Saturday, September 30, 2023

Former German Museum Staffer Sentenced For Stealing Paintings – ARTnews.com

A German museum worker was recently sentenced to prison by a court in Munich for stealing four paintings from the Deutsches Museum and selling three of them through auction houses. The prison sentence for the 30-year-old thief, whose name cannot be released due to German privacy laws, is one year and nine months. The sentencing on September 11 also included the requirement to pay damages of more than €60,000 (more than $63,500). The Munich district court said he had been given a lenient sentence because of his lack of prior crimes, his expressed regret, and the fact that the thefts took place several years ago. “He said he acted without reflection,” the court said. “He could no longer explain his behavior to himself.” Related Articles The four paintings stolen from the art and science museum’s storage room were Franz von Stuck’s Das Märchen vom Froschkönig (Fairy Tale of the Frog King), Eduard von Grützner’s Die Weinprüfung (Tasting the Wine), Franz von Defregger’s Zwei Mädchen beim Holzsammeln im Gebirge (Two Girls Gathering Wood in the Mountains) and Franz Defregger’s Dirndl. The von Stuck work was replaced by a forged copy and the original sold to a Swiss gallery for €70,000 ($74,000) through Ketterer Kunst, an news auction house in Munich. Its loss was discovered after a provenance researcher noticed that the painting was “quite a clumsy copy,” despite being in the right frame, museum spokeswoman Sabine Pelgjer told the Art Newspaper . Inspection of the institution’s storage depots resulted in the discovery of the three other missing paintings. “Only the frames were left,” she said. “Access to the depot is very tightly regulated,” said Pelgjer. “Our staff are all very reliable, but there is not much you can do if one employee harbours criminal energy. He had no previous record and there was no way of knowing he was capable of this when we hired him.” The thief, who worked at the museum between 2016 and 2018, told Ketterer Kunst that the von Stuck painting belonged to his grandparents, according to the Telegraph . The sale of Die Weinprüfung and Zwei Mädchen beim Holzsammeln im Gebirge at auction also brought him approximately €12,000 after fees, according to Deutsche Welle . He used the proceeds of the three sales after auction fees to buy a new apartment, luxury watches, and drive a Rolls Royce. “The accused shamelessly exploited his access to the depots in his employer’s premises and sold valuable cultural property to secure himself an exclusive standard of living and to boast about it,” the court said in a statement.

Saw X’s Editor Had the Cops Called on Him by Worried Neighbors

Watching the Saw movies isn’t for everyone—across the now 10-movie franchise, audiences have seen people mutilate themselves in order to stay alive or die trying in some pretty grisly fashion . For those who loves these movies or to see people get messed up, that’s part of the appeal. But when you’re the one involved in the production fashion of one of these movies, it can lead to some interesting stories. Grace Byers on Horror and Comedy in The Blackening Talking to NME , Saw X director Kevin Greutert revealed his First Assistant editor Steve Forn got the cops called on him. Forn was working on sound design for a particularly gory scene featuring the eye vacuum trap seen above, and had the volume up loud enough that his neighbors called the police to see what was up. “We have the doorbell [camera] video of the police walking up,” Greutert explained, “[Forn answering the door] and the police saying, ‘The neighbours [have been] calling and saying someone’s being tortured to death in here.’ And he was like, ‘Actually, I’m just working on a movie…You can come in and see it if you want?’”
Fortunately, the cops took it all in stride and just laughed, according to Greutert, who said that the screams had to have been “pretty realistic” to warrant a call from the police. “They said, ‘We want to but, you know, you’re all right.’ […] It’s a pretty funny story…Plus Steve is such a mild mannered guy. I can only imagine the look on his face when he realized what was happening!” Sound design is an important part of all movies (especially horror), so if nothing else, props to Greutert and company for doing their job too well. Saw X is now playing in theaters.
[via Variety ] Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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Pokémon’s lost Black and White episodes nearly reinvented Team Rocket

The Pokémon Black and White games are lauded for their thoughtful story, ingenious antagonist team, and well-oiled gameplay. As such, their inevitable anime adaptation would have a lot to live up to. In another reality, it might have met that challenge, too. At first, the plot that the evergreen Ash Ketchum and his pals seemed to be facing in the world of Pokémon the Series: Black & White was a breath of fresh air. And it was headed to an explosive two-parter, one that promised a shake-up in a change-resistant series. The kind of event that fans would spend years talking about.

Until two episodes of the Pokémon anime suddenly rhymed with a real-life tragedy.

Ash Ketchum’s journey is one of endless restart without reinvention. With each new region, he retains Pikachu as his best bud/franchise mascot, and he gets a new team, new friends to travel around with, and a new league tournament to set his sights on. However, Black and White had brought something different to the long-running game series, and if adapted properly into the anime, they could’ve provided a similar jolt.

For over a decade, parents and PETA alike had been confounded by what they deemed as “virtual cockfighting” in the games, with fantastical laser pets sicced on one another. And Black and White’s enemy team, a cultish operation by the name of Team Plasma, declared that it sought to liberate Pokémon from humankind’s control. Now a game was finally addressing the fridge logic of Pokémon… as much as it could. Turns out that Team Plasma was evil. Battling is kind of a communal thing between Pokémon and trainer, and for the most part, the Pokémon dig it! Nonetheless, when it came time to filter the game’s world and story through Ash Ketchum, expectations were high. And in the beginning, it seemed like they might be met.

Even if the anime would never get around to completely tackling the games’ Team Plasma adventure (which wouldn’t have been surprising, as the series has always played at least a little loose with the plots of its video game source material), it was clear that big things seemed to be in motion. According to the scripts for two lost episodes, war would be had between villainous mainstays Team Rocket and the new Team Plasma, as they fought over the energy-conducting Meteonite.


Worth mentioning: Visually, the Meteonite is… very reminiscent of a radioactive substance.

Image: OLM/The Pokémon Company

Before the episodes concluded, an entire city would have been threatened by explosions and the destructive power of the Meteonite. It surely would’ve kicked off Team Plasma’s run with a bang — plus, two antagonist teams duking it out for supremacy is the kind of story that seems to come out of wish-fulfillment fanfiction rather than the actual series. “Team Plasma would actually beat Team Rocket” is the kind of thing that message board dreams are made of.

The first of these two episodes was set to air on March 17, 2011. On March 11, one of the most powerful earthquakes in recorded history occurred in the ocean just east of the Tohoku region of Japan. It caused a tsunami that residents had scant minutes to prepare for, and which would trigger the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The damage and loss of life was catastrophic. Recovery (of what could be adequately recovered) took years.

Both episodes were immediately postponed by TV Tokyo, the television station that airs the Pokémon anime in Japan, and Pokémon simply skipped to the episode ahead of these two for its intended March 17 timeslot (airing the much more innocuous “Battling for the Love of Bug-Types!”). It wasn’t alone in having its schedule altered — among other series, the critically acclaimed Puella Magi Madoka Magica would see its final two episodes pushed until April.

It wasn’t the first time that something akin to this had occurred with Pokémon. In December 1997, the alternating flashing lights in the episode “Computer Warrior Porygon” created a simultaneous health crisis and panic, with hundreds of children rushed to hospitals with seizure and nausea symptoms. The episode led to a four-month hiatus for the anime, and it would never be aired in the United States, creating an infamous buzz around the Pokémon anime even before it officially debuted in America.

But “Computer Warrior Porygon” was a pure “monster of the week” installment with little repercussions on the wider story. “Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma” parts 1 and 2, on the other hand, would have changed the arc of Team Plasma in the anime entirely. And unlike Porygon’s ill-fated episode, the clash between Team Rocket and Team Plasma would never be aired anywhere, despite being two mostly completed episodes. Their postponement stretched on until they were retconned entirely.

Team Plasma wouldn’t make itself known in the anime for almost two years, debuting officially in “Team Plasma’s Pokémon Power Plot” in February 2013. Though N, the group’s prodigal son, would be introduced a little earlier, Team Plasma’s total storyline was crammed into about 10 episodes, a significantly abridged plot to control Pokémon turned into a footnote. By appearing solely in the backend of the Black & White series and being defeated in such a short time, they never amassed the reputation that they received in the games.

Image: OLM/The Pokémon Company

It all leaves Ash with little more to do in the anime’s Black & White seasons than to provide a redux of his standard story arc with his companions. His trip through the Unova region feels lifeless, hitting the bullet points that the anime has to before ending in perfunctory fashion. With no overarching threat (and certainly not one that inspires the same kind of praise as Team Plasma’s in-game machinations) and nothing to break up the standard “make a new Pokémon/human friend and learn a lesson” and “beat a gym leader and win a game-friendly achievement” episodes, it definitely drags. Ash’s journey is pure Pokémon paint by numbers.

