Graham Crowden , the actor, who died on October 17 aged 87, brought a powerful, idiosyncratic manner to scores of secondary roles in the theatre and on the screen.
Immensely tall with striking features — huge hollow eyes, a high forehead and a guttural voice — Crowden loomed with Dickensian relish over almost every part he played, whether in the theatre or on television in such series as A Very Peculiar Practice, in which he played Jock, or the three part drama All Passion Spent (both 1986). In Waiting for God (1990-1994) he starred opposite Stephanie Cole, together playing reluctant inhabitants of a retirement home.
Under George Devine at the Royal Court, Laurence Olivier at the National or Bernard Miles at the Mermaid, Crowden was one of the busiest players in the postwar theatrical generation, playing the title role in both parts of Henry IV and Prospero in The Tempest. He became a stalwart with the Royal Shakespeare Company in its Aldwych period and acted opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Ibsen and Chekhov in the West End.
Crowden notably brought his brand of mournful mirth to the First Player in the National Theatre premiere of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1967) blending the dramatic and sardonic with particular force. To the line proclaiming: "The single assumption that makes our existence viable is that there is someone watching us," Crowden brought memorable, metaphysical impact.
On film, meanwhile, his larger-than-life personality encompassed madcap professors, wild-eyed warriors or visionary men of the cloth whose unfrocking seemed imminent. Often directed by Lindsay Anderson, with whom Crowden had worked at the Royal Court in its postwar heyday, his more notable screen appearances were If … (1968); The Ruling Class (1972); Jabberwocky (1977); The Company of Wolves (1984) and A Handful of Dust (1988).
Until Waiting for God (which ran from 1990 for 45 episodes), he was not known as a television star, although his appearances were many and included Emergency Ward 10 (as an eccentric flautist); Porridge; The Professionals; and The Brack Report. More recently he had appeared in the film Calendar Girls (2003) and in Waking the Dead (2007) and Foyle's War (2008).
So many were the offers of work that he was able to turn down the title role in Doctor Who after the departure of Jon Pertwee, though he later appeared in an episode of the long-running science-fiction series as a villain opposite Tom Baker.
Clement Graham Crowden was born on November 30 1922 in Edinburgh and educated at Edinburgh Academy. He was in his early twenties before he turned to the theatre, beginning his professional career in 1944 as a student assistant stage manager at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford, where he walked on in various plays. Repertory work followed and he gained wide experience at Stratford East, Dundee, Nottingham Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic and the Citizens, Glasgow.
At the Open Air theatre, Regent's Park, he had numerous small parts in the 1952 season. His first real London appearance came in July 1956, at the Old Vic in Major Barbara.
A year later he began his long association with the Royal Court where, from 1957 to 1965, he appeared in many roles including that of counsel in NF Simpson's One Way Pendulum (1959); the sadistic doctor in Ionesco's Exit The King (1963); and Casca in Julius Caesar (1964).
He joined Laurence Olivier's newly-established National Theatre Company in 1965 and stayed for three years before leaving to appear at the Bath Festival in The Servant of Two Masters. He returned to the Old Vic in 1972 to play Archie in Stoppard's Jumpers.
Graham Crowden was married to Phyllida Hewat who, along with their four children, survives him.


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Q: How to upload files to databse using django in blob? I want to create a biometric authentication system, so i need to save bimetric data(thumb image) to database in blob. How to do same using django?

A: you can use a TextField
file = models.TextField(
            db_column='data',
            blank=True)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When Jupiter transits the Tenth House the desire for growth and expansion influences your career, vocation, sense of responsibility and the structure of your life. This transit will improve your career prospects through promotion or recognition for earlier work. You might want to expand the scope of your professional life or status in society so you can accomplish more. You might look for a better job or try to improve your current work situation in some way. This might involve quitting a secure job with good pay in order to take up the opportunity to pursue your true vocation. You won't necessarily get more money, but you'll enjoy the work and feel that it has a future.
Your self-confidence will be high now and opportunities should come your way. You might gain rewards from earlier work or bring an ongoing project to a successful conclusion. Your professional life should be flowing smoothly and you'll be able to make progress and expand your business. This won't be the peak of your professional achievement – that comes when Saturn crosses the Midheaven and enters the 10th house. But Jupiter here means you're on your way and you can take advantage of this time to grow in the direction that's right for you. Be careful not to overdo the expansion or push yourself too far. Plan wisely and think things through to ensure you have a safety net should the business encounter difficulties later.
This caution applies to your attitude too. You'll want to push yourself forward as much as you can to improve your career and social standing, but try not to become overbearing and arrogant. Jupiter can bring greater success but it can also expand your ego. Don't start to believe you're better or more important than you really are, and try to be realistic about what you actually have accomplished.
But since many people tend to underestimate themselves and their achievements, there's a chance that this transit will just mean you have the opportunity to feel good about yourself for a change. You'll be feeling more confident now which will make it easier to believe in yourself.
Jupiter expands and clarifies your vision and sense of vocation. You know where you're going and where you want to end up, and this could be the time when you finally get there, or make a greater effort to do so. Any effort you make now will produce results more easily, as if the way has been cleared for you, and you'll feel capable of handling whatever comes your way.


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Grassroots Profiles
Coronavirus strikes Hispanics in Fairfax at six times the rate of whites
By Julie Galdo:
Hispanics are six times more likely to get sick from coronavirus in Fairfax County than non-Hispanic whites, according to data from the Fairfax County Health Department.
It has been widely reported that COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities in many parts of our country and the world. But the stark truth is we have an under-reported problem right here in Fairfax County.
As of the end of April, 51.5% of reported cases were people of Hispanic origin — more than three times their 16.8% percent of the population.Meanwhile, non-Hispanic whites comprise 52.1% of the population but account for only 24.9% of COVID-19 cases.
The reasons for the inequities of ethnic minorities are many. According to the CDC they include living conditions, work circumstances, underlying health conditions, and lower access to care. Poverty, stigma and systematic inequalities underpin it all.
In Fairfax, these are not new problems. In 2017, the Urban Institute published a report, Racial Inequities in Fairfax County, 2011-2015 outlining disparities in educational attainment, income, employment, homeownership and mobility.
Could this be a moment in time when real change could happen, when these problems could be addressed?
Many Democrats look at the suffering and upheaval caused by COVID-19 and ask if this might spark political will for the societal changes we have long sought: universal access to healthcare, a fair minimum wage, a humane and realistic immigration policy, jobs programs, childcare, more equitable access to post-secondary training and education, and help for families and troubled youth.
While many of these policy changes will ultimately happen at the federal and state levels, this may also be a time when Democrats in Fairfax County should declare the need for action to create equity for Hispanics in our county. Perhaps this is a time for ownership of the challenges and for a vision of what could be.
Beyond being the right thing to do, we can look at this from a self-interested perspective. Hispanics are critical to the future of our party. Aggressive outreach to Hispanics during the 2018 campaign was smart. But to earn their ongoing support, we need to acknowledge the breadth of the problems they face, now exposed so brutally by COVID-19. We know what the challenges are. We have immense talent, rich diversity and assets to build on. Let's get moving.
Photo: In diverse Fairfax County, symbolized by this lineup of public school kids, Hispanics are bearing the brunt of coronavirus infections, with more than half the total. Source: Fairfax County Public Schools
Julia Hunter Galdo is retired from the American Institutes for Research where she was Managing Director for Health Communication. She is a member of the Providence District Democratic Committee and Virginia Democracy Forward.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/chef-cookbooks/chef_bork.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/chef-cookbooks/chef_bork)
[![Cookbook Version](https://img.shields.io/cookbook/v/chef_bork.svg)](https://supermarket.chef.io/cookbooks/chef_bork)

This cookbook brings the custom resource syntax from Chef 12.5 to earlier Chef 12.X releases.

