This is the Call for Votes for Wait wait wait wait wait. It’s May. You see, May first is International Workers’ Day, and wrestlers are workers, as we all know, so – Not buying that. Well, we were trying to build this new site, and then decided not to do it, and then someone’s work […]

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Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and Rogue Squadron are coming out as new trade paperback editions in September as part of Del Rey's Star Wars Essential Legends Collection.

Hazel Mitchell has helped create more than twenty children's books, including her award-winning picture book Toby (Candlewick Press). Her illustrations appear in books by Cynthia Lord, JaNay Brown-Wood (Imani's Moon was mentioned on the Stephen Colbert show!), Lynn Parrish Sutton, Liza Gardner Walsh and others. You can find out more about Hazel and her work at HazelMitchell.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Synopsis of SWEET PEA SUMMER (Candlewick):

During her mother’s absence, a young girl discovers the joys of gardening—and the rewards of persistence and a sharp eye—in a sweet intergenerational story. With warm, child-friendly illustrations and a simple narration, Hazel Mitchell tells a timeless story about holding on to hope in hard times and finding the strength and determination to see it through. A brief author’s note at the end offers a bit of history and a few details about sweet peas for aspiring gardeners.

Q. What inspired you to write Sweet Pea Summer?

My inspiration for the book were memories I have from staying with my grandparents when I was little (4-6 years old). They lived in a row of mill cottages in a Yorkshire town called Huddersfield. The town was born out of the wool trade and had many factories and tall towers, but was surrounded by beautiful countryside. I started to sketch my memories of staying with them - the cottage, the garden, the countryside with the moors and mill chimneys, the cats that were always scampering around, the long road that stretched away up a sloping hill to the town itself.

My granddad was an excellent gardener. I suspect this came from the war years in Britain when everyone grew their own food as much as possible. In my memory the garden was so, so long with a little greenhouse and was stuffed with veggies and flowers. Of course, my memory exaggerated everything. I was seeing through a small child's eyes. I even googled the road on Google Streetview and the cottage and the garden are still there, just much smaller than I recalled.

I decided there was a story in these sketches and my rememberings. I find that I'm often inspired by childhood memories, places and real life things, like my own dog who is the main character in the book 'Toby', also from Candlewick Press. I've even been known to use my house in books, or feature the landscape of Maine, where I live, and sometimes I draw objects from my home. it gives authenticity I think.

Q. What was the writing and illustration process like?

After some note making, more doodles and musing I decided on the main character of a girl. She's not exactly me. My sister also went to stay with my grandparents when my mother was ill and that was really the nugget that set me rolling. The girl is sad and missing her mother, so Grandpa invites her to help in the garden and, in particular, to look after the sweet peas. (My own grandfather grew chrysanthemums, but I decided children would relate more to sweet peas. Plus it is easier to say!).

The grandparents do not look like my grandparents and even though the child is not really me, I guess she shares some of my personality characteristics and DO I love gardening! (Although I always fail with sweet peas, which is ironic). I found I had all the inspiration I needed to get started on roughing out a story.

Writing and illustrating Sweet Pea Summer was a long process, as most books tend to me. There are a lot of images in the book, which is kind of graphic novelish in a way, with multiple images on some pages that follow a grid layout. Although I did preliminary character and setting sketches, I then spent time writing scene progressions and story boarding before I was ready to do the first full dummy.

I've found this saves me time in the long run, when I finally start to sketch I can be pretty certain I have the rudimentary story arc and length of book down. We had 2-3 edits and rehashes before my editors, art director and myself were all happy to go to finals. Finals are always the very long and arduous stage of the book for me. The first spark of story and hashing it out is the inspirational bit.

I did all the art for Sweet Pea in pencil and watercolor (usually I colour an under painting digitally), but I felt this book needed a traditional watercolour feel. It was a longer process for sure! Along the way I did a good amount of picture research especially on the landscapes and the flowers - plus the process of growing them, which features in the story. The parallel between the illness of the m/c's mom and the flowers failing to open was important to me. didn't want it to be too obvious to the reader.

