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The Movie Review: 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona
By Christopher Orr
"It's funny, I just made the same speech to my shrink," one character confesses to another in the midst of a heartfelt revelation in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I had to check my notes, though, to see which character said this to which, and during which heartfelt revelation, because it's a line that could have been spoken in almost any scene. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a film in which emotions, intuitions, and states of mind are rarely experienced without being announced: "I'm a little out of control," says the woman who is out of control; "When I drink I get brutally frank," says the woman about to be brutally frank; "Not that I haven't had fantasies about someone taking me out of my situation," says the woman who has fantasies, etc., etc.
This constant self-narration would be less disconcerting if the film didn't already have a narrator (Christopher Evan Welch) who is heroically committed to ensuring that even the most inattentive viewer won't miss a thing, whether it be a physical event ("They arrived at the hotel," we're told, as characters arrive at a hotel; "They returned to the hotel," we're told when they return) or an emotional development ("Suddenly, thoughts started taking precedence over feelings, thoughts about life and love"). Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the cinematic equivalent of a book on tape: a movie that watches itself for you and tells you what it sees.
The heroines of Allen's experiment in exposition are the titular Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two pretty twentysomethings spending a summer in titular Barcelona. In a restaurant, they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a soulful seducer (also, a painter) who immediately suggests that the three of them go away for the weekend to drink good wine and make love together--which, if you're Javier Bardem, is evidently the kind of thing you can say to women you've just met without getting punched.
Cristina is enthusiastic about the idea, but Vicky less so--unsurprising given that our painstaking narrator has already explained that the former is a passionate free spirit and the latter, a cautious planner who prefers stability to studliness. Erotic adventurism wins out, though, and the ladies decide to go away with Juan Antonio. There is an intentional seduction that is aborted and, later, an accidental one that is consummated. Soon enough, Juan Antonio's tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) shows up to offer still more opportunities for sexual arithmetic. (For those now rushing to buy tickets online, be forewarned that Allen's mind may be dirty, but his lens is chaste: Yes, there is a Johansson-Cruz coupling and a Johansson-Cruz-Bardem tripling; no, you don't see either one. Instead, there's a brief kiss and then a fadeout and--of course!--narration, with Johansson tastefully explaining, "And it happened very naturally for both of us.")
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is an above-average effort by Allen's recent standards, but sadly for the film (and more sadly for the standards) that still doesn't make it much good. Johansson gives perhaps her weakest performance in a string of unmemorable ones (The Black Dahlia, The Prestige, The Other Boleyn Girl), but the fault is largely Allen's. Though he obviously (too obviously) loves her lazy sensuality, he struggles to write a character suited to it. When, on the verge of seduction by Juan Antonio, Cristina declares, "If you don't start undressing me soon, this is going to turn into a panel discussion," we see Johansson's lips move but hear Allen talking. (The libidinous mood is not enhanced.) British actress Hall fares better as a rare female stand-in for Allen's nervous, self-conscious persona, though even she can't rescue a line as remote from spoken language as, "Let's not get into one of those turgid, categorical arguments."
It is Allen's good fortune that he cast Bardem, the rare actor whose charisma and personal gravity could overcome the inherent silliness of Juan Antonio, an embarrassing assembly of Mediterranean lover clichés. But it is Cruz who most clearly shrugs off the overwritten script and steals nearly every scene she is in. Gifted, gorgeous, and mad as a snake, her Maria Elena is a whirlwind of carnal volatility and, by far, the funniest element in the film.
Which is a large part of the problem. Though Vicky Cristina Barcelona has the shape of a sex farce, it lacks the reckless spirit. And while it occasionally feints toward sincere emotional exploration, its talky, over-literal observations never scratch beneath the surface either. There's nothing in the movie that particularly offends, but also nothing--beyond the ravishing Cruz and the ravishing Spanish scenery--that particularly appeals. The last line in the film spoken by a character (naturally, there are a few paragraphs of narration left) is: "It was a passing thing, and now it's over." Indeed.
This post originally appeared at TNR.com.


We have already published a post on "Read XML Data as a table in SQL Server" and "Read and compare XML nodes dynamically with unknown elements". In this post, we will see that how we can skip levels in XML string to read all the elements at a given level regardless of the level name. A wildcard character * (asterisk) can be used to extract all the elements of a XML string regardless of the level name. Lets have a demo to understand this.


Gunfire outside a Terrebonne barroom early Saturday sent a Houma man to jail, charged with illegal use of a weapon.
Deputies responded about 2:45 a.m. to reports a disturbance outside Hardracks, 131 Neptune Court, according to the police report.
A witness told them a suspect pulled a gun outside the bar and fired it from about 30 feet away, the report says. She said she thought at first she had been shot.
Other witnesses said the alleged gunman, Joshua Joseph Guidry, 3508 Fallon Drive, Houma, fired in the air.
Guidry said he was trying to break up a confrontation involving his sister. No injuries and no damages were reported.


