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Chris Miller|The Daily News

Former Southwest High School football coach and athletic director Phil Padgett joked in 2013 that a reason his school moved up in realignment was due to the Walmart shopping center being built on Yopp Road a sign that commerce was ready to grow, and with it more housing developments.

While the Southwest community has seen business growth, it also has faced a decline in population, resulting in the school seemingly on the 1-A/2-A border every four years during NCHSAA realignment cycles.

Southwest is in its third 2-A stint, having been there when it was built in 1976 until it dropped to 1-A in 1984. The Stallions returned to 2-A in 1997 before dropping back down in 2009.

More: Playoff spots to mean more for area teams after NCHSAA decision

The transitions have placed the Stallions twice in the Coastal Plains 1-A, in the East Central 2-A and the Coastal 8 1-A/2-A conference, where they play currently after realignment three years ago.

Conference landscapes have certainly changed over the years, and Southwest isnt the lone area school to have been affected.

If the state association's realignment proposal for the 2021-22 school year goes through, Croatan and Dixon will make the jump to 3-A for the first time, while Richlands moves back up to 3-A for the second time since 2013.

Areas seeing growth

How did this happen?

For its next realignment cycle, the NCHSAA not just used Average Daily Membership numbers, it also took into account three-year averages of State Cup scores and Individual Student Percentages, information that shows how any of each school's students benefit from government assistance, including free or reduced meals.

More: NCHSAA classification breakdown

While Croatans ADM now is around 870, athletic director Dave Boal said, the Cougars are scheduled to make the jump because of their State Cup performances and low government assistance. Croatan has been a 2-A school since it opened in 1998.

We are growing and there is development after development being built here, but those two things, the ISP and the Wells Fargo Cup, put us over the hump, Boal said.

More: NCHSAA final realignment figures

Dixon, meanwhile, is also growing with an influx of military families continuing to call that area home. Athletic director Brandon Ball anticipated a jump in classification, but not for another cycle.

We are at 891 I believe, which puts us at the top of 2-A, he said. We dont really stand out in the Wells Fargo Cup but as far as free or reduced meals, the ISP is what got us.

Then theres Richlands, which was 1-A from 1985-97 before playing in 2-A for the next 16 years. For a short period in 2013, Richlands was Onslow Countys largest high school in terms of enrollment and in 3-A, but the school dropped back down to 2-A in 2017 after Onslow County redistricting moved more kids from Gum Branch Road to Jacksonville High.

Like Ball, Richlands AD Mike Kelly anticipated another stay in 2-A before a move up the next cycle, adding the ISP figures moved his school over the line.

Looking ahead

What does these schools being 3-A for the local conference landscape?

Ideally, Croatan, Dixon and Richlands would join Jacksonville, Northside, Swansboro and White Oak in one Onslow conference, a league that ADs said would make traveling and scheduling easier, and perhaps provide some newgeographical rivalries.

But things are not that simple.

West Carteret remains 3-A, but is the Morehead City school placed in the Onslow conference or do it and 3-A Havelock move on? Keeping West Carteret in a league with Jacksonville, White Oak, Swansboro and Northside would geographically and competitively make sense.

Havelockwouldnt be missed by many Coastal Conference football teams, but the Rams fate is interesting because they could relocate to a Greenville-based split conference with D.H. Conley, South Central and J.H. Rose.

And making matters even more convoluted is that New Bern and D.H. Conley have to be together, given they are the only 4-A schools east of I-95 not in the Wilmington area.

Talk about a domino effect.

And what happens to Southwest, Onslow Countys only 2-A school?

My take would be for the Stallions to reenter the East Central Conference with the likes of East Duplin, Wallace-Rose Hill, James Kenan and Clinton, a move that would solidify the league as the states toughest football conference.

The NCHSAA will begin releasing conference proposals on Thursday.

Chris Miller can be contacted via email atchris.miller@jdnews.comor by calling 910-219-8472. Follow him on Twitter@jdnsports.

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Miller: Onslow's high school conference landscapes have changed over the years - Jacksonville Daily News

Its difficult to visit a website today without being warned that youre on your last free article. With social media devouring traffic, ad revenue collapsing, and layoffs ripping through the industry, paywalls are helping publications survive. Some are even thriving: The New York Times added a record 587,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2020. Defector, which rose from the ashes of the horrendous private equity mismanagement of Deadspin, was dubbed the potential future of media in a New Republic article that said the new venture was on track to make at least $2 million per year in subscription fees.

SUBSCRIBE

Creators deserve to be paid, and readers are saying these publications are worth the cost. The relaunch of Deadspins zombified corpse, despite being free, pulled in an embarrassing 10 percent of the traffic the site managed before the exodus of its beloved writers. But as paywalls grow more common (76 percent of American newspapers used them in 2019, up from 60 percent just two years prior) and stricter (publications are getting better at sussing out incognito mode and other tricks to dodge paywalls), most readers are still only willing to pay for one online news subscription. The media landscape, then, may come to resemble what it looked like before the internet, where it was difficult and expensive for any one consumer to traverse a wide range of viewpoints.

Just how far will this fragmentation go? Consider the case of streaming video. Subscription libraries of movies and TV shows are orders of magnitude more popular than those for the written word: The New York Times has 6.5 million subscribers, while Netflix has 183 million. But even there, as of mid-2019, the average American was spending just $29 a month, on an average of 3.4 streaming services. Even if readers turn out to be willing to spend that much for online publications, it wont get them very far. Subscribe to both The New York Times ($17 per month) and Defector ($8 per month), and youve already used up most of your budget. A Washington Post subscription ($8.33 per month), your local paper (the Denver Post is $14.99 per month), and one or two Substacks (popular ex-Buzzfeed journalist Anne Helen Petersen charges $5 per month for her newsletter) would also zero out your budget; as would a single subscription to The Boston Globe ($27.72 per month).

