text:
Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts Schubert Symphonies, Masses, "Alfonso und Estrella"
CD & Blu-ray
CD (Hybrid-SACD)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt once said, "Schubert is the composer who is closest to my heart" – and in this edition, Harnoncourt and the Berliner Philharmoniker present a brilliant and multifaceted portrait of the composer. It of course includes Schubert's symphonies – from the too little-known early works to the "Unfinished" and the "Great" C major Symphony. With Schubert's final two masses, central works of Romantic sacred music are also represented, plus there is a first-class discovery with the opera Alfonso und Estrella.
Harnoncourt's case for Alfonso und Estrella is so convincing not least because of the superb cast of singers which includes Kurt Streit, Dorothea Röschmann and Christian Gerhaher. But what lies at the musical centre of this edition is the collaboration of orchestra and conductor. This Schubert is colourful and dramatic – and represents a unique synthesis in which the famous sound of the Berliner Philharmoniker is as evident as Nikolaus Harnoncourt's familiarity with the transparency and sound speech of historical performance practice.
The performances, recorded between 2003 and 2006, are contained on eight CDs, plus there is a Blu-ray disc that presents all of the recordings in uncompressed 24-bit audio. For vinyl aficionados the 8 symphonies are available as a limited collector's edition on 8 LP's with a 44-page hardcover booklet. Moreover, the symphonies are released on CD. The box set includes five hybrid SACDs which can be played on any CD or SACD player.
Symphony No. 1 in D major, D 82
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, D 125
Symphony No. 3 in D major, D 200
Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417 "Tragic"
Symphony No. 6 in C major, D 589
Symphony No. 7 in B minor, D 759 "Unfinished"
Symphony No. 8 in C major, D 944 "Great"
Mass No. 5 in A flat major, D 678
Mass No. 6 in E flat major, D 950
Alfonso und Estrella D 732, Romantic opera in three acts
Nikolaus Harnoncourt Conductor
Luba Orgonášová Soprano
Birgit Remmert Contralto
Kurt Streit Tenor
Christian Gerhaher Bass
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Dorothea Röschmann Soprano
Bernarda Fink Contralto
Jonas Kaufmann Tenor
Christian Elsner Tenor
ALFONSO UND ESTRELLA D 732
Dorothea Röschmann (Estrella)
Kurt Streit (Alfonso)
Christian Gerhaher (Froila)
Jochen Schmeckenbecher (Mauregato)
Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Adolfo)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt in conversation
Please note that the CD / SACD and vinyl version contain the eight symphonies only.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts Schubert
8 CD + 1 Blu-ray + download / hardcover edition
Symphonies Nos. 1–8
Masses Nos. 5 & 6
Alfonso und Estrella
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104 pages / German, English
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Running time: : 273 mins
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104 pages / German, Englisch
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(C) Reinhard Friedrich
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Working on the Arboretum grounds means I have the joy of interacting with native plants and animals every day. I get to watch newly-planted trees sprout their first leaves and newly hatched goslings sprout their first feathers. I see migratory birds on their way north and south, caterpillars turning into butterflies, spiders wrapping up their breakfast of grasshoppers, and the cozy tunnels made by fastidious skunks and armadillos. But by and large my favorite living thing to observe here at the Arboretum is fungus.
That's right – that crusty yet slimy, multicolored, spore-producing stuff that grows quietly all around us.
If you want to acquaint yourself with the world of mushroom identification, buy yourself a small, simple guide to get started. I got this handy book for only $2 at the UW Madison Arboretum gift shop and have found it very useful for beginners.
Fungi is a much misunderstood life form (and no, I am not just talking about my coworkers Brad and Scott, fun guys though they are!). While people often come to visit Dyck Arboretum to watch birds or spot their favorite wildflowers, I have yet to hear anyone shout in delight, "Guys, look over here! A stinkhorn mushroom colony!" And such a shame – I have seen so many weird and wonderful fungus (and fungus-like) creatures at the Arb that I can't help but be enthralled by them.
In our Prairie Window Project the dense mat of grasses and plant debris create a rich environment for fungus. These tiny mushrooms, only the size of dimes, were scattered throughout a ten-foot square area.
Perhaps you noticed I used the word 'creature' for fungi in the above paragraph. Aren't mushrooms just strange, fleshy plants? No. Technically speaking, a fungus is genetically more similar to you and me than it is to a plant. In scientific nomenclature, fungi occupy their own Kingdom (there are 6 major Kingdoms of life, for animals, plants, bacteria and so on). Fungi do not photosynthesize like plants, and cannot make their own food (autotrophy). Like us, they must feed on other organisms to survive (heterotrophy). Fungus do not have roots, stems or leaves, and do not store energy as a starch like plants do. They reproduce by releasing spores into the environment, or by simply breaking apart (fragmentation) or budding (growing a clone).
I spotted these beautiful shelf fungi growing on a fallen log at UW Madison Arboretum.
The first step into nerding out over fungus is to classify your observations. It is a tricky job, and scientists today are still in a tizzy about the genetic ancestry of fungus. For the layperson, let's stick to the basics: yeasts, molds, and mushrooms are all types of fungus. Mushrooms are perhaps the most charismatic and well known fungi – shelf-like, gelatinous, or toadstool shaped, they spring up seemingly overnight. What we see as a 'mushroom' is only a small part of the organism, just the fungus's reproductive organ. The rest of it exists as a massive web of string-like hyphae in the soil or decomposing wood.
There are several trees around the Arboretum in various states of natural decay sporting impressive shelf fungi. (Or perhaps they are spore-ting it?) But don't be fooled – lichen, commonly found growing on trunks and tree branches, is NOT fungus. It is actually a combination-creature; algae, cyanobacteria, and fungus all sharing a body to create a new being, with an endless array of forms.
I see some flat grey lichen growing here, but I can't tell if these charming little white growths on our Prunus virginiana are lichen or fungus – they cling like lichen but the sort of soft, furry characteristic of fungus. Perhaps a reader can help me out on this one!
People may assume Kansas is not a good place to find fungus – much too dry and hot. Not only do we have some delicious edible mushrooms growing wild in Kansas but a plethora of other fun-to-hunt (but potentially toxic!) fungus. In fact, they grow almost everywhere on the planet and have countless forms, colors, and methods of life. Scientists only know of 120,000 species, but estimate there are millions more waiting to be discovered.
To find your first fungus, search around decaying wood piles or heavily mulched garden beds. Check carefully and often around tree stumps; different mushrooms will feed on the rotting roots at different stages of the decay.
This red-belted bracket fungi (maybe Fomitopsis pinicola?) formed on the trunk of a long dead redbud tree near our parking lot. This beauty was almost 12 inches across!
On your next visit to Dyck Arboretum, be sure to get a peek at some magnificent fungi on our grounds. Hunting for fungus, in all its forms, is a meaningful way to interact with nature and build a relationship of wonder and respect for the land we live on.
The landscape may still be dominated by the browns and tans of winter, but inside the greenhouse is a different story -oodles of green buds bursting out of dormancy, waking up to warm, humid air! It's refreshing to spend time around these green little beauties, and it is an indicator that plants outside will soon be doing the very same thing.
Buds excite us for many reasons. They portend flowers and color, and the lush greenness to come. But they also are a signal of life! Life after the cold winter months, life after dormancy – a breaking forth from a long sleep, part of the natural cycles of activity and inactivity that we all experience.
Beyond metaphor, their botany is just plain cool! Here are a few things to know about the buds emerging on your landscape plants at home.
Salix Mt. Asama is an early bloomer. It's bright yellow and pink pollen clusters are showy, suspended on fuzzy, whimsical silks.
A pal? A friend? I certainly see them that way! But scientifically speaking, a bud is an embryonic shoot just above where the leaf will form, or at the tip of a stem. As I previously covered in my November post on pruning, there are lots of different types of buds: terminal buds (at top of stem), lateral buds (on sides of stem, producing leaves or flowers), dormant buds (asleep and waiting for spring), and many more.
Buds can be classified by looks or location.
'Confetti Cake' hellebore has a pure white flowerbud, but when it opens will be spotted with dark purple.
Inspecting your buds is important to stopping a potential problem. The first thing to inspect for is aphids. Buds are succulent little treats for these pests, and have less waxy protective coating than mature leaves, making them an easy target. Often the buds won't show much damage until you have a nasty infestation, so inspecting buds early is key. Be sure to look on the inner folds of the bud if possible, as aphids are quite good at hiding themselves.
Ogon spirea blooms earlier than other spirea, long before it has fully leafed out. The flowers are white with yellow centers and closely clustered together, making a nice effect in the spring landscape.
Even if you see buds on your trees, shrubs and outdoor plants, that may not be an indication that everything is A-OK. All too often I see lots of buds on my potted shrubs only to find out that they are dead – by pressing gently on them, they easily break off and reveal dead wood at the wound. If you have any doubt about the hardiness of a shrub or perhaps neglected your winter watering schedule, take a close look at the buds. Buds that are soft and mushy or dry and brittle are a bad sign, and may indicate dead wood that needs trimming back this year. Firm buds that don't break off at a light touch, be they green or still brown, usually mean they are alive and waiting to spring open.
I'm dismayed that FloraKansas Plant Festival is still months away – so many early blooming plants are at their best right now, budding out and coming alive! Come visit the Arboretum and enjoy all the buds (and bulbs!) that are waking up!
As we approach our Native Plant Landscaping Symposium on February 24, where speakers will tell stories about their favorite native plants, they may make reference to using certain families of plants. Thinking about the organization of plants in this way makes landscaping with native plants even more interesting.
In a way, native plants are like people. The closer people are in genetic relation to each other, the closer they resemble each other. Family members share skin color, body type, hair texture, and facial features. While a unique name is given to each person to recognize their individuality, part of that name is kept the same and recognized both with close and distant relations. These closely-bonded people develop similar habitat preferences and interact with their environment in similar ways.
In 1758, Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus developed a Latin naming system for plants and animals. Each plant or animal was given a "genus" (generic name) and "species" (specific name). Plant families include genetically related plants share floral structures, leaf arrangements, and stem shape. Multiple genera can make up a family. Along with the scientific name, people have also given each plant species many common names or nicknames.
Asclepias incarnata, otherwise known as swamp milkweed or marsh milkweed, is a member of the DOGBANE FAMILY.
For example, plants in the DOGBANE FAMILY have five-parted flowers, opposite leaves, and a milky juice in the stems and leaves with a bitter-tasting, toxic compound that protects the plants from being eaten by insects (excluding monarch butterfly larvae). In this family, the milkweed genus (Asclepias) has 22 different species in Kansas. You may not recognize from their common names that butterfly milkweed and green antelopehorn are related, but when you see their Latin names, Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias viridis, you will know better.
Kansans have many good reasons for landscaping with native plants. Some of the best benefits are: 1) they provide natural beauty throughout the seasons, 2) they attract pollinators and other wildlife that are part of the food chain, 3) they offer drought-tolerant, environmentally-friendly plants to work with, and 4) they represent our state's rich prairie natural heritage. By learning more about native plant families, you can add more diversity to your garden, creating a wider range of habitat for wildlife.
Includes the largest number of species in the prairie; many flowers or "florets" in one head with both inner disk florets and outer ray florets.
Echinacea pallida, otherwise known as pale purple coneflower, is a member of the SUNFLOWER FAMILY.
These "legumes" have a distinctive five petal flower, form bean pods, and fix nitrogen into the soil thanks to special bacteria living on the roots.
Baptisia australis, also known as blue wild indigo or blue false indigo, is a member of the BEAN FAMILY.
These plants have square stems and opposite leaves that create aromatic oils. Most garden herbs are in the mint family.
Salvia azurea, also known as blue sage, is a member of the MINT FAMILY.
Flowers are colorless and wind pollinated, and stiff fibrous stems help carry fire when dormant. Most agricultural crops are in the grass family.
Schizochirium scoparium, also known as little bluestem, is a member of the GRASS FAMILY.
Teachers examine grass flowers while learning about plant families.
Though true winter approaches, there are still a few warm, sunny days ahead to be filled with raking leaves and garden clean-up. Here at the Arboretum we leave our perennial gardens uncut through the winter to create winter habitat and protect the soil, but just like you, we are plenty busy piling up leaves and preparing our Christmas decorations. If the weather is truly obliging, you may even be tempted to bust out your pruning shears and neaten up your trees and shrubs. Less work waiting for you in spring, right? But be warned, overzealous and untimely snipping could cost you! Below is a seasonal summary of pruning information compiled from the four corners of the web, along with a botany primer on buds and the old wood/new wood conundrum.
Don't lose your lilac blooms, prune at the perfect time! Photo by AnRo0002 (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons.
The truth is, most plants don't need much pruning. Pruning should never aim to distort the shrubs natural figure, only enhance its shape and thin branches to ward off disease and breakage. Gardeners often ask me when to prune their (insert flowing shrub here) for the best bloom – the truth is, I don't have all that knowledge locked in my brain! I often whip out my phone to research the specific plant and find out if it blooms on new growth or last years wood. If a plant flowers on last years wood, pruning in winter or spring means you will cut off all the already produced dormant flower buds and greatly reduce or eliminate the coming year's bloom. Here is a run-down of when to give some common landscape plants a haircut.
Lilac (Syringa) – blooms on last years wood, prune immediately after flowers have faded, before next years buds form.
Hydrangeas – very tricky, as not all grow the same! Cut back H. paniculata and H. arborescens in late winter; they bloom on new wood. H. macrophylla and H. quercifolia bloom on last years wood and can only be trimmed immediately after their blooms fade.
Pines – early spring just as new growth begins, but not before.
Surgeons go through years of rigorous schooling before they make a single cut, so why don't we spend a few minutes learning about buds and shoots before the amputations begin, eh?
A bud is an embryonic shoot just above where the leaf will form, or at the tip of a stem. There are lots of different types of buds: Terminal buds (primary growth point at top of stem), lateral buds (on sides of stem that produce leaves or flowers), dormant buds (asleep and waiting for spring, shhh!), and many more.
In light pruning, such as pinching or heading, cut just above the bud at a 45 degree angle. Lowes has a great guide on the 4 types of pruning, and a very helpful graphic seen below. A cut too far above or below the bud may result in die-back and withered stems.
Cutting directly above the bud tells the plant to release hormones signalling the bud to break dormancy and sprout! Learning about the process of plant dormancy can ensure we aren't wounding plants at vulnerable times, The Spruce has a great article on this here.
Research first, then cut carefully, friends!
Are Bulbs Good for Pollinators?
My volunteers and I have been spending many hours this fall planting daffodils and tulips around the Arboretum grounds. All told, we will have nearly 800 new blooming bulbs coming up next spring, down a bit from the 1000 we planted last year.
We all love the aesthetics of fat yellow daffodils and spritely crocus, but I had never considered whether they served an ecological purpose. Supposing (incorrectly) that most bulbs I order are native to the Netherlands, what good would they be to our local pollinator population?
I have now been down the rabbit hole of research and will summarize here how bulbs affect pollinators, which bulbs attract them and proper bulb planting technique.
Tulip humilis (aucheriana) is a wild-type tulip that does well in gardens and meadows alike.
