#Major de Galvan

[thelaurenshippen]

okay, so, I tried to attend the virtual SAG meeting on saturday to ask some of my questions but it was literally full - I did not know that could happen virtually. but it's amazing, I love that the membership is SO galvanized.

that said, I have watched the in-person meetings for both LA and NY (both of which are, uh, 4 hours long thank god for 2x speed on youtube). the wonderful actors in attendance (including some real life pals!) asked all my questions and more. I took some notes on the SAG presentation (only the LA one - I didn't watch the NY presentation, just the Q&A) but I'm assuming it was larger the same) and the answers from the Q&A that I thought were particularly interesting.

I'm making a new post because my original post got so long, but I'm going to link this with a small summary in a reblog as well, because I think it's important to see how my thinking has shifted as I've gotten more information. (also, on that original post, I've seen some folks be like 'I'm not an actor or a sag member, but I think you should vote yes'...lovingly, please stop. share the post! share your thoughts! but please don't try to pressure a vote on a contract you have no material investment in).

anyway, let's get into it:

the presentation

nothing really revelatory here, but there were a few points that Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (the chief negotiator and a lawyer) brought up that I thought were really interesting:

if you wanted to make your own digital replica or have one made with a third party contract, you could then license that under the same consent rules as if the company did the scan. my brain immediately latched onto this because I think there is a lot of very interesting ramifications for someone making their own replica and then making an argument that the company needs to license that replica instead of scanning them. I don't think this is something that's really going to happen in a major way in this contract period but an actor having and controlling their own replica and making companies pay for it is genuinely very cool if I'm understanding it correctly.

he did mention that the dubbing issue with alteration was more about companies being able to hire an actor to dub in a foreign language and then alter the actor's mouth to match the dialogue, so presumably would not be a threat to dubbers. I don't know that the companies are required to hire a voice actor for this, but that was at least good to hear.

the whole thing about synthetic performers...Duncan really made some interesting points around this. in the Q&A, he basically echoed the point that I made in my original point that this doesn't actually have to do with actors at all, but he saw the inclusion of it as a good thing. synthetics have nothing to do with actor employment, but duncan argued that by putting it in here, we're forcing the studios to acknowledge that synthetics are horning in on our territory and it seems that the union will work to de-incentivize the use of synthetics by making it more expensive than hiring an actor (really hoping the MOA provides more clarity on this)

studios will meet with SAG twice a year to talk about AI stuff

he confirmed that studios have to hire background actors and if they use their digital replicas (which the background actors have to consent to) those actors have to be paid for their replicas work.

he made the argument that there are a lot of things, like consent to replicas, that are conditions of employment: salary, relocation, nudity, etc. and that's true, certainly, but this is still something we're going to have to keep close eyes on IMO.

there's a provision that actors have to be given notice for scenes that may be triggering to film! cool!

the Q&A

this is just a sampling of the many wonderful questions that were asked - if you're a member, I highly recommend you watch both of the livestreams and future meetings.

I didn't know this but there's a legal framework for minors to disavow contracts when they're 18, so this would allow minors to rescind their consent of their digital replicas. good!

someone pointed out that SAG could notify the membership about a company using synethics (which they have to notify SAG) about and use the membership/public to pressure the studios or boycott the use of synthetics. SAG confirmed that there's nothing to prevent SAG from telling us and letting us galvanize the public.

duncan reminded everyone that companies rely on copyright to make money and currently AI cannot legally by copyrighted, which will de-incentivize studios from leaning on it.

companies can only use digital replica in projects they've contracted, they cannot sell them to third party, which includes non-identifiable data. this was a great question and it's awesome to hear that the companies cannot do anything with any of the replica data, anonymized or not, without your consent.

there is so much likeness legislature out there already (you own your likeness, etc.), so these things just bolster those

a company choosing to hire someone else because you won't consent to scanning is not retaliation but being replaced during the course of your employment because of not consenting is and you could take action against that studio. and remember, they have to ask for your consent on specific things, so you would be giving your consent throughout presumably.

someone asked about loopholes with generative AI, and SAG emphasized that any resemblance to a real actor kicks it from synthetic into digital replicas and the actor would have to consent/be paid

background actors seem divided - in some ways they've gotten major gains and in others, they're very worried about being replaced because they don't want to be scanned.

they did fight for union consent to use of generative AI, and the studios are seemingly never going to give that

there was a question about studios scanning non-union actors and creating digital replicas and just using those instead; if I understood correctly (which I'm not sure I did), the studios would not be able to do that under this contract - all the digital replica terms would apply to any replica done, union or not.

my thoughts

I have all the same concerns as I expressed in my original post, but I do think that these meetings reassured me that SAG has the best intentions. I have been very vocal about my criticism of SAG (specifically how they approached podcasting, my main art form) so I don't have rose-colored glasses here. I have also seen them really improve on those areas of criticism in the past several years and I think we always have to keep in mind that we'll be back at the negotiations in two and a half years. I do think SAG is doing the best they can.

I also think it's important to always assume that the studios have the worst intentions. they're going to violate this contract if it's ratified and accept their fine/slap on the wrist/do not work orders and then violate the contract again. they're going to find loopholes to save money and behave badly. no contract in the world could prevent those things from happening. SAG is not great at enforcing these violations but no contract is going to fix that.

it has always been important for actors to rely on their agents, lawyers, and union for support and reporting violations and that's going to be more important than ever under this contract. it's also going to be so important for the famous and wealthy actors to sue the studios when there's particularly bad behavior on the AI stuff.

it's also going to be really important for you guys - the audience, the subscribers - to fully reject any and all use of synthetic performers. public pressure will be the way we keep acting alive as a profession and art form.

but here's where I'm at: I'm leaning toward yes. "but lauren, you had so many concerns! you think that this contract is an existential threat to acting!" yeah, I know. I'm still there, but I'm also leaning yes. I believe SAG when they say we're not going to get a better deal. I think even if we did go back on strike, we're losing public support and support from other unions - actors barely have leverage to begin with (which is why SAG contracts have historically not been great) and I don't foresee us gaining more over the next 6 months.

so I don't think we're going to get a better deal and I also agree that it's better to have some protections in place instead of nothing. ultimately, it comes down to the fact that my issues with the contract have a lot to do with that existential threat and the icky feeling that I get thinking about signing a contract that suggests at times that actors are meat puppets.

if this was a contract I was looking at as an individual, I would not sign it, plain and simple. but collective bargaining is a different thing. this contract unarguably gives actors more protection against AI than they currently have. we will get to renegotiate again in less than three years and this is a much better place to start from, especially considering how much AI will grow and change in the next few years. if we have to go on strike again, we will, and we'll be armed with a better contract and more knowledge, especially since we'll be able to see how studios behave within this contract.

I completely understand why people want to vote no. I would never presume to tell someone how I think they should vote - follow your conscience. I personally will not be voting until I've had time to review the MOA (memorandum of agreement) and I would encourage everyone to read the full contract before deciding how to vote.

tldr: I am leaning toward voting yes because my pragmatic brain is winning out - as someone who has experience negotiating with major studios as an individual, I know that SAG is telling the truth when they say this is likely as good as its able to get. this is the first battle in a war of AI and we can either live to fight another day or not. I think this contract will help us live, even if it isn't an out-and-out victory.

[bug-the-chicken-nug]

me who hasn't engaged in ben 10 stuff in like, Forever, suddenly really invested in thinking about an Anodite Ben AU...

Despite only half-remembering huge swaths of canon and barely knowing shit about Omniverse:

why am i like this....

Like for me, the main point of interest is that it's not Gwen 10. Ben actually still has the Omnitrix here too, but that doesn't really make him brokenly strong all the time.

Part of it is that it *kinda* does, but the AU has like a Mob Psycho 100 approach to power, and a kind of "if great power comes with great responsibility, then overwhelming power leads to overwhelming responsibility" vibe, and part of it is that these two aspects of him don't perfectly mesh, nor are they wholly separate.

They cross-interact and affect one another, and not always in ways that are positive.

Like I imagine that here, it's only *because* of latent spark potential that Ben is even compatible with the Omnitrix

Azmuth meets him, goes "hmmm" for a second, recalls what "humans" are, and then flatly goes "Huh. You should be dead. And not even able to wear that in the first place."

Because there was a major flaw in the Omnitrix, where its transformations are too extreme and abrupt, killing any being that can't handle such a huge surge of energy and metabolic strain.

By extension, the limited aliens it lets Ben choose between were only somewhat up to chance. They're generally so self-evidently exceptional in some way because what you can actually turn into is still bottlenecked by the requirement that it can survive *de-transformation.*

Which *usually* means something already adapted to handle a high energy throughput and metabolic load, because it was necessary to be able to support its own flashy, fast-acting, high-energy biological abilities.

Azmuth knew this and programmed a stopgap safety feature where it's just not even supposed to work at all if it senses that you can't biologically handle it.

(Cue some joke quips about how the hell Galvans count, but Azmuth defensively explains how making such a tiny brain so powerful actually requires a very resilient and high-energy nervous system)

I also imagine that Ben's Anodite energy is green, but only because of the Omnitrix.

Like here, the Omnitrix's source of mass and energy is from a stabilized micro-wormhole inside of it, leading to an artificial dwarf star that it draws from.... Which happens to be green, as a quirk of how its artificial nature and surrounding energy collection system affects its color.

When Ben was first exposed to the energy of the Omnitrix, his body instinctively "attuned" itself to it to better handle it, and now preferentially channels the energy his Anodite powers use from there.

(If this sounds kinda like a Certain Something to you... Yeah, I Know :)))). )

This also interferes with Ben's skill in other kinds of magic beyond just light, heat, and manipulating raw mana constructs, because this preferential attunement leaves his power "biased", throwing off how well he can manipulate other forces and phenomena.

While it is possible to "reconfigure" your attunement, for now Ben simply isn't experienced enough to pull it off.

Still, now that he's attuned, his Anodite powers don't actually care how far away the Omnitrix or the star get, so this is permanent, and he doesn't need the watch to keep his Anodite powers.

