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Most everyone has some recognition of the birch tree, a tree with light-colored white, yellow, or grayish bark that often separates into thin papery plates and is characteristically marked with long horizontal dark raised lines (also known as lenticils). But how can you identify birch trees and their leaves in order to tell different types apart? Characteristics of North American Birch Trees Birch species are generally small- or medium-sized trees or large shrubs, mostly found in northern temperate climates in Asia, Europe, and North America....

Ewan McGregor’s return to a galaxy far, far away has come and gone. For the most part, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lucasfilm’s most recent Disney+ series, was received fairly positively. At the very least, the show delivered on its promise of offering some closure between the titular Jedi and Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader. Even with that, sadly, there were still issues that dragged the experience down for some viewers. While the streaming project had plenty of time to tell its story, running at six episodes and having a sizeable budget, many noted that the show felt cheap at points....

Almost no project from Lucasfilm is shrouded in more mystery than Andor, which is looking to debut before the end of the year. Although rumors point to a trailer for the show likely arriving during next month’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, fans still have barely any ideas about what will actually be a part of the plot as Cassian Andor’s pre-Rogue One story comes to life. Even with Andor being so under the radar, for the time being, it has a leg up on many of the other Star Wars Disney+ series in terms of a confirmed future....

The Mandalorian’s inaugural season last year was well-received by fans and critics, paving the way for a successful debut of Star War’s first foray in the realm of live-action series. From internet-stopping cameo reveals to a slew of behind-the-scenes breakdowns, there has been a lot of chatter surrounding the show’s first season. While fans wait for the much-anticipated season 2 release of the Disney+ show, the addition of legendary Star Wars characters as well as the promise of more heart-stopping action should keep fans in check....

A new interview with Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore revealed that the MCU team avoids hiring writers who love Marvel Comics for work on their projects. Marvel Studios and the MCU have enjoyed more than 14 years of success at the box office, with filmmakers from Chloe Zhao to Kenneth Branagh stepping up to take on a Marvel project at one point or another. These creatives have obviously become well-versed in the world of Marvel (or at least their specific leading hero) by the time their films have come out, but the knowledge isn’t always there from the beginning....

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is born from controversy. The original film switched up directors in the middle of production, which led to a patchwork Frankstein that was torn apart by critics. Then, actor Ray Fisher called out replacement director Joss Whedon for inappropriate and abusive on-set behavior—something Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot backed up. He then went further and started calling out multiple higher-ups at Warner Bros. Most recently, Rolling Stone published an investigative piece looking into how Zack Snyder looks to have manipulated the situation behind the scenes....

It was reported in September that there would be additional filming for Justice League Director’s Cut. While it would only be one week of shooting, likely for pickups, it still excited fans to know that Warner Bros. was giving Zack Snyder the opportunity. It was expected that Ray Fisher, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and Henry Cavill would be a part of these reshoots, but the latter was shown to be false....

There are over 7 billion people on this planet. 7 billion! If you count one number a second without stopping until you reach a billion, you’d be counting for 31 years, 259 days, 1 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. That’s how much a billion is. If each person owned only one pair of pants, one shirt, and one jacket, that would be 21 billion articles of clothing. If you were to count each of those, one per second, it would take nearly 672 years....

The design brief: TreeHugger founder Graham Hill’s 420-square-foot apartment in New York may be micro-sized, but his life calls for a great deal of outsized entertaining. So in spite of wanting to find a close-to-zero footprint for his pad – which he is renovating as part of the LifeEdited project – Hill also wants the look and feel of a real, this-is-where-the-fun’s-at kitchen. That means a three- or four-burner stovetop. When aesthetics and efficiency are taken into account, we’re talking an induction stovetop, 24 inches wide, matching the oven visually....

Antioxidants are one of the gifts of produce, and purple (or blue) vegetables and fruits are often high in antioxidants, making them an excellent addition to your diet. Here are seven beautiful examples: Purple cauliflower This gorgeous vegetable contains all of the health properties of white cauliflower with the added bonus of extra anthocyanin (that lovely antioxidant that’s so great for you!). Just don’t be surprised when it turns green once cooked....

