#fall in the middle of the performance for a variety of reasons and then it's only Neelix and whoever was providing his voice falters

[bumblingbabooshka]

Voyager plotline in which The Doctor, Seven, Tuvok, and Neelix have to become a barbershop quartet in order to save the crew. With the little outfits and everything. (Harry's providing the music)

[kissofsena]

⤻ ♡ . BASIC INFORMATION

name : moon sena (문세나)

nicknames: star, star girl, moon, nana

birthday : august 2, 1999

zodiac sign : leo

nationality : american

family : aunt, parents, older brother

languages : english (native), korean (95%), japanese (75%), thai (54%)

⤻ ♡ . PHYSCIAL INFORMATION

height : 160 cm (5'3)

body modification : earlobe and upper lobe piercings on both ears

vocal claim : belle from kiss of life

dance claim : seulgi from red velvet

⤻ ♡ . CAREER INFORMATION

stage name : sena

agency : kq entertainment (2017 - present), sour grapes media (2013 - 2016)

group : ateez (2018 - present), cupid's rejects (2014 - 2016)

debut date : october 24, 2018

positions : vocal, performer

individual fandom : sailor-pies

representative emoji : 🌱 / 🦔

mic color : lilac

signature :

⤻ ♡ . BACKGROUND

Sena Moon was born in North Bend, South Carolina on August 2, 1999 to office worker parents. She has an older brother, but not much is known about him. From a young age, Sena had always been in love with music and would always sing, dance, and even do small performances in her bedroom. She had taken a liking to artist like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Girls Generation especially as her reason for wanting to be a performer. However, her parents were very against her being a singer as they didn't see it as a "real career" as they would tell her.

In 2012, Sena would get the chance to go to South Korea for the summer to stay with her aunt who was a musical actress. Sena would go with her aunt to her practices and performances and would fall even deeper in love with music. By the end of summer, Sena would beg her aunt to let her stay with her and go to school in Korea. Sena's aunt would actual gain custody of Sena during this time which allowed her to stay with her aunt in Korea. Sena would struggle with adapting to living in a new country and culture for the first few months, before she was able to begin to fit in. Through her middle school years, Sena would begin to perform at school festivals and talent shows whether by herself or with other girls and this quickly helped become scouted by different companies.

In 2013, Sena would be scouted by Sour Grapes Media and would become a trainee with her aunt's approval. During this time at Sour Grapes, Sena would seen as one of their most popular trainees mainly due to her singing and dancing. This would eventually help Sena make the lineup of the company's newest girl group Cupid's Rejects, and would debut as their Main Vocalist and Face of the Group in 2014. Sena would remain with the group until 2016 when she was removed from the group due to having used "violent language and misuse of power towards staff." this statement would eventually be proven false by her group members and staff that have worked with Sena. This would lead into a legal battle with Sena and her aunt suing the company and winning.

After this scandal, Sena would become an independent idol for several months, appearing on several popular variety shows and even releasing a few solo projects. This would last until she is approached by someone from KQ Entertainment who wanted to recruit her to their company. Sena would agree and become a trainee under the company around mid-2016. Sena would become a trainee again and rumors would spread about her debuting a soloist. Nothing officially ever came from these rumors. KQ would later announced in 2017 that Sena along with her fellow trainees would all be auditioning for MixNine and while she passed the audition she would end up ranking 14th.

After this in 2018, Sena would announced to joining the company's trainee project KQ Fellaz. Sena would finish her training and in October of 2018, she would debut in the idol group ATEEZ as a Vocalist and Performer of the group.

[stxrrynxghts]

Draupadi sat fuming at her work desk. Life as a lawyer who mostly worked for rape and domestic violence victims was hard.

"Name, Ritu. Age, 16 years. Cause of death, marital rape performed by husband."

Draupadi furiously rubs her eyes, wiping her tears. The details of the girl's injuries and death are horrifying to even look at. And poor Ritu suffered from this in real life.

Draupadi would make sure her husband rots in hell for this.

She keeps working till she loses track of time, making notes and preparing for her case.

"Hey, Drau!" Satyabhama peeks in. "It is lunch time. Let's go."

"I don't want to." She mumbles in response. "I lost my appetite looking at this."

Satyabhama's face turns solemn. This is their daily routine, looking at the painful deaths of women, but it still disgusts Draupadi the way it did when she was a student.

"We need to eat, don't we?" Satya says, rubbing her shoulder. "Let's leave early today."

Both of them live in the same flat, it is very convenient that way.

"You know, when Rukmini visited last month, the both of us went to this lovely dhaba. Let's eat there today." Satyabhama says, pulling her by the arm.

Rukmini is the wife of one of Satyabhama's friends, Krishna. Draupadi always felt that Satya liked him, but now she and Rukmini are fast friends.

They reach the eatery soon enough. It is a simple building, with a cot and few tables outside, the signboard "Bhima ka dhaba" slapped in various places.

The eatery is small, and seems very middle-class. The menu, however, is rather grand, with a variety of dishes. Tables and chairs are arranged below the dingy fans. There are few people in the eatery.

There is a counter in a corner, with a variety of sweets placed. A song from the film Aashiqui plays in the radio.

"Hello Memsaab." A young boy asks, holding a notepad. He couldn't be a day older than six. "What do you want to order?"

"Do you go to school?" Draupadi asks. "Is the owner of this place forcing you to work?!"

If he is, then she will be filing a case against him, free of cost.

"No, my father worked here, but he died, so I work instead of him. Bhima Bhaiya is very nice, he even pays for my school-"

"CHHOTU!" Someone yells from a room in a corner. "Did you take the order yet?!"

Satyabhama quickly places the order, and the boy, Chhotu, scurries into the room, which is most likely, the kitchen.

After some time, a man steps out, and keeps the plates on the table.

He is quite handsome, she realizes, startingly.

He has curly hair, which falls into ringlets, framing his face. He is quite tall, and has huge arms.

"I am sorry for the delay." He says, and heads back. The food was great.

"I think we should visit once more." Satyabhama says, after they are done.

Draupadi knew she would return to this place again, for reasons other than the food.

[kosher-martian]

Napoleon & Josephine

Spoiler warning for Napoleon.

So this weekend I had an opportunity to see Ridley Scott's Napoleon. It was weird.

The movie has some problems. I'm not going to mention the historical accuracy of the film (it takes the same liberties all other historical dramas do) nor am I going to talk about the dialogue / delivery (though I will gladly let "You think you're so great because you have boats!" live rent-free in my head for the rest of forever). I think the movie had too much material it wanted to cover in one film, but tried to cover it anyway (the exact opposite of the YA movie "Divided for Adaptation" trope that swept Hollywood ages ago). Before some (likely extensive) edits the final film was probably close to 3.5 hours long, so they cut an hour's worth of scenes from the final product resulting in the choppy mess with massive pacing issues that have divided audiences and critics alike.

Scenes play at breakneck pace one after the other, each in a different location, with different characters, and occurring at different points in history, but there was either no attempt at linking the scenes together or the majority of those bridging scenes hit the cutting room floor. As a consequence, the movie just comes across as a feature-length recap of the previous season of some prestige historical drama show. If this were a pre-existing show the scenes make sense. You vaguely remember last season and you are only watching to jog your memory before jumping into the next season. But if you are going into this without familiarity of the subject matter (or only mild interest) and expect the film to tell you a narrative about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, it's just a cluster of confusion. I had a similar experience with the Saoirse Ronan / Margot Robbie Mary Queen of Scots film. It had almost the exact same "not a film, just a series of scenes" issues. Unlike with Napoleon, I was less familiar with the historical events surrounding Mary I of Scotland and Elizabeth I of England. I ended up disliking the film and only ever watched it the one time.

So now I want to pivot to the reason I'm making this post at all. I want to posit a ludicrous and patently untrue conspiracy theory: They made two movies and then spliced them together!

To be clear, I don't actually believe this happened, this "conspiracy theory" will be more my wishful thinking than anything else.

Contrary to all evidence, I want to believe that Hollywood had planned Barbenheimer from the very beginning. Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, and other major studios saw the collapse of "cinematic universe" films on the horizon and wanted to create a new fad that would be both cheaper to produce and more easily controlled: Pick two films with markedly different audiences, market them as being in competition with each other, and use polarizing social media pushes to drive people into two constituency groups. With this model, studios could take two films that would otherwise have middling performance and turn them into blockbuster hits of then summer with marketing alone. People would go running back into the theaters to ensure their constituency's film "won" the battle. Hollywood solicited ideas for film pairings from a variety of sources. Ridley Scott got wind of this secret operation and decided he would condense the idea into an even easier exercise: Make the same movie twice for two different audiences.

Scott would direct two films with the exact same cast. One film (the "boy" film) would be an epic film covering the military triumphs of Napoleon Bonaparte, his tragic fall from power, his unlikely return, and his final defeat. This film, titled Napoleon, would feature fantastic set-piece battle scenes, tons of meme-able lines ("You think you're so great because you have boats!"), and gorgeous special effects. The "girl" film, Josephine, would depict the contentious and all-too-captivating private life of Napoleon and Josephine. It would be a more cerebral and emotional work, showing the complexities of their relationship. It would place the competing demands of Napoleon's ambition and longing for true love at center stage. Josephine might have made Empress Josephine our focal character or it may have continued to use Napoleon as entry way into the rich interior lives of the Emperor and Empress of France, but in either case the film's overall story would have been those moments when they were alone with one another or totally alone. Napoleon's story is the story that shaped the modern world, so it was more than enough to support both films. Audiences could choose which movie to support or might have found the format of "two films, one story" just too enticing to pass up seeing both.

