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Pubs Galore Forums > Behind the Bar > Blog Tracker > Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Working man does not like Lager Beer View Full Version : Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Working man does not like Lager Beer Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2013/04/working-man-does-not-like-lager-beer.html) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WSid-MBFrjQ/UWLHSEjKs0I/AAAAAAAAQx0/0PNfHObUqdA/s400/Jeffreys_Lager_Beer.JPG (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WSid-MBFrjQ/UWLHSEjKs0I/AAAAAAAAQx0/0PNfHObUqdA/s1600/Jeffreys_Lager_Beer.JPG) How untrue that statement would be today. Back when it was said - the late 1940's - things were a bit different. No, that's not right. Things were very different. "WORKING MAN" DOES NOT LIKE LAGER BEER! MR. O. J. GARDENER manager of Taylor Walker's, Ltd., is not disturbed at lhe Government's decision to import unlimited quantities of beer from the Continent. "Lager beer," he says, "is not very popular commodity, and British brewed beer can hold her own against any foreign brews. They can't import much because it won't sell. The working man won't look it." Mr. Gardener said that his depot sells en on average about one quarter of barrel of lager to 150 barrels of ordinary draught beer. A representative of Gray and Son, Brewers, Springfield Road, said "We are not worried the least. We still produce plenty of beer." The Brewers Society intend to make representations to Parliament, protesting that the scheme would place British brewers at a disadvantage as foreign lagers would almost certainly be of greater gravity." Essex Newsman - Friday 07 March 1947, page 1. A quarter barrel of Lager to 150 of Ale means, for Taylor Walker at least, Lager was just 0.17% of sales. Next to nothing. Brewers were worried because they were restrictions on the strength of beer they were allowed to brew. But their fear of stronger beer foreign beer was not realised. Mainly because a maximum gravity was imposed. At 1036º, it was about the same as the average for beer brewed in the UK. More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2013/04/working-man-does-not-like-lager-beer.html)

can help deliver food aid to a family suffering from hunger can provide vital relief to emergency survivors can help build a transitional shelter for Rohingya refugees whose camp burned down in Bangladesh Focus on the Rohingya Myanmar's Rakhine State is home to the Rohingya. It is the least developed state in the country with a poverty rate of 78% compared to the 37.5% national average, according to the World Bank. Government restrictions have been put in place against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group, on marriage, family planning, employment, education, religious freedom, and freedom of movement. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Rakhine, fueling a humanitarian crisis. Most have fled to Bangladesh, which has limited land and resources. Some have also fled to Malaysia, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. Islamic Relief's Dedication to Myanmar Our main intervention includes providing humanitarian aid to internally displaced people and host communities in Rakhine State including the following: Access to clean water, sanitation, and health services We also work to provide emergency relief for natural disasters including building shelters for those affected by cyclones. Thanks to you, we've been able to accomplish so much. But there's still so much more to do. By continuing to support our efforts in Myanmar, you can help make a difference in the lives of those in desperate need. PLEASE NOTE: Donations made to IRUSA's Myanmar fund may serve urgent or long-term programs in Myanmar or for Myanmar refugees in other countries.

The TV host blames Stern for the lack of resolution in the ongoing labor that led to the league canceling the first two weeks of the season. Bryant Gumbel, host of HBO's Real Sports, used some potentially controversial phrases to blast NBA commissioner David Stern on his show Tuesday night. Gumbel blames Stern for the lack of resolution in the ongoing labor negotiations between the players and owners that led to the league canceling the first two weeks of the season. "The NBA's infamously egocentric commissioner seems more hell-bent lately on demeaning the players than solving his game's labor impasse," Gumbel said. But he didn't stop there. Gumbel evoked images of slavery in further remarks. "Stern's version of what has been going on behind closed doors has of course been disputed, but his efforts were typical of a commissioner who has always seemed eager to be viewed as some kind of modern plantation overseer, treating NBA men as if they were his boys," he said. "It's part of Stern's M.O., like his past self-serving edicts on dress code or the questioning of officials. His moves were intended to do little more than show how he's the one keeping the hired hands in their place." Gumbel acknowledged that his comments would likely earn him some criticism but that he wasn't concerned about it. "Some will of course cringe at that characterization," Gumbel said. "But Stern's disdain for the players is as palpable and pathetic as his motives are transparent. Yes, the NBA's business model is broken. But to fix it, maybe the league's commissioner should concern himself most with the solution, and stop being part of the problem." Meanwhile, the NBA announced last week that it was canceling the first two weeks of the regular season after owners and players were unable to reach a new labor deal and end the lockout. At the time, Stern said that after two straight days of negotiations that both sides were "very far apart on virtually all issues. ... We just have a gulf that separates us." The sticking point in the negotiations was reportedly how the team owners and their players would split the $4 billion in revenue generated annually by the league. The NBA claims that it is losing $300 million a year, with 22 of its 30 teams also in the red. Meanwhile, Gumbel's comments aren't the first potentially controversial remarks he has made. In 2006, he said he doesn't like the Winter Olympics and refuses to watch them, adding: "So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention." That same year, he said of outgoing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue: "Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps [then-NFL Players Association executive director] Gene Upshaw's leash," Gumbel said. "By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch."

What are Neem & Turmeric Capsules? Neem & Turmeric Capsule is the synergistic blend of two popular ayurvedic herbs. i.e. Neem leaf and Turmeric root. Neem is one of the most widely used and well studied herbs of our times. It is a very unique tree and neem leaves are the most complex leaves on the planet. The neem tree has 130 active compounds and the neem leaf is one of the most complex leaf. Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years. It is powder is a bright yellow powder made by dry grinding of mature turmeric rhizomes (underground stems). The use of turmeric for coloring and flavoring food, and for various other uses dates back to the ancient times. DR WAKDE'S™ Neem & Turmeric Capsules contain pure herbs blended together. Each herb is carefully dried to bring you the full potential of nature's goodness. DR WAKDE'S™ Neem & Turmeric capsules also use vegetarian and vegan friendly HPMC capsules. It is made with purely herbal ingredients and free from any additives or fillers. Who are Neem & Turmeric Capsules suitable for? Neem & Turmeric Capsules are suitable for those looking to integrate popular Neem leaf & Turmeric root as a daily supplement to their diet. DR WAKDE'S™ Neem & Turmeric Capsules are particularly suited to vegans and vegetarians due to the HPMC capsule used.

Buried, untouched and starved of oxygen for thousands of years. Silently in the darkness, gradually working upwards, as its blanket of earth is shifted. Brought back to life in a new form, carefully revealing the rich alluring tones that have taken a millennium to develop. Earlier this year, we heard that some trees had been brought to light, excavated by a farmer when ploughing his fields in Cartmel, Cumbria. We discovered that these lumps of wood, black as coal, were bog oak. Rare in quality and quantity, we leapt at the opportunity to procure whatever we could. Although the name is descriptive, it perhaps does not reveal all about this material. Bog oak occurs when oak trees fall into boggy land and are consumed by the bogs. Trapped under stagnant water and mud, there is very little oxygen to encourage decomposition. And so these trees have lain there, undisturbed for thousands of years, stained by the tannins dissolved in its acidic prison, and blackened during the long slow process towards fossilisation. Due to the obvious issues with producing and finding bog oak, it is a rare material that will become more scarce as land is farmed or built on. We are very excited to share with you our exploration of bog oak, and reveal these rarities that capture so vividly their process of life and endurance through time. Hollowed out to reveal the curves of its natural form, the ancient bark, weathered and rough, has healed and grown around where a branch once sprouted. In contrast to the exterior, the inside has been highly burnished to a magnificent shine. The whole exhibits the timber's rich textures and colours – from the subtle browns of swirling grain to deep blacks as dark as night. Cracked and warped heartwood is not our usual choice of timber, but we couldn't resist exploring this particular piece of black bog oak. Again following the natural lines of this tree buttress, Ian has carved and shaped its form into something extraordinary. Inspired by its age and history, we wanted to make a feature of the rarity of this material. The river of gold seemed a fitting complement to the almost fossilised state of this ancient wood.

Kyle D. Shanton, chair and professor. B.Ed., 1997, Kenyatta University (Nairobi, Kenya); M.D.A., 2005, Western Michigan University; Ph.D. 2011, Michigan State University. Appointed 2015. Albion College's teacher certification program offerings in elementary, secondary, and K-12 education are authorized by the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Professional Preparation Services. In preparation for student teaching, students participate in field experiences integrated into course work in 200- and 300-level education classes. All TEP students are required to complete either EDUC 396: Boundary Crossings in Elementary Schools or EDUC 397: Boundary Crossings in Secondary Schools (also known as "Maymester"). These courses require an integrated field experience that begins during the spring semester and includes full-time participation during three weeks in a classroom in May as part of the junior or senior year. There is no additional tuition charged for the Maymester portion of the course; however, students will be charged for room and board during this period. Students are expected to complete a digital portfolio prior to completing their program of study. Albion's teacher education program offerings are accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. We welcome students of all races, religions or national origins and are in full compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Admission—Students may formally apply for admission to the teacher education program (TEP) after successfully completing EDUC 202 . Requirements include: a 2.7 cumulative grade point average (GPA), a 3.0 GPA in the teaching major and teaching minor (or planned program), a 3.0 GPA in education classes, confirmation of having taken and passed all three sections (Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Professional Readiness Exam (PRE), a successfully written essay, two letters of recommendation and documented previous work with children and youth in an educational setting. In accordance with State Board of Education policy, students are also required to complete three criminal history checks: in EDUC 202 prior to admission, in EDUC 203 as part of the application for admission, and again prior to student teaching. As part of this process, students are required to access the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) through the Michigan State Police website and submit the report to the Education Department. Students are responsible for the $10 ICHAT fee. Students must also complete an Albion College criminal history check form and a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) consent to release form. A detailed explanation of requirements for admission may be obtained directly from the Education Department. Integrated Science, with Elementary Education Certification, Interdisciplinary B.A. Social Studies (Elementary), Interdisciplinary B.A. Social Studies (Secondary), Interdisciplinary B.A. Social Studies, with Elementary or Secondary Education Certification, Interdepartmental B.A. Social Studies, with Secondary Certification, Interdisciplinary B.A.

Met Gala 2019: Celebrities who are 'banned' from attending the lavish event Everyone who is anyone is hoping to score an invite to the most fabulous night in fashion, but they won't all be able to get their name on the list When it comes to fashion and celebrity parties, there's one event on the social calendar that tops them all. It's bigger than any fashion week, more star-studded than the Victoria's Secret annual lingerie show and tickets are more in demand than those for Glastonbury or Coachella. I'm talking of course about what happens on the first Monday of May - the Met Gala . Essentially, the Met Gala, or The Costume Institute Gala as it's formally known, is the Oscars of the fashion world. Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the event brings together the biggest names and most famous faces from the realms of film, music, art and fashion to raise money for the Met's Costume Institute. Anna Wintour has been the official chair of the Met Gala since 1995 (Image: Getty) What time is the Met Gala 2019, what is this year's theme and who is attending? The guest list for the iconic event is incredibly selective, with 48 percent of attendees being actors and 32 percent made up of committee representatives. Various suggestions will be made for attendees, but ultimately the decision comes down to US Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, who has been the official chair for the event since 1995. And while we're guaranteed to see the likes of Blake Lively, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Jennifer Lopez, Bradley Cooper and Tom Ford walk the red carpet this year, there are several people who are believed to have been blacklisted from the event all together. Here's a look at who they are thought to be and what they might have done to get themselves 'banned'. Tim Gunn and Anna Wintour are in an "open war" Meryl Streep's Devil Wears Prada character wasn't actually based on Anna Wintour Tim Gunn According to The New York Post, fashion consultant and Project Runway presenter Tim Gunn has not been welcome at the Gala since 2006. The 65-year-old claims he has been in a "open war" with Wintour since he joked about her in an interview with The Post. He said: "I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I've ever seen in fashion and I said it's easy, it was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards from a fashion show." Vogue reportedly then asked for a retraction to this statement, but Gunn refused. Anna Wintour admitted she'd never invite Trump to the Gala again Best and most bonkers Met Gala red carpet outfits ever from the likes of Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna Like Gunn, the President of the United States is also not getting a ticket to the event. This is something Wintour revealed herself during an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017. When asked who she would never invite back to the Met Gala, she instantly replied Donald Trump. This is particularly interesting as Trump has a unique history with the event, having famously proposed to first-lady Melania at the Gala back in 2004. Josh Hartnett was rejected from attending in 2016 (Image: Rex) Anna Wintour squashes rumours she's set to leave Vogue magazine after 30 years He was a Hollywood heartthrob in the 90s, but no one is really sure what Josh Hartnett is up to these days - including Anna Wintour. In the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May, viewers discovered just how hard it really is to secure a seat at the Gala, with Hartnett being rejected despite his fame. Footage shows Calvin Klein call Vogue to ask if they can dress the Pearl Harbour star for the event and have him sit at their table. But the reply? "What has he done lately? Nothing. You guys are all set." Brutal. Coco Rocha used to be a regular face at the lavish event (Image: Andres Otero/WENN.com) Inside Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's INSANE wedding that shut down airspace Supermodel Coco Rocha was once a frequent face on the red carpet of the Met Gala. However she was noticeably absent in 2017, the year that Katy Perry was invited to co-chair the event. Rocha and Perry are thought to have some bad blood between them, after the former accused Perry of copying her style back in 2013. This is thought to have prevented her being invited that year and according to the unwritten rules of the Met Gala - once you miss a year, you don't get invited back unless you're Beyonce levels of famous. Some believe Rachel Zoe is no longer on the guest list (Image: WireImage) Madonna to stage mini-residency at London Palladium for most intimate gigs in years Some believe that stylist Rachel Zoe is also not on the guest list for the Gala anymore due to comments she made about Wintour in 2007. Zoe is quoted at the time as saying she is more "influential" than Wintour. However the 47-year-old has attended the event since making those fateful comments and even designed a rose gold gown for Karolina Kurkova in 2012 that was the talk of the event that year. Guess we'll have to wait and see whether she makes an appearance this year. Demi Lovato attended the Met Gala in 2016 - but doesn't want to go again (Image: Splash News) Mel B snubbed in Spice Girls group hug on set of Walkers crisps advert While some celebs are almost certainly never getting an invite again, there are also those who will be quick to turn down an invitation if one is sent their way. Many celebrities have trash talked the lavish event to the press, with the likes of Tina Fey,Gwyneth Paltrow and Lena Dunham branding the whole thing unenjoyable. Comedian Amy Schumer described her time at the Gala as being like "punishment", while Demi Lovato famously confessed that after attending for the first time in 2016, she left at 10pm and headed straight to an AA meeting as she'd had a "terrible" experience and it had made her want to drink (she was sober at the time). Kim Kardashian Instagram pay check revealed in lawsuit after brand 'hawked her image' The Met Gala takes place on Monday, May 6. Red carpet entertainment starts at 7pm in New York, so it will actually be midnight on Tuesday May 7 in the UK. This year's event is co-chaired by singer and actress Lady Gaga, former One Direction star Harry Styles, Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele and tennis player Serena Williams. The theme is based on American writer and activist Susan Sontag's first major essay, Notes on 'Camp', which she wrote in 1964. Celine Dion almost flashes everything Harry Styles wears heels Met Gala's most outrageous outfits Kardashians steal the show Katie PriceWhat Katie Price's exes did next - New romances, babies and marriageKatie Price has found happiness with new man Carl Woods, and is planning to marry him and have baby number six very soon - but what happened to her exes? Jessica WrightJess Wright hopes to marry her fiancé William Lee-Kemp in Spain in June but she is concerned that her psoriasis will flare up on her big day

This page presents the Google satellite map (zoomable and browsable) of Raukawa in North Auckland district in New Zealand. Geographical coordinates are -35.5109 and 173.5578 and its feature type is Hill. More information below.

Are you ready for Waltham Abbey? There are so many fantastic things to do in United Kingdom! By using our website you can be sure that you will find the best hotel. Beoo.com monitors most of the popular websites and allows you to check all the prices as they are. You have to search smarter to get the best price.

THE WOLF SUIT*** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 3 Debut documentary feature director Sam Firth has made a deceptively simply but emotional fraught documentary about her own parents' marital breakdown and the impact that had on her own ability to be in a successful relationship. She begins by exploring archival material from her childhood and then by interrogating her own memories and that of her parents. They are game enough, even attempting a studio where Firth recreates scenes from her childhood, including painful memories of verbal and physical abuse. What's fascinating but unsurprising is how the three participants have very different perspectives on what happens. In particular it's fascinating seeing the dad parse hitting the mum as a slap or not a punch or as an act of aggression versus slapping a hysterical woman. It's also really hard to watch the daughter take in new information that contradicts long-held "memories" and reconcile the parents she loves now with the people they were then. This is really superb documentary film-making, even if at times I felt deeply voyeuristic watching what is in effect somebody else's therapy. THE WOLF SUIT has a running time of 74 minutes. It is playing at the BFI London Film Festival 2021 and does not yet have a commercial release date. Labels: British, documentary, Sam Firth 49th PARALLEL***** - Pantheon Film Of The Month FREE GUY**** ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN**** THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH***** - BFI London Film Fest... KING RICHARD***** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 ... PARIS 13TH DISTRICT***** - BFI London Film Festiva... THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN**** - BFI London Film Fes... THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN**** - BFI London Film Fest... THE LOST DAUGHTER**** - BFI London Film Festival 2... MOTHERING SUNDAY* - BFI London Film Festival 2021 ... NITRAM***** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 7 HINTERLAND*** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 7 MASS**** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 6 ALL IS VANITY**** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 ... BOILING POINT* - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - D... THE POWER OF THE DOG***** - BFI London Film Festi... THE FRENCH DISPATCH** - BFI London Film Festival 2... SUNDOWN***** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 5 REHANA***** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 5 THE HAND OF GOD**** - BFI London Film Festival 202... LAST NIGHT IN SOHO**** - BFI London Film Festival ... THE WOLF SUIT*** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 -... THE SOUVENIR II***** - BFI London Film Festival Day 3 15 MINUTES OF SHAME**** SPENCER*** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - Day 2 COP SECRET***** - BFI London Film Festival 2021 - ... THE HARDER THEY FALL*** - BFI London Film Festival... DUNE (2021) ****

"I recently had a new boiler installed as part of the Home Energy Upgrade Scheme. AP were very proactive in securing the work and provided a competitive quote. From the point we first contacted them to the installation being completed took less than two weeks. The installation team arrived promptly each day, were polite and most importantly keep any disruption to a minimum. In summary, if you want a company that does exactly what you want, when you want it then AP is for you." "AP have recently installed a Worcester Bosch Condensing boiler for me which replaced an ageing combi. The installation was carried out under the requirements of the Bristol Home Energy Upgrade project and followed the rules of the 'Green Deal'. AP were well aware of both schemes and are registered as Green Deal Installers. This meant that their surveyor understood the process involved and what was required, so no long explanation from me was needed. Invariably any replacement boiler would differ in size from the existing boiler and great care was taken to ensure that the new boiler would fit the existing gap, that the hole used by the existing flue could still be used and that the new boiler wouldn't protrude below the kitchen units. Their recommendation was to go for a compact boiler which still matched the heat output and flow rate of the existing, just far more efficiently! It was this attention to detail which ultimately meant I chose AP over the other quotes I received, all of which were very similarly priced. On the day of the installation itself, two guys arrived at 8:30am, lay dust sheets down as they walked from the front door to the kitchen, refused a coffee and began work straight away. By 2:30 in the afternoon they had finished and were helping me complete the claim forms. It was an impressive volume of work they had to undertake including completely dismantling the existing boiler in-situ, enlarging the flue hole slightly, re-routing of various pipes and tapping into the under-sink drainage to meet the increased requirements of current building regulations. I would certainly recommend AP to anyone considering taking advantage of the Bristol Home Energy Upgrade project or the Green Deal. They did a great job. All the best for the future" "I have used AP Electrical on two occasions now, once to install a new consumer unit, and once to fit new electrics in my bathroom. Each time I had excellent service. They fitted in the jobs at extremely short notice and I was extremely happy with the finished standard of work. Their electricians are friendly and courteous and a pleasure to work with. I would definitely recommend!" "I would like to say thank you for your professionalism and sensitive consideration last week when carrying out the work in my home. I was impressed by your visits to check with me that everything was ok and asking me if there were any problems. There were no problems because your staff were so good. I would also like to highly praise the team that carried out the work. They were very helpful, polite and considerate. The standard of their work is excellent. They were also very hard working. A credit to your company. "We are delighted with our solar panel install from the guys at AP. True to their word, their service was first class from start to finish. They were polite, friendly and very helpful throughout. Taking time to talk through the options available to us and explaining how we benefit from the Feed-in Tariff. Their friendly staff took real pride in their work, making sure the panels were installed without a hitch. Thanks to AP we are now being paid to generate our own electricity and would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone considering putting solar panels on their roof." "You recently completed a rewiring job at my home and i wanted to let you know how pleased i am with the quality of the work. Rhys and Mike completed to job promptly and with the minimum amount of disruption. Thank you for your professionalism, consideration and care. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company to other" "We are delighted with the service we received from AP and would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone considering installing solar panels on their roof. Their honest and straight forward approach was most welcome. We found their proposal very detailed and easy to understand. Their sound Technical knowledge stood out compared to the other quotes we received and their thorough survey (including a structural engineers report of the roof, gave us confidence we had chosen the right company. They were prompt and efficient throughout. The panels were installed very efficiently by Ian and his team. A very neat and tidy job well done by a company who clearly take great pride in their work. "I feel that I needed to congratulate you and your workers for my Solar Panel Installation. The degree of workmanship shown by your installers was first class and they were all very polite. Everything was left clean and tidy when they finished, they even asked for the Hoover. "The service and support from AP Electrical & Renewable Energy Ltd. has been exceptional. We were impressed by just how much time the people in AP Electrical were prepared to spend with us to ensure that we selected a product that would meet our expectations. "Please pass on my thanks & appreciation to all of your team who carried out fitting of the solar panels on Sunday 20/11/2011. They did a fantastic job. I discussed the fitting with Gary on the previous day (who was working on a neighboring property) & he addressed all my concerns & put my mind at rest. Rhys actually carried out the installation & he did a really professional job. All the cabling is concealed which is fantastic. My special thanks to him for the wonderful care that he took. Any time that the men had to come in to the house they were so careful & considerate. I am absolutely delighted as all the team were exceptionally pleasant & courteous & a pleasure to have around. Please also pass on my thanks to Paul who came to give me a quote & arrange fitting at very short notice & again was a pleasure to deal with. Also he suggested fitting the inverter in the garage rather than in the loft, which was a far more preferable option to me. Finally thanks to you, Marc, in the office for being so helpful at what is a very busy time for you." The initial assessment and subsequent review visit from Paul was friendly and informative, whilst also very thorough. The information provided was very good and was extremely helpful in my choice of installation. The actual fitting went very well, with the whole thing being completed in one day. The team of electricians and fitters were very polite and efficient, whilst also providing easy to understand explanations. Ian was the main contact and couldn't have been more helpful. Your personal support through the whole process was of great help to me and it was very reassuring to know that you and your colleagues were available to address any queries that arose. The installation has been up and running for about a month now and I am very pleased with it. We are already seeing the reduction in mains electricity consumption through using our own generated power and therefore anticipate some significant reduction in our bills. My electricity supplier (EDF) has processed my "FIT" application and I look forward to the first payments in respect of our generated units, as well as the return to Grid. Thanks again for all your help with this" was carried out at our home. We had 12 solar panels installed at the end of June this year. With our gently sloping south-facing roof, power production during July has been between 2 and 3 times our consumption form the grid. While in winter months we'll still be net grid consumers, the forecast that we'll be an overall "green" electricity exporter, and that the installation will have paid for itself within 10 years, is entirely realistic. Preparation for the work was admirable. There was an independent structural assessment, and an assessment of the work needed in relation to our existing facilities. On this basis the costing was drawn up and agreed. On completion of the work, no extra costs were involved. Three days before installation, a contractor put up exterior scaffolding to give roof access. There was no disruption to the house interior. Then came the day for mounting the solar panels on the roof. The work was carried out amazingly efficiently. The team had a clear plan of action, and carried out much of the external work first, so that the run of the house from ground floor meter to loft was carried out very swiftly – within perhaps one hour. The debris from drilling through the walls was very minor, and the team cleaned up and were very courteous at all times. Within three hours the work was completed. We were given a quick tour of the installation and the new meter, and a few "what if" scenarios (e.g. what to do for in cases of power outage) were discussed. The new meter showed power production had started immediately. A few days later the scaffolding was removed, and then you paid us a visit to discuss any remaining issues (e.g. we were interested in how best to use the feed in tariffs), and payment to budget was completed by us. Your readiness to be contacted over any concerns we might have in the future was very reassuring. In fact, a month on, we have had no concerns whatever. Our silent "roof resident" is bringing in a steady income (index linked, and guaranteed for 25 years). Surely this is a very sound investment – more profitable than the ISA we cashed in to finance the installation. Moreover, we have the lasting satisfaction of reducing our annual carbon footprint (by an estimated tonne or more). It's been a pleasure to deal with your company. The courteous and efficient way in which you and your team carried out this high quality work is highly commendable, and we are very grateful, satisfied customers." "From the initial contact thru to installation today(July 18th 2012), I found all the guys excellent, professional, understanding of our requirements and dealt with all/any issue immediately, their own installers were truly exceptional, neat/tidy,efficient, explained the system and fully completed our 4kw system in just about 5hrs. A great experience from start to finish!!" "This was a very smooth operation indeed, from first quote to installation. The installation team were courteous and efficient. Every effort was made to install the system so that it made minimum disruption to the structure and appearance of the house. I am very satisfied with the standard of work carried out" "AP Was very good and i would recommend them to anybody" "A brilliant service, friendly yet proffesional, from sales to scaffolders and the fitting team, clean, tidy installation, nothing too much trouble it's 5 stars from us...." "The whole team were amazing from the scaffolders to the installers, really nice guys, very polite, tidy and informative, they were a pleasure to do business with and the whole installation was done in less than a day. We are very impressed with them." "The work was carried out within the agreed timescales and was done tidily with minimum disruption by a polite and friendly team. Problems with a faulty RCD causing the circuit to trip on two occasions were dealt with promptly on the day reported and the faulty component was swapped out. No problems since." "Very fast response and fitted within two weeks of accepting quote. V pleased." "BIG THANKS. AP ELECTRICAL AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LTD. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FROM YOUR COMPANY. FROM FIRST CONTACT, FROM YOUR SALES PERSON. RIGHT THROUGH TO YOUR INSTALLATION TEAM. HAD 16 PANELS FITTED TO MY HOME. AND THE INSTALLATION TEAM WAS VERY POLITE, CLEAN AND TIDY WORKERS. FROM START TO FINISH THE INSTALLATION WENT LIKE CLOCKWORK. Thank you for the commissioning pack which we received last night. We have now returned the FIT forms so hopefully we will be in plenty to time to receive the 43p tariff. The solar system is up and running and we did notice today that our meter was at one time going backwards!! We would like to add that we were very impressed with the installation. All the interconnecting cables having been run via the cavity walls. All the team were extremely helpful and very professional. We are very pleased that your company did the installation and would recommend you to others with the utmost confidence. I feel that I needed to congratulate you and your workers for my Solar Panel Installation. The degree of workmanship shown by your installers was first class and they were all very polite. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company to anyone else. I would just like to say a big thank you to you and your team for the excellent job they did over the weekend fitting my solar panels. I would recommend you for your work in the future. "Thank you for the installation, the crew worked very well and I am pleased with the outcome. Thank you once again for the prompt fitting of the system. It was a pleasure dealing with you and I will definitely be recommending you to friends and colleagues who may be interested in solar power. Overall I'm very pleased with the installation and must thank you again for being so easy to contact and quick to respond in dealing with any queries I had during the whole process. Finally, thanks to Ian and the installation team who worked neatly and quickly to get the job done." Just a note to say how delighted we are with our solar panel installation. You made the whole experience easy from start to finish, and we must compliment you on your friendly prompt and efficient attention. The installation itself took just over a day, and was carried out with the minimum of fuss and disruption. It has been very neatly installed and blends in with the roof well, So much so that we have been complimented on its appearance. The system has been up and running now for three weeks and the output of the system seems well on track to meet the projected figures. The weather has not been good, since the installation, so that given some sunny days, output figures should exceed expectations. We have in fact generated almost as much electricity as we have used. It's a pity we can't store it! Thanks again, and we would certainly recommend you to anyone who is considering solar panels." A great big thank you for a first class job in all aspects of the installation of the solar panels. We were highly impressed with your magnificent team of very professional installers including electricians, roofers and scaffolders. The Teamwork was very impressive. I am very pleased with the speed, efficiency and pleasantness of the installers of my solar panel system. "AP Electrical and Renewable Energy Ltd installed Solar PV cells on my roof. They were very knowledgeable on the technology and went to great lengths to explain everything beforehand and put my mind at rest on issues on which I had concerns. They were very competitive on price, had the appropriate skills and knowledge and installed the equipment efficiently and very effectively. I would have no reservation in recommending them to others and have indeed passed their name and telephone number to friends and colleagues who have expressed an interest in this same technology" "Just a big thankyou for completing our whole PV project in half the time. It will make a big difference to our tenants. I heard yesterday that HA's in Wales planned to deliver PV to 15000 homes, but only did 4000 because of the FIT changes. We did 100% of ours thanks to your guys. Please pass on this message and have a good break." "i have to say how pleased i was with your services,when you installed a gas combi for me. the service was excellent,very professional,clean and tidy. i would recomend you to anyone. "Hi. Just a couple of words of appreciation regarding your recent installation of a replacement boiler for me at my home. I had recently come home from an operation and was not in a completely fit state to prepare for the installation, and one of your Team assured me that it was no problem, the boys would sort it for me, in fact the caller was quite insistent that I should not worry nor attempt to move anything. The team you sent were excellent promoters of your friendly professional and value for money service, they arrived, introduced themselves, and started almost immediately. They moved the things I couldn't, and dismantled the Utility room, all with all care I would have done myself. They installed the replacement boiler and ancillary timers and thermostats in a very clean and careful manner, there was minimal disruption to the household, water was only turned off for the minimum time needed, and to be fair, it was not even noticed. They then re-fitted everything they had removed, apart from the dust from behind the fittings, that they didn't put back, and Utility room was back as it was before they arrived. I was very impressed by the knowledge of Nigel, the guy who came and gave me the quote, and his sensible guidance on what would best suit our installation, the lads that did the installation, and their skill and friendly professionalism, and of course I must not forget the Company's actual quote. I feel as if I have had some good kit, properly installed, and at a fair price. Definitely putting AP Electrical & Renewable Energy Ltd. on my first call list of trusted tradesmen. Just a note to thank you for the tremendous job you've just completed at my son's house. It is always with some trepidation that I commit myself to accepting a quote for an expensive item, such as a boiler replacement, from a company I don't know.However, your quote was extremely competitive and, in addition, your representative, Nigel, was extremely knowledgeable and concerned to ensure that he fully understood my requirements and that I knew precisely what was needed and going to be supplied. Following a full explanation by Nigel I received a detailed itemised written quotation. I did have other much more expensive quotes and one which was cheaper. None of these other quotes were supplying the same standard of equipment so I decided to go with your firm as Nigel promised that your levels of customer service would meet my requirements. In the event your two fitters were exemplary in all respects. They were punctual, competent and professional. They worked efficiently and to the highest possible standards and left the premises in a cleaner state than when they started! Your customer service did not just meet my expectations, it exceeded them. Please give my thanks to Nigel, your two fitters and all others in the back office who contributed to a job done so well. I look forward to a long association with your company as you undertake regular maintenance in the future. Just a note to say thankyou to you and your team (Reese, Keith & John) for the excellent job they did in the removal & replacement of the central hearing system in my mother in law's house. Once the report has said that the old system had failed completely and that a full new system was suggested. We knew how difficult this was going to be as my 90 year old mother in law needed to stay in the house whilst this work was being carried out. Following your survey you gave us confidence that this would be possible. The work was carried out in a professional & competent manor by the team, completed on time and to schedule. My mother in law was able to return to her home in the evenings and not know any work had been done. Many thanks for companies efforts, we would not hesitate to recommend your company to other potential customers. Graham Brettels (on behalf of Mrs B Cooke).

Two fans and collectors (Dan Gvozden and Mark Ginocchio) discuss the Spider-Man comic universe in a show that looks to the past, present, and future of Spider-Man. In this episode they talk to a number of Spider-Man writers that they met at NYCC '13, including: Matt Kindt, Fred Van Lente, and Peter David. Please be sure to subscribe and review Superior Spider-Talk on iTunes. You can email questions to our show at superiorspidertalk@gmail.com.

Brent Mendenhall's uncanny resemblance to President George W. Bush was first recognized in the mid 90's by some friends in Dallas. Brent began doing the impersonation as a funny, non-professional imitation for friends and family, and eventually graduated to Leno's Tonight Show and beyond. Brent brought his act to national prominence in much the same way President Bush told Sam Donaldson he pursued the Texas Ranger deal - " Like a pit bull on the pant leg of opportunity!" The Missouri native had been a construction and marketing executive since his graduation from the University of Missouri in 1971. During this time, Brent was active in local community theater, as a civic group toastmaster and as a construction industry business speaker. A career as a Presidential look-alike followed. Brent's and the President's lives have had several parallels through the years. This definitely helps Brent with the understanding of the Bush character he portrays. For instance, both of them grew up in politically active families with a strong mother running a household consisting of several boys and one girl. Baseball was their favorite sport. Both received business degrees and were more involved with fraternity and campus activities than they were the books. After graduation, both pursued business interests similar to their fathers and joined the Methodist Church. Both married in their thirties, and coincidentally, they each cut back on their partying in the mid eighties. Both have two children. Ambos hablan Espanol, no el mejor. Mr. Bush bought the Texas Rangers and subsequently became Governor of Texas and President of the United States. Mr. Mendenhall became an entertainer and humorous corporate speaker. Brent strives to present a characterization that is humorous, intelligent and tailored to the client's gathering. He takes pride in providing clients with their full money's worth. Brent Mendenhall as George W. Bush: Brent will entertain your guest with his uncanny impressions of our 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. He will discuss the highlights of "his" presidency while in the White House. Brent Mendenhall's uncanny resemblance to George W. Bush was first recognized in the mid 90's by some friends in Dallas. Brent began doing the impersonation as a funny, non-professional imitation for friends and family. When Governor Bush was elected President, Brent decided to become a Presidential impersonator. Before 2001, the Missouri native had been a construction and marketing executive following his graduation from the University of Missouri in 1971. During this time, Brent was active in local community theater, as a civic group toastmaster and as a construction industry business speaker. He left his previous career to become a full time performer and entertainer. Brent's and President Bush's lives have had several parallels through the years which helps Brent with the understanding of the Bush character he portrays. Both of them grew up in politically active families with a strong mother running a household consisting of several boys and one girl. Baseball was their favorite sport. Both received business degrees and were more involved with fraternity and campus activities than they were the books. After graduation, both pursued business interests similar to their fathers and joined the Methodist Church. Both married in their thirties and each cut back on their partying in the mid eighties. Both have two children and have had a dog named Spot. Mr. Bush bought the Texas Rangers and subsequently became Governor of Texas and President of the United States. Mr. Mendenhall became an entertainer and humorous corporate speaker. Brent has had nearly 400 paid appearances as George W. Bush and has appeared in 40 states and 10 foreign countries. He has appeared regularly on national TV shows and has been in several domestic and foreign movies. Also, he has worked for numerous prestigious corporations and organizations with a live "Presidential" appearance. Brent strives to present a characterization that is humorous, corporate clean, bi-partisan and tailored to the client's gathering. Most appearances begin with a surprise entrance with Secret Service and Hail to the Chief music followed by a 20 to 25 minute speech. A meet and greet with souvenir photos generally follows. Brent is a professional entertainer and speaker who takes pride in making sure each client is given a memorable and enjoyable performance.

GoPro HERO7 Waterproof Digital Action Camera - Black. Capture 12MP Photos at up to 30 fps. Vertical Portrait Mode for Social Media. SuperPhoto Auto HDR Photo Enhancement. 33' Waterproof without a Housing. Touch Zoom Framing via Intuitive 2 LCD. Get gimballike stabilization-without the gimbal. Hero7 Black predicts your movements and corrects for camera shake to deliver insanely smooth footage. Hero7 Black is rugged, waterproof without a housing to 33ft (10M) and up for any adventure. Control your Hero7 Black hands free with voice commands Like "GoPro, take a photo" and GoPro, start recording. Get the best photos automatically. With Super photo, Hero7 Black intelligently appliances HDR, local tone mapping or noise reduction to optimize your shots. Dimensions (L x H x W). 62.3 mm x 44.9 mm x 33 mm. The Frame for HERO7 Black. The item is 100% Brand new and Authentic! We import our product globally to give you the best prices! This product will be either dispatched by our fulfillment center in Singapore or Manchester. DHL remote area surcharge: 12 GBP. The item comes with original packaging. For every stock arrive our warehouse, we have to open and check to make sure the product and the accessories are inside. So it's not unopened but we seal it in the original box. The item "GoPro HERO7 Waterproof Digital Action Camera Black" is in sale since Saturday, March 9, 2019. This item is in the category "Cameras & Photography\Camcorders". The seller is "bestbuy262" and is located in United Kingdom. This item can be shipped to European Union member countries.

Festiniog Railway 1836-2014 describes the history of the worlds first steam-operated narrow gauge railway to carry passengers. It covers the history of the railway from its beginnings as a horse-worked tramroad in 1836, through its technical developments with the introduction of steam locomotives, Fairlie articulated locomotives and bogie carriages through its twentieth-century decline, to closure in 1946, and then to the preservation era and its development as a major twenty-first-century tourist attraction. Built to serve the extensive slate industry in the Ffestiniog area of North Wales by carrying slate from the quarries to the port at Porthmadog, from 1865 the railway also operated a passenger service to serve the local community, which also attracted tourists. Closed in 1946 the railway was revived in stages from 1955, when a prolonged compensation claim was mounted against a major state-owned company for land taken to build a power station. Volunteers from all over the world came together to restore and operate this important piece of world industrial heritage, including the construction of the 2 mile deviation needed to bypass the power station. Services were resumed between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1982. The Festiniog Railway runs through some of the most beautiful countryside in North Wales, with spectacular views of mountains and lakes. Volume Two - From Slate Railway to Heritage Operation is also available.

Our visitors often compare Microsoft Access and Redis with MySQL, SQLite and Microsoft SQL Server. Description Microsoft Access combines a backend RDBMS (JET / ACE Engine) with a GUI frontend for data manipulation and queries. The Access frontend is often used for accessing other datasources (DBMS, Excel, etc.) In-memory data structure store, used as database, cache and message broker Redis focuses on performance so most of its design decisions prioritize high performance and very low latencies.

The Yellowstone River begins as a small creek high in the Teton Wilderness area south of Yellowstone National Park. The stretch from the headwaters to Yellowstone Lake flow through some of the most remote country in the Lower 48. Much of the river is 20-30 miles by trail from the nearest road. This stretch of river acts as a nursery and spawning area for Yellowstone Lake. This used to be a very productive fishery, but Lake Trout have reduced the population of Cutthroats to the point that very few enter to the river to spawn any longer. Given its remote location and fragile fishery, it's best to leave this section of river alone until the Cutthroat population can recover. The Yellowstone exits the lake as a very large river, and is quite powerful in spite of the low gradient and meadow surroundings. This stretch too has been damaged significantly by Lake Trout, but has recovered to the point that makes fishing viable, though nowhere close to its former glory. The fishing season begins here on July 15th, and be sure to study the Park regulations thoroughly, as there are a number of fishing closures in this stretch. Although fish numbers are low here, the fish are quite large, averaging in excess of 18". This is a spot and stalk game, as blind fishing is typically unproductive given the size of the river and low trout population. The fishing is best during insect hatches that bring trout to the surface. Pale Morning Duns are the primary hatch, but be prepared for various Drakes as well. There is typically a few weeks of good fishing after the river opens, but it quickly dies out as hatches wane and the fish return to Yellowstone Lake. Below the famous falls, the Yellowstone is found within a canyon for its remaining journey through the park. The fish below the falls are cut off from Yellowstone Lake and the Lake Trout, so this section of river is completely unaffected by the Lake Trout debacle. This is a big, brawling, freestone river. Wading is difficult and often unnecessary, as most fish hold very close to shore. Almost all of the Canyon section is accessible only by hiking. Popular trailheads are located around Canyon, Tower, Roosevelt, and Gardiner. The river can be reached in less than a mile or over 5 miles, so research and plan accordingly. The fishing here begins at the end of runoff, typically in late June or early July. The early part of the season sees very good hatches of Salmonflys and Golden Stones. In August, terrestrial insects such as Ants, Grasshoppers, and Beatles are the most important trout food, although some Caddis hatches can be found in the evenings. In September, terrestrials are still important on warm days, and good hatches of Blue Winged Olives will be encountered on cloudy days. Streamer fishing can be very productive during non-hatch periods. The season here will come to close sometime in early October as cold weather shuts down the fishing.

Published in conjunction with the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), the book is focused on contemporary art and art criticism in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. The essays in the book shed light on many institutional and administrative issues in contemporary culture: highlighting the role of public and private galleries, art magazines, the press, art schools, groups of artists and critics and the work of government. This ground-breaking work has received wide acclaim from critics and educators. David Koloane | Art criticism for whom?

As the New Zealand Governor General Anand Satyanand embarks on his official visit to India, a lot of the media is focussed on concluded negotiations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) deal. This attention hides another aspect - the growing bilateral business transactions and future potential. Like so many others around the world, New Zealand is beginning to use India's capabilities in information technology, training and business processes support. Its beneficial that the trade is going both ways. While ambitious but understaffed projects in New Zealand can use Indian scalability, the many innovative products developed in New Zealand, such as Xero, Silverstripe and Greenstone can find customers in India. India has become synonymous with international technology outsourcing. Now Delhi-based training company Koenig Solutions is encouraging Kiwis to go to India to get IT qualifications that are certified by companies such as Microsoft and Cisco. Koenig offers "boot camp" courses with the option of one-on-one training at a price it claims is half that charged by New Zealand providers. That New Zealand's trade commissioner to India, Paul Vaughan, has survived three years without a single case of "Delhi belly" is either a marvel of human health or extreme good luck. Either way, when it comes to doing business in India Vaughan says it helps to be tough. But more than that, he says it pays to be organised. With a population of more than a billion and an economy that is growing second only to China's for speed and intensity, India can be an overwhelming place to do business. ANZ National bank has told workers doing back office jobs in Wellington and Auckland that the work done by 238 of them will be done in India in the future. The meetings yesterday with workers at the bank's lending services centre in Auckland and customer transaction service centre in Wellington were the start of a two-week consultation period over the outsourcing of the work to India. Privately owned Jade Software Corp is hailing a deal to sell a software product in India as the most significant it has entered into in the last five years. The Christchurch-based company said Indian partner CMC will sell Jade's student management system (SMS) throughout India. The company did not put any numbers on expected revenue or profit from the sales but said up to 100 centres in India will have the software by the end of the year. Telecom has awarded Indian company Tech Mahindra a contract worth $20 million to $30m to help reshape its retail business, providing customers with more self-service options and cutting costs. The general manager of retail transformation, Pawel Grochowicz, says that at its peak up to 300 Tech Mahindra and Telecom staff will be engaged on the multi-year project to create the "Next Generation Telecom". "It is going to be a mix of onshore and offshore resources. We will look to bring some Tech Mahindra staff onshore, as well as having some offshore. It is very difficult to say what the exact number of Tech Mahindra people will be." Cash-rich Indian travellers are being stopped from taking their dream trip to New Zealand by expensive and inaccessible airlines. The market for Indians travelling to New Zealand has risen from 19th to 12th since 2003, and, while still small, is a cash cow that is being overlooked by tourism operators, an Indian travel buyer says. A collegue passed a very interesting article from the New York times about the changing dynamics of social relationships when experienced via internet applications and services (i.e. emails, Internet Messengers, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter etc.). In 1998, the anthropologist Robin Dunbar argued that each human has a hard-wired upper limit on the number of people he or she can personally know at one time. [...] Sure enough, psychological studies have confirmed that human groupings naturally tail off at around 150 people: the "Dunbar number," as it is known. Are people who use Facebook and Twitter increasing their Dunbar number, because they can so easily keep track of so many more people? In an age of awareness, perhaps the person you see most clearly is yourself.

Lighting series with hi-fi inspiration: for Normann Copenhagen, the Danish designer Simon Legald has created the clever lightning series Amp. Glass and marble take care of an impression of visual fragility and sensuous heaviness. An appearance that is nostalgic, yet modern at the same time. The idea for the shape of the Amp Pendant Lamp came when the designer was restoring an old 1960's radio at home. While searching for spare parts for the radio, he was captivated by the glow that came from the tube amplifier. The simple oval shape and the glow of the lamp is an obvious reference to this, just like its name Amp short for tube amplifier. The proportions of the Amp Lamps by Normann Copenhagen have been carefully designed to ensure the right balance between hard/soft and transparent/opaque. Normann Copenhagen and Legald have highlighted the functional details, for example the way in which the shade of the Amp Pendant Lamp rests on its socket. The connection of the two natural materials create an interesting contrast between the transparent and light glass and the massive, heavy marble. Simon Legald says: "One can't always define where an idea for a new product comes from. But this time the inspiration was drawn directly from radio and hi-fi equipment. This is clear in the design of Amp. There is something special about the round, transparent shape of a tube amplifier that I thought would translate nicely into a lamp. I opted for the same type of glass used for an hourglass, as the shape had to be curved and narrowed in. To counterbalance the delicacy of the glass, I used marble. I think that the two materials work well together." The Amp lamps are delivered with matching textile cable. To replace the light bulb, the lampshade can easily be removed without any tools. The Normann Copenhagen Amp is also available in a dimmable version Amp Table Lamp. Both variants are available with a golden or smoked lamp shade. The Amp Pendant Lamp is available with a socket in an effective black marble or in a glamorous jade green which highlights the natural elegance of the material. Lifestyle product image of the Normann Copenhagen - Amp pendant lamp as table or pendant lamp: The Amp lamps by Normann Copenhagen are available either as a table or a pendant lamp. Lifestyle and group product image of the Normann Copenhagen - Amp pendant lamps: Several Amp lamps arranged in a cluster becomes a real eye-catching feature in any home.

Kate Challis Excelsa Hooper (25 June 1894 – 29 November 1982) was a New Zealand nurse, nursing administrator, community worker and feminist. She was born in Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand on 25 June 1894. In the 1969 New Year Honours, Hooper was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community, especially to nursing and voluntary organisations. References 1894 births 1982 deaths New Zealand nurses New Zealand feminists New Zealand social workers People from Auckland New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand women nurses

December 19, 2021 19.xii.21 Advent IV / Cinematography / Culture / Devotional / Features / Home Schooling / Lifestyle / Medicine / National Catholic Register / Pro-life / The Domestic Church 'It's a Wonderful Life' & 'Roe v. Wade': The Film Appealed to the Masses as Supreme Court Ruling Consigned a Generation to 'Nonexistence'| National Catholic Register COMMENTARY: How many George Baileys were to be scrubbed from history? Donna Reed and James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life. (photo: Public Domain) K.V. TurleyFeaturesDecember 19, 2021 Why does a film made in 1946 still captivate the modern mind? How did a film that was a flop at the box office when released end up a seasonal fixture for so many people each Christmas? The film is, of course, It's a Wonderful Life. The Frank Capra classic tells the story of George Bailey. One Christmas, as he reviews his life, Bailey considers suicide. Heavenly intervention prevents such a drastic action, and, helped by a new angelic friend named Clarence, Bailey reexamines his life through a different lens. Some have dismissed the film as sentimental; many more, however, have cherished its message. It is a film that appears to speak to people both young and old but, in particular, to the middle-aged. Bailey, played by James Stewart, is an everyman, one who feels the best of his life has now passed and that he has achieved little. Paradoxically, despite the presence of such dark themes, the film is ultimately about hope in the face of the slings and arrows that assail us all. As a consequence, the film speaks to every generation — and no doubt shall continue to do so for many years to come. Much has been written about the movie's message of hope. Much has rightly been made of the Catholic background of the film's director, Frank Capra. In fact, the whole of Capra's film corpus might be argued as a cinematic distillation of Catholic social teaching. The same themes recur: Small is beautiful; the beautiful is often right in front of us; we need each other; and, therefore, everyone is of value. Still, there is also a darkness to his work, present in It's a Wonderful Life, too, if eventually dispelled by human kindness and goodness. The Second World War had just ended when the movie was released in 1946. The film must have seemed oddly out of sync with the postwar mood. In any event, It's a Wonderful Life did not fare well at the box office. Even the film's title seemed incongruous, given all that the world had just endured. One can imagine a cinema-going public wanted escapism but not a movie that seemed to suggest that all was well with the world: It was clear for many that their lives and their worlds had been turned upside down. Furthermore, the recently declared peace was uncertain: The Cold War began with no assurance that it would not suddenly turn very hot. Films from the postwar era, both in the United States and across Europe, were more somber in content than the movies that had gone before. There was a bleakness to the narratives and characters that populated the screen. It was around this time, for example, that film noir was born. European cinema, in particular, embraced a new "realism," using, sometimes out of necessity, actual streets rather than sets, natural light rather than the artificial light of studios. Especially in Italy, films took on a documentary air, blurring the line between reality and fantasy — both as a reaction to and a defense against what the Continent had endured for the last years. In this world, It's a Wonderful Life looks anachronistic and the optimism of Capra about life and the human condition naïve. The film's impact upon popular culture was to come decades after its initial release. The reason for this resurgence was human error. A clerical error in 1974 resulted in the copyright of It's a Wonderful Life not being renewed. Perhaps that mistake tells us all we need to know about how the film was viewed nearly 30 years after its release, that is, because no one noticed the mistake at first. The movie was just one of a number of films from a different era in Hollywood, an era when movies were mass produced for the masses who frequently sought their recreation in the movie theaters of America. By 1974, that situation had radically altered: The masses had long since deserted movie theaters for the ease of watching television at home. It was this combination of circumstances — lack of copyright renewal and the omnipresent nature of television — that made It's a Wonderful Life the much-loved classic it is today. Having dropped into the public domain, the movie was fair game for endless airings by television networks only too happy annually to screen this seasonal classic. Despite subsequent legal wrangling and attempts to reinstate the copyright, the film was to remain in the public domain until the 1990s. So, for 20 years, this 1946 film enjoyed a larger audience than it could ever have hoped for upon release. Thus began the mysterious afterlife of George Bailey and Clarence. Films date quickly, even classics. Eventually their attachment to a certain time can become part of their charm, but this takes time. The thing about It's a Wonderful Life is it is essentially timeless. It is not situated in the world of 1946 in any recognisable sense. Instead, with the air of a fairy tale, the story could be set in any time and every time. So, in the case of Capra's film, its newfound appreciation had little to do with period charm. Instead of looking to 1946 for clues as to why the film became so popular 30 years after its release, we should look to the world into which it reemerged in 1974. The year 1974 marks the end of a decade replete with disaster for the United States: One president had been murdered upon city streets; another had perished as a result of his own folly. There were constant riots at home and a savage war abroad. Corruption reigned; public morals appeared to have collapsed; assassination became ever more commonplace; pornography was legalized; and only months before, in 1973, the United States Supreme Court had determined that abortion was a right. In Hollywood during the years immediately prior to 1974, movies had exchanged restraint for licence. It seemed as if, all around, violence and decay stalked a nation, and its movie theaters continued to empty. In many respects, therefore, the world into which It's a Wonderful Life reemerged in 1974 was even more desperate than in 1946. If nothing is without its providence, then the clerical error that propelled It's a Wonderful Life into the public consciousness had a purpose. The film's message was one of hope and faith. It came to a nation where many had lost faith in political leaders and who, on looking at the emerging world around them, saw little about which to be hopeful. In all our current woes with the pandemic, we forget that oftentimes the past years were far from serene. 1974 was the midway point in a global economic crisis, predicated by sharply rising oil prices. Rising too was inflation and unemployment in the United States and in Western Europe. An old economic system was crashing, but, as yet, few could discern what would replace it. Hope, whether in economies, national governments or even in international cooperation, was in short supply in 1974. In contrast, the message of It's a Wonderful Life was consolingly local. It reminded us all that the value of a life is not dictated simply by reach in geographic terms. The small hometown that Bailey initially feels had stifled his talents is, by the end of the movie, perceived to be a great strength, not a constriction. The ordinary and local really are beautiful in this film. In a world where global solutions were being sought, often with devastating local implications, this message was as refreshing as it was welcome. That said, there is not enough in the movie's celebration of localism to warrant the great popularity of the film. What is also present in the movie's frames, however, is the recognition that local communities are made up of individual people who belong to families and neighbourhoods. Here, there are no "masses" or "economic units." The critique of the unrestrained free-market capitalists such as Mr. Potter, the film's villain, and his ilk is not that they are capitalists but that they are solely interested in profit, not people. Potter has the same mindset toward people as a Communist Party official does, namely that they are "a mass" that needs to be manipulated for economic or political profit. The real message of It's a Wonderful Life is that each and every human being is of value: a value that is not determined by economic productivity or any other utilitarian measure. Nor is a human being to be valued by how much "one has achieved," even if that value gauge is one's own. The film shows Bailey's realization, and by extension the audience, too, that all lives are valued because all lives are interrelated, and that all lives impact upon each other for good or ill — and this is affected just as much by absence as by agency. That is the central theme of the film: If George Bailey had not lived, then many other events would never have taken place, and many other lives would have been impoverished as a result. It's a Wonderful Life entered the public consciousness just as a Supreme Court ruling had consigned a generation to "nonexistence." Perhaps that is why the film appeared again, this time to huge audiences on television networks across the land, implicitly asking viewers how many George Baileys were now to be scrubbed from history through Roe v. Wade. Unam Sanctam Catholicam: Pope Denethor: Reflections on the CDW Responsa Archbishop Lefebvre's "Open Letter to Confused Catholics" – Full Audio – YouTube

Wish You Were Here - Chapter 3 The tinny strains of 'Only Yesterday' echoed quietly around the brothers as they wheeled their cart, complete with squeaky wheel, around Wal-Mart's crowded aisles. If a shopping cart could tell a story, this one would have screamed … 'we're going on a vacation, and we're as stark crazy as a bucket of frogs about it." The big, dark blue suitcase with a 'special offer' label stamped all over it, trundling along on tiny black wheels behind Dean was also a bit of a giveaway. The cart was gradually filling up with cheerfully coloured shirts, beige chinos, cotton three-quarter length pants; or in Sam's case knee length pants; and several pairs of swimming shorts ranging in colour and pattern from tastefully sober plain blue through plaid, sunflowers, star spangled banner and, in a moment of excited madness, Garfield. Two pairs of green and yellow flip-flops joined the pile, closely followed by two pairs of brown cotton loafers, three Stephen King novels together with the latest Dan Brown offering, a beach ball and three orange towels. As the Winchesters continued their enthusiastic exploration of Wal-mart's treasures, Dean's head suddenly swivelled and his face lit up with delight. "Back in a sec," he muttered, and disappeared off down another aisle, returning seconds later with a huge grin and an alarmingly bug-eyed inflatable dolphin under his arm. He thrust it out towards Sam, green eyes pleading wordlessly, and the grin broadened. Sam stifled a laugh; for all the weights of responsibility and disillusionment that his brother continuously bore on his weary shoulders, he still had the endearing quality of sometimes being able to see the world with a childlike wonder; "Dude? Really?" Sam shook his head in affectionate resignation, he would defy anyone to say no to that face. "It looks like it's been smokin' pot or somethin'," he sniggered at the latex dolphin's boggling blue eyes. "Don' care, I like it!" Dean almost pouted. "We're gonna have to let it down to get it in the case;" Sam sighed, shaking his head with a chuckle. Dean's grin wavered. "I know that, smartass. I'm not a friggin' infant!" Sam rubbed his forehead and tried to ignore the irony of the thirty year old man standing in front of him clutching an inflatable dolphin and announcing that he wasn't an infant. Dean's enthusiasm was infectious. "Put it in the cart with the rest of the stuff then, Jerk," Sam grinned. Gleefully placing his dolphin in the cart, Dean slapped Sam's shoulder in thanks and the brothers continued their wanderings. Eventually they came to the toiletries aisle and began a systematic smash and grab of necessities such as shower gel, shaving foam, disposable razors and toothpaste. A few steps further on and they found themselves at the meds section. "We'll need plenty of this;" Sam picked up a few bottles of sunscreen, "and this," he added a bottle of after-sun lotion. A bottle of insect repellent was next to find it's way into the cart, rapidly followed by an antihistamine spray for insect bites. "D'y reckon we'll need any of this?" Dean grinned as he rattled a box of Imodium tablets. Sam chuckled; "I sure hope not, but guess we'd better take 'em along." Into the cart they went. Then Sam spotted something else. He was very aware that although their trip had been discussed at length and in depth; Dean, as dizzy with excitement as a five-year-old on Christmas Eve, had barely been able to think or talk about anything else. However, the one aspect of the vacation that had not been discussed at all, not a single word, was the journey there or back. The silence on that subject had been deafening. Sam had been prepared to remain silent on the subject if that was Dean's preferred way of dealing with something that was, no doubt filling him with dread, but now they had reached a point where the subject had to be broached. "What about these," Sam asked casually, holding up the pack of Dramamine travel sickness pills. For the first time Dean's face tightened. "Uh – okay." He grunted economically. Scanning the shelves, Sam found something else he was looking for. "What about you take one of these for the journey;" he tried to keep his voice light, "might make things a bit easier for you." Dean looked at the box Sam held in his hand. Sominex sleeping tablets. His lips tightened into a grimace and he nodded slowly; "okay," his voice was barely a whisper. Sam was overcome with a need to help his brother and, unable to hold back any longer, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Dude, why don't we take you to a doctor, see if we can't get you some kind of stronger sedative for the flight?" Dean stared in silence at his brother for a moment, his expression blank. "No" he answered with a brief shake of the head; "are we done here now?" The whole mood of the shopping trip had suddenly tilted; Sam's amusement at Dean's infectious enhusiasm and the bug-eyed inflatable dolphin lying upside-down in his cart long since forgotten, replaced by heartbreaking concern for his brother. "But Dean; why suffer like this when you could take a couple of pills and then be out like a light both ways?" Sam pleaded, "surely, you don't want to spend the whole vacation brooding about the trip home." Dean turned abruptly, his expression darkening. "I'm not having this conversation in the middle of friggin' Wal-Mart; now lets pay for this crap and get it back to the room so we can get it sorted out an' packed." Sam stood helplessly watching his brother snatch up the cart and stomp off, squeaky wheel and all, toward the checkout. "don' forget the suitcase;" Dean snorted after him. Sam sighed as he watched Dean's back recede into the distance; that would be why the subject of the flight hadn't been discussed then. Tags: bobby singer, dean winchester, fan fiction, humour, hurt comfort, sam winchester, supernatural

After the release of 'Carrion Comfort', the original collaboration between Grégory and Carl gave birth to a real band with the addition of drummer, Jérémy Vannereau and bass-player, Florent Poulhès. The band, ready and set in motion with these new additions, proved that the musicians had the capability to portray their musical touch and complex songs live to an audience at many times. Their performances were very well received every time they played in front of a crowd. Proof that Coexistence was meant to be more than just a studio project. In July 2010, the band entered THD-Studio in South of France to start recording their debut album entitled, 'Flow'. It took them nothing less than an entire year to passionately craft and polish their debut, and a couple of months later the band was offered their first record deal by the American label, CD Inzane LLC. 'Flow' was finally released worldwide July 31st 2012, praised by the media with great reviews and feedback all over the world. Take your place on the chessboard! Let's take our place on the chessboard! So... Why should I fall for your delusive ideas? What's the point of asking, when we both know the answer? What's the point of bleeding, for your delusional ways? You're asking for obedience, but who are you to decide? What is this that I have done to deserve this? How will I ever get out? Do these words hold a meaning for you? Now I wonder where I must look to find the answers - are they in my mind? Is it a price to pay for a new salvation? Will we be rising from the ashes again?

