operation.
Friday morning, Chicago police released photos of three people suspect of attacking and robbing a man on the Red Line.
RELATED: Chicago police detectives investigating rise in CTA crimes after shootings, violence along Red Line
It happened Monday at the Grand Station in the Near North Side neighborhood.


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- Page Street Publishing 2015; US$ 14.99
Learn To Make Delicious, Next-Level Barbecue From a Smoking Pro Use your WSM and other smokers to take your barbecue to the next level. This book includes incredible recipes combined with all the secrets to making great-tasting, succulent and perfectly cooked barbecue every time. Keep an eye out for the pulled pork recipe that won "the Jack,"... more...
- Workman Publishing Company 2016; US$ 17.95
From America?s ?master griller? ( Esquire ), a step-by-step guide to cold-smoking, hot-smoking, and smoke-roasting, and a collection of 100 innovative recipes for smoking every kind of food, from starters to desserts. Smoke is the soul of barbecue, the alchemy that happens when burning wood infuses its magical flavors into food. Project Smoke ... more...
- HarperCollins 2010; US$ 7.99
New York Times Bestelling author and BBQ maestro Adam Perry Lang is back! Serious Barbecue meets A Man, A Can, A Plan in BBQ 25 : an ultra-foolproof guide to the 25 most popular barbecue dishes, in a format anyone can follow with guaranteed success. more...
- Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony 2010; US$ 24.99
Winners of the World Championship BBQ Cook-Off for six years in a row and with hundreds of other contest ribbons as well, nobody does barbecue better than Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. Chris Lilly, executive chef of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and great-grandson-in-law of Big Bob himself, now passes on the family secrets in this quintessential... more...
- Wiley 2011; US$ 16.99 US$ 13.59
Heard about the phenomenon called indoor grilling? From open or covered electric grills to contact grills, grill pans, and cooktop inserts, there are all kinds of indoor grilling options that are inexpensive to purchase, take little time to clean up, and store conveniently out of sight. Best of all, whether it’s a bright, sunny day, a rainy afternoon,... more...
- Octopus 2008; US$ 8.99
Everyone loves barbecues - the sun, the smells, the smiles - however most of us would admit that we have a limited range when it comes to producing flame-grilled food. This book gives you over 200 tasty recipes to turn your barbecue into a barbie banquet! From quick and easy classics including Greek-style Lamb Burger and Coconut Butterfly Prawns to... more...
- Dorling Kindersley Ltd 2011; Not Available
Fire up the barbecue, choose your tools and get sizzling with master grillers Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby! Feel the heat, hear the sizzle and treat everyone's tastebuds to the best barbecued feast ever. You'll never cook in the kitchen again! Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, the finest grilling duo in the world, show the best way... more...
- Workman Publishing Company 2004; US$ 15.95
Indoors?It's the new outdoors SPIT-ROASTED PRIME RIBS, crusty on the outside, moist and tender inside. Yes! CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK, heady with smoke and spice. Yes! CURRY-GRILLED LAMB KEBABS, POTATOES ROASTED IN THE ASHES, BAYOU WINGS, VANILLA-GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH DARK RUM GLAZE?all of it infused with honest-to-goodness real-grilled flavor, and... more...
- Workman Publishing Company 2000; US$ 12.95
Marinate skewers of beef tips in Tex-Mex Tequila-Jalapeno Wet Rub before putting them on the grill. Or slather pork chops with B.B. Lawnside Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce. Or coax a chicken breast to perfection with a Coconut Curry Baste. From Steven Raichlen, author of the big, bad, definitive BARBECUE! BIBLE, comes BARBECUE! BIBLE SAUCES, RUBS, AND... more...

