What a difference a few weeks can make. In February, Americans were concerned about politics, March Madness, spring breaks and all the things that occupy us in good times and bad.

Now were talking about not inadvertently killing Grandpa and staying six feet away from strangers and loved ones alike. People whose work seemed solid are feeling the earth shift beneath their feet and everyone is being advised, perhaps for the first time in the history of modern dentistry, not to come in for a regular cleaning.

As they say on the Progressive commercials: What is happening here?

Thats an answer I dont have, but I do have advice, at least in the context of careers and job search: Keep calm, carry on. Youll recognize that as the now-famous counsel given to English citizens while they were dodging bombs and running households on half-rations of food.

That sentiment makes a good bumper sticker, but it makes an even better life philosophy. This is one of those times when it does no good to panic. Why? I just told you: Because it does no good. Seriously, panic is the one thing you dont want to do, for any number of reasons. Panicking wont change things, it blocks you from productive thinking and it compels you to do things you later regret.

If those reasons not to panic arent good enough, use this one instead: Because you have other things you need to do right now. If you are a worker in a critical field such as health care, you need your focus on self-management so you can stay healthy enough to help others.

If you are a manager or business owner, your leadership is needed so that others know what to do. If you are a communications professional, your ability to keep others informed is absolutely critical. If you are a teacher or school administrator, you dont need to be told that students and parents are looking to you for both guidance and continuity.

Mental health professionals, delivery drivers, food preparers, farmers, transportation workers, grocery store cashiers, gas station owners, home health aides (bless you), social workers, emergency plumbers, poets and artists, we need you all and we need all those I havent named here. And of course, if you have children or elderly people dependent on you, you are just plain needed, in ways that seem to be changing on an hourly basis.

So you see, you cant afford to panic. What should you (all of us) be doing instead? Heres advice for the uncertain weeks and months ahead.

Build cash reserves If youre receiving a paycheck, bank what you can. That might mean temporarily changing your withholding or pausing retirement contributions, with that money going to savings instead. Why? I dont know, except to say that cash reserves are important in the best of times, and certainly now.

If youre not receiving a paycheck, think about reducing outgoing expenses, bartering one of your skills for someone elses to lower costs, or even renting out a room or performing small jobs for cash if you can find takers. These are the pre-gig-economy gigs that kept our grandparents afloat in tough times.

Leverage unusual opportunities Every upheaval comes with a side helping of opportunity. For example, with interest rates so low, can you refinance your mortgage to improve cash flow?

Perhaps you have a skill, such as webinar development, that small businesses could use at this very moment. Even a simple notification on your Facebook page might be enough to attract interest. If youre currently out of work, getting a foot in the door in this way could translate to something bigger later.

Learn, learn, learn If you have a reliable internet connection and a computer, nows the time to download all the free training you can find, whether thats a video on appliance repair or an e-book on accounting practices. If you dont have the tools for online learning, theres still the library and independent bookstores. One way or the other, if youre not employed right now, it makes sense to prepare for being employed.

Plan the job search which brings us to this sticky wicket: Should you continue job searching, or pause? While many employers are struggling to support the workers they already have, others are all-hands-on-deck as they try to manage an overflow of work. Youll need a strategy that integrates the skills you can offer with the work employers need done.

For the moment, my advice is to plan, then act. Even if the action is necessarily delayed, youll still need the plan. Why? Because whatever your work is, you are needed. So stay sharp, keep calm, carry on. When this thing shakes out, well need clear heads and ready hands so we can pick up where we left off.

Read more from the original source:
Amy Lindgren: Workers of America: Keep calm and carry on - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Last year, European Union has ratified the Right to Repair regulation. According to these regulations, the manufacturers of the household electronic appliances i.e. lighting, washing machines, dish washers, and refrigerators, will have to make it easier for the consumers to get them repaired. Though the regulations does not include every aspect of the Right to Repair movement, as the activist claim, but its one of the starting step to be taken by developed countries in giving the consumers the liberty to own. Not only the EU, some US states are also thinking of implementing similar regulations in their respective states.

You can own a product, but cannot save it from dying. With the Right to repair, this paradigm will change. A right to repair refers to a consumer ability to have faulty goods repaired at a competitive price by a manufacturer, a third-party, or in some instances, self-repair, using available replacements parts and having access to information to make the repairs.

What are the regulations about?

The recently implemented regulation are part of measures taken by the EU to implement the Ecodesign directive. It is an effective tool for improving the energy efficiency of products. It helps eliminate the least performing products from the market, significantly contributing to the EUs 2020 energy efficiency objective. There are other non-EU countries like USA, Australia and Brazil among some, which have legislations similar to that of EU but the latter become the first to have an effective Right to Repair regulations.

The regulations, other than easing the repair of the household electronic appliances, also includes the manufacturers liability to supply the spare parts of the product for up to 10 years, ensuring that these appliances could be easily disassembled with common available tools, in addition to make them last longer. The rules further provide to make such appliances more user friendly.

The regulations are effective on the household appliances only and does not include our favourite smartphones within the domain. There was a long demand to include them within these regulation. A report from environmental groups recently stated that extending the lifespan of smartphones by just one year would significantly reduce carbon emission in the European Union. As smartphones has the largest impact climate impact, the inclusion to have proved to be boon for the EU Climate sustenance goals.

