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the most impressive feature of this new recording in the quicksilver dynamic fluidity of the orchestra—they are able to move from the boldest of fortissimos to the most tender of pianissimos in a heartbeat. There is an overwhelming sense that the musicians are moving as one with the same telepathic unity of a murmuration of starlings. It is mesmerizing. © 2012 Classic FM
Rachmaninoff was a conductor whose skills were such that one wishes that he had recorded more than just the three works heard here (the Vocalise and Isle of the Dead in 1929, the symphony in 1939). What might he have done with the other Russian masters? He was not idiosyncratic in performing his own music: the requisite northern melancholy but no wallowing in sentiment.
To read the complete review, please visit American Record Guide online.
These three performances, the only examples of Rachmaninov conducting his own music, make obvious disc-mates. It's by no means the first time they've been programmed in this way; one need only look at the multi-volume Rachmaninov 'Complete Recordings' from RCA [Red Seal 82876-67892-2] to note that disc three is set aside for these performances. And, further back, for instance, Pearl issued its transfers [GEMM CD 9414], and now Naxos has undertaken its own via the work of Mark Obert-Thorn.
The Third Symphony receives a magnificent reading, courtesy of the Philadelphia Orchestra in full flow. It responds to the composer's deft and inventively romantic themes with glorious aplomb, stinting nothing in its tonal opulence in pursuance of the composer-conductor's aims. Six of the eight sides were first takes. The opening side required the use of a second take—maybe it was a cold start—but once into the work the session seems to have progressed smoothly. That, if I'm reading things correctly, seems not to have been the case back in April 1929 when he recorded Isle of the Dead. All the selected takes were the fourth and fifth, so maybe there were co-ordination and ensemble problems—or maybe there's another explanation. In any case the results were as convincing as the Third Symphony recording of a decade later. As so often, Rachmaninov directs tautly but with malleable and flexible control. The music surges with power and suggestive sonorities, and the strings' luscious portamenti add their own vibrant gloss on the aural perspective. The 'filler', the final side, of this three 78 disc album, was Vocalise in the composer's orchestrally garbed version—suitably rich, suitably lovely.
If you want these performances, this disc proves a canny and inexpensive way to acquire them, given that you may not want the 10 CD RCA box, and that the Pearl's transfer is inferior to this latest release, should you be able to find it. Indeed Naxos preserves more surface noise than RCA, but less than Pearl, retaining full frequencies and sacrificing no loss of upper frequencies. Fortunately for those who decide to take a chance on the RCA box, its restorers have not gone crazy on over-processing, and things sound good.
Rachmaninoff was one of several composers including Elgar, Walton and Stravinsky who recorded their own works mainly in the first half of the last century. These are invaluable interpretations allowance being made for the exigencies of the old pre-LP days when these composer-conductors had to squeeze their music onto the severely time-restricted sides of old shellac discs.
Rachmaninoff's Third Symphony is a late work, completed in 1936 for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Leopold Stokowski conducted the premiere in the November of that year. The opening chords of Rachmaninoff's interpretation seem to suggest an acute nostalgia and longing for his homeland, brushed aside only very briefly by the composer's typical brio. This reading of Rachmaninov's glorious final symphony is emotionally heartfelt, its radiant lyricism poignantly drawn and with the more violent and dramatic passages rendered in fiery colours. The Philadelphia's gorgeous string tone with unrestrained portamenti underlines the passionate nature of the music especially in the lovely Adagio. Rachmaninoff's harmonies and orchestrations - with scintillating percussive colour - are remarkable and mark seemingly newly explored territory and do not fail to arrest the ear. This is all vividly caught in this fine restoration by Mark Obert-Thorn.
Several months ago several MusicWeb reviewers (myself included) were asked to blind-review ten competitive recordings of Rachmaninoff's Isle of the Dead. I said in my contribution: "Interestingly, Rachmaninoff delivers this reading in 18:09, appreciably faster than some of the modern recordings...yet the composer's viewpoint is atmospheric enough and there is a blazing dramatic and emotional intensity here." I would go further and add that Rachmaninoff's reading is not only exciting and atmospheric but entirely sympathetic to the plight of the departing soul. The sound restoration is very satisfactory.
The composer's 1929 recording of his Vocalise is captured in its orchestral dress only - not in his arrangement for soprano and orchestra. Nevertheless the Philadelphia respond to his direction in a heart-rending reading.
We tend to forget that Serge Rachmaninov (1873–1943) possessed conducting skills on a par with his keyboard and compositional abilities, his having denied conductorships because he felt his repertory lacked breadth! Rachmaninov bequeathed us only three inscriptions, here assembled and remastered by Mark Obert-Thorn, a decided leap in sonic quality over the former Pearl label incarnation (and available online from outside-U.S. sources).
The Isle of the Dead (1909) received its inscription from Rachmaninov 20 April 1929. Inspired by a painting of Arnold Boecklin, the music captures the undulating waves of the Styx, then progresses through the plainchant Dies Irae to an intensely nostalgic melodic sequence that builds up—a la Tchaikovsky—to a superheated passion. The orchestration, quite lush, encompasses huge brass and string swathes, the canny application of harp and tympani, and the presence of low woodwinds in concert with sustained outbursts and whirling figures in tutti. The menace of the Dies Irae in the latter third of the work casts an ineluctable melancholy over the scene, The lachrymose return of the opening materials under the string melody suggests that Charon's journey remains eternal, a sad momento mori in music that quite haunted Rachmaninov's fertile imagination.
Rachmaninov set his wordless Op. 34 Vocalise in several arrangements: the one for string and wind orchestra (20 April 1929) appeared as filler for the RCA 78 rpm set M 75 with the Isle of the Dead. The string tone clearly reflects Stokowski's free-bowing influence, a continuous and plastic line of melody that soars and ebbs in effulgent harmony. The 1936 Symphony No. 3 (11 December 1939) exists, like the later Symphonic Dances, as a direct result of Rachmaninov's fruitful association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It has never really challenged the hegemony of the E Minor Symphony, although its melodic and structural economy seems more classic and direct. The first movement's large theme resembles "Shenandoah" or a deeply-ingrained folk melody. Somewhat in the manner of Sibelius, Rachmaninov condenses his second and third movements to combine Adagio and Scherzo. The defining affect remains nostalgic, typical of Rachmaninov's musical persona. The level of execution from the Philadelphia Orchestra never ceases to impress for its intensity and clarity of detail. The last movement indeed presages the energized Symphonic Dances of Op. 45, a work Rachmaninov intended to inscribe, along with the Schumann Concerto and the Liszt Totentanz, but the "Fatal Bellman" intervened.
The problem whenever you listen to a work by Rachmaninov played by the composer, is that you end up thinking 'is there any other way to perform it?' As a conductor he was note quite so sure footed, and I do miss the creepiness in Isle of the Dead though I guess that the 1920s sound quality has much to do with it, for here, and in Vocalise it is limited in dynamic range. Things improved considerably for the 1939 recording of the symphony though the sound is still boxy. In the more transparent moments it shows the Philadelphia orchestra in fine form, with solo passages that are of very beautiful quality. It is in the pacing of the score that everything flows so naturally, the pulse of the second part of the second movement taken with more urgency than we often hear today. The finale is not rushed, the drawback being the lack of punch in the climatic moments, the recordings not quite accommodating such outgoing music. If you are looking for a modern version, then listen to the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland with Anissimov conducting (Naxos 8.550808), recommended in the Gramophone Good CD Guide. This is one for Rachmaninov admirers.


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Dr Murray Rowden
As Regional Managing Director (Americas) Murray Rowden leads Turner and Townsend's business in eight countries across North and South America and supports its teams in growing the business in its other regions as its Global Head of Infrastructure.
Murray joined the multinational professional services company, which specialises in programme management, project management, cost management and consulting across the property, infrastructure and natural resources sectors, after graduating from GCU, where he studied Quantity Surveying.
He joined Turner and Townsend's graduate programme in 1990, and he has worked in its bases in Glasgow, Leeds, Amsterdam, London and New York in a range of leadership roles including leading the UK infrastructure sector business unit, which now employs 1000 people. He was appointed to its Executive Board in 2015.
Committed to contributing to the development of the industry, Murray has been International Chairman of industry improvement body Constructing Excellence, and has worked with government and industry organisations in Asia, Australia, Canada and the UK on developing industrial strategies and improvement initiatives. A dedicated advocate for the University, Murray joined honorary graduates Sir Alex Ferguson CBE and Harry Benson at a leadership event at GCNYC to mark its inaugural academic year.
Join our platform GCU Connect and stay connected with your university and your fellow alumni.
Join us in 2019 and take advantage of our new Loyalty Scholarships for graduates of GCU.
Students from around the world come to GCU to gain postgraduate, masters and PhD status

subset: commoncrawl


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| Tremella foliacea
|This jelly fungus grows from fallen hardwood branches. As shown in
these images, this fungus is often found growing with parchment
fungi (Stereum). Tremella foliacea varies in color depending on age.
Can be found year round under warm and wet conditions.
|See Tremella foliacea at
|See Mushrooms of Northeast North
America, Barron, 1999, p. 104.
Mushrooms Demystified, Arora, 1986,
p. 673.