However, it does make the watch register a much higher power draw whenever he uses magic and a transformation at the same time, shortening the time limits on transforming, or in some cases immediately turning him back to normal afterwards.

Meanwhile, Anodite powers in human form are fine, since the watch isn't acting as any sort of "middle man" in these situations. Ben is just independently lifting power from the star without the watch's say in the matter. He just learns the hard way that you don't try to use magic directly *on* the watch in the hopes of somehow enhancing it or refreshing the transformation timer.

Even though it's virtually impossible for an Omnitrix's user to ever "use the star up", and it could handle even millions of years of heavy power extraction, its limitations are so as not to overwhelm the *user* with this power.

With the Master Code basically being the "No thanks, I don't care, I know what I'm doing" function.

Also, I would just remove the "too much power instantly gives inexperienced Anodites megalomania" thing.

It's not that I hate that choice, but simply that I feel like there's more angst potential + more subtlety and layers to exploring the moral nuance without it. This way, I remove the implication of "If you give into it, it's not exactly your fault, it's just Fundamentally hard to resist in a Special Way".

Kind of like how in Mob Psycho, it's not that psychic powers are inherently corrupting, it's merely that they're fun, convenient, often emotionally liberating to use, and sometimes hard to control, and that's more than dangerous enough.

Also because I think it'd be more fun to do an arc where Ben temporarily can't have a "civilian" life at all and straight up *doesn't know how* to be human again.

Combined with making Ben neurodivergent and then using this metaphorically to further back up and embolden his actual neurodivergence, mixing real struggles with larger-than-life ones.

From here, I think I'd prefer to replace the megalomania with the act of channeling too much power simply sending you into sensory overload, and in Ben's case, potentially leading to him having meltdowns.

(If I said anything totally off base, or accidentally presented any info that's already canon as a supposedly original component of the AU , forgive me)

[kyomunosaki]

Random thoughts on G-Witch

Honestly I really loved the whole run of G-Witch, but I wish it didn't de-fang some of the stuff it seemed to directly draw inspiration from, namely Universal Century's Anaheim Electronics and Armored Core: For Answer. I don't really know how to put it in my opening here, but I just wish they made it more of a compelling social commentary if they're going to be dealing in a corpo setting.

Spoilers obviously, and it's just mostly rambling on my part. Please don't take my opinions too seriously, they're just opinions.

I don't want to devalue the cool stuff it does with Utena homages with the Holder system and all, plus the really sad but heartfelt parts where the main two question their sexuality or whatever, that stuff's pretty good. But a lot of the Asticassia-related stuff just feels like a much safer, less interesting way of tackling the whole MS testing/selling idea compared to Anaheim Electronics. The difference between testing your suits through the OYW versus rich kids with no legitimate stakes other than more wealth is something to me, especially with the original metaphor and how it extends into later sequels, spinoffs, and fanfiction like Unicorn. I know this alone is petty, and maybe it is even with my other points. Still feel like it says nothing, while mostly just existing to support a different portion of the show, when it could potentially be a narrative about both.

I want to bring up that a lot of stuff like Peil Technologies and it's influence into the Space Assembly League is lifted seemingly directly from Armored Core: For Answer's Omer Technologies and League of Ruling Companies. Peil even galvanizes scientists from Vanadis Institute similar to Rayleonard! (There wasn't a good place to do it, but I feel like I need to mention how they got Wataru Inaba to design Peil's mobile suits, since he also did Rosenthal! The depth of the homages kinda go crazy.) Even with major elements of the show being taken wholesale from something that actually asks significant questions about the same topics G-Witch does (even has a "fuck them all ending"), I find that it fails to deliver by instead being one about bad actors and something about traumatized rich people leading to injustices, rather than critiquing the systems that allow that to occur.

This is just a guess, but I felt that in the show they originally planned to play with POV more. There are some bits in the first cour that are framed to be fun school club activities, but if you even think about it for a second they're a branch of a megacorporation advertising a war machine in a family friendly way to promote, medicine? Alongside the primary characters all being from prosperous backgrounds in a world that's run amuck with inequality, and the character framed as a villain who's seen as a hero to those on Earth, something interesting could've been done here! Two major events related to this happen, but quickly get glossed over due to some SEED-level MacGuffin spawning during the last portion of the show.

Thanks Rau.

One thing to note is that by the end, while Prospera gets to retire, Shaddiq just drew the wrong card in Monopoly. I would normally take this more in good-faith, but the framing of it just felt extremely wrong to me. It's taken more as a fact of the system, rather than something that can be fixed through stuff like action and education. But yeah, take this with a grain of salt since it's just my read on it.

Overall while the queer stuff in G-Witch is genuinely amazing, I do find the other social inequality stuff just completely lacking. It makes me wonder why they even included it outside of having the Utena stuff on a not!Aneheim colony through some Raven arena ranking system. I have a theory that some staffer, say Ookouchi, simply likes these works (check what he's worked on for example), but I really wish it paid homage to them by actually utilizing them.

I'm really hoping they make more anime in the Ad Stella timeline, since I think it has potential to be some of the most interesting Gundam stuff ever, especially since this sort of stuff doesn't get discussed in the series all too much. It's also the closest I'll get to any sort of Armored Core anime. Next time BL tho.

[beardedmrbean]

An activist group that has categorized conservative and Christian organizations as "hate groups" was slammed for blaming the police when one of its own staffers was charged with domestic terrorism in Atlanta’s "Cop City" clash.

The Southern Poverty Law Center exposed its political bias in its public response to the arrest of its attorney Thomas Jurgens in a press release that described the law enforcement response as "heavy handed," said Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

"The SPLC’s press release immediately does exactly what you shouldn't do if you're a neutral and detached organization and not a police-hating, capitalist-hating, hate monger group," Stimson told Fox News Digital.

"They should have said, 'We understand that one of our employees was arrested, and we will respect the legal process. And we'll let that legal process play out.'"

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER LAWYER ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC TERRORISM AMID ATLANTA 'COP CITY' ATTACK

The SPLC released its press statement Monday evening, one day after the attorney and 22 others were arrested, saying Jurgens, who wasn't named, identified himself as a "legal observer on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild." The SPLC added that Jurgens’ arrest "is not evidence of any crime but of heavy-handed law enforcement intervention against protesters."

"This is part of a months-long escalation of policing tactics against protesters and observers who oppose the destruction of the Weelaunee Forest to build a police training facility," the statement added. "The SPLC has and will continue to urge de-escalation of violence and police use of force against Black, Brown and Indigenous communities, working in partnership with these communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people."

Jurgens was released on bail Tuesday, the SPLC said in a second press release Tuesday evening. 

"We are pleased that the DeKalb County assistant district attorney (ADA) agreed to a consent bond for Tom Jurgens," SPLC President and CEO Margaret Huang said in the press release. "As we previously stated, Tom was performing a public service, documenting potential violations of protesters’ rights. We are outraged that police officers present at the protest refused to acknowledge Tom’s role as a legal observer and instead chose to arrest him. We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate he was a peaceful legal observer."

Police said "a group of violent agitators used the cover of a peaceful protest of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to conduct a coordinated attack on construction equipment and police officers."

Jurgens was one of 23 people charged with domestic terrorism Monday after violence broke out in the city over the planned construction of a police training facility dubbed by its detractors as "Cop City." Protesters lobbed fireworks, bricks and Molotov cocktails at police officers Sunday and set a bulldozer and other equipment on fire, videos of the scene show. 

Stimson said that if such an incident played out where an employee of a "major organization" was arrested and charged with domestic terrorism, that company would come out with a statement saying, "We don't discuss personnel matters, and we'll let the legal process play itself out."

GEORGIA AG DEFENDS DOMESTIC TERRORISM CHARGES FOR ATLANTA ‘COP CITY' PROTESTERS

Left-wing protesters have been pushing back against the planned police training facility since 2021, when Atlanta first approved building the $90 million complex by moving into the woods where the facility will be located.

The planned construction has since galvanized both environmentalists and anti-police groups to stand together to try to shut the project down. Environmentalists say the 85-acre complex will destroy the South River Forest, while anti-police activists say the complex would promote the militarization of the police department.

Protests at "Cop City" previously hit a fever pitch in January, when a state trooper shot and killed an environmental activist named Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, who reportedly went by the name Tortuguita and identified as nonbinary. Teran was shot after allegedly refusing demands from authorities and firing a gun at state troopers. One trooper who was wearing a protective vest was shot in the abdomen and injured.

The violence on Sunday came after protesters announced they would carry out a "week of action" against the complex, which will include an amphitheater, classrooms and training areas for police to carry out simulated crime situations, such as shootouts.

The arrest and charge against Jurgens have set off a firestorm of criticism against the SPLC on social media by critics and conservatives. The SPLC has repeatedly come under fire in recent years for designating mainstream conservative and Christian organizations as "hate groups," putting them on a list alongside organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. 

Critics are now asking if the organization will officially list itself as a "hate group" after Jurgens’ charge. 

Stimson pointed to how the SPLC designated the Family Research Council, a Christian nonprofit that promotes traditional family values, as a hate group. In 2012, a man with a gun walked into the organization’s headquarters and attempted to "kill as many people as possible," according to prosecutors. The man later told the FBI he did so because the SPLC listed the nonprofit as an anti-gay group on its hate map. 

Stimson said the SPLC posted a "wishy-washy statement" soon after the attack but never removed the Family Research Council from the so-called hate map, while a violent group such as Antifa is not on the map. 

CHRISTIAN NONPROFIT FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL REMAINS ON SPLC'S 'HATE MAP' 10 YEARS AFTER TERRORIST ATTACK

Stimson added that if the shoe were on the other foot and a right-wing protester was arrested and charged with domestic terrorism, the U.S. would be looking at a media "frenzy."

"If this was a Heritage employee or somebody who was a staffer for Sen. [Ted] Cruz," Stimson said, "the mainstream media would be in a frenzy. It would be on the news 24/7, above the fold of every major newspaper, a ‘See, we told you' sort of a confirmation bias story over and over and over again."

