D.C.R.A.Z.Y

Voted

voted

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67240450 "The glow worm has been the symbol of the other world, of love, of hope, of rebirth, of simply the great mysteries of nature." The insect is declining in many parts of the UK due to a host of factors, from habitat loss to light pollution. Experts believe artificial lighting is distracting the males so they miss out on a chance to mate. The young conservationist has a passion for glow worms that's second to none. He has gone to extreme lengths to breed and release them in the south of England, such as here in Hampshire. He stops by a pile of rotting logs and opens the Tupperware tub he's clutching to his chest. Inside, not the takeaway it once contained, but a scattering of dirt. Peering closer, I spy a tiny centipede-like insect waving a limb, one of Pete's precious cargo of baby glow worms. "These larvae were hatched this summer, so they are very young and they are only about the size of a grain of rice," says the protégée of reintroduction pioneer, Derek Gow, known for his work with beavers, white storks and water voles. "I'm not holding the twinkling box of lights," he adds, referring to the eerie greenish-orange glow made by the female of the species; the stuff of fairy tales and folklore. In fact, glow worms aren't worms at all, but beetles. The males are fully-winged as adults and can fly, while the females are wingless and have to glow frantically in the summer months to attract a passing mate. "The male comes in because it's attracted to the site of the glow and it goes, 'Wow shiny,'" says Pete, who is passionate about nature. He's been a zoologist "since I could walk" and his first words were trees, bracken and gorse. After studying zoology, he worked as a professional ecologist for seven years, turning to breeding glow worms in his Bristol flat during the first lockdown in 2020. While many of us were baking banana bread, Pete took up the "impossible" challenge. "It was quite a cathartic moment of hope in that horrible Covid year of collecting these lights in the dark," he explains. "But poetry aside, when we started, actually, it wasn't very poetic; it was a bit of a disaster." At first he lost a lot of animals. He turned to citizen scientists for help, including a hobbyist who has bred 21 generations of glow worms over 14 years at his home in Germany. He soon perfected and scaled up his techniques and has now begun releasing glow worms at various sites. I've joined him in the grounds of the historic Elvetham Hotel near Fleet, where he's helping to create a refuge for the insects in wild areas at the edge of manicured green lawns. More than a thousand glow worm larvae have been released over two years in this "living laboratory" and this summer he had the first encouraging signs with the discovery of one glowing female. "It's a long way to go before I would describe this release project as being successful," Pete explains. "But that's the thing about conservation; it is a long game." Newly hatched glow worms need natural grassy habitat with plenty of snails to dine upon. In a scenario out of a horror movie, the young insects crawl onto the animal's shell and inject a paralysing toxin that slowly turns the snail's insides into soup, which they then suck dry. This horror aside, not everyone's chuffed with the idea of reintroducing glow worms - and many other animals - into the wild. Alistair Driver, director of Rewilding Britain, sees this attitude as short-sighted. Over the phone from Broughton Sanctuary in North Yorkshire, where he's advising on a project to bring wildlife back into the landscape, he says there are already clear international guidelines set by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "What we're doing wrong in this country is being ridiculously over-bureaucratic about perfectly sensible, logical reintroductions following those guidelines," he says. "Successive governments have been burying their heads in the sand on this, basically listening to a small vociferous minority who don't want to see reintroduction of things like pine martens and beavers." Pete too has faced opposition over his glow worm project. But he points out that even the reintroduction of the red kite was once seen as controversial. And he frowns over so-called rogue reintroductions, where rare or extinct butterflies appear in random places by cover of night with little chance of survival. "I think it is very important we do these things well and with the best knowledge possible but you've also got to be bold and pragmatic," he says. His work has garnered interest from other organisations seeking to do large-scale glow worm releases, including Wildwood in Devon and the Manchester Museum. They are now developing their own glow worm "zoo" based on his breeding techniques using a local po[CENSORED]tion. "Once upon a time there were children that would go into fields behind their houses or they'd be exploring down by rivers or in woodlands and they would come across these fascinating little creatures," says Charly Mead, Education and Conservation Manager at Wildwood Devon. "Unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often now. We do a lot of education here at Wildwood and most of the children wouldn't know what a glow worm was so hopefully we can help improve those po[CENSORED]tions." Back in Hampshire, it's time to say goodbye to the little critters. Pete parts the grass then gently tips his charges on to the ground. "Those glow worms are now officially wild animals," he announces, solemnly, snapping the lid back on the box. He hopes his work can be a symbol of hope in a time of biodiversity loss. "This one little glow worm, this little light in the dark, can help be that catalyst for a much bigger change for nature," he says. Follow Helen

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/arts/music/skeeyee-sexyy-red-hard-knocks.html The rapper Sexyy Red had the best year of her budding career in 2023, earning a spot on Drake’s newest album, concluding a 20-city tour and releasing her po[CENSORED]r mixtape, “Hood Hottest Princess.” One of the mixtape’s songs, “SkeeYee,” quickly spread on social media after its release in June. Titled after a phrase the rapper described as a form of catcalling or flirting, the sexually explicit “SkeeYee” ranked No. 1 on the inaugural TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart. Professional and collegiate athletes were among the fans, and the song quickly became a presence in locker rooms, in stadiums and on teams’ official social media channels. Several athletes said they most enjoyed the song’s fast-paced, energetic beat, which was created by the prominent rap producer Tay Keith. But they also pointed to the tone in which Sexyy Redd delivers lyrics like “If you see me and you tryna see what’s up.” “It’s like an anthem at this point,” said Lonnie Walker IV, who plays basketball for the Brooklyn Nets. “It really uplifts people and gets people excited. It gives you a little bit of confidence, a little bit of swagger when she’s talking her stuff.” As the year comes to a close, The New York Times retraced some key moments to show how the song took over the sports world. SECURING A PRIME TELEVISION SPOT ‘It Was Just Good Vibes’ Several weeks before heading to the New York Jets’ training camp, linebacker Quincy Williams and running back Michael Carter were driving around Miami when Carter played “SkeeYee” on the vehicle’s stereo. Sign up for The Amplifier newsletter, for Times subscribers only. Your alternative to the algorithm — a real, live human helps you discover songs you’ll love. Try it for 4 weeks. “As I was listening to it, at first I was like, ‘I don’t know,’ but as we kept listening, I was like, ‘OK, that is kind of catchy,’” Williams said. When they returned to New Jersey, the song bubbled in the locker room. Carter said it helped the team bond amid the hot summer days and intense N.F.L. practices. “We were always with each other — there’s no girls around — so it was just good vibes and the guys,” said Carter, who now plays for the Arizona Cardinals. “It was a song that everyone knew the words to.” The fervor among the Jets led to a notable appearance for “SkeeYee” on “Hard Knocks,” the annual series by NFL Films and HBO that follows a team through training camp. The scene shows players and coaches dancing, nodding and voicing their approval on the practice field as the song blares over speakers. Video Jon Blak, the team’s D.J., said that he had played the song only about twice a week to prevent it from becoming stale, and that camera crews captured the 75-second sequence across several days. But each time the song blasted, the players reacted positively, Blak said. “It was so convincing that obviously the players loved it, and it was like a call to action,” Blak added.

Anyone who has ever woken up in the middle of the night and struggled to go back to sleep knows the toll insomnia can take the following day. More than 17% of adults had trouble staying asleep most days or every day of the past month, according to 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Biquan Luo, a San Francisco sleep expert and CEO of LumosTech, which produces a smart sleep mask to promote healthy circadian rhythms, shared some of the reasons and remedies for waking up at night. There are various reasons that people wake up at night, Luo said. Some of the common sources of sleep disruption include stress and anxiety, discomfort or pain, and environmental disruptions such as noise, movement, or too-hot or too-cold temperatures.Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, can also cause people to wake up during the night. “Disruption of the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle” can also lead to fragmented sleep, said Luo. She suggested trying such techniques as progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, white noise machines, and other methods that may help you relax. “If you can’t fall back asleep after 10 or 15 minutes, it’s time to get out of bed,” said Luo. “Try going to a quiet and comfortable place at home, like the couch, and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity, such as reading a book or doing a calming activity, until you feel sleepy again — then return to bed.” Mistakes to avoid Resist the urge to reach for your phone or look at the clock if your sleep is interrupted, said Luo. hecking the time upon waking up in the middle of the night is one of the most commonly made mistakes that will make it more difficult to drift back off, said Luo. “Checking the time can increase stress and make it harder to sleep,” she noted. “Additionally, if you check the time on your phone, the contents of the phone may be too stimulating, which further prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep.” What to know about your internal clock Waking up in the middle of the night can be a result of your body’s internal clock not lining up with your sleep schedule, said Luo. “Our sleep is governed by two key factors — early in the night, it’s the buildup of sleep pressure, our body’s need for rest, that helps us both fall and stay asleep,” the expert said. “Later in the night, our internal clock, known as circadian signaling, plays a crucial role in maintaining sleep.” In an ideal scenario, these two factors will work together to keep you asleep, Luo said. “But if sleep pressure fades before the circadian signal fully kicks in, it might lead to waking up at night,” she said. https://nypost.com/2023/12/09/lifestyle/cant-fall-back-to-sleep-after-waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-heres-what-experts-recommend/ “If you’re unsure why you’re waking up during the night, you may look into adjusting your internal clock to see if it helps reduce these interruptions.”“If you’re unsure why you’re waking up during the night, you may look into adjusting your internal clock to see if it helps reduce these interruptions.”

