The Serenity Thread - For relaxation, positivity, inspiration, and joy

[Resurgence]

Happy Easter‭!


For all those who acknowledged Easter on April‭ ‬21,‭ ‬I send my regards and best wishes.‭ ‬We continue on celebrating the Easter season as the day is honored‭ ‬in the realm of Eastern Orthodox Christianity‭ ‬today,‭ ‬April‭ ‬28.







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The Symbolism of the Passion Flower










Most of the rich symbols of the Passion of Our Lord have their roots in the Middle Ages, but there is one that comes from the American continent. It is the Passiflora, passion flower (in English), fruit de la passion (in French), fruta de la pasión (in Spanish) or flor-da-Paixão or flor de maracujá (in Portuguese).

When the Spanish and Portuguese missionaries and explorers came to the Americas in the 16th century, they were charmed by the exuberant beauty and features of this perfumed flower and immediately associated it with elements of Christ's Calvary. The Jesuits named the flower Flos Passionis or Flor de las Cinco Llagas, Flower of the Five Wounds. They brought it back with them to Spain and later the fruit found its way to other parts of Europe and the world.

In the flower of this purple-colored fruit one can find many of the symbols of the Passion. For this reason the early Catholic missionaries saw it as a gift of God to help them in their work of teaching the Indians to understand the Passion of Christ and the Crucifixion. Even the purple color of the flower was remindful of the liturgical color of Lent. Let us look at the many symbols found in the Passion flower:











• Its central pillar represents the column where Our Lord was so brutally flogged, and the many slender tendrils surrounding its base were likened to the cords and whips used in the scourging.

• The three top stigma, each with a roughly rounded head, symbolize the three nails used to drive the spikes into our Lord's flesh.

• The five anthers are symbolic of the five Sacred Wounds and the circle of filaments that compose the dramatic center of this flower represent the Crown of Thorns.

• The rays within the flower form a nimbus, representing Our Lord's divine glory.

• The leaves on many of these plants are shaped like the spear that pierced His Heart.

• The 10 petals represent the 10 apostles who forsook their Master and fled, omitting Judas, the traitor, and St. John, who remained with Our Lady under the Cross.

A symbolic meaning was found even for the often round shape of the Passion fruit itself: it represents the sinful world that Christ came to save by the supreme sacrifice of His life.


The fruit of the Passion flower.



Our first sketch of this exotic plant is from a pamphlet dated 1609. The Dominican monk Simone Parlasca clearly sketched the passion fruit vine, emphasizing the symbols of Christ's passion we find in the flower. One year later, another sketch by Eugenio Petrelli on the frontipiece in a book by Antonia Possevino, made the symbols even more distinct. This model was widely used in pamphlets of the time.

There are now believed to be more than 500 species of the Passion flower around the world, but mostly in Brazil. Some are edible, especially the most popular Passiflora edulis. Its fruit is eaten fresh or used in drinks, desserts, jams and ice creams. A vigorous and rapid climber, it supplies shade, color and nectar all year and is quite easy to grow.

Roots and leaves of the Passion flower have been used to make a tea which treats epilepsy, hysteria and insomnia. This tincture even has properties that help to soothe pain. The Europeans soon discovered the value of this marvelous plant and took up its use, especially for calming the nerves. It is yet another symbolic aspect of the Passion fruit: like Christ who came to relieve the sufferings and anxieties of fallen man, so this marvelous plant relieves the angsts and pains of those who take advantage of the properties imbued in it by God the Creator.


The Passion flower is the state wildflower of Tennessee. It was recognized as the state flower in 1919, chosen by the schoolchildren of Tennessee.  In 1973, legislation was passed that officially designated the flower as the state wildflower. As of 2012, the Passion flower now shares the honor with the Tennessee coneflower.















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Positive News:


Donations to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral near $1 billion


PARIS – Notre Dame Cathedral was perhaps only minutes away from total destruction when Monday's blaze swept through the medieval building, authorities said.

At least 30 firetrucks, vehicles and even boats on Paris’ River Seine responded quickly to the blaze – most reaching the scene within 11 minutes, according to French firefighters.

One of the first firefighters on the scene said the fast response was related to the deep knowledge of the inside of the 850-year-old house of worship. “We knew the church really well because we had done a lot of drills there,”  Chief Cpl. Miryam Chudzinski said Wednesday at a news conference.

Chudzinski recounted that when she arrived at the scene and saw large crowds watching, and in many cases filming the fire with their phones, she realized the scale of what they were dealing with. “We are proud of how we handled it,” she said.

Gabriel Plus, a representative for the Paris Fire Brigade, said Wednesday that at least 60 members of his organization remain at Notre Dame to check the cathedral’s structural integrity.

“When the fire reached the center of the cathedral, a robot was brought in, and my firefighters were pulled out, to douse the flames,” Plus said. “It was too dangerous for them once the flames reached the spire.”

Donations neared the $1 billion mark and recovery efforts ramped up Wednesday at the charred cathedral.

Priceless relics and historical treasures were saved from a devastating fire that left Paris – and much of the world – in shock.

Engineers and historians are likely to put up a temporary roof to protect the cathedral from the elements, assess damage and salvage materials before beginning repairs that may take decades.

Plus said the building’s outer buttresses are secure, but some damaged stonework will be cleared. Scaffolding damaged in the fire – part of renovation work before the blaze – will be removed.

Structural engineers, stained-glass experts and stonemasons from across the globe are likely to head to Paris to help with restorations in the next few weeks.

The cost to completely repair the church will reach $1.13 billion to $2.3 billion, according to Stephane Bern, who heads heritage renovation programs across France.

Bern said about $995 million was raised in just a day and a half from French business leaders and ordinary worshipers at home and abroad. The French government is gathering donations and setting up a special office to deal with them.

The cathedral's 18th-century organ suffered some burn damage but has not been lost, Olivier Latry, one of the church's three organists.

French Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said efforts to save the cathedral’s stone structure and two towers "came down to 10 to 15 minutes."

Nunez said fires were stopped before they had an opportunity to spread and it was only this "small window" and the heroic efforts of firefighters who formed a human chain to save relics that staved off more damage.

