text:
Bears giving fans a money-back guarantee
New season ticket holders can see nonconference games, get full refund by Dec. 29 deadline
Bears giving fans a money-back guarantee New season ticket holders can see nonconference games, get full refund by Dec. 29 deadline Check out this story on news-leader.com: http://sgfnow.co/2aGxvVJ
Jim Connell, JCONNELL@NEWS-LEADER.COM Published 11:46 a.m. CT Aug. 1, 2016 | Updated 10:38 p.m. CT Aug. 1, 2016
New season ticket holders for Missouri State men's basketball are getting a money-back guarantee.(Photo: NEWS-LEADER FILE PHOTO)Buy Photo
A little bit of insomnia, coupled with some overnight television offerings, helped spark the latest ticket promotion for the Missouri State men's basketball program.
"I couldn't sleep and I was watching TV," Missouri State Director of Athletics Kyle Moats said, "and I see every one of those late-night infomercials has that (money-back guarantee).
"I wondered if we could make that apply for our season tickets."
A couple of months later, the school wheeled out a similar guarantee for the nonconference portion of the Bears' schedule.
New season ticket holders have until Dec. 29 to decide they don't like what they see from the product on the floor, return their unused tickets to the JQH Arena Box Office and get a full refund.
That could result in fans seeing nine games — one exhibition and eight home games in the nonconference portion of the schedule — for free after getting a refund.
"Whatever your reason is for dropping, that's OK, there are no questions asked," Moats said. "We want to get people in and take a look at our product. If you haven't been to the 'Q' or haven't been to a game, it's a great opportunity to try us out."
If fans decide they like what they see and want to keep their seats for the Missouri Valley Conference season, an MSU ticketing rep will contact them to make arrangements for payment and any applicable seat assessments.
A quick Google search didn't turn up any similar promotions throughout the college basketball world.
There are some restrictions — loge seats, courtside seats and the first five rows of Sections B, C, D, K, L and M are not open for the promotion. Returning season ticket holders from the 2015-16 seasons are not eligible, and Bears Fund seat assessments must be paid in full by Jan. 15, 2017.
The range of season ticket prices, including the seat assessments, eligible for the money-back guarantee range from $85 to $1,370 per ticket.
This promotion is banking on the team getting off to a strong start this season, helping to reverse a trend of declining attendance at the school.
Average attendance was 4,140 per home game last season, the lowest figure since the 1979-80 season, when the average was 3,544 per game. The Bears went 13-19 last season, and Moats said there has been a drop in season ticket numbers.
"They are a little bit down, and we expected them to be down," Moats said. "They're not huge numbers, but we figure we've hit about as far as we can go down, and now we've got to go back up."
The team has four starters and nine letterwinners back, with more than 70 percent of the team's scoring and rebounding returning.
The season opens with an exhibition game on Nov. 5 against Missouri Baptist, then the regular-season opener on Nov. 11 against Alabama A&M.
The home portion of the nonconference schedule includes games against Valparaiso on Dec. 10 and Oral Roberts on Dec. 14.
Sixth-year Bears coach Paul Lusk doesn't see this promotion as putting any more pressure on him or his team.
"Winning cures a lot of things," Lusk said. "Whatever promotions the university puts on, we support. If we can get as many people out as we can, it certainly helps us.
"I think the fans will enjoy the product that we will be putting on the floor this season."
Moats said the timing of this announcement was to coincide with the team leaving on Tuesday morning for a tour to the Bahamas, where they will play three games, tour the island and perform some community service.
There are other specials expected to come before the season starts, including a six-pack plan for tickets, plus other options to draw fans to JQH Arena.
"The six-pack isn't completely new, because we've had that in the past," Moats said. "But we may have some other things, too, that are different as well.
"I think we're going to have a real good start, the team is really going to be good, and it's going to be easy for people to jump on board."


text:
Kjerstad comes in 2d in AFL Home Run Derby
Baumbastic_Hawg November 6, 2022, 1:35pm #1
Kjerstad was the most consistent hitter on the night, driving 11 over the fence in both rounds, while relying on his trademark upper-cut swing that made him a No. 2 overall pick out of Arkansas in 2020.
Perez Jr. edges Kjerstad for AFL Home Run Derby crown
MESA, Ariz. -- It has been a big year for Mariners sluggers in Home Run Derbies. First, Julio Rodríguez dazzled with 81 blasts in Los Angeles, including 32 in the opening round, before finishing second to Juan Soto in the final round. On Saturday,...
system closed December 6, 2022, 1:36pm #2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
# The Wire Render Pattern

This pattern or approach is what I´m using when creating new projects using Processwire. It heavily uses the `wireRenderFile()` method so thats the reason of the name, and so it will work only on PW versions that implement that method. This pattern does not need additional modules and enables easier code organization and reutilization. Feel free to adapt this way of doing projects to your own way, Processwire is awesome and flexible enough to support various ways of organization and patterns.

### The wireRenderFile() method
The `wireRenderFile()` method is a wrapper to the `wire('files')->render()` method. You can choose the method that fits better in your use case. Note this function returns the output for you to output wherever you want (delayed output). For direct output, use the `wireInclude()` function instead.

**Example**

```php
	$files = wire('files');
	$files->render($filename, $vars, $options);
```

See https://github.com/processwire/processwire/blob/master/wire/core/Functions.php#L487
and https://processwire.com/api/ref/files/render/
for a full documentation of the function.

### The region() method
Since Processwire 3.0.39 the `region()` is available. You can know more about it here
http://processwire.com/blog/posts/processwire-3.0.39-core-updates/

The new region function provides a nice option for delayed output on the front-end, letting you define regions for output, populate content to it, and retrieve it when ready for output. It's a good alternative to using variables for the same purpose, as editor environments often don't recognize the relationship of variables between files like `_init.php` (prepend file), template files, and `_main.php` (append file). It prevents your editor from flagging variables as undefined, and reduces the chance of variable collisions or variables getting accidentally overwritten.

The region function can be accessed as `wireRegion()`, or if you have `$config->useFunctionsAPI` enabled, it can also be accessed as just `region()`.

**Example**
```php
// output regions in appropriate locations
<h1><?php echo region('headline'); ?></h1>
<div id='content'>
  <?php echo region('content'); ?>
</div>
```

### Field templates
Since Processwire 3.0.5 fields could use a template. This gives a better code organization.
Read more about here https://processwire.com/blog/posts/processwire-3.0.7-expands-field-rendering-page-path-history-and-more/ and here https://processwire.com/blog/posts/more-repeaters-repeater-matrix-and-new-field-rendering/

### The directory structure

In Processwire you can organize your code the way it make most sence to you. All the files should be in the `/site/templates/` directory. In this pattern the directory structure will be:

  * assets
  * helpers
  * globals
  * partials
  * scripts
  * views
  * vendor
  * includes

### The Assets Directory

This directory is for storing the front-end files like css, js, img, fonts, etc. And contains the following sub directories:

  * css
  * img
  * js
  * font

### The Helpers Directory

The helpers directory is for code that can be used across all files in the project. Mainly for small code snippets or functions that do not output front-end code.

An example file that should be put in helpers it is this code that I use mainly for debugging. Debug Helper.

### The Globals

The Globals directory is used for "global" font-end code. Files like headers and footers should be put here. These files are used globally since they are included and should be rendered in all templates.

### The Partials

The Partials directory contains reusable font-end code snippets. Things like menus, galleries or anything that one or more templates could use. Look them like "components" that could be attached between multiple templates.

### The Scripts

The Scripts directory contains code that should be included in header or footer files on demand. Scripts like css, js or another code that does not need to be global but some template file requires them.

For example in the index page you have an image gallery and this gallery is only present in the index page. You should only import the js and css files related to the gallery in the index page and not in other pages. For achieving this, the Wire Render pattern relies on "data bags" a concept that will be explained in a moment.

### The Views

The views are the font-end code for the templates. Contains the html needed for creating the page. In this approach the template file only contains "glue code" that will be passed to the view. The template file should be responsible for formatting, querying and complex data manipulation and pass the view only the data formatted. In this way the view will only contain minimum php code like if, foreach, echo and `wireRenderFile` method calls.

