See below links for the January Training Programme.
Academic Lessons - we're back into lessons season and hope to get all cadets through their next classifications by mid-late April.
Sunday 24 January - OPEN MORNING - Bring a Friend to Cadets. We are hosting an open morning for interested new recruits to come and have a go at some of the activities we offer with the Air Cadets. The new intake will then start early Feb.
Air Experience Flying - we have 7 places on Sat 30 Jan. Cadets must be 13y3m to apply for a place. Priority will go to those who have not flown before however we do have several slots throughout the year (including some weekday spaces during the holidays) so more opportunities coming up.
January is a pretty solid month of getting back into routine of parades and getting a chunk of the academic lessons completed before the weather improves and other activities are scheduled.
Please note we have extended the Sunday Parades to start at 0930hrs (usual finish of 1230hrs) this is to allow for an extra drill practice for everyone in the lead up to the Wing Competition in April. We will review this again in a few months.


Well, mom is a fighter, this is a perplexing time in her life and our family's. I would of told you a month ago, mom had less then a week to live. But in the last week or so she has improved. She is out of bed and in her wheelchair for an hour a day.
I marvel at this woman. The emotions that our family goes through is like taking an "E" ticket ride on a twister. We try to prepare for "THAT" moment. Life is not a linear path, I guess Death isn't either.


The light was always there?
Why was the canvas primed?
Maybe, I don't know her enough, to tell you that she lives like a nymph, one of those magical elemental creatures.
Somewhere rooted in the essence of air that she can sense in the ground as she looks at the moving river. The leaves would fall on her and she would let them stay in her hair if she is alone.
When she is alone, she is surely the nymph. But, we can't be alone for long. Nymphs are born and they stay with the element and the element never really stay.
Frozen or Forgotten, the magic that once filled the rush of those rivers. The fire flooded and the river ran to the plains. The child of the fire and river went along the turmoils and landed in the Delhi rain.
The river stay in the plains, it revives in the rain. But, the baby Nymph has remained, like an unknown power. I have seen her, I have been with her, I have seen her interact with nature. She is calm and I Have seen her with people, A little lost in her pure essence with them or when forced by the nerves forgotten of her real self. It has been an year ever since my suspects of her reality to be transcended into something super natural.
Last year, I called her a subconscious superhero, for she would understand the frailties better than the broken pieces. This year, it seems, the nymph is all I can call her. She is no hero of the realms rather the child of faith and spirit.
One very fine day, I had witnessed her tears as that of a child without hate or pain known to me, but to my soul. I have heard her heart say it to me, in lines that are pure music to the realm I reside in, the beating was that of the sun flares and the blood rush was the river. She is the river from the sun, sustained by Shiva and Kept with Brahma.
I was in love this character, she would adhere her smile with the sense of the nature that would surround her, little did I know that she was just a frame of what I truly admire in creation.
For a human being, everything tends to sustain, as if the occurrences are vibrations that find stability on the heart and it beats. But when you fall in love, none of this really makes you feel your incompleteness.
For every child born is this little note of music which meets every creation that is made for him or her to recount and recollect his song. All of us share that song and to that song, I am closer. Because I told you, her heart is like music.
She won't tell you and probably she herself seldom realize that her eyes are Aleph. Her presence is that of a mountain reaching the skies for peace so that she can sing her song. I have been lucky enough to climb to her reality.
Probably after a very long while, I am writing this blog, and there is a reason to it, its her birthday and her energy always makes me feel complete. She allows me to be the best of me, this Hermit who wants to be in the mountains, sailing the flute of her real desires.
Everyone, including her have the opinion that I am wrong, and I proclaim, I may not know enough, but what I know so far, is that she is the sustenance of consciousness and she told me that no body is different. And that makes it easier for me to live and say that she is a Nymph.
I face this sheet again, after tussling with thoughts for endless times, here I am. Thoughts didn't disappear, only my writing did. Caught up somewhere between my ways and yours, trivial. Why do I even write this, camouflaging it just enough, nothing to decipher, nothing to not understand, easy. Splitting within the self, part to unleash the caged uproar, the other to bury the beast.
I face this sheet again, after tussling with words for endless times, here I am. The words didn't disappear, only my writing did. Forces, imperishable run far and wide, trivial. The ones inside are untamed within the boundaries, pernicious.
I face this sheet again, this time pulling it out because tonight, the thoughts and the words and my writing is all I need. I write just enough to free the beast but the roars were unheard.
My sight cannot find humans on the mountain, there are other creatures with amazing natural composition. All of them have radiations, almost complementary to the temperature of the altitude.
This is supposed to be a glitch. I think I found what is known to be the Maltese Tiger. It is wondrous to find this creature but a factual fallacy. Apparently, the human database never had a strict evidence of the creature. It is really not in accord.
I have started to understand that humans themselves don't know their planet. The tiger is blue in colour and the stance of black is very appealing. The creator must be highly precise to put each stroke of dark colour on the light blue skin.
I moved forwards and the creature reacted by stretching his forelegs. Primal tendencies were identified, fear. The primal reaction was an offence in the form of defence. The philosophical input in my data said I should stay still. So I did not move.
The creature came closer and rubbed a soft tissue on my metallic leg. Now I have an error, this is recorded as affection. But this is not its primal nature. Dichotomy or development.
The best I have read.
While I chased meaning in every breath.
A broken verse once dreamt by the death.
Or drifting away in the endless space of fate.
Or chasing death under skies that weeps instrumental rain.
And a song without resonances of rhyme.
poured into God's jar of wine.
Dunkelheit Book Review: To Dream And Discover.


