The College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, contains three undergraduate programs: Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Architectural Design in Landscape, of which Landscape Architecture is one of the two China's most "Characteristic Programs", also the preeminent one in Jiangsu Province. Moreover, the Architectural Design in Landscape program is first set in Jiangsu universities.
The College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, is one of the earliest and strongest academic groups in China. The College has a long history of Landscape studying and teaching. Originally, it was founded as a Landscape Research Center in the National Central University and Jinling University. Professor Chen Zhi, was a great gardening expert and the founder of modern Chinese Landscape Architecture. His book Gardening Conspectus ,Ornamental Dendrology, China Gardening History, and A Note of Yuanye are recognized as the most famous Chinese landscape writings. He contributed greatly to both modern Chinese Landscape Architecture and the development of landscape program in Nanjing Forestry University. The program was first set with the name Landscaping In 1956, then changed to Landscape Architecture in 1980. After that, a master's degree program in Urban Planning and Design (Landscape Architecture included) appeared in 1996, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) program in Garden Planting and Ornamental Gardening was set in 2000 as well. Now it has become a widely influenced college with all degrees, significant teaching and scientific research and advanced education philosophies. In April 1999, the College of Landscape Architecture established and became the first one of Southern China.
Besides the departments of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning & Design, and Architectural Design in Landscape, the college also contains four Research Centers specialized in Garden Planting, Landscape Planning & Design, Ecological Architecture, New Socialist Rural Planning, and the department of Continuing Education. There are totally 57 full-time faculty members in College of Landscape Architecture, with 15 professors and associate professors. Twenty of them hold a PH.D degree. Faculties have a divisive educational background, graduate from different universities, such as University of Toronto, Canada, Japan Kyushu University, Tongji University, Southeast University, Nanjing University, Beijing Forestry University, and Nanjing Forest University. There are more than 800 undergraduate students and over 300 master's degree students.
One project was the second in national outstanding education achievements and two were the first in Jiangsu province.
Garden designer training base: outstanding training base in Jiangsu Province.
Outstanding team in Jiangsu Province.
Series of Forestry Teaching Materials: second in outstanding teaching materials published by universities in the Huadong district.
Landscape Planning and Design: the first in best-sellers published by universities in China.
College establishes the teaching disciplines relying on the development of academic and economic social development are closely linked to academic development .The college sticks to items with the discipline of road development, application-oriented teaching ability, practice-oriented training. At the same time, emphasis on the ability of the computer application training, so that students have a solid foundation for computer knowledge and strong capabilities.
College for many years dedicated to teaching, scientific research, Landscape Architecture Planning and Design of wild ornamental plant resources development and utilization of the practice of the past five years under the state support for science and technology, science and technology of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Province, three projects, such as the Department of the province more than 10 research projects. The completion of "Shandong arms into the overall urban planning" and other urban planning, the completion of "the city of Yangzhou city green space system planning" more than 30 cities in the green space system planning, completion of the "Xuzhou Yunlong Lake Scenic Spot," and so on more than 10 scenic spots master plan, completed "Zhejiang Xiazhu Lake Wetland Park," and so on more than twenty Wetland Park, Forest Park, Park City Planning and Design, the completion of the "Nanjing Sunshine Garden" and more than 000 residential environment, planning and design, completion of the "Suzhou Industrial Park," and so on the fiftieth Green design of roads, completion of the "Anhui Normal University," more than 30 units, such as environmental landscape design, the completion of "the ancient city of Linyi Commercial Street," and so on more than twenty landscape architectural design. College has won international awards Flower Gardening Expo.
The college invites well-known professors all over the world to give lectures annually. As an exchange, a certain number of faculty members are selected and sent to many well-known universities, such as Michigan State University, US and Brigham University of Science and Technology, Sweden, served as visiting teaching fellows. Every year, a number of undergraduate students are also sent to these two universities to pursue a master's degree. The cooperation and exchange agreement are also being discussed between the college and the University of Toronto, Canada, University of Florence, Italy, Russia Voronezh State Forestry Academy of Engineering and so on.


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Bianchi Celebrates
January/February 2009 Phil Spangenberger
A half century of quality gunleather.
It was 1958. TV Westerns reigned as king of the small screen, with programs debuting such as The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, Lawman and MacKenzie's Raiders.
The credit card was introduced. The U.S. launched its first earth satellite. Alaska became our 49th state. Elvis was inducted into the Army. Jet airline service began in the U.S. And a young southern California police officer started a small, part-time business making gunleather for law enforcement personnel. Since he was left-handed, he had problems finding a holster that fit him just right, so he went into his garage to see what holster creation he could work out.
Half a century later, that former police officer has become one of the most recognizable names in the firearms industry—John Bianchi. As his 50th anniversary in the gunleather business comes to a close, we honor the man and some of his top holster making credits.
Bianchi holds more than 200 patents, trademarks and copyrights, and designed, engineered and manufactured more than 20 million holsters. He led the design team that developed the M12 Military Holster, adopted in 1984 as the standard-issue military holster for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. He authored the book Blue Steel and Gunleather. He consulted on small arms, tactics and equipment for police departments. He is also credited with coining the term "gunleather."
Given his love of Western history, Bianchi assembled one of the most impressive collections of Old West firearms and memorabilia as founder and director for the now-closed Frontier Museum and Historical Center (opened in 1981). His collection has become the nucleus of the Autry National Center's Museum of the American West.
In 1992, Bianchi retired as founder and board chairman of Bianchi International. He still runs John Bianchi's Frontier Gunleather, a firm in Rancho Mirage, California, that offers handcrafted frontier-styled Western gun rigs.
In honor of Bianchi's five decades of dedication to holster making and design, the company's master craftsman, Matt Whitaker, has handcrafted a one-of-a-kind, 50th Anniversary gun rig.
Made to fit a 7½-inch Colt Peacemaker, this hand-carved gunleather set is tooled along both edges and features shaped billets. Attached is a Bianchi 1880s-type clipped point gunfighter buckle. The set is attractively hand dyed to a rich mahogany brown. Colt's Mfg. Co. donated the blued and hand engraved .45 Colt SAA (serial number LV1), which is fitted with 1880s-era, Colt factory, black composite eagle grips.
The entire outfit will be auctioned off during Wally Beinfeld's Antique Arms Show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 16-18, 2009. The auction will benefit the National Rifle Association Foundation's Education Fund. Certainly a fitting tribute to John Bianchi—a living legend in the field of gunleather.
Visit FrontierGunleather.com or call 877-877-4704 for more information.
Telling of mountain peaks brushing Western skies, rainbows sparkling from a river's spray and frontier…
If cutting a CD is your dream, let Khoury show you how. Take some homegrown…
Exuberant might be another title for this high energy album, which is a callback to…
Phil Spangenberger has written for Guns & Ammo, appears on the History Channel and other documentary networks, produces Wild West shows, is a Hollywood gun coach and character actor, and is True West's Firearms Editor.
Did Jesse James Jump?
Buffalo Music
Deep in the Heart of Trouble (Fiction)
Aztec Fire (Fiction)
Rio Grande Fall (Fiction)
The Way of the West (Fiction)
Fire Light: The Life of Angel De Cora, Winnebago Artist (Nonfiction)
Their Own Frontier: Women Intellectuals Re-Visioning the American West (Nonfiction)
Towers of Gold (Nonfiction)
Frontier Teachers (Nonfiction)
From Guns to Gavels (Nonfiction)
Fugitive Landscapes (Nonfiction)
Equitrekking: Travel Adventures on Horseback (Nonfiction)
Zombie Cowboys
Deadwood: The Complete Series
A No-Bull Kind of Guy
Boots, Buckles & Spurs
The Wild Wild West: The Complete TV Series
The Ultimate Westerns Collection
Excerpts from Escape Artist: The Life and Time of John Sturges
Rodeo Dough
In McClintock, a settler is referred to as a "cheechako." What does that term mean?
What can you tell me about Tombstone photographer C.S. Fly?
Was segregation (or other forms of discrimination) commonly practiced in Old West saloons?
Could you tell me when sabres were withdrawn from U.S. Cavalry Units?
What was meant in the movie Fort Apache when Henry Fonda said he would "travel by shank's mare?"
How did saloon owners and faro dealers split the gambling profits?
I read that Glenn Ford was the best rider in Westerns. What other movie stars excelled as horse riders?
Can you tell me who painted the cowboy on horseback in the well known Colt pistol advertisement?
Brenn Hill
Riding the Reef
Ike Bites Dust
Preservation: The Fort that Wouldn't Die
Nevada Territory's Best
Pikes Peak or Bust Trail
Honky-Tonk Days In Arizona
Riding the Border… for Their Lives
Top 10 True Western Towns of 2009
True West's Best of the West 2009 Winners
Medical Desperation
Cowpuncher Rembrandt
Election Report

