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Switzerland Travel Guide Switzerland Trips Your Ultimate Guide To Witnessing The Best Of Europe In Just 15 Days
Your Ultimate Guide To Witnessing The Best Of Europe In Just 15 Days
By Adete Dahiya
Just the mention of Europe is enough to make travellers and tourists excited. And why shouldn't it? With its treasure trove of scenic beauty, rich history, artistic heritage and culinary diversity, it is a dream for almost anyone across the world. But with its almost intractable wealth of sights and attractions, it is virtually impossible to have the time to cover everything in every country. A guided European itinerary is the best way to begin to explore this glorious continent.
So here I have 15 days mapped out for you, across some of the most iconic sights that Europe has to offer. You can individually book everything mentioned here or opt for a guided tour like the one offered by Club7 Holidays, which gives you a chance to stay at some of the best four star properties and explore your favourite destinations at really reasonable prices.
In the evening, enjoy a romantic cruise across the River Seine. You can get some of the best views of the city from here.
Pro tip: Carry a stole or parka with you as it can get chilly in the evenings as you sail across the river.
It's time to have fun. Start your day on an exciting note with a visit to Euro Disney. In the second half, head to the magical Eiffel Tower. You can't really go to Paris and miss this iconic landmark.
Pro tip: Most tourists completely skip the Tower's first floor. It is worth a visit with the immersion gallery, a gift shop and a see-through floor.
Today, it's time to delve a little into the city's history and culture. Visit the Louvre, the world's largest art museum, and see the 'smiling' Mona Lisa for yourself. Also take time out to visit the Versailles Palace and some other iconic landmarks such as Champs Elysees, Alexander Bridge and the Opera House.
Pro tip: If you're a smoker, make sure you don't throw your cigarette butts on the streets. It can get you a fine of up to €68!
Prepare for departure from Paris the next morning.
The city of Lisse is best known for its legendary tulips and Keukenhof Gardens (till the 12th May). The garden is said to host one of the greatest flower shows in the world.
Pro tip: Do not forget to take your camera. The flowers in bloom at the Keukenhof Gardens are a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Later in the day, board a cruise to explore the city of Amsterdam in a glass-topped boat, drifting through the canals and witness the city's marvellous architecture.
Pro tip: Amsterdam might have the lowest crime rate in the world but it is still notorious for pickpockets. Keep an eye on your belongings.
Today drive to the heart of Black Forest, known for its picturesque woods, consisting of pines and firs. Be enthralled at the scenic beauty of the quaint villages in the heart of Black Forest region.
Pro tip: Witness a demonstration of how cuckoo clocks are made in Triberg, which is known as the cuckoo clock-capital of the world.
This day is all about Den Haag – a great place to get to know about the local Dutch culture and history. Visit Madurodam, a miniature park, to see a range of perfect model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities and large developments.
Pro tip: Den Haag houses Netherland's oldest shopping centre, De Passage, which will also protect you from the country's unpredictable weather.
The first stop is the Belgian capital, Brussels, which houses the headquarters of the European Union. Take in the sights of the Grand Place, the medieval Town Hall and the famous Mannekin Pis statue.
Pro tip: Brussels has a very strong fashion culture and some of the best shopping experience you'll come across in Europe. Avenue Louise is the most popular street for shopping.
Drive to Innsbruck the same day. Witness the Golden Roof, a characteristic landmark of Innsbruck; walk down cobblestone pathways of Maria Theresien Strasse and relive medieval European culture.
Where to eat: Restaurant Bierwirt is a great place to sample local food and culture
Pro tip: Make sure you have cash on hand. Many commercial establishments still don't accept cards.
Prepare for departure from Austria.
Your second day in Italy should be spent witnessing the magic of Renaissance in Florence. View some of the city's most iconic landmarks – Duomo, the Campanile, the Baptistery with its Gates of Paradise, Piazza Della Signoria, and Piazzale Michelangelo.
Pro tip: Florence is the birthplace of gelato. To check if an establishment is serving authentic gelato and not a factory-produced version, look at the colour of the pistachio gelato – it should be a natural, minty green and not too bright
Later in the day, proceed to Pisa, another city in the Tuscany region, which is famous for housing the remarkable Square of Miracles and Leaning Tower of Pisa in addition to some other interesting monuments.
Pro tip: Carry a bottle of water around with you and fill at water fountains. Buying water bottles can get pretty expensive.
On your final day in Europe, fall in love with Rome. Nobody does fountains like the Romans and you will witness a number of these architectural marvels all across the city. Some of the most iconic sites here include the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, and Victor Emmanuel Monument. Check out the Vatican City as well. End your day with a romantic meal.
Pro tip: Beware of dog poo on the streets. Just like in India, it is not compulsory for people to pick up after their dogs and you can end up stepping on some nasty stuff.
Head from London to Paris. Depending on the availability, you will either take the Le Shuttle or a ferry to reach the 'City of Love'.
Start in the morning from Paris and make your way to Belgium by road. It is a beautiful drive with some of the most spectacular views in all of Europe.
Titlis
Start off the day by visiting Switzerland's loftiest peak – Mt. Titlis – and get a 360 degree view of the Alps from the summit. You can reach the top in the world's first revolving cable car and also experience the Titlis Cliff Walk at the highest suspension bridge in Europe.
Pro tip: Carry a windcheater and wear warm clothing even if you are visiting in the summer. The temperatures can drop to sub-zero pretty quickly.
In the second half of the day, drive to one of the most beautiful Swiss cities – Lucerne. Visit the Lion Monument and Kapellbrücke.
Pro tip: Lucerne can get very expensive very quickly. Keep a track of your finances while you're here.
Jungfraujoch
Your third day in Switzerland should be reserved for a magical Alpine excursion to Jungfraujoch, which is literally the top of Europe. Here you can witness the Ice Palace.
Pro tip: Don't forget your sunscreen and sunglasses. The glare is blinding and you're bound to go home with a sunburn if you forget.
Later in the day, drive down to another city – Interlaken, a unique and fascinating place situated between two lakes of Thun and Brienz.
Pro tip: Interlaken is known for paragliding. Try and not miss this if you can.
On the morning of the 11th day, proceed to this tiny country in Central Europe which is the birthplace of Mozart and Sigmund Freud.
Credits: James Cridland
Swarovski Kristallwelten
The first stop is Wattens, where you can witness the making of Swarovski crystals at the Swarovski World of Crystals and marvel at the crystalline works of art.
Pro tip: The weather here is unpredictable with violent thunderstorms occurring even in Summer. Pack accordingly.
Make your way for three days of absolute fun to the most romantic country on the European subcontinent.
Arrive at the pier in Venice and spend the day taking in all that the city has to offer. Some of the highlights you shouldn't miss: a private boat ride over the Giudecca Canal; visit to St Mark's Square, Bell Tower and the Clock Tower; witnessing the Bridget of Sigs; and a romantic gondola ride. Return to your hotel in the evening.
Pro tip: Travel in groups or with at least one other person for company because it is very easy to get lost in Venice. Even Google Maps will lead you astray.
Head to the airport in the morning and back home to India.
If you book this 14 Nights 15 Days package through Club7 Holidays, you get it at an extremely reasonable price, which includes airfare, all stays at four star properties, transfers within Europe, and all meals. It doesn't get much better than this for your maiden trip to Europe, does it?
And if you've already been to Europe, write about your experience on Tripoto and maybe we can take tips from you the next time around.
In association with Club7 Holidays
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Go on a tour of London city. You can witness several landmarks in a day trip: Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, and even the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace. From there, head to Madam Tussauds wax museum and the London Eye for breathtaking views of the city.
Pro tip: Carry an umbrella with you at all times. You never know when it is going to start raining.
Prepare for departure to Paris the next day.
The first stop is the city of Cologne. While the place is popularly known to have the most unimpressive architecture in the country, Cologne Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece with 515 feet towers, more than makes up for it.
Pro tip: Don't swim in the Rhine. At most places, it is not even legal to enter the water, and the current is so strong that you might drown.
Rhine Falls
Make your first halt at Schaffhausen, where you can witness the beauty of the glorious Rhine Falls – Europe's biggest and most spectacular falls.
Pro tip: Don't buy Swiss chocolates at souvenir shops. They are usually low quality and overpriced. If you have to, opt to buy from a local supermarket.
Arrive in the British capital and proceed to your hotel. Relax and sleep off your jet lag as you prepare for two weeks of witnessing the beauty of Europe.
The end of the day is another long drive to Lisse. The route goes through several towns in Belgium and Netherlands, where you can make pitstops for food and sightseeing.
For the next leg of the trip, make your way to the country known for its beer and cars.
Sit back and enjoy the scenic beauty as you drive towards the magnificent country of Switzerland.
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2007 The Simpsons Movie debuts. Early in the film, Green Day sink into Lake Springfield.
1996 "Wannabe" hits #1 in the UK, making the Spice Girls the first all-female group to top the chart with their debut single.
1984 Prince stars in the film Purple Rain. The movie, in which he plays as an upstart musician who clashes with his band, parallels his life story, but is not strictly autobiographical, and he didn't write or direct it.More
1983 Madonna releases her first album. The self-titled debut doesn't burn up the charts and is derided by Rolling Stone (which calls her voice "irritating as hell"), but gets traction in dance clubs, setting the stage for her breakout second album, Like A Virgin.
1976 Later depicted in the movie What's Love Got to Do with It, Tina Turner files for divorce from her husband Ike. They have been married 16 years.
1958 Esso Oil (formerly Standard Oil, later Exxon), issues a report warning that listening to rock music in the car could waste gas because "the rhythm can cause a driver to unconsciously jiggle the gas petal."
1940 Billboard issues its first chart detailing what records are selling the most copies. Titled "National List of Best Selling Retail Records," it's a precursor to the Hot 100 and the first to count record sales (the existing charts are for sheet music sales, jukebox play and radio plugs). It's not an exact science, as Billboard polls record stores to find out what is selling - a practice that stays in effect until the '90s, when call-a-clerk is replaced with Soundscan technology. The first chart is dominated by big band hits, with "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey (featuring Frank Sinatra on vocals) at #1 and three songs by Glenn Miller in the Top 10.
2021 Dusty Hill of ZZ Top dies at 72, ending a 51-year run where the band's lineup was always Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard.
2017 Journey members Jonathan Cain, Arnel Pineda and Ross Valory get a tour of the White House and a photo with President Trump in the Oval Office thanks to Cain's wife, Paula, who is chairwoman of Trump's evangelical advisory board and delivered the invocation at his inauguration. The visit doesn't sit well with the band's guitarist, Neal Schon, who blasts Cain on social media and accuses him of using the band to promote his religious views.More
2013 At Gillette Stadium in Boston, Taylor Swift brings out Carly Simon to sing with her on "You're So Vain," which like many of Swift's hits, takes aim at a famous ex. Swift claims that backstage after the show, Simon whispered in her ear the identity of the man she was singing about in "Vain."
2009 A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug is what killed the Pop singer.
2006 The company behind file-sharing service Kazaa agrees to pay record labels over $115 million in damages for piracy.
2001 Leon Wilkeson (bass guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd) dies in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, from chronic liver and lung disease at age 49.
2001 Saxophonist Harold Land dies from a stroke at age 72.
1999 Jazz trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison (of Count Basie's orchestra) dies in Columbus, Ohio, at age 83.
1994 Bob Seger serves jury duty in Michigan and, as the foreman in a criminal trial, finds the defendant guilty.
1993 Steve Vai's third solo album, Sex & Religion, is issued. The release is credited simply to "Vai," and is his first to feature traditional vocals, which were provided by a then-unknown Devin Townsend.
1992 Michael Jackson sues the London tabloid Daily Mirror over claims that too many plastic surgeries have left him permanently disfigured.
1990 "Rockin' Robin" singer Bobby Day dies of cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 60.
1987 Rick Astley's first single, "Never Gonna Give You Up," is released in America. It climbs to #1 in March 1988, and in 2008 becomes the basis for the Rickrolling trend.
1986 At a Cure concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California, a shirtless man with a cowboy hat goes to the center of the floor section and stabs himself repeatedly with a hunting knife. He survives, and is identified as 38-year-old Jonathan Moreland. He claims he was trying to impress a girl who jilted him.
1986 Nancy Wilson (of Heart) marries screenwriter Cameron Crowe at her sister Ann's home. They remain married until 2010.
There's a Riot Goin' On In Chicago
A free concert in Chicago becomes a riot when fans pelt the stage with rocks and bottles before Sly & the Family Stone can go on. The band titles their next album There's a Riot Goin' On.
Chicago has been a flashpoint of civic unrest, especially in 1968 during protests at the Democratic National Convention. The free concert is part of a series set up by the city as a good faith offering. The show is scheduled to start in Grant Park at 4 p.m., but fans show up early in the morning, and many start drinking. By showtime, about 35,000 are in the audience, many inebriated and all dealing with the oppressive heat. Sly & the Family Stone have a history of missing shows, but they're present for this one, waiting to go on after the opening acts. Most of the crowd, though, doesn't know there are opening acts, and many expect another no-show from the band. So when an unknown group called Fat Water takes the stage at 4:15, the crowd grows restless and rumors circulate that Sly & the Family Stone aren't coming. When Fat Water finish their three-song set and the next act, The Flying Burrito Brothers, appear on stage, the crowd hurls projectiles at them, inciting a riot that leaves 162 injured, mostly police officers. The riots spread to nearby areas, with cars set on fire and stores looted. Unlike previous riots in the city, this one isn't motivated by race or politics - it's just dumb misunderstanding. Sly Stone wanted to take the stage to quell the violence, but the mob had disabled the sound system and was already out of control. The next year, the band release their next album and title it There's A Riot Goin' On in reference to the disastrous concert they never got to play.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Why we're here: ERI's Purpose
Research is an important part of Envision's mission to improve the quality of life and provide inspiration for those who are blind or visually impaired. Here at the Envision Research Institute, we're helping to do just that through innovative and applied research, with the goal of removing functional barriers for people with blindness or vision loss.
While major strides have been made, globally we still face significant gaps in the scientific understanding of vision loss and rehabilitation. In fact, the National Eye Institute has identified specific research needs in blindness and low vision:
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The good news? ERI is uniquely positioned to further the understanding of visual impairment through direct contact with Envision's incredibly diverse community of individuals who are blind and visually impaired. The founding of the Envision Research Institute not only helps fulfill Envision's mission, but also addresses needs in the national science and health agenda.
Why the need for ERI is now
Visual impairment can have a profound impact on a person's ability to function in daily life, with impairment ranging from mild to severe, including total blindness. Age-related diseases can cause vision loss later in life, leading to decreased independence, isolation and depression. Premature birth, genetics and birth defects can affect vision in the youngest children, presenting lifetime barriers to education and assimilation in the community.
Today, because of technological and medical advances, the premature birth survival rate is increasing, and the adult lifespan has been lengthened. Progress on both of these fronts means that the number of people with blindness or vision loss is increasing—and will continue to do so. There's never been a more urgent need for low vision advancement, education and awareness.
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Grave news pop-pickers. If it wasn't bad enough being cruelly expelled from the top spot of the Economist Global Liveability Index in 2021 after it became clear the clown cars in the first district had survived the first, second and third waves of Covid, another recent survey from consultant Kearny, entitled the "Global Cities Report", has Vienna languishing at the rather unassuming place of number 25.
The source of this scandal is a study which dubiously attempts to rank the most powerful and influential cities on Mother Earth, placing New York at the top followed by London and Tokyo. As a Londoner (of sorts) born in SE18 in a two up, two down tiny terrace with no bathroom, I spent my pre-school years in influential city number two. Only to return post-university for a further five-year stint prior to answering an advert in the London Evening Standard from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce appealing for migrant workers to move to the sunlit uplands of central Europe, with promises of hitherto unfathomable levels of life quality.
And although now, many years later, as I approach two country parity (next year I can legitimately claim to be half-Austrian; the half without the lederhosen), I still feel an inescapable and enduring emotional connection with the capital of England. Although strangely it also means that when I am stressed and feel the need to raise my voice or express displeasure, it is still possible to discern a linguistic echo of that formative south-east London twang as the contortion and contempt flow forth. Indeed, picture it, if you will, a faux Cockney Wiener in full throat, enunciating with an unmistakable: "Mate! Gey, Oidaaah, doo fackin' foal Trot'al!"
Speaking of emotional bonds, I bring news of a new city walking trail (Wanderweg) in my neck of the Vienna dream. But just before we go there, an important fork in the road: the German verb "wandern" is one of those words which provokes much discussion in attempts to best translate into English. Is it walk, hike or trek? (Answer: all of these.) but whichever word you choose, your Austrian interlocuter will never be convinced. So just tell them that the word most commonly used expression in Britain is peregrination and then stroll away, with jaunty Bitte, schön.
Anyhow, this new trail (SSW 12 from now on) is a 22,9 km yomp embracing parts of the 10th and 23rd districts (mostly) although one should remember by "new" they mean that it simply combines well established existing paths (some more informal, I admit) and some stretches of tarmac. As such one should not expect a spectacular scenery. No, this trail is clearly designed for the urban enthusiast. One who can derive pleasure from social history, urban planning and the architectural indifference of warehousing.
However, it was clearly inspired by my musings on the subject of walks and where to find them (and avoid other people) as we lived through the first lockdown in 2020 (I knew I had one fan in city hall). Indeed, why else would one of the prized city walks pass along the grittier side of the number one city, famous for its ubiquitous light industry, parked up lorries from eastern Europe and abundant examples of the last resting place of empty Red Bull cans, unless someone had not championed their very existence in another setting?
In any case, SWW 12 is almost unique in that it is only the second city trail (two of fourteen – there is a 1A and 4A) which transgresses into nearby Lower Austria (the other is SWW 6 just south-west of the Maurerwald in the posh part of the 23rd district). Just as a side note, there is an Upper Austria but we try not to mention them after they elected three representatives from the MFG ("Menschen – Freiheit – Grundrechte" or "People, Freedom, Basic Rights") to the provincial parliament in September. The MFG, not to be confused with the BFG (this is Austrian Education Minister, Dr Heinz Fassman) is at the heart of the anti-vaccine, anti-Lockdown, anti-mask movement in Austria and broadly stake their claim in the so-called "Querdenkers". It's a difficult word to translate because it could have several meanings. On a literal level, it means "lateral thinkers", but my suspicion in the case of the MFG is that it is rooted in a fear of the tyranny of the majority and has more to do with asserting individual rights. Not so much libertarianism but more contrarianism. Or as my late grandmother from SE18 would have put it, arguing the toss (in Cockney-Wienerish; "Yea fackin' blödah Tossa, Oidaaah!"
Anyhow, back in the real world, the generally accepted starting point for SWW 12 is at the north-east corner of the Wienerberg which you can reach by taking the tram 11 from Reumannplatz in the 10th district. Although another possibility would be to take the number 1 tram from the city to the final stop adjacent to the Water Tower on the Raxstrasse (and then a short walk to the start). Or alternatively (stay with me) you could hook up with the bus 15A from Meidling where a ten-minute ride will take you to the Twin Towers and then it is just a short walk down to the hill with a quick pit-stop at the Billa Plus on the way to grab a ham or cheese roll.
Awaiting you is the Wienerberg nature reserve which regular readers will know were once the former clay pits and brick making enterprise during the heydays of the Hapsburg monarchy (owned by the fabulously wealthy, Baron Drasche). There is still a street and park named in his honour (in the 23rd district) although my efforts to secure the rights to the title of Baron have seemingly been scuppered since the Brexit deal, where the only current legal option left is to take up Austrian citizenship. Unfortunately, given the waiting times to process applications down at the migration customer relations emporium in Vienna, it is probably just easier to wait for the UK to rejoin the EU in 2031.
Fortunately, the view from the top of Vienna Mountain is enough of a distraction, otherwise, on a sunny day, you might be tempted by the real versions in the distance in Lower Austria (see here). So better not linger and instead head left across the top and then down through a wooded path which will bring you out at the Neilreichgasse. Here you get the chance to see some serious post-war housing developments accompanied by the comforting hum of the infamous "Tangente" motorway which is tucked away behind a huge wall last seen separating East from West Berlin.
Keep going, and eventually you will cross the motorway in all its glory before taking a sharp right as you enter the Per Albin Hansson housing estate. From here, head south towards the Oberlaastrasse and the Liesing Stream where, if you lucky you may catch sight of a Kingfisher, or at best, an exiled Brit with a pair of binoculars and a look of perpetual consternation.
At the stream, turn right following the signpost (you can't miss it because the SWW12 has more signs than public portrayals of the party leader of a failing Communist state) and head back towards the 23rd district and Inzersdorf, tracking the existing walking and cycle path as far as the Neilreichgasse again but this time below the motorway to your right. Then a quick left and onwards through the small Hans Dunkl Park, and then you are set for the longish (mercifully flat) trek towards Vösendorf and Lower Austria (it takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes from there).
Once here you can have a quick pootle through the Schlosspark (the castle even has a moat) and then it is time to whack out your vaccination passport for a spot of refreshment at the Schlossheuriger run by Lower Austria's candidate for "Lower Austrian most likely to look like he should have a starring role in an American daytime soap", cookbook writer and local mayor, Hannes Koza.
It is possible at this point that you are fed up with walking and I cannot tell a lie, the trip back to the Wienerberg is a hefty part of the rest of the trail. And so there would be no shame missing the part through the village high street, back across some fields adjacent to the Südautobahn, along the Richard Strauss Strasse (past the sex sauna offering free Covid jabs and 30 minutes "recovery" with the host of your choice), ignoring the Golden Arches, past the back of another Billa, through Draschepark, under the Tangente, over the little bridge avoiding the Troll, through the small tunnel back into the 10th district, across the Triesterstrasse, along a few paths of the western part of Wienerberg near the Budo Centre and the golf course / cuntry club, and back to where it all started when the sun was still shining and you could still remember the reason you came to this part of Vienna.
No. No shame. Outside the Schlossheuriger you can catch a bus to the Badenerbahn station of Vösendorf-Siebenhirten (the one just before Shopping City if you are heading out of town) or even a little bit further to hook up with the southerly reaches of the underground line U6 and witness one of the fastest growing residential districts of Vienna (surpassed I am told only by Seestadt).
And so kom' schon, yea verdamte Kearney Muppets! Power? Influence? Geh, bitte! We have clown cars, Oida!
© 2021 RJ Barratt