But then something - and I'm not sure exactly what - happened. Instead of creating both films and releasing them separately, the decision was made to condense the two films down to one. Both films had nearly finished production. Two interpretations of Napoleon, one the legend and one the man, now needed to be brought together. Left with tonally dissonant films, the choice was made to just try to make the editing "choppier" and more "modern" (code for "we know flashy cuts and transitions won't save this colossal mistake, but we've got sunk cost fallacy now"). Scenes were lifted wholesale from both films and spliced together seemingly without regard for the final product. It's possible the final dirty work was handed to a trailer house, as evidenced by the trailers release earlier this year that paired action sequences from the film with modern music that not only didn't fit the film's aesthetics, but also didn't fit the scenes used.

Did this happen? No. As stated previously, Napoleon's story is too big to be contained in one film. The only film to pull it off was the 1927 silent film, which runs anywhere from 4 to 9.5 hours long depending on the cut. That's why other films focus on extensive portrayals of discrete battles (Waterloo), specific parts of his life (Eagle in a Cage) or his romantic life (Desiree, though it does show other aspects of Napoleon's life). Some artists have tried to do a broad retelling of his life, but those are always multi-part miniseries.

But go watch the movie yourself and tell me there's not a Josephine movie lurking on a hard drive somewhere in Hollywood. I know it doesn't exist, but also there's no way it doesn't exist, right? Too many scenes fit perfectly into another movie for it not to exist. Napoleon is not a cohesive film, it's a compilation of scenes from two separate movies featuring the same actors.

[wilderhockey]

nhl teams as school clubs/student orgs

the result of a 15-minute conversation with lil @wymgreenteam this afternoon. based specifically on our experience in hs (also note that I’ve been out of hs for four years now so some of this might be misremembered but whatever it’s about the vibes).

this is not necessarily kind to all (or really any) teams but it is light-hearted and in good fun.

I put it under a readmore because 32 teams is a lot of teams

~

anaheim ducks: theater (actors specifically) - dramatic as fuck. loud as fuck. endearing in spite of it [see sharks/kings]

arizona coyotes: not a club. they’re the guys who show up to school in their tractors from october to march because the weather is fucking terrible and they’ve gotta get there somehow (thanks mn)

boston bruins: key club - self-important for no particular reason. also this is a club where you pay to do community service, which is just fundamentally wrong in the same way I feel when I see the bruins’ meth bear

buffalo sabres: swim team - wet. no I will not elaborate.

calgary flames: garden club - I didn’t even know we had a garden club until lil suggested this

carolina hurricanes: model UN - super well-run, they’ve got some nice kids involved, but I dislike them on principle

chicago I’m not writing out their team name: lacrosse - universally hated except by themselves and often take insults as compliments. also the worst punishment I can think of for a hockey team is telling them they remind me of lax bros

colorado avalanche: empowering women’s club - mostly performative but sometimes (when they can get the whole group together) they do fun things

columbus blue jackets: student section - they’re all college kids sorry it just fits

dallas stars: gender and sexuality alliance - listen. I don’t know what’s going on down there, but I can tell you it’s definitely gay

detroit red wings: cross-country - sometimes the rookies are good but everything else about them is forgettable

edmonton oilers: knowledge bowl - connor mcdavid reminds me of kb kids. leon draisaitl would be that guy who knows fuck-all answer-wise but can hit the buzzer super early and always knows what the question is asking. they just have neatly partitioned tasks for everyone and it sometimes works. yes I did kb for 7 years can you tell

florida panthers: FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) - the combination of donuts and christian rock at every meeting leveled out to a net zero

la kings: theater (tech crew specifically) - black and white outfits and idk sneaky vibes? they feel like a variety show in the same way tech does [see ducks/sharks]

minnesota wild: marching band - they’re dumb. they love each other. pranks are inevitable. some gay shit is happening. the director has very little control

montreal canadiens: magic the gathering club - just some kids hanging out. j chillin. one-sided feud with costco. vaguely hostile but in a blatantly self-defensive way

nashville predators: baseball - they were good for a while one time but now they’re just sad and middling

new jersey devils: speech - it’s fun when you’re not worried about winning, it’s a great group, but the moment you start paying attention to numbers you will cry

new york islanders: volleyball - bitchy vibes. and mat barzal’s tiny shorts

new york rangers: quiz bowl - to quote lil, they “aren’t smart enough for [knowledge bowl]” but also zero teamwork despite individual prowess

ottawa senators: robotics (FRC specifically) - they’re constantly falling apart but when it works it Works. also lots of freaks of many varieties (affectionate)

philadelphia flyers: that one political club a couple of my friends started junior year. pac or something? - it was going fine and then it changed management and now. hm.

pittsburgh penguins: student council - overachievers (affectionate). somewhat ineffective but they’re putting the effort in

san jose sharks: theater (pit specifically) - oft forgotten, but generally chill [see ducks/kings]

seattle kraken: chess club - to quote lil, “good vibes. don’t do anything, just here for fun.” I agree

st. louis blues: choir - rancid vibes. (I was a choir kid I’m allowed to say the vibes were rancid bc they were)

tampa bay lightning: honor society - overachievers (derogatory)

toronto maple leafs: lettuce club - for anyone unfamiliar, this is a club where every year, everyone interested sits at a table and simultaneously consumes an entire head of lettuce. whoever does it fastest is the Head of Lettuce for the next year. I have no fucking clue what they did at the rest of their meetings. leafs vibes

vancouver canucks: anime club - what the fuck is going on over there don’t look pretend you don’t see them and it’ll be fine (affectionate)

vegas golden knights: debate - this is for nolpats specifically I know he’s in LTIR hell but this is for him

washington capitals: that’s just the teacher’s union

winnipeg jets: football - they were never good but people go for the social aspect not the score

[dojae-huh]

i saw the ask where anon talked about how woo is taking a lot of potential from a better dojae unit and i couldn't help but agree. its kinda of a hard pill to swallow but there are some reasons that i could think of.

jungwoo is there as doyoung's support systems. its unspoken how doyoung seems to be awkward and uncomfortable acting around jaehyun esp in front of the camera where he needs to restrain himself. maybe he'a avoiding to do anything that could cause a stir amongst shippers (inevitable, we live off crumbs) or from him being self cautious. but with woo, he's more comfortable to act like a close brother and hugs him (will there be a day where we get a proper hug this era), and it seems that doyoung relies on jungwoo alot and vice versa. so maybe that's why jungwoo was chosen to be in the unit.

jungwoo's image. he's refreshing, youthful, boyish and very lovable that i think would be a loss if the company won't profit off such idol. jungwoo has decent singing and better dancing skills. he performs so excellent in perfume and kiss so far, his parts were my favourite. there's something about how his expressions showed his enthusiasm and excitement to be onstage got me. this image was a special add on to dojae. of course we know how well jaehyun and doyoung complement each other but if i were to make an analogy:

jaehyun's the base note that acts like a foundation for the combination. without him, the group will fall. he's the most popular member in nct, and lets agree we all had a crush on him at one point. he's perfect visual, vocals, dance and performance wise.

doyoung's the middle note that brings the group together. with jaehyun they would be enough to become one group. doyoung's smart (jae's words) and he's considered as the group's manager. so i'm guessing doyoung did more than an idol's job for this unit, he was the one working behind the scenes. his vocals, visuals and popularity amongst his loyal fans guarantees success. dance/performance wise he's decent, but damn he did outperformed himself this time - esp in kiss. i might be biased but who can control themselves when doyoung's bare waist and chest was out like that? hehe

lastly jungwoo. the sweet cherry on top. he's the top note. it's like how we can have ice cream on its own (jaedo), but we can make it better with toppings on top - that's jungwoo to me in this unit. as a jaedo shipper myself, i really wanted a jaedo only unit but that's just wishful thinking. sm knows, they all know how jaedo will bring more than profit to the table. its risky, and they're playing the safe card. but hey, i'm happy for both of them. back to jungwoo, he fits in surprisingly with the two and i'm very interested to see more of their performances. i'm rooting for woo all the way.

You described dojaejung. Dojae alone would have a different concept and image, that would work around their strengths as two. It's like TaeMarkYY vs TaeMark.

Doyoung really put effort into practice of the two choreos we saw. He is quick, sharp and even has good hand gestures in places. His stiffness in torso is barely in the way because the choreo is adapted to his kind of motions.

I really hope Jungwoo will stay the way he was during the countdown live. He was charged and enthusiastic, but didn't try to stirr things his way, disrupt Do's set manner of presenting things, didn't attack Jae. Because he worked as support, followed the same vector as the two others, he felt in place, fitting. Vacance type of push and pull although is fun as variety, is also an exhausting way to function as a group as someone has to give in, to sacrifice to keep the peace.