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Tag Archives: youtube red
Is YouTube Serious About Music Subscriptions This Time Round?
Posted on May 17, 2018 by Mark Mulligan
In 2014 YouTube launched its inaugural music subscription service YouTube Music Keyin beta. The following year YouTube announced it was closing it ahead of the launch of YouTube Red, a multi-format subscription video on demand (SVOD) offering, of which music was going to be sub-component. Soon after Music Key's launch I announced on stage at a Mixcloud Curates event that it would close within two years: and
"I'm gonna put my cards on the table and say it [YouTube Music Key] won't exist in 18-24 months" after
Now YouTube is backfor another round at the table with the launch of YouTube Music.
In 2014 my Nostradamusmoment was less about being a psychic octopusthan it was simply a case of joining the strategic dots. YouTube is all about advertising. Advertisers pay most to reach the best consumers, who are also the ones most likely to pay for a subscription service, which is ad free. YouTube's ad business is high margin and large scale. Its music subscription business is low margin and low scale. Hence, the more successful YouTube's music subscription business is, the more harm it does to its core business and operating margins. The same principles apply today as they did four years ago.
So why bother at all? Because it has to keep the labels on side. Although the labels scored a lobbying own goal with their Facebook music deal, they are still applying pressure on YouTube for its safe harbour framework and the 'value gap'. So if YouTube does not play ball on premium, it puts its core ad business at risk. And music is still the largest single source of YouTube's ad revenue. Total YouTube ad revenue was $9.6 billion in 2017 – that is a revenue stream that parent company Alphabet cannot put at risk.
When YouTube launched Music Key it used those negotiations to get better features for the free YouTube music offering, including full album playlists, which went live the day after the deal was announced and are still there now, even though Music Key is not. YouTube is no slouch when it comes to doing deals. This time however, YouTube Music will last longer. Here's why:
This isn't actually year zero:Google already has around five million Play Music subscribers and around the same number of YouTube Red subscribers. Red subscribers will become YouTube Premium subscribers, Play Music subscribers will get access to YouTube Music. So, inasmuch as YouTube is launching a cool new app with lots of new features, this is not Google entering the streaming fray, it is simply upping its game.
Spotify is making up ground:YouTube Music is not about to become the global leader in music subscriptions, for all the above stated reasons and more, but it can't stand on the side lines either. Data from MIDiA's Quarterly Brand Tracker shows that while YouTube is still the leading streaming music app in weekly active user (WAU) terms, Spotify is making up ground. Crucially, Spotify is now more widely used (for music) among 16–19 year olds. And Spotify is betting big on ad-supported, largely because it has finally persuaded the labels and publishers to amend its deals to allow it to, evidenced by the fact that Q1 2018 ad-supported gross margin increased dramatically from -18% to 13% in Q1 2017. YouTube Music is in part a defensive play to ensure it has an enriched offering for thoseconsumers, both now as free users, and for when they want to pay.
YouTube is the best featured music service: One of the great ironies of the recorded music industry's relationship with YouTube is that because it doesn't have to negotiate deals in the way other services to, it now has the best featured music service. Streaming and social have risen in tandem, but only YouTube has fully embraced this with comments, likes / dislikes, mash ups, user cover versions, parodies, unofficial remixes etc. And all of these features are front and centre in the new service. Spotify and co can't get that sort of content because the labels can't license it. Moreover, labels don't like users being able to thumb down their songs or comment negatively on them. This launch enables YouTube to shout from the roof top about what it has and, by inference, what Spotify does not.
Testing:YouTube Music is being rolled out in the same markets as YouTube Red was (US, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea). This slightly eclectic mix of markets represent a test base; a wide range of varied markets that will provide diverse user data to enable YouTube to model what global adoption will look like.
Upping the ad load: YouTube's global head of music Lyor Cohen has nailed his colours firmly to the subscription mast. Although Cohen may not be up high in the Alphabet hierarchy he is a strong voice in YouTube's music business. It also serves Alphabet well to have this particular voice with that sort of message at the forefront. Cohen has gone on record stating that YouTube will up its ad load to force more users to paid, and it is happening, but it is not just a music thing. Ad loads are up across the board on YouTube. Either way, this element was patently missing back in the days of Music Key.
YouTube Music may not be the start of Alphabet's streaming game, but it is certainly its biggest play yet. And while it will remain focused on protecting its core business, it will likely explore ways to drive ad revenue within its 'ad free' premium offerings. Sponsorship and product placement will be one tactic; using MirriAd's dynamic product placement ad tech could be another. YouTube is unlikely to become the leading music subscription service soon, but there is no denying that it has clearly upped its game.
The data in this chart and some of the analysis will form part of MIDiA's forthcoming second edition of its landmark 'State of the YouTube Music Nation' report. If you are not already a MIDiA client and would like to know how to get access to this report and data, email stephen@midiaresearch.com
Posted in Ad Supported, Record Labels, Spotify, Streaming, Uncategorized, YouTube	| Tagged Ad Supported, Freemium, Spotify, Streaming, Streaming Music, YouTube, youtube music, YouTube Music Key, youtube premium, youtube red	| 3 Replies
Change Is Afoot In Music Video
Posted on February 9, 2017 by Mark Mulligan
Music video's two power players are both in the news for strategic resets. On the one hand YouTube has announced that it is merging its YouTube Music and Google Play Music teams while on the other hand Vevo has announced it is postponing the launch of its subscription service in favour of prioritising global expansion. These are both important developments in their own rights but together form part of a changing narrative for music video.
Music video is streaming music's killer app. According to MIDiA's latest consumer survey, 45% of consumers watch music videos on YouTube or Vevo every month, while 25% of consumers use YouTube for music every week (more than any of the streaming audio services). So what YouTube and Vevo do has real impact.
YouTube Is Where Google Is Placing Its Music Bets
YouTube's merging of teams is not a huge surprise. It always appeared overkill having 2 separate teams, especially considering that Play was performing so poorly in the market (its weekly active users are measured in single digit percentages) and that Google's music priority has always been, and will always be, YouTube. Although nothing will change immediately in terms of user proposition, the strategic direction of travel is clear: YouTube is where Google will place its music bets. Which places even greater importance on rights holders and Google coming to an understanding around royalty payments. YouTube moving to minimum guaranteed per stream rates is untenable (for Google) as is the Value Gap/Grab (for rights holders). Something has to give.
My long-term bet is still on Google creating a parallel music industry around YouTube, one that is entirely opted out of the traditional music industry's rights frameworks. But a more immediate concern for Google is contingency planning in the event of Vevo upping sticks and becoming the centre piece of a revamped Facebook video play. A combination of no Vevo and disgruntled rights holders would be a recipe for disaster for YouTube's music strategy.
Facebook And Vevo May Be Courting
Vevo jumping ship to Facebook is not as far-fetched as it might have seemed when it was first mooted a few years ago. Facebook is now the world's 2nd biggest online video property and has finally admitted that it is a media company. Slowing ad revenues in 2017 will see Facebook double down on ancillary revenue streams and content will be a key plank of that strategy. Games is the biggest addressable market and it has already made moves in that direction. Growing video is another. While streaming music is a relatively small market opportunity for Facebook, it has wide appeal. Launching an AYCE streaming service would be an ill-advised (and highly unlikely) option for Facebook, but partnering with Vevo would be a higher margin, lower risk way of getting into music. It would also be the perfect vehicle with which to showcase Facebook's next generation of video UI, which will include features such as curation, channels, recommendations etc. In short, a lot less like Facebook video and lot more like YouTube.
The Rise Of Music Inspired Video
Interestingly, Vevo's CEO Erik Huggers has announced that Vevo will be increasing its focus on short form, non-music video, such as artist interviews, mini-documentaries, and animated shorts. This snackable, highly shareable content bears closer resemblance to the sort of video that works well in Facebook's more social-centric video platform than YouTube's more viewer-centric environment. Vevo's non-music video approach is smart. As we explained in our report 'From Music Video To Music Inspired Video', if rights holders want their share of overall video time to grow, or at least hold their own, then they need to start exploring creating music related video rather than just music videos.
The core consumption format will still be the music video, but the additional content expands reach and time spent. In a Facebook environment (especially if Instagram was incorporated) this sort of content would spread like wildfire. Add into the mix that Huggers also referenced Vevo's prioritization of building its direct audience via its own apps (ie not via YouTube) and we might just be starting to see the emerging shape of a planning-for-life-after-YouTube strategy. Even if Vevo decided to stick with YouTube (which remains the most likely outcome), it could use all of these moves as leverage for getting a better deal.
Change is afoot in the music video space and we may just be beginning to see the two key players beginning to put competitive space between each other. But perhaps most tellingly, as both companies up their game, they are also both, in different ways distancing themselves from their subscription plays. Music video is the killer streaming app for many reasons. The fact that it is free is reason number one, and Vevo and YouTube both know it.
Posted in YouTube	| Tagged Facebook, facebook music strategy, Google, google music play, Music Video, Streaming Music, Vevo, vevo music video, YouTube, youtube music, youtube red	| 5 Replies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Arik Levy ABSENT NATURE
By Mark Rappolt
Thunk, urgh, whack, urghhh, smack, gahh, thwack, aaaah. No, dear reader, that's not the sound of a second-rate chef lovingly tenderizing a particularly ill-favoured steak; it's the sound of Arik Levy, alone in nature. In a forest to be precise. There he is — the nature boy — taking his rather large axe to a rather big log.
Crunk — axe penetrates bark; ooargh — Levy exhales with effort; kerchunk — axe slams back into a slot that has opened to reveal a pale, fleshy wooden core; aargh — Levy sighs, gasping for air; kerthunk, ungh, ungh, ungh — oops, the axe gets stuck… (don't worry, he'll wrench it out with a few more breathy tugs). You get the picture in any case.
Which is why you don't need me to tell you there's something sexual (but not sexy — that will come later) about this particular encounter between man and mother earth. About a man ramming his chopper into a V-shaped slot in a tree. And yes, there's something a little unsettling about all this too: you're witnessing the kind of dismem-berment that makes you hug yourself to check that you are still in possession of each and every limb. And it's one short mental leap from that to the 'knowledge' that Arik's chopper created the V-shaped slot in a tree and that, if the tree had feelings (don't worry, it's OK, we're allowed to do this: catapaulting people off on outrageous flights of fancy is one of the things art is supposed to do), it wouldn't exactly have been eager to entertain his chopper when it first lurched into sight
But relax a bit and you'll find that this sense of unease comes about not simply because the thump, thump, thump of axe on wood is suggestive of man's more general, though no less methodical, rape of nature (the deforestation, which is connected to the warming, which leads to the defrosting, which leads to the flooding and so on towards the ultimate unpleasantness of general extinction); rather, it's the opposite that's true. For, weirdly, this vision of a lonely man hacking his way through a solitary tree is an expression of love, not hate. Indeed, you might not be too far wrong were you to declare it a portrait of a rather extreme arborphile at work (in the same way as there are those — needless to day not members of the vegetarian community — who declare that the ultimate expression of porcine love is to be able personally to process the swine, cook the swine and then eat the swine from nose to tail). Particularly given that, unless you're possessed of a particularly suspicious mind, as far as we know the tree bit the dust of 'natural' causes — no one ever saw Arik or any mysterious assistant cut it down as an accessory to the crime. And so, back we come to Arik in nature: reminding us of a time before chainsaws and IKEA stores, when trees provided man with shelter, fuel, fishing spears and those cute-but-effective little hollowed-out log canoes.
It's certainly more natural than the new oak floorboards that have made my apartment more natural and desirable (or so the real-estate agent boasts). But not natural to the extent that you and I remain utterly oblivious to a strong whiff of the kinky and the weird. We've all seen a friend going camping: Look! There's the nature-lover, the natural man, wearing waterproof trousers, heavy boots and the sort of outfit that anticipates a hostile reception from the environment he's about to enter.
So here's the rub: the picture of and soundtrack to Arik in nature is at once a document of a deliberate and premeditated attack on the land and one of the most primal, not to say Neanderthal, ways in which man's harmonious relationship with mother nature (him sucking strongly, but not painfully, on the teat she offers up) is expressed. It's enough to make you believe that it was in the wild, wild woods rather than the Austrian capital of empire that the Oedipal complex was dreamt up.
Which leads us, like freshly chopped timber trundling through the sawmill, to Levy's log drawings. Although they could equally be exercises towards some sort of rather loosely mathematical research into stacking, layering and the general organizational potentials of irregular hexagons and pentagons. Had no one previously told you they were supposed to relate to logs. So perhaps it would be more accurate to describe these works as 'ghost of a log' drawings. And not just because the most 'logish' thing about them is the paper on which they are traced, because otherwise they're log-like in the barest possible way.
In some ways, the log drawings are a meditation on the variety of uses to which logs have been put by man, a litany of the things an ex-tree can become: most obviously because their forms evince a geometry that nature never planned, because they are clearly processed — already chopped, planed and sawed.
So there's a sort of encouragement for us to do a bit of processing as well. In some drawings those logs attain a blackness reminiscent of the carbonization that occurs to the log that's placed in the fire. In others, an arrangement of logs appears to stack up like some sort of drywall (and let's not forget that efficient woodstacking is an artform in itself — one that famously captured Alexander Rodchenko's imagination during the early 1920s). Hey — perhaps this is like some sort of log-ocentric Rorsarch test. And yet perhaps that's taking this particular form of processing too far; perhaps the log drawings are much less than that, much less even than portraits of dumb lumpen logs. Perhaps they are no more than an abstraction, a pattern — an arrangement of black and grey on white.
In short, the log drawings appear to be about everything and nothing all at once. Take one of the spreads that appears later on in this book. To me it looks like a pair of kohl-lined eyes. Turn the page and Whack! One of them's blackened. Turn again. Whack! Whack! Now both. Arik working his way through nature — we've been here before. At another time, however, these same drawings become an exploration of the relationship between interior mass and exterior surface, of flesh and carapace, the tortoise and its shell, Victor Hugo's description of the way in which the Hunchback's body is twisted to fit the gothic arches of Nôtre Dame (unless it was the other way round) and the ways in general by which man inhabits the world: by moulding himself to fit its shape (squeezing into a log canoe, folding his legs to sit on a fallen log-cum-bench) or by moulding it to be more accommodating to him (squaring the tree's circular section in the interests of making logs that are easier to stack, then using that stability to make a house or a lodge). The log drawings seem at once an attempt to understand something of the shape and structure of a log and of how to evolve or grow a log into a particular shape.
It's the latter that seems to have happened in the case of the Fallen Log sculptures, for which one of the sections from the log drawings seems to have been grown like some sort of artificial crystal into something like the log from which it may once have been sliced. But like it only inasmuch as a smooth, regular, perfect, planar object can ever be like a log. Particularly when its materialization comes not merely in wood veneer, but via glass and steel as well. Indeed, it's very clear now that all that's left is the ghost of a log, material haunted by a form that's not really there. And it's a double ghost inasmuch as the horizontal orientation that's key to our reminiscence of the log is itself merely a reminiscence of the vertical form that was the tree.
The material oscillation between wood, reflective steel, transparent glass, souped-up by all the associations conjured by Arik's play with logs, can make the whole ensemble seem like a bizarre conjuring trick. That somehow results in the perfect log. Even though we're also aware that there's very little of a log about the work (which is not the product of a man and an axe, but of precision engineering) at all.
But, despite their good looks, Arik's Fallen Log sculptures are anything but an example of an embellishment that ultimately destroys a simple beauty that it was intended to enhance — like the infamous decorated tortoise that waddles through and then dies in Joris-Karl Huysmans's celebrated novel Against Nature, its shell having been encrusted with and enhanced by jewels so heavy that the tortoise can no longer move. Nor do they represent the kind of 'absent nature' that might exist in a Bladerunner-type world in which artificial animals stand in for originals that have long since become extinct. Arik's log processing — and perhaps, at this point we can see it as offering parallel or even an alternative to the processes of the industrial timber trade — is a way of understanding how people might inhabit the world — in the sense of being conscious and sensitive to their surroundings. Without doing too much harm.
That's not to say there's no violence to Arik's work. Ultimately it was the first cut — that very first 'thunk' and 'urgh', action and reaction — that was the deepest. The cut that was both for and against nature, the one that's preserved in the carved and angular geometry of the sections that litter Arik's log drawings and are extruded in his Fallen Log sculptures. The cut that also suggested that to be for nature you might have to be against it. To think logish rather than log. And perhaps from that can be derived a logisch — a logic of how man and nature can get along.
Rappolt is editor of ArtReview. His writing about art and architecture has been in many publications He is editor of the books Gehry Draws 2004 and Greg Lynn Form 2008.
AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK VALICENTI
Discussing the first installation of Absent Nature
Wright ChicagO
My name is Arik Levy, and this is my first great exhibition in America. I have a very strong relationship with nature. I believe it is the best source of inspiration — through the alteration of our life experiences. When you look at what's going on in that respect, nature has always had an incredible influence on us and gives us a new perspective on our proportion within nature. When a hurricane comes, suddenly all these great businessmen and beautiful cars and luxurious houses and everything we look at or everything that is with us suddenly vanish in a second, and the only "things" that comes back to importance are people. People are definitely part of nature and visa versa. I think the concerns people have are no longer about recycling another cardboard box of packaging, but rather going to the opposite extreme — the necessity of saving.
When I was in Tasmania, suddenly the whole car was shaking and a triple semi-trailer passed by at an incredible speed, shaking the whole environment. Huge logs were on the trailer — gigantic, unbelievably big. We were driving to the Forest last of the Sticks, which is already gone. In the two years, they have actually cut it all down. The trees are 400 years old, and they're chopping them down to make toilet paper for Japan. It's all out of proportion.
I work quite a lot through nature in my artwork and design work. The rocks I started carving are actually metaphors of rocks, but not really rocks. When you look at a rock, you say "rock" because that's what it resembles, but it has no connection to biological growth; it's absolutely manmade. I build the rocks out of subtraction — taking pieces away and not growing them from the inside. When you put the rock in an indoor environment, as an indoor piece, then it resembles nature, which is outside, in whatever material it is. When you put it outdoors, it doesn't connect to nature, but it might make you think about nature. It makes me think about nature from another civilization or another planet or a nature we'll never know, one we'll never meet. The lines, the stainless steel — these are about reflection, about life, about the rock showing itself through its surroundings. They exist by the fact that they are where they are, not what they are. And the ones in wood are even more erratic because when you look at that you say "rock" and then you realize that it's made out of wood and wood is not a mineral. A mineral is made, and what you think is a mineral is made out of vegetable and so on down the chain.
I have explored rocks in many different ways, and it's an ongoing project. The next phase is going to go inside the rocks, so they become chambers. You will be able to walk into this cell — and it depends which way you look at it; I have the impression that it could be a huge space or it could be a very small cell. The way the log was born is just that — I was imagining that the rock actually becomes a seed. And if you put a rock seed in the ground, then what will grow there is a rock tree. Any of the facets can grow three-dimensionally and extract themselves to become like the tree, where it extracts itself from the ground. This is how the logs were born, and this is why the logs are there. They represent the old parts of the rock itself; the rocks are the trees and the trees are the rocks.
But when we look at the whole thing — at the absent nature, and the reason why the installation is created in these pieces, (which is the first time it's going to be worldwide, when it is at the Wright Gallery), it is really about what we make disappear. It's all about what's not there, and that's what I'm trying to emphasize in this work. Because when you look at these logs you can easily imagine the rest of the tree, the pieces that were chopped out. You almost turn your head around looking for the pieces that were cut off and maybe laid outside or in the same space. We are creating an absence by healing what is there and recreating it through a sort of replanting, and there is a sort of obsession around that. We say, "Oh, no, no, no, no, we are actually really good because we are replanting, and we're going to cut it again and then replant." But this only weakens the soil so we can't weave the mineral through it.
The film that I'm going to make especially for this installation is about cutting a tree with an axe — the old way of how to chop the tree, cutting one that already fell down. It's not about killing something that is alive, but killing something that is already dead; that is where this obsession is expressed. Hitting the tree with an axe is an incredible — a very physical action that actually demands a very high precision, even though it just seems like standing. It is very physically difficult. You have to calculate every time you hit the tree — like the calculations a person does constantly, though not necessarily in the right direction.
I bought an axe, and I walked around in the street with it. It was very radical because Paris, where I live and work, is definitely not a farm. And on a farm it looks normal, but when you walk in Paris with a huge axe like that, it looks very weird; people look at you in a weird way. On a farm you would go and work the land, cut what you don't need, and make everything look the way it should. When you walk with the axe in Paris, you look like a criminal, like a murderer, like someone that came out of a horror film.
The absence of people is very present. The aura — the energy that we leave in spaces — is very important for me and important in my work. I will bring other pieces to this installation that are related to that, they will be within the forward space. The fractal cloud, a huge light installation, is connected to it — and this is actually the first time I've had the opportunity to make one of this size and join it into a circle or form. This creates the look in our thinking and the look in our life and in our non-controlled muscles, because we are actually in the loop. We don't control waking up, we don't really control falling asleep, we don't control breathing, and so on. The fractal will be the main source of light for the installation. It will be both a cloud and a moon at the same time. When you look at it, you have the feeling that what you're looking at is very fluffy and almost a textile, and then you look at it again and the amount of light that it emits is so powerful that you can almost put it in a bag, it's almost a material. There will be two other small fractals, one in color and the other a little warmer. It will have a lighter temperature to enhance the relationship between the two and the transition that they have in the light temperature. I like to look at light as temperature and not necessarily as a lamp. I'm not making lamps; I'm creating a certain kind of temperature.
The installation will include a medical cabinet that represents the years of research and the work that I've done for this project. It will have many pieces of wood that I've collected from around the world — some of which I've repaired, or fixed, and which have the nature of being fixed, as in fixing people. It seems so much easier to break a chair, but when the chair breaks, we put it in the garbage; when a person breaks, we bring that person to the hospital. I'm sort of being a doctor or a surgeon or a scientist or just somebody who loves taking care of these pieces — joining them and having them become something — not just lost pieces of wood in the forest or on the side of the road. I'm turning them into something worthy of being cared for, making that care an important issue.
When I first visited the space and saw its fantastic dimension, it was immediately clear for me what I wanted to do and how I wanted to install the work. I would like the light to really fill in the space, as its own material. I'd like to have the logs lying down, one next to the other, expressing this very large and long tree that has been cut down. Manufacturing this and making these logs is very laborious and very demanding. It takes a lot of planning, and a lot of work. We are actually extremely precise, and every line has a reason and the proportions have a reason. The ones out of metal are connected to the medical cabinet. The stainless steel is cut and welded. We are working very, very hard to take the welding away until its marks vanish completely, and all that remains is on a molecular level, a connection that is no connection. This means that at a certain moment when the work is finished and it's mirror polished and reflective, it has no beginning and no end — this expresses the fact that we are continuing this loop we are starting again and again and again. They will reflect the wooden logs, done in an oak veneer wood, which is basically black stain, as if it was fired. Then we are making it vanish. But the logs are made with a completely different technique, as we can't really weld and sand them; it's very, very precise. It is a technique that we have developed over the past two years — to be able to glue, to connect different facets. Every facet has different angles, so every piece, every part of this log and wood has been machined specifically to fit together as a three-dimensional puzzle that makes this log stand there, and makes you wonder how it is done. It is so astonishing that it actually feels like a full, big piece of wood — a real one that has been lying there for years or just arrived out of the wood manufacturing. (?)
This presentation of the installation at Wright Galleries in Chicago will be the world premiere. It is an important landmark for me because it is going to be one of my largest installations. This opportunity to express all these ideas in the same place is fantastic and unique for me. It is very important for me to bring some pieces from my past works that connect to the future of this installation and to what it is. Therefore, in the front space, we're going to have other pieces, which are more or less known, or exist in previous, other stories. The exhibition before this one — which was an important one — was in London in October, 2009 called "Cosmic Nature." That show featured things that had different relationships, cosmically speaking. Now it's an absent nature, a lot more tangible and in our hands; this is why it is important for me to connect the pieces to each other. [end of audio]
ELSA ON ARIK
ARIK LEVY: LUMINESCENCE
at the Santa Monica Museum of Art
From May 15 to August 21, 2010, the Santa Monica Museum of Art will present Luminescence, an installation titled "between fire and ice" by Arik Levy. A matrix of wires suspends two low-hanging light sculptures — one red, one white; each a cluster of thin fluorescent tubes — over a highly polished, multifaceted stainless steel table in the form of a log. The log reflects and scatters the glow of the hovering fixtures. This project is distilled from Levy's Absent Nature, a larger exhibition shown two years ago at the Wright 21 Gallery in Chicago.
Luminescence reveals a master designer whose work balances on the threshold between industrial design and fine art. With resourceful intervention, Levy transforms hardware into lighting and natural forms into furniture.
A cloth belt wrapped around a stack of books becomes a bench and storage container;
a pile of light bulbs becomes a light sculpture;
a log sawed from a tree becomes a table;
stretched and squeezed linear abstractions become jewelry.
It is a particular pleasure to present Arik Levy: Luminescence at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.
Bridging two disciplines — and two aesthetic worlds — Levy's work exemplifies the tradition of discovery that defines our mission.
This project was funded by the The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation with additional support from the Wright 21 Gallery. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Nancy Berman and Richard Wright.
Elsa Longhauser
Santa Monica Museum of Art
LUMINESCENCE BETWEEN FIRE AND ICE
Santa Monica Museum of Art 2010
This project room installation comes to express the tension created between fire, ice and our daily doings. It is a continuation of the Absent Nature project — a comment on the evolution of the man-made genetic environment — as well as my drawn studies and written imaginary axioms.
This installation brings together three elements:
Fire represented by the Red Fractal
Ice represented by the White Blue Fractal
A Log that will never burn or freeze.
The log, a result of a genetically modified faceted tree, grown out of a faceted "RockGrain" is made of mirror Mirror Polished Stainless Steel. It represents us and at the same time reminds us of our doings. On each of its sides the juxtaposed extremes of fire and ice are reflected/projected.
Once in the space, the possibility to experience and observe these elements is available to us. We, feel, read and interact with light and reflection.
Luminescence Between Fire and Ice embraces numerous issues dealing with nature and our doings.
The logs we cut to create fire for warmth, protection, and food, will effect the world in which we live —
the ice over the planet,
the weather,
micro organism,
oceans and seas,
wild life,
…our life.
I am interested in the process and transformation of these notions — feeling one next to the other.
Arik Levy 2010


