Take the Unlikely Plunge into the Beautiful Waters of The Bahamas – TravelPulse (blog)

Posted on by

RELATED OFFERS

Fly Free Offer! Bahamas Ministry of ...

Grand Bahama Getaway Bahamas Ministry of ...

Island Hop Bahamas Ministry of ...

PHOTO: The beach in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo via Flickr/Aaron Headly)

Why relax on the beach and stare at the ocean when you could be exploring its depths?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go scuba diving but youre weary of all that gear?

Well, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism details a SNUBA adventure, which mixes together the ease and approachability of snorkeling, and the advantage of scuba diving.

READ MORE Take Advantage of Value Added Tax Free Shopping in The Bahamas

As a part of Stuart Cove'sdiving tour, you, your family and friends and other travelers will all get on a boat and before you know you it, youre in the deep blue sea.

Discover the beauty of the reef, witness numerous ocean species swimming around you and dont be afraid to go deep into the 20 feet of water.

Per the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism blogger, anywhere from 30-50 people will go on a SNUBA adventure every day. The tour started back in 2012 and if you know how to swim, youre good to go. No prior scuba or experience is needed.

For more information on Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, check out their blog here.

You may use your Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook information, including your name, photo & any other personal data you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on TravelPulse.com. Click here to learn more.

Art is a veteran travel writer.

Go here to read the rest:

Take the Unlikely Plunge into the Beautiful Waters of The Bahamas - TravelPulse (blog)

Bahamas Well Represented at NY Times and Boston Globe Travel Shows – South Florida Caribbean News

Posted on by

Bahamas Teams Brave Acute Winter Weather To Take Part In Travel Shows

NEW YORK Low Winter temperatures, a snowstorm and blizzard, was not enough to stop the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Managers, as well as its Hoteliers and representatives from their Promotion Boards attendance, at the recent New York Times and Boston Globe Travel Shows.

Their collective participation provided an impressive representation for The Islands Of The Bahamas.

During the weekend of the recent New York Times Travel Show, temperatures dipped into the 30s.

The Boston Globe Travel Show took place the week that city experienced first a snow storm, a blizzard and then temperatures that dipped to wind chill factors as low as 13 degrees below zero.

In both instances, teams representing The Bahamas welcomed Travel agents, media and consumers to their booth to provide them with information on the Sunny Bahamas as an alternative to the north east coast winter weather.

Thirty thousand plus persons attended the New York Times show, which is touted as the largest consumer travel trade show nationally. The shows exhibitors featured 560 companies representing 170 destinations vying for a piece of the pie of the multi billion travel industry.

The Boston Globe Travel Show also saw a reasonably good number of both travel agents and consumers who braved acute winter conditions to attend.

At The Bahamas booth in both cities, consumers were updated on new developments in The Bahamas.

Travel Agents were assured of The Bahamas commitment to their profession that is evidenced in the countrys signature agents tools including a monthly Bahamas Travel Agents Newsletter and the recently unveiled Bahamas Specialist Program through the Travel Agent Academy.

Bahamas East Coast Area Manager, Mikala Moss also updated those agents that attended the Boston Globes Round Table discussions.

The Out Island Promotion Boards booth featured a special consumer offer to The Islands Of The Bahamas a limited time offer of Two Fly Free to an Out Island, from the city of Nassau, Bahamas.

Mikala Moss, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, East Coast Area Manager, led the Bahamas team in both cities with Chrystal Bethel, Sales Manager New York.

Edward Archer, General Manager, Atlanta and Judy Pratt, Sales Manager, Florida assisted the New York team at the NY Times Show.

In Boston they were assisted by Jeannie Gibson, Manager, Global Communications Florida.

Partners at the Bahamas Booth in both cities included The Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board; The Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board and the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board. Hotel partners included Breezes, Nassau, Bahamas.

L-R: Mikala Moss, Bahamas Area Manager, East Coast; Loreal Sweeting, Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board; Everald Christie, Breezes Resort, Nassau Bahamas; Donna Munroe Isidora, Grand Bahama Tourism Board; Mary DiPasquale, Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board; Jeannie Gibson, Bahamas Tourism, Global Communications; Chrystal Bethel, Bahamas Marketing Manager, New York and Carmel Churchill, Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board.

View post:

Bahamas Well Represented at NY Times and Boston Globe Travel Shows - South Florida Caribbean News

Privy Council Has Fourth Sitting In The Bahamas – The Bahama Journal

Posted on by

Posted on 21 February 2017. by Jones Bahamas

Having sat in Nassau on more occasions than they have anywhere other than the United Kingdom, the Judicial Committee of the London-based Privy Council will see its fourth sitting of The Bahamas final Court of Appeal this week as five Privy Council judges are set to hear appeals and applications over the next five days.

Welcoming the judges were Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen and Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, who both noted that citizens of The Bahamas recognize and believe in the justice system, expecting the same to be fair with the rule of the law.

The ability of litigants in The Bahamas to appeal to the Privy Council affords them the opportunity to have their decisions reviewed and any errors corrected by a third level of experienced judges, Dame Allen said.

This maintains the trust and confidence of the public in the justice system and meets the demand for the rule of law for fair and just results in every case.

Mrs. Maynard-Gibson noted that the fundamental rights are dependent on the rule of law.

Today citizens throughout the Commonwealth and beyond know that their fundamental rights depend on a uniform application of the law by a judiciary that is guided by precedent and the rule of law, rather than politics or public opinion.

Your sitting this week underscores the importance of these principles, she said.

Dame Allen further noted that although there is a challenge of distance, the Privy Council is making attempts to overcome the challenges that they may face.

The Privy Council continues to overcome the challenges of distance and it has been able to successfully navigate through the 40 problems presented by the multiplicity and diversity of the legal systems in such jurisdictions, Justice Allen stated.

