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Artistic freedom (or freedom of artistic expression) can be defined as "the freedom to imagine, create and distribute diverse cultural expressions free of governmental censorship, political interference or the pressures of non-state actors." Generally, artistic freedom describes the extent of independence artists obtain to create art freely. Moreover, artistic freedom concerns "the rights of citizens to access artistic expressions and take part in cultural life—and thus [represents] one of the key issues for democracy." The extent of freedom indispensable to create art freely differs regarding the existence or nonexistence of national instruments established to protect, to promote, to control or to censor artists and their creative expressions. This is why universal, regional and national legal provisions have been installed to guarantee the right to freedom of expression in general and of artistic expression in particular. In 2013, Ms Farida Shaheed, United Nations special rapporteur to the Human Rights Council, presented her "Report in the field of cultural rights: The right to freedom of expression and creativity" providing a comprehensive study of the status quo of, and specifically the limitations and challenges to, artistic freedom worldwide. In this study, artistic freedom "was put forward as a basic human right that went beyond the 'right to create' or the 'right to participate in cultural life'." It stresses the range of fundamental freedoms indispensable for artistic expression and creativity, e.g. the freedoms of movement and association. "The State of Artistic Freedom" is an integral report published by arts censorship monitor  on an annual basis.

Definition of artistic freedom

Repeatedly, the terms artistic freedom and freedom of artistic expressions are used as synonyms. Their underlying concepts "art", "freedom" and "expression" comprise very vast fields of discussion: "Art is a very 'subtle'—sometimes also symbolic—form of expression, suffering from definition problems more than any other form." As a result, "[i]t is almost impossible to give a satisfying definition of the concept art. It is even more difficult to define the concepts artistic creativity and artistic expression." UNESCO's 2005 Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions defines cultural expressions as "those expressions that result from the creativity of individuals, groups and societies, and that have cultural content" while the latter "refers to the symbolic meaning, artistic dimension and cultural values that originate from or express cultural identities." In the context of the freedom of (artistic) expressions, "[t]he word expression in the first instance refers to verbalisation of thoughts." Freedom of artistic expression "may mean that we have to tolerate some art that is offensive, insulting, outrageous, or just plain bad. But it is a small price to pay for the liberty and diversity that form the foundation of a free society." Officially, UNESCO defines artistic freedom as "the freedom to imagine, create and distribute diverse cultural expressions free of governmental censorship, political interference or the pressures of non-state actors. It includes the right of all citizens to have access to these works and is essential for the wellbeing of societies." UNESCO puts forth that "artistic freedom embodies a bundle of rights protected under international law." These include:

 The right to create without censorship or intimidation;
 The right to have artistic work supported, distributed and remunerated;
 The right to freedom of movement;
 The right to freedom of association;
 The right to the protection of social and economic rights;
 The right to participate in cultural life.

Legal frameworks to protect and promote artistic freedom

Legal frameworks to protect and promote artistic freedom reflect the conviction that "[c]ulture constitutes one process of, and space for, democratic debate. The freedom of artistic expression forms its backbone. There is compelling evidence that participation in culture also promotes democratic participation as well as empowerment and well-being of our citizens." Farida Shaheed wrote: "Artists may entertain people, but they also contribute to social debates, sometimes bringing counter-discourses and potential counterweights to existing power centres." Moreover, she emphasized that "the vitality of artistic creativity is necessary for the development of vibrant cultures and the functioning of democratic societies. Artistic expressions and creations are an integral part of cultural life,which entails contesting meanings and revisiting culturally inherited ideas and concepts." According to , "[p]opulists and nationalists, who often portray human rights as a limitation on what they claim is the will of the majority, are on the rise globally. As this phenomenon rises, artists continue to play an important role in expressing alternative visions for society." This is why "artists are sometimes responsible for radical criticism." As a result, artistic expressions and artists are suffering censorship and violations worldwide.  Artists are among the first to be silenced by repressive regimes: the poets, playwrights and painters who challenge the status quo are often lone workers, and as such easy targets for an authoritarian state or violent oppressor. When their views fail to accord with the mainstream, the artist is also vulnerable to the censorship of the mob. That is why it is vital that artistic expression is protected.

Freemuse's 2016 report "Arts under threat" shows that "[i]t is not only governments violating the right to artistic freedom. 2016 saw a worrying amount of actions by non-state actors, ranging from militant extremists to peaceful community groups, against art and artists. In some instances, authorities censored artists based on requests or the interference from civil society groups." Based on this development, "[m]ajor sources of international law across the board recognize freedom of artistic creativity explicitly, or implicitly, as an inherent element of the right to freedom of expression. In these instruments, the individual right to express ideas creatively is often irrevocably linked with the right to receive them." The growing importance of artistic freedom as a specific right is reflected by the introduction of the role of the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of culture in 2009, and other rapporteurs, notably the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression.

UN instruments

Artistic freedom as a specific right
According to Farida Shaheed, the most explicit legal provisions protecting the right to the freedom indispensable for artistic expression and creativity are the following:

 Article 15 (3) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): States "undertake to respect the freedom indispensable for ... creative activity";
 Article 19 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information (...) in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."
 Article 13 and 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
 Article 13 (1) of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR);
 Article 14 of the ACHR Protocol in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Provisions;
 Article 42 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights;
 Article 27 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): the universal right "to enjoy the arts";
Article 49 of the Case of Karataş v. Turkey by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) emphasizes that the "[freedom of artistic expression] (...) affords the opportunity to take part in the public exchange of cultural, political and social information and ideas of all kinds. (...) Those who create, perform, distribute or exhibit works of art contribute to the exchange of ideas and opinions which is essential for a democratic society. Hence there is an obligation on the State not to encroach unduly on the author's freedom of expression."

In September 2015, 57 UN Member States reaffirmed the right to freedom of expression including creative and artistic expression through a joint statement. Additionally, in 2015, the Carthage Declaration on the Protection of Artists in Vulnerable Situations was adopted in Tunis.

Artistic freedom as a pillar of the right to freedom of expression
The following legal instruments do not specifically mention artistic freedom but rather understand it as a pillar of freedom of expression in general related to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. They aim to guarantee the right to freedom of expression or the right to participate in cultural life without specific reference to the arts.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR);
 Article 9 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
 Article 9 and 17 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights;
 Article 32 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights;
 The right "to seek and develop cultural knowledge and expressions and to share them with others, as well as to act creatively and take part in creative activity" formulated by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

UNESCO instruments

1980 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of the Artist
Artistic freedom first appeared as a distinct right in UNESCO's 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist underlining "the essential role of art in the life and development of the individual and of society' and the duty of States to protect and defend artistic freedom." Although not a binding instrument, the Recommendation is an important reference in defining artists' rights across the spectrum worldwide. The 1980 Recommendation serves as a reference for policy development and as a basis for new formulations of cultural policies:Member States, recognizing the essential role of art in the life and development of the individual and of society, accordingly have a duty to protect, defend and assist artists and their freedom of creation. For this purpose, they should take all necessary steps to stimulate artistic creativity and the flowering of talent, in particular by adopting measures to secure greater freedom for artists, without which they cannot fulfill their mission, and to improve their status by acknowledging their right to enjoy the fruits of their work.

2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

The 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions acknowledges that "the diversity of cultural expressions can only be promoted if human rights and fundamental freedoms are guaranteed." A guiding principle of the 2005 Convention is that "cultural diversity can be protected and promoted only if human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, information and communication, as well as the ability of individuals to choose cultural expressions, are guaranteed." In this context, governance of culture refers to policies and measures governments establish to promote and to protect all forms of creativity and artistic expressions. The most recent UNESCO Convention in the field of culture and ratified by 146 Parties, it frames the formulation and implementation of different types of legislative, regulatory, institutional and financial interventions to promote the emergence of diverse cultural and creative industry sectors around the world. As a result, it aims to ensure participation in cultural life and to support access to diverse cultural expressions (film, music, performing arts, etc.). The progress and challenges in implementing the convention is monitored through its Global Report Series ReShaping Cultural Policies.