Long before people started admiring their blooms, most of our favorite bulb flowers were being visited by pollinators. Such is not the case for today: modern hybrids selected for the biggest bloom and brightest color sometimes become less useful to pollinators. Flowers that have been distorted too far from their original form may have less nectar or be entirely sterile, rendering them useless as a food source. Hybridization can also sacrifice the flower's strong scent, leaving aroma-sensing pollinators (like nocturnal moths) lost without lunch. As humans try to improve flowers for our own eye, we inadvertently disrupt their role in nature. Insects and flowers have an important relationship directly related to the flower's form. If it changes drastically, certain insects may no longer be able to reach the nectar. Because of this, avoid buying highly modified 'double' and 'triple' bloomers or extra-petaled flowers that will likely inhibit a pollinator's ability to feed.
Though we may associate the bulb trade with Holland, the native range of daffodils is the Iberian Peninsula and tulips grow wild in Turkey and Central Asia. Crocus were originally native to southern Europe, the Middle East and western China. There are some bulbs native to North America, such as Claytonia virginica and Mertensia virginica as well as the trout lily, but they are too often upstaged by fancy exotics. This link offers great options for North American native bulbs that will benefit you and the ecosystem. If you aren't ready to give up your tulips and daffodils, never fear! By choosing unhybridized species, the flower retains its pollen and nectar, supplying much needed early spring feeding for hungry pollinators. Crocus, species-variety Tulips and Muscari all are well-loved by hungry bees waking up from their long hibernation as well as wild type daffodils such as Narcissus poeticus or N. jonquilla.
A bee visiting a purple crocus flower.
The first step to proper planting is identification – is what you are holding truly a bulb? Corms, tubers, rhizomes and true bulbs all fall under the category "geophyte" (a perennial that stores its food underground). Many rhizomes would not like to be buried as deep as a bulb but corms can be treated much the same. Sorting out the technicalities will ensure correct planting and big blooms!
When planting true bulbs, depth is essential. In general, plant bulbs 2 or 3 times as deep as its height. Example: a 2 inch tall daffodil bulb should be planted 6 inches deep. Digging too shallow is better than planting too deep since many bulbs have contractile roots. Over time, these specialized roots will pull it down to optimal depth. Planting root side down/pointed side up is always best, but if the bulbs are too odd-shaped to tell, plant them sideways to be safe. Thanks to geotropism, a plant's ability to sense gravity and grow accordingly, they will eventually right themselves.
So, after much scouring of the internet it seems there is no straightforward answer to Brad's question. Many highly hybridized bulbs do not benefit pollinators, but other heirloom or species varieties certainly do. To benefit early spring pollinators in your bulb garden, install a few North American species or try to find unhybridized varieties that retain their full species name and their ecological importance. Get out your sweaters and garden gloves, now is the time to get digging!
Roadside Beauty: What are you seeing?
Fall is the season of change. The verdant green of the prairie melts to lifeless, barren forms – a stark contrast to the landscape that once looked so alive. But for now, as change happens, we are blessed to partake in hues and colors of striking beauty. Trees explode with vibrant shades of orange, red and yellow. Native grasses develop vivid colors and attractive blooms. Asters, goldenrods and sunflowers speckle the horizon. It is the crescendo of the whole year.
Maybe you have noticed these dramatic changes happening, too. Plants that once blended into their surroundings are suddenly visible. It's as if someone turned a light on them. Even the prairies and roadsides display beautiful shades of gold, purple, apricot, olive, and copper with autumn wildflowers, shrubs, and curling, rustling grasses. Here are a few that I have seen lately along the roadsides of south-central Kansas.
There is no other shrub that signals fall more than sumac. The blood red leaves and clusters of seeds are striking. They are like beacons along the roadsides. If only we could advertise with these shrubs, because they catch my eye every time.
This close relative of milkweed has so much going for it. Dogbane is host for many insects. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) ranks Dogbane's value to pollinators as 'very high'. Dogbane typically grows two to three feet tall and develops into larger colonies. Right now, they are a bright yellow, which makes them stand out even more. Even the common milkweeds have turned a nice golden color.
The "King of Grasses" is big and bold. The reddish purple stems begin to change and set the landscape ablaze with their intense colors. Look for the distinctive "Turkey Foot" seed head, too.
There are a number of outstanding native grasses that provide late season interest, but Switchgrass Panicum virgatum is one of the more common grasses in roadside ditches. It grows to a height of 3-6 feet and turns orange, yellow and fiery red-tipped shades in the fall. The persistent airy blooms and attractive fall colors make this an attractive grass in the landscape.
This tree is along many roadsides in south central Kansas. It is still incredible to see those huge hedge apples dangling from the branches and scattered on the road. The tough demeanor of this tree including its thorns made it ideal as a living fence. Many were planted during the Dust Bowl days as part of WPA projects to prevent soil erosion in the Great Plains states.
Asters are the grand finale to the prairie garden. Heath asters are one of the last asters to bloom. The diminutive white flowers cover the entire plant, making them look like snow mounds in the prairie. They are one of the last great feeding opportunities for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators before they migrate or go dormant for the winter.
Although each season is different, autumn is a very special time. Life has come full circle, from spring through summer and ultimately ending in the fall. It is the perfect time to enjoy all that is changing around us. It is a time to take in sights, sounds and smells of the prairie and connect anew with the natural world.
Pink smartweed is prolific, growing wild in nearly every roadside ditch. The bright pink flowers and red stems are very striking. They thrive in damp or wet sites, but it is an annual. If you want some for your landscape, collect the seed after the pink flowers fade.
On my recent trip through eastern Kansas and the Ozarks, I encountered a plethora of native plant life. I was excited to see some of the woodland species we offer at our plant sale in situ.
My traveling companions may tire of me identifying familiar species, but that doesn't stop me! Though much of our focus here at the Arboretum is aimed at prairie species, our native woodland landscapes in the far eastern part of the state are just as interesting and diverse. When driving east, those small wooded areas are just the introduction to the vast forests of the Ozarks up ahead.
Woodlands support a very different set of flora and fauna. Birds, deer, and groundhogs are active in these forests, filling their own forest feeding niche. Tall canopy trees, such as maple and oak, provide the shade and protection that all species beneath them require to flourish. While hiking I saw some of my favorite under story trees – pawpaws (Asimina trioloba) along the stream banks at Petit Jean State Park (AR), sassafrass (S. albidium) at Ha Ha Tonka State Park growing in a clearing. Beneath the under story layer creep the shade-loving late-season flowers like woodland aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolius, S. laevis) and certain goldenrods (Solidago caesia, Solidago ulmifolia). I was delighted to see them blooming away, attracting pollinators to take their last gulps of nectar before winter. Ferns were abundant in the lowest areas of the forest where water collects and dew settles – the resurrection fern seen below can bring itself "back to life" after being without water for 100 years!
Traveling home through forested northern Arkansas and far southeast Kansas instilled new appreciation for the bald, rolling hills of the prairie we encountered closer to home. The steep hills (or mountains, as the natives may call them) and rock formations create a unique, rugged landscape that slowly mellows as you move westward into Kansas. The rocky habitat hosts pines and cedars that seem to grow right out of the solid rock walls. The karst topography of Missouri and Arkansas was fascinating! The lay of the land creates seasonal streams and caverns, even underground lakes. These formations are in part due to the chemical make up of soft and hard of rock which dissolve at different rates over time.
The view from Whitaker's Point down into Hawksbill Crag near Boxley, Arkansas. It's an hour hike up to this rock, and so worth it!
Some fellow hikers were kind enough to take a picture of us on Whitaker point.
Though we may not consider forests symbolic of Kansas imagery, the easternmost part of our state is home to woodland habitats which form a sort of gateway to the Ozarks. I enjoyed my trip and wish I could enjoy shady hikes and rocky crags every weekend. Luckily, we feature many of the woodland species in this blog post at our plant sale – I can plant a woodland garden of my own to enjoy a bit of eastern habitat… without planning another vacation!
I encourage you to embrace thistles. Our South Central Kansas native species are colorful and attractive to pollinators. With the abundance of precipitation we've received this year, it has been a great year for plant growth and flowering, and thistles have certainly been among the benefactors. Don't be so quick to dig out every plant you find.
Thistles are an often prickly topic and one to make many prairie landowners bristle. A number of thistle species are on the Kansas noxious weed list, including bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), and musk thistle (Carduus nutans). So, it is no wonder, that the mention of these species makes us cringe. When present on a site, they are often dominant and problematic.
There are, however, two native thistles found on our South Central Kansas prairies that often get a bad rap because they are confused with their noxious and more invasive relatives. The native species, undulating thistle (Cirsium undulatum) and tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) are the only thistles I have found on most South Central Kansas prairies I visit. They have beautiful flowers and play an important role as a nectar source for many species of butterflies and other insects. When in the peak of their respective bloom times, undulating and tall thistle flowers are hot spots for a host of insect pollinators, the predators that eat these insects, and birds (especially finches), who will later eat the seeds.
The following table provides more information about the native and non-native species found in Kansas. Thanks to Mike Haddock (http://www.kswildflower.org) for some of the photos and information compiled for this post.
Here at the Dyck Arboretum it can be a tricky task deciding what is a weed to be pulled and what should be allowed to grow on. Many of our beloved volunteers look to me for guidance when they encounter a plant that looks out of place. What is a weed here?
Many wonderful prairie plants carry the misnomer of "weed", such as butterfly weed, iron weed, and milkweed. These are plants that may or may not need to be pulled, depending on where they are located. I consider a few factors: does the plant belong here or fit the theme of that garden bed? Is it annual or perennial? Will it become invasive? Is it part of a plant family that is notorious for colonizing? …and so on. Weeding will become less of a guessing game when you learn to identify some native species and particularly those nasty exotics.
While the name 'milkweed' might cause you to shun this plant for your garden, think before you pull! In the right area, milkweeds may be a perfect addition. They will bloom for several weeks and add a bit of important monarch habitat to your backyard. Photos from Dyck Arboretum.
Just when you think you have weeded every last square inch of your garden, here they come again. The seed bank – dormant seed that exists in the top soil – will continue to produce more weeds as long as conditions are favorable. Seeds can lay dormant in the soil for long periods of time, waiting for adequate moisture and light levels. Bindweed seed can remain viable in the soil for up to 50 years! The seed bank is created by last year's mature weed seeds, bird droppings, hay/manure used for mulching, and seeds carried on the wind. The good news? With regular weeding and mindful practices you will decrease your weed seed bank every year. That means pulling weeds before they seed, using carefully sourced mulch material, and disturbing the soil as infrequently as possible to reduce the amount of dormant seeds awakened by light and oxygen.
Bindweed with it's morning glory bloom, Siberian Elm saplings with their small serrated leaves, and prostrate spurge with its circular, flat habit all send up the red flag. These kinds of plants look out of place right away because they lack charisma and often grow in inhospitable areas. (i.e. in driveway cracks and gravel, climbing up stems of other plants).
Virginia creeper vine seems to crop up everywhere, and are very decorative if left to grow in a good spot. But they can also be aggressive when not trimmed regularly. Similarly, a mulberry sprout (which tend to come up just about everywhere a bird flies over), could be left to grow into a nice fruiting tree if you are prepared for the berry-mess and seed spread. Plants like ironweed and Illinois bundleflower seem to pop up everywhere and, though they can be aggressive spreaders, they are also quite attractive.
Ironweed (Vernonia sp.) may at first appear as an intruder, but it produces a long lasting bloom and is visited by many species of bees. Photo from Dyck Arboretum.
I always advocate for leaving milkweed in the garden as habitat for monarchs. Lucky you if a few come up! Other species like purple poppy mallow and wild petunia that may appear weedy at first actually make well behaved native specimens. These species bloom all summer long and are extremely drought tolerant.
While you pull and pluck away at the weeds in the garden, remember the wise words of the poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox – "A weed is but an unloved flower". Although weeding is the tedious task all of us gardeners must endure, you can make it easier and more productive by knowing the difference between potential friend and foe.
In the past few weeks I have had the good fortune to visit several different prairies, each under different circumstances, all of them delightful in their own way. Here's a tale of 3 prairies for you, in hopes you become inspired to visit these places as well!
Willa Cather Memorial Prairie near Red Cloud, NE.
I had just finished up the last few pages of Cather's well-loved novel My Antonia as we rolled into the city of Red Cloud. A friend and I made a day trip to Webster County to take in the sights and sounds of Cather's world, including this prairie just west of town which may have been the inspiration for some of her famous descriptions of plains life. If you are a lover of the prairie, you need to put Willa Cather's work on your reading list immediately, then scurry up to Nebraska and tour her hometown, Red Cloud, (renamed "Black Hawk" in My Antonia) which is also the home of the Willa Cather Foundation. There you can have a personalized tour of her childhood home, church, and neighborhood along with the opera house and historic bank building, all still in turn of the century style. While hiking in her short, windy memorial prairie I saw lots of familiar species – silver sage (Artemisia ludoviciana), purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) and little bluestem (Schizachrium scoparium).
View west from our seats. Who would want to watch the musicians when you can gaze at this?
We were far from the stage but we could hear them perfectly!
I wasn't planning on going to the Symphony in the Flint Hills, but through the kindness of an acquaintance two tickets fell into my lap, free of charge. So with lawn chairs in tow my date and I headed out to a pasture near Clements, KS in Chase county. There was delicious BBQ to be had and an art gallery and information tent to peruse before and after the concert. The music was provided by the Kansas City Symphony; gorgeous selections were wonderfully preformed, including American folk tunes and well known tracks from Dances With Wolves and Indiana Jones. Top it all off with a live cattle drive on the hill behind the stage and the music bouncing off the hills around you, it was the perfect afternoon. The weather even cooperated – I never broke a sweat! The prairie was looking lush from recent rains; I couldn't help but geek out on the species I recognized on the 3/4 mile walk back to the car – blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) and spider milkweed (Asclepias viridis). Save up some cash and treat yourself to this art-filled prairie experience next year!
During the EPS week here at the Arboretum, I had the privilege of chauffeuring some of the participants on their field trip to Maxwell Wildlife Preserve. A good day at work, to be sure! It's a beautiful expanse of preserved prairie that is home to Elk and Bison.
View near the Maxwell observation tower.
The walled trailer we were riding on let us get extremely close to the bison without the danger. Incredible viewing!
Calf and mother stick close together.
The tour guides were charismatic and knowledgeable, providing a history of the refuge and a natural history of the land. The prairie there is healthy and diverse, giving us a look at butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), lead plant (Amorpha canacens), goats rue (Tepherosia virginiana) and rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium).
Each prairie region has its own unique charms, from thick tall grass areas in the east to short and scrubby land in the west – Carve out some time this summer to visit and compare!


