A top 10 list of the best banned literary filth – The Irish Times

Many books promise sex on the front cover but which ones are really dirty? Ive consulted the blacklist compiled by the Irish censors, who banned thousands of books for smut, swearing and shagging.

The moral effect of literary sex was so incendiary that the government oversaw a strict censorship regime to control it. In order to save the nation from mass perversion, the censors banned the greatest writers of the 20th century as well as sex manuals and pulp fiction. From 1930 to 1967, the harshest censorship system in the Anglophone world thrived in Ireland. So many literary greats were banned that the blacklist was nicknamed Everymans Guide to the Classics.

This is a top 10 list of the best banned literary filth, from classic novels to bestselling popular fiction. Rude books are a perfect saucy stocking-filler for anyone who loves mugs with smutty jokes or nudey fireman calendars.

Since starting Censored, a podcast about books banned in Ireland, Ive read a lot of so-called dirty books from the blacklist. Too many were disappointingly tame, but others explore sex and gender identity in interesting ways. Ive done you the favour of reading and rating them so you can enjoy the best smut over the festive season. Best of all, these naughty books can be read anywhere because the nice covers wont give away your dirty secret. Granny will never know your filthy reading habits as you nibble Christmas chocolates. If you havent been able to get the ride this pandemic, at least you can read about it.

John Broderick: The Pilgrimage Lilliput Press, 1961It opens with Julia, respectably dressed as the dutiful, obedient wife of an invalid, offering tea to the local priest. But she is not wearing knickers as she is planning a quickie with her husbands nephew. Broderick also explores Dublins underground gay scene and how queer men lived double lives. The pragmatic hypocrisy of the books characters regarding faith and morality is wonderfully audacious. A short, punchy book that interrogates the lies around sexual identity in provincial Ireland.

Pamela Moore: Chocolates for BreakfastHarper Perennial, 1956Escape to sun-drenched Hollywood in a book about a troubled teenage girl searching for love and sex. The main character, Courtney, parties too hard but this is not an ode to hedonism. Its a classic coming-of-age novel featuring a teenage girl and should be read alongside TheCatcher in the Rye, which was also banned in Ireland. Written when she was just 19 years old, Pamela Moore became an American literary sensation for this sensitive, candid book about the complications of sexual identity.

Richard Yates: Revolutionary RoadVintage Classics, 1961An unflinching, clear-eyed account of a man trapped by conventional masculinity. Frank and April are the epitome of young middle-class suburbia but he shags a co-worker to distract himself from marital disharmony. Sex for Yates is an opportunity to explore the inherent violence of gendered social roles. This challenging subject matter and a step-by-step description of a DIY abortion ensured his book was banned in Ireland.

Rona Jaffe: The Best of EverythingPenguin Modern Classics,1958Don Draper read it in Mad Men, but Irish people couldnt buy this banned book until the late 1960s. A tale of three hard-working single girls trying to make it in New York. This book has been very influential there are echoes of it in the film Working Girl and the TV series Sex andthe City. Jaffe explored abortion, sexual assault in the work place and obsessive love. It documents sex in a time when a condom was the 16th of an inch between a single woman and a home for unwed mothers. If youve ever debated your love life with friends in a small rented apartment, this is the book for you.

JP Donleavy: The Ginger ManLilliput,1954Set in a damp, grotty and oppressive Dublin, this international bestseller is full of violence, sex and drinking. Donleavy wrote a book that was truly filthy and a case-study in toxic masculinity. It was so dirty the Irish censors banned it twice and a play based on the book was shut down by Archbishop McQuaid. The main character, feckless and revolting Sebastian Dangerfield, is so inexplicably charming that lots of lovely women shag him. Donleavy wanted to shock, referencing gay sex, sexual assault, contraception and mother and baby homes.

Kathleen Winsor:Forever AmberPenguin, 1944The perfect gift for a fan of chicklit or bodice rippers. This book pioneered the bonkbuster, long romance novels by women for women that featured copious shagging. It is hard to believe it was banned in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand but light-hearted, guilt and consequence-free sex is very transgressive. The adventures of Amber, a brazen adventuress, in 17th-century England will brighten the grimmest January day.

Joseph Heller: Catch-22Vintage, 1961War novels offer lots of opportunities for sex and Catch-22 doesnt disappoint. The first page suggests the then-scandalous possibility of gay love but frequent, explicit heterosexual encounters dominate the narrative. Men and women are trapped in surreal dilemmas so inventively explored that catch-22 now means an inescapable situation created by mutually conflicting forces. Irish people probably used the catchphrase before they could legally buy the book.

Muriel Spark: The BachelorsPolygon,1960Laughing at sex is uplifting and Muriel Spark couldnt resist satirising the cosy lives of complacent London bachelors. A cast of disparate characters are slowly drawn into a complicated story of fraud, blackmail and attempted murder. Along the way there is a crisis pregnancy, a gay priest, an attempt to coerce an abortion and much angst over free love. An Irish journalist who likes sex but fears promiscuity will damn his soul is an entertaining portrait of Irish emigrant masculinity. Spark did not write explicit sex scenes but she did explore the dilemmas of sexual attraction in a witty, amusing fashion.

John McGahern:The DarkFaber & Faber,1965Give the history buff in your life a copy of the book that changed Irish censorship forever. The scandal over The Dark led to McGahern losing his teaching job, when Archbishop McQuaid intervened to punish him. After this domestic cause celebre became international news, the government reduced the power of the censorship board in 1967. This is a powerful book that describes the midnight horrors of child sex abuse. Years before it became an acceptable topic for daytime radio, McGahern fearlessly exposed abusive adults, both clergy or parents.

Iris Murdoch: The Flight from the EnchanterVintage Classics,1956Murdochs rich and inventive novel is saturated with sexual tension and issues that feel extraordinarily contemporary. Out of her experience of being Irish in England, Murdoch wrote about refugees and identity in Britain. The vulnerability of the refugee characters to bureaucratic and political machinations is heart-breaking. She also explored image-based sexual abuse, political activism and gaslighting. There were many reasons to ban it but the threesome involving identical twin brothers may have given the censors a coronary or two.

Dr Aoife Bhreatnach hosts Censored, a podcast about banned books

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A top 10 list of the best banned literary filth - The Irish Times

‘The Stand’ Early Buzz: The CBS All Access Stephen King Adaptation Gets Mixed Results – /FILM

Director Mick Garris adapted Stephen Kings post-apocalyptic tome The Stand into a TV mini-series back in 1994, but nowThe New Mutants director (and noted King fanatic) Josh Boone has taken a crack at it for CBS All Access. The nine-episode limited series premieres on that platform this week, and weve rounded up some early reactions from critics who have seen the first several episodes. Read the highlights below to get a sense of whether this is a show you want to check out during this holiday season.

Before we get into the reactions, heres the latest trailer for the series and its official description:

Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, CBS All Accesss The Stand stars Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgrd, James Marsden, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, and many more. The limited event series will also feature an all-new coda written by Stephen King.

Rolling Stones Alan Sepinwall is mixed-to-negative in his review, specifically calling out the pilots odd decision to alter the structure of Kings novel:

In some ways, [this version of The Stand is] an improvement on the ABC version, thanks to several strong lead performances (particularly Alexander Skarsgrd as the Devil-ish villain, Randall Flagg, and James Marsden in his most convincing aw-shucks, All-American mode as Stu) and advances in digital effects and makeup that allow for a more believable end of the world than was possible to show a quarter-century ago.

But this newStandis troubling from the start or, rather, fromwhereit starts. Because for some baffling reason, this new version opts to begin in the middle.

From all accounts, Kings 1978 book has crackerjack pacing that hooks you from the start and races along, introducing its roster of characters and setting the stage for a clash between good and evil that would serve as an inspiration for untold movies and TV shows (including Lost, the showrunners of which regularly cited The Stand as a major influence). But this series seems to toss Kings linear storytelling out the window, instead opting to leap around in time.

That decision seems to be a big sticking point for people, but The AV Clubs Randall Colburn thought openingthe series on supporting charactersHarold Lauder (Owen Teague) and his longtime crush Frannie (Odessa Young) worked pretty well:

Its a bold move, but an inspired one. Harold wasnt written to be one of the storys main drivers, but his character serves as perhaps the purest vessel for Kings themes of free will and new beginnings, both of which form the spine ofThe Stands strong pilot episode. In flashbacks, we see a bullied Harold watch in wonder as his Maine hometown is decimated by a mysterious super-flu from which he appears to be immune. Unmoved by the death of his distant family, he sees the looming apocalypse as a fresh start, a stroke of fateespecially since the only other survivor in Ogunquit is his longtime obsession, Frannie (Odessa Young). As he thrives, Frannie collapses, broken by the loss of everyone and everything she loved. Both of them begin having strange dreams, some filled with a kindly, silver-haired prophet, others with an ominous dark man with big promises. One invites them to Boulder, Colorado, the other to Las Vegasboth with the intention to rebuild.

There are choices to be made: Do you continue? Do you evolve? And which of the two potential saviors do you seek out? Harold and Frannie have wildly different reasons for soldiering on, yet their fates remain tumultuously intertwined. If youre looking to shake up the structure of Kings novel, this is the way to do it.

