All posts tagged: borrowed

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Published by skeptic

We’ve all had those moments where we wished we could hit the reset button on life – start over with a clean slate, become someone new. But how many of us would actually have the courage to do it, even if given the chance? In her charming debut novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, Australian author Anna Johnston explores this tantalizing “what if” scenario through the eyes of her lovable octogenarian protagonist Fred. With warmth, humor and surprising poignancy, Johnston crafts a feel-good story about found family, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of human connection. While the premise may require a hefty suspension of disbelief, the emotional payoff is well worth it. This is the kind of cozy, uplifting read that will leave you with a smile on your face and maybe even a few happy tears in your eyes. A Case of Mistaken Identity Leads to an Unexpected Second Act When we first meet 82-year-old Frederick Fife, he’s at rock bottom – broke, lonely, and on the verge of homelessness after spending his …

Princess Beatrice’s borrowed wedding dress was uncannily familiar

Princess Beatrice’s borrowed wedding dress was uncannily familiar

Published by skeptic

Princess Beatrice’s second-hand wedding dress may have been familiar for more than one reason. Princess Anne’s daughter famously chose to recycle a gown from the closet of a close family member for her royal wedding, instead of having a new one designed like other brides such as Princess Kate and Zara Tindall. Despite her unique decision, the style and silhouette of her gown were not as unusual as you may expect. When pictures emerged of Beatrice secretly exchanging vows with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in July 2020, they showed her looking radiant in one of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s ivory frocks complete with a geometric jewelled bodice, an A-line cropped skirt, a straight neckline and thick straps. In a modern twist, she had shortened the hem and added organza puff sleeves – a tweak done by the Queen’s trusted dressmakers Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin. © AlamyPrincess Beatrice’s dress was on loan from Queen Elizabeth II Beatrice’s dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, the mastermind behind her grandmother …

After arrests at UCLA, are other college protesters on borrowed time?

After arrests at UCLA, are other college protesters on borrowed time?

Published by skeptic

After police forcibly removed Pro-Palestinian encampments at two universities this week, college leaders across California are grappling with how to move forward with protests on other campuses. The high-profile law enforcement operations that cleared a massive camp at the heart of UCLA and evicted protesters at Cal Poly Humboldt who had occupied buildings were in some ways unique. Elsewhere, the camps and other protests have been smaller and less disruptive. But Pro-Palestinian protesters calling for an end to Israeli military actions in Gaza at other California campuses have vowed to continue their encampments. And that puts university leaders in a tough spot. College presidents at places like USC, UCLA and Columbia University who have supported the arrests of students have faced a swift backlash from some. Yet the camps have been a source of controversy, especially if they interrupt campus operations. Some officials have said they are willing to allow the encampments to remain as long as they stay small, orderly and positive. UC Riverside on Friday struck a deal with protesters to end their …

Borrowed time”: As we shatter temperature records, experts worry we’re in “uncharted territory

Borrowed time”: As we shatter temperature records, experts worry we’re in “uncharted territory

Published by skeptic

Our rapidly heating planet is regularly shattering records these days. December through February was so warm — in fact, the hottest winter on record in the U.S. — it’s been described by some climate experts as a “lost winter.” Last year also set new records for global surface temperature, hottest summer and ocean heat content. Perhaps most ominously, the world averaged temperatures 1.4º C higher than pre-industrial levels during those 12 months. “The situation (the temperature trend) is bad enough as it is — there is no reason to sensationalize.” Now the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service revealed that March 2024 was 1.68º C warmer than pre-industrial times, prompting one NASA scientist (Dr. Gavin A. Schmidt) to warn the BBC that humanity is now in “uncharted territory.” This is the tenth month in a row to be the warmest on record for its respective month of the year. Schmidt, the director of Nasa’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told Salon that “the long term changes in climate are already having effects on the probabilities of some extreme …

Goldman: Office Mortgages Are Living On Borrowed Time

Goldman: Office Mortgages Are Living On Borrowed Time

Published by skeptic

At the start of the week, a lawyer specializing in advisory services for lenders and servicers of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) in the United States told us that the office segment of the commercial real estate market has been surprisingly quiet in the first quarter, despite the countless news headlines about towers being dumped on the market for hefty discounts.  The reason for this recent calm in the CRE space might be explained in a note by Vinay Viswanathan of Goldman Sachs on Tuesday. Viswanathan explained that the total amount of outstanding commercial mortgages set to mature by year-end has exploded from $658 billion at the start of last year to $929 billion in mid-March.  He said this high amount of debt that has been extended and modified rather than refinanced “helped mitigate a default wave and a sharp pick-up in losses on CRE loan portfolios.” He noted the main driver of this has been the “willingness of lenders and borrowers to modify and extend maturing loans rather than refinancing or forcing a foreclosure.” In …

National Lottery operator had borrowed millions from Kremlin-owned banks | National lottery

National Lottery operator had borrowed millions from Kremlin-owned banks | National lottery

Published by skeptic

The company behind the national lottery was borrowing millions from Kremlin-owned banks when it won the UK’s largest public-sector contract, the Guardian can reveal. Russia’s two largest lenders, VTB and Sberbank, were part of a syndicate that agreed to lend up to €640m (£545m) to Allwyn in 2020, two years before the pan-European gaming specialist was named the “preferred bidder” for the £6.5bn lottery contract. While Allwyn repaid the portion of the loan attributable to the two Russian banks in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the funds appear to have helped support the group during the costly process of bidding for the lottery. Loans from the Kremlin-owned Sberbank and VTB, extended via European subsidiaries in the Czech Republic and Germany respectively, remained in place for nearly a month after both lenders were placed under sanctions by the UK government. Allwyn repaid the debts in late March 2022, after the Gambling Commission had chosen the company to run the lottery, ahead of the incumbent operator, Camelot, and a bid from the media tycoon Richard Desmond. …

10 English Words Borrowed from Indigenous Languages of the Americas

10 English Words Borrowed from Indigenous Languages of the Americas

Published by skeptic

  English is notorious for pickpocketing words from other languages and passing them off as its own, and the number of words “borrowed” from other European languages easily reaches the thousands.   But it doesn’t stop there. Over centuries of exploration and conquest, English was able to plunder words from languages around the globe and, in many cases, continues to use words from languages that have long since gone extinct. The Americas are no exception. Here are ten “English” words that actually originate from indigenous American languages.   Indigenous Languages of the Americas A Quechua-Spanish dictionary published in Lima, Peru in 1604: Vocabulario en la Lengua general del Peru llamada Quichua, y en la lengua Española, via Library of Congress   Before European conquest, over 1,000 known languages were spoken in what are today the Americas. In the centuries since Columbus first set sail, many of these languages have been forcefully wiped out or fallen into disuse, while others remain widely spoken in indigenous communities. It is estimated that 25 million people continue to speak …