National legislative measures to promote artistic freedom
Similar to the aforementioned universal instruments to protect artists and artistic freedom, "[i]n national constitutions (...), freedom of artistic creativity is often located within the strongly-protected right to freedom of expression." Certain countries also "recognize the freedom of artistic expression within the ambit of the right to science and culture." The following national legislative measures are listed in alphabetical order. The list is to be completed.

Burkina Faso

Adopted on 23 May 2013 by "Direction générale des arts (DGA)", the decree "Décret portant statut de l'artiste au Burkina Faso" envisages improving the social protection and the living conditions of artists, particularly the social security of employed artists and freelancers, the return of social contributions of artists and the complement dispositive for mutual accountability.

Canada

In Canada, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects artistic expression.

France

In July 2016, France amended its legislation in order to extend it with the legal protection of artistic freedom, architecture and heritage. For the first time in international law, artistic expressions are established as public goods and the "dissemination of artistic creation is free". This implies not only that artists are free to create but also that the wider public has access to it. As a result, art and artistic expressions cannot be censored or simply excluded from exhibits and other events.

Germany

Article 5 of the German Basic Law contains a special paragraph that connects the right to freedom of expression with the right to freely develop the arts and sciences."

Mexico

On 19 June 2017, Mexico published its "Ley General de Cultura y Derechos Culturales" promising strong protection for artistic freedom and artists and cultural professionals, a provision specifically needed given the alarming conditions under which Mexican artists, journalists and cultural professionals currently work.

Spain

On 6 September 2018, the Spanish Congress of Deputies unanimously ratified a proposal assigned to elaborate a "Estatuto del Artista y del Profesional de la Cultura". Broadly, the decree aims to protect and promote artists with regard to taxation, their work security and legal protection.

Sweden

Article 1 (2) of the Swedish Fundamental Law explicitly includes the freedom of artistic creation as part of the key purposes of freedom of expression: "The purpose of freedom of expression under this Fundamental Law is to secure the free exchange of opinion, free and comprehensive information, and freedom of artistic creation."

Togo

On 20 June 2016, Togo adopted its "Statut de l'artiste". Its major objective is to acknowledge artists as individuals and their moral role in society, their contributions towards the intellectual sphere protected by copyright. It defines the rights and duties linked to artistic professions and aims to promote creativity and to protect artists socially.

Tunisia

Adopted in 2014, article 42 of the Tunisian Constitution states: "The right to culture is guaranteed. The freedom of creative expression is guaranteed. The State encourages cultural creativity and supports the strengthening of national culture, its diversity and renewal, in promoting the values of tolerance, rejection of violence, openness to different cultures and dialogue between civilizations."

United States

In the U.S., the first amendment protects artistic expression. According to the Court, freedom of artistic creativity is an element of the respect for freedom of self-expression, one of the core values of the First Amendment. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has never considered artistic freedom as a distinct category akin to political or commercial speech: "it rather addresses the various forms of art in their relation to the First Amendment on a contextual basis."

Challenges to artistic freedom

The International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) explains the purpose of its existence with the following statement:Writers and artists are especially vulnerable to censorship, harassment, imprisonment and even death, because of what they do. They represent the liberating gift of the human imagination and give voice to thoughts, ideas, debate and critique, disseminated to a wide audience. They also tend to be the first to speak out and resist when free speech is threatened.

Freemuse's report (2018) demonstrates that artistic freedom "is being shut down in every corner of the globe, including in the traditionally democratic West. According to Freemuse's 2016 report, the music industry is the main target of serious violations, and second to film in overall violations, including non-violent censorship. The most serious violations included the murder of Pakistani Qawwali singer Amjad Sabri and the killing of Burundi musician Pascal Treasury Nshimirimana. In 2019, Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, underlines that "the freedom of artistic expression and creativity of persons with disabilities, women or older persons" remains significantly restricted. She states that "many cultural rights actors have not incorporated a gender perspective into their work, while many women's rights advocates have not considered cultural rights issues." Referring to Freemuse's 2016 report, UNESCO stresses that "laws dealing with terrorism and state security, defamation, religion and 'traditional values' have been used to curb artistic and other forms of free expression."

Moreover, new digital technologies, including social media platforms, are challenging artistic freedom: "Art in the online and digital space continues to challenge authorities and corporations who are quick to react by closing down expression rather than using it as an opportunity to foster it." Social media and music streaming channels, like Instagram and SoundCloud are becoming the platforms on which artists publicly display and promote their work. However, they also bring with them threats to rights and freedoms. Online trolls often intimidate artists to withdraw their work. Additionally, growing digital surveillance has a corrosive effect on artistic freedom. Many platforms have established mechanisms, such as Instagram's guidelines on 'standards of behavior' whose formulations are very vague. This provides disproportionate power to individuals and organizations who use the platform's reporting processes to get individual artworks removed, and sometimes entire accounts blocked. In addition, the impact of algorithms on diversity of content is another area of concern: platforms display a plethora of cultural offerings, but also control not only sales but also communication and the recommendation algorithms (e.g. adapting offered content to the profile of each internet user). These algorithms finally serve to promote certain contents while oppressing others.

In conclusion, new digital technologies—while providing a platform for the distribution of artistic content—may interrupt the flow of ideas of artists and curtail their artistic freedom.

In the 10th Anniversary UN Report on Cultural Rights, Ole Reitov, former executive director of Freemuse, underscores the progressive fact that "artistic freedom is no longer a 'marginalized' issue in the 'world of freedom of expression'". Since Farida Shaheed's report and inspired by lobbying from arts and human rights NGOs, efforts to promote artistic freedom have multiplied across the entire United Nations system: "The UN Universal Periodic Review provides an opportunity for NGOs, among others, to make submissions on States' failures to meet human rights standards, including artistic freedom. New calls for a UN Action Plan on the Safety of Artists and Audiences (similar to the one for journalists) have been put forward." As UNESCO's Global Report "Reshaping Cultural Policies" (2018) shows, the number and capacity of organizations monitoring artistic freedom is increasing. "In this domain as well, cities are taking valuable initiatives by providing safe havens for artists at risk." As the list above shows, "measures to support the economic and social rights of artists are appearing increasingly in national legislation, especially in Africa."

Monitoring artistic freedom
Despite the progress made and legal instruments established to promote and protect freedom of artistic expressions, "there is urgent need for monitoring and surveillance, essential if these freedoms are to become a permanent reality."

Karima Bennoune notes that the increasing number of reported attacks perpetrated by State and non-State actors against cultural professionals reflects the boosting capacity of monitoring artistic freedom. She states the UNESCO global reports monitoring the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Expressions have been "[o]f particular relevance". The reports provide a monitoring framework comprising four overarching goals to enhance cultural policies worldwide. One of these goals aims to "Promote Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" and encompasses artistic freedom as an "area of monitoring" incorporating core indicators to measure achievements regarding the rights and protection of artists. Additionally, the framework relates artistic freedom to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of the UN 2030 Agenda, which aims to "'Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels". Specifically, the SDG's target 16.10 aims to "ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements".

Additionally, there are many other initiatives advocating and monitoring artistic freedom. Alongside other organizations documenting violations against freedom of artistic expression (such as Arterial Network, Artists at Risk Connection, PEN International and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), Freemuse is an independent international organization particularly monitoring the freedom of expression of musicians and composers worldwide. "Freemuse's reports collated from all over the world show that artists are increasingly facing censorship, persecution, incarceration or death, because of their work."

In order to monitor the actions taken to implement the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artists, the Secretariat of the 2005 UNESCO Convention (see below) runs a global survey every four years gathering information from Members States, NGOs and INGOs and prepares a report, which is then submitted to the General Conference.

