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Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow Sections
Moby-Dick
Infinite Jest
Infinite Zombies
the Destiny
So That's What It's For
May 8, 2021 Jeff Anderson1 Comment
Whether it's my fault or Butler's, it wasn't until some 600 pages deep into this series that I finally understood Earthseed. We've talked about it a couple few times already, this question of why: Why take these relatively uncontroversial and certainly not new ideas and wrap them up in a religion? And whatever does the Destiny "to take root among the stars" have to do with these ethical precepts? And I have to wonder whether Butler was hearing the same question from readers, maybe editors, maybe fellow writers. Because then with just a chapter and an epilogue to go in Parable of the Talents, she has Len ask Olamina a question that really doesn't logically lead into the manifesto she gets in reply:
"That's what Earthseed was about," I said. "I wanted us to understand what we could be, what we could do. I wanted to give us a focus, a goal, something big enough, complex enough, difficult enough, and in the end, radical enough to make us become more than we ever have been. We keep falling into the same ditches, you know? I mean, we learn more and more about the physical universe, more about our own bodies, more technology, but somehow, down through history, we go on building empires of one kind or another, then destroying them in one way or another. We go on having stupid wars that we justify and get passionate about, but in the end, all they do is kill huge numbers of people, maim others, impoverish still more, spread disease and hunger, and set the stage for the next war. And when we look at all of that in history, we just shrug our shoulders and say, well, that's the way things are. That's the way things always have been."
"It is," Len said.
"It is," I repeated. "There seem to be solid biological reasons why we are the way we are. If there weren't, the cycles wouldn't keep replaying. The human species is a kind of animal, of course. But we can do something no other animal species has ever had the option to do. We can choose: We can go on building and destroying until we either destroy ourselves or destroy the ability of our world to sustain us. Or we can make something more of ourselves. We can grow up. We can leave the next. We can fulfill the Destiny, make homes for ourselves among the stars, and become some combination of what we want to become and whatever our new environments challenge us to become. Our new worlds will remake us as we remake them. And some of the new people who emerge from all this will develop new ways to cope. They'll have to. That will break the old cycle, even if it's only to begin a new one, a different one."
Well that makes more sense. That's what ties the community focus, adaptive practice, and visionary future together. It's an interesting combination of historical analysis and evolutionary metaphor to say that the things we tend to think of as the bad side of "human nature" aren't just impulses we have to learn to master, but a developmental stage we have to collectively make a leap out of. No one person, no matter how virtuous, can change these cycles through their behavior; the solution to a collective problem can never be reached through individual action. So Olamina has designed a project that's intentionally too large for anyone to solve without cooperation on a massive scale, and then laid out personal-level ways to learn to welcome and participate in that cooperation.
It's really extraordinarily hopeful, isn't it? Reminds me of a very useful thing Josh Marshall wrote: "Optimism isn't principally an analysis of present reality. It's an ethic. It is not based on denial or rosy thinking. It is a moral posture toward the world we find ourselves in." I know we've differed 'round these parts on the quality of Butler's writing, but for me there's a strong ethical imperative in it, often connected with minimizing harm in suboptimal situations—particularly after the recognition that harm can't be avoided. (I like Erika Nelson's view on it: the protagonist of another Butler novel "does what Butler's heroines do well: She negotiates between poor options.") Here it takes the form of a determined choice to look at the problem of a circle in three dimensions instead of two, and then to set up a pragmatic framework for being able to climb out into that third dimension.
This vantage point of cycles, though, makes the title of the novel a much sharper critique than I had supposed until the very last page, though. I even read the Parable of the Talents (the Bible story) before starting the novel, as I imagine the rest of you did too—and I read right over the interpretive coda. I had Luke 12:48 in my mind: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Or to put it another way: with great power comes great responsibility. But that's the wrong parable. I just mentioned this in a comment, but the ending of this parable is so much harder to swallow than that: "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." And that's the end of Butler's novel. The critique I'm seeing here is the implication that even the teachings of Jesus find their way into another of those ditches Olamina mentions. Not just that religion does, once it's been separated from its founder and made more convenient or more palatable or more useful—we've already seen that with CA. But this is a parable we're meant to take as being direct from the mouth of Jesus. It reads like a cold-eyed description of "the way things are," but it's presumably supposed to be aspirational; it is, after all, what "the kingdom of heaven" is like, according to the first line of the parable. Same as it ever was, I guess, at least until we put in the work, as a species, to leave our collective adolescence behind.
UncategorizedKobayashi Maru, Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents, the Destiny
More Group Reads
We May Be Done with Butler…
Yada yada
These days projecting blame is an art form
Octavia Butler Schedule
Date Book Section
March 1, 2021 Kindred Read through "The Fall"
March 8, 2021 Kindred Read "The Fight"
March 15, 2021 Kindred Finish the book
March 22, 2021 Parable of the Sower Read 2024 and 2025
March 29, 2021 Parable of the Sower Read 2026 – 2027 (through ch. 18)
April 5, 2021 Parable of the Sower Finish (2027 ch. 19 – end)
April 12, 2021 Parable of the Talents Read 2032
April 26, 2021 Parable of the Talents Read 2035 through ch. 18 (2034 is skipped, apparently)
May 3, 2021 Parable of the Talents Read 2035 ch. 19 – end
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Planning a visit to Cape May? Interested in Cape May tours and events? We have lots of activities to make it fun and interesting, with a full schedule of year-round tours and events. From ghost tours to craft shows, music to murder mystery dinners, there's always something happening in Cape May for every age and interest.
If you like to get around Cape May on two wheels, we know you will love this handy new Cape May Bike Tour!
Cape May Family Treasure Hunt Tour is fun for the whole family as you and your kids wander the streets of Victorian Cape May on this educational scavenger hunt.
Cape May is one of the most haunted town's you'll ever meet. Is it any wonder? It's such a marvelous place, even the spirits don't want to leave!
Let us help you put together a getaway to Cape May!
Spend the afternoon visiting Cape May County's wineries and sampling the unique flavors of each.
This exhibit presented by the Center for Community Arts (CCA) in collaboration with MAC will uncover the significance of black fraternal, social and civic organizations in African American social life.
Guided trolley tour of Cape May's Historic District, followed by a guided tour of Cape May's only Victorian house museum, the Emlen Physick Estate.
An entertaining and educational guided tour of the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate.
The Carriage House Gallery becomes a Christmas fantasy land.
Sip a little wine, munch a little chocolate, catch up on old times over an intimate dinner…Cape May is a perfect Girlfriends Getaway!
Knowledgeable guides present entertaining and educational stories about the nation's oldest seashore resort.
Explore Cape May's Historic District with this self guided experience. Using the hand held Acoustiguide units, you'll hear about the history and architecture of 96 Cape May landmarks. Set your own pace, and visit them in any order you choose.
The hippest way to tour Cape May is with the new self-guided audio tour that can be downloaded to your iPod or other MP3 player.
Hop on one of MAC's cheery red trolleys and take a guided tour the easy and comfortable way!
This exhibit depicts the landscape and architecture of historically segregated schools in northern states in 50 photographs by nationally renowned New Jersey photographer Wendel White.


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NSD calls primary and secondary #, if necessary the home # from registration.
Verify #, verify identification, verify if you are in safe location, verify type of vehicle, ask what is vehicle issue, ask if locking caps, ask if vehicle has anything hitched, ask if you can be with the vehicle, verify address from reverse geo-code.
Put customer on hold while contracting tow company, provide name of tow company, name of driver, phone # of tow company, color of tow truck, ETA.
Tell customer they can cancel within 5 min to avoid using one of their service allotment.
Tell customer 45min after service will get an automated call to verify if service has taken place.
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Tow truck arrives - if not the correct asset for the job, driver calls for a different asset to do the job.
NSD automated system calls primary # to verify quality of service.
NSD calls secondary # and gives status of service.
NSD unable to reach primary #.
NSD possibly able to get some info from secondary # or home #.
NSD dispatches tow truck – if vehicle is unknown, a flatbed is always sent, if flatbed is not correct asset for job, driver will call for a different truck once on scene.
Customer care calls secondary # and gives status of service.
SPOT Assist Roadside Service is currently available only in the United States and Canada.


Since we started BookCheck in 1994, so hey it's our 20th birthday, we've always handled all the bookkeeping (apart from the sales side) as the basis for producing Management Accounts. But recently we realised that we haven't properly described the two as combined, we've showed them as two distinct services on our menus, our email signatures, our cards - everywhere. So at long last we have rebranded throughout BookCheck to "Bookkeeping with Management Accounts". It's subtle but important that we are clear.
So not just Bookkeeping and not just Management Accounts but the two together. What differentiates us from a firm of bookkeepers or a firm of accountants is our guarantee that all our Management Accounts are both thoroughly checked and issued personally by a qualified accountant.
So before you reach 20, or even if you have, it's worth checking that you really do explain clearly what your business does. Being clear to you is not enough.
Take a peep at our website and see if you think we have 'done the job' - we would very much appreciate your comments.
Looking at our historical figures, January is usually a buoyant month for enquiries and this year is no exception. In one day alone we had three red hot prospects - in Derby, London and Bristol. So we wonder why, also whether it would apply to other businesses.
The reasons for the three enquiries might help to explain. The first is very poor quality bookkeeping and that from a firm quite well known by some. We were shocked by the lack of reconciliations and whole bits missing. The part time FD quite rightly demanded quality, hence a change. The second is a care home under bank 'scrutiny' having reverted some years ago to handling the bookkeeping themselves, now of course without any Management Accounts. The third is a children's nursery, expanding to more sites, needing essential Management Accounts for control.
So where might January fit? Perhaps because it gives a bit of quiet time to think, to review, to consider a change. Now how do we replicate that every month?


