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BASTROP, Texas – Despite earlier optimism, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department firefighters and other personnel were still facing a fire threat to historic structures at Bastrop State Park today.
According to TPWD incident commander Robert Crossman, all but about 100 acres of the 6,000-acre park have been blackened by fire, but firefighters have so far been able to save most of the Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed structures on the park, with two possible exceptions – two CCC observation structures believed to have been damaged. Chase A. Fountain / TPWD ©2011.
I saw him about a year ago too. As before he brightened my day with his smiles. I went on to have a fabulous shopping trip buying almost everything I wanted to get..
Stafford UK 22nd November 2013
The fun fair
The teddy bear , the fairy, the pony, the fake Ducati ….
I wonder…. Is it possible for us grownups to fit in?????
Listen..... www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTAu5H-iE0Q
Maybe that's the way.....
The pessimist complains about the wind; The optimist expects it to change; The realist adjusts the sails -William Ward
BASTROP, Texas – Despite earlier optimism, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department firefighters and other personnel were still facing a fire threat to historic structures at Bastrop State Park today.
According to TPWD incident commander Robert Crossman, all but about 100 acres of the 6,000-acre park have been blackened by fire, but firefighters have so far been able to save most of the Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed structures on the park, with two possible exceptions – two CCC observation structures believed to have been damaged. PHOTO BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN/ TPWD.
Detail of one of the second pair of nave windows, predominantly red in colour and designed by Lawrence Lee. The red windows symbolise the soul's journey into maturity..
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, afterall there are echoes of the gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, when all it's stained glass had been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days, but now charges an entry fee (a fix for recent financial worries; gone are the frequent days I used to wander around it in search of inspiration!)and sadly visitors are also encouraged to enter by the far end of the building, contrary to Spence's intentions.
For more see below:-
LEMONS TO LEMONADE:
Shot from the window of my car in the pouring down rain. At first, I was going to delete this photo, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked the tipsy-angle and the background (with the lines of the house siding behind the daisies) So I played around with the curves in PShop til I came up with something I like - it has an almost surreal quality now, and the daisies are the focal point. What do you think?
BASTROP, Texas – Despite earlier optimism, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department firefighters and other personnel were still facing a fire threat to historic structures at Bastrop State Park today.
According to TPWD incident commander Robert Crossman, all but about 100 acres of the 6,000-acre park have been blackened by fire, but firefighters have so far been able to save most of the Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed structures on the park, with two possible exceptions – two CCC observation structures believed to have been damaged. PHOTO BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN/ TPWD.
World AIDS Day 2010, Windhoek, Namibia
U.S. Army photo
Strengthening relationships. Raising awareness. Learning through partnership. Two U.S. Army Africa chaplains recently traveled more than 4,000 miles to participate in the Ministry of Defence/Namibia Defence Force World AIDS Day ceremony in Windhoek, Namibia.
Col. Jonathan McGraw, U.S. Army Africa’s command chaplain, and Lt. Col. Clyde Scott, deputy command chaplain, stood alongside their chaplain counterparts to gain a better understanding of how the Namibia Defence Force commemorates World AIDS Day. More than 1,000 Namibian soldiers and civilians took part in the celebration.
“We appreciate the positive impact of our joint efforts in the Namibian military,” said Adrienne Fuentes, coordinator for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in remarks made during the ceremony on behalf of the U.S. Mission in Namibia.
“I applaud the leadership of the Namibian military for your robust leadership where stigma and discrimination is strongly discouraged, and where people who are living openly with HIV are supported without any discrimination,” Fuentes said.
McGraw said his Unit Ministry Team’s close relationship with the Namibian chaplains is an essential part of sharing experiences and techniques to counsel soldiers and families from a spiritual perspective.
“Facing the challenges of AIDS, the Namibian Defence Force has established an impressive commander-led, community-based, chaplain-integrated program that is working,” McGraw said. “I was very impressed with the number of Namibian soldiers lined up to voluntarily test their HIV status during the World AIDS Day event. It was three to four times what was experienced in past years.”
The U.S. chaplains World AIDS Day participation follows a previous visit to Namibia in which the ministry team led a seminar about counseling soldiers and family members about the impact of HIV/AIDS.
In addition to observing the World AIDS Day commemoration, the U.S. chaplains met with several key U.S. Department of Defense partners to discuss possible areas of collaboration. A highlight of the event was an invitation to march in a two-mile AIDS Day Parade sponsored by the Namibian Defence Force. Led by the NDF Army Band, the chaplains marched with more than 800 NDF soldiers, as citizens cheered from the sidewalks.
“Despite the challenges of AIDS/HIV there is optimism about the future and love of their families and country,” said McGraw. “This was a great example of the NDF and USARAF’s shared commitment to AIDS/HIV prevention in Namibia.”
To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil
Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica
Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica
BASTROP, Texas – Despite earlier optimism, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department firefighters and other personnel were still facing a fire threat to historic structures at Bastrop State Park today.
According to TPWD incident commander Robert Crossman, all but about 100 acres of the 6,000-acre park have been blackened by fire, but firefighters have so far been able to save most of the Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed structures on the park, with two possible exceptions – two CCC observation structures believed to have been damaged. PHOTO BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN/ TPWD.
July Scavenger Hunt: 17 - That Should Have Been Thrown Out Long Ago
Two weeks after we go out of the world cup the flags are still up in Nottingham
Optimism, the opposite of pessimism, exemplifies a lifeview where one looks upon the world as a positive place.
An optimistic Ottawa restaurant owner set up an outdoors cafe in November. It worked as well as you would expect.
A bright, gently comic showcase of General Electric’s pre-war optimism, this 1939 ad pairs a gleaming new refrigerator with young couples eating ice cream — complete with an unnoticed ice cream stain on the swooning boy’s immaculate white trousers, giving the scene its human charm. Published during GE’s “House of Magic” success at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, it captures the era’s belief that modern engineering could make domestic life feel effortless, even a little enchanted.
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General Electric's "House of Magic" was a premier attraction at the 1939 New York World's Fair. It featured spectacular live demonstrations of GE research laboratory developments, many of which felt like science fiction to the 1939 audience:
•Floating Metal Carpet: A demonstration of magnetic levitation where a metal plate appeared to float in mid-air.
•Independent Shadows: An optical trick where a person's shadow would persist or move independently of the person casting it.
•Solar Motor: A motor driven entirely by the power of sunlight, showcasing the early potential of solar energy.
•Whirling Discs: Large discs synchronized with light to create mesmerizing visual effects.
•Lighting Innovations: Spectators saw how shortwave transmitters could light glass tubes filled with gas simply by being near them, a precursor to modern lighting technology.
The "House of Magic" was just one part of GE's massive presence at the fair:
•Steinmetz Hall: Named after GE's legendary engineer, this hall featured a terrifyingly popular 10-million-volt display of artificial lightning that jumped across a 30-foot arc.
•Exhibit Hall: This area contained a complete television studio, a model electric appliance store showcasing the full line of GE home products, and an X-ray machine display featuring a 2,700-year-old mummy.
•Architecture: The pavilion featured thirteen massive pillars covered in murals by artist Rockwell Kent, which depicted the history of the electrical industry.
[Source: Google Gemini]
Contrasting demeanours on these classical statues seen at a local stoneworks shop seemed to fit the Optimism/Pessism theme for Our Daily Challenge Mar 2.
Barbara Ehrenreich cuts close to home in this expose of the phenomena of positive thinking as it manifested in our culture over the last few decades. I have long needed someone to help me combat the shallowness of the universe-as-shopping-mall for your-visualized-dreams phenomena that I've been enduring in the world of the entrepreneur, but here she also reveals the impact it has had on the Christian mega churches, pop psychology, medical treatment and the financial institutions. For the impact on the latter this book is a pivotal read. Coming to the topic through her experience having breast cancer and being faced with relentless messages to be positive, she was prompted to flesh out this cultural phenomena, the impact of which has been sorely underestimated.
Barbara comes across as the quintessential academic curmudgeon in light of this topic, but the reader also ends up questioning cultural assumptions. Luckily there is historical precedence to give narrative arc to this cultural trend. As Barbara explains it, our famous American optimism is a reaction to an earlier hair-shirt wearing dourness that characterized the Calvinism of the puritans. Such was the relentlessly enforced soul searching, required by this religious teaching, to root out the evil within, that it was making people sick with fear and self doubt. Women would take to their beds swooning and some men too. Into this window of medical impotence came a practitioner touting positive thinking as the cure for all ailments. It didn't work on contagious diseases, but it did work on these psychosomatic cases and resulted in the founding of Christian Science.