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Different Kinds of Piano Materials
Many parts of a piano are made of materials selected for extreme sturdiness. In quality pianos, the outer rim of the piano is made of a hardwood, normally maple or beech. According to Harold A. Conklin, the purpose of a sturdy rim is so that "the vibrational energy will stay as much as possible in the soundboard instead of dissipating uselessly in the case parts, which are inefficient radiators of sound."
The rim is normally made by laminating flexible strips of hardwood to the desired shape, a system that was developed by Theodore Steinway in 1880. The thick wooden braces at the bottom (grands) or back (uprights) of the piano are not as acoustically important as the rim, and are often made of a softwood, even in top-quality pianos, in order to save weight. The requirement of structural strength, fulfilled with stout hardwood and thick metal, makes a piano heavy; even a small upright can weigh 136 kg (300 lb), and the Steinway concert grand (Model D) weighs 480 kg (990 lb). The largest piano built, the Fazioli F308, weighs 691 kg (1520 lb).
The pinblock, which holds the tuning pins in place, is another area of the piano where toughness is important. It is made of hardwood, (often maple) and generally is laminated (built of multiple layers) for additional strength and gripping power. Piano strings (also called piano wire), which must endure years of extreme tension and hard blows, are made of high quality steel. They are manufactured to vary as little as possible in diameter, since all deviations from uniformity introduce tonal distortion. The bass strings of a piano are made of a steel core wrapped with copper wire, to increase their flexibility.
The plate, or metal frame, of a piano is usually made of cast iron. It is advantageous for the plate to be quite massive. Since the strings are attached to the plate at one end, any vibrations transmitted to the plate will result in loss of energy to the desired (efficient) channel of sound transmission, namely the bridge and the soundboard. Some manufacturers now use cast steel in their plates, for greater strength. The casting of the plate is a delicate art, since the dimensions are crucial and the iron shrinks by about one percent during cooling. The inclusion in a piano of an extremely large piece of metal is potentially an aesthetic handicap.
Piano makers overcome this handicap by polishing, painting, and decorating the plate; often plates include the manufacturer's ornamental medallion and can be strikingly attractive. In an effort to make pianos lighter, Alcoa worked with Winter and Company piano manufacturers to make pianos using an aluminum plate during the 1940s. The use of aluminum for piano plates, however, did not become widely accepted and was discontinued.
The numerous grand parts and upright parts of a piano action are generally hardwood (e.g. maple, beech. hornbeam). However, since World War II, plastics have become available. Early plastics were incorporated into some pianos in the late 1940s and 1950s, but proved disastrous because they crystallized and lost their strength after only a few decades of use. The Steinway firm once incorporated Teflon, a synthetic material developed by DuPont, for some grand action parts in place of cloth, but ultimately abandoned the experiment due to an inherent "clicking" which invariably developed over time. (Also Teflon is "humidity stable" whereas the wood adjacent to the Teflon will swell and shrink with humidity changes, causing problems.) More recently, the Kawai firm has built pianos with action parts made of more modern and effective plastics such as carbon fiber; these parts have held up better and have generally received the respect of piano technicians.
The part of the piano where materials probably matter more than anywhere else is the soundboard. In quality pianos, this is made of solid spruce (that is, spruce boards glued together at their edges). Spruce is chosen for its high ratio of strength to weight. The best piano makers use close-grained, quarter-sawn, defect-free spruce, and make sure that it has been carefully dried over a long period of time before making it into soundboards. In cheap pianos, the soundboard is often made of plywood.
Piano keys are generally made of spruce or basswood, for lightness. Spruce is normally used in high-quality pianos. Traditionally, the black keys were made from ebony and the white keys were covered with strips of ivory, but since ivory-yielding species are now endangered and protected by treaty, plastics are now almost exclusively used. Also, ivory tends to chip more easily than plastic. Legal ivory can still be obtained in limited quantities. At one time, the Yamaha firm innovated a plastic called "Ivorine" or "Ivorite", since imitated by other makers, that mimics the look and feel of ivory.
2 Responses to "Different Kinds of Piano Materials"
# Angela Valueton 18 Jun 2008 at 1:01 am
I would like to ask a question. The color of black keys on my piano is fading away. I would like to repaint them but do not know what kind of paint can be used. Would you please recommand?
Thank you very much.


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Show up, sit down, write. It's that easy. No speaker or presentation. Just a group of people tapping at laptops or scribbling in notebooks in celebration of National Novel Writing Month.
The Writers' League is hosting seven write-ins at various locations around Austin.
Writers' League-sponsored write-ins at the Austin Public Library
Free and open to the public. 6-8:30 each night. The event for this date is listed in bold.
Writers' League-sponsored write-ins at Lark & Owl Booksellers
Free and open to the public
3:30-5:30 p.m., Lark & Owl Booksellers, 205 W 6th St Suite 101, Georgetown, TX
Write-ins sponsored by Deanna Roy at Cenote Coffee Shop
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Cenote Coffee Shop, 1010 E. Cesar Chavez
Parking along street and at the church lot one block north.
Sprinting wars with prizesAttendees average 2000 words per night.
Look for the NaNoWriMo sign.
All of these write-ins are free and open to the public. No registration is needed, but if you'd like a reminder, please RSVP.
Website Design by: Site Street and Graphic Granola


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The lake level was 658.9; generation around 6,500 CFS throughout the week for a level of 658.5 by the weekend. Surface temperature at Bagnell Dam was 53 degrees. Truman Lake was at 706.8 level.
The lake level was 658.9; generation around 6,500 CFS throughout the week for a level of 658.5 by the weekend. Surface temperature at Bagnell Dam was 53 degrees. Truman Lake was at 706.8 level.
The Lower Osage is from the dam to the 22-mile mark; Mid-Lake is between the 22 and 38-mile marks; the Upper Osage is between the 38 and the Rt. 65 Bridge.
No catches reported.
Lower Osage: Fair on jigs around main lake docks 12 to 15 feet deep. Gravois: Good on jerkbaits, jigs or minnows around main lake docks 12 feet deep. Mid-Lake: Fair on jigs in brush piles and around main lake docks 15 to 20 feet deep. Grand Glaize: Good on jigs set below bobbers 4 to 6 feet deep in coves with deep water and shooting jigs around docks on the main channel. Niangua: Fair on minnows and jigs in brush piles 12 to 18 feet deep. Upper Osage: Good on minnows 6 to 8 feet deep around docks.
Gravois: Fair on limblines with cut skipjack or shad. Mid-Lake: Fair drifting cut shad along the main channel. Grand Glaize: Fair on cut shad tightlining 30 to 35 feet deep.
Mark Tucker won the Webb Elite Outdoor tournament Dec. 1-2 with 10 bass weighing 33.51 pounds. Bagnell Dam spillway: Fair on crankbaits. Lower Osage: Fair on spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits along rocky channel banks and main lake points. Gravois: Good on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Alabama rigs along rocky main channel banks. Mid-Lake: Fair on crawfish crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits on channel banks and rocky points. Grand Glaize: Slow on Wiggle Wart crankbaits on main channel banks. Niangua: Fair on shaky head finesse worms and crawfish crankbaits 1 to 5 feet deep on rocky banks. Upper Osage: Slow on jigs along channel banks.
Lower Osage: Good on jerkbaits along windy points. Gravois: Slow on Alabama rigs on the main channel.
Guide Alfred Chapman (573-465-3810), www.lakeozarkfishingguideservice.com; Big Ed's Guide Service (573-692-6710) www.bigedsguideservice.com; Guide Jack Uxa (573-434-2570) www.lakeoftheozarksfishingguide.com; Guide John Blankenbeker (573-280-1455); Guide Terry Blankenship (573-480-2835); Guide Jim Dill (573-204-9005) www.jamesdillguideservice.com; Fitz Fishing (573-693-9299); Bryants Osage Outdoors (573-374-2278); Edgar's Outdoor Sports (573/378-2220); www.edgarssports.com; Cody's Bait & Tackle (660-723-5115); Lake Level (573-365-9205); Tournament Results—Thanks to www.bassingbob.com.


text: Baystreet Staff - Monday, February 20, 2017 The Pharaoh's House - "It Starts With Them" is Officially Announced [ACCESSWIRE] The Manhattan-Based Center for Kids will Help Spark a Desire to Learn by Figuratively Transporting them Back in Time to Ancient Egypt LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 20, 2017 / Antonio Kenyatta, Founder and Chief Pharaoh Scientist of The Pharaoh's House – It Starts With Them, is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of his innovative new learning center. To watch a video that showcases what The Pharaoh's House will look like and learn more about the project, please check out https://goo.gl/SxEfJB at any time. As a spokesperson for the project noted, The Pharaoh's House is a Manhattan-Based center for kids designed to reawaken their natural curiosity and spark an enthusiasm for learning. Pulling together math and science learning program principals and exploratory fun into a museum-quality environment, this center will inspire kids to want to start learning more. "The Pharaoh's House will be decorated with beautiful rich colors, murals, and hieroglyphs that transport visitors back in time," the spokesperson said, adding that upon entering, kids will immediately be enchanted by the magical surroundings as they enjoy hands-on learning in math and science. "This space will be designed to serve as a location for celebrations, parties, and more while fostering a passion for everything from bugs to astronomy." As a bonus, rather than letting the math and science fields become standardized and uninspiring, Kenyatta and his creative team are intent on teaching these subjects through the eyes of the Ancient Egyptians as kids enjoy lessons that awaken their curiosity. In order to help pay for the many costs associated with fixing up the Manhattan space and transforming it into an Ancient Egyptian learning center, Kenyatta and his team recently launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo. There, they hope to raise $615,000 through crowdfunding. "Ultimately we will turn this space into a museum grade venue, ready to hold events including the ultimate birthday parties," the spokesperson said. About The Pharaoh's House - It Starts With Them: Kids across America are falling behind on developing a solid foundation in math and science, which are the very backbone of change. To help fight this tide, Antonio Kenyatta, Founder of The Pharaoh's house, has acquired a space in midtown Manhattan and is now seeking funding to make it museum quality. As such, it will be used to inspire children's interest in math and science while they explore the many wonders of Ancient Egypt. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/SxEfJB. Contact: Benjamin Wallace [email protected] (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: The Pharaoh's House