My editor, Liz Bicknell at Candlewick Press, was very helpful, as always, keeping the story on track. Pam Consolazio was my art director, and her nickname was Sweet Pea as a child! it is lovely when you find unexpected connections. I scan my own artwork, which gives me the luxury of making any tweaks to the final art. I think the whole book took about 2 years, including edits etc.

It's wonderful when your book finally arrives in your mailbox! (Just like any birth, the pain recedes!) It was especially concerning in this time of the pandemic, but everything went well and the books arrived in time for publication.

Q. What advice do you have for young writers and illustrators?

My advice to young writers and illustrators is always work on stories that you love and feel an emotional response to whether, happy, sad, funny or just that you just love and know the subject. It will always show in your work!

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For more insights from book creators, see my Inkygirl interview archives.

Norwegian designer Camilla Bakken repurposed the popular SNUDDA lazy susan into a chic, spinning wall sconce! This innovative repurposing might just be the most unexpected use of a turntable yet. The SNUDDA, known for its practicality in the kitchen, has found a new life in Camilla’s hands. By attaching strip LED lights to three SNUDDA units, she created a unique lighting solution that added ambiance and functionality to her space. The lights are controlled via a remote and can be […]

The post This Round Wall Sconce Hack Is Our New Favorite DIY Project appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Sarah says This is our female prairie dog, Lily. She loves her triscuits!

When Windows tells you it's out of memory, what does it mean and what can you do about it?

How Do I Tell Which Program Is Using So Much Memory? from Ask Leo!.
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Embed from Getty Images In November of 2016, president elect Trump selected Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education. While this appointment seems to have changed her mind about Common Core, DeVos has remained committed to expanding charter schools. Charter …Read more »

While being a charter school is distinct from being a for-profit school, one argument in favor of charter schools is because they, unlike public schools, can operate as for-profit businesses. While some might be tempted to assume a for-profit charter …Read more »

I’m designing a photographic history exhibit for a prestigious university. The project requires a series of panels that each depict a different decade, from the 1930s to the present.

Client: “You know, this is all great, but it could use a little more diversity. Right now, there are a lot of photos of all white men, and we don’t want to send the wrong message.”

Me: “Okay, that’s a reasonable request. I could pull some photos of your black student organizations and women’s center and add those to the panels showing the school’s more recent history.”

Client: “Actually, we’d love more diversity in the early panels too.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Client: “Like this panel depicting the university in the 30s. All the photos are of white men!”

The school did not admit black students until the 1970s.

Me: “Hey, I’m glad I caught you. I’m calling about that request that I made five weeks ago. You never responded to any of my emails or voice messages. I’m just wondering what the status on that is?”

Client: “Well, the reason I didn’t respond was because your first email about it was unprofessional. We’re all professionals here, and I expect to be treated professionally. You really need to work on your communication skills, and I expect better from you if we’re going to continue working together.”

Me: “I’m looking at the whole email chain right now, and it seems fine to me. What seems wrong with it?”

Client: “Well, for starters, you could ask how my day’s been. Or you could put a joke at the bottom of the email. And you should really get rid of that line with all your company information at the bottom, it looks so unprofessional.”

3D-printed foods are a growing component of the additive manufacturing industry. Within this realm, 3D-printed meat is gaining speed. Like other 3D-printed objects, edible material is extruded in layers to produce a variety of meat products, including ground meat, burger patties, sausages and kebabs. Nowadays, with advances in additive manufacturing, the ability to 3D print foods is becoming more widely accessible, cost-effective and eco-friendly. [...]

If you live in an urban area with cars, industry and unpleasant city smells, you might retreat to your house for safety from environmental pollutants. But how good is your air quality at home?[...]

You shop local and buy organic when you can, but how can you tell if your farmers market produce is really organic? There have been a few scandals in recent years where farmers market vendors were found to be purchasing and reselling grocery store produce labeled as locally grown. So how can you tell? Here's how to find a great farmers market vendor or food co-op for organic produce.[...]

With a focus on minimal site impact and environmental protection, the Darwin Bucky project sets a standard for sustainable modular architecture. [...]

