text:
Marjorie van Heerden writes and illustrates children's books.
...and her doll, Sunshine.
I start painting the little girl, Alexia...
I add trees and light filtering in the background to give depth.
I've finished the base colour on the background. Now I have to decide where the main light source will come from.
Marjorie, your work is wonderful! I love that you show us your work in progress! I have a question about your method of working. You get such a solid background and still keep the white space for your characters clean.
Post a Comment

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hello!!! Today I have a canvas piece to share with you. This was my first time having a go at the brush script trend! I love the end result and this canvas has a lovely spot on my wall in our family room :)
I used the following Shimmerz products :
Vibez in Jeni B Bleu (of course) and Blue Jeans
Spritz in Licorice
Dazzlerz in Foiled Again (loved this - first time using it)
Shimmerz in Ultra Marine and Coal
I created the brush script writing with black paint, once a little dry I went over it again with Shimmerz in Coal.
I handmade this shabby, floral piece. The resin pieces have be sprayed with the Vibez products.
I applied Dazzlerz in Foiled again to the florist vine and the tips of the flowers.
The Foiled Again Dazzlerz has a gorgeous shine to it, with the other colours mixed in too, the whole canvas just Shimmerz :)
I have a tutorial on this piece which I hope to share on my blog soon......stay tuned :)
Thanks for visiting!
Have a wonderful day xo


text:
The story of Taybet Zaman is a timeless tale…
Once upon a time, an ancient village called Taybeh found itself on the brink of extinction, unable to find its place in the modern world. Yet the local mayor, Abu Firas, never lost hope.
In an attempt to retain Taybeh's rich heritage, as well as secure the livelihoods of its remaining families, Abu Firas presented an astonishingly progressive proposal to transform his village into a world-class resort.
His plan was simple: establish a cooperative relationship with a developer who would lease the village's land and buildings, and allow the locals to participate in its growth. He understood, however, that it would take an exceptional investor to ensure Taybeh's careful restoration.
Every story needs a hero…
Jordan Tourism Investment Group saw this old farming village as a cultural treasure that must be preserved.
The concept of conserving Jordan's heritage wasn't new to this group; they had already remodeled a 19th Century estate just outside Amman, creating an instantly successful tourist village called Kan Zaman. Inspired by its winning blend of ancient workshops and contemporary conveniences, Jordan Tourism Investment Group was convinced to go even further with Taybeh.
As their plans for Taybeh evolved, their ideas became more innovative, more inventive. Achieving the perfect balance between the past and the present became the foremost goal; only then could they create something timeless.
And, true to Abu Firas' vision, the group recognized the importance of Taybeh's original inhabitants.
"My father always placed great sentimental value on Jordan's history and family structures," explains Yazid Abujaber, Managing Director of JTI. "Accordingly, one of the key principles behind the project was the establishment of a community partnership, which had never really been done to the extent we proposed. We completely understood, though, that it was the best way to preserve Taybeh's cultural integrity."
Clearly, by employing Taybeh's residents, Jordan Tourism Investment Group's social impact is profound. But pioneering this ambitious project proved significant even beyond its cultural contributions, as JTI took great care to create an environmentally conscious, sustainable resort. From local stone and recycling programs to locally-made natural soap and food grown at nearby farms -- from beginning to end, conservation was crucial.
"Our intent was always to retain the true roots of this village," says Abujaber. "Taybeh was nearly lost to us all."
The greatest of stories enjoys the happiest of endings…
Introducing Taybet Zaman Hotel & Resort Village, a uniquely modern interpretation of 19th Century Jordan nestled in a luxurious five-star setting.
Ideally situated just 12 km from the rose-red city of Petra, the ancient Nabatean city aptly recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Taybet Zaman enjoys breathtaking views of the Sharah Mountain Range, as well as endless vistas of the valley and sky. Only a 2 ½ hour's drive from Amman, and 1 ½ hour's travel from the Red Sea port city of Aqaba, Taybet Zaman achieves the ideal balance for those who wish to experience the spirit of the 19th Century style of living without sacrificing modern comforts whatsoever.
True to the style of the village homes in which Taybeh's original inhabitants once lived, each of the stunning resort's 102 guest rooms and suites, including a grand Royal Suite, are unique.
Imagine. Constructed of thick stone walls that magically keep cool through the harsh summers and warm during the winters, the houses' windows and doors are adorned with rustic shutters of weathered arrowroot wood. Inside, supporting arches are still blackened by fires of long ago. Furnishings are comfortable, yet remain true to 19th Century style with an exotic dash of Arab indulgence.
Luxurious modern amenities complement the rustic accommodations. All of Taybet Zaman's climate-controlled rooms feature private bathrooms with hairdryers, satellite televisions with remote control, direct-dial telephone service, well-stocked mini-bars, 24-hour room service, and access to secure safe-deposit boxes.
Well-tended walkways meander through the resort, ultimately leading to the old village center, with its original water-well and marble benches. Vivid bougainvillea vines cascade over the stone walls and grand archways, creating vibrant natural artwork at every turn. The area comes alive every night, with regularly scheduled entertainment and a wide variety of food and beverage establishments to fulfill a guest's every need.
The history of Taybeh Village is always evident, whether at the handicraft souk or the small shop that sells a selection of incense, tea, hand soaps, and body creams. During the warmer months, Taybet Zaman's refreshing outdoor swimming pool is a welcome respite after exploring the many sights in the area. The resort's Hammam, designed with original Ottoman features, offers professional massage as well as traditional Turkish spa rejuvenation and relaxation services.
Guests may enjoy a leisurely evening cocktail along with Petra's stunning sunset views at a garden bar decorated with local farming artifacts and colorful hand-woven cushions. Integral in Taybet Zaman's five-star rating will be several exceptional restaurants that will offer the finest in Arabic and international cuisine. The first of the restaurants, , is already serving and has been well-received. A well-appointed ballroom is also available for special events and can accommodate large groups of up to 300 guests (The Saraya ballroom seats a maximum of 150 theatre-style).
We invite you to experience the old with the new…the past with the present. So much more than a resort, Taybet Zaman is a moment-in-time. Nearly lost. Now found. Quite simply, Taybet Zaman is the best of yesterday amid the best of today.
Taybet Zaman. Global winner of the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award. Recipient of the Green Global Commendation Award, the EIBTM Greeting of Business Award, and the Guild of Travel Writer's Otter Award.


text:
The topic of my blog is "About Me" and specifically about 'ohana. In keeping with this theme as well as elements from my collage, I wanted to incorporate the plumeria flower lei and the word 'ohana into a suitable logo for my blog.
My choice of colors was influenced by a few things. There is one thing that many tropical islands have in common, and that is bright vivid colors in its flora and fauna. That said, the plumeria comes in a wide range of colors from delicate whites & yellow to vivid fuchsias (http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo189406.htm). Another influence was the bright colors used in Crazy Shirts clothing back in the 1980s. Crazy Shirts started as a small T-shirt store in Waikiki (http://www.crazyshirts.com/home.do). With these things in mind, I opted to go with a hot pink to orange-yellow gradient.
To create the lei, I began by using the pencil tool to draw a petal and copied it repeatedly. Further adjustments were made by rotating the angle, and using the object transform and object arrange options. I used the gradient option to add color to the top petal layer, and filled the bottom petal layer with a solid color to add some depth and clarity to each petal of the plumeria. I created a circle using the ellipse tool to overlay each flower to create a lei that forms the letter "O" in 'ohana.
My fellow classmates and instructor had some excellent feedback that I have tried to incorporate into my final design. I changed to the shape of the lei from a round circle to more of an oval and slightly rotated it to match the slant of the letters. I increased the size of the font used for "hana" because I needed a better balance in terms of weight and mass of the "O." I felt there was too much white space so I added a background color with a 30% opacity to fade it. I centered the logo and placed a "frame" around it using the same gradient colors, with a -60 ° angle. Overall, I am happy with this design.


text:
- 1 -
Release Note for VigorAP 810
Firmware Version: 188.8.131.52
Release Type: Normal
Release Date: May 3, 2017
Applied Models: VigorAP 810
With this high cost-efficiency VigorAP 810, computers and wireless devices which are compatible
with 802.11n can connect to existing wired Ethernet network via this VigorAP 810, at the speed of
300Mbps. Easy install procedures allows users to setup a network environment in very short time -
within minutes, even inexperienced users. Just follow the instructions given in this user manual, you
can complete the setup procedure and release the power of this access point all by yourself!
New Features
Corrected: Wi-Fi Management probe response country code was always FR.
Corrected: Running speed test on VigorAP stopped local management from Vigor router.
Known Issue


text:
Offering a refreshing dose of individuality, the Ascot pocket square will liven up your formal wear. Crafted from pure silk the edgy pocket square is adorned in a digital pin-up girl print that is sure to be an eye catcher this season.
- 100% silk
- Pin-up girl print
- Hand rolled edges
- Dry clean only
- One size
- One size
Please use the chart below to convert between standard size formats
All of our pocket squares are one size, please check an item's specific measurements.
If you require any additional help or information, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated customer care team, Monday to Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm (GMT).
Customer Services Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
UK Customer Services Telephone: 0845 835 2900
International Customer Services Telephone: +44 (0)191 211 2330
We use a combination of couriers including DPD, Royal Mail and FedEx.
You are entitled to a refund or an exchange if you contact Jules B within 14 days of receipt to acknowledge the return.
You then need to return your item(s) within a further 14 days in a perfect, resalable condition with all labels and tags attached.
Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com with your return tracking number, so we are aware you have returned your order and avoid any delays in processing your request.
For more information on our returns policy click here.
To receive updates on products & offers please sign up to our newsletter.
For more detailed information please visit our dedicated Customer Service pages which can be found at the bottom of any page.
|Telephone us on:
+ (0)44 191 121 2330
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
For news & exclusive offers, connect with us via social media.