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Here are the events and activities taking place in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean this week.
If you're looking for the unusual like the Newent Onion Fayre, family fun, vintage machinery, fantastic food or music you'll find them here in the #DeanWye region.
If you can't make it this week, have a look at our What's On page for ideas for next time.
Today – 9th September 2018
Sculptures, prints and drawings all inspired by the wonders of the natural world
Held at Nature in Art in or near Gloucester
Today – 4th September 2018
Creepy crawlies created from litter reclaimed from the forest floor
Held at Beechenhurst Lodge Vistor Centre in or near Coleford
Today – 9th September 2018
Art is relaxing, expressive and aids concentration. Work by the Alzheimer's Society
Held at Nature in Art in or near Gloucester
Today – 16th September 2018
Annual festival of history and heritage
Held at Gloucester in or near Gloucester
4th September 2018
An illustrated talk on nature conservation
Held at The Shire Hall in or near Monmouth
4th September 2018 – 23rd September 2018
A facinating display of both old and contemporary lace
Held at Nature in Art in or near Gloucester
6th September 2018 – 16th September 2018
Visit secret places in the Forest not normally open.
Held at Coleford in or near Coleford
7th September 2018
Spend a late summer evening wallowing in the music of one of the greatest bands ever
Held at Savoy Theatre in or near Monmouth
8th September 2018
A spectacular outdoor concert, captured live at Berlin's Waldbuhne amphitheatre
Held at Savoy Theatre in or near Monmouth
8th September 2018
Gloucestershire's Largest Free to Enter One Day Festival
Held at Newent in or near Newent
8th September 2018
One of the largest one day shows in Wales
Held at Usk – Brynbuga in or near Usk
8th September 2018 – 16th September 2018
Nine day art trail featuring arists, craftmakers and creative businesses
Held at Hereford in or near Hereford
8th September 2018
70th Anniversary Concert
Held at Cinderford in or near Cinderford
8th September 2018 – 9th September 2018
As well as free entry, lots of activities for all the family
Held at The Kymin in or near Monmouth
8th September 2018 – 9th September 2018
A weekend Course on sustainable beekeeping
Held at Ragmans Bunkhouse in or near Lydbrook
8th September 2018
Cheese, Chutney and Bread – what a winning combination!
Held at Harts Barn Cookery School in or near Longhope
9th September 2018
The elegance of High Tea is back
Held at Harts Barn Cookery School in or near Longhope
9th September 2018
Display of vintage vehicles and machinery
Held at The Speech House Hotel in or near Coleford
9th September 2018
Are you fearful in the kitchen or a complete beginner and want to gain new skills
Held at Harts Barn Cookery School in or near Longhope


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I have a beautiful view of her
From my seat, in the back of the cab
She walks with a pretty nice stride
Nice legs, nice ass
Wonder where she's going?
In such a hurry, I bet it's important
The light turns green
We start moving again
We pass her on my left
And I watch her disappear in the thick of the crowd
Who knows?
Could have been a lifetime lover
Maybe even a future wife
I doubt that
And sink back into my seat
And enjoy the rest of the ride
© Dicky J Loweman 2014


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R and I always believe in bringing you, the guest, as close to the kitchen as possible (without having to do any of the cooking of course!). Our Modern Dining ethos is built on breaking down the barriers between cooking, serving and eating; thus you will often find one of us in the dining room serving food or talking to you lovely guests. Anyway we can connect with those that support us, with what we do, is one of the most rewarding parts of running Smoke & Salt. With that in mind we have a little teaser video for you to enjoy.
It's without a doubt pie season so why not get out your summer fruits and bake a pie. Only a few more weeks left in summer to do so!
Make sure you check out our previous post with all the full recipes.
This has been one of those headers that we've had in the back of our minds for a while now and we always seem to find a way to bump it along the chain. Finally, I'm pulling on my flak vest (I can only assume there will be massive out-cry here!) and try to explain what it is that ACTUALLY creates something from nothing by turning the mundane in nature to insane through nurture…
Last weekend, R. and I were invited to celebrate 1 year of Canele production from the guys over at Babelle. If you follow us of Twitter or Instagram, you'll know how much we enjoy those delicious, crispy bundles of joy. If not, check out the video above to see a sneak-peek, behind the scenes look at canelé construction.
Recipe Diaries Vol 14 - Pepparkakor - A Spiced Swedish Cookie With a Difficult Name
These biscuits (I hope you've watched the video for the correct pronunciation) are a Scandinavian treat in the winter time. Thin, crisp and full of flavour, they pair well with a mug of hot chocolate or coffee, but watch out, you may end up eating more of them than you intended!...
Sometimes we forget how spoiled for choice we can be when it comes to weekend plans and when we're not behind the stoves in the kitchen getting ready for a dinner service we seem to find ourselves twiddling thumbs as to what to do. 2 weeks ago I found myself back on Teatime in Wonderland, a blog run by our favourite canelé queen Chocoralie, of course I took here up on her suggestion of a few beers as part of the London Brewery tours, I mean, how treacherous can the Bermondsey Mile be?!...
You know that feeling of being so much more full than at any time during the year at Christmas? Imagine being able to train for that feeling (or should I say "feeding"!) 4 weeks prior, at Thanksgiving. A few days ago we shared some of our recipes and planning ideas and now that the day itself has happened we've definitely got that over-filled feeling...
We were back on the road again this week, this time in Shoreditch, with another pop-up. We were invited to be a part of a new supper club series hosted at Barber & Parlour, a venue that is part of the very impressive Soho House Group. The space has a particularly "Shoreditch" flare to it, but presented as a mature space for guests to grab a coffee, catch a movie in their very own basement-cinema, drink eat and generally chill-out...
Rabbit & Rye, Pasta Done Better!
Welcome to our latest Smoke & Salt video diaries, this week we thought we'd give you a break from Pigs Heads and Pumpkins, with Halloween being right round the corner. Although if you still haven't made plans you are more than welcome to join us for a truly memorable banquet! R has put together a great video showing the step by step process of on of our best selling dishes throughout our residency...
December 2018


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Press Room
Prosegur issues notes for an amount of eur 700 million
The issue has been oversubscribed by almost five times.
Madrid, 1 February 2018.– Prosegur today set the terms of an issue of ordinary obligations (bonds) in the Euromarket, for a total nominal amount of EUR 700 million, with the maturity date of 8 February 2023. The issue has been oversubscribed by almost five times. Prosegur´s carried out its inaugural issue in 2013 for an amount of 500 million euros and maturity date in April this year.
The notes will be issued for a price of 99.560% of their nominal amount and will accrue an annual coupon of 1.000% payable annually in arrears. The closing of the issue is expected to occur on 8 February 2018, subject to compliance with conditions which are standard for an issue of this kind. An application will be made for the notes to be admitted to trading on the regulated market of the Irish Stock Exchange.
With this issue, Prosegur extends its average debt maturity profile and benefits from current attractive market conditions. The funds obtained will be used for general corporate purposes and company's future growth.
The issue does not represent any increase in net financial debt, which was EUR 51 million at the end of the third quarter of 2017. Therefore, the company continues to work within the framework of its conservative financial policy, preferring high cash-flow generation and limited indebtedness. Prosegur thus remains in a solid financial situation which has an investment grade rating (BBB) and a stable outlook granted by Standard & Poor's.
The entities which have taken part in the operation are: Barclays and Santander, as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners; and BBVA, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs International as Joint Bookrunners. Bankinter, Commerzbank and Westpac have taken part as Co-Lead Managers. In addition, the law firms Clifford Chance, as adviser to Prosegur, and Allen & Overy, as adviser to the banking entities, have provided advice on the transaction.
This announcement does not represent an offer for the sale, or a request for an offer for the purchase of, the securities mentioned therein, and shall not represent an offer, request or sale in any jurisdiction in which the above-mentioned offer, request or sale is illegal - including but not limited to the United States Australia, Canada or Japan-.
The securities mentioned here have not been, nor shall be, registered in accordance with the United States Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), in its amended version, or the laws on securities of any state, and cannot be offered or sold in the United States, except via an exception or in operations not subject to compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with the laws on securities of any state.


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Curbing Maritime Piracy In International Waters: A Case Study Of The East African Coastline
Mumanyi, Martina M
MetadataShow full item record
In the 21 st century, maritime piracy has become a profitable business that threaten the lives of seafarers and coastal communities, interferes with global commercial activities that rely on the transit of goods through seaways and disrupt the aquatic environment. This study looks at curbing maritime piracy in International Waters, with the East African Coastline being the case study region. The theoretical underpinning of this study is based on the assumptions of the economic rational choice theoretical that sets to explain the proliferation of piracy through the analysis of economic concepts that are relevant to understanding what drives piracy in the East African coast and further illustrate the role that the international system plays in addressing these issues globally. Data for this study was collected through key informant interviews and secondary data sources from publications and research carried out by reliable and reputable international organizations. The study examines monetary motives, angles of religious fundamentalism, terrorism and perceived acts of nationalism and protection of territorial sovereignty as the causes of maritime piracy in the region. The study then further examines the effects maritime piracy has on the region in an attempt to fully understand the related threats associated with acts of piracy. The study examines the normative and institutional frameworks in existence to control and manage East African maritime piracy with further critical analysis of the role played by the political instability onshore Somalia. Key recommendations based on the findings of this study are pegged on the need to formulate and implement land-based, development- oriented policies that are culturally, politically and economically sensitive. The recommendations in this research project call for the creation of political stability in Somalia, the promotion of good governance, enhancing regional corporation, providing incentives to local clans and addressing illegal, unprotected and unregulated fishing. These policies; if adopted could result in a decrease in piracy activities in the region; resulting in increased maritime security, maritime trade and consequently a rise in the development of the East African coastal countries.
University of Nairobi