American art historian Andrew Tallon used laser technology to completely digitally map Notre Dame in 2015, creating a replica that could help architects and engineers rebuild the Gothic cathedral.



https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world...493655002/



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Pablo Casals


O Vos Omnes


Composed: 1932


Performed by: Antiphon

Directed by: Matthew Cann


The performance was filmed at Buckfast Abbey on Saturday March 3, 2012 in a program entitled Lent Reflections.









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Paschale Mysterium: Gregorian Chant for Easter


Recorded: 1995

Released: February 19, 1997


1. Vexilla Regis Prodeunt, Hymn 4:14
2. Domine, Exaudi, Tractus 4:51
3. Crucem Tuam Adoramus, Antiphon 4:55
4. Improperia II 7:24
5. Incipit Oratio Ieremiae Prophetae (Sabbati Sancti, Lectio Terza) (Manuscrit Q43 Du Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale, Bologna) 3:55
6. Exsultet Iam Angelica Turba Caelorum 18:01
7. Cantemus Domino, Canticum 3:08
8. Surrexit Dominus Vere, Alleluia. Venite, Exultemus Dominuo (Psalm 94) 9:06
9. Alleluia, Haec Dies, Antiphon 2:13
10. Haec Dies, Confitemini, (responsorium, Graduale) 4:39
11. Alleluia Pascha Nostrum 2:33
12. Victimae Paschali Laudes, Sequence In Mode 1 For Easter (1. T/GR 198, Liber Usualis No. 780) 2:13
13. Exsultemus Et Laetemur, Cantus Responsorialis 2:42
14. Aurora Lucis, Hymn For Easter 2:27
15. Benedicamus Domino, Alleluia. Deo Gratias 1:00







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George Frideric Handel


Messiah (HWV 56)



Composed: 1741


Conductor: Christopher Hogwood


Orchestra: The Academy of Ancient Music


Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford


Words Selected from Holy Scripture by Charles Jennens



Soloists:

Judith Nelson (Soprano 1)

Emma Kirkby (Soprano 2)

Carolyn Watkinson (Contralto)

Paul Elliott (Tenor)

David Thomas (Bass)


Recorded in Westminster Abbey, London, 1982







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Bill Alexander - The Magic Art Instructor #106


 



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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping

Aquascape Tutorial - Continuity






Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

"The Difference Between Low-tech vs. High-tech Planted Aquarium Tanks"

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Amateur photographer snaps photos of the beautiful multicolored Malabar giant squirrels of India






An amateur photographer had no idea that when he shared his photos from a trip to India, he’d be teaching people about an animal. Many have never heard of Malabar giant multicolored squirrels, but now plenty are obsessed with the exotic creature.

Kaushik Vijayan was visiting an Indian forest when he first spotted the majestic animals.

Their unusual colors are what makes them so fascinating to look at. The squirrels are black, brown, red, orange, maroon, and purple. He captured some pictures of the pretty critters, which he had also never heard of. He shared the photos to Instagram, where they started going viral.
































“The squirrels fascinated me and I got excited to capture this beauty on my camera,” he said.

These bright, beautiful squirrels look nothing like the ones you’re used to seeing. They are Malabar giant squirrels. They are two times the size of an eastern gray squirrel. They are about 36 inches from head to tail.

They are locally known as shekru. Their fur features vivid colors, such as maroon and purple, that you don’t usually see in mammals.

Kaushik Vijayan had never heard of the animals before seeing them in an Indian forest.

“The sight was an absolute feast for my eyes,” he stated.

Kaushik captured the photos in Pathanamthitta District in the southern state of Kerala.

“The squirrels fascinated me and I got excited to capture this beauty on my camera,” he explained.

They barely touch the ground! They can leap as far as 20 feet which helps them move from tree to tree.

The squirrels are found only in eastern and southern India. While they aren’t in immediate danger of extinction, populations are dwindling due to loss and degradation of forest habitats due to human activity. Another threat to the squirrels is the changing of climate in higher elevations.

The squirrels are believed to be shy, so it’s great that Kaushik got the opportunity to see them. He didn’t see just one of these squirrels, but two interacting playfully.








Kaushik Vijayan.




https://www.littlethings.com/giant-multi...quirrels/7



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Fjallabræður,‭ ‬Magnús Þór Sigmundsson‭ ‬-‭ ‬Freyja


Language:‭ ‬Icelandic‭ (‬with English subtitles‭)






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We have reached the end of our time with Bill Alexander and now return to the programs of Bob Ross.

In this first episode of season 2, Bob pays homage to Bill with a special dedication.


The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 1 - "Meadow Lake"






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Inisheer (an Irish ballad)

Composer: Thomas Walsh


Performed by: Marion Le Solliec (Celtic harp), Jean-Yves Le Solliec (low whistle)


Inisheer (or Inis Oírr in Irish) is the smallest and most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland.






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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping

Aquascape Tutorial - Reciprocity






Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

"Planted Aquarium Fish Tank Substrates Understood"






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Clannad


Banba


This Recording Released: 1993


Languages: Irish and English



1. Na Laethe Bhí




2. Banba Óir




3. There For You




4. Mystery Game




5. Struggle




6. I Will Find You




7. Soul Searcher




8. Caidé Sin Do'n Té Sin




9. The Other Side




10. Sunset Dreams




11. A Gentle Place

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Irish lady is content in her 280-year-old family cottage with no modern conveniences







Ireland has long been applauded for its famous hospitality, but Irish pensioner Margaret Gallagher argues that her almost three-centuries-old thatched cottage is one of the last refuges of the true, old-fashioned spirit of Irish hospitality at its finest.

"There are some communities that are hospitable, there are others that are not. Some ask you do you want a cup of tea, but you never ask anyone if they want a cup of tea. You make it, you just get it there, full stop. If they don't drink it, they don't drink it. Tough luck, but at least you made it,” she tells the Irish Independent.

In an interview with the Irish newspaper, 74-year-old Gallagher revealed the ins and outs of her life, avoiding modern phenomenon such as social media, phones, TV, and even electricity in her 280-year home in Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh, first purchased in the late 19th century by her grandfather.