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Are you trying to schedule an appointment for the Children's Health is a Focus of Affiliation Between Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital & Miami Children's Ho?
News & Events > Press Releases > Children's Health is a Focus of Affiliation Between Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital & Miami Children's Ho
Children's Health is a Focus of Affiliation Between Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital & Miami Children's Hospital
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands ‐ The Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital (JFLH) and the Miami Children's Hospital formalized an affiliation between both hospitals on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. The affiliation provides access to pediatric care services for the children of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands.
Through an innovative combination of inpatient "tele-medicine" and "on-the-ground" outpatient consultation services, subspecialty physicians from Miami Children's Hospital will work with local pediatricians and nurses to care for children at JFLH. Half of the thirty (30) inpatient pediatric transfers from JFLH go to Miami Children's Hospital and a significant number are transferred for neonatal care. Further, countless outpatient referrals are also made from St. Croix pediatricians to the Miami tertiary care facility.
Jeff A. Nelson, Chief Executive Officer states "The reality is the social and economic toll of travelling to Miami on an extended or regular basis can cause significant hardship to families. Some children, whose families cannot afford to travel off-island, go without the care altogether. This affiliation will help to significantly alleviate some of these burdens."
Currently, Miami Children's Hospital has similar affiliations with rural and community hospitals in Florida as well as other hospitals internationally. In addition to providing direct care, these affiliations facilitate the delivery of "tele-health" service for nurses and physicians. Tele-health is the provision of educational and training programs via broad band and teleconferencing technology solutions. Nurses and pediatricians at JFLH can be trained the latest advancements in pediatric care by the Miami Children's Hospital faculty without travelling to conferences by utilizing teleconferencing technology already available at the Virgin Islands Cardiac Center's Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation Conference Center. Not only will this agreement enhance the level of pediatric care delivered locally, but it will also enhance the efficiency of care for those patients still requiring transfer to Miami Children's Hospital.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


studio ks – we are not sure what they are bringing but we KNOW it will be fabulous!
gifts for all….self gifting is encouraged!
hello helen – we are at 1000 pleasant street in belmont ma (look for the yellow school buses in the parking lot).


Your wedding gown is one of your most precious possessions. It is a symbol of an important event in your life and, as such, should be treated with special care. Whether you are borrowing it from a relative or buying it new, your gown deserves your attention, both before the wedding and afterward.
Today's bridal gowns are made from a wide variety of fabrics. The gown you have selected may be satin, taffeta, chiffon, organza, brocade, and lace, and accented with delicate trims, such as beads, crystals, sequins, embroidery, silk flowers, and appliqué, all of which require special care.
We've had the privilege of caring for gowns of every type and style, however it is important that we inspect your gown carefully and discuss problems or concerns you may have before cleaning and preparation of the gown for safekeeping. We would like the privilege of completing this care and suggest that the cost of our services be included as part of your wedding budget.
After the wedding whether having worn a new gown or a cherished heirloom, most brides want to preserve their gown as the most outwardly visible symbol of that special moment in time as well as perhaps preserving the opportunity for their own daughter to wear on her wedding day. That's why it is important to allow us to clean and repair rips and tears as soon as possible and before storing. Stains cause fiber damage and become more difficult to remove the longer they remain on the fabric. You may think your gown has no stains and is okay to put away without cleaning. Don't do it. Food and beverage stains (perhaps not even immediately visible), body oils, and make-up, if not carefully addressed as soon after the big day as possible, may prove impossible to safely remove—even by our skilled personnel.
Your gown requires specific cleaning instructions and special care.
The Federal Trade Commission's Care Label Rule requires your gown to have accurate care instructions addressing all parts of the gown, including decorative trim, beads, and sequins. We strongly advise you to examine the care label before purchasing your gown to make sure you understand the care instructions. If you have a question, ask us before you buy the gown. We will do our very best to adhere to those instructions and will complete our testing prior to cleaning. Gowns that fail to withstand the prescribed care procedure must be dealt with at the retail level.
Together we can preserve that special lifetime moment.
After we have completed our services, here are our suggestions for maintaining your gown.
Museum conservators recommend that you remove the plastic, stuff the bodice with white, acid-free unbuffered tissue paper, and wrap the dress in a protective white sheet or unbleached muslin covering.
If you have selected storage in one of our specially constructed gown boxes, your treasure will already have been carefully stuffed with white, acid free, unbuffered tissue paper to prevent wrinkles. As long as the headpiece does not have a metal wire frame or colored flowers, we will enclose it with your gown.
Make sure your gown is stored in an air-conditioned space. Under a bed or in a spare closet are good suggestions. No amount of preservation techniques can battle heat and humidity.
©2019 Pine Trail Cleaners - All Rights Reserved.


The current media and influences landscape requires a resilient (place) brand and reputation and excellence in visitor and resident experience development. We assist organisations and businesses in the field of heritage and tourism in coping with these challenges by developing a solid strategic narrative and by bringing clarity and coherence in (marketing and corporate) communication.
Communication hands-on. Our Full Circle Content Creation Canvas informs the planning and creation of content across each stage of the customer experience journey. We love concept and content development, partnering with specialists and/or your team, for corporate or marketing, offline or online purposes.
Developing a competitive identity, co-creating memorable visitor experiences, collaborating to preserve cultural and natural heritage… all this requires empowering organisations and communities through capacity building and creating the mindset necessary to successfully turn values into practices.
Thank you so much for organising such an interesting and fruitful conference. It was a great pleasure to speak with professionals, researchers and professors from the cultural heritage and tourism field during the sessions.
As a communications student I assisted Karin in researching and compiling the Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations. She provided clear guidance and strong support while I worked in my thesis. I gained hands-on experience and insight in global digital marketing trends and this definitely boosted my employment prospects.


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Q: retrieve wallpaper system setting in iphone app I would like to retrieve iphone wallpaper system setting and display the system wallpaper into my iphone app as background image. Is it possible or sample code? Thanks in advance.

A: AFAIK there are no documented procedures to get the wallpaper image, but you may use these undocumented methods (usual warnings apply):

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


THIS SPECIAL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
CLICK HERE FOR AVAILABLE SCENTSY SPECIALS.
We just got word that about this upcoming February special for our Scentsy oils with the purchase of a Scentsy Diffuser (also offered at 10 PERCENT OFF in February!) Between the handcrafted, artisan-inspired design and a dazzling display of color and light, each Scentsy Diffuser is a bona fide objet d' art. But when you add customizable, fresh-picked fragrance and interchangeable shades, you have a whole new take on home décor!
But the excitement doesn't end there! Because February is our transition month (for consultants), our Diffusers will be 10 PERCENT OFF through Feb. 28! So you get free Scentsy Oils and discounted Scentsy Diffuser pricing. This is a GREAT bundle!
Please note that SUPPLIES for this promotion ARE LIMITED, but all Scentsy Diffusers and Scentsy Oils will still be available for individual sale if the items allocated for the promotion have sold out. They will be going fast, so don't wait!
You'll find a dash of spirit and fun in our Dash Scentsy Oil. We've bottled up the fragrance of crisp lime to purify the spirit, while the scent of tart lemon zest and fresh orange put a skip in your step.
Our Dash Scentsy Oil blend offers fragrances of lime, lemon and orange. We pretty much have a fun purple bottle of sunshine. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Dash Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser, and even on a rainy day you'll be breathing in the sun.
Sharpen your senses with Clear Scentsy Oil, a cleansing fragrance with eucalyptus, cooling peppermint, lavender essence and refreshing fir needle. Clear Scentsy Oil is a blend of essential oils that will add clarity and breezy freshness to any room.
Our Clear Scentsy Oil offers essential oil notes of eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, and a touch of fir needle. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Clear Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser, and enjoy a refreshing scented space.
Unwind with comforting blend of Calm Scentsy Oil. The fragrances of ginger and bright lemongrass will calm the senses. Notes of vetiver and petitgrain add balance and serenity. Let go of your stressful day with the Calm Essential Oil blend.
Calm Scentsy Oil is the perfect blend of ginger, lemongrass, vetiver and petitgrain. Calming botanicals that offer balance and serenity –it's the perfect oil to keep stress levels low. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Calm Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser, take a few deep breaths and feel the calm settling in.
Wake up to Boost Scentsy Oil with a brisk, buoyant bergamot, energizing mint and a hint of balancing amyris. Boost will live up to its name and give you just what you need when feeling a tired and sluggish. Get a boost with BOOST!
Boost Scentsy Oil the perfect blend of bergamot, mint and amyris. This essential oil combination is the rejuvenation of energy your body needs. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Boost Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser and your space becomes the power button of vitality.
Our Bliss Scentsy Oil will delight your senses with the beauty of restorative geranium, amyris and ylang ylang as grounding olibanum brings harmony and peace. A fragrant harmony of pleasure for your soul is captured in this little purple bottle.
With its alluring name, Bliss Scentsy Oil will captivate the senses. When combined, the fragrances of geranium, amyris, and ylang ylang enamor peace and restore harmony. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Bliss Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser and fill the room with calm balance.
Tangerine Oil offers a tangy, sweet scent to get you calmly out the door in the morning. The oil comes from the tangerine outer peel and gives off a warm, fresh aroma of citrus. Radiant and restorative, our citrus reticulata will have your senses sparkling.
Scentsy Tangerine Essential Oil is 100% pure grade and the fragrance will help get you out the door in the morning. Simply add 10 – 15 drops of Tangerine Essential Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser and bring a calm, invigorating effect for a natural pick-me-up.
For aromatherapy, Sage Essential Oil can stimulate the senses, calm nerves, and maybe help you remember where you left your keys. Wrap your environment in a cool and cleansing veil of salvia officinalis lamiaceae, cherished for its revitalizing properties.
Scentsy Sage Essential Oil is 100% pure grade and the spicy fragrance will help with mental fatigue, and stimulate the senses. Add 10 – 15 drops of Sage Essential Oil in your Scentsy Diffuser and bring vitality to the mind and spirit.
Scentsy Peppermint Essential Oil is 100% pure grade and the fragrance will take you cool, fresh, and uplifting destination. Add Peppermint Essential Oil to your Scentsy Diffuser and breath in energy and freshness.
Peppermint is a fast growing plant that can grow up to 35" tall, with leaves that grow up to about 3.5" long. The leaves are dark green with maroon colored veins. The stem and leaves of the peppermint plant can be a bit fuzzy. If planted in permanently moist ground, the runners will take over. For the home gardener, it's best to plant peppermint in containers, keeping the soil moist, but not water-logged. Peppermint does best in partial sun or shade and should be planted about 1.5 feet apart. Cultivated peppermint plants are selected based on their oil content.