Requirements
------------
#### Platforms
- All platforms supported by Chef

#### Chef
- Chef 12.0+

#### Cookbooks
- [https://supermarket.chef.io/cookbooks/compat_resource](compat_resource)

## Usage

To use this cookbook, put *both* `depends 'compat_resource'` and `depends 'chef_bork'` in the metadata.rb of your cookbook. Once this is done, you can use all the new crazy features
in 12.0-12.5.

##License & Authors

**Author:** John Keiser (<jkeiser@chef.io>)

**Copyright:** 2015, Chef Software, Inc.
```
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Experiencing the Traditional Delicacy of Whale Meat in the Faroe Islands
Our contributor shares a unique experience while visiting the chain of 18 islands in the North Atlantic Ocean
Eating whale meat is a tradition in the Faroe Islands.
The Faroe Islands are a chain of 18 islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Scotland and right between Iceland and Norway. The people of the islands have a true Viking heritage, with Norwegian and Celtic backgrounds. You can get there by taking the Faroese airlines, Atlantic Airlines...and financially, it makes sense to make a grand trip out of it by flying from Reykjavik, Iceland (other flight origin options include places like Denmark and Norway). If you prefer the sea to air, there are also car ferries that will take you to the Faroes from Iceland.
In such a rarely remarked upon part of Europe, what do the people there eat? I first heard about the Faroes on Animal Planet's show Whale Wars, where its rather insufferable protagonist, Paul Watson, challenged the right of the islanders to eat what they've been eating for 1,000 years — the Pilot whale. You might be surprised to find that out that quite a few cultures consider whale a delicacy. The Pilot whale (which is quite small with a strong flavor) is what people mainly eat in the Faroes; there are several varieties of whale that people all over the planet enjoy.
While traditional restaurants can be great, you should definitely try out an in-home meal once or twice. In Søldarfjørður, a certain Mr. and Mrs. Hansen have what they call a "home visit" for lunch or dinner at their house — a private experience, though during busy times, there may be other diners present. In what was once the family's work shed (people in the Faroes do a lot of meat and fish drying) is the charming dinner space for visitors, where you will find vintage family photos and a large dining table. If you wish, you can also dine privately in their garden with a stunning vista of mountains and the sea. Make arrangements in advance for dinner, which will probably work out to be about $50 US per person. Additionally, they can arrange hiking in the nearby mountains, fishing, and even sheep farming!
Discovering The Faroe Islands – Skerpi
This is the first of two posts on my recent visit to Føroyar – The Faroe Islands. A visit long overdue, and a visit which will forever stay with me. The Faroe Islands have been part of the Danish Realm since 1814, (have been self governing since 1948, though), but to me – like to too many other Danes – The Faroe Islands have never been a place I've felt compelled to travel to. I mean, it's just a few islands in the middle of the Atlantic, right?
This post will be a bit out of the ordinary. I feel, I cannot just describe the Faroese food without touching on the nature, the people and the relation between Denmark and The Faroe Islands. So, before getting to the food part of the story, I have to tell you, why I decided to go there – and I have to go back a few years…
Leif Sørensen is a leading Faroese chef and co-signatory of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto (2004). In his youth he worked at Michelin-starred kitchens in Copenhagen before returning to the Faroe Islands in 1999. In April 2011 he and sous chef Poul Andrias Ziska opened KOKS restaurant.
According to its Facebook page, KOKS is characterized by its unique Faroese identity and by its com mitment to sustainable and local products and it truly was the first fine dining and gourmet restaurant on the Faroe Islands. Today Poul Andrias has taken over as head chef while Leif is engaged with research and development.
I first got acquainted with Leif Sørensen when I attended the MAD2 Symposium in 2012. He gave a humble but touching speech called From Nothing – Till Something. It was about his restaurant and his ambition to change the Faroes' gastronomic culture, despite of the scepticism among the locals. Some people thought Leif had become mad as he tried to grow strawberries on the islands, or when he lobbied for the the law to be changed so that he could serve local sheep instead of imported Icelandic ones.
What really upset the locals was not that Leif tried out some new stuff, but that he insisted on food as a source of pleasure. The Faroe Islands have always been – and still is – a very religious society and until recently (1992) serving alcoholic beverages was outright forbidden. Considering food as something else than a mean for survival was, to some locals, not… prober. And to think that the local, fermented fish and sheep were something you could use for fine dining was of course just silly.
I just loved this tale of one man having grown up with a cuisine where everything just went into one pot, where flavours were a byproduct of the need for storing food, and turning into a highly skilled chef on a mission to change food culture, almost all by himself. Changing the food culture to preserve it, that is – not wiping it out to introduce something from abroad.
I was intrigued and knew that day, that I had to visit this restaurant of his.
It took me 4 years, but thanks to native Faroese Jan Restorff, manager of Søllerød Kro, who casually reminded me that the world's best sea urchins are from the Faroe Islands, I finally booked a four day trip at the end of April 2015. I don't regret it.
View from the road to Saksun
The road to Saksun – a small bygd on the island of Streymoy. The drive on a single lane road without any guardrails during a whiteout is one of the things reminding you, that while Føroyar is a generally a warm, welcoming and hospitable place, sometimes nature just wants to kill you. As you can see on the photos throughout the post, weather changes rapidly. From sun and nice weather on day one to gale and snowstorms day two and three. A few hundred meters of altitude or being on one side of a mountain or the other can mean the difference between quite nice weather and a blizzard.
View from Bøur on Vága
The Faroe Islands truly are a bit different. It feels like a very, very old place, slowly wakening up to find itself a part of a globalised world. Local, affluent and very dedicated people are funding campaigns aimed to draw tourists to this little spot in the midst of the giant sea, and the same people are funding several of the restaurants to make sure that the tourists have somewhere to eat.
Gale force winds at Gjógv bay.
Gjógv ravine
This tourist initiative doesn't feel "made" or inauthentic – it's all very transparent: They want you to come visit, and they want you to experience the islands for what they are, while enjoying great food and great wine. There is nothing about the Faroe Islands that makes you feel pampered, but the hospitality is outstanding.
The great experience started already on the flight. A few years back the trip would have been expensive, uncomfortable and down-right dangerous, but today the Faroese Atlantic Airways operates three modern and very comfortable Airbus 319s, the service is excellent, and the seat pitch in economy better than anything I've tried – even the inflight meal was good, made from local salmon and lamb. The landing at Vága airport is not for the faint of heart, though. Even though the landing strip has been extended, the approach can be… exciting. But in a very beautiful way, trust me.
Our first stop was at the 62N counter to pick up our rental car and then we drove the 40 mins to Tórshavn and Hotel Føroyar.
The view over Torshavn from the hotel
Fermented cod hanging outside the hjallur Skerpi
We stayed at the Hotel Føroyar and were invited for a light lunch after our arrival. Poul Andrias wanted us to try some traditional produce that he cannot serve at the restaurant. In Skerpi – a hjallur (a small house on wheels) KOKS hangs and serves traditional Faroese food. The real stuff.
Consider this. Despite their high northern latitude, it almost never freezes in the Faroe Islands. The Atlantic Ocean stabilises the air temperature, so before the deep freezer was introduced, you couldn't preserve food by freezing. You had the options of salting or drying your fish or your meat, and hanging the meat outdoors (and thus letting it ferment due to the bacteria in the air) was the cheapest option of the two. Meat and fish were hung i hjallurs: Small wooden, well ventilated houses. Every family had one.