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New York Style Steak & Burger
A burger joint that brings flavors from Brooklyn to Bangkok, via Shanghai.
This Shanghai burger and steak brand has been imported to Bangkok by Thai model and foodie Naalinlat Kollmann. The flagship is the Manhattan Monster (B450), made with 220g of American Angus beef, complemented by strips of bacon and dripping American cheese. If you'd prefer beef without the trimmings, order the striploin (starting from B1,150 for 250g). Beers include Deschutes Chain Breaker White IPA starting from B300 per bottle.
This all-American-via-China diner opened in Bangkok to much fanfare, boasting exclusively USDA-certified Angus beef steaks and burgers carrying accolades like "best in Shanghai" from more than one major publication. Evidently, this is no ordinary chain.
While the restaurant's matter-of-fact name, sleek metropolitan decor and menu chockfull of cocktails referencing Soho and Central Park rather bludgeon home the New York theme, the food mostly delivers big-time, too. And we mean big. In this town, we're not often given reason to complain about portions being too large, but that's (almost) the case with the likes of the signature burger, the Manhattan Monster (B490). There's little chance of wrapping your jaw around this hulking mass of bacon, cheddar, fried egg and onion rings atop a perfectly rounded, 220g ground-beef patty without making a scene. The lightly seasoned patty, though, is grilled with juicy precision (you can see chef Naalinlat Kollman and co. at work in the semi-open kitchen). We especially enjoy the slathering of chili con carne, while the bun—supposedly made in-house daily—and massive side of fries are also winners.
The steaks, which start at B1,250 and go up to B3,250 for a 500g Chateaubriand, are rather less showy and we're thankful for that. Last visit we ordered the 350g ribeye (B1,550) medium rare and weren't disappointed by the rich, marbled goodness and delicious charring. The meat's flavorsome enough to not really need sauce, but there are five varieties available. (Aside: The rich, sweet house steak sauce puts the pre-made ketchup and onion ring [B160] dipping sauce to shame.)
As for dessert, the apple pie (B250) is as wholesome as they come, a sweet, dense apple filling encased in deliciously flaky crust—we only wish it had been served piping hot rather than lukewarm. While there are chicken and shrimp burger options—and the mild Waldorf salad (B290) comes with nice and smoky, albeit small, chunks of grilled chicken—don't kid yourself; the restaurant's really catering to beef lovers with a big appetite. New York Style's prices aren't cheap but also aren't out of the ballpark for the size and quality. This is red meat worth braving Sukhumvit Soi 22's garish array of street meat for.
This review took place in May 2015 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.
Venue Details
|New York Style Steak & Burger, 2/F, Park 22 (opposite the former Imperial Queens Park Hotel), Sukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok, Thailand
|Phrom Phong
|Price Range:
|Opening hours:
|daily 10am-10pm
|Report a correction


text:
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a gentle and effective hands-on approach to healthcare, based on the principle that the way your body moves influences the way it functions. By treating restricted movement, function is restored and pain reduced.
Osteopaths are highly competent healthcare professionals, recognised by the NHS as fully qualified to diagnose and treat independently.
Over 30,000 people every day
visit an osteopath suffering from a variety of conditions including neck and back pain, joint or muscular pain, sports injuries, recurring headaches and more. Many patients are pregnant mothers, those with work strain, or pain and stiffness related to advancing years.
Osteopathic treatment consists of a variety of manual techniques.
Osteopathic soft tissue work combines a range of methods to improve muscle tone and promote circulation.
Massage, stretches, acupressure, myo-fascial release, neuro-muscular technique, rhythmic and harmonic technique may be employed. Joint mobilisation and specific manipulation (which may involve "clicking" joints) are used to aid joint mobility and function.
Cranial Osteopathic technique is a very gentle approach which can be applied to any part of the body to promote balance of movement and function.
Spinal manipulation combined with exercises has been shown in clinical trials to be highly effective in the treatment of back pain.


text:
I'm off this week, so I'm enjoying spending time in the morning with my husband and getting a lot of things done around the house. For example, I ironed clothing that I haven't worn for literally a year because I just didn't find (or make) the time to iron. Very soothing, really, and now I can finally wear button-down shirts again. Laziness or busyness? Judge me as you will.
As I sit at my computer, the room lit by the reflection of about a foot or so of snow that fell yesterday, I realize that vacation is a great time to catch up on TV, which I'm trying desperately hard NOT to do. I vowed this year I would tear myself away from the idiot box and get back into reading, cleaning, exercising, anything to keep me from flipping channels mindlessly. Also, I think the writers' strike, thankfully ended, led to an even greater excess of "reality" shows, which I have always contended should be called "Contrived-Taped-Live-Cheaper-Than-Scripted-Little-Talent-Desperate-for-
Stardom-Has-Absolutely Nothing-To-Do-With-Reality" television. American Gladiators is back? Dance Wars? And my favorite, some horrible thing on FOX (surprise) called The Moment of Truth, where people ask each other terrible, hurtful questions to see if they will answer for money. The latest promo I saw involved a wife asking a husband if he had ever cheated on her. It has certainly helped me turn off the TV. One site had about 229 "reality shows" listed, although the list includes shows like Mythbusters on The Discovery Channel (a fascinating show, really) and NOVA. But seriously, over 200?
This just proves my theories that we need to be more discerning in what we choose to watch or the obesity rate will continue to skyrocket and that we actually have to choose, to consciously decide what we do with our time. On that note, I'm going to grab some lunch and do something constructive!
Enjoy your day, folks.


text:
Fresh trailer Just Cause 4
The Just Cause series has always been about chaotic fun, and not about the relationships of the characters, the difficult dilemmas of the protagonist or other plot pieces. But still the script comes across here too – the new trailer Just Cause 4 is dedicated to it.
In the fourth part, Rico Rodriguez is trying to find out how his father actually died. For this hero goes to the island of Solis in South America. Life here is not easy: citizens are controlled by a ruthless "Black Hand" led by Gabriela, and nature does not indulge with a gentle sun and constantly throws up destructive thunderstorms and tornadoes.
But even the plot trailer lacks the patience to tell only about local history. Family drama is interrupted by cutting from the explosions of everything in the world: cars, airplanes, tanks, trains, bridges, and so on.
If you still want to plunge into the narrative intrigue of Just Cause 4, under the spoiler below you can watch another video. He is dedicated to Gabriele, the leader of the "Black Hand", which will become the main antagonist of the fourth part.
Just Cause 4 is coming out on December 3, 2018 for owners of extended editions and December 4, 2018 for all others.