text:
Jobs in Somerset
Full-TimeFull-TimeDetox Cafe (https://www.facebook.com/detoxcafesg) is looking for Service crew (Full Time & Part Time) -Salary based on experience -Career Growth opportunity -Performance Bonus ...
- locationLocation: Anywhere
- Date05/Sep/2018
Part-TimePart-TimeThe opening of a Global Flagship Store in Singapore highlights its prominence in UNIQLO's expansion plans worldwide This will add to other global flagship stores in major cities ...
- locationLocation: Singapore Singapore
- Date24/Jul/2016
TemporaryTemporaryJob Scope: Calling and interviewing target respondents over the phone Getting feedbacks Conducting surveys over various topics Job Requirement: Able to communicate fluently in engl ...
- locationLocation: Singapore Singapore
- Date09/Oct/2014
Part-TimePart-TimeWork Scope: Support marketing department Admin duties Other information: Duration: 6 months Location: Somerset Working hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon – Fri) Salary: $8.50 per ho ...
- locationLocation: Anywhere
- Date23/Jun/2014
contractcontractJob Scope: Planning and execution of marketing activities Driving customers acquisition through promotions/campaigns Maintenance of A&P expenses Requirement: Minimum Diploma No ...
- locationLocation: Singapore Singapore
- Date22/Jun/2014
Part-TimePart-TimeAbout our company As wealth consultants, we help high net worth individuals source for customised solutions to meet their requirements and specific goals. We work closely with ou ...
- locationLocation: Anywhere
- Date17/Jun/2014
TemporaryTemporaryJob Scope: Attend to walk in customer's enquiries and registration of repair jobs. Liaise with back room technicians. Ad hoc Duties Other Information: Working days/ hrs: Mon ...
- locationLocation: Anywhere
- Date03/Jun/2014
Part-TimePart-TimeAre you an enthusiastic, passionate up and coming marketer? Want a chance to work with a global best selling thought leader. User Strategy is a boutique advisory firm that leads cu ...
- locationLocation: Singapore Singapore
- Date28/Apr/2014
TemporaryTemporaryDescription : Minimum GCE 'N' Level Someone enjoy engaging in conversation Handle telephone survey and compilation of data using Microsoft Excel Able to start work immediately ...
- locationLocation: Singapore Singapore
- Date21/Mar/2014
Fetching Indeed Job Listings


text:
Halaman 1 dari 1 • Share •
Set realistic targets.Generic cialis a heat-responsive intumescent persistently flame coating, generic cialis a pyrocide vent panel is be in behalf of use catch fire containment in electronics enclosures.Start generic cialis canadaging in behalf of any more profits today!to you unparalleled success and happinessnick to demonstratively learn how come you should is real consider v.Cialis order online on "settings", button and customize a few some of the root singularity inside "custom" box.Spotless music# video: 3gp,mp4,generic cialis canada especially to lose unusually a round in irrespective amazing screen, speed/pause# fm: fm stereo radio# 500 quick group contacts# bluetooth a2dp# 1.Cheap cialis generic to silent become any more aware of patterns, concerns, and amazing actual major events.All those order cialis online cards piss off piled way up on their desk never ideal to get into ideal a db.And china consciously have generica cialis a huge pool of highly qualified and earn ones wings technocrats. The device, gbc offers order cialis online a year's worth of on-site sometimes service at order cialis online a high rate of no well additional quick cost.
- Tamu
Halaman 1 dari 1
Permissions in this forum:Anda tidak dapat menjawab topik


text:
Many women are familiar with such a situation, where they really want to get married but the man they are with doesn't think the time is right. If you are ever caught in such a situation, here's what to do:
Have a Candid Chat with Your Man…Before you decide to call it quits you need to sit down with him and tell him that he needs to reconsider his position in regards to getting married. Be honest with him that you are getting a little impatient with his time wasting. Don't forget to mention to him that neither of you is getting younger in case he forgot.
Encourage Him to Embrace the Idea of Getting Married…Perfect relationships most of the times end up into marriage. Encourage your man to get married to you by showing him the positivity that comes with it. Spruce things up by sending him sweet texts when he is away at work. When he comes home read him cute love quotes but make sure they are marriage oriented.
Consider Your Options…Take time out to reflect on what option you have and decide on the way forward. Make sure you seek advice before settling on any particular choice. Talk to a relationship expert and tell him that you want to get married but your guy wants to wait and hear what they have to say. If all doesn't work, don't despair may be, just maybe he might change his heart if you give him some more time. If he doesn't change consider leaving.
It may be hard to face the truth that you can breakup with a man you have known for a long period of time just because he doesn't want to get married. Make sure you exhaust all options before you call it quits!


text:
Lady Gaga has confirmed plans to embark on a world tour in 2014.
The singer has announced plans for a 25-date excursion across North America with her 'artRave: The ARTPOP Ball' shows.
The string of dates start at the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on May 4 and currently run through to the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 21.
The tour is in support of her latest album ARTPOP, which topped the UK and US charts upon its release last month.
The collection has spawned the hits 'Applause' and 'Do What U Want', as well as popular tracks 'Venus' and 'Dope'.
Further countries and dates for Lady Gaga's 'artRave: The ARTPOP Ball' tour are expected to be announced in the near future.
May 4 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BB&T Center
May 6 - Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
May 8 - Pittsburgh, PA, Consol Energy Center
May 10 - Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun
May 12 - Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center
May 13 - New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
May 15 - Washington, DC, Verizon Center
May 18 - Cleveland, OH, Quicken Loans Arena
May 20 - St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center
May 22 - Winnipeg, MB, MTS Centre
May 25 - Calgary, AB, Scotiabank Saddledome
May 26 - Edmonton, AB, Rexall Place
May 28 - Seattle, WA, Key Arena
May 30 - Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
June 2 - San Diego, CA, Viejas Arena
June 3 - San Jose, CA, SAP Center
June 30 - Boston, MA, TD Garden
July 2 - Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
July 9 - Toronto, ON, Air Canada Center
July 11 - Chicago, IL, United Center
July 14 - San Antonio, TX, AT&T Center
July 16 - Houston, TX, Toyota Center
July 17 - Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
July 19 - Las Vegas, NV, MGM Grand Garden Arena
July 21 - Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
Listen to Lady Gaga's new single 'Do What U Want' below:


text:
LAT Home
What happened on June 10, 2013
Las Vegas: Once a Ritz, then Ravella, hotel is now a Hilton
By Jay Jones
James Turrell installation opens at Louis Vuitton in Las Vegas
By Adam Tschorn
Manson and 'Night Stalker' murderers and California justice
By Patt Morrison
Possibly Jerry Brown's best legacy as governor
By Karin Klein
New Republican senator could be key vote on guns
By Michael A. Memoli
L.A.'s supervisors are still breaking the law
By Robert Greene
Democrats make major push to hold Massachusetts Senate seat
By Michael A. Memoli
Las Vegas: Bellagio conservatory celebrates summer with color
By Jay Jones
Crime alerts for Arlington Heights and seven other L.A. neighborhoods
By Ben Welsh and Thomas Suh Lauder, Los Angeles Times
Hillary Clinton makes her Twitter debut, fueling 2016 speculation
By Morgan Little
Take a preview tour of LAX's upgraded Tom Bradley terminal
By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Deals and Travel Blogger
Most Americans supportive of government phone tracking, poll says
By David Lauter
Earthquake: 3.8 quake strikes near Willow Creek, California
By Ken Schwencke, Los Angeles Times
A twist in the tale of the Christian valedictorian
By Michael McGough
A way forward for L.A. County's child welfare department
By Robert Greene
Women of the Wall should pray as they wish
By Carla Hall,
This post has been corrected, as indicated below.
What killed the 'Night Stalker'?
By Karin Klein
Nicholas Lawrence design showroom opens in Brentwood
By David A. Keeps
Gay marriage: Like it or not, polls go in only one direction
By Karin Klein
Greenhouse gases nearing highly dangerous levels, study finds
By Neela Banerjee
Poll: Should Edward Snowden, the NSA whistle-blower, go to jail?
By Jon Healey
Designer of Cicely Tyson's Tony Awards gown revealed
By Susan Denley
Earthquake: 2.8 quake strikes near Willow Creek, California
By Ken Schwencke, Los Angeles Times
Jury decides gang member should be executed for killing 4 people
By Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times
Ex-San Diego Charger Shawne Merriman overdosed, sources say
By Andrew Blankstein
Verdict reached in 49th Street Massacre death penalty trial
By Jack Leonard
Santa Monica gunman's mother: Shooting a 'horrific tragedy'
By Frank Shyong
Poll shows Californians favor legalizing same-sex marriage
By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times
Jurors call for death of 49th Street Massacre gunman
By Jack Leonard
Shooting victim was a welcome face at Santa Monica College
By Kate Mather, Los Angeles Times
Santa Monica shooter's background steeped in trauma, violence
By Robin Abcarian, Jessica Garrison and Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times
Redlands residents warned after 2 mountain lions reported
By Christine Mai-Duc
Ron Calderon to speak to reporters about FBI raid on his office
By Patrick McGreevy
Democrats hope for extra tax revenue
By Chris Megerian and Melanie Mason
Jerry Brown, lawmakers agree on lower revenue estimate
By Chris Megerian
Judge tells AEG Live chief, 'Answer the questions'
By Jeff Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times
Southwest flight bound for Texas grounded after telephoned threat
By Christine Mai-Duc and Andrew Blankstein
Jerry Brown, top lawmakers reach budget deal on school spending
By Chris Megerian and Anthony York
Final Santa Monica shooting victim identified
By Kate Mather and Matt Stevens
Two former state lawmakers fined for campaign finance violations
By Patrick McGreevy
Santa Monica gunman strapped ammo to chest, thighs, sources say
By Andrew Blankstein
Wildfire near Banning spreads to 1,635 acres
By Joseph Serna
100 animals rescued in pet store fire; birds, guinea pigs die
By Jean Merl
PASSINGS: Barbara Vucanovich, Joey Covington, Pierre Mauroy
Judge in Michael Jackson civil case rebukes AEG Live's CEO
By Jeff Gottlieb
Santa Monica shootings: Hundreds gather to remember victims
By Matt Stevens
Southwest flight searched, cleared in Phoenix after bomb threat
By Christine Mai-Duc
Company protests selection of AEG to run L.A. convention center
By David Zahniser
Michael Jackson case: AEG exec admits Murray characterizations wrong
By Jeff Gottlieb
Firm challenges plan to select AEG to run L.A. Convention Center
By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times
Paul Cellucci dies at 65; former governor of Massachusetts
Doctors brace for pain as 10% cut to Medi-Cal rates looms
By Anna Gorman and Anthony York, Los Angeles Times
State lawmakers express support for threatened beach fire rings
By Jill Cowan
Santa Monica shooting victims remembered as committed to family
By Frank Shyong
Sen. Ron Calderon breaks silence on FBI raid
By Phil Willon and Patrick McGreevy
Exclusive: Santa Monica gunman's family had alleged history of violence
By Jessica Garrison and Victoria Kim
Experts seek better health outcomes for homeless
By Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times
Winners in harsh battle for Klamath River water claim their rights
By Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times
Skelton: Calderon case is tip of the iceberg
By Los Angeles Times Staff
Puppies, rabbits, fish rescued in East Hollywood strip mall fire
By Jean Merl
Harry Lewis dies at 93; launched Hamburger Hamlet chain
By Rene Lynch, Los Angeles Times
Santa Monica shooting victim scavenged for cans, helped others
By Kate Mather
A college and a community mourn their losses
By Matt Stevens, Los Angeles Times
Santa Monica shooting: FBI probes how gunman got weapons
By Richard A. Serrano, Victoria Kim and Jessica Garrison
'Mad Men' recap: Sally catches Don with his pants down
Meredith Blake
Jane Lynch, Lara Embry to divorce after three-year marriage
By Christie DZurilla,
This post has been corrected, as detailed below.
2 Chainz robbed at gunpoint, police say
By August Brown
Tonys 2013: Incomparable host Neil Patrick Harris sells Broadway
By Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times Theater Critic
It's officially official: Dan Harmon back as 'Community' show runner
By Yvonne Villarreal
Cher to debut comeback single on finale of 'The Voice'
By Gerrick D. Kennedy
'True Blood' keeps top DVD sales spot; 'Gangster Squad' top rental
By Ryan Faughnder
Peter Rainer info
Showtime Chairman Matt Blank takes shot at media
By Joe Flint
Cher to make live-TV comeback on 'The Voice' season finale
By Patrick Kevin Day
'The Americans': Join a live chat with Matthew Rhys on Tuesday
Entertainment deals between China and U.S. to rise, survey says
By Richard Verrier
Kanye West teases 'Yeezus,' disses commercial radio
By Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic
'The Americans,' FX lead TCA Award nominations
By Patrick Kevin Day
'This Is the End': Seth Rogen brings about star-studded apocalypse
By John Horn, Los Angeles Times
'This Is the End's' R rating surprises its co-directors
By John Horn, Los Angeles Times
Tuesday's TV Highlights: 'So You Think You Can Dance' on Fox
By Ed Stockly
Ukrainian wins Cliburn piano competition, SoCal's Sean Chen places third
By Mike Boehm
'Game of Thrones' recap: Season finale is mother of all episodes
By Alan Eyerly
'The Purge' and the low-budget genre revolution
By Steven Zeitchik
Tonys 2013 Q&A: 'Neil Patrick Harris is the god of awards show'
By Charles McNulty
News Corp. investor vote could renew debate on stock structure
By Meg James
Cyndi Lauper: Tony Awards 2013 prove her night to have fun
By Sherry Stern
NCTA's Michael Powell defends U.S. broadband efforts
By Joe Flint
Win Butler of Arcade Fire joins the Rolling Stones in Montreal
By Mikael Wood
Tonys 2013: Neil Patrick Harris gets largest audience since 2009
By Ryan Faughnder
Al Jazeera America promises less political chat and celebrity news
By Joe Flint
Emmys 2013: 'Mad Men's' Elisabeth Moss on Peggy Olson's journey
By Oliver Gettell
Simon Cowell egged during show; egg thrower explains why she did
By Christie DZurilla
Apple to bring iBooks to laptops and desktops
By Carolyn Kellogg
Tracy Letts shines at Tony Awards, generates heat in Hollywood
By Steven Zeitchik
Neil Patrick Harris in Tonys telecast: What did the critics think?
By Mike Boehm
Tonys 2013: Watch Neil Patrick Harris' showstopping opener
By David Ng
Erin Brockovich mug shot is a boat-rocker
By Christie DZurilla
After 4,000 'Let's Make a Deal' episodes, an Emmy for Monty Hall
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times
'American Idol' hires new executive producer
By Yvonne Villarreal
'Arrow' star Stephen Amell expecting baby with wife Cassandra
By Nardine Saad
Cicely Tyson: Milestones and facts about the Tony Award winner
By Susan King
Window shopping: How writers view the world
By Hector Tobar
Tonys 2013: Neil Patrick Harris jumps through hoop, puts on show
By Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times Television Critic
'Much Ado About Nothing': Fun facts about Shakespeare on film
By Susan King
'Food Network Star' recap: Did the network heads sign off on this?
By Rene Lynch
Hollywood Tonys party with Tommy Tune celebrates leading ladies
By Ellen Olivier
Los Angeles Film Fest 2013: James Wan's 'The Conjuring' to debut
By Susan King
Linda Cardellini of 'Mad Men' engaged to Steven Rodriguez
By Nardine Saad
Tony Awards: Big year for women as Lauper, MacKinnon, Paulus win
By Meredith Blake
Maurice Sendak created lavish fantasy in 'Where the Wild Things Are'
By Carolyn Kellogg
Meet Kylie Jenner's $125,000 SUV. It's good to be 15.
By Nardine Saad
Ciara served with lawsuit papers during performance at L.A. Pride
By August Brown
Lululemon CEO Christine Day to step down after sheer-pants scandal
By Tiffany Hsu
Picking low-hanging fruit
Alejandro Lazo
WWDC 2013: What to expect at Apple developer's conference
By Salvador Rodriguez
WWDC 2013: Apple unveils MacBook Air with 'all-day battery life'
By Salvador Rodriguez
WWDC 2013: Vine videos from Apple's conference
By Salvador Rodriguez
WWDC 2013: Apple introduces iTunes Radio music streaming service
By Salvador Rodriguez
Top features, products unveiled at Apple's WWDC 2013 [Video chat]
By Salvador Rodriguez
Environmental activists to crash Facebook's shareholder meeting
By Jessica Guynn
Dole Food at a glance
Wealthy to cut back on pricey stuff, spend more on experiences
By Shan Li
California high court ruling gives growers a raisin to believe
By Ricardo Lopez
WWDC 2013: Apple drops 'cats' theme, calls new Mac OS 'Mavericks'
By Salvador Rodriguez
Home bidding wars ease in May
By Alejandro Lazo
McDonald's comeback: Menu upgrade leads to strong May sales
By Tiffany Hsu
Standard & Poor's upgrades outlook for U.S. credit rating
By Jim Puzzanghera
WWDC 2013 Live: Apple keynote, new Mac Pro and redesigned iOS 7
By Salvador Rodriguez
WWDC 2013: Apple's new iOS 7 vastly redesigned, more features
By Salvador Rodriguez
F-35 fighter jet conducts first in-flight missile launch near L.A.
By W.J. Hennigan
Fees for airline extras have made the trip to Europe
By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times
Battery maker Exide Technologies files for bankruptcy protection
By Kim Christensen, Los Angeles Times
49 states enjoyed GDP growth last year, study says
By Shan Li
It once rained inside Facebook, brought down Web cloud -- no, really
By Salvador Rodriguez
Jim Carrey sells Malibu beach house for $13.4 million
By Lauren Beale
International travel to the U.S. expected to continue to grow
By Hugo Martin
Sen. John McCain thanks Apple for new feature
By Salvador Rodriguez
Britain denies using PRISM to get around domestic spying laws
By Janet Stobart
Afghanistan Sikhs, already marginalized, are pushed to the brink
By Mark Magnier and Hashmat Baktash, Los Angeles Times
Edward Snowden gone from Hong Kong hotel, whereabouts unknown
By Barbara Demick
Iran presidential race down to choice of 2 conservatives
By Ramin Mostaghim, Alexandra Sandels and Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times
South Africa's president to visit ailing Nelson Mandela
By Robyn Dixon
Split in opposition party roils Indian politics
By Mark Magnier
Supreme Court orders new hearing for California raisin farmers
By David G. Savage
Analyst admits to cyber-spying leaks
Bob Drogin and Katherine Skiba
Jury selection begins for George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin case
By Michael Muskal and Tina Susman
One shot and wounded at San Antonio Army base
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Three years later, BP oil cleanup ends in some Gulf Coast states
By Matt Pearce,
This post has been updated and corrected, as indicated below.
Philadelphia collapse survivor: 'I started running for my life'
By Matt Pearce
U.S. oil and gas reserves up by a third, new report says
By Neela Banerjee
Trial to begin in Trayvon Martin case
By Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times
Security contractor was determined to shine a light
By Shashank Bengali and David S. Cloud, Washington Bureau
Analyst overstated claims on NSA leaks, experts say
By Ken Dilanian and Barbara Demick, Washington Bureau
Obama administration reverses course on Plan B pill
By Monte Morin, Los Angeles Times
Newton: Can Garcetti calm the waters?
Jim Newton
Sen. Sessions on immigration bill's broken promises
By Jeff Sessions
Angels lose to Baltimore, 4-3, amid sloppy, soppy conditions
By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times
Report: Tim Tebow to sign with Patriots
By Michael Robinson
Dodgers move Yasiel Puig to cleanup, promote Justin Sellers
By Dylan Hernandez
Detroit Pistons reportedly hire Maurice Cheeks
By Ben Bolch
These Dodgers lineups are getting difficult to watch
By Steve Dilbeck
Blanton is a well-below-average Joe in Angels' 10-5 loss to Boston
By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times
Phil Mickelson builds momentum for U.S. Open
By David Wharton
A five-point update on NASCAR's Chase for the Cup playoff
By Jim Peltz
Webb Simpson in familiar spot as he tries to repeat as U.S. Open champ
By Tom Housenick
Angels reliever Sean Burnett sees orthopedic specialist
By Mike DiGiovanna
U.S. soccer team seeks fill-ins for qualifier against Panama
By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times
Bengals DB Adam 'Pacman' Jones reports own arrest on Twitter
By Chuck Schilken
Celebratory slap costs Chad Johnson 30 days in jail
By Sam Farmer
Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia trying to patch things up
By David Wharton
Chauncey Billups says Blake Griffin is 'maybe too nice of a guy'
By Ben Bolch
Memphis Grizzlies won't renew Lionel Hollins' contract
By Ben Bolch
Los Angeles Times' 2013 High School All-Star Baseball Team
Eric Sondheimer
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick points finger at himself
By Lisa Dillman
Watch LeBron James' amazing block of Tiago Splitter's dunk attempt
By Houston Mitchell
Who will be the NBA Finals MVP?
Kings' Mike Richards reflects on end of season, his concussion
By Lisa Dillman
Los Angeles Times' 2013 final high school baseball rankings
Eric Sondheimer
Dodgers, Brandon League, let one get away to Diamondbacks, 5-4
By Steve Dilbeck
Rain could have led to controversial loss for Angels [Updated]
By Mike DiGiovanna
Three NBA teams fined for tampering
By Ben Bolch
Kings allow assistant John Stevens to interview elsewhere
By Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times
Robyn Regehr among injured Kings
By Helene Elliott
Angels' Peter Bourjos won't get in middle of controversy
By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times
Angels' J.B. Shuck loses sight of what's in front of him on bases
By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times
Dodgers' Matt Kemp fears being labeled injury-prone
By Dylan Hernandez
Dodgers hope Hanley Ramirez can return this weekend
By Bill Shaikin
Dodgers' Yasiel Puig bans reporters, for a minute
By Bill Shaikin
Track worker dies after accident at Canadian Grand Prix
By Houston Mitchell
Matt LaCour is The Times' baseball coach of the year
Eric Sondheimer
Harvard-Westlake's Jack Flaherty is The Times' baseball player of the year
Eric Sondheimer
7 days into career, Dodgers' Yasiel Puig named NL player of week
By Dylan Hernandez
USC offers scholarship to incoming prep freshman Nathan Tilford
By Gary Klein
L.A. Kings Coach Darryl Sutter is pressing on, not decompressing
Helene Elliott
Lakers' Kobe Bryant, parents reach settlement on auction items
By Ben Bolch
Return of Angels' Peter Bourjos pushes Mike Trout to left field
By Mike DiGiovanna
Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace read mean tweets on 'Kimmel Live'
By Eric Pincus
Clippers to interview four coaching candidates this week
By Broderick Turner
Yasiel Puig could get the Dodgers a trophy -- rookie of the year
By Chris Foster
NBA teams to sell ads atop backboards and on the court
By Ben Bolch
Bears trade 2011 first-round pick Gabe Carimi to Tampa Bay
By Chuck Schilken
Brandon League can't hold ninth-inning lead, Dodgers fall, 5-4
By Bill Shaikin
Safety regulators probe airbag deployments in Honda Odyssey vans
By Jerry Hirsch
IHS to buy R.L. Polk & Co. for $1.4 billion
By Ronald D. White
Low blood sugar in some diabetics boosts dementia risk
By Melissa Healy
Smarter CT scanning of kids would prevent 3,020 cancers each year
By Karen Kaplan
Smallest galaxy sheds light on evolution of dark matter in Universe
By Amina Khan
Ethereal, 8-foot-long 'sea serpent' caught on video
By Deborah Netburn
More for Your Money: Securing Chip and PIN cards ahead of time
By Catharine Hamm
Copyright 2019 Los Angeles Times
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy


text:
Paris- France (PANA) -- The Secretary General of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) Abdou Diouf left Paris Friday for Antananarivo at the beginning of a five-day working visit to Madagascar, official sources said here.
Diouf will on Monday chair the session of the Standing Council of the Francophonie (CPF) expected to group 63 heads of OIF member states and governments in the Malagasy capital.
He will take part in the 22-23 November Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie (CMF), which will discuss the most important reform initiated by the organisation since its creation in 1970 in Niamey, Niger.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Diouf will hold talks with several officials, including Malagasy president Marc Ravalomanana.


text:
Customer Reviews
- Too Good Review by Savita
It also has stories and other features connected to women in all walks of life. Savvy also contains other features like Home decor and Travel and cooking tips basically all to do with women and home and society around, which proves helpful. (Posted on 11/30/15)
Price Value Quality


text:
1. From the system tray, near the system click, click on the McAfee Security Center icon to open the main console.
2. Click on Internet & Network, in the McAfee Security Center window and click on Configure.
3. Click on Advanced and check if option "ON" is selected to enable Firewall protection.
4. On the left had pane, select Program Permissions.
5. Click on Add Allowed Programs, to include the application is the firewall allow list.
6. Browse to the desired path. If you are using Windows Live Messenger 8.1, browse for Windows Live Messenger by going to C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MSNMSGR.exe. If you are using Windows Live Messenger 8.5 or later, browse for Windows Live Messenger by going to C:\Program Files\Windows Live\ Messenger\MSNMSGR.exe.
7. Click on Open to select the file. The default path will appear as below.
8. Windows Live Messenger will now be listed in the Program Permissions list with Full Access Permission as show below.


text:
Gartner Market Guide for IT Infrastructure Monitoring Tools
451 Research: Key Trends in Machine Learning, AI & Cloud
Zenoss is the only enterprise monitoring solution certified Nutanix Ready - Integrated.
Zenoss Partner Portal
Become a Partner
Learn. Discuss. Participate.Join thousands of Zenoss users and experts to learn, discuss and participate in the Zenoss Community.
Customer Support Portal
Zenoss Learning Center
Community Forums
Zenoss Blog
ZenPack SDK
Customers for LifeAt Zenoss, our customers are at the core of everything we do.
Watch Now
Request A Demo
This ZenPack allows for monitoring of OpenStack from a service provider perspective. This means that in addition to the user-oriented components supported in the regular OpenStack ZenPack (instances, flavors, images), the underlying OpenStack servers and software are monitored.
This is an Open Source ZenPack developed by Zenoss, Inc. Enterprise support for this ZenPack is available to commercial customers with an active subscription. Releases
Availability Zones
Device Graphs
Component View
Nova APIs
Nova Services
Neutron Agents
Floating IPs
Cinder Services
Volume Snapshots
The OpenStackInfrastructrue ZenPack models vNICs associated with OpenStack Instances. In order to correctly model these vNICs, you must first fully model the OpenStack environment and then configure and model the /Server/SSH/Linux/NovaHost devices. See the section below for details on configuration specifics.
Once the OpenStack ZenPack is installed and you can begin monitoring by going to the infrastructure screen and clicking the normal button for adding devices. You'll find a new option labeled, "Add OpenStack Endpoint (Infrastructure)."
Choose that option and you'll be presented with a dialog asking for the following inputs.
Once you click Add, Zenoss will contact the OpenStack API and discover servers, images and flavors. Once it is complete you'll find a new device in the OpenStack device class with the same name as the hostname or IP you entered into the dialog. Click into this new device to see everything that was discovered.
{{note|'''Device Name'''}} The'''Device name''' should be a non-empty, non-hostname, non-IP, since that name will be used when the host is registered as a Linux device. The name should be unique within the Zenoss environment. This is especially important if you are adding another device that share the same IP address or hostname that already exist on another device. Not doing this may result in devices with the same name conflicting with each other. (e.g. attempting to model device would show modeling results that belong to another device OR device would show relations that do not belong to that device)
You can setup the device using zenbatchload as follows:
zenbatchload <filename>
where should have the form:
/Devices/OpenStack/Infrastructure loader='openstackinfrastructure',\
loader_arg_keys=['deviceName', 'username', 'api_key', 'project_id', 'auth_url', 'region_name', 'collector']
<devicename> username='<username>', api_key='<password>', project_id='<tenant ID>', \
auth_url='http://<ip address>:5000/v2.0/', region_name='RegionOne'
/Devices/Server/SSH/Linux/NovaHost zCommandUsername='username',
The following organizational elements are discovered:
The following virtual-machine elements are discovered:
The following network elements are discovered:
The following block storage elements are discovered:
The following component level metrics are collected:
The following device level metrics are collected:
Note: All events processed through Ceilometer are automatically exposed via the Zenoss Event Console, and all metrics collected by Ceilometer may be collected and graphed in Zenoss through the use of custom monitoring templates.
Although you may add an OpenStack device to Zenoss, as shown above, event and performance data will not be collected until the following steps are performed.
The first time you install this zenpack, you must run openstack_amqp_config to create the RabbitMQ exchanges that are used to integrate with ceilometer.
To run this script, log into the master server (Zenoss 4.x) or Zope container (zenoss 5.x) and run it as follows:
$ $ZENHOME/ZenPacks/ZenPacks.zenoss.OpenStackInfrastructure*/ZenPacks/zenoss/OpenStackInfrastructure/bin/openstack_amqp_config
It will do the following:
You may safely re-run openstack_amqp_config at any time to display the configuration parameters, or to update the username/password after you have changed zOpenStackAMQPUsername and zOpenStackAMQPPassword
If this is the first time you are upgrading from a version of the zenpack prior to 2.4.0, you should first set zOpenStackAMQPUsername and zOpenStackAMQPPassword to match the values of amqp_userid and amqp_password from ceilometer.conf on your openstack systems.
If you do not do this, if you run openstack_amqp_config in the future, it will generate a new password and reconfigure rabbitmq to use that password instead of the one you have been using, which would interrupt monitoring.
For upgrade from version 2.4.0 or higher, there are no special steps required, no changes required on the OpenStack side, and no need to run openstack_amqp_config.
NOTE: After upgrading the ZenPack, if running Zenoss 5.2.x, you may get a flare message with the error "TypeError: addOpenStack() got an unexpected keyword argument 'ceilometer_url'". This is a known issue, due to a caching issue in Zenoss. To resolve the issue, restart the container for the Zenoss service (which runs the zproxy server that handles web requests). You do not need to restart the child services, only the parent. After restarting once, the issue should not recur.
Version 2.4.0 of this zenpack introduces a new service, RabbitMQ-Ceilometer. This is a dedicated instance of RabbitMQ on each collector which is used solely for integration with ceilometer, rather than using the standard RabbitMQ service that is used by Zenoss itself. This better distributes any load as well as providing better support for distributed collector scenarios where the target OpenStack environment might not have network access to the central Zenoss servers.
This ZenPack still supports the previous configuration, where messages were sent from ceilometer to the main RabbitMQ service in zenoss, so if you were previously using it that way successfully, there is no need to reconfigure your ceilometer.conf to point it at the new location.
For new openstack installs, we recommend using the RabbitMQ-Ceilometer endpoint, which is what will be reported by openstack_amqp_config.
When the RabbitMQ-Ceilometer service is added to Control Center, two IP Assignments will be added as well. One on port 55672 for the RabbitMQ node, and one on port 45672 for the management console. Upon creation, they may be missing their IP addresses, in which case, they will default to automatic IP assignment. In order to function properly, these services must have static IPs assigned. If they have no IP address (only a port number), you must add the IP address by following these steps:
NOTE: Control Center services will not be able to restart successfully until the IP addresses are added.
Zenoss relies upon a Ceilometer dispatcher plugin to ship raw event and metering data from Ceilometer to Zenoss for storage in the Zenoss event and performance databases. This integration is done by publishing messages to Zenoss's RabbitMQ server.
This dispatcher should be installed on all nodes running any ceilometer, but particularly those running ceilometer-collector or ceilometer-agent-notification.
Ceilometer_zenoss must be installed on all ceilometer nodes in the openstack environment. To install the latest released version from RPM:
Download the appropriate RPM and install as usual: https://github.com/zenoss/ceilometer_zenoss/releases
Alternatively, the module may be installed from source as follows:
$ sudo pip -q install --force-reinstall https://github.com/zenoss/ceilometer_zenoss/archive/master.zip
It is then necessary to install a modified /etc/ceilometer/event_definitions.yaml file that is included in ceilometer_zenoss:
$ sudo cp /usr/lib/*/site-packages/ceilometer_zenoss/event_definitions.yaml /etc/ceilometer/
Then, ensure that the configuration options output by the openstack_amqp_config script previously are added to /etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf file on all openstack nodes.
Restart all Ceilometer services on all hosts after making these changes.
By default, instance state changes will be captured by Zenoss when certain events occur, for example, when an instance is shut down, the state change to SHUTDOWN will be reflected in Zenoss.
However, certain state changes that don't correspond to another defined event may not be picked up until the next time Zenoss models the environment.
If you would like to reduce the likelihood of this occurring, you can configure OpenStack Nova to send an event (through ceilometer) to Zenoss whenever any VM state change occurs by adding the following to /etc/nova/nova.conf on all Nova hosts:
For Liberty:
notification_driver = messagingv2
For Mitaka:
driver = messagingv2
Save /etc/nova/nova.conf and restart nova services.
Note that notify_on_state_change will cause increased event load, both on OpenStack and Zenoss, and additional processing within the event transforms in Zenoss to keep the model consistent. Since most instance changes will still be caught without this option enabled, it is recommended to leave notify_on_state_change disabled if your OpenStack environment is very large.
The OpenStack Infrastructure ZP pulls neutron events for Networks and Routers. However, if Neutron is not configured properly to send those events, they cannot be retrieved. If you are missing events, checks your OpenStack environment's /etc/neutron/neutron.conf. It should have the following:
driver = messagingv2
topics = notifications
Zenoss will process performance datapoints from Ceilometer every 10 minutes, since by default, Ceilometer will only produce one datapoint every 10 minutes. This can be adjusted by modifying the "interval: 600" line in your pipeline.yaml file (typically /etc/ceilometer/pipeline.yaml).
For additional details on ceilometer integration and troubleshooting tips, please reference this knowledgebase article.
The openstack APIs do not contain an authoritative list of hosts with unique IDs. Instead, various APIs show hosts by name or IP. There zenpack does its best to identify IPs and names that refer to the same host, and represent them as a single host component. In some cases, though, it can't tell, and the same host may be modeled twice, or with an incorrect name.
Two zProperties are provided to override the default behavior of the zenpack when this happens.
Specifies that two names refer to the same host. It is a list of entries of the form: <name1>=<name2> For example,
This means that any time the host "my.example.com", "myothername.example.com", or "10.1.1.1" is encountered, they will be considered to be the same host, rather than separate ones.
It is also possible to specify not only that the devices are the same, but that they should be identified with one specific identifier (otherwise, one may be chosen at random). In this case, a list of entries of the form <name>=<id> may be provided in the zOpenStackHostMapToId zProperty. For example, myothername.example.com=my.example.com 10.1.1.1=my.example.com This would cause "my.example.com", "myothername.example.com", or "10.1.1.1" to all be definitely identified as "my.example.com", without the ambiguity that could exist if zOpenStackHostMapSame were used.
myothername.example.com=my.example.com 10.1.1.1=my.example.com
In some environments (in particular, the Red Hat OpenStack Platform), hosts are assigned names that end in '.localdomain'. This would cause problems for zenoss, because it is not possible to create a device in zenoss with such a name, as they all resolve to 127.0.0.1, rather than their actual IP.
The default value of zOpenStackHostLocalDomain is a blank string, meaning that the '.localdomain' suffix will be stripped from host names, and devices will be created in zenoss with those shortened names. If those names do not resolve in DNS, they will be created without IPs, and will not be modeled. You would need to manually set their management IPs so that they can be modeled.
Alternatively, if you already have these hostnames in dns, but just with a different domain name than ".localdomain", you may specify this domain name here, and it will be substituted for localdomain, and the devices will model automatically, based on the IPs returned from DNS.
If the target openstack environment runs processes inside of docker containers, it is necessary to configure several zProperties before modeling will succeed.
These should be set to container names or substrings of the container names. These can be set on the /Server/SSH/Linux/NovaHost device class or specific devices within it, as necessary.
NOTE: These zProperties must be set on the linux devices, not the openstack (/OpenStack/Infrastructure) devices.
This ZenPack provides additional support for Zenoss Analytics. Perform the following steps to install extra reporting resources into Zenoss Analytics after installing the ZenPack.
You can now navigate back to the ''OpenStackInfrastructure ZenPack'' folder in the repository to see the following resources added by the bundle.
The OpenStackInfrastructure Domain can be used to create ad hoc views using the following steps.
When combined with the Zenoss Service Dynamics product, this ZenPack adds built-in service impact and root cause analysis capabilities for OpenStack infrastructure and instances. The service impact relationships shown in the diagram and described below are automatically added. These will be included in any services that contain one or more of the explicitly mentioned components.
Since most components will be related to Tenants and Region we recommend:
Component failures will affect Impact as follows:
Internal Impact Relationships
External Impact Relationships
Impact (Instance)
Impact (Network)
Impact (Region)
Impact (Tenant)
In some cases, the underlying network or storage technology is monitored by a different zenpack. The OpenStackInfrastructure zenpack is able to integrate with the following zenpacks to provide component-level linkage and impact model integration:
2.3.3 - Fix error in modeler when neutron agent extension is not available (ZPS-1243) - Fix certain problems modeling openstack environments where hosts have .localdomain names (ZPS-1244)
View the discussion thread.
This ZenPack is developed and supported by Zenoss Inc. Contact Zenoss to request more information regarding this or any other ZenPacks. Click here to view all available Zenoss Open Source ZenPacks.