When asked for comment on Stimson's remarks and social media calls for the SPLC to designate itself a hate group, the SPLC directed Fox News Digital to its second press release in which Huang highlighted that the left-wing group is "respectedfor tracking and exposing far-right extremism and hate."

"Extremists will exploit any opportunity to criticize us because we are committed to exposing their hateful ideology," Huang said. "We will continueto expose and take on the most extreme, racist actors in our country and to defend the rights of all people — including protesters — to express themselves peacefully. Challenging far-right extremists is critical to our charge to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people."

[chemanalystdata]

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Bossa Nova Bass Lines (1/2)Best Sheet Music download from our Library.The Bass LineBest Sheet Music download from our Library.Bossa Nova Classics

Bossa Nova Bass Lines (1/2)

In Brazil, the word bossa is old-fashioned slang for something done with particular charm, natural flair or innate ability. As early as 1932, Noel Rosa used the word in a samba: "O samba, a prontidão e outras bossas são nossas coisas, são coisas nossas." ("Samba, readiness and other bossas are our things, are things from us.") The phrase bossa nova means literally "new trend" or "new wave" in Portuguese. To read more about the history of the Bossa Nova, please refer to the Wikipedia. In order to explain in a documented way the function of the bass in this style, we must make a brief comment on its origin: Bossa Nova was born in the '50s, from the fusion of Brazilian music with Jazz, and it spread and consolidating in the following two decades, even attracting the attention of numerous musicians from other cultures. One of the major innovations of bossa nova was the way to synthesize the rhythm of samba on the classical guitar. According to musicologist Gilberto Mendes, the bossa nova was one of the "three rhythmic phases of samba", in which the "bossa beat" had been extracted by João Gilberto from the traditional samba. The synthesis performed by Gilberto's guitar was a reduction of the "batucada" of samba, a stylization produced from one of the percussion instruments: the thumb stylized a surdo (1); the index, middle and ring fingers phrased like a tamborim. In line with this thesis, musicians such as Baden Powell, Roberto Menescal, and Ronaldo Bôscoli also understand the bossa nova beat as being extracted from the tamborim play in the bateria. They have also “played” with Bossa Nova from Ella Fitzgerald to Estopa, through Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Sting, etc. (1) The surdo is a bass drum or a large floor tom-like drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, such as Axé/Samba-reggae and samba, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section. The instrument was created by Alcebíades Barcelos during the 1920s and 1930s as part of his work with the first samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Deixa Falar. It is also notable for its association with the cucumbi genre of the Ancient Near East. Surdo sizes normally vary between 40 cm (16 in) and 65 cm (26 in) diameter, with some as large as 73 cm (29 in). In Rio de Janeiro, surdos are generally 60 cm (24 in) deep. Surdos used in the northeast of Brazil are commonly shallower, at 50 cm (20 in) deep. Surdos may have shells of wood, galvanized steel, or aluminum. Heads may be goatskin or plastic. A Rio bateria will commonly use surdos that have skinheads (for rich tone) and aluminum shells (for lower weight). Surdos are worn from a waist belt or shoulder strap, oriented with the heads roughly horizontal. The bottom head is not played. Surdo drummers beat the drums using hard or soft mallets. Although there is a free fusion between the two styles, what has apparently happened is that Brazilian musicians have taken advantage of the harmonic and melodic richness of jazz to use it over their own native rhythms, which are already rich enough. Despite this, Bossa Nova is not “Jazz with a Bossa rhythm”, but rather it has its own harmonic and melodic personality, although it is fueled by Jazz. Some scholars of this genre claim that the rhythm of Bossa Nova is the same as Samba, but slower. Without trying to determine one thing or another, what can be seen is that both rhythms are significantly similar, but with a difference in speed. Samba is the Brazilian rhythm par excellence, and perhaps the main representative of the country's folklore. But the important thing, in our case, is the instrumental formation with which this style was originally performed: the Escola do Samba.

The Bass Line

In this formation there is no bass, it is composed only of percussion and wind instruments, so what we try to do is fulfill the function of the surdo player.

The "surdo" of a percussion instrument, the largest in the “school”, and the one with the deepest sound. In Bossa Nova, and also in Samba, (only at different speeds), the "surdo" plays this rhythmic pattern:

As we see, the pattern is composed of a dotted quarter note, followed by an eighth note, and this formula is repeated successively. But apart from the duration, there is a very important difference between these two blows.

To hit the surdo head, it is common for the player to use a piece of hose instead of a stick (yes, common irrigation hose), well, to play the dotted quarter note, the player simply hits the head, but to play the eighth note, you do it with your other hand resting on the head. This results in a completely dull sound, more similar to hitting a piece of wood than a head. This expression is what we should try to imitate. To do so, we must mainly control the volume (finger pressure) with which we play each note:

On the other hand, playing the dotted quarter note as a “normal” note, and the “muted” eighth note, will give even more similarity to the surdo sound. To play a muted note, we will rest our finger in the same place where the normal note would go, but without actually pressing the string, or rather, pressing it so gently that we do not come to rest it on the fretboard (the fretboard is the part of wood where the frets sink). The degree of “muting” of this eighth note is different depending on the player, some bassists play it completely muted, and others hardly mute it, although they do play it much shorter and softer. So that you can practice this rhythm and the muting of notes, we have prepared a simple exercise.

In this first installment, we will not go into more complex fingerings, and we will always use finger 1 for the first note and 3 or 4 for the second. In this exercise the important thing is the rhythm, and trying to get the correct accentuation for the notes (stronger and softer). Regarding the second note, we can use finger 3 or 4 interchangeably, since it is a type of position that allows it. If you are used to using finger 4, you will find it more comfortable, otherwise, you can use finger 3 without problems.

To listen: One of the best ways to learn to play a style is by imitating those who do it well, it is difficult to determine who does it well and who does it badly, but it is good to keep in mind that the main distribution of Brazilian music that is has made in the world comes, curiously, from two countries: Brazil and the United States. Thus, it could be said, or rather, it is openly said, that there is a more “American” (North American) way and a more Brazilian way of playing Bossa Nova. This difference is impossible to describe, but we will notice it when we listen to it, especially in the drums. Taking this into account, it is interesting to listen to authors and performers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, perhaps the main exponent. Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Eumir Deodato, Baden Powell, Artrud Gilberto. In more recent years, Brazilian musicians such as Djavan or Gilberto Gil have also played this style a lot. In the field of Jazz it is also common to find Bossa Nova performed by North American musicians, although there may not be an exclusive interpreter of this style, almost all Jazz musicians have at some point played songs such as “Chica de Ipanema”, “Blue Bossa”. ", "The Shadows of Your Smile", "Desafinado", "Black Orpheus", etc. Below we show the same score with tablature for electric bass.

Bossa Nova Classics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm3zaDcJ34E Vocals: Laura Vall Guitar: David Irelan Drums/Percussion: Mike Papagni Bass: Thomas Hjorth Video edited by Laura Vall and Thomas Hjorth Audio mixing and mastering by Laura Vall at Freya's Garden Studios, Joshua Tree, CA. SONG LIST 00:00 - Samba Em Preludio 04:50 - Tarde Em Itapoã 10:00 - Tristeza 14:17 - Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar 18:33 - Aquarela Do Brasil 23:14 - Tuyo 26:22 - Upa Neguinho 28:55 - Once I Loved 34:25 - Fotografia 37:40 - Berimbau Read the full article

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⚔️ The Surprising History of Mexico's Cinco de Mayo

The Battle of Puebla: The Origins of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a widely celebrated holiday, but many people are unaware of its true historical origins. On the 5th of May, 1862, in the Batalla de Puebla (Battle of Puebla), 4,000 poorly-equipped Mexican Army troops led by General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated 6,000 soldiers of the powerful Second French Empire led by General Charles de Lorencez.

This unexpected victory was a major morale boost for the Mexican people. It galvanized resistance against the European invaders, who six years later grew weary of the fight and withdrew.

Puebla de Los Ángeles, the site of General Zaragoza’s historic victory, was renamed in his honor as Puebla de Zaragoza. Sadly, this courageous hero didn't live to see the French withdraw from his country. General Zaragoza died of typhoid fever at age 33 just four months after the Battle of Puebla.

Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of this battle as Cinco de Mayo. The city of Puebla marks the event with dramatic battle reenactments and exuberant fiestas which feature Mariachi bands, piñatas, festive food and beverages, and all sorts of activities that celebrate Mexican culture and heritage.

The Battle of Puebla was part of the larger Mexican-French War, which began in 1861 when the Mexican government defaulted on debt payments to European nations. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent military forces to Veracruz to demand repayment. Britain and Spain quickly negotiated settlements, but France, under the leadership of Napoleon III, had an ulterior motive in sailing to Veracruz – to invade and conquer Mexico.

The French army, which was considered to be one of the most formidable military forces in the world at the time, marched toward Mexico City. However, half-way there, they encountered unexpected resistance from General Ignacio Zaragoza’s forces at the city of Puebla. Despite being outnumbered, the Mexican Army was able to defeat the French Army in the ensuing battle, delivering a significant blow to Napoleon's ambitions.

While the Battle of Puebla was ultimately a temporary setback for the French, it became a symbol of Mexican resistance and resilience. Cinco de Mayo commemorates this historic victory as a symbol of Mexican pride and resilience in the face of adversity.

Why Cinco de Mayo is Not Mexico's Independence Day

Many people in the United States mistakenly assume that Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's independence. Mexico's actual Independence Day, however, is September 16th. On that day in 1810, Miguel Hidalgo declared independence from "bad government" in the town of Dolores, Guanajuato.

This event, known as Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) is commemorated every year on September 16th as Mexico's Independence Day. This story didn’t end well for Hidalgo, though. The Spanish authorities eventually captured and executed him by firing squad on July 31, 1811.

The confusion as to the significance of the Cinco de Mayo holiday likely stems from the fact that the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the US has evolved from a commemoration of the Batalla de Puebla to become widely observed as a celebration of Mexican-American culture and heritage.