domain: food


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Milky Way over Toe Head, Isle of Harris
I was on the Isle of Harris to photograph the incredible beaches found in the south of the island but found myself mesmerised by the night sky. I’m quite inexperienced at night photography but I knew I’d need to gather as much light as possible to stand any chance in such a dark location.
I set up my tripod, attached my trusty Nikon D3 and 17-35mm f/2.8 lens and encountered my first problem. The sky was far too dark to use auto focus. I switched into manual focus mode and focused to infinity then back just a tiny amount. I knew I would probably have to finesse this but it would get me pretty close to sharp focus on the night sky.
I wanted to make a picture that included some land and sea for context. Water reflects light and would help lift the image so I knew I wanted to include it in the lower part of the frame. From experience I knew where Toe Head was (a small peninsula to the west) but I couldn’t see it. It was seriously dark even if the heavens were twinkling above. I took the lens to it’s widest focal setting at 17mm and decided to make a best guess at composition, again, knowing I could finesse after the first frame.
I made a best guess at exposure; I set my ISO to 3200, Aperture wide open at f/2.8 and my shutter speed to 20 seconds. I used all of the weapons at my disposal to make the cleanest image possible: self timer set to 2 seconds, Exposure delay mode ON, Long Exposure Noise Reduction ON, a sturdy tripod and crossed fingers.
My first image was too dark and a bit soft. I finessed the focus another tiny amount and took the shutter speed to 30 seconds to let more light into the camera. I made a small adjustment to the composition and made another frame. The next frame was sharp but I felt it was still too dark. I had forgotten my cable release so I was stuck with the D3’s maximum exposure time of 30 seconds. The only thing I could adjust was the ISO so I took that to 6400 and made the image above.
An educated guess got me in the ballpark but it was the instant digital feedback that allowed me to make small adjustments and fine tune composition, exposure and focus in a challenging and very dark environment. It was a hip-flask of the local tipple that allowed me to endure the freezing cold. No hardship really : )
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Recent PostsMaking the Apple iPhone 6 World Gallery. Time Lapse - Glen Etive Nikon D3 - The best camera in the World The Cuban Butcher Buying a painting in Cuba Milky Way over Toe Head, Isle of Harris A Month in Cuba Cuba street photography Window-light Portraits Learn how to use your camera in a day Nikon D800: Six months in the field. A real user review

domain: hobby


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Through always trying to improve and strive to convey my feelings through photography; this year i stumbled upon a movement within photography; known as BELOVED. I am absolutely in love with this concept as it sums up me perfectly in what i am all about and what i would like my photos to convey. This year; i feel i have grown as a photographer more so than any other year; and feel a lot more comfortable in who i am in this profession and what i would like my clients to know about me. I am a little bit of a perfectionist to say the least; and for me to wholly accept this year that not every image is perfect; and in fact some of those unplanned images are the best and most raw, was a big feat/realisation for me. My aim no longer became about that “perfect” image but what i could convey to you to show the beauty and power of raw, honest and heartfelt emotion through the camera; whether this be through a couple, family, parent to child. I want you to see the beauty that i see when i turn up on a shoot; i want you to feel the connection that you share and bring it to the forefront; and i want you to be able to reflect on these images in years to come and not only remember the click of the shutter, but the moments you experienced in between.
Thus, with a new year fast approaching; i intend to further study and develop this skill to create HONEST and beautiful images; so stay tuned…….
As 2012 is drawing to a close and with only a few shoots left; i am looking forward to the possibilities of next year and for all of you sharing my journey; i sincerely thankyou from the bottom of my heart for sharing, liking, appreciating and commenting on my work.
Now if you have stuck with me to this point of the blog; you are able to meet the beautiful Kerry & Jason whom i met at the C’Y’O Connor beach in Fremantle for a little lovey dovey shoot. This one would have to be one of my favourites as i love the emotion, simplicity and that nothing is distracting in the image from these 2 gorgeous people in love. Oh! Except for little Turk; their cute companion that is! x


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Sustainable investing is no longer a niche activity. New generations of investors around the world are looking for ways to learn whether the investments they own reflect the best sustainability practices, because it aligns with their values or perhaps they simply believe it can lead to better investment outcomes.
Until now, though, there hasn’t been a way for investors to assess how well the companies held by a fund are doing managing the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities they face in their businesses, nor a way for investors to compare funds on that basis.
To date, ESG research has largely taken place at the company level and been made available to asset managers and large institutional investors to help them incorporate ESG issues into their investment process.
Investors wanting to evaluate funds on these same sustainability factors, however, have had no easy way to do so. They could seek out funds with an intentional sustainability mandate, but ultimately had to rely on claims made by asset managers regarding their approach to sustainability. That’s why Morningstar plans to introduce a Sustainability Rating for funds and other ESG metrics, which will provide investors with a set of tools to view and analyse investment portfolios through an ESG lens.
How should investors use them? The new Morningstar Sustainability Rating and ESG metrics are based on actual portfolio holdings and apply to all funds; they are not limited to funds with explicit sustainability objectives. While some investors may prefer such funds, those fundamentally committed to sustainability objectives comprise only about 2 per cent of the investing universe. Most investors who are interested in sustainable investing thus own conventional funds.
Using our new ratings, investors may discover that the funds they own are not doing well enough on a sustainability basis and will actively seek out funds that are more fundamentally committed to sustainable investing. Others may find that the existing funds in their portfolios score in a range that is acceptable to them, particularly given the fund’s overall quality and performance record. Still others may use the information to dig deeper into whether, and how, a manager is considering ESG issues in the investment process.
While we recognise that different managers may consider ESG factors and incorporate them in different ways, our sustainability rating measures how well the companies in a portfolio are managing their ESG risks and opportunities relative to their peers within the same industry. We do not base the ratings on exclusionary screening of specific companies, products or industries. We base them on company-level ESG analytics from research provider Sustainalytics.
Our sustainable investing metrics will provide investors with a fresh perspective they can use to evaluate how well the companies in a fund are doing on a sustainability basis, and to compare funds across categories, relative to benchmarks, and, eventually, over time based on ESG factors. The sustainability ratings can serve as an initial screen for investors interested in sustainability and ESG, and as a useful starting point for investors wanting to know more about a manager’s investment process and how it relates to sustainable investing. We think it is a key link for turning the widespread interest in sustainable investing that we see today around the world into actual investments.
Jon Hale is head of sustainability research at Morningstar