Barbara also mentions that the industrialization of the country had taken away meaningful work for women in the home, leaving them bereft of the one thing that Calvinism touted which was hard work—meaningful work. Positivism became the new religion. She hints at how it was absorbed into the new consumerist marketing ethic, but that is not her focus.
In the realm of psychology, positivism prompted studies touting the health benefits of a positive attitude. Said studies often financed by the Templeton fund and having no actual medical backing. As for the Christian aspect of positivism, I was to learn to distinguish between the gay bashing Christian right and the corporate secularism of the new mega-churches preaching that God wants you to succeed and grow rich. This meshes with the corporate positive attitude message being work-shopped to the same brethren in their cubicles. The end result is that the working stiff blames himself for not having a job instead of organizing to change the system. The book The Secret is given full credit for driving home the message, to the entrepreneur on up to the CEO, that all would come to those who concentrated on envisioning our wants in technicolor.
In her chapter on how positivism brought down the economy, she convinces me that the captains of industry were truly in a collective delusion about how unfettered capitalism was the fool proof path to wealth for all . Any financial analyst daring to point out, for instance, that there might possibly be a housing bubble afoot was fired. The pressure to bring only good news was such that no one dared to suggest that prudence might be called for plus the CEO's were so insulated by their mega wealth that there was no way they would be able to sense what was going on at any level. I was inclined to think that they were just bent on consciously fleecing the public, but using Joe the Plumber as case in point, she parallels how the public was largely interested in joining the delusion that they, too, had a chance to such wealth.
In her conclusion she mentions the emergence of a doomster presence that is gaining popularity and that it is not a bad thing to examine danger as we look for solutions. We might even have a good time doing it she suggests.
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, afterall there are echoes of the gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, when all it's stained glass had been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days, but now charges an entry fee (a fix for recent financial worries; gone are the frequent days I used to wander around it in search of inspiration!)and sadly visitors are also encouraged to enter by the far end of the building, contrary to Spence's intentions.
For more see below:-
Outside of the Town Hall theater on West 43rd Street in Manhattan, a crowd of smiling and optimistic people Friday overflowed into the one-way street. Delivery trucks and yellow taxi cabs creeped by, their engines engaged in a shouting match with Bennet Weiss, a man who bore a fleeting resemblance to the Democratic presidential candidate they were all there to support.
"We don't have billions of dollars! All we have are people wearing Bernie pins," Weiss yelled, a large black umbrella covered in Bernie Sanders campaign pins at his feet, catching drops of sweat from his brow. The Occupy Wall Street protester-turned-Sanders supporter urged the crowd to wear the pins at all times with no exception -- even in the shower -- and gave them away freely to anyone who said they didn't have enough cash to afford to pay the suggested donation.
That's the kind of populist support Sanders' campaign has steadily been attracting since the U.S. senator from Vermont formally announced his candidacy in late April. Friday was no exception, with passion-filled people who think Sanders has proved himself the worthy champion of causes they care about the most, such as income inequality, climate change, Wall Street reform and further healthcare reforms. But, perhaps most importantly, they also think he can win the White House.
"Absolutely" he can win, said Joe Trinolone, 30, a former finance industry worker from Long Island, New York, who is studying mathematics at St. Joseph's University. "I mean, he's winning right now."
Sanders, during a fundraising speech Friday, ticked through the policies he cares about and areas of change he wants to see in Washington should he become president. At each turn, his blend of outrage, optimism and sly sarcasm brought raucous cheers from the crowd of 1,100. He rejected recent Wall Street Journal criticism of the high price tag of his proposals, including making public colleges and universities free, lowering so-called real unemployment by pumping funding into infrastructure repairs for the nation’s roads and bridges and implementing a universal healthcare system.
Instead, he pointed to European nations that already have those programs. He implored the crowd to think about what many of them were already talking about: that taking on the big-money interests in the United States that impede those sorts of policy changes is a shared moral obligation.
“Welcome to the revolution,” Sanders said, describing what he believes must happen to American politics. “We can accomplish all of this and more.” And the crowd ate it up.