text:
Hans Bernlöhr (18 July 1907 – 25 June 1991) was a German boxer. He competed in the men's middleweight event at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

References

1907 births
1991 deaths
German male boxers
Olympic boxers of Germany
Boxers at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Sportspeople from Stuttgart
Middleweight boxers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The apartment is c. 50 sqm / 540 sqft large, it includes space for up to three guests (one double bed and one single bed), however a double sofa-bed in the living room is also available for two additional guests. The apartment features a large bedroom and living room/kitchen, plus the bathroom. The apartment is on raised ground floor and is equipped with double-glazed windows for an optimal soundproofing.
– The use of the sofa-bed is upon request and subject to confirmation .


text:
Q: Cross platform desktop development with HTML5 GUI Short story: is there a way to write a desktop application with a GUI in HTML5 and core in a cross-platform language like python (or even C#/Mono)?
Longer story: I'm a C# developer, for small personal projects I seldom do, running both under Windows and OSX, I use C# (Mono) with a frontend leveraging on Eto.Forms
I'd like to understand if there's a mature way to achieve the same results using an HTML5 GUI, since I'd like to learn that and believe it could be a good option for near-future Windows desktop UIs (or otherwise a nice tool to have in my skillset). Of course if the code running behind the scenes is C# I'll be more than happy, but also getting my feet wet in another, maybe more cross-platform like python would be good.
At this stage I'm not interested in any mobile-oriented solution.

A: Electron (formerly Atom shell) has really matured as of late. In fact it's what VSCode is built on.

There's a great tutorial and starter code on using Angular 2 and Typescript, and you can even use VSCode to write and build it.
For me this is the best way to transition from the WPF world to HTML5.

A: the NW.js look pretty promising... you might even be able to use TypeScript which would be much closer to C# than plain ol' js. If you're open to using PHP, you can check out the nightrain project https://github.com/naetech/nightrain.

A: Give http://www.tidesdk.org/ a try.
Your app will run on Windows 8, MacOS and Linux. You can use HTML5, Javascript and CSS3.
But you can also extend the functionality of your app with a scripting language you are comfortable with. TideSDK currently supports Python, PHP, and Ruby.

A: I have recently worked with Chromium Embedded Framework, basically a browser component for WPF an WinForms. It works very well and provides kind of a two-way interoperability from website to .NET-app and vice versa. Basically, you:

*

*Create a WPF desktop app

*Include CEFSharp and place a full-screen browser on the window

*Call methods in JavaScript:

// .NET
var mainFrame = browser.GetMainFrame();
mainFrame.ExecuteJavaScriptAsync("any js code");

*Bind a .NET-object

// .NET
browser.RegisterJsObject("boundObject", this);

*Call methods on a bound .NET-object from the website/JS:

// JS
boundObject.someMethod();

On this basis you could build a mediation layer (ViewModels, controllers, ...) between HTML/JS-UI and .NET logic...

A: I wrote an APP with http://kivy.org/ it is capable to create apps for different systems.
Qt node https://github.com/arturadib/node-qt seems also interesting, but i did not test it myself.
And last https://chrome.google.com/webstore/launcher
You can create web apps for chrome, which should run in supported systems.
Kivy is a Python solution. Qt node is maybe what you are looking for.
Here are some nice tutorials for kivy:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQVvvaa0QuDe_l6XiJ40yGTEqIKugAdTy

A: NW.js
But it's Javascript (node), not python nor C#.

