Harvard Gazette

Tai chi can prevent elderly from falls, add mental agility Harvard Gazette With relaxing music playing in the background, the students shift their weight from one leg to the other, turn their waists, and rotate their arms as if they indeed were clouds. When class ended, Elaine Seidenberg and Fran Rogovin, both 84 and close ... and more »

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Tai chi can prevent elderly from falls, add mental agility - Harvard Gazette

There are few moments in my day that are experienced in silence. This is due to my ample consumption of music, mostly thanks to a Spotify subscription. I listen to music as I walk to class, as I eat meals, while I do homework, while I exercise and even sometimes as I fall asleep. But I almost never listen to music, simply to listen.

I took a world music appreciation class last year and our professor asked us when the last time we really listened to music was. My first instinct was to say it was just prior to class, as I had my headphones in on the way there.

However, this was not what he meant at all. He advocated for the quiet, uninterrupted intake of music. He said true appreciation of music comes when it is given your full attention. Not when youre doing homework or getting from place to place, but when you can give your whole presence of mind to the music and fully absorb its qualities.

When I considered this, I realized I might not have ever truly listened to music. I couldnt recall a single time when I had listened without distraction or intrusion.

We so rarely focus on individual tasks. Even as Im typing this, Im doing something else at the same time. Were almost never concentrated on one thing at a time. You need to multitask constantly to be truly productive.

While music can be consumed simultaneously, maybe it shouldnt be.

Im not saying you cant appreciate music while youre in the car or studying for your finals, but you should find time to admire it on its own, too.

Listening to music uninterrupted and undistracted is not only therapeutic and relaxing but can also give you a deeper understanding of the music you already appreciate.

This year, I really took some time to set aside parts of my day, every once in awhile, to listen to music I thought I would appreciate. Whether it was Kanye West, John Mayer or a classical romantic symphony, I tried to really listen to music and do what my professor taught us.

I even spent an hour over spring break laying in bed listening to every second of Drakes new album at 1 a.m., the moment it was released.

Listening to albums in their entirety, or even individual songs or pieces, is time consuming but incredibly rewarding. When you listen to music without any other distraction you can truly appreciate the nuances of the sound.

You pick up on things other than the beat and melody and begin to really appreciate the work the artist put into each song individually, and as a whole contribution to the album or the artists other work.

Not only has this more intense style of listening increased my appreciation of music, it has allowed me to become a better listener and consumer of music. I pay more attention to the composition of the work and its easier for me to pick up on the themes and tonality of songs. Truly listening to music allowed me to focus my attention on the purpose of each song and the artists intent.

When you truly listen to music it enhances your experience and leads to a greater appreciation of sound and the artist who produced it.

So next time you find yourself with an hour or two to spare, get your headphones, settle down in a quiet space and revisit an album you already love or want to explore for the first time. Listen to the music and really focus on the sound. Cast your other thoughts away and truly appreciate the work produced for your enjoyment.

arts@dailynebraskan.com

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GLEASON: Take moment to truly appreciate, listen to music - Daily Nebraskan

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How many times have you forgotten to pay a bill, write an email, make a phone call or cancel an appointment? And every time you do, you probably say to yourself I should get an assistant. However, if for whatever reason hiring another human to share your workload is not the answer for you, perhaps hiring a machine is, or at least time-sharing it

by Beata Socha

Do you remember PAC-MAN? If youre too young to remember it, you must have seen it in a movie or a TV show. The classic 1980s game keeps making comebacks in popular culture, a nostalgic nod to the wonders of arcade gaming.

Either way, everyone knows that the yellow circular characters goal was to eat all the pac-dots in the labyrinth while avoiding being eaten by his four enemies (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde). The interesting thing is that the enemies appear to be somewhat intelligent when awake, theyd follow Pan-Man through the maze. By todays standards, its hardly impressive. It would be fairly easy to program the game so that the enemies calculated the shortest route to Pac-Man at any given moment, but with 1980s computing power, it was not an easy feat. The games creators came up with a rather ingenious way to do it. They programed Pac-Man to leave a trail a stench if you will, that fades away with every move he makes and every second that passes. So when the enemies came across the trail, they just followed its gradient the stronger the stench, the more recent the trail. Thats just one of many examples of how very simple rules can create seemingly intelligent behavior.