Unless readers are willing to spend a lot of moneyand substantially more than they spend on watching videosit simply wont be financially viable for them to consume a lot of internet content. Not coincidentally, a lot of internet content wont be financially viable, either. The New York Times 587,000 new subscriptions outnumbered the combined efforts of 261 local papers across America. In a 2017 analysis by The Outline (one of many sites to perish in recent months), only 2 percent of Patreons were earning the equivalent of $7.25 an hour from content creation, and less than half of those people hit the vaguely livable $15 an hour. Far from every Patreon is a full-time endeavor, but theres still a wide gap between the flashy success stories and everyone else.

The same problem appears to be reaching Substack. Theres long been a theory that if you can find 1,000 fans willing to pay you five dollars a month then you can make a comfortable $60,000 living online, and Substack was hyped as a simple execution of that concept. But where are those 1,000 readers going to come from when everyones pouring their money into legacy publications, and specialist sites such as Defector and The Athletic?

Continued here:
Paywalls, Newsletters, and the New Echo Chamber - WIRED

For close to 17 years Rene Spring and his husband, Mark Hoffmann, have called Morgan Hill home. And during that time the bedroom community south of San Jose has seen rapid development of new homes and businesses.

An avid hiker who regularly posts photos to his Facebook page of the numerous animals he encounters on his morning hikes, from wild pigs and turkeys to deer and coyotes, Spring decided four years ago he wanted to have more say in the future of his new hometown. So the native of Switzerland took leadership roles in several community groups and served as a planning commissioner for the city.

He is a big champion of Morgan Hill, setting up a popular Facebook page called "It's Ours, Our Morgan Hill," to promote the local civic scene. But the coronavirus outbreak has made doing so a bit harder the last nine months, noted Spring in a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

"Prior to COVID-19, I was out in our community whenever I had a minute to do so," said Spring, 56, a program management director for a global software company who has been working from home since March. "I am a people person. I loved doing that and I miss being able to do so to be honest."

In 2016, Spring decided to run for the District C seat on the Morgan Hill City Council. He was elected, becoming the first known LGBTQ person to serve on the governing body, and in November, he handily won a second four-year term.

"I can bring change. I bring in a voice that was missing on the council before," said Spring, who became a U.S. citizen in 2006. "I am a voice for the environment. I am pretty creative so I like to think outside the box if I can."

His swearing in ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 9, on Zoom as the council is meeting remotely due to the health crisis.

"You can imagine I am extremely happy and humbled about it. Down here in our city, we don't have any polls so you don't know where you stand," he said. "As an incumbent you can go either way; people like your track record or don't. People like what I was doing, and I am happy my district sent me back."

He wanted to continue serving on the council so there was a progressive, LGBTQ voice on the body advocating for smart development that includes more affordable housing and office space so residents do not have to commute north to their Silicon Valley jobs.

"I am not in the camp of build as much as you can. I want us to build in a sustainable way and not grow outside the city limits," he said. "We haven't annexed one acreage of land since I have been on council, which was the way it used to be in this city."

Spring is a strong advocate for the protection of Morgan Hill's rural charms and wild landscape. The city is the gateway into the sprawling Henry Coe State Park, which saw roughly 56,000 acres burn due to the SCU Lightning Complex Fire this summer.

"One of the reasons I ran for council was I really wanted to stop the urban sprawl outside of our city limits. We still have ag land and open space, that means a lot to me," said Spring. "I want to preserve it, as do a lot of the people here. It is why they voted for me four years ago."

Voters throughout Santa Clara County overwhelmingly renewed on the November 3 ballot a parcel tax to preserve open space throughout the South Bay. It has helped protect a large swath of Coyote Valley along Highway 101 between San Jose and Morgan Hill from being bulldozed for warehouses and tech campuses.

"There are endless amounts of reasons for why it is good for the environment. It helps with climate change; it helps protect water, as we need the groundwater. Besides being amazingly beautiful when take your time to go hike out there, it is extremely important for wildlife," said Spring for why he backed renewal of the tax and creation of the greenbelt planned for the area. "The cities to the north of us had done a huge mistake and got rid of all their orchards and beautiful ag lands. Once the land is gone, you can't get it back. I want our grandkids to be able to enjoy the beauty of the land as much as I can now."

Spring first moved to the Bay Area in 1998 and met Hoffmann, 63, an artist who also works as a mail carrier, that year in San Francisco. They married in 2008, and Spring is a step-dad to the couple's three adult children and a now a grandfather called "Opa" to three grandkids.

Like many families, they opted not to gather in person for Thanksgiving this year due to the pandemic even though their children all live in San Jose.

"That is really tough. We respect social distancing because we don't live in the same household," said Spring. "We do celebrate birthdays in the driveway. We don't visit in house anymore; it is really hard."

He has turned to baking, especially breads, while he sequesters at home. His posts of his finished creations on Facebook have fostered a new way for him to connect with his constituents.

"There are a whole bunch of new bakers in town. It was fun and I am continuing to do it," said Spring. "The European in me, the Swiss in me can't go for a walk to the bakery and get fresh croissants. I have to bake it myself when I have a craving."

He and Hoffmann had been living in South San Jose but ended up looking at homes to buy in Morgan Hill since it was more affordable and an easy commute for Spring.

"I didn't know anything about Morgan Hill when I moved down here," recalled Spring. "It is an amazing community; I love living here."

After his first successful council race led to news stories about that him being the first gay elected councilperson in South County, meaning Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy, Spring began to meet other LGBTQ residents of the area. There is a growing LGBTQ community in the three cities, he said, leading to a need for LGBTQ-focused services in that part of the county.

"I want people who live in San Francisco to know there is this wonderful community here. Morgan Hill is less than an hour away; come live here and visit," said Spring. "You are welcome here. They embrace the LGBTQ community here."