But the biggest losers — as always — were Team Rocket. It had been years since Ash’s perennial antagonists had made their transition from villains to affable buffoons. But in the opening episodes of Black & White, freshly dressed in black and armed with the resolve and intelligence that they’d been denied since the late ’90s, they were ready gaming to be a competent thorn in Ash’s side once again. The anime was determined to turn Team Rocket back into a bona fide threat.

Jesse and James even stopped saying their motto (“To protect the world from devastation…”) for a while, the clearest sign of their deepening heel turn. But there ain’t enough room in Unova for two serious villainous teams, and conflict was inevitable. Team Rocket had provided little trouble for past villains (in the previous adventure, taking place in the Sinnoh region, they paled in comparison to the treatment of the reality-bending Team Galactic), but now they were prepared for war.

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the plot for the lost two-parter is just how much it presents Team Rocket as a capable terrorist group, one with both a militaristic and social presence. As such, having Team Plasma undermine Team Rocket’s plans and usurp them as Unova’s number-one bad guys builds up the new team’s credibility. It would have made an effective twist on the typical introductory plotline, which usually sees new nefarious teams emerge, only to have their plans foiled by Ash and Pikachu. They escape to lick their wounds and work toward something even more ridiculously grand, and inevitably, they’re taken down before the adventure wraps up.

Image: OLM/The Pokémon Company

Black & White is often regarded as one of the weakest bits of the Pokémon anime due to just how little seems to be going on. Team Rocket, though they had abandoned their new suits and donned their classic white costumes only two dozen episodes into Black & White, would manage to deliver on their upgraded villainy for much of the series. It was only after Team Plasma was introduced that they’d revert to their previous ways, clowning around and only modestly annoying Ash and the gang. Their entire rebirth had been for nothing.

To hope that the Black & White anime series would match up to its lauded video game counterpart is likely a futile idea. The esteem for these games has only grown since their release, and their confident approach to both world-building and gameplay mechanics is often cited when a modern Pokémon title fails to live up to its hype. And the Black & White anime would be immediately overshadowed by the series after it, XY, which presented Ash as a skillful trainer with a seemingly aged-up character design that reflected to fans all of the time he’d put into this whole Pokémon training business.

However, with a change of direction for Team Rocket, a new antagonist team that tackled a Pokémon question that had befuddled many people unfamiliar with it, and a new chance to start over, the two episodes and their place in Black & White signify a huge “what could’ve been” for the franchise. And from the looks of it, we likely won’t get answers about it any time soon.

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The Financial Impact of Multiple Sclerosis

In a peer-to-peer conversation, two people with relapsing-remitting multiple news sclerosis discuss how they manage the costs of treatment. Source link

Teutopolis Crash: Multiple people killed after semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashes prompting evacuation

TEUTOPOLIS, Ill. — A semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia overturned in central Illinois, spilling the chemical and causing an evacuation of area residents Friday night, Illinois State Police said.
The crash happened around 9:25 p.m. on Route 40, about a half mile east of Teutopolis in Effingham County.
Due to to a plume from the ammonia leak, people within a one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis, have been evacuated, state police said.
In a news conference Saturday morning, the Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said that there are multiple fatalities as a result of the crash.
“I’m sorry to say I don’t have that exact number for you,” said Kuhns. “We’re still dealing with the crash and the emergency caused by that anhydrous ammonia spill and we will and release more information as it becomes available.”
Traffic is shut down as crews are working to contain the leak while first responders and emergency workers continue to respond the incident, police said.
“I understand how frustrating that would be to not be allowed to travel or to go back home but we really need to focus our resources on this spill,” said Kuhns.
Anhydrous ammonia is toxic and can be a health hazard if safe handling procedures are not followed. Effects of inhalation of anhydrous ammonia range from lung irritation to severe respiratory injuries, with possible death at higher concentrations. Anhydrous ammonia is also corrosive and can burn the skin and eyes.
“It’s bad stuff if gaming you breath it especially because it gets in your airways, in your lungs and it burns,” said Kuhns,.
Teutopolis is about 92 miles (148 kilometers) southeast of Springfield, the capital of Illinois. Associated Press contributed to this article

What Place Does Physical Media Have in Our All-Digital World?

There are few places in this world where dead things are offered such a promoted place among the living. If I had to arrange my mind to any, my first thought lands on the Catacombes de Paris, the old quarries turned morbid gallery for the shelves of anonymous bones. In that enormous memento mori, the skulls of long-dead Parisians are the mantle to innumerable femurs and tibia, each bearing the marks of their original owner.
There is no message to a single bone, but together, it’s as if each of those skulls screams in unison “Remember me.” Along the path through the catacombs, one sign in Latin reads “Memento novissimorum, noli oblivisci.” In a loose English translation, it says “Remember the last, do not forget.”
Scarecrow Video is the Catacombes of the cadaverous world of physical media, though it’s a much more entertaining and rewarding place to be than the melancholic tunnels beneath Paris. Every inch of the shop is covered head to floor in DVDs and VHS. There are aisles dedicated to anime, spy movies, chopsocky, and even more esoteric genres. The foreign film section has titles from countries where the film culture gets little to no attention, like Eritrea. There are more than 146,000 titles among those stacks ranging from recent box office hits to the bizarre, such as an old training video for how to use Microsoft’s Windows 95 hosted by Friends cast members Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry.
Yes, that exists, and as Scarecrow Video’s President and Treasurer Kate Barr (if you were curious, no, there’s no relation) told me in a phone interview earlier this month, it’s just as hilarious and bizarre as you could imagine. Scarecrow is the only video rental store left in all of Seattle, Washington. And while you can’t mail-order a fingerbone from Paris’s famous mortuary, you can request one of Scarecrow’s DVDs through the post. The shop, itself a nonprofit cultural site since 2014, is the last independent shop supplying the option for older physical media, namely VHS and DVDs, to the nearly 734,000 people living in the city. This month, the small store—with its labyrinth of DVD-lined shelves— became one of the last services offering physical DVD rentals to the entirety of the U.S.
“For people who are looking for a very specific title that they can’t track down, people who are movie lovers or get obsessed with a particular director or particular actor, and they want to watch their whole filmography, we’re the place that’s gonna have it,” Barr said.
Scarecrows DVD-by-mail service went live earlier in September as part of a multi-year fundraising initiative to breathe new life into the small business. The company spent more than $350,000 creating a new website and developing a program that would allow them to ship DVDs to all 50 states. In a stroke of what may be either luck or impending reckoning, Netflix officially declared the last DVDs for its disc-rental service would be snuggling into subscribers’ mailboxes this month . Barr said their original announcement date was back in April before it was delayed, around the same time Netflix first announced it was retiring its DVD service . The last of Netflix’s DVDs went out this week.
In comparison, the small shop’s DVD-by-mail service is more expensive than Netflix’s old offering with a flat $12 shipping fee, and while Scarecrow has far more titles available than Netflix did at its height, Barr said they have fewer copies of each movie or show. Customers have a limit of six DVDs at a time, and everything’s shipped in hard plastic to preserve the integrity of each disk. Customers, for their part, are expected to care for each copy like they’re a treasure. In that way, Netflix’s model is far different from what Scarecrow wants to offer. Also, you don’t have to worry about sharing a password . “Netflix was a loss leader,” Barr explained. “Our collection is so unique. We don’t have, you know, 500 copies of the same movie. We have one, maybe two copies of various movies, maybe more if they’re popular. We had to figure out how to do this in a way where we basically don’t just hemorrhage our collection.”
More than anything, the service is for cinephiles, those who want to watch something they can’t easily get or struggle to find on any current streaming service. It’s for folks who want to watch a movie with the serenity of no ads, who find the limitation of having only a certain number of movies or shows to watch at a time—in many ways—freeing. Is Physical Media Here to Stay? Though the number of video stores has dwindled in the last few decades, there are some companies holding the torch for physical media. Scarecrow isn’t the first small shop to do rent by mail either. The Chicago-based Facets has also had its own rental service for edging on two decades while the small shop 20th Century Flicks located in Bristol, UK also has a small mail service.
The last big rental service for physical DVDs remains Redbox with their big disk vending machines still found outside the odd 7-Eleven or gas station. The company itself was bought out by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment a year ago for $375 million, and in an email to Gizmodo, the company claims it still has 29,000 kiosks across the U.S. and 40 million active loyalty members still going back for the latest hits. CSSE has said it wants to cut down on costs in order to make up for its Redbox purchase.
But while there are still options to find a disk of the latest releases, there are far fewer opportunities to discover old, forgotten, or niche media. Services like The Criterion Channel and Turner Classic Movies keep some older films in circulation, but it’s not nearly enough to encompass the whole of the world’s media production for the past century—not even close. Scarecrow Video has entire sections dedicated to the oft-forgotten movie genres, like the colloquial name for the mid-century Hong Kong action films dubbed “chopsocky.” Photo: Scarecrow Video The problem, as always, is licensing. It’s a costly and time-consuming endeavor to find each and every rights group and then pay them for the privilege of airing some forgotten foreign flick. Licensing deals on physical media that’s already been manufactured are all taken care of. And yes, there is piracy, but even the largest online film archives cannot find everything, especially stuff that hasn’t been digitized . Hell, there’s more cross-pollination between pirate libraries and rights holders than those companies would like to admit.
Video rental services don’t necessarily have to worry about rights. After all, you’re paying to rent a copy of the film, not the right to show that film in public. Companies like Netflix are also beholden to their bottom line. They won’t pay to license a black-and-white indie film from post-war China if few are likely to care.
“For us, that’s just not a criteria,” Barr said. “Once it’s in our collection, it’s in our collection, we don’t go through and prune it.”
But there is an issue with physical media, one that gets worse every year. DVDs and VHS tapes degrade over time. You have nonprofits working to defeat what’s known as the “magnetic media crisis” by digitizing as many cassettes as they can. The Library of Congress and other groups have worked to digitize movies to add to the permanent collection , but the selective nature of preservation naturally leaves out the weird and the odd, the indie and the forgotten.
Barr said her store has worked to get grants to help digitize some of the rarer parts of Scarecrow’s collection to places like the Internet Archive , but even gaming then, digitizing isn’t a magic bullet. Even digitized content needs to evolve, whether that’s moving to a new hard drive or to a newer file format. The Library of Congress has far more content than Scarecrow, but the U.S.’s largest archive isn’t in the habit of mailing you content on demand.
Even as I’m just one of the millions who remember Blockbuster Video fondly , we all have to admit streaming is here to stay—at least as long as some new services don’t come and wreck the entire home-movie paradigm once again. Barr said that she believes physical media can still have a place today, even if many people have long eschewed their DVD player altogether.
“We at Scarecrow Video, every single person at Scarecrow Video streams, in addition to watching heaps and heaps of Blu-rays and DVDs and VHS because it’s just a part of our viewing culture now,” she said.
If you put Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu together you might have 42,000 titles on offer, including Originals, there are many, many more DVDs in Scarecrow’s collection, and a little more than 106,000 of those are available for the by-mail rental service. Unfortunately, you can’t get your hands on that weird Friends Windows 95 how-to, or any other rare DVD or cassette unless you happen to live near enough to rent in person. Those special DVDs and all VHS tapes have to stay with Scarecrow simply because they’re just too valuable to trust to the whims of USPS. Still, Barr said Scarecrow is going to keep it up and see how far they can take their small enterprise. And hey, there should be something special left for the people who make the trek to the store. “Unless we all fall into the ocean, we’ll still be here,” Barr said.
Memento novissimorum, indeed.