text:
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text:
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text:
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United States District Court, D. Idaho
May 31, 2018
DALE L. MIESEN, an individual who is a shareholder and who is also bringing this action on behalf of and/or in the right of AIA Services Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary AIA Insurance, Inc., Plaintiff,v.HAWLEY TROXELL ENNIS & HAWLEY LLP, an Idaho limited liability partnership; GARY D. BABBITT, an individual; D. JOHN ASHBY, an individual; RICHARD A. RILEY, an individual; AIA SERVICES CORPORATION, an Idaho corporation; AIA INSURANCE, INC., an Idaho corporation; CROP USA INSURANCE SERVICES, LLC, an Idaho limited liability company; CROP USA INSURANCE AGENCY, INC., an Idaho corporation; CONNIE TAYLOR HENDERSON, an individual; JOLEE K. DUCLOS, an individual; MICHAEL W. CASHMAN SR., an individual; JAMES BECK, an individual; R. JOHN TAYLOR, an individual; and GEMCAP LENDING I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Defendants, and CROP USA INSURANCE SERVICES, LLC, an Idaho limited liability company; CROP USA INSURANCE AGENCY, INC., an Idaho corporation; CONNIE TAYLOR HENDERSON, an individual; JOLEE K. DUCLOS, an individual; R. JOHN TAYLOR, an individual; MICHAEL CASHMAN SR., an individual; and JAMES BECK, an individual, Defendants/Third-Party Plaintiffs,v.REED TAYLOR, an individual, Third-Party Defendant, and GEMCAP LENDING I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Defendant/Third-Party Plaintiff,v.QUARLES & BRADY, LLP, a Wisconsin limited legal partnership; and CRUMB & MUNDING, P.S., a Washington professional service corporation, Third-Party Defendants.
matter comes before the Court on two Motions to Dismiss
GemCap Lending I LLC's ("GemCap") Third-Party
Complaint (Dkts. 303, 322) and one Motion for Sanctions (Dkt.
362). As explained below the Court finds good cause to GRANT
the two Motions to Dismiss and DENY the Motion for Sanctions.
The Original Parties and Dispute This is a
shareholder's derivative action, the Court's
jurisdiction over which is based upon diversity of
citizenship. Plaintiff Dale Miesen is a minority shareholder
of Defendant AIA Services Corporation ("AIA"),
the alleged wronged corporation.[1]
were originally two groups of defendants in this action. The
first group consists of AIA Services Corporation, AIA
Insurance, Inc. (collectively "AIA Entities"),
CropUSA Insurance Agency, CropUSA Insurance Services
(collectively "CropUSA"), and several controlling
shareholders and officers of those entities, namely: R. John
Taylor, James Beck, Michael Cashman, Connie Taylor Henderson,
and JoLee Duclos[2](individuals, collectively, "AIA
Controlling Defendants"). The second group consists of
the law firm Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley, LLP, and
several of its attorneys who represented the AIA Entities and
CropUSA during the events that gave rise to this action,
namely: Gary Babbitt, Richard Riles, and John Ashby
(collectively "Hawley Troxell Defendants").
GemCap intervened in this action as a defendant in July of
2016. Later, Miesen asserted claims against GemCap in the
Third Amended Complaint.
and Donna Taylor originally filed this case on August 11,
2010. However, the operative complaint is the Third Amended
Complaint, which Miesen filed on April 24, 2017. Dkt. 211. In
it, Miesen alleges, among other things, that the AIA
Controlling Defendants engaged in fraud and breached their
fiduciary duties to the AIA minority shareholders. AIA was
formed in 1983. It sold insurance products to members of
farmers' and growers' associations and worked with
farmers and growers to form trusts and/or related
cooperatives. In the late 1990s, the AIA Board of Directors,
controlled by the AIA Controlling Defendants, decided to
begin selling crop insurance through a wholly-owned
subsidiary called CropUSA. Miesen alleges that the AIA
Controlling Defendants unlawfully transferred CropUSA from
AIA to their own possession. The AIA Controlling Defendants
then proceeded to unlawfully fund, subsidize, and operate
CropUSA using AIA's assets. Through their operation of
CropUSA, the AIA Controlling Defendants defrauded AIA of
millions of dollars. Miesen also alleges that the AIA
Controlling Defendants committed a "laundry list"
of other unlawful acts including, self-dealing, malfeasance,
and intentional torts. Miesen has highlighted specific acts
Defendant John Taylor allegedly committed. John Taylor was
President of both AIA Entities and CropUSA during all of
these events. Miesen alleges that John Taylor unlawfully
transferred real property to AIA, required AIA to pay the
liabilities on the property, unlawfully amended AIA's
Bylaws, and issued himself Series A Preferred Shares in AIA.
Miesen claims that all of the above-described acts hurt
AIA's minority shareholders.
Troxell represented both the AIA Entities and CropUSA during
the relevant timeframe. Accordingly, Miesen claims the Hawley
Troxell Defendants aided and abetted the fraud the AIA
Controlling Defendants perpetuated against AIA and its
minority shareholders and committed legal malpractice.
Allegations Against GemCap
2011, after Miesen filed this lawsuit, the AIA Controlling
Defendants sought additional funding for CropUSA. They went
to GemCap for this funding. On November 23, 2011, the AIA
Controlling Defendants obtained a $5 million line of credit
from GemCap for CropUSA. The parties subsequently increased
this line of credit to $10 million. Initially, the AIA
Entities guaranteed only $1, 113, 930 of the loan. Later, in
October 2012, the AIA Controlling Defendants had the AIA
Entities guarantee the entire $10 million loan (collectively,
"the Guarantees"). John Taylor, as the President
of the AIA Entities signed the Guarantees. On December 20,
2012, GemCap filed a UCC financing statement with the Idaho
Secretary of State regarding the Guarantees.
In his
Third Amended Complaint, Miesen asserts that when GemCap
executed the loan documents, it knew, or should have known:
(1) that this lawsuit was pending; (2) that the Guarantees
violated AIA Services' amended articles of incorporation
and bylaws, and numerous Idaho Code sections; and (3) that
AIA and its officers were not authorized to execute the
defaulted on the $10 million loan. On July 16, 2013, GemCap
provided CropUSA with a notice of default. Then, on July 29,
2013, GemCap provided a notice of default and demand for
payment to the AIA Entities for the $8, 676, 288.39 CropUSA
owed GemCap. Finally, on July 30, 2013, GemCap filed suit
against CropUSA, the AIA Entities, and the AIA Controlling
Defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Central
District of California. GEMCAP Lending I, LLC vs. Crop
USA, et al., No. 13-cv-55040-SLO (C.D. Cal.).
January 2015, GemCap entered into a Settlement Agreement with
the AIA Entities. John Taylor signed the Settlement Agreement
on behalf of the AIA Entities. Under the terms of the
Settlement Agreement, the AIA Entities were required to
transfer certain real property to GemCap. Pursuant to the
Settlement Agreement, the Court also entered judgments
against the AIA Entities in the amount of $12, 126, 584.61,
which included $3, 986, 368.78 in interest, penalties, and
costs. In addition, the Settlement Agreement provided that
the AIA Entities would not file for bankruptcy protection and
that John Taylor and/or certain other AIA Controlling
Defendants would continue to operate the AIA Entities in the
manner that they had been operated in the past. Judge S.
James Otero of the Central District of California entered a
Stipulated Judgment in the case on April 12, 2015. Dkt.
asserts that the Settlement Agreement was illegal because it
(1) violated AIA Services' amended articles of
incorporation and bylaws; (2) violated numerous Idaho Code
sections; and (3) was the product of intentional breaches of
John Taylor's fiduciary duties, which he owed to the AIA
Entities. Miesen also maintains that the AIA Controlling
Defendants did not disclose the CropUSA loans, the
Guarantees, or the Settlement Agreement to AIA's minority
shareholders, as required, until 2015.
In his
Third Amended Complaint, Miesen asserts that GemCap
substantially assisted and acquiesced in the AIA Controlling
Defendants' "breaches of their fiduciary duties,
fraud, and other malfeasance" by requiring the AIA
Controlling Defendants to improperly and unlawfully operate
AIA, and by allowing John Taylor to "unlawfully enter
into the Settlement Agreements" and Guarantees.
Accordingly, Miesen asserts claims against GemCap for aiding
and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, aiding and
abetting fraud, and for statutory liability under Idaho Code
§ 30-29-304 (ultra vires).[3]Miesen bases his claims against
GemCap, at least in part, on the allegation that the
Guarantees and Settlement Agreement were made in violation of
AIA Services' Amended Articles of Incorporation.
Specifically, the Articles barred the AIA Entities from
entering into these types of transactions without the
approval of the Series A Shareholders of AIA Services. At the
time the AIA Entities entered into the Guarantees and
Settlement Agreement, Donna Taylor was the Series A
Shareholder. Miesen alleges that Donna Taylor did not know
about these contracts and did not consent to the AIA Entities
entering into any of these contracts. GemCap asserts that it
relied on, among other things, John Taylor's assurances
that he had the authority to enter into these contracts on
behalf of the AIA Entities.
GemCap's Third Party Complaint
filed its Third Party Complaint against the law firm of Crumb
& Munding and the law firm of Quarles & Brady on
November 21, 2017, based on their involvement with the loan,
the Guarantees, and the Settlement Agreement.
to the Third Party Complaint, GemCap required CropUSA, as a
condition precedent to the loan agreement, to provide a
written legal opinion regarding the legality of the loan and
Guarantees. CropUSA's attorneys, Quarles & Brady,
provided a legal opinion letter that stated the
"execution, delivery and performance by . . . each
Guarantor . . . will not . . . violate any laws, statutes or
regulations to which any Loan Party is subject . . . or (c)
to our best knowledge, violate, conflict with, or result in a
breach of or default under, any agreement or instrument to
which any Loan Party [including Guarantors] is a party or by
which it is, or any of its properties or assets are, or may
be bound . . . ." Dkt. 288, at 5. GemCap relied on this
opinion letter in executing the loan documents and
Guarantees. If GemCap is found liable to the minority
shareholders, it asserts Quarles & Brady should also be
found liable as it advised GemCap that the Guarantees were
duly authorized, and/or failed to disclose to GemCap that the
Guarantees were not duly authorized.
also asserts Crumb & Munding should be held liable under
such circumstances. Crumb & Munding represented John
Taylor when he signed the Settlement Agreement on behalf of
the AIA Entities. If it is determined that John Taylor lacked
authority to sign the Settlement Agreement, GemCap asserts
Crumb & Munding should be held liable because it failed
to advise John Taylor that he lacked this authority and it
did not ensure that the Settlement Agreement was executed by
someone with the authority to bind the AIA Entities.
Accordingly, GemCap asserts claims for contribution/implied
indemnity against Quarles & Brady and Crumb &
Pending Motions On December 21, 2017, Crumb &
Munding filed its Motion to Dismiss. Dkt. 303. On January 29,
2018, Quarles & Brady filed its Motion to Dismiss. Dkt.
322. On April 4, 2018, Crumb & Munding also filed a
Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions. Dkt. 362. After the parties
fully briefed the Motions, the Court held oral argument on
May 4, 2018, and took the Motions under advisement.
& Munding argues that the claims GemCap asserts against
it should be dismissed for three reasons: (1) the Court lacks
subject matter jurisdiction over the claims; (2) the Court
lacks personal jurisdiction over it; and (3) GemCap has
failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The
Court focuses on what it sees as the heart of this Motion:
whether GemCap has stated a claim upon which relief can be
Legal Standard
Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) permits a court to dismiss a
claim if the plaintiff has "fail[ed] to state a claim
upon which relief can be granted." "A Rule
12(b)(6) dismissal may be based on either a 'lack of a
cognizable legal theory' or 'the absence of
sufficient facts alleged under a cognizable legal
theory.'" Johnson v. Riverside Healthcare Sys.,
LP, 534 F.3d 1116, 1121 (9th Cir. 2008) (citation
omitted). Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires a
complaint to contain "a short and plain statement of
the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,
" in order to "give the defendant fair notice of
what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon which it
rests." See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550
U.S. 544, 554 (2007). "This is not an onerous
burden." Johnson, 534 F.3d at 1121. A
complaint "does not need detailed factual allegations,
" but it must set forth "more than labels and
conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the
elements." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. The
complaint must also contain sufficient factual matter to
"state a claim to relief that is plausible on its
face." Id. at 570. In considering a Rule
12(b)(6) motion, the Court must view the "complaint in
the light most favorable to" the claimant and
"accept[] all well-pleaded factual allegations as true,
as well as any reasonable inference drawn from them."
Johnson, 534 F.3d at 1122.
only claim against Crumb & Munding is for
contribution/implied indemnity. GemCap first argues such a
claim is actionable under Idaho Code ...
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text:
Happy Saturday ladies.
Hope you are all keep well.
If you have been following me for a while you will know that my thing is cheek products. It could be blush, highlighters or bronzers. I have overloaded drawers with products to make your cheeks look glowy, more defined, fuller, matte and of course sun kissed! I love the sun kissed look! I think it suits my latin skin.
On a recent "What I'm using this week" video I spoke about this lovely bronzer by Lancôme.
I have to be honest! Lancôme is not a counter that catches my attention. I hardly ever stop by and look at what they have. I recognise they have lovely products that work but I think it's a brand which targets older ladies. I think!
This product has a neat packaging. Simple yet practical and classic. The lid has a gold/coppery tone which I thought was a nice touch considering this is a mineral bronzer.
When I have products like this I just open 2 or 3 holes and keep the other ones sealed. I find this is a neater way with less waste.
As I said on my video this product is very nice! It's soft, gentle and not heavy at all. It gives you a very natural look which can be overdone if you are not careful. I like it!
The only problem which was my problem and nothing to do with the product is that this shade is a bit too light for me and I don't get that a defined bronzy look. It's more like a highlighter or super soft bronzer for me. I am at the moment a mmm maybe near a NC30 and it's a bit too light.
See the swatches below and you will see what I mean. The colour gets lots (even in my hand)
No flash- The colour is kind of lost
I will keep an eye at the end of the month with all the Xmas sales to see if they have a darker shade at a bargain price again :)
Do you buy Lancôme products? What would you recommend?
What do you think of this mineral bronzer?


