text:
From left to right, Chinese Vice Premier, head of the delegation of the Beijing 2022 Bid Committee, Liu Yandong, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, stand during the opening ceremony of IOC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,Thursday, July, 30, 2015. Malaysia is hosting the 128th International Olympic Committee executive board meeting where the vote for the host cities of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and for the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games will take place. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Beijing favorite in IOC vote for 2022 Winter Olympics
By STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — When it comes to votes on Olympic host cities, geopolitics can play a crucial role in determining the victor.
That's likely to be the case more than ever Friday when the International Olympic Committee chooses between Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, for the 2022 Winter Games.
It's a contest between China, the world's most populous nation and a rising global giant with a huge economy, against a young country and former Soviet republic in Central Asia that is hoping to establish itself as a player on the world stage.
Against that backdrop and after a low-key campaign, Beijing goes in as the favorite as it bids to become the first city to host both summer and winter games.
"The general feeling is that Almaty may do a little better than most people would have thought," IOC vice president Craig Reedie told The Associated Press on Thursday. "You have to believe the sheer weight of Chinese influence on a worldwide basis may be enough to swing them over the line."
Neither Beijing nor Almaty was given much of a chance of landing the games when the 2022 bid race opened two years ago. But they found themselves as the only two candidates left after four European cities — including Oslo and Stockholm — pulled out for political or financial reasons. Some were scared off the by the $51 billion price tag associated with the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
If Friday's vote among 86 IOC members were strictly on technical merits, Almaty would have an advantage because of its winter sports history and setting, surrounded by mountain peaks covered by plenty of natural snow — hence the slogan "Keeping it Real." Almaty boasts 70 percent of venues in place and a compact layout with all venues within a 30-kilometer (18-mile) radius.
"We have a lot of challenges in Kazakhstan," Prime Minister Karim Massimov said. "But snow is our advantage."
Beijing would use several venues from the 2008 Summer Olympics, including the "Bird's Nest" stadium and "Water Cube" arena.
"Legacy is everything," former NBA star and Beijing bid team member Yao Ming said. "Beijing 2008 allowed us to experience the Olympic spirit, and 2022 gives us a chance to carry on the spirit."
Beijing's mountain events would be held at venues in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, 60 and 140 kilometers (40 and 90 miles) away from the city. A planned high-speed rail line to Zhangjiakou is designed to cut travel time to 50 minutes.
In contrast to Almaty, Beijing would rely heavily on artificial snow. Chinese officials said they have plenty of water supplies and snow-making equipment to provide excellent conditions.
Weighing in Beijing's favor is the IOC's familiarity with China from the 2008 Games and trust that the Chinese can deliver. China's pitch to develop winter sports to a market of more than 300 million people in northern China also resonates with the IOC, as does the country's political and economic stability. Lesser familiar Kazakhstan, whose 75-year-old president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been in power since 1989, is seen as more of a risk by many IOC members.
Both countries have been criticized for their human rights records. Watchdog groups have called on the IOC to ensure that the winning bid upholds new clauses in the host city contract on non-discrimination and protection of rights during the games. However, IOC President Thomas Bach said Thursday the provisions could only be enforced "in the context of the Olympic Games."
"The IOC has to respect the laws of sovereign states," he said the opening ceremony of the body's 128th session. "The IOC is not a world government."
IOC votes can be unpredictable, as members vote often for individual reasons. This is especially the case when it comes to the Winter Games, as a majority of the members have little connection with winter sports. Many members are more interested in the race for the 2024 Summer Games.
Almaty is bidding for a second time, but this is the first time it made it to the vote after being cut in the preliminary stage for the 2014 Games. Securing the Olympics would represent a major step in raising its global profile.
"In the international arena, we can place Kazakhstan on the map and place Almaty on the international sports map," Massimov, the prime minister, told a small group of reporters. "Twenty-five years ago we were part of the Soviet Union. We had a different image. We want to change the image. We want the international audience to understand better what we are doing and where we heading in the future."


