Albert J. "A.J." Dooley, Sr. (1930-2022) was a lifelong Lexington County resident. Mr. Dooley graduated from Lexington High School in 1947. He then graduated from the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law receiving his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in 1954.
Mr. Dooley opened his law practice on Main Street in Lexington in 1954. It is this practice which has now grown and evolved into The Dooley Law Firm, P.A., a firm with a proud tradition of legal service to Lexington and the surrounding area for decades.
In addition to a distinguished legal career, Mr. Dooley also distinguished himself as a community servant. Mr. Dooley served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for eight years and in the South Carolina Senate for six years. Mr. Dooley served on the Lexington County School District One Board. He has served on the Board of Director for The Lexington State Bank, Southern National Bank, and BB&T. Mr. Dooley was also active in the Lexington Chamber of Commerce and the Lexington Lions Club.
In 1978 Mr. Dooley was recognized for his rich community service to the state of South Carolina when Mr. Dooley was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Governor James B. Edwards. The Order of the Palmetto is the state of South Carolina's highest civilian honor bestowed by the Governor in recognition of service to the state.
He was married in 1951 to the late Connie S. Dooley, and had five children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.


This appealing pair of weapons is inspired by the Royal Armouries IX.2574, a beautifully preserved extant example of a 16th-century basket-hilted sword.
With its straight, single-edge blade and decorative carving to the pommel and hilt, it is fetching and functional in equal measure. Chris formed the guards and pommels using historical techniques, such as splitting the saltires from a single bar and brazing the two hemispheres of the pommel together.
The sword is named for the pomegranate - both a reference to the shape of the pommel and to the fruit's prevalence in 16th-century royal designs. Like the Rosanglica, it offers a fine compromise between comprehensive hand coverage and nimble weighting, its single-edge blade offering a further degree of blade presence.
With a scaled-down version of the sword's pommel and matching carvings to the saltire and quillon terminals, the dagger marries the aesthetics of the sword with the protective durability of our alehouse daggers. It is usable both as a single weapon in its own right, and as a fitting main gauche for the sword.
Please see our pricing structure for an idea of what a similar sword would cost.
∴ Specs ∴
Total length: 107cm
Blade length: 91.5cm
Blade width: 3.5cm
Blade stock: 6mm
Grip length: 9cm
Grip and pommel length: 13.5cm
Quillon span: 20cm
Point of Balance: 11cm
Total length: 55cm
Blade length: 41cm
Blade width: 3.5cm
Blade stock: 6mm
Grip length: 9.5cm
Grip and pommel length: 12.5cm
Quillon span: 19.5cm
Point of Balance: at the cross
∴ Notes ∴
The hand-forged and heat-treated hilts of both sword and dagger are blackened to a matte finish. The delicately carved pommels are made of two hemispheres brazed together. The saltires of both guards feature hand-carved details and the quillon terminals feature flower-bud-style decorations in the style of the original.
The custom-sized oak grips are wrapped with twisted steel wire, with Turk's head knots to the top and bottom. Both sword and dagger are fitted with felt-lined leather liners, offering further protection to the hands.
∴ Gallery ∴
∴ A Fruit of Battle ∴
You press your palm against the familiar globe of the pommel, and try instead to recall the fruit. How you marvelled in the palace garden as the duke plucked a pomegranate from the Queen's own tree, breaking apart the tough skin with his nails to reveal jewel-like innards. The pleasing tartness of those precious seeds, and the strange dryness to its juice - a nectar that would never sate your thirst.
You recall gasping in recognition the first time you glimpsed the same round, ribbed fancies adorning the halls of palace itself - emboidered, gilded and carved. It was the emblem of Granada, the duke explained, and a symbol of Queen Catherine. A symbol of the union between our kingdom and her father's.
Those innocent days of bitter-sweet pips and perusing the royal halls are gone now, you remind yourself. Your hand tightens about the wire grip of your weapon, and you contemplate the cage of black crosses that protects your curled fist. Those seeds were not garnets after all, you think, but drops of ruby rich blood waiting to be spilled. Your queen is gone - banished - a new mistress, and a new faith found in her place.
The sword is all you have left of that simpler time - and the familiar weight of it brings the simplicity of your mission home. You once swore on this blade to protect your Queen - be it heresy or not, you intend to do just that.


The Getty Museum recently acquired Lucretia, a newly discovered painting by Artemisia Gentileschi—arguably the most famous Italian woman painter of the 17th century. In this panel discussion, four leading experts on the work of Artemisia Gentileschi focus on the discovery of new documents and the emergence of unknown paintings over the last 20 years, which have deepened our understanding of her artistic trajectory.
This program is co-presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles.
Image: Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as a Lute Player (detail), c. 1615–18. Oil on canvas. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Charles H. Schwartz Endowment Fund, 2014.4.1. Photo credit: Allen Phillips/Wadsworth Atheneum


2015 Fifth Naglee Park Vintage Home and Garden Tour
Saturday, April 25, 2015
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Day of event ticket sales and will call at 699 S. 14th St.
Treasure Boutique Free and Open to All at 267 S. 14th St.
Refreshment Garden at
258 South 14th Street
SJWC's Fifth Naglee Park Vintage Home Tour includes five historic homes and three lovely gardens, a boutique of hand-made items and antiques, a chat with local historian April Halberstadt about the history of Naglee Park and General Naglee, and delightful boxed lunches served in at a lovely garden. All events occur within a few blocks. Park once and enjoy the day walking through historic Naglee Park.
All proceeds from the event are dedicated towards preserving the historic SJWC Clubhouse and expanding its capacity to meet the needs of the 21st century. Tickets are fully tax deductible.
Buy tickets below or at Willow Glen Home & Garden, 1123 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, or Eclectic Consignment , 1250 The Alameda, San Jose.


Did you know that Long Beach had a historical society? They do! This would make a great visit for the family. And it's free!
The Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society was founded in 1980 with a mission to educate the public about Long Beach and to preserve and enhance the city’s architectural and historical heritage. The Society has been granted a permanent charter by the New York State Department of Education and U.S. Department of the Interior National Register status for its museum.
As a not for profit all-volunteer organization, funds for the activities are largely obtained through annual fundraisers, membership dues, contributions, occasional grants and its museum gift shop. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees each of whom is elected to serve three-year terms. Trustees are directly involved in all aspects of the daily operations of the Society including maintenance of the museum property.
In pursuit of its mission, the Society serves as the guardian of thousands of pieces of Long Beach history for which it maintains an archive and repository. The archived documents, pictures, artifacts and memorabilia are made available to the public through themed exhibitions, as well as for research purposes. In addition, the Society conducts docent-guided house tours and neighborhood walks to highlight the city’s historic architecture. Local history tours and activities are provided for elementary school children, teachers and alumni reunion groups. The Long Beach City Historian is the Society’s founder and a lifetime trustee. Along with other trustees she conducts classes and discussion groups for members and the general public.
The Society publishes Heritage, its quarterly newsletter, to further its mission to accurately disseminate the history of its unique city. It also publishes and distributes essay brochures and pamphlets on the historical development of Long Beach.
All are welcome to visit! Their newest exhibit is The Lido Club Hotel based on the book by Joanne Belli.
The Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society
226 West Penn Street, Long Beach NY 11561
The Museum is open on Sundays 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Admission is Free – Donations Welcome!


See the Presidential Limousine at Politicon
The Nixon Foundation will display the Presidential Limousine, used by several Presidents, at Politicon this weekend.
Some fun facts:
- Served Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter
- In Service: 1968-1978
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Make/Model: 1967 Lincoln Continental
- Weight: 11,000 pounds
- Manufacture Cost: $500,000 (most expensive car ever built at the time)
- Countries Traveled: 32
- The limousine traveled with President Nixon on his historic trips to the Soviet Union in 1972 and 1974.
The Presidential Limousine will be on display in Democracy Village.


Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, delivered a groundbreaking speech on 7th March that echoed the sentiments of millions and became a pivotal moment in the nation’s quest for independence. Commemorating the 52nd anniversary of this historic address, people across Bangladesh and beyond reflect on the enduring impact of the visionary leader’s words.
In his compelling speech delivered at the Racecourse Ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka on March 7, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fervently called for unity and independence, setting the stage for Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistani rule. The charismatic leader’s words resonated deeply with the people, stirring a sense of collective identity and determination.
The 7th March Speech is hailed as a defining moment in the struggle for Bangladesh’s independence. Sheikh Mujib’s impassioned call for autonomy and justice inspired millions to stand united against oppression and discrimination. The speech played a crucial role in galvanizing support for the Bengali nationalist movement, ultimately leading to the declaration of Bangladesh’s independence just weeks later on March 26, 1971.
Throughout the decades, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 7th March Speech has remained a source of inspiration and pride for Bangladeshis. The iconic address is often remembered for its powerful rhetoric and unwavering commitment to the principles of democracy, human rights, and self-determination.
On this anniversary, citizens, leaders, and scholars alike are paying tribute to Sheikh Mujib’s enduring legacy. Various events, seminars, and cultural programs have been organized across the country to honor the memory of the visionary leader and reflect on the progress Bangladesh has made since gaining independence.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 7th March Speech continues to be a symbol of resilience, courage, and the indomitable spirit of a nation that fought for its right to determine its own destiny. As Bangladesh celebrates this significant milestone, the words spoken on that historic day serve as a timeless reminder of the power of unity, freedom, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.


Andersonville is a neighborhood to the west of Edgewater. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, the community is particularly known for its diversity, including a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the Swedish American Museum and other Swedish businesses. Swedish businesses include the bar Simon's Tavern, which serves the Swedish wine drink as glögg, and Svea restaurant. At one time there were more Swedes in Chicago than any city outside of Stockholm. Many of Andersonville's Swedes were carpenters, contractors and architects, and played a significant role in building the city.


I started painting this exploring the heritage of the city of Birmingham – where i am born and raised. Birmingham was once known as a city of a thousand trades, and we once made 75% of the worlds pens around WW2. During the war, one of the factories in Birmingham was bombed, and it an impact on the industry. Whilst i was painting this piece, halfway through, the Charlie Hebdo attacks took place. Suddenly the painting took a different focus, where the pen as a symbol of pacifism and enlightenment became one associated with provocation and violence. The surveillance cameras were added near the end, when statements were made by the government about how surveillance was now a key priority following the attacks in Paris.


Since 1979, Union Jack Pub–Broad Ripple has been a landmark in Indianapolis. UJP has the feel of an English pub with an American twist. We offer an extensive assortment of beers (including 21 rotating taps), malt scotches, and whiskies. Our innovative menu offers English fare, American pub favorites and our signature deep-dish pizza.
The recipe for our famous pizza has set the bar of excellence for more than 34 years; earning many “best of” awards throughout the years. Many national chains have attempted to emulate our pizza and while it may have been duplicated it has never been replicated. To this day all of our top quality ingredients, recipes, and preparations remain unchanged, still making it the best pizza in the land!
Union Jack Pub has a place for everyone; family-friendly dining and an adult-friendly bar. Enjoy the energy of a soccer match, watch your favorite sports team, or just enjoy good drink, good food, and good friends (both old and new).
Thanks for your support,
Your Union Jack Pub–Broad Ripple Team
The History of Pubs
Among other hotly debated subjects discussed within the walls of a local pub, the argument for the importance of the English Pub as a community center is historically proved. Much more than an establishment where drinks and food are consumed, the pub has been the meeting place for friends and strangers alike. A venue where business and city planning was, and still is, discussed, colleagues also came together to mull over current events. Travelers have known for centuries that they could locate warmth, nourishment and rest within the walls of a local pub. And, of course, neighbors found a place to celebrate small victories and discuss tragedies, throughout war and peace.
Edgar, King of Kent regulated the size of drinking vessels during the tenth century. This vessel was passed around the alehouse, each consumer’s portion measured and marked by a peg. Drinkers often drank beyond their appropriated measure, taking the next drinker ‘down a peg or two’.
Christianity brought a new taxation on ale in order to raise funds for church building; the brew becoming known as ‘scot ales’. Some brewers made ale secretly to avoid the church tax. Customers of these early tax evaders were accused of drinking ‘scot free’.
Growing industries and population began to pollute the water supplies during the Middle Ages. As ale became the only safe drink, alehouses took on a more important role within society.
The reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) brought prosperity. As the professional class developed, so did the need for a high class meeting place that became known as the tavern. The alehouse was a place of necessity where the poor were sheltered, spending what little money they had. The tavern was a place for leisure and pleasure where the lawyers, bankers, writers and civil servants met to eat superior food, drink ale and wine while relaxing in comfortable surroundings.
In the City of London, Dr. Samuel Johnson stated “…No, Sir; there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn.” It is safe to assume that the elite of England structured many ideas of growth in the comfort of a pub.
Although many variations and evolutions presented themselves throughout the centuries, the style of 20th Century pubs reflected a more wholesome, romanticized view of the Olde English Pub. Today the pub still fills a special need as a meeting place for friends to enjoy good food and drink. We hope you enjoy your visit to Union Jack Pub. We look forward to meeting your needs in the best of British traditions.


From its humble origins to its status as a symbol of sensuality and empowerment, women’s lingerie has evolved into an exquisite blend of comfort, craftsmanship, and elegance. Explore the captivating journey of lingerie’s transformation into a symbol of luxury.
Historical Foundations: Lingerie’s journey traces back centuries, beginning as functional garments designed for modesty and support. Corsets, chemises, and bloomers served practical purposes, but over time, they also became objects of desire, representing femininity and allure.
Redefining Comfort: As the 20th century dawned, a shift occurred towards prioritizing comfort alongside aesthetics. The emancipation from restrictive corsets led to the creation of softer, more relaxed silhouettes that celebrated the natural form.
Golden Era of Hollywood: The glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Era played a significant role in shaping lingerie’s image. Iconic stars like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner showcased luxurious negligees and satin robes, popularizing intimate apparel as a symbol of allure and sophistication.
Feminist Empowerment: The feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s brought forth a new perspective on lingerie. Comfort and practicality took precedence, with the emphasis shifting towards designs that women could wear for themselves, rather than for the male gaze.
The Age of Diversity: The late 20th century brought about a celebration of diversity Swimwear, reflected in lingerie’s evolution. Brands embraced inclusivity in sizing and styles, acknowledging that beauty transcends size and shape.
Sensual Expression: The 21st century saw lingerie further evolve into a means of self-expression. From delicate lace to daring strappy designs, women began choosing lingerie that resonated with their personality and sensuality.
Craftsmanship and Artistry: Today’s luxury lingerie blends artistry with comfort. Meticulous attention to detail, premium fabrics, and innovative designs result in pieces that are not just worn, but cherished as works of art.
Empowerment at the Forefront: Modern lingerie embraces empowerment. It’s not just about appearance; it’s about feeling confident and empowered from within. Brands focus on creating pieces that celebrate individuality and encourage women to embrace their bodies.
Sustainability and Ethics: The evolution of lingerie also extends to sustainability and ethics. Many brands are making conscious choices by using eco-friendly materials and ethical production practices, recognizing the importance of caring for both the wearer and the planet.
From its origins as a functional necessity to its status as a luxury that empowers, women’s lingerie has traversed a remarkable journey. It encapsulates the changing attitudes towards femininity, beauty, and self-expression, all while embracing the art of luxury and self-celebration.


Did you know that New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to officially adopt a nationally observed standard time? Well, apparently we were. Daylight saving was adopted in 1927, at first involving only a 30 minute leap into the future. An hour jump was trialled in 1974/75 and made permanent the year after. The period daylight saving lasts for has been extended twice since then, in 1990 and in 2006.


Hundreds of locals flocked to the Dawesville War Memorial for the 2019 Anzac Day dawn service.
Children, parents and seniors from across the Dawesville area gathered as the sun rose over the water, behind the memorial, showcasing the silhouettes of Australian Defence Force cadets and the word ‘ANZAC’.
Dawesville RSL vice president Bart Mavrick was the speaker for the event.
Poems were read and wreaths were laid as the community showed their respects, remembering those who served and had fallen.
After the service, a gunfire breakfast was provided at the Port Bouvard Recreation and Sporting Club


by Gary North, Tea Party Economist
Hyperinflation is always a possibility for any national government or central bank. If a national government is running massive deficits, it can call upon the central bank to buy treasury bills or treasury bonds with newly created money. This digital money is transferred to the treasury, which then spends the money into circulation.
There have been cases of hyperinflation in the past which have become legendary. The most famous of all of these hyperinflations is Germany from 1921 through 1923. Simultaneously with that hyperinflation was a hyperinflation in Austria. These were not the worst cases of hyperinflation in history, but they were the worst cases in industrial societies. The worst case was Hungary for two years immediately after World War II. The second worst case took place a few years ago in Zimbabwe. Both were agricultural nations.


Tile flooring is a popular choice in many homes today. It may seem like a relatively modern invention, but did you know that this type of floor dates back thousands of years? Today, we’ll take a look at some of the ancient roots of tile flooring.
As evidenced by the iconic pyramids, Egyptians were skilled with using stone in construction. Ancient Egyptians would create earthen tiles and bake them in the sun or in kilns – some scholars believe they may have been the first to develop this method. The pyramids at Giza still have some of the original stone flooring, a testament to the longevity and strength of the material. The glazed tiles developed by the Egyptians spread through Persia and beyond, influencing many cultures after it.
Greeks and Romans
The Greeks created mosaic floors, using small stones to create patterns or art pieces. Eventually they moved towards more efficient larger tiles. Greek architects often used marble in construction, as its lighter shade made buildings seem brighter and more prestigious. The Romans invented a form of concrete mortar, allowing for more advanced construction projects.
Tile is closely connected to pottery. Just as China is well known for porcelain creations, they developed tiles using a similar method. Based on white clay, these ceramic tiles were also decorated with beautiful images. Similarly to the tiles of Egypt, these decorative tiles were also spread throughout the ancient world by Persian ceramicists and traders.
The development of tile was an important development for the world of architecture. Beyond affecting flooring, these stone crafting methods were instrumental in building larger and stronger buildings as well as striking art pieces. If you think tile has a place in the future of your home, give Floor Coverings International of Monmouth County a call today for a free in-home consultation!


The “Bounty Rimini Adventure Club” was founded in Marina Centro in 1990 inspired by the homonymous ship which was the scene of the most famous mutiny in history. The club was built following its extraordinary structure, completely in naval style, becoming unique in its kind, so much so that it was included among the 50 best clubs in the world.
Entering Bounty gives guests the sensation of getting on board an ancient XVIII-century sailing ship, surrounded by masts, barrels, sails and creels, under a magnificent sky full of stars and served by a crew dressed up as a real ships’ crews: a fascinating scenario that gives visitors the possibility to enjoy an enchanting, almost magic atmosphere.
Smiling, some people have said that Bounty is more famous than Rimini’s historical monuments such as Ponte di Tiberio and Arco d’Augusto, because on TripAdvisor the restaurant has more than 8,000 reviews, more than the city’s historic landmarks.
Bounty is one of the most appreciated venues of the Riviera Romagnola, the ideal place to spend unforgettable evenings together with friends in a cheerful and funny atmosphere. Over the course of the years, this historic brewery has become one of the best night clubs in Rimini. Famous for its pizza and first courses, the “Ship of Fun” also inaugurated in 2019 the outdoor sea view space, also in style, which reproduces the bow of a ship.
Giuliano Lanzetti manages it in the name of a family tradition that has always been active in tourism: his grandfather built the hotel above the club, his father created the disco and now Giuliano and his family manage Bounty, always trying to add something more to the city’s entertainment offer.
Phone number: +39 0541 391900


As mentioned in the earlier chapter, RR GLK 21 was cannibalized and its engine put in RR 42 GO. The engine from 42 GO was in turn put in GLK 21, but it was in need of work and moreover it did not match with the gearbox. As a result, RR GLK 21 lay unused and almost forgotten for over half-a-century in the City Palace, Udaipur.
Then in the year 1999, it came to the notice of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar. He asked his Palace Motor Garage to take full stock of the Rolls-Royce 20 HP with Barker body and chassis no. GLK 21. A list of all available and missing parts was made. The work required to restore it was also listed and at the same time restoration experts in both India and the UK were contacted.


domingo, 9 de julho de 2017
Oxcarts in Madeira? Yep. Until the end of the 1970s the traditional oxcarts toured along Avenida do Mar, to the delight of residents and visitors.
This cart without wheels, built with wicker and wood, with seats showing bright colored fabrics, glided like a sled and was pulled by two oxen led by a “boieiro” (a herdsman dressed in white, with flat boots and straw hat). The herdsman carried a lamp with him to light the way in the absence of street lighting. The story goes that the first oxcart built in Madeira, in 1477, belonged to the English captain C. Balkey.
Until the first quarter of the twentieth century this was the most popular form of transport in Funchal and it was classified into two categories: luxury carts and modest carts. The first was aimed at tourism services, weddings and funerals, and the other was used in all other situations.
The oxcarts, however, fell into disuse for hygienic reasons and due to the circumstances inherent to regional development.
The Monte “Railway”, on which once ran the Monte Train, linked Rua do Pombal, Funchal, to Terreiro da Luta, Monte, ascending a total extent of 3.911 km.
The studies for the Monte “Railway” were drawn up in 1886 by the engineer Raul Mesnier Ponsard, and the first stretch to Levada de Santa Luzia was officially opened on 16th July 1893. In 1894 an imported German steam locomotive started operations, and in 1912 the train went as far as Terreiro da Luta, located at about 850 metres of altitude.
On 10th September 1919, when the train was climbing in the direction of the Monte, its boiler exploded, which put the locomotive out of action until 1st February 1920.
An additional accident occurred on 11th January 1932 when the train derailed. From then on the railway operations gradually decayed as it was considered dangerous.
This fact combined with the beginning of World War II, and the consequent decrease in the number of visitors to Madeira, the company that exploited the railway services went bankrupt. The train's last journey took place in April 1943.
The first football game in Portugal was held on the island of Madeira, more precisely at Largo da Achada, in Camacha. The year was 1875 when the young British citizen Harry Hinton, who was a resident on the island of Madeira, introduced this sport for the entertainment of all.
In 2010, over 600 thousand Portuguese voted our Laurel Forest as one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the "Forests and Woodlands " category. Porto Santo won the prize in 2012 in "Dunes Beaches" category. It is remarkable that in so little space we have one of the most beautiful forests in Portugal and at the same time, one of the most beautiful dunes beaches.
In June 2011, Santana - one of Madeira's municipalities - was recognized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as "World Biosphere Reserve". The region sees, once again, the richness of its heritage being recognized worldwide.


The oldest known lens was found in the ruins of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nineveh and was made from polished rock crystal. The Greek playwright Aristophanes mentions the use of such a lens to burn holes in parchment in one of his plays. Allegedly, Pliny the physician used a similar lens to cauterize wounds. A thousand years later monks started using "reading stones" which were sliced off sections of polished quartz spheres. Sometime in the latter half of the 1200s the monks put these reading stones up on their noses in what today we would recognize as spectacles.
It was in Venice, Italy, where glassmaking was (and still is) an art, that convex reading and magnifying glasses were refined. About three hundred years later, concave lenses were used to help the near-sighted Pope Leo the 10th. He apparently wore his special spectacles to aid him while hunting. It took just about three hundred more years for bifocals to be invented by America's own Benjamin Franklin.
It was in the mid 1800s that a protective lens was made to fit directly over the eyeball of a man who had lost his eyelid from skin cancer. This first "contact lens" protected his eye from drying out, which would have resulted in blindness. Over the next 150 years, contact lenses came into commercial use and moved from blown, to ground, to molded glass lenses and then to a whole variety of hard, then soft, plastic lenses.
The knowledge of refracting light with lenses has, more recently, brought us to correct vision by surgically altering the shape of the cornea with laser beams. Where will we go next?
Watch On Call with the Prairie Doc® most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central on SDPTV and follow the Prairie Doc® on Facebook and YouTube for free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc® library.


Our supplier has been making spades and garden tools here in Yorkshire for over 275 years. In the 1870’s they developed a shovel for the rapidly expanding coal mining industry, and then when the First World War broke out, the demand for tools increased enormously, and every day, new supplies of spades and shovels were dispatched from the local village railway station to the troops on the front line.
They’re one of the few surviving companies in the country that still have the traditional skill of hand turning the wooden handles for tools on a lathe, though some of them are now mechanised.
This hand trowel is a lovely weight. The ash handle sits comfortably in the hand. The blade is strong and has a 4” depth gauge etched on. It has a leather hanging strap for when you are ready to call it a day. It’s the perfect tool for light weeding, and sorting out hanging baskets and planters.
Overall length: 33cm
Made in England


Our Optometrist Director Kim is looking forward to her talk for the Thrapston heritage society on Thursday 20th April. After our involvement with their exhibition last year Kim was pleased to be asked to give a presentation to the society at one of their monthly meetings.
The Heritage society has been meeting regularly since 1965, and Kim will be joining them at the church hall of St James Church in the town. You can attend the society meetings as a guest or by joining and becoming a member, check our their website on http://www.thrapstonhistorysoc.co.uk for further details.
Our Exhibition 2016
Kim has enjoyed researching Victorian eye care in preparation for her talk, and we have some fascinating antique optical equipment and photographs to share on the night. If you would like to speak to anybody about the society you can contact Eric Franklin via our Thrapston branch.


British historian seeks family of Kiwi soldier killed in WWII aircraft crash
It’s June 25, 1943, the middle of World War II, Holland. The Battle of Ruhr.
Eighteen Royal Air Force Lancaster aircraft were flying to join 457 heavy British bombers attacking the German town of Gelsenkirchen.
Among the fleet was West Auckland gunner Lawrence Porritt, 21, and six other crew on board a 100 Squadron Lancaster bomber. This would be its final flight.
At 12.54am on June 26, the aircraft was shot down on its way to Gelsenkirchen by a German night fighter – captained by Karl-Heinz Scherfling.
The bomber crashed 20 kilometres north of Amsterdam, in the Dutch district of Beemster, killing the entire crew.
Dutch civilians pulled three of the crew, including Porritt, from the wreckage but three hours later its bomb load exploded and no further bodies were recovered.
Nearly 75 years later, the Beemster Historical Society would erect a memorial in Beemster on June 26 to honour the seven killed.
British war historian for 100 Squadron Greg Harrison said it would be great to find family members of Porritt.
“We would be delighted to try and locate any of Lawrence’s surviving family and invite them to the service.”
Porritt was pictured with his crew in a photo (top), but it was not known which one he was.
“That’s one of the mysteries we hope to be able to clear up if we get any contact from relatives,” he said.
Porritt was born on April 23, 1922. He was the son of George and Linda Porritt, of Henry St, Avondale in West Auckland.
He attended Mount Albert Grammar School before enlisting in the New Zealand Air Force in 1941.
Porritt trained in Canada as an air gunner in 1942, was sent to the United Kingdom for flight training, and became a sergeant through RAF training.
He arrived with the 100 Squadron at RAF Grimsby in North Lincolnshire in May 1943.
In that month, he was promoted to flight sergeant and completed eight successful sorties, or attacks on troops, in Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Essen, Wuppertal and Krefeld.
Porritt was one of about 55,000 RAF Bomber Command men who died from 1936 to 1965.
“If any of Lawrence’s surviving relatives can be found, it would be a chance for them to come to the place where he made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we have all enjoyed ever since,” Harrison said.
“Although, we are mindful of the long and expensive journey from New Zealand to Holland.”
Lawrence George Porritt was listed on the Auckland Museum’s Online Cenotaph database, but only his parent’s names were listed on the biographical information.
Porritt’s name was recorded on a memorial cross at St Judes Church, Avondale.
If you know of, or are, family of Porritt contact Greg Harrison in Wales at firstname.lastname@example.org or 0044 7564 714678.


We all know dental floss, that ever-important tool to cleaning mouths of bacteria, plaque and other build-up. But did you ever wonder how it came to be?
In 1815, a New Orleans dentist advised his patients to use a silk thread to clean between their teeth – giving us our first version of dental floss.
- In 1882, Codman and Shurtleft began manufacturing the first commercial dental floss from unwaxed silk.
- In the 1940s, due to the rising costs of World War II, nylon replaced silk as the material of choice for dental floss in the United States.
- James B. Kirby, also known as the inventor of the Kirby vacuum, created the first floss pick in 1963. The floss pick is a Y-shaped angled dental tool that doubles as a toothpick and dental floss.
- In 1994, an inmate managed to escape from jail by weaving dental floss into a rope as thick as a telephone cord.
- Today, dental floss is most often made from a combination of rubber and plastic which is coated in wax.


Faced with an existential threat from the forces of gentrification, residents of Buffalo’s historic African American Fruit Belt neighborhood organized, joined together, and took control of their destiny.
“Power, as it does for many disenfranchised communities, came through organizing. The Fruit Belt decided to beat the developers at their own game and buy up the neighborhood’s vacant lots themselves—not to resell them for a profit, but to hold them in a land trust that would lease them out one by one at predetermined rates existing residents could afford. The lessee would own the house that was built on the structure, but the trust would own the land, allowing the neighborhood a degree of control over what got developed and how much it cost…”
By Will Doig of Open Society Foundations


Cultural / Educational
Museum, Science Center, Disaster Reduction Learning Center, Educational Facility, and More
We offer exhibits and experiences that stimulate the interest of visitors and foster their love of learning, including transmitting history and culture to future generations, sharing the excitement of nature and science, and informing visitors with knowledge useful for protecting themselves from natural disasters.
KASHIWAZAKI CITY MUSEUM
NITTEN produces exhibitions that trace back history from recent to ancient and create inter-generational conversations and interactions
The Kashiwazaki City Museum has been renovated for the first time in 32 years since its opening. Based on a concept of “discovering many facades of Kashiwazaki,” the humanity exhibition space was transformed into a history exploration space that traces back history in reverse chronological order, from recent to distant past. We created a participatory and interactive venue that has many local fans through a design that integrates archeology, history, and folk customs in a way that showcases the diverse characteristics and attractions of each era, along with explanations and displays that are accessible to visitors and turn them into storytellers.
- March, 2018
- Kashiwazaki City
- Scope of service
- Basic design, Detailed design, Construction


Adrift, How Our World Lost Its Way
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (exhibited 1842)
“I was born hale and healthy into the arms of a dying civilization, and I have spent my whole life feeling that I am surviving, with no credit or blame, while around me so many things were falling into ruin; like those characters in films who walk down the streets where all the walls are crumbling and yet emerge unscathed, shaking the dust from their clothes, while behind them the entire city is no more than a pile of rubble.” This is how Amin Maalouf describes his life during his time in Beirut.
Amin Maalouf, a renowned French author of Lebanese descent, has gained global recognition for his works of historical fiction, essays, and non-fiction. In 1993 he received the Prix Goncourt for his novel “The Rock of Tanios”. In his latest book “Adrift: How Our World Lost Its Way,” published in 2020, he vividly recounts his personal experiences of living in Lebanon. Maalouf was born into a Christian family in Beirut in 1949 and spent much of his childhood in Cairo, Egypt. He later moved to France, where he studied sociology and economics at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales. Maalouf began his career as a journalist, working for various newspapers and magazines before turning to writing full-time. He longs for a simpler world. A world where people treated “others” with respect. A world he was born into, a universe he calls “the Levant.”
The term “Levant” refers to a geographic region in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and parts of Turkey and Egypt. The thing that made the Levant exceptional in Maalouf’s mind is the ability people had to live with one another in close quarters.
“If citizens of different nations and the followers of monotheistic religions had continued to live together in this part of the world and had managed to pool their fates, humanity as a whole would have had an eloquent beacon of peaceful coexistence and prosperity to inspire and light the way. Regrettably, what happened was the reverse, hatred prevailed and an inability to live together became the rule. The enlightenment of the Levant guttered out. Then shadows spread across the globe.”
Having been a journalist for years, he tracks global events with great attention. In “Adrift,” he attempts to unravel the significant historical events that have led to our current state of the world. In a timeline that goes back to the First World War and continues till recent years, he looks back at the key events that led us to our present world of conflict, with regret, nostalgia, and melancholy.
“Beginning with the political and moral upheaval that rocked the Arab world. The Suez crisis in 1956, the Israeli attack in 1967, the Arab defeat and despair, which were then aggravated by the conservative revolutions in both East and West that began around 1979; until finally the events of September 11, which sent the whole world into a “tailspin”, setting off the chain reaction that is now leading us into the unknown- and most likely towards disaster.”
“Adrift” is full of historical details and lucid explanations of the events like the great fire and the Egypt Revolution which led to the long reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the issue of Arab unity, and the origins of the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East and the near-impossible task of achieving lasting peace in the region and how the intricate links between power, religion, and nationality, complicates everything.
1979: A year that Amin Maalouf calls “the year of the great reversal”. It was a year when numerous parallel political and social events took place all around the world.
In 1979, a conservative revolution swept across various parts of the world. In the aftermath, socially conservative and politically radical governments took hold of power. In the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher was elected, while in the United States, Ronald Reagan overthrew Carter. In Europe, a significant event was the appointment of the first non-Italian Pope, Jean-Paul II, as the head of the Catholic Church. Meanwhile in Iran, Khomeini’s version of a revolutionary, traditionalist Islam, in the name of the poor and wretched of the earth, spread throughout the world, taking on many forms and followed by other revolutions in the twentieth century.
The Soviet Union progressed through the region, prompting armed militias to take up arms in a holy war against the enemies of Islam. The United States seized the opportunity to provoke Moscow by supporting the Mujaheddin in a mission known as “Cyclone,” with the aim of creating a Vietnam War-like situation for Russia. Sanctions against Russia were imposed, with several countries that had suffered under communism joining the cause, including Saudi Arabia, which provided financial support for the Mujahedin. Among the individuals who joined the Mujahedin was a 22-year-old Arab student, Osama Bin Laden.
He is a vocal critic of colonialism and its impact on the region. In his book “The Crusades Through Arab Eyes,” he describes the Crusades as a form of colonialism and argues that the legacy of the Crusades is still felt in the Middle East today. However, he also believes that the conservative revolution had a positive impact on the world by promoting free trade and bringing prosperity to nations. He believes that during the cold war, it was not wrong of the US and other countries to oppose Soviet communism, which ultimately failed and caused misery around the world. However, the moral failure of the invaders and their greed left the countries in a corrupt and disastrous state.
The conservative revolution has also led to the rise of identity politics. People are searching for a sense of “US” in all the wrong places. Globalization and mass immigration have left newly formed nations with no common ancestors and no national narratives. They may have common values, but it has been shown it cannot hold. For example, in the United States even after the election of Obama, racial tension still exists. Religion alone cannot hold nations together. Partitions between different cultures and people with a wall could only lead to disaster, as we have seen in the case of India and Pakistan in the past. So, what is the answer? What is the glue that holds nations together? Amin Maalouf is curious to find an answer. While not necessarily advocating for empires,
“he regrets the disappearance of a particular mindset that existed in the time of empires, one that considered it normal and acceptable for people to be part of a single political entity without necessarily sharing the same religion, the same language, or even the same history.”
Amin Maalouf credits the United States when it helped rebuild Europe with the Marshall Plan after World War II and made efforts to promote democracy in post-war Japan. But in 2013 when the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people, the Obama administration did not respond, which Maalouf views as a failure to act in the face of a humanitarian crisis.
In his opinion, the United States has lost its legitimacy to serve as a global example, particularly since the era of Gorbachev when the US had the opportunity to either assist a nation in standing up on its own or to destroy it. Now it is Europe’s responsibility to lead by example. Despite his criticism of Europe in the past, Maalouf still retains hope that the Western world, can and should live by example.
Amin Maalouf traveled across the world as a journalist. He has seen things and observed them with a curiosity of a historian and in his book Adrift, expresses his worries about the world. The situation is alarming. Reading Amin Maalouf, you may sometimes question his arguments, but one thing that undoubtedly dominates his thinking is the importance of “empathy” in our modern world and the need to think about it and act upon it. He believes with that, and a little moral compass, we may find our way out of this chaos that we live in today.


From Ancient Times to Present: Natural Beauty Secrets
Beauty has captured the interest of both men and women throughout history, leading to the exploration of unique beauty secrets in different cultures. In this article, we will take a look at the natural beauty secrets used in ancient times and explore the impact of these time-tested methods on the present.
1. Egypt: Corn Masks for Beautiful and Healthy Skin
Ancient Egyptians enriched their beauty rituals using the moisturizing and skin-renewing properties of corn. Corn masks were used to nourish and revitalize the skin, serving as a natural method for women to preserve their beauty.
2. Ancient Greece: Olive Oil and Laurel Tea
Ancient Greeks considered olive oil a precious ingredient among their beauty secrets. Olive oil nourished and moisturized the skin, providing a youthful and healthy appearance. Laurel tea, renowned for its antioxidant properties, was also used as a elixir of youth.
3. Chinese Empire: Rosewater and Green Tea Masks
In the Chinese Empire, beauty was preserved through rosewater and green tea masks. Rosewater was used to soothe and refresh the skin, while the antioxidants in green tea helped maintain a youthful and vibrant complexion.
4. Roman Empire: Milk and Honey Baths
Romans frequently utilized milk and honey baths in their beauty rituals. While milk nourished the skin, honey's antibacterial properties cleansed and smoothed the skin. These baths helped both men and women maintain healthy and youthful-looking skin.
5. India: Turmeric and Sandalwood Masks
India is known for beauty secrets involving turmeric and sandalwood. Turmeric, with its anti-inflammatory properties, cleansed the skin, while sandalwood provided freshness and radiance to the complexion.
6. Medieval Europe: Rose Cream and Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics
In medieval Europe, rose cream and apple cider vinegar tonics were popular. Rose cream nourished and softened the skin, while apple cider vinegar tonics balanced and cleansed, serving as natural remedies for maintaining beauty during that era.
These beauty secrets from ancient times highlight the importance of natural and effective ingredients in beauty rituals. Today, alongside modern cosmetic products, many people still explore and use these ancient beauty secrets to enhance and maintain their beauty.


The Legacy of Jim Casey, Founder of UPS
James (Jim) E. Casey was a visionary who revolutionized package delivery through the founding of United Parcel Service (UPS) and improved the lives of millions of America's children by founding two of the nation's leading child welfare-oriented foundations.
His father's failing health forced Jim to leave school at age 11 to help support the family as a $2.50-a-week bicycle messenger for a department store in Seattle. Jim's father died four years later, in 1902, leaving behind a widow and four children. In 1907, he and a brother, George, and some friends started a new delivery service, American Messenger Company, which became Merchants Parcel Delivery in 1913. They expanded to Oakland, California in 1919 and renamed the company United Parcel Service. With its move to New York City in 1930, UPS began its development into one of the world's largest package-delivery companies.
To honor their mother, the Casey siblings—Jim, George, Harry and Marguerite—created the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 1948 to make grants to programs that help disadvantaged children. In 1966, the siblings created an operating foundation, Casey Family Programs, to provide long-term foster care to children in Washington and, eventually, other Western states. At Jim's suggestion, the Annie E. Casey Foundation established Casey Family Services in 1978 to provide long-term foster care to children in Eastern states. Jim had become convinced of the importance of strong families through his interactions with his young messengers. When Jim died in 1983, he left his fortune to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has since become one of the largest foundations in America.
In 2001, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs collaborated in the founding of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative to help young people in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood. The missions of the foundations that bear the Casey family name have been refined and expanded over the years. But all remain committed to improving outcomes for children and young people.


ISC Class 12 History Semester 2 exam 2022 concludes, check exam review, analysis here!
The ISC Class 12 History Semester 2 exam 2022 was conducted today, May 11. Read to know exam review and analysis!
ISC History exam 2022: The CISCE has successfully conducted the ISC Class 12 History exam today, May 11. ISC History exam was conducted for a duration of 1.5 hours for a total of 40 marks. The ISC History exam started at 2 pm, as per schedule and ended at 3:30 pm. The paper was held offline at various centres across the nation. The ISC 12th History Exam 2022, like other papers, has received mixed reactions from students and experts. The ISC 12th History exam question paper was divided into 3 sections.
According to some students, the ISC Class 12 History exam was lengthy but moderate, however, some say that some questions were tricky. Some students also said that the exam was easy and was doable. A student said that solving ICSE Specimen papers helped her in appearing for today's exam.
The students were required to answer the questions across the three sessions in the question paper. Section A of the ISC History exam consisted of 1 question for 8 Marks while Section B had an option between 4 questions for 12 Marks. ISC History Section C also consisted of 5 questions for 20 Marks.
The next ISC Class 12 exam is Chemistry, on May 13, 2022.


Podcast: Vin Scully, the greatest
Vin Scully was the broadcaster for the Dodgers baseball franchise for 67 years, from its time in Brooklyn through its move to Los Angeles. In the process, he not only became a sports legend; he became a summer soundtrack for generations of fans in Southern California and beyond.
Today, we remember the life and legacy of Vin Scully. Read the full transcript here.
Host: Angel Carreras, former fellow at The Times
Guests: L.A. Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, sportscaster Bob Costas
About The Times


Knights of Columbus
Council 10733, Assembly 2393
The Knights of Columbus is a fraternity of Catholic men, founded in New Haven, Connecticut on March 29, 1882, by Rev. Michael J. McGivney.
This original group has blossomed into an international society of over 1.6 million Catholic men, plus their families, who belong to over 11,000 Councils that are spread throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guatemaia, Panama, Cuba, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Taipan, and Poland.
These Councils have dedicated themselves to the Columbian principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. The Knights are founded upon ideals inspired by the teachings of our Catholic faith and the proud heritage of service to our Church, Country and Neighbors.
The Vic Giasson Council 10733 was started in 1991 with just a small group of men, some who were Knights from before and others who became a Knight for the first time. In the 17 years since its beginning, the Council has now grown to over 160 men in the St. George and Kanab areas.
Become a part of the largest Catholic men’s fraternal organization. Contact Gene Coryell 925-786-0257 or email@example.com
June 11th, 2017
Members of our Parish’s Knights of Columbus joined many local citizens in celebrating Memorial Day at the Sun River Memorial Park. Our council’s Honor Guard was one of the featured groups, and our council’s chaplain, Father Glenn Dare, Lt Col USAF Ret, (far right) attired in his Air Force uniform, offered one of the prayers.
March 19th, 2017
On Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 1 pm, 27 couples gathered at our church for a special mass, celebrated by Father Martin, to renew their marriage vows.
Each “bride” received a red rose and baby’s breath bouquet upon entering the church. Each couple was then escorted to their seats by a fourth degree Knight. In attendance were eight members of the Knight’s Color Corps from Assembly 2393. There were also six altar servers and flowers decorated the church.
The event was organized by the Knights of Columbus. Says Grand Knight Gene Coryell, “The Knights are committed to building the ‘domestic church’. The cornerstone of a strong family is a strong marriage commitment.”
In his homily Father Martin emphasized the importance of couples taking time to be alone together. He noted that it does not have to cost money, that a simple walk in nature is enough.
After mass the couples and their family members—a total of 120 participants—were served punch and cake while a musical accompaniment played love songs. The reception table was decorated with a photo from each couples’ wedding day. While some photos were fairly recent, most were decades old. Gene’s wife Judy, who assisted in planning the event, noted that the marriage commitment of several couples has spanned 60 years or more.
Participants will be able to recall their happy memories of this special day through the many photographs taken by parishioner Bob D’Angelo. Couples will be notified by the Coryell’s when their photographs (on CD) are ready.
(Above photo courtesy of Luz Tellez)


TranS1, Inc. was founded in 2000 by Dr. Andrew Cragg, a Minneapolis-based interventional surgeon who developed and patented the trans-sacral approach to accessing the spine for lumbar spine surgical procedures. The company is an early stage medical device company dedicated to advancing the minimally invasive technique for spine disorders. Rick Randall joined TranS1 as full time CEO in June 2002. Previously, Mr. Randall founded and served as President and CEO of Incumed, Inc., a medical device incubator. He also served as President and CEO of the sports medicine firm, Innovasive Devices, Inc., and was President, Chairman and Director of Target Therapeutics, Inc., a medical device company that pioneered the minimally invasive, interventional neurosurgery market. TranS1 is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina.


Title: Money Doesn't Float
Medium: Ink on Paper
Dimension: 21.0 x 29.7cm
© Maisoon Al Saleh
The story behind the artwork:
The Dara Chronicles
Maisoon Al Saleh presents a second solo exhibition of artworks—from digital paintings to mixed-media prints— that explore retold stories and documented accounts about the M.V. Dara passenger liner explosion on April 8th, 1961.
Al Saleh grew up hearing stories that her grandfather would tell about that night on the vessel. Newspaper articles and other reports at the time only account of an explosion in middle of the ship and that the cause was possible sabotage. Beginning with an exploratory dive at the Dara gravesite, Al Saleh begins to discover and research the event experienced and retold from different personal perspectives. The works are inspired letters about the incident written by the boat company and police investigators, as well as news articles, and stories told by survivors or family members of those who perished in the shipwreck.
The artist further juxtaposes the different viewpoints expressed regarding the Dara explosion, beginning with three suitcases as a counterpoint of the different nationalities on board—in particular British, Indian and GCC passengers. Portraits of passengers, stories of the explosion and the events that followed illuminate personal narratives versus that which is documented in the media. Through this exhibition Al Saleh attempts to bring viewers into a discussion about the importance of this historical event of Emirati history on the sea.


Rachel Ouzounian started The Copper Elephant after many promptings from family and friends to sell her jewelry. She began with wire wrapping, but soon grew to love the art of silversmithing. Rachel is a self-taught silversmith whose style is heavily influenced by the granite mountains, red rock deserts, and energy of Native American history contained within her state of Utah. She is first-generation American and comes from a rich Armenian heritage. All of Rachel’s work is a tribute to her late grandmother, Mary Ouzounian, whose brave history, master craftsmanship, and little elephant figurines inspire every piece forged by The Copper Elephant.


Expires 6 months from date purchased Limit 10 per customer, may purchase 10 additional as gifts. This voucher has no cash value. Cannot be combined with other offers. Total voucher value must be used in 1 order. Tax & gratuity not included.
Do you suffer from a need for speed and an incurable love for the water? Grab today's deal and discover the cure with 2 Admissions to the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum for just $10!
The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum is the nation's only public museum dedicated solely to powerboat racing. Formed in 1983, their mission is to preserve and exhibit important artifacts from the sport of hydroplane racing. The museum features an incredible collection of vintage hydroplanes spanning seven decades, including boats that have won 17 Gold Cups.
The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is also the nation's primary resource for historical and educational information on hydroplane racing, housing an extensive collection of books, magazines, race programs, newspaper, photos, trophies and other memorabilia dating back to the turn of the last century. In addition to great archives on the the history of hydroplanes, the museum is also a fully equipped boat restoration shop, and over the years has restored seven of the most famous Gold Cup and Harmsworth winners to full running condition.
Check out the museum and find the remedy to your hydroplane and raceboat obsessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 8pm; Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm; and closed Sundays and Mondays.


In the 1930s, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation(MELCO) began manufacturing elevators.
In the 1980s, MELCO introduced the world’s first inverter VVVF elevator.
In 1985, MELCO invented a “spiral escalator” and the first spiral escalator in the world was installed in Osaka, Japan.
In 1993, Mitsubishi supplied elevators to Yokohama Landmark Tower, which is the fastest elevator in the world at that time until 2004.
In 2011, Mitsubishi Electric was awarded project from Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Co. Ltd for the Supply and Installation of World’s fastest Elevators, traveling at 18 meter per second. Currently Shanghai Tower is under construction in the Pudong District of Shanghai, China.
Mitsubishi Electric Inazawa Works, Japan.
Mitsubishi Elevator & Escalator factory, Thailand


Professor of American Studies
- 1042 Flanner Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5611
- +1 574-631-6529
Sophie White is Professor of American Studies. She also holds Concurrent Appointments as Professor of Africana Studies, of History, and of Gender Studies, and is a Fellow of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights, and the Institute for Race and Resilience at the University of Notre Dame.
She is an historian of early America with an interdisciplinary focus on cultural encounters between Europeans, Africans and Native Americans, and a commitment to Atlantic and global research perspectives.
Her newest book, Voices of the Enslaved: Love, Labor, and Longing in French Louisiana (Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture/University of North Carolina Press, 2019, 2021) foregrounds an exceptional set of source material about slavery in French America: court cases in which enslaved individuals testified and in the process produced riveting autobiographical narratives.
Voices of the Enslaved has won 7 book prizes, including the 2020 James A. Rawley Book Prize from the American Historical Association, the Association for the Study of the Wordwide African Diaspora’s Terborg-Penn Book Prize in Gender & Sexuality, and the Frederick Douglass Book Prize for most outstanding book on slavery published in 2019.
Her first book, Wild Frenchmen and Frenchified Indians: Material Culture and Race in Colonial Louisiana was published with the University of Pennsylvania Press/McNeil Series in Early American Studies in 2012, and was a finalist for the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize.
With Trevor Burnard, she has co-edited a volume on slave testimony in French and British America 1750-1848 (Routledge, 2020) https://www.routledge.com/Hearing-Enslaved-Voices-African-and-Indian-Slave-Testimony-in-British-and/White-Burnard/p/book/9780367541866). She is completing a digital humanities project, Hearing Slaves Speak in Colonial America, that will launch in Spring 2022 with the Omohundro Institute and is collaborating on a number of other DH projects on race and slavery.
She has two new book projects. One, His Master’s Grace, is a study of slavery and extra-judicial violence. The other, Strangers Within, examines redhead myths, juxtaposing cultural history with the new genetic discoveries and biological implications of red hair, a project that falls within her purview as a scholar of appearance and of cultural constructions of otherness. She is signed to the Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency for this book.
In addition, White is the author of over twenty articles and essays, in journals such as The William and Mary Quarterly, Gender and History and The Winterthur Portfolio.
Among other grants and awards, White was a recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities for Wild Frenchmen, Voices of the Enslaved, and Strangers Within.
For more information, please go to https://www.professorsophiewhite.com


America is the only place where the art form called jazz could have been created. In American Art & Democracy Come Together in Jazz, musician Wilbur Rehmann begins by describing the roots of jazz in the field hollers and work songs of slaves and follows the art form through to the modern jazz era of the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and beyond. He illustrates points with examples from recordings, his own saxophone playing, and video footage.
Join the MonDak for this entertaining and enlightening program and performance as part of Hometown Humanities. Monday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the MonDak Heritage Center. Sponsored by Humanities Montana. FREE to the public!


Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Family reunion at Mallala
I wont bore you with the details of the family but I couldn't help myself, being a lover of old buildings, I took time out to take a couple of pictures of the GRAND STAND which would seat approximately 100 people, but only if they were all skinny (lol) It is built with stones collected from the fields and a few red bricks for the quoins and decorative features, as were many of the old farm houses in the 1800's.
I love to dream about who built these buildings, maybe some of my ancestors were involved, after all the two brothers that migrated from Scotland about 155 years ago (yes, that's right, no convicts in my family tree!) were stone masons, one of whom built the wall around the Adelaide Botanical Gardens, the old wall around the Adelaide Prison and the (now demolished) broken glass topped wall that surrounded the old building at Glenside that housed the "insane" .......(glad things have changed since then)
They certainly knew how to build something to stand the test of time in the "old days".


Since its establishment in 1992, the skeletal collection ADBOU at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense has specialized in curating and studying skeletons excavated from cemeteries dated to Viking age, Medieval and Early Modern times.
The skeletal collection stores more than 16,000 skeletons. The number of skeletons in the collection increases continuously, when museums excavate and bring in skeletons for storing. The skeletons are primarily from the Danish areas of Jutland and Funen.
ADBOU was established when two separate skeletal collections were merged – one from Funen and one from Jutland. The name ADBOU is an abbreviation of Anthropological DataBase Odense University, but the collection has retained its name despite the fact that the university has changed its name to the University of Southern Denmark. The term DataBase refers to the skeletons representing a valuable research base, providing data for both Danish and international research projects.
The main focus of the research group at ADBOU, is population based studies aimed at developing methods within the fields of paleoepidemiology and paleodemography, and studying the presence of chronic infectious diseases in the past and demographic profiles of past populations.


Chögyal Namkhai Norbu was born in Derghe, eastern Tibet, in 1938. As a child he was recognized as the reincarnation of the great Dzogchen Master Adzom Drugpa (1842-1924) and later by the sixteenth Karmapa as a reincarnation of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), the first Dharmaraja of Bhutan.
While he was still a teenager he completed the rigorous programme of traditional studies, receiving teachings from some of the greatest masters of the time. In 1955 he met Changchub Dorje (1826-1961), his main Dzogchen teacher, whose lifestyle and way of teaching deeply inspired him.
In 1960, following the deterioration of the social and political situation in Tibet, he moved to Italy on the invitation of the well-known orientalist Prof. Giuseppe Tucci. There, he contributed to giving a concrete stimulus to the spread of Tibetan culture in the West. In the early 1960s he worked at the Ismeo (Institute for the Middle and Extreme Orient) in Rome and later on, from 1962 to 1992, he taught Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples. His academic works reveal a profound knowledge of Tibetan culture and a steadfast determination to keep the extraordinary cultural heritage of Tibet alive and fully accessible.
After teaching Yantra Yoga in Naples for several years, in the mid-seventies Chögyal Namkhai Norbu started giving Dzogchen teachings, encountering a growing interest first in Italy and then throughout the West. In 1981 he founded the first centre of the Dzogchen Community in Arcidosso, Tuscany. Over the years thousands of people from all over the world have become members of the Dzogchen Community. Centres have been created in the United States, in various parts of Europe, in Latin America, in Russia and in Australia.
In 1988 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu founded ASIA (Association for International Solidarity in ASIA), a non-governmental organization that is mainly active in meeting the educational and medical needs of the Tibetan population.
In 1989 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu founded the Shang Shung Institute, which has the task of safeguarding Tibetan culture by promoting and spreading it.
Even today Chögyal Namkhai Norbu continues to travel constantly all over the world, giving talks and holding retreats attended by thousands of people.


In 1911, the Commonwealth of Australia—then only a decade old—self-confidently launched an international design competition for its federal capital, afterward named Canberra. Chicagoans Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin famously won the contest the next year (no doubt to the consternation of their former employer, Frank Lloyd Wright). In 1914, the couple arrived in Australia to begin implementing their prizewinning plan. Based upon extensive archival research, this study surveys the couple’s unrealized Capitol building, envisaged as Canberra’s—and the nation’s—cultural epicenter. It also reconstructs the disappointing saga as to why the edifice was never constructed.


PRINCE LORENZO DE' MEDICI
Larry A. Thompson Organization
is pleased to announce the Worldwide Representation of
Prince Lorenzo de' Medici
A Modern Day Prince, but Forever
A Renaissance Man.
Prince Lorenzo de' Medici is a direct descendant and heir to one of the most famous family names in human history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici The de' Medici Dynasty, which created the Italian Renaissance, symbolizes unparalleled historical contributions to art, politics, banking, cuisine, medicine, accounting, philanthropy, commerce, geography, agriculture, religion, textiles, and fashion. The family tradition continues with Prince Lorenzo, who is a cultural ambassador, trendsetter, Royal TV Reality Star, Chef & Culinary Expert, Artist, Auto Enthusiast, Philanthropist, and International Keynote Speaker, fluent in English, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Russian. TV shows about the Medici Family and the Renaissance are hugely successful in today's marketplace as evidenced by NETFLIX's Medici: Masters of Florence and Starz's Da Vinci's Demons. Prince Lorenzo is presently starring in The Prince of History.
Royal TV Reality Star, Chef & Culinary Expert, Artist, Auto Enthusiast, Philanthropist,
and International Keynote Speaker
The Royal TV Reality Star
Among many U.S. and International television appearances, Prince Lorenzo starred in TLC's Secret Princes. He was also featured in Italy's Wild West, as well as the reality show Undercover Princes in the Ukraine. He is available for a Reality Series on his exciting life, or be a Host of, or Judge for, a Reality Show (Travel, Cooking, History, Dating, Art), Host Radio Show, Podcast, Online Series, Live Appearances (e.g. Night with a Prince), Host a Pageant, Infomercial (Luxury Goods), Soccer Commentary, Endorsements: Fragrances, Watches, Fashion, Auto, Food, Furniture, Linens, Wine & Spirits...
The Chef & Culinary Expert
Prince Lorenzo de' Medici is a food expert. From his upcoming royal cookbook, The Noble Art of Cooking, he shares secret recipes from the de' Medici kitchen handed down from generation to generation.
As an accomplished artist, Prince Lorenzo paints unique portraits of his ancestors to perpetuate their immense legacy as well as to bring them to the language of contemporary art.
The Auto Enthusiast
He recently designed his own automobile, and he can often be seen riding his personally designed motorcycle.
Prince Lorenzo donates much of his time and resources to charitable causes. He is the General Prior of the Knights Order of San Martino in Rome.
The Keynote Speaker
As an international keynote speaker, Prince Lorenzo engages audiences on a variety of Speaking Topics:
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - BRANDING - CHRISTIAN FAITH & INSPIRATION - CULINARY - DESIGN - FASHION - FINANCIAL - MOTIVATION - PHILANTHROPY
1. The Italian Renaissance: Then and Now
From Lorenzo the Magnificent to today's movers and shakers, Prince Lorenzo colors history with tales from his family and the impact his ancestors have all had on our lives today. From patrons of the arts to popes, the influence of the de' Medicis may be found everywhere. The de' Medici Dynasty, which created the Italian Renaissance, symbolizes unparalleled historical contributions to art, politics, banking, cuisine, medicine, accounting, philanthropy, commerce, geography, agriculture, religion, textiles, and fashion. Even America itself would not exist as we know it without the de' Medicis financing Queen Isabella's investment in Columbus. The de' Medicis revolutionized the banking business, inventing the first paper check. But it is in the world of art that their contributions to the world are most greatly known and felt. Patrons of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and countless other artists, the legacy of the de' Medicis lives on.
2. The Art of Living and Giving
Prince Lorenzo de' Medici relates his experiences in giving back to the world and continuing the philanthropic legacy of his de' Medici namesake. He discusses the art of giving, the myths and reality of royalty, and how a royal mindset can benefit everyone in their lives.
3. Secrets and Romance of the de' Medicis
Rare untold stories of the de' Medici Dynasty. The Royal Women of the Renaissance and their influence on style, fashion, perfumes, cuisine, and their men. Sex and the Renaissance - Royal Blood behind closed doors.
4. A Culinary History - A Royal Recipe
Prince Lorenzo de' Medici is a food expert. From his upcoming royal cookbook, The Noble Art of Cooking, he shares secret recipes from the de' Medici kitchen handed down from generation to generation. How did the Queen of France, Catherine de' Medici, influence French cuisine and use artichokes to get pregnant? Where was ice cream invented, hot chocolate, pasta, tiramisu, and lasagna? Did Leonardo da Vinci invent the microwave? As a speech dessert, Prince Lorenzo will show his audience how to prepare and set a royal dinner.
Prince Lorenzo resides in both Rome and Los Angeles with his wife, Rosemary, and baby girl, Maddalena.
For additional information, please visit the following links:
Personal Website: http://www.princelorenzodemedici.com/
Arte Divine: (at 3-minute mark) https://vimeo.com/135688617
Secret Princes (2013-USA):
Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPaR-ha-EIY
Undercover Princes (2012-Ukraine)
Full Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMtdNHiCGDM&spfreload=1
Wild West (2006-Italy) - Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcHXVdR2EFg
Chef & Culinary Expert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_pMhPyUGY8&feature=youtu.be (Spanish Interview)
Arte Divine: (at 3-minute mark) https://vimeo.com/135688617
San Martino: https://vimeo.com/108512175
3rd Annual Roman Gala (at 26-minute mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhmAbB4hk8g
Art Presentation: https://youtu.be/9o8Voqlpllg
Sampling of Recent Previous Engagements
Arte Divine, Los Angeles and Various Cities in U.S.
Knights Order of San Martino, Rome, Italy
Kiev Luxury Fair, Kiev, Ukraine
Sorvetiega Shipping Company, Bogota, Columbia
Del Mar Country Club, San Diego
If you would like a general, creative meeting with Prince Lorenzo or require additional information, please feel free to contact us. Thanks and we look forward to our continued or new association with you.
All my best,
President and CEO
Larry A. Thompson Organization, Inc.
9663 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #801


ABH Timeline, Second Edition
This updated version of the timeline from americasbesthistory.com covers the most important historic events from 1491 until today. It is a primer for students to adults to put the Timeline of the United States, and before that, colonial America, in perspective and as an easy to use reference tool and trivia quiz for the history buff in your life from junior high school age students to adults. It is not a book of comprehensive articles, but short paragraphs reminding us the when and what of American history, with the most important events of each decade or year highlighted in order to understand the flow from pre-Columbus days until the present. Updated with new photographs and decade years through 2021.


Living with terrorism, both in NYC for 9/11 and for the Boston Marathon bombing.
I was living in NYC during 9/11, and about a decade later was living/working a street away from the Boston Marathon bombing when it happened. This comic was my reflection on what it was like to be in the vicinity of both those tragedies.
This comic is felt tip pen and ink on paper, and I made it in 2013. It was shown in the “Doodle” group show in Somerville, MA in 2014.


Oliver Crampton & Sons Ltd are delighted to announce that we are the proud WINNER of the Irish Construction Industry "Conservation Project of the Year" Award 2017. The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 9th May.
This award recognises the conservation, restoration or heritage project undertaken in Ireland over the past 12 months that can best demonstrate excellence.
We would like express our sincere thanks to all who were involved in the Blackrock House Project.
Please click here to see prizewinning photos of the event


The history of ice cream begins in ancient times, when people used ice or snow to make cold desserts.
500 BC – During the Ahemenid Empire, a cold dessert was prepared in Persia, which was consumed on hot summer days. It consisted of concentrated syrup, poured over snow and mixed with saffron, grape or fruit juice and other flavors.
The acient Greeks used to consume snow mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of athena. Hippocrates encourages their patients to eat ice, ” as it invigorated vital functions and improved well-being”.
400 BC – An ice cream recupe, created especially for the royal families of the persian Empire, consisted of ice, rose water, soda(starch), saffron, fruit and other sweet spices. It has remained to this day a traditional Iranian dessert, called “fālūde”.
to create or store ice even in the desert, Persian engineers build ice pits, called “yakhchāl”.
The structure consisted of an underground storage space, covered above the ground by a dome which facilitated cooling by evaporation. The heat-resistant building material contributed to the insulation of the storage space throughout the year.
Image: Yakhchal – Persian construction for ice preservation.
In ancient China a dessert of milk and rice was consumed, which was cooled to freezing. The dessert was placed in a container, then poured over the outside a mixture of snow and salpeter, until the content of the container reached cloze to freezing.
37-68 BC – Roman Empero Neron was stocking up on ice from the moutains so that he could consume cool delicacies made with fruit and honey.
800-900 – Arabs define the modern recipe of ice cream by introducing milk and sugar as the mains ingredients.
During the 10th century, ice cream made from milk, cream, rose water, dried fruit and nuts spread throughout the Arab territory, especially in Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo.
During Arab rule in Sicily, a drink made from fruit and brown sugar, kept in containers surrounded by snow or crushed ice, is prepared. Also prepare a dessert obtained from mixing snow with syrups and fruit juices. These desserts, which have become traditional, are those we call “granita” and “sorbetto”.
So-called “nivaroli” (snowmen) collects snow from Etna and the Nebrodi and Peloritani Moutains, then stores it in “niviers”, natural or artificial caves that provide low temperatures for snow storage. Snow is then transported in summer to the sunny cities of the coast.
The fame of these Sicilian deserts soon reaches the royal courts, and especially florence.
Image: Neveriera, artificial ice cave in sicila
Ice cream became a popular dessert in Italy in the 16th century. Florence is believed to be the birthplace of the “modern” ice cream, which has a ingredients milk, cream and eggs.
1533 – When the Italian duchess Caterina de’ Medici marries Henry 2 of France, the Italian chefs who accompany her bring with them recipes of ice cream and sorbet. Thus these recipes spread to France and then to the rest of the world.
The Sicilian Francesco Procopio de Coltelli improves the traditional recipe of sorbet with two innovations: It replaces honey with sugar and adds a little salt wich, mixed with ice in the appropriate proportion, greatly increases the time the produces remains cold.
Procopio settles in Paris. Get a patent from King Louis XIV for the marketing of cold desserts and drinks, including ice cream.
In 1686, he opened the famous “Café Procope” In Paris, which still works today.
Image: Le Precope in Paris
1744 – Scottish settlers bring the ice cream recipe to North America.
1774 – Italian Filippo Lendi opens the first ice cream shop on American soil in New York.
Nancy Johnson from Philadelphia, Usa, patented a small, cranked ice cream machine in 1843. William Young has been producing these machines since 1848.
Agnes Marshall of the United Kingdom patented a similar machine in 1885, which can prepare a pint of ice cream in just five minutes.
With the helpof these machines, the domestic production of ice cream becomes much easier. But at the same time it also takes off commercial production.
In 1851, Jacob Fussel of Baltimore opened the first commercial ice cream factory, which produces on a large scale.
Also in 1851, Swiss Carlo Gatti opened an ice cream stand near Charing Cross Station (London), where he sold a portion of ice cream for just a penny.
The industrial refrigeration, made by German engineer Carl von Line in the 1870s, eliminated the need to cut and store natural ice. Invented by Clarence Vogt in 1926, the continous-process freezer reduced labor and utility costs and increased the production volume of frozen desserts.
Thus, the automated commercial production of ice cream was created.
1934 – Eskimo pie is the first chocolate-covered ice cream.
1939 – The mass production of American ice cream that was sent to boost the morale of allied troops in Europe was able to popularize this dish around the world. The majority though ice cream was an American invention.
The second part of the 20th century – Cheap refrigeration, the explosion of table products brands of ice cream and introduces “soft ice cream”, which has come to be one of the most popular desserts served in the summer.


14 West Hamilton Street Club
The 14 West Hamilton Street Club, a group of Baltimoreans who enjoy good company, lively conversation, and excellent meals, was formed in 1925. Since the 1930s, it has occupied the historic row house at 14 West Hamilton Street in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon district.
The Club draws members from a variety of professions and avocations: medicine, the law, journalism, architecture, the arts, and scholarship (both vocational and avocational), along with members of Baltimore’s business and civic community. It was the first social club in the Mount Vernon neighborhood with both men and women as regular members.


Pretoria Marathon Club
Welcome to the historic Pretoria Marathon Club (PMC), the oldest running club in Pretoria! Established over four decades ago, PMC boasts a rich legacy that has shaped the running community in the region. In 2013, we proudly celebrated our 40th anniversary, marking years of passion, dedication, and countless running milestones.
Founded by the esteemed George Claassen Sr., a key figure in the club and father of the iconic Springbok captain Wynand Claassen from the '80s, PMC has become a cornerstone of Pretoria's running culture. In honor of our founding member, we host the prestigious annual race named after George Claassen Sr., a testament to the enduring spirit and commitment to excellence that defines PMC.
Over the years, PMC has been a breeding ground for exceptional runners, with many achieving silver or gold medals in the renowned Comrades Marathon. Join us at the Pretoria Marathon Club, where history meets the road, and every stride is a part of our proud legacy. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a newcomer to the running scene, be a part of our community as we continue to make history one race at a time.


Root River Antique Tractor Show
Annual Antique Engine & Tractor Show – the 40th Year
Presented by: The Root River Antique Historical Power Association, Inc.
When: Friday through Sunday, July 15th, 16th & 17th 2022
Featuring: Oliver Tractors & Equipment
2nd Feature: Classic Cars and Chain Saws
Where: Spring Valley, MN
Show Ground Gates Open 7:00 a.m.
Root River Antique Historical Power Association is a Registered Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation


Trooping the Colours
This is a ceremony performed by the regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies since C 17th. On battlefields, a regiment’s colours, or flogs, were used as rallying points. Regiments would have their ensigns slowly march with their colours between the soldiers’ ranks to enable soldiers to recognize their regiments’ colours.
This event marked the official birthday of the British sovereign, which is held in London on Horse Guards Parade.
On this particular ceremony (usually held annually on a Saturday in June), the Queen travels down the Mall from Buckingham Palace in royal procession with a sovereign’s escort. She receives a royal salute, and inspects her troops. Music is also provided by the massed bands from the particular troops.
Other countries practicing the trooping of colours include Australia, Canada, Jordan, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore and Kenya.
In Kenya, Trooping of Colours takes place on Jamhuri Day.
Jamhuri Day, also Independence Day, is a National holiday in Kenya celebrated yearly on December 12.
Having been very keen to the events that take place in this particular day, here is a list of activities you should expect this Jamhuri Day in the Central Stadium.
- The ceremony begins at 11:30 am after the President of Kenya takes the national salute and inspects the parade.
- The bad plays a slow march followed with a quick march.
- The lone drummer the breaks away to take his position besides number one guard to play the drummers call thus signaling the officers of number one guard to take positions to receive the colour.
- The escort for the colour then marches off to collect the colour as the massed KDF band plays the chosen Kenyan Tune.
- After the handover and as the escort presents arms, the first verse of the Kenya National Anthem is played.
- The escort to the colour marches off in a slow march to the tune of the British grenadier guards.
- The first tune normally played during the march is always “By land and sea.”
Other relevant facts.
- It was a strict tradition of the Kenya Defence Forces to withhold information on its activities during public holidays.
- Jamhuri Day’s celebration are usually reserved for the trooping of colours by various units of KDF.
- The history of trooping the colour is as old as formation of armies in the C 17th, which originated an old Guard Mounding Ceremony. At this ceremony, the Queen’s colour symbolized the country’s sovereignty.
- The Colonial Queen’s and Regimental Colours were superseded by todays Presidential and Regimental Colours respectively after Kenya attained independence. The colours symbolize the spirit of the Regiment.


The annual Tour of Texas is the highlight of the 6th grade year. Texas history is begun in class and continued on the road with a 4-day tour of the great State of Texas in April among the blooming Texas wildflowers. Students experience interactive history through visiting key historical areas that cover the timeline of Texas history. The roadmap takes us to Abilene's Frontier Texas Museum where students learn about the ranching industry. The Alamo in San Antonio is a favorite, and of course, the great Texas State Capitol and Bob Bullock Museum in Austin rank high also. Dallas features The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Recreational fun provides an exhilarating diversion after a day of travel and study. Students will hear the timeline of Texas history many times along the journey, but that is not the only reason for this excursion. It is an opportunity for both core day students to interact and get to know one another outside of the school setting, which builds unity looking forward to joining hearts and minds in their 7th grade year at the upper school.
MCA sponsors an American History Trip for the junior class each year in May. The trip occurs over the first ten days of the summer break. The trip is an extension of school and is designed to enhance the American History class that the students will take in the fall as seniors. The trip also seeks to promote unity in the senior class and to reward students in good standing for their hard work. The trip visits Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Plymouth, New York City, Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.


Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor
Director: Ken Rodgers, Betty Rodgers
Genres: Documentary, History, War
Country: United States
Release Year: 2011
Duration: 118 min
Synopsis: Twenty weeks before Khe Sanh, these men were boys, sitting in their mother's kitchens. Then they went to war. Through interviews, film footage, photographs and audio recorded in Vietnam in 1968, fifteen former Marines and Navy Cor...


Emancipation is a 2022 American historical action film directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Will Smith as an enslaved man in Louisiana in the 1860s who escapes his plantation.
The film, written by William N. Collage, is loosely based on the real-life story of Gordon (named “Peter” in the film), a former slave, and the photographs of his bare back, heavily scourged from an overseer’s whippings, that were published worldwide in 1863, giving the abolitionist movement proof of the cruelty of American slavery. The film also stars Ben Foster and Charmaine Bingwa.
Emancipation had its first screening in Washington, D.C. on October 1, 2022, and was released in select cinemas on December 2, 2022, before its streaming release on December 9, by Apple TV+.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cinematography, action scenes and Smith’s performances, but criticized the screenplay, plot and its handling of real-life events.
Disclaimer ⚠ : This Content is Either forwarded From Other website Or Taken From the Internet, We Don’t Own Any Content.❌No copyright infringement intended, Fair Usage Applies❌


The parish of St Austin and St Gregory with St Anne in Margate is a Roman Catholic parish belonging to the Archdiocese of Southwark and part of the Thanet Deanery.
St Austin’s is a beautiful Church in the heart of Margate, on the corner of Charlotte Place and Victoria Road. (If you are coming from the sea front, bear right at the clock tower, proceed up the hill to Cecil Square and turn right at the traffic lights. Charlotte Square and Charlotte Place is the fourth turning on the left). Our parish, established in 1797, is centred round our historic church, which began its life in 1804 as a mission chapel. Although the exterior is modest, visitors are pleasantly surprised by its fine interior.
Everybody is welcome to visit the Church for Mass, or any of our other services. We also have social events which are open to all. See our weekly newsletter Margate Parish News for information about events.
On March 1st 2012 the parish of Ss Austin & Gregory formally merged with the parish of St Anne, Cliftonville to form one new parish. The presbytery at St Anne’s is now closed and all administration and enquiries are dealt with by the Parish Office at St Austin’s.
St Anne’s Church is situated on the Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville. Built in 1926, the Church was originally intended to accommodate over 1000 people. The present building was completed in the 1960s and remains an impressive building in the perpendicular gothic style. An important feature of the Church is the statue of St Anne with the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Designed by Stephen Huda
The Fleet 2300 Project was a revolution in naval technology and design. A century of haphazard design and construction of new classes had left the American navy with divergent capabilities that did not always complement each other. One class might boast a new hyperdrive while another had improved deflection grids but lacked the smartest missile launchers. It was the Shiny Toy Syndrome, and in the century after Contact we had many Shiny Toys to discover. To further exacerbate issues, it was often difficult to upgrade the ships since many of them were designed as more test bed projects than fully-realized modern warships. These ships did their duties well despite the difficulties, but the complaints of captains and crews were often legendary. The Fleet 2300 Project ended the series of sporadic upgrades and placed every advanced technology we knew how to build into the action. The Austin-class destroyer, Los Angeles-class heavy cruiser, and Empire-class battleship were the most successful results of that project.
The Los Angeles-class heavy cruiser was the last of the Big Three designs to come out of the Fleet 2300 Project, and very nearly did not make it into production at all. Design goals changed often over the twenty years it took to bring them to space. One administration would ask for heavy weapons. The next would ask for fighters. Another would say it has to be a command ship. Another would say it would have to operate independently. And many a congressman slipped some new requirement into the design proposal after a well-timed meeting with a major corporate donor. The shifting requirements were legion, and the plans changed all the way up through and after final production. Everybody wanted their fingers in on what everybody knew was the future of the American navy.
The prototype Los Angeles sailed out of Yosemite Yards in 2295 and promptly broke down. A year of rigorous testing and redesign helped the ship to set sail successfully in 2296. But stray harmonics in the hyperdrive nearly tore the ship apart when they tried to test it. Another year fixed that, but the maximum power engine test in 2297 resulted in three of the engines ripping away from the ship and burying themselves in the Lunar surface. The fourth engine held fast but refused to shut down, sending the ship into a dizzying acrobatic display that made most of the congressional witnesses throw up. The ones not inside the ship. Those inside would spend months in and out of the hospitals recuperating.
Desperate to save the flagging design, Yosemite Yards sought accomplished fleet captains and experienced crewmembers to help them nail down all the gremlins. That was when Captain Olivia Wyatt joined the project. The experienced naval personnel explored the prototype from stem to stern and tore almost every cubic centimeter apart during the twenty-six month process. Congressional oversight nearly cancelled the project a dozen times and corporate protests against their favorite system being torn out, sometimes through brute force, filled the halls of Congress. But the prototype set sail again in early 2301 and passed every naval test.
The prototype did not enter service though. After six years of cutting, prodding, and poking, the admiralty noted distrust that the ship could be spaceworthy, despite the protestations of her crew, and refused to christen her. They did authorize the first construction run of eight new cruisers based on her though, and Yosemite Yards went to work. The eighth ship of the class had recently launched from her docks and was undergoing space trials on June 15th, 2304 with her sisters when the Shang attacked and destroyed Yosemite Yards. The War had come.
The surviving admiralty quickly rechristened every ship of the class in honor of cities destroyed or badly damaged by the Shang attack. They renamed the class after destroyed Los Angeles and even rushed the prototype into deployment. She became the USS Los Angeles. Those original cruisers and others soon built by other yards became the backbone of the American fleet in the early years of The War, and continued to serve until Wars End. Most have been retired since then, though they are still seen in system and corporate guard squadrons.
The Los Angeles comes equipped with two heavy spinal gravitic cannons and six forward-firing capital-class laser cannons for anti-ship use. Thirty-eight heavy missile turrets and dozens of anti-fighter weapons make her a more powerful warship than any Earth ship before the Fleet 2300 Project could boast. The hangar bay behind the armored wedge easily supports a squadron of Hellcats, numerous shuttles, and an armored Marine company. Her cargo bays can carry enough consumables for six months of deployment without resupply, and ships of this class often carry enough to maintain smaller warships attached to them.
She is a true multi-role warship and the lessons learned in her design and construction are followed to this day.