#Re: a lot of this is based off techniques they had to use for capturing the footage on Meerkat Manor

[bonefall]

How do the researchers react to the clan cats leaving the lake for a time?

You mean the little patrols they send out?

They aren't aware of them, EXCEPT for the Beaver Expedition that Dovepaw was on. They found out about that one because they got a phone call from the team in charge of the beaver introduction.

It was NERVE WRACKING. Both teams were terrified the other would injure their subjects. They were horrified when the cats dug out the top of the dam and pulled the squealing baby beavers out, thinking this was going to end BADLY, but practically cried in relief and excitement when the Clan cats baited the parents towards the lake.

(I like to imagine someone on the beaver team ended up hitting it off with someone on the Clan cat team. The wedding cake was cats and beavers.)

But generally? They don't know about expeditions. Sometimes they catch them leaving, but don't have the funding to chase them down.

Clan cats are also not under constant surveillance. Very important to understand this. Clan cats will attack anything that upsets them and good cameras are expensive; they snuck one into the ThunderClan Camp once in like 2009, and Firestar dug it up at the stake and dropped it down the WindClan border ravine because it was freaking his warriors out.

(The cats don't understand that the cameras watch; they just don't like the Freaky Human Thing)

So the team has to be careful, not install too many, and hide the ones they do have. They don't want the cats to move again.

#I try to make sure that my researchers are more like actual wildlife scientists than gods. Yknow? #I think it's more interesting that they have funding issues and can't just install endless cameras #PLUS the cats reach the lake around 2008-ish. So I try to keep the technology accurate #Re: a lot of this is based off techniques they had to use for capturing the footage on Meerkat Manor #I also use the wayback machine to reference the Sirtrack catalogue which was cutting edge tech at the time #And mind you! This isn't meerkat manor. These researchers are ridiculously underfunded #Have i ever mentioned that i loved meerkat manor as a kid? A family member used to record it for me lmaooo #Better bones au #Millie's radio collar

[trackmag]

Turtle Doves And Pigeon Shit

Romanticism And James Blake`s Can`t Believe The Way We Flow

Romanticism could be argued to be outdated, but once we look beyond the clichés and grasp the ideas behind it, we become aware of its relevance today; In how we live, in what we believe in and argue about. 

James Blake released the album Assume Form in 2019. He so far has released 5 Music Videos alongside it, one of which is the video for “Can`t Believe The Way We Flow” directed by none other than Frank Lebon. Frank`s approach to his videos and work so far has been a lush and somewhat wild mixture of techniques and media, leaving him with a massive pot of footage and tools for the hours he spends editing. To some degree even this approach of mixed media is in a sense very true to the fashion, believe and tradition of romanticism. This and many other aspects of the video, is what I hope to discuss and further investigate in the following TRCKMG entry. 

Still 01, Can`t Believe The Way We Flow, 2019.

A Short Introduction To Romanticism

Romanticism. I am not referring to roses, boxes of chocolates and the numerous red silk bows we see on valentine`s day. I hereby am referring to an epoch also known as the romantic period. Speaking roughly of romanticism we think of a time between the end of the 18th towards the end of the 19th century. This slice of our history is marked by many very major political and cultural events across Europe and the globe. Some worth mentioning here would be the French revolution (which is often believed to be a starting point of the French romanticist movement) and the industrialization, marked by heavy machinery, steam engines, factories and therefore factory labour. We do, however, believe that the origin of romanticism as a term and way of thinking lies in Germany. Friedrich Schlegel, a German philosopher, author and poet first used the term “romantisch” believed to be in reference to the word “Roman” which is German for novel. Romantic therefore being “novel-like”.

From there on romanticism spread fast across Europe supported by the events described earlier. More than just a fashion moment, romanticism describes a different way of thinking in direct contrast (and perhaps in protest) to the inhumane labour happening in factories caused by the industrial revolution. People needed to believe in something, in more relevant things, in nature, in purity, in emotion and in beauty. So not surprisingly romanticism manoeuvred like a wave, spreading across fine art, literature, poetry and even medicine. What we can see in many paintings of that time, are vast and lush landscapes. Nature at its most triumphant, often alongside a tiny human figurine, humbled by mother nature, reminding the human of his place and scale in this world. This emphasized by the Lyrics in the song: “I`m finding I`m a smaller piece than I thought. Oh no I really am”. Even back then, the immediate threat facing the natural world was carefully depicted in William Wordsworth`s poetry with the arrival of factory buildings and nearby compounds of living quarters for the workers. 

Painting by Hans Gude, “Fra Hardanger”, 1847.

With this surface level introduction to romanticism, we now can take a closer look at the actual Music Video for “Can`t Believe The Way We Flow”:

Act One: Red Lit Couples

Still 02, Can`t Believe The Way We Flow, 2019.

The Video starts off with a zoom into a mirror. The reflective image reveals James sitting on a bench. The continuation of the zoom is made with invisible cuts while dark silhouettes pass by, covering James for a mere flash of a blacked out frame. He appears closer and closer after each such black-out. Meanwhile you can hear the pigeons take flight, signalling a start to the song and video - take off. And with the first pigeon shit landing on James` cheek, it`s clear the video with its main plot now begins and the subjects appear. 

The 2nd time we hear Can`t Believe The Way We Flow in the Lyrics, the lips of the red lit couples meet. The images flashing by are fragments of their lives in relationships. We aren`t meant to immediately understand who they are, where they`re coming from and maybe more importantly what exactly they`re up to. We only see aspects that should be familiar to anyone who`s ever been in a relationship. For instance, being the most intimate during breakfast where spontaneous conversations can leave you happy as ever or absolutely gutted and devastated, maybe also depending on what occured the night before. 

Another place where we find a kind of intimacy where the shared space really gets noticeable to us as lovers, is the bathroom. Apart from the hints of breakfast scattered throughout the video there`s also the toilet. Waste. The toilet which stereotypically always seems to spark arguments. Flush the damn thing, put the seat down, put it up and then down. But it`s also the same space in which we share our toothpaste, standing in front of the mirror before bed. Leading conversations whilst getting ready to go out together. The point being, these images are highly familiar and highly emotional to us. The small window in which Frank lets these images flash across our screens is enough for us to recognize and connect. These are couples in their banalities. We aren`t meant to understand how they got there and where they`re going. We`re supposed to draw from our own experiences, our own relationships when seeing these fragments and glimpses into their lives. It`s a reflection. We still are looking into that same mirror from the first shot of the video, remember? 

Still 03, Can`t Believe The Way We Flow, 2019.

Cut between the kisses is a 2D animated kiss, in the same style as the quick drawing we saw flash by on a table earlier. It might be a glimpse into the Storyboard for the video, adding another layer and texture to the visuals. This approach alone can also be read as a nod to romanticism as there was a high exchange between different media and artists. Poets and painters, novelists and sculptor. All echoing and responding to eachother`s work. 

Throughout all of this we see James remain seated on that same bench, from the very first frame of the video. An observer. In romanticism, as a response to the capitalist mentality, the flâneur describes a person seen wandering around with nowhere to be or go. Observant, most likely unemployed, playful and sensitive to his surroundings. James is very likely maintaining this role in the video. The careful bystander, observing the beauty around him. Beauty that lies hidden for most others in their hectic lives. 

Act Two: Pigeons, Cupid and a Gun

Still 04, Can`t Believe The Way We Flow, 2019.

A culmination of shots of pigeons (and some seagulls) in flight. Close-up of a pigeon`s face, slowly revealed to be sitting on someone`s head. This someone is Frank Lebon`s dad, photographer Mark Lebon. Here he`s also cupid. A cupid who has aged and traded his bow and arrow off for a knotted sniper gun. 

Cupid is often described as a winged, nude, young boy armed with bow and arrow. He`s usually depicted as somewhat cruel and mischievous, very aware of what emotional turmoil he can cause in people. Cupid as a figure derives from roman mythology and is considered to be the god of love, or rather the god of being in love. The roman cupid is also understood to be somewhat based on the Greek god Eros, who some believe was a son to the goddess Venus. Eros and Cupid can`t be defeated, any- and everyone falls victim to them and their power. In the following painting, artist Julius Kronberg captured Cupid in his full demeanour in 1885, so towards the end of classic romanticism:

Painting by Julius Kronberg, Cupid, 1885.

Now in comparison to Frank`s take on Cupid we immediately notice the age difference. The world in many ways has become what romanticists had feared; Industrial, concrete, consumerist. Perhaps Cupid had to adjust to survive? Lose his wings and grow up. Wrapped in what seems to be a pvc jacket, not unlike the medical protective suits we currently see a lot. His outfit also contains sketches and scribbles of genitalia. Colours white and red, famously used in the medical field, also symbolizing purity, lust, sin and romance. He`s also wearing red earrings and cufflinks decorated with a more traditional depiction of cupid. 

The gun on the other hand, knotted, could also be a nod to the Non-Violance sculpture by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, which is in New York. Perhaps a rather twisted musical reference, as that sculpture was made in remembrance of John Lennon. The seemingly unusable gun however, does hold a heart shaped scope through which the absent minded and complacent looking Cupid is aiming to find his next victims. 

