*This is a sponsored post brought to you by Airbnb. All opinions are 100% my own.
You know that extra bedroom that sits empty? Or the finished basement that hasn't been used in a while? Imagine being able to make extra money off your unused space! Did you know there are people that are willing to pay you to stay in your home for a night or two?
Airbnb is a cost effective way for people to travel. More and more travelers are turning to Airbnb instead of traditional hotels. To be honest, I love visiting new places and staying in a fun Airbnb! You might be surprised just how much money you can make while hosting guests in your home. Below are 6 amazing benefits of signing up to list your home, room, or extra space on Airbnb!
Earn money for a space you already have.
Okay, I'll be the one to say it. I like earning extra money. It's FUN to find different ways to make money while helping someone out. And by far the BEST thing about listing your home on Airbnb is the income that it brings in. Even if you're listing an unused bedroom, you can earn serious money each month. I mean, think about it! You are making money off a space you already have. It's money that is coming in that is on top of your regular paycheck! How cool is that?!
The responsible person in me wants to tell you to send this money to retirement or a kids' college fund. But the spender in me is standing on a chair and shouting "SPEND IT ON SOMETHING FUN!!" No matter how you decide to spend your extra money, you can't beat the fact that it's a great way to earn extra cash. Plus, this doesn't require you to take on a part-time job!
Pay off your debt faster!
I know you may feel like you're drowning in debt. Those student loans have been around for too long and the credit card interest is killing you. The idea of being debt free sometimes sounds too good to be true. But I'm here to tell you that it is possible! I know you have what it takes to pay off those loans, kiss the car note goodbye, and experience financial freedom!
If you're working toward becoming debt free, then listing your unused space on Airbnb is a great way to earn extra money to pay off debt. I know that paying off credit cards and loans can be a long process. It can take YEARS to become debt free. But having an added income can speed up the process. Even hosting your home a few times each month can make a serious dent in your debt free journey! And take it from someone who spent 4.5 years paying off debt…it's nice to speed up the process a bit.
The money you make from Airbnb can also help you pay off your mortgage. Imagine if you earned enough money each month from Airbnb to cover the cost of your monthly mortgage payment. It would be like someone else is making your mortgage payment each month! When you're financially focused on becoming mortgage free, this is a wonderful way to reach that goal faster.
If you have a big trip coming up, why not put your home up for hosting while you're gone? You'll be going on a trip and actually making money while you're away! Taking a vacation and letting someone else stay in your home will allow you to have extra money for future vacations. Plus, someone else will be watching over your house in the process.
When you host your space on Airbnb, you are opening yourself up to the opportunity to meet new people from all around the world. Although you can still provide your guests their privacy, it's still fun to think that you can learn someone else's story and what brought them to your town. You may even make a friend or two in the process! If you don't end up actually meeting your guests, then make sure to leave out a guest book for them to sign. This is a great way to learn more about who was able to enjoy your space for a night or two.
One of my favorite parts of staying in an Airbnb is the fact that the host usually knows what makes their town special. If you take pride in where you live, you have an opportunity to share your favorite spots around town with your guests! Leave a list of fun places to visit, your top-rated food options, and the best local spots. There is something so wonderful about sharing a piece of your town with outsiders. If you take pride in where you live, this is a great way to share a piece of your city!
You decide when you host.
Not all side hustles allow you the flexibility that hosting on Airbnb offers. You get to decide when you want to open your home up to guests. You call the shots on how long people are welcome and how much you want to charge for your home. If you have an extra vacation home this is perfect because you have the opportunity to choose your dates first! After you have your vacation dates locked down, open your calendar up to hosting. Enjoy the flexibility of Airbnb!
If you have an open space in your home, hosting in Airbnb might be right for you. Not only is it a simple way to add some extra money to your wallet, but it's a wonderful way to meet new people! You never know what you could gain from opening your space up. Want to learn more about becoming an Airbnb host? Click HERE to see if it's right for you!


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CHINESE VOICE TALENTS: The Mandarin Chinese language is evolving more rapidly than any other language on earth. Hong Kong, for example, is currently making a fusion between Cantonese and Mandarin, with a different accent and dialect of Mandarin, a Mandarin that is in dramatic flux. Taiwanese Mandarin has a strong variation in both accent and word usage. And Chinese spoken inside the United States has also become a dialect. Below you can audition Mandarin voice talents for Beijing, Mandarin voiceover talents for Taiwan, plus other Chinese voiceover talents, including Cantonese.
The Mandarin voice-over talents offered on this site include not only professional Mandarin voice talents for advertising, but also the most prized talents with the most coveted of all performances - the anchors of Central Television. @International Services offers literally the most coveted style of Mandarin voice recording in the world. Rare, rare, rare. And, because of the economy, plus the fact that @International Services was the first company permitted to record unsupervised in China, the costs of these recordings are extremely affordable, even inexpensive.
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With the right Chinese voiceover talent, the language sounds beautiful to the ear. The most coveted professional Mandarin voice talents live and work in Beijing, and many are not Mandarin voice talents as we know them, but rather television anchors for Beijing television. Both Mandarin voiceover talent and anchors are available through this site. Recording with Chinese voiceover talents in Beijing is almost exactly as though working with your favorite studio in your city. Using the Global TAlk Center, you can direct the audio recording of the Chinese voice-over talent via the web. Alternatively, the directors of @International Services will deliver a perfectly-timed voice track that drops into your project. Fine Mandarin voiceover talent are very affordable in terms of US dollars and Euros. The difference in economies works to a multimedia designer's advantage at this time, and eases the heavy investment generally required for marketing and advertising.
Part of the secret to a good performance from fine Chinese voice-over talents, or Malay or Norwegian, is correct adaptation of the talent script. After translation, scripts are some 15% longer than an original language script. This is simply due to the differences in human language. Therefore, the talent script must be correctly adapted in order to be spoken in sync within the timing of the original guidetrack. Chinese voiceover talents, for example, are not adaptors, so @IS uses professional adaptors who organize the scripts without losing message. And a lip sync script is particularly tricky to adapt, requiring a professional to do it well, so that the Malay, Norwegian or Mandarin voiceover talent's spoken words will match the lips on screen insofar as possible. Lip sync is not really as popular in Norwegian, because so many people speak English, although narration is warmly received. And the Mandarin market is only just now becoming accustomed to lip sync.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In this package, you'll visit all tourist attractions of Agra, along with a tour of Fatehpur Sikri, which is an hour drive from Agra.
We would suggest you to resume this private taxi tour by morning (between 6-9 am) & first visit the sites in Agra & then we will drive towards Fatehpur Sikri by 3-4 pm.
Tour of Taj Mahal, Mehtab Bagh & Agra Fort from morning to 2 pm.
Plan your lunch in Agra from 2-3 pm & leave for Fatehpur Sikri before 3:30 pm.
Tour of Fatehpur Sikri from 4:30 pm to 6 pm & be back in Agra by 7 pm.
Plan your dinner anywhere in Agra & later tell the drive to drop you at your hotel.
Note: This tour will start & end in Agra only, & feel free to contact our Agra manager Mr Sameer at +91 8171870789/ 7017541211, or fill the contact form below.


