text:
Calreticulin secures calcium-dependent nuclear pore competency required for cardiogenesis
Randolph S. Faustino, Atta Behfar, Jody Groenendyk, Saranya P.Wyles, Nicolas Niederlander, Santiago Reyes, Michel Puceat, Marek Michalak, Andre Terzic, Carmen Perez-Terzic
Calreticulin deficiency causes myocardial developmental defects that culminate in an embryonic lethal phenotype. Recent studies have linked loss of this calcium binding chaperone to failure in myofibrillogenesis through an as yet undefined mechanism. The purpose of the present study was to identify cellular processes corrupted by calreticulin deficiency that precipitate dysregulation of cardiacmyofibrillogenesis related to acquisition of cardiac phenotype. In an embryonic stem cell knockout model, calreticulin deficit (crt−/−) compromised nucleocytoplasmic transport of nuclear localization signal-dependent and independent pathways, disrupting nuclear import of the cardiac transcription factor MEF2C. The expression of nucleoporins and associated nuclear transport proteins in derived crt−/− cardiomyocytes revealed an abnormal nuclear pore complex (NPC) configuration. Altered protein content in crt−/− cells resulted in remodeled NPC architecture that caused decreased pore diameter and diminished probability of central channel occupancy versuswild type counterparts. Ionophore treatment of impaired calciumhandling in crt−/− cells corrected nuclear poremicroarchitecture and rescued nuclear import resulting in normalized myofibrillogenesis. Thus, calreticulin deficiency alters nuclear pore function and structure, impedingmyofibrillogenesis in nascent cardiomyocytes through a calcium dependent mechanism. This essential role of calreticulin in nucleocytoplasmic communication competency ties its regulatory action with proficiency of cardiac myofibrillogenesis essential for proper cardiac development.

domain: literature


text:
A book for teachers who are musical, creative, and busy
Exploring the Recorder and Music Theory, Book 2, 238 pages
Exploring the Recorder and Music Theory is the second book in the series, undergoing development and field testing for two years. In it students explore the world of harmony, learning to create their own harmonies for folk songs. My students and I were able to solve the problem of how to teach and learn harmony with single-line instruments!
The book features dozens of new pieces, fingering charts for the alto recorder, alternate fingerings on the soprano to facilitate speed, and a deeper exploration of music theory.
Exploring the Recorder and Music Theory includes a substantial review from which teachers may select their materials. Just like Introducing the Recorder and Music Theory, Exploring is organized around the same six skills essential for musicianship.
New: In Exploring, students also learn to Harmonize folk songs with tonic, dominant, and subdominant triads.
Whether students intend to go on to study music further or to end their work with this volume, they will come away with useful understanding of musical materials and insight into its elements.

domain: artistic


text:
Hundreds of protesters demanding higher wages blocked the road in front a Detroit McDonald's Tuesday morning.
Police say they arrested between 40 and 50 people at that demonstration. The protesters were blocking Grand River Avenue near Schaefer on the city's west side.
At one point, we're told more than 300 people were protesting. The crowd included McDonald's workers, health care workers, Uber drivers and others. Grand River was back open and the scene was beginning to break up before 8 a.m.
The demonstrations were part of Tuesday's National Day of Disruption, where workers across the country are fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage.
The demonstrations sprang up again Tuesday evening, when hundreds gathered at the McDonald’s on Plymouth and Winthrop near Greenfield Road on Detroit’s west side around 5:00 pm.
The rally was peaceful as protesters chanted “If we don’t get it, shut it down.”
Police were out making sure the group kept the peace.

domain: news


text:
[by Josh, Dana A., and Cali]
This week we focused on Whitman’s Civil War poetry from the “Drum-Taps” section of Leaves of Grass, in addition to the first and second annexes he wrote for Leaves of Grass during his later years. Our readings and discussions from “Drum-Taps” centered around “Beat! Beat! Drums!,” “Eighteen Sixty-One,” “Bivouac on a Mountainside,” and “The Artilleryman’s Vision,” and we also focused on “So Long!,” “This Compost,” “Warble for Lilac-Time,” from his later annexes. Additionally, we briefly contrasted some of Whitman’s final poems—“Continuities,” “Going Somewhere,” “Mirages,” and “Out of May’s Shows Selected”—to his earlier ones via group discussions.
Earlier in the week we talked about the silence that Whitman experiences at the end of “I Sit and Look Out,” and how we should interpret it. Initially, we felt that it conveyed a sense of social paralysis and poetical impotence in relation to the seemingly unavoidable prospect of war. Marco also added that it could be a show of reverence or prayerful meditation, removed from a sense of fear. Either way, it is a rare moment in which Whitman is rendered speechless, and worthy of our attention. We contrasted Walt’s poetical silence in “I Sit” with his own personal recollections of a similar silence in the prose piece, “Opening of the Secession War,” from Specimen Days. He recalls the quiet that befell a crowd of strangers he was among when they first learned of the attack on Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War. In class, we referred to this, at James Hess’s prompting, as a “9/11” moment, and related our own stories of stupefied silence in the wake of great tragedy, demonstrating how transcendently powerful and universal this moment is. Professor Vander Zee described both these works as having a “sad, pensive and generous spirit,” juxtaposed to the intensity of his later war poems in “Drum-Taps.”
“Beat! Drums! Beat!” and “The Artilleryman’s Vision” are two poems we talked about in class that demonstrate this difference. Both are much more aggressive and seem to focus on the mercilessness of war and the enduring painful consequences it wreaks. Jen felt that “Beat!” was a hostile poem, demonstrating the ways in which war “destroys life and robs peace.” Referring to the rhetoric surrounding cleanliness and purging that suffused so many justificatory accounts of the Civil War, Professor Vander Zee suggested it might be viewed almost cleansing poem. The blood sacrifice of war purged the nation of some foul element. Certainly, there was enough corruption and fractured unity at the time to call for a cleansing of the nation. “The Artilleryman’s Vision” goes the furthest to show the aftermath of the war, revealing a former soldier’s battle with what we would today identify as PTSD symptoms. Whitman juxtaposes the sound of the infant’s breath to the sound of the rifle shots that still ring in the soldier’s ears. This disparity gives the poem abrupt movement and contrast, and emphasizes strangeness of military life, especially when the war is over and one must return to “normal life.” As we saw in the PBS documentary, Whitman suffered from similar symptoms after the war and knew first-hand the haunting effects of doing such bloody service in the name of one’s country. Peter also made note of the allusion to The Star Spangled Banner in the last line of “The Artilleryman,” and what Whitman is perhaps trying to say about patriotism and national identity.
After the war ended, the intensity of Whitman’s poems gradually became more subdued, and “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” represented a crucial turning point in Whitman’s role as a poet. Whitman chose to rely on the conventions of pastoral elegies and deliberately recurring symbols when he wrote this poem, both which were new directions for him. Our discussions of this poem focused on three symbols in particular—the western star, the eponymous lilacs, and the thrush, which roughly corresponded to Lincoln, the national healing process, and the poets own voice, respectively. However, since Whitman chose to deal with symbols, they have the capability of transcending the historical events of the Civil War, transforming “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” into a poem that could be relevant to readers beyond any specific generation or national crisis.
Finally, we discussed the distance that Whitman seemed to place between himself and his audience, especially around the time he was writing the second annex to Leaves of Grass. Many critics claim that this distance makes Whitman’s poems seem less enthusiastic and more conventional than his earlier poetry, though Professor Vander Zee mentioned that Walt claimed there were many cryptic and subtle layers to these later poems which were not present in his earlier ones. For instance, “Mirages” seems to remove Whitman from his audience with the narrator within a narrator device, which makes the poem seem less intimate than Walt’s earlier ones, where he seemed to find enjoyment in directly engaging his readers with appeals, questions and revelations. In the face of such distancing devices, we must ask what Whitman intended? Why would he bury this final vision of lilacs in mirage, the account of which is itself fabricated as Whitman never made it further west than Denver? There’s a strangeness in these poems that demands further notice.
Quote and Tell, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”:
But I saw they were not as was thought,
They themselves were fully at rest, they suffer’d not,
The living remain’d and suffer’d, the mother suffer’d…
In these lines from “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” Whitman conveys a feeling that many people have experienced before. Whitman seems to emphasize that those who have died are totally at peace now and are no longer suffering. Therefore, it would seem that Whitman emphasizes that the living, the loved ones who survived the tragedy, are the ones who are inflicted with the most grief. Fathers, mothers, sisters, wives, and friends are experiencing tremendous pain and suffering because of their losses, and while the dead should be remembered in elegy, it is actually the living who need consolation. This section also demonstrated Whitman’s ability to “move on,” a crucial step in the mourning process. As we see in his later works as we traced the endurance of his lilacs over time, the question remains of this moment of success can be preserved, if its success is indeed lasting.
Core Concepts: Elegy, Symbol, Allegory
Elegy: According to the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, the function of elegy is to “lament, praise and console in the face of loss. Lament expresses grief and deprivation; praise idealizes the deceased and preserves her or his memory; and consolation finds solace in meditation on natural continuances or on moral, metaphysical, and religious values.” Elegy remains crucial for questions of poetic inheritance, as the elegiac poem is about the poet writing as much as it is about the subject mourned. This makes the genre deeply implicated in the making of literary history. The elegy has specific conventions, especially in the pastoral mode, which has been a major genre of poetic expression from Theocritus’s first Idyll to today. This is the genre that Whitman indulges in with his Lincoln elegy. These conventions include: “a procession of mourners, extended use of repetition and refrain, competition or antiphony between voices, appeals and questionings of deities and witnesses, anger and criticism, offering tribute, use of pastoral imager, and emblems and symbols of power drawn from the natural world.”
Symbol: For the Romantic poets, symbols were transcendent and unifying; they suggested something beyond knowledge and expressions. Symbols have a foot in both the real world and the world of forms or the ideal, and they work as a bridge between one and the other. Symbols are timeless, ahistorical, polysemous (meaning many things at once). The symbol is a power and product of what Coleridge would call the primary imagination; its force is close the divine.
As Professor Vander Zee noted, “Coleridge influentially elevated symbol above allegory as romantics in general elevated the organic, unifying, mystical and intuitive force of the imagination over the mere mechanical and constructive competence of what they called fancy. Symbols were thought to embody universal principles, allegories merely pointed to them; symbols were divine, allegories didactic.” Allegory, then, is kind of the shadow-side of the symbol, and in our discussions of Whitman’s use of symbols in “When Lilacs Last,” we also asked how we might think of the persistence of lilacs across his writing as a kind of degraded allegory, as a symbol that has lost its force and power, as a symbol that has aged. By valuing and trying to understand the demoted vision of allegory, rather than dismiss it out of hand, we also learned to value and understand what is most often read as a steep decline in Whitman’s late work.
Looking Ahead, a Note from Prof. VZ:
I ended Thursday’s class with a question: what happens when lilacs last. At the time, I thought of this question in terms of the evolution of Leaves of Grass, how certain images and tendencies and themes return and change in each edition of Leaves of Grass. But this question is not only the trope for our discussions of Whitman; it’s our trope for the course: what happens when the symbolic monolith of Whitman—all he has come to embody as a poet of America, a poet of Democracy, a poet of nationality and equality and freedom whatever your nation, a poet of innovation—lasts, persists, across the century. What do poets do with his vision? How do they reinvent it? How do they resist it? How do they embrace it? How do they struggle with this crucial legacy?
This coming week, we will talk broadly about Whitman’s influence before WWII. We’ll pay attention both to so-called “high-modernist” poets, and also working-class and political poets who looked back to Whitman. For Tuesday, please pay attention to a few questions in particular: How does Eliot’s The Waste Land form a response to Whitman? How is it influenced formally by his example, and where does it either reflect or deny Whitmanian themes? After reading The Waste Land, turn to William Carlos Williams’s “Spring and All,” a poem that Williams writes in direct response to Eliot. How does “Spring and All” work to recover some core Whitmanian spirit that Eliot seems at times to have lost? Hart Crane also viewed his long poem, The Bridge, as a response to Eliot, but he more consciously invokes Whitman in order resurrect whatever he felt Eliot had threatened to destroy by way of his vision. Most striking about Crane’s response is how close his themes are to Whitman’s, but how remarkably distant his own formal methods are. I’d love to hear what you make of that. (Remember that you only need to read the Cape Hatteras section). Be sure to read the poems in VW from Pound and Robinson as well.
As always, I expect you to read and think about all assigned readings, of course; I just offer these prompts to help lend some direction to our class discussion on Tuesday.
Please use the comment box below to fill in any crucial missing details. What was most important and/or moving to you that was not addressed above? Also, anyone who points out typos made here will earn, well, much good will!