Imagine that you walk into your home and your house lights up immediately, your favorite relaxing music is already on and your cappuccino machine has just served you a cup of hot, foamy deliciousness. When you take off your coat, your TV switches on and lists all the programs it has tivoed for you in order of importance. While youre watching, your phone chimes and reminds you that ticket sales to your favorite bands concert are about to start and you should log on the site to get the best seats. Half an hour later your phone chimes again to tell you that youve only walked 5,000 steps today and you may want to go out jogging, especially since its a warm and sunny afternoon. It seems too good to be true, but it isnt. In fact, all of this is possible today.

We have been gradually automating our lives for years: a standing bank order to pay the rent, Google alerts telling you about the latest reports on a topic of interest, lights running on proximity sensors all of these are in common use. Now, all these processes can be combined, intertwined and tweaked to your liking using very simple rules that altogether make for an excellent virtual personal assistant.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

An increasing number of manufacturers equip their products with technology that allows them to send and receive information and respond to it. The only question that remains is how they can understand the information they receive from other products and services, made by other manufacturers. Your phone, your dishwasher, your car and your thermostat all speak different languages and what they need is a universal tongue, a lingua franca if you will. There is a number of such platforms that can be used for that, but one in particular seems to be catching on more quickly than others: the If This Then That technology (IFTTT). There are already over 400 service providers that equip their products with IFTTT which means that they can send and receive data from the IFTTT platform via the internet. If you have two devices furnished with IFTTT, they will be able to communicate and respond to one another.

The way it works is quite simple. You create a rule, which are called Applets in the IFTTT language (previously also Recipes). One of the devices serves as a trigger and the other performs an action. Lets say you are allergic to pollen. If the weather report says the level of pollen is high in your area, the weather website that supports IFTTT (e.g. Weather Underground) will know to initiate the rule. What it does is send your phone a message to notify you of the pollen situation, e.g.: High pollen concentration. Take allergy meds. This is called an action.

You can create rules for your social media accounts (e.g. if someone tags you in a photo, you can have it automatically saved to your dropbox), cars (if youve ever lost your car youd be glad to have a map with your location emailed to you every time you park in the city), home appliances (you can tell the Alexa device to locate your phone, for instance), and much more. You can even trigger your phone to give you a phantom call if you are in a middle of an awkward conversation and in need of an easy way out. The collection of existing applets is growing at an astronomical pace. Thats because they are extremely easy to program, so anytime someone comes up with a useful new rule, they can make it available to all IFTTT users. There are tens of millions of rules already in use. Most big internet services support IFTTT: Google Drive, Gmail, Dropbox, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, BuzzFeed, eBay, Craigslist you name it.

SAFE AND COMFY

Even if social media is unchartered territory for you, youll still find many uses for automated rules in your home. An automatic response in case of fire detection and flooding seems like a must in a modern home. Automation can also prevent burglary. After all, how satisfying is it to watch your security camera feed after your house has been broken into? But what if the system catches the perpetrator in the act and alerts you to their presence so you can in turn call the police? Smart homes with motion sensors can do that. The system detects movement in the apartment while were away and sends an alert to your smartphone whenever something unsettling happens. This allows you to immediately take action and, for instance, notify the security in the building, explains Mikoaj Pertek, developer market expert at Fibaro. The system can check a number of conditions before sending the alert: if its night time and youre at home, the system will ignore your stroll to the kitchen, but it will start beeping if someone opens the balcony door and enters your home.

Thermostats were supposed to be the ultimate solution to temperature regulation, but they are not impervious to human error and forgetfulness. If you open the window to get cool air, your thermostat will compensate for the breeze, using even more power. By applying a few simple rules, and allowing the thermostat to communicate with your smart home central computer the devices will automatically respond to temperature changes resulting from opening a window, and will not try to heat a room when its inefficient, said Pertek.

The number of possibilities that devices connected to the internet offer is expanding rapidly. All it takes it to turn on a few simple rules you can choose from a menu. And yes, there are always safety concerns, as with every new technology. But with the number of things we deal with on a daily basis, automation seems like the only way to remain sane.