See also
Freedom of expression
Freemuse Awards
United Nations
UNESCO
Victimless crime
Global Report ReShaping Cultural Policies

References

External links
Arterial Network
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
Freemuse
Index on Censorship
International City of Refuge Network (ICORN)
PEN International
Safemuse
UNESCO Artistic Freedom Leaflet
UNESCO Video "A Question on Artistic Freedom"
UNESCO Video "Artistic Freedom is Not a Luxury!"
Art Archives - National Coalition Against Censorship

Freedom of expression
The arts


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we finally have the chance to get a German sub forum! The commitee is already aware of the idea and everything that´s left to do for us is to prove that there is enough interest.
It would definitely make it a lot easier for us to get to know each other and organize tournaments in the future. To be honest, I didn´t even know about most of you until I read Zera´s tournament thread. Not to mention that it would be a lot easier to discuss / organize something in our mother tongue. Also a German market place would make dealing less complicated, wouldn´t it?
All you have to do is replying to this thread and prove your interest. If you know any other (active) German members, that are not listed below yet, please tag them in your post to make them aware of this thread.
Please reply, guys! This is our chance!
I'm not German, or speak German, but I do support!
(Sep. 08, 2015 12:18 AM)Siⱺn Wrote: I'm not German, or speak German, but I do support!
I can definitely see the use of a subforum for Germany now that their tournament scene is starting to become a thing.
Unfortunately, we will only consider replies from people who actually speak German and, ideally, who also live in Germany.
So, if you say ideally, that means German speakers can support? Then I hereby announce my support for the German subforum. Used to live in Germany and fluent in the language, so I guess that counts.
Plus, I would be able to help out a bit!
Yo, this site, Online Welten, remains one of the most popular Beyblade-related German websites for some reason, so are any of you guys interested in joining and, discreetly, promote the World Beyblade Organization both for tournaments but for a potential German forum ?
Yeah, it´s a quite popular anime forum in general here, but I didn´t know there was also a beyblade section. I´ll see what I can do.
I am German as well and I would love to meet up with some other bladers.
Add me to the list of upcoming German bleyders supporting this idea.
Not German but currently studying Germany, would try to attend tournaments if they happen.


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First off, let me extend an advanced thank you to all of you on the HD list. I think more than any other one, this forum has sometimes been a bit of a one way street for film oriented DP's like myself seeking information about this "newfangled" medium of HD. I'm now about to jump into the HD world, so I hope to be able to share some future insights down the road, but for the time being I remain in the dark ages.
Generally, my questions pertain to the Varicam and its value as a tool for gathering images for compositing.
I'm shooting a single-camera half-hour presentation pilot.
The directors/producers need to shoot this on HD with the new P+S Technik (for 2/3" chip cameras) on the front of the Panasonic Varicam. The Varicam (as well as the P+S Technik) is coming to us free, so we're pretty much locked into that camera (as opposed to the Cine Alta, thought I don't think that's an issue here since my concerns would be the same for either camera).
Those concerns are primarily related to the five or six special effects shots that we need to shoot. As it stands now they will be composited on a "Combustion" system, and they range from green screen compositing to a morphing shot. And here's the kicker...there's no money to record to D5 for those shots as most other productions have done when needing to composite. This is a very low budget production, shot over four days, with the SFX work being spread out all over those days, almost all of it on location in New York City.
Do you think we're going to be royally screwed if we try to do this post work from the DVCPROHD compressed images?! Are we never going to be able to pull clean mattes without recording to D5? Or will it just be a matter of making it a nightmare for the post folks, yet they will still be able to successfully create the effects? Also, what frame rate would you recommend shooting for these effects (knowing that we will probably shoot the rest of the show at 24P)?
We are able to pull acceptable keys from the DVCPro HD tapes for television; we usually do this in Smoke, but the tool set in Combustion is virtually the same. We also use Combustion, but our Compositor is more practiced in Smoke.
Please bear in mind that we do not finish in HD; currently all our post is SD mastered to Digital Betacam. Also, I would hasten to add that we do not attempt really tough keys with this format; no smoke, glass, etc.
Of course, "acceptable," is the real joker in the deck; what's ok for a corporate video or short shots in a local commercial may not be ok for your use. I strongly urge you to consider getting a D5 for the mattes.
I'm quite sure everyone on the list will urge you to shoot some test shots first. I'm frankly quite concerned about what will happen to green screen scenes shot with the P+S Technik.
As for frame rates, we always shoot our green screen FG material at 30 fps; you could always shoot at 24 fps, remove the pull-down with Cinema Tools, and then composite, but if there is a lot of movement, the added blur of longer shutter could also cause problems. Blurs are hard to key.
One more thing, we add green in the camera's color corrector menu when shooting the FG.
>"One more thing, we add green in the camera's color corrector menu >when shooting the FG."
What exactly do you mean by this? Wouldn't the addition of green (in the camera overall) tend to pollute the FG itself, making it "more" difficult to key?
I'm curious about this because we usually do what would ostensibly seem to be the opposite. We generally add plus green to the lights illuminating the green screen only, or in the case of bluescreen work, we tend to add half blue to the background. With bluescreen, we've had very good luck further isolating the key by using 103 or some light warming gel on the FG object's backlight. Unfortunately, the logical counterpart for greenscreen would be some form of light magenta on the backlight, which isn't very realistic, at least on planet Earth.
Finally, we've had good experience keying from HD DVCPro tapes with the Ultimatte plug-in for HD, even at 24 frames, but frankly, most of our HD compositing has been done with fairly sedentary FG's. I will give the 30 frame rate a test soon though. Thanks for the suggestion. Looking forward to seeing you at NAB to compare notes.
I'm referring to boosting the green saturation in the color correction menu.
This does not seem to cause a problem of increasing the green in flesh tone because there is so little green there to begin with.
I do plan to do some more testing, and I'll let you know the results.
>Finally, we've had good experience keying from HD DVCPro tapes with >the Ultimatte plug-in for HD, even at 24 frames, but frankly, most of our >HD compositing has been done with fairly sedentary FG's.
A minor correction: the Ultimatte AdvantEdge plugin is not SD or HD; it is truly resolution agnostic on any platform.
If your capture hardware and underlying editing or compositing program can support a given resolution, the AdvantEdge plugin will work with it.
>I'm referring to boosting the green saturation in the color correction >menu. This does not seem to cause a problem of increasing the green >in flesh tone because there is so little green there to begin with.
Using masking on any camera when shooting color screens for compositing is not, in general, a good idea.
It is remarkably easy to adjust the masking in such a way that it looks pleasing to the eye but generates technically non-existent colors (colors which fall outside the color triangle).
The upshot is that it will generate a lovely collared edge on your foreground objects where they meet the screen which almost all compositing software will leave unmolested, assuming it to be a part of the foreground image.
>A minor correction : the Ultimatte AdvantEdge plugin is not SD or HD; it >is truly resolution agnostic on any platform. If your capture hardware and >underlying editing or compositing program can support a given >resolution, the AdvantEdge plugin will work with it."
Sorry for the confusion, but when we tried to purchase the Ultimatte AdvantEdge plug-in for our Boxx HD edit system, it was not available for the system's edit interface, SpeedRazor. In other words, even though our capture hardware and underlying editing program did support HD resolution, there was no Ultimatte AdvantEdge plugin being made for it. Since we needed an "Ultimatte plug-in for HD", we had to get the AdvantEdge plug-in for AfterFX instead, which WAS being supported.
So yes, the Ultimatte AdvantEdge plugin is not SD or HD and is truly resolution agnostic on any platform, but this would not seem to be the case with all Ultimatte plug-ins, at least to my knowledge. Or am I missing something?
>Sorry for the confusion, but when we tried to purchase the Ultimatte >AdvantEdge plug-in for our Boxx HD edit system, it was not available for >the system's edit interface, SpeedRazor.
That's correct. There are a number of underlying editing or compositing applications the AdvantEdge plugin supports, but Speed Razor is not on that list. The full list of supported programs can be found on my web site.
The older Ultimatte plugin did have Speed Razor support, but it was decided to drop it for the current release.
1) Your post people will not have problems with mattes. Sure, it won't be as clean as 2K files scanned off a Spirit from 35mm, but post artists have been pulling reasonable keys with NTSC for years. So, DVCPRO HD won't be that big a problem.
2) If you're using AdvantEdge and Combustion, do NOT use the OS-X version. It's insanely buggy, or at least it was as of January, which is the last time we tried to use it. We had to composite about 100 VFX shots for an upcoming HD-originated miniseries. The main keying tools we used were AdvantEdge on Combustion/WinXP, and The Foundry's Keylight 2.0 on Avid DS|HD.
To be honest, I really don't know if the bugs were because of Ultimatte or Combustion, but either way, it was buggy enough as to be unusable on OS-X in a tight deadline environment.
3) Do not overly backlight your shots. If the foreground edges are blown out to white, there is a magenta ringing introduced at the very edges of the foreground that is really hard to deal with, especially on hair and other thin-edge images. It was the 80/20 rule for us. Most of the keys pulled wonderfully, and we spent 80% of our time dealing with that damned magenta ringing.