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text:
Happiness Is ... Being Old, Male and Republican
By Robert Roy Britt 2009-05-15T20:26:48Z
New research has debunked the myth that people become more conservative as they age.
(Image: © stock.xchng)
Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.
Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.
And even before the economy got nasty, seniors were found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream wither.
In times like this, it's clear how age can have its advantages. While not all seniors are weathering the recession well, for many the impact is much less severe than it is for younger people.
Why? Many people 65 and older retired and downsized their lifestyles before the economy imploded, according to Pew analysts. Most aren't raising kids and many are not so worried about being laid off. Loss of income can be, of course, a source of stress and displeasure. (While money doesn't buy happiness, a study in February showed cash can help, especially when people use it to do stuff instead of buy things.)
If you're thinking that Republicans are happy just because they perhaps make more money, that does not seem to be the case. The study that found Republicans to be happier than Democrats also showed that it held true even after adjusting for income.
It's those age 50-64 who've "seen their nest eggs shrink the most and their anxieties about retirement swell the most," the Pew survey found. It also finds that younger adults (ages 18-49) "have taken the worst lumps in the job market but remain relatively upbeat about their financial future."
Not everyone in any category is blissful, of course. Other research has shown that happiness in old age depends largely on attitude factors such as optimism and coping strategies. Add financial planning to the list.
In the new Pew telephone survey, taken in March and April of 2,969 adults, here's how many respondents in each age group said they had cut back on spending in the past year:
18-49: 68 percent
65+: 36 percent.
And is the recession causing stress in your family?
Now for the good news: A study in January found that key groups of people in the United States have grown happier over the past few decades, while other have become less so. The result: Happiness inequality has decreased since the 1970s. Americans are becoming more similar to each other on the happiness scale.
5 Keys to Happiness
Key to Happiness: Location, Location, Location
More Happy News
Robert Roy Britt is the Editorial Director of Imaginova. In this column, The Water Cooler, he looks at what people are talking about in the world of science and beyond.


