All posts by The Silo

These Sports Are Great For Kids

March 30, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

Kids enjoy sports and they have a very good time with the entire process. The coolest thing about showing off various sports to your child is that you never really know what they will like the most. That’s why it’s a good idea to present all kinds of sports and just see what they are picking. That way you know they enjoy their time and that’s what matters.

Karate

There are tons of karate classes for munchkins out there, and kids love karate a lot. It’s the type of sport that can be great for workouts. It also boosts confidence levels and it manages to keep kids safe too. That’s why you may want to show them karate, because it’s very interesting and it also has great benefits associated with it. Of course, it can also be a tad violent, so maybe it might be a good one for older kids.

Football

Football is nice, it encourages teamwork and it also brings in a lot of workouts too. Plus, it’s just a great sport that you can enjoy and you will like it as it’s super intricate, with great ideas and tremendous options. Simply put, if you are passionate about sports in general, football might be a good pick for your child.

Bicycling

Going on the bike and just exploring the world is great. It allows kids to just enjoy life and have fun, while also appreciating their time and working out. It’s definitely the best of both worlds, and you will find the results to be second to none all the time due to that. Just check it out and give it a try, you will be very happy with the results and the entire process.

Jiu Jitsu

Entering your kids in the brazilian jiu jitsu training world can seem intimidating at first. But this really is an amazing sport. It’s great for boys, but girls also tend to like it just because it encourages them to take good care of themselves.

Skating

Skating is cool since it boosts your agility and it also encourages you to boost your confidence too. You will love it just because it’s super interesting and just a pleasure to check out all the time. Just consider giving it a try with your child!

Running

Running offers a great workout, it’s the best cardio approach and it does have the potential to pay off big time. Plus, it reduces the risks of flu, not to mention it can be performed anywhere.

These sports are great for your child, so you should present them and see what your child likes the most. It helps a lot and you will also appreciate the great experience that comes with it. Just check it out, give it a try and the results on their own can be second to none. Plus, your child can try them all and then you can see what you enjoy the most. Just check them out and you will be very impressed with the process! For the Silo, Michael Adams.

Travel

Top 10 European Ski Destinations

March 28, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Fancy staying on a home exchange this wintry Spring and stretching your skiing budget?

Here are the top 10 European ski destinations chosen by HomeExchange Members. Stay near or in a resort, borrow ski accessories for kids and save on accommodation costs. There’s really something for everyone, from Jacuzzis to sledges and beautiful views to hundreds of mountain chalets and apartments.

Val d’Isere, France

There’s a reason why Val d’Isere, at 1,850 meters, continues to be the top choice of European skiers each winter. It offers the perfect blend of challenging ski terrain for advanced skiers and learner-friendly beginners zones for those new to the snow. The resort center is lined with high-end shops, lively après-ski bars and fantastic restaurants, all housed within beautiful, stone-clad buildings.

Chamonix Les Houches, France

The diversity on offer in Chamonix these days makes it impossible to review the whole resort as one destination. At 950 meters, Les Houches is one of the closest resorts to Geneva Airport and offers kilometer after kilometer of tree-lined skiing, making it the perfect destination for families and beginners. The resort center has a village feel and is an outstanding spot from which to take in the incredible views.

Cosy chalet near Mont Blanc, Les Houches – 10 minutes from Chamonix

Klosters, Switzerland

While the ski area between Klosters (at 1,179 meters) and Davos offers lots to explore, Klosters is without doubt the more attractive base for your ski holiday. The village center is charming and affluent, but with a relaxed vibe, while the trails are popular with advanced skiers enjoying an abundance of easily accessible off-piste in the area.

Cosy chalet just 10 minutes from the ski lifts at Klosters

Les Gets, France

A resort that’s been quietly minding its own business for years, Les Gets, at 1,200 meters, is now developing into a chic, family-orientated resort that offers quick and easy access to the 650-kilometer Portes du Soleil ski area. Several piste-side restaurants offer views of Mont Blanc so it’s easy to find a sunny spot on which to enjoy an après tipple or two.

Luxury mountain ski chalet – Exceptional view

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

There’s one thing that makes these two interconnected resorts stand out, and it may not be for everyone. Crans, at 1,500 meters, and its neighbour Montana are not villages; although right on the edge of a great ski area, they’re most definitely towns with a very urban feel. This is a very sunny spot in which to base yourself and there’s varied terrain to suit all ability levels.

Farm with beautiful views 10 minutes from Crans Montana

La Rosière, France

We love La Rosière, at 1,850 meters, not just because of its high elevation and snow certainty. The ski area offers two great experiences for the price of one when you cross over the Petit St Bernard pass into Italy. Wide pistes descend for kilometers into La Thuile over the border and getting back is no hassle at all. The main village is quiet but well stocked, and the views are exceptional.

Madonna di Campiglio, Italy

Italian ski resorts are always authentic, traditional and charming, and Campiglio, at 1,550 meters, is no different. The car-free resort huddles on the valley floor and the center is stylish with several chic shops. The ski area spreads over 150 kilometers, and there have been several lift upgrades over recent years, making it quick and easy for you to cover a considerable distance on skis each day.

Luxurious apartment 5 minutes from ski lifts with fantastic view over the Dolomites

Courchevel Moriond 1650, France

Rebranded back in 2011 to recognise the differences between its more blingy neighbour higher up the valley, Courchevel 1650 is now an attractive, unpretentious resort with a stack of new facilities, including Aquamotion, a huge center for water sports that opened in December 2015. And let’s not forget: On your doorstep you’ll find the largest linked ski area in the world. The 600 kilometers of the 3 Valleys network never disappoint.

Selva, Val Gardena, Italy

Seasoned skiers, this one’s for you. At 1,563 meters, Selva serves up challenging ski terrain on both sides of a valley, accessed by both gondolas and quick chair lifts. The village center is packed with charm and character and there’s also a collection of well-maintained beginner slopes and progressive tree-lined runs enjoyed by families.

Geilo, Norway

No list of top 10 ski resorts is complete without mentioning Norway and the town of Geilo, at 800 meters. It is one of the country’s most popular resorts. It’s a small, well-equipped town that’s currently investing heavily in new runs, new lifts and new facilities. Between January and April you can also ski until 8pm on flood-lit slopes. Photo Credit: Geilo, Norway

For the Silo and HomeExchange, Alexandra Origet du Cluzeau.

About HomeExchange

Founded by Ed Kushins, a pioneer of the “collaborative consumption” movement, HomeExchange has facilitated over one million home swaps since 1992. It was featured in 2006 in the cult movie “The Holiday” starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jude Law. In 2015, 65,000 HomeExchange members made 130,000 home swaps across 150 countries. The revolutionary Passport™ program now makes home swapping even easier. Members earn a ‘balloon’ by hosting another Member and redeem their ‘balloon’ for a one-way stay anywhere in the world. HomeExchange makes it easy to plan and enjoy a home exchange vacation and offers a memorable, authentic experience while giving travel real meaning. It was voted “Best Site for Booking Your Stay 2016” by readers of USA TODAY and 10Best.

Art

Listening To Acousmatic Music Is A New Experience

March 27, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

Acousmatic music is defined by the use of recorded environmental, or “everyday,” sounds as raw compositional material; thus, questions regarding the relationship between sound and source (or implied source) are raised, leading to an investigation of concepts of mimesis in this music that stirs up nineteenth-century debates over absolute versus programmatic music.

Issues of sound and source and how they may evoke a sense of virtual space or place in the listener play a part in analyses presented for Dennis Smalleyj’s Wind Chimes (1987), Hildegard Westerkamp’s Cricket Voice (1987), Judy Klein’s The Wolves of Bays Mountain (1998), as well as a discussion of Yves Daoust’s Mi Bemol (1990) and Jarrod Barker’s Audiocosm (2008) and captured sounds employed in Jarrod Barker’s Insects (2008).

Such music poses special challenges for the music theorist and analyst, as conventional analytical tools often emphasize pitch structures and the study of scores—elements often absent in acousmatic music. Attention to listening as an analytic tool has therefore gained prominence within
existing theoretical literature concerned with electroacoustic music in general and acousmatic music in…….. click here to read the full essay by Cathy Lynn Cox.

Politics

Report: Regulations on U.S. arms exports often skirted, rarely enforced

March 23, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

SOMERVILLE, Mass.—While the United States likes to claim it has the gold standard of arms export control measures, in practice the measures offer few restrictions on U.S. presidents’ ability to ship arms wherever they like, according to a new report from the World Peace Foundation (WPF) at Tufts University’s The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

The Arms Export Control Act (AECE) of 1976, as well as the United States’ international obligations, are meant to ensure decisions to export arms take into account the potential to escalate conflict or fall into the hands of U.S. enemies. The AECA sets up Congress as a check on presidential decisions.

“The potential for arms sales to exacerbate a conflict rarely stops a sale,” said report author Jennifer Erickson, associate professor of political science and international studies at Boston College. “When we do restrain exports, more often than not, political calculations are at work, rather than the legal checks and balances Congress put in place.”

Among the key findings of On the Front Lines: Conflict Zones and U.S. Arms Exports:

Conflict is not a consistent deterrent for U.S. arms exports. The United States usually prioritizes diplomatic and economic ties in export decision making—regardless of the conflict status of the recipient.
Presidents face few restrictions on using arms sales to meet policy goals. U.S. law sets an almost unreachable vote threshold for Congress to block or modify arms sales.
Even when the U.S. chooses not to supply weapons to conflict zones, it can and does use alternative means, such as common allies, to get arms to combatants.
There is no realistic way for the U.S. government to guarantee the weapons it sells are used only by the buyer, in ways that conform with U.S. interests. We cannot ensure weapons are only used defensively, for instance. And arms have staying power. Years after initial sales, they may be used instead for priorities the U.S. opposes.
Interpretation of regulations may become looser still as the U.S. enters a “New Cold War” with China or Russia.

In coming to these conclusions, the report examines U.S. arms sales, and restraint, connected to recent conflicts in Libya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The World Peace Foundation commissioned similar studies on arms sales by the governments of the United Kingdom and France.

These studies follow earlier research by the WPF on which nations send arms into conflict zones, available on the website, Who Arms War?

“The United States has all the regulations and policy tools it needs to ensure we do not make already dangerous places even more deadly,” said Alex de Waal, World Peace Foundation executive director and research professor at The Fletcher School. “We have mechanisms that can minimize the risk of America arming deadly actors. What we don’t seem to have is the political will to actually use those mechanisms. On numerous occasions American arms have made the world a more dangerous place, including for Americans.”

