Forget about the recent media bashing. Niagara Falls is only a tourist trap in the sense of its awesomeness. How can anyone resist visiting? With that truth in mind, new research has revealed that Niagara Falls is the 4th most popular filming location in the world, having played a starring role in 143 films, including appearances in Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman2 (1980).
Giggster- a film location service, has revealed the most-used filming locations around the world, the locations that have the highest-grossing films, and the countries that have featured in the most movies. So, how does Canada fare?
Thor. Old Royal Naval College location London, England.
💰Niagara Falls is the sole location used in Canada from the study – featuring in 143 movies, with an average box office gross of $212,260,000 usd / $274,667,624 cad from its top-three films but so has Toronto (David Cronenberg’s 80s horror masterpiece The Fly) , Vancouver and Montreal as well as the Eastern and Western Provinces have also been featured in Hollywood films.
The research has also revealed:
🗽Central Park in New York is the most-used film location in the world – featuring in over 352 movies.
💵 The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is the highest-grossing filming location on average ($253,366,667 usd / $327,860,268 cad ).
The Griffith Observatory was also seen in the Disney cult favorite The Rocketeer.
🎥 The top 3 countries featured in the most movies are, The United States, The United Kingdom and Canada.
US locations featured in over 900 more movies than any other country; The states featured most are New York, Arizona and Massachusetts.
For the last couple of decades the term “Outsider art” has come into popular use as a catch all phrase to describe the work of those who live “outside” society. Prisoners, religious visionaries, the institutionalized, and hermits all fall into this category.
It is quite often grouped together with folk art in that it is also primarily work by an untrained hand, but it differs in that the work is often more wildly imaginative, or “edgy”.
Back in the early 90’s, I was fortunate enough to participate in the second and third Outsider Art Fairs in New York. I was struck and amazed at the high levels of both positive and negative energy generated by the various works from around the world on display there.
Everything from giant nightmare fantasies to what could best be described as visions of heaven fighting it out side by side. It was intense and worthwhile. It was also an interesting lesson in marketing, in that I observed how a handful of powerful art dealers control and establish who is “hot” and how much these works were going to cost.
The newly found amazing collage/paintings of Henry Darger were presented initially at about $4,000 for a small one. The second year the price was $40,000.
The book had come out on the Chicago recluse who spent all his days writing his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story. Beautiful and disturbing.
Betwixt and Between: Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls
[This is a picture of Elsie Paroubek who was murdered at the age of five in 1911 in Chicago. The picture is most likely to have come from the Chicago Daily News. It was one of many newspaper photos of children collected by artist Henry Darger. According to his autobiography, his copy of Miss Paroubek’s photo was in amongst some items that were stolen when his locker at work was broken into, and he was unable to locate the picture in the newspaper archives. The tragic death of Miss Paroubek and the loss of her image inspired him to begin writing his monumental fantasy novel “The Story of the Vivian Girls.” Miss Paroubek was a central character in the novel, under the name Anna Aronburg. Photo is in the public domain. Text excerpt from wikipedia CP]
In Canada, there are just a few documented artists who could be considered “outsiders”. There is Clarence Webster who drew interesting childlike pictures to cheer up the walls of his institutional room.
A very interesting visionary artist was Alma Rumball who lived in a rural Muskoka cabin. Following a vision of Jesus, she became a clairvoyant recluse, at age 50, creating prolific, intricate, coloured pen and ink drawings. She watched, as “The Hand” drew by itself, unfamiliar forms, faces, and characters, separate from her consciousness.
There is a good Vision T.V. documentary on this artist. Another example is Gilbert DesRochers, who after a religious vision moved to his brother’s farm near Perkinsfield, where he lived in a small trailer and attended church regularly, producing many religious based sculptures. He was discovered and documented by artist John Hartman in 1980 and a solo exhibition of his work was held at the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery from November 3, 1991 to March 1, 1992. For the Silo, by Phil Ross.
Featured image- The ascension of Gilbert DesRochers. Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
We work our asses off to buy stuff that we can’t enjoy because we are working our asses off to pay for the stuff we buy while diligently saving (or attempting to save) for our retirement which we keep pushing back because we keep working our asses off to buy yet more stuff to enjoy that we have to work our asses off to pay for, and there is always something else that we want or need or think we need (but really want) that we have to work our asses off to pay for and…
A generation ago somebody coined the phrase “rat race” to describe this phenomenon of modern consumerism, and the term stuck.
It’s wrong.
It ain’t a race.
You can win a race.
Modern consumerist life is a strictly no-win proposition, friends…
… and none of us gets out of here alive.
I began to think about this a few years ago, when I received a matched set of stainless steel rechargeable electric salt and pepper grinders as a gift.
Think about that: Electric salt and pepper grinders.
I am pretty sure this is an answer to a question nobody asked.
This gift made me ponder, and I came to some conclusions:
I must be one of those “hard-to-shop-for” people.
I’d rather have an LCBO gift card.
Grinding pepper over your mashed potatoes is apparently much more strenuous than I ever thought., that somebody decided the world needed this.
A gadget that doesn’t really save any appreciable time or effort and provides little entertainment required somebody to work to earn the money to purchase it.
Enough is enough.
Is mortal- consumerism (yep we just coined that CP) keeping society asleep?
At the time, I was working a gig that required me to work 12 hour days 6-7 days a week, put in 40 000 km a year behind the wheel of a car traveling to meet prospects, 75% of whom either don’t want or can’t afford what I am selling, so that I can afford the next toy/vacation/orthodontist payment/thing with the 50% of my income that the tax man has allowed me to keep. I was alienated from, and alienating, my kids, my wife, because of my absence from home life, and I became an overcompensating asshole for the same reason which increased the tension and…
…any of you out there who have climbed out of the wreckage of a crashed marriage know exactly where I’m coming from.
Actually, scratch that vacation part. At the time I hadn’t taken more than a long weekend off in over a decade.
And I thought I was successful.
I began to question where I was going, what I was doing, and why.
Frankly, I figured enjoying retirement is a myth.
That whole “Freedom 55” thing? Bullshit.
First, you gotta get there. With my diet, hours, stress level and number of miles driven every year, the odds were good I wasn’t gonna make it.
Second, you gotta pay for it. You need to keep squirreling away the cash, tending your investments, watching your nest egg grow, deferring and sacrificing today for the dream of a better tomorrow…
….As long as the market doesn’t tank, your health holds up, property values don’t plummet, or your kids don’t move back in, with their kids.
Money may not buy happiness, but always feeling like you don’t have enough will make you bitchy as hell.
I was sitting in the cockpit of our old, small, paid-for sailboat one morning, enjoying a cup of coffee when it hit me:
As a society we are conditioned to approach life like a big twin-engine cabin cruiser- heavy consumption, lots of noise, lots of flash, throwing a big wake. Unless you are getting noticed, you’re not succeeding.
I finally figured out that there is a lot to be said for living a NO wake lifestyle.
But how?
With a bit of soul searching we realized we had to quit confusing our wants with our needs.
My wife and I realized that we were perfectly content spending time on our old, small, paid-off boat in our low-cost slip on our no-frills dock. We didn’t need a bigger boat on a fancier dock.
And we didn’t need new cars. As long as the old cars keep running , it is always gonna be cheaper to fix ‘em than replace ‘em. If I need a new whip to impress you, you’re likely not worth impressing.
Besides, there’s something real liberating about parking wherever you damn well please, because dings and scratches just don’t matter.
And we didn’t need a $20 000 kitchen reno or a $10 000 bathroom makeover. Or a bigger house. Or a bigger garage.
Or a bigger mortgage.
For a longer time.
With fatter payments.
We didn’t need to stand in line to be grilled by a soul-patch sporting “barista” first thing in the morning just to get a simple cup of coffee which costs as much as a Happy Meal, when we had a perfectly good underused coffee maker on the kitchen counter.
We needed to live life NOW, on OUR terms.
A funny thing happened. By deciding what we could live without, we could now afford to live.
With less financial stress, I didn’t need to be on the road, living out of a car and fueling up on fast food three meals a day. My wife and I discovered that cooking dinner together was a great way to re-connect at the end of the workday. Chopping, sautéing, stirring with a glass of wine while recapping our respective days beats the hell out of eating a Whopper an hour from home.
We didn’t have to save dining at restaurants with tablecloths for a special occasion to fit the budget.
We could afford to drink the bottles of wine we could only read about before.
We could take vacation days without figuring out what we had to sacrifice to make up for the lost wages.
Hell, we could take whole damn vacations, for that matter!
The sunsets look just as pretty from a small, paid-off sailboat as it does from the bridge of a six-figure cabin cruiser.
The rum goes down just as well.
And I can enjoy it instead of working to afford it.
What more is there to say about this car except “Wow”? Jim’s 1961 Tri-Power Chevrolet Impala is yet another pure gem hidden away somewhere in the rural wilds of Ontario, Canada.
Back in the day, these cars were known in the South as an excellent choice for moonshine runners. It must have been difficult if not impossible for a police car of that era to keep up with this 280 HP, Triple Deuce carbureted, 348 cubic inch big block.
With no power steering or power brakes you sure did get a pretty good feel for those windy, dirt back roads. Yet because of these removed features the car had no loss of available horsepower or throttle response.
With a borg-warner 100 T-10 4 speed transmission and posi 4:11 rear-end, this car puts the power directly to the road.
These traits also made these Impalas widely used in stock car racing and drag racing as well. This pure beauty of a car is painted in a factory Ermin white, with a factory red and ivory interior. Some of the rarer options include: front and rear bumper guards, E-Z eye solar guard glass and wide, white walls.
In a world of ‘rip it down and change it’, this car is still running an old school Delco battery and generator. It is very un-common to still have these options installed.
Owned by Jim, a stunt driver with Legend Filming Network you can bet the only way you’ll see this car in its home area of Delhi, Ontario is when it’s passing you in 3rd gear with all three deuces wide open.
Extra Facts
The big flag badging on the grille and trunk lid was specific to only 348 cars, they came in 240 HP, 280 HP and the high horsepower 350 HP models. In late 1961 Chevrolet introduced the 409. That same year, the windshield wipers swept in the same direction. For the Silo, Robb Price.
For years the ‘bad ones’ have poisoned rivers, devastated forests and displaced communities, and now massive companies are rushing to dig up the seabed for precious metals.
MIT: “The ocean’s deep-sea bed is scattered with ancient, potato-sized rocks called “polymetallic nodules” that contain nickel and cobalt — minerals that are in high demand for the manufacturing of batteries, such as for powering electric vehicles and storing renewable energy, and in response to factors such as increasing urbanization. The deep ocean contains vast quantities of mineral-laden nodules, but the impact of mining the ocean floor is both unknown and highly contested.”
Sediment plumes following the wake of this deep sea mining ship.
And yet, only twenty-four people have the regulatory powers to stop this type of plunder in our planet’s most fragile places: The International Seabed Authority. You’ve likely never heard of them because this group attracts as little attention as an underwater mine miles offshore.
A few countries have agreed to full or partial bans, and leading scientists have appealed for a freeze on deep sea mining contracts.
Mining companies claim they can mine the seabed safely, but authorities in Namibia, Australia and New Zealand have blocked seabed mining projects. Scientists point out that many deep water species are being discovered quite regularly, and that the ocean floor can take decades to recover from disturbances such as the creation of sediment plumes from deep sea floor bed mining.
There are technological limits to how deep Surface ships can reach- but is that enough to protect the deep of our Oceans? New technologies and techniques always lead to deeper mining.
New technology allowing for deeper mining and intensified mining: A massive seafloor EV rover.
The International Seabed Authority has already issued licenses for exploratory mining across 1.2 million square kilometers of ocean floor. As mentioned earlier, this regulatory body is almost unknown, and its 24-person Legal and Technical Committee is solely responsible for the detailed scrutiny of proposals and environmental safeguards.
As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and challenging mental health issues, it’s more important than ever to find ways to bring joy and beauty into our lives. One way to do this is by infusing our living spaces with personality, whether it’s our homes, offices, or our boats. For refined yacht owners, it’s natural to diverge towards things that bring comfort on-board – including art.
Not falling short on sophistication, the real value of art lies in its ability to inspire and uplift us. In practicality, however, when it comes to decorating a yacht, there are a few key concerns to keep in mind.
It’s important to consider the amount of art one wants to display. While it might be tempting to fill every inch of wall space with your favorite pieces, it’s important to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. An overcrowded space can be overwhelming and distract from the overall design. Equally essential, durability is a crucial factor to consider as art on-board will be exposed to elements like water and must withstand rough seas. Fortunately, there are experts in yacht customization that can deliver art in the most practical way.
For yacht owners, the key areas where art can really make a difference are the master bedroom, living area, and bathroom. In the master bedroom, a carefully chosen piece can create a calming and relaxing atmosphere, while in the living area, a bold and eye-catching piece can be the perfect conversation starter. In the bathroom, a fun and whimsical piece can add a touch of lightness.
For those who wish to incorporate contemporary art, The Margulies Warehouse boasts an extensive collection, featuring artists such as Jennifer Steinkamp and Daniela Wicki, who play with the symbiosis of materials and technology. Another great choice for those with eclectic taste and looking for individual pieces is The Gallery by Rudolf Budja, which offers a selective collection of texturized canvases and photography sure to impress any art lover.
Delving into ways to bring art on board, it is captivating to incorporate design elements into the very fabric of the yacht itself, a popular trend in yacht design. For example, Futurestones and KMD are experts in creating stone finishes. They transform spaces and bring a unique energy to the yacht with the use of murals and large-scale artwork as a backdrop for the interior. These details help create a cohesive design aesthetic and add a touch of personality to the vessel.
At the most recent Miami Discovery Boating Show, I observed a surge in stylish watercrafts, ranging from medium-sized yachts to super yachts.
One brand that stood out to me as an excellent example of balance in design elements is Fiart Mare, particularly their 35′ Seawalker and 39′ Seawalker models. These boats offer an exceptional combination of functionality and Italian design, maximizing the available cabin space. Yacht Creators, the exclusive dealer for Fiart Mare, has collaborated with top shipyards worldwide to bring unparalleled interior design to the US market.
In addition to Fiart Mare, Yacht Creators represents other renowned brands such as Prime Yachts, Van Der Valk, Leven Yachts, and Waterdream, all of which are built with exceptional craftsmanship and worth the time for someone who dreams of building and owning something special.
For me, interior design on yachts is “art on art”.
While yacht craftsmanship is a complex process that involves multiple layers of design, art on board can take many forms, from custom-designed furniture and fixtures to entire walls/doors adorned with intricate patterns and designs. These bespoke furnishings can range from tables and chairs to lighting and cabinetry, and serve to enhance the yacht’s individuality and make it truly one-of-a-kind.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to bringing a touch of artistic flair to a vessel and creatively maxing out cabin space. So whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, don’t be afraid to bring a little bit of art on board your life – and your yacht.
For the Silo, Nancy Gonzalez/Private Yacht Finance. Featured image: Fiart Seawalker 35.
More often than not, all our museum experiences are quite similar. We see some art or historical artifacts, learn about a subject, and sometimes listen to a lesson during a tour.
And while every museum is invaluable, sometimes the heart wants something quirkier and unusual. Evidently, many people had the same sentiment because if you really look, you’ll find some incredible gems in the world of museums.
Here are the world’s weirdest museums you must visit.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Osaka, Japan
Ramen is synonymous with Japan, so no wonder there is a museum dedicated to it! Momofuko Ando, the Taiwanese-Japanese inventor, invented Chicken ramen noodles in his backyard shed in 1958.
The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum shows this Japan’s cult food that went global by displaying ramen noodle packages from around the world and giving the opportunity to taste limited-edition ramen from Hokkaido island and Tohoku region. Visitors can also design their personal soup packet at the “My Cupnoodles” Factory.
Spy Museum, Washington DC, USA
Love spy movies or novels? Then this museum is for you! International Spy Museum in Washington DC has the largest public collection of espionage artifacts that includes various gadgets, cameras, secret weapons, cipher machines, and counterfeit money.
It’s a rare chance to take a look at this secret profession and see how it’s developed over the years.
Museum visitors can participate in interactive spy adventures, watch never-seen-before videos of spies and revel in the impressive photo collection. And who wouldn’t wish for a super-gadget that would help make life easier, to help you in high-stakes situations like basketball betting on BetAmerica.com?
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi, India
Roughguides.com names the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi, India, which shows the history of hygiene and sanitation from 2500 B.C. to today, as one of the weirdest museums a person can visit.
The visitors can see the toilet evolution over the ages – from Roman emperors’ gold-plated toilets to medieval toilets of peasants. A fun fact – you can find a collection of rare toilet poems in the museum as well.
British Lawnmower Museum, Merseyside, England
Can there be something more British than a Lawnmower museum? If you’re a garden enthusiast or simply like quirky things, you must visit the museum, which details this garden tool’s history.
You’ll find such items as the lawnmowers of Prince Charles and Princess Diana or the world’s first solar-powered robot grass-chopper in the collection. Probably the cutest lawnmower at the museum is less than five centimeters high and is fully functional!
Siriraj Medical Museum (Museum of Death), Bangkok, Thailand
If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. Even though officially named a Medical museum, most people call it simply the museum of death. If you’re squeamish or find the subject distressing, it’s probably best to skip this one.
You’ll find severed and mutilated legs and arms, brains, skulls pierced with bullets, lungs that have been stabbed, and other similar things in the collection. They all illustrate the dark and gruesome ways to transition to death and leave no one indifferent.
If that’s not enough, you can also see the mummified body of a notorious cannibal Si Quey and the museum’s founder’s skeleton.
The Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia
It is just as sad and beautiful as it sounds. It started as a joke by two Croatian artists who broke up after a long relationship and said they wanted to create a museum to honor it. Well, they did, and it blew up all over the world.
You can see various mementos from people’s relationships in different countries that include an ax used to destroy a cheating partner’s furniture, jewelry, postcards, and more.
Paris Sewer Museum, France
Nobody likes to talk about it, but sewer systems are the basis for a civilized society! However, it’s not the first or even the fifth thing people want to see when visiting the city of love.
Still, it’s so fascinating and complex. Lifehack.org explains that it’s an entire network of tunnels as large as the city itself, and also a museum that tourists can visit and explored, complete with tour guides. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell that bad, and you’ll see a part of Paris you never thought you would. For the Silo, Milda Urbonaite.
Kubrick. Scott. Which one of these directors needs their first name in order to be recognized by most movie watchers? Yeah, thought so. Let’s try this introduction another way: Kubrick. Ridley Scott. Ah that’s better.
Regardless of who is more recognizable, the fact remains that both of these cinema geniuses created masterpieces on celluloid.
Stanley Kubrick’s work dates earlier than Sir Ridley’s films ( 1977’s The Duellists) by almost a quarter century (1953’s Fear And Desire) but this is balanced by the fact that Scott continues to make films. The upcoming Napoleon will be his 18th feature film since 1999- when Kubrick tragically passed away shortly after finishing Eyes Wide Shut.
There are many films to choose from when picking a movie that is Stanley’s masterpiece but Barry Lyndon is receiving a renewed interest from film critics and writers. Shot entirely by natural light and candle light, Barry Lyndon required the assistance of NASA since it required an entirely new kind of camera lens to capture the scenes and oh those scenes!
There is something familiar about them….have I seen them before in a later film from another director perhaps?
1982’s Blade Runner is heralded as the de facto science fiction film due to its own innovations. It offered a serious look at a believable and highly stylistic future and the earliest on screen representation of cyberpunk. The sets, scenes, compositions of shots, costumes and overall atmosphere were unlike anything seen on film before….or were they? Let’s take a look at both Barry Lyndon and Blade Runner side-by-side.
As I continue to compare and unravel more similarities I will update this post but in the meantime if you know of something I have missed please feel welcome to add your thoughts and discoveries in the comments section below. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
Digital privacy expert discusses the possible violation of privacy and security of cross-device tracking
Third of Canadians (33%) have ever noticed an ad on their devices of something they recently spoke about or saw on TV (but hadn’t searched for), according to research by NordVPN, a leading cybersecurity company. A majority of them noticed such ads on their smartphones (76%), computers (49%), or tablets (29%). Moreover, such experience made more than 4 in 10 (46%) Canadians feel tracked/followed as well as scared (12%).
“That’s due to ultrasonic cross-device tracking. That’s when smartphones have apps that are continuously listening to inaudible, high-frequency ultrasonic sounds from the surroundings and gather a lot of information about you — all without your knowledge. Later, they share this data across other devices,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a digital privacy expert.
While tracking people’s behavior across devices is beneficial to marketers, cross-device tracking is often questioned by privacy experts because of its lack of transparency, security and protection of sensitive consumers’ data.
What do our American friends think?
Ultrasonic cross-device tracking — a trending rise
Ultrasonic cross-device tracking is used as a method to link all the devices you own to track your behavior and location. These ultrasonic audio beacons can be embedded in many things we interact with daily: TV shows, online videos or websites, or apps on our phones.
Imagine you are watching TV and you see chocolate being advertised. You pick up your phone, and the same chocolate ad appears on your screen. By using ultrasounds, audio beacons can detect when your phone is nearby, and apps on your phone can listen for approximate audio beacons to track what you are doing.
“Many apps currently ask for permission to access the smartphone’s microphone to incorporate a particular type of ultrasonic beacon to track them. Since it requires no mobile data or Wi-Fi connection but only microphone access to listen to beacons, tracking works even when you have disconnected your phone from the Internet.
“It’s not possible to stop ultrasonic beacons from emitting sound frequencies around you. Therefore, the best way to reduce the chance of your smartphone listening for beacons is to simply restrict unnecessary permissions you have granted to the apps installed on your device,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven.
How can you reduce cross-device tracking?
NordVPN research shows that 65% of Canadians don’t know how to restrict their smartphone’s permissions from listening to them. No one likes to be tracked. Therefore, Adrianus Warmenhoven suggest several ways people can reduce the incidence of this happening:
Use a VPN. One of the best ways to protect yourself from being tracked is by using a VPN. A VPN is a tool that encrypts every bit of information about your internet activity. It also stops IP-based tracking because it masks your IP address.
Use a privacy browser. If you want to keep yourself from tracking, it is best to use a private browser like Tor or DuckDuckGo rather than the incognito mode in Google Chrome. These browsers do not profile you or save any of your personal data for sharing with marketers.
Change app permissions. The apps on your smartphone may have some permissions that are not required. For instance, why would a photo-editing app need access to your microphone? If apps on your phone have such non-required permissions, you should revoke these permissions.
“The consolidation of power among large tech companies allows them to obtain large quantities of data about individuals across multiple platforms and devices. In this way, technology giants have even more opportunities to obtain deeper insights into individuals’ habits and preferences. Data consolidation through cross-device and platform tracking may also increase data security risks,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven. For the Silo, Darija Grobova/NordVPN.
Over 5,800 Metaverse Trademark Applications Filed Last Year = Surging 200% Year-Over-Year
In 2022, there was a significant surge in trademark applications related to the Metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), indicating the growing importance and potential profitability of these emerging industries.
According to data collected by Blockchain Centre, there were 5,850 new Metaverse trademark applications and 7,746 NFT trademark applications registered last year.
This represents a growth rate of 205.64% and 259.61%, respectively, from the previous year. The monthly trends for trademark registrations steadily increased throughout the year, with at least 300 new applications filed every month.
Increasing interest in the Metaverse
Many big companies, including Meta, Formula One, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Gatorade, and the US Space Force, have also filed applications with the USPTO in 2022, indicating their interest in virtual products and involvement with crypto and blockchain.
The rise in trademark applications related to the Metaverse and NFTs has prompted an investigation by the US Patent and Trademark Office and US Copyright Office to examine how NFTs impact intellectual property rights.
According to the research:
“Recently, several prominent brands have faced challenges when their intellectual property or products were infringed upon by NFT marketplaces or platforms.”
Despite the ongoing ‘crypto winter’, the rise in trademark applications and growing interest in metaverse products have served as a counterbalance to concerns that the market is being negatively impacted. For the Silo, Lina Alisauskaite.
The World Happiness Report has anointed Finland as the world’s happiest country for six years straight. What makes a Nordic land with 5,5 million people so happy? In Helsinki, the capital of Finland, art and culture make the city a good place to live and visit.
According to the UN-published report, Finns rate highly on key issues such as a high level of education, affordable healthcare, social stability, and positive work-life balance. But it’s not just these societal indicators that affect how Finns view their quality of life – Culture and art are highly prized aspects as well.
“We see a vibrant cultural sphere that is accessible and affordable for all citizens as a major contributor to everyday happiness. And we are looking at culture through a broad lens: from urban city culture, to sauna culture, to high-end cultural offerings, such as the world-famous Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a diverse mix,” according to Reetta Heiskanen, Deputy Culture Director at the City of Helsinki.
Sauna culture
In Helsinki, cultural events are designed for everybody, regardless the socioeconomic status, with world-class ambition. The city’s expanding cultural life makes the city a more exciting and diverse place for residents and visitors.
Photo: Julia Kivelä, Visit Finland
“Good examples are the Helsinki Festival and Flow Festival that draw international music lovers’ and urban hipsters’ attention to Helsinki every August. As well as the Helsinki Biennial, a visual art festival in summer – dealing this year with the wicked problems of our time, such as environmental crisis, political conflicts, and the consequences of technological development,” Heiskanen says.
“In Helsinki, culture belongs to everyone. For example, in the Culture Kids program, every child from Helsinki born in the 2020s has a cultural institution as a host, through whom the children and their families get a personal touch with art,” she adds.
Culture Supports Economy
Helsinki has a Nordic approach to art and culture: A unique urban culture is a key enabler of a good life – and culture also supports economic wellbeing.
Culture and events make Helsinki an enjoyable, dynamic, and attractive city. Cultural events boost economic development – while the city government is flexible, people and businesses find the city easy to work with when arranging events, big or small.
But what good would it be to provide interesting cultural offerings if people don’t have the time and energy to enjoy them? If you are working long hours, wouldn’t the sofa be the best option after a long day?
The answer is Finland’s emphasis on work-life balance. This year, Helsinki placed second in the Forbes worldwide work-life balance index of major cities. Generous paid leave and flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid and remote working, were among the factors cited for the high ranking.
“It’s a Nordic dream, a good everyday life, which you can achieve in Helsinki. This means that you can build a successful career and still have enough time and energy for a flourishing personal life and cultural experiences. A vibrant culture creates an attractive city that is easy to fall in love with,” Heiskanen concludes.
Unleash Your Curiosity About Finnish Culture
This year offers unique cultural offerings in Helsinki throughout the year. There are multiple great exhibition openings, such as world-famous Tom of Finland and Albert Edelfelt, in Ateneum, Finnish National Museum of Art, which will open its doors after a year-long renovation, and Helsinki Biennial, a contemporary art event, taking place for the second time in summer 2023, June 12th until September 17th. For the Silo, Leena Karppinen.
A major money saving and environmentally beneficial smart kitchen app launched waaaaay back in 2015, on World Environment Day, and deserves another look as it still works well and saves users up to $1,000 every year and helps reduce food waste.
The “Smart Kitchen” EatBy App reduces food waste, saving households up to $1,000 per year and helps the environment.
The staggering amount of wasted food continues to make headlines and back when the app was first created, husband and wife developers, Steffan and Barbara Lewis were focusing their passion for finding a solution to the environmental issues surrounding food waste and came up with the idea to develop and launch “Smart Kitchen” EatBy as soon as possible.
“We had the idea one lunchtime after we had to throw out the food we’d hoped to eat because it had passed it’s use by date. That led to a purge of all the out of date food in our kitchen. And quite frankly, we were shocked and disgusted with ourselves when we realised how much we waste.” said Barbara Lewis.
They decided to make the app free to download and offer expanded use with an optional shopping list that can be activated with an in app purchase.
“It’s important to us that the app’s basic functions have to be free in order to gain and benefit the maximum number of users. Collectively we can all make a huge difference to the environment. And it’s an added bonus that we’ll save around £700 ($1,000) each year.”
And the numbers add up.
Recent reports state that the average household wastes $80 usd ($109.23 CAD) every month on un eaten food. With over 123 million U.S. households that’s $9,840,000,000. Factor in similar habits throughout the rest of North America and an equivalent amount in Europe, the tally is somewhere around a staggering $236 Billion each year. It’s known that about one third of all food produced is discarded but the real cost to the environment is misunderstood: 1.3 billion tonnes of wasted food contributes 10% of worldwide total greenhouse gases.
Many strategies for reducing food waste have been proposed by environmentalists, government agencies and industry specialists. But the husband and wife creators of the EatBy App claim their app is the first practical personal tech solution to the problem of food waste. It is a simple to use Smart Kitchen App that effectively helps manage the food in your kitchen and lets you know when food items expire. The optional integrated shopping list will also help reduce buying too much food in the first place.
“We are under no illusion that our app will immediately solve this global problem,” Said Steffan Lewis, “But if only a few million people download and use it, then it’ll already make an impact and that’d be a great start. Obviously, we’d like everyone to use our app and benefit from it!”
The EatBy App is available for both Android and Apple devices. More information about the project’s history can be found at https://www.eatbyapp.com
EMP Attacks: Expert William Forstchen Describes Cataclysmic Impact
Washington, D.C., 2023 — An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack above the center of North America would cripple the already vulnerable energy grid, wiping out power and setting off a cascade of deadly events. But just how real is the threat?
“I believe the threat of America being hit by an EMP weapon is the single greatest danger to the survival of [North] America,” said William R. Forstchen, Ph.D.
Widely considered one of the foremost experts on EMP attacks, Forstchen has been consulted by agencies within the American federal and state governments and has spoken at conferences all over the United States.
Forstchen has also written extensively about the devastating impact of EMP strikes, beginning with his New York Times bestseller, One Second After, a realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States and Canada, literally within one second.
One Second After immerses readers in the terrifying concept of an EMP attack, prompting discussions regarding:
The frightening specifics about EMP
The societal impact of an EMP attack
Hour-by-hour, day-by-day, month-by-month details on the effect an EMP attack would have on a community
What, if anything, can be done to protect people and the country against an EMP attack?
If EMP is such a threat, why aren’t we preparing?
The serious threats facing America regarding physical and cyberattacks on our nation’s infrastructure
The publication of One Second After spawned a series that includes One Year After, The Final Day and the upcoming book, Five Years Later. A feature film based on One Second After is currently being developed.
“EMP is a byproduct of detonating a nuclear weapon,” Forstchen said in an interview. “If you detonate a weapon 200-250 miles above the center of the United States … the gamma ray burst when it hits the upper atmosphere starts a chain reaction. … By the time this hits the earth’s surface at the speed of light, it is a giant electrostatic discharge … it blows out the entire power grid of the United States and Canada. Game over.”
William R. Forstchen is a New York Times bestselling author and holds a doctoral degree from Purdue University with a specialization in military history and technology. He is a noted expert historian and public speaker and has been interviewed on FOX News, C-SPAN, and Coast to Coast on topics ranging from history to technology and cultural issues, to space technology development, to security threats.
The recent rise of Artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT has created a frenzy around AI-related stocks.
C3.AI, a pure play AI stock, is up over 100% since late December.
But is this rally sustainable? After all, the public was already surrounded by AI without realizing it. Almost everything people use in daily life is affected by AI already:
advertising
entertainment streaming services
social media
cars (collision detection and blind spot monitoring)
fraud prevention
screening job applicants
email spam filters
many other applications
C3.AI is a company that creates software to help other companies deploy AI projects. C3 software is being used in multiple ways, including managing inventories, monitoring for energy inefficiencies, and predicting system failures. [Of particular note is one new product from C3 called ex machina which allows users to program AI initiatives without using any coding at all but instead via a series of visual programming tools. CP]
AI stocks, and technology stocks as a whole, were a neglected market in 2022. The Nasdaq 100, an index heavy in technology stock, fell more than 30% in 2022. C3.AI fell over 65% in 2022, and is currently down almost 90% from its 2020 high (even after the 100% rally in 2023). All currency quotes that follow are in USD.
C3.AI recently peaked at $30.92 on February 6. It then reached a low of $20.31 on March 1 before rallying back to $29.98. It has since fallen and is back near the $20.33 low.
This puts the stock at a crucial level.
An analyst from SafeTradeBinaryOptions.com had this input: “Right now, the stock is in an uptrend, albeit a precarious one. The price has been making higher swing lows and higher swing highs throughout 2023. But if the price drops much below $20, that will no longer be the case. The price will have made a lower high on March 6 (compared to February 6) and if the price drops below the March 2 low, that is a lower low. These are signs of a downtrend starting — not an uptrend.”
All facets of our modern world are already in the embrace of A.I. whether we know it or not.
This $20 region is important because if the area holds, this indicates the price is moving in a range, with the possibility of the price moving back up to the top of the range near $29. If that happens, there is still hope that the price will eventually break out of the range to upside, continuing its advance to $40, for example.
However, if the price drops below the $20 region, the range is broken and the uptrend is in jeopardy.
It’s important to watch C3.AI to see how investors are perceiving the future of AI, and what that may mean for the industry’s future.
As of March 2023, C3 doesn’t have a lot of direct competition. The company is not yet even profitable. How the stock moves is based on whether investors believe the company can eventually generate profits — and in this case, its profits largely depend on whether AI becomes even more widespread than it already is. For the Silo, Kat Fleischman.
Desrocher’s Whitehorse- a very nice folk art piece acquired by the author.
What is folk art? Any precise definition of art is by nature a slippery process and open to question.
“Folk art” is a term applied to diverse objects, like a highly organized Mennonite fracture drawing which expresses a collective, ethically based decorative tradition. Yet it is also applied to the more individualistic outpourings of any untrained painter, sculptor or other art practitioner.
Folk art is usually one step beyond the mundane. Not just a container to bring water to the mouth for survival (cupped hands for example), but instead a cup lovingly fashioned to bring pleasure or attract notice even when it is not being used, such as an intricately carved canoe cup.
On another level we can simply say that folk art is the art of ordinary people. It is sometimes called “primitive art” or “the people’s art” because by definition the artist has not been academically trained.
Folk art is made for one or more of three reasons: to share beliefs and traditions, to make some useful object beautiful, or to express one’s feelings.
Folk art, by definition has been produced and appreciated since cavemen and women started smearing blood and feces on cave walls, but the academic study of folk art is a relatively new thing. An English writer named William John Thomas first coined the phrase “folk lore” in 1848. At the time most anthropologists considered folklore to be worthless peasant creations. They were more interested in studying artifacts such as weapons and tools. It was through popularized folk tales by the likes of the Brothers Grimm that peasant traditions and art forms became interesting to the intellectual class.
I would argue that folk art did not show up on the radar of fine art institutions until around the turn of the century in Paris when Pablo (Picasso) and the boys flipped-out over the African art they saw for the first time, and started producing what today is called modern art. This led to a wider acceptance of all forms of art.
Folk art has become increasingly popular and more frequently studied in Canada, beginning in earnest after Expo ’67 gave us a greater appreciation of who we are as a nation. For the Silo, Phil Ross.
Featured image- Selections from Jim Linderman’s collection of folk art sewer pipe sculptures made by workers from leftover pipe clay. Photo: Oresti Tsonopoulos
Let’s go back to 2016 and re-consider how the works highlighted below are more relevant today than ever when asking “What is and isn’t art?”. The recent surge in AI and chatbot produced ‘art’ has created new challenges in recognition, interpretation and validation. Or has it? [J.Barker Content Producer for The Silo] It became immediately apparent that the rephrasing of the question “What is art?” to “What isn’t art?” signaled a dissolution of the boundary separating metaphor from reality.
Since, citizen and artist alike have been plunged headlong into the bacchanals of postmodernity, and the question has been obscured under a heap of incongruous discourse and subtexts.
Eva Davidova multimedia installation view
Two curious and intrepid artists offer their answers to this exhausting and illuminating question in their discussions of unexplored spaces and shifting subtexts.
Painter and multimedia artist Eva Davidova tests the digital waters of virtual reality through immersive, programmatic experiences. Articulating the conviction that emerging technology is obliged to transcend commercial application, Davidova’s phantasmagoric 3D renderings attempt to draw the strings away from the hands of big business. Topics mentioned include the beauty of academic reciprocity, the fiscal realities of living in the metropolis, and the future of collaborative artistic environments.
Julie Mehretu’s Dispersion
Behind the meticulous and sweeping abstract landscapes from the mind of Julie Mehretu are subtle societal and historical cues, which inform and enrich the surface of her paintings. In her ebullient interview, Mehretu speaks of the benefits and restrictions that arise from using architectural semantics to ground explorations of political and social change.
Wrought from countless painterly quotations, the identity of Mehretu’s brushstroke vanishes the moment it falls under interpretation.
The elusive and curious nature of the Ethiopian artist’s aesthetic experiments, coupled with a steady ethical subtext make for an engaging and memorable listen.
Featured image- “A Questionable Tale(#1)” 2022 Marina Zurkow/DALL-E (AI)
While spring brings warmer weather, sunnier days, and beautiful flowers, it also brings the reminder that it’s time to air out, declutter our homes, and do some spring cleaning. At the same time, it might be tempting to spray our homes with disinfectants, a lot of common household cleaning products are actually pretty toxic to our health. This is why we’ve provided you with some tips on how to get your home sparkling, but not at the cost of your health.
When it comes to cleaning products, we Canadians buy a lot of them.
In 2014 alone, we spent more than $641 million on products like window sprays and floor cleaners. When you break that down, we’re spending $200-$300 per household annually on products that we think help us maintain healthy homes, when in fact they could be doing the opposite.
Some of Canada’s most popular cleaning products contain harsh chemicals and fragrance ingredients that can harm you and your family’s health. (Tell the Canadian government that we need better protections from toxics in our personal care and cleaning products.)
We tested the homes of 14 volunteers and found that indoor air quality quickly deteriorates when some conventional cleaning products are applied.
The good news is that safer options are widely available. Even better, DIY alternatives for many spring cleaning items are not only easy to make, they can provide significant cost savings over store brands.
How concerned should we be about the impacts of cleaning products on indoor air?
We put some of Canada’s most popular cleaning products as well as certified green products and products that had non-verifiable green claims to the test! We sampled the air in volunteers’ homes while they cleaned their kitchens for half an hour to test for VOCs.
Things are pretty much the same in the United States.
(Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short, are a common type of air pollutant. VOCs are a broad category of chemicals, some of which are linked to asthma and other health conditions, including cancer. A key concern with VOCs is that some of them can react with other pollutants present in the air, and form other contaminants that are even more toxic).
So, what did we find?
For the nine homes where conventional cleaners were used, total VOCs increased by an average of 120 per cent.
For the three homes cleaned with certified green products with full disclosure labels, the VOCs increased by an average of only 35 per cent.
For the two homes cleaned with products that made a green claim on the label but did not disclose ingredients, total VOCs averaged 100 per cent.
Handy tips to keep your indoor air quality in good shape while getting the job done:
Choose green products that list their ingredients in full. Companies are not currently required to fully list their ingredients, but some forward thinking businesses offer this information to customers voluntarily.
Avoid cleaning products that list “fragrance” as an ingredient.
Keep rooms ventilated by opening windows or turning on fans during and after cleaning. This is especially important if you live in a condo or an apartment. Better air circulation will keep harmful VOC levels from building up.
Try some simple DIY recipes with two simple ingredients: water and vinegar.
Following these tips, and choosing green products, or making your own when possible, are great (and toxic-free) ways to get your spring cleaning done without dirtying the planet and your health!
For the Silo, Sarah Jamal Program Coordinator, Toxics environmentaldefence.ca
Run a search for “Octapad” or “Octapadist,” and you’ll find a vast musical community. Learn how the instrument became a household word.
Run a Google search for “Octapad” or “Octapadist,” and you’ll find a vast musical community. The overwhelming majority of these players have two fundamental traits in common. They use a device with eight rubber pads, and they likely live in a specific geographic location. But more on that in a moment.
An International Debut
When the Octapad Pad-8 debuted in 1985, it was a solution for artists looking to add MIDI to live performance. 1989’s Octapad II Pad-80 delivered enhanced patch capabilities and memory storage.
Fans could see the instrument on global stages with Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, New Order, and UB40. Soon, the SPD line arrived—with the bonus of onboard sounds—and the Octapad name all but disappeared.
Phil Collins in an early ad for the Octapad Pad-8The evolution of the Octapad: the SPD-30
A Specific Niche
In 2010, with the SPD-30, the Octapad returned in a big way. Still, in one populous, musically-rich region, it never went away. Thanks to a mutable layout and portable design, the Octapad captured a specific niche in India. It remains the instrument of choice for devotional musicians and Bollywood players alike.
Today, artists like Priya Shiyara Flash Octapadist and Mayuranga Octapadist maintain Facebook profiles. They represent the tip of the social media iceberg. Octapadists with large followings appear all over YouTube, sharing skills and growing audiences at the same time.
Traditional Tones to YouTube
Take Jiten Sunil Kriplani. He’s a popular YouTuber with almost a million subscribers who goes by the name Janny Dholi. “I’ve been using the Octapad for many years,” Sunil Kriplani says. “I absolutely love the true and dynamic tones which are customized especially for Indian artists. It’s the best for live shows and recording sessions.”
It was over 20 years ago that the original SPD-20 took the world—and especially India—by storm. Nowadays, legions of Indian musicians embrace the Octapad as their primary instrument. SPD-20 sounds permeate Bollywood, folk, devotional, and other musical styles across India.
Roland SPD-20
A Practical Tool
Musical Director Tushar Deval says, “I’ve been working in this industry for almost thirty-five years. It was 1998 or 2000 that I first tried the SPD-20, and I have been using it ever since. Great experiences come from different places.”
For Deval, the speed of creation is part of what cements the Octapad in India’s professional music world. “Making patches in SPD-20 is so easy,” he explains. “Basically, any Hindi song comes on, and we can make five of them in ten to fifteen minutes.”
“Great experiences come from different places. Any Hindi song comes on, and we can make five of them in ten to fifteen minutes.” -Tushar Deval
The 808 of India?
With such broad appeal, it’s easy to think of the Octapad as the TR-808 of India, so far-reaching is the instrument’s influence. The original eight-pad layout—much like the 808’s drum pads—is iconic. Like the 808, the Octapad’s look is instantly recognizable.
The instrument’s latest incarnation, the SPD-20 PRO, expands on the Octapad’s legacy. Among a host of sounds, it includes the following: dholak (a two-headed hand drum with drumheads attached by ropes), mridangam (a principal rhythmic accompaniment drum for Carnatic performances), kanjira (a frame drum from the tambourine family), ghatam (one of India’s most ancient percussion instruments), the duggi (an Indian kettle drum played with the fingers and palm).
Mridangam, Photo by Thamizhpparithi Maari
“The addition of 200 kits is mind-blowing,” Sunil Kriplani says of the upgraded Octapad. “It’s my favorite feature.”
Based in Pune, Maharashtra, Ajay Artre has used the Octapad for over six years. He appreciates the instrument’s core tones and interface. Artre praises “the sounds, editing, and especially the display.”
Roland’s history boasts many instruments intended for one use that became unexpected legends for something else entirely. Initially, an accompaniment device, the TB-303 kickstarted the acid house movement. Of course, the ultimate example of this trend, the TR-808, is inexorably linked to hip-hop’s history.
An Unusual Path
By contrast, the Octapad’s ascension from MIDI device to the go-to Indian devotional music tool is less clear. It doesn’t produce a sound utterly unlike anything that came before it. Rather, the Octapad plays a practical role in the musical culture of India.
In a blog for Roland India, Rupesh Iyar describes the Octapad as “a passionate instrument to play.” Iyar stresses that “any percussion player can switch to the Octapad from their traditional instrument.”
“It’s a passionate instrument to play. Any percussion player can switch to the Octapad from their traditional instrument.” -Rupesh Iyar
Therein lies the essence of the Octapad’s popularity in India. The device established its place in the country’s musical culture by bridging the past and the present. Those eight pads help move traditional sounds into the future, one pattern at a time.
Tilbury, England. March 2023: British electric vehicle manufacturer Tevva has secured government plug-in truck grant (PITrG) eligibility for its 7.5t battery-electric truck. UK organizations looking to decarbonize operations and future-proof their fleets will benefit from a potential £16,000 ($26,260 CAD) discount, removed from the purchase price by Tevva. The current maximum Canadian EV amount is $5,000CAD.
To be eligible for the grant, N2 vehicles :trucks that weigh between 5-12 tonnes must have a CO2 emissions figure of at least 50 percent less than the conventional equivalent vehicle that can carry the same capacity and can travel at least 60 miles without any tailpipe emissions at all. (In the UK, a ton = 2,200 pounds and in Canada a ton is metric and = 2,000 pounds.) Tevva’s 7.5t battery-electric truck offers up to 140 miles (227 kilometers) from its 105-kWh battery on a single charge, and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets.
The Tevva 7.5t battery-electric truck is the only vehicle from a British manufacturer to qualify for the PITrG, and becomes only the third eligible truck to be listed on the government website. The grant pays for 20 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £16,000 ($26,260 CAD) , reducing Tevva 7.5t battery-electric truck total cost of ownership (TCO),
This news follows hot on the heels of another significant company milestone in January, when Tevva secured European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) for its 7.5t battery-electric truck. This meant that Tevva could start producing and selling in volume across the UK and Europe and represented the key regulatory step in the development and commercialization of the Tevva business.
Tevva Founder and CEO Asher Bennett said: “We know first-hand that demand for electric trucks is growing at speed, as we have been inundated with requests for our 7.5t battery-electric truck since going into full production last month. Now we are able to offer UK organisations a noticeable discount, thanks to the government grant, which will surely make zero emission trucking even more appealing to fleets.”
Tevva’s 7.5t battery-electric truck will be followed by a 7.5t hydrogen-electric truck, which benefits from a hydrogen range-extender that enhances vehicle range to up to 354 miles (570 km). The hydrogen-electric truck recently completed a 620-mile ‘border run’ between Tevva’s London HQ and the Scottish border at Berwick-on-Tweed – England’s most northernmost town. The return journey saw the truck cover almost 350 miles alone, without needing a single stop for recharging.
The Haldimand-Norfolk Archaeological Research Project was a regional study meant to discover new information about the past that has impacted the region such as; glaciers, climate change, prehistoric and historic settlements, wildlife, and geologic formations.
The agricultural lands of Norfolk and Haldimand County combined is approximately 2,286.49 km2 and is identified as a zone of geologic, archaeological, and historical significance, promising to reveal a great deal about past environmental events and people.
Yet, the urbanization of agricultural lands continues to alter the landscape by removing evidence of forests, tributaries, reduced land elevations, current and past ecologies, and lastly, evidence that people and their descendants once crossed the landscape of this region. For these reasons a regional study was initiated before this information is lost forever.
A stone tool retrieved by J. Barker at one of the site surveys.
When you take a closer look at the landscape you can find physical evidence proving that this region is unique.
Evidence such as the scrapes and grooves on bedrock surfaces by glaciers, erratics and drumlins left behind when glaciers melted away.
Watersheds and their tributaries, originally a result of glacial melt water, continue to drain seasonal waters from the agricultural lands year round. Present day Carolinian forests represent evidence of climatic changes in the great lakes region that supported a successful transition from a tundra-like environment over 10,000 years ago.
Mega mammals such as mastodon once roamed the ecosystems of Southern Ontario only to disappear and be replaced by other mammal species.
Geologic formations date back over 80 million years ago where fossils of coral reefs can be found and chert formations were formed and found across Haldimand County. People identified as Paleo-Indians used these same chert formations over 8,000 years ago to make stone tools as they crossed the landscape.
Regional studies were long-term and paid special attention to all aspects of a changing environment and landscape from one region compared to another. Typically, a regional study combines different scientific disciplines (e.g., archaeology, geology, hydrology, and paleobotany) that can bring specialists to assist with the recovery of new information. The results of a scientific study can produce new and unexpected insights into how the environment within a landscape once looked and how it was used by people.
Studies such as this create opportunities for community heritage to improve public awareness and education to understand how long term changes (e.g., climate, urbanization, and development) that can have an impact on a region.
What can a land owner expect when someone comes to their farm as part of a regional study?
Permission is always asked to begin a study of the landscape on private property. For example, I always work independently, and if help is needed, permission is asked to bring an assistant along. Once permission is given the study begins by walking over land repeatedly over a period of time and preferably free of crops.
Walking over open fields creates opportunities to examine the topography of the landscape, tributaries, plant and tree life, natural drainages, tree growth, and land elevations. Observations of prehistoric camps or historical homesteads, and their refuse pits is recorded when found.
Evidence of a camp or homesteads where people lived is called settlement patterns.
When settlement patterns are observed Geographic Positioning System coordinates are collected to record the exact location. Even though archaeological excavations are sometimes necessary, they are restricted to a small area. No excavation activity takes place unless permission is given by the landowner.
Even then, the landowner is first shown where an excavation is proposed on their property, and if crops are on the land, there is an offer of crop damage compensation based on current markets prices for wheat, soy, and corn.
A standard practice for a regional study is to recover and record the location of artifacts (e.g., prehistoric or historic) observed on the ground. These are recovered to gain new scientific insights regarding their origin, exact age, context, and association to surrounding landscapes. This includes the recovery of samples from rock formations for geologic studies.
Since regional studies are focused on private lands, all information is kept confidential and private. Information is not shared with the general public at any level, and there is absolutely no interference with farming practices whatsoever. Its business as usual! If landowners are curious to know what I am learning about the region from studying their farm land I am happy to share this information. For the Silo, Lorenz Bruechert/ Jarrod Barker.
Breaking a leg is never an easy experience, and even though Canada has free healthcare, there can be other medical bills that come with it and they can be overwhelming. And what happens if you were traveling and had an injury outside of the country- what then? In addition to the physical pain and recovery process, you may also have to worry about how to pay for these other medical expenses. In this article, we’ll explore some of the steps you can take to pay for your doctor’s bills after breaking your leg.
Image: castnews.org this site profiles girls with casts in bikinis. Not. Even. Joking.
Check Your Insurance Coverage
The first step to take when facing medical bills is to check your insurance coverage. If you have health insurance as an extra, you may be covered for some or all of the expenses associated with your leg injury. Check with your insurance provider to understand the limits and deductibles of your policy. Understand any out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-payments or coinsurance.
Consider Financing Options
Is the payment plan not working for you? No worries! You can find an emergency loan in Canada that can be a viable option to help you pay your bill on time. Many financial institutions and online lenders offer emergency loans for unforeseen expenses, including medical bills. These loans can provide quick access to funds to cover your medical costs, allowing you to focus on recovery.
Before choosing an emergency loan, it’s essential to research your options and compare interest rates and fees to ensure you select the option that works best for your financial situation. Ensure you understand the loan agreement’s terms and conditions before signing up.
Negotiate the Medical Bills
When you receive a bill for medical services related to your leg injury, ask for an itemized bill. This will allow you to see exactly what you’re being charged for such as an ambulance fee and identify any errors or discrepancies. Once you have an itemized bill, you can try negotiating with your healthcare provider or hospital. Explain your situation and ask if they can reduce the bill or set up a payment plan that works for you. If you’re uncomfortable negotiating independently, you can seek assistance from a medical billing advocate or attorney.
Set up a Payment Plan
If you cannot pay your medical bills fully, you can work with your healthcare provider to set up a payment plan. Many providers are willing to work with patients to develop a payment plan that fits their budget. When setting up a payment plan, make sure you understand the terms and conditions. You should know how much you’ll be expected to pay each month, when payments are due, and whether there are any penalties for late payments. Sticking to the payment schedule is vital to avoid accruing late fees or other penalties.
Look for Assistance Programs
Another option you can look for is financial assistance programs from non-profit organizations or government agencies. These programs help individuals who cannot pay for medical services on their own. Research the available options and apply for assistance if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Paying medical bills after you have an injury can be daunting. However, several financing options are available to help you cover your medical expenses. The key is to research your options carefully, compare interest rates and fees, and understand the terms and conditions of any financing agreement before signing up. By doing so, you can effectively manage your medical expenses and focus on your recovery without undue financial stress.
A dishwasher is an essential appliance in any modern kitchen. It saves time, water, and energy, making cleaning up after meals much easier. However, a new dishwasher can be expensive, and only some have the money to pay for one upfront. This article will explore some options for paying for a new dishwasher.
Assess Your Finances
Before you start shopping for a new dishwasher, it’s important to assess your finances. Determine how much you can afford to spend and create a budget. Look for areas where you can cut costs to save money. For example, consider cutting back on dining out or entertainment expenses. Use the money you save to put towards your new dishwasher.
Consider Financing Options
Financing is a popular option for purchasing a new dishwasher. Many appliance retailers offer financing plans with low monthly payments and no interest for a set period of time. However, comparing financing options and reading the fine print is important. Ensure you understand the interest rates and fees associated with the financing plan.
One other form of financing that you may consider if you live in Canada is a payday loan. Payday loans in Canada are short-term loans that are typically due on your next payday. They are a quick and easy way to get cash and do not require collateral. They are unsecured personal loans that you can use for your short-term needs.
Whatever option you choose, carefully review the terms and conditions of any financing plan.
Look into Rebates and Discounts
Many appliance manufacturers and retailers offer rebates and discounts for dishwashers. Look for promotions on the manufacturer’s website or in-store. These promotions can include cash-back offers, discounts, or free installation. Some utility companies also offer rebates for energy-efficient appliances. Take advantage of these offers to save money on your new dishwasher.
Consider DIY Installation
Installation fees for a new dishwasher can add up quickly. If you are handy with tools and have experience with plumbing and electrical work, consider installing the dishwasher yourself. DIY installation can save you hundreds of dollars. However, ensure you have the necessary tools, knowledge, and experience to complete the job safely and correctly. If you need more clarification, hiring a professional to install the dishwasher is best.
Sell or Trade In Your Old Dishwasher
If you currently have a working dishwasher, consider selling it or trading it in for a discount on your new appliance. Selling a used dishwasher can offset the cost of a new one. Consider listing it for sale on local classifieds websites, such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Make sure to clean and repair any damages before selling it. If your appliance retailer offers a trade-in program, take advantage of it. You can receive a discount on your new dishwasher by trading in your old one.
Purchasing a new dishwasher can be a significant expense, but there are several options for paying for it. Assess your finances and create a budget to determine how much you can afford to spend. Consider financing options, but make sure to read the fine print and understand the interest rates and fees. Look for rebates and discounts to save money on your new dishwasher. Finally, sell or trade in your old dishwasher to offset the cost of your new one. By using these tips, you can make a smart and informed decision when purchasing a new dishwasher.
Yes GTA VI is coming…finally and this trailer makes it official. If this leaves you asking questions and wanting more details ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6 release, you are not alone.
Officially verified facts and features are slim in some cases, but according to 50 Cent’s recent Instagram tease (sorry he deleted his post as this article was being written) and odds from leading sportsbook, Bovada,experts anticipate multiple celebrities to be featured in the blockbuster game. Grand Theft Auto 6 is the latest open-world modern era game set in Miami Vice City and will be returning back into the criminal empires of GTA.
A look at GTA V- will we see even more improved AI and graphics?
From 50 Cent himself (no stranger to having his persona digitized into the videogame world) to Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump and even Rihanna, gamers shouldn’t rule out any of the below cameo possibilities.
50 Cent in the legacy Xbox game Bulletproof
Check out the odds for each below and let us know who you think is a shoe in:
Pi Network increased its team member headcount by nearly 33% over the past year, debuted new developer features and KYCd 3.8M community members to-date
PALO ALTO, Calif., March, 2023 /– Pi Network, a community of tens of millions of humans mining Pi cryptocurrency to use and build the Web3 app ecosystem, today announced a series of milestones for the growing organization, including a notable spike in full-time Core Team members, multiple app developments and new improvements to its native KYC ID review algorithms.
March 14 (3-1-4) is Pi day
Despite the overall crypto market contraction, the Pi Core Team continues to grow, signaling the speedy development of the Pi Network ecosystem and its long-term vision.
Since February of 2022, full-time team member headcount has increased almost 33% in critical areas such as product, engineering, and community. Pi Network’s most recent hires include a new Senior Engineering Manager who will add more bandwidth to its technology management. The Pi Core team now stands around 40 strong and continues growing as the network expands and the ecosystem evolves.
“Given the breadth of work at Pi Network, the Core Team’s growth will continue to enable more decentralized efforts from our community of over 35 million engaged members who collectively build this network. Pi Network’s work is to empower those members in alignment with Pi’s vision of an ecosystem that is built on the blockchain to support a new Web3 social network of a large community, all of whom are empowered to create and use utilities through its developer’s platform and Pi apps. Building for that ambitious vision requires an all-hands approach from Pioneers, community developers, external partners, and the Core Team together,” said Chengdiao Fan, a Founder and Head of Product at Pi Network.
“By prioritizing the human aspect, focusing on building substance and adopting non-consensus long-term strategies, we’ve taken a more careful and deliberate path. We know that patience isn’t a strength in the crypto space but we’re confident in our approach: that’s why we’ve been able to continue the Network’s steady growth despite the downturn we’ve seen impacting some other crypto projects.”
In addition, Pi Network has taken great strides in the product and ecosystem fronts with numerous updates and developments.
Pi’s current Enclosed Network period of Mainnet allows Pi to focus on completing KYC and Mainnet Migration for the majority of the network, and bootstrapping the Pi ecosystem with meaningful apps and utilities, without undue influence from external factors.
To that end, Pi has been diligently improving its KYC ID algorithms to expand access to its native KYC solution, officially launched March 14, 2022, as the primary mechanism to validate Pioneers’ identities for Mainnet Migration. Since enabling mass KYC in June of last year, Pi has successfully validated over 3.8 million Pioneers to date.
Simultaneously, Pi has made significant efforts in building Developer Platform features and expanding community collaboration to foster Pi ecosystem growth, including the launch of PiOS, Pi’s Open Source Software License which allows Pi Community Developers to create open source applications and tools and exclusively extends to use within the Pi Ecosystem. Recent ecosystem-related updates include work on App-to-User payments and Developer Wallets for improved Mainnet payment flows, the Pi “Brainstorm” app (where “Pioneers” can propose and explore various ideas and pair up with like-minded Pioneers to build real Pi platform apps, and more.
Moreover, Pi has emphasized app development through Core-Team-developed apps, external business partnerships, and the most recent Pi Hackathon which hosted over 6,400 participants, all to better source talent, concepts, and utilities for the community.
“With the much-anticipated ‘Pi Day’—which celebrates the 4th anniversary of Pi’s official launch—happening this March 14, we have some exciting programs in the pipeline that we are eager to introduce to the Pioneers and developers for our decentralized efforts to build the Pi ecosystem,” said Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis, a Founder and Head of Technology. “At Pi, we’re creating things and solving problems in a way that the world hasn’t seen before.”
To learn more about Pi Network, please visit minepi.com.
ABOUT PI NETWORK
Pi Network is a community of tens of millions of humans mining Pi cryptocurrency to use and build the Web3 app ecosystem. Founded in 2018 by Stanford University PhDs with specializations in blockchain and social computing, Pi Network is a utilities-based ecosystem for third-party apps on a mobile web platform, with widespread (rather than concentrated) token distribution. The blockchain platform offers a mobile-first mining approach, with low financial cost and a light environmental footprint within the crypto space.
According to a study carried out by America’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in January this year, the restaurant labor force in that country is still over 450,000 jobs below pre-pandemic levels — marking the largest employment deficit among all U.S. industries. Although figures are not currently available for Canada, the situation is the same.
In November 2022, the USA National Restaurant Association found that 63% of full-service restaurants and 61% of limited-service places are operating with fewer employees than needed to accommodate guests.
At the beginning of February this year, The Washington Post reported that although many industries have recovered since the start of the pandemic, in the USA (similar trends in Canada) 2 million hospitality and leisure jobs still remain open.
“Hospitality is still stuck in the dark ages. High-friction ordering, slow and clunky payments, and labor challenges lead to low profitability and a poor customer experience,” notes Brian Duncan, President of me&u USA, a global leader in at-table ordering specializing in restaurants and bars.
The labor shortage has led chefs and restaurateurs to reduce their workweeks, while some restaurant owners have had to increase the wages of their staff by as much as 20% in addition to closing earlier on weeknights. Others have even had to change their business practices to attract new employees.
Technology can bridge the customer service gap when there are fewer employees available. Customers prefer to use self-service kiosks or access the menu by scanning QR codes because they can take additional time to read the menu, find new things to try, and customize their orders exactly to their preferences.
Such technology means shorter waits at the counter, faster table turnover, and more accurate orders because the information is transmitted directly from the customer to the kitchen. Also, Pay-at-the-Table Technology cuts out the back-and-forth trips from the POS terminal to the table to process payments shaving several minutes off each table turn.
“Manual orders are typically expensive, slow, and inefficient. Smart technology reduces labor costs, takes the load off servers, increases spending per order, and elevates the customer experience,” concludes Duncan.
What factors are impacting the restaurant and hospitality industries in the U.S and Canada.?
How can technological innovations help restaurants operate with limited staff and still increase revenue?
How can self-service ordering and streamlined payment tools enhance customer experience?
To mark the International Women’s Day on 8th March, Raketa releases a watch for ladies dedicated to the most beautiful feeling: Love.
Raketa “Big Love” offers a new interpretation of femininity. A watch as a mood, as a feeling, as love.
This model symbolizes the essence of Raketa’s “Big Zero” model: everything starts from 0. The hands of Raketa “Big Love” turn in a circle designating the word “LOVE” and each time the hour hand passes by the big “0” (or in this case the big letter “O”) everything restarts with LOVE!
The dial of Raketa “Big Love” embodies a minimalist design which is nevertheless full of feelings: a black and white dial with big letters L, O, V, E, crowned with the letter “O” (or with a zero – as you prefer).
With its classic black and white dial design and its four different color leather straps, Raketa “Big Love” will match any style and mood. The white, bright reddish-orange as well as pastel shades of pink and blue straps will emphasize your personality in both casual and classic styles. The quick-change strap system allows you to easily change the straps depending on your current outfit or mood.
Through the case-back of the watch, you can see the beautifully decorated Raketa automatic movement, fully manufactured in Saint-Petersburg by the Raketa Watch Factory.
Raketa “Big Love” is produced this year in a limited quantity of 200 models.
The price
The cost of the watch is 1333 EUR (without VAT) $1,413 USD / $1,906 CAD. For the comfort of customers, Raketa watches are delivered worldwide free of charge by DHL directly up to the front door.
Specifications
Factory:
Raketa Watch Factory (Saint-Petersburg)
Movement:
Calibre:
2615
Functions:
Automatic
Number of jewels:
24
Testing positions:
4
Average rate (s/d):
-10+20
Average running time (h):
40
Frequency/hour:
18.000 / 2.5Hz
Bi-directional automatic winding
Yes
Stopper of self-winding unit activated during manual winding:
Yes
Decoration:
Laser engraving Neva wavesRed rotor
Case:
Material:
Stainless steel
Size:
40 mm
Front glass:
Sapphire
Back glass:
Mineral
Crown:
Ruby stone inside the crown
Water resistance:
10 АТМ
Strap/bracelet:
Material:
Genuine leather
Width:
20 mm
Sex:
Unisex
Version Française
RAKETA BIG LOVE
Tout commence par l’amour !
En l’honneur de la Journée internationale des femmes, le 8 mars, la Manufacture horlogère Raketa propose le modèle Raketa “Big Love”, une montre pour dames dédiée au plus beau sentiment qui soit : l’amour.
Raketa “Big Love” est une nouvelle interprétation de la féminité. Une montre comme un état d’esprit, comme un sentiment, comme l’amour.
Ce modèle reprend le concept de Raketa “Big Zero” : tout part de zéro. Les aiguilles tournent autour du cadran en indiquant le mot “LOVE” et à chaque fois que l’aiguille des heures passe par le grand « 0 » (ou dans ce cas la grande lettre « O ») tout recommence par l’amour – par LOVE !
Le cadran de Raketa “Big Love” est inspiré de l’esthétique classique du minimalisme, tout en étant imprégné de sentiment : noir et blanc, avec les grandes lettres L, O, V, E, et couronné d’un zéro (ou de la lettre “O” – à vous de choisir).
La montre Raketa “Big Love” s’acorde avec tous les styles et toutes les humeurs grâce à son cadran classique noir et blanc et à ses quatre bracelets de couleurs différentes. Leurs tons – blanc, rouge-orange vif et pastel rose et bleu -, mettront en valeur votre personnalité, que vous adoptiez un style décontracté ou plus classique. Tous les bracelets sont munis d’un système “quick change” qui vous permet de facilement les changer en fonction de votre tenue ou de votre humeur du moment.
Le fond de la montre laisse voir le mouvement automatique Raketa minutieusement décoré et entièrement fabriqué à la Manufacture horlogère Raketa à Saint-Pétersbourg.
La montre Raketa “Big Love” est produite cette année en quantité limitée à 200 modèles.
Prix
Le prix est de 1333 Euros (hors TVA). Pour le confort de nos clients, les montres sont livrées gratuitement jusqu’à leur porte par DHL.
Spécifications
Manufacture :
Manufacture de montres Raketa (Saint-Pétersbourg)
Mouvement :
Calibre:
2615
Fonctions :
Automatique
Nombre de rubis :
24
Positions de reglages :
4
Marche moyenne (s/j) :
-10+20
Réserve de marche moyenne (h) :
40
Fréquence/heure :
18.000 / 2.5Hz
Remontage automatique bidirectionnel :
Oui
Système de débrayage du module automatique lors du remontage manuel:
According to research by our friends at NordVPN, one of the leading cybersecurity companies, adult content, streaming, and video hosting sites have the most security and privacy threats, such as malware, intrusive ads, and trackers. Research shows that NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, whose sole purpose is to protect people from such threats, blocked 344M trackers, 341M intrusive ads, and 506K malware infections in the month of December 2022 alone.
“The online world is challenging people in every single move they make. Want to read an article? Dozens of ads and pop-ups are ready to immediately cover your screen. Another privacy threat – malware – is lurking for you on websites and in files you are about to download. Websites you browse are also full of third-party trackers that analyze your browsing history to find out what you do online. It depends on you to stop it,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN.
Adult content sites contain the biggest amount of malware
Malware is malicious software that seeks to damage or compromise a device or data. Malware’s scope varies from relatively harmless to extremely dangerous. Malicious software can track people’s data, steal sensitive information, or even delete it without your consent.
NordVPN research shows that adult content sites (21%), as well as cloud storage providers (14%) and entertainment sites (11%), contain the biggest amount of malware. In December, Threat Protection blocked 60.4K, 40.1K, and 30.9K domains of these categories respectively.
Among the most common types of malware are viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, adware, scareware, ransomware, and fireless malware.
Streaming media sites have the most intrusive ads
Intrusive advertising refers to pushing invasive and irrelevant ads in front of consumers. They irritate users by popping up unexpectedly, blocking the host page, opening new pages and windows, or playing video and audio at inopportune times.
As for intrusive ads, the majority of them were found on streaming (23%), adult content (16%), and online shopping (9%) sites. Threat Protection detected and blocked millions of them: 552M, 389M, and 226M respectively.
“Today, ad blockers are essential for both security because they block ads that can infect people’s devices and privacy because annoying ads rely on collecting data from web activity and violating people’s privacy. Also, if a website is loading slower than usual, you can blame intrusive ads. Free apps filled with unwanted ads could also drain your device’s battery faster,” explains Adrianus Warmenhoven.
image: variety.com
Video hosting sites have the biggest number of trackers
While many trackers are a tool for advertising and improving user experience, they may also become handy for online spies. Internet service providers (ISPs), marketing agencies, social media companies, and governments can access your online actions and breach your privacy.
NordVPN’s Threat Protection showed that video hosting sites (22%), cloud storage providers (16.31%), web email (16.25%), and information technology sites (12%) have the most trackers. Video hosting sites alone had 239 billion trackers blocked by Threat Protection in December 2022.
It’s worth adding that earlier NordVPN research showed that the average number of trackers per website is highest in Hong Kong (45.4 trackers), Singapore (33.5), the United States (23.1), and Australia (18.6).
“You can become less trackable online by declining third party cookies, because the website can sell your browsing data to third parties; using a VPN, which will hide your real IP address and location; installing a tracker blocker, which will stop your browsers from collecting information about you; and using privacy browsers, which can obfuscate your browser fingerprint, or ditching Google, which tracks a lot of data about you,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven.
Threat Protection scans your files before you download them, identifies threats, and blocks them before they can harm your device. The feature is free with every NordVPN subscription – and it allows you to go online without leaving a trace, protecting your privacy and improving your digital security.
Methodology: The statistics mentioned above were acquired by analyzing aggregated data gathered by the NordVPN’s Threat Protection service in January 2023. No identifiable user information was collected, reviewed, or otherwise involved when the research and compiled results were conducted.
QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady has introduced legislation that, if passed, will protect Ontario’s farmland.
“Land use planning affects our daily lives and Ontario’s farmland and arable land is an essential resource for the sustainability and security of our food systems, environment and local economies,” Brady said. “Farmland and arable land is productive, valuable and essential but most importantly it is finite and non-renewable, which is vital to consider in the face of increasing pressure to develop housing in the province.”
With Ontario having 52 per cent of the country’s prime arable land, and much of that being adjacent to cities, Brady said protecting these lands should be paramount. Further, according to census data, Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland each day. Brady feels this is unsustainable. Constituents in Haldimand-Norfolk have also raised this same concern with the MPP since well before her election.
“As the government continues with its target to create 1.5 million new homes in Ontario, it is vital to put in place policies that will protect our farmers and their land, as well as the province’s food security, both now and in the future,” she said.
The bill requires the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to develop a strategic action plan that aims to protect Ontario’s farmland and arable land from development, aggregate mining and the effects of fluctuating commodity prices and the availability of vacant land. It also stipulates a stakeholder-led Farmland and Arable Land Advisory Committee be set up to advise the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. For the Silo, Jeff Helsdon.
The bill will be back before the Legislature for second reading debate on March 8.
For more information, contact MPP Bobbi Ann Brady directly at 519-428-0446 or 905-765-8413 or [email protected] Please mention The Silo when contacting.