The view from Skerpi
Karin Visth, Sommelier, Andreas Ziska Head Chef at KOKS
Very, very talented people.
Fermented pilot whale
From left: saltedwhale blubber, dried cod, potatoes and fermented whale meat
The first serving was for us was whale blubber, potatoes and fermented whale meat. The traditional way of eating this, we were told, is to wrap the potatoes and the salted blubber in two slices of whale meat.
The whale had a deep irony flavour and a dry leathery texture that reminded me of the italian salted and dried bresaola. The taste of mammal infused with fish, concentrated by the fermentation process is quite something, though. In combination with the potatoes it was good, but I don't think it's something I could eat a lot of. The flavour is so intense and so special, that I think it's something you have to grow up with to truly love.
We were instructed to dip the fermented cod in butter. The texture was hard and dry but the taste was fine and mild-ish.
It's sad, but the pilot whale is in fact not considered human food anymore because it is full of mercury and other heavy metals from the pollution of the Atlantic Ocean, and it is recommended not to eat it more than once or twice a month.
2012 Domaine Alexandre Bain Pouilly-Fumé
This very delicious 2012 Domaine Alexandre Bain Pouilly-Fumé had an aromatic note and a nip of sweetness to it that matched the powerful food very well.
Fermented sheep, sheep sausages and bread
Fermented sheep from three different areas of the Faroes, two different lamb sausages and Faroese bread. The sausage in the upper middle of the photo was excellent and very mild to the sheep taste. I really liked it. There were clear differences in the taste of the three different pieces of fermented lamb: Even though they were of the same race and age, the microclimate of the three different bygds and the difference in the bacterial composition in the air have resulted in clearly different flavours. Very interesting.
Fried potatoes and fermented cod with chives and onions, and on the side we got melted, fermented sheep tallow to pour over. The tallow had a really, really powerful smell of sheep and the taste was equally strong. Not my favourite thing, to be honest. It's an acquired taste, I guess. Acquired over a really long time. The fried cod and the potatoes were very good.
Danish ham dried on Faroe Islands– exquisite!
Danish cheese aged on the Faroe Islands served grated and with crunchy popped seeds on top. The taste was lightly nutty and similar to the French Comté. Lovely.
The meat is being fermented in the extended room in the hjallur Skerpi where the wind can pass trough but a net is protecting from insects etc. Here it is cod, sheep, pilot whale, and to the right, the infamous fermented sheep tallow.
So, a few hours after leaving Copenhagen I was dropped directly into the depth of the Faroese food traditions. What a wonderful start on the trip.
Watch the video: Inupiaq food: A Barrow family describes how whale is prepared (January 2022).
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German spiced biscuits recipe
Copyright 2022 \ Experiencing the Traditional Delicacy of Whale Meat in the Faroe Islands...


A couple of fairly crazy, free-thinking professors have formulated a new ideology they call Radical Markets. I've read their book — it's a bizarre but compelling amalgam of Henry George, Adam Smith and extremist libertarianism. One of their insane ideas is something along the lines that no one should own anything, but that property should always go to the highest bidder. Anyway, their op-ed in today's NYT joins in the call for a renewed Progressive-Era -inspired form of trust busting. Advocates for stronger antitrust need to make a stronger case that regulation, which always tends to fail and to be turned into a tool for the regulated industry, can be effectively used to make the economy more competitive.


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Emerson Invests $49 Million in New Global HQ
ST. LOUIS — Emerson today announced a strategic investment of $49 million to build a new global headquarters in Brookfield, Conn., for its Branson assembly technologies product line. The new facility will include state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, manufacturing space, and a customer experience center. Branson-branded products are leading customer-focused solutions for plastic joining, ultrasonic metal joining and precision processing.
"Our new headquarters will provide a showcase for the great work we do here in Connecticut to drive growth and innovation, including high-tech spaces where customers can see our products in action," said John Meek, president of assembly technologies for Emerson. "This exciting investment will help us continue delivering world-class Branson solutions to our customers while attracting and retaining the next generation of engineers and manufacturing leaders."
Emerson has purchased a 13-acre parcel in Brookfield's Berkshire Industrial Park, less than two miles from the existing Danbury headquarters and has received local approvals to build on the site. Groundbreaking for the construction of the new facility is currently scheduled for June 2019. The new 140,000-square-foot building will house the 220 professional staff, engineers and production team in the current headquarters.
"At Emerson, we specialize in collaborating with manufacturers to identify technology-driven solutions to the challenges they face, which will be made possible at this new, modern facility," said Lal Karsanbhai, executive president of Emerson's Automation Solutions business. "We look forward to building this state-of-the-art facility to support the development of new and innovative technology solutions to address the materials joining and precision cleaning needs of the automotive, medical, food and beverage, consumer products and electronics industries."
"Emerson greatly appreciates the incentives approved by the town of Brookfield and the state of Connecticut to support this important project for our Branson portfolio, and we look forward to continued investment in this community," Meek added.
Emerson expects to open its new assembly technologies headquarters in late 2020. Features of the new facility will include:
An expanded, high-tech laboratory to support new product development, customer applications and technical services while facilitating the transfer of technical knowledge to the next generation of engineers.
Modern manufacturing space to house the production and assembly of highly engineered tooling, cleaning systems and metal welding systems.
Four cutting-edge customer experience demonstration spaces, which will showcase Emerson's technical ability to provide solutions to customers in a collaborative environment.
The new headquarters facility will be designed by Fox Architects of St. Louis, Mo., and CPG Architects of Stamford, Conn.
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We engage in experimental and observational research to improve theory and models of climate change impacts, specializing in carbon and water cycles, vegetation dynamics, aerosol-cloud interactions, landscape evolution and energy emissions attribution.
ACES team members sample snow pits to understand climate-ecosystem-permafrost feedbacks as part of the Energy Department's NGEE Arctic project.
We develop and apply experimental techniques and numerical models to a range of atmospheric and ecosystem phenomena affecting climate and environmental changes.
Wildfire-atmosphere interactions: Studying and modeling the impact of fire emissions and aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions on climate.
Integrating terrestrial and atmospheric measurements, mechanistic understanding and numerical simulation to improve prediction of regional and global climate change impacts.
Using field observations and modeling to quantify the response of ecosystems to climate variability, including increasing frequency and magnitude of droughts, and climate feedbacks through the release of stored carbon.
Development and testing of model components and coupled models to understand hydro-thermo-mechanical processes and their interaction with biogeochemistry, vegetation dynamics and energy fluxes.
Improving sensing and attribution of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions across multiple scales.
Providing accurate knowledge of emissions at multiple spatial and temporal scales for air quality and energy policy.
Regional climate impacts and feedbacks.
Reducing uncertainty in climate prediction.
Integrating and analyzing in-situ and remotely-sensed data to accurately represent landscape characterization for model initiation and evaluation.
Predicting vegetation disturbance affected by drought and temperature fluctuations.
NGEE Arctic, which seeks to understand the climate-sensitive processes of rapidly evolving landscapes at high-latitudes and carbon stored in permafrost in Alaska. NGEE Co-PI and Los Alamos Lead: Cathy Wilson.
NGEE Tropics, which aims to fill the critical gaps in knowledge of tropical forest-climate system interactions. Los Alamos Lead: Chonggang Xu.