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Avaes Mohammad
Avaes Mohammad was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. It was whilst completing his Chemistry Doctorate in Manchester that he found his voice as poet, playwright and performer. Inspired by or even in spite of the Asian riots of 2001 and that event on 11th September, Avaes committed his voice and work as instruments of social reform and deeper human understanding. Artist-Alchemist-Activist, Avaes joined the Manchester based Asian Underground movement Nashini in 2002 and developed his own voice with influences stretching from the Sufi-Saints of South Asia to the Dub-Poets of Jamaica and has since performed his poetry on stages across the UK, in Denmark, India, Pakistan and South Africa.
He has also appeared extensively on Radio and had his poem 'Bhopal' commissioned by BBC Radio 4, which went on to win an Amnesty International Media Award in 2005. In 2003 Avaes expanded into playwriting and has since been commissioned by BBC Radio and Theatre Companies across the country with his plays 'Bhopal' (2003), 'In God We Trust' (2005), 'The Student' (2007), 'Shadow Companion' (2008) and 'Crystal Kisses' (2010/2011), consistently achieving 4 star reviews. He is currently writing plays for four separate theatre companies across the UK.
A versatile workshop facilitator, Avaes is also an Associate Artist with London-based Tamasha Theatre Company, where he jointly lead upon the 'Small Lives Global Ties' writers group, a group committed to exploring cultural specific writings as a means by which to attain universality. His poem 'The Clash' was recently published in 'Defending Multiculturalism: A guide for the movement' a vibrant, hard-hitting and informative collection of poems and essays that set out to defend Britain's multicultural way of life.
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Although Spring Break just ended I'm already thinking about summer break and trips! Although we don't have crazy plans I always like having some new options for totes and bags that are easy to travel with. Although we are still a few months away from our next getaway today I'm grabbing all the bags I need that get me in the warm weather mood! All of the options today are under $150 and most of them under $50.
This pom pom tote $49 I grabbed because I loved the blush color but also it holds a ton! It has a round bottom so it really opens up to throw in snacks, water bottle and sun sticks also because of the jute material its flexible and great for packing. I loved this tote so much I just got one for my friend's birthday who loves to travel. Now because this tote is so cute it keeps going in and out of stock so if you love the pom pom the matching clutch $42 is also adorable.
Now if you have been following me for a bit you know my love for this neutral leather tote. I was concerned at first if it was going to be big enough for the amount go things I tend to carry around daily (not to mention the additional dinosaurs, water bottles and snacks that also get tossed in). Check out my post where I laid it all out, including the dinosaur, and realized the size is perfect. I love this for spring and summer because the English leather color is versatile with a ton of outfits. Since it's under $150 it's a bag that you can easily travel with and not feel like you are carrying around a target (hello LV).
I have a friend that has been to Costa Rica, Hawaii and now Palm Springs in the past couple of months so I've been living vicariously through her pictures when it comes to vacations. The closest to water I got over Spring Break was my in-laws pool but a girl can dream right?! I'm loving this fun "Vacay" crossbody bag for a few reasons. First it is big enough to easily carry phone, some makeup, wallet and someone's snack. Also you can take the crossbody strap off and it has a clutch strap so for traveling it is like 2 bags in one. It's under $20 which made it a no brainer to add to my collection now I'm just waiting on the perfect vacay spot.
Now I'm the type if I'm going to the beach or the pool I need a big bag! I like this pom pom tote because I can easily fit a ton of our toys, sunscreen, snacks and wallet. This style is under $35 and comes in 4 prints including the pom pom, but also a super fun Tequila & Tanlines one!
This tote I got earlier in the season when I was grabbing items from the Gibson resort collection and it reminded me of sitting on a beach in the Bahamas. Although it has open slats nothing of mine has fallen out because they are really close together so maybe just no loose small makeup brushes. This is the small size which is exactly what I was looking for not too big but definitely enough room for my makeup, phone and wallet. This is from Amazon and under $38!
This post was submitted to the Shop Style Contributing Editor program, to see some of my other looks that have been highlighted check out this page.


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Home > News < Coral Springs Chabad Breaks Ground on Playground
Coral Springs Chabad Breaks Ground on Playground
A playground dedicated to Meadow Pollack, slain during the Parkland shooting, has broken ground at the Chabad of Coral Springs • Full Story
24th of Sivan, 5780 - June 16, 2020
Coral Springs Talk
A playground dedicated to Meadow Pollack, slain during the Parkland shooting, has broken ground at the Chabad of Coral Springs.
The Pollack family, with the help of the community, built the Princess Meadow Playground at Betty Stradling Park on January 4, and it will be located at a place where the family has found guidance and community over the years.
Hunter Pollack, the brother of Meadow, is humbled by the second memorial erected in Meadow's name and said it fills their family's hearts knowing that children are finding joy in them.
"It's uplifting and feels amazing because my family is leaving something behind in a city we truly love, and it's something that represents exactly who Meadow was."
Meadow's faith was important to her, and Hunter explained the significance of the playground is to give back to the Jewish community — and that all are welcome.
Rabbi Friedman of the Chabad of Coral Springs has been a close friend of the family for many years, welcoming them into his home for Shabbat, and standing by them after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
Friedman expressed the importance of the playground, not just as a memorial, but as a way to show the importance of reaching children at a young age to effect positive change in the world.
"When changing society for the better you must start with the children," Friedman explained, "The effort and energy we put into a child (seed) is so important, it affects the entire growth of the tree as it begins to blossom and produce fruit for others to benefit."
According to Rabbi Friedman, the playground will be ready for children to enjoy within a month, and he hopes to use it to show them the synagogue isn't only a place of learning and prayer, but also a place of joy and fun.
"Especially with the playground being in memory of Meadow, who had such positive energy. She was full of happiness and joy, so to combine the two together…that's a great achievement," Rabbi Friedman said.
Located on the southwest side of the Chabad of Coral Springs at 3945 N University Drive, the playground was funded through the Pollack family's nonprofit along with the help from Butters Construction and Ellemar Luxury Construction owned by Marc Rothenberg. The Pollack family preferred not to disclose the total cost.
The playground will be equipped with slides and plenty of steps and metal bars for children to play on.
Tags: Chabad House, Florida
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Do you have any secret food vices, the craves for something you shouldn't eat? Here, I don't have a problem sharing my secret – my secret crush is pasta.
Why is that a secret crush? Well, you really not supposed to like it. Pasta = Carbs, and Carbs = Bad For You. You don't have to be Atkins or Keto aficionado – the message about the negative effect of carbs affecting one's weight and overall health can be loudly heard everywhere. "Ahh, I stopped eating carbs and sugar, and I lost 30 lb and feel great!" And while I understand it, I'm always ready to embrace my secret indulgence – when making evening dinner plans, I'm quietly hoping someone in the family will say "how about pasta"? There is an ultimate level of comfort and pleasure in the simplicity of a properly boiled pasta (al dente) with or without a sauce (just give me some fresh Parmesan, don't need even the sauce).
The reason is this "secret" is getting out now is simple. A few days ago I saw a post from Gambero Rosso that on April 6th we will be celebrating first ever #CarbonaraDay. Pasta Carbonara is one of my favorite ways to eat pasta, especially since discovering the Pasta Carbonara recipe by famous New York Chef, restaurateur, and Food Network's Chopped judge, Marc Murphy.
There is never a single recipe for a dish – no matter if the recipe is attributed as "classic", "best" or "authentic", there will be lots of variations making the same claim. Pasta Carbonara is no exception – lots of variations exist with heavy cream, peas, other vegetables and so on. What I love about Marc Murphy's recipe is its rustic simplicity. Four basic ingredients (pasta, bacon, eggs, cheese), about 20 minutes for both preparation and cooking – and delicious meal the family can enjoy. I will not repeat the recipe in this post, you can find it at the link I shared, together with Marc's story.
Can we have food without wine? Of course, but this is not very likely in this blog, especially if we are talking about an Italian dish. My decision to pair Pasta Carbonara with 2010 Cosimo Taurino Notarpanaro Negroamaro Rosso Salento IGP was not something long planned – I simply had a bottle open from the day before, and thus it was an easy decision. Negroamaro Salento might be one of the most food-friendly wines – those wines are usually supple and generous with fruit without going overboard, tannins are well integrated, earthy notes are quite noticeable, and acidity brings everything together – in this particular case, the wine was complementing pasta very well, enhancing the pleasure of every bite and sip.
Here you are, my friends, my Pasta Carbonara experience for the first #CarbonaraDay. I told you about my secret food crush – what about you? Cheers!


