YouHave got everything:A sweetest smile,A cheery hello,A loving look,A warm hug,A good kissAll in loving care.Yet in all daydreams of closeness and connection….I wish to giveYou a warm kiss,Yet impossibleAsYou are too highUp the sky;I hope to giveYou a pretty daffodilYet unlikelyAsYou are too disguisedBehind the curtain;I want to spread forYou a good breakfastYet too […]
Daydreams of A Lover
Horrific: Before Kanhaiya Lal, Amravati Chemist Umesh Kolhe was stabbed to death on June 21 for supporting Nupur Sharma. No outrage. No massive media reportage. 5 arrested: Muddsir Ahemad, Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Thoufik, Shoaib Khan & Atib Rashid. One Shamim Ahmed is absconding. It’s sad that we woke up to the barbaric killing of Umesh […]
Justice For Umesh Kolhe
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A disabled vehicle on I-190 led to a driver’s arrest and the discovery of a couple warrants. On Tuesday afternoon, New York State Police responded to a section of the highway in Buffalo. There, they say Christopher Krause, 40, was sitting in the passenger seat. Krause told police he was driving, but ran out of gas, according to authorities. While looking into the incident, police say it was determined the vehicle was stolen out of Cheektowaga. Krause, who was subsequently charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, also had two outstanding warrants from the Buffalo Police Department, authorities said. Krause, who is due back in court on July 15, was turned over to the City of Buffalo lockup. Texas teen arrested for planning mass shooting at Amazon Delivery Station, police say “It’s usually one of the busiest weekends”: Niagara Co. Sheriff’s Office patrols waterways for July 4 ‘Absolute tragedy’: Jet truck driver killed in air show accident Jet truck driver killed in Michigan air show accident Man arrested for alleged stalking, threatening Taylor Swift: reports Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
NYSP: Man tells Troopers he ran out of gas in stolen vehicle on I-190
Danish photographer Søren Solkær spent most of his 25-year professional career photographing famous musicians and actors. But recently he returned to the land of his youth to photograph the large starling murmurations that take place on Denmark’s Wadden Sea—the world’s largest system of intertidal sand and mud flats. Known locally as “sort sol,” the spring […]
Denmark’s Abstract Sky Paintings
In conversing with a friend tonight, we chatted about relationships and other lessons life has offered us. Whether it be family, friends or romance, relationships can be complex – or rather the people within the relationships can be complicated. I was thinking about my most recent relationship. I love him, always will – but I […]
Don’t let memories blind you from reality.
Ouch (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS) One of the world’s most bizarre competitions returned this weekend, after a three-year hiatus. Men and women lined up to chew and grimace as they took part in the World Nettle Eating Championships. The challenge for competitors was simple: eat as many 2ft-long nettles as possible in one hour. So who came out on top? They had to eat as many 2ft-long nettles as possible in one hour (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS) Keep going mate (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS) Lindie Rogers won the 2022 women’s competition, after rather impressively putting away 42ft of nettles. While for the men’s challenge, the two top front-runners could not be separated and required a tie-breaker – with an individual named Niall scooping the top spot. This year, the event was held at Dorset Cider Nectar Farm in Waytown for the first time – as the pub that previously ran the annual competition closed down in 2020. Lindie Rogers won the 2022 women’s competition (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS) Niall even came dressed as the nettles (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS) Ryan Strong, a partner at the Dorset Cider Nectar Farm, said: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this event over the years and I came second in the competition the last time it was held. ‘My chin stung for hours afterwards, but it was a great competition and a real community event. ‘It was a brilliant occasion and quite ridiculous as well to be honest, people eating nettles voluntarily! ‘There was a lot of grimacing, fingers stinging and black mouths, but they still seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. ‘People were watching avidly for the whole time, which is incredible. ‘It was great to bring it back.’ [metro-zone-post-strip] The origins of the unusual event go back to two farmers in the 1990s, who had a light-hearted competition on who could grow the longest stinging nettle. The winning farmer produced a 15ft long nettle, which the loser had to eat. An individual (rather aptly) named Philip Thorne holds the record for nettle-munching – after scoffing a huge 104ft worth of stinging nettle plants in 2018. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. [metro-link title=”Moving exhibition showcases the last photos people took before dying by suicide” url=”https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/23/exhibition-shows-the-last-images-people-took-before-dying-by-suicide-16874891/”/] [metro-link title=”Snaps show hundreds of ‘mermaids’ gathering at Plymouth Lido to try and break world record” url=”https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/02/mermaids-gather-at-plymouth-lido-to-try-and-break-world-record-16758968/”/] [metro-link title=”These winning snaps from the Wonderful Wildlife Photography Competition capture some incredible moments” url=”https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/07/wonderful-wildlife-photography-competition-some-of-the-winning-snaps-16057751/”/]