Quick, think of four fictional heroes you'd bring together to save the world. Too broad a scope for you? Okay, think of four fictional heroes from one particular company – publisher, movie studio, etc. – who would be up to the task. Still not sure? Okay, let's narrow it down to four heroes from a particular genre from that company. Still too m…ahh, skip it.
Infini-T Force is a celebration of the 55th anniversary of Tatsunoko Productions, and brings together four of their flagship characters – Ken from Gatchaman, Kishi Tekkaman, Casshan, and Hurricane Polimar – to basically do what heroes do. In this first volume that pretty much amounts to fighting with each other, stopping only long enough to deal with the actual enemy. Hey, it's good to see that the same rules that apply to American comics – two heroes fighting when they meet for the first time – carries over into the manga realm as well, right?
High-school student Emi Kaido receives a magical pencil that will grant any wish she desires…provided she has time to sketch it out. There's never any real mention of Emi's artistic ability, so it's my guess the pencil taps into her mind and magically assists her in the drawing department. She's not completely sold on the idea until she becomes the victim of a convenience store holdup, and in a panic wishes for heroes to come and save the day. Enter the four Tatsunoko-branded heroes mentioned above – though not all at the same time – and with them a larger plotline regarding those who want to wield the pencil's power for themselves.
Kaido exhibits every trope you'd expect to find in a manga heroine written in the past five years. There's a scene where she has a piece of toast in her mouth, she has a funky looking ribbon in her hair, she lives alone in an apartment where there's nary an adult to be found, and she's a bit of an idiot savant when it comes to mechanical devices. Given the nature of Tatsunoko's more shonen-based stories, she's perhaps an odd choice for the protagonist of this story. My guess is the creative team felt the story needed a female to counter all the testosterone the four heroes provide…there is certainly enough of it to go around. Still, in spite of the many stereotypes she embodies, she's a very fun and engaging character, providing a central focus for the heroes to revolve around as they appear in the book. You'll end up rooting for her before you turn the last page.
Of the four heroes Kaido summons, I'd only experienced Gatchaman – you might know it as G-Force or Battle of the Planets – and Tekkaman. Casshan and Polimar were completely new to me, but it wasn't difficult to figure out their motivations and abilities as writer Ukyou Kodachi does a great job weaving four complex plotlines together with a deft blend of action, drama, and humor. Each hero is given their moment of soliloquy to relate a brief origin, so in no time any reader, regardless of their knowledge of Tatsunoko's stable, can be brought up to speed. I'm already intrigued enough by the character of Hurricane Polimar to seek his story out, so in that respect the book did its job.
If the book stumbles anywhere it's in its lost potential. It goes to some effort to show Emi as an independent, strong-willed and talented young woman who doesn't always need saving – stereotypes and all – but then promptly turns around and puts her in a few unnecessary fanservice scenes. I'm no prude, but it seemed completely out of place and out of character. While it's great to see Gatchaman represented – it was my gateway drug into anime (never mind how far back that was!) – it would have been cool to see Jun the Swan instead of Ken show up as the representative of the Science Ninja team, just to have at least one female hero on the squad. Minor quibbles, to be sure, but missed opportunities and missteps that might have kicked this book up a notch.
Infini-T Force is well worth picking up if you grew up watching any Tatsunoko programs. Even if you didn't, it's a handy primer to get your manga/anime history lesson off to a good start. For a book mainly designed as a promotional tool (let's be honest here), it manages to deliver a fun protagonist, some great characters from the not-so-distant past, and a compelling storyline that left me ready to pick up the next volume.
This entry was posted in Udon and tagged G-Force, Gatchaman, Infini-T Force, manga, Tekkaman, Udon Entertainment. Bookmark the permalink.


Douglas connects the dots in this presentation revealing a startling connection between the secret societies and the coming Antichrist.
What is the purpose of the Antichrist sitting in the temple declaring himself to be a god? Is it possible that Satan has been working toward that end through secret societies of the world where the highest ranking leaders knowingly serve Lucifer (Satan), are opposed to God, are proficient at deception, are focused on the temple and its rebuilding, and plan on ruling over the entire earth? Douglas connects the dots in this Power Point teaching presentation revealing a startling connection between the secret societies and the coming Antichrist.


