The fifteen strong team of Abergavenny based contractors Alun Griffiths Construction set off for home at 4pm on Sunday 2nd June, leaving behind a very impressive piece of 21st century canal engineering.
The Thames & Severn Canal was constructed alongside the Frome in the 1780's.
It passed through the site of a woollen mill that had used the power of the river since the 1400's.
In 1844 a railway viaduct spanned the valley and the canal.
In the 1970's the area was used as a landfill site.
In the 1980's Stroud's bypass, Dr Newton's Way, was built on the line of the canal at this point.
The new channel forms a 'dog leg' route as it winds through the railway viaduct and Stroud's former domestic waste tip.
And now… in 2013 over 300 metres of new canal has been created using sixteen separate sub-contractors supervised by Dr Simon Dunn of Alun Griffiths Construction.
The topography means that the channel width ranges from 6 metres at its narrowest point through the viaduct to 26 metres at the widest point where it will re-join the line of the original canal.
The total length of the new route is around 325 metres, of which 110 metres is edged with sheet piling.
The bottom of the canal to the west of the railway viaduct is lined with a 600mm layer of blue clay. This retains water to a depth of 1.5 metres.
18 metres of new water main now passes safely 3.5metres beneath the canal.
183 metres of channel to the east of the viaduct has been constructed in contiguously bored concrete piles to provide a retaining wall 35 ft. high at its central point.
The piles range in depth from 9 metres to 15 metres.
Well over 200 tonnes of steel reinforcing bar and timber formwork provided the structure to allow the pouring of 3,600 tonnes of concrete to create the channel.
The retaining wall of piles has been capped and strengthened by 53 multi strand ground anchors.
The installation of ground anchors to secure the wall involved drilling 35 metre deep holes, down into the bedrock, at an angle of 35 degrees.
The concrete lined channel is supported by 208 bottom driven piles to depth of 3 metres.
Over 1,800 people took the unique opportunity to walk along the bottom of the new canal channel on Friday & Saturday 10th & 11th May.
That channel has now been filled with five million litres of water to a depth of 1.5metres.
Post and rail fencing, made more secure by the application of wire mesh panels, has been installed by local landscaping company Gardiners.
Many tonnes of 1960's & 70's domestic refuse were excavated to make way for the concrete channel. All that waste has remained on site.
It has been capped by a 600mm layer of crushed recycled concrete ballast. This layer has been topped with a huge carpet of Bentomat. This is a double layered textile sandwich that encapsulates granulated Betonite.
Halcrow's principal Environmental Scientist Clive Williams was on site recently to supervise its installation. When asked to explain the Betonite filled 'Bentomat' and its purpose he replied, "It is a natural mineral that soaks up water and expands. It is best understood if you think 'cat litter'."
The matting has, in turn, been covered with layers of subsoil and top soil all sourced from the site. The Griffiths earth moving artists have sculpted this top layer into a smooth profile ready for the next stage.
Gardiners will soon return to site to carry out the hydro seeding process. This is the system whereby a water based mulch of grass seed and fertilizer is sprayed over the whole surface of what the men from Abergavenny have dubbed 'Mount Griffiths'. This will very quickly create a green sward over the former rubbish tip. The site will also be seeded with a wild flower mix.
The nature of the substrate of recently relocated and dampened domestic waste may mean that some methane could be created. The tubular vents currently projecting from the surface will vent this away safely.
The site is now open to the public who are advised to follow the paths through the site. It is well worth a visit to view what will become a valuable waterside open space asset to the people of Stroud.


Pixel is a top mount ever-changing sink due to the elimination of pieces. It's shape is created by subtraction allowing the imagination to take place, the image is then revealed and its essence comes to light. It comes complete with drain pipe fitting and open plug.
*The Pixel collection also has a freestanding sink available.


What can you accomplish with the sound of music?
Music is for making friends.
And sometimes music can be used to cure a weary heart.
Then I heard euphony of worn out strings and a hoarse voice. His shyness was discernible; his hesitance even more. But there he was, standing brave. Facing strangers that could either be compassionate or unkind. Yet he could not care. All I hear was him, every tune filled with love and pleading.
For long I have seen people who created music. I heard voices and tunes millions of times but only a few was memorable. What did they seek to accomplish? Most were fame and fortune. They mastered the art to gain for themselves. They played music to gain acceptance and to win people. They sang to succeed. But yes, no matter how perfect those songs seemed to be, they had been forgettable.
But him? He sang, and I listened to his soul. I had heard his voice then saw his heart. For his was the very essence of music. A melody of emotions unspeakable; the tune of the heart professing his love. In tears, I heeded his loneliness, and felt mine. His despair and hope sounded clear but were unnoticed.
As some seek earthly things, he sought for a miracle. As he played for many, his heart sang to only one. And as they applaud, he only hoped for one smile. For his music was for his love. His music was perfect because his love was pure. He pleaded for compassion, but never demanded more. He kept hoping, and never stopped singing.
I listened, and I was drown out. My mind was reeling on the thought of him. Perhaps, I would never forget that boy who sang and revealed his soul. His loneliness would haunt me like a sad reverie. But his song, like a miracle, would cure the brokenness. His love would spark hope. I pray that he finds what he seeks... And that he would never ever stop singing.
Jam Casadores She's former contributor for Bayanihan News Australia and currently a part-time blogger/writer for different websites. She also teach English to Korean and Chinese students online.