ABOUT THE WORLD PEACE FOUNDATION

Established by the publisher Edwin Ginn in 1910, the World Peace Foundation aims to “educate the people of all nations to a full knowledge of the waste and destructiveness of war and of preparation for war, its evil effects on present social conditions and on the wellbeing of future generations, and to promote international justice and the brotherhood of man, and generally by every practical means to promote peace and goodwill among all mankind.”

Philanthropy

Providing Relief to Ukrainian Refugee’s and Their Pets

March 22, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Paws of War Is On The Ground in The Ukraine

NESCONSET, New York – (March, 2022) –Over 10 million people have fled Ukraine in the last three weeks, many of them taking their beloved pets. As they cross the border, escaping to safety, they need all the help they can get for themselves and their pets. The majority fled with just a few possessions and nothing to care for their pet. Paws of War has teamed up with its overseas partners to be there at the border, ready to provide refugees with what they need to care for their pets. They are desperately seeking financial donations from the community to help support their refugee relief efforts.

“The flood of refugees crossing the border has overwhelmed the limited resources available. Many organizations have come together to help with the crisis, Paws of War has focused on caring for people’s pets. For some, their pet is all they have left, and it would be devastating for them if they could not care for their pet or were forced to leave it behind,” explains Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War. “We are glad that we are able to help bring some comfort and relief to the people fleeing the Ukraine, clutching their pet in their arms. Being a refugee with a pet makes everything 10 times harder. We will do everything we can to help them.”

Paws of War volunteers have been scrambling to source the supplies so desperately needed, and are rushing them to the aid stations they have set up on the border.

They provide people with pet food, water, crates, leashes, toys, and giving out critical vaccines for dogs otherwise they will be stopped at the border. They are also providing assistance getting the animals travel passports which includes the necessary vaccines so they can continue their journey to the EU. Some refugees are asking if they can foster their pet or have made the heartbreaking decision they cannot care for their pet and hope we can relocate them to a great home in America. They have also assisted with the set up an emergency animal makeshift shelter near the border, which has already taken in over 50 dogs and numerous cats.

They are seeking financial donations to help support the humanitarian crisis and bring relief to those fleeing Ukraine.

Getting supplies to the area has been extremely challenging and the only option has been to obtain them in the surrounding countries. 100% of the donations collected will be used to help Ukraine refugees care for their pets. Currently they are not collecting supplies as there is no readily available way to get them where they are needed the most, and the situation on the ground is constantly evolving. They hope to have a supply drive once a more permanent location is set up for this ongoing crisis.

“We are already low in supplies and are getting many requests for help, as the refugees are desperate, and more keep arriving each day,” added Misseri. “Our mission is to be there at the border to provide some much-needed relief. We can’t do it alone, though. We would love and appreciate every person reading this to make donations to help support the mission, no matter how much it may be.”

To help Paws of War provide Ukrainian refugee relief for their pets as they cross the border, visit the site: https://pawsofwar.networkforgood.com/projects/156471-help-save-the-refugees-pets-of-ukraine

Paws of War has helped veterans with numerous issues, including suicide, service and support dogs, companion cats and dogs, food insecurity, veterinary care, and animal rescue for deployed military.

As the demand for Paws of War’s services grew, traditional fundraisers like galas and golf outings were sidelined, putting a crimp in the needed funding to keep these services going. Paws of War has a large loyal following of supporters and looks forward to working with new corporate sponsors to keep these life-saving programs running.

Reviews

Progressive Dolls Feature Anatomically Correct Bodies And Varied Ethnic Groups

March 18, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Educational Insights, a leader in manufacturing toys that ignite passions and inspire imaginations, offers two innovative new baby dolls.

Beyond being crafted from the highest-quality European standards, Baby Bijoux and Baby Doux foster nurturing-care and imaginative play while exposing children to the realities of their world. The dolls come in a wide variety of just-like-me skin-tones and ethnicities, and Baby Bijoux features anatomically correct body designs.

Both dolls were awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award and are already catching the attention of influential moms like @kcstauffer, with over 3.2 million followers, who has shown her daughters playing with the new dolls twice on her Instagram channel.

Baby Bijoux is a beautifully crafted, anatomically correct 15.75” (40 cm) doll which encourages self-discovery, nurturing and empathy.

Available in both boy and girl in just-like-me skin tones and hair types of African American, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic. This baby will be sure to encourage curiosity and answer kids’ natural questions about the human body while helping to develop language and vocabulary skills and encouraging social and emotional development.

Age range: 3-6 years

MSRP: $64.99usd

Baby Doux is a 12” (30.5 cm) soft bodied baby doll available in multicultural skin tones including Hispanic, African American, Asian and Caucasian. With movable arms and legs and realistic baby details, the just-like-me skin tones promote real world connections. Encouraging your little ones to care for their baby helps teach empathy, social and emotional skills as well as promoting imaginative play.

Age range: 2+ years

MSRP: $54.99usd

For the Silo, Megan Flagg.

Finance

Crypto Currency Pop Quiz

March 8, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

Which digital currency originated from the Doge meme and was originally introduced as a joke?

Is it the same currency that quickly developed into an online community and that was capitalized a few years ago at over $240 Million USD? Take this pop quiz challenge and find out.

Featured image via- darkwebnews.com

UPDATE- How Pi aims to democratize digital currency.

Culture

Ukraine: UNESCO Statement Following UN General Assembly Resolution

March 3, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

Paris, France 3 March – Following the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Resolution on Aggression against Ukraine, and in light of the devastating escalation of violence, UNESCO is deeply concerned by developments in Ukraine and is working to assess damage across its spheres of competence (notably education, culture, heritage and information) and to implement emergency support actions.

The UNGA Resolution reaffirms the paramount importance of the UN Charter and commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and it demands “that the Russian Federation immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine.”

The Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, fully concurs with the opening remarks made by the Secretary-General at the Special Session of the General Assembly, during which he said that “this escalating violence — which is resulting in civilian deaths, including children – is totally unacceptable.”

In addition, she calls for the “protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage, which bears witness to the country’s rich history, and includes its seven World Heritage sites – notably located in Lviv and Kyiv; the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv, members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network; its national archives, some of which feature in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register; and its sites commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust.”

“We must safeguard this cultural heritage, as a testimony of the past but also as a vector of peace for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve for future generations. It is also to protect the future that educational institutions must be considered sanctuaries.”

Consistent with its mandate, UNESCO demands the immediate cessation of attacks on civilian facilities, such as schools, universities, memorial sites, cultural and communication infrastructures, and deplores civilian casualties, including students, teachers, artists, scientists and journalists. These include women and children, girls especially, disproportionately impacted by the conflict and displacement.

In the field of education, Resolution 2601 adopted in 2021 by the UN Security Council states that UN Member States are to “prevent attacks and threats of attacks against schools and ensure the protection of schools and civilians connected with schools, including children and teachers during armed conflict as well as in post-conflict phases”. The General Assembly Resolution of 2 March expresses grave concern at reports of attacks on civilian facilities including schools. In this regard, UNESCO strongly condemns attacks against education facilities, with the damaging of at least seven institutions in the past week, including the attack on 2 March on Karazin Kharkiv National University.

The nationwide closure of schools and education facilities has affected the entire school-aged population — 6 million students between 3 and 17 years old, and more than 1.5 million enrolled in higher education institutions. The escalation of violence hampers the protective role of education, and the impact may be far-reaching including in neighbouring countries.

In the field of culture, UNESCO underlines the obligations of international humanitarian law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, to refrain from inflicting damage to cultural property, and condemns all attacks and damage to cultural heritage in all its forms in Ukraine. UNESCO calls also for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2347.

In this respect, UNESCO is gravely concerned with the damages incurred by the city of Kharkiv, UNESCO Creative City for Music, and the historic centre of Chernihiv, on Ukraine’s World Heritage Tentative List. UNESCO deeply regrets reports of damage to the works of the celebrated Ukrainian artist, Maria Primachenko, with whose anniversary UNESCO was associated in 2009.

UNESCO condemns also the attack that affected the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial, the site of one of the largest mass shootings of Jews during World War II, and calls for the respect of historic sites, whose value for education and remembrance is irreplaceable.

In order to prevent attacks, UNESCO, in close coordination with the Ukrainian authorities, is working to mark as quickly as possible key historic monuments and sites across Ukraine with the distinctive emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, an internationally recognised signal for the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict. In addition, UNESCO has approached the Ukrainian authorities with a view to organising a meeting with museum directors across the country to help them respond to urgent needs for safeguarding museum collections and cultural property. In cooperation with UNITAR/UNOSAT, UNESCO will be monitoring the damages incurred by cultural sites through satellite imagery analysis.

In the field of access to information and freedom of expression, UNESCO recalls its previous statement underlining obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2222 to protect media professionals and associated personnel. It further notes, as in the same resolution, “media equipment and installations constitute civilian objects, and in this respect shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals, unless they are military objectives”.

In this respect, UNESCO is deeply concerned about reports of the targeting of media infrastructure, including the shelling of Kyiv’s main television tower on 1 March 2022, with multiple reported fatalities, including at least one media worker, as well as cases of violence against journalists and attempts to restrict access to the Internet.

In a conflict situation, free and independent media are critical for ensuring civilians have access to potentially life-saving information and debunking disinformation and rumours.

At the request of a group of Member States, the UNESCO Executive Board will hold a Special Session on 15 March “to examine the impact and consequences of the current situation in Ukraine in all aspects of UNESCO’s mandate”.

Featured image: One of the 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine (Crimea): Ruins of Chersonesos. Photo: Dmitry A. Mottl Creative Commons.

Sci-Tech

1 In 2 Canadians Always Accept Browser Cookies. Why We Should Be More Careful:

March 1, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Digital privacy expert explains why often accepting cookies poses cyber risks

According to new research by our friends at NordVPN– one of the world’s most advanced VPN service providers , only 3,5% of Canadians never accept cookies. To make matters worse, a whopping 43% say they always accept cookies. While most HTTP cookies are safe, some can be used to track people without their consent. Even more, cookies can sometimes be spied upon or used to fake the identity of a user, to gain access to their account or use their identity to commit a crime.

“HTTP cookies are vital to the internet, but they are also a vulnerability to people’s privacy. As a necessary part of web browsing, cookies help web developers to provide more personal, convenient website visits. Because of cookies, websites remember you, your logins, shopping carts, and even more. But they can also be a treasure trove of private information for criminals to spy on,” says Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN.

What are cookies, and why are they a threat?