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Staff + Contributors
NM Field Guide 2022
Southwest Contemporary
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things to Read in 2022
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The Hiroshima Library: A Memorial Next to Refrigerators
The Internal Place: The Call of New Mexico in the Works of Esteban Cabeza de Baca, Patrick Nagatani, Lucy Raven, and Richard Tuttle
What Waterfall? Finding Landscape in the Metroplex
Of Mushroom Clouds and Yellow Dirt: Southwest Artists Reflect on Devastation and Hope Through Anti-nuclear Art
Wynema Chavez Quintana on Aging and Dyeing
Diné Filmmaker Deidra Peaches Premieres Voices of the Grand Canyon
Denver Filmmaker Wins Coveted Creative Capital Award
Hops in the Desert: Bow & Arrow Brewing Co.
Support Santa Fe Gift Guide: Food + Drink Edition
One on One: Sean Sheehan of Sheehan Winery
NEW MEXICO ARTISTS TO KNOW NOW
Announcing the 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now 2022
Morgan Barnard: 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now 2022
Amelia Bauer: 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now 2022
NEW MEXICO WOMEN
New Mexico Women: Anita Rodriguez
New Mexico Women: Eugenia Parry
New Mexico Women: Nicolle Gonzales
Anthony Bondi's Archive Establishes a Provenance for Las Vegas Arts
Core Contemporary in Las Vegas Moves Locations, Expands Scope
Fate of Utah's Outsider Art Site The Christian School Remains In Flux
Lucha Libre: Beyond the Arenas at ASU Art Museum
Riding Off into the Sunsets at Everybody in Tucson
Exhibiting an Archive of a Shadow: Southwest Reflections at the Millicent Rogers
Cannupa Hanska Luger: Reunion Reckons With Annihilation While Dreaming of the Future
Wendy Kveck Stages the Feminine at ASAP in Las Vegas
Beth Krensky
Marcus Xavier Chormicle, Founder of Southern New Mexico's CAV Gallery, Disentangles Personal Stories of Family Violence
Meggan Gould: Happy Time, Doomsday Time Pictures an Acute Contemporary Moment
Stephen Marc Explores the American Psyche Amid Midterm Elections
Work in Progress with Wren Ross
Work in Progress with Patricia Sannit
Work in Progress with Mario Zoots
Land Art Diary: Utah's Earthworks Feel the Heat of Climate Change
Secret Gardens and Meditative Art Spaces in Colorado
Better Layovers Through Airport Art
Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea
The Wright Contemporary Counters Winter Blues with Florals and Blooms
Gerald Peters Contemporary Highlights 1960s Printmaking
Vol. 6 — Rooted: Poetics of Place
2022 New Mexico Field Guide
Vol. 5 — Collectivity + Collaboration
Vol. 4 — Winter 2021
Vol. 3 — Inhale Exhale
Vol. 2 — Flights of Fancy
Vol. 1 — Bodies Boundaries
View Art Guide
FeatureMeet Your Makers
Stage Worthy: The Santa Fe Opera Properties Department
Santa Fe Opera properties workshop, 2019. Photo: Stefan Wachs.
I. WEAPON
Where was the dagger? It was the final act of The Letter, a Santa Fe Opera world premiere that opened in 2009, and forty-mile-per-hour winds were howling across the venue's open-air stage. The murderous Leslie, played by Patricia Racette, was singing her way towards suicide-by-stabbing. Suddenly, the wind whipped a tablecloth and sent Leslie's fateful knife skittering down the dining table. This was despite the fact that the properties department had reinforced the linen with a stitch called a swing tack and secured it with a wind skirt.
"There were probably five minutes left in the opera," says Randall Lutz, the Santa Fe Opera's properties director. "All of the flowers had blown off the table and almost landed in the orchestra pit, which is a nightmare, and then the knife started rolling. Pat was downstage and couldn't see what was happening." A member of Lutz's crew crawled behind the table and scooted the knife to its mark just in time for the tragic conclusion.
"There are five things in opera: a weapon, a letter, a piece of furniture, flowers, and a book," says Lutz. "They're in almost every opera. When the letter or document arrives, the plot starts moving."
Props are plot points. If the knife slides away, so too does the thrust of an opera's story. "There are five things in opera: a weapon, a letter, a piece of furniture, flowers, and a book," says Lutz. "They're in almost every opera. When the letter or document arrives, the plot starts moving." The dagger is destined to be unsheathed, the flowers bestowed, the chair hurled in frustration, and the diary read—at least if they are still within reach.
The mobility of props makes them powerful narrative tools—but also quite complicated to manage. While a set is connected to the stage and a costume to the body of a performer, props are generally easier to displace. That is of particular concern when your stage has its own wind factor. Lutz has been an impeccable organizer of this ever-churning universe for the better part of his four decades working at the opera. A tour of his department begins at the root of the matter: the Santa Fe Opera's vast lower levels. This is the shadowy archive of the properties team.
Santa Fe Opera properties storage, 2019. Photo: Stefan Wachs.
II. LETTER
"I got a reject letter before my first season," says Lutz. "But I actually didn't get the letter until after I got the phone call that they wanted to hire me. Someone else had left, so I was in." That was in 1979, when Lutz was living in his native state of Pennsylvania. He started at the Santa Fe Opera as a scenic carpenter and would travel out to New Mexico each summer between other gigs. Three seasons in, he moved to Santa Fe permanently.
This year marks Lutz's fortieth season, and he has occupied eight different roles in that time. He's worked in housing and rentals and hustled props between storage and stage as a leader of the run crew. In 1993, he was promoted to properties director. "I like props the best because it uses the most disciplines," Lutz says. "We work with fabric; we do effects; we build and upholster furniture; we build fake food. There are so many things."
Lutz's surroundings illustrate his point. He's standing on the bottom level of a lofty basement space that holds a three-story gridded scaffold. Piles of objects are visible through the steel framework, lining every side of each level. Lutz ascends a narrow staircase and flits between the stacks, holding objects aloft.
"These are all the baskets, which we'll use this year in La Bohème for the vendor booths in act two," he says. "Here are cakes, champagne buckets, all sorts of fake food. These would actually be good for La Bohème as well." There's an open grave of fake dead animals (some of which were hunted in Cold Mountain), a heap of false snow (dispensed from a rolling drum during La Fanciulla del West), and an armory of non-firing weapons (the ones that do fire black powder are locked away upstairs).
This space is just the opera's on-site storage, which exclusively houses props that are not currently part of a production. There are more props, including those that are inventoried for the opera to reuse, sell, or rent as part of specific shows, in a warehouse space a few miles north of the opera house. The props team uses both stockpiles as their palette, guided by a list of objects that is submitted by a show's director and designer at least eighteen months before opening night.
After receiving this colorful inventory, which often references a specific setting and historical period, Lutz must examine his budget and decide whether to pull from his current pool of props, fabricate a new object, or try to find it elsewhere. "I would never get a real Biedermeier chair, because it would cost a fortune," he says. "So do we build it or buy a replica?"
Often, the answer is dictated by the prominence of the prop. "If it's something that the singer works with, it's important to me that it looks good and makes them feel like they're in that moment with the prop," says Lutz. For a recent production of La Traviata, Lutz's team made a letter from a soft fabric so that Violetta could comfortably tuck it in her bosom. "Then we hid identical letters everywhere on the set so that, if one letter blew away, she could pull another one from somewhere else," Lutz says. "She has to read that letter in act three."
Randall Lutz in Santa Fe Opera properties storage, 2019. Photo: Stefan Wachs.
III. FURNITURE
Lutz lifts a chair and slams it on the concrete floor a few times. He's making a racket, but it's not as loud as the power drill that's blaring from an unseen corner of the opera's catacombs. When you've worked at the opera for this long, you have earned the right—or, rather, the responsibility—to bang your props around a bit.
"I don't think this is stage worthy," says Lutz, gently setting it aside. The meaning of that term shifts depending on the prop. In this case, the chair probably isn't strong enough to withstand the grueling rehearsal process. "It's amazing. It can be in someone's house twenty-five years and never fall apart," says Lutz. "You put it onstage for two rehearsals, and it falls apart."
The props team receives stacks of notes each day of rehearsals. It's a crash test for every prop that appears onstage, from topple-proof trees with weighted bases to chandeliers that are held aloft by rigid pipes so that they won't swing too much in the wind. "When we get notes from the stage, sometimes they're challenging, but in the end, we know that it's going to help the singers do the best performance," says Lutz.
Lutz's team will need to reinforce the chair, buy a different one in a similar style, or build one like it in the carpentry shop upstairs. In special cases, they'll conceal a steel armature within furniture props. "We did that last year for Madame Butterfly. She throws down a chair, but we didn't know that was going to happen until they blocked it," says Lutz. "We built it with steel but made it look like a Victorian chair. It didn't break, but I think it cracked a little."
Then there are the props that are only stage worthy if they do break. Lutz recalls an iconic scene near the end of The Tempest in which Prospero splits his staff. Rather than building multiple staffs for the different performances, Lutz's team made a hollow, two-part steel rod with a wooden dowel running through its center. Each night of the performance, Prospero would break the prop and then the crew would reunite the steel parts using a new dowel, performing some kind of operatic Groundhog Day.
IV. FLOWERS
"This lift goes from the mezzanine to stage level, sometimes ten or twelve times in a single performance," says Lutz. He's one floor up from the basement, next to a service elevator that's used by the run crew. That's the team that organizes and transports props for each performance, another job that's particularly complex during rehearsals.
"If they do act one of La Bohème, it has to leave the shop or its storage area and go into the hall," says Lutz. "If it gets notes, they bring it back at the end of the day. They move stuff every day, sometimes five shows a day." He declines to estimate how many objects that would involve, but it must run in the hundreds.
In the same room is another archive of hand props (things that actors carry onstage) and soft goods (props made from fabric) arranged on shelves in narrow aisles. As Lutz strides through them, odd labels scrawled on masking tape catch the eye. There's an entire shelving unit of alcohol bottles (brown, green, corked, sake), a library of books and notebooks, heaps of dusty electronics (some of which appeared in the garage scene for Steve Jobs), and drippy candlesticks made from every material imaginable.
Randall Lutz, Santa Fe Opera Properties Director, 2019. Photo: Stefan Wachs.
Up yet another staircase, Lutz finally arrives in the zone where new props are born. The department's craft shop, dye shop, and carpentry shop are bustling with activity. One of Lutz's craft artists is surrounded by marigold and orchid blooms that she's arranging into garlands for Pearl Fishers. Another is producing scalloped petals that will ornament a series of lampposts for La Bohème. "The posts will be arranged in forced perspective towards the horizon line, so I have to make progressively smaller petals for each one so that they look right," the artist explains.
When they're not in the spotlight, props are the flora of the theater world. Their soil is the set, a platform that has plenty of space to theatrically evoke a place rather than detailing it. Props are the intricate blooms that add texture to these fantastical but often broadly drawn containers. Like plant life, they can be dense and voluminous, appearing as multiples but possessing subtle and endless variations. They should invite the audience to extrapolate a rich material universe beyond the confines of the stage.
The work that these artists are producing is dazzling, but it also must be structurally sound and perfectly functional. Next door in the carpentry shop, one of the lampposts is coming together. "The run crew will move this during the show. It does a little ballet," says Lutz, sliding up a hidden panel in the prop's base. "Because it moves, we couldn't wire it, so it will hold a battery in here."
V. BOOK
Lutz's journey ends in his office, a relatively quiet room adjoining the craft shop, with large windows opening to the action outside. There are mentorship awards haphazardly piled on a filing cabinet, but the real fruits of Lutz's labor appear on a series of long shelves above his desk. These are the "bibles" for every Santa Fe Opera production since 1992, the year before Lutz became properties manager.
"These catalogue every prop we've ever used," says Lutz, pulling one off of the shelf. "It has all of the measurements, what happened to it in the show, maintenance reports, whether it was used by a principal or not." He flips open the binder, and the universe of the opera's 2017 Steve Jobs production comes alive again. There are color swatches and fabric samples from the costumes, printouts of web pages from Etsy and Ebay where they purchased some of the props, sketches from the designer and notes from the director. "We could reproduce the entire show from this bible," Lutz says.
The work the properties department carries out is remarkable and impeccable, but try to point that out and Lutz demurs. "After working in opera almost all of my life, what they do onstage is still what amazes me," he says. "They're singing, they're watching the conductor, they're acting, and they're working the props."
Jordan Eddy and Randall Lutz in Santa Fe Opera properties storage, 2019. Photo: Stefan Wachs.
Jordan Eddy
Jordan Eddy (he/him) is a Santa Fe-based writer, curator, and gallerist. He is the director of form and concept and Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, and co-founder of the project space No Land. He has contributed to multiple print and digital publications.
Stefan Wachs
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Read our response to the House of Commons' Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into homelessness. The responses focuses on the experiences of homeless 16 and 17 year olds, the consequences of welfare reform for families at risk of homelessness and the experience of homeless migrant families and children.
Every year 12,000 young people aged 16 and 17 go to their local authority for help because they have nowhere to live. These young people often come from difficult circumstances and have complex lives. Sometimes they appear to be confident young adults, at other times timid children.
This report looks at the risks facing 16 and 17 year olds when they are placed in accommodation intended to prepare them to live independently as adults.
This report was prompted by a noticeable increase in the number of destitute young peope accessing our services. The risks facing these children when they are destitute are acute and need to be addressed urgently by local and central government agencies.


text:
Akadimias Street (Greek: Οδός Ακαδημίας) (named after the Academy of Athens) is a major street in Athens that runs parallel to Panepistimiou Street and Stadiou Street from Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, in Kolonaki district, to  in the area of Exarcheia. Its total length is about 1.2 km. It has three lanes and runs almost diagonally from southeast to northwest. During World War II, it was officially renamed Roosevelt Street in honour of the US President Franklin Roosevelt, but the Athenians continued to refer to it by its original name.

Buildings along the street include the rear side of the classical trilogy of architect Theophil Hansen (University, Academy and National Library), the front side being on Panepistemiou Street. Buildings along the street also include the Olympia Theatre, an opera venue for the Greek National Opera and the church of the Life-giving Spring (, ) (in Greek). To the North-East is the district of Kolonaki.