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text:
St. Michael & All Angels
Paris, Latin Quarter: La Fontaine Saint-Michel
The following sermon was preached at 8am, 9:15am, 11:15am, and 5:30pm on Sunday September 27, at CSMSG. This was "St. Michael's Sunday," the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Michael & All Angels, which we keep as our patronal feast. Music included the Bullock setting of "Christ, the fair glory" and Sidney Campbell's "And there was war in heaven," a setting of verses from Revelation 12.
Collect: O everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy angels always serve and worship thee in heaven, so by thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reagents with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings: Genesis 28:10-17; Psalm 103:19-22; Revelation 12:7-12; John 1:47-51
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen:
How did St. Michael's get its name? If you've heard the story, you know it's almost an accident. John Tyler tells how it happened in his parish history: When the Skinker family gave land for a new church at the point between Ellenwood and Wydown, no one knew what to call it. Isabella, the Skinkers' daughter, looked through the Prayer Book for a solution (she was a good Episcopalian!): she noticed that every major feast of the church year had a corresponding parish in St. Louis, all except for St. Michael & All Angels. And so the church got its name.
Who is St. Michael, and who are all the angels? In art, and poetry, and Scripture, we see the Angels surrounding the throne of God, moving back and forth between heaven and earth, ministers of God to his creation. We see the high drama of heavenly battle: Michael with his sword and shield casting the devil out of heaven: Satan, formerly chief of the angels, corrupted by pride, defeated by Michael, leader of the heavenly host. Milton attributes to Satan the battle cry, "Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven." And so he falls, to tempt the earth.
No doubt about it: this is high, epic drama. It had a strong pull on Christian imaginations for centuries. Today, though, we don't think much of angels, and we pay even less attention to the devil. But it doesn't mean angels are any less significant — they're not like Peter Pan's fairies, who disappear when people don't believe. And the devil is no less dangerous. Maybe you know the film, "The Usual Suspects." An FBI informant describes the exploits of an infamous mobster, nicknamed The Devil, saying, "The greatest trick The Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
But the devil does exist, and today he works the same evil he has always worked. Not by assaulting heaven, but quietly, personally: in the Garden of Eden, he tempts Eve with his own special temptation: disobey, eat the fruit, and you will be like God. Adam and Eve are already like God, they are made in his image. But they are tempted by mastery, authority, being peers with their creator. And so Paradise is Lost: in the moment of grasping at the temptation to be like God, Satan, and we ourselves, grab hold only of idolatry, corruption, and decay.
In a world like ours, where Satan does not risk open assault but works quietly and individually, how does Michael keep him out of heaven? How does the archangel defeat his schemes? The same way he has always done. Michael's name, literally translated, is a question: Micha-el, "Who is like God?" It is the exact inversion of the Serpent's temptation, "You will be like God." Michael asks, "Who is like God?" A rhetorical question, no one is like God except God himself. At its heart, this is worship: to render to God what is God's, starting with his own nature.
Michael's humble worship, not claiming for himself what properly belongs to God, is what defeats the Devil. Our own humble worship is what keeps Satan at bay in our own lives. But there's a great irony here: Michael's name can also be translated, "He who is like God." By his humble worship, Michael is granted what he could never have claimed for himself: a place to stand for ever in the very presence of God, enjoying his grace and love, being present in his counsels, and aiding in the execution of his will: truly, one who is like God.
Michael the archangel is our great patron here at CSMSG, he is both our defender and our example. But he is not the only angel. The Old Testament and the New are full of stories of the ministry of the angels: revealing God's purposes to mortals, aiding them in their need, rejoicing at the manger, weeping at the cross, gathering the harvest at the end of the age, and sharing with us in the joy of God's kingdom come. As our collect today puts it, God has "ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order."
We pray that "as they always worship and serve [God] in heaven, so by [his] appointment they might help and defend us on earth." This ministry of the angels is none other than Michael's own ministry: rendering to God pure and spiritual worship, in all humility. When they come to help us, they do not abandon their reward in the splendor of God, but share it with us wherever on earth they find us, helping us to see the glory of the Hope to which we are called, and strengthening us to pursue it with every fiber we can muster.
In this way, the angels do their part in knitting together the fellowship of heaven and earth. Are you sensing a theme yet? Since I've come to this church, I don't know how many times I've heard someone say, one way or another, from one source or another, "It's all about relationships." I'm glad you all think so, because if nothing else, and there's a lot else, our patrons, St. Michael and all the angels, get relationship with God right. Where does it start but in worship? Who is like God? That kind of worship always keeps Satan in check.
Worship. It's what we do here every Sunday, and throughout the week. It's the best, clearest way we have of relating to God and to each other for that matter. Why do we stand and kneel, why do we bow to one another, why do we get all dressed up? Because in church we step, with Michael and all the angels into the heavenly court. And like any other stately court, we adopt manners and courtesy befitting the Lord we approach and the dignity of his servants who attend him. It's all about relationship: a relationship Satan's pride would fragment.
In church we are all God's servants, working towards the same end, rendering to God that which is God's: Each of our lives, and all creation. It is an act of generosity, of thanks-giving, of sacrifice. More than this, the God we worship does not sit like an idle tyrant merely receiving the gifts his people offer. He has given himself to all and to each, even to death on a cross. What we offer God in worship is what He has already given each of us: Our lives and our world, but chief of all his own Son.
At the altar, by the Holy Spirit, we join Christ's own offering of himself to the Father, and we are received by God into Christ's own Sonship. When we make our communions, we do not receive "a holy snack," but we come with our fellow Christians to God's table in heaven, where we join Michael, all the angels, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy martyr George, and all the redeemed from every age in one divine fellowship. Now we experience in part, then we will know in full: the unmediated splendor of God who fills all things with his love.
"It's all about relationships!" Isabella Skinker may have chosen our name in a process of "fill-in-the-blank," but she could not have chosen better. St. Michael and all the Angels get their relationship with God right. By living it out in humble worship, they put Satan to flight, enjoy the nearer presence of God forever and get their relationship with us right too. With patrons like these, you and I are constantly reminded of the need to give our all to worshiping God: in all humility, to getting that relationship right, and relationships with our neighbors right too.
"It's all about relationships." Satan still stands at our doors and in our ears, whispering to obey him and be like God. Let us resist his pride wherever it tempts us, aided by all the legions of heaven. His way leads not to God but only to fragmentation, isolation, and death. He wishes to reign in hell: let him reign over a silent, dead kingdom. You and I, let us rather serve in heaven, and do our part, with the angels, of knitting together heaven and earth in one communion and fellowship. So God shall be all in all forever.
One Comment to "St. Michael & All Angels"
Mike Angell says:
Whenever I preach this feast (one very close to my heart), I tend to use the GK Chesterton line: "Fairy Tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."