text:
I talked with my roommate (he is a biologist) last
night about animals that can see light outside the
visible spectrum. One thing that my roommate told
me is that many of the animals that can see
ultraviolet light are small animals, such as
insects. Bigger animals seem to only see visible
light. He wonders whether this has something to do
with the size of the animals. As you may know,
ultraviolet light has a wavelength that is shorter
than visible light. My roommate thinks that small
animals may be better suited to see smaller
wavelengths of light because their eyes are
smaller. We don't know if there is any truth to
this, so you might want to do some research into
this hypothesis. Interestingly, my roommate
didn't know of any animals off the top of his head
that can see infrared (as you mentioned). The one
example that he knows of are monitor lizards,
which can detect heat (possible by sensing
infrared light). You might want to look into
these animals for more information.I guess
that I've written quite a bit and not really
answered your question. Basically, the reason for
the different ability to see different wavelengths
of light has had to do with evolution. Suppose an
insect species could only see visible light, but
some mutation allowed its children to see
ultraviolet light. If this ability helped the
children to reproduce (maybe by allowing it to
better find edible flowers), then pretty soon you
would have a new species which had the ability to
see ultraviolet light. The mutation that
I spoke about would involve some change in the
cells in the eyes. There are certain cells in the
eyes which work as light detectors. If some
genetic mutation occured which changed these
cells, allowing them to see UV light, then you
have the first step to a new species. You not only
need a mutation, but there also must be some
advantage to being able to see UV light, if this
ability is to be passes on to enough offspring so
that the ability persists. Humans cannot see UV
light because either (1) there was no mutation
(unlikely) or (2) the ability to see UV light
provided no big advantage to the "mutants" who had
this ability.For an introduction to the
physics of sight you might want to look at "The
Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol I" Chapter 36.
This book is written for college students and is,
in general, very difficult to read for high school
student, but this chapter is an exception. It is
over 25 years old, but I think most of the science
is still valid.
Almost 4 billion years of evolutionary history is
encapsulated in the nervous system of homo sapiens
and indeed many other animals and plants. Having
sensors sensitive to say Xray's would be a
terrible waste for a creature living at the bottom
of an ocean of air. Similarly, photsynthetic
systems that make fuel from star light are
optimized to work at about 450 to 500 nm because
this is the dominant radition wavelength from the
Sun. Perhaps on some planet orbiting a slightly
brighter star, life forms would be less sensitive
to IR and red light and more into the violet and
maybe even UV part of the spectrum. In
short, the best way to understand the nervous
system and the "dectectors us primates walk around
with ( and I dont mean sony walkmans) is by
putting the question into the evolutionary
context...a most EFFICIENT prism for separating
the wheat from the chaff...lifeforms represent a
countercurrent in the inexorable march towards
disorder and entropy...such systems have learned
to be ideally suited to their environment. Snakes
who hunt for rodents at night have far better IR
sensors than humans...they need them, we dont !!
so that part of the brain is better
developed...same with sense of smell...more
important for other organisms for their
Our eyes are a complex product of both evolution
and biology. The Sun puts out maximum energy in
the band of the electromagnetic spectrum that we
call white, "visible" light. Natural selection
during evolution has maximized our ability to use
this kind of electromagnetic energy by selecting
for a certain mixture of physiology (rods and
cones) that was generally successful for people in
the past (with very different lifestyles from ours
today). Judging by the results (our eyes today),
we can guess that at some point in the past sharp,
binocular color vision was more valuable for an
omnivorous biped (that's us) than, say,
black-and-white vision across a wider part of the
spectrum. Here's a question for you: Humans are
generally awake during the day, and our eyes are
optimized for visible sunlight. Nocturnal animals
are awake at night when there is no sunlight and
only occasional light from the Moon (often casting
just black/white shadows). If I told you that at
night, one of the most abundant kinds of energy is
thermal radiation given off from cooling objects
(like plants, rocks, people, worms, etc.), what
kind of eyes should a nocturnal animal
have?Have fun.
The answer has nothing to do with the brain, but
rather with the back of the eye, where the light
is detected by "rod" and "cone" cells. Each cell
can only see certain colors of light, and humans
seem to only have developed cells that can only
see the "visible" part of the spectrum. Many
deepwater fishes can't see red light because only
blue and green light penetrate to their depth...
so their idea of a visible spectrum is green,
blue, and purple.Which raises the
question: Why do you suppose that humans, and the
primates from which we developed, adapted to see
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple light
better than infrared? Do you suppose apes prefer
to hunt at night or during the day?
The difference is not so much in the brain as it
is in the eye. The cells in the retina (inner
cladding of the eyeball) are sensitive to a
certain range of wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum. This wavelength is a
property of the light which is related to the
color of the light, and to whether the light is
visible, infrared or ultraviolet. The process of
light detection occurs as follows: when light
arrives to the eye, it's absorbed by some
molecules that are present in these cells in your
retina. These molecules then undergo some changes,
and the result is an excitation of the optical
nerves, that connect the eye to a part of the
brain which is on the back of your head, where it
is processed. The portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum that we can see depends not on what the
brain can process, but to which wavelengths
(colors) of light the cells in your retina are
sensitive to, and this in turn depends on which
light-absorbing molecules are present in these
cells.Two more interesting pieces of
information about vision are the
following:+Not all animals can see "in
color". In fact, in the retina or the human eye
there are two types of cells; one detects the
intensity of light, allowing us to see "in black
and white", and the other one is responsible for
making us distinguish between different colors.
The animal species that don't have the second type
of cells are therefore color-blind. As an
interesting anecdote, bulls are color-blind, so
the fact that, in a bull-fight, the bull is
attracted by the red cape, or in general, that
bulls are attracted by red-colored objects, is not
true. What they are attracted by is movement, and
it's the movement that the bullfighter gives to
the cape what makes the bull go for it, not its
color. +The property of vision that does
depend on the brain process is, however, the
threedimensionality. Most animals see only in two
dimensions, but humans see in 3-D. This is
possible because of the slightly different angle
with which both your eyes see objects; the brain
then processes these differences allowing us to
perceive sensations such as depth, distance,
volume, and so on. This property is used on the
3-D books, in which apparently meaningless spots
on a page take volume and "grow" in front of your
eyes to give you a full sensation of three
dimensions. The spots are distributed around the
page in such a way that, when looked at from the
right distance, the brain produces this sensation
of volume and depth.
Hi inquirers. Your questions show that you know
some important things about the system. For one
thing, you know that in order for us to "see"
something, our eyes have to pick up the
information and send it to our brain. Then the
brain itself has to make sense of the message. In
this case, the reason we can only see part of the
spectrum is because we don't have all possible
sensors in our eyes.We don't "see"
infrared, but we feel it as heat. Some snakes,
like pythons, have special organs to sense heat.
(Why do you think they have them? Does the type of
prey they eat matter in whether they can use
them?) We also do not have ultraviolet
receptors. Bees have them, so flowers that use
bees as pollinators often have markings that bees
can see and we can't. (Why should flowers
"advertise" to bees?)So why don't we have
all of the possible sensors? For one thing, there
are many tradeoffs in building something if your
resources are limited. If you go to your favorite
restaurant and only have a little money, you have
to order only the most important food and skip the
less important things. This is an example of
making a tradeoff. Night vision (which requires
receptors called rods) is important to cats, so
they give up color vision (which uses receptors
called cones). Having no color receptors allows
them to have more night vision
receptors.Animals that had every possible
sensor would be very expensive for their parents
to produce. Since energy and nutrients are almost
always in short supply, they might not be able to
make any offspring at all. They certainly
couldn't make as many as a parent that only gave
each offspring the essentials. Over time, then,
the offspring with all the extras would disappear,
and the ones with the essentials would be more
common. Of course, parents don't really "choose".
The map for their offspring is encoded in their
genes.Why do we have the receptors we do
have instead of having great night vision, visual
UV receptors, and infrared receptors?
Basically vision (or more generally stated light
perception) in any organism is accomplished via
one or more compounds that have evolved to detect
light. The visual compound in human eyes is
called opsin (sometimes also called rhodopsin for
rods). These compounds, also generally called
pigments work such that when light strikes opsin
it causes a physical change in the shape of the
compound which works to activate opsin. Activated
opsin causes a whole sequence of events to occur
known as second messenger events. The eventual
result is that there is a change in the flow of
ions across the photoreceptor cell membranes and
this signals the cell that light has been
perceived. Opsins in humans are specifically
designed to detect light of specific wavelenghts.
Rhodopsin (the opsin responsible for dim light
vision) has a maximum sensitivity at 510nm which
is blue-green light. Humans also have cone vision
or color vision. We have 3 different opsins to
see red, blue and green light. The "blue" opsi
nis very specifically designed to have a max
sensitivity to light of 455nm, the "green" opsin
is very specifically designed to have a max
sensitivity to light of 530nm, and the "red" opsin
is very specifically designed to have a max
sensitivity to light of 625nm. The max
sensitivity means that only light of that
wavelength or close to it has the energy necessary
to cause that opsin to change its physical
structure and thus induce the cell that houses the
opsin to "detect the light". So it's all in the
compound that initially absorbs the light energy.
It doesn't actually have anything to do with
differences in the brains of different organisms.
Some deepsea fish can see far red/infrared light.
This is because they have a compound like our
opsins that physically change their structure when
light of that long wavelength strikes it.[There is
a good website about this see:
The difference does not lie in their visual
processing centers in their brains. There
arecertain shrimp which are sensitive to UV
radiation, and again it is due to the presence of
a certain compound in the shrimps eyes
(specifically in the retina) that allows them to
be sensitive to this part of the electromagnetic
spectrum. If a scientist wants to find out what
part of the electromagnetic spectrum that a
particular organisms is sensitive to, they would
take the retina from that organisms eye and run a
pigment analysis. Pigment analysis is done by
shining light of different wavelengths onto the
retina sample and looking for wavelengths that are
absorbed by the retina versus wavelengths that
pass through without being absorbed. The
wavelengths that are absorbed will tell the
scientist which wavelengths the organism sees.
What wavelengths do plants "see"? What compounds
do they use to do this?
The "visible portion" of the spectrum provides
sharp boundaries for objects, so we can tell how
large the object is, where it is, what shape it
is, and see specific details: such as the eyes
and teeth and head position of a person or an
animal. No other portion of the spectrum provides
sharp details. Suppose, on the contrary, our eyes
could see only infrared: All shapes would appear
" fuzzy" or " wavy" without definite boundaries,
and without specific information about the details
of the object. Suppose our eyes could only see
x-rays: we couldn't see some portions of
objects at all: For example we could see the bone
of an arm but not the whole arm, etc etc. I
could extend this discussion to any other part of
the electromagnetic spectrum:
So, on the evolution scale, it was advantageous
for humans to see distinct boundaries and specific
details in sharp focus rather than in fuzzy or
wavy form or not all, for the "fight or flight",
for a meal or a tool or a weapon. If we could NOT
see the specifics of those objects, we might not
survive. So our eyes "needed" to see the specific
details, and the only spectrum-segment that
provides such details is the segment that we
actually evolved to be able to see.