text:
Joseph Knight By James Robertson
by James Robertson
Exiled to Jamaica in 1746, Sir John Wedderburn made a fortune, returning to Scotland with Joseph Knight, a black slave. Now, in 1802, Sir John is settling his estate, and wants to find his former slave. Can old wounds that once touched the heart of Scottish law ever heal?
Joseph Knight Summary
Second novel by the best-selling author of THE FANATIC: a gripping, shocking story of history, enlightement and slavery. JOSPEH KNIGHT will confirm James Robertson as one of our foremost novelists. Exiled to Jamaica after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Sir John Wedderburn made a fortune, alongside his three brothers, as a faux surgeon and sugar planter. In the 1770s, he returned to Scotland to marry and re-establish the family name. He brought with him Joseph Knight, a black slave and a token of his years in the Caribbean. Now, in 1802, Sir John Wedderburn is settling his estate, and has hired a solicitor's agent, Archibald Jamieson, to search for his former slave. The past has haunted Wedderburn ever since Culloden, and ever since he last saw Knight, in court twenty-four years ago, in a case that went to the heart of Scottish society, pitting master against slave, white against black, and rich against poor. As long as Knight is missing, Wedderburn will never be able to escape the past. Yet what will he do if Jamieson's search is successful? And what effect will this re-opening of old wounds have on those around him? Meanwhile, as Jamieson tries to unravel the true story of Joseph Knight he begins to question his own motivation. How can he possibly find a man who does not want to be found? James Robertson's second novel is a tour de force, the gripping story of a search for a life that stretches over sixty years and moves from battlefields to the plantations of Jamaica, from Enlightenment Edinburgh to the back streets of Dundee. It is a moving narrative of history, identity and ideas, that dramatically retells a fascinating but forgotten episode of Scottish history.
Joseph Knight Reviews
Praise for THE FANATIC *'Utterly compelling.' The Times *'A remarkable book.' Andrew Marr, Observer *'Robertson takes not just history but the notion of history; not just the question of what truth is but the act of questioning itself and breathes and extraordinary life into them... In this complex, superbly claustrophobic novel where everything is meticulously researched, and just as importantly, meticulously imagined, he urges us to see ourselves anew.' Scotland on Sunday * 'Scottish history has never been so gripping.' Sunday Herald * ' The Fanatic is a rattling good read.' Independent on Sunday
About James Robertson
James Robertson is the bestselling author of THE FANATIC as well as two collections of short stories. He is a journalist, teacher of creative writing and award winning poet.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Is it just me or those Metro apps really sucks so bad?
win8 Is it just me or those Metro apps really sucks so bad?
By wellofsouls, October 4, 2012 in Microsoft Windows
TruckWEB 480
I Didn't Do That...
I wonder if all the Surface RT buyers know that they are stuck with Metro Apps only and Office RT (without Outlook, stuck with Metro Mail)....
Microsoft did not do a good marketing job at telling people that Surface RT is not x86 compatible with all Windows applications....
Lets just guess the return rate of the RT tablets...
Denis W. 731
The True North!
Location: Toronto, Ontario [CA]
OS: Windows 10 Pro and macOS Mojave
Phone: iPhone 8+
Mail is a good solution for tablet users but I don't see why people would choose to use it on a desktop system, just like I don't see why anybody would even consider using Music on a desktop system. Metro apps run on desktop systems but they weren't designed for them, despite all the protestations to the contrary - they are a backwards step from the software already available on the desktop.
May be inclined to agree with Music, but for Mail my use of it is based on three factors: a) Live Mail tends to be slow with large mailboxes, b) using your Live/Hotmail/Outlook account with other clients, you can't get push notifications for new incoming emails (maybe you can with the Office Outlook client?), and c) can get notifications while the app is in the background, or right after I resume my computer from sleep and I see mail notifications on the lock screen.
That said, its feature set really needs to be up to parity with at least the Outlook web client.
Frogboy 57
Staying on topic (we can talk about the problems with the Start screen elsewhere)...
The problem with Metro apps as I see it is as follows.
1. One size fits all. What works on a 11 inch screen is ridiculous on a 24 inch monitor.
2. The charms bar is a terrible design. It's vertical which makes it harder to work with -- there is a wealth of research available on vertical vs. horizontal UI's.)
3. The charms bar has poor choices as its universals: Search (encourages app makers to make searching take an extra step), Share (very app specific), Devices (rarely used), Start screen (shouldn't be here, should be an always present element of the app), Options (THIS one is good).
4. Metro apps lack any sort of consistent set of guidelines. Each app has to be learned as if it were a DOS app. Some usage standard will likely get cobbled together but Microsoft's included apps should have provided an example. They don't.
The included apps include:
a. The stock app
b. The mail app
c. The Photos app
d. The people app
e. The maps app
They are all almost unusable. The maps app in particular might as well as an ActiveX control of the Bing home page. All of them require more effort to use than the apps they replaced.
In each case, the problem isn't just the matter that people have to learn a new way to use these apps. It's that even once you know, you realize that it is a vastly inferior way of working.
The default Metro apps are the worst of both words. For new users, they're confusing and obtuse to use because it lacks discoverability. For experts, they're tedious and inefficient. It's like Microsoft decided the gadgets from Vista were such a great idea that they decided to make an OS around it.
Dot Matrix 7,438
Location: Flour City, New York, USA
Phone: Microsoft Lumia 950
Each app has to be learned as if it were a DOS app.
I'm not sure what you mean. The UI controls are the same app to app. There is no difference. Search, Share, and Settings are all in one spot. How is learning this a chore?
HawkMan 5,232
Phone: Noka Lumia 1020
Your point 4 is plain BS, as I already told you in a previous reply. Metro apps have very specific guidelines, and they are very consistent in how you use them. You're a developer you should know this, or are you just to stuck in the old desktop metaphor to be able to adapt ? And Metro apps are the most universally consistent UI and UX paradigm so far. iOS was what was most lauded for being universally consistent before, just behind OSX. Metro apps so far are far more consistent than any of them, and I have yet to see any metro apps on the store that don't fit in with the Metro UI/UX. There's variety of how good apps are made with regards to them, but they are consistent.
If you know how to use one Metro app, you know how to use them all. and this is the best part, you don't need to learn to use Metro, they're just intuitive and straight forward.
You sound mostly like a developer who don't want to change and clings on to the old.
The photo apps didn't really replace anything, well in fact it replaced the old photo viewer. and is far more versatile and usable than that, there was no stock app, so what exactly did it replace ? Windows 7 didn't have a mail app included. so again, what did it replace ? the people app replaces contacts, just as easy to use, far more powerful and feature rich. again, there was no mail app before either. also mail app isn't really usable or serve a purpose on desktops anyway.
as for point 2, how is it terrible design, you mention research, but fail to mention any specific examples, and the fact that it is the best design for the purpose. would you have the charms bar at the bottom ? now THAT would be terrible, it's only supposed to have a few options there, so instead of using some of the wealth of horizontal space, you'd waste a significant portion of the limited vertical space. Bottom placement would interfere with the start button hot corner, also it'd be impossible to slide out with your thumbs. I'm guessing you don't do much of the UI design and UX work at Stardock ?
and for point 3, Nope, as I said before, the search makes perfect sense there. I know where search is at any point in metro apps, I can search any metro app from anywhere, want to look up a Netflix movie while surfing the web, bring up search, write terms and pick netflix, BAM there it is!. Share is there because it's supposed to be universal, hmm weren't you just complaining that Metro wasn't universal enough, yet you want to change what makes it universal :facepalm:. Devices may be rarely used for you, and for now, but it's there for future proofing as well, and definitely has a place there. what would you have there in it's place.
your complaints about the charms bar indicate you don't adapt very well to the metro UX, and don't understand the purpose. it's not supposed to change with apps, it's supposed to be consistent and universal. Start has a very natural place there, for desktop users it may not make much sense since you have the hot corner, but on a tablet, it's exactly where your thumb is. and again, consistency.
The problem is that he complains about consistency and yet doesn't seem to have ever used a single metro app since he thinks they're so inconsistent, and doesn't understand how the charms bar is a key part in UX consistency.
LostCat 1,362
Red Wizard
Location: The land of the golden idiot
I expect they'll be upgraded as time goes on as they'll likely take over for the Windows Live suite entirely. Yes, they lack, but they're new (as is the OS they run on) so there is that.
I love Reader and the pics app because they cut out the chrome and get me full screen stuff, which is exactly what I want. The pics app when I used it was disappointing in its lack of sorting options though.
I can't really get into this discussion though, it'll have to wait until I actually have the OS.
(Also yes, I'm on a 24" monitor.)
NightScreams 97
Neowinian
Frogboy has some valid points and opinions. How much it will bother the average person remains to be seen, however should be no doubt that MS will evolve this Metro 1.0 and developers will find interesting ways to do more things over time as the number of apps grow.
This is a growing pain and should be expected from a company that is quite a few years behind in the mobile space trying to play catchup while still trying to differentiate themselves.
If those were the only settings a typical app had, that would be fine.
As for the rest, I think history will decide.
Still not sure what you mean. Other settings and options are available via a right click.
remixedcat 2,767
meow!
Location: playing with your soul
OS: Windows Server 2012 R2
Phone: I use telepathy and cat meows to communicate
Might sit mom down and do a video as well.... will see how she picks up "windows 8" (really server 2012 but same difference)
BajiRav 2,137
Location: Xbox, where am I?
OS: Windows 8.1, Windows 8
Phone: Lumia 920
How incredibly convenient you have to switch between Desktop and Metro apps.
Metro Commander is your friend. ;) No need to switch to Desktop for file management. I am still not sure about the big issue with switching between Desktop and Metro, what the **** is "jarring" in that? Most of you are not using Windows 8 on a tablet - so using desktop+metro shouldn't be such a big deal.
Active. 1,697
OS: 2 Warp
Metro Commander is your friend. ;) No need to switch to Desktop for file management.
In which case you're using something that pretty much works (and looks) like a modern version of Norton Commander to manage your music...not sure why you would want do that to yourself :cry:
To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of the iPad music app either (even though it seems miles beyond the WinRT Music app). On a Desktop system though, it seems to me there are solutions(as part of the desktop environment) that are far more preferable to the Metro Music app.
omganinja 26
First thing I did when I installed Windows 8 on my desktop was remove all the metro apps, it is now an improved version of Windows 7 with a start screen (which very rarely gets used). Everyone hating on Windows 8 is retarded, if you don't like it, fix it.
zhangm 1,338
Just installed the latest Music update. Guess what you see when you scroll through a list of songs?
~Johnny 397
Location: London, England, Earth, Milky Way
It's a shame because even I've written a music player that can more or less scroll through your tracks properly - though I understand why it's happening and why they've coded it like that. Well, that's what they get for forcing themselves to do the UI with HTML & JS :p
Dashel 542
Disgustipator
If you don't get a palette changing, full screen transition can be quite jarring to some, then you are simply being stubborn.
I also don't get the disconnect that the user must learn that some options are on the Charm, yet others are via right-click. Both hidden.
More updates today to several apps, fingers crossed.
Sorry if I'm not up to date on these things anymore, but the entire Rest of the Internet is coded with HTML and JS, and my browser isn't blanking out when scrolling rapidly through a webpage. I'm not seeing the rationale for this "feature".
From what I can tell, they've virtualised the contents of the list, so they use JS to create the HTML / layout for each item in the list as it scrolls into view (and get rid of it when it scrolls out of view) - with the intention of reducing the overall RAM consumption when there's a lot of items in the list, and to possibly reduce upfront page render / creation times. It's not something you typically see web developers doing, but it's a common technique in desktop development. It also means they can delay calls to load the album artwork until that items scrolls into view, which is more of a concern on when your accessing content on a local machine than on a server.
While this is great from a resource consumption standpoint, it's a poor showing of usability. I find it frustratingly difficult to skim through my library in search of something to listen to, since I can't see the content that I'm trying to look at while scrolling. I think it more or less defeats the purpose of being able to scroll through the list in the first place, seeing as how it won't display what you've scrolled to unless you stop.
That is true - and why I think it's silly they went with HTML & JS for the UI. They've tried to hack in this kind of virtualistion into a framework that wasn't designed for it, rather than using a XAML based layout who's list controls are specially designed for it, and virtualise so fast that in this kind of situation you wouldn't even be able to tell they're doing it (Which, I know, because that's what my application does).
(Technically it doesn't wait for you to stop scrolling, but the way they've designed it it will attempt to render everything you scroll past and then, even if you scroll past vast sections of list you don't care about and never see that list item - everything gets rendered in order. So when you stop scrolling, it's still busy trying to render everything you've scrolled past - then getting ridding of them and rendering the next bits of data in the list until it finally reaches where you've stopped - largely wasteful but there are reasons why they don't do otherwise. On a faster processor it's likely it'll catch up with you whilst you're scrolling, but I hold out no hope for WinRT tablets being able to keep up, nor lower powered Intel Atom tablets. It doesn't help that whilst scrolling, the rendering part of it becomes a lower priority process, because keeping the scrolling smooth is more important from a usability point of view so more CPU power is spent keeping the scrolling animations smooth.)
They do need to do it for RAM and disk access reasons, but I really don't see why they forced themselves to use HTML & JS for all internal Microsoft applications, when there are times where XAML is clearly a better and more performant fit.
SledgeNZ 62
The problem I'm having with Metro apps (besides not knowing what to call them ["Moddern"?]) is the UI guidelines for them are terrible.
The Wikipedia app is a perfect example. Every time you want to search, you have to go to the charms bar. Even on a tablet that would be obnoxious.
No you don't it's exactly the same as the start screen. Just start typing and it'll bring search up for you.
The performance is roughly the same on my antiquated laptop (T7500 with an Nvidia 8600M GT) as it is on my home machine (X3 435, Nvidia GTX 560Ti). Neither are top of the line machines, but they're also solid performers. Both fail to load content as fast as the mouse scrolls; it's really pretty sad.
In its current state, Windows 8 feels like it's about 90% there. I like a lot of the new features, and overall performance is pretty nice. You still bump into glaring failures though, on a daily basis; from the App store not being able to count updates (the Live Tile and text at the top corner say 7, the app only lists 5), to scrolling content that disappears, to the Mail app that always announces that it has failed to access my IMAP account, even though it still syncs messages... It's like knowing the world's fastest 100 m dasher who falls one out of every ten sprints and doesn't know how to tie his shoelaces.
theyarecomingforyou 10,427
Tiger Trainer
Location: Terra Prime Profession: Jaded Sceptic
Since the latest update to Solitaire it is now regularly locking up, forcing me to restart the app. The Challenge Of The Day system is also incredibly slow, as it seems to check online every time you try to load the challenges from a previous day. Given how much Solitaire is used by the average user Microsoft needs to ensure that it's rock solid, as there simply isn't any excuse for it to be so unstable.
AngelGraves13 71
Phone: iPhone
Not a single useful app yet besides eBay. It still takes longer to load than just opening it with Chrome. Makes checking my email and using eBay way too complicated. Haven't really used it a lot.
Yeah, I don't understand the load times. Conventional apps load in a fraction of the time and have much greater functionality.