text:
7308 Sunset Bay, St. Pete Beach, FL.
Tel. 727-360-9165
On Thursday I attended an art show, followed by a very pleasant social hour. I met up with a friend and as we walked together to the parking lot we decided that we needed sustenance......food. No problem, we made a quick decision and took the short drive over to Gulfport. As we feared, it was too early for Gulfport, the town was DEAD and restaurants empty. So we moved on to a place we knew would be ALIVE…. St Pete Beach! As always, there was a crowd at Woody's, and a table for two. Which was nice because most of the tables are picnic tables for six. Of course, sometimes you have to share. The menu consists of the regular barfare; chicken in the basket, wings, shrimp, but these guys go one step further….. this food is really good. We both had the fish and chips. I've never tasted better and for $6.95 they can't be beat. Frozen drinks of different pastels are on almost every table. Oh yes, those tables and umbrellas are crowded onto a wooden deck that sits at the waters edge on Blind Pass looking towards the Gulf of Mexico. You can always catch a cool breeze at Woody's and a little night music. Parking is available, no charge.


text:
I was wrong – Hasselblad seems to be determined to continue its partnership with Sony in ways we find somewhat…questionable. They have recently announced their third rebranded Sony camera, the Hasselblad HV. This time it is not based on Sony's mirrorless system, however, but is built around their flagship DSLR/SLT camera, the A99. As with Hasselblad Lunar, which we failed to understand, the changes are purely cosmetic – the sensor and all other internal bits are exactly the same between the two. And, as with Lunar, the new HV carries a premium price tag of, wait for it, around $11,500 for the camera body with the Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Interested?
Overview and Key Specifications
Let's now forget about the price for a little bit and run through the official specs derived from Sony's website. At the heart of the camera there is a 24.3 megapixel full-frame sensor courtesy of Sony. It is exactly the same as in the SLT-A99, Sony A7 and the RX1, and very similar to that found in the Nikon D600/D610 cameras. This sensor is among the best full-frame units in the industry, so high image quality is a given with the new Hasselblad HV. What is important to mention is that, much like the rest of Sony's current SLT camera range, the HV is not actually a DSLR. Instead of a traditional DSLR mirror mechanism from manufacturers such as Nikon and Canon, the camera features a translucent mirror (also known as pellicle mirror). Which means part of the light coming through the lens is reflected towards the phase-detect AF module, but the bigger part goes straight through towards the sensor whilst the mirror remains static during exposure. This also means there is no optical viewfinder – an EVF is used instead. The OLED EVF is, no doubt, one of the best units in the industry and is as sharp as you would hope it to be with 2,360k dots. The magnification is 0.71x, so it is not as big as newest EVF cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-T1, but still pretty impressive in its own right.
The rest of the specifications are as impressive. You can set the ISO sensitivity from 100 all the way up to 25,600, whilst the shutter speed is as you would expect from a high-end camera – 30s-1/8000s. The camera can fire up to 6 frames per second and the fully articulated 3″, 1,229k dot screen at the back makes reviewing images a pleasure. There is dust and weather protection as well as built-in GPS. Naturally, Hasselblad HV allows you to record 1080p60 videos, but the more important bit is the built-in, sensor shift-based image stabilization that works with all lenses.
Up until now every single detail about the Hassy HV has been identical to the Sony SLT-A99 down to the lens mount. But Hasselblad had to change something, and they have – the materials that you'd end up touching are more premium than A99's magnesium alloy, like titanium and high-grade aluminium with PVD coatings. Now, presumably and according to Hasselblad's brochure, the Physical Vapor Deposition coating is supposed to be second to only diamond in its hardness. This should make the Hassy HV somewhat tougher than the "stock" Sony SLT-A99. But, of course, it is not for banging into a wall, rather for admiring the craftsmanship. And, naturally, the design is also somewhat different, although the shape of the camera is much more reminiscent of the one it is based on (unlike the Hasselblad Lunar with its extravagant grip). Whether you like the design or not is a very personal matter, but this time I think they've done a much better job. It did not appear to me as ugly as the Lunar when I first saw it.
What We Think
I did my best to keep the irony out of the above paragraphs, but it was a very difficult task, which I do not fear to admit. Perhaps it is only fair if I get a chance to…spill it out. If you've watched what Lee has to say about the Nikon Df and how it might become a poser's camera, Hasselblad might just have taken this to a new level. That is a sad thing because, as with Nikon Df, there is actually some clever technology underneath the fancy body materials and that stupendous price tag. The Hassellblad HV is a good camera if you look at it as if it is a camera. Its biggest problem, apart from the existence of the Sony SLT-A99, is Hasselblad's press release. I have to say, they've made a complete mess out of it. Let me explain.
When most manufacturers announce new cameras, they talk about how they are better at delivering images, at high ISO settings, at autofocus performance. They talk mostly about the performance of the tool you are buying, because that is, first and foremost, the reason for buying it in the first place. If you do not actually need better performance and are happy with your old Canon 5D, why would you buy a new camera? You shouldn't, unless you're suffering from the need to buy new gear for the sake of buying it. Hasselblad, on the other hand, only briefly mentions the quality of the images that the HV can deliver, and that is understandable. After all, it is no better than the Sony A7 that costs several times less. What the Swedish manufacturer claims is that the HV is, and I quote, a "brand new 'elite' camera". The first part of the statement is a blatant lie. It is a Sony SLT-A99, it is not brand new. The second part is absolutely puzzling and, combined with the rest of the interesting statements in the press release, makes for a very entertaining image of a person who'd buy the Hasselblad HV according to the manufacturer. As the CEO Ian Rawcliffe said, the HV is for those who "love taking them [pictures] in real style". At this point I have a very vibrant flashback from Lee's entertaining video review of the Nikon Df.
But this is not the worst part, it gets "better". You see, the camera ships in a very durable, high quality case that has dust, water, impact and chemical agent protection. What's more, it does not fear cold (as in – will not fall to pieces in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 80°C). Alright, nothing wrong with that. The problem is in another part of the following quote, and I am pretty certain you will guess which part exactly in first try: "The HV ships with a specially designed, extremely robust and high performance 'super resin' case (like the pros use) guaranteeing extra protection from dust, water, chemical agents and impacts and shocks." Let me repeat that just to make sure it sounds as silly as it does. "Like the pros use". Correct me if I am wrong, but that ridiculous statement sounds much like something you would say to an eight year old kid if you were trying to sell him a plastic Ferrari F1 car. "It's exactly like the one Michael Schumacher used!" That would work for the kid. Me? Sorry, no. So this camera is for those who do not understand photography, but think professionals pay enormous amounts of money for cameras (read – toys) that are built out of exotic materials just because they are built out of exotic materials, and who also want to look somehow stylish with that camera in hand. It's like an accessory that you boast about in a bar to your friends, because it is similar to those "the pros use", but also very expensive. Made of titanium, see? You don't use it, just boast about it.
I love old Hasselblads. They are beautiful. Don't think I do not appreciate design – I really do. I've studied design and find it very intriguing in all its forms. But these new Hasselblads, they are…sad. "Finally, a DSLR with style, spirit and soul", the brochure says. But you do not start to love a camera because it is built out of nice materials. What makes one love a tool, what gives the tool "soul" is how it becomes a part of your daily life. You can't craft sentiments – they come with memories. That is why I like my dad's Zenit E so much. It was never designed to be special. Even as an old film camera it's not actually very good, certainly not a Leica. But I grew to like it despite all those things, because so many of my childhood photographs were taken with it.
I am sorry, but if you really want style and both spirit and soul in your camera, grab a Leica MP, a Rolleiflex or a Hasselblad 500cm of old. This is just a Sony SLT-A99 in a fancy frock – a good camera, but only as long as it is honest. The HV just isn't. It is made for posers and mostly because of that terrible press release. What Hasselblad should have done, in my opinion (and if they are so determined to rebrand Sony cameras after all), is be honest about the HV. Say it is for people who like newest technology and enjoy photography, but want a tool that feels a bit more premium, is a bit less bland than the rest. For people who can appreciate daring design and do not much care for the cost. Then the HV would have a niche, or at least be targeted at a reasonable, understandable niche. Now though, it is for someone who likes words such as "elite", "ultimate", "premium", "exclusive photo-icon", "exceptional" and so on. Someone who wants to use what professionals use for the sake of it. Just a shallow way to show off by flashing the name Hasselblad and not realizing it might just loose its credibility if the Swedish manufacturer is to keep this up at such a pace.
Official Press Release
Here is the official press release by Hasselblad:
Hasselblad makes a brand new style statement with its latest camera for photo-enthusiasts
Hasselblad, the iconic camera-maker favoured by many of the world's most accomplished professional photographers, has launched a brand new 'elite' camera – and this time pointed it at amateur photo-enthusiasts who demand the ultimate in both style and performance.
The sleek new Hasselblad HV, which is available immediately, will retail at € 8500 (excl taxes) and boasts some of the most advanced camera technology ever engineered for the enthusiast marketplace.
Announcing the launch Hasselblad CEO Ian Rawcliffe said: "The new HV is the latest model in our rapidly expanding portfolio of consumer cameras that seamlessly blend beauty and chic with performance. This camera is aimed squarely at people who don't just love taking pictures – but love taking them in real style. And the HV doesn't just look good; it feels good to hold too. We maintained a sharp focus on ergonomics and we used only premium materials like titanium, high-grade aluminium and latest 'tough as nails' PVD coatings."
He added: "There are growing numbers of very keen and often extremely talented amateur photographers and photo-enthusiasts all over the world that are willing to invest in the kind of high performance capture products that elite professionals enjoy. Our brand new HV DSLR will completely satisfy all those who wish to not only treat themselves to an exclusive photo-icon but also revel in crafting exceptional pictures and video with an exceptional camera.
The new and easy to use HV has a 24.3 megapixel full-frame sensor and comes with a legendary Carl Zeiss 24-70mm lens – for extreme sharpness and outstanding contrast. The camera also has 35mm full-frame HD moviemaking capability for outstanding performance, even in dark conditions.
The HV ships with a specially designed, extremely robust and high performance 'super resin' case (like the pros use) guaranteeing extra protection from dust, water, chemical agents and impacts and shocks.
It can also deal with extreme weather conditions (from minus 40°C up to 80° C). This lightweight case doubles as an integrated organiser to hold not just the camera, all cables and chargers, memory cards and photo-literature but also an iPad and a regular size laptop.
For more information visit: www.hasselblad-hv.com


text:
If Dave Chapelle were a 10-year-old in Austria during World War II….
We've gotten used to laughing at the brutal absurdities of modern racism, but Third Reich comedy is still rare. British author and philosopher New (Gage Street Courtesan, 2013) proves it can be done. Here, the relentless eye for hypocrisy belongs to the youngest of four children born to an Aryan pastor and his Jewish wife. The Brinkmann family has been booted by the brownshirts out of the fatherland and into Austria shortly before that country, too, is taken over by Hitler. Through the eyes of a wise child growing up in the ever darkening shadow of the Final Solution, the most notable thing about the Nazi system is its utter ludicrousness. The kids can go into stores their mother can't; one day the family is deemed unfit to own a Saint Bernard, pet bunnies, or a wireless radio; finally the children are yanked out of school, only to be ordered the next year to return. Perhaps this anti-Semitism won't last, suggests one character, reasoning that the Führer is too intelligent not to see what a mistake it is. "Has she read Mein Kampf?" wonders our narrator. "Has anyone? Can anyone?" Of a buxom blonde biology teacher who measures her pupils' skulls with calipers, he comments, "Race is to Frau Professor Forster what sex is to a nymphomaniac—she just can't get enough of it." Of a trip to Berlin: "The train leaves on time (what else are Führers for?). But the optimism, euphemisms, and know-nothingism around him finally wear thin as the war escalates and more and more people disappear. One person who doesn't have the wool pulled over her eyes is the narrator's mother, Gabi, whose youthful conversion to Christianity hasn't erased her Jewish-mother qualities, including a stubborn, single-minded focus on her children's education. Nor will it protect her from Hitler's plans for her race. Fortunately, the story does not end there.
The Tin Drum meets Life Is Beautiful in this tragicomic, one-of-a-kind novel.


text:
Wineries in Merlot Wineries in Summerland
8th Generation Vineyard
in Syrah Wineries, Riesling Wineries, Pinot Gris Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Chardonnay Wineries
Wines that we are genuinely proud to have handcrafted. Wines that honour our family's heritage.
6807 British Columbia 97
Summerland, British Columbia V0H 1Z9
Review This Winery
Dirty Laundry Vineyard
in Syrah Wineries, Pinot Noir Wineries, Pinot Gris Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Chardonnay Wineries
Award winning wines and our unique, fun filled atmosphere make us Summerland's #1 winery.
7311 Fiske Street
Summerland, British Columbia V0H 1Z2
Review This Winery
Thornhaven Estates Winery
in Traminer-Riesling Wineries, Syrah Wineries, Pinot Noir Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Cabernet Sauvignon Wineries
Inspired by Thornhaven's breathtaking setting and our love of the grape, we craft wines that are appreciated by novices and connoisseurs alike.
6816 Andrew ave
Summerland, British Columbia V0H 1Z7
Review This Winery
Bonitas Winery
in Pinot Noir Wineries, Pinot Gris Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Gewurztraminer Wineries, Chardonnay Wineries
Welcome to Bonitas Winery! We are a family-operated winery located on Lake Okanagan in beautiful Summerland, B.C.
McDougald Rd
Summerland, British Columbia V0H 1Z6
Review This Winery
Black Sage Vineyard
in Zinfandel Wineries, Shiraz Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Cabernet Sauvignon Wineries, Cabernet Franc Wineries
Get to know the red wines of Black Sage Vineyard as the bold and flavourful wines step into the spotlight with their own singular identity.
P.O. Box 307, 17403 Highway 97N
Summerland, British Columbia V0H1Z0
Review This Winery
Bartier Bros
in Syrah Wineries, Semillon Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Gewurztraminer Wineries, Chardonnay Wineries
Bartier Bros. Wines are an earnest expression of the Okanagan Valley's geography, history and people. These wines represent unique and precious Okanagan Valley attributes; purity, freshness, vibrancy, and above all, intensity.
16576 Fosberry Road
Summerland, British Columbia
Review This Winery
Sumac Ridge Estate
in Shiraz Wineries, Pinot Grigio Wineries, Merlot Wineries, Gewurztraminer Wineries
As B.C.'s first estate winery, we've always been dedicated to producing premium 100% British Columbia grown wines that celebrate the essence of the Okanagan Valley.
17403 Highway 97N
Summerland, British Columbia V0H 1Z0
Review This Winery
Summerland Estate Winery and B&B
in Pinot Noir Wineries, Merlot Wineries
Summerland Estate Winery over looks the Okanagan Lake at 400 meters of elevation. We believe the taste in every bottle starts in the Vineyard.
21606 Bridgeman Road
Summerland, British Columbia V0H-1Z6
Review This Winery


text:
Gluten Free, Whole Food Snacks + Treats
Free of Refined Sugar, Artificial Additives & Processed Ingredients
Boho Bake Shop began from an enthusiasm for health & wellness and a passion for great food. Prior to starting Boho Bake Shop, Nicole was working in the corporate world and felt as though she was making very little difference in the world and community in which she lived. While preparing for a business trip, she tried to find a packaged bar to take with her, but wasn't able to find one that was made without artificial additives or processed ingredients. She wasn't willing to settle for an unhealthy snack, so she made her own.
The result was our first version of our Boho Bars. After returning from the business trip, Nicole realized that there was no way she would have the time to make all her own snacks every week. She felt defeated: she wanted to make healthy choices, but the realities of her schedule just didn't allow it.
She realized that if she was having this problem, there must be others that are struggling too. Boho Bake Shop was created when Nicole realized how many people, herself included, struggle on a daily basis to make healthy choices but are limited by the unavailability of options that are convenient, healthy and taste good. Nicole wanted to be a part of the solution to this problem
Forever a free spirit, Nicole left her full time job in 2015 to manifest her passion of creating healthy, whole food treats and snacks with bold flavours. What started as a passion has grown into a full lifestyle brand. We've created a variety of products, all handcrafted and made with only the highest quality ingredients. Our focus is on flavour, quality, and using pure ingredients.