Intersections
 Kanaris Street
 Voukourestiou Street
 Amerikis Street
 Omirou Street (major)
 Sina Street
 Massalias Street
 Asklepiou & Riga Feraiou Streets
 Ippokratous Street (one way westbound)
 Mavromichalis Street
 Charilaou Trikoupi Street
 Zoodochou Pigis Street
 Emmanouil Benaki Street
 Themistokleous Street
 Tzortz (George) Street

References

Streets in Athens
Odonyms referring to a building
Central Athens (regional unit)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
19 killed in Russia train-bus collision
Moscow [Russia], Oct 6 (ANI): At least 19 people have been killed after a shuttle train hit a passenger bus in the Vladimir region east of Moscow.
Putin says extending OPEC deal until end of 2018 is 'possible'
Moscow [Russia], Oct 5 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said a deal between OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and other oil producers to reduce production could be extended to the end of 2018.
Russia test fires 2nd ICBM in 10 days
Moscow [Russia], September 21 (ANI): Russia on Wednesday tested its second Yars inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in last 10 days.
Moscow on lockdown after multiple bomb threats
Moscow [Russia], September 13 (ANI) :Over 20,000 people have been evacuated from 30 locations including shopping malls, train stations and two universities in Russia's Moscow after simultaneous bomb threats from multiple locations.
India finish at fifth spot in Moscow Shotgun World Championship
New Delhi [India], Sept. 10 (ANI): India finished fifth in the medals tally with one gold and two silver medals at the Moscow Shotgun World Championship, which ended on Sunday.
Angad Bajwa impresses at Shotgun World Championship
New Delhi [India], Sept 8 (ANI): Young Indian shooter Angad Bajwa impressed with a perfect round of 25 on day two of the men's skeet qualifiers at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Shotgun here on Friday.
Moscow does not recognise North Korea's nuclear status, Putin tell
Vladivostok [Russia], September 6 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow does not recognise North Korea's
India seeks to achieve bilateral trade target of 30 bn USD with Ru
Vladivostok [Russia], September 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said there is a need for enhancing trade, commerce and investment with the Russian Far East to achieve the target of 30 billion U.S. Dollars, set for bilateral trade, by the year 2025.
Japan urges Russia to collaborate against N Korea
Moscow [Russia], Sep 6 (ANI): Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe has urged Russia to collaborate against the policies pursued by North Korea to help scale down the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Mastermind behind Blue Whale suicide game, a Russian girl, arreste
Moscow [Russia], September 1 (ANI): A 17-year-old Russian girl, accused of being the mastermind behind the infamous Blue Whale Game, has been arrested.
E.U.'s decision to expand anti-Russia sanctions 'verdict
Moscow [Russia], August 5 (ANI): The chairman of the Russian upper chamber of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachev, has said that the European Union's decision to expand sanctions against Russia over the row with Siemens gas turbines deliveries to Crimea work
Moscow: Three gangsters killed in courthouse firefight
Moscow [Russia], August 2 (ANI): At least three members of a gang were killed after they disarmed guards and opened fire in a courthouse here, the state media reported.


text:
Anabela Đogani (en serbio: Анабела Ђогани), también puede aparecer escrito su nombre como Anabela Djogani, (26 de enero de 1975 en Goražde, República Socialista de Bosnia y Herzegovina, Yugoslavia) es una cantante de turbo-folk y pop serbobosnia. Ella inició su carrera en 1993 como parte del dúo Funky G, junto con su esposo Gagi Đogani. El 29 de abril de 2009, el dúo se dividió tanto profesional como sentimentalmente y Anabela continuó su carrera más tarde como cantante solista.

Biografía
Anabela nació en Goražde el 26 de enero de 1975 como Anabela Bukva en lo que era la República Socialista de Bosnia y Herzegovina. La madre de Anabela es serbia de Bosnia, y su padre es bosníacos. Cuando tenía tres años sus padres se divorciaron y Anabela se fue a vivir con su padre. Por motivos escolares, a los trece años se trasladó a Sarajevo y con 16 años se mudó con su novio a Suiza. Más tarde fue a visitar Bosnia y Herzegovina y fue una de las primeras víctimas de la guerra. No tenía ningún contacto con ninguno de los padres, por lo que decidió trasladarse a Belgrado, donde trabajó como secretaria y conocería a su futuro marido, Gazmen Gagi Đogani cuando tenía 17 años y el 20, tomando su apellido. Posteriormente quedó embarazada de gemelos pero abortó. Desde entonces dio a luz dos niñas, Luna y Nina.

Después de un largo período de inestabilidad en la relación, el matrimonio terminó en 2009 y posteriormente Anabela dejó Funky G para iniciar su carrera en solitario.

Carrera profesional
En 1993, Anabela y Gagi comenzaron su carrera como parte del dúo Funky G. Tuvieron gran éxito con la mayoría de las canciones. Su género fue pop con algunos elementos de pop-folk y turbo-folk. Los sencillos más exitosos fueron "Samo u snu", "Robinja", "Ja Imam Nekog", "Napravi Se Lud", "U Tvojim Kolima", "Jel Ti Zao", "Gad", "Ponovo" y "Kafana na Balkanu", lanzadando doce álbumes de estudio y dos recopilatorios de grandes éxitos.

En 2009 comenzó su carrera en solitario con el sencillo "Dragi Moj", que fue un éxito en Bosnia, y grabó un video musical para la canción. El director del video es Dejan Milicevic y el video fue filmado en Mavrovo, Macedonia. Su segundo sencillo en solitario es "100 Ratova" junto con Mia. Ella fue una de los concursantes en el programa de televisión VIP Veliki Brat 2010, terminando en el segundo lugar.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Cantantes de Bosnia y Herzegovina
Cantantes de pop folk
Personas de Goražde


Take a trip back to a time before World War II where the idea of a portable 35mm camera was just becoming a reality. Filmarchives Online brings us an amazing peek into the Earnst Leitz Optische Werke factory in Wetzlar, Germany sometime between the two World Wars.
Nowadays Leica is known for its extremely expensive cameras that are the pinnacle of photographic luxury, but once upon a time they were known for being the only name in the game when it came to portable photography. In 1913, Oskar Barnack created the very first Leica prototype which ended up being the world's first practical 35mm camera using standardized 35mm cinema film stock. Intended to be a compact travel and landscape camera, it was refined over a decade before Ernst Leitz decided to produce the first publicly available Leica camera, the Leica I. Ever wonder where the name Leica came from? Barnack named it after the owner and CEO of the company: Leitz Camera.
This portrait of the Leitz factory was directed by Barnack himself and shows an overview of key processes in making precision optical equipment including milling, engraving, lens cutting, and adjusting. Also shown is final assembly of a microscope and the Leica I. While the exact year of this short film is unknown, we know it is between 1925 and 1932 as those were the years the Leica I was manufactured. Said camera included a 50mm Elmar f/3.5 lens that could not be removed. It wasn't until 1932 that Leica introduced the Leica II with an interchangable lens and built-in rangefinder. The advanced coupled rangefinder we have today didn't come around until the Leica M3 in 1954. Remarkably little has truly changed in the basic operation of the Leica M since, and it all started with the Leica I and the Leitz factory in the video.
Thanks for catching that. I spelled it right in most places.


The VIC Chapter Oration explored classic and modern concepts of justice and the interaction of the two in relation to respecting the individual and serving the community.
The Hon Justice Chris Maxwell AC President of the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal delivered the Oration on 31 October 2018.
A large audience of HAL members and guests enjoyed his Honour's Oration, titled "Classical and modern conceptions of justice: respecting the individual, serving the community" at Monash University Law Chambers on Lonsdale Street in Melbourne.
The HAL VIC Chapter Patron, The Hon Justice Emilios Kyrou, introduced the Hon Justice Maxwell AC.
The President of HAL, Mr Mal Varitimos CBE QC, delivered a speech of welcome to those at the inaugural Vic Chapter Oration, highlighting an important purpose of the Association: providing continuing legal education and the exchange of legal information.
Following the Oration guests enjoyed a Drinks Reception in the foyer of Monash University Law Chambers.
HAL VIC Chapter Chair Ms Elefteria Konstantinou, officially opened the evening, welcoming all guests.
The Hon. Justice Maxwell AC has generously agreed to publication of his paper on the HAL website for all to read.
Justice Chris Maxwell, President, Victorian Court of Appeal, Chapter Oration titled "Classical and modern conceptions of justice: respecting the individual, serving the community" – 31 October 2018.
The Victorian Chapter of the Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association will host a CPD event dealing with the topic of "Lawyers navigating a partnership or shareholder dispute".
Andrew Panna QC will present the event at Madgwicks, Level 6, 140 William Street Melbourne, on Wednesday 13 June from 7.30am for breakfast followed by a 1 hour presentation beginning at 8am, including 10 minutes of questions.
Download a flyer on the Shareholders and Partnership Disputes Breakfast.
Cost is $15 for HAL Members and $20 for non-members or register as a HAL member and enjoy the member rate.
To book and pay online visit https://www.trybooking.com/382268.
RSVP and book tickets by 11 June 2018.
The Victorian Chapter of HAL held a social night on 9 February to mark the opening of the Legal Year for 2018.
It was an opportunity to share holiday stories, and provide encouragement and good tips on how to make 2018 another successful year for all!
The Honourable Geoffrey Nettle, Justice of the High Court of Australia, delivered the inaugural Victorian Chapter Oration in Melbourne earlier this month.
The Oration, titled "Some Hellenic Contributions to the Law", was held on 4 August at Monash University Law Chambers before a large audience, including the Victorian Chapter Patron, The Hon Justice Emilios Kyrou.
The Victorian Chapter proposes it will host an oration annually, with the 2018 Oration to be held in the second half of 2018.


text:
Why One Scientist Is Saying a Ninth Planet Killed the Dinosaurs
Could we be next?
Kate Dwyer
Caltech/YouTube
Back in January, Caltech researchers Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin found "good evidence" to suggest the existence of a ninth planet in our solar system, and last week, University of Arkansas physics professor Daniel Whitmire hypothesized that this ninth planet may be to blame for Earth's mass extinctions.
In 1985, Whitmire published a paper in Nature speculating about the existence of Planet X (which Brown and Batygin call Planet Nine) which could have caused the comet showers that annihilated the dinosaurs. He theorizes that Planet X passes through the Kuiper Belt every 27 million years, sending debris spiraling toward the Sun.
And when will this happen next? Some conspiracy theorists say the catastrophic event could happen this month. But before you start running for your bomb shelters, remember that similar conspiracy theorists said the end of the world would arrive in 2012, and hey, we're still here!
Regardless of whether or not you believe, it's important to note that Whitmire's Planet X is very different from Mike Brown's Planet Nine. Brown was quick to tell Discovery, "Whitmire has been speculating for decades about a very distant very massive planet pushing comets around. It has to have an orbital period of something like 27 million years. While that idea may or may not make sense, it definitely has nothing to do with Planet Nine, which is much closer to the sun and thus 'only' takes 15,000 years to go around."
Well, that was close. If only the dinosaurs were that lucky.
Related:Find Out How You Can See Five Planets in the Sky Tomorrow
KeywordsdinosaursPlanetsScience
Friends and Family Remember Sadie Roberts-Joseph, Killed Activist and Museum Founder
Jewel Wicker
Department of Justice Won't Pursue Charges Against NYPD Officer Who Killed Eric Garner
Sarah Emily Baum
The Man Who Killed Heather Heyer in Charlottesville Was Sentenced to Life in Prison
17-Year-Old Elijah Al-Amin Was Killed for Listening to Rap Music, Suspect Says