Step 1: Check out the Astros' website to see how early the stadium opens. Step 2: Learn that it opens two hours early *only* on Saturdays. Step 3: Plan to be there on a Saturday and RUSH to get there on time. Step 4: Look forward to snagging an Astros commemorative ball during BP. Step 5: Hear that the website is wrong and that the gates open 90 minutes early. Step 6: Be very VERY annoyed and hope that the Astros never win another game. I caught the ricochet while cutting to my left through the 2nd row. Within a minute or two, Prince crushed a ball that appeared to be heading right toward the other guy. I could've easily drifted to my left and reached in front of him, but I don't know . . . I felt like he deserved a chance to catch it. Therefore, as the ball was descending, I climbed back into the 2nd row in case he missed it. That's exactly what happened. The ball sailed two feet over his head, and his two-inch vertical didn't quite get the job done. As the ball barely cleared his glove, this guy toppled over backward into a seat, and I made the catch. I snagged three more Prince Fielder home runs after that and tossed two of those balls to the kids. The first of the three landed near me in the seats and thankfully didn't take a crazy bounce. The next home was a towering shot that I caught on the fly after climbing two or three rows up. Then I caught the final one after running 40 feet to my right through the front row, breaking a cup holder (which snapped off when my left knee grazed it), and reaching out over the railing. I could hear/sense that the whole stadium was buzzing — more for Prince's power display, no doubt, but it was cool to be on the receiving end of it. After that, I headed downstairs and stayed in right field. I didn't snag any more baseballs for the rest of BP, but I signed a few for some kids that recognized me. In the photo above, the guy on the left is named Mike Miles, and I've known him for quite a while. Way back in 1997, my girlfriend (whom I ended up dating for four years) happened to be best friends with his girlfriend, so that's how we met. He used to live right around the corner from me in New York City. Now he lives in Houston. The other guy in the photo is named Donny Haltom. He's a local ballhawk, and I've known him for a few years. Did you see this tweet that I posted before the stadium had opened? That's how she won the seeds. Given the fact that Max Scherzer was on the hill (and that the Astros are terrible), I figured there'd be lots of strikeouts, so I positioned myself near the home-plate end of the dugout. As the innings ticked by and my opportunities dwindled, I knew that my best shot at getting another commemorative ball would be from home plate umpire Scott Barry after the game. Before the bottom of the 9th got underway, I got the infield warm-up ball from Tigers coach Rafael Belliard, and although it *was* commemorative, the logo was quite worn — nice but not good enough. As far as I was concerned, I still had to get another. Angel and I had exchanged some emails over the past few seasons, but this was the first time that we actually met. It was great to catch up in person, and I also got to meet his father, whose name is . . . Angel. Nice guys — very polite and respectful. On my way up to the concourse, I took a closer look at the umpire ball . . . . . . and was surprised to see a lumpy, uneven spot above the commemorative logo. See it there on the stitches, just left of center? That's the kind of ball that I'm used to seeing in BP with the word "practice" stamped on the sweet spot. I wonder what the folks at MLB would say if they knew that a less-than-perfect ball nearly made it into a game. I was hoping to buy a new Astros cap on the way out — the one I have is waaay out of date — but by the time I finished, the team store was closed. No big deal. I'll keep rockin' the old cap. Maybe it'll help me get future toss-ups. I mean, it shows that I've been a fan for a long time, right? Back at my hotel (which I didn't check into until midnight), I photographed the six baseballs that I kept . . . . . . and stayed up way too late — as always. • 132 balls in 18 games this season = 7.33 balls per game. • 44 balls in 5 lifetime games at Minute Maid Park = 8.8 balls per game. Wow! 3 commemorative balls! Nice day Zack. Nice game Zack! I found out that another ballhawk was also at the Braves vs. Mets game on Sunday, and he too snagged a Rockies Commemorative Ball. Sounds like the Mets have got some leftover that they are using during B.P. That whistling sound is the sound of the baseball painted watermelon heading straight for you…. So if the Astros and Yankees play each other, Zack is now rooting for the ______? Wow! Nice commemorative logo! I saw the Astros in Anaheim this April and there wasn't a commemorative to be found with them at that point. Zack, you need to change the number of donors and the amount pledged per ball. Cause I put my two cents in. The consecutive games with at least one ball streak continues to fascinate me! Great job; I love your work! Do you have a calendar of which ballparks you will be in in the future? Would love to watch you "work"! Hey Zack! On my way to Camden right now…what time will you be arriving at the ballpark tomorrow? Cool. My time will come. If I have to wait 'til I visit Coors to snag one of those balls, so be it. Sorry I didn't get to see you there, but PLEASE, don't send that drummer after me! Cool. I hope you get some more. Don't make me report you to the FAA. The Astros. When in doubt, I always root for the National League team. Oh wait. I'd say it's a decent logo. It would've been great if "2013" were in there somewhere. I really hate it when commemorative balls don't have the year. D'oh! I'll update it in my next entry (which will almost certainly be posted tonight). Thanks for the pledge. Thank you. If I ever manage to catch up on my own blog, I'll be sure to check out yours. Then scroll down and look for the calendar. I have a phone/radio interview scheduled tomorrow for 3:50pm, so I'm gonna try to get to the stadium by then and bang it out. There's a chance, though, that I'll still be in the car when I do it. Either way, I should be there fairly early. I plan to enter the stadium at the center-field end of the warehouse — you know, at the Eutaw Street gate. Refer to my tweet about how I felt about you getting the 3 commemoratives. I kid, though, congrats. I hate how the Astros don't take them on the road…. or take BP 3 days in a row on the road. Teams who are 8-22 usually I don't know… need batting practice. Hey Zack it's a nick Horowitz again, the 10 year old. Will u be at Met game Wednesday? I have 9th row seats in 114. You're welcome to come to my seat at the game! The Astros need to practice more than just hitting. I'd think you'd get more visiting team homers at PETCO. The Padres don't seem to have much power. Nope, I'll be in Chicago, but thanks for the offer. Have fun!

Home » Sumter County Public Calendar with Holidays 2022-2023 Sumter County Public Calendar with Holidays 2022-2023 The Sumter County Public Schools Calendar for the 2022-2023 school year is now available. The calendar includes important dates such as holidays, teacher workdays, and early release days. Parents and guardians can use the calendar to plan for upcoming events and activities. The calendar is also a valuable resource for students who need to plan their own time and schedule around school events. Sumter County Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023 Sumter County Public Schools is a public school district located in Sumter County, South Carolina. The district serves approximately 13,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade at its 17 schools. The district is committed to providing a high-quality education to all of its students and works to engage parents, community members, and other stakeholders in the education process. The Sumter County Public Schools calendar has a number of benefits and uses for students, parents, and staff. The calendar provides a clear and organized schedule for the school year, including important dates such as holidays, breaks, and testing dates. This helps students and their families plan for the school year and ensures that everyone is aware of important deadlines. The calendar also helps staff plan for the school year, including scheduling meetings and professional development opportunities. Sumter County Public Schools Break for the academic year 2022-2023 List of holidays of Sumter County Public Schools, 2022- 2023 First Day Of School 2022 8 August 2022 Monday Christmas Break 2022 22 December 2022 – 5 January 2023 Thursday – Thursday Last Day of School 2023 23 May 2023 Tuesday Summer Break 2023 24 May 2023 Wednesday Sumter County Public Schools Holidays 2022-2023 The major holidays and breaks in Sumter County Public Schools are generally the same as the national holidays. Students are usually excused from school on these days, but classes may be held in the morning or afternoon. There are a few minor differences, such as Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, but for the most part Sumter County Public Schools follows the federal holiday schedule. The Sumter County Public Schools will be closed on the following holidays in 2022-2023. In conclusion, the Sumter County Public Schools offer a variety of holidays and breaks to its students. Whether celebrating Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or New Year's Day, the school district makes it easy for families to get together and have a good time. Sumter County Public Schools Holiday Calendar 2022-2023 Please note that these dates are subject to change if necessary due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. As the final school year of the 2021-2022 comes to a close, students and staff of Sumter County Public Schools can begin looking forward to the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. Kindly inquire consistently for any changes that might happen or it is advised to visit the Sumter County Public Schools site for their 2022-2023 endorsed schedule. Ques: When is the Last Day of Sumter County Public Schools? Ans: The last day of school for Sumter County Public Schools is May 23, 2023. This date may be subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. However, students and staff can expect the last day of school to be on this date barring any changes. Ques: When Does School Start in Sumter County Public Schools? Ans: The first day of school for students in Sumter County Public Schools is Monday, August 8th, 2022. Ques: When is Sumter County Public Schools Spring Break? Ans: Sumter County Public Schools Spring break will be from 27th March 2023 to 31st March 2023. Ques: First Day of Sumter County Public Schools? Ans: The first day of the Sumter County Public Schools is 8th August 2022. Ques: Sumter County Public Schools Christmas Break? Ans: Christmas break in Sumter County Public Schools are from 22nd December 2022 to 5th January 2023. Filed Under: Calendar 2022-2023, County Wise Schools Tagged With: Sumter County Public Calendar, Sumter County Public Calendar 2022, Sumter County Public Calendar 2023, Sumter County Public Holiday Calendar, Sumter County Public Holidays

Austrian poet; born at Przibram, Bohemia, Oct., 1821; died at Oberdöbling, near Vienna, May 13, 1872. He was educated at the gymnasiums at Jung-Bunzlau and Prague, and at the universities of Prague and Vienna. After traveling in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and France he went to Vienna (1842). He revisited Germany in 1844, and lived for some time after in Brussels. In 1847 he returned to Prague. He took part in the Revolution of 1848, and was elected representative to the Parliament at Frankfort-on-the-Main. He went with Blum and Fröbel to Vienna, escaping to Frankfort when the troops under Windischgrätz were victorious. When the revolution in Baden broke out (1849) he again sided with the revolutionists, and when this revolution also failed he was compelled to flee from Germany. In 1853 he was sent to the Crimea as war correspondent for the "Kölnische Zeitung." Expelled from Constantinople in 1854, he went to France. In 1860 he settled in Geneva, where he became teacher of German literature and language. In 1862 he became editor of the "Freya" in Stuttgart; in 1867 one of the editors of the "Allgemeine Zeitung"; in 1868 he went to Vienna as editor of the "Neue Freie Presse." Among Hartmann's works are: "Kelch und Schwert," Leipsic, 1845; "Reimchronik des Pfaffen Mauritius," Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1849; "Der Krieg um den Wald," ib. 1850; "Adam und Eva," Leipsic. 1851; "Schatten," Darmstadt, 1851; "Neuere Gedichte," Leipsic, 1851; "Tagebuch aus Languedoc und Provence," Darmstadt, 1853; "Novellen," Berlin, 1858; "Die Diamanten der Baronin," ib. 1873; "Gedichte in Neuer Auswahl," Stuttgart, 1874. He translated from the Hungarian Petofi's poems "Gedichte," Darmstadt, 1851, and edited "Bretonische Volkslieder" (with L. Pfau), Cologne, 1859. His collected works appeared in ten volumes in Stuttgart, 1873-75. Brandes, Das Junge Deutschland, Leipsic, 1892.

SBS Transit Bus Service 45 is a trunk service plying between Upper East Coast and Ang Mo Kio Depot, passing through Bedok, Eunos, Lor Ah Soo, Serangoon, Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang. Introduced in 2006, Service 45 is an inter-town route connecting the residential towns of Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, Lor Ah Soo, Bedok North and Upper East Coast. Much of its demand arises during the peak hours, as many commute to industrial areas near Ubi and Kaki Bukit. This route links residents of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 with Yio Chu Kang and Serangoon MRT stations. High demand between Serangoon MRT and Lorong Ah Soo results in the deployment of Short Trip Service 45A during AM Peak hours, and it serves alongside Service 53 and its route variant 53M. . This route also supplements Bedok North and Bedok Road with connections to Tanah Merah MRT in addition to services 17 and 14 respectively. Service 45 plies a short express sector along the PIE between Jln Eunos and Bedok North Rd, along with Express 854e. It is also one of four services to terminate at SBS Transit's Ang Mo Kio Depot. Fare: Charges basic distance fares. See Bus Fares. Service 45 at a glance. Click for larger image. 2006 (26 Dec): Introduced between Upp East Coast Ter & Ang Mo Kio Depot. Via Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Serangoon Ave 2, Lor Ah Soo, Jln Eunos & Bedok North Rd. 2006: Amended to present routing. No significant route changes since 2006.

Q: Sort fields inline I'm trying to sort within a line of input over an unknown number of fields: Input: ab bc bc ab cd ef bc bc cd ef cd bc ab ef ab bc cd gh Output: ab bc ab bc bc cd ef bc cd ef ab cb cd ab bc cd ef gh I've been using something like awk '{if($2 < $1) print $2,$1;else print}' but seems like it would get messy over more than two fields. Any help? A: One way using perl: perl -lane 'printf qq[%s\n], join q[ ], sort @F' infile Output: ab bc ab bc bc cd ef bc cd ef ab bc cd ab bc cd ef gh A: One way using GNU awk: awk '{ split($0, arr); asort(arr); for (i=1; i<=length(arr); i++) { printf "%s ", arr[i] }; printf RS } ' infile Output: ab bc ab bc bc cd ef bc cd ef ab bc cd ab bc cd ef gh A: Here is another perl solution, similar to @Birei's answer but more concise: $ perl -anle 'print "@{[sort @F]}"' file ab bc ab bc bc cd ef bc cd ef ab bc cd ab bc cd ef gh A: In shell script : while read n do echo $(echo $n | tr " " "\n" | sort ) done < infile (That forks too much, prefere the perl or gnu awk solution)

Financial companies learned their lesson from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the massive power blackout of 2003 and are ready for Republican National Convention-related disruptions. As New York braces for the Republican National Convention this week, IT managers at the city's financial services companies may be nervous about the potential for terrorism, but they're prepared. Having learned from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the massive power blackout of 2003, many Manhattan-based companies are now hardened with beefed-up disaster recovery initiatives, such as encrypted data backup processes, remote backup facilities and redundant telecommunications systems. John Shaffer, like IT managers at financial companies across the city, has checked and rechecked his backup and disaster recovery systems to ensure availability of his company's critical IT resources. "There's definitely a concern. [Terrorists] have obviously picked buildings in our area that are potential targets. Who really knows what's going to happen?" said Shaffer, director of technology at Greenhill & Co. Inc., an investment bank located near Madison Square Garden, site of the RNC. "We've been reviewing our plans to make sure that in the worst-case scenario, I [can] move my e-mail someplace else."

Susan Alcorn was born January 11, 1846, in Echo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of George Beck of that county. She came to Jefferson County in 1865, soon after her marriage to Jesse Alcorn. Her husband was a Veteran of the Civil War and had served with Company B, 78th PA Volunteers. She has made her home here with her husband until his death in 1899. Susan and Jesse were the parents of nine children, among them being Mrs. S. E. Ballentine of Summerville, Mrs. William Sowerby of Zelinople, Wade H., of Duquesne, William G. and Arthur B., both of Brookville. She died in Brookville, PA, on October 21, 1918, and was buried in the new Brookville Cemetery beside her husband.

It happened a couple of nights ago. It was quite sudden; no great fanfare. One moment I was scribbling away in my writing pad (admittedly I'd been scribbling for over an hour) and the next – at approximately midnight – I stopped and looked at the page. The End stared back at me. That is, The End of the first draft. But still an end of sorts. It's taken me years to crush, blend and refine my original Scars & Stripes notes. And the result is, frankly, surprising. The truly fictional scenes took on a life of their own and in some ways became deeper and more revealing. Those based loosely (and some a little too closely) on personal experience will require radical changes after the first of many read throughs. There's the familiar sense of a simultaneous high and low, of recognising that a milestone has been reached while at the same time being acutely aware of the distance still to be covered. For now, Scars & Stripes will be set to one side so that I'll be able to look at it objectively. All I do know is that I'll follow my writer friend Warren Stevenson's suggestion and rewrite the whole thing in the third person. The next step is trickier. Do I: 1. Re-edit thriller Standpoint as some of the feedback for sample material on www.youwriteon.com suggests the opening would benefit from tightening up. 2. Commence the second full edit of sequel thriller Line of Sight? 3. Go back to first novel Covenant and reduce it from a 142,000 word behemoth to something more manageable? 4. Start a new novel. At the moment, I'm torn between the third Thomas Bladen book, tentatively entitled False Positive or something a little different entitled The Caretaker, which might involve messrs. Bladen and O'Neill on the sidelines or even be the same book. But there'll be no sign of Harold Pinter (with thanks to Linda Wright). Ah, writing; never a dull moment! A planned day out Or you could give yourself a big pat on the back, Derek and take a break:) It's really hard work writing a novel. Once you've taken a break, look at each one and pick the one you feel most excited about seeing in print. That's what I would do anyway, and well done! Thanks Deb, I'm not sure it's been restful exactly, but I have been pondering my next step!

A little over two years ago, I opened a shop called K is for Black on Society6. It was a pretty scary move for me, but it turned out to be an important one. Even though I've been painting and drawing and making stuff since I was old enough to hold a crayon, something happened after I finished art school and started working in the world of commercial art: I stopped designing anything that wasn't for a client and that didn't require outside approval in order for it to be finalized. Once you get into that mode, it's really, really hard to trust your judgment when it comes to your own work. Also, when you're not working for a client, there's no way to diffuse criticism. I can internally blame an unattractive book cover on an author (or an agent, or a publisher, or a buyer, etc.), but what do I do when someone calls my non-client work "uninspiring, unimaginative, and unoriginal"? You can't please everyone (and who would want to!), but criticism is criticism, and even the toughest, most badass, confident artist-type out there has feelings. Sometimes I like to try and spare mine. Anyway, I went ahead and opened the shop, and to my happy surprise, people started to buy stuff. The profit margin for artists on Society6 is pretty small (especially with stuff like mugs and iPhone cases) since they handle all of the printing and shipping, so it's never been about turning it into a significant source of income for me, but it's very cool to see your posters hanging on strangers' walls and pillows with your designs on their sofas. There are now 22 designs in the K is for Black shop, and whenever I have free time, I add something new. Society6 announced last month that they're going to start producing quarterly book collecting the work of select artists who sell on the platform. Considering there are thousands and thousands of Society6 shops, it was a pretty huge honor to have been chosen as one of the 49 artists featured in the premiere issue for Winter 2016. As soon it was released, I ordered four copies—two for me, and one for each of my parents. Three of my designs were chosen: Sweetness, Vile, and B-Plus. I love the way they're presented! The Society6 team did a fantastic job with the whole issue, and I'm having a great time flipping through and discovering new artists (and seeing longtime favorites like Chad Wys). The paper stock is gorgeous, and the whole thing is just beautifully put together. I'll be buying future editions, for sure! If you'd like to get a copy of the Winter 2016 Society6 art quarterly, they're available online now in limited quantities, and will make their way to bookstores in the near future. How-to: Make an Eames Fiberglass Shell Chair. Hi Anna! I love your SWEETNESS I WAS ONLY JOKING iPhone case, and get lots of comments on it. It's a great conversation starter! Keep up the brilliant work. Hugs to Fritz! I have your raindrop leggings and I get SO many compliments on them! This is awesome, congrats! It's hard for graphic designers to find time to do their own work when we use so much creative energy designing for clients, but it's so worthwhile. Your shop is inspiring. go me! i have and tote your vile bag (and a larger still ill). how chic we are! How great- love your work! It is hard to leave the scaffold of client approval & go on your own aesthetic- this post really reasonates with me! Thanks for sharing! Congratulations Anna, I love your sense of style – Last year I decided to put some of my work "out there" and opened an Etsy Shop selling digital Prints – I am interested in the concept of Society6, and must look into it further. So curious about copyright and trademark here. Is it legal to sell artwork that prominently features the work (Morrisey lyrics in this case) of another artist? Does it fall under fair use? This is interesting to me as well. How does "likeness" work in terms of say, a photograph of someone? Or a photograph vs. a portrait? Anna, you are talented and brave. I love your work and applaud your courage!

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The Producers, Georgetown Palace Theatre, September 26- November 2 This zany musical comedy comes bursting out of the Georgetown Palace stage like fireworks on the 4th of July. Yes, we all know the story. After all, the Mel Brooks film about fraudsters producing a Broadway musical was released in 1968, forty years ago. Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan turned it into a real Broadway musical in 2001, with musical numbers by Brooks, where it won an unprecedented 12 Tony awards and ran for 2500 performances. The London production ran for three years. And in 2005 Sony Pictures made a movie of it – a movie about a musical about producing a musical, drawn from a movie about producing a musical. But who cares? The Georgetown Palace production is terrific fun and its big- voiced glittering cast of 24 could have filled with music and laughter a hall ten times as large as the 300-seat Palace. It's gaudy, vulgar, suggestive, happy and filled with as many comics and Girls Girls Girls as any Ziegfield show. Yes, you'll recognize almost every bit from the movie(s) or the Broadway show – the fretful, mendacious Max Bialystock, his reluctant partner the nervous young CPA Leopold Bloom, Ulla the Swedish knockout with all those names, Otto the Nazi, flaming homosexuals, and the little old ladies enamored of Max. Mel Brooks spares no one, and that's part of the fun of it. When Jewish comedian Mel Brooks came up with the concept for The Producers and the musical number "Springtime for Hitler" back in 1968 it was a dazzling piece of audacity. For gosh sake, World War II had ended less than twenty-five years before that, and the "Greatest Generation," contemporaries with Brooks, were in the spring of middle age. Brooks was God's fool, dancing on the rawest catastrophe of the western world and daring to laugh at the guilty, long and hard, while mocking the business of show business. The Palace scrupulously advises its patrons, Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and references and is intended for mature audiences. The shock value is mostly gone today, although I wonder what conversations parents had after opening night with the various ten- to twelve-year-olds dressed in their best and seated in the front rows. In fact, those youngsters were probably unshockable - - but maybe apprehensive about discussing sex jokes and flowering queens with their parents. Stars Matt Gauck as Max Bialystock and Larry Frier as the worried young Leo Bloom are a great pair of song-and-dance comedians. Gauck must have been stifling under the stage lights with that padded belly and an elaborate bald wig with comb-over; the ageing effect of his makeup was a bit too sharp in the opening scenes but the fast pace and relentless clowning got it properly blended in. Bialystock is the epitome of an unscrupulous egotist, and the ongoing gag of his instruction of the naïve Bloom on Broadway ethics and morals was comic and cautionary. A quick summary, in case you've been hiding under a rock for the last 40 years: Bialystock is on his way down, reduced to seducing a stable of little old ladies for funds. Visiting him, the grandma type nicknamed "Hold Me,Touch Me" suggests coyly, "Let's play the virgin milkmaid and the well hung stable boy!" Bloom, the quiet, worried accountant, comments to Bialystock in passing that if backers lost money in a show, it would be easy to conceal contributions and keep excess financing. Bialystock leaps on the idea and pushes Bloom to become his partner in crime. Bloom declines, but back at the Dickensean accounting office, he succumbs to visions of glamor, success and showgirls. So B&B set out to find the worst possible script, the worst possible director, and the worst possible actors. And they succeed! The script is "Springtime for Hitler" by unrepentent Nazi Franz Liebkind (Bill Lindstrom, also a fine hoofer, with accent, helmet and mad-eyed devotion). [German: "Liebkind" = English "Love Child."] The director is Roger DeBris (Matt Connely), as wildly, extravagantly queer as one could imagine, shown here being coiffed by his sidekick Carmen Ghia (played with wicked, pouting, hip-swiveling delight by Palace regular Matthew Burnett). ["Bris" is the Jewish ritual of circumcision, carried out on a Jewish male child the 8th day after birth; the "Carmen Ghia" was a nifty sport car from the 1950s.] And for the actors, Nazi Liebkind and the luscious Swedish cupcake Ulla Inga Hansen Bensen Yonsen Tallen-Hallen Svaden-Svanson. Bialystock explains to Bloom, "There's always a part for the producer's girlfriend!" Nicole Pritchard as Ulla can act, sing, and dance, and she's as tasty a bit of eye-candy as you're likely to see. Pritchard has just gotten to Austin after playing Disney characters at Orlando for three years. Texans are clear winners by the change. The show goes on, complete with that signature number, "Springtime for Hitler." Ulla plays a sort of Miss Rhinegold walk-on (a concept straight out of Ziegfield). The show is a disaster. But only for Bialystock and Bloom. At the last minute they must substitute director DeBris for Nazi Liebkind in the role of Hitler, and a campy, crowd-loving Adolf makes the show a smash hit. Max Bialystock gets arrested while Bloom and Ulla abscond to Brazil. Max waxes indignant in jail, recounting in fragmentary fashion the whole plot to that point, getting one of the biggest laughs in the show. Bloom returns. Both go to prison, where they put on a wildly successful prison revue and get pardons. They celebrate with a fine bit of hoofing at the end. Before the show, director Mary Ellen Butler greeted the opening night audience and invited them to the on-stage post-production party. She warned us that because technical director Ron Watson had just sprained an ankle, his substitute working the twelve sets of flies (hoistable scenery) might be shaky from time to time. And by the way, Austin's Paramount theatre is equipped with only ten sets of flies. So what's not to like, already? This show has energy, glitter, comedy and class; it's an insouciant salute to the big kid in all of us. It makes us say, like Leopold Bloom, I wanna be a producer, too. Congratulations to cast, director, and crew. This was a huge, complicated piece to produce. Mary Ellen says that 2000 hours of volunteer labor went into construction of the sets. Ensemble members had up to 9 costume changes and pitched in to keep those scene changes running smoothly. They all appeared to be having the time of their lives. They certainly deserved that enthusiastic applause at the curtain call. And congratulations once again to the Georgetown Palace Theatre for its vaulting ambition and the high quality of its entertainment! Warren & Derrick's on-line favorable comments about this production, October 20 Ronnisrants comments, October 25 New York Times rave review of the Broadway production, April 20, 2001 - - "A Scam That'll Knock 'em Dead" Wikipedia on The Producers (Musical) The 1968 movie at Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com), with a 42-image slide show IMDB memorable quotes (lots of them!) from The Producers, 2005 movie version Posted by Michael at 5:50 PM 3 comments: Links to this post Labels: Georgetown Palace Theatre, Larry Frier, Matt Connely, Matt Gauck, Matthew Burnett, Nicole Pritchard, The Producers Free Night of Theatre, Various Venues, October 16 - November 13 List now available on-line, with links for reservations live from noon on Monday, October 13. Austin region shows announced so far are listed below. More may be added. 3 Mo' Divas 410 [Gone] Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Concert Ballet Austin Season Openers Drving Miss Daisy Fantasmaville Glengary, Glen Ross The Refraction Arts Project The Shocker Haunted House The Souls of Our Feet II: An Introduction to American Tap Dance Posted by Michael at 7:01 PM No comments: Links to this post Labels: Free Night of Theatre, Upcoming Cloud 9, Mary Moody Northern Theatre, St. Edwards Unversity, September 25- October 5 You must see this production. It plays only four more times, this coming weekend. Unless you're uneasy with frank sexual language. Unless you get disoriented by anachronism, gender bending and actors morphing character, sex, time and intention. Unless you are frightened by vulnerability, farce, celebration or intimacy. Unless you prefer to miss breath taking range and versatility in acting by students and professionals alike. "Cloud 9," the title, is a metaphor for sexual ecstasy. UK playwright Caryl Churchill worked with an improvisational theatre group in 1978, then reworked the ideas into this piece, which opened in 1979. It plays today as fresh as a daisy, because the attractions and confusions of sex do not date. That, in fact, is one premise of the play. Act I shows us a group of pukkah sahib Brits somewhere in 1870 in colonial Africa, full of imperial certainties and sexual yearnings blooming in the dangerous dead air of foreign menace. Act II gives us the same seven actors and some of the same characters but played by different members in the cast, transposed to 1979 London. They are searching for love and sexual fulfillment in a post-imperial Britain where freedoms offer greater dangers, more confusions and new opportunities. Raising the ante, Churchill specifies that certain key roles are to be played by actors of the opposite sex. Undergrad theatre students at St. Edwards seize this opportunity to show an astonishing range. Guest artists Babs George and Matt Radford further strengthen the cast. Ms. George surely should be nominated for a B. Iden Payne award for her performance in a duo and then solo scene at the finale as a fragile older woman belatedly awakening to sexuality. Oh, for the certainties of Victorian times! Playwright Churchill does a fine job on the neuroses of those bearing the White Man's Burden. Jacob Trussell as explorer Harry Bagley (left) and Radford as administrator Clive (right) are blustering and adamant in their Duty beyond the reach of civilization. Behind that façade, though, they are boiling with frustration and passion (and not for one another). The intimate, claustrophobic circle of society on the frontier includes their family members – Clive's wife Betty (Christopher Smith,'10, right) and her mother Maud (Babs George, left). Smith is absolutely convincing in his depiction of the delicate Betty, stifled by circumstance, intimidated by the hypocritical, dogmatic Clive, and plaintively wishing for escape with explorer Harry. This is an entrancing performance. As her mother, Babs George is sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued. But we, the audience, are certainly not stifled. Act I is a happily wicked, fast-moving farce. Clive frantically pursues a widow brandishing a riding crop; and his wife Betty unwittingly attracts the passionate interest of the family governess (both roles by Helyn Rain Messenger, a graduating senior, played with such panache that I didn't realize they were done in alternation by the same actress, in the same act). Son Edward (Sarah Burkhalter, '10) prefers, instead of hunting and playing sport, playing with dolls. African houseboy Joshua is at Churchill's specification, played by a white (Jon Wayne Martin, '11). Joshua serves impassively amidst this madness, his anger growing as danger brews in the dark beyond the stage. Act II, set in contemporaneous 1979, is equally fast moving, with the shock of recognizing those same actors in entirely different characters. Language is direct, dramatic, sometimes crude. The same uncertainties and desires are driving, but in the confusion and indulgence of contemporary society they take far different forms. Take, for instance, the transformation of Smith from repressed colonial housewife to self-confident, cruising homosexual. And that of Martin from trusted servant to his gay lover Edward who would really prefer to be a woman, or maybe, if the opportunity arose, a lesbian. Babs George hovers in genteel nervousness over the act, seeking to support her confused family – Edward the homosexual, daughter Victoria (Messenger) who is massively frustrated with her husband Martin (Radford) and their impossible daughter Cathy (another wondrous cross-gender performance, by Trussell, '10, formerly macho explorer Harry Bagley). Sexes blur, sex blurs. In a dark wood there occurs an evocation of dark powers and an almost orgy, an apparition from beyond the grave, and a scandalized spouse. The comedy comes hard and fast, interspersed with scenes of a tenderness and intimacy that give you awe and make you squirm. All of this builds into an explosion of light, color and music. Thanks to the administration at St. Ed's for a lack of prudery and to the theatre staff there for taking on this play. Director David Long keeps his characters smoothly in motion so as to minimize the disadvantages of this vast theatre-in-the-square. The pace of the action is varied and finely tuned. And this cast offers us a memorable evening, one that reminds us of the wonder and opportunity of passion. Review in Daily Texan on-line by Aboubacar N'Diaye, October 2 Review by Avimaan Syam in Austin Chronicle, October 3 Wikipedia on Caryl Churchill Caryl Churchill bio and critical evaluation, Contemporary Writers (British Council) Wikipedia on "Cloud 9," including plot summary Posted by Michael at 9:07 AM No comments: Links to this post Labels: Babs George, Christopher Smith, Cloud 9, David Long, Helyn Rain Messenger, Mary Moody Northern Theatre, Matt Radford, Sara Burkhalter Romeo and Juliet, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, September 19 - October 11 The Romeo and Juliet now playing at the Sam Bass Community Theatre in Round Rock is a slim, silvery production that clocks in at just about two hours. Thanks to director Lynn Beaver for taking on the challenge of doing tragedy with this group of dedicated community players, many of whom have taken on multiple management roles to keep this theatre vital. Housed in a simple structure that once served as a Union Pacific depot for the town, the SBTC has been active since the 1970s, operating on the shoestring provided by volunteers, modest business sponsorship and grants such as the $5000 that the Union Pacific provided recently for fixing up the structure. Director Beaver chose a text prepared and adapted in 2004 by David Hundsness. This is no Reader's Digest edition. The adapter did a scrupulous, ethical job of fileting the original text, preserving the story line and the essentials of the characters. Almost all of the most memorable lines of verse were retained. Purists would certainly object to his reducing the text by 30 to 40 percent, adroitly stitching together scenes while adhering to original texts and crafting both a brief marriage scene in Friar Laurence's chambers and a funeral for Juliet. But none of this diminishes a whit the power of Shakespeare's language or plot. The adaptation is directly in the centuries-old tradition of moving the bard to the audience. The company's effort is all the more laudable because director and actors have paid a great deal of attention to the meaning and syntax of the text as used. Without the brilliant verbosity and extra incident so familiar to readers and playgoers, the actors surprise us with the nuance and directness of Shakespeare's dialogues. And the pauses! This cast shows us their feelings and evolving thoughts by using pauses for thought and silent communication, an art all too rare among actors playing the unabridged texts. Trey Deason as Romeo and CiCi Barone as Juliet are perfectly cast. He joins the awkward angularity of a boy who is almost a man with the moody focus, resolution and edge of desperation of a man wrestling with an impossible love. CiCi Barone moves from sweet simplicity in early scenes to a teasing self-confidence with her suitor Romeo; dismay with her father's decision to marry her off estranges her from mother and nurse. They see her as a petulant child; Barone's command of Shakespeare's text makes it clear to us that she has made choices that determine her destiny. The company locates the action in an imagined contemporary Verona that is closer to Venice, California. The Montague clan wear black and a junior member enters on a skateboard; Capulets, probably from the better side of the tracks, wear white. This easy color coding may help younger audiences and does not obstruct the action. It does provide a potential difficulty at the Capulet party, where the unwelcome Montagues could hardly be disguised by masks, but we can forgive that. Old Capulet (the gallant and nattily clad Richard Dodwell) is affable enough to overlook a bit of riffraff on the periphery of his party. Special recognition to some of my other favorites: Errich Peterson as Benvolio, Romeo's companion, delivers himself as the voice of reason and counsel. He speaks well and is always an impressive presence. Deletions in the Hundsness text greatly reduce the role of Juliet's nurse in exposition and comedy. Hundsness elimates, for example, her lengthy, mawkish tales of Juliet's upbringing and her lamentation at having only four teeth left in her mouth. Even so, Susan Poe Dickson's characterization is a gift to us. Instead of a crone, we enjoy a hopeful matchmaker, almost an older sister to Juliet. She sparkles with anticipation of successful romance, teases Juliet to distraction by withholding news of Friar Laurence's marriage scheme, and becomes distract when calamities begin to pile up. In the original there is much rushing around and consternation after Juliet is found lifeless in her bed; in the Hundsness adaptation all of that is replaced as a smiling Dickson comes to awaken her charge, realizes the situation and cries out, in anguish, "Juliet!!" Some casting decisions may have been affected by the availability in this group of female talent. The casting of Amy Lewis as Mercutio provides an unexpected bonus and possibilities. Like any Mercutio she is larger than life, full of humors and quarrelsomeness. But her role as the third wheel while Benvolio seeks to distract Romeo from the stand-offish Rosaline gives extra bite to her mockery of lovers' dreams of Queen Mab and her dissolute carousing. Mercutio is pulpy, good-looking but not pretty-pretty, but she is completely ignored by Romeo. We can speculate at a back story here. In this streamlined version the role of Friar Lawrence (Andy Brown) is necessarily more prominent. At crucial moments in the staging, including at the wedding and the funeral, he looms center stage in his distinctive purple shirt and clerical collar. Brown plays the friar as direct and matter-of-fact, rather than as the well-intentioned fumbler often seen. In this version, there is no plague to delay the transport of his letters to Romeo; rather, his messenger simply fails to deliver. Though Hundsness cut Lawrence's recounting in the final scene of actions gone awry, the director restores enough of it to provide closure and to provide the good friar a moment of confession. In the final scene the black-white dichotomy of Montague vs. Capulet breaks down. Costuming reinforces the message of reconciliation. This was an intimate setting for a favorite play. The approachable presentation was accompanied by a warm and personable greeting afterwards, when the cast made it more special still by lining up outside to greet the departing audience members. Posted by Michael at 11:15 PM 3 comments: Links to this post Labels: Austin Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Sam Bass Community Theatre Caroline, or Change, Zach Scott Theatre, September 18 - November 9 Zack Theatre staff probably know that they have a marketing problem with this production, which runs pretty fiercely against the grain of the happy rock 'n' roll that thrums through many productions at the Kleberg stage. The print ad appearing in this morning's XL supplement to the Austin Statesman is just going to make things worse. Tuck and Ebert's handsome depiction of Janis Stinson in the title role of Caroline (right) implies an uplifting experience (eyes to heaven, smile of hope) and the teaser above that image reads Filled with Stirring Music that Pulses with the Beat of the 1960s! Live! Now on Stage! Well, not exactly. The only beat of the 1960s is on the sound system before the show and during the intermission. Three rock 'n' roll spirits collectively known as "radio" are indeed evocations of the Supremes or Martha Reeve and the Vandellas, but they aren't doing R&B for us. Caroline or Change is not musical comedy. Athough most of the dialogue is sung, its closest template might be the "Singspiel," a form popular in Germany in the 19th century. Singspiele, mostly comic, were evanescent. Those that remain in the canon are tragedies (Fidelio, Der Freischütz and, perhaps, Die Zauberflöte). Wikipedia comments that Singspiele "frequently include elements of magic, fantastical creatures, and comically exaggerated characterizations of good and evil." Roger that. In the fantastical category we have actors playing the spirits of the washing machine (a purple diva), the dryer (a portly devil with a Little Richard 'do), the radio (those Supremes), and the moon (serenissima). They're vividly costumed apparitions tied to popular imagination both black and white, and they prompt our smiles and anticipation. Caroline is a maid in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a stolid, diligent, unsmiling woman afflicted with poverty and responsibilities. Janis Stinson in this role has tremendous presence and a huge voice, but she does not smile once. Except at the curtain call. She has every reason in the world to be dour. Her employers the Gellmans are a dysfunctional, disconnected family of losers so wrapped in their own preoccupations that they are on another planet. The father of the family (Adam Smith), a musician, is still so distracted with grief at the death to cancer of his wife that he can do nothing but practice his clarinet throughout the day. He was sentient long enough sometime in the past to marry his wife's best friend Rose (Meredith McCall). Son Noah (Matthew Moore) rejects his stepmother, clings to his cuddly toy, and worships Caroline the maid, the only sane presence in his world. Grandparents Gellman (Robert Faires and Linda Nenno) appear as a chorus. Stepmom's dad Mr. Stopnick (Ben Prager) joins to deliver a socialist harrangue and a lecture to the boy on money as theft while presenting him with his Hanukah gelt. The family's Hanukah dinner and celebration, complete with a frantic horah fueled by dad's clarinet, are a grotesque caricature of Jewish life. The theme of the play is "change" (the word that appears as the alternate title to the piece). Not "THE change," which would suggest an evolution, a reassessment, or an awakening, appropriate to the mid-1960s. No, it's "change" as in pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters. Neurotic stepmom finds son Noah completely irresponsible with his pocket change. Noah is always leaving money in his pockets when he tosses them in the laundry. So after due warning and dire admonition, stepmom takes the drastic step of telling Noah and the maid that Carolline has the right to keep any money that she finds in pockets when doing the daily laundry. Noah seizes the opportunity secretly to finance Caroline and her family. Caroline struggles with the temptation but begins taking the money. Stepmom doesn't dream of giving the maid a raise, of course, and dad cannot deal with much of anything. And guess what happens with the twenty-dollar bill that Noah receives at Hanukah? We get some exposition of Caroline's background at the opening of the second act – 22 years of maid's work, divorce from an abusive, disappeared husband and the struggle to maintain her family of three children on a derisory wage. Her oldest, Emmie (Shavana Calder), is a young teen indifferent to the assassination of Kennedy ("some white guy"), entranced by pop music, and involved in the prank of "kidnapping" the statue from the monument to Confederate war heroes. Calder is confident, talented and a pleasure to watch. She, Stinson and Sarah Yvonne Jones as Caroline's friend Dotty are the only adult characters of believable depth in the piece. Stage design and lighting are strong points, as you can see from some of the images currently posted at Zach's website. Here's one of the core set, staggered levels with the picket-fence motif to remind us of the small town setting and the august Moon over all. Here's the opening scene, with Caroline doing laundry, Jones as the spirit of the new electric washing machine, and the radio three. And then Caroline's long wait after work at the bus stop, with Dotty, on November 22, 1963, when the author would have us believe that news traveled so slow in Louisiana that they knew nothing of the Kennedy assassination, ten hours later. The news is broken by the bus driver (Frank Viveros). I hesitate to offer an opinion on the music. Like your typical Austin theatregoer, I don't have much background in opera or contemporary formal musical staging. I'm willing to welcome the idiom of the play, even though I couldn't identify the musical tradition and didn't come out humming any of the songs. It was really loud, though. I was sitting in the front row in a fairly compact theatre, ten feet away from performers who were mic'd up and amplified as if they were singing to a crowd stretching all the way to Lamar Boulevard. One got used to it in a stunned sort of way; I suppose that may be standard for the musical theatre here. So let's classify this one as an artist's experiment. Tony Kushner, author of the book and lyrics, acknowledges that he was only one year older than the son, Noah, when his musician parents took him from Manhattan to live in Lake Charles. This piece is probably about Tony Kushner trying to deal with the cultural divide he found in Louisiana, especially the African-American society descended from slaves and still routinely mistreated. It is curious that not a single white Southerner appears in the play. In creating this fictionalized world Tony Kushner appears to have been transmuting his own guilts and misgivings into art. There is much here to praise, particularly the talent of the singers and the designers of the Zach Theatre production. But try as I might, I'm not happy about witnessing his catharsis. Even so, congratulations to the Zach for not settling into the groove, so to speak, of easy happy rock 'n' roll musicals. Theatre goers can appreciate the chance to look at something knottier from time to time. This show deserves your serious consideration. Review by Warren & Derrick, September 18 Review by Angela Henson, Soulciti.com, September 25 Review by Aboubacar N'Diaye in the Daily Texan on-line, September 25 Review by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin in the Statesman, September 30 Rave review by Hannah Kenah in Austin Chronicle, October 17: "Zach Theatre's fine staging should be required viewing at this historic moment" 34 production photos of Caroline or Change by Kirk R. Tuck Cast portraits Video: Tony Kushner interview on Charlie Rose show Video of scene from Caroline or Change at 58th Tony awards, June 6, 2004 NYT review by Ben Brantley of the original Broadway production, May, 2004 Review of the original production at Theatre Scene.com NYT interview by Robin Finn with composer Jeanine Tesori, December 16, 2003 90-minute American Theatre Wing program on Working in the Theatre, episode 322, April 2004, interviewing Tony Kushner, Jeanine Tesori, Tonya Pinkins (Caroline) and others on creation of the show Posted by Michael at 11:06 AM No comments: Links to this post Labels: Caroline or Change, Janis Stinson, Sarah Yvonne Jones, Shavana Calder, Zachery Scott Theatre A Winter's Tale, Actors from the London Stage, October 1-4 Actors from the London Stage returns to The University of Texas at Austin for the 10th consecutive year. This year's troupe will be performing Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Performances at the B. Iden Payne Theatre Oct 1, 2 & 3 at 8 PM. Call 512-477-6060 or visit www.TexasBoxOffice.com for tickets. Winedale performance Oct 4 at 7 PM. Visit www.Shakespeare-Winedale.org for ticket information. Tickets are $10 UT ID holders; $20 for others. For more information contact Matt Harvey at mnh@mail.utexas.edu. Labels: Austin Shakespeare, Winter's Tale Mute Point, A Tejano Tragedy AND House of Several Stories, Texas State and The Search Party at the Blue Theatre, Sep 25-27 AND Oct 2-4 Found at KUT's community calendar: mute point a new play written by michael pape directed by chuck ney september 25th 26th and 27th at 7:30pm $10 for students/seniors $15 for adults the blue theatre 916 springdale road - austin, texas 78702 reservations at 512.796.3429 cash checks only please Click for more info in XL Best Pick, Austin Statesman, September 24 house of several stories written by a. john boulanger directed by jeremy o. torres october 1st 2nd and 3rd at 7:30pm the blue theatre, 916 springdale road, austin, texas 78702 reservations call 512.796.3429 cash checks only please Posted by Michael at 12:38 PM No comments: Links to this post Labels: Blue Theatre, House of Several Stories, Mute Point Pink Sun, The Vortex, ending September 26-28 Click for the September 23 review by Jooley Ann on the Austinist Labels: Jooley Ann, Pink Sun, Vortex Third by Wendy Wasserstein, Paradox Players at the Unitarian Universalist Church, September 19 - October 5 Thanks to Paradox Players for giving us the opportunity to see this 2005 piece by the late Wendy Wasserstein, acknowledged by the New York Times as "a chronicler of women's identity crises." To be honest, I hated it. Not the production, which is a good effort, but the play itself. First let me explain the concept of a "visceral twinge." When I began work involving lengthy assignments abroad, the single most useful bit of counseling was provided by an animated, red-bearded actor whose subject was the difficulties of confronting cultural differences and working through them. Yes, you can learn to eat teff and njera or bulgogi or tieboujin and you can learn to communicate in a foreign language. But there will come that moment when you face something commonplace in a foreign culture that literally makes your insides ball up in a knot. Not necessarily food. It could be the obsessive closeness of foreigners, their toilet habits, their enthusiasms or their treatment of one another. Something, somewhere, sometime is going to get you and give you a visceral twinge so hard that it will make you aware for the first time of cultural holy precepts that you absorbed while growing up. This play gave me that visceral twinge. The twinge was so profound and unexpected that I perhaps I have to trace it back to my own decision once upon a time to abandon a Ph.D. program in comparative literature. Part of the twinge is certainly due to the opening scene set at an unnamed elite liberal arts college. Radical feminist scholar Professor Laurie Jameson explains with condescending pedantry that King Lear is really the story of how the dominant male culture oppressed Lear's older daughters Goneril and Regan. Boy, did that ever get up my nose. The play, in brief, gives us the midlife crisis of Professor Jameson during the very specific period September 2002 to May 2003, as the country rolled into the war in Iraq. She is in danger of crumpling from pressure. She is an obsessive watcher of television news; her daughter drops out from Swarthmore to live with a bank teller and wait tables; her best friend Professor Nancy Gordon faces a recurrence of breast cancer, deep depression and chemotherapy. Her father, living with the family, is deep in the absences of senile dementia and we learn that somehow, somewhere, he probably abused her when she was young. We never see her husband, a political science professor, and the only evidence that unnamed man exists is the sound of barbells hitting the floor in the attic. And there is the teaching schedule, eviscerating Shakespeare, and preparing to take over her friend's spring course in the letters of 19th century female English authors. These are complex tribulations and they allow Bobbie Oliver as Jameson to draw a vivid portrait of this petulant, detail-obsessed, whining self-righteous academic. I did not like the character but I found her fully, convincingly defined. But the crux of the play, the confrontation on which it turns, is Jameson's irrational, self-righteous (that word again!) dislike and then persecution of Woodson Bull the Third, known as "Third" (hence the title of the play). Handsome, frank, intelligent, and a varsity wrestler, "Third" is happy to take courses in feminist interpretation of Shakespeare and gay & lesbian studies, but his healthy gosh-gee-whiz attitude earns him only her contempt. Among other things, without any evidence she is convinced that he is a Republican. The boy is a sociology major with the dream of becoming an agent for a sports celebrity. Jameson accuses "Third" of plagiarizing his paper on Lear, which offers a Freudian interpretation of the attraction between Lear and Cordelia. She persists, with no evidence, insisting that "Third" simply could not have produced such a coherent analysis on his own, and she insists on a quasi-judicial hearing before a faculty council. Single-handedly she obliges the faculty to put him on academic probation in the meantime. He defends himself ably. She loses. Academic probation has ruined his reputation and left him ruefully amazed. He will later arrange a transfer to Ohio State. Then in the second act Wasserstein stitches things up so they are nice and tidy. Demented Daddy, when she finds him in a rainstorm, doesn't recognize her but asks for her forgiveness. Her friend Professor Gordon defeats cancer and finds a boyfriend. Her daughter doesn't return but appears to be happily forgotten. By the end, demented Daddy has conveniently died. Professor Jameson says she is getting out of the academic grind, perhaps for good. And for gosh sake, she goes to visit "Third" as he is packing up and brings him the gift of an book autographed by a noted lesbian writer. She offers to try to pull strings to get him the scholarship money Stanford denied him because he was on academic probation. "Third," the good-natured future king of the world, declines the offer but forgives her and carries her bags out for her. Now, remember the "visceral twinge"? Here we go: I cannot stand the indulgent depiction of academic dishonesty on the part of a professional, no matter how lunatic, and I cannot swallow the fact that Wasserstein makes happy at the end, letting her get away with it. Congratulations to Bobbie Oliver for inhabiting this ignoble character and giving a good account of her fragilities. I liked Jan Phillips as her brutally frank professor friend. A thought experiment: if Phillips had been cast as the lead, we might have had a different Laurie Jameson – someone even more cutting and outrageous, whom we could feel justified in hating. Mason Stewart as "Third" is likeable and vivid. He projects matter-of-fact and non-arrogant assurance, perfectly appropriate for a young man who will flourish when he escapes this hothouse world. He projects his voice as well, effortlessly and naturally. Michael Hankin as Jack the dad doesn't look quite old enough to be lost in the fog of dementia, but he is a fine actor with a roguish twinkle at just the right moments. Holly Kwasny as the professor's daughter Emily provides the appropriate amount of young indignation at her mom's irrationality. The Howson Hall Theatre at the Unitarian Universalist Church is not a particularly kind playing space. It is very broad and not very elevated above the ranks of movable chairs spread before it. The director and cast appear not to have taken the sightlines of this wide hall into consideration for blocking the action, because actors are often turning backs or profiles to the audience as they address other characters. Perhaps misled by the apparent intimacy of the hall, Oliver and Kwasny are speaking much of the time from the throat rather than projecting so that we might hear them properly. Inexplicably, the play is almost always under-lit and much is enacted at the back of the playing space. The final twist in my visceral twinge came in the last scene, with the very sentence that Wasserstein must have meant to sum up the play. "Third" confides to Jameson his ambitions in sports management and she tells him with girlish rue that she was exactly his age in 1969. "You will spend your next years in hope; I spent them in irony." Gack. Jameson and I are contemporaries. I made the decision to abandon textual analysis and academic ambition. She embraced them. You make your bed, you lie in it. And you don't dirty it with dishonesty. Wikipedia on Wendy Wasserstein NYT obituary of Wendy Wasserstein by Christopher Isherwood, January 30, 2006: "Wendy Wasserstein Dies at 55; Her Plays Spoke to A Generation" with images and multimedia links " Labels: Paradox Players, Third I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, NxNW at the Hideout Theatre, September 19 - October 12 This cheery cabaret production is a strawberry parfait, a delicious concocoction highly appealing to the eye with lots of sugar and self-confident sophistication. The North by Northwest Theatre Company has enlisted four attractive and highly talented actor/singers to create in Austin the first presentation of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a piece that played for 12 years off Broadway. Its 5000+ performances put the run of this simple musical second only to the Fantastiks. ILYYPNC is playing for only four weekends here in Austin, Friday through Saturday through October 12 at the Hideout Theatre at 617 South Congress. For non-initiates such as us, from the street the Hideout looks like an ordinary coffee shop & bar, conveniently located for a subsequent crawl of the bars and pubs along 6th street. But they deal in entertainment as well as coffee, beer, wine and snacks. On Saturday ILYYPNC was playing in the downstairs 100-seat "black box" while upstairs at the same time, the announcement read, "a crew of Austin's finest improvisers take the stage in full Federation uniform and, based on audience suggestions, create a wholly original 'episode' set in the Star Trek Universe." The ladies in the ticket office took one look at us and commented, "Nah – they're not here for the Trekkies." We hated being so obvious, but then, we had in fact made an on-line reservation for ILYYPNC. Our four actor/singers are accompanied by a keyboardist and violinist for a zippy evening of black-out sketches and songs, themed loosely on the lines of courtship, marriage, parenting and the pleasant puzzles of romance at middle age and later. Onstage for almost two hours with a 15-minute break halfway, Michelle Cheney, Joe Penrod, David Sray and Wendy Zavaleta deliver along with their rapid fire of very funny skits not fewer than 21 musical numbers, ranging from solos to a finale ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") that starts with an a capello worthy of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. The show has the bright, derisive flash of New York – it is fun poked by sophisticate singles and the New York artist community at the dilemmas of the love life of bourgeois middle America. Most of the skits are silly, mugging cartoon send-ups of all too familiar life dilemmas, and the audience responds with hilarity at the send-ups. In the first half the show has a merry time making fun of the insecurities of dating, sexual posturing, the lack of eligible beddable bachelors, guy behavior as opposed to girl behavior, well-intended parental interventions in romance, and the panic of proposals and weddings. The downtown audience howled and sometimes shouted out recognition and encouragement – most of those attending were of college age or in late 20s and early 30s, and they were clearly getting happy shocks of recognition. So imagine this scene: superb actors, clowning and singing their hearts out with midtown Manhattan sophistication, and a youngish audience that was drinking beer as if it were going out of style. Again and again, spectators descended the center stairs and crossed in front of half the stage on their way out and back to the bar and the bathroom. Early on, they usually waited for the blackouts, but as the evening wore on and the alcohol level rose, occasionally someone would cross in front of an actor/singer hard at work. Too bad there wasn't a rear stair for those folks. Or a trap door. But with everyone so well launched, the second half was equally successful. Leaving aside that growsing, what talented and attractive actors these are! Chameleons all, they appeared in constantly changing relationships to one another. Above, David plays the oblivious self-centered engineer blathering on as Wendy wonders whether all available single men are all such losers. Below left, Joe delivers a quiet, wondering paean to the wonder of staying in love with the same woman for more than thirty years. Below right, Michelle is captivated by a "chic flic" (while the guy at her side struggles unsuccessfully to remain manfully indifferent). The music is mostly up tempo, the lyrics witty and the melodies engaging but ultimately forgettable. The magic is in the actors themselves. For example they take four swivel chairs and turn them into a family car, complete with obnoxious kids in the back seat: That one is an anthem marking the lasting love affair between Joe, father of the family -- and his vehicle. Examples of other transformations, quickly: Michelle, singing of the miseries of serving always as a bridesmaid, never as a bride – and assembling a collection of never-reusable bridesmaid's outfits. David on the superhero fantasies of geeks and nerds. The whole company, when Michelle and Joe as the parents learn at Thanksgiving that after two years of living together son David and fiancée Wendy have decided to break up: After trouncing Joe yet again on a fourth date, Wendy maneuvers him out of his gentlemanly distance and persuades him to come over for lasagna ("and you'll bring the wine and the condoms, right?") She closes that scene with an inspired little jump of glee. And my personal favorite is a solo turn by Wendy, with not a note of music. She plays a woman recently divorced, still hurt and angry, who is reluctantly recording a video for a dating service -- and impulsively lays it all out, not giving a damn about masquerading as younger, more accessible or invulnerable. So open your browser or pick up your telephone, and make your reservations now. If we are lucky, North by Northwest might get this show extended or repeated. But for now, you have your choice of only three remaining weekends, Friday to Sunday, to schedule this delightful dessert. Producer's comments on opening night, including a reviewer in the front row (not me!) Lambert, Hendricks and Ross doing "Swingin' the Blues" Labels: cabaret, David Sray, Hideout Theatre, I Love You You're Perfect Now Change, Joe Penrod, Michelle Cheney, musical comedy, North by Northwest Theatre Company, Wendy Zavaleta The Producers, Georgetown Palace Theatre, Septembe... Free Night of Theatre, Various Venues, October 16 ... Cloud 9, Mary Moody Northern Theatre, St. Edwards ... Romeo and Juliet, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Roun... Caroline, or Change, Zach Scott Theatre, September... A Winter's Tale, Actors from the London Stage, Oct... Mute Point, A Tejano Tragedy AND House of Several ... Third by Wendy Wasserstein, Paradox Players at the... I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, NxNW at th... Marisol, Vestige Group at the Off Center, Septembe... Reviews: The Casket of Passing Fancy, Rubber Reper... Amadeus, Austin Playhouse, September 12 - October ... Canciones for Generations, Mexican American Cultur... Macbeth, Austin Shakespeare, Sept. 10-21 Amateurs, Gaslight Baker Theatre, Lockhart, to Sep... Mothers of Invention, Hideout Theatre, September 5...