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text:
This Jo Adell trade proposal makes a lot of sense for the Angels
Aug 26, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Jo Adell (7) celebrates with / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Angels need to acquire one more starting pitcher. There're some decent options in free agency like Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke, Michael Wacha, and Wade Miley, but it's very possible Perry Minasian and the Angels front office find more value in the trade market.
The Angels don't have much in terms of tradable assets right now, but one player who they could (and should) move is Jo Adell. If he has any sort of value on the market I'd move him to try and improve the 2023 Angels.
The outfield is set with Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Hunter Renfroe left to right and if there's an injury, Mickey Moniak is still there. They also have guys like Brandon Drury and Jared Walsh who have played the outfield before. The Angels can also sign another outfielder if they don't think they have enough depth. Point is, Adell is moveable and if they can swing a trade for him that improves this year's team, I'd do it.
This Jo Adell trade proposal makes a lot of sense for the LA Angels.
Adell at one point was a blue-chip prospect with enormous potential. He's a guy who can hit for power and has amazing speed. The problem is, he hasn't hit at all at the big league level and hasn't really torn up the minors either. He strikes out way too much, doesn't walk enough, and is a poor defender. I don't see Adell turning into anything without a change of scenery. This could be the last year of Adell having any sort of value, so it's imperative the Angels capitalize right now before it's too late.
While listening to the Locked on Angels podcast with Jon and Mike Frisch, they answered a question from a Twitter user asking what move they think the Angels can make involving Jo Adell being traded for a pitcher. The Frisch brothers had a very interesting answer.
Jon Frisch proposed a German Marquez for Jo Adell swap. Marquez is a pitcher who seems to be in trade rumors every year around the deadline and in the offseason, but with one guaranteed year left on his contract, it's very possible that now is the time the Rockies finally trade this right-hander.
Marquez was my choice for the Rockies when I wrote about one player the Angels can trade for from every team.
On the surface, Marquez doesn't look great. He looks like a durable pitcher who eats innings but gives up a ton of hits and runs. While this is all true, it's important to note that he plays at the worst ballpark for pitchers, Coors Field. His numbers at and away from Coors are incredibly different.
At Coors Field, he went 2-6 with a 6.70 ERA in 16 starts. He allowed 116 hits in 87 innings pitched. Disgusting. On the road, he went 7-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 15 starts. He allowed 69 hits in 94.1 innings pitched. He was quite good away from Coors Field. Opponents hit .317 with 19 home runs and a .921 OPS at home. They hit .204 with 11 home runs and a .655 OPS away from home. He was two completely different pitchers.
The same rings true in his career stats. Marquez has gone 29-24 with a 5.08 ERA in 85 appearances (84 starts) at home in his career. He's gone 34-30 with a 3.77 ERA in 87 appearances (85 starts) on the road in his career. Opponents hit .278 with a .790 OPS at home against Marquez while they hit just .235 with a .699 OPS on the road. Again, two completely different pitchers.
Marquez is incredibly durable. He's made at least 28 starts with at least 162 innings pitched in every season excluding 2020 since 2017 (he debuted in 2016). In that shortened 2020 season he led the league with 13 starts and 81.2 innings pitched. Simply put, he's a workhorse.
In a better environment for pitchers like Anaheim, expect his numbers to look closer to his career road marks. If the Angels would get that pitcher who can also go deep into games and take the ball every sixth day, their rotation would be even better. I believe Marquez is a better option than any of the free agents left.
If it doesn't work out, he only has one guaranteed year. The issue with a Marquez trade is it'd likely take them over the tax which is something they won't want to do but maybe if they throw in a low-level prospect Colorado will eat some of the money. It's only for one year.
I think this trade makes a lot of sense for both sides. Colorado could use another outfielder and it's possible Adell hits much better at Coors Field. They don't have great pitching, but it's not like Marquez does anything at their home park anyway. What do you think?
Next. Another exciting Angels team sale update. dark