The Hollywood Reporters Daniel Feinberg was underwhelmed by the series, dinging the show for many of the same structural problem Sepinwall took issue with:

Scene-for-scene, there are beats that are a little disturbing or a little scary, but glued together with insufficient artistry or consideration, theres no way for anything to build. Theres a draining of the storys inexorable gravity and tension, especially when you know which characters are already in Boulder and therefore which instantly recognizable character actors are there as flu fodder.

I thought I found my first fully positive reaction in Roxana Hadadis review at Variety, but nope she, too, has some problems with the way the show plays out:

The series first couple of hours, premiere The End and second episode Pocket Savior, build an exquisite amount of tension: The shifting locations capture the permeation of the outbreak; each cough and sniffle portends upcoming doom; and the series makeup department should be commended for making the physical effects of [the virus] Captain Trips very, very gross. But after those initial world-building episodes,The Standnever feels dirty enough neither in its presentation of the physical and emotional impact of all this sickness, loss, and death, nor in its consideration of the lure of [villain Randall] Flaggs totalitarianism-as-hedonism rule in his New Vegas bacchanalia.

You can read more reactions over at RottenTomatoes, but it sounds like this is a classic case of your mileage may vary.

The Stand premieres on CBS All Access on December 17, 2020, with new episodes arriving on Thursdays.

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'The Stand' Early Buzz: The CBS All Access Stephen King Adaptation Gets Mixed Results - /FILM

FWD Transmissions: SHE Spells Doom – Drums of Affliction – Electronic Beats

In spite of their strictly remote collaboration, each artists creative approach to the project pays deference to the mediums of the other. Where Tembo usually tries to pick sounds that capture the feeling of an original world, aiming to build his own atmospheric environment, he took his methodology one step further knowing he would be working with Udeh, by producing a piece brimming with emotionhopefully tangible enough to evoke some imagery, while also attending to his love for ethereal sounds blended with clubby percussion. Udeh, who says working with SHE Spells Doom felt like a full circle moment given her existing support for his music, took the haunting aura present in Drums of Affliction as a signal of war. Her collage magnifies this sense of violence through layers of blood red relief prints, alongside ghost-like silhouettes and point targets indicative of soldier preparation. Simultaneously, Udeh hoped to invite people into a never-ending exploration of self that highlights parts of the Black existence that most of us are not conscious of, by looking to the history of the western African kingdom of Dahomey (located within present-day southern Benin.) Scattered throughout her cover are 19th century black and white photographs and negatives of the monarchical family from the city of Allada, which was conquered by the Dahomey regime in 1724.

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FWD Transmissions: SHE Spells Doom - Drums of Affliction - Electronic Beats

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ offers a better take with season 3, episode 8 ‘The Sanctuary’ – Space.com

Spoilers decloaking off the port bow!

Unlike some other sci-fi shows of the past and present, "Star Trek: Discovery" on CBS All Access credits different writers and directors with different episodes. And while it could be said that this approach offers a little variation, it can definitely be said that it also can make a show feel messy, inconsistent and unbalanced and tragically, that's exactly what's happening to "Discovery."

This week's episode, entitled "The Sanctuary" couldn't be any further away, at the opposite end of the spectrum, from last week's installment and while a minimal amount of fluctuation can retain believability, that's not what's happened here. This, third season, has both the highest score we've ever given an episode, and the lowest as well.

This episode is directed by Jonathan Frakes and his more lighthearted touch is evident almost immediately. It would've worked so much better as an episode four, for example, but after the road we went down last week, the snap-back to the fun, filler format is enough to give you whiplash.

We open with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) attempting to give Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) an examination following her weird flashbacks that we've seen a little bit of in the last few episodes. Georgiou is every bit as annoying as you'd expect, although we suspect this is less to do with Yeoh and more likely that the writers just don't know how to shape her character. Culber, who is a staggeringly underused character, doesn't take any of her cheek and keeps her in check. Apparently, Georgiou is suffering from some sort of brain dysfunction that will eventually reduce her to a quivering, wasted piece of jelly and we can't wait for that.

Meanwhile, Book (David Ajala) has tracked down Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in the corridors of the Discovery to explain that his "brother" Kyheem (Ache Hernandez) has sent word that something is afoot on Book's homeworld of Kwejian and it involves Osyraa and the Emerald Chain. They go to see Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr), who has settled nicely into his reluctant-at-first-but-ultimately-convincible police-chief role.

Book explains: "When the burn hit, damage to sub-space shifted our moon's orbit causing tidal changes. Sea locusts came out of the oceans and ate our harvest. Millions were starving." And then the Emerald Chain came along. They apparently offered a form of repellant that was a humane way to get them back into the sea, but the people of his world had to give up their trance worms in exchange. And now Osyraa is back. Vance approves the mission as long as they don't use force of any kind.

We cut to Hunhau, the Emerald Chain salvage planet, that we were first introduced to in the episode "Scavengers" (S03, E06) a couple of weeks back and the Orion Tolo (Noah Averbach-Katz) is having to explain the prisoner escape to Osyraa herself (Janet Kidder). Needless to say, he doesn't do a very good job and she feeds him to a trance worm. Roll opening credits.

What follows is a scene that is typical Frakes as Captain Saru (Doug Jones) and his newly appointed X.O. (although she's acting more like a yeoman than a first officer) Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman), walk through the corridors of the Discovery discussing ship matters until they get the subject of what Saru's catchphrase should be. It's quite funny actually, but by being so amusing, it contributes to making this episode so drastically different from the preceding one. Tilly offers three suggestions: "hit it," but apparently that's what Captain Pike used to say, "execute" and "manifest," but no one likes that third one. Our suggestions include "punch it," "chocks away" and "let's light this candle."

If you recall, Capt. Styles (James B. Sikking) in "The Search for Spock" used "execute" and of course Capt. Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in "The Next Generation" used "engage" whereas Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and indeed most other Starfleet captains that we've seen in the past would simply rely on the actual order given.

They're on their way to Engineering to hear Lt. Stamets (Anthony Rapp) share his findings from crossreferencing the black box data against the SB-19 data the crew acquired last week. Turns out, Stamets and Adira (Blu del Barrio) have found an origin point for "the burn" the Verubin Nebula. It also turns out that there's a transmission emanating from this point and when the effects of magnetic and long-distance distortion are compensated for it sounds like music. In fact, it's the same haunting theme that's been a reoccurring theme in this season. It's a bit like the music that the Cylons-who-didn't-know-they-were-Cylons began hearing towards the end of Season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica."

Stamets explains that it's the same music that Dr. Attis (Jake Epstein) was humming to his Barzan family on the USS Tikhov although how Stamets knows this is unclear since he wasn't in the away team that boarded that ship. It's also the music that Gray Tal (Ian Alexander) was playing on the cello. Saru, using his super Kelpien sense of sound, picks up on low frequency noise which they remodulate in order to isolate the original signal or something and lo and behold, they detect a Federation distress beacon, which means there's a ship lost in there. And since federation distress signals usually have a message of some kind, Adira is tasked with writing an algorithm to find it.

So, is it the USS Discovery that we saw in the "Short Trek" episode "Calypso?" And if so, how can it be the NCC-1031 from a future date, since the Discovery has now undergone an extensive refit? Or maybe even the USS Buran, since we still think Cpt. Lorca is involved in all of this somehow.

The Discovery heads to Kwejian and upon arrival scanners detect a heavy cruiser class starship; Saru's orders are for Book and Burnham to take Book's ship which doesn't seem to have a name and investigate. Crazy tinfoil hat theory Grudge could be part of Book's ship, a little like Rommie and Andromeda in the show "Andromeda" that, along with "Star Trek," was also created by Gene Roddenberry.

In sickbay, in the meantime, Georgiou is working hard on trying to be the worst patient imaginable. Once under general anesthetic, Culber can begin his atomic-level scan, however, Georgiou is in danger of having a cerebral episode. Then some crazy stuff starts happening. Her face and body appear to begin disintegrating at an atomic level and she wakes up screaming "San!" As she leaves, she sneakily withholds one of the little wireless sensors that was attached to her forehead, presumably to analyze herself later. And interestingly, Memory Alpha has San down as a character, played by Jhaleil Swaby, so we assume this is the poor individual covered in blood in her flashbacks.

On the surface of Kwejian, Book and Burnham are on their own as the planet's defense system within the area known as "the sanctuary" renders orbital trackers and transporters useless. Kyheem appears and we learn that Book's name was once Tareckx. Turns out Osyraa wants the Andorian "criminal" known as Ryn (Ian Lake) that Book rescued from Hunhau. Hernandez brings a nice, Spanish accent and an Antonio Banderas-style delivery to "Discovery" and it fits in well and suits his character. Once back at his house, Kyheem and Book go back and forth about who retained their principles and who didn't.

Meanwhile, in orbit above the planet, Osyraa herself has arrived in her heavy cruiser called the Viridian and she engages Saru in a good old-fashioned game of bluff and bluster. Unfortunately, the whole Ryn-reason why the Discovery must confront the quadrant's public enemy number one feels contrived. Incidentally, we don't even know which quadrant this is all taking place in.

Kyheem wants to give Ryn up to Osyraa to save Kwejian, the sanctuary and the trance worms in essence, the whole, I'm-fighting-you-even-though-I'm-really-a-good-guy-just-trying-to-do-the-right-thing routine. Osyraa's ship enters the atmosphere so she can beam down into Kyheem's house, but Book and Burnham don't notice, 'cause they're er, in a different part of the house. Then she starts shooting photon torpedoes at the surface to burn the forests of the sanctuary and force Kyheem to do her bidding.