The Internet of (vulnerable) things

As the Internet of Things market increases, so does the number of incidents involving breeches in security of internet-connected devices. Only recently, an industrial dishwasher-disinfector was discovered to have system flaws that allowed a hacker to access and plant malware on it, which could later be used to attack other devices in the network. Given that this type of dishwasher is almost exclusively used in restaurants and cafes, such a hack could potentially have dire consequences (e.g. the malware could compromise the conditions at which food products are refrigerated, which could lead to dangerous infections and poisoning). Earlier this year, IoT forums were buzzing about a brand of internet-connected teddy bears that had reportedly exposed over 2 million voice messages between parents and children to online hackers. There is no way of knowing how much of the information actually got into the wrong hands, but its not too difficult to imagine how it could aid criminals in planning e.g. a burglary or even a kidnapping.

OUT OF THE BOX

Some automation rules can be very handy, others are a little out there, and then there are some that will make you smile and think: What would anyone ever need that for? Heres our selection of some of the more interesting IFTTT Applets.

SHHHH! TURN IT OFF!

Ever felt embarrassed in the movies when your phone suddenly buzzes, or worse, when your Gangnam style ringtone that youve been meaning to change in like forever goes off? You can create a rule that will switch your phone to mute whenever youre in a place where phone use is frowned upon, like the movies, libraries or churches.

NEED COFFEE, NOW!

Would you like to literally wake up to the smell of coffee? You can hook up your fitness band Fitbit to your coffee maker so that when your pulse indicates youre waking up, the machine will automatically start brewing you a nice hot cuppa joe.

THATS NOT VENUS

Imagine youre looking up at the stars with a date. You point to a brighter dot flying overhead and you say: Did you know that the ISS is flying above us right now? Who wouldnt be impressed? Or maybe youd like to know when an astronaut is launched into space?

HONEY, DID YOU WANT ME TO GET SOMETHING?

Whenever youre shopping your phone can automatically send a text message to your spouse asking them if they need anything from the store. Think about all those unnecessary repeat trips to the store you will never have to make again!

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Running on autopilot - Warsaw Business Journal

The name of Vincent Van Gogh probably isnt one that springs to mind for most people in connection with pop-country superstar Shania Twain.

But the Canadian singer and songwriter feels a special connection with the 19th century post-Impressionist painter in terms of how shes gone about writing the songs for her first new album in more than a dozen years, one that shell preview this weekend during her headlining set Saturday at the 2017 edition of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio.

Relaxing on the sofa in her Beverly Hills hotel room last week during a bit of downtime between rehearsals for that performance, which serves a key role of the grand rollout of her return to the pop spotlight this year, Twain made a comparison between the process her songs went through and Van Goghs methodology in his famous Wheat Fields series of dozens of paintings of haystacks.

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Look at how many of those there are, she said with a combination of excitement and curiosity. There are all these different lightssome are dark, some are bright, some show different times of day, some are foggy. Why would somebody paint the same painting over and over and over again?

He had to go through that same experience over and over and over again, she said, answering her own question. Some paintings are just not done until theyre done. Theyve got to paint that subject out of their system. And thats what I had to do. These songs just evolved. They started one place and ended in another.

Her new album wont surface until the fall, and at this point still doesnt even have a title. Its being scheduled for release during the all-important fourth quarter period during which the music industry sees its biggest sales, and consequently holds back its biggest guns for that time.

Twains album will test to what extent she retains the commercial power she held as the biggest female country star of the 1990s and early 2000s, and who was rivaled for a time perhaps only by Garth Brooks as the most potent pop star in the world.

The Recording Industry Assn. of America has certified her album sales at 48 million in the U.S. alone, and her biggest seller, 1997s Come On Over, has logged hearly half that figure on its own: 20 million copies, placing it among the Top 10 biggest selling albums of all time.

Her show at Stagecoach is a coup for festival organizers, who say theyve had their sights on her since the event began a decade ago.