She said that she's been going out for lots of auditions lately, and the response she's seen has been encouraging.
In an interview with Variety, Maines discussed the responsibility she feels towards the historic role.
Maines first gained national attention for her battle against the Orono school district over her right to use the girls' bathroom.
In addition to being featured in "The Trans List", Maines has also appeared on "Royal Pains"; she'll be joined in the upcoming fourth season of "Supergirl" by fellow new characters Colonel Haley (April Parker Jones) and Manchester Black (David Ajala). The next season of the Mellissa Benoist-starring show will introduce the character of Nia Nal, aka Dreamer.
On Supergirl, the titular heroine's adopted sister, Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), notably came out as a lesbian in season 2 and had a relationship with Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima), a police detective. There will apparently be many parallels between her journey to self-discovery and destiny fulfillment with Supergirl herself - we'll just have to wait and see what those similarities will be.
"Having trans people play trans roles show [s] that we are valid in our identities and we exist", she said.
Maines was featured in the HBO documentary The Trans Listand was the plaintiff in the lawsuit against the state of ME that allowed transgender people to use the bathroom they chose. The news was revealed during Comic-Con and Maines shared that she wished there had been a trans superhero on television when she was a child. Supergirl's version is described as "the type of guy who brings a knife to a gunfight and still walks away the victor".
She added: "You know it seems fitting to have a trans superhero - Supergirl stepped up and I stepped in".
"Now, it's very hopeful and relieving to watch creators and writers and directors and casting offices stepping up to put trans people in trans roles, so we can portray ourselves and we can start to disprove some of those stereotypes about us". 'We don't see the same issue with sexuality, we see straight people play gay all the time.
"She has this ferocious drive to protect people and to fight against discrimination and hatred", Maines told the audience during the panel.
Season 4 kicks off on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 8/7c.
A police statement said large numbers of officers were deployed to "ensure the safety of participants and maintain public order". Sunday is a semiofficial holiday - Tisha B'av - in Israel as Jews commemorate the destruction of two biblical-era temples.
Witnesses said three hooded gunmen got out of the other auto , grabbed Tekashi and pistol whipped him, knocking him unconscious. He said he was sitting at a red light when a auto bumped the vehicle he was in from behind and two men with guns jumped out.
CubsHQ spoke with a fan that actually sat beside the couple that got the ball in the video. "Nice couple on vacation from SC". One person defending the move responding to the tweet, "I like this guy, and he's got a pair of incredible shades on".
The third-generation Turkish-German was born in Gelsenkirchen and was a key member of his country's 2014 World Cup-winning side. In 2014, he was integral in guiding Germany to a fantastic 2014 World Cup title.
Trump's current legal representative, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani , confirmed the existence of the tapes on Friday. McDougal, who claims she began an affair with Trump in 2006, sold her story to The National Enquirer in 2016 for $150,000.
Dale Earnhardt Jr . does not, but he too has been banging the drum to see stock cars on the dirt at Eldora as well. Ray Bollinger, Ken Schrader, Evan Taylor, Dylan Woodling and Brian Ruhlman completed the top 10.
The weather agency issued a warning of extraordinarily high temperatures for most regions of Japan's main island. The previous record was set on August 12, 2013, when the temperature reached 41 C in Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture.
Kisner, who started the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Spieth and Schauffele, took double-bogey on No. 2. That dropped Woods from 7 under par to 4 under par and scrambling to get back into the tournament.
Meanwhile, pro-government activists said the Israeli strike targeted an establishment of the military defense factory in Mesyaf. Some of Iran's military bases in Syria are next to Syrian military compounds, according to the intelligence source.
And according to ESPN's Rob Dawson, Mourinho and Woodward, who is in the United States, will meet this week for crunch talks over Martial .
The health district will work with Harrah's in conducting follow-up sampling to make sure remediation efforts are effective. Most people contract the disease by inhaling mist or vapor from a water source contaminated with the bacteria.
Musk has pushed back on naysayers, arguing that the company will be profitable this quarter and next. He wrote early Monday : "Only costs that actually apply to Q3 & beyond will be counted.
America's heartland is an unusual place for any political movement with the word "socialist" attached to it to take its message. He won more than two-thirds of the votes in the state's 2016 presidential caucuses, surpassing Barack Obama's 2008 vote total.
While the 412-page document was mostly blacked out for security purposes, it claimed that Page had been acting as a foreign agent. Putin in Helsinki, where he held a closed-door meeting the Russian leader and then appeared to accept Mr.
Several communities are still cut off after mudslides covered roads. "We were all trapped in the house". Hundreds of people are killed every year in destructive storms in Vietnam .
But that's all coming apart with the drama and infighting coming from Meghan Markle's family since she married Prince Harry . I want my friends to marry princes", she explained.
It's what Harry Potter and Wizarding World fans continue to live for, and it's great to see Warner Bros appear to be delivering. A new poster was also released , with the text "Who will change the future?" over a deathly hallows symbol and a cast photo.
The woman was on the beach in Ocean City when she was impaled in the chest by the flying umbrella, the Washington Post reported. The incident took place in the resort town of Ocean City , Maryland, this afternoon, the New York Post reports.
This season, Familia is enjoying a career resurgence, tallying 17 saves to go with 2.88 ERA this season for the last-place Mets. Oakland transferred right-hander Daniel Gossett (elbow) to the 60-day disabled list to open a 40-man roster spot for Familia.
It might be because there is so much as stake, despite a legacy from his earlier years that is already in golf's record books. It was a tender moment between a father and his kids, but also another reminder that Father Time waits for no one.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Summer Vacation came in third place at the box office with $23.1 million earned.
We often take it for granted that the greater a country's economic and military resources, the greater its influence. Rubio said he looks at policies, which matter more than rhetoric.
But the death toll may be more than double that, with Kyodo News agency reporting 11 people died on Saturday alone across Japan . The mercury hit 39.9C in the south-eastern town of Hayang, the highest temperature in the country so far this year.
The British citizen "is under arrest and we are continuing our investigations", a police official was quoted as saying by AFP . The opener was handed a six-match ban from white-ball cricket - eventually reduced to three games - in October 2017.
The 24-year-old played in five games in his rookie season, connecting on 18 of 35 passes for 175 yards and two interceptions. The Alouettes do not have a first or second round pick in next year's draft, which could limit what they're able to offer.
The Foxes ace is expected to replace Phil Jones or Smalling in Mourinho's starting 11, as he has done with the Three Lions. Rojo has had his moments for the Red Devils, but injuries and a lack of consistency have held him back.
Karius has featured for the Reds in pre-season but with little success, conceding a howler against Tranmere Rovers . Karius was at fault for neither of those goals.
Richarlison , 21, joined Watford last summer from Fluminense for a fee of around £11.5 million. He scored five goals in his first 12 Premier League matches.