UPDATED 12/7/2020 to correct the spelling of Mark Hoffman's last name.

Political Notes, the notebook's online companion, will return Monday, December 14.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes

Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com

Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.

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Political Notebook: For gay councilman, Morgan Hill is a welcoming home - Bay Area Reporter, America's highest circulation LGBT newspaper

The homeownership rate among Black households remains stubbornly low, even as the overall U.S. homeownership rate has risen in recent years. That is a key reason why Black families have a median net worth well below that of white households.

Even for families that do own homes, the benefits of homeownership arent equally dispersed. Andre M. Perry, a fellow at the Brookings Institutions Metropolitan Policy Program and scholar-in-residence at American University, has quantified some of that divide in an effort to shrink it in the future.

Mr. Perrys research with colleagues has shown that houses are underpriced in majority-Black neighborhoods, a process he calls devaluation. That can lead to lower property-tax revenue to fund local schools and infrastructure in those neighborhoods and reduced wealth and discretionary income for Black families. In his book, Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in Americas Black Cities, which came out in May, Mr. Perry argues that racism contributes to the devaluation of assets, including homes, in majority-Black cities.

Mr. Perry spoke with The Future of Everything about the long-term effects of the gap in housing values, how to increase the Black homeownership rate and whats next for majority-Black cities.

We really wanted to see the impact of race on home price. And we controlled for education, crime, walkability, all those fancy Zillow metrics. And what we found is homes in Black neighborhoods are underpriced by 23%, about $48,000 per home. Cumulatively thats $156 billion in lost equity. In fact, $156 billion is the equivalent of 4.4 million new businesses, based on the average amount Blacks use to start up their firms. The $156 billion would have paid for more than 8 million four-year degrees, based on the average cost of a public four-year degree. Those are real material losses that were experiencing when we talk about devaluation. When people have this narrative in their mind that the conditions of Black neighborhoods are a direct result of the people in them, they wrongly discount the policies that created a lack of investment in those communities.

See the article here:
How to Make the Housing Market More Equitable - The Wall Street Journal

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueToad, a leading content delivery platform, today announces a new partnership with the Mark Allen Group, a leading publisher in the United Kingdom. The publisher selected BlueToad to create digitally responsive editions that will include brand-new and engaging content for readers.

Founded in 1985, the Mark Allen Group started with just two magazine titles but has since grown to be a diverse media organization boasting hundreds of print publications. With one of the largest portfolios in the media landscape, the publisher is now the go-to source for unique and inspiring content with clients ranging from healthcare to aviation, and everything in between.

The Mark Allen Group chose the BlueToad platform after a thorough investigation of digital publishing services on the market. BlueToads responsive solution offers a mobile-friendly layout that is both easy to use and visually appealing. The customization options for each magazines menu, as well as branding opportunities, allows the publisher to improve its audience reach and brand engagement.

Our content experience platform gives publishers extra bells and whistles to work with in order to define and enhance their brands, said BlueToad CEO, Paul DeHart. Having been in business for 35 years, the Mark Allen Group has grown tremendously and is clearly continuing to evolve to meet readers needs. The introduction of a solid digital offering was a clear next step as more and more people are consuming trustworthy magazine content through phones and tablets.

BlueToad allows publishers to incorporate media, such as audio and video to accompany articles. The Mark Allen Group is using Amazons Polly text-to-speech technology in order to give readers another way to enjoy content on the go. BlueToad has also made the process easy for Mark Allen by leveraging their print files and minimal other assets to create rich and engaging editions.

With so many readers using their phones to engage with our brands, we needed a solution that would provide a top of the range mobile experience, said Paul Creber, Director at Mark Allen Group. BlueToad has provided us with a partnership that allows us to get the most out of our content. While we started with just 17 of our titles, we quickly accelerated the transition of other titles and already have over 40 brands taking advantage of the BlueToad Platform with more to come.

For more information on BlueToad, please visit http://www.bluetoad.com.

About BlueToadBlueToad was launched in 2007 and provides publishers of all types a content experience platform for creating beautifully responsive digital editions and web content. It is a proud partner of some of the largest printers in the world and trusted to handle the important content of thousands of content creators across the globe. The companys goal is to make it easy for partners and customers to upload their content for a digital experience that works on all modern phones, tablets, and desktops.

About Mark Allen GroupThe Mark Allen Group is a family-owned private company, which was founded in 1985. The company employs more than 400 staff in five locations Herne Hill, Dartford, Guildford, Sutton and Wiltshire. Its 100 magazines and journals are published in a broad range of sectors, including: healthcare; dental; social care; education; farming; music; manufacturing and engineering; aviation; print; human resources; the built environment; technology; auto, transport and entertainment. It organises up to 250 exhibitions, conferences and awards every year. Flagship brands include: Farmers Weekly, Gramophone, Dental Update, British Journal of Nursing, Community Care, Nursery World, The Engineer, Machinery, Aircraft Interiors and Ground Handling International.

Media Contact:Alyssa CohenUproar PR for BlueToadacohen@uproarpr.com(321) 236-0102 x233

Continue reading here:
Mark Allen Group Partners with BlueToad to Create Digital Editions for Dozens of Industry-Leading Magazines - GlobeNewswire

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The 63rd GRAMMY Awards are right around the corner, airing Sunday, Jan. 31, on CBS, but the nominations are here now! Find out who is nominated in each of the 83 categories in the full nominees list below. Use the links to jump to a desired field.