A: A very interesting project I think is Chromium Embedded Framework. You basically embed a (stripped down) web browser in your application. For python, many GUI Toolkits are supported. Check this for more information.
Since you are used to C#, maybe Java with JavaFX and FXML is an option. FXML is not HTML but you can style it with CSS as well. You can also use Scene Builder with it for faster UI creation. Many JVM languages support this toolkit so Jython instead of Java will also work. I will recommend Java however, because the support for other languages, while there, is not perfect yet.
Using C# and the Windows App Store WebView is also an option. You can check MSDN for more information.
I am sure there are other options (Kivy, Node.js, etc.) as well. Some of them are already mentioned in this thread.

A: I would recommend Node-Webkit which is based on nodejs.You can still use some python scripts to do some backend job integrated with Node-Webkit which is easy to deal with.I've already saw some successful applications using this(like wunderlist).TideSDK is another choice but the python support in TideSDK is not mature enough.The Node-Webkit project hosted at
https://github.com/nwjs/nw.js/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home » Who We Are
KGTC is a member-based, not-for-profit athletic facility that inspires enthusiasm for and lifelong involvement in gymnastics | trampoline by providing positive and diverse programming. With an exemplary record of over 37 years of service to the athletic community, KGTC is a proud recipient of the 2012 Ed Brougham Club of the Year Award by Gymnastics Canada. KGTC is a well-equipped 15,000 square foot facility and is part of a multi-sport Tournament Capital Centre that neighbours Thompson Rivers University (TRU).
KGTC – Kamloops Gymnastics | Trampoline Centre was established in 1979 as a registered not-for-profit society (c. # S-0015074) and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The society currently has an office and a coach team of approximately 35 people. The administration of the society recommends fee and policy implementation and changes to the Board of Directors for amendments, development and approval in a timely manner or on an annual basis.
The members of the society are the parents of the children registered in all of our gymnastics | trampoline programs (regular members) and anyone who is of service to the society and that the board of directors votes to include as an honorary member. Each September, at the Annual General Meeting, the members elect the Board of Directors and Executive Officers of the society from among the regular and honorary membership.
Because KGTC is a not-for-profit society, we rely heavily on the support of our membership. To keep our fees as low as we can, we ask our members to volunteer their time within various aspects of the club, and we ask our members to complete certain requirements. Please see the Family Participation Program (FPP) located in Gymnast Membership/Documents.
The purposes of KGTC are:
To provide quality gymnastics, sport and physical development programs that enhances participants' mental and physical development and self-confidence.
To ensure that gymnastics is available to a maximum number of children in the area and not just to those of high skill.
To encourage long-term participation and involvement in KGTC program opportunities.
VISION – KGTC Envisions a Future Where:
People from all walks of life will have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy gymnastics | trampoline and related activities in a program that encourages learning; values each individual; and supports the achievement of personal goals in a safe and healthy environment.
All members will understand their role in the club, will be engaged as volunteers, enjoy a sense of community, contribute to the overall well-being of the club, understand the communication of protocols, honour the history of the club and its alumni, and feel a sense of belonging and loyalty.
The board of directors will attend to the overall direction of the club, establish and maintain the policies of the organization, and provide a long-term framework and succession plan to ensure that passionate, professional people are the leaders of the club's activities and mission.
The club is located in the Tournament Capital Centre and is its own entity that will work in a supportive partnership with other leaseholders and stakeholders in the facility while operating satellite programs serving a multitude of constituents of Kamloops and surrounding communities.
KGTC will foster the physical, mental and emotional development of its Athletes to achieve personal excellence inclusive of all abilities and goals, in the disciplines of Gymnastics | Trampoline.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Mockingjay Expected to Lead Thanksgiving Weekend Box Office
By Victor Luckerson
November 28, 2015 3:29 PM EST
A number of films are finding success over the long holiday weekend, with the Hunger Games sequel leading the pack.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 pulled in $21.25 million on Black Friday, earning $167.9 million since its release. The film is expected to generate $73 million to $75 million for the full five-day Thanksgiving weekend, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Following up Mockingjay is Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. The animated feature made $15.7 million on Friday and is projected to earn $55 million over its first five days. The total will put the film at a significantly slower pace than Pixar's last film, Inside Out, which earned $90 million in its first weekend.
In third place was the Rocky spinoff Creed, which made $11.7 million Friday and is expected to generate $40 million over five days. Both Creed and The Good Dinosaur received "A" Cinemascore ratings from viewers, indicating that they could continue to generate large ticket sales through positive word-of-mouth.
[Los Angeles Times]
Gods of Egypt Director and Studio Apologize for Film's Lack of Diversity