[yuuana]

Music Monday #241: Chungha - Eenie Meenie (feat. Hongjoong (ATEEZ)) release: March 2024 genre: Kpop cw: flashing, mild lens flare, lasers

Who me, playing favorites? Of course I am. Are we surprised? Not if you've been here for more than a hot minute, I'm sure. XD Besides, this song has been stuck in my head, catching me off guard any time it wants, since the day of its release. And not just because of the featuring artist, dammit. XD

Amused that the captain who insists we should only have eyes on him is the first to feature on an outside artist's track. Not at all surprised though that from the moment she started talking about it, Chungha had nothing but praise for Hongjoong, crediting him with helping her step out of her comfort zone a bit on this song (he has writing and producing credits). I wouldn't go quite so far as to call it pirate pop, but there's a fun and slightly funky vibe to the beat, at least partly from that string bass syncopation that's the grounding for the whole song. Chungha alternates between sung and spoken lines, utilizing more of her vocal range in the process. How deep a read you want to do on the song is up to you - on the surface, it's a girl power bop about having one's choice in boyfriends. If we look a bit deeper, one finds a call to know yourself well enough to know what you want and to not settle for something less.

There's enough breaks away from the performance of the song's dance to keep this from being a performance video as such, but I wouldn't say the video has a particular narrative thread to it, either, and we are completely fine with that. Instead we get three minutes of Chungha and her dance team in a variety of settings, from a back alley to the middle of a street, a closed coffee house to an actual sound stage. The choreography is looks deceptively simple in the way that it flows like water to the beat.

There is a performance video, like the music show stages, it's just Chungha and her dancers, with Chungha doing lip sync to Hongjoong's rap. It better shows off the choreography for that part that isn't centered in the MV, since Hongjoong was directed to just go with the flow and do what felt right for the vibe rather than worrying about specific moves. This was likely in deference to the fact that they only had him for a few hours -- the reason the music shows have been Chungha only is that ATEEZ's schedule has had them in Japan for most of the last month and in fact Hongjoong flew in (and back out the same day) to shoot the video around his other schedules. Keen eyes will also catch both the Crazy Form bunny move the dance crew does during the rap section (a move the choreographer specifically put in to honor ATEEZ), as well as Hongjoong's own Bouncy reference. Some Atiny have been quick to jump on the silver chain mask of the masked dancer as another ATEEZ callback, though it isn't exactly the same as the Z lore mask, but hey, close enough? And if that was the intention, then it's another sweet gesture from a seonbae towards her hoobae.

Eenie Meenie (and it's c/w I'm Ready) is available via the usual streaming options. As much as I would love to have seen a live stage with both Chungha and Hongjoong, I know better than to expect it. Still, a jagu can dream, right? ;)

Want to see Music Monday deep dives more often? Sponsor a song selection! For the low, low price of one (1) KoFi, I'll write up the song of your choice. ANY song of your choice. Yes, even that one that's been played to death. Yes, your obscure faves too. With sponsors, I can stop skipping weeks and falling further and further behind in the releases! Sponsor a current CB for the next open Music Monday slot or sponsor a throwback for a Thursday feature! But seriously, if you've been enjoying my selections and analyses, we (me and the foster kittens) would love a KoFi in thanks. DW | Twitter | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/the-cost-of-money/

The Cost Of Money

The podcaster interviewing me about my memoir, Getting Lost to Find Home sounded incensed. Why had I clung to my engagement plans for two years before admitting I was being jilted?  “Couldn’t you see it coming?” the man asked. His question wasn’t friendly, but it didn’t stop him from stabbing me with it a second time.  My answer that I’d been deeply in love, didn’t satisfy him.  ”His grunt said I was stupid. If he hadn’t been the host and I a guest, I would have been more forthright.  I’d have told him his question was meaningless. People raised in poverty, as I was, didn’t have much practice in foresight. What I remember about my youth was my mother’s constant worry that we’d have enough rice and beans in the cupboard for an evening meal. We lived from day to day like most poor people. Planning for the future was a middle-class idea.   Today, talking about a divided America is common. People blame the rancor on political differences.  That reason doesn’t scratch the surface.  What divides America and much of the world is money—an impenetrable barrier between those who have it in abundance, those who imagine they can grab more for themselves, and those who have lost hope. About the superrich, Nick Carraway, the narrator In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, had this to say.  Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.   One difference is the way they treat money.  Given the state of the world, that relationship strikes me as indecent.  Gweneth Paltrow charges her clients $4,000 a night to sleep in a hotel room filled with her goop products. (“Being Gwyneth,” by Isiah Magsino, Town&Country, Dec. 2023/Jan. 2024 pg. 70)  Kim Kardashian drops $10,000 to a coveted stylist for twisting her hair into a ponytail. (Ibid. pg. 54.) How many impoverished children could eat for a year for the price of that ponytail? Nonetheless, that feminine vanity is penny-anty stuff.  Consider the avarice of the sultan who is hosting the COP28 conference on climate change.  He doesn’t believe the planet is in danger.  What’s more, he’s using his platform to strike private oil deals with some of the countries in attendance.   Too much money causes people to lose their compassion. Without it, no bridge exists between the classes.    But is the Middle Class a repository of bleeding hearts? Not according to one study.  The Middle Class has generated several myths to keep from falling prey to excessive empathy. Chief among them is that people lack money because they are lazy. Or, the economy is to blame. Sometimes, poverty is God’s will.  One pejorative that didn’t make it into the study but which is common is that the poor have too many children. People from the upper and Middle classes do give to charity but for a variety of reasons.  Compassion may be one of them but a Stanford study says people contribute with an eye to tax credits.  Surprisingly, egoism and narcissism are also motivators. The poor contribute to good causes without the benefit of tax credits.  Even so, they give a greater portion of their income to charities than the other classes.  Perhaps the reason is they know the pain. If philanthropy could both assuage conscience and lift people out of poverty, that would be a bargain. However, two studies of NGOs showed mixed outcomes. One report concluded these organizations provided  important vehicles for empowerment, democratization, and economic development.”  The other admited that NGOs created unintended negative consequences in the villages they entered, especially when the organization was replicating existing government services.  Because of their uneven performance, several poor countries have thrown the NGOs out.  I, too, have mixed feelings about them. When I worked with charitable agencies in the 1980s, too often they resisted change, fearing an infringement of their turf. We might make some progress in working with the poor if we acknowledged they aren’t stupid.  They are poor for reasons beyond their control.  No matter how hard a strawberry picker works in the fields, the individual will remain below the poverty line. My mother was one of those.  A low-wage earner, her greatest luxury was a 10-cent lipstick from the five-and-dime.  If stipends had been available in her day, she would have welcomed them. But she wouldn’t have needed a middle-class social worker to tell her how to spend that income.     The women of Umoja Uaso in Kenya are a good example of how the downtrodden can fend for themselves if barriers are removed.  In 1990, fed up with genital mutilations, rapes, and beatings at the hands of the British army, some of the women who were treated as outcasts in their village formed a village of their own.  No men were allowed. They sold arts and crafts and eventually, prospered.  But the story doesn’t end there. The men of their former village grew jealous and established a craft colony nearby.  They did their best to discourage tourists from visiting the women’s village, but the strategy failed. The weaker sex was too good at their work. Eventually, the women  of Umoja bought the men out.    December is the season of giving and I’m all for it.  We could begin by eliminating the excuses people make to discriminate among the classes. If we want peace on earth, money must flow equitably through an economy. Let’s admit that $10,000 ponytails are obscene.  If we share the wealth through fairer tax laws, for example, the country would experience greater harmony. I’m not alone in my thinking. Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandis said it best. We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both. ———————– Review from Midwest Book Review for Getting Lost to Find Home,  December 2023 Critique: Fascinating, thought-provoking, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring, “Getting Lost to Find Home: A Memoir” by Caroline Miller will have […]

[ritterum]

dreams today were of the performance variety, where I was first at the venue in the middle of a thunderstorm, and the other two members of the string trio were still on the road. our number came up and the event organizer started yelling at me, but I was like calm your tits, lady, my colleagues aren't here yet. cellist came last and we literally had to do the final check in the entrance (just to go over the opening), because we needed to get on stage the instant he walked in the door. beethoven op 1/3, first and second movements, not bad for a dream performance if you don't mind the viola morphing into a piano midway through

second dream was doing orchestra for a mozart thing, and for some ungodly reason my parents were performing with me. I kept having to stop because things kept falling apart around them and ofc I had to fix them, and the conductor singled me out for playing off-rhythm, which was so stressful that I ended up waking up

[roulette-strategy-software]

