Monthly Archives: September 2022

Australia and India join hands to enable female tech talent to take flight – People Matters

Posted: September 11, 2022 at 1:36 pm

In a ground-breaking move, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Telangana, India have joined hands for an exchange, considered to be rewarding for women entrepreneurs of both nations.

The business exchange, known as CyberTech Women Entrepreneurs program, is an opportunity for women entrepreneurs to provide access and business pathways for women-led technology businesses in Australia and India.

The accelerator program is part of the Australia-India Bilateral Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP), supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades Cyber Affairs team.

Deepthi Ravula, chief executive officer of WE Hub, said, For over a decade, start-ups, especially women entrepreneurs in tech, have expressed a lack of opportunities and financial support to optimally scale up their businesses globally.

The program will host six women-led Indian start-ups and six women-led Australian start-ups primarily in the areas of cybersecurity and critical technologies.

The program aims to support the launch of above mentioned shortlisted start-ups in the other nation with further soft-landing support in the respective markets for three months beyond the program.

Entries so far have included women entrepreneurs working in artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, next-generation telecommunications, the internet of things, synthetic biology, genomics and genetic engineering, low-emission alternative fuels, autonomous vehicles, drones, swarming and collaborative robotics, and big data.

This exchange program will be integral to building an ongoing bilateral start-up-scale-up exchange initiative to support and enrich the start-up ecosystem for female entrepreneurs in cyberspace and critical technology across the two nations, said Irfan Malik, CEO, inQ Innovation Global.

He added that his team has been working with DFAT since March to devise a program that offers an all-inclusive scale-up ecosystem crucial for women-led tech start-ups and thanks the Telangana Government, and ecosystem partners for the chance to curate this outcome-driven program.

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How seahorse fathers use their unique body and behavior to give birth – Interesting Engineering

Posted: at 1:36 pm

What we found

First, we exposed pieces of seahorse pouch to isotocin. While isotocin caused our control tissues (intestine) to contract, surprisingly this hormone produced no contractions in the brood pouch.

The result led us to wonder about the anatomy of the pouch. When we examined the pouch under a microscope, we found it contains only scattered small bundles of smooth muscle, far less than the uterus of female mammals. This explained why the pouch did not contract in our experiments.

Using 3D imaging techniques combined with microscopy, we then compared the body structure of male and female pot-bellied seahorses.

In males, we found three bones positioned near the pouch opening, associated with large skeletal muscles. These types of bones and muscles control the anal fin in other fish species. In seahorses, the anal fin is minuscule and has little or no function in swimming.

So, the large muscles associated with the tiny seahorse fin are surprising. The anal fin muscles and bones are much larger in male seahorses than in female seahorses, and their orientation suggests they could control the opening of the pouch.

Seahorse courtship is an elaborate process. Males open and fill their pouch with water by bending forward and contracting their bodies to force water into the pouch, before dancing with the female.

Similarly, during labor, male seahorses bend their body towards the tail, pressing and then relaxing. This pressing behavior is accompanied by brief gaping of the pouch opening, with a series of whole-body jerks. This movement combined with pouch opening allows seawater to flush through the pouch.

Jerking and pressing continue, the pouch opening gets gradually bigger, and groups of seahorse babies are ejected with each movement. Many hundreds of babies are ejected in a short time.

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Potential threats to the country – Meduza

Posted: at 1:36 pm

Story by Alexey Slavin. Abridged translation by Sam Breazeale.

After Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, the Czech Education Ministry announced that Russians and Belarusians who study in certain departments at Czech universities would be required to either leave the institutions or change their majors to ones considered safe by the Czech authorities. The agency cited EU sanctions against Russia and laws banning the provision of technical assistance to Russia, including by teaching students certain skills. Meduza looked at how this has affected Russian students and what options are left for Russians who want to study in the Czech Republic.

The European Commission's first measures aimed at lowering the amount of "technological support" supplied by EU member states to Russia came in 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The recommendations were just that; each country had the option to impose restrictions or not. Meanwhile, most of the binding sanctions passed then were against officials, defense companies, and government banks; the education sector was hardly affected at all.

But this year, things have begun to change. Soon after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Czech Republic imposed a ban on issuing non-humanitarian visas and residency permits to Russian and Belarusian citizens. In April, Czech Education Minister Petr Gazdk announced that the Czech authorities believe Russian students studying in technical fields pose a threat to the countrys security.

In mid-May, the Czech Education Ministry published a list of recommendations for how to deal with students from EU-sanctioned countries. One of the proposals was for Czech universities to impose a limit on the number of students they accepted from Russia and Belarus. Another suggestion was to limit the number of spots for those students in unsafe departments.