The back and forth is handled well, nicely cutting between simultaneous heated discussions on the planet's surface and on the Discovery, and even the dialogue isn't terrible, it's the story behind it all that lets the side down. Finally, Saru confronts Ryn and demands to know why he's so important, but the Andorian refuses to spill the beans.

While all this is going on, Georgiou is attempting to hack into the medical sensor she swiped earlier, but she barely gets a glimpse of the data before Culber catches her red-handed. He suggests they go somewhere quieter to talk, but that's the last we hear of it, for this episode.

Now we have a countdown-style climax as it's only a matter of time before the Viridian's bombardment of the planet's surface destroys the sanctuary's defense system er, even though photon torpedoes are detonating all around Book and Burnham as they dodge the explosions for some exciting outdoor action. Risking breaking his word to Vance, Saru has gone to red alert and is preparing to get into the fight, but Tilly comes up with the idea to fire on Osyraa's ship from a non-Federation ship it's Book's.

So Ryn and Lt. Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts) fly out of the shuttle bay and start attacking the Viridian. It's actually a nice aerial VFX sequence, probably one of the best so far in this season. It's not the same standard as "The Mandalorian," but that's because Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have gone to extraordinary lengths to digitally recreate the look and feel once achieved by using models and it's beautiful. Dogfights haven't been a traditional mainstay in "Star Trek" and space battles like we saw at the end of Season two of "Discovery" clearly demonstrates a total lack of understanding of what actually makes a good space battle. So this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Book and Burnham get ambushed while they're outside by Kyheem's goons, who are quickly dispatched before Kyheem himself has a go. A brother vs. brother fight ensues as Book disarms him before throwing the gun on the ground making him choose whether or not to shoot him, but thankfully he makes the right decision. But in order to drive the sea locusts back into the ocean, which don't forget is what this is really all about, Book and his brother do that whole Arabic-sounding chant thing, utilizing their symbiotic relationship with the planet along with some help from the Discovery isolating and amplifying the electromagnetic connection between the sea's locusts all the insects go back to the sea where they belong.

Osyraa's ship stands down and she threatens Saru, saying the Federation will feel the full force of the Emerald Chain, but more importantly it seems that Saru has settled on "carry on" as his catchphrase. As everyone celebrates in the mess hall, Ryn tells a great story to Tilly as yet another former Federation-hating humanoid admits that they were wrong and now appreciates and welcomes its presence. Then he tells her that the Chain is running out of dilithium, which is possibly why she wanted him back so badly but we suspect there's more to it.

Finally, Book and Kyheem are the best of brothers once more and then .. while chatting in a cargo bay, Book lays it on Burnham he's seen what the Federation is doing and he wants in! YEAH BABY! Burnham plays it cool, but as she walks away, there's a smile on her face that is just beautiful. Not only does it mirror our own, but we're reminded of how wonderful it is and how much more we want to see Burnham not blubbing.

The seasonal story arc inches forward a little bit this week and each episode seems to still contain more filler material, so we do sincerely hope there isn't a sudden story tsunami towards the season finale. As we've mentioned, this episode is not terrible, it just feel awkward in its placement within this season.

We freely admit that we don't know the politics behind the scenes on the production of "Discovery," but everyone can see every week that there's an extraordinary number of producers (22 at last count) with variations on the job title that include consulting producer, supervising producer, co-executive producer and executive producer. And while some, like Eugene Roddenberry have very little actual involvement in the show, that does still seem like a lot. Is "Star Trek: Discovery" suffering from being top heavy? Are too many decision makers creating a situation where even the simplest of details are being mismanaged? We'll more than likely never know, but it's a question worth pondering.

To contrast, this second season of "The Mandalorian" has also had different directors, including Peyton Reed, Bryce Dallas Howard and Carl Weathers but every episode has been written by either Jon Favreau or Dave Filoni, the latter of whom has a uniquely strong connection to the "Star Wars" universe. Moreover, they both understand visual storytelling since one is an actor and the other is an animator. Filoni was the co-creator of Ahsoka Tano, so a lot of care and attention went into her first live-action appearance last week. And its not limited to this character or this episode, "The Mandalorian" is a labor of love for both Favreau and Filoni and it shows.

With the cinema industry struggling, it's safe to say that any future big-screen sci-fi projects are probably on hold. However, on the small screen "Star Wars" is thriving and we now have a Rogue One spinoff focusing on Diego Luna's Cassian Andor and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series with Ewan McGregor, a potential Boba Fett miniseries and possibly even an Ahsoka Tano spinoff. Clearly, the future of science fiction is on television, certainly the future of "Star Wars." And if CBS or any other studio for that matter wants to compete in the sci-fi arena, they're going to have to improve their product.

Rating: 7 out of 10

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'Star Trek: Discovery' offers a better take with season 3, episode 8 'The Sanctuary' - Space.com

Can hypnotherapy root away your ailments? – Times of India

Can you seek help from within to get rid of your bad habits, inner conflicts, alleviate stress levels and health issues? As strange as it may seem, hypnotherapy may be the answer to your questions.

Hypnotherapy is a branch of alternate medicine, psychotherapy or guided hypnosis which makes use of heightened consciousness and attention levels to reach a state of mindfulness. The person in a hypnotherapy session gets shifted to a state of trance, or an altered state of awareness.

Actress turned holistic wellness guru, Pooja Bedi also spoke of the many benefits of hypnotherapy in a live Instagram session with ETimes Lifestyle recently, calling it an 'amazing way' to deprogram and get rid of negative patterns and conflicts.

A lot many Hollywood celebrities too, have made use of hypnotherapy to overcome their problems. Many experts even term it the next biggest wellness trend. But, what makes it so special? We explain some of the health benefits of the same.

How does hypnotherapy help you?

Before contemplating if hypnotherapy is the answer to your problems, it's important to know how it works.

Hypnotherapy is often considered to be an alternative remedy which works to utilize ones own mental power and innate state of consciousness to reduce, or target an issue which might be affecting an individual- it could be something psychological distress, phobias, unhealthy addictions (smoking, drinking) or other destructive, self-harming habits even. There have been many studies which back the psychological and positive benefits of hypnotherapy.

The ultimate aim of a hypnotherapy session is to bring a person in sync with their inner thoughts and channelise positive energy when he or she is unconscious.

In fact, hypnosis induces a heightened state of learning, when the brain is active and alert, patients can still hear and decipher what is being said to them.

How does it work? What can you expect in a session?

During a hypnotherapy session, people go through a process that induces a trance-like state that helps them focus their minds, respond more readily to suggestions, and become deeply relaxed. Hypnotherapy utilizes the heightened awareness of the hypnotic state to help you focus on a problem more deeply.

A hypnotherapy session works by taking a person through a trance-like state which helps them focus their thoughts and attention, be more relaxed and respond in a beneficial way.

When a hypnotherapist puts a person under the state of hypnosis, a person is more alert and likely to agree to suggestions and guidance, therefore, bringing in positive changes, or alleviate bad feelings or stressors.

A classic hypnotherapy session involves a person sitting on a chair or a sofa, in a relaxed state which feels meditative. Hypnosis or induction to the same is usually created through guided meditation, bringing focus and relaxation. This is done with the help of a host of mental images, verbal imagery which targets a person's subconscious. When a person is in the receptive state, suggestions are brought in by the therapist, who then help them make the change- for example, mindful thoughts and tips to reduce cravings, drive attention, cognitive changes, quit smoking.

Can anybody perform hypnotherapy?

No, not just anyone can 'hypnotize' you. There are trained professionals, therapists and psychologists who can perform the therapy on a patient and guide them from point A to point B.

Who can benefit from hypnotherapy?

While anybody can benefit from hypnotherapy, it has been found to be immensely helpful for people suffering from addictions, and other wide range of issues, including:

-Phobias

-Addiction

-Weight Loss

When to know if hypnotherapy can benefit you?

A hypnotherapy session isnt harmless for anyone to try. However, knowing what you want to achieve from a session or the inner demons you may want to clear out will help you make the most out of your session.

Many people use, and continue to tout the benefits of hypnotherapy for helping them break their bad habits, seek an answer to conflicts and traumas, ease pain, chronic suffering and stress etc.

While many researchers also suggest that an alternative treatment plan like hypnotherapy may help people lose a few kilos, attend to chronic health problems, there isnt much scientific backing to support the claim yet. How well a hypnotherapy session works for you, all depends on individual concern- the number of sessions you take, your thoughts and purposes and issues you may be looking to address.

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Can hypnotherapy root away your ailments? - Times of India

The Mandalorian: What Did Baby Yoda See In The Force? – Screen Rant

The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy," has Baby Yoda use the Seeing Stone on Tython, but just what does the Force show him?

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy."

Din Djarin takes Grogu to Tython in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" and places him atop the Seeing Stone, but what does Baby Yoda see in his Force visions? Mando was instructed by Ahsoka Tano to take Grogu to Tython, an ancient Jedi planet that's incredibly strong in the Force. There, Ahsoka said, Baby Yoda would be able to use the Force to choose his path, while also making himself known to any Jedi who may be able to find and help him.