text:
By Tami Schlies
Jams and jellies are a fine balance of four essential ingredients; fruit, pectin, sugar, and acid. Each type of fruit provides at least some natural pectin and acid, with slightly under-ripe fruit providing slightly more than the fully ripe counterpart. This is why many recipes suggest using about one-fourth under-ripe fruit, so the fully ripe fruit balances the flavor of the sugar, while the less ripe fruit helps gel the mixture. Over-ripe fruit will yield runny jelly or jam.
Pectin is concentrated in the skins and cares of various fruits, which is why many recipes boil the whole fruit to make the juice for jelly. Excessive cooking – too slow or too long – can reduce the gelling property of any pectin. This is also why boxes of commercial pectin require you to work in small batches, as the longer cooking time required to heat larger batches zaps the pectin into uselessness. Today most commercial pectin is made from the white inner part of citrus fruits, but in the old days apple juice was added to less pectin rich fruits to make them gel.
Like pectin, acid is an essential component in the gelling of fruits. Many recipes call for the addition of lemon juice in order to bring the acid ratio into balance. To determine if the fruit you are using needs lemon juice, compare the flavor of your fruit juice with the tartness of a mixture of 1 t. of lemon juice, 3 T. water, and ½ t. sugar. If the juice is not tart enough, add lemon juice before making jelly – up to one tablespoon per cup of fruit juice.
The final component of jam or jelly is sugar. Sugar helps the gel to form, is a natural preservative, and for most people improves the flavor of the product. I myself prefer the flavor of the fruit to shine through, which is why I like Pomona’s Universal Pectin, a low-methoxyl pectin that uses calcium to boost gelling power with less sugar. I use this for sweet fruits like strawberries and raspberries. However, very sour fruits, such as currants or wild blueberries, require more sugar, and I make jam and jelly without added pectin for these fruits. To make these fruits gel, sugar is added in an almost cup per cup ratio with the juice. I make a wonderful, rich currant jelly with nothing but 4 cups of fruit juice and 3 cups of sugar cooked to 220 F on a candy thermometer.
An example of a few fruits that have enough natural acid and pectin to gel with only sugar include crabapples, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, lemons, wild blueberries, and plums. Sour cherries may have enough pectin and acid if they are not over-ripe, as well as chokecherries, elderberries, and grapes. Fruits that always need added pectin and acid include apricots, peaches, pears, prunes, raspberries, and strawberries.
For those who don’t like to rely on the grocery store pectin to make jam or jelly, you can make your own liquid pectin out of apples.
Pectin can be used right away or frozen in small amounts (half or whole pints) or canned for future use. To use it, add 4-6 tablespoons of pectin per every cup of prepared juice (experiment first with the pectin).
2 pounds sliced, unpeeled crabapples
3 cups water
Simmer while stirring for 30 or 40 minutes, adding water as needed. Put the mash into a colander lined with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl and squeeze the juices through. To clear the juice, heat it and pour it thorough a jelly bag that has been pre-moistened in hot water.
Tart Apple pectin
4 pounds sliced apples with peels and cores
8 cups water
Simmer for 3 minutes. Press apples through a sieve to remove cores and skins. Return juice to pan and boil until reduced by half. Clarify as above.

domain: food


text:
Trumpeter Jason Palmer’s intriguing new release is the second in his planned “series of homages to singers who have produced powerful music,” which began three years ago with his Minnie Riperton tribute, Take a Little Trip. Wondaland is more contemporary, celebrating the artistry of Janelle Monáe via jazzed-up arrangements of her songs, all but one drawn from the eclectic R&B star’s much-lauded 2010 album, The ArchAndroid.
Palmer isn’t alone among his jazz contemporaries in admiring Monáe. She featured Esperanza Spalding on the track “Dorothy Dandridge Eyes,” from her The Electric Lady, and the theatricality of Spalding’s new Emily’s D+Evolution project, as well as her singing, both suggest Monáe’s influence. But Palmer’s album makes his admiration overt, and he’s joined by an impressive young crew of mostly current or former members of his working band at the venerable Boston club Wally’s Cafe, located just up Massachusetts Avenue from his and their alma mater, Berklee College of Music.


text:
Pine nut butter and Nutella are two very different nut butters – each sports pros and cons, and is aiming to be the one you pick out at the store!
But, the best choice is an educated choice, and laying down the facts between these two will help you make just that – after all, your nut butter experience depends on it!
We’ll dissect these two to see how they truly differ from one another, and see any common characteristics. In the end, you’ll have an understanding of how these two spreads compare nutritionally, culinarily, in texture, in taste, and more.
And then, you’ll be able to make the best choice for YOU, because you’ll know: is pine nut butter or Nutella better?
Let’s jump in!
Comparing pine nut butter vs nutella
Pine nut butter and Nutella are both made from tree nuts, giving them a common allergen – Nutella also has soy and milk as allergens. Both spreads are smooth and creamy (unless you get a crunchy version of pine nut butter).
You can go for pine nut butter if you’re following a vegan and paleo diet, but unfortunately can’t use Nutella for vegan, paleo, or keto diets (although I’ll show you a solution for keto later on). Pine nut butter has a low glycemic index score, whereas you should watch out for your blood sugar levels spiking with Nutella – it has a lot of sugar, which suggests a higher glycemic index. Make sure to speak with your physician if you have any concerns!
|Pine nut butter||Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter)|
|Taste||Rich, buttery, slightly sweet||Sweet, chocolatey|
|Texture||Smooth & creamy (or crunchy)||Smooth, creamy|
|Allergens||Tree nuts||Tree nuts, milk, soy|
|Glycemic index (GI)||Pine nuts=15||Unknown (likely high due to added sugar content)|
What is pine nut butter?
Pine nut butter is made from pine nuts, which are the small and edible seeds from the cones of specific pine tree species. These seeds are classified as tree nuts, and are roasted before being ground into a creamy and tasty spread (roasting them enhances the flavor).
What is nutella?
Nutella is admittedly one of my early guilty pleasures, being a chocolatey hazelnut spread that nearly everyone around the world recognizes.
Its taste and texture are very sweet and delicious, which is unfortunately due to a lot of added sugar and palm oil – it’s not the healthiest of spreads!
That being said, you can make your own version of Nutella at home that skips a lot of the negative ingredients, giving you a healthier option that still satisfies your chocolate cravings! And, if you follow a keto diet, you can make this keto Nutella that’s made with stevia-sweetened chocolate chips!
Differences between pine nut butter and nutella
The biggest difference between pine nut butter and Nutella are their flavors.
Pine nut butter definitely has a unique taste: rich, nutty, and slightly sweet that is undoubtedly its own. Nutella also has a distinct taste that nearly everyone knows: chocolatey and very sweet.
The spreads are both smooth and creamy, although, as mentioned, pine nut butter can come in a variety of crunch levels depending on your preferences!
Neither nut butter is suitable for keto diets (except for that keto Nutella recipe I mentioned), but pine nut butter is at least good for vegan and paleo diets, unlike Nutella.
Nutritionally, these two are quite different – but we’ll get into that a little later!
How to use pine nut butter vs nutella
Pine nut butter is very versatile.
You can use it as a spread on your toast, pancakes, waffles, and bakes, or use it as an ingredient in your delicious creations like cookies and muffins. You can even use it as a base for sauces and dips, and give your pasta a nutty twist by mixing pine nut butter into it! Putting it into your smoothie is also a great way to add some extra flavor.
Nutella is also versatile, but does best as a spread, swirled into ice cream, added to brownie batters and added to cakes, used as dip, drizzled over desserts, or combined with fruits! And, just like pine nut butter, you can throw Nutella into your smoothie, giving it a chocolatey flavor profile.
If you try to use these interchangeably, just remember that their different flavor profiles will greatly impact the outcome of your dish!
Nutrition: Pine nut butter vs nutella
Pine nut butter has one of the lowest carb contents of all nut and seed butters, whereas Nutella has one of the highest carb contents. Pine nut butter also boasts a lot of iron, giving you 10% of your daily value per serving! It also has a great amount of healthy unsaturated fats, and an alright protein content.
Just be aware that it’s high in oxalate, which is a contributor to kidney stones in some people.
Nutella isn’t the greatest nutritionally. It has more unhealthy saturated fats, with a TON of added sugar – 19 grams are added per serving, giving it a grand total of 21 grams of sugar per serving.
It’s also got a low amount of protein, and is just a touch higher in calories than pine nut butter.
|Serving size: 2 tbsp||Pine nut butter||Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter)|
|Total fat (saturated)||19 g (1.5 g)||12 g (4 g)|
|Total carbs||4 g||23 g|
|Net carbs (fiber)||4 g (<1 g)||22 g (1 g)|
|Total sugars (incl. added)||<1 g (0 g)||21 g (19 g)|
|Protein||4 g||2 g|
How to store pine nut butter and nutella
Both pine nut butter and Nutella are generally fine at room temperature, but should preferably be stored in a cool, dark place. Putting them in the fridge won’t hurt, but it’ll definitely thicken up their textures a bit.
Most nut butters like pine nut butter last around 2-3 months after opening, but Nutella is said to last up to 12 months after opening – always check their labels for the best-before date and any specific storage instructions!
Pine nut butter vs Nutella: Which is better?
Pine nut butter and Nutella both offer unique flavor profiles in a smooth and creamy package, although pine nut butter has crunch level options.
Nutella is a little less versatile than pine nut butter, but what it can do it does really well! It packs quite the punch in sweet desserts such as ice cream and cakes, and is a tasty spread to boot.
But, it’s hard to look past the massive amount of added sugar…
Looking at all the facts we laid down in this article, I would say pine nut butter is better due to its superior nutritional profile, versatility in both recipes and different diets, and options for crunchiness levels.
Almond butter is considered one of the healthiest nut butters out there, having a strong blend of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats that are all great for overall health.
That depends on your preferences, but pine nut butter is better for vegan and paleo diets and does sport the better nutritional profile between the two.
Nutella has a huge amount of added sugar in it, which an overconsumption of can lead to negative health issues and unwanted weight gain.