text:
Video: Watch Dominique Ansel Build a Towering Mille-Feuille
...and teach us how to pronounce it
We've overheard meel-fool, mill-AY-fool-AY and even the phonetic aberration mooly-falooly: It seems every non-French speaker has a unique spin on the name of this classic French pastry. Mille-feuille (correctly pronounced meel-foy) translates directly to "a thousand leaves," referring to its many-layered sheets of pastry.
We visited Dominique Ansel Kitchen in New York's West Village to see Ansel, the pastry master himself, in action. A traditional mille-feuille is comprised of alternating layers of puff pastry and pastry cream, but leave Ansel (the ever-inventive father of the cronut) to take it to the next level. He swaps out a traditional puff for inverse puff pastry, where the butter actually envelops the dough instead of the other way around. He also uses diplomat cream, an airy, light custard that's a blend of pastry cream and whipped cream. And he always builds them to order so the pastry is still perfectly crisp when it's served.
Usually, there are three layers of pastry and two layers of cream, but we challenged Dominique on our visit to his kitchen to see just how high his mille-feuille could reach. The multi-storied skyscraper may have been a tall order, but this leaning tower of pastry is a lesson to us all: If at first your mille-feuille folds, try, try again.


In June, the altcoin market managed to set a historic record, after a long race, which began back in April. The mark of the total market capitalization reached $72,830,700,000.
In July, the same trend reversed and, despite the uncertainty about the Bitcoin future, in a matter of days the total capitalization of the market fell to $30.79 mln.
After the news about SegWit deployment, the price started to recover, but it could not overcome the $50 mln point.
Over the two summer months, the infrastructure of the market has changed drastically for several times.
In mid-June, Bitcoin and Ethereum reached almost the same share - 39.5 percent and 33.4 percent, respectively.
However, at the end of June, with the majority of network participants started to signal about the SegWit adoption, the infrastructure again shifted towards Bitcoin, whose share become slightly over 52 percent.
Ripple, Dash, Litecoin, NEM, with the specific gravity of 6.9 percent, 1.7 percent, 2.37 percent and 1.66 percent respectively, remain the most popular currencies, after Ethereum, whose share in total capitalization decreased to 19.7 percent.
The total Bitcoin capitalization fell by $6.5 mln, from $95.7 mln to $89.2 mln, while the share of the first cryptocurrency, in the total market capitalization increased from 42.7 percent to 50.97 percent.
The total drop on the crypto market was due to a significant capital outflow from the altcoin market. In total, the market lost about $15.7 mln.
At the same time, the leaders, ETH, LTC, XRP, DASH, NEM, account for slightly more than 70 percent of the total capitalization of all altcoins, having the greatest impact on changes in the total value of the market.
The most popular crypto asset was Ethereum, accounting for 44 percent of the market value of altcoin, and is its main engine. During the summer, there were a lot of ICOs held, accepting investments in ETH. Such popularity influenced the rate: active growth to the historical maximum just before the start of the ICOs and the price drop right after.
Despite the fact that graphically the market looks weak, there is some positive news, like Winklevoss Stock Exchange of digital assets launching daily closing auctions for Ethereum, or S7 Airlines implementing a Blockchain-based ticket program.
Ripple is the second altcoin in capitalization, i.e has 14 percent of the market value.
Since the middle of May, it's had downtrend and does not have any upcoming events, that might influence purchases. By mid-July, the Bank of England tested the possibility of cross-border payments, using Ripple technology. After that an attempt was made to recover in price. But due to the lack of sufficient demand level, the price went down.
In addition to the British monetary regulator, this technology is actively explored by other banks, including Santander, Royal Bank of Canada and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, who are striving to make cross-border payments faster and cheaper.
The total Litecoin capitalization share is five percent.
Graphically, XRP looked strong from May and has been in a growing trend. The change of mood on the whole market is related to Bitcoin news. The decrease in volumes and the update of monthly lows indicate that the asset is not ready to buy at the current price.
One of the largest mining pools in the Bitcoin ecosystem of BTCC launches the production of Litecoin.
New York City kindergartens started accepting Litecoin.
NEM is the fourth largest capitalization of crypto currency with 3.33 percent.
After fixing a new price high in May this year, the price began a two-month pullback, which seems like an ordinary distribution after a sharp take-off.
Today, the price is at the support level, where the balance between demand and supply has been established. Replenishment of forces of any of the parties will determine the further movement of the asset. It's better to buy after leaving the "lack of demand" zone or wait for a refusal to the previous support zone.
The fifth most popular cryptocurrency forms three percent of the market value.
Since April, the price is in a fairly narrow price range, that indicates unwillingness of sellers to lower the price and, at the same time, that there is not enough demand in the market to exit this ranges.
In July, attempts were made to get the price up, but despite the SegWit news, the movement stopped and the price fell under resistance again. If the price does not go lower, there will be an entrance for purchase.
By the end of July, in spite of the Bitcoin network update, most altcoins price stopped their movement. The further price direction depends on the fork aftermath.
In order to minimize risks and preserve own capital, it is not recommended to conduct Blockchain transactions until the conversion is complete.