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Tarantino. Scorsese. Lee. Fincher. Nolan. These are some of my favorite filmmakers, and I hold their work up as a measuring stick by which I judge others. Regarding Quentin Tarantino, I've been a fan since 1997's Jackie Brown. His catalogue is varied, but his unique trademark is stamped on each film. He has a penchant for dialogue, frequently utilizes strong female protagonists (see the aforementioned film and Kill Bill), and rarely shies away from controversy. From his gratuitous usage of the n-word to his characters' oft-displayed bloodlust – the polarizing director sparks rigorous debate in cinematic circles. When I saw a commercial for The Hateful Eight I couldn't discern what it was about, but I noticed some stylistic similarities to Django Unchained and was sufficiently intrigued.
The eighth (how appropriate) film from Tarantino finds a bounty hunter named John Ruth (Kurt Russell, Furious 7) transporting an outlaw for execution across a frozen, unsettled 1870s Wyoming into the town of Red Rock. The outlaw may be a woman, but she's no lady. In fact, the surly Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Jacket) is quite a handful. Through swirling, snowy winds they traverse America's heartland, the brash Ruth determined to claim the reward for his felonious charge. Traveling via stagecoach, Ruth and his driver O.B. (James Parks, Django Unchained) happen upon a hitchhiking Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson, Chi-Raq), a Black former Union soldier on his way into Red Rock with bounty of his own.
The first half hour of the film is very dialogue-driven, and although these early moments establish the dynamic between characters, some viewers may find it difficult to keep their eyes open. The language is coarse and both Domergue and Ruth address Warren disrespectfully, as would've been expected during the time. Eventually the rag-tag party picks up yet another wayward traveler – this time the new sheriff of Red Rock Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins, Django Unchained), who is stymied by the impending blizzard on the way into town. He boards the stagecoach and the quintet continues on, but not without stopping at Minnie's Haberdashery on the way.
When our party arrives at Mininie's, things take a much more interesting turn. There they meet three other gentlemen who appear to be simply enjoying the warm refuge of shelter and whiskey. Now that the gang's all here, we have our original group of five, plus three haberdashery patrons including Jon Gage, Oswald Mobray, and simply "Bob." This dour ensemble comprises "The Hateful Eight," and they must wait out the blizzard before heading to Red Rock. John Ruth is particularly suspicious of his newfound company, guarding against anyone trying to liberate his prisoner. When one of the gang ends up dead, Tarantino masterfully transitions to a whodunit, and the storytelling shifts into high gear.
Tarantino's greatest strength lies in his superior storytelling, and he used flashback to effectively break up the action and keep viewers engaged. Once his characters are all assembled at Minnie's Haberdashery, the setting becomes fixed. In order to hold the viewer's attention, the dialogue and action must be compelling. It's challenging to have your characters confined to one place, but the static setting allows the performances to shine through. I was pleasantly surprised that the film only got better and better as it wore on, cresting with each successive moment and culminating brilliantly.
If I had any criticism of The Hateful Eight it would be that it started too slowly. Furthermore, I grew a bit tired of the gratuitous usage of the n-word. Yes, it's historically accurate to place the word within the context of this movie; no – we don't have to hear it every two seconds. One can achieve sufficient realism and authenticity without assaulting our eardrums at every turn. That aside, Tarantino is masterful at what he does, and The Hateful Eight was a worthy addition to his stellar filmography. I believe it deserves the recognition it has received during Awards season. Grade: A
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Chi-Raq, Django Unchained, Furious 7, Jackie Brown, James Parks, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kill Bill, Kurt Russell, Quentin Tarantino, Samuel L. Jackson, The Jacket, Walton Goggins on January 23, 2016 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
My primary motivation in going to the movies is entertainment; but every now and then you learn something. I typically avoid movies that cover mundane industries/topics with which I'm not familiar, but occasionally movies can be entertaining AND insightful. The Big Short chronicles the 2008 economic crisis that occurred after the housing market "bubble" burst and several financial institutions collapsed. I don't understand the finer points of banking, investing, or real estate – but writer/director Adam McKay (The Other Guys, Step Brothers) crafted an immensely informative, funny, and entertaining docudrama that wasn't as inaccessible as I initially thought.
There were only a handful of people who foresaw the housing crisis, a few "weirdos" and outsiders who knew what no one else did. Christian Bale (Exodus: Gods and Kings) stars as Dr. Michael Burry, an offbeat hedge fund manager who took a closer look at the housing market and discovered that the industry was being propped up by risky sub-prime mortgages made to undesirable prospective home buyers. He predicted that eventually these people would default on their mortgages and the industry would collapse with devastating repercussions. He then bet against the housing market, making the rounds to several financial institutions that were all too happy to take his money.
The film is narrated by Jared Venett (Ryan Gosling, Gangster Squad); a fast-talking Wall Streeter whose suspicions are aroused when he gets wind of what Burry is doing and wants in. A misdialed phone number leads him to Mark Baum (Steve Carell, Foxcatcher), an irascible hedge fund manager working under the umbrella of Morgan Stanley. He's initially skeptical, but after independently researching the housing market himself, he follows Vennett's lead and bets against the market as well. Dr. Burry predicts that it will take about 5 years for the bubble to burst, and his inkling is spot on. He's so far ahead of the prevailing wisdom at the time that it nearly costs him his job – but he never falters in his conviction. Rounding out the prescient bunch are small-time investors Charlie Geller (John Magaro, Unbroken) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock, Noah), who stumble across Vennett's inside scoop by happenstance.
The Big Short was a humorous, yet appropriately sobering depiction of the financial crisis. McKay deftly incorporated levity in his storytelling, making the nuanced material much more palatable to the audience. By using humor and splicing the film with actual pop culture moments from the time period, he made the subject matter accessible, breaking the "fourth wall" throughout the film. One of the highlights was his use of celebrity cameo appearances to explain particularly complex financial concepts. Actress Margot Robbie, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and singer Selena Gomez hilariously interjected timely explanations, effectively breaking up the underlying monotony.
In addition to a strong script and effective storytelling, the film was bolstered by brilliant performances – particularly from Steve Carell and Christian Bale. Carell's range is incredible. The intonation of his voice was completely different, and I was extremely impressed. Between this and his work in 2014's Foxcatcher, Carell is showing that his abilities far transcend the comedic realm. Bale was nearly as impressive, and the entire cast was superb. Unlike other films depicting the same events, The Big Short was uniquely refreshing in its pairing of humor with crisis. I never felt that McKay was making light of a tragedy, and it takes considerable skill to execute that technique. The Big Short took a mundane, confusing topic and made it lively and accessible, which was no small feat. It was definitely one of the better movies of 2015. Grade: A
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Adam McKay, Christian Bale, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Finn Wittrock, Foxcatcher, Gangster Squad, John Magaro, Noah, Ryan Gosling, Step Brothers, Steve Carell, The Other Guys, Unbroken on January 8, 2016 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
Chi-Raq
Spike Lee has been one of my favorite filmmakers since 1989's School Daze. His earlier career reflected a steady ascent, with Lee giving us classics like Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing, and Malcolm X; the latter widely considered his best work to date. No stranger to controversy and never afraid to challenge the white power structure, Lee's career hasn't always been as commercially successful as it is culturally relevant. I'll always give Spike a fair shot, so even though the trailer for Chi-Raq left me skeptical, I respect his intentions as an auteur and wanted to see the film for myself.
You'd have to have been living under a rock for the past couple of years not to hear about the gun violence plaguing the city of Chicago. Like many major cities, Chicago is a dual-sided metropolis. On the one hand the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama called it home. It boasts the "Magnificent Mile," a renowned street dotted by high-end retailers and fine restaurants. On the other hand, it was home to one of the most notorious housing projects in the nation, and the fatalities reported in any given weekend could rival reports from Iraq, hence the macabre moniker "Chi-Raq." There are significant cultural, psychological and social observations worth exploring about Chicago, and film could be a useful medium in tackling the deeply complex issues afflicting the city and its residents. Lee seemed like the perfect director for such a task, given his track record of political consciousness – but I'm not sure the casual movie fan will understand his artistic approach.
Rather than a documentary (like his prior work in 4 Little Girls) or a dramatic, original call to action (Get on the Bus) using real life events, Lee chose a unique way to portray Chicago. Chi-Raq is an adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, a comedy depicting its female protagonist's brilliant plan to end the Peloponnesian War through celibacy, by imploring women to freeze all the men out of their bedrooms in a call to arms to end the suffering. Applying this satirical theme to modern day Chicago, the story is paralleled through local Chicago rapper and gangbanger Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon, Roll Bounce) and his girlfriend Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris, Dear White People). Chi-Raq is the stereotypical rapper: young, arrogant and ignorant. Ambitiously striving to transcend his environment through music, his violent behavior illustrates how he remains a product of it.
Chi-Raq's scenes play out musically, delivered in a lyrical, sometimes rhyming cadence. Samuel L. Jackson (Avengers: Age of Ultron) features as Dolmedes, a fourth wall breaking narrator who frames our perception of Chi-Raq, furthering the action and reminding us that the film's participants are in dire straits. The film served as a critique of our government and current political climate and a plea to members of the Black community to end our collective apathy demonstrated by misguided thinking like the "stop snitching" movement. Ultimately, I doubt that Lee's film is accessible in a worthwhile way to the average viewer. Some may misinterpret his farcical approach, given the serious subject matter. Intellectuals and "progressive" types comprise his most likely audience – and they aren't the ones killing each other.
Although I don't think Lee crafted a completely successful film, it was not without its bright spots. Teyonna Parris as Lysistrata had more screen time than any other character, and she was captivating throughout. The cinematography was rich and colorful, and some scenes perfectly captured the city's beauty. Nick Cannon was serviceable as Chi-Raq, though it was hard to take him seriously at times. I understand that the film is a satire, but there were some very cringe-worthy bits of dialogue I couldn't ignore. All in all, it was a mixed bag for me. Again, I appreciate what Spike was trying to do with the film, but I'm not sure it's accessible to average viewers in a way that makes it a worthwhile cinematic undertaking. Grade: C
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged 4 Little Girls, Dear White People, Do The Right Thing, Get on the Bus, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Nick Cannon, Roll Bounce, Samuel L. Jackson, School Daze, Spike Lee, Teyonna Parish, The Avengers: Age of Ultron on December 4, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
I think it's great to introduce an old classic to new audiences with a "reboot," provided the original legacy isn't cheapened in the process. When I heard about a movie called Creed that was going to revive the Rocky franchise by featuring the son of Apollo Creed, I had mixed opinions. These things can go either way: corny or rather cool. I was optimistic the film could be entertaining, primarily because director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan (both of Fruitvale Station) were reuniting to infuse the franchise with new blood.
Jordan (Fantastic Four) continues his Hollywood hot streak as Adonis Johnson, son of Apollo Creed. Young Adonis was the product of infidelity, and his famous father was killed in the ring before his birth. Orphaned and understandably frustrated, he found himself fighting often in the juvenile detention center where we are introduced to him as a troubled adolescent. In a benevolent turn, Apollo's widow Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad, Good Deeds) rescues Adonis and takes him into her home. Fast forward a few years later, and despite the trappings of privilege and stable employment, Adonis retains his innate love of fighting. A self-taught boxer, he makes his bones in Mexico fighting amateur opponents on the weekends. Finding that no one will train him in any of the local California gyms, "Donnie" seizes his destiny by heading east after quitting his job.
Donnie touches down in the City of Brotherly Love, hoping to train under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables 3) his late father's former foe turned best friend. Rocky is a Philadelphia legend, but his career has long been over and he isn't looking to train anyone. Adonis bides his time, joining a gym made famous by Rocky and Mickey, his legendary trainer. Eventually Rocky takes an interest in the younger Creed after observing his patience, dedication and earnestness. He latches on to Rocky almost immediately, endearing himself to the elder man by affectionately calling him "Unc." Adonis is a raw, unpolished talent but shows great potential, making the most of his first legit professional contest by earning victory. He fights under his mother's last name of Johnson, refusing to rely on the famous surname of a father he never knew. When he lines up a high profile title bout against a fading champion, Adonis sees his chance for greatness – as long as Balboa is in his corner.
Director Ryan Coogler continues to impress, masterfully weaving a feel-good story of triumph sure to resonate with audiences. Adonis Creed is a likable underdog, much like Rocky Balboa decades ago. Tough, yet sensitive – he never gives up on his dream and pursues it with dogged tenacity. Coogler crafted a fitting homage, and the little references and clever nods to 1976's Rocky were not lost on me. I spent my childhood in the city of Philadelphia, and I've never seen it so glorious and inspiring. That's a testament to Coogler's cinematography, and the young director clearly did his research. From Adonis' girlfriend Bianca (Tessa Thompson, Selma) explaining the local slang, to depiction of the city itself – Coogler showed an impeccable knack for realism and deft storytelling. The audience in my theater audibly cheered throughout the film, yet Coogler didn't sacrifice authenticity just to please viewers. When Creed needed to win, he did. When he needed to get his ass kicked, he did.
The fight choreography was superb, and the final bout of the film was simply electrifying. When that iconic theme music sounded, my heart pounded! If I may compare Creed with Southpaw, another boxing movie released earlier in the year, the former surpasses the latter in storytelling and realism. The final scene was framed like an HBO match, and the commentary enhanced it tremendously. Stallone was at his most endearing, like a familiar old friend, his visage well worn but kind. Jordan has undeniable star power. Forgive me if this reads like hyperbole, but the pairing of Coogler and the charismatic Jordan may one day rival the likes of DiCaprio/DeNiro and Scorsese in terms of sheer chemistry. Creed wasn't terribly complex or original, but there was beauty in its simplicity and I can't find a single thing wrong with it. Grade: A.
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Fantastic Four, Fruitvale Station, Michael B. Jordan, Rocky, Ryan Coogler, Selma, Southpaw, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, The Expendables 3 on November 29, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. 1 Comment
It's been a relatively lackluster year at the movies, so when I started to hear buzz about Sicario, I figured it might be a sleeper. The trailer promised a taut political action drama featuring an accomplished cast, including Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro (Inherent Vice), Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) and Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice). The film focuses on the US government's efforts to thwart the Mexican drug cartels and their encroachment across the border. The opening sequence is a heart-stopping raid that results in tragic casualties for the FBI, and the Bureau is left reeling.
Blunt stars as Federal Agent Kate Macer, tough but rather naïve in her approach to neutralizing the cartel. She has bought into a self-righteous way of doing things, earnest but green. After she and partner Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya, Kick Ass 2) narrowly survive the aforementioned raid, she's offered an opportunity to join a task force comprised of various intelligence agencies, military personnel and assorted covert types. Heading the task force is Matt Graver (Brolin), a CIA analyst liaising between the Agency and the Bureau. Alejandro Gillick (Del Toro) is attached to Graver, who introduces him to Kate as a DoD consultant. She's immediately suspicious of him, and neither man provides much clarity about just what his function is on the team.
The task force must travel to Juarez, Mexico to extricate a witness, all the while flying under the cartel's radar. Corpses line the streets of Juarez, swaying to and fro as a reminder of what happens if you dare cross them. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) held me at rapt attention, as the film was peppered with one jaw-clenching scene after another. Graver and Alejandro are at the forefront of every operation, mysteriously speaking in hushed tones while furthering Macer's suspicions. Sicario is Spanish for hitman, and from the film's outset it was clear that Alejandro is a questionable character with shaky allegiances. Macer and her partner are in over their heads, as everyone else seems to be privy to a secret that they know nothing about. The film follows Macer as she pieces together Alejandro's identity and her questions her own principles.
Sicario is one of the better films of 2015. Usually movies like this have a lull at the midway point, after becoming mired in plot minutiae. However, I was genuinely enthralled throughout. The pacing was superb, and while director Denis Villeneuve hasn't surpassed the suspense of Prisoners, he has crafted a very good film. Benecio Del Toro was quietly menacing, conveying a great deal while saying very little. Blunt continues to impress me with the emotional quality she brings to her performances, as well as the impressive physicality and bravado characterized by roles like this as well as in other films like Edge of Tomorrow. This is definitely one to check out. Grade: A
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Benecio Del Toro, Denis Villeneuve, Edge of Tomorrow, Emily Blunt, Inherent Vice, Josh Brolin, Kick Ass 2, Prisoners on October 26, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
For some reason, organized crime lends itself well to cinematic storytelling. Classics like The Godfather and Goodfellas come to mind, their appeal lying in the allure of pulling back the veil to expose a world that we'd never otherwise see. Black Mass fits squarely within the genre, recounting the exploits of notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger. While not without its shortcomings, I found Black Mass compelling, due in large part to a superb performance from Johnny Depp (Mortdecai, Transcendence), one of the most versatile actors of our time.