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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First Thursday's December 2022 event lights up the holiday season
Canan Commons in downtown Muncie, Indiana, is lit up with warm festive colors Dec 1. This was a part of "LIGHT UP DWNTWN" as a part of the final First Thursday event of 2022. KwaTashea Marfo, DN
By Ashton Connelly
December 2, 2022 | 11:59am EST
The motor of the Kiddie Express Train and its child-sized passengers hummed by guests as they roasted marshmallows by campfires. Phone cameras clicked as guests snapped family pictures, hosting Ivy Tech Community College's Rudy the Roadrunner and Ball State University's Charlie Cardinal. Children waited and took their turns on Santa Claus's lap.
The Ball State Code Red dancers, Masterworks Chorale, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Elementary School Choirs and the Harmony Players all took turns performing on the Canan Commons stage.
When 6:00 p.m. was near, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour, Rudy the Roadrunner, Charlie Cardinal, Santa and his helper and more took the stage to initiate the countdown to the lighting — and the following show of flashing lights and synchronized music — of the Christmas tree.
As the sun set on downtown Muncie, Canan Commons lit up in holiday reds and greens with First Thursday's holiday kick-off event called "LIGHT UP DWNTWN".
"Merry Christmas, everyone," Greg Wardlow, playing Santa Claus, said from the stage. "It's a delight to be in Muncie to share the evening with you. I wish you all the very best this holiday season"
The following show's lights danced to an excerpt from "The Nutcracker". Families huddled to watch as LED-lit snowflakes weaved in and out of the flashing holiday lights with each beat.
The sight of the tree and sound of its music bounced down through downtown, where attendees found themselves heading toward another part of the event. On the sidewalk of 220 S. Walnut Street, smooth holiday jazz from America's Hometown Band Jazz Combo, with saxophonist George Wolfe and pianist Robert Wiley, filled listeners' ears.
According to the First Thursday website, the synchronized light-and-sound show that kicked off the Christmas season will be able to be seen again every Thursday- Sunday at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.
Inside the Open Door Health Services building, Muncie Makers Market — who also hosted YART for First Thursday's October ArtsWalk — transformed the space into a holiday gift market. Moth Danner, Volunteer Director of the Muncie Makers Market, estimated there were approximately 65 different local artists set up within the space.
"[Muncie] has a great arts and crafts community," Danner said. "My rules are that you have to either be handmade, homemade food, or locally grown."
Jan Haines, owner of Jewelry by Jan, was one of approximately 60 vendors present at the market. She has been selling her handcrafted jewelry for over 10 years, and has participated in Muncie Makers Market annually since she began her business.
"I love it here," Haines said. "I like talking to people and making designs and filling requests for custom work."
Throughout her time as a jewelry maker, Haines has completed hundreds of pieces in her studio. She enjoys sourcing the materials and catering her products to her patrons.
"[My favorite] piece I've made was with blue lapis," Haines said. "I did a sterling silver back and I left the center open so you could see the fiery Australian opal inside."
This year, Haines was joined in her vendor booth by fellow Muncie local Joan Fagan-Hoffman, who is an artist and photographer. Fagan-Hoffman happened to move into the house adjacent to Haines' Jan. 2022, and the two have grown close via their mutual love for art.
"As an artist myself, when you find another artist you kind of cling to them because not everyone is in the same mindset as you," Fagan-Hoffman said. "So I help support [Jan], and I'm so happy to help her with this tonight. We've had a fabulous turnout and I'm really impressed with the people of Muncie, and how they come out to support stuff like this."
From local craft hobbyists or bakers to companies like Ohmugawd! Mugs and the Muncie Map Company, every booth hosted unique items promoted for gifting in the holiday season.
To make the gifting process easier, the United Methodist Congregation Community of Hope held a booth dedicated to gift wrapping, which also doubled as a greeting booth for guests walking into the market.
According to the greeters, Tom and Becky Adams, Robin Stevens is the member of the church who presented the opportunity to the congregation.
Though Stevens expressed there were some rough edges in the integration of community involvement, she and the church were looking forward to the engagement the night — and potentially the next year — would have.
Stevens shared it was possible due to already having formerly known Danner, and that it was Danner who made it possible to put their gift-wrapping and greeting station front and center.
Those interested in attending the market can look forward to its return in January 2023. Shoppers should refer to the organization's Facebook and Instagram pages for specific details and other upcoming events.
Later in the night on Canan Commons, the line of children waiting for a chance to sit on Santa's lap shortened, and attendees came and went, but with the illuminated Christmas tree, the holiday spirit remains.
Contact Ashton Connelly with comments via email at ajconnelly@bsu.edu or on Twitter @AshtonJConnelly.
DN Reporter Sarah Olsen also contributed to this report. Contact Sarah Olsen with comments at snolsen@bsu.edu.


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Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom Statement on China
Português , العربية , Français , हिन्दी , Русский , اردو , Español
Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom
As representatives of the international community, we are deeply concerned about the significant restrictions on religious freedom in China and call on the Chinese government to respect the human rights of all individuals. Many members of religious minority groups in China – including Uighurs, Hui, and Kazakh Muslims; Tibetan Buddhists; Catholics; Protestants; and Falun Gong – face severe repression and discrimination because of their beliefs. These communities consistently report incidents in which the authorities allegedly torture, physically abuse, arbitrarily arrest, detain, sentence to prison, or harass adherents of both registered and unregistered religious groups for activities related to their religious beliefs and peaceful practices. Authorities also restrict travel and interfere with the selection, education, and veneration of religious leaders for many religious groups. We are concerned by the government's longstanding efforts to suppress Uighur Muslim and Tibetan Buddhists' religious, linguistic, and cultural identities.
We are particularly troubled by reports of the Chinese government's deepening crackdown on Uighurs and members of other Muslim minority groups in China, including: undue restrictions on freedom of religion; destruction of mosques; unprecedented levels of surveillance; efforts to pressure other governments into forcibly returning Uighurs to China or to coerce family members of Uighurs still in Xinjiang to encourage Uighurs living aboard to return; and the detention of hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of Uighurs and members of other Muslim minority groups in facilities ranging from makeshift holding centers to prisons, ostensibly for "political re-education," in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. There are reports of deaths in these facilities. We call on the Chinese government to release immediately all those arbitrarily detained.
We are also concerned that the government is destroying or limiting access to houses of worship, including Protestant and Catholic churches and community buildings. Authorities evicted at least 11,500 monks and nuns from Tibetan Buddhist institutes at Larung Gar and Yachen Gar since 2016. Officials also restrict access to, confiscate, and destroy Bibles, Qurans, and other religious materials. We remain concerned about the impact of amended regulations to govern the activities of all religious groups and the draft regulations on foreigners' religious activities in China.
We strongly urge the Chinese government to protect the religious freedom of all individuals and to respect the human rights of all members of religious groups in accordance to China's international commitments to respect freedom of religion. Such developments will only further peace, security, and stability in China and among its neighbors.
View Original Content: https://www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/religiousfreedom/284557.htm


Beginning with the Prophet Isaiah today, we have laments in every age about our imperfections. He starts us off by describing a vision of God seated on "a high and lofty throne" with angels all around and proclaims, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips!" What follows is testimony to God's willingness to choose him – even in his weakness – and to cure him. (IS 6:1-8) Similarly in the second reading, St. Paul acknowledges that he was not fit to be called an apostle because he had been diligent in persecuting Christians. "By the grace of God," however, he acknowledges that "I am what I am and God's grace has not been ineffective." (1COR 15: 1-11). Finally we have Simon Peter doubting the effectiveness of the directive Jesus gives to the fishermen who have been all night at their task and caught nothing. Perhaps his saving grace was that although he expressed his doubt about going back out "into deep water" and lowering the nets again, he said to Jesus, "but at your command I will lower the nets." You know the story (LK 5: 1-11). The nets were almost breaking with all the fish! Peter's response: to fall at the knees of Jesus and say, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." In each of these cases, the imperfect servant comes to know a sort of greatness in humility.
The lesson in each of these readings is captured in Psalm 138, tucked in the center of it all. "Your right hand saves me…your kindness, O Lord, endures forever…" Lynn Bauman's translation of this psalm gives a beautiful expression of encouragement to us, letting us know that in spite of our human frailty God is just waiting to give us what we need.
The week was filled with grace in small and great ways. Having thought I was in need of total solitude I realized early on that I would find more benefit in the communal silence which I found in several periods of centering prayer daily, in body awareness and movement sessions, in chanting and chopping vegetables and in daily worship. These practices enhanced the ample personal time for reflection that filled most of the afternoon and shorter spaces in between.
I would love to have taken a survey of the other participants to see if my sense that all the introductory short readings, poems and chants were really chosen just for me. God is funny in that we can all feel that way sometimes – but I was sure of it in this experience. How could everyone feel as "chosen" as I was for the word that was given each time we gathered? On the first morning, the first words I heard were from the mystical poet Hafiz, in a poem that sounded like a personal message for me. I write it in prose form below, just as it was spoken by Allen, God's messenger, to set the tone for my response all week. See if God would speak to you this way – if God were able to catch your full attention.
This place where you are right now God circled on a map for you. Wherever your eyes and arms and heart can move against the earth and the sky, the Beloved has bowed there. Our Beloved has bowed there, knowing you were coming. The place where you will be in a year, our Beloved is bowing there now, setting the table for the feast, knowing you are coming.
All of the readings for this Sunday are steeped in the message of call, or vocation. In the Old Testament Amos says, "I was no prophet…I was a shepherd and dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" (AM 7:12-15) Paul is busy in Ephesus telling everyone that God "chose us …before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him…" (EPH 1:3-14) In the gospel, Jesus is sending the Twelve out on mission, giving as a first instruction that they "take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money…" (MK 6:7-13) Clearly, these were all people who knew they were called by God.
It is the gospel acclamation that brings that message down through the ages to us today in a sentence of blessing that in its fulfillment will undoubtedly keep us moving toward God. May God enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we might know what is the hope that belongs to our call. Alleluia!