"There never was a time for transition to something more modern. I was born into this house on January 26, 1942, at five past nine on a Monday morning. My mother died when I was 10, my father died in 1980. His father bought this house in 1887, and my take on it is if it was good enough for them, then it's good enough for me," she said.

Setting up a fire to keep the place warm, carrying in water from a nearby well, and carrying in turf and logs to keep the fire going for the rest of the day are chores that must be all carried out first thing in the morning, and heavy preparations must be made in the case of cold weather, but it's obvious that Gallagher wouldn’t swap out her lot for anybody else’s in the world.

"I tell you, I carry some turf, I also carry some water. I was born under Aquarius, but nobody carries more water than I do,” she continues.







"People come to look at me as if I am an endangered species. That's grand, I am very endangered. But it's for real. I am not here to please an American tourist who is oohing and aahing, looking at me, saying: 'I thought people in this lifestyle would have a long black skirt on them'. I say: 'Possibly, but if you see the path I have down to the well, a long black skirt would need a washing'."

Nestled above the towns of Belcoo and Blacklion, the Fermanagh cottage has never had running water or electricity, but Gallagher insists it's simply a question of making sure she has enough water and fuel stockpiled to stop disaster from striking, even when the worst of winter weather strikes.

"I have a wireless radio and listen to the news headlines on that. I brought in plenty of logs and turf and carried in plenty of water, so I was well equipped for it,” the 74-year-old explains.

“I have enough water now I could bathe the country for a small charge. I had to get up very early the other morning to knock the snow off the roof with a pole. If you don't do that it can damage the roof. It came down with a crash.

"With a house like this, you have to prepare for what's coming."

The cottage itself is grade-two listed, meaning that it is a building of special interest that should be preserved, looking almost exactly as it would have done when Gallagher’s family first made the purchase.

"This house makes a statement. It sits very comfortably on the landscape, even though I am surrounded by beautiful new homes. It says that you can't forget about your past, you bring it with you proudly into the future," she told the Independent.

"It's part of me. It's my identity. It's who I am.”

The front door of the cottage is normally left open to help the air circulation in the house, while double oil burners are reflected by mirrors behind them, brightening the house even further.

Although she lives alone in the house, Gallagher claims she never suffers from any form of isolation, arguing that more solitude is what many of us need in our lives, cutting off from our phones and social media for a little while.

Explaining her theory, Gallagher states: "I am not interested in what is going on in the world because I can't fix it. I can't fix what is going on in Northern Ireland, and I could even fix something if it was going on in my own homeland. The news doesn't interest me. And all this chatting about people you don't know: I don't think anyone in outer Mongolia is the slightest bit interested in what Margaret Gallagher is doing.

“A  period of silence or solitude should be encouraged in the house," she adds explaining that as an avid reader she gets by without a TV set.

"By God, there was a welcome,” she says of the old Irish open-door policy.

“There was no intrusion of a television, not that there is anything wrong with a television. I have a wind-up radio which I listen to in the mornings to get the time, the day, the date and the news headlines. The problem with televisions and everything else, there doesn't seem to be an off button ever used.

“We were taught so much long ago from the monks of old, particularly the monks who lived on Cleenish Island, about solitude and hospitality. But that is gone now. When you talk to someone they are on a mobile phone or an iPad, there is no eye contact. I do think we are slipping on hospitality. I think the day of the open door is gone."



https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/in-...is-content



In 1992, a short documentary was made about her life by filmmaker John Callister.

The documentary aired on the BBC.


All I've Ever Known






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Bruce BecVar - Blue Ridge





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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 2 - “Winter Sun”






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Tangerine Dream - Love On A Real Train





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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping

Aquascaping Tutorial - Five Stones






Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

“Aquarium Flow - Why Water Circulation Matters”






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Documentary:


Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden (1992)


Experience a breathtaking journey through some of the most exquisite gardens in the world. Renowned for their beauty, Japanese gardens have been retreats for people to rediscover the natural world for more than 1,000 years. Dream Window reveals the secrets of both classical and contemporary Japanese gardens. Prominent Japanese personalities add commentary, shedding light on the role of gardens in Japanese society today.






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Desktop Backgrounds - Japanese Gardens:































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Takashi Kokubo (小久保隆)
 
Oasis Of The Wind ～ Forest Of Ion ～ (風のオアシス～イオンの森～)


This Recording Released: 1992

Tracklist:

00:00 イオンの森 (Forest Of Ion)
20:42 トワイライト (Twilight)
37:14 サンクチュアリ (Sanctuary)

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


There’s magic in your smile


Smiling activates the release of neuropeptides that work toward fighting off stress. Neuropeptides are tiny molecules that allow neurons to communicate. They facilitate messaging to the whole body when we are happy.

The feel-good neurotransmitters — dopamine, endorphins and serotonin — are all released when a smile flashes across your face as well. This not only relaxes your body, but it can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure. The endorphins act as a natural pain reliever. The serotonin release brought on by your smile serves as an anti-depressant and mood lifter. Many of today’s pharmaceutical anti-depressants also influence the levels of serotonin in your brain, but with a smile, you don’t have to worry about negative side effects — and you don’t need a prescription from a doctor.

A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia reported that seeing an attractive, smiling face activates your orbitofrontal cortex, the region in your brain that process sensory rewards. This suggests that when you view a person smiling, you actually feel rewarded. It also explains the 2011 findings by researchers at the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Subjects were asked to rate smiling and attractiveness. They found that both men and women were more attracted to images of people who made eye contact and smiled than those who did not.

The part of your brain that is responsible for your facial expression of smiling when happy or mimicking another’s smile resides in the cingulate cortex, an unconscious automatic response area. In a Swedish study, subjects were shown pictures of several emotions: joy, anger, fear, and surprise. When the picture of someone smiling was presented, the researchers asked the subjects to frown. Instead, they found that the facial expressions went directly to imitation of what subjects saw. It took conscious effort to turn that smile upside-down. So if you’re smiling at someone, it’s likely they can’t help but smile back. If they don’t, they’re making a conscious effort not to.

Gracing your face with a smile can seriously change your internal and external experience. Your smile is something that should be worn often, so make it a priority to surround yourself with positive people, uplifting places, nature and animals and things that interest you to brighten your day.