Example:

You have a `home.php` template and a `views/home.php` file. All the logic (querys, parsing parameters, etc) goes to the `home.php` file while the html will be inside `views/home.php` file.

### The Vendor

The Vendor directory is used for files that are external to your system. Mainly for libraries, sdks or code made by other people outside you or your organization. Maybe you could put here an Excel Export script or the SDK for Mandrill API.
Using Delayed Output

For this pattern to work needs the delayed output strategy. Basically we will use two files inside `/site/templates/` and autoload them for every template. The files needed are _init.php and _main.php. Using this strategy will make easier to configure the final output for the template.

First you must add the files to the `/site/config.php` file.

```php
/**
* Prepend and Append template files
*/

$config->prependTemplateFile = '_init.php';
$config->appendTemplateFile = '_main.php';
```

### The Includes

The Includes directory is used for code that may be used in different files or a section inside a bigger file. When you need to separate a big file in smaller units, use `wireIncludeFile()` function and you will have a nicer organization.

*Example include file*

Create a file named `includes/convenience-methods.php`

```php
<?php namespace ProcessWire;

// Render Functions

function renderView($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "views/$path";
  return wireRenderFile($path, $params);
}

function renderPartial($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "partials/$path";
  return wireRenderFile($path, $params);
}

function renderScript($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "scripts/$path";
  return wireRenderFile($path, $params);
}

function renderGlobal($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "globals/$path";
  return wireRenderFile($path, $params);
}

// Import functions

function importFile($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "includes/$path";
  wireIncludeFile($path, $params);
}

function importHelper($path, $params = [])
{
  $path = "helpers/$path";
  wireIncludeFile($path, $params);
}
```

Now in `_init.php` file you could put

```php
<?php
wireIncludeFile('includes/convenience-methods.php');
```
And have access to those convenience methods in all files.

### The _init.php file

This file is the first to be loaded when requesting a page with any template. We should put information that will be available to all templates.

```php
<?php
/**
* Init file.
* This file hold the variables
* that all the other templates will have access to.
* and be rendered in the _main.php file.
*/

// Default Paths and Urls
$home = $pages->get('/');
$templatesUrl = $config->urls->templates;
$assets = $templatesUrl . 'assets/';

// Data Bags
$viewBag = array(
 'home' => $home,
 'templatesUrl' => $templatesUrl,
 'assets' => $assets
 );

// Special Bags for Scripts
$headerBag = array();
$footerBag = array();
```

### The template file

The template file is beign loaded after the `_init.php` and before the `_main.php`. Its when you make all the data formatting, querys and configuration. As an example we will have a home.php template and a `/views/home.php` as its view.

```php
<?php
/**
* home.php
*/

$viewBag['message'] = 'Hello World';

// Import a Special Script on the footer just for this page template
$footerBag[] = wireRenderFile('scripts/jquery', $viewBag);

$content = wireRenderFile('views/home', $viewBag);
```

The home view contains all the html. And all the variables that processwire pass to the home template are as well available inside the view. So we can have something like:

```php
<?php
/**
* views/home.php
*/
?>

<h1><?php echo $page->title ?></h1>

<p>
<?php echo $message ?>
</p>

```

We should try to make all the complex logic inside the template and the view only will deal with simple php methods.

### The header.php file

The header file is the first used before the content when rendering the final output.

```php
<?php
/**
* globals/header.php
*/
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title><?php echo $page->title ?> </title>

<?php echo wireRenderFile('partials/render_scripts', array('items' => $headerBag)) ?>

</head>
<body>
```

### The footer.php file

The footer file is used after the content.

```php
<?php
/**
* global/footer.php
*/
?>

<?php echo wireRenderFile('partials/render_scripts', array('items' => $footerBag)) ?>

</body>
</html>
```

### The render_scripts.php file

This is a partial file used both in `header.php` and `footer.php` to render the contents of the scripts loaded in `home.php`.

```php
<?php
/**
* partials/render_scripts.php
*/

foreach($items as $item) {
    echo $item;
}
```

### The jquery file

This file is a simple jquery import used in `home.php` for loading jquery only on the pages that have the home template.

```php
<?php
/**
* scripts/jquery.php
*/
?>
<script src="<?php echo $assets ?>js/jquery.js"></script>
```

### The _main.php file

The `_main.php` file is the last file beign loaded before the final output to the client. It echoes the header, content and footer.

```php
<?php
/**
* Main file
* This file renders the content
* and the variables setup in _init.php
* and the template.
*/

$viewBag['headerBag'] = $headerBag;

$output = wireRenderFile('globals/header', $viewBag);

$output .= $content;

$viewBag['footerBag'] = $footerBag;

$output .= wireRenderFile('globals/footer', $viewBag);

echo $output;
```

### The final output

when we visit the home page of our site the main output will look like this:

```js
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Home</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Home</h1>
<p>Hello world</p>

<script src="/site/templates/assets/js/jquery.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
```

### The Data Bags

The "data bags" are just arrays that contains different keys and information wich are passed to the different files on `wireRenderFile()` method. Here we used 3 data bags. The main one beign called viewBag, the one used for header scripts beign called `headerBag` and the last one used for footer scripts beign called `footerBag`. They were set in the `_init.php` file and available for all templates.

### Using the $page object as data bag
You can also use the `$page` object for storing data and pass that to the views. It's better to use namespaces.

Example

*hello.php*

```php
<?php
namespace Processwire;

$page->message = 'Hello World';

$body = wireRenderFile('views/hello');
```

*views/hello.php*

```php
<?php
namespace Processwire;
?>

<html>
<body><?php echo $page->message ?></body>
</html>
```

### Conclusion

The Wire Render approach enables better code organization and reutilization. Relies on standard Processwire methods and its flexible enough for adapting it to your needs.

For example files please check `examples` directory.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A Nordic full service provider.
We provide digital solutions that make our customers more competitive. Our deep understanding of modern technologies, digital communication and user behaviour help them meet their business goals.
Itera delivers application development based on modern technologies and best practice to several of the most well-known businesses in the Nordics.
If standard solutions are not the best choice we have other options: we develop the solution ourselves. Of course this is customised to your requirements with regard to functionality, scalability, user experience, security, integration, technology and channels. Our more than 200 highly educated experts in the Nordics, Ukraine and Slovakia focus on modern technologies and best practice.
Interesting and relevant content, good functionality and appealing design - this is our home ground. Let us create your next platform! Read more here.
A good intranet provides access to expertise, strengthens social ties, builds a culture and provides tools. Read more here.


You've done your homework, know what plants and features you want in your landscape, and have even sketched out a tentative plan to give your contractor. You show it to him and he immediately tries to sell you on something completely different. He's not just being perverse; there are usually legitimate reasons for his recommendations.
First and foremost, the law must be obeyed. While there is a possibility to get an exception in certain circumstances, that is a rarity. For example, you may want a built-in outdoor grill that isn't allowed due to fire hazard in your area. If you want a picket fence around your front yard, the setback code may prohibit it due to access to emergency services. The plants you want in your hedge or your planned brick wall may not be acceptable to your Home Owner's Association. There are myriad little codes and regulations that only your local landscaping contractor is familiar with, so trust him when he says something can't be done.
When you're looking at plant catalogs or even online, you can be deceived by USDA climate zone information. Some catalogs have been known to give vague or incorrect zone information to sell more plants. A plant may say it will grow in zone 9, but only be hardy to zone 9b and freeze during the winter in 9a. Also, zones with the same numbers may not grow the same plants. For example, zone 10 in California is a dry, Mediterranean climate while the same zone in Florida is a humid sub-tropical climate. The plant you chose may be a prohibited invasive species in your state. Your landscaper knows which plants are suited to and legal in your area, and he will explain why what you've chosen won't work.
The pictures you see in magazines and the projects on DIY television shows will not always work where you live. For example, if you want a stone patio on soil that is constantly shifting, it will begin to pull apart and crack very quickly. A slightly raised deck may be much more suitable to such a soil profile. By the same standards, an untreated lumber deck may work in the desert, but it would not last very long in a humid climate. Your landscape contractor's job is to give you something that will last and bring you years of pleasure, not something that you will eventually be replacing, perhaps at great expense.
By working closely with your landscaping contractor, you should be able to design a yard that will make you happy for a long time. Choose wisely, because a reputable firm always has your best interest in mind.
For a landscaping contractor, contact a company such as Foothills Grounds Maint.