text:
Isiaha Mike Ethan Chargois Jahmal McMurray Jimmy Whitt Sports Men's basketball Men's sports Basketball College basketball College sports Men's college basketball
South Florida American Athletic Conference (AAC) SMU
Collins scores 23, sparks South Florida past SMU 67-66
- Feb. 08, 2019 07:11 AM EST
DALLAS (AP) — David Collins hit two key 3-pointers in the final 72 seconds, the second one lifting South Florida to a 67-66 victory over SMU on Thursday night.
After a timeout with 17 seconds left, USF's Laquincy Rideau penetrated from the right side and threw a skip pass to Collins near the left corner. He knocked down the 3-pointer to give the Bulls a one-point lead with six seconds remaining.
After an SMU timeout, the Mustangs' Jimmy Whitt Jr. brought the ball up the right side of the floor. As he approached the right side of the 3-point arc he attempted to pass but it was deflected and picked up by SMU's Ethan Chargois who could only throw up a lunging off-balance shot as time ran out.
South Florida led 61-53 with five minutes remaining but SMU went on an 11-0 run to lead 64-61 with 1:27 to go. Collins tied it with a 3-pointer and Chargois made two free throws to give SMU a 66-64 lead with 45 seconds to go.
Collins had 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Bulls (16-6, 6-4 American). Rideau had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Isiaha Mike had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists for SMU (12-10, 4-6). Jahmal McMurray scored 15 points.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Wish Man
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One boy's wish changed a man. One man's wish changed the world.
Movie Title: Wish Man
Director: Theo Davies
Actors: Andrew Steel, Danny Trejo, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Tom Sizemore
At the Sinatra Club
It's 1972 and the Mafia crime families are at war, but that isn't enough to stop a young, unknown John Gotti, who has big ideas and even bigger ambitions. In…
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime
A boy with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempts to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.
Genre: Biography, Drama
Silent film master D.W. Griffith's first talkie works as a companion piece to his classic BIRTH OF A NATION, providing a detailed biographical sketch of the 16th president. We see…
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County land war.
Country: Mexico,USA
Genre: Biography, Western
Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B
The story of music and video star Aaliyah, whose life ended tragically in a 2001 plane crash in the Bahamas.
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Steve Russell is a small-town cop. Bored with his bland lifestyle, Russell turns to fraud as a means of shaking things up. Before long, Russell's criminal antics have landed him…
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
The Case Against 8
A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality…
Genre: Biography, Documentary, News
Goodnight, Sugar Babe: The Killing of Vera Jo Reigle
The discovery of the mutilated body of a mentally challenged young mother begins a journey into madness that is so unbelievable the mastermind behind the crime ultimately got away with…
Genre: Biography, Crime, Documentary
A dramatisation that follows Tony Blair's journey from political understudy waiting in the wings of the world arena to accomplished prime minister standing confidently in the spotlight of centre stage….
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
B.B. King: The Life of Riley
The untold true American story of an orphan boy from the heart of the Mississippi Delta who rose to music stardom around the world and inspired a generation of fans…
Country: UK,USA
Genre: Biography, Documentary, Music
Queen Christina
Queen Christina of Sweden is a popular monarch who is loyal to her country. However, when she falls in love with a Spanish envoy, she must choose between the throne…
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, two close friends who share a love of fantasy and literature, who conspire to kill Pauline's mother when she…
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama


I will have my grandson for a long weekend in June. That was already exciting because a friend has invited us to her family's lake cottage. It's a small quiet lake so it will be perfect for Soren. He will have a blast!
But tonight I was watching the White House Performance paying tribute to Carole King. Gloria Estefan, Trisha Yearwood, Billy Joel, James Taylor and, if course, Carole King. It was absolutely amazing. I so want to see James Taylor and Carole King in concert….someday.
Anyway, I rarely watch television so I guess I miss stuff. But this was on PBS. Just as it was going on to the next program there was an announcement about an upcoming Thomas the Train ride. Those things never coincide with Soren's visits. But this one does. Yippee!!!
The train ride is only about a half hour long. But there are lots of activities before and after. Soren loves Thomas. He will be so excited. Right now, grandma is really excited about this. I looked at the Polar Express trip last year, but we couldn't make it work with our schedules.
It will take us a couple of hours to get there. But so worth it. Just had to share. Can you tell I'm giddy?????


Latest News in Andhra Pradesh, Now Check Andhra Pradesh land record, Adangal, 1B,FMB details online. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu launched New Web portal http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/ ( Mee bhoomi Portal), digital repository of land record in Andhra pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Citizens Can check their land record,Adangal/ Pahani details online, and 1B,FMD downloading facility is available for people. Andhra Pradesh citizens who want to download their land records, AP Adangal details, 1B, FMB details online don't need to go to sub-register office or Meeseva canter, people can download land records including their Survey numbers online. they can also search for their Field Measurement Book (FMB) through direct link http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/ web portal.
The Revenue department recently computerized land information which will be connected to banks,sub-register offices and Meeseva centres.Now Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu lunching the "Mee Bhumi" Web Portal.The digital repository will incorporate technology for e- governance, People can check their land record personally. People can necessary entering their Aadhaar card number (UID) for view his land details. The Portal make all details of lands, area, assessment,Water rate, Soil type , nature of possession of land liabilities, tenancy and crops grown. One can also view individual/village Adangal and other details on the website.In regards to grievances related to land, people can register complaints at their nearest Meeseva centres which will be processed within 15 days.The Andhra Pradesh government has also launched an android app, making the Mee Bhoomi portal mobile- friendly. People can access portal their Smart phone very easy and anywhere. People need to download Mee Bhoomi app in their Smart Phone and installed. and check ap land details on mobile phone.
Click Here for Government of Andhra Pradesh Official Websites list.
How to check Andhra Pradesh land records with survey number?
Enter your already selected document number.
Than chick on "Click Cheyemdi" Button.
Same Process will be apply to check 1B, Field Measurement Book (FMB) .
How to check status of Aadhaar Seeding with Account number ?
Click on "Aadhaar linking" option.
Click on "Click Cheyemdi" Button.
Andhra Pradesh land details new website.
AP land Records official website.