Enrolling the pigeons to take over the flying and firing arrows part, they soon after take flight once again and a montage of numerous pigeon shit landings are shown, including another drawn Animation of the pigeons` droppings turning into a falling human figurine. Perhaps falling, as in falling in Love, falling for you. Cupid bringing or rather dropping this person into your life. This sequence is concluded by acts of violence followed by tenderness. A slap, a hit, like when love “hits” you. Shortly followed by a gentle caress of the cheek, as though nothing ever happened. So in love that you`re not aware of the violence and force it potentially holds. Another short Animation, single flower turns into a tree, which transforms into a couple in love, a heart in the middle. 

Act Three:

Cut to seagulls instead of doves above James. Perhaps accentuating him to be different from all others around him, once again emphasizing his role as flâneur? Or maybe it`s just a subtle teaser for his following music video for I`ll Come Too, which was the next release, featuring a penguin and an albatross.

The couples, still lit in red are holding hands, and then facing the camera. Every individual on their own, staring into the lens, or at their partner. Keeping the mirror in mind from the beginning, this is another very common way for cinema, film and video to become reflexive (film with self-awareness) challenging the viewer in their passiveness and voyeurism. 

Still 05, Can`t Believe The Way We Flow, 2019.

The doves once again present by appearing as illustrations on the cushions of one couple. All the people involved appear in lettering over the faces of the couples, including a cameo by the director. Another beautifully added layer to this multimedia approach that lends it`s charm and texture to the entire complex romantic experience. 

There`s so much more to see and discover in the video than what I have tried to contain in this analysis. I do hope you`ll go on a search yourselves. The video for James Blake`s song Cant Believe The Way We Flow is linked below: 

#james blake #frank lebon #romantic #romanticism #romanticist painting #music analysis #music video #trckmg #taylor joe #editing #doves #pigeon #cupid #assume form #pitchfork #nme magazine #flaneur #cant believe the way we flow #retrograde #travis scott #rosalia #wilhelm screa #you're too precious #valentines day #valentine #roses #chocolate #long reads #music blog #musicvideo

[thesaurusfr]

Ladies, gentleman, and non-binary nobility, Midnight’s bio! The headshot was done by @torch on fr!

As you can see, it’s not totally finished, but I am done with his lore! I’ll post the full, non-screenshot version of it below:

Before his mysterious disappearance, Midnight was known throughout Sornieth for his musical talent. The Wildclaw begun showing his aptitude for rhythm at a young age, spending much of his time as a hatchling tapping rocks against the walls of his cavernous home to create sounds and patterns of repetition that had a strange, hollow beauty.

It was when one of his clan mates brought home an enchanted viola that they had found on a hunt that Midnight really got a chance to shine. After a few days of admiring the instrument, studying it's curves and carvings, and finally daring to lay a claw on it's strings, Midnight discovered that the Viola was not enchanted, but haunted, possessed by a silent spirit that could draw haunting melodies from it's polished wooded home. Although they could not communicate through words, they learned to speak to each other through the language of music, and before long the Viola's spirit began to take a liking to the young dragon. Under the haunter's tutelage, Midnight's gift thrived, and simple talent was soon accompanied by careful technique and practiced skill.

His mastery of the viola soon allowed him to rise to prominence within his birth clan, but that didn't satisfy him, and as soon as he could, he set off into the world. Everywhere he went, he enchanted people with his ghostly melodies, and in return for his songs, he asked to be presented with whatever instrument was most prominent in the local area. Although the viola would always be his weapon of choice, Midnight began to master other instruments as well, becoming highly skilled in a variety of musical styles. His musical skill, now capable of fitting whatever instrument and genre the listener liked best, was soon in high demand, and wealthy clans began to pay him large sums of money to compose and preform pieces suited exactly to their tastes. With each job, his fame grew, which only further fed his bank account.

When Midnight became wealthy enough to stop taking every job that came along, he stopped catering to the musical appetites of others and started feeding his own. He'd present these compositions in grand stadiums, to sold out crowds who packed the seats, excited to hear the famed musician finally play from the heart - but more often than not, they were left...disturbed. Amazed at his skill and the beauty of his music, yes, but still disturbed. Something was odd about his compositions - something dark and very, very strange. Still, although it was off putting to some, many praised him as a genius, and he played to a full house every time.

When there were no more instruments left to master, and when even his own haunting music couldn't still his restless soul, he set himself upon his greatest challenge yet - to create an instrument of his very own, something to speak the words that he could not, that would capture the ghastly depths of the universe itself. He stopped all public appearances indefinitely, and threw all of his vast wealth behind the mission, leaving his lavish home in the Windswept Plateau in favor of a custom built lab deep within the Starwood Strand, which he filled with a team of skilled craftsman and talented mages to aid him in his mission.

He never re-emerged, and no one on the development team was ever seen again. When search teams tried to locate the laboratory, they found nothing but an empty clearing where the building had once been.

No one really knows what happened, but it was rumored that, inspired by his dear familiar, Midnight attempted to build his new instrument to harness the magical currents of the astral plane, and the strange creatures that lived within. Some dragons whisper of a letter, sent by a member of the research staff before the laboratory's disappearance, that told a frightening story of an obsessed musician slowly losing his mind, pushing his staff to dig farther and farther into the magical void until finally, they reached something that could not be controlled. Some even say that the fabled instrument was completed, a strange and beautiful machine that manipulated the currents of reality itself to create it's ghastly sound. These whisperers tell of a first and final concert, a night when, after the device was finally ready, the virtuoso channeled the madness that had festered and flourished within his mind into one great and terrible melody, wiping the development center and everyone in it from the face of the earth and, if the stories are true, awaking something within the darkness that should never have been disturbed.

I had a lot of fun with this! I VERY LOOSELY of based Midnight on Leon Theremin, with the theremin being the instrument he creates at the end of his lore. I tried to write his bio in a more biographical style, as if it were written by an outsider giving a brief summary of Midnight’s life and accomplishments to the reader - however, this resulted in some stuff being lost, as, logically, the narrator wouldn’t know Midnight’s true feelings and motivations. This isn’t really a problem until the end of Midnight’s story.

The reason Midnight begins creating his instrument is not out of boredom or a desire to better his art, but out of fear. Midnight is terrified of death, and using his music to gain acclaim was his way of coping with that - he was very attached to the idea that he would “live on” through his music. However, when there was a lull in the constant cycle of education and composition that he immersed himself in, he realized that his ART, his LEGACY, his NAME would be what was remembered, NOT HIM. Not really. Midnight, the person (dragon) would be forgotten, idolized and therefore dehumanized, and his legacy would keep him about as alive as a marble sculpture - sure it looks pretty, but it’s really just a cold, inanimate hunk of stone. These existential musings made him desperate for a way to keep himself alive, and so, inspired by his familiar, he began looking for a way to put his soul in an object.

He’s an arrogant dragon, so of course, he couldn’t just find some spell to link his soul to any old junk that was lying around - no, he had to have the perfect vessel, and one that would grant him more autonomy than a normal possessed object - one that would grant him power. Hence, the device. The final concert WAS meant to destroy his physical form, but only that - not the rest of the lab. See, he was meddling with forces he didn’t really understand, and this outpouring of music and power and insanity into the void caught the attention of something that you probably don’t want interested in you. So when he woke up after playing the song, he didn’t find himself as an instrument, but he DID find himself with another, more...interesting way of keeping himself alive. 

#flight rising #flight rising lore #flight rising g1

[genesisofsadness]

Farmyard, norwich: ‘for the maximum element, it works’ – restaurant overview

They do drop some catches here, but the commendable ambition makes all of it worthwhile

bistronomy in st benedicts avenue: chef andrew jones (left) at farmyard, norwich. Bistronomy in st benedicts road: chef andrew jones (left) at farmyard, norwich. Photo: chris ridley/the observer farmyard, 23 st benedicts street, norwich nr2 4pf (01603 733 188). Snacks £3. 50, starters £7-£nine, mains £thirteen-£26, cakes £7, wines from £19. 50

farmyard in norwich is the form of restaurant that brings out the maternal in me. Reading the menu makes me feel like one of those dad and mom status in the wings all through the auditions for britain’s got skills, watching my children, ant and dec’s palms lightly on my shoulders for moral guide. I am determined for the kitchen to prevail. I want to hug them all to my bosom and inform them the whole thing could be ok. I’m additionally terrified they’ll drop the capture. It's far for eating place goers who are glad to provide the kitchen permission to try only a little harder that is a grossly patronising issue to say to a team of skilled cooks. However the menu is so ambitiously everywhere in the area, is any such random, swooping series of dishes, i'm able to’t pretty help myself. It’s no longer a lot stressed as at the run. Say hello to cooking which attracts its thought from mexico or japan, north africa or spain, and a gaggle of locations in-among. It demands so many competencies, so much know-how of the way various techniques, spices and dishes sit inside a way of life, that misfires seem almost guaranteed. A number of it is actually down to the language used. On the menu they describe what they do as “bistronomy”, a venerable word first coined in paris inside the early 90s with the aid of professional chefs bored with the puckered and stiff atmosphere within the city’s grandest garlanded gastro palaces. They desired to retain being creative, adventurous cooks, however inside the body of a comfy bistro, with the encouraging pricing that suggests. This brilliant and secure area with its business ducted ceiling, strand board floors, and partly open white tiled kitchen, in reality can't be accused of pretension. For the proctologically challenged, be aware: there are padded banquettes.