However, it's important to understand the true historical significance of the holiday and not confuse it with another historical milestone, Mexico's Independence Day, whose Grito de Dolores occurred over 50 years prior to Cinco de Mayo’s Batalla de Puebla.

How Cinco de Mayo Came To Be Celebrated in US, too

Cinco de Mayo has become a widely celebrated event in the US. While the holiday holds significant cultural and historical importance in Mexico, its popularity in the US has evolved and grown over time to become a grand celebration of Mexican-American culture.

The origins of Cinco de Mayo's prominence in the US can be traced back to the 1860s, when the American public sympathized with Mexico's struggle against French occupation. As Mexican-American communities grew in the late 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in regions with large Mexican-American populations such as California and the Southwest, so did the people’s desire to preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage.

In 1933, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated the "Good Neighbor Policy" to foster better relations with Latin American countries. This raised awareness of the holiday in America even further.

The 1960s Chicano Rights movement, which galvanized Mexican-American activists during the American Civil Rights movement, vigorously embraced Cinco de Mayo. Localities with strong Mexican communities held parades in the 1960s and 70s that utilized the holiday to salute their cultural heritage.

In the years and decades that followed, Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the US began to take on a more commercial and festive nature, with the emergence of more extravagant parades, parties, fiestas, piñatas, musical events, and widespread consumption of Mexican food and beverages, such as tacos, enchiladas, chili peppers, avocados, guacamole, margaritas, tequila, and cerveza (beer).

Mole de poblano is the unofficial traditional food of Cinco de Mayo. Legend has it that a convent of nuns invented the reddish-brown sauce in the 1600s. The concoction is a complex mix that includes chilis, spices, seeds, nuts, and a touch of chocolate.

The largest annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in the US is probably the one that’s held in Los Angeles. Major celebrations also occur in Albuquerque, Austin, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, and Washington, DC.

The Mexican breed of dogs named for the state of Chihuahua race against each other in Washington DC's Running of the Chihuahuas. This event, which includes a costume contest, donates entry fees to the Rural Dog Rescue organization.

Today, Cinco de Mayo’s transformation from its roots as a celebration of a Mexican military victory into a modern celebration of Mexican-American identity, heritage, and contributions to American society reflects the growing influence and integration of Mexican-American culture into the broader American fabric.

The holiday has become a vibrant expression of the rich cultural exchange between the US and Mexico and a way for people of all backgrounds to appreciate and engage with Mexican-American culture. In this way, Cinco de Mayo fosters cultural diversity, cross-cultural understanding, and strong bonds between the two nations.

The Modern Significance of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo holds a unique place in the hearts of Mexicans as a symbol of the nation’s pride and resilience. The holiday highlights the country's determination in the face of adversity. Today, Cinco de Mayo is observed not only in Mexico and the US, but also by people of Mexican descent around the world and others who wish to honor Mexican culture and heritage.

The modern significance of Cinco de Mayo extends beyond the historical event itself. It’s evolved into a celebration of Mexican identity, traditions, and community. Cinco de Mayo provides opportunities to showcase the richness and diversity of Mexican culture and appreciate and honor Mexico’s rich traditions, cuisine, music, and art.

Cinco de Mayo festivities offer a vibrant expression of Mexican pride, and unity. Authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations often feature lively mariachi music and folk dances like the Jarabe Tapatío (Mexican Hat Dance).

While Mariachi music is a normal part of everyday life in much of Mexico, on Cinco de Mayo, you're sure to see these musicians dressed in sombreros and embroidered traje de charro suits at restaurants and parades. Popular Cinco de Mayo apparel also includes brightly-colored skirts, traditional Tehuana dresses, and embroidered Puebla dresses.

Beyond the festivities, Cinco de Mayo holds a particularly deep meaning for people of indigenous Mexican ethnicity. The holiday serves to remind us of their ongoing struggles for self-determination and the importance of standing up against oppression – values which were held deeply by the original Cinco de Mayo patriots and which continue to resonate today with oppressed peoples of all backgrounds.

Honoring History of Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Heritage

Cinco de Mayo presents us with an opportunity to learn more about Mexico's history and the ongoing contributions of both ancient and modern Mexicans to the cultural fabric of North America. Embracing this cultural exchange is a meaningful way to celebrate the holiday.

The earliest evidence of human habitation in Mexico discovered so far is a 21,000 BCE settlement in central Mexico that includes campfire remains and stone tools. Indigenous peoples of Mexico began to selectively breed maize plants around 8,000 BCE. Evidence shows that intensive pottery creation began by 2,300 BCE and intensive maize farming began between 1800 and 1500 BCE.

Between 1800 and 300 BCE, complex cultures began to form. Many matured into advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec, Izapa, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Huastec, Purépecha, Totonac, and Toltec. This evolutionary process culminated with the emergence of the Aztec civilization, whose people flourished for nearly 4,000 years before their unfortunate first contact in February 1519, with Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquistadors.

The Aztec Empire, led by Moctezuma II, had established dominance over central Mexico through military conquest and intricate political alliances. A combination of factors including palace intrigue, the lethal impact of European diseases, superior weaponry and technology, and strategic alliances with rival indigenous groups contributed to Cortés’s subsequent conquest and the downfall of Aztec civilization.

The Spanish rulers of Mexico enslaved many native Aztecs; they replaced the Aztec religion that worshiped Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, and other lesser deities with Christianity; they tore down and replaced most Aztec architecture with Spanish architecture; they replaced the Aztec monarchy with that of their own; and they installed Spanish as the official language of Mexico.

Spanish dominance over all Mesoamerican civilizations was swift, but never complete. Indigenous groups survived and kept their cultures, traditions, and 56 languages alive. Although they are still far from achieving political equality with mainstream Mexicans, proud indigenous tribes are nevertheless steadily growing in power and status.

Conclusion: Celebrating the Spirit of Mexican Resilience and Triumph

As we reflect upon the rich history and vibrant culture of the people of Mexico, it’s clear that a spirit of resilience and triumph is one of their defining characteristics. This spirit is a testament to their unwavering strength, determination, ingenuity, creativity, and sheer willpower in overcoming obstacles.

The nation's spirit of resilience and triumph is deeply rooted in values and traditions that have sustained it through times of struggle. From the indigenous communities that have preserved their heritage to modern-day innovators and entrepreneurs, the Mexican people have shown an unparalleled ability to adapt and thrive.

The Mexican people have proven time and again they have the strength and fortitude to overcome any obstacle. Despite the challenges and adversity the country has faced – from weathering economic downturns to confronting social and political upheaval – the Mexican people have consistently demonstrated their ability to overcome difficult times.

They’ve emerged from each hardship stronger and more unified than before. Their spirit continuously propels them with optimism and excitement toward a brighter future. We can be confident that the country will continue to thrive and grow in the years to come.

With a young, dynamic population, a thriving creative economy, and a deep well of national pride, Mexico is poised to continue its ascent as a global leader. By celebrating the spirit of Mexican resilience and triumph, we can draw inspiration for the challenges that lie ahead, confident in the knowledge that the Mexican people will rise to meet them with the same unwavering spirit that has defined their past.

As we celebrate this indomitable spirit and recognize Mexico’s remarkable achievements, can we help but be filled with a profound sense of optimism for the country’s future? Mexico’s rich cultural heritage, innovative spirit, and unwavering commitment to progress serve as a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit and as a beacon of hope, not only for its own citizens, but for all of us as well. ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! ☮️ Peace… Jamiese

📚 Sources: https://nationaltoday.com/cinco-de-mayo/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Puebla https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cinco-de-Mayo https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Puebla https://www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/cinco-de-mayo https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cinco-de-mayo https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/cinco-de-mayo https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/food/g31902614/cinco-de-mayo-facts/ https://www.cabrini.edu/blog/2020-2021-blogs/a-closer-look-at-cinco-de-mayo

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#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – #MentalHealth Matters: #SuicideLifeline, #988, Is A Vital Service That Saves Lives