text:
require 'rails_helper'
module Light
RSpec.describe Newsletter, :type => :model do
  before(:each) do
    @newsletter = FactoryGirl.create(:newsletter)
  end

  it "validates presence of content" do
    expect(@newsletter.content).to be_present
  end

  it "validates presence of sent date" do
    expect(@newsletter.sent_on).to be_present
  end

  it "validates presence of user count" do
    expect(@newsletter.users_count).to be_present
  end
  let!(:fake_newsletter_with_users){FactoryGirl.create(:newsletter_with_users)}
  it "validates counter cache" do
    expect { fake_newsletter_with_users.users.last.destroy}.to change{fake_newsletter_with_users.users_count}.by(-1)
  end
end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Welcome to Atlanta Public Schools and Ralph J. Bunche Middle School we are excited to be Counselors' in Atlanta Public Schools. Parents and students new and returning back to APS, we are working to provide counseling services for you and your child(ren), getting them acquainted to the school year and our roles are as counselors. We will be meeting with all of the new students to make sure they have a smooth transition this school year. We look forward to the many programs this year that will further complement the great job the teachers and counselors are already doing, to prepare your children to become college and career ready as 21st century global competitive learners in today's society.
The Bunche Counselors will empower a school culture to ensure collaboration with parents, community and stakeholders emphasizing that students will graduate ready for college and career as 21st century globally competitive citizens.
Counselors' Contact Info and Office Hours: 8:30am.-4:45pm.


This ring was made from a hand polished piece of a green basket that traveled through the ocean and recycled sterling silver. The oval gem is bezel set in recycled fine silver, measuring 1/2" x 1/4" and soldered to a recycled sterling silver band. The back of the setting is hand stamped with my makers mark.


text:
Toulouges  est une commune française située dans l'est du département des Pyrénées-Orientales, en région Occitanie. Sur le plan historique et culturel, la commune est dans le Roussillon, une ancienne province du royaume de France, qui a existé de 1659 jusqu'en 1790 et qui recouvrait les trois vigueries du Roussillon, du Conflent et de Cerdagne.

Exposée à un climat méditerranéen, elle est drainée par la Basse, Agouille d'en Biagnes et par un autre cours d'eau.

Toulouges est une commune urbaine qui compte  en , après avoir connu une forte hausse de la population depuis 1962. Elle est dans l'agglomération de Perpignan et fait partie de l'aire d'attraction de Perpignan. Ses habitants sont appelés les Toulougiens ou  Toulougiennes.

Géographie

Localisation

La commune de Toulouges se trouve dans le département des Pyrénées-Orientales, en région Occitanie.

Elle se situe à  à vol d'oiseau de Perpignan, préfecture du département
La commune fait en outre partie du bassin de vie de Perpignan.

Les communes les plus proches sont :
Canohès (), Baho (), Le Soler (), Villeneuve-la-Rivière (), Pollestres (), Saint-Estève (), Ponteilla (), Pézilla-la-Rivière ().

Sur le plan historique et culturel, Toulouges fait partie de l'ancienne province du royaume de France, le Roussillon, qui a existé de 1659 jusqu'à la création du département des Pyrénées-Orientales en 1790 et qui recouvrait les trois vigueries du Roussillon, du Conflent et de Cerdagne.

Hydrographie
 La rivière La Basse, affluent de la Têt qui se jette à Perpignan,

Milieux naturels et biodiversité
Aucun espace naturel présentant un intérêt patrimonial n'est recensé sur la commune dans l'inventaire national du patrimoine naturel.

Urbanisme

Typologie
Toulouges est une commune urbaine, car elle fait partie des communes denses ou de densité intermédiaire, au sens de la grille communale de densité de l'Insee.
Elle appartient à l'unité urbaine de Perpignan, une agglomération intra-départementale regroupant  et  en 2017, dont elle est une commune de la banlieue.

Par ailleurs la commune fait partie de l'aire d'attraction de Perpignan dont elle est une commune de la couronne. Cette aire, qui regroupe , est catégorisée dans les aires de  à moins de .