‘the chips preserve plenty of their bite’: ham, egg and chips. Facebooktwitterpinterest ‘the chips keep lots in their chunk’: ham, egg and chips. Image: chris ridley/the observer the menu language is a little greater trying. A wonton as served here is really just a dumpling or folded piece of pasta by means of every other misused call? A beetroot “wine gum” is honestly a piece of partially dehydrated beetroot. You may determine to be profoundly irritated through this mangling of the lexicon, or you may decide the meals at the plate. I’m going with the latter due to the fact, for the most element, it works. There are misfires. The batter of salt and pepper squid, from the part of the menu headed “snacks”, doesn’t appear particularly interested by staying attached to its host. However it handiest costs £3. 50 so it’s hard to roll your eyes for lengthy. Those beetroot “wine gums”, candy and chewy, are served with a dollop of horseradish cream to drag them through. They depart strawberry-colored ribbons via the dulux whiteness, and are lots better. A few dish names are a gentle funny story constructed round understatement. Ham, egg and chips are lumps of smoky, salty, collapsing ham hock, with a cured egg yolk and a massive knot of deep-fried, spiralised potato. The latter seems at the beginning a touch difficult and underneath cooked, but there is a limpid hammy broth at the lowest of the bowl. The “chips” maintain a great deal in their bite as they shatter into it with a whack of the fork.

“highly spiced carrot wonton” are, as i recommended, simply any other word for folded-over ravioli, and not specifically highly spiced. However there's a thick celeriac purée here, and some roasted carrots to preserve the interest. It may not quite match as much as its billing, however it’s a solid and dependable little bit of cooking. As is a £sixteen important route of a roasted hen leg, with a boneless, breaded and deep-fried wing, on a thick truffle purée and fowl jus. 1/2 a roasted leek, singed in various places, slumps across it, languorously. It’s a roast fowl dinner that has polished its shoes and combed its hair. To head along we have a bowl of shredded brassicas, thru which both toasted almonds and a pokey salsa verde have been spooned. It’s a cheery act of interest to detail. A potato “terrine” is some other model of spuds sliced and pressed and cooked, then cut into rectangles and deep fried, which, at bubala some months back, were described erroneously as latkes. Regardless of the call, they may be usually welcome.

‘no longer particularly spicy’: spicy carrot wonton. A vegetable ramen is a dish i discover myself nodding at admiringly, in preference to adoring. There's a effective intensity to the broth, and the dozens of toasted barley buried in its steaming depths along a load of different veg, make certain no person will pass hungry. But the noodles are replaced through spiralised carrot. It’s an unusual call. That is partially due to the fact the usage of noodles could not have impacted the meat-unfastened nature of the dish. They could have introduced a little extra starch to the broth and might additionally have justified calling it a ramen. But more often than not it’s an bizarre name because it makes it appear as if proudly owning a spiralizer is an entirely affordable existence preference, when of path they're implements that deserve to be pointed and laughed at with such malice that they subsequently throw themselves into the bin out of embarrassment. Even bearing in mind the unevenness of that dish i ought to consider myself back here trying their version of a multi-layered mole poblano with bbq lamb and blue corn tacos, simply to look whether or not they may without a doubt pull it off, or the roast hake with paprika chickpea stew. This farmyard is decided to fatten up its residents. Cakes turn among the outrageous and the outrageously comforting. The former is defined as a “white chocolate bar”. It’s a sizable block of smooth, sticky white chocolate ganache. It would be teeth-achingly sweet were it no longer for the bold saltiness of the miso caramel slathered across the pinnacle, the scattering of peanuts and the intense dark chocolate sorbet. It’s a re-engineered snickers bar, possibly with the aid of a person who lately kicked a first-rate crystal meth addiction and is now searching out a socially suited manner by way of which to get off their face. With the aid of contrast a steamed ginger pudding, perched on earrings of gently spiced pineapple with a coconut sorbet is a gentle all-in-one hug and back rub.

‘re-engineered snickers’: white chocolate-miso bar. Facebooktwitterpinterest ‘re-engineered snickers’: white chocolate-miso bar. Photo: chris ridley/the observer right here at farmyard they may now not usually gain every one among their goals. Some of those catches really are dropped. However on foot lower back along the norwich lane it calls domestic, exceeded unremarkable pizzerias and dependable looking bistros and cocktail bars designed for a friday night time, the area of interest it fills became apparent. It's miles for restaurant goers who're happy to offer the kitchen permission to try just a little harder and strive only a little extra. And honestly, couldn’t we all do with a eating place like that? Information bites

proper now you may now not be thinking about travelling restaurants, but you may accomplish that once more. In the spirit of assist for the eating place quarter, this column will retain making tips. Simply over at the norfolk coast from farmyard isn't any 1 cromer, which belongs to chef galton blackiston of morston hall. Downstairs it’s a first-rate carpenter and ice cream bar. Upstairs, there’s a globe-trotting bistro which takes in the whole thing from fish tacos to hoisin duck pancakes, tandoori fowl naan and a massaman vegan curry. It’s bold but, usually it works (no1cromer. Com). Till the cease of april heston blumenthal’s three michelin celebrity fats duck in bray is reducing the price of its menu by using £seventy five. It’s nevertheless a stonking £250 with the cut price. At time of writing there are some lunchtime tables to be had within the moderately spaced eating room. This will be the instant to strive it (thefatduck. Co. Uk). Oisin rogers, who's the nearest factor london has to a celeb publican, is to take a second boozer underneath his wing, alongside the guinea grill in mayfair, famed for its beefy menu of steaks and claret. He’s revamping the close by windmill, and bringing in dishes together with pork cheek and oyster pie, and excellent fish and chips. Our journalism is open for all… … and could continue to be so. Now extra than ever, the father or mother is dedicated to delivering first-rate, responsible journalism each and every day. In those terrific instances, when anxiety and uncertainty abound, the guardian’s measured, authoritative reporting has never been so important. We will stay with you, turning in exceptional journalism so we can all make critical choices approximately our lives, health and protection – based on fact, no longer fiction. We believe every one folks deserves equal access to accurate news and calm clarification. So, not like many others, we made a specific choice: to keep father or mother journalism open for all, regardless of wherein they stay or what they can find the money for to pay. This would now not be viable with out the generosity of readers, who now assist our work from one hundred eighty nations around the sector. We have upheld our editorial independence inside the face of the disintegration of traditional media – with social systems giving rise to incorrect information, the seemingly unstoppable upward thrust of massive tech and independent voices being squashed by commercial possession. The mother or father’s independence method we are able to set our personal agenda and voice our personal evaluations. Our journalism is free from industrial and political bias – in no way inspired by using billionaire owners or shareholders. This makes us exceptional. It manner we will task the effective with out worry and provide a voice to the ones less heard. Your financial support has intended we can preserve investigating, disentangling and interrogating. It has covered our independence, which has by no means been so crucial. We're so grateful.

#restaurant

[loroparque-orcas]

June 23rd, 2018 marks 8 years since Morgan’s rescue

Morgan is a young, female orca currently residing at Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain. Her birth year is estimated to be around 2008, based off her length nowadays and back when she was found.

June 23rd, 2010. A young, female orca, estimated to be between 1 and 2 years of age, was found swimming in shallow waters off of the coast of the Netherlands. Orcas aren’t common in that area, so having one in Dutch waters, experts knew something was up immediately. Morgan never stranded, however, she was always free swimming up until the Dolfinarium managed to get her into one of the slings, and onto a boat to escort her to Dolfinarium.

On June 23rd, 2010 Dolfinarium in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, got a Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release permit to capture Morgan and transport her to a rehabilitation/medical tank in Dolfinarium. Upon inspection, Morgan was found to be extremely underweight and mildly dehydrated, showing off a peanuthead (a clear sign of dehydration/malnutrition). Morgan weighed approximately 430 kg and was about 3.5 meters in length.

Up until the 29th of November, 2011, Morgan spent her time in the small backpool that was her rehabilitation pool. Being all alone, Morgan quickly became attached to humans. Orcas are incredibly social animals and dependent on other orcas for their survival. Being all alone and young, with no one else around, Morgan got used to the humans around her and started forming bonds with them.

Initial treatment consisted of saline infusions and broad spectrum antibiotics. Blood analysis revealed an inflammatory reaction, microcytic regenerative anaemia and mild dehydration. Upon admission she was offered a few fish which she took. Clinical inspections during the initial period after her admission including multiple advanced research techniques for viral and bacterial diagnostics of multiple organ systems (respiratory, digestive, and renal) revealed no other gross pathology than dermatitis and severe malnourishment. In the first week after admission, faeces mainly containing algae were found multiple times. (click)

In the next three months, Morgan grew and gained weight, reaching almost 700 kilograms. She started to look more like an orca. With her weight gain, her energy levels increased tremendously. Within several months, Dolfinarium allowed guests to view Morgan up close and personal, for several hours a day. Orcas are rare in the Netherlands. Dolfinarium used to be an inbetween facility for orcas captured in Iceland. They would remain at Dolfinarium for a while, so that US marine parks could get the right permits. Then they would import the orcas. The most famous orca in the Netherlands, besides Morgan, was Gudrun.