The fact that she was offered it [a headlining slot] says a lot in itself, said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of Pollstar, the concert-industry-tracking publication. Its a good move for Stagecoach--It adds a little freshness, and thats what they need for shows like that. Shes not been around a lot, so there are a lot of people who havent seen her for a long time.

Thats because Twain had stepped out of the limelight when Stagecoach was born in 2007. Having survived the tragedy of her parents death in an automobile accident when she was a young adult, Twain, who was born Eilleen Regina Edwards on Aug. 28, 1965 in Windsor, Ontario, suffered another round of personal and professional setbacks in the new millennium that once again left her reeling.

Her high-profile marriage to longtime producer and frequent songwriting partner Robert John Mutt Lange disintegrated after he allegedly had an affair with her best friend, and they divorced in 2010 after 17 years together. She told Billboard at the time she didnt know whether shed ever be able to perform again, so closely were she and Lange involved with her music career.

She also developed problems with her voice, a condition known as dysphonia that can be brought on by stress, but which she attributed to contracting Lyme disease.

Whatever the cause, it left her for a time virtually unable to sing. She went through extensive physical therapy for her voice, and now continues an intense regimen of warmup and other voice-strengthening exercises that allowed her to accept an offer from Caesars Palace to launch a residency at the Colosseum that ran from 2012 to 2014.

A singers typical problem is nodules on the vocal cords from overuse or poor technique, she said. That was not my problem. My problem isnt unique, or rare, but the exercises are very different than for nodules, and I cant get an operation for mine. The only way to fix it is to work hard.

With nodules you cant speak; youve got to rest, rest, rest, she said. With mine, youve got to work, work, work. Then she laughed again. I know, I know.

From her experience doing the Still the One residency in Las Vegas, she said, I learned a lot about myself, and my voice, from the Still the One residency in Las Vegas, she said, both because Id been having a lot of problems with my voice prior and because this was a real plunge into the unknown.

The big question?

Was I going to be able to hold up? she said. The environment is very dry there, and its very, very hard on a voice. A lot of singers have problems there. And theres the discipline required for doing a show like that ever night.

This is why I ended up going on a tour [the Rock This Country tour in 2015-2016] after that, because I thought, Wow, I can do this! If I can do it here, I can do it anywhere, she said, bursting into laughter at her spontaneous allusion to the Frank Sinatra late-career anthem New York, New York. It gave me courage to do more shows and get out on the road again. It was a good test for me.

In fact, that tour brought her back into the Top 10 of Pollstars ranking of the highest-grossing North American concert tours of the year. In 2015, she grossed $69 million from 72 shows in 56 cities, including dates at Staples Center in L.A. and the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Her business was generally very good, Bongiovanni said, although not all her shows were sellouts.At one time she was one of the top acts in country music, and then she went away for a while. Now a whole other groups of acts that have come along.

Having passed the test of whether she could still endure the rigors of touring, and having stabilized her personal life and remarrying in 2011to Frederic Thiebaud, the ex-husband of her former best friend---Twain gave herself another challenge: to write all the songs for her next album on her own. After the soul-searching she did while writing her 2012 autobiography, From This Moment On, she had no shortage of raw material to draw from.

Right from the beginning, I was not going to collaborate with anybody for this one, she said. This needed to be an independent experience.

I hadnt written by myself for a long time, she said. I was married for 14 years to my collaborator, and I really just needed to do that again. I needed to go back and do that by myself and have an uninterrupted flow of creativity that was insular, to see what I was made of, to see what I have there.

What she found translates as painfully vulnerable in places, commandingly resilient in others, happily grateful elsewhere. (You let me go/You had to have her/You told me so/I died faster, she sings in Im Alright.)

The solo approach was limited, however, to her songwriting. In place of Langes production, which had also played a key role in her commercial success by bringing a sonic edge from his hard rock background into the world of country music, she has teamed with a variety of different co-producers for most of the new tracks.

Yet the new songs largely extend, rather than dramatically break from, the sound and style that kept her atop the charts for an extended period with a string of No. 1 country hits including Any Man of Mine, You Win My Love, Honey, Im Home and Youre Still the One.

She hadnt settled firmly on which new songs shell unveil this weekend at Stagecoach, but said the prime contenders are Swingin and Lifes About to Get Good, both of which are full of the lyrical and melodic hooks shes specialized in all along.