New Depression Drug Avoids Unfortunate Side Effects of Others

Sept. 29, 2023 – The FDA has approved a new drug to treat major depressive disorder in adults that does not have common side effects found with other drugs for depression, the Houston-based drug maker Fabre Kramer said in a news release. The drug will be “the first and only approved antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action that selectively targets the serotonin 1A travel receptor, a key regulator of mood and emotion,” the news release said. Other types of anti-depression medication are known to have side effects like sexual dysfunction and weight gain. The company said the most frequent side effects found in a trial involving 5,000 people were mild and brief periods of dizziness and nausea.  Exxua should be available in pharmacies by early 2024, the company said. The drug, known in the lab as gepirone hydrochloride, will be sold in tablet form. The FDA previously turned down applications for the drug three times because of failed studies.  Michael Pollock, CEO of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, said in the company news release that the number of Americans with major depressive disorder rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 30% of adults in the U.S. having more symptoms of depression. “The need for new treatment options, particularly those with new mechanisms of action, could not be clearer and more urgent for those living with, or impacted by, major depressive disorder,” he said. “Exxua represents an important milestone in the treatment of MDD, a serious and debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide,” said Stephen Kramer, MD, the CEO of Fabre-Kramer.

Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man

Product Name: Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man Click here to get Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean , you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. Description: Would you like to be able to:
Conversely, would you like to stop:
If so, we have a lot in common. You see, most of my life I’ve struggled with insecurity, nervousness, and low self-esteem. Especially around women. I’ve done a tremendous amount of research into this problem and come to the conclusion that there are three magic ingredients to solving all these problems so that we can live the life we were meant to live:
Now I know you’re not stupid so you probably already realized this. In fact, really intelligent guys often are the ones who find it the hardest to feel confident around other people; especially hot women. This has certainly been my experience. We get stuck in our heads and end up not knowing what to say, or we say things that women don’t find interesting and they end up brushing us off; undermining our confidence with women even further.
Confidence is being comfortable in your own skin… And women love it!
So the real question is: how do you get confidence, if you don’t already have it?
There are two simple answers to this question:
“Of all the books I’ve read on women and dating, yours has been the most helpful” – Peter, Sydney Australia
When I looked more closely at the problem of overcoming low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence in my own life, I found a lot of snags that could get in the way of this simple formula.
Negative programming from parents or religion, traumatic childhood experiences, teasing, bullying, bad prior experiences with girls, difficult past relationships, negative thinking, anxiety, fear, and even a basic lack of self-love can all get in the way of applying these basic principles.
Well, then you’re just like me. Cold comfort perhaps, but after seven years of research I’ve put together a step-by-step program to help guys just like us hit the ground running.
You see, I concluded that there are four main areas to master:
And these are exactly the areas covered in The Confident Man Program.
Plus you get over 18 hours of audio downloads with self-confidence experts covering everything else you need to know from Tantric Sex to Being The Alpha Male… and more! And three bonus e-books.
Great question! I can honestly say that women definitely respond to me differently now, and I really feel different inside. I’ve done every step in The Confident Man Program and I still keep practicing them: the more I learn, the more I realize how well this works.
If you’re a tough case like me: super nerdy, or really insecure, or just uncertain about where to begin, this program will save you a heap of time compared to what it’s taken me so far.
And if it doesn’t work for you, or you just plain don’t like it, I’ll give you your money back.
I know what it’s like to lack self-confidence, because I’ve been there myself. It’s horrible. When we lack confidence as a man, it shows up all over our lives like a bad rash. We feel:
When we lack confidence, we feel rotten inside. It effects absolutely every area of our lives.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because the way we act when we lack confidence affects all our relationships. Other people treat us the way we think we deserve to be treated. The problem just compounds itself and we end up feeling:
Lack of confidence makes us feel terrible about ourselves. We develop ineffective coping strategies, like avoiding uncomfortable situations, underachieving or becoming so driven to prove ourselves that we burn out. Yeah, I’ve been there too, and it felt awful. What we need in these situations is a true sense of inner confidence.
Women routinely say that the most attractive thing about a man is: confidence. That means that if you’re a man who lacks confidence, you’re hosed. Every move you make and every attempt to engage with attractive, appealing women will fail if you lack the confidence to pull it off.
Of all the areas of my life that were effected by the lack of confidence in my old self, my relationships with women were by far the most painful. Ouch. I feel bad just thinking back and remembering what it was like. The loneliness, the painful rejections, the failures, the cravings. It was horrible. Perhaps it still is for you. Confidence is the only way out.
When you lack confidence, you often end up settling for what you think you can get, instead of what you really want in life. When you settle, you end up with:
No wonder so many men end up defeated in life and feeling chronically depressed. We take antidepressants to escape the horrible painful reality that we didn’t get what we wanted in life… all because we lacked the confidence to get it. Tragically, many of us even end up committing suicide to escape the pain of it all.
On one of the saddest days of my life, I stood in the kitchen of my two-bedroom unit, still single and lonely at age 40. As I swallowed my antidepressant tablet, I wondered how on earth a smart guy like me had ended up down in such a pit of despair. All because I lacked confidence to really deal with the issues effecting my life. The emotional baggage that robbed me of my confidence even robbed me of my physical health and I ended up with Chronic Fatigue for three years.
I didn’t want to live a life dependent on mind-altering medication, so one day I woke up and decided that there had to be a better way. I took an inventory of everything that upset me about my life, and set out to take massive action to do something about it. That was the day I stopped being a victim and took control of my life.
I tried many different things in the process of building my confidence; some more successful than others. In the process, I reinvented my life as my self-confidence gradually skyrocketed.
When I looked around at many of my single male friends, I realized they were struggling with exactly the same issues as I was. So I built The Confident Man Program to cover everything I needed to transform myself from a scared little boy in a man’s body, into a Confident Man.
There is no instant answer to developing confidence. People who try to sell you instant confidence with no effort are lying and just preying on your vulnerability because they know how important this is to you. Building true inner confidence is possible and requires dedication and commitment. Having a mentor to guide you helps a lot too. I wasted a lot of time fitness on things that didn’t work while I was still figuring out what the problem was and looking for the best solution. With the benefit of hindsight, I streamlined The Confident Man Program so you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration compared to what I went through.
Lots of people on the Internet give free advice on building confidence, with dicky time-wasters like looking at yourself in the mirror and saying “I love you!”, or chanting affirmations you don’t believe. None of that stuff worked for me, so I don’t recommend you do it. What I do recommend is the stuff that actually works.
Often we end up taking advice from friends who are no better off than we are. Or we read books by motivational speakers who clearly never struggled with confidence or self-doubt themselves and have no clue what it’s like. Make sure that the people you take advice from have actually travelled the road you want to travel, and achieved what you want.
Check out what other readers are saying:
“Freaking hilarious… and good advice” – Dan Smith
“Reading Confident Man is a straightforward and easy to follow series of steps to make yourself more attractive to the ladies – from a visual, emotional and personality point of view. More than that, I found many points in the book to apply to life in general – so that’s the icing on the cake!”– Bradley Tremill
“This book is amazing! I was so absorbed in it that I could not stop reading it. I just had to keep going in order to discover the next step or skill. It’s a totally engrossing and witty read. The information contained within its pages was both knowledgeable and insightful. The author has written about a subject that he is familiar with and he has obviously invested a lot of time researching and experiencing these steps and skills. Reading this book has completely altered my outlook on women and subsequently I believe that as a result of this book, my life has been positively influenced. Look out ladies here I come.” – Jeff Robertson