text: The Child Who Posted on August 11, 2015 by LaAdmin November 12 - November 15, 2015 null null Thursday to Saturday at 7pm; Sunday at 4pm 60 minutes US PremiereBy Théâtre D'un Jour (Belgium) Directed By Patrick Masset The Child Who is inspired by the early years of the life of sculptor Jephan de Villiers. It is the vision, all sensibility and poetry, of a child who faces an earth, a humanity, endlessly scorned by man. Straddling the real world and the imagination in a game of constant appearance and disappearance, the narrative is discovered through the experience of a child, contrary to the expectations of the world. An arresting visceral poem, The Child Who articulates the dangerous silences of the human condition. Performed by Morgane Robin, Michael Pallandre, Caroline Le Roy, Adria Cordoncillo, and Florence Sauveur. The Child Who is recommended for ages 12 and older. About the Artist Since 2008 Théâtre d'un Jour has vehemently supported "creation art." The troupe's work is interdisciplinary and reflects a persistent willingness to question what is real and what is supposedly everyone's place in society. Linked by music and visual arts, Théâtre d'un Jour's creations focus on the same question: What is the role of man in this world? "We believe that the role of the artist has never been him chained by the world and its numerous transformations. We rather think that he has to foresee them and anticipate them. The speed imposed on us by Wall Street and the Internet is nothing in comparison with our power of creation and invention. Just as in martial arts we have to take this energy and use it to our advantage." The Child Who is supported by Wallonie-Bruxelles International & Wallonie-Bruxelles Théâtre/Danse Discover more about Théâtre d'un Jour on their website!


text:
The city's legislators are set to vote on a draft of the city's first-ever domestic garbage management regulation on January 31.
The draft has been deliberated on and revised three times during meetings of the standing committee of the congress.
The regulation aims to reduce domestic garbage, make better use of garbage as resources, and improve environmentally friendly garbage disposal by introducing a sorting system and enhancing overall garbage management.
The current draft classifies domestic garbage into recyclable, hazardous, wet and dry garbage, and it must be sorted accordingly — if not, people, companies or other organizations in charge could face punishment.
Examples given for recyclable garbage include used paper, plastics, glass, metal or textiles, while hazardous garbage includes used batteries, light tubes, medicines, paint and its containers.
Wet garbage is defined as biological garbage that's easy to rot, such as food leftovers, expired food, fruit peels and cores, plants and residue of TCM herbs.
While individuals, companies and other organizations are responsible for sorting their own garbage out, the draft of the regulation also assigns the responsibility of garbage sorting to certain other parties.
Those parties could be property management firms of residential complexes and office buildings, firms providing services to parks and squares, and the city's airports, bus and railway terminals, and Metro train stations.
The above parties are responsible for guiding the proper sorting of garbage and categorizing unsorted garbage before it's to be transported away for disposal.
Individuals who refuse to properly sort out their garbage face fines of up to 200 yuan (US$29), and companies and other organizations could be fined 5,000 to 50,000 yuan.
The parties responsible for overseeing garbage sorting will be fined 1,000 to 10,000 yuan for refusing to properly set up garbage collection and sorting facilities, and 500 to 5,000 yuan for failing to properly sort out different kinds of garbage before it's transported away.
The draft of the regulation requires that those who refuse to observe their duty in garbage sorting, obstruct law enforcers and cause "serious negative social impacts" or consequences, shall see their personal credit deducted, which will affect their application for loans from banks and access to other services.
According to the draft, the government will regulate fees charged for handling domestic garbage on the principle that garbage creators are to pay for disposal, and that different price tags are to be put on different kinds and amounts of garbage.
To reduce garbage, the draft bans hotels from providing customers disposable items in rooms when not specifically requested, and restaurants and food delivery businesses will also be banned from providing customers disposable tableware such as chopsticks and spoons unless requested.
The above businesses will be fined 500 to 5,000 yuan if they fail to rectify their practices within a certain period as stipulated by government inspectors.
During the legislation process, the standing committee of the congress visited 10 districts trying garbage sorting, over 20 different types of residential complexes and about 10 companies in the industry, with over 20 conferences held among the public to discuss different areas relating to the legislation.
In Shanghai, domestic garbage has grown by more than 3 percent each year since 2001, and nearly 7.5 million tons of trash is handled annually.
The Shanghai Development and Reform Commission said in a report that the city updated over 40,000 garbage sorting signs on garbage bins in the streets and transformed 9,900 garbage terminals for scheduled garbage sorting last year.
On top of that, 3,374 new garbage recycling stations have been established.
Source: SHINE


text:
May 31st, 2016
Media Contact:
Jerry Lamb
Snoqualmie Tribe files suit against City Seeking to Stop
Snoqualmie Falls Development
City's decision on May 9th, 2016 will desecrate Sacred Ground
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe on Friday filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court accusing the City of Snoqualmie of violating state environmental and land use laws in conjunction with a proposed agreement that allows the construction of a new hotel, conference center, stores, 175 homes and a 492-space parking lot on ground that is sacred to the Snoqualmie people.
At issue is the May 9 vote by the Snoqualmie City Council to approve a development agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe that paves the way for the approval for future permits and construction of the sprawling project. The Tribe alleges in the lawsuit that the decision is based on a flawed environmental review conducted over 13 years ago.
"Land that was the heart of our ancestors' universe, land that remains central to the lives of Snoqualmie people, today will be bulldozed and forever buried beneath concrete for the sake of 175 homes," said Tribal Chairwoman Carolyn Lubenau.
The Tribe's lawsuit takes issue with how and when the City conducted its environmental review of the project. The complaint accuses the City of failing to consider potential impacts to cultural and historic resources. The 2003 determination never considered the project's impacts on Snoqualmie Falls since it was listed on the National Register in 2009 as a Traditional Cultural Property. The scope of the project has also increased substantially since 2003, adding 65 new homes. But, the City has not updated its environmental review.
"When an environmental review of a project is flawed, Washington State law requires that it be withdrawn and a new determination issued", added Chairwoman Lubenau. "Impacts to Snoqualmie Falls and cultural resources in the area must be considered."
Click here for a full copy of the lawsuit.
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Known as the People of the Moon, Snoqualmie Tribal members were signatories of the Treaty of Point Elliott with the Washington territory in 1855. The Tribe owns and operates the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, WA.


text:
In the last couple of months, Skeletor has become very "interested" in sharks. Meaning, of course, that he eats, sleeps, breathes, and talks about nothing but sharks. Especially Jaws. Jaws is his jam. I say all of that to say this. Everyone knows the scene at the end of the movie "Jaws" where Brody feeds Jaws an oxygen tank and utters the iconic "Smile, you son of a" line before blowing Jaws into chum. Well, that scene is classic for a reason. And, as such, it has resonated with Skeletor, too. Honestly, I don't even know if the movie actually finishes that line, but a lot of the YouTube "Jaws" parodies that Skeletor has been watching certainly do. (Yeah, I know. I'm a crappy parent. Whatevers.)
ANYWAY, to finally get to the point of this post, learning how to rhyme plus shark explosion related dirty words has led to Skeletor's new favorite past time, rhyming dirty words. First it was, "Smile, you son of a witch!" Now, it's "dumblass" and "bam!" I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he graduates to "motherclucker." Frankly, I was unaware that the boy had so many curse words stored away in that brain of his. (Again, I suck at life and parenting.)
Part of me is chagrined. All I need is for him to go off on a rhyming tangent at school. I've already been there and done that this school year. Another part of me is impressed by the critical thinking skills required to pull this off. But, mostly? I just think it's freaking hilarious.
|I don't know why I find this so funny.