Leading the delegation of Judges, Lord Mance noted in his remarks during the first sitting the distinct pleasure of himself and fellow judges being able to have the opportunity to witness the Judicial system of The Bahamas.

We are delighted to be here at first hand on this occasion, it gives us a wonderful opportunity to witness The Bahamas constitution and legal system in action, to hear at first-hand about current thinking and developments and to understand how the Privy Council may best contribute, Lord Mance stated.

Lord Mance further noted that notwithstanding the honor of visiting The Bahamas for court proceedings, the Privy Council is working on being able to hear cases via webcast procedures.

We have already trialed one video link hearing which was very successful. Surprised at the ease to conduct a dialogue between two different jurisdictions far apart.

We are setting up the Privy Council so that it will be able to do that on a more regular basis so that each case will be reviewed, Lord Mance said.

Lord Mance continued by extending a welcoming invitation to the President of the Court of Appeal and other judicial persons to visit the United Kingdom, specifically London as to strengthen the relationship between the two judiciaries.

We very much welcome any such judicial visits by you and your successors or colleagues to fortify the connection with us in London. We greatly value the links which binds us together, he said.

The working visit of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is inclusive of Lord Mance, Lord Kerr, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed and Lord Hughes who will hear five matters for the first time again since the Judicial Committees last visit to Nassau in March/April of 2009.

Read more from the original source:

Privy Council Has Fourth Sitting In The Bahamas - The Bahama Journal

Tough Approach on Tax Arrears Pays Off For Bahamas Government – Caribbean360.com (subscription)

Posted on by

NASSAU, The Bahamas, Monday February 20, 2017 A brute force approach in The Bahamas by the Perry Christie administration to rake in millions of dollars owed from outstanding tax revenue is paying off $15 million every month to be exact, says Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Simon Wilson.

But he says that is just the tip of the iceberg, as the Government goes after delinquent taxpayers to recover arrears in excess of $600 million.

On average, this effort has yielded $15 million a month. Our target is $400 millionin two yearsin incremental revenue without adjusting [tax] rates. We believe thats quite achievable, Wilson said.

Weve listened to our advisers who suggested taking a more aggressive stance. Their target is two times that. And that $15 million is only on New Providence, he continued, adding that the crackdown would soon extend to businesses in Abaco, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.

The initiative launched last November pressures businesses to pay up arrears in four key areas Value Added Tax (VAT), Business Licence fees, Real Property Tax and Customs duties.

Wilson told the recent State of the Economy 2017 forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce that theDepartment of Inland Revenuehadzeroed in on 800 entities importing/selling more than $30,000 worth of goods per year without businesses licenses.

He pointed to 24,000 properties in New Providence whose owners had not placed them on the roll for Real Property Tax increases.

In addition, the Government has also netted a significant number of shippers allowing goods to come in without proper business licences and names.

Acknowledging there was some resistance from some quarters, Wilson said the crackdown was the best approach to avert new or increased taxes as the Government attempts to boost its annual revenues by around four to five percentage points of gross domestic product (GDP).

The obvious way to get there is increasing tax rates or finding new taxes, he said. Weve taken a new approach because the system is sufficient to achieve this by being more aggressive on tax compliance.

Click hereto receive news via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

Continue reading here:

Tough Approach on Tax Arrears Pays Off For Bahamas Government - Caribbean360.com (subscription)

Child abuse inquiry to hold limited public hearings into offshore … – The Guardian

Posted on by

Children detained on Nauru hold up signs in April 2016 protesting Australias offshore immigration detention system.

The royal commission into child sexual abuse is to hold limited public hearings on Australias immigration detention regime on Nauru and Manus Island.

The royal commission had initially declined to conduct investigations into Manus and Nauru because of jurisdictional concerns about the scope of the inquirys powers. Legal groups had urged the royal commission to examine Australias offshore immigration detention regime, outlining legal advice that Australias institutional response to allegations of abuse were within its power and terms of reference.

The commission appears to have partially adopted this approach, announcing the limited public hearing into the Australian governments response to report of a child protection panel convened by the immigration minister, Peter Dutton.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the royal commission said its final scheduled public hearing in March would examine the Australian governments response to the report.

On 14 November 2016 the royal commission announced a series of public hearings to be held in Sydney to inquire into the current policies and procedures relating to child protection and child safety of various institutions, the statement said.

It said the hearings would include: The response of the commonwealth government to the recommendations of the child protection panel in its report dated 11 May 2016, Making Children Safer the wellbeing and protection of children in immigration detention and regional processing centres.

The child protection panel identified serious inadequacies in Australias child protection framework in the immigration detention system on Manus and Nauru. It found almost half of the responses to reported incidents of child abuse were inadequate and the immigration department was unsure of the number, nature and severity of incidents.

The panel made a series of recommendations including to improve categorisation of incidents, to require service providers to deliver accurate and complete incident reports, and to ensure inquiries were not finalised without all available facts and an effective response.

There has been renewed focus on the asylum seekers and refugees held on Nauru by Australia after the Guardians publication of the Nauru files, which detailed thousands of incident reports from the islands detention facility until October 2015.

A Senate inquiry is also under way into serious allegations of abuse and assault on Nauru and the department is facing increasing pressure to release information about incident reports, as well as healthcare information for asylum seekers and refugees on the island.

The royal commissions limited hearings will still not fully examine the detention regime on Manus Island and Nauru. They will occur as part of a set of hearings into other areas of government responses, including the defence department and the management of working with childrens checks.

The commission has made substantial inquiries into the onshore immigration detention regime, but declined to hold public hearings.

The hearings will begin in March.