text:
Destiny Announces Strategic Relationship with the McKenna Group
Destiny Media Technologies, Inc. (DSNY-OTC BB) is pleased to announce a strategic relationship with the McKenna Group, a Silicon Valley based consulting firm with expertise in the development of information and telecommunications management, marketing and alliance strategies (http://www.mckenna-group.com ) . The McKenna Group will broker relationships with Fortune 100 companies, which require media distribution and streaming media tools, and will assist in the development of a strategy for gaining industry adoption of the recently announced MPE format. According to McKenna partner Phillip Gerbert, Destiny suffers from an embarrassment of technological riches. "We are truly excited by the compelling advantages Destiny's products offer over existing solutions, in terms of technological performance as well as user friendliness." Phillip will be heading the initiative with Destiny.
Mr. Gerbert has received a Master's Degree from the Max-Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, a Certificate from École Normale Superieure in Paris, France, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), School of Science.
Steve Vestergaard, Destiny CEO comments, "Philip is specially suited to assist us in both our streaming and music distribution initiatives. He is the author of Music  The Prototype for the Digital Economy and Capturing the Value in Broadband Services and has intimate knowledge and relationships with the industries we are targeting."
Regis McKenna, the chairman of the McKenna Group is included in the San Jose Mercury News' Millennium 100 as one of the 100 people who made Silicon Valley what it is today. Mr. McKenna has written and lectured extensively on the social and market effects of technological change advancing innovations in marketing theories and practices.
McKenna helped launch some of the most important technological innovations of the last twenty-five years including the first microprocessor (Intel Corporation), the first personal computer (Apple Computer), the first recombinant DNA genetically engineered product (Genentech, Inc.), and the first retail computer store (The Byte Shop).
Mr. McKenna and his firm have worked with a number of entrepreneurial start-ups during their formation years including: America On Line (NYSE-AOL), Apple (Nasdaq-AAPL), Compaq (NYSE-CPQ), Electronic Arts (Nasdaq-ERTS), Genentech (NYSE-DNA), Intel (Nasdaq-INTC), Linear Technology (Nasdaq-LLTC), Lotus, Microsoft (Nasdaq-MSFT), National Semiconductor (NYSE-NSM), Silicon Graphics (NYSE-SGI), 3COM (Nasdaq-COMS), and many others. In the last decade, McKenna has consulted on strategic marketing and business issues to firms in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Mr. McKenna continues to be involved in high tech start-up companies through his venture activities.
About Destiny Media Technologies, Inc.
Destiny Media Technologies, Inc. (http://www.dsny.com) is a leader in developing easy-to-use tools and enabling technologies to distribute digital media through the Internet. The company's suite of streaming and downloadable products includes: MPE™ (http://www.destinympe.com), a complete, secure media distribution system that provides e-commerce and digital rights management directly from within an MP3-compatible multimedia file; Clipstream™ (http://www.clipstream.com), a java-based tool which enables web pages, e-mail and banners to stream audio without the use of a player; Video Clipstream™ (http://www.videoclipstream.com), a technology for embedding streaming video into a web page or e-mail; and the RadioDestiny Broadcaster™ (http://www.radiodestiny.com), which allows a user to webcast live or scripted internet radio from a computer to anyone on the Internet. Established in 1991, the company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Destiny Media Technologies, Inc.
Keith Loh June 6, 2000
Destiny Media Technologies Joins the SDMI
Destiny Media Technologies Appoints New Vice President of Sales
Keith Loh May 30, 2000


This is something I would bring to the attention of every diplomat, politician and corporate leader: the future, eventually, will find you out. The future, wielding unimaginable tools of transparency, will have its way with you. In the end, you will be seen to have done that which you did.
How to extract money from your patients | Advance My Practice – A whole blog dedicated just to helping doctors squeeze every last possible penny out of their patients. Not particularly surprising, given the way our healthcare system is organized, and in an ideal (perfect information) capitalist economy, maybe not even such a bad idea. But in the marketeer infested nonsense world we actually inhabit, getting a straight answer to a simple question like "How much does an eye exam cost" is unfortunately not easy. The mere fact that you're asking indicates you are one of those useless customers who *compares prices* and is not going to be easy to squeeze. So why bother answering at all?
Mindshare / Enlightened Debauchery – A kind of wider Salon, writ large. WIll have to check it out when I get back.
Dust storm in Australia – Bigger, better pictures of the dust storm in Australia. Is this what the future looks like?
Australia dust storm sweeps across eastern coast – Yikes. Australia goes Martian.
Urban Archipelago – The United Cities of America: an article that came out in the Seattle indie newspaper, The Stranger, arguing that the Democrats are the party of urban America, and that they need to re-align their platform around that reality. City states sound good to me!
Montgomery Botique on Etsy – My uncle Dickie's online jewelry shop on Etsy. Seems to be going well.
Online Dating Advice: Exactly What To Say In A First Message – A statistical analysis of half a million first contact messages from the online dating service OK Cupid. You know, for SCIENCE.