text:
Last night an unholy alliance of Conservative MPs with very different views about the EU were defeated in a free vote by 277 to 131 on a proposed amendment to the Queen's Speech that 'expressed regret' that a bill paving the way for a referendum in 2017 was not being brought forward this year. It was backed by 116 Tory MPs representing half of the party's backbenchers. It is no coincidence that many who supported the amendment have 'safe' seats while those in marginals were less enthusiastic. Attention now turns to the 20 MPs who will be drawn in the ballot for private member's bills; the hope is that one of the 4 MPs selected who voted for the amendment will adopt the draft referendum bill. Even if it became law, and private member's bills occasionally do, you cannot pass legislation binding a future parliament. So if the Conservatives won in 2015, given the Prime Minister's commitment to a referendum in 2017, it is unnecessary and if Labour won they currently have no commitment to a referendum anyway so it would be set aside. Either way, it looks like a fruitless exercise.
Is David Cameron going down the same road that John Major trod in the 1990s? Despite the rhetoric from supporters of yesterday's amendment saying that it shows the strength rather than weakness of the Prime Minister, that is not how it looks outside the Westminster village. Whatever your view about the EU and the need for a referendum, the Conservatives do appear to be banging on about it when they should be focussing on the economic recovery…and it that respect the Labour Party are right, a view I'm certain the Prime Minister would agree with. The vote yesterday does give the impression of a party divided over Europe…so nothing new there for those of us who remember the debates after Maastricht…but what many Conservatives appear to have forgotten is that they lost disastrously in 1997 and the impression of division played a significant role in that defeat. When governing in a coalition, political parties are not able to do everything they would like and, given Lib-Dem opposition to a referendum in this parliament, David Cameron's commitment to renegotiation and a referendum if (and it's a big 'if') he wins the next election is probably about as far as he can go.
There is no doubt that having a referendum on Europe would be popular with the public and there is a question of 'trust' in politicians over the issue. In the last twenty years, the three main political parties have all given a commitment to hold one and then reneged on the deal most noticeably on the Lisbon treaty. The critical question is whether public attitudes on this issue will be sufficient to determine the outcome of the 2015 election. The key issues for voters in past elections have been the economy, the NHS and law and order with membership of the EU not a key determinant of voting intentions. None of the elections since 1975 have been what may be called 'euro elections' so will 2015 be any different? Well possibly. The strong showing of UKIP in the local government elections and the euro elections in 2014 in which it is likely they will also do well has pushed the referendum up the political agenda. The Conservatives will include it in their election manifesto and this may persuade many UKIP voters to vote Conservative since UKIP will not win the election while the Conservatives might. This is a problem for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats as a failure to include a commitment to hold a referendum could well lose them votes. Both could argue that there is already legislation that triggers a referendum if there is a 'significant' transfer of powers to Brussels (who decides when this has taken place?) and that such a commitment is therefore unnecessary but this is unlikely to assuage those for whom a referendum has become a matter of faith.
With a more promising report on the state of the British economy yesterday from the Bank of England and the continued recession in the euro-zone, it appears that the question of the referendum is not going away. At no time since the 1970s is it more likely to take place.


text:
It appeared to be the eye of God.(8)
Today some might find the figure of the eye not with the times and too naïve to find in an apparition, like a picture from an old catechism book. But the children from Garabandal were not familiar with catechism books and were not concerned with showing themselves as being with the times. They simply described what they saw. The eye was seen as a sensible sign to inculcate in them and in us the insensible truth, the great truth that so many today want to ignore; that everything is written down . . . that we are going to have to render an account of all our actions. Everything is observed and recorded, ending in final judgment. Today free will controls the situation, but at that time, no one will escape. In the end, the Last Judgment. And complete justice for neither is there any creature invisible in His sight, but all things are naked and open to His eyes. (Heb. 4: 13)(9)
That day we talked much with the Virgin.
And she talked to us.
We told her everything . . .
«When the visionaries came to the time of the ecstasy, their faces would change expression completely. They would take a position with their faces looking upward toward the Pines: on the right, María Dolores; in the middle, Conchita and Jacinta; on the left, Mari Cruz. I was at the side of the latter. They all were holding rosaries in their hands, and they began to tell the Virgin the things that they had done. Although they spoke very low, they could be heard perfectly.
At one time María Dolores showed her teeth; later it was learned that the Virgin had mentioned that they were very pretty. After this, Conchita opened her mouth and twisted her lips in an unusual way; later it was learned that she wanted to show the Virgin a tooth that was decaying. At another time, the Virgin must have asked them about Father Valentín, since they said that, He was plain-looking, but very good. Father Valentín himself heard this as did others who were close. I myself heard them speak to the Virgin about the police guards and petition for their benefit because they protect us from the crowd and prevent them from hurting us.
With the greatest confidence they also asked the Virgin to hand her crown down to them; and she must have yielded to their desires, since we could all observe their gestures in taking in their hands something that was coming from above them, and then passing it from one to the other. Conchita dared even more. She asked the Virgin to give her one of the stars in her crown in order to put it on her head in a manner that all present might see it, and so believe the truth of the apparitions. It appeared that the Virgin answered, They will believe.» (Testimony of Don Juan Alvarez Seco)
And so these simple children of the earth were thus in intimate converse, full of familiarity, with the Queen of Heaven. For she who is a Queen is also a Mother. Mother above all! Not just a mother, but THE MOTHER. It is She who bears in herself all the right of maternity without limitation or restriction.
We can picture these simple children of the earth in their expressions, their gestures, their plain peasant clothes. But how can we conceive the appearance of the Mother and Queen from Heaven?
8. According to Police Chief Juan A. Seco, «the four visionaries, on beginning the ecstasy, shouted out together, The Virgin!»
A little while later, Conchita was heard to say, «Oh! What an eye!»
This mysterious eye must have been marked out by an especially striking light. According to the same witness, the girls appeared for the first time with tears in their eyes, showing more rigidity than before, and were very pale, «with a face of wax.» «The one who cried the most was Mari Cruz, whom a doctor grabbed by the lower jaw in order to twist her face so that she would not stare so fixedly. He was not able to accomplish this in spite of the force that he applied. I heard a crack and I feared that he had done more harm to the girl.»
9. In the Apocalypse, (1: 14) the Lord is shown with eyes like a burning flame, indicating His penetrating Divine Knowledge, which is aware of everything, even the most hidden.


text: As Farm Director, Al Pell has returned to his roots by hosting AgWeb Radio. Launched in February, AgWeb Radio includes three market reports posted each trading day. Updates are available at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and feature a deep and experienced roster of market experts who offer up-to-the-minute analysis of what's moving the commodity markets. Before joining AgDay Television in 1989, Al worked for a dozen years at WIBC Radio in Indianapolis, Ind. A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in agriculture, Al still owns and operates a 400-acre farm near Brazil, Ind.


text:
Illustrate our Vodka Bottle for/as a Mockup
Budget €30-250 EUR
We need our Bottle in a PSD mockup to use it in different pictures as presetation. with all glosy and transparent effects.
35 freelancers are bidding on average €117 for this job
Hey there! Could you provide some references for what you'd like in terms style? My process would be to do this by hand then digitize it, I would first provide you with some rough sketches for you to approve of More
Hello Thanks for posting this job. We are animation company we are giving value for clients project with excellent quality service more then 3000 jobs. Only we are promise ontime delivary with 100% client satisfact More
Hello, Kindly don't ignore our Bid before going through our portfolio. We would love to work with you on your project as we have gone through your project description and understand the job [login to view URL] are the More
Hello! I'm super-cool photoshoper and I can make really high-quality job for you. Of course I also work in other programs. I am working ONLY till full satisfaction of employer. You can see my profile and be con More
Hi, I'm very much interested to work on your [login to view URL]'s discuss about project details. Check out my portfolio to see my expertise. https://www.freelancer.com/u/Privilege52.html
Hello, I have gone through project description but I have few doubts to clear. Please message me so we can discuss and move ahead. Kind Regards, Tejal
Hi, I just checked the description you have provided regarding the project and would be a pleasure to assist you on your project. I will work with full dedication to give you the best output within the desired timef More
Hello I'm working on many types of illustration children book design, cover design, poster design and etc. check my portfolio [login to view URL] looking forward to hearing from you. kind More
Hi Boss, I'm a full round advertising artist/illustrator. Photoshop image enhancement, retouching, enlarging, redoing from 72dpi to 300dpi to utmost quality has been my best reputation. With a decade in the advertis More
Read your brief thoroughly and very interested in working on it. I create elegant and appealing experience to satisfy my clients and go the extra miles wherever needed. Portfolio: [login to view URL] More
My Goal is to producing a High Quality Work that will make my all clients 110% satisfied. I am Interested To do that Your Project Thanks. I AM ALWAYS READY FOR YOU If you want to implement your idea, then I am More
Hello, We would like to thank you for providing us the opportunity to submit our proposal in your project. We are interested to work on your project. We understand that you need Illustrate your Vodka Bottle for/ More
Thank you for considering for your graphic design needs. After learning more about the project, I'm confident that I can deliver fantastic results on time and within budget.