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Front: Three 120mm or two 140mm* fans and up to a 360mm radiator with a maximum thickness of 50mm without fans.
The MB511 case supports CPU Coolers up to a height of 165mm, Graphic cards up to a length of 410mm and Power Supplies up to a length of 180mm.
Clearances CPU Cooler: 165mm / 6.49"
Cable Routing Behind MB Tray: 19mm / 0.74"


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Home News Indie Opera: Canada's Key Indie Players
Indie Opera: Canada's Key Indie Players
Artist-run, niche companies are increasingly charged with saving opera's future. Bill Rankin rounds up Canada's key indie players from coast-to-coast. In the sharing spirit of these difficult times, we are happy to freely offer this subscriber-only feature from our Spring 2020 issue.
Bill Rankin
Erica Iris Huang (on screen) & company in Loose Tea Music Theatre's Carmen #YesAllWomen. Photo: Dahlia Katz
This feature on Canadian Indie Opera appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Opera Canada, Vol. 60 #3
Every business enterprise, large or small, faces similar challenges. Where is the market for what they're selling? How do they generate cash flow to keep the company afloat and, ideally, growing? How do they judge success? In most cases, it's the bottom line, but are there other measures as well? Customer satisfaction? Community improvement? Personal esteem?
Opera is a business, and whether we're talking about an institution like the Canadian Opera Company with its $40-million-plus budget, or a tiny, independent operation with zero staff and negligible other resources, the motivations for creating art and being able to continue to do so are fundamentally the same. But in the world of independent opera, the reasons for persisting are head-spinningly diverse compared to the goals of most established companies.
Independent opera companies fall on a spectrum. Wayne Strongman began Toronto's Tapestry Opera 40 years ago with a group of like-minded artist colleagues looking for a more challenging repertoire. Tapestry, like many fledgling indies since, has continued to champion new works as its budget has grown beyond $1 million. Some would say it's gone beyond the notion of an indie enterprise.
And then there are the passion projects, the crusaders, the eclectic creators determined to find work for themselves and for other struggling artists by sheer force of will and self-belief. New companies have been invented out of necessity, to create opportunities for under-employed singers, for instance. Both Toronto's Opera 5 (2012), led by Rachel Krehm and Winnipeg's Manitoba Underground Opera (2010), founded by Brendan McKeen with some of his University of Manitoba student associates, launched their foray into the business of opera out of that pragmatism.
(L-R) Yosuke Kawasaki, Jacqueline Woodley, Vadim Serebryany, Rachel Khrem and Wolfram Koessel in Opera 5's Open Chambers: Hindemith & Shostakovich, 2018. Photo: Dahlia Katz
And the motivation can get more granular than that. Vancouver's Opera Mariposa, begun in 2012 by two women who have been friends since grade school, dedicates itself to empowering singers with disabilities, in the broadest sense. The aptly named Heroic Opera, also in Vancouver, offers performance experience to singers with the unique capacity, or at least the ambition, to sing Wagner and Strauss.
Some indie companies hone an extremely precise niche. In 2005, Early Music specialist Suzie Leblanc began Académie Baroque de Montréal, later renamed Le Nouvel Opéra, as a blend of the personal and the professional, even the scholarly.
"My goal was to create an Academy inspired by the literary and musical academies which flourished in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries: a place to gather and discuss works, their social context, their musical merits and performance practices of the time," she says. Her personal interests shaped and reshaped her business plan. In 2009, she expanded her mandate to include contemporary work alongside lesser-known chamber works of the Baroque period.
Montréal's two-woman Opéra 101, founded in 2015, brings the spirit of Anna Russell and Victor Borge to the oftentimes stuffy opera scene, incorporating clowning into polished operatic presentations on a small scale. They were emboldened to persist in their cheeky project after winning $200 at a competition, where they overheard their rivals, decked out in standard diva finery, chatting about the arcana of opera repertoire. Soprano Charlotte Gagnon and pianist Laurence Lambert-Chan came out wearing red clown noses, and showed that opera can sound great and seem ridiculous. They've found a local francophone audience for their anti-elitist silliness.
Opera 101's Laurence Lambert-Chan and Charlotte Gagnon. Photo: Olivier Hardy.
Joel Ivany began Against the Grain Theatre (AtG) in late 2010 to beef up his résumé coming out of UofT's opera program. That company has, of course, gone on to firmly establish itself in the Toronto indie opera scene, and more recently, as the company has grown, has even toured its pared-down take on La Bohème to local pubs across the country. The CBC added some national cred to the company by picking up one of those Oct. 2019 Bohème performances as the first live-streamed presentation of an opera in the broadcaster's history.
In the case of the intriguingly named Ne: Sans, Israeli choreographer Idan Cohen has set up shop in Vancouver, where he continues his reach into the international dance world, but is developing a unique amalgam of opera and dance for the local audience, as well. "After a decade of creating and touring with my company internationally, winning awards and gaining recognition, I took my first steps as an opera stage director, doing so through contemporary dance. I felt that there is a real interest in multidisciplinary work within the worlds of opera and dance." In his company, dance and opera share equal billing with movement offering more than just a charming interlude between sung scenes.
The ambitions of Canadian independent opera companies vary widely. The blue-collar city of Nanaimo just saw its first-ever full production, with piano, of a classic opera (Bohéme) in November. Carol Fetherston, a retiree who was nudged into starting Nanaimo Opera in 2013, ultimately envisions her company performing at the in-demand, 800-seat Port Theatre, which is still out of her price range. Since Vancouver Island Opera's demise, Nanaimo's is the only opera company in the ever-growing mid-Vancouver Island region, and Fetherston's hope is that her own commitment will spark audience growth among a burgeoning island retiree population and some tangible enthusiasm from prospective local sponsors.
Essential Opera, begun in 2010 in Toronto, divides itself between Toronto and Atlantic Canada. Its founders, sopranos Erin Bardua and Maureen Batt, began with a modest staging of Le nozze di Figaro that received encouraging acclaim. They were hooked, and their conservative business plan and artistic goal was simple: "to produce work we wanted to see," works most traditional opera lovers would call "the essentials."
Leaders of smaller companies have the same worries as the majors: sustaining themselves financially and cultivating reliable audiences. Most of the small companies I contacted received some government assistance besides what they could drum up through fundraising and ticket sales. Several had loose associations with their more established brethren, working in donated or discounted space, borrowing costumes and other production resources. But in most cases, their funding is soft, a project grant here, term-limited cash there. A few have commercial sponsors; just as many, though, pay for a lot of what they do out of their own pocket. Their own and their crucial volunteers' in-kind contributions are essential and invaluable.
Loose Tea Music Theatre's founder and Executive Artistic Director Alaina Viau, who wears the hats of conductor, director and stage manager, offers Toronto audiences what she calls a "revitalized" form of classic opera. Warhorses reimagined, chestnuts roasted in the fire of contemporary sensibilities, especially regarding women's and traditional outsiders' roles in society, the company also offers new opera tackling critical social issues. She has been at it since 2013, and offers a view of the future where larger budget companies see the value in affiliating with the nimble indie companies to create a more integrated opera ecosystem.
Fetherston in Nanaimo knows her ultimate destination is a conventional, comfortable, well-equipped, all-purpose theatre. Heroic Opera (2017) and re:Naissance Opera (2017) enjoy the funky Annex, one of Vancouver's civic theatres, and Astrolabe Musik Theatre (2010) will premiere a new work there in the fall. Other indie outfits, in keeping with their need for economic flexibility and often because their mission is to do opera in unconventional ways, find spaces you'd never think of as opera venues.
Edmonton's Mercury Opera, founded by Darcia Parada in New York in 1999, has one of the most eclectic histories of staging opera where you'd least expect it. She has taken her penchant for Puccini to the deck of a riverboat, a subway platform, back alleys and fire escapes, a tent in an inner-city park, an outdoor amphitheatre in Alberta's Badlands, and most recently, a downtown strip club and greasy spoon. She has run her company largely without government assistance or any formal affiliation with a bigger-budget group like Edmonton Opera. (A few of the artistic directors I spoke groaned about the onerous task of grant application writing, the success of which is a crapshoot.) Mercury remains adamantly independent, but for the first time, in March 2020, Parada will present Bohéme in a black box theatre owned by Edmonton's largest theatre company, The Citadel.
Morgan Traynor (2nd Lady), Juliana Curcio (3rd Lady) and Elizabeth Polese (1st Lady) in Brott Opera's The Magic Flute, 2018. Photo: Bob Hatcher.
Well-known orchestra conductor Boris Brott began Brott Opera five years ago in response to Opera Hamilton's folding, a kind of music maker's labour of love. Opera Hamilton had been a testing ground for new Canadian talent, and Brott felt that besides filling the sudden gap in the options for Hamilton's opera-loving patrons, the loss of performance prospects for up-and-comers was intolerable. Unlike other smaller opera companies, Brott had the advantage of already running a successful music festival, and so the new Brott Opera, co-directed by Brott and Taras Kulish, had a natural home. And also unlike so many less well-resourced indies, Brott had access to the 2,100-seat FirstOntario Concert Hall, a building he helped design with opera in mind, as well as a reputation as an experienced opera conductor in his own right.
Companies like Edmonton's Opera Nuova (1998) and Haliburton, Ontario's Highlands Opera Studio (2007) present a hybrid case. They specialize in extending young artist training by giving them performance opportunities still all-too-rare in their academic programs. Both Highlands and Nuova are overtly educational, but their summer festival formats operate much like any small company would in producing and promoting shows for the general public.
Micah Schroeder (Harlekin) and Melissa McCann (Zerbinetta) in Highland Opera Studio's Ariadne auf Naxos, 2019. Photo: Brenden Friesen.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Opera on the Avalon (2009) began as a summer festival featuring emerging artists, mentored by Canada's best professional singers, as Nuova and Highlands do. It has since become what its founder Cheryl Hickman calls "Atlantic Canada's opera company," commissioning new work, such as John Estacio and Robert Chafe's Ours, about the WWI battle of Beaumont Hamel's catastrophic effects on Newfoundland's future. When the production debuted in 2016, one of leads was sung by baritone Brett Polegato, a singer who did his emerging decades ago. This summer, OOTA is co-producing a remounting of the Estacio opera with the National Arts Centre, extending its reach beyond its Avalon Peninsula market. Growth and expansion are on its mind.
Finding co-producers may or may not be a goal for the typical small company, but recognizing that there can be strength in numbers, and ultimately, even survival, umbrella organizations have sprung up to cultivate that cooperative spirit and share creative and material resources. Indie Opera Toronto supports the efforts of at least 11 companies in Toronto, ranging from Tapestry, which gives some critical mass to the venture, to smaller outfits like Loose Tea and Essential.
Tapestry's General Director, Michael Mori, is on Indie Opera Toronto's executive committee, and was recently elected board chairman of opera.ca, the national association of opera companies, large and small. Associations like Indie Opera Toronto, and the recently created Indie Opera West (2018), help get everybody rowing in the same direction. At the most basic level, sharing production schedules with one another means less competition for much the same audience.
"Together we're stronger," says Mori, who acted, along with B.C. arts consultant Joel Klein and re:Naissance Opera Artistic Director Debi Wong, as advisors for the creation of the west coast co-operative.
"We're all fighting for the same thing, building a new audience for opera and also giving people opportunities to perform and direct and conduct. By being connected, there's a better chance that we can create our own scene and create our own network of support."
Mori believes Vancouver is a leader in showing the way toward opera's future.
"I think Vancouver is Canada's most changing city. And so you kind of have to say any classical, European-style company that doesn't evolve can easily grow out of touch with Vancouver." Vancouver Opera's identity challenges may be reflected in this. "The indies are literally reacting to the world that they're in, and doing so with much lower overhead and more flexibility," Mori says.
Indie Opera West is already gaining a profile in Vancouver. Spearheaded by Wong, it held its inaugural #IndieOperaWeek in June 2019. The festival continues under the leadership of re:Naissance Opera who are cultivating a relationship with Vancouver Opera. Pacific Opera Victoria is also a contributing member of IOW.
The national association opera.ca also has a role to play in bolstering the opera scene in general. Mori, who comes out of the indie culture himself, sees its duty this way. "Can we connect educators with young artist programs, with independent opera companies, with emerging artists, and summer programs with the professional producers?" The last two opera.ca conferences in Montréal and Vancouver had the indie issue front and centre.
"We're starting to have a national conversation about the health of opera," Mori declares.
The fragility of any startup is well-known. Mori describes the arc of the typical indie opera venture as an initial period fraught with potentially fatal hazards. The light at the end of the tunnel is easily extinguished.
"It starts with a collection of people who want to work on the kind of pieces they're attracted to. They create a passion project for themselves and invite friends to come along for the journey. If it's successful, they build up a following. Sometimes as their careers grow, their company becomes a little more bona fide.
"There's like a five-year mark where you go from everyone volunteering and nobody really making money. At that point, you either shut down and move on to other things, or start to pay people and start to innovate and get funding, and stuff like that." Avalon began paying its singers six years ago.
Associations like Indie Opera Toronto and Indie Opera West provide moral support and a shared sense of community within which companies can pull in some costumes here, and share some volunteers there. Paradoxically, though, an indie company may alleviate some of the insecurities that go with running a small business on a shoestring budget by attaching itself to a larger entity that isn't really its competitor.
Getting the endorsement and material support of an established organization like the COC and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has helped Ivany's AtG raise its profile and express its ambitions in ways that many other small companies might envy. In 2016, the COC took Ivany's company under its wing, giving it a three-year stint as its company in residence. The founding members of AtG had already had an association with the COC as emerging artists and administrative staff. This new relationship with the company coincided with the arrival of Alexander Neef as the COC's General Director.
"Alexander in his early years referred to us as his kids in some ways because we were all sort of there, and then we started to do our own thing outside of it," Ivany recalls. Neef became their ally.
This new seal of approval helped grow Ivany's reputation nationally, and when the Banff Centre was going through its own identity crisis in 2014, it reached out to AtG.
"They were looking into bringing in something different," Ivany says, and that began an association that led to him becoming Banff's Artistic Director of opera. In that role, he has helped develop several new productions, including Orphée+, Claude Vivier's Kopernikus, and most recently, No One's Safe, described as "a contemporary Mozart mash-up-inspired-murder-mystery." Most of Ivany's Banff work ends up on Toronto stages under the AtG banner. In fact, although he still worries about the future, he's prepared to declare AtG as part of the mainstream Canadian opera scene. Ivany will be going into his sixth season at Banff this summer, where like any indie initiative, he will draw on emerging artists, bend the barriers of the opera genre, and cultivate new audiences for opera in the 21st century.
At the other end of the spectrum where AtG and Tapestry lie, the restless, under-recognized opera artist does more than just fume. The crucible that is indie art continues to produce works that exude their creators' passions, and makes statements that you won't hear at companies that have presumptuous names like Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, Manitoba Opera, and, most presumptuous of all, the Canadian Opera Company.
Carmen Harris as Ophelia in Manitoba Underground Opera's Lost Voices, 2019. Photo: Paul McKeen.
Toronto's fledgling Amplified Opera (2019) was founded by director Aria Umezawa and soprano Teiya Kasahara. Before establishing Amplified, Umezawa co-founded Opera 5, a member of Indie Opera Toronto. Umezawa remembers asking Kasahara a poignant question a couple of years ago. "How much time are we spending on singing, and how much of our energy goes into choosing our audition wardrobe?" Kasahara had to admit, "Most of my energy is on how I'm dressed." Umezawa drew the conclusion for them that sparked the appearance of Amplified Opera last year. "Teiya. Newsflash. You're not getting hired now, so what do you have to lose? Why not try expressing yourself in a way that feels honest?"
That honesty has spurred Kasahara to write their own show, The Queen in Me, which received a workshop performance last October, and is expected to premiere in Toronto sometime this year. Here's how the Globe and Mail's Jenna Simeonov characterized the turmoil that generated the one-person show:
"Kasahara's The Queen in Me is the story of the singer's troubled time on the ground as a queer, Japanese-Canadian, masculine soprano with non-binary they/them pronouns." Like so many other groups I heard from, something chafing the performer stimulated a structured response, the creation of a company. Opéra 101 felt like tweaking the nose at big-time opera; Amplified's personal critique of the art, and even more the business, prompted something more militant, perhaps.
"There had been moments in each of our lives where we had been talking about how to rethink the art form, and it was like, 'Wow! There's something here.' So we began talking about a new type of performance art company where we would start by thinking about what we as artists want, and then expand that to give space for others to tell their stories on their own terms," Kasahara says.
Whether a company grows into a decades-long success story like Tapestry, an early-stage mainstream vehicle like AtG, or is just getting its word out in a small but irrepressible way like the many one and two-person operations out there, the vitality of Canada's indie opera scene is indisputable. As more and more companies find ways to have one another's back through regional associations and national entities like opera.ca, the flow of new talent and opera options will, no doubt, continue to flourish, just as the art form as a whole goes through its larger soul-searching project.
BrottOpera
Essential Opera
Heroic Opera
Highlands Opera Studio
Indie Opera
Indie Opera Toronto
LeNouvel Opera
Loose Tea Music Theatre
Manitoba Underground Opera
Mercury Opera
Nanaimo Opera
Opera Mariposa
Opera on the Avalon
Previous articleTapestry Opera's Songbook X goes virtual
Next articlePocket Concerts goes Live with Fenlon & Fenlon
The play's the thing: Opera in Concert's new Cocteau-Poulenc double-bill
Canadians at the Met: what's on in January
Faces in the crowd: opera's supernumeraries
Happy Birthday, Mr. Rigoletto!
Collector's item alert: our 60th anniversary issue
City Opera Vancouver's "The Human Voice" streamed in nightly webisodes
Opera Canada on Social