Why was this necessary?

Suppose you bought sophisticated device, say an expensive Refrigerator. After the warranty period, you come across some difficulty in the cooling. What you will do? Obviously, get it fixed. But when you went to a nearby repair shop, you came to know that the compressor needs to be changed, which is not available in the market. This forces you to go to the authorised companys service centre to get that changed, whose billing can cost you a hand and a leg.

With the passing of regulations giving effect to the right to repair, the manufactures will be obliged to provide the repair documentation and spare parts of the electronics to the consumers or to independent repair shops.

The curious case of Apple

In December 2017, it was discovered that Apple was intentionally slowing down phones with older batteries. They defended this tactic by saying it was intended to reduce performance issues, but had many people wondering if Apple was covertly pushing people to upgrade to a new phone. What you do when your car gets a dead battery or a flat tyre? Did you switch to a new car or you get that battery or tyre fixed. Almost all the consumers will go for the second option. In the Apples case, the company stated that the issue can be resolved by replacing the battery, which Apple Inc. doesnt make available to customers or third-party businesses.

Isnt this a sense of coercion on the consumers which the manufactures do by creating a sense of vacuum where there is no competition in the market so that they could charge exorbitantly and make a bank?

But in August 2019, Apple announced New Independent Repair Provider Programme to sell parts, tools and repair guides to independent shops so they can fix broken iPhones. Though the same comes with some conditions, its a big U-turn for a company which has spent years lobbying against the introduction of right to repair laws. Such type of programmes could help save the right of a triangle consisting of manufacturer, consumers and independent repairers offering a safe repair of the product.

Ill-Effects on the consumers

There are various problems faced by the consumer in the absence of Right to Repair.

Saving the mother earth

With the increasing awareness and apparent effects of Climate Change being observed, there was an increasing demand to reduce the electronic waste. Such types of regulations are a stepping stones towards saving carbon emissions and using the electronic resources more wisely. Australia and its jungle crisis

Libby Peake from the think tank Green Alliance told BBC News: The new rules are a definite improvement. We think they could have been better, but its good news that at last politicians are waking up to an issue that the public have recognised as a problem for a long time. The new rules will benefit the environment and save resources. (See here)

This was necessary to give effect to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and the commitments which the world demands from the leaders of the countries who assemble in the Climate Change Conference every year with little or no braveries to implement Climate saving measures.

Concern for the Manufacturers

In order to do the repairs, the consumers or the independent repair shops, other than the spare parts and service information, need a wholesome accessibility to the specialised tools and softwares. Thats where the things gets tricky.

Some manufacturers are afraid that the independent repairers might not have the required skill, techniques, and repair machines, which may lead to poor repair and damaging the machine, which might potentially render them dangerous.

Digital Europe, one industry group said: We understand the political ambition to integrate strict energy and resource efficiency aspects, but we are concerned that some requirements are either unrealistic or provide no added value. The draft regulations limit market access, deviate from internationally-recognised best practices and compromise intellectual property.(See here)

Last year we have surpassed 50 million metric tonnes of E-waste.

Its Viability in India

India, being a developing country and home to highest population of people living below poverty, must think to imbibe such laws in its legal system. The extra cost of repair pose a burden on the lower-middle and middle class strata. With the unemployment rate going high, and the slow economy also marks a burden on India, which is in a sheer need of some economic miracle.

India is also a signatory of the Paris agreement to limit Climate change and curb the emission of greenhouse gases. Therefore, in addition to the societal and welfare obligation, it also need to fund its programme working for the Climate Change. In such situations, the Electronic waste and its disposal is a worrisome task for the authorities.

The passing of Right to repair laws can act as a measure to assist the government in controlling above evils to a reasonable level, although not eradicating the same in toto.

Conclusion

As the liberty principle applies, you must have full control over the product which you own. Every person has the right to enjoy, manage and alienate his belonging, be it movable or immovable. But such right gets limited applicability, in case of electronic appliances, due to the policies of the manufacturers. With the changes coming in the western world, its time that we become aware of our Liberty to own. As it has been said, If you cant fix it, you dont own it.

More here:
What you can repair is what you own - Experts & Views - Legally India

Its chore time. Stepping back into the garden after a long, harsh winter can be overwhelming, but it is also a time of relief. Even with a winter chill still in the air, there are plenty of tasks to start handling now if you want to get your garden in party-ready shape by the time the temperatures rise. Spring is a fabulous time to assess damage from winter, fix tools, fill in holes in the landscape, tend to your lawn, perform essential pruning, make new beds, plant from bare-root or container-grown plants, feed everything, if all is healthy begin composting, be kind to the birds, add a layer of mulch and tune up your drip system.

1. Survey your yard: Check trees for dead branches, cut down last years perennial foliage and toss it into the compost pile. Rake and refresh mulch under trees. Check hardscape for disrepair caused by freezing and thawing. Do not clean beds until after April 15 in west central Nebraska we are zone 5 and prune roses back after April 25. Keep in mind the average frost-free date is around May 12.

2. Tune up tools: In case you didnt get this done before winter. Wooden handles benefit from being cleaned, sanded, and massaged with linseed oil. Sharpen and disinfect pruners. Make sure garden tools are in working order or replace them.

3. Refresh the lawnmower: The mower and leaf blower need to be serviced. Sharpen mower blades, refill mower with oil, install fresh spark plugs and lubricate moving parts. Clear the lawn of winter debris and look for areas that need reseeding before mowing.

4. Prune shrubs: Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches from woody plants. Summer blooming shrubs like butterfly bush and Russian sage should not be cut back too early, wait for these plants to have spring growth, then trim. Prune spring-flowering shrubs and trees after flowering.

5. Check soil quality: Through a soil test at a registered laboratory, do a soil quality check and check soil temperatures before planting vegetable crops.

6. Fertilize: Your garden is waking up, dont get in a hurry to apply fertilizer. Begin fertilizing perennials, shrubs, lawn and trees after there is growth.

7. Clean bird feeders and baths: If you have already made a home and feeding station for your feathered friends, now is a good time to clean, disinfect them with a weak bleach solution.

8. Mulch: When in doubt, mulching is possibly the single easiest thing you can do from both a functional and aesthetic point of view to give the garden a fresh layer. A 2 to 3 inch layer of your favorite mulch, wood chips, shredded cedar or finished compost, gives everything a clean, tidied up look, while helping to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

9. Know when the right time to plant is: Plant garden bedding plants and potted perennials two weeks outside before planting, after the frost free date. Bare root perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted earlier. Put all of your gardening information in a notebook. List what you plant in the garden, including names of companies, plant name, variety, planting date and harvest date. During the growing season, keep notes on how the plant performs. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. This helps to plan future gardens.

10. Monitor sprinkler system: Youll want inspect and repair your sprinkler system, and monitor your sprinkler water by zone for proper function. Use drip irrigation wherever possible to preserve our precious natural resource.

For additional information or questions and the Master Gardener Program classes and projects, please contact Nebraska Extension, West Central Research and Extension Center at 308-532-2683.

See the article here:
Jacobson: Spring back into the garden with these early season tips - North Platte Telegraph

BATON ROUGE- Following the March 13th proclamation by Gov. John Bel Edwards, aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal (SFM) recently advised the public about how best to continue their business needs with the State Fire Marshals Office.

The public was informed of limited walk-in services at agency offices as well as changes to SFM-hosted trainings and meetings and SFM-conducted inspections.

Business owners need to know the changes to SFM-conducted operations do not apply to their requirement to have licensed Life Safety and Property Protection (LSPP) businesses and individuals conduct annual, quarterly or other code-required inspections of life safety systems and equipment. The LSPP industry includes mechanical or electronic locks, special locking systems and equipment, security systems and equipment, fire sprinkler systems and equipment, fire detection and alarm systems and equipment, fire suppression systems and equipment, portable fire extinguishers, fire hoses, and conveyance devices.

Due to SFM-conducted inspections being limited during this public health emergency, it is imperative that required inspections by LSPP businesses and individuals continue.

If any LSPP companies and/or individuals experience obstacles in continuing their required system inspections, the SFM remains committed to assisting with those issues. You can reach our Licensing team by calling our main phone switchboard line, 1-800-256-5452, and choosing the Licensing option when presented in the automated message.

The SFM appreciates the publics patience and cooperation with these temporary operations to ensure the health and safety of your families and ours.

Continued here:
State Fire Marshal's Office Advises Life Safety and Property Protection Industry During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency - FOX 15

Gregory Losordo

SANDWICH On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 the Sandwich Police arrested Gregory Losordo, 35, of Sandwich for Fentanyl Trafficking in more than 10 grams. The Sandwich Police had conducted an investigation into Mr. Losordo and his alleged narcotics dealing over the past several weeks. That investigation led to a search warrant being granted to search Mr. Losordo and his home in Sandwich.

At approximately 2:15 PM, Sandwich Police observed Mr. Losordo as a passenger in a vehicle near his home. Based on warrant, the vehicle was stopped by the police. Mr. Losordo was uncooperative and fought with the police. During the struggle police observed plastic bags containing what is believed to be Fentanyl fall from his pants onto the ground. Mr. Losordo continued to fight as he was placed under arrest. He was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest.

Once the search was completed police found a total of 11 separate bags containing approximately 29 grams of Fentanyl. Mr. Losordo was transported to the Sandwich Police station and booked. He was held overnight on $20,000 cash bail. While in the cell, Mr. Losordo ripped the fire suppression sprinkler system from the ceiling resulting in an area of station being flooded. A felony charge of Vandalism was added to his list of charges.

Sandwich Police also conducted a search warrant at his address. Police located paraphernalia related to narcotic distribution. Mr. Losordo is scheduled to be arraigned by Barnstable District Court Thursday.Media release and mugshot furnished by Sandwich Police

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Sandwich man under arrest as the result of a narcotics investigation - CapeCod.com News

Aspinwall, a quaint sidewalk community tucked along the Allegheny River, was tightly knit before the coronavirus hit the Pittsburgh region. Its the type of community where people gather at the coffee shop or local pub, organize block parties, hold street concerts and love a good parade. In other words, a very Pittsburgh kind of place. But with coronavirus keeping people at home, Aspinwall neighbors were missing each other.

I feel its really important to see your neighbors after such a tough week, says resident Carrie Benson. Through an Aspinwall Facebook group, she invited every resident to step outside onto their porches, stoops or balconies on Saturday to share a happy hour toast.

Its the easiest party Ive ever planned, she laughs.

Sisters Martha Lightfoot and author Sarah Tuthill toast to Aspinwall.

With wide sidewalks and ample porches, residents here are naturally social. Aspinwall is built for this type of community response to social distancing, Benson points out. All her posts, texts and word of mouth invitations worked at exactly 5 p.m., despite the chill in the air, hundreds of residents emerged from their homes, drink in hand, eager to see their neighbors.

We couldnt wait to get out here, admits resident Kristin Dowd from her apartments porch, where she and her husband, Jimmy, were greeting passers-by. People are waving, horns beeping and were all having a nice conversation. Even the fire trucks are out, Dowd says of a custom typically reserved for Aspinwalls famous Memorial Day Parade. But the best part was being able to toast to our friend across the street who, as a pharmacist, has been working tirelessly since the pandemic hit, she added.

A few blocks away, 6-year-old Niko Barii provided the highlight, treating neighbors to a live concert from his front stoop. Billed (using sidewalk chalk, of course) as Lil Elvis, his show included an original tune about the coronavirus (check out his performance in the video below).

The Kearney family joins in the porch toast.

I suggested he sing, says his mom, Megan. But I didnt expect him to prepare with a microphone and a program. A few neighbors put their chairs on their lawns and Nico said, my audience is coming.

Just keep swimming.

Just a week into the national emergency, Aspinwall residents have come up with other ways to encourage human connection that can be enjoyed from a distance.

On Saint Patricks Day, people were asked to hang pictures of shamrocks in their windows so neighborhood kids could hunt for them during their daily walk. Kids of any age were also inspired to chalk the walk, filling stoops and driveways with colorful pictures and poignant words of encouragement.

Benson and her husband Jonathan Weingarden are grateful for the community in which they plan to raise their first baby, due next month. My ultimate hope is that we keep looking for opportunities to help each other. We are all anxious for our loved ones, our families, the elderly people in our lives, she says. I take some solace in looking over at my neighbors, knowing that we are all in this together. Cheers to that.

Know of an inspiring and creative idea for get-togethers or things to do while were under quarantine? Email NEXTpittsburgh. We would love to hear from you.

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On Saturday night, hundreds of folks in Aspinwall held a porch toast - NEXTpittsburgh

Although more than a century and a quarter has passed since publication of Arthur Conan Doyles first story, Sherlock Holmes continues to inspire novels, movies, TV, and the stage. I will review some of the actors who played Holmes in this concluding essay in my Holmes duology; and assess how true each was to Conan Doyles artistic vision.

Where possible, Ill contrast each actors portrayal with the Holmes described by Dr. Watson, which I have paraphrased as, His very person was such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. He was rather over six feet, and so lean that he seemed considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, and his thin, hawk-like nose and prominent chin gave his whole expression an air of alertness, decision, and determination.

Note that I occasionally will refer to the canon in this essay, which consists of the 56 short stories and four novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and published in the Strand Magazine.

This is no easy task. In 2012, one of the worlds most reliable sources, i.e., The Guiness Book of World Records, awarded the title for most portrayed literary human character in film & television to Sherlock Holmes, who had already been presented on screen, at that time, more than 250 times. He has been played. in some manner, by nearly 100 actors, including Michael Caine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, Jonny Miller, Peter OToole, Christopher Plummer, and Basil Rathbone.

However, I will focus only on the MSM, that is, the Main-Sherlock-Media, and exclude the Sherlocks in parodies like Without a Clue, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother, and The Great Mouse Detective.

Sherlockian Literature After Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Award-winning American playwright, Ken Ludwig, set The Games Afoot at a cast party in 1936 Gillette Castle. Published in 2012, the play was presented at the Ivoryton Playhouse in 2017. Jim Bennet, of Mystic, has written three historical mysteries regarding William Gillette under the pen name James Walker; in these, Gillette uses his stage persona as Sherlock Holmes to investigate murders and other crimes.

In addition, a growing group of authors is writing short stories and novels in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle. Many of these pastiches are quite accurate in their portrayals and have begun to form a subcategory of popular literature.

Sherlock in the Cinema and on TV

Rather than attempt an exhaustive review of every actor who has portrayed Sherlock in any television or movie production, I will begin this review in the late 1930s with Basil Rathbones interpretation, and continue chronologically to the present.

I feel that any review of Sherlock must also consider the associated Dr. Watson. However, I will not review the concomitant LeStrade or Moriarty characters in this essay.

I dont pretend to have the expertise of Old Lyme resident David Handlers character Mitch Berger of Dorset in judging these actors, but I can certainly distinguish good acting from bad; and sloppy dialog from a well-constructed plot. Moreover, in the spirit of some current American politicians, theres absolutely no science in these assessments, although Ill start with the null hypothesis that Basil Rathbone is Sherlock, and attempt to disprove that premise.

Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.

In 1939, Basil Rathbone played Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles with Nigel Bruce as Watson. They continued through 1946 and completed 14 Sherlock Holmes movies. Almost concurrent with movie production, they also starred in a serialized radio drama, The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, that aired in the United States from late 1939 through mid-1947.

With the exception of Hound, these films were only loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyles canon, but were updated to reflect the issues of the day. Im not claiming that all 14 were great cinema; but they certainly were respectable wartime productions.