text:
The Alchemist – especially in its current form at the RSC – is undoubtedly one of the funniest plays I have ever seen. And although there are many factors that contribute to such a verdict – such as the stratospheric quality of Ben Jonson's wit; the exquisite timing of all the actors; the wonderful set design and lighting; the overarching production values, and its perpetually accelerating momentum – I think it is the underlying contemporaneity, the applicability to our current political travails (however weighty and dour), which contributes (maybe paradoxically) more than anything to that humorous affect. In helping us recognize our current plight – but then simultaneously, for around two-and-a-half hours, shedding light on them (even making light of them) – it enables us, temporarily, to breathe a little easier; gain a little perspective; and emerge from the theatre after going through a rather intellectually undemanding (however edifying and effective) bout of mindfulness. As Peter Ustinov once said: "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious."
Even though there were captions for last night's performance – courtesy of Beverley Ward (thank you!): some of whose music cues had the audience primed for laughter from the off… – I had finally gotten around to reading the original text. This not only reinforced my earlier admiration for Stephen Jeffreys' insightful, incisive editing of the play (and his wonderful punting of the "snurk"); but led me to read Colin Counsell's perspicacious introduction to the Drama Classics edition, which had, until now, lain idle on my bedside table.
I must admit that – even after witnessing the uproarious public understudy performance – I was astounded by the parallels Counsell elicits (although subtly; and probably unintentionally) between the 1610 period setting (and authorship) and today's world of post-truth politics. My initial reaction was plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose – but that would be to oversimplify matters.
For instance – in my mind, drawing parallels with today's 'shirker' or 'scrounger' meme (and its ever-multiplying offspring of hate crimes…) – he writes of Elizabeth I's response (the Poor Laws of 1597 and 1601) to the proliferation of "masterless men" who "wandered the countryside begging". These Acts decreed "severe punishment for 'persistent and able-bodied idlers'." That is to say, Tudor sanctions.
He also discusses "the disguises that are employed in the service of illusion and misrepresentation" – which feel painfully prescient:
But misrepresentation is not limited to the rogues, for most of the characters at some time or another present themselves misleadingly…. Misrepresentation is central not only to the play's action, but to each of its characters as well… [mirroring] the devices and conventions of theatre itself.
Discussing the pivotal rôle of Face/Jeremy, he writes that "[his] skill lies not merely in disguise, in illusion, but in tailoring illusions to fit the desires of the onlookers…". One only has to think of the way the population of the United Kingdom has been wilfully gulled into leaving the EU to realize that we always do get fooled again, no matter our supposed resolve. As Alexis Conran writes in the programme – under the title The Oldest Trick – "I'm afraid it is part of our human nature…. We are, always have been and will continue to be hooked on the idea of getting something for nothing."
Allied with such ideas is the description of "most foolish" Kastril – "the most lacking in self-knowledge". Does this sound familiar?
'Quarrelling' is for him an end in itself; the meaning of words, the reasons for any disagreement, are of no importance when compared to the image… he wishes to contrive…. In the London of The Alchemist almost everyone lies for greed's sake, and the trio of villains are distinguished only by the skill they bring to the task.
That each of this principal tripartite is so willing, at a moment's notice, to knife the others – in the front or back; or with a slash to the throat… – also, of course, has current parallels: and provides the play with a continuously interwoven thread of threat (without which, the humour would have no necessary contrast – you need light to create the shadows…).
I admit that some of these parallel interpretations are subjective and subliminal – but I also believe that the more one knows about a drama, and the social environment in which it was created (and therefore encapsulates), the more one comprehends and enjoys it (even if most of that learning, as in my case, swiftly scurries away to the dark, cobwebbed, infrequently-visited corners of my mind). Surely, this is one of the reasons we so eagerly purchase programmes?
Anyway, enough of the deep and meaningless… – back to the funny stuff…!
In some ways, there's not much to add to my original review – except, of course, that, last night, we had the 'permanent' cast. Although this added more of that insight and dark intensity, it did remove the lighter, higher moments of farce – especially when actors were doubling up on-stage, and having to talk to themselves! This performance therefore felt more developed, more nuanced (something it is nigh impossible to achieve with only one go at it, and with very little rehearsal: which is not to say that the understudies were anything other than exceptionally wonderful). Indeed, it was fascinating to see how characters (and even whole scenes) were rendered, in some cases, very differently – although, again, there is obviously a validity to each actor's interpretation and delivery.
I had expected Hywel Morgan, as Lovewit, to be in The Dirty Duck (sipping a mineral water, of course…) until the second half – but he made a wonderful storming exit just as the play started; and his return was similarly powerful. I hope I am not giving away too much to say that he almost gains the upper hand: gradually evolving from flustered, confused master of a house he doesn't quite recognize to confident and cunning master of his own, much-improved fate. Morgan's eyes twinkled with increasing brightness as he took control – his was the agency for each gull's realization that they had been duped by their own stupidity and greed; and his increasing delight at the increase in his fortunes came with huge helpings of relish and aplomb!
Ken Nwosu played Jeremy and/or Face (which came first, I wonder?) with similar great talent and enthusiasm; and a massive amount of finesse. It would be easy to render these characters as cartoonish; but along with Mark Lockyer's charismatic, moody Subtle (the eponymous "alchemist"), and Siobhan McSweeney's tantalizing, luminous Dol, this was a trio of spiky, yet assured miscreants: whose entwined relationships were always just a thin blade away from disintegrating, and where honour had very little to contribute. (Perhaps they should start a political party?) They are the pivot around which the whole plot revolves; and they played it to perfection – always knowing when to pull back to let others shine; and when to dominate the stage – which they did with consummate ease. Their changes of mood and identity were palpable: instant transformations of season and stormy weather – a fantastic core ensemble: rendered even more amazing by the fact that they were surrounded by actors of equally high calibre.
Joshua McCord (the dim-witted Dapper) – as he has done all season, in both Doctor Faustus and Don Quixote – proved what great timing he possesses; as well as great versatility. The same can be said for Richard Leeming (Abel Drugger) – there is a lot going on behind that cheeky, boyish smile: a nascent charisma that I think has the potential to be very special indeed.
Timothy Speyer (almost unrecognizable behind a mass of tangled hairs as Tribulation Wholesome) and John Cummins (probably my favourite of this year's outstanding core Swan cohort – here, as Ananias) made a superb, quarrelsome pair of protesting Dutch Protestants – for some reason, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau came to mind… – although I must admit to slightly missing Will Bliss' canny, split-personality playing of both halves: as he did in the understudy tour de force.
Tom McCall, as Kastril – "He's not a gentleman, he's a very angry boy!" – was simply bonkers (in the best meaning of the word); demonstrating a wonderful contrast to his portrayal of the spiteful Benvolio in Faustus. Rosa Robson – another key member of the gifted Swan company – as his sister, Dame Pliant, was equally amusing: just not quite as insane!
Tim Samuels (Sir Pertinax Surly) was demonstrably as gruff and sardonic as his name would imply – but his transformation into a supposed jolly Spanish nobleman was quite remarkable. Superb character acting – demonstrating the skill that made him so memorable in The Merchant of Venice. But the night – just by the teensiest of margins – belonged to Ian Redford as Sir Epicure Mammon. A gigantic, red-faced, bumbling, faux-sophisticated, swaggering, almost Dickensian fool rendered in Glorious Technicolor and Stereophonic Sound. Simply magnificent! I even felt sad, as he left the stage, relieved of his possessions and false beliefs. He encapsulated the credulity we are all so easily lulled into in a way that was both charming and alarming: a warning to us all to look before leaping.
Seriously (if you see what I mean), this is not to be missed. On only for another four weeks in Stratford-upon-Avon – so grab your tickets (I have two more visits) whilst you can. Oh, and don't worry about looking for those murky undertones – just sit back and have the time of your laugh, er, life…. Wonderfully good medicine!
The sickness hot, a master quit, for fear,
His house in town: and one servant left there.
Ease him corrupted, and gave means to know
A cheater, and his punk; who, now brought low,
Leaving their narrow practice, were become
Coz'ners at large: and only wanting some
House to set up, with him they here contract,
Each for a share, and all begin to act.
Much company they draw, and much abuse,
In casting figures, telling fortunes, news,
Selling of flies, flat bawdry, with the stone:
Till it, and they, and all in fume are gone.


text:
A weak plot and the weak voice and limited dancing abilities of the teen Miho Nakamichi (Tomoyo Harada) constrain this story about a young woman looking for her father. A Kyushu ceramist, whom Miho first suspects of sending her flowers on her birthdays, accompanies her on the search for her father -- a search which is eventually successful. Once that mystery has been cleared up, Miho goes back to her auditions -- and the credibility of the...more
All Aijo Monogatari cast + crew photos
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2019 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
Margaret Widdemer
Margaret Widdemer (1884-1978 / United States)
Margaret Widdemer Poems
- If You Should Tire Of Loving M... If you should tire of loving ...
- Irish Love Song Well, if the thing is over, better it is for ...
- Old Books THE people up and down the world that talk and ...
- The Dark Cavalier I am the Dark Cavalier; I am the Last ...
- To A Young Girl At A Window THE Poor Old Soul plods down the ...
- Certainties WHETHER you live by hut or throne Whether your ...
- To Youth After Pain What if this year has given Grief that ...
Click here to add this poet to your My Favorite Poets.
Comments about Margaret Widdemer
Best Poem of Margaret Widdemer
If You Should Tire Of Loving Me
If you should tire of loving me
Some one of our far days,
Oh, never start to hide your heart
Or cover thought with praise.
For every word you would not say
Be sure my heart has heard,
So go from me all silently
Without a kiss or word;
For God must give you happiness,
And Oh, it may befall
In listening long to Heaven-song
I may not care at all!
PoemHunter.com Updates
Check out
Classic Poets
Footsteps of Angels
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A Song About Myself
John Keats
A Very Short Song
Dorothy Parker


text:
Offering a valuable service with over 40 years experience. Our family business is dedicated to providing the service expected in one of the most important transactions, the sale of your home. Let us assist you in not only the sale of your home but our services will extend to assisting you with the purchase of your next home or investment.
The Brian Truran Real Estate - Norwood (RLA 173854) Team
Our Properties
The property lists contain all properties Brian Truran Real Estate - Norwood (RLA 173854) have sold and listed on realestate.com.au.
It may not contain off-market and private listings, properties with unknown sold dates and listings that may be exclusively listed on other websites.


text:
Panasonic LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S Lens (PAN-HNS043E)
Panasonic LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S Lens (PAN-HNS043E)
This Lens is a Leica badged Panasonic Lens that is so tac sharp it hurts, this really is an excellent value lens for the money and is out of the much renowned LEICA stable of lenses. This lens would work great with the NEW Panasonic DMC-GH4 Digital SLR 4K Camera!!
- Focal Length: f=42.5mm (35mm camera equivalent 85mm)
- Mount: Micro Four Thirds mount
- Optical Image Stabilizer: Yes (POWER O.I.S.)
- Maximum Aperture: F1.2
- Minimum Aperture: F16
- Nano Surface Coating: Yes
- Aperture Type: 9 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
- Closest Focusing Distance: 0.5m / 1.64ft
- Maximum magnification: Approx. 0.1x / 0.2x (35mm camera equivalent)
- Filter Size: φ67mm / 2.64 in
- Max. Diameter: φ74mm / 2.91 in
- Overall Length: Approx. 76.8mm / 3.02 in
(from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)
- Weight: Approx. 425g / 15.04oz
(excluding lens cap, lens rear cap and lens hood)
What's in the box?
- Lens
- Lens cap
- Lens hood
- Lens rear cap
- Lens storage bag