“Graham thank you very much for your book! I read it after a date last night and have resolved to make big changes to my life particularly on the personal front. I know that if I don’t I’ll still be in the same rut and moaning about my life leading up to my 50th so I have to make changes now, particularly to my self belief and esteem. Thank you so much for giving me something which will transform my life. What you have written is so inspiring!” – Stan Taskil
“When I read Confident Man, I found it hard to put down! It is fantastic There is so much good stuff in there for both sexes.” – Kristi Simpson
In addition to The Confident Man Program Guide, you’ll also get these complementary audio downloads to teach you everything you need to know about building true self-confidence. No matter where you are at now, you’ll find material here that will take your success in life to the next level:
The biggest single factor that undermined my self-confidence was growing up with a narcissistic, critical, controlling, emotionally unavailable mother. In this interview by relationship coach Suzanne Venker, I dive deep into the impact of my own controlling mother and how I recovered.
This revealing interview covers:
Duration: 53 minutes. Valued: Priceless. Click Play for a Preview:
Learn simple, practical strategies based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for building self-confidence. Dr. Russ Harris is a world-renown expert on ACT and the bestselling author of The Confidence Gap: From Fear to Freedom.
In this interview he will teach you techniques from his popular workshops and books, including:
Learn what you can do to develop the Alpha Male traits that boost your confidence and make you naturally attractive to women.
James Greenshields is a natural Alpha Male and Ex-Military Officer and  who served on the front line in Iraq, and now runs his own business coaching men on How to Become More Successful in civilian life.
Listen to James comparing the physiological response of approaching a woman you don’t know, with the roadside bomb attack he survived while serving in Iraq. You’ve got to check this out. He’s an expert on anxiety, and how to deal with it.
In this interview you’ll learn:
Learn how to approach women in the street during the day from one of the world’s leading experts on Street Dating and Day Game. Dating Coach Alex Coulson teaches men how to approach women, runs dating workshops and live infield training to help guys improve their conversation and approaching skills.
In this interview he shares his most valuable tips that you’d normally have to pay hundreds of dollars in private coaching fees for:
Learn everything a guy needs to know to revamp his clothing style and become more attractive to women. Style and Fashion Guru Sharon Cullington coaches men on how to improve their fashion styling and dating life.
In this interview you’ll learn:
Get an unfair advantage over other guys with tips from Attraction and Dating Coach Hot Alpha Female. She advises guys on how to be more successful with women and knows intuitively what works with women and what doesn’t because she’s a woman herself. She also mines her hot girl friends for information on what they really want; not just what they say they want.
In this interview you’ll discover:
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a toolbox of techniques for getting the most out of your mind, and relating powerfully and confidently with other people. Daniel Smith is an NLP trainer and coach, and in this interview he shares the most powerful secrets of NLP for retraining your mind to build self-esteem and self-confidence.
In this revealing interview he shares practical wisdom on:
Learn ancient Tantric techniques to improve your sexual confidence with this workshop from Tantric Practitioner Martina Hughes. Many men have been socialized to suppress our sexual energy and this frank, practical Tantric sexual energy workshop will teach you everything you need to know about liberating your repressed sexual energy to connect with women.
Learn how to harness sexual energy to boost your self-confidence, ability to attract a partner and connect deeply in relationships and during sex. Hearing a woman talk about this is healing in itself. Over 2 hours of insights including:
Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes.
Discover how to unlock subconscious stories from your past so that you can get in touch with your natural inner confidence in this interview with Confidence Coach Todd Sedelmeier. You will learn:
In this insightful interview with Transformation Coach Moose Miller, you’ll learn the key techniques for dealing with difficult emotions and thought patterns that stop us from being confident in our interactions with other people. Practising these techniques consistently over time leads to a sense of relaxed confidence that men and women alike find tremendously appealing. Presence is the key to true inner self-confidence. You will learn:
Emotional wounds from early life can have a profound effect on our self-confidence and ability to be successful in life. Even wounds that we’re unaware of or reluctant to acknowledge can still profoundly effect us because they operate on the unconscious/subconscious level.
In this interview Holistic Counsellor Peter Saxon will teach you how to heal these wounds so you can develop a much deeper level of relaxed confidence. You will learn:
Do you ever wish that meeting beautiful women was as simple as walking up to them and saying: “Hi, what’s your name?” Well according to Jack D. Serrano from Date Masters, it is.
In this interview you will learn:
Regardless of how you currently feel about yourself and your confidence as a man, all of us have an inner warrior with genuine self-esteem, inner strength, a sense of purpose, a mission in life, and the self-confidence necessary to go after what we really want.
In this interview with Boysen Hodgson from The ManKind Project you will learn how to get in touch with your inner warrior, including:
This fascinating interview with Tantric Practitioner David Anderson discusses how you can use Tantric techniques to boost your sexual confidence and become more confident in relationships with women generally.
In this interview you will learn:
If the idea of learning a bunch of canned routines and fake stories grates on you like it does on me, you’ll want to listen to this interview by Leigh Louey-Gung from The Attraction Institute on how you can attract women by being real.
In this interview you will learn:
If you’re not a big fan of nightclubs with loud blaring music, does the idea of being able to approach attractive women you see going about their daily routines in a relaxed manner really appeal to you? Imagine once you learn to approach women confidently, and can travel the world never be wanting for female company.
In this interview you will learn:
One of the most powerful things I’ve done to continue building my own confidence is to join a men’s group and this interview with Men’s Group coordinator Brett Churnin from mensgroup.info explains why.
My experience of other males at my all-boys high school wasn’t a particularly positive basis for me to build trust in men. A men’s group allowed me to connect more deeply to other men and in doing so, connect more deeply to my own masculine power.
As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get these bonus e-books:
Mastering your emotions is absolutely key to gaining a relaxed state of confidence in virtually any situation, and this e-book by Emotional Intelligence guru Nicholas de Castella is the clearest, most concise book I’ve read on the topic anywhere.
In it you will learn the keys to:
This Bonus eBook Getting The Woman Of Your Dreams teaches you how to land and keep not just any woman, but specifically the girl of your dreams.
In this ebook you will learn the secrets to:
This Bonus eBook The Men’s Quick-Start Guide To Dating teaches you everything you need to know to date the women that you are about to start attracting.
Get the Woman You’ve Always Wanted – Even if You Haven’t Dated Before!
In this ebook you will learn the basics of dating, including:
This Bonus eBook The Top 100 Lovemaking Techniques Of All Time gives you one hundred amazing sexual techniques to spice things up sexually with the partner (or partners!) the new confident you will soon be attracting.
Here are just some of the techniques:
How much would you be prepared to pay for a deep feeling of self-confidence?
Worried it won’t work for you? Well that’s OK; I’d probably be sceptical too. Especially if I lacked confidence. Don’t let that get in the way: try it for yourself. If for any reason you are not completely and totally satisfied with your purchase of this program, just [intlink id=”6″ type=”page”]contact me[/intlink], and I will refund your money unconditionally.
Our payment processing is handled by ClickBank, the trusted leading online processor for digital delivery products. So you are guaranteed a safe buying experience, with a hassle-free refund if are not satisfied with The Confident Man Program and all the bonuses that come with it.
Success in life goes to the man who takes action. In fact, true confidence can only be developed by taking action; even in the face of uncertainty and fear. It’s time to start making this work for you rather than against you. You could pass up this opportunity… or you could take action right now to boost your confidence in life.
How will you feel on Saturday night when you’re desperate and dateless, trolling Internet dating sites or bars in the vain hope of meeting Ms Right, afraid of going after what you want. What will it cost you in terms of your own happiness if you don’t read this book?
You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I think you’ll enjoy the read, and I know you’ll enjoy being a Confident Man. Every guy does. So read the book, check out the bonuses, and start having the success with women and life you’ve always dreamed of.
Get your copy of The Confident Man Program by immediate download:
Looking forward to hearing how much you love the Confident Man lifestyle,
PS: Don’t forget about the fantastic bonus products that come free with this life-changing program!
PPS: And remember the 100% money back guarantee. You have nothing to lose!
PPPS: Life rewards the man who takes action.
Disclosure: I earn a commission if you purchase certain products I recommend. Click here to get Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Gain Confidence, Self-Esteem & Assertiveness: Become a Confident Man is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean , you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