text:
Woo joins cast of Chinese propaganda blockbuster
MIN LEE,Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG (AP) — A-List filmmaker John Woo is the first celebrity to join the cast of the second major film in the leading Chinese state film studio's campaign to reform the propaganda genre with a heavy dose of star power.
Last year, China Film Group Corp. released "The Founding of a Republic" to mark the Chinese Communist Party's 60th year in power. Eager to beef up the party's image among audiences who favor commercial blockbusters or Hollywood fare, the studio stacked the historical epic with Chinese-language cinema's biggest stars. Actors like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Andy Lau were happy to comply even though they were given mere cameos, mindful of the importance of cultivating relationships in the booming mainland market.
China Film Group is now following up the 60 million Chinese yuan ($8.8 million) production with a second star-studded blockbuster that commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party next year.
The first celebrity to sign on is "Mission: Impossible II" director Woo, China Film Group Film Production Corp. President Zhao Haicheng told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Wednesday. The veteran filmmaker will play Lin Sen, the former president of the ruling Nationalist government that the communists forced into exile in Taiwan in 1949, he said.
Shooting will start in mid- to late- August, Zhao said, declining to give further details.
The film called "The Founding of a Party" in Chinese will trace events between the 1911 revolution that overthrew imperial rule and the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921, the Chinese news website Sina.com reported on Wednesday. Directors Han Sanping — the chairman of China Film Group — and Huang Jianxin will shoot in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and Moscow, the report said.
"The Founding of a Republic" raked in a massive 415 million yuan ($61 million) at the box office, helped by politically correct theater operators who flooded their properties with screenings. "The Founding of a Party" is likely to receive similar treatment.
Woo made his name in the Hong Kong industry with action thrillers like "A Better Tomorrow," ''The Killer" and "Hard Boiled" before moving to the U.S., where his credits also include "Broken Arrow," ''Face/Off" and "Windtalkers." Woo also had a small role in "The Founding of a Republic" but his character was cut in the final edit.
But he has focused on Chinese-language productions in recent years, directing the two-part historical epic "Red Cliff" and producing the upcoming kung fu movie "Reign of Assassins." His next project will take on the so-called "Flying Tigers" — American fighter pilots who defended China against Japanese invaders during World War II.


This year, a number of communities are getting ready for the Fourth of July with annual fireworks celebrations and events. Many have scheduled fireworks and other forms of entertainment, including the Village and Town of Lewiston, City of North Tonawanda, the towns of Wilson, Wheatfield, Niagara and Grand Island, and the City of Niagara Falls.
•In Lewiston, there will be fireworks beginning at dusk on Tuesday, July 4, at Artpark, located at 450 S. Fourth St.
The rain date is Wednesday.
•North Tonawanda will hold its fireworks celebration on Tuesday, July 4. The display can be viewed beginning at dusk at Gratwick Riverside Park and at Niawanda Park in Tonawanda.
•In Wilson, there will be a July Fourth Festival at the fairgrounds on Lake Street. Included will be a barbecue cookout at 2 p.m., with fireworks at the grandstand area of the fairgrounds around 9 p.m.
•Wheatfield will hold its event at Oppenheim County Park on Tuesday, July 4. Featured will be music from a DJ starting at 6 p.m., and fireworks beginning at 9:45 p.m.
•In the Town of Niagara, fireworks will kick off at dusk on Sunday, July 2, in Veterans Memorial Community Park, 7000 Lockport Road.
•On Grand Island, Fantasy Island is holding fireworks shows from July 1-4, beginning at 10 p.m. each night.
Fantasy Island is located at 2400 Grand Island Blvd.
There will also be fireworks at Hyde Park on July 4 at dusk.


Location Made from Nebbiolo grapes, located in different vineyards in the area of Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto.Altitude of vineyards: 250/450 metres above sea level.
Composition of the land Marly sandstone - Exposure: east-south-west.
Period fermentation Maceration on the skins with temperature and maceration time control.
Production technique Complete malo-lactic fermentation.
Aging In small oak barrels for 24 months. Fining: in bottle for 12 months at controlled temperature of 15° C.


KYIV, 20 March 2019 – The "Puzzle Connection" exhibition, with artworks by young people from across Ukraine, including young artists who had to leave their homes because of hostilities in the eastern part of the country, opens to the public at the Kyiv History Museum from 22 March to 7 April 2019.
The exhibition is an outcome of a project initiated and implemented by the Youth Contact Group, an informal union of young people supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator to promote various forms of dialogue on burning issues among youth across Ukraine.
It will feature works by Mariya Boychenko, Mariya Bortsova, Denis Yermak, Nastya Mishchuk, Volodymyr Oliynyk and Maryna Tanevska, who produced their paintings and installations in a process of communication and dialogue on issues that are of importance for Ukrainian youngsters nowadays.
The displayed artworks focus on topics including re-socialization, problems of interaction with own self, relatives and wider society and the impact of internal and external limitations on day-to day existence.
Media representatives are invited to attend the opening of the exhibition that will take place at 18:00 on Monday, 25 March 2019, at 7 Bohdan Khmelnytsky St., Kyiv, Ukraine (Kyiv History Museum).
Henrik Villadsen, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator of Ukraine, representatives of the diplomatic community and the artists participating in the project will attend the event.
Journalists wishing to cover the ceremony are requested to confirm their participation by e-mail to andrii.dziubenko@osce.org , by 14:00 on Monday, 25 April 2019. For additional information please contact Andrii Dziubenko, National Programme Co-ordinator at +380506767734.


text:
package com.siyeh.ipp.bool.demorgans;

class NotTooManyParentheses {
  void foo(boolean a, boolean b, boolean c) {
    if (a && (b ||<caret> c)) {}
  }
}


text:
Dido and Aeneas ist eine Oper in drei Akten von Henry Purcell. Das Libretto wurde von Nahum Tate nach dem Epos Aeneis von Vergil verfasst. Die erste Aufführung fand 1688 oder 1689 in London statt.

Handlung
Die Oper spielt in Karthago, nach dem Ende des Trojanischen Kriegs.

Erster Akt
Ort: In Didos Palast

Dido ist betrübt und wird von ihrer Vertrauten Belinda aufgemuntert. Belinda errät den Grund: Dido hat sich in Aeneas verliebt, den es bei seiner Flucht aus dem zerstörten Troja an die karthagische Küste verschlagen hat und der als Didos Gast von seinen geschlagenen Schlachten erzählt. Von ihrem Gefolge wird sie ermuntert, ihrer Neigung freien Lauf zu lassen, denn auch Aeneas liebt sie. Nachdem Aeneas sie anfleht, gibt sie endlich nach.

Zweiter Akt
Ort: In einer Höhle

Die Zauberin hat sich mit den Hexen versammelt, um ihre Feindin Dido ins Unglück zu stürzen und Karthago zu vernichten. Ein Geist in der Gestalt Merkurs soll Aeneas erscheinen und ihn an seine Pflicht erinnern, die Gestade Italiens zu suchen. Noch am gleichen Tag soll er mit seiner Flotte lossegeln. Vorher wollen die Hexen aber der Jagdgesellschaft, in der sich Dido und Aeneas befinden, den Spaß verderben.

Ort: In einem Hain

Nach der Jagd tanzen und singen Didos Frauen, um Aeneas zu unterhalten. Sie erzählen die Geschichte von Actaeon, der die Göttin Diana beim Baden beobachtete und als Strafe in einen Hirschen verwandelt und von seinen eigenen Hunden zerrissen wurde. Ein Gewitter zieht herauf und nötigt die Gesellschaft, in die Stadt zu fliehen. Aeneas wird vom Geist in Gestalt Merkurs aufgehalten, der ihm im Namen Jupiters aufträgt, nicht länger seine Zeit mit der Liebe zu verschwenden, sondern loszusegeln. Aeneas verspricht zu gehorchen, weiß aber nicht, wie er es Dido erklären soll.

Dritter Akt
Ort: An den Schiffen

Während die Matrosen die Schiffe bereit machen, freut sich die Zauberin über die gelungene Verschwörung.

Ort: im Palast

Aeneas kommt zu Dido, um Abschied zu nehmen. Sie beschuldigt ihn, nur Krokodilstränen zu weinen. Er ändert seinen Sinn, aber Dido schickt ihn weg. Weil er nur den Gedanken gefasst hat, sie zu verlassen, kann auch seine Reue nichts mehr ändern. Als Aeneas gegangen ist, spürt Dido, dass sie nicht mehr weiter leben kann, und begeht Selbstmord. Liebesgötter bestreuen ihr Grab mit Rosen.

Abfolge der musikalischen Nummern
nach dem Zimmerman-Verzeichnis

1) Ouverture
1. Akt
2a) Aria, "Shake the cloud from off your brow"
2b) Chorus, "Banish sorrow, banish care"
3) Aria and Ritornello, "Ah! Belinda, I am prest with torment"
4) Duet (dialogue), "Grief increases by concealing"
5) Chorus, "When monarchs unite"
6) Trio (dialogue), "Whence could so much virtue spring?"
7) Duet and Chorus, "Fear no danger"
8) Trio (dialogue), "See, your royal guest appears"
9) Chorus (dialogue), Cupid only throws the dart"
10) Aria, "If not for mine"
11) Prelude and Aria, "Pursue thy conquest, love"
12) Chorus, "To the hills and the vales"
13) Dance - The triumphing dance
2. Akt
14) Prelude and Aria, "Wayward sisters"
15) Chorus, "Harm's our delight"
16) Aria, "The queen of Carthage, whom we hate"
17 - 20) Chorus and Dialogue, "Ho ho ho!"
21) Chorus, "In our deep vaulted cell"
22) "Echo dance of the furies"
23) Ritornello
24a - b) Aria and Chorus, "Thanks to these lonesome vales"
24c) Dance - Gittar ground
25a) Aria, "Oft she visits this lone mountain"
25b) Ritornello, "A Dance to entertain Aeneas by Dido's Women"
26) Aria, "Behold, upon my bended spear"
27) Aria and Chorus, "Haste, haste to town"
28) Duet (dialogue), "Stay, Prince"
3. Akt
29) Prelude and Aria, "Come away, fellow sailors"
30) Dance - The sailor's dance
31) Trio (dialogue), "See the flags and the streamers curling"
32) Aria, "Our next motion"
33) Chorus, "	Destruction's our delight"
34) Dance - The witches' dance
35a) Aria, "Your counsel all is urg'd in vain"
35b) Trio (dialogue), "See, madam where the Prince appears"
36) Chorus, "Great minds against themselves conspire"
37) Aria, "Thy hand Belinda, darkness shades me"
38) Ground, Aria and Ritornello, "When I am laid in earth"
39) Chorus, "With drooping wings"
40) Epilogue, "All that we know the angels do above"

Entstehung und Rezeption
Die genauen Umstände der Entstehung dieses Werks sind nicht bekannt. Die erste belegbare Aufführung fand 1688 oder 1689 in einem Mädchenpensionat in Chelsea statt, aber es gilt als unwahrscheinlich, dass Purcell ein Werk dieser Bedeutung speziell für solch einen Anlass geschrieben hat. Vermutlich entstand das Werk bereits einige Jahre früher für eine Aufführung am englischen Hof.