[ad_1] Introduction: The Legend of Excalibur Hotel and Casino Excalibur Hotel and Casino is where the majesty of the Middle Ages and the excitement of Las Vegas come together. Guests looking for excitement, entertainment, and elegance will find it all at this world-famous resort on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. Click for here casino news. Luxury Befitting a King and Queen excalibur hotel and casino The rooms at excalibur hotel and casino are magical, and once inside, you’ll feel like a king or queen. There are more than 3,900 luxurious guest rooms and suites scattered around the castle-like buildings, each with a unique blend of modern conveniences and old-world allure. Excalibur Hotel and Casino has a wide variety of rooms and suites to meet the needs of any traveller, from the cosy Royal Tower Rooms to the extravagant Fantasy Suites. Whatever your reason for visiting Excalibur—a honeymoon, family holiday, or business conference—you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience. Exciting Recreational Possibilities Abound The excalibur hotel and casino is a mecca for fun and games. A wide variety of events, performances, and attractions await you, and they will leave you in awe. The Tournament of Kings is a unique dinner event that will take you back to the days of knights, jousting, and royal feasts. Featuring attractive Australian artists and explosive dance routines, the Thunder from Down Under show guarantees an amazing evening of laughing. The Bee Gees’ classic songs are brought to life in a spectacular tribute performance in Australia’s famous Bee Gees Show. Enjoying Delicious Food: A Night of Fine Dining Excalibur hotel and casino has some of the best restaurants in the kingdom, so treat your taste buds. There are a wide variety of dining options, from fast food joints to fine dining establishments. The Buffet at Excalibur is the perfect place to fuel up for the day, serving you a wide variety of breakfast favourites from around the world. Visit Buca di Beppo for a taste of Italy and enjoy traditional Italian dishes in a fun and exciting setting. The Steakhouse at Camelot has an outstanding menu and a sophisticated atmosphere, perfect for when you’re craving a tender steak or fresh seafood. Lots of Gambling, Lots of Luck [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXnPVYX5ILc[/embed]Excalibur hotel and casino provides an exciting gaming experience that will have you on the tip of your seat for those who enjoy the excitement of the casino floor. A wide variety of slot machines, table games, and a bustling poker room give gamblers plenty of chances to try their hand at winning. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, the pleasant atmosphere and helpful staff at Excalibur will provide for a fantastic gaming experience. Bringing Out the Kid in All of Us The Excalibur Hotel and Casino is an exciting destination for the whole family, not just adults. The Fun Dungeon is a massive arcade packed with both retro and cutting-edge games that can keep kids (and adults) entertained for hours. There’s pleasure to be had by people of all ages thanks to the arcade’s many games, which range from air hockey and pinball to virtual reality experiences. Be sure to take your family to the magical Tournament of Kings entertainment, where brave knights fight it out while you dine on a feast fit for a king or queen. There’s no doubt that both kids and adults will remember this time fondly. Entertaining After Dark: Royal Partying When night falls across the land, Excalibur hotel and casino becomes a hub of activity. Let loose and dance the night away in The Lounge, where the live DJs and lively crowds will get your celebration started. Sip on a speciality drink or trademark cocktail as you take in the vibrant Las Vegas nightlife. If you’re looking for a more laid-back evening, the Octane Lounge is the perfect place to unwind with a drink and some live music. It’s a great place to hang out with friends or enjoy some time to yourself thanks to the relaxed atmosphere and ample seating.

Spa & Relaxation Fit for a King and Queen excalibur hotel and casino In Excalibur’s peaceful spa and wellness centre, you’ll be treated like a king or queen. Leave the hustle and bustle of the casino floor behind you and take a trip to refresh and recharge. The spa provides a variety of treatments, from relaxing massages to stimulating facials, all with the goal of helping you relax and re-energize. Relax with a dip in the pool, a steam in the sauna, or a body wrap at this spa. If you’re looking for some peace and quiet in the middle of Las Vegas, go no further than Excalibur’s spa and wellness facilities. The Ultimate Retail Therapy: Shopping Until You Drop Excalibur is home to a wide selection of shops, so those in search of retail therapy can satisfy their cravings without leaving the resort. The stores at Excalibur provide something for everyone, from trendy clothing and accessories to one-of-a-kind souvenirs and presents. Discover a wide variety of shops in the Castle Walk Shops, a medieval-themed retail promenade. Excalibur has everything you might want, from the newest styles to a keepsake to remember your time in Las Vegas. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Convenient location on the Las Vegas Strip Outdated decor and furnishings Affordable room rates and various packages High resort fees and additional charges Wide range of dining options Noisy and crowded, especially during peak times Variety of entertainment options and shows Long check-in and check-out queues Large casino with a wide selection of games Some rooms may have poor views Family-friendly amenities and activities Limited fitness facilities and spa options Theme park-style features like a medieval castle Inconsistent customer service experiences Numerous shops and boutiques Limited amenities in some rooms (e.g., no mini-fridge) Multiple swimming pools and sunbathing areas Smoking allowed in certain areas of the casino Easy access to nearby attractions and nightlife Lack of in-room coffee makers and other basic amenities Final Thoughts: Las Vegas’s Shining Gem Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a shining example of Las Vegas’s world-famous resort architecture. Excalibur is a kingdom of luxury and excitement, complete with enchanted rooms, exciting shows, delicious restaurants, and lively casinos. Excalibur provides an incredible experience suitable for kings and queens, whether you’re looking for a relaxing getaway, a fun family holiday, or a thrilling escape into the world of entertainment and gaming. Experience the thrill of Excalibur Hotel and Casino in the heart of Las Vegas and make memories that will last a lifetime. For other games, refer to Casino Prediction Software. Questions That Were Asked Often The Excalibur does offer airport shuttle service for its visitors. Get in touch with the hotel for booking information and other details. We regret to inform you that Excalibur does not welcome pets, with the exception of assistance animals. Yes, Excalibur has a fantastic swimming pool complex complete with many pools, a waterslide, and a comfortable sun terrace. The fitness centre at Excalibur has everything clients need to keep up with their workout programme. Absolutely! Excalibur has several locations perfect for weddings and other special events, from small gatherings to massive parties. For tailored support, please get in touch with the events staff. [ad_2] CLICK HERE TO BUY THE SOFTWARE

[fortune-manufacturing-co]

Floor Drain

For the purpose of preventing water damage and sustaining excellent sanitation, floor drains are a crucial plumbing element that are often found in buildings. It is a kind of drain that is set into a building's floor and designed to catch any extra water and channel it into the building's main drainage or sewer line. Floor drains are frequently found in spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, and dungeons that are prone to water buildup. Depending on the application, they are accessible in numerous forms and sizes, each with different purposes. Floor drains should be set up and operated properly to avoid costly loss of water, foul smells and accidents. See the types of Floor drain here at this link.

To prevent buildings against getting ruined by water, floor drains are created. If water piles on or beneath the floor, it can seep into the partitions, walls, and other parts of the building, encouraging the growth of mold and dampness and destroying the integrity of the structure. In addition to creating damage from water, standing water can produce foul smells and act as an ideal environment for bacteria and other organisms to grow. Floor drains can be set up and kept properly to prevent water damage and preserve hygienic conditions. Floor sewer installation calls for careful consideration, preparation, and use of the proper tools and equipment. Choosing the placement and size of the drainage drain is the first stage in floor drain installation. 

Some of the Important benefits of Floor drains are as follows:

Floor drains are designed to collect any additional water and path it into the primary sewer or draining system, avoiding water damage. It helps in minimizing water accumulation on the floor and water seepage into the walls, ceilings, and other elements of the building, which might give rise to water harm and worsening of the building's structure.

Removes undesirable smells: Standing water can emit offensive smells and provide a refuge for pathogens and other organisms. Floor drains help keep standing water form building up, which in turn helps keep bacteria and other microorganisms from growing and maintains the facility smelling clean and fresh.

Reduces the probability of incidents: Water that remains on the floor may present a slip-and-fall risk, enhancing the possibility of injuries and legal consequences. With their capacity prevent water from collecting up on the floor, floor drains help by reducing the chance of accidents.

Easy maintenance and sterilization: Floor drains are fairly simple to both clean and maintain. A buildup of trash and other items that can clog the drain can be prevented by performing periodic maintenance and examinations.

Floor drains are versatile as they can be utilised in an array of circumstances including homes, businesses, and industrial ones. Depending on the application, they are readily accessible in plenty forms and sizes, each with a different function.

Types of Floor drains

1. Traditional Floor drains:-

The most common types of floor drains are conventional, and they have been lying there for a while. They are available in an assortment of forms and sizes and frequently comprised of cast iron or PVC. To stop debris, hair, and other things from preventing the drain, traditional floor drains feature a grate, strainer, or cover that sits the over of the drainage opening.

2. Shower drains:-

Shower drains are a specific kind of floor drain designed especially for use in showers. They include a more streamlined influence and frequently lower sized than traditional floor drains. For the reason that water drains properly, shower drains are usually placed near the shower's lowest point.

Shower drains are available in two distinct varieties: point drainage and linear drains. The central drains, who are set in the middle of the bathroom floor, have been designed to collect water in one place. On the other hand, linear drains are long and thin and are put in along one or more shower walls. They have grown becoming increasingly prevalent because of their sleek surface and capacity to handle larger quantities of water.

3. Tunnel/ Trench drains:-

Tunnel drains, additionally referred to as trench drains, were designed for gathering fluids from an extensive region. In commercial and manufacturing environments like driveways, loading docks, and warehouses, they are regularly applied. Trench drains often have a grated surface and are long and narrow. 

Trench drainage can be altered in order to satisfy specific needs of an application. As an example, some trench drains had slopes built into it that facilitate move water, while others are constructed to withstand high loads such automobiles and forklifts.