Heather Loeb Guest columnist A few years ago I was suicidal and had to Google a 1-800 number, the #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline. They had a chat feature, and as upset as I was, I didn’t think I could talk to anyone through the sobs, so I waited in the queue.  Tears blurred my vision, but I noticed on the screen that 75 people were ahead of me. I didn’t think I could get more upset.  I didn’t wait until it was my turn; I called a friend. Luckily, I didn’t have a plan to end my life that night. I guess I needed to vent and distinguish reality from the lies my brain was telling me.  That was one experience, one person and one night out of many. I in no way would ever bash the Lifeline, established in 2005, but in 2022 I was elated to see that the 10-digit #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline is now the three-digit #988, the #NationalSuicideandCrisisLifeline.  Lyssette Galvan, public policy director at #NAMI Texas, says #988 is imperative to make it easier for individuals in crisis to be connected with a trained #counselor, not only to de-escalate the situation, but to create a safe space for someone. The next steps after de-escalation depend on the severity of the crisis and services available in the area. The goal is to stabilize a person in crisis, she said. In the first six months after the line launched (July to December), more than 2 million calls were fielded. The majority are being answered in under a minute.  I read in a #CNN article that the average time to answer calls year over year was three minutes in 2021 versus 44 seconds in December 2022, according to Dr. John Palmieri, a senior medical adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' #SubstanceAbuse and #MentalHealth Services Administration, who serves as #988’s deputy director. What I like about #988 is that it has a special prompt for #LGBTQ+ #youth and a prompt for #veterans. Both have a higher risk of #suicide. What worries me about the program is the funding. I know that may seem silly when you read/hear that the Biden-Harris administration increased federal investments in the #988 program from $24 million to $432 million — that’s absolutely great — but that money will go very fast if we’re talking about strengthening current call centers; investing in new ones; hiring and training #counselors for 24/7/365 coverage; paying for special crisis intervention officers; reinvesting/building new facilities to treat people who are in crisis, etc. That’s a lot of what #NAMI Texas is focusing on this 88th legislative session, which I think is a no-brainer. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Other #NAMI Texas ideas: - Increasing the line item for Community #MentalHealthCrisis Services in the Health and Human Services Commission budget - Creating a monthly fee on all phone lines (how 911 was funded) - Investing in public education and awareness of #988 Galvan said it is vital to have adequate funding to provide services for people in crisis. Within the first month of implementation of #988, Texas had 15,000 calls made with a 57% in-state answer rate. Texas has five call centers in various parts of the state but does not have the workforce necessary to answer higher call volumes. A comparable state, Florida, has 12 call centers with a 77% in-state answer rate. Galvan said Texas needs to ensure that the state is recruiting and properly paying trained crisis #counselors to increase the in-state answer rate. It also needs to increase funding for Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams and community crisis services.  “By equipping our #988 system with all the tools needed,” she said, “we can save lives.” Some people might not understand why we need 988, but the advantages (to me) are clear: It’s less #stress (and money) on 911 and its dedicated resources; it’s faster (and more efficient) to connect if you’re having a #mentalhealthcrisis; and there are multiple ways for you to connect: chat, text, call. That one night, when 75 people were ahead of me, could’ve been fatal. Thank God, it wasn’t. I have so much faith in the people who made #988 happen, the resilience and strength of the people keeping it going. The lawmakers who can turn this program into the next 911. I’m not worried about that happening again to anyone. I beseech you, legislators, please don’t make me regret my words.  I don’t think that #988 is the answer to all of our #mentalhealthproblems, but it certainly brings light to a huge problem that has been in the dark for so long. Let’s keep going; let’s bring everything into the light. We can start by sharing with our friends/family what #988 is and why it’s a vital service. The first — and most important thing — is that it saves lives. How could I have forgotten to mention that? Sure, the program saves time. It saves money. But out of those 2 million calls in six months, how many lives must have been saved? I leave you with that. Facts - 1 in 5 U.S. #adults experiences #mentalillness each year. - 1 in 20 U.S. #adults experiences serious #mentalillness each year. - 1 in 6 U.S. #youth aged 6-17 experiences a #mentalhealthdisorder each year. - Half of all lifetime #mentalillness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. - #Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14. Source: #NAMI.org - Every year in the U.S., more people die by #suicide than in car accidents and more #suicide deaths occur than homicides and AIDS deaths combined.  - For every one person who dies my #suicide annually 316 seriously consider #suicide but do not kill themselves. - The Lifeline has received more than 20 million calls from people in distress looking for support when they needed it the most (2005-2021). Source: https://988lifeline.org/ For more than 20 years, Heather Loeb has experienced major #depression, #anxiety and a #personalitydisorder, while also battling the #stigma of #mentalhealth. She is the creator of Unruly Neurons (www.unrulyneurons.com), a blog dedicated to normalizing #depression and a member of state Rep. Todd Hunter’s #SuicidePrevention Taskforce.   MIND MATTERS Now more than ever we need to take care of our #mentalhealth. Guest columnist Heather Loeb discusses why and explores other important #mentalhealth topics in this special series. Read the full article

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Ask the Expert: Design Tips for a Shady Courtyard Garden - Gardenista

Ask the Expert: Design Tips for a Shady Courtyard Garden - Gardenista

For Jack Laver Brister of Tinhouse Home and Garden Antiques, a heavily shaded courtyard that came with the Georgian townhouse he’s renovating in Somerset,

Classic Courtyards

Create a private sanctuary in your yard with inspiration from these beautiful courtyard garden designs.

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Transforming the walled garden courtyard area of my home into a Mediterranean inspired, romantic space to eat al fresco.. See all the images and my design ideas that turned my tiny courtyard into an Italian-influenced, inviting space.

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When I was in 6th grade, I was invited to a birthday party at a really cool house. I had never seen a house with an outside on the inside. I...

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Real weddings and styled photoshoots are featured here for inspiration in planning your luxury wedding.

Outdoor Courtyard Ideas

These outdoor courtyard ideas are sure to inspire any outdoor space around your home, even for patios. So many beautiful ideas!

Before & After: A Modern Courtyard Garden for a Historic Home - Gardenista

For their historic home in the enclave of Clifton in Bristol, UK, an energetic couple wanted an informal landscape where their grandchildren and dogs could

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Image 13 of 21 from gallery of Houses in Ecuador: 10 Homes Designed Around Courtyards. Photograph by BICUBIK

Lovely Courtyard Inspiration

Outdoor living areas are extensions of your home. It's now October, and for those of us up north, it's time to put away our outdoor furniture and move indoors f

For Jack Laver Brister of Tinhouse Home and Garden Antiques, a heavily shaded courtyard that came with the Georgian townhouse he’s renovating in Somerset, England presented a major gardening challenge. Yet despite tall walls and limited sunlight, he has created a leafy oasis that is crammed with thriving plants and clever tricks. We asked him to share his tips for gardening in heavy shade:Photography courtesy of Jack Laver Brister via @Tradchap.Above: The mellow stone walls gets another layer of interest with lichen-covered antique statuary, creating a backdrop to the foliage and elegant forms of Jack’s evergreen planting scheme.1. Don’t fight what you can’t change.“When we bought the house, the shaded garden was one of our biggest concerns, but the 200-year-old lime pointed stone walls that create the shade are actually the biggest assets of the garden,” says Jack, who filled the space with ferns and other plants that thrive in shade.Above: The rich texture and dramatic shapes in the courtyard are created largely with dramatic, shade-loving ferns.2. Ferns are your friends.“I’ve always loved ferns and as a child loved the idea of the Victorian ferneries,” says Jack, whose favorites include Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Linearis Polydactyla’ and Polystichum aculeatum and Dryopteris filix-mas, a common variety often found growing wild in hedge rows.3. Add drama with architectural features.Jack’s day job as an antiques dealer for his family’s business, Tinhouse Antiques, means that he can source wonderful old planters, including the towering cast iron urns on plinths that add height and formality. But, he insists, planters do not need to be expensive; the garden also has new galvanized cow troughs (sourced from agricultural suppliers) alongside Victorian terra cotta pots and weathered stone planters. Cheaper new stone pots will quickly gain a patina and blend into the mix.Above: A table by the back door groans with more plants, including Pelargonium graveolens which gives off a delicious scent when anyone brushes past. Higher up small terra cotta pots are lined up on stone ledges.4. Utilize every area in a small space.To maximize space, use every available nook and cranny.   A mirror is hung on the wall at the end of the garden to create more depth.Above: In the protected microclimate inside the courtyard walls, the garden stays green year-round.5. Create contrasting textures for visual interest.A shady garden is always more green than flowers and Jack contrasts his abundant ferns with glossy magnolia, hostas, box, and Fatsia japonica.  Interest is created with billowing bamboo that softens the edge of the wall and adds height and structure.Above: Wisteria blankets the entryway.6. Use climbers for drama.Although it’s still shrouded in greenery, Jack’s front door has a very different feel from his shady courtyard. The lush wisteria works beautifully with the lead porch and a fast growing shade-loving Cobaea scandens grows profusely around it. Symmetrical pots add to the grandeur of the doorway while scented salvias help to provide contrast.For more of our favorite courtyard gardens, see:The Cult of the Courtyard: 10 Backyard Ideas for Small Spaces. Architect Visit: A Leafy Garden in Park Slope, Brooklyn. 17 Best Garden Design Trends for 2017. You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

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Steel Manufacturing Software

The steel sector ranks higher among the world's most important manufacturing industries. The reason for this is that the majority of products, as well as other industrial businesses, rely on steel in some way or another to make their goods. Steel is a copper and iron alloy. Many key items, such as rods, engines, and motors, are made from iron. Steel is utilized in practically every factory, including building items, medical equipment, electrical materials, vehicle parts, and aircraft parts, among other things. Steel is used in the bulk of these firms' products due to its durability and corrosion resistance.

The applications of steel products include:

Transportation

Construction

Energy

Industry and appliances

Packaging

Steel is one of the most often utilized construction materials in the Philippines and other nations. Steel is also often employed in areas like engineering and automobile manufacturing. It is so common, in fact, that it is believed that over 20 billion tonnes of steel are now in use. For every individual on the planet, this is the equivalent of over 2 tonnes of steel.

Steel is not only the most frequently used material on the globe, but it is also the most recycled metal. Steel, in its many alloys and shapes, may provide you with a variety of qualities to fulfill your demands, ranging from high-temperature and stainless steel to flat carbon goods.

Steel is a mixture of carbon, iron, and other metals as well as non-metals. The composition of the steel is then precisely modified to produce the desired qualities. Steel is presently employed as a building material in a variety of industries due to its low manufacturing cost and strong strength. Here are some examples of steel's uses in many sectors.

Transportation

Wrought steels used in sectors like engineering are engineered to suit certain strength and corrosion resistance requirements. Engineering steel products are also developed with ductility and even elasticity in mind because they are required to bear a significant level of stress.

While this type of steel is projected to be employed in other areas such as manufacturing and engineering, the majority of it is used to make transportation vehicles. Steel makes up more than half of the weight of a typical automobile. Advanced high-strength steels, or AHSS, are used in the majority of cars and other vehicles today.

Steel is an excellent vehicle building material since it is lightweight and needs less energy to manufacture, lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Steel is utilized in several parts of the vehicle, including the body, doors, steering, wheel axles, interior, suspension, gearbox, and engine.

Steel is also an excellent choice for maritime applications since it resists rust better than other typical shipbuilding metals like bronze, galvanized steel, and brass. Chemical tankers are among the most common uses of steel because they require a material that is easy to build, can be completely cleaned when changing cargo, is robust, and is exceptionally durable.

Construction

In nations like the Philippines, the bulk of steel goods end up as construction materials. Steel, being a sustainable material, permits structures to be erected swiftly and at a reasonable cost in the construction sector. Steel can be customized to fulfill the demands of every project since it comes in a variety of alloys and shapes.

Steel may be surface-treated or alloyed in various ways to make it more resistant to the elements. Steel's qualities enable it to be integrated into a building's infrastructure in practically any type of environment.

Steel is one of the most essential components of the building industry today, accounting for more than half of global steel production. Most buildings, from residences to car parks to schools and skyscrapers, rely on their strength and longevity.