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text:
Ellison to 'Star Trek': Pay Up!
Just in time for the no doubt extraordinarily lucrative "Star Trek" franchise reboot, the irascible Harlan Ellison is going after Paramount for money he says is owed to him on a 42-year-old episode of original TV series. Pointy-eared peeps know that "City on the Edge of Forever", penned by Ellison, starring Joan Collins and first […]
Michael Adams | March 16, 2009 @ 10:05 PM	Last Updated: March 17, 2009 @ 6:18 PM
Just in time for the no doubt extraordinarily lucrative "Star Trek" franchise reboot, the irascible Harlan Ellison is going after Paramount for money he says is owed to him on a 42-year-old episode of original TV series.
Pointy-eared peeps know that "City on the Edge of Forever", penned by Ellison, starring Joan Collins and first aired on April 6, 1967, is regarded as one of the finest, if not the finest, voyage of the Starship Enterprise.
And hard-core fans will know that there's long been controversy over who wrote what when and why.
Ellison's original script was deemed inappropriate back in late 1966.
One of the reasons why was because it had a crew member dealing drugs. No doubt some audience members would've thought that was groovy, man.
Not Gene Roddenberry though.
And so Ellison rewrote it numerous times.
Then five others, including Roddenberry, did drafts.
The result gave the whole thing an anti-peacenik slant Ellison was none too pleased with.
He even considered taking his name off it and slapping his disdainful "I've been compromised" Cordwainer Bird pseudonym on the thing.
But out of the whirlpool of writers and re-writers – think of of it as a cosmic Casablanca – came something great.
Ellison takes great pains to remind us of the awards and accolades "City on the Edge of Forever" received in his March 13 press release announcing his legal action against Paramount for monies owed for merchandising, publishing and other exploitations of the episode since 1967.
Fair enough, too, because the episode's highly entertaining stuff.
But so too is his press release.
Once the nuts and bolts of Ellison's claims are out of the way, it's the best laugh I've had in some time.
Not only does he hose down not Paramount and the WGA for failing him, but he takes Hollywood en masse to task.
To quote Ellison, as he's quoted in the release:
"And please make sure to remember, at the moment some Studio mouthpiece calls me a mooch, and says I'm only pursuing this legal retribution to get into their 'deep pockets,' tell'm Ellison snarled back, 'F- – – -in'-A damn skippy!' I'm no hypocrite. It ain't about the 'principle,' friend, its about the MONEY! Pay Me! Am I doing this for other writers, for Mom (still dead), and apple pie? Hell no! I'm doing it for the 35-year-long disrespect and the money!
"The arrogance, the pompous dismissive imperial manner of those who 'have more important things to worry about,' who'll have their assistant get back to you, who don't actually read or create, who merely 'take' meetings, and shuffle papers – much of which is paper money denied to those who actually did the manual labor of creating those dreams – they refuse even to notice…until you jam a Federal lawsuit in their eye. To hell with all that obfuscation and phony flag-waving: they got my money. Pay me and pay off all the other writers from whom you've made hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars…from OUR labors…just so you can float your fat asses in warm Bahamian waters.
"The Trek fans who know my City screenplay understand just exactly why I'm bare-fangs-of-Adamantium about this."
When Mr. Ellison calmed down, he continued, soberly, "They maintain fortresses staffed and insulated with corporate and legal Black Legions whose ability to speak fluent bullshit is the ramadoola of gyrating, gibbering numbers via which they cling to every dollar. And when you aren't getting paid for the marvels you helped bring forth — fine, hard, careful artifacts that are making others pig-rich — at some point any sane person knows he has three, and only three choices: the first is to sit around dinner parties and ceaselessly whine over your sushi about how they screwed you, boo hoo, but you can't beef about it Out There in the World or they'll blacklist you; the second is to pick up an Uzi somewhere, crash your SUV through a Studio gate, and just run amok; and the third, last, choice is this one – to act like an adult, to take 'em on in Federal Court and to make the greedy, amoral bastards blink blood out of their eyes. What they do is tantamount to common street-thug robbery… just add the pig-rich Madoff-style smoothyguts attorneys."
And on it goes. See the full release here – it's totally worth it for the final line.
I'm thinking of this as the press-release version of Stewart Vs MSNBC, or perhaps Bale Vs Hurlbut.
And coming from Ellison, these are more than just highly amusing fightin' words – just ask James Cameron and Co., who had to shell out with bucks and a credit because they'd lifted two of the writer's The Outer Limits episodes and a short story to come up with The Terminator.
What's a little bit scary is Ellison's passing reference to Adamantium.
Don't tell me that back in the hippie era he wrote a little something about an indestructible mutant guy with a steel skeleton?