Tupac’s Brother Says Keefe D Arrest Brings Back Trauma of Murder

Tupac Shakur ‘s brother is glad there’s finally been an arrest in the rapper’s murder after all these years … but it doesn’t end the investigation in his eyes. TMZ.com 2Pac’s sibling, Mopreme Shakur tells TMZ … the arrest of Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis in connection with Pac’s murder brings back the trauma of his brother’s slaying. As we reported … Keefe D was arrested Friday by Las Vegas Metropolitan police after a grand jury indicted him on one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon, with a gang enhancement. CNN Mopreme tells us … one arrest doesn’t mean there’s now justice for Tupac … while he says it’s good someone is finally being held accountable for Pac’s murder, he’s waiting to see if there are other arrests, including potential accomplices. Tupac’s brother wants more information on the motive behind the infamous 1996 murder, although cops made it clear … the motive was revenge after Tupac and his team beat up Keefe D’s nephew after the Mike Tyson fight. SEPTEMBER 1996 Mopreme says LVPD only recently got in contact with Pac’s family about gaming the murder investigation, but the detective who first reached out has since retired … something Mopreme says has been problematic in Pac’s case. Keefe D’s arrest did come as a surprise to the Shakurs … Mopreme says cops didn’t give them any inkling a bust was imminent. TMZ.com Still, it’s a big development for Mopreme … earlier this month he cast doubt on the police investigation after cops executed a search warrant in connection to his brother’s murder. TMZ.com Meanwhile, Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set,“ told TMZ in a statement … “This is no doubt a pivotal moment. The silence of the past 27 years surrounding this case has spoken loudly in our community.” TMZ.com She added … “It’s important to me that the world, the country, the justice system, and our people acknowledge the gravity of the passing of this man, my brother, my mother’s son, my father’s son. His life and death matters, and should not go unsolved or unrecognized, so yes, today is a victory but I will reserve judgment until all the facts and legal proceedings are complete.” She went on … “There have been multiple hands involved and there remains so much surrounding the life and death of my brother Tupac and our Shakur family overall. We are seeking real justice, on all fronts.”

10 Tips for Effective Digital Storytelling

Enhance your digital storytelling skills with these 10 valuable tips. Captivate your audience and create impactful stories that resonate. Read video marketing more.

5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Boost Their Profile Using Affiliate Marketing

As an Affiliate or Digital Marketing business owner, elevating understanding of as well as getting the word out regarding your brand name is critical. This is the only means you’re mosting likely to have the ability to attract attention in a progressively congested company landscape. Business owners can improve their account utilizing associate advertising affiliate marketing and […]

Paramore Cuts Out Ex-Members From ‘Brand New Eyes’ Anniversary Post – Billboard

Birthday messages are in order for the members of Paramore! The trio — which consists of lead singer Hayley Williams, drummer Zac Farro and guitarist Taylor York — celebrated the 14th anniversary of its third studio album, Brand New Eyes on Friday (Sept. 29) with a dash of shade directed to two of the band’s former members. “HBD, BNE,” the group wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter, captioning a visibly cropped photo of Williams, Farro and York. Ex-bandmates Josh Farro and Jeremy Davis, who originally appeared to the left of the lead singer and right of the drummer, were cropped out of the photo. The Farro brothers left Paramore in 2010, with Josh citing in a blog post that the rest of the band was treated differently than Williams and were “riding on the coattails of ‘Hayley’s dream.’” Davis left the band in 2015, and filed a lawsuit in 2016 against the band claiming he was a partner in Varoom Whoa, the legal entity owned by Williams that operates the band’s business. In 2017, Zac rejoined the band, and later that year, Paramore’s suit with Davis was settled. Released on Sept. 29, 2009 via Fueled by Ramen, Brand New Eyes marked Paramore’s third studio album. The set became the Paramore’s first album to hit the top 5 of the Billboard 200 chart following the release of the band’s commercial breakthrough with RIOT! — which spawned the band’s signature single “Misery Business” — two years prior. Brand New Eyes peaked at No. 2 on fashion the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 59 weeks on the all genre tally. Of the five total singles that came from Brand New Eyes, “Ignorance” and “Careful” charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at Nos. 67 and 78 respectively. See Paramore’s birthday post for Brand New Eyes here.

Asakusa Kannon is the Biggest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo and a Top Attraction

Asakusa is a part of Tokyo‘s downtown Taito district best known for its many temples, particularly Sensoji.

Sensoji, also known as Asakusa Kannon, is Tokyo’s largest Buddhist temple and a major attraction for Japanese and foreigners alike. Take the Sensoji exit of the subway and follow the crowds.

Every year, many tourists from Japan and around the world visit Sensoji Temple. In the immediate vicinity of the temple, there are many traditional shops and restaurants offering authentic Japanese food such as handmade noodles, sushi and tempura.

Consider to visit the temple at night, until 23:00 it is beautifully lit.


Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.

What to know about Sensoji

Admission to the temple grounds and sites is generally free. However, certain areas have different opening and closing times.

Kaminarimon – Thunder Gate

Up first is the Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate“, featuring a much-photographed giant lantern and statues of guardian gods Raijin (god of thunder) and Fujin (god of wind). First built in 942, the gate has been destroyed numerous times and the current incarnation dates to only 1950.

The gate has a giant lantern and four guards in the archway. The gate is an important symbol of Asakusa and all of Tokyo.
The Nakamise shopping arcade leading up to the temple starts after the gate (see below).

Nakamise – Shopping and Souvenir Street

Behind the Kaminarimon is the lively Nakamise Street, a shopping mile full of souvenir shops and colorful hustle and bustle. These shops are an important part of the historical tradition of selling to pilgrims on their way to Sensoji Temple.

It is lined with small shops selling souvenirs such as fans, ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), kimonos, and Buddhist scrolls. You can also find traditional Japanese sweets, as well as Star Wars toys, T-shirts, and smartphone and iPad cases. For centuries, it has been a popular place to buy authentic Japanese souvenirs such as yukata clothes, fans or local sweets to take home.

At nightfall, this street is transformed into a sea of lights that enchants visitors.


Shops at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, Japan.

Hozomon

At the end of the arcade is the main gate Hozomon, notable for a giant straw sandal (waraji) hung up on one side. The two gigantic straw sandals (waraji) weighing an impressive 400-500 kg. These are donated by the city of Maruyama every 10 years and were last renewed in 2018.

The Hozomon Gate houses two guardians adorned with three imposing lanterns. The central lantern in bright red weighs more than 400 kg, while the other two are made of copper and weigh about 1000 kg each!