Vow to have a positive outlook and smile. Your brain will reward you.



https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...your-smile



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The Paper Kites:


The Paper Kites are an indie rock-folk band from Melbourne, Australia. The band was formed in 2010. Their music is soothing, moving and reflective.


(Left to Right) Christina Lacy, Sam Rasmussen, Josh Bentley, Sam Bentley, Dave Powys




 Sam Bentley: vocals, guitars, keyboards
 Christina Lacy: vocals, guitars, keyboards
 David Powys: vocals, guitars, banjo, lap steel
 Josh Bentley: drums, percussion
 Sam Rasmussen: bass, synth



Don’t Keep Driving




Only One (Live June, 2018, Brooklyn, NY)




Red Light




On The Train Ride Home




Too Late




Flashes (Live November 29, 2018, Paste Studios, New York, NY)




St. Clarity




When It Hurts You




Arms




Revelator Eyes




Tenenbaum




Nothing More Than That




Mess We Made




Electric Indigo





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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 3 - “Ebony Sea“






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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping

Aquascaping Tutorial - Crimson Sky






Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

“Rule of Thirds - Elements of Design”






Aquascaper George Farmer also has some interesting videos on YouTube.

In this video, George visits the beautiful Green Aqua, an aquascaping store located in Budapest, Hungary.






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Bedřich Smetana

Ma Vlast (My Homeland)


Composed: Between 1874 and 1879


Recorded at the Smetana Hall of the Council House, Prague, live at the opening concert of the Prague Spring Festival, on 12 May, 1990. 


Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Rafael Kubelík


1. Vysehrad 00:00
2. Vltava (Moldau) 15:45
3. Sarka 27:28
4. Z ceskych luhu a haju 37:14
5. Tabor 50:29
6. Blanik 01:03:28







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The Paintings of Ivan Shishkin:



Portrait of Shishkin by Ivan Kramskoi (1873).



Portrait of Ivan Shishkin by Ivan Kramskoi (c. 1880).




Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (Russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Ши́шкин), born 25 January 1832, was a Russian landscape painter.

He was born in Yelabuga of Vyatka Governorate (today Republic of Tatarstan) and graduated from the Kazan gymnasium. Then he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture for four years. After that, he attended the Saint Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts from 1856 to 1860 and graduated with the highest honours and a gold medal. He received the imperial scholarship for his further studies in Europe.

Five years later, he became a member of the Imperial Academy in St. Petersburg and was professor of painting from 1873 to 1898. At the same time, he headed the landscape painting class at the Highest Art School in St. Petersburg.

For some time, he lived and worked in Switzerland and Germany on scholarship from the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts. On his return to Saint Petersburg, he became a member of the Circle of the Itinerants and of the Society of Russian Watercolorists. He also took part in exhibitions at the Academy of Arts, the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow (1882), the Nizhniy Novgorod (1896), and the World Fairs (Paris, 1867 and 1878, and Vienna, 1873). His painting method was based on analytical studies of nature. He became famous for his forest landscapes and was also an outstanding draftsman and a printmaker.

He owned a dacha in Vyra, south from St. Petersburg. There he painted some of his finest landscapes. His works are notable for poetic depiction of seasons in the woods, wild nature, animals and birds. In 1891, he was appointed professor-director of the landscape class in the Academy's Advanced Art School. He died on 20 March 1898 in St. Petersburg.



Forest Landscape With Herons (1870)




Forest-aspen (1896)




In Front of the Mirror, Reading the Letter (1870)




Mordvinova Oaks (1891)




Morning in a Pine Forest (1889)




Oak, Lit by the Sun (XIX Century)




Oaks (1887)




Off the Coast of the Gulf of Finland (Adrias near Narva) (1888)




Park Villas of Count Mordvinov (1891)




Teutoburg Forest (1865)




The Herd Under the Trees (1864)




Walk in the Woods (1869)




Winter in the Woods (Frost) (1877)

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Virutally energy-free superfast computing invented by scientists using light pulses


A new invention uses magnets to record computer data which consume virtually zero energy, solving the dilemma of how to create faster data processing speeds without high energy costs.

Today's data centre servers consume between 2 to 5% of global electricity consumption, producing heat which in turn requires more power to cool the servers.

The problem is so acute that Microsoft has even submerged hundreds of its data centre services in the ocean in an effort to keep them cool and cut costs.

Most data are encoded as binary information (0 or 1 respectively) through the orientation of tiny magnets, called spins, in magnetic hard-drives. The magnetic read/write head is used to set or retrieve information using electrical currents which dissipate huge amounts of energy.

Now an international team publishing in Nature has solved the problem by replacing electricity with extremely short pulses of light -- the duration of one trillionth of a second -- concentrated by special antennas on top of a magnet.

This new method is superfast but so energy efficient that the temperature of the magnet does not increase at all.

They demonstrated this new method by pulsing a magnet with ultrashort light bursts (the duration of a millionth of a millionth of a second) at frequencies in the far infrared, the so called terahertz spectral range.

However, even the strongest existing sources of the terahertz light did not provide strong enough pulses to switch the orientation of a magnet to date.

The breakthrough was achieved by utilizing the efficient interaction mechanism of coupling between spins and terahertz electric field, which was discovered by the same team.

The scientists then developed and fabricated a very small antenna on top of the magnet to concentrate and thereby enhance the electric field of light. This strongest local electric field was sufficient to navigate the magnetization of the magnet to its new orientation in just one trillionth of a second.

The temperature of the magnet did not increase at all as this process requires energy of only one quantum of the terahertz light -- a photon -- per spin.

Dr Mikhaylovskiy said: "The record-low energy loss makes this approach scalable.

Future storage devices would also exploit the excellent spatial definition of antenna structures enabling practical magnetic memories with simultaneously maximal energy efficiency and speed."

He plans to carry out further research using the new ultrafast laser at Lancaster University together with accelerators at the Cockroft Institute which are able to generate intense pulses of light to allow switching magnets and to determine the practical and fundamental speed and energy limits of magnetic recording.



https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...131745.htm



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Jon Bryant - At Home





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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 4 - “Shades of Grey”






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Joep Beving - Ab Ovo

 



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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping

Aquascaping Tutorial - Arizona






Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

“Understanding Aquarium Lighting - PAR Meter Review - Apogee SQ-520 Full Spectrum Quantum Sensor”






Aquascaper George Farmer:

George visits the beautiful ADA Idea Studio of Adam Paszczela in Poland.