text:
This property is centrally located and available to move in now! There is 19,300 sq ft of warehouse/shop space and 960 sq ft of office space that will be finished. There are 2 loading docks, 14 foot high garage doors, 960 sq ft dedicated to offices, and shared bathrooms. There is extensive parking outside the location. The Real estate tax of .89 cents per sq ft and the CAM charges for the space are estimated at $1.14 per sq ft, both calculated yearly. CAM covers electrical, garbage, gas, water, sewer, common area maintenance, and insurance. There is also yard space and storage building for lease on the property.
Listing courtesy of BROKERS 12, INC..

domain: economics


text:
Making Certain You Get The Very Best LodgingsDo you hate the thought of having to book a hotel room when going on vacation? Do you know how to find the perfect hotel at an affordable price? However, there's no reason to freak out. This article will help you find the perfect hotel for your trip.
Before you make reservations at a particular hotel, check its reviews on websites like TripAdvisor. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.
There are a number of things to consider when deciding which hotel to stay at. Of course, you must think of cost; however, proximity to attractions is also very important. Things like free breakfast can make a big difference for some families. Seek to locate a hotel that provides lots of attractive amenities.
Be sure to check for online deals. Most of the time, you can get cheaper deals by taking a few minutes to search for them on the Internet. It is a great way to choose your hotel. You will find deals this way that the hotels won't tell you about over the phone.
There are many different things to consider as you search for a hotel to stay in. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. What about hotel amenities video , local calls, wifi or swimming pool? Look for the hotel that gives as many of the extra you desire as possible.
To save a little bit of money on the cost of your hotel room, whether you are booking over the phone or online, see if there is a discount for paying at the time of booking rather than waiting to pay at checkout. Often this can make the difference between queen and king beds, or between a room and a suite.
When traveling with a pet, your choices of hotels will be limited. Once you find a hotel that is pet friendly, find out what the policies are with regard to pets. Most hotels charge an extra fee for pets, and they may have designated areas in which to walk your pet. Be click this know the particulars ahead of time to avoid potential problems later.
Book any massage appointments you make early. In order to get the best masseurs at these top hotels, you must plan early to ensure that you get a good experience.
Try not to make long distance calls from your hotel room. Using the Internet is a better option. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. Use this type of thing to get with people you know while you're in your hotel room so you can save quite a bit of money.
Best hotel hospitality supplies by Hotels For Humanity
7910 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
If possible, try to stay in a hotel during the off-season. Most hotels know how desperate people are to find a room during the travel season. They tend to jack up their prices because they know people are willing to pay for the room. If you go during the off-season, you will get big discounts!
To keep your incidentals at a minimum, especially when you are staying at a hotel outside the US, ask about the cost of wireless Internet before you check in, and especially before you log in the first time. Some hotels don't disclose the costly per-minute costs of Internet access, but they will certainly show up on the bill.
If you have a little one with you, remember that hotel rooms aren't usually set up for babies. Don't forget to pack a few things so that you can baby proof the space. For example, an outlet cover is small but it plays a big role in keeping your child safe.
Try out DealAngel the next time you are looking online for hotel rooms. This relatively newer site will show you just how good of a deal you are actually getting. It even has a unique feature that will show you how hotel rates vary by date, letting you pick the cheapest time to go.
Be aware that many hotels charge for using the hotel's Internet. Suggested Website can avoid this fee by visiting a local coffee shop or restaurant that offers free Internet. If you must use the Internet at the hotel, do only what you have to do online and get off quickly to save the most money.
If you want the best deal on a hotel, look into traveling off of peak times of year. Just missing peak season be a week or two can save you hundreds of dollars on hotel rates. A little preplanning and a bit of research can mean more money in your pocket.
Do not open the bottled water in your hotel room. When you get checked in you might feel thirsty and a little tired. That bottle of water in the mini fridge can be might tempting. Hotels take advantage of guests by charging ridiculous amounts for bottled water. Sometimes the gym in the hotel will give you free bottled water. Or, if you are thinking ahead, just bring a bottle with you.
It is often a good idea to book rooms with brand new hotels, just open for business. Newer establishments are often eager to please their customers. Their first customers are the ones who will spread good word of mouth about the hotel. Savvy travelers realize this and stay at newer places.
If you are looking for the best hotel deal, consider not staying in a hotel! Vacation rentals and home rentals can be a lot cheaper and even nicer. This can leave a lot of additional cash for you to do fun things while you are vacationing. It can be a great deal.
A good vacation can be spoiled by a bad hotel experience. Hopefully, this article has helped you how to avoid making the wrong choices. When you plan your hotel accommodations carefully, you can maximize your vacation experience and have a really good time. Do not forget what you have learned here when you book your next hotel.