Tennessee Performing Arts Center: To lead with excellence in the performing arts and arts education, creating meaningful and relevant experiences to enrich lives, strengthen communities, and support economic vitality.
Qualifications: Experience Required Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from a four year college or university and two (2) years related experience in development, administration, and event planning, preferably in a nonprofit setting. Skills and Knowledge Required: 1) Strong knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office programs such as Excel. 2) Excellent verbal, communication, and interpersonal skills. 3) Knowledge of theatrical, catering, marketing, fundraising, and printing industries terminology a plus. 4) Working knowledge of Tessitura software a plus. 5) Ability to work in a fluid, dynamic, and fast-paced environment. 6) Ability to work very flexible hours. 7) Personal interest and knowledge of the arts and humanities a plus.
How to Apply: Please submit your resume to Jobs@TPAC.org or mail / fax a resume to: TPAC Human Resources, PO Box 190660, Nashville, TN 37219; Fax: 615-782-4001: Please, NO phone calls.
For the formerly incarcerated, having a place to stay in a supportive environment is the first step toward successful re-entry to society. Upon their release, offenders who have been carefully screened, live at Dismas House as they transition back into the community. They find a safe haven and a family-like atmosphere amid college students, staff and many volunteers who become part of their daily lives. Typically, residents live for 4-6 months in Dismas House, which is built on a framework of support, self-sufficiency and personal accountability. Professional caseworkers help to match them with resources to meet each person's unique needs. For their part, residents stay for a minimum of 90 days, uphold positive standards of living, participate in a holistic programming model, are active members of the household and broader community, and pay a modest program fee. They leave with a stable income, a supportive network of friends, a greater sense of self-worth, a fresh chance and real hope for the future. In this way, Dismas House combines a mission of caring with a unique form of crime prevention. Dismas is in the middle of an incredible multi-year expansion project which culminated with construction groundbreaking on a brand-new facility in December 2018. This new construction build of a 4-story, 22,000 sq. ft. space will allow the organization to accommodate 76 clients by serving as a center of community, housing, programming and culture. To meet the needs of clients, Dismas will need to scale immensely to a staff of 23 employees who will oversee executive, administrative and direct service responsibilities.
Summary: Working from the Nashville headquarters and reporting to the CEO, the incoming Vice President of Development is responsible for creating and executing the annual revenue plan for fundraising activities including cultivating and closing major gifts, stewardship of all donations, overseeing grant-writing efforts, and partnering with the CEO on fundraising efforts. The Vice President of Development also works as part of a revenue team that includes corporate partnerships, events and membership. The VP will also support the development activities in association with the Board of Directors and ultimately expand a successful program to build upon the financial resources necessary to further enhance the organization's worldwide brand.
Responsibilities: Successfully develop and execute a personal department goal in excess of $1M of the organization's $2.5M annual budget. Beginning as a team of one, build and grow a philanthropy department over a three-year period. Serve as a strategic partner and a member of the executive leadership team on a range of fundraising initiatives and programs including strategy development, donor cultivation, and donor events. Oversee the organization's development department and direct all of the fundraising activities, including identifying funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, and public sources, prospecting individual and major donors, and implementing targeted strategies for each opportunity. Develop donor relation strategies and stewardship to cultivate new corporate and foundation gifts. Create and maintain a consistent and methodical system for timely cultivation, stewardship, and fulfillment of campaign donor recognition for annual individual donors. Work in conjunction with Board of Directors on fundraising initiatives. Develop and manage annual departmental budget and track expenses. Develop, communicate and implement goals and objectives. Ensure fiduciary responsibility, compliance, sound financial management and financial accountability for contributions, income and all other assets.
Education/Experience: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university; Proven track record of fundraising with a minimum of seven years and progressively responsible leadership; Experience working with volunteers, volunteer leadership, and program staff; Must possess a high level of integrity with a proven ability to establish trust based relationships regarding ongoing, mutually beneficial partnerships; Able to work autonomously while achieving high impact results; Propensity to work with high energy, a high degree of initiative and from a positive perspective while maintaining flexibility and attention to detail; An ability to work effectively as part of a team and an interest in building a strong organizational culture; Excel in organizational leadership abilities, including increasing efficiencies around systems, procedures and protocols; Be versatile in interacting and communicating effectively with everyone from an ex-offender to a potential donor in the C-suite; Outstanding public presentation skills and a capacity to communicate effectively to the press, board, committees, staff, volunteers, and the public in a concise, focused and convincing manner.
Compensation: includes a competitive nonprofit base salary commensurate with experience, a performance-based incentive package and a package of employee and health benefits.
How To Apply: Please send resumes and a cover letter to newhire@dismas.org.
Summary: Consistent with the mission and vision of Salama Urban Ministries, under the direction of the CEO, the Director of Development is responsible for the direction and strategy of the philanthropic development of the organization. The Director will support and enhance a culture of giving through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual, grant and corporate donors. The Director will apply best practices and innovative approaches to the administration of revenue-generating efforts, including, but not limited to, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, and planned giving.
Responsibilities: Oversees all fundraising plans and programs, including annual fundraising, major gifts, sponsorships, special events, gift planning, solicitation, direct mail, and digital/tech fundraising. Develops and cultivates relationships with current and potential donors and sponsors. Works in innovative ways to achieve full fundraising potential of the organization and donor recognition programs. Provides support to the Board of Directors and the Development Committee in fundraising including solicitation, training, development of materials, relationship management, and ongoing donor cultivation. Prepares a compelling case for support and fundraising communications materials. Develops budget projections and recommends fundraising goals to the CEO and the Board. Conducts fundraising and expense analyses to determine budget projections and goals. Maintains all fundraising databases and relevant Quickbooks content to ensure effective management of donor records. Supervises and works in tandem with the Communications staff to design and implement marketing campaign strategies to engage volunteers, and the public. Cultivates relationships with various media outlets to publicize the good work of the organization. Oversees and assists the Communications staff to develop content for communications, including newsletters, Annual Report, the website, and social media updates and campaigns. Conducts grant research and follows grant/funder guidelines to complete and submit prescribed grant applications and proposal narratives, to include budget information and supplemental materials. Fulfills post-grant requirements, to include grant reports, acknowledgements, etc. Collaborates with other staff members in a team environment, supports the CEO in relationship building, and participates in appropriate events to represent Salama Urban Ministries. Other duties as assigned.
Education/Experience Required: Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred. CFRE, Foundation and planned giving expertise desirable. Minimum five years of successful, face-to-face fund raising experience required. Previous successful experience in nonprofit work. Experience with donor information software/databases.
How to Apply: Please email cover letter and resume to dwade@salamaserves.org. No phone calls, please.
The Planned Giving Officer represents the Development Division in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and relational stewardship of individuals for their interests in financially supporting the mission of The Gideons International and its programs. This position will focus primarily on planned and deferred gifts, while also pursuing opportunities for major gifts—all with a heart of being donor-centric and promoting Biblical stewardship and generosity. Performance in this position requires functioning with impeccable integrity and securing gift commitments, with an emphasis on planned and deferred opportunities. The position will represent all of The Gideons International funding needs, matching each donor's interests with the appropriate gift opportunities. Of equal importance will be collaboration within the Development Division and service to donors, and the accommodation of their best interest in the gift cultivation. A background in financial planning is preferred, and a legal background (J.D. degree) is a plus. The position reports to the Senior Planned Giving Officer of The Gideons International.
St. Cecilia Academy is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for young women, owned and administered by the Dominican Sisters of Nashville, TN since 1860. The school is located on the Dominican Campus, which is also home to Overbrook School (elementary) and Aquinas College. St. Cecilia Academy emphasizes academic excellence and strong community within a Christ-centered environment, preparing young women to meet the challenges of modern life and to contribute in a positive way to the society in which they live.
Responsibilities: The full-time Director of Development leads the Advancement Department and works closely with the Principal and the Director of Advancement to oversee and manage all aspects of St. Cecilia Academy's development program. The Director of Development must be able to think strategically and practically to implement a comprehensive and results-oriented development plan that includes traditional and innovative strategies. Key components of this plan should include goals, strategies, and timetables for major and capital gifts, alumnae giving, annual fund, and planned giving. The Director of Development focuses on building key relationships with donors, alumnae, faculty and staff, parents, and volunteers, as well as community and corporate leaders. The ideal candidate must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral, and be goal and deadline-oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
Qualifications: Bachelor's degree with at least five years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising and development work, preferably in education or nonprofit work. Catholic school or parish/diocesan experience preferred. Candidates should also have strong ability using Raiser's Edge or similar donor databases and other fundraising technology.