Occupation des sols

L'occupation des sols de la commune, telle qu'elle ressort de la base de données européenne d'occupation biophysique des sols Corine Land Cover (CLC), est marquée par l'importance des territoires agricoles (64,1 % en 2018), néanmoins en diminution par rapport à 1990 (78,9 %). La répartition détaillée en 2018 est la suivante :
zones agricoles hétérogènes (44,2 %), zones urbanisées (24,5 %), cultures permanentes (19,9 %), zones industrielles ou commerciales et réseaux de communication (11,5 %).

L'IGN met par ailleurs à disposition un outil en ligne permettant de comparer l'évolution dans le temps de l'occupation des sols de la commune (ou de territoires à des échelles différentes). Plusieurs époques sont accessibles sous forme de cartes ou photos aériennes : la carte de Cassini (), la carte d'état-major (1820-1866) et la période actuelle (1950 à aujourd'hui).

Logement
En 2013, le nombre total de logements dans la commune était de .

Parmi ces logements, 91,2 % étaient des résidences principales, 1,4 % des résidences secondaires et 7,4 % des logements vacants.

La part des ménages propriétaires de leur résidence principale s'élevait à 63,5 %.

Voies de communication et transports
La ligne 12 du réseau urbain Sankéo relie la commune au centre de Perpignan et au-delà à Torreilles depuis Canohès.

Une piste cyclable longe Toulouges et permet un accès direct à la métropole, cette piste cyclable de 15,7 km traverse plusieurs villages périurbain, comme Canohès, Ponteilla, Llupia, jusqu'à Thuir. Offrant une agréable vue sur le Canigou et les champs viticoles de la plaine. Cette voie verte dispose d'un sol lisse en béton, construite sur une ancienne voie ferrée.

Risques majeurs
Le territoire de la commune de Toulouges est vulnérable à différents aléas naturels : inondations, climatiques (grand froid ou canicule), mouvements de terrains et séisme (sismicité modérée). Il est également exposé à un risque technologique,  le transport de matières dangereuses, et à un risque particulier, le risque radon.

Risques naturels
Certaines parties du territoire communal sont susceptibles d'être affectées par le risque d'inondation par crue torrentielle de cours d'eau du bassin de la Têt. La commune fait partie du territoire à risques importants d'inondation (TRI) de Perpignan-Saint-Cyprien, regroupant  du bassin de vie de l'agglomération perpignanaise, un des  qui ont été arrêtés le  sur le bassin Rhône-Méditerranée. Des cartes des surfaces inondables ont été établies pour trois scénarios : fréquent (crue de temps de retour de  à ), moyen (temps de retour de  à ) et extrême (temps de retour de l'ordre de , qui met en défaut tout système de protection).

Les mouvements de terrains susceptibles de se produire sur la commune sont liés au retrait-gonflement des argiles. Une cartographie nationale de l'aléa retrait-gonflement des argiles permet de connaître les sols argileux ou marneux susceptibles vis-à-vis de ce phénomène.

Risques technologiques

Le risque de transport de matières dangereuses sur la commune est lié à sa traversée par une infrastructure ferroviaire. Un accident se produisant sur de telles infrastructures est en effet susceptible d'avoir des effets graves au bâti ou aux personnes jusqu'à , selon la nature du matériau transporté. Des dispositions d'urbanisme peuvent être préconisées en conséquence.

Risque particulier
Dans plusieurs parties du territoire national, le radon, accumulé dans certains logements ou autres locaux, peut constituer une source significative d'exposition de la population aux rayonnements ionisants. Toutes les communes du département sont concernées par le risque radon à un niveau plus ou moins élevé. Selon la classification de 2018, la commune de Toulouges est classée en zone 2, à savoir zone à potentiel radon faible mais sur lesquelles des facteurs géologiques particuliers peuvent faciliter le transfert du radon vers les bâtiments.

Toponymie
Le nom de la localité est mentionné en 908, en même temps que celui de son église, sous la forme Tulogias en 908, puis Tologis en 937, Tulujes en 1027, Tuluges en 1030, Toluges en 1119.

L'hypothèse la plus simple considère qu'il s'agit d'un nom de domaine basé sur le nom du propriétaire, par exemple le domaine de Tulludius ou encore celui de Taluppius.

En catalan, le nom de la commune est .

Histoire
La plaine de Toulouges a été le lieu d'une série de conciles, dits « conciles de paix », car ils prenaient place dans le mouvement de la Paix de Dieu. Ces conciles sont également désignés comme « conciles d'Elne / Toulouges » ou tout simplement « conciles d'Elne », car ils dépendaient de l'évêché d'Elne. Le premier de ces conciles a été réuni par l'archevêque de Narbonne Guifred de Cerdagne en 1027 et c'est le premier à évoquer le concept de Trêve de Dieu, qui complète celui de Paix de Dieu. Des conciles se sont par la suite tenus dans la plaine de Toulouges en  et en 1065.