Nick movie: Mario and Luigi and Friends vs Bowser...with healthbars Time: With Healthbars Netflix / Amazon / HBO:N/A Duration of the movie:- Trailer:

Video title: Try Not To Laugh : Dhar Mann Studios Content creator ( Youtuber ) :Dhar Mann Official YT video:

Music: Selena facetiming Taylor on Selena + Chef Release date: Aug 2020/08/20 Signer: evrim Official YouTube link:

https://www.gearpatrol.com/tech/a42708489/best-tech-releases-2023/ We update this article every Friday. We suggest bookmarking this page and returning often, as we'll continue updating it throughout the year with the most notable new tech and other gadgets of 2023. The world of new tech and gadgets is fast-moving and non-stop. It seems like every month, every week and even every day, something new and exciting gets announced. From hi-fi headphones to the latest Sonos speakers, bookshelf speakers to gorgeous (and huge) TVs, the newest Apple gadgets to noise-canceling wireless earbuds — the sheer volume of new products can be overwhelming. That's why we're aiming to make it just a bit easier. Below, we've rounded up the best new tech and gadgets that been announced thus far in 2023. We'll be regularly updating this post with the coolest new gadgets that you should keep on your radar, so stay tuned for more as the year goes on.

Photoshop is so successful that the name of Adobe’s image editing program has become a deonym: Anyone who says “This image has been photoshopped” actually means “This image has been edited.” Much like Kleenex, Photoshop is frequently used colloquially for the entire product class. So it’s no wonder that Photoshop is the benchmark when it comes to image editing. While Photoshop is an indispensable tool among photo professionals, we can think of a few reasons why Canva might be much better for you. 1. Ease of use Let’s get this straight from the start: When it comes to pure photo editing, Canva can’t hold a candle to Photoshop. But Canva is so much more than just a photo editing program, which is why we think it’s much more suitable for a large target group. https://www.pcworld.com/article/2164434/why-canva-is-better-than-photoshop.html Whether for the marketing department in a large company, social media influencers or for private use: Canva’s intuitive operation and therefore fast results are particularly impressive. Absolutely no prior knowledge is required to create your next social media post — whether as an image or video. There are a hundred different ways to achieve your goal in Photoshop — and that can quickly become overwhelming and frustrating. With Canva, you can at best be overwhelmed by the wide range of templates and possibilities that the program offers. While Adobe focuses on image editing with Photoshop and offers additional program for video, special effects, and graphics with Premiere Pro, After Effects and Illustrator, Canva includes so many functions in one program:

Do not adjust your screens. Your eyes do not deceive you. This is a high-refresh gaming monitor from RCA, formerly a company that pioneered early radio and TV tech and now essentially some branding IP licensed by several companies, including in this case DTI Services, an Indianapolis-based company that primarily makes TVs. Whatever, the RCA Evolution Premium M27PG135F, a 27-inch 1440p 240Hz model, is our first taste of the brand's new foray into serious gaming hardware. Out of the box and it's all pretty familiar, if not a little generic. That's probably a good thing. RCA isn't trying to reinvent the gaming monitor with the M27PG135F. The build quality is a little hollow and plastic, but that's typical for this class of display. You get a reasonably sturdy stand with a metal base and a full range of adjustments, including pivot into portrait. So, RCA hasn't skimped on the ergonomics. Likewise, the slim-ish bezels on three sides of the panel—plus a larger chin—are standard aesthetic fare, as is the light sprinkling of RGB lighting on the rear. Connectivity is well covered, too, with DisplayPort, two HDMI sockets and even USB-C with 90W of power delivery. The inclusion of a KVM switch is a nice addition and contributes to a pretty strong all-round features set. Specs-wise, there are no real surprises from the IPS panel. This is a 27-inch 1440p model with 240Hz refresh capability, and 1ms claimed GtG response. There is basic HDR support, but with a peak brightness of 300 nits, it doesn't qualify for explicit DisplayHDR 400 certification. Coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut, if that's of concern, comes in at 95%, which again is decent but not remarkable. And that, in a nutshell, sums up the image quality on offer. Definitely decent, but probably not remarkable. The color calibration is pretty much on point, though the range of gamut presets is fairly limited. Beyond the default user mode, there's sRGB but no DCI-P3 mode. That's not much of an omission for gaming, however, and in other regards you can add the OSD menu to the list of elements that meet but do not exceed expectations, more on which in a moment. As for brightness, that could be a bit of a concern, what with the modest 300 nit rating. But subjectively, the level of punch on offer for SDR content is comparable to typical HDR400 panels. As for HDR content, as you'd expect, this monitor doesn't give a true HDR experience. There's no local dimming, and while RCA doesn't quote the contrast ratio, this is a conventional IPS panel and thus will be capable of 1,300:1 at best. Still, HDR video doesn't look bad, it's just debatable if it looks any better than the same content in SDR mode. It's a bit more complicated when it comes to gaming. Running, say, Cyberpunk 2077 with HDR goodness switched on, brighter highlights do have a bit more pop than in SDR mode. https://www.pcgamer.com/rca-evolution-premium-m27pg135f-gaming-monitor-review/ But equally darker scene elements are pretty crushed, to the extent that it's hard to see what's going on in dimly lit or underground locations. In short, it's questionable whether you'd use the limited HDR capabilities in-game, though they may come in handy for watching HDR video content without distorted colors. All that said, re HDR we won't hold this monitor's limitations against it. It's not materially different to other pseudo-HDR panels in this class. Much more important is speed and here the RCA Evolution Premium M27PG135F puts on a decent showing. There are three levels of pixel accelerating overdrive in the OSD menu and even the fastest option only introduces the tiniest whiff of overshoot.You might think that's a good thing. However, a slightly more aggressive max setting can be desirable in some games. If you're playing, for instance, Counter-Strike 2, that's a game which responds really well to aggressive overdrive. It tends to looks crisper and sharper and without the overshoot and associated inverse ghosting being noticeable. Anyway, we think RCA could have been just a touch less conservative with the overdrive options here. There are IPS panels with slightly crisper motion reproduction as a consequence. On the other hand, we doubt you'll have any problems with this monitor's latency. All 240Hz are present and accounted for, making for buttery smooth frame rates and essentially zero subjective latency. All of which means we basically like the new RCA Evolution Premium M27PG135F. It gets pretty much nothing badly wrong and a lot right. It doesn't do anything radical or new or unexpected. But for the most part, that's a good thing. The only slight snag, if there is one, is the question of: Why would you buy this monitor in particular over the more obvious brands? It's a decent performer, but then so is much of the more familiar competition. It's reasonably priced, but then so is... well, you get the idea. This is a solid first effort from RCA. But the brand probably needs to do a little more to earn conquest sales from the better established competition.

https://www.pcgamer.com/five-years-later-doom-megawad-eviternity-just-got-a-surprise-sequel/ In honor of Doom's 30th birthday, a team of Doom modders led by Joshua "Dragonfly" O'Sullivan just released a sequel to six-episode Doom megawad Eviternity. Eviternity two likewise has six chapters, each made up of five maps with one secret map per chapter. That's a grand total of 36 maps you can download right now. Eviternity 2 uses a newly updated version of the OTEX texture pack, which means it'll look sweet whether you play it in DSDA Doom or GZDoom. I've had a look at the first couple of maps, and there's some nice use of colored lights and rain already. It's best to play through the original Eviternity first, since this is a sequel in terms of its difficulty as well as its story. In fact it begins by sending you backward through the final levels of Eviternity, which is a nice celebration of your victory. Looking back, Eviternity has some amusing similarities with Doom Eternal, being a quest through transcendent, heavenly locations to confront an angelic being. Though given that Doom Eternal was already in development when Eviternity released they're presumably coincidental, of course. Following the defeat of Hell with a war in Heaven is just the obvious cool thing to do.If you want to play Eviternity 2, it's designed to be played with the Doom 2 IWAD and you'll need to make sure your copy of DSDA Doom or GZDoom is up to date. You can grab either from the same website as Eviternity 2.