domain: travel


It comes as no surprise that a few officials in the city of Washougal are pushing for people to “move on”’ from the COVID-19 pandemic even as news that the incredibly contagious delta variant, which is now causing COVID rates to spike in 45 states, has made its way to Clark County.
After all, this is the same city council that wrote to the governor to push back against statewide COVID safety precautions less than two months after the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, saying then that the state’s safety measures seemed better suited to the big city of Seattle than the little town of Washougal — as if a deadly airborne virus might prefer the Space Needle over the Columbia River Gorge.
We saw what happened when restrictions loosened last summer and people started to let their guard down — meeting in groups, not wearing masks and acting as if the pandemic had passed — after COVID rates skyrocketed in the fall and prevented local students from returning to in-person classes throughout most of the school year.
Rates are, thankfully, dropping again now, thanks to extremely effective COVID vaccinations, and state restrictions have, indeed, loosened for those who have received the vaccine. Unvaccinated individuals are still supposed to be wearing face coverings in public, but since many of those who are refusing to be vaccinated are the same people who fought the mask mandates, it’s doubtful there is much compliance.
As rates drop, Washougal leaders are back in the spotlight again, calling for people to “break out of the negativity and fear” over an illness that has claimed more than four million lives since March 2020.
“There’s a lot of people still in that COVID mindset: ‘I don’t think we can,’” Washougal City Council member David Stuebe said recently. “It’s like they want to test the waters, and we don’t have time for that.”
And why doesn’t Washougal have time to see if the new loosened COVID restrictions and the possibility of a surge in the delta variant cause local COVID cases to start climbing again?
Because the city wants to throw summertime community events.
“We’re opening the door. This is the first opportunity to be back with our neighbors and back with the community and have fun,” Stuebe said.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a more “normal” community life again — we’ve all been too isolated, too removed from our neighbors, coworkers and loved ones, too worried about an invisible virus and too overwhelmed over the past 16 months — but there are two good reasons why our local leaders should be wary of throwing open the floodgates and welcoming hundreds if not thousands of people to gather mask-free in their downtowns.
Recent news reports coming out of new COVID hot spots like Missouri and Mississippi, where COVID vaccination rates are low and the delta variant is running rampant, make it clear this new variant, which is much more contagious than the original COVID strain, could be a game-changer in Clark County, where less than half the population is vaccinated against COVID, including all of those younger than 12 who are not yet able to receive the vaccines.
And while the original COVID strain mostly spared children and younger people, the delta variant seems to be different. In Mississippi, for instance, there are now at least two children on ventilators — thanks to the delta variant. (Editor’s note: the state health officer corrected an earlier report stating 10 children were on ventilators after this editorial appeared in the July 15, 2021 Post-Record.)
“We have more pediatric admissions than we had early in the pandemic,” warned one state Mississippi health officer this week, adding that nearly all of the COVID cases in Mississippi right now are the delta variant and that the “vast majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths” are among those not vaccinated against COVID.
Earlier this month, Fortune magazine published an article titled, “The kids are (not) alright: Europe sounds the alarm as delta variant soars among teens and 20-somethings,” which showed COVID infections are rapidly increasing among young people in Spain and other European nations.
And in response to England, which is set to fully reopen on July 19 despite rocketing delta variant infections, a group of more than 4,000 health professionals published a letter in the Lancet journal this month, calling the reopening a “dangerous and unethical experiment.”
Of course, we are fortunate that we have not yet experienced a surge in delta variant COVID cases in Southwest Washington. But our region’s vaccination numbers are nowhere near the 70 percent or more threshold that seems to be protecting people in highly vaccinated states like Vermont and even Oregon from a delta surge.
We know the current COVID vaccines are thankfully still holding strong against the delta variant, but our local vaccination rates should make local leaders think twice before declaring it time to move on from the pandemic.
In Washougal, only 47 percent of those ages 16 and older have had at least one COVID vaccine shot. In areas north of the city, toward Yacolt, the numbers are much lower, with less than 26 percent of those ages 16 and older having received a single dose of the vaccine.
Younger people are especially susceptible to the delta variant, especially those younger than 12 who cannot yet be vaccinated. In Clark County, only one-fourth of those ages 12 to 15 and 40 percent of those ages 16 to 19 have been vaccinated against COVID. Fewer than 45 percent of county residents in their 20s and early 30s are vaccinated against COVID.
If the delta variant does take hold in Clark County, we should demand our local leaders take heed — studies have shown the delta variant spreads about 225 percent faster than the original COVID strain, and is more infectious, “with people showing about 1,000 times more copies of the virus inside their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain of the coronavirus,” according to a recent NPR report.
Until we know more, officials should still caution their unvaccinated constituents to take precautions against catching the virus, including masking in public and avoiding large gatherings — and urge their vaccinated population to be aware that they may be able to transmit the delta variant even if they are asymptomatic, and they may still become ill with COVID.
We also would urge local officials to follow the World Health Organization’s recommendations regarding the delta variant as they roll out summertime events like the movies in the park and the new Summerfest and, if COVID cases begin to creep up here again, keep in mind what a WHO official recently told CNBC reporters: “People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces … physical distance, avoid crowding. This still continues to be extremely important, even if you’re vaccinated when you have a community transmission ongoing.”


text:
About 150 Virginia Natural Gas customers in Hampton and Newport News deluged the utility Friday evening reporting the smell of gas.
The alarming smell resulted from an accidental overdose of the agent added to the gas so that leaks can be detected, said Buddy Early, operating manager of the utility. Workers checked out each of the calls.
Workers used a soap and water solution to check lines.
Some extremely small leaks that would not normally be detectable were discovered during the visits, Early said.
Early said the agent is added to the odorless gas at a station a few hundred yards east of the James River Bridge.
The overdose lasted about 1-1/2 hours and presented no danger to the public, Early said.
Areas affected stretched from Hilton Village in Newport News to Riverdale in Hampton.

domain: chemistry


As I admired the flora in Dyrham Park a National Trust located in Bath, Chippenham South Gloucestershire, England. My eyes fell upon a beautiful red admiral butterfly perched atop a stunning blue globe thistle. The petals of this glorious thistle were a vibrant shade of blue, providing a perfect backdrop for the intricate patterns and shades of crimson that adorned the butterfly’s wings. The contrast between the butterfly’s delicate wings and the soft, spiky foliage of the plant was truly breathtaking. Witnessing this natural marvel in its habitat was a moment I will always cherish. View more in our journal.
A Red Admiral Butterfly resting on the Blue Globe Thistle.


We are a Manufacturer of innovative products designed specifically to harness and express creativity through the use of them.
If you have an event where you want to use our Laser Cutter, or just wants us to share some know-how.
Feel free to contact us.
We have designed a powerful yet Safe Laser Cutter that makers can use in the comfort of their own homes without hazard.
TIME LEFT TO GET A CRAFTLASER ON INDIEGOGO
With its first entry to the marketplace, LionsForge is proud to present the CraftLaser, the first truly portable laser cutter engraver with built in cooling and air filtration system. Designed from the the ground up to be reliable , user friendly and maintenance free the CraftLaser is a valuable ally to any crafter and a new source of revenue for entrepreneurs. How you use it and what you use to make with it is only limited by the imagination.
Watch this space for latest news.
SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES
The Lionsforge CraftLaser has been very successful on Indiegogo. Please subscribe here for updates, to stay abreast of our production schedule and also where we will be showing off the Craftlaser in Singapore.
We don't send spam. Promise!


text:
Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack
Charlie Puth: How I Wrote 'See You Again'
Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth: How They Wrote 'See You Again,' Honoring Paul Walker (Photo Shoot)
Charlie Puth's original voice memo for "See You Again"
See You Again is a song by Wiz Khalifa, featuring Charlie Puth. It was commissioned for the soundtrack of the action film Furious 7 as a tribute to Paul Walker, who died in a car accident. The single spent 12 non-consecutive weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and received 3 nominations at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
Explore contextually related video stories in a new eye-catching way. Try Combster now!


text:
CAF : Asec Mimosas beat Al Ahly in Egypt
ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast handed Al Ahly their second loss in Group A of the CAF Champions League, leaving the Egyptian giants’ hopes of qualifying for the semifinals of the continental competition hanging by a thread.
The Mimosas defeated Ahly 2-1 at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Tuesday night, a win which sees them register their first points of the group phase after losing 1-0 at home to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca 10 days ago.
The Red Devils remain on zero points following their loss away to ZESCO United, and could find themselves as much as six points off the lead team if tomorrow’s match between the Zambians and Wydad in Rabat produces a winner.
The match in Alexandria saw the visitors claimed a surprise lead just before the half hour mark, with Yannick Krahire Zakri striking home the opening goal on 29 minutes.
ASEC took the lead into half time, but just eight minutes after the restart they were pegged back to 1-1 when Al Ahly’s Ahmed Hegazy found the back of the net.
The Egyptian side would have been hoping to go on and claim the victory in what remained of the game, but instead it was the Ivorians who found the next goal, with Armand Niamke netting in the 80th minute to make it 2-1 to the away team.
ASEC will next be in Champions League action when they face ZESCO United away next month, while Al Ahly will welcome fellow North Africans Wydad.


text:
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Kris R. Jatana, MD, FAAP, FACS
Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology Quality Improvement
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Nationwide Children’s Hospital & Wexner Medical Center
at Ohio State University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: More than 2,500 pediatric button battery ingestions occur annually in the United States. When lodged in the esophagus, rapid injury can occur from the tissue and saliva connecting the circuit of the battery. Serious injury can occur in a matter of hours. This results in a highly alkaline caustic injury that dissolves tissue, a process called liquefactive necrosis. There was a need for novel mitigation strategies to slow the progression of esophageal injury caused by presence of a button battery. This study aimed at identifying a palatable liquid that can be given at home or hospital setting to reduce esophageal injury until the battery can be removed. Continue reading

domain: medical


Fulmer has interest in joining selection committee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Former Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer says he’s interested in being part of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Fulmer said Friday he’d like to be considered for the committee that determines which four teams get picked for the playoff that kicks off next year. Fulmer was speaking before a 15th anniversary celebration of Tennessee’s 1998 national championship team to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The makeup of the selection committee hasn’t been determined, but former administrators and coaches, as well as media members, have been discussed as possible candidates.
Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who also attended Friday’s event, said he’d rather not be part of a selection committee. Bowden expressed interest in the role last year, but has since changed his mind.


WEBCSC Assistant,Supervisor & Other Posts Recruitment 2021
West Bengal Co-operative Service Commission (WEBCSC) has published recruitment notification for the post of Assistant,Supervisor & Other Posts. Interested and eligible candidates can apply online.
- Application Start Date: 12/02/2021 after 4 p.m. onwards
- Application End Date: 01/03/2021 to 11:59 p.m.
- Gen/OBC: Rs. 650/-
- SC/ST/PH: Rs. 250/-
- Pay online by using Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking.
|Post Name||Vacancies||Qualification||Pay Scale|
|Assistant Grade-I||06||Graduation||Rs. 17,866|
|Accounts Assistant||02||Commerce Graduate||Rs.25,924|


text:
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to document the impact of CT performed in the emergency department of patients presenting with nontraumatic acute abdominal pain.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Using a computer order entry system, emergency department physicians were required to report their most likely diagnosis, level of certainty, and management plan for their patients before ordering abdominal CT. After CT was performed, each physician was required to provide again his or her diagnosis, level of diagnostic certainty, and treatment plan. The outcome of each patient was evaluated by either surgery, other imaging studies, or clinical follow-up.
RESULTS: After the abdominal CT, physicians' mean level of certainty in their diagnoses increased by 1.5 points (on a five-point scale; p < 0.0001). Patient management was changed in 33 (60.0%) of 55 patients. Planned treatment before CT was admission in 42 patients. Actual admissions after CT totaled 32 patients (excluding the two patients in whom preimaging information was not recorded). Thus, the net effect of abdominal CT scanning was to avert 10 (23.8%) of 42 hospital admissions.
CONCLUSION: CT performed in the emergency department increases the physician's level of certainty, reduces hospital admission rates by 23.8%, and leads to more timely surgical intervention.