Thalassotherapy, Ayurveda & Co ..
Health tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism known in the world. The first tourists who came to Gran Canaria – around the second half of the 19th century – belonged to the so-called health tourism.
These were people who suffered from their lungs, stomachs and nerves, having been attracted to the islands by the stories of miracle cures that were circulating throughout Europe, and even by the advice of the doctors themselves, who recommended the climate and mineral waters of Gran Canaria.
Today, a century and some decades later, Gran Canaria maintains its prestige as a health resort and a place to rest, having developed a wide range of services and facilities for consultations and the treatment of different disorders or just to pamper your body and relax as an alternative to conventional tourism.
On the island, you can find spas whose waters are rich in minerals and blended with sea water. They are ideal for rehabilitation treatments, acute rheumatism, ulcerated lesions, skin and bone disorders as well as fatigue and stress.
In these spas you can find all kind of techniques and services ranging from algae wrap, sea mud, hydrotherapy, salt bath, bandages with aromatherapy, mud bath to thalassotherapy, thermotherapy, pressotherapy or lymphatic drainage, reflexotherapy, chyromassage, specific massages,vichy shower, turkish bath, jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool with jets, and so on….
But Gran Canaria is a destination for health tourism for more reasons than just its specialised centres. The entire island is a paradise where you can forget about stress, exhaustion, the need to break away and all the ailments that are provoked by the daily hustle and bustle. All you need is a therapeutic walk on the golden sands of the island's expansive beaches, or a swim in its warm and crystal-clear waters, which is charged with iodine, sodium and other elements that are beneficial for the body, or to be oxygenated by some contact with nature, where you cannot help but relax.
With one of the largest Thalassotherapycentres of Europe. 6.800 sqm with specific massages.
Gloria Palace Amadores is well-known for their Anti-Stress-Programs, based also on Thalassotherapy.
The 5-Star-Hotel offers a Thalassotherapy just above the sea! Impressing sea-views included.
Ayurveda-Spa with very nice views over Maspalomas.