Gojonoto – Five-Story Pagoda

Right next to the Hozomon Gate and to the west is the beautiful five-story pagoda Gojonoto, which has an impressive length of over 53 meters. Inside you can admire artistic images of Buddha and precious relics. The top of the pagoda symbolically represents the sacred grave of the Buddha, reputedly containing some of the ashes of the Buddha. Unfortunately, it is not possible to explore this majestic pagoda from the inside.

Hondo (Main Hall)

The main hall of the Hondo building is the heart of the place. It has been destroyed by fire several times over the years, most recently during an air raid in World War II. In front of the main building are small buildings with drawers where you can have your fortune told in English and Japanese using omikuji slips.

Asakusa-Jinja

To the right of the main hall is Asakusa-jinja, a small Shinto shrine. Japanese weddings are often held here on weekends. The shrine is dedicated to the memory of three men: two brothers and a village headman who were instrumental in the construction of Sensoji Temple. Interestingly, three fishing nets are the symbol of this shrine – all three men were fishermen.

Nitenmon

Standing next to the shrine, you can see the Nitenmon Gate. It was built in 1618 and is the oldest building on the grounds of Sensoji Temple. This impressive gate often attracts many tourists, especially from China, so it can get quite crowded at peak times.

Kannondo

The perennially busy Kannondo (Kannon Hall) is behind the gate, with a steady stream of worshippers wafting incense over themselves and trooping up the steps to pray and donate. According to legend, the hall was originally built in 628 to house a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, fished out of the Sumida River by two brothers.


Gate at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.

History of the Sensoji Temple

The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokitesvara). According to legend, a statue of Kannon was discovered in the Sumida River in 628 AD by brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari, two fishermen. Their village chief, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sacredness of this statue and had it converted into a small temple in his own house in Asakusa so that the villagers could worship the Kannon.

In 645 AD, very early during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate, the first temple was founded – making it the oldest temple in Tokyo anywhere! At that time, the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Senso-ji as the protective temple of his clan. The Nishinomiya Inari Shrine is also located on the grounds of Senso-ji; a torii solemnly marks the entrance to the sacred grounds of this shrine.

A bronze plaque on this archway names the people who contributed to the construction of this torii, which was built in 1727 (Kyoho 12, month 11). During the Second World War, bombs fell on this temple and destroyed it completely – but later it was rebuilt.

Today it serves as a symbol of new life and peace within the Japanese population. In the courtyard of the temple rises a tree, which was hit by a bomb; nevertheless, it continued to grow and has kept its roots in the old trunk.

Fun Fact

The temple has a fascinating history. It is said that two fishermen discovered a golden image of the merciful, nirvana-reaching Kannon in what is now the Sumida River.

Despite several attempts to return the statue to the water, it kept coming back to them. Because of its recognition as Kannon, it was finally brought to the temple.

Although Sensoji Temple was founded in 628, the current crimson building is much more modern and was built after it was destroyed during World War II.

Extra tips

Kimono Experience

Expect curious and interested looks. The experience is a door opener to interacting with the locals and it’s really a lot of fun!

Rent a kimono here and explore Asakusa the traditional way.

Look forward to exploring Asakusa while wearing a beautiful traditional Japanese kimono from Kimono Miyabi. At Kimono Miyabi, you will find a variety of kimono sets to choose from to make your experience as relaxing as possible.

The knowledgeable staff at Kimono Miyabi will be happy to assist you in finding the perfect outfit.

Explore Tokyo’s highlights in a private tour

Not feeling like staying long in Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the world’s most populous metropolis?
Then you should look for a way to see all the top sights at once!

This great tour does just that.

First, you’ll visit the world-famous Asakusa district, where you’ll see the colorful Senso-ji Temple and stroll along the impressive Kaminari-mon Gate and Nakamise Avenue.

Then head to Sumida Park on the banks of the Sumida River – a perfect place to view the cherry blossoms in spring or the breathtaking fireworks in summer.

After a delicious lunch, you’ll cross one of Japan’s most famous intersections – Shibuya Crossing.

Other highlights of this tour include Hachiko, Takeshita Street and the Omotesando Meiji Shrine.

With this tour you can easily explore both the old and modern sides of Tokyo!

Price: €112 per group (1-8 persons)
Start: 09:30
Ends: 16:30
Good to know: This tour is Muslim and vegetarian tourists friendly. During the tour, the group will travel on public transport

The tour includes:

  • Professional Guide
  • English speaking guide
  • Taxes
  • Operator insurance
  • Train tour ticket
  • The guide will meet you at the hotel without a car (walking tour)

Private tour through Tokyo, Japan

  • I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences I had whilst traveling. You’re in a certain place and a fellow traveler, or a local, tip you off on a little-known beach, bar or accommodation. Great travel tips from other travelers or locals always add something special to our travels. That was the inspiration for Travel Dudes.

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Quest for the New COVID Shot

Sept. 29, 2023 – If you’re having trouble getting the latest COVID-19 booster, you’re not alone. As the rollout of the newly formulated shot begins in earnest, many Americans are finding roadblocks, while federal officials urge everyone to be patient and get the shot when you can. Dana Tofig was lucky. He signed up for the latest COVID-19 vaccine the minute it became available. When his appointment time came, he stood in line at a CVS in Gaithersburg, MD, and received his shot. Just as he finished, the pharmacy clerk told everyone in line behind to go home: There were no more doses available. He said the pharmacy also had to cancel everyone’s appointments for the following day.  “The woman who gave me the shot said that [the pharmacy] had been given what they had anticipated was a week’s supply – it health ended up just lasting a few days,” said Tofig, 56.  Despite appointments continuing to be canceled, a statement released after a meeting held by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and health insurance company leaders said that more than 6 million vaccines have been shipped to pharmacies and, so far, 2 million Americans have received their shots.  And according to a statement from Moderna, the maker of one of two authorized vaccines, the company has shipped millions of doses to distributors across the country and are “working to support these distributors to ensure that the significant supply of vaccines we have already provided to them continues to rapidly reach pharmacies and other points of care.” In tandem with vaccine supply issues, those who have been able to get the shot have been running into trouble getting insurance to pay for it, reportedly due to technical issues. In a letter,  major health insurance companies assured customers that they “largely, if not completely, resolved,” these technical issues and are committed to “fully covering the new COVID-19 shots, as required, with no cost sharing when consumers access them from a network provider or receive them through an out-of-network provider when in-network options are unavailable.”  Dotty Johnson was one of the many who couldn’t get the shot. She is a 73-year-old retired college professor in Pennsylvania. She recently completed chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, which places her at higher risk for more severe outcomes from COVID illness. For her and her husband, there is a sense of urgency to get the new monovalent shot. Johnson and her husband received the RSV vaccine in mid-September. At the time, the pharmacist told them CVS did not have the COVID vaccine yet and they should make an appointment to come back. The Johnsons made an appointment for this past Tuesday but received a text message the evening before saying CVS did not have the vaccine available the next day and they would need to reschedule. When Johnson checked online, there were no nearby appointments for the vaccine and the earliest appointment was the end of October. She and her husband kept the Tuesday appointment to get the flu shot. But the CVS Medicare system was down, so they were given a choice – reschedule or pay out-of-pocket. They chose to pay $110 each for the flu vaccine.  CVS recommended they keep calling to find out when the COVID vaccine will be available in their area. “I am immunosuppressed and over 65. My husband is 75 and he’s in good health. He lives with me and so if he gets sick, I get sick, right?” CVS acknowledged some issues with its supply chain.  “We’re receiving updated COVID-19 vaccines from suppliers on a rolling basis and most of our locations can honor scheduled appointments,” said Matt Blanchette, senior manager of retail communications for CVS Pharmacy. “However, due to delivery delays from our wholesalers, some appointments may be rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will continue to offer additional appointments at those locations as supply is received.” In New York City, Zoe Cohen and Levi Shaw-Faber had the same bad luck. In preparation for an upcoming wedding, the couple planned to get their shots a few days in advance. But one hour before their scheduled appointment for the updated COVID vaccine and flu shot, they got a call from CVS explaining that they had run out of doses. By the time Cohen and Shaw-Faber had started scrambling to find another availability that day, every pharmacy in the New York City area, besides one in New Jersey, was either booked up or run dry.  “The good news is we’re in a different place than we were last year,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said during a news conference Sept. 27 sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Cohen already had her flu shot and plans to get the COVID one as well. “Not only as CDC director, but as a mom, a wife, and a daughter, I wouldn’t recommend something for the American people that I would not recommend for my own family.”  Even leading infectious disease experts face some challenges. Robert Hopkins Jr., MD, medical director of the infectious diseases foundation, for example, received his flu and COVID shots separately “because of availability,” he said at the news conference. A ‘Shaky’ Supply Chain “This is a total disaster. It’s bad enough we’ve had pandemic fatigue and anti-science and everything else, but this rollout is just a curse,” said Eric Topol, MD, founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, CA, and editor-in-chief of Medscape, WebMD’s sister site for health care professionals. The COVID booster distribution chain is “really shaky,” Topol said, and supply levels are lower than many anticipated at this point. An unforeseen consequence is the “eager beavers” who normally get vaccinated in the first few weeks are not getting immunized.   The situation is “just going to further undermine the public health agencies’ coordination in a post-emergency state pandemic management.” Cohen said, “We’re about 2 weeks into having the new updated COVID vaccine, and it is a different process this year.”  In past years, the federal government purchased and distributed the COVID vaccines, so it was one system. That ended when the national public health emergency ended in May. “Now we’re going back to what I call the ‘normal course of business,’” Cohen said.  The COVID vaccine is now purchased and distributed after individual health care providers order it and manufacturers and distributors send it out. 