The film begins in the early 1970s, introducing us to Bulger, a low-level hood navigating the streets of South Boston. Bulger is in clear command of his small group of associates, engendering respect within the community. Loyalty is an essential attribute for any foot soldier, and Bulger inspires such devotion in the brutal, insular enclave known as "Southie." Bulger operated brazenly, largely because he struck a deal with the FBI to inform on his rivals, shrewdly keeping the Feds at bay while eliminating his competition. From Bulger's perspective this was not "snitching," because he wasn't ratting on any close friends, only his enemies – the Italian Mafia in Boston.
I noticed that the film never really delved into a depiction of Bulger's criminal enterprise; it only mentioned that he was involved in drugs, vending machines, rackets, etc. Filmmaker Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace) never shows us Bulger's operation, and we are told about rather than shown his ascent up the criminal ladder. Joel Edgerton (The Gift) co-stars as FBI agent John Connolly, a childhood friend to Bulger whose loyalty gave Bulger carte blanche in Southie. Connolly essentially acts as Bulger's eyes and ears in the Bureau, giving him unparalleled sway in South Boston.
I've seen some criticism of Depp's performance, and find it baffling that anyone would find fault with that particular aspect of the film. He was menacing, exuding a chilling presence that emanated from every scene and steely stare. This is the Johnny Depp that I like, not the quirky weirdo from Pirates of the Caribbean or Charlie And the Chocolate Factory. I thought he gave Bulger complexity, and I didn't think his performance was one-note. I contrasted his depravity with the humanity Bulger showed in relation to his son and mother, which were moments of compassion and sensitivity. However, make no mistake: Bulger was a monster. He would devour anyone, and when he told one character that he'd eat him – I believed it. A few memorable scenes solidified this sentiment, particularly one involving Bulger and Connolly's wife Marianne. Depp nailed it, and this scene captured both Bulger's psychosis and Connolly's weak complicity to perfection.
While watching Black Mass, I couldn't help but be reminded of 2006's The Departed, which was loosely based on Bulger. If you've seen that film, it may be helpful to think of Depp/Bulger as Jack Nicholson and Edgerton/Connolly as Matt Damon's character, at least initially. Of course The Departed is a superior film, but I digress. Black Mass' cast was stellar, and having the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Kevin Bacon (Cop Car) in ancillary roles only bolstered the overall weight of the film. I'm a fan of the genre, so I noticed an homage (or rip-off) of the classic scene from Goodfellas when Joe Pesci yanks Ray Liotta's chain when a joke goes awry. I don't know if this was intentional or accidental, but it reminded me that although Black Mass is a solid addition to the genre, it isn't replacing any of our favorites. Depp can flourish in these types of roles (evidenced here as well as in earlier works like Blow and Donnie Brasco) and should take on the task more often. While some aspects of the film could've been improved upon from a storytelling perspective, the principals (Depp and Edgerton) really delivered. Grade: A-
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Blow, Charlie And the Chocolate Factory, Cop Car, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas, Mortdecai, Out of the Furnace, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Departed, The Godfather, The Imitation Game, Transcendence on September 22, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
The best movies make you think about yourself and about life. I enjoy movies that explore some of my personal beliefs and philosophies. For me, what matters most in life is how you treat other people. You can be as wealthy and successful as possible, but if you don't treat your fellow man with courtesy and respect, your worldly trappings mean nothing. The Gift was an intriguing movie that explored what it means to be a "good person," and the accountability we must have for our actions.
Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses 2) and Rebecca Hall (Transcendence) star as Simon and Robyn, a thirty-something couple who have recently relocated to California from Chicago. Simon is a successful executive, while Robyn is between jobs. Grieving a recent miscarriage, the couple is looking for a fresh start not far from where Simon grew up. We are introduced to the accomplished couple as they purchase a beautiful new home, and their energy is joyful and expectant. While shopping for furniture, Simon bumps into an old friend from high school, a shy man named Gordon (Joel Edgerton, Exodus: Gods and Kings). We first notice him in the background through the store's window, watching Simon and Robyn as they shop. He exudes a creepy awkwardness, and it was painful watching him strike up a conversation with Simon, who barely remembers him.
As Simon and Robyn settle into their new digs, "Gordo" (as Simon calls him) begins to subtly intrude into their lives. It starts innocently enough with a housewarming gift left on their doorstep but eventually escalates to unannounced visits and inappropriate gifts. He seems lonely and relatively harmless, but there is something unsettling about his quiet lurking. Robyn is compassionate towards Gordo, but Simon is unnerved by him and mockingly pokes fun at his social ineptitude. It was particularly troublesome that Gordo always seemed to pop up when Robyn was home alone and Simon was working, a detail that foreshadowed the film's sinister twist.
The film succeeds in evoking sympathy for Gordo, despite his disturbing behavior. There's sadness in him, a quiet loneliness he hoped to fill by reconnecting with someone from his past. As the film unfolds, we learn just what kind of person Simon was all those years ago when he and Gordo first knew each other. Robyn discovers that Simon isn't quite the man she married, as he reveals that he hasn't changed much since high school after all. We don't know how far Gordo will go to right the wrongs Simon inflicted on him, but when he exacts his revenge it is a cruel masterstroke.
I enjoyed The Gift immensely. It was a quiet movie that arrived in theaters with little fanfare, but deserved more attention than it received. Suspenseful and thought provoking, it was a unique movie that held my interest throughout. Edgerton not only stars as Gordo, but he wrote and directed the film as well. It was an impressive effort and I appreciated the conflicting emotions Gordo inspired. The storyline was strong and original, a testament to Edgerton's talent and versatility. Hall and Bateman gave emotionally charged performances, and it was good to see Bateman as a flawed character for a change. Make sure you check for this movie when it comes to Redbox and cable. Grade: A
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Exodus: Gods and Kings, Horrible Bosses 2, Jason Bateman, Joel Edgerton, Rebecca Hall, Transcendence on September 12, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
The Perfect Guy
I like to discuss movies critically, but I consider myself a movie fan more than I consider myself a movie critic. All movies aren't Oscar contenders, and that's ok. That being said, I've seen so many movies that I can't help but notice when one doesn't measure up. When I saw the trailer for The Perfect Guy, I thought it looked like it might be passably entertaining, but it seemed derivative even in that 30-second clip. I'm probably showing my age, but Fatal Attraction will forever be the standard bearer in this genre, because it was just as suspenseful as it was smart. The Perfect Guy was neither suspenseful nor smart, and the only reason why I wasn't disappointed was because my expectations were low to begin with.
Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan, The Best Man Holiday) is a beautiful, accomplished woman who seems to have it all. Her boyfriend Dave (Morris Chestnut, The Best Man Holiday) is every bit her equal, and they look like a great match. However, as most women in their thirties will attest, there comes a time when you're ready to start a family, and any person or relationship that doesn't advance that objective is a waste of time. When Dave reveals his uncertainty about future fatherhood, the pair agrees it's best to part ways. Fresh out of a two-year relationship, it isn't long before Leah crosses paths with a very handsome stranger, Carter Duncan (Michael Ealy, Think Like a Man Too).
Carter is everything a woman would want, which is sort of the problem. I'm all for positive vibes, but most things that seem too good to be true usually are. Carter is attentive, doting, romantic, and chivalrous. When he shows up to her workplace unexpectedly, Leah is flattered not frightened – even though she never told him where she worked. The couple moves at lightning speed, and she even introduces him to her parents, despite the fact it's only been a few weeks. They seem like a match made in heaven until the short relationship implodes in a horrifying instant. While stopped at a gas station, a man approaches Leah while she waits in the car for Carter, who's inside. He strikes up a conversation about Carter's classic car, but before Leah can relay the stranger's admiration Carter mercilessly attacks the man, savagely beating him in a jealous rage.
After this critical plot point, the movie devolved into a hackneyed exercise in predictability. There was little in the way of character development, as Carter had two extremes: angel and maniac, with no shades of gray. There should've been a slow build to his insanity, a subtle moment where Lathan's character begins to second-guess the relationship. When Carter snaps, there's no doubt that the relationship is over because his actions are so extreme with such little provocation. When Dave and Leah reconnect, it feels contrived, a function of necessity rather than realism. I like Lathan and Chestnut, but at what point are they going to stretch themselves artistically? This movie does not meaningfully add to their repertoire. Ealy typically features as the clichéd "nice" leading man, so I'll give him credit for doing something different this time around, though the source material was lacking. The Perfect Guy didn't need to be the perfect movie, but it was not big screen worthy. I know the movie has a built-in audience, and I'm sure they loved it. I certainly did not. Grade: D.
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Fatal Attraction, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, The Best Man Holiday, Think Like A Man Too on September 11, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
When I saw the trailer for Straight Outta Compton I knew that the film would represent a seminal moment in The Culture. And by The Culture, I mean hip-hop culture, Black culture, pop culture. History has a funny way of changing people's perception, and I'm glad that my personal recollections of the group NWA informed my perception of the film. For those of you who don't know, NWA (Niggas With Attitude) ushered in the so-called "gangsta rap" era, introducing us to rap luminaries Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. MC Ren and DJ Yella rounded out the group, a collective who expressed a raw, unabashed musical style that hadn't been heard before. Straight Outta Compton was their debut album, and the film borrows that title as both a reference point and descriptor for its member's origins. My discussion of the film will be twofold, as I'll address its cinematic merits first, followed by its significance within The Culture.
Director F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen, Friday) has crafted a superior biopic. The film was as informative as it was entertaining, expertly incorporating the music that influenced the legendary group's sound, as well as new music (Dr. Dre's Compton soundtrack). Gray opens the movie by painting a picture of Reagan-era Los Angeles while introducing the audience to NWA's charismatic front man Eric "Eazy-E" Wright. Ideally the first few moments of a film will capture your attention, and the opening scene set the tone in its depiction of Eazy narrowly escaping a botched drug deal. I was astounded at the images of a militarized police department, as they drove a battering ram through the front of a "trap" house, demolishing it and nearly killing its occupants. Gray shows us the environment that birthed the group, all the while making the obvious parallel between the LAPD's tactics and what we've seen recently around the country regarding the unrest surrounding young Black men and women and the various police departments who brutalize them.
While Eazy contemplates a life beyond slanging dope, Ice Cube cultivates ferocity on the microphone, penning rhymes in a composition book he carries daily. Meanwhile Dr. Dre moonlights as a deejay at a local nightspot while trying to support a young family despite still living at home with his mother. His musical influences are made of some of the very best soul, funk, and rhythm & blues ever recorded – a subtle reminder that without sampling rap music wouldn't be what it is today. NWA was formed partly by happenstance, partly by design. Dre was the visionary who crafted the sound, Cube wrote the lyrics, and Eazy had the voice. Eazy was no rapper, and one memorable scene showed how it took a few tries for him to perfect his style and unique cadence. However, their star power was undeniable, and eventually their brand of self-described reality rap propelled them to stardom.
Inevitably the group fell victim to dissension, as manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti, San Andreas) drove a wedge between Eazy and the others by withholding royalties from Ice Cube when he failed to equitably account for the significant writing Cube had done for the group. Cube left the group with Dre eventually following suit, and when NWA unofficially disbanded, things were never quite the same. The members had somewhat mended fences before Eazy's untimely death from AIDS, but by then it was the end of an era.
The film is almost too grand to effectively summarize, but a few scenes captured the immense cultural impact NWA had on America and on music as a whole. Freedom of speech was essential to the group's image, as they faced criticism at every turn. Their adoration from fans was met with equal parts disdain from law enforcement, as "Fuck the Police" was emblematic of the frustration of young Black men across America. Gray showed how the Rodney King verdict and subsequent L.A. riots affected the community, validating the song and the maverick spirit that created it.
One aspect of NWA's criticism that was hinted at but never fleshed out, was the misogynistic nature of their lyrics. Yes, the violent anti-law enforcement lyrics drew ire, but so did the prolific barrage of lyrics that seemed to degrade women. The film portrayed the group as heroes (or anti-heroes, at the least), and I suppose that is to be expected since Cube and Dre have production credits here. I won't say the portrayal was sanitized, but of course some things were omitted. However, I did enjoy the balanced humanization of the group, particularly a scene in which Dre is comforted after the death of his brother, and another towards the end as they grapple with Eazy's impending death.
F. Gary Gray brilliantly captured the group's inception and pivotal musical moments in the recording studio. The performances were above reproach. O'shea Jackson Jr. bears an uncanny resemblance to his famous father, from voice inflection to mannerisms. Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) infused their roles with authenticity and surprising vulnerability. Mitchell particularly showed a different side of Eazy, as he ruefully realizes that Cube and Dre's respective stars have eclipsed his own. A few things were glossed over, in my opinion – like the extent to which Eazy fell out with the rest of the group. I remember the diss tracks, and I don't think they made peace as easily as the film indicated. Nevertheless, this is a small quibble. The movie is a must see for anyone that loves The Culture. I got chills watching Ice Cube in the booth and when I heard him rhyming over Steve Arrington's "Weak At The Knees" instrumental in an early scene. Some shit you just have to see, period. Not perfect, but pretty close. Grade: A.
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, F. Gary Gray, Friday, Ice Cube, Law Abiding Citizen, MC Ren, Paul Giamatti, San Andreas on August 17, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
I used to love Tom Cruise (Edge of Tomorrow). He's always been a capable actor, but I think people are reluctant to elevate him to the upper echelon of Hollywood elite when it comes to talent. Make no mistake, he's an undeniable superstar – but that just means he's popular and his movies do well. I think he's talented, but his thespian skillset is overshadowed by the perception of him as action star. I credit him with a knack for self-deprecation and an overwhelming commitment to his craft, evidenced by the fact that he's long performed his own stunts. Action movies are in his wheelhouse, so I was excited to see Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (aka Mission Impossible 5).
The franchise began with an emphasis on espionage and has since become more reliant on action. Additionally, there doesn't seem to be much consistency with characters from one movie to the next, other than Cruise as steadfast superspy Ethan Hunt. This time around the IMF (Hunt's covert employer) is on thin ice, with its leader William Brandt (Jeremy Renner, Avengers: Age of Ultron) clashing with CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin, Aloha) after a mission to recover a nuclear weapon is unsuccessful. The film's opening sequence details Hunt's attempt to stop a moving plane from absconding with the deadly missile. Intel reveals that a rogue "nation" known as The Syndicate has stolen the weapon in order to execute terror attacks against Western allies. Complicating matters even further is the fact that the head of The Syndicate, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris, Prometheus) has ties to British Intelligence and the IMF, utilizing disavowed agents from both agencies.
One such agent is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, Hercules), formerly of British Intelligence. She and Ethan both want to stop Lane, but we aren't sure if she's friend or foe. One minute she's helping Ethan escape The Syndicate, the next minute it looks like she's doing their bidding in an assassination attempt against the Austrian Prime Minister. In one of the movie's better scenes, Ethan foils the assassination attempt at the opera; deftly battling spies atop a catwalk while the audience watches the performance, completely unaware. That scene reflected all that's great about the franchise (action, clever plot development, suspense), but unfortunately that level of tension was not maintained throughout the film.
I thought the movie suffered in its third act, when it got a little too smart for its own good. There was one twist and turn too many, and little things just didn't add up for me. I know that a good spy movie should keep you guessing, but the plot quickly went from simple to complicated, which wasn't necessary. Ethan Hunt felt like a poor man's Jason Bourne, and although the action scenes were top notch – I still found myself bored as the movie wore on. The interplay between Ethan and Ilsa was fun to watch, but for me the movie was a bit of a mixed bag. I wasn't disappointed, but it wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be. Grade: B
Posted in 2015 Movies and tagged Alec Baldwin, Aloha, Edge of Tomorrow, Hercules, Jeremy Renner, Prometheus, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tom Cruise on August 9, 2015 by T_Dot_Lane. Leave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Mesquite High School — Mesquite ISD 2018-2019
Home » School Districts » Mesquite ISD
Mesquite High School
High school in Mesquite ISD
Mesquite ISD: B
Mesquite ISD: 9.7 years
Mesquite ISD: 91.3%
Mesquite High School is a high school in Mesquite, TX, in the Mesquite ISD school district. As of the 2018-2019 school year, it had 2,634 students. The school received an accountability rating of B. 45.8% of students were considered at risk of dropping out of school. 11.3% of students were enrolled in bilingual and English language learning programs.
An average teacher's salary was $60,322, which is $6,200 more than the state average. The average SAT score at Mesquite High School was 1004. The average ACT score was 19.4. In the Class of 2018, 91.9% of students received their high school diplomas on time or earlier. The dropout rate was 1.1%.
www.mesquiteisd.org
300 E Davis St
Mesquite, TX 75149-4699
Gerald Sarpy
gsarpy@mesquiteisd.org
Students in Mesquite High School are part of the Texas Education Agency's Region 10. Students who started eighth grade in 2008 in this region had a college graduation rate of 22.1 percent. View a more comprehensive breakdown of the higher education outcomes in Region 10.
Mesquite ISD: 0.8%
Mesquite ISD: 13%
Mesquite ISD: 2%
Mesquite ISD: Masked
Mesquite ISD: 1005
Mesquite ISD: 18.8
29.7 (16.7%)
17.4 (9.8%)
124.8 (70.1%)
Mesquite ISD: $57,833