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text:
Q: integration of simple function So I have  this question I saw this week which I do not understand the answer for it.
Let $a,b \in \mathbb{R} a <b \ $ and let $f_1:[a,b] \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ and I know that $\int_a^x \mathrm{f_1(x)}\,\mathrm{d}x \in \mathbb{R} \  \forall x \in [a,b]$
I also that $\forall k\in \mathbb{N} \ f_k:[a,b] \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$
and that $ f_{k+1}(x) = \int_a^x \mathrm{f_{k}(t)}\,\mathrm{d}t$
So I know that the series is defined well.
now I have to proof that $\sum _{k=1}^{\infty} f_{k+1}(x)$ is uniform convergence.
So I know that $\exists M \in \mathbb{N}\ \forall x\in [a,b] \ |f_{1}(x)| \leq M $
Therefore I can conclude that $ \forall x\in [a,b] \ |f_{2}(x)| \leq M(x-a)$
And therefore I can conclude that
$\forall x\in [a,b] \ |f_3(x)| = |\int_a^x \mathrm{f_{2}(t)}\,\mathrm{d}t|\leq |\int_a^x \mathrm{M(x-a)}\,\mathrm{d}t| = \frac{M(x-a)^{2}}{2}\leq M(x-a)^{2} $
My question is this:
from what I learned about integration I can say that
because  $|\int_a^x \mathrm{M(x-a)}\,\mathrm{d}t| = | M(x-a) \int_a^x \mathrm{}\,\mathrm{d}t| = | M(x-a)(x-a)| =    M(x-a)^{2} $
And not that :
$ |\int_a^x \mathrm{M(x-a)}\,\mathrm{d}t|= \frac{M(x-a)^{2}}{2}\leq M(x-a)^{2}$
So what am I missing here ?
What am I doing wrong ?
Thanks in advanced !!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
//
// This file defines all of the passes owned by the quantization dialect. As
// things mature, it is expected that passes specific to certain frontend or
// backend dialects will move to those dialects directly. For now, they are
// incubated here.
//
//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//

#ifndef TENSORFLOW_COMPILER_MLIR_LITE_QUANTIZATION_IR_PASSES_H_
#define TENSORFLOW_COMPILER_MLIR_LITE_QUANTIZATION_IR_PASSES_H_

#include "mlir/Pass/Pass.h"  // from @llvm-project

namespace mlir {
namespace func {
class FuncOp;
}  // namespace func

namespace quantfork {

/// Creates a pass that converts quantization simulation operations (i.e.
/// FakeQuant and those like it) to casts into/out of supported QuantizedTypes.
std::unique_ptr<OperationPass<func::FuncOp>> createConvertSimulatedQuantPass();

/// Creates a pass that converts constants followed by a qbarrier to a
/// constant whose value is quantized. This is typically one of the last
/// passes done when lowering to express actual quantized arithmetic in a
/// low level representation. Because it modifies the constant, it is
/// destructive and cannot be undone.
std::unique_ptr<OperationPass<func::FuncOp>> createConvertConstPass();

//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
// Registration
//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//

/// Generate the code for registering passes.
#define GEN_PASS_REGISTRATION
#include "tensorflow/compiler/mlir/lite/quantization/ir/Passes.h.inc"

}  // namespace quantfork
}  // namespace mlir

#endif  // TENSORFLOW_COMPILER_MLIR_LITE_QUANTIZATION_IR_PASSES_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Doctors Search:
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HPGRB Hospital offers a full range of general and specialized medical services. The facility is open 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
Have any question? call us now
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contact@hpgrbukavu.org
HPGRB Historical background
HomeHPGRB | HPGRB Historical background
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HPGRB
The Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu was founded in 1929. It served as the state hospital for the former Kivu Province (North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema). The first extensions of this hospital date back to 1945 under the direction of Dr CAUNE assisted by the White Sisters. It was first a hospital of the Société des Chemins de Fer de l'Est (SCFE) formerly called OTRACO (Office de Transport du Congo); it later became a Congolese Hospital managed by the colonial state. In 1983, it was merged with the Medical Clinic of Bukavu and the two were called Urban Hospitals under the initiative of the then Regional Medical Inspector.
On 1 July 1987, the two institutions were split by decision of another Regional Medical Inspector and named respectively Bukavu General Reference Hospital and Bukavu Medical Clinic.
In 1997, the management of the Medical Clinic (currently Bukavu University Clinic) was taken over by the provincial authorities.
In May 2003, Ministerial Order No. 1250/CAB/MIN/S/CJ/67/2003 of the Minister of Health upgraded the Bukavu General Reference Hospital to the Bukavu Provincial General Reference Hospital, which also serves as a teaching hospital for medical students of the Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB).
In 2006, this State medical structure was transferred in management to the Archdiocese of Bukavu by the Ministry of Health according to partnership agreement No.
1250/CAB/MIN/BYY/0061/MC/2006 transferring the management of the Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu is signed between the Archdiocese of Bukavu and the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The HPGRB plays both the role of :
• Reference Hospital for Bukavu city and South Kivu Province ;
• University Hospital Center ofthe Catholic University of Bukavu and other universities and health institutions in the city of Bukavu. In this aspect, it is a centre of specialisation for doctors in Surgery, Internal Medicine, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and Paediatrics in accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Higher and University Education authorising UCB to organise postgraduate training in Medicine;
• Training hospital for young doctors before their assignment in the hospitals of the South Kivu Province ;
• Retraining hospital for physicians assigned to other health institutions in the province.
It has 16 pavilions and 28 private rooms With 2 beds for hospitalization, 2 of which are used for consultations. It has a theoretical capacity of 500 beds but only 350 beds are fitted.
1. Geographical location
The HPGRB is located at number 2 Michombero Avenue in the municipality of Kadutu on the road leading to Kavumu Airport and the city of Goma. It is built 500 m from Independence Square on the slope overlooking Lake Kivu. It is located at an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level and is subject to a mountain climate. The temperature varies between 150 in the rainy season and 250 to 300 in the hot season.
2. Organs of the HPGRB
The Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu consists of three (3) organs, as follows:
• Board of Directors
• Management Board
• Executive Committee
Its medical and paramedical staff is 410, including 80 doctors (28 specialists, 60 general practitioners and 2 dental surgeons), 2 pharmacists, 148 nurses, 46 administrative staff, 9 maintenance staff, 89 workers and a contract workforce of 36.
Thanks to this motivated and dynamic staff, the hospital's services have acquired the experience and competence to diagnose, analyse and offer the patient the necessary treatment until his recovery.
As a support service, HPGRB also offers:
• An Emergency Department;
• An Intensive Care Unit;
• A medical oxygen production unit;
• An Anesthesia and Resuscitation Department;
• External Consultations (Generalists and Specialists)
• A Medical Imaging Department;
• Physiotherapy and Kinesitherapy ;
• A Pharmacy;
• A morgue.
• An in-house optics department
• A VIP clinic (to be set up in the very short term)
As a result, its partnership with public and private companies, local and international organizations is growing every day.
It has a package of services that it offers to patients, the list of which is as follows (which is not exhaustive).
The general consultation ;
Specialist consultations in internal medicine, gynaecological-obstetrics, surgery, neurosurgery, paediatrics, ophthalmology, dermatology, ENT and dentistry
Lab tests and Anatomy;
Physical fitness tests;
Prenatal consultations and Pre school consultations ;
Imaging and CT scans;
Dental procedures With or without dentures ;
Physiotherapy sessions;
Outpatient procedures;
Essential medicines available at HPGRB,
The glasses;
Hospitalization in the common wards ;
Hospitalization in private rooms (Clinical Pavilion) ,
Eutocic and dystocic deliveries;
HPGRB BANK ACCOUNTS
The account of the Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu is opened at the BOA (Bank
Of Africa), Bukavu Branch at the following coordinates:
Account number '09006860008',
IBAN: CD27 0002 5010 1200 9016 8900 0967 ;
SWIFT code: AFRICDKSXXX.
We are always open
About HPGRB
HPGRB is a State institution ceded in management to the Archdiocese of Bukavu.
Avenue Michombero Number 2 Bukavu Rep. Rep. From Congo South Kivu.
Neonatology Service
Ophthalmology Service
Audiometry service
Dentistry service
Copyright © 2020 HPGRB. All rights reserved. Desgined by Pro Media System Ltd


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Tell and Show
RFID chips revolutionize the way you get info about products, even before you open the box.
Mark Henricks
If the Internet revolution happened because millions of computing devices got connected, will an even bigger revolution occur if billions of razor blades, shoes and other items get connected to computers?
That's the intriguing question about Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID. RFID embeds tiny data-packed radio transceiver chips into all kinds of goods and containers. Like a talking bar code, an RFID chip can talk to a scanner several feet away and tell it far more than a printed label, even from inside an unopened carton.
RFID has been around for decades without revolutionizing much, but that may change soon under simultaneous pushes from government agencies such as the Department of Defense, which uses RFID to unravel its massive logistical puzzles, and giant companies like Wal-Mart, which in the next few years will begin requiring suppliers to RFID-tag every carton shipped to the world's largest retailer.
When RFID really arrives, look out, says Mark Roberti, editor of RFID Journal, an industry publication offering news and analysis. "This is an innovative technology similar to the Internet," says Roberti. "When that happened, we saw a wave of innovation from small companies. This is far more dramatic than connecting computers. You can now make any object smart."
RFID goes back to World War II, when air forces began using radio transponders to identify aircraft. Transponders are now nearly ubiquitous on aircraft. RFID got a bump in the 1980s, when governments worried about mad cow disease began to require detailed tracking of cattle from feedlot to refrigerator case. Tens of millions of cows now bear RFID tags.
In the early 1990s, automakers turned to RFID to deter theft. Most new cars today can be started only by keys equipped with appropriate RFID chips. RFID is also used to time recreational runners, enable monthly toll-card purchases so drivers can breeze through turnpike booths, and allow drivers to purchase gas by waving a key fob at the pump.
RFID does have costs, limits and risks. The tags may someday cost less than a nickel apiece, but today, they're 50 cents or more, according to Bill Allen, marketing communications manager for the RFID division of Texas Instruments, the leading maker of RFID tags. Scanners may run $50 to $1,500, depending on whether they're handheld or used on a conveyor belt.
The tiny chips' signals can be gathered from, at most, a few feet away at this point, and this range may be reduced by environmental factors such as the presence of metal building frames, filing cabinets and the like. Standards for making RFID interoperable are a big sticking point, too, since most RFID systems are proprietary, and the technology won't take off until all can work together.
Finally, RFID has attracted the ire of privacy groups. They fear businesses and even criminals could secretly tap into a great deal of personal information were RFID to become commonplace.
If you'd like to try RFID now, start by looking for a point in your internal operations-Allen calls it a "pain point"-where RFID is most likely to give big benefits fast. If, say, you have employees opening cartons to hand-scan bar codes on lots of individual boxes or the items inside, RFID may be able to gather all that information and more in a single pass.
At least start thinking about RFID. Wal-Mart's mandate will create a ripple effect among suppliers, to its suppliers and their suppliers. A similar wave of adoption put bar codes on seemingly every flat surface today.
"Waiting until someone demands that you do something is a mistake," warns Roberti. "The smart companies are going out now and looking for internal applications."
Mark Henricks writes on business and technology for leading publications and is author of Not Just a Living.