Der Librettist Nahum Tate entnahm den Stoff aus der Aeneis des Vergil. Während die Urfassung des Librettos erhalten ist, ist die Musik Purcells nur durch spätere Abschriften überliefert. Die Musik des Prologs ist gänzlich verschollen, wahrscheinlich weil die darin enthaltene Anspielung auf die aktuelle Politik bei späteren Aufführungen nicht mehr passte.

Die gesamte Oper dauert in der heute überlieferten, unvollständigen Form nur etwa eine Stunde. Sie gehört zu den wichtigsten musikdramatischen Werken des Barock und wird von manchen als Purcells einzige richtige Oper angesehen. Das bekannteste Stück ist Didos Klage "When I am laid in earth", eine Arie über einem Lamento-Basso ostinato.

Die Oper ist musikalisch deswegen bemerkenswert, weil sie vom damals weit verbreiteten Schema der Opera seria abweicht, in dem es fast keine eigenständigen Arien gibt. Auch dem Chor kommt eine ungewöhnlich tragende Rolle zu.

Ein in vielfacher Hinsicht vergleichbares Werk gibt es mit John Blows Venus and Adonis – einer Masque (auch als Oper bezeichnet), die in Umfang, Besetzung und auch Handlungselementen verblüffende Parallelen aufweist. Es spricht vieles dafür, dass diese beiden Werke in geringem zeitlichen Abstand und mit bewusster Beziehung zueinander entstanden.

Literatur
 William H. Cummings: Purcell. S. Low, Marston, Searle & Revington, London 1881.
 Edward J. Dent: Foundations of the English Opera. Cambridge UP, Cambridge 1928.
 Mark Goldie: The Earliest Notice of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. In: Early Music 20 (1992), 392–400.
 Ellen T. Harris: Recitative and Aria in Dido and Aeneas. In: Studies in the History of Music 2 (1987).
 Ellen T. Harris: Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1987 [Repr. kt. 1989].
 Peter Holman: Henry Purcell. OUP, Oxford, 1994.
 Robert Etheridge Moore: Dido and Aeneas and Later Opera. In: Robert Etheridge Moore (Hrsg.): Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre. Heinemann, London u. a. 1961, S. 41–46. - [Wieder in:] Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas. An Opera. Ed. by Curtis Price. London: Norton 1986, S. 220–223.
 Curtis A. Price: Henry Purcell and the London Stage. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1984.
 Curtis A. Price (Hrsg.): Purcell Studies. CUP, Cambridge 1995.
 Ulrich Schreiber: Halbe Opern: eine ganze Sache? Henry Purcell und die Anfänge der englischen Oper. In: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 148 (1987), S. 4–7.
 Ludwig Ernst Weinitzschke: Dido und Aeneas von Henry Purcell. Lienau, Berlin 1974.
 Franklin Bersher Zimmerman: Henry Purcell (1659-1695). His Life and Times. MacMillan, London 1967. 2nd rev. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 1983.

Diskografie (Auswahl)
 Kirsten Flagstad (Dido), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Bel, 2nd Lady, Spir), Thomas Hemsley (Aen), Arda Mandikian (Sorc), Eilidh McNab (1st Lady), Sheila Rex (1st Witch), Anna Pollak (2nd Witch), David Lloyd (Sail) - The Mermaid Singers and Orchestra - Geraint Jones - Aufn. 10/1952, (P) 1952, EMI Références CDH 7610062
 Janet Baker (Dido), P. Clark (Bel), R. Herincx (Aen), M. Sinclair (Sorc), ... - St. Anthony Singers, English Chamber Orchestra - Anthony Lewis - (P) 1962, L'Oiseau Lyre SOL 60047
 Claire Watson (Dido), Jeannette Sinclair (Bel), Peter Pears (Aen), Arda Mandikian (Sorc), Patricia Clark (2nd Wom), Jean Allister, Rosemary Philips (Witches) John Hahessy (Spir), Michael Ronayne (Sail) - Purcell Singers, English Opera Group Orchestra - Benjamin Britten - Aufn. Sept. 1959, CD (P) 1999, BBC Music BBCB 8003-2
 Tatiana Troyanos (Dido), Sheila Armstrong (Bel), Barry McDaniel (Aen), Patricia Johnson (Sorc), Margaret Baker (1st Witch), Margaret Lensky (2nd Witch), Paul Esswood (Spir), Nigel Rogers (Sail) - Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg, Kammerorchester des NDR - Charles Mackerras - Aufn. 10/1967, (P) 1968, DG 447 148-2
 Guillemette Laurens (Dido), Jill Feldman (Bel), Philippe Cantor (Aen), Dominique Visse (Sorc), Agnès Mellon (2nd Wom, 1st Witch), Barbara Borden (2nd Witch), Etienne Lestringant (Spir), Michel Laplénie (Sail) - Les Arts Florissants - William Christie - Aufn. 7/1985, (P) 1986, harmonia mundi France HMC 905173
 Teresa Berganza (Dido), Danielle Borst (Bel), Per-Arne Wahlgren (Aen), Glenys Linos (Sorc), Françoise Destembert (2nd Wom), Tiziana Sojat (1st Witch, Spir), Alexandra Papadjikiakou (2nd Witch), Reinaldo Macias (Sail) - Chœur du Théâtre Municipal de Lausanne, Ensemble Instrumental de Lausanne - Michel Corboz - Aufn. 11/1985, (P) 1986, Erato ECD 88244
 Anne Sofie von Otter (Dido), Lynne Dawson (Bel), Stephen Varcoe (Aen), Nigel Rogers, Elisabeth Priday, Carol Hall, Sarah Leonard - Choir of the English Concert, The English Concert - Trevor Pinnock - Aufn. 7/1988, (P) 1989, DG Archiv 4276242
 Nicola Wemyss (Dido), Francine van der Heijden (Bel), Matthew Baker (Aen), Helene Rasker (Sorc), Penni Clarke (2nd Wom), Maaike Porthuuis (1st Witch), Yong-Hee Kim (2nd Witch), Rowena Simpson (Spir), Richard Zook (Sail) - Musica ad Rhenum - Jed Wentz - Aufn. Sept. 2004, (P) 2004, Brilliant Classics 92538

Weblinks

 Partitur online (public domain)
 Libretto
 Vollständiges Libretto (einschließlich Prolog) mit dt. Übersetzung (PDF) (177 kB)
 Dido and Aeneas – Anatomie eines Selbstmords. Sabine M. Gruber
 Download in mp3-Dateien

Operntitel
Oper in englischer Sprache
Oper aus dem 17. Jahrhundert
Rezeption der römischen Mythologie
Mythologie in der Oper
Werk von Henry Purcell
Musik 1688


NAIDOC Week 2018 celebrates the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history, and our nation.
This year's theme – Because of Her, We Can – recognises the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, past and present, who have served as leaders, politicians, activists and social change advocates. They have fought, and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights and rights to country. They have battled for law and justice, for access to education and employment, and to maintain and celebrate Indigenous culture, language, music and art.