JustJobs.ro is a job search site in Romania. The API allows developers to pull data from the site and integrate it on their own web sites. This allows for the addition of a section with jobs available in Romania and abroad directly on another site. Functionality includes retreiving cities, job categories and jobs. The API uses RESTful calls and responses are formatted in XML and JSON. The site and documentation are in Romanian.

Model No. MBH106 by: MEM (Eaton). List price £30.72 You save £6.14! This is the Memshield2 6A 10kA Type B SP MCB. High performance current limiting device with the ability to disconnect short circuits of up to 10kA. The MCB is suitable for use with Memshield 2 distribution boards and for a wide range of OEM applications. Complies with BS EN 60898 (IEC 60898).

When luxury brand Koenigsegg wanted flashy yet clean press images of their new hyper cars, they had only one photographer in mind. They asked Scandinavian Oskar Bakke to shoot bright and simple images, and yet they sent him to a dark hangar. Read how he overcame the challenge using Profoto B1 and Sony α7R II. When you look at car buff and travel photographer Oskar Bakke's images it is like staring at the sun on an endless summer's day. Known for taking bright and crisp images, which are almost like an instruction manual for Scandinavian light and simplicity, he has made a name for himself shooting luxury and racing cars. Swedish luxury car brand Koenigsegg needed new images to show during the high-profile press event at the Geneva Motor Show 2017. This is one of their biggest marketing happenings and highly important for their brand. They commissioned Oskar to shoot light and simple pictures with a focus on the cars rather than the surroundings. "They sent us to an empty airplane hangar close to their factory in Ängelholm. A proper studio would have been preferable, but I was happy to have so much space," Oskar says. Shooting in Sweden in the middle of February means short days and unstable weather. Oskar got around 24 hours to shoot but knew the cars would not arrive all at the same time. "It was a fun mission and at the same time a big challenge." To achieve a coherent look and feel he needed to light the cars thoroughly and could not rely on the existing or ambient light. Since all cars were dark it was important that the reflections in the polish turned out particularly well. "I had two big challenges to overcome. My customer wanted bright luster images and we were standing in a dark hangar. It was too messy to be a proper backdrop." "The second challenge was the time. I had no control over how long we could keep each car and had to make the most of it." And Oskar had a plan. Though it was the first time he was about to try something new. To get the reflections to really shine off the car polish, Oskar stretched a white 36×36' Butterfly sail over the car so as to bounce the light from two Profoto B1 Off-Camera Flashes. "That helped me to generate delicate reflections and gradients in the paint and carbon fiber. "It was the first time I worked with a sail like this so the shoot was a bit of an experiment. But as soon as I got the hang of it, it was quite easy to handle." He fitted his cordless monolights with a Magnum Reflector and OCF Barndoors when he was shooting the exterior. For the interior shoots he used an RFi Softbox 1×4'. "This kind of setup is all about where the reflections and light end up. By moving the sail and my B1's I could find the perfect positions to maximize details and the shapes of the different car parts." Oskar could use TTL to get the right light exposure with the Air Remote TTL-S mounted on his Sony α7R II, with GM 24-70/2.8. "I always use TTL for the first test images to set the exposure. When I've got the right light, I switch to Manual. That way I get a super-fast workflow and never need to try my way to find the right power output from the flash." Using this setup, Oskar had no problem timing the short and undefined changes between cars. He managed to work around the messy background so that his post-production team at Retuscheriet could put in lighter, more pleasant backdrops. "The image turned out bright and nice, and I managed to get a consistent look and feel. I like the contrast between the dark cars and the light background. And so does Koenigsegg."

Q: How to read all .log files from directory I have running .bat scripts that generate .log files in directory c:mydir and I would like to read all .log files to monitor my scripts. The content of the .log files is pretty basic, if the script run ends with failure, in the .log file I have a string : 'Finished with errors' (fileA.log and fileB.log). If it runs successfully : Finished with NO errors (fileC.log) The goal would be to have a POWERSHELL script returning the filename + status : * *fileA.log FAILED *fileB.log FAILED *fileC.log SUCCESS A: Here's a concise, PowerShell-idiomatic solution based on a single pipeline, which combines Get-ChildItem, ForEach-Object, and Select-String: Get-ChildItem *.log | ForEach-Object { [pscustomobject] @{ Name = $_.Name Status = ('FAILED', 'SUCCESS')[(Select-String -Quiet 'Finished with NO errors' $_.FullName)] } } This outputs objects, namely [pscustomobject] instances, one per log file, that each have a .Name and a .Status property; in the console, you should see output like the following: Name Status ---- ------ fileA.log FAILED fileB.log FAILED fileC.log SUCCESS Performance optimization: If your log files are large, mclayton sensibly suggests using Get-Content -Tail 1 (Get-Content -Last 1) as an optimization, under the assumption that the success marker string is always on the last line: Get-ChildItem *.log | ForEach-Object { [pscustomobject] @{ Name = $_.Name Status = ('FAILED', 'SUCCESS')[(Get-Content $_.FullName -Tail 1) -match 'Finished with NO errors'] } } A: Get-Item File*.log | ForEach-Object { # Get each log file $fil=$_.Name; # Hold the name of the file in variable fil foreach ($line in Get-Content $fil ) { # Loop through each line of the file if ($line -eq "NO errors") { $stat="SUCCESS" # If line is "NO error" hold success/failure in variable stat } else { $stat="FAILED" } Write-Output $fil" "$stat # Print the file name and status } } One liner: Get-Item File*.log | ForEach-Object { $fil=$_.Name; foreach ($line in Get-Content $fil ) { if ($line -eq "NO errors") { $stat="SUCCESS" } else { $stat="FAILED" } Write-Output $fil" "$stat } }

27 year old William Jordan Burks, who originally told police his name was Jarrod Chastain before fleeing from a traffic stop on a motorcycle Wednesday, is in jail charged with fleeing and attempting to elude police, driving with a suspended or revoked license, operation of an unlicensed vehicle, willful obstruction of a police officer, making an improper U-turn, and reckless driving. Burks was arrested in the marsh near the Ga. Pacific mill after being spotted by county drone pilots. He is also wanted in Lowndes County on a misdemeanor probation violation warrant.

Motorola Inc. won a $5.9 million contract from Harris County, Texas, to provide the county with an automated fingerprint identification network, the company announced this week. Under the contract, Motorola of Schaumberg, Ill., will upgrade the county's automated fingerprint identification system and provide the new fingerprint and palm print database search and photo imaging technologies. The Harris County Sheriff's Department will use Omnitrak, an automated fingerprint and palm print identification system. The contract includes the purchase of nine new LiveScan Station 3000s, an automated booking management system designed to capture palm prints, slap impressions and rolled fingerprint images. LiveScan enables law enforcement officials to identify individuals through a rapid search against multiple databases. The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase is scheduled for completion by late 2003. The company did not provide an estimated completion date for the second phase. Future plans may include implementation of a regional automated fingerprint identification system, expansion to adjacent counties and mobile fingerprinting capabilities in patrol cars. Harris County, which is one of the largest counties in the nation, has a population of more than 3.4 million. Motorola, a provider of integrated communications and information solutions, has more than 111,000 employees and had annual revenue of $26.7 billion in 2002.

With the fall semester well under way, now is prime time for school fundraisers. You know, the big, fun event where your kids sell cookie dough, calendars, coupon books and other stuff to raise money for class projects, trips, et cetera. Yes, we hear you groan at the thought. There's a better way that not many people know about – school fundraising wristbands. Hear us out – custom wristbands are a fast, easy, fun way to raise money. And they have one big advantage over other fundraising programs – YOU are in control. Here's the dirty little secret many fundraising operations don't like to publicize. Some of them take 50 percent – or more – of every dollar your students raise. The company makes at least as much money as your school does. Wristbands sell fast, because people like them. They're fun to wear, and they show that people support your cause. When imprinted with your school name and mascot, they're an incredibly popular way to demonstrate school spirit and camaraderie. Here's where school fundraising wristbands really shine. The more you buy, the less each wristband costs. The lower your cost, the more you can make. Let's say you buy 50 custom wristbands at $1.79 each. You sell them at $5 apiece – not an uncommon price for fundraising bands. You make $3.21 on each one, for a net profit of $160. Not bad. If however, you order 1,000 wristbands, the price drops to 27 cents each. Sell them at that same $5 price, and you net $4,730. Best of all, your school keeps that net profit. You don't have to send half of it to a fundraising firm. You control where the cash goes. So what are you waiting for? If your school needs to raise money for band trips, football uniforms, flags, equipment or anything else, school fundraising wristbands are the way to go! If you'd like to find out more, email us at [email protected], or call us toll-free at 866-460-9411. Let us show you how easy and fast it can be to raise money for your school! Custom Message Wristbands For Red Ribbon WeekThanksgiving Wristbands Boost Holiday Spirit!

Coronavirus: Important Issues for Hospitality Industry Owners, Operators and Lenders Coronavirus: Hospitality Industry Advisory By Jeffrey H. Kapner Kevin O'Neill David J.M. Skillman Marne Marotta To help our clients navigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, Arnold & Porter has established a Coronavirus Task Force covering a wide range of issues and challenges. Subscribe to our "Coronavirus (COVID-19)" mailing list to receive our latest client Advisories and register for upcoming webinars. The coronavirus pandemic is affecting every corner of commerce as consumers cancel their travel plans and start to limit their day-to-day activities. With the US hotel industry facing group business cancellation rates of 40 percent in the next 90 to 120 days,1 the hospitality industry is at the forefront of the pandemic's economic effects. As the US federal government starts enacting measures to mitigate the pandemic's economic impact, we highlight important issues under discussion that may affect the hospitality industry in the short- and medium-term. Active and Recent Changes Federal Disaster Declaration: On Friday, March 13, President Trump declared a federal state of emergency under the Stafford Act and the National Emergencies Act, opening a range of policy responses that include federal aid to individuals as well as to state and local governments. The administration is now able to utilize a roughly $40 billion fund for this response, providing federal matching funds to state and local emergency efforts. Sick/Family Leave: The second stimulus package includes two different provisions addressing paid benefits to employees affected by the coronavirus. The first creates a new emergency paid sick leave benefit, which requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide up to two weeks' paid leave for coronavirus-related reasons, including: (1) self-quarantine; (2) obtaining medical care if an employee is experiencing symptoms; (3) complying with a recommendation that the employee's physical presence on the job would risk exposing coronavirus to others; (4) caring for a sick family member who may have been exposed or exhibits symptoms; and (5) caring for a child whose school or child-care facility has been closed or whose childcare provider is unavailable. The family and medical leave provision amends the existing Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for the following coronavirus related reasons: (1) to follow a requirement or recommendation to quarantine because of exposure to or symptoms of coronavirus; (2) to care for a family member who may have been exposed to the coronavirus or exhibits coronavirus symptoms; or (3) to care for a child younger than 18 whose school is closed or whose child-care provider is unavailable. The family and sick leave is unpaid for the first 14 days. Employers must allow the employee to substitute paid time off, but may not require the employee to do so. Following the 14-day period, workers would receive a benefit from their employers that is at least two-thirds of their normal pay rate. The Department of Labor is authorized to issue regulations to (1) exclude certain health-care providers and emergency responders from paid leave benefits and (2) exempt small businesses with fewer than 50 employees from the paid leave requirements. Employers can receive a refundable tax credit for a portion of the expenses related to these provisions. Both provisions apply only to private-sector employers—and are set to expire at the end of 2020. The second stimulus package, which the House passed early on the morning of March 14, includes paid sick and family leave provisions.2 The House also passed a technical corrections bill on March 16 to address a few drafting errors that negatively affect small businesses.3 The Senate will consider the Families First Coronavirus Response Act early this week. Since the bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support,4 after President Trump tweeted his support for it late Friday night, we expect a strong bipartisan vote in the Senate. However, there are concerns that the exemption for companies with more than 500 employees would still leave millions of workers without emergency paid sick and family leave. President Trump has also said that he could consider expanding these provisions in future coronavirus relief bills. Payroll Tax: President Trump is calling for an immediate suspension of the payroll tax, which would be an extremely expensive part of any stimulus package. Congressional reaction to the proposal from both political parties was largely negative last week, though on Monday the US Chamber of Commerce strongly backed the idea as a top policy change to help the recovery. Given the opposition in Congress, we believe various administration officials are trying to determine if there are administrative powers the president can invoke to suspend a portion of the payroll tax for an extended period of time. Small Business Administration Disaster Loans: The Trump Administration announced last week that Small Business Administration disaster loans are available to eligible businesses to weather coronavirus impact. Economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses that suffered "substantial economic injury" as a direct result of a declared disaster.5 For SBA purposes, hotels are considered small businesses if they have under $35 million in annual receipts.6 Economic injury disaster loans can provide working capital until normal operations resume. President Trump also called on Congress to approve an additional $50 billion in SBA lending authority, which we expect Congress to consider in a future stimulus package. The Senate Small Business Committee is also working on ways to streamline the SBA's disaster loan process. Federal Reserve Actions: On Sunday, March 15, the Fed announced it would cut interest rates to zero—following on a prior emergency cut earlier this month—in a dramatic intervention to protect the economy. The central bank has also increased support to overnight lending markets to ensure liquidity in the banking system, and has now announced it will be buying at least $700 billion in government and mortgage-related bonds, in a restart of the financial crisis-era program of "quantitative easing." These steps suggest the Fed may turn to other emergency lending facilities and tools it used to provide liquidity during the 2007–2009 financial crisis. Congress may also expand the central bank's authority in a future stimulus package. For example, on March 15, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin suggested he may ask Congress to reinstate certain emergency lending powers that Treasury and the Fed had prior to the enactment of Dodd-Frank, though it remains to be seen whether Congressional support for such authority will materialize. On March 15, several of the nation's largest banks announced a freeze on buybacks of their own shares through the end of the second quarter, in order to free up capital to deploy elsewhere to help the economy. The move was voluntary by the banks but had been encouraged by lawmakers including Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee. Changes on the Horizon We think financial regulators are likely to take additional actions to mitigate the pandemic's impact on the hospitality industry. Last week, senators from states that rely heavily on tourism and business travel urged the Federal Reserve, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors to enact guidance to help the hospitality industry weather the ongoing coronavirus health crisis.7 The recommendations include enabling loan work-outs and allowing borrowers to defer payments without penalties, make interest-only payments, and refinance without fees. We would expect financial regulators to enact some combination of these recommendations in the near future. In addition to financial regulators taking steps to help market liquidity and the administration taking executive action, we expect Congress to continue working to mitigate the pandemic's economic impact. The first stimulus package focused on funding for disaster relief, and the second package focused on funding for workers and families directly affected by the virus. We anticipate the third package will be even larger, with a broader focus on helping various sectors of the economy recover from the effects of the virus, while also addressing additional remaining issues for families and individuals directly affected by the virus. It is possible that the third package will be the largest in scope and impact since Congress passed the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act in October 2008 to deal with the global financial meltdown. While we expect individual representatives and senators to offer a myriad of bills aimed at various recovery elements, we see the third comprehensive coronavirus package as the most likely place for the hospitality industry to secure specific financial assistance from the government for its unprecedented losses. While it is too early to tell what specific provisions may be included, we expect further consideration of a payroll tax cut and potentially a fix for the so-called "retail glitch," which precludes taxpayers from taking advantage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 100 percent bonus depreciation provision for interior improvements. There are also preliminary discussions of broader investments in the economy, such as infrastructure investments. » Watch related webinar © Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP 2020 All Rights Reserved. This Advisory is intended to be a general summary of the law and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with counsel to determine applicable legal requirements in a specific fact situation. See Knowland Insights: Coronavirus Pandemic—Hotel Group Impact and Actions (March 12, 2020). The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201). HR 6201 passed the House on a vote of 363–40. All 40 "No" votes were Republicans. A usually high number of Representatives—26—did not vote on the bill, and this group includes several members of Congress who are already quarantined. H. Res. 904 passed out of the House by unanimous consent. 363–40 in the House. All 40 "No" votes were Republicans. An usually high number of Representatives—26—did not vote on the bill, and this group includes several members of Congress who are already quarantined. See 13 CFR 123.300. See Van Hollen, Cardin, Warner, Kaine Urge Financial Regulators to Take Measures to Protect Hospitality and Tourism Industry Workers During Coronavirus Outbreak (March 13, 2020). Legislative & Public Policy Language Language English 中文 Jeffrey H. Kapner David J.M. Skillman Marne Marotta Small Business Loan Relief From CARES Act Coronavirus: Multipractice Advisory Washington, DC and Nebraska Challenge Hotel Resort Fee Disclosure Practices

Q: How to assign 1 user to 1 order id? I want to divide data into multiple users. <?php $users = array('13','15','16','16','17','20'); $handle = fopen($_FILES['csvfile']['tmp_name'], 'r'); $i = 1; while ($data = fgetcsv($handle)) { foreach ($users as $value) { echo $data['OrderId'] .":". $value; $i++; } } ?> output is Order ID : UserId 405-6219270-3721912 : 13 405-6219270-3721912 : 15 405-6219270-3721912 : 16 405-6219270-3721912 : 17 405-6219270-3721912 : 20 403-5995684-2353914 : 13 403-5995684-2353914 : 15 403-5995684-2353914 : 16 403-5995684-2353914 : 17 403-5995684-2353914 : 20 404-1894735-7034722 : 13 404-1894735-7034722 : 15 404-1894735-7034722 : 16 404-1894735-7034722 : 17 404-1894735-7034722 : 20 406-7756082-9574748 : 13 406-7756082-9574748 : 15 406-7756082-9574748 : 16 406-7756082-9574748 : 17 406-7756082-9574748 : 20 171-7214409-3467567 : 13 171-7214409-3467567 : 15 171-7214409-3467567 : 16 171-7214409-3467567 : 17 171-7214409-3467567 : 20 405-7442385-9605918 : 13 405-7442385-9605918 : 15 405-7442385-9605918 : 16 405-7442385-9605918 : 17 405-7442385-9605918 : 20 But I Want this output Order ID : UserId 405-6219270-3721912 : 13 403-5995684-2353914 : 15 404-1894735-7034722 : 16 406-7756082-9574748 : 17 171-7214409-3467567 : 20 405-7442385-9605918 : 15 171-7214409-3467569 : 16 171-7214409-3467570 : 17 171-7214409-3467571 : 20 405-7442385-9605972 : 15 405-7442385-9605973 : 16 405-7442385-9605973 : 17 405-7442385-9605974 : 20 Why my loop iteration four-time instead of one? A: Using a nested loop as you do, this will for each order form the file, output each user. What you can do instead is use 1 loop (reading the input file) and modulus (%) of the line number ($i) and output a user per order... $userCount = count($users); $i = 0; while ($data = fgetcsv($handle)) { echo $data[0] .":". $users[$i % $userCount] . PHP_EOL; $i++; } A: For each order ID (data), you iterate over all the users. Instead, you could use something like this: <?php $users = array('13','15','16','16','17','20'); $handle = fopen($_FILES['csvfile']['tmp_name'], 'r'); // Iterate over the users. foreach ($users as $user) { if (($data = fgetcsv($handle)) !== null) { echo $data['OrderId'] . ':' . $user; } } ?> Iterate over the users, for each user, if there is still csv data, consume that csv data and print order ID and user ID.

A list of Kannada language films produced in the Kannada film industry in India in the year 2020. January–June July - December References External links Kannada Upcoming Releases Lists of 2020 films by country or language 2020 2020 in Indian cinema

Apricot Poodle Gifts, Merchandise and Collectibles. Shop Apricot Poodle merchandise including flags, signs, clothing. Apricot Poodle gifts for dog lovers. Apricot Poodle products, gifts and accessories with stunning dog breed pictures and artwork – perfect for yourself or any Apricot Poodle dog lover !

Landmark draft Bill published for future referendum. Ruth Maguire MSP has welcomed a draft independence referendum Bill, published today, to give people in Scotland the right to decide their future, once the current health crisis is over. Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said the draft Bill is being brought forward to offer Scotland the choice of who is best placed to lead the country's post-pandemic recovery – the people who live here or a government based in Westminster. The draft Scottish Independence Referendum Bill publication sets out a number of key issues for a vote, including: the timing of a referendum should be a matter for the next Scottish Parliament to decide. Ministers have separately made clear it should take place once the public health crisis is over the question "Should Scotland be an independent country?" is the same one used during the 2014 referendum and it will be tested by the Electoral Commission voting eligibility will be extended to match the franchise at Scottish Parliament and local government elections The draft Bill has been published on the Scottish Government's website. It will be for a future Scottish Government to consider whether it formally introduces a Bill in the Scottish Parliament. Mr Russell said: "Our top priority will continue to be dealing with the pandemic and keeping the country safe, but we are optimistic that because of the incredible efforts of people across Scotland better times lie ahead. "The Scottish Government believes it should be the people living in Scotland who have the right to decide how we recover from the pandemic and what sort of country we wish to build after the crisis. "If Westminster maintains its control, recent history shows what Scotland can expect: an economic recovery hindered by a hard Brexit that is already taking a significant toll and the continued, systematic undermining of devolution, which is weakening our parliament's powers to maintain food and environmental standards and protect the NHS from post-Brexit trade deals. "Scotland's recovery should be made by the people who live here and who care most about Scotland. That is why Scotland's future should be Scotland's choice. "It should be for the next Scottish Parliament to decide the timing of the referendum. So that the recovery from the pandemic can be made in Scotland, the Scottish Government believes it should be held in the first half of the new Parliamentary term. "If there is a majority in the Scottish Parliament after the forthcoming election for an independence referendum there can be no democratic justification whatsoever for any Westminster government to seek to block a post-pandemic referendum." Commenting on the draft publication Ruth Maguire MSP said: "Should Scotland elect a pro-independence majority at the forth coming Scottish Parliament Election on the 6th of May, this draft Bill sets out how the Scottish Parliament, not Westminster, can progress with a referendum, within the new Parliamentary term. "Scotland's future must be for the people of Scotland to decide". Read the draft Scottish Independence Referendum Bill publication referendumreferendum bilscottish parliamentsnp Previous Previous post: MSPs call on Scottish Government to outlaw online pimping Next Next post: National Day of Reflection

A Trip to Ooty – Part 1 – Flawed, Cracked… But Rare! Arrrgh… ok… lemme kick-start the machinery again. And what better way than to try and remember a recent trip I had to Ooty. Yeah, it wasn't that great and I don't recall much. Either all the movies are shot in an Ooty that's totally different from the one I saw or something is wrong with my onscreen and off-screen perception of places. Yes, it was green and misty and foggy and whatnot… but it was also too wet and too crowded for me to like the place. And mind you… we had gone when it was supposed to be off-season. I shudder to think of how the place would be during peak season when everyone would be Ootying. To that existing crowd we added a good 18 more people. Oh yeah! When we travel, we travel khandaan in tow! In a Sutlej 30-seater coach. With luggage that most families pack for a month. For 3 days. Oh… by the way, when I said 'without clothes'… I didn't mean nekkid… I meant I had clothes only for a week and they were all "Dry Clean Only" which meant that I had to buy more stuff!^^ So, I was clothed… just not happy wearing clothes bought with money meant for books. ^^Dry cleaning in Kerala takes donkey years! Around two weeks prior to the trip my cousin sis and I were trying to work out an itinerary to fit in all possible touristy spots into a period of 3 days. This resulted in the two of us doing a virtual tour of Ooty and its surroundings all the way to Mudumalai sanctuary to one side and Kotagiri to the other. Google Earth and Google Maps helped us a lot… but the weathermen did not. To decide whether we needed to pack our winter-wear and how many warm clothes to pack, we tried to find a reliable weather forecast for Ooty. When the packing started, the weather was forecasted to be a sultry, humid average of 25°C with thunderstorms… which made us (sorry, Just me) wonder if I weren't better off huddling under the blanket in the house in Kochi which was a cool 22-23°C. A week later the weather was forecasted to be a chilling 10°C – 14°C, so I panicked and rang up mom to ask her to get me my coat, but she was travelling to Bangkok before flying down to Kochi and so no coat for me. With 4 days to the trip, the weather was supposed to be a tolerable average of 23°C and I was glad I wouldn't need to carry my coat. We set out late one night in the last week of August, with the neighbors believing we were shifting for good, to Mettupalayam in the Sutlej. The Bangkok trippers (my uncle & aunt from Kuwait and mom & papa) had all reached Kochi on the day of the Ooty trip with just 5 hours to repack. Bade-papa'splace was turned upside down with all of us packing and re-packing, and with badi-maa in the kitchen preparing food for all of us and to be carried to Ooty (Apparently, people in Ooty survive on pure, cool and clean air and nothing else) the house was quite a mess. The smallest bag I could find was my cabin suitcase and I threw in a pair of jeans and 3 tops for the three days we would be in Ooty, along with my bare essentials, a Gatsby cap and a woollen scarf (my only protection from the anticipated chill)… oh and a pair of sneakers which I had bought for the trip because the only other footwear I had was a pair of 4 inch wedges. I had hunted low and wide for a decent camera to take along but in the end settled for my trusty Galaxy S2… also, uncle was going to get his Canon Rebel T2i. We were all packed and ready by half past ten in the night… even the two little ones. The living room was a sea of baggage, some of which included pillows and blankets. Don't even think of asking me why! One corner was cordoned off for food items… snacks for the bus, idli and dry-chutney and bread-jam for breakfast, an electric kettle along with sugar, coffee and tea sachets… for all the people in the group who cannot start their day without a cup of tea / coffee and a few morsels in their tummy. And a newspaper… to aid a certain someone in certain early morning necessary deeds. A man has got to stimulate his brain for perfect motions!! The Sutlej mini-coach with its awkward size (nothing mini about a 30 seater) could not manoeuvre itself through the steep and narrow lane to our house to pick us all up. It was expecting too much of us to think we'd have carried the luggage to the bus. So, jiju did a few shuttle-trips with his Swift to the bus and back for the luggage and the lazy ones among us. The rest of us walked to the bus which contrary to what you might have thought was parked a mere 200 meters away. As expected from a luxury bus of its kind, the Sutlej was roomy and nice… and sparkling clean, smelled fresh and had all the usual stuff expected from these buses – fully reclinable seats, bone chilling AC, loud speaker system and the video-screen. The bus has a 2 + 1 arrangement of seats… and I chose one of the single seats at the back which had the largest window uninterrupted by the window-partitions. The seats had this slight forward tilt and it resulted in me sliding off to the seat edge many a time… I was saved from falling off because I have relatively long legs (I'd like to think so). The shorter ones on other seats had their bums sliding completely off the seat… so much for extra legroom! I was hoping to go to sleep as soon as I got in to the bus… evidently, that did not happen… I was wide awake the whole time. We had to make two en-route stops to pick up two (more) families of our relatives… in all we were 6 families plus or minus a few 'kids' being away on the account of not being in the country / no leave. I started getting a bit drowsy after crossing the Kerala border in to Tamil Nadu. By then it was early morning, and we had been in the bus for over 6 hours… we had to reach Mettupalayam station before 7:00 AM. The meter-gauge, steam powered train (which I like to call the 'Toy Train') would take us to Ooty from Mettupalayam and it was scheduled to leave at 7:00 AM for a 5 hour journey to Ooty Station. We reached Mettupalayam at around 5:30 AM and then freshened up at the station, had nice filter-kaapiand breakfast at the railway canteen. Maybe because I was hungry… the wada-sambhar I had was yummy. I even got papa to buy me a pack of some fried savoury snack – fried corn tubes which could be worn on the fingers and also a few lollipops. The train sans its engine was already waiting for us. We found our non-first-class seats in the middle compartment. The first one was the first class compartment which should have been booked as early as 6 months prior unlike us who booked it 3 weeks prior. Our tickets cost a mere 23 bucks per seat… I almost fell off laughing when I saw the ticket prices. BEST charges me more for a trip from Vashi to Chembur!! Someone told me that the first class tickets were 230 bucks per head… that too is quite measly. But then, the train was hardly what I had expected. It was worse than a state transport run ordinary bus… and the first class was a notch above, perhaps comparable to a BEST ordinary bus. The train's exterior was blue and yellow… bright and sunny! Here I was expecting polished wood interiors and the lingering memories of a vintage era… and what I got was the dirty sky-blue painted box of tin with grey Rexine seats. I am sure there were lingering memories of the earlier passengers but I did not check. I was glad we did not have to carry the mountain of luggage that we had brought from home in the train. Our nice and comfy bus was supposed to meet us at Ooty with our luggage. For a moment I did think I would have been better off getting to Ooty in that bus… not to mention I would surely beat the train in speed. Of course, experiencing the toy-train was part of the Ooty deal and I wasn't really gonna let go of that 'opportunity'. Our compartment felt like it had sold of a few tickets more than it had seats and except for the seats which our group had booked, the others were quite crammed. We had the advantage of 4 kids (if that can be called an advantage) and then we also had two extra tickets because my brother and one of my cousins could not get leave for the trip. For all the leg room the bus provided, the train seats were stacked almost on top of each other. The seat in front of mine cut in to my knees. I silently thanked my stars for not making them seats reclinable. The steam engine chugged along and joined the three compartments and finally it was time for us to leave the station… and unlike Bombay's local trains, if you were to adjust your clock according to this train's timing then you'd be eating only dessert at most of your dinner appointments. Thanks for sharing this with us! Ooty is the ideal hill station for tourists to visit on any Tour to Tamil Nadu. One of the most popular tourist places in entire India, Ooty is a treasure trove of breathtaking natural beauty. The numerous tourist attractions in Ooty include the verdant hills, cascading waterfalls and sparkling brooks, dense forests, sprawling grasslands and extensive tea gardens. Tourist across the seas comes here to visit the amazing locations and for many travelers who prefer to stay at Hill View Resorts in Ooty. A very comprehensive article about Ooty indeed covering topics as diverse as sightseeing attractions and accessibility through rail. The best train for reaching Ooty have been mentioned and inputs have been provided into the destination's local economy as well.

Hey guys! I'm back today with an episode alllll about the platform that lots of us have found very confusing – Pinterest. What are monthly viewers? How are people going viral? Why is it such a good traffic source for some and not for others and how the Jeff do we make it work for us. Well, I sat down with Reena Rai, the UK Influencer Community Manager for Pinterest and she gave me the TOTAL 401 on Pinterest so I thought I'd share what I learned with you. Currently over 250m people access Pinterest every month with around 50m of them hailing from the UK. They use it to essentially see what to do, what to buy and what to create. This means it's an unbelievable tool to master for bloggers and online business owners a like – that's a LOT of people seeing your content. And no silly, 'let's limit it to 6% of your followers' business going on either. Now I am NOT a Pinterest expert, so what I thought I'd do is kind of like a walkthrough episode for ya so that you can get your laptops or phones out and implement some tweaks and changes as we go through OR if you're on the go, this episode might just lift the lid on what a GIFT Pinterest is for bloggers and online business owners a like. SO if you're ready, let's crack on. First things first, a lot of you have come to me in the past and said, 'oh Vix I know I should be on Pinterest but I just don't know where to start' or, you've been wondering how to generate traffic from it. TOTALLY been there myself. Now usually I would direct you to some Pinterest whizzes like Victoria from Apartment No 4, who wrote a great blog post for me all about Pinterest for bloggers – so defo go and read that. But I thought, seeing as I've just met with Pinterest, I can break it down for you like Reena did for me! So you've probably heard this a thousand billion times but Pinterest is a visual search engine. It's like Google's better looking sister. The me, to my twin. Haha. Jokes. What that means though is that is a platform that people go to to look for inspiration or guidance – a range of how tos, tutorials and tips. So in the same way that your brilliantly helpful and interesting content does well in Google search – that same content should also do well on Pinterest. One HUGE benefit of Pinterest, unlike other social media apps *cough*INSTAGRAM*cough* is that your followers see your content and share it widely to people who AREN'T following you. Which again means so many eyes on your content! Unlike other platforms too, Pinterest content hangs around for AGES with the average shelf life of a pin being 105 days. Imagine all the traffic rolling in from that! Not all content is made for Pinterest however. Your 3am ramblings over boys not texting you back or that Payday Edit about the New Look purse you want may not pull in the results in comparison to a travel guide, beauty tutorial, fashion cookbook, recipe or guide. This is probably why I haven't utilised Pinterest before. I can't seem many people looking to it for tips on snogging or what to say to fuckboys. But now I'm writing more lifestyle and blogging based content – it's definitely something I want to utilise. I'll give you a bit of background on my Pinterest – it ain't me. Haha I had the wonderful Lex from Talonted Lex manage it for a month or two and she helped optimise my boards. Then I had a couple of other pals help out with getting to grips with the Tailwind scheduler – but I'll come back to that. So if you go on my profile and see a quarter of a million monthly views (as it stands) please don't think that makes me good at Pinterest. Haha! Anyway, now I have the wonderful Dani who works with me and she sets up my Tailwind pins BUT after my meeting with Reena, I came home and basically transformed my entire profile – and that's what I'm going to work with you on today. Once you've done that, I want us to walk through how to optimise your profile. GO ahead and click 'Settings' and your profile should come up. Fill it in but there's one area I really want you to focus on and that's your profile name and description. This is where you need to get those keywords in that relate to your blog or business. So for example, because I blog about blogging and I'm a blogging coach – I want to make sure my profile name and description has keywords like – blogger, blogging tips, social media strategy etc in it. Your description is totally searchable so make sure you've got the terms in there that you want to be found for! The next best bit about a business profile is that you get to 'claim' your other channels. To claim your website, you need to get a piece of code from Pinterest and then to put it into your website's backend (that's what she said). I'm on WordPress so I downloaded a plugin called Headers and Footers which meant I could copy and paste the code into my header. There are tons of tutorials on how to do this for all web platforms if you get stuck. That's the basics of your profile up and running. There are other ways to optimise it with the cover pins and featured boards but I think we'll come back to that in another episode! You'll also want to ensure that your blog has the Pinterest 'Pin It' or 'Save' button installed. This is where people can hover over a picture from your post and a Pinterest logo comes up so that they can save it to their board. On WordPress you just need to enable to Pinterest plugin and link it to your business account. Again there are tons of tutorials if you're stuck or if you have a Pipdig theme like I do it comes pre installed – but go and hover over some images on your blog to check it works! The next great thing you get with a business account is that you can enable, 'Rich Pins'. All this means is that there are different pin types that will pull through information and look mega fancy. For example – recipe pins will show cooking time, ingredients and all the juicy diets on Pinterest. Mainly we'll be making 'article pins' which is where Pinterest will give a viewer a snippet of what our blog posts are about and will encourage the Pinner to read it. To get the most out of these pins, you should make sure that when you upload a photo for your post, that you write a description of the article in the description box as this is what Pinterest pulls through. For example, I will make the graphic for this podcast episode and write in the description box something like, 'Here's my latest podcast episode which is a beginner's guide to Pinterest. I discuss how bloggers can use Pinterest and how we can get the most out of our business accounts.' I will try and put those keywords like 'beginner's Pinterest guide' and 'bloggers Pinterest' in there so that it can become searchable within Pinterest. If you forget though, don't panic, you can go into Pinterest and rewrite Pin descriptions to make them more searchable by including keywords and even hashtags but I'll discuss that in a min. A key benefit of Pinterest over other platforms is the myriad of ways you are discoverable. You can use hashtags – the broader the better as they are still relatively new in Pinterest world. But make sure you put them on fresh content. Some of Pinterests feeds are chronological so hashtags will only matter on fresh content really! So, your content can be found on Pinterest in these ways – the home feed, the following feed and in related pins. You will appear in someone's home feed if Pinterest's algorithm deems your content relevant to what people have been pinning. SO if I pin loads of gold wedding dresses, the next time I go to my home feed – loads more gold dresses will show up – and not just from people I'm already following. Then you'll appear in the feeds of people who follow you, when they click on the Following tab. Using the following tab is a great way to engage with people you follow by repining their stuff or commenting on their pins. GO and show the love! You also have the chance of appearing in the 'related pins' section. If someone clicks on a pin to view it and decides it's not what they're looking for, further suggestions will appear at the bottom – that could be you! I feel like there's SO MUCH more we can cover and I already see this episode become too beefy, so let's leave it here and I'll continue it next week. And if you fancy a little challenge – why not create 5 new boards that are relevant to your content and pin at least 40 pins (mix in some of your content) and come and share them on the Facebook group – I'll start a thread where we can give each other feedback on our profiles and boards. You could also start a board that is specifically for your blog posts, podcast episodes, YouTube videos, Insta images etc! And then a few insider tips from Pinterest themselves! And go right ahead and follow me on Pinterest – I'm /vixmeldrew on there! I've really being trying to up my game with Pinterest recently. I've used the free trail on Tailwind and I've found it so useful for driving more traffic and saving time. I think I might have to take the plunge and get the full paid account! Looking forward to the next episode about Pinterest!

HOME > ARTICLES > Ginkgo Biloba GINKGO, MAIDENHAIR TREE, BAI GUO (CHINESE) GINKGO IS THOUGHT TO BE the oldest tree on the planet, first growing about 190 million years ago. Though long used as a medicine in its native China, its therapeutic actions have only recently been researched. The leaves (and their extract) are used to treat poor circulation to the brain and to maintain a plentiful blood flow to the central nervous system. Ginkgo is also valuable for asthma. Habitat & Cultivation Native to China and possibly to Japan, ginkgo trees are grown in large-scale plantations in China, France and in South Carolina in the US. They produce green to yellow fan-shaped leaves with radiating veins, and round fruits about 3 cm (1 in) across that contain a single seed. Leaves and fruit are harvested in autumn. Key Constituents • Flavonoids • Ginkgolides • Bilobalides Key Actions • Circulatory stimulant & tonic • Anti-asthmatic • Antispasmodic • Anti-allergenic • Anti-inflammatory • Circulation Extensive research since the 1960s has established the importance of ginkgo in improving poor cerebral circulation, aiding memory and concentration and helping in cases of dementia. • Anti-inflammatory action Ginkgo's ability to reduce inflammation may make it valuable in the future for conditions as varied as autoimmune problems, multiple sclerosis and organ transplants. • Platelet activating factor Research into ginkgo has led to the understanding of a new branch of human physiology. Ginkgo inhibits platelet activating factor (PAF), a substance released by a range of blood cells. PAF causes the blood to become stickier and therefore more likely to produce blood clots, and it also makes various inflammatory and allergenic changes take place. Traditional & Current Uses • Chinese herbal medicine Ginkgo seeds are used to relieve wheezing and to lessen phlegrn. They are also given to treat vaginal discharge, a weak bladder and incontinence. The leaves are traditionally used for treating asthma. • Western herbal medicine Western interest in ginkgo has concentrated on the remarkable ability of the leaves to improve the circulation, especially poor circulation to the brain, and the herb's anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory actions, which make it a particularly useful herbal remedy for the treatment of asthma. Ginkgo is the bestselling herbal medicine in France and Germany, where it is taken daily by millions of people from middle age onwards to maintain and improve cerebral circulation and the memory and to reduce the possibility of a stroke. It is probably one of the most useful herbs for the treatment of senile dementia. PARTS USED Leaves improve the circulation. They are used to make tinctures, tablets and fluid extract. The husk lf the ginkgo seed is removed before use Seeds are prescribed by the Chinese for urinary problems and wheezing.

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A State-of-the-Art review published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology summarizes the evidence relating food to cardiovascular disease and how the global food system contributes to dietary patterns that greatly increase the risks for populations with poor health. The authors identify what an optimal diet for reducing cardiovascular disease looks like, giving the traditional Mediterranean diet as an example, and suggest that it may be possible to recreate this diet in other regions using appropriate similar food replacements based on food availability and preferences. The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. American College of Cardiology. "Study examines impact of global food consumption on heart disease." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 28 Sep. 2015. Web.

<?php namespace App\Http\Controllers\AdminAuth; use Illuminate\Http\Request; use App\Http\Controllers\Controller; use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\AuthenticatesUsers; //Auth facade use Auth; class LoginController extends Controller { protected $redirectTo = '/admin_home'; use AuthenticatesUsers; //Custom guard for seller protected function guard() { return Auth::guard('web_admin'); } //Shows seller login form public function showLoginForm() { return view('admin.auth.login'); } }

TCLModelTabControl::TCLModelTabControl( LStream* inStream) : DMObject(inStream) { } // --------------------------------------------------------------------------- // * TCLModelTabControl(TCLModelTabControl&) // --------------------------------------------------------------------------- // Copy constructor TCLModelTabControl::TCLModelTabControl( const TCLModelTabControl& inOriginal) : DMObject(inOriginal) { ValidateObject_(&inOriginal); } // --------------------------------------------------------------------------- // * ~TCLModelTabControl // --------------------------------------------------------------------------- // Destructor TCLModelTabControl::~TCLModelTabControl() { } Boolean TCLModelTabControl::IsDerivedFrom(FourCharCode inClassID) const { return (inClassID == class_ID) || (DMObject::IsDerivedFrom(inClassID)); } DMElement* TCLModelTabControl::CreateFromStream(LStream* inStream) { return new TCLModelTabControl(inStream); } DMElement* TCLModelTabControl::Clone() const { DMElement* clone = new TCLModelTabControl(*this); try { clone->FinishCreate(); } catch(...) { delete clone; throw; } return clone; } DMElement* TCLModelTabControl::ShallowClone() const { DMElement* clone = new TCLModelTabControl(*this); clone->SetShallowClone(); try { clone->FinishCreate(); } catch(...) { delete clone; throw; } return clone; }

Dark rum and coriander add a surprising Caribbean flair to these slice-and-bake cookies. Combine first 8 ingredients; stir well. Beat butter in a large bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg, beating until blended. Stir in rum. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until blended after each addition. Cover and chill dough 45 minutes. Shape dough into a 13" log on wax paper; wrap and freeze log 1 hour or until firm. Cut frozen log into 1/4" slices, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

This is an auction for a sweet little pillow I designed using a rare hard to find piece of gorgeous cotton with roses and ribbons! I framed this with ecru and white tassel trim, rosebud ticking, and vintage matelasse! There is also a small white cotton cording I added surrounded the pillow as well as a pink ruffle with white roses and ribbons! THis pillow measures 20x10 inches! There is a removeable plump polyfill pillow form for easy laundering.