Exactly which fields of study qualify as unsafe was determined by the countrys Financial Analytical Office (the agency responsible for ensuring Prague observes international sanctions). A task force was created within the agency to issue recommendations for how each government ministry should respond to sanctions.

According to the European Commission, teaching students skills in these fields falls under the ban on providing technological support to the Russian Federation. The Czech Education Ministry sent universities a guide that suggests transferring Russian and Belarusian students to safer courses of study ones that arent likely to give them access to information that could be used against the Czech Republic in the future.

The ministry gave each university the freedom to decide which subjects to ban for the students and what to replace them with. Some schools, however, categorized almost all of their majors as unsafe. According to Ksenia Lazarov, who works with foreign students at a support center in Prague, students who had passed the entrance exams for the Czech Technical University in Prague with perfect scores started receiving notifications that they had not been accepted, though they weren't told why.

We found this ban extremely strange. The guides expressly say that the restrictions are intended for students in masters and doctorate programs and that theres no need for them to be applied to bachelors programs, which dont contain any secret information that couldnt be found on the Internet or other open sources, she said.

According to Lazarov, the university suggested that students write statements of purpose explaining why it's important for them to stay in the Czech Republic and how they feel about Russias war against Ukraine. Having a document like that would allow [the university] to defend the students to the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry," she said.

Some institutions offered to let students switch majors. One such school was the Brno University of Technology, which allowed all students who passed the entrance exams regardless of citizenship to enroll. University rector Ladislav Janek explained the decision this way: I understand that its vital to observe EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus. But it would be illogical to automatically transfer [the sanctions] to students who have already chosen the Czech Republic for their studies, and possibly for their future lives as well."

Radana Koudelova, the press secretary for the Brno University of Technology, told Meduza that in the universitys view, allowing Russian and Belarusian students to study critical topics such as cybersecurity, aviation, telecommunications, and microelectronics is tantamount to the intangible transfer of technology at wartime.

Current students with the exception of students in their final year were given the option to transfer to 'non-critical' courses of study. The majority of them took advantage of the opportunity. Students who refused were forced to end their studies [at this school], said Koudelova.

Meduza reached out to the Czech Technical Universitys press service, but had not heard back at the time of this articles publication.

Earlier this year, a Russian citizen named Alexander applied to Czech Technical University and was rejected. The schools transportation department, where he wanted to study, categorically refused to accept students from Russia. Alexander told Meduza that a number of Russian and Belarusian students currently studying at the university signed a document in which they promised not to use the knowledge they gain there outside of the EU. Alexander himself decided to write a letter explaining that he doesnt support the war in Ukraine.

In the rejection letter, [university representatives] listed all of Russias sins, including the annexation of Crimea. I was 15 years old when that happened. I wrote in my letter that I started attending protests in 2017, and that I was even arrested a few times; I had to await my trials in a special detention facility. I also described in detail why I want to study at VUT specifically and told the story of how I prepared to apply. I also mentioned that I worked as a volunteer at a humanitarian aid center for Ukrainian refugees in Prague.

In order to stay in Russia, I applied to the construction department at the Brno University of Technology, which hasnt imposed sanctions against students, said Alexander.

Later, though, his first choice school responded to his letter. On August 23, I received a letter from the Czech Technical University that on the basis of a decision made by the rector, they would allow me to enroll, he said.

Ksenia Lazarov told Meduza that the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague is another university thats cracked down on Russian and Belarusian students. This year, she said, they rejected about 200 applicants from Russia and Belarus.

One of those applicants was Anna Smirnova, a 19-year-old from the town of Ukhta in Russias Komi Republic. Immediately after high school, unable to imagine a future for herself in Russia, she moved to Prague, where she took language classes and prepared to apply to universities. In June, Anna earned 86 points (16 more than necessary) on the entrance exam for the Czech University of Life Sciences Pragues genetic engineering department.

According to Anna, when she took the test, nobody mentioned anything about the university refusing to accept Russian or Belarusian students. The new rule was announced on June 30. Several days after Annas exam results were posted on the universitys site, she learned that she wouldnt be admitted for other reasons.

Anna received her official rejection letter several weeks later (Meduza has obtained a copy of the letter). The universitys administration cited three government decrees: one from 2006, one from 2014, and one from 2022. The documents mention Russias annexation of Crimea, Russias attack on Ukraine, and Belaruss disregard for democratic principles, as well as demanding a restriction on trade relations and an end to technological assistance. One of Annas classmates, a girl from Kazakhstan, however, was accepted with no issues. The Czech University of Life Sciences Prague did not respond to Meduzas request for comment.