She said that Lifes About To Get Good was a textbook example of the reward she gets out of writing songs.

I was thinking OK, what is life about? I was being kind of serious; I was reflecting: Lifes about joy, lifes about pain, lifes about this, lifes about that, she said. Then all of a sudden: Lifes about to get good. And I thought, What a great play on words! How fun is that? Who uses about as a play on words? Im sure no ones ever written that before and I was all excited.

I was getting satisfaction out of [considering] aspects of life and what its all about, then I have this really cool artistic moment--a writers thing, like Oh, yeah, thats really good, thats a great twist, she said. When those things come together, its all very satisfying. That is where the craft of writing comes in, the more soulful purpose of the meaning of the song comes out.

randy.lewis@latimes.com

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'Life's About to Get Good' for Shania Twain with new album, Stagecoach appearance - Los Angeles Times

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Liz Mehrtens and her husband built onto their back porch and then enclosed it so they could enjoy a relaxing sanctuary from the world. And it would have been a cozy room if it weren't the neighbors. Thousands of them thundering by at 60 miles per hour on James River Freeway.

"I hate listening to it," Liz explained. "It goes all day and all night."

For the most part, they never use the quiet space they dreamed about, Liz said, "Now it's all fixed up, but it's still too noisy to sit out here. When we moved in here, it wasn't here, the James River Freeway. And it just got worse and worse."

Even with thick insulation, the traffic noise penetrates through the walls. So when Liz received a letter from the Missouri Department of Transportation-- it was sweet music to her.

The agency is looking into building a sound wall on the south side of James River Freeway and east of Freemont Avenue. People like Liz who live adjacent to Route 60 can share their thoughts on the proposal at an upcoming public meeting from 5 until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at Campbell United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1747 E. Republic Road.

MoDOT has already conducted a noise study to look at all areas north and south of James River Freeway but concluded the south side--east of Freemont--was the only section that would benefit from a barrier.

After the public meeting, MoDOT will mail the residents in that area a ballot to vote on the wall.

For Liz, it can't go up soon enough. "It would be nice if we could sit out here and enjoy it. Watch a ballgame or listen to the Price is Right," she said.

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Sound wall along James River Freeway sounds like sweet music to ... - KY3

Despite a brutal heat wave that drove many into air-conditioned dance tents and a few others to medical tents with heat exhaustion, the second weekend of the annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival concluded with hundreds of thousands of revelers none the worse for wear. Give or take.

Coachella marks the unofficial beginning of the American concert season, and promoter Goldenvoice further solidified its status this year by expanding its footprint and capacity by nearly 25,000 passes per day. As with the first weekend, an estimated 125,000 attendees wandered the grounds, absorbing the music of hundreds of acts including headliners Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar.

The radiant sun didn't stop music fans any more than hot asphalt would ants at an overturned sugar truck. Temperatures rose to more than 100 degrees on each of the three days, but determined music fans gathered on the shade-free pitch in front of the main Coachella stage.

Haroun Ray and his girlfriend, Jhezmin Rasberry, traveled to the festival from Las Vegas. As first-timers, they had a notion of what to expect, said Ray, 22, but the heat had him focused on "things more elemental than the performances. Basically, I was expecting the biggest music festival in the country, because I put it in that category, Ray said. "And so far, it's been that."

Among Rasberry and Ray's highlights? British singer-producer Sampha and Pittsburgh indie rapper Mac Miller.

"It's definitely lived up to my expectations," added Rasberry, also 22. "It's beautiful."

Food vendors from across the region fed the masses and dozens of area craft brewers along with Heineken and a massive supply of 16-ounce plastic water bottles hydrated them. But the weather did take its toll on some. At various times, overheated revelers were spotted being shuttled on golf carts to medical tents for cool-down and rehydration. In the media area Saturday, a woman was sprawled on a chair, her face colorless, wet paper towels on her forehead, legs and arms. Friends later carried her into an air-conditioned shack to recover.