Being allowed visitors and having Dolfinarium staff closely interact with her didn’t help her rehabilitation. As a response on that, several organisations banded together like the Orka Coalitie and the Free Morgan Foundation. They wanted to see Morgan returned to Norway, where she is originally from. This pressure from these groups had Dolfinarium contacting people of NAKID, who were and still are at the time, documentaring orcas in the North Atlantic to create valuable ID guides for the populations of orcas living in the North Atlantic.

On the 5th of November, “Identification of Morgan’s discrete stereotyped call repertoire and matching to sounds recorded from wild North Atlantic killer whales“ was published by members of the NAKID research group. The report states:

“We found good ‘likely’ matches to 3 of the 9 stereotyped calls in Morgan’s repertoire with calls recorded from Norwegian pod NP, one possible match was to Norwegian pod NA, and another possible match to an unknown pod of herring-feeding killer whales. Our results strongly indicate that Morgan is from the Norwegian herring-feeding population of killer whales. However, many of Morgan’s calls, including the most commonly produced call type, did not match any calls in our catalog ascribed to pod NP. Pod NP is also reported to produce sounds which were not identified in Morgan’s repertoire. Thus, we cannot conclude that pod NP is Morgan’s natal pod, but we do consider it likely that Morgan is from a group closely related to pod NP. Identification of Morgan’s natal pod using acoustic sharing is made difficult by our limited knowledge of group-specific calling patterns in Norwegian killer whales, and how call repertoires might vary over time.”

Dolfinarium gathered all the information that they could on Morgan, they eventually sent out their report to 7 indepent scientific advisors (C.J. Camphuysen (Royal NIOZ, Netherlands, John K.B. Ford (Cetacean Research Program, Pacific Biological Station, Canada), Christophe Guinet (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France), Markid Leopold (IMARES, Netherlands), Christina Lockyer (The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, Norway), James McBain (Doctor in veterinarian medicine expert in killer whales USA), Fernando Ugarte (Head of Mammal and Bird Department of the Greenland Institure of Natural Resources)) to decide over Morgan’s possibility for release. All the information was gathered into one summary report with expert opinions in the matter. Knowing still so little of Norwegian orcas, having not found a complete match to one of Norway’s orca pods and knowing that Morgan was severely underweight when she was found, suggesting she was not able to hunt on her own, found the experts agreeing that it was highly unlikely Morgan could be successfully released back into the waters of Norway and survive. (click)

Other groups didn’t give up, though. Free Morgan Foundation devised a complete rehabilitation and release plan for Morgan. This release plan can be found here: (click).

From May through November 2011 court cases and lawsuits were filed by organisations claiming Morgan could be successfully released, delaying Morgan’s move to Loro Parque again and again. In the mean time, Morgan resided in the tank that was becoming too small for her. At last, on November 29th, 2011 Morgan was transported to Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain, where five other orcas resided, owned by Loro Parque.

Morgan was transported under a CITES permit. There is still a lot of discussion about it, especially whether Morgan can perform and breed. I’ve explained her certificate in detail here (click).

In the end, Loro Parque is allowed to breed Morgan and use her in shows. As the photo shows above, certain boxes have been ticked.

Morgan’s CITES permit states: It is hereby certified that the specimens described above: ((x) bold are the ones ticked)

(x)were taken from the wild in accordance with the legislation in force in the issuing Member State;

are abandoned or escaped specimens that were recovered in accordance with the legislation in force in the issuing Member State;

are captive born-and-bred or artificially propagated specimens;

were acquired in or introduced into the Community in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 338/97;

were acquired in or introduced into the Community before 1 June 1997 in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 3626/82;

were acquired in or introduced into the Community before 1 January 1984 in compliance with the provisions of CITES;

were acquired in or introduced into the issuing Member State before the provisions of the Regulation under paragraphs 4 and 5 or of CITES became applicable in this territory;

(x)are to be used for the advancement of science/breeding or propagation/research or education or other non-detrimental purposes.

Then, it goes on to state: This document is issued for the purpose of:  ((x) bold are the ones ticked)

confirming that a specimen to be (re-)exported has been acquired in accordance with the legislation in force on the protection of the species in question;

(x)exempting Annex A specimens from the prohibitions relating to commercial acitivities listed in Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97;

(x)authorising the movement within the Community of a live Annex A specimen from location indicated in the import permit or in any certificate.

Her permit can be found here (click) under a Free Morgan Foundation uploaded PDF.

Accusations and appeals were made by several organisations to get Morgan’s permit undone so they could still release Morgan. In the mean time, Morgan was integrated into the pod of Loro Parque.

Loro Parque’s orca pod wasn’t the most stable pod at the time and was still mostly figuring out its own structure. Add in a new calf from Kohana and Keto and a completely new orca, Morgan, this completely messed up the pod structure. Especially Morgan, Tekoa and Adan were victim of excessive raking.

In December 2012, a report was released by independent experts that Morgan was suffering from a hearing deficit. Now that it was known that Morgan was suffering from hearing loss, either since she was born or recently developed, Loro Parque created a whole new light system to help train Morgan and keep her active and busy. Organisations like Free Morgan Foundation doubted her hearing disibility though, and continued their campaigns, to this day, that Morgan can be released.

Nowadays, the pod structure is stable and Morgan performs regularly in shows to keep her active and engaged. She gets along well with every orca in the pod, but has the closest relationship with Adan and Tekoa. Adan and Morgan have even been found to occassionaly swim in mother-calf positions, indicating their strong bond.

In 2016, SeaWorld announced the ending of their breeding programme. Since five of six orcas at Loro Parque are originally owned by SeaWorld, it is thought that those orcas cannot be bred. However, SeaWorld’s corporate decision has no grounds within European borders, and therefore they cannot enforce their breeding ban upon Loro Parque’s orcas.

There’s still rumours that Morgan is owned by SeaWorld. SeaWorld currently owns 28 orcas, 23 in US parks and 5 (Keto, Tekoa, Kohana, Skyla and Adan) in Loro Parque. There doesn’t seem to be any specific information on who owns Morgan.

In December of 2017, a news article published on Morgan claimed the female orca was pregnant. Soon after, confirmation came from Loro Parque themselves. Her estimate then was that she would deliver at the end of 2018. Around June 2018, it became known Morgan was possibly farther along and may give birth at the end of summer. It’s a waiting game.

#morgan

[metalgearkong]

God of War - Review (PS4)

Developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment / Santa Monica Studios

God of War is not only a reboot of the series which has existed since 2005, God of War is a complete re-imagining of the series; not only changing the core gameplay, but its entire genre. Gone is the power fantasy of slashing our way through Greek Mythology. Now, we have an incredible adventure through Norse Mythology, but far more nuanced, meticulous, and grounded. This new God of War is more of a cross between Dark Souls and a Zelda game, more so than hack ‘n slash titles the series originally was inspired by. God of War is a technical masterpiece and also happens to be a great game overall. With this complete change of pace, it may not capture all fan’s attention, but as it stands, God of War is one of the best games of the current generation so far.

The concept itself it one of the coolest ideas for a story I’ve ever heard in fiction: the Kratos (Christopher Judge) the Greek God of War is traveling through Norse Mythology on a quest to spread his dead wife’s ashes from the highest peak of all the Nine Realms. I have never heard before of two mythologies crossing over so deeply, and the authentic execution on display is even more impressive. Much like how Red Dead Redemption got me interested in the Western genre, God of War has gotten me interested in Norse Mythology. This is one of the biggest things I can thank this game for, as I’ve already bought reference books and done online research about this mythos, completely captivated by its history.

Plot-wise, God of War is a bit weaker. While the overarching concept is brilliant, the actual beat for beat story is a bit less inspired. Kratos is traveling through the Nine Realms with his son, Atreus (Sunny Suljic). The drama between them is fantastic and subtle. The graphical detail, as well as writing, and motion capture have made their duo one of the best in gaming entirely. However, since their quest is so simple, it means this 25+ hour RPG has to keep finding excuses for the heroes to not reach their goal yet. Small obstacles keep getting in the way that force us to explore more of the realms, acquiring mystic and rare items from one place, combine it with others, and then bring it back to where it goes. It’s a noble quest to uphold his wife’s dying wish, but the protagonists (and the gamer) certainly go through a lot of trouble and danger for a woman the gamer has never met or seen (yet Kratos and Atreus’ affection for her is quite clear). 

Gameplay is methodical, using heavy and quick attacks with our sole weapon: the Leviathan Axe. This ice-based weapon is essetially our only main weapon throughout the game, but it has enough versatility and skill trees to unlock to make it a worthy weapon. Atreus is never controlled directly, but he can fire special arrows wherever we want, which, by extension, still makes him part of the player, especially in combat. Puzzles are equally dotted throughout every hour of the game as combat is. The new fighting system is a bit stiff and difficult to get used to at first, but the learning curve ends quickly. We collect XP to level up our abilities, and collect items and crafting components to upgrade armor and weapons.