The Truth Of Things: Did Jesus Exist? 3c. Did Peter and Paul talk about Jesus? 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas [Peter] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. he was keen on what he calls 'Judaism' and on harming churches in Judea because of their attitude to Jewish traditions, which had something to do with Jesus. This was before Paul was a Christian. there were Christians who were 'apostles' - including Peter - before Paul was an apostle. he stopped persecuting them after his personal encounter with God. He mentions two interesting things about this encounter - and this is important for understanding more about what information Paul had. God called him (Gal 1:15). And Jesus gave him a 'gospel' to preach (Gal 1:11-12). Jesus did this by giving Paul a 'revelation'. Paul doesn't say that Jesus supernaturally told him anything else at all, apart from this 'gospel' message. Paul didn't victimise the churches any more. In fact he went away into Arabia, and later to Damascus. After three years away, something important: it was worth him going all the way to Jerusalem just to get to know Peter for the first time. So Peter was a significant man in the church in the 30s as far as Paul was concerned. He had heard of him. And when he went there, he met James (Jesus' brother) too. This information all comes in Paul's defence of himself as a gospel preacher. Later, he positively preaching the faith that he used to victimise, which is crucial evidence (Gal 1:23). And fourteen years later, Paul goes back to Jerusalem, the heartbeat of Judea, to get his 'gospel' message vetted (Gal 2:2). By the time Paul was writing his letters in the 50s, we can see that he has quite a bit of information about Jesus, more information than I would call a 'gospel' message. Remember: Paul says that what he got supernaturally from Jesus was his 'gospel' message. He doesn't say that he got the rest of his information about Jesus this way. In fact we know he didn't, because he has already confessed to harming people who had something to do with Jesus before that: he couldn't have done that unless he had information about their beliefs. He got that from people he met, not from any 'revelation' that was still only in his future. So did Paul learn any such information from Peter? What indirect evidence do we have that helps us to decide what Peter and Paul talked about for fifteen days in the 30s? As I mentioned, Paul's information and our common sense - and Paul's context - help us to work out things they must have talked about. There was one pressing issue that had to be discussed. It was this: was someone who had been persecuting the churches in Judea safe for Peter to be with? It's impossible to imagine the former persecutor Paul spending fifteen days with Peter unless Peter was satisfied that it was safe to do so. Paul would have had to talk to Peter about his changing sides because otherwise to Peter he would be known as a dangerous man who had been persecuting churches – someone to fear and not to be welcomed. Therefore, we can confidently conclude that Paul told Peter about how it was that he stopped persecuting the church. Paul would have to make this convincing if he was to be trusted: so he would have had to give Peter a convincing reason for his change of heart. Paul's only known explanation was that it was after an encounter with God, and a supernatural revelation from Jesus, that he stopped persecuting. Paul never gives a different explanation in his letters. So we can infer confidently that this is the explanation which Paul gave to Peter – his usual explanation. Which brought Jesus into it. This change of heart also meant Paul leaving a life of violent nationalism to become part of the church - in other words, the first Christians that he knew said that being a follower of Jesus meant not being a nationalistic zealot, in order to be inline with the view of Jesus. If he wanted to be trusted, Paul would need Peter to see that he was genuinely sorry for having persecuted the Judean churches. So he had to say so. Paul would have been apologetic about it. That had to be part of the words that were spoken between them. Paul, this former persecutor, to overcome suspicion about him, would also be expected to give a good reason why he had taken the time and trouble to come to Jerusalem to seek out Peter in particular. With Peter being a key member of the persecuted church community whose life had something to do with Jesus, wouldn't it seem a bit suspicious for a former trouble-causer to come and seek him out? What was Paul up to really? To sum up so far, Paul could have said that he had come to make a promise not to persecute the churches, to apologise for what he had done to them, and to give a convincing account that he had converted so that he could be trusted now. This has to be so – it's inconceivable that they could have got through 15 days together without touching on this. But Paul also gives the specific reason for his visit that he wanted to get 'acquainted' with Peter in those fifteen days. Getting 'acquainted' with someone involves sharing each other's stories. That's how relationships work. You can't get acquainted and not share some stories that will mean something to each other. Notice that Paul mentions about meeting Peter after three years, to show that this only happened after Paul had got his 'gospel' message from Jesus. So we can infer that Paul had his own story up to that point to share with Peter. And if Paul needed to tell Peter that he had encountered God and a risen Jesus, then Peter in return had his own stories to tell, such as how he was a part of church life in Judea, and that the church had survived despite being persecuted by Paul. Peter could tell Paul about the churches of Judea that Paul calls 'in Christ' (Gal 1:22). Again this is an inference from the context of this tightly written section of Galatians 1. Since Paul had been harming the church, then it is highly likely that he talked with Peter about why he had done such terrible things. Paul puts his severe attitude down to his being zealous for Jewish traditions (Gal 1:14) - implying that the attitude of some of the Jesus' followers was far from zealous enough for him in those days. So a matter for discussion was what their attitude had to do with, and this would bring Jesus into the discussion, if Paul's letters are anything to go by. The reformed Paul joined them in taking a more relaxed attitude to Jewish Law traditions, a big U-turn. He had caught the bug off the Jesus-followers and become more relaxed. But there was one time when Paul argued with Peter about the Jewish Law traditions (Gal 2), so we know this could be a bone of contention between those two men. It is pretty reasonable, all in all, to infer that Peter and Paul talked about why some followers of Jesus were more relaxed about the Law - the issue where Paul's change of heart was really obvious (it's all over his letters). So these are big things that would be of mutual interest to them to talk about – the persecution of the church, and an interest in Jesus and the church. This is as much as we can work out from the information which Paul gives us in Galatians 1. Whatever else may have been said, we have to say that those conversations had to have taken place. Otherwise, we are just not being real with ourselves about the circumstances these two men were in, as revealed by Paul's autobiographical confessions. And it would be pretty impossible for those two men to cover this ground without touching on the subject of Jesus in some way, especially given Paul's strong interest in the subject of Jesus. It has to be right to infer that Jesus figured in their discussions to some degree. It figured in why Paul had persecuted people for their beliefs, and in Paul's story of his conversion. But we have more than that. It is interesting that when Paul makes another autobiographical comment that he had harmed the church, he tags it on the end of his account of how Jesus had appeared to Peter, then to James and then to himself, and he sounds very apologetic for having been someone they would have seen as their persecutor (1 Cor 15:3-9). These, as it happens, are once again the exact three men mentioned by Paul in Gal 1:18-19, the ones who met in those fifteen days in Jerusalem. Their stories become one story, in the way Paul tells it. Three men whom Jesus appeared to. The way Paul tells it is a sign that they had shared their stories together, the three of them. For Paul, they were no longer separate stories but shared stories: "he appeared to Peter... Then he appeared to James ... and last of all he appeared to me also..." A small sign, but it adds weight to the indirect evidence in Galatians 1 that getting acquainted meant sharing their stories in those fifteen days – especially Paul telling Peter that the risen Jesus appeared to him and he became a convert, and came to believe the beliefs of the people he used to victimise (Gal 1:23). Of course, apart from Paul's letters, if Acts chapters 1-11 are taken into account, there is much to corroborate and fill out these episodes about Paul in Judea, especially Acts 8:3 (Paul persecuting the church) and Acts 9:26-28 (Paul meeting apostles in Jerusalem and preaching in the name of Jesus). But in this series of blogs, I'm not going to rely much on Acts, since it is something that historians have less agreement about. I'm really focussing instead on Paul's first hand eyewitness evidence. There is so much to glean from them that people rarely give attention to. It turns out that eyewitness evidence fills out a lot about the 30s. Okay, I hear you say, we know a bit about these people who were interested in Jesus. But can we get back to talking about Jesus? That's next. We just had to know first about these people in the 30s in Judea, these ones who had an interest in Jesus before Paul ever did. Knowing that they existed with their beliefs makes the existence of Jesus more likely too. Real people of the 30s were talking about a Jesus who affected their lives, within just a handful of years of the days when Jesus is supposed to have lived and died in Judea. Now we can turn to what they were saying about Jesus. You are here - Did Jesus Exist? 3c. Did Peter and Paul talk about Jesus?

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THE amazing vitality of the strike of Local 574, and its ability to survive the heaviest blows and come back fighting, are evoking continued amazement and admiration in the ranks of the general labor movement. The prestige of Local 574 extends far beyond the borders of Minneapolis. This was strikingly demonstrated by the enthusiasm of the International Convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers International Alliance and Bartenders International League, and its generous donation of $1,000. This is a lot of money to donate to the strike of a local union in another trade, and could not have been possible if the delegates, coming from all parts of the country, had not been deeply stirred by the magnificent fight of our union. Trade unionists, including many labor leaders of a more or less conservative tendency, have paid tribute to the fighting abilities of Local 574 and its methods of conducting the struggle against the heaviest odds. Even those who have taken part in important labor struggles and studied the history of others, recognize something new and different in Local 574's way of doing things, something which enables it to stand its ground and keep on fighting where an ordinary trade union would have folded up long ago.What is the secret of this remarkable vitality and resourcefulness? What is "different" about Local 574? The answer is, that almost everything is different. By its constitution and affiliation, Local 574 is an ordinary trade union, indistinguishable from thousands of others. But within the framework of the old-line trade-union movement, represented by the A.F. of L., our Local has evolved methods of organization and forms of activity which go far beyond the traditional craft-union methods and ideas. The outward form is old-fashioned and "regular, " but the inner content is modern and pulsating with new vigorous life. In one sense of the word it can be said that Local 574 represents a fusion of the new and the old at the moment when the American labor movement as a whole stands before the prospect of great changes to meet the modern needs of the workers. No single one of the distinct features of our strike can explain the full significance of Local 574 as the herald of this new movement evolving within the formal framework of the old. The new features and methods of work fit and supplement each other. They are combined by a unifying idea, and it is this combination that gives Local 574 its power and fighting capacity. Nevertheless, each of the distinct features brought out in this strike has its own separate importance and deserves special study. Trade unionists who want to get at the heart of the whole method of 574, and learn its secret, ought to devote attentive study to each of these features separately. One of the many distinct contributions made by Local 574 to the labor movement is the organization of the womenfolk of the strikers and their direct participation in the strike through the Ladies' Auxiliary. Even if this organization doesn't function perfectly, and still suffers from the weakness that always goes with inexperience, it has shown itself to be a real power in this strike, as it already did in the May strike to a lesser extent. The Ladies' Auxiliary is so much a part of the strike and carries such heavy burdens, that it is taken for granted as an indispensable part of the union. Nobody even thinks of going on without it. It is hard to realize that other unions go into struggle without such a valuable ally. Yet this is what happens in nearly every case. Local 574 is one of the very few local unions that have understood the necessity of organizing the women and making their organization a vital part of the strike machinery. There is an idea behind this, also. Local 574 doesn't take any stock in the theory that capital and labor are brothers, and that the way for little brother labor to get a few crumbs is to be a good boy and appeal to the good nature of big brother capital. We see the issue between capital and labor as an unceasing struggle between the class of exploited workers and the class of exploiting parasites. It is a war. What decides in this war, as in all others, is power. The exploiters are organized to grind us down into the dust. We must organize our class to fight back. And the women are half of the working class. Their interests are the same as ours and they are ready to fight for them. Therefore: Organize them to take part in the class battle. This is the idea behind the wonderful organization of the Ladies' Auxiliary, and its effective cooperation with the union in the struggle. Of course, Local 574 cannot claim to be the pioneer in grasping this idea and carrying it into practice. There have been numerous examples of attempts along this line on the part of other organizations, although seldom has it been done as effectively. The greatest example of effective organization of women - one that did much to inspire us - belongs to the Progressive Miners of Illinois. This organization carried on some heroic struggles during 1932-1933 and needed extraordinary resources to survive. One of these resources, which played a decisive part in keeping the union alive and beating back its enemies, was the. Women's Auxiliary of the Progressive Miners. The great importance of organizing the women, even where they are not directly employed in industry, was brought out very clearly in this experience. The Women's Auxiliary of the Progressive Miners set the pace for the whole labor movement and by right holds first place as the real pioneer. Local 574 learned from this example and was influenced by it to encourage and assist the organization of our women. That, by the way, is another merit of our union and its leadership-they watch what is going on in the world of labor, and they study the experiences of other workers and learn from them.

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Head of School's Welcome Home of the Sharks Grade Equivalencies Spain-UK-US Arts, Music and Drama March 22, 2022 2023-01-13 14:38 Sports and physical education play a very important role at Atlas since they help maintain good physical and mental health. Physical education is highly beneficial for young children as it helps them improve their psychomotor skills and coordination. Team sports enable children, of all age groups, to socialize, and work together as a team to reach a common goal while enhancing strengths, self-improvement skills, and willpower. Children learn to be generous and improve their self-esteem towards victory and be resilient towards defeat. The school has a 7v7 soccer field, 2 basketball courts, a fitness room, and a small gym for elementary school students. During the school day, Preschool students have a gross motor skills class. In Lower and Middle School, students have 4 hours of Physical Education per week. In High School, sports are offered as electives. Atlas American School of Málaga belongs to Mathema Education, an educational group founded in 2012 by Antonio Arcones that also manages 2 other international schools: Aquinas American School: www.aquinas-american-school.es/en/ The British School of Navarra: www.tbson.es/en/ Calle Monda N2 Selwo Hills.29680 Estepona, Malaga admissions@atlas-asm.es info@atlas-asm.es Legal Advice and Privacy Policy The Andalusian Urban Development Fund (FDU), managed by the European Investment Bank, whose objective is to promote sustainable investments in Andalusia, has allocated 8.2 million euros for Atlas American School of Malaga in Estepona, which will result in an investment of almost 16 million euros and will promote the creation of more than 125 jobs. © 2022 Atlas-ASM. All Rights Reserved Inquire / Visit

Puzzel Acquires U-WFM to Add Employee Engagement and Scheduling Suite by CSM Newsdesk Puzzel, a leading European Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) provider, has announced the acquisition of U-WFM a leading provider of workforce management and optimization software. Headquartered in Sheffield, U.K., and with customers across the U.K., U.S. and Australia, U-WFM's solution gives its customers the ability to forecast demand, monitor adherence, and optimize their contact center operations for companies of all sizes and across any industry vertical. This acquisition was supported by Marlin, Puzzel's current investment partner. "We believe there is an easier way to deploy workforce management solutions accessible to all contact centers, regardless of size. By joining forces with Puzzel we can continue to offer customers a full set of leading integrated contact center capabilities and become part of an organization with a sizeable presence across key European markets," said Matt Hughes, CEO of U-WFM. "We look forward to partnering and working alongside the Puzzel team to provide our solutions across Puzzel's broad customer base." "Companies today face the challenge of keeping top contact center talent, and employee engagement and resource planning have become key pillars in finding an optimal balance between happy employees and satisfied customers," said Børge Astrup, CEO of Puzzel. "The acquisition of U-WFM addresses this challenge and provides all the key capabilities for modern workforce management wrapped in an appealing and easy to use interface.U-WFM also strategically expands our product suite, accelerates our expansion in the U.K. market and represents an exciting milestone in our mission to offer a best-in-class, integrated customer experience." "Engaging and efficiently deploying contact center agents is becoming an ever more important challenge for our customers. In U-WFM, we identified a strong business that was capable of solving this problem with a scalable and flexible software product offering designed to support organizations of all sizes," said Mike Wilkinson, a Principal at Marlin. "U-WFM is supported by a great customer base that is diversified across multiple industries. We are excited to offer Puzzel customers a modern, integrated customer engagement platform purpose built for contact centers." About Puzzel Puzzel is a leading cloud-based contact center software provider and was a pioneer in offering integrated customer engagement as an easily-deployed service. Today, the company combines omni-channel technology with artificial intelligence capabilities to provide comprehensive, end-to-end customer interaction solutions in an age of digitization. Puzzel was recognized as a Challenger in the 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant report for Contact Center as a Service in Western Europe for the fifth consecutive year, reflecting its rapid growth, functional breadth, standards compliance, and commitment to customer service and support. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices in six European markets including the U.K., Puzzel serves more than 900 customers across 40 countries. For more information, please visit www.puzzel.com.

Home » How to Create HR Processes that Eliminate Employee Problems Running a Shop Operations Human Resources Sales+Marketing Education+Training Estimating Compensation+Benefits Networking Estimator+Admin Training How to Create HR Processes that Eliminate Employee Problems Large companies with thousands of employees have always had to have firm policy for just about any human resources situation that could arise. No manager could have possibly dealt with so many individual employee situations. Nearly every potential issue is covered in detailed policy manuals. Likewise, large body shop companies, those with 100 or more employees, typically have job descriptions and other operational policies. From what I've seen, however, most small shops do not. But they should. And here's why: In small shops with no official policies, such as human resources policies, decisions tend to be made based on the mood an owner or manager is in that day. Yes, shop operators have moods—some mild and some very intense. I've known of a few shops where the owners were screamers. An employee's misstep that was no big deal on a calm day would suddenly warrant a tongue-lashing on a screaming day. Employees never knew what was going to be OK until they saw what mood the owner was in. Needless to say, this inconsistency impacted technicians, estimators, office personnel—and ultimately, the customer. "Employee input is essential [to policy-making]. The employee who has some ownership in creating or modifying a policy may take pride in following and encouraging it." One of the best uses of policy to keep the shop running smoothly was a relatively small shop located in a remote coastal town where the major employers were a prison and a large military base. This was nearly 20 years ago, before computers were everywhere. But the owner of this shop had computers throughout the shop, and detailed graphs and charts posted in his office showing every production and profit statistic. He also had detailed job description manuals providing policy for actions on the job. His was a highly profitable, smoothly running operation in an area where profitability wasn't easy to come by. Policies tend to smooth out emotions in the work place. In even a small shop, disputes can arise over proper procedure. A dispute can be settled quickly if there is a policy manual that spells out the correct procedure. Estimating systems have procedure pages for repair, replace, and refinish actions. Insurance companies require shops to follow these instructions on insurance jobs. Shop employees automatically accept them. But I've noticed in many small shops, getting employees to follow more general shop policies can be more difficult. Policy is most easily accepted by a new employee. Employees who have been with the shop a long time may resent a sudden shift to new rigid policy. One way to ease a long-time employee into a new policy is to involve him in drafting a policy that will affect his work. It's also important to periodically review and update policies throughout the years, since circumstances evolve and change. Employee input is essential at times like these. The employee who has some ownership in creating or modifying a policy may take pride in following and encouraging it. Perhaps the hardest policies to implement are those that appear to increase an employee's workload. I've noticed several operators who have struggled to get estimators and front desk personnel to encourage customers to fill out an entire customer information form that provides the shop much valuable marketing information. Generally, the employees are in a hurry to get the customer signed up for the repair and to get the job moving. They may regard pushing for a complete information form as an unnecessary imposition on their time. Only a determined owner or manager may be able to make such a policy stick. Other difficult policy changes: rules on smoking, such as where and when to smoke or not smoke; and policies regarding clocking in, clocking out, break, and lunch times. With new environmental rules and lean procedures in many shops, policy issues will arise often. New record-keeping guidelines and the requirement of more detailed forms will also create the need for strict enforcement of rules. Sadly, the old fun days of simply repairing vehicles and collecting the money are gone. Today's collision shop is burdened by endless documentation requirements. Fashioning policies that make all of this record-keeping as consistent and simple as possible can keep the burden a bit lighter. Having firm policies provides other benefits for the shop. If an employee has to be let go, a record of policy violations may provide a firm basis for the dismissal. As a shop grows, the owner might want to join a franchise or networking group, or pursue a DRP relationship with a carrier or fleet management company. Providing this evidence of a well-organized business operation can be helpful in securing the contractual relationship. In this way, well-designed policies can actually increase a shop's profitability. Tom Franklin, author of Strategies for Greater Body Shop Growth, has been a sales and marketing consultant for more than 40 years. Recent Articles by Tom Franklin Fight Insurance Company Propaganda Avoid the Effects of Holiday Stress Don't Lead on Auto Pilot How to Manage Employee Complaints How to Create a Culture of Advancement in Your MSO How to Create Access to Collision Repair Information

Posted on June 26, 2020 by domtheartist Superheroes are on an uptick right now. Maybe not as exalted as they were right before Avengers Endgame, but they still get the likes, still bring the dollars in. This was not always the case. Being into superheroes in high school, in the 80's, made me a nerd and not very popular. Not that I've ever been that popular. The most popular action shows in the 80's were things like the A-Team, The Dukes of Hazard and Miami Vice. Even if one focuses on action shows with a bit of sci-fi thrown in, the heroes weren't exactly super, just people with exceptional skill, such as The Master or MacGyver. In stark contrast to today, the television viewing audience of the 80's just weren't appreciative of the superhero set. But during that decade, I would tune in religiously to one of my favorite shows, The Greatest American Hero (tGAH). I will also admit that I was a fan of The Incredible Hulk, but, let's face it, with one of his comic book titles still currently running (The Immortal Hulk), not to mention at least six movies (yes, I'm counting his appearances in The Avengers movies, but excluding the animated movies he's been in) to his credit, he's a pretty well known character. Not so much, Ralph Hinkley. In tGAH, Hinkley (William Katt of House and Carrie) is a mild mannered high school teacher who is visited by aliens and given a super suit. Yeah, I get it, it sounds pretty hokey when I say it out aloud, but I loved it all the same. If you are familiar with superhero lore, they all must have some weakness, an Achilles heel. Superman has his Kryptonite, Hinkley has a suit he doesn't know how to use. The suit may endow a near limitless power upon him, giving him flight, super strength and speed, X-ray vision, invisibility, etc., but he lost the instruction manual and, therefore, only discovers these powers through trial and error. No man is an island, as they say, so Ralph is aided in his battle for justice by Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp of I Spy and Everybody Loves Raymond), a CIA agent. Rounding out the cast is Pam Davidson (Connie Selleca of Hotel and Second Chances) as the obligatory (well, it was the 80's) love interest. Created by Stephen Cannell, writer of such fine television shows as The A-Team and 21 Jump Street, he envisioned a different kind of superhero. Someone happy in his mundane humanity who has immense power unexpectedly thrust upon him. Rather than a Superman who flies in to save the day, he wanted the show to be about a man who just happens to wear the suit, and focus on human problems, like corruption and racism. He wrote Hinkley and Maxwell as the Odd Couple: Hinkley, the super-powered, bleeding heart liberal and Maxwell, the gun-toting, slightly misogynistic conservative. Oh, fun fact, on March 30, 1981, John Hinkley shot President Ronald Reagan. After that, the show subtly changed the name of Ralph Hinkley to Ralph Hanley. Unfortunately, after the first season, there was a change in the upper echelons at ABC, and the new executives forced the show to be a more conventional superhero show, complete with Hinkley fighting the Loch Ness Monster in one of the episodes. The show ran for 3 seasons, between '81 and '83, and can still be found on Amazon Prime. There's even a fan-based website about it. I got the inspiration for this post when I remembered the show and thought it would be great for a reboot. It's a great concept, but, as I researched for this post, I discovered that such a reboot has been tried multiple times. In 1986, the original cast returned and tried to launch The Greatest American Heroine, The plot involves the aliens who originally provided the suit telling Hinkely to find a successor. As the name would imply, he decides upon Holly Hathaway (Mary Ellen Stuart of One Life to Live and As the World Turns), an "elementary school teacher who spends her off-hours looking for lost kittens, raising environmental awareness and serving as a foster mother". I shit you not. Alas, the show was never meant to be. The pilot was never broadcast, but, instead, was re-edited as an episode of the original series. In 2014, it was announced that Fox was looking at rebooting the show, in 2017 entertainment news sources said that actress Hannah Simone (of H+ and New Girl)had been cast as the lead in a reboot, but in 2018, ABC declined to pick up the series. William Katt even started a comic book company in 2008, Catastrophic Comics, and put out a Greatest American Hero comic book. Given that I can barely find any evidence online that they exist, I'm guessing that didn't work out. The show does still have an active fan base, however, which discusses the possibility of a reboot, so who knows? It could happen. This post wouldn't be complete without me mentioning the theme song. I've said before that theme songs should not have words. It's too easy for them to become ear worms and this one is no different. Believe It or Not, composed by Mike Post (music) and Stephen Geyer (lyrics) and sung by Joey Scarbury can still be heard on easy listening stations to this day. During the show's run, I couldn't escape the poppy little tune as, in addition to being at the start of every episode, it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Record World Chart. For a bit of added trivia, Mike Post not only created the Theme music to Law & Order, he is responsible for their unmistakable "Dun Dun" sound. I still say I'd like to see someone take a run at this show again, but, looking back, it was very much a product of its time. There was an innocence about it and it was pretty goofy, possessing a strong comedic element, often at the expense of the hero. The reluctant hero who trips over his own feet has been done to death now, but it still felt fresh back in the 80's. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I believe it contains a number of jokes and scenes that may not be acceptable today (The character of Bill Maxwell often refers to Pam, among other women, as "skirts"). Even with that, though, the show was so damn wholesome. Maybe the reason it's having such a hard time coming back is because it imagines a world where most people are inherently good, where any evil can be overcome by good old hard work and cooperation and all the endings are happy. And maybe that's just too much of a suspension of disbelief for audiences these days. CategoriesTelevision & Movies Tags80's television, Catastrophe Comics, Connie Sellecca, Greatest American Hero, Robert Culp, superhero genre, William Katt Previous PostPrevious Pontypool Next PostNext Channel Zero

Follow our work by receiving our newsletter. Sign-ups Kofi Annan - Foundation Kofi Annan - Official Towards a fairer, more peaceful world Our Areas of Work Transitions to Peace Mediation and Crisis Resolution Supporting Elections and Democracy Electoral Integrity The Kofi Annan Commission Combatting Hunger Changing Drug Policy Promoting Youth Leadership Extremely Together Road to Peace Tributes and Obituaries Kofi Annan - Biography Annan @ Work Home | News & Media | Mediation and Crisis Resolution | The Future of Global Governance 2016-02-13 - Event hosted by Zeit-Stiftung at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. Photo: MSC/dedimag/Johannes Simon Mediation and Crisis Resolution, Speeches The Future of Global Governance At the German "Zeit Foundation" organised side event at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Kofi Annan spoke about the "the future of global governance". I am pleased to be here today at the invitation of my good friend Ambassador Ischinger and, of course, the Zeit Foundation. The Zeit Foundation has demonstrated a welcome interest in global governance over the years, having founded the Bucerious Summer School on Global Governance and the Asian Forum for Global Governance. Let me use this opportunity to encourage the creation of an African Forum on Global Governance to serve the continent, which is at the heart of many of the global issues of our age. When I am asked about global governance, I am sometimes tempted to say it would be a good idea. There is a common perception that the world is falling apart, and that our global governance structures are powerless. Even the EU cannot seem to find a sensible and effective regional response to the refugee crisis. The drivers pulling countries apart within regions are not dissimilar to those that are fragmenting the world order: the lack of political will to think beyond nations' own immediate self-interest. As a result, the multilateral order as we know it is increasingly divided and contested. It is also increasingly obvious that the machinery of global governance set up after the Second World War is past its sell-by date. The Security Council's composition needs to be updated to better reflect the modern realities. The real question is how? The Bretton Woods institutions' governance mechanisms too have failed to keep up with the times. Even recently-created institutions like the International Criminal Court are being challenged. Three of the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, Russia and China – have not ratified the Rome Statute, and some African countries are contesting its legitimacy and impartiality. When the whole world is changing, institutions cannot remain static without putting their legitimacy at risk. But change is difficult, especially for established powers who fear they will lose their privileges. Yet the risk is that without negotiated change, re-emerging and rising powers will be tempted to create parallel structures of regional governance that may compete with the ones that already exist. There is nothing wrong with regional bodies and solutions. Indeed, they were even foreseen in the UN Charter, under chapter 8, but they must complement rather than compete with the existing global architecture. Despite obvious failings, I do not believe that the existing governance mechanisms need to be replaced wholesale by a new system. Whatever the shortcomings of the international system as we know it, never before in human history have proportionally so few people died from armed conflict. This is because the international system, composed of rules and institutions, does allow most states to settle most of their disputes peacefully, most of the time. Nevertheless, to paraphrase Prince Lampedusa, "everything must change for everything to remain the same". Such reform should encompass the manner in which the heads of the UN, the Bank and the IMF are selected. The Security Council has to be reformed to give a greater role to emerging countries who can play a bigger part in international peace and security. The Bretton Woods institution must grant voting rights proportionate with countries' economic weight. This would strengthen their ability to deal with future financial and economic crises more effectively. Newly powerful states also must recognize their own interest in reforming rather than disrupting the international order. Institutional change is possible, incremental though it may be. The creation of the Human Rights Council, which has grown in stature since its creation during my term in office, is an example. But the reform of the structures of global and regional governance will require imaginative and determined leadership, and the willingness of privileged states to make concessions in order to preserve the overall system. In this complex and interdependent world, leadership that just looks at the next elections, or the next shareholder meeting, is no leadership at all. Statesmanship is about leading for the next generation, rather than the next elections. I hope, therefore, that the Zeit Foundation will carry on with its governance fora for the young and promising leaders of tomorrow who must take forward this agenda of renewal. As I often say: You are never too young to lead. Munich Security Report 2016 Launch Pax Africana? The Kofi Annan Foundation is often asked to intervene in crises as an impartial independent advocate, facilitator or mediator. In recent years we have provided such counsel to Burkina Faso, Colombia, Iraq, Kenya, Myanmar, and Senegal, among other countries. The Foundation provides policy support based on thematic and country monitoring and analysis, aided by an informal network of national leaders, multilateral organisations, business leaders, international NGOs, and civil society activists, including women's groups and faith organisations. Mediation and Crisis Resolution Switch to different category Annan @ Work Articles Changing Drug Policy Combatting Hunger In the news Kofi Annan Mediation and Crisis Resolution News Releases Promoting Youth Leadership Publications Speeches Statements Supporting Elections and Democracy Transitions to Peace Videos Archive Select Month July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 April 2009 March 2009 The Kofi Annan Foundation mobilises political will to overcome threats to peace, development and human rights. The Kofi Annan Foundation Biography of Mr. Annan Kofi Annan Foundation P.O.B. 157 | 1211 Geneva 20 Tel +41 22 919 7520 Email info@kofiannanfoundation.org © 2015 - 2019 Kofi Annan Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Imprint | Concept, design and development by GSDH digital marketing

Elisabeth Koning (Elisabeth Goverdina "Lies" Koning, verheiratete van der Stam; * 7. November 1917 in Zandvoort; † 12. Februar 1975 in Calgary, Kanada) war eine niederländische Sprinterin. Bei den Olympischen Spielen 1936 wurde sie Fünfte in der 4-mal-100-Meter-Staffel und schied über 100 m im Vorlauf aus. 1936 wurde sie Niederländische Meisterin über 100 m. Ihre persönliche Bestzeit über diese Distanz von 12,2 s stellte sie am 5. Juli 1936 in Hilversum auf. Weblinks 100-Meter-Läufer (Niederlande) 4-mal-100-Meter-Staffel-Läufer (Niederlande) Olympiateilnehmer (Niederlande) Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 1936 Niederländischer Meister (Leichtathletik) Niederländer Frau Geboren 1917 Gestorben 1975

The right way to get ready, be strategic, form partnerships and grow world ( webinar four/5 ); this international small business proprietor was so successful that she had dinner at The White House with President Obama. For those that haven't had experience with metal detailing there's a process you should observe. Nobody has a crystal ball to see what the new pattern will probably be, none the much less, be alert to the style forecasts. This article has actually helped me selected a path to comply with. Thanks for the nice information! Begin with a": We've all seen these corporations with AAA" in the beginning, and this isn't them promoting their college grades, however a wise approach to be pushed to the tippity top of all listings. Males like to be proven they're liked just as a lot as women do. Discover ways to write love letters to your Husband. I have an acquaintance who offered It Works! for a couple of years and she or he did an amazing job updating her social media every day, answering questions, and providing deals. She is actually the person who (although she probably does not know it) really impressed me to jot down this publish as a result of she was so enthusiastic she made ME curious concerning the firm and the merchandise, and other direct-gross sales opportunities. I have watched this present from Day 1 when it was NeNe,Lisa, Deshawn, Sherae, and Kim, and if I am not mistaken there was one other woman on there however I am unable to bear in mind who she was because she left the present early. But I've liked all the women through the years and I feel that Porshia is an efficient addition to this season I feel she is as cute as a button but I am not quite positive about Kenya, I think she is a little beside herself. She is not housewife materials and is kinda loopy too. Possibly Kenya is the one that NeNe was speaking about when she mentioned they need to replace one of many housewives. The 2 most essential issues to contemplate are location and model. You'll need to have the ability to maximize earnings and stay in business indefinitely, so these two things are important. Ask a rep at your favourite bank to set you up with a business checking account, it's a must-have in the event you're planning to dropship. With out it, you will be unable to just accept payments online by way of credit card. An alternative is to simply accept payments solely by way of PayPal. A business bank account is an entirely separate factor from an everyday checking or financial savings account.

daily catch of fish, with handmade cheeses and homegrown eggs adding some bulk to the plate. Stopover towns like Puerto Lempira, Batalla, and Palacios have a few minimalist sit-down restaurants that serve chicken, beef, conch, and lobster with tajadas (fried plantain chips). Puerto Lempira's general store is a good place to stock up on snacks and fruit to appease grumbling stomachs during a hike. Further into the rain forest, the only restaurants in Raista/Belén and Las Marías are the tiny dining areas, or comedores, found at the locally run ecolodges. Families prepare home-cooked meals for a flat fee of L70 each. Cold soft drinks and beer are usually on hand. Grub at the Bodden family cabins in Raista is exceptionally delicious, with scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and a rotating lineup of spaghetti and beans or chicken and rice for dinner. Travelers are largely expected to haul their own lunches along on excursions or treks. If you're on a package tour, most guides will be in charge of handling the middle meal. For adventurers exploring at their own pace, it's a good idea to buy nonperishable foods like canned tuna and granola to stow in a backpack.

This is exciting news for many reasons, obviously, but especially because this project marked the directorial debut of my dear friend and partner in crime, Katie Enright. Congrats, Katie! Check out some fun stills from the film below. And yes, that's a pig actress. The festival runs from February 11th to the 18th, so if you happen to be in London, come watch and support us!

How might your life be different if you didn't have to watch your eating or your weight? Transform your relationship to food and your body by decoding the meaning and purpose in your hungers, food cravings, body talk, and weight. Learn to interrupt unwanted or detrimental behaviors with The Behavior Decoding Method™, an innovative step-by-step system created by Barbara Birsinger, ThD, MPH, that restores balance to disordered eating and weight-related behaviors. Embody new rituals that inspire deeper meaning and purpose in your life. If you seek freedom with food and peace with your body, and wish to redefine our culture's myths about weight, health, and beauty, this retreat is for you. Barbara Birsinger specializes in the spirituality and soulful purpose in eating and weight issues. She has worked with individuals and groups for nearly three decades to promote intuitive nutrition, size acceptance, compassionate self-care and health promotion. Dr. Birsinger helps clients feel at peace with food, experience joy and vitality in their body, and find true nourishment and passion in life. Creator of The Behavior Decoding Method™ (BDM), within the context of the Health At Every Size® Principles, her approach is based on research and clinical best practices, the healing of her own eating disorder, and others' shared experiences. Dr. Birsinger offers a robust online course and is writing a book for the public based on the BDM™ research and practice—she is presenting this material at 1440 Multiversity. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist-RD Nutritionist and Certified Clinical Supervisor (IAEDP), Licensed HeartMath® Biofeedback Coach, Certified Master Transformational Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, and Licensed Spiritual Health Counselor. She maintains a private practice (in-person in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area, and virtually across the globe), trains other health professionals in her approach, and serves in leadership positions on the boards of several nonprofit health organizations. End the diet trap, finally find peace with food, and feel joy in your body. Learn to reset your body's natural instincts for nourishment and loving self-care. Transform harmful patterns into stabilized, sustainable solutions and self-care practices for your body, mind, and soul.

Chris Czynszak Episode 96 – Radio Sucks Radio Show volume 13 After a full month of celebrating KISS, we're back to celebrating all things that rock. KISSMAS in JULY was a huge success and we're ready to now turn you on to some stuff you aren't getting on the radio. For the new listeners, the Radio Sucks Radio Show's premise is simple. We expose you to some great quality music (old and new) that rock radio is just not giving you. We do this as a service to you, the listener, to encourage you to go out and purchase this great music and support the artist. Check the Amazon links for each artist played at the bottom of these show notes to hook yourself up with great tunes! We start off volume 13 of this series with a palate cleanser for the non-KISS fans in our audience that endured a full month of us extolling the virtues of how much KISS rocks. Teenage Bottlerocket, from Wyoming, released an album in 2009 that featured a tongue-in-cheek punk ditty pronouncing the band as being 'Bigger Than KISS' with lots of jabs thrown at the band. We want to play this for the non-KISS fans and those of you that have a sense of humor. We love KISS, you know that. We think it's good to laugh at things you love once in a while. Supagroup Supagroup, from New Orleans, started up in 1996. In this episode, we take a listen to a rock track that's sure to get you in trouble if you take it too seriously. Have a seat over there… One of the benefits of rock/metal podcasts are the fact that you can get turned on to music that you certainly can't find on the airwaves. Such is the case with The Wildhearts. Fronted by the enigmatic Ginger, the band has gone through numerous lineup changes but due to Ginger's amazing songwriting, has continued to put out some of the catchiest rock songs you've never hears. We listen to a track from their self-titled debut that's easy to love. One of our favorite interviews was with former Alice Cooper guitarist Dick Wagner. Dick has an amazing musical history with his connections to Alice, KISS, and Aerosmith among others. His solo output is also very good. We take a listen to Dick's take on a rock and roll classic that inspired him. This track comes from his autobiography 'Not Only Women Bleed' which is available HERE. Highly recommended! We return from the first break to listen to a track from a modern-day power trio. Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy, and Billy Sheehan combine their chops to form The Winery Dogs. Their new release has already become one of the biggest rock albums of 2013; charting high despite limited airplay. We try to do our part in supporting this awesome release with a track that will leave you wanting more. Another recently-released album that's getting critical praise yet not nearly enough attention on radio is …Like Clockwork, the latest offering from Queens of the Stone Age. Picked up on Aaron Camaro's recent excursion to Los Angeles, the album has been in constant rotation on his playlist. We take a listen to to a sampling of this new album. 2013 has proven to be a good year for rock and metal as Chris' next pick proves. With one of the more surprising releases of the year, King Kobra returns with a sophomore effort for their new lineup featuring Paul Shortino on vocals. King Kobra II has a full slate of solid material and we take a listen to the lead-off track that will run right over you. Heading into the next break, we hear from longtime Chicago doom metal legends Trouble with a track from their new release 'The Distortion Field.' Hailed by some as one of their stronger albums, we take a listen to a great track that will have you headbanging in no time. For those familiar with the Decibel Geek podcast, it's no mystery that Chris has become a Thin Lizzy fan over the show's history. This is due to many listeners pushing him to check out their catalog. Now rebranded, The Black Star Riders, have released a new album with 'All Hell Breaks Loose,' an album full of dual-guitar leads and swagger; hallmarks of the Thin Lizzy sound. While Phil Lynott can never be fully replaced, it's hard to argue with Ricky Warwick's channeling of the gone-too-soon frontman/bassist on this new track. Closing out the show is a band that's long been a go-to pick for our Radio Sucks Radio Shows. LA Guns, with their ever-changing lineup, have released a massive amo unt of good tunes over the years. We couldn't think of a better way to close out this new installment than with this edgy track from the Shrinking Violet sessions. Buy Music! The Wildhearts LA Guns Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Call us on the Hotline! (540) DBGeek – 1 or (540) 342-3351

´Love of Prophet Hagia Sophia exhibition opens to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad. The historic Istanbul museum, Hagia Sophia, witnessed its first Quran recitation under its roof after 85 years Saturday. The Religious Affairs Directorate launched the exhibition "Love of Prophet Hagia Sophia," as part of commemorations of the birth of Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

← Kilang Kayu Lohan Sdn. Bhd. The European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) commissioned Proforest to carry out an assessment of certification and legality verification schemes against the new EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). The concept was to evaluate current systems that can meet the EUTR due diligence requirements for legal timber and timber products. In general, the assessment by Proforest for Global Forestry Services Wood Tracking Program (GFS WTP) and Legal Verification Services (LVS) are correct, although there are several errors in the final report as it was published prior to incorporating the comments submitted by GFS as presented below. Proforest findings Partial Compliance. This criterion is not covered by legal origin. Considered addressed for VLC and TLAS Sabah Standard. GFS Response GFS recognizes 2 levels of legality VLO (Verified Legal Origin) and VLC (Verified Legal Compliance). The GFS legal Verification Service for VLC is recognized to be in full compliance to EUTR. Criteria 1.1.5 The standard requires compliance on legal requirements related to trade and customs, in so far as the forest sector is concerned. Proforest findings Non-Compliance. This criterion is not covered by the requirements of legal origin. Legal requirements related to trade and customs are not addressed beyond forest management level. 7.0 Legal Requirements. The organization shall have adequate knowledge and demonstrate compliance to relevant regulations for its activities and operations. 7.1) The organization shall maintain a register of all relevant governmental regulatory requirements such as health and safety, labour requirements and environmental emissions in respect to their operations. 7.1.1) The organization shall be legally registered and maintain permits for operations. 7.1.2) The organization shall have list and access to all relevant governmental regulatory requirements. 7.1.3) Records of regulations and permits shall be maintained up to date. 7.2 The organization shall demonstrate compliance with all relevant governmental regulatory requirements. 7.2.1) The organization shall demonstrate compliance to regulations. Criterion 1.2.1 International schemes or scheme operate in more than one country must have a system in place to ensure that forest standard on legal compliance set out in criteria 1.1.1 – 1.1.5 are defined at national level. Proforest findings Partial Compliance. Not fully addressed as the system does not ensure that all criteria 1.1.1-1.1.5 are defined at national level. Addressed where TLAS Sabah Standard is used. GFS Response GFS VLC does capture the requirements of National and local regulations that is inherent in the LVS 005 Criteria 4.0-6.0. Again Criterion 1.1.5 is captured under the WTP Criterion 7.0 as stated previously. Criteria 3.1 Certification/verification must be undertaken by a body which is accredited to evaluate against forest management standard that covers the legality requirements set out in criteria 1.1.1 – 1.1.5 above. Criteria 3.2 Certification/verification must be undertaken by a body whose organisation, systems and procedures conform to ISO Guide 170653 or ISO/IEC 17021:2011, or publicly available equivalent. Proforest findings Non-Compliance. No requirement for certification body to be accredited to evaluate against forest management standards, including the legality requirements set out in criteria 1.1.1-1.1.5. GFS Response Criteria 3.1 & 3.2 are essentially identical. GFS is not an accredited certification body but does operate according to ISO systems and standards. There is no current accreditation system for legality, all companies that issue a statement or certificate of compliance that is actually against the company's reputation not directly under a regulated accreditation system. Thus the finding against GFS as a third party verification should be partial compliance as the company has formal systems and was found to comply to 1.1.1 – 1.1.4. Criteria 4.1 Assessment of Chain of Custody must be undertaken by a certification body, which is accredited to evaluate CoC standard. Criteria 4.2 Assessment of Chain of Custody must be undertaken by a certification body operating in accordance with ISO Guide 65 or ISO/IEC 17021:2006 or publicly available equivalent. Proforest findings Non-Compliance. No requirement for certification body to be accredited to evaluate against forest management standards including the legality requirements set out in criteria 1.1.1-1.1.5. GFS Response Again, Criteria 4.1 & 4.2 are essentially identical to 3.1 & 3.2 but are now used for Chain of Custody systems. GFS is not an accredited certification body but does operate under formalized procedures according to ISO systems and standards. GFS is now collaborating with Bureau Veritas to address the issue of accreditation under their Due Diligence System (DDS). Criterion 4.4 If mixing of certified/verified and uncertified/unverified material in a product or product line is allowed, the uncertified/unverified material must be covered by a verifiable system which is designed to ensure that it complies with legality requirements set out in criteria 1.1.1 – 1.1.5 above. Proforest findings Partial Compliance. Not compliant for VLO, but addressed for VLC, where other 3rd party schemes used deliver compliance. GFS Response GFS WTP does NOT permit mixing of non-verified material under the COC requirements. VLC material may be used to make a VLO product. GFS also recognizes other 3rd party verification systems under the WTP as a measure to mitigate risk. The global market cannot afford for verification organizations to exclude other independent assessments and only recognize their own system especially since legality MUST be defined according to local laws and regulations. GFS actually complies to most all the requirements of the EUTR in regards to the Wood Tracking Program coupled with the Legal Verification Service for Verified Legal Compliance. Global Forestry Services is a technical forestry specialist company that can provide independent verification but is not a Certification Body thus does not comply to Criteria 3.1; 3.2; 4.1 & 4.2 in the Proforest report that references requirements for accreditation. GFS is currently collaborating with Bureau Veritas on their new Due Diligence System so clients under GFS WTP will have the option of adding certification with Bureau Veritas to fulfill the requirements for accreditation. In Sabah, Malaysia, GFS conducts monthly field assessments to cover all licensed forest areas as part of the ongoing Sabah Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS). GFS reports compliance to the Sabah Forestry Department and posts summary reports on the GFS website under the client database that is updated monthly. GFS has already conducted field assessments using the EU supported Sabah TLAS requirements for over 15 forest management units with new areas being added each month. Current and future GFS Wood Tracking Program clients especially in Sabah Malaysia that include the BV DDS risk assessment using verified legal compliant (VLC) timber and products will be able to meet the due diligence requirements of the EUTR.

Microfiber vs. Bamboo Sheets: Which Fabric is Best For a Good Night's Sleep? Choosing the perfect bed sheets begins with picking the perfect material. Nowadays, you have lots more options than just plain cotton sheets, from natural materials like bamboo to space-age synthetics like microfiber. Are you torn between these two options? This post will explore the pros and cons of microfiber vs bamboo sheets and help you decide which one is best for you. There's a lot to love about both bamboo and microfiber sheets. We did extensive research into each material while developing our Hush Iced sheets, trying to get beyond marketing hype to determine their strengths and weaknesses. From interviewing textile makers around the world to ripping sheets apart with our bare hands, we got deep into the weave of these two fabrics. Now we're going to walk you through what we discovered. Microfiber vs. Bamboo Sheets: The Basics Both Types of Sheets Are Very Soft Bamboo Sheets Are More Durable Microfiber Bed Sheets Are Often Less Expensive Bamboo Sheets Are Cooler Microfiber Sheets Resist Spills and Wrinkles Both Microfiber And Bamboo Sheets Require Delicate Washing Bamboo Sheets Are More Eco-Friendly Microfiber vs. Bamboo Sheets: The Bottom Line Bamboo fabric has become a popular choice for bed sheets and other textiles in recent years. Made from the bamboo plant, this natural fiber is often described as being softer than cotton, more absorbent than polyester, and cooler than linen. Most bamboo sheets use a fabric called bamboo viscose (AKA bamboo rayon). It's formed by extracting the soft fibers from bamboo wood pulp and spinning them into slender but sturdy threads. The result is that bamboo sheets feel soft, smooth, and cool against your skin, perfect for summer months when you want to sleep under something light and airy. Bamboo is also environmentally friendly. It grows quickly and doesn't require much water or fertilizer, making it a more sustainable material for bed sheets than most other textiles. That's another reason many customers now prefer bamboo sheets over cotton, which is far less sustainable to produce. What about microfiber? This synthetic fiber has been around for decades and is known for its durability, moisture-wicking properties, and resistance to bacteria and odors. It's made from artificial materials like polyester which are shaped into super-fine threads through a high-tech manufacturing process. Microfiber bed sheets can vary a lot in quality, but the best ones are quite soft and plush. The fibers are incredibly fine, allowing for a very high thread count that feels soft against your skin. High-quality microfiber also holds up well with repeated use and washing. Now that we've introduced both fabrics, let's break down the similarities and differences in detail. When it comes to comfort, there's no clear winner between these two types of bedding. It will ultimately depend on personal preference. Most customers agree that both fabrics are luxuriously soft, but there are significant differences in how they feel on your skin. Bamboo sheets tend to have a sleek, satiny texture. Bamboo fiber is naturally very smooth, without a lot of frizzy bits to catch on your skin. Bed sheets made of this material glide over your body like water on wax. Some people are uncomfortable with how smooth bamboo sheets are, saying they feel slippery. This is especially true when the fabric has a higher thread count than usual. The most comfortable bamboo sheets have thread counts of around 300-350. When thread counts increase past that point the fabric can start to feel too slick. Microfiber sheets are also touchably soft, thanks to their ultrafine threads. They have a plush, stretchy texture that's very different from the silky soft feel of bamboo bedding. These sheets feel more like flannel or cotton sheets than bamboo. Despite their softness, microfiber bedding isn't comfortable for everyone. Many customers say that their microfiber sheets made them feel as if they were wrapped in plastic. Technically, they were — microfiber is just super-thin threads of polyester. If you're sensitive to the difference between natural and synthetic fibers, you may find bamboo sheets more comfortable. In terms of durability, bamboo sheets win hands-down. Bamboo fiber is extremely resilient, which will come as no surprise to anyone who's felt the supple strength of live bamboo. This durable fabric will last for years even with repeated washing. Microfiber sheets aren't as strong. They get their softness from their slim threads. These fibers are only a tiny bit thicker than spider silk. As a result, they're gentle on your skin, but also very delicate. When those tiny filaments rip, the broken ends get rolled up into little knots. This is known as "pilling", and it can make even the softest sheets feel rough and uncomfortable after a while. Microfiber bedding is far more prone to pilling than bamboo sheets. It's also more likely to wear thin and develop holes. Some microfiber bed sheets are sturdier than others, so make sure to check the reviews before you buy. Customers aren't shy about complaining when their sheets pill up and rip after just a few washes. Bamboo bed sheets can also vary in quality, of course. The fabric strength changes based on everything from where it's harvested to the temperature at which it's woven. At Hush, we make it a point of pride to source only the most durable fabric for our bamboo sheets. That's why they have the highest pilling-resistance rating possible for bed sheets. Microfiber sheets are typically more affordable than bamboo. There's no need to grow, harvest, or process any crops to make them. The manufacturing process is fast and cheap. However, the calculation looks a little different if you're thinking long-term. As we just noted, bamboo sheets hold up longer, and it's important to consider both price and durability in any buying decision. You'll have to replace microfiber bed sheets much sooner than more luxurious sheets made of bamboo. If you're looking for a bedding set that will last for many years, bamboo is a good choice. However, if you are on a budget, microfiber may be a better option. Whichever material you choose, make sure you're getting high-quality sheets with good reviews from users. Choosing the absolute cheapest option usually just buys you poor sleep. If you tend to sleep hot or live in a warm climate, bamboo bedding is the way to go. Bamboo is a naturally breathable material, helping regulate your body temperature and keeping you cool at night. Each bamboo fiber is full of microscopic openings that let air flow through. This lets heat rise up and away while the cooler night air filters in. Microfiber strands don't have these openings, and microfiber sheets tend to be woven much more tightly. This difference means microfiber bed sheets will trap a lot of heat inside, raising the temperature higher the longer you snuggle under them. Some reviewers claim that microfiber sheets are better for sweaty sleepers because they can soak up more liquid. However, bamboo sheets also absorb moisture very effectively. And they're less likely to make you sweat in the first place. If you tend to sweat at night even though you're cold, you may like microfiber sheets. But in general, the best sheets for night sweats are made of bamboo. Microfiber is highly elastic, so it quickly snaps back into place when you stretch, rumple, or fold it. This makes these sheets highly wrinkle-resistant. They'll look smooth and tidy no matter how long you let them sit in the hamper after doing laundry. Microfiber sheets also resist stains due to their closely woven fabric. It takes longer for liquid to penetrate the tight threads. So if you accidentally spill on a microfiber sheet, you can often wipe it off before the stain sets. Bamboo sheets don't have these advantages. However, you can still keep them looking great with proper care. To avoid creases, hang your bamboo sheets to dry or put them on the bed right after they come out of the dryer. And if you accidentally stain them, a gentle wash with a small amount of white vinegar or lemon juice will usually get them looking clean again. We've already mentioned that microfiber bed sheets aren't the most durable. They're good at holding their color in the laundry, but they're prone to pilling. To make them last as long as possible, it's important to wash them on a delicate setting using cold water. You should use only mild detergent, and avoid fabric softener — despite the name, it can actually degrade the sheets and make them rougher. Bamboo sheets are stronger than microfiber, but they shrink more easily. They can also be damaged by fabric softeners or harsh detergents. It's best to wash your bamboo sheets more or less the same way as microfiber. One important difference: microfiber bed sheets can go through the dryer at normal temperatures (though they do tend to get very staticky). If you're going to tumble-dry bamboo sheets, use low heat. Hanging them on a clothesline is even better if the weather is nice. When it comes to environmental impact, bamboo is the clear winner. It's a biodegradable fabric, made from a renewable crop that's easy on the earth. Bamboo can be grown with very little water and no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Harvesting bamboo stalks doesn't contribute to erosion, either, because the roots can remain in place. Microfiber is a much less eco-friendly material. Though the synthetic fibers rip easily, they take a long time to fully break down in the environment. The manufacturing process also depends heavily on fossil fuels. Microfiber bedding requires about twice as much energy to produce as cotton sheets. As if that wasn't bad enough, washing microfiber bed sheets releases tiny fibers into the ecosystem. This contributes to the growing problem of microplastics building up in the bodies of living creatures — including humans. Keep in mind that not all bamboo sheets are equally eco-friendly. Processing the raw material of bamboo into soft fabric often involves harsh chemicals. These contaminants can leak into the groundwater if manufacturers aren't careful about cleanup. Green shoppers should buy only organic bamboo sheets that are produced by responsible manufacturers. At Hush, we're careful to source our material from ethical suppliers. Microfiber bed sheets are wrinkle-resistant and affordable, and many people find them very cozy. But if you're looking for incredibly soft, comfortable bedding that will keep you cool all night, bamboo sheets are the way to go. They may be slightly more expensive than microfiber, but they are cooler and more durable — meaning they'll last longer. Plus, bamboo is better for the environment, so you can feel good about your purchase. Are you ready to experience the benefits of bamboo yourself? You can't go wrong with Hush bamboo sheets. They're ethically sourced and extremely durable, with a special finish that helps your skin feel ultra-cool. Head over to our product page and start your 100-night trial! Discover Hush Blankets Cooling Weighted Blanket For Night Sweats, Anxiety & Stress THE HUSH CLASSIC Blanket with duvet cover for Stress-reducing and sleep-initiating Couch Relaxation HUSH THROW Weighted Throw for immediate stress relief after work NewSleep Station But wait! There's more: What's the Best Thread Count for Bamboo Sheets? Are Bamboo Sheets Good for Your Hair and Skin? Here's Everything You Need to Know The Benefits of Weighted Blankets for Alzheimer's & Dementia Patients

A Sneak Peek at Downtown's New Market St. Grocery The store will stock local and imported produce, meats and gourmet items. Plus, it's a coffee bar, wine bar and cocktail bar! Leah Lizarondo, Photo by Eileen French More than 12,000 people live downtown, and during the daily migration into the business district's office buildings, 110,000-plus people temporarily are added to the population. In the last few years, the downtown restaurant boom has kept pace with the resident growth. However, there has been a growing demand and campaign to open a neighborhood grocery store. Next week, on April 22, that finally is happening with the launch of the much-anticipated Market St. Grocery. Developer Ralph Falbo had been looking to open a grocery in the area since 2007; that project finally got off the ground two years ago with the help of David Priselac and Ernie and Julian Vallozzi. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE STORE'S FACEBOOK PAGE The result is an efficiently, comfortably and deliciously packed 2,400-square-foot space of well-curated items. Goods range from pantry basics to specialty items that surely will make the grocery a destination not only for residents but also for those who are looking for hard-to-find gourmet products. Entering the grocery store, shoppers and diners will see a full-service coffee bar serving Philadelphia's celebrated La Colombe Coffee and Portland's Stumptown Coffee. Patrons may enjoy their coffee with French pastries from Gaby et Jules; downtowners finally can get a hold of the celebrated macarons (previously sold only in Squirrel Hill)! By night, the coffee bar transforms into a craft-beer and cocktail bar. To the right of the store is the produce and dairy area. Sourced locally when possible — especially during the growing season — Penn's Corner Farm Alliance and other local farms will supply produce. Market St. Grocery also is offering some specialty produce items from the celebrated Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio. This is fantastic news for home cooks because we only typically find their produce in high-end restaurants. The other wall of the market will feature more dry grocery goods, such as locally sourced grains, flour and other home-cook needs. "We tried to fit as much perimeter grocery stuff in our store," David Priselac says. "We have most of everything you need — we just have less variety." To manage the inventory, the grocery will receive daily deliveries from its suppliers to keep the shelves fully stocked — such a boon to downtown residents, who until this time, had to drive elsewhere to get kitchen basics. At the heart of the market is the grocery's prepared-food and meat section. Chef Michael LaMantia takes the helm, offering shoppers the best meats: Elysian Fields lamb from Waynesburg, Pa.; grass-fed beef from Jubilee Hilltop in Bradford, Pa.; Berkshire pork from Serenity Hills; and pasture-raised chicken from Heritage Valley. The market will not offer commodity meats, but LaMantia is able to keep pricing within range because he will be doing much of the processing in-house — including many of the deli and charcuterie items. LaMantia also will offer items from Parma Sausage in the Strip District as well as New York's Shale & Webber. Turner Dairy and Family Farms Creamery, as well as local yogurt producers, will supply the dairy. The market will feature local as well as imported cheeses. Bread will be sourced from Allegro Hearth Bakery and Mediterra Bakehouse, with gluten-free items coming from Gluuteny. The prepared food section will offer a wide selection of grab and go items for breakfast and lunch—soups, salads, sandwiches, fruit and desserts with a good selection of vegan and vegetarian items. The to-go items will come in innovative, environment-friendly packaging. All food is cooked in the downstairs kitchen, and full-service catering also will be available. Wander toward the back of the store and you'll find a cozy wine bar. The Market St. bar is the first and only outlet for the Collefrisio Winery from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Try a glass (or bottle) of Montepulciano—a perfect way to unwind after a long workday. Shoppers can stay and enjoy a glass with some tapas or grab a bottle or case….maybe along with some flowers from Lawrenceville's Green Sinner nursery. All of this goodness in 2,400 square feet! The best of what's local with a finely curated offering of gourmet goods from all over the world. Downtown definitely has a new gem — and downtown home cooks finally have a neighborhood source for quality ingredients. This article appears in the April 2015 issue of Brazen Kitchen. Categories: Brazen Kitchen Five Ways to Reclaim Your Physical and Mental Rhythm Women & Business Profile: Louise Urban, RN, BSN, MHA Women & Business Profile: Chelsea Bruce-McCrommon Women & Business Profile: Sam Garfinkel

Financial problems affect many people. Most people are able to get themselves out of it. Sometimes, however, it's just not possible. You might get stuck in a hole that you just can't dig yourself out of, no matter what you do. If you are in serious financial problems, and you can't get out of them, you might think about filing for bankruptcy. Before you start any bankruptcy proceedings, the first thing you should do is consult a Bankruptcy Attorney Cartersville GA because the laws surrounding bankruptcy have changed in recent years. Things that you have heard might not be true anymore. You may think that you are doing something that is fine, but it can turn around and hurt you. A lawyer who specializes in this field of law will be familiar with all the various changes to the laws, and can make sure that you avoid any pitfalls. Once you have decided that you are going to see a lawyer about starting bankruptcy proceedings, your lawyer should explain the different types of bankruptcy to you, and what they protect. The most common forms for private individuals are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. There are differences in what each form covers, and what it protects. Your lawyer will be able to explain to you in detail what the differences are, and help you understand which one is best for you, and why. They will also be able to explain to you what exemptions you might be able to use. For example, you may be able to keep one vehicle, as long as it is under a certain amount. Being deeply in debt isn't anything that someone plans to happen. Unfortunately, it happens to many people. Some of those people just aren't able to recover. Bankruptcy becomes the only viable solution for them. If you are one of those people, then you need to get an Attorney Cartersville GA who specializes in bankruptcy. They can help you figure out what you need to do in order to get out of your financial problems. It isn't an easy process, and your lawyer can help you.