1. Record Of The YearAward to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.

2. Album Of The YearAward to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.

BLACK PUMAS (DELUXE EDITION)Black PumasAdrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer

FUTURE NOSTALGIADua LipaLorna Blackwood & Koz, producers; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer

3. Song Of The YearA Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

THE BOXLarrance Dopson, Samuel Gloade, Rodrick Moore, Adarius Morag, Aqeel Qadir Tate & Khirye Anthony Tyler, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)

4. Best New ArtistThis category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

5. Best Pop Solo PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

6. Best Pop Duo/Group PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.

8. Best Pop Vocal AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.

9. Best Dance RecordingFor solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

10. Best Dance/Electronic AlbumFor vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

11. Best Contemporary Instrumental AlbumFor albums containing approximately 51% or more playing time of instrumental material. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

AXIOMChristian Scott aTunde Adjuah

CHRONOLOGY OF A DREAM: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARDJon Batiste

12. Best Rock PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.

13. Best Metal PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative metal recordings.

14. Best Rock SongA Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

15. Best Rock AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.

16. Best Alternative Music AlbumVocal or Instrumental.

17. Best R&B PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.

18. Best Traditional R&B PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.

19. Best R&B SongA Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

20. Best Progressive R&B AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B.

21. Best R&B AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.

22. Best Rap PerformanceFor a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

23. Best Melodic Rap PerformanceFor a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

24. Best Rap SongA Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only..

25. Best Rap AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.

26. Best Country Solo PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.

27. Best Country Duo/Group PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

28. Best Country SongA Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

29. Best Country AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.

30. Best New Age AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.

31. Best Improvised Jazz SoloFor an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter's name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.

32. Best Jazz Vocal AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.

33. Best Jazz Instrumental AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.

34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.

35. Best Latin Jazz AlbumFor vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.

36. Best Gospel Performance/SongThis award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best traditional Christian, roots gospel or contemporary gospel single or track.

37. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/SongThis award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best contemporary Christian music single or track, (including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin, or rock.

38. Best Gospel AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional or contemporary/R&B gospel music recordings.

39. Best Contemporary Christian Music AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip hop, Latin, or rock recordings.

40. Best Roots Gospel AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, including country, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.

41. Best Latin Pop or Urban AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin pop or urban recordings.

42. Best Latin Rock or Alternative AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin rock or alternative recordings.

43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new regional Mexican (banda, norteo, corridos, gruperos, mariachi, ranchera and Tejano) recordings.

44. Best Tropical Latin AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new tropical Latin recordings.

45. Best American Roots PerformanceFor new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

46. Best American Roots SongA Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

47. Best Americana AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.

48. Best Bluegrass AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

49. Best Traditional Blues AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.

50. Best Contemporary Blues AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.

51. Best Folk AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.

52. Best Regional Roots Music AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental regional roots music recordings.

53. Best Reggae AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new reggae recordings.

54. Best Global Music AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.

55. Best Children's Music AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children.

56. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

57. Best Comedy AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

58. Best Musical Theater AlbumFor albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principle vocalist(s) and the album producer(s) of 51% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of a new score are eligible for an Award if they have written and/or composed a new score which comprises 51% or more playing time of the album.

JAGGED LITTLE PILLKathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

59. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual MediaAward to the artist(s) and/or in studio producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album. In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD(Various Artists)Nate Heller, compilation producer; Howard Paar, Music Supervisor

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC(Various Artists)Jonathan Leahy, compilation producer

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA(Various Artists)Savan Kotecha, compilation producer; Becky Banthem, music supervisor

FROZEN 2(Various Artists)Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Dave Metzger, compilation producers

JOJO RABBIT(Various Artists)Taika Waititi, compilation producer

60. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual MediaAward to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, video games or other visual media.

61. Best Song Written For Visual MediaA Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

62. Best Instrumental CompositionA Composer's Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.

63. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A CappellaAn Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

64. Best Arrangement, Instruments and VocalsAn Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

65. Best Recording Package

66. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

MODEJeff Schulz & Paul A. Taylor, art directors (Depeche Mode)

ODE TO JOYLawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

67. Best Album Notes

68. Best Historical Album

69. Best Engineered Album, Non-ClassicalAn Engineer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)

HYPERSPACEDrew Brown, Julian Burg, Andrew Coleman, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Jaycen Joshua, Greg Kurstin, Mike Larson, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco & Matt Wiggins, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

70. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

August (Taylor Swift) (T)Gaslighter (The Chicks) (A)Holy Terrain (FKA Twigs Featuring Future) (T)Mirrorball (Taylor Swift) (T)This Is Me Trying (Taylor Swift) (T)Together (Sia) (S)

Cypress Grove (Jimmy "Duck" Holmes) (A)El Dorado (Marcus King) (A)Is Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green) (A)Singing For My Supper (Early James) (A)Solid Gold Sounds (Kendell Marvel) (A)Years (John Anderson) (A

Backbone (Kaleo) (S)The Balladeer (Lori McKenna) (A)Boneshaker (Airbourne) (A)Down Home Christmas (Oak Ridge Boys) (A)The Highwomen (The Highwomen) (A)I Remember Everything (John Prine) (S)Reunions (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) (A) The Spark (William Prince) (S)You're Still The One (Teddy Swims) (S)

It Is What It Is (Thundercat) (A)

Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T)Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T)Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S)Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T)Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T)Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T)Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

71. Best Remixed RecordingA Remixer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.

72. Best Immersive Audio AlbumDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

73. Best Engineered Album, ClassicalAn Engineer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

74. Producer Of The Year, ClassicalA Producer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

Aspects Of America - Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony) Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers) Dvok: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra) Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera) Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony) Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke's) Massenet: Thas (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra) Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra) Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss) Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) Gluck: Orphe & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus) Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus) Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner) Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, 'Babi Yar' (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth) Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth) Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival) Hynes: Fields (Devont Hynes & Third Coast Percussion) Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble) Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble) Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble) Soul House (Hub New Music) Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)

Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic) Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance) Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic) LA Phil 100 - The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic) Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra) Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, 'The Four Temperaments' (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)

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GRAMMY U: College Grads, Looking For A Job? Music Industry Professionals Share Their Insights On How You Can Get Hired During Uncertain Times -...