This leads me to my only other nit-pick about the game, which is its overcomplicated menu system and abundance of confusing items. Spank me silly if I couldn’t remember the difference between runes, talismans, and enchantments for at least two thirds of the game. Every single items and attachment can be upgraded, but it’s hard to keep track of knowing if Kratos and Atreus are as truly optimized as possible with so many items and equipment. I’d rather it had been slightly simplified to keep the focus on the gameplay and story rather than scratching my head constantly deciding what is okay to sell and what should be kept for later. Either way, much like an action game, the ability to defeat greater foes more so comes from your skill as the player getting better at the combat, rather than relying on stats and special abilities (but they certainly do help).

I love how this game feels so new, yet so traditional. Things like locked doors and chests have to be passed up earlier in the game, and found again once we have the key or ability to open it. To inspire exploring old areas again, the developers creatively came up with the idea that the Lake of Nine (the hub area) constantly reveals more land because the World Serpent shifts his weight or lifts out of the lake sometimes, forcing the water to lower due to his displacement. We explore this hub lake via canoe and get to know Midgar (Earth) very well. The other Nine Realms aren’t quite as inspired, and tend to feel very similar to each other. Sure, one is “lava” themed and another may be “ice” themed, and enemy types certainly match their realm, but I thought there would be more variety in the lands themselves. I also thought I’d come across more foes and friends of Norse Mythology than we did, although there are many authentic scenes and interactions to keep a history buff surprised and entertained.

Aside from graphical detail, the game is also technically impressive purely in its processing performance. At no time (other than a death or firing up the game) do we see a loading screen; every cut-scene flows right into gameplay, and gameplay flows right into cut-scenes. Even going through doors from one massive area to another doesn’t force the game to enter a loading screen. This helps make the game immersive to never take our eyes off the protagonists, like an invisible third member of the party. The game uses creative techniques to disguise loading times while keeping you present with what the heroes are doing or saying. 

I also love how Santa Monica Studios clearly put all their effort into the single-player mode, and nothing else. Never did I find something blocked by obvious future DLC or microtransactions. This is a very big, pure, dense, single-player title that is a love letter to gamers. The developers (and publisher) did not sell out, which is an enormous relief to see from big gaming companies in 2018. Although a few of the realms were locked during the game, I suspect those might make an appearance in future DLC, I’d be happy to purchase and play those because it doesn’t feel cynical and greedy on the game creator’s part. God of War isn’t completely perfect as a game, beings none are, but its many technical, artistic, and gameplay achievements should be universally praised. We want more games like this, so vote with your wallet, and pick up this product. This game has incredible depth and value, and should make all fans of action, adventure, and RPGs extremely satisfied. 

9/10

#godofwar #santamonicastudios #rpg #gaming #ps4 #kratos #atreus #norsemythology #loki #thor #odin #tyr #frigg #baldur

[brainitworkstechnology15]

The Ultimate Guide to GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB)

GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB) Certification Exam Credential continues to develop in measurement and attain – promising productivity, convenience, and safety positive aspects in practically all walks of life and work. Statista market analysis estimates that the global IoT bazaar might be worth round . trillion US dollars through . This outstanding determine belies the fact that the IoT – to this point at the least – has bootless in lots of situations to are living as much as all the hype and expectations. The truth of the rely is that IoT initiatives are infrequently undeniable sailing. in keeping with Gartner research analyst Ganesh Ramamoorthy, eight out of ten IoT initiatives fail earlier than they re even launched. in addition, it takes months on commonplace to create a bazaar-competent IoT answer.

that is a very long time in such a fast-relocating area. Digitalization certainly has picked up velocity in contemporary years. abounding corporations had already launched into their agenda transformation adventure before the COVID- pandemic, however there is no doubt that the disaster has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies international. The need to catechumen analog items and features into digital offerings and about-face consumer interaction to the digital apple has in no way been as pressing.

 So why does it engage so long to increase an IoT product? In a abridge, IoT initiatives are advanced. establishing an IoT solution includes a lot more than simply sticking a SIM into a tool so as to add connectivity. IoT devices deserve to “see”, “apprehend”, “consider”, “consider”, and possibly alike “odor” their ecosystem. they could handiest do that with the assist of microelectronics. digital chips accept the capability to supply human-like senses to IoT “things”. This permits them to apart process assistance, make choices, and set chains of motion in action. Semiconductor company Infineon refers to this as the experience-compute-activate-join-secure practical movement – as described in the following:

 Sensors mark the starting aspect of any IoT equipment as they capture ecology suggestions and convert it into digital statistics

 Microcontrollers are the nerve center of an IoT gadget, processing this facts and generating handle indicators

Connectivity is the heartbeat of the IoT, bond all of these “things” to every different and to the billow

security options for devices, networks, and records create the all-essential purchaser believe within the agenda apple through protecting information transmission and ensuring the candor of the related devices and networks

It goes without asserting that no longer all IoT machine or provider suppliers are experts in the feel-compute-activate-join-comfy continuum. a home appliance brand, as an instance, can be really expert in refrigeration or consecration applied sciences, but is unlikely to grasp plenty about hardware-based mostly safety or strong connectivity. And in lots of instances, beginners to the IoT space have neither the in-apartment elements nor the funds to put money into dedicated safety or connectivity capabilities. The query is, how can they steadiness the want for speed with the equally pressing need for reputable connectivity, contextual attention, and potent security?

 a technique to speedy-track this technique is by means of partnering with IoT companies similar to Infineon technologies. Infineon has confused beyond the delivery of individual semiconductor products to bring end-to-conclusion solutions that span the entire IoT functional spectrum, blending these with the brought bonus of utility as a carrier for commutual analytic insights. This potential that valued clientele can faucet into Infineon’s synergized competencies for competent-to-run IoT options that cowl all purposeful blocks so they don’t have to invest in setting up safety or connectivity knowledge themselves.

 in keeping with Infineon, reliable connectivity, contextual recognition and potent protection are the three key success elements in designing future-affidavit IoT systems. these days’s buyer expects quickly, reliable access and fantastic accession nice. To give this, connectivity options must guide a transforming into variety of frequency bands and lines in a restricted footprint without compromising antenna efficiency. Infineon leverages innovations corresponding to antenna affability to satisfy these adverse needs, boosting antenna efficiency for the optimum statistics prices, incredible signal high-quality, and longer battery lives. G know-how is one more key automobile within the circulate to carry extremely-quickly and authentic wireless communications in a gigabit-connected society. Rounding out these talents, advanced analytics and “discovering” application are helping to improve these days’s connectivity items for a good better end consumer journey.

 Infineon’s XENSIV™ sensor family unit is assembly evolving person calls for for effortless, interconnected, automatic IoT adventures. XENSIV™ sensors allow issues to “see”, “apprehend”, “believe”, “bear in mind”, and even “smell” their ecosystem. These data streams are processed by means of microcontrollers and became into manage indicators. Actuators then convert the control alerts into contextual actions.

 relocating on to safety, Infineon offers easy-to-combine accouterments-primarily based safety items and solutions equivalent to its OPTIGA™ family unit in keeping with established specifications for quick deployment and interoperability. This makes it possible for groups to accelerate the building and delivery of IoT items and repair fashions without needing to put money into committed safety awareness or construct their personal at ease facilities.

 bold all the connectivity, sensing and protection building blocks are in region, designers again need to address the pace challenge. How can they speed up the technique, get their products to market rapidly, and get a head-open on the competitors? here once more, Infineon has the answer.

 neatly conscious that lacking deadlines isn’t an alternative, the business focuses closely on cutting back time-to-market and giving purchasers the all-critical velocity abilities. acting as a depended on partner in everything IoT, the enterprise works challenging to accomplish consumer design and production procedures as speedy and simple as feasible.

 capture utility development, as an example. It doesn’t must be a time-drinking method if builders have the right equipment and solutions accessible. Infineon has integrated its AIROC™ wireless and microcontroller options to work together and do the abundant lifting, so customers can focus on designing linked, low-vigor instruments with no trouble. Engineers the use of general billow services can depend on Infineon for the middleware so they don’t need custom cipher, which interprets into extra time positive aspects. Infineon’s ModusToolbox™, as an example, is a modern application construction platform that offers purchasers instant entry to an advanced software library that adds pace and great to building methods.

 a further key element in the velocity blueprint is the regulatory factor. acquiescence with regulatory requirements is standard to be in a position to promote items worldwide. Infineon’s software tools and affidavit supplies support customers during the trying out process – even if they are aiming for FCC or CE approval. A rich repository of authoritative substances and tools for microcontrollers, Wi-Fi options, and Bluetooth® products are all designed to support customers get it right aboriginal time – each time.

 moving to the pre-launch date, Infineon has also developed equipment that simplify the remarks technique during alpha and beta checking out so shoppers can without delay identify and get to the bottom of connectivity, believability, and security considerations. This frees purchasers as much as focal point on the amount building process. for instance, the enterprise’s IoT community Intelligence INI solution supports faraway telemetry so bugs may also be mounted earlier than they impact the client journey. Its mobile App Intelligence MAI solution gives the equal afterimage for Wi-Fi onboarding. ultimate for alphabeta testing, INI additionally permits builders to accidentally manage and replace products in the box.