text:
Black Book - preview and trailer
by Mike Barnard December 21, 2006
Paul Verhoeven makes a return to filmmaking in Holland after 23 years and produces one of his most acclaimed films. This World War Two drama has already been the winner of such awards as best international film at the Venice Film Festival and taken three top honours at the Netherlands Film Festival including best picture and best director. This should be a real treat.
…an epic tale of great courage and fierce emotion…
This well-praised film is a moving story of young Jewish singer Rachel Steinn (Carice van Houten) who joins the resistance in The Hague and gets entangled in a deadly web of double-dealing and betrayal. This sexy thriller from blockbuster director Verhoeven is an epic tale of great courage and fierce emotion – played out against the dying explosive months of World War Two. It also stars Sebastian Koch and Thom Hoffman.
Black Book has been released in many parts of Europe, but will not reach the UK or USA until January and March respectively. You'll be glad to hear that zap! bang! Magazine has already been treated to a sneak preview, and our review will appear in the New Year. Until then, to whet your appetite, follow these links to the trailer:
Small:
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_30k.rm
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_30k.wmv
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_30k.mov
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_330k.rm
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_330k.wmv
www.blackbookmovie.co.uk/black_book_trailer_330k.mov
For more details, visit: http://www.sonyclassics.com/blackbook/


Flying always has been an activity where you depend on yourself first, where you MUST perform responsibly as an individual decision-maker, or you can end up dead in a smoldering debris field. Intertwined with this is the fact pilots traditionally are strong advocates for individual rights and local authority. It's a philosophy, a set of values, arguably the best part of conservatism.
That's all background. The point to be made is this: I know from five+ decades of experience how conservative and individualistic aviators tend to be. These characteristics serve them well. And so, it is just crazy, that today we have pilots calling for the federal bureaucrats to take over the airport at Santa Monica. Just crazy.
This entry was posted in AIPs: FAA & other agencies, AirPollution, Airports (lesser), Av-GovComplex, DelayDelayDelay, GA, GA: BizJets, GA: FlightTraining, ImpedingCitizenProcess, LeadedAvGas, News, Noise-Impact, SubsidizedAviation and tagged [KSMO] by reformfaanow@gmail.com. Bookmark the permalink.


As a father who likes to travel, a lover of both family and nature, it is a pleasure to introduce and share with you the first and only Spanish travel guide focused on rural accommodation suitable for families travelling with children. All the centres you will find here have our "Familias bienvenidas Families welcome" seal of approval.
This book was initially conceived in order to provide a response not only to my own growing interest, but also that of many other families involved in Familiasenruta.com, the electronic magazine and childrearing group of which I am editor. The internet can be an excellent source of information when planning holidays or short breaks, but it is not without its contradictions. Despite the overwhelming amount of resources available, it can be difficult to find reliable information about the best options for those travelling with children.
I am sure I am not alone in believing that mums and dads have different needs and expectations that much holiday accommodation just doesn™t take into account. We don™t expect places to exclusively cater for families, but we feel that those centres which work hard to provide facilities for this particular client base deserve recognition.
In this edition you will find a total of 161 places to stay, each one very special.You will discover hotels and traditional country houses, hostels with a multitude of activities, and campsites set in beauty spots that one normally only dreams of. You will find hideaways set in the high mountains or next to the beach. We have tried to put together a wide variety of different types for different tastes and styles. A selection with something to suit everyone™s taste and budget.
languages, Catalan, Euskera and Gallego.


ground breaking and well-trained work for Yellow Or Light Yellow Clear Liquid , Yellow or Light Yellow Clear Liquid , Yellow Or Yellow Brown Liquid , Our goal is to assist prospects comprehend their goals. We are producing good efforts to realize this win-win predicament and sincerely welcome you to definitely sign up for us!
Our eternal pursuits are the attitude of "regard the market, regard the custom, regard the science" and the theory of "quality the basic, trust the first and management the advanced" for Yellow Or Light Yellow Clear Liquid , Yellow or Light Yellow Clear Liquid , Yellow Or Yellow Brown Liquid , We believe in establishing healthy customer relationships and positive interaction for business. Close cooperation with our customers has helped us to create strong supply chains and reap benefits. Our merchandise have gained us widespread acceptance and the satisfaction of our worldwide valued clients.


Jilleanne Rookard, Erin DiJulio and Jordan Nelson will represent the USA in speed skating at next month's World Games in Duisberg, Germany, USA Roller Sports Richard Hawkins said.
Rookard of Carleton, Mich., and DiJulio of Wakefield, RI, are members of the women's U.S. World Team.
None of the members of the men's World Team were available to attend the World Games, which run from July 14th to 24th.
Most of them, including top young U.S. racer Joey Mantia, are planning to compete in the U.S. Indoor National Championships, which start July 17th in Pensacola, Fla.
USA Roller Sports drafted Nelson for the World Games based on his showing at the recent U.S. Outdoor National Championships. He finished third in the 10,000 and 15,000 meter eliminations.
The inline speed skating events at the World Games are scheduled for July 19-21.
Skaters will be "obliged" to skate in all five events: races at 300, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 meters.
The World Games is a large multi-sport event for non-Olympic sports.


text:
English Italiano Français Español
DESIGN AND INSTALLATIONS
Pagano & Ascolillo S.p.A. has been working for over 30 years in the field of public works.
Works of plant building concern not only the construction and lighting of tunnels, but also water supply systems, ventilation and evacuation systems, which have led to a constant growth in developing and improving methods. Fire-fighting systems and monitoring systems enhance Pagano & Ascolillo's company profile, which is always paying attention to different and complex technological installations.
The company's liveliness ant its desire to be always "up-to-date" give a wider view of the market, determining the growth and the development of SOA categories and an interest towards new renewable energy sources. As a consequence of this interest, Pagano & Ascolillo has become an Energy Service Company (E.S.Co.). This certification coincides perfectly with the company's policy, whose interest in the environment and social policies has been increasingly raising.
In Italy, Pagano & Ascolillo S.p.A. is one of the best companies in the building field and technological installations, being part of the major realized works.
Thanks to its professionalism and technological specialization, our company always focuses its attention to clients and satisfies them.
Last but not least, the security point of view completes Pagano & Ascolillo's profile: our company strictly respects the legislation in force using breakthrough technologies.
Pagano & Ascolillo S.p.A. can be summed up in three words: People, Knowledge, Ambition.
Privacy policy and legal notes | Cookie Policy |