Mobile Multi-scale Measurements: monitoring and analyzing data from comprehensive field facilities (currently located in Four Corners, New Mexico, and Poker Flats, Alaska), to enhance in-situ knowledge of emissions at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The projects seeks to verify and constrain the carbon sources and sinks at regional scales, and provide indispensable information needed to advance energy policy and climate change research.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: determining factors affecting plant performance, stress responses and vegetation changes under climatic stress in order to better predict future vegetation cover and its consequences on carbon and energy budgets. Multiple projects range from ecosystem scale manipulation experiments involving piñon pine-juniper woodland to studies on plant-microbiome interaction and improving the representation of vegetation dynamics within the Department of Energy's dynamic global vegetation model, the functionally assembled terrestrial simulator (FATES), to refine regional and global climate models.
Aerosol and Trace Gas Measurements: performing airborne and ground-based field campaigns to measure aerosols and greenhouse gases, with the goal of elucidating the atmospheric and biogeochemical couplings between anthropogenic and ecosystem processes. State-of-the-art instruments are deployed, and results are used to advance climate model predictions and improve large-scale parameterizations of how these processes affect radiation, clouds and precipitation.
Landscape Response: combining data and predictions derived from field observations, remotely-sensed data and numerical models to understand the geohydrological interactions that govern landscape response in the Arctic. Projects utilize satellite imagery, LiDAR, historical documentation and meteorological observations to study geomorphology, terrestrial carbon fluxes, riverbank erosion, wildfire and ground temperature in response to landscape disturbance and erosion by retrogressive thaw slumps.


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A Phial Of The Venom
Here's a mob of BDSers in Brisbane demonstrating against what it seems fashionable in Israel-demonising circles these days to denigrate as the "Zionist Project". Specifically, this mob are protesting against the "Nakba" and demanding that sly and slick manouevre called "the right of return" which would lead to what they seek, the destruction of the world's only Jewish State.
Perhaps the most notable feature of these poisonous snakes is that they come in various guises...
(Hat tip: reader Shirlee)
There are, as well, plenty of snakes, and poisonous ones at that, in Ireland. Their latest and most ignoble escapade to date is the decision of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) to pass (unananimously) this vile motion at its annual conference last Thursday:
"TUI demand that ICTU step up its campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid state of Israel until it lifts its illegal siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, and agrees to abide by international law and all UN resolutions against it.
Congress instructs the Executive Committee to:
(a) Conduct an awareness campaign amongst TUI members on the need for BDS
(b) Request all members to cease all cultural and academic collaboration with Israel, including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, as well as all co-operation in research programmes."
The TUI, reflecting the vicious Israel (and Jew)-obsession of the Far Left and its cohorts, becomes the first teaching union in Europe to do so.
Crowed architecture lecturer Jim Roche, who moved the motion:
"BDS is a noble, non-violent method of resisting Israeli militarism, occupation and apartheid, and there is no question that Israel is implementing apartheid policies against the Palestinians"
And how ghoulishly, grubbily opportunistic of the increasingly antisemitic Guardian newspaper to link the Scottish writer Iain Banks's announcement that he has terminal gall bladder cancer as a spirngboard from which to launch his excerpted-from-a-pro-BDS-book-the paper-is-touting explanation of why he supports the cultural boycott of Israel.
Mark Goldberg comments powerfully on Banks's muddled nonsense here
Labels: BDS Movement against Israel, Cultural Boycott of Israel
Joe in Australia 8 April 2013 at 22:19
I think The Guardian probably published Iain Banks' article when it did in order to cash in on sympathy for a dying author, but it's still remarkable that they would publish a screed on the Friday before Yom HaShoah alleging that Jews "of all people" didn't learn the lessons of the Holocaust.
Daphne Anson 9 April 2013 at 01:34
Good point, Joe. And on that theme, see this excellent pertinent article that a non-Jewish pro-Israel blogger wrote some times ago:
http://www.oyvagoy.com/2012/07/27/turn-this-vile-claim-on-its-head/
Empress Trudy 9 April 2013 at 01:49
The wider question has nothing to do with Ian Banks. One could find a million Ian Banks among the UK blogeratti, intelligentsia, BDStards, NGO idiots, the House of Lords, every union, the Beeb, al Guardian, the Greens. The only thing Ian Banks has to do with this is the implication we can't confront a dying man with his own racist stupidity and so it will be let stand. I for one would help ensure Ian Banks is buried in Gaza where he belongs. One hopes the terminal Mr Banks verified and refused any and all "Jewish" or Israeli medical care, treatments, protocols, technology et al. and so is putting his money, so to speak, where his mouth is. At least I hope so and I would ask Mr Banks to verify this for all of us lest we have a good reason to spit in his hypocrite face.
There is an anti-BDS at North American college campuses petition that just started.
If you want to voice your support, you can sign the petition.
http://www.studentsagainstbigotry.com/
Many thanks for that link!
Ian 9 April 2013 at 21:43
Re Brisvegas BDS
15 views and 5 thumbs down
Re Banks
CIF Watch had the best headline
What would you do if you only had a year to live?
http://cifwatch.com/2013/04/07/what-would-you-do-if-you-only-had-a-year-to-live/
Elliott Abrams on the Irish
Irish Teachers Teach Hatred of Israel
"One can only pity the poor Irish student who might think for himself or for herself, might wish to spend a term in Israel at a place like the Technion, and might not share in the biases of the teachers."
http://blogs.cfr.org/abrams/2013/04/07/irish-teachers-teach-hatred-of-israel/
Thanks, Ian.
There was an earlier same-theme video by the Brisbane BDSers, to which I originally linked, which they suddenly removed. I don't know how many views it had.


Q. What's your strongest sense?
A. I'd like to say a sense of justice but that's only when I'm being WonderWoman, (You didn't know my nickname was WonderWomanDebz did you?) But back to the question – I would have to say my sight is my strongest sense. I've recently found out I'm partially deaf in my left ear so it's definitely not hearing. I do have a good sense of smell and touch but rely more on my sight, I think I'd be lost without it!
A. I mistakenly asked my husband this question – I say mistakenly because I didn't like his answer! My answer is probably Happy, although I can be a combination of the others on any given day.
Q. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would that be?
I think I would choose the age I am now, 56, because I'm in a good place – I'm happy; I'm healthy; I'm fit; I have my husband to see the world with; I'm financially secure; I still have use of my faculties; I'm wise enough to know when to say something and when to hold my tongue; I've seen a lot of the world and had some amazing adventures (which I can still remember) with many more to come; my daughters are grown up, happy and safe in loving relationships; my parents and parents-in-law are still reasonably healthy; I'm enjoying my (forced) retirement more than I thought possible; I love my blogging life….That's just a quick list off the top of my head. If I stopped and thought more about it I'd probably keep going and going….It's a great age to be.
Q. List of Jobs You Think You Might Enjoy: Even if you aren't thinking about a career change, it can be fun to think of other jobs you might enjoy.
A. So far in my career my current job is proving to be the most fun – I'm retired! I enjoyed teaching in a correctional centre for over 22 years and it wasn't something I ever planned to do. If I had to think of other jobs I'd enjoy – maybe a travel photographer, wedding celebrant, mentor, life coach, book reviewer, over 50's champion athlete, tour leader, blogger extraordinaire.
Bonus questions: What are grateful for from last week?
A. The opportunity to travel around Tasmania with my husband, out of school holiday season, we're retired now so we can go on holidays outside of school holidays :), experiencing different worlds, seeing some stunning scenery, catching up with family at my niece's wedding, taking lots of great photos and writing up my travels on my blog!
What are you looking forward to in the week ahead?
A. Trying to settle back into a routine at home – it's always hard to maintain my running and walking when the weather is so cold outside. It's much easier to settle in with a good book instead. I also have to go shopping and start cooking meals again – can't I stay on holidays forever????
Are you wondering What Share Your World is all about?
Share Your World is a fun way to get to know each other through our blogs. Cee posts four random questions for those who want to participate and it's always interesting to read what others have written in their responses.
Answer four questions each week.
Bonus Questions are always the same "What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?" Because we all need to be reminded that there are many things in our lives to be grateful about.
The idea is to answer the questions without overthinking them and just have FUN. Feel free to join in by copying the questions, writing your answers in a new post and linking back to Cee's original post.
Feel free to join in with this fun challenge and remember I always love hearing from you if you'd like to leave me a comment.
Enjoy the week ahead everyone!
Hi Jodi, thanks for your comment, I'm glad you enjoyed my post. I enjoy these lighthearted snippets and learning about others in this way. I have written a few travel blog posts on my blog and have a few more planned for the coming days, if you'd like to have a look at what we've been up to, We actually saw a real live Tasmanian Devil in the flesh in its natural settings which was our first ever sighting! Enjoy the warm weather, I've just been for my first run in nearly a month and it was only 7 degrees celsius , so a tad chilly! I also love the fact we can be on opposite sides of the world and yet chat away as if we were next door!
Sorry I somehow missed those! Just looked back! Thanks for sharing! Looks lovely.
No probs! It was a great trip and a beautiful place to visit.
Ooohhh, I want to know too! Which dwarf?
Debbie, I loved your answers. I have yet to write mine and I can see they're going to be a challenge! I'm so glad you had a good time in Tasmania. Apple-ginger Tonic. A refreshing drink with oodles of health benefits.
Thanks Shirley, it was quick and easy to write. I love doing these as it doesn't need too much thought and preparation. Looking forward to seeing your answers.
I really enjoyed reading this! I love getting to know other bloggers through little Q&A's like this. Also, YES to holidays forever!!
I over this idea Debbie! isn't good to want to be the age we are instead of wishing we were younger. I'm 60 in August and I love this phase of life. I'm fit and healthy and have the time and freedom to do what ever I want to. Look forward to next week's answers I might join you one day.
Thanks Sue, it's a great fun way of sharing info. It's the quickest post I do all week 🙂 I'm so glad we are happy with our current ages too, I know I'm very lucky. I actually went for a 6.4km training run today and felt like I'm definitely improving. I still had to walk up a few hills but in between I was good.
I am very content Miriam and sometimes wonder if I can sustain it!!
Don't wonder, just enjoy it.
I really enjoyed reading your post, what a fun idea. Sorry it is so cold in Tassie right now. You were brave to take a run at 7 deg. It is all Sunshine now on the Sunshine Coast so I don't have an excuse not to get out and about to keep fit.
Thanks Kathleen, it's part of our routine in winter. We're used to the cold but I do enjoy the sunshine up your way too.
I fully agree with your answer to the question about what age you would like to be. This is the best age for me too!
Thanks for your reply! I'm glad others are happy with their current age too, it means we aren't wishing for something we can't have!
I feel the same way with my age!! I'd never want to go back when I was younger and didn't know diddly squat!!
I agree wholeheartedly Jodie! We knew nothing back then.
Wonder Woman Debz….I've been wondering where WW was hiding. Apparently right in plain site.
Love this format! Great to learn a bit more about you! Wondering which dwarf your husband called you!
Well I can explains he said I'm a mix of a few of them. Quite a safe answer. I love these challenges as it shares our various personalities. Thanks for commenting.
I loved reading this and getting to know a bit more about you. Really fun post!
Thanks so much, and your next comment made me laugh out loud!
PS Deb, on the days when I'm Sneezy., I'm also Leaky!


At Ironwood Family Practice in Coeur d'Alene, we believe communication is the best policy. Below are some of our standard policies for your convenience. All of our policies are ready to print so you can have them filled out prior to your next appointment with us. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding our family practice policies.
Ironwood Family Practice is committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive family health care and personal service to our patients. For every commitment, there is an obligation. It is the patient's responsibility to meet all financial obligations.
As we see patients from many different insurance plans, it is impossible for us to know all the covered benefits, copays and deductibles for each individual plan. While it is our intention to assist you, it is still your responsibility to ensure that all services rendered or referred by Ironwood Family Practice on your behalf are paid in full. In order to clarify Ironwood Family Practice's Financial Policy, we have listed our financial requirements in a downloadable pdf.
Ironwood Family Practice is happy to provide each patient with one complete copy of their chart free of charge. If additional copies of the chart are requested by the patient there will be a charge per page and payment will need to be received before records are released.
Please allow 7 to 10 working days for your medical record release request to be processed. If you have a situation in which you need your copies released sooner, please contact our medical records department at (208) 667-4557 and they will assist you.
Our clinic is open Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office visits are by appointment which should be scheduled in advance. Same-day appointments are usually available for urgent or sudden illness. However, we have a limited number of same-day appointments available every day. If there is not an available appointment with your primary care physician, you will be offered an appointment with the on-call physician or one of the midlevel providers.
If you cannot keep your scheduled appointment, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible. You may be charged a fee if office visits are not cancelled at least 24 hours prior to a missed appointment.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, you should call 9-1-1 or go immediately to the nearest emergency room. If you need to see a physician after regular office hours for urgent or emergent problems, you can be seen at Kootenai Urgent Care, which is a physician-owned urgent care facility located in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, and Post Falls. Appointments for prescription refills and long-term illnesses should be handled during routine office hours.
Walk-in visits should only be used for true emergencies, as they create a scheduling problem for everyone. We ask that you please call first so we can advise you on the best approach to ensure appropriate medical care. In the event you cannot call ahead and your need is urgent, we will have a member of our clinical staff evaluate your needs and you will be seen on a first come, first served basis, depending on the urgency of the situation.
During your absence, your child may suffer an illness or injury that requires medical attention. To ensure that your child will get the necessary attention as timely as possible, you should complete a Consent to Treatment of a Minor form, which is available on our website. This form gives Ironwood Family Practice permission to treat your child if the need arises.
Every phone call is important to us, and we will attempt to answer your calls and return your phone messages as promptly as possible. Please leave a phone number where you know we will be able to reach you. If you call for an urgent matter, we will make every effort to respond immediately.
Please be aware that the providers will not leave their scheduled patients to return routine phone calls; these are generally answered after patient care sessions are finished.
Good medical care cannot always be accomplished over the phone, so we may advise you to schedule an office visit to discuss your concerns, problems, or test results.


Sheldon Lavin is an executive at the leading food producer in the world known as OSI Group. He serves as the chairman and CEO, positions he has held for four decades now. While in this position, he has brought major transformation of business operations in the company. From the time he joined as a managing partner to now that he has been the CEO for four decades, the company is not even a shadow of what it was; there has been a total transformation of operations in the company.
Improvements in OSI Group have been major under his leadership. When he was joining the company, they only had one client- the McDonald's. Sheldon was not pleased with the over-reliance on one client since that would mean that any challenge encountered by the MacDonald's would be replicated in their business. He wanted the company to run independent operations without the risks associated with one client. He laid a foundation of getting partners locally and internationally who would help the company establish solid business operations.
Sheldon has helped the company to grow into a leading business that has its operations well established in the local and international market. In 17 countries that the company is operating, they have a vibrant business that is supported by local leadership. Sheldon Lavin insists on using local leadership since these are the people who understand the tastes and preferences of the people better. From the headquarters in Aurora, Illinois, it won't be possible what a consumer in Asia is interested in.