 In summary, by means of accumulation chip spanning the entire purposeful circulate with shiny analytics and knowing development tools and components, agencies can problem weeks – if no longer months – off general IoT construction timelines by way of reducing the complexity inherent in providing IoT tasks at pace and scale.

#GCDA exam review GIAC GCDA overview GCDA certification study guide GCDA review questions GCDA practice questions GIAC Certified Detection An

[thejapanesehousefmp]

The Art of Japanese Life (House)

Much of domestic life is informed by aesthetics. The activities performed in the house are performed with precision and grace. Japan’s population is now 127 million people which means they can’t all live in the traditional house, most of them live in tiny flats. 100 years ago, 85% of Japan’s population lived in the countryside and a few of these houses still remain. These were called minka; vernacular houses once lived in by most Japanese people. Minka were designed to combat the extremes of the climate; the thatched roofs were steep enough to wash away the heavy rains and snows, the buildings were often lifted off the ground to create ventilation. The geography dictated the way it was built. This was also down to use of material. An abundance of wood was used as wood is plentiful in Japan and they are safer in the event of an earthquake.

Japanese craftspeople pioneered a consummate form of carpentry unequalled in the West. They are able to construct houses without screws, nails or glue. These techniques are still in use today at Nakamura Yoshiyaki’s Kyoto workshop. Nakamura is a well-respected sukiya-daiku (master carpenter). What is interesting is that Japanese tools are made to be pulled towards you whereas in the West our tools are made to be pushed. Matches are the same – in the West we push but in Japan they pull. The Japanese are thinking of the other person and not trying to hurt them. Respect is the basis of the sukiya-daiku’s philosophy and even applies to the materials. Wood is more than just a commodity. According to Shinto, it comes from a sacred, living organism and has to be treated with reverence. European architecture goes against nature whereas Japanese architecture and nature coexist claims Nakamura. 7000 years ago in the Heian period, you created a house like a tree, the roof was light like the branches, the tree trunks were the pillars and the roots were the foundation. They thought of themselves as living under a great tree. This attention to nature reflects the Japanese attitude towards architecture.  The apprentices work with such precision and focus in his workshop. They measure and re-measure to get it all right which is something I find ironic as other elements of the culture embrace imperfection.

The Rinshunkaku house in Yokohama is a great example of a traditional Japanese house except for the additional second storey which is unheard of in Japanese architecture. It consists of low eaves, wood raised from the ground. The inspiration refers back to the minca of Japan’s rural past yet it has now been refined and elaborated. It was influenced by the simple aesthetic of Zen Buddhism which can be seen in how the rooms are open plan and free from clutter. The exterior walls are shoji screens which is a paper surface that infuses the home with soft light. The floors are tatami which dictate the size and proportion of every room. Ma is a Japanese concept which is fundamental to Japanese aesthetics and its way of life. It refers to the negative spaces between things. The most obvious example of it is silence. It appears in many Japanese art forms such as painting, calligraphy, drama and martial arts and the home. The floorplan is endlessly flexible and the partitions slide to open up the rooms which results in one continuous space which extends to the outdoors. This house is light, functional and versatile and is a lesson in domestic design. It went on to influence modern architecture and architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. This house was modernist architecture that happened to be thousands of years old. This can be seen through the open plan and clean lines which became the very principles of 21st century living in the West.

The tokonoma is the one place reserved for extravagance in the home and is often seen as the heart of the Japanese home. It contains some carefully selected objects; a scroll with calligraphy joined by ikebana.  Many Japanese people are obsessed with flower arranging. Ikebana is not just a hobby but also a highly personal form of self-expression. Its origins lie in religion – it was first created by a Buddhist monk, Ikenobo in the 15th century. Each arrangement in ikebana serves a different function and was a different meaning. Manabu Noda is an ikebana master who says in the programme that the other name for ikebana is Kado which means ‘path of flowers’ but he says the path has no end so even if he trains for the rest of his life he will never reach perfection which is a common philosophy among the Japanese. He discusses how Ikebana is not only about trying to create a beautiful arrangement but what is more important is the process of making it. Ma in ikebana is the space between the branches. To show flowers at their best it is about arranging the space around them.

The concept of impermanence is an important part of Japanese culture. Through ikebana we learn that it’s the same with humans, to be alive means constant change. The flowers provide a talking point and through it the arranger and guest can connect. There are specific guidelines about looking at ikebana. Position yourself one tatami mat back from the tokonoma, make sure you’re face to face with the arrangement, breath and start by looking at the base where the plants first emerge from the water. This is an important part called the mizugiwa (the water’s edge) which is seen as the origin of life itself. Then begin to raise your head and follow the line of the plants upwards till the top, when you reach the top, breathe again and then appreciate the whole arrangement.  It is also often referred to as a shoka arrangement (living flower). The arrangement is often about the life story of the flower and nature which leads you to then reflect on your own life and the transience and the hardships of it. Ikebana is a domestic art form full of style and symbolism.

The other object in the tokonoma is the hanging scroll which contains shodo (calligraphy). Japanese artist Tomoko Kawao practises the calligraphy of ancient shodo masters and she talks about how to create each character there is a set order of strokes which was a rule she felt she could work with. She discusses how you can tell the emotion of people through the brushstrokes as the writing can reveal their personality. Shodo is said to express the human heart, what you feel in your heart flows through your arm and is expressed on paper. In shodo you have one chance to get it right so it is a very pure process.

Japan’s rapid urbanisation has made domestic life very difficult. In Tokyo, more than 6000 people inhabit every square metre which has meant that the homes have become much smaller and more expensive. The average Japanese home now lasts only for thirty years.  Now there is lots of experimentation in the architecture there such as elements such as sharp edges, repeated forms and concrete walls. These new modern houses are an attempt to make spaces that are beautiful, ordered and peaceful among the chaos that surrounds them.  Zenimalism is a trademark of Japan’s most famous architects including Tada o Ando, Toyo Ito and Kengo Kuma.

MUJI is Japanese minimalism for the mass market. The name is an abbreviation of mujirushi which means no brand  which is ironic as image is what it’s all about. There are nods everywhere in the shop to ancient Japanese aesthetics and architecture. However the documentary discusses how the new Japan is not zen, it now consists of chaos, urban clutter and small messy homes.

Kyoichi Tsuzuki is a photographer and journalist. He has been documenting the homes of Tokyo’s youth. He talks about how today in Tokyo, the average size of an apartment is 60 square metres which is equivalent to 36 tatami. In his 1993 book ‘Tokyo: A Certain Style’ – he photographed portraits of one hundred people not by capturing their faces but their flats.  He is documenting the lives of city people who had been ignored. In these tiny apartments, there is no space for space or ma. These homes epitomise all that is wrong with Japanese life. People forgot this zen attitude or philosophy and lost this classic aesthetic and it was a negative view towards modern life and this artist wanted to change that. There is a famous saying in Zen which Tsuzuki mentions in the documentary “You only need a half tatami to meditate – only one tatami to sleep” so he goes on to say that more than that is just a luxury. I found this really interesting as we in the West see Japanese minimalism and zenimalism in the culture and the architecture as so simple, freeing and unluxurious and unobtrusive when in reality it is actually quite a luxurious thing and isn’t what it actually is real life. He shows a style that is and isn’t Japanese yet is also democratic. Minimalism is to hide your personality whereas small places are a representation of people’s everyday life which Tsuzuki thinks is more interesting.

Teronobu Fujimori is a Japanese architect but not in the conventional sense. He has created these crazy tea houses one of them in particular is the ‘flying mud boathouse’. His houses are eccentric but grounded in some of Japan’s oldest beliefs. He says that “Shinto is a religion that believes in the spirits within nature. That’s very important to me and my life. And as an architect I think it’s important to live in harmony with nature”.  ‘Dandelion House’ is one in a series of buildings he has done that sprout all manner of plant life. He did this with the aim of bringing nature back into Japanese homes as he believes humans need to be close to natural elements. The more high-rise buildings we build, the more we need the opposite, smaller buildings connected to nature he states. A home is a place of shelter and it’s about making a safe haven to call one’s own.

The host of the documentary talks at the end about how there is a precision and elegance in so much of what the Japanese do as it is a culture that cares profoundly about detail and getting the little things right. Even in the most ordinary places, beauty can be found.

[rapisgodd-blog]

SawStop Table Saw – Prevent Accidents and Injuries

Steve Gass, Ph.D., Associate in Nursing amateur woodman United Nations agency recognized the danger of a table saw, was shocked at the various finger and hand injuries that occurred exploitation this piece of kit.Gass picturedamechanismthat wouldstopa saw blade immediatelybeforemaking contact withflesh.Gas with success developeda epitome thatmonitored thesaw blade because it go across wood. If the chip perceived a deviation in current that happens if the blade comes up-to-date with a finger, aluminium blank is instantly thrust into the rotating blade and also the drive motor is turned off.

Tradeshow Presentation and private Opinion

Dr. Gass took hisinventionto a tradeshow and incontestable this innovative feature exploitation hot dogs. The response from the attendees to create this technology on the market was therefore positive, Steve and 2 partners based the corporate SawStop to license his development to table saw manufactures. The story was identical as Dyson’s – no makers were interested. They viewed this innovation as a expensive add-on and a attainable legal liability issue. Rejected, however not dissuaded, the 3 founders then determined that SawStop would manufacture the simplest and most technically advanced table saw on the market exploitation Dr Gass’s safety innovation.