So, by mid-century, the Rathbone/Bruce team was recognized and accepted in both America and Great Britain as Holmes and Watson. Ill reference only two movies to support my claim.

In Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Holmes, disguised as an elderly book seller, smuggles a Swiss scientist and his advanced bomb sight into England just as the Gestapo prepared to arrest him and seize control of his laboratory. Many of the Holmes wartime movies ended with a soliloquy by Basil Rathbone. This one always brings a few tears to my eyes.

At the end of Secret Weapon, Holmes and Watson, with a contingent of the British war cabinet, are observing a squadron of Lancaster bombers equipped with the bombsight as they leave for Nazi Germany.Watson: Things are looking up, Holmes. This little Islands still on the map.Holmes: Yes. This fortress built by nature for herself; This blessed plot, this Earth, this Rome, this England.This latter line is, of course, from Act II of Richard II by William Shakespeare.

In Sherlock Holmes in Washington, Holmes breaks up a Nazi spy ring operating from a high-end D.C. antiques shop, and recovers the secret microfilmed documents that they had stolen from a murdered British intelligence agent.

As Holmes and Watson prepare to leave the District, driving towards Capitol Hill, the conversation goes like this:Holmes: Look up there ahead the Capitol, the very heart of this democracy.Watson: Democracy; the only hope for the future?Holmes: Its not given to us to peer into the mysteries of the future, but in the days to come the British and American people will, for their own safety and for the good of all, walk together in majesty, in justice, and in peace.In citing Churchills then recent address to Congress, Sherlock reminds us of how great that legislative body once was.

While Basil Rathbone was Sherlock, both physically and intellectually, Nigel Bruce regularly presented Watson as a befuddled English gentleman and a somewhat slower associate of Holmes. His interpretation of Watson is inconsistent with the more intelligent Watson of Arthur Conan Doyles canon.

Ronald HowardIn 1954, British actor Ronald Howard began a two-season run of 39 episodes on the American television series Sherlock Holmes. He played a relatively light-hearted and campy Sherlock along-side H. Marion Crawfords Dr. Watson; who played a sharp, and sometimes aggressive Watson, unlike Nigel Bruce above. Of the 39 episodes, only The Red-Headed League was based on Arthur Conan Doyles original body of work. The series included such titles as: The Case of the Texas Cowgirl, and The Case of The Shoeless Engineer. However, there were occasional allusions to the Doyle canon.

Douglas WilmerIn 1965, the BBC began its presentation of Sherlock Holmes with British classical actor Douglas Wilmer as the lead, and Nigel Stock as Watson. This sometimes noirish series continued until 1968, with 13 episodes wholly- based on the original stories. Wilmer plays a shrewd, but arrogant Holmes; and sports all the expected trappings: deerstalker cap, pipe, prominent nose, and obsessive nature. Nigel Stock is another affable, but intellectually inferior Watson.

Jeremy BrettIn the Granada Television series that aired in the UK from 1984 to 1994, Jeremy Brett played a more emotional and physically graceful Sherlock than the predecessor Sherlocks described above. His manner was more swaggering with occasional outbursts of passion used to re-focus Watson or LeStrade

His sometimes overly-precise and dramatic presentation quality demonstrate his background in musical theater. He played Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady. Heres a clue for you: I have often walked down this street before; but the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before. All at once am I several stories high, knowing Im on the street where you live

There were two Watsons over this decade-long series, namely David Burke and Edward Hardwicke. Both played the character as a highly intelligent and intuitive associate of Holmes, and true to Doyles canon. Many consider Jeremy Bretts characterization of Holmes as the defining Sherlock performance. To get a feel for his style, watch this video clip to see Holmes leap the couch at 221B in The Red Headed League.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch during filming of Sherlock in Chinatown, London. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.

Sherlock is a contemporized version of Arthur Conan Doyles consulting detective now operating in 21st century London. Cumberbatch is Holmes, and Martin Freeman is Watson. Thirteen 90-minute episodes were produced in this BBC/PBS series between 2010 and 2017. The Cumberbatch Holmes is more arrogant and self-centered than the predecessors described above, and less-willing to contend with Inspector LeStrades plodding manner.

The deerstalker cap is absent, although other traditional detective attire (long coat and scarf) frequently appear. I believe that, although updated with contemporary technology, and despite the unruly hair, Cumberbatchs portrayal of the character is first rate. His Holmes still has exceptional intellect, is excitable, and delights in solving puzzles no one else could solve.

Dr. Watson is a younger veteran of the Royal Army Medical Corps in the Afghan War than those reviewed above and is certainly played as a more independent self-starter. He blogs about their adventures rather than writing by hand for publication in the print media.

However, Watsons blog provides the pair some unwanted celebrity and the press begins reporting on the cases and Sherlocks sometimes eccentric personal life. Their cases, like those in the canon, come from both ordinary people and the British government.

Jonny Miller

Elementary first aired in 2012, and ran for seven seasons and over 150 episodes. There is little connection to Arthur Conan Doyles body of work beyond some character names and occasional allusions to the original stories.

Elementary is really a police procedural with Jonny Miller as Sherlock Holmes, and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Sherlock is a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard, who has re-located to a Brooklyn brownstone in present-day New York City for addiction treatment.