The teacher uses a 'whole-part-whole' teaching strategy in a year 3/4 mathematics lesson in which students are learning to add, subtract and divide whole numbers and parts of numbers.
The teacher uses a 'whole-part-whole' teaching strategy in a year 3/4 mathematics lesson in which students are learning to add, subtract and divide whole numbers and parts of numbers. To support the learning, the teacher uses a software program in which students can apply the skills in a 'real life' situation. While most students are using an interactive learning object, the teacher works with an extension group who are learning about decimals. A teacher colleague supports the teacher in the classroom.
Located close to Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Pleasant Street Primary School is a P–6 school, catering for approximately 350 students. At the school, teachers have the opportunity to collaborate within classes to investigate the suitability and usefulness of ICT resources to promote student engagement and to improve student learning. Depending on the results of the collaboration, the teacher/s can take the results of the investigation or trial to a meeting and report on the usefulness of the resource for other levels or purposes.
How have you used interactive learning objects or digital learning resources to support your students' learning?
What opportunities are there within your school for team-teaching or for collaboration between teachers within classrooms?
What processes do you or your school use to evaluate new resources that may be suitable for student learning?


One of the major foreign policy issues facing the world over the past few years is the Syrian Civil War and the formation of groups such as ISIS as a result of the instabilities created due to the conflict. In spite of the urgency of ending the conflict and combating the rise of organizations such as ISIS, there has been little effort on the world stage to come up with an adequate plan to do so. A major reason the international community has yet to come up with a plan to fight ISIS and end the Syrian Civil War is due to different visions between world powers over the best way to do so. The U.S. argues that the ultimate goal of any intervention in Syria would be that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would peacefully step down from power. In contrast, Russia is a close ally of Assad and their only military outpost in the Middle East is in Syria. Russia believes that any regime change in Syria would lead to increased instability in the Middle East and threaten their military presence in the region.
In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up Russian presence in Syria and has begun a military build-up in the country. U.S. diplomats have cautioned Russia against such a move, arguing that it would lead to even greater instability and violence in Syria. Additionally, the U.S. fears that a potential confrontation may emerge between U.S.-backed coalition members and Russian forces in Syria if Russia continues expanding its military presence in the region. Despite the differences in opinion between the U.S. and Russia, Putin has come up with several proposals to combat ISIS, put an end to the Syrian Civil War and restore a greater sense of stability to the Middle East.
Vladimir Putin's plan includes several components. The first part is that the U.S. and its allies coordinate their actions against ISIS with the Russian, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian armies. Through the coordination of their actions, Putin hopes that any conflict between coalition members can be reduced and that a consensus to stop the spread of ISIS can emerge on the international level. Also, Russia also stated that their plan would put in place measures that would gradually transition political power away from Assad. Putin has also stated that if the U.S. and its allies reject his offer, he would be prepared to take military actions against ISIS in Syria unilaterally. Putin is hoping that the U.S. will accept his plan on the basis of it being the only realistic way to bring an end to the Syrian Civil War and contribute greater stability to the Middle East.
The reaction to Putin's proposal has been mixed. For example, UN Ambassador Samantha Powers has stated that the U.S. would be unwilling to join in a coalition with the Syrian army because of Syrian Bashar al-Assad's human rights record and alleged actions over the course of the war. Also, U.S. officials question Putin's motives and feel that his plan is not comprehensive enough to be successful. Despite their reluctance to side with Russia, the Obama Administration did announce that it would be willing to engage in talks with Russia over the issue in the coming weeks. Additionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the U.S. has become more receptive to Russia's position and that it moderated two parts of its Syrian policy, that Assad must step down from power and that it will not negotiate with his government.
The proposed course of action by Russia regarding the Syrian Civil War could involve resorting to several components of international law. For example, Russia could present its case before the UN Security Council. After reviewing the case, the Security Council may call on the parties involved in the Syrian Civil War to settle their disputes via peaceful means. Furthermore, Russia can receive the authority to strike ISIS forces within Syria if it is given permission by the Syrian government to do so. If Russia acts without Syria's permission, they would be in violation of Article 2 Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against another country in terms other than that of self-defense. On the other hand, Russia could use the argument that their actions against ISIS are purely self-defense. At that point, Russia's actions would be in accord with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which states that any member nations has a right to self-defense until the Security Council has taken measures to maintain international peace and security.