Bolo lunar nevado, também conhecido como bolo da lua de gelo ou bolo da lua cristal é um alimento chinês tradicionalmente servido durante o Festival da Lua. São uma variação não-assada do bolo lunar clássico originária de Hong Kong. Os bolos lunares tradicionais eram feitos com gemas de ovo de pato em conserva para a massa e pasta de semente de lótus no recheio, o que resultava em um alimento com quantidades altas de gordura e açúcar. Assim, foi desenvolvida a receita do bolo nevado por uma padaria de Hong Kong, usando menos gordura e frutas para rechear a fim de criar um bolo lunar menos gorduroso. O bolo lunar nevado é similar ao sorvete de mochi japonês, já que ambos tem crostas de arroz glutinoso e devem ser mantidos congelados. Devido ao rigor dos requisitos para produção, armazenamento e transporte do alimento, já que ele deve ser refrigerado até a hora de ser consumido, a sua venda na China continental era muito incomum até meados da década de 2000. Hoje em dia, ele pode ser encontrado para venda por toda a China, Macau, Taiwan, Malásia e Singapura. Apesar de bolos lunares nevados serem feitos e vendidos por padarias tradicionais, estes não são assados em fornos como o bolo original; também se diferem no fato de que devem ser comido gelados, enquanto o bolo lunar clássico é servido em temperatura ambiente. Origem do nome O nome "nevado" vem da crosta do bolo, que é feita de arroz glutinoso congelado, e é de cor branca. No entanto, os bolos podem ter outras cores, devido aos sabores adicionados em suas crostas, como chocolate, morango e chá verde. Recheios Os bolos lunares tradicionais geralmente são recheados com pasta de semente de lótus ou pasta de feijão vermelho, enquanto os bolos lunares nevados podem ser recheados com uma variedade de coisas, tais como frutas - mais comumente morango, durio, manga, geléias, chocolate, café, queijo e outros recheios cremosos e aromatizados. Armazenamento Os bolos são geralmente embalados em sacos plásticos, individualmente ou em duplas. Por não serem cozidos, eles devem ser refrigerados e podem ser armazenados em congelador por algumas semanas. Eles normalmente são descongelados por algumas horas na geladeira, em temperatura mais alta que a do congelador, antes de servir, para que fiquem macios. Depois de descongelados, devem ser consumidos dentro de 2 horas. Veja também Sorvete de mochi Referências Culinária da China Pratos com arroz glutinoso Bolos

TMSG: 8-Year-Old Pays Off Entire School's Lunch Debt By Selling Key Chains 8-year-old Keoni Ching wanted to help his Vancouver community with his small business. Ching recently launched a handmade key chain project for his school's "Kindness Week." With the help of his parents April and Barry and his grandparents, Ching created over 300 key chains, which he sold for $5 each. In his total efforts, Ching was able to earn a whopping $4,015. All of which he is giving to the lunch debt of his school Benjamin Franklin Elementary and six others. He was inspired by San Francisco 49ers player Richard Sherman, who also paid off more than $27,000 of school lunch debt for students. He told CNN, "I love key chains. They look good on my backpack." Adding that he wanted to help others because "it just makes the world a better place."

Owing to the slightly tilted outer ring, the Orbit multiplies the power of centrifugal forces. When passengers reach the highest point when spinning, they can feel the full force of gravity and the effect of speed dramatically increases, making it an exhilarating play experience. We're not the only ones to think that the Orbit roundabout is an amazing product…We've sold hundreds of units around the world and in 2012 HAGS received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in the Product Design category.

Dig Vinyl – Independent Record Store – Review In: Culture Words: Kate McCann With my pocket money pressed into my hot little hand, I'd often skip down to the likes of Our Price, HMV or Woolies as a girl to buy a record of one of my favourites. Streaming and downloading just doesn't cut it for me, far more satisfying to actually hold something. I adored leaving the shop clutching my carrier bag containing the round plastic black disc that would bring me so much joy and, later on, nostalgia. I loved carefully handling the vinyl fresh out of its crisp sleeve as I put it on my trusted turntable, trying my hardest not to scratch it, and I loved browsing through my extensive collection with a sense of pride and happiness. Still do, so I was more than chuffed to get the chance to go to Dig Vinyl, an amazing independent record shop at 80 Bold Street, Liverpool. Shops like these are few and far between in the city, and no surprise it's fast becoming a must-go location for vinyl lovers, locally and further afield. With the great vinyl revival well and truly underway, it's up to the likes of Dig Vinyl to remind us why records rightly deserve their standing in an overly-digitised music world. Over 3 million records were sold in the UK last year, and what was once seen as a hobby of devoted enthusiasts seems to be increasingly popular among the young and the old. Dig Vinyl is a pure treasure trove of tunes, a right little gem, and is located in the basement of clothes store, Soho's. It's been around for 3 years and stocks every genre you can think of; punk, dance, classic rock, soul, indie, jazz… and so on. In April this year they expanded to give them much more floor space. The shop itself is warm, very inviting and houses literally thousands of records, encouraging you to dig deep and you never know, you might pull out a much-sought-after masterpiece, something you've been dying to add to your collection, or just spy some top tracks you fancy spinning on your turntable. It's heartening to know that Dig Vinyl get every type of customer under the sun, and even the youngsters are itching to get their hands on records these days, as manager Yvonne Page explains: 'We get all ages; people as young as 12 will come in with their parents and they're so excited, and we love that. When you have kids that get into it, they'll probably start buying records as a hobby and they'll stick with that. We see people now that first came here when they were 15, and they're 18, 19 now, going to university and starting their own bands. There's a few who are now putting their own gigs on and come in to put their posters up, which is great…We get university students who get their first record players for Christmas, we notice a lot of difference when the uni students have gone home… Also, older people who are re-buying their collection, they might've sold it, got rid of it, or moved to CDs.' Primarily full of second-hand vinyl, any new stuff that comes in is mostly local bands or labels. They're incredibly keen to champion the local music scene, and currently in stock are the likes of Strange Collective, Edgar Jones, Wicked Whispers, and labels God Unknown and 80s Vinyl Records. Yvonne says: 'That's the point, to support local bands and labels. So even if it's a band that's self-released, they can bring it down and we will put it out on the shelf.' In addition to the store, they also celebrated an inaugural release in January on their own label. Nightdubbing by Frontline, an electronic disco track, has now sold out. Their second release, l'r by Burr Hoff Bau, will be launched at the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia on 22 September. For more information, go to www.digliverpool.co.uk or their Facebook page, Dig Vinyl. Tags: Dig VinylRecord ShopVinyl

By Clellan Coe | May 18, 2022 Flickr/juanedc For just over four years, I have written the Asturias Days column for The American Scholar's website. Robert Wilson hired me for the job, and he has also been my editor for the column, making him a collaborator as well as my boss. We live on different continents and have never met, but I often pictured the two of us seated at a table, each holding a pencil, a typed manuscript before us, and he sliding it back towards me. "Now your turn," he says in my imagination, as if the paper were a board and the writing a game, and we were playing, more pals than associates in this matter of writing. Board game is juego de mesa in Spanish, table game, and this comparison works because, like a game, the editing process was fun. Unlike in a game, however, there was no winner and loser, only playing well. To play well meant, among other things, playing nicely. Wilson always did. No criticism, no griping, no reminders that I'd again committed my common fault of running on too long. Just his move and then the return to me. His touch, though direct and effective, was light. He never made me feel foolish and so I never felt much need to defend my words, either the ones I wanted to keep or the ones I let go. "Push back," he'd invited at the outset, but no pushing was necessary because he was flexible and, should I disagree, yielded gracefully, never demanding that I see a passage his way, just asking that, for a moment, I see it anew. Sometimes Wilson simply wrote, "I don't understand," or "You've lost me." He read my prose, in other words, not just for the surface, but looked deeper in order to help me say what I wanted. His editing was not a paint job to cover up irregularities; it was a scrape job, clearing away what was extraneous. I gradually understood that he did not think his phrasing was more correct than mine, or that mine might not say something further that couldn't be said with simpler wording, but that the benefit of extra meaning, whether concrete or hinted at, had to be weighed against the benefit of ease in reading and understanding, and a complex argument was not necessarily a better argument. The matter to consider, in other words, wasn't always how to say a thing, but whether to say it at all. I learned to ask, "Is this passage worth the effort, not to write it, but to appreciate it?" Never underestimate your readers but don't over-tax them either. Through all this, Wilson never took over, not even over a sentence, or phrase. He didn't change the color scheme of my piece or rearrange the furniture. He simply saw a slightly better angle for the armchair or the superfluity of the decoration. He straightened it up. Or so I see it, as if my writing is the rooms of my house I invite guests into. Occasionally, however, the writing is more intimate, and it's me on offer, not just my surroundings. Make what you will of me, I might as well say as I throw myself to the reader. This is when I felt my editor's influence at its gentlest, as if he were pointing out a smudge on my cheek or suggesting I tuck in my shirt. The concern was at two levels—for my writing (let's make sure you say what you want to) and for my reputation (let's make sure your writing reflects well on you). The boss side came out only in the few comments about arrangements, nothing about my writing. "I'll see to it you are paid," for example, and "Have it back by Monday is fine." The whole process—business and creative—was easy and enjoyable. Months, then years, flew by. Until one day came the email telling me of his intended retirement. As long as I'm here, he said, I hope you keep writing the column. He hoped whoever replaced him appreciated me too. It was then, in the light of its coming absence, that I felt the power he wielded, and remembered I had my column due to his invitation and possibly protection. I was a court writer, and he was the king. A gentle and kind king. Beneficent, noble. A kingly king. Anna's king was "fierce, mercurial, dangerous," but not mine. Through all the corrections and suggestions, never did I feel required to admire my editor's dexterity. He was always so polite. "Thank you for this," he said. "I'm sorry," too, if he was slow getting to my pieces. He was generous with his praise. The excellence of his editing was cushioned in kindly comments about his life or questions about mine. He has been a fine correspondent about the deep and the mundane. Robert Wilson is now retired from the magazine, and this post is the first of mine to appear without his scrutiny and seal of approval. I'd be inclined to beg your indulgence, dear reader, for any slips you might see from here on out—be it a clumsy phrase, a wrong word, a metaphor you have to ponder to understand—except my new editor is a very astute editor too. Besides, over these four years I have learned to write better, due in part to seeing my editor pass his hand across the prose, smoothing it. I have even edited myself à la Wilson before sending the document to him, rewording to eliminate a stray there is or to shorten a long sentence, to add a that to clarify or deleting one that doesn't. So, though there will be no more editing by Wilson, his mark is on my prose. Make that, rather, though Wilson will edit me no more, his mark is on my prose. Editing is not a game of winners and losers, but I have come out ahead. There is a lot to be grateful for. I mean, rather, I have a lot to be grateful for. But wait, even better: Wilson has given me so much to be grateful for. Thanks, he wrote after each set of posts he edited. No, thank you!

Sunshine Week: Open and Transparent Government Creates Change (WRDW) Published: Mar. 11, 2019 at 5:13 PM EDT NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Sunshine Week begins today. This is a week we like to highlight the critical role of open government and freedom of information at the local, state, and federal levels. Truth comes through an open and transparent government that anyone can access. In 2018, the I-Team submitted 228 open records requests. Public records do not forget or lie. It serves as the backbone to our investigations and creates change. A young single mother and her children were left homeless after she leased a home with a gas leak and other life threatening code violations. An open records request to Richmond County Code Enforcement showed their inspectors were not always re-inspecting rentals which lead to tenant after tenant moving into unsafe homes. The result of our open records request lead to a new code enforcement follow up policy, stiffer penalties on bad landlords, and judges considering code enforcement history before ruling on eviction cases. Law enforcement seemed to look the other way when our I-Team started digging into local pool contractors but they could not ignore what we kept uncovering. So far, three contractors have been arrested ten times in six counties. We used open records requests to look at permits, violations, and citations to uncover a pattern of problems. Columbia County has now changed its licensing requirements for pool contractors. A veteran told our I-Team people with disabilities were having a hard time getting to voting precincts because the sidewalks were not handicap friendly. We used open records to show you all the accessibility issues, not just at voting polls, but across the county. They county assembled panel of department heads to meet with the Richmond County Board of Elections to discuss the problems our stories highlighted. They have vowed to fix problem spots. A mom told our I-Team her son didn't know what to do if an active shooter came onto campus. We filed an open records request to find out whether schools in Richmond County were practicing lockdown drills. We found only five out of 56 had practiced. The school district later said their documentation was wrong and 16 had practiced, still, less than a third of students. Now, every school practices an active shooter drill three times a year -and all teachers and staff have been trained on active shooter response. Lawyers and journalists file open records everyday but the law wasn't created for us. It was created for you, the public! On Tuesday, Meredith will show you how open records can help you make more informed decisions about housing, schools and even hairdressers.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has welcomed a number of new resident clients to its state-of-the-art facility - just a few months after opening. Qualcomm Technologies has unveiled the CSRA6640, a flexible, highly integrated single-chip amplifier solution that uses the company's DDFA Digital Amplifier Technology. It's been a busy few months for Martin Cotter, SVP Worldwide Sales & Digital Marketing at Analog Devices. From electronica last year to the Consumer Electronics Show in January, he's been engaging with partners and customers in a market that is changing rapidly. Sensor Coating System (SCS) has been awarded an Innovate UK grant under the A4I (Analysis for Innovators) programme to collaborate with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). TechWorks, the UK's industry association for deep tech connected communities, has announced the appointment of Alan Banks as CEO, with immediate effect. ams, a specialist supplier of high performance sensor solutions, and Wise Road Capital, a Private Equity firm have launched a new sensors joint venture. UnitedSiC, a manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, has announced a strategic investment and long-term supply agreement from Analog Devices, (ADI). NVIDIA and Mellanox have announced that they have reached a definitive agreement under which NVIDIA will acquire Mellanox for $6.9bn.

The Forewarning of 9-11 & the Israeli Fugitive March 20, 2010 Christopher Bollyn 9-11 Archive 2006, News & Articles, Uncategorized The case of the Israeli criminal Kobi Alexander is like the proverbial "tip of the iceberg." While Alexander's crimes, through which he became immensely wealthy, are now evident, they are but a small piece of a much larger Zionist criminal network – connected to the 9-11 terror attacks – which remains hidden beneath the surface. Alexander, former head of the Israel-based Comverse Technology, was, until his crimes were discovered, one of the highest paid executives in the United States. In the year 2000, for example, he reportedly earned some $102.5 million, with $93 million coming from the "exercise of options." We now know that most of Alexander's money was made through the fraudulent "exercise of options." Comverse Technology, the U.S.-based "parent company" of an older and much bigger Israel-based company with the same name, is the owner of the Verint, Ulticom, Starhome, Mercom and Startel companies. The key positions in these companies are all held by Israeli nationals. Alexander, was recently allowed to flee the United States after he and two other former Comverse executives were charged with securities, mail and wire fraud by U.S. prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. While a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York told me on August 15 that he "expected" that Alexander would turn himself in, the New York Times was rather less optimistic. "It will be a long time – if ever – before Alexander explains himself in a courtroom," the Times wrote on August 21. Alexander's lawyer, Robert Morvillo, said he "believed" that Alexander and his family were on vacation in Israel. Alexander, an Israeli citizen and a former military officer, wired $57 million to an account in Israel at the end of July and was evidently allowed to flee the United States. "Given Alexander's stature and military service," the Times reported, quoting unnamed law professors, "Israel might be reluctant to readily hand him over." One might reasonably ask what the 54-year old Alexander's "military service" has to do with Israel refusing to extradite him for crimes committed in the United States? While Alexander is obviously connected with Israel's military intelligence apparatus and George Soros through the mutually owned investment fund ComSor, what is not widely reported is his company's close links with Odigo, the Israeli-run instant messaging company that received – and conveyed – urgent warning messages about the imminent terror attacks on the World Trade Center several hours before the first plane hit. The New York Times certainly must be well aware of the personal and business connection between Alexander and Odigo since they did an extensive interview with Avner and Maskit Ronen, the founders of Odigo, for their Sunday magazine in September 2000. The magazine article about the Ronen's, titled "Immigrants with an I.P.O." could have been titled "Immigrants on a Mission." The Ronens, both with military backgrounds in computer science, "put down few roots," during their first years in New York City, the Times reported. "They made no friends outside the office and had no taste at all for networking at Silicon Alley parties," the NYT magazine wrote. "They sought neither driver's licenses nor a local physician." The bizarre photograph in the article showed two silhouetted figures hidden in the dark. These were the Ronens, Israeli military officers on a mission in New York. ODIGO INSTANT MESSAGES There is ample evidence that many Israelis were forewarned of the attacks through an Israeli instant messaging service called Odigo. This story, which presents the clearest evidence of Israeli prior knowledge of the attacks, was reported only very briefly in the U.S. media – and then completely forgotten and deleted. According to the news reports, at least two Israel-based employees of Odigo reported having received warnings of an imminent attack in New York City hours before the first plane hit the WTC. Odigo, an Israeli-owned company had its U.S. headquarters only two blocks from the World Trade Center, yet Odigo failed to pass the warning it had received on to the authorities in New York, a move that would have saved thousands of lives. "The messages said something big was going to happen in a certain amount of time, and it did – almost to the minute," Alex Diamandis, Odigo's vice president, said two weeks after 9-11. "It was possible that the attack warning was broadcast to other Odigo members, but the company has not received reports of other recipients of the message," he added. Based on the Israeli government figure that some 4,000 Israelis were expected to be in the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks, it seems evident that many Israeli Odigo users got the message. Odigo, which offers real-time messaging, has a feature called "People Finder" which allows a user to send an instant message to a large group based on a common characteristic, such as Israeli nationality. "People Finder" allows Odigo users to search for online "buddies," with filters like Israeli nationality, while maintaining user privacy at all times. The Internet address of the sender of the warning was reportedly given to the FBI. Two months later it was reported that the FBI was still investigating the matter. Since then there have been no further media reports about the Odigo warning of 9-11. As I have previously reported, Odigo, like Comverse and other Israel-based software companies, is really headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, the suburb of Tel Aviv where Israeli military intelligence headquarters are located. Typically, with these Israeli-intelligence linked outfits, the company's research and development, and any manufacturing, such as the "black box" computer surveillance equipment produced by Comverse, is all done in Israel. The U.S. offices merely function as distribution, marketing, and financial centers. In the case of Comverse, for example, the real parent company was Alexander's Tel Aviv-based Efrat Future Technology Ltd., which carried out "all research, development, and manufacturing," for Comverse, according to a 1992 article in the Jerusalem Post. Shortly after 9-11, Odigo was completely taken over by Comverse Technology, which had been part owner of Odigo since early 2000, if not earlier. Shortly after 9-11, five executives from Comverse were reported to have profited by more than $267 million from "insider trading." Avner Ronen, the "founder" of Odigo, was Vice President of Business Development of Comverse Technology in October 2005. This indicates that Ronen and Alexander, both Israeli military officers with computer backgrounds, have been close business partners since early 2000. "Comverse and Odigo have had a long-standing partnership and together have developed instant communications products and services that we have recently begun to offer to operators around the world," Zeev Bregman, CEO of the Israel-based Comverse Ltd., told the Jerusalem Post in May 2002.

Q: coreData returning only one result Having this weird issue, No matter what predicate I apply its only returning one result, and if I don't add any predicate its returns all the rows of the table, what I want is only return the rows with matching progIds I have the list of programIds and based on that I want to search in TvInfo table. ....... ...... progId = [Int64(3211),Int64(16844)] // hardcored ids from tvInfo table let tvInfoRequest: NSFetchRequest<TvInfo> = TvInfo.fetchRequest() tvInfoRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "progId == %i", argumentArray: progId) tvInfoRequest.returnsDistinctResults = true tvInfoRequest.resultType = .managedObjectResultType var tvShows = [TvInfo]() coreDataStack.managedObjectContext.performAndWait({ do{ let tvInfoResult = try self.coreDataStack.managedObjectContext.fetch(tvInfoRequest) tvShows = tvInfoResult } catch { fatalError("Error fetching channels displayShow") } }) I thought maybe some issue with progId (type mismatch Int64), so I tried fetching using the tvShow name (with exact showNames from tvInfo table still getting only one result, (first name passed in the array) tvInfoRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "progName MATCHES %@", argumentArray: ["Supercar Superbuild","Kanahiya Bhaiya Live"]) weird thing is I used the same logic to fetch progIds from channels Table and its working fine(getting progId with exact matches) and its working for other tables also like channel Id fetching from channel tables // fetching progIds from channel table let tvScheduleRequest: NSFetchRequest<TvSchedule> = TvSchedule.fetchRequest() tvScheduleRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "chId == %i", argumentArray: channelIds) tvScheduleRequest.returnsDistinctResults = true var progId = [Int64]() coreDataStack.managedObjectContext.performAndWait({ do{ let tvScheduleResult = try self.coreDataStack.managedObjectContext.fetch(tvScheduleRequest) if tvScheduleResult.count > 0 { for array in tvScheduleResult { progId.append(array.progId) } } } catch { fatalError("Error fetching channels to display show") } }) PS: * *Its returning 1 row so it's not an issue of context, wrong key, thread *there are data in table as if I don't apply any predicate its returning 100+ rows *I am using argumentArray for predicate, not single args CVarArg. Thanks for help A: In predicate try using %@ instead of %i. tvInfoRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "progId == %i", argumentArray: progId). One more thing check the variable that you are passing to predicate progId.

Q: Retrieving username and password from Dropbox file I have a login tool which grabs the username and password from a file in my dropbox account. Dim prequest As HttpWebRequest = HttpWebRequest.Create("http://dl.dropbox.com/s/jb4m5udkt96a43z/premuim.txt") Dim presponse As HttpWebResponse = prequest.GetResponse() Dim psr As IO.StreamReader = New IO.StreamReader(presponse.GetResponseStream()) Dim premium As String = psr.ReadToEnd() That's the code I am using, it downloads the file and gives me the text inside. So I used this about half a year ago and it worked fine, now I am trying to use it but it doesn't work anymore.

Application fees deposit through online Net banking/Credit card/ Debit card/ Cash Cards/ Mobile Wallets/ IMPS. Candidate age As on 01-10-2016. DGM, Deputy General Manager (Taxation) : Candidate should passed Graduation with Ist Class in any discipline from recognized university with Postgraduate degree in Commerce /Accountancy, MBA / ICWA/ CA with minimum 12 years of experience. Assistant General Manager AGM : Candidate passed Graduation with Ist Class in any dicipline from recognized university with Postgraduate in Commerce/ Accountancy, MBA / ICWA / CA / CS / CFA/ MBA / M.Tech/ ME with minimum 8 years of experience. Manager : Candidate should passed Graduation with Ist Class in any stream from recognized university with PostGraduate in Commerce / Accountancy, MBA / ICWA/ CA / CFA /CS / MBA / ME / M.Tech with minimum 04 years of experience. Interested candidate may apply at IDBI official website on or before 20-02-2017. Online Exam Date is 24-03-2017.

The Graf Spee Team, headed by Hector Bado was awarded the necessary permits to recover and salvage the Graf Spee from its location in the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) near Montevideo, Uruguay. These permits were issued in the spring of 2003. In effect, the Graf Spee Team is now the owner of the ship. The Team intends to raise the Graf Spee as intact as is possible and to use her as an educational and historical showpiece so that future generations can better understand the sacrifices that men have made in war. Many individuals and corporations have already shown an interest in purchasing or sponsoring specific elements of the vessel. Revenue from some salvaged elements will be used to finance the removal and preservation of the hull.

The Supreme Court ruled today in Doe v Reed that individuals who sign referendum petitions generally do not have a First Amendment right to remain anonymous. But the Court also held that courts should consider the particular facts in any given case to determine whether anonymity is constitutionally required. Blocking disclosure would be constitutional, the Court holds, "if there were a reasonable probability that the group's members would face threats, harassment, or reprisals if their names were disclosed." Protect Marriage argued that individuals who oppose lgbt rights fear harm because of possible retaliation by lgbt advocates, and therefore should have their identities kept private. The Court ruled that release of names and addresses of petition signers was normally justified by the state's interest in protecting against election fraud, i.e., against individuals signing a petition multiple times and/or using forged or invented names. The case will now go back to the lower courts for a determination of whether there is a reasonable probability that signers of this petition would suffer harm if their identifying information is released. Key to that assessment will be evidence that the fear of such harm is exaggerated or fabricated. An excellent amicus brief filed by Lambda Legal and several other lgbt organizations was before the Court in Reed, and was doubtless a factor in producing some of the strong language in the Sotomayor and Stevens opinions (see below). Although the bottom line result was a lopsided 8 to 1 split among the Justices (Thomas dissented), the reasoning was fragmented. The opinion of the Court, written by Chief Justice Roberts, stressed that the state had ample justification for treating referendum petitions as releasable public records, absent a showing of special circumstances. Justice Scalia, on the other hand, concurred in the result but wrote separately to make clear that he believed that there never should be an exception made to the law providing for name disclosure. Other concurring opinions favoring disclosure, and suggesting that this would hold true for the R-71 names, were written by Justices Sotomayor and Stevens. …[T]he process of legislating by referendum is inherently public. To qualify a referendum for the ballot, citizens are required to sign a petition and supply identifying information to the State. The act of signing typically occurs in public, and the circulators who collect and submit signatures ordinarily owe signers no guarantee of confidentiality. For persons with the "civic courage" to participate in this process, (opinion of Scalia, J.), the State's decision to make accessible what they voluntarily place in the public sphere should not deter them from engaging in the expressive act of petition signing. Disclosure of the identity of petition signers, moreover, in no way directly impairs the ability of anyone to speak and associate for political ends either publicly or privately. Case-specific relief may be available when a State selectively applies a facially neutral petition disclosure rule in a manner that discriminates based on the content of referenda or the viewpoint of petition signers, or in the rare circumstance in which disclosure poses a reasonable probability of serious and widespread harassment that the State is unwilling or unable to control. Cf. NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson, 357 U. S. 449 (1958). Allowing case-specific invalidation under a more forgiving standard would unduly diminish the substantial breathing room States are afforded to adopt and implement reasonable, nondiscriminatory measures like the disclosure requirement now at issue. Accordingly, courts presented with an as-applied challenge to a regulation authorizing the disclosure of referendum petitions should be deeply skeptical of any assertion that the Constitution,which embraces political transparency, compels States to conceal the identity of persons who seek to participate in lawmaking through a state-created referendum process. Any burden on speech that petitioners posit is speculative as well as indirect. For an as-applied challenge to a law such as the [Public Records Act] to succeed, there would have to be a significant threat of harassment directed at those who sign the petition that cannot be mitigated bylaw enforcement measures. Moreover, the character of the law challenged in a referendum does not, in itself, affect the analysis. Debates about tax policy and regulation of private property can become just as heated as debates about domestic partnerships. And as a general matter, it is very difficult to show that by later disclosing the names of petition signatories, individuals will be less willing to sign petitions. Just as we have in the past, I would demand strong evidence before concluding that an indirect and speculative chain of events imposes a substantial burden on speech. A statute "is not to be upset upon hypothetical and unreal possibilities, if it would be good upon the facts as they are." The widespread harassment and intimidation suffered by supporters of California's Proposition 8 provides strong support for an as-applied exemption in the present case…[I]f the evidence relating to Proposition 8 is not sufficient to obtain an as-applied exemption in this case, one may wonder whether that vehicle provides any meaningful protection for the First Amendment rights of persons who circulate and sign referendum and initiative petitions. The only Justice who did not write or join an opinion other than the opinion of the Court was Justice Kennedy. In sum, this battle isn't over yet, although Protect Marriage will have to meet an extremely high standard to block the release of names. In my view, this is exactly the right result. I would not have been comfortable with a ruling declaring that there could never be constitutional protection for keeping the identities of petition signers private. At the same time, four Justices make quite clear that they are suspicious that the manufactured hysteria over fear of gay retribution is just that.

Franchise Sports Tallahassee FSU Football FSU Basketball FSU Baseball FAMU Basketball FAMU Baseball TCC Basketball TCC Baseball Amos P. Godby FAMU DRS Florida State University HS Maclay North Florida Christian Rickards Franchise Sports Category Archives: TCC Baseball College, Tallahassee Community College, TCC Baseball TCC to take on Chipola College April 11, 2018 Jacob Wicinski Leave a comment Jacob Wicinski, Correspondent (JacobWicinskiFS on Twitter) TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles will play Chipola College on the road on Monday, as well as at home on Wednesday. The Eagles will look to maintain their success, as they have gone on a six-game winning streak, as well as an 8-2 record over their last 10 games. TCC is 31-14 so far this season, while going 9-7 in conference play, and 21-10 at home. They are 10-4 on the road. A reason for this success is the team's batting. They have a .303 batting average as a team this season. Cole Vann, a sophomore outfielder, is a major contributor. He leads the team in home runs (six), slugging percentage (.583), doubles (12) and hits (47). Vann is also second in on-base percentage (.503) and RBI (34). The team's pitching has helped as well, though they have a 4.12 ERA. Jake Kinney, a sophomore relief pitcher for the Eagles, has helped with a team-low 1.21 ERA. Kinney also leads the team in strikeouts per nine innings (16.38), saves (5) and appearances (19). The Eagles' pitching has improved as the year has gone on. In the month of February, the Eagles gave up 145 hits, 77 earned runs and accumulated a 4.94 ERA in only 16 games. However, in March, they only gave up 120 hits, 56 earned runs as well as having a 3.61 ERA, despite playing in four more games. After the Eagles play Chipola, they will finish the season playing three two-game series against Gulf Coast State College, Pensacola State College and Northwest Florida State College. College, FAMU Baseball, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Community College, TCC Baseball Eagles beat Rattlers in Preseason Tune-Up November 1, 2017 Royal A. Shepherd Leave a comment Chrystal Fernandes, Correspondent (@CFernadesFS on Twitter) TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Florida A&M University baseball team (FAMU) took on the Tallahassee Community College Eagles (TCC) in their annual exhibition game to start off the season. With very few mistakes from the players, the Rattlers took a 4-0 lead. "We had to keep going, and not think about it," TCC's Kyle Bensen said. In the next two innings, both teams had difficulty scoring due to all the mistakes being made. At the top of the third inning, the Eagles scored five runs to take the lead. At the top of the fifth inning, Bensen hit a two-run homerun, giving the Eagles a lead of 7-4. "It was a great feeling," Bensen said. The Rattlers struggled to get a good hit off the bat or to catch any balls hit from the Eagles the rest of the way. The Eagles added another run to seal the game. With a final score of 8-4, the Eagles took home a win giving them motivation for what this new season has in store. TCC Baseball Disappoints In Conference Opener March 8, 2017 Max Fay Leave a comment Max Fay, Editor in Chief (@Max_Fay on Twitter) TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net)–Tallahassee Community College got off on the wrong foot, then couldn't put one foot in front of the other. The Eagles (15-11) fell behind early and never could make it a ballgame, getting thrashed 16-5 by Chipola (20-4) in their first conference game of the season. Starting pitcher Brooks Buckler lasted only 1.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs on five hits and three walks. The lone bright spot for TCC was Cole Vann, who homered to straight away center field, and then came on to pitch in the sixth inning, recording a pair strikeouts. Max Fay | Franchise Sports Tallahassee "It was a bad start," TCC head coach Mike McLeod said. "We made some mistakes on the mound and out in the field early. We walked guys and gave up a lot of hits, and that is a recipe not very conducive to winning a baseball game. The lack of defensive really took us out of the game." Continue reading TCC Baseball Disappoints In Conference Opener → TCC Baseball Extend their Winning Streak to Seven Games March 4, 2017 Marcus Joseph Leave a comment Alex Krutchik, Correspondent (@AlexKrutchikFS on Twitter) TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles (13-10) defeated the East Georgia State Bobcats to extend 7-2 to extend their winning streak to seven games. TCC scored first when Myron Mebane drove home Tanner Thomas on a single to center. After starting the season 0-for-13, he's turned it around and is 4-for-11 in his last four games. This is the seventh straight game in which the Eagles have scored in the first inning. The Eagles scored a run in each of the first four innings. A single by Bryce Plummer brought home Jack Hartman in the second inning, and a sacrifice fly by Thomas allowed the second run of the inning to score. Nick Blasucci drove home Deyvid Silva in the third inning to give TCC a 4-0 lead. Already with a run on the board in the fifth inning, Silva knocked in two more runs to provide the Eagles with a 7-0 cushion. The Eagles didn't score the rest of the game, but their pitching staff took care of business. Starting pitcher Hunter Tinsley pitched four innings and gave up four hits and no earned runs. The only time he got in trouble was in the top of the fifth, when he gave up a walk to the first three batters of the inning. TCC Coach Mike McCleod pulled him and Jake Hunkiar came in relief. He retired the first two batters, and it appeared that he'd retire the third and get out of the jam. However, first baseman Blasucci couldn't field an errant throw by shortstop Silva to end the inning. The error allowed two runs to score. Silva made up for it on the very next play and got the final out of the sixth. Nick Marchese came in the seventh to closed out the next three innings for the Eagles. He retired seven of his first eight batters. Six of those batters were struck out. Over three innings, he gave up no hits, three walks, and struck out seven. TCC plays East Georgia State again on Saturday at 1:00, and Grand Rapids Community College at 6:00. TCC Baseball Coach Mike McCleod picked up his 900th career victory February 26, 2017 Marcus Joseph Leave a comment TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles used a six-run sixth inning to win and give head coach Mike McCleod his 900th career win as the Eagles (9-10) defeated the Chattahoochee Valley Pirates (Ala.) 11-6. All of coach Mike McCleod wins have come during his 27-year tenure at TCC. During his time as an Eagle, his teams have won five Panhandle Conference Championships, most recently in 2013. "I'm just very grateful that I've had the longevity to have associated with these young men," said McCloud, who was also an assistant under Florida State head coach Mike Martin from 1982-1990. "What it means to me is just remembering all the times." Both teams traded runs in the first. CVCC's Kurt Ornowski reached on an error and was later driven in by Carson Hughes. In the bottom of the inning, Jordan Curtis walked aboard and scored on a passed ball. Continue reading TCC Baseball Coach Mike McCleod picked up his 900th career victory → Eagles End Six-Game Losing Streak Alex Krutchik, Correspondent ( @AlexKrutchikFS on Twitter) TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles (8-10) got their first win in six games in a 9-6 victory against the Chattahoochee Valley Pirates (Ala.) TCC opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Tanner Thomas (2-for-5) hit a single and stole a base to get himself into scoring position, and Cole Vann (2-for-4) drove him home for his first of three RBI for the game. Starting pitching for TCC was shaky once again. Nick Blasucci (3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) walked two batters and hit one to load the bases in the the second inning. That's when CVCC's Isaac Phillips drove him Jaylen Smith to tie the game at one. In the top of the third, CVCC strung together three hits to start the inning. A.J. Willoughby scored on a single by Brandon Hill, and Jayson Cook drove home Carson Hughes for the second run of the inning. Hill scored on the same play after a throwing error by Deyvid Silva. Continue reading Eagles End Six-Game Losing Streak → Chatt Valley Defeats Eagles Friday to take Series Opener TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – A four run second inning wasn't enough for the Tallahassee Community College Eagles (7-10), as they fell to the NJCAA No. 6 Chattahoochee Valley Pirates (Ala.), 9-6. After the Pirates scored three runs in the first two innings, Deyvid Silva and Tucker Rayburn started got walked to begin the bottom of the second, and Chris Clark was hit by a pitch. Silva scored on a wild pitch by Chandler Newman for the Eagles' first run of the game. Haughton got hit by a pitch to make the bases loaded once again, and Jack Hartman showed his patience by forcing another walk, driving in Rayburn in the process. Newman was pulled after facing five batters in the inning, walking three and hitting two. The Eagles were able to get one more run off of new pitcher Charles Crosby when Tanner Thomas hit into a fielder's choice and drove Clark home. The Eagles notched one more run in the fourth when Josh Nothdorft drove home Haughton. The 5-3 lead would be the Eagles' largest of the night. Eagle starting pitcher Brooks Buckler (6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 K, 4 BB) had his shakiest outing of the season against a Chattahoochee team that came into the game with a .337 batting average. He settled down after the second inning, giving up only one hit between the third and fifth innings. However, things started to unravel in the sixth for him and TCC. MJ Rookard was hit by a pitch and advanced to sacrifice bunt. Brandon Hill hit a routine fly ball to left field, but a botched catch allowed Rookard to score, and Hill to reach second. Jayson Cook singled to left and got Hill to third. TCC got Isaac Phillips to ground out, and Hartman made a phenomenal play to throw Cook trying to make it from first to third. However, before the play was complete, they allowed Hill to score, tying the game at five apiece. The Eagles scored once more in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a single by Curtis to drive home Hartman. Alex Stobert came on to pitch in the seventh for the Eagles, but didn't last long. He faced four batters, and gave up three hits and three runs. He picked up his first loss of the season. With the 9-6 loss, the Eagles have lost five straight, and 10 of their last 12. They continue their three-game weekend series against the Pirates Saturday Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. TCC Baseball Loses 3rd straight game, this time to No. 2 Santa Fe Saints February 7, 2017 Marcus Joseph Leave a comment The Tallahassee Community College baseball team dropped its third straight game on Monday in a 3-1 loss to the NJCAA No. 8/Region 8 No. 2 Santa Fe Saints. Both teams were locked in a pitching battle early on. Going into the bottom of the fifth inning, neither team had given up a run or a hit. That all changed when TCC's Chris Hawkins delivered a single off of Santa Fe pitcher Kyle Morton. However Morton kept the shutout going until Deyvid Silva drove home a run in the sixth. That would be TCC's only run of the game. The Santa Fe bullpen combined for three innings, striking out three and giving up no runs. Tallahassee pitcher Brooks Buckler came out of the gates looking like he was ready to throw another gem. Coming into the game, he has pitched eight straight innings without giving up a run. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth, but after a single, wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly, the Saints scored twice in the inning. In the next inning, Santa Fe's Stephen Smith reached base on an error by TCC second baseman Josh Nothdorft. Smith then stole second base and later scored on a throwing error by Chris Clark. Santa Fe only had three hits, but reached base through six walks and two batters hit by a pitch. TCC committed three errors. This is the third straight loss for TCC after starting the season 5-0. They will play again on Wednesday against Florida State College at Jacksonville. RECAP: Eagles beat Hawks, 12-4, To Improve to 5-0 TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles baseball team defeated the South Georgia State Hawks in a 12-4 blowout Wednesday afternoon. Reigning NJCAA Region 8 pitcher of the week Brooks Buckler had a short, but effective outing. In three innings, he gave up two hits and zero runs. He's on an eight inning scoreless streak to start the season. The Eagles first got on the board with a three-run homer by Aaron Haughton in the bottom of the first. Coming into the game, he was 4-for-8. TCC manager Mike McCleod is impressed with his start to the season. "I was very pleased with Haughton and how much he's got going at the plate right now," said McCloud. "He's hitting the ball very hard and that home run he hit was a bullet." Casey Cribb would later hit a home run of his own. It was a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead. He went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. The Eagles notched two more runs in the fourth inning. Jordan Curtis came in as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and delivered a hard hit ball to left-center. He legged out a triple and drove in two runs. The Eagles added two more runs later in the inning. Octavio Marin came in to pitch with two runners on and two outs in the top of the fifth. He pitched two innings and got his first win of the season. Tallahassee Community College and South Georgia State will play again on Friday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. in Douglas, Ga. TCC Eagles Win Season Opener, 7-2 January 28, 2017 Marcus Joseph Leave a comment TALLAHASSEE, FLA., (www.franchisesportsonline.net) – It was a cold night in Tallahassee as the Tallahassee Community College Eagles cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Pasco-Hernando State Conquistadors. TCC starting pitcher Brooks Buckler made sure the Conquistador's bats were cold too. Through five innings, he gave up no hits and no walks. He also struck out four. Offensively, it was hard for the Eagles to get going early on. Lead-off hitter Bret Maxwell got on base in the first inning, but was caught stealing. In the bottom of the second inning, Casey Cribb and Tucker Rayburn got on base with no outs. Jack Hartman hit the ball right at Pasco-Hernando pitcher Tyler Beck, who then bobbled the ball. That allowed Cribb and Rayburn to advance, but Hartman mistakenly started running towards second base after the bobble. And, was thrown out when trying to get back to first base. Myron Mebane flied out, and Jordan Curtis struck out. Suddenly, the rally was over. The Eagles turned it around in the third. Chris Clark started the inning with a triple, and would later score on a wild pitch. The Eagles scored three more times in the inning, with runs scored by Deyvid Silva, Casey Cribb, and Tucker Rayburn. Jack Hartman scored for the Eagles in the fifth. Then two runs by Clark and Maxwell gave the Eagles all the insurance they needed. Although the Eagles won easily, manager Mike McLeod said the offense should've capitalized more on their opportunities. "We swung at a lot of air tonight when we had guys in scoring position. We got to learn how to put the ball in play," said McLeod, who is in his 27th year as TCC's manager. "When we got the other team down, we gotta kick them, and we've gotta keep them down. We had many opportunities to really drive home the final nail and we never did. We kept them in the game." In the top of the sixth, Pasco-Hernando got on the board when first baseman Alex Reynolds drove home Tyree Austin on a single to shallow left. The next inning, left fielder Jose Oliva smashed a ball over the left field fence for a solo home run. Christian Dearman finished the last 2.1 innings for the Eagles. He gave up no runs, and struck out three. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Jan. 28. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m Franchise Sports is a local student-media organization covering Tallahassee sports. 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Japan - McCormack is interested in the fact that Anderson had great success from the two film ventures in Japan and suggests that Anderson gives though to the establishment of a literal monopoly on films of the major events in the participation sports. McCormack points out that golf is exploding in Japan and also emphasizes tennis, skiing, and motor racing. Indonesia - McCormack writes on the advice of Edmond G. Brown concerning promoting golf in Indonesia and suggests a meeting in Honolulu prior to the Hawaiian Open Pro-Amateur. Suggesting Newsweek become involved with the Bay Hill Citrus Classic. McCormack outlines the proposed arrangement including entertainment tents, advertising space, identification on the scoreboard, participation in the pro-amateur, costs, and other details. McCormack feels that the first year of the Championship would involve the winners of the British tournaments and European tournaments, plus five at large invitations. The second year, the tournament should be expanded. McCormack lists an approximate breakdown for prize money. Spain - McCormack notes that Gary Player has become associated with Spain's luxury golf resort complex, LaManga Campo de Golf. He announces a 72-hole Pro-Amateur will be held there this year and feature ninety amateurs with thirty teams playing for prize money of $38,900. McCormack and Player would like Fortinberry to be one of the United States invitees to the tournament. McCormack notes that he has a completed version of the Ryder Cup film which he would like to screen for O'Reilly, as he feels it could be used as an excellent promotional vehicle for the 1975 matches at Laurel Valley. McCormack congratulates Anderson on his new responsibility and would like to discuss the possibility of doing a Rockwell International Pro-Amateur golf event. McCormack notes that the first Tournament Players Series golf tournament in the northwest was reasonably successful, but that in general has not been successful.

Any foreign individual or company that wants to work or to do business in the United States must carefully consider U.S. immigration laws. Also, the success of a new operation may depend on company's ability to transfer personnel to the United States. Fortunately, there are a number of visa classifications that enable foreign nationals to be employed in the United States. O-1 visa or O-1 status is available to foreign nationals who have extraordinary ability in science, art, education, business, or athletics which has been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim, and whose achievements have been recognized in the field through extensive documentation. Short-term work visas are available to certain people doing specialized work, including the O visa for outstanding workers in the sciences, arts, athletics, education, or business. A job offer from a U.S. employer is a basic requirement for the O visa. There is no annual limit on the number of people who can receive O visas. O-2: individuals who will accompany an O-1, artist or athlete, to assist in a specific event or performance. For an O-1A, the O-2's assistance must be an "integral part" of the O-1A's activity. For an O-1B, the O-2's assistance must be "essential" to the completion of the O-1B's production. The O-2 worker has critical skills and experience with the O-1 that cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker and which are essential to the successful performance of the O-1. O-3: individuals who are the spouse or children of O-1's and O-2's. H-1B visa is a temporary nonimmigrant visa which allows alien professionals to work up to six years in the United States, and it also entitles the H-1B visa holder's spouse and children under the age of 21 to accompany them and legally live in the United States on an H-4 visa. The H-1B is a temporary nonimmigrant visa which allows alien professionals to work up to six years in the United States. An alien worker must leave the U.S. after six years in H-1B status. There are exceptions including those alien workers who have a Labor Certification pending for more than 365 days, or Form I-140 approved, or those who changed their status to H-4. A H-1B holder's time periods outside the U.S. may be reclaimed in requests for an extension. The H-1B applicant must have experience or education in a specialty occupation. The H-1B visa is designed to attract highly skilled professionals in a specialty occupation to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis. In an H-1B application process, the employer is the petitioner, while the alien worker is the beneficiary. The U.S. employer must offer employment in a specialty occupation, either on a full time or part time basis. A specialty occupation requires theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge. Examples of specialty occupations include engineers, nurses, professors, researchers, computer programmers, and other professionals. The educational requirement specifies that the alien possess at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. If the applicant was awarded the degree from an institution not located in the U.S., that degree must be evaluated to determine if it is comparable to a U.S. awarded degree. If the alien possesses a U.S. degree or its equivalent, no prior employment experience is required. The L-1 intracompany transferee visa allows managers, executives, and especially knowledgeable employees who work outside the U.S. for a company that has an affiliated entity inside the U.S. to come to the U.S. and perform services for that entity. There are no limits on how many people can get L-1 visas every year. The U.S. Congress created the L-1 nonimmigrant visa category in 1970, primarily to assist multinational companies that experienced difficulties in bringing to the United States critical personnel temporarily from abroad. To be eligible for an L-1 visa, a foreign national normally must have been employed by the foreign company continuously for at least one year during the preceding three years in a managerial or executive position, or in a position where the individual gained specialized knowledge. The individual must be coming to the United States to provide services to the same employer or a branch office, subsidiary or affiliate. For this reason, L-1 visa holders are known as intracompany transferees. Executives and managers enter the United States on an L-1A visa. Employees with specialized knowledge enter the United States on an L-1B visa. To qualify for specialized knowledge, the employee must possess special knowledge of the petitioning employer's product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests and its application in international markets, or an advanced level of knowledge in the employer's processes and procedures. The L-1A visa enables a multinational company to transfer an executive or manager from one of its foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. The L-1A visa also enables a foreign company which does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send an executive or manager to the United States with the purpose of establishing one. To apply for a L-1A visa, the employer must file a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker with fee, on behalf of the employee. The L-1B visa enables a U.S. employer to transfer a professional employee with specialized knowledge relating to its interests from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. The L-1B visa also enables a foreign company which does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send a specialized knowledge employee to the United States to help establish one. To apply for a L-1B visa, the employer must file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker with fee, on behalf of the employee. P visa is a short-term U.S. work visa, and it consists of four classifications: P1 visa, P2 visa, P3 visa and P4 visa. The P visa classification covers aliens who are internationally recognized athletes, artists or entertainers. The P visa is available to outstanding athletes, athletic teams, and entertainment companies including circuses with a job offer from a U.S. employer. Their essential support personnel may also be granted P visas, and there is no annual limit on the number of people who can receive P visas. A short-term U.S. work visa known as the P visa is available to outstanding athletes, athletic teams, and entertainment companies (including circuses) with a job offer from a U.S. employer. Their essential support personnel may also be granted visas. There is no annual limit on the number of people who can receive P visas. P1 visa is for internationally recognized athletes and entertainers. An internationally recognized athlete traveling to the United States to compete and his or her essential support personnel can require P1 visas. P1 visa include alien athletes who compete individually or as part of a team at an internationally recognized level, and P1 visa also includes aliens who perform with or are an integral and essential part of the performance of an entertainment group that has received international recognition as outstanding for a sustained and substantial period of time. P2 visa is for artists and entertainers. It includes individuals or groups, who seek to be admitted through a reciprocal exchange program between a foreign-based and US-based organization, which are engaged in the temporary exchange of artists and entertainers. The exchange of artists or entertainers must be similar in terms of caliber of artists or entertainers, terms and conditions of employment, and number of artists or entertainers involved in the exchange. P3 visa is for culturally unique programs. An artist or entertainer who is traveling to the United States to perform, teach, or coach under a culturally unique program requires a P3 visa. P4 visa is for spouse and children of a P visa holder. P4 visa is for spouses and children under the age of 21 to travel with or follow-to-join the principal P visa alien in the United States. A Green Card applicant with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics is eligible for treatment as a priority worker in the EB1 category. Individuals who qualify for this category as persons with extraordinary ability can waive both the Labor Certification and offer of employment requirements. The extraordinary ability category does not require a job offer or a U.S. employer's sponsorship. Therefore, no labor certification is required. Consequently, aliens can apply for themselves without the assistance of an employer. However, it will be important for the alien to establish that he or she will continue to work in the area of his/her specialty in United States. EB1 Outstanding Researcher or Professor immigrant application is in the employment-based immigration visa first preference (EB1 visa) category known as EB-1B. If a foreign national has an international reputation for being outstanding in a particular academic field, that person may, with an offer of work from a U.S. employer, qualify for a Green Card as a priority worker within the outstanding professors and researchers subcategory. The foreign national will have to show at least three years experience at either teaching or research in the relevant academic field. EB1 Multinational Executive or Manager immigrant application is in the employment-based immigration visa first preference (EB1 visa) category known as EB-1C or L1A green card. In order to qualify as a multinational executive or manager under this category, during the three years preceding the application, the applicant must have been employed for at least one year by the same multinational firm or other business entity (affiliate, parent, subsidiary, or branch of the U.S. employer) that employs them in the United States. Furthermore, the applicant must seek to continue rendering services to the same employer in a managerial or executive capacity. The labor certification is not required for international managers and executives. The EB-1C petition requires the individual to have a permanent job offer from the U.S. company to work in an executive or managerial position. 7. A request from an interested U.S. government agency or improving international cultural understanding. Typically, alien applicants should establish themselves as having some unique and exceptional skill, experience, or knowledge, that sets them apart from their professional peers. Documents stating that he or she only possesses a certain level of competence will not be sufficient to receive a National Interest Waiver approval. Rather, a proficiency that is greater than mere competence is expected for those seeking a National Interest Waiver application approval.

/* * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. * You may obtain a copy of the License at * * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 * * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and * limitations under the License. */ package org.gbif.checklistbank.nub; import com.google.common.base.Stopwatch; import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap; import com.google.common.collect.Lists; import com.google.common.collect.Sets; import org.gbif.api.model.checklistbank.NameUsage; import org.gbif.api.vocabulary.*; import org.gbif.checklistbank.cli.model.GraphFormat; import org.gbif.checklistbank.cli.model.RankedName; import org.gbif.checklistbank.cli.nubbuild.NubConfiguration; import org.gbif.checklistbank.iterable.CloseableIterator; import org.gbif.checklistbank.iterable.StreamUtils; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.Labels; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.NeoProperties; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.RelType; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.UsageDao; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.traverse.StartEndHandler; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.traverse.Traversals; import org.gbif.checklistbank.neo.traverse.TreeWalker; import org.gbif.checklistbank.nub.model.NubUsage; import org.gbif.checklistbank.nub.model.SrcUsage; import org.gbif.checklistbank.nub.source.*; import org.gbif.checklistbank.utils.NameParsers; import org.gbif.checklistbank.utils.SciNameNormalizer; import org.gbif.nub.lookup.straight.IdLookupImpl; import org.gbif.nub.lookup.straight.LookupUsage; import org.gbif.utils.ObjectUtils; import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach; import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach; import org.junit.jupiter.api.Disabled; import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test; import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension; import org.neo4j.graphdb.Direction; import org.neo4j.graphdb.Node; import org.neo4j.graphdb.Relationship; import org.neo4j.graphdb.Transaction; import org.neo4j.helpers.collection.Iterables; import org.neo4j.helpers.collection.Iterators; import javax.annotation.Nullable; import java.io.*; import java.net.URL; import java.text.ParseException; import java.util.*; import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit; import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*; public class NubBuilderIT { public NubConfiguration cfg = new NubConfiguration(); private UsageDao dao; private Transaction tx; @RegisterExtension public static NeoTmpRepoRule neoRepo = new NeoTmpRepoRule(); public static NubConfiguration defaultConfig() { NubConfiguration cfg = new NubConfiguration(); cfg.groupBasionyms = true; cfg.validate = true; cfg.runAssertions = false; cfg.autoImport = false; cfg.neo = neoRepo.cfg; cfg.neo.batchSize = 5000; cfg.clb.parserTimeout = 250; cfg.blacklist = Sets.newHashSet( "Unaccepted", "Calendrella cinerea ongumaensis", // https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/47 "Tricholaema leucomelan namaqua" // https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/46 ); cfg.homonymExclusions = new HashMap<>(); cfg.homonymExclusions.put("Setabis", Lists.newArrayList("Riodinidae")); return cfg; } private static void log(String msg, Object... args) { System.out.println(String.format(msg, args)); } @BeforeEach public void init() { // add shell port (standard is 1337, but already taken on OSX) to open the neo4j shell server for debugging!!! dao = UsageDao.temporaryDao(128); cfg = defaultConfig(); } @AfterEach public void shutdown() { if (tx != null) { tx.close(); } dao.closeAndDelete(); } @Test public void testKingdoms() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.emptySource()); // bad ranks, no source usages should be created assertEquals(Kingdom.values().length, countTaxa()); for (Kingdom k : Kingdom.values()) { NubUsage u = getCanonical(k.scientificName(), Rank.KINGDOM); assertEquals(k.scientificName(), u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals(k.nubUsageID(), (Integer) u.usageKey); NameUsage nu = getUsage(u.node); assertEquals(nu.getScientificName(), u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals(nu.getKey(), (Integer) u.usageKey); } } @Test public void testSourceException() throws Exception { assertThrows(RuntimeException.class, () -> { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.emptySource(); src.submitSources(Lists.<ErrorSource>newArrayList(new ErrorSource())); build(src); }); } public static class ErrorSource extends NubSource { public ErrorSource() { super(UUID.randomUUID(), "Error Dataset", null, true, null); } @Override protected void initNeo(NeoUsageWriter writer) throws Exception { throw new ParseException("I am the chaos monkey", 0); } } /** * The GBIF backbone only accepts mayor linnean ranks above species level. * For infraspecific names we only accept subspecies in zoology, but other ranks can treated as synonyms. * In botany subspecies, variety or form is an accepted rank. */ @Test public void testBackboneRanks() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 1)); // bad ranks, no source usages should be created assertTrue(listCanonical("Lepiota nuda maxima").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Agaricaceaes").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Francisella tularensis rosensis").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Francisella tularensis tularensis").isEmpty()); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/165 */ @Test @Disabled("Manual test to debug memory usage") public void debugNubMemoryUsage() throws Exception { RandomSourceList sources = RandomSourceList.source(3, neoRepo.cfg, 10, 10000); // do a real build build(sources); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/165 */ @Test @Disabled("Manual test to debug memory usage of the nub source only") public void debugSourcesMemory() throws Exception { RandomSourceList sources = RandomSourceList.source(2, neoRepo.cfg, 10, 10000); // just iterate over sources and close them just as the builder does, but do not use them for anything for (NubSource src : sources) { try (CloseableIterator<SrcUsage> iter = src.iterator()) { for (SrcUsage u : Iterators.loop(iter)) { System.out.println(u.key + " -> " + u.scientificName); } } finally { src.close(); } } } /** * Test sources directly without the async loader * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/165 */ @Test @Disabled("Manual test to debug memory usage of the nub source only") public void debugSourcesMemory2() throws Exception { final Random rnd = new Random(); for (int num = 1; num<10000; num++) { Kingdom k = Kingdom.byNubUsageKey(rnd.nextInt(9)); RandomSource src = new RandomSource(10, k, neoRepo.cfg); src.init(true, false); try (CloseableIterator<SrcUsage> iter = src.iterator()) { for (SrcUsage u : Iterators.loop(iter)) { System.out.println(u.key + " -> " + u.scientificName); } } finally { src.close(); } } } @Test public void testUnknownKingdom() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 4)); NubUsage k = assertCanonical(Kingdom.INCERTAE_SEDIS.scientificName(), Rank.KINGDOM, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, null); NubUsage f = assertCanonical("Popeliaceae", Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, k); NubUsage g = assertCanonical("Lepiota", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, f); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, g); } @Test public void testUpdateAuthorship() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 1, 5, 6)); assertCanonical("Lepiota seminuda", "Miller", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda elegans", "DC.", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda nuda", "", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.AUTONYM); assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda europaea", "Döring", Rank.VARIETY, Origin.SOURCE); // families dont use authors! // http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2877 assertCanonical("Agaricaceae", "", Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE); assertTree("1 5 6.txt"); } /** * Worms declares the same species name twice in different subgenera. * One being a synonym of the other. Make sure we only see the accepted species and ignore the synonym which has the exact same name! */ @Test public void testWormsSubgenera() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 43)); NubUsage genus = assertCanonical("Hyalonema", "Gray, 1832", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Hyalonema grandancora", "Lendenfeld, 1915", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, genus); assertTree("43.txt"); } /** * Test using real backbone names to verify synonymization of large families. */ @Test @Disabled("manual verification only") public void testFullFamilies() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 91); src.setSourceRank(91, Rank.CLASS); build(src, new File("/Users/markus/nub-synonyms.txt")); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-398 */ @Test public void testMergeBasionymGroup() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 25, 26); build(src); NubUsage spec = getCanonical("Picris hieracioides", Rank.SPECIES); NubUsage umbella = assertCanonical("Picris hieracioides umbellata", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, spec); NubUsage hieracio = assertCanonical("Picris hieracioides hieracioides", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, spec); NubUsage phu = assertCanonical("Picris hieracioides umbellata", Rank.VARIETY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, umbella); NameUsage u = getUsage(phu.node); assertEquals("Leontodon umbellatus Schrank", u.getBasionym()); assertCanonical("Picris sonchoides", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HETEROTYPIC_SYNONYM, umbella); assertCanonical("Leontodon umbellatus", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, umbella); assertCanonical("Apargia umbellata", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, umbella); assertCanonical("Picris umbellata", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, umbella); assertCanonical("Picris hieracioides sonchoides", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.SYNONYM, umbella); assertTree("25 26.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2812 * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3140 */ @Test public void testOrthographicVariants() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 92, 93); build(src); assertTree("92 93.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3106 */ @Test public void testMissingRecombAuthors() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 94); build(src); assertTree("94.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3065 */ @Test public void testSynonymizedAutonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 95); build(src); assertTree("95.txt"); } @Test public void testConflictingBasionyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 95, 97); build(src); assertTree("95 97.txt"); } @Test public void testConflictingBasionymsFlipped() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 96, 97); build(src); assertTree("96 97.txt"); } @Test public void testConflictingBasionymsOrder() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 96); build(src); assertTree("96.txt"); } @Test public void testPreferAcceptedQualifiedName() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 99); build(src); assertTree("99.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/180 */ @Test public void testPreferAcceptedQualifiedNameMulitpleSources() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 175, 99); build(src); assertTree("99 175.txt"); } @Test public void testNamesWithSubgenus() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 100); build(src); assertTree("100.txt"); } /** * See http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3147 * http://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php?page=art46 */ @Test public void testExAuthorSynonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 101); build(src); assertTree("101.txt"); } @Test public void testAutonymHomonym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 102, 103); build(src); assertTree("102 103.txt"); } /** * When list of subspecific names without parents are added we immediately create an implicit name for the species and genus. * When we subsequently then encounter the species name we need to make sure we select the right one if there are multiple. * At least properly accepted ones should be preferred over doubtful ones. */ @Test public void testImplicitNameHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 98); build(src); assertTree("98.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-284 * 4 name pairs each with a diacretic version should result in just 4 distinct nub names. */ @Test public void testDiacriticNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 27); build(src); assertEquals(2, countSpecies()); assertEquals(4, countGenera()); } /** * Make sure explicit basionym i.e. original name usage relations make it into the backbone. * Dataset 21 contains a conflicting basionym for Martes martes, make sure we use the preferred source dataset 20. */ @Test public void testExplicitBasionyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 20, 21); build(src); assertEquals(1, Iterables.count(getCanonical("Mustela martes", Rank.SPECIES).node.getRelationships(RelType.BASIONYM_OF))); assertEquals(1, Iterables.count(getCanonical("Martes martes", Rank.SPECIES).node.getRelationships(RelType.BASIONYM_OF))); NameUsage u = getUsage(getCanonical("Martes martes", Rank.SPECIES).node); assertEquals("Mustela martes Linnaeus, 1758", u.getBasionym()); u = getUsage(getCanonical("Martes markusis", Rank.SPECIES).node); assertEquals("Cellophania markusa Döring, 2001", u.getBasionym()); u = getUsage(getCanonical("Cellophania markusa", Rank.SPECIES).node); assertNull(u.getBasionym()); } /** * Verifies that the backbone patch file in github is in good shape! * https://github.com/gbif/backbone-patch * <p> * This also check the presence of 2 Sagittariidae families, * see https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/123 * <p> * WARNING! requires online access and working github !!! */ @Test public void testBackbonePatch() throws Exception { List<NubSource> ns = new ArrayList<>(); NubSource patch = new DwcaSource("backbone patch", DwcaSourceTest.BACKBONE_PATCH_DWCA, cfg.neo); patch.ignoreRanksAbove = Rank.PHYLUM; patch.supragenericHomonymSource = true; ns.add(patch); NubSource col = new ClasspathSource(146, neoRepo.cfg); // COL hierarchy for 2x Sagittariidae col.ignoreRanksAbove = Rank.KINGDOM; col.supragenericHomonymSource = true; ns.add(col); NubSourceList srcList = new NubSourceList(new NubConfiguration()); srcList.submitSources(ns); build(srcList); // do not assert tree as the patch file changes all the time // make sure we only get 2x Sagittariidae assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Sagittariidae").size()); // 1 Ambrosia only, see https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/143 assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Ambrosia").size()); // 2x Personidae https://github.com/gbif/portal-feedback/issues/3170 assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Personidae").size()); } @Test @Disabled("for manual debugging only. Depends on external resources") public void testExternal() throws Exception { List<NubSource> ns = new ArrayList<>(); NubSource patch = new DwcaSource("Official Lists and Indexes of Names in Zoology", new URL("https://github.com/gbif/iczn-lists/archive/master.zip"), cfg.neo ); //patch.ignoreRanksAbove = Rank.PHYLUM; //patch.supragenericHomonymSource = true; ns.add(patch); NubSourceList srcList = new NubSourceList(new NubConfiguration()); srcList.submitSources(ns); build(srcList); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2786 */ @Test public void testStableIds() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3, 2); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); NubUsage u = getScientific("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); int o1 = u.usageKey; u = getScientific("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); int o2 = u.usageKey; int t1 = getScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Alexander, 1934", Rank.SPECIES).usageKey; int t2 = getScientific("Trichoneura hirtella Napper", Rank.SPECIES).usageKey; int t1p = parentOrAccepted(getScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Alexander, 1934", Rank.SPECIES).node).usageKey; int t2p = parentOrAccepted(getScientific("Trichoneura hirtella Napper", Rank.SPECIES).node).usageKey; int b1 = getScientific("Blattaria P.Miller, 1754", Rank.GENUS).usageKey; int b2 = getScientific("Blattaria O.Kuntze, 1891", Rank.GENUS).usageKey; int b3 = getScientific("Blattaria Voet, 1806", Rank.GENUS).usageKey; int b4 = getScientific("Blattaria Weyenbergh, 1874", Rank.GENUS).usageKey; // rebuild nub with additional sources! src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3, 2, 8, 11); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); rebuild(src); assertTree("3 2 8 11.txt"); // assert ids havent changed! u = getScientific("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals(o1, u.usageKey); u = getScientific("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals(o2, u.usageKey); assertEquals(t1, getScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Alexander, 1934", Rank.SPECIES).usageKey); assertEquals(t2, getScientific("Trichoneura hirtella Napper", Rank.SPECIES).usageKey); assertEquals(t1p, parentOrAccepted(getScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Alexander, 1934", Rank.SPECIES).node).usageKey); assertEquals(t2p, parentOrAccepted(getScientific("Trichoneura hirtella Napper", Rank.SPECIES).node).usageKey); assertEquals(b1, getScientific("Blattaria P.Miller, 1754", Rank.GENUS).usageKey); assertEquals(b2, getScientific("Blattaria O.Kuntze, 1891", Rank.GENUS).usageKey); assertEquals(b3, getScientific("Blattaria Voet, 1806", Rank.GENUS).usageKey); assertEquals(b4, getScientific("Blattaria Weyenbergh, 1874", Rank.GENUS).usageKey); } /** * OTU & accepted Coccinella genus * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/142 * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/163 * <p> * 147=CoL * 148=BOLD * 149=WORMS * 150=Checklist of Beetles of Canada and Alaska * 151=Dyntaxa * 152=Dutch Species Register * 153=ITIS * 154=IRMNG * 155=ZooBank * 156=Plazi https://www.gbif.org/dataset/a5b00837-8dfa-46ec-828c-fbaffb41ec69 * 157=Plazi https://www.gbif.org/dataset/c19789c1-c9be-4c54-b130-e1c8e861b2be * 158=Plazi https://www.gbif.org/dataset/f7175382-787c-4bb8-a95f-a6bb704becd0 */ @Test public void testStableIds2() throws Exception { int[] sourceKeys = new int[]{147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158}; ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, sourceKeys); src.setSourceRank(147, Rank.KINGDOM); src.setSourceRank(151, Rank.GENUS); src.setSupragenericHomonymSource(147); src.includeOTUs(148); // add Coccinella exclude configs for COL during rebuild only!!! cfg.homonymExclusions.put("Coccinella", Lists.newArrayList("Hydrophilidae", "Mollusca")); build(src); // 1 accepted Coccinella only NubUsage coccinella = getCanonical("Coccinella", Rank.GENUS, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED); assertEquals("Coccinella Linnaeus, 1758", coccinella.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals("Linnaeus, 1758", coccinella.parsedName.authorshipComplete()); assertTree("147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158.txt"); int grac = getScientific("Gracilariaceae", Rank.FAMILY).usageKey; NubUsage u = getScientific("BOLD:ADR0965", Rank.UNRANKED); assertEquals("BOLD:ADR0965", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); int otu = u.usageKey; // rebuild nub with additional sources! src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, sourceKeys); src.setSourceRank(147, Rank.KINGDOM); src.setSupragenericHomonymSource(147); src.includeOTUs(148); rebuild(src); // assert ids havent changed! assertEquals(grac, getScientific("Gracilariaceae", Rank.FAMILY).usageKey); assertEquals(otu, getScientific("BOLD:ADR0965", Rank.UNRANKED).usageKey); } @Test public void testStableIdsBasionymPlaceholder() throws Exception { int[] sourceKeys = new int[]{159}; ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, sourceKeys); build(src); // basionym placeholder NubUsage bp = getScientific("? bracteata D.Don", Rank.UNRANKED); assertEquals("? bracteata D.Don", bp.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals(Origin.BASIONYM_PLACEHOLDER, bp.origin); int bpID = bp.usageKey; assertTree("159.txt"); // rebuild nub with additional sources! src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, sourceKeys); rebuild(src); // assert ids havent changed! assertEquals(bpID, getScientific("? bracteata D.Don", Rank.UNRANKED).usageKey); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/portal-feedback/issues/2732 * 160=CoL * 161=IRMNG * 162=Plazi */ @Test public void ixodes() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 160, 161, 162); src.setSourceRank(160, Rank.KINGDOM); src.setSourceRank(162, Rank.GENUS); src.setSourceIgnoreSynonyms(162, true); cfg.homonymExclusions.put("Ixodes", Lists.newArrayList("Aves")); build(src); // plazi genus is blocked, just the ticks one is left NubUsage u = getCanonical("Ixodes", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Ixodes Latreille, 1795", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Ixodes Latreille, 1795", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals("Ixodidae", parentOrAccepted(u.node).parsedName.getScientificName()); // plazi species still there assertEquals("Ixodes granulatus Supino, 1897", getCanonical("Ixodes granulatus", Rank.SPECIES).parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/portal-feedback/issues/2732 * 163=CoL * 164=WCVP * 165=WoRMS * 166=ITIS * 167=IRMNG * 168=IPNI * 169=ZooBank */ @Test public void jerdonia() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169); src.setSourceRank(163, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("163 164 165 166 167 168 169.txt"); } /** * 170=CoL * 171=Danish National List */ @Test public void speciesAuthorErrors() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 170, 171); src.setSourceRank(170, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("170 171.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3024 * 77=CoL * 78=IRMNG * 79=IOC Birds * 80=TAXREF * 81=IPNI */ @Test public void testUpdateAuthors() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81); src.setSourceRank(77, Rank.KINGDOM); src.setNomenclator(81); build(src); NubUsage u = getScientific("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); u = getScientific("Oenanthe L.", Rank.GENUS); assertEquals("Oenanthe L.", u.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete()); assertEquals("Oenanthe L.", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertTree("77 78 79 80 81.txt"); } @Test public void testUpdateClassification() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3, 5, 7); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); // no authors in family names NubUsage fam = assertCanonical("Agaricaceae", "", Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE); NubUsage g = assertCanonical("Lepiota", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, fam); NubUsage ls = assertCanonical("Lepiota seminuda", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, g); assertClassification(ls, "Lepiota", "Agaricaceae", "Agaricales", "Agaricomycetes", "Basidiomycota", "Fungi"); // this genus should not be updated as its classification in source 7 contradicts the original one NubUsage b = assertCanonical("Berto", "Miller", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE); assertClassification(b, "Agaricales", "Agaricomycetes", "Basidiomycota", "Fungi"); } @Test public void testCreateImplicitGenus() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 1)); NubUsage genusF = assertCanonical("Lepiota", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, Kingdom.FUNGI, null); assertCanonical("Lepiota seminuda", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, genusF); final NubUsage species = assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, genusF); assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda elegans", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, species); assertCanonical("Lepiota nuda europaea", Rank.VARIETY, Origin.SOURCE, species); NubUsage genusA = assertCanonical("Lepiota", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, null); assertCanonical("Lepiota carlanova", "MD", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, genusA); } /** * Accepted infraspecific names must have a corresponding autonym in both the zoological and botanical code. * In zoology we only accept infraspecies taxa at the rank of subspecies. * In botany it can be at subspecies, variety or form level. * For synonyms autonyms are NOT generated. */ @Test public void testCreateImplicitAutonym() throws Exception { build(ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 1)); List<NubUsage> nudas = listCanonical("Lepiota nuda nuda"); assertEquals(2, nudas.size()); NubUsage var = null; NubUsage ssp = null; for (NubUsage u : nudas) { assertEquals(Origin.AUTONYM, u.origin); assertEquals("Lepiota nuda nuda", u.parsedName.canonicalName()); if (u.rank == Rank.SUBSPECIES) { assertEquals("Lepiota nuda subsp. nuda", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); ssp = u; } else if (u.rank == Rank.VARIETY) { assertEquals("Lepiota nuda var. nuda", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); var = u; } else { fail("bad rank"); } } assertEquals(Rank.SUBSPECIES, ssp.rank); assertEquals(Rank.VARIETY, var.rank); // bad ranks, no autonym should be created assertTrue(listCanonical("Lepiota nuda maxima").isEmpty()); assertNull(getCanonical("Lepiota nuda nuda", Rank.SUBVARIETY)); } @Test public void testHigherClassification() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertNotNull(getCanonical("Animalia", Rank.KINGDOM)); assertNotNull(getCanonical("Coleoptera", Rank.ORDER)); assertNotNull(getCanonical("Poaceae", Rank.FAMILY)); } /** * Make sure that species not snapping to any existing higher taxon get created under the incertae sedis kingdom * Also allow subsequent source to move a taxon from incertae sedis to somewhere else */ @Test public void testIncertaeSedis() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 34, 105); build(src); assertTree("34 105.txt"); } /** * Testing entire family Hymenopodidae from the Mantodea dataset: * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2986 */ @Test public void testIncertaeSedisSynonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 42); build(src); assertTree("42.txt"); } @Test public void testColAdiantumSynonym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 8); src.setSourceRank(8, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("8.txt"); List<NubUsage> pedatums = listCanonical("Adiantum pedatum"); assertEquals(4, pedatums.size()); for (NubUsage u : pedatums) { System.out.println(u.parsedName.getScientificName()); NubUsage p = parentOrAccepted(u.node); NameUsage nu = dao.readUsage(p.node, true); switch (u.parsedName.getScientificName()) { case "Adiantum pedatum": assertFalse(u.status.isSynonym()); assertEquals("Adiantum", p.parsedName.canonicalName()); break; case "Adiantum pedatum Forst.": assertTrue(u.status.isSynonym()); assertFalse(p.status.isSynonym()); assertEquals("Adiantum hispidulum Sw.", p.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals((Integer) 104, nu.getSourceTaxonKey()); break; case "Adiantum pedatum A.Peter": assertTrue(u.status.isSynonym()); assertFalse(p.status.isSynonym()); assertEquals("Adiantum patens subsp. oatesii (Bak.) Schelpe", p.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals((Integer) 105, nu.getSourceTaxonKey()); break; case "Adiantum pedatum Raddi": assertTrue(u.status.isSynonym()); assertFalse(p.status.isSynonym()); assertEquals("Adiantum brasiliense Raddi", p.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertEquals((Integer) 106, nu.getSourceTaxonKey()); break; default: fail("Unexpected name " + u.parsedName.getScientificName()); } } } /** * An accepted species with a genus that the nub already considers as a synonym should not be accepted. * Try to combine the epithet to the accepted genus and if its a new name make it doubtful until we hit another source with that name. */ @Test public void testSpeciesInSynonymGenus() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 11, 12); build(src); NubUsage oct = assertCanonical("Octopus", "Cuvier, 1797", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); NubUsage amph = assertCanonical("Amphioctopus", "Fischer, 1882", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.SYNONYM, oct); assertCanonical("Octopus vulgaris", "Cuvier, 1797", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, oct); // not the same year, so basionym grouping not applied assertCanonical("Octopus fangsiao", "d'Orbigny, 1839", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, oct); assertCanonical("Amphioctopus fangsiao", "(d'Orbigny, 1835)", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, oct, NameUsageIssue.NAME_PARENT_MISMATCH); assertNull(getCanonical("Octopus markus", Rank.SPECIES)); // accepted species becomes doubtful with issue and parent Octopus assertCanonical("Amphioctopus markus", "Döring, 1999", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, oct, NameUsageIssue.NAME_PARENT_MISMATCH); } /** * The genus name Oenanthe is used as * 1. accepted bird genus Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816 * 2. accepted plant genus Oenanthe Linnaeus, 1753 * Similar the genus Trichoneura: * http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/search/all/key/Trichoneura/match/1 * The genus Blattaria exists 4 times in IRMNG: * 1. Blattaria P. Miller, 1754 [Scrophulariaceae] * 2. Blattaria O. Kuntze, 1891 [Malvaceae] SYN of Pentapetes Linnaeus 1753 * 3. Blattaria Voet, 1806 [Coleoptera] * 4. Blattaria Weyenbergh, 1874 [Orthoptera fossil] * Blattaria only exists as synonym species names in CoL. * Should there be any accepted genus at all in GBIF? * Also test what happens if a higher taxon exists twice with a slightly different classification in CoL. * E.g. class Jungermanniopsida * Suggest to keep the first occurrence */ @Test public void testHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3, 2); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Oenanthe").size()); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Trichoneura").size()); assertEquals(4, listCanonical("Blattaria").size()); NubUsage march = assertCanonical("Marchantiophyta", null, Rank.PHYLUM, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Jungermanniopsida", Rank.CLASS, Origin.SOURCE, march); assertTree("3 2.txt"); } @Test public void testHomonym2() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 3, 2, 36); src.setSourceRank(3, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Trichoneura bontocensis").size()); NubUsage u1 = assertScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Alexander, 1934", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null); assertScientific("Trichoneura bontocensis Perseus, 1999", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, acceptedOrDoubtful(u1.status), null); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Heliopyrgus willi").size()); u1 = assertScientific("Heliopyrgus willi People, 1974", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null); assertScientific("Heliopyrgus willi Plötz, 1884", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, acceptedOrDoubtful(u1.status), null); List<NubUsage> res = listCanonical("Meliopyrgus willi"); assertEquals(2, res.size()); u1 = assertScientific("Meliopyrgus willi People, 1974", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null); assertScientific("Meliopyrgus willi Plötz, 1884", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, acceptedOrDoubtful(u1.status), null); assertTree("3 2 36.txt"); } /** * When given accepted or doubtful this returns the other status. * Any other status then the 2 will results in an IAE. * Good for testing that there is only one accepted, but when the routine is non deterministic which it is. */ static TaxonomicStatus acceptedOrDoubtful(TaxonomicStatus other) { switch (other) { case ACCEPTED: return TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL; case DOUBTFUL: return TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED; } throw new IllegalArgumentException("Only accepted or doubtful expected"); } static void singleAcceptedOthersDoubtful(Collection<NubUsage> usages) { boolean accepted = false; for (NubUsage u : usages) { if (u.status == TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED) { if (accepted) fail("Multiple accepted usages"); accepted = true; } else { assertEquals(TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, u.status); } } } @Test public void testGenusHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 29, 30, 31); src.setSourceRank(29, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); NubUsage pyro = assertCanonical("Pyrostephos", "Moser, 1925", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Mica micula", "Margulis, 1982", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, pyro); assertCanonical("Mica spectata", "", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, pyro); List<NubUsage> micas = listCanonical("Mica"); assertEquals(5, micas.size()); assertTree("29 30 31.txt"); } /** * Exclude 2 families Limoniidae & Poaceae */ @Test public void testExclusion() throws Exception { Map<Integer, List<RankedName>> exclusions = new HashMap<>(); exclusions.put(2, Lists.newArrayList( new RankedName("Poaceae", Rank.FAMILY), new RankedName("Limoniidae", Rank.FAMILY) )); ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, exclusions, 2); build(src); assertTree("2ex.txt"); } @Test public void testHybrids() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 9); src.setSourceRank(9, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertNotNull(getCanonical("Plantae", Rank.KINGDOM)); assertCanonical("Adiantum", "", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME); assertCanonical("Asplenium", "", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME); assertCanonical("Adiantum capillus-veneris", "L.", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Asplenium adiantum-nigrum", "", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME); assertCanonical("Asplenium adiantum-nigrum yuanum", "(Ching) Viane, Rasbach, Reichstein & Schneller", null, Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE); assertCanonical("Adiantum moranii", "J.Prado", NamePart.SPECIFIC, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE); assertNull(getCanonical("Asplenium adiantum nigrum × septentrionale", Rank.SPECIES)); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2874 * As found in CoL as of june 2015. 4 times the same moss species name Fontinalis antipyretica with different authors, all accepted. * These are likely chresonyms that slipped through the COL editors attention. * This is illegal to the code rules, so just one should be accepted. * Pick one and make all others doubtful. * <p> * Abies taxifolia C.Presl * Abies taxifolia Drum. ex Gordon * Abies taxifolia Jeffr. ex Gordon * Abies taxifolia Raf. */ @Test public void testMultipleAcceptedNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 10, 37, 38, 39); build(src); NubUsage genus = assertCanonical("Fontinalis", "", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME); int accepted = 0; int doubtful = 0; for (NubUsage c : children(genus.node)) { assertEquals(Rank.SPECIES, c.rank); assertEquals("Fontinalis antipyretica", c.parsedName.canonicalName()); if (c.status == TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED) { accepted++; } else if (c.status == TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL) { doubtful++; } else { fail("Fontinalis antipyretica species must be accepted or doubtful"); } } assertEquals(1, accepted); assertEquals(3, doubtful); List<NubUsage> usages = new ArrayList<>(); usages.add(assertScientific("Abies pindrow (Royle ex D.Don) Royle", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null)); usages.add(assertScientific("Abies pindrow Spach", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null)); singleAcceptedOthersDoubtful(usages); usages.clear(); usages.add(assertScientific("Abies taxifolia Raf.", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null)); usages.add(assertScientific("Abies taxifolia C.Presl", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null)); usages.add(assertScientific("Abies taxifolia Drum. ex Gordon", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null)); singleAcceptedOthersDoubtful(usages); assertNotExisting("Abies taxifolia Jeffr. ex Gordon", Rank.SPECIES); assertTree("10 37 38 39.txt"); } /** * Avoid seeing a stackoverflow error when trying to persist missing genus or autonyms * with incomplete names missing a genus but that can be parsed. */ @Test public void testIncompleteNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 24); src.setSourceRank(24, Rank.FAMILY); build(src); assertTrue(listCanonical("doliolum").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Aster doliolum").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Cichorium doliolum").isEmpty()); assertTrue(listCanonical("Cichorium doliolum doliolum").isEmpty()); assertTree("24.txt"); } /** * CoL used to contain the genus Albizia twice within the plants as an accepted name (Fabaceae & Asteraceae). * http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/17793647/source/tree * http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/11468181/source/tree * The backbone should only contain one accepted genus in Fabaceae. * The Asteraceae one as doubtful. */ @Test public void testAlbiziaCoL() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 13); src.setSourceRank(13, Rank.FAMILY); build(src); NubUsage fab = assertCanonical("Fabaceae", "", null, Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); NubUsage genus = assertCanonical("Albizia", "", null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, fab); NubUsage adianthifolia = assertCanonical("Albizia adianthifolia", "(Schum.) W.Wight", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, genus); assertCanonical("Albi minki", "W.Wight", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.DOUBTFUL, null); NubUsage tomentosa = assertCanonical("Albi tomentosa", "(Micheli) Standl.", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); // these are recombinations from the Albizia names above // But because they appear in the same source we do not convert them into synonyms assertCanonical("Albizia tomentosa", "(Micheli) Standl.", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, tomentosa); assertCanonical("Albi adianthifolia", "(Schum.) W.Wight", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.HOMOTYPIC_SYNONYM, adianthifolia); assertTree("13.txt"); } /** * CoL contains concept synonyms using the "sensu" notation in the ILDIS GSD (maybe elsewhere too). * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-389 * See http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/11468181/source/tree * Albizia adianthifolia (Schum.) W.Wight has the following synonyms: * Albizia gummifera sensu Capuron, p.p. * Albizia gummifera sensu R.O.Williams * Albizia sassa sensu Aubrev. * Mimosa adianthifolia Schum. * Albizia sassa is a synonym twice: * http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/search/all/key/Albizia+sassa/match/1 * Albizia gummifera is both accepted and a synonym when used as a concept: * http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/search/all/key/Albizia+gummifera/match/1 * Albizia gummifera (J.F.Gmel.) C.A.Sm. (ACC) * Albizia gummifera sensu Capuron, p.p. (SYN) * Albizia gummifera sensu R.O.Williams (SYN) */ @Test public void testSecSynonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 28); src.setSourceRank(28, Rank.FAMILY); build(src); NubUsage ast = assertCanonical("Asteraceae", "", null, Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); NubUsage alb = assertCanonical("Albizia", null, null, Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, ast); NubUsage gummi = assertCanonical("Albizia gummifera", "L.", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, alb); NubUsage adia = assertCanonical("Albizia adianthifolia", "(Schum.) W.Wight", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, alb); assertEquals(0, listSynonyms(adia).size()); } /** * The same canonical name with a different author can be used as synonyms multiple times. * See http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-353 */ @Test public void testSynonymsWithDifferentAuthors() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 14); build(src); // we should only have one accepted Geotrupes stercorarius as one name lacks the combination author! assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Geotrupes stercorarius").size()); NubUsage gen = assertCanonical("Geotrupes", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertScientific("Geotrupes stercorarius (Linnaeus, 1758)", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertNotExisting("Geotrupes stercorarius Erichson, 1847", Rank.SPECIES); assertCanonical("Geotrupes spiniger", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Poa pubescens").size()); gen = assertCanonical("Poa", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); NubUsage acc = assertScientific("Poa pratensis L.", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertScientific("Poa pubescens Lej.", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.SYNONYM, acc); gen = assertCanonical("Eragrostis", Rank.GENUS, Origin.IMPLICIT_NAME, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); acc = assertScientific("Eragrostis pubescens (R.Br.) Steud.", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertScientific("Poa pubescens R.Br.", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.SYNONYM, acc); } /** * See http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-325 * Nitrospira is an accepted canonical name at various ranks: * 1. genus Nitrospira Watson et al., 1986 * 2. class Nitrospira * 3. phylum Nitrospira * Vertebrata is both an accepted subphylum and a genus. * Lobata is a genus (algae) & an order (animal) * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-362 */ @Test public void testInterrankHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 19); src.setSourceRank(19, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Archaea").size()); assertEquals(3, listCanonical("Nitrospira").size()); assertEquals(2, listCanonical("Lobata").size()); // we ignore subphyla assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Vertebrata").size()); assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Radiolaria").size()); } /** * WoRMS contains some synonyms with the same canonical name that include the subgenus or not. * Make sure they all get merged into one synonym in the nub. * See http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=191705 */ @Test public void testWormsSubgenusAlternateRepresentations() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 18); build(src); NubUsage gen = assertCanonical("Hyalonema", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); // we dont have subgenera in the nub assertNotExisting("Hyalonema (Corynonema) Ijima, 1927", Rank.SUBGENUS); assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Hyalonema rotundum").size()); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Hyalonema rotundum", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertTree("18.txt"); } /** * - deal with unspecified infraspecific ranks in CoL * - IPNI names only linked to the familiy with no other hierarchy * - redundant IPNI names */ @Test public void testColAndIpni() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 32, 33); src.setSourceRank(32, Rank.PHYLUM); src.setNomenclator(33); build(src); assertTree("32 33.txt"); } /** * Avoid Plantae spec. and other indetermined names found in Pensoft sources. */ @Test public void testSpecNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 44); build(src); assertTree("44.txt"); } /** * Make sure families with different authorships dont get created twice. * We want unique names! */ @Test public void testUniqueFamilies() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 45); src.setSourceRank(45, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertScientific("Asteraceae", Rank.FAMILY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertTree("45.txt"); } @Test @Disabled("Manual test for profiling performance issues") public void testPerformance() throws Exception { NubSourceList src = new NubSourceList(new NubConfiguration()); src.submitSources(Lists.newArrayList( new RandomSource(200000, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, neoRepo.cfg), new RandomSource(100, Kingdom.BACTERIA, neoRepo.cfg), new RandomSource(100, Kingdom.ARCHAEA, neoRepo.cfg), new RandomSource(20000, Kingdom.FUNGI, neoRepo.cfg), new RandomSource(50000, Kingdom.PLANTAE, neoRepo.cfg))); build(src); } /** * CoL contains canonical synonyms without authorship which are linked to an accepted taxon which has the same canonical name, but includes proper * authorship. * Ignore those synonyms as they are meaningless and cluttering. */ @Test public void testAvoidCanonicalSynonym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 17); build(src); assertEquals(1, listCanonical("Fuligo septica").size()); } /** * Nub builds seem to have trouble if the given rank and the name parsed rank differ. * Make sure higher taxonomy does not suffer from that. * <p> * order Echiuroidea with family Ikedidae [family] * Araneae * * @throws Exception */ @Test public void testHigherRanksWithAwkwardsSuffices() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 46); src.setSourceRank(46, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("46.txt"); } /** * Assert behavior for various unparsable names. * There are no implicit names for unparsables, hence classification can miss the genus */ @Test public void testUnparsables() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 47); build(src); assertTree("47.txt"); } /** * Pro parte synonyms should exist as a single synonym node with multiple synonym relations */ @Test public void testProParteSynonym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 15, 16); build(src); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Poa pubescens", "Lej.", null, Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.PROPARTE_SYNONYM, null); assertEquals(3, u.sourceIds.size()); NameUsage nu = dao.readUsage(u.node, true); assertEquals("Poa pratensis L.", nu.getAccepted()); List<Relationship> rels = Iterables.asList(u.node.getRelationships(RelType.PROPARTE_SYNONYM_OF, Direction.OUTGOING)); Relationship acc = Iterables.single(u.node.getRelationships(RelType.SYNONYM_OF, Direction.OUTGOING)); assertEquals(1, rels.size()); assertNotEquals(rels.get(0).getEndNode(), acc.getEndNode()); assertTree("15 16.txt"); } /** * Prefer a nomenclator name and nom status over any other sources! * Prefer a name with authorship over a bare canonical one. * Use a nomenclators taxonID as scientificNameID for the nub usage. */ @Test @Disabled("write test") public void testUpdateNameString() throws Exception { } /** * Test merging of taxon classification from different sources. * Only merge the classification when taxonomic status is the same. * For synonyms use the accepted name from later sources in case the primary one is incertae-sedis. */ @Test @Disabled("write test") public void testMergingClassification() throws Exception { } /** * A homotypical synonym from a source which points to a name which is considered a heterotypical synonym in the nub * must be converted into a heterotypical synoym. * In the synonymy here: http://cichorieae.e-taxonomy.net/portal/cdm_dataportal/taxon/209399b6-0d3c-4f5a-9f0d-b49ebe0f9403/synonymy * the Macrorhynchus humilis group (and all others below) are heterotypical synoyms of Agoseris apargioides, but they have homotypical * synonyms listed under them. The final synonym relationship from Agoseris apargioides var. maritima to Agoseris apargioides is therefore * a heterotypical one, not homotypic! */ @Test @Disabled("write test") public void testHomoToHeteroTypicalSynonym() throws Exception { } @Test public void testBeeBasionyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 40); src.setSourceRank(40, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); NubUsage nu = assertScientific("Amegilla atrocincta (Lepeletier)", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); NameUsage u = getUsage(nu.node); assertEquals("Anthophora atrocincta Lepeletier, 1841", u.getBasionym()); printTree(); assertTree("40.txt"); } /** * Neotetrastichodes flavus Girault, 1913 in the col takes priority and is a synonym of A. rieki. * Therefore all combinations of that species epithet become also synonyms including the formerly doubtfully accepted Aprostocetus flavus (Girault, 1913) */ @Test public void testMultipleOriginals() throws Exception { // data from catalog of life=48, IRMNG=49 ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 48, 50); build(src); printTree(); assertTree("48 50.txt"); } /** * Same as above, but this time Aprostocetus flavus is a properly accepted name in CoL and takes priority. * Therefore we keep 2 accepted taxa and not all names get merged. */ @Test public void testMultipleOriginals2() throws Exception { // data from catalog of life=49, IRMNG=50 ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 49, 50); build(src); printTree(); assertTree("49 50.txt"); } /** * Neotetrastichodes flavus is a synonym of Aprostocetus rieki, but also the basionym of Aprostocetus flavus. * Expect the basionym to be a synonym of Aprostocetus flavus if its present in different sources. * <p> * Leave other accepted species as it was - we could consider to merge them all into a single accepted name... */ @Test public void testOverlappingBasionyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 51, 144); build(src); printTree(); assertTree("51 144.txt"); } /** * Eternal loop that keeps the shell up and running so one can conenct to it and issue queries. */ private void runShell() throws InterruptedException { System.out.println("run shell forever ..."); while (true) { Thread.sleep(1000); } } /** * Virus names are not parsable, do extra test to verify behavior */ @Test public void testVirusNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 22, 23); src.setSourceRank(22, Rank.ORDER); src.setSourceRank(23, Rank.GENUS); build(src); NubUsage u = assertScientific("Ranid herpesvirus 1", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(2, u.sourceIds.size()); u = assertScientific("Varicellovirus", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(2, u.sourceIds.size()); assertScientific("Cervid herpesvirus 1", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, u); assertScientific("Cervid herpesvirus 2", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, u); u = assertScientific("Herpesvirales", Rank.ORDER, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertScientific("Phaseolus vulgaris Tpv2-6 virus", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, u); assertScientific("Chickpea stunt disease associated virus", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, u); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2815 */ @Test public void testGenusYears() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 35); build(src); // Heliopyrgus NubUsage gen = assertCanonical("Heliopyrgus", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(0, gen.issues.size()); NubUsage spec = assertCanonical("Heliopyrgus willi", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertTrue(spec.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Heliopyrgus willisyn", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.SYNONYM, spec); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); u = assertCanonical("Heliopyrgus willi banane", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, spec); assertTrue(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); u = assertCanonical("Heliopyrgus correctwilli", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); // Meliopyrgus gen = assertCanonical("Meliopyrgus", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(0, gen.issues.size()); u = assertCanonical("Meliopyrgus willi", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); u = assertCanonical("Meliopyrgus correctwilli", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); // Leliopyrgus gen = assertCanonical("Leliopyrgus", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertEquals(0, gen.issues.size()); u = assertCanonical("Leliopyrgus willi", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); u = assertCanonical("Leliopyrgus correctwilli", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, gen); assertFalse(u.issues.contains(NameUsageIssue.PUBLISHED_BEFORE_GENUS)); } /** * Make sure frequent INFRASPECIES rank in col is parsed into real ranks */ @Test public void testInfraspeciesRanks() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 53); build(src); assertCanonical("Lupinus sericeus flavus", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertCanonical("Lupinus sericeus jonesii", Rank.VARIETY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); assertTree("52.txt"); } /** * Avoid bad parent relationships or even loops. * 52=CoL * 54=ITIS * 55=IPNI */ @Test public void testColItisIpniMerger() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 52, 54, 55); src.setNomenclator(55); build(src); assertTree("52 54 55.txt"); } /** * Test to avoid self loops in CoL autonyms, caused by bad basionym grouping. * 56=CoL * 57=IRMNG * 58=IF * <p> * Parmelia tiliacea is created as an implicit name because IRMNG uses "Parmelia tiliacea sensu auct. brit.p.p." which gets ignored as a concept name */ @Test public void testColIfAutonym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 56, 57, 58); src.setNomenclator(58); build(src); assertTree("56 57 58.txt"); } /** * Test nested infraspecific source taxa. * In the nub we do not want nested infraspecific taxa, but attach all accepted infraspecific names to the species directly */ @Test public void testInfraspecificTrees() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 59); build(src); assertTree("59.txt"); } @Test public void testInfraspecificBasionymGrouping() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 60, 145); build(src); assertTree("60 145.txt"); } /** * 61=CoL * 62=IPNI */ @Test public void testAutonymColBasionym() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 61, 62); src.setNomenclator(62); build(src); assertTree("61 62.txt"); } /** * Make sure names coming in from sources without a kingdom or classification still contains to existing names in a proper kingdom * E.g. Toxostoma rufum in PalaeoDB has no classification and "should" be merged with existing animal Toxostoma rufum (Linnaeus, 1758) * <p> * Examples here use Parmelina quercina for tests */ @Test public void testInsertaeSedisDuplicates() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 58, 63); build(src); assertTree("58 63.txt"); } /** * Make sure aggregate names such as Achillea millefolium at rank SPECIES_AGGREGATE which are binomials are treated as species. * But ignore names at higher ranks such as Achillea pillefolium INFRAGENERIC_NAME. */ @Test public void testAggregates() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 64); build(src); assertTree("64.txt"); } /** * Make sure subgenera in binomial names are removed. */ @Test public void testSubgenusRemoval() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 65); build(src); assertTree("65.txt"); } /** * Some plazi datasets (but also others) get indexed badly by us cause they contain bad synonymies linking a genus to a species. * That corrupts the entire, normalized classification and nub builds must be able to deal with these inverted, bad classifications. */ @Test public void testBadPlaziHierarchy() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 66); build(src); assertTree("66.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2824 */ @Test public void testBasionymEpithetStemming() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 67, 142); build(src); assertTree("67 142.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-2989 */ @Test public void testMantodeaBasionyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 68); build(src); assertTree("68.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3024 * 70=COL * 71=Official Lists and Indexes of Names in Zoology * 72=ITIS * 73=IRMNG * 74=Clements Birds * 75=IOC Birds * 76=IPNI */ @Test public void testCardinalis() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76); src.setNomenclator(76); build(src); assertTree("70 71 72 73 74 75 76.txt"); } private NubUsage create(int id, Rank rank, Kingdom kingdom, String sciname) { NubUsage u = new NubUsage(); u.node = dao.createTaxon(); u.usageKey = id; u.rank = rank; u.kingdom = kingdom; u.parsedName = NameParsers.INSTANCE.parseQuietly(sciname, rank); dao.store(u); return u; } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3060 * 70=COL * 71=Official Lists and Indexes of Names in Zoology * 72=ITIS * 73=IRMNG * 74=Clements Birds * 75=IOC Birds * 76=IPNI */ @Test public void testCardinalisWithExistingNub() throws Exception { // create existing genus & species from 2013 backbone tx = dao.beginTx(); create(3241527, Rank.GENUS, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis Bonaparte, 1838"); create(2490383, Rank.GENUS, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis Bonaparte, 1831"); create(3232102, Rank.GENUS, Kingdom.PLANTAE, "Cardinalis Fabricius, 1759"); create(2490384, Rank.SPECIES, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)"); create(4846779, Rank.SPECIES, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)"); create(7191770, Rank.SUBSPECIES, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis cardinalis subsp. cardinalis"); create(5230886, Rank.SUBSPECIES, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, "Cardinalis cardinalis clintoni (Banks, 1963)"); // rebuild nub ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76); src.setNomenclator(76); rebuild(src); assertTree("70 71 72 73 74 75 76.txt"); assertKey("Cardinalis Fabr.", Rank.GENUS, Kingdom.PLANTAE, 3232102); assertKey("Cardinalis Bonaparte, 1838", Rank.GENUS, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, 3241527); assertKey("Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)", Rank.SPECIES, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, 2490384); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3063 * 82=COL * 83=ITIS * 84=DynTaxa * 85=IRMNG */ @Test public void testNameDuplication() throws Exception { // rebuild nub ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 82, 83, 84, 85); src.setSourceRank(82, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("82 83 84 85.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3069 * Austrorhynchus pectatus pectatus f. Sporn looks already wrong in WoRMS but even worse in GBIF as: Austrorhynchus pectatus null pectatus * http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=154959 * <p> * 86=WoRMS * 87=TAXREF */ @Test public void testNullNames() throws Exception { // rebuild nub ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 86, 87); build(src); assertTree("86 87.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3070 * <p> * 88=CoL * 89=Orthoptera SPecies File * 90=IRMNG */ @Test public void testRedundantHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 88, 89, 90); src.setSourceRank(88, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("88 89 90.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3169 * <p> * 104=Palaeodb */ @Test public void avoidKingdomSpeciesSynonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 104); build(src); assertTree("104.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/PF-2600 */ @Test public void testGenusNormilization() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 106, 107); build(src); assertTree("106 107.txt"); } /** * Test hyphens in genus name. * Only one of these 2 should exist, preferrably the Camel-Case * Drake-brockmania * Drake-Brockmania * <p> * This should be allowed to also exist but always as a synonym of the above! * Drakebrockmania */ @Test @Disabled("NubBuilder needs code change first") public void testDrakeBrockmania() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 108, 109, 110); src.setSourceRank(108, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("108 109 110.txt"); } @Test public void testColInfraspecificRank() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 111); build(src); assertTree("111.txt"); assertScientific("Collotheca heptabrachiata var. molundica", Rank.VARIETY, Origin.SOURCE, TaxonomicStatus.ACCEPTED, null); } /** * by introducing the type specimen checklist we see many apparently accepted names coming in via different kingdoms. * Make sure these get merged if the name matches incl authorship! */ @Test public void testDifferentKingdoms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 112, 113); // type specimen list src.setSourceRank(113, Rank.SPECIES); build(src); assertTree("112 113.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3168 */ @Test public void testBadSpeciesSynonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 114); src.setSourceRank(114, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("114.txt"); } /** * http://dev.gbif.org/issues/browse/POR-3213 */ @Test public void testNamePublishedIn() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 115); src.setSourceRank(115, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Archelytron", Rank.GENUS, Origin.SOURCE, null); assertEquals("Insektenfunde aus den Goldlauterer Schichten des Thüringer Waldes. Hallesches Jahrbuch für Mitteldeutsche Erdgeschichte 1:241-258. 1952", u.publishedIn); u = assertCanonical("Blatta hyperborea", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null); assertEquals("O. Heer. 1870. Die Miocene flora und fauna Spitzbergens. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 8(7):1-98", u.publishedIn); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/25 */ @Test @Disabled public void testNewSpeciesInHomonymGenus() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 116, 117); src.setSourceRank(116, Rank.PHYLUM); src.setSourceRank(117, Rank.GENUS); src.setNomenclator(117); build(src); assertTree("116 117.txt"); } /** * Allow OTU names in the backbone, e.g. from BOLD & UNITE */ @Test public void testOtuNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 118, 119); src.setSourceRank(118, Rank.PHYLUM); src.setSourceRank(119, Rank.GENUS); src.includeOTUs(118); src.includeOTUs(119); build(src); NubUsage u = assertScientific("BOLD:ABW2624", Rank.SPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null, null); assertEquals(NameType.OTU, u.parsedName.getType()); u = assertScientific("SH002390.07FU", Rank.UNRANKED, Origin.SOURCE, null, null); assertEquals(NameType.OTU, u.parsedName.getType()); assertTree("118 119.txt"); } /** * 120 = COL * 121 = WORMS * * @throws Exception */ @Test @Disabled("needs implemented") public void avoidProparteFamilyHomonyms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 120, 121); src.setSourceRank(120, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("120 121.txt"); } /** * Make sure blacklisted names dont make it into the backbone * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/47 */ @Test public void testBlacklist() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 122); src.includeOTUs(122); build(src); assertTree("122.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/30 */ @Test public void test30() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 123, 124); build(src); assertTree("123 124.txt"); } /** * Verify canonical name building. * Subspecies in zoology should not have a marker */ @Test public void testNameFormatting() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 125); build(src); NubUsage u = assertCanonical("Puma yagouaroundi chilensis", Rank.SUBSPECIES, Origin.SOURCE, null); assertEquals(Rank.SUBSPECIES, u.parsedName.getRank()); assertEquals("Puma yagouaroundi chilensis L.", u.parsedName.getScientificName()); assertTree("125.txt"); } /** * Verify binomials with higher rank * and abbreviated namess * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/62 */ @Test public void testAbbrevNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 126); build(src); assertTree("126.txt"); } /** * Test WoRMS case of badly nested varieties combined with a duplicate autonym * leading to node NotFoundException * <p> * 127=CoL * 128=WoRMS * <p> * The main error comes from bad normalization of the WoRMS DwCA and should be tested in the Normalizer. * But the nub build should be gracefully dealing with such data as it is currently present in CLB. */ @Test public void testIllegalVarWorms() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 127, 128); src.setSourceRank(127, Rank.KINGDOM); build(src); assertTree("127 128.txt"); } @Test public void testBlacklistedNames() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 129); build(src); assertTree("129.txt"); } @Test public void testHomonymFamiliesPatch() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 130, 131, 132); src.setSourceRank(130, Rank.PHYLUM); // backbone patch src.setSourceRank(131, Rank.PHYLUM); // CoL src.setSupragenericHomonymSource(130); build(src); assertTree("130 131 132.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/93 */ @Test public void testColHomonymGenera() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 139, 140, 141); src.setSourceRank(139, Rank.PHYLUM); // backbone patch src.setSourceRank(140, Rank.PHYLUM); // CoL //src.setSupragenericHomonymSource(140); build(src); assertTree("139 140 141.txt"); } @Test public void testClementsDups() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 133, 134); src.setSourceRank(133, Rank.PHYLUM); // CoL src.setSourceRank(134, Rank.PHYLUM); // Clements Birdlist build(src); assertTree("133 134.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/88 */ @Test public void testLinnaeus() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 135); src.setSourceRank(135, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("135.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/88 */ @Test public void testBoldPlaceholder() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 136); src.includeOTUs(136); build(src); assertTree("136.txt"); } /** * https://github.com/gbif/checklistbank/issues/91 */ @Test public void testSpeciesPatch() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 137, 138); src.setSourceRank(137, Rank.PHYLUM); // backbone patch src.setSourceRank(138, Rank.PHYLUM); // CoL src.setSupragenericHomonymSource(137); build(src); assertTree("137 138.txt"); } @Test public void misapplied() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 172); build(src); assertTree("172.txt"); } @Test public void nameTypeMapping() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 173); src.setSourceRank(173, Rank.PHYLUM); src.includeOTUs(173); src.setNameTypeMapping(173, new ImmutableMap.Builder<NameType, NameType>() .put(NameType.INFORMAL, NameType.OTU) .put(NameType.HYBRID, NameType.OTU) .put(NameType.PLACEHOLDER, NameType.OTU) .put(NameType.BLACKLISTED, NameType.OTU) .build() ); build(src); assertTree("173.txt"); } @Test public void defaultParents() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 174); src.setSourceRank(174, Rank.PHYLUM); src.setDefaultParent(174, Rank.KINGDOM, "Fungi"); build(src); assertTree("174.txt"); } @Test public void defaultParents2() throws Exception { } /** * Snap subclass to class if matching * https://github.com/gbif/portal-feedback/issues/3579 * * 176=Patch * 177=COL * 178=other **/ @Test public void testArachnidaSubclass() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 176, 177, 178); src.setSourceRank(176, Rank.PHYLUM); src.setSourceRank(177, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("176 177 178.txt"); } /** * COL contains via Systema Dipterorum "duplicate" names that differ only by having the subgenus cited. * Make sure these are recognized as a single name in the nub. * * 179=COL */ @Test public void subgenusDupe() throws Exception { ClasspathSourceList src = ClasspathSourceList.source(neoRepo.cfg, 179); src.setSourceRank(179, Rank.PHYLUM); build(src); assertTree("179.txt"); } /** * For profiling memory usage of nub builds */ @Test @Disabled("for manual profiling only") public void testMemFootprint() throws Exception { List<RandomSource> sources = Lists.newArrayList(); for (int x = 0; x < 1000; x++) { sources.add(new RandomSource(50, Kingdom.ANIMALIA, neoRepo.cfg)); sources.add(new RandomSource(30, Kingdom.PLANTAE, neoRepo.cfg)); sources.add(new RandomSource(20, Kingdom.FUNGI, neoRepo.cfg)); } NubSourceList src = new NubSourceList(new NubConfiguration()); src.submitSources(sources); build(src); } /** * builds a new nub and keeps dao open for further test queries. */ private void build(NubSourceList src, @Nullable File treeOutput) throws Exception { Stopwatch watch = Stopwatch.createUnstarted(); NubBuilder nb = NubBuilder.create(dao, src, IdLookupImpl.temp().load(Lists.<LookupUsage>newArrayList()), 10, cfg); nb.setCloseDao(false); try { nb.run(); } catch (AssertionError e) { printTree(); throw e; } log("Nub build completed in %sms", watch.elapsed(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)); tx = dao.beginTx(); dao.logAll(); if (treeOutput != null) { printTree(treeOutput); } else { printTree(); } // assert we have only ever 8 root taxa - the kingdoms assertEquals(Kingdom.values().length, countRoot()); // assert we have unique ids assertUniqueIds(); log("Core test completed in %sms", watch.elapsed(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)); } private void build(NubSourceList src) throws Exception { build(src, null); } private void assertUniqueIds() { Set<Integer> keys = Sets.newHashSet(); for (Node n : Iterators.loop(dao.allTaxa())) { NubUsage u = dao.readNub(n); if (keys.contains(u.usageKey)) { System.err.println(u); fail("Nub keys not unique: " + u.usageKey); } else { keys.add(u.usageKey); } } } private void rebuild(NubSourceList src) throws Exception { IdLookupImpl previousIds = IdLookupImpl.temp().load(allNodes(dao)); tx.close(); dao.close(); // new, empty DAO dao = UsageDao.temporaryDao(100); NubBuilder nb = NubBuilder.create(dao, src, previousIds, previousIds.getKeyMax() + 1, cfg); nb.setCloseDao(false); nb.run(); tx = dao.beginTx(); printTree(); // assert we have only ever 8 root taxa - the kingdoms assertEquals(Kingdom.values().length, countRoot()); // assert we have unique ids assertUniqueIds(); } /** * Read old ids from existing, open DAO */ private static Iterable<LookupUsage> allNodes(final UsageDao dao) { return () -> StreamUtils.stream(dao.allTaxa()) .map(n -> { NubUsage u = dao.readNub(n); return new LookupUsage(u.usageKey, ObjectUtils.coalesce(u.parsedName.canonicalName(), u.parsedName.getScientificName()), u.parsedName.getAuthorship(), u.parsedName.getYear(), u.rank, u.status, u.kingdom, false); }).iterator(); } private void assertClassification(NubUsage nub, String... parentNames) { int idx = 0; for (NubUsage n : parents(nub.node)) { assertEquals(parentNames[idx++], n.parsedName.canonicalName(), "Higher classification mismatch for " + nub.parsedName.getScientificName()); } } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, @Nullable String authorship, @Nullable NamePart notho, Rank rank, Origin origin) { return assertCanonical(canonical, authorship, notho, rank, null, origin, null, null); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, Origin origin, @Nullable NubUsage parent) { return assertCanonical(canonical, null, null, rank, null, origin, null, parent); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, Origin origin, Kingdom k, @Nullable NubUsage parent) { return assertCanonical(canonical, null, null, rank, k, origin, null, parent); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, Origin origin, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, @Nullable NubUsage parent) { return assertCanonical(canonical, null, null, rank, null, origin, status, parent); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, String authorship, Rank rank, Origin origin) { return assertCanonical(canonical, authorship, null, rank, null, origin, null, null); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, @Nullable String authorship, @Nullable NamePart notho, Rank rank, Origin origin, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, @Nullable NubUsage parent, NameUsageIssue... issues) { return assertCanonical(canonical, authorship, notho, rank, null, origin, status, parent, issues); } private NubUsage assertCanonical(String canonical, @Nullable String authorship, @Nullable NamePart notho, Rank rank, Kingdom k, Origin origin, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, @Nullable NubUsage parent, NameUsageIssue... issues) { canonical = SciNameNormalizer.normalize(canonical); NubUsage u = getCanonical(canonical, rank, k); assertNub(u, canonical, authorship, notho, rank, origin, status, parent); if (k != null) { assertEquals(k, u.kingdom, "wrong kingdom " + k); } assertEquals(canonical, UsageDao.canonicalOrScientificName(u.parsedName), "wrong canonical name for " + canonical); for (NameUsageIssue issue : issues) { assertTrue(u.issues.contains(issue), "missing issue " + issue); } return u; } private NubUsage assertScientific(String sciname, Rank rank, Origin origin, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, @Nullable NubUsage parent) { NubUsage u = getScientific(sciname, rank); assertNub(u, sciname, null, null, rank, origin, status, parent); assertEquals(sciname, u.parsedName.getScientificName(), "wrong scientific name for " + sciname); return u; } private NubUsage assertKey(String sciname, Rank rank, Kingdom kingdom, int key) { NubUsage u = getScientific(sciname, rank, kingdom); assertEquals(key, u.usageKey, "wrong key for " + sciname); assertEquals(sciname, u.parsedName.getScientificName(), "wrong scientific name for " + sciname); assertEquals(kingdom, u.kingdom, "wrong kingdom for " + sciname); assertEquals(rank, u.rank, "wrong rank for " + sciname); return u; } private void assertNotExisting(String sciname, Rank rank) { NubUsage u = getScientific(sciname, rank); assertNull(u, "name wrongly exists: " + sciname); } private void assertNub(NubUsage u, String name, @Nullable String authorship, @Nullable NamePart notho, Rank rank, Origin origin, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, @Nullable NubUsage parent) { assertNotNull(u, "Missing " + rank + " " + name); assertEquals(rank, u.rank, "wrong rank for " + name); assertEquals(origin, u.origin, "wrong origin for " + name); if (authorship != null) { assertEquals(authorship, u.parsedName.authorshipComplete(), "wrong authorship for " + name); } assertEquals(notho, u.parsedName.getNotho(), "wrong notho for " + name); if (status != null) { assertEquals(status, u.status, "wrong status for " + name); } if (parent != null) { NubUsage p2 = parentOrAccepted(u.node); assertEquals(p2.node, parent.node, "wrong parent " + p2.parsedName.canonicalNameComplete() + " for " + name); } } private List<NubUsage> children(Node parent) { List<NubUsage> usages = Lists.newArrayList(); for (Node n : Traversals.CHILDREN.traverse(parent).nodes()) { usages.add(get(n)); } return usages; } private List<NubUsage> parents(Node child) { List<NubUsage> usages = Lists.newArrayList(); for (Node n : Traversals.PARENTS.traverse(child).nodes()) { usages.add(get(n)); } return usages; } private NubUsage parentOrAccepted(Node child) { Relationship rel = child.getSingleRelationship(RelType.PARENT_OF, Direction.INCOMING); if (rel == null) { rel = child.getSingleRelationship(RelType.SYNONYM_OF, Direction.OUTGOING); } return get(rel.getOtherNode(child)); } private List<NubUsage> listCanonical(String canonical) { canonical = SciNameNormalizer.normalize(canonical); List<NubUsage> usages = Lists.newArrayList(); for (Node n : Iterators.loop(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.TAXON, NeoProperties.CANONICAL_NAME, canonical))) { usages.add(get(n)); } return usages; } private List<NubUsage> listSynonyms(NubUsage acc) { List<NubUsage> usages = Lists.newArrayList(); for (Relationship rel : acc.node.getRelationships(RelType.SYNONYM_OF, Direction.INCOMING)) { Node syn = rel.getOtherNode(acc.node); usages.add(get(syn)); } return usages; } public NameUsage getUsage(Node n) { return dao.readUsage(n, true); } private NameUsage getUsage(int key) { return getUsage(dao.getNeo().getNodeById(key)); } private List<NubUsage> listScientific(String sciname) { List<NubUsage> usages = Lists.newArrayList(); for (Node n : Iterators.loop(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.TAXON, NeoProperties.SCIENTIFIC_NAME, sciname))) { usages.add(get(n)); } return usages; } private NubUsage getScientific(String sciname, Rank rank, Kingdom kingdom) { return getOne(listScientific(sciname), rank, kingdom, null, sciname); } private NubUsage getScientific(String sciname, Rank rank) { return getOne(listScientific(sciname), rank, null, null, sciname); } private NubUsage getCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank) { return getOne(listCanonical(canonical), rank, null, null, canonical); } private NubUsage getCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, TaxonomicStatus status) { return getOne(listCanonical(canonical), rank, null, status, canonical); } private NubUsage getCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, Kingdom k) { return getOne(listCanonical(canonical), rank, k, null, canonical); } private NubUsage getCanonical(String canonical, Rank rank, @Nullable Kingdom k, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status) { return getOne(listCanonical(canonical), rank, k, status, canonical); } private NubUsage getOne(List<NubUsage> usages, Rank rank, @Nullable Kingdom k, @Nullable TaxonomicStatus status, String name) { Iterator<NubUsage> iter = usages.iterator(); while (iter.hasNext()) { NubUsage u = iter.next(); if (u.rank != rank) { iter.remove(); } else if (k != null && u.kingdom != k) { iter.remove(); } else if (status != null && u.status != status) { iter.remove(); } } if (usages.isEmpty()) { return null; } else if (usages.size() == 1) { return usages.get(0); } throw new IllegalStateException("Too many usages for " + status + " " + rank + " " + name); } private NubUsage get(Node n) { if (n == null) { return null; } NubUsage nub = dao.readNub(n); nub.node = n; return nub; } private long countTaxa() { return Iterators.count(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.TAXON)); } private long countSpecies() { return Iterators.count(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.SPECIES)); } private long countGenera() { return Iterators.count(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.GENUS)); } private long countRoot() { return Iterators.count(dao.getNeo().findNodes(Labels.ROOT)); } class TreeAsserter implements StartEndHandler { private Iterator<NubNode> treeIter; public TreeAsserter(NubTree tree) { treeIter = tree.iterator(); } @Override public void start(Node n) { NubNode expected = treeIter.next(); String name = (String) n.getProperty(NeoProperties.SCIENTIFIC_NAME); assertEquals(expected.name, name); assertEquals(expected.basionym, n.hasLabel(Labels.BASIONYM), "Basionym flag wrong for " + name); } @Override public void end(Node n) { } public boolean completed() { return !treeIter.hasNext(); } } private void assertTree(String filename) throws IOException { System.out.println("assert tree from " + filename); NubTree expected = NubTree.read("trees/" + filename); // compare trees assertEquals(expected.getRoot().children.size(), Iterators.count(dao.allRootTaxa()), "Number of roots differ"); TreeAsserter treeAssert = new TreeAsserter(expected); TreeWalker.walkTree(dao.getNeo(), true, treeAssert); assertTrue(treeAssert.completed(), "There should be more taxa"); // verify all nodes are walked in the tree and contains the expected numbers long neoCnt = Iterables.count(dao.getNeo().getAllNodes()); // pro parte nodes are counted multiple times, so expected count can be higher than pure number of nodes - but never less! System.out.println("expected nodes: " + expected.getCount()); System.out.println("counted nodes: " + neoCnt); assertTrue(expected.getCount() >= neoCnt); } private void printTree() throws Exception { Writer writer = new PrintWriter(System.out); dao.printTree(writer, GraphFormat.TEXT); } private void printTree(File f) throws Exception { Writer writer = new FileWriter(f); dao.printTree(writer, GraphFormat.TEXT); } }