Also known as an HTTP cookie or browser cookie, a cookie is a piece of data that’s stored on your browser whenever you visit a website. When enabled, the website will remember your preferences and any small changes you made during your last visit.

Cookies are a normal and necessary part of the internet. Without them, you couldn’t log into a website or fill your online shopping cart. However, too many cookies can become a threat to both your security and privacy.

“People need to be aware that cookies follow you online. Even if you hide your IP address with a VPN, cookies can track what you do online and form a partial ID of who you are. Moreover, third parties can sell your cookies. Some sites earn revenue by serving third-party cookies. These aren’t functional – their purpose is to turn a profit from your data. Also, cookies are a vulnerability. With the wrong browser settings or when visiting the wrong website, cookies can introduce security vulnerabilities to your browsing experience,” says Daniel Markuson.

68,5% of Canadians feel that their online data is used for targeted ads

NordVPN research shows that Canadians feel the consequences of collected cookies:

68,5% feel that their online data is used for targeted ads;
66% feel that it’s being sold to other companies.
Moreover, 57% and 53% respectively believe that their data is analyzed by websites for their internal use and that it’s used by social media platforms for people to find the most relevant information

“Canadians must be pretty aware of the constant pop-up requesting them to ‘Accept all cookies?’ while visiting online websites. It happens in order to comply with data privacy laws, which were designed to protect users’ personal information and force companies to state what kind of data is being collected and how it is being used,” says Daniel Markuson.

Cookies and Security. What is a Cookie? | by Lois Choi | Medium

How to stop cookies from tracking you

There are plenty of tools and tips to make your online activity more private.

“First, navigate to your browser’s settings and choose to delete all the cookies stored in your browser. Most browsers also offer features to block unnecessary cookies automatically. Second, use incognito mode. While incognito mode does not equal privacy, this is exactly what it was made for — setting aside a single browsing session that won’t save cookies and your history.

Finally, use a VPN. One of a VPN’s core features is to hide your IP address, which is critical if you want your online searches to stay private. Quite recently, NordVPN launched the Threat Protection feature, which offers a tracker blocker. That means that third-party cookies won’t be able to gather data about people’s browsing habits and create a detailed profile on you. So you can use online services in privacy,” says Daniel Markuson.

Methodology: The survey was commissioned by NordVPN and conducted by the external company Cint on October 4-12, 2021. The survey’s target group was residents of France, the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland aged 18+ (nationally representative), and the sample was taken from national internet users. Quotas were placed on age, gender, and place of residence. 7800 people were surveyed in total, made up of 800 people from Spain and 1000 people from each of the remaining countries.

Art

Colouring In The Bible Is The Latest Trend In Journaling

February 28, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

An interesting new trend is on the rise—colouring in a Bible.

What was once frowned upon, is now encouraged. This new trend is called Bible journaling. Bible journaling is the act of doodling in one’s Bible, as a way to creatively express one’s faith. However, some people choose to illustrate outside their Bible; as for some, doodling on the Bible itself is still prohibited.

Over the past few years, the movement has grown significantly with many online groups, forums, Facebook communities, blogs, and church groups creating groups where people share their Bible journal artwork, offer techniques, and provide a supportive boost.

People even discuss where to get Bibles with the largest margins so that there is room for their designs, creating an interesting demand on publishers and retailers.

Complete Guide to Bible Journaling: Creative Techniques to Express Your Faith (Fox Chapel Publishing), by designer, inspirational speaker, and author of the best-selling Zenspirations® book series Joanne Fink, was created in response to this amazing trend.

The book features the works of top Bible journalers, offers drawing tips, the best tools to use, and even offers traceable vellum sheets to use on your own Bible. For the Silo, Elizabeth Martins.

Main image courtesy of biblejournallove.com

Culture

Silicon Valley Mansion May Set New Sales Record

February 24, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

California’s San Francisco Bay area is the United States’ most expensive real estate market, with a median home-sale price of USD$1.3 million (CAD$1.7 million). Toronto and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is Canada’s most expensive real estate market, with a median home-sale price of CAD$1.3 million (USD just under $1 million).

Unlike its southern neighbor Los Angeles, the pricey San Francisco mansions belong not to movie and TV stars but to the movers and shakers of the technology industry. The Bay Area boasts the country’s highest concentration of tech companies and tech jobs, earning the region the nickname “Silicon Valley” after the material used to make computer chips.

A home in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood sold for USD$43.5 million (CAD$55.8 million) in 2021, which is the current record for the area’s biggest sticker price, but a new listing in the ultra-exclusive town of Woodside aims to shatter that record. Styled like an Italian villa, the spectacular compound has been listed for USD$110 million (CAD$141 million).

890 Mountain Home Rd-611-HDR-Edit LR — 65 foot pool.

Sitting on over three acres of some of the most sought-after real estate in the world, the grounds feature a 65-foot pool with spa, an entertainment zone with an outdoor kitchen and fire pit, landscaped gardens that include fountains, a vineyard with more than forty olive trees and a rose garden with over one hundred roses as well as a private hiking trail. Nestled behind high-tech gates, the compound offers a 14,000-square-foot main home as well as a separate executive office and conference center, a fitness center/massage/hair salon building, and a two-bedroom guesthouse.

890 Mountain Home Rd-755-HDR-Edit LR — Golf simulator? Check.

Retractable glass walls, French oak floors, and hand plastering on every surface complement rare Italian marbles inside the luxurious mansion. Crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces feature throughout. The enormous main kitchen features two waterfall-wrapped islands, marble counters, top-of-the-line Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and custom-built-steel-and-glass cabinetry, while a separate chef’s kitchen offers extensive storage space plus a BlueStar range with two ovens.

890 Mountain Home Rd-307-HDR-Edit LR — Master suite.

The primary suite is a work of art featuring a barrel-vaulted foyer with leather-front and glass-display cabinets that conceal a refrigerator and Miele laundry and a cathedral-beamed ceiling with chandelier. The sectionalized wardrobe room is couture-worthy. A two-sided Davinci fireplace is shared with the bathroom, which also has heated limestone floors and a marble bath for two. Each additional bedroom includes a customized walk-in closet, outside entrance, and en-suite marble bath.

Designed for the high-tech lifestyle, the home is controlled by state-of-the-art automated systems that take care of every need for comfort, convenience, and security from behind the scenes. The home’s fantastic amenities include an Atmos Dolby screening room, a golf simulator, indoor-and-outdoor lounges, and an epic wine salon for 6,000 bottles.

Woodside is a small town with only 5,000 residents and a median home price above USD$5 million (CAD$6.4 million). Most residents are tech investors and innovators. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation and the world’s tenth-richest man, lives down the street from the villa in a 23-acre, Japanese-themed estate.

Known as an equestrian community, Woodside retains a rural residential character despite being only a short commute to Silicon Valley and Stanford University.

The town is ringed with nature preserves, including the Purisima Open Space and Skaggs Point. Options for entertainment include the Michelin-starred Village Pub and Bucks of Woodside, a famed hotspot for Silicon Valley’s most powerful, where many important venture capital deals have been signed. The real estate listing is held by Scott Danser of Compass. For the Silo, Genelle Brown/Top Ten Real Estate Deals dot com.

Photos : Paul Rollins

Transportation

Tesla Is Fastest Growing Auto Brand Over Course Of Pandemic

February 22, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Tesla has been the fastest growing automobile brand over the course of the pandemic with astounding brand value growth of 271% in the last two years, according to the latest report by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. Tesla’s impressive growth continued this year with its brand value up by 44% to US$46.0 billion ( CAD$58.55 billion) which saw it move from 6^th to 3^rd in the Brand Finance Automobile 100 2022 ranking.

Tesla was the only brand in the Top 10 of the ranking to see significant growth this year.

Every year, Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes nearly 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The report ranks the world’s top 100 most valuable and strongest automobile brands, the top 20 auto component brands, the top 15 tire brands and the top 10 car rental service brands.

Musk at Tesla event in China.

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has played a huge part in the growth of the brand with his charismatic, and at times controversial, behaviour keeping it firmly in the limelight. Tesla’s transformation into a household name has seen other brands try to connect themselves to the brand to benefit from the Tesla effect.

2021 saw Tesla increase its footprint in China, to ensure it continues to compete in the booming Chinese market.

It opened a new research and development centre, its first outside of America, in addition to a data centre at its Gigafactory in Shanghai. The brand also built a second delivery centre in the city, which incorporates sales, test driving and delivery of Tesla vehicles. Looking to this year 2022, Tesla announced it would launch no new models this year due to the global chip shortage, as doing so would reduce its overall output. Instead, the brand will focus on its full self-driving software as well as scaling up its production capabilities.

Electric revolution sees Chinese brands surge

Chinese brands account for eight of the top 10 fastest-growing brands in the ranking . The increasing popularity and adoption of electric vehicles in China has been a key driver behind the impressive growth for these brands, with China accounting for most electric vehicles sold globally. Several Chinese brands are looking to capitalise on the momentum by expanding their global footprints, with several of these brands launching in Europe in 2021.

While Tesla has seen the fastest growth over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Great Wall is the fastest-growing brand in the ranking this year, with its brand value increasing by an impressive 109% to US$2.6 billion (CAD$3.3 billion). As well as launching in Europe last year, Great Wall announced it will be launching nine electric vehicle models in Thailand over the next three years, where demand is expected to grow considerably. Great Wall plans to use Thailand as a base to launch its expansion into the ASEAN region. The auto marque’s CEO, Jianjun Wei, was also the top ranked automobile CEO in the Brand index, which ranks the world’s top 250 Chief Executives according to how well they manage and grow their company’s brand, and placed 3^rd overall across all industries.

The BYD EA1 Dolphin.

BYD was the second fastest-growing brand in the automotive ranking with its brand value doubling to US$6.4 billion (CAD$8.15 billion), an increase which saw it overtake Haval (brand value up 55% to US$6.1 billion or CAD$7.76 billion) to become China’s most valuable car brand. BYD, which specialises in electric vehicles, saw sales accelerating 232% in 2021 with 603,783 models sold – making it the best-selling new energy vehicle manufacturer in China for the ninth year.

Joining Great Wall and BYD in the Top 10 fastest-growing brands is Song (brand value up 90% to US$1.7 billion or CAD$2.16 billion), Qin (up 89% to US$475 million or CAD$604 million), Tang (up 88% to US$630 million or CAD$802 million), NIO (up 79% to US$2.6 billion or CAD$3.3 billion), Dongfeng (up 67% to US$1.4 billion or CAN$1.78 billion), and WEY (up 56% to US$613 million or CAN$780 million).