text:
Two weeks before his death in August 2015, Oliver Sacks outlined the contents of The River of Consciousness, the last book he would oversee in detail, and charged three of us—Kate Edgar, Billy Hayes, and Dan Frank (his longtime editor at Knopf)—with arranging its publication.
Though Sacks is best known for the depth of his compassion and ability to address ideas in medicine and neuroscience, he could move fluidly among the issues and ideas of most arts and sciences. That wide-ranging expertise and passion informs this book, in which he ponders the nature not only of human experience but of all life (including botanical life).
In The River of Consciousness, Sacks calls upon his great scientific and creative heroes—above all, Darwin, Freud, and William James. Like Darwin, Sacks was an acute observer and delighted in collecting examples, many of which came from his massive correspondence with patients, colleagues, and you, his readers. Like Freud, he was drawn to understand human behavior at its most enigmatic. And as with James, even when Sacks explores subjects as theoretical as time, memory, and creativity, his attention remains on the specificity of experience.
The River of Consciousness will be published in the UK on October 19 and in the US on October 24, (in hardcover, e-book, and audio editions). Order your copy now, or pay a visit to your local bookstore to reserve a copy!
Also we are pleased to announce two very special live events celebrating the life and work of Oliver Sacks:
San Francisco, Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 6:30 pm
The Commonwealth Club (110 Embarcadero) will host a discussion with Kate Edgar, Bill Hayes, Victoria Sweet and Steve Silberman. Tickets here. (Use the promo code FRIENDS.)
New York City, Monday, November 20, 2017 at 7:30 pm
The 92nd St. Y (1395 Lexington Avenue) will host a discussion and reading featuring Maria Popova, Atul Gawande, and Bill Hayes, as well as a special performance by Simone Dinnerstein. Tickets here.
Books will be on sale at both events. We hope to see you there!