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G. Lamar Stewart: Changing the game by shifting community's perception of police
Cherri Gregg
Gamechangers
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gregory Lamar Stewart is changing the game by shifting the community's perception of police.
"As an African-American man, I understand the perception," noted Stewart, who works as the divisional community relations officer for the Philadelphia Police Department. "There are many people who have had negative experiences."
A military veteran who spent years working in real estate, Stewart admitted he never thought he'd wear the badge. But the Germantown-raised church pastor said he was compelled to do something in response to deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police.
The self-proclaimed "closet activist" said the deaths of Walter Scott, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice forced him to look at different ways to make a change.
"We need people on the protest line," he said, "but we also need people in the ranks who can challenge the system from within."
Stewart chose to go behind the blue wall. He became vice president of the National Black Police Association in 2017, and in 2018, he took on the role as the community relations officer.
"It's all about building bridges between community and police," he said. "Historically, we've done a great job around kids and seniors, but there are some demographics in between that have felt underserved."
Youths, people of color and the LGBT community have all had challenges with police. Stewart said his job was to be proactive within those communities through outreach and programming in the most high-risk areas.
One program, Turning a New Corner, brings jobs to underserved communities. Every first Friday of the month, Stewart brings employers to high-risk areas where they interview individuals on street corners during the evening hours.
"In some cases, people have gotten jobs right at the corner," he added.
The effort launched last summer in the police division in Southwest Philadelphia, and since expanded to include North and Northeast Philadelphia. Since July 2018, nearly 50 people have gotten jobs through the initiative.
We engage around 108 individuals last night with "Turning A New Corner" job program , taking employees to the streets. pic.twitter.com/s5SW3ztv6N
— Bilal Qayyum (@BilalQayyumq) November 3, 2018
"We need more employers," Stewart noted, "and we need to talk about wages, because for a lot of people the decision is, 'Do I make this amount of money on the street or do I take this job?' "
The need was apparent on Feb. 2 when nearly two-dozen people streamed during the 90-minutes employers conducted interviews at Bartram's Garden.
"I know the need is there," added Stewart, who personally follows up with each person who comes out to the event. "I will call each one of these individuals this week."
In addition to bringing jobs to at-risk communities, Stewart brings dialogue. He facilitates Blades, Fades and Engage, an informal town hall discussion that takes place once a month at Philly Cuts in West Philadelphia. Officers come on their own time, in plain clothes, and sit and chat with customers while they get their hair cut.
.@PhillyPolice work to build bridges with community by going inside of a West Philly barbershop. More on @KYWNewsradio on #BladesFadesAndEngage : https://t.co/tdYF0wDy7o @PHILLYCUTS #CommunityPolicing pic.twitter.com/LrEwMu7uyZ
— Cherri Gregg (@cherrigregg) August 22, 2018
"That space is just an opportunity for us to have a conversation," Stewart said.
The barbershop is a place where dialogue on many issues take place in African-American communities. Stewart brings in a variety of officers who provide their perspectives on everything from race to implicit bias to stop-and-frisk.
"It's very grassroots," he said. "We talk about everything, including how we can serve better."
Stewart is also a pastor at Taylor Memorial Baptist Church. Raised by a single mother, he said it was his strong relationship with God and his pastor that kept him out of harm's way. It was also his faith that got him to put on the badge.
Cherri Gregg/KYW Newsradio
In many ways, Stewart said his job is a ministry.
"Law enforcement to me is another avenue to serve the needs of the people," he explained. "It's just an extension of the work that I do in my ministry."
Although Stewart admitted he's unlikely to spend his entire career in law enforcement, he plans to make the time with the department effectively. He hopes when he does leave, the community and the department will be impacted.
"I am hoping that the department will prioritize service and not just enforcement," he said. "I hope that we will listen to communities more."
An effort he hopes will mean fewer challenges between community and law enforcement.
"My hope is that no person will feel that the system that we represent is oppressing them," he added.
GameChangers is led by KYW Newsradio's community affairs reporter Cherri Gregg and recognizes 10 individuals or organizations that are making a positive impact on communities of color. For a full list of 2019's GameChangers, visit kywnewsradio.com/gamechangers.
G. Lamar Stewart
National Black Police Association
Turning a New Corner
Blades Fades and Engage
Taylor Memorial Baptist Church


If an official admission offer is received from the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research, students must request official transcripts and degree certificates (if applicable) from the relevant institution be sent directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research office. Do not send any official documents to the MatCH Program.
English is the primary language of instruction at the University of Alberta and all applicants must be proficient in English. A current (within 12 months) test score (TOEFL, IELTS, CAEL, MELAB) must be submitted with an international application for students whose language of instruction was not English.
International students who were educated in English must present an official letter from their institution stating that the instructional language of their degree(s) was English.
To study in Canada, you must obtain a study permit from the nearest Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Depending on your country of origin, you may also need to obtain a visitor visa. Your spouse and children may also require a visitor visa.
Application for these documents must be made before you arrive in Canada. To apply for a study permit, you will need an official letter of admission (provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research). Additional information on application to study in Canada and study permits can be found on the Government of Canada website.


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Two ships for the project
KAZAN, August 23. / TASS /. The Zelenodolsk plant named after A. M. Gorky in Tatarstan launched the pilot ships "Alexander Parfenov" and "Vsevolod Peresypkin", intended for work on the Northern Sea Route. This was reported by the press service of the plant.
"New vessels necessary to ensure the safety of navigation along the Northern Sea Route and the development of port infrastructure are being built in Russia for the first time in 30 years. And JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky makes a significant contribution to the strategic Russia's task for the socio-economic development of the Arctic and, in particular, the Northern Sea Route, "the press service of the plant said.
The pilot vessels of the BLV03 project were laid down at the shipyard in October 2019. They were named "Alexander Parfenov" and "Vsevolod Peresypkin" in honor of the scientists who headed the institutes "Lenmorniiproekt" and TsNIIMF.
The project was developed by the Marine Engineering Bureau, which is engaged in complex scientific research and the creation of projects for civil ships of all types and purposes. The ships are designed for maintenance and delivery to the shore of navigation equipment, specialists, supplies and property, as well as other works for the hydrographic support of merchant shipping in the water area of the Northern Sea Route.
The ships are planned to be used for work in the water area of the ports of the Northern Sea Route in order to ensure the safety of navigation and the development of port infrastructure.
As part of the official part of the ceremony, an awarding ceremony was held for the workers of the plant who made a significant contribution to the development of shipbuilding production.
At the end of the event, the godmothers (representatives of the state customer) smashed a bottle of champagne on the bow of each vessel.
About 100 ships of the Russian Navy are located in the far sea and ocean zones Submarines and ships of the Russian Northern Fleet conduct exercises Ships sunken during WWII found in the Barents Sea The US named the most dangerous Russian ships
Tank abandoned among the trash found in Russia
Kalashnikov presented a smart gun with an on-board computer on the Android system