Politique et administration

Tendances politiques et résultats

Liste des maires

Population et société

Démographie ancienne
La population est exprimée en nombre de feux (f) ou d'habitants (H).

Démographie contemporaine

Enseignement
 Collège François Mitterrand

Manifestations culturelles et festivités
 Fête patronale :  ;
 Fête communale : .

Sports
La ville de Toulouges a pour installations sportives 2 stades (Stade de Clairfont) et 2 salles polyvalentes dont le Naturopôle, la salle de basket-ball.
Clubs :

 École treiziste catalane (ETC). Club de rugby à XIII connu pour former les meilleurs joueurs du département.
 Union sportive athlétique toulougienne. Club omnisports comprenant un club de basket-ball (USA Toulouges), un club de tennis (USATTennis), un club de judo (USAT judo) et anciennement un club de rugby à XV féminin
 Rugby club des Aspres. Club de rugby à XV de Toulouges, Canohès, Pollestres, Ponteilla, ne comprenant que des sections jeunes.
 Canohès Toulouges Tennis de Table (CTTT). Club de tennis de table de Toulouges et Canohès.
 La Plume toulougienne. Club de badminton
 RFCT Club de football (Roussillon Football Canohès Toulouges)
 Club pétanque toulougienne championne de France  division par équipes de club en 2011.

Économie

Revenus
En 2018, la commune compte  fiscaux, regroupant . La médiane du revenu disponible par unité de consommation est de  ( dans le département). 49 % des ménages fiscaux sont imposés (42,1 % dans le département).

Emploi

En 2018, la population âgée de  s'élève à , parmi lesquelles on compte 77,1 % d'actifs (65,4 % ayant un emploi et 11,7 % de chômeurs) et 22,9 % d'inactifs. Depuis 2008, le taux de chômage communal (au sens du recensement) des  est inférieur à celui du département, mais supérieur à celui de la France.

La commune fait partie de la couronne de l'aire d'attraction de Perpignan, du fait qu'au moins 15 % des actifs travaillent dans le pôle. Elle compte  en 2018, contre  en 2013 et  en 2008. Le nombre d'actifs ayant un emploi résidant dans la commune est de , soit un indicateur de concentration d'emploi de 71,1 % et un taux d'activité parmi les 15 ans ou plus de 57,6 %.

Sur ces  actifs de 15 ans ou plus ayant un emploi, 595 travaillent dans la commune, soit 21 % des habitants. Pour se rendre au travail, 87,1 % des habitants utilisent un véhicule personnel ou de fonction à quatre roues, 2,2 % les transports en commun, 7,4 % s'y rendent en deux-roues, à vélo ou à pied et 3,3 % n'ont pas besoin de transport (travail au domicile).

Activités hors agriculture

Secteurs d'activités
651 établissements sont implantés  à Toulouges au . Le tableau ci-dessous en détaille le nombre par secteur d'activité et compare les ratios avec ceux du département.

Le secteur du commerce de gros et de détail, des transports, de l'hébergement et de la restauration est prépondérant sur la commune puisqu'il représente 20,4 % du nombre total d'établissements de la commune (133 sur les 651 entreprises implantées  à Toulouges), contre 30,5 % au niveau départemental.

Entreprises et commerces
Les cinq entreprises ayant leur siège social sur le territoire communal qui génèrent le plus de chiffre d'affaires en 2020 sont :
 Brasserie Milles, commerce de gros (commerce interentreprises) de boissons ()
 Anteus Fruits, commerce de gros (commerce interentreprises) de fruits et légumes ()
 Guy Barboteu Restauration SARL, restauration collective sous contrat ()
 Roussillon Achat Service - Ras, commerce de gros (commerce interentreprises) de fruits et légumes ()
 Blinker France, commerce de gros (commerce interentreprises) de quincaillerie ()

Agriculture
La commune est dans la « plaine du Roussilon », une petite région agricole occupant la bande cotière et une grande partie centrale du département des Pyrénées-Orientales. En 2020, l'orientation technico-économique de l'agriculture  sur la commune est la polyculture et/ou le polyélevage.

Le nombre d'exploitations agricoles en activité et ayant leur siège dans la commune est passé de 118 lors du recensement agricole de 1988  à 58 en 2000 puis à 30 en 2010 et enfin à 17 en 2020, soit une baisse de 86 % en 32 ans. Le même mouvement est observé à l'échelle du département qui a perdu pendant cette période 73 % de ses exploitations. La surface agricole utilisée sur la commune a également diminué, passant de  en 1988 à  en 2020. Parallèlement la surface agricole utilisée moyenne par exploitation a augmenté, passant de 5 à .