Sheldon Lavin helped the company to grow at a very critical time. In the 1970s, the company wanted to pursue international growth and was in need of capital. The bank they approached is where Sheldon was working. Sheldon was assigned to help the company meet its financial needs and expand its business operations. It is while handling the capitalization that he got involved in the running of the company. He was included in the company as an equal partner.
Sheldon Lavin stuck with the company even after the other managing partners left the company under different circumstances. He continued pushing for more growth in the company. Now, it would be correct to say that he has accomplished it. The country is ranked among the biggest private companies in the United States by the Forbes with a valuation of $6.1 billion.
Under the leadership of Sheldon Lavin, OSI Group is now a successful business.


A dear family I know and love has lost a child in a tragic accident over the weekend. There are no words I can use to express myself adequately. So I leave a poem my wife found and shared with me, a poem that I feel best captures what I wish I could express. For my words fail me.


The Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore is seeking a board-certified/board-eligible general surgeon to join its faculty and staff. We have an opportunity for an academic general surgeon at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor to join our Program in General Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. This full-time position is designed to foster the development of an academic surgeon with a focus in basic, clinical, or health services research related to topics relevant to GI surgery and/or wound healing. This opportunity is based at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Midtown and Main Campuses, and also includes an opportunity for affiliation with the Baltimore VA Medical Center.
This position is ideally suited for an individual with a strong interest in developing an academic general surgery practice, with a focus on GI surgical disorders, complex wound care, and hernia. Completion of an Advanced GI/Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship is desirable. Anticipated case mix will span the breadth of general surgery to include advanced laparoscopy, endoscopy, and robotics. Experience and interest in complex wound care and an ability to work well in a team-based environment are essential.
This position is designed for an individual committed to excellence in clinical practice; however, the opportunity for academic growth in our group is substantial. We will protect 20% of time for research and will foster applications for career development awards through academic societies, the VA, and the NIH. Translational research opportunities include collaborations with several basic science investigators on campus. Our clinical research opportunities include clinical trial development and heath care services research utilizing NSQIP, Maryland State Databases, and VA databases. The University of Maryland School of Public Health is located on the UMB Campus with infrastructure support including a full time database manager and biostatistician.
The successful applicant will join the University of Maryland Department of Surgery in the Section of Advanced Gastrointestinal and Minimally Invasive Surgery within the Division of General and Oncologic Surgery. This individual will have a faculty appointment at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Metrics for success will include clinical program development as well as scholarship and success in extramural funding. Significant interaction with GI medicine and Division faculty and trainees is envisioned as we seek to grow general surgery programs of excellence across The University of Maryland Medical System. This recruit will report directly to Jonathan Pearl, MD, Section Chief of Advanced Gastrointestinal and Minimally Invasive Surgery.


"5" Number - 16in - Gold - Foil Balloon. Perfect for spelling names or personal messages at a party or event! Also great for anniversaries, events, celebrations, New Year, and much more! This balloon is easy to inflate and features an easy self seal. Refillable! Use it over and over again. 16 inch foil balloons do not hold enough helium to make them float. Please note that our balloons are sold Packaged and Flat. You may choose to have them inflated for an additional charge.


M9 – Museo del '900 is a museum in Venice Mestre dedicated to Italy's 20th-century history.
Opened in December 2018 as the centerpiece of a larger urban renovation in central Mestre, the M9 building was designed by Berlin-based architectural firm Sauerbruch Hutton, who won the international architectural competition to design the museum in 2010.
With a total gross floor area of 10,000 square meters / 108,000 square feet, M9 consists of two buildings; the larger one has a triangular plan and contains the galleries, an auditorium, and various visitor facilities while the smaller one accommodates the museum's offices.
Both buildings are clad externally with ceramic tiles of different colors, a distinguishing trait of many designs by Sauerbruch Hutton.
In the main building, a large double stairway, which gives access to the exhibition galleries, is enclosed in a long "wedge-shaped" volume cantilevering out from the west facade of the museum.
The galleries on three upper floors are large "black boxes", almost column free and windowless, painted in dark colors, while the spaces for the public on the ground floor are bright and their surfaces are mostly made of bare concrete and wood, two materials also widely used throughout the rest of the building.
Occupying over 2,600 square meters / 28,000 square feet on two levels, the permanent exhibition of M9 presents the history of the 20th century in Italy in eight thematic sections.
Apart from a small number of physical objects, the exhibition is almost completely "immaterial" and consists of videos, graphics, multimedia installations, and interactive & VR immersive experiences.
If, on one hand, this approach seems appropriate for an education-oriented museum, on the other hand, it results in a slightly confusing exhibition because of the high, probably excessive, number of subjects and sub-themes presented ranging from sociopolitical events, environmental transformations, and everyday lifestyles to the evolution of media and means of communication, industrialization, and technological innovation.
The playful approach and the communication paradigms adopted clearly reveal that the museum is chiefly aimed at children, teens, families, and schools, although adults may find it rather interesting too.
In general, the decision to prefer multimedia and "immaterial" communication to that traditionally based on physical objects is quite audacious. Only time will tell whether such an approach will be really effective in conveying, especially to young people, the complex and controversial history of 20th-century Italy or not.
The program of M9 includes temporary exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, conferences, educational activities, and special events.
The museum, fully accessible to physically-impaired people, also contains a 200-seat cinema-auditorium, a media library, a cafe-restaurant, and a bookshop.


The Sony WH-XB700 wireless is the latest entrant in the company's range of Extra Bass headphones. The XB700 take their place somewhere close to the lower mid-range in the price range and come in at $130.
The headphones are made almost entirely out of plastic with a matte, sandblasted finish on the ear cups and headband. While not necessarily cheap-looking, it doesn't really hide the fact that this is an inexpensive pair of headphones. They are also very lightweight due to the plastic construction.
The relatively small ear cups have a swiveling design that turns 90-degrees so they can lie flat on your chest while hanging from your neck. The side headbands have a large Sony logo printed on either side and very clearly marked L and R speakers. However, there are no physical indicators apart from the buttons to help you figure out the left speaker from the right in the dark.
The headband extends generously and inside you see the only visible piece of metal covering the inner band frame. The headband at the top has been covered in soft leatherette material similar to the flagship 1000XM3, although not as dense.
Coming back down to the ear cups, the XB700 has a supra-aural design, meaning the ear cups rest on your ears rather than around them. The cushion looks fairly thick but isn't really as dense as more expensive headphones. It's covered in the same leatherette material as the headband. Inside, a fine cloth covers the speaker grille.
The controls are fairly simple and well laid out. On the right speaker are the volume buttons that also double up as playback controls. Between them is the play/pause button that also lets you pick up and cancel calls.
The other ear cup is a bit busier. There is a 3.5mm jack for plugging in the provided audio cable for listening in wired mode in case your battery runs out. Then there is a USB-C port for connecting the charger. Next to that is the power button and lastly, a button to invoke the voice assistant (you can choose between your phone's default assistant, Google Assistant or Alexa).
The XB700 come in two colors, black and blue. Both have matte finish, except on the speaker grille placed on top of the ear cups, where it's glossy. The blue model uses a brighter shade of blue for the glossy bits and the Sony logos, which gives it a more two-tone appearance compared to the monotonous black variant.
The pairing process with the headphones is fairly simple. You can either press and hold down the power button to enter pairing mode or use NFC to pair your Android phone.
The XB700 work with the same Sony Headphones Connect app that works with Sony's other wireless headphones. Here you can see your remaining battery, what audio codec it is using, update the firmware, and adjust a bunch of audio features.
The sound features include various surround effects, such as arena, club, outdoor stage and concert hall. You can also adjust the bass level and also the position of the sound around your head. The exact purpose of the latter has always deluded me but it's a cool effect nonetheless. There's also DSEE, which is Sony's upsampling feature for improving the sound of compressed audio files but either I don't have sufficiently compressed files or the feature doesn't do much because it's impossible to tell the difference between it being on or off.
The major problem with these effects, as I have enumerated in my previous Sony wireless headphone review, is that they only work if you choose SBC as your codec. If you choose any of the higher quality codecs, which in case of the XB700 is aptX, then all the features get disabled (except DSEE, which doesn't do much, anyway). This makes them somewhat pointless and I'm not really sure why Sony can't or won't make them work outside of SBC.
Finally, moving on to the performance, the XB700 deliver what they say on the tin. If you enjoy overly exuberant bass, these really are the headphones for you.
However, in the past, Extra Bass headphones were rather disappointing. Sony would tend to turn the bass up till it broke the dial, which resulted in a horribly bloated sound where it was hard to hear anything but the bass. With the XB700, there seems to be an attempt at some semblance of a balanced sound apart from the advertised extra bass.
The bass itself is plentiful. However, it has been dialed in more judiciously and doesn't feel bloated or overpowering. It's still excessive but since that seems to be the main feature it's hard to knock it down for that.
The bass boost is mostly focused around the mid-bass area and the deeper notes aren't as exaggerated, which is understandable as those are the hardest to produce and require much larger drivers and amplification. But with the mid-bass bumped up, the XB700 adds an extra kick to every track, with bass-heavy genres like hip-hop, rap and rock getting that extra bit of energy. The effect of this can be hit or miss but it does hit more often than miss.
In case you do find the bass a bit overpowering, you can use the app to bring things down a notch. But as mentioned before, this does mean switching to the basic SBC codec.
As for the rest of the sound spectrum, the mids just aren't there. Sony claims the bass doesn't overpower the mids but the mids weren't good enough to begin with. Even when you use the app and bring down the bass, the mids are still hard to hear and you have to increase the volume to hear them better.
The XB700 has a V-shaped sound signature, which means while the mids are recessed, the highs, like the bass, are boosted. Here, again, things aren't too aggressive and while the upper-mids and lower-highs are a bit hot, it does sound nice and fakes the impression of having extra detail and clarity in the sound. The upper highs do get a bit sibilant at times and oddly enough, they get even more sibilant if you reduce the bass through the app.
As for the rest of the sound, the headphones have decent imaging, although the soundstage isn't very wide and seems restricted to the size of your head.
Of course, since this is a headset, one also has to mention the microphone. Unfortunately, microphone performance wasn't great. Notwithstanding the general mediocre microphone audio quality over the archaic Bluetooth headset audio profile, people on the other side of the call also found it often hard to hear me unless I spoke rather loudly. And this was indoors in a quiet room. Outdoors, you may as well just pickup the call on your phone itself.
Unfortunately, while that is disappointing, the major sticking point for me is not really related to the sound at all. It's more to do with the design, or more specifically, the comfort.
The XB700 are woefully uncomfortable headphones to wear. I generally dislike supra-aural headphones because they tend to press down hard on my ears and the XB700 are no exception. It takes about ten minutes before I start noticing discomfort in one of my ears, which over time keeps rising until about 30 minutes or so later I have to remove the headphones to prevent further discomfort. There have been times where they were simply too painful to keep wearing and my ears hurt long after they were removed.
Understandably, everyone will have different ears and tolerance for pain and some might not find an issue with the design at all. But if you are someone who, like me, has experience with discomfort with supra-aural style of headphones then you know to avoid this one.
In a small twist of irony, the XB700 are some of the longest lasting headphones I've used. Sony claims a battery life of 30 hours and while I didn't put it to test, the headphones did seemingly last forever on the 70% charge they came with out of the box. I have no doubt they will manage to reach that 30 hour figure if one were to put it to test.
The XB700 also, thankfully, charge over USB-C. Sony includes a cable in the box but at 20cm long it feels rather useless. The headphones do have a fast charging feature, where they can provide 90 minutes of usage after just 10 minutes of charge. A full charge, however, takes a lengthy 4 hours.
In conclusion, the XB700 do perform their duty of being extra bass headphones. The sound quality, while not ideal due to the repressed mids, is more than just bass this time around and can be quite fun with some genres. The headphones also have excellent battery life and the $130 price tag isn't too steep, either.
Unfortunately, the deal breaker for me is the design, which is just not comfortable at all. It was difficult for me to listen to these for more than half an hour at a time without an equally long break in between. While this may not be the case for everyone, supra-aural headphones are generally not as comfortable as circumaural headphones so it's more that I'm the rule here rather than the exception. Also, the sound quality really isn't worth the pain. Not that any headphones are worth hurting your ears.
Overall, it's hard to recommend something you can't wear for too long without hurting yourself. I would suggest you try these out extensively in a store before purchasing or just go with something else entirely.


You pulled the top, belt, jeans and boot look together wonderfully.
Good luck on the duck hunt. With his daughter making it to the semi finals on Dancing With the Stars there is a chance that Willie Robinson or other members of the Duck Dynasty will be out in California and my guess is that when duck season opens they will find their way to the nearest blind.
Say hi if you see them.
Thanks Pat. That would be so funny to see Willie out in the duck field! :) If I do see him I will surely say hi!


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'With air-to-air missile capabilities, these Apaches are potent force in air'
By Kunal Dutt Pathankot, Sep 3 (PTI) US-made Apache AH-64E helicopters are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, which includes air-to-air Stinger missiles, a fire control radar having 360-degree coverage, and endowed with an "all-weather, 24x7 operational capability", IAF officials said on Tuesday. The Indian Air Force on Tuesday inducted eight of these attack helicopters into its inventory at a ceremony held at the Pathankot Air Base here, which will also provide a major boost to the IAF's firepower capabilities. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters, and is flown by the US Army. The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. These helicopters are equipped with advanced weaponry system, which includes air-to-air Stinger missiles, air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets, and one 30 mm chain gun with 1200 rounds, the IAF said. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa described Apache as "one of the most fierce attack helicopters in the world". "These Apaches have been modified to suit the exacting standards demanded by the IAF... Alongside the capability to shoot fire and forget anti-tank missiles, it has air-to-air missiles, rockets and other ammunition, and it also has modern electronic warfare capabilities to provide versatility to the helicopter," he said. Senior IAF officials said the attack helicopter is capable of "prolonged operation and in tropical and desert regions". "And to add to the lethality of the helicopter, it carries a fire control radar that has a 360-degree coverage and nose-mounted sensor suite for target and night vision system," the senior IAF official said. During the induction ceremony, three Apache AH-64E helicopters were kept on display on the tarmac, while two other Apaches performed a flypast. The Apache variant bought by India is a twin-engine, two-crew tandem seating helicopter with a glass cockpit and can reach a speed up to 186 knots, and has a combat radius of 300 miles, the IAF said. Apaches are capable of operating day and night and have a very high agility and survivability against battle damage, a senior IAF official said. "They also have thermal imaging, 24x7 operational capability, millimetric wave radar, and detection range of 16 km," he said. Air Marshal Arvindra Singh Butola, Commandant of Air Force Academy (AFA), and the senior most serving attack helicopter pilot also attended the event. "It is one of the most modern helicopters, and it has participated in several conflicts successfully...The induction of Apache will be a great boost to operational capabilities of the IAF and give more teeth to the Air Force," he said. It will serve in many ways as our terrain differs from jungles to mountains, and this state-of-the-art technology will provide 24x7 capabilities day or night, and we will be able to engage targets day or night," Butola told reporters when asked about its combat capabilities. The eight Apache AH-64E helicopters inducted on Tuesday are now part of the 125 Helicopter Squadron, known as the Gladiators, based at the Pathankot Air Force station. The rest are expected to arrive by March next year, the IAF said. The induction ceremony also involved a 'water cannon salute' followed by a multi-faith auspicious ritual in the presence of Dhanoa and others dignitaries. An IAF spokesperson said the rituals are a customary practice during induction of any aircraft. Boeing India President Salil Gupte said, "We are proud that the IAF has chosen Boeing as a partner in its modernisation journey...While this is the same variant of Apache as used by the US Army, for IAF, it has been tailored to meet its requirements to support it operational needs and mission readiness." He said India is the 16th country to use Apache attack helicopters now after the US, the UK and Australia, among other countries. When asked about the most significant capabilities, Gupte said Apache AN-64E capability is to carry weapons and operate flexibily in high altitude areas and mountain terrains. PTI KND KJ KJ
Village heads, panchayat members in J-K to get security, insurance coverage
UP cabinet approves transfer of land to Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University


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Army of the Dead: How Vanderohe's Body Art Teased His Role
In an interesting discovery, it has been found that the ending of the film Army Of The Dead is foreshadowed at the beginning of the film itself. The character Vanderohe sports a special tattoo on his chest which points at his fate that the ending seems to confirm. The tattoo of the Delta sign showed that he may turn into one of the zombies and join in the spreading of the infestation. However, clear answers about the outcome of the fatal bite can only be confirmed when the sequel comes out.