Steel is also being used in the building sector to meet the infrastructure demands of emerging countries by providing wind-resistant and protective coastal designs.

Energy

Steel is required in most, if not all, parts of the energy sector due to its exceptional durability. Steel is required for the correct operation of energy sectors such as electric, natural gas, wind power, and even nuclear power.

Steel has also been used to extract materials that are needed in the energy generation process. It's found in forklifts, offshore platforms, earthmoving and quarrying equipment, and cranes, among other things.

Stainless, high-strength, carbon, and micro-alloyed steels are among the steels utilized in the manufacturing of energy-related gear such as pipelines and offshore platforms. Because steel utilized in energy projects will be employed in harsh situations, these qualities are required.

Appliances and Industry

Steel makes up around 75% of the weight of the average domestic appliance. Steel is used in a variety of appliances, including refrigerators, stoves, sinks, washing machines, microwaves, cutlery, and more.

Steel is used in a variety of industrial products, including storage tanks, tools, agricultural vehicles and machinery, walkways, protective equipment, and buildings.

Packaging

Steel is lightweight, easy-to-open packaging that may be filled at a fast rate. Packaging steel is often produced from cold-rolled, low-carbon steel strips with finished surfaces. To prevent corrosion, the steel is then coated with tin. Finally, a polymer is applied to the steel, which is then lacquered and printed. The majority of steel used for packaging ends up in food and beverage containers, followed by a general line, aerosols, and closures such as bottle caps.

Conclusion

Lighthouse ERP for Integrated Steel Plants assists the industry in integrating all divisions in order to maintain product efficiency. Our Steel Manufacturing ERP software assists Integrated Steel Plants in entirely revolutionizing the way the industry operates and functions, resulting in a smoother operation.

Steel has a wide range of applications in a variety of sectors, including transportation, construction, and packaging. It is the material of choice for contractors, engineers, architects, and fabricators because of its great durability, corrosion resistance, strength, and low cost.

Not just for the builders, but also for the people who will live in these structures, this makes life easier and more convenient.

[circleterri]

Zend studio perl

ZEND STUDIO PERL UPDATE

ZEND STUDIO PERL FULL

ZEND STUDIO PERL SERIES

The ZendBox is an integrated and certified combination of hardware, operating system, PHP 5 and utilities, backed by support from Zend and Zends partner network of hosting providers. ZendBox presents an easy-to-deploy solution for the operation and management of PHP applications. Meanwhile, the new ZendBox hosted and managed dedicated server runs the latest PHP 5 technology stack, including Zend Core, Zend Framework and Zend Platform, the company said. “Starting in the first quarter of 2007, we intend to use the improved PHP technologies in our Zend Core product line, Zends certified PHP distribution.” “Zend aims to make it very easy to deploy reliable and high performance PHP 5 across all leading computing platforms, and improving integration with MySQL and Windows was high on our list of priorities,” said Mark de Visser, Zends chief marketing officer, in a statement. PHP and MySQL make up the “M” and the “P” of the so-called LAMP, or Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python stack.

ZEND STUDIO PERL FULL

To that end, Zend announced an agreement with MySQL AB that will enable Zend to better integrate the popular open-source database with Zend products, including the option of full integration, Zend officials said. Zend is galvanizing the PHP ecosystem and driving development of products to further enrich this community.” “We started this conference to provide a forum for learning and information exchange, from the individual developer to the top executives at some of the largest companies in the world. zimages/6/28571.gif Read more here about the beta release of the Zend Core for Oracle technology. “Today, over 4 million Web developers are using PHP for millions of Web sites globally,” said Zend co-chief technology officer and co-founder Andi Gutmans, in a statement.

ZEND STUDIO PERL UPDATE

Zend also announced Zend Studio 5.5, an update to Zend Core for IBM that makes it compatible with the latest version of DB2 and adds support for the IDS (Informix Dynamic Server) and a new product called ZendBox, a fully hosted and managed PHP 5 Technology stack. Meanwhile, at the conference, Zend officials shared details of new and updated products for creating the next generation of Web applications, and also demonstrated its commitment to the development of the open-source projects Zend Framework and PHP Eclipse Project by showcasing new milestones in the projects. Zend announced a technical collaboration with Microsoft to enhance the experience of running the PHP scripting language on Windows Server 2003 and the next version of Windows Server, code-named Longhorn server. Net, the new agreement with Zend extends the efforts to support these languages. Moreover, while Microsoft has been working internally to make it easier to run dynamic or scripting languages on. 31, Zend officials announced that the company will be working with several companies, such as Google, IBM, MySQL and including some less expected companies, such as Microsoft, to promote the use of PHP as a Web development platform.

ZEND STUDIO PERL SERIES

Zend Technologies has announced a series of agreements with major technology companies aimed at growing the market for its PHP platform and for the use of the PHP scripting language in general.Īt its Zend/PHP Conference in San Jose, Calif., on Oct.

[marq-de-laf]

First the right and then the left gave way, ‘the enemy making a devil of a noise of firing and huzzaing.’ Soon 'all on our side became a scene of confusion,’ and flight became too rapid to check. Lafayette ordered Galvan to try to rally the men on the other side of the marsh. He himself galloped from group to group, risking himself in a manner which his officers afterwards said was foolhardy. 'Not a man in the whole detachment was more exposed.’ He lost two horses in the melee. One was the beautiful animal which Holker had given him, shot from under his groom as it moved by its master’s side. The other had its jaw fractured.

Lafayette In America by Louis Gottschalk, Book 3, pg. 266. ‘Mad Anthony’ Wayne and Major de Galvan were caught in a surprise attack by a maneuvering Cornwallis. Lafayette had been alerted to the presence of British troops after John Graves Simcoe saw fit to burn boats under continental control before retreating. Attempting to alert Wayne, he found the American forces already under attack. For the life of me, I can’t find the reference, but I seem to remember an anecdote that says Lafayette was pitched from his first horse when it was shot down and lay motionless, momentarily stunned. The American line began to falter and panic, thinking the general had been killed. But once he’d gathered himself, Lafayette popped back up and called for his second mount. I’ll keep looking for the author of the vignette, but it’s a bit funny and hazardous to imagine him calling for Wayne’s men to hold their ground with the wind knocked out of him.

[nordleuchten]

July 14, 1781

On this day in history in 1781 General La Fayette wrote a letter to Major William Galvan. Galvan had been struggling with his health as of late and had requested a leave of absence to go to Philadelphia and recuperate there. In the letter, La Fayette grants Galvan his leave and commends his conduct in the war thus far. The original is today held by the Library of Congress.

Sir.

I must approve of your project to go to Philadelphia for the restoration of your health, which indeed demands your particular attention; and when you find yourself in a situation to take the field, you have my permission to return to the grand army, of which I shall advise his Excellency the commander in Chief.

It is with great pleasure, Sir, that I acknowledge the zeal, activity, and talents which you displayed in the course of the last campaign, when a Major in the light Infantry; - the same zeal has been conspicuous in this campaign, and particularly crowned by your very brilliant conduct at the Head of the van guard you commanded in the late skirmish.

I have the honor to be

Sir

your most ob S.

Lafayette

[frankensteinsss]

Clair de Lune

Summary: On a rather desolate and solitary evening, Kuja decides to see the stars, and is caught by surprise when he sees a shooting star. Will he make a wish? If so, what does he wish for?

Word Count: 1.3k

All alone in an enormous, luxurious palace with only his solitude to keep him company, a man in deep concentration sat at an extravagant desk, writing with an elegant quill that was dipped in the finest of india ink. After finishing his last stanza, the man inscribed his alias at the bottom of the page, finishing another poem for quite simply, no one to read. Once he finished his fanciful signature, he gently placed the sharp, feathery quill in the bottle of ink, proceeding to get up from his desk. He felt entirely enervated to the point where he could fall asleep as soon as he rested his head on the immensely soft pillows he had—a blessing that never seemed to happen for the mysterious man—but the feeling of a desiccated throat prompted the poet to saunter downstairs for a glass of water. 

  He ambled outside of his sanctum, and walked down a long flight of stairs. He proceeded down the hallways of his grand palace, only to notice that the sun’s splendorous rays were not peering through the stained glass windows. It galvanized him to raise a well-trimmed eyebrow, not realizing how late the day had become. It only felt like he was writing for an hour or two. He wondered what hour the clock’s hands were on, but the thought subsided as he recalled that getting rid of his parched throat was the paramount objective.

  He eventually arrived into the kitchen, and poured water into a glass cup, taking a few sips to quench his thirst. Once he was satisfied, he placed the cup down on a counter and thoughts of venomous, seething misery poisoned his once tranquil, tamed mind. There was an expression of sorrow displayed on his fair face as he aimlessly wandered around the rooms of the palace, not wanting to succumb to slumber yet. The idea of looking at the night sky waltzed right into his mind, and prompted him to exit his abode for a bit. 

  Once he stepped outside, he immediately felt the brisk, cool air breezing by, prickling his skin quite gently. He heaved a long sigh, the cold air feeling refreshing, yet frigid. He strode a bit farther from his home to catch a more clear view of the glittering, vast sky, and eventually found his Silver Dragon waiting patiently to take him wherever he desired. He approached the tame—yet massive creature, gently caressing the dragon’s head. The dragon responded kindly to the motion, leaning into Kuja’s hand. He then slowly let go of his pet, and boarded the mystical creature. And within a few minutes, all he could feel was the brisk, cool air, while his gaze was still fixated upon the wondrous sky. 

 The stars seemed to be a bit more clear now, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The night was a brilliant shade of splashing violets and blue hues, with sparkles adorning the sky, all having a different kind of brightness. It looked as though a talented artist had painted the sky with watercolors, and speckled many dots of white here and there. It truly was a masterpiece to behold, especially the stars that adorned the sky, all seemingly dancing to their own tune and creating their own melody. For an ephemeral moment, everything was peaceful. All of his woes vanished as he concentrated on the stars, figuring out their shapes. He soon found the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, a cluster of stars he remembered reading about in one of his books that resided in his enormous library. Nearby was the constellation of Orion, the hunter, pursuing the sisters the huntsman so very desperately wished to be with. Protecting the Pleiades was Taurus, the bull, and to the left of Orion was Canis Major, the constellation that had the honor of holding the brightest star in the entire galaxy - Sirius. 