Im currently located in the Czech Republic, where Im applying to other universities so that I can stay here. Im still waiting for an answer. We werent told that we wouldnt be admitted [to the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague] until really late, and its already too late to get into a normal university. I applied to the natural science department at UJEP [Jan Evangelista Purkyn University], but I wont hear back until early September at the earliest. Im currently stuck in limbo; I dont know whether Ill be able to stay here or not, said Smirnova.

Stanislav Keek, the Czech Republics human rights ombudsman, has been a strong advocate for Russian and Belarusian students, claiming the new rules contradict existing European legislation: according to a regulation from the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, foreigners have the right to receive residency permits or student visas if the characteristics and purpose of their stay in the EU meet the documents' requirements. The ombudsman has suggested adding students to a list of exceptions for repressed citizens and resuming the issuance of student visas. The Czech Interior Minister, however, has said he believes Prague needs to continue imposing severe restrictions against Russia.

Belarusians and Russians who are trying to apply to Czech universities remotely are perhaps in the most difficult situation of all. Even when Czech universities accept their applicants documents, Czech consulates are not issuing the prospective students visas. The Czech Republic imposed limits of Russians and Belarusians immediately after the start of the war on February 28.

The Education Ministry believes that theres no guarantee that people who enter under these visas wont carry a potential threat to the country. This rhetoric appeared in the Czech Republic at the very start of the war, said Anton Vaykhel, who heads a support center for foreigners in the Czech Republic.

Applicants who passed the entrance exams between April and June and were supposed to be able to come to the Czech Republic by the start of the academic year will now be unable to. They spent time and money on their preparations. So the ones who are located in Russia are suffering most of all, said Vaykhel.

In his opinion, these kinds of restrictions are ineffective and, in some cases, even harmful: young people who have successfully gone through the procedures necessary to enroll in Czech universities but are not allowed to enter the country because of visa restrictions will automatically lose their army deferment.

Were trying to fight this; weve been writing to the [Czech] Interior Ministry and trying to get in touch with ministers and journalists on social media. But so far, the authorities are still saying that their top priority is to help Ukraine and protect their own citizens, said Vaykhel. To be honest, at the moment, it feels like tilting at windmills. Its very difficult to influence the views that have taken root [about Russians in the Czech Republic].

Story by Alexey Slavin.

Abridged translation by Sam Breazeale.

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Acid trance – Wikipedia

Posted: at 1:35 pm

Acid trance is a genre of trance music that emerged in the early 1990s focusing on using the acid sound. The trademark sound of "acid" is produced with a Roland TB-303 by playing a sequenced melody while altering the instrument's filter cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope modulation, and accent controls. This real-time tone adjustment was not part of the instrument's original intended operation. Acid trance is the best known form of trance music in Belgium. The form was first showcased at the popular Antwerp Rave 24 in Belgium, and has created four national number one singles in the country since.[citation needed]

Acid trance may be considered a descendant of acid house, since the genre of trance had not yet been invented during the advent of acid house (or acidhouse).[citation needed]

The first volumes of Trancemaster compilations contains a few tracks in acid trance style, just as classic trance tracks. The difference is, while acid trance tracks focus more on the changing TB-303 lines, classic trance (e.g. Dance 2 Trance, Cosmic Baby, Age of Love, and Jam & Spoon) tracks are more atmospheric, they use "softer" synth-lines, often strings and other ambient music elements. The line between these two styles is quite blurred; they also emerged about the same time.[citation needed]

Acid Trance artists are often grouped with their classical and Goa counterparts. It is not uncommon to see many of the first Acid Trance artists featured on Goa Trance compilation albums. However, some of these artists[who?] never considered themselves part of the Goa or Psychedelic scene and these compilation albums were often done by their record labels who published Acid Trance alongside Goa artists.[citation needed]

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Spain in trance after beating Lithuania: ‘It’s like a fairytale we don’t want to end’ – BasketNews.com

Posted: at 1:35 pm

Following Spain's thrilling victory over Lithuania in the EuroBasket Round of 16, coach Sergio Scariolo, point guard Lorenzo Brown and center Usman Garuba talked about their emotions.

Spain edged out Lithuania after a thrilling game that was decided in overtime, and coach Sergio Scariolo could not hide his joy after his team qualified for the quarterfinals.

EFF

"We are where few thought we could be but we are, deservedly so. It is like a fairy tale we don't want to end. We will try do everything possible to keep it going," the Italian tactician assured at the press conference.

Scariolo made clear the tremendous pride he felt for his players: "In the current squad there are nine who have never played a EuroBasket. They have come from behind, have remained firm and have found a way to win even in extra time", said the experienced play-caller, who described Spain's win as "incredible".