On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.
Car accidents can inconvenience people, but serious ones may change lives. A freshman at a major North Carolina university suffered a setback when she was struck by a car in an intersection. She was running for exercise when a sedan hit her head-on.
On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Truck Accident on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.
With several interstate highways and countless other byways, it often seems all roads lead to North Carolina. Strong agricultural and industrial sectors mean there are a lot of trucks bringing materials and finished goods to and from the state's centers. But this also poses risk to Tar Heels when trucks are carelessly operated.
On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. on Monday, September 17, 2018.
A car crash is a sudden and traumatizing experience. Your car accident may do more than injure you physically–it may give you emotional trauma too. You may initially experience shock and then a variety of emotions like sadness, anger and anxiety. You may even suffer PTSD after a motor vehicle collision.
On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.
If you're doing business of any kind from buying groceries to purchasing a car, you want to feel safe on a business' premises. North Carolina law has adapted over time from the frontier spirit of "let the buyer beware" to a string of laws and statutes that protect the customers of businesses and visitors to others' properties.
On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accident on Thursday, September 6, 2018.
The open roads and many scenic vistas in North Carolina make the state very attractive to drivers of all kinds. Nothing quite beats a motorcycle as the way to get around the natural beauty of the Tar Heel State.


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Warner Center Office Tower to Undergo $50 Mil Makeover
An extensive revamp of Warner Landmark, a 12-story office tower located at 21555 Oxnard St in the heart of Woodland Hills, is expected to start in January 2020. The project is being undertaken by the property's private ownership in a development partnership with Lincoln Property Company's LPC West division.
Work on the AC Martin-designed building will kick off when the lease of current tenant, Anthem Blue Cross, expires Jan 1 and the health insurance provider moves out. Renovations are expected to be completed by mid-next year.
CBRE's Matthew Heyn, Jeff Pion and team will be marketing the space for lease to new tenants, both within the area and from a broader geography. Heyn points out that the location is a great opportunity for local tenants in need of space, but is also a fantastic chance for outsiders looking to avoid the steep price tags in Santa Monica and other westside markets.
The property's current ownership originally purchased the property in 1993. For this project, they hired renowned global architectural firm CallisonRTKL, which has been involved in such mega projects as LA Live, the Jakarta Four Seasons, City Crossing in Shenzen, China, the North Star Tower in Hunan, China, the Space Needle Plaza in Seattle, and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, among many others. The ownership also hired RELM Studio, a landscape architecture and urban design practice focused on urbanism, connectivity, and design.
The team plans to spend between $40 mil to $50 mil on the remodel. Changes will include creating a new entry at Owensmouth as well as recreating the approach to the building by removing the structure's bastion elements and opening up the grand plaza to provide a spacious open-air feel for incoming retailers and food vendors.
The revamped property will provide ample parking, including below ground with direct elevator access to the floors. The site will also feature a state-of-the-art gym and conference center. Additionally, a new anchor tenant will have the opportunity for building signage.
The property's ideal location in the bustling Warner Center area will make it a strong candidate for modern-day employers looking to provide state-of-the-art office space amidst abundant on- and off-campus amenities, extending into the weekend with farmer markets, a plethora of family events and more. The Warner Center area has been undergoing an extensive evolution as 2,280 residential units have been completed since 2008 with an additional 1,747 under construction and 10,299 planned, according to CBRE research.
In addition, Westfield has already invested heavily in the area, spending $350 mil on The Village at Westfield Topanga, which opened in late 2015. They're also planning a massive $1.5 bil, 34-acre mixed-use development at the site of the current Warner Center's Promenade Mall. The project is titled Promenade 2035, a tip of the hat to the Warner Center 2035 plan approved by the City Planning Commission, which aims to accelerate the development of the area into a 24-7 environment.


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View Mode: List View Calendar
4-DAY ONLINE RETREAT WITH PATRICK CONNOR
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th – SUNDAY, JANUARY 31st and
Dearest Beloved Friends,
You are invited to join us for 4 days of intensive healing, activation, awakening, transformation and inspiration, to set your life on fire for 2021.
This retreat will take place on Zoom from the 29th to 31st of January, 2021 (3 days), and then a one-day follow up and integration intensive on the following Saturday, February 6th, 2021 (1 day). We will meet each day from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific Time (1 p.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern Time).
These are profoundly challenging times in our world. The more we learn to align our energies with Spirit, with the Universal Energy, the Light of Consciousness, the more capable and extraordinarily functional we become to navigate these times from inner strength, from wisdom, and from true Self-empowerment.
This 4-day retreat is a new format, intended to be a powerful experience of deep immersion, to heal, release and clear the most amount of karmic material (old conditioning), and to bring about the most rapid and deep healing and Self-empowerment possible within a short few days. At the turn of the new year, this is intended to be a time of rebirth and profound healing, of releasing old and limiting subconscious beliefs and patterns, to let go of whatever has most held us back, and to lay the foundations for a whole new life aligned to the Divine Grace, Beauty, Truth and Love.
In this foundational retreat, we will go into the fundamental principles and daily habits of focus that have the greatest impact in evolving our soul, in raising our Consciousness, and in awakening our highest potential in this lifetime.
We will share some of the most powerful ways to fully awaken and integrate the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine aspects of the Universal Consciousness within us; we will speak deeply about how to free ourselves from lack and fear, and how to attain physical balance and radiant health in these troubled times; we will turn our attention to deeply grounding the Light of Grace, so that we can become extraordinarily functional here and live in our highest dharma, to be all that we have come here to be; and we will go deeply into how we can create a daily, weekly structure in our lives to live with extraordinary purpose and inspiration, and to ensure that 2021 will be the most powerful year of our lives so far. Finally, we will speak about how we can come together to create the optimal container of brotherhood, sisterhood and a "fellowship of inspiration," to support each other most powerfully in these times ahead.
This retreat process is intended to be of the very highest service to our soul's path in this lifetime, and to support living in the highest alignment with the Light of Spirit. These days are intended to greatly increase our capacity to hold more love and Self-love, more joy and much more inspiration.
This retreat will be highly experiential, as well as a time to receive guidelines, tools and practices for Self-empowerment. There will be periods of guided meditation, opportunities to connect and share with other participants, specific activations to open our energy system to be able to hold more light and more grace, as well as specific empowering exercises for self-healing and self-mastery. There will also be breaks allowing plenty of offline time each day, which will provide adequate time to journal, integrate, rest and be in optimal self-care during this time of reset and healing.
For those of you who join us, we will ask you to commit to full participation for all of the 4 days. There is a certain momentum that comes from such a commitment of concentrated time, as one day builds upon the other. We have found that this allows for major shifts in consciousness and massive healing and transformation.
Additional optional elements will be offered within the virtual retreat container that will span a full 9 days, from Jan 29th to Feb 6th. These elements are being designed to create maximum support for healing and integration and connection to one another going forward.
Please click the link below to register, and contact support@sharmada.org with any questions.
With Much Love and Dedication… Patrick
DATES: FRIDAY – SUNDAY, JANUARY 29th – 31st and SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6th:
TIMES: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT) / 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (ET) each day of retreat
RETREAT FEE: $491
If you would like to contribute to our scholarship fund to enable others to attend who might not otherwise be able to, or if you feel in need of a scholarship, please email support@sharmada.org.
NEW YEAR INTENTIONS WITH PATRICK CONNOR DEC 31 2020
Beloved friends,
As we come to the close of this extraordinary year… this year full of challenges and change, you are invited to join me for a time of healing, togetherness, intention and prayer, to close the year with gratitude and grace, and to open the new one in the spirit of possibility and love.
The world is crying out for more love and healing than ever before, and for the gifts that we can only offer when we truly join our hearts and spread our collective light together.
For those of you who wish, here are some questions for you to contemplate:
Review of 2020:
– What challenged your spirit most deeply in 2020, and what soul learning can you harvest from this experience that may allow you to see this time as a stepping stone and a chance to embody more of your Light going forward? What understanding can you bring to this which opens the door for gratitude in your heart for this experience?
– What were the most beautiful blessings that came for you in 2020? What were the unexpected gifts of Grace in the last twelve months? List as many as you can think of, to give thanks for, and to feel how life is and has been supporting you.
Looking ahead to 2021:
– What are your intentions for 2021? In particular, not what you want to have or have happen, rather, how do you want to show up? What would you like to transform, open, heal or develop within yourself? In what ways would you like to expand and grow to become more alive, and to be able to shine more of your True Essence and Light in the world?
– What would you most like to ask the Guidance of Spirit to support you in at this time, at the beginning of this new year?
There will be time in silence and prayer together. There will be a short meditation, a guided time to support healing and integration of the learning of 2020, and time to set in motion powerful intentions for your life in 2021.
Please join us to hold sacred space together, and to embrace the new year in the spirit of love and Grace. And do feel free to share this link with others whom you love and care about.
With love and dedication… Patrick
View recording from Live Session on Thursday, December 31st, 2020 by clicking below.
There is no donation requested.
SPECIAL SERIES:
HOW TO BE SAFE AND EMPOWERED IN THE TIMES OF
SESSION RECORDINGS FROM PARTS 1-13 (March 14th – June 27th)
You may view/listen to the sessions and mantras by clicking RECORDINGS below.
Please feel free to share these recordings with others whom you care about and wish to support in this moment… They are free and all are welcome!!
Sharmada Foundation is offering this as a service to our world community at this time.
Recordings: FREE
We are here to serve you in your journey of transformation and inspiration, in every way possible. Please let us know how we can support you. If you would like to be notified via email about upcoming events, email RSVP@SHARMADA.ORG to be added to our distribution list.
EMAIL: SUPPORT@SHARMADA.ORG about online registration and participation.
Copyright 2020 Sharmada Foundation | All Rights Reserved


