Pelican Press

The wedding with almost 100 bridesmaids The wedding with almost 100 bridesmaids Eve Coleman & Abigail Taylor BBC News NI Mark Johnston The average number of bridesmaids for a wedding in the *** is about three to five There are traditional weddings and then there are people who like to add their own twist to their big day. Jack McGowan, originally from Aberdeen in Scotland, and his wife Kathryn from Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, decided two or three bridesmaids would not meet the mark for the special occasion. The newly-wed couple who tied the knot last week with 95 bridesmaids said it was “an absolutely unforgettable day”. The average number of bridesmaids for a wedding in the *** is about three to five. Mark Johnston Jack McGowan, originally from Aberdeen, and his wife Kathryn from Hillsborough tied the knot last week Ms McGowan said as soon as the couple got engaged they were debating how many bridesmaids was too many. “I was thinking and thinking about how it was going to work and I thought in my head, what’s the biggest number of bridesmaids I could have?” She said the couple discussed having seven or eight, which then raised to nine or 10, but they eventually landed on 95. The wedding took place in Larchfield estate near Annahilt, County Down, in Northern Ireland. They had about 250 guests altogether, meaning 38% of the guests donned a bridesmaid dress. The women and girls shared more than a colour scheme – with many being pupils of Kathryn’s dance school. “All my dancers and my friends that have been in my life for a long time, they’re still very much a massive part of my life. “It was just a very, very easy decision in the end,” she said. Their ages ranged from six to 40 years of age. ‘Not a shock’ Jack McGowan said he was “weirdly not shocked” by the numbers. He said he helps out with the organisation of some dance events and was familiar with all the girls. “I’m used to these big events with lots and lots of our dancers, so I strangely expected, nothing less,” he said. Women dominated the day as Jack had only eight groomsmen. Traditionally, the groomsmen will share a dance with the bridesmaids. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s, The Nolan Show programme, Jack said, “the best man is still dancing today.” Mark Johnston The bridesmaids chose their own dresses once Kathryn planned a colour scheme The couple said the day ran smoothly despite the large numbers. “The girls all know how to get in formation and organise themselves very quickly,” Kathryn said. She said the girls separated into two lines along the aisle. “They had it all organised before I got there, so I didn’t have to do very much. “I definitely made the right decision,” she said. “It was really good when we were getting the photos, the older girls organised the younger ones and they were all standing perfectly arranged ready for me to bounce into the middle.” Kathryn said the bridesmaids chose their own dresses once she planned a colour scheme. “It was really interesting to see all their different styles and personalities showing through.” The pair said they were very happy with how the day went. “It was absolutely brilliant,” Jack added. “It was better than we ever imagined, there was dancing and piping all day long.” Source link #wedding #bridesmaids Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin Analysis: Is It Still a Safe Haven as Market Cap Hits 2021 Levels? Bitcoin Analysis: Is It Still a Safe Haven as Market Cap Hits 2021 Levels? Bitcoin’s market share hits a 4-year high, sparking debate about its role as a safe haven asset. On-chain data and technical analysis suggest $93,000-$95,000 is a critical price range. Bitcoin ETFs are seeing increased inflows, particularly BlackRock’s IBIT, signaling potential bullish movement. Crypto regulation remains complex, with some states like New Hampshire moving forward while others stall. prices have been consolidating since April 25, just below the 95000 mark, with a brief foray higher being met by selling pressure. The world’s largest cryptocurrency continues to defy market dynamics as it now accounts for around 65% of the entire crypto market cap, the highest level since 2021. Bitcoin has enjoyed a rollercoaster ride over the past four months, which largely mirrors the overall market dynamic. As usual, the naysayers were once again in full voice as price dipped toward the 75000 mark in early April after markets dealt with the shock of US President Donald Trump’s universal tariff announcement. Since then, however, Bitcoin has risen to a high of around 97900 a gain of around 30% from the early April lows. This is at a time when risk assets have struggled, and safe-haven assets saw significant inflows. Is this another sign that markets are starting to see the world’s largest crypto as a safe haven or diversification hedge against uncertainty? I believe it is, but many may disagree. Looking ahead, though, there are differing takes on where Bitcoin may be headed. I have been looking through some data from GlassNode, and there are some interesting takeaways that paint an interesting picture. Let us break these down below. Glassnode On-Chain Analytics According to Glassnode, the current price range between 93000 and 95000, where the price found support multiple times between November 2024 and February 2025, may hold the key. To understand the current market momentum, we can look at how it reacts to key technical and on-chain indicators. When these two align, they give a stronger, clearer signal. For this analysis, we’re focusing on the 111DMA, a commonly used technical average for measuring Bitcoin momentum, and the Short-Term Holder cost basis, a pricing level that often separates bullish and bearish market trends. 111DMA is at $91.3K, and the Short-Term Holder cost basis is at $93.2K. The price recently moved above both levels and is now trying to stay within this range. This shows a solid upward trend. However, these levels need to be broken and maintained to see further price growth. If the price falls below this zone, it could turn bearish again, leaving investors with significant unrealized losses. Source: Glassnode For now price has been holding above these levels with any attempt to break lower being met with significant buying pressure. However, in order for the bulls to take charge a break and consolidation above the 95000 handle will likely be needed. ETF inflows return Bitcoin ETFs are enjoying a renaissance of late with Blackrock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:) trust delivering inflows on Friday, May 2 of $674.91 million. No other Bitcoin ETF saw inflows on Friday However, ETF flows have been strong since mid-April. The last 3 days however, have seen flows of around $1.52 billion, a sign that a bullish breakout may be incoming? Source: Farside Investors Another positive for ETF flows around Bitcoin comes from BlackRock (NYSE:) once more. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has brought in more money this year than the biggest gold-backed ETF. On May 6, Bloomberg’s Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas shared that IBIT is now the sixth-highest fund in the US based on year-to-date inflows. The data shows that IBIT has attracted over $6.9 billion since January, beating SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:), which brought in about $6.5 billion despite a 23% rise in returns. Is Regulation Still Coming? Crypto regulation in the US has been a major talking point in 2025. There had been hopes that regulation would finally get the clarity many had been hoping for. So far, there has been a lot of movement at the SEC and on the regulatory front but it appears that every step forward is followed by two steps back. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan worries Congress might mess up key crypto regulations at the last moment. The GENIUS Act, once a bipartisan stablecoin win, lost critical support due to concerns about Trump’s role in crypto. This could stall other crypto bills too. Still, Hougan believes crypto can hit new highs, with bitcoin possibly soaring past $200K, if Congress passes stablecoin and market structure bills. “The next weeks are critical,” he said. “Legislation failure could mean a tough summer for crypto, but success could spark an unstoppable bull run.” A positive announcement did materialize today, however, with New Hampshire becoming the first U.S. state to approve a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” bill, allowing its treasury to invest in digital assets. Other states, like Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, and Texas, are considering similar laws inspired by a plan from a pro-Bitcoin nonprofit. On the other hand, Florida has put its bills, House Bill 487 and Senate Bill 550, on hold, stopping plans to allow certain public funds to invest in bitcoin. All in all, a mixed bag and sentiment at present, one could say. There does appear to be more optimism than pessimism at this point, so one can only hope that crypto regulation arrives in time and provides a summer crypto boost that many enthusiasts are hoping for. Technical Analysis – BTC/USD Bitcoin (BTC/USD) from a technical standpoint has found support at the 93000 handle, which has held firm since April 25. Today’s daily candle is on course for a close above the 95000 key level and may close as a hammer candlestick. This could set the stage for further gains, although it is important to remember that the previous foray above this level was met with significant selling pressure at 97000. The next area of resistance rests at the recent high at 97900 before the 100000 level comes into focus. As long as the 93000 handle holds the bulls will remain interested. If the 93000 handle makes way then support may be found at 91804 and the psychological 90000 handle. Bitcoin (BTC/USD) Daily Chart, May 7, 2025 Read More: Original Post Source link #Bitcoin #Analysis #Safe #Haven #Market #Cap #Hits #Levels Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How one Sydney Council is cracking down on e-bike companies How one Sydney Council is cracking down on e-bike companies A Sydney Mayor has said “enough is enough”, telling e-bike operators to sign onto an agreement or leave the area. Source link #Sydney #Council #cracking #ebike #companies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila braced himself as he used a circular saw to cut through a reinforced door. With his vision obscured, firefighter Lex May navigated quickly through a narrow tube. Also with his sight blocked, firefighter Tom Ardito launched himself through a small opening in a wall. The trio were among 10 Palm Beach Fire-Rescue personnel who participated in the Rapid Intervention Team competition on May 1 at Palm Beach State College near Lake Worth Beach. Two teams from Palm Beach took part in the Palm Beach State Invitational competition: Team 1 of Lts. Arcila and Stephen Montoya with firefighters Ardito, Austin Bohn and May; and Team 2 of Lts. Michael Bennett and Daniel DiRocco with firefighters Ryan Allen, Bruce Martin and Alex Park. The teams completed a grueling course with challenges that included breaking through a reinforced door, navigating tight spaces and rescuing a mock victim while in blackout conditions. Town of Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention team members, firefighter Lex May, from right, Lt. Walter Arcila, firefighter Austin Bohn, firefighter Thomas Ardito, and Lt. Stephen Montoya, discuss their strategy for the RIT competition at Palm Beach State College on May 1. This was the second RIT competition for Palm Beach, which formed its first Rapid Intervention Team within the past year. Team members go through grueling training to be part of the team, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman. While Palm Beach’s pair of teams did well, they did not advance past the competition’s first day, he said. While wearing a blackout mask that totally impedes his vision, a member of the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) throws his body through a tiny window during the competition. “However, with just two competitions under their belt, they have already made a name for themselves and they are already looking forward to the next competition in Orlando in January,” Sekula said. “They will take everything that they learned here and incorporate that into their training.” The training is very specialized and results in an “elite” fire-rescue unit, he said. Sparks fly as Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila cuts through rebar. “That’s very labor-intensive as you can imagine,” Sekula said. “We are super proud of them!” Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Team 1 took first place, with Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Team 2 coming in second, according to the rankings released by Palm Beach State College. In third place was Largo Fire Rescue. Town of Palm Beach firefighter Lex May takes a knee before competing. The RIT competition was part of the larger Palm Beach State Invitational that took place throughout the weekend at Palm Beach State College’s main campus near Lake Worth Beach. Teams also competed in vehicle rescue, emergency medical services and rope rescues. Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at *****@*****.tld. Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team takes on competition Source link #Elite #Palm #Beach #FireRescue #team #takes #part #statewide #rescue #competition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stocks rise in tepid cheer for US-China talks – Reuters Stocks rise in tepid cheer for US-China talks – Reuters Stocks rise in tepid cheer for US-China talks ReutersStock market today: Asian stocks rise as US-China trade talks announced, China cuts interest rates Yahoo FinanceU.S. and China to Hold First Trade Talks Since Trump’s Tariffs The New York TimesU.S. and ******** officials will meet in Geneva in first sign of thaw in trade war NPRTrump’s team is finally meeting with China. The future of the global economy is riding on its success CNN Source link #Stocks #rise #tepid #cheer #USChina #talks #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fear and uncertainty after strikes: BBC in Muzaffarabad Fear and uncertainty after strikes: BBC in Muzaffarabad BBC Urdu correspondent Farhat Javed reports from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir where an Indian air strike damaged a mosque and some houses. Though many people had left the area last night, some residents have been able to return to assess the damage to their properties, locals told the BBC. A sense of fear and uncertainty remains as people try to make sense of what happened last night. Indian officials say that they “destroyed terror camps” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. India blames Pakistan for the deadly Pahalgam attack which killed 26 people last month – a claim Pakistan denies. Source link #Fear #uncertainty #strikes #BBC #Muzaffarabad Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Smokey Robinson accused of assault by former housekeepers Smokey Robinson accused of assault by former housekeepers Four anonymous housekeepers are suing Motown legend Smokey Robinson for $50 million (£37 million), accusing him of ******* assault. A complaint filed in Los Angeles superior court accuses the 85-year-old of ******* battery, false imprisonment, negligence and gender violence, in addition to a number of labour violations related to wages, breaks, meal times and overtime pay. The lawsuit also names Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, claiming she contributed to a hostile work environment, and used “ethnically pejorative words and language”. Representatives for the Robinsons did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the accusations could not be independently verified. Robinson was Motown’s first hitmaker, writing number one hits like Mary Wells’ My Guy and the Temptations’ My Girl. Born William Robinson Jr in Michigan, he was both a talent scout for the record label and one of its most prominent recording artists, known for songs like Tracks of My Tears, Shop Around and Tears of a Clown. He has spots in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Halls of Fame, and claims to have credits on more than 4,000 songs. Robinson’s reputation and stature was an intimidating factor for his accusers, who were made to feel “powerless”, their lawyer said at a press conference in Los Angeles. “They’re Hispanic women who were employed by the Robinsons earning below minimum wage,” said John Harris. “As low-wage women in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from ******* assaults.” The women are suing under the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1, 2, 3 and 4, due to the ******* misconduct allegations, including *****, being levelled against the musician. Three are former housekeepers and one was the singer’s personal assistant, cook and hairdresser, according to court documents. In the lawsuit, all four women claim that Robinson would summon them to various areas of his properties in Chatsworth, Bell Canyon and Las Vegas, at times when his wife was away. Sometimes emerging naked from a shower, he forced them to have various types of sex over a number of years, starting in 2006, the lawsuit alleges. Jane Does 1, 3 and 4 all allege Robinson ********* assaulted them in the “blue bedroom” of his Chatsworth residence, claiming he would lay down a towel to protect the bed sheets prior to the assaults. Jane Doe 2’s allegations state that Robinson ****** her in the laundry room and garage of his Chatsworth residence, where closed-circuit cameras were unable to see. The women claim that during the alleged assaults, Robinson used physical barriers and threats of force to prevent them from fleeing. The lawsuit also includes several allegations of workplace violations. All four women say they worked 10 hours a day, for six days a week without being paid minimum wage or overtime. They also claim to have worked holidays without receiving a holiday rate. According to their lawsuit, the employees all quit because of the alleged ******* misconduct and hostile work environment. The BBC has contacted Robinson’s representatives for a response to the lawsuit. No police reports or criminal charges have been filed against the musician. A spokesperson for Los Angeles County District Attorney said the women’s claims were not under review because law enforcement had not presented a case. Los Angeles police said they had no statement on the matter. Source link #Smokey #Robinson #accused #assault #housekeepers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2025 Mazda CX-60 gets mechanical upgrades, but here's what's missing 2025 Mazda CX-60 gets mechanical upgrades, but here's what's missing Mazda is imminently rolling out a raft of updates to its CX-60, but these won’t include the introduction of Mazda Connected Services. Source link #Mazda #CX60 #mechanical #upgrades #here039s #what039s #missing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘What’s left to bomb?’ Israel’s plan to expand campaign strikes fear into Gazans ‘What’s left to bomb?’ Israel’s plan to expand campaign strikes fear into Gazans By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Israel’s plan to expand its Gaza offensive, displace people within the enclave and take control of aid distribution has horrified Gazans who already have endured multiple displacements and food shortages during 19 months of conflict. Israel has been blocking all aid from entering Gaza since March 2 with the collapse of a two-month ceasefire with ****** that had improved Gazans’ access to food and medicine and allowed many of them to go home. For Aya, a 30-year-old Gaza City resident who returned home with her family during the ceasefire after months in the southern part of the strip, Israel’s announcement on Monday raised fears of being killed or indefinitely displaced. “Are we going to die this time?” she said in a message on a chat app. “Are they going to displace us again? Are we going to end up in Rafah, and will this be the last time, or are they going to force us out of Gaza after Rafah?” she said, referring to the Rafah area in southern Gaza, next to Egypt’s border. Attending a ******** on Monday for several people killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Gaza City, Mohammed al-Seikaly said things were so dire it was hard to imagine how Israel could further intensify its assault. “There is nothing left in the Gaza Strip that has not been struck by missiles and explosive barrels,” he said. “I’m asking in front of the whole world: ‘What’s left to bomb?'” On Tuesday, Israeli military strikes killed at least 46 Palestinians across Gaza, local health authorities said. Medics said at least 29 people, including women and children, were killed at a school housing displaced families in the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip. Medics said the school was hit twice within a few hours. After the first airstrike, the Israeli military said it had struck terrorists operating from a command center used for storing weapons and planning and staging attacks against Israel. There was no immediate army comment after the second attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the expanded military operation would be “intensive” and involve holding seized territories and moving Palestinians “for their own safety”. DEARTH OF FOOD One Israeli official said the plan would involve moving the civilian population southward and controlling aid distribution to prevent food from falling into the hands of ******, the Islamist militant group whose attack on Israel in October 2023 triggered Israel’s military operation in Gaza. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs rejected the plan on Tuesday as “the opposite of what is needed”. Tamer, a man from Khan Younis in the southern half of the Strip, said he feared Israel could impose its own triage system to decide who would get food. “Will they arrest people and kill others before they let the rest into the areas they designate?” he said. Gaza’s 2.3 million people are struggling with a dearth of food, with many eating only once a day. The World Food Programme said on April 25 it had run out of food stocks in the Strip. Flour often can’t be found, but when a rare sack is available it can cost as much as $500, up from 25 shekels ($7) before the war, Aya said. “They are starving us so we can agree to anything. We want an end to the war. Let them take their prisoners (Israeli hostages) and end the war. Enough,” she added. Some residents have been eating weeds or leaves, while fishermen have turned to catching sea turtles and selling their meat. Israeli officials have said there is still enough food in Gaza, though the head of Israel’s military has warned the political leadership that supplies must be let in soon, public broadcaster Kan reported. ******, which has run Gaza since 2007, accuses Israel of “using food as a weapon in its war against the people of Gaza”. The war began on October 7, 2023, when ****** killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to ******-run health authorities, and reduced much of Gaza to ruins. ($1 = 3.6137 shekels) (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; additional reporting by Dawoud Abu Alkas in Gaza; editing by Estelle Shirbon, Aidan Lewis and Gareth Jones) Source link #Whats #left #bomb #Israels #plan #expand #campaign #strikes #fear #Gazans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox handheld appears in leaked photos – The Verge Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox handheld appears in leaked photos – The Verge Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox handheld appears in leaked photos The VergeASUS ROG Ally 2 gaming handhelds leaked: up to AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme and 64GB memory VideoCardz.comThe first “Xbox handheld” photos just leaked with new “Project Kennan” details from the FCC Windows CentralASUS ROG Ally 2 and ‘Project Kennan’ Xbox Branded Handheld Pictured in US FCC Leak WccftechAsus ROG Ally 2 leak reveals storage variants, design and dedicated Xbox button Notebookcheck Source link #Microsoft #Asus #Xbox #handheld #appears #leaked #photos #Verge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jail sentence reduced for truckie over road-rage death Jail sentence reduced for truckie over road-rage death A truck driver who crushed another man with his truck in a tragic road-rage incident has had his prison sentence reduced after an appeal.. Source link #Jail #sentence #reduced #truckie #roadrage #death Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

LiveCaller Launched as Free Truecaller Alternative for iPhone Users With iOS 18 LiveCaller Launched as Free Truecaller Alternative for iPhone Users With iOS 18 LiveCaller has been launched as a real-time caller identification app for iPhone users and a free alternative to apps like Truecaller and Hiya. Using the Live Caller ID Lookup framework that was introduced by Apple in December 2024 with the iOS 18.2 update, it displays details of incoming calls directly on the call screen. The new app offers protection from spam calls, robocalls, telemarketers, and fraud calls at no cost. Unlike rival caller ID apps, LiveCaller doesn’t ask request users for access to their contacts, or create an account. LiveCaller Uses Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup Framework Developed by Sync.ME, the new LiveCaller app allows users to look up details of an unknown caller in real-time, and the company says that the service has access to over four billion phone numbers. LiveCaller is currently available in 28 languages, and it uses the Live Caller ID Lookup framework, which means it only runs on iOS 18.2 or newer versions of Apple’s mobile operating system. Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework allows caller ID apps to identify unknown incoming calls without requiring the app to remain open, or access to sensitive permissions. Apps can show results for spam or fraud calls directly on the incoming call popup or the full-screen call interface. When a user receives a call on their iPhone running on iOS 18, the LiveCaller app accesses that number and encrypts it before performing a lookup. The company says that this process is protected by end-to-end encryption in order to protect user privacy, and call data is not collected. Many caller ID apps currently offer decent protection from spam and scam calls, robocallers, and telemarketers. Government data reveals that Indians lost over Rs. 177 crore to financial fraud in 2024, more than twice the figure recorded the year before. LiveCaller is currently available for free via the App Store, and it is an alternative to apps like Truecaller and Hiya. It is currently unclear whether the app will remain free in the future, or introduce a paid tier like other rival apps. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Bitcoin Surges Past $96,400 Ahead of FOMC Meeting, Altcoins Show Mixed Movement Source link #LiveCaller #Launched #Free #Truecaller #Alternative #iPhone #Users #iOS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Book Review: ‘Second Life,’ by Amanda Hess Book Review: ‘Second Life,’ by Amanda Hess Happily, the baby arrives (no spoilers), a brother follows and nursery gizmos with *********** outback-evoking names — Keekaroo, Woombie, Ubbi, Nanit, Owlet — come calling. Hess buys a used Snoo, a robotic cradle ($1,695 new as of this writing) promising the parents’ holy grail of an extra one to two hours of sleep a night. A dad posts his four-month-old’s perfect blue sleep graph on Reddit, swoonily tagging it #SNOOporn. Come toddlerhood, the Instagram influencer Big Little Feelings (3.5 million followers) offers Hess easy hacks for conscious parenting. BLF cites George Floyd’s ******* to promise “your child will be the change we need in this world” — as will, presumably, their online course “Winning the Toddler Stage” ($99). In the end, Hess concludes, “The American model of parenting in the 2020s was a punishing and isolated ordeal.” But are millennials truly the first to feel alone? Alison Gopnik wrote in “The Gardener and the Carpenter” (2016) of a multibillion-dollar industry that had transformed child care into what her publisher termed “obsessive, controlling and goal-oriented labor.” In “Feminist Theory,” bell hooks notes this model “isolates children and parents from society.” Gen X and baby boomer parents, too, bought tons of stuff (Exersaucers, Avent bottle systems), over-hovered (were our 2-year-olds “gifted”?), attended ridiculously overpriced “baby music” classes instead of sensibly pooling child care. Hess describes a millennial mom, Nev, whose friends politely decline free babysitting. Nev poignantly yearns for her grandmother’s community, where “you just drop in on each other and bring food and kind of do life together.” Perhaps, then, it will finally fall to Gen Z to prove it really does take an (irl) village. Or Qvilage-aroo. SECOND LIFE: Having a Child in the Digital Age | By Amanda Hess | Doubleday | 248 pp. | $29 Source link #Book #Review #Life #Amanda #Hess Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Against anti-DEI tide, NJ towns are spending millions to make playgrounds more accessible Against anti-DEI tide, NJ towns are spending millions to make playgrounds more accessible As federal officials threaten to cut funding over DEI programs, some New Jersey towns are investing millions to ensure children with and without disabilities can play side by side. These efforts reflect a broader shift across the state as more communities reimagine public spaces to comply with Jake’s Law, the 2018 legislation named after South Jersey’s Jacob Cummings-Nasto or “Baby Jake,” who died of a rare cardiac condition. The law calls for “completely inclusive playgrounds” that follow standards set by the state’s departments of Community Affairs and Education and funded by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program. The law seems to be achieving its desired effect, said Woodland Park Borough Administrator Sam Yodice, whose town has finalized its design and plans to solicit bids in June. “It was the piece that got us over the top,” he said. The town had been saving money to renovate Diane Grimes Memorial Park. But winning a $750,000 grant allowed Woodland Park to go “all in” with a comprehensive, inclusive $1.3 million–$1.4 million redesign. Other parks in the works include Pascack Brook County Park in Westwood, Argonne Park in Teaneck, Habernickel Park in Ridgewood, and communities beyond North Jersey, including Evesham, Montgomery, Brigantine, Toms River and Cherry Hill. Many are pursuing the projects with the help of state grants and partnerships with advocacy organizations. The Township of Little Falls opened their much anticipated renovated and inclusive playground at Wilmore Park. Pictured is Mayor James Damiano during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. One advocate, Mercedes Witowsky, executive director of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities and mother to a 35-year-old daughter with disabilities, is happy with the increasing number of accessible playgrounds popping up in recent years. But she also urges towns not to confuse good intentions with true accessibility. “I just have to stop and not take the words ‘inclusive’ and ‘accessible’ at face value,” she said. Witowsky recounted her daughter’s recent visit to a Morris County park that claimed to be inclusive. “There was no close parking, the terrain didn’t accommodate a wheelchair, and there wasn’t a single piece of equipment that an adult with disabilities could use.” What makes a playground inclusive? The Woodland Park project will feature inclusive equipment for children ages 2 to 12, quiet spaces for kids who need breaks, and a new ramp to connect the lower playground with its upper athletic fields. “We think it’s going to be a super-dynamic park,” Yodice said. “This initiative is going to give this town a place for everyone to go.” Yodice’s favorite feature will be found in one of the park’s two quiet spaces. “You can go and sit on a larger chair and then it has smaller tree stumps and kids can sit around and listen to somebody read a story or even just tell a story,” he said. “So we’re calling it our ‘reader throne.’ We think that’s a pretty cool aspect. I don’t think a lot of parks have that.” Yodice said the town hopes to have it ready by next spring. Playgrounds that qualify go beyond ADA compliance. Guidelines call for rubberized surfaces, accessible bathrooms, fencing, shaded areas, and play equipment that supports a wide range of physical, sensory and cognitive needs, according to the Cherry Hill nonprofit Build Jake’s Place, which helped develop them. Students in the special education program at Licking Heights Everest Elementary will visit LifeTown, a 5,000 square foot facility in New Albany designed to teach disabled students essential life skills, once a month for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. Here, students enjoy the facility’s sensory-friendly playground during their introductory visit. Witowsky, whose daughter had a stroke at age 16 and still loves the swings, doesn’t want communities focused on the design of play structures to overlook features like parking and terrain. “If you can’t get to it or use it, it kind of defeats the purpose,” Witowsky said. Where are inclusive playgrounds being built? Passaic County is also investing $850,000 to replace outdated equipment at Weasel Brook Park in Clifton to build an inclusive playground. A completion date has not yet been announced. Neighboring Bergen County is incorporating those standards into its plans for a new playground at Pascack Brook County Park in Westwood. The county was recently awarded a $1 million Green Acres grant that it will match with funds from its own coffers, said County Executive James Tedesco’s deputy chief of staff, Alan Sands. “We are still in the planning stage at this point for the project and (the Parks Department) is currently in the process of bringing on a firm for design work. Once that is finalized, the anticipated timeline is about two years,” said Sands. The Pascack Brook Completely Inclusive Playground will feature shaded play areas, a quiet play area and play equipment for children from 2 to 12 years old. There will also be fencing, a wheelchair accessible see-saw, a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round and cognitive play boards (interactive panels that engage children in problem-solving and sensory activities), according to Sands, who added that the plans are conceptual and might change over time. Community input was “vital,” to the project, Sands said. A two-month survey generated 339 responses, nearly a third of whom said they care for a child with a disability or medical issue. When asked whether it’s important that Bergen County have a “completely inclusive playground,” 77% of survey participants replied that it was “very important.” A girl joyfully ran through bubbles at the dedication of the inclusive playground at Blendon Woods Metro Park on Thursday. Witowsky, whose council is tasked with the mission of empowering people with disabilities, cautions that input must also be sought from people with disabilities. “You can build something terrific, but if the people it’s meant for can’t access it or weren’t included in its design, why did we spend this money?” “Nobody with a disability is going to charge you for that feedback,” she said. “They just want to participate. It makes the project better,” she said. Ridgewood has secured a $68,000 grant to begin replacing the wooden structure at Habernickel Park with a modern, accessible design, with construction expected to begin this year. Teaneck was awarded $1.125 million in grant funding to enhance the playground at Milton Votee Park ($750,000) and the restrooms and play areas at Argonne Park ($375,000). “Families who face these challenges are appreciative that the county is moving in this direction with our playgrounds and are very attentive to make sure that we live up to our promises to be the best place in New Jersey to raise any family,” Sands said. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New inclusive playgrounds in NJ: These towns are building them Source link #antiDEI #tide #towns #spending #millions #playgrounds #accessible Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** critical systems at risk from ‘digital divide’ created by AI threats *** critical systems at risk from ‘digital divide’ created by AI threats A divide will emerge over the next two years between organisations that can keep pace with cyber threats enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and those that fall behind, cyber chiefs have warned. AI-enabled tools will make it possible for attackers to exploit security vulnerabilities increasingly rapidly, giving organisations precious little time to fix security vulnerabilities before they risk a cyber attack. The gap between the disclosure of vulnerabilities by software suppliers and their exploitation by cyber criminals has already shrunk to days, according to research by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of the signals intelligence agency GCHQ, published today. However, AI will “almost certainly “reduce this further, posing a challenge for network defenders and creating new risks for companies that rely on information technology. The NCSC report also suggests that the growing spread of AI models and systems across the ***’s technology base will present new opportunities for adversaries. At particular risk are IT systems in critical national infrastructure (CNI) and in companies and sectors where there are insufficient cyber security controls. In the rush to provide new AI models, developers will “almost certainly” prioritise the speed of developing systems over providing sufficient cyber security, increasing the threat from capable state-linked actors and cyber criminals, according to the report. As AI technologies become more embedded in business operations, the NCSC is urging organisations to “act decisively to strengthen cyber resilience and mitigate against AI-enabled cyber threats”. The NCSC’s director of operations, Paul Chichester, said AI was transforming the cyber threat landscape, expanding attack surfaces, increasing the volume of threats and accelerating malicious capabilities. “While these risks are real, AI also presents a powerful opportunity to enhance the ***’s resilience and drive growth, making it essential for organisations to act,” he said, speaking at the NCSC’s CyberUK conference in Manchester. “Organisations should implement strong cyber security practices across AI systems and their dependencies, and ensure up-to-date defences are in place.” According to the NCSC, the integration of AI and connected systems into existing networks requires organisations to place a renewed focus on fundamental security practices. The NCSC has published a range of advice and guidance to help organisations take action, including the Cyber Assessment Framework and 10 Steps to Cyber Security. Earlier this year, the *** government announced an AI Cyber Security Code of Practice to help organisations develop and deploy AI systems securely. The code of practice will form the basis of a new global standard for secure AI through the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Source link #critical #systems #risk #digital #divide #created #threats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'You don't have to suffer': Key allergist tips this allergy season – USA Today 'You don't have to suffer': Key allergist tips this allergy season – USA Today ‘You don’t have to suffer’: Key allergist tips this allergy season USA TodayIs your hay fever getting worse? The EconomistWhy it feels like allergy season is getting longer, more severe ABC NewsPollen is everywhere. But do I have allergies or a cold? The GuardianAllergy season is longer this year. Here’s how to manage symptoms NBC Bay Area Source link #039You #don039t #suffer039 #Key #allergist #tips #allergy #season #USA #Today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Book Review: ‘Empty Vessel,’ by Ian Kumekawa Book Review: ‘Empty Vessel,’ by Ian Kumekawa EMPTY VESSEL: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge, by Ian Kumekawa Container ships are designed to be blandly functional. Gigantic metal platforms, they chug along from port to port and are habitually taken for granted — until, that is, they run aground on the jagged rocks of catastrophe. When the pandemic arrived five years ago, Americans who were trying in vain to procure protective gear like face masks got an unwanted lesson in the intricacies of global supply chains. Today, in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, including a whopping 145 percent on China, the exact locations of container ships have become a matter of grim fascination. Over the last couple of weeks, social media users have been posting live maps of cargo traffic as if on hurricane watch. “Normally, the physical dimension of globalization remains in the background, relatively unnoticed,” Ian Kumekawa writes in his new book, “Empty Vessel.” A historian at Harvard, he realized that one way to make the abstract workings of the global economy more concrete would be to tether them to something you could touch. The “empty vessel” of his title is a barge made of steel that weighs 9,500 deadweight tons. It has served as a “floatel” for oil rig workers, a barracks for British soldiers, a jail for New York City inmates, among other things. Like Zelig, it adapted to whatever it was expected to be: “Its emptiness has been its defining characteristic.” This elegant and enlightening book is an impressive feat, especially given that its main character is, as Kumekawa admits, stubbornly uncharismatic: “a dumb pontoon without voice, personality or drive.” Constructed in a Swedish shipyard in 1979, the vessel and its sister ship were container barges built too late to carry actual cargo. Western countries like Sweden and the United States had already entered an era of industrial decline. Shipping capacity began to outstrip demand in the early 1970s. Then the oil crisis hit. “We used to make things here” became a familiar refrain. And so Kumekawa gives us a “barge’s-eye view” of what his protagonist witnessed over the ensuing decades, tracing how the vessel became a passive yet essential participant in a rapidly changing world. “Empty Vessel” joins a growing shelf of books about the new forms that globalization is taking, including Atossa Araxia Abrahamian’s “The Hidden Globe” and Quinn Slobodian’s “Crack-Up Capitalism.” They all detail efforts by the rich to offshore their wealth and escape constraints of national sovereignty. But abstractions like “financialization” and “deregulation” still rely on underlying assets, which is to say, on material reality. Kumekawa sees his book as “a guide to how major global transformations were always embodied, grounded in tangible things and, often, dependent on physical violence.” The vessel’s connection to violence was forged early on. Shipbuilding is a dangerous job. Kumekawa describes how Sweden’s Finnboda, which had been building ships since the mid-19th century, still had its share of workplace accidents when it constructed the vessel and its sister. Workers were routinely exposed to asbestos and lead paint. Hearing loss was common. Iron chips were frequently removed from workers’ eyes. Delivered to a Norwegian company, the vessel was initially put to work in the North Sea. There, it could make money by working in the oil fields or carrying dredged-up scraps of ******* warships. But its ultimate purpose was to give its Norwegian investors, who could write off their investments in shipping, a legal way to circumvent paying taxes: “Arguably, it was worth more as a financial abstraction than as a concrete, working ship.” Kumekawa follows the vessel and its sister through their various names and incarnations. In 1982, Argentina’s military junta invaded Britain’s Falkland Islands, and the vessels — registered in the U.K. and rechristened the Safe Esperia and the Safe Dominia — were sent to the South Atlantic to house British soldiers. But it wasn’t the state that acquired the vessels; it was a private shipping company called Bibby Line. Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government had struck an “uneasy bargain” between “globalism and nationalism,” Kumekawa says, promoting privatization with one hand and delivering “patriotic flag-waving” with the other. The vessel would go on to be a silent player in West Germany’s automotive industry (as temporary housing for Volkswagen’s trainees) and the growth of mass incarceration in the United States (as a floating jail at Pier 36 in Manhattan). By that time, Bibby Line had re-registered the ship so that it flew the Bahamian flag. The company’s British owner, Derek Bibby, presented this “reflagging” as a matter of “economic necessity.” Flying a “flag of convenience” from a country like the Bahamas or Liberia gave wealthy investors the benefit of lower taxes and laxer laws. It was all “very sad,” Bibby said, “but we must not let our feelings govern our activities.” So much for rallying around the Union Jack during the Falklands War. The irony is not lost on Kumekawa, who calls flags of convenience “markers of globalization par excellence.” For moneyed interests trying to profit from a world in flux, such flexibility is useful. The vessel and its sister were similarly pliable: “They were adaptable Band-Aids, not bespoke, individualized treatments. This is why the vessel was especially valuable during crises.” But the vessel still had to be maintained and cleaned, staffed and tended to. Kumekawa has written a book about a boat, but he wants us to bear in mind the human beings it carried. By 2018, the sister ship was stranded in Walvis Bay, Namibia, one of several boats that had been abandoned by their parent company, Halani Shipping. They were registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. An Indian crew of eight was stuck without pay off the coast of Africa for more than nine months. “They had been forsaken in a world of little oversight and even less responsibility.” EMPTY VESSEL: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge | By Ian Kumekawa | Knopf | 304 pp. | $29 Source link #Book #Review #Empty #Vessel #Ian #Kumekawa Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Premier Roger Cook warns WA’s emissions may rise before they fall in bid to help global net zero push Premier Roger Cook warns WA’s emissions may rise before they fall in bid to help global net zero push Roger Cook has warned Western Australia’s emissions may rise to allow the world to reach net zero targets as he stepped back from previously proposed legislation for a 2050 target. Source link #Premier #Roger #Cook #warns #emissions #rise #fall #bid #global #net #push Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Best Books of 2025 (So Far) The Best Books of 2025 (So Far) Fiction | Nonfiction We’re more than a third of the way through 2025 and we at The Book Review have already written about hundreds of books. Some of those titles are good. Some are very good. And then there are the following. We suspect that some (though certainly not all) of these will be top of mind when we publish our end-of-year, best-of lists. For more suggestions for what to read next, head to our book recommendation page. Fiction I want a haunting story by a Nobel Prize winner by Han Kang The Nobel laureate’s new novel, translated by E. Yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, revisits a violent chapter in South Korean history: Between 1947 and 1954 on Jeju, an island off the coast of South Korea, at least 30,000 people were killed in mostly government-perpetrated atrocities. This disturbing, dreamlike book centers on a writer who travels to Jeju during a blizzard to rescue a friend’s **** bird, only to uncover the depths of her friend’s obsession with the massacre. Read our review. How about a survival drama based on true events? by Allegra Goodman Goodman’s gripping novel traces the fate of a real-life 16th-century French noblewoman, Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval. Marooned on a desolate island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by her unscrupulous guardian after falling in love with his aide, Marguerite, along with her lover and her devoted nurse, must fight to survive as the harsh ********* winter approaches. Marguerite’s narration is elegantly restrained, as if telling her story were an opportunity to impose order on a life she did not design. Read our review. Give me a quietly apocalyptic book with mice and nuns by Charlotte Wood Wood’s somber, exquisite novel centers on a 60-something atheist wildlife conservationist who leaves behind her husband and career to live in a convent near her rural *********** hometown. Despite a series of disrupting incidents — a plague of mice, the arrival of the remains of a nun who disappeared 20 years earlier, the reappearance of her childhood classmate — the narrator finds in this retreat the time and space to ruminate on forgiveness, regret and how to live and die, if not virtuously, then as harmlessly as possible. Read our review. How about a blockbuster novel teeming with human details? by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Adichie’s first novel since 2013 — when she won a National Book Critics Circle Award for “Americanah” — draws on a notorious real-life ******* assault case as she follows the lives of three ********* women and one of their former housekeepers. The circuitous, engrossing narrative revolves around Chiamaka, an anxious travel writer; her best friend Zikora, a successful lawyer; and her cousin Omelogor, a blunt banker-turned-grad-student. In elegant prose full of the minutia of daily life, Adichie grapples with the hierarchies of language and the reality of women’s bodies. Read our review. I’d like a book that mashes up horror and history by Stephen Graham Jones Jones’s past fiction has confidently used various horror genres to explore the Native American experience, and his gruesome new joyride of a novel follows suit — via a Blackfeet man who becomes a vampire in the 1870s and seeks vengeance for the country’s sins. The book is an entertaining nesting doll of stories, toggling between the bloodsucker, a 1912 pastor and a 21st-century researcher as Jones invites us to reflect on how the stories we tell about ourselves can be at once confessions and concealments. Read our review. A propulsive addition to a beloved series? Sign me up! by Suzanne Collins Collins returns to the world of “The Hunger Games,” 17 years after the first book, with this brutal and heart-wrenching prequel about Haymitch Abernathy — the jaded but fiercely devoted mentor who coached the teenage revolutionary Katniss Everdeen in the original series — and his experience at the 50th Games. In expanding Haymitch’s story, complete with plenty of grisly details and a vibrant cast of new and familiar characters, Collins paints a shrewd portrait of the machinery of propaganda and how authoritarianism takes root. Read our review. I want a slow-burn Appalachian thriller by Amity Gaige In this slow-burn thriller, an experienced hiker named Valerie goes missing on the Appalachian Trail and two other women — a veteran game warden and a lonely but lively 76-year-old former scientist stuck in a retirement community — must crack the case. “Heartwood” absorbs the reader in the subculture and shorthand of the trail, exploring the thorny tangles of motherhood (and daughterhood) and building satisfying suspense about whether, and how, all three women will emerge from their metaphorical woods. Read our review. I love rags-to-riches stories that make me think by David Szalay Szalay’s cool, remote novel follows a lonely young man, Istvan, who grows up with his mother in a housing estate in Hungary and gets swept along on a journey, peppered with sex and violence, to the upper echelons of British society. Even as Istvan advances into privileged enclaves, he remains coarse, boorish and surprisingly sensitive; one of the book’s primary subjects is male alienation. Szalay lets us feel Istvan’s longing for meaning, for experience, for belonging, as he moves from humble beginnings to heady heights and back again with the detachment of a survivor. Read our review. Nonfiction I want a timely exploration of an overlooked chapter of history by Michelle Adams Michigan prohibited segregation in public education decades before the Supreme Court did the same for the nation in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Yet nearly 20 years after Brown, the public schools in Detroit remained almost totally segregated. In her powerful new book, Adams explores how this happened, the failed efforts to integrate and the implications for public education and civil rights today. Read our review. How about a warm and fuzzy memoir? by Chloe Dalton During the Covid pandemic, Dalton — a British writer and political adviser — stumbled across an abandoned newborn brown leveret, or hare, in the English countryside near her home and decided to raise it herself despite knowing nothing about hares (or their smaller cousin, the rabbit). Her sweetly meditative memoir, which includes illustrations, describes how her furry new housemate changed her outlook on life during the pandemic and beyond. Read our review. Give me a darkly funny tech exposé by Sarah Wynn-Williams For seven years, beginning in 2011, Wynn-Williams worked at Facebook (now called Meta), eventually as a director of global public policy. Now she has written an insider account of a company that she says was run by status-hungry and self-absorbed leaders who chafed at the burdens of responsibility and grew increasingly feckless, even as Facebook became a vector for disinformation campaigns and cozied up to authoritarian