text:
Parks/Recreation Currently selected
Giant City State Park
Interpretive
Park Closures
Park Activities:
Equestrian Trails
Shelter Reservations
Trail Hours:
7 a.m. - Dusk
Visitor Center Hours:
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Daily
Lodge Hours:
8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Mon - Sat & 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday
Lodge is open the first Friday in February - mid December
Horse Stables:
Open from March 15 - November 15th
Giant City State Park- Phlox
© Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Giant City
Giant City White Trillium
With its breathtaking natural beauty and unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation, a trip to Giant City State Park near Carbondale is sure to delight visitors of all ages. From camping and horseback riding to fishing and rappelling, it's an outdoor lover's paradise. Visitors will marvel at the many hiking trails. Especially popular is the Giant City Nature Trail, home of the "Giant City Streets" - huge bluffs of sandstone formed 12,000 years ago.
Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park was named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures and a landscape like none other, with lush garments of fern, moss, flowering mints, hundreds of species of wild flowers and more than 75 varieties of towering trees.
The Giant City Visitor Center provides interpretive displays on the geology, plants, animals and history of the park, and regional tourism information.
The rustic beauty of the Giant City Lodge is the perfect fit for the natural splendor of the park, with three types of cabins, and the Bald Knob dining room, the lodge also features a gift shop, lounge, and outdoor swimming pool. Open from early February until early December, contact the lodge for reservation information at 618-457-4921 or visit the Giant City Lodge website.
Giant City is also popular for a camping retreat, with 85 Class A campsites that can be reserved online at ExploreMoreIL™, a Class C camping area with 14 walk-in campsites, and a youth group camping area.
Visitors can enjoy picturesque natural wonders along Giant City's hiking trails, and rock climbing/rappelling are permitted in two locations. Rock Climbing Information
Horseback riding enthusiasts will find an equestrian campground and a 12-mile loop trail, and visitors without horses can stop by Giant City Stables.
Ponds are located throughout the park for bank fishing. Fishing Map | Fishing Information Sheet
For information on seasonal hunting programs at Giant City, view the site Hunter Fact Sheet.
Park Information:
235 Giant City Road
Makanda IL 62958
N: 37.602
W: -89.189
Park Site Map Image
Other Parks in Illinois:


text:
Visit Our Observatory
Constitution & Rules
You are here: Home » About Us » Our Programme
Thursday 2nd, 19:45 - 22:00 - Society Meeting
A Space Fugitive or a case of Astrophobia - John Leach
Thursday 9th, 19:45 - 22:00 - Guest Speaker
The Stellar Origins of the chemical elements. - Kate Womack
Thursday 16th, 19:45 - 22:00 -
What do we know today that we did not know last year. - Prof. Brad Gibson
Thursday 23rd, 19:45 - 22:00 - Guest Speaker
Events on and off planet in 2021 and interesting facts of the cosmos. - Jez Robinson
Thursday 30th, 19:45 - 22:00 - Members only evening.
A Night at the Observatory - Various
< November 2021 January 2022 >
Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society is a Registered Charity in England & Wales, Registered Charity No 1064103.
Registered Address: 147 Queen Street, Swinton, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, S64 8NG
Affiliated to the Federation of Astronomical Societies.
Terms of Use • Privacy & Cookies
Copyright © 2005-2022 Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society.
We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of the site have already been set. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our Privacy Policy.