Vanderohe who is one of the central characters of the film Army Of The Dead gives away the fact that the film has a dark fate in store for him. Vandehore is seen sporting a delta sign tattoo on his chest which says that he might become the delta zombie and become a part of the problem he is trying to stop.
The film does indeed end with Vanderohe leaving a destitute Vegas in favour of Mexico where he would be free from zombies. Ironically, he is bitten by the alpha zombie before he gets on the plane and that clearly shows his dark fate of becoming a delta zombie. His safe haven in Mexico might just turn into a living hell if he does indeed become the delta zombie.
It must also be noted that he is just one of the two characters who managed to escape from Vegas. Although in Vanderohe's case, the future doesn't seem to be too bright and neither does the fate of the city where he is headed to.
The film Army Of The Dead is a horror movie directed by Zach Synder. The film depicts an apocalyptic phase on earth where zombie infestation is rapidly taken over the population. Two casino owners in Las Vegas arrange a team to infiltrate the vault that has $200 million. The team is assembled and they start their venture.
However, the owners have them fooled and ultimately claim that they were using the team to help build a zombie army for the government. Meanwhile, the authorities have called for a nuclear explosion in the city to wipe out the infestation. The team mostly dies except for two characters who can escape. Vanderohe played by Omari Hardwick is one of the characters who can escape. However, on his escape to Mexico, he finds that he has been bitten by the alpha zombie. It is hinted that Vanderohe will become the delta zombie in Mexico and infect the city.
The film was set to be completed last year but the covid restrictions posed a problem. One of the cast members had to change after allegations of sexual harassment which further added to the delay of completion. However, in March this year, the team declared that the filming process had been completed. The movie was released in select theatres on the 14th of May. The film was released on Netflix on May 21st only a week after the theatre release. The film has been quite successful in the Box office and has already bagged $1 million after its 10-day release.
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Kings Co. DA pushes back on Becerra: stillbirth from meth exposure is murder
Alex Tavlian August 12, 2020, 4:27 pm August 12, 2020
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra took the unusual step of weighing in on the appeal of a Kings County woman charged with murder following a stillbirth of her baby with toxic levels of methamphetamine in its system.
Now, Kings County prosecutors are pushing back.
Becerra filed an amicus curiae – or "friend of the court" – brief with the Fresno-based Fifth District Court of Appeal arguing that the Kings County District Attorney's office "misapplied and misinterpreted" the murder statute, Penal Code 187, in charging Becker with the drug-connected stillbirth.
The code section, Becerra said in a press release, "was intended to protect pregnant women from harm, not charge them with murder."
Becerra added that he was "committed to seeing Ms. Becker released from jail with the charges against her dropped."
Incidentally, Becker previously sought motion to dismiss on the same grounds of misinterpretation of the murder statute pushed by Becerra.
The argument was ultimately rejected by a Kings County judge and the motion denied.
Officials with Kings County District Attorney Keith Fagundes returned fire on Becerra.
"It's disappointing that (Becerra) would put out such a strong statement without first consulting our office and getting all the true facts," Phil Esbenshade, executive assistant district attorney, told Gannett.
Becker remains in Kings County Jail on $2 million bail.
Alex Tavlian
Alex Tavlian is the Executive Editor of The San Joaquin Valley Sun and Executive Director of Valley Future Foundation. You can reach Alex at alex.tavlian@sjvsun.com.
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Dropbox, a file synchronization and sharing application that allows you to install on multiple computers and many smartphones, has gone into a limited beta on the BlackBerry. Unfortunately, the Dropbox for BlackBerry beta is currently closed to new participants, however, I am hoping that they open it up to more beta tester or that the software is soon to be released to the masses.
I personally use Dropbox and am pleased and excited that Dropbox for BlackBerry is on the horizon. It is currently installed on every one of my computers and my Droid Incredible. Even the the Dropbox for BlackBerry beta is currently closed, I recommend that anyone who doesn't already use Dropbox, give Dropbox a try.
Those 500 beta users went fast last night. Works great on my Incredible and iPhone4. Makes life easy across all my systems. Can't wait for it to hit BB.


Contrary to popular opinion, small and local businesses need the power of online marketing. Bigger brands and companies are already using a bunch of other traditional means for promotions and branding, and when you are in a budget, online and digital marketing might be the most viable option you have! There are some really popular agencies offering digital marketing solutions in Smyrna, GA, and in this post, we are discussing further on how you can collaborate better with these services.
It all starts with your website. No matter which SEO or marketing agency you hire, they will always start with an audit of your website, if you have one that is. Having a well-designed and defined website is one of the first requirements for online marketing. If you are not about your current portal design, get it redesigned – the price is worth paying.
Focus on local searches. Today, every customer is likely to search for a service online before they take a call, thanks to easy access to the internet. Yours is not the only company offering a particular service in Smyrna, so SEO and local SEO will matter for your brand. Most agencies help clients in ranking better by focusing on keywords, Google listings, and Google My Business.
Always work with a local agency. Georgia has some really known online marketing agencies, and we recommend that you select one that's located in Smyrna. The idea is to work with a company that knows the local statistics and market trends and can leverage those for the benefit of your business.
Don't miss PPC and Facebook ads. You have to rely on ads to some extent, even when organic promotions and SEO efforts are paying off. Facebook ads can be highly targeted towards your audience, and keep in mind that these ads are relevant because people are using social media platforms on a regular basis.
Finally, take your time to evaluate marketing services in the area. If a company has been working for a niche, they must have enough clients in the state and in Smyrna, so check all the details and ask for references. You may also want to check other services they provide. For example, if the same company can handle SEO, PPC, web design and app development, it is obviously an advantage. Regardless what kind of package or deal you opt for, always get an estimate in advance!