Monday, September 20, 2010
Leonard Skinner, the namesake of rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at the age of 77. Skinner was a gym teacher and basketball coach and taught members of the group. His death was announced by his son, also named Leonard Skinner, who also said that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Skinner died at the St. Catherine Laboure Manor nursing home in Riverside at 02.30 a.m. His son said that he had a bowl of ice cream shortly after midnight. He had been at the home for about a year.
The coach taught the members of the group in the 1960s and was reportedly hard on the students. He later said in a 2009 interview that “he was just following the rules”. He disputed the rumours that he was extra tough on them or that he kicked them out of school.
In later years he opened up his own bar and became friends with some members of the group and even introduced them at one of their concerts in Jacksonville.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Cambridge, Massachusetts —The planning board of Cambridge, Massachusetts voted in unanimous approval of Harvard University‘s plan to build a 410,000 ft² (38 090 m²) science center at 24 Oxford Street, according to the local newspapers, the Harvard Crimson and the Cambridge Chronicle. More than half of the space in the building will be constructed underground.
The Northwest Science Building, as it will be called, will house the laboratories of roughly 30 Harvard science faculty members, as well as a chilled water plant and an electrical substation. The building was designed by Craig Hartman, an architect in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also completed Harvard University Master Plan in 2002, according to the firm’s website. Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill also designed such notable buildings as Chicago‘s Sears Tower and the recently completed international terminal at the San Francisco airport.
The vote to approve the plan occurred at the February 15, 2005, meeting of the Cambridge Planning Board at the City Hall Annex, 344 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. In what the Harvard Crimson called a “departure from the norm,” there were no comments from residents at the hearing. The Crimson reported that the Harvard officials at the meeting took this as “a signal that the community was well-informed about the project prior to the presentation.” The sign advertising the hearing can be seen at right.
In related news, the Director of Urban Design for Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s New York office, Vishaan Chakrabarti, will be speaking at the Harvard Graduate School of Design on March 1, 2005.
Submitted by: Allanln Dunn
When my husband decided to start working from home, I wanted to surprise him with a new desk. Because we live in a pre-Victorian, Grade II listed building, it couldn’t just be any old desk. We’re not snobs, but we have always tried to furnish our house sympathetically, choose Regency or Victorian styles where possible. Because clients would come to the house, I thought a lovely antique desk would create exactly the right impression.
But what I didn’t bargain on was the price! I knew exactly what I wanted – I’d watched the antiques programmes on TV often enough. It’s often referred to as a partner’s desk, double pedestal with a tooled leather top. I wanted a darkish wood, possibly mahogany. And I found it too – in my local auction room. It went for over 5,000! Needless to say, I had to stop bidding long before then.
I was disappointed, but not daunted. We have several reproduction pieces in the house and most people can’t tell them from the real thing, so I decided to try that route. I found a website for Newby House Interiors that made quality reproduction antique furniture, and what’s more, they had the exact desk I was after.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbRcbEx6tQU[/youtube]
I found a reproduction antique pedestal desk that would be perfect for my husband’s office. It came in a choice of mahogany or yew wood finishes and was very finely crafted. They had not attempted to give it a distressed look but it was polished to a high sheen for durability as well as smartness. The craftsmanship was evident throughout, from the dovetailed drawers to the attractive moulding to the sides and back. I chose the green leather writing surface which went so well with the mahogany, but I could have had burgundy, gold or brown. What I liked particularly about it was that whilst it looked exactly like a genuine antique desk, it was actually a modern computer desk with a cleverly concealed slide-out tray for the keyboard, though as my husband mostly uses a laptop, I’m not sure how he will use that.
Because the desk cost about eight times less than the one I had seen in the auction room, I argued that I could also afford a new chair and saw a very nice captain’s desk chair on the same site. It looked so comfortable that I wondered if my husband would ever be able to leave it.