Toyota holds on to pole position as most valuable automobile brand

Although Chinese auto brands have seen impressive growth, Japan’s Toyota has held on to the top spot in the Brand ranking with a brand value of US$64.3 billion (CAN$81.9 billion).

Whilst the Japanese brand wasn’t immune to the global chip shortage that ravaged the industry, Toyota was better placed than most to weather the storm thanks to its contingency stockpiling.

The foresight allowed the brand to keep production levels high when others faltered and resulted in Toyota outselling General Motors in North America in Q1 2021 – the first time any brand has outsold General Motors in the region since 1998. Toyota remains the world’s top-selling automaker, the only manufacturer selling over 10 million vehicles globally.

Toyota was one of the early adopters of hybrid technology, with its Prius model dominating the hybrid segment for years, but it has fallen behind in the increasingly competitive electric vehicle arena in recent years. To regain ground, last year it announced it would be investing US$35 billion (CAD$44.6 billion) in electric vehicles, focusing on both battery technology and car development. The investment forms part of Toyota’s ambition to sell 3.5 million electric vehicles a year by 2030.

Fellow Japanese brands Honda (brand value US$28.2 billion or CAD$35.9 billion)and Nissan (US$14.6 billion or CAD$18.6 billion) join Toyota in the Top 10 of the ranking, though both brands saw a 10% decrease in brand value this year. Honda held onto its position in 7^th, and despite the loss in brand value Nissan actually climbed two spots from 11^th to 9^th, as it fared better than Sweden’s Volvo (down 20% to US$14.2 billion or CAD$18 billion) and Germany’s Audi (down 20% to US$13.8 billion or CAD$17.6 billion).

Mercedes-Benz remains most valuable European brand

Sitting behind Toyota, Mercedes-Benz remains the second most valuable brand in the ranking, and the most valuable European brand, with a 4% increase in brand value year-on-year to US$60.7 billion (CAD$77.3 billion). Amid challenging market conditions due to the pandemic and an industrywide semiconductor shortage, the brand prioritized electromobility and has seen great results from it. The German automobile giant confirmed that their electric vehicles sales saw a 90% increase this year.

In 2021, Mercedes-Benz launched the sixth generation of the C-class series with a new interior design and is planning to implement autonomous driving features. At the same time, an industry-wide trend to make a transition to electric vehicles and a sustainable approach to production and distribution is on the rise.

2022 Mercedes C class.

A key development to strengthen the Mercedes-Benz brand is the rebrand of Daimler AG to Mercedes-Benz Group AG. The focus of the rebrand is to enhance passenger cars and vans in the luxury segment. The strategic move to rebrand was to fulfil the brand’s objective to focus on financial and mobility services by offering insurance and rental subscriptions and digital fleet management systems.

Other German brands did not fare so well in the ranking this year, with Volkswagen (brand value down 13% to US$41.0 billion or CAD$52 billion), BMW (brand value down 6% to US$37.9 billion or CAD$48.2 billion), and Audi (brand value down 20% to US$13.8 billion or CAD$17.6 billion) all seeing losses in brand value. With lockdowns, network contractions in production and the ongoing semiconductor shortage, the industry has been faced with many challenges. Apart from sector wide disruptions, the German automakers who were reliant on diesel-powered vehicles have had to deal with regulatory challenges and the transition to electric mobility and electric production methods, resulting in rolling back on production to meet industry trends.

Porsche most valuable among luxury and premium, but Ferrari strongest across the whole table

Porsche is the most valuable luxury and premium automobile brand in the world with a brand value of US$33.7 billion (CAD$42.9 billion). The automobile giant celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the iconic Porsche Design with a limited-edition sale of 750 cars to pay tribute to the iconic design by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.

The brand’s aim to transform into an agile company has led to leveraging digital transformation by enhancing online sales. To adapt to new formats of sale in the automobile sector, Porsche has invested in e-commerce for 100 markets globally to adopt an omnichannel strategy to connect digital services and retail sales.

While Porsche is the most valuable brand in the luxury and premium segment, Ferrari was named the strongest automobile brand in the world with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 90.9 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating. Apart from calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Certified by ISO 20671, Brand Finance’s assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in more than 35 countries and across nearly 30 sectors.

2021 was Ferrari’s best-ever year in terms of sales, with the company paying bonuses to all employees as a result, and the projected growth for 2022 remains high. The automotive brand’s historic pursuit of controlled growth has helped to preserve its exclusivity within its sector, however, last year Ferrari expanded its target market to a younger demographic by launching a new high-end fashion line. The aim of creating a brand that can cater to Italian luxury lifestyle in the high-end category will help expand and strengthen its brand portfolio into new avenues, whilst enhancing brand awareness amongst the younger generation.

Denso most valuable auto components brand

Car sales picked up following the loosening of lockdown restrictions, and auto component brands saw demand rise in turn. It has been far from clear sailing for the industry with the global chip shortage disrupting production, but the overall outlook is positive, evidenced by the vast majority of brands seeing good growth.

Denso has retained the title of most valuable auto components brand in the world for the 5^th consecutive year, with brand value up 12% to US$4.2 billion (CAD$5.4 billion). The brand continued to play its part in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, creating respirator components in collaboration with Ford, as well as hosting over 50 vaccination clinics for employees across North America. Looking forward, the ever-increasing adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles is good news for Denso, which has over two decades worth of experience in the manufacturing of hybrid car parts.

Michelin most valuable and strongest tyres brand

As the world opened back up and travel increased throughout 2021 the tyre sector regained traction, with almost every brand in the ranking now more valuable than they were pre-pandemic.

Michelin has retained the title of the world’s most valuable and strongest tires brand, with a brand value of US$7.7 billion (CAD$9.8 billion) and a brand strength index score of 85.8 out of 100.

Despite continued disruption within the industry, Michelin saw a 15.6% year-on-year increase in consolidated sales in the first nine months of 2021 and exceeded expectations in the third quarter of the year thanks to a rebound in demand for tires for agricultural machinery. The brand also announced an extension of its partnership with the MotoGP World Championship, remaining the exclusive tire supplier for the competition until 2026.

SIXT is fastest-growing car rental services brand

The car rental brands have gained momentum in 2021 after a steep decline in brand value at the start of the pandemic. As the demand for vehicle hires increases, brands in this industry are presented with the opportunity to innovate and capture a high market share.

SIXT is the world’s fastest-growing car rental brand of 2022 with a 115% increase in brand value over the year to US$1.3 billion (CAN$1.7 billion), according to the Brand Finance ranking. This year’s increase is the continuation of an impressive growth trend for SIXT, which has seen its brand value increase 265% over the past five years. The brand has built a strong international growth strategy, expanding rapidly in the United States and entering new markets, such as Australia.

Enterprise has retained the position of the world’s most valuable car rental brand with a brand value of US$7.1 billion (CAN$9 billion) with a 6% increase in brand value over the year. Despite COVID-induced travel restrictions, the brand has performed well by launching new mobility hubs and undertaking fleet electrification, but it remains below its pre-pandemic brand value of US$7.4 billion (CAD$9.4 billion). For the Silo, James Haggis.

Featured image: Great Wall Ora Concept Electric Car Made In China

Vintage

An Evolution Of Canadian Shopping Consumers Distributing Style

February 21, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

As a technology writer for the Silo, I am always focusing and thinking about the evolution of technology. I write about how computers and video games have changed over the years, but of course, many other things change around us and the one I have been thinking about a lot lately is shopping. ( Consumers Distributing may be back, the relaunch namesake follows us on Twitter )

consumersdistributing1996page — CD had some serious PPMP’s (Portable Personal Music Players)- notice how the colour and graphic schemes are totally late 80’s/early 90’s?

When I was a kid, I remember getting the Consumers Distributing catalog and taking it into my room to read thoroughly. Of course, I tended to go directly to the toys section and more specifically I looked at the video games and computers. I dreamed about the day I would own some of these items, and I patiently saved my pennies from my job as a paper route carrier. Life can be tough when you are 12.

Started in 1957, Consumers Distributing tried to save costs for consumers by creating a warehouse like environment that allowed them to operate in smaller locations.

Customers would typically shop through a catalog (which they could take home or use in-store) and fill out a request form. This form was taken to the counter where a customer service representative would go fetch your item(s) and ring up the sale.

At its peak the chain would grow to 243 outlets in Canada and 217 in the United States. By 1996, however, the customers were fading as frustration grew with items being out of stock (or, more accurately, the customer perception was that items were always out of stock). In 2006, the company appeared to emerge from bankruptcy protection but little has been done to revive the stores to the way they once were.

CDpolaroid — Nothing says vintage or captures the ‘aura’ of shopping in a Consumers Distributing store quite like a polaroid.

Even though the end of the chain could be considered a failure, the evolution of the concept continues to this day. Stores like Home Depot and Costco operate in a warehouse-like environment, there are just no catalogs.

Canadian retail giant Hudson’s Bay Company also thought it was a pretty good idea since they purchased and ran a competitive chain of stores called “Shop-Rite” that were open from 1972 to 1982.

.At its peak, Shop-Rite had 65 stores in Ontario before conceding defeat to Consumers. It wasn’t the competition that was really the problem, it was the concept.

With the recent closing of the retail operations of Blockbuster and Rogers Video, we are seeing another step in the evolutionary process. Decades from now, people will probably think it was quite strange to obtain our movies from a retail store because everything will be digitally beamed into our homes and the physical disks and tapes we use now will be completely gone.

My friend Dave Thielking is a lot like me and he remembers the days when we were kids flipping through those catalogs.

So when he obtained some old catalogs I knew we could work together to put them online and share with our other friends who remember the old days of shopping and the great toys and items we wanted to save our pennies for. The result is a new website called the Consumers Distributing Archive and you can find it at http://www.cdarchive.ca.

We are never going to be able to stop evolution – of any kind – but it doesn’t mean we have to like it, or that we can’t go back to the way things were even just for an afternoon or two. For the Silo, Syd Bolton.

Sci-Tech

Why App Developers Are Focusing On The Metaverse

February 15, 2022 The Silo 2 Comments

Mobile apps using ‘metaverse’ in their description surge fivefold in 3 months

Various mobile application developers are increasingly aligning their products with the growing metaverse concept after Facebook popularized the term following the company’s rebranding to Meta. Although metaverse is a work in progress, several appsol are associating with the concept in their descriptions.

Data presented by Burga indicates that between November 2021 and January 2022, a monthly average of 28 mobile applications added metaverse to their description, a fivefold growth or 460% spike from the five average recorded between June 2021 and October 2021. The highest number was registered in December 2021 at 30.

Elsewhere, games with 107 applications lead in the number of app categories referencing the ‘metaverse’ keyword. Finance ranks second at 101, followed by social at 70. In the tenth slot, there is education with 11 apps. Data on mobile apps referencing metaverse is provided by mobile intelligence platform Sensor Tower.

Why app developers are focusing on metaverse

Mobile phone applications adding metaverse to their description were seemingly triggered by Facebook’s rebranding to Meta in October 2021. Most companies and applications have followed suit after the social media giant also announced that it plans to invest heavily in the metaverse. The apps are aligned with the metaverse even as players in the sector explore industry standards.

Generally, the metaverse concept is a network of virtual worlds focused on social connection as a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal virtual world supported by virtual and augmented reality headsets.

Although the metaverse is still gaining ground, app developers are using the concept as a critical marketing tool as different sectors await the actual technical requirements for the metaverse to emerge. It can be argued that the applications are working towards having an edge once the technology’s full potential is realized.

A significant share of the metaverse will likely be enabled by apps, which explains developers’ decision to associate with the virtual concept. Notably, apps in the metaverse are touted to potentially harness the most critical features of smartphones, wearables, headsets, and IoT.

Furthermore, virtual interactions offer enticing financial opportunities for businesses and could potentially open new revenue streams for companies diving into this new venture. At this point, with the shift towards a digital life, the opportunities offered by the metaverse are limitless.

Why gaming apps are leading the metaverse

It is no surprise that the gaming apps are leading in adding metaverse to their description. Notably, games have long been associated with VR and AR technology which is at the core of the metaverse. Game engines are likely to be foundational technologies and a critical building block for creating virtual world applications.

In this line, some of the big players in the tech space led by Microsoft are increasing their involvement in the metaverse. According to the company, the metaverse is all about creating games, a key driver for its acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard. Additionally, gaming platform Roblox has long been viewed as the metaverse frontrunner.

Besides games, the metaverse is also expected to have several implications for different industries. Metaverse technologies have found practical applications among sectors like finance. For instance, VR and AR can be deployed in finance in data visualization, which can aid in analyzing financial risks providing more precise services to customers.

Although app developers are getting ready for metaverse, realizing the concept on a large scale might be extensive. For instance, access to high-speed Internet and the cost of reliable VR hardware remains a challenge.

Additionally, the high scale of interoperability required to build various aspects of the metaverse is yet to be achieved. In this line, tech companies will have to partner with other entities on factors such as metaverse laws. For the Silo, Gytis Gelzinis/BURGA.

Sci-Tech

Researchers Control Mammalian Cells With Sound For First Time

February 10, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Salk researchers pinpoint a sound-sensitive mammalian protein that lets them activate brain, heart or other cells with ultrasound

LA JOLLA—Salk scientists have engineered mammalian cells to be activated using ultrasound. The method, which the team used to activate human cells in a dish and brain cells inside living mice, paves the way toward non-invasive versions of deep brain stimulation, pacemakers and insulin pumps.

The findings were published in Nature Communications on February 9, 2022.” Going wireless is the future for just about everything,” says senior author Sreekanth Chalasani, an associate professor in Salk’s Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory. “We already know that ultrasound is safe, and that it can go through bone, muscle and other tissues, making it the ultimate tool for manipulating cells deep in the body.” About a decade ago, Chalasani pioneered the idea of using ultrasonic waves to stimulate specific groups of genetically marked cells, and coined the term “sonogenetics” to describe it.

In 2015, his group showed that, in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, a protein called TRP-4 makes cells sensitive to low-frequency ultrasound. When the researchers added TRP-4 to C. elegans neurons that didn’t usually have it, they could activate these cells with a burst of ultrasound—the same sound waves used in medical sonograms. When the researchers tried adding TRP-4 to mammalian cells, however, the protein was not able to make the cells respond to ultrasound. A few mammalian proteins were reported to be ultrasound-sensitive, but none seemed ideal for clinical use.

So Chalasani and his colleagues set out to search for a new mammalian protein that made cells highly ultrasound sensitive at 7 MHz, considered an optimal and safe frequency.” Our approach was different than previous screens because we set out to look for ultrasound-sensitive channels in a comprehensive way,” says Yusuf Tufail, a former project scientist at Salk and a co-first author of the new paper.

The researchers added hundreds of different proteins, one at a time, to a common human research cell line (HEK), which does not usually respond to ultrasound. Then, they put each cell culture under a setup that let them monitor changes to the cells upon ultrasound stimulation. After screening proteins for more than a year, and working their way through nearly 300 candidates, the scientists finally found one that made the HEK cells sensitive to the 7 MHz ultrasound frequency.

TRPA1, a channel protein, was known to let cells respond to the presence of noxious compounds and to activate a range of cells in the human body, including brain and heart cells.

But Chalasani’s team discovered that the channel also opened in response to ultrasound in HEK cells. “We were really surprised,” says co-first author of the paper Marc Duque, a Salk exchange student. “TRPA1 has been well-studied in the literature but hasn’t been described as a classical mechanosensitive protein that you’d expect to respond to ultrasound.” To test whether the channel could activate other cell types in response to ultrasound, the team used a gene therapy approach to add the genes for human TRPA1 to a specific group of neurons in the brains of living mice.

When they then administered ultrasound to the mice, only the neurons with the TRPA1 genes were activated.Clinicians treating conditions including Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy currently use deep brain stimulation, which involves surgically implanting electrodes in the brain, to activate certain subsets of neurons.

Chalasani says that sonogenetics could one day replace this approach—the next step would be developing a gene therapy delivery method that can cross the blood-brain barrier, something that is already being studied. Perhaps sooner, he says, sonogenetics could be used to activate cells in the heart, as a kind of pacemaker that requires no implantation.

“Gene delivery techniques already exist for getting a new gene—such as TRPA1—into the human heart,” Chalasani says. “If we can then use an external ultrasound device to activate those cells, that could really revolutionize pacemakers.”For now, his team is carrying out more basic work on exactly how TRPA1 senses ultrasound.

“In order to make this finding more useful for future research and clinical applications, we hope to determine exactly what parts of TRPA1 contribute to its ultrasound sensitivity and tweak them to enhance this sensitivity,” says Corinne Lee-Kubli, a co-first author of the paper and former postdoctoral fellow at Salk.

They also plan to carry out another screen for ultrasound sensitive proteins—this time looking for proteins that can inhibit, or shut off, a cell’s activity in response to ultrasound.

The other authors of the paper were Uri Magaram, Janki Patel, Ahana Chakraborty, Jose Mendoza Lopez, Eric Edsinger, Rani Shiao and Connor Weiss of Salk; and Aditya Vasan and James Friend of UC San Diego.

The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01MH111534, R01NS115591), Brain Research Foundation, Kavli Institute of Brain and Mind, Life Sciences Research Foundation, W.M. Keck Foundation (SERF), and the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics and GT3 Cores (which receive funding through NCI CCSG P30014195 and NINDSR24).

About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk’s mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer’s, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin.

Featured image: Neurons (magenta) in the mouse brain. The Chalasani lab made specific neurons express TRPA1 (white), so they can be activated by ultrasound.

Gaming

Gaming And Gambling Is Innately North American And Predates Euro Contact

February 9, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Gambling is innately Canadian.

Whilst that may seem self-evident today, it was no less obvious before the idea of Canada as a unitary nation had even been established. Gary Smith of the University of Alberta has described how “First Nations peoples gambling on sports events pre-dated the arrival of Europeans in Canada”.

Despite a fluctuating legal status since 1892 when the first Criminal Code of Canada was established, Canadians have remained firmly welded to the idea of a bet. Whether it is a matter of sports betting or the more calculative games provided by casinos, and more recently over the internet, Canadians, it seems, love to gamble.

What it is in the Canadian national psyche that drives this appetite is far from clear.

Those reports that have dealt with the question have tended to look at the administrative and legislative conditions that have enabled the industry to establish itself, rather than asking the more fundamental question of where the appetite for this form of recreation stems from.

There is no doubt that the way the gambling industry in Canada is managed at a state level has meant that local pockets of gambling activity have been allowed to flourish. Smith points to the way that two Criminal Code of Canada amendments (1969 and 1985) were ‘pivotal’ in enabling the expansion of the industry. The first was because it decriminalized lotteries and casinos and the second because it allowed electronic gambling devices whilst also allowing provinces to operate and regulate the industry within their territories. In essence, because there was no one-size-fits-all brake on the industry it was allowed to extend into all those areas where it was not explicitly barred.

Against that historical backdrop the emergence of the internet and the de-territorialised markets it has allowed to develop have seen the Canadian appetite for gambling further supplied.

Such is the extent of the market that European based providers, such as Bet365, the UK’s leading online provider, are going out of their way to woo Canadian punters. Specialist sports books focusing on Canadian sports as well as a long list of games and pursuits that are already well-established across North America – not least poker and blackjack – mean that what these providers are offering is a perfect fit for the Canadian market.

There is a sense that with the US gambling industry seemingly at a tipping point in terms of the full deregulation of online gambling, these global providers are doing everything they can to achieve a presence and a profile on the continent. The basic thinking is that something akin to a gold rush is set to take place once the US marketplace truly opens up, and that rolling out into the US market will be easier from Canada than from Europe.

If this makes it sound as though the Canadian gambling market is somehow merely a stepping stone that is far from the case. Canada’s gambling market is itself measured in the billions of dollars and it is an entirely viable proposition on its own merits.

Of course, what it is that makes Canadians so happy to gamble remains an open question.

. Amidst such a diverse and heterogeneous population is it possible that enjoying a gamble in one form or another is one of the things that unites us as a nation? For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Fashion

Embrace Your Inner Geek In Style

February 7, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

This post is dedicated to geeks who want to let their passions shine through their decor.

The graphic below gives cool examples of accessories that you can introduce into your home to give people an idea of the geekier side of your life. Some are subtle, like the equation bookshelf, while others are more in your face, such as the giant rubrics cube coffee tables. What all of these share is how they have incorporated elements considered to be ‘geeky’ into stylish decor. A personal favourite is the wall that has apparently been repaired by Lego bricks. We assume that this isn’t actually the case, but if we were buying a property with that in we’d certainly want a thorough survey done.

Whatever style of decoration you prefer, if you’re looking to add something a little fun and a tad geeky to your home then this piece will help give you some great ideas. Friends of the Silo, Terry’s Fabrics.

Art

Why Artists Require Space Not Only To Work But To Imagine

February 3, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Eiko Otake performing at Bartram’s Garden on the Schuylkill River.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso

Art is an imperative. Without it we can never truly examine our own circumstances or those of the people with whom we inhabit our small planet. Left unviewed, art languishes. Left without art to view, so does humankind. There are many who recognize the gift to the world that every artist has to offer. There are many who endeavor to do whatever they can to ensure those gifts are received by a grateful public. To stifle the artist’s voice is to silently say I care little about the fate of the minds of the masses. Art is essential. It is what fills the space between the rest of the din, making sense of a chaotic universe.

Bill Arnold splits his time between New York and Western Massachusetts. Since 1974 he has had a studio in Western MA and an apartment in NY. Arnold prefers to keep a foot in both worlds. Florence, MA is a small town near Northampton where there is plenty of space and the space is affordable. New York on the other hand is extremely restrictive in that a very small amount of space is prohibitively expensive. Artists require space not only to work, Arnold says, but space for their imaginations, “space to conjure.”

And so he maintains his Western MA studio.

The work he has done in that studio over the years has been varied and prolific. Arnold has endeavored, and often succeeded in getting his work into public venues including museums. He finds it thrilling to see his work in commercial venues. The first time he experienced this was in the 1970’s when he put roughly 1,000 photographs in 25 Boston city buses. There was no indication on the outside of each bus whether there were photographs on board so passengers didn’t know which buses were galleries inside. Because of the nature of the venue, more people saw that project than visited the Met, according to Arnold. In order to fund the project, he approached multiple museums getting them to agree to fund the cost of materials for the show provided he put on exhibitions in each city where the museums were located.

Arnold was both an exhibiting artist and a curator for this project. The project was well received, with weary commuters sometimes voicing their appreciation. From there, Arnold went on to do other bus shows. The format went viral long before viral was a thing. For another show, Arnold gave images to members of the audience who then organically began sharing the images with each other. Throughout his career, Arnold has turned traditional notions of exhibition on their heads. With the advent of digital advertising, the cost of printing has plummeted. Arnold uses this to his advantage. In 2018 he printed 10,000 newspaper inserts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette. As a student photographer, Arnold was encouraged to have a camera with him at all times. To this day he follows this practice. Arnold has photographed the same spot on his travels from NYC to MA for many years.

He intends to exhibit many photographs of the same place at the Bergen Street Station. Photography is accessible to everyone, Arnold says. Because anyone can make a photograph, anyone can also view a photograph and take something away. A series of photographs depicting old cars elicited stories from viewers of all kinds about cars they remembered and loved. To hear more about Bill Arnold’s thoughts on work and life, listen to the whole interview here.

Harry Philbrick left his position as director of the museum at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts about two years ago. He then launched his own project called Philadelphia Contemporary. The nonprofit does pop-up exhibitions and performances throughout the city. The goal is to ultimately build a permanent space where the nonprofit can become a non-collecting, collaborative space. Prior to his position at Pennslyvania Academy of the fine Arts, Philbrick was director of the Aldrich. It was there that the idea for Philadelphia Contemporary began to percolate. He began exploring the notion of partnerships. Specifically long-term, sustainable partnerships that would allow the museum a broader reach. Upon relocating to Philadelphia, Philbrick realized there was a gap in the cultural ecosystem in that there was no large scale independent contemporary art museum. Philadelphia also seemed primed for Philbrick’s model in that the cultural environment is “unusually collegial.”

The first project was a partnership with Headlong Dance.

The project was titled The Quiet Circus in which the dancers took part in a year long residency on a pier. Each week dance pieces encouraged members of the public to join in. From there Philbrick and his small team created River Charrettes, a series of four pieces also set among the changing landscape of river banks. River Charrettes was an appropriate opening for Philadelphia Contemporary. The project embodied the idea of many people from different places coming together. Since then there have been readings and other events. At the moment there are many large scale projects in the works. An expanded staff has allowed for grander visions. The process of growth has been very deliberate, carefully adhering to the founding vision of the project.

Funding for Philadelphia Contemporary comes from many places. In order to run the organization, pay staff, and plan for the future, Philbrick has had to map out a plan from all he has learned over his years in the art world. Seed capital came from individual funders who believed strongly in the mission. More recently, Philadelphia-based foundations have come on board. For Philbrick, the key to his project is pushing forward the model for a nonprofit contemporary art space. Moving forward the same model applies, starting with individual funders and moving from there to foundational support. To hear more about Philadelphia Contemporary and arts organization funding, listen to the whole interview here.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket: Speak your art loudly. Do not settle for its slow demise. Bring it into the light, find allies, give your gifts to the world. For the Silo, Brainard Carey.
Featured image- Francis Bacon’s London studio- in its relocated home in Dublin, Ireland.

Gaming

SUPER BOWL TO GENERATE $1 BILLION IN LEGAL BETS

February 2, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

(LAS VEGAS) — Bettors could place $1 billion usd in wagers on Super Bowl LVI at legal online and retail sportsbooks across the country, according to projections by PlayUSA, which provides news and analysis of the U.S. gaming industry. If sportsbooks reach those estimates it would roughly double last year’s estimated Super Bowl handle of more than $500 million, a product of the continued proliferation of legal sports betting.

NFL Bets, 2022 Pro Bowl NFL Betting Lines | Vegas Super Bowl Odds NFL

“$1 billion usd in legal wagering on a single game would be an impressive milestone for the industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.

“It would have seemed impossible just a few years ago to reach such heights, but with the expansion of sports betting over the last year it is inevitable that legal wagering will soar.”

https://www.thesilo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Super-Bowl-fact-sheet-2022.pdf

The Super Bowl is the most-wagered-on single sporting event in the U.S. In 2021, the American Gaming Association estimated that Americans & North Americans bet $4.3 billion usd on Super Bowl LV, both legally and illegally. PlayUSA estimates that more than $500 million usd was wagered at legal online or retail sportsbooks for last year’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, still a small chunk of the more than $50 billion usd in legal wagers placed across the country throughout 2021.

When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals meet for the Super Bowl on Feb. 13, sports betting in some form will be legal in 30 states and Washington D.C. Those jurisdictions represent more than 166.9 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2021. By contrast, 120 million people lived in 21 legal sports betting jurisdictions for last year’s Super Bowl.

For this year’s game:

Sports betting is legal in at least some form in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
New York, which was limited to retail sportsbooks last year, launched online betting in early January. New York is already on pace to shatter the U.S. record for monthly handle, which New Jersey set in October with $1.3 billion usd in bets.
Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming did not offer any form of legal sports betting for last year’s Super Bowl.
Even with legal sports betting in 30 states and Washington, D.C., no team from a state with legal sportsbooks has ever played in the Super Bowl. That will continue this year as Ohio awaits launch sometime over the next year and California lawmakers debate legalization.

“The sports betting landscape has changed dramatically since last year’s game,” said Eric Ramsey, data analyst for PlayUSA. “More than half of all Americans now live in a legal jurisdiction, and even well-established markets such as New Jersey and Nevada have grown significantly over the last year as mobile betting gains in popularity.”

PlayUSA projects that Nevada, which was the second-largest market in 2021 and historically the top Super Bowl market, will produce the largest Super Bowl handle with $175 million usd. New York could generate $160 million usd. If those estimates come to fruition, that would be more betting volume than every legal sportsbook in the U.S. combined to tally for the 2019 game.

New Jersey ($130 million usd), Illinois ($75 million usd), Pennsylvania ($70 million usd), Arizona ($55 million usd), Michigan ($45 million usd), Indiana ($40 million usd), Colorado ($35 million usd) Louisiana ($35 million usd), Virginia ($35 million usd), and Tennessee ($30 million usd) will follow Nevada and New York, according to PlayUSA estimates.

“Americans & North Americans have become increasingly comfortable with online betting in general and the less conventional bets it facilitates, such as in-game wagering,” Ramsey said. “This should really help boost Super Bowl betting, which for years has enticed bettors with fun prop bets and other unconventional wagers. The big difference this year is those types of bets are easier than ever to make in more places than ever before.” For The Silo, Zack Hall.

Reviews

Finest Coffee And Coconut Oil From Dominican Republic

January 28, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Everyone already knows Kimera Koffee’s for its finest ground coffee, highest quality beans, and some of the best flavors on the market. Now Kimera Koffee is growing the family with its limited edition Phase 1 Peaberry Whole Bean Koffee and Kimera Koconut Oil.

The Kimera Koffee Pase 1 Peaberry Whole Bean Koffee is grown in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Using some of the finest beans, this blend uses the plants’ yield of 3%-5% peaberry beans, each hand selected and sorted. Peaberry beans are unique in that they are the only bean in the cherry (rather than two), therefore receiving all of the plant’s nutrients in a concentrated dose.

Peaberry beans roast differently partly because they have a single coffee bean within a single coffee cherry (fruit), instead of the usual two half-beans per cherry.

Peaberry beans are regarded as naturally sweeter, more aromatic, and more pleasant in taste than regular coffee beans.

This limited edition flavor packs a punch to your morning routine with some of the freshest, most potent whole beans you can find.

Kimera’s other new addition is the Kimera Koconut Oil. This handcrafted, pure coconut oil is sure to pack a delicious punch with any drink or cooking need. Kimera’s Koconut Oil is extra virgin and cold pressed, giving you the finest, most high quality oil on the market. The oil is non-GMO and unrefined for the best flavor and potency money can buy.

As well as Kimera Koffee’s dedication to proving the high quality products on the market, they are aslo are proud supporters of the Belarminio Ramirez Foundation, which uses their donations to provide school materials, clothes, food, and basic household appliances to communities in the Dominican Republic’s farming towns. Every Kimera Koffee purchase helps aid this fight for a better future. Featured image- cronkite.asu.edu For the Silo, Katie Lapinski.

Kimera Koffee can be purchased online through their website at kimerakoffee.com or Amazon, as well as at select retailers in the USA, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Supplemental- The many great health benefits, both physical and mental, of MCT Oil vs Coconut Oil.

Gourmet Coffee Lovers: What is a peaberry?

Culture

NORTH AMERICAS MOST EXPENSIVE HOME FOR SALE

January 27, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Once projected to list for $500 million USD, this LA home is for sale at a still staggering $295 million USD.

“America’s Most Expensive Home – Twice As Big as the White House”

One of the world’s most expensive homes, appropriately named “The One,” has just hit the market. Construction ran several years late causing financial issues for the developer. If The One sells anywhere near the $295 million USD ask, it would be the most expensive home ever sold in California, well over the $177 million USD that venture-capitalist Marc Andreessen paid for his Malibu mansion in 2021 and the $165 million USD that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos paid in 2020 for his Beverly Hills estate.

Perched on a promontory with 360-degree panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains, the Bel Air mansion is surrounded on three sides by a moat and measures in at a mind-boggling 105,000 square feet – almost twice as big as the White House. Located on 3.8 acres, the house, which was actually raised during construction to further optimize the views, includes 21 bedrooms and 49 baths.

Highlights of The One include five outdoor and indoor swimming pools with the moat encircling three quarters of the exterior, a massive nightclub, full-service beauty salon, wellness spa, 10,000-square-foot sky deck, 400-foot private outdoor running track with a glass-walled view of the city, and a private theater with seating for over 40.

In addition to ownership of one of the world’s most spectacular homes, the property also includes butterfly artwork by Stephen Wilson, an Oto Murano chandelier by Vistosi, a rotating statue by Mike Fields, and a glass sculpture by Italian artist Simone Cenedese. There is also a two-story library/office with a balcony and water features touching three windowed walls, and parquet flooring. Add in a custom bar with a smoked-mirror backsplash and marble countertops, a cigar lounge, four-lane bowling alley, putting green, wellness center, gym, a 64-foot (19.5 Meter) indoor pool with juice bar, tennis court, 10,000-bottle wine cellar, and a 30-plus car garage with two car-display turntables.

Entertaining in such unique luxury might draw some interesting Bel Air neighbors such as Jennifer Lawrence, who moved there last year, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus and Kylie Jenner to name just a few.

The property is listed by Aaron Kirman of Compass, Beverly Hills and Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, Beverly Hills, and will go to Concierge Auctions, which if not sold prior, will be held online on February 28th. For The Silo, Terry Walsh/Top Ten Real Estate Deals.com.

Culture

How Big Data Is Exactly What It Sounds Like

January 26, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took to Capitol Hill to explain user data retention almost four years ago, he essentially sat in the hot seat on behalf of every entity that has ever collected and used personal information to craft better products. If that sounds like a massive catch-all, that’s because it is. However, Systems America, Inc. President Adesh Tyagi says it’s not as nefarious as it may sound. As the head of a global information technology services company, Tyagi knows that “Big Data” can be collected, applied and benefit the general public all at the same time.

Big data is exactly what it sounds like, says Tyagi, who has more than two decades of experience in this sector and whose company was previously awarded for being one of the fastest-growing in America.

It’s a compilation of information broken out by software that makes sense of the traits and behavior of service users. With a background that includes cloud computing and analytics plus Mobil Oil and McDonald-Douglas (now Boeing) among former clients, Tyagi says that any company can request an in-depth study of customer information to better design upcoming offerings.

This is sheer advertising at its core and it’s exactly what companies that work with Facebook do when they buy ad space on the social media platform. Do not confuse this with the fact that a third party was able to get its hands on 87 million Facebook accounts and use it as part of presidential election subterfuge. This occurrence is prolific on a global level, recently the Indian government expressed a sincere concern that third parties may have influenced the country’s elections. Similar concerns have been expressed by the Kenyan & Nigerian governments.

Tyagi says that this is inexcusable and a result of either over-confidence and laid-back oversight and provides an illustration of how technology can be used against the greater good of mankind.

Why big businesses buy into big data. They believe insight gleaned from big data analysis offers:

Happier users and larger returns due to consistently in-tune goods and services.
Learning more about which goods and services are going to use while others are ignored and why.
Real numbers to pair with real-world efforts to show investors regarding current efforts.

“You basically employ different analytical tools to come up with the best services or tools for that particular customer,” says Tyagi. An example he points to as it pertains to data-driven solutions are financial products being deployed by a bank such as insurance programs or a new credit card. By retaining Systems America before launch, an enormous amount of information about members can be broken down by geography, income history, account balances and more. In his view, this is no different from a grocery store looking at what people are buying and deciding which products to purchase when restocking the shelves. For the Silo, Greg Adomaitis.

Finance

How To Choose A Mortgage Broker

January 20, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Searching for a mortgage broker can seem like an overwhelming process and you might not know where to begin.

The search can be lengthy and if you are faced with an emergency situation and need fast funding, you might not have much time to do the proper research. Below is a list of the top things to consider when searching for the right mortgage broker for your needs.

Choose Someone Who Offers Solutions To Your Problems – Not all mortgage brokers are created equal. Some mortgage brokers have training in specialized areas like stopping power of sale or debt consolidation. Additionally, if you have been turned down by the bank due to poor credit, you will have a greater chance at securing a mortgage loan through a subprime mortgage broker as they have the skills and experience in dealing with complex applications. Thus, it’s important to select someone who can help provide a solution to the problem you are facing.

Do They Have A Good Reputation? – Check out their website, read their testimonials and reviews and preview their social media profiles. Mortgage brokers will at the very least have a website. View the company’s About Us or Team page to get a sense for who you will be working with and if they seem trustworthy.

Is The Brokerage Registered With the Better Business Bureau? –Ideally, the brokerage should be registered with the Better Business Bureau. A BBB accreditation means the business has met all the requirements to be granted accreditation status including completing an application form, undergoing a thorough business check and meeting the BBB’s standards.

Ask Them About Past Clients in Similar Situations – The brokerage’s approach to providing solutions is very important and they should be dedicated to a high level of customer service. Ask the mortgage broker if they have helped others with the same borrowing needs. The mortgage broker should have your best interest at heart – if not, look elsewhere!

Pick Someone Who Has Done Work Before in Your City or Area –Because you will be working closely with the mortgage broker, it makes sense to deal with someone who lives and works in your area because they will most likely have a strong connection with the community and can offer a more personalized approach to handing your application.

Mortgage Brokers are becoming increasingly popular over banks and credit unions because of their ability to access a large number of lenders to secure the best rates. If you are unable to obtain a referral from a friend or family member, then by following these 5 tips, you’ll be sure to find the right individual that suits your needs. If you’ve done your research properly, then you should feel confident that you have chosen the right person to work with.

Having a strong relationship with your mortgage broker is important in making sure they understand your unique needs and can provide the right advise. After all, it’s your financial wellbeing that is the greatest priority, so having an experienced person on your side who is dedicated to your needs is the most important. Featured image: Shutterstock

Culture

Movies With The Most Claustrophobia

January 19, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Claustrophobia. Few feelings create anxiety more than being trapped in a small confined space. Many films take advantage of this discomfort, often being filmed in one location or room for the entire movie.

We look here at some of the best, ranked in order of their claustrophobic factor.

Did we miss one? Do you disagree with our ranking? Leave us a video comment by clicking the record button- we’d love to hear what you think.

Vintage

New MORGAN PLUS FOUR LM62 CELEBRATES SIX DECADES SINCE MORGAN’S LE MANS WIN

January 18, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

The Morgan Motor Company announces the launch of the Plus Four LM62, a model which celebrates the company’s legendary class win in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. Based on the standard Morgan Plus Four and limited to just 62 examples, it pays tribute to the Morgan Plus 4 SuperSports – known by its registration TOK 258 – which took victory in the 2.0-litre class of the gruelling endurance race six decades ago.

The renowned TOK 258 was finished in dark green, while a particular shade of red was popular on motorsport Morgan vehicles of the time, and these two colours have inspired the hues available on the Plus Four LM62. A Heritage White hardtop – just like the one fitted to the famous race car – comes as standard, marking the first time this item has been available for the model. Further paying homage to the victorious Morgan is an LM62 graphics pack, which includes roundels with the number ’29’ – as per TOK 258 – as well as an LM62 rear badge, silver-painted wire wheels, a Le Mans-style fuel filler cap and a domed rear panel. These touches are complemented by driving spot lights, body-coloured A-pillars, a black splitter and cowl mesh, polished stoneguard, black mohair sidescreens, a sidescreen bag embroidered with the LM62 logo, and an active sports exhaust with black tailpipes.

Inside, the model is adorned with an LM62 metal plaque, displaying the car’s unique build number from its run of 62 examples, along with LM62 laser-engraved black saddle-leather door pulls and headrests embroidered with the specially designed LM62 graphic. Bespoke satin lacquer rubber mats with black vinyl edges, painted steering-wheel centre, and a Tawny wood centre-tunnel top and dashboard come fitted to the LM62 as standard, while heated black leather Comfort Plus seats with horizontal pleating, perforated seat centres and matching stitch colour, complete with leather wrapped seat backs complete the interior aesthetic.

To further personalise your Plus Four LM62, options include a soft-top hood, LM62-specific photographic build record, and an LM62 accessory pack which includes two-eared wheel spinners, a Moto-Lita steering wheel, headlight tape, and a chrome interior rear-view mirror.

Steve Morris, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Motor Company, said: “The 1962 Le Mans class-winning Morgan Plus 4 holds a special place in the hearts of Morgan enthusiasts, employees and owners around the world. It marked one of Morgan’s greatest motorsport achievements, the car covering more than 2,200 miles at an average running speed of almost 94mph, and triumphing – like David vs Goliath – over our bigger, and better funded, rivals of the time.

“With the Morgan Plus Four LM62, we pay homage to this famous vehicle and incredible moment in time, 60 years on. Limited to just 62 individually numbered examples, the bespoke touches and enhanced level of standard specification make these cars an enticing proposition for customers wanting a piece of Morgan history.”

The Plus Four LM62 is available from Morgan Dealers globally, in left- or right-hand drive, and with the choice of manual or automatic transmission, the Plus Four LM62 is on sale now. In the UK, it’s priced from £78,995 ($134,224.81 cad). For pricing in other regions please consult your local Dealer.

About Morgan Motor Company:

Morgan Motor Company is a British manufacturer of handcrafted sports cars. Located in Malvern Link, UK. The world-famous Morgan vehicles offer a unique blend of charisma, quality materials, craftsmanship and performance. Morgan has been handcrafting coach built traditional British sports cars that are thrilling to drive and unique within the marketplace since 1909. In March 2019, Investindustrial purchased a majority share of the company, and by doing so invested in the long-term future of the Morgan Motor Company building cars in Britain. The Morgan family, along with the senior management team and the wider workforce, retain a shareholding of the company and work alongside Investindustrial. Morgan produces around 850 models, of which over 70% is exported. Its model range – comprising of the 3 Wheeler, Plus Four and Plus Six – is sold through 50 official dealerships in 32 countries.

Sci-Tech

Top sites data breached last year include linkedin

January 17, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Almost 6 billion accounts affected in data breaches in 2021

The year 2021 was record-breaking in terms of the sheer size of data breaches. According to the data collected and analyzed by the Atlas VPN team, 5.9 billion accounts were affected by data breaches throughout 2021.

Atlas VPN has retrieved and calculated the numbers of breached accounts based on multiple publicly available sources. The total count includes worldwide data breaches that took place from January 1st, 2021, to December 31st, 2021.

February saw the biggest data breach of all-time — COMB, or in other words, the Compilation of Many Breaches, which is responsible for the leak of a whopping 3.2 billion unique cleartext email and password combinations.

The breach was named this way because it is not a result of a single hack of a specific organization but rather combines leaked data from a number of different breaches spanning five years, including Netflix, LinkedIn, and others.

The breached data was first offered for sale on RaidForums, an underground database sharing and marketplace forum, for just $2 in February. Other breaches that made it to the top five biggest data leaks of 2021 include LinkedIn (700 million people), Facebook (533 million people), Brazil’s Ministry of Health (220 million people), and SocialArks (214 million people).

Cybersecurity writer and researcher at Atlas VPN Ruta Cizinauskaite shares her thoughts on 2021 data breach trends: “Even with data breaches becoming a growing threat, it seems organizations are still not putting enough effort in protecting the personal information of their users. One of the first things every organization should do is evaluate the amount of sensitive user data it collects — the less sensitive data is stored, the lesser the risk of it being leaked.”

Sci-Tech

CED Selectavision Videodiscs Are Movies On Vinyl Records

January 13, 2022 The Silo 15 Comments

In 1981 RCA introduced Selectavision even though they knew they had little chance of getting these things into most people’s homes. Laserdiscs had been on the market for several years and video cassette recorders were starting to become more affordable and popular. But RCA had invested millions of dollars and spent 17 years engineering a way to extend the playing time of the LP record and embed full color, full motion video. The fact that they were successful seems incredible given the age of the vinyl medium. It had been around for a long time.

That’s part of what makes this format so wonderful.

It’s an analog medium and when properly set up and viewed it can create a rich, warm viewing experience, far closer to a movie theater showing film than DVD. Yes I said that and I know there will be many that will think I am wrong. If you are one of them leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will be happy to send you screen shots and a couple of reasons why what I’m saying makes sense. This is what family cinema was meant to be. It isn’t about lines of resolution and eight channels of sound, it’s about experiencing film as nostalgia, as fun, as intimacy, together as a family, even as art. Consider how a painting compares to the print or the digital copy of that painting. The original painting has a richness and a vivid quality that is difficult to describe in words. It has an immediacy and a temperature. Prints and digital images, although fine for technical analysis, do not create the same connection with the viewer.

There are other ways that collectors of CED’s (Capacitance Electronic Discs or Selectavision for short) connect with this unique format. They take special pride in the jukebox like mechanism that extracts the vinyl disc from its protective plastic jacket. They appreciate the fantastic sound quality of stereo transfers- most stereo discs carry the Dolby Stereo/Surround information signal which can be decoded with modern receivers. They admire technicolor movies that have a certain ‘glow’ on this format. (Still image screenshots do not demonstrate this strength because the effect is accumulative via moving images and scene transitions.) They enjoy watching classic movies on classic 4:3 television screens. They reminisce and appreciate a time when small screen sizes meant watching movies and shows from a physically closer position- circled around a TV in a cozy nook.

These folks probably never gave up their vinyl record collections and who can blame them? They’re laughing on that one, by the way. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

-Unaltered CED Movie Screenshots-

The Thomas Crown Affair 1968 director Norman Jewison

Rocky2 1979 director Sylvester Stallone

TRON 1982 Director Steven Lisberger

Black Orpheus 1959 Director Marcel Camus

Superman The Movie 1978 Director Richard Donner

The Hound of the Baskervilles 1959 Director Terrance Fisher

Playboy Collectors Video #2

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979 Director Robert Wise

Return of the Jedi 1983 Director Richard Marquand

Fashion

Nanotechnology Gloves For Phone Use In Cold Weather

January 10, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Do you have trouble using your smart device in the cold?

Here’s some good news for you- we’ve improved our knitted touchscreen gloves, raising the bar again with the introduction of the Single Layered and Double Layered Touchscreen Gloves. Featuring an updated nanotechnology design that includes a leather wrist strap, leather cuff boards, upgraded material for increased durability and maximized grip and a magnetic snap closure ensuring strong holding power while reducing tension on the strap during opening / closing. Here’s the story behind these innovative gloves-

There’s a new kid on the block, a brand new addition to Mujjo’s highly appraised line of Leather Touchscreen Gloves. Fitted with a fold-over closure and marked with the brand’s familiar slant line, the new Leather Touchscreen Gloves are a bold statement with an iconic look.

Mujjo All New Touchscreen Gloves Size L (black) Price — Dice.bg

Crafted with poise and quality

Designed by Remy Nagelmaeker (Co-founder) with subtleness in mind, the new gloves were formed according to Mujjo’s signature aesthetics. Crafted with poise and quality, the gloves present characteristics of masculinity with carefully considered materials. The matte finishing of the leather allows for a well-balanced iconic look in uniform dark tones along with a few areas of contrast intensifying the low-key design.These gloves are equipped with a magnetic snap closure, ensuring strong holding power while reducing tension on the strap during opening / closing.

Powered by nanotechnology

Powered by state of the art nanotechnology, which mimics the conductive properties of the human skin, Mujjo’s touchscreen gloves offer an unrestricted touchscreen experience and enable the user to utilize all fingers and even the palm of their hand.

To make the gloves compatible with touchscreen, nanotechnology is infused into premium Ethiopian lambskin known for offering the best isolation properties of any kind of leather. The technology functions independently from the human skin which enables us to fully insulate the gloves with a soft and warm cashmere lining.

Mujjo Leather Crochet Touchscreen Gloves » Gadget Flow

A great gift for someone

There’s no doubt our product would make for a great gift for someone, which is why we’ve put serious effort into designing the gift box. It is important to us that the high-quality of these leather gloves radiates through the packaging. The gift box package embodies the low-key personality of the gloves, delicate yet striking. Made with attention to detail, the materials are of uniform dark tones and contrasting textures.

The Story

Mujjo pioneered unrestricted touchscreen gloves and has continued to improve and evolve on all aspects of the designs ever since. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Karate

Football

Bicycling

Jiu Jitsu

Skating

Running

Fancy staying on a home exchange this wintry Spring and stretching your skiing budget?

Val d’Isere, France

Chamonix Les Houches, France

Klosters, Switzerland

Les Gets, France

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

La Rosière, France

Madonna di Campiglio, Italy

Courchevel Moriond 1650, France

Selva, Val Gardena, Italy

Geilo, Norway

About HomeExchange

Among the key findings of On the Front Lines: Conflict Zones and U.S. Arms Exports:

These studies follow earlier research by the WPF on which nations send arms into conflict zones, available on the website, Who Arms War?

ABOUT THE WORLD PEACE FOUNDATION

Paws of War Is On The Ground in The Ukraine

Paws of War volunteers have been scrambling to source the supplies so desperately needed, and are rushing them to the aid stations they have set up on the border.

They are seeking financial donations to help support the humanitarian crisis and bring relief to those fleeing Ukraine.

Paws of War has helped veterans with numerous issues, including suicide, service and support dogs, companion cats and dogs, food insecurity, veterinary care, and animal rescue for deployed military.

Educational Insights, a leader in manufacturing toys that ignite passions and inspire imaginations, offers two innovative new baby dolls.

Baby Bijoux is a beautifully crafted, anatomically correct 15.75” (40 cm) doll which encourages self-discovery, nurturing and empathy.

Which digital currency originated from the Doge meme and was originally introduced as a joke?

In a conflict situation, free and independent media are critical for ensuring civilians have access to potentially life-saving information and debunking disinformation and rumours.

UNESCO designations and sites in Ukraine

Digital privacy expert explains why often accepting cookies poses cyber risks

What are cookies, and why are they a threat?

68,5% of Canadians feel that their online data is used for targeted ads

How to stop cookies from tracking you

An interesting new trend is on the rise—colouring in a Bible.

People even discuss where to get Bibles with the largest margins so that there is room for their designs, creating an interesting demand on publishers and retailers.

Known as an equestrian community, Woodside retains a rural residential character despite being only a short commute to Silicon Valley and Stanford University.

Tesla was the only brand in the Top 10 of the ranking to see significant growth this year.

2021 saw Tesla increase its footprint in China, to ensure it continues to compete in the booming Chinese market.

Electric revolution sees Chinese brands surge

Whilst the Japanese brand wasn’t immune to the global chip shortage that ravaged the industry, Toyota was better placed than most to weather the storm thanks to its contingency stockpiling.

Started in 1957, Consumers Distributing tried to save costs for consumers by creating a warehouse like environment that allowed them to operate in smaller locations.

Canadian retail giant Hudson’s Bay Company also thought it was a pretty good idea since they purchased and ran a competitive chain of stores called “Shop-Rite” that were open from 1972 to 1982.

My friend Dave Thielking is a lot like me and he remembers the days when we were kids flipping through those catalogs.

Why app developers are focusing on metaverse

Why gaming apps are leading the metaverse

Gambling is innately Canadian.

What it is in the Canadian national psyche that drives this appetite is far from clear.

Of course, what it is that makes Canadians so happy to gamble remains an open question.

This post is dedicated to geeks who want to let their passions shine through their decor.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso

And so he maintains his Western MA studio.

The first project was a partnership with Headlong Dance.

“$1 billion usd in legal wagering on a single game would be an impressive milestone for the industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.

For this year’s game:

Peaberry beans are regarded as naturally sweeter, more aromatic, and more pleasant in taste than regular coffee beans.

“America’s Most Expensive Home – Twice As Big as the White House”

Big data is exactly what it sounds like, says Tyagi, who has more than two decades of experience in this sector and whose company was previously awarded for being one of the fastest-growing in America.

Searching for a mortgage broker can seem like an overwhelming process and you might not know where to begin.

We look here at some of the best, ranked in order of their claustrophobic factor.

To further personalise your Plus Four LM62, options include a soft-top hood, LM62-specific photographic build record, and an LM62 accessory pack which includes two-eared wheel spinners, a Moto-Lita steering wheel, headlight tape, and a chrome interior rear-view mirror.

Almost 6 billion accounts affected in data breaches in 2021

February saw the biggest data breach of all-time — COMB, or in other words, the Compilation of Many Breaches, which is responsible for the leak of a whopping 3.2 billion unique cleartext email and password combinations.

That’s part of what makes this format so wonderful.

Do you have trouble using your smart device in the cold?

Crafted with poise and quality

Powered by nanotechnology

A great gift for someone

The Story

Canada's 'biggest little blogspace'