A concept that previously garnered attention with activists andselect government agencies, environmental justice (EJ) is nowregularly discussed in corporate boardrooms and among C-suiteexecutives.1 This is for good reasonEJ hasrisen to prominence in recent years and months, buoyed by currentsocial justice efforts, the recognition of health disparitiesunderscored by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a presidential campaignin which EJ has taken center stage.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines EJ as the"fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all peopleregardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respectto the development, implementation, and enforcement ofenvironmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the UnitedStates, EJ is arguably seeing the most significant progress sinceits outgrowth from the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. In addition toincreased EJ advocacy in 2020, newly proposed federal legislationseeks to reframe the way in which the law addresses andincorporates EJ into existing systems for environmental protection.At the state level, new legislation and guidance set the tone forsignificant reform, with states like New Jersey and Connecticutpassing historic measures to build EJ requirements into permittingand remediation procedurespotentially serving as models forother jurisdictions to follow.

These converging trends signal what will likely be a notableshift in the status quo, with potential for exponentialamplification by the presidential and congressional electionoutcomes. The Democratic Party presidential nominee, former VicePresident Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has released dedicated climate andEJ policy proposals, promising sweeping changes to federal EJpolicy and prioritization should he and his running mate, SenatorKamala Harris (D-CA), win the White House. In addition,congressional election results could shift party dynamics such thatthe recent increase in EJ-related bills could have a strong chanceof becoming law. Regardless of election outcomes, the Bidencampaign's forceful prioritization of EJ has spurred those onboth sides of the aisle to take a stand. As such, the federaldiscussion on advancing EJ is likely to continuealbeit indifferent wayseven under a second Trump term.

Although the most significant EJ activity has occurred at thestate level, federal-level changes may be on the horizon, with muchat stake in the 2020 presidential and congressional elections.Indeed, during the last presidential debate of this election cycle,the moderator asked a question about EJ and Biden responded byacknowledging the importance of protecting fenceline communities.Should he take office, all indicators suggest that EJ will be agovernment-wide priority. Not only has Biden released the mostcomprehensive EJ platform of any presidential candidate, but hisselection of Senator Harris, a longstanding EJ advocate, as hisrunning mate signals his commitment to follow-through on hiscampaign promises. In his July 2020 Plan to Secure Environmental Justice and EquitableEconomic Opportunity, Biden advocates for such far-reachinginitiatives as: establishing an Environmental and Climate JusticeDivision of the U.S. Department of Justice; instructing theAttorney General to implement Senator Cory Booker's Environmental Justice Act of 2019 throughexecutive action; and overhauling EPA's program responsible forenforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI).

A second term of the Trump Administration may also usher in anew wave of EJ prioritization. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler ina recent public address declared that"community-driven environmentalism" will be a focus of asecond Trump term and is "the best opportunity in at least ageneration to solve the environmental justice issues we facetoday." He retorted that community-driven environmentalism"will do more for environmental justice than all the rhetoricin political campaigns."

Beyond the White House, shifts in Congress's composition mayhave similarly significant impacts on EJ policy given a recentspike in EJ-specific legislative proposals. After co-sponsoring theGreen New Deal, Senator Harris introduced two EJ bills in August2020: the EJ for All Act (S.4401; H.R.5986) and the Climate Equity Act (S.4513; H.R.8019). Theformer is a sweeping overhaul of federal EJ policy, calling forexpanding National Environmental Policy Act requirements forcommunity engagement; amending the Clean Water Act and Clean AirAct to require consideration of cumulative impacts in permittingdecisions; and expanding the private cause of action under Title VIby explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on disparateimpacts. The latter requires Congress to consider the impacts oflegislation, regulation, or investments on EJ communities in itsdecision-making, in addition to creating a Climate andEnvironmental Equity Office within the Congressional Budget Office.After introducing the Environmental Justice Act in 2019, SenatorBooker released the Environmental Justice Legacy Pollution CleanupAct (S.4617; H.R.8271) in September 2020, which increasesfunding for cleanup of legacy pollution and amends the Clean AirAct to prohibit issuance of new major source air pollution permitsin overburdened communities. Additional recent EJ-related billsinclude the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act(H.R.4447), which the House passed in September and features asection on EJ that incorporates the Environmental Justice for AllAct's key provisions, and the Public Health Air Quality Act of 2020 (S.4369;H.R.7822), which would require facility-specific fencelinemonitoring of air pollution in certain communities. These billsforeshadow EJ legislation that may be passed by the nextCongress.

In recent years, several states have enacted or proposedlegislation that strengthens existing civil rights laws andestablishes new EJ-specific laws. As a result, the vast majority ofstates now address EJ in some fashionvia legislation, agencypolicy and guidance, or advisory groupswith fewer than fivefailing to mention the concept at all. While there has been recentEJ activity in states from coast to coast, the extent to which aparticular state addresses EJ varies widely. Some states, likeCalifornia, have robust EJ schemes, while others make only passingreference to the concept. Overall, since 2017, the TrumpAdministration's deregulatory environmental agenda has inspiredgreater state activity, including concerted efforts to promote EJon behalf of their most vulnerable residents.

Notably, New Jersey's landmark EJ law, signed into law in September,promises to have wide-reaching effects. Under the legislation,applicants seeking new or renewed permits for specific categoriesof facilities sited in "overburdened communities" mustsubmit an "Environmental Justice Impact Statement" thatevaluates the potential cumulative environmental and public healthstressors associated with the permitted activity. New JerseyDepartment of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), in accordance withthe law, has published a list of "overburdenedcommunities," defined as any census block group withsignificant low-income, minority or non-English speakingpopulations (approx. 310 municipalities). The legislation empowersNJDEP to impose conditions on or deny a permit in its entirety,based on the agency's review of the applicant'sEnvironmental Justice Impact Statement. The law also introducessignificant public engagement and public notification mandates onapplicants. These requirements apply to permits for a wide range offacilities, including but not limited to: anything defined as a"major source" of air pollution under the Clean Air Act;resource recovery facilities or incinerators; sludge processingfacilities, combustors, or incinerators; sewage treatment plantswith a capacity exceeding 50 million gallons per day; and certainkinds of landfills. The new legislation goes further than any otherstate EJ law and may serve as a model for other similarly inclinedjurisdictions in the future.