From cows to goats to sheep, the availability of dairy is ubiquitous. But with copious environmental and health issues around traditional dairy products, alternatives are in the spotlight more than ever. Now there’s a way to enjoy yogurt, cheese and ice cream without a heavy reliance on animals or nuts. It’s called Precision Fermentation, and it puts an old technology to new use. [...]

In some ecosystems, such as high-latitude forests, wildfires are a natural occurrence. These help maintain healthy ecosystems by depositing nutrients into the soil and boosting seed dispersal. However, in recent years, fire seasons have become more extreme and widespread. This includes forest ecosystems where fires are uncommon, such as tropical rainforests. Consequently, this has led to devastating results for communities, flora, fauna and other organisms that live in and around these areas.[...]

The Casitas at The Halles by Hive 3D and Eco Material Technologies are a new project to create sustainable, 3D-printed homes for vacation rentals near Austin, Texas. These unique low-profile homes use a technology that creates 92% less emissions than traditional concrete. Round Top, Texas, 80 miles east of Austin, will now be home to the world's first near zero-carbon, 3D-printed neighborhood.[...]

Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently available photovoltaic solar cell technology is still not as efficient as desired. The cells used in most solar panels have an efficiency of about 15% to 20%. This means that only about 20% of the sun rays that reach the panel are converted to electricity.[...]

Designed by Estudio Guto Requena, the Dolce Gusto Neo Flagship store is a temporary commercial space located in a public park in São Paulo, Brazil. The project was created for the launch of Nescafé's Dolce Gusto "Neo" coffee machines and pods, which feature recycled ocean plastics and biodegradable capsules.[...]

In the quest for a more sustainable future, the Finnish city of Lahti has taken a remarkable step with an innovative pilot program called the Textile Deposit scheme. This incentivized recycling program aims to encourage locals to actively sort and recycle their textile waste instead of sending it to the landfill. [...]

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has been available for commercial use since 1986. Early on, 3D printing took on a hobbyist role. Now, however, industries have begun using additive manufacturing to their advantage.[...]

When 3D printing first took off, it was difficult to imagine how diverse the field would grow. Nowadays, the realm of additive manufacturing is growing daily. In particular, five sectors are advancing rapidly as a result of developments in additive manufacturing. These are healthcare, food, fashion, motorsports and aerospace. Based on estimates, it is believed that soon these industries will incorporate 3D printing as a key component of their operations.[...]

For this episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim chats to Conner Roberts from the All for United Women FC YouTube channel. Tim chats to Conner about United’s season so far, speculation around the future of manager Marc Skinner and why United have not repeated the heights of last season. Then Tim and Conner look ahead to Saturday’s crunch game and how the teams might line up and strengths and weaknesses each team might look to exploit.

You can follow Conner on Twitter @connerroberts_ and find the All for United WFC YouTube channel here

You can follow Tim on Twitter @Stillmanator

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim and Counterpressed’s Jessy Parker Humphreys look ahead to Friday night’s massive game at Stamford Bridge. They discuss Chelsea’s injury issues and January transfers and how they have adapted, there is some goalkeeper discourse around both clubs as well as potential title race implications and what the line ups will look like.

You can follow Jessy on Twitter @Jessyjph : You can follow Tim on Twitter @Stillmanator

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm joined by Andrew Allen and Lewis Ambrose to look ahead to Sunday's gargantuan clash with Man City. We discuss the importance of the fixture in the context of the title race, how Mikel Arteta might approach this game based on our past record away at the Etihad, the potential team changes and tweaks we might see after the Interlull, as well how this particular Arsenal side is equipped for this kind of challenge. There's also some chat about Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and lots more besides.

Follow Andrew @AAllenSport : Follow Lewis @LGAmbrose

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim is joined by Art de Roche from The Athletic to look ahead to Sunday’s Conti Cup Final against Chelsea. They discuss what the team might look like- could we see a back three? Russo on the wing? Tim and Art also discuss why it’s been such an inconsistent season for Arsenal and how make or break this final is for Arsenal’s season.

You can follow Art on Twitter @artderoche : You can follow Tim on Twitter @Stillmanator

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm joined by Philippe Auclair to reflect on two Champions League semi-finals this week. First, Real Madrid go through at the expense of Bayern Munich, before we chat about Borussia Dortmund beating PSG – with some discussion of Kylian Mbappe and his time in Paris. Then attention turns to Arsenal, and we talk about William Saliba and how our view of him as Arsenal fans is very different from many in France, Kai Havertz and his development, Martin Odegaard, some broad thoughts on the season as a whole and lots more.