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Italian Family Restores Abandoned Medieval Village Home in the Alps


With 25,000 euros and 1000 hours of work, Maurizio Cesprini and his wife Paola Gardin rebuilt a ruined home in the medieval village of Ghesc, Italy. They hope other young families will consider their example with a plentiful supply of medieval ghost towns. They also feel drawn to save the rich architectural heritage of artisanal stonework dotting villages throughout the Alps, and beyond.

Called “The Village Laboratory”, Ghesc is part-owned by the Canova Association and hosts workshops so college students worldwide can come learn historical stone construction techniques. The public half of the village includes a communal kitchen, pizza oven and concert spaces.

Right now Ghesc (in local dialect; “Ghesio” in Italian) in the commune of Montecrestese near the Swiss border has just 3 inhabitants (Maurizio, Paola and their son Emil), but the four homes that comprise the private side of town are at various stages of being rebuilt.







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Tomoyuki Asakawa (朝川朋之)


Endless Tide (ゆくえなき夜に)


This Recording Released: 1993


Tracklist:

0:00 いざない (Introduction)
6:00 いとなみ (Itonami)
11:22 未知 (Unknown)
19:26 さざめき (Sazameki)
23:55 たゆたい (Tayutai)
28:29 群青 (Prussian Blue)
34:30 ゆらめき (Yurameki)
38:00 ゆくえなき夜に (Endless Tide)

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Russia on track for 3rd straight year as world’s biggest grain exporter, all Non-GMO


Russia is projected to harvest a solid harvest of wheat of over 77mn tonnes and 38.4mn tonnes of feed grain (corn, sorghum, barley, rye, oats, millet), making a total harvest of 115.4mn tonnes in 2019, Vedomosti daily reported on May 13 citing the US Department of Agriculture.

Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture currently forecasts 118mn tonnes of grains to be harvested, up by 5% year-on-year, out of that 75mn-78mn of wheat. Other domestic agricultural agencies and market players project harvest of 125mn-130mn, with wheat harvest of above 80mn tonnes.

In 2019, apart making Russia world’s largest exporter of wheat for the third year in a row, the solid harvest would reinforce downwards inflationary dynamics and help the central bank lower the interest rates. Russia could export at least 42mn to 46mn tonnes of wheat in 2019, out of total global output of about 777mn tonnes.

Grain harvests have been rising steadily in recent years following a massive investment campaign by the state.

Russia is now earning $20bn a year from grain exports – more than it earns from arms exports. Combined exports of agricultural products grew 20% to $25.9bn in 2018, almost twice as much as exports of arms and weapons.



https://www.checkpointasia.net/russia-on...ight-year/



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Astor Piazzolla

Oblivion


Composed: 1982

Cello: Stjepan Hauser

Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Ivo Lipanovic

Live at Arena Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 12th of June, 2012







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The Joy of Painting


Season 2, Episode 5 - "Autumn Splendor"







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Mari Pokinen - Paradiis


Language: Estonian


English and Estonian lyrics are provided in the video.







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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping


Aquascaping Tutorial - Red Rock Nano







Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:


“How to Trim Aquatic Plants”


“Trimming Stem Plants Tutorial”




“Trimming Rosettes, Carpets and Rhizomes Tutorial”





Aquascaper George Farmer:


“biOrb AIR 60 - Full Step by Step Tutorial Terrarium Scape”







“Beautiful Triton Reef Aquascape - Room Divider - 7 months old ”


This beautiful aquascape was designed and installed by Vincent Thomas from Aquarium Connections. He also continues to maintain it.


Aquarium Specifications:

* Aquarium dimensions: 2500 x 800 x 750 high

* 19 mm Low Iron Glass

* 2 external weirs

* 4 Ultra Reef charge returns

* Extruded aluminum stand


The heart of the system is the Triton Method.

It is monitored by an Alkatronic and Ghl computer.

Lighting consists of 6 Radion XR15 for controlled dawn till dusk, with 8 x Reefbrite XHO to give a blanket cover of light.

Skimming is accomplished with a Ultra Reef UKS 250 DC skimmer.

Al99 phosphate media and Triton Carbon are run in two Ultra Reef UFF-003 Media reactors.

The water circulation is powered by an Abyzz A400.

A Teco 2000 chiller is plumbed in to an outdoor storage area, to keep the heat stable all year around.

ICP and N-doc analysis are carried out on a regular basis.







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Documentary:


Untethered (2016)







Untethered takes an immensely personal look straight into the heart of the slacklining and highlining community in Vancouver BC. It is an epic ride from beginning to the end, offering an inspiring look into a group that pursues the unthinkable.







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Johann Sebastian Bach


The Brandenburg Concertos


German baroque music orchestra Freiburger Barockorchester performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046–1051, original title: Six Concerts à plusieurs instruments), a collection of six instrumental works. These concerti are widely considered as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era. Recorded 23-26 March 2000 at the Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Köthen (Der Spiegelsaal im Schloss Köthen), where Bach himself served from 1717 to 1723.

While functioning as Kapellmeister (Director of Music) to the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen, Bach presented to Christian Ludwig Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt the Baroque masterworks known as the "Brandenburg Concertos" in 1721.

Because King Frederick William I of Prussia was not a significant patron of the arts, Christian Ludwig seems to have lacked the musicians in his Berlin ensemble to perform the concertos. The full score was left unused in the Margrave's library until his death in 1734, when it was sold for 24 groschen of silver (in today’s money, around 25 euros). The autograph manuscript of the concertos was only rediscovered in the archives of Brandenburg by Siegfried Wilhelm Dehn in 1849; the concertos were first published in the following year.







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Summer Desktop Backgrounds:



I wish everyone a happy, safe summer.

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary saves hundreds of dogs, pays vet bills for life







About 100 senior dogs are enjoying a good life at Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, a fairy tale land for former shelter dogs in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Hundreds more are lounging on soft beds and soaking up affection in "forever foster homes" located within a 100-mile radius of the sanctuary. Foster families get to care for calm, content pets without ever having to worry about a single vet bill, and the once-homeless dogs get to spend the rest of their days as part of a family.