Contact Paul Farrell at paul.farrell@theguardian.com or via the secure messaging app Signal on +61 457 262 172

Read the original post:

Child abuse inquiry to hold limited public hearings into offshore ... - The Guardian

Offshore catering staff reject offer after phone ballot – BBC News

Posted on by

BBC News
Offshore catering staff reject offer after phone ballot
BBC News
Offshore catering workers have rejected an offer of new terms and conditions from their trade body. The Unite and RMT unions said the latest proposals from the Catering Offshore Trade Association (Cota) would freeze pay at existing levels. More than 60 ...

More here:

Offshore catering staff reject offer after phone ballot - BBC News

South Side getting trauma center, but it’ll be far more than just an emergency room – Fox 32 Chicago

Posted on by

FOX 32 NEWS - For years, residents of Chicagos South Side have clamored for a Level One Trauma Center to treat the victims of violence that has plagued so many of their neighborhoods.

Now, they're getting one at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park. But it'll be far more than just an emergency room.

From the outside it doesn't look like much, yet. Two floors of a campus parking garage are being converted into a Level One Trauma Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

But in a community of big thinkers, the man in charge of this new emergency room is thinking big.

"I think we have an excellent opportunity to do two things. To start up a level one trauma center to provide care for the communities of the South Side, but also to actively partner with the community to address this seeming epidemic of intentional violence, said Rauma Center Director Dr. Selwyn Rogers.

Dr. Selwyn Rogers is a medical superstar. Born poor in the Virgin Islands, educated at Harvard Medical School and now a nationally-recognized trauma surgeon, Rogers was handpicked by the university not just to patch up victims of violence but to try to prevent that violence from happening in the first place.

"If you think of violence as a disease, it's not a disease of people in that traditional flu-like disease. It's a disease of communities, Dr. Rogers said.

Many of those communities are on Chicagos South Side where for years, residents and activists had been demanding a trauma center where so much of the trauma is occurring.

When it opens next year, the new University of Chicago emergency room will be able to handle an additional 25-thousand patient visits a year.

"We want to create a model for what a 21st Century trauma center can be, said Derek Douglas of University of Chicago.

Douglas is the university's vice president for civic engagement. He admits for many years the U of C was regarded at as an ivory-tower island on the South Side. But he says the new trauma center offers an opportunity to tap the brilliant minds of all the university's disciplines such as law, economics and sociology in coming up with strategies to combat the violence plaguing neighborhoods next door.

The university has not looked at this issue as something that there's one department now that's gonna be there solving it on its own. Theyve looked at this as something that could bring the whole university together to try to contribute to this pressing problem, Douglas said.

Since arriving on campus last month, Dr. Rogers has been on a listening tour of the South Side, meeting with community groups and churches, even in barber shops.

"We have an opportunity to listen actively to the community, and partnering with them to try to better understand how we as a health system or as a doctor can make a difference, Rogers said.

Rogers says to understand what's going wrong, you have to study what goes right. Why do so many kids growing up in violent neighborhoods make it out alive and thrive?

"For me personally growing up relatively poor in the Virgin Islands, that's a source of my strength. That informs some of my drive. That informs some of my social justice. That informs some of my desire to make a difference. Without it, I'm not sure I'd be here, Rogers said.

The University of Chicagos trauma center is scheduled to be ready to open in the spring of 2018.

See the article here:

South Side getting trauma center, but it'll be far more than just an emergency room - Fox 32 Chicago

You could fly to SPACE from the UK within three years as plans are for space port are unveiled – The Sun

Posted on by

Commercial flights for people willing to go to infinity and beyond could be available in just three years

INTREPID travellers couldfly to space from a UK space port as soon as 2020, under new laws.

Commercial flights for people willing to go to infinity and beyond could be available in just three years.

Space travel has long been a dream for people hoping to explore the area outside our planet.

Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic and Dutch-founded Xcor are among those who could take passengers up to the final frontier when services go live.

In Virgin Galactics plans, astronauts would cost $250,000 for the flight into the Earths atmosphere.

SpaceX is also offering trips to the International Space Station after it made history in 2012 when it became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the space station.

Last night its Falcon 9 rocket launched on a mission to resupply the space station.

Under new powers unveiled this week scientists will blast into space to conduct zero gravity experiments in a bid to find cures for deadly bugs like MRSA and Salmonella.

The laws allowing commercial flights to take off from UK space ports by 2020 will also permit researchers to carry out tests on potential new antibiotics in orbit.

The powers in the Spaceflight bill will be revealed in Parliament this week.

PA:Press Association

It means a rocket space flight could take off from a space port in Britain before a new runway is built at Heathrow.

Science minister Jo Johnson said the new powers would cement the UKs position as a world leader in an emerging market worth up to 25billion over the next 20 years.

Space ports could be set up and satellites launched from regions across the UK under the plans.

Newquay in Cornwall, Llanbedr in Snowdonia, and three Scottish sites, Glasgow Prestwick and Campbeltown, and Stornaway in the Western Isles have all been shortlisted as potential space port sites.

Because of Britains position far from the equator, its likely space planes would take off from a horizontal runway rather than a rocket launch pad.

They will transport satellites up into orbit or take paying space tourists although its thought space tourism would only make up around 10 per cent of the industry.

NASA scientists have been carrying out scientific research in space for the last five years.

SXC Space Expedition

This week US scientists sent the lethal MRSA bug up to the International Space station for astronauts to study how the superbug becomes resistant to antibiotics.

Aviation minister Lord Ahmad said the ambition was to launch a space flight from the UK as soon as possible.

He said: Our ambition is to allow for safe and competitive access to space from the UK, so we remain at the forefront of a new commercial space age.

Mr Johnson added: From the launch of Rosetta, the first spacecraft to orbit a comet, to Tim Peakes six months on the International Space Station, the UKs space sector has achieved phenomenal things in orbit and beyond.