IT'S ALL ABOUT COACHING! Listen to interviews with Karen and other coaches sharing advice, insights, techniques, resources, tools, and more, related to coaching and developing your coaching practice with ease and joy. You may also hear topics of discussion related to the Law of Attraction and other Spiritual practices... and much, much, more. Enjoy. Please click on the title bar/link, to begin listening to this week's K-Cast. Or, if you prefer, right-click, and download to your computer for later listening! Thank you! In this week's K-Cast I have a special holiday message I'd like to share with you. It's my favorite Christmas story. I hope you enjoy it. In the spirit of self care, this will be our last K-Cast until after the holiday season. We will return with a new K-Cast on January 8, 2007. Wishing you all a very joyous holiday season from myself, Kim Stacey and Kim Hamblin. I love coaching new coaches who are developing their businesses! I have trained hundreds of coaches for four different coach training programs, and have experienced the joys and challenges of having my own coaching practice for the last five years. I work with coaches who are visionaries who want to make a significant contribution to the world. Using principles of spiritual intelligence and leading edge self-development techniques, I guide my clients to create their practices with ease and joy.

Q: spring R2DBC query by enum type My PostgreSQL contains an enum like create type my_type as enum('VAL1', 'VAL2') in Spring boot app, it is represented by MyType.class enum I'm trying to run a simple query using DatabasClient client.exectute("select * from table where type = :type")... As an error I'm getting: ceptionFactory$PostgresqlBadGrammarException: operator does not exist: type = character varying Casting type to my_type doesn't work (both with CAST and ::) I've already registered a specific codec for MyType.class which works - querying all without conditions works with the relevant @ReadingConverter A: Neither Spring Data R2DBC nor R2DBC Postgres can map your enum type to Postgres enum types. You can still use Postgres enum types represented as strings if you properly cast the bind value/column value on retrieval in your SQL statement. Example: client.exectute("select type::text from table where type = :type::my_type")

Bird and Wildfowl Centres in Ta11 6 21.82 miles from the centre of ta11 6 21.82 miles from the centre of ta11 6 35.0 miles from the centre of ta11 6 35.0 miles from the centre of ta11 6 102.2 miles from the centre of ta11 6 102.2 miles from the centre of ta11 6 104.53 miles from the centre of ta11 6 104.53 miles from the centre of ta11 6

Female whale sharks at Ningaloo Marine Park are being electronically tagged to discover their migratory pathways. Whale shark principal investigator Dr Mark Meekan's work is being funded by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Apache Energy, CSIRO and the National Oceanographic Administration from the United States. He said only one in eight whale sharks passing through Ningaloo was female. "About 80 per cent of the sharks at Ningaloo are juvenile males so Ningaloo Marine Park may be a nursery," he said. He has taken photographs of hundreds of whale sharks and tagged 55 with satellite tags but is none the wiser about where the females go. Dr Meekan said there were real population differences across the Indian Ocean. "Part of our study this year will be to use new techniques to study these genetic differences and discover more about the movements of whale sharks. "We know that many of the animals show site fidelity, returning to Ningaloo over a period of decades," said. "Their migratory patterns show that after leaving Ningaloo they head north to Java, Timor and Sumatra in Indonesia, and possibly further afield before returning to Ningaloo." He said photographic tagging of each whale shark's scars and patterns showed that there were no matches in locations spread across the Indian Ocean. It could mean there was no movement or that there were not enough images in the data base to record the rare occurrence of sharks travelling between aggregations. "We compared our photo libraries with photo libraries at Christmas Island, the Maldives, Mozambique and the Seychelles but had no photographic matches of our whale sharks with theirs," he said. "We know that there is some mortality because of fishing in South East Asian nations." He said one of the best Australian conservation initiatives would be to provide Indonesian villages with whale shark ecotourism businesses. "Even if we only had one village doing it, it would show that there is a sustainable income from whale sharks that is worth far more than the few cents a kilo they receive when they catch a shark and sell it," he said. Marine science experts will gather in Exmouth next week for the third annual Ningaloo Research Symposium. The two-day event, titled Ningaloo into the Future: Integrating science into management, will be held on May 26 and 27. Twenty-four scientists from the Ningaloo Research Program, which is the largest integrated coral reef study in the Indian Ocean, will present their latest findings.