4. Floor drains in the basement:-

Drains on basement floors are meant for keeping basements dry. They are normally connected to the main draining or sewer system of the building and are positioned close to the edge of the floor. In areas that are highly susceptible to floods or water damage, such as regions with high groundwater levels, basement floor drains are essential.

There are many different sizes and forms of basement floor drains available, and some types come with a trap to stop sewage gases from entering the building. 

[reggiecristal]

Reggie’s Report Card: Lohengrin, Metropolitan Opera, March 2, 2023

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor: 4.2/5 Stars

I expected good things from Yannick going into last night, given what I’ve heard of him in symphonic music, and he largely met and satisfied the requirements of his role. His tempi were well judged, responsive to the action of the text and the inner life which the orchestra reflects, and many of the most musically and dramatically satisfying moments in the piece came at his baton. The horns, in particular, sounded wonderful—resplendent and full, never harsh or braying, and unified both as a section and with the ensemble at large. Winds were at times less satisfying, sometimes failing to spin the long lines of Elsa’s theme with sufficient legato, but the clarinets, in particular, deserve praise for their contribution to the drama’s color. As a string player, it is my duty to complain about something or another those sections could be doing, and so shall I here. The violins took more time to warm up than I’d have liked—their task in supplying that silvery, ethereal timbre the prelude asks for was only met towards the section’s end, and before then was watery and weak, rather than transparent, but full. Once at full strength, however, they were often a source of great beauty, giving the proud lines of the piece’s martial music a soaring arc, the intimacy of the Bridal Chamber Scene an honesty of sentiment, and the scheming of Ortrud and Telramund powerful dramatic tension through their exemplary articulation and rhythmic vigor. At times, however, I do wish they’d lean a bit into “messiness”; there’s a tendency, due to the section’s level of technical polish, to treat clean, faultless unity of sound as the norm, rather than as an expressive decision—a bit of fray in the upper reaches of the violins would give the public scenes a more lived-in, natural exuberance. The celli, of course, deserve recognition for their contributions to the night’s orchestral success, but I’d have liked to have felt the colors of the violas and basses more potently. They, of course, would never project over the rest of the sections, but the depth and warmth they provide to the middle and lower voicings in the strings was at times lacking. The same could be said for the lower voices of the chorus: they were at something like 140 strength, with a roughly 2:1 men to women ratio, but in voice the men’s chorus favored the tenorial voice too strongly. There is a certain machismo in Wagner’s writing of the men-at-arms, and with what’s written for them, he imparts a definite archetype of martial masculinity—the baritones and basses were needed to give that example firm grounding and, of course, a “manly” sound (bleh, I know). Overall, however, the orchestra came away as the most successful performers of the night, and Yannick, as I’m not wont to say often, fulfilled the demands of his position admirably.

Tamara Wilson, Elsa: 3/5 Stars

Elsa is my favorite character in this opera—seriously. I love Ortrud for her shadiness and general girlbossery, but Elsa, for many interpreters, is an enigma. Many sopranos find her bland, but a few see past the character’s initial coolness to see the incredibly rich inner life the girl harbors within her. Tamara Wilson came most into her own in the Bridal Chamber Scene, like her Lohengrin, but was generally of more secure voice. Like Christine Goerke, Wilson is the possessor of a significant instrument. For that reason, it’s a pity that the typical American nasality mars the warmth of her tone, robbing it of the variety of colors necessary to imbue Elsa with real life. I personally see the character as like a medieval mystic—particularly in the centrality of bodily experience and imagery of bridal union with Christ. When Elsa falls dead at the opera’s end, it is not for having lost a husband, but for having lost her only opportunity to be transfigured; union with Lohengrin is her opportunity to transcend the empty, lonely existence through which she wanders, lost in dreams of salvation. Elsa sings to Lohengrin that in him she must fade away, giving all that she is—this is a woman giving herself to union with her god, not just to a man. In Lohengrin, she senses the divine, but, tragically, the doubt Ortrud plants in her mind disturbs the absoluteness of her faith. Elsa, sensing her opportunity for salvation, wants it to be bared to her outright—she wants to know Lohengrin’s name, as he said she may not, so that she may speak it as sweetly as he does hers—to know him as he knows her. In this she fails the test of her faith—Ortrud and Telramund fail because they rely on their own craft, wit, and strength to achieve their goals, and Elsa falls in line with them when the trauma of her absolute solitude drives her to desperation. Even having just married her knight, she awaits his leaving with terror, beset by all the fear and uncertainty her faith had veiled and fortified her against. Lohengrin fails to comfort her as a woman, rather than as a wife, and, being denied human comfort, Elsa falls to her fears, demanding his name and, in doing so, failing the test of her faith. At the scene’s end, having realized the enormity of her loss, she echoes Peter at his denials of Jesus—when she cries “Allewiger, erbarm dich mein!” she has already passed on, the one purpose for which she lived having passed her by. As Elsa, Wilson imparted her humanity best—the limitations of her range of tonal colors stopped her from portraying the dreamy, otherworldly character Elsa has in the first act. Her legato, given her experience as a Verdian, did not satisfy, either, and so her separation from the declamation of the King and his men was not as clear as it should have been. At times, her vibrato also widened more than I’d have liked. As Elsa’s doubt reinvigorates her humanity, Wilson singing began to satisfy more, and when Elsa’s shame and grief follows her error, Wilson’s effort to imbue her lines with sentiment brought her voice into more natural alignment, forgoing the persistent nasality endemic to her vocalism for fleeting moments. Generally, Wilson’s inability to impart Elsa’s transformation through her music hampered the otherwise audible efforts to do the drama justice: the light embellishments in Elsa’s dreamy fantasy lacked spontaneity, the legato smoothness, and a general lack of rhythmic flexibility denied her portrayal the range of expression required to do the character’s inner transformation justice.

Piotr Beczała, Lohengrin: 3/5 Stars

Oh, Piotr. This singer frustrates me because, aside from seeming like a nice guy, he has a gorgeous instrument and some idea how implement it musically and dramatically, but the technique with which he wields it fails him. It generally seems that youth carried his voice intact into his forties, but now that he’s in his fifties, the insecurity in his top, with the way he’s so often scooped up to higher tones, has come to claim him. What’s more, his mastery of his breath is incomplete, so a wobble mars his middle voice and above, and sustaining the long lines asked of him in this role with heroic voice proved a struggle. Piotr was at his best between the extremes of his character: Lohengrin combines dramatic proclamations bursting above the upper passagio with scenes of great intimacy, sensitivity, and art, requiring an able mezza voce to impart fully. The tenor’s declamation lacked thrust, insufficiently rhythmically rigorous to give Lohengrin’s expression a flexible, potent authority, and his mezza voce suffered from problems of registration—Piotr’s head voice is not sufficiently integrated to deliver “Das süsse Lied verhallt”. That very scene perhaps encapsulated all aspects of this tenor’s incomplete portrayal. His opening remarks to Elsa were imparted warmly, but without the sensual mystery which intrigues and hints at the man beneath the mask of anonymity. This scene is remarkable for how greatly it develops Lohengrin’s character in so little time. The scene is effectively a confrontation, the fruit of the seeds of doubt Ortrud planted in Elsa’s mind blooming and forcing Lohengrin to both soothe and please his bride as her anxieties seize her. Though a warrior, Lohengrin appreciates the sensual beauty of nature and speaks of love as his true calling. Piotr failed to rise to the poetry of the character, his insecurity in his high notes marring the character’s flights into pure sentiment. He was most at home in Lohengrin’s attempts to calm Elsa, but truly found his footing in Lohengrin’s frustration with his failure and resignation to the demands of his duty; there, Piotr’s warm, rich tone in his middle voice took a plaintive tone, darker and softer as his character came to terms with the ruination of his joy. The extremities of expression written into this scene stretched Piotr more or less to the limits of his ability, but also showed glimmers of beauty here and there. Lohengrin’s procession of aria’s in the opera’s end strained him similarly, but did not show him to any great advantage, though “In fernem Land” was home to the few moments in which his mezza voce took a more promising timbre. All in all, Piotr was a sympathetic presence let down by his technical insecurities.

Christine Goerke, Ortrud: 2.8/5 Stars

In an interview played back during one of the intervals, Goerke describes her approach to Ortrud as believing in earnest that she is the wronged party—denied her birthright, as the princess of a conquered people, and denied the dignity of practicing her culture, such as her religious beliefs, openly. It’s a smart approach, as, with most well-written antagonists, there is an element of truth to their claims. In these things, I respect Goerke’s acumen, and in her portrayal there was certainly an impression of dramatic instinct and attention to the text. Vocally, however, her technique did not allow her the freedom to express her ideas fully. Her instrument is undeniably the real deal: full and rich in the middle, but short on top as many dramatic sopranos find themselves. Sure enough, Goerke seemed most at home, vocally, in the middle of her voice, which she could emit with dramatic thrust, and her top had the wiry, metallic tinge I expect of her. She’s stated her admiration for Astrid Varnay in the past, and it shows in her voice. Unfortunately, Varnay’s technique was the weakest part of her artistry, and like Varnay, Goerke commands a very generous vocal endowment without either full control or freedom. The lower passagio was rather veiled, sour even, brightened by the standard American nasality, but lacked the power of her chest voice, which came full of color and bite when she opened into it. Her voice, really, is in parts: the colorful, punchy chesct voice, the veiled, unpleasant lower-middle, the wide, warm middle range, then the thinner, strained acuti. Goerke, however, is of will in proportion to her vocal endowment, and gave great effort to meet the extreme demands of Ortrud’s music, but this effort took focus from her dramatic portrayal, which was, as Goerke said, of a woman seeking justified vengeance, but her Ortrud lacked the bite, the sarcasm, bitterness, and malicious craftiness others have brought to the role. By the end, Goerke seemed more intent on making it through “Fahr heim!” than in crowning a complete, persuasive interpretation.