With this weeks Spaceflight Bill launch, we will cement the UKs position as a world leader in this emerging market, giving us an opportunity to build on existing strengths in research and innovation. The Bill will be unveiled in parliament this week.

BY JO JOHNSON, SCIENCE MINISTER

When we think of spaceflights, we often think of America: of NASA and Apollo 11 perhaps Sandra Bullock in Gravity. But just as with the drama of spaceflight in that film, the reality is far different.

Later this week the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will be bringing forward the powers that could allow satellites and sub-orbital flights to launch into space from UK soil.

These laws and funding could potentially lay the groundwork for us to reach for the stars quite literally and see a commercial satellite launch from a UK Spaceport taking off as early as 2020.

Satellite launch capability offers the opportunity to build on our existing strengths in science, research and innovation.

Alongside our on-going research and discoveries in space, commercial satellite launch capability will create highly skilled jobs and boost local economies.

It is vital that our economy is ready for the future.

In 2017 no one can doubt Britains place as a space nation.

It is a daring step for the future of the UK in space, and it is one which we are excited to be taking.

Go here to see the original:

You could fly to SPACE from the UK within three years as plans are for space port are unveiled - The Sun

Know before you fly: privatized space travel – Observer Online

Posted on by

OnSunday, a rocket blasted off from a NASA launch pad and headed for the International Space Station. But the rocket wasnt built by NASA.

The rocket, named Falcon 9, is owned by the private company SpaceX. Founded in 2002 by high-profile businessman Elon Musk, SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

That might sound like a faraway pipe dream. But with hundreds of billions of dollars to play with, Musk may be able to get it done sooner than youd think.

As a company that intends to profit from sending people to space, SpaceX is trying to build and manage rockets as cheaply as possible. Theyve already managed to cut manufacturing and transportation costs enough that they can engineer rockets for a third of the price NASA can. Now, Musk and his team are trying to develop ways to reuse rockets after they have been launched. This will save them billions in manufacturing, and its something no government organization is currently doing.

The Sunday launch is part of this goal, as the Falcon 9 rocket carried the Dragon space craft (also made and owned by SpaceX) into low orbit and then successfully returned to its landing site. The Dragon will continue on to make its delivery at the International Space Station, and the Falcon 9 will be made ready for its next launch. Its a cycle SpaceX has done before and will do again, perfecting their reuse and recycle technique and getting one more step ahead of NASA.

The idea that space travel will be driven by the private sector is perhaps not surprising, as government agencies (like NASA) are non-profit and not likely to be in the business of setting up spa resorts on Mars. However, the legal standing of private companies in space is murky, the ethics of exploring space for private gain is questionable and like any capitalistic system, some government oversight is necessary. These issues are addressed on Earth through legal policies but in space, the law is a little less firm.

The most important legal force beyond the atmosphere is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It set up a number of fundamental regulations to govern the use of space for example, that space and celestial bodies cannot be claimed by any one country, and must be free for exploration by all. With respect to private companies, the treaty had two things to say: first, that governments are still responsible for those companies activities, and second, that private companies are required to receive authorization and constant supervision from their government.

That holds Space X responsible to the U.S. federal government but what exactly does that responsibility include? Lets say Space X gets their tourism ships up and running, and then sets up a resort on Mars (its not far-fetched Elon Musk says his ultimate goal for SpaceX is a Martian colony). Then theres an accident and something explodes, damaging the surface of the planet. This damage violates the Outer Space Treaty, which stipulates that no harm is to be done to celestial bodies by space exploration. So who pays up? Space X, because they owned the resort, or the U.S. federal government, because according to the treaty theyre responsible for the companys actions in space? Who enforces that decision? Since the treaty also stipulates that celestial bodies cannot be owned by anyone, who do they pay damages to, and who carries out the remediation? More generally, does building the resort or colony, or laboratory, or space station itself violate the treaty, as it implies some type of ownership of that part of the planet? Does the U.S. building a colony on Mars impede Britains freedom to explore Mars, and is that in violation of the treaty as well? If thats the case, Musk can build all the reusable rockets he wants legally, hes not getting off the ground.

The legal issues are complicated, and while they arent going anywhere, SpaceX is. Elon Musk purportedly plans to send crewed crafts to the International Space Stationin 2018, and wants to get a spaceship on its way to Mars in 10to 15years. Whether or not hell have the legal standing to do so has yet to be seen. So if youre planning a trip to Mars, you might have to wait once these private companies overcome the engineering challenges, they will have to start fighting the legal ones.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The rest is here:

Know before you fly: privatized space travel - Observer Online

Btonsalon Center for Art and Research – E-Flux

Posted on by

Emmanuelle Lain Incremental Self: Transparent Bodies March 8July 1, 2017

Opening : March 7, 69pm

Btonsalon Center for Art and Research 9 Esplanade Pierre Vidal-Naquet Rez-de-Chausse de la Halle aux Farines F-75013 Paris France

T +33 1 45 84 17 56 info@betonsalon.net

http://www.betonsalon.net Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

Btonsalon - Center for Art and Research is proud to present a solo exhibition by Emmanuelle Lain to re-open its newly refurbished spaces.

Our lives are all but fragile and precarious. Yet they are multiple, collective, and uncontrollable. This is what artist Emmanuelle Lain manifests in her exhibitionIncremental Self: Transparent Bodies.The bodies we observe in her filmic installationstudents, retired artists, workersare in transitional places where different sorts of exchanges are taking place. They are evolving in spaces of negotiation where successive layers of identity are being performed in interaction with given economic, sensible, and even symbolic facts and objects.What should we do with of all these stories, anecdotes, and memories told by each and every one of us? How to make these narratives biting? To exhibit oneself is to demonstrate a form of resistance, while reconnecting with ones own fragility. WithIncremental Self: Transparent Bodies, we are inclined to explore the following question raised by philosopher Rosi Braidotti: How[do we] find adequate theoretical and imaginary representations for our lived conditions and how [do we] experiment together with alternative forms of posthuman subjectivity?(1)Emmanuelle Lains exhibition is a demonstration of ones taking shape, where humans and objects influence each other, assembling, overlapping, and mixing indiscernibly.Each permeates the other until conscience arises in their trembling selves, thus becoming transparent. Emmanuelle Lains transparent bodies materialize our shifting, off-center, fragmented, and multiple identities. Even more, transparent bodies are contagious, contaminating each other.