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The tonsils stand at the back of your throat as guardians of your child's body. They're there to trap any bacteria or virus or foreign matter that gets in to help your immune system respond to it. But sometimes what will happen is food bits or other things will get trapped in your tonsils, and they will grow over time. And then you end up with stones. They look like pearls almost. Sometimes they look like small dots and sometimes pretty large shiny spots in the tonsils in the back of the throat. When people see these, they're sometimes kind of alarmed. They can cause bad breath. They're usually not a health problem, but if they're big enough, they can be kind of painful. To prevent them, for somebody who's prone to them, either drinking right after you eat, and not eating within 30 minutes of that time, because when you fall asleep the saliva stop drops, that can help stop the formation. Once they're there, sometimes a water pic or even a tooth brush can help get them out. Sometimes an E&T doc can help get them out easily. The large ones though, happened once for my daughter, need to come out surgically. One of the most common ways for the tonsil stones to come out is just start coughing. When you cough, they'll spurt out of your mouth. You'll see these little white things and wonder what they are. Likely tonsil stones.


Sorry man but you didn't.
Coming here asking for being told "how to unlock because I'm new" without even providing much infos on "what you've done prior to getting that message", when you could've just spent a little time in Google searching... THIS, is definitely what you call a kid reply type.
I myself was new to Xiaomi one year ago but as a modding-addicted, I spent time to search/read/understand to get some knowledge about how my new device work. You can even find the official xiaomi guide to unlocking, but you preferred starting an off-topic here for being fed instead of learning things yourself, and this means not having respect for other users and devs.
At least give a LIKE to crock.bic that spent his time for pleasing you, much more time than that you could have spent for searching yourself, because he also had to write a mini-guide so you could get those infos without wasting your precious time as an adult.
This means you finally done all required steps you didn't before, so you now just have to wait the end of this waiting time before you'll be allowed to unlock.
sorry people for this off-topic, I didn't mean to start a flame (and will end it here) but I really can't stand these lazy and whining people that goes around telling "kid" to other users without even knowing them.
You just prefer waste your time with comments that don't add anything useful, instead being helpful - that's what make this forums exist.
You're worried with the wrong things man.
With the official ROMs of xiaomi, the ROM of the Redmi Note 3 PRO could be installed in the Redmi Note 3 SE then flashing the modem from SE file by TRWP.
Is it possible to do it in ROMs .EU?
Can I install the Remi Note 3 PRO (Kenzo) ROM in the Redmi Note 3 SE (Kate) and flash de modem file from SE?
If yes, would the Modem file from Kate's official ROM serve me or the last developer.EU file?
But this thread is about 10.0/1/2, that's why I don't understand.
Sorry, but I do not understand. When I install some ROM from here, I never activate USB debugging and I can do it without problems.
Can not copy the ROM to your internal storage?
You can not enter fastboot?
have you tried to install with Miflash?
Thanks, I cant enter on TWRP cause I dont have enabled USB Debugging so I cant flash recovery. In fastboot I can enter but the same and by the other hand, I dont know what can I do wuth MiFlash, is there any tutorial that can help me????
Hey third party apps are unable to write on the MicroSD card of my Redmi Note 7. Even the FTP function in the File Manager can't write/delete files. Anyway to fix it without root?
#Edit: Actually I can write with ES File Explorer and there the FTP function works. But the FTP function from the File Manager still doesn't work.
MI8 SE. Seeing the amount of problems that the recent update is having, I have seen in the official Chinese forum and it seems that they withdrew this update. In fact, its download is not available on the official website.
if you wipe all and formatted data and when you installed new rom then you are asked for pin? When you have 2 options activate Wlan and enter pin to use phone??
That pin is from you MI account, if you did not registered your phone to your acc then ask seller to remove your phone from their acc.
10.2 has no double tap to wake? Or i can't find.
Hi all, which version is better for whyred (r5n global) ? I search for smoothness and lag-free experience basically. Thank you!
Its because you flash boot partition. To solve it you have to flash again the boot partition with the boot image is in the ROM you had installed. I dont know if I have explicated well, did you understood??
Hi! thak you for the help!
I understand! But, how can I do it? With the Mi flash too?
how can I do it? With the Mi flash too?
It wants the password from your Mi Account.


text:
Q: Formdata Request ShortPixel API I'm trying to make a request for the ShortPixel, in case it's a request with multipart / form-data and I receive the return
{ Status: { Code: -115, Message: 'Uploaded files are missing.' } } }

API link https://shortpixel.com/api-docs#reducer-api-params
const FormData = require("form-data")
const axios = require('axios')
const data = new FormData();
const url = 'https://api.shortpixel.com/v2/post-reducer.php'

const config = {  headers: {
  'accept': 'application/json',
  'Accept-Language': 'en-US,en;q=0.8',
  'Content-Type': `multipart/form-data; boundary=${data._boundary}`,
}}

data.append('hiroshi.png', fs.createReadStream("/home/hiroshi/Documents/projetos/compress/imagens/original/hiroshi.png"), 'hiroshi.png');

axios.post(url,options,{formData:data}, config)
  .then((response) => {
    console.log(response)
  }).catch((error) => {
   console.log(error)
  });

A: I'm not sure what is the meaning of requesting with multi-part form data. I would just collect the form data into an object on the server side, and send it like this:
let postData =  {
    "key": "api_key_here",
    "plugin_version": "JS123",
    "lossy": 1,
    "cmyk2rgb": 1,
    "refresh": 1,
    "resize": 3,
    "wait":30,
    "resize_width":100,
    "resize_height":100,
    "urllist":["http://example.com/example.png", "http://example.com/example2.png"]
    }

    axios.post('https://api.shortpixel.com/v2/reducer.php',postData, {
        headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
        }
    })
    .then(function (response) {
        console.log(response.data);
    })
    .catch(function (error) {
        console.log(error);
    });

You can add any variables the postData object I create above.
edit: Oh I see, you are using the post-reducer api whereas above I just use reducer. Did you solve it?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"The evaluation Mode license assigned to Host hostname has expired. Recommend updating the license"
As he was just configuring the lab so of course the trial period was not expired so what's the issue here.
The other thing which can cause this kind of issue is system date and time, there is a VMware kb# 2011655, which covers this issue.
This issue occurs if the date and time in the BIOS is incorrect.
When you add an ESXi/ESX host with an incorrect system time to vCenter Server, the license is converted to an evaluation license that immediately expires.
To resolve this issue, one need to correct the date and time in the host BIOS, once done then you will be able to add the host to the vCenter Server inventory.


This has been by far, one of the best announcements this year!
A preview of COMO LA FLOR lipstick, one of the products from the upcoming #MacSelena collection! This morning Suzette, sister of Selena posted to her Instagram. Selena's style lives on through the passing of her fans and her impact on Latin beauty and culture. #MACSelena is a makeup collaboration inspired by the devotion of all those who continue to be touched by the young legend, tenderly curated by Selena's own sister, Suzette.
"I wanted the colors to be about her personally, what she wore on and offstage" says Suzette "She has been gone for 21 years already, and for this collaboration to happen its pretty much incredible. It just shows the love her fan base has even though she's gone; that her music still lives on and her legacy has grown tremendously since she passed. Its a great honor to have M-A-C collaborate with Selena's name and her fans FOR her fans"
the collection is available October 2016!!
follow SELENAQOFFICIAL on instagram for more updates!