The UK has always been a forward thinking and innovative country as shown by the industrial revolution which advanced the UK enormously and secured its position as a leading economy. However, the future of our economy is no longer in manufacturing … China and India have that covered. In order to maintain a strong economy, we must innovate.
This is why the Government introduced R&D tax relief to the UK back in 2000. Under this scheme, companies can claim relief from the Government in the form of a cash payment or tax deduction if their activities are classified as 'innovative'. However, the process of making a claim is highly nuanced. This has created a market for accountancy firms and niche consultancies to aid in this process.
This article has been written for both technical professionals, such as engineers, and tax professionals who are considering a career in R&D within an accountancy firm or niche consultancy. It will provide you with an overview of what a career in R&D entails, the benefits associated with a career in R&D and will discuss the stability of the R&D sector moving forwards. In order to relay the most accurate information on R&D, I spoke to a number of directors and partners to find out what really goes on in the field of R&D and what a career in this sector truly entails.
So what would you actually be doing in a career in R&D?
An R&D consultant will spend a great deal of time visiting client premises across the UK to review their innovation. You will gather information from the clients on the facets of their innovation which you believe to be eligible under the UK R&D scheme. You may also need to research around their activities to make sure you fully understand what they are developing and what they are striving to achieve. You are likely to be working in a team on projects and therefore you will have to liaise with other team members to ensure you are all progressing at a pace that will enable you to meet your deadlines. Additionally, you will be in frequent contact with both HMRC and your clients to answer any queries regarding the project. Finally, when you have collated all the information you have gained, you will compile a technical report to submit to HMRC using guidelines to support your assertions. Finally, once the project has been concluded with HMRC, you can call your client with the good news of how much they will receive.
As one of the directors of an R&D consultancy relayed to me, it's a job that allows you to always be looking forward. In order for you to submit a claim on behalf of the company, you have to first understand their innovation. This means that an integral part of your new role will be visiting client's premises and seeing what they're developing. Regardless of your background, you would have access to the latest innovation across a diverse range of sectors. This can span from the defence sector where you might preview the latest in weaponry and tanks to a chocolate shop looking to innovate in order to retain quality through mass production. The possibilities are endless. In addition, you will be seeing this innovation at its fledgling stages which means other people won't even know about its existence until years later.
In your current role, are you able to say that your work facilitates tomorrow's innovation? Such a positive outcome of your work is a professional rarity. In R&D it's not rare at all. For example, a partner stated that they secured funding for a small company that were developing the latest technology in robotic prosthetic limbs for amputees. The funding that the partner and his team secured was essential to the continuation of their life changing work.
If you're coming from a tax background, this dimension will completely change the way you interact with your clients. In your current role, you will typically be informing clients how much they will have to pay (even if you are saving them money). However, in R&D you will be telling them how much they will receive from the government – it enables much more positive relationships with your clients.
Through a role in R&D, you will not only enhance your existing skills but it will enable you to develop many more.
Firstly, it will perfect your organisational skills. If you have specialised in engineering you may only be working on one project at any given time. However, in R&D you would be working on a number of projects at the same time which means juggling multiple timelines, deadlines and queries from both your clients and HMRC. Up to the challenge?
You will also develop your skills of persuasion. Within the current legislation, the definition of what constitutes R&D is fairly generic. Therefore, it will be your responsibility to utilise your knowledge of the scheme in order to tailor your argument accordingly to highlight why your clients activities can be defined as innovative. You will then support your assertions with the information you gathered from your clients to substantiate your claim.
You will increase your commerciality and widen your scope to look at the bigger picture. You will begin to analyse not just whether a company can innovate a new product but whether it is commercially viable to do so. This will include analysing in what direction the surrounding technology is going and the costs that a company would have to subsume in staff allocation and resource allocation.
Additionally, you will become much more confident in yourself. In this role, you will have to talk to directors and CEO's as well as engineers and technicians to name a few. You will develop the ability, and therefore confidence, to know you can talk to anyone in any given social situation.
This job is not your typical nine to five desk job. You will be given the opportunity to travel across the UK to look at the innovation taking place at client premises.
Furthermore, by specialising in R&D, you will have the option to work abroad. R&D relief is practiced in over forty countries worldwide. The basic understanding of what constitutes as innovation is fluid across borders and therefore you would only need to learn the changes in the legislation upon taking a new position in a different country.
For both tax professionals and engineers, the realm of R&D offers better promotion prospects than you might have imagined. In facets of tax, such as corporate tax, the field can be quite competitive which sometimes means a queue for promotion. In addition, many engineers encounter a glass ceiling. Once they are technically competent in a specific area, they are made to complete projects in that same field over and over again. R&D is different. There is such substantial growth in this sector that the norm in one firm is that their professionals are promoted every six months up to assistant manager level. Following this, promotion is only dependent on their ability to prove they can function at the higher level. Additionally, there are no glass ceilings for engineers within the sector. In fact, one of the partners I spoke with from a Top 10 accountancy firm not only has an engineering background but is the youngest person to make partner in that firm!
How stable is the future of R&D?
Innovation is the way forward for all economies in the world. As previously mentioned, around forty countries employ R&D tax incentives as a way to encourage innovation across the board and every year more countries introduce some sort of incentive mechanism to stimulate innovation. Out of all the countries which have introduced the scheme, the only one to repeal their scheme was New Zealand and they are reintroducing their R&D scheme this year.
Not only is the scheme essential to stimulating innovation for the future economy but it is also integral to the stability of our current economy. Without these incentives from the government, corporations that can move abroad ultimately will. This would result in a sink hole of professionals, skills and cash in the UK economy.
Furthermore, the British government have maintained a healthy relationship with the scheme since its introduction. It was the Labour government that introduced the scheme back in 2000 and investment in the scheme was further increased by the coalition government. It is also important to bear in mind that despite the UK entering into one of the worst financial crises in 2008, the government still maintained investment in R&D.
As I previously mentioned, if the UK were to crumble and our economy plummeted to the ground and disintegrated into a puff of smoke, you could just hop on a plane and start afresh in a new country.
To conclude, the sector of R&D is a positive one – both in terms of the benefits of a career and in regards to its future. It allows you to glimpse at what the future holds and be directly involved in building that vision. It will enable your complete professional development and you can bet your position (and salary) will reflect your capabilities. Finally, your specialisation will never act as a ball and chain weighing you down to the UK. Like any career, it does come with its challenges but I personally feel that the benefits far outweigh any challenges you could face in the position.


Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed as you're juggling multiple responsibilities and trying to keep up with constant change? Maybe you feel like you're bombarded by news and information, and being pulled in many directions.
It can be hard to stay grounded unless you train your body and mind to stay calm under pressure.
Try these daily habits that will keep you centered and peaceful.
Slow down. Make a conscious decision to stop rushing around. Do less and accomplish more by clarifying your priorities. Focus on one activity at a time, and pause in between tasks.
Breathe deep. Lower your stress levels with simple breathing exercises. Work at breathing from your abdomen instead of your chest, and lengthening your exhalations. Try alternate nostril breathing to activate both sides of your brain by using your thumb to close off one side of your nose at a time.
Practice mindfulness. Daily meditation will help you to live in the present moment. Find a quiet place where you can sit down and let go of distracting thoughts.
Monitor your self talk. Replace doubts and limiting beliefs with more encouraging messages. Remember your past victories and cheer yourself on.
Soothe yourself. Be gentle with yourself when you're having a tough day. Listen to soft music or take a warm bath.
Engage in meaningful activities. Understand your strengths and spend time doing things that create a sense of flow. You may find fulfillment in your job or hobbies.
Connect with others. Surround yourself with loving and supportive family members and friends. Create opportunities to share laughter and deep conversation.
Express gratitude. Count your blessings. Let others know how much they mean to you and look for ways to make them smile.
Strengthen your faith. Contemplate your purpose and beliefs. Find a community where you feel accepted and inspired, whether it's your church or a secular discussion group.
Think positive. Look on the bright side. An upbeat attitude will increase your resilience.
Adjust your posture. The way you hold your body can help you feel balanced and give you more strength and energy. Stand up straight and tall with your shoulders held back and your stomach tucked in. Check that your head is level, and your knees are slightly bent.
Exercise daily. Working out keeps your body and mind in top condition. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 days a week. You might want to buy a gym membership or go for a run in the park before work.
Eat a balanced diet. Make natural whole foods the mainstay of your diet, including at least 5 servings of vegetable and fruits each day. Choose lean proteins and healthy fats. Cut back on excess sugar and salt.
Rest and sleep. Give your body time to heal and restore. While individual sleep requirements vary, 7 to 8 hours is sufficient for most adults. Pay attention to the quality of your sleep too. Darken your bedroom and block out background noise.
Limit irritants. Ironically, some of the things we do to manage stress can actually backfire. Consume caffeine and alcohol in moderation. If you're trying to quit smoking, talk with your doctor about methods like nicotine replacement.
Your daily choices can help to introduce more peace and harmony into your life as you navigate minor and major challenges. Staying grounded will make you happier and more productive.


text:
describe("@summary tag", function() {
    var docSet = jasmine.getDocSetFromFile('test/fixtures/summarytag.js'),
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        expect(doc.summary).toBe('I do not like green eggs and ham!');
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});


text:
Gavin DeGraw suffers broken nose after assault in NY
As the violence carried out by rebellious youths angered by the fatal shooting of a peaceful protester on Saturday evening in Tottenham, UK continues to escalate and some MP's are calling for a state of martial law until the riots in London and Birmingham subside, another victim of violence is Gavin DeGraw who was assaulted in the early hours of Monday morning in New York.
Gavin DeGraw goes for a new look.
DeGraw was checked into Bellevue Hospital Center after he was viscously assaulted in the street. He is still recovering at the hospital where he has been treated for a broken nose and cuts to his face.
The rock musician was set to play with Maroon 5 and Train on Tuesday night at Saratoga Springs, NY but he has had to pull out due to his injuries and his publicist has eleased a statement explaining the situation. The NYPD have confirmed that DeGraw's assault took place between 3:50 and 4:20am on Monday and that it occurred in the street, appearing to be a random attack.
A New York native, Gavin DeGraw was assaulted here Sunday night
DeGraw, who hails from South Fallsburg, NY and is signed to J Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment has enjoyed a healthy usic career since his first album, the 2003 Chariot which sold well worldwide. His follow up came four years later in the form of an eponymous 2008 record which charted at number 7 in the US charts.
DeGraw is currently promoting his new record Sweeter which he hopes will cement his position as a proven singer/songwriter, barring any further altercations involving broken noses and cut faces. Like all good singers, DeGraw should use this experience as food for songs and perhaps the sympathy vote might just pitch him higher up the charts.
Please share your thoughts on Gavin DeGraw's assault by leaving a comment.
Read about other celebrity assault victims like Alex Welch, Rihanna, Lindsay Lohan, Afshan Azad and Rodney King.
images: last.fm, neonlimelight.com, insidemma.tv
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With 25 years of experience in the electrical field, Master Electrician, Rick Yates has dealt with every type of electrical situation imaginable. From service calls to new construction, upgrades and renovations, residential and solar installations, Rick has serviced hundreds of businesses and homes throughout Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and the surrounding area.
Rick's experience with the local business sector stretches back 25 years. He's helped businesses – large and small – across our region. He has become one of the area's leaders in industrial/commercial electrical contracting.
Steven has been an electrician in the Peterborough area since 1999. With several diplomas – including an Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology – Robotics Diploma from Fleming College, he brings a wealth of experience and education to the SRP team.
Tim has been an electrical apprentice for the last 4 years. His experience lies in the Commercial and Residential field.
Ben Lynch has been an electrical apprentice since 2010. His experience lies in Residential services, rough-ins, and renovations. Since working at SRPE, he has expanded his experience into the Commercial/Industrial and Solar fields. Ben has also acquired diplomas in Electrical Techniques and Mechanical Techniques, also from Fleming College.
Working with electricity can be dangerous. Never start an electrical project without getting professional advice. At SRPE, safety comes first.