"When they come to us from the shelter, we say, 'Today is the day that they start their new life,'" Zina Goodin, co-founder of Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, told TODAY. "We just try to help them feel better and make them healthy so they can live out the rest of their lives happily."

Zina, 62, and her husband, Michael Goodin, 66, started the sanctuary in 2012 when they were semi-retired and on the prowl for meaningful volunteer opportunities. The couple saw a huge need to help older animals at shelters in Middle Tennessee, where euthanasia rates are high.







"People are less likely to adopt a senior dog from the shelter because they worry about the additional veterinary needs and medications," Zina Goodin said. "Just like senior people, senior dogs have special needs ... so the senior dogs need rescue more than the younger dogs do."

Eager to prevent older dogs from dying alone and afraid in shelters, the Goodins started out by taking a posse of pooches into their own home. Their efforts gradually grew as friends and strangers heard about what they were doing and offered to foster even more senior dogs in their homes. Then, in 2014 and 2015, that gradual growth became exponential thanks to social media; people began falling madly in love with dogs featured on the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary's Facebook page.

"Almost like a soap opera, people would cling onto certain dogs," Michael Goodin said. "They loved it!"

Today, Old Friends has more than 1.8 million followers on Facebook, live cams so fans can watch the dogs' antics in real time online and about 400 rescued senior dogs in its care. Two and a half years ago, the sanctuary relocated to 2 acres on the site of a former garden center. In their expanded digs, senior dogs can roam inside or outside as much as they want, and there's no shortage of soft surfaces, socializing, sniffing and snoring.







The sanctuary relies on more than 300 volunteers and employs 26 people, including a full-time, on-site veterinarian to help keep the dogs' health-care costs down. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, small tour groups of as many as six people visit the sanctuary to see its operations in person and meet all the dogs.

"We've become a bucket list item for a lot of people," said Sally McCanner, Old Friends' foster medical coordinator and tour director.

During a recent tour, visitors from Georgia were excited to meet some of their favorite dogs from Facebook and the live cams. The dog at the top of their priority list was Mack, a bona fide internet star who had been in bad shape when he first came to Old Friends about four years ago.

"He had no vision because he had really bad glaucoma in his eyes, which is extremely painful," Zina Goodin recalled. "So we had his eyes removed, and Mack never was bothered by it. Mack has been able to do everything Mack loves to do. You can watch him go through the yards and he knows where the water is, he knows where the bushes are, he knows where the steps are. ... You wouldn't even know he's blind."

Michael Goodin reflected on how loving and playful Mack is.

"Mack actually likes to jump into people's arms — he's that trusting," he said. "He does that with Mason, our worker ... He'll jump right into his arms, not even seeing that he can hold him, trusting him completely. What a character! He's just fantastic."







Another must-see dog on many tours is Babs. Babs is a "bagle," or beagle/basset hound mix, who loves the thrill of the hunt: she's known for wandering outside, sniffing at full throttle and baying loudly about her aromatic findings.

Most dogs at the sanctuary range in age from about 10 to 14, although their ages are often "guesstimates" from veterinarians because so many animals arrive at shelters with incomplete or mysterious back stories. Some dogs are picked up as strays, while others get removed from situations of hoarding, abuse or neglect. Many more spend years living as family pets until their human owners face a life upheaval of some sort, such as a financial emergency, illness, divorce, home foreclosure or even a military deployment.

Another common scenario for senior shelter dogs is that their older human caretakers either pass away or move into nursing facilities that do not accept pets. Shelter stays can be even more stressful and disorienting for senior dogs in situations like these.

"They're super confused because they've been with a family for 12 years and, all of a sudden, they're basically in jail," Michael Goodin said. "It's wonderful to come in and save these guys and see 'em just brighten up and be great."







After they arrive at the sanctuary and have their pressing veterinary needs met, the dogs tend to settle in quickly and let their true personalities show. At that point, sanctuary workers can start to see which dogs would be most likely to thrive in private foster homes and which ones would be best suited for sanctuary life.

The dogs who are sanctuary lifers love meeting all the new visitors on tour days. McCanner introduced the recent guests from Georgia to dogs with names like Sonny, Cher, Lollipop, Elmo, Freckles, Buttercup, Short Stack and Augustus Gloop.

"This is Mister Mister," she said at one point. "He's our resident marshmallow. ... Oh, and we've got Bella here. She looks like a potato but she's a sweet girl."







McCanner blows visitors' minds with tales of just how much laundry the sanctuary's 90 to 100 senior dogs generate. Old Friends invested in a commercial washer and dryer about a year ago to handle it all.

"That dryer will do 100 pounds of laundry in less than 30 minutes!" McCannner said. "The only distressing thing is we might look good for a couple hours, but then pretty much we're back to square one and we're starting all over because most of these guys can't hold it."







All of the sanctuary's cleaning supplies, pet food, medications, veterinary care and other needs are paid for by donations.

"Our average donation is only $25, so we have a lot of people who support us," Zina Goodin said. "It also shows that every single donation that we get is very important."

"A lot of the dogs who come in from the shelters are in pretty bad shape ... and it is quite amazing how quickly those dogs will start to heal and turn into lively, energetic, healthy dogs when they're given the care that they need. They're able to move on and trust people and love people again."

The work of Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary and other senior dog rescue efforts across North America is described in the bestselling book "My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts," written by TODAY senior editor Laura T. Coffey and with photographs by Lori Fusaro. The book includes a comprehensive, state-by-state listing of senior dog rescue programs.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/pets...ar-AADw23u



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Secret Garden - Song From A Secret Garden





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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 6 - “Black River"







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Gavin Bryars - My First Homage





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The Art of Aquascaping - James Findley

Aquascaping Tutorial - Escarpment







Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

“Top 5 Low Tech Aquarium Plants for Beginners, Experts & Everyone!”






Aquascaper George Farmer:

“Malawi Cichlid Aquascape Maintenance - Step by Step Tutorial”






"VLOG - Europe's Biggest Live Aquascaping Contest”

This vlog covers the beginning of Europe's biggest live aquascaping contest - The Art of The Planted Aquarium in Magdeburg, Germany.