Mando fulfils his end of the bargain and, after a few brief moments where it may seem like nothing is going to happen, so does Baby Yoda. Sitting on the Seeing Stone, he eventually taps into the Force, going into a trance-like state while a Foce field forms around him, preventing Din from getting to him when he's in danger. Grogu spends most of "The Tragedy" inside this Force field, seemingly either having visions or reaching out to someone or something through the Force, but exactly what isn't shown, and once he's done he's captured by Moff Gideon and his Dark Troopers.

Related:All The Evidence That Baby Yoda Is The Real Chosen One

While The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6 doesn't offer much of a hint into what Baby Yoda experiences inside the Force, there are a few main possibilities. Of course, Force visions aren't always completely decipherable or logical, and it may have been that Grogu simply saw a string of different images, similar to Rey's "Forceback" in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (although that itself was due to her rare Force power, psychometry). Other Force visions in Star Wars have tended to be a little clearer, if not always obvious: Luke Skywalker was able to sense his friends were in danger, while during the Clone Wars Yoda himself had a vision of Order 66, but wasn't able to stop it. Since they tend to be somewhat darker, then it's possible that Baby Yoda foresaw grave danger too, especially since the episode is called "The Tragedy."

Since the idea of using the Seeing Stone was for Baby Yoda to choose his path, then it's possible that his Force visions were of what would happen if he trained as a Jedi. This again isn't an unusual plot device - it's something that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker revealed happened to Leia - and with Grogu's Jedi backstory recently being raised and Mando trying to reconnect him with that, it'd be a logical option. With that, then it may be that he sees himself being trained by the most likely Jedi Master he could have at this stage: Luke Skywalker. Luke will attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order in a few years from this point, and so Baby Yoda could have a vision of that happening and then its dark fate at the hands of Kylo Ren, which would be suitably foreboding, and may be enough to ward him off wanting to be a Jedi.

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The Mandalorian: What Did Baby Yoda See In The Force? - Screen Rant

MR.BLACK brings the heat with reggae rave anthem ‘Feel The Fire’ on Showtek’s label – We Rave You

Winter is definitely coming and while half of the world turns dark and cold, Israeli DJ and producerYaniv Biton, better known as MR.BLACK is here to keep all of us warm with hisnew psy-trance/big-room hit Feel The Fire featuring Richie Loop on the vocals, released viaShowteks label SKINK Records.

By mixing the two most energetic genres, Feel The Fire definitely lives up to its name. MR.BLACK worked with Jamaican vocalist and producer, Richie Loop to create this banger, spicing up the song with a special reggae vibe, created by his catchy vocals. MR.BLACK has demonstrated his incredible producing skills yet again, by smoothly turning the song upside down from chill, reggae sounds toa full festival mainstage banger with pounding basslines and big room sound effects. In addition to the hybrid track, MR.BLACK has produced an alternative mix as well, which is a rather radio-friendly version of the original song, keeping Richies amazing vocals and changing the psy-trance rhythms to future house and Brazilian bass melodies, bringing back real summer vibes. This way, the song will not only fit dance music stages to pump up the volume, but sunset performances too, as a perfect mood setter.

Althoughwe still have to wait for MR.BLACKs upcoming album, Hybrid to drop, make sure to listen to his new song Feel The Fire featuring Richie Loop, available now on all streaming platforms here.

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MR.BLACK brings the heat with reggae rave anthem 'Feel The Fire' on Showtek's label - We Rave You

Study: Ancient California Teens Took Hallucinogens as Part of Sacred Ritual Free Press of Jacksonville – Jacksonville Free Press

The discovery of a ceiling painting, believed to be of a Datura flower, and the subsequent research conducted at Pinwheel Cave, California, is the first clear evidence that hallucinogens were taken at a rock art site, said Dr. David Robinson, a lecturer in archeology at the University of Central Lancashire.

His teams findings were published Nov. 23 in PNAS, the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

Pinwheel Cave is a traditional site of the Chumash, a Native American people that inhabited the coastal regions in California. They would enter a trance-like state, thanks to the entheogens contained in the plant Datura. Their descendants are the Tejon tribe of California.

Many cultures use Datura as a sacred visionary plant; they have been used for at least 3,000 years in the Southwest, per archeological evidence.

Entheogens are defined as psychoactive substances that cause changes in peoples sense of perception, consciousness and behavior to further spiritual elevation in a sacred context. They are typically used in ritual ceremonies. Well-known entheogens include ayahuasca and peyote.

The primary way of taking Datura was in an event called the Toloache ceremony, a coming-of-age ceremony for adolescents, usually boys but sometimes girls, said Robinson. The hallucinogenic brew helped participants commune with the dead.

What they would do is they would sequester the initiates, around puberty, and they would prepare a drink called the Toloache. An elder who had experience doing this would go find the plant, and often talk to it and ask for permission to use the plant. Precise amounts were used because of the toxic and potentially fatal nature of the substance.

The whole point of the ceremony, Robinson said, was to induce this entry into and encounter with the supernatural in order for the initiates to acquire power animals. Anthropologists call them familiars. Different groups call them different things, but basically the central idea in California was that you tried to get allies in the supernatural who would then be your advocates and helpers throughout the rest of your life, said Robinson.

The study supports the altered states of consciousness (ASC) theory, proponents of which argue that hallucinogens have influenced the prehistoric making of images in caves and rock shelters.

Debates have raged over the relationship between trance and rock art, but until now there had been no unambiguous evidence of the consumption of hallucinogens from anywhere in the world, the study claims.

Even though Native Californians are historically documented to have used Datura to enter trance states, little evidence exists to associate it with rock art, the study said. So the authors undertook a multi-analytical approach of the contents of the cave and have confirmed the presence of the plant Datura wrightii, which is also known as sacred datura.

The study says that archeological evidence and chronological dating shows the site was well utilized as a temporary residence for a range of activities from Late Prehistory through Colonial Periods.

This indicates that Datura was ingested in the cave and that the rock painting represents the plant itself, serving to codify communal rituals involving this powerful entheogen. These results confirm the use of hallucinogens at a rock art site while calling into question previous assumptions concerning trance and rock art imagery, the study said.

Speaking about whether the pinwheel rock art image was something that people saw and drew during the trance or whether it was something that was created afterwards, as a sort of symbolic reminder, Robinson said: The thing this research shows and the thing that all this rock art indicates, within sites where people producing food and spending a significant amount of time, is that there is a communication process going on between the artist and the community.

Thats the important part. Thats when it becomes far more important to me than a shaman going off and sequestering himself and then experiencing something and nobody ever sees that rock art. Its about telling society about this process of mystification. Its talking about the mystical in the group so they can understand their world and understand the things they are going through, in particular with the Datura at Pinwheel Cave. The art there is about educating them about what their world is all about.

In traditional Chumash narratives, there is a figure called old woman Momoy who transformed into the plant Datura after her daughter was eaten by a coyote. Datura is used in modern medicine, Robinson said, most notably for its compound scopolamine, which is used in healing. It treats motion sickness, and nausea and vomiting after surgical operations, and for its compound atropine, which is used to treat lower heart rates and reduce salivation before an operation, among other uses.

The study, part of the Unravelling the Gordian Knot Project, was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). For a list of the scientists involved, click here.

(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B Hall)

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Study: Ancient California Teens Took Hallucinogens as Part of Sacred Ritual Free Press of Jacksonville - Jacksonville Free Press

The 15 Best Techno Tracks of November 2020 – Magnetic Magazine

November's techno chart wraps up the monthly series for 2020. It was a nutty year for sure but our favorite techno producers kept things relatively sane for us with their exciting and creative creations. This past month's highlights include a few album like Eats Everything's debut, Drumcomplex's third full-length, and Robert Hood's 10th ever album on Rekids! Lots to enjoy in this month's chart and beyond so go out and buy (or stream) these new albums to show your support.

See past techno charts here.

In the interest of letting the music speak for itself, an elusive producer from Berlin set up the alias, SYCUM to release two brilliant, new tunes via Kompakt Extra. Including this suspenseful piece of music that might fit well among the classic trance of the early '90s. To say the least, it's an absolute beauty that deserves your undivided attention.

Robert Hood's 10th L.P., Mirror Man is out now via Rekidsand it's a 16 track journey through various moods of techno. Some of the highlights include "The Cure" and "7 Mile Dog" which were previously released a couple of months ago on his Nothing Stops Detroit EP but other than that, the album is ripe with new techno including this brilliant one titled, "Falling Apart."

For just the 8th release on Charlotte De Witte's KNTXT imprint, she's invited Alignment back for a second outing that is outright stacked with huge tunes. Four in all are included and all are amazing but by process of elimination, I've chosen "Injection" as the one to go mental for.

These Drumcode all-stars linked up for the first time and the result was a three-track package that includes this next-level, genre-crosser which should reach multiple audiences.

Forthcoming on Dense & Pika's debut L.P., this Matthew Dear collaboration gets rinsed inside-out by Ryan James Ford and the result is this highly original banger. Turn it up.

Hardcore, industrial techno in full effect on this introspective banger courtesy of Sara Landry via CRISIS OF MAN.

Truesoul's most released artist returns to his welcome home with three varied tunes including this excellent one which is very easy on the ears.

This very intelligent piece of techno features on Drumcomplex's excellent, studio album, The Story Of Now.