text:
“No one can withdraw money without my consent after I receive stipends directly in my account. The stipends also help me save for my child’s educational needs, as we would earlier spend any cash doles mostly on household expenses,” says Rabia, a beneficiary of Bangladesh’s Primary Education Stipends Program (PESP).
Nearly all women we spoke to in Bangladesh prefer digital transfers over cash. To them, digital transfers translate to more direct control over their stipends.
Substantial evidence shows digitized G2P programs improve access to financial products and services and enable their use while streamlining the delivery of social security benefits. Digitized G2P programs are associated with positive effects for both the programs’ governments and beneficiaries. However, experts often debate if it is better to deliver benefits to women in programs that target the household or children.
Impact evaluations of gender-centric conditional cash transfers have looked at drivers of gender outcomes, such as monetary control and bargaining power in household decisions. The Primary Education Stipends Program (PESP) in Bangladesh directs the benefit to women through mobile money. PESP intends to increase the enrolment, attendance, and retention of children in primary schools. The program distributes quarterly G2P benefit of USD 1.6 (BDT 150) per beneficiary with an upper limit of USD 5.23 (BDT 500) per family to the mothers of children enrolled under the program.
BMGF’s D3 (Digitize, Direct, and Design) framework highlights that digitized G2P programs directed at women have a more transformative impact on them. Such targeted programs can help them make better decisions, include them financially, and lead them to adopt digital behavior. This blog uses the D3 framework to review PESP’s impact in Bangladesh on gender empowerment and reviews findings from an assessment of PESP conducted by MicroSave Consulting (MSC) and the Centre for Global Development (CGD).
The digitization of PESP
Since 2013, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has made active progress in digitizing several social security net programs (SSNPs). With the rapid rise of mobile financial services, policymakers saw merit in distributing G2P benefits digitally to reduce costs and introduce transparency in program administration. In 2016, the PESP was shifted from cash to mobile money. This shift was crucial to ensure the financial inclusion of women, especially those from rural areas.
The digitization of PESP led many women (79%) to open mobile money accounts for the first time. In MSC’s assessment, 93% of mothers who experienced both cash and mobile money transfers reported a clear preference for digital stipends.
Mothers appreciated mobile money transfers for their convenience and low-cost access, and in cash-out. In contrast, with the cash disbursement system, they incurred high opportunity costs in travel and time needed to visit schools to collect the payment.
The digitization of PESP stipends also led to an increased usage of financial services. 46% of respondents mentioned using their mobile money accounts beyond PESP cash-outs. These women used their accounts for funds transfers (96%), savings (68%), and value-added services such as bill payments and mobile bill top-ups (17%).
Directing the benefits to women
Besides ease of access and convenience, mothers also preferred mobile money for better monetary control over the quarterly stipend benefits. A recent mandate from mobile money providers requires the beneficiary mothers’ national identity cards (NID) to be linked with their SIM. Before this requirement, several women did not own mobile phones and gave their husbands mobile numbers when they enrolled with PESP. In fact, a recent study by GSMA (2021) indicated that only 64% of women in the country have access to mobile internet as opposed to 84% of men. The mandate ensured that the stipend benefits reached the sole intended female beneficiary of the program and family members did not divert the funds into non-educational outcomes.
Evidence from the MSC-CGD assessment indicates a strong positive relationship between mothers who use their own mobile wallet accounts for PESP benefits and their economic decision-making agency. Several mothers use PESP stipends to buy school supplies (stationary and school uniforms) and private tuition after school hours. Digital stipends also help mothers save a portion of the payment for future education needs. The households of marginalized PESP beneficiaries are highly susceptible to income shocks. Therefore, the savings help prevent disruptions in primary education.
The disbursal of PESP benefits mandates the students to maintain a minimum grade and attendance. Hence, women push their children to study to receive the stipends. Such efforts also mean that mothers prioritize the quality of learning outcomes.
Directing the benefits to women has significantly increased their control over the stipends. 74% of respondents who received PESP mentioned that they have more control over digital stipends than cash disbursement. 92% of respondents who received PESP mentioned that they have more control over the stipends because no one can withdraw them without their consent.
However, since digital benefits are being transferred directly to women, many women express the need for more knowledge and skills to transact digitally. Anecdotal evidence suggests that as nascent mobile money users, women with feature phones need agent assistance and hesitate to navigate digital banking channels independently.
Designing the program to expand opportunities for women
Before 2019, school-level committees were formed to target mothers eligible for PESP. Other targeting mechanisms, such as categorical and means testing, were deployed with mandatory rural coverage of 60%. In 2020, policymakers in Bangladesh took yet another stride to introduce greater transparency and accountability in the program by universalizing PESP coverage. Through this step, policymakers intended to reduce the role of politics in beneficiary selection and expand geographical coverage to include several poor urban children.
The expansion of program coverage also amplified ripple effects on women’s economic and digital inclusion. PESP provided predictable income streams through the quarterly PESP stipends. The program was made shock-responsive during COVID-19. The stipends were increased from USD 1.05 (BDT 100) to USD 1.6 (BDT 150) per child, with a cap of USD 5.23 (BDT 500) per family. Two children from the same family receive USD 3.14 (BDT 300) each, three from the same family receive USD 4.18 (BDT 400) each, and four from the same family receive USD 5.23 (BDT 500 each).
Deciding stipend use and timing of cash-out helped women hone their financial decision-making skills. They started to increase their bargaining power in household decision-making related to savings, investments, and health. Despite 90% of women continuing to depend financially on their husbands, 73% of PESP women reported higher participation in several household decisions after their enrolment.
PESP has made a significant difference for low-income women. It has expanded financial inclusion, enhanced control over household decisions, and increased their agency over the stipends. The program has succeeded since digitization and incorporated gender centrality in its design.
In the future, program implementers must take measures to address exclusion errors and ensure timely communication with beneficiary mothers on evolving program conditionalities such as NID-SIM card linkage. The database of 13 million PESP beneficiaries can help policymakers target and enroll women effectively into other gender-centric social protection programs, such as livelihood generation and the provision of health insurance.
During a crisis, policymakers could also use the database to provide women immediate cash transfer benefits. Complementary linkages between gender-centric social protection programs can ensure a more meaningful and long-term impact on gender equity and quality of life for women—allowing them to take control of their financial life and beyond.

domain: sociology


text:
Dubrovnik to Venice
2018 depart Tue: Apr 17. May 08,15,22,29. Jun 12,19,26. Jul 17. Aug 07,21,28. Sep 04,11, 18,25. Oct 02.
day 01 Dubrovnik-Arrival
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure to begin exploring or stroll along the seaside. In the evening meet your travel companions and your tour director for a Welcome dinner.
day 02 Dubrovnik
A walking tour shows you the highlights of Old Dubrovnik. You’ll see the Rector’s Palace, Bell Tower Clock, Orlando’s Column, Sponza Palace, the Dominican Monastery, and Franciscan Monastery with its Pharmacy, one of the oldest in the world. The rest of the day is free to discover more of the city on your own, browse through the shops, or relax and enjoy your superbly scenic surroundings.
day 03 Dubrovnik-Montenegro-Dubrovnik
Travel to the Republic of Montenegro, head towards the mouth of the beautiful Bay of Kotor, the longest and deepest fjord in Southern Europe. Enjoy a boat ride to our lady of the rocks, one of two islets off the coast of Perast. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest building on the islet, with a museum attached to it. Upon return to the coast, we will stop in Perast, an old charming coastal town. Visit city of Kotor before returning to Dubrovnik. Your evening is free to enjoy your way.
day 04 Dubrovnik-Split
Travel north along the spectacular Adriatic coast, past old fishing villages and new resorts, to Split. Our sightseeing tour features the historic inner city, built around the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. See the remnants of Split’s Roman heritage, its Renaissance and Gothic structures, Jupiter’s Temple, the Peristyle and the beautiful Cathedral of St Duje.
day 05 Split-Trogir-Plitvice Lakes
After breakfast, head to Trogir, one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic coast and a centre of artistic activities in Croatia. Scholars from around the world gather here to study and paint. Then, turn inland and journey to Plitvice Lakes National Park.
day 06 Plitvice Lakes
A full day to enjoy spectacular Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take a walking around several of the lower lakes, and delight in the breathtaking scenery of this natural wonder with 16 terraced lakes surrounded by thickly wooded mountains and lush vegetation.
day 07 Plitvice Lakes-Opatija-Postojna-Bled
Returning to the coast, stop at the beautiful bay of Kvarner and its popular resort, Opatija. An orientation tour of Opatija will show off the highlights of this former Imperial resort city. Afterward, drive across the border into Slovenia and to Postojna Cave, one of the largest caves in Europe. Tour this fantastic subterranean world by miniature electric train. Afterward, continue to Bled, beautifully set in the Julian Alps.
day 08 Bled-Ljubljana-Bled
An Alpine lake surrounded by high peaks, Bled was “discovered” by travellers in the middle of the 19th century. A sightseeing tour features the charming town and the lakeshore, and visit the imposing Bled Castle, perched on a cliff high above the lake. Afternoon excursion to Ljubljana; the city tour takes in views of the open-air Central Market, Baroque Town Hall, Robba's Fountain, the Three Bridges, and the Parliament. Return to Bled for an overnight.
day 09 Bled-Trieste-Venice
Drive south to Italy and Trieste for an orientation tour including a visit to Miramare Castle and its lovely park. The castle, built by the Habsburg monarchy, sits on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea. After your visit, continue on to the romantic city of Venice.
day 10 Venice
A walking tour of Venice shows you the highlights: St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, Bell Tower, and Bridge of Sighs. Then visit a glassblowing factory and watch a master artisan demonstrate this traditional Venetian art. Your afternoon is at leisure to enjoy Venice at your own pace, browse through the shops, or take an optional gondola ride. Celebrate your incomparable vacation tonight with a Farewell Dinner at a popular restaurant
day 11 Venice Departure
After breakfast you will be transferred to Venice airport for your flight home.
Inclusions: twin share in luxury hotels, arrival and departure transfers, English speaking tour director throughout, deluxe coach, local tour guides, breakfast daily, six dinners, audio headsets, porterage, service charges, taxes.
Sightseeing: Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Opatija, Ljubljana, Miramare Castle, Bled-Bled castle, Venice. Entries: Dubrovnik-Rector’s Palace, Pharmacy, Cetinje-Museum, Split-Diocletian’s Palace, Plitvice-Plitvice Lakes National Park, Castle, Postojna-Postojna Cave, Venice-St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace.
Hotels: Dubrovnik-Lapad, Split-Atrium, Plitvice-Jezero, Bled-Park, Venice-Bauer Palladio (or similar).