Description Three of Bomb Cosmetics most popular Bath Blasters: Sugar Kiss, Crazy After Dark and Nat..
Time to rest & go to bed sleepy head! This relaxing pack contains: Night Owl Blaster 160g/5.5..
Description moustache you a question! A shower & shave kit fit for any fella, why..
Description Bath Rocks are wonderful little rock shaped Bath Blasters brimming with essential oil..
Description Wash away your woes with waves of wonder! This beachy pack contains: Azure Skies Blas..
Butter Chunks Chunks of our finest handmade soaps Butter with essential oils, in a recycled car..
Description Indulge your love for all things chocolate with the Chocolate Ballotin Bath Bomb..
Cloud Nine Feel like your on Cloud 9, with our collection of relaxing handmade products! Conta..
Description Everything you need to keep those extremities in check! This pack contains: Dr..
Hawaiian Flower Contains one of each of the following: Fantasy Island Bath Blaster 160g H..
Little Box of Love Ballotin Our most romanctic Bomb Cosmetics Ballotin gift set containing six of..
Description Woo your senses into a sensual frenzy! This romantic pack contains: In the mood Blast..
Luxury Ballotin Our most luxurious Bomb Cosmetics Ballotin gift set containing six of our best ..
Description Azure Skies Bath Blaster 160g/5.5oz- Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Parfu..
Descripton A scoop of the lovely stuff! A selection of shower butters to soften your skin! This pack..
description Try the best of the zest with our mini pack of citrus scents! This pack contains: Gra..
Soap Chunks Chunks of our finest handmade soaps made with essential oils, in a recycled card gift..


text:
Q: Proper structure for first WP plugin? This is my first WP plugin. The goal is to insert JSON-LD into the head on each page in a specific site. More advanced that simple PHP I have done up until now. It validates but may have problems other than that. Comments?
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: SEO (JSON-LD) Insert
Plugin URI:  http://www.realizetech.com/
Description: Plugin to hold SEO functions maybe more...
Version:     1.0.0
Author:      auth name
Author URI:  http://www.authname.com/
Text Domain: our-seo-insert
*/
defined('ABSPATH') or die('No direct file access allowed!');
// Modify post content
function myplugin_filter_content($content)
{
    return $content . '
Almost an error message but not quite.
';
}
add_filter('the_content', 'myplugin_filter_content');

function wpse238918_allow_schema($in)
{
    if (!empty($in['extended_valid_elements']))
        $in['extended_valid_elements'] .= ',';
    $in['extended_valid_elements'] .= '@[id|class|style|title|itemscope|itemtype|itemprop|datetime|rel],div,dl,ul,dt,dd,li,span,a|rev|charset|href|lang|tabindex|accesskey|type|name|href|target|title|class|onfocus|onblur]';
    return $in;
}
add_filter('tiny_mce_before_init', 'wpse238918_allow_schema');

add_action('wp_head', 'wpse_43672_wp_head');
function wpse_43672_wp_head()
{
    //Close PHP tags
?>

    <?php //Open PHP tags
}

/* Stop Adding Functions Below this Line */
?>

A: More research at the Wordpress Codex and related sites for current (2016/2017) solutions ... the following tested and works fine ...
`    defined('ABSPATH') or die('No direct file access allowed!');
// Modify post content
function myplugin_filter_content($content)
{
    return $content . 'Almost an error message but not quite.';
}
add_filter('the_content', 'myplugin_filter_content');

function schema_TinyMCE_init($in) {
    $props = '@[id|class|style|title|itemscope|itemtype|itemprop|datetime|rel],div,dl,ul,dt,dd,li,span,a|rev|charset|href|lang|tabindex|accesskey|type|name|href|target|title|class|onfocus|onblur]';
    if (isset($in['extended_valid_elements'])) {
        if (! empty($in['extended_valid_elements'])) {
            $in['extended_valid_elements'] .= ',';
        }
        $in['extended_valid_elements'] .= $props;
    } else {
        $in['extended_valid_elements'] = $props;
    }
    return $in;
}
add_filter('tiny_mce_before_init', 'schema_TinyMCE_init' );
add_action('wp_head', 'wpse_43672_wp_head');
function wpse_43672_wp_head()
{
    //Close PHP tags
?>

    {CORRECT JSON SYNTAX HERE}

<?php //Open PHP tags

}
/* Stop Adding Functions Below this Line */
?>
`

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
angular.module("UniversityListApp").controller("ListCtrl", function($scope, $http, $sce) {

    // $scope.MapsEmbedAPIKey = $sce.trustAsResourceUrl("https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?q=universidad%20politecnica%20de%20madrid&&key=AIzaSyC7qSNXARnBbzGzSi0p12GgkSAcFqzOxOo");

    function refresh() {
        $http.get("/api/v1/universities").then(function(response) {
            $scope.universities = response.data;
            $scope.newUniversityForm.$setPristine();
        });
    }

    $scope.addUniversity = function() {
        console.log("Adding university " + $scope.newUniversity);
        $scope.newUniversityForm.$setPristine();
        $http.post("/api/v1/universities", $scope.newUniversity).then(function() {
            refresh();
            $scope.newUniversity.acronym = "";
            $scope.newUniversity.name = "";
            $scope.newUniversity.url = "";
            $scope.newUniversity.country = "";
        });
    };

    $scope.delUniversity = function(acronym) {
        $http.delete("/api/v1/universities/" + acronym).then(function() {
            refresh();
        });
    };

    $scope.delUniversities = function() {
        $http.delete("/api/v1/universities").then(function() {
            refresh();
        });
    };

    $scope.editUniversity1 = function(acronym) {
        $http.get("/api/v1/universities/" + acronym).then(function(response) {
            $scope.newUniversity = response.data;
            $('#boton_add').attr("style", "display:none");
            $('#boton_edit').attr("style", "display:block");
        });
    };

    $scope.editUniversity2 = function(acronym) {
        $http.put("/api/v1/universities/" + acronym, $scope.newUniversity).then(function() {
            refresh();
            $('#boton_add').attr("style", "display:block");
            $('#boton_edit').attr("style", "display:none");
            $scope.newUniversity = [];
        });
    };

    $scope.searchUniversity = function(acronym) {
        $scope.university = {};
        $http.get("/api/v1/universities/" + acronym).then(function(response) {
            $scope.university = response.data;
        });
    };

    $scope.updateLocation = function(university) {
        var sParameter = encodeURIComponent(university.name.trim());
        var locmap = "https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?q=" + sParameter + "&&key=AIzaSyC7qSNXARnBbzGzSi0p12GgkSAcFqzOxOo";
        $scope.MapsEmbedAPIKey = $sce.trustAsResourceUrl(locmap);
    };

    refresh();
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


According to Dan Ricker's Watchdog Report: Marco Rubio has a net worth of $8,351.
A self described fiscal conservative, Rubio is carrying almost a million in debt -- including two mortgages on his current home and more than $100,000 in student loans.
Hit on images below, from his financial disclosure forms, to enlarge them. First: Steve Marin, what was he doing for his corporation? Usually people PAY Marin not the other way around. Note, Rubio lists Florida Strategic Consulting. It is a defunct Corporation since 2003. Maybe he doesn't know the correct name of the company he is/was working for...because that is awfully odd, unless he is trying to hide something. There is a Florida Strategic Consultants LLC (Viviana Bovo) that was lobbying in 2009. That is what he SHOULD have written in his financial report.
In a Legislature where public votes and private profit can collide, one alliance stands out: the trio of Rep. Esteban ''Steve'' Bovo, his wife and former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Bovo, a freshman Republican from Hialeah, is the in-house lobbyist for Miami Children's Hospital. Hesits on a House budget committee that helps decide how much state money hospitals and healthcare providers in the state receive. As Bovo was taking office in November, Rubio was leaving, due to term limits. Rubio took his top assistant - Viviana Bovo, Bovo's wife -- with him to work at a new consulting-lobbying firm, Florida Strategic Consultants.
The company in December then scored two contracts worth $102,000 and $96,000 with Miami Children's and Jackson Memorial hospitals, respectively. The situation involving the Bovos and Rubio is legal but illustrates the complicated challenges of conducting public business in a ''citizen's legislature,'' where part-time lawmakers often cast votes that can benefit their full-time employers outside the Capitol.
To ensure he's on the right side of the law, Rep. Bovo said he has requested legal advice on conflicts of interest. He said he stopped lobbying in Tallahassee ''the moment I got elected.'' He now does governmental- affairs work in Washington, D.C., and in the South Florida area. Bovo noted that most people in the Legislature have other jobs, so apparent conflicts are nearly unavoidable.
Rubio, who plans to run for higher office in 2010, said he's staying out of Tallahassee lobbying. He said he provides strategic consulting advice and access to a network of contacts he culled as House speaker, one of the most powerful posts in the state Capitol.
Former legislative staffers can lobby legislators. But former legislators can't ''personally'' advocate in front of their former peers for a period of two years, according to state law. Bovo's wife -- or any other intermediary -- could carry messages between Rubio and legislators, according to ethics opinions. But Rubio said he's not even doing that out of an abundance of caution.
Still, the situation raises a few questions in the Capitol.
Dockery said public perception of lawmakers has become even worse since Ray Sansom recently quit as House speaker amid a grand jury probe connected to an unadvertised job he won at his local community college. For three years, Dockery has sponsored bills requiring greater disclosure in potential conflict-of-interest cases, including those involving spouses. Dockery acknowledged that her proposed legislation is limited to cases of ''special gain'' in which a lawmaker or spouse would benefit to the exclusion of all others -- a rare occurence.
Rep. Bovo said whispers in the Capitol's sizablelobby corps over ''this conflict crap'' comes with the territory.He said he got used to such questions when he was a Hialeah councilman and worked for Hialeah Park Race Track.
''I can't help what goes on in this building. Somebody takes a fart and everybody sees conspiracy,'' he said.
Different hospitals and government agencies have different conflict-of-interest policies. At Jackson, a county- run agency, government affairs Vice President Janette Nunez will have toresign if she's elected in 2010 to the Miami House seat she seeks.
Nunez said the Jackson Memorial contract with Florida Strategic consultants is split in two. Rubio handles consulting locally for $3,000 monthly, and Viviana Bovo lobbies in Tallahassee for $5,000 monthly. Florida Strategic Consultants is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Broad and Cassel law firm that employs Rubio. He said other lawyers and staffers can and likely will work for the firm's consulting arm.
The $102,000 contract with Miami Children's, a private nonprofit hospital, doesn't involve Viviana Bovo, say Rubio and officials. She couldn't be reached. Miami Children's and Jackson, respectively, receive about $100 million and $800 million annually in legislator-approved Medicaid payments. Annually, Jackson spends about $466,000 on lobbying while Miami Children's spends about $207,000, which is about $70,000 less than last year, according to spokesmen. Florida has a part-time citizens' legislature, so it's more liable to attract those who have the ability to be away from home for the 60-day lawmaking session,plus special sessions and committee weeks. That means people with more flexible schedules like businessmen, lawyers, consultants and lobbyists are most likely to seek legislative office.
One of the biggest fields for employment of legislators is education. The Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau found 18 current and former lawmakers landed jobs and contracts with colleges and universities, including six with the University of South Florida. Rubio, a West Miami Republican, was among them. After leaving office, he won a $69,000 contract with FIU's public-policy think tank. Since then, he has aggressively attracted tens of thousands of donor dollars.
At Miami Children's Hospital and JMH, officials say they're hoping he'll do the same for them.
It looks like he has a good fat head on his shoulders.
Well at least his net worth is $1,000 dollars higher than Tomas Regalado's net worth.
His net worth was $5,000.
And look at what a good job Tomas is doing. Virtually no one is running the City. Migoya only is doing the bottom line as if everything else is frozen in time. He doesn't know how to run a city. The city is in turmoil as everyone is not making any decisions because they lie in wait for a real manager to step in. Regalado needs to get his act together and get someone quickly before he is exposed.
What is Jim DeFede's student loan debt?
Oh wait, he never went to school. Neither did Regalado.
I thought I wrote about Rubio...how did we get so off subject?
jeebus - is that picture from a tv-test for the next evangelical shouter on tv? it's the first thing that comes to mind..as for his debt - well, a net worth of 8K and debt of 1M+ can only mean he either has great friends in the banking business or he's very clever at off-shoring his wealth - I can only hope he becomes a faded memory a year from now..
So what is Kendrick Meek's net worth? Meek has had 4 full-time jobs: luggage handler at the airport, FHP cop, Wackenhut salesman, and now congressman. If Meek is wealthy, I would like to know where he made his money.
So, genius, you say that you only want very wealthy successful business people in public office. So is your pick Jeff Green or Rick Scott?
Billionaire Green is the wealthiest and most financially successful candidate so I assume you think he is the most qualified.
I love all these posts pointing at others - "what about Regalado, or Jim DeFede or Meek"
The POINT of the post is to spotlight the difference between one's rhetoric and their actions.
If you can't balance your checkbook, you can't wag your finger at others for being "fiscally irresponsible."
Rubio is leveraged to his eyeballs, had creditors chasing him down (along with conserva-buddy David Rivera) over skipping out on mortgage payments, and spending like a teenage girl with daddy's (the Fla Rebub Party) credit card.
Juxtapose that with the conservative noise coming from his face-area and you have what they used to call a hypocrite.
Wonder if he'll be all "get a job" about unemployment benefits after November.
Last Anon put it just about right!
Thank you last two Anons. You c -- learn from them because I NEVER said what you are saying---they get me you don't. Go read elsewhere.
Hugo: One rule on this blog...don't insult the blogger. You lose.
G.o.D., we call this "holy hair." To be done well, you must use a lot of hair spray to create the helmut effect.
On Marco's salary - he is a visiting professor for $69,000. Really? I thought he was there to raise money. That's what I heard.
So, if he is teaching there as a visiting professor, should we be asking how many hours he has taught and what classes and how many students?
The FIU think doesn't pass the smell test to me.
I understand having student loans. But... he graduated UM law school in 1996. I graduated 3 years before him and had $100,000 in debt (including undergrad.) But I don't have student loans now. I paid them. There is no reason he should have over 100 grand in student loans 14 years after graduation. And I don't have a big huge firm job. I've only broken the $100,000 mark one year since graduation. But I've been responsible and paid back what I owed. Why would he be carrying such debt for so long? I think this is very indicative of his fiscal irresponsibility.
Hugo again called me elitist among other things..and the usual Hispanic county commissioner slur againt whites, "that I am part of the wine and cheese set..." That is just as much a slur as my calling my fellow Hispanics the rice and beans set. It is uncalled for. I find it offensive especially since I am a meatball eating Italian. Anyway, Rubio is a failure at managing his finances and acknowledging that does not make me an elitist it makes me observant. You can disagee Hugo without hurling slurs at me.
WOW, you're "a meatball eating Italian?" I thought you were black!