Hamilton County Community Foundation was established in 1991 to address the specific needs in Hamilton County. The foundation was formed from the assets of Carmel-Clay Community Foundation and Hamilton County Parks Foundation, which were receiving donations primarily in the form of bequests—gifts made at the time of one's death.
The establishment of Hamilton County Community Foundation, then called Legacy Fund, provided a broader opportunity for Hamilton County residents to create a living legacy and make an impact during their lifetimes, right in their neighborhood.
Several community leaders—including Alan Burns, George Burrell, Bob Campbell, Teri Hansen, Doug McDonald, Jane Merrill and George Sweet—worked to form the foundation. In 1997, Hamilton County Community Foundation partnered with The Indianapolis Foundation to create the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF).
This partnership has led to a regional approach to grant-making initiatives in Central Indiana and provides a more comprehensive suite of services to fund holders. While CICF is a strategic and synergistic partnership, Hamilton County Community Foundation and The Indianapolis Foundation continue to serve the unique needs of their individual communities.
Hamilton County Community Foundation's board of directors work with staff to create social impact by leading on critical community issues; grow, leverage and advise philanthropic assets; and making wise charitable grants to not-for-profit organizations.


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Buy/Sell: The Phoenix Suns' Rotation Conundrum
December 20, 2017	| 2017-18 Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Buy/Sell	|
by: Kostas
Why did you do this to me Jahlil?? I trusted you. I placed my faith in you to turn your career around in Brooklyn. I even criticized the Sixers for not wanting to develop you and what is the return? Three DNP-CDs and a meh 10 points/4 rebounds game in 23 minutes played. I rushed to pick you up everywhere but dropped you in all but one very deep league. Even his coach admitted he is out of shape and that it is going to "take some time to integrate him more into the system". The vegan diet doesn't seem to work that well….
I think I support Ron Swanson's opinion on this matter more…
Thankfully, the rest of last week's calls were much better than the gentleman above and Marvin Williams, who was also below average. J.J.Barea and Yogi Ferrell continue to hold down the fort until Dennis Smith Jr returns, Taurean Prince had a great week averaging 15.0/3.3/5.0/2.7/0.7/1.0/2.3, Lebron James's Fg% dropped a bit as predicted, and Andrew Wiggins continues to disappoint so much that he was ranked 264th in per game value for last week.
Nikola Mirotic: Did you know Nikola Mirotic is fluent in Serbian, Spanish, English, and just recently learned how to speak Greek? Being a native Greek speaker I can assure you they are all as hard as the popular phrase "It's all Greek to me" suggests. Did you also know that he is ranked 32nd in per game value and is still available in 33% of Yahoo leagues? Now you know, so rush and grab him as he is averaging 20.3/3.0/7.3/0.7/0.5/0.5/1.0 in just 26.2 minutes per game. Even with Lauri Markkanen back from his injury, Miro played 26 minutes and seems to have confidence in his shot, something he sorely lacked at times last year.
Josh Richardson: Things weren't pretty to start the season for Josh Richardson, as his shot was simply not falling, connecting on just 36.8% from the field. However, he is trending up in December, improving in every statistical category with a great 53.8% shooting percentage and just 1.7 turnovers. So far this month, he is a proud member of the elusive 1/1/1 club with 2.5 threes, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks and is making impatient owners who dropped him during his slump regretful. If you are one of them, there is still a 40% chance to atone for your mistake, as he is available in that many Yahoo leagues.
Alex Len: No one knows what is going on with the Phoenix Suns center rotation so I had to do some reportage and sneaked into their training facilities to find out. The choosing pattern between Tyson Chandler, Greg Monroe and Alex Len seemed completely random with one of them getting a DNP-CD every night and the other two splitting the center position minutes. Their practice was almost over and I hadn't seen anything to help me understand the situation but then it happened. Jay Triano and his assistant placed two chairs in the center of the court and called the three bigs over. They looked oddly familiar with the situation as they stared at the chairs with focus. Suddenly music started playing and all the dots connected in my mind. So to conclude, the Suns center spot is decided by playing musical chairs, with the loser sitting the next game out. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! Alex Len is practicing his musical chairs skills with his five year old nephew, so he has won four times in a row and is averaging 11.0/0/11.8/4.0/0.8/2.0/3.0, making him worth a pickup to see if he can keep it up.
Jabari Parker: If your league has an IR-spot you can do worse than stashing him, as he is going through portions of practice and even took part in full-court sessions with Milwaukee's G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. He is not expected back before February, but if he hits the ground running he will provide two solid months of value for his owners.
Larry Nance Jr: Brook Lopez is expected to miss at least the next three weeks with a sprained right ankle, so both Larry Nance Jr and Julius Randle get a boost. The former has proven that he can be a valuable fantasy asset when given minutes, so if you need out of position steals and rebounding with minimal turnovers, he is worth a long look.He also did this:
Nasty stuff……
Jonas Valanciunas: Let's start with some facts. Dwayne Casey doesn't particularly like Jonas Valanciunas. He prefers his big men more mobile than the Luminescent Lithuanian, so he was constantly reducing his playing time, giving minutes to Jakob Poetl, just like last year to Lucas Nogueira. Despite that, JV had a great week against teams that are bad at defending the center position and couldn't exploit his lack of lateral movement on defense, averaging 26.75 minutes compared to his season average of 21.3. This is the perfect opportunity to sell him for a more consistent player, as his minutes will not continue to be this high with worse matchups coming up and Lucas Nogueira returning to get a small portion of his playing time.
As always let me know in the comments your thoughts and your suggestions about players I have not included and of course all your fantasy related questions!
Alex Len, Andrew Wiggins, Brook Lopez, Dennis Smith Jr, Greg Monroe, J.J. Barea, Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, Jakob Poeltl, Jonas Valanciunas, Josh Richardson, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., Lauri Markkanen, LeBron James, Lucas Nogueira, Marvin Williams, Nikola Mirotic, Taurean Prince, Tyson Chandler, Yogi Ferrell


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Lockhart School, St. Thomas: How We Say No to Violence and Yes To Fun and Peace
Lockhart Elementary School teacher Joanne Saunders has worked tirelessly to help the students in her school take action to both prevent violence and bullying and to create kindness. We learned about Joanne's great work in St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, through Not In Our School's Facebook page. We thought it would be wonderful to create an interchange between Lockhart School and Duveneck school in Palo Alto, CA, where Not In Our School (NIOS) activities have also been expanding. We were thrilled to hear the partnership has begun and continues. Read how one school proactively is addressing ways to reduce youth violence. Their Facebook page tells the wonderful story of their efforts. —Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas, Not In Our School Director By Joanne E. M. Saunders
Preventing Youth Violence
By Dr. Becki Cohn-VargasNot In Our School Director In a recent NIOT blog, we shared how student leaders from the Not In Our School anti-bullying campaign at Marshalltown High School in Iowa were the ones who spoke up and averted a school shooting. In this four-part series, we will explore the issues of school violence, show one elementary school's activities to stop school violence and offer a two-part exploration of the restorative justice model, a promising strategy for interrupting and ending cycles of violence. Youth Violence Adults distinguish between brutal teasing, bullying, fighting, and a school shooting, but all these behaviors are part of a continuum of youth violence. Behaviors on this continuum can easily escalate. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers youth violence a public health issue. In 2010, 4,828 young people ages 10 to 24 were victims of homicide—an average of 13 each day.


text:
Aversa – miasto w południowych Włoszech (Kampania) na północ od Neapolu; ośrodek winniarstwa i handlu w regionie uprawy winorośli i melonów.

Było to pierwsze miasto zdobyte przez Normanów w południowych Włoszech.

11 września 1714 urodził się tutaj Niccolò Jommelli, a  17 grudnia 1749 Domenico Cimarosa, kompozytorzy epoki klasycyzmu.

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Źródło danych: Istituto Nazionale di Statistica

Miejscowości w prowincji Caserta
Aversa
Miasta w regionie Kampania

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
David Thompson (born 12 March 1945) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League, as a right winger.

References

External links

English footballers
Association football midfielders
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Southampton F.C. players
Mansfield Town F.C. players
Chesterfield F.C. players
English Football League players
1945 births
Living people


text:
namespace AdiIRCAPIv2.Arguments.WindowInteraction
{
    using System;
    using Interfaces;

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    ///     Arguments class passed to the WindowClose event
    /// </summary>
    public class WindowCloseArgs : EventArgs
    {
        private readonly IWindow window;

        /// <summary>
        ///     Constructor for arguments class passed to the WindowClose event
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="window">IWindow</param>
        public WindowCloseArgs(IWindow window)
        {
            this.window = window;
        }