BackgroundQuantitative analysis of wall motion from three-dimensional (3D) dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) could provide additional diagnostic information not available from qualitative analysis. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of 3D fractional shortening (3DFS), a measure of wall motion computed from 3D echocardiography (3DE), to strain and strain rate measured with sonomicrometry for detecting critical stenoses during DSE.MethodsEleven open-chest dogs underwent DSE both with and without a critical stenosis. 3DFS was measured from 3DE images acquired at peak stress. 3DFS was normalized by subtracting average 3DFS during control peak stress (Δ3DFS). Strains in the perfusion defect (PD) were measured from sonomicrometry, and PD size and location were measured with microspheres.ResultsA Δ3DFS abnormality indicated the presence of a critical stenosis with high sensitivity and specificity (88% and 100%, respectively), and Δ3DFS abnormality size correlated with PD size (R2 = 0.54). The sensitivity and specificity for Δ3DFS were similar to that for area strain (88%, 100%) and circumferential strain and strain rate (88%, 92% and 88%, 86%, respectively), while longitudinal strain and strain rate were less specific. Δ3DFS correlated significantly with both coronary flow reserve (R2 = 0.71) and PD size (R2 = 0.97), while area strain correlated with PD size only (R2 = 0.67), and other measures were not significantly correlated with flow reserve or PD size.ConclusionQuantitative wall-motion analysis using Δ3DFS is effective for detecting critical stenoses during DSE, performing similar to 3D strain, and provides potentially useful information on the size and location of a perfusion defect.


My childhood nickname was Chatterbox. A name my older siblings stuck me with, and a name that still emerges at family dinners when I tell one too many stories in a few too many minutes.
“When she isn’t talking, she’s writing.” As a child, this proved true. As an almost-adult, this still proves true. Words always have been my way of communicating (an enlightened idea, I know).
Three weeks ago, I stood nodding and smiling cluelessly as an Ecuadorian man spoke to me in his native language, I realized that I’m not such a master of communication after all. That said, I also discovered how possible it is to communicate with someone without really speaking. There’s such a thing called listening and I’ve come to learn that it’s a skill I oftentimes lack. So eager, usually, to share my own thoughts, stories and ideas, I sometimes forget to just shut up. Not being able to speak Spanish really forced me to just. listen.
Long gone are my days of first and last words and welcome are the days of silence. My days of silence, that is. Because even though I had no idea what was being said (and even though I later learned at one point I was called fat), someone was still speaking. And he was smiling. And it occurred to me that other people might like to talk; other people might like to be listened to, if only I could start giving them a chance. If only I could stop searching for the subtitles of life, and instead start listening.
This past winter break, I went on a SEND trip to Ecuador. This surprised some. Perhaps because I’m not a “roughing it” kind of girl (that, however, is a totally inaccurate assumption, as I am a master camper). Or maybe it was because I have such a strong aversion to the sun, that, once upon a time, people assumed I was a vampire. Or maybe, it’s because I’m a play it safe kind of girl who borders so far on the side of caution that I don’t even watch scary movies. But what surprised me only in retrospect, is that I never once felt unsafe throughout the duration of the trip. I know that sounds naive or ignorant or like the North American media has really succeeded at instilling fear within me (and all of those are probably true), but it’s more than that. It’s that I never worried about me there. It became easy to withdraw myself from the “self” bubble we all tend to live in. Job applications and blogs and an “online presence” and class schedules—things I usually spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over—disappeared. And I don’t mean they physically disappeared, because, duh of course they did, I left the country. But they literally disappeared from my mind. And I learned to let go of my own little worries, and also the big little worries that the news has instilled within me. And in stepping forward a little (or a lot, rather, because Ecuador is 3,084 miles away), I actually, in turn, stepped back enough to see the bigger picture. And what I found hurt. But what I found was also beautiful.
It was beautiful to not have a phone and to lose track of time and to speak in run on sentences as you try to form your discombobulated thoughts into phrases as you take in the world around you. And the world we saw hurt. But the way we lived in that world was beautiful and just listening was beautiful. Nikki Reed (one of the infamous stars of Twilight), once wrote, “I’d like to stay in that world; a world where iPhones and flip cams don’t exist, a world where people live only to dance to whatever beat they hear.” And to my knowledge, she was not describing Ecuador, but she very well could’ve been.
Because as I flew home and became re-submerged in a culture that I grew up in and spent only eight days away from, I found myself continuously missing Ecuador—the people, the places, the simplicity. Coming back, the first trip to the grocery store was hard. The first meal was hard. The first shower that lasted more than a minute was…okay, not so hard. But holding my glittery pink iPhone back in my hand was, surprisingly, hard. And after a week of feeling inordinately free, it felt especially heavy.
Surrounded by YOLO and FOMO and YOASSSAACO (you’re only a second semester senior at Assumption College once), I’ve decided to take a different approach and instead live the way I learned in Ecuador—intentionally. Not accidentally or casually or tweetingly. But intentionally.
And this intentional living sometimes takes you to this place where you’re in another continent, driving silently through a poverty-torn village, and it sometimes takes you to this place where you end up crying in a Panera (practicing your new listening skills) as your grandmother tells you stories of the grandparents who were gone before your time. And this intentional living brings you back to the presence, pulling you from the petty. This intentional living, it seems, forces you to listen. And listening, like Ecuador, is beautiful. Sometimes painfully sad, but always beautiful.


Oh The Times They…Aren’t Changing
The opening film for the Montreal International Black Film Festival is a genuine and well-made portrait of the late poet.
Canadian Broadway — music, dance, great acting, great script! Adventures of a Black Girl has it all.
This powerful documentary looks at historic and contemporary images of African Americans.


text:
Marcel Reece will continue as lead RB
Raiders HC Dennis Allen said that the rotations would be similar to what they were in Sunday's 55-20 loss to Baltimore. Marcel Reece would be the lead back, with Jeremy Stewart getting work and Taiwan Jones getting a shot if he continues to show progress in the areas of ball security, general health and ability to execute the playbook.
FREE 4for4 EMAIL SERVICE
Receive breaking news and fantasy analysis straight to your inbox.
Note: This service comes automatically with a paid subscription.

domain: sports


It’s been a few years since the Girl Scouts released a new cookie flavor. Well, 2019 is our lucky year, because the new Caramel Chocolate Chip will be on cookie order forms starting next year.
The new gluten-free cookie is made with chocolate chips and caramel, and it's topped with a sprinkle of sea salt to give it a salty-sweet combustion of flavor in every bite.
Brit + Co reached out to the senior director of communications and external affairs for Girl Scouts of the USA, Stewart Goodbody, and got his take on the new addition: “The flavor is on-trend: Chocolate and caramel cookie flavor combinations are increasingly popular among consumers. What’s more, the gluten-free market is growing — in fact, millennials are two times as likely to factor gluten-free into their cookie purchase.”
The Caramel Chocolate Chip cookie is only available in select markets. Don’t worry — you won't need to chase down every girl in a mint green vest you see. Use the “Find Cookies” tool on the Girl Scouts site, and you’ll be able to see where in your area the new flavor is sold.
As Phyllis Nefler’s troop once said, “IT’S COOKIE TIME!”
Oreo’s New Left-Handed Packaging Makes Zero Sense
These Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Better Than Any Homemade Batch
Can You Tell Which of These Oreo Flavors Are Real?
Follow BestProducts.com on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter , and Pinterest!
Brian is the former lifestyle editor at BestProducts.com, and his work has been featured on Popular Mechanics and Good Housekeeping; He covers everything from the latest viral product trends to the coolest things in pop culture. When Brian’s not at the office, you can find him at a Barry’s class, watching Bravo, or binging the latest Netflix craze.


text:
HAVING been around for many year now, Ian Bruce, has emerged as one of the great singer/song-writers of the Scottish folk movement.
He’s a powerful singer, best known for his own very accomplished songs.
In recent years he’s been including quite a lot of traditional songs in his set and was chosen, alongside Tony Cuffe, Rod Paterson and Billy Ross, to be part of an album – The Complete Works Of Robbie Burns – to celebrate 300 years since the famous man’s birth.
Ian is currently touring in the UK and stops off on Saturday at the Davy Lamp in the Arts Centre, Washington.
Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner are two of the most experienced and established harmony singers around.
They have a leaning towards traditional English material, but occasionally diversify and perform their own material and Victorian/Edwardian songs.
Their interpretation of both contemporary and traditional material is sensitive, moving and has plenty of humour.
They’re here in the North East this week, and you can see them on Sunday at the Rugby Club in Westoe, and on Monday at the Sun Inn in Stockton.
Monday also sees a performance by two new names on me.
Nanne Kalma and Ankie Van der Meer will be filling the guest spot at the Bridge in Newcastle. I’m afraid I can tell you nothing about the duo – but all the more reason to go along to find out for yourself.
You can be sure of a warm welcome.
Singers’ nights this week kick off on Sunday at the Rugby Club, Guisborough; Monday at the Smiths Arms, Chester-le-Street; Tuesday at the Sports Club, Newton Aycliffe, the Britannia, Darlington and the South Causey Inn, Stanley; Wednesday at the Catholic Club, Birtley and next Thursday, at the Tap and Spile, Durham, the Wellington, Wolviston, the Black Bull in Blaydon, Darlington Arts Centre and the Duke William in Skelton
Happy Listening ...


text:
Take That First Step
It’s always going to be challenging trying something new, your fears and self-doubt will get you to second guess yourself into thinking that you aren’t ready for doing what you are wanting to do and you’ll procrastinate. Most of the times this will actually stop a person from moving forward and will cause this dream/goal of theirs to remain just a dream/goal instead of reality. The truth is, you will never be ready and it will never be the right time...but as long as you take that first step and move forward everything else will just fall into place. Get in the habit of asking yourself ‘what if I succeed’ versus ‘what if I fail’, when you get to that level there is nothing that won’t stop you from achieving anything that comes to your mind.