Scariolo further emphasized that his team must remain "humble" ahead of the quarterfinal clash that will be played on Tuesday against the winner of Croatia-Finland.

"We are here, in the quarterfinals. We have beaten one of the favorites and we are going to try to have a new opportunity. Why not?", he added.

Scariolo also highlighted the excellent performance of Lorenzo Brown. The naturalized guard scored 8 points in overtime and 28 overall to pace Spain when they needed some offensive thrust.

"His teammates have followed him, they have encouraged him and, of course, they were prepared to convert his passes", he said about the American-born point guard: "I would highlight his desire to be a team player in a team that has history and tradition," he pointed out.

Lorenzo Brown commented on the game in the presser, highlighting "the fight and the great defense" as keys to victory.

"Even if I havent been here long, I feel like these guys. They have known each other so long and they brought me in as one of them. So, it's just an amazing feeling to have that brotherhood. It's really a family.

I am coming in here and I am a regular American guy and those guys are talking in Spanish. And I am learning every single day, so it's amazing what I have learned and how they treated me so far. The outside noise doesnt bother me at all. I am just worried about what these guys feel about me. And its amazing. They love me and I love these guys".

Usman Garuba put a lot of intensity into Spain's defense. The Rockets big man knows that this game presented everyone with the opportunity to label the tournament as successful.

"I remember those who doubted us. If they don't want to believe, they shouldn't believe. We don't care. We are going to keep fighting. We want more," the former Real Madrid player told the media.

Even Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a big basketball fan and former player, conveyed his support and praise:

"What a great game! Our team didn't stop believing in victory until extra time. You are incredible and you have given a lesson of effort and teamwork to get to the quarterfinals and take Spanish basketball to the top," he wrote on Twitter.

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Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Story Recap – TheReviewGeek

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The Fellowship of the Ring

There should be no doubt in ones mind that the LOTR trilogy set an unprecedented standard in the fantasy genre that is yet to be matched. Sure, there have been numerous other quality franchises that have become largely popular.

Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones are some exemplary works that have a unique place in pop culture that no one can take away. But none have come even close to dismantling the LOTR trilogy from the top of the throne. Even the Hobbit series, released as a prequel to the franchise, made with far advanced technology and a bigger budget, cant compare to the mythical charm of the original that at once puts you in a trance.

Amazon has recently commissioned a multi-billion dollar franchise based on Tolkiens work set in the same universe. Although there is familiarity in some faces and the central idea of Tolkiens story, it is set in the Second Age whereas the trilogy is set in the Third.

The response, however, has been one of disappointment. Aficionados of the original trilogy have lambasted the Prime production, calling it unoriginal and a mockery of sorts. Through this series of recaps, we want to take you back to the magical experience of watching and re-watching the greatest trilogy ever made (sorry Nolan fans!); the most epic cinematic experience that no filmgoer can ever forget. This is the story recap for Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, part 1 of the trilogy.

*cue Howard Shores spine-chilling theme as the opening credits roll and the movies title is plastered on the black screen

Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) explains how the One Ring to rule them all was forged in the darkness of Mordor. It coincided with the nineteen Rings that were forged among Men, Elves, and Dwarves. When Middle-Earth becomes a battleground, Saurons forces prove to be too heavy for the scattered factions. All of them, looking after their own interests and enamoured with the power of the rings, were no match for Saurons humungous armies and might alone. It was only when they came together as allies that they were able to defeat them.

Isildur of Gondor was the one who cut the Ring off of Saurons finger, thereby defeating the evil and winning the war. But as fate would have it, Isildur gave in to the charms of the Ring. He was taken by its beauty and limitless power which ended up destroying him.

He was killed by Orcs and the Ring was lost forever. For centuries, it lingered in the depths of a river, waiting to be found. It hadnt been found for so many years before it struck its next victim Smeagol. The unsuspecting fisherman was instantly charmed over by the Ring which he held on as his dear precious for many decades.

An adventurous Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, finally took it off him and kept the Ring for himself. Although it did not have too much of a devastating effect on him, Bilbo sure was burdened by its presence and never aged a day, as Gandalf the Grey, a noble Wizard, remarked when he saw him for his 111th birthday.

Gandalf arrives at The Shire, a peaceful and quite majestic place where the Hobbits of middle-earth live. It has an ineffable quality; one that is so picturesque and pristine, that youd rather see it every time than read about it. Frodo jumps in Gandalfs wagon and expresses his fondness for the Wizard. Celebrations are in place for Bilbos long-awaited birthday and Gandalf seeks to make it a carnival.