Watson is a former surgeon who has left practice, and is hired by Sherlocks father to assist in his rehabilitation as his sober companion. Watsons relationship with Holmes evolves from sober companion, to investigative apprentice, and into a professional crime-solving partnership with Sherlock and the NYPD.

This Holmes is, of course, indifferent to proper procedure as he works with the NYPD. one critic describes the series as, pretty good television; the stories are unpredictable, and often draw on contemporary issues like hacking, cyber-espionage, and corruption in international finance. I dont recall whether the latter was Deutsche Bank. There is a definite psychological component underlying the series and the plots often include the characters struggles to deal with their many demons.

Robert Downey Jr.

Downey is not, by any stretch of the imagination, Sherlock Holmes. Others disagree, as a third movie is apparently in progress, beyond Sherlock Holmes (2009), and A Game of Shadows (2011). His interpretation is more vulgar and more cynical than those reviewed above. There is significant violence in the plots, perhaps because the movies are targeting a less-sophisticated and/or a teenaged audience. The first two movies are totally lacking in subtlety and I think of them as the violent video games that you want your children to avoid.

Some Final Thoughts

I always pass my penultimate draft by my wife, Christina. Her comments were that, the essay is well-punctuated, but maybe a little obsessive. I agree that I punctuate well.

I have watched each of theafore-mentioned movies or TV shows at least once; either on DVD, or for the more recent ones, on television or in the theater. To explain, nine years ago next Halloween, I had just finished a two-year period during which I had almost unlimited time for reading and the media. I wasnt incarcerated or unemployed; and, although I am a Navy veteran, I was not a member of a ballistic missile submarine team rotated ashore.

I have also concluded that Senator Blumenthal does bear some resemblance to the Holmes described by Dr. Watson in the first paragraph of this essay; and certainly, his activities as Connecticut Attorney General also required some of the fundamental skills of a consulting detective. Our junior senator could, conceivably, be Watson. This is not a political column, so I wont name any of the more obvious candidates for Moriarty.

The next essay changes focus from human icons to Connecticuts iconic Long Island Sound and the rising water levels that I have observed from my porch over the past several years.

Tom Gotowka

About the author:Tom Gotowkas entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK.

A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes qualify him to write this column.

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A View from My Porch: Almost 100 Actors Have Played Sherlock Holmes, Who Were They (Well, Some of Them) and How Did They Do? - lymeline.com

INDIANAPOLIS Despite everything that's happening in the world right now, there are still good ones happening.

Last year, people who live in the Fountain Square area held a porch party, encouraging people to get outside and meet their neighbors.

Well, the evening is the first "Social Isolation Porch Party," and they want you to order take-out from a restaurant, get out on your porch and say "hi" to your neighbors while staying on your porch a safe distance away.

On Thursday night, the "Madness at The Vogue" fundraiser for the ALS Association of Indiana was supposed to take place. Of course, it did not.

The theater was going to issue refunds. But organizers say that most people told them to keep their ticket or table fees.

In the end, more than $40,000 was still raised for the ALS Association even without the fundraiser.

Link:
Good News Friday: Fountain Square social isolation party and The Vogue raises money for ALS - WRTV Indianapolis

Have you ever heard the phrase that you can never be too careful? Well, when it comes to residential construction sites and labor, that phrase holds even higher importance. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 21 percent of worker-related injuries and incidents in 2015 were related to residential and commercial construction workers. That number is way too high for just one industry. You can hire an estimating consultant to better guide you about the local safety measures to prevent any incidents from happening on the construction site.

With the help of safety measures, precautions, and preventative steps, we can reduce the number of mishaps, tragedies, and incidents in construction sites. By law, any and every employer is obliged to ensure the protection and health of its employees, irrespective of trade or profession. Building staff is especially exposed to such environments which present hazards that need to be addressed beforehand and during the process.

Whether you are a building site planner or project manager, it is your duty to take the required precautions to secure the work site from unwanted risks or dangers. Lets take a look at some of the steps that you can take to ensure that your workers have a safe environment.

First things first: you have to asses whether or not the environment is suitable for your employees. You can hire a professional agency to do it for you, or you can outsource the job to someone, and they will offer you concrete and conclusive results about the impending hazards in the workplace.

Safe work method assessment also makes sure that you come up with a detailed game plan of how you are going to undertake and finish the job. This will involve coming up with creative ideas of cleaning out any hazardous elements and offering PPE to your employees. It is better to be prepared than to have a lawsuit at your hands.

This step may be similar to the first one, but it is quite different in nature. It is your job to examine the job site periodically to find any possible risks and establish an appropriate approach or strategy to remove those hazards and obstacles. These hazards may include the risk of:

Moreover, as a manager, it is your duty to manage the workflow and the workers. This means that you have to run a tight ship when it comes to their safety and the protection of your reputation. When staff performs their job without the correct safety gear, highlight and address the issue and let them know that they have to be vigilant and wear their Personnel Protective Equipment at all times. When the staff fails to perform those activities safely, focus the training curriculum on the particular problem.

Are signs important? Well, of course. Law requires a sign to be put out when the floor is being cleaned, so yes, signage possesses an important value when it comes to residential construction sites.

This is necessary to have consistent signs such that all protection measures on the building site are identified, including a 24-hour ambulance line and specific instructions to the site office. Visible signs allow staff to recall and appreciate the protection procedures that will still be observed. Clear signs for site services, as well as appropriate fire and first aid equipment, will be provided.

