Category Archives: High Seas

Typhoon Inday (international name: Muifa)continued to intensify as it started to decelerate over the sea east of Taiwan, weather bureau PAGASA said Sunday.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said the center of the eye of Inday was last spotted 335 km Northeast of Itbayat, Batanes (22.5N, 124.5E).

It has maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 205 km/h, and central pressure of 950 hPa.

PAGASA said Indays present movement is west northwestward at 10 km/h.

It also has strong to typhoon-force winds extending outwards up to 310 km from the center.

PAGASA said Inday is forecast to move generally north northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan on Sunday through Monday morning, gradually decelerating during the process.

Rainfall, winds

Based on the bulletin, Inday remains less likely to directly bring heavy rains in the country throughout the forecast period.

However, its outermost rainbands and the Southwest Monsoon may bring rain showers and thunderstorms over Batanes and the western sections of Central and Southern Luzon.

Further, while the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals remains less likely at this time, PAGASA said that further westward shift in the track forecast and/or expansion in the extent of tropical cyclone winds may result in the hoisting of wind signals over portions of Extreme Northern Luzon.

Gusty conditions reaching strong to gale-force strength may also be experienced over Extreme Northern Luzon on Monday due to the channeling of the typhoon circulation in the Luzon Strait.

Coastal waters

A gale warning likewise remains in effect for the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon due to Inday.

With this, moderate to rough seas over the eastern seaboard of Northern Luzon are expected reaching 1.2 to 3.0 meters high.

PAGASA warned that such sea conditions may be risky for those using small seacraft, while mariners were advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea and avoid navigating if possible.

Track, intensity

PAGASA said further intensification of Inday will continue on Sunday through Monday morning as the storm tracks northwestward over the sea east of Taiwan.

However, the slightly cooler waters east of Taiwan and the forecast slow-down period over this sea area may result in a weakening trend beginning late Monday or on Tuesday, it added.

For the rest of Monday through Tuesday, the typhoon will move northward slowly towards the vicinity of Yaeyama Islands and the East China Sea.

Inday may then exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday morning or afternoon.Giselle Ombay/KG, GMA News

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Inday further intensifies, starts to decelerate over sea east of Taiwan - GMA News Online

Royal Caribbeans Wonder of the Seas, the worlds largest cruise ship at 1,188 feet, has a maximum capacity of 6,988 guests and 2,300 crew members. The mega-ship has 18 decks and offers eight distinct neighborhoods, including a central park with 20,000 plants and trees. Aboard the ship are 40 restaurants and bars offering diverse fare from homespun southern classics to rustic Italian favorites.

In addition to the tallest water slide at sea, guests can enjoy a childrens playground, 1,400-seat theater, a full-sized basketball court, ice skating rink, surf simulator and zip line 10 decks high.

The ships advanced wastewater purification system treats 570,000 gallons per day, complemented by a reverse osmosis desalination plant, glass crushers, a cardboard baller, aluminum can compactor and food waste pulper.

This reads like a travel brochure, but it also sounds a lot like the SS Aspen.

Docked at the eastern end of the Pitkin County pier, our mega-ship is home to 7,700 permanent passengers who have chosen a unique albeit expensive lifestyle of adventure, eschewing life on terra firma to live where others only aspire to visit.

This number is deceptive, however, because it does not reflect the ships capacity, which is far greater yet mysteriously unspecified; 7,700 represents the full-time passengers (who reside on the various decks) and includes an unknown number of crew members, who earn wages and receive room and board in exchange for working hospitality and service jobs aboard the ship.

Further conflating the 7,700 number is a distinct class of aspirational passengers who have figured out how to work while onboard when not cavorting with the other passengers who are heavily taxed to provide them cabins on a subsidized basis.

Their work is legitimate; theyre not on vacation on this pricey ship. But although they appear busy and generate income to cover their onboard expenses, many are in no way essential to the ships operations. Theyre neither sweating in the engine room nor working the line in the kitchen. Unlike the crew, theyre regularly found poolside and in the casino in their off hours. Theyre along for the ride at a deep discount, the unintended consequence of decisions made in a bygone era.

In this post-pandemic period of rough seas, however, the SS Aspens fragile onboard dynamic has shifted and a malaise is growing, threatening the delicate balance between the ships physical capacity, its ability to charge its paying passengers unprecedented prices for attractive onboard offerings and amenities, and the ships crews ability to deliver them.

The ships officers say its because theyre understaffed and cant hire sufficient crew, attributing this to a shortage of crew cabins and speculating that these are being converted and sold to paying passengers and perhaps even allocated to the aspirational folks who covet the good life onboard.

Paying passengers, permanent and visiting alike, are boarding in record numbers, paying a tidy sum to do so, and are more demanding than ever. Every deck is full, even on the most expensive upper deck, which is now the first to fill. No surprise, word is out and the wait is long for aspirational passengers who look on from shore and clamor to come aboard for a life of smooth sailing.