Standing in a cluster in one of the new VIP areas Saturday, a group of 20-somethings from Tempe, Ariz., took refuge in the shaded spot to make a plan for the night. The crew had road-tripped to the festival, some to help work a kettle corn stand and others to join the fun.

Thierno Johnson, 25, said he was equally drawn to the musical and visual feasts. "I came out to experience a lot of the art that was out here so I've got a little bit of a different view. There are a lot of major art pieces out here this year."

Among them were works by Nigerian-born artist Olalekan Jeyifous, sculptors Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan of the United Kingdom, and Brazilian artist Gustavo Prado.

One of the most prominent artworks, Lady Gaga, put on a performance worthy of LACMA. Donning wildly inventive outfits while moving through hits from across her career, the musician seemed to work overtime to prove herself capable of taking a headlining slot originally occupied by Beyonc.

Full coverage: Weekend 1 of the 2017's Coachella Music and Arts Festival

Judging by concertgoers Vanessa Cano and Danielle Amato, the artist needn't have worried. Both wore Lady Gaga-emblazoned T-shirts as proof.

"We were already going to come for Beyonc, but once they announced Gaga she is my all-time favorite," said Cano.

Both come to the festival almost every year, but this time they were caught off guard by its expanded footprint, which resulted in a few relocated stages.

"It's huge," Amato said.

"Once I heard they were going to sell 25,000 tickets more, I thought, 'I don't know where they're going to put all these people,'" Cano added.

Neither was too bothered by the heat. Both live nearby, so they knew what to expect. Plus, said Amato, they weren't interested in trudging from stage to stage all day and night. They were fine with seeing three or four acts per day and relaxing during downtime.

"You feel so rushed, and everything takes forever too," Cano said. "If you want to see two people back to back, you're out of luck."

Still, neither regulars nor newbies seemed to mind. Said Ray from Las Vegas, "We were already talking about next year on the way here on the shuttle."

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.

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Fun outshines a scorching sun at Coachella music fest's second weekend - Los Angeles Times

Chick Jacobs Staff writer @fo_weather

The outdoor dance floor at Cape Fear Botanical Garden hadn't yet seen its first pair of cowboy boots, but Taryn Hughes wasn't worried.

After all, the sun hadn't quite slipped behind a stand of pines that bordered the garden.

"Nobody dances until the sun goes down," Hughes said. "Until then, everyone is just taking it easy."

Besides, the early crowd at the first outdoor Third Thursday event was happy just to relax, taking in the music and unseasonably warm weather.

Which was fine with Hughes, the marketing director for the garden. Thursday's event, called Beer BBQ and Boots, was the first outdoor concert of the summer schedule.

"We had one in March," she said. "It was OK, but it had to be held indoors. That's not really what we were getting at.

"We want to bring music outside into the garden. People enjoy coming here, they like to bring their family, but we kept hearing that people wanted to have a time during the week when we'd be open.

"This is a great way to give people that opportunity."

Some people brought chairs or blankets to spread out and take in the evening. Nearly everyone was definitely dressed down.

"The reality is that I bet everyone here would be doing the exact same thing, just in their backyard," said Sarah Miller. She had arrived with friends and was relaxing over a cold beer and food from My Daddy's Barbeque. Whiskey Pines, a country-blues duet from Southern Pines was wrapping an acoustic version of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City." A light southerly breeze stirred the evening as shadows covered the still unoccupied dance floor.

A few folks toured the garden, but with things past azaleas and not quite to honeysuckle season, blossoms were sparse.

Besides, this was an evening for relaxing and occasionally singing along with the band.

Even if, like 13-month-old Avery Wonnenberg, you didn't quite know how to sing yet. She took in each song, bouncing to the rhythm and clapping. Her parents, Keith and Jannell, brought her to the garden "to enjoy the evening," her mom said.

"We came from Colorado," Keith Wonnenberg said. "They have lots of events like this out there. I'm glad to see this."

That was the general reaction from garden guests, an eclectic blend of retirees, military families and young professionals.

"Cold beer and good food help," joked Dan Oakes, who was sitting with friends as Whiskey Pines rolled into The Band's "Up On Cripple Creek."

"I'm just super happy to have a nice, lively but not-too busy place to relax with friends and enjoy ourselves," added Peace Lites. "Usually you have to drive to Raleigh or the Triangle for this."