Once the cut-scene is over, you will need to make your way into the Locust stronghold without sitting any alarms off!
When you make your way forward, you will need to defeat any guards that will be around the area, when you make your way forward you will be able to pick up a One-shot, you will need to shoot the enemies located on the wall, if they see or hear you they will sound the horn.
After defeating all the enemies at the top, you will need to start defeating the enemies that are coming out of the side entrance.
Using the one-shot would be the best weapon to use, you will be able to pick up some ammo located around the floor, head through the side entrance and flick the switch next to the gate to open the gate.
Make your way through the area picking up ammo and weapons, head through the gate, you will need to take out the Locust located around the area before they sound the alarm.
Proceed forward and use the walls as protection for the enemy fire, you will be able to get your hands on a Multiturret.
Pick up your ammo located on the floor and you will need to make your way up the wooden ramp next to the gate, keep taking out the enemies in the distance and you will also be able to pick up some Frag's on the floor.
The best way to use your lancer is to use it with two of three quick bursts, keep heading down the ramp into the open area. You will need to take out the digger and other enemy Locusts.
You will need to activate the lever located on the back of the large cylinder in the middle, watch out because there is a Locust located on the right side of the low wall.


text:
Q: Inject system variable to module.exports in vue js I'm trying to inject a system variable that I'll initialise in my container to my vue js api.
in my api.js I use the variable this way:
const BASE_URL = process.env.CORE_URL

and I load my configuration via wabpack:
  plugins: [
    new webpack.DefinePlugin({
     'process.env': config.dev.env
  }),

then I manage my variables in js dev.env.js using module.export
var merge = require('webpack-merge')
var prodEnv = require('./prod.env')

module.exports = merge(prodEnv, {
   NODE_ENV: '"development"',
   API_URL: '"@@API_URL@@"',
})

I'm unable to inject the API_URL that I'll set in my container to the dev.env.js

A: I figured out a way. I had to create to shell script that during build create a dev.env.js out of dev.env.template.js and replace on the variables starting with @@ with the value on dev.env.js. the dev.env.js is added during build to dist folder on the container.


EMCO - "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"
Since 1947 EMCO develops and builds machine tools in Hallein near Salzburg. The EMCO Group - part of the family-run Kuhn Holding - is a network of top suppliers from the machine tool industry with the headquarter in Hallein, 6 production sites and sales offices in Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, USA and China.
We offer modular products within a wide range from S to XXL for maximum customer benefit. Under the umbrella of the EMCO Group, we develop and produce customized Traveling-column and portal milling machines with a wide range milling head program and diverse options of EMCO MECOF in Italy and CNC turning and milling centers with numerous automation possibilities. We offer ideal conditions for CNC training with the Concept machines with software solutions and courseware.
As part of the family business Kuhn, the EMCO Group is a reliable and fair employer for 800 employees, providing a stable working environment with many opportunities for development. "Education" is here developed as a product and sold and lived alike every day on the job. As an innovative manufacturer of high-tech products, daily learning and improving is required for all employees.


text:
Itai Doron became an avid film-buff as a youth after a childhood filled with visits to the movies and with stories told to him by his mother about its stars, and has since made numerous works in a ...
Itai Doron became an avid film-buff as a youth after a childhood filled with visits to the movies and with stories told to him by his mother about its stars, and has since made numerous works in a range of disciplines and media as varied as photographs, photo-collages, video and audio-visual installations that are influenced by cinematic narrative and are largely concerned with the dream-like world of fame, legends and celebrities, while exploring the realms between the absurd and the sublime.
In recent years he has used primarily the medium of photography as a tool for exploring the realities of carefully selected and disparate geographical locations. From walking through cities such as Prague, Tel Aviv and Turin to traveling through India and Japan, Doron used a variety of cameras, both 35mm and medium format photography, whatever was appropriate, usually never taking more than one picture of the same thing. His personal vision of these landscapes has resulted in an eloquent set of pictures that shifts between the real and the fictitious and is imbued with a sense of the elegiac and the profound as it fuses a documentary style with a poetic sensibility. And although people do not usually feature as subjects in these pictures, the images are permeated with the spirit of invisible people still present.
Doron's latest body of work is a study, through formal portraiture, of the realities and essence of young adults. 'Yassine' (2006) and 'Giorgios' (2007) are a series of photographs that focus on the hopes and dreams of young migratory workers, marked by quiet grace. The work explores movement and alienation, and is essentially autobiographical without the artist being present in it. The son of a Romanian immigrant, Doron is fascinated by the fact that these young men are, on one hand, the backbone of the British construction, hospitality and health industries, but on the other hand, an invisible part of the country's social and cultural landscape.
Doron was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1967. Following his graduation from Goldsmiths College of Art in 1993, he exhibited at the White Cube gallery in London, and concurrently showed a series of his large-scale installations at Canary Wharf. He has since participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Israel and the United States. Itai Doron lives and works in London.
August 1, 2015 Rockers Galore & Selected Photographs
Other Criteria, 14 Hinde Street, London W1U 3BG
August 1st - September 1st, 2015
More information on our blog .
November 13, 2012 Fifteen Minutes With You
Saturday 17th November, 2pm
Book launch and signing of Itai Doron's latest limited edition publication 'Fifteen Minutes With You' at Super Labo.
Téléscope, 5 rue Villedo 75001 Paris
August 9, 2012 The World in London
204 Londoners captured from each of the competing Olympic nations
An offsite exhibition showing in two locations this July & August:
Victoria Park, London E3: 27 July – 12 August 2012
Park House, 453 – 497 Oxford Street, London, W1: 27 July – 30 August 2012
The World in London is an ambitious outdoor photography project for 2012, showing London's diversity and photography's unique role in capturing the human form.
Over the past three years they have commissioned acclaimed and emerging British and international photographers to take portraits of Londoners of all ages and from all walks of life. Each portrait is unique in its composition, setting and style. Coinciding with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this project brings together 204 portraits of 204 Londoners, each originating from one of the competing nations.
See more information here.
September 7, 2011 LAUNCH: Itai Doron's 'Strays'
Other Criteria invites you to the opening of:
Strays by Itai Doron
Thursday 8th September
36 New Bond Street
W1S 2RP
Celebrate the launch of Chokras Mahal - Itai Doron's book of photographs from India.
Plus 24 Master prints from Yassin and Chokras Mahal.
To see the full invite, please click here.
July 1, 2010 KEEP ME POSTED
KEEP ME POSTED is a group show, directed and curated by Julia Royse, that launches a temporary exhibition space in a former post office in East London entitled POSTED.
POSTED will present a series of art exhibitions, performances, screenings and workshops celebrating the 'post' and exploring and examining our postal history and heritage.
The exhibitions at POSTED will hopefully inspire people to put pen to paper again as well as reminding us of a time when communication was more personal and less generic.
Artists participating in KEEP ME POSTED include Andreas Blank, Claire Brewster, Jo Broughton, Natasha Chambers, Oliver Clegg, Julie Cockburn, Adam Dix, Itai Doron, Sean Dower, Tracey Emin, Angus Fairhurst, Vanessa Fristedt, Tom Gidley, Cate Halpin, Susie Hamilton, Georgie Hopton, Rachel Howard, Duncan MacAskill, Harland Miller, Polly Morgan, Benjamin Newton, Molly Palmer, Julia Riddiough, Jane Simpson, James White and Miyo Yoshida.
For more information and for images of the show, visit our blog.
Tokyo, Japan, 2007, Cibachrome print
Kyoto, Japan, 2007, Cibachrome print
Vienna, Austria, 2008, Cibachrome print
Signed Itai Doron – End of Real – Signed
Signed Itai Doron – Chokras Mahal – Signed
Signed Gary Hume – A Cat on a Lap – Signed
Signed Itai Doron – Yassin – Signed
Signed Joanna Kirk – Joanna Kirk - Signed
Artist Itai Doron, Gary Hume, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Joanna Kirk Remove This Item