text:
Foreign Fare: The Lingering State of International Cinema
The state of foreign cinema in the United States has always been a troubled one. With Hollywood acting as an overwhelming force both stateside and overseas, it seems like a constant struggle for foreign films to get their due audience. Between a lack of support from the studio system and a general populace that believes reading should be saved for books, magazines, and iPads, foreign films have never been immersed in American culture.
Years pass with meaningless blockbusters and supposedly celebrated independent films that never quite hit their mark, and all the while there are handfuls of foreign films that go unnoticed or worse, unseen, simply because America's film industry has yet to find a way to properly introduce world cinema to this country's audiences.
Such was the case in 2009, a banner year both for Hollywood and international cinema. With "Avatar" grossing over $2 billion worldwide and "Transformers 2" grossing a little less than half of that, Hollywood was on top, proving once again why the system "works".
But while audiences worldwide were being dazzled by Hollywood's 3-D presentations of 2-D characters and their showmanship of lackluster scripts filled with blatant plot rip offs and cheese-laden dialogue, a different kind of cinema was blossoming; one that did not require special glasses or a billion dollar overhaul to make it feel important.
Instead, these films were ones that relied on roundly woven characters, insightful glimpses into worlds often ignored by the general population, and screenplays that defied convention.
And, surprisingly enough, not a single one was in the English language.
Foreign films left in the shadows
It should also be noted that this year, 2009, was the year the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, the group behind the Academy Awards, decided to amend a more than sixty-year old rule of limiting nominations for the Best Picture category to five films, and expanding it to ten.
With the Academy Awards serving as a launching pad for films, actors, and directors, this decision to include five more films into the most prestigious category of them all seemed a sure fire way to spotlight acclaimed films that maybe needed that extra push into the public's consciousness.
But unfortunately, the Academy saw this as a way to include more meaningless, Hollywoodized tales such as "The Blind Side" and "Up", both films most likely being nominated because of their box office receipts and not the content of the picture.
And while studios were busy lifting their receipts high in the air for all to see, three films, all of which were included in the Best Foreign Film category for the year, were going largely ignored by the public simply because they were unaware the films existed.
1. The White Ribbon
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner "The White Ribbon"
The first, "The White Ribbon", won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a prestigious prize that should inherently guarantee a film at least one-thousand good marketplaces, but instead serves as almost a stigma for American audiences to stay away.
The film follows a small German town in the years leading up to, but not dealing directly with, World War I. When strange events begin to occur to the townsfolk, and sometimes their pets, it seems the village's suppressed school children are at the core of the mystery.
Directed by Michael Haneke, creator of the insanely scarring and yet utterly fascinating "Funny Games", "The White Ribbon" was shot in black and white and, like most foreign films anyway, featured a largely unknown cast.
The film is unique in its revealing and often disturbing character development, and though methodically paced in unraveling what exactly is happening in this small village, it is an endlessly enticing and emotionally rich story that flourishes under the steady direction of Haneke.
2. A Prophet
Un Prophete
The second film, "A Prophet", directed by Jacques Audiard, follows the extreme misadventures of a young Arab Malik, who is sentenced to a French prison where he "befriends" the Corsican mafia and their head honcho Cesar, who runs the cement hellhole.
Over the years Malik sinks deeper and deeper into the criminally active life of a prison inmate and, over time, plots his ascension to the top of the prison hierarchy.
A dark, often brutally violent film, "A Prophet" soars from its authentic representation and insight into the life of prison inmates as well as the cultural differences, bias and struggles people must face, whether incarcerated or not.
3. The Secret in Their Eyes
The third film, which eventually took home the prize from the fabled Academy Awards, is Juan Jose Campanella's sublimely beautiful "The Secret in Their Eyes". The film revolves around legal counselor Benjamin Esposito as he and his partner attempt to discover the truth behind the senseless rape and subsequent murder of a beautiful young woman.
The case haunts Esposito as he discovers the awful truth behind the murder and at the same time, the limitations of both the government he has sworn to serve and the man he has claimed to become.
Guided by what is sure to become a revered screenplay, "The Secret in Their Eyes" is a nearly perfect film, from the supreme talent of its cast, to the unbelievably evocative cinematography, this is a film that will truly stand the test of time; a film so good, Hollywood has already commissioned a remake.
Is Hollywood bias?
All three films, none of which grossed even $7 million in the United States, stood as the apex of film-making for not only the year, but served as an unfortunate reminder of the cultural bias still present in an art form as supposedly free and unlimited as film.
Had any or all three of these films landed an audience half as varied and widespread as "Avatar" or "Transformers", than the film-making world would be experiencing a renaissance unheard of since the early nineties and the emergence of independent cinema as a legitimate and potentially profitable art-form.
This is not to say that foreign films are better than American films, or vice-versa. Anyone can make a bad movie just like anyone can make a good film. Every filmmaker or artist for that matter has a right to tell a story and express ideals, values and characters in any manner in which they choose. That is their inherent prerogative not only as artists but also as human beings.
However, when recognition and audience awareness is guided solely by money and the high cost of advertising and not the quality of work, one has to begin to question the system that is in place and wonder if films like these, of which there is surely going to be more on both sides, will ever strike a natural balance between engaging, thought provoking art, and fun, mindless popcorn attractions.
And when you face it, there is a need, and room, for both.
May 31, 2011 /by Electro Kami Staff
Tags: Awards, Foreign Film, Lists, Rant
https://electrokami.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/electrokami.png 0 0 Electro Kami Staff https://electrokami.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/electrokami.png Electro Kami Staff2011-05-31 09:53:062018-08-26 21:15:15Foreign Fare: The Lingering State of International Cinema
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text:
Democracy strengthened when people act together
Democracy's prospects in Africa depend not on finding better leaders but on ensuring that more people act together, writes Steven Friedman.
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A butt naked truth
People never change; at least that is what we are brought up to think. You can never teach an old dog new tricks and other such idioms that make us wary of ever trusting completely. Makes me wonder if we could ever come to a place of completely breaking the dividing barriers that fuel blame shifting for our country's problems.
However, the focus for now is not at home but comes from up north, Liberia to be precise. Anyone who has an inkling of what has occurred in Africa over the past three decades will know that conflict has claimed millions of lives across the continent. Of the many civil wars that crippled Africa over the decades, one cannot overlook the Liberia war that claimed the lives of over 200,000 people between 1989 and 1996. The war was like any other, a struggle of power. President Samuel Doe who had come into power through a coup, had under his employ Charles Taylor. Enraged by his dismissal from government for embezzlement, Charles Taylor underwent guerrilla training in Libya and returned to Liberia to take revenge against Samuel Doe, culminating into the first Liberian civil war. The 1989-1996 Liberian civil war, one of Africa's bloodiest, claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. Entire villages were emptied as people fled. Child soldiers committed atrocities, raping and murdering people of all ages. At the forefront of this war was one Joshua Milton Blahyi, popularly known as General Butt Naked for fighting stark naked. Blahyi claimed to a South African Star reporter that he "met Satan regularly and talked to him" and that from age of 11 to 25 he took part in monthly human sacrifices. In his account of a typical battle Blahyi claimed, "So, before leading my troops into battle, we would get drunk and drugged up, sacrifice a local teenager, drink the blood, then strip down to our shoes and go into battle wearing colorful wigs and carrying imaginary purses we'd looted from civilians. We'd slaughter anyone we saw, chop their heads off and use them as soccer balls. We were nude, fearless, drunk yet strategic
At the height of his atrocious career, Butt Naked suddenly disappeared from the battle front, only to return with the most bizarre of tales.
"I found Jesus..." was his explanation. "I have reformed..."
A man who professes to have killed more than 20,000 people either directly or as a result of orders issued at his command, says he has take a 180 degree turn. From being a ruthless killer to being a fighter for justice and defender of the man on the street. "The children I orphaned, I will father. I will be a brother to those whose siblings I killed"
Many are still baffled at this turn around but Joshua is undeterred. "Even if they have to kill me, throw me into prison, I am not afraid anymore because I am free because of what Jesus did for me."
Joshua appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Liberia which recommended him for amnesty and to be exempted from trial by the ICC. However, while his fellow comrades and commanding officers seat in parliament or hold prominent positions in the country, Joshua continues to go around the country asking for forgiveness for his wrongdoing and attempts to rebuild the ruins he helped create. What sparked interest in this man is the fact that he will be launching his book in Cape Town in a week's time and it leaves me wondering is it not possible that people can truly change?
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text:
Barocco sempre giovane is a professional Czech chamber orchestra.

Barocco sempre giovane (Baroque forever young) was founded in 2004 by a violoncellist Josef Krečmer. It is a chamber ensemble consisting of young musicians, standing organist and harpsichordist is Pavel Svoboda, concert master is Iva Kramperová. It makes CD recordings, performs on Czech television and cooperates regularly with Czech Radio. The young performers focus primarily on the music of the European baroque and classical masters, as well as the contemporary music (Luboš Sluka, Slavomír Hořínka, Vít Zouhar).

Concert performances
The concert activities of the orchestra include performances at music festivals in the Czech Republic (in 2010 it will be Prague Spring International Music Festival, and Brno International Music Festival) and abroad (Belgium, Slovakia, Spain). Barocco sempre giovane cooperates with renowned soloists: Václav Hudeček, Michaela Fukačová, Ivan Ženatý, Ludmila Vernerová, Jiří Stivín, and Jaroslav Tůma.

External links
 Official websites
 Fan Club, Facebook.com
 Prague Spring International Music Festival 2010
 Concerts in Spain, Carmen Picanyol

Czech classical music groups
Czech orchestras
Musical groups established in 2004
2004 establishments in the Czech Republic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Axel Boëthius (Arvika, -Rome, ) est un archéologue et étruscologue suédois.

Biographie

Il fait ses études classiques à l'Université d'Uppsala où il obtient un doctorat de philologie (1918) et y devient professeur (1918-1926).

Engagé politiquement, il participe à l'expédition militaire suédoise en Finlande lors de la guerre civile finlandaise au sein de la brigade suédoise en 1918. Il tire un récit de cette expérience, Svenska brigaden, en 1920.

De 1921 à 1924, il participe aux fouilles de Mycènes et est nommé en 1925, à Rome, directeur du premier Institut suédois des études classiques. Après les fouilles d'Ardea où il forme quelques étudiants (1930-1934), il fait partie des premiers membres étrangers de l'Institut des études étrusco-italiques de Florence (1933) et est aussi membre de nombreuses autres institutions dont l'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei et la Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia. Il participe ainsi aux travaux de San Giovenale, Luni sul Mignone et Acquarossa.

Il obtient en 1935 la chaire de philologie classique et d'histoire antique à l'École supérieure puis à l'Université de Göteborg dont il sera recteur en 1946.