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Minneapolis 383521411
Minnesota History: Southern slave owner helped revive University of Minnesota
St. Cloud State historian Christopher Lehman unearthed the long overlooked connection between the fledgling university and onetime South Carolina Gov. William Aiken Jr. while analyzing territorial real estate deeds.
By Curt Brown
June 20, 2016 — 1:12am
In its financially troubled early years, the University of Minnesota leaned heavily on a wealthy South Carolina slave owner to stay afloat in the late 1850s.
"The University of Minnesota lives today thanks in no small part to hundreds of slaves on a plantation in Charleston," Lehman writes in the current issue of Hennepin History magazine. "If unfree African Americans had not generated the planter's wealth, he would not have possessed the funds to assist the institution."
Flour milling magnate John Sargent Pillsbury, who became Minnesota's eighth governor in 1876, has long been credited as the U's savior. He joined the Board of Regents in 1863 and then spearheaded a three-man commission aimed at erasing the school's debt.
Lehman, an expert on Minnesota's slavery connections, not only makes the case that Aiken's contributions predated Pillsbury's, he accuses Pillsbury of starting a nearly 150-year-old coverup of the slave owner's involvement. In its report to the governor in the 1860s, Pillsbury's panel failed to mentioned Aiken's early injection of thousands of dollars.
"Pillsbury initiated the erasure of Aiken from the university's history," Lehman says, adding that historians who followed proceeded to call the flour king the "father of the university."
Feed Loader
William Aiken Jr.
Aiken was 51 when he first ventured to Minnesota in the early summer of 1857. A few months earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark Dred Scott case that slave owners could maintain possession of their human property even in such non-slave territories as Minnesota.
That sparked a flow of Southerners heading north — seeking real estate opportunities and cooler places to relax in the summertime. Steamboat service made the treks easier — as did the money earned on the backs of slaves.
"Buying land while on vacation and returning to the South in the fall with real estate deeds in hand, these men became absentee landowners," Lehman writes.
Aiken was wrapping up two decades of public service — as a legislator, governor and congressman — when he took his first Minnesota vacation. He checked into the upscale Fuller House in St. Paul and headed for the era's popular tourist attraction: the cooling, ailment curing Falls of St. Anthony.
Not far away, the University of Minnesota was a one-building mess when Aiken visited in 1857. Dating back to 1851, the school had been closed for three years because of heavy construction debt.
"When Aiken saw the school, he immediately took pity on it," Lehman says, advancing between $15,000 and $20,000 to the school and buying $8,000 in university bonds. In today's dollars, that $28,000 infusion would be worth about $750,000.
Aiken could afford it. Thanks to the labor of his 878 slaves, he earned about $25,000 a year selling goods — nearly twice the $13,000 he spent annually to maintain his plantation. His slaves managed more than 200 livestock, grew 2,000 bushels of corn and 4,000 bushels of sweet potatoes each year on his South Carolina spread. "He had a reputation among Charleston's slaves as a master who was not abusive," Lehman writes, "but he profited handsomely from their labor."
Aiken lived in a Gothic Revival mansion and housed his slaves in simple wooden homes. Southern critics blasted him for spending his money Up North instead of keeping his cash Down South as tensions escalated before the Civil War.
The financial Panic of 1857 made Aiken's contributions a short-lived fix for the U. The school was open for only six months in 1858 because tuition fees failed to offset operating costs. Constructing one new wing of the university's sole building ran up bills of nearly $50,000. Snowdrifts piled up at the incomplete construction site.
When South Carolina seceded from the Union — something Aiken opposed — and the Civil War broke out at Fort Sumter in 1861, the university was still in debt to the rich planter from Charleston. The four-year-old Minnesota Legislature passed the 1862 Rebellion Act, which barred Confederates from attempting to collect debts in state court.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that law unconstitutional, but the school never paid back its Southern benefactor. Several histories of the university, and the school's online archives, never mention Aiken.
"The omission of Aiken removes not only a central donor from the school's history," Lehman insists, "but also the crucial role of slave labor in the facility's survival."
Lehman, who has taught at St. Cloud State for 14 years, has written extensively about Minnesota's links to slavery, including a book called, "Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley." He said, via e-mail, that he first started compiling names of people kept as slaves in Minnesota in the 1850s.
"Last year I was looking at real estate deeds, and my 'Eureka' moment was my realization that some of the southerners who bought lots in Minnesota were slaveholders and that slavery allowed them to afford to buy those lands," he said. "Governor Aiken's loan to the U of M is just the latest monetary connection I've been able to find between African-American slavery and Minnesota real estate."
Curt Brown's tales about Minnesota's history appear each Sunday. Readers can send him ideas and suggestions at mnhistory@startribune.com. A collection of his columns is available as the e-book "Frozen in History" at startribune.com/ebooks.
John Pillsbury
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St. Paul firefighter, the sole woman in the competition, is fifth 'strongest' in nation
In a social media post, Sarah Reasoner thanked event host Arnold Schwarzenegger for yelling at her during the sandbag carry.
There is no immediate word about what led to the death.
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A teenager was found unresponsive after falling off a 30-foot (914 centimeters) cliff at a state park northeast of the Twin Cities.
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text:
Nossa Senhora de Fátima ist eine Gemeinde (Freguesia) im portugiesischen Kreis Entroncamento. In ihr leben  Einwohner (Stand ).