        /// <summary>
        ///     Returns the IWindow which was closed
        /// </summary>
        public IWindow Window { get { return this.window; } }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Are Adorable; Do Facial Masks Together
Life is pretty good for Jennifer Aniston, who, along with her fiancé, actor-director-writer Justin Theroux, just completed renovations on their home in Los Angeles. (That's them above, at the Governors Awards in Hollywood on November 8.) She's not the type to flaunt her happiness by posting lovey-dovey pics on Instagram, but that doesn't mean that they're not lovey-dovey. During her interview with writer Brooke Hauser for the January 2015 issue of Allure, which took place at Aniston's house, when Theroux came home, she brightened. He hung out for a few minutes, just long enough to answer an impromptu question. Hauser mentioned that she'd read that they do facial masks together on Sunday nights. True?
__Aniston:__Yes, we do. We switch around. We do Cellcosmet.
__Theroux:__It's adorable.
Aniston: It's adorable. But he's honestly so comfortable in his masculinity. As opposed to some guys, who would never—
__Theroux:__Ride that line.
__Aniston:__You do. You ride the line, babe.
Theroux: "Babe, we gotta do our masks." I never do that.
Aniston: [Smiling] No, you don't.
As for her engagement, the impending nuptials feel impending enough that the couple's close friends have taken to showing up at their house in formalwear. "It's adorable. If we throw a little pizza party, we have this couple...every time, they would come over in black tie, or at least a proper suit; she was in a gorgeous dress. It happened at a Fourth of July party. We're all in jean shorts, and they came in going, Is it happening?!'" Aniston squeals and laughs. "There was a time when people thought we were going to throw a party and surprise everybody."
No, she's not about to reveal her wedding plans. But, she says, "we do talk about it all the time."
For more on Jennifer Aniston, check out:
• Jennifer Aniston on Why Feminism Shouldn't Be That Hard
• Jennifer Aniston Walks Us Through Her Style Evolution
• Jennifer Aniston's Beauty Evolution
Keywordsjennifer aniston


text:
Sepsis and septic shock in pregnancy
Stephanie Martin, DO
, Suzanne McMurtry Baird, DNP, RN
Suzanne McMurtry Baird, DNP, RN
Recognition and management of sepsis and septic shock in pregnant women remain a challenge, despite several advances made in the non-pregnant patient population. This article will review how to recognize sepsis and key principles for management of the condition in pregnant patients.
Recognition and management of sepsis and septic shock in pregnant women remain a challenge, despite several advances made in the non-pregnant patient population. Recent estimates suggest that infection accounts for 12.7% of maternal mortality in the United States and among this group, 6% are characterized as having sepsis. Recent US data indicate that infection is currently the third most common cause of maternal death, and in contrast to maternal deaths from hypertensive disorders and hemorrhage, the number of deaths related to infection are increasing.1 This article will review how to recognize sepsis and key principles for management of the condition in pregnant patients.
Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines
The Surviving Sepsis Campaign is an ongoing collaboration between the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine focused on converting current science into practical clinical tools to improve the outcome of sepsis. The guidelines published in 2016 simplified the definition into sepsis and septic shock.2 It should be noted that obstetric considerations were not specifically identified when establishing these guidelines and most scientific data utilized excluded pregnant women. Therefore, it is essential to consider physiologic and hemodynamic changes in pregnancy when adapting these guidelines.
The sepsis continuum begins with infection and progresses to shock and multi-organ dysfunction if not interrupted. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) consists of physiologic changes that are associated with underlying infection and include temperature > 38° or < 36°C, heart rate > 90 bpm, RR > 20, or white blood cell count > 12,000 mm3. These criteria are no longer necessary for sepsis diagnosis as they are nonspecific to sepsis and are commonly observed in other clinical scenarios, including pregnancy.3 Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Organ dysfunction is present when the Sequential (sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is ≥ 2. Table 4 outlines the SOFA score, which assesses function of respiratory, hematologic, hepatic, cardiovascular, central nervous, and renal systems.4 The World Health Organization defines maternal sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from infection during pregnancy, childbirth, post-abortion, or postpartum period.5 Septic shock exists when vasopressors are required to maintain a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg or greater and serum lactate level is greater than 2 mmol/L following volume resuscitation.2 Multiple online SOFA score calculators are available.
Sepsis scoring tools
Early recognition of sepsis allows for implementation of the three primary goals of sepsis management: 1) source control; 2) maintenance of perfusion; and 3) antibiotic therapy.6 Scoring systems to identify infected patients at risk for morbidity and mortality from sepsis and to predict likelihood of intensive care (ICU) admission have been widely used in emergency departments, medical and surgical units, and ICUs. Some scoring systems such as the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and quick Sequential (sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment score (qSOFA) are intended for patients with suspected sepsis for prediction of ICU admission.7,8 Others, such as the SOFA score, Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE), and Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS) are intended for prediction of mortality in ICU-admitted patients. Only the SOFA and qSOFA score are targeted specifically to the septic patient. However, none of the scoring systems include pregnant women in their prediction models. It is important to note that the SOFA score is validated for use in patients admitted to the ICU and is performed on admission and every 2 hours thereafter. The qSOFA score is intended for assessment of patients outside of the ICU who are suspected of having sepsis and at risk of ICU admission. The qSOFA score is presented in Table 1.
All sepsis scoring tools utilize varying combinations of vital signs, clinical evaluation, and laboratory parameters to predict morbidity and mortality and identify patients who require interventions. As a result, maternal morbidity may be overestimated given the physiologic changes in pregnancy, which artificially increase scores.9-13 Therefore, applicability of these scoring systems and early recognition of sepsis in pregnant women has been complicated by normal physiologic adaptations to pregnancy. For example, decreases in blood pressure and increases in heart rate and white blood cell count are just a few of the changes that can be difficult to distinguish from pathologic changes in a patient at risk for sepsis.3,14 The SOFA score has been applied to an obstetric ICU populations in India. Sepsis patients comprised 9% of the ICU admissions. In this population, total SOFA score at admission, mean total SOFA score, and maximum total SOFA score were all found to discriminate between survivors and non-survivors with high sensitivity and specificity.15 Similarly, in a Brazilian obstetric ICU population, a maximum SOFA score ≥ 6 predicted maternal mortality with 89% sensitivity and 91% specificity.16
The Sepsis in Obstetrics Score (SOS), outlined in Table 2, was initially proposed in 2014 to identify patients at risk for ICU admission and included modifications accounting for pregnant physiology.17 Subsequently, SOS was prospectively evaluated and found to have a negative predictive value of 98.6% if the score was less than 6.18 As a result, a score less than 6 may be reliable for predicting which patients will not require ICU care. However, the study was limited by small numbers and otherwise appeared to perform no differently than other scoring systems in predicting ICU admission.
In 2014, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety proposed Maternal Early Warning Criteria to indicate need for urgent bedside evaluation and potential escalation of care.19 This was a consensus-driven recommendation that included, but was not specific to, sepsis in pregnancy. Subsequently, a large US hospital system reported improvement in maternal morbidity following implementation of a Maternal Early Warning Triggers Tool (MEWT). The tool was designed to address the 4 most common causes of maternal morbidity: sepsis, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, preeclampsia-hypertension, and hemorrhage. In a patient with abnormal temperature, with 2 or more triggers, a series of interventions was then initiated which ultimately resulted in ICU admission and implementation of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Bundles, as appropriate. These bundles are addressed later in this manuscript.
Etiologies in obstetrics
Underlying conditions most likely to be associated with development of sepsis in pregnant women are outlined in Table 3. Unsurprisingly, the most common sources are the lungs and genitourinary tract.20 Organisms frequently associated with obstetric sepsis include: beta hemolytic streptococci, Gram-negative rods such as Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza A and B.21,22 E. coli is the most common sepsis pathogen in pregnancy. Recent data also indicate rising rates of infection due to Group A Streptococcus, a highly virulent pathogen. Group A strep often causes rapid progression along the sepsis continuum, resulting in shock, morbidity, and mortality.23 Polymicrobial infections in pregnancy are also common and require broad-spectrum antimicrobial coverage; however, in up to 60% of patients, the cause is undetermined.20 Prevention of sepsis hinges on administering prophylactic antibiotic therapy when indicated (i.e. preoperatively), recognizing infection when it develops and initiating appropriate therapy. Appropriate therapy includes culture-driven anti-infective agents when possible and source control. Source control involves eliminating the originating source of infection and may require surgical excision or delivery of the fetus.
When sepsis is suspected, timely intervention with recommended bundle components and early goal-directed therapy is essential. Despite challenges in applying diagnostic and scoring criteria to pregnant women, the sepsis management principles of aggressive fluid resuscitation to maintain perfusion and timely administration of antibiotics apply. Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines put forth 2 timeline bundles of care to accomplish in septic patients (Table 5). In the first 3 hours after presentation, management includes:
Measuring lactate level
Obtaining blood cultures prior to administration of antibiotics
Administering broad-spectrum antibiotics
Administering 30 mL/kg crystalloid for hypotension or lactate ≥ 4 mmol/L
Sepsis bundle components should be initiated regardless of the environment of care, with anticipation of ICU admission. Provision of additional volume resuscitation may be necessary as determined by the woman's noninvasive hemodynamic assessment. If there is a delay in obtaining cultures, antibiotics should be initiated within 1 hour of diagnosis to improve outcomes.
Once these goals are achieved, the interventions become increasingly aggressive, if indicated, depending on patient response (Table 5). The goals of treatment within the first 6 hours of presentation include:
Reassessment of volume status and tissue perfusion and document findings.
In the event of persistent hypotension after initial fluid administration (MAP < 65 mmHg) or if initial lactate was ≥4 mmol/L,
Application of vasopressors (for hypotension that does not respond to initial fluid resuscitation) to maintain a mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥ 65 mmHg
Re-measurement of lactate if initial lactate is elevated.
Reassessment of volume status and tissue perfusion can be accomplished in several ways. The first is a clinical evaluation including vital signs, cardiopulmonary evaluation, capillary refill, pulse, and skin assessment findings. Alternatively, 2 of the following procedures can be done to gather information: measurement of central venous pressure (CVP), measurement of central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2), performance of bedside
cardiovascular ultrasound, or dynamic assessment of fluid responsiveness with passive leg raise or fluid challenge (SSC). Central venous pressure (CVP) reflects right ventricular end diastolic volume, with lower trending values reflecting volume depletion. A range of 8 to 12 mmHg CVP should be achieved. ScvO2 measures central venous oxygen saturation in blood collected from the superior vena cava via a central venous catheter. This assessment reflects the overall balance between oxygen delivery and consumption at the tissues. Values less than 70% reflect either decreased delivery (i.e. hypoxemia) or increased metabolic demand, extraction, and utilization (i.e. shivering). Higher numbers in a septic patient may reflect poor perfusion and therefore decreased extraction of oxygen at a tissue level. Newer continuous ScvO2 catheters allow technology similar to pulse oximetry to evaluate oxygen saturation levels returning to the right side of the heart. Decreasing ScvO2 values are usually noted prior to evidence of hemodynamic compromise, allowing early detection and intervention. Treatment considerations for low ScvO2 values include: 1) decreasing metabolic demand; 2) increasing oxygen delivery; 3) increasing circulating hemoglobin; and 4) increasing cardiac output. Bedside cardiovascular ultrasound is another option to evaluate size and contractility of the right and left ventricles as well as inferior vena cava size. All of these assessments can determine whether the patient has adequate preload and tissue perfusion.
Sepsis and septic shock lead to diffuse endothelial damage and vascular permeability. As a result, risk of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema and resulting hypoxemia should be anticipated. Maintaining SpO2 values greater than 95% in a pregnant woman is essential. If mechanical ventilation is required, sedation and/or neuromuscular blocking agents can be expected to affect fetal heart rate (FHR) assessment.
Sepsis may lead to blood glucose derangements. Data regarding optimal blood glucose ranges in the non-pregnant patient are inconclusive.24 However, measures should be taken to avoid hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic episodes in a pregnant woman. Thromboembolism prophylaxis should be implemented early in care. When a woman is managed in a non-obstetric ICU, co-management strategies between the maternal-fetal medicine specialist and the intensivist should be implemented. Consultation with infectious disease specialists should also be considered.
Fetal assessment and delivery
In a woman with sepsis and a viable fetus, frequent (if not continuous) fetal monitoring is recommended. As with any diagnosis, fetal monitoring is only indicated if fetal interventions, including cesarean section, would be considered. In a pregnant patient with sepsis, shunting of circulation away from the uterus is likely if the septic process cannot be interrupted, adequate intravascular volume and cardiac output optimization is not achieved, and hypotension occurs. In addition, use of intravenous vasoconstrictive agents to improve MAP may further reduce uteroplacental perfusion. This results in FHR changes and likely contractions. In a preterm patient, corticosteroids should be considered to promote fetal lung maturity.
Measures to eliminate the source of infection and stop continued infection propagation are described as source control. The source of infection in a pregnant patient may be the uterus, therefore necessitating delivery, regardless of gestational age. In other circumstances, the decision to deliver or not will be based on multiple factors including likelihood of maternal improvement, ability to adequately treat sepsis while undelivered and impact of delivery process on maternal condition. Evidence regarding benefit of delivery in critically ill pregnant women is very limited, conflicting and not compelling.25,26 Table 6 outlines factors to consider when considering delivery in a septic patient.
Sepsis in obstetric patients is increasing in the United States and a leading cause of maternal mortality. Early recognition of sepsis is essential to preventing disease progression to septic shock and reducing maternal mortality. If the condition is recognized, then timely implementation of sepsis management bundles can be accomplished.
Maternal vital signs and clinical triggers have been proposed in an effort to identify patients with sepsis and facilitate early interventions, however, further study is needed.