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. The wool shoe market is sizzling, thanks in part to the skyrocketing success of Allbirds, which launched in 2016 with a line of sustainably chic New Zealand-sourced merino wool sneakers and slip-ons. But the San Francisco-based startup isn’t the only success story in this scalding hot shoe category....

Even though a release date has yet to be confirmed, new evidence suggests that the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka has already been greenlit for a sophomore season. Ahsoka is one of the many highly anticipated Star Wars projects heading to Disney+ this year. It stars Rosario Dawson in the titular role and will also see many fan-favorite Rebels characters jump from animation to live-action.The show will continue the story of the Ghost crew, and fans will finally find the answers they have been searching for since the Rebels finale saw the purrgil take Ezra Bridger and Thrawn to unknown regions....

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a true rollercoaster for fans, both in terms of the movie itself and the run-up to release. Ever since the dramatic cliffhanger of Far From Home saw Peter Parker’s heroic identity revealed to the world, MCU enthusiasts couldn’t wait to see what was next. But the picture of Tom Holland’s third MCU outing changed dramatically when Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock was confirmed to be returning along with Jamie Foxx’s Electro....

New tests by nk Architects show that it cuts the noise in half. When Passive House started in the 90s, it was all about energy, and that is what the basic standard regulates. But saving energy is a hard sell these days when fossil fuels are so cheap, so Passive House people are pivoting to other virtues of Passive House design that are byproducts of super-insulated walls and high quality windows: Comfort, that comes from having a wall surface and window that is close to room temperature, and Resilience or security, because Passive House designs stay warm when the heat goes out....

Kevin Conroy, best known for voicing Batman, died Thursday at the age of 66 after a short battle with cancer. The Peter Mayhew Foundation confirmed on Twitter that Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy passed away:“Members of the Batman animated family are reporting that Kevin Conroy has passed away. We had the privilege of attending conventions alongside Kevin over the years and are heartbroken by this news.“Diana Pershing, who voiced Poison Ivy in Batman: The Animated Series, shared a heartfelt tribute to Conroy on Facebook: “Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday....

Another in our series on how to design with climate in mind. © Termessos/ Larry Speck Many parts of the world, from China to Iran to Texas and Arizona, have a " high diurnal swing", where it is really hot in the daytime and cool at night. Larry Speck, a principal at PageSoutherlandPage wonders if there isn’t a better way of designing in such conditions than our current standard practice of insulating and air conditioning....

Your dog stares at you longingly, eyeing that bright clementine you’re about to peel. Is it OK to share a bite of this juicy and sweet little citrus fruit with your canine pal? Unlike some fruits — like grapes, avocados and apricots — clementines and other citrus fruits are not toxic to dogs, and are not listed among the foods that can be dangerous to pets by the Pet Poison Helpline....

There has been much discussion and speculation over whether certain DC movies like The Batman take place in the main DC Extended Universe or alternate ones. Luckily, DC film boss Walter Hamada provided a little more clarity on the subject at DC FanDome.NEWS During DC FanDome’s “Multiverse 101” panel Hamada made it a point to mention that the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and the other Justice League characters to appear in the DCEU thus far exist in the same universe, while the version of Batman in The Batman exists on a separate Earth in a different universe, saying that “there’s one Earth of this beginning Justice League and there’s another Earth where there’s this growing Year Two Batman,” and that “Joker is not on [Justice League’s or The Batman’s] Earths....

Marvel Studios is set to have a huge presence at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, with president Kevin Feige teasing that the team will “talk about the future” of the MCU at the pop culture event. The studio’s appearance at SDCC comes after a three-year hiatus, which was mainly due to the global pandemic that canceled massive in-person events across the board. The last time Marvel graced the event back in 2019, the studio introduced its first Phase 4 projects such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness....

In February 2020, Marvel Studios proclaimed “the universe is expanding” ahead of their extension of original content on Disney+. The pandemic would put those plans on pause, but once 2021 rolled around, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would dominate social conversation for the full calendar year. Even during the theater drought, the success of shows like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier allowed for the MCU to remain at the top of Hollywood’s hierarchy....