Einzelnachweise

Entroncamento

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to pass String type parameter in function to IconData in Flutter I've been working with this flutter project for 2 weeks, and I've a problem in how to pass String type parameter in function to IconData type. Before that, I've JSON response like this:
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "general": [
      {
        "id": 1,
        "name": "Sumbangan Pembinaan Pendidikan",
        "icon": "credit_card",
        "type": "monthly",
        "amount": 125000
      },
      {
        "id": 2,
        "name": "Uang Bangunan",
        "icon": "credit_card",
        "type": "yearly",
        "amount": 1250000
      }
    ],

I want to pass 'icon' key, and my button function look like this:
Widget studentFeeButtonMenu(BuildContext context, String text, IconData iconFee){
    return Container(
      width: double.infinity,
      height: screenHeight(context)*(1/12),
      decoration: BoxDecoration(
        color: Colors.white,
        borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(10),
      ),
      child: Center(
        child: Container(
          width: screenWidth(context)*(1/1.3),
          height: double.infinity,
          color: Colors.red,
          child: Row(
            children: [
              Icon(
                iconFee,
                color: Color(0xff84923f),
              ),
              SizedBox(
                width: screenWidth(context)*(1/10),
              ),
              Text(
                text,
                style: TextStyle(
                  color: Colors.black,
                ),
              ),
            ],
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }

I want to create ListView.builder and the itemBuilder is using that function, like this:
child: ListView.builder(
            itemCount: generalStudentFees == null ? 0 : generalStudentFees.length,
            itemBuilder: (context, index){
              return studentFeeButtonMenu(context, generalStudentFees[index]['name'], Icons.generalStudentFees[index]['icon']);
            },
          ),

The 'name' key is working perfectly and can fetch with the data, but I don't know how to pass the icon, the error message says:

The getter 'generalStudentFees' isn't defined for the type 'Icons'.

A: Flutter's Icons class gets its icons from MaterialFonts like this:
IconData icon = IconData(0xea00, fontFamily: 'MaterialIcons')

That hex number is the Unicode codepoint for the glyph in the font.
You could use a Map<String,Int> to map your json icon String value to the codepoint int you want it to represent. For example:
Map<String, Int> iconCodepoint = {
  'credit_card': 0xe06c,
  'gift_card'  : 0xe020,
  //etc.
}

//String iconName holds your icon String value ('credit_card')
studentFeeButtonMenu(context, 'Hello World', IconData(iconCodepoint[iconName], fontFamily: 'MaterialIcons');

The .codepoint files here contain the glyph codepoint numbers: Material-Design-icons on Github

A: https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/material/Icons-class.html
On the document linked above, we can use the codePoint field.
IconData(60969, fontFamily: 'MaterialIcons')

60969 is codePoint for the material icon named "ac unit outlined".
iconDataCodePoint: Icons.ac_unit_outlined.codePoint

Example usage:
Icon(
                            events.iconDataCodePoint != null
                                ? IconData((events.iconDataCodePoint as int),
                                    fontFamily: 'MaterialIcons')
                                : Icons.announcement_rounded,
                            size: 30,
                          ),

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


2500 Biscayne lies in Miami's newest destination neighborhood of Edgewater. This location is perfectly located between Wynwood, Downtown Miami, and Brickell (3 of Miami's hottest spots).
For this location, we worked with developers to create window treatment solutions for the entire building to create a nice welcoming atmosphere from the moment you walk in and to allow residents to enjoy their luxury apartments with the finest and most functional window treatment designs.
In the lobby and lounge areas, we installed sheer ripple fold curtains which allows a clear view of the outside, will preventing too much sunlight and heat from entering through the large two-story windows.


This is our second and last discussion of Marc Prensky's book, Teaching Digital Natives: Partnering for Real Learning . To read more about the first half of the book and add your own insights to the conversation, see our post on Teaching Digital Natives, Chapters 1-5.
As with the first installment, I'll just jot down a few notes about things I felt were relevant in each chapter, along with a comment or question for discussion. Please add your own thoughts in the comments below — especially if you've already tried this approach or are planning on giving it a shot soon!
In Chapter 2, Prensky introduced the noun/verb concept of partnering, where "verbs" are the skills students have practiced in school throughout history — interpreting, analyzing, presenting, measuring — and "nouns" are the tools they use to develop and demonstrate those skills. Long ago, the "nouns" were limited to pencils and paper. Now, as the nouns grow exponentially, we need to be diligent in keeping our instructional focus on the verbs, constantly ensuring that students still practice those same vital skills. This chapter goes into more depth about how exactly we should handle the nouns.
The advice is this: (1) Treat technology as an enabler, a tool for helping students learn the necessary content and skills better. (2) Be creative in solving access problems — pair up students to share technology, work with your school to improve before- and after-school access, and so on. (3) Let students use as much technology as they can get their hands on to reach curricular goals; do not limit them to the tools that you, the teacher, are comfortable and familiar with. (4) The teacher's role is to make students aware of what's available, ensure that students do high-quality work, and point out potential pitfalls. Our role is NOT to use the tech for them.
But we do have to know something. "It is important that partnering teachers know what tools exist, understand what each of the tools can do, and, to the extent that the tools are available in the school, make them available to students and encourage their use" (98). For me, this makes the expectations for teachers feel more realistic: No, we don't have to be totally tech-savvy to allow our students to do good work with technology, and no, we should not use the tech for them, but we need to have a pretty solid understanding of what's out there, what it's capable of, and how students might use it. In other words, the teacher needs a good sense of the infrastructure of technology.
This might intimidate those who think the whole ball of wax is just too much to digest, but Chapter 7 offers a handy tool to help us. Before we go there, I have these questions: How does a teacher actually manage all this? What does a typical class period look like? What is the recordkeeping like? I'm definitely buying into the idea of partnering, but the logistics still baffle me.
This chapter is a simple directory of many of the technology tools — the "nouns" of partnering — that students can use to learn and demonstrate learning. Two features of this list make it especially useful.
First, although specific brand names appear on the list (there are separate entries for Kindle, Twitter, Skype, and so on), much of it is organized by type of technology, which allows the reader to understand the categories of tools. Reading through this chapter is a real education, and it helps give some order to the tech wilderness.
Second, for each noun listed, there is a list of verbs that align well with it. For example, the section on Facebook lists collaborating, planning, and behaving ethically among the verbs students can practice while using it. The section on Survey Creation Tools (like SurveyMonkey) lists verbs like analyzing, exploring, verifying, and experimenting.
This chapter just made me excited. It also made me feel more competent: Having all those terms explained so clearly makes all of it easier to understand and that much more doable. I guess my only question after reading this chapter is Where do you start?
Here we are encouraged to have our students create whenever possible. Instead of defining and limiting the end products of their learning, we are now empowered by technology to let students actually make the kinds of things they'll find in the real world — websites and spreadsheets, videos and podcasts, simulations and video games.
When planning for this kind of creative work, we should allow for as much real-world creating as possible, giving students the opportunities to produce things that can be seen by a real-world audience. We should also have them participate in world conversations, interacting outside the school walls with experts and laypeople who care deeply about the content they're working with. This interaction can be as easy as a message board or comment stream or as formalized as a Skype interview.
We are reminded to allow students to choose their own end products and to follow their passions whenever possible — especially the "slackers," who are less likely to naturally engage in this kind of work.
Although the idea of this sounds wonderful, the kind of work lots of students would really enjoy, my questions come down to logistics. How does the teacher manage this? What does it look like on a day-to-day basis? What if some students finish their projects days ahead of other students? If students go in substantially different directions with their creations, how does a teacher grade student work with any consistency?
This is where we see the first of two "I" terms that are essential to partnering: iteration. Rather than treating each student project or performance in isolation, good partnering has us view successive products as iterations — "redos" or next attempts — of a set of skills. The goal is to keep improving on what you did the last time around.
As teachers, we are urged to also practice iteration in our own work, and to be transparent with students about this, to model this kind of attitude: "Let's see how well I do at this the first time. Then, let's see if I can do it a little better." This will require a serious mind shift for both teachers and students, especially those who really just want you to tell them what to do and how to get a good grade.
Although this chapter is more theoretical than practical, I think it's crucial for developing a partnering mindset. For any teacher to successfully embrace more technology in their teaching, they have to let go of the idea that things will work perfectly the first time around. And it's crucial to pass this attitude on to students as well. At this point, my question is still along the same lines (and I can imagine it coming from students, too)…How does all of this translate into grades? If a student is encouraged to iterate, to make continuous improvements over time, does that mean grades at the end of a term are weighted more heavily than those at the beginning? Are we grading only for improvement? As much as I hate to focus on things like grades, I know they are a reality in schools for all parties: administrators, students and parents alike want a clear measurement of student progress, and so far I don't see exactly how that's accomplished in a partnering classroom.
Here we get the second of the two "I" words: ipsative. Although formative and summative assessments still have their place, the partnering teacher needs to employ a broader range of assessments to really help students grow. Within this broader range is ipsative assessment, where your performance is measured against your own personal best. Along with this, we should also use more peer assessment, self-assessment, and real-world assessment, the kind that comes after a student posts a video on YouTube, for example, and waits for the world to react.
We are also encouraged to assess students with the tools they already have at their disposal. So instead of giving them a test that requires them to memorize facts — the kind of knowledge that is most likely to wash away shortly after the test is over — we should expand the concept of open-book tests, allowing students to use devices like phones to find the information they need. If they can look it up in 30 seconds in real life, why shouldn't they be able to do it for a test? I know this will bother some people, and I'm thinking two arguments are likely to come up: (1) There is value in the mental work required to memorize certain facts or concepts. And I agree with this. Students shouldn't have to use calculators to do simple multiplication because they never learned their times tables. I think the take-away here is to allow open-device for the kinds of tasks where a device would be available and useful in real life. (2) What about cheating? Won't students just text each other the answers? I'm thinking that if an assessment can be easily aced with the kinds of answers that can be texted, it's probably not a very good assessment. With more questions that require higher order thinking, students can demonstrate what they know in a way that can't easily be replicated via text.
This is all good stuff, and it lines up perfectly with the idea of a "scrapbook" of assessment in Understanding by Design. Still, by the end of the chapter I have the same questions about logistics. I really hope Prensky has plans for future work that addresses these questions, showing us case studies where we can see how a partnering classroom works on a practical level. If you are reading this and have already solved some of these practical concerns, please share them!
Check out the other book study we have going this summer: Wiggins and McTighe's Understanding by Design.
Click here to read our summary of Teaching Digital Natives, Chapters 1-5.
I am still not understanding how teachers should know what is available today and tomorrow, but not know how to use them necessarily. In order to support the use of the right tools, then teachers should use them as well.
The idea that teachers who are especially fluent might be tempted to use technology for them…I have set up a blog, but students exchange comments amongst each other. I disagree with the statement that students use tools effectively. Students misuse technology even for school assignments. Overdoing text, poor color choices, cutting and pasting from the internet instead of synthesizing the information….etc. They need modeling and then coaching. Requesting revisions? When is this suggested?
Some of what Prensky says….mmm…I find a bit accusatory.
For some reason I made a notation that says a rubric that encompasses all the verbs and take into account all of the nouns needs to be created for use for students if we are giving choice with the tools to use.
With respect to real, world audience I wholeheartedly agree with this. Does Prensky suggest that the teacher seek out forums for this or is this also the onus of the students?
This is one of the biggest arguments in my school building.
The message to the students with respect to teacher belief needs an overhaul…not a mere reframing/reshaping.
Allowing students to create their way….is this realistic preparation for students' post-secondary endeavors…ie College? Career? Technical? Military?
Learning from Colleagues….the culture in the building has to be conducive to sharing.
I am going to deploy the rubrics for partnering for teachers and students as a google doc anonymously to see where I stand with my students. We will go into our 2nd semester in August and this will be a good time to gauge and identify weaknesses.
I'm curious to hear more about your thoughts on Prensky's "accusatory" content. Can you give a few examples of those things?
Thank you again for your thoughtful participation and for the time you've put into both book studies.
Okay, here's my understanding of how knowing OF a tool without actually knowing HOW to use it can work: For me, something like Prezi would fall into this category. I know what Prezi is and have played around with it some, but if someone asked me to make a Prezi for tomorrow, I would have to set aside a LOT of time. I certainly couldn't help out a student who was using it. But if one of my students wanted to make a Prezi for an assignment, I would say yes. If he already knew how to use Prezi, I would tell him, "Learn how to do three new things with it, document what you learned, and be prepared to give the class a 10-minute lesson on Prezi basics." If he had never used it but wanted to try, I would say, "Get on YouTube and find some tutorials. Also, go talk to _________. She can give you a quick overview." In either case, I don't ever have to go near the Prezi environment. I don't have to know what goes on "backstage" to create the final product. What I DO have to do is set expectations, to create a rubric that outlines that the product must grab the viewer's attention right away and make its purpose clear, organize information clearly and logically, be aesthetically pleasing…all concepts we will study as a class all year long, regardless of the product. The verbs.
So what if I had never heard of Prezi, but my student still wanted to use it? It would take about five minutes for someone to sit me down, show me a Prezi, and say, "It's kind of like PowerPoint, except that all your information is gathered within one large image, and you can move around with a lot more flexibility than you do with PowerPoint." Got it. If no one could sit me down, I could look online to learn about it.
I agree that students use tools ineffectively – you're absolutely right that they make a lot of bad choices, and I think these are things we can teach them, again without necessarily knowing all the specific how-tos. For example, we can give lessons in basic design principles: We can examine brochures, websites, magazine ads, even TV commercials and talk about font choices, white space, etc. We can give lessons on synthesizing research vs. plagiarizing. Both of those lessons are in the verbs. They don't require us to know a single piece of technology well.
I would like to hear more about the "accusatory" content – can you give a few examples?
As for the real-world audience, I don't recall whether Prensky put the onus on us or the students for finding these opportunities. It's probably a little of both – we find some opportunities, then show students how to seek out more on their own. We have the benefit of life experience, of knowing "how the world works" in a broader sense than our students do. So while they might know of a local injustice that's happening, we can help them understand that contacting members of local government is a way to effect change. Once they've tried that once, they should be able to transfer that knowledge to other situations.
I get your reservations on whether allowing students to create "their way" is realistic. I think this is a gray area that people could easily misinterpret and go too far in the direction of anything goes, which would NOT be good preparation for careers, etc. This is why it would really help to see high-quality case studies and examples of people who are already doing it. It would help everyone interested in partnering get a much clearer idea of where the line is between teacher expectations and student creativity.
Thanks again for your thoughtful participation with both book studies, Shayne. I sometimes think "if one person gets something out of this, it's worth it," and it turned out you were the one person! Your students and colleagues will really benefit from what you've learned this summer. Please come back and share more as you work to implement these concepts in your school this year.
Hi Jennifer, maybe accusatory was a bit strong. I do find my feathers ruffling when Prensky places the blame for bored students solely on the teacher. I would like to think that there are other contributory factors, but realize that I have control on how engaging my lessons are.
I hope you are having a good summer!
I hope you're having a good summer too, Shayne!
I also wanted to add that I thought a good place to start students with the identifying their passions was the RoadTrip Nation site.
They also offer a "What's Your Road?" self-guided experience. Students take a self-assessment and they are then linked to archived videos of people who pursued those same passions. I am going to use this as a baseline.


text:
Prospero | The poetry of London
Hundreds of years, countless bards
LONDON has inspired poets for centuries. Our correspondents discuss a new collection of verse inspired by the city and ask why it has played such an important role
By The Economist online
More from Prospero
An American musical about mental health takes off in China
The protagonist of "Next to Normal" has bipolar disorder. The show is encouraging audiences to open up about their own well-being
Sue Williamson's art of resistance
Aesthetics and politics are powerfully entwined in the 50-year career of the South African artist
What happened to the "Salvator Mundi"?
The recently rediscovered painting made headlines in 2017 when it fetched $450m at auction. Then it vanished again


text:
The Three Peaks Yacht Race
Barmouth to Fort William
Sail up the wild West Coast and run to the summits of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the highest peaks of Wales, England & Scotland. A classic adventure race for teams of runners and sailors, since 1977.
Three Peaks Yacht Race Videos
The race makes compelling viewing and has featured on TV in the U.K and internationally many times. Most of the footage is shot by adventure film specialists Dream Team T.V. who have a close association with the race.
We've gathered some of the TV coverage and dozens of videos together on our YouTube channel and you can see the race promotional videos here.
Registered in Wales No: 3722800


Total Population 1881 to 1911: Population grew from 624 in 1881 to 3,574 in 1911.
F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
SHROPSHIRE Ancient County 1844 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
WORCESTERSHIRE Ancient County F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
STOURBRIDGE PLU/RegD Poor Law Union/Reg. District F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
BRIMSTREE Hundred Ancient District 1844 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
HALESOWEN RD Local Government District 1919 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
HALFSHIRE Hundred Ancient District F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
STOURBRIDGE RSD Sanitary District F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
HALESOWEN CP/Tn/AP Parish-level Unit F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Northern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1991), p. 474.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Cakemore Tn/CP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit, A Vision of Britain through Time.


This year we recognize the 150th anniversary of Canada's confederation. For some it is a time for celebration; yet it is also a time to reflect on a history marked by achievements and discoveries as well as colonization and conflict.
This exhibition presents over 120 works of art that act as markers for important moments in Canada's history. Not depictions or documents of specific people or events, the works show how artists interpret and represent the world and how their ideas and images can hold meaning in new contexts. The exhibition is not a complete or comprehensive visual history of Canada—it is an accumulation of stories and associations between works of art and moments in Canadian history.
Visitors are welcome to participate and contribute their own stories.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta; curated by Catherine Crowston. Presented by Capital Powered Art, an exhibition series sponsored by Capital Power Corporation.
Thanks to Onlea, The Family Centre, and the students from EDAC for their support in developing interactive interpretive stations throughout the exhibition space. We would also like to acknowledge the community members leading the tour series. Their donations and gifts-in-kind were instrumental in enriching the dialogue of this exhibition.
This initiative is made possible by the Community Fund for Canada's 150th, a collaboration between the Edmonton Community Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.
Cette initiative est rendue possible grâce au Fonds communautaire pour le 150e anniversaire du Canada, qui est une collaboration entre la Fondation Communautaire d'Edmonton, les fondations communautaires canadiennes, le gouvernement du Canada et des leaders extraordinaires de l'Atlantique au Pacifique à l'Arctique.
During summer 2017 we held evening tours on Tuesday at 6pm of Past Imperfect: A Canadian History Project led by Edmonton community members.


text:
Home Caribbean St Kitts and Nevis Govt of St Kitts and Nevis, Cuba signs collaboration agreement to enhance...
Govt of St Kitts and Nevis, Cuba signs collaboration agreement to enhance health sector
The government of St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Cuba, has signed a Cuban medical collaboration agreement on March 22, 2022 (Tuesday).
St Kitts and Nevis: The government of St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Cuba, has signed a Cuban medical collaboration agreement on March 22, 2022 (Tuesday).
The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has also shared great and mutual partnerships with the Government and people of the Republic of Cuba. The agreement was signed because of the strong health bond maintained between the two countries since 1996.
The collaboration agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministries of Health of Cuba and Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ambassador David Rivero Pérez and the local Permanent Secretary, Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris, respectively.
"On behalf of the Health Ministeries of Cuba and Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ambassador David Rivero Pérez and the local Permanent Secretary, Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris, respectively, today signed a new health cooperation agreement, which will continue the Cuban medical collaboration in the Federation," the government of St Kitts and Nevis informed.
The governments of both countries have optimised that to build international collaboration. The Cuban government will offer and allow the gradual increase of co-operators in both Federations – St Kitts and Nevis.
The government notified, "Cuba and Saint Kitts and Nevis maintain a close bond in the health sector dating back to 1996. The new agreement corresponds to the current characteristics of the international collaboration that Cuba offers and will allow the gradual increase of co-operators in both St Kitts and Nevis."
As per the preliminary information by the Government of St Kitts and Nevis, for now, the Cuban Medical Brigade composes of twelve professionals who work in different specialities at different hospitals, including the General Hospital of Basseterre, Joseph N France and the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis.
On behalf of Prime Minister Harris, Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis – Vance Amory stated that the bilateral ties between the two countries were declared at the seventh CARICOM-Cuba Summit held via video conference on December 08, 2020.
Government of St Kitts and Nevis
Nevis news
PM Harris
St Kitts News
Timothy Harris
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text:
Stevens Bikes ist ein deutscher Fahrradhersteller mit Sitz in Hamburg. Die Produktpalette umfasst Rennräder, Cyclocrossräder, Trekkingräder, Tourenräder, Mountainbikes, Pedelecs und E-Bikes sowie Kinderräder.

Geschichte und Produkte
1994 wurde das Unternehmen als Stevens Vertriebs GmbH von Werner und Wolfgang von Hacht, zwei ehemaligen Straßenrennfahrern, in Hamburg gegründet. Die Marke "STEVENS Bikes" besteht seit 1991. Beide führten bereits zuvor einen Fahrradhandel im Hamburger Stadtteil Eppendorf. 1999 kauften sie ein Firmengelände im Hamburger Stadtteil Billstedt, das den Hauptsitz der Stevens Vertriebs GmbH darstellt. Dort befinden sich zudem der Vertrieb, das Marketing und die Entwicklung des Unternehmens, das an seinem Heimatstandort rund 60 Mitarbeiter beschäftigt. Am 1. August 2016 hat Fred Schierenbeck die Geschäftsführung von Werner von Hacht übernommen und führt die Geschäfte seitdem gemeinsam mit Wolfgang von Hacht fort. Werner von Hacht verbleibt beim Unternehmen als Gründer und Gesellschafter.
Weitere Mitarbeiter sind im Auslandsbüro in Asien tätig, wo sie sich um den Einkauf verschiedener Komponenten sowie deren Qualitätssicherung kümmern.

Zur Produktpalette der Stevens Bikes gehören Rennräder, Trekkingräder sowie Crossräder, Stadträder und Mountainbikes. Neben den Stevens Bikes hat das Unternehmen die Eigenmarke Oxygen entwickelt, die verschiedene Rahmenanbauteile umfasst, beispielsweise Vorbauten, Lenker, Sattelstützen und Sättel. International wird die Marke Stevens Bikes in zahlreiche Länder vertrieben, darunter die Schweiz, die Niederlande, Österreich, Frankreich, Belgien, Luxemburg, Tschechien, Dänemark, Spanien, Polen oder Slowenien.

Der Vertrieb der Räder läuft in Deutschland und Österreich ausschließlich über den Fachhandel. Stevens Bikes wurde von 2010 bis 2014 vier Mal von Fahrradhändlern in der Fachzeitschrift SAZ-Bike zur attraktivsten Marke Deutschlands gewählt. In der Leserbefragung der TrekkingBIKE aus dem Delius Klasing Verlag erlangte die Marke sechs Mal in Folge den Spitzenplatz bei "Besitz" und bei "Kaufabsicht".

Produktion
Rahmen und Komponenten werden durch OEM-Zulieferer in Asien gefertigt. Der Großteil der Montage der Räder findet in Deutschland statt. Günstigere Fahrradmodelle von Stevens werden in Südostasien auch montiert. In den Niederlassungen innerhalb der EU sind rund 100 Mitarbeiter angestellt. 2019 übernahm Stevens den Montagebetrieb Zweirad Paulsen aus Bramsche mit etwa 50 Mitarbeitern.

Sport-Sponsoring
Das Unternehmen ist Materialsponsor verschiedener Radsport-Teams. Dazu gehörten in der Saison 2016 im Cyclocross die Teams Beobank-Corendon (2015 mit Cross-Weltmeister Mathieu van der Poel), ERA-Circus, Enertherm-BKCP mit der Weltmeisterin (2017) Sanne Cant und U19-Welt- und Europameister Jens Dekker, sowie das eigene Werksteam Stevens Racing Team.
Im Straßenrennsport fährt das Continental-Team Team Vorarlberg auf Stevens Xenon. In der Rad-Bundesliga startet das Frauen-Radteam maxx-solar Cycling auf Stevens Bikes. Bei Mountainbike-Rennen starten der Dänische Meister im MTB-Marathon Sören Nissen oder das STEVENS MTB Racing Team. Dazu stattet Stevens zahlreiche Triathleten aus, darunter Ricarda Lisk oder Jonas Schomburg. Des Weiteren stattet Stevens Bikes gemeinsam mit seinen Fachhändlern zahlreiche weitere Athleten aus. Die Stevens Vertriebs GmbH ist Hauptsponsor des Stevens Cyclocross-Cups, einer regionalen Querfeldein-Rennserie in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein und Niedersachsen.

Weblinks

 Offizielle Homepage

Einzelnachweise

Produzierendes Unternehmen (Hamburg)
Deutscher Fahrradhersteller
Gegründet 1994