Next month, Cape Fear Botanical Garden's Third Thursday will feature an evening of beach music and, likely, a lot more dancing.

"We'll definitely come back next time," Lites said.

Staff writer Chick Jacobs can be reached at 486-3515 or cjacobs@fayobserver.com.

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Harmony, horticulture blend at Cape Fear Botanical Garden's Third Thursday - Fayetteville Observer

SaiJai Miller | Contributing Writer

The Spring Semester is coming to a close, and for Monarchs this means studying for finals, preparing for graduation and completing homework assignments.

The end of the semester can feel overwhelming with all the work that needs to be finished up. Those who are graduating are preparing for the next phase in life and searching for employment or an internship over the summer, while other students are just preparing for the next semester. The Student Activities Council provided Monarchs with an opportunity to relax and de-stress by hosting Rest. Relax. Recuperate. held April 13 in the North Caf of Webb Center.

Students were able to create tie-dye T-shirts, oil rollers, sugar scrubs and sand art, while releasing tension using massage chairs. Hourly yoga sessions were also held from 7 to 9 p.m. Relaxing music was played throughout the event to set the mood and create an air of tranquility. Healthy foods were also provided, including bean dip and tortilla chips, fruit and juice.

The event improves mood, releases headaches, anxiety and offers stress relief. Being able to get the jitters away before exams because were all stressed out, SACs Special Events Director Latesia McDaniels said.

McDaniels said that there could be similar events on campus in the future.

Entertainment Avenue of Maryland and Lighting Events were outside affiliates brought to campus to lead the various activities. One of the most popular activities at the event was the spa area where students could create jars of sugar scrubs and oil rollers.

Oil rollers are similar to perfume rollers, except that essential oils are used. There are positive psychological impacts which have found that may assist with recall information. These items are portable and may help during exams, Lighting Events Tamara Gaspar said.

Many noticed that more female students attended the event compared to their male counterparts. One of the few male students to attend the event was third-year Ph.D student, Sandeep Dumbali.

I was working in my lab and my girlfriend dragged me, but its nice. It is something new for me. I feel its very relaxing. Its frustrating when youre at work and I get tired. Its a mind changer, Dumbali said.

Although his girlfriend encouraged him to attend, Dumbali enjoyed the event and expressed that he was glad that he attended. The event offered a change of scenery, a break in the usual schedule and offered an opportunity for students torecoup from the semester before finals.

The relaxed environment allowed students to take a moment out their hectic studying schedules to socialize, relax and recoup.

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Monarchs Relax Before Finals With SAC - ODU Mace & Crown

Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. ET April 22, 2017

Babcock Ranch, the new town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County, is inviting everyone to a twice a week free live music performances at the band shell at Founders Square.(Photo: Picasa)

BABCOCK RANCH Babcock Ranch, the solar powered town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County off State Road 31 north of the Lee County Civic Center, is inviting the public to enjoy twice a week free live music performances at the band shell at Founders Square, the 13-acre lakefront green in the heart of the new towns downtown district. Everyone is welcome.Tuesday Night Live every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the Saturday Concert Series every Saturday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. offers a mix of performers and musical styles in a setting that is ideal for family members and friends of all ages to enjoy time together.

In addition to the band shell, Founders Square features a boardwalk on the banks of Lake Babcock, a childrens splash pad, picnic tables, and shady areas for relaxing. Menu and beverage specials will be available at the lakefront Table & Tap restaurant on the western edge of Founders Square.With its indoor and outdoor dining, beer garden, relaxed outdoor conversation areas set around fire pits, a selection of craft beers, a farm to table menu by Chef David Rashty, and friendly service, Table & Tap has quickly become a preferred destination since opening at the end of February.An80-year old oak tree transplanted from the Babcock property provides a backdrop for the restaurants beer garden.

This coming Tuesday, April 25, soloist Harry Havery will enliven the evening with acoustic renditions of classic hits, rock, and country selections.Paul Allodi will showcase his extensive repertoire of multi-genre tunes on May 2.Singer/songwriter Mac Martin will perform his extensive list of folk and Americana tunes on May 9 and will be followed by a performance by the Mystic River band offering their unique brand of Texas red dirt country on May 16. With no performance scheduled for May 30 due to the Memorial Day holiday, Harry Havery will return with his acoustic sound to close out the month on May 23.

On Saturday, April 29, the seven member J3 Vocal Band will energize Founders Square with a familiar selection of classic hits.Mark your calendars for the classic sound of David C. Johnsons solo renditions of Motown, blues, and funk hits that will be featured on May 6 and May 27.Harry Havery will perform his acoustic classic hits, rock, and country selections on May 11.The performer for Saturday, May 20 will be announced soon.Visit babcockranch.com for performance updates.

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Enjoy weekly music nights at Babcock Ranch - The News-Press

Posted: Apr. 22, 2017 6:05 pm

When I was a kid, I wanted to be ... I don't know that I had any one career in my mind. I went through several phases from wanting to be a teacher, a nurse, an astronaut and a zookeeper among other things.

What would you rather be doing right now? I'd rather be somewhere on a beach with my family, relaxing and reading a book.

Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone that ... I'm a rather shy person. I really don't like talking in front of large groups of people. I'd rather listen.

Other than your wedding day and/or the birth of your children, what was your proudest moment? I'm always proud when I see my loved ones succeed.

It really stinks when ... people do something mean. I don't like to see people get their feelings hurt or bullied. Another pet peeve is when people tell you they will do something and then don't follow through.

What word in the dictionary would your face be next to? I don't know that I'm the right one to ask this, but here goes. I try to live by the Golden Rule and treat others as you would like to be treated. So I do try for kindness.

I always laugh when ... I hear my kids laugh. It's contagious.

Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? I would invite Abraham Lincoln to dinner. I've always been interested in his life, and I would love to hear the story of his life from him. I would also invite one of our founding forefathers. I would love to hear the thoughts and goals they had for the country when they founded it and to hear what their thoughts are on how things are in this day and age. I guess a third person would be Marilyn Monroe. I don't know why, but she fascinates me. I would love to hear the secrets she has to tell.

At the end of a really long day at work, I like to ... listen to good music and zone out on the way home. Then when I get home, kick my shoes off and relax for a few minutes.

I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to ... go to a white, sandy beach.

If someone gave me a million dollars, there is STILL no way I would ... leave my family and friends behind and forget about them.

America should be more concerned about ... There are so many things that are great about our country, but there are also things we need to be concerned about. We really need to make sure we are taking care of our elderly and our children. The elderly made this country what it is, and the children are our future and will make this country what it will be. It seems like the first programs that are cut are always the ones that affect the elderly and the children.

We also need to take better care of things in our own country rather than worrying so much about fixing others. For instance, we always want to help people who are hungry in other countries (who doesn't want to help someone in that situation?), but what about the people/children in our own country who are starving and homeless?

I'm OK if there's ever a national shortage of ... blankets and sheets. Of course, my husband will say it's clothes and shoes.

When I'm on the internet, I always go to ... I don't really get on the internet a lot.

What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received? I don't know who told me this, but I think the best advice is to do unto others as you'd like done unto you. Always try to treat others how you want to be treated.

When I'm cruising down the road, I'm likely listening to ... It depends on my mood. Sometimes it's pop, sometimes country. Occasionally I relax to soft classical music and sometimes classic rock.

I always get sentimental when ... Babies and baby animals always bring out my softer side. I also get sentimental at times when some of our residents reminisce with me about their lives.

The older I get, the more I realize ... you never know from day to day what life will bring you. You just have to roll with the punches, do the best you can and enjoy as much as you can.

If I had one "do-over," I would ... go further with my education right after high school.

My favorite item of clothing is ... I don't really have a favorite item of clothing.

If I've learned anything at all ... it's you are never done learning. I continue to learn new things almost every day.

Cindy Gilbert, 44, is the admissions director at Good Samaritan Home and has worked for Good Sam for 26 years. She grew up in Quincy and the surrounding area. She married her high school sweetheart, Geoff, and they have two children, Nate and Natalie.

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Your Turn/Cindy Gilbert - Herald-Whig