D J C

bn

As we all know, nature is full of surprises. Whenever we think that there can be nothing more surprising than this, we come across something stunning. Like this time, we came across a 1 in 146k yellow penguin that looks simply amazing. If you also want to see this one-of-a-kind yellow-colored penguin, scroll down. Penguins are known for their ‘tuxedo’ like the exterior, but did you know there are also yellow penguins? Yves Adams, a Belgian photo-tour, expedition guide, and wildlife photographer has clicked the picture of this penguin. “I’d never seen or heard of a yellow penguin before,” Adams said. “There were 120,000 birds on that beach and this was the only yellow one there.” Belgian photo tour guide Yves Adams managed to find one such specimen in South Georgia The bird’s yellow color is caused by leucism, a condition that makes the animal partially lose its pigmentation It is estimated that leucism occurs in 1 in 20,000 to 146,000 penguins Ever since the pictures surfaced, they have been going viral, getting over 100k upvotes on Reddit alone “It was heaven that he landed by us. If it had been 50 meters away we wouldn’t have been able to get this show of a lifetime,” said Adams Source

The posters were distributed in the city of Plock in 2019. Polish LGBT rights activists gather outside a court which acquitted three women who faced trial on accusations of desecration, in Plock, Poland, Tuesday March 2, 2021. A Polish court has acquitted three activists who had been accused of desecration for adding the LGBT rainbow to images of a revered Roman Catholic icon. In posters that they put up in protest in their city of Plock, the activists used the rainbow in place of halos on a revered image of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A Polish court has acquitted three activists who had been accused of desecration and offending religious feelings for producing and distributing images of a revered Roman Catholic icon altered to include the LGBT rainbow. The posters, which they distributed in the city of Plock in 2019, used rainbows as halos in an image of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. Their aim was to protest against what they considered the hostility of Poland’s influential Catholic Church towards LGBT people. The court in Plock did not see evidence of a crime and found that the activists were not motivated by a desire to offend anyone’s religious feelings, but rather wanted to defend those facing discrimination, according to Polish media. The conservative group that brought the case, the Life and Family Foundation, said it planned to appeal. “Defending the honour of the Mother of God is the responsibility of each of us, and the guilt of the accused is indisputable,” the group’s founder, Kaja Godek, said on Facebook. “The courts of the Republic of Poland should protect (Catholics) from violence, including by LGBT activists.” The case was seen in Poland as a freedom of speech test under a deeply conservative government that has been pushing back against secularisation and liberal views. Abortion has been another flashpoint in the country after the recent introduction of a near-total ban. One defendant, Elzbieta Podlesna, said when the trial opened in January that the 2019 action in Plock was spurred by an installation at the city’s St Dominic’s Church that associated LGBT people with crime and sins. She and the other two activists — Anna Prus and Joanna Gzyra-Iskandar — faced up to two years of prison if found guilty. An LGBT rights group, Love Does Not Exclude, welcomed the ruling as a “breakthrough”. “This is a triumph for the LGBT+ resistance movement in the most homophobic country of the European Union,” it said. The image involved an alteration of Poland’s most-revered icon, the Mother of God of Czestochowa, popularly known as the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The original has been housed at the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa — Poland’s holiest Catholic site — since the 14th century. Ms Podlesna told the Onet news portal that the desecration provision in the penal code “leaves a door open to use it against people who think a bit differently”. “I still wonder how the rainbow — a symbol of diversity and tolerance — offends these feelings. I cannot understand it, especially since I am a believer,” she said. She was arrested in an early morning police raid on her apartment in 2019, held for several hours and questioned over the posters. A court later said the detention was unnecessary and ordered damages of about 1,400 awarded to her. Source

The US Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly said in a statement that the ruling 'was a very long time coming. Not swift justice, but sweet and righteous just the same.' In this Nov. 2, 2016, file photo, leaders of the Jewish Reform and Conservative movements carry Torah scrolls as they march to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem's Old City. Israel's Supreme Court on Monday, March 1, 2021, dealt a major blow to the country's powerful Orthodox establishment, ruling that people who convert to Judaism through the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel also are Jewish and entitled to become citizens. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File) JERUSALEM (RNS) — An order by Israel’s high court requiring the government to allow those who converted to non-Orthodox Judaism in Israel to become citizens has elicited strong support from Reform and Conservative Jews and condemnation from Orthodox rabbis and lawmakers. The ruling “was years in the making and reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Jewish life in Israel and around the world,” said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, of Monday’s (March 1) court decision, which came 15 years after non-Orthodox converts first petitioned the court for permission to immigrate. “We hope this ruling establishes a precedent that will lead to further recognition of the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel,” said Jacobs. Until now, the Israeli government has recognized converts to Reform and Conservative Judaism if they converted to Judaism outside Israel — but solely for the purpose of citizenship: The Chief Rabbinate, which has sole authority over Jewish matters in Israel, does not consider either group of converts authentically Jewish. Israel has steadfastly refused to accept the authority of Reform and Conservative rabbinical courts within Israel over matters of conversion, marriage, divorce and other matters pertaining to Judaism. The ruling promises to become a political hot potato, coming just three weeks before Israelis are set to go to the polls for the fourth time in less than three years. The country’s Orthodox parties, a crucial voting bloc, are vowing to introduce legislation to nullify the ruling and expect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to support the legislation. Netanyahu must decide whether to alienate the Orthodox coalition partners he will almost certainly need to win the next election or anger American Jews, the vast majority of whom are non-Orthodox and who support religious pluralism in Israel. The ruling has incensed Israel’s government-supported religious establishment, which is run by Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis. “What the Reform and Conservatives call ‘conversion’ is nothing but a forgery of Judaism,” Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said in a statement, calling on lawmakers to find a “quick” way to overturn the ruling via legislation in the parliament. The U.S. Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly said in a statement that the ruling “was a very long time coming. Not swift justice, but sweet and righteous just the same.” Referring to Orthodox threats to void the ruling via legislation, the movement called on “all parties” in Israel “to respect the decision of the court and to proactively protest attempts to legislate against religious freedom in Israel, as well as Jewish communities abroad.” Uri Regev, a Reform rabbi and president and CEO of the NGO Hiddush: For Freedom of Religion and Equality, said the Orthodox backlash against the court’s decision, coming just prior to the national election, “should illustrate to us how critical the upcoming elections are for the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.” Source

All school pupils are on course to be back in the classroom immediately after Easter. While no indicative dates were revealed as the Executive published its roadmap out of the latest lockdown, it states that there would be a full return to school in step three of the five step programme. With P1-P3 due to return on March 8, and Years 12-14 on March 22, the door is now open for the remaining pupils across the board to move back to face to face learning once the Easter holidays are over. First Minister Arlene Foster said she hopes to be in a position to confirm a return date for the remaining pupils when the Executive next meets to discuss lockdown restrictions on March 16. NI Coronavirus: Outdoor sports facilities to open first as part of Executive’s road map out of lockdown Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Michelle O'Neill outlines Executive's 'tentative' roadmap out of lockdown amid two deaths and 149 new cases “As a party we wanted to give clarity to parents, young people and teachers before now,” she said. “Of course we are in a coalition and we have to seek consensus. “We’re in a position now where P1 to P3 return next week. Years 12-14 on March 22. I very much hope that when we come to talk about this matter again on March 16 that we can give clarity for the rest of the school years so that they will know when they are coming back. “I hope, given all of the data that’s there, that it will mean everybody can return after Easter. We’ll not be able to take that decision until we review what’s happening on March 16.” Step Two of the Executive roadmap is due to start on March 8 with the return of P1-P3 to classrooms, with remote and online learning remaining an option. It would also see a return to practical face-to-face learning for Further Education students and apprentices. The Executive hopes that the education sector can move to step three at the end of the Easter holidays. That would see a full return of schools and a resumption of extended school activities. Step four would see inter-school sport resume, increased face-to-face teaching for Higher and Further Education students, and apprentices, with school clubs, FE colleges and university student extra-curricular and support activities and youth services resuming. By step five FE colleges and universities would begin moving towards more face-to face teaching and spectators would be allowed at school sports and performance events. Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said that while it remains a cautious approach to ending restrictions, she would “expect to see a full return of schools “on the other side of Easter”. “That’s obviously providing that the transmission of the virus stays in check and everything stays as is. It is our priority to return children to school, but it must be safe,” she said. Ken Webb, chair of the Further Education Colleges Principals' Group, said the recovery plan was welcome and that attention now must turn to the safe return of students and staff to campus and the resumption of face-to-face learning. “College life has been disrupted now for one year with lengthy periods being spent in online, remote learning,” he said. “This learning format cannot replace practical skills development that takes place in college campuses and coupled with remaining uncertainty over arrangements to replace examinations, there is real anxiety being felt amongst our college communities, between both students and staff .“Our students’ education has no doubt been impacted during this time, and our focus now is to build on the fantastic work our staff have provided during the restrictions of this last year. “Many of the courses we provide are practical in nature, therefore our students need to be on campus for the applied, in-person teaching that is required. We are pleased to see that this has been recognised by the Executive and inserted early in Stage Two of the recovery pathway. “As we begin our own pathway back from the pandemic, our priority is the safe return of all staff and pupils and ensuring that all our learners receive the education they deserve. We look forward to working with our full college community to guarantee a smooth transition back to on-campus learning.” Dr Graham Gault, president of the National Association of Head Teachers, said principals were excited as the prospect of pupils returning to class comes closer. “Our school principals are so excited about having our children and young people return to face-to-face teaching,” he said, but urged parents to remain patient as the situation becomes clearer. “Parents, please have patience with your schools as we seek to reintegrate your children back into the classroom environments, because there are so many significant and complex things that the staff have to consider.” Source

A formal offer on teachers' pay for 2019 and 2020 has been accepted by the five main teaching unions, who said the agreement is "a step in the right direction". The pay settlement will see teachers' salaries increase by 2%, payable from September 1, 2019, and an additional 2%, payable from last September 1. Education Minister Peter Weir said: "I am pleased that the five trade unions which make up the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) have accepted a pay offer today on behalf of their members." He said the pay award is applicable to all salary scales and teaching allowances. It has yet to be approved by the Department of Finance. Mr Weir added: "Teachers play a vital role in the Northern Ireland education system and I want to put on record my appreciation for the hard work they do on a daily basis, which has been made more difficult by the challenges of this pandemic." Unions welcomed the successful conclusion to negotiations. Gerry Murphy, Northern Secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said: "This salary uplift for the two years in question takes us further along the pathway in restoring teachers' salaries to the levels they should be at. "It is a task INTO will stick at and we remind our members that at the end of the summer we will begin negotiation with DE and the employing authorities on the next pay uplift. "The uplift agreed of 2% for each of the years along with the associated back pay and the fact that the uplift comes with no strings attached is a positive step. INTO members can expect to see this uplift reflected in their salaries before the summer break." A spokesperson for the NASUWT added: "Today's 2% pay award for 2019 and 2020 is a step in the right direction for teachers. It is entirely unfair that FE lecturers are being offered less along with demands for detrimental changes to their contracts." The offer was made on Wednesday, February 10. Negotiations involved the employers and the Northern Ireland Teachers Council (NITC) which represents five unions - INTO, the NASUWT, Ulster Teachers' Union UTU, the National Education Union and National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), along with the Department for Education and the Education Authority. Source

A very rare Winston Churchill painting (gifted by him to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II) has been sold for nearly $11.5 million after fees. It was purchased by ex-beau Brad Pitt for Angelina Jolie a few years ago and is now touted to be the most expensive of Churchill’s pieces to be sold. The artwork features the long shadows and warm tones of a sunset in Marrakech, Morocco. It is titled ‘Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque’ and is the only painting done by Churchill during the Second World War. It was held in a private collection in the U.S. for several years before it was given to Jolie by her ex-partner, Brad Pitt. Source

The artwork, "Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque," completed in 1943 by Winston Churchill, fetched some four times its auction estimate of between $2.1 million and $3.5 million. File Image courtesy of Christie's March 2 (UPI) -- A painting by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and once owned by Angelina Jolie broke auction records in London this week, selling for $11.59 million. The artwork, Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque, completed in 1943, fetched some four times its auction estimate of between $2.1 million and $3.5 million, Christie's London said. The landscape is of Marrakesh, Morocco, a favorite subject of Churchill's. The previous record for a Churchill painting was set in 2014, when a painting of a pond -- The Goldfish Pool at Chartwell, sold for $2.82 million as part of a Sotheby's auction. It was part of a sale of personal possessions owned by Mary Soames, the last-surviving daughter of Churchill who died earlier that year. Churchill gifted the Mosque painting to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later passed it to his son, Elliot Roosevelt. It eventually made its way into the possession of the Jolie Family Collection in 2011. It was most recently on exhibit at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis as part of a show entitled "The Paintings of Sir Winston Churchill" in 2015-16. The Monday auction involved two other Churchill paintings, Scene At Marrakech, which sold for $2.63 million and St. Paul's Churchyard, which sold for $1.51 million. In total, Christie's spring 20th century sale realized $61.14 million, with the second-highest single artwork -- La Mousmé by Vincent van Gogh -- fetching $10.44 million. "The auction of Modern British Art demonstrated the vibrant and dynamic nature of this market with exceptional provenance as witnessed in the Churchills, Lavery, the Collection of Mireille and James Lévy and the Estates of L.S. Lowry and Carol Ann Lowry," said Nick Orchard, the head of Christie's Modern British Art Department. "These works generated international interest with competitive bidding throughout the evening, resulting in Christie's second highest total for a Modern British Art evening sale." Source

SALEM, Mass. – A painting by celebrated 20th century American artist, Jacob Lawrence, that had been missing for more than 60 years has been discovered and will join the five-stop national exhibition tour of “Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle,” organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. Panel 28 is one of 30 that comprise Lawrence’s powerful epic series “Struggle: From the History of the American People” (1954–56), and it will be reunited with the series’ other works for the final exhibition tour stops at the Seattle Art Museum (March 5–May 23) and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. (June 26–Sept. 19). This announcement follows the discovery of Panel 16 in October 2020. The location of three remaining paintings from Jacob Lawrence’s “Struggle” series, Panel 14, Panel 20 and Panel 29, remain unknown. It is the museums’ hope that the increased awareness of Jacob Lawrence’s work will help fully reunite this historic painting series for the first time since. Until its recent discovery in a New York City apartment, Panel 28 had not been seen publicly for decades and was known through a black-and-white reproduction. The painting, called Immigrants admitted from all countries: 1820 to 1840—115,773, was inspired by a table of immigration statistics published in Richard B. Morris’s Encyclopedia of American History (1953), one of Lawrence’s sources of inspiration for the “Struggle” series. The gathered figures in Lawrence’s painting portray a message of hope and promise: a shawled woman cradles and nurses an infant baby while a brimmed hat man in the middle clutches a pot of a single rose—America’s national flower. Lawrence exaggerated the size of the hands to symbolize what it meant to arrive only with what could be carried. Panel 28 has generously been lent to the national exhibition tour by its owner, who wishes to remain anonymous. The owner inherited the painting through family members who, like the figures depicted in the painting, were themselves immigrants to America. Source

While I'd hardly call myself a psychology genius by any means, I have been teaching psychology courses continuously at the college level since 1994. And I recently wrote the book Own Your Psychology Major! A Guide to Student Success (published by the American Psychology Association). So I figure I know a thing or two. Based on this experience, I thought it'd be useful to put together a straightforward quiz to help people gauge their basic knowledge of the field of psychology. Good luck! 1. Piaget's ideas on cognitive development largely focus on which of the following: A. How young adults come to understand abstract philosophical concepts B. How young adults come to understand technical concepts such as algebra C. How young children come to understand dimensions of the physical world, such as volume D. How young children come develop social and emotional skills 2. Classic research on social influence, such as Stanley Milgram's work on obedience to authority, generally showed that ______. A. people are often highly susceptible to situational and social influences in terms of their actions B. people are generally highly independent in their thinking and are largely unaffected by social and situational influences C. the personality trait of extraversion plays the largest role in shaping how people are influenced by social situations D. the personality trait of emotional stability plays the largest role in shaping how people are influenced by social situations 3. The evolutionary perspective in psychology suggests that many behavioral patterns in humans ______. A. were shaped to help the species of Homo sapiens survive relative to other species B. were shaped by evolutionary forces to facilitate survival and/or reproduction of individuals C. are exclusively the result of social-constructionist processes D. are unrelated to such forces as natural and sexual selection 4. Nerve cells, also called ____, release chemicals called _____ which underlie psychological phenomena. A. t-cells; hydroblasts B. neurons; hydroblasts C. t-cells; neurotransmitters D. neurons; neurotransmitters 5. Experimental methods, including such processes as random assignment to conditions, are largely designed to allow researchers to see ______. A. if two variables are causally related to one another B. if two variables are negatively correlated with one another C. the effects of dispositional influences on behavior D. the effects of demographic factors on behavior 6. In terms of visual perception, animals that are largely nocturnal tend to have disproportionately high numbers of these cells in their retinas: A. t-cells B. b-cells C. rods D. cones 7. The field of psychology that largely focuses on psychological processes as they play out in the workplace and in organizational contexts is known as which of the following? A. Office Science B. Counseling Psychology C. Political/Educational Psychology D. Industrial/Organizational Psychology 8. Work on attachment styles in young children generally relates to how securely children are attached to ______. A. their friends B. their toys and pets C. their caregivers D. adults in general 9. Which of the following is NOT considered one of the "Big 5" personality traits (traits thought to underlie most of the traits that characterize human personality)? A. open-mindedness B. emotional intelligence C. neuroticism D. extraversion 10. Freud's brand of therapy, known as psychoanalysis, is famous for largely focusing on which of the following: A. learning processes B. the unconscious C. cognitive-behavioral outcomes D. operant conditioning Answer key: 1. C : Piaget's famous work focused on how children develop in terms of their understanding of the physical world, such as how they come to learn about volume of liquids. 2. A : Classic work on the topic of social influence by researchers such as Stanley Milgram is famous for showing how highly influenced human behavior is by situational and social factors that are external to the person. 3. B : The evolutionary perspective in psychology focuses on a Darwinian perspective, which addresses how behavioral attributes can be thought of as adaptations that help to facilitate survival and reproduction of individuals within a species. 4. D : The nervous system is comprised of millions of nerve cells called neurons that release chemicals called neurotransmitters that underlie psychological phenomena. 5. A : Experimental methods in psychology are designed to see if two variables are causally related to one another (in other words, to see if scores on Y caused by scores on X). 6. C : Rods on the retina largely serve the function of facilitating vision under low-light conditions. Many nocturnal animals have high proportions of rods on their retinas as an adaptation to such conditions. 7. D : Industrial/Organizational Psychology is the sub-field that focuses on psychological processes in work and organizational contexts. 8. C : Work on attachment styles in children primarily focuses on how children are behavioral attached to their caregivers. 9. B : The Big Five personality traits are extraversion, neuroticism, open-mindedness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Emotional intelligence is not one of them. 10. B : A core idea that underlies Freudian approaches to therapy is that of the unconscious. So how'd you do? Here is a quick guide to help give you a sense of your general psychology knowledge: 9-10 : Psychology ace! You probably majored in psychology and did really well in your classes. Congratulations! 7-8 : Not bad! This is about how well a student who has mastered some psychology classes might score. 5-6 : Getting there! Seems like you have some psychology knowledge, but you have a bit to learn yet. 4 or lower : You might want to read up on your psychology! Source

SINGAPORE: More than 30,000 parents have benefitted from the Positive Parenting Programme, which teaches them techniques to manage their children’s behaviour, said Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Social and Family Development Eric Chua on Wednesday (Mar 3). The “evidence-based” programme, also known as Triple P, was first piloted in 2014 and has since been rolled out at schools and social service agencies islandwide. It is currently available via an e-learning platform or over Zoom, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Triple P has been proven to be effective, with parents reporting sustained reduction of around 20 per cent in both their children’s problematic behaviour scores and parenting stress scores three months after completing the programme,” said Mr Chua. The parenting programme is one of the ways in which the ministry is working to promote youth mental health awareness, and better equip parents to support these youth, said Mr Chua, in response to a parliamentary question by MP Carrie Tan (PAP-Nee Soon). These efforts come especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has “posed new challenges and highlighted the importance of strengthening the mental health and well-being of our youths”, he said. Mr Chua also noted that additional digital resources were developed amid the pandemic to support parents. This includes a dedicated website that provides resources and tools for caregivers. For families who need more assistance, an online counselling service was set up in April last year by the ministry and the Community Psychology Hub. This service helped more than 1,200 clients last year, Mr Chua noted. “We will continue to work together with other agencies and community partners to help parents better support their children’s mental health and well-being,” he said. Source

Why Early Diagnosis Can Be Difficult The early signs of skin cancer can be easy to miss depending on where the lesions are located. According to health professionals, skin cancer is not often diagnosed in the early stages. Many persons only consult with a doctor when the cancerous tumors have spread to other areas in the body. Even though African Americans don’t develop skin cancer as often as other ethnicities, they run a greater risk of late diagnoses because their skin lesions may not look the same as others. Additionally, there is some evidence that African Americans can be misdiagnosed, which means an accurate identification of their skin cancer takes longer. How Technology Can Help For some time, developers were unable to design software that could effectively identify skin cancer lesions. Fortunately, a new computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system has been created that can make a lot of difference to telehealth. Patients can take pictures of any area they have concerns about and send the images to their doctors. The CAD software can then compare the patients’ images to its database and determine if there’s a reason for concern. With this software, patients don’t need to worry about having specific equipment to take their pictures as images from regular cameras or phone cameras are acceptable. Health professionals are excited about this new development because research has shown that the software identifies potential skin cancer lesions with significant accuracy. It’s also easily used by general practitioners so patients don’t need to see a dermatologist for an initial diagnosis. Another great thing about this new CAD system is that it continues to learn so it’s likely that its accuracy will increase over time. Tips For Preventing Skin Cancer It’s true that an early diagnosis is best when dealing with skin cancer. However, it’s even better to take care of your skin and prevent the development of skin lesions. The key here is to protect your skin from sun damage. That means you should wear protective clothing and sunscreen when you go outside. Since some medications can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun, take specific precautions during this time. To be on the safe side, check your skin thoroughly for any changes and consult your doctor as soon as you find anything. Source

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Health experts in China say their country is lagging in its coronavirus vaccination rollout because it has the disease largely under control, but plans to inoculate 40% of its population by June. Zhong Nanshan, the leader of a group of experts attached to the National Health Commission, said the country has delivered 52.52 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Feb. 28. He was speaking Monday at an online forum between U.S and Chinese medical experts hosted by the Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University. The target is the first China has offered publicly since it began its mass immunization campaign for key groups in mid-December. China has been slow to vaccinate its people relative to other countries, administering 3.56 doses per 100 people so far, according to Zhong, in a population of 1.4 billion. The fastest to vaccinate is Israel, which has given 94 doses per 100 people. The U.S. has vaccinated about 22% of its population. Chinese health experts say the country has enough vaccine supply for its population, although the country has pledged to provide close to half a billion doses abroad, roughly 10 times the number it has delivered at home. “The current vaccination pace is very low due to outbreak control (being) so good in China, but I think the capacity is enough,” said Zhang Wenhong, an infectious diseases expert based in Shanghai who also spoke on the panel. Developers of China’s four currently approved vaccines have said they could manufacture up to 2.6 billion doses by the end of this year. Still, vaccinating China’s massive population will be a daunting task. Even at the rate of vaccinating 10 million people a day, it would take roughly seven months to vaccinate 70% of its population, Zhang noted. The experts all acknowledged the complex task of vaccinating the world’s population, pointing to the slowness in the global rollout of vaccines. “Demand will outstrip supply for many months, and unless there is more manufacturing, … for years,” said Tom Frieden, the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also cautioned against expecting a quick return to normal. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control, Gao Fu, predicted that life could return to an “approximate normal” in summer next year. Gao, along with Zhong and other Chinese health experts, urged more U.S.-China cooperation. Gao specifically called on the U.S. and China to cooperate on COVAX, an initiative to distribute vaccines more fairly across the developing world. Source

Merge.

As Normal player I had not experience in Supervisor, but +1.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo are going into real estate together (sort of): The two will star in HBO Max’s limited series adaptation of The Girl Before, TVLine has learned. Based on the bestselling thriller by JP Delaney, The Girl Before centers on Jane (Mbatha-Raw), who moves into a gorgeous house designed by an enigmatic architect (Oyelowo). The only catch is, Jane has to live according to the architect’s exacting rules. Plus, she discovers that the house’s previous occupant, a woman named Emma, died there. “As the two women’s timelines interweave, Jane begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before,” according to the official synopsis. HBO Max will co-produce the four-episode limited series with BBC One. Delaney will pen it, with Marissa Lestrade co-writing Episodes 2 and 3. Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve, Servant) will direct. Mbatha-Raw co-starred on the freshman season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show as talent booker Hannah Shoenfeld. She also starred opposite Mackenzie Davis in the Black Mirror episode “San Junipero” and is set to appear in the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series Loki. Her film credits include Beyond the Lights, Concussion and Beauty and the Beast. Oyelowo is best known for his film roles, including starring as Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 Ava DuVernay film Selma, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He also scored Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for starring in the HBO original movie Nightingale, and played Javert in PBS’ 2018 adaptation of Les Misérables. Source

Celestial, three-part harmony comes naturally for the three Staveley-Taylor sisters, who make up the British musical act the Staves NEW YORK -- Many nights growing up, some combination of the Staveley-Taylor sisters huddled on the staircase to listen when their parents invited friends over and took out guitars to sing Bob Dylan or Crosby, Stills and Nash songs. They were supposed to be in bed. Let that be a lesson, parents. Kids are always absorbing things, and you never know if it will change their lives. Today, Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor perform together in their own band, the Staves, characterized by the celestial harmonies of three sisters who grew up blending their voices. “There was always music on in the house,” said 31-year-old Camilla, the youngest of the trio. “Our parents were very musical. They could sing and harmonize and we soaked that in. I don't really remember a time when we didn't sing together.” The sisters' first gig, when Camilla was only 14, came at the Horn pub in their native Watford, a town in Hertfordshire, England. Family and friends heard them cover songs by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles and Norah Jones. “I think everyone we had ever met came down,” said Jessica, 34. “We had done our most successful show and it was the first time in our lives. We thought, ‘This is great, we can pretty much take over the world now.’” About a decade ago, their educations complete, the sisters decided to take a stab at a career in music. Most popular at home in England, the Staves released their third album, “Good Woman,” last month after a long and rough layoff. It's lyrically and sonically bolder than the more stately folk sound typified by the aching beauty of “No Me, No You, No More” on a 2015 album produced by Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver. The voices remain ever central, however. The Haim sisters are a modern-day comparison, although Haim's sound is sunnier, California pop-rock. A more apt reference point is the American trio of Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, first active in the 1970s. All three Staveley-Taylor sisters write music, although older sister Emily, 37, took on more of an editor's role recently since becoming a mom in 2019 (tending to her daughter, Emily sat out a Zoom interview with The Associated Press). To avoid arguments, all songs are credited to the Staves. Middle sister Jessica most often sings the melody, with Camilla taking the high harmonies and Emily low. They mix it up a bit on “Good Woman,” including some unison singing. “We always kind of feel that until the others can fit into a song, only then does it become a Staves song,” Jessica said. “If not, maybe it's for another project.” The sisters have spent some time in the United States, moving briefly to Nashville in their early days, and to Minnesota near Vernon when they made an album with him. “Every time we'd go and do something in America, our friends would say, ‘Have you broken America?'" Jessica said. “They think it would be like the Beatles coming in to JFK.” The Staves weren't planning on a near six-year wait between albums. Their mother, Jean, died in the summer of 2018, two weeks after their grandmother died. Camilla, who had stayed behind in Minnesota, saw a long-term relationship break up and she, too, headed back to England. “We just felt very alone and very at sea,” Jessica said. “It ended up that we just needed some time away to be a family and not worry about being a band, and to look after each other. In an annoying way, we just sort of imposed a lockdown on ourselves.” With that break came a crisis in confidence. Did they even want to do this anymore? What kind of band did they want to be? Would Emily still want to be a part of it? Were the songs they had written any good? They had intended to make “Good Woman” themselves, but instead called in producer John Congleton for some perspective. His enthusiasm proved infectious. Most of these life experiences are evident in the new songs, if you listen closely enough. Pulling through self-doubt, in a relationship or a chosen field, are themes of the title cut, “Failure” and “Paralysed.” The luminous “Sparks” references the loss of their mother. “When you miss someone's presence, you don't really think about the huge things,” Camilla said. “You think about the small things — how someone smells, hearing the keys in the door or how their footsteps sound. At the time, that was kind of the only way we could express our sadness and how we were feeling. It would take far longer for us to zoom out and be remotely philosophical about it.” Part of what they were trying to capture on “Good Woman” was the way their band gives the Staves a fuller, more muscular sound than is often heard in their recordings. “We pushed ourselves and pushed the limits on certain songs of where they could go,” Jessica said. “I like the feeling of confidence and boldness. It comes, I must say, from growing older and experiencing more of life and more things that cement your sense of self... I think we found more of a voice for this record.” Source

With camera in hand, Paula Brown plays tourist in her own city, capturing the breathtaking beauty of winter in Ottawa. PHOTO: PAULA BROWN The beauty of winter in Ottawa There are few things in life that define us better than the place we call home. This fact is more true than ever in 2020 as we self-isolate and find new ways to challenge ourselves while navigating the guidelines set out for us. Being a hometown explorer is extremely exciting with the hidden treasures, inspirations and adventures that Ottawa holds at every turn, if you just take the time to really see them. Streets, buildings, natural features, infrastructure and the surrounding environment combine to make Ottawa what it is. For me, having lived in Ottawa for a long time, it is a photographer’s paradise. It is truly a playground of inspiration with winter and early spring being no exception. Celebrating my hometown and the surrounding area through my photography is one of my passions. PHOTO: PAULA BROWN A photographer’s dream Exploring the city of Ottawa and nearby Gatineau, Quebec, in both winter and early spring is wonderful. The cool (and often downright cold) air is refreshing and energizing. In the city’s downtown core, we find the Gothic Revival-style Parliament Buildings in all their historic glory, plus many excellent museums that are architectural marvels and a photographer’s dream. As we cross the Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge to Gatineau, Quebec, we are greeted by the Museum of History’s impressive fluid-like curves. There are many beautiful structures throughout the city, including the downtown area, so it is vital to venture down hidden alleyways and locations for that unique picture. One such gem is Minto Place’s giant silver teapot with an evergreen tree shooting into the sky called “Northshore” by Noel Harding. Such a fun example of public art! PHOTO: PAULA BROWN Skating the Rideau Canal Of course, Ottawa in winter includes the highly celebrated Winterlude Festival with all its activities and ice sculptures, delicious Beaver Tails plus skating on the 7.8 kilometre-long picturesque Rideau Canal Skateway, which is the largest ice rink in the world. A delicious hot chocolate and sweet Beaver Tails are a must as you navigate the length of the frozen canal with warming chalets along the way. The Sens Rink of Dreams, a refrigerated outdoor skating rink outside of Ottawa City Hall and the Lansdowne Park skating court are two more places where you can lace up your skates. PHOTO: PAULA BROWN Wildlife in winter Petrie Island is a natural wonderland with spectacular scenery and entertaining wildlife in Ottawa’s east end. I spend a lot of time photographing the wildlife and vegetation during the winter months, including chickadees, blue jays, woodpeckers and squirrels. The sunsets are spectacular over the frozen, white landscape and the ice fishermen with their colourful huts are visible on the frozen Ottawa River. Mer Bleue Bog is another terrific spot to enjoy wildlife sightings and outstanding winter flora, with its long, winding boardwalk. There are many other beautiful places in Ottawa to enjoy winter, including a little-known nature area called Heart’s Desire Forest in Barrhaven. Mudd Lake in Ottawa’s west end is yet another photographer’s paradise as is Gatineau Park in Gatineau, Quebec. Bundle up as it is a perfect time to explore nature in all its peaceful beauty. PHOTO: PAULA BROWN Ottawa’s hidden gems Another relatively unknown gem in Orleans is Princess Louise Falls tucked modestly into Fallingbrook Forest. Such an unexpected find and what a difference in the pictures taken in summer and winter. Nearby Fallingbrook Falls is another photo opportunity not to be missed. Of course, there are the Rideau Falls, which are two waterfalls found in Ottawa, where the Rideau River empties into the Ottawa River. What a spectacular sight in early March as the water crashes down the falls producing mist among the water and ice, signalling the coming of spring. PHOTO: PAULA BROWN Satisfy your maple syrup craving Maple syrup season is a sweet rite of spring. It is made in the short span of time between the end of winter, and “not quite spring.” How delicious the syrup is! The Ottawa area has wonderful pancake houses and sugar shacks complete with horse-drawn sleighs, trails, sap collecting, and meals that include pancakes, sausage, beans and pure maple syrup! I’m getting hungry writing about it! (Here are more must-try Canadian dishes—and the best places to find them!) It is a time when the snow is receding, the days are not as cold, and early bulbs poke through the soil in my garden. The crocuses, hyacinths and daffodils are so beautiful and you know that spring is right around the corner. My mountain ash tree supplies overwintered berries for the robins and cedar waxwings. Ottawa explodes with colour as beds of over 200 species of tulips come to life after the winter thaw with the beginning of the Canadian Tulip Festival! What a fantastic event it is with parades, concerts, fireworks and, of course, tulips! PHOTO: PAULA BROWN Helpful hints for photographing winter in Ottawa Now that we have talked about places to take pictures in Ottawa in the winter/spring time frame, let us chat briefly about cold weather photography. I have found these tips to be helpful. In winter, sunrises are later, while sunsets are earlier, something to keep in mind for landscape photography. A zoom lens gives you more flexibility as you look for that hidden gem. It is hard to be motivated when you are uncomfortable, so dressing in layers is valuable. Make sure you have extra batteries as the cold weather drains batteries faster, and charge the battery in your camera before you embark on your adventure. Protect your gear with camera covers or even your jacket in snowy weather. My camera is weather-resistant, but I am still cautious. I keep lens cloths with me for those moments when I get drops on my lens. As I have hoods for all my lenses, this does not happen too often. Gratitude is a word that comes to mind as I think of winter in Ottawa as I am surrounded by such beauty and stillness. May your experience in your hometown, with camera in hand, be as rewarding! COVID-19 lockdowns do not have to interfere with your outdoor photographic enjoyment. Source

This image provided by Tracee Herbaugh depicts two vintage peach lustre Fire King chili bowls. There are lustrous chili bowls with handles, stackable refrigerator boxes, and casserole dishes set on top of brass candle warmers. These are durable dishes, often smaller than modern serving pieces, that can go from freezer to oven to table. But collectors usually acquire them for enjoyment, not utility. (Tracee Herbaugh via AP) If you want to freshen up your kitchen, look no further than Grandma’s old casserole dishes. Vintage kitchenware is back in style -– pieces from the mid-20th century painted with flowers, bright colors, and specific functions, such as bracketed chip and dip bowls or four-piece refrigerator storage sets. “I’ve always been an old soul and loved anything old,” said Megan Telfer, a collector of vintage dishes, salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars and “a little bit of everything.” The 26-year-old parole officer from the Dallas area said this hobby started with family. Her grandmother gave her mother a green and white Pyrex “Spring Blossom” mixing bowl. “That’s when my interest was piqued,” Telfer said. Three years later, she has more than 300 pieces of vintage Pyrex, displayed on three large bookcases. Her 5-year-old daughter has some vintage Pyrex, too. “We don’t use 90 percent of it,” Telfer said. “I display it.” Some collectors buy vintage dishware to try to resell it at a profit, while others are in it for nostalgia. "It reminds them of their mothers, aunts, grandmothers,” said Hope Chudy, owner of Downstairs at Felton Antiques in Waltham, Massachusetts. A year of pandemic lockdowns has led to a surge in home cooking and time spent hanging out in the kitchen. Vintage cookware fits right into that homey, old-fashioned vibe. There are lustrous chili bowls with handles, and casserole dishes set on top of brass candle warmers. These are durable dishes, often smaller than modern serving pieces, that can go from freezer to oven to table. But collectors usually acquire them for enjoyment, not utility. “It really sets your kitchen apart from others,” said Victoria Aude, an interior designer in Canton, Massachusetts. “It’s not an item you can just buy off the shelf at Bloomingdale's.” The old dishes are also nice accents when decorating a room, said Atlanta-based interior designer Beth Halpern Brown. “They can add that quick pop of color," she said. "You can decorate a wall with them, or put one on display and change the space.” Corning first released a Pyrex dish in 1915. By the 1930s, Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. released its competitor brand Fire-King. But it’s the kitchenware made between 1950 and 1980 that seem to be most popular right now. Jo Adinolfi, a 62-year-old nurse from Shelton, Connecticut, collects Pyrex mixing bowls and stackable refrigerator sets, what collectors affectionately call “fridgies.” She started collecting and selling about 10 years ago and owns more than 2,000 pieces. The mid-20th-century glass bowls and casserole dishes from brands like Fire-King and Pyrex haven’t changed, but their prices have. “The more people that collect, the higher the demand is, the more people are trying to source the right goods to be able to feed that request,” said Stan Savellis, 42, of Sydney, Australia, who has collected vintage kitchenware since his teenage years and runs the online store That Retro Piece. Source

Open Country is launching on Steam and the Epic Games Store for PC in May. Death Stranding's PC publisher 505 Games has announced a new arcade-style hunting game that adds in some survival elements for a new twist on the genre. Open Country is in development at Funlabs, the Romanian studio that has been making hunting video games under the Cabela's license for 20 years. Open Country puts you in the shoes of a "corporate worker drone" who wants to escape their mundane life and head out for a journey into the ... open country. Together with your dog, you trek into the wilderness and must hunt for food, and also use your weapons to defend yourself from the likes of bears and wolves. The third-person open-world game has more than 30 missions to take part in to help level up your character to unlock better weapons and equipment. The $15 game launches on the Epic Games Store and Steam for PC on May 18. Source

Before you view this trailer, keep an open mind and check the “alpha” tag below. This game is still relatively early in development, and will almost certainly look better by the time it’s ready for release. That said, it’s odd that it’s set for “Summer 2021” but the gameplay trailer release today is still “alpha” in nature. Have you ever experienced such a combination of elements before? The game ALIENS: Fireteam is an online-only collaborative, cooperative third-person survival shooter. You’ll be a marine that collaborates with other marines, the sort you’ve seen in the movie ALIENS (the sequel to ALIEN). This game “drops your fireteam of hardened marines into a desperate fight to contain the Xenomorph threat.” This game isn’t just a “we’re just fighting Aliens at some point” sort of adventure. It takes place at a relatively specific point in the ALIEN universe timeline. This game takes place “23 years after the original Alien trilogy.” That SHOULD mean that we’re looking at the year 2202. That’s 23 years after Alien 3, which took place in 2179. The first movie, ALIEN, took place in 2122, Aliens in 2179, and Alien Resurrection in 2379. So this new game fills a gap – or fills part of a gap – between Alien 3 (where Ripley is dead) and Alien Resurrection. Here’s the thing that’ll be interesting to see, though: Where are these Aliens coming from? The folks at ColdIron will need to explain how, after Ripley’s taken what we assumed was the last Alien Queen to her death, there are more Aliens appearing in this game. According to the game’s description, you’ll “play a pivotal role in the epic events that occur 23 years after the original Alien trilogy as a Colonial Marine stationed aboard the USS Endeavor, battling terrifying Xenomorph threats.” Not only that, you’ll be fighting 11 different Xenomorphs. They include everything on the “evolutionary scale,” per the description, “from Facehuggers to Praetorians.” That’s right, this game includes the Predator universe’s own Praetorian, meaning we’ll very likely see a Predator at some point along the way. Cross your fingers this means we’ll get to BE a Predator, too – but don’t hold your breath! Source

Slab

Regular meat eating could carry a higher risk of a wide range of diseases. Because this is more important in the field of health. I will explain about this case here Eating meat regularly could carry a higher risk of a wide range of common illnesses, a new study suggests. Previous studies have linked red and processed meat – like bacon or sausages – to several diseases, such as bowel cancer. But a new study examined the relationship between meat consumption in general and 25 common illnesses other than cancer. ________________________ " Meat consumption is associated with higher risks of several common conditions but a lower risk of iron deficiency anaemia " ________________________ Researchers from the University of Oxford looked at 475,000 men and women who are taking part in the UK Biobank study. Participants reported their levels of meat consumption – which was checked with follow-up surveys – and researchers tracked those taking part for an average of eight years to assess whether they went on to develop any of the conditions. People who ate meat three or more times a week were deemed to be “regular” meat eaters. These people were also likely to have more “adverse health behaviours” than people who ate meat less regularly, including being overweight, smoking, drinking and eating less fruit and vegetables. The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, found that higher consumption of meat – including processed and unprocessed meat – carried a higher risk of heart disease, pneumonia and digestive conditions. People who ate more meat were also more likely to have polyps in the bowel and diabetes. But eating unprocessed red meat was linked to a lower risk of iron deficiency anaemia. People who ate more poultry, including chicken and turkey, were found to be more likely to have reflux – or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease – and digestive conditions, diseases of the gall bladder and diabetes. But they were also found to have a lower risk of anaemia. The authors said that having a higher body mass index (BMI) accounted for a “substantial proportion” of the increased risks found among regular meat eaters. “Our findings from this large, prospective study of British adults show that meat consumption is associated with higher risks of several common conditions but a lower risk of iron deficiency anaemia,” the authors wrote. Lead author Dr Keren Papier, from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, said: “We have long known that unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption is likely to be carcinogenic and this research is the first to assess the risk of 25 non-cancerous health conditions in relation to meat intake in one study. “Additional research is needed to evaluate whether the differences in risk we observed in relation to meat intake reflect causal relationships, and if so the extent to which these diseases could be prevented by decreasing meat consumption. “The result that meat consumption is associated with a lower risk of iron-deficiency anaemia, however, indicates that people who do not eat meat need to be careful that they obtain enough iron, through dietary sources or supplements.” Source

Athens Photo World Award 2021 has opened for submissions until April 18, 2021. Athens Photo World (APW) is, for the third year, organizing the annual Photojournalism Award for professional photographers living and working in Greece and/or Cyprus. APW will award a 5,000€ cash prize to an ongoing or complete project of photojournalism or documentary photography, created after January 2018. Always aiming to promote the work of photographers and photojournalists, and familiarise the public with contemporary photojournalism and its contribution to the recording of history as it unfolds, APW makes it own contribution by encouraging and enhancing their vocation, as well as their ability to remain committed to their work and vision. The winning photographic project will be presented at the next APW in a solo exhibition of the photographer. A new jury will be appointed every year. The panel for 2021 consists of photojournalists Yorgos Karahalis and Simela Pantzartzi, and photography professor Anastasia Markidou. Those interested in participating are invited to submit a portfolio of up to 12 photographs, explanatory text and a brief resume. The winner of the APW 2021 Award will be announced by Dimitris Michalakis, winner of the 2020 Award, at the closing APW 2021 event on May 30, 2021 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Participation in the Athens Photo World Award contest is free. Website: Athens Photo World Award 2021 Source