  Then, out of the vast universe, a quick, yet brilliant streak of light raced past the other stars and disappeared, giving the weary stargazer a small shock, his star-struck eyes widening, as he remembered that this phenomenon was called a meteor, known as “shooting stars” to the inhabitants of Gaia. He reminisced to a time that took place long ago, his memory placing a repulsive creature right before him, costumed in black. It was the memory when he saw the phenomenon for the first time, asking his unsavory father what the “racing light” was; a question he soon later regretted asking. 

  “They are called meteors, Kuja. The brainless humans residing in Gaia are fond of calling them shooting stars, all the while making wishes upon the falling star, foolishly believing they will come true.” His father answered with such a candid and hostile tone, that the words managed to still echo across Kuja’s mind. He made it sound as though just a simple question was ignominious. “I find it pathetic. There are no such things as wishes—or miracles, for that matter, that come true in this universe.” 

  Kuja heaved another sigh, thinking of something to wish for if it even amounted to anything. He wondered if the wish even counted a couple of seconds after the star fell. But ultimately, he wished for a life filled with the wondrous flavors of an emotion he never seemed to harbor—happiness. He wished for a friend to laugh along with and for someone to understand him. He wished that he would have a life worth looking back upon, and for someone to tell him the simple, yet impactful words, “You’re not alone.” But at the same time, he wished his existence would have never come to be. Maybe if he never existed, his father wouldn’t have had to call him a failure. If he never woke up again from his tumultuous slumber, he wouldn’t have to resent each day drowning in the sea of his own solitude, constantly feeling inferior to others. It made his mind get corrupted with malicious thoughts thinking about the person who brought life to him. 

  He kept questioning himself why he even bothered complaining in the first place. He had all he needed and everything everyone ever dreamt about; a lavish palace, glimmering riches and the finest of jewelry. He owned the most beautiful of paintings framed with gold to accompany the walls, and statues holding candelabras to guide the way throughout his labyrinth of a palace. He possessed a whole library containing a life supply worth of books, and yet he constantly found himself drowning in his own sorrow, with no one on the other end to help pull him out of the sea of lament. 

 He soon forgot that he was looking at the glorious canvas of the glittering night sky, gazing at millions of gorgeous stars that failed to grasp his attention. A thought crossed his mind for a moment; perhaps it was the stars that offered to take his despair away. Perhaps the reason why they existed was to bring light to a person’s life, to give them a sense of relief, to guide the lost souls back home. Although there were plenty of scientific explanations that elucidated how stars were made, he pretended that all of that information did not exist for a little while. He rid all thoughts of his supposed “father”, all contemplations of the terribly painful week he had, and made himself focus on the story the moon, the stars, the nebulas, and the galaxies were trying to tell him. He felt… oddly at peace. All of the life-threatening thoughts plaguing his mind had silenced themselves, with only the wonders of the stars entrancing him. It was an eccentric and foreign sort of feeling; to have everything be silent for once, but he was content, to finally feel nothing but utter tranquility, with the glorious moon’s rays kissing his porcelain skin.

  And in a way, his wish did get granted for a small fragment of time. He wasn’t alone, as the stars and the moon smiled down upon him, watching as he appreciated their celestial beauty, compelling him with the stories that they loved retelling; and casting a light in his darkened heart.

[anothermeansofprocrastination]

First run in 3 weeks and the weather is finally clearing up🥳 🎉

This episode had one of my favourite types of dialogue too:

SAM YAO: It’s, well, you know… I mean, you know they’re not really soldiers, and they’ve all volunteered, and I get the stuff about discipline and I know it’s important, but we just try to… well, we try and be a bit nicer to them, that’s all. I mean, thanks for saving our lives over and over again with your military discipline, I mean -

MAJOR DE SANTA: Is that all? Never mind me, Yao. Never mind me. Runner Five, Runner Eight, you’re both doing a, uh… splendid job. Especially on the most recent sortie together. [whispers] There, is that better?

The whispered "There, is that better?" just really brings the joke home. I also ran through No Future and started Galvanize. Things are just getting better and better 😬

Oh, and this is one of my favourite spot on my runs and I love how it's all nice and green again 🥰🥰🥰

[nofacenocaseblog]

𝗗𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 #3:  NARCOPISOS Inc. /Barcelona narcopisos, a necessary evil

The 3rd episode of Dope Stories is the most in-depth investigation of the series, so much that it took me nearly 3 years to gain the trust and respect of my contacts and more importantly, to get relevant insights about the local drug market and its players to show, under a different angle than mainstream media, what’s happening behind the closed doors of the Ciutat Veilla’s narrow streets.

Playground 1 - Raval, Barcelona / 2018 / iPhone 

“Drugs are ruining our neighborhood! “,  “Narcopisos are disrupting the real estate market!” ,  “ We don’t feel safe!”… 

Those are the slogans or headlines you see in the media or written on banners hanging from people’s balconies.  

“Narcopisos are filthy and dangerous!”

But are they though?

FOREWORD

Before getting started, I wanted to write a few words about Barcelona. After living more than a decade in New York, my wife and I moved to Catalan capital for about 4 years.  After reading this article you might think that I m not particularly fond of the town and its inhabitants.  I won’t lie, we didn’t receive the warmest welcome, especially from Catalans. This said, the town and its vibe are unique and galvanizing.  Very much like Marseille (my hometown), Barcelona is an harbor city with the port/marina right in the center, meaning: lots of traffics, smuggling, immigration, corruption, drugs etc… There is always “something going on”, if you catch my drift.  Shady, nasty, funny, ugly, beautiful, vulgar,  the cast of “pirate-like” characters gravitating around the city center is fascinating.

Occupied - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / Nikon 3200

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn toward the forbidden,  the danger, the illicit, the hidden, the bad...  To my eyes, “ugly” has always been more interesting than “beautiful”.  Barcelona is not a dangerous city but you need to keep your guard up: pick pockets roaming the subway,  gypsies asking for money on La Rambla (the city’s most touristic avenue) while releasing your back pocket from your wallet, junkies selling stolen goods or begging for change for their next fix #nextfixandchill , black people selling fake airmax on the Barcelonetta marina, drunken street fights in the early hours of the morning... Tragicomic scenes are unravelling before your eyes in an surreal backdrop: Gaudi’s most beautiful “psychedelic” buildings (Sagrafa Familia, casa pedrera, Palau Guell...) in a jungle of gothic buildings ending on a fisherman village overseeing a beautiful beachfront promenade ending with the native “star’chitect” Bofill’s famous W... 

Poolside - Barcelonetta, Barcelona / 2018 / iPhone

Ok, enough with the touristic tour, time to get real!

Stairway to Hell - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

Embark on a descend to the heroin inferno that became Raval.  From the fields of Afghanistan to the bloodstreams of Spain...

La Ruta [Spanish for “the route”]

19,414 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, 6,600 of them are established in the neighborhood: El Raval (1) meaning more than 30% of the total community.  El Raval has always been my favorite barrio in town.  With 47% of immigrants (2) , the mosaic of faces, cultures and shops you encounter is dazzling .  Going back to the Pakistani population, I used the word “established” for a specific reason: they actually own many of the businesses in Raval: barbershop, cheap bars and restaurants, wholesale shops, import/export businesses, money transfer services (Western Union, Moneygram), food and grocery shops... I’m not accusing here the Pakistani business owners of backing the drug traffic but they basically created a web of small businesses in a tight net community with their own language, making it hard for the authorities to see through this social fabric potentially sheltering illegal activities. 

Why the Pakistani population is subject to speculation and doubt from the local authorities?  The answer is simple: Afghanistan.  Afghanistan  is by far the biggest producer of opium in the world. According to the US military, 90% of the world's heroin is made from opium grown in Afghanistan. It makes up 95% of the market in Europe (3).  The country has been the leader in opium poppy production since 2001.  Based on the 2014 report from the UNODC (United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime), Afghanistan not only grow opium but also process heroin in several laboratory as well as morphine (easier to produce from raw opium by adding calcium oxide and ammonium chloride).  From Afghanistan, several routes are used to smuggle their prime commodities: the Balkan route has been the primary route but things are changing and the Southern route has become more and more used.  Afghanistan share 2,400km of border with Pakistan and over 50% of illicit afghan opiates are trafficked through Pakistan which enjoys a a strategic location making it a perfect dispatch zone with readily accessible by land, sea (Gwadar and Karachi seaport) and air ways .  

The same UNODC report also indicates that the majority (37%) of the heroin seized in Pakistan was en-route for Europe..

*** Read and/or download the full report here ***

By the way, let’s not forget that Barcelona is also one of the Camorra’s stronghold.  And with Russians and Albanian mafias also present on the territory, Spain -where no powerful local crime syndicate operates and laws on prostitution and gambling are “blurred” to say the least-  has become one of organize crime’s favorite playgrounds for money laundering, drug smuggling, human trafficking, gambling and prostitution... Nothing really happens here without their “green light”, but that’s another story (5)

Back to our Southern route, once the product reaches Barcelona, it becomes very hard to pin point. Narcotics coming through the Balkan route also ends up in Barcelona but in different “retailers”’ hands:  Romanian family-based clans, based mostly in Besos (a run-down project in the heart of Poblenou) and  occupying one single narcopisos in Raval (they have moved 3 times over the 4-year period of my “investigation”) but known to have the purest and most processed Caballo sold in town. 