This is a placeholder page for Roxxanne Campbell, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Roxxanne Campbell.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Roxxanne Campbell. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Roxxanne Campbell. We created this page automatically in hopes Roxxanne Campbell would find it. If you are not Roxxanne Campbell, but are an alumni of Miami Edison High School, register on this site for free now.


Ron Pearson has been comedy juggling for decades. He began as a child juggler who worked street corners. Today, he headlines corporate shows all over the world, often entertaining and amazing thousands of people at a time.
When planning an event, entertainment is the most important detail. Popular Ron Pearson Comedy Videos can help! Sometimes though, finding the right entertainer can be tricky. You want your group event to leave everyone talking for years to come, but you are not sure what kind of performer is best for your needs. Do you want to make your group laugh? Do you want them on their feet cheering and clapping? If you are looking for an entertainer who engages your audience, Ron Pearson is the right man for the job.
An American actor, comedian, and world record juggler, Pearson does it all as you can see in Popular Ron Pearson Comedy Videos. He began his career performing stand-up at nightclubs. Since his beginnings as a warm-up act, he has come a long way. He is a world-class act, and he recently earned a nomination for Corporate Comedian of the Year. He has also won three Telly Awards for a recent comedy special.He's appeared on Comedy Central and on such TV shows as Chelsea Lately, The Dennis Miller Show, and The Late Late Show. Not only is he funny, but he has played several roles in shows like, That 70's Show, The George Lopez Show, Boston Legal, The Drew Carey Show, Last Man Standing, Baby Daddy, and Christela. He's also hosted programs like the Family Channel game show Shopping Spree and Pure Genius on the Discovery Channel. Ron also appeared in the films, Starstruck and The Incredible Burt Wonderstruck.
As featured in popular Ron Pearson comedy videos, he is a one-of-a-kind entertainer. He knows what it means to engage an audience. As part of his stand-up, he opens a dialog with the audience, making them feel as if they are a part of the act as well. He will ask questions and tell stories, relating to the audience while they break-out in an uproar of laughter. Pearson amazes audiences with his comic acts. If you want audience engagement for a team building outing, Person will make your audience laugh together, relate to his stories, and have them begging for more. Your group will look forward to every group outing because you selected the right entertainer.
Not only will Pearson make your group laugh, but he also performs routines during his show. As shown in popular Ron Pearson comedy videos, he can do more than just tell jokes. As a world-class juggler, Ron knows how to incorporate his talents into his show. Whether he is juggling while talking about how hard life is or performing with his cigar boxes and making his audience jump to their feet with applause. Pearson will have your group engaged and excited about the show. His shows are filled with non-stop antics, and he always receives a standing ovation from his satisfied audience.
Ron is a native of Bellevue, Wash. — Seattle's biggest suburb — and the youngest of eight children. Displaying an early aptitude for entertainment, he earned a world record for juggling when he was only 15. He soon found that he was equally adept at other kinds of performing. Thus, his diverse career has encompassed stand-up comedy, acting, and an ever-widening collection of comedy juggling routines that never fail to astound.
Ron and his wife Tanya have two daughters, and in this video, he explains that he wouldn't trade them for anything. Even so, raising a family and maintaining a busy career require that Ron do plenty of comedy juggling. Fortunately, no one juggles the way he does, and this clip proves it.
Indeed, it's remarkable to see how many skills Ron is able to pack into a mere four minutes. He juggles objects behind his back and synchronizes his movements to music. He tells jokes. He does impressions. He interacts — in a very funny and charming way — with a volunteer from the crowd. He even expounds on the meaning of life, outlining the demands of romantic relationships and fatherhood. Can you think of anyone else who's a philosopher as well as a comedy juggling?
Your event can be a success with the right entertainer. As you can see from popular Ron Pearson comedy videos, he is a talented performer, will make everyone laugh until their jaws ache, and he will have them on their feet cheering with applause. Ron is the total package in a quality entertainer, and he will make your next event a complete success. Book Ron Pearson today to have your group event the most memorable it can be.


Okra is a vegetable with a famously squishy, almost gelatinous texture, and is a great way to thicken soups and stews, like the famous gumbo.
It's often used in African countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast, in some Mediterranean countries and India. It's also a favorite in the American south, particularly in Louisiana.
Clean okra and halve lengthwise.
Heat oil in a pan deep enough for frying. Fry okra for 3-4 minutes, then place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Chop tomatoes into large pieces.
Heat olive oil in another pot on low. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent.
Add spices and tomatoes, then continue cooking on low heat for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper and stir. Pour sauce into a deep plate and place lay okra on top.


Want to step up your serving game and take it to the next level, mastering the reverse serve isn't a bad place to start!
The reverse pendulum serve is an advanced skill and can take time to learn and be confident with, however its worth persevering with if you want to be a top server. Very few others serves give you the capability to vary and disguise the spin and placement with such subtlety, which is done by a slight difference in contact point and wrist position when striking the ball.
There are a number of reasons behind why the reverse serve can be so effective is that, due to the direction of spin, it encourages more returns to the middle and backhand area as well as making quality returns to the forehand side a lot more challenging. If you use the reverse serve well players will find it more difficult to touch short to the forehand or play aggressively into this side of the table.
Also with many players now opting to return using the modern backhand flick the reverse serve can be an effective weapon in making this shot more difficult for your opponent. Players in general are more used to returning the standard pendulum serve so when coming up against a reverse serve the backhand flick as well as other types of returns are often weaker due to the difference in spin and disguise that can be achieved.
Another major advantage of the reverse serve is that not a lot of people use it. This means when you use it your opponent may not be used to seeing this style of serve very often. So if you can develop a good reverse serve you can pick up a lot of cheap points.
We have just released a full video tutorial on how to learn the reverse serve, so if you want to become an expert and take your serving game to the next level be sure to check it out along with our many other service videos!
Caffeine – Friend or foe for table tennis players?