Above: Zendesk cofounder and CEO Mikkel Svane at his company's Relate customer conference in San Francisco, Calif on May 11, 2016.
There's a scene in the movie based on the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist where the young orphan protagonist approaches the authority figure, Mr. Bumble, and with a bowl in his trembling, outstretched hands, famously asks for an additional portion of porridge. "Please, sir, I want some more," he requests, which prompts outrage from Bumble and the other adults, who are surprised by such a bold request.
Although the above scene transpires in a work of fiction, the experience is exactly the current state of affairs when it comes to customer service. We've been intimidated by banks when dealing with our money, with airlines when our flights are delayed by non-weather related issues, and when any service promised by a company isn't up to snuff.
Welcome to the commercial revolution: a movement fueled by social media and new technology that can threaten or bolster a company's success. A behavioral shift has occurred that no longer lets companies wield power over customers; it's now the other way around. One way for companies to adapt to this change is to improve customer service — with services like Zendesk leading the charge — treating people not as transactions but as human beings.
Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane thinks companies should focus on service relationships by going where their customers are: "If you don't reach them on channels where they communicate, you'll lose them." From email to social media, interactive voice response systems to bots, firms have many options to consider, and managing them all is no small feat. This is where Svane sees his company coming in.
"It's a big complicated world out there," he said, explaining that while the very notion of customer service is obvious to consumers, for the enterprise it's a new experience. To solve a brand's woes, one needs to look beyond simply responding to individual problems and address the core issue — the overall customer experience. "If you don't start treating customers nicely, it affects your bottom line," Svane said matter-of-factly.
This notion has propelled Zendesk forward in its evolution to become the pipeline for all customer service interactions between companies and consumers. In its infancy, the service was billed as an online help desk, where you could submit a service ticket without having to pick up the phone or communicate using email. Over time, the company has expanded into other mediums, including tying itself into Facebook Messenger and, most recently, expanding its SMS offering with a native offering powered by Twilio (announced at the Relate conference last week).
Zendesk did offer some variation of SMS support previously, but that was through partnerships and integrations. Svane felt that the move to a more native integration was warranted now that there is more innovation in the space. "We tried to democratize the tech to make it easier, so you don't think about using it," he remarked.
In April, much of the talk around customer service centered around bots, thanks to Facebook's support for them within the Messenger Platform. While these robotic applications had been around for a while in WeChat, Line, Slack, and Telegram, Facebook's entry accelerated adoption by making bots available on one of the largest messaging services today.
And while some may be moving forward with a bot strategy, others caution against the complete removal of human interaction. "Brands are now realizing just how much value exceptional customer service has when it comes to building and maintaining customer loyalty. Because of the need to deliver great customer service, brands are also grasping how important live customer service representatives are because they provide the personal touch that cannot be replicated by a computer," Mayur Anandkat, vice president of product marketing at cloud contact center software maker Five9, told VentureBeat last month.
It's here that the future of Zendesk rests. The company uses the data it collects from customer searches and inquiries to provide a likely solution without the need for a phone call or email exchange. In the olden days, we had to dial a phone number, send an email, or visit a company's website. However, times have definitely changed, and, increasingly, customer support is coming to us.
Regardless of the medium, one thing that's certain is that the overall attitude companies take toward customer service has fundamentally shifted. And if this leads to people embracing your product in new ways, well, that's going to have a positive impact on the bottom line.


There is something within us all that truly appreciates good food photography. It brings us to a point of hunger, salivating at just the thought of taking a deep bite into that juicy little morsel of tasty goodness. For some, food photography is simply appreciated because of its ability to do just that—incite desire in even the most satisfied of individuals. For others, however, food photography reaches beyond this and becomes an exquisite art form, similar in style to other product development photography. If your blog, kitchen walls, or latest graphic design project calls for a few images of food, here are several, simple, do-able bits of advice for successful food photography.
1. Keep it bright: While a dimly lit restaurant setting may be more romantic, a brightly lit plate is more appetizing. Photograph your food dishes on white plates, table cloths, bowls, trays, etc. and do so using a bright, natural lighting—such as the morning light flooding onto your breakfast room table. White porcelain objects act as their own light reflectors, and this natural lighting is a perfectly affordable option for providing the initial lighting. When photographed in this lighting, even a common trail mix or plate of cookies can seem like an artistic wonder.
3. Keep it colorful: Nobody finds a black and white food dish appetizing; while they might appreciate the artistic qualities of such a monochromatic photograph, an appeal to hunger will simply not exist in this photograph. With this in mind, always try to add a little pop of color to even your most blandly colored food dishes when photographing them. For example, the addition of the bright purple flower to this photograph of an Italian almond and apple cake transforms the calmly colored cake into an eye-catching masterpiece. Whether your whole dish is colorful or if you have to add a small splash of color via the table decorations, keeping a "bit o' bright" in your food photography will keep your dishes appetizing to even the pickiest of eaters.


World First As UK Gov. Computers Go Green.
UK plans to slash carbon footprint of its computer system.
Resources for IT Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Innovation.
Resources for environmentally responsible computing.
Sustainability for the 21st Century.
Policy Statement on Green ICT.
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CHLORBRITE is a heavy-duty chlorinated bleaching compound with controlled activity. Sanitizes hard surfaces and during the rinse cycle in low temperature dish machines and food handling equipment and facilities. Approved for use in washing fruits and vegetables.


text:
Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Wanted Dead By ISIS: Al Qaeda Leader Ayman al Zawahiri - Reward Offered
Wanted Dead By ISIS: Al Qaeda Leader Ayman al Zawahiri - Reward Offered
Elul 8 5775, 23/08/15 06:31
Ari Soffer
ISIS Offers Reward for Killing Al Qaeda Leader
Conflict between rival jihadist groups reaches new heights, as ISIS 'wanted dead' posters place bounty on Ayman al-Zawahiri's head. Ari Soffer
The ongoing rivalry between ISIS and Al Qaeda has reached new heights this week, with ISIS distributing "Wanted Dead" posters for several key Al Qaeda commanders - including the group's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri
The posters began circulating earlier in August and were apparently the work of ISIS's official branch in Libya. ISIS has been fighting various other militias for control in the North African country, which has slipped into a state of lawlessness after the ouster of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
In the initial stages of the campaign, dozens of posters were released offering bounties for the heads of the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) - an Al Qaeda-linked Islamist coalition that is currently battling ISIS for control of the eastern Libyan city of Derna.
The MSC has proven a tough adversary and has thwarted ISIS's attempts to take the city thus far. However, several of its leaders have indeed been successfully targeted since the campaign started. According to the Long War Journal, "Each time one is killed, the Islamic State's supporters release a new version of the graphic, changing the format and color to signify his death."
Other Libyan militia heads have also been targeted.
But the campaign soon expanded beyond Libya, to include the leader of Algeria's Al Qaeda branch (Al Murabitoun).
And on Sunday, ISIS released the most provocative poster yet, placing a bounty on the head of Al Qaeda's elusive leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who took over after the 2011 assassination of Osama Bin Laden by US Special Forces.
ISIS - or "Islamic State," as it refers to itself - officially broke off from Al Qaeda in February 2014, after a protracted power-struggle between Zawahiri and ISIS's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Soon after, Baghdadi declared a "Caliphate" in areas of Syria and Iraq under ISIS control, and named himself "Caliph," or supreme Muslim leader. The move further infuriated Al Qaeda, which did not recognize Baghdadi as Caliph.
Since then, the two groups have been locked in a bloody war, particularly in Syria, with each referring to the other as "apostates."
Still, an open call to kill Al Qaeda's leader - who is currently believed to be hiding in the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border region - marks a new benchmark in the animosity between the two terrorist groups.


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Being arrested or charged with drug possession can be a shock, especially if you have never had any brushes with law enforcement before. Because of the "war on drugs," police are continually stepping up enforcement, throwing a wide net to capture even occasional users and often prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law.
Will I lose my job or college financial aid?
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Will I be able to legally own a firearm so I can go hunting with my family?
The penalties for simple possession can be quite severe. You could be facing jail time, fines and negative consequences for the rest of your life. You could become ineligible for federal student loans. Depending on the circumstances, you could lose your driver's license or other licenses required for your job.
At Willis Law, we provide skilled representation to individuals charged with drug possession in Kalamazoo, in Grand Rapids and throughout West Michigan.
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If you face drug possession charges, contact us today for a free initial consultation with our experienced drug possession defense lawyers. We have office locations in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Paw Paw.


WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A humanitarian convoy carrying aid from non-governmental organizations may enter Venezuela in the coming days, self-declared interim president Juan Guaido's representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) Gustavo Tarre told Sputnik on Monday.
"They are going inside Venezuela and they will have food and drugs. There are people hungry and sick. They are waiting for that", Tarre said, noting that the aid is being provided by NGOs.
When asked when the delivery would take place, Tarre said, "Perhaps in the end of this week. I think it's more probably at the beginning of next week".
Tensions in Venezuela escalated when Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-led parliament, declared himself interim president on 23 January, disputing last year's re-election of incumbent President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido's declaration was almost immediately recognized by the United States and some of its allies. Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey, Iran and Uruguay have said that they consider constitutionally elected Maduro to be Venezuela's legitimate president.
Last week, the Venezuelan opposition announced its plans to hold an international conference in Washington on 14 February in a bid to attract humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Guaido announced that three centers would be set up for the collection of humanitarian aid — in the Colombian city of Cucuta, Brazil and at an undisclosed island in the Caribbean.
The self-proclaimed interim president claimed Monday that more than 100,000 Venezuelans have registered as volunteers for distributing foreign humanitarian aid in the country. The US Department of State said Sunday that a first batch of humanitarian assistance for Venezuela was delivered to the center in Cucuta.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan government says that the country does not experience a humanitarian crisis, with President Nicolas Maduro, who holds Washington responsible for staging a state coup in Venezuela, having slammed US assistance as a "political show".


Kim K's battle with the disease began when she started noticing a scary skin condition that aids the formation of red, flaky patches that gets really itchy and sore when things get out of hand.
The beautiful model thought her struggles with the disease was done and dusted but it appears Kim Kardashian's fight for freedom from Psoriasis still persists.
Kanye's boo thought it was freedom at last but she took to Instagram recently to let fans know the several treatments she is now looking at for the cure she seeks.
Her words, "Every few years I get a cortisone shot. I just got one as my psoriasis was so bad in Vegas.


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Q: Rotation of rigid body with two different angular velocities Consider a cylinder that rotates about a vertical fixed axis with angular velocity $\vec{\Omega}$ while rotating about  a vertical axis passing through its center of mass with angular velocity $\vec{\omega}$.

Now the two angular velocities of rotation $\omega$ and $\Omega$ are not the same I suppose and there is no link between the two angular velocities, is that right?
Firstly what is the angular velocity of the rigid body? I suppose that it is
$$\vec{\omega^{*}}=\vec{\omega}+\vec{\Omega}$$
But why?
And then what is the moment of inertia with respect to the axis $z$ of the rigid body? If I use parallel axis theorem I get
$$I_{z}=I_{cm}+mR^2$$
Where $R$ is the distance from $z$. But that doesn't seem right. The cylinder is not rotating about its center of mass at the same angular velocity of rotation about $z$. So using $(1)$ give some incorrect results. For istance kinetic energy
$$K=\frac{1}{2} I_{z} \vec{\Omega}^2= \frac{1}{2}(I_{cm}+mR^2)\vec{\Omega}^2$$
But that's the kinetic energy of a body rotating about $z$ and center of mass with the same angular velocity $\vec{\Omega}$, and this is not the case.
I'm confused, can anyone help me with give suggestion about angular velocity and moment of inertia in problems where the rigid body is rotating at the same time about two different axes?

A: It has already been somewhat answered in this other question of yours: Parallel axis theorem and Koenig theorem for angular momentum (see also my comment to the answer).

*

*Angular velocity, like translational velocity, has to be defined by reference to a frame. In your question, you state the angular velocity about the principal axis is $ω$. So its angular velocity is... $ω$. If you study the motion in the (non galilean) frame centered on the CM and having an axis pointing inwards to $z$, the angular velocity will be $ω-Ω$. This is reminiscent of the difference between stellar day and solar day.

*Moment of inertia is used for rotation around a point or axis. $I_z$ is as you say; but this would be of use only if the body were rotating around $z$. Which is not the case. The movement here is a combination of:

*

*rotation about the principal axis,

*circular translation (called revolution in astronomy) about $z$.

*To compute angular momentum or kinetic energy in combined motions like this one, use König's theorems.

A: You can look at this situation in two ways. First in terms of absolute motions $\Omega$ and $\omega$, and secondly it terms of the relative motion $\dot{q} = \omega - \Omega$. The results are the same

*

*The cylinder is spinning with $\omega$ speed and translating with $\Omega R$ speed. The combined momentum and kinetic energy is

*

*Linear Momentum: $$p = m R \Omega$$

*Angular Momentum about CM: $$L = I_{cm} \omega$$

*Angular Momentum about Z: $$L_z = L + R \times p = I_{cm} \omega + m R^2 \Omega$$

*Kinetic Energy $$K = \frac{1}{2} m (R \Omega)^2 + \frac{1}{2} I_{cm} (\omega)^2$$

*The cylinder is spinning with relative speed $\dot{q}$ and translates with $\Omega R$ speed. The combined momentum and kinetic energy is

*

*Linear Momentum: $$p = m R \Omega$$

*Angular Momentum about CM:: $$L = I_{cm} (\Omega+\dot{q})$$

*Angular Momentum about Z: $$L_z = L + R \times p =(I_{cm} + m R^2) \Omega + I_{cm} \dot{q}$$

*Kinetic Energy $$K = \frac{1}{2} m (R \Omega)^2 + \frac{1}{2} I_{cm} (\Omega+\dot{q})^2\\ = \frac{1}{2} \left( (I_{cm}+m R^2) \Omega^2 + I_{cm} (\omega^2-\Omega^2)\right)$$

A: Yes.. The two angular velocities are independent of each other...
It's basically like earth rotating around the Sun... Earth's speed of revolution around the Sun is independent of its speed of rotation about it's own axis....
I'm not very sure about your first equation where you add the two angular velocities...
As Leverl said, the two motions are completely different... You cannot define some "COMMON" moment of inertia...
And yeah, use Konig's theorems to solve the other two questions...
Hope this helps!!!
Regards,
Pradyoth Shandilya


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Reading: NFL Goes on Defense Against Black Coaches' Discrimination Suit
Legal Mag > Blog > Litigation > NFL Goes on Defense Against Black Coaches' Discrimination Suit
NFL Goes on Defense Against Black Coaches' Discrimination Suit
Updated 2022/04/25 at 11:34 PM
The NFL is telling a judge there are multiple reasons why a lawsuit brought against it by three Black coaches who allege racist hiring practices should fail.
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores after an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Photo: Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP
In the letter released Thursday in advance of an initial hearing before a Manhattan federal judge, the league said it will either ask that the claims of coach Brian Flores and two other coaches be forced into arbitration or be dismissed without a trial because they lack legal merit.
The letter was prepared jointly by lawyers for the coaches and the NFL to notify the judge of each side's positions in advance of the May 2 hearing.
Flores, who was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in January, had alleged in his lawsuit that racist hiring practices by the NFL, particularly for coaches and general managers, left the league "rife with racism" even as it publicly condemns it.
The two other coaches — Steve Wilks and Ray Horton — joined Flores in the lawsuit earlier this month.
Flores, who led the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three years, was fired after the Dolphins went 9-8 this past year in a second-straight winning season. The team failed to make the playoffs during Flores' tenure, despite winning 10 games in 2020.
Flores has since been hired as an assistant coach by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFL's lawyers wrote in the letter that the league and its teams deny the lawsuit's allegations, which include claims that Flores underwent a "sham interview" with the Denver Broncos in which team officials showed up an hour late and was cast as the "angry Black man" by the Dolphins after refusing to violate recruiting rules and tank for a better draft pick.
"Defendants have not discriminated against Plaintiffs (or the Black coaches and general managers they purport to represent) on the basis of their race, nor have Defendants retaliated against Mr. Flores for filing this lawsuit," the lawyers said.
They claimed "numerous defenses" to the lawsuit's assertions, including jurisdictional, venue and statute-of-limitations defenses, but said the coaches must arbitrate their claims according to the terms of employment agreements with the NFL and its teams. They noted that the Dolphins have already notified lawyers for Flores that his claims are subject to arbitration.
But even if the lawsuit proceeded, the claims "lack legal merit under the relevant statutes," the letter said.
It cited several reasons, including that the coaches would have to prove that they would not have experienced the alleged discrimination if they were not Black.
"Mr. Flores himself alleges that he was terminated by the Dolphins for reasons plainly unrelated to his race, including his alleged refusal to intentionally lose games or to violate NFL rules," the lawyers wrote.
As to the other coaches, the league's lawyers said they have not identified a particular employment practice that is causing a disparate impact on Black coaches or coaching candidates.
In the same letter, lawyers for Flores and the other coaches said they will oppose the NFL's plans to force arbitration or to dismiss the case.
They said the NFL has rejected their proposal to use mediation with the inclusion of a neutral third party, including retired federal judges and members of the legal and civil rights community.
The NFL's lawyers, though, wrote in response that the league and its teams are "engaged in ongoing efforts to improve diversity among coaches and staff, and would welcome the involvement of Plaintiffs and other Black coaches and executives in those efforts."
Press Room April 25, 2022
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If you're here to investigate my life: welcome. I like to think of this as a blog on the brink: somewhere between professional and private; serious and fun. There is no theme to what I write, except that it has stolen my attention. I started this blog in January 2012 and the archives are unwieldy. Previous topics include bikes, travel, books, lakes, kefir, California, Spain, New York City. But you don't have to know about those things. We meet in the middle just like we meet in real life.