En 1952-1953, il devient de nouveau le directeur de l'Institut suédois de Rome (1952-1953).

Travaux
 Die Pythaïs, 1918
 Svenska brigaden, 1920 (sur son expérience militaire lors de la guerre civile finlandaise)
 Zur Topographie des dorischen Argos, 1922
 Korfu, 1923
 Hellenistic Mycenae, 1924
 Det fürhistorika Greklan, 1927
 Das Stadtbild im spätrepublikanischen Rom, 1935
 Roman und Greek Town Architecture, 1948
 San Giovenale, Etruskerna landet arch folket. Svensk forskning i Etrurien, 1960
 The Golden House of Nero, 1960
 Etruscan Culture, 1963
 Etruscan and Roman Architecture, avec J. Ward-Perkins, 1970, rééd. 1994

Notes et références

Bibliographie

 M. Pallottino, Axel Boëthius, in Studi Etruschi , 1969, p. 569-671
 Ève Gran-Aymerich, Les chercheurs de passé, Éditions du CNRS, 2007, p. 617-618

Liens externes

Archéologue suédois du XXe siècle
Étruscologue
Naissance en juillet 1889
Naissance à Arvika
Décès en mai 1969
Décès à Rome
Décès à 79 ans


text:
package org.lightadmin.core.config;

import java.io.File;
import java.net.URI;

public interface LightAdminConfiguration {

    String getBasePackage();

    String getApplicationBaseUrl();

    String getApplicationUrl(String path);

    URI getApplicationRestBaseUrl();

    boolean isSecurityEnabled();

    String getSecurityLogoutUrl();

    String getBackToSiteUrl();

    File getFileStorageDirectory();

    boolean isFileStreamingEnabled();