El Caballo [Spanish for “the horse”, street name of heroin ]

[WARNING]  Most of the photographs of this post are uncensored, quite graphic and… of poor quality…. my bad, I took them.  But I had circumstances: hidden cellphone, no flash, illegal activities going on, indoor, with very little to no light…  Shots are not the best (no pun intended) but you’ll step right into the infamous narcopisos you’ve heard of or read about. And not once they’ve been searched and trashed by the police like you’ve seen in the press but while they are in full operation. Raw, those images might be quite shocking to some of the readers, but take the emotion out of he equation and you’ll come to realized that, for lack a better choice, narcopisos are a necessary evil.   My intention here is not to start a polemic nor come out as a provocateur but to shed light on a real issue, still happening, involving real people, slowly dying, failed by a syste unable -or unwilling- to help them.

Gears - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

El Raval

1989,  US superstar Keith Harring is in Barcelona for his exhibition on La Rambla.  After speaking with an old friend of him from New York living here for awhile, he decided to paint a mural, his way to to show his love for and connection with the town. The next day, Harring chose the wall in Plaça de Salvador Segui in Raval.  He was warned that the area was one of the most dangerous areas in town. Back then, in the 80’s the Spanish government had the genius idea to decriminalize the use, but not the supply, of hard drugs and did not implement any proper treatments to sustain this measure...  Spaniards have ignored the issue and it sparked a heroin addiction epidemic that saw HIV rates soar (2a).The artist was attracted to the neighborhood and decided it would offer the perfect canvas for his message about the dangers of drugs and AIDS. At first it was supposed to be a temporary mural but in the end, up to this day, you can still enjoy Harring’s mural behind the MACBA museum. Below is a photograph I took of what became now hot-spot for skateboarder and cool bars

Tricks - Raval, Barcelona / 2016 / Nikon 3200

Beside its bad reputation, Raval has always been a magnet for artists and “cool kids”, misfits and outcasts but more recently the new kid on the block is named gentrification… in other word: Fun is over.   Well… not quite yet.  In Barcelona, everything moves slowly, gentrification included. The result is a mix of fancy hotels, art galleries, designer boutiques... mixed with prostitutes and their lovely clientele, dealers, junkies, businessmen, families of tourists wandering the streets… a fascinating mix of characters with theatrical scenes playing before your eyes: hustlers trying to rip off tourists, white collars finding themselves buying bad cocaine from a kid in a narrow, sketchy alley… the show is in the street, but not only. 

The Narrows - Raval, Barcelona / 2016 / Nikon 3200

What businesses, in Barcelona, are open 24/7, have no vacancy, a steady stream of customers and a product that sells itself? The answer: Narcopisos Inc.

The phenomenon of the Narcopisos emerged in 2016 (a year after I moved to Barcelona) following Spain’s property crash.  Foreclosed or unsold apartments, owned by banks and investment funds were left emptied, abandoned, in a country in full housing crisis...  It wasn’t long before the vacant spaces started being squatted: some by respectable families, in need of a place to live, some by drug dealers using them as selling point and shooting gallery.  A place where you can get a cheap fix in a relatively clean room.

Ritual - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

Helped - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

Thanks to my various contacts, I had access to different types of narcopisos, but from crack to dope houses, most of them were operating the same way: - a cctv video surveillance in place at the street level or someone looking out for the cops. - a room with junkies to confuse police upon arrival and make it look like they are actually squatting the place - 1 to 3 dealers serving customers one a the time. - An exit back door (if available) in case the police knocks on the front door. - One or two rooms for users. - Hourly cleaning of the premises to make the place look “decent” and “squatted” in case of a bust - Little quantity of drugs at the time, no more than 10 grams of each. - Open 24/7 - Re-up every hour or so - Single use paraphernalia available to the users - In some cases, Narcan at hand (medicine used to reverse the effect of an OD).

Cleaning Session - Career d’en Road 22, Raval, Barcelona / 2016 / iPhone

My connections in the Pakistani community took time to build but  strengthen throughout the years to reached a level of trust where we came to split the bread at several occasions… no seriously, we actually got invited in their Halal “canteen” in Raval where only Pakistanis could enjoy their local cuisine, a unique experience… They also gave me access to two of their stash houses: located in legit apartments, in proper buildings, on the outskirt of Raval, close to Sant-Antoni, less prone to police check.  No users there, only wholesalers, dispatching heroin to “representatives” of each narcopisos at below retail-price: between 20 and 40 euros the gram depending on the quantity purchased. 

Going back to the narcopisos, some were run by junkies (where the product was often cut from the bash they were getting from the stash houses), some by pakistani or afghan immigrants, with decent quality product, some by Catalan families, living there for decades under stabilized rent and with their own connection and product of fluctuant quality.  Last but not least, one narcopiso was occupied by the Romanian clan mentioned earlier.  Below are some photos of one of their spot at 22 Carrer d’en Roig, later busted and walled by the Mossos d’esquadra (Catalan police)

Romanian at work - Career d’en Road 22, Raval, Barcelona / 2016 / iPhone

Boss - Career d’en Road 22, Raval, Barcelona / 2016 / iPhone

If narcopisos was selling both crack and heroin, two rooms were at the disposal of users, one for smoking their bottles or pipes and the other room to shoot up or smoke heroin on tiny pieces of foil.

Sterile hospital-like garbage disposal were available for discarding the used paraphernalia.

Bloodstream Hunt - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

#NextFixandChill - Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

Everything is provided to avoid the spread of disease and the use of the drug in plain sight in the street therefore reduce public disorder.

Not that dealers became humanitarian all of a sudden, but kicking customers with their (illegal) purchase out in the street expose them to being ratted on or worst, having an overdose in plain sight attracting the police and paramedics... either way, it’s not good for business so narcopisos’ “managers” rather keep their clientele indoor until they’re done using and good to do.

Now, there is another type of business in Barcelona dealing with drug users and addiction: it’s called Centre de Dispensació de Metadona - Centre d'Atenció Primària Casc Antic (the methadone clinic in short....). 

* They’re not open 24/7 but rather in the morning only * It can take up to 2 weeks to see a doctor in order to enroll in a Methadone Maintenance Treatment -MMT (true story...when a single day can be the last one for a heroin addict living in the street) * Last but not least, since the doctors and nurses’ work schedule is way more important tthan their patients’ care, some centers give up 3 to 4 days worth of supply of methadone at once to heroin users so the health workers can have their days and weekends off. The result of this amazing system: the methadone is sold in the street by users so they can buy their heroin and/or in certain case, the methadone is saved up (for rainy days) and the patient keeps using heroin instead.  Yes, the patient: let’s not forget that those “filthy junkies” actually are patients (even if they’re hardly seen as such in those centers),  suffering from a disease called addiction, or substance abuse disorder if you prefer the american way of calling it, and in need of medical care but what can I say... old habits die hard (both way...). 

Patients taking methadone to treat opioid dependance must receive the medication under the supervision of a practitioner. After a period of stability (based on progress and proven, consistent compliance with the medication dosage) and only then, patients may be allowed to take methadone at home between program visits... but not in Barcelona.

Methadone substitution as a treatment of opioid addiction does not function as much to curb addiction as to redirect it and maintain dependency on legal channels. Methadone has been designed that way, as a lifetime treatment whereas alternative palliatives such as Buprenorphine are not even considered by doctors when those therapies would be more efficient in certain cases: with users who do not shoot the drug for example, or with users wishing to quiet and get sober... but let's be honest here, sobriety has never been the objective of those methadone programs.  The real goal of this public service is not to cure addiction, but to make sure junkies don’t use, steal, rob and/or commit act of violence in the streets to feed their habits

The patient here is not the users but the society.   Those centers aren’t trying to help the user quit his habit, but to make sure the society doesn’t suffer from it.  Good or bad, Narcopisos are curbing down the spread of diseases, cleaning up the streets from users as they offering temporary shelter to their customers and operate around the clock..  It seems to me that their function is almost... complementary if not necessary.

So before eradicating narcopisos from the face of Raval, let’s pause and look at the alternative: junkies buying and using drugs in the streets of the city center, in the worst sanitary condition possible with no regard for the residents around.

Mañana

So what’s next? Keeping those illegal activities going on? Certainly not.

But before jumping the gun and closing it all at once, better get ready for the alternative because drug addiction will not disappear with the narcopisos. In my last article, I speak about users stigmatization and how society still struggles to see addiction as a disease and not a will power issue, turning the blind eye to a sheer amount of studies and discoveries explaining how heroin addiction, over time, modify the pathway of your brain frontal lobe and affect your decisional power, making it hard -to not say impossible- to say “no”. 

Don’t take me wrong.  It would be naïve to think all users roaming the streets are here trying to quit and become their better self. Most of them have no intention to do so. I’m not here to judge nor take side.  But in order to find a solution to the narcopiso situation, I would like to introduce Barcelona to his neighbor: Portugal.

Portugal had one of the worst heroin epidemic in Europe back in the 90′s and after the failed many “US war on drug”-type of approaches. They finally shift approach and started treated drug addicts as patients who needed help, not as criminals” says Goulao, the architect of Portugal drug policy.  After the decriminalization and treatments, they planned to open “supervised drug consumption facilities” Naina Bajekal says in her 2018 article in the Time “where drug users can consume drugs in safer conditions with the assistance of trained staff. Such facilities have been running in Europe since 1986, when the first was opened in Berne, Switzerland.”(5)

The result? Evidence (6) shows these these type of sites save lives, reduce public disorder, and curb the spread of diseases.

Does that sound familiar? Yes, that's right, the first of the two businesses we spoke about: Narcopisos Inc.

Purgatory - Carrer d’en Roig 22, Raval, Barcelona / 2017 / iPhone

For No Face No Case: Dope Stories chapter 4, we’re going to Italy.  Don’t worry, it won’t be another mafia-related article explaining how the N’Drangheta and Camorra became the most powerful crime syndicates in the world, you can watch that on TV.  Called “Il Racconto dei Racconti”  (Tales of Tales in english), the article will keep it real, street style: short stories from North to South: Torino, Milano, Genoa, Roma, Napoli... Stay tuned for some dope stories on how drugs are sold, used and abused in the Renaissance country 

References (1) https://www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/featuresx/report-barcelona-pakistani-community/ (2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Raval (3) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47861444 (4)https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2018/12/07/inenglish/1544171107_204329.html (5) https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/ (6) https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/portugal-heroin-decriminalization/