text:
Derek Luke was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 24, 1974, one of three boys who blessed the holy union of his parents, Marjorie and Maurice. After graduating from Snyder High School, Derek headed to L.A. where, as legend has it, he was discovered while working in a gift shop on the lot of Sony Pictures. He was plucked from obscurity by Denzel Washington to play the title role in Antwone Fisher.
An overnight sensation, Derek has gone on to enjoy a storybook career, appearing opposite some of the best in the business in everything from Pieces of April to Spartan to Catch a Fire to Lions for Lambs to Miracle at St. Anna. Here, Derek discusses his latest outing as Sean 'Puffy' Combs in Notorious.
Derek Luke - The Notorious Interview
with Kam Williams
KW: Hey, Derek thanks for the time. I was at a wedding recently where I sat next to Gayle Ford who says she met you over the holidays through Carl Dixon.
DL: Yeah, she knows my Uncle Carl.
KW: The Derek Luke legend is that you were discovered working in a gift shop. Is that true?
DL: Actually, I had stopped going to acting classes, and was supporting myself while pursuing my dream of acting. I got wind of an audition, and that audition went okay, and I ended up auditioning again. But then the film was shelved for a couple of years. Overall, I ended up auditioning for Antwone Fisher about five times before I got a chance to meet Denzel Washington. After I was back at work folding clothes and selling videos, Denzel came into the store while the real Antwone Fisher happened to be a customer. And as I was bagging him up, Denzel came in and said, 'Yo, Antwone! I'm talking to you Derek Luke. I hired you. you're my Antwone Fisher.'
KW: What interested you in Notorious?
DL: I think it was the swag. I once heard Richard Gere say, 'When I did Chicago, it was fun and reminded me about what acting was.' When you do anything, it should be fun. And that's why I actually chose to be a part of this.
KW: What do you mean by swag?
DL: Swag is sort of your personal memorabilia. It's like the shadow of who you really are. It can be your walk, your talk'
KW: Oh, like swagger.
DL: Yeah. I did the film because there aren't a lot of times where the brand for the film is swagger, and I was excited about that.
KW: What did Puffy think of you playing him?
DL: My getting the role was based on his recommendation after his seeing me in Friday Night Lights. He thought that the character was kinda similar to who he was and shared a lot of his aspirations. I didn't have to audition for the role because that movie auditioned for him, and he told me, 'If anybody ever played me, I would want you.' From there, we developed a bond, and today we're friends.
KW: I heard Lil' Kim isn't too happy about how she's portrayed in Notorious.
DL: I would just say that the movie shows a lot of empathy for her character, and she might be surprised once she sees it. I think Naturi Naughton did a wonderful job with the material that she was given.
KW: Who do you think killed Biggie?
DL: Oh man, maybe you can ask Chris Rock. He joked that they can find Saddam Hussein, but they can't find a killer who committed a murder on one of the busiest streets of one of our busiest cities. I would just say that God knows. I firmly believe that the film will comfort the hearts of those who have been mourning some of hip-hop's greatest to date. As the scripture says, 'It Ain't about the soul, it's about where your spirit rests.'
KW: When you were a kid, did you pick a side in the East Coast-West Coast gangsta' rap war?
DL: Fans are sometimes the last to know you're being deceived. There was no East Coast-West Coast beef originally. What transformed love into hate? That has to be asked. This is the first time that it's come out of my mouth as analyzing who we are as a generation. This is why I wanted to be a part of this film, because the voice has to be bigger than the opinion. That's why I wanted to play Puff. I didn't owe him anything, and he didn't owe me anything. But as a fan, I had to become very neutral, and put aside my personal opinion. I refused to hate a coast. That's ridiculous! I found out that it was a media-generated controversy.
KW: Tasha Smith asks: Are you ever afraid?
DL: Tasha Smith' Do I know a Tasha Smith?
KW: Yeah, the actress in the Tyler Perry movies.
DL: Oh, my goodness! Right. Am I ever afraid? No matter what project, I've always had to bind up and wrestle fear, because acting is really about faith. And faith and fear can't really stay in the same room. So, in order for you to be more than a conqueror, you're going to have to defeat fear with faith. If you're in a present body, you will be dealing with that spiritual aspect, since fear is present.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
DL: Am I happy? Why'd you ask me that?
KW: I ask everybody that.
DL: The only times that I haven't been happy is when I haven't connected my purpose with my career because fame is lonely without purpose.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
God's Big Idea: Reclaiming God's Original Purpose for Your Life
Click to order via Amazon
by Dr. Myles Munroe
Publisher: Destiny Image (August 1, 2008)
DL: God's Big Idea: Reclaiming God's Original Purpose for Your Life by Dr. Myles Munroe.
KW: 'Realtor to the Stars' Jimmy Bayan asks: Where in L.A. do you live?
DL: I don't want to tell everybody that.
KW: How about just a hint.
DL: I live kinda off in The Valley.
KW: Rudy Lewis asks: Who's at the top of your hero list?
DL: Mostly the women in my life, because they pray for me.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What's on your iPod?
DL: It's diverse. I listen to everything from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain to 50 Cent and Jay-Z.
KW: Did you attend the inauguration?
DL: I'm very excited about President Obama but I could only be there in spirit because all the hotels were sold out.
KW: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
DL: I'd just like it if people would ask questions finding out who we actors are as individuals and finding out what we have to say. Every movie that I've been in is a part of a plan and a message. It's not just happenstance.
KW: Thanks again Derek and best of luck.
DL: Thank you very much.
A Trailer for Notorious
Notorious - Film Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/notorious.htm
Naturi Naughton: The Notorious Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/naturi_naughton.htm
Jamal Woolard - The Notorious Interview
http://reviews.aalbc.com/jamal_woolard.htm


text:
Iohna Loots 2008
Soloist, The Royal Ballet
Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, September 24 2008
David introduced Iohna, saying how remiss it was not to have had her come to speak earlier since she had been in the Company for nine years.
Iohna was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. When tiny she used to potter around at the back while her mother took ballet classes instead of going to the gym. Between the ages of four and seven she also lived in Dusseldorf, Germany, where she had her first ballet classes. On return to South Africa she continued normal classes until about 12. There is no equivalent to the Royal Ballet School in South Africa; she went to a high school which offered ballet classes as an optional subject for the last five years of education.
Given Iohna's non-specialist early training, David Bain raised the current debate about why we are not producing dancers in this country. Maybe we should get rid of the Royal Ballet junior school, seen by some as elitist, and instead to put the money into ordinary schools. Iohna said that was a hard question for her to answer as she had not been at White Lodge. She remembered going to London for the first time at 15 to visit the school for a day with her teacher after the Prix de Lausanne and thinking that the girls were so lucky and she wished she had had the training they had. But on the other hand she reflected that maybe 'to be so set in your ways you don't have that much freedom in your movement and artistry and the way you perceive the world, having been in that cocoon for so long.' When she was younger she wondered if her technique would have been better if she had been at White Lodge but that would depend on the teachers at the time. She doesn't know what the teaching is like there now. In the case of the Upper School, it is so different from her time there; she doesn't know that it is better. She thinks they need to do more pas de deux and repertoire and spend more time with the Company. They are being forced to do this at the moment for Swan Lake as there are so many injuries but there have been years in the past when the students were never around, they weren't allowed to come and work with the Company. Iohna remembered relishing the chance to work with the Company and thinks there needs to be more movement between the two. 'Maybe some of the Company members doing stuff with the kids. We used to have David Drew teaching us pas de deux, Anya Linden, Leslie Collier and Genesia Rosato – all these knowledgeable people coming to give solo classes and give extra help and that does make a difference.'
It was her teacher, Lynne Fouché, who decided that she might have a chance to get a scholarship if she entered the Prix de Lausanne. It was the only way for her to get out of the country, to get better training
Going to the Royal Ballet School came by chance, it was nothing to do with the high school she had attended. She took it upon herself. It was her teacher, Lynne Fouché, who decided that she might have a chance to get a scholarship if she entered the Prix de Lausanne. It was the only way for her to get out of the country, to get better training. Her teacher was arguably one of the best teachers in the country and she knew opportunities were limited if Iohna stayed. But to leave was very expensive and Iohna needed a scholarship to continue on that journey if she was good enough. She signed in for Prix de Lausanne but 'I was so naïve. I'd done local competitions but I was so young and so full of the joy of dance, you don't realise what a big deal the Prix de Lausanne is. I had never danced in another country before. You don't know what it's about. It was an amazing experience – it was a funny year, David Makhateli, Zenaida Yanowski, Jamie Tapper, a lot of people from around the world were there who are principal dancers now. Laetitia Pujol from Paris Opera was there. 'She was my little friend. I was No. 1 and she was No. 2 as we were the two smallest ones.' Dame Merle Parke was on the panel and at the semi-finals she came to Iohna's teacher and said she would like to offer Iohna a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School and said if they were coming to London after the Prix to come and see her. 'So I got my scholarship through Dame Merle who happened to be a judge at the Prix.' Entrants know they are going to get a cash prize or a scholarship. Iohna was too young for a cash prize as they are mainly for the people who are ready to join a company 'but I was this tiny little kid, 4 ft 9 weighing 30 kilos, just a baby' so she was hoping for a scholarship. Her choices would have been Paris Opera, several places in Germany, Canadian Ballet School and Royal Ballet School. 'With my style and my shape I knew Royal Ballet School would have been ideal and Paris Opera would also have been an amazing experience. So when Dame Merle offered me a scholarship, that was destiny.' Iohna came at the end of January / beginning of February and went to White Lodge for the day – where she saw Christina Arestis and thought 'How amazing these girls were.' She went back to finish school in South Africa and then joined the Upper School in September when she was 16.
'It was such an exciting time in my life. You are so naïve; you don't know what's going to happen, how things are going to be. I didn't know how to boil an egg. Having to cook for myself, do my own laundry, being in Barons Court, taking a tube – a completely different experience to that very sheltered life I had in South Africa. My mother was freaked out by it and she's never come to terms with the fact that I have grown up – she stills cries that she left me when I was 16.'
Some of Iohna's best and lasting friends were the foreign kids 'because White Lodgers tend to stick together. Kids from outside almost have to stick together because otherwise what are you going to do?' Tomoko Furuya and Milena Regis were friends, Ed (Watson) was in Iohna's class and a great friend, and Cristina Arestis. 'They were White Lodgers but we got on very well. Jenny Tattersall was in my year. Tom Whitehead, Matt Dibble – seven or eight of us ended up in the Company.'
During Upper School, Iohna performed quite a lot. Whatever the Company did at the time she was in it, as a page, kid, animal 'which was great.' She did a gala for Prince Charles with Placido Domingo, The 1812 Overture. It was a once-off and she didn't realize till afterwards it was being broadcast live to 20 million people all over Europe. Will Tuckett choreographed. At the only dress rehearsal they had on stage she blanked, did not remember a single step. 'I stood there wafting, not knowing what I was doing. Somehow I got it together for the show.' Iohna also did Don Q, Sleeping Beauty (the Viviana Durante video version) as the little Lilac Page, in Nutcracker she was an Angel, in Cinderella the Orange Page. The end of year performance after first year was Checkmate in which she was one of the two Red Pawns, and there were a couple of modern pieces too which were lots of fun. Checkmate was quite stressful for her as she was a first year. The two Red Pawns in the front were usually seniors and there was little Iohna with the third year. She was scared but got through it. In the second year Chris Wheeldon choreographed Schubertiana on Iohna and Matt Dibble, two kids from the Upper School as principal couple with White Lodgers. It was the first time Iohna worked with Chris. 'It was great, really quite special to create something. To have been part of that was quite cool.' She also danced in Napoli and Concerto.
But afterwards there was no place for her in the Company because she was too tiny, she hadn't grown enough. It was very hard. She was only 4'11" and needed to be 5'1" to get in. She remembers Monica Mason calling her into her office and saying "If you ever grow, please come back, give me a call." Iohna went home and stopped dancing for six months. Iohna joined Cape Town City Ballet in Cape Town, eventually, and had a great time.
When Iohna was there, there were 45-50 dancers. It was big enough to put on the big classics. It was very happy, very family, similar to The Royal which is a very friendly company. People feel welcome, people get on, there's a good sense of humour most days. Iohna says she's been very lucky to have been in two companies that she has really enjoyed. She mentioned that before she got into the Royal Ballet School she used to work with South African Ballet Theatre (it was called PACT then). She did Clara, La Sylphide, Conservatoire, other kids' stuff. The repertoire was phenomenal. So at that moment in her life Iohna had a choice between two South African companies. PACT was a lot stricter, they weighed people every month, Cape Town was a lot more relaxed. Iohna also knew people at PACT from the past and felt she wanted to break away a little.
Because it was a small company she did principal work and solos at a very young age. She wasn't aware of much pressure as she was so young
Because it was a small company she did principal work and solos at a very young age. She wasn't aware of much pressure as she was so young. Iohna danced roles like peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Spectre de la Rose, pas de trois and Neopolitan in Swan Lake, lead girl in Choo San Goh's Configurations and Schubert Symphony 'and a lot of things you wouldn't know by Veronica Paeper, David Poole,' Carmen, Camille, Raymonda, Christmas Carol, Snow Queen, Paquita, Orpheus in the Underworld.
She was very lucky to be pushed into a niche where she was needed, so she did a lot of featured stuff early which was great for her confidence. 'But once I was here the memory of it disappeared because the work wasn't known here. So it took a long time to build up some kind of confidence.'
Iohna's parents moved to Vancouver the same year as Iohna moved back to London so she hasn't been back to South Africa very much and hasn't seen South African ballet. As she has very good friends in both companies she has an idea of what is going on there. She explained how in the summer break she is so desperate for the sun that she wants to stay somewhere where the sunshine is but it is winter then in South Africa. She knows how tough it is for the companies there because they don't have the government funding 'that we so easily have here' and they don't have the audiences so can't do as many shows.
When Iohna was there, when there was a show they would finish at 2 p.m. and have the afternoon off. 'You'd go off to the beach and get back in time for the show. Here the workload is relentless. There you might do six shows of Swan Lake, here you do 25. There you were lucky to have two casts, mostly it was one. Here we have four.' The size is different. There, there are half-empty audiences; here it is full house almost every night. Iohna recognized this was special to The Royal and that other companies don't enjoy that luxury. 'We are very, very lucky. In South Africa you had two pairs of pointe shoes a month, here there's an unlimited supply. There you got enough ribbon for one pair of shoes every couple of months, here you get a roll. The mind boggles how much luxury we have in this company. I am glad I was away so I can appreciate it so much more. The tours are just amazing; we get looked after so well and get treated so well. People who come through White Lodge and the Upper School straight into the Company can just take it for granted. They don't realize how lucky they are, they moan and have bad days – which we all do – but they don't actually realize what we have in The Royal Ballet. The rep, coaching, classes, it always is top standard.'
How did Iohna join the Company? Iohna came to London as part of a two week holiday. At the time she was doing so well in Cape Town and almost didn't feel the massive need to join The Royal anymore because she was doing so many nice things in Cape Town. But she needed to do class and was a bit curious and thought maybe she needed to break away now, while still young enough to change her life. So she called Monica who said 'Yes, darling, come and do class.'
The first thing Monica remarked when she saw Iohna was 'Oh, you've grown!' 'I told you I would,' replied the now 5'1" Iohna. (Iohna thinks that the height benchmark is probably herself now. 'Masha was probably smaller and Venus was smaller. Roberta is the same size, as is Alina and Lizzie too. Even Leanne is probably the same. We often stand next to each other and say "I'm taller", "No, I am."')
Every day Monica said come back. So after 10 days Iohna said 'Mon, I haven't had a holiday in two years (the year before Iohna had gone on tour to Zimbabwe in her holiday), I'm exhausted and need a holiday, if you are not that interested then I am going to have my holiday now and if you want me to continue to do class tell me, I'm happy to do it because if there's a chance you want to give me a contract then of course that comes first.'
Monica said 'No, no give me your number and I'll call you.' So Iohna went home and tore her hair out, thinking what had she done, telling Monica that she didn't want to do class because she was tired and needed a holiday. But by the end of that week Monica rang and said 'Darling are you sitting down because I'd like to offer you a contract.' So it was very simple, just like that.
What was hard after those three years and all those nice things, was coming back in 1999. 'All my friends from school had now been in the Company for three or four years and I was just starting back, as if I had just joined from the school. None of what I had done in South Africa meant anything. That experience was scrapped.' That was hard but at the same time she was so glad to have got into the Company that she just tried to fit in, to blend, disappear in the crowd: 'I knew it was such a privilege and I was so lucky to have got in.'
In the first year they did Coppélia when Alina was Iohna's second cast Scottish Doll, 'The one and only time Alina will be second cast to anybody, or me!' It is one of the most painful roles Iohna has ever done. 'You have to stay so still, the headdress is so painful.' She used to go home every time with a migraine. 'It's not easy, especially if anyone knocks your hand, and that whole moving chair thing is scary, much harder than it looks.'
The first two years were about fitting in, finding her place, 'maybe trying to fit in too hard, to disappear into the corps'
The first two years were about fitting in, finding her place, 'maybe trying to fit in too hard, to disappear into the corps.' Then Anthony (Dowell) retired and Ross Stretton came in 'and that changed a lot of things, from having just gotten myself comfortable, again, two years of work meant nothing and the next step could have been back to nothing. It was a wasted year. I didn't do any work, I didn't enjoy anything, I was very depressed. It was a horrible year. Then when Monica became Director, again I had to start all over again and by this point three years had passed and I am still trying to get on the ladder. I had lost three years in Cape Town and then three years because of the different Directors. I was very much on the back foot and even though you know you are lucky to be in the Company you still hold ambitions, you want to do certain things because you believe in your heart you are capable of doing certain roles in different ballets. It's been a hard journey. But I am very glad to say that if I look at my CV now I am so grateful that I can tick so many boxes of the beautiful ballets that I have done, and the roles that I have done, so I have been very lucky.'
The first named role when audiences may have been aware of Iohna was probably Clara with Justin Meissner. Iohna really enjoyed it. It was much harder then than it is now because she is now a lot stronger and more confident and comfortable on stage. 'But it ticks all the boxes and I tick all the boxes that you need for Clara.' She had done a much easier version as a child so it is close to her heart and she always enjoys playing Clara. Every year is different, with a different partner. After Justin, Iohna has danced with Jonathan Howells, Ivan Putrov, Ricardo Cervera and last year she was supposed to do it with Steven McRae but because of all the cast changes it didn't happen. However, her chance came this year and she finally did the show with Steven too!
Iohna has done many meatier roles. 'I have a couple of highlights, usually in a blond wig.' Dorabella which she loved, a favourite ballet, and Vera in A Month in the Country, another favourite. And then, of course, Princess Stephanie.