A 20-year-old man was taken to hospital after a serious crash at Yanderra on Tuesday. A police spokesman said the driver was returning home from work about 5.20pm when he veered off the road and hit a tree. The driver was treated for a laceration to the head and facial injuries. Five ambulance crews and a helicopter attended the scene. The driver was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.
A 20-year-old man was taken to hospital after a serious crash at Yanderra on Tuesday.
A police spokesman said the driver was returning home from work about 5.20pm when he veered off the road and hit a tree.
The driver was treated for a laceration to the head and facial injuries.
Five ambulance crews and a helicopter attended the scene.
The driver was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.


Are you a big fan of astrology?
Have you ever wondered why gemstones are reminiscent of the spasm of stars in the galaxy? Do you have that sense of wonder of knowing about these wonderful creations of nature? Are you a big fan of astrology and would like to venture into another aspect of the universe? Are you curious about the impact and meaning of these gemstones in regards to your destiny? Or do you just simply want to know more about these gemstones for knowledge sake? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this is a blog for you.
Step into a world where astrology meets the beauty and dynamic of gemstones. Not only are these sparkly, colourful, beautiful and enticing objects a big parts of human history, they carry with them a sense of inspiration that would ignite your imaginative view of the world and far beyond. Their essence and most especially, their aesthetic appeal are a big part of different cultures, thus they are an important aspect of human existence.
From comets to planets, to supernovas and to the formation of stars, the relationship of gemstones to astrology is nonetheless a key aspect of understanding their formation and influence to the lives of many.
The different factors that shaped the universe such as temperature, time and pressure are also the reasons behind why there are so many varieties of gemstones formed. It reflects the lives of people because of how rare these precious stones are, and a part of the reasons why they are deemed precious is because they are formed in extreme circumstances which add to their aesthetic appeal. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, a moment of history where science is a cornerstone of human civilization and knowledge, astrology is a big part of discovery and along with it came the belief that gemstones are linked to different aspects of the universe such as the stars and their patterns.
Just as how people were fascinated by the nature of the stars, their fascination transcended towards the gemstones because these objects depicted the same magic, intrigue and awesomeness that stars in the night sky offered. That fascination led to their extensive use in fashion, arts, fortune telling, monarchy and lifestyle. Their value nowadays is an undeniable factor and it goes beyond the value of money for these precious stones carry with them knowledge of history, culture and most especially, sentimental value because their use in jewellery is a big part of human connection especially as family heirlooms and emblems.
Their use as part of jewellery making reflects the understanding of humanity that they are valuable and that value comes into play in events such as weddings because the gemstones used in wedding rings carry with them the desires and persona of a couple. Thus, these objects are not merely attractive facets for the eyes of many; they also carry with them the wealth of the universe. Their connection to the months and the alignment of planets is also a big part of fortune telling and thus, their significance to the horoscope and destiny of people in connection to astrology is a practice that is observed until today.
So now that you have a brief background about these gemstones it is now time to explore this blog and enrich your knowledge, understanding and appreciation towards these objects. You will soon see yourself awestruck by the variety and appearance of this stones and their connection with the different aspects of the universe. From diamonds, to sapphires, to emeralds, there is a long list of gemstones for you to discover for yourself or to share to your friends. You'll never know their impact to your life unless you embrace their influence and worth in society and to your own lifestyle; you'll never know unless you try to familiarize with these gemstones better, and what better way to do so than through this blog.
Feel free to scroll, click, search and read away your intuitions and fascination because the answers you desire about these gemstones are just a mouse click away.


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Q: Docker error: Error response from daemon: Mounts denied: on OS X I've currently a problem and can't find a solution. I've created an apps folder in my document directory of my user and set it as apps path in the config. When I try to run the docker I get following error:

Error response from daemon: Mounts denied: The path
  /users/username/documents/development/docker-apps is not shared from
  OS X and is not known to Docker. You can configure shared paths from
  Docker -> Preferences... -> File Sharing.

I've added the /Users in the preferences globally but the issue is still there:

When I try to add the path I get an error massage that it's not possible because I've added the /Users globally.
My research ended with no helpful answers so I would really appreciate if you can help me with this problem.

A: I've found the problem. It seems that OS X with Docker has a problem with the path. On Linux all works fine but in OS X not. So when you write this here in the terminal, it will work but not in the Docker:
/users/username/documents/development/docker-apps

So when you add another / at the end like this:
/users/username/documents/development/docker-apps/

it will work.

A: For MacOS Docker 3.0 or higher answer provided by
François Alexandre
Docker: Mounts denied. The paths ... are not shared from OS X and are not known to Docker

"With the new version 3.0.0 of Docker for mac, you need to disable use
gRPC FUSE for file sharing in Preferences>Experimental Features."