(1)Rosi Braidotti, The Posthuman, Cambridge: Polity Press,2013, p.187

Emmanuelle Lain (born in Paris in 1973) lives and works in Marseille. She graduated from the cole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris. Elaborating on the specifics of each exhibition venue, Emmanuelle Lain uses the furniture and architectural features of her host institutions to provide a methodology of places connecting the spaces, the artworks and the audience. Her practice consists of monumental in-situ installations that blur the distinctions between the different media she uses. This process allows her to create a complex cognitive space where several temporalities coexist and only make sense to the spectator, who is considered to be the key player of the exhibition.

She recently exhibited her works at the Palais de Tokyo (2017, 2014) and at Villa Vassilieff (2016) in Paris, at the Lyon Biennale (2015), at the GLstrand, (Copenhagen, 2015), at the Stereo Gallery (Warsaw, 2015), at the ICA Singapore (2015), at the Swiss Cultural Institute (Rome, 2014) and at La Loge Bruxelles (2013). Her works were also shown in personal exhibitions hosted by the Villa Arson (2016), the Galerie Motinternational (Bruxelles, 2015), IFAL (Mexico, 2015), the foundation Ricard (2014) and C-o-m-p-o-s-i-t-e (Brussels, 2014).

Visit link:

Btonsalon Center for Art and Research - E-Flux

Girls basketball roundup: East Ascension surprised by Pineville in … – The Advocate

Posted on by

PINEVILLE The second-seeded East Ascension High girls basketball team had its 23-game winning streak and season come to end Monday night.

Krystal Freeman hit two free throws with 14.7 seconds left, giving No. 18 seed Pineville a 48-46 over the Spartans in a Class 5A nonselect regional-round game. Freeman scored a game-high 25 points for the winners, who beat Walker to open the playoffs last week.

EAHS (24-2) had a final chance to tie the score or win but turned the ball over with 10 seconds remaining as Freeman made the game-clinching steal. Diniaa McZeal led EAHS with 14 points; Lariah Ealy added 11 for the District 5-5A champion Spartans.

BRUSLY 70, MARKSVILLE 57: Caitlyn Williams scored a game-high 30 points to help ninth-seeded Brusly (22-11) advance to the Class 3A nonselect quarterfinals.

Angel Bradford added 19 points, and Morgan Spriggs had 10 for the Panthers of District 6-3A. Brusly gained an early advantage by outscoring MHS 16-8 in the first quarter.

Teeona Barkley led No. 8 Marksville with 28 points.

SOUTHERN LAB 80, ASCENSION EPISCOPAL 33: The fourth-seeded Kittens got a game-high 26 points from Stephanie Stewart in a Division IV select win.

LSU commitment Cailain Williams had 18 points, and Silas Payne scored 12 for SLHS.

HOLDEN 64, HICKS 29: In Class B, defending state champion Holden (27-4) outscored Hicks 19-0 in the first quarter and never looked back. K.K. Kropog set the pace for the No. 4 Rockets with 15 points. Kaylee Hughes added 14 and Jaycee Hughes finished with 10.

Kropog had three 3-pointers for Holden. Kelsey McFarland led Hicks with eight points.

ALBANY 60, DONALDSONVILLE 45: Cameron Woods finished with 18 points to lead sixth-seeded Albany (21-14) past No. 11 Donaldsonville (19-14) in a game that matched teams from area 3A districts.

Mahogany Williams contributed 11 for the Hornets. Mya Chapman also had 11 for Donaldsonville.

EPISCOPAL 33, SACRED HEART-New Orleans 18: Shannon Ahmad scored eight points to lead a balanced attack as Episcopal (19-11) advanced in Division III select. The Knights played in their main gym for the first time since Augusts historic flooding.

Tera Snell and Corrine Talbot each had seven points for Episcopal.

HANNAN 39, CHRISTIAN LIFE 38: Also in Division III select, No. 7 Hannan (16-12) held off a late charge from CLA.

Kennedy Martin and Miranda Kramer each had 11 points for Hannan. Joy Jones and Jewel Jones each had 11 for No. 10 seed Christian Life (19-8).

DUNHAM 44, ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC 43: Kelsey Day finished with 16 points to lead No. 10 Dunham (17-12) past seventh-seeded St. Charles in Division III select.

The Tigers made six 3-pointers. Hannah Barrow finished with 11 points.

Original post:

Girls basketball roundup: East Ascension surprised by Pineville in ... - The Advocate

Head of Amarillo’s Ascension Academy Recognized by TMEA – – MyHighPlains

Posted on by

Dr. William Summerhill, Head of Amarillo's Ascension Academy, has been recognized by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), joining a small group of only 200 administrators who have received such an honor.

The TMEA Distinguished Administrator Award program recognizes school administrators whose support has been critical to the music program successes in schools across the state. Dr. Summerhill was nominated by the Ascension Academy Music Department.

"When Dr. Summerhill took the helm at Ascension Academy, we had a small choir and an orchestra program, but no band," says teacher Kellie Bartley. "Over the next few months, he was so steadfast in the desire to form a band that he made several accommodations to the master schedule to fit in this new class at the only time I could be on campus to teach."

The band, which started with only nine students, quickly doubled in size and a second section was added for advanced players. That's when Dr. Summerhill decided it was time for the band to play at pep rallies.

"I told Dr. Summerhill that we had no percussionist to play. After all, what's a pep rally without drummers?" recalls Bartley. "Well this did not deter his plans one bit! He picked up a pair of sticks and worked up a beat on a donated electric drum set and played with us at the first pep rally!"

Because of Dr. Summerhill's love for band, Ascension Academy has also added a private lesson program and a percussion component. The band has successfully competed in spring competitions, placed students in middle and high school Region Bands, and now performs annually as a full orchestra for Christmas programs and spring graduation.

Read the original here:

Head of Amarillo's Ascension Academy Recognized by TMEA - - MyHighPlains

Space Startups Are Booming in the Mojave Desert – Fortune

Posted on by

VIEW GALLERY | 13 PHOTOS

... VIEW MORE

Inside a series of nondescript buildings in the driest desert in North America, an entrepreneurial enclave is chasing the next frontier of commerce. Explosions are routine. The science is complex. Brain power and ambition are high, as is danger. This cluster of 17 young companies at the Mojave Air and Space Port, 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is shooting for the moonand beyond.

The startups there are building the components, engines, materials, and rockets that are dispatching a new generation of cell-phone-size satellites and more into space. These so-called NewSpace companies have sprung up around a former military base in the California desert. The remoteness of Mojave and the permissive attitude toward, say, detonation and flamesthe airports slogan: We eat explosions for breakfastmake it the ideal location for companies aiming to reach the heavens.

Mojave is the Silicon Valley of space exploration, says Mark Bnger, who follows the sector at Lux Research. Mojave isnt alone, as galactic entrepreneurship is also burgeoning in Seattle, Tucson, and Silicon Valley itself. Says Sunil Nagaraj of Bessemer Ventures: 2017 will be the year that NewSpace startups will hit their stride.

It used to be that space projects were so daunting and expensive that only governments and their massive corporate partners could take them on. Then, in the past decade or so, a cadre of billionairesthink Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Bransonentered the arena with what first seemed like eccentric pet projects. Today, in the wake of their successes, theres a third generation: minnows that service those private companies and leverage the growing economies of scale such that a startup without extraordinary resources can now contemplate a voyage to another planet.

Plenty of factors are making space missions cheaper and more feasible: the miniaturization of electronics, the development of stronger and lighter materials, better engineering, and new standards that make it easier to build mini-satellites and send them up as hitchhikers on a larger launch. A traditional low-earth-orbit satellite, for instance, weighs three tons, stands two-stories tall, and costs tens of millions of dollars to build. Today there are microsatellites between 22 and 220 pounds and even nanosatellites under 22 pounds. A so-called cubesat, for example, weighs around two pounds, is about the size of a fist, and costs less than $100,000 to build. Some 60 companies now sell them, allowing small governments and companies to put a tiny probe into orbit for precision agriculture, oil spill monitoring, or security systems.

Of the 115 space-related companies started in the past decade and backed by investors, 84 focus on satellites, according to the Tauri Group, which tracks space investments. Just last year, those companies launched 100 microsatellites, up from 25 in 2011. Tauri projects that 2,400 nano- and microsatellites will launch between 2017 and 2023.

Investment is starting to take off. Venture capitalists have put $8.2 billion into space companies over the past five years, according to Tauri, most of it into rockets and satellites.

Mojave has become an oasis of billionaires, scientists, vendors, and service providers. Bransons Virgin Galactic has 500 people there building and testing propulsion systems and a suborbital spaceship, according to CEO George Whitesides. Paul Allens Vulcan Aerospace is nearing completion of its massive Stratolaunch airplane. NASA officials scout Mojave for technology and commercial space partners, and rockets are launched by small companies like XCOR and Masten Space Systems, which are assembling light, reusable launch vehicles to drastically reduce the cost of spaceflight. All that activity has drawn even smaller operations, including a school for test pilots and tiny vendors that provide everything from industrial coatings to ancillary offerings like financial services and a gym.

The biggest driver has been the deep pockets and confidence of Musk, Bezos, and others, including dotcom entrepreneur Naveen Jain and hotel mogul Robert Bigelow, who have been funding startups through venture investments and contests like the Google XPrize. Musks SpaceX slashed tens of millions of dollars from rocket prices, helping land the company a $1.6 billion deal with NASA to fly 12 cargo missions to the International Space Station. Musk and Bezos are now, separately, planning missions to Mars. They were the primer to the pump for this new resurgence, says Jay Gibson, CEO of XCOR.

Moon Express, funded by Jain, plans its maiden voyage to the moon later this year, vying for Googles Lunar XPrize, a $20 million award to the first company to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon and accomplish several technical challenges. Once there, Moon Express plans to extract iron ore, water, minerals, and precious metals, as well as nitrogen, hydrogen, and more. Ultimately, Jain thinks, the moon could become a fuel depot where spacecraft can stop before continuing longer journeys. Entrepreneurs have the potential to change the trajectory of how humanity lives, he says, where the moon becomes the eighth continent and a great place to live.

Needless to say, the challenges remain immense. I sound like a curmudgeon, but people always say this will be the year, says Gary Hudson, an industry veteran and the president of the Space Studies Institute. Everything costs more and takes longer than you think, and people die if you screw up.

The difficulty hasnt curbed enthusiasm at Interorbital Systems, a 12-person operation in Mojave. Cofounders Roderick and Randa Milliron started their business two decades ago with a goal of eventually living on the moon. Interorbital sells satellite kits and says it will launch 137 satellites this year with its modular rocket, whose size can be adjusted depending on the mission. The revenue from satellite and launch sales, space-testing missions, and more should help it reach its goal of using its rocket to get to the moon this year, as part of a team competing for the Lunar XPrize.

Perhaps the ultimate evidence that space technology is catching on is that it is even filtering down to hobbyists. A hacker space called Mojave Makers allows individuals to, say, build their own 3D-printed rocket motors. Says Bessemers Nagaraj: You now have people tinkering with space just as the previous generation tinkered with computers.

A version of this article appears in the March 1, 2017 issue of Fortune with the headline "Rocket Boom in the Desert."

Go here to see the original:

Space Startups Are Booming in the Mojave Desert - Fortune

NASA Funds 2 New Research Institutes to Help Humanity Explore Deep Space – Space.com

Posted on by

High performance materials and structures are needed for safe and affordable next generation exploration systems such as transit vehicles, habitats, and power systems.

NASA will spend up to $30 million over the next five years to set up and support two new institutes dedicated to helping humanity extend its footprint out into the solar system.

The two Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) each of which will receive up to $15 million of NASA funding over a five-year "period of performance" will aim to develop new technologies in the fields of biomanufacturing and materials, agency officials said.

"These university-led, multidisciplinary research programs promote the synthesis of science, engineering and other disciplines to achieve specific research objectives with credible expected outcomes within five years," Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is funding both STRIs, said in a statement. [NASA's Top 10 Innovations of All Time]

"At the same time, these institutes will expand the U.S. talent base in areas of research and development with broader applications beyond aerospace," Jurczyk added.

One of the new STRIs the Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space, or CUBES will focus on using microbes to make food, fuel, materials and pharmaceuticals. Such a biomanufacturing system could make astronauts more self-sufficient when they voyage through deep space or set up outposts on distant worlds, NASA officials said.

CUBES will be led by Adam Arkin, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Utah State University; the University of California, Davis; Stanford University; Autodesk; and Physical Sciences Inc. will be partner organizations.

Advanced biological engineering techniques are rapidly emerging that can lead to innovative approaches for in situ biological manufacturing techniques using microbes and plants, and provide the means to create sustainable technologies for both future space exploration and terrestrial applications.

The other STRI, the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP), will aim to develop a superstrong and extremely lightweight new aerospace material based on carbon-nanotube technology.

US-COMP will be led by Gregory Odegard of Michigan Technological University, in partnership with Florida State University, the University of Utah, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Florida A&M University, Johns Hopkins University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Colorado and Virginia Commonwealth University. Nanocomp Technologies and Solvay are industrial partners, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory will be a collaborator.

Though CUBES and US-COMP are devoted primarily to advancing space technology, the work of both institutes could find applications on terra firma, NASA officials said. For example, CUBES plans to use carbon dioxide as a base for its materials manufacturing; the technology may therefore prove useful for managing this greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere. And the new materials developed by US-COMP could make their way into a variety of products, agency officials said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

Go here to see the original:

NASA Funds 2 New Research Institutes to Help Humanity Explore Deep Space - Space.com

NEU Brings Nootropics to Energy Shots – BevNET.com

Posted on by

NEU MIND, LLC, whose slogan is Have The Advantage, was started to share with the world premium functional drinks that improve cognitive and physical performance. Their first drink is NEU Nootropic Boost, a specially formulated 2 ounce nootropic shot filled with brain vitamins that improve focus, uplift mood, and boost energy without leaving the user feeling overly stimulated.

Salim Sweiss, who studied Biology at UCLA, is the founder of NEU MIND, LLC and created the liquid nootropic formula while recovering from a motorcycle accident. Salim joined forces with Jonathan Perlstein, a veteran in film production and film finance who helped market the drink and expanded their retail presence.

Taking on the design challenge to showcase that performance drinks can be sleek and sophisticated without being kitschy is the award winning design firm, McLean Design, headed by design veteran Ian Mclean, known for the iconic Monster Energy logo.

Drink NEU is manufactured in to NSF cGMP standards in California, and is a Non-GMO, Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free product. For more information visit http://www.drinkneu.com.

SPONSORED POST

Read more here:

NEU Brings Nootropics to Energy Shots - BevNET.com

In a slot machine trance – Castanet.net

Posted on by

Photo: Contributed

The Centre for Gambling Research at UBC has published a new study that connects slot-machine addiction to a trance like state.

The fast, continuous style of play during slot machines brings an immersed state in which players can escape form feelings of stress, boredom or low mood.

This confirms there is indeed a link between gambling addiction and the so-called slot machine zone, said Luke Clark, the study's senior author.

Clark said slot machines lead to reduced attention to the visual world.

Slot machines are one of the most popular forms of gambling worldwide, but they are also the form most consistently linked to gambling addiction, said Spencer Murch the lead on the study.

Researchers found that participants who were at a higher risk of problem gambling reported greater levels of immersion during playing slot machines.

Participants played for 30 minutes and were told to report if they felt as if they were in a trance or lost track of time while playing. Their heart rates were also measured when they were playing.

We found they not only felt that they lost track of time and their surroundings, but they often failed to notice the shapes on the periphery of the machine," said Clark.

The study can be used to help guide the development of campaigns promoting gambling treatment and those at risk of becoming addicted.

There is potential for slot machines to be designed in a way that promotes more responsible use by disrupting the slot machine zone state, said Clark.

COMMENTS WELCOME

Comments are pre-moderated to ensure they meet our guidelines. Approval times will vary. Keep it civil, and stay on topic. If you see an inappropriate comment, please use the flag feature. Comments are the opinions of the comment writer, not of Castanet. Comments remain open for one day after a story is published and are closed on weekends. Visit Castanets Forums to start or join a discussion about this story.

More here:

In a slot machine trance - Castanet.net

‘Trump Trance’? Media Sure It ‘Heard’ Sweden Comment Trump Never Said – PJ Media

Posted on by

This article starts with some homework. I want you to watch this video:

If you have been a devoted reader of my Buddhism pieces, you have already seen this, so don't give the punchline away to the rest of the class.

Most all of you seeing this naively -- not aware of what is going to happen -- will have seen the little basketball exercise, and very few of you will have seen the moonwalking bear. Hell, I know what is happening and without consciously doing the Zen thing I still get sucked in. The point is that perception is altered by our thinking. One of the goals of Buddhist meditation is to make us aware of this -- not stop it, because we can't, that's the way we're built, but to be aware of it.

The furor about the Trump presidency has gotten to the point that people are literally (and I don't mean figuratively literally, I mean literally literally) seeing and hearing things that aren't there, just as in the video.

The truly glaring example this week was the succession of articles about Trump "lying" about a terrorist attack in Sweden. It's been widely reported, even on the one paragon of truth in American politics, PJ Media.

There's only one problem.

It didn't happen.

Excerpt from:

'Trump Trance'? Media Sure It 'Heard' Sweden Comment Trump Never Said - PJ Media

TMS Health Solutions Launches New Website February 21, 2017 … – Satellite PR News (press release)

Posted on by

Submit the press release

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 21, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ TMS Health Solutions announced today the launch of its newly revamped website, http://www.tmshealthsolutions.com. Key features of the site include a fresh, new look, a more mobile-friendly design with better, engaging user experience, and further information on the comprehensive services offered by the company as new locations open. The site also includes extensive information to help potential patients understand depression and the potential and benefits of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy, a highly effective, FDA-cleared treatment for those who do not respond to treatment and/or medication.

The website now includes a robust resource center and has links to nationally recognized mental health organizations, where patients can learn more about depression, and friends and family too can better understand treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and the potential path towards wellness. In coming months, TMS Health Solutions plans to have their nationally recognized practitioners contribute articles on clinical depression and finding a treatment plan that can help people lead healthier, happier lives.

Our patient research and discussions with friends and family of patients drove decisions for the content and design features as we strive to provide useful, helpful, easily accessible information for people with clinical depression and other mental health conditions, Brad Hummel, CEO of TMS Health Partners, the business management company for TMS Health Solutions. Our practice is committed to providing a patient-centered experience and we believe our website is an excellent place for sharing resources and information and learning about treatments, especially for those experiencing treatment-resistant depression.

About TMS Therapy Cleared by the FDA in 2008, TMS is a drug-free, non-invasive therapy for patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression. It is administered in a physicians office in an outpatient setting. By using an MRI-strength magnetic field to stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the core symptoms of major depression can be relieved. Unlike antidepressants or Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), patients undergoing TMS therapy experience minimal side effects.

About TMS Health Solutions Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and with additional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, El Dorado Hills and Roseville, TMS Health Solutions clinics specialize in the delivery of TMS therapy for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, the clinics provide traditional treatment for mood disorders. TMS Health Solutions is led by Dr. Richard Bermudes and Dr. Karl Lanocha, two of the nations leading experts on using TMS therapy as an innovative treatment for depression.

Go here to see the original:

TMS Health Solutions Launches New Website February 21, 2017 ... - Satellite PR News (press release)

Posted in Tms

Better Education Responsible for Political Correctness – NYU Washington Square News

Posted on by

Andrew Heying, Deputy Opinion Editor February 21, 2017

In a polarizing time in American history, there has been immense focus on political correctness. Many political pundits have argued that the frustration created by the lefts hyper-focus on the importance of words when discussing race and gender led to the anger that elected Trump. While this may be true, it does not mean political correctness is any less important.

When children are little, they often make up names for everything. However, as they age, they are taught what things are truly called, and they start using correct names. For example, if a small child called all dogs Sammy because his own dog was named Sammy, he would be corrected. No one would think this was an attempt to brainwash anyone with fancy new words or liberal propaganda. Political correctness is no different. Transgender women are not trannies or shemales these terms are literally incorrect and also offensive. Correcting people who use terms such as these is simply reflective of the fact that humanity is more educated now than ever before. In a society where children are taught to aspire to knowledge and higher education, this correction should be looked upon positively, not with disgust.

One of the main targets of the anti-PC argument is college campuses. While many on the right see colleges focus on political correctness as liberal propaganda, for the most part this trend is just a result of learning more. Just as a doctor learns to call what is often labeled the funny bone the ulnar nerve, people learn that the veil often worn by Muslim women is a hijab, not a funny scarf. As a nation that prides itself on its world-renowned colleges, this transition should be a sign of success, not a threat to anyone. After all, no one would get mad at an economics student for using terms that the average person may not be aware of. Adults on both ends of the political spectrum love seeing young people go to college, so looking down upon people for using what they learn must stop if higher education is going to maintain its value.

In President Donald Trumps America, conversations about specific terminology are more important than ever. At the same time, it is worth noting that demonizing people who use outdated and offensive terms is unhelpful. These conversations must be respectful, otherwise people who may be more educated are simply being arrogant. Nevertheless, young people must continue the commitment to political correctness going forward. If not, then there is no point in aspiring for a higher education and intellectual advancement in general.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Feb. 13 print edition. Email Andrew Heying at opinion@nyunews.com.

Continued here:

Better Education Responsible for Political Correctness - NYU Washington Square News

PewDiePie’s Misguided War On The Media Sounds Familiar – Forbes

Posted on by

Forbes
PewDiePie's Misguided War On The Media Sounds Familiar
Forbes
And further still, it involves some of the same fundamental issues regarding a perceived lack of political correctness and comments that haven drawn public support of white supremacist publications like The Daily Stormer, support that both ...
Disney Severs Ties With YouTube Star PewDiePie After Anti-Semitic PostsWall Street Journal
just to clear some things up... - PewDiePie - TumblrPewDiePie - Tumblr
My ResponseYouTube

all 134 news articles »

Originally posted here:

PewDiePie's Misguided War On The Media Sounds Familiar - Forbes