domain: psychology


text:
Supplies, instructions, resources, and worksheets are below!
If sweet potatoes don’t have seeds, how do they reproduce and grow? You can make a sweet potato grow into a sweet potato plant, and grow many sweet potatoes from one sweet potato. In this science project, you will grow your own sweet potato plants and investigate what part of the sweet potato is needed to grow the plants.
1 Day and about 8-10 weeks of observation
3 large sweet potatoes
Toothpicks (about 18)
6 cups (can be plastic or glass, about 18 oz in size)
Warm, sunny window
NOTE: Adult supervision required when when using knife to cut
Understand how sweet potatoes grow
Understand the time it takes and environment to grow
Understand that not all plants grow from seeds
Vocabulary Terms to Understand
Look up each word and write their definition on paper.
1. Print the Investigative Worksheet.
2. With help from an adult, cut each sweet potato in half using the knife and cutting board as shown below.
3. Peel one half of each pair so you will end up with 3 half with peel on them and 3 half without peel on them.
4. Use 3 to 4 toothpicks with to assemble each sweet potato half in the cup as shown below
5. Be sure that the sweet potatoes are in about 3 cm of water and have water touching the bottom of each sweet potato at all times.
6. Every 3 days, check the water. If the water is low, carefully take the sweet potato out and empty the water, wash the cup, replace with fresh water, and put the sweet potato back in. If the sweet potato gets moldy, you can throw it out. Create a chart like the one below to record your findings.
7. Write down all observation and procedures on your Investigative worksheet. You will need to be patient, as it can take several weeks for the sprouting and shoots to appear.
How are sweet potato slips made?
How long does it take for sweet potatoes to sprot?
What time of year should you plant sweet potatoes in your geographic area?
Do the ones with skin on them sprout, or the ones without skin?
Did either half of the sweet potatoes not sprout?
What parts of the sweet potato are needed to make more sweet potato plants?


text:
People + Policy
= Positive Change for the Public Good
This week Free Press’ News Voices: New Jersey project is taking the next step to bridge the gap between journalists and residents in Camden. Tomorrow evening at the Camden Conference Center we’re holding a public meeting with residents of Camden and other New Jersey communities about an opportunity to strengthen local media for years to come.
It’s no secret that New Jersey is in a local news crisis. Decades of media consolidation have shuttered media outlets and resulted in nearly 2,000 journalists losing their jobs. Too many outlets misrepresent or overlook communities of color. Free Press launched News Voices to ensure that local journalism serves community needs.
Our meeting tomorrow will explore the impact of a recently concluded FCC auction that could result in a windfall of as much as $325 million for New Jersey. The auction involved a major redistribution of the public airwaves, and we believe this sale should benefit the public. We’re urging lawmakers to support the creation of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium to advance research and innovation in the fields of media and technology and improve local news and information.
The consortium would work with Montclair State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University and Rutgers University to issue grants to the universities, media outlets, technology companies, and community partners for projects that benefit the state’s civic life and meet the evolving information needs of New Jersey’s underserved communities.
Free Press has been meeting with stakeholders from these universities, community-based organizations and lawmakers to gather support for this idea, and last week News Voices: New Jersey Director Mike Rispoli testified about it before the state Assembly Budget Committee. We’re charting a new path forward in the way New Jersey residents get news and information. And we’re excited to share it with attendees at Tuesday night’s forum in Camden — and to get participants’ ideas for how to use this money.
It’s no accident that the word “civic” is in the name of the consortium we’re hoping to create. We see this as an initiative that will spark innovation and foster new ways that residents access news and information — something that’s needed for people to become better informed about decisions and policies that affect their daily lives.
We believe that local media should hold local government accountable — whether it’s planning boards, zoning boards, city councils, school boards and other quasi-governmental bodies and commissions that make decisions about scarce resources.
But residents and community leaders don’t always find out about state and local policies that affect their lives while those policies are under consideration. Camden is the perfect example of that.
Camden’s unmet information needs
Camden is a city of around 75,000 people and the majority of the residents are African American and Hispanic. Camden has contended with the systematic and structural barriers to educational advancement and middle-class employment opportunities that have plagued so many of our urban centers. The less-than-acceptable educational outcomes and lack of viable employment have caused many residents to lose hope that they can empower themselves to become self-sufficient.
Camden has made some progress. In 2013, the New Jersey Assembly passed the Economic Opportunities Act — a set of performance-based tax-incentive programs that have encouraged large businesses to relocate to cities like Camden and make capital investments. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has been implementing the program around the state.
There’s been ample reporting on the $1.3 billion in tax incentives the NJEDA has given companies like American Water, Holtec and Subaru and teams like the Philadelphia 76ers. The capital investment has come to the city and companies are reaping benefits. But what about longtime residents who have stayed in the city through challenging times?
The waterfront and downtown have seen the bulk of the development and related news coverage. But neighborhoods like Centerville, Cramer Hill and Morgan Village — to name just a few — haven’t seen anywhere near as much development or positive media attention.
I know firsthand what it’s like to grow up in Camden and see the overwhelming amount of negative media coverage about the city. It can take away from youth’s efforts to become civically engaged and to retain a sense of hope and optimism. That’s one of the reasons we’re so motivated at Free Press to create the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium — to give people in communities like Camden the tools they need to tell their own stories.
What to expect in Camden
The consortium is about more than one city: It’s about how the state as a whole can be a 21st-century model for the rest of the nation when it comes to information sharing, news gathering, civic technology, research and diverse storytelling.
Public input is essential — which is why we’re inviting residents from Camden and surrounding communities to come to our event on Tuesday night, share their ideas and connect with others in the region.
Here’s what to expect:
Innovation, opportunity and inclusion are all at the doorstep of Camden, the region and the entire Garden State. This is our chance to work together to manifest a vision for strengthening our towns and cities.
It all starts in Camden. Join me on Tuesday at the Camden Conference Center. RSVP here.
Original photo by Flickr user John Sonderman
People + Policy
= Positive Change for the Public Good


text:
Dec 6, 2016
Former justice minister David Ford's abortion bill is to begin its passage through the Northern Ireland Assembly later. The private bill seeks to legalise abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.
If passed, it would enable women in that situation to access a legal termination in Northern Ireland. It follows a previous attempt by Mr Ford to change the law while justice minister.
The next stage will take place in the new year.
[continued at link]


text: Are you looking for some fresh fruits and vegetables for this warm summer that is coming? For a while now the market of Zelny Trh has been at Park Moravské náměsti, because of the reconstruction of of Zelny Trh square. So now the market is very close to the Foreigners.cz office; during summer, one can find organic local food there. The Cabbage Market (Zelný trh), is a square located in the historical centre of Brno. From spring until autumn there is a market, where you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables or flowers and in December the Christmas market takes place there. Part of the square is also used as a parking lot. In addition to selling vegetables, the Cabbage Market is also popular as a location of significant cultural institutions, such as The Goose on a String Theatre (Husa na provázku), the Moravian Museum, or recently renovated Reduta theatre. In the museum building you can also find a stylish Air Cafe. In the middle of the Cabbage Market stands the Parnas Fountain decorated with statues depicting ancient European history and myths. From the Cabbage Market it is just a few steps to the Capuchin Crypt and the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul or Spilberk Castle are also nearby.

domain: geography


text:
The Alabama Green Industry Training Center and the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association are offering a workshop for retail and wholesale greenhouse operators Thursday, June 12, at the North Shelby Library. John Nabors, executive director of the AGITC, says the daylong program offers a great opportunity for people involved in greenhouse production to grow their knowledge on a variety of topics.
“Greenhouse and high tunnel production is increasing in the state,” says Nabors. “It is crucial that we reach both veterans of the business as well as newcomers with quality training opportunities—trainings that can help their businesses prosper.”
The cost for the workshop is $45. Register online at www.agitc.com and choose the Course Registration Links. Lunch is sponsored by ALNLA. The Center is housed in the North Shelby Library, located at 5521 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham.
The Alabama Green Industry Training Center is a joint venture of Extension, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association and a number of other partners, working together to improve the professionalism of the Green Industry.
For more information, contact Nabors at email@example.com or at (205) 981-2326 ext. 11.
Copyright © 1997 -
2019 by theAlabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama A&M University and
All Rights Reserved. – firstname.lastname@example.org
Legal Disclaimer – Privacy Statement
Cookie Acceptance Needed


text:
Ta-da! Kitchen painted! Doesn’t it look so much better!? If you’re just catching up, we did a little bit of impromptu renovating 2 weekends ago, so this weekend was the clean-up and prettify of the mess we made. We completely painted the kitchen, the pantry and the hallway (since it directly conjoins wall-wise.
Here are a few before pictures. I failed to take any right before we started painting, it was too chaotic with pets and open cans of paint. Take my word for it that it was ugly, dingy, and poorly masked with flesh-colored “neutral” paint…
I’d actually been hoarding the paint I wanted to use for over a year. I’m always perusing the markdown paints at Lowes, colors that someone just thought were wrong or decided not to use (I used to work there, I know), and when I stumbled on this soft grey, I knew it’d be perfect to temporarily improve the state of the kitchen while we save for a full remodel.
We painted the doors with chalkboard paint. Yep, I totally got sucked into Pinterest one night and decided it would add some fun to the kitchen. Obviously it’s just boring black while it sets. Kind of elegant no?
Our little Boston key rack, still the only thing we’ve hung to date…
In the late afternoon with the sun shining in…
The dark hallway. I probably shouldn’t have taken these at sunset, the light was just all over the place.
The rest of the kitchen, unchanged but better for our efforts. It feels worlds different from when we first moved in!
So there you have it. It’s not perfect, but I’m so happy with it. Happy to have a color I love and one less room that is flesh-colored. Grateful for a big airy kitchen that is starting to feel more like “us.” We’ve still got a long way to go, but you eventually learn to enjoy every step of the process.
You may also like
I’ve been sucked into more and more Pinterest stuff . . . and I’ve realized it’s not entirely bad. What seems like a huge trend on there seems novel to many of my friends 🙂 Like I’m some huge innovator or something. I’ll take it. Also, I’m worried my whole entire house is going to be covered in chalkboard paint. It’s not really even for the ability to write on it — I just like the start contrast of some black walls. Your kitchen is looking great!
I feel that way sometimes, but I’m so clueless that my friends help me a good deal when it comes to the “big picture” and how everything is going to pull together and look. It doesn’t hurt (other than my pride) that I have a few interior designers for friends.
I love the contrast too! That’s how I ended up with our living room choices. Maybe it’s my Scandinavian background peaking through. Too bad the rest of me is so Midwest…
Love it! I have a light grey picked out for our future living room. I adore the chalkboard doors and am envious of the big window over your sink! 🙂
It’s the perfect neutral color, and I like cool colors over warm personally. My whole palette is greys, greens and blues.
PS: where did you get that wooden step stool? Shorty needs one of those…
It’s Ikea, and I think it was like $12 or most. We got it because I can’t reach the tops of our cabinets, and it’s good for dusting fixtures, etc. It’s been unpainted until now, but that’s sure to change as it now has drops of paint all over it.