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Veterans Day was first known as “Armistice Day.” Seen here is the 1945 Armistice Day ceremony a little more than two months after the end of World War II.
The American Legion Louis E. Davis Post No. 56 sponsored a six-day carnival at Bon-Go Park, the popular leisure grounds a few miles south of downtown Bloomington. The carnival included the Beckmann and Gerety Shows, billed as “America’s cleanest carnival.”
Twelve eighth grade graduates from the Illinois Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home (later renamed the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School, or ISSCS) pose for this late spring 1928 photograph. Unfortunately, the only students positively identified are Richard Griffith (middle, back row) and Thelma Capshaw (second from left, front row).
The Pantagraph recounted the story of the Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home Band, organized in 1897-98 and active into the 1960s. This state-run home in north Normal changed its name to the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School (ISSCS) in 1931.
From the end of the Civil War to the 1970s, Normal was home to a state children’s home known as the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School (ISSCS). These kids attended University High at what was then called Illinois State Normal University. The drop-off / pickup stop for ISSCS students was School Street, just north of North Street, near the Fell Gates and today’s ISU Planetarium.
Back during the early years of the Cold War the fuselage of a U.S. Air Force B-29 Superfortress was put on display on the McLean County Courthouse Square, presumably as part of a patriotic road show to celebrate America’s technological, industrial, and military might. Air Force personnel were on hand during the June 13, 1950 stop in Bloomington to explain the bomber’s workings and answer questions.
Christmastime at the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School in Normal included many traditional activities, such as trimming the tree. Seen here are ISSCS students decorating a Christmas tree placed in front of the state orphanage’s Norman-style residential cottages.

domain: history


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Read You Can't Have Too Many Friends! by Mordicai Gerstein Free Online
Book Title: You Can't Have Too Many Friends!|
The author of the book: Mordicai Gerstein
Loaded: 1466 times
Reader ratings: 6.4
Edition: Holiday House
Date of issue: February 1st 2014
ISBN 13: 9780823423934
Format files: PDF
The size of the: 585 KB
City - Country: No data
Read full description of the books:
Book on friendship. Lots of speech bubbles but with repeating refrains - good for one-on-one reading. Not for storytime.
Not your typical friends to accompany a character on his journey to seek recompense. Lady ladder, Brook, Wasps, and a dog all shrink to size to fit on Duck's person or clothes. Later, these friends became handy defending Duck against the attacks of the King, who borrowed Ducks's jelly beans and has not returned them. Duck is on his way to get them back.
It was ok - not wowed by the story.
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Read information about the authorMordicai Gerstein is the author and illustrator of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, winner of the Caldecott Medal, and has had four books named New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. Gerstein was born in Los Angeles in 1935. He remembers being inspired as a child by images of fine art, which his mother cut out of Life magazine, and by children’s books from the library: “I looked at Rembrandt and Superman, Matisse and Bugs Bunny, and began to make my own pictures.”
He attended Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, and then got a job in an animated cartoon studio that sent him to New York, where he designed characters and thought up ideas for TV commercials. When a writer named Elizabeth Levy asked him to illustrate a humorous mystery story about two girls and a dog, his book career began, and soon he moved on to writing as well as illustrating. “I’m still surprised to be an author,” he says. “I wonder what I’ll write next?” Gerstein lives in Westhampton, Massachusetts.
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Designing Routed Fibre Channel SANs Using the HP StorageWorks 400 Multi-Protocol Router and HP MP Router Blade White Paper
Click here to download now
Overview: This white paper reviews on enabling technologies for routed Storage Area Networks (SAN) solutions. By adding hierarchical networking to Fibre Channel (FC), HP has combined the elasticity and scalability of data networks with the performance and reliability of FC fabrics. The FCR brings unprecedented reliability, manageability, security, flexibility and scalability to SANs and makes deployments practical that were not even tentatively possible before its introduction.