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Services/সেবাসমূহ
টেলিফোন
ইন্টারনেট
ওয়েবসেবা
ডাটা লিঙ্ক
ট্রান্সমিশন
কো-লোকেশন
.বাংলা ও .bd ডোমেইন
About BTCL
BTCL Employee
Article_007
telecom day/
xDSL: Broadband made Easy
Md. Abdul Mutaleb
CEO, Emem Systems Ltd.
That familiar eeeeeeh … du, du, du, du du ….. screech that your dial-up modem makes when you connect to the Internet is rapidly becoming a sound of the past, not because of the annoying screech but because of the demand for greater bandwidth and faster Internet connections.
Most mid-level home and small office computers are capable of more than 1GHz processing and are only seriously hampered when they log into a dial-up Internet connection. The analogue telephone frequency range has a limited bandwidth, so if data communication equipment is limited to only use that range, then only small amounts of information can be sent and received over the phone line at one time. In the same way that more lanes on a highway enable more cars to travel on it at one time, broadband telecommunication enables a wide band of frequencies or channels to transmit information concurrently on a wire, which means more information, can be sent in a given amount of time.
There are number of broadband access platforms, but the one with the most rapid uptake is DSL. Other broadband platforms include leased line, fibre optics, fixed wireless access (FWA), mobile wireless etc. A data from recent past have shown that the DSL users account for 65.70% of the total worldwide broadband market. DSL is also accounts for 88% of all broadband users in Middle East and Africa – the fastest growing broadband region. In EU the market share is 81%. China has the most DSL subscribers in the world which is approx 100 millions in the year 2010. DSL is the default choice for broadband users in India which is more than 10 million.
What is DSL?
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a broadband connection that uses the existing telephone line. DSL provides high-speed data transmissions over the twisted copper wire, the so-called "lastmile" or "local loop", that connects a customer's home or office to their local telephone company Central Offices (COs).There are a number of different types of DSL and they are referred to collectively as xDSL.
How does DSL work?
The traditional phone service (also known as the Plain Old Telephone Service or POTS) was created to exchange voice information using an analogue signal. Computers, however, use digital signals to communicate, so in order for this signal to travel over the telephone network, a modem is needed to convert the digital data to analogue and back again.
The telephone analogue frequency uses only a small proportion of the bandwidth on a line (under 4kHz).The maximum amount of data that conventional dial-up modems can transmit through a POTS system is about 56Kbps. Using this method to send data, the transmission through the telephone company is a bandwidth bottleneck. Typical telephone cabling is capable of supporting a greater range of frequencies (around 1MHz). With DSL modems, the digital signal is not limited to 4kHz of voice frequencies, as it does not need to travel through the telephone switching system. DSL modems enable up to 1MHz of bandwidth to be used for transmitting digital (data) alongside analogue (voice) signals on the same wire by separating the signals, thereby preventing the signals from interfering with each other. Figure 1 shows how the analogue and digital frequencies are split.
Figure 1: Splitting the frequencies
DSL modems establish a connection from one end of a copper wire to the other end of that copper wire, as shown in Figure 2. Although DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line, DSL actually signifies the pair of modems at each end of a line and not the line at all. So when customers buy a DSL connection they actually buy the modems or the use of the modems at each end of a line. In contrast, dial-up modems establish a data stream between two arbitrary points using the entire telephone system—from the sender's local loop, through the telephone switching system and then to the receiver's local loop. These dial-up modem connections can span continents, with one end being thousands of kilometers from the other
Figure 2: DSL connection setup
What are the variants of DSL?
There are numerous different DSL technologies. The range of DSL types reflects the numerous different applications requiring different data rates. Generally speaking, the variations of DSL technology have been implemented to meet the needs of different users, such as home users, small to medium sized businesses, schools and colleges. The following table gives comparison of the data rates and their applications.
Comparison of DSL types
DSL type
Maximum Downstream Data rate
Maximum Upstream Data rate
Maximum Wire Length
HDSL
High data rate Digital Subscriber Line
2.048 Mbps (E1)
3.7 km with three lines for E1
HDSL is for data only. It does not allow telephone connection over the same line.
Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Individual customer premises with a single telephone line
SHDSL
Symmetric High bit rate Digital Subscriber Line
2.3 Mbps (single wire pair)
4.6 Mbps (two wire pairs)
3 km at 2.3 Mbps
Business applications requiring greater bandwidth in both directions
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Home and small office users who require faster download rates for video on demand, home shopping, Internet access, remote LAN access, multimedia access
ADSL lite
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line lite
Residential and small office users wanting a simple plug and play setup
ADSL 2
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line two
ADSL 2 addresses the growing demand for more bandwidth to support services such as video.
ADSL 2+
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line two plus
ADSL 2+ enables even greater downstream data rates for subscribers who are relatively near to the telephone exchange
ADSL 2++
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line two plus plus
ADSL 2++ proposes to further increase downstream data rates for customers who are relatively near the telephone exchange.
Symmetric and Asymmetric
Very high rate Digital Subscriber Line
Symmetric 10 Mbps
Asymmetric – 52 Mbps over short distance
Campus environment where there is short distance to a neighborhood cabinet that is linked by fiber optic to the exchange. VDSL handles a number of high bandwidth applications such as VPNs, file down/up loading, VOD, HDTV, broadcast TV, tele-medicine, tele-conferencing, surveillance systems.
What are the benefits of DSL?
DSL is a more cost effective option than many other broadband connections, such as leased lines, terrestrial broadcast, cable and cable modem, satellite and fibre optic connections, because it is able to take advantage of the existing telephone infrastructure for both voice and data traffic. Only the user's modem and the telecommunications equipment need to be upgraded when moving to a DSL connection because it utilizes the existing cable infrastructure. DSL is always on, always fast and always reliable. DSL connections are point-to-point dedicated circuits that are always connected, so there is no time lost dialing up. In a nutshell DSL leverages the investment on copper network by providing multi service like internet, video, e-learning, IPTV etc through the same copper infrastructure which was meant for voice only.
Focus on ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), an important variant of the DSL family, has become very popular. With ADSL, most of the data bandwidth is devoted to sending data downstream towards the user and a smaller proportion of the bandwidth is available for sending data upstream towards the service provider. This scenario suits Internet browsing applications, which typically involve much more downstream than upstream dataflow.
How is an ADSL network setup?
When digital data is sent from a customer's premises, it travels from their computer through a DSL modem and a splitter. When analogue voice signals are sent from a customer's telephone they are also sent through the splitter, which combines the analogue voice and digital data signals, enabling them to be sent over the same line.
At the other end of the line, the local loop goes into a splitter at the local phone company's COs, which splits the digital data frequencies from the analogue voice frequencies. The voice frequencies are sent to the local telephone exchange and the digital data is sent to a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) before being sent on to the Internet Service Provider (ISP).The digital data never enters the standard telephone switching system.
Voice and data frequencies going in the opposite direction—to the customer's premises—follow the reverse route from the ISP through a DSLAM, then a splitter at the CO, and are then sent over the copper wires to the customer's site before being split again.
The DSLAM is the equipment that really allows DSL to happen. The DSLAM handles the high speed digital data stream coming from numerous customers and aggregates it onto a single high-capacity connection (ATM or Gigabit Ethernet line) to the Internet Service Provider and vice versa. DSLAMs are generally flexible and can support a number of different DSL connections as well as different protocol and modulation technologies in the same type of DSL. Figure 3 shows how an ADSL network is setup.
Figure 3: ADSL Network Setup
How does DSL get more bandwidth from the same old copper wires?
The DSL transmission technology exploits the fact that all telephone signals are below 4 kHz in frequency and makes use of the rest of the 1MHz that a typical copper pair line can support. ADSL modems use specialised modulation technology to divide the available bandwidth on a copper pair line and create multiple channels for sending and receiving signals.
Modulation technologies
Modulation is the overlaying of information (or the signal) onto an electronic or optical carrier waveform. There are two competing and incompatible standards for modulating the ADSL signal, known as Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) and Carrier less Amplitude Phase (CAP). CAP was the original technology used for DSL deployments, but the most widely used method now is DMT.
Discrete Multi-tone (DMT)
Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT), the most widely used modulation method, separates the DSL signal so that the usable frequency range is separated into 256 channels of 4.3125 kHz each. DMT has 224 downstream frequency bins (or carriers) and 32 upstream frequency bins. Up to 15 bits per signal can be encoded on each frequency bin on a good quality line.
Figure 4: Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT)
Each of the 256 channels is monitored separately to ensure the data traveling along it is not impaired. DMT constantly shifts signals between different channels to ensure that the best channels are used for transmission and reception. DMT can take advantage of all usable tones in the spectrum and works around areas where interference is present. Some of the lower channels can be used as bi-directional channels for both upstream and downstream information. DMT is more complex than CAP because it monitors and sorts out the information on the bidirectional channels and maintains the quality on all of the 256 channels. DMT also provides more flexibility on lines of differing quality than CAP.
What are the main factors affecting the performance of DSL?
There are a number of factors that can affect DSL performance. The most common factors are attenuation, bridge taps, load coils and cross talk. Other factors affecting performance include return loss, longitudinal balance, noise, split pairs, gauge changes, and interruptions. Environmental factors can also have adverse affects on the transmission lines used for telecommunications.
Attenuation: With all DSL technologies there is a trade off between the data rate and cable distance, so as the distance between the customer's premises and Telephone Company's local office increases the data rate drops. On network cables, the degradation of the digital signal or a loss of amplitude of an electric signal during transmission is known as attenuation. As the line length increases, the downstream frequencies suffer from attenuation, which also increases with higher temperatures.
Bridge Taps: A bridge tap is an extra length of wire with an unterminated cable end, which is connected to the local loop. Bridge taps are usually left over when a new subscriber is connected to existing pair of copper wires, and the original subscriber at the end of another pair is disconnected, leaving an open lead at that end of the wire. When the DSL signal is sent across the wire, it reflects through the bridge tap cable pair towards the open lead and then bounces back along the wire. This signal is then mixed with the original signal and can confuse the modem. However, most modems will only listen to the stronger original signal and ignore the weaker, reflected signal. Most cable pairs in the world have bridge taps that should be removed before installing a DSL connection in order to ensure a clear signal.
Crosstalk: Crosstalk is a disturbance in a circuit that is caused by the electric or magnetic fields of another telecommunication signal. This disturbance can cause a severe degradation in transmission. The two main types of crosstalk are Near End Crosstalk (NEXT) and Far End Crosstalk (FEXT). NEXT occurs when a strong local transmitter interferes with another collocated receiver and is the most problematic. FEXT is when there is interference at the receiving end. Other DSL lines in the same bundle of wires may cause crosstalk with each other, depending on their frequency ranges. For example, if a E1 line is running in the same bundle with a DSL line, some of the frequencies may not be useable. The AM radio frequency, which goes up from around 600kHz, may also interfere with DSL lines.
Return Loss: Return loss is a measure of the ratio of signal transmitted into a system to the amount of the signal that is reflected back to the source. Return loss is caused by an incorrectly terminated line and can reveal line faults that are caused by mismatching.
Longitudinal Balance: It is important for xDSL services that the resistance to the flow of a current in a circuit (or impedance) to earth, for each conductor, is as equal as possible. This balance is known as longitudinal balance. When the line is balanced, there is no difference between the signals on the two conductors.
Noise: The total power in a transmission line is made up of the signal and noise. Noise is always present but it should always be kept as low as possible in relationship to the signal. Factors that introduce noise are: radio and television transmitters, power distribution systems, electrical machinery and mechanical vibration.
Impulse Noise Brief, but large spikes of electrical interference (typically caused by power switching equipment). DMT modulation (which has a relatively long cycle time) is quite tolerant of this sort of disturbance.
Split Pairs Split pairs occur when one conductor in a pair becomes separated from the other conductor. Split pairs result in noise, crosstalk and radiation, and seriously degrade xDSL services.
Gauge Changes While conductors with different gauges are suitable for xDSL connections, mixing the gauges in cable runs can cause impairments that affect the line's ability to carry xDSL services.
Worldwide the telcos have embraced the DSL technology which helped them to earn substantial amount of revenue by introducing assorted education and entertainment broadband services. BTCL is uniquely positioned in Bangladesh who is the only operator who can provide DSL service. DSL technology can help cease the declining trend of subscriber acquisition of BTCL and turn the huge copper infrastructure as a gold mine leveraging the investment which was meant for voice service. The prospect of this field proven service seems very bright if the following recommendations are taken into consideration:
Improvement of existing age old copper infrastructure
Deployment of ONUs (Optical Network Unit) in places far away from exchanges and where copper cable is not at par to the standard of ADSL service
Introducing FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) where the cabinet will host the DSLAMs thus bringing down the distance from DSLAM to subscriber site to a minimum. This will enable to provide highest possible bandwidth to the subscriber's end.
Introducing video services like IPTV, VOD(Video On Demand) will popularize this technology.
Deployment of ADSL service to Upazilla level exchanges which will help government to materialize 'Digital Bangladesh'.
Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited
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Dkaka-1000, Bangladesh.
TEL: PABX: (880) 2 9320075-6, 9320080-3
Managing Director's Phone: +880 2 48311500
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Those of us who have a Facebook account must have come across a security tip that says: "Don't use your Facebook password anywhere else online". Unfortunately, it seems that Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, did not take his own advice seriously. According to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts were taken over because he re-used a password: "dadada".
Here's a bit of intelligence that all computer users should know: Stolen passwords are sold and bought routinely all over the Internet. In fact, since May of 2016, the website Leakedsource.com, which sells access to the stolen information, has added close to one billion records of email addresses and passwords.
Hackers use these passwords to break into other accounts (other than the accounts which these passwords originally "served"), hoping that they will stumble on users, who, like Mr. Zuckerberg, reuse their passwords in multiple accounts.
What can we do to minimize exposure to such unpleasantness? Well, to begin with, take Facebook's advice and don't re-use your passwords. Still, if you suspect that your account has been hacked you can use the site HaveIBeenPwned.com. to figure out if your email account has been compromised. You go to the website, enter your email address or username, and it will search through almost a billion records of accounts that have been leaked.
Another thing that you can do is to turn on the two-factor authentication for your most important accounts. For example, entering a code that's sent to you by text message along with your usual username and password combination.
The report examines each of these markets geographically, focusing on the top 95% of global markets, in the United States, Europe, and Asia.