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Startseite Foren-Übersicht Die Hip Hop Welt HIP HOP SCHOOL
Diablo 2 Resurrected10 Important Facts About Druids That You Should Be Aware Of
Technische- und allgemeine Fragen
Hazelwu
Beitrag von Hazelwu » 20.01.2023, 08:56
There are seven different playable classes, which means that the most devoted fans of the franchise will likely have their optimal builds committed to memory. He is adept in the magical arts and knows his way around close quarters combat, so he has the potential to be an excellent hybrid build. Understanding both of these concepts will be of great benefit to gamers.
They did not become a playable class until the Lord of Destruction downloadable content was released.Druids were not included as a playable character class in the initial release of Diablo 2's base gameThe Lord of Destruction downloadable content for Diablo 2 marked their debut as a playable character in the video gamePlayers had the option to control this character from that point on
In addition to bringing Druids into play, the expansion pack added the Assassin class to the game and added the fifth act of the main storyline, which included an entirely new region to investigate.
One of the Classes With The Most Flexibility Is The Druid.
The Druid is likely the single most versatile class in Diablo 2: Resurrected due to his ability to use magic, which includes brewing up powerful firestorms, as well as deadly ranged spells, melee skills comparable to those of the Barbarian, and some unique shapeshifting and summoning abilities of his own.
This means that players can develop their very own, one-of-a-kind Druid build by combining all of the aforementioned skills in a variety of different ways, which not only makes this class very powerful but also one of the most exciting ones to use in the game.
The Ideal Constructions Just like with the other classes in Diablo 2, the ideal constructions for:
At this point in the game, Resurrected, it is neither practical nor recommended to tank or melee other players.
The Druid is a Class That Is Greatly Underrated.
Playing as a Druid wasn't something that a lot of Diablo fans were particularly excited about when it was first made available in Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction. The fact that these characters can be shaped into all three of the melee, magic, and summoning builds led many people to believe that they would never be able to match the power level of classes that are specifically designed to accommodate these types of playstyles, such as the Barbarian, Sorceress, and Necromancer, respectively. However, the truth of the matter is that combining any one of the aforementioned playstyles (melee, magic, or summoning) with the Druid's one-of-a-kind shapeshifting abilities can result in an extremely potent hybrid build in the later stages of the game. It can be argued that the Druid's extensive menu of options is on par with or even superior to those available to Summoners.
The designers of the game made the decision to go in a different direction and ultimately settled on including the Necromancer in the final version of the hero pack rather than the Druid. The decision of the developers to omit the character from the game was disappointing to a large number of players, as it dashed the hopes of many fans who had hoped that they would be added in the future, either as part of another expansion or as part of a seasonal update. As a result of this, they are opposed to the practice of traditional magic, which they have come to refer to as Dubhdroiacht. The primary reason they give for this opposition is that traditional magic is destructive.
They adhere to a philosophy known as Caoi Dulra, which places an emphasis on having the most harmonious relationship possible with nature. This provides an explanation for the druids' powers, which include the ability to conjure animals and shapeshift into various wild creatures. Their way of life is strikingly similar to that of the witchers who once resided in Kaer Mohren.
In the game Diablo, there are druid colleges located all over the world, and the people who live there take special care to preserve and maintain the natural environment in the areas that surround them. They are, in a sense, the Diablo equivalents of the forest rangers that exist in the real world.
Fiacla-Géar was adamant about the importance of synergy with the wildlife and forces of nature, whereas Bul-Khatos wanted them to concentrate on mastering the art of melee combat and cultivating a warrior mentality. Bul-Khatos's intention was for them to focus on these things. The two friends, who had once shared a brotherly bond, were unable to reach an agreement with one another. As a result, Fiacla-Géar gathered other warriors who shared his beliefs, and he left the Barbarians to establish the very first Druid College in the Scosglen forests. The name, the fundamental principles of these characters, and some aspects of their way of life are derived from Celtic mythology, and then adjusted according to the requirements of the popular ARPG series. Celtic mythology also provided the inspiration for some of the characters' names. Druids were not just a part of Celtic mythology; they were also a real, high-ranking class in ancient Celtic societies. They were in charge of religious rituals, had expertise in the law, and provided political advice. They were comparable to the scholars and philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome.
The Druid class is the most laid-back of all the Diablo professions.
In spite of the fact that the Druids are descended from barbarian tribes and have a great deal of experience in the field of murder, they do not prioritize the use of violence as a strategy for achieving their objectives. They channel their yearning for tranquility into defeating the game's most challenging bosses. Throughout history, Druids have only engaged in combat as a method of self-defense or as a last resort to defend the creatures that fall under their protectorate.
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Deconstructing Independence on Independence Day
~ "LETTERS FROM AMERICA" - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~
"It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please. Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. [The Constitution] was intended to lace them up straightly within the enumerated powers and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect." ~~Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on a National Bank, 1791
This weekend we celebrate the independence of America, specifically marking it by the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Lip service is given to it by many, but what emanates from it is the U S Constitution. For the five to six thousand years of civilization before 1776, humankind's evolution was slow and horrible. Not much was accomplished under the tyranny of kings and emperors. Since the creation of the U S Constitution, we have accomplished more, in technology, wealth, religion and liberty than the whole of history before. The Constitution is under direct and deadly attack by the Left; yet they will pretend to celebrate freedom from tyranny this weekend with the rest of us that truly embrace liberty.
During the healthcare debate in 2009, then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked by a reporter where in the Constitution it authorized Congress to mandate that citizens buy health insurance, her response was "Are you serious?" Democrat from South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn: "There's nothing in the Constitution that says that the federal government has anything to do with most of the stuff we do."
Democrat Congressman Phil Hare on the Constitution
In the past couple years Conservatives have tried to pass a rule that any legislation brought up has to state where in the Constitution it allows them to pass that law. It's been rejected every time by Democrats and RINO's (Republican In Name Only).
"Time" magazine had a cover story asking about the Constitution, "Does It Still Matter?" (Rob posted about this in the entry below.) Time's managing editor, Richard Stengel: "To me the Constitution is a guardrail. It's for when we are going off the road and it gets us back on. It's not a traffic cop that keeps us going down the center." Interpreted this is that the Constitution means whatever the Left wants it to mean. Jefferson: "a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please."
Which is just what the Left wants. They can't gain full power if they obey the "enumerated rights" specified in the document. Jefferson again: "Our peculiar security is in possession of a written Constitution. Let us not make it a blank paper by construction. ... If it is, then we have no Constitution. ... [T]o consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions ... would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. ... In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."
Stengal makes this incredible observation: "If the Constitution was intended to limit the federal government, it sure doesn't say so. Article I, Section 8, the longest section of the longest article of the Constitution, is a drumroll of congressional power." I don't know what he's reading, but that article states specifically what the government is allowed to do, and is allowed to do no more. The Left, enemies of the Constitution, attacks it by ignoring what it says, and then says it says something else. James Madison: "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement and prosperity of the State."
Obama ran on the notion that he was going to "fundamentally transform" America. That can only be done by ignoring the Constitution, which he swore to uphold when he took the oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." He has ignored the law. He declared a moratorium on offshore drilling after the oil spill and kept it in effect. Several courts have said this is unconstitutional, so he instructed his energy czar to not issue any permits to drill. Several courts have said Obamacare in unconstitutional because it forces citizens to buy a product provided by the private business sector. He's not put that legislation on hold until the issue is brought before the Supreme Court, he keeps enforcing it. He's gone to war (Libya) without Congressional approval. Just some examples. We essentially have an anti-Constitutional, lawless president, supported by a Media and political party that states the Constitution is nonbinding and meaningless.
Another attack on the Constitution was made by Leftist Washington Post writer Ezra Klein: "The issue with the Constitution is not that people don't read the text and think their following. The issue with the Constitution is that the text is confusing because it was written more than a hundred years ago and what people believes it says differs from person to person." The Constitution of course was written over two hundred years ago.
His statement means to, proving absurdity by showing absurdity, is that we can't understand anything written by Adam Smith, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dickens, Emerson…you get the picture. Klein interpreted means that stupid Conservatives don't understand that Constitution is designed to implement a Socialist State.
This 4th of July, our Independence Day, as much as I'll celebrate our freedom, I'll worry over how far down the road we are to the shredding of the Constitution and becoming Obama's and the Democrat Party's vision of a "transformed" America. The move toward Statism has been slow, taking a couple hundred years, but Leftists are poised to kill liberty by the last triumphal act of shredding the Constitution. This is the last thing they need to impose their rule. I suppose then we can rename Independence Day, Government Day.
posted by Steven Dexter a 4:36 PM
Etichette: letters from America, US politics


Studio Lighting Essentials for Portrait Photography is everything you need to get started in the world of Studio Lighting. This workshop was written and hosted by Mark Wallace. Mark is known for his easy to understand teaching style and ability to take concepts and put them into practical use.
Using the X-Rite Color Checker Passport to get perfectly calibrated color – every time.
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As my first school-based work of the new year, I get to begin on a special initiative. The principal of King's College in Warrnambool, Victoria has organised a multi-tiered approach that's very exciting to be a part of. First, I will spend the day working with both the whole staff and then two separate smaller groups focused on more beginning and more advanced technology using educators. What's we hope will make this day really useful, however, is what comes after: several staff members will join the 5 Day workshop series I run at Independent Schools Victoria and all Year 7 students this year will get an iPad to support their personal learning.
After a King's College variation of my It's Broken (So Let's Fix it!) presentation, the two smaller sessions will target CEQ•ALL and The Edge-ucators Way.