Dyson and Gass area unit my reasonably innovators. I bought a SawStop table saw for my wood search 2 years agone, and it\’s the safest and best-engineered tool that I own. Sandi, my wife, loves her Dyson vacuum such a lot she\’s going to not even enable ME to use it, notwithstanding I volunteer to assist clean the house. each inventors saw a retardant, developed the answer, and once nobody would adapt their innovation, they went out on their own and developed product that in a very comparatively short range of years, currently dominate the industries that originally rejected them. they\’re wonderful models for twenty first Century skilled entrepreneurs — propreneurs within the truest sense.

Public\’s Reaction to Product

Both Dyson and Gass were victims of “NIH” syndrome — Not In-vented Here. For those acquainted with creative thinking tools and techniques, this can be a well known block to creative thinking and innovation. The federal agency syndrome may be a relative to “killer phrases” – words employed by those with a unconditional interest within the established order or United Nations agency merely don’t perceive the importance of latest ideas. samples of killer phrases include: “We tried that before; that won’t work here; if it isn’t skint, don’t fix it; affirmative, but…; that’ll ne\’er fly; place it in writing; and also the boss can ne\’er select it. If you have got ever been guilty of exploitation words like these once given with one thing new or totally different, here may be a useful gizmo to beat this lure — “PIN.” PIN stands for Positive, attention-grabbing, and Negative. First, you need to say one thing positive concerning the thought before continuing. Next, say one thing attention-grabbing concerning the thought. Last, you\’ll be able to state why you don’t assume it\’s an honest plan (Negative). a very important corollary to use at now is to brainstorm ways that to beat the Negative. If you discover yourself on the receiving finish of a killer phrase or the victim of federal agency, bear in mind Dyson and Gass and don’t hand over. typically times, the one that hit you with the killer phrase are additional receptive afterhavingtime to contemplate your plan, notwithstanding solely subconsciously. For those that would love additional on creative thinking and innovation, browse The seven Levels of amendment by Rollo Smith. it\’s necessary to grasp in one’s personal and business issues there\’s somebody\’s behavior tendency to reject new ideas or counsel ions after they area unit given for the primary time. Early in my career as aresearch engineer, i\’d thirstily head to my boss with what i assumed was an excellent plan solely to be afraid that He failed to sky-high supp ort my proposal. Since, i used to be in development this became an everyday routine and once a jiffy I became less sensitive to what I understand as rejection from my boss.

Getting Support for brand spanking new ideas

Eventually, i started to ascertain a pattern developing in this once a handful weeks of creating a suggestion, boss would raise concerning the standing or progress of the proposal. This failed to happen on all of my ideas, however on enough of them that it got my attention. initially i used to be stunned He had remembered our spoken communication, and second embarrassed to tell him, “Not a damn thing!” Not receiving Associate in Nursing initial positive response, I had affected on to my next ‘great idea: once this occurred many times, the sunshine bulb finally went on, and that i amendment my techniques. i finally puzzled out the simplest thanks to get buy-in for a replacement plan was to try to to the ‘ground work’ earlier than time. rather like a gardener prepares the soil before planting a crop i\’d drop very little hints and suggestions before sowing the seeds of a replacement construct. this could involve inquiring for my boss’s input and participation by making an attempt to capture his imagination therefore He would share the vision and possession of the proposal. Once I formed this approach, it worked on each boss I ever had. it\’s not magic to induce acceptance of your ideas – it merely understands attribute.One different necessary lesson I learned as a student and worker is that people in accountable positions, whether or not they area unit educators or business folks, can invariably come back to your aid if you merely invite their facilitate.

#sawstop #Table Saw – Prevent Accidents #Table Saw Prevent Injuries

[theexleynatureblog]

Tripped Up On Trapping

Recently I saw a post on Tiktok from a account I follow from a Wolf and wolf-dog Sanctuary. I followed this account because I love all things animals, especially wolves, and the videos gave some really cool insider looks into the animals of the sanctuary.

The account also posted updates on legislation regarding wolves, particularly what’s going on in Montana. This article from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle goes into some details.

In the past couple of years, wolf populations have risen across the US thanks to smart management techniques and the recognition of wolves’ roles in the ecosystems. Now that most populations have reached their management goals and beyond, states are opening up hunting seasons.

These hunting seasons are carefully regulated by the state’s natural resource agency. In Minnesota for example, once the wolf population became eligible to be lifted from a protected status, the Department of Natural Resources got to work implementing a carefully thought out management plan for wolves and a wolf season in 2012 - that would allow a sustainable number of harvest (this means they determined bag limits and the length of hunting seasons to make sure the public didn’t take too many wolves at once and ping the population back to a threatened status). However, the DNR’s plan was overturned by legislation in favor of a season opening up immediately. This had drastic consequences for packs in the state, and the season was shut down and wolves we re-listed in 2014. Read more from the International Wolf Center.

The point of this spiel is, before y’all get caught up on the morality of a wolf hunt, Wildlife Management groups are taking steps to ensure they do not disappear again, with or without hunting. The problem comes from politicians who listen to what the public want instead of what science says. (If the public wants a wolf season, they’ll open a wolf season and cash in on their votes for re-election). 

I am tempted to go on about the history of wolf management and what a mess our previous (trump’s) administration made with all their wildlife protection rollbacks, but this diverges too far from my other point, which is about trapping. (I will leave links below so you can read about the Montana legislation for yourself).

The video I saw had a person from the Wolf Sanctuary encouraging people to stop the new bills to expand the wolf season in Montana. She specifically noted the new bill would allow for trapping, which she described as cruel and a danger to non-target species.

To clear things up, I am a soon-to-be hunter and trapper, as in I have not actually done those activities yet, but I am studying rules and regs to one day do this. I do already fish, and as any other ethical wildlifer will say, harvesting and processing your own food comes with a refreshing sense of intimacy with the environment around you and the food you eat.

Note how I said ‘food’. A life goal of mine is to become as much as a sustenance hunter as possible, meaning I only harvest what I am going to eat. Any animal I can’t eat I leave alone. I don’t believe in killing for sport, glory, or trophy. Personally, I think it’s alright to harvest a ‘trophy’ animal as long as the trophy (antler, paw, tusk, pelt) is not the sole reason you kill it. With deer, you can harvest a months worth of meat, carve the bones into decoration or jewelry, and make clothes out of the skin. When it comes to wolves, the only thing you can really use is the pelt. Predator meat just doesn’t taste good (so I’ve heard). For this reason, I’m not too keen on a wolf season.

I do understand the important of animal management - I’ve spent the last three years of college studying population dynamics and human impacts on the environment. Because humans insist on not coexisting with wolves, wildlife scientists have to step in with a management plan that allows wolves and humans to occupy the same earth with as little conflict as possible. This mean, we have to check their numbers if population get to high. I understand this and support this, ONLY if the people in charge do so with ecological knowledge as their backdrop. 

There I go ranting about wolves again. Back to trapping! So, anti-hunters and trappers will often say ‘trapping’ as if it’s one thing. But can you name all of the different kinds of traps? If you can’t, I’m not going to take your counter-argument seriously because I’m not convinced you know everything you’re talking about.

Traps can be split into two categories - kill-traps, and holding-traps. That’s right! Not every trap kills an animal instantly. Leg hold traps are the first example.

Leg hold traps come in a variety of of sizes and poundage's. These measurements are important because they dictate the size of the animal susceptible to capture. (But this also means traps are less discriminatory that shooting). Trapping regulations state the maximum circumference of the jaws. Each ‘furbearer’ animal (in Minnesota) has a maximum size trap to reduce the amount of non-target animals. Of course, when it comes to leg-hold traps, non-targets aren’t too big of a problem, because you can just release them.

No, leg hold traps don’t break an animal’s bone. You’re thinking of this.

These are bear traps, and they are not legal to use unless you are hunting bear. They have the highest pressure and serrated jaws because bear paws are huge, and their skin is tough as nails. If you set this trap on a fox trail, then yes, you may end up injuring a fox. You would also be found in violation of trapping laws and get your license taken away.

Traps aren’t designed to break bones because if the trap has enough pressure to snap bones, then the animal can escape. The trap is useless, and the trapper wasted a bunch of time and energy. These kinds of traps are the most common used for coyotes and wolves. This makes sense because wolves and coyotes are bigger bodies animals. In a foothold trap, the animal is not suffering. Some traps even had padded jaws. If trapped an animal may struggle for a minute until laying down. A law-abiding trapper will check their trap line every one to two days (depending on the requirements in their state). This way, animals do not end up starving to death in the trap.

(No, that is not blood, it’s just the bobcat’s fur color). 

I was surprised to find that in some areas it is legal to hunt wolves with snares. This caught me off guard, because snares are not the best way to kill larger-bodies animals.