text:
My first gainful employment was at the Rose & Crown pub. I spent the summer liberally garnishing sandwiches with cress. Every experience is a learning opportunity. I learned that no one likes cress.
As the opportunities for sandwich garnishing dried up like Mother's Pride left out in the sun, I turned my attention to the corporate world. Fast forward to 1995 and there I am, sitting in my first client meeting with my boss.
"Meetings can be minefields. And for many women we work with, meetings when you're in the minority can be places where confidence goes to die."
The client is the CEO of a management consultancy. My boss and her are discussing media opportunities to raise the company's profile. They've been in full flow for almost an hour and I've been following the back and forth with a concentration last seen at Wimbledon Finals. Eventually, they pause for breath and it's my time to speak. I take a breath, open my mouth and make what I think is a cogent, salient and insightful suggestion.
The CEO literally jumps.
I have been so quiet to that point that she has forgotten I am there and the sound of my voice has made her jump out of her skin.
Whilst that was rather an extreme reaction and one that was dealt with in the time-honoured way of pretending it didn't happen and ignoring me, it's just one example of a less than successful meeting.
Meetings can be minefields. And for many women we work with, meetings when you're in the minority can be places where confidence goes to die. Take this example from our postbag,
"I'm good at my job but my lack of confidence can be detrimental. I work in a very male environment. I don't speak up in meetings, I have a little voice that says that everything I will suggest is stupid. I also never know when to talk. I get palpitations when I want to cut in during a group discussion then I leave it too late and someone else says what I was thinking. And when I do talk, I think other people are bored. How can I be more relaxed, more confident and speak with authority in business situations?"
That little voice in our heads has a lot to answer for. Time to turn down the volume on the incessant negative self-talk and big up yourself. Have you ever been in a meeting when someone has said something that is patently nonsense but has said it with such confidence that everyone else nods sagely at their 'wisdom'? Follow these tips and that person could be you!
Actually, no. Because this is not about who's got the loudest voice in the room or who can dominate the conversation. It's about recognising that you're in that meeting for a reason and you have every right to have a point of view and join in the debate. Yes, sometimes people will disagree with you but that's OK. Because you won't agree with everyone either. And life will go on.
"Time to turn down the volume on the incessant negative self-talk and big up yourself."
Confidence usually grows by doing things a bit differently on a daily basis: pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and living to tell the tale. So, with that in mind here are a few practical small things which have worked for many of the working women we know.
- Know your shit. Especially your numbers. If you thought your days of revision ended with your last university exam, think again. Revise & rehearse your presentation so that you are on top of all the detail and know it, rather than relying on reading from your slides. Anyone can read from slides. You're better than that.
- Don't wait (as I did) for ages to speak up. Ask a question early to get your voice heard and registered. This stops you sitting there worrying about when you're going to speak, so you can be present in the meeting rather than stressing in your head.
- Be yourself. Talk in a way that's comfortable and natural for you. Don't feel you have to act or talk like others in the room. Authentic voices get respect. And if you don't agree with what's being said, say so.
- Practice some positive self-talk. You may feel David Brent-esq saying, "I am a tiger" in front of a mirror but reminding yourself, "I know my stuff, I am brilliant" even if you don't feel it does seem to give you the illusion of confidence that's then backed up by reality when you nail the meeting
- Don't hide in plain sight. Examples of this are: taking notes, making the coffee, writing the flip charts. You're in the meeting but you're not really contributing to the debate. Sit yourself in the middle of the table, take up space, get involved. Get someone else to take the notes.
And for those of you that do like a garnish, here's a final thought: Stop caring so much about what people think of you and start caring more about what you think of them. It's liberating.
Louisa Clarke leads Caffeine's Fast Forward Female programme – a mix of individual coaching and peer group workshops designed for companies that recognise the importance of gender diversity and want to support their senior female leaders by giving them the means to accelerate their development.
(C) Photo by Deviyahya on Unsplash
Found this interesting? Try these…
A Seasonal Guide to Acing your next Credentials MeetingDecember 5, 2019
HOW DO YOU SPEED UP A 'SUPERTANKER'?August 8, 2019
The Importance of High-Velocity Decision-MakingJuly 11, 2019
- A guide to thriving when working virtually - March 12, 2020
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- A Seasonal Guide to Acing your next Credentials Meeting - December 5, 2019


text:
Star Trek: Discovery showrunner and co-creator Alex Kurtzman and his production company Secret Hideout reportedly signed a 5-year, $25 million deal with CBS Television Studios to create a myriad of Star Trek content, including at least four new shows set in the Star Trek universe.
As reported by Variety, Kurtzman will supervise the expansion of the Star Trek franchise in the form of a Starfleet Academy series, a limited series based around the "Wrath of Kahn" storyline, a second limited series that has yet to be disclosed and an animated series.
Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter's sources say that Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, who worked on Discovery during Season 1, are working on a Patrick Stewart project. Stewart of course played Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Whether or not this is the second limited series mentioned by Variety is unclear. According to THR, "CBS TV Studios declined to confirm the Stewart project as sources say a deal is far from completed and may not happen despite the fact that the actor recently teased his potential return to the franchise."
CBS Television Studios has yet to confirm any specific projects.
This comes hot off the news that Kurtzman has taken over as showrunner for the second season of Star Trek: Discovery after the departure of executive producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts. The change was reportedly due to "leadership and operational issues" surrounding the rocky production of the first season, and the early production of the second. Kurtzman has already directed the season 2 premiere episode, which is set to debut in 2019 and consist of 13 episodes.
Kurtzman has a longstanding history with the Star Trek franchise, co-writing the 2009 Star Trek reboot and Star Trek: Into Darkness, as well as serving as producer for Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. Kurtzman and Secret Hideout also currently produce the CBS shows Hawaii Five-O, Salvation and Instinct.
To catch up on the impending second season of Star Trek: Discovery, have a look at our first season scorecard as well as our season finale review. In other big Star Trek news, Paramount is developing two new Star Trek movies, so fans of the series are sure to have their hands full in the near future.
Colin Stevens is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.


text:
Ms. Li Zhenzhen was appointed as executive Director on 30 December 2015 and the chairman of the Company on 5 April 2016. She graduated from the University of Guangxi with a bachelor degree. Ms. Li has been working in senior role in listed company for many years and she has good knowledge of corporate financing and business operation.
Executive director of the board, graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University and majored in tourism management in the People's Republic of China (the "PRC") in July 1997. Mr. Wang has over 20 years' experiences in hotel, real estate and tourism.
Mr. Lam holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance Degree from Leeds Metropolitan University and is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He had been working in various companies listed on the Stock Exchange, and was responsible for works related to financial management, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, investor relationship and corporate governance.
Mr. Wei graduated from General Institution of Higher Education of Dongbei University of Finance and Economics and majored in Finance Management in the PRC in July 2013. Mr. Wei has worked in various industries including corporate management, finance and financing. He has over 15 years' extensive experiences and solid knowledge in finance and financing.
Mr. Cheng Chi Kin was appointed as executive Director on 15 February 2017. He obtained a Degree in Business Studies from University of Glamorgan in 1992 and a Master Degree in Business Administration from Cardiff Business School in 1993. Mr. Cheng has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, accountancy, and investment banking, with investment experience in real estates, infrastructure and natural resources industries.


text:
Turkey to stop teaching evolution theory in schools
Turkey is to stop teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in secondary schools, deeming it controversial and difficult to understand, a senior education official said, a move likely to alarm secular Turks.
Critics say the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the AK Party are undermining modern Turkey's secular foundations by pushing a conservative agenda, including tighter regulation of alcohol and other restrictions, since coming to power in 2002.
A chapter entitled "Beginning of Life and Evolution" will be deleted from the standard biology textbooks used in schools and the material will be available only to students who go on to university studies from age 18 or 19, Alparslan Durmus, head of the national education board said in an online address this week.
"We are aware that if our students don't have the background to comprehend the premises and hypotheses, or if they don't have the knowledge and scientific framework, they will not be able to understand some controversial issues, so we have left out some of them," he said.
The theory of evolution, popularised by Charles Darwin, is rejected by both Christian and Muslim creationists, who believe God created the world as described in the Bible and the Koran, making the universe and all living things in six days.
The Bible presents that as the exact time needed for creation but the Koran says "days" actually means long periods of time.
Turkey's deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmus, said earlier this year that Darwin theory, first published in the 19th century, was "old and rotten" and did not necessarily have to be taught.
The changes are part of a new curriculum that will go into effect at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, and was formulated in accordance with "Turkish values", Durmus said.
A total of 51 courses programmes from primary school to high school, including those at the "Imam Hatip" religious schools championed by Erdogan, have been changed.
A lobby group that promotes secular education, the Egitim-Is ("Education Work") Union has voiced concern at the changes to the curriculum, saying it reduced emphasis on the achievements of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey who banned Islam from public life.
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.


text:
Silicone benefits
- Date: Feb 03, 2017
- Category: Health
Why Silicone Oven Mitts Are Better For You And Your Family's Health.
More people are switching from their regular cloth oven mitts to silicone oven mitts for kitchen safety.
- Listed in: Health
- Tagged: Baking needs, Cookware, Kitchen Safety, Silicone benefits, Silicone mitts
- Read more