The aspiring passengers already aboard are the lucky ones, blending in seamlessly with the others and demanding the same high-end benefits and services: fluffy towels, frozen daquiris, Broadway shows and bottomless champagne, and further contributing to the overwhelming pressure on the already understaffed and overworked crew, among which morale is at an all-time low.

Before the SS Aspen hits the figurative iceberg, its time to turn this thing on a dime.

Sadly, it falls to the ships officers, former crew members and aspirational passengers themselves to save the ship. Their judgment is often clouded by the fact theyve never worked anywhere else and are most troubled by making decisions that might hurt the feelings of non-essential passengers.

Its clearly time for new, more professional leadership. With political will and some tough choices, the ship can still right itself.

Welcome aboard.

We have a housing crisis but its not a shortage. Its time to fundamentally transform our publicly subsidized housing program in order to save it. Contact TheRedAntEM@comcast.net

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Milias: The ship of fools, SS Aspen - The Aspen Times

For the first time in Holland Americas history, it will sponsor college sports via its partnership with the University of Washington Athletics, being named the Official Cruise Line of Husky Athletics.

This multi-year sponsorship agreementwill establish an ideal relationship for two of Seattles iconic brands, and Holland America Lines spirit will be visible throughout Husky Stadium at football games and across UW Athletics media channels.

Coinciding with this years football season, the University of Washington (UW) Athletics will have an Official Cruise Line of Husky Athletics, Seattle-based Holland America Line, through a multi-year sponsorship.

This sponsorship will be the first time the 150-year-old line partners with college sports, reinforcing the foundation of the two Seatle-based brands.

Seattles hometown college team, Husky Athletics, will now feature additional in-game activations, promotions, and on-site branding in collaboration with the cruise line.

The president of Holland America Line, Gus Antorcha stated, Were proud to launch this new partnership with University of Washington Athletics and give fans more ways to create memorable moments.

We have many team members in our organization who are UW alum, and were looking forward to wearing our purple and gold in support of the Huskies, Antorcha added.

Throughout Husky Stadium, the lines partnership will be evident at UW football games and across UW Athletics media channels. Additionally, the cruise line will be integrated into traditional Husky football game-day experiences like the Wave.

Historically, the first wave was created at a University of Washington football game against Stanford at Husky Stadium on October 31, 1981, Halloween day over two decades ago.

A long-standing tradition at Husky Harbor, sailgating, will highlight Holland America Lines nautical foundation during the current and upcoming UW Football seasons, elevating the waterside experience with new dock branding and new activities for sailgaters on game days.

The Chief Revenue Officer,Heath Bennett, stated, We are proud to partner with Holland America Line, the leading premium cruise line in the travel industry.

We both take great pride in representing Seattle with excellence and working toward greatness, so we are thankful for the partnership and look forward to future collaboration, Bennett said.

With its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, Holland America Line currently operates 43 cruises aboard three of its fleet from the Port of Seattle to Alaska, Asia, Australia, and the Panama Canal.

Since the 1970s, the line has been sailing from the Port of Seattle and in May 2002, it began using the port as a home port for its Alaska cruises.

Holland America Line and its Foundation have been giving charitably for decades, particularly in their home port communities, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in cash and in-kind shipboard events to several charitable organizations.

Beginning in February 2013, the cruise line and the Holland America Line Foundation have taken the fight against cancer to the high seas with On Deck for a Cause, a non-competitive 5k fundraising walk on each sailing.

On a day at sea, all guests are welcome to participate in a 5k walk around the ships wide teak decks and invited to donate $20 to the Holland America Line Foundation, with 75 percent ($15) being distributed to partnering organizations.

Read Also: Holland America Details 73-Day Grand Africa Voyage

Additionally, the cruise line hosts shipboard charity luncheons for thousands of guests, providing cash sponsorships, in-kind donations, and reduced-fare cruise donations for nonprofit fundraising events.

The lines charitable efforts have included long-standing partnerships such as sponsoring the Seattle Mariners Salute to Those Who Serve initiative and donating more than $100,000 to Seattle Childrens Hospital Uncompensated Care Fund.

The rest is here:

Holland America Partners With University of Washington Athletics - Cruise Hive

You may be visiting dozens of port cities featuring some of the worlds finest galleries while cruising, but you dont even need to step foot off your ship to experience fabulous pieces of art.

Regent Seven Seas has a particular dedication to bringing fine art to the high seas. The Seven Seas Splendour alone features museum-quality pieces from more than 200 artists.

We created a contemporary fine art collection that transforms each space with thoughtfulness, colour and inspired creativity to the perfect ambience of luxury, Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd,says on the Regent Seven Seas website.

Del Rio personally commissioned the pieces for the ship.

But its not just pieces of art the line is invested in. Regent recently became a sponsor of the Art Gallery of New South Wales member society, the Australian Ballet and the Queensland Ballet.

In our latest episode of the On Board with Cruise Passenger podcast, we talk ship with Steve Odell, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Asia Pacific region for Regent Seven Seas about the lines investment in artful cruising.

He tells us about the meticulously curated onboard collections, lectures from art historians offered during days at sea and about the galleries on shore at about 450. different ports.

Listen to the podcast below, or on your preferred streaming service including Spotify.

The rest is here:

Discover the art of cruising with Regent Seven Seas - Cruise Passenger

Heavy surf, producing rip currents and weather advisories, kept the ocean off-limits to swimmers in most local communities, where lifeguards were on weekend duty following last weeks Labor Day holiday.

(A full update on the rip currents, plus current advisories, continues underneath the photos of todays waves.)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

A sign indicating no lifeguards on duty in Bay Head, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Lifeguards keep watch over the beach in Ortley Beach, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Heavy surf leads to dangerous rip currents, Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

In Ocean County, waves whipped up by a combination of the moon phase and the remnants of Hurricane Earl, now a post-tropical cyclone hovering off the Canadian Maritimes, produced seas of more than 5-feet offshore, large waves at beaches and strong rip currents. A rip current advisory was in effect through Sunday, as well as a small craft advisory.

Entering the surf is discouraged, the advisory, which expires 6 p.m. Sunday, said.

The National Weather Service was forecasting 5-foot seas Sunday, foggy conditions at times, and continued rip currents at the shoreline.

Waves and winds should subside a bit, however, a long period easterly swell will continue, the NWS said in a statement. Therefore, a high risk for dangerous rip currents at New Jersey and Delaware beaches continues through Sunday.

By Monday, winds and waves are forecast subside further, leading the NWS to forecast a moderate risk for the formation of dangerous rip currents on Monday.

As a reminder, many beaches now have limited to no lifeguards present, the statement said.

The NWS also warned of a mild to moderate threat of coastal flooding Sunday, though mainly during the AM high tide period.

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Watch: Heavy Surf Keeps Swimmers Out of the Water at Local Beaches - Shorebeat

40 years ago, the future of Star Trek was hanging in the balance. The TV series had been cancelled in 1969, and an attempted revival with 1979s Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been less than successful. The second film grudgingly greenlit by its studio on a vastly reduced budget was itself drifting into the seas of troubled production until, at the eleventh hour, director Nicholas Meyer came aboard. With Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, he not only saved the film, but the franchise.

The story has been repeated so often its now a cliche: Gene Roddenberry first pitched Star Trek to the NBC network as Wagon Train to the stars. Roddenberry had experience with television Westerns, having written for Bat Masterson and Jefferson Drum, and contributed an award-winning episode to Have Gun Will Travel: all part of the extraordinary proliferation of Western series and films that gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Star Treks similarity to Wagon Train pretty much begins and ends with it being constructed from self-contained episodes comprising a wider narrative of forward momentum: the wagon trains journey West, and the Enterprises five-year mission. But space as a frontier would also have been an immediately graspable concept for 1960s audiences steeped in the language of the Western: a context that these days is easy to miss.

Roddenberry was hustling the studio with an eye on what was popular, and its doubtful he ever really envisaged Star Trek as a Space Western per se although Star Trek episodes did occasionally borrow Western tropes: the Enterprise crew visiting settlers scratching a living from the soil of environmentally hostile planets; gunfights (with phasers) and hokey fisticuffs; and of course, theres the wonky third-season Spectre Of The Gun, in which Kirk and Spock find themselves in an alien re-creation of the OK Corral. But Roddenberrys Star Trek was always very plot-driven the characters often reduced to pegs on which to hang the Big Ideas. By the time of The Motion Picture, he was deep down a rabbit hole of sub-Kubrickian philosophising about post-humanism and transformation: viz the merging of Ilia with Vger and then with Decker, and the ungraspable alien vastness of Vger itself. It was all, to coin a pun, alienating to audiences.

Nicholas Meyer's Star Trek would be terror on the high seas just with spaceships, and no actual sea.

Clearly some rethinking was needed. Roddenberry was kept at arms length for the sequel, and although he isnt credited for having done so, Meyer entirely re-wrote The Wrath Of Khans screenplay according to his own whims. Far from a Western or another 2001, his take was that Star Trek was Hornblower in space referring to CS Foresters hero of a dozen novels and various adaptations, most recently on ITV in the early 2000s: an adventuresome naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. Meyer had previously penned the Sherlock-Holmes-meets-Freud novel and screenplay The Seven Percent Solution, and written and directed the HG-Wells-meets-Jack-the-Ripper time travel romp Time After Time. Conceptual mash-ups were his thing (and hes continued to write novels in which Sherlock Holmes has met the likes of The Mummy and Bram Stoker). His Star Trek would be terror on the high seas just with spaceships, and no actual sea.

The Wrath Of Khan doesnt require any detailed Trek knowledge from a more general audience. You dont even need to have seen Space Seed, the 1966 first-season episode in which Khan originally appeared. Despite the Roman numeral in its title, Star Trek II is a perfect jumping-on point for people whove never boldly gone into an episode of Star Trek before. Everything you need, you already have through cultural osmosis. Oddly, theres barely even any sci-fi in it obviously, its set in space, on spaceships and, briefly, on a couple of strange new worlds, but there are no androids or robots, and aside from the Vulcans and mind-altering earwig thing (sorry, Ceti Eel), no aliens. Khan and his crew are human augments, but you dont even get much sense of that beyond Khans stated age, his distracting rock-solid cleavage, and his ability to lift people up with one arm.

Instead of technobabble, the terminology and iconography is much more obviously naval than previously. The language is instantly recognisable as that of the sea: ship, dock, admiral, plot a course, bow, stern, helm, belay that order, and these are, of course, the voyages of the Good Ship Enterprise Khan, reconfigured for the film as a mad pirate captain, tells Kirk that hes marooned him, as if on some rocky Pacific island. Kirk has a rack of what look like flintlock pistols on the wall of his ready room, not to mention a scale model of a ship in full sail. Kirk reads Dickens, but Khan has a copy of Moby Dick.

The buccaneering score evokes nothing so much as open oceans and the wind in your sails.

The new uniforms too actually The Motion Picture uniforms dyed burgundy now incorporate naval-style turtlenecks and rank insignia. And theres also James Horners extraordinary soundtrack, replacing Alexander Courages famous TV music and Jerry Goldsmiths rather martial Motion Picture theme (later used for The Next Generation) with a buccaneering score that evokes nothing so much as open oceans and the wind in in your sails. Its so massive and lush that it goes a long way to making The Wrath Of Khan seem like a huge movie, when, with the sound off, it actually looks rather small.

As Khan, Ricardo Montalban a former Mexican heartthrob who found fame in US film and television in a variety of nonsense was only on set for ten days and has surprisingly few scenes (and none with Kirk that arent over a view screen, meaning they never share the same physical space). But he feels like a serious threat because the movie tells you he is, and he looms in your memory thanks to the sheer size and eccentricity of his performance. His dialogue is ridiculous (He tasks me and I will have him!) but even when hes being quiet, theres an insane menace to him. Stories from behind the scenes suggest that the rest of the cast were coasting a bit until Montalbans mad intensity goaded them into upping their game.

And thankfully, the material was there to meet their new-found enthusiasm, Meyer leaning into the characters in a way that Roddenberry never really had. As much as its about ship battles, The Wrath Of Khan is about the interpersonal relationships and enduring friendships of the crew, particularly Kirk, Spock and McCoy, dealing with ageing and exhaustion and by the end of the film loss. Maybe that renewed focus on its actual people is the films greatest Star Trek legacy.

Well, that and KHAAAAAAAAN!

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Director's Cut is in UK cinemas and on 4K Ultra-HD now

More here:

How The Wrath Of Khan Saved Star Trek - Empire

Ideal Home Newsletter

The Home Of Great Ideas For More Than 100 Years

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Creating a nursery mural can be as involved or straightforward as you'd like it to be. But however you do it, it's a wonderful way to add charm and character to a little one's room. And, before they become obsessed with Hello Kitty or Pokemon, the Marvel Universe or Disney princesses, you get to put your unique stamp on their space, in a way they'll appreciate and even maybe add to as they grow.

'You don't need to be an artist to be able to create great mural feature walls for your kids,' says Justyna Korczynska, senior designer at Crown. 'There are many easy ways to do it. Work out a design on paper then scale up for the walls, using good masking tape to create crisp lines. Kids rooms have a license to be fun. Therefore, why not add a bit of playfulness by painting furniture to match or contrast with the walls.'

Cost needn't be a factor either. You could choose to splash out on a full-scale wallpaper mural that covers one or more walls, or you could pick a smaller peel-and-stick design that you can remove without causing damage.

Or why not pick up a few pots of leftover paint and have a go at designing your own mural? You can paint freehand or grab some tape and mask out a geometric design. It really is a nursery decorating idea that anyone can try. Just don't be afraid to make mistakes you can always paint over them!

A big fan of pattern and bold colour, Amy Cutmore has been part of the Ideal Home editorial team for 12 years and has taken on more than her fair share of paint-based makeovers. In researching this article, she spoke to decorating experts at Crown, COAT Paints and Dunelm to get their expert take on the best approach for adding a mural to a nursery, including the right paints to use and best approaches to design.

(Image credit: Future PLC/Katie Lee)

You may be tempted to channel your local soft play centre and go big and bold with primary colours in your nursery mural. However, that could prove counterproductive, particularly when you are trying to get baby settled for the night.

'Paler colours work well in a childrens room as they tend to be more relaxingand soothing both for the child and parents,' says Justyna Korczynska. 'A background of soft blues and greens or warm pinkygreys can be a good basis from which to add more colour.'

(Image credit: Future PLC/Julien Fernandez/Amandine et Jules)

A full-scale wallpaper mural is more of an investment, but pick the right design and it can continue to spark the imagination long after your little one is out of nappies.

An enchanted forest has fairytale charm - the mural above can add atmosphere to bedtime stories from The Gruffalo to Goldilocks.

Alternatively, consider a space theme, a jungle, or boats on the high seas.

(Image credit: Future PLC/Photoword LTD)

This is a great idea if you think a mural might otherwise appear too 'random'. Take a simple motif such as triangular 'mountains' above, trees or scalloped waves, and paint your mural. Then either buy or create bedroom wall art that features the same motif and hang it around the room to consolidate the theme.

You could do the same with curtains, a rug or your choice of bedding.

(Image credit: Dunelm)

Who needs lullabies when you can get in the mood for sleep with your nursery mural? This Goodnight Moon inspired wallpaper design by Dunelm will have everyone yawning and is a quick and affordable way to add character to an entire wall.

It would work really well with grey or white walls so if you're reinventing a neutral guest bedroom as a nursery, it's. great pick.

Shop now: Floating Clouds mural, from 50, Dunelm (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Rebel Walls)

Be inspired by the new life you've brought into the world with a mural of spring flowers growing tall on your wall. This large-format design by Rebel Walls will cover a large area quickly, so if you've left decorating to the last minute, it's a quick and super stylish option.

It's also not too 'babyish', so if you aren't a fan of cutesy designs, are toying with switching bedrooms around, or don't plan to stay in the house for years to come, choosing this design means you won't need to redecorate.

Shop now: Bumblebee wall mural in Sand, 38 per sq m, Rebel Walls (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Sir Face Murals at Etsy)

If you're decorating a rental property, it's unlikely you'll be able to daub your own hand-painted mural on the walls without risking the wrath of your landlord. That's where peel-and-stick designs come to the rescue.

This design is made of self-adhesive wall fabric, which is more eco-friendly and resilient than vinyl, and it's printed with non-toxic, kid-safe inks. Best of all, it can be removed and repositioned easily, so you can move it to another wall or room, and it won't leave a single mark behind.

We love the idea of this relaxing view, which might take the edge off those early morning feeds.

Shop now: Large Boho Nursery Arch, from 55.58, Sir Face Graphics at Etsy (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Future PLC)

A mural doesn't have to be complicated it can be as simple as a few diagonal lines. You could use these to zone a twin nursery or shared bedroom (yellow side for one sibling, pink for the other) or to demarcate different areas for sleep and play.

To create a sharp and neat line, we like to use Frog tape for masking.

Shop now: FrogTape Green Multi Surface Masking Tape, 6.99, Amazon (opens in new tab)

(Image credit: Crown)

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple shape or series of shapes to create the basis of a mural. A semi circle behind a cot or bed, or a series of triangular 'peaks' can form the basis of a mural that you can have fun embellishing over time.

One of my favouritemuralsfor a client was a mountain around the bottom half of her son's bedroom walls,' says Aaron Markwell,COATs Colour Curator. 'This made for a great gender-neutralmuralthat can be complemented with stickers or stencils of your child's favourite things when they are younger and "grows-up" with them.'

It's also a good way to highlight a piece of furniture, such as a changing station, cot, or nursing chair.

(Image credit: Future PLC/Richard Gadsby/25 Beautiful Homes)

Sure you could go for one big peel-and-stick mural. But you can have just as much fun with a series of smaller stickers. Play with scale and cleverly position your stickers around furniture an empty wall can host a larger tree, while a cot or shelf can double as a perch for animal friends.

(Image credit: Annie Sloan)

A black wall can provide the backdrop for a truly fantastical nursery mural. Artist and interior designer Lucy Tiffney created this design using Annie Sloan paints (opens in new tab). You could have a go at hand-painting your own masterpiece, or simply dare to paint your walls dark and embellish them with adhesive mofits.

'Children respond to colour,' says Annie. 'Their instinctive attraction towards brighter shades isnt hampered by a learned fear of standing out, and we should capitalise on that! Bright shades inspire, build future confidence with experimentation, and activate fertile imaginations.'

Annie goes on to explain that 'as with white, all colours go with black; but they pop against black rather than sitting more gently alongside a blank canvas of white'.

Lucy has used Annie's Athenian Black here, but Farrow & Ball's Railings is another equally dark and dramatic option.

Shop now: Athenian Black wall paint, 55.95, Annie Sloan (opens in new tab)Shop now: Railings Modern emulsion, 56 for 2.5ltrs, Farrow & Ball at B&Q (opens in new tab)

Our tips on how to paint a wall will help you apply your chosen colours with a professional finish. But before you start, take care to pick the right paint for your project.

If there's one place not to skimp on cheap paint, it's the nursery. It could start to flake, and it could contain a higher level of VOCs volatile organic compounds that are given off by the paint. These pollute the air and are known to be harmful to the environment and can trigger asthma and allergies.

Look for paint low in VOCs, such as Crown Breatheasy, or Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, which is made entirely from raw plant and mineral materials. Graphenstone makes paint that goes one stage further not only does it not emit harmful VOCs but it actually cleans your air by absorbing CO2 as it dries.

Another important consideration when choosing paint for a nursery paint is wipe-ability whether you're dealing with sticky fingerprints or crayon marks. Again, most paint brands offer paints robust enough to deal with multiple clean downs. Crown has its stain- and scrub-resistant Easyclean, while Dulux offers an Easycarerange on similar lines.

Aaron Markwell,COATs Colour Curator recommends COAT's soft sheen finish in bedrooms for young children. 'Any crayon can easily be washed off,' he explains.

Original post:

10 sweet nursery mural ideas that are playful and practical - Ideal Home

Brussels, the once- upon-hometown of Cheyenne Olivier, who is my friend and illustrator, is dotted with thousands of friteries. These are shops where you can only buy French fries, along with an option on dozens of dipping sauces. Among them is currysaus, distinguished by the unmistakable hue and fragrance of curry powder.

Indian spices

It is a commonplace that no one in India cooks with curry powder. But on the other hand, the idea of a masala, a blending of a number of contrasting spices, is fundamental to Indian cooking. The problem with curry powder, which it shares with chicken tikka masala and chai, is less the lack of authenticity than the fact that it turns an incredibly rich and diverse culinary landscape into a kind of a Golden Triangle of eating.

It is not surprising that every culinary tradition tries to find the simplest ways to incorporate other traditions into its cooking vocabulary this is currysaus, currywurst in Germany, katsu curry in Japan (but also gobi 65). What is unfortunate is that this is where, for a vast majority of the worlds cooks, Indian food seems stuck, despite the fact that most eating cultures seem to be groping towards a more vegetarian diet, and the sheer splendour of what India has to offer by way of cooking vegetables. There are thousands of Indian restaurants across the world serving undifferentiated over-spiced glop, millions of packaged tikka masalas get sold every year, and varieties of curry powder show up in almost every kitchen, but relatively few non-desi chefs, other than a small global elite, many of them British, seem to be exploring how they could transform their cooking using everyday ideas from Indian cooks.

What really excites me is not the exotic or the baroque, not the early spring asparagus flown across the high seas to be served with posto-bata (poppy seed paste) in Kolkata, nor even the possibility of serving a freshly made burrata with a perfect Alphonso somewhere in the boot of Italy (much as I would love that), but the pairing of everyday flavours from across the world. The genius of Indian cooking is precisely the ability to figure out ways to use spices to lift the most mundane ingredients to a state of grace think lauki with poppy seeds, or lotus stems in a hing and fennel flavoured yogurt gravy. In a world in which eating the seasonal and local (as our forefathers did) is increasingly an imperative, this idea of using alliums, herbs and spices to make magic out of whatever is available has the potential to do its bit towards saving the world.

Read the original here:

What the world can learn from the Indian kitchen - Cond Nast Traveller India

The Indian Express UPSC weekly news express covers some of the most important topics of current affairs news from this week to help you prepare for UPSC-CSE. Try out the MCQs and check your answers provided towards the end of the article.

India soars ahead of UK to become worlds fifth biggest economy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III- Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Why in news?

India has become the worlds fifth-largest economy after it overtook the United Kingdom in end-March 2022, according to the latest calculations by Bloomberg.

Key takeaways

India leaped past the UK in the final three months of 2021 to become the fifth-biggest economy. The calculation is based in US dollars, and India extended its lead in the first quarter, according to GDP figures from the International Monetary Fund.

The news comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging countrymen to resolve to become a developed country by 2047 the centenary of Indias Independence. As such, moving past one of the biggest economies in the world, especially one that ruled over the Indian sub-continent for two centuries, is a major milestone.

The Indian economy is forecast to grow more than 7% this year. A world-beating rebound in Indian stocks this quarter has just seen their weighting rise to the second spot in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, trailing only Chinas.

On an adjusted basis and using the dollar exchange rate on the last day of the relevant quarter, the size of the Indian economy in nominal cash terms in the quarter through March was $854.7 billion. On the same basis, UK was $816 billion.

UK GDP grew just 1% in cash terms in the second quarter and, after adjusting for inflation, shrank 0.1%. Sterling has also underperformed the dollar relative to the rupee, with the pound falling 8% against the Indian currency this year.

The IMFs own forecasts show India overtaking the UK in dollar terms on an annual basis this year, putting the Asian powerhouse behind just the US, China, Japan and Germany. A decade ago, India ranked 11th among the largest economies, while the UK was 5th.

Comparing India and UK

Population size is one of the most fundamental differences between the two countries. As of 2022, India has a population of 1.41 billion while the UKs population is 68.5 million. In other words, Indias population is 20 times that of the UKs.

There is such a stark difference between the population of the two countries, GDP per capita provides a more realistic comparison of income levels because it divides a countrys GDP by the population of that country. It is not surprising to note that the income of an average Indian is far lower.

Low per capita incomes often point to high levels of poverty. It is noteworthy that at the start of the 19th century, the UKs share in extreme poverty was considerably higher than Indias. However, as things stand today, the relative positions have reversed even though India has made giant strides in curbing poverty.

Arguably, the end goal of higher GDP and faster economic growth is to have better human development parameters. The Human Development Index is a composite of health, education and standard of living parameters. Despite its secular improvement, India might still take a decade to be where the UK was in 1980.

A crucial element of becoming richer as a country is the quality of life available to citizens. The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index is measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) based on the average coverage of essential services including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity and access. While faster economic growth and the governments policy focus on healthcare schemes since 2005 have made a distinct improvement for India, there is still a long way to go.

Point to ponder: As such, while India should own the tag of the worlds fastest-growing economy, it is important to understand that being so is just the necessary condition for Indias prosperity, not the sufficient one. Comment.

1. MCQ:

Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if (UPSC-CSE 2013)

(a) there is technical progress in the world economy

(b) there is population growth in X

(c) there is capital formation in X

(d) the volume of trade grows in the world economy

Floods in Pakistan

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Why in news?

While Europe, China and some other regions of the world are experiencing a severe drought, Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods in its recent history. Reports say about 110 of the 150 districts in the country are affected by the flooding. Pakistans National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Sunday that over 1,000 people were confirmed dead in the floods so far.

Key takeaways

The current flood is a direct result of an extremely wet monsoon season this year. The same southwest monsoon that brings the bulk of Indias annual rainfall causes rain in Pakistan as well.

The monsoon season in Pakistan, however, is a little shorter than in India. That is because the rain-bearing monsoon winds take time to travel northward from India into Pakistan. The official monsoon season in Pakistan begins on July 1 and extends until September, although most of the rainfall happens during the months of July and August. The active rainfall season is only one and a half months.

The normal rainfall for Pakistan as a whole during this three-month monsoon season is 140 mm. But because the season is quite short, there is a wide variation in the monsoon rainfall every year.

The rainfall situation in Pakistan has been quite different from that of India so far, though incidents of extreme rainfall and flooding have occured here as well.

In August, India has received rainfall that is barely 6 per cent more than the normal. For the entire season so far, the country has received 7 per cent more than normal rainfall.

However, because India is such a huge country, the overall numbers hide marked variations at the regional and local levels. Just last week, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand experienced torrential rainfall, triggering landslides and flashfloods that killed over 30 people.

In August, central India, comprising mainly Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, has received 26 percent excess rainfall.

Point to ponder: Since floods in Pakistan bear similarities to those in India, its time for a collaborative mechanism to deal with extreme weather events. Discuss.

MCQ:

Consider the following statements and answer the question below

1. Extreme floods often lead to extreme drought.

2. When the river basin floods, much of the water flows to the ocean rather than seeping into the soil, paradoxically causing water scarcity.

Which of the following statement is/are correct?

a) Both 1 and 2

b) only 1

c) only 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

UN High Seas Treaty

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Why in news?

Negotiations involving 168 countries, including the European Union, to agree on a UN treaty for protecting oceans failed Saturday (August 27).

When the latest round of talks began two weeks ago in New York, it was hoped that an agreement would be arrived at for the conserving marine life at the high seas which lie outside the exclusive jurisdiction of different countries.

In June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had declared an ocean emergency at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, citing threats to the worlds oceans.

Key takeaways

Also referred to as the Paris Agreement for the Ocean, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.

The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones that lie from the coast of a country to about 200 nautical miles or 370 km into the sea, till where it has special rights for exploration. Waters beyond that are known as open seas or high seas.

The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources. As there is no treaty for conserving the health of vast swathes of the earths oceans, a UN resolution in 2017 had decided to rectify this while setting 2022 as the deadline.

The pandemic resulted in many delays, and later, a High Ambition Coalition, which now has more than 100 countries including India, the US, and the UK, came about and put the focus on 3030 goals protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. After the latest deadlock, talks will only resume next year, unless a special session is called.

Some aspects of negotiations included establishing marine protected areas to put limits on certain activities, environmental impact assessments or clearances for sustainability of works, financial support to countries and sharing other scientific knowledge. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said binding agreements are needed for this treaty to be effective.

How are the worlds oceans regulated as of now?

Some treaties, along with the UNCLOS, regulate the conduct of actors on the high seas. The UNCLOS led to the establishment of territorial sea boundaries 22 km offshore, deciding the region up to which countries could claim full sovereign territorial rights, as well as the 200 nautical miles EEZ limit. It also created the International Seabed Authority and other conflict-resolution mechanisms.

But a treaty dedicated to protecting ocean health does not exist as of now. Conversely, every country has the right to access open seas, resulting in large-scale drilling and trawling operations for catching fish and other animals for commercial purposes.

What are the risks of countries failing to reach an agreement?

Ninety percent of global warming is occurring in the ocean, according to the NASA website.

The effects of ocean warming include sea level rise due to thermal expansion, coral bleaching, accelerated melting of Earths major ice sheets, intensified hurricanes, and changes in ocean health and biochemistry, it says. Excessive fishing has increased manifold over the years, and a third of species such as sharks and rays are at the risk of extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Despite acknowledging these threats, members failed to agree on how to deal with these threats.

There has been talk of resistance from countries that engage in deep sea mining of minerals or are heavily invested in fishing. Although we did make excellent progress, we still do need a little bit more time to progress towards the finish line, UN Oceans Ambassador Rena Lee said, the AFP reported.

Some countries in the Caribbean alleged that richer countries of the Global North did not actively participate until the last few days of the talks.

Point to ponder: India needs to strengthen its maritime laws and regulatory mechanisms. Discuss.

MCQ:

With reference to UNCLOS, which of the following is not correct?

a) It not only zones coastal states offshore areas but provides specific guidance for states rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.

b)It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces.

c) Each coastal State may claim an EEZ beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea that extends seaward up to 200 nm from its baselines.

d) The ocean surface and the water column beyond the EEZ are referred to as the Contiguous Zone.

Jios standalone 5G architecture, and how it will work

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies III: Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth and Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Why in news?

Indias largest telecom company Reliance Jio on Monday announced the launch of its 5G services in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai by Diwali this year, with an aim to expand and cover the entire country by December 2023.

The company said it will launch its 5G services on a standalone 5G architecture, against the non-standalone approach that other operators are betting on.

The disagreement between service providers on the network modes they are taking to roll out the next generation of mobile telephony also spotlights questions over the readiness of Indian consumers to move to 5G.

Key takeaways

5G networks are deployed mainly on two modes: standalone and non-standalone. Both architectures have their advantages and disadvantages, and the path chosen by operators primarily reflects their view of the market for the new technology, and the consequent rollout strategy.

In the standalone mode, which Jio has chosen, the 5G network operates with dedicated equipment, and runs parallel to the existing 4G network, while in the non-standalone mode, the 5G network is supported by the 4G core infrastructure.

Given that the non-standalone networks are built on existing infrastructure, the initial cost and the time taken to roll out services through this track is significantly less than standalone networks. Jio has committed an investment of Rs 2 lakh crore for its standalone 5G network.

The standalone mode provides access to full 5G capabilities and new network functionalities such as slicing that provides greater flexibility to operators to efficiently use their spectrum holdings.

Non-standalone networks are generally considered to be a stepping stone, and global precedent suggests operators that have launched non-standalone 5G networks eventually transition to standalone networks. The non-standalone mode, however, lets operators maximise the utilisation of their existing network infrastructure with relatively lower investment.

The biggest difference in the two architectures is the compatibility with existing device ecosystems. Most smartphones today have capability to connect to non-standalone 5G networks which are essentially 5G airwaves transmitted through 4G networks and will require software updates by their OEMs to be able to connect to standalone networks.

5G could have benefits for consumers owing to the superior Internet speed and low latency it promises over 4G. At its peak, Internet speeds on 5G could touch 10 Gbps, compared to the 100 Mbps peak of 4G. Similarly, latency under 4G is between 10-100 ms (millisecond) whereas on 5G it is expected to be under 1 ms. Latency is the time it takes for a device to send packets of data and get a response. Shorter the latency, quicker the response.

According to a May 2019 report by Ericsson, a key player in the 5G equipment market, while it is a common belief that 5G might not deliver any near-term benefits for consumers, they expect 5G to offer a step change in network performance, relief from urban network congestion, and more home broadband choices as near-term benefits.

Further, it pointed out that while there were reservations back in 2010 during the onset of 4G about the technologys actual benefits for consumers, today, a number of online activities from streaming ultra high definition content to making video calls, especially propelled by the pandemic that are possible on 4G, would have been near impossible on 3G speeds.

For most industrial use cases such as manufacturing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, the speeds and latency levels offered by 5G telephony are the key selling propositions. These low latencies and high Internet speeds can only be made available through the standalone architecture.

Read more here:

UPSC Essentials: Weekly news express with MCQs World's fifth biggest economy to UN High Seas Treaty - The Indian Express

The Batanes, which was placed under Signal No. 2 early on Saturday, was buffeted by strong winds and rough seas brought by Typhoon Henry and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon.

In Ivy Hernando's Saturday 24 Oras Weekend report, a video from the Itbayat Police showed the occasional rain, strong winds, and massive waves at the Itbayat Islands.

Police assisted fishermen as they pulled their vessels ashore to keep them from getting damaged.

While the waters were calm at the Valugan Boulder Beach, the waves were much higher at a port in Basco.

The provincial government is assessing infrastructure and agriculture damage due to the inclement conditions.

The crops damaged by the weather included corn, while vendors were unable to sell fish and seafood at the Basco public market.

Meanwhile, the provincial government was looking to assist the fishermen who could not ply their trade.

While classes in all levels would likely resume next week, sea trips were prohibited due to high waves.

The Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal over the Batanes was lowered to Signal 1 Saturday evening as Typhoon Henry maintained its strength while moving northward over the sea east of Taiwan. Jamil Santos/DVM, GMA News

More here:

Batanes buffeted by severe winds, rough seas from Henry - GMA News Online