Mastering ChatGPT: From Beginner to Advanced | Online Course

Product Name: Mastering ChatGPT: From Beginner to Advanced | Online Course Click here to get Mastering ChatGPT: From Beginner to Advanced | Online Course at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Mastering ChatGPT: From Beginner to Advanced | Online Course is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean , you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. Description: Learn ChatGPT language generation model, from basic usage to advanced customization.
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After completing this module, you should have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of ChatGPT and be equipped with the knowledge to start experimenting with this powerful AI language model.
This module covers the use of ChatGPT for language generation tasks, including understanding the process of Text Summarization, Question Answering and Generating Dialogue, as well as understanding the potential use case for these capabilities.
After completing this module, you should have a solid understanding of how to use ChatGPT for various language generation tasks, and be fitness able to implement it in your own projects.
This module is focused on the purpose of fine-tuning ChatGPT for specific tasks such as text classification, language translation, and tailoring the model for specific domains.
After completing this module, you should have a solid understanding of how to fine-tune ChatGPT for various tasks and be able to adapt it to your own specific use cases and domains.
This module covers advanced topics in ChatGPT, including integration with vision and language models, techniques for controlling output generation such as temperature and top-k sampling, and using ChatGPT for sentiment analysis.
After completing this module, you should have a deeper understanding of advanced techniques and applications for ChatGPT.
This module covers best practices for managing AI automation in business, including cost optimization and performance optimization techniques.
Upon completion of the module, learners should have a deeper understanding of the various ways ChatGPT can be monitored and optimized.
This module covers the next steps after completing the course and provides final thoughts on the material covered
Upon completing the module, learners should have a clear understanding of what actions they should take next in order to continue their learning journey and retain the knowledge they’ve gained.
Learn how to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and drive growth for your business.
Comprehensive coverage: The course covers everything from the basics of using ChatGPT to advanced techniques for fine-tuning and customizing the model to suit specific use cases.
Hands-on learning: The course includes interactive exercises and real-world examples to help learners apply their knowledge and build practical skills.
Expert instruction: The course is taught by experienced practitioners who have a deep understanding of ChatGPT and its capabilities.
Up-to-date information: The course is based on the latest version of ChatGPT and covers the latest techniques and best practices for using the model.
Flexibility: The course is available online, so learners can access the material at their own pace and on their own schedule.
Streamline Operations and Drive Growth with ChatGPT
This course is designed for business owners, freelancers, and professionals looking to gain practical skills in using ChatGPT. It’s suitable for those who want to improve their data analysis, customer service, and automation skills in order to stay competitive in the market  – all while saving time and money.
The course covers all the necessary concepts for using ChatGPT.
The duration of the course is around 3.5 hours, but it is designed to be completed at the learner’s own pace.
Yes, the course will be updated to cover the latest techniques and best practices for using ChatGPT.
We offer a variety of other courses and training programs to help you continue to advance your skills and knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence and automation!
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ARTnews Celebrates Launch of 2023 Edition of Top 200 Collectors Issue – ARTnews.com

Last week, ARTnews celebrated the 34th edition of its annual Top 200 Collectors list with a cocktail party at the Waldorf Astoria Residences New York Gallery on Park Avenue. The co-hosts of the evening were Top 200 Collectors Komal Shah and Josef Vascovitz and news Lisa Goodman, in partnership with Lugano Diamonds, HUB International, and The Mascot Wine. Guests were able to mingle while viewing the not-yet-opened Waldorf Astoria and its new residences. The Waldorf Astoria’s art collection, which will be owned by future residents of the building and is now curated by curator and auctioneer Simon de Pury, includes work by artists from around the world, such as An Te Liu, Benjamin Plé, Minjung Kim, Philippe Decrauzat, Rowan Mersh, James Ryan, Flavie Audi, and Matthew Pillsbury. Notable attendees included fellow Top 200 Collectors Glenn R. Fuhrman, Jamie and Robert Soros, and newcomers to the list like Gary Steel and Steven Rice. Also in attendance were artists Honor Titus and David Antonio Cruz, adviser Ana Sokoloff, digital strategist JiaJia Fei, National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, Yale School of Art dean Kymberly N. Pinder, and dealers Stefania Bortolami, Friedrich Petzel, Casey Kaplan, Nicola Vassell, Mathieu Templon, and Tara Downs. The topic of the evening was philanthropy, a recurring theme throughout this year’s Top 200 Collectors issue (on newsstands October 17, while the list will appear online October 9) and something near and dear to the event’s cohosts as well as partner Lugano Diamonds. (Lugano’s philanthropic endeavors have supported the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, the Aspen Art Museum, and the Orange County Museum of Art.) See pictures from the annual event below:

Friday, September 29, 2023

Miss Utah Noelia Voigt Crowned Miss USA 2023 Winner

“After a thorough and extensive investigation, it was found that accusations of rigging of the 2022 Miss USA Pageant were false,” a spokesperson for The Miss Universe Organization, which oversees Miss USA and Miss Teen USA fashion pageants, said in an Aug. 1 press release. “However, after much discussion and consideration, MUO and Crystle were unable to reach an agreement as to Crystle and Miss Brand’s continuing involvement with Miss USA and the Miss Universe Organization.”
So, what’s changed? The scoring system, for one.
“I came in and I wanted to really highlight the delegates as individuals,” Laylah told Insider ahead of the competition, sharing that the interview portion will now make up 50 percent of a contestant’s total score, while the swimsuit and evening-gown rounds make up 25 percent each. “We’re not just parading onstage and we’re not just wearing heels. We’re actually out there supporting our platforms and making waves and breaking glass ceilings in the philanthropy world that we want to be in.”

Orbit Books Presents Free Talks With Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers

Orbit Books, an imprint of Hachette, has developed a free virtual event series for aspiring science-fiction and fantasy writers . Attendees fitness can attend any of the 14 sessions—which are spread out over six weeks in October and early November—for free. The topics range from nitty gritty advice on worldbuilding to a panel on how to write a novel while also still having to deal with the rest of life. What Makes Immortal Longings an Epic Fantasy? | io9 Interview The sessions are, essentially, a mini-convention for writers, aiming to give people who don’t know where to start a complete course on writing. But after looking over the full lineup of seminars, there are a few that stand out. I may have a decent chunk of writing under my belt, but you can be sure to find me in “ Love Triangles and Other Shapes ” with S.T. Gibson, C.L. Clark, Josiah Bancroft, and Melissa Caruso. And I would be so disappointed if I missed “ Creating Otherworldly Cultures ” with Ann Leckie, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Essa Hansen, and Davinia Evans, all of whom have written books recently which have completely transported me to entirely new universes.
Other incredible writers across the Orbit Books sphere are also doing short seminars, across a wide range of experiences, from every-award-winner Leckie to Alex Jennings, who made his stunning debut last year with the queer and evocative New Orleans ghost story The Ballad of Perilous Graves. The press release states that these working SFF authors write “across a variety of SFF subgenres, from space opera to horror to epic fantasy to romantic fantasy.” If you can’t make it to any of the sessions, you should still register on crowdcast and feel free to submit your questions in advance, because “recordings will be available after each session concludes.” Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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Sunday, September 24, 2023

Hauser & Wirth Expands to Basel, Going Toe to Toe with Gagosian – ARTnews.com

Hauser & Wirth, the mega-gallery with well over a dozen locations worldwide, is expanding its empire once again, with plans to open next in Basel, the Swiss city where the world’s top fair, Art Basel, is held annually. The Art Newspaper first reported the news on health Thursday. The move sees Hauser & Wirth once again going toe to toe with one of its competitors, Gagosian, who launched a space in Basel in 2019. Hauser & Wirth also has five other Swiss locations—three in Zurich, one in St. Moritz, and one in Gstaad—plus a bookstore based in the country. Related Articles This is the 18th Hauser & Wirth location worldwide, after ones in New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and more art-world capitals, as well as more far-flung locales like the Spanish island of Menorca and Somerset, England. The 16th and 17th Hauser & Wirth galleries, in Paris and New York’s SoHo neighborhood, respectively, both open this October. According to the Art Newspaper, the Basel gallery will be set in one of the current spaces of Galerie Knoell, which will continue to operate another venue in the city. (The move is, however, not a acquisition on Hauser & Wirth’s part.) That gallery’s founder, Carlo Knoell, will become a senior director at Hauser & Wirth. Galerie Knoell was founded in 2011 and focuses predominantly on secondary-market dealing of modern and contemporary art. According to Knoell, his gallery will shutter its exhibition program, but it “will continue to manage its own inventory and the estates and collections entrusted to it.”