Signage lets everyone know about the risks of certain areas involved. Moreover, you can also highlight the high-risk areas, and potentially avoid any injuries or serious consequences by constantly reminding everyone to be careful around these regions. You can also outsource cost estimating services for signage, and get a clear view of how to manage everything.

You must have seen almost every laborer and construction worker wearing a cool yellow hard hat during the processes. Well, not only are those things cool, but they also serve a very important purpose of saving the had from major injuries or long term consequences.

Now, you have to understand that eyes and face must also be protected. Anything from a shard to a tiny splinter can get into your eye and damage the retina forever. This is why you must inform your workers and encourage them to wear their safety goggles at all times.

Moreover, when it comes to face, they can wear face protection gear around the sensitive areas and protect their jaws and other features from getting severely damaged in the process.

Sand, dirt, tiny bits of flying metal or wood, liquids splashing, arc welding; all may hurt the eyes in a negative way. In addition to ensuring cover for the eye and face, employers should ensure that staff with contact lenses must turn their contact into safety glasses or choose protective eyewear their works over their glasses.

To prevent flames, accidents, asphyxiation, toxic damage, and occupational contamination, materials need to be handled very carefully. To segregate materials and avoid spillage, using high-quality, compatible outdoor storage options such as explosive storage cabins are recommended by the professionals. You must use compliant chemical storage for all your sensitive and hazardous materials.

What if we told you that over fifteen workers lose their lives every year in aerial lifting related accidents? Every year, around fifteen employees die in incidents linked to aerial transport. Most of the injuries are caused by drops from heights, so it is a big risk not to utilize fall safety gear. Operating from an aerial lift allows workers to wear a body belt that is connected either to the boom or rack. Make sure that all aerial lifts are according to the laws and regulations, and use modern technology to securely harness the employees before lifting them.

Moreover, you should also ensure that the aerial lifts used for transporting heavy metals and elements should also be secure. The concrete blocks can easily fall on top of someone and cause life-threating injuries.

Training is an integral aspect of maintaining health at work in all sectors. Most project managers believe all staff is informed of a worksites building site protection procedures. Failure to offer instruction to staff, while employed just for a few days or months to come, is one of the leading factors to the increase of construction site accidents and fatalities. You should train your employees for:

The training program will focus on the most prevalent accidents, safety threats, and events you have observed in a given region. The training plan is meant to be easy and successful.

Delivering instruction is one thing, and delivering it in an easy-to-understand way entirely. Staff can become more involved if they appreciate the preparation that you give. If you are providing instruction to fix such deficiencies or protection protocols on building ground on a new development project, you can have instruction in an open and versatile manner.

A learning management framework should be used to provide quick and concise classes that can be downloaded remotely on any computer, and staff can access them anytime and at any time.

Approximately 81 percent of fall accidents diagnosed in an emergency department includes a ladder for construction workers.

When the ladder is too low to reach the 3-foot standard, a sturdy brace must be added to the top of the ladder, and the contractor may install a catch rail or equivalent gripping tool to the ladder to aid staff in installing and removing it.

Safety and precautions must always be your priority as a construction manager. You can outsource your blueprint takeoff services, but you should try to manage the safety-related training courses by yourself with the help of tips mentioned above.

This requires more than simply introducing a compliance plan or following regulations to guarantee protection for all employees at a building site. Supervisors, project managers, and staff must make a concerted effort to ensuring the protective protocols for the building site are observed regularly, hazards detected, and events reported to hopefully avoid any accidents or injury. Teamwork is essential to guaranteeing health.

At the end of the day, your workers matter more than anything else. Their safety equally boosts the overall effectiveness and productivity of your construction processes. So, ensuring that the workers are not only operating at their full potential but are also safe in the construction environment should be your priority. The points mentioned above will get you started, but you can adapt and overcome according to the initial analysis of the worksite. Safety is the key to a powerful and successful construction process.

Excerpt from:
Safety Measures to Be Taken on Any Residential Construction Site - RecentlyHeard.com

In my memoriesof thehouse,the retaining wall is always around three feet high. But after three decadesand a little Googling, I now realize theres no way it was taller than 21 inches. Still, when I was seven and a half years old, it was a big deal.

I had a black and gold Huffy Thunder 50 dirt bikethat, in retrospect, I realizewas a vehicle for many life lessons, not the least of which was learning how to get up a hill, courtesy of my mom, who would not let me stop pedaling and walk my bike up it on the way back to our house after Little League practice; instead,wed just ride circles around a flat spot until my legs stopped screaming, and then wed finish pedaling up the last two blocks to the house. That was a noble lesson in persistence, which continued to pay dividendsin many areas of my life in thedecades afterward.

The other lesson learned onmy Thunder 50was about physics. Mostly gravity. Thatretaining wall along the driveway of our housethree railroad ties stacked on top of each otherkept the neighbors front yard from rolling into our driveway, which was just wide enough for two cars. If you were playing basketball, the wallwas almost enough for a high school regulation three-point line: 19 feet9 inches from the hoop, or just past the edge of the driveway and in the dirt of the front yard, under the branches of the big sugar maple tree. You could get off a shot without hitting the branchesif you stood right in front of where the three-point line would be.

I had seen my brother Chad, who is a year and a half older than me and naturally more relaxed and athletic in everysportwe tried as kids,ride his BMX bike off the retaining wall with no hesitation or real effort, landing on both wheels in the driveway and then steering out to the right onto Cherry Street. Im sure I assumed I would try it someday myselfit was just a matter of working up the nerve. I have since wondered why I chose the night before my first day of third grade, and I haveno explanationother than kids who are seven are kind of dumb shits. (We continue to be dumb shits in many ways throughout lifebut hopefully recognize this fact early on and spend significant effort trying to become less of a dumb shit every year we are alive.Of course there are pivotal moments, and this wasone of mine.)

I pedaled around the driveway, then up the neighbors driveway, checking out the launch point but chickening out several times. I probably spent a few thousand hours in the driveway of that house, mostly playing basketball by myself, andin my memory, the scene of this particular August dayis always lit with the golden light just before dusk, when I finally got together the nerve for my attempt. Nobody else was around, no friends peer-pressuring me into it, no one wanting me to hurry up so they could take a turn. It was just me, trying stuff by myself.

Biking through the grass and up to the top of the retaining wall, Iexpected I would just float off as I had seen my brother do, landing on the pavement and rolling away, a small triumph. Instead: I didnt pull up on the handlebars hard enough (or at all?), I might have been going too slowly, and I rolled off the retaining wall, plummetingdown ontomy front wheel, toppling over the handlebars, and catching most of the brunt of the fall with my face. It had less the grace of a bicycle stunt a third-grader imagines andmore the grace of a load of dirt sliding from the back of a dump truck as the driver tilts the bed up and back and the tailgate swings open.

My family moved from that house in southwest Iowa across the state a few years later, so I havent been back to the scene of the crash since I was 13, but thanks to Google Street View, I can revisit it online and see where it happened. The house has been painted a different color, andthe basketball hoop has changed, but everything else looks the same.

(Photo: Brendan Leonard)

And like a lot of things from my earlier years, including not getting sent to detention in high school (just keep your mouth shut about 75 percent more often) and dating (also keep your mouth shut about 75 percent more often), doing it better seems so simple in retrospect: pedal hard, pull up. As the saying goes: Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment.

(Photo: Brendan Leonard)

Of course, at the time, I didnt pedal harder or pull up, so after I peeled myself and my bicycle off the pavement, I went into the house with blood starting to trickle downmy face and my upper lip starting to swell. The first day of school started in about 13 hours, and I dont remember exactly what I worethat next day, but when I was growing up, you wore nice clothes the first day of school, so I probably did, maybe even a new shirt. But also: two giant scabs on my face.

Eight years later, I went to high school on the opposite side of the stateand befriended a classmate named Dan, who had a smile that took up half his face. He loved to laugh, and so did I, but his laugh was so loud and bright that whenever I made him laugh in class, or in the hallway, or anywhere, I felt like I was doing everyone else a favor. And at some point, I told Dan the story of riding my bike off the edge of the retaining wall, landing on my face like a pile of dirt falling out of the back of a dump truck, and heloved the story. Specifically when I remembered that there were two women walking down the street at the time, who had probably seen the whole thing from about 150 feet away, which struck Dan as probably the funniest part, and once he started laughing at it, I agreed with him. Dan probably made me retell him that story seven or eight times in high school, in the lunchroom, in the football locker room, in the back of someones car when we were drinking Busch Light driving down a gravel road somewhere in Chickasaw County.

When youre really young, you get ideas from some rather ridiculous places about what you want to be when you grow up. You want to play in the NBA, be a rapper, or have a job that literally only exists in movies, like a hero cop who doesnt play by the rules but always saves the day, or a writer who can afford to live in Manhattan. Lots of us, at one point or another, want to be good at flying off things on skateboards, skis, and/or bikes, and some people do become good at it and maybe make a living at it. I didnt give up riding my bike off things that day in the drivewayI learned to ride wheelies, went off a few small trailside ski jumps, andlatermountain biked proficiently enough to enjoy both of my tires leaving the ground for up to three-quarters of a second at a time. But Im sure somewhere in my seven-and-a-half-year-old brain, I started to think maybe big air wasnt going to be a thing for me.

By the time I turned 25, I really wanted to be an adventure writer, following in the footsteps of climbing writers like Mark Jenkins, Jon Krakauer, and Daniel Duane. For a long time,I felt like I should write stories about strong, courageous deeds, survival in near impossible situations, the sort of heroism we find in classic adventure tales. Thankfully, theres room for other types of tales, not just the capital-A Adventure stuff I was first inspired by, and Ivebeen able to make somewhat of a living from telling stories about the outdoors. Every once in a while, someone will ask me how I got started doing what I do, writing about the human-powered things we do for fun, and funin the mountains and on trails. Usually I tell them about the first mountain-climbing story I ever had published, for $40 back in 2004. But now that I think about it, thats not true at all. It was probably dumping my bike off a knee-high jump in a driveway in a small town in southwest Iowa, landing on my face, and practicing telling and retelling that story to my giggling friend Dan, hoping to get it just right so everyone would hear him laughing three rows of lockers away.

Brendan Leonards new book, Bears Dont Care About Your Problems: More Funny Shit in the Woods fromSemi-Rad.com, isout now.

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Smashing My Face into the Pavement Changed My Life - Outside