Like leg hold trappers, snarers operate under strict guidelines that dictate how high off the ground they can set them and how wide their radius can be - the bigger the radius, the easier to catch things. These are most commonly used for small animals like porcupine and rabbits. When an animal pokes its head through the wire noose, it tightens, cutting off the animal’s carotid arteries. They ‘faint’ from lack of blood to the brain, and die after going unconscious. Of course, a lot can go wrong with a simple wire loop. They can get caught around animals legs or bodies. In Minnesota, it is illegal to place snares on known deer trails, and some places require break-away devices that allow the animal to escape if a certain amount of pressure is applied. This is why it is very important for trappers to have knowledge of the animals they are trapping. They have to recognize tracks and runs, and know how to set up the snare to catch an animal in the most humane way possible.

Typical set-up for trapping snowshoe hares.

Small animals like rabbits are easy to humanly trap. This is gonna sound harsh, but small mammals are designed to die quick, painless deaths. They live short, breed often, and die fast. Anyone who worked in a rescue facility knows to be careful around the wild rabbits, because anything from loud noises or bright light could literally scare them to death. This is a blessing in disguise, because every kind of predator from marten to hawks eats rabbits. But wolves and coyotes are not build the same way. They are predators, designed to survive lots of harsh conditions and fighting. They’re necks, a vulnerable spot, are protected by thick skin and fur. This means that it will take longer for them to suffocate in a snare trap.

I will say one thing though. Do you know the kinds of natural deaths wolves face in the wild? They rip each other apart, while they are still alive. The International Wolf Center says the primary mortality causes are starvation and death from other wolves over territory fights. Wolves don’t wait until an animal stops moving like cats. They tear into them while they’re still alive. But if a wolf doesn’t meet that end, the fastest death it can hope for is a kick in the head from a moose. Otherwise, when it gets too old to chase prey, it will slowly starve to death, or with away from a mix of parasites, diseases, and minor injuries. Honesty, compared to all that, a noose does not sound like the worse way to go.

I do agree that we can do better in regards to trapping. If Montana goes through with the wolf hunting and trapping, they should do so with leg-hold traps instead. These will reduce the number of non-target fatalities, and allow the captured animal a much more humane death by bullet. As I said before, I don’t overall support a recreational wolf season, because there is nothing a wolf can offer besides a trophy and a pelt. From what I’ve heard, and based on the history of the past administration, I am not convinced Montana is acting in the best interest of their wildlife based on the current research available. The issue lies not with trapping and hunting in itself - it’s how we are using it and regulating it for management. 

About Traps

#wolves #hunting #wolf #trapping #wildlife #biology #nature #animals

[forlorn-ambivalent-project]

Week 1 14/01/21 - 21/01/21 Summary of project progress.

Thursday 14th Jan: 

Today our collaborative groups were assigned, I’m very excited to be directing and producing this short film! Our group is quite small, comprised of myself, Samuel and Ruth- so I intend on spending this week recruiting some external collaborators. Luckily this will fit in with the schedule as we need the next two weeks to be focused on writing, voice acting and sound production (although some aspects of sound will be complete post production e.g. background noise/ambiance). Whilst I focus primarily on recruiting external collaborators, I have asked Sam and Ruth to focus on experimenting with different media and animation techniques- this will allow us to go into the animation phase of the project with confidence and stylistic coherence regardless of process. Experimenting with animation processes at this stage will allow the group to also tackle any technical difficulties that may arise, as well as building confidence within each animator- hopefully resulting in a successful production period.

Today I tasked my group with creating some small cut-outs using black card, just to give them a feel for a style of animation they could work in- the main aim of this was to also focus on creating a strong silhouette, demonstrating knowledge of form and posing. Whilst we didn’t get on to animating at this stage, next week will have more of a focus on trying out different software/techniques through animated tests.  

The first external collaborator I have recruited is Miles who will be the Writer for ‘Forlorn’- we arranged this prior to today. Initially I took a hands off approach in regards to the writing, giving Miles an idea of what I wanted, and letting them crack on with it independently- unfortunately, whilst what they had written was of good quality, it wasn’t really suited to the project- so today we had a bit of a re-briefing where I made sure to be as clear as possible, outlining a better idea of what I was expecting. The first piece of writing was also quite rushed so I think it’s more than reasonable to allow for 2 weeks to really nail the script; going forward we will either co-write or I’ll be much more of a hands on director in that meetings will be a lot more regular, I’ll go through and edit sections of writing ect. 

Meeting notes:

-Writing should be in a stream of conscious format 

-Take inspiration from journal entries

-Tone should be relatively depressing, themes of entrapment, detachment and dissociation 

-More abstract and impressionistic than literal in content; nothing very rigidly imagery based (to allow animators creative freedom)

-Spend some time thinking about it; next meeting will be on Tuesday for a brainstorm. 

Friday 15th Jan:

Contacted Potential Voice Actor: Ian, giving a very brief overview of the project- he seems very interested in working on the project, potentially having access to a sound production studio from his friend Jeff (this will depend on covid related restrictions so this is unconfirmed at this point) - We have arranged to have an online meeting next wednesday at 4pm. Ian has an extensive background in acting and theatre (and I have worked with him before on panto productions at New Theatre Royal Lincoln 2017-2018 & 2018-2019) so I’m pretty confident that he’ll make a great voice actor for Forlorn; it will also be nice to have a more mature voice narrating something with a depressing and hopeless tone. 

Contacted potential external animators: KP Gill (Y2 NUA), Lottie Wishart (Y3 Plymouth): I had contacted these two animation students whilst the pitch of forlorn was still unconfirmed in terms of going forward formally through the university- so I got in touch with them both today to let them know that the pitch was successful, arranging to brief them both next Thursday. As they both have a lot of work on for their own degrees, I have made it apparent to them that they can contribute however much they want in terms of taking on a reasonable amount that they can both realistically handle within the time frame. I also don’t want to assign too much responsibility to either of them in case they suddenly decide to drop out or fail to complete work to deadlines. (Not that I expect that to happen but it is always a risk/ possibility- so I want to make sure that we have a plan and contingency time in place to avoid anything hugely going wrong). 

Saturday 16th Jan:

i spent today focusing on setting up the blogs for both this project as well as my personal showcase project ‘Chronophobia’ as well as a blog for career planning (although I may combine that blog with the personal showcase blog I’m not sure at this point). I backtracked some of the posts for both projects to try and get into the flow of blogging again. 

Sunday 17th Jan:

Today I made a time-lapse video of assembling an overhead rig which I will be using in conjunction with a make shift multiplane camera in order to capture physical cut out animation in an efficient and professional manner.

Monday 18th Jan: N/A

Tuesday 19th Jan:

Writing of Contract, Finalisation of key production management docs.

Meeting with miles, set up of google drive:

Meeting notes: 

-Decision made for Miles to be the writer (no need for co-writer)  

-Brainstorm of ideas, picking out what works/what doesn’t work

-Discussion of future communications: regular updates/feedback

-Deadline of this Friday for writing samples

Wednesday 20th Jan:

Meeting With Ian (Voice Actor)

Meeting notes:

-Agreement that this is a non-paid role that is being taken on

-Consent/rights given to use audio. Including agreement to submit the film to film festivals/ use the audio for commercial purposes 

-Direction and tone clarified 

-Sound Producer confirmed (Jeff) with late next week being a viable time slot to record audio.

-Agreement that the audio must be delivered by the 5th of Feb.

-Contact information exchanged (Email address, phone number)

Thursday 21st Jan:

Experimental Animation ‘workshop’ with team: After having gone through our production management system, and deciding to use office 365 planner as an additional resource, we decided to do a quick fire animation test each using different animation techniques to achieve the same style. We then presented these experiments to the rest of the 2d group at the end of the teams session.

Sam used Blender to create a rigged animation which was then made to look 2d in the style of lino print animation. Ruth used autodesk sketchbook, a 2d digital animation software to achieve the look of traditional cut outs- and I used card and a multiplane camera to animate:

Stills from each animation:

Briefing of 2 External Animators: Lottie and KP: Presenting the project pitch & explaining ways in which they can collaborate; outlining risks, challenges, communication methods, deadlines, opportunities.

Meeting Notes- Lottie Wishart

-Brief clearly explained, with outcomes and expectations outlined 

-confirmation that Lottie has access to the equipment/software needed in order to produce quality work 

-Outline of Schedule: allowing Lottie time to consider whether to take on the project 

-Seems promising, clear enthusiasm/interest in joining the production team

-Agreement that I will be the main/only point of contact for Lottie throughout the project due to their issues with intense social anxiety.

-Awaiting firm confirmation 

Meeting Notes- KP Gill

-Brief clearly explained, with outcomes and expectations outlined

-confirmation that KP has access to the equipment/software needed in order to produce quality work

-Outline of Schedule, considering how this will factor in with their 2nd year uni work.

-Given the task of creating some experimental animations for the next week- figuring out process and technique

-Agreement that whilst I will be KP’s main point of contact for the project, they are free to join group meetings should their personal timetable allow.

-Made clear that regular updates of work are expected as well as approval of concepts and storyboards.

-Awaiting confirmation

Meeting with Miles:

Meeting Notes:

-Absolute Deadline for writing confirmed as 26/01/20

-Writing seems to be progressing well, this will be formally reviewed tomorrow before our next meeting tomorrow at 4