Culture locale et patrimoine

Monuments et lieux touristiques
 L'église de l'Assomption de la Vierge (porche , église ) ;
 Le calvaire du  () ;
 Le beffroi.
La mairie

Personnalités liées à la commune
 Gaston Groussole, écrivain et poète roussillonnais, né en 1927
 Joseph Sayrou (1898-1974), joueur français de rugby à XV, 9 fois sélectionné en équipe de France (1926-1929), né à Toulouges

Héraldique

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 .

Articles connexes
 Liste des communes des Pyrénées-Orientales
 Liste des anciennes communes des Pyrénées-Orientales

Liens externes

 Mairie de Toulouges
 Toulouges sur le site de l'Institut géographique national
 Toulouges sur le site de l'Insee

Notes et références

Notes et cartes
 Notes

 Cartes

Références

Site de l'Insee

Autres sources

Commune dans les Pyrénées-Orientales
Commune dans l'arrondissement de Perpignan
Unité urbaine de Perpignan
Aire urbaine de Perpignan
Aire d'attraction de Perpignan


text:
Posts Tagged Skylar Diggins
A First Dive into the WNBA
Posted by Waymon in Uncategorized on May 17, 2016
Let's start with a very prominent disclaimer: I am not a professional sports critic or analyst in any sense. I'm just a guy who loves sports and giving my impressions every now and then. The same can be said for a millions of others who have a passion for sports. So why bother reading this when you can get the same content from better established and renowned places? Well, that question is similar to the one the WNBA has been trying to figure out for the past 20 years.
I've been a passive supporter of the WNBA (and other women's sports). I've tried to defend their 'legitimacy' and call-out any of the ignorant criticisms (poorly, mind you). I even attend games occasionally. Some would say, that alone, would align me somewhat as a "supporter" or "fan". But that's not really moving the needle in terms of growing the league. And that presents a contradiction that doesn't sit right with me. In an effort to get on a deeper level with the WNBA, I signed up for WNBA league pass and secured tickets to a few more games this season. And I'm blogging and podcasting about this endeavor. And on that note, let's dive into the opening weekend of games.
Before signing up, I was skeptical of League Pass would work given how inexpensive cost ($16 for the entire season). But that skepticism quickly turned to frustration when NONE of the opening day games were available on League Pass, only ESPN3. You'd think that with opening day, 20th anniversary fanfare, new league president, new rule changes, and so; the league would want to make these games as widely available as possible. Nope, many other league pass subscribers found themselves in the same predicament: no live game footage due to blackout restrictions. And yet, there was absolutely zero response from the WNBA support regarding the matter. But that wasn't the most egregious part of the affair, the Twitter-verse detective discovered the games were available, but only on the Watch ESPN app which is FREE! Now, I've worked in social media before; you can't respond to everyone obviously. But if you're in a space where you're struggling to generate interest and keep people engaged; you have to come back with some response to something that was clearly more than an isolated incident. Instead of being profusely apologetic or a generic canned response (an explanation to clear up the confusion or redirect people to the Watch ESPN app), there was nothing but silence. Message to WNBA: This is NOT the way to engage people when you're coming from behind. Setting that issue aside, I was able to catch up on the other games thanks to the feature allowing subscribers to watch any past game that season.
Lots of rust, but also a few Sparks
The season will kick off a change in the regular season / playoff format. Time will tell how that plays out. My main focus going into the weekend was to enjoy these games at face value. But for the most part, these games weren't any different than many other season openers: disjointed and uncoordinated, some flailing limbs, and just plain sloppy. Players are coming off half-hearted, pre-season scrimmages. It's just the start down the road to figuring out their key lineups and rotations. But there were definitely a few stand-out moments worth mentioning:
Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury
The marque game of the day. The 2015 defending champs didn't seem to lose a step during the off-season. This was the most sound performance of the weekend. Maya Moore ended the night with a solid double-double. The other stars of this game, Brittney Griner & Diana Taurasi, didn't fair as well. Taurasi sat out last year to rest up and play overseas (which resulted in leading her team to its third championship), so I was taken back a bit that she was less than 0.500 shooting on some open shots. But the Mercury as a whole fell in with the rest of the league median for the weekend.
Candace Parker #WATCHMEWORK
One of the most questionable moves leading into this season was Candace Parker being cut from the US team for the Olympic games in Rio. 2 time WNBA champion, 2 time Olympic gold medalist, 3 time WNBA all star , