Categorys
Pages
Linkpartner


    Page 42«..1020..41424344..5060..»



    Something beautiful is happening in Nova Scotias forests – TheChronicleHerald.ca - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    MEADOW GREEN, N.S.

    If you are wise enough to find yourself wandering a river under old hardwoods over the coming days, look down.

    Because while it is good to be wise, it is better to be lucky.

    And if you are both, you will see a wide carpet of flowering blood root.

    Out toward the fringe of the flowers, the dutchmans breeches may be swinging on their green line.

    The nodding trillium, however, most likely wont be quite yet roused from its slumber to welcome the bees.

    Give it another week.

    Our man-made hybrids are just clumsy when compared to a wildflower, said Bruce Partridge on Tuesday.

    Its like comparing a deer to a cow.

    Small flowers are blooming now in our old forests.

    It is a display of beauty made all the more precious for its being so fleeting.

    A few more warm days and the blood root, which bleeds bright red when cut, and the dutchmans breeches, named by some forgotten soul who saw in their aspect a pair of shorts hung out to dry, will be done with flowering.

    Because to be elegant is to be parsimonious in both form and presence.

    They are just enough flower to attract the bumbling bees without exposing themselves unnecessarily to wind, rain and frost.

    They are with us just long enough to get pollinated.

    And their symmetrical beauty is enough to confoundthe arguments of Charles Darwins followers that survival is natures only polestar.

    Next to bloom will be the nodding trilliums and the yellow violets, then the blue bead lily and the jack in the pulpits.

    Then it will be June and the leaves of the elderly sugar maple and ash trees will be fully formed and stealing the sun.

    Down where the East Pomquet River wends through Meadow Green, Antigonish County, the fiddleheads and sensitive ferns will unfurl themselves and grab whats left of the energy produced by a nuclear furnace 150 million kilometres away.

    And the floor of this small copse of old forest will be shadowy and damp until winters return.

    These are just the lowland flowers, said Partridge.

    Theres also the flowers of the upland hardwoods, coniferous forest, the Guysborough bogs. Each has its own florae and each is just as amazing and just as complicated.

    Partridge discovered this patch of wildflowers while out walking the Meadow Greens unpaved main three decades ago.

    Trained as a botanist in Utah before lifes meandering path saw him building a homestead and raising children and plants in Antigonish County, he recognized the wildflower from a picture in a book.

    When the first settlers came they were everywhere, said Partridge.

    Theres only the tiniest fraction left after all our land clearing and cutting. Its not really fair to pin blame because hardly anyone pays attention to what their wheels drive over.

    They arent just pretty flowers.

    They are the now preciously rare signs of an untrammeled ecosystem.

    These wildflowers spread primarily by their roots. This patch of blood root on this bend of the East Pomquet River could be a thousand years old.

    So could the ferns whose root systems overlay and intertwine with that of the flowers and the towering hardwoods overhead.

    Those like Partridge who make a life seeking to understand these places do not walk on the earth.

    They walk between a living system for the gathering of water and nutrients and another for the inhaling of light and carbon dioxide.

    He tried for years to breed these flowers from seed, failing season after season.

    Then watching the ants carry the seeds, that have these fatty flaps to attract them, you realize its something they do or are involved in, said Partridge.

    The find on that morning walk led to a rekindling of his fascination with these flowers.

    It led him and his wife Mary to start Borealis Wildflowers a mail-order seed catalogue.

    Though he survived a long battle with cancer, the company didnt.

    And ever since beating the terminal prognosis of the disease, hes seen in these flowers a wisdom.

    They are above the earth long enough to do what needs to be done.

    They are beautiful while they are here.

    And then they are gone.

    They know where they stand, said Partridge, 72.

    Read the original here:
    Something beautiful is happening in Nova Scotias forests - TheChronicleHerald.ca

    From Iceland Four-Day Battle With a Five-Meter-Deep Snowdrift – Reykjavk Grapevine - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Photo by

    Vsir/Icelandic Road Administration

    All in all it took four days to break through a thick snowdrift which accumulated over the course of the winter on the road into Mjafjrur. The road is now open again after having been closed since around October.

    Foreman at the Reyarfjrur service center of the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration Ari B. Gumundsson stated on the Administrations website, We started shoveling the snow away last Friday. We continued on Monday and a narrow path, complete with corners to pull over for oncoming cars, and were completed by the middle of the day on Wednesday.

    After four days of hard work, the road into Mjafjrur has been opened, though it was not easy to clear through the thick snowdrift previously present there, Frttablai reports.

    The road was first closed in October last year. It was cleared around the middle of the month for the emergency services, who had to move in equipment to place fiber-optic cables in Mjafjrur. It was cleared again at the end of November and beginning of December to transport the equipment back out of Mjafjrur. The road was left open just a little longer in order to allow the Minister of Transportation to inaugurate the cables and has been closed since shortly thereafter, until now.

    About 14 people live in Mjafjrur all year around, and they have everything they need in Brekkuorp. In the winter the road is often closed, and the only way in or out is by boat, at which time the ferry Bjrgvin sails between Brekkuorp and Neskaupstaur twice a week.

    According to locals there was an usually high quantity of snow this year. Work on the tunnel will continue over the next few days, but at first there will only be Jeeps on the road. Four-wheel drives should be able to get on the road by tomorrow, but smaller private cars are likely to pass only after the weekend.

    According to Ari, weather conditions will greatly influence when the road in Mjafjrur is cleared. Sometimes when there is little snow, the road is only cleared a few times over the course of the winter. In worse years, the road has to continue to be cleared to allow vans to pass all the way into the fall.

    He acknowledges that the population has increased in the last few years to complete the land route. Were a bit behind behind in clearing the road compared to last year, due to both the weather conditions and COVID-19.

    These weather conditions differ starkly with the mild temperatures predicted by Vedur.is in much of the country today. Predicted high temperatures include 15C in Reykjavk, 11C in both Egilsstair in the far east and Patreksfjrur in the Westfjords, and 10C in Akureyri.

    Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, its become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevines journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.

    See original here:
    From Iceland Four-Day Battle With a Five-Meter-Deep Snowdrift - Reykjavk Grapevine

    Ask Fuzzy: Should we drain the swamp? – The Canberra Times - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    news, latest-news,

    Political references aside, the unequivocal answer is 'no'. Inland and coastal swamps - wetlands - are ecosystems that support all life, including us. If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, wetlands are the kidneys. Trapping nutrients from runoff, they are immensely important filters of fresh and saltwater. This makes them extremely rich habitats, supporting fish, birds and other wildlife, which are integral to the food web. They are breeding grounds for fish and molluscs that are in turn, food for us. As human population climbs relentlessly towards 8 billion people and beyond, we cannot afford to undermine food production systems. Wetlands are also supremely good at capturing carbon dioxide. The remaining mangroves that currently cover 14-15 million hectares around the world, trap an estimated 31 to 34 billion kilograms of carbon every year. Researchers at Deakin University believe that this biosequestration is one of the single largest opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions in Australia. While wetlands cover only about 4 per cent of the earth's land surface, they are sequestering up to 33 per cent of the carbon in soils. In mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass ecosystems, carbon is stored in the soil down to 3 metres. By clearing them, we remove the carbon sinks and also make coastlines vulnerable to storm damage. In inland waters, wetlands and healthy riparian zones also trap nutrients and preserve soil. Healthy rivers also store considerably more carbon than unhealthy ones. Concrete drains accelerate runoff, and the increased flow of nutrients exacerbates outbreaks of blue-green algae. These are examples of ecosystem services - work that nature does for us for free. Unfortunately, wetlands also occupy prime waterfront real estate where we like to build houses, hotels, marinas and dockyards. Humanity has an abysmal record of removing wetlands that once covered around 10 per cent of the earth's land surface. In only 50 years, half the world's mangrove forests have vanished. Our attitude to wetlands and other parts of the environment would be different if they were explicitly acknowledged as part of the economy, however, ecosystem services are completely ignored by GDP. In fact, their destruction ostensibly boosts GDP because of the economic activity involved in 'developing' them. Fortunately, many cities have programs to restore urban waterways, making them attractive places while improving the environment. They replace the hard, ugly concrete surfaces with places that are nice to visit. By replacing these, we create natural rainwater buffers, promoting places where amphibians, dragonflies and birds can thrive. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com Twitter @FuzzyLogicSci Podcast FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com

    https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/2a2bc265-8742-4521-81c1-429a220b9306.JPG/r13_98_5484_3189_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

    If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, wetlands are the kidneys. Picture: Supplied

    Political references aside, the unequivocal answer is 'no'.

    Inland and coastal swamps - wetlands - are ecosystems that support all life, including us. If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, wetlands are the kidneys. Trapping nutrients from runoff, they are immensely important filters of fresh and saltwater.

    This makes them extremely rich habitats, supporting fish, birds and other wildlife, which are integral to the food web. They are breeding grounds for fish and molluscs that are in turn, food for us. As human population climbs relentlessly towards 8 billion people and beyond, we cannot afford to undermine food production systems.

    Wetlands are also supremely good at capturing carbon dioxide. The remaining mangroves that currently cover 14-15 million hectares around the world, trap an estimated 31 to 34 billion kilograms of carbon every year.

    Researchers at Deakin University believe that this biosequestration is one of the single largest opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions in Australia.

    While wetlands cover only about 4 per cent of the earth's land surface, they are sequestering up to 33 per cent of the carbon in soils.

    In mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass ecosystems, carbon is stored in the soil down to 3 metres. By clearing them, we remove the carbon sinks and also make coastlines vulnerable to storm damage.

    In inland waters, wetlands and healthy riparian zones also trap nutrients and preserve soil. Healthy rivers also store considerably more carbon than unhealthy ones. Concrete drains accelerate runoff, and the increased flow of nutrients exacerbates outbreaks of blue-green algae.

    These are examples of ecosystem services - work that nature does for us for free.

    Unfortunately, wetlands also occupy prime waterfront real estate where we like to build houses, hotels, marinas and dockyards.

    Humanity has an abysmal record of removing wetlands that once covered around 10 per cent of the earth's land surface. In only 50 years, half the world's mangrove forests have vanished.

    Our attitude to wetlands and other parts of the environment would be different if they were explicitly acknowledged as part of the economy, however, ecosystem services are completely ignored by GDP. In fact, their destruction ostensibly boosts GDP because of the economic activity involved in 'developing' them.

    Fortunately, many cities have programs to restore urban waterways, making them attractive places while improving the environment. They replace the hard, ugly concrete surfaces with places that are nice to visit.

    By replacing these, we create natural rainwater buffers, promoting places where amphibians, dragonflies and birds can thrive.

    The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.

    Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com Twitter @FuzzyLogicSci Podcast FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com

    View post:
    Ask Fuzzy: Should we drain the swamp? - The Canberra Times

    COVID-19 Economic Impact Report on the Global Fiber Cement Industry – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "COVID-19 Economic Impact Report: Global Fiber Cement" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

    The global fiber cement industry is facing a number of challenges as it deals with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has the macroeconomic environment changed and what does it mean for the global fiber cement industry going forward?

    The "COVID-19 Economic Impact Report: Global Fiber Cement" report looks at how the expected impact of the pandemic on the current macroeconomic environment compares to other major events since 2000, including the bursting of technology bubble, the SARS outbreak, the 2009 global downturn, and the European financial crisis. It also provides a historical view of global industry sales since 2000, a look at how the industry is being currently impacted, and estimates for global industry sales through 2023.

    Fiber cement applications include:

    Key Topics Covered:

    For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i7m15l

    About ResearchAndMarkets.com

    ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

    Read the original:
    COVID-19 Economic Impact Report on the Global Fiber Cement Industry - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

    Automotive Interior Materials Market Driven By increased demand for interior styling, cabin comfort and other convenient features in an… - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Some of the major players operating in this market areTOYOTA BOSHOKU CORPORATION, Adient plc, Lear Corporation, Celanese Corporation, APM Automotive Holdings Berhad, Robert Bosch GmbH, BASF SE, SABIC, Continental Corporation, Faurecia and others.

    Get Sample Copy Of This Report @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=malaysia-automotive-interior-materials-market&kb

    The automotive interior materials market report includes the systematic investigation of current scenario of the market, which covers several market dynamics. This automotive interior materials market report also endows with an insightful overview of product specification, technology, product type and production analysis by taking into account most important factors such as Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin. To accomplish the same, this market research report offers an insightful market data and information about Chemical and Materialsindustry to businesses for making better decisions and defining business strategies. All these factors are very significant when it comes to achieving a success in the competitive marketplace.

    Segmentation:Malaysia Automotive Interior Materials Market

    Malaysia automotive interior materials market is segmented into three notable segments which are type, vehicle type and application:

    Inquiry For Customize Report With Discount at :https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/inquire-before-buying/?dbmr=malaysia-automotive-interior-materials-market&kb

    About Us:

    Data Bridge Market Researchset forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge Market Research provides appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.

    Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. GetCustomizationandDiscounton Report by emailing[emailprotected]. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

    Contact:

    Data Bridge Market ResearchUS: +1 888 387 2818UK: +44 208 089 1725Hong Kong: +852 8192 7475Email:[emailprotected]

    Read the original post:
    Automotive Interior Materials Market Driven By increased demand for interior styling, cabin comfort and other convenient features in an...

    District gives update on bond projects | Business | derbyinformer.com – The Derby Informer - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The school district recently gave an update on the progress of a number of bond projects. The bond projects are currently around $1.8 million under budget overall, though that amount could change at any time. Here is a summary of those updates:

    Stone Creek Elementary: The Stone Creek Elementary construction project is in its final phase before completion, and is anticipated to be ready for school in August. All windows and other glass have been installed in the learning hubs and classrooms. Carpet is being installed in the classroom wings, and cabinets are being installed throughout the building. The entry area/cafeteria/office area is framed, and drywall will be installed soon. The curb is being installed at the driveways. Parking lots will be constructed in early summer. The Informer will have a detailed story about this project coming soon.

    Derby Hills Elementary: Phase 1 of this project, the new gymnasium, is almost complete. The interior of the gym is painted and acoustic panels are on the walls. The ceiling grid is in place on the connecting hallway. Phase 2 started earlier than anticipated due to the lack of people in the building because of COVID-19. All the ceilings in the hallways have been removed for mechanical system improvements. Demolition has also started in the existing cafeteria and kitchen area. The existing cafeteria will be converted to the new kitchen, and the existing gymnasium will become the new lunchroom. The existing playground equipment will be relocated in May to a location north of the new gymnasium, and will also include a new Americans with Disabilities Act playground surrounded by artificial turf. The project is anticipated to be completed in August.

    Tanglewood Elementary: Work inside Tanglewood Elementary started early because of COVID-19 closing buildings. Demolition in the office area and kitchen has started. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing rough-in is happening inside the building. Drywall work on the first floor has begun, and the second floor will soon follow. Brick and metal wall panels are being installed on the exterior of the building. The work in Tanglewood will be complete in August, and its administrative center will be completed in November.

    Derby Middle School: The Derby Middle School bond project involves mechanical system upgrades, new locker rooms, remodeled concession area, and classroom expansions along the north wing. Construction will begin this summer.

    Derby High School: The expanded multipurpose/physical education space named the Panther Activity Center now has its steel frame installed. Brick at the base and the metal wall panels are being installed. The office area and a number of classrooms are also being worked on. The library will receive new paint and carpet over the next couple of months. The project is anticipated to be completed in October.

    Read the original here:
    District gives update on bond projects | Business | derbyinformer.com - The Derby Informer

    10-year Phenom Inspections Keep Clay Lacy Aviation Busy – Aviation International News - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Clay Lacy Aviation has been keeping busy with 10-year/120-month inspections of Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 twinjets, even adding $1.8 million in Phenom parts inventory to keep pace with the work and ensure on-time aircraft delivery. The company has completed 10Phenom 100/300 120-monthinspectionsat its California Part 145 repair stations at Van Nuys(VNY) and McClellan-Palomar (CRQ) airports, and it hasfive more such inspectionsunderway.

    So far, the inspections have yielded additional work such as seat reupholstery, new carpet installation, baggage-area refurbishment, connectivity upgrades to Gogo Avance L3, and, in the Phenom 100, installation of Garmins G1000 NXi integrated flight deck. The Phenom is a tremendous aircraft, and demand for inspection and upgrade services has been very strong, said Clay Lacy Embraer program manager Ned Zolota.

    A Phenom 120-month inspection involves removal of the interior and opening of all inspection panels and generally lasts three weeks without landing-gear overhaul. If the landing gear is overhauled, the project typically extends to four or five weeks.

    An authorized Embraer service center, Clay Lacy Aviation supports more than 100 Phenom 100s and 300s with more than 20 Phenom-trained technicians between its VNY and CRQ facilities.

    Read the rest here:
    10-year Phenom Inspections Keep Clay Lacy Aviation Busy - Aviation International News

    Health department has monitored 138 for COVID-19 – News – The Review – The-review - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Kelley Engelhart, Director of Nursing, appeared before the Carroll County commissioners at the May 21 meeting to provide an update on the COVID-19 health crisis.

    There are 26 confirmed or probable cases in the county. Of those, 22 have recovered and two deaths are associated with the COVID-19 virus. The health department has monitored 138 residents that have been connected to the 26 confirmed or probable cases. The outbreaks in the long-term care facilities have been contained and there has been no new outbreaks.

    The health department is getting two to three deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE) per week from the National Stockpile, and distributing masks to government employees. T

    The health department will resume immunizations starting on June 1. Immunizations will be by appointment only and only for children who are five years old or younger with one parent present. Immunizations for children older than five and adolescents will be through a drive through.

    In other business:

    Approved a special hauling permit to Carroll County Logging for hauling over Avon Road (CR21) and Clover Road (CR70) in Fox Township; a $50,000 bond has been provided.

    Approved Resolution No. 2020-27 amending the Carroll County CHIP Program Policy and Procedure Manual effective for the PY 2018 CHIP Program and all further CHIP programs.

    Approved a letter stating the Commissioners will utilize the balance of $13,315.00 in HOME Housing Program Income to complete the PY 2020 Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) Program.

    Approved the Ethernet Local Area Network (E-LAN) Schedule Number S-0000239766 to the Frontier Services Agreement between Carroll County Board of Commissioners and Frontier Communications of America.

    Approved the Primary Rate Interface (PRI) Schedule Number S-0000239926 to the Frontier Services Agreement between Carroll County Board of Commissioners and Frontier Communications of America.

    Approved the 2020 Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Assistance Agreement with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in the amount of $150,000 for septic repairs, replacements or connections to a centralized sewer system with a project completion date of Nov. 30, 2021.

    Accepted the bid from Eick Electric & Lighting from Malvern in the amount of $38,500 and issue a Notice of Award for the PY19 CDBG Friendship Center Generator Installation project as recommended by Susan Moore of Ohio Regional Development Corporation.

    Accepted the bid from Country Carpets & Flooring from Minerva in the amount of $26,091.96 and issue a Notice of Award for the PY19 CDBG Friendship Center Flooring Replacement project as recommended by Susan Moore of Ohio Regional Development Corporation.

    Accepted the bid from Kienzle Repair Solutions Inc. from Minerva in the amount of $18,650 and issue a Notice of Award for the PY19 CDBG Friendship Center Freezer Installation project as recommended by Susan Moore of Ohio Regional Development Corporation.

    Authorized the Board President to sign change order for the PY19 CDBG Friendship Center Convection Oven project to increase the contract price by $182.70.

    Hired Hilary White, Jessica Flowers, and Noel Bertini-Baker as Social Services Worker II at a rate of pay of $18.73 beginning June 8, 2020 or later depending on notice requirements.

    Accepted the recommendation made by the 9-1-1 Technical Services Advisory Committee and 9-1-1 Planning Committee that the $10,777.76 match for the Text to 9-1-1 Grant be paid from 9-1-1 wireless funds.

    Tabled bids for the 2019 Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Project B for further review until Thursday, May 28, 2020.

    Continued here:
    Health department has monitored 138 for COVID-19 - News - The Review - The-review

    25 stage pros on reopening theater after coronavirus – Los Angeles Times - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Hello, from Week 3,742 of the quarantine! Oh, its been only two months, you say? Well, whats a few thousand weeks when you live in a timeless void. Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, with the weeks essential culture news and viral Grease lip-syncing.

    An installation view of Rachel Hayes Land Lines at Lowell Ryan Projects in Los Angeles.

    (Ruben Diaz / Rachel Hayes / Lowell Ryan Projects)

    Before we get into the nitty-gritty, how bout a little color and light, courtesy of Rachel Hayes, who recently had an appointment-only installation go on view at Lowell Ryan Projects in West Adams? The artist, who is based in Tulsa, Okla., creates large-scale fabric pieces (these are 13 feet tall) that feature bright geometric patterns. She often uses these in outdoor installations that offer plays on motion and light. In the gallery, the shifts are more subtle, with the movement of a visitor triggering gentle flutterings.

    Note that face masks and appointments are required at Lowell Ryan. Hayes Land Lines is on view until June 27.

    What will the theater of the future look like? Times theater critic Charles McNulty brought together 25 top minds to ponder that question, including playwrights Lynn Nottage and Luis Alfaro, artistic directors Kristy Edmunds of CAP UCLA and Yuval Sharon of the Industry.

    Performers weigh in, too. Patti LuPone says a good start might be taking a hose to the perpetually filthy environments backstage.

    I crave theater made out of the rough-hewn stuff of our lives, says Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegra Hudes. A theater of junk and reclaimed nooks. A theater of secrecy and sacredness and participatory respect. A theater where we earn our experience by shedding complacency. A theater that no one in their right mind could label content.

    Quiara Alegra Hudes at the Mark Taper Forum in 2018.

    (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

    Visiting art galleries in a pandemic is a complicated proposition, so the downtown artist-run space Durden and Ray put art in public places, including a chain-link fence, for a show titled We Are Here / Here We Are. All 97 works around Los Angeles County are viewable from the street or the sidewalk. Its a show, writes Times art critic Christopher Knight, that embraces L.A. sprawl. One of the most appealing features, says Knight, is that the serendipity of art encounters in public places is embedded in ordinary experience ... these works thrive beyond institutions or the marketplace.

    Rebecca Niederlanders Central Sensitization in Eagle Rock is part of We Are Here / Here We Are.

    (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

    Plus, The Times Jessica Gelt reports that Hector Guimares The Present, produced for small audiences on Zoom by the Geffen Playhouse, has not only turned into a phenomenon it proves that virtual performances featuring socially distant audiences can, in fact, feel communal. As Guimares tells her: If this social distance vanishes for a short time, I will have done my job.

    ICYMI, check out Charles McNultys review of the show. The Present, he writes, makes the strange affectionately familiar.

    Newsletter

    Your essential guide to the arts in L.A.

    Get Carolina A. Miranda's weekly newsletter for what's happening, plus openings, critics' picks and more.

    You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

    Since the pandemic began, commercial director AJ Bleyer has been shooting footage of L.A.'s empty streets. Now he has compiled the footage into a short video that serves as an archive of the early days of the pandemic, writes Makeda Easter. It was this really special period of time, he tells her. Traffic really halted and everyone was just kind of staying inside.

    At Keck Hospital of USC, doctors, nurses and patients have taken to wearing bright green stickers to note that they have been screened for coronavirus and that they have sanitized their hands. The stickers became the site of an informal art project featuring drawings of ice cream cones and smiley faces. Then, reports The Times Deborah Vankin, some of the stickers got political and what began as an informal art project went haywire.

    The nursing staff at Keck Medical Center of USC got creative about the coronavirus screening process, customizing the stickers visitors must wear with original art.

    (Ricardo Carrasco III / Keck Medicine of USC)

    Vankin also reports on a COVID-19 relief effort by the L.A.-based nonprofit group Red Carpet Advocacy and celebrity photographer Mark Seliger. Seliger has selected 25 limited-edition prints of figures such as Barack Obama, Billie Eilish and Lin-Manuel Miranda that will be auctioned at Christies. Each celebrity has chosen a charity that will receive funds from the sale of each work.

    The Segerstrom Center for the Arts remains closed, but its website is a repository of classes for students and the public, including lessons on ballet, storytelling and even how to make your own marionette.

    The L.A. City Council has approved a plan to turn arts fees paid by developers into small-dollar grants for artists and arts organizations devastated by the pandemic.

    Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Hisham Matar on works of art a painting by Thomas Gainsborough and photographs by Willi Ruge that capture a moment in which consequences are in question; a moment, in other words, not too dissimilar from where we find ourselves today.

    Things that we can only dream about in the U.S.: The United Kingdom has appointed a special Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal to get the culture sectors back up and running.

    Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times

    U.S. museums are beginning to reopen. Among the first: the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, where you will have to submit to a temperature check and wear a mask in order to enter the galleries. New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art, however, will not reopen until mid-August or later.

    Related: Museums in Italy have also begun to reopen.

    The Art Dealers Assn. of America issued a new report projecting a 73% loss in revenue as a result of the pandemic.

    For nonprofit arts organizations, coronavirus-related losses could hit $6.8 billion, according to a report issued by SMU DataArts and TRG Arts.

    Plus, New Yorks missing sounds.

    Matt Cooper has been rounding up the best watches, listens and looks, including a staging of A Streetcar Named Desire featuring Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, a celebration of African dance presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a new website that serves as a chronicle of MOCAs 2011 graffiti and street art show Art in the Streets.

    The Cannes Film Festival has been canceled. Thankfully, Times film critic Justin Chang rounds up 28 of the festivals best films to stream right now. Plus, Vulture asks almost two dozen figures from the film world what theyve been watching during the pandemic, and it includes everything from Ingmar Bergman to Notting Hill.