text:
Q: I want to know SML code's return value I have SML code.
fun f(0) = 1
  | f(1) = raise Odd
  | f(3) = f(3-2)
  | f(n) = (f(n-2) handle Odd => ~n)

The problem is that when f(11) is called f(9),f(7),...... are called.
And there is a precondition that "if f calls g and g raises an exception that f does not handle, then activation record of f is popped off the stack without returning control to the function f.".
What is returning value? I think it is -5, but can't be sure about that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Software // Enterprise Applications
SmartAdvice: Look To Novell's Open Enterprise Server As Migration Path From NetWare
Moving to Open Enterprise Server will be the least-disruptive path as your company decides what operating system to go with in the future, The Advisory Council says. Also, some tips for beefing-up your presentation skills.
Question B: How can I develop the presentation skills to communicate effectively with business management?
Our advice: To communicate effectively with business management, several skills need to be mastered. These include understanding the material you are to present, understanding different presentation techniques and their characteristics, and understanding the audience being addressed.
First, establish the goals of your presentation. Why should the audience listen to you? What is the critical message you want to convey? Identify the key points you want to make, but avoid technical jargon unless your audience is technically oriented. Preparing an outline is essential. Create strong opening and closing statements that support the position(s) in the presentation. This will help grab the audience's attention.
Presentation Skills for Emergent Managers
Common Visual Aids
How to Deal With a Hostile Audience
Second, impart the right image. Know the pros and cons of different visual aids.
A computer/projector combination focuses attention on one slide at a time. Avoid falling into the trap of just reading your slides, however, and remember that a poorly executed presentation design can be painfully obvious.
A flip-chart works well for a small group, especially if you're brainstorming an idea. Using a flip chart requires you to turn your back on the audience, however. Also, if you're a bad speller, this will be evident to everyone.
Handouts give the audience something they can take away with them, and on which they can make notes. Handouts can prove distracting, however, if people start to read them during the presentation, and stop paying attention to you.
A physical model or item of what you're talking about can grab the audience's attention. It, too, can prove distracting, however.
Use words, vocal tones, and body language to demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and connection with the audience. Practice your delivery, along with any visual aids, to overcome any hesitation or nervous behavior. Listen for words you overuse or misuse, as well as for vocal pauses.
Third, and most important, you must know your audience. What are they expecting you to cover? Do they need to know the technical details, or should they be given the "50,000-foot" overview? Each audience is different, so assess who you're presenting to each time. Is your audience made up of senior executives or hands-on technicians? The most effective communication technique is different for each group, so don't take this for granted. It's essential to build rapport with your audience, to have them accept you as their peer. This will enhance and facilitate communication with them.
Finally, be prepared for questions and discussion. One can't be expected to know the answer to everything you're asked, but when you don't have the answer, note the question and the person asking, and promise to get back to them. Then do it. If you don't, your credibility with that person is ended.
--Stephen Rood
Peter Schay, TAC executive VP and chief operating officer, has 30 years of experience as a senior IT executive in IT vendor and research industries. He most recently was VP and chief technology officer of SiteShell Corp. Previously at Gartner, he was group VP of global research infrastructure and support, and launched coverage of client-server computing in the early 1990s.
Stephen Rood, TAC Expert, has more than 24 years experience in the IT field specializing in developing and implementing strategic technology plans for organizations as well as senior project management and help-desk operations review. His consulting experience has included designing and implementing a state-of-the-art emergency 911 call center for the city of Newark, N.J., and managing technology refreshes for a nonprofit entertainment organization as well as a large, regional food broker. He also worked at Coopers & Lybrand, General Foods, and Survey Research. He is the author of the book "Computer Hardware Maintenance: An IS/IT Manager's Guide" that presents a model for hardware maintenance cost containment.
Assessing Cybersecurity Risk in Today's Enterprises

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I love the idea of that. The idea that we are responsible for who we are and who we are becoming. Personal development is the act of creating who we are. It's our own ongoing education.
Personal growth involves taking a long hard look at who we are and how we became who we are. In counseling we look at past decisions, patterns, failures and successes. It's important to get an accurate view of the person you are, then make decisions on what works and what can be improved.
I work with my psychotherapy clients to live more consciously, to face the ugly parts of their lives with courage, and to solve the deep problems that prove to be reoccurring themes. We then decide what adjustments need to be made. We work to remove or reduce what no longer is effective and replace it with new processes and perspectives.
My clients learn that if you continue to live life like you have always lived it, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. Life is too short to keep making the same mistakes over and over. At the very least — make new mistakes! Then learn from them and go on.
And ultimately become the architects of their own lives.


A place combining simplicity, good price and high quality while specializing in fast food. Burger tour: the posibility of including as much as you wish, the certainty of seizing your order.
¨"Street Burguer" burger¨: Bread, double burger and pickle.