Self-described as sci-fi techno, this psychedelic adventure features astronaut dialogue over hypnotic loops and repetitive rhythms.

Trance strikes again as yet another classic from the once shunned genre gets a beefy update to match today's sound. "Strange World" is the title of the tune from the year 2000 and Joyhauser does a spectacular job of bringing it up to date 20 years later. Bravo!

For his debut on 1605, Mark Reeve collaborated with the boss himself, UMEK! The track is titled, "Message" and it features a powerful kick drum that not only stutters, but punches hard as hell as well. Fasten your seatbelts, this track is large.

Scottish producer, Stephen Brown has been holding down Detroit style techno since the mid '90s when he was unleashing tunes on the famed Djax imprint. Here he is 25 years later doing his thing with a stellar remix on Anja Schneider's Sous Music imprint.

Ramon Tapia's remix of this classic trance record was getting a lot of attention so he gracefully sought out the publisher and was granted permission to release this banging, new version.

Eats Everything's debut album is out now via own imprint, EI8HT and it's aptly eight tracks deep. Highlights include a Felix Da Housecat collaboration and of course, this wonky, jacker playfully titled, "Moan."

After almost five years of cutting his teeth on stellar labels like Steyoyoke and Afterlife, Innellea makes his well-deserved debut on Diynamic via their Picture series. It's a mini-LP that features six cuts including this dizzying wonder he's titled, "Mar's Moon."

Stream November's techno chart uninterrupted via the playlist below:

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The 15 Best Techno Tracks of November 2020 - Magnetic Magazine

9 fugas and Marygoround are the winning European titles at the Gijn Film Festival – Cineuropa

30/11/2020 - This years gathering, which was held purely online, has handed out its most high-profile awards to the Spanish production directed by Fon Cortizo and to Daria Woszeks Polish effort

9 fugas by Fon Cortizo and Marygoround by Daria Woszek

As announced in a previous article (see the news), for its 2020 edition, the Gijn International Film Festival was held on the FICX.TV, festhome and filmin platforms, and in addition, it split its official selection into three strands, dubbed Retueyos, Albar and Tierres en Trance. In Retueyos, the Best Film Award was split between 9 fugas[+see also: filmreviewfilmprofile] by Galician helmer Fon Cortizo and Marygoround[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Daria Woszekfilmprofile], the colouristic feature debut by Polands Daria Woszek (which also snagged the Best Actress Award for its lead, Grazyna Misiorowska), in accordance with the verdict of the jury, consisting of Pilar Monsell, Michael Zam and Mihai Chirilov. Furthermore, the Best Actor gong was conferred upon the lead in Poppy Field[+see also: filmreviewinterview: Eugen Jebeleanufilmprofile], Romanian thesp Conrad Mericoffer, while the Distribution Award went to Stray by Elizabeth Lo (USA).

In the Albar official selection, the jury made up of Carlos Marques-Marcet, Pilar Palomero and Isabel Orellana decided that the title deserving of the Best Feature Award was First Cow, the latest outing by the USAs Kelly Reichardt, while the Special Jury Prize was bestowed upon Austrian duo Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel for their work on Notes from the Underworld[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmelfilmprofile], and the Distribution Award was given to the Argentinian-French co-production Isabella[+see also: trailerfilmprofile], helmed by Matas Pieiro.

In Tierres en Trance, the FIPRESCI Awards ended up going to Chaco (Bolivia/Argentina) by Diego Moncada, which was deemed Best Feature in this sidebar, and La calle del agua (Spain), which earned Celia Viada Best Director. The latter filmmaker also picked up a further six trophies: the Alma Award for Best Screenplay for a Spanish Film, the DCP Deluxe Award, the RTPA Award for Best Asturian Feature, the Audience Award for Distribution in the Tierres en Trance competition, the main Audience Award and the Europa Joven Award.

In the Push-Play Work in Progress session, which rewards projects in development (see the news), Destello bravo by Ainhoa Rodrguez was singled out with the DCP Deluxe Award, while the recipient of the OpenECAM Award was La mala familia by Nacho A Villar and Luis Rojo. The FICX Pro-LAB prize-winners were as follows: the Asturias Paraso Natural Film Commission awarded an incentive to the project Manual de la siega by Samuel Fernandi, while the OpenECAM Award was presented to Sin voz, set to be directed by Ana Izarzugaza.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Retueyos Official Selection

Best Feature Award (ex aequo)Marygoround[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Daria Woszekfilmprofile] - Daria Woszek (Poland)9 fugas[+see also: filmreviewfilmprofile] - Fon Cortizo (Spain)

AISGE Award for Best ActressGrazyna Misiorowska Marygoround (Poland)

AISGE Award for Best ActorConrad Mericoffer - Poppy Field[+see also: filmreviewinterview: Eugen Jebeleanufilmprofile] (Romania)

Distribution AwardStray - Elizabeth Lo (USA)

Albar Official Selection

Best Feature AwardFirst Cow Kelly Reichardt (USA)

Special Jury Prize for Best DirectorTizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel Notes from the Underworld[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmelfilmprofile] (Austria)

Distribution AwardIsabella[+see also: trailerfilmprofile] Matas Pieiro (Argentina/France)

Tierres en Trance Official Selection

FIPRESCI Award for Best FeatureChaco Diego Moncada (Argentina/Bolivia)

FIPRESCI Award for Best DirectorCelia Viada Caso La calle del agua (Spain)

Youth Jury AwardComo el cielo despus de llover Mercedes Gaviria Jaramillo (Colombia/Argentina)

Other awards

Spanish Film Jury Award for Best Spanish Feature in the Official Selections, Enfants Terribles and EsbillaBetween Dog and Wolf[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Irene Gutirrezfilmprofile] Irene Gutirrez (Spain/Cuba)Special MentionTransocenicas Meritxell Colell and Luca Vassallo (Spain/Argentina)

RCSERVICE Award for the Director of the Best Spanish FilmIrene Gutirrez Between Dog and Wolf

Alma Award for Best Screenplay for a Spanish FilmCelia Viada Caso La calle del agua

DCP DELUXE AwardCelia Viada Caso La calle del agua

CIMA Jury Award for Best Female-directed FeatureWildland[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Jeanette Nordahlfilmprofile] Jeanette Nordahl (Denmark)

(Translated from Spanish)

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9 fugas and Marygoround are the winning European titles at the Gijn Film Festival - Cineuropa

Harry, Meghan and memories of Princess Diana: The dark side of royalty – The Financial Express

A file photo of Britains Prince Harry and Meghan in Sydney, Australia (AP photo)

By Reya Mehrotra

Whatever they might do or not do, the British royals are rarely out of news. Diana continues to evoke interest years after her death, with BBC recently conducting an inquiry whether her famous interview to Martin Bashir in 1995 was secured through unethical means. Harry and wife Meghan shook the world when they renounced their royal duties and privileges, and with Meghans powerful article recently describing her miscarriage, the world is tuned to the royals yet again. The couples recent book, Finding Freedom, just reinforces that interest.

Diana had once told her son, You can be naughty. Just dont get caught. It seems Harry took only the first part of the advice seriously. Often caught partying and in the middle of troubles, Meghan bought much-needed balance in his world. In finding love, he found himself. The normalcy-craving prince and the girl from another normal world instantly bonded. The first few chapters of the book follow a Harry-in-trance as he meets Meghan and the dawn of their love before transcending into the trials and tribulations that are a part and parcel of the royal life, and the infamous Megxit.

Harry had grown in his mothers liberating shadow. Growing up, he had everything in the world, yet found joy in plastic Happy Meal toys. Often finding himself a misfit, he found a woman who, like his mother, mirrored his drive to support those on the margins of society. But when it became too much, he rebelled just like his mother.

As for Meghan, she was destined for greatness right from the start. Growing up, she dreamt of becoming the president of the US, and at 11, the sparkling young girl brought down a sexist TV commercial and made world leaders take note. Perfecting every role she slipped into, be it in the academia, as an actress or as the royal wife, she strived for excellence. Like him, revolting against convention as what she did. Her anonymous blog, The Working Actress was a tell-all about actors losing roles because of appearance rather than talent. Her tryst with racism had begun early on. When on The Wendy Williams Show, Meghan was labelled Prince Harrys girlfriend, Priyanka Chopra had quipped, Also Meghan Markle the actress, Suits, her achievements. And she, indeed, was much more than just the title the royal association brought along. Six years in Suits and the actress had a successful lifestyle website The Tig, named after her favourite wine Tignanello and close associations with the whos-who of Hollywood.

Written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family comes across as just what it isa story that the world already knows, only with some fresh details, the story of the royal couples frustration with the media, the intrusion of their privacy and lack of support from the royal family. The book offers glimpses into their private meets, parties, getaways, associations and early dates that have been hidden away from the world, but the majority of the chapters focus and narrate what is already knownher growing up years, Harrys unshackled ways, his wild party phase, the hounding by the press, her transition, her fallout with her father and the growing quest for freedom from it all.

And because of this the book falls flat in retaining attention. The events narrated are rather too fresh in public memory to be read yet again. With The Crown playing out Dianas tryst with the media currently and the book describing in length Meghans own stereotypical, racist and discriminatory trial, the book can be read in the context of media and monarchy. One would rather hope for The Crown to extend one another season dedicated to the paradoxically opposite brothers.