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Decorating Styles and Techniques
Top 10 Retro-themed Rec Rooms
Nothing says disco like a shiny, spinning ball.
Hemera/Thinkstock
A recreation room is the perfect place to express your fun side with family and friends. The typical rec room has a nice mix of games like pool and ping-pong, and many have a home theater and entertainment system. Paying homage to a particular era can add some playful style. Here are 10 blast-from-the past ideas to spice up your rec room.
Pac-Man Fever
It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing
And We'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun
10: Age of Aquarius
Nothing like a little flower power to take you back to the '60s. A rec room with a laid-back hippie vibe will ensure a cool atmosphere in your chill-out space. Shag carpet is a must, and don't forget plenty of bean bag chairs. Psychedelic posters, daisy chain curtains and some tie-dye prints scream Woodstock. And what '60s rec room would be complete without a few lava lamps? Finally, add a vintage turntable to complement your modern entertainment system and you'll be ready to turn on, tune in and drop out. Yeah, baby!
The legendary band "The Grateful Dead," which formed in 1964, was originally named "The Warlocks."
9: Disco Inferno
An old juke box is like a musical time machine.
Michael Blann/Photodisc/Thinkstock
Disco was the hottest thing in the 1970s, and you can create that same burn, baby, burn vibe in your rec room for a little Saturday Night Fever fun. No disco room would be complete without the requisite spinning disco ball and, of course, plenty of space to boogie. A great sound system is a must if you're going to be cranking the Bee Gees all night long. Frame some '70s albums for the walls and dust off that old fondue set. Bell-bottoms optional.
8: Wild, Wild West
The Old West may conjure up images of tumbleweeds and quick draws, but turning your rec room into a Western saloon can be a slightly more civilized undertaking. If you're going for a saloon look, don't skimp on genuine items like swinging saloon doors and a big wooden bar. Touches like Old Western bar stools and a tin ceiling can add authenticity. Frame some old "wanted" posters, and hang a set of bull horns on the wall. If you've got some extra dough, a player piano can round out your theme. Then, invite your cowpokes over for a cold sarsaparilla.
Contrary to what you see in the movies, skilled gunfighters generally tried to avoid other quick-draw artists. The reason? They wanted to live.
7: Grease Is the Word
"Happy Days" and "Grease" may have been made in the '70s, but it was clear people still yearned for the days of sock hops and soda fountains. You can capture the 1950s era with diner decor. Start with a jukebox stocked with plenty of period music. An ice cream parlor vibe is perfect for the main hangout area. Add a real soda fountain for period detail, neon signs and a few retro chrome tables with vinyl tops. Vintage accessories like Pepsi or Coca-Cola bottles will complete a rec room that even the Fonz would give a thumbs-up.
6: Pac-Man Fever
The '80s was a much-maligned decade, thanks to parachute pants, break dancing and Cabbage Patch dolls. But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with an '80s-inspired rec room. A wall of full-size vintage video games is a must. "Flock of Seagulls" and "Duran Duran" posters are a nice touch. Rather than blast MTV out of a television with an actual picture tube, buy some music video DVDs from the era to play on your flat screen. Then get a jar of quarters ready and call your friends.
The song "Pac-Man Fever" from 1982 one-hit wonder band "Buckner & Garcia" went all the way to No. 9 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
5: Luck Be a Lady
Can't you just feel the vibe?
Spike Mafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock
Thanks to the hit television show "Mad Men," the late '50s/early '60s era is back with a bang. Make your rec room a vintage space-age bachelor pad that The Brat Pack would be proud of. Clean lines and mid-century furniture should be the focal point of your design. Shop thrift stores and Craigslist for retro-groovy accessories like an RCA radio. Break out your martini shaker, throw some Sinatra on the hi-fi and remember -- you're nobody till somebody loves you … and your rec room.
4: Take Me out to the Ballgame
Ladies, don't surprised if your husband has a desire to turn your family rec room into a classic Major League ballpark. Old-school baseball parks have made a comeback as stadium architects shun modern designs in favor of classic looks. If you want the same style for your rec room, start with popcorn and cotton candy machines. Team pennants and other baseball memorabilia should adorn the walls. And there's no better way to capture the sights and sounds of an afternoon ballgame than with a flat screen television. Accessorize with baseball mitts and Cracker Jack boxes for the seventh inning stretch.
The song "Take Me out to the Ball Game" was written by a man who had never been to a baseball game.
3: It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing
Jazz things up with a musical painting or poster.
Swinging grooves filled the air in the 1940s and '50s jazz clubs in Manhattan, Miami Beach and Los Angeles. Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald mesmerized audiences, and you can, too, in your own jazz-themed rec room. Think retro-lounge vibe with plenty of velvet and mood lighting. If you want to throw in a little Miami, add some pink flamingos and palm fronds. If your jazz look is more Cotton Club, ditch the beach accessories and go with some classic jazz prints and performance posters. Make sure you have plenty of be-bop on hand and some room to cut a rug if the spirit moves you.
2: And We'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun
The beach scene of the early 1960s was known for its modern styles and laid-back feel. Think Gidget and her itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka-dot bikini. Hang a vintage longboard on the wall, or repurpose it into a coffee table. A bamboo tiki-bar is the perfect spot for refreshments, and a wave machine is a nice touch for background ambience. Have some fun props on hand like beach balls and period beach blankets. Leave your flip-flops at the door and hang ten.
The beach movie genre was a genuine sensation in the 1950s, with three Elvis Presley movies set in Hawaii leading the way.
1: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Make sure your retro theme includes fun activities.
Stockbyte/Thinkstock
Not all retro rec rooms have to go back 30 or 40 years or more. If you look into the not-too-distant past, you may be inspired by a music movement that was all about shaggy hair, flannel shirts and distorted guitars. For a 1990s grunge theme, channel your inner Kurt Cobain and repurpose those old flannel shirts into curtains. Decorate with rock posters for a dive bar feel, with a pool table and dart board for gaming fun. Microbrew beer on tap is a must, as is an ample stereo system. Then just load up your Pearl Jam CDs, crank the volume and prepare to rock. Hold the mosh pit.
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"Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions," musicbox-online/com, May 1999. 7/22/10.http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-mcree.html
"60s Theme Party Ideas." fun-theme-party-ideas.com, 2010.http://www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com/60s-theme-party.html
"Beach Blanket Bingo." imdb.com 2010.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058953/ "Decorate with Coca Cola Old Style." toy-train-table-plans-store.com, 2010.http://www.toy-train-table-plans-store.com/retro-collectables.html
"Elvis Presley Box Office." the-numbers.com, 2010.http://www.the-numbers.com/people/0EPRE.php
"Old West Saloon Basement." hgtv.com, 2010.http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/old-west-saloon-basement/index.html
"Outlaws, Gunfighters, Lawmen & More." legendsofamerica.com, 2010. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/loa-outlawsandlegends.html
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame!" National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services, 2010http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/ballgame.htm
http://bucknergarcia.com, 2010
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Home » Local » King attends Independence Day celebration, honours achievers
King attends Independence Day celebration, honours achievers
By JT - May 25,2015 - Last updated at May 25,2015
His Majesty King Abdullah with the recipients of Royal medals at a national celebration marking Independence Day on Monday (Photo courtesy of Royal Court)
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday attended the official national celebration marking the 69th Independence Day with Her Majesty Queen Rania and HRH Crown Prince Hussein, a Royal Court statement said.
The national anthem was played upon the King's arrival at Raghadan Palace where the celebration was held and F-16 jets from the Royal Jordanian Air Force performed an aerobatics show.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Senate President Abdur-Ra'uf S. Rawabdeh, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, and Judicial Council President Hisham Tal attended the celebration and delivered speeches.
Ensour said Jordanians celebrate the occasion while taking pride in the country's achievements and looking forward to a bright future.
The premier added that His Majesty envisions a future where young Jordanians lead the way; the media sector takes on the mantle of freedom, education and awareness; education is progressive; and government institutions serve people rather than rule them.
Rawabdeh commended Jordan's achievements.
"Celebrating our great achievement is an annual opportunity to review and evaluate our performance. Have we progressed towards our goals? Have we become stronger against our enemies?… We have achieved so much, beyond the limits of our capabilities, and have protected our homeland," he said.
Tarawneh mostly tackled the issues of war, security and terrorism noting that "we live amidst a turbulent region", but the country enjoys safety and stability thanks to its security institutions and the awareness of the public.
Tal spoke about the policy and strategy of the Judicial Council, including "supporting the judiciary with graduates from the Judicial Institute of Jordan or qualified lawyers, supervising their progress… and assigning them to courts after they pass training and qualification requirements".
The King awarded Royal medals to national institutions and a number of pioneers in various sectors for their efforts in building the country and enhancing its progress.
The Royal medals include the Order of Independence, which is one of the first medals ever to be bestowed by the Kingdom on deserving individuals and is divided into five classes, according to the Royal Court.
The Order of Independence is granted to prime ministers, ministers, and ambassadors to the Kingdom upon concluding their tenure in Jordan. It is also given to other achievers based on their level of service and official rank.
The Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions, issued by His Majesty the late King Hussein on March 29, 1997, is divided into two classes.
The medal is granted to those who have made distinguished contributions to society, according to the Royal Court.
It can be bestowed on any person for any distinguished contribution in any area without limitation.
Royal family members, senior officials and officers, diplomats, representatives of political parties, commissions, syndicates, and civil community institutions attended Monday's celebration.
Medal recipients
Following is the list of those who received medals on the occasion of the 69th Independence Day:
Mohammad Thneibat — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the First Class for his efforts in developing the education sector
Said Darwazeh — Order of Independence of the First Class for his role in developing the pharmaceutical industry
Michel Hamarneh — Order of Independence of the First Class for his contributions to enhancing human communication
Issam Arabiyyat — Order of Independence of the First Class for his services during his career in Sharia courts
Anwar Batikhi — Order of Independence of the First Class for his scientific and academic achievements
Yarmouk University's faculty of mass communication — Order of Independence of the First Class for its contributions in developing media education
Walid Tahabsem — Order of Independence of the Second Class for his efforts in improving the ICT sector
Rostom Mekhjian — Order of Independence of the Second Class for his efforts in supporting the tourism sector and his contributions to including the Baptism Site on the religious map and World Heritage List
The Jordanian Women's Qualifying and Training Society — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for contributions to social development work and local community service
Nuha Maaitah — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for her contributions to empowering women
Samiha Khreis — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for her contributions in creative writing and enriching the Jordanian and Arab cultural movement
Taha Natour — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for his entrepreneurial role in the agricultural sector, especially in fish breeding
Rawan Barakat — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for her voluntary work for people with disabilities
Hussein Jimzawi — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class for his efforts in voluntary work to serve underprivileged school and university students
Mohammad Ahyawat — Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Third Class for his efforts in encouraging local tourism and promoting tourist sites.
Fatima Dahamsheh — Order of Independence of the Third Class for her community service in the areas of women empowerment and care for people with disabilities
King bestows medals on achievers in various fields
His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday bestowed medals on several national institutions and leading figures in recognition of their efforts in building the country and advancing its development.
King honours pioneers on 70th Independence Day
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday attended the official national celebration marking Jordan's 70th Independence Day with Her Ma
Jordan marks 72nd independence anniversary
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday attended the official national celebration marking Jordan's 72nd Independence Day with Her Maj