When asked why they support Sanders, many described his candidacy as a movement. They love his policies, and have a hard time thinking of much they don’t like about him. They especially like that he has been a consistent voice during his time in Washington. That’s a big perceived difference between Sanders and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Those "feeling the Bern" were split on whether they would consider voting for her if she becomes the nominee. Many were newcomers to political action but felt compelled to join the fray when they heard Sanders and his message.
“I’ve never been excited about a politician my entire life,” said Meira Marom, 34, a Brooklyn third-grade teacher with a master's degree in creative writing. When Marom started seeing social media posts about Sanders and reading about him, she decided to stop focusing her personal time on writing for herself. She now writes and publishes something about Sanders every day -- Dr. Seuss themes every Sunday, poems and parodies. “I decided this is the most worthy cause to put my rhymes to use.”
Sanders has seen an unexpected rise in the polls since he joined the race for the Democratic nomination shortly after the current national front-runner Clinton announced her candidacy. While Sanders was trailing Clinton by 21.4 percent in national averages of polls compiled by Real Clear Politics, a look at early nominating states like Iowa and New Hampshire paints a different picture of vulnerability for Clinton and strength for Sanders.
The two candidates are tied in Iowa, which constitutes a dramatic drop for Clinton and an impressive surge for Sanders, who has been distancing himself from Clinton in New Hampshire at the top of the Democratic pack since Aug. 25, when he jumped past her in the state for the first time. He currently leads there by 10.5 points.
The candidates are noticeably different in many ways, from policy prescription to fundraising strategy.
Clinton has moved leftward since announcing her candidacy, but she is still threatened by the populist appeal of Sanders, who has long championed the causes that seem to be coming into grace for the Democratic Party. While the candidates currently hold some very similar positions on issues such as immigration reform, gay rights, gun control and campaign finance reform, Sanders has been able to stake out positions to the left of Clinton on other issues that excite some vocal voters.
Among them are his strong anti-war and anti-government surveillance positions as well as his distaste for President Barack Obama's Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal. Sanders also has been a vocal critic of Wall Street and champion of financial reforms, and his stance on those issues has drawn attention to Clinton's cozy relationship with Wall Street executives and the huge paychecks she has received for speeches to large banks since leaving the U.S. State Department. For some Sanders supporters, though, the perception that Sanders has been a consistent proponent of these liberal policies, and cares about them more than winning, is key.
“It’s the message that supporting Bernie Sanders is not just voting on a horse in the race” that attracts Brian Dillon, a 28-year-old self-employed Web designer and developer for e-commerce, said Friday. Dillon has voted just one time in his life, but he has been organizing meetings to drum up support for Sanders.
Sanders's fundraising portfolio also is the reverse of Clinton's. While the former secretary of state is expected to spend somewhere north of $1 billion should she win the primary and head into the general election for 2016, the same has not been said of Sanders. Currently, Clinton has raised, through her campaign committee and super PACs associated with the campaign, $47.5 million, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Sanders, on the other hand, has raised just shy of $16.5 million, according to CRP data.
Their most startling difference in fundraising, however, can be seen in the size of the donations they're receiving. The Clinton campaign received 82 percent of its donations from large contributors, and her top industry donors, not including retired people, so far have been lawyers, business services and the financial industry.
In contrast, Sanders relies much more on small donations, which are defined as donations totaling $200 or less. So far, 69 percent of his contributions have come from small donors, and the biggest industries that have given to his campaign have been from the education, legal and healthcare sectors.
Who are those small donors? The types of people who showed up Friday. Some said they donate $25 to $30 a month to Sanders. Some said they have donated several hundred dollars since he jumped into the presidential race. Nearly all of them mentioned they don't earn a ton of money personally. One in particular, Machumu Sakulira, said he donated $500 before attending Friday’s event.
There is “no way” he would support a Clinton ticket, said Sakulira, a 31-year-old senior political science student at the University at Buffalo. He got on a bus Thursday night at 11 p.m. and arrived in New York at 7 a.m. for the Sanders speech. He said he was going back Friday night. “Bernie represents my interest. My vote is a moral choice, I don’t give it to somebody who doesn’t deserve it.”
www.ibtimes.com/election-2016-bernie-sanders-nyc-fundrais...
This is a finalist in the This Is My Michigan photo contest sponsored by Consumers Energy Green Generation. Photo submitted by Dawn K. Learn more at www.greengeneration.com.