“The Art of The Planted Aquarium Contest 2019 (Cinematic Special)”

The Art of the Planted Aquarium Contest 2019 in Magdeburg, Germany was a great aquascaping event featuring live aquascapes from many aquascapers and planted tank hobbyists. This cinematic movie shares the good atmosphere and sense of friendship that the aquascaping community enjoyed there.







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Documentary:


Talking Pictures: Alec Guinness


A look at the TV and big screen appearances made over the years by Oscar-winning actor Alec Guinness (1914-2000), exploring the milestones of his life and career - including memorable roles in The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. Narrated by Sylvia Syms.

The documentary aired on the BBC May 11, 2013.







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Documentary:


Without A Partner: Pete Whittaker Rope Solos El Capitan In Under 24 Hours


El Capitan (Spanish: El Capitán; The Captain or The Chief), also known as El Cap, is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California. El Capitan is located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet (914 m) from base to summit along its tallest face, and is a popular objective for rock climbers.







El Capitan in Yosemite National Park viewed from the Valley Floor.





The formation was named "El Capitan" by the Mariposa Battalion when they explored the valley in 1851. El Capitan ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native American name for the cliff, variously transcribed as "To-to-kon oo-lah" or "To-tock-ah-noo-lah" (Miwok language). It is unclear if the Native American name referred to a specific tribal chief or simply meant "the chief" or "rock chief".

The top of El Capitan can be reached by hiking out of Yosemite Valley on the trail next to Yosemite Falls, then proceeding west.

For climbers, the challenge is to climb up the sheer granite face. There are many named climbing routes, all of them arduous, including Iron Hawk and Sea of Dreams.

In November 2016, Pete Whittaker became the first person to solo - all free - El Capitan in under 24 hours, finishing in 20 hours and 6 minutes. Rope solo free climbing is a sport that few people know about and even fewer people do. We hear from Pete Whittaker, his long time climbing partner Tom Randall and Big wall solo climbing expert Andy Kirkpatrick as they take us through the paces of what it really means to make a rope-solo-free ascent of El Cap.







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Gaussian Curve

Clouds


This Recording Released: 2014



1. Talk To The Church




2. Impossible Island




3. Dewdrops




4. Ride




5. Broken Clouds




6. Unsolved




7. The Longest Road




8. Red Light

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Newlyweds, 100 and 102, find love after meeting at a senior living facility


Sylvania, Ohio - A couple who met at a senior living facility are proving that it's never too late to find love.

Newlyweds John and Phyllis Cook, 100 and 102 respectively, met while living at Kingston Residence of Sylvania, located just outside of Toledo.

The pair had been dating about eight months before deciding to tie the knot, according to Monica Koszycki, Kingston Residence of Sylvania's life enrichment director. They went to the courthouse on June 26 to obtain a marriage license and learned they could get married on the same day.







"It wasn't the plan, but we got here and they said, 'we could marry you here.' I said, 'good, let's get it over with,'" John Cook told WNWO-TV.

Both John and Phyllis had lost two spouses in the past. John is a World War II veteran who recently turned 100. Phyllis, who will turn 103 on Aug. 8, is originally from West Virginia.

Phyllis' mother lived to be 106.

"To tell you the truth, we fell in love with each other. I know you think that may be a little bit far-fetched for somebody our age, but we fell in love with each other," Phyllis told WNWO.

"Well, we were just compatible in a whole lot of ways, found ourselves enjoying each other's company," John added.

The couple spends their time playing bingo and sitting out in the sun together at their assisted living facility, Koszycki said.



http://www.fox5ny.com/news/newlyweds-100...g-facility



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Above & Beyond featuring Zoë Johnston - Always





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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 7 - “Brown Mountain”






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Jeff Pearce - With Evening Above





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The Art of Aquascaping - James Findley

Aquascaping Tutorial - Takashi Amano Tribute - Pebbles "In the Footsteps of a Giant"


 



Kevin from the Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby YouTube channel:

“Top 4 Aquarium Clean Up Crew for Planted Tanks”






Aquascaper George Farmer:

“Aquascaping Tutorial - Guide to Filtration and Circulation in the Planted Aquarium”






“Beautiful Aquascaping Store in Madrid - PZES.es”


 



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Erik Satie


Gymnopedies No.1-3


The Gymnopédies, published in Paris starting in 1888, are three piano compositions written by French composer and pianist Erik Satie.

These short, atmospheric pieces share a common theme and structure. Collectively, the Gymnopédies are regarded as an important precursor to modern ambient music — gentle yet somewhat eccentric pieces which defied the classical tradition.


No. 1 0:00
No. 2 3:12
No. 3 5:56







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Talking Pictures

Richard Harris


A retrospective look at the actor’s film and stage career as told by himself in several television appearances made over the years.


The documentary aired on BBC Two on 25 April 2015.







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Life Lessons From 100-Year-Olds


Three centenarians were asked what their most valuable life lessons were, and also their regrets.

They talked about the importance of family, people, relationships and love. Their view on life, as an elderly citizen with a lot of experience is truly an inspiration and motivation.







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Tulip Mania

The Beautiful Tulip Fields of The Netherlands


This short film is a dedication to the tulip fields.







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Gaussian Curve

The Distance


This Recording Released: 2017


Tracklist:

0:00 Breathe
6:44 The Distance
12:56 Dancing Rain
15:57 Suspended Motion
23:26 Ceremony
28:58 T.O.R.
34:53 Four For You
40:48 Another Place

[Resurgence]

Positive News:


Empty-nester loons adopt a mallard chick in Northern Wisconsin







For many people vacationing in the lake-filled woods of Northern Wisconsin, the haunting cry of the loon is the sound of summer. About 4,000 of the black-and white birds nest in the state by May or June and it’s not uncommon to find fluffy gray loon chicks riding around on their parents’ backs. But researchers counting loon chicks recently found something unusual during their rounds: Instead of a gray chick they found a fluffy yellow mallard chick perched on the back of a loon. And even stranger, the loons have continued to raise the chick as their own throughout the summer.