text:
Suzanne Vega: Live in Watertown New York 1982
January 11, 2015 brucem	Watertown 1982	Tags: Black Widow Station, Brian Rose, Fast Folk Musical Magazine, Gypsy, Jefferson Community College, Just Friends, Knight Moves, Neighborhood Girls, Playing, Some Journey, Straight Lines, Watertown New York	Leave a comment
In November 1982 Suzanne Vega played a gig in Watertown New York at Jefferson Community College. WTNY Radio recorded the concert and your correspondent has heard eight of the songs that survived from that set. This post is part of a series looking at Suzanne Vega's music and career prior to the release of 1985's Suzanne Vega.
The week of November 1st 1982 is the beginning of a several days away from Suzanne's job at Crown Publishers. Earlier in the year she had graduated from Barnard College with her BA in English and had taken this day job, as Coop Advertising Manager, to make ends meet. She is 23 years old.
The engagement in Watertown is part of her ongoing second job to pursue her dream "to be a famous singer and songwriter." The local AM radio station, WTNY, sponsors a weekly concert series, "Coffeehouse 790," at the Jefferson Community College's James McVean Theatre. She traveled the 300 miles from New York City the day before, a trip of eight hours by bus, staying over at the City Line Motel.
Tuesday November 2, 1982:
…The ride up was beautiful. I am too tired to think, though, and I am losing the desire and the discipline to write in a journal. Not fair, not fair! I want a record of the days that are going by too quickly, and I desperately need to be more creative. My job is squeezing the spontaneity out of me. ("Watertown: A Journal," from The Passionate Eye, Avon Books.)
Over the next few days she'll play in places like Watertown, Geneseo, and Bloomsburg, one of many apprenticing musicians; writing–or trying to write–playing whenever and wherever possible, and working day jobs to pay the bills. It is still at least a year before she'll sign with A&M and two years before a prominent concert review in the New York Times. But things are progressing.
Three of her performances—"Cracking" (February 1982), "Gypsy" (June 1982), and "Knight Moves" (September 1982)—along with a with a fourth composition, "Calypso," recorded by Lucy Kaplanski (March 1982)—are included on albums that accompany the monthly issues of The Coop—The Fast Folk Musical Magazine. Equally important is the sense of affiliation she has with the people who are part of the Musician's Co-op/Fast Folk/Speakeasy. Jack Hardy, the Editor of Fast Folk and one of the organizers of the Co-op, gives some hint in his editorial to the first issue of the magazine, in February 1982, of what must have attracted Suzanne to this group:
We can have relative newcomers side by side with older stalwarts. Performers climb on stage at different levels of development. At every level there is merit. We will work with merit: discovering it, championing it and honing it…People have to be creative in the way they listen. There can be much enjoyment derived from listening to someone who has creative potential, but is in an early stage of development.
Gratifying too is the serious attention her work receives. Before her appearance in Watertown, Brian Rose, Assistant Editor and co-founder of Fast Folk, had written a thoughtful critique of her work (probably the first time Vega's work had been so analyzed) in Fast Folk, focusing on the songs "The Marching Dream," "Knight Moves," and "The Queen and the Soldier." Rose wrote:
There are few young songwriters whose work is developed enough to stand much close analysis. Suzanne Vega, a twenty-three year old New Yorker, is a notable exception.
Rose quickly zeroed-in on that part of Vega's work that would seduce millions years later—the elusiveness and "riddle" at the heart of her songs and persona, the enigma of the dreamy fantasist, yielding to her dreams, who is also the stubborn, self-reliant realist.
Vega is or allows herself to become the queen. It is difficult to ascertain to what extent she is indicting herself–the mythic nature of the song allows for the revelation of forbidden emotions that bore to the heart of relations between men and women. Ultimately, the triumph of the song is the queen's refusal to bend, regardless of the horror of the situation. Vega does not let the queen fall into the arms of the gallant soldier, but neither is the queen allowed to find unjust freedom in her rejection of him. "The battle continued on…"
Fast Folk might not be a huge or national vehicle, but it is a serious publication and musicians' network in the one of the few places, New York City, large enough and diverse enough to keep alive a viable folk/acoustic guitar-based songwriter co-operative. Important too are the friendships. Rose:
I cannot remember the exact time that Suzanne and I met. She was a student at Barnard College and I had finished school. I was starting to photograph the Lower East Side (of Manhattan), which was my first project. And I was trying to make a living. Later I got more opportunities but in the beginning it was hard. If you have not done work, if you don't have a portfolio you won't get hired, but you cannot build your portfolio until you get hired, so it is Catch 22. You have to figure out a way to break through that. But at that time I didn't need a lot of money, the apartment was cheap, and we were all very poor. Suzanne was even poorer than I was, and that was poor. Maybe Suzanne and I met at an open mike (at Folk City). You had to be there at 7:30 p.m. but when you got a number between 30 or 40 you were playing your two songs around 2 a.m. So we were hanging out all night. (Interview in the fanzine Language, by Karien Smeding.)
Vega:
My big hero in those days was my friend Brian, who was also…well he was not unemployed but he was freelance, which to me seemed like the same thing. Got up in the morning and sat around for a couple of hours and drink a cup of coffee and read the paper, this seems admirable to me and something that I wanted to do too. His word for doing this was being a boulevardier, so during that summer when I was unemployed I was a boulevardier as were my other friends. The three of us would sit around doing nothing and being very pleased with ourselves. (Language)
Her recordings in Fast Folk, the opportunity to learn how things work, the chance to work-out bits of her stage work–these are no small things if you're a young woman writing songs for the acoustic guitar in a way that's unusual even by the informal, diverse standards of Fast Folk. She's aiming for a sound that doesn't quite exist anywhere else, that isn't folk and isn't rock, at least as anyone else might define it. It's as though Vega's in her own subculture of one, on the edges of the folk scene—the fringe of a fringe. (Vega's unique sound continues to confound traditional categorization. Just one early example is Esquire Magazine's attempt, included near the end of this article, to describe her music in a November, 1985 article.)
If late 1982 is not the nadir of popular music cut from the cloth of the folk tradition, of the acoustic-guitar based singer-songwriter, then it's close. It's been a long dry spell of at least 10 years when performers like Jim Croce, Neil Young, Don McLean, and Gordon Lightfoot last hit pay dirt on the charts (albeit with work that was greatly pasteurized) and were even remotely considered at the forefront of popular music. This was the bind Hardy addressed in the premiere issue of Fast Folk:
Criticism in modern America, and especially in New York, has become either a part of the commercial process or has become synonymous with cynicism. Neither of these states is healthy for an artistic environment, nor are they serving the purpose that criticism was meant to serve: that of discovering, championing and honing art. Nowhere is this as true as in the criticism of modern folk music. Not only is folk music cursed with a label of being non-commercial by the multi-national record corporations, but this curse has been championed by the press. Somewhere along the line critics began reviewing success or potential for success and ceased reviewing music. It no longer mattered what a performance contained, but rather whether it was commercial, commerciality thereby being dictated by the economics of the lowest common denominator.
A number of acts try to keep things interesting, but as Hardy indicated, the folk music scene is cursed. By commercial standards the entire genre is a tiny backwater, and yet the small attempts to build a wider audience often threatens to further dilute those very things that make the folk music scene vital–the focus on the song rather than on image and packaging. It is not enough that Steve Forbert makes some good music, he must be promoted as the next "next Dylan" along with his album Jackrabbit Slim (1979). (Of all the things Vega has accomplished, perhaps nothing is more astounding than the fact that she overcame the hype accompanying her success. Not only was she the next Dylan, she was the next Leonard Cohen, as well as the great female breakthrough hope.)
To be sure there's lots of good music. There's Lucinda William; Loudon Wainwright III; Kate and Anna McGarrigle; Richard Thompson; Townes Van Zandt and many others. Bruce Cockburn's song "Wondering Where the Lions Are" breaches the pop charts, reaching as high as #21 in 1980 and Bruce Springsteen's, stark, all-acoustic album Nebraska is released in 1982. It reaches #3, but it's considered a risky move, one made possible only because his last album, The River (#1, 1980), sold over two million copies. Still, even Dylan doesn't seem to be the "next Dylan"–his last three albums are the gospel-fueled Slow Train Coming, Saved, and 1981's Shot of Love. The week Suzanne is appearing in Watertown the Number 1 song in America is Men at Work's "Who Can It Be Now?" "Folk singers" are seen by many, frankly, as great for college pubs, singing "Patricia the Stripper," but they are far from attracting the attention of record labels or concert promoters, let alone capturing the public imagination. They aren't chasing some Elvis-sized pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It's an accomplishment to be able to quit your day job.
All this to say, that if you're traveling in the folk music circles you are decidedly swimming against the tide, in addition to the grinding work to find a new voice and songwriting style in what can be a tradition-bound musical aesthetic. Every guy (and it still is mostly guys at this point) who picks up an acoustic guitar seems to fall into one mold or another: Dylan '63, the Neil Young songbook, or, at a stretch, the Bruce Cockburn catalogue. The long shadows of the folk music legends, The Newport Folk Festival, and the expectations of what an acoustic guitar-based song should sound like are cast everywhere. It's within this context that we should listen to Suzanne Vega, 23 years old, playing at Watertown, playing gigs spliced here and there, but to what end? and when?
What we hear on this recording is what we can still hear today whenever Suzanne takes to the stage: a willful, stubborn need to sing her songs, in her way, and to perform her music in the face of a palpable sense of reserve that is moderated by her bits of stage ritual. Vega will not—and does not seem capable even if she wanted to—change her style or her essential approach to her music to please or even to solicit applause. There is at the heart of it all, an internal sense of how her music should sound, a mental image of the aesthetic she wants to achieve and how she wants to project herself. In the face of all of this, in the face of the impracticalities of her calling, there must be something that is keeping her going. This recording gives us a glimpse at just what that was.
Playing.
This is one of the few, if not only, known recordings of this song. Written at age 15, "Playing" is transparently adolescent and is probably one of several early songs Suzanne included in her performances of that time to experiment and to fill-out her sets. As might be expected, the song's structure is fairly straight-forward—when she wrote it, she was quite young and still working within the paradigms of the traditional folk-type song. Yet the song is fascinating not so much because of the music—the guitar-work is fairly undistinguished and anonymous—but because of the lyric. Like several of Suzanne's early songs and poems, "Playing" reveals an exuberance and playfulness that is screened or only rarely revealed in Vega's later music, but seems always just beneath the surface in songs like "Tombstone" (1996) or something like the "Wallaby Song." It's also an early example of the motif of wanderlust, fantasy, and desire for freedom that permeates so much of Vega's work and runs through the songs on this recording. We hear the freedom to dream and the freedom of dreams, the freedom from identity that comes with play-acting, and the wanderlust and freedom from responsibility we are afforded in our fantasy life.
See me go I'm not earthbound
I barely touch upon the ground
Like Mercury I'm sailing free
maybe I'll catch you next time around
You can hear that same yearning in "The Silver Lady," another song she wrote at 15.
I said, "Lady, why are you crying?
If I had wings like you
I would be flying all over this river
And singing like only birds do."
Well she threw back her head and she smiled at me
Her tears, how they shone in the sun
She said, "I have no wings to fly with
If I did I would surely be gone."
Straight Lines.
There's a sound
Across the alley
Of cold metal
Touching skin
That this song—mature, arresting—follows the more traditional-sounding "Playing" only heightens the impact of hearing it. Juxtaposed against "Playing," it has the same effect as seeing a master's painting alongside an accomplished amateur's sketch. One wonders to what extent Vega realized that in "Straight Lines" she had achieved the unique sound and aesthetic for which she'd been searching. The guitar line is precise, skeletal, unmistakably Vega; the lyric crisp, sharp, assertive. Indeed so sharp, so jolting in its high-resolution images, that the ordinary, the mundane, takes on a malevolence and clinical fascination, like one of those disorienting close-ups of unidentifiable body parts.
As in "The Queen and the Soldier," Vega seems equally the observer and the observed, with Vega keeping us guessing at where the line is drawn. The stripped-down lyric works on many levels– as will so many of Vega's best songs in the future—as pure sound ("cold metal", "Too close to the bone"), as metaphor (hear again the freedom, the liberation implicit as "She wants to cut through the circles/That she has lived in before"), and as graphic, almost cinematic, narrative (the way the lyric acts like a detailed storyboard—"She is taking the shade down/From the light/To see the straight lines").
"Straight Lines" is, like her song "Cracking," a singular act of originality, a sound no one has ever quite made before. It is, in its own way, as much an aesthetic triumph as Presley's "That's All Right," a sound that seems so correct and natural after the fact, but utterly unimaginable until the artist blurts it out. The sound the critics will praise and fans will dissect a few years from now is already here, playing at Coffeehouse 790.
Gypsy.
Written in 1978, "Gypsy" has been a mainstay of Vega's sets for close to twenty years. Musically, it is less ambitious than "Straight Lines," but it has remained effective because of the lovely, flowing melody and vocal as well as the honest emotion that is evident in the song–it's one of Vega's few songs that is so openly sentimental. An hour of nothing but this kind of song would wear thin, but when placed alongside the dispassionate "Straight Lines" and Vega's other songs, the effect is startling, something that remains true to this day.
Black Widow Station.
This song is rarely performed by Vega today, but was a part of her set for several years. Vega assumes the direct, fist-in-a-velvet-glove, humorous tone that is so much a part of her appeal:
And it's as crowded as a subway car and I think that
you're confused.
Now I would wait at your station but I do believe it's time
that I went home.
It's the same tone we'll hear years later in songs like "Blood Makes Noise" (99.9F):
So just forget it, Doc.
I think it's really
cool that you're concerned
But we'll have to try again
After the silence has returned
Knight Moves.
This song, like "Straight Lines," "Neighborhood Girls," and "Some Journey" would appear on Vega's first album. One of its most distinctive features is the contrast between the short, sharp syncopation of the verses with the flowing, cyclical, hypnotic chorus ("Do you love any, do you love none, do you love many, can you love one, do you love me?") a device she would use to great effect years later in songs like "Language" (Solitude Standing, 1987), "Pilgrimage" and "Those Whole Girls" (days of Open Hand, 1990), and "99.9 F" (99.9 F, 1992).
Neighborhood Girls.
"Neighborhood Girls" is one of the songs that best conveys Vega's personality–it's unmistakably "New York" in its use of language (one can almost hear the accents in the dialogue), direct imagery, and dry sense of humor. It's also one of the many vignettes of urban life that find their way into Vega's music (the pastoral-sounding "Gypsy" is a rare exception). The stark, angular lines and shadows of the city inform the imagery of this song, along with "Straight Lines," "Black Widow Station," and "Some Journey."
Just Friends.
"Just Friends" is probably the most unusual cut on Watertown. Written in 1979, the song comes at one from left field–there are few if any songs in Vega's recorded repertoire that bear any similarity to it. Vega has always been drawn to a wide variety of musical styles, yet many tend to think of her music within a fairly narrow stylistic range. In part, this perception is understandable given the chords and song constructions she favors, yet overall this impression is inaccurate, for even within this eight-song recording we can hear a variety of influences and themes at work. The countless transformations and incarnations of the song "Tom's Diner" is but one example of how Vega's music straddles traditional boundaries and of the breadth of its appeal.
"Just Friends" reveals a side of her musical personality that is all-too-rarely heard in her music, a whimsical, quirky, old-fashioned, almost music-hall-sounding style that brings to mind aspects of "Tom's Diner" (a song she wrote in 1982) or "Tombstone" (1996). Suzanne Vega rarely writes the obvious. Here we find her writing a gently humorous song about platonic friendship, rather than another love song as most others would, and write it in a way that walks a line between heart-felt sincerity and gentle irony–it could be interpreted many ways.
If I see your hand upon me
it's no reason for alarm
I realize you must have seen
something walking down my arm
And I know you didn't
mean it that way
'cause we're just friends
The song features a subtle set of tempo changes and a rapid fire lyric. Though at points a little strained, her vocal seems, for just a few moments, wonderfully unguarded and vulnerable, like a door briefly cracked open upon some beautiful, hidden room.
Some Journey.
Would you have taken me upstairs
And turned the lamp light low?
Would I have shown my secret self
And disappeared like the snow?
Another powerful, early composition, "Some Journey" is still one of the strongest songs in Vega's repertoire. In addition to the powerful imagery ("If we had met on some eastbound train/through some black sleeping town"), the song is noteworthy for the motif of the memory/fantasy/play-acting world inhabited by the narrator who snaps back to "reality" in the final verses ("But as it is, we live in the city/and everything stays in place/Instead we meet on the open sidewalk/And it's well I know your face"). This theme of memory/fantasy will reappear in a wide range of her songs in the future such as "In Liverpool" (99.9F) and "Rosemary" (Tried and True, 1998), but "Some Journey" shows that this motif has played a huge role in Vega's art from the very beginning.
So today I am getting back on the bus for NYC. I wish I had time to write down my impressions of Geneseo and Bloomsburg.
Bloomsburg seems to be a sad little town. I like it. The audience was the best one I've had, I think. They were like me! Reserved, but they liked the music, and came up in between the sets and requested songs from the LPs and I thought, "They really came to hear me and not just the 'coffeehouse performer.'" (The Passionate Eye)
Vega's performance holds up very well; her stage work over the years has been remarkably consistent. In her sense of humor and approach to performance, the Suzanne Vega one sees today is very much the same person as at the Jefferson Community College in 1982. Understated is probably the best word. Vega has never mugged it up for the audience and in this recording we can hear how straight and level she approaches the performance. "Hmmm" she says after singing "Black Widow Station," almost as if appraising her own work from a distance. And there's the self-conscious, laconic "I'm done," that seems to sum up the intriguing mix of a theatric need to be the center of things, with an almost equally strong aversion of excess, and, one senses, of losing control. At times it's as if we are eavesdropping on a public, private, performance.
"The freshest and clearest new voice on the New York folk- music scene these days belongs to Suzanne Vega… [She] has the pristine enunciation and ringing, acoustic guitar style that make her an heir to the folk-pop tradition of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. But the introverted, diamond- hard imagery of her song lyrics, many of which describe New York's street life with a photographic objectivity, and her trancelike melodies that favor the whole-tone scale also reflect new-wave and Eastern influences. New York Times, September 28, 1984.
"[Vega] emerges as the strongest, most decisively shaped songwriting personality to come along in years." John Rockwell, New York Times April 14, 1985.
"[Vega] is a masterfully economical and literate lyricist whose piercing images repeatedly strike an emotional bull's-eye. She's a gifted melodist and an instinctively clever singer whose voice veers, when appropriate, from aloofness to intimacy. Vega's strength is in lean, provocative imagery and unlikely but dazzling metaphors." New York Newsday, May 7, 1985.
"New York folkies haven't had a singer to swoon over for a long time, but they do now. They have Suzanne Vega, whose self-titled A&M debut album is causing palpitations in Folk City circles. They're calling the twenty-six-year-old singer-songwriter the new early Bob Dylan, the new early Joni Mitchell, and yes, the new early Leonard Cohen. Those who worry she will be tainted by the folkie label are also calling her the new folk-style Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Patti Smith. It's not old-style folk music, they argue, it's proto-minimalist folk-rock. Several songs, they'll tell you, are prime examples of a new musical form: "folk-rap fusion." Esquire Magazine, November 1985.
Within three years of this performance, everything will have changed. The album Suzanne Vega will blow apart all expectations and will be played–will be studied–in a million bedrooms, the voice on the recording crowding ten thousand daydreams. By 1987, with Solitude Standing and with "Luka," Vega's fame will outstrip the limits of what was thought possible only a few years earlier. In a thousand ways that one can never fully trace, the music from these albums will inspire or boost the careers of countless guitar-wielding songwriters. It may have happened anyway, but today's female singer-songwriters are some of the many unexpected end results of Suzanne Vega's music and of the quiet revolution she set off.


In view of the response I've received over the last several months for my Daily Resistance project, I have created a poster featuring 23 of the pieces. It is available for sale here. After I meet the expenses of production, I will donate 50% of the proceeds to organizations promoting peace, equality, and justice here, and a healthy planet for all.


text:
Home > Research Our Records > African American History > Kathleen Cleaver (May 13, 1945)
Research at the National Archives
Visit Us Nationwide
Online Research Tools and Aids
African American Research
Freedmen's Bureau Records
Black Family Research: Post-Civil War
African American Reference Reports
Slavery Records
Black History Records listed by Record Group Clusters
WWII Pictures of African Americans
How to Order Copies of Records
Forms for ordering
Washington, DC Area
Kathleen Cleaver (May 13, 1945)
Kathleen Neal Cleaver was born in Dallas, Texas and spent much of her childhood living abroad with her family due to her father's position in the Foreign Service. After the family returned to the United States, she attended a Quaker boarding school and later attended Oberlin College and Barnard College. Her activism began when she left college to work for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in New York City. She organized a student conference at Fisk University, and at this conference she met Eldridge Cleaver, Minister of Information for the Black Panther Party. They moved to San Francisco and married in late 1967. Kathleen became the Communications Secretary and was the first woman in the Party's leadership group.
Following a series of shootouts with police and other reported criminal activity, Eldridge fled the country in 1968 and Kathleen joined him a year later. The couple lived in Cuba, Algeria, France, and North Korea. When they returned to the United States, Eldridge was again tied up in litigation for previous activity. Kathleen obtained a scholarship to Yale University and graduated with honors and a history degree in 1984. She divorced Eldridge in 1987, then earned a law degree at Yale Law School. Since then, Kathleen has held multiple professorships and also worked as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals. She is currently a senior lecturer at the Emory University School of Law.
Social Networks and Archival Context - Kathleen Cleaver
Kathleen Cleaver in a still from "Black Panther" (NAID 12101)
Selected Records Relating to Kathleen Cleaver
RG 65: Records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Classification 44 (Civil Rights) Headquarters Case Files
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files [Knoxville, Tennessee Field Division]
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, [Jackson, Mississippi Field Division]
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, [Savannah, Georgia Field Division]
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, [Detroit, Michigan Field Division]
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, [Cleveland, Ohio Field Division]
Classification 157 (Civil Unrest) Case Files, [Washington D.C. Field Division]
44-39665, California (1968) Eldridge Cleaver, Kathleen Cleaver, Huey Newton, BPP, Emory Douglas
157-2688 Kathleen Neal Cleaver
157-14841 Kathleen Neal Cleaver
157-2039 Kathleen Neal Cleaver--Cleaver Faction--Black Panther Party (BPP)
157-4347 Kathleen Cleaver
157-1584 Kathleen Cleaver -- Black Panther Party
This page was last reviewed on August 25, 2020.