"Reckoning" was written by Mike Kelley and Mark B. Perry, and directed by Sanford Bookstaver.
Watch a preview below:
REVENGE stars Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson, Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross, Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson, Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport, Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter, Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson, Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson and Connor Paolo as Declan Porter.
ABC's REVENGE and Yahoo! have announced a new way to engage fans during live viewing of the hit series using IntoNow from Yahoo! Audiences will have an opportunity to enter to win a one-week getaway, coinciding with the July 4th weekend, at an oceanfront house in the Hamptons, Grayson-style, presented by Lexus.
With over 80 percent of tablet owners using their devices while watching TV, ABC and Yahoo! are teaming up for an industry-first, interactive experience during the last two episodes of this season's hottest primetime show, airing Wednesdays, May 16 & 23 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). Viewers will have a chance to engage with the show in new and compelling formats and be rewarded in the process.
Beginning on May 16, when fans tag ABC's REVENGE with the IntoNow app on their mobile phone or tablet device, they can do the following:
* Enter for a chance to win a week-long escape to the Hamptons (for more details on the Hamptons getaway presented by Lexus, please visit ABC.com/Hamptons-Getaway)
* Connect and share with friends (and other REVENGE fans) on Facebook, Twitter and in the app while they're watching the episodes
* Test their knowledge of the series through fun trivia questions
* Follow real-time Twitter feeds related to REVENGE cast and crew
* Access related videos and information on REVENGE, including the actors and the plot
This partnership builds on the success of recent collaborations between the two companies, including earlier this year when ABC partnered with Yahoo! and IntoNow for the Republican presidential candidate debate.
Coming up on REVENGE:
May 23 - With the end in sight, Emily fearlessly pushes forward, closing in on the final phases of her plan for revenge, while the Graysons continue their downward spiral into the rabbit hole of self-destruction. But a big, explosive event leaves much hanging in the balance, courses are altered and even more is left in question.
- ABC 2012-2013 Schedule - REVENGE Moves To Sundays
- AMC Sets Returns: BREAKING BAD July 15, HELL ON WHEELS August 12
- CBS 2012-2013 Schedule
- The CW 2012-2013 Schedule
- FOX 2012-2013 Schedule
- NBC 2012-2013 Schedule
- PBS Fall 2012 Schedule
- SyFy Summer 2012 Schedule
- TBS and TNT 2012-2013 Schedule
- Telemundo 2012-2013 Schedule
- Univision Unveils Two New Telenovelas & Three Webnovelas
- USA Network 2012-2013 Schedule
- PREVIEW: NASHVILLE (Starring Connie Britton) - The Most Promising New Soap Of 2012


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By Paul Gessell
As a child growing up in Newfoundland, Helen Gregory was always dragging home birds, frogs, mice and other creatures, both dead and alive. Little Helen also loved to dig in dirt and create special “biospheres” for insects.
“My parents didn’t know what to do with me,” says Helen, now grown up and, if all goes according to plan, soon to be a temporary artist in residence at the Canadian Museum of Nature. “My mother always said ‘Helen played with dirt longer than is natural.’”
Well, Helen Gregory made a career out of her unnatural love affair of nature. She is now an artist, working on her Ph.D. and exhibiting her splendid paintings of bird and animal specimens at the Museum of Nature.
The exhibition of 11 larger-than-life paintings of dead birds and one giant squid runs until Sept. 3. This is probably the wisest pairing of art and venue ever made in this town.
One of the paintings, Blue Tanagers, was even inspired by four blue tanagers in the collection of the Museum of Nature. The hand-lettered specimen tags on the small South American birds are included in the painting. The actual specimens rest in a case just below the oversized painting.
Blue Tanagers, like all the paintings, have a decided Victorian air to them. The Victorians loved to collect everything possible from the natural world. Every true gentleman, and many a gentlewoman, loved gathering plants, fossils, shells, and other offerings from nature.
Gregory’s specimens, in some cases, are painted atop what appears to be Victorian wallpaper. So, the paintings fit in perfectly with the newly restored Victorian architecture of the building.
Surely, the museum should acquire some of the paintings for permanent exhibition. Actually, one of the paintings, of a giant squid, is owned by The Rooms in St. John’s. The squid is a specimen in the collection of that Newfoundland institution where Gregory’s show was first seen in 2009.
In St. John’s, the exhibition was curated by Lisa Moore, the popular fiction writer who just happens to have a background in visual art.
“Under the gleaming varnish and atop the Victorian arabesques of gold and copper, the artist engages with an ancient taboo – playing with dead things,” Moore writes in an exhibition catalogue. “But Gregory’s close attention to detail makes her subjects appear almost life-like. They inhabit a space between death and decay.”
Elsewhere in her essay, Moore describes Gregory’s work as “a potent cocktail of the sinister and the fanciful.”
Indeed, there is something a little creepy about paintings of dead things. But Gregory has found a way to aestheticize death in a pleasing manner, stir our emotions and generate a feeling of peace and joy.
Unrequited Death. Until September 3. Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St. www.nature.ca