Follow Philippe @philippeauclair

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim is joined by Alex Ibaceta of DAZN and Barca TV to discuss the Gunners’ new signing Mariona Caldentey from Barcelona. Tim and Alex discuss the player, her attributes, her 10 years at Barca, the qualities she has that Arsenal have missed and where she might fit into Jonas Eidevall’s team next season.

You can follow Alex on Twitter @AlexIbaceta23 and Tim @Stillmanator

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the new season ahead I'm joined by four guests to look forward to the 2024-25 campaign. I chat separately to Amy Lawrence, Nick Wright (Sky Sports), Adrian Clarke and Dara O Briain about the things they're excited for, what they'd like to see happen in the transfer market, the players they're keen to see pull on the red and white, proactive goalkeeping, some of the young players who impressed on the US tour, Riccardo Calafiori, Snoop Dogg (sort of), and lots more.

Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breanna Teel is a high school science teacher who keeps things like fish and eels in her classroom. She did not foresee becoming a rabbit rescuer. A student brought a rabbit to school not knowing she was pregnant. While there, the rabbit gave birth to two bright pink baby bunnies, but didn't feed them, so Teel went into overdrive to save the newborns. She would have done so under any other circumstances, but when your students are following along, you go the extra mile to set a good example. I can imagine that no one in the classroom has ever seen newborn rabbits. I certainly haven't.

Teel's efforts paid off when the babies began to grow and flourish. They appear to be some odd breed of show rabbits that resemble large powder puffs with wiggly noses. Are they tribbles? At any rate, they've become a permanent part of the classroom into which they were born.    

Prime Day sees some pretty tempting deals and discounts on science gifts, but is it worth waiting for Black Friday to potentially save even more?

This week was a total digital dumpster fire! Hackers were like, "Let's cause some chaos!" and went after everything from our browsers to those fancy cameras that zoom and spin. (You know, the ones they use in spy movies? ????️‍♀️) We're talking password-stealing bots, sneaky extensions that spy on you, and even cloud-hacking ninjas! ???? It's enough to make you want to chuck your phone in the ocean.

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new phishing campaign that spreads a new fileless variant of known commercial malware called Remcos RAT. Remcos RAT "provides purchases with a wide range of advanced features to remotely control computers belonging to the buyer," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researcher Xiaopeng Zhang said in an analysis published last week. "However, threat actors have

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered nearly two dozen security flaws spanning 15 different machine learning (ML) related open-source projects. These comprise vulnerabilities discovered both on the server- and client-side, software supply chain security firm JFrog said in an analysis published last week. The server-side weaknesses "allow attackers to hijack important servers in the

Cyber threats are intensifying, and cybersecurity has become critical to business operations. As security budgets grow, CEOs and boardrooms are demanding concrete evidence that cybersecurity initiatives deliver value beyond regulation compliance. Just like you wouldn’t buy a car without knowing it was first put through a crash test, security systems must also be validated to confirm their value.

⚠️ Imagine this: the very tools you trust to protect you online—your two-factor authentication, your car’s tech system, even your security software—turned into silent allies for hackers. Sounds like a scene from a thriller, right? Yet, in 2024, this isn’t fiction; it’s the new cyber reality. Today’s attackers have become so sophisticated that they’re using our trusted tools as secret pathways,

While participating in a Zoom conference with other members of the New Hampshire Firearms Safety Coalition, of which I’ve been a proud member for a quarter century or so, I was reminded that I have not addressed here a topic NHFSC has strongly and successfully focused upon: suicide prevention. The organization was founded by the […]

Posts shared on Facebook make an unfounded claim of racially motivated threats of violence in Gwinnett County, Georgia, "from now until the Inauguration." The county sheriff's office said it had "not received any information indicating threats to any group(s) on or after election day."

The post Posts Spread Unfounded Claim of Race-Based Threat of Violence in Georgia appeared first on FactCheck.org.