text:
Q: Fast algorithm for boundary value problem I am looking for the fastest way to solve the following problem:
Given some volume of lattice points in a 3D grid, some points b_i (the boundary) satisfy f(b_i)=0, while another point a_0 satisfies f(a_0)= 1.
All other points (non-boundary) are some linear combination of the surrounding 26 points. For example, I could want
f(i, j, k)= .05*f(i+1, j, k)+.1*f(i, j+1, k)+.07*f(i, j, k+1)+...

The sum of the coefficients .05+.1+.07+... will add up to 1. My objective is to solve for f(x_i) for all x_i in the volume.
Currently, I am using the successive over-relaxation (SOR) method, which basically initializes the boundary of the volume, assigns to each point the weighted average of the 26 surrounding points, and repeats. The SOR method just takes a combination of f(x_i) after the most recent iteration and f(x_i) after an iteration before.
I was wondering if anyone knows of any faster ways to solve this problem for a 3D grid around the size 102x102x48. SOR currently takes about 500-1000 iterations to converge to the level I want (varying depending on the coefficients used). I am most willing to use matlab, idl, and c++. Does anyone have any idea of how fast SOR is compared to converting the problem into a linear system and using matrix methods (like BCGSTAB)? Also, which method would be most effectively (and easily) parallelized? I have access to a 250 core cluster, and have been trying to make the SOR method parallel using mpi and c++, but haven't seen as much speed increase as I would like (ideal would be on the order of 100-fold). I would greatly appreciate any ideas on speeding up the solution to this problem. Thanks.

A: If you're comfortable with multithreading, using a red-black scheme for SOR can give a decent speedup. For a 2D problem, imagine a checkerboard - the red squares only depend on the black squares (and possibly themselves), so you can update all the red squares in parallel, and then repeat for all the black ones. Note that this does converge more slowly than the simple ordering, but it lets you spread the work over multiple threads.
Conjugate gradient methods will generally converge faster than SOR (if I remember correctly, by about an order of magnitude). I've never used BCGSTAB, but I remember GMRES working well on non-symmetric problems, and they can probably both benefit from preconditioning.
As for opportunities for parallelization, most CG-type methods only need you to compute the matrix-vector product A*x, so you never need to form the full matrix. That's probably the biggest cost of each iteration, and so it's where you should look at multithreading.
Two good references on this are Golub and Van Loan, and Trefethen and Bau. The latter is much more readable IMHO.
Hope that helps...

A: I've got (I think) an exact solution, however, it might be long. The main problem would be computation on a very very big (and hopefully sparse) matrix.
Let's say you have N points in your volume. Let's call p1...pN these points. What you are looking for is f(p1)...f(pN)
Let's take a point pi. It has got 26 neighbours. Let's call them pi-1...pi-26. I suppose you have access for each point pi to the coefficients of the linear combination. Let's call them ci-1...ci-j...ci-26 (for "coefficient of the linear combination for point pi to its j-th neighbour)
Let's do even better, you can consider that pi is a linear combination of all the points in your space, except that most of them (except 26) are equals to 0. You have your coefficients ci-1...ci-N.
You can now build a big matrix N*N of these ci-j coefficients :
+---------------------    -------+
|  0  | c1-2 | c1-3 | ... | c1-N |   |f(p1)|    |f(p1)|
+---------------------    -------+   |     |    |     |
| c2_1|   0  | c2-3 | ... | c1-N |   |f(p2)|    |f(p2)|
+---------------------    -------+ * .     . =  .     .
|                                |   .     .    .     .
.                                .   .     .    .     .
+---------------------    -------+   .     .    .     .
| cN-1| cN-2 | cN-3 | ... |   0  |   |f(pN)|    |f(pN)|
+---------------------    -------+

Amazing! The solution you're looking for is one of the eigenvectors corresponding to the eigenvalue 1!
Use an optimised matrix library that computes eigenvectors efficiently (for sparse matrix) and hope it is already parallelised!
Edit : Amusing, I just reread your post, seems I just gave you your BCGSTAB solution... Sorry! ^^
Re-edit : In fact, I'm not sure, are you talking about "Biconjugate Gradient Stabilized Method"? Because I don't see the linear method you're talking about if you're doing gradient descent...
Re-re-edit : I love math =) I can even prove that given the condition sum of the ci = 1 that 1 is in fact an eigenvalue. I do not know the dimension of the corresponding space, but it is at least 1!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Read PDF content in Android using Apache PDFBox I am trying to read the pdf content text page by page, but I never used PDFBox before, I wrote the following code just using Autocomplete and Google. Now I want to get the page content. This is an Android application.
PDFBoxResourceLoader.init(applicationContext)

thread {
    val ins = resources.openRawResource(
        resources.getIdentifier("file",
            "raw", packageName))
    debug(TAG, "Loading PDF...")
    val document = PDDocument.load(ins)
    debug(TAG, "PDF Loaded.")

    for (i in 0 until document.numberOfPages) {
        val page = document.getPage(i)
        debug(TAG, page.hasContents())
    }
}

A: I believe there is no need an explanation for this because you can clearly understand it from this code snippet.
PDFBoxResourceLoader.init(applicationContext)

thread {
    val ins = resources.openRawResource(
        resources.getIdentifier("file",
            "raw", packageName))
    debug(TAG, "Loading PDF...")
    val document = PDDocument.load(ins)
    debug(TAG, "PDF Loaded.")

    val reader = PDFTextStripper()

    for (i in 0 until document.numberOfPages) {
        reader.startPage = i
        reader.endPage = i
        val content = reader.getText(document)

        debug(TAG, content)
    }
}


I am currently the Open Access (OA) Librarian in the Office of Scholarly Communications at UNC Libraries. This is a newly created position in a small department, so I work on many different aspects within Schol Comm. One of my primary roles is to lead the outreach and communication initiatives for the UNC Faculty Council's Open Access Policy implementation, which so far has included collaborating with a marketing firm on a campaign for OA awareness and authors' rights, developing faculty and graduate student competencies in OA, and establishing connections with UNC departments to deposit materials in the Carolina Digital Repository. I also frequently get to work with (TRLN) Scholarly Communications colleagues to support cross-institutional programs and events.
That depends on the day! Over the past month, I have had several opportunities to visit department meetings and have been blown away by the interest from the faculty. I have also been meeting with several graduate students in the UNC School of Information and Library Science and we're cooking up some very exciting plans for OA in the fall.
3. If you had a magic wand and could change one thing in the scholcomm ecosystem, what would it be?
Imposter syndrome. From librarians, to faculty, to students, to publishers, I have so many conversations with people that stem from their fears about being a fraud. Sometimes this prevents people from asking for help, sharing their accomplishments, or even discussing ideas with potential collaborators. My magic wand would cast a spell for an open and transparent environment in which scholarship and the people who produce it, use it, access it, make it discoverable, and preserve it can do their work without so much anxiety.
4. If you were NOT a scholcomm librarian, what would you be?
A career counselor! Throughout my own career I have worked in many different industries and I'm fascinated by emerging careers and changing workplace cultures. I love helping people to think about the type of work they want to do and how their previous experience and interests have prepared them to take on new challenges.