    Are you in need of a film that feels like a feverish quarantine dream? I heartily recommend David Lynchs 16-minute short What Did Jack Do? from 2017. The plot: A detective, played by Lynch, questions a capuchin monkey named Jack Cruz about a murder. Its hallucinatory and absurd, with some hilarious plays on the hard-boiled nature of cop-movie dialogue. Also, did I mention that the monkey is in love with a chicken? Its streaming on Netflix.

    Jack Cruz is a capuchin monkey in David Lynchs What Did Jack Do?

    (Netflix)

    Since were talking about movies: Here are 25 very short essays about 25 significant objects featured in film. For the series, Jonathan Lethem writes on the hammer carried by Burt Lancaster in Earth Abides, and Kio Stark considers the candle in the porn classic Debbie Does Dallas. As part of the series, I write about a haunted accordion.

    Also, I very much enjoyed this 2019 performance of Stravinskys The Rite of Spring that the L.A. Phil recently put online.

    Emma Amos, an artist whose work tackled issues of racism and privilege, and who regarded the use of color as a political statement, has died at 83 in Bedford, N.H.

    Susan Rothenberg, a painter whose great 1970s canvases of horses trembled with the presence of the human hand, helping to reintroduce figuration back into the mainstream art world at a time in which it was leaning abstract, has died at 75 in Galisteo, N.M. In a tribute, New Yorker critic Peter Schjeldahl says her work seethed with motion the isotope that had gone missing from the mandarin styles of the day.

    A 1970 Philip Glass score was lost, then found. Now it has been recorded. Long Beach Opera announced its 2021 season, curated by interim artistic advisor Yuval Sharon, who will be directing Comet / Poppea, a new work that brings together aspects of a Monteverdi opera with a sci-fi story by W.E.B. Du Bois. Smash, NBCs show about musicals, has inspired a real-deal Broadway musical. The Jean-Franois Millet painting that miraculously survived San Franciscos great fire in 1906. A video game inspired by Renaissance paintings, in which the aim is to kill a leader named Heavenly Peter. A story about Ray Eames looks at what it meant to be the female half of a famous design duo in the 20th century. Mies van der Rohes Farnsworth House is threatened by Chicago-area floods. How is L.A.'s very limited Slow Streets program which is intended to provide more outdoor area to pedestrians and bike riders going? Alissa Walker and Steve Chiotakis hit ... the streets. Architectural renderings were released of the new Taix restaurant and development in Echo Park, and the internet did its internet thing. Curbeds Jenna Chandler helpfully rounds up the reactions.

    Youre the one that I want.

    Go here to read the rest:
    25 stage pros on reopening theater after coronavirus - Los Angeles Times

    Safety Protocols for Shifting from Office to Home – Occupational Health and Safety - May 24, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Safety Protocols for Shifting from Office to Home

    Although staff no longer must make the commute into the office, safety hazards can and do still exist in the home. Here's your WFH safety checklist.

    A substantial share of the US workforce is currently working from home to respect social distancing and to stop the spread of COVID-19. For some organizations, the transition from corporate office to home office has not been overly difficult. For other industries, remote work is accompanied with a large number of challenges, and the transition from office to home has not been as smooth.

    As companies continue to navigate and overcome their own individual obstacles, its important that safety is not brushed aside. Although staff no longer must make the commute into the office, safety hazards can and do still exist in the home.

    As some states and provinces in North America ease restrictions and begin to re-open, some offices will continue to work from home. Companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google are in no rush to bring their employees back to the physical office. Thus, this article will identify safety protocols to take for employers and employees who employ a remote workforce.

    Set Up a Safe and Comfortable Work Environment

    Its important to dedicate adequate time and resources to set up a suitable at-home office due to the large amount of time that you will be spending here. Some important aspects to consider are chair and desk design, lighting, privacy and air flow. Investing in an ergonomic chair is a very good idea, specifically one with adjustable backrest, armrest and seat depth.

    Conduct Regular At-Home Hazard Assessments

    Before settling into your home office, its important to carry out an at-home hazard assessment to identify the safety risks that may be present. There is a broad range of hazards that can exist in the home, including ergonomic, physical, chemical, biological, environmental and electrical hazards.

    See the rest here:
    Safety Protocols for Shifting from Office to Home - Occupational Health and Safety

    « old entrysnew entrys »



    Page 42«..1020..41424344..5060..»


    Recent Posts