Tell Me Thy Name – Part the Third January 3, 2021 by Sam Matteson Down the Rabbit Hole of Genetic Genealogy I came to this investigation of my ancestors as a complete novice in the areas of genealogy and genetics. Now after a few months of study and effort, I am better informed—although still not an expert. Fortunately, there are services available to help which are at the same time accessible and powerful. The two that I have most successfully employed are 23andMe.com and Ancestry.com. These applications are complementary and provide slightly different information at a modest price (approximately $100 for the basic DNA analysis). The former (23andMe) is focused primarily on health and general ancestral origins with only a few tools for genealogical research. Nevertheless, I was able to identify common ancestors with many individuals with their gracious help. In particular, I was able to identify specific genetic markers that suggest an Estimated Recent Shared Ancestor (ERSAs) among various subgroups of the nearly 1500 individuals (in each application) with whom I share significant lengths of DNA. Likewise using Ancestry.com, I identified relatives near and distant whose existence has helped answer genealogical questions that have been mysteries for decades. But more about that later. First I must provide a simple primer on the essentials of genetic science for a general audience. If readers are already familiar with the topic he or she may wish to skip ahead to the subsequent sections. But they will miss the fun of what I have learned in recent days. Electron micrograph of human chromosomes. Photo borrowed from https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~frist/PLNT3140/index.html University of Manitoba, PLNT 3140 Introductory Cytogenetics – 2020 ; Authors: Dr. B. Fristensky and N. Brie How We Become Who We Are I, like most folk, came to the topic of genetics with a vague appreciation that the "blueprint" of how to assemble a human is stored in the genetic molecule DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid). What I did not appreciate is how this very long double helical molecule (approximately two meters long if unraveled) is managed and stuffed into a tiny cell by the machinery of life. I learned that the DNA of humans is divided into 46 separate bundles bound up in 23 pairs. These pieces are the chromosomes. In the micrograph above we can see the image of some chromosomes. They are of different lengths and are "diploid," that is, they exist in pairs that are held together at a point on their length so that they resemble microscopic "exes." Humans are eukaryotic creatures; that is, all their DNA is lumped in pieces of various length inside the nuclei of their cells. More specifically, the nuclei of human cells contain 22 so-called autosomal chromosome pairs (numbered 1 to 22), and one pair of sex chromatids (designated X and Y and normally paired XX in females or XY in males). In the process of producing offspring, the gametes—the sperm and ovum—combine to pass on DNA derived from the parents. The 22 autosomal chromosomes and the sex chromosome are thus a 50%-50% combination of DNA derived from Mom and from Dad. The process must be a little more complicated than this, of course, or there would be an accumulation of genetic material in each successive generation. In a process called meiosis, the chromosome pairs split in half before the formation of each "haploid" gamete, containing half the number of chromosomes of the normal cell. Thus, only half of the genetic material from each parent is inserted, respectively, into the sperm or ovum and then passed down to the next generation in the fertilized zygote. Problem solved. But wait, there's more—of course. Prior to meiosis the paired chromatids (that originated in the generation of the grandparents, the respective parents of mother and father) have undergone a mixing process called recombination by crossover. While the autosomal chromatids are still joined by a bundle of fibers called the centromere, the chromosomes in Mom and in Dad, prior to conception and prior to meiosis, can do some microscopic genetic acrobatics and flip to the other half so that when the chromosome ultimately splits into two halves, the genetic information becomes a mixture of the previous generation. Ultimately the fertilized zygote will inherit half of its DNA from father and half from mother. Therefore, in the foregoing marvelous mechanism of biological engineering a mixture of traits inherited by our parents from their parents (our grandparents) gets passed on to us in a fleshly lottery. Because of the random sorting we share about (but rarely exactly) 25% of our DNA with each of our four grandparents and 50% of our parental DNA. On average the contribution to our genetic identity from each ancestor is diluted by a factor about ½ in each generation. This kind of delightful combinatorics arithmetic delights my physicist's mind but leaves most folk cold. Considering a graphic representation (see figure 2) however may help communicate the beauty of this reality. A schematic presentation of the 'cloud of ancestors' who contribute to our identity by descent. In each antecedent generation the number of ancestors is doubled. Each person has 2 parents with 50% DNA from each, 4 grandparents with approximately 25% inherited from each the next circle. Great grandparents number 8 and contribute approximately 12% each to our genetic identity. We derive from the 16 Great-great (2x great) grandparents who contribute approximately 6% to our individual genetic uniqueness. Suffice it to say that we can estimate (with increasing uncertainty the more distant the relation) the relatedness of two individuals just from the amount of DNA that they share (See a plot of the experimentally determined fraction of shared DNA in unique segments as derived from the Shared CM Project, https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4. Check out a detailed explanation at https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/centimorgan-chart-understanding-dna/ ). The fewer the generations since we have a common ERSA (Estimated Recent Shared Ancestor) the greater will be (on average) the amount of our shared DNA. A logarithmic plot of the experimentally-determined fraction of the unique 6800 cM (or 7400 cM in some analyses) segments of DNA that are shared between related individuals. (A cM or centiMorgan is a measure of the length of shared DNA.). The Degree of Relatedness is computed by counting up a family tree to the ERSA (Estimated Recent Shared Ancestor) and then down to the relative. If there are two common ancestors the degree is reduced by one. Thus, half third cousins (who share a single 2x great-grandparent) have a degree of relatedness of 8, four generations each to the ERSA. These half third cousins (½ -3C), on average, share about 0.7% or about 48 cM of their DNA. The amount can vary, however, from zero to over twice that amount. I should point out that all humans share 99.9% of the same DNA, that is, we are 1000 times more alike than we are different. In contrast consider that our most closely related primate cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos, each share only 98.7% of the base pair sequences (the amino acids abbreviated ATGC, for adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) found in humans, albeit the apes have 24 chromosome pairs, one more than humans. Even though we humans differ by such a minuscule fraction of the 3 billion base pairs in our personal genome, 30 million disparate bases pairs are sufficient to distinguish us and make us genetically uniquely individual. A Little Practice in Genetic Genealogy Population geneticists have identified DNA sequences that are characteristic of various people groups. These sequences permit classification of human DNA sample by what are called "haplogroups" and allow an admixture analysis. For example, I descend—via my paternal line running through Henry Matteson (1642) who immigrated to Rhode Island in about 1666—from a gentleman who lived in Europe about 10,000 years ago. The web site 23andMe informs me that one in about 140 of their male subscribers have this haplotype, namely R-L48. Despite the relative commonality of this haplotype, I discovered a male relative whose surname differed from that shared by me and my brother (who also bears the R-L48 haplotype). Documentary genealogical research revealed, however, that my genetic cousin's great grandfather changed his name during the Civil War from Tobias S. Matteson to the name of a disabled comrade of his Pennsylvania regiment, possibly to avoid being conscripted a second time after his discharge due to wounds. Tracing his pedigree back further uncovered that indeed my cousin is a descendant of the very same 7x great grandfather the patriarch Henry Matteson, called "The Immigrant." Our families diverged about 360 years ago, but was exposed by a persistent genetic marker. The combination of genetics and documentary genealogy is a powerful duo. In the interim since I last posted I have also helped my future son-in-law find the identity of his birth parents. While treasuring his deceased but beloved adoptive parents, he hoped to learn more about his physical heritage that he could share with his own biological children. In a relatively straightforward and surprisingly rapid investigation, I identified one of his DNA matches as a half-brother. Moreover, my son-in-law shared DNA with other descendants of a woman whose maiden name appeared on his birth record. By good fortune, another close match with a half-niece suggested the identity of his biological father. Using the method of genetic "triangulation" in which one identifies the individuals who share DNA segments with two other individuals we were able to build up a detailed family tree many generations deep. The code in Ancestry.com then matches up potential cousins from their crowd-shared family trees. In the process I was able to identify scores of living relatives and help him and his children connect with his previously unknown family. It was "straightforward" because the relationships were close. In contrast, in the case of our Miley investigation only third or fourth cousins who are independently descended from the mysterious 2x Great Grandfather Miley remain alive after about 180 years. We anticipate that we will share about 0.5% – 0.7% DNA with any surviving cousins. The first issue we chose to address was the veracity of the family story that a "Miley" was James Marion Moates' father. Of course, Rachel appears in the 1850 census next door to the Noah Moates family in Eucheanna, Florida and is listed as "Rachel Miley," Head of Household. So the documentary evidence proves that she claimed Mr. Miley as her spouse, although no known record of a marriage exists. Originally, I submitted my sputum sample to 23andMe as did my brother and sister. Within a few months we had over a thousand DNA matches. Among those there were three whose last name was "Miley." I contacted these individuals and with their help reconstructed their family trees back through sons of Robert David Miley (1762) and Elizabeth Goodman (1761) of Barnwell County, South Carolina. The closest relative of these was a descendant of William Goodman Miley (1812), an Alabama pioneer planter who lived down the road from the Moates clan in the period 1840-1847. The DNA match was consistent with a third cousin relationship, the sharing of a 2x great grandfather. Further genetic triangulation identified individuals who appear to share William Goodman Miley as an ERSA, consistent with his position as a 2x great grandfather of me and my siblings. What is more, over time I was able to identify over 100 other individuals who share Miley DNA who are not descended from the Moates line. Therefore, the DNA evidence is compelling that my Great-great granddaddy is indeed a Miley-Goodman, a son of Robert and Elizabeth. 23andMe Miley Segment What I learned from 23andMe was that I had inherited (presumably from my mother) a rather long segment of DNA on my 12th Chromosome that is shared by many descendants of Robert Miley (1762). In the figure below we see the segments shared by me and my siblings with a descendant of William Goodman Miley. One should note that my brother does not share the Chromosome 12 marker. In the genetic lottery he did not inherit this part of my grandfather's Miley segment. This observation suggests that this present day and generation are our last best chance of solving the mystery of the Miley. Before the last few years accessible DNA analyses were unavailable. Moreover, the amount of DNA also becomes diluted in each successive generation and the difficulty of identifying relatives becomes more problematic. So the time is ripe for this study. A partial map of the shared genealogically relevant DNA between a descendant TM (half third cousin one removed) of William Goodman Miley, her 2x great grandfather and me (Sam) and my siblings (Cindy and Dale). Note that we all share a short segment of chromosome 9 but my sister and I only have a marker on chromosome 12. Not wanting to stake such a definitive claim on only one single DNA test, I also submitted a sample to AncestryDNA.com. The results were consistent with the 23andMe data. Among my matches were those of my aunt, my mother's sister, granddaughter of James Marion Moates. Using the family tree builder in Ancestry.com I was able to confirm that nearly 200 DNA-matched individuals are descended from Robert Miley and Elizabeth Goodman and are thus third to fourth cousins. Over twenty of the cousins are directly descended from William Goodman Miley. In the next figure a so-called ancestry.com "Thruline" graphic shows seven of the children of Robert Miley (1762) and the number of identified matches in each line. Therefore, the genetic genealogical results are unequivocal: I am descended from Robert Miley (as is my Aunt Ann Rowley). What is more, it is highly likely that my great grandfather is indeed William Goodman Miley. Curiously, I have found no match in my DNA with any descendant of Samuel Miley or Robert Z, Miley, two contemporaries and neighbors of Rachel Moates Miley. While it is possible that the segment(s) that I (and my siblings) inherited from our mother's Moates family was not inherited any of Sam or Bob Miley's offspring, it strains credibility. Pedigree chart for the author, highlighting his identity by descent from Robert Miley (1762) The DNA evidence is conclusive that the father of James Marion (Miley) Moates was a son of Robert Miley (1762) and was probably William Goodman Miley (1802). In the next post we will pull together all the evidence to make a compelling case that William is my ancestor and we will attempt to reconstruct the events surrounding Grandfather Jim's birth. Stay tuned. Tell Me Thy Name October 14, 2020 by Sam Matteson Part The Second: Setting the Stage The narrative that has captivated my imagination is not only the story of two people, namely Rachel Moates (1823) and an as-yet-unverified partner reputed to bear the surname "Miley," but also it is a saga about family. Actually, it is a tale of two families: the Moates tribe and the Miley Clan. The stage for this drama is a swath of farm land near the often-shifting border between Pike County to the south and east and southern Montgomery County, far from any major city such as Montgomery or Troy. It was the 1840s, less than a decade after my European-American ancestors had dispossessed and evicted the indigenous Muscogee Creek people, removing most of them from the landscape to reservations west of the Mississippi River. Today, like those days of nearly two centuries ago, the landscape was a woodland with fields hacked out that grew subsistence gardens and cash crops of cotton. Transportation was crude, either on horseback, by wagon or buggy, or by "shank's mare," that is, on foot. Thus, a trip of eight miles was an investment of about half a day for the round trip at an average speed of four miles per hours. Therefore, longer trips such as 20-50 miles required overnight lodging or a trail camp before returning. Thus the sections of land of Little Sandy Creek area is the stage for the interaction between the Moates and the Miley families and between Rachel Moates (1823) and Mr. Miley. 1853 Alabama and Georgia map with southern Montgomery County and northern Pike County encircled in red where our story unfolds. The Moates Clan Into this wildness the Moates family, led by Noah Moates (1793) and his father William Moates (1760), ventured with their families, immigrating from South Carolina where their Scottish parents had landed in the new world in the century before. [In this narrative I will identify the various characters in this history with their name followed by the year of their birth, since names were frequently recycled in a family, generation upon generation. By this device I hope to minimize one potential pitfall of personal history, anachronistically scrambled genealogies.] William's (1760) forbears had sailed to the Royal Colony of the Carolinas with hundreds of thousands of other Scots, fleeing the British oppression of the Scots following the collapse of the Jacobite rebellion of "forty-five." Subsequently, escaping the ever-more crowded early 19th century Carolinas, William (1760) pushed westward, ultimately settling a half-quarter section (about 80 acres) in the Sandy Creek area in 1828. Over the next seven years the Moates clan, notably Noah, along with his kinsmen from South Carolina, son, William C. Moates (1815), and John T. "Motes" (1796), added to this homestead to build a contiguous enclave comprising the southern three fourths of Township 13 Range 20 Section 6. Page 207 of the Land Receipt Book for Montgomery County, Alabama recording the receipt of $105.41 cash (equivalent to about $3,125 in 2020 dollars with a current land appraisal of approximately $184,000) from Noah "Moats" for the Southern ½ of the Northeast Quarter of Section Number 6 Township No 13 Range 20 dated January 1, 1833. Also appearing is the record of the purchase of the adjacent 80 acres (the N½ of the NE Quarter) by Mr. Armstrong Mitchell later in the month. Much of that original property is owned today by the descendant of one of the near neighbors, the Massingill family, who owned the NE quarter of NE quarter of section 6 and other nearby holdings by 1850. Below is an aerial photograph of the land with the boundaries of the Moates holdings superimposed. Note that there remain tantalizing clearings among the hardwood trees where houses may have stood in the antebellum age. The identity of the neighbors who held contiguous homestead allows us to locate with more precision where the family lived in the various census lists by comparing the names of the neighbors and the locations of their homesteads. It also gives a sense of the immediate community. A Township consisted of thirty sections each a square one mile by one mile, so that these neighbors in the section were a short walk away if one had a practical need or a desire for Correspondence between modern parcel owned by JRB Holdings LLC and original homestead of Moates enclave. The small creek is known as Little Sandy Creek. It appears in the 1848 land survey. company. Looking at contemporaneous land surveys (see below) gives me a strange sense of immediacy that dry facts cannot convey. For example, I note with an inward satisfaction that the tract of US Highway 231 (The Troy Highway) follows the same path cutting diagonally across section 6 as did the dirt road that is documented in the 1848 survey. Many field borders still align with the ancient borders of quarter sections. Noah (1793) had a younger brother, younger by a decade, Jonathan (1803) who also relocated from South Carolina to the Alabama frontier (in the mid-1820s) soon after the state of Alabama was organized in 1819. He married Miss Urquhart, the daughter of one of the Moates' Sandy Creek neighbors. Jonathan settled forty-five miles east in Barbour County between the 1848 Land Survey of Township 13 Range 20. Note the cleared fields, the track of the "Troy Road" and Sandy Creek. forks of the Choctawhatchee River, about 13 miles east of the Pea River. At that time settlers in Barbour County were still vulnerable to Indian attack, which may explain why Jonathan volunteered for the Alabama militia to fight in the Second Creek War of 1836-37. The conflict terminated at the Battle of Hodby Bridge on the Pea River just a few miles from his farm where the Muscogee Creek insurrectionists were decimated. The Miley Brothers The Miley family also held lands in the area in the 1840s. Three brothers had moved to the Alabama frontier after the final subjugation of the Muscogee Confederation in the area in the victory of the European-Americans in the Second Creek War. Three sons of Robert Miley (1762), of South Carolina— elder brother Samuel Miley (1792), William Goodman Miley (1802), and younger brother Robert Z. Miley (1815)—all of whom were born in Barnwell County, South Carolina to Robert (1762) and his first wife Mary Goodman Miley—acquired property in the area, Samuel and William near each other in Montgomery County and Robert a few miles away in Pike County. Later they were joined in Dale/Coffee (the latter county organized in 1841) and Covington County by their half-brother Andrew Barnwell Miley (1818) where William also held a forty acre aliquot of a section near Elba, Alabama. The Miley brothers purchased land near one another and the Moates enclave. Below is an aerial view of the larger area (Google Earth) near the Montgomery County/Pike County border. Several important landmarks are labelled. Notably you will find the farms of Samuel (1792), William G. (1802) and Robert (1815) with the dates of purchase in parentheses in the figure. Other prominent landmarks to notice are Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church founded in 1842. A handsome historical marker stands outside the 1931 structure interpreting the site. It reads in part: Constituted on August 27, 1842 on this site with six charter members including Moses and Sarah Rushton, Susannah Rushton, William and Emily Miley, and James Gardner. First structure built of logs by master carpenter Jesse Yon on land given by Moses Rushton, who moved to Montgomery County from Orangeburg District S.C. Thus, William (1802) and his wife "Emily" Emmaline Oentz (aka "Owens") apparently resided in the Sandy Creek area in about 1842. Also note the identification of Briar Hill, Alabama which may have been mis-recalled or misheard to be "Briarville," a place name unknown in the state. The historic Urquhart family cemetery is the final resting place of several of the Urquhart tribe, some in unmarked graves. Perhaps the body of Jonathan's first wife lies beneath the trees there. The major landmarks in the Miley-Moates incident of 1840. The Moates property is located on the west side of US 231/ AL53 about 27 miles north of Troy near the Athey Rd exit (MM 101) now owned by the Massingill family. One addition area is relevant to our story. It is metaphorically speaking the "wings" of the stage of our drama. William Goodman Miley (1802) purchased a forty acre tract in what was then Dale County in 1841 (the year the county was established), after appearing in the fifth decennial population census in 1840. His neighbors William Luker and Adam Hardy who both owned homestead near the Miley Coffee County "Elba Place" also appear in the census as nearby households, and therefore confirm his residence near the county seat of Elba. Moreover, the Bethany Primitive Baptist Church in which church records both brother and sister Miley appear. In addition, Andrew (1818) was briefly moderator of the congregation in the 1850s before settling in the Andalusia, Alabama area as long-time pastor of the Bethel Primitive Baptist Church in Babbie, Alabama near Adalusia. A larger view of the region where our story transpires shows the location of the "Outparcel" of William G. Miley (1802) and family where he was in residence in 1840, the location of Bethany and Bethel Primitive Baptist Churches, and the home of Andrew Miley (1818) and various neighbors. Now the stage is set. The players are in place. A Miley 2x great grandfather is a possibility for me and my two siblings. In fact, there are many possibilities: Samuel (1792), William Goodman (1802), Robert (1815), or Andrew (1818)—all Mileys. In addition, we must not rule out prematurely other male members of the Miley family, such as eldest sons. But these four are the prime suspects, if indeed the family lore is accurate as far as it goes. Thus, the region was thick with Mileys, as "ticks on a hound" as the saying goes. For progress in resolving this mystery we must turn to other evidence, namely DNA autosomal genetic statistics and a forensic style inquiry that considers means, motive, opportunity, and any other circumstantial evidence. In this way we can identify who is the most likely candidate for our anonymous ancestor and then we will be better equipped to imagine the scenario of James Marion Miley Moates' (1843) nativity. The mystery lies before us. Indeed, quoting Sir Arthur William Conan Doyle's most famous of detectives created in the 1880s we can say, "Let us waste no more time. 'The game is afoot!'" August 30, 2020 by Sam Matteson A Historical Inquiry into the Life of James Marion Moates Part the First As I walk down the hallway in my Brother Dale's house, a pair of pictures in ornate Victorian frames captures my attention. I examine the Ambrotype of a man. The face that gazes back at me is that of a young groom who at age 23 has already seen much suffering and hardship. As I learn from the notes typed by my mother and affixed to the rear of the frames, this is James Marion (Miley) Moates, my great grandfather. He does not smile, perhaps because of the customary formality of the 1866 wedding portrait, or perhaps it might be more than that. He had seen too much. He was born 3 November 1843 under dubious circumstances. His mother claimed the name "Miley," as documented by the 1850 census of Walton County, Florida, where he is listed as "James Miley," living with his mother Rachel, the head of the household. They appear in the enumeration adjacent to the family next door, the Noah Moates clan. Apparently she went by "Miley" even though there has never been any evidence of a legal marriage nor a legitimate spouse. James Marion (Miley) Moates and Ruth Ann Dew at their wedding 1866 So who was his father? That has been a mystery for generations in the Moates family. Family stories are generous, suggesting that she was abandoned by an abusive husband. But I wonder. At the same time, I am intrigued. I must also agree with the declaration of my eldest daughter that "somehow knowing more about my ancestor tells me more about who I am." I am possessed by an overwhelming desire to learn more. I suspect that he was born a bastard child of an illicit union with an unknown Miley. "In 'the old days' if children were born outside of marriage their legal surname was that of their mother, not their father" according to professional genealogists. (http://braswellgenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/10/bastardy-bonds.html) Illegitimate births were so common that "Bastardy Bonds" were issued routinely as an early form of child support. But how can I be sure? Are we really related to the Miley tribe? We do not want to impugn anyone's reputation—even centuries late—without adequate evidence. James Marion later took the name of his grandfather Noah Moates, a respected farmer and Justice of the Peace, repudiating his father Miley. We in my family treasure a document that is a penmanship practice that reads, copied out several times in lovely nineteenth century script, "Tell me thy name and tell me now, James Marion Moates." Indeed, he is listed in the 1860 census in his grandfather's household as "James Jr. Moates, age 16, son, born Alabama." The clues of his journey are subtle and sometimes misleading. For example, James wears the uniform of a confederate soldier in the portrait, but it must be an affection borrowed for the occasion, since it is a new dress frock coat of a sergeant showing no wear. Jim Moates never ascended above the rank of private in his less-than-illustrious military career, and the sartorially splendid attire in the wedding portrait exceeded—by far—anything he ever owned. He was a typical volunteer: an untrained and sometimes undisciplined private soldier, owing more allegiance to family that to "The Cause." Indeed, he and Uncle Francis Marion Miley were both reported AWOL, then as deserters. Their unauthorized leave occurred when Grandpa Noah's Brother Jonathan Moates, a man in his fifties who had also enlisted with the younger men in the 1st Florida Infantry (Confederate Army), lay mortally ill in hospital in Chattanooga. He ultimately died on 22 December 1862 after months of being listed "Absent, sick" on the muster rolls. "Noah Moates, bro."—according to the muster cards—claimed his body in the early spring. Subsequently, Junior and Uncle Frank must have accompanied Grandfather Noah in carrying their Uncle's body home to Euchee Anna, Walton County, Florida, a three hundred and fifty mile journey. "Uncle Jon-A" (as I imagine his affectionate nickname) was a tragic figure. He had fought in the Second Creek war in 1837 and had not originally declared his intention to join up due to his age, but ultimately did so, perhaps in part to look after Noah's "boys." He was recently divorced from his second wife and living with his brother's family in 1860. The irony is stark that the old soldier was felled by illness (dysentery and measles were epidemic among the rebel troops) rather than in combat. The two infantrymen did finally return from their desertion and did rejoin their units without any apparent disciplinary action, just in time to participate in the ill-fated battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. Calamity piled atop disaster. On the slopes of the ridge James Marion broke his leg during the battle on November 25, 1863. (Curiously, the next day was the first official federal observation of Thanksgiving Day according to President Lincoln's decree. I wonder if the fact was of any import to Jim, even though he surely was thankful to be alive and to have survived without losing his limb, since the removal of a limb was the most common surgical procedure in battlefield hospitals according to historians of such things. He evaded capture, however, unlike his namesake uncle and comrade-in-arms Francis Marion Moates, who—after capture—was shipped to Louisville, Kentucky and then on to Rock Island, Maryland where he was released after "taking the pledge" of allegiance to the Union and after volunteering for duty on the frontier, a commitment he apparently never fulfilled. Meanwhile, after several months of convalescence James recovered in time to fight in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee where he also was ultimately captured in December 1864, yet another incidence of hardship. In a strange cycle of history, I and my children now reside near where his military career ended. Later in life Jim would recount that he was "captured at Nashville and held under guard for five months," that is, until the end of hostilities. Time and time again I have passed the spot along Harding Pike where young James (He was 21 year old at the time.) was apprehended. Reports of the battle that broke the back of the Confederate Army of Tennessee are gory and devastating. Ultimately, James returned to Euchee Anna, near modern Defuniak Springs, Florida and began or resumed courting Miss Ruth Ann Dew, preacher Thomas Spencer Dew's daughter. But he surely carried memories of death and defeat with him. Nevertheles, within a year after returning they were married and posed for the photographs that captured my attention. (See the gallery above.) But the questions keep coming: Where was he born? From time to time J. M. Moates would answer alternatively "Montgomery County" or "Pike County, Alabama" when he was asked his birthplace. In one census of veterans he reported the site of his nativity as "Briarville, Alabama." There has never been a Briarville in Alabama. However, a Briar Hill in Pike County is still identified by a place name on maps; it is located near (less than 15 miles from) the several aliquots of land in Section 6, Township 13, Range 20 in Montgomery County east of Ramah that his grandfather and other kinsmen had purchased beginning in about 1825, nearly twenty years before his birth. We can put this mis-identification off to a faulty childhood memory, since he departed Alabama at age of four, or to the surveyor's mishearing. In the next post I will explore how we can deduce the precise location of his infancy and toddlerhood. We will also examine in the next post the identity of four Miley men who are potential candidates for Rachel Moates' partner. These individuals are all the sons of Robert Miley (1762) and his wives Mary Goodman and Elizabeth Smoak of South Carolina. It is no spoiler to name these men: Samuel Miley (1790), William Goodman Miley (1802) and Robert Z. (or G.) Miley (1816), sons of Robert and Mary Goodman. In addition, Andrew Barnwell Miley (1818) son of the union of Robert and Elizabeth S. Miley lived in the neighboring county and we should not dismiss him without examination. I will adopt the practice of adding the year of the individual's birth after his name as a means of helping identify the player, since often family names are shared and recycled in succeeding generations. In this investigation, I have run upon the difficulties common to genealogical research, struggles that plague every inquiry. These stumbling blocks range from misspellings of names and faulty transcriptions of manuscript, as for example in "Robert Z." being confused with "Robert G." to illogical mistakes of prior genealogical researchers, such as confusing a daughter in a census list with a wife. Reconstructing family trees sometimes requires guess work and deduction, but hopefully not fabrication. We are indeed "connecting the dots" of often sparely available information. Nevertheless, there are facts that drive the conclusions. But in addition, we have at our disposal a tool unavailable to prior generations, namely, DNA and genetic tracing. I and my two siblings submitted samples to 23andMe™ for DNA testing. Our DNA was compared with the thousands of genomes stored in their data base. They have discovered at this writing 1425 genetic data matches. These are my DNA cousins. Among those are 198 who share DNA segments with me and known descendants of the Miley family of Robert Miley (1762) of Barnwell County, South Carolina. So, "Yes, Virginia," we are cousins to the Mileys. As an assurance of the conclusion, however, I have submitted a sample to AncestryDNA™ for independent testing and am awaiting the results. In a subsequent post we will examine the details of the analysis of our genetic linkage to the Miley clan that includes determining the heritage of individuals who share Miley genetic markers and in recruiting known Miley descendants to submit samples for DNA analysis. Lest the reader grow too impatient allow me to disclose that the early indications are that the descendants of James Marion Moates are also descendants of the Robert Miley and Mary Goodman family. In a final post we will assemble all the evidence in the style of a criminal investigation. The case will examine the means, motive, opportunity, any exculpatory or incriminating evidence as well as a theory of the "crime" for all the potential "suspects." Hopefully a single individual will emerge whom the evidence implicates. Thus, while not an air-tight case, we will be able with some confidence to establish his identity. As Sherlock Holmes famously stated "We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." A Map of Africa (part 2) February 14, 2017 by Sam Matteson I began the decade regarding Colonialism with modestly high regard, but I grew uneasy about what little I heard about Africa and its colonial history. Meanwhile, in English class, Mrs. Thelma Vanderweiss (not her real name) subjected us to a regimen of daily reading of verse in the sincere hope that "culture" would take root in our juvenile minds. We read and committed to memory sections of "Annabell Lee" by the tintinnabulating poet Edgar Allen Poe and other "classics" of nineteenth century American literature. She furthermore inflicted upon us one of her favorite "modern" compositions, Vachel Lindsay's "The Congo." Mrs. Vanderwiess , a tiny woman with a tyrannical air, was the whitest woman that I ever met. Her skin was pale, her pallor accentuated by her fashionably powdered cheeks. She was, indeed, fair skinned from her high forehead to her diminutive feet, but I intend more than that; her air epitomized to me the aristocratic pretension that I thought Mobile's white society espoused. She always wore large diamond rings on her fingers, white pearls and a demur dress or business suit; and black pumps after Labor Day. She seemed perpetually offended that she must attempt to instruct such uncultivated pupils as we. She rarely smiled in my presence. I recall how she drilled the class daily in the recitation of "The Congo" for weeks. It was to be the centerpiece of a school-wide assembly. The sound of her more than her image haunts me still; it is her pointed-toe shoe stomping the rhythm on the worn pine floors of the now razed Robert E. Lee High School building where we were holding classes. "Stomp—THEN I SAW THE CONGO—stomp—CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK—stomp— . . . . Do you feel the beat? All together now! Stomp— CUTTING THROUGH THE FOREST—stomp— WITH A GOLDEN TRACK—stomp. . . . That's it! You're getting it!" Vachel Lindsay source: Unknown-Modern American Poetry website, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org The rhythm was exciting and, despite my aversion to the manner of Mrs. Vanderweiss, I fell in love with the power and music of the poetry. Lindsay's rhythms were intoxicating. There was jazz in the meter. I suspect that the poet was sympathetic to the plight of the inhabitants of the Congo, but his voice was not the voice of a black man even though it had the power of the beat of the human heart. His verse was a minstrel voice dressed up in black-face chanting a white man's song. It was only pretending to be in the Style Africaine. Even a young teen such as I could discern the patronizing and denigrating tone of the poem entitled "The Congo, A Study of the Negro Race" with stanzas named "Their Basic Savagery," and "Their Irrepressible High Spirits," and "The Hope of their Religion." I was embarrassed but could not explain why when we chanted lines like, "Fat black bucks in a wine-barrel room," and "A good old negro in the slums of the town/ Preached at a sister for her velvet gown…." I did not know any Africans nor did I really know any "colored people" in my town, and thus, I had no way to test my misgivings. But something seemed odd to me about the characterizations and words I was chanting. I might have marveled then, as I do now, if I had known of the African community around the corner. In a curious and ignored twist of history a transplanted African village existed for a century less than ten miles from where our map hung in my school room. I might have felt more connected to Africa and to history if I had known of Africatown. As it happened, in 1860, in the year before Alabama's secession from the union and the subsequent "War between the States," a swaggering Mobile ship builder, Captain Timothy Meaker, bragged that, although the importation of slaves had been illegal in the United States since 1808 and had been declared a capital offense equivalent to piracy in 1820, he had built a sloop fast enough to out run any Yankee gunboat. He could defy the jack-leg Feds and meddling abolitionists. He made good on his boast when he handed the Clotilde over to a Captain William Foster of Maine for the purpose of acquiring a cargo of humans. Foster had no difficulty in securing the "merchandize." The Dahomey tribesmen who resided in what is present day Benin happily sold their Tarkbar captives to the captain for $100 per head. Unfortunately for Meaker, when the Clotilde reached Mobile, the Federal troops were waiting. He sailed the sloop up the Mobile River, herded most of his human cargo onto a barge, and shipped them to Montgomery. Then he ran the ship aground and burned it. Later the thirty-two Africans that he had reserved for his own use were cut loose and settled on his property, freed presumably to avoid his being caught red-handed. When the war broke out, the displaced African nucleus was joined by others who had escaped their captivity up state. Together, they established a discrete community with a distinctly African culture just three miles from downtown Mobile. Known locally as Abache' and Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis at Africatown. Mobile, Alabama in the 1910s. Source: Emma Langdon Roche, Histroic Sketches of the South (Knickerboker Press, 1914) Public Domain "Africatown," it persisted until World War II as an identifiable community. This was the last instance in US history of the importation of slaves into North America. It seemed so long ago, but the last survivor of the Clotilde "passed" only thirteen years before I was born. Meaker was apprehended but was never convicted, the Civil War intervening. African history happened next door and I never knew it. Perhaps those who taught me did not know it either, or perhaps they ignored it since they thought it irrelevant. I realize now that I really knew nothing about Africa or Africans until I met Duke Badejogbin in college. Duke was a Nigerian. He was a Yoruba. He was my brother in Christ. When we met in my second year of college, I began to learn something of what was Africa. He was one of the first missionaries from the Nigerian Baptist Convention to the country of Sierra Leon, more than a thousand miles up the coast of West Africa. "I realized that I needed more education if I were to minister to the people the way our Father wanted me to," he said, pronouncing "education" with a precision that inspired in me a new appreciation for the word. "But when I wrote to the mission board to ask to return home, they cut us off completely. There was no more support. We were marooned without enough money to buy food or a ticket for the boat home. We sold everything we had, down to the pans as small as this," he showed me the pink palm of his left hand as he made a slicing motion at his wrist with his right. "But God is good. He brought us home and now He has brought me here to study." I learned from Duke how he had reluctantly left his children and pregnant wife in the care of his family and ventured to the United States. I agonized with him and prayed with him when word came of the coup back home and how Elizabeth, his wife, had fled with their children to the bush. Then I rejoiced with him when he learned of the birth of his son Ayo and at the news of their safety. Soon Elizabeth and Ayo joined him while the older children remained with his parents. Yoruba Ceremony Nigeria. Source: heartmendersmagazine.blogspot,com He taught me rudimentary elements of his Yoruba culture, how his family name was a badge of honor signifying that his ancestor was the friend and advisor of the tribal ruler who danced the Jogbin dance with the chief, how his family did actually live in a mud hut with a thatched roof and no door. Thus, I learned of the custom of clapping your hands at the doorway instead of knocking on the nonexistent panel. He taught me that sanitized running water, air conditioning, electricity and automobiles that effortlessly rode on paved streets were luxuries that I took for granted without thinking. It was no stereotyped lie; many Nigerians did not enjoy these amenities. I found nothing to belittle him about. Instead, I admired this short wiry man, his courage and resilience. From Duke, I heard of Schweitzer's philosophy and ethic: that all life was sacred and we must exercise a grand reverence for life. When a visitor was about to swat a mosquito, the Nobel laureate is reported to have cautioned, "Take thought! Remember that you are a guest in this country." One Sunday afternoon, my fiancé and I were visiting Duke and Elizabeth in their apartment on Second Street near the black church that was sponsoring their stay in Waco. Suddenly, Duke pulled off his slipper and flung it across the room. I turned just in time to see a cockroach skitter behind a bookcase. I asked him, "What would Dr. Schweitzer say?" He replied sheepishly, "That is philosophy. This is different. I must think about Ayo now." Then he smiled. His look reminded me of what he had told me, "Ayo means 'joy'. As Isaac means 'laughter' because Sarah and Abraham laughed when he was born, so we called our son 'Ayo' because he brought joy to Elizabeth's and to my heart." At that moment we were not Yoruba and Alabamian, Nigerian and American; we were brothers. I began better to understand Africa. The inhabitants of the continent were people as we are, grown from a different soil but of the same seed, cherishing a different history and culture but with the same needs and longings. A curious word "stereotype." We use a stereoscope to see things in the round. We listen to stereophonic music to be immersed in the sound. In stereo we better understand the reality of a thing and it seems more "solid." But when we harbor a stereotype of a person or place, we substitute a counterfeit death-rigored lie for the living, breathing reality. I have grown to distrust statements like "All _____ are _____." I still despair sometimes. We cling so jealously to our tribalism and distrust of others not of our clan. "We belong to the European tribe, the Anglo-Irish clan, the Italian family, the French enclave, the Cherokee Nation," I think I hear us mutter. "They" are the Africans or the Indians; they are the Whites or the Hispanics, the Asians or the Arabian; they are all a different tribe. I hear African voices, "We are Tarkbar; they are Dahomey. They killed our ancestors; they sold us to Captain Foster of the tribe of Maine who was just the agent of Captain Timothy Meaker of the clan of Alabama. . . . We are 'Kikuyu;' we are Muingiki, the second Mau Mau; death to the European exploiters." I worry that the tyranny of the tribe survives too strong in our breast. Yet, opposing the rule of the clan, of the tribe, of the race, opposing "us or them" stands the Family of Man. It affirms that we are one species, one humanity. It is not "us or them," rather, it is only "us," or it is nothing. Earthrise: a view of the earth from the moon NASA photo The real shape of the Earth is a sphere, and its net of latitude and longitude begins in the Atlantic Ocean near the mouth of the Congo. This is an appropriate convention of geography. "Appropriate," I call it because anthropologists tell us that humanity—Adam and his bride—began their pilgrimage somewhere in east Africa. Thus, there is ultimately "home." Thus the proper map of Africa and of its place in the world would show it at the center of our view of a globe. On the other hand, anywhere could be the center, for this planet is round. In spherical geometry one place is as good as another. What is more, when we look at it aright, we see that the coast of Africa is the complement of North and South America; West Africa fits neatly into the Gulf of Mexico, while the Gulf of Guinea cups Brazil comfortably. This remarkable fact exists because once, as children are now taught, the whole of all the land was one great Pangean continent. Later the waters and our history came between us, but the Earth still has no edge, no real border—no border at all, except that which we have drawn between us and the others—except of course for the great oceans and the rivers, like the Congo that yet spills blue across the map and into the sea of our imaginations. Posted in Sassafras Tea and Fried Oysters, Uncategorized | Tagged Africa, Mobile, poetry, race, school | Leave a Comment » February 3, 2017 by Sam Matteson As we grow, we draw our own maps of the world as we imagine it, gathering cartographic "facts" wherever we can, from what we are told and from what we see for ourselves on the journey. At the end of the middle decade of the twentieth century—just as you might turn a calendar page or flip over a map leaf to discover hidden notes scribbled underneath—I turned over too. In 1960 I began to understand for the first time that most issues of life and history are more subtle than they would have you believe who perennially view the world only in black and white and explain it all by a simple and comfortable paradigm and in a rigid stereotype. The world is not peopled by identical copies of even a few types that are easily characterized as "good" or "evil." As I turned the calendar page to 1960, I began to suspect, as well, that ignorance was never an impediment to opinion, and uninformed opinion—no matter how emphatically affirmed or taught, or perhaps especially when it is chanted—is ignorance most blatant, most diabolical. Moreover, ignorance is often chained in the darkness of its own shadow out back while prejudice hawks out front with midway barker shouts of "Hey! Rube!" but it is actually counterfeited knowledge and bogus light within. I ultimately concluded that we do well to stand in humility before continents of human experience that are dimly known to us and reserve our judgment of those we do not understand. A map of Africa ca. 1960 source: http://www.timemaps.com The decade that began when I entered the second year of junior high school was one of world-wide political upheaval. Colonialism and Imperialism, that had flourished for centuries, were rapidly dying in a convulsion of nationalism. No object better represents that turmoil in my memory than a giant map of the continent of Africa that hung on the wall of my social studies and geography classroom. I entered eighth grade with an eager expectation of exploring Africa, at least from an ancient wooden school desk, if not from an armchair. I, like Joseph Conrad's Marlowe, had "a passion for maps . . . I would put my finger on [a place] and say, 'When I grow up I will go there.'" In my imagination I already had been there. I put out my finger and traced the boundaries of Africa, of its coastline, of its rivers, of its colorful countries. In profile the continent reminded me of the brow ridge of a skull—somehow human—like that of a brooding silver back gorilla or of a millions-of-years-old Zinjanthropus, like that which Louis Leakey had just reported in National Geographic, the Atlas Mountains marking the hairline, the Gulf of Guinea the empty eye socket. Or perhaps the shape was more like a Neolithic axe, a war club, wielded by a gigantic unseen hand submerged in the Indian Ocean. "It looks like a question mark," I decided at last, albeit a crudely drawn question mark, limned in blue by the Congo and the Nile, and punctuated by Madagascar. Africa was a stage of eleven and a half million square miles, a macabre circus for a tragedy of European colonies to play that comprised a cast of hundreds of tongues and thousands of tribes and clans, millions of people and a drama of global exploitation. It had been explored, "discovered" by Europeans of the last century. I had heard of the great explorers: David Livingstone and Henry Stanley, especially the latter who famously, nonchalantly posed the inane query after a grueling search for the famous physician, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" There was, of course, a contemporary adventurer-missionary, even if he were a bit elderly by then: Dr. Albert Schweitzer Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) source:wikipedia —physician, theologian, virtuoso organist, Nobel laureate, and humanitarian. We knew after his capturing the Nobel Peace Prize that this "Reverencer of Life" had returned from France to somewhere in the heart of equatorial Africa—we were not quite sure where—to serve the medical and spiritual needs of his black "junior brothers." He was universally lionized in Europe, the United States, and Africa for his unselfish service to—in the European mindset—the hopeless and childlike natives of the "Dark Continent." He was regarded as a champion of the "colored races" even though he publicly supported the oppressive French Colonial Government of Equatorial Africa and regarded the indigenous population as inferior to the civilized European "race." We thought we knew Africa because we visited its jungles for half an hour every Saturday morning in the adventures of "Ramar of the Jungle" and in the film adventures of Tarzan the Ape Man. I presumed that the entire continent was a dense tangle of vegetation crawling with snakes and crocodiles, ringing with the howl of monkeys and pocked with treacherous pools of quicksand. In many ways the images suggested to me that Africa was very much like my back yard, my woods, and my swamp. Yet the human inhabitants of this alien world were both like and unlike those I saw in my country. In the cinemagraphic jungle that I visited each Saturday, Jon Hal, also known by his other stage names of Charles Locher and Lloyd Crane, portrayed the intrepid Doctor Tom Reynolds in black and white reruns from the 1952 and '53 seasons. Ramar, whose name we understood to mean "Great White Medicine Man," ever wearing a pith helmet, epaulet shirt, Bermuda shorts, and a stoic demeanor, weekly battled evil white poachers and thieves, as well as black "jungle native" voodoo witch doctors. He, like the real doctor Schweitzer, took care of his "child-like" patients with a benevolent patronage that demonstrated unequivocally the superiority of the European civilization to the savage "native" culture. Every show could be counted on for a leopard-skin-clad woman, some quicksand, or cuts of stock African wildlife photography—slithering snakes or snorting hippos. The good doctor was assisted in his exploits in many episodes by his comical retainer and guide Willy-Willy played by Nick Stewart, a black actor who had given voice to the character "Lightnin'" on the Amos 'n Andy radio show. He was also the voice of B'rer Rabbit in Disney's Song of the South. It seems oddly ironic that Stewart would reach a measure of notoriety portraying such comically subservient and stereotyped roles, then spend the remainder of his career directing the Ebony Showcase Theater in Los Angeles where African-American actors performed serious drama and grand theater. But much that I saw in popular culture regarding Africa, I now know, was a contradictory mixture of truth and fabrication, but that is the nature of entertainment. Ramar and Willy-Willy did not actually move about the jungle, rather they performed their Left to Right: Nick Stewart (as Wiily-Willy), Juanita Moore , and Jon Hall (Ramar) in episode "Savage Challenge" source: it.wp.com/thebiggame hunter.com exploits on a sound stage in downtown Hollywood, California. Neither, to my knowledge, ever got within a thousand miles of the jungles. The animal scenes were spliced in from "spec" shorts shot on location by freelance adventurers. My more critical adult eye can discern today the different sources as obvious, but for us, the children, the television took us in reality to darkest Africa. Every child was sure he knew the sounds of the jungle: "Bwana, listen to the drums. I hear the drums . . ." and then a piercing "koo-koo-koo-kaw-kaw-kaw," actually the song of the Kookaburra bird. Unfortunately, the bird never existed in the wilds of the African bush, residing as it does in Australia. Its sound was appropriated because it sounded "jungle-like" to an inventive sound engineer. Curiously, truth and fiction melded everywhere. Ramar, as well as Tarzan, was often called "Bwana," a legitimate Swahili word meaning "Lord," or "Sir" or just plain "Mister." Yet this appellation was often coupled to the interjection "Ungawa!" The latter word is a fabrication reputed to have been the brainchild of screenwriter Cyril Hume, who was inspired by the sound of the answer to the question "Where is Paramount Studio?" The answer: "On Gower"—Boulevard, that is. Much of what I thought I knew of Africa was like that: a cauldron of dark ignorance containing much speculation, some fabrication, and a few craven lies, but with a pinch of truth just to make the brew palatable. The map of Africa that hung on the classroom wall became an object of infinite irritation. The multicolor rotogravure print of the "dark continent" was a continent of frustration to me and others who were trying to learn the political geography of the vast continent. The inconsiderate Africans had begun, in earnest, the practice that they would continue for the rest of the century: continually changing the names; redrawing the boundaries of their countries; declaring their independence here; building a new nation there. It was all too chaotic for a junior geographer to master. Nothing seemed to be as tidy any more as the beautiful poster of colonial Africa would suggest. If the nineteenth century had seemed a sweeping romantic symphony of discovery, then my century resounded with the melded syncopation of jungle drums and bar room jazz. In a futile attempt at making sense of the splintering African political landscape, my teacher placed beside the brooding map a tack board headed: "Current Events." She awarded points for every relevant article we clipped from newspapers and magazines like the Mobile Press Register or Newsweek or Life. As we entered the class room we would glance up to the board by the map. "What is the name of the Congo, today?" I heard more than once. Indeed, the names of the countries began to change that year, as did the geopolitical realities within the former colonies. In particular, the Belgian Congo disappeared from the map and was replaced by the Republic of the Congo, or was it called the Congo-Brazzaville? No, wait. What about Katanga? Was it a separate nation? Was Kenya still a British colony or did it go independent over the weekend? What about Nigeria? "At least, they haven't changed the rivers," I whispered to myself and to anyone standing nearby as I ran my finger up the Nile from Lake Victoria. Then I followed the blue, tortured track of the Congo west from the savannah near Lake Tanganyika below the heights of the Mitumba Mountains, crossing the equator twice before disgorging into the Atlantic Ocean. This was then and is today Africa's most powerful river and, only after the Amazon, the second most voluminous cataract in the world. River Congo, Africa source:africa-facts.org If I had picked up a copy of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, I would have agreed with Marlowe, "There was in it a mighty river that you could see on the map resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country and its tail lost in the depths of the land." But Conrad's masterpiece was not on our approved reading list, nor even in the school library. Neither was Twain's King Leopold's Soliloquy readily available. We learned simply in our social studies text that King Leopold of Belgium had ruled the Free State of the Congo after the United States and thirteen European nations had met in Berlin at the end of the nineteenth century and had agreed to permit him to become the protector and overseer of a territory larger than pre-world war Germany. If we had read Twain's scathing pamphlet as we can now via the Internet, we would have been scandalized at the atrocities perpetrated against the people of equatorial Africa—atrocities that rival in brutality those committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Particularly savage was the practice of severing the right hand of Congolese men, women, and children as punishment for failing to meet the quota of the rubber tax. They were required to feed the army that terrorized them. If they failed to cooperate, they were slaughtered wholesale. Twain's final words on Leopold are a bitter epitaph that he hoped would soon be appropriated for use: "Here under this gilded tomb lies rotting the body of one the smell of whose name will still offend the nostrils of men ages and ages [hence]." When I learned of the exploitation, murder, cannibalism, and abject slavery that Leopold's agents practiced on the hapless inhabitants of the Congo basin, much of it brokered initially by Henry Stanley, I thought that, if I were Congolese, I would forever despise Europeans and hate the white race implicitly and always mistrust anyone not of my tribe. I was told nothing about the "unpleasantries" of the genocide for which Leopold was culpable. The similarities to the exploitation of Kenya by the British should have been plain, but we were preoccupied with news of other atrocities. The seven-year-long state of emergency in Kenya ended that year. To our great relief, the Mau Mau Uprising was over. The Mau Mau or the Muingi were primarily of the Kikuyu tribe of Kenya. What made the Mau Mau seem so horrific and frightening was the "oath." It was a magic ritual in which the blood of an exsanguinated goat was blended with that of the adjurer who, standing before a fearsome idol of the old god Ngai, and the mingled flow was sprinkled over banana leaves and raw earth, recited a vow of obedience to the movement and an eternal, lethal hatred of the British. Refusal to take the oath meant instant and fatal reprisal by the Mau Mau. Consequently, it has been estimated that over half the indigenous population of Kenya had taken the oath by the end of the insurrection. Oaths are not taken lightly in Kikuyu culture, and, despite the criminalization of the oath as a capital offense by the colonial government, the populace had little choice but to comply if forced to swear allegiance to the rebels. Based on the lurid newspaper accounts, we imagined wild-eyed, dread-lock coiffed, machete-wielding butchers running amok from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi, slaughtering whites wherever they met them. In actuality only thirty-two Europeans were killed by the insurrectionists in the seven year revolt, while 11,500 "Mau Maus" perished at the hands of the British often without trial; one thousand of them were hanged. The colonial government's practice of mutilation of the corpses by amputation of the right hand ("for finger print identification" was the official explanation) is bizarrely reminiscent of the Congo a half century before. Posted in Sassafras Tea and Fried Oysters, Uncategorized | Tagged Africa, knowledge, National Black History Month, school | Leave a Comment » Ma Bertie's Religion May 8, 2016 by Sam Matteson Ma Bertie Moates (family photo) Some would say I got religion early. Some might even claim that I inherited it from Dad's family, all the way back to Henry Matteson in the sixteen hundreds. It is true that Henry was a follower of Roger Williams and a non-conformist believer who was run out of Massachusetts Bay Colony for his Baptist beliefs. And it is true that there have been Baptists and Congregationalists in my father's family for generations since then. But I do not make any claim to prestige because of Henry's presence in America in the seventeenth century, that he lived on this continent earlier rather than later, since everyone has to be somewhere and everybody has ancestors as ancient as Henry, even if they do not know of them by name. Nor do I lay claim to any piety by association, not even from my saintly maternal grandmother Ma Bertie. Rather, I think that there is a deep-seated need in every human to look up. Awe is an emotion that is appropriate to man. I felt it early when I looked out on the endless water of the Gulf of Mexico reaching from my feet, halfway to the heavens. Then, I knew that I must always swim only in the shallow end and marvel, at a distance, at the secrets of the deeps. I sensed God was at work in the mighty and marvelous things I saw. I knew God in the simplicity of a child's trust. The message I heard was plain: the Maker of all that is knew my address, knew who I was and loved me anyway. We called Him "Father." My first memories of church are of singing. I see myself sitting beside the piano in a white oak chair. The handle of the piano is as high as my left ear. Brother Mac, the choir director, is trying patiently to help his music makers to learn the melody of a simple song that we will sing in big church just before Christmas. It is Dauphin Way Baptist Church. Mother is waiting for me in the parking lot while I practice; then it's home to our house in Birdville. I knew the Jesus script well. He was a baby in December; by spring he was grown and the story grew gorier. There were rumors of an unjust execution and the death of a perfect man who was, somehow, God inside. Because God loved me, he took my place and my punishment. But the full import of that was lost on me. I knew too little of guilt and no shame at all to feel a need for God's forgiveness. But I knew God, not just things about Him. And who could know God and not love Him? I talked to Him, silently most often but out loud when I was otherwise alone. And He talked to me. Not in audible words but in impression and in peace. Once, when I was six and after I had been very ill, and I was sure I would die with my father far away in Puerto Rico, I longed for my Daddy's sure hand gripping mine. Years later, my mother told me what I had said and done. I asked her, "Momma, when is Daddy coming home?" To this she responded—exasperated and beat down by three sick children and a husband gone forever on TDY, "Temporary Duty," that nevertheless seemed eternal –"Only God knows." "I'll ask him, then." I agreed. I left the house on Flamingo Drive and walked down the gray sidewalk between the gray clapboard-sided apartments to the gray and empty wading pool in the common field. The structure was a square "fort" with a foot and a half high wall, twenty by twenty. It was my special place, a place that was my thinking place, a special place where I talked to God. In half an hour or so I returned and said to my Mother, "Daddy's coming home. I talked to God. Daddy is coming home." I pronounced it with such conviction that she was shaken. She called Brookley Field's operations to see if indeed there was a chance. But they reported that a hurricane was bearing down on Puerto Rico, and they doubted that anything would be leaving the airfields down there. Mother was worried my faith would be shaken. I was unconcerned. That night Mother received a long-distance call from my father. He would be arriving at 3:00 a.m. She woke me. "Daddy just called. He is on his way home. Let's meet him at the airport." I was happy but not surprised. I remember seeing my Dad descending the stairs from the Convair turboprop, he sporting a red goatee. He was home. He had flown out on one of the last planes to leave Puerto Rico before the storm hit. He had flown out on a plane whose propellers he had serviced. His was a faith in his own work. Mine was a faith that must of necessity lie in something greater than me. As a child, however, I felt my premonition unremarkable, but it was not the last time I had such an adventure. Only sometimes the answer was not what I wanted or expected. Convair turboprop similar to that the author's father returned from Puerto Rico. Phosot credit: http://www.goodall.com.au My Grandmother, Ma Bertie, had a quiet faith that did not shout or boast of its strength. Hers was like the rocks that lie at the edge of the sea whose strength is hidden deep beneath the surface and is only revealed when the storms crash against them, and they are unshaken. This was her faith. I have sat beside her at the harmonium, the pump organ, and listened to her sing in a high reedy soprano the melodies of the faith from the Sacred Harp Hymnal. The mystic shapes of the notes were like the gamut of her life. Married as a naive teenager to a straight and strong young man who was a good man at heart but was a lover of strong drink, she, nevertheless, stood faithful. The notes sharpened as she learned of the struggle of rearing a family at the turn of the century. During the Great Depression, like other Americans singing the blues in a minor key, she took solace in the hope of her faith despite the privations and the loss of their farm. She was not perfect, this granddaughter of the circuit riding Pastor Thomas Dew, but she was genuine and strong. When I knew her, she was already over seventy and had weathered many storms. She seemed the epitome of resolute faith. I recall sitting beside her in the Assembly of God church where she attended in Panama City. I was a little frightened by the commotion that swirled around her when all prayed aloud. She held a man's handkerchief twisted in her left hand and whispered softly, "Sweet Jesus! Yes, Lord!" with her eyes clinched shut. I knew that she asked God for more than she spoke aloud. I was troubled by those who "spoke in tongues." One sister in particular shouted out at every meeting what sounded to me to be exactly the same babble every time she spoke. Pastor Riddings translated her declaration for the congregation without hesitation. It was always something on point with his sermon. But I did not mind as much the show of their worship when I thought of how they loved "Sister Bertie." They loved her in warm appreciation and practical ways. They loved Pa, too, even though he did not attend. Perhaps the whole affair was lost on him due to his deafness. I suppose it was to him like the distant incoherent roar of the sea, like the ecstatic tongues that never get translated. It is told of my Ma Bertie that when a prayer meeting was called at the church to petition the Almighty for rain to end the drought, she was the only one to come to meeting with an umbrella under her arm. Such was her faith. Ma Bertie's favorable hymn was "Victory in Jesus." The affirmation of the words was like the steel bands of a stave barrel; she held together because of what she believed. When she ultimately died of stomach cancer that followed throat cancer, all brought on by years of dipping snuff, she faced it bravely. The scale was returning to "Do." She hummed the broken melodies of the hymns of faith with the little strength of her failing body. But she was unafraid and was hopeful of an ultimate victory in Jesus. The author's mother, in one of her most common poses: sewing. (family photo) I have shared that faith for much of my life. I sat in the pew at Hollinger's Island Baptist Church, realizing that there was something between God and me that I had to get straight. I saw that Jesus had paid the debt of my willfulness and disobedience. My "sin," Pastor Rusk called it, was getting in the way of my life-long friendship with God. I told Mother after the service that when Brother Rusk told us to give our hearts to Jesus, I wanted to go to the front of the church, take out my heart and lay it on the altar. She arranged for me to visit with the Pastor. He quizzed me and declared that I was old enough and understood enough to make my own commitment. I was nine years old. I was "dunked" on November 5, 1956. The baptismal pool was deep, and the water was cold. The deacons had put a cinder block in the bottom for me to stand on, but I had to swim from the step to Brother Rusk. "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost…" under the water; "rise to walk in the newness of life!" I rose from the water shivering, but happy. I was proud to show outside what had happened inside of me. My subsequent adventures in the faith have been much like that icy pool of water. Much of the time I cannot touch bottom and the water chills my soul; occasionally, I do get a toe touch of solid ground, but just for a moment. Nevertheless, I am rarely afraid, since I grip a strong hand of One who has been here before me, just as I did that November night. I have examined that faith repeatedly over the years. Every time I found that it was indeed real and reasonable. It may have been the faith of my fathers, it may have first belonged to Ma Bertie, then to my mother, but it is also mine. Some would say I got religion early. I say that I found God none too soon. I found Him for myself and have been making sure of it ever since. What I discovered in my search is that He does not hide when you really look for Him, and you will recognize Him instantly when you meet Him, even if you never saw Him before in your life. Posted in Sassafras Tea and Fried Oysters | Tagged childhood, faith, Mobile | Leave a Comment » A Pocket Memory March 14, 2016 by Sam Matteson Rain. Photo Credit: dehayf5MHWL7.cloudfront.net The rain is beating against the window glazing with tiny, crystal-ball hands. You can see your entire world reflected there if you look hard and long enough, only small and coiled up inside a minuscule globe. Billowing sheets are down there hopscotching their round foot prints across the parking lot like some ghost of a lost tropical storm were puzzled to find herself in my neighborhood and she does not know where to turn next. I start when I realize that I have been staring so long out the office window. The light is failing; night is coming and I can begin to see myself, there in the window—like the portrait of a ghost, too, a framed specter sprinting through the gray hissing gauntlet. Strange it seems to me, but when the light it is that rose and gray just before sunset or when some twist of the quotidian ordinary pricks loose some fragment of a memory or the smallest piece of a memory of a feeling that it flings up against the inside of my head or the backside of my eyes, I will wander off into a melancholy place. That is where I am, now, and there I find my grandfather, Pa—Theodore Noah Webster Moates. Pocket Contents I do not recall not knowing him or when I first realized that this rock of a man was my ancestor and I, his progeny. Yet my recollections are really few, much like the contents of a small boy's pockets: in my right front I find a marble, a pebble, a penny from 1947, the year of my birth; in the left, a jack knife with one of the grips missing—lost playing mumbly peg, and two bent rusting nails, one square, one round. I lay the contents of my pocket memory on the sill beneath the window that never has opened before and I see a Mount Rushmore-ian figure. I see his towering head with its craggy nose and high domed brow. I did not think of his beginning until he died. He seemed always to have been there, an ancient sun baked creature speaking slowly, wisely, steadily even as his calloused carpenter's hands oscillated tremulously with "the palsy." He smelled of cigarettes—"I'd walk a mile for a Camel"—an exotic, dark tobacco aroma that hung on his clothes like an invisible mantle of virility. And there was also that faint, strange sweet yeasty smell that was both the comfort and the curse of another Noah after the legendary flood. Theodore Noah Webster Moates ca.June 1969 Panama City Florida Photo credit: the author, his grandson Pa was one of the oldest human beings that I knew as a child, though I doubted even then that he had been acquainted with the ark builder, even though my grandfather was builder too. I suspected they had more in common than I could understand, but I realize now that I did not really know him well, despite our times of tales on the screened porch, tales of the days before paved roads in Florida, when the Moates family traveled by buckboard wagon two days to visit Aunt Sadie. I can see the pair of white sandy tracks of the trail when Pa speaks. He smiles when he recounts how in a sudden thunderstorm they find shelter in an abandoned smokehouse—all that remained of a farm stead build before the war—the War Between the States, that is. Settling back in his aluminum lawn chair, my grandfather paints a dark and mysterious still life study with his drawled words, a picture of close, black restless sleep in the ancient building, smelling of age and decay and hams. Suddenly he leans forward, grabs my hand, and blurts out: "I snapped to when I felt something awful wet and hairy slam in my face." "What was it?" I demand breathlessly. "Well, I couldn't rightly say." He is stalling. "Until the next flash of light'n showed up some wild goats go a-runnin' out the door that was a-bangin' in the wind. They was as sceerd as we was, I reckon." We both laugh—I in my child's high rattle, he in his deep rumble that sounds like the breakers of the gulf that slam against the shore. Pa's chuckle is powerful like thunder itself that makes you shake, laughing or not, in spite of yourself. Amazing Camellias! I see him now walking after the rain among his camellia bushes, and I remember the mischief in his eye. Pa had found a mail order catalog that advertised growth hormone. With a vial of the magic elixir he treats each bud of every plant in his garden. He even secretly applies it one twilight evening to the camellias of his friend and neighbor, as well, across the sandy street. Weeks later she brags to Pa about how green is her thumb. Pa only chuckles mysteriously and never lets slip the truth of his evening rounds. Now it makes me smile that for fifty years she never figured out what she had done that miraculous year to make such beautiful and grand blossoms. There is so much that I do not know or have forgot. I feel it all slipping away like the sand of a castle on the beach as the surf flings foaming salt water higher on the shore when the tide moves in. I can cling to the few grains that volunteered on the back of my hand, but why did I not grab up whole handfuls and stuff them into my pockets? But that I had been wiser than the child I was! Pa, I am now a grandfather myself. Now I wish I could know you; now perhaps I could understand. But all I have is remembrances and faded photographs. I can no more relive the past than I can return the rain to the sky. I can only treasure the memories I hold in my pocket and, on occasional rainy days and in rare quiet moments take them out and amble among them. This I will do and Pa, you will be remembered and loved again. Beach after the rain, before night. Empty. Photo credit: the author Posted in Sassafras Tea and Fried Oysters | Tagged Alabama, childhood, family | Leave a Comment » The Sometime Mesmerist March 4, 2016 by Sam Matteson "This young woman is in urgent need of the assistance of Franz Anton Mesmer!" –Franz Anton Mesmer "I doubt that this will end well," Sammy thought but did not say. Silently the high school mesmerist instructed himself: "It is essential that you project a confident demeanor to your subject," reciting the admonition he had read in the paperback book where he had learned the essentials of hypnotism. The members of his high school choir crowded the hotel room near the All-State festival site and now leaned in, curious, to see Sammy put their classmate "under." In his hotel session, Sam began by following faithfully the patter he had learned off by heart. He had already used it successfully several times before with various subjects, to his surprise and delight. How amazing it was he concluded—to think that he, a naïve teen, could exert such control over another's mind! But more than power drew him to this art; what a novel exploit into a dark world it presented! Sam felt the utter joy he imagined he shared with the first man to receive fire from the hand of Prometheus. "Linda, fix your vision on this charm," he had suggested as he held up the glinting bangle in a darkened room. And just as he had done before with other subjects, he continued in a practiced calm and confident voice, "You are getting sleepy. Your eye lids are growing heavy. Sooooo, heavy. You can hardly keep them open. It's okay to let them close." Linda had complied. "Relax. Just relax. Now imagine you see the charm. Do you see it, Linda?" "Yes," the slight brunette replied. "Good. Imagine that it is moving away from you. Concentrate on the charm as it moves slowly away. See the charm and listen only to the sound of my voice, only to the sound of my voice, as it moves away into the darkness. You can see it shining and you can hear my voice. That is all you can see and hear," Sam recited in his most reassuring intonation. Aunt Mary Benefited Sammy remembered even now, how—at his mother's insistence—he had "put Aunt Mary under." The strange request came because of Mary's terrible headache pain, and because of his mother's desperation and kindness. She was aware, as well, of her son's psychological adventures and, although wary and cautionary, she exhibited an indulgent tolerance of his latest exploration. The ritual proceeded flawlessly with his aunt. She progressed rapidly through the several stages of hypnosis. At last, the young hypnotist suggested that she relax, beginning with her toes then progressing upward. When he commanded her scalp to relax, his eyes widened in astonishment. He looked at his mother's face. She saw it too. Her mouth was open in amazement. The hair on Mary's head seemed to become a thing alive, crawling backward as the muscles in her scalp did indeed unclench, relieving the immediate cause of her tension headache. After a minute of relaxation and post hypnotic suggestion that she would awaken refreshed as from a good nap, feeling no pain, her headache gone, Sam began the count down. "I will count backward. As I do, you will begin to wake up and you will awaken refreshed and alert. Three, you are beginning to awaken. Two, you are becoming aware of the world around you. One, you are waking up." He snapped his fingers. "You are fully awake. . . . Aunt Mary, How do you feel?" he inquired. "I feel fine. My headache's gone! A good nap always makes you feel better," she replied with a smile. "That went well," Sam thought to himself. "Thank you, Sammy, dear," his grateful aunt continued. "You're very welcome. Glad I could help," the proud teenager pronounced. Inwardly, however, he shuddered with the excitement of a power to help another, a power that he had never known before, that also mingled with a concealed trepidation of what evil that power was capable of wreaking. Back in the hotel room, Linda had passed the usual tests of the stages of suggestion: relaxation, obedience to simple suggestions, flinch suppression when pricked with a sharp pin. But she had not done well in the enhanced memory test that was the object of Sam's experiment. Ever the would-be scientist, he concluded that at least in some people hypnotic suggestion does not enhance memory skills. Post Hypnotic Suggestions? Sam momentarily considered giving a post-hypnotic suggestion to Linda, has he had done several times before. Once to amuse her friends he had suggested to Jan, a subject with a distinctive and infectious laugh, that when someone used the word "peanuts" in conversation she would find it the most hilarious thing she had ever heard and she would laugh until she cried. But when she heard the word "popcorn," she would feel such sadness that it would also make her cry. Sam decided that he must have an escape word, lest the emotional yo-yo go on forever. "When you hear the word 'crackerjacks' the post hypnotic suggestion will terminate, and you will return to normal. These words will be just words. Do you understand? If you understand, nod your head." Jan obeyed. When Sam had counted down. "Three, two, one. You're awake!" Jan had complied. The small group of observers quizzed her about her experience. She had no awareness that she had been hypnotized. When someone mentioned the word "peanuts" she became "tickled" as she called it. Laughing uproariously, even to the point of embarrassment. She could not restrain her mirth, until another person pronounced the word "popcorn," at which Jan's demeanor instantly transformed to the mask of tragedy and she began to weep. The group of friends played with her emotions, jerking her back and forth from joy to sadness and back again, a few more times before Sam took pity on an exhausted Jan and used the terminal safe word. Sam began to doubt inwardly that it was a good thing to have such power in his inexpert hands, although it was a heady emotion to experience. Perhaps he was uneasy partly because of a lingering feeling of guilt for the abuse to which he had subjected Jan. But Linda presented a very different scenario. She had not responded to his call to wake up after his count down. She had remained still, her eyes closed. "What do I do, now?" Sam asked himself. "Don't panic," he counseled himself. He resolved to try again. "Linda! I am going to count backward from ten this time. At each stage you will become more and more awake." Then he began the count down. The room was hot with the breath of twenty teenagers. Their faces formed a horizon that made Sammy feel trapped. Many looked on concerned. Some wore curious looks. A few smiled broadly. Sam could feel each second ticking by as he labored to bring this catatonic mind back to reality. When he reached zero this second time and snapped his fingers, Linda remained unmoved, her eyes closed. She did not wake up! Sam's heart pounded in his chest. "What if she never awakens?" he thought. Instead, he improvised, "Take her back to her room and put her on her bed. She will awake in a few hours naturally." At this, Linda opened her eyes wide and looked into Sammy's stunned face. She winked and laughed out loud. Her grinning confederates among the onlookers immediately bent double in glee. Everyone in the room finally realized that the sometime mesmerist had been pranked. Everybody laughed in relief, including Sammy, the mark. A Narrow Escape? Despite his embarrassment, Sammy did not feel humiliated. He laughed along with everyone else at his pretension and he forgave his clever classmates' good natured con of a fake somnambulist. Instead, his anxiety was lifted and replaced with a vague but definite sense of relief. He had secretly feared his infatuation with his newly acquired hypnotic skills. Sammy imagined himself like a child playing with a box of matches who inadvertently sets fire to his neighbor's house. The hoax only heightened this terror that Sammy had hidden beneath a mask of bravado and faked sophistication. Ultimately, he decided to suspend his experiments in the wilderness of the mind, since he felt that he had escaped a disaster, but might not be so fortunate next time. He resolved never to forget what happened, however, even if he would puzzle—forever—over all that it meant and what calamities he might have been spared. Photo credit: changingmydestiny.wordpress.com Posted in Branching Out | Tagged adolescence, Alabama, hypnotism, psychology | 4 Comments » St. Nikolas of Myra, the prototype of Santa Claus is revered throughout the world. Photo credit: the author. I am, at times and by spells, a true believer. From my earliest memories until the age of eight I was indeed a true believer. Until an embarrassingly advanced age, I trusted implicitly, without question, what I was told—especially by my elders and by older children. As a child, I believed devoutly in Santa Claus, flying reindeer, and the North Pole workshop. Fortunately, I rarely heard tales of witches and goblins or trolls in my bedtime stories, or I would assuredly have been terrified by an absolute faith in those horrific fantasies, as well. I began first to appropriate the Clausian mythology almost osmotically. The grand elf appeared soon after Thanksgiving in all the shops and stores of the city. He—or his surrogate as I learned when I inquired—even held court in the big department store downtown in Mobile, Alabama. I accepted as believable the explanations of the only-approximately-polar attire of Gayfer Department Store Santas: shoe covers to simulate boots and false cotton whiskers. Santa's "helpers" were in abundant attendance, too, characters who supposedly reported their conversations to the jolly elf, His Great Redness, himself. I found it an inescapable and seductive prospect that my deepest desires could be granted by a benevolent, generous old elf in a red suit if I but let him in on my secret wish by whatever means available. Thus, I was compelled to believe. Just to be sure he got the message, I also wrote to him in block letters on a Big Chief pad of blue-lined paper addressed to "Mr. S. Claus, North Pole." I told of my longing for an impossibly expensive bicycle. So trusting of his intent and benevolence was I that it did not occur to me that his clandestine nightly visit should have been slightly threatening. That he annually persisted in his recidivistic practice of committing a class-C-misdemeanor of global breaking and entering on the evening of 24 December was of no concern at all. The Gospel According to Clement Moore I found "The Night Before Christmas" a wondrously compelling tale, which my faithful father and mother read to me, my sister, and my brother every Christmas Eve. Flying reindeer! Imagine the sight! Reindeer, themselves, were exotic enough for a swamp-rat like me to comprehend, but flying reindeer? I had seen flying squirrels and flying bats as well as millions of birds on the wing. But I had never seen a Lapland reindeer at all and certainly not a flying one. But who was I to question the veracity of such accounts of air-borne sleighs, accounts that were documented in sacred print and attested to by radio reports of his progress across the globe? Had I not even once received a telegram from the North Pole encouraging my "nice-ness"? I was just a child of eight. I was discovering daily other wonders previously unknown to me that were being revealed to my wondering eyes in books and in the tales my science teacher told. I was learning that my imagination did not limit the range of what is Reality. Thus, I chose to hope and suspended any doubt. To doubt might make it impossible to acquire the bike that I so wanted. And thus I waited. I suppressed my guilt at my mercenary faith. Christmas 1955 was approaching. I was growing anxious. How would Santa fit my bike into his small sled or down a chimney? How did he enter our house that had no chimney? And would he be able to find me when we were visiting at my Aunt Vivian and Uncle "Doc's" house in Columbus, Georgia? "No doubts!" I reminded myself, but I fretted anyway. When I shared my concerns at supper the week before Christmas, my parents remarked that surely Santa could find me since he kept up with such things routinely, and anyway, perhaps he might bring a special gift as a special pre-Christmas delivery before we left on the trip. The next night again we sat at supper. Before dessert my parents stopped, looked at each other. "Did you hear that? I thought I heard sleigh bells." Mother declared. Dad suggested, "Sammy, why don't you go look in the living room, and tell us what you find?" I complied and was overjoyed to discover a bicycle, shiny and new, sitting in the middle of the floor. No tag or bow was necessary; I knew for whom it was, and I knew who had brought it—a surreptitious, hasty reindeer aviator. After several minutes of exaltation, I rushed outside to tell Pete and Dean Cooper, my boyhood neighbors and pals, of the miraculous appearing of my great gift. They were likewise pleased for me, as real friends should be. They even assisted me in searching for reindeer prints in the dirt. I found several suspicious marks that were evidence enough that I had been, indeed, visited minutes before by Saint Nick himself and by his flying herd. Part of every Christmas eve at the author's house was a review of The Night Before Christmas. Sammy, Dad, Cindy Lou, and Baby Dale absorb the gripping poem ca. 1954. Photo credit: Matteson family snapshot scanned by Cindy (Matteson) King. But I secretly wondered. I had heard the smug pronouncements of the second-grade Santa-agnostics. I half-worried that I was the victim of a conspiracy, a hoax, a grand deception. But I kept quiet about my growing doubt as we traveled to Columbus, Georgia for a family Christmas. I looked on Aunt Vivian and Uncle Doc as aristocrats. Uncle Doc Jordan—"Jur-den" as it was pronounced in the proper vernacular of western Georgia—was a respected urologist. He always wore a bow tie that, amazingly, was not a clip-on, but rather the real thing. He reminded me of the many illustrations of Saint Nicolas that I had seen: short, silver haired, balding and a little stout, with "smoke circling his head like a wreath." Only "Doc" was somewhat strange; he smoked cigarettes held in a Dunhill black lacquer cigarette holder that with his glasses evoked the mystique of FDR. Uncle Doc spoke earthily with a gravelly drawl but always in a charming and sophisticated manner. Once he examined his sister-in-law Ruth, who was suffering from a bladder ailment. He gleefully reported to the family that he had found a Green Stamp adhering to her derriere, probably due to a wayward saving stamp that had fallen into her dresser drawer. "Sister, do you always give Green Stamps to your customers?" He snickered as he recounted his question to the adults. I did not fully comprehend his meaning at the time. He only gave me a sly wink and a nod. Aunt Vivian was a giant woman who towered over her physician husband. They had met professionally years before when she worked as an LVN, but now she managed their large household and two rowdy boys. Hers was an elegant table that often baffled me. I tasted politely the strangely pale spread that they called "butter." "Give me my yellow oleo margarine-butter, thank you!" I thought but did not say. There were also casseroles concocted of exotic substances like egg plant that looked like no egg or plant that I had ever seen before and that my child's palate did not appreciate. But the dark golden candied yams with white punctuations of melted marshmallow I devoured. I wondered between bites if the strange and fancy foods that their dark skinned cook prepared and passed to their gray haired maid in her starched gray uniform, who served it on silver trays, was what made my aunt and uncle seem so sophisticated. The Jordans lived in a large multi-story red brick house that accommodated all of the assembled family for the holiday. I was assigned a guest bed situated at the top of the grand staircase that led up from the living room out of sight of the festive room but only barely out of earshot. Christmas Eve finally came and the other children and I were at last dispatched to bed. But sleep did not come soon to me. I worried that if I lost my saintly faith the magic of Christmas Eve would vanish as well. Simultaneously, I wanted to see for myself the mystic elf materialize in the room below, but dreaded the unthinkable truth. Late in the evening the house grew quiet except for suspicious noises that drifted up from below. I struggled not to listen too closely, wondering if it were Santa or some other individual "making Christmas." I had seen unusual lumps under a quilt in the trunk of our car when my father had put in the suitcases earlier. I ached with doubt, not wanting my myth to die, but not willing to live ignorant and foolish, a child forever. In the early morning as the sun slipped through the crack in the blinds and poked me in the eye. I awoke. I lay in bed awake. I did not give in to the compulsion to run downstairs until I heard my name being called, "Sammy! It's Christmas!" Sammy required no second call. The living room was beautiful. Everywhere there were brightly packaged gifts for everyone. I recognized some of the wrapping paper from trips to the market. "Did Mrs. Claus shop at Delchamps too?" I secretly wondered. The cookies and milk that we had left for Santa were gone. A note lay in their place. It read, "THANKS, SANTA," written in a hand that reminded me of my mother's block script. Like too much sugar in a cold glass of iced tea, my doubts crystallized and precipitated into apostasy with this last teaspoon of evidence. A Fall from Santa's Grace Sometime during Christmas Day I silently decided that I would not believe any more, despite the risks. Santa Claus dissolved in my mind. The myth died in me. I did not speak of it, but I slipped into unbelief. I returned to Mobile less a child of wonder than when I had departed. At sixteen, those same feelings of unease returned. I began to question whether the stories that I had heard in church and during weekly squirming hours at Sunday School—tales that the adults and older children around me loved and believed so devoutly—were only childish myths like stories of the great polar benefactor, too. How does one know the truth, if indeed there is a Truth? The same aching faith-storms I knew in my long Georgia-Christmas night rose up again in my mind as viciously as the meteorological gales that lashed Bayfront Road. I began to think about what I had heard and to review and examine what I thought I knew. I learned from credible historians that Jesus was indeed real; he was not a made-up character, a mere excuse for Christmas retail. The records of his life, the Gospels, while controversial in their origins, were not invented in the middle ages nor was the Bible "written by Shakespeare" as one ignorant and arrogant self-styled atheist high school acquaintance claimed, even if the English translation I was reading was filled with a hundred pages of "thee" and "thou" and "Yea! Verily . . ." I learned that Saint Nicholas was also a person, a bishop of third century Asia Minor, who had such a generous heart that he did many deeds of kindness in secret. His bones can still be visited in the village of Bari in southern Italy. Yet, how had a real person, one who acted in real time and space been so transformed into a mythical elf? Even more troubling was the thought that, perhaps over two millennia, the real Rabbi Jeshua had been corrupted into a Christ myth. I had to know. I dug deeper, fearfully at first. I began to consider the major religions of the world. I examined the major philosophies of the ages. I thought about the evidence for and against the proposition of God and of the Christian God, in particular. In my search I was helped by conversations with my wise and kind pastor, Brother Mahlon Thomason. (We in the 1950s South always called our pastor and deacons, "Brother" in a reverential tone.) He never seemed to be shocked at any proposition that I brought to his attention, nor did he ever tell me I was wrong. Rather he simply asked me questions that often began, "Have you considered . . . ?" I felt safe to talk to him about what was troubling me. I began to feel that I need not fear to examine my doubts or to face the truth, whatever it was. A Transforming Story In my deliberations—the deliberations of a jury of one—I became convinced that I could get a sense of who this Joshua (another transliteration of the common first century name Jesus) really was. I concluded that he is and had been a transforming personality to everyone who met him, in person, or in the witness of the New Testament, down through the centuries. Even Nicholas of Myrna, the original Saint Nick, was changed when he met the Christ of the Bible. His character had been transformed by his faith and he was never the same afterward. I, too, had met God in my own experience, not just as a myth or in a story, but in my own life and I had been existentially changed forever by that encounter. The track of my life took a turn when at age nine I committed what I was and would become to him. While the storm of doubt and self-questioning raged, I had an anchor: I did not just know about God; I felt that I actually knew God Himself. I had never really met Santa Claus, even though impersonators had tried to delude me with tangible fakes. Conversely, I really knew this very God by intangible, but nevertheless real encounters. What I concluded was that there was evidence, and that it made sense. I became a believer again, not a believer in a fairy tale told to a child, but rather a convinced mature believer who is persuaded by evidence and reasonable argument. In the decades that followed, even as I pursued my calling as a natural scientist, that persuasion became even more compelling. The physical universe appeared to me to be ancient but not eternal. No means was found by which it could have created itself. Moreover, mankind was not inevitable on this planet. That we are, indeed as is all we encounter, a wonder, a providential grace. The more I learned, the more beautiful I found the universe to be. Indeed, it is good. And what of the human condition? I saw the image of God imprinted in me as well as in each person I met. Yet we are ever striving souls that struggle to have our own way, preternaturally estranged from that glorious promise, potentially holy but more often horrific. Now, I see all of creation in the light of the story of a loving God rescuing His wayward children through a redeeming Christ. The heavens are indeed telling the glory of God, the story of a real event that occurred in history and of a life that was lived in the first century of this current era. That story proclaimed that there is hope for humanity, but only in redemption. It is a truism that not all we think we see is real. We sometimes find what we are looking for, despite the evidence to the contrary. Thus, I have been on my guard to critique my persuasions since my youth. Conversely, not all we cannot see is unreal. In the end the evidence of what is actual must decide the issue for us. We must only have the courage to look at the facts as squarely as we can and take what we find for what it is. Then we must risk all that we are—or that we have—to live by that knowledge and walk about in that light. Then and only then—my experience prompts me to believe—have we the right of claiming ourselves honestly to be true believers. Does knowing that the beauty of the rainbow arises proximally from the dispersive refraction of sunlight through droplets of water reduce any of its glory or obscure its ultimate meaning? Photo credit: the author. Posted in Sassafras Tea and Fried Oysters | Tagged Bible, childhood, Santa Claus, Science and Faith, St. Nicholas | Leave a Comment » January 23, 2016 by Sam Matteson Marti Gras frightened Sammy Gene beyond all reason. Masks are de rigeur for the carnival. Photo Credit: Emily Naser-Hall @ http://www.axs.com Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, (February 9 this year) used to scare the begeebers out of me. This disconcerting emotion has been more than a small embarrassment to me ever since I was a street urchin in Mobile, the American birthplace of the annual pre-Lenten bacchanalia. New Orleans claims center stage for debauchery in the public imagination but the even more venerable festival of banality that surged into the streets of Mobile with its ancient mystic pedigree always wagged its own seductive finger in my direction with an inveigling invitation to small sins and temporarily half-wicked pleasures, and this frightened me unreasonably. As a child these excesses ran only to clandestine candy before dinner. The masked revelers on Government Street in their Bourbon-inspired generosity strew the crowds along the curbs with salt-water taffy, butterscotch and moon pies, unsteadily sowing seeds of venality. There was, I was sure, some reason that the passengers on the floats that glided down the Mobile streets were masked. Why they were disguised I was not certain, but I was suspicious in any case. Nevertheless it was only candy they were dispensing, but, on the other hand, it was sufficient to rob a child of his modest appetite for his vegetables and for his common life. Who wants green beans when such sweet delights are an option? Who will be satisfied with everyday when offered long nights of green and purple and gold-spangled parties and balls? Who can resist the temptations to excess when the oh-so-tasty comes unbidden with no apparent cost? Halloween and Mardi Gras share both the same subtly diabolical mystery and the enticing lure of candy. This Lolla-of-the-floats, who always got what she wanted, wanted me, and so made me feel uneasy, even somehow threatened. The Symbols of Life Life is full of symbols. Many of them are exceedingly powerful. Mardi Gras was a basket full of symbolism. The masks hid the public identity of the otherwise respectable citizens of Mobile society to avoid the consequences of societal opprobrium for shattered decorum and uninhibited insobriety. I wondered if the mask, paradoxically, revealed the true face of the men and women in the spangled costumes. Something about the secret societies, the "Crewes" that paraded and produced lavish balls where guests were admitted by invitation only and only when properly attired; then as now, gowns must reach the floor, and tuxedos are de rigeur. And masks, one must wear a mask, for identities are hidden this week. There seems something slightly irrational to me about the idea that before one enters into a month and ten days of asceticism leading up to Easter, a period designed to cleanse the soul, one must pollute it well with all that one will forego during the fast. I was troubled, even though it all seemed like harmless silliness that Joe Cain, reputed to be the origin of the term, "Raising Cain," began in 1866; then he appropriated the alter ego of Chief Slacabamorinico and led the revival of the parades of the mystic societies that the Cowbellion de Ranken Society had begun but left off when the South was subjugated in "the War." The allure of the mystics never abated from their origin in 1703 until the present, even if the parades were intermittent that ran down Church Street and back up Government, lit by the torches they called Les Flambeaux, flares that were carried by dark bearers hired for the occasion. Mother and Dad tried to assure that our experience was wholesome, but they ever feared that we would be lost in the crowds or injured in the crush at the curb. Mother's apprehensions were confirmed one night when Dale, my brother, was separated from the family for a few anxious minutes. The flaring light, the loud bands that both delighted with brassy music and shook your stomach with the pounding of the bass drum, and the mad crush of children and adults screaming "Throw me something!" worked a voodoo that was at once intoxicating and revolting. And unspoken, too, there danced the specter of alcoholism that had plagued the men of Mother's family for generations. Drunkenness was an unpleasant sight that was blatantly and unrepentantly on display to our innocent eyes even if the maskers were unidentified. Serious Folly Of the scores of parading societies that trooped down the street in Mardi Gras, the Knights of Revelry most impressed me. Annually the floats would change with a new theme to inspire their creation, but just as each Crewe displayed one immutable society float, KoR presented their Jester-and-Death tableau. The symbol of their society was a broken column reminiscent of the hundreds that stood before defunct and abandoned plantation houses that were strewn across reconstruction Alabama. Around the ruined graciousness of the neo-colonial column danced two figures. A pied jester, known to all as "Folly," armed only with a golden inflated pig's bladder sparred with a skeleton carrying a formidable scythe; they identified him as "Death." In all of the scenes that passed by me, Folly always seemed to have the upper hand. How this symbol spoke to me of Mobile and Mardi Gras! Her citizens have faced and continue to endure destruction and disappointment time and again from wars and hurricane, from societal upheaval and cultural conflict, and from economic or personal reversals, but something in the Mobilian character has made us laugh at our loss and continue to celebrate life, even taunting Death. Twain, while not a Southerner himself, might have approved since he is reputed to have said, "Ah, well, I am a great and sublime fool. But then I am God's fool, and all His works must be contemplated with respect." Flambeaux illuminated the night time parades when Sammy was a child in Mobile as they still do today in New Orleans. Photo credit: anerdsguidetoneworleans.wordpress.com Beyond the Flambeaux I did regard the comic life-size emblem with respect. Nevertheless, the image haunted me. For a time, I dreamed of the harlequin who danced with its pig's bladder. In my dream I lay safe beneath the house and peered out into a frightening world obscured in darkness, save for the jester illuminated in the flaring light of the Flambeaux. When he danced far away I looked on only with curiosity, but when he drew near, my heart raced with anxiousness and desperation. Freud said that sometimes a dream is only a dream, but I sense I understand what my psyche was telling me. Folly may be alluring but there is, indeed, reason to be on my guard. Neither Death nor Life is as playful as he or she is portrayed in a Mardi Gras parade. This disturbs me still. Whenever I look again upon the revelry, I worry what else lurks in the dark beyond the light of the Flambeaux. Ash Wednesday follows hard on every Fat Tuesday. Folly leads the Knights of Revelry Photo credit: blog.al.com Posted in Beach Spring | Tagged Alabama, childhood, Mardi Gras, Mobile | 1 Comment » Connie Nichols Report–WFAA Meet the Prof My Ministry Minute