I had seen the short video on the website which talked me through the high quality finish of the desk so I had absolutely no worries about what I was buying. I didn’t have to worry about getting it into the new office either because the pedestals were detachable for ease of movement. You could certainly see from the video the level of careful craftsmanship that went into the desk and I felt sure all the other reproduction furniture items would be of the same high quality.
I was very glad that I hadn’t found what I wanted at auction because that site was certainly a worthwhile find. I made a note of several other pieces I was interested in for other rooms in the house and will certainly be visiting it again. For quality and value, it couldn’t be beaten and you even get free delivery, which you don’t get at the local auction room. It’s a site I would definitely recommend if you are making a statement in your house with top quality reproduction furniture.
About the Author: Visit this site for more information on
newbyhouseinteriors.co.uk/
and
newbyhouseinteriors.co.uk/reproduction-furniture.html
.
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Wednesday, June 28, 2017
On Sunday, police stopped Istanbul Pride, a yearly LGBT march in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. Police officials reportedly used rubber and plastic bullets and sprayed tear gas to prevent the participants from parading, after the Istanbul Governor’s office ordered them on Saturday not to conduct the march, asserting security reasons. This marks the third consecutive year activists were banned from holding the rally.
The statement released by the governor’s office read, “no application that suits the methods was made to our governor’s office”, though the organisers of the march disagreed. Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey for almost a century, but the governor’s office reported “serious reactions against the march.” Activists found checkpoints and a large number of police near Istiklal Avenue.
The pride organisers reported 41 were arrested by the police. Far-right Alperen Hearths was amongst nationalist groups calling for prohibiting the parade. Last week, on June 19, Kür?at Mican of Alperen said, “We will not allow them to walk. Wherever they march, we’ll also go. We will close down that street and they will not be able to go there. If we want, our numbers can reach 200,000”.
In a statement by the organisers of the rally, on Sunday, they said, “Our security will be provided by recognising us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom”. Turkish legislators have yet to enact laws shielding the LGBT community from hate speech and ensuring civil rights. In 2010, Selma Aliye Kavaf, then-Minister of Women and Family Affairs said, “I believe homosexuality is a biological disorder and this disease needs treatment.” ((tr))Turkish language: ?Ben e?cinselli?in biyolojik bir bozukluk, bir hastal?k oldu?una inan?yorum. Tedavi edilmesi gereken bir ?ey bence. After the unsuccessful attempt to conduct the parade, organisers released a statement on Sunday, saying, “We are not scared, we are here, we will not change[…] You are scared, you will change and you will get used to it.”
Istanbul Pride was first organised in 2003, attracting by varying reports from tens of thousands to possibly a hundred thousand people in 2014. That was the last actual march before it was blocked three times in the last three years. Last year, the organisers were not granted permission for Istanbul Pride after Istanbul faced militant attacks. The 2015 march was stopped as it was about to start, and police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Nine firefighters were killed on Monday while battling a massive fire at a furniture warehouse in Charleston, South Carolina.
Firefighters were called to the scene of a massive blaze at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, S.C. at around 6:30 p.m. EST. At around 7 p.m., nine firefighters were sent inside the inferno to rescue people who were trapped inside the building. They rescued two before the ceiling collapsed on top of them. All nine firefighters who were inside the warehouse died. They are:
- Capt. William Hutchinson, 48
- Capt. Mike Benke, 49
- Capt. Louis Mulkey, 34
- FF Mark Kelsey, 40
- FF Bradford Baity, 37
- FF Michael French, 27
- FF James “Earl” Drayton, 56
- FF Brandon Thompson, 27
- FF Melven Champaign, 46
The disaster recalls Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire that killed six firefighters on Dec. 3, 1999, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The chief of the Worcester Fire Department flew down to South Carolina for the memorial service.
By Steve P Smith
In common with choline, inositol is often regarded as a member of the B-complex of vitamins, although this is not strictly accurate. Both choline and inositol, however, work in similar fashion to the B vitamins. Inositol is vital for the health of cell membranes and for the transmission of energy and nutrients between cells. There is also evidence that abundant supplies of inositol may enhance the action of vitamin E, one of the body’s most important fat-soluble anti-oxidants. Inositol therefore not only reduces blood cholesterol but also helps prevent the oxidation of the low density lipids (LDL), or ‘bad cholesterol’, which is a principal precursor of potentially lethal hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
And it’s not just in the reduction of potentially harmful blood fats that inositol has a role to play. Taken together with choline, in the form of lecithin, inositol stimulates the metabolic rate and thereby acts as a powerful fat-burner for many people whose excess weight is principally due to a slower than normal metabolism.
But for many nutritional therapists the most important functions of inositol lie in the areas of mental health and brain function. The nutrient is widely used by practitioners to tackle problems with the nervous system, obsessive compulsive disorder, agorophobia, and anxiety and panic attacks; and there is also some preliminary, albeit inconclusive, evidence that supplementation with inositol may help maintain cognitive function in sufferers from Alzheimer’s disease.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkVEQs9uSIs[/youtube]
Since the 1970s, doses of 1,000 mg a day of inositol have also been used by practitioners in the relief and treatment of diabetic neuropathy, the nerve damage that is one of the most painful and debilitating consequences of this disease.
Research also suggests that high doses of 6 – 12 g of inositol, taken over a period of several weeks, may help relieve the symptoms of depression; evidence which is borne out by the observation that the blood and brain levels of inositol in sufferers from this condition are often much lower than normal.
Other deficiency symptoms, although it is hard to isolate a lack of inositol as their only cause, may include cardio-vascular disease and high cholesterol, digestive problems, hair loss, irritability, mood swings, and skin eruptions.
Apart from lecithin, which is commonly granulated from soya beans, good food sources of inositol are wholegrains, wheatgerm,. meat, citrus fruits, nuts, rice and legumes (ie peas and beans). Moreover, the body is able to manufacture a certain amount of inositol from the phytic acid released by the plant and other dietary fibres consumed in food. So it would seem that a well-balanced, healthy diet, containing a selection of foods from the major groups, should provide at least an adequate supply of inositol; and indeed there is evidence that most individuals in Western societies can obtain around 1,000 mg from their normal daily diet.
The problem, however, is that a significant proportion of the inositol obtained from ordinary dietary sources is often rather poorly absorbed. And in common with the B-complex vitamins the nutrient is easily lost from the body; the consumption of excessive quantities of caffeine being a very common culprit in flushing it away.
Practitioners therefore commonly recommend supplementation with inositol, a practice which is regarded as very safe. The US Food and Nutrition Board has prescribed neither a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) nor an upper safe limit, but therapists normally suggest beginning with a dose of 500 mg to check individual tolerance and requirements. This can be steadily increased to 1,500 mg or more for optimum general well-being and many people find granular lecithin, which also provides the benefits of choline, to be a pleasant and convenient way of obtaining this level of intake; given that a single teaspoonful will commonly provide around 100 mg of inositol. But far higher doses of up to several grams a day may be prescribed for some of the specific conditions described above.
Like all other major nutrients, inositol functions best when all the body’s necessary nutrients are adequately supplied. But in the case of inositol it is particularly important to ensure a good intake of vitamin C and all the B-complex vitamins; the action of vitamin C being vital in sparing and conserving the body’s blood levels of inositol.
About the Author: Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at
sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/Inositol.htm
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Wednesday, March 29, 2006The Australian House of Representatives today acknowledged the impact of the recent devastating Cyclone Larry and the efforts of the support given to the residents and communities of north Queensland in order to restore normal life.
Phillip Ruddock (Liberal, Berowra) moved a motion expressing this after Question Time today, which included a description of the devastation wrought on the area, the response by the Australian Government and the Australian Defence Force, and thanked the efforts of people for their “willingness to roll up their sleeves and get on with the job of cleaning up and rebuilding their towns and centres.”
The Leader of the Opposition, Kim Beazley (Labor, Brand) supported the motion, and congratulated the move to put General Peter Cosgrove in charge of operations, stating that soldiers “know how to work through logistics issues…how to work around officialdom or blockages”, praised both local federal and state members of Parliament, and especially the Labor Queensland state premier, Peter Beattie.
Bob Katter (Independent, Kennedy) was more critical in his speech. Katter thanked Beattie for his immediate response, but also described his confrontation with him and said how first responses were “simply not working”, but also praised Beattie’s decision on Cosgrove. Katter also described how the incident was “the worst natural disaster inAustralian history” and how the banana industry in north Queensland was decimated. Katter went on to describe the financial problems of the people in the region, the “huge gap” between the cost of rebuilding and insurance payouts, also asking “Are we going to pay people virtually nothing to sit on their backsides to do nothing or are we going to pay them a decent wage and have them rebuilding our communities for us?”
The debate is set to continue in the Main Committee, as an opportunity for many more members of the House of Representatives to speak to the motion, without taking up further time in the Chamber.
Herbs For Men
Herbs can be used for men for several different purposes. For prostate treatment, the male reproductive system or infertility. There are many different herbs that can treat and help these male problems. There is a specific herb program that can help
all of these problems. This program includes: relaxing herbs, aphrodisiacs, testosterone enhancers, circulatory stimulates and adaptogens. These types of herbs, taken regularly can cure the ailments that men encounter everyday.
Chinese Medicine For Men
Acupuncture is the biggest and most popular of all of Chinese medicine today. Acupuncture is becoming more widely used across the world with every passing year. Most men prefer acupuncture to all of the other alternative medical treatments. This form of Chinese medicine was created to treat all kinds of diseases and ailments and it has overwhelming results in any area. This is an art of release, and there are many men in the world, just as there are women who need a release of some sort. Acupuncture is the form that they choose and it works! This is one of the strongest forms of alternative medical treatments.
Yoga For Men
Yoga is not just a treatment for women, men can take part in this incredibly healing and releasing self therapy. Yoga is a great treatment for stress release and the release of the negative feelings that your body is holding onto. Yoga can be an art if you do it correctly. It is easy to learn and something that you will want to continue on a daily basis. The results that you will see are unbelievable and can only improve the more your practice your yoga. Men tend to bottle their emotions up the same as women if not more. This makes yoga a great treatment for men in many different ways. Yoga can cure and treat you in more than one aspect of your life. It is a holistic treatment that treats your mind, body and soul.
Men have the same stress and emotions in their minds as women. These need to be released. Alternative treatments like the ones listed above have the power to do this in the most natural way possible. Every year there are more men taking part of these effective alternative treatments for their diseases and ailments. The more comfortable the society becomes with these alternative methods of treatments, the more men you will see taking advantage of their amazing and instant results. Mens
health is much different from womens, yet the same treatments can be used in a different manner. The best way to take advantage of these treatments is to find a practitioner to assist you in your quest for alternative healing methods. When you begin your alternative treatments you want to ensure that you are using the correct methods for you. These correct methods vary with men and women. Different methods are used for each, and by using the right one you will find yourself with amazing results after the first session.
Men need to take care of their health in the same way as women. Be smart and take advantage of these great alternative treatment methods that are at your disposal.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Many thousands of anime and manga fans descended on the Toronto Congress Centre for Anime North, a fan-run convention launched in 1997. Spread between four venues over three days, May 24 to 26, the event featured J-pop maid idols, voice actors, writers, and more. Wikinews attended.
Despite the ample indoor spaces, the parking lot of the Centre is also a hub of activity, with cosplayers posing for photos. Attendees were sent running for cover on Saturday, as heavy rains and a severe thunderstorm warning put a damper on festivities.
The event is organized by a massive team of volunteers, and known for its specialized programming for fans, by fans. On the night of May 25, for example, attendees could catch “Pokemon Biology”, “Kimono Obi Tying”, and “Underappreciated Sports Anime/Manga.”
US voice actor Alexis Tipton marveled at the growth of the anime industry in the last decade. “Back when I was going as a fan, there wasn’t as much anime, so it was easier to know about everything,” Tipton observed during a question and answer session. “I’m so overwhelmed by how much there is.”
Tipton held a panel on her career, dubbing anime for US distribution company Funimation Entertainment. While many anime voice actors weren’t fans going into the industry, Tipton recalled going to anime conventions with her friends during middle school and high school. Once she was an invited guest, Tipton recalls realizing “oh, I’m not here to just have fun, I’m here to work; I have a set schedule and I can’t just, like, you know, go do what I want.”
Early in her career, Tipton was cast as a voice for My Bride is a Mermaid, a role that required singing. Then just 19 years old, she looked at the role as a “chance to face my demons,” having questioned her abilities for years. “I was in an extremely competitive [singing musical theatre] program in high school. I had started working at Funimation when I was 19, so I was just barely in college. And so those scars were still like, really fresh. I had a lot of competition and people would find what your perceived weakness was, or what your actual weakness was in the program, and they would take advantage of it. And so I had people trying to make me feel like I couldn’t sing my way out of a paper bag, and then I would get so nervous when I would sing that I couldn’t support my notes, and so it would just prove them right.”
Tipton was devastated when she got a sinus infection, the week of the audition. “This director doesn’t know me, I haven’t worked with him, he’s going to think that this is what I sound like,” she recalls thinking. “I don’t know if I had a shot to begin with, but now I really don’t have a shot.” She was thrilled when she was cast.
Another voice actor, Lauren Landa, would list Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus as dream roles, when asked at conventions. She was given a chance to audition for the characters years later, when Vizmedia dubbed the first two seasons of Sailor Moon. When she was cast, “I swear to you, I was speechless,” she told an audience at her Q&A session.
Cosplay model and professional singer Jillea attended the Saturday of the convention dressed as Pokemon species Charizard. Wikinews spoke with her by email, after the event:
((WN)) What got you into cosplay modelling?
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Jillea: My love for cosplay started with the community, what started as a fun hobby I would do periodically quickly became a huge part of my life, and the reason for that being how amazing the cosplay community embraced me and my work. I’ve always been a creative person, so getting to make my costumes and have people say ‘oh my gosh, I love that character!!’ got me hooked right away. They’re just my people, what can I say, they really make me feel welcomed and I love them for it.
((WN)) How did you choose Charizard?
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J: I’m a 90’s baby so you could say I’m a bit of a Pokémon OG! I had a Game Boy as a kid and my very first purchase was Pokémon Red, solely based on how cool Charizard looked on the cover. Charizard has always been my favourite Pokémon and I can’t resist a challenging cosplay… and the nostalgia!
((WN)) What was your favourite part of Anime North?
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J: This was my very first time attending Anime North and I was blown away! The booths were incredible and unique, every time I turned around I was seeing something different I’ve never seen at a convention before. Everything was easy to access and I even made use of the Cosplay Recharge station that literally saved the day with their hot glue! Extremely friendly environment it will not be my last time back for sure.
Wikinews?’ Nick Moreau photographed the event.
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Fate series cosplay photoshoot
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Overcast weather didn’t stop dancing in the parking lot
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A group of cosplayers perform a choreographed dance.
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Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Due to a US$23 million budget shortfall, all public libraries in Jackson County, Oregon are scheduled to close April 6. The U.S. Congress did not renew the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act, which replaces property tax revenues with revenue sharing from timber harvests. Jackson County used the revenue to pay for libraries and sherriff’s patrols. Voters rejected a property tax increase last November. A similar increase will appear on the May ballot; such increases must pass a double-majority vote: a majority of county voters must turn out for the election, and a majority of those must support the increase.
Supporters hope the measure will pass this time. “Many people didn’t believe we were going to close libraries.” said County Commissioner C.W. Smith. The Ashland City Council has said it would find a funding solution to keep their branch of the library open; other cities have not made similar statements. Some alternative funding solutions, such as charging subscription fees, have been considered. However, charging fees for access to libraries is illegal in Oregon.
Jackson County is located in Southern Oregon, and has a population of 181,000. The Jackson County Library System consists of 15 branches.