domain: hobby


text:
Things take a rather dark turn for Beatrice, Lillian, Frederick and their servants Garfield and Blanche in the penultimate episode of Another Period’s first season. The show (which was just renewed for a second season) undoubtedly has a dark side, but its black comedy usually emerges through a purposeful framework. Rape, incest and even domestic abuse—the topics which always raise questions when it comes to comedy and crossing lines—all have a part in the show, but most often in the service of commentary. Whether that commentary aims at the twenty-first century or the early twentieth century differs, but the show clearly enjoys pushing boundaries in order to make a point.
With “Rejects Beach,” however, Another Period shifts its tone. The dark humor woven into the show’s sillier elements instead takes center stage, dropping any pretense about commentary and instead propelling things forward to the finale. While the episode includes several funny moments, it seems more like filler to get viewers to the season’s end than an episode unto itself.
Chair finally takes a monumental step forward plot-wise. Coming off Mad Men, Christina Hendricks’ comedic turn as the straight man in a house full of dimwits, both upstairs and downstairs, has been building to an explosive end. Even though she’s been relegated to smaller scenes this season, “Rejects Beach” reveals Chair’s devious ways and even more devious plans.
This week, she slowly sets off the bombs she’s been planting (or plotting) since she first stepped foot in the Bellacourts’ mansion. What began last week by having Garfield fired continues this week with Blanche. Writing as the Triangle Shirtwaist Company (they of such tragic repute), Chair sends Blanche an invitation to interview for a job, a thrilling prospect for one who has served her entire life. But it’s all short lived. Chair’s trickery leads Mr. Peepers to suspect Blanche has relapsed into hysteria, so he commits her once again to the local mental institution. Remember, he is her legal guardian after her last stint there.
When it comes to the downstairs portion of the show’s upstairs/downstairs dynamic, Another Period has focused much of its time on Mr. Peepers and Garfield. From the pilot, though, Blanche seemed ripe to serve both as comedic foil to the female lunacy existent upstairs, and as sharp commentary about medical treatments available to women at the time. It’s nice to see her finally fleshed out a bit, but it comes late in a season that could have done far more with her character and with Beth Dover’s sharp comedic instincts.
Chair doesn’t stop with her fellow servants. Along with Hamish’s help, she sells Beatrice to Thomas Edison (Stephen Tobolowsky), who uses her for his “forbidden experiments.” Deep into her childhood regression, which began after she learned her twin brother/lover Frederick would soon marry, Beatrice aka “Baby B” takes her clothes off in Edison’s silent film “The Wizard of Ahhhs!” In reality, Edison’s studio did shoot the 1896 short film “The Kiss,” which publicized a long-private act and created a sensation. In Another Period’s version, things get much raunchier and include the budding actor Charlie Chaplin (Josh Fadem), who wants to break into film. What could have been great fun with a historical figure—a trope the show has executed well in previous episodes—instead becomes a minor storyline, serving only to move things along towards the finale.
In the episode’s biggest twist, Lillian wins a long-awaited invitation to the Clambake Club, an accomplishment that makes her burst into a song bridging the cheesy inner monologue of a musical with the special effects of a Disney cartoon. Coming out of nowhere, it fits in well with the show’s overall ridiculous style and lightens an at-times clunky episode. Still, this brief win for Lillian doesn’t last long. Clambake Club president, and Frederick’s fiancée, Celery Savoy (Missi Pyle) used to bully Lillian and apparently hasn’t outgrown her childish behavior. As a huge social joke, she dumps Lillian on Rejects Beach, where all the poor people sunbathe. Lillian’s hyperbolic, slow-motion reactions to Rejects Beach all play wonderfully into Natasha Leggero’s physical comedy skills. It’s one of the episode’s sparkling moments.
As for Lillian and Celery’s “friendship,” it’s hard not to draw parallels to Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian’s brief friendship, which helped, in part, launch Kim into the national spotlight. Of course, Kim’s sex tape took care of the rest. If Lillian is the wannabe Kardashian to Celery’s established Hilton then next week’s season finale could set the stage for an interesting and hilarious storyline about climbing the ladder of early 1900’s society.
Amanda Wicks is a writer specializing in comedy and music. She has also written for Consequence of Sound and The New York Observer. Follow her on Twitter @aawicks.


text:
In fact, China’s rising imperialist aggressions and assertions over South China Sea, followed by Sino-Indian standoff, have prompted the US to display its awe-inspiring military power in the disputed waters of this region. This is so with a view to deter Beijing’s increasing transgressions with the mightier power of America.[RVListenButton]
Indeed, the US wants to maintain and assert its unquestioned global hegemony in Indo-Pacific but that has been under serious threat due to Beijing’s rising expansionism in entire Indo-Pacific. Because China has been vigorously pursuing its expansionist policies in all directions for the past many years, thereby arousing undesired border disputes with almost all countries in this region. Surprisingly, China has not spared even major powers like Japan or Russia with a view to satisfy its unlimited greed of capturing islands (of Japan) or (Russia’s Vladivostak city) lands of other countries.
Thus China’s such outrageous and hostile behaviour with most of the countries has obviously led to forging of a global consensus among almost all major and regional powers including smaller ones in the Indo-Pacific. Further, China’s alleged involvement in manufacturing Corona virus in its Wuhan Lab of Virology has already united the international community under the US leadership. And that demands a befitting lesson be taught to Beijing to contain its aggressive misadventures.
Here an obvious question arises – whether or not – this kind of intervention by a faraway super power in Asian affairs is appropriate? Particularly when, America has not been mandated by the Security Council or General Assembly of the United Nations to take any action against China. Nonetheless, the US is earnestly pursuing a bigger and more threatening military exercise against Beijing’s ongoing military exercise in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, thereby arousing a grim scenario in the entire region. This is why the ongoing row between the US and China over South China Sea is becoming bad to worse with both sides hectically engaged in massive showoff of their respective dreaded weapons. While China has threatened to use DF-21D and DF-26 missiles to destroy the two American aircraft carriers viz, USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan already deployed in the region, Washington has responded with greater firmness to reciprocate a massive retaliation to any misadventure undertaken by China. Further, Beijing is deploying J-12 Fighter Jets whereas Washington is sending its Naval Strike Groups to South China Sea.
Thus, the mounting belligerence between the two with each passing day evidently poses ominous portents for the peace and security of not only the two opponents but for the whole world. As is clear that both the US and China are today the mighty military powers and are equipped with nuclear weapons and many other advanced lethal arsenals. While the US is still having the exceptionally largest pool of such deadly weapons and highly trained military personnel that turn it to be the strongest global military power, China is keeping the largest army with huge accumulation of various modern and dangerous armaments. Indeed, the superior and advanced technical features of the US military can change the territorial status-quo in the South China Sea though that may result into third-World War. But that must not happen as war is not a solution of any crisis. Instead, peaceful and diplomatic solutions may be pursued to resolve this Sino-US faceoff over South China Sea.
While America justifies its ongoing military exercises for resisting China’s illegal sovereign claim over the entire South China Sea and for ensuring unhindered navigation through maritime channels, China persists with its military exercise to protect its territorial claims over the island, despite losing the case in the International Court of Arbitration in 2016. Not only that, but Beijing also obstructs free movement of naval cargoes of other countries passing through this region, reiterating its false claim. Instead of obeying the judgement of the world’s apex Court, China has turned the entire island into a fort, stationing its army and arsenals. Also, being the sole super power in the world, America carries its responsibility to promote international trade and commerce through this region too. Similarly, China is also expected to honour and share the accompanying responsibility that follows with its rising power status in the world.
In this scenario, doesn’t is show a collective failure of all Asian powers which are unable to tame the increasing militarist expansionism of China! Haven’t they failed to evolve a common united front to pressurize Beijing to respect the territorial sanctity of all other nations? Though there is no other option but to tame the dragon by force, this kind of power-game by an external sole super power is not good for the regional homogeneity and cohesiveness of Asia. Because it may open door to greater mutual bickering among regional partners as happened in West Asia which still continues to be a boiling pot due to the continuing super power rivalry therein. As the world history is replete with many instances of super powers involvement in different regions in the world which afterwards suffered much violence and insecurity for longer periods to follow.
Thus today, though there is no effective substitute to the US intervention is Asian affairs to restrain China, but that must be authorized by the UN. Also the legal sanctity of South China Sea as pronounced by the apex Court must be restored. And a powerful regional bulwark must be erected by the regional member-states to contain the bullying and hegemonic-imperialist policies of China, or any other country. Further, Beijing must be pressurized to respect the territorial sanctity of all other sovereign states in accordance with the spirit of Panchsheel. This can happen as nothing is beyond human endeavour.