Arataki Prems 7's - Poverty Bay Rugby Union 7's Wrap. PBRU Gisborne, 12th November.
A Great Saturday with our boys travelling away to Gisborne to the home of new Arataki Player and 7's coach Kahu Tamatea. The boys went through with a close first game win against Havelock North 14-12 but convincingly taking out the B pool unbeaten in the round robin. Then going onto with a dominating win against Hawkes Bay team MAC Sports in the Semis.A hard final but without the ball in the first half eventually coming Runner's Up to Napier Tech 29-7 in the final.
A great day and night with the Tamatea family with special thanks to Brent Mokomoko from PBRU for our set-up and hospitality, Tania Bartlett for the boys beautiful rewana sandwiches for lunch and to the big YMP legend (500 + games and still playing at 55) Ron Tamatea for your hospitality with Kina's and Paua's all round for the team. A fantastic day from our boys with the recruitment of some young local really talented secondary school boys helping us out. As we did come runner up in this competition the boys have qualified for the middlex club nationals in Hamilton in January. PBRU Arataki will be back in 2017. Too much boys, well done ATK !
Arataki Sports are please to announce the new partnership between Foundation Clinic https://www.foundationclinic.co.nz for Physio and Rehab and The Athlete Factory http://www.theathletefactory.nz for Gym Facilities / Nutrition /Athlete Development / Injury Management for all Senior Players. This is a tailored partnership for the benefit of Arataki Members.
A Special thanks to Craig Newlands and Mike Rogers for your support and generosity and Robbie Ngatai for putting this all together.
Foundation Clinic / The Athlete Factory offer top class service and facilities for physio / physical development tailored for Elite athletes and future stars. This is significantly beneficial for the ongoing development of Arataki Sports current top level and development of future athletes.
On Sunday 6th November our Junior Intermediate Touch team trialled for BOP Elite Teams, BOP Mixed representative touch sides. Of our team 11 players made it into their respective representative teams.
With our eldest boy being 11 turning 12 in April and then our youngest player just turned 9 in June, playing against teams 3 years older and coming a close 2nd show's how talented these kids really are so watch out for some future stars right here. A great warm up to next weekends Bay of Plenty touch trials, we are sure a lot of these kids will be named!
A special thanks to Pato Alvarez for your huge generosity to help our club remain free fees for kids for 2017 and beyond.
Imbibe Restaurant & Bar have signed on as the Main Sponsor for Arataki Premier 7's Sponsor for this summer.
Sponsorships for the 2016 Summer and 2017 Winter are now available for businesses and donees.
Would appreciate any support we can get!


Many Syrian refugees need legal help -- and The John Marshall Law School has figured out a way how. With a new initiative that will provide legal services to refugees, the law school is working to raise $100,000 to protect refugees' human rights.
The task force will provide a centralized hub of information and resources for refugees already in Illinois and those planning to come. Specific resources include networks of attorneys, advocates, and service providers to help represent Syrian refugees and manage their social services cases.
Interested in helping out? You can aid the Human Rights for Syrian Initiative (HRSI) by providing legal representation if you're a pro bono attorney, connecting with Syrian refugees in your own community, volunteering your time, and/or donating.
Check out the International Human Rights Clinic for more information.


text:
Edward Fowler Hill (23 April 1915 – 1 February 1988) was an Australian barrister, lawyer and communist activist. He was chairman of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist–Leninist) (CPA M-L) from 1964 to 1986.

History
Hill was born on 23 April 1915 in Mildura, Victoria to James and Alice Hill. He attended school at Hamilton High School, where his father was head teacher. After leaving school he worked as a clerk for Bill Slater a local barrister who was also the local Labor Member of Parliament. In 1933 he moved to Melbourne to study law at the University of Melbourne. Despite being awarded for his academic knowledge he did not finish his legal degree until 1981. It was during his time at the university that he joined the Communist Party of Australia (CPA).

He was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in 1938 and soon became well known as the CPA's leading legal figure, defending the party and its members in several well-known trials. In 1951 he advised Frank Hardy in his prosecution for criminal libel over his novel Power Without Glory. Hill also represented the CPA before the 1947 Royal Commission into Communism and the 1954 Royal Commission into alleged Soviet espionage in Australia (see Petrov Affair).

Split
In the 1950s, Hill was Victorian State Secretary of the CPA. When the Sino-Soviet split developed in the early 1960s, Hill supported the position of the Communist Party of China, while the CPA majority, led by National Secretary Lance Sharkey supported the Soviet Union. Hill was expelled from the CPA in 1963 and in March 1964 formed the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist–Leninist) (CPA(ML)), taking many militant members from the Victorian CPA with him. Among ordinary Australian voters, the attraction of Hill's party was negligible.

Hill fully supported the "line" of the Chinese Communists until Mao Zedong's death in 1976, but after the 1972 change in Chinese policy away from world revolution and towards an alliance with the United States, the CPA(ML) lost many of its adherents, particularly among radical students. Hill traveled to Democratic Kampuchea and met with Pol Pot. After the rise of Deng Xiaoping in China the CPA(ML) no longer supported Chinese policies, and became a supporter of "Australian independence." This led to a split in the CPA(ML) in 1978.

Despite his prominence as a Communist, Hill was able to pursue a long and distinguished legal career, as one of the best known and highly regarded workers compensation lawyers in Australia. He was widely praised by trade unions, judges and other lawyers, most of whom did not share his political views, on his death in 1988.

References

1915 births
1988 deaths
Anti-revisionists
Australian barristers
Australian communists
Australian Marxists
Communist Party of Australia members
Maoist theorists
Politicians from Melbourne


text:
Q: How to touch a file and mkdir if needed in one line I need to touch a file with an absolute file name such as: /opt/test/test.txt, but I'm not sure if there is /opt/test existed on the system. So the code should similar with this:
if (-d '/opt/test') {
    touch '/opt/test/test.txt';
} else {
    mkdir -p '/opt/test';
    touch '/opt/test/test.txt'
}

Is there any better way to simplify the code? I hope there is some system commands that can do the same job with only one line.

A: I defined a touchp in my ~/.bash_aliases:
function touchp() {
  /bin/mkdir -p "$(dirname "$1")/" && /usr/bin/touch "$1"
}

It silently creates the structure above the file if not present, and is perfectly safe to use when passed a single filename without any directory in front of it.

A: Perl from command line,
perl -MFile::Basename -MFile::Path=make_path -e'
  make_path(dirname($_)), open(F, ">>", $_) for pop;
' /opt/test/test.txt

A: I have this shell function in my .zshalias file:
function touch-safe {
    for f in "$@"; do
      [ -d $f:h ] || mkdir -p $f:h && command touch $f
    done
}
alias touch=touch-safe

If either the test or the mkdir command fail, no touch command is invoked.

A: mkdir B && touch B/myfile.txt

Alternatively, create a function:
   mkfile() {
    mkdir -p $( dirname "$1") && touch "$1"
   }

Execute it with 1 arguments: filepath. Saying:
mkfile B/C/D/myfile.txt

would create the file myfile.txt in the directory B/C/D.

A: In a shell script, you can simply do:
mkdir -p /opt/test && touch /opt/test/test.txt

mkdir -p will not fail (and won't do anything) if the directory already exists.
In perl, use make_path from the File::Path module, then create the file however you want. make_path also doesn't do anything if the directory exists already, so no need to check yourself.

A: In perl, using one of my favorite module: Path::Tiny.
path("/opt/test/test.txt")->touchpath;

From the doc:

Combines mkpath and touch. Creates the parent directory if it doesn't
  exist, before touching the file.

A: I like typing very little, so I put this command into a named fn in my .profile, but I used this formulation for years before I did it:
mkdir -p dirname/sub/dir && touch $_/filename.ext
The variable $_ stores the last argument to the previous command. Pretty handy to know about overall.

A: Bring Python to command line.
i.e. Use pyp
 cat filepaths.txt | pyp "'mkdir -p '+s[0:-1]|s+'; touch '+o" | sh

The Pyed Piper", or pyp, is a linux command line text manipulation tool similar to awk or sed, but which uses standard python string and list methods as well as custom functions evolved to generate fast results in an intense production environment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Oh give me a pool….
Yes, I have met Jim Beloff and Liz Beloff!
OK Bill I sure will, but we tend to go to that neck of the woods just after Christmas, during March break or in the summer. Are you running all year round or do you break for the summer and holidays, etc.?


text:
Now reading: Books on Yoga
Books on Yoga
If you're interested in learning more about the lifestyle of devoted yogis, there are some texts that may help. These sources range from ancient holy scriptures that form the very basis of Hinduism all the way up to modern Cliff Notes summaries of yogi beliefs and practices, with language that is a bit more direct than the lyrical poetry found in many original texts.
To get the most complete understanding about true yogi living, check out most or all of the books in this guide; the best knowledge, after all, comes when you seek it yourself.
The Vedas
Dating back to approximately 1500-1000 BCE (the exact date is uncertain), the Vedas is comprised of several holy texts believed to have been revealed by divine forces to human ears, much like Revelations in the Bible. The Vedas is considered to be one of central texts in Hinduism and the Vedic era, providing the basis for the religion and, subsequently, the practice of yoga.
Contained in the collection of text called the Vedas are the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.
The Rigveda is comprised of 1,028 hymns, which are further divided into ten books. The Yajurveda is a series of mantras designed to be a part of religious ceremony and tied into sacrifices and worship. The Sama-Veda adapted the verses of the Rigveda into liturgical music performed mostly by priests and holy persons, while the Atharva-Veda is comprised of both verses and prose, more theoretical and philosophical in nature than that seen in the other texts. The words in the Atharva-Veda serve less as structured worship and more for incantations and philosophical speculations.
The Upanishads
Much like the Bible, the Upanishads (written in approximately 1500 B.C.) are foundational religious texts comprised of eleven principal books or texts that were written over the course of many years. Though there are many more Upanishads, the eleven recognized by the philosopher Shankara are most frequently canonized as essential reading.
The foundation of Hinduism is built within these eleven texts through elaborate outlines on the concept of the individual soul and the universal spirit. One of the core philosophies of yoga is also introduced—the relationship between teacher and student, and the giving of knowledge from one to another.
The Yoga Sutras
Written by Patanjali between 100 and 500 BCE, the Yoga Sutras are one of the earliest texts detailing the active physical practice and philosophical worship that comprise yoga.
The Yoga Sutras are divided into four books with a total of 196 aphorisms. Each book studies and discusses a different stage in the learning process, from the absorption of knowledge to the isolation and ascension of the enlightened.
The exact identity of Patanjali and the details of his life are not known, but his texts have survived for thousands of years; the Yoga Sutras remain universally recognized as the beginning of yoga as we now practice it in the modern world.
The Bhagavad Gita
Meaning "Blessed Song of the Lord," the Bhagavad Gita is one of the early foundational texts that provide the principles upon which Hinduism is based. It's written in verse, intended to be sung or chanted with rhythmic meter.
The Gita, as it is frequently known, is structured allegorically as a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna that takes place on the battlefield during war. Arjuna seeks guidance both morally and philosophically from Krishna, who is referred to as the Bhagavan (Divine One). Krishna enlightens Arjuna through allegories and anecdotes that come together to form the philosophy of Hinduism.
The Gita is likely the most famous of all Hindu religious texts. It is studied and revered worldwide for both its beautiful writing and its relatively revolutionary ways of thinking, all of which are still recognized in parts of the world today.
Easy Steps to Yoga
Easy Steps to Yoga was written in the late 1930s by Swami Sivananda, who later became the founder of what is known as Sivananda Yoga. It is essentially a guide on how to live the life of Hindu ancients and holy persons, detailing everything from the diet to the meditation process Sivananda religiously follows.
Easy Steps to Yoga also explains the goals of living a monastic life, as well as the benefits derived from its various practices and beliefs.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga
Authored by modern day guru and positive thinking revolutionary Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga (2005) takes a modern philosophical approach to yoga and the lifestyle of its practitioners.
Chopra tries to explain the spiritual concepts of yoga as well as the earnest pursuit of nirvana that motivates its practice, stepping outside the bounds of ancient texts to reconcile them with modern culture. Chopra writes in a manner that is not commanding, but instead accompanying, as he explores the benefits of yoga and yoga philosophies.
The Essential Rumi
The Essential Rumi contains translations of poems by the thirteenth century writer Rumi (1207-1273), who is most famous for his piece, "Say I Am You."
The poems themselves function as more artistically-oriented companions to the philosophical writings of Hinduism. They attempt to discover the self and the divine in a manner that is lyrical and philosophical, yet wholly artistic.
Read up!
There are many, many books detailing the principles and experiences of yoga—this list is merely a beginning. If you're interested in reading more, look for books that appeal to how you want to practice yoga, as well as those written by people who have insightful experiences to share.
Never stop reading, and never stop learning!
How to Prepare for Inversions in Yoga
Things You Need for Yoga


text:
Home→Editorial→EDITORIAL: CEDC has nothing in writing
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EDITORIAL: Dear U.S. Attorney Bharara… →
EDITORIAL: CEDC has nothing in writing
HOW MUCH GOVERNMENT is too much? We don't know the half of it. Forget the legislature, governor's office and high-profile agencies. Think about authorities. What's with them?
Start with $60 billion in spending each year across all 1,172 authorities, most of which are local entities set up for a specific purpose, like the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC). They spend or control large sums of taxpayer money, but the public used to be kept in the dark about how much they spent and where the money went. But that changed in 2009 when the legislature created a new agency with power to investigate authorities and hold them accountable… kind of.
The agency is called the Authorities Budget Office (ABO) and this week it released its findings on how CEDC has handled the proposed expansion of Ginsberg's Foods, a local company based in Claverack. It found CEDC has a dark side.
The ABO investigated CEDC following a complaint lodged last fall by the community group GhentCANN founded by Ghent resident Patti Matheney. GhentCANN opposes the plan by Ginsberg's to build a 65,000 square-foot, $12-million facility on a 33-acre site that straddles the boundary between Claverack and Ghent. The empty lot for the project is assessed at $280,000. CEDC sold it to the Ginsberg's project for $1.
The ABO says that's okay as long as CEDC justified the sale as consistent with its mission to encourage and retain businesses in the county and with assurances that Ginsberg's will create of jobs. CEDC didn't make this up. It's the law. So you have to wonder why there was such a fuss about the sale… until you read the rest of the ABO report.
Much of the report focuses on "potential" conflicts of interest by four senior members of the CEDC Board of Directors. The first mentioned is David Ginsberg, CEO of Ginsberg's. He was on the CEDC board in 2013 when the expansion plan began to percolate. But he resigned later that year, and before that did not participate in discussions of the plan. The report suggests that Mr. Ginsberg was remiss because he didn't file a written statement of his financial interest in the project that bears his family's name. That's like accusing Donald Trump of failing to disclose his interest in Trump City. It's true, but what does it prove?
The case of David Crawford is quite different. He didn't file a written statement of his financial interest, though his engineering company was working for Ginsberg's. The investigators heard from people who say he verbally disclosed his involvement. These same character references said Mr. Crawford didn't discuss the project or vote on it. But the minutes of the meetings show that Mr. Crawford did discuss and vote on the project. Mr. Crawford is the president of the CEDC board.
CEDC Treasurer Robert Sherwood voted for the project and didn't file a written disclosure. Somebody might like to have known that Kinderhook Bank, where Mr. Sherwood is president, made loans of $9.5 million to Ginsberg's using that $1 property as collateral. Mr. Sherwood acknowledged to the investigators that he should have recused himself.
(Disclosure: Kinderhook Bank is a customer of this newspaper, and we have accounts at the bank.)
Attorney William Better also provided no written disclosure that he was being paid by the county Industrial Development Agency to negotiate a financial assistance package with Ginsberg's Foods.
CEDC members told investigators they didn't know the disclosure rules or thought they didn't have to follow them. That's the way exclusive clubs work. They make things easy for insiders and the suckers never know how the game is rigged.
But the CEDC club doesn't play with its own money. It's money suckers like us have paid in taxes.
This crony favoritism reveals that leading members of the board have no faith that their colleagues on the board will make wise decisions about the use of public funds. Self-dealing, lax rules and secrecy are so much more efficient. Now they may have poisoned the Ginsberg's deal, especially if other state agencies follow up on the ABO report.
The county Board of Supervisors appoints two members to the CEDC board, and one of them should be assigned to monitor compliance by CEDC with its Code of Ethics and state law, reporting failures to the ABO.
The ABO report doesn't allege CEDC engaged in criminal behavior. So maybe civic virtue is just an illusion. But do you think CEDC leaders would allow others to handle their money the way they handle ours?
Posted in Editorial permalink