Incredible photos show competitors chewing and grimacing at World Nettle Eating Championships
Just in case you were wondering if they make graduation caps and gowns for cats – they do! Francesca Bourdier figured it out when she purchased a set for her one-and-a-half-year-old cat so she could graduate alongside her. According to FOX 7, Francesca graduated from the University of Texas this year, and with most of […]
Cat ‘Graduates’ From University After Attending Every Zoom Lecture With Owner
Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind debuts atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated July 2), giving the superstar his 11th No. 1 on the chart. The surprise release was announced on June 16, and the album dropped at midnight on June 17. The set is a sonic left-turn from the hip-hop giant, as it is “almost entirely composed of moody electronic atmospherics and body-moving dancefloor heat” and “leans on the house music scene” with collaborations from “seven house music producers with varying degrees of mainstream fame.” Drake becomes the fifth act with more than 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 since the chart began regularly publishing on a weekly basis in 1956. He joins The Beatles (who lead with a record 19 No. 1s), Jay-Z (14), Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand (each with 11). Honestly, Nevermind launches with 204,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 23, according to Luminate. Streaming activity powered 94% of the album’s first week sum. Also in the new top 10, Kevin Gates collects his fifth top 10 on the Billboard 200, as Khaza arrives at No. 8. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new July 2, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 28. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. Of Honestly, Nevermind’s 204,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 191,000 (equaling 250.23 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 11,000 and TEA units comprise 2,000. The 14-track Honestly, Nevermind bows with the fourth-largest streaming week for an album in 2022, by on-demand official streams: 250.23 million. Notably, the three larger weeks this year were all scored by albums with a longer tracklist (all in their debuts weeks): Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (356.55 million from 23 tracks), Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (343.02 million; 18 tracks) and Future’s I Never Liked You (283.75 million; 22 tracks). In fact, the last time an album as short (or shorter) as Honestly, Nevermind had a larger streaming week was over a year ago, when Olivia Rodrigo’s 11-track Sour bowed with 300.73 million on-demand official streams (chart dated June 5, 2021). The most-streamed cut on Honestly, Nevermind, by on-demand official streams, is its closing track “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage, with 39.59 million. The second-and-third-most streamed tracks are the album’s opening song “Falling Back” (27.05 million) and “Sticky” (26.16 million). “Falling” is the only song from the album with an official music video, and 3.03 million of its streams came from video plays. (Looking only at on-demand official audio streams, the two most-streamed tracks on the set are “Jimmy Cooks,” with 37.93 million and “Sticky,” with 25.37 million.) “Jimmy Cooks” and “Sticky” are the most rap-forward cuts on the album. Combined, the two songs accounted for 26% of the album’s first-week on-demand official streams (65.75 million of 250.23 million). In total, Honestly, Nevermind is Drake’s 14th top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200. From 2009, when he first charted, onwards, he’s logged at least one new top 10 in every year except for 2012 and 2014. Honestly gives Drake an eighth consecutive year with a new top 10 album (stretching back to 2015’s What a Time to Be Alive, with Future, and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – both No. 1s). No other act has notched a new top 10 in every year since 2015. At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Bad Bunny’s chart-topping Un Verano Sin Ti is a non-mover with 121,000 equivalent album units (down 8%). Un Verano Sin Ti has tallied over 100,000 in each of its first seven weeks on the chart. The last title to do so was Drake’s Scorpion, which saw its first seven weeks all exceed 100,000 units (July 28-Aug 25. 2018, charts). Harry Styles’ former leader Harry’s House is stationary at No. 3 with 79,000 equivalent album units (down 13%), BTS’ Proof falls 1-4 in its second week with 75,000 units (down 76%) and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album rises 6-5 with 52,000 units (up less than 1%). Future’s former No. 1 I Never Liked You dips 5-6 with 49,000 units (down 11%), and Post Malone’s Twelve Carat Toothache descends 4-7 with 44,000 units (down 26%). Kevin Gates nabs his fifth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as Khaza arrives at No. 8 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 34,000 (equaling 47.05 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise less than 1,000. Closing out the new top 10 are two former No. 1s: Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (7-9 with 36,000 equivalent album units; down 14%) and Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (8-10 with 32,000 units; up 1%). Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes exhaustive and thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data, removing any suspicious or unverifiable activity using established criteria before final chart calculations are made and published. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious and unverifiable is disqualified prior to the final calculation.
Drake Achieves 11th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Honestly, Nevermind’
Europe has been rewiring itself in impressive ways in the five months since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine. The coming weeks will show whether that work of building a more resolute European Union for a future of new security challenges will continue. Or, instead, will the rewiring short-circuit before the job is done in the face of rising economic headwinds and Putin’s grinding war of attrition. Thus far, the EU has remained unified with the United States and others behind an unprecedented set of sanctions on Russia. Further, it has begun to strengthen its hard power through increased defense spending, and it has moved swiftly to reduce its shameful energy dependence on Moscow. Most recently the Group of Seven nations appears poised to announce an import ban on Russian gold. In ways Putin never envisioned when he hatched his war, the EU has committed itself to Ukraine as a democratic, independent, and European country through billions of euros of economic support, unprecedented arms deliveries, and now an offer of membership candidacy to Ukraine and Moldova. Yet as impressive as the EU rewiring project has been thus far, it’s likely to short-circuit in the months ahead unless the political conviction grows even stronger around this historic moment. That will demand faster implementation of new defense and energy policies — and greater support for Ukraine. As Putin gains ground in Ukraine, with new strikes on Kyiv today almost certainly timed to coincide with the G-7 meeting in Germany, it will take all the political will European leaders can muster. They will face greater public pressures to end the war with benchmark gas prices climbing an additional 15% in the last week amidst the double shocks of Russian cuts and a fire at Freeport LNG in Texas, with inflation reaching 8.1 % in the euro area in May, and with economic recession dangers rising rapidly, given the threat of Russian gas cutoffs this winter. On another front, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde summoned her colleagues to an emergency session last week in Frankfurt that was designed to generate solidarity around steps to pre-empt any danger of a new euro zone debt crisis reaching Italy from the dual shocks of rising inflation and slowing growth. Putin is counting on the usual fatigue and political divisions that set in among Western democracies when they must weigh growing domestic concerns against international dangers. He’s seen enough to encourage him, including newly re-elected Emmanuel Macron’s failure to win a majority in the National Assembly, the first time in 30 years that’s been denied the French president. And for all the impressive arms shipments and economic support the Biden administration has delivered Ukraine, the weaponry firing range of some 50 miles remains insufficient to stop the Russian carpet-bombing, for fear of expanding the war. Beyond that, Putin knows U.S. mid-term elections are likely to weaken Biden further amid domestic disputes over the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade abortion protections and gun law disputes. Even as Putin’s war grows uglier, Americans are seeing less of it on their TV screens. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also looking weaker than in his first days in office, as he this weekend hosted the G-7 leaders in the Bavarian Alps. Scholz faced such a storm of criticism that he’s been dragging his feet on heavy weapons deliveries to Ukraine that his Defense Ministry was compelled to publish a full list of completed and planned deliveries, including seven self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers that at long last have arrived in Ukraine. It’s worth remembering that Europe’s greatest moments of forward progress typically come at times of crisis, as has been the case again following Putin’s war in Ukraine. It’s at such times that member states better manage their divisions and work more effectively around the EU’s mind-bending bureaucracy. The problem is that the current European divide that looks hardest to fix is a fundamental disagreement over how important a Ukrainian victory is and what it would take to bring it about. The closer you live to Russia as a European Union citizen, the more you argue, as I did in this space on June 5, that Putin doesn’t need the diplomatic off-ramp that Macron is offering but rather the dead-end that can only be brought by tougher sanctions and a more effective Ukrainian counter-offensive backed by longer-range weapons. Russia’s closest neighbors know that a bad peace where Ukraine gives up new territory can only provide a respite before Putin resumes his imperial efforts to take all of Ukraine and ultimately other former Soviet areas. In Western Europe, the desire is greater for a peace that would end the war now, even if the outcome leaves Putin in power and, as Macron has said, avoids humiliating him. “Despite the celebratory rhetoric in Brussels about the European Union’s surprisingly robust response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” writes Eoin Drea this week in Foreign Policy, “the war has not united the bloc in any unprecedented or transformative way. In fact, it’s having exactly the opposite effect. Beneath the soaring vista of Ukraine as a catalyst for a more muscular and geopolitically effective EU lie deep divisions, shifting allegiances, and a much more complex reality.” Counterbalancing that gloom, France’s Macron, Germany’s Scholz, Italian President Mario Draghi, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis visited Kyiv on June 16. Shortly after they returned, the European Parliament voted with 529 votes to 45 against and 14 abstentions to adopt a resolution calling on the Heads of State or Government to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine the Republic of Moldova, which they have now done. That symbolism must now be complemented by even greater substance. The rewiring of the EU has only just begun to strengthen its defenses, diversify its energy sources, tighten its transatlantic links and ensure Ukraine’s survival as a sovereign, free European state. To stay the course, European leaders and citizens must understand what they are doing isn’t just for Ukraine but even more for themselves. The lessons from two devastating World Wars and a Cold War are that staying unified is a pre-requisite for victory and that appeasing despots is always self-defeating. — Frederick Kempe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlantic Council.
Op-Ed: The EU’s Rewiring Due to the War in Ukraine Is Game-Changing, If It Doesn’t Short-Circuit Before the Job Is Done
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, […]
The Pileated Woodpecker
Then and again through and through my waking life needs change my hopes and dreams long-range my path continues to wander Now yes, and how my waking life is living again alive and full of vim my path continues to flourish Reena’s Xploration Challenge #236 Rebirth Think of times you’ve felt revived, reinvigorated, alive — maybe […]
My journey thrives
A few days ago, Ally, from The Spectacled Bean (why I kept seeing Speckled instead of Spectacled, is beyond me, and I apologize, Ally), shared some quirky deets about her father. This was inspired by her watching the last season of Grace and Frankie (which I loved, too), in particular, the Paprikash episode where Grace […]
For Dad on Father’s Day
JULISPECS 