Beyond the Garden State, other states have developed a host ofstrategies in recent years to further their EJ objectives,including establishing EJ oversight and advisory committees,identifying EJ communities statewide, and expanding publicengagement requirements. Recent examples include:

With few laws directly addressing EJ, activists have foundlittle success attempting to vindicate EJ communities' rightsin the courts.3 After the Fourth Circuit's recentopinion in the Friends of Buckingham case, however, thattide may be changing.4 In that case, the Virginia State AirPollution Control Board (Air Board) granted a permit to construct acompressor station that would have been part of the now-abandonedAtlantic Coast Pipeline in Union Hill, a predominantly AfricanAmerican community established during the Civil War.

Plaintiffs' challenged the Air Board's decision arguingthat it failed to perform its duties under Va. Code (Ann. 10.11307(E)) to consider the potential for disproportionatehealth impacts from the compressor station and made an incompleteand misinformed site suitability determination. The Fourth Circuitagreed, concluding that the Air Board (1) failed to make findingsregarding Union Hill's demographics, (2) failed to consider thepotential air pollution impacts regardless of compliance withapplicable air emissions standards, and (3) relied on an incompletefactual record in assessing site suitability. As such, it vacatedthe issuance of the permit and remanded the matter back to the AirBoard.

The Friends of Buckingham case is particularlysignificant because, although the proposed compressor station wouldhave met applicable air quality standards, the Fourth Circuitdetermined that compliance with environmental thresholds alone wasinsufficient to account for EJ concerns. In fully embracing theimportance of EJ, the Fourth Circuit explained that "[t]heBoard's reliance on air quality standards led it to dismiss EJconcerns. . . . But environmental justice is not merely a box to bechecked, and the Board's failure to consider thedisproportionate impact on those closest to the Compressor Stationresulted in a flawed analysis."5

While Friends of Buckingham is persuasive precedent, EJlitigants generally do not prevail in traditional litigation andoften turn to administrative remedies, primarily Title VI of theCivil Rights Act, as well as creatively using other civil rightslaws. For example, in Illinois, a coalition of environmental groupsfiled a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment in August alleging that the City of Chicago violatedthe Fair Housing Act and the Housing and Community Development Actof 1974. The alleged violations stemmed, in part, from thecity's decision to approve the relocation of a recyclingfacility with high toxic air pollution from a wealthy neighborhoodto an EJ community.6 Undoubtedly, EJ activists will continueto find creative ways to assert EJ claims.

The breathless pace with which EJ developments continue toemerge leaves many stakeholdersincluding the regulatedcommunityanxiously wondering how they should mitigate risk,reform their practices, and proactively incorporate EJ bestpractices. This is particularly true given that despite its renewedmomentum, EJ remains difficult to define. Notably distinct fromother environment, health, and safety compliance areas, EJ lacks adedicated, overarching federal statute mandating specific actionsand remedies. That may not be the case for long. As these changescontinue to emerge, industry actors, in particular, will do well tofollow the current state of play in the EJ spacepayingparticular attention to state activity and creative litigation byEJ advocatesto understand how such developments can affectcontinuity of operations and compliance in the coming months. Caseslike Friends of Buckingham are reminders that it isintegral for industry stakeholders to assess the EJ implications inareas in which they operate, understand the impacts of theiroperations on vulnerable communities,andultimatelyshow themselves to be goodneighbors.

Stacey Sublett Halliday is an Independent Consultant forBeveridge & Diamond

This article was re-published as an "ExpertAnalysis" by Law360 (subscription required).

Footnotes

1. For example, Duke Energy Corp.'sCEO recently discussed the company's development of EJprinciples "to be sensitive to how a project might affectresidents closest to a facility and be more proactive onstakeholder engagement."

2. "Affecting facilities"include certain electric generating facilities, certain sewageplants, waste incinerators, certain processing or recyclingfacilities, medical waste, landfills, and any major source of airpollution.

3. See e.g., Town ofWeymouth v. Mass. Dep't of Envtl. Prot. (1st Cir. 2020)(rejected plaintiffs' claim that the Massachusetts Departmentof Environmental Protection failed to comply with the MassachusettsEnvironmental Justice Policy in review of air permit for compressorstation).

4. Friends of Buckingham v. State AirPollution Control Bd., 947 F.3d 68 (4th Cir. 2020).

5. Id. at 91-92.

6. https://aboutblaw.com/SzR

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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The Evolving Landscape Of Environmental Justice In 2020 And Beyond - Environment - United States - Mondaq News Alerts

Aman Kyoto sits within 3.2 hectares of secluded forest, softly illuminated by sunlight through overhead foliage and low-lying mist, silent except for birdsong, mountain streams and the occasional frog croak echoing in the stone wells and culverts. And, of course, your own footsteps on the stone paths, along which you encounter huge, moss-covered boulders embedded in the undulating ground, or flat clearings defined by geometric patterns of gravel and stone paving. Indeed, traditional Japanese stroll gardens are designed so as to balance natural serendipity and artificial precision. Every detail is considered, every sightline composed.

As you walk, the elements of the garden are revealed, concealed, then revealed again from different angles and in different relationships. Each step produces a new vista. Its impossible, if not meaningless, to separate the human interventions from their natural surroundings. The compression and variety of incident create illusions of scale and evocations of other places, whether real or mythical. This is nature enhanced, landscape intensified.