Dorabella is really exhausting but she loves it. 'You get to the end of that little pas de deux and feel you are going to throw up.' Between that and A Month in the Country – obviously Stephanie is MacMillan – Iohna feels she is an Ashton dancer. 'I am tiny, I've got the footwork, I am not a McGregor dancer. Those kinds of roles I enjoy. They are really hard but I feel I have a natural facility for it, the footwork, the bending, the arms. It appeals to me as a dancer and I enjoy doing those roles.' Iohna did Vera last year with Ivan Putrov and Alexandra Ansanelli and, another favourite, the Gloria pas de quatre, 'which I loved doing. I'd wanted to do that for so long and I sprained my ankle just before. It was hard work to get back but I am glad I did.'
Both Dorabella and Vera are young girls, Stephanie is different. Iohna had not been surprised to be cast as she knew you needed to be small for the man's sake as he is so tired by that time, he needs someone small. Iohna was relieved and very happy to have her name on it and especially as the first time was with Irek. It was very special second time round with Ed (Watson). 'We had a great time in rehearsals and on stage – although on stage he nearly killed me in the second show, I got concussion. He slammed me down on the stage so hard I literally saw stars!'
Iohna Loots on playing Stephanie in Mayerling
Iohna was so glad to have the chance to do something that was dramatic, not cute, not friendly. She'd wanted to do it so much as she really loves acting. To be able to find that side of herself was great. Iohna was asked how she set about preparing for the role. 'To portray so much emotion in so short a time you visualize it, do method acting, I put myself in that situation. I imagine how you would react, what you would do and feel. In the first tiny solo you have to put in all that longing to be accepted, the fear of the wedding night, all things which you may not have experienced in your own life but maybe something close. In that pas de deux the music is fabulous, you're doing it with someone who is very tired at that point, very aggressive, much bigger than you and it doesn't take much to be scared. Showing the gun you get so involved, you are not acting any more just living it.' Iohna doesn't know how much of the fear travels, if audience feels the fear, panic and the complete despair 'and it really is like that, that moment when the curtain closes after act one you are emotionally exhausted, it is very draining.'
Iohna was asked about the next two acts when Stephanie is a minor character but has to portray very particular feelings. 'No part is a small part; you do your best with it. Walking into the bar, your heart has gone cold, you are not naïve any more. You hate every moment of it. You have to imagine yourself in a loveless marriage, absolutely hating it but knowing that for the sake of pretence the public shouldn't know. I portrayed that scene with a back of steel, the slight line of bitterness starting to go through.' Then when she is pregnant later on, you are more accepted by the family as you are carrying the child of royalty so by that point Stephanie is a little more settled. By the end, in Act III you are a part of the family. You are wearing beautiful clothing. You don't actually care about your husband, you know about his affairs, you are comfortable, you've got your diamond rings. You can see someone's mind and how it's changed in that ballet, even with Stephanie. It's in her costume changes, from the wedding dress to the little nightie, that horrible brown dress in tavern, then pregnancy dress. By Act III she wears this beautiful, absolutely stunning outfit. She regains some of the power she has lost in Act I. She has that little scene with Larisch – 'I will beat you at this because he is still my husband'. Iohna sees it as a sort of full circle. It starts with the wedding, with Stephanie so hopeful and by the end she's not hopeful 'but you have some of your power back. Anyway that's how I portrayed it.'
That's why I am there, for the audience. The only reason they are there is to see the story. If you are only going through the motions what's the point?
Iohna explained that she puts a lot of thought into those sorts of things. She enjoys it. 'That's why I am there, for the audience. The only reason they are there is to see the story. If you are only going through the motions what's the point?' It's the same for Clara, Effie, Vera, all the roles Iohna dances. She said that when people like Sylvie (Guillem) danced, with one look, one gesture they gave you an entire scope of emotion. 'Some of that is lost these days. It's all about high legs, fancy technique and yet some of my most memorable moments watching shows would be the emotion of something, not how high someone's legs were. It's how I try and do my shows. It's about what you take away with you.'
Another MacMillan dramatic role Iohna would really like to dance is Juliet because it too has a whole range of emotion from young exuberance, love, beautiful pdds. 'Act III such a marvellous act, hardly any dancing but Juliet's emotions are laid bare, it's full-on acting. Very tempting. Manon is the same but at heart I would always have been a little Juliet.'
Although La Sylphide is different from Ashton, David Bain commented that there are elements which are similar. Iohna explained that Johan (Kobborg) built Effie as not being only about the dancing but also about the character which is integral to the story, why James goes away, why he falls in love with a sylph. 'You chose to play Effie as big or as small as you wanted. You could easily have played her so that nobody would even notice her or so that she becomes one of those roles that everyone remembers. If it's your wedding day and your fiancé is aloof, how would you feel? What would you do? If he disappeared, how distraught would you be? It's as simple as that. For me that's not hard – I'm an emotional person by nature and quite a drama queen so it doesn't take much for me!'
Other types of role: 'If the ballet's got an animal in it?' 'Yes, that will be me – I am from Africa you know!' Iohna has danced animals from the beginning from a chicken in Fille to a swan, to a cygnet, to a cat, a dog 'Pepe was quite a featured little doggie, a very nice role. In a brown leotard with a big dog face, it was lots of fun. It was hard with the mask but nothing was as hard as Hunca Munca – a mouse. It's a favourite part, exhausting, very scary. Not nearly as enjoyable as you think it's going to be. It's so intense because you can't see anything, everything is very musical because it is Ashton, all the props freak you out. And there are stairs with a solo at the top – you can actually break your neck doing the solo – and a carpet that is slippery.' There's also the cat, the goat in Sylvia, 'a tough little number.' Then a bunny in Wind in the Willows.
Iohna worked with Will (Tuckett) first in school when she was 16. It was a Tchaikovsky Winter Gala. 'I danced the young girl in the 1812 Overture with Adam Cooper and Elizabeth McGorian. Placido Domingo conducted!' Later, when in the Company, she created a role in the Wind in the Willows 'we had such a good time' with Adam Cooper, Luke Heydon, Tom Sapsford, Matthew Hart, Will Kemp and Pippa Gordon. Anthony Dowell was narrator. Quite a cast.
'Because we were such a good group we had such a laugh and in a perfect world that's what choreographing a new piece should be. You should have a ball. People really understanding each other, the dynamics and the choreographer and what he wants. Even though it is hard work and long hours it's enjoyable. You end the day exhausted but happy, rather than frustrated and in a bad mood. In all the time we created Wind in the Willows there was not one bad day.'
They did 30 shows, Iohna once doing three in one day, a matinée of Nutcracker and two of Wind in the Willows. She ran from one theatre to the other with 15 minutes to put dirt on her face and become a rabbit after being a Mirliton. As well as the rabbit, she played a butterfly and an evil little weasel 'Those weasels were great, Luke, Tom and myself – we were pretty nasty and we laughed so much.'
In Manon, Iohna has played the boy/girl for quite a long time. To avoid boredom she plays her with different moods. Sometimes she is obnoxious, sometimes naughty, sometimes aloof. Iohna explained how she sometimes has to have a word to be her inspiration for the day, even for instance in Neopolitan, when she is very tired and it's been a long night and she needs something extra.
For the goats in Sylvia she used always to have a choice word that was like the aim for that performance. She described one Sylvia with either Paul (Kay) or Ludo (Ondiviela) when they decided they were French goats. 'So it was all French chic and we played the whole thing French. I was a minxy little French goat. Whether anyone out there in the audience thought I looked French it didn't matter, it got me through the show!'
With the cats Iohna was so naughty that she thought it would get to the point when she would be told off. Again she was thinking French minxy cat 'I don't do cute cats, I do saucy.' Iohna said that animals are notoriously one dimensional so you have to do something with it if you are going to enjoy it yourself and also let the audience enjoy it. 'It's all about the audience in the end, it's why we do it – only for the joy of the audience, to make them feel something, sadness, happiness – they are not there to see the technique but for an emotional journey. I don't know about the journey but it will at least give you a smile if I do my job well enough.'
Iohna was asked about her part in the TV programme about the Company a couple of Christmases ago. She said she didn't know why she was chosen as they were all interviewed, but maybe because she was a different kind of character, friendly and bubbly and had a lot to say 'a couple of interesting things that maybe not everybody knew or wanted to hear.' It did provoke a lot of attention which she didn't realize she would get.
It had been edited cleverly, from one hour to five minutes, to make it sound as severe as possible. Iohna had said a lot of nice, positive things but they had picked the bits to fit what they wanted to portray – a sad 30 year old who had been in the corps for ever, with not enough money to buy a flat. The time of the interview was a hard point in her life, she was in a rut and had to decide whether to leave or stick it out and be content to be in the corps doing all the solo work and never getting recognition. There was no other easy way to explain. They had filmed it in the summer and by the time it went on air at Christmas she already felt differently about some things. But she had purposely said, very tactfully, what she did because all the girls in her position feel the same way and because people don't know the frustrations and politics that come with the job. The producers had had a message to get over, that ballet is hard. They filmed the student and all the problems of getting into the Company, and Carlos and Marianela exhausted – 'It was not a 'happy clappy affair.' She believes that inside the Company, at her level and below, what she said was appreciated, but people above said they were disappointed. The only person Iohna cared about was Monica as she had never wanted to lose her respect or feel like she disrespected her. 'It's just the way a company – any company – works. It's not like an Olympic team and who can run faster, it's all about talent and preferences, artistry, likes and dislikes, some people like Picasso some people don't, it doesn't mean that Picasso or Kandinsky is better, just different. If you are the boss of the gallery you get to chose which you put up.' She was mortified when she saw the programme but Monica had come straight up to her and she said she was not to worry about a thing, she understood and knew how these things were edited.
At the end of the season Iohna was promoted. It took probably a year for her to relax and believe that she deserved to be there. When it takes so long you almost don't believe you deserve it. 'But here I am, I'm very grateful and am feeling very blessed'.
The feeling of doing that ballet is awesome and even though you are left totally exhausted and your brain is fried because you have counted for 40 minutes there's something very rewarding about Rite of Spring
Since then there's been Nutcracker, Vera, Rubies, Rite of Spring – '99% of the dancers get a thrill from Rite, that group ensemble thing. The feeling of doing that ballet is awesome and even though you are left totally exhausted and your brain is fried because you have counted for 40 minutes there's something very rewarding about Rite of Spring. All counts change constantly, with different movements on every count. It's not normal movements like step arabesque pirouette. It's hard for your body to remember or do naturally, it's hard on the legs, it's heavy. A vicious ballet, vicious. You know when you have gone wrong. It is so exact, if you lose the music you are in trouble or if you blank you are in trouble. It's so fast that you couldn't catch up with your counts and the moves. It happens to all of us. We have all made mistakes in Rite of Spring and wondered if they had been noticed.'
Iohna was asked whether there were any black or coloured ballet dancers in South Africa and replied that there are lots. They have excellent contemporary dance companies too which have many good black and coloured dancers. In her generation of South Africans 'it had nothing to do with us any more, it was open. You work, get it, do your job.'
Asked whether there were any dance projects in the townships she replied that there were, a great many particularly run in her day by Phyllis Spira and her husband. She was a wonderful coach and dancer who had died this year who had been very dear to Iohna. Every year Iohna would do classes and tours for two weeks out in the countryside, going to tiny schools. She did Swanilda, for example, showing the kids who had never seen ballet what it was. They'd be amazed and so excited and they always had a great reception.
Do you get to sections of Rite where you know it so well that you don't need to count? Iohna replied that there's some of it, if there's a tune. Especially the second time when you knew the music better, instinctively you could feel certain beats and accents which you'd hear and so you didn't have to count. With Stravinsky, the more you listen the more you hear things, like language. The music tells you a lot. But the first time you were so panicked you didn't listen to the music you were just frantically counting.
Asked about China, Iohna said that she loved everything about that tour. She did a lot of sightseeing – it was a great experience, the theatres were fabulous. Seeing the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace 'when in my life will I see these things again?' It had been extraordinary to go from the modern theatre to the hutongs across the road, the old streets where there was nothing, barely running water and to see what Beijing was all about, especially just before the Olympics too. They had danced Sleeping Beauty, Manon, a triple bill with McGregor, diverts and Homage, and Sylvia.
Asked why she said she was not a McGregor dancer, she replied that it was not through her choice as she loves his work but that he picks the people who he thinks might be able move in a certain way. Choreographers are very particular about who they pick. She has worked with David Bintley on Les Saisons with Will and Chris (Wheeldon) which is always fantastic. McGregor is possibly a very interesting future dream just because he is the future of The Royal Ballet. Liam Scarlett would be fantastic to work with as he is so talented.
Hadn't Iohna done a version of Carmen in South Africa? She had done one with choreography by Veronica Paeper but it was very classical, in three acts, nothing like Mats Ek's version. Has she any desire to do Micaela – or M as she is in Ek's version? Iohna would love to work with Mats Ek. She loves doing Balanchine which is very hard but rewarding, especially working with Pat Neary who is always lots of fun.
Report written by Belinda Taylor, edited by Iohna Loots and David Bain ©The Ballet Association 2008.


Golden Tulip Resort Pattaya features 93 rooms and suites which is a great alternative for travelers looking for peaceful and quality accommodations away from the Pattaya crowds and spread on 3.5 Acres of Land, with beautifully landscaped gardens. There are plenty of local restaurants and some shops within walking distance of the resort. However, a trip into Pattaya town center is extremely convenient and takes only about ten minutes.
Golden Tulip Resort Pattaya is located in a quiet neighborhood North Pattaya, with a peaceful beach just around the corner. Its location in a rather secluded part of Pattaya makes it extremely suitable for families with young children, who want to stay away from the beach and bar crowds. And 5 minutes drive from Cental Pattaya Shopping Mall and just only walking 5 minutes from the hotel to the beach.