Amidst the festivities and joyous mood, the Wizard discovers the shocking truth about the Ring in Bilbos possession. Bilbo considers Gandalf a dear friend and trusts him with his life. He hands over the Ring to him before departing for one final adventure. Gandalf is to give the Ring to his nephew, Frodo, and the burden will be his to carry.

Frodo is warned by Gandalf about the Rings true nature, and reveals to him that his life is in danger. Gollum (previously Smeagol) was forced to give the torturous Orcs something and he gave them two words: Baggins and Shire, which is enough for Saurons servants to follow up on.

Nazgul, who are the Nine Men King cursed forever by the Rings given to them, have been set on a hunt by Sauron to retrieve the Ring. Sauron, who was defeated in the Great War, survived in the spiritual form and has been rewoken now. Gandalf gives Frodo instructions to leave at once and meet him at an Inn some cities away while he searches for answers. Samwise Gamgee, Frodos Gardner, eavesdrops and accompanies Frodo on his journey.

Gandalf is surprised to find that Saruman, Saurons brother, and a noble wizard, has been taken by Saurons dark temptations. The wizard offers Gandalf all the answers about the enemy growing in Mordor but takes him captive after giving him a chance to join their alliance.

Saruman is himself preparing to ready a front from his Isengard, as Sauron plans to raise an army from Mordor. The Nazguls are fervently looking for the Ring, being called out by it. Bear in mind, that it wants to be found and return to its master. Sam and Frodo encounter Merry and Pippin, their Hobbit cousins, who join them on their journey. They narrowly avoid the Nazguls and reach the Inn. But there is no sign of Gandalf there.

A mysterious, hooded man, known as the Strider, keeps watch on them and approaches Frodo after the little Hobbit mistakenly wore the Ring and disappeared. While wearing it, he reaches a void where Saurons Eyes scourge burns him and the Ring moves closer to its master. The Strider says he will protect the Hobbits from the arriving Nazguls and does so. They run from the Inn with the Nazguls firmly in the hunt.

While they rest for the night at the Great Watchtower of Aman-sul, the Nazguls catch up with them. The Strider is caught off guard but returns in time to wade off the Nazguls but not before the Witch-King strikes Frodo with a Morgul blade. He is on the verge of dying and Aragorn, son of Arathorn, must get him to Rivendell to give him a chance.

With the Nazgul hot on their trail, Aragorn calls out for help to Arwen, his love interest and Lord Elronds daughter. She arrives on her white horse and takes Frodo from the group. The Nazgul give a chase through the forests but Arwens magical spell to conjure tidal waves in the water washes them away.

Gandalf is kept at the top of Isengards tower by Saruman and calls for help by asking a small insect to summon his eagles. They arrive without fail and take Gandalf out of the tower. At Rivendell, the council is summoned by Lord Elrond, who says that the Ring cannot stay there as the Elves are themselves leaving the shores.

The council is attended by representatives of all factions. Boromir (on behalf of Gondor), Legolas, Gimli, son of Gloin, and Aragorn attend, as well as Gandalf. As they all quarrel among themselves as to who will take the Ring, Frodo steps up and says that he will take it to Mordor. That is the place the Ring was forged in using its fire and that is the only place where it can be destroyed once and for all. The above-mentioned men and the Hobbits swear an oath to protect Frodo in his journey and thus, the Fellowship is formed. Aragorn and Arwen express their love for one another and she gives him her Even star and declares herself a mortal.

Elves can choose between mortal and immortal life and Arwen chooses the former. At Rivendell, Bilbo also meets with Frodo. After losing the Ring, he has aged naturally and seems at peace. He has almost finished his book, although a few chapters are yet to be written.

As a gift to Frodo and to protect him from unseen evils, he hands over his sword, Sting, which turns blue when Orcs are close, and a mithril chainmail. It is said that this material is stronger than dragon scales and can protect the wearer from heavy attacks.

With battle facing the mortal realm on two fronts Isengard and Mordor the urgency to destroy the Ring grows. For now, the Fellowship must follow the course west of the Misty Mountains for 40 days. That leads to the Gap of Rohan. Heading east from that path leads to Mordor.

In the midst of their journey, Crebain from Dunland, spies of Saruman intercepts them. Gandalf deduces that the passage to the South is being watched. They turn towards the Pass of Caradhras through the mountains. But Saruman has powers to wield nature at his will. He chants a spell from a distance in Isengard and the mountains over Caradhras tremble and block the Fellowships path.

Boromir, whose father is the Steward of Gondor, says that they can go through his city, which will protect them. But that path will be too close to Isengard where Saruman and his raging army can take them captive. There is also some acrimony and in-fighting within the Fellowship as Boromir learns that Aragorn is from Isildurs lineage and the true heir to the throne of Gondor.

With no options left, Gandalf reluctantly takes them through the Mines of Moria, a dreaded, dark place that houses an ancient demon beyond the power of many spells and weapons. Gimli expects to see his cousin Balin lavishly living in the great city of Dwarrowdelf, from where they pass through. As they stand at the gates of Moria, Frodo helps in identifying the passcode and the door opens.

They do not like the look of the place and decide to turn away but before they can, a sea monster grabs ahold of Frodo. The Fellowship is able to free him but cannot turn back and is forced to go in. Legolas looks at the slew of skeletons on the ground and calls it a tomb, deducing that the Orcs have taken over the mines. They discover Balins tomb in the Chamber of Mazarbul and Gimli breaks down crying. Pippin mistakenly falls over a heavy object down the well in the chamber and attracts hordes of Orcs. The Fellowship is quickly guided by Gandalfs light through a side door and toward the Bridge of Khazad-Dum, from where they can escape Moria.

Gandalf explains Balrog is a demon of the ancient world who hid deep into the roots of Caradhras after Morgoth was defeated in the War of Wrath. His power is almost unmatchable and the Fellowship must do their best to avoid him. The Orcs are still in pursuit as the Fellowship nears the bridge. Once they reach it, the Balrog reveals himself a huge monster whose body burns in the flames of Udun. Gandalf stands in front of him, denying him passage any further, as the rest of the Fellowship is able to cross the bridge. He breaks the bridge in half and his strong spell dismantles Balrog from it.

But as he falls down, Balrogs whip catches Gandalfs knee, who falls down with him into the depths of Moria, presumed dead. As he does, he tells the Fellowship, Fly, you fools!, and theyre able to escape Moria. Frodo is inconsolable, like most of the other Fellowship, but the journey must continue. Gandalfs sacrifice must not go in vain. But is it a final goodbye, or will the Wizard return once again for the mission?

The remaining Fellowship then make their way through the Woods of Lorleith, where Legolas asks them to stay attentive. A Lady Witch resides there who can cast powerful spells even the most capable wizards cannot break. They are intercepted by Haldir of Lorien and taken to the Lady of the Woods, Galadriel. It was her voiceover at the start of the film that explained to us the origins of the One Ring.

In the latest Amazon series Rings of Power, Morfydd Clark can be seen playing her. The character has a pivotal role to play in the series, so keep an eye on her. She even prophesies the journey ahead for Frodo. She warns that Bromoir will try to take the ring from him for his kingdom and he must be wary.

From the Woods, the Fellowship is to go through Emyb Muil and then the marshlands towards Mordor. After they depart, Galadirels prophecy comes true.

At Isengard, the Orcs unearth Morgoths great warriors, the Uruk-hai, from the depths of the ground to fight the war. They are stronger, more agile, and more intelligent than the Orcs and will be tough to defeat. Saruman sets them free and asks them to hunt down the Hobbit with the One Ring.

They relentlessly pursue the Fellowship and Legolas and Aragorn are alert to that danger. Boromir and Frodo wander off on their own and Boromir is overcome by the avarice attached to the Ring, trying to take it from him.

Fearful, Frodo wears the Ring and disappears, suddenly bringing Boromir out of the trance. When Frodo wears the Ring, he gains consciousness in another place across the forest, where Aragorn swears to protect him and asks him to make the journey on his own. The temptations of Men cannot be trusted and the Fellowship will do their best to hunt down the enemy hunting him. Samwise is close on his trail and joins Frodo in his journey, as the pair separates from the others. The gardener is bound to Frodo by Gandalfs promise and will not leave his side.

A battle between the Fellowship and Uruk-hai ensues, where the chosen warriors put up a brave fight. Eventually, they are outnumbered and Boromir, who is his normal self, is killed by Orc arrows. Aragorn comforts him and says he will do his all for Gondor. Along with the rest of the Fellowship, Aragorn must now hunt down the Uruk-hai, who have taken Merry and Pippin prisoner, not realizing which Hobbit actually has the Ring.

Thanks for reading our story recap for Fellowship of the Ring. What do you think of Lord of the Rings story? Have we missed any crucial details in this recap? Do let us know in the comments below!

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Richie McNeill: 10 Events That Define the History of Hardware – Music Feeds

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Australian electronic music culture has been significantly shaped byRichie McNeills Hardware Group. McNeill, whos also known as DJ Richie Rich, established Hardware in Melbourne in 1991 and went on to launch events such as Apollo, Two Tribes and Stereosonic.

To celebrate three decades of parties, tours and festivals, McNeill is staging Hardware 30: True Faith this December, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Alongside the anniversary tour which is headlined by Richie Hawtin McNeill is launching the book,Tales from The Dancefloor,in November. For a taster of whats inside, McNeill highlights 10 milestones in Hardwares history.

This is where it all began. Willie, Hess and I DJing on a door placed on lockers forget about OH&S back then to a sellout crowd of 600 in a rowing club on the Yarra River. $15 tickets wild.

DJ AbelToros outdoor rave in Sydney. I drove up withRichardand Heidi John from Every Picture Tells a Story and we had a blast. Incredible music, incredible vibe and one of the best events I have ever been to. It was early days, the music was pure, the scene was sincere and the place full of vibe and love. Generational.

Melbourne was becoming a global hotspot at this stage. The scene was growing at a fast rate and trance music was taking the world by storm. Cosmic Baby was the pioneer of melodic trance and we were one of the first countries outside of Germany he played and one of the first countries to embrace the emotional trance sound in general.

Laurent Garniers first trip to Australia and first rave of over 5000 people. He played for six hours (I gave him my set) and this is when I fell in love with his music. To me, hes the greatest and this took Melbourne to another level.

As a one off, we held it in Shed 15 at Docklands. Is there a better technical DJ pushing the boundaries of performance and musical construction? This show was special in so many ways.

This was Australias first national dance festival and we managed to snag Daft Punk before they were massive, Basement Jaxx, Fluke, Speedy J, Jeff Mills etc. It lost a lot of money and was ahead of its time. It was an incredible two shows and launched into Two Tribes, Summadayze and the rest is history.

Hardware and Future joined forces after a double booking of the same venue, and a year after Apollo, the travelling circus of dance music began winning countless awards and we had a truly national festival across the country paving the way for Good Vibrations, Summadayze, Park Life, V Festival and more.

Record breaking show of 15,000+ taking us into the new millennium with an incredible lineup (Jeff Mills, CJ Boland, Honeysmack, Voitek, Jason Digby) and the best fireworks I have seen, ever.

Global Gathering and its Australian representatives tried to take us out on the same two weekends of Stereosonic. It was make or break then. We were either going to survive or be buried by the mega-promoters trying to take us down. It didnt work out well for them.

Nina Kraviz closing what was a huge 10,000 pax crowd on our biggest season before Covid. Perfect weather, all female lineup and incredible performances by Laura King and Kiti B2B with Chiara Kickdrum.

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Matthew McConaugheys favourite songs of the 1990s – Far Out Magazine

Posted: at 1:35 pm

Matthew McConaughey is among the most recognisable icons in Hollywood, known for his widely beloved on-screen persona. While he became a household name by starring in popular romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, McConaughey has also demonstrated remarkable talent in complex projects such as Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective.

In addition to his high-profile film roles, McConaughey has also collaborated with musicians like Daniel Johnston on music videos. However, he only revealed his music tastes in 2009 when he agreed to appear for a segment of Bootleg City where he listed some of his favourite songs from the 1990s.

His intro read: Matthew McConaughey here, fillin in for Mr. Mayor of Bootleg City this week. Casanova gave me a jingle-jangle the other day and said, Matty Mac, do me a solid and make a celebrity cameo in the BLC this week so I can cut out early for Labor Day. Surf, sand, sun, and sobriety Im all over it this weekend. Except for that last part, brother, know what Im sayin? Hahaha! Cool. Later'.

While most of the article is McConaughey talking about his personal experiences, there are multiple funny anecdotes about his perception of the 90s. When asked to recount the decades major events, he commented: There was Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Monica Lewinsky, the Y2K panic, a John Grisham movie I was in where I solved racism long before Barack Obama came along.

He also brought up the infamous incident where he was arrested for playing the bongos naked, under the influence of marijuana, in his apartment. McConaughey had started his meditative trance session after 2:30 AM, which is when two policemen broke into his house. To this day, he is proud of resisting arrest.

The actor also noted that the 90s had a Steven Spielberg movie where I cured slavery, every other song on the radio talkin about the millennium, Columbine, Princess Diana, me gettin arrested for nothing more than playin the bongos naked in my apartment with a buddy of mine, and a Robert Zemeckis movie where I tried real hard to make Jodie Foster sleep with me but she just wasnt havin it.

Check the full list of his favourite 90s songs below.

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Kerry Katona breaks down in tears and left shaking as she opens up on mental health battle after… – The Sun

Posted: at 1:35 pm

EMOTIONAL Kerry Katona broke down in tears telling fans that she couldn't stop shaking.

The singer, 42, explained that had a powerful form of hypnotherapy saying: "I feel like I've just been rebooted, like I've just been reborn."

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She added: "I've got in touch with little Kerry, who's been through s***."

Kerry said she's been left "triggered" after writing her blockbuster book, which comes out next month, and contacted therapist Marcus Matthews.

The tearful star explained: "I have been struggling with my mental health and anxiety and fear.

"I've been the doctors, had my medication up. I've really, really been struggling. Then I met this guy. I can't stop crying. This is Marcus Matthews, please go and follow him.

"He's just done the most amazing thing on me. You guided me through this and I cannot give this man enough praise for what he'd just done to me.

"I feel like I've just been rebooted, like I've just been reborn. It's like I've had an awakening, like a higher power.

"I've got in touch with little Kerry, who's been through s***. I've reached out to her and I've looked after her.

"Honest to god this guy is amazing. It was so powerful."

Marcus explained: "What we've done is we've used a very powerful technique of hypnotheraphy to find the root cause of why Kerry's been feeling the way she's been feeling.

"We've released this massive feeling so I think we can say you connected with the universe, didn't you?"

She replied: "Massively. I heard two voices. I am a massive believer in all this and you all know I am. I'm still shaking, this was so powerful.

"I'm a massive advocate for mental health. If you need any kind of therapy this f***ing man - sorry for swearing - please get in touch with this man.

"I can't even explain properly what's happened. It was very emotional."

Kerry was quickly contacted by followers and friends, including Danielle Brown, who wrote: "Got me in tears, I am so happy for you Kerry x."

What is hypnotherapy?

MOST of us learned everything we know about hypnosis from TV shows, where people put under a spell.

So its no surprise that theres a healthy amount of scepticism about it.

But hypnotherapy is recognised as a talking therapy by the British Psychological Society, and is considered a useful treatment for issues including anxiety, addiction and even IBS.

The idea of hypnotherapy is to induce a mild trance meaning a relaxed state, a bit like when we allow our minds to wander or switch to autopilot and then introduce suggestions for how wed like to feel or behave or explore the sub-conscious.

Up to 90% of our behaviour is governed by the unconscious, according to experts.

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Kerry Katona breaks down in tears and left shaking as she opens up on mental health battle after... - The Sun

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Herald: THEY ARRIVE AT RAVE PARTIES – Herald Goa

Posted: at 1:35 pm

09 Sep 2022 | 05:26am IST

Joseph Lewis DSilva

Many village voices that are not jealous and those that do not pull others down, but want to bring out the best in fellow Goan citizens have these things to say.

Life is a journey amidst all sorts of people and whether by choice or circumstances, we have to live amidst people filled with greed, envy, power, position, prestige; and society, consciously or unconsciously, controls our minds, shapes our hearts, our actions when we mix with each other and struggle for all the things that man has set up as being extremely important in life.

The general public needs friendly companionship, good relationship and therefore associates and mix with each other; listening to rib ticking jokes; enjoying doing things in turns, spending time collectively in celebrations at birthday parties, festivals and thus derive the mental pleasure called happiness. Parties are loaded with food and the heart of socialisation atmosphere is always linked with the bottle. But such feelings of happiness are fleeting; and the fine weather friends who participate in parties are not worth much. Some socialise children with a small circle of family members or friends and mingle them to fit for life in companionship with others. Some have no time to join party circles either because they are working with some personal work; and their children have no time to join any get-together because of studies. But that does not mean they are unsocial. One should not arrive at such wrong conclusion and hurt the feelings of others. We are social beings as well as individuals.

But the effect of party fun, snowballs into habit and kills positive spark in later life. Habits that are formed by constant repeated actions illustrate our character. Children are always the biggest victims of excessive parties. Killers, looters, thieves, robbers, and attackers coax our innocent children who easily get persuaded by them and so many turn into alcoholics. Village voices say that continuous parties form like a training centre to be drunkards. Just as seminaries are to train men to be priest, the Indian Police service training is to be good police men; basic flying training school to be good future flying groups. But we should never put children in repeated party environment where drinks are the main thing that dominates along with food.

Agreed not all the participants in such local parties turn out to be alcoholics but as our surrounding atmosphere on seashores is to smooth the progress of tourism, where we have rave parties, trance music through the night. Every action, as Newton, discovered, has an equal and opposite reaction is true in both the physical domain as well as life in general. Over-drinking today may result in habit tomorrow, which is brought on by harmful lifestyles that reveal in years later.

Goans are responsible masters of their own destiny to decide their own fortunes, their future and the future of the coming generation. Those who do not listen to reason but stubbornly go their own way against friendly guidance then they are on the road to misfortune. Life for them turns sour; if they do not do good things that are within their power and future generation arrive at rave parties and trance music.

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