A: For me it was running docker run shell script as sudo that resolved the issue.
IND00237:dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22 rahul.saini$ ./bin/docker_run.sh ./out host.docker.internal:4503 8080
docker: Error response from daemon: Mounts denied:
The paths /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/vhosts_conf and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/custom_vars and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/global_vars and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/rules_any and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/filters_any and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/rewrite_rules and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/farms_any and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/clientheaders_any and /users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/out/virtualhosts_any
are not shared from OS X and are not known to Docker.
You can configure shared paths from Docker -> Preferences... -> File Sharing.
See https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#namespaces for more info.
.
ERRO[0000] error waiting for container: context canceled
IND00237:dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22 rahul.saini$ sudo su
Password:
sh-3.2# cd /Users/rahul.saini/aem-cloud-sdk/aem-sdk-2020.6.3766.20200619T110731Z-200604/dispatcher-sdk-2.0.22/
sh-3.2# ./bin/docker_run.sh ./out host.docker.internal:4503 8080
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/10-check-environment.sh
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/20-create-docroots.sh
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/30-wait-for-backend.sh
Waiting until host.docker.internal is available
host.docker.internal resolves to 192.168.65.2
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/40-generate-allowed-clients.sh
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/50-check-expiration.sh
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/60-check-loglevel.sh
Running script /docker_entrypoint.d/70-check-forwarded-host-secret.sh
Starting httpd server
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.270293 2020] [:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] ModSecurity for Apache/2.9.2 (http://www.modsecurity.org/) configured.
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.270332 2020] [:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] ModSecurity: APR compiled version="1.6.3"; loaded version="1.6.3"
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.270337 2020] [:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] ModSecurity: PCRE compiled version="8.42 "; loaded version="8.42 2018-03-20"
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.270339 2020] [:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] ModSecurity: LIBXML compiled version="2.9.8"
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.270341 2020] [:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] ModSecurity: Status engine is currently disabled, enable it by set SecStatusEngine to On.
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.341071 2020] [mpm_worker:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] AH00292: Apache/2.4.43 (Unix) Communique/4.3.4-20200424 mod_qos/11.63 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Wed Jul 01 08:05:16.341107 2020] [core:notice] [pid 1:tid 140296106285960] AH00094: Command line: 'httpd -d /etc/httpd -f /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf -D FOREGROUND -D ENVIRONMENT_DEV'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Assist in new product development and introduction to production. Making sure all new designs are manufacturable and design for test and capable for automation.
Assemble, test, and repair electrical, mechanical, and fluid systems. Resolve problems or refer for resolution any equipment issues.
Ensure production lines meet quality, productivity and safety goals through the design, development, and maintenance of automation and electromechanical production systems.
Assist in producibility studies to evaluate production process reliability and provide appropriate recommendations.
Assist in the development of technical portions of new business proposals, including selection of manufacturing methods and production processes with estimated costs to implement.
Perform make vs. buy analyses and provide related recommendations to management.
Assist with the plan and design manufacturing processes in a high rate of production environment.
Generate engineering changes and support with appropriate documentation.
Assemble machine components in support of manufacturing R&D, new machine development and existing equipment.
Prepare preliminary sketches and design drawings, engineering specifications, and reports.
Train production personnel and technicians during new process start-ups. Produce user and maintenance manuals and related documentation.
Manage changes to process instructions.
Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline required.
1 to 5 years of manufacturing and automation related experience; may include intern/co-op educational experiences.
Broad knowledge of mechanical, electrical, industrial or automation engineering.
Strong oral and written communication skills as well as good working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation application software needed.
Knowledge of CNC programming, rapid prototyping, and/or 3D CAD work is a plus.
Knowledge of networking and machine vision systems is a plus.
Ability to obtain/maintain DOD security clearance.


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text:
23rd International Conference on Multimedia Modeling | January 4-6, 2017 in Reykjavik, Iceland
WELCOME TO ICELAND
Reykjavik University
CP Reykjavik
CALLS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
– Research Papers
– Special Session Papers
– Demonstrations
Call for Special Sessions
PROGRAM AND EVENTS
Photos from MMM 2017
Keynote 1: Marcel Worring
Keynote 2: Noriko Kando
Video Browser Showdown
Conference Banquet
Conference Organization
Keynote 1: Multimedia Analytics: From Data to Insight.
Speaker: Marcel Worring, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wednesday January 4, at 9:00 in room V101
Abstract: Today's visual collections contain a wealth of information. For media companies, news agencies, and marketing managers alike, social media is a crucial resource in which visual data plays an ever-increasing role. In social science, biology, astrophysics, or medicine, images are a valuable source of scientific knowledge. Visual information is also becoming a prime carrier of evidence and clues in forensics and security. In all these application domains, the deluge of visual collections holds tremendous value, but how do we gain insight in such a collection? In this talk we will report on a novel multimedia analytics model based on our extensive survey of over eight hundred papers, of which hundred papers were identified as being most relevant for the topic. In the analytics model, the need for semantic navigation of the collection is emphasized and multimedia analytics tasks are placed on an exploration-search axis. Categorization is then proposed as a suitable umbrella task for realizing the exploration-search axis in the model. Finally, the pragmatic gap, defined as the difference between the tight machine categorization model and the flexible human categorization model is identified as a crucial multimedia analytics ingredient. Multimedia Pivot Tables are introduced as a first implementation of this model, providing a flexible and highly interactive methodology for creating insightful summaries. We end by considering the scalability of the model to collections of 100 million images, moving towards methods which truly support interactive insight gain in huge collections.
Biography: Marcel Worring received the M.Sc. degree (Hons.) in computer science from VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1988, and the Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1993. He is currently an Associate Professor within the Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam, of which he is the director, and a Full Professor on Data Science for Business Analytics with the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam. He has (co-)authored over 170 scientific papers covering a broad range of topics. His research interest is the integration of multimedia analysis, multimedia mining, information visualization, and multimedia interaction into a coherent framework yielding more than its constituent components. Prof. Worring was an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Multimedia and is currently an Associate Editor of the ACM Transactions on Multimedia. He was Program Chair for ICMR 2013 and ACM Multimedia 2013, and general chair for ACM Multimedia 2016.
Photo Gallery - MMM 2017
Photos from MMM 2017 February 1, 2017
Proceedings Online January 10, 2017
Student Volunteers January 5, 2017
Banquet Menu January 5, 2017
MMM 2018 Website Opened January 3, 2017
Copyright © 2020 MMM2017. Powered by WordPress. Theme: Accelerate by ThemeGrill.


So you bought a new camera, probably a DSLR, and it seems to be taking marvelous pictures outside, but while indoors, it doesn't seem to perform as well. Certainly not what you would expect to get for your money, anyway.
Well, there are a few slight technical details that you could be getting wrong. Not to offend anyone, but these days it's far less likely to be the fault of the camera and not of the photographer. Here they are.
The great thing about ISO is that it allows us to use our nice cameras in places where years ago nobody would have dreamed of snapping a picture without flash. For that we thank ISO and all the wonderful engineers that keep adding performances to modern day cameras. The bad thing about ISO is that the higher the value is set, the more detail is lost. For the maximum amount of detail, use the lowest possible ISO value.
Exposure 101 says that the more time you keep the shutter open, the more light will enter the camera. It also says that the slower the speed, to more likely it is to cause motion blur. Motion blur doesn't just happen when you photograph something that moves too fast in front of you, it also happens when the inevitable movement of your hands is recorded by the exposing sensor. So, either you use a tripod next time or boost the ISO. The stabilizing systems in lenses do work, but you should keep in mind that they are somewhat limited.
This is for those users who are still relying on the camera's automatic systems and who haven't yet ventured into the wonderful world of full manual control. If your camera detects that there just isn't enough light, it will either decrease the shutter speed, in which case you can read what happens above, or it will start using that devilish contraption that all real photographers hate, the pop-up flash. Therefore, the obvious recommendation is to act brave, and start using manual.
Many beginners try to compensate their lack of skill behind the camera with Photoshop skills. Naturally, they have not yet figured out that a bad photo is just bad and needs to be left that way. No amount of editing will make it better. But they, on the contrary, throw everything they've got at it, and besides the overall mutant aspect, the quality goes downhill. It doesn't even matter if it's shot at low ISO in RAW format. Poor editing inevitably leads to loss of quality.
This is something even pros deal with. In low light conditions, it is possible for even the most advanced camera/lens combo to have trouble focusing and locking focus. It's just the way things are and sometimes, no amount of moving around will cause a precise response from the camera's AF systems. The best thing to do is temporarily light the subject with a phone or a lighter, just long enough for the camera to lock the focus. If not, there's a good chance that many of your photos will come out blurry, even with the flash turned on.


Several times per year the Center for Russian Studies at RANEPA had the privilege to host distinguished scholars, authors and policymakers from Russia and abroad. The Center's Open Lectures format allowed scholars to share their latest research, discuss publications and engage with the audience from RANEPA and other institutions, as well as to reach out to those abroad by having their lectures recorded, simultaneously translated and relayed over the Internet. Here are a few videos from the list of lectures mentioned in the PDF section.
Erik Berglof, the Chief Economist and Special Adviser to the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Transition Report of the EBRD "Stuck in Transition?" (December 2013).
You can download this lecture here (mobile format – 3GP,176x144px). Recording in Russian.
Additional information about Open Lectures organized at the Center for Russian Studies at RANEPA can be found here (PDF files) and on the Center's current website: ranepa.ru/eng/research-academy/center-for-russian-studies/. If time permits, I will upload these lectures to YouTube and/or other media.