Located at the western edge of Kyoto, this hidden valley is nestled within a larger hidden valley the city itself is set in a basin ringed by mountains. Though it took almost a quarter of a century from architect Kerry Hills first, rapturous encounter with the site until the opening of the resort, the forest had been under development for many decades previously. It was once the property of a textile magnate from Kyotos garment district, who intended to build a private museum for his collection of fabrics from Japan and elsewhere. Working with local garden designers, he began subtly modifying the topography and waterways, creating clearings, laying out broad paths of enormous, irregular flagstones, and building high retaining walls of natural rocks in order to produce flat platforms in the foothills at the west edge of the site. He judiciously located trees, shrubs, ferns and moss, as well as picturesque compositions of huge boulders the Japanese term for garden design is literally the setting of stones.

The owner passed away with the museum still unbuilt, inspiring Hill to treat the place as a found object, or perhaps an imaginary ruin. Working closely with famed garden designer Akihiro Shimoda, Hill extended and complemented the existing landscaping with utmost care the moss was moved to a nursery then fastidiously replanted when construction was complete and located his new buildings in response to the implicit and explicit paths, ridges and planes of the site.

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On arrival, guests first enter the reception. Aman Kyoto is located within an established 3.2-hectare garden setting surrounded by mature forests on the outskirts of Kyoto.

Image: Nacasa & Partners

Hills first architectural gesture was the living pavilion (a restaurant, bar and outdoor seating area with a fire pit) set at the south edge of the main garden. The spaces are accented with commissioned ceramic artworks and paper light fittings designed by the architects, and the cuisine served here is, needless to say, as exquisite as the surroundings. Sadly, Hill did not live to see construction fully completed, but the garden has been named in his honour, and a small stone set in the ground is engraved with a poetic memorial. Guest rooms are contained in two-storey blocks along the east boundary, with larger suites placed on higher platforms to the west. The architectural language is the same throughout: rectangular pavilions faced with vertical slats of dark-stained wood, sheltered by zinc-clad, low-gabled roofs.

The public areas also have dark-stained wood interiors, producing a typically Japanese ambiguity between interior and exterior, but the guestrooms are lined with pale, lacquered tamo (Japanese ash) and have full-height windows facing the garden. Aside from a slightly raised wooden bed instead of a futon on the floor, every element you might expect in a traditional inn is present sliding screens and tatami mats, a tokonoma alcove for displaying an ikebana flower arrangement and a kakejiku hanging scroll but abstracted to an extraordinary level of refinement and elegance. Immaculate surfaces, concealed connections, soundless movements, recessed joints and delicate shadow lines make every element appear simultaneously integrated and independent, visually weightless. With almost the same floor area as the bedroom, the bathroom is finished in frosted glass and stone tiles, and contains a freestanding bathtub made of hinoki (Japanese cypress), a wood chosen for its beauty and durability, and the scent that suffuses the room when it is filled with water.

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The guest bathroom design is formal and centred around a hinoki (cypress) ofuro , or bathing tub.

Image: Nacasa & Partners

Bathing is central to Japanese culture and the resort experience. A spa elsewhere on the site contains communal (though gender-segregated) indoor and outdoor baths that use geothermal spring water, further heated as necessary. You sit in the outdoor rock pool, sedated by the rising steam and gentle sound of water pouring from a stone spout, looking across a narrow moss garden screened by a bamboo fence. Though the surroundings are designed to showcase the cycles of nature the gradually shifting sunlight and shadow, the changing colours of maple leaves and cherry blossoms here, you feel suspended in time and space. If only that were true.

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Suspended in time and space: Aman Kyoto - Architecture AU

Someone had to spoil it. That could be the motto of the social media age when things that begin as wonders become mere memes. Now our inability to let well alone is turning the most mysterious art happening of 2020 into another tedious prank.

Strange metal monoliths are materialising everywhere, in California, Romania, the Isle of Wight and, according to the latest reports, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. Their rate of appearance is quickening: barely 24 hours separate photos of the lone sentinel on the Isle of Wights Compton Beach and the new European manifestations. As these silent messengers follow those seen at wider intervals in Utah, California and Romania it seems that their message is becoming more urgent, the time of their revelation imminent.

Except no one believes that. They are certainly a great global diversion at the end of a wretched year. But as with a brilliant stunt by Banksy, we are all in on the joke. Theres even speculation Banksy is behind them, naturellement. And he might as well be, for all the apocalyptic terror the monoliths arouse. The social media chat is about aliens, not aliens.

It would be ironic if these structures really are the work of highly intelligent extraterrestrials trying to make first contact but were so jaded by art pranks and sci-fi cliches that were taking it for an elaborate stunt. Earthlings, we wished to impart the secret of the universe, but you are too cynical, theyll lament as they obliterate us.

Everyone recognises the monuments similarity to the Sentinels in Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C Clarkes 2001. If they really were like those slender black plinths that change the course of human history, they might be our much-needed salvation.

The similarity between the new sentinels and the ones from 2001 is sadly the most damning evidence that these are made by mere human artists. As they crop up all over the place, its also becoming clear their construction is all too earthly no unrecognised metals or inexplicable manufacture. The National Trust said the object on its land on the Isle of Wight seemed secure on a wooden plinth and that it was made from mirrored sections of plastic or Perspex material. Thats a bit ordinary. And to add another banal twist an organisation called The Most Famous Artist claims authorship of the columns in Utah and California, offering replicas for $45,000 (34,000) .

Its a shame to see a magic trick exposed, in a year when we could all do with believing in miracles. For the discovery of the first monolith on 18 November was truly uncanny. Biologists surveying sheep in the red rock country of Utah spotted a shiny object from their helicopter and went in for a closer look. The monolith was far from human habitation or hiking trails and is thought to have gone unnoticed in the wilderness since being erected in summer 2016. So a very patient artist must have been content to let this monument go unseen for years, until it finally happened to be found. That does create mystery and awe. It even makes you question common-sense explanations.