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Inventions & Dimensions
Herbie Hancock's Inventions & Dimensions is a portrait of a young jazz-artist delightedly shaking up traditional hard-bop jazz conventions. A piano prodigy on the precipice of superstardom, the 23 year old Hancock cut the daring 1963 Blue Note Records release just as he was assuming the piano chair in Miles Davis's immortal '60s Quintet. While Hancock's first two releases featured traditional rhythm section/horn lineups, with Inventions & Dimensions he turned towards minimalist jazz without a net. Augmented by an unconventional lineup of bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Willie Bobo and percussionist Osvaldo "Chihuahua" Martinez, most of the Latin-influenced, percussive compositions were born out of on-the-spot-improvisation.
Without the constrictions of horns, Hancock seized a structural freedom that enabled his compositions to explore unconventional chord patterns and rhythms. The tone is immediately set with the teasing melody and New Orleans-influenced rhythms of the tasty album-opener "Succotash." A standout in Hancock's canon, the unusual arrangement niftily manages to be both cerebral and soulful. Next up is "Triangle," a languidly grooving tune that allows us to momentarily collect our thoughts before the aptly titled "Jackrabbit." Characterized by a twitchy piano figure and colorful percussion, "Jackrabbit" finds Hancock playfully challenging his sidemen to keep up as his piano hops around various unexpected motifs and melodies. Dialing the intensity down a notch, the pensive "Mimosa" ambles alongside a slow Afro-Cuban percussion and is as lovely as a solitary desert flower. Slightly chaotic, "A Jump Ahead" concludes the proceedings on a restless note. It's as if Hancock is saying, "This album may be over, but you haven't heard anything yet!"
Despite the expert sidemen, the true star of this outing is undoubtedly Hancock himself. With his elegant, clean and modern piano runs, he dazzles but never shows off. Offsetting the cerebral nature of these astonishing sessions is his earthy, always refreshing sense of musical time and space. Fresh, forward thinking and enigmatic, this album remains a thrilling example of Hancock's irresistible charms, and serves as a bridge to impending triumphs both solo and with Miles Davis.

domain: entertainment


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“He’s thorough and sometimes he has to go to a site multiple times,” Eddy said in an emailed statement. “Removing bees safely is the right thing to do for the environment, so it’s great that we can work with Khaled to make that happen.”
Almaghafi removed more than 50 beehives from the BART property, he says, representing up to 50,000 bees.
He says the high, hollow concrete ceilings of many BART stations provide ideal locations for bees to build their hives. But the difficult access for humans means it often takes hours to remove a single hive, he says, especially when a stucco wall has to be knocked down to remove the entire honeycomb to ensure the bees do not return.
“You have to be very calm, not be afraid of them,” he said, explaining how he uses a smoking balm that calms the bees before opening their hive. “When you’re scared of bees, you start producing a pheromone and the bees smell it.”
Almaghafi then extracts the bees with a gentle vacuum cleaner and seals them in a bucket to transport them to one of his sites.
“They’re important, you know,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them, we’d probably be starving. No fruit, pollination.
Almaghafi was born and raised in Yemen in a community where he says it was common for locals to keep beehives in their yards. At the age of 5, he began to learn beekeeping from his father.
“From that age, I started to have a kind of relationship with bees,” Almaghafi said. “[It’s become] a habit for me to be around them, and for them to be around me. We used to be friends [ever] since.”
When Almaghafi emigrated here with his family in the 1980s, he hoped to earn a degree in apology – the study of bees – at UC Davis, but the tuition was too high and he instead continued beekeeping as hobby before learning with a local. beekeeper, then started his own business.
In Muslim culture, bees have a special meaning, he notes. They feature prominently in the Quran and represent healing, wisdom and industry. He also says they taught him patience.
“They don’t ask you to pay them a salary or anything,” Almaghafi said, noting his deep admiration for their incredible work ethic. “They work, work, work and they benefit us, with nothing in return.”
#Good #Deal #Oakland #Beekeeper #Saves #Bees #BART #Sells #Honey #KQED