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"A fo ben, bid bont"/"If you want to be a leader, be a bridge" (Welsh proverb)
March 13, 2019 / madamebibilophile	/ 37 Comments
If only traditional Welsh wisdom would reach current leaders, who seem determined to build walls both literal and metaphorical rather than bridges at the moment… *sigh*
Politics aside, let's get back to books, lovely books. This is my contribution to Dewithon 19, the Welsh readathon for March 2019, hosted by Paula at Book Jotter – do join in!
(Image from Book Jotter)
Firstly, Winter Sonata by Dorothy Edwards (1928), who was born in Glamorgan in 1903. This was her only novel after she tragically died by suicide when she was 31, six years after its publication.
Arnold Nettle is a shy man and in frail health. He moves to a village where his family own the Post Office, to work there and recuperate.
"Every evening at six o'clock Arnold Nettle used to come home from the post-office and walk slowly along to his lodgings. The sun was setting and it would disappear behind the black feathery branches of the trees, leaving streaks of red in the grey sky. He went in and had his tea, and then he usually sat reading by the fire or practising a bit on his cello. Sometimes, of course, he sat simply looking into the fire, and it seemed he was a little nervous even in his own society, because often he would blush and smile shyly to himself. At ten o'clock he would put his book and his cello back in their places and fasten the window and go to bed."
So, a simple life conveyed in a simple style. I wasn't sure about this style at first, whether it was deliberate to convey Arnold's thought processes and deliberately quiet life, or whether it was the inexperience of the writer. It worked well for Arnold, and it did change slightly when the story focussed on other characters. Arnold is asked by a local family to play his cello for them; Olivia and Eleanor live with their aunt, Mrs Curle, and her son George. Arnold is very much taken with Olivia.
"Olivia smiled at him too and made him sit down, He still kept the gloves firmly in his hands, but he sat down smiling at them all and asked in a comparatively loud voice, 'Where is your cat?' and since this was the first quite independent remark he had ever made in that house, it almost gave the rather absurd impression that he had this evening come there especially to see the cat."
The story follows these young people and also Mr Premiss, a self-focussed cad who is friends with George, and Pauline, Arnold's landlady's daughter. Very little happens so this is not the novel for you if you like a strong plot, but I thought it worked effectively in capturing people and a place at a moment in time, over the course of one winter.
Ultimately though I decided the naïve style was due to Dorothy Edwards' inexperience as a writer. There are far too many occasions on which Olivia's eyes are described as sad, her sister's as blue. This description is not always out of place:
"Olivia looked about her with her large, rather childlike but sad eyes. Her happy mood had gone in some way; she did not feel so full of energy. There is something, too, rather unpleasant about winter; it is cold and frozen and nothing seems to move, and yet there is no sense of rest anywhere."
Yet far too frequent. But what really stopped me loving this novel was a feeling of detachment from the characters. For me as a reader, I don't need to like the characters but I do need to feel involved with them in some way. Again, this may have been a stylistic choice – Olivia seems depressed, Arnold is alienated, and so creating this feeling in the reader helps capture the feelings of the characters:
"At supper he was very careful to listen to the conversation and not to get lost in his own thoughts. But even then he listened, and even took part in it, almost as though he were dreaming it all. They sat around the table like stars, and when they spoke their voices seemed to come to him from far away"
I only write about books I would recommend, and I would recommend Winter Sonata, but with some reservations. I found it an interesting novel with some beautiful writing but also a bit unsatisfying. I've definitely not done it justice here and in capturing a quiet desperation within ordinary lives it is restrained and accomplished. What I am sure of is that Dorothy Edwards was a talented writer and may have just been finding her feet with this. I'd certainly like to read Rhapsody, her collection of short stories. Had she lived and carried on writing, I think she could have been really successful.
Secondly, Remember Me by Trezza Azzopardi (2004) who was born in Cardiff and based the main character of this novel, Winnie, on Nora Brindle, a woman who lived on the streets of Cardiff.
"There was a panicky sort of wind about, swirling everything up from the gutter and blowing dirt in your face. Eyes full of grit; with my case and the bin liner…I was wearing my silver coat with the plastic bag in the inside pocket, and the shoes I'd got from the Salvation Army the week before. I had my case with me. I always took my case."
Winnie is homeless but shelters in an abandoned shop that she has some previous connection to, along with some young homeless boys. They move on and she is on her own when a young woman breaks in a steals her case. Her pursuit of her things leads Winnie to remember the past, and Azzopardi moves seamlessly back and forth across time.
Winnie has been considered odd since she was a child. Her mother seems to suffer from depression, although in the first half of the twentieth century it isn't called that. All young Winnie knows is that her frail mother is wasting away in bed, and like Winnie, she communes with the dead.
"I avoided cracks in the pavement, I crossed my fingers and touched wood, and at night, I prayed. Despite everything, the ghosts took their fill. Each day a little more of my mother was stolen. In no time at all, her eyes went hard as jet; her hair, brittle as spun sugar."
We follow Winnie through her life: evacuation during the war, bullying at school, falling in love. She lives with her grandfather after her mother dies and her father tries to keep Winnie's memories of her alive:
"A handkerchief, a ribbon, a heart-shaped locket sprinkled with rust; these are objects, artefacts, proof of life. I balance his memories, all the same, storing them on top of mine, carefully leaning one against the other like a stack of playing cards. I am building a tower without bells. Later I will bring it all down, in an earthquake of my own."
What we witness is that time and again Winnie is used by people. Azzopardi shows with a deft touch how society will judge Winnie – homeless, unloved, likely mentally ill – harshly, although she has never been vindictive or deliberately tried to hurt anyone. Meanwhile those who use her – usually male, employed, solvent – get away with it.
Remember Me isn't remotely sentimental and Winnie never asks for pity. She is an unreliable narrator, but then everyone would be an unreliable narrator of their own life – how can it possibly be seen with any objectivity?
"Who cares about an old woman and a few bits of tat? No one, that's who, no one on the world."
Winnie's life is hard, and unfair, and yet her resilience and a message of hope endures to the very end.
Following Winnie's lead, here is a memory of my own: when I was a student in the 90s, there was the Cool Cymru music explosion, with the chart success of bands like Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals, and The Stereophonics amongst many others. When Catatonia appeared on Top of the Pops to perform Mulder and Scully in 1998, I think it was the first time I'd heard an English-language pop song sung in a Welsh accent (I'm not counting Bonnie Tyler because I think she didn't mean for her accent to slip through), much to the pleasure of my Welsh housemate at the time. Here is their lead singer Cerys Matthews performing a traditional Welsh folk song:


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/ Biographies of Presidents, Athletes, Artists, & more
/ Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla
Born: 7/1/1961
Birthplace: Karnal, India
Kalpana Chawla's love of flying led to her career as a NASA astronaut. She started her higher education in India, earning a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in 1982. Moving to the U.S., she turned to aerospace engineering and received her M.S. from the University of Texas and her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. Chawla joined NASA in 1995 and was assigned as mission specialist on the space shuttle STS-87 in 1997, becoming the first Indian-American woman to go into space. She was a crew member on the Shuttle Columbia when it broke up upon reentry to the Earth's atmosphere in February 2003.
Died: 2/1/2003
Columbia Crew Members