But the people who removed it by night on 27 November were perhaps art critics making an aesthetic judgment. For this and all the monoliths have a big weakness as art. They look good, with their smooth, reflective surfaces coolly mirroring nature: the red landscape caught in the glossy shine of the Utah pillar and the Isle of White sculptures reflections of beach and sea are alluring in photographs. Yet theres something tacky about placing a synthetic metal or plastic object in a wild location. Its not an alien mystery, just human pollution.

Since the 1960s, land artists have tried to make monuments that are ecologically sensitive and more truly poetic. In Utah itself, Robert Smithsons Spiral Jetty is a giant arrangement of stones that disappears and reappears depending on how much water is in the Great Salt Lake. If you are ever hiking and come across a small cairn or just an arrangement of sticks, it may mean the artist Richard Long has walked that way. Even Wiltshires crop circles, a hoax that has gone on since the 1970s, are sensitive to their location: they get ploughed again and wont leave a trace to confuse future archaeologists.

Compared with these modern masterpieces of land art, the shiny monoliths are unmysterious and becoming less so by the day. Their global proliferation is ingenious but as art they are derivative, even kitsch parodies of modernist sculpture. They echo, but in a cheap and shallow way, Barnett Newmans Broken Obelisk or the steel walls of Richard Serra.

Weve never needed mystery more. And for a moment there, for all their faults when you scrutinise them as art, the sentinels were sublime. Please, whoever is responsible, stop now while theres still a shred of the marvellous in this diversion from our mundane apocalypse.

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Mystery of the monoliths: if only it were aliens - The Guardian

Plumbing issues are frustrating and can cost a lot of time and money to fix. Some problems are too tricky and complicated to handle on your own, while others can be easily fixed with a few do-it-yourself tips. Plumbing issues such as clogged drains can undoubtedly disrupt your everyday activities, and you should always try to resolve your plumbing problems as soon as you can.

However, before you decide that you need a plumber, you should always determine what the plumbing issue you are having and whether or not you can tackle it on your own. Here is what you should always check first when you think you may need a plumber.

You can attempt to fix issues on your own such as leaking sinks, running toilets, and clogged drains. However, there are more challenging issues, such as burst pipes, and theres no question a professional plumber should handle that. Therefore, before you call a plumber, have a look at your issue and try to understand what the problem is and whether you have the knowledge and skills to solve it. If your sink is leaking, for example, you can try to fix it yourself by trying to identify any parts which have come loose and then try to tighten them up. Another common problem which many people have is a running toilet. To solve this issue, you can try to replace the flapper, the flapper valve, or both.

After you have assessed your plumbing problem and attempted all the home remedies to no avail, it is time to call a professional plumber. It is important that you hire a professional and trustworthy service to avoid wasting your time, money, and effort. Speak to friends and family for recommendations for local plumbers they have used in the past who have delivered a good service. The experts at All Service Plumbers explain that before hiring a plumber or giving them any money, you should check that they have a plumbing license and the necessary insurance to do the job. If you found the plumber on your own without a recommendation, it is advisable to go online to do some research or find at least two references. Additionally, you should check how long your chosen plumber has been in business since reputable businesses typically last for a longer time than unreliable ones.

Aside from leaking sinks and running toilets, clogged drains are among the most common plumbing problems people often face that are more difficult to fix at home. While major clogs often need a professional plumber, minor clogged drains are easier to deal with. In fact, you can try to check whether or not your sink is clogged by pouring water down and seeing if it drains.

If your sink is clogged, you can try different approaches, such as flushing your drain out using boiling water. This solution is the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to solve a minor clog. First of all, you should try to remove the standing water in your sink or above the clogged area. After that, try pouring boiling water directly into the clogged drain. Wait for a moment to see whether the water goes down before removing the standing water and trying again.

Even though most people associate plungers with toilets, they can also be very effective with a clogged sink. Fill your sink with hot water up to a quarter of the way up, and then place a plunger over the plughole to work it up and down quickly. Afterward, remove the plunger from the drain and observe whether or not the water starts to drain. Remember that it might take some time and a few attempts for the plunger to unclog your sink successfully. Therefore, repeat this a few times if necessary. As well as a plunger, many people also use a straightened coat hanger to try and reach as far as possible down their clogged drains to fish out the blockage.

Depending on the blockage scale and the material which has built up, baking soda can be used with either white vinegar or salt to unblock the sink. Typically, all standing water should be removed from the blocked sink or the blocked area. Then, you can pour a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar or salt down the drain.

Note that this mixture might cause some bubbly liquid to rise, but if this happens, you can place a sink stopper on top of it or cover your drain with a piece of cloth. This solution should be left in your drain for 10 to 15 minutes before running boiling water down and attempting to flush out the drain.

If this doesnt do the trick, you can use a commercial solution made explicitly for blocked drains. This is widely available in many stores, and you can simply follow the instructions on the product. However, remember to use these solutions carefully to avoid physical harm to yourself or further damages.

It is helpful for you as a customer to get competing quotes on a plumbing issue that isnt too urgent. This allows you to choose the best quality plumbing service at a competitive price. Keep in mind; however, that price does not mean everything, and so the lowest price does not necessarily mean that you will get the best available service.

When a plumbing issue arises, sometimes the problem can be solved quickly with simple do-it-yourself tips and solutions. Other times, you will need to hire a professional plumber to save your plumbing system and home from further damage. However, before you call a plumber, remember to check these steps first to make sure that youre not calling one out for a job that you can easily do.

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What To Always Check When You're In Need Of A Plumber - E/The Environmental Magazine