regimes. “Careless People” is darkly funny and genuinely shocking: an ugly, detailed portrait of one of the most powerful companies in the world. Read our review. How about a nuanced and entertaining biography? by David Sheff Sheff’s new biography of Yoko Ono, the 92-year-old artist and widow of John Lennon, convincingly argues for her relevance as a feminist, activist, avant-garde innovator and world-class sass. Sheff — a prolific journalist and author who conducted one of the last significant interviews with John and Yoko, for Playboy, and later became good friends with her — has written the closest thing to an authorized biography the world will get. The book is meaty and predictably sympathetic, but not fawning, mostly written in a straightforward prose that suggests sympathy is wholly justified for a figure who was not just dismissed but demonized. Read our review. I want a deep, personal dive into the housing crisis by Brian Goldstone Written by a journalist who also has a Ph.D. in anthropology, this powerful book — an exceptional feat of reporting — details the plight of “the working homeless” in the rapidly gentrifying city of Atlanta, where someone with a full-time job can still get priced out of a place to live. Explaining that between 2010 and 2023 the median rent shot up by a staggering 76 percent, Goldstone offers an immersive narrative of how five Atlanta families found themselves in the direst of straits: Working a lot and earning very little, they ended up sleeping in cars, crashing with relatives or paying for a squalid room in an extended-stay hotel, statistically invisible even as they suffered some of the most difficult years of their lives. Read our review. Give me a family memoir that uncovers forgotten history by Julian Borger Borger was a child when his father — an Austrian Jew who had fled to Wales in 1938, when he was 11 — died by suicide. Decades later, working as a writer and editor at The Guardian, Borger made a startling discovery: His father’s flight to freedom had been facilitated by a heartbreaking personal ad in his very newspaper, one of dozens that desperate Jewish parents in Nazi Europe had placed to find foster homes for their children as the specter of war grew. In this haunting and revelatory book, part memoir and part history, Borger tracks down the subjects of several of those ads, whose stories — alongside his own — illuminate the tension between forgetting and remembering. Read our review. A propulsive and nuanced history? Sign me up! by Rick Atkinson The second installment of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s trilogy about the Revolutionary War contains a vast, brilliantly illuminated world. Atkinson’s sweeping account of the middle years of the multifront war is so compulsively readable that despite its length — around 800 pages — it’s difficult to put down. Weaving together major and less-known figures, dramatic battles and everyday minutia, the book teems with visceral details while thoughtfully exploring the many complexities of this pivotal conflict. Read our review. Source link #Books Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

European markets edge lower as corporate earnings remain in focus; Novo Nordisk jumps 5.6% European markets edge lower as corporate earnings remain in focus; Novo Nordisk jumps 5.6% European markets were lower on Wednesday, with traders monitoring corporate earnings and awaiting the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy announcement. Source link #European #markets #edge #corporate #earnings #remain #focus #Novo #Nordisk #jumps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Revenge of the Savage Planet Review — To Colonialism And Beyond | Console Creatures Revenge of the Savage Planet Review — To Colonialism And Beyond | Console Creatures Console Creatures says, “Revenge of the Savage is a good follow-up that doubles down on what makes the series fun. An upgrade over its predecessor in every way, there’s so much to discover in the corners of this universe. The developers made some wise decisions to make this sequel work, and it pays off by honing in on the elements that make the series stand out—a lack of seriousness, satire, and fun upgrades. Many games are launching this year, but this one is just pure fun without taking itself seriously.” Source link #Revenge #Savage #Planet #Review #Colonialism #Console #Creatures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to Use A.I.-Powered Writing Tools on Your iPhone and Android How to Use A.I.-Powered Writing Tools on Your iPhone and Android Artificial intelligence software has given editing tools a huge boost in power, far beyond the spell-checkers and grammar aids of yore. A.I. can proofread, rewrite, summarize and compose text, making it simple to craft clean, complex documents in a flash — even on a smartphone. If you haven’t dabbled yet, free offerings from Apple and Google are an easy place to begin experimenting. Tinkering with the software lets you see its capabilities and gives you insight on when — and when not — to let A.I. do the writing. Here’s a guide to getting started. Using Apple Intelligence Apple’s integrated suite of A.I. tools, called Apple Intelligence, includes a selection of Writing Tools. (It requires iOS 18.1 and a more recent iPhone or iPad.) The Writing Tools work in most apps where you type or dictate words. Once you have written something (like in Pages), highlight the section you want to edit. Select Writing Tools in the pop-up menu, or tap the circular Apple Intelligence icon in the toolbar. In the Writing Tools menu, select the option you want to use, like Proofread, Rewrite or Summarize — or describe how you want to change the text. You can display it as key points, a list or a table, or even recast the tone of the writing with a tap to make it sound friendlier, more professional or streamlined. If you don’t like the changes, revert to the original. With the help of the popular ChatGPT chatbot, Apple Intelligence can compose a draft from scratch, although you need to enable ChatGPT first. To do so, tap the Compose button and follow the onscreen directions. (The New York Times has sued ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The two companies have denied the suit’s claims.) Like other A.I. chatbots, Gemini responds to questions and prompts. For example, you could paste in a memo draft and ask Gemini to proofread and fact-check it for you. Gemini can also generate text upon request, like a project proposal. For example, in the prompt box, enter “Help me draft a proposal to the City Council to get a permit for a Dog Days of Summer festival on Aug. 2 and 3 that features a puppy parade, a Wiener Dog Derby, a fetch competition and vendor booths for local **** stores.” Once Gemini cranks out the proposal draft, you can save it as a Google Doc for your own editing and refinement. Using Other Options If your device is too old for Apple Intelligence or you don’t use Google products, you still have plenty of A.I. helpers to consider, although many charge a subscription fee. Grammerly has been around since 2009 and now has a mobile app that works with your device’s keyboard software for proofreading, tone adjustments and other A.I. assistance. Microsoft has its Copilot A.I. tool that works with the Microsoft 365 suite. The app stores have many A.I. bots, including writing-specific assistants like ParagraphAI for a variety of communications styles (including help for dyslexic writers) and Sudowrite for narrative projects. General chatbots like ChatGPT (which has a writing assistant) or Anthropic’s Claude can rewrite or generate text. Keep in Mind Remember that A.I. is not perfect. Check the bot’s work because it can make mistakes. And while A.I. assistance has numerous advantages for more impersonal documents like memos and proposals, relying on it too much can dilute your voice and style — especially as more people use A.I. to write. Take the first sentences of Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1891 short story “A Scandal in Bohemia,” as rewritten by software to make Dr. Watson sound more casual: Original: To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. Apple Intelligence: Sherlock Holmes always referred to her as the woman. He rarely used any other name for her. In his mind, she was the most prominent woman among all women. It wasn’t because he felt any romantic feelings for Irene Adler. Gemini: For Sherlock, she’s always just ‘the woman.’ I’ve hardly ever heard him call her anything else. The way he sees it, she totally outshines all other women. It’s not like he was in love with Irene Adler or anything. You should always be in command of your own words — which might help prevent people from thinking, “Hey, did A.I. write this?” Source link #A.I.Powered #Writing #Tools #iPhone #Android Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Can President Trump Turn Back the Economic Clock? Can President Trump Turn Back the Economic Clock? Amsterdam prospered as a banking center even as it declined as a center of manufacturing and commerce. By the late 18th century, Europe no longer wanted Dutch fabrics or Dutch fish, and it no longer needed Dutch ships. In 1783, a group of Dutch merchants sent a gift of salted herring to George Washington, requesting his endorsement and, presumably, seeking a new market. Washington responded that the herring was “undoubtedly of a higher flavour than our own,” but that America had plenty of fish. What remained in demand was all the money the Dutch had made from trade. The merchants and princes of Europe flocked to Amsterdam to negotiate loans. The following year, 1784, the fledgling American government joined them, arranging to borrow 2 million florins. But prosperity increasingly was concentrated in the hands of an elite. Amsterdam, and its satellites, no longer needed as many workers. The population of Holland actually shrank in the 18th century, even as much of Europe experienced a population *****. Moreover, Amsterdam’s pre-eminence as a financial center did not long survive the end of its hegemony as the center of European commerce. In the city’s heyday as a trading port, it shook off financial upheavals. Commerce was the main event; even the indelible spectacle of the tulip bubble in the 1630s was just a sideshow. But as the city’s economy became more dependent on finance, it become more vulnerable. One historian has calculated that by 1782, half of Amsterdam’s capital had been lent to foreigners. Instead of financing its own development, Amsterdam was betting on other countries, and it started losing too many of those bets. A culminating blow came in August 1788, when the French government of King Louis XVI, on the verge of collapse, defaulted on its debts. As Amsterdam’s economic power declined, so did its political autonomy. During the final two decades of the 18th century, the Dutch state descended into civil strife and endured humiliating defeats at the hands of the British and the French. In 1810, Napoleon annexed Holland to his empire. Braudel focused on the long run of history precisely because he didn’t want to make too much of short-term pain or setbacks. It was an approach that he said he developed to maintain his equanimity during the five years that he spent in ******* prisoner-of-war camps during World War II, refusing to make too much of “daily misery” or the latest scraps of news. And in his view, what was most significant about Amsterdam’s life after hegemony was not the turbulence in the immediate aftermath, but the long-term resilience of the Dutch economy. Amsterdam never fell that far, and what Braudel wrote in 1979 remains true: “It is still today one of the high altars of world capitalism.” The arc of London’s story is much the same. It is not a city anyone would think to pity. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have plenty of problems, of course, but each remains among the most prosperous nations on Earth. It’s important to note, however, that Amsterdam had the good fortune to cede its supremacy to a city, and a nation, that shared many of its basic values. Indeed, Braudel observes that Amsterdam lost its supremacy in part because some of the richest Dutch merchants preferred to live in London, a Protestant, capitalist city they regarded as more fun. London, in turn, yielded to a city and society that even shared its language. Source link #President #Trump #Turn #Economic #Clock Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to Know About Kosmos-482, a Soviet Spacecraft Returning to Earth After 53 Years What to Know About Kosmos-482, a Soviet Spacecraft Returning to Earth After 53 Years A robotic Soviet spacecraft has been adrift in space for 53 years. It will return to Earth later this week. Kosmos-482 launched in March 1972. If all had gone well, it would have landed on the sweltering surface of Venus and become the ninth of the uncrewed Soviet Venera missions to the planet. Instead, a rocket malfunction left it stranded in Earth orbit. Kosmos-482 has been slowly spiraling back toward our world ever since. “It’s this artifact that was meant to go to Venus 50 years ago and was lost and forgotten for half a century,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who maintains a public catalog of objects in space. “And now it’s going to get its moment in atmospheric entry — albeit on the wrong planet.” Cloaked in a protective heat shield, the spacecraft, weighing roughly 1,050 pounds, was designed to survive its plunge through the toxic Venusian atmosphere. That means there’s a good chance it will survive its dive through this one, and could make it to the surface at least partly intact. Still, the risk of any injuries on the ground is low. “I’m not worried — I’m not telling all my friends to go to the basement for this,” said Darren McKnight, senior technical fellow at LeoLabs, a company that tracks objects in orbit and monitors Kosmos-482 six times a day. “Usually about once a week we have a large object re-enter Earth’s atmosphere where some remnants of it will survive to the ground.” When will Kosmos-482 come back to Earth? Estimates change daily, but the predicted days of re-entry are currently Friday or Saturday. The New York Times will provide updated estimates as they are revised. One calculation of the window by the Aerospace Corporation, a federally supported nonprofit that tracks space debris, suggests 12:42 a.m. Eastern time on May 10, plus or minus 19 hours. Marco Langbroek, a scientist and satellite tracker at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands who has tracked Kosmos-482 for years, puts the estimate closer to 4:37 a.m. Eastern on May 10, plus or minus a day. Where will it land? No one knows. “And we won’t know until after the fact,” Dr. McDowell said. That’s because Kosmos-482 is hurtling through space at more than 17,000 miles an hour, and it will be going that fast until atmospheric friction pumps the brakes. So getting the timing wrong by even a half-hour means the spacecraft re-enters more than half a world away, in a different spot. What’s known is that Kosmos-482’s orbit places it between 52 degrees north latitude and 52 degrees south latitude, which covers Africa, Australia, most of the Americas and much of south- and mid-latitude Europe and Asia. “There are three things that can happen when something re-enters: a splash, a thud or an ouch,” Dr. McKnight said. “A splash is really good,” he said, and may be most likely because so much of Earth is covered in oceans. He said the hope was to avoid the “thud” or the “ouch.” Will the spacecraft survive impact? Assuming Kosmos-482 survives re-entry — and it should, as long as its heat shield is intact — the spacecraft will be going around 150 miles an hour, when it smashes into whatever it smashes into, Dr. Langbroek calculated. “I don’t think there’s going to be a lot left afterward,” Dr. McDowell said. “Imagine putting your car into a wall at 150 miles an hour and seeing how much of it is left.” The heat of re-entry should make Kosmos-482 visible as a bright streak through the sky if its return occurs over a populated area at night. If pieces of the spacecraft survive and are recovered, they legally belong to Russia. “Under the law, if you find something, you have an obligation to return it,” said Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi. “Russia is considered to be the registered owner and therefore continues to have jurisdiction and control over the object.” How do we know the identity of this object? Some 25 years ago, Dr. McDowell was going through NORAD’s catalog of roughly 25,000 orbital objects and trying to pin an identity on each. “Most of them, the answer is, ‘Well, this is a piece of exploded rocket from something fairly boring,’” he recalls. But one of them, object 6073, was a bit odd. Launched in 1972 from Kazakhstan, it ended up in a highly elliptical orbit, traveling between 124 and 6,000 miles from Earth. As he studied its orbit and size, Dr. McDowell surmised that it must be the wayward Kosmos-482 lander — not just a piece of debris from the failed launch. The conclusion was supported by multiple observations from the ground, as well as a recently declassified Soviet document. Source link #Kosmos482 #Soviet #Spacecraft #Returning #Earth #Years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

StarVaders Review – Explosive Strategy, Adorable Enemies, and Mech Mayhem – MonsterVine StarVaders Review – Explosive Strategy, Adorable Enemies, and Mech Mayhem – MonsterVine “The Sherman Oaks-based (CA, the US) indie games publisher Joystick Ventures and Montreal-based (Quebec, Canada) indie games developer Pengonauts, are today very proud and happy to announce that theirmech-themed tactical roguelike deckbuilder “StarVaders”, is now available for PC via Steam after being in development for more than three years.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #StarVaders #Review #Explosive #Strategy #Adorable #Enemies #Mech #Mayhem #MonsterVine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]