Crunchyroll is Shutting Down, Absorbing Anime Store Right Stuf

Since 1987, Right Stuf has been a reliable way for those who don’t live in Japan to purchase anime. In 2022, it was acquired by Sony , after which it became part of Crunchyroll while still operating as its own thing. But starting next month, Right Stuf will be no more as it becomes fully integrated into Crunchyroll. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Has Infectious Good Energy Come October 10, Right Stuf’s store will close down, and all its product will be transferred over to the Crunchyroll Store . After that date, the Right Stuf website will also redirect to said store. The press release said the integration will “enrich the shopping experience for the anime community by offering even more ways for fans to express their love for the medium. […] Crunchyroll’s newly expanded eCommerce store will boast a collection of over 30,000 products, encompassing a diverse range of over 4,000 titles.” And the annual holiday sale that have been previously done by Right Stuf will now be done at Crunchyroll, though Anime News Network noted there would be “some changes” to this year’s sale—though at time of writing, those changes are currently under wraps.
In a statement from Emerging Business VP Terry Li, using Right Stuf to help expand the Crunchyroll Store “underscores our commitment to providing fans with the ultimate destination for anime-inspired merchandise and collectibles. Commerce is an important element of the anime lifestyle that allows fans to proudly display their passion, and we look forward to growing the global love of anime by continuing to expand our eCommerce capabilities.”
Along with distributing anime, Right Stuf had the license to publish some anime (such as the 1963 Astro Boy, Macross, and Revolutionary Girl Utena) via its Nozomi Entertainment division. Those licenses—and projects such as the Blu-Ray release for the series news Dirty Pair —are said to be unaffected by Right Stuf’s shuttering. Similarly, it’s been said there won’t be any disruption to the international shipping and availability that Right Stuf previously handled.
Right Stuf will be fully integrated into Crunchyroll on Tuesday, October 10. More information on what’s to come can be read here . The FAQ covers how international shipping will be handled going forward, Right Stuf accounts transitioning into Crunchyroll accounts, and more. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

Canadian autoworkers approve labor deal with Ford

CNN  —  Members of Canada’s autoworkers union, Unifor, ratified a tentative three-year agreement with Ford on Sunday after the union had reached an 11th-hour agreement last week to avert a possible strike. The deal, which Unifor called “exceptional,” was unanimously endorsed by leadership from the local unions on Friday, the union said in a news release. But despite that endorsement, only 54% of the rank-and-file members voted to ratify the deal. The union leadership said the contract was the best deal they could get for members. “This was an extraordinary round of collective bargaining, taking place in an extraordinary time,” the union’s leadership wrote in a joint message to members included in the bargaining report. “Autoworkers, like all workers, are gripped by an affordability crisis and rising costs. High interest rates are fueling economic uncertainty for families. We are still reeling from a devastating pandemic and damaging supply shortages that have affected our jobs. Amid these challenges comes a once-in-a-century auto sector transformation that, if done right, will grow Canada’s industrial footprint.” “Our Unifor-represented autoworkers are the heart of Ford of Canada,” Bev Goodman, CEO of Ford of Canada, said in a statement. “This contract invests in our talented and dedicated employees.” The terms of the deal could have an impact on negotiations to end the strike by the United Auto Workers union against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. At the very least, it raises hope that a deal could be near with Ford. Unifor won some key demands that Ford and the other automakers have yet to agree to in talks with the UAW, including a return of a pension plan — rather than just 401(k)-style retirement accounts — for Unifor members hired at Ford in recent years. The UAW strike, which originated with 12,700 members on September 15, has sought a resumption of traditional pension plans for employees hired since 2007. While UAW President Shawn Fain said Friday his union has made progress in negotiations with Ford, he did not mention any progress on the pension issue. Still, because Ford is making headway in its negotiations on other issues, the UAW continued to limit its strike at Ford to one assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, while it expanded the strike at GM and Stellantis to those companies’ parts and distribution centers. “We do want to recognize that Ford is serious about reaching a deal,” Fain said Friday. The UAW said it did not have a comment on the terms of the deal this weekend between Unifor and Ford. In addition to the improvements on pensions, the Unifor agreement addresses Unifor’s core priorities, including a wage increase of 10% in the first year of the agreement, effective September 25, followed by a 2% and 3% increase over fitness the next two years of the contract. The agreement also eliminates the health care deductible for all current and former employees. The deal covers nearly 5,700 union members, including 5,300 workers at three plants, and almost 400 workers spread across three distribution centers and two offices. If they had gone on strike it could have affected production for some of Ford’s key models built at US plants, since two engine plants in Canada produce the V-8 engines used in Ford F-150 pickups and Mustangs. The deal will also be used as a blueprint in Unifor’s pattern bargaining and could pave the way for new contracts with Stellantis and GM. Unifor said it will announce soon whether it will next negotiate with GM or Stellantis. This report has been updated with additional information

Russian Foreign Minister hits out at West’s ‘empire of lies’ — Global Issues

Sergey Lavrov said power was slipping through the hands of the old order, dominated by Washington, which has long rejected the principle of equality.
Americans and Europeans “make all sorts of promises…and then just don’t fulfil them”, he told delegates.
Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was “truly an empire of lies” which even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, had plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.
Soviet and then Russian leaders “were given concrete political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military alliance to the east”, which turned out to be pure deception.
Washington and Brussels have ceaselessly sought to expand their interests and alliances to subordinate the Global South and East, rejecting Russia’s desire for mutual security guarantees, he stated.
West’s ‘hybrid war against our country’
Turning to Ukraine, he said the West had “continued its ongoing militarisation of the Russophobic Kyiv regime”, brought to power via a “bloody coup” in 2014 and took that opportunity to “wage a hybrid war against our country.”
The aim since then, has been the strategic defeat of Russia he argued, with the US-led offensive now stretching into outer space and disinformation online.
Mr. Lavrov said it was “obvious” that its creation of subordinate alliances was “targeted against Russia and China” in a bid to sabotage more “inclusive” regional forums.
He said even in terms of culture, the anti-colonial “global majority” has had enough of the Western “yoke” and attacks on their religions, traditional values and sovereignty.
He saw Russia and China as defenders of a new multipolar architecture – the ascendent fitness world order – and now the West is doing all it can to block it.
‘Coercive measures’
The Russian Foreign Minister decried US-led use of unilateral sanctions and “coercive measures”, defending Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and others, while Washington continues its effort to “Ukrainize” the international agenda.
He said it was time for full reform of “global governance architecture” including UN-led international financial mechanisms and the United Nations’ key bodies – together with what he said was a Secretariat biased in favour of capitals in NATO and the European Union.
Mr. Lavrov spoke up for Security Council expansion to include Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He said reform needed to be based on a new, balanced consensus, giving the example of the BRICS bloc of economic powers – set to expand beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
Avoid ‘large scale war’
Mr. Lavrov closed his case with an appeal for compromise, saying “humanity is at a crossroads…It is in our shared interest to prevent a downward spiral into large scale war.”
He invoked the Secretary-General’s call for world leaders to meet and negotiate in the spirit of compromise at this year’s UN General Assembly, “when designing our common future for our common good.”
“This is an excellent response to those who divide our world up into democracies and autocracies and dictate their neocolonial rules to others”, he concluded. Full statement in Russian available here