Thomas Hall, Telramund: 3.9/5 Stars

Thomas Hall, I believe, made his Met debut last night, and as a replacement for Evgeny Nikitin—a known element at the Met who, I’m glad to say, was not missed last night. Unlike Nikitin, Hall actually saw fit to sing all of his music, and with as thankless a role as Telramund, he actually acquitted himself well. His instrument is appropriate for the role, if not glamorous: well enough suited to the low tessitura that he was able to resonate well in the lower notes, but secure enough up top to make something of the dramatic outbursts written for his character. His characterization was similarly adequate. Hall’s Telramund remained a noble throughout his trials, portraying a man led astray by his thirst for power. His Telramund, however, is always earnest—he does not represent his beliefs falsely, truly believing, at first, Elsa guilty of murder, Lohengrin of witchcraft, and himself justified in attempting the latter’s life. Hall did an admirable job in filling a role which is often poorly cast with a thoughtful, capable presence. His voice might have not been the most beautiful or unique in timbre, but he fulfilled the assignment, which, on short notice, is all that can be asked for, particularly in this role.

Günther Groissböck, King Heinrich: 2/5 Stars

I distinctly remember Groissböck’s performance as Filippo II in Don Carlo last Fall on account of his vocal estate—namely, that it was far lesser than I’d ever heard it, dry, strained, and emitted without a shadow of the ease with which I’d previously heard him sing. Lamentably, on account of what I know of his dramatic talents, his voice was in a similar state last night. As Heinrich, Groissböck generally failed to imbue his character with the dignity and authority asked of him. Heinrich can easily become a tedious presence—he’s often the voice of Wagner’s politics, notably of ethnic and national identity, as well as gender, in the opera, and as such is easy to portray as a rambling, moralizing bore. While Groissböck did not fall into that trap, he nonetheless failed to produce an offering of any other kind of interest, often limited to just playing it straight by the lack of color and vigor in his voice. Often, what was of most interest in listening to him was knowing a high note’s approach and wondering if he’d make it—he largely did, though he flagged in pitch on some, fell into straight, white tone on others, and generally failed to impart the role with the quiet, simple dignity which would make Heinrich not only a driver if the night’s action, but a sympathetic one with presence and gravitas.

Also, just as a note, I found it funny that the Met omitted Lohengrin’s line “Nach Deutschland sollen noch in fernsten Tagen des Ostens Horden siegreich nimmer ziehn!”

[ritterritchie11]

Gemcitabinease inhibition by omeprazole shows part of warmth surprise proteins about testicular torsion

Most legal rights set aside.Background. Damaged balance features a important negative impact on flexibility, useful independence, along with fall danger within older adults. Though numerous, well-respected stability measures are still available, there's constrained facts about the most appropriate evaluate to assess change in community-dwelling older adults. Objective. The objective of this research was to evaluate floor and ceiling effects, level of sensitivity to switch, and also responsiveness over the following DNA stability measures in community-dwelling seniors along with functional limits: Berg Stability Size (BBS), Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment total size (POMA-T), POMA harmony subscale (POMA-B), along with Energetic Stride List (DGI). Design. Retrospective data from the 16-week exercise trial were utilised. Supplementary examines were conducted about the full sample through subgroups of standard useful issue or basic balance ratings. Methods. Contributors ended up 111 community-dwelling seniors Sixty five yrs . old as well as old, using practical restrictions. Level of sensitivity to switch ended up being considered using influence dimensions, consistent reaction indicate, along with paired t checks. Responsiveness had been considered making use of minimally important variation (Middle) quotes. Results. Simply no flooring effects had been noted. Limit consequences were witnessed about almost all procedures, which include within people with moderate to be able to severe useful constraints. The particular POMA-T, POMA-B, and DGI confirmed considerably larger threshold outcomes in contrast to your BBS. Almost all steps experienced reduced awareness to change as a whole trial analyses. Subgroup examines exposed considerably better awareness to improve throughout people who have Gemcitabine price reduced in contrast to larger base line balance standing. Despite the fact that both the complete taste minimizing baseline equilibrium subgroups confirmed mathematically significant advancement coming from standard to 07 several weeks on almost all steps, just the reduced stability subgroup confirmed modify scores in which consistently surpass corresponding Middle of the estimates. Limitations. These studies had been limited to comparing 4 actions of stability, as well as anchor-based options for assessing Middle Encorafenib ic50 cannot become reported. Conclusions. Crucial limitations, including threshold outcomes and comparatively lower level of sensitivity to improve along with responsiveness, ended up known throughout just about all stability steps, showcasing their particular minimal utility across the full variety of the community-dwelling elderly inhabitants. New, more challenging measures are essential for much better discrimination of harmony potential within community-dwelling the elderly with higher practical levels.Any plant-based thermal optimum way of irrigation scheduling supplies prospective rewards for the reason that water apps are generally slated based on grow a reaction to water reputation.

[brain-rot-queen]

Days That Changed Me

Monday was a crew-cut guy, in a nice suit. He was the kind of person to wear a fancy watch that never fit his wrist correctly despite the amount of money he spent on it. It could always use a link or two to be taken out of it, but that would require help that he would never ask for. He got up every morning and went to his nine-to-five corporate office job that was a couple of positions above cubicle. He, of course, climbed his way up from an entry-level position job, so he had an ego about him, thinking he was all kinds of hot shit, but he also understood the value of work. I never knew exactly what he did, but I knew it involved more math than my brain is capable of. He worked for the nice things he had or at least told me he did. I believed him. He had a loft apartment in some mediocre building in the city. He had a walk-in closet to display his variety of suits, cascading in enough colors to ensure he could go an entire month without needing to repeat a suit combination. I saw it once when I stayed over one night. He didn’t show it off. That part was just for him.

The closet fed into an almost empty bathroom, which fed into an almost even emptier bedroom. It was a bit of a bachelor pad but clean and always smelled good. Monday had an uncomfortable, modern-looking couch in the middle of his living room and a nice, big flat-screen TV that he would watch his college football games on in the fall. It never felt truly lived in, coming off as a procured piece of art. He never seemed comfortable in his own home. I wanted him to be happy. I could never tell if he was.

In the spring, he opened his balcony doors up to let the sunlight in and the occasional breeze through to soften the darker features of his apartment. He would sit on the balcony and read for hours. In the silence, one hand holding a book, the other on my leg, that was one of the few times when I felt like I truly reached him.

He had buddies over for poker night once a week. He invited me a couple of times. There was a competitive air about it that went beyond the game. A couple days before, he would meet those friends out at the bar, they always go to, for a drink or two, attempting to hit on women but usually failing. I didn’t mind all that much. It was just another element of the competitive performance art that was Monday. He was never the best judge of character when it comes to his friends. That’s probably the reason They would be rowdy and rude, always shouting crass things at passersby and leaving shitty tips for their servers. Monday always found himself checking their behavior in his head, but never speaking on it. He would always stay after them to leave a sizable tip and an apology for the poor server out of guilt.

“Monday…”

“I am sorry about them. College buddies. They’re good guys, just dickheads.”

There was no conviction in his voice. At that point, he knew it was just a line he gave.

It was good with Monday. It was calm. No matter how much we wanted it, it was never going to work though. Monday was unknowable. That’s how he wanted it. We slowly faded.

I checked his social media recently. Curiosity, I guess.

He married a woman from work. She was in sales but a position lower than him of course. I don’t think that his internal competitive drive would have let him fall for someone above him. They seem happy. They have a kid, a daughter. He looks softer. He has posts about his mental health. I have to stop myself from wondering what had changed. Did he change and then meet her or did he change for her. Could he have changed for me? I close my computer.

 ​            When I think of Tuesday, I think of her sunny yellow dress with some sort of flowers or fruit on it. She wears earrings that remind me of the ones my third-grade teacher wore, inanimate objects that looked like they are made of clay. Her husband bikes a lot. He has curly hair and a bit of a beard. In college, when she detailed her perfect man, she described him, Joseph, to a T.

They go out on the weekends to farmers markets to pick up handmade soap and cat treats for their kitten and the obese old cat, Jefferey, she has had since we lived together in undergrad. I miss Jefferey wondering into my lap on a classic, peaceful hungover weekend with Tuesday. He is old now, with some health issues that make him lazily lounge in the sun that shines through Tuesday’s window seat in her front room. The room is lined with bookshelves her husband made, stacked high with any book she has ever touched.