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal FamilyOmid Scobie & Carolyn DurandHarperCollinsPp 368, Rs 599

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Harry, Meghan and memories of Princess Diana: The dark side of royalty - The Financial Express

W&W iconic festival anthem ‘Lift Off!’ turns 8 years old – We Rave You

Everyone knows that duo W&W (consisting ofWillem van Hanegem and Ward van der Harst) are famous for producing some of the most energetic tracks in electronic dance music history. Every track they release is a surefire hit, and one of them wasLift Off!.

Lift Off! celebrates a massive anniversary this month as it has just turned eight years old. Released back in 2012 back when the duos career was well and truly lifting off, this track propelled them to fame and secured their spot as ones to watch. Cementing their signature style and making sure everyone knew all about it, this track did wonders in terms of streaming numbers. With well over 5 million hits on the radio edit version of the track on Spotify, it was also featured in such compilation albums asTrance Anthems Top 60andMiami 2013which was mixed byMYNC,R3HABandNari & Milani. Its fair enough to say that this track made a huge impact on the scene, and everyone was listening to it at the time, and even now it is still timeless and as fresh as ever.

The commanding bass sets the track up for the earth-destroying drop, which invites the listeners to jump up and down in rhythm to the track. Infectious and energetic, this is what W&W are all about, and the track was a perfect introduction to those that hadnt heard of them before. Do you remember when you heard this track for the first time? Let us know in the comments!

Image credit: Rukes.com

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W&W iconic festival anthem 'Lift Off!' turns 8 years old - We Rave You

Timmy Trumpet: I love people and that’s what I miss the most about touring – We Rave You

In the world of electronic music, standing out isnt always easy. But there is perhaps no artist more unique, or more memorable than Australian trumpeter and DJ, Timmy Trumpet. His reputation speaks for itself, and has been built over the course of many stand-out performances all over the globe. The energy that Timmy Trumpet commands while on stage is second to none, and has earned him his position as one of the worlds most energetic performers within the electronic music community and beyond.

The classically trained jazz musician has thrived over the last few years, having amassed over 1.5 billion collective streams through a diverse discography that has formed the basis of his stellar artistic reputation. As a multi-platinum selling artist who has amassed a number of accolades during his time in the industry, Timmy Trumpet continues to prove exactly why his support continues to grow exponentially on a global basis. We caught up with Timmy Trumpet to talk isolation, his livestream proposal, and much more.

Hey Timmy, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. How have you been doing over the last few months? How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day life? Have you been able to take any positives from the current circumstances?

Im great! My family and loved ones are blessed with good health. Im one of the fortunate ones. My day to day life is very different without tour- ing but its been great to be home in Australia spending time with family and friends. There are positives. I try to find them in every situation. I think the biggest lesson of 2020 is to never take anything for granted.

Its great to hear that. The video for your recent hit Diamonds was shot completely in isolation, can you tell us a bit about your experience in creating the video, and the message behind it?

Image Credit: Timmy Trumpet (via Facebook)

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Timmy Trumpet: I love people and that's what I miss the most about touring - We Rave You

What Are the Differences Between Trance and Techno? – One EDM

If you are interested in getting into the world of Trance, you may be wondering what exactly is the difference between Techno and Trance. While both of them can be considered to be similar, Techno is actually a more aggressive and harder type of Trance. Techno Trance is also often thought of as being more extreme.

Techno Trance is one that utilizes very fast beats. This is something that is often found in electronic music videos, but can also be used in more mainstream genres. Techno is often characterized by a fast tempo, although many tracks are still faster than normal. When listening to Techno, you will notice that there is less than usual ambient music in the mix, and this is what makes it such an intense experience.

Trance is a slower and more soothing type of music. The tempo of Trance is often slower as well, although some tracks can go up to almost triple time. Trance has more effects than Techno, but there is more space between each beat. Many people consider the genre to be somewhere in between heavy metal and jazz. There is also less emphasis on tempo, as in most tracks in the genre, there are a number of different notes played at once.

The differences between Techno and Trance are not only in tempo but in the music. While some Trance tracks utilize synthesizers, some tracks include only instruments. Many techno songs use drums and synthesizers, and sometimes, these songs use keyboards as well.

In general, the music that is most often found in Techno Trance is techno, although there are also many Trance tracks that use very similar sounds. This is because the synthesizers in Techno are usually played on their own. Although this is common, there are also tracks where a synthesizer plays back to the main drumbeat and this is considered to be techno as well. Some DJs may even mix the two genres together and combine them for a very unique sounding track.

There are also some major differences in the sound of Trance and Techno. Trance music is usually quiet and meditative. This is a key factor in the sound of Trance, because this type of music allows listeners to be more relaxed. Trance and allow themselves to become totally enveloped in the song.

Techno is typically louder and faster, but can also have some very fast rhythms. Because of this difference, many people think that Techno can be more intense than Trance. However, when listening to Techno, you will notice that there is less background sound as compared to trance. This is what makes it different from Trance as well.

Some DJs like mixing both types of music together for a unique sound. However, you will find that most of the Trance tracks that you hear are made exclusively for DJs and other producers. Techno is a bit harder and more intense compared to Trance. Although there are some Trance tracks that are very fast.

Techno is also a little different from Trance in the way that it tends to sound very loud. This is because the synthesizers are played so fast that they are easily heard over the main drumbeat. Many of the tracks that you hear on the radio are made by DJs who use these synthesizers for a very fast rhythm. It is this loud sound that makes many people think that Techno is loud as well.

Techno is often created with many different sounds such as heavy beats and different types of percussion. However, there are also times when only one instrument is used as a drumbeat. It is possible to use more than one drumbeat at a time in a Techno song, but this is not very common. Most tracks are just one or two drumbeat tracks being played at the same time.

In order to create a Trance track, you need to be able to listen to a lot of music. To produce a Trance track, a DJ needs to know a lot of different music and know which type of music will suit his or her music styles.

Trance is much harder than Techno. Therefore, many DJs prefer to only play tracks that are much harder and faster than normal. Although it takes more effort, many DJs believe that this is necessary for the Trance sound to stand out. They believe that the slower songs and slower tempo help to keep the energy in Trance.

Continued here:

What Are the Differences Between Trance and Techno? - One EDM

Suszynski: Knowing through imagination | VailDaily.com – Vail Daily News

During this time of year I get out early and ski for a few hours. The runs are quick, I cant say as much for the lines, and my patience is also on a short fuse. When the winter really begins, I can escape into those parts of the mountain that I know are quiet, where the trees and the distant stream under the snow are the only living things speaking to me.

I catch myself in these moods, stomping around in my ski boots at the end of my couple hours, returning home to the winter quiet a little peeved and then I promptly snap out of it. And the next day, I try to do better. I get on the mountain, I stand in line, but instead of focusing on the covered-up faces of the people around me, I look up. My day often begins when I enter the Gondola One maze and shift my attention to Pepis Face, how the snow has such a lopsided relationship with the angle of the slope.

The day progresses when I finally enter the gondola. I look off to the left and see the distinct rabbit figure of Riva and then below as the frontside chutes either look inviting or a little worse for wear. I have observed these runs for a long time and it takes discipline to look anew.

When it comes to learning from people of the mountain, there is no better teacher than Nan Shepherd. Shepherd lived most of her life close to the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland and toward the end of World War II, she wrote a slim, yet very wise book speaking to what she found in those mountains. This book, The Living Mountain, is special in its universality. She writes: Well, I have discovered my mountain its weathers, its airs and lights, its singing burns, its haunted dells, its pinnacles and tarns, its birds and flowers, its snow, its long blue distances.

I am young, but I have spent significant time on Vail Mountain in the winter. There is something soothing about sliding upon beaten-down snow in the early season. As I carve turns on groomers, concentrating on each sweep as I drive my outside ski, I am also traveling a path that a stranger tread before me. Or perhaps, not even a stranger, it could be my neighbor, or a friend. Their tracks, I am also adding to, layering them. And these people who are skiing before me and after me, experiences separated by days or maybe even seconds, while our thoughts are certainly singular, there are some we share, too. Shephard makes a familiar observation of the cold: cold air smacks the back of the mouth, the lungs crackle Frost stiffens the muscles of the chin Her words echo back to me as I breathe in that crisp sip.

In the early season, I like pushing myself in ways that I usually do not when the snow is good. How do I take different routes on a mountain I have been skiing my whole life when space is limited? Where can I find an unseen view of the Gore? Can I push my imagination and take a different run each time? Can I ski the same run five times and learn something new from each descent? Once I get to know the mountain in this way, when I reach nowhere in particular, but have gone out merely to be with the mountain as one visits a friend with no intention but to be with him, I think I get a sense of why Shepherd dedicated so much time to the Cairngorms.

It is therefore when the body is keyed to its highest potential and controlled to a profound harmony deepening into something that resembles trance, that I discover most nearly what it is to be. I have walked out of the body and into the mountain, Shepherd says.

I do my best skiing when I let go. When I focus on what I hear, what I touch, I can vibrate with that keyed frequency. In the early season, the abrupt transition from chalked snow to ice, the particular feeling of my neglected edges on that ice and the next day, the anchored speed of newly-tuned skis carrying me over those same rough patches with grace, these are the textures of December. All of those feelings require a sort of creativity, I think, and most definitely training. A sensitivity to being open to minute changes.

Knowing another is endless. And I have discovered that mans experience of them enlarges rock, flower and bird. The thing to be known grows with the knowing, Shepherd says.

This morning, I will not go through the motions. I will hoist my skis on my shoulder and walk to the gondola, pass through the maze, try to smell the storm in the trees, layer on yet another slice of memory over the old, click into my bindings, ascertain whether chair 3 or 4 has the longer line, and then ski. And do it again, carve, want to do it better. Only knowing the mountain when she is at her best is not truly knowing her. Any kind of frustration often means I am not engaging my imagination.

Anna Suszynski is a staff editor at the Vail Daily. She can be reached at asuszynski@vaildaily.com. Follow her on Instagram at annasuszynski or on Twitter at anna_suszynski.

Anna Suszynski is a staff editor at the Vail Daily. She can be reached at asuszynski@vaildaily.com. Follow her on Instagram at annasuszynski or on Twitter at anna_suszynski.

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Suszynski: Knowing through imagination | VailDaily.com - Vail Daily News

Notice of prolongation of redemption date and partial redemption of convertible bonds PKG5 – GlobeNewswire

AS Pro Kapital Grupp informs that it has prolonged the redemption date of 24 500 Pro Kapital Grupp convertible bond PKG5 29.11.2014 (in the registry under EEK 7.00 PRO KAPITAL GRUPP VAHETUSVLAKIRI PKG5 10-2020, hereinafter referred to as Convertible Bonds PKG5) by 2 years. The new redemption date of convertible bonds PKG5 is 29 November 2022 (hereinafter referred to as the redemption date).

AS Pro Kapital Grupp has submitted the relevant application to the Nasdaq Central Depository of Securities Estonian branch to change the redemption date of Convertible Bonds PKG5. In the process of issuing the second trance of new non-convertible bonds EUR 8.00 PRO KAPITAL GRUPP VLAKIRI 20-2024 on 27 November 2020 15 746 convertible bonds PKG5 were cancelled as they were used as payment when scubscribing for the new non-convertible bonds.

In total, Convertible Bonds PKG5 were prolonged with total value of 68 600 euros and 10 844 convertible bonds PKG5 are going to be redeemed with total value of 30 363.20 euros.

Convertible bonds PKG5 bear an annual interest of 7% and give the holders of the convertible bonds the right to exchange one convertible bond for one share of AS Pro Kapital Grupp. The issue price of each convertible bond is 2.80 euros.

In order to subscribe for the shares of AS Pro Kapital Gruppand exchange the bonds, the bondholder must submit an application to the Company at least 10 (ten) Business Days before the Exchange Date. The Exchange Date shall be each Business Day (a day other than (a) a Saturday, (b) a Sunday, (c) Estonian national holiday, (d) public holiday or (e) another day when the registrar of the Register does not register securities) until the expiration date of the Bond, i.e. until the date of its redemption.

Allan RemmelkoorMember of the Management BoardPhone: +372 614 4920Email: prokapital@prokapital.ee

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Notice of prolongation of redemption date and partial redemption of convertible bonds PKG5 - GlobeNewswire

Trump Embraces Fringe Theories on Protests and the Coronavirus – The New York Times

What does President Trump think will happen when he continues to insist on fanning the flames of hate and division in our society and using the politics of fear to whip up his supporters? Mr. Biden asked. He is recklessly encouraging violence. He may believe tweeting about law and order makes him strong but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is.

The latest social media outburst by the president came just days after he accepted the nomination for a second term in an election in which he has been trailing for months. Mr. Trump sought to capitalize on any momentum generated by the Republican National Convention, posting a series of tweets asserting that he is actually leading in polls.

A new poll by Morning Consult, however, showed that Mr. Trump had narrowed Mr. Bidens lead but that the president still trailed. The survey, conducted on Friday, the day after the conclusion of the Republican convention, found Mr. Biden ahead 50 percent to 44 percent, a six-point lead compared with the former vice presidents 10-point advantage a week ago after his own convention. Another poll by Yahoo News and YouGov likewise showed Mr. Bidens lead shrinking to six percentage points, down from nine points.

A post-convention bounce is typical in presidential years but it does not always last, and an ABC News-Ipsos poll showed that Mr. Trump did nothing to improve his own standing with voters, only 31 percent of whom reported a favorable view, roughly the same as before the Republican convention. Democrats, however, are growing more concerned that Mr. Trump is successfully using violence in the streets after police shootings of Black Americans to energize his own supporters and tar Mr. Biden and his party as weak on law and order.

In that vein, many of Mr. Trumps Sunday morning tweets focused on the violence in Portland, where the shooting death of a man exacerbated an already tense situation. The man was wearing a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in the Portland area that has clashed with protesters before.

Updated August 27, 2020

Mr. Trump repeatedly assailed Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland for resisting federal help and delighted in showcasing a peaceful protest held at the mayors own home on Friday, even retweeting a post accusing the Mr. Wheeler of committing war crimes. Rather than calling for calm, Mr. Trump seemed to justify aggressive action against demonstrators by his supporters.

The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing, Mr. Trump wrote, as he retweeted a journalists post reporting that Trump supporters were firing paintballs and pepper spray, including at the reporter. The people of Portland wont put up with no safety any longer. The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard!

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Trump Embraces Fringe Theories on Protests and the Coronavirus - The New York Times

Governor Cuomo Announces New Record High Number of COVID-19 Tests Reported to New York State – ny.gov

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 100,022 test results were reported to New York State yesterdaya new record high. Hospitalizations dropped to 429, a new low since March 16, and intubations dropped to 47, a new low since March 14. New York State's infection rate has been below 1 percent for 23 straight days. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available atforward.ny.gov.

"Yesterday's highest-ever number of tests and infection rate of 0.69 percent are great news, especially when you consider what's going on around the country and around the world,"Governor Cuomo said."The state is doing extraordinarily well, and again, kudos to allNew Yorkers because there's no mystery as to how this happens. It's a social action and it's the community of the people of the State of New York acting out of mutuality and concern for one another. Everyone should continue to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands, and local governments should continue to enforce state guidance so we can get through this together."

Governor Cuomo also reminded Western New York residents that ongoing rapid testing is being conducted at eight sites in the region. Residents can call 833-NYSTRNG to make an appointment. On August 27, the governordeployed a testing SWAT teamto Western New York to address the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the region. He also announced the eight sites, which can be found here:

Delavan-GriderCommunity Center

877 E. Delavan Ave.

Buffalo, NY 14215

True Bethel Baptist Church

907 E. Ferry St.

Buffalo, NY 14211

Northwest Buffalo Community Center

155 Lawn Ave.

Buffalo, NY 14207

Dunkirk Fire Murphy Training Grounds

665 Brigham Road

Dunkirk, NY 14048

SUNY ECC North

6205 Main St.

Williamsville, NY 14221

Union Fire Company

1845 Union Road

West Seneca, NY 14224

John A. Duke Senior Center

1201 Hyde Park Blvd.

Niagara Falls, NY 14301

YWCA of the Niagara Frontier

32 Cottage St.

Lockport, NY 14094

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,734 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 11 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

Of the 100,022 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 698, or 0.69 percent, were positive. Each region's percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

REGION

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Capital Region

0.5%

0.7%

0.6%

CentralNew York

0.8%

0.4%

0.8%

Finger Lakes

0.3%

0.5%

0.6%

Long Island

0.5%

0.6%

0.8%

Mid-Hudson

0.9%

0.8%

0.8%

Mohawk Valley

0.1%

0.6%

0.5%

New York City

0.6%

0.7%

0.7%

North Country

0.8%

0.2%

0.4%

Southern Tier

0.5%

0.4%

0.3%

WesternNew York

1.2%

1.2%

1.6%

The Governor also confirmed 698 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 434,100 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 434,100 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

County

Total Positive

New Positive

Albany

2,764

10

Allegany

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Governor Cuomo Announces New Record High Number of COVID-19 Tests Reported to New York State - ny.gov

How Italy’s ‘father of the swabs’ fought the coronavirus – Science Magazine

Lock down the village, test everybody, and isolate the positives. It really works, Andrea Crisanti says.

By Douglas StarrAug. 27, 2020 , 12:00 PM

Sciences COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Andrea Crisanti was on a 30-hour flight from Italy to Australia for a conference on 22 February when some disturbing news appeared on his phone. Italy had just had its first COVID-19 death, and more cases were accumulating fast. He asked conference organizers to move his talk to the first day, and made the grueling trip back home after that. Its something I do not recommend, he says.

Crisanti, head of the microbiology department at the University of Padua, already knew trouble was coming and had geared up his lab to do large-scale testing for the new coronavirus. As it began to devastate his nation, Crisanti put his university and region at the forefront of the fight with an all-out campaign of testing and quarantine, even when that meant defying conventional wisdom.

A soft-spoken 65-year-old with graying hair and soft brown eyes, Crisanti has a matter-of-fact way of stating his opinionseven when he opines that something is bullshit. Hes an innovative person who knows his own worth and has confidence in his judgments, says Jules Hoffmann, a Nobel Prize winner and professor of integrative biology at the University of Strasbourg. His decisiveness helped rein in his regions outbreak and show the rest of Italy how to tame the virus, which hit the country early and hard.

Crisanti, who trained in immunology and biotechnology in Rome before spending 25 years at Imperial College London, was used to fighting another scourge: malaria. Last fall, the University of Padua recruited him to continue his research on genetic strategies to block mosquito reproduction. But when news about the coronavirus began to emerge from China, Crisanti immediately shifted his focus.

In late January, when Chinese scientists published the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus, Crisanti began to test university students returning from China, symptomatic or not. He had conducted a few hundred tests when the regional health department told him to stop. Guidelines from the World Health Organization and Italys National Institute of Health said to test only patients with symptoms, he was told. Crisanti says the restriction made no sense: I know very few infectious diseases where asymptomatic people do not play a major role.

Thats where things stood when he got word of the first Italian COVID-19 fatality. The patient was from Vo, a prosperous village in the region of Veneto, about 50 kilometers west of Venice. The regions governor ordered a 2-week quarantine of the town and testing of almost all 3300 residents. Anyone who tested positive was put on lockdown.

At the time, anecdotal reports were emerging from China about asymptomatic transmission, but no one had produced definitive evidence. Crisanti saw Vo as an ideal place to conduct an epidemiological experiment: a small population, universally tested, whose progress could be monitored closely. He got approval to retest everyone in the village 9 days after the first round of testing.

The numbers confirmed his thinking about asymptomatic transmission. In the first round of testing, 73 residents were positive for the virus. More than 40% of them had no symptoms yet had levels of the virus similar to those who were visibly ill. The Vo study also confirmed that isolating people helps stem transmission. Everyone who had tested positive was confined to their home, regardless of whether they had symptoms. By the second round of testing, a week and a half later, the number of positives had dropped to 29; they, too, were isolated. A third round of tests 2 months after the second found no positive cases.

If you want to eliminate a cluster you have to lock down the village [or neighborhood], test everybody, and isolate the positives, Crisanti says. It really works.

Crisanti persuaded the regional government of Veneto to test anyone with even the mildest of symptoms, and to trace and test their contacts as well. The effort targeted medical personnel and essential workers, such as supermarket cashiers. It helped that Veneto has a long tradition of taking strong public health measures, dating back to the invention of the quarantine during the 14th century plagues. (The word quarantine is derived from the word for 40 days in an old Venetian dialectthe period for which incoming ships had to anchor in the harbor to avoid bringing in plague.) The regions infrastructure was ready for a pandemic, with a health care policy that emphasizes decentralized primary care. In this case,that meant sending well-equipped nurses to test people at home or admitting them to small local hospitals with dedicated COVID-19 units.

In contrast, neighboring Lombardy, the prosperous region in which Milan is located, has emphasized large, urban hospitals offering first-rate surgical and specialty care. That system backfired in the pandemic, funneling sick people into the hospitals, which in turn became sources of infection. Lombardy became the worst affected region of Italy, with 2.5 times the number of cases and four times the number of deaths per capita as Veneto.

From the beginning, Crisanti was prescient. In late January he ordered enough reagent to process half a million swabs; then had his lab analyze the reagents and begin to produce its own. Thus, when other regions were running short, Veneto had a surplus of reagents. Later he ordered a piece of equipment that could process tests at high speed, tracking down a demo machine in London when he couldnt procure one through the usual means because of heightened demand from the pandemic. We got the only one in Italy, he says. The machine quadrupled his laboratorys throughput to more than 6000 swabs per day. Along the way, Veneto became an example of the value of extensive testing, tracing, and isolationand ensuring the means to do it.

Newspapers hailed Crisanti as the father of the swabs, and the rebel scientist, for his defiance of official policy in the early days of the pandemic. He received the Lion of Veneto award for his service to the region, the seal of the city of Padua, and was honored by a special concert in Vo. Yet it hasnt all been smooth. As the outbreak began to abate, the regions governor, Luca Zaia, downplayed Crisantis contribution in comments to the press and claimed that he and his government deserved credit for taming the virus. Eager to reopen Veneto for tourism, Zaia became irritated by Crisantis insistence to go slow and turned to other scientists for advice. The freeze-out became so severe that in July, Crisanti said he would resign from the regions advisory board, only to be talked out of it by colleagues and admirers.

Now, theres a truce between the scientist and the politician. It may have been a joint effort, says Antonio Cassone, professor emeritus of medical microbiology at the University of Perugia. But Andrea proved essential.

Moving forward, Crisanti is analyzing the genetic and blood samples his team collected during the Veneto outbreak to learn more about individual susceptibility and antibody response. He remains undaunted by his encounter with politics. The most important thing is to convey simple, clear, and honest messages, he says. And if you dont know something just say it openly. People need to know the truth.

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How Italy's 'father of the swabs' fought the coronavirus - Science Magazine

Alaska coronavirus Q&A: How are people here getting COVID-19? And what’s the deal with testing numbers? – Anchorage Daily News

We're making this important information about the pandemic available without a subscription as a public service. But we depend on reader support to do this work. Please consider joining others in supporting independent journalism in Alaska for just $3.23 a week.

It might feel like the COVID-19 pandemic has been going on forever. But the disease caused by the novel coronavirus is still relatively new. Questions abound, and information from public officials is at times contradictory or confusing.

As the weeks and months push on, we want to know what questions you might have about COVID-19, and we want to help answer them.

Have a question of your own? Fill out the form at the bottom of this article.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, which reports all of the states COVID-19 data, recently changed the way it reports testing data.

Before, the department reported all of the test results it received each day on that day. Now, instead of displaying results based on the day the department received them, it is displaying them based on the day the tests were conducted.

Doing so better portrays when people are getting tested and smooths out day-to-day variability caused by lags in test completion, such as fewer tests being completed on weekends or labs that might have backlogs, according to the department.

Since COVID-19 tests can take a few days to return results, it looks like there were fewer tests conducted recently. But officials at the department say thats because they just dont have the results for the most recent tests yet.

The states health department sends out a recap of the previous weeks COVID-19 data every Wednesday, which helps paint a more specific picture of the pandemic in the 49th state.

In their most recent summary, Alaska health officials wrote that in March, many of the states cases were related to travel. In April and May, fewer Alaskans traveled but as more Alaskans have started to travel since June, more cases are now again tied to travel.

The most recent week saw 61% of Alaskas cases tied to secondary or community transmission. And, the largest increase in cases has been among people in their 20s and 30s.

The spread of COVID-19 among people at social gatherings, community events, churches and bars in addition to the spread of the virus within families has significantly contributed to Alaskas rising case counts, a previous report said.

Anchorage continues to see cases citywide, Anchorage Health Department medical officer Dr. Bruce Chandler said during a briefing on Aug. 21. He said Anchorage had identified infectious cases at a child care facility, an adult care facility, a shelter and an athletic team group residence, as well as cases involving employees at several local businesses.

Im sure there are others that havent come to our attention, Chandler said.

There are thousands of people who are still at a high risk for the virus in Anchorage. Plus, even if people have no symptoms at all, they can be highly infectious to others nearby, he said.

Seven people from Anchorage had died with COVID-19 in the past month, Chandler said Aug. 21 a number that has since risen.

I think some of those people would well be alive if wed done a better job of protecting them from the virus, Chandler said.

Inbound passengers Alex Koehler and Melissa Engelhardt listen to instructions from Marvell Robinson at the COVID-19 testing site in the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on July 17, 2020. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

For context: Alaska has changed its rules for incoming travelers. Since Aug. 11, nonresidents arriving into the state have been required to take a COVID-19 test before departing or pay $250 for a test at the airport.

So far, the state hasnt had to deal with someone refusing to get tested at the airport after arriving without proof of a test, according to Coleman Cutchins, clinical pharmacist and testing coordinator with the state.

But if people do refuse, the airport screeners will ask for their contact information so the state can come up with a plan, he said on an Aug. 20 call with reporters. If a person truly cannot afford a test, the state might find a way for the person to get tested for free and quarantine until they get their results, he said.

False positive test results showing that someone has the illness when they actually dont are not common in coronavirus testing. The test for the virus is highly specific, according to the states health department, meaning it almost never gives a false positive.

However, false negatives, which show that someone doesnt have the virus when they really do, can happen. This might happen if its too early in someones illness to detect COVID-19.

Jesse Guyer, left, and Callie Palmer, right, hike Little O'Malley Peak in Chugach State Park on Aug. 22, 2020. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

The states epidemiologist, Dr. Joe McLaughlin, uses Anchorages trail system, he said during a recent public video call. Navigating the outdoors comes down to personal choice, he said.

If someone tests positive for COVID-19, anyone who was within 6 feet of them for more than fifteen minutes is deemed a close contact, which means walking past someone on the trail doesnt fit that category.

Now, certainly, if the person is breathing hard and were to cough right on you, like give you a direct face shot of a cough, you might get exposed to COVID if theyre infected, McLaughlin said.

When hes out hiking, McLaughlin said, hell step off the trail, turn his head or will even hold his breath if he starts to get too close to someone.

But, if someone is at a higher risk for COVID-19, he said they should take more precautions.

Similarly, the states chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said her kids use the grumpy dog theory, meaning to stay away from people the way youd keep a grumpy dog away from people along trails. They often dive into the woods and go 6 feet off the trail, Zink said.

She also keeps a mask around for crowded trailheads and wears one if she goes blueberry picking by a trail where others might show up.

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Alaska coronavirus Q&A: How are people here getting COVID-19? And what's the deal with testing numbers? - Anchorage Daily News