According to the Loon Project, a scientific study that has been studying northern Wisconsin’s loons since 1993, Evelyn Doolittle, a college student counting and monitoring the loon chicks, came back from a visit to Long Lake in Oneida County in the north central part of the state where she’d seen her first chick. She commented that baby loons and baby ducks sure looked similar. Veteran loon counter Elaina Lomery didn’t think too much about the observation. Both chicks are small, fluffy and hang out with their parents. But when she visited the nesting pair at Long Lake herself ten days later, she found to her surprise that indeed the chick was a duckling, riding around on one of the loon’s backs.

Ryan F. Mandelbaum, writing for Audubon, reports that a month later, the interspecies family was still together, with the loons still feeding the growing duck, letting the little bird hitch a ride and teaching the chick to dive. Mallards are “dabbling” ducks, meaning adults feed by dipping their heads underwater with their tailfeathers to the sky eating vegetation and invertebrates. While they can dive under the water if necessary, it’s very rare behavior. Loons, on the other hand, are divers and can stay underwater for extended periods, chasing fish. The baby mallard has been observed taking small fish from the adoptive mama, but the chick turns away the large fish the proud papa offers.

The pairing is especially unusual since loons and mallards aren’t on friendly terms. “Loons invariably try and drive off mallards when they see them on the water; they’re kind of enemies,” Walter Piper, director of the Loon Project tells Mandelbaum. “It’s exciting and bizarre to have a mallard raised by loons.”

So how did the little duck end up in a loon family? Researchers did find a loon nest on the shores of Long Lake with the remnants of one shell, indicating the couple may have hatched a loon chick that likely did not survive. Around the same time, the duckling may have become separated from his/her family. Loons, Piper says, are known for adopting loon chicks separated from their families.

Cultural differences have caused a few hiccups along the way. Chelsey Lewis at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that loon chicks are pretty casual about being fed and just wait for their parents to bring them their fishy snacks on their own time. The duckling, however, rushes up to mama as soon as she surfaces with food, begging for a bite. It’s an especially unusual behavior because mallard mothers do not feed their ducklings directly.

The mallard also lacks some instincts baby loons might have. In July and August, single loons patrol the skies looking for their own breeding territories and mates. One sign of a good lake is the presence of a breeding pair with a chick. If a single loon sees this, they may challenge one of the parents to single combat and evict them from the lake, taking over their family. That’s why, when another loon flies overhead, the chick dives or hides on shore while the parents head for the center of the lake and pretend that they’re a childless couple.

The duck, however, doesn’t know this drill and didn’t follow procedures when another loon did appear. “Instead of diving and racing underwater to hide near shore, as a loon chick would have, the duckling freaked,” Piper writes. “When the chick spotted the foster parents far away and next to non-breeders that had landed, the duckling raced towards the middle of the lake, while peeping loudly.”

Luckily, the interlopers were confused by the whole situation, and everything turned out swimmingly.

These few months have been special. “In short, we know bits and pieces of the story of how a pair of loons came to care for a mallard duckling. Much regarding this series of unlikely events remains shrouded in mystery,” he writes. “Even in our considerable ignorance, though, it is impossible not to marvel at this charming spectacle.”

Interspecies families in the bird world are rare, and the mallard/common loon combo has not been seen before. Lewis reports that researchers documented Arctic loons taking care of an eider duck in the 1970s. Loons in British Columbia were also documented taking care of a goldeneye duckling a few years ago. In 2017, scientists watched as bald eagles in British Columbia raised a red-tailed hawk chick as their own. The same phenomenon is happening this summer in Redding, California.



https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-new...180972736/



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Claude Debussy

Rêverie


Composed: 1890


Performed by François-Joël Thiollier


Painting: La promenade sur la falaise by Claude Monet, 1882







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The Joy of Painting

Season 2, Episode 8 - ”Reflections”






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Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

The Hills Are Alive


from the film The Sound of Music

Performed by Julie Andrews






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The Art of Aquascaping - James Findley

Aguascaping Tutorial - Sticks & Stones






Aquascaper George Farmer:

“MIND BLOWN - 7500 gallon Asian Biotope Style Aquascape”

This is the biggest planted tank aquascape George has ever worked on. This 28000 litre / 7500 gallon Asian biotope style aquarium is in the Tropen-Aquarium, part of the Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg, Germany. George was invited by Dennerle and Hagenbeck to help aquascape this amazing aquarium based on an Asian-themed river, using only plants from Asia.






“Probably the best aquarium plants in the world...”

George gives a brief tour of the aquarium plants at Tropica in Denmark.






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Documentary:


Film 88 - David Lean


Barry Norman interviews the British film director.

The program aired March 29, 1988.


Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor, responsible for large-scale epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and A Passage to India (1984). He also directed adaptations of Charles Dickens novels Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), and the romantic drama Brief Encounter (1945).

Originally a film editor in the early 1930s, Lean made his directorial debut with 1942's In Which We Serve, which was the first of four collaborations with Noël Coward. Beginning with Summertime in 1955, Lean began to make internationally co-produced films financed by the big Hollywood studios; in 1970, however, the critical failure of his film Ryan's Daughter led him to take a fourteen-year break from filmmaking. In 1984, he had a career revival with A Passage to India, adapted from E. M. Forster's novel; it was an instant hit with critics but proved to be the last film Lean would direct.

Lean had an affinity for pictorialism and inventive editing techniques. He was nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Director, which he won twice for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. He has seven films in the British Film Institute's Top 100 British Films (with three of them being in the top five) and was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1990.






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Film:


Brief Encounter (1945)







On a cafe at a railway station, housewife Laura Jesson meets Dr. Alec Harvey. Although they are already married, they gradually fall in love with each other. They continue to meet every Thursday on the small cafe, although they know that their love is impossible.


Starring:

Celia Johnson
Trevor Howard
Stanley Holloway


Directed by David Lean






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S. Carey

Hundred Acres


This Recording Released: 2018













A1. Rose Petals




A2. Hideout




A3. Yellowstone




A4. True North




A5. Emery




B1. Hundred Acres




B2. More I See




B3. Fool’s Gold




B4. Have You Stopped To Notice




B5. Meadow Song

[Blackbeard69]

Does anyone else use the Calm app? I find it so helpful.