In the summertime, she sits in the window with her fat cat and reads whatever made her happy, or sad, or whatever escape she needs that day. Sometimes she texts me to come over and join her. Those are my favorite days of the summer. Occasionally the kitten, her husband brought home randomly, curls up on her lap and purr quietly to break the silence. Tuesday will read and read until her husband comes home from the longest bike ride in the world, and they cook dinner together in their kitchen. Music would be playing in the background, as they cook whatever cuisine they decided to try out that night, stirring sauces, sautéing vegetables. They dance around their little island trying not to burn their elbows on the Cuisinart kitchen set they got as a wedding present. It’s so sweet it hurts. It feels almost comical to observe their domestic bliss, when I remember watching them meet in a study group our sophomore year of college.

            She painted her cabinets a bright lime green color that was prettiest as the sun set between her French doors. Tuesday loves the humidity of warm rain and crisp air of autumn chill, so her doors are always open, leading out to her backyard that had pavers, a fire pit, and fairy lights strung between the house and her picket fence. She hosts anytime she has the chance, loving the company she has surrounded herself with. Tuesday is who I want to be when I grow up, even though we are the same age.

As much as Tuesday would love to read and escape from reality, engulfing herself in whatever fictional world some author cooked up, she enjoys the moments that keep her in reality as well. Barbeques with family, trying new drink recipes with a couple friends, roasting marshmallows with her husband are where she was happiest. 

"You will find someone.” She would tell me.

“I am not sure I will ever get there, Tuesday.”

“You never wanted this. You need to find your version of this.” She gave me hope.

 ​            Wednesday was a childhood babysitter. We didn’t have much to talk about, since I was of the ripe age of seven, so instead we found creative ways to dunk Oreos in milk. I would like to point out that I personally have never enjoyed milk, but an Oreo is milk’s favorite cookie. So, as Oreo scholars we had to dunk them in milk for science. It would be a nice, tall glass of milk, and as many Oreos we could eat. There was a crafted method for dunking the cookie into your glass of milk. Diversion from the perfect dunk, and it would not come out as the perfect ratio of milk to Oreo, instead half the cookie tragically breaking and falling into the tall glass. We obviously considered the trick in which you stick the fork through the Oreo and boom you have an instant Oreo dunker contraption. While yes that is completely possible, Wednesday and I considered this cheating.

There were high stakes. You could lose your cookie in one of those stupidly tall glasses that make any drink look desirable. They were not actually ideal cookie dunking glasses, but had not yet refined aesthetics versus practicality in Oreo dunking at the point. My parents had gotten he glasses on their wedding.

The glasses had been left to collect dust, until Wednesday and I took up our research.

I was unaware of the context around our Oreo dunking.

I hadn’t known that my parents had hired Wednesday because my grandmother was too sick to take care of me after school and my parents both had to work. I hadn’t noticed double stuffed Oreos turned to regular Oreos because my parents were trying to save money. I didn’t even pick up on Wednesday urging me to use less Oreos because I was “wasting test subjects,” another cost cutting measure. Sometimes I miss the naïve ignorance of my childhood. The ability to push the struggles of the real world away with snacks and pretend science. Instead, I sit at a kitchen counter surrounded by bills and budgets of my own while eating a sleeve of Oreo to sooth the pain.

 Thursday started as a friend from grad school. We would grab happy hour appetizers and two-dollar pints with after finishing up our work for the day. He would drag me the bar of a pub or sports bar or tavern and order a round of whatever was going the cheapest that night and the BOGO basket of wings, buffalo sauce with the blue cheese on the side. I obviously had to get my own basket of BOGO wings, but only because it was such a good deal that we got the most out of it if we ordered two together. He was the kind of guy that you can have a good conversation with, but that conversation comes with another round. In those days, he was an enabler to all ends, pushing me to grab one more pint, one more glass of cheap beer that I could no longer stand the taste of. He always seemed to know the waitress at the bar, no matter which one we found ourselves at. He would flirt slightly to get just a little top off the couple of sips he took of his last round. They would always agree because he was charismatic and had a nice smile but knew they would never go home with him.

Thursday always rolled up the sleeves of his button shirt to rest at his forearms, signaling that he was off the clock. He looked good in blues, light or dark, but he could also pull off greens and browns. His shoes matched his belt, but don’t be fooled as he only had one other pair of shoes and one other belt. It was the kind of low effort class that came from an upper middle class, New England private school upbringing.

He had a cute, homie, smaller apartment, sweet yet stupid roommates, and the comfiest couches ever despite it being old and probably found on the side of the road. He would have avoided frat houses in undergrad if he hadn’t been such a standup guy and was invited to seemingly every party despite never pledging.

After a couple of rounds in the bar at his usual stool, his voice only got louder and louder, but no one ever seemed to mind because it felt like every person was craning their neck to understand what he was talking about. He always cashed out at the bar before walking outside to light a cigarette, his slightly longer hair would fall across his face while he bent his neck down to light up. We would share a look. I was never sure in those moments what it meant or what I was feeling. Thursday would take a puff and blow it out into the street and ask if me if I wanted to grab one more drink.

“I know you got it in you, shortstop.” He always called me that.

“I have class tomorrow…” I knew there was no conviction behind my voice.

“So… Barney’s?” It always ended at Barney’s.

“You’re buying.” It was settled.

I would end going to class hung over. He always knows how to look at me to get me to do whatever. Thursday would throw me a look and convince me that one more cheap drink would be the best idea in the world. He would drive me home and hold my hair back if it came to that. We would tell each other our fears and hopes.

“I hope you know how much I need you.” He was sappier than he appeared.

“Anytime. Always.” And I meant it.

We are busier now, with jobs and pets and all the responsibilities of adult life. It isn’t quite the same. It now requires effort and scheduling, but when we are together it comes as easily as it ever did. Thursday’s presence is still as intoxicating as it ever was. In the back of my mind, I can’t discard the idea that we will someday be more than this.

 The was a specific group of college students on my floor when I was an RA. I dubbed them collectively “Friday.” Friday never knew when to leave the function. They were always the last ones coming in after a night out. The girls would be clad in their short clothes and barely there tops drinking something like UV Blue or Deep Eddy’s. The guys would be clad in their jerseys and backwards hats drinking Colt 45’s or Natural Light Naturdays and trying not to puke it up on their Nike Blazers later in the night. They were always the ones that made their exploits just obvious enough that I had to write them up. They met on our dorm floor, some of them left their door open during welcome week to invite new friends in, which is exactly what happened.

They would played water pong in off brand solo cups, playing their “College Pre-Game PlayLits” some-what softly so they could still hear the ping pong ball bounce against the linoleum. Sometimes they would spend their evenings in the girl’s dorm that was covered in cozy throw blankets and emanating with the smell of baked goods, a “Saturdays are for the Girls” flag, and a couple illegal-dorm candles. Sometimes they would go to the boy’s room, that shared an interesting stench of all their cologne and musk mixed together with a hint of weed just faint enough for plausible deniability. They had a beer box wall lining up the back of their door, which I eventually just decided to ignore, and had a rug that one of their moms insisted they needed. No matter where they decided to pregame, they would always meet for the showings of the Bachelor in the dorm floor lounge, bringing some kind of dessert and talking about who was getting a rose that night. The routine was soothing even for me as an outsider, hearing the show, muffled through the thin dorm walls.

The Fridays moved in a pack, always making sure everyone wanted to leave and thus creating this idea that they never really had to leave until someone kicked them out. In a way I admired that. It kept them safe and ultimately that is what I cared about. They would hold one another’s hair back in the bathroom, always have a pong partner, and when it got nice around the springtime, they would be found at the campus hotspot sitting on a blanket together enjoying the people watching and some vodka from a water bottle, which I had lost the energy to care about.

“Please be safe tonight, guys.” I told the group as they were leaving one night. I knew they weren’t gonna listen to me, but it made me feel better to say it.

“Don’t worry! I have backup!” The group of them laughed, but it was true.

 Saturday was my freshman roommate. She was an enigma wrapped in chaos. I have never once seen her room clean enough to walk through the door. She was, however, always cleaning the kitchen. Only to leave cabinets open, beans soaking in water on the stove, and the scissors always missing. She loved seeds, like enough to purchase a couple bags of seeds weekly and I’m not even sure seeds come in bags, like I think she put the seeds in special bags she had.

She had the most amazing taste in style, always knowing how to accessorize, and how to wear her hair. She had these amazing curls that could not be tamed, even on days she would complain of bad hair it looked like it belonged in a professional haircare commercial. Her clothes were always something to be envied and she was generous with them. They were a mix of old thrifted finds and vintage couture plus whatever was in style recently. She could combine the two into the most impressive outfit that would turn heads.

Essentially there was not a thing this girl could not do, and I wish I was exaggerating when I say this. While being able to enjoy a night in, she was also able to light up every party she ever walked into. She knew how to dance in a crowded room, to drink anyone under the table literally, and to play a mean game of Monopoly, which she cheated at every time without fail. There was never a moment in which you knew what Saturday was up to or what her definitive plans were but ultimately that was part of her charm. She was with me for so many of my firsts, first drink, first kiss, first failed midterm. I would not have made it through that time without her.

She was both, she was all, she was Saturday. And like a weekend, as soon as she entered my life, she was gone. She never came back from summer break. There was no special goodbye or even a warning. That didn’t change any of the memories or bonds that we had forged over freshman year. Not everyone is permanent in our lives. Saturday was never meant to be in my life forever. That was hard to learn at first. Eventually though you learn to enjoy the memories and appreciate the time you had together. I still thank Saturday for that lesson.

 Sunday always showed up to Thanksgiving fashionably late. The last of my uncles without a wife or kids, Sunday was merely expected to bring himself. He worked as some foreman or something. I still couldn’t tell you what that means, and this point I am too afraid to ask. Despite his tardiness, he could be found usually passed out on some armchair before dessert.

As a kid, I looked up to Sunday. I thought he was living the high life. He was always talking and hanging out with the family, making jokes with a beer in hand. Sundays would say hello to all the nieces and nephews and ask them things about their lives that would let you know he keeps tabs us and he wasn’t as distant as he appeared.

He loves the football games, no matter who is playing who, as long as he gets to yell and celebrate with his family. He would bring a Costco ready to bake mac and cheese as his dish, which was fine because it was one less dish for grandma to make. It was also delicious. Plus, nobody would never really want Sunday to be in charge of something super important like the turkey because he wanted to deep fry one year, and he almost caused a forest fire.

He always had good jokes, never bring up politics, and keep everyone fairly calm with comedic relief and lighthearted anecdotes about how they did Thanksgiving growing up. When you would sit around the table with Sunday and say grace, he was respectful, but he believed this holiday was just an excuse for grocery stores to sell more turkey. He would tuck in, place his napkin in the fold of his shirt collar and occasionally talk with his mouth full. He would serve himself seconds or maybe thirds, raving about how delicious everything was and joking that the mac and cheese was definitely his favorite. He was the first one to say dessert should be served on the couch and around the TV so they could finish the game. The only issue would be that the second his butt hit the brown suede of grandpa’s recliner, he would immediately pass out from all the gravy and the mashed potatoes he managed to put down.

Everyone would only have nice but mediocre things to say about Sunday as he snored from his spot. He was a safe space, lazy but still got it done. He was not the black sheep of the family but not the star either. He lived his life for himself and minded his business. Later in my life, I would find myself slipping into that role within my own generation of the family. When I spent time thinking about how Sunday had made us feel and what he brought with him though, I found it an honor to take the mantle. Sunday was stable and safe. He was kind and hardworking. It was admirable to be Sunday.

(this was a project for my creative writing class)

[advancedhairgrow]

Best Hair Transplant Clinic in Haridwar

Welcome to Advanced Hair Grow

Hair loss is a problem that affects many people. It can happen for various reasons, including genetics, stress, hormonal changes, and medical problems. The best way to treat hair loss is to identify its cause and take steps to prevent further damage.

We are Advanced Hair Grow, a top-notch hair clinic that readily addresses all varieties of hair-related issues effectively, solving them in most cases with a highly professional approach, using advanced technologies. There are several treatments available for hair loss, including medications, surgery, and laser therapy. These treatments work by stimulating hair growth or preventing hair from falling out. However, these methods aren’t always effective, so there are other options to consider. One option is hair transplantation. This procedure involves removing small amounts of hair from one part of the scalp and placing them in another area where the new hair will grow.

Treatments We Offer in Our Clinic

We would be glad to address your questions and clear your doubts. Our prolific hair transplant process magically creates amazing results

Advanced Hair Grow is The Best Hair Transplant Clinic in Haridwar, Dehradun. We cover all types of Hair Treatments including Hair Loss, Hair fall, Dandruff, PRP (Platelet-rich Plasma), FUE (Follicular unit extraction), DHI (Direct hair implantation) & Advanced PRP Treatment across Roorkee, Uttarakhand.

New Hair, Plenty of Hair & Healthy Hair – We do it all It is common to suffer from hair fall issues. Hair-related problems may even begin in teenage. In most cases, middle-aged people suffer from various hair fall issues, irrespective of gender. Thin hair, brittle hair, bald spots, etc. can lower your confidence.

There is no reason to be sad anymore! We, Advanced Hair Grow, are here to solve all kinds of hair-related issues, expertly and effectively! As professionals, we have many years of rich experience in the hair-care industry. You can safely rely on our prolific expertise in this regard.

A Reputable Name

Advanced Hair Grow has already earned a good reputation in Uttarakhand. We regularly treat patients from Haridwar, Dehradun, Roorkee, and many other cities from the Northern Belt of India. Patients from various parts of the country visit our clinic to get treated of their hair-related problems.

Comprehensive Hair Transplant Services

You would be more than happy with our top-grade hair transplant services. We use the latest tools and technologies in delivering the best hair transplant services to both men and women. The results are truly amazing! You can witness the outcome within a few months.

One of the most prominent benefits is there are no side effects of the transplant procedure. Our experts implement the safest measures and most sophisticated techniques in the best possible way. There is a natural growth of hair on your scalp region. The new hair is shiny, healthy, and black.

We are a certified service provider

As a service provider, our clinic has all the required certifications and licenses to deliver hair transplant and implantation solutions to patients. Our doctors are trained, experienced, and have the necessary permits to perform the task. We are a registered clinic and there is no confusion about it.

Most affordable prices

The budget remains under control, as far as your expense is concerned, availing our services. We price our hair transplant services competitively. The patients don’t have to bother too much about the costs. The prices are reasonable, complying with the usual market norms.

There is no reason to be sad anymore! We, Advanced Hair Grow, are here to solve all kinds of hair-related issues, expertly and effectively! As professionals, we have many years of rich experience in the hair-care industry. You can safely rely on our prolific expertise in this regard.

[msatowingcalgary4]

Precisely what is the difference concerning heavy duty towing together with light duty towing

roadside assistance Calgary

Have you even be informed on heavy duty towing and additionally light duty towing or have you ever jammed in the middle of the road in the process to your destination?

roadside assistance Calgary

Virtually no?

What if you truly get stuck?

You've got no idea; correct?

Well, the only succeed that you need to do when this happens is to call for a towing-van. With a towing vehicle at your service, it is possible to deal with a car destroyed on the way to your spot.

Now, suppose that you’ve planned to telephone a towing product; okay?

What would probably reply if the towing professional asks people about what type of that towing service you intend to avail?

You would just say ‘uh-uh-oh’; best suited?

Well, that much simply wouldn’t ever end up sufficient to get the appropriate towing service to obtain your car tows to your best place due to the repair and repair. You must also answer him back regarding the two types of towing services:

i) Heavy-Duty Towing

ii) Light-Duty Towing

I’m confident you don’t get any knowledge about this types of the vehicle towing services; right? Therefore , first and foremost, let me tell you your major difference involving those two autos; okay?

Towing Vehicles

Before I get started the blog, let me tell you that will towing a car is kind of a stressful encounter. And I’m really sure no one might ever love addressing such a situation.

Nevertheless sometimes, it gets to be compulsory for us to disclose.

This is the time when you need to help knowledge about the disparities between the heavy-duty towing and the light-duty towing.

Go through the text following to its terminate. I bet you’ll find the most-satisfying dissimilarities between those a few types of towing solutions.

Light-Duty Towing

Light-duty towing generally identifies the towing in the smaller sedans and the city-driving vehicles and cabs. Without a doubt that the vehicles which fall under this group towing services. People vehicles that require these generally have more compact sizes and are more compact than any other car or truck.

Light Duty Towing

Before I additionally discuss on the issue, let me tell you that a usual light-duty towing company always includes a three of the offerings as given inside points below:

Removing of the abandoned in addition to restricted vehicles Towing the vehicles faraway from the private vicinity space Recovering your vehicle from the damages triggered due to excellent

Light-duty works in case of towing vehicles; generally require the towing with the smaller cars enjoy sedans and/or from time to time even ‘the town driving cars. Well then, i'll inform you that these autos are said to require only the light-duty tows. Having claimed this, both the vehicle and even the taxi driver need to be appropriate on their sizes.

Choosing the car appropriately and properly matters a lot as soon as planning to get an individual vehicle tows by way of the other. Else, it could take a lot more time and effort for any task to be comprehensive on time.

There are a variety with different types of trucks. Properly, not all of them effectively work this task but some advisors are at their best in working with it. The only thing that you have to care about is that vehicle; may this be a truck and something else; that you employ to perform this task; ought to be lighter and successful enough to drive.

Additionally, you must also remember that this driver shouldn’t toss many jobs for the vehicle. Otherwise, it’ll end up taking longer and at the same time, it will consume more options than the normal days to weeks.

This is the reason why sleek and stylish towing duty is utilized only for lightweight work opportunities and is still successful.

Heavy-Duty Towing

Just by its name, some sort of heavy-duty towing comes from the towing involving tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, RVs, large buses and many more. Let me tell you that a heavy-duty towing needs experienced and experienced manpower to deal with the task associated with its easy along with effective operation.

First and foremost, the thing that you need to treasure is that it’s all been probable due to the great blend of the torque together with horse-power that enables want you to move and move while working to yank something from one method to the other.

One of the most possibilities that you need to remember recommendations that the smaller your car is, the a smaller amount you’ll need it. Nevertheless, more is better only at that level.

Let us guess that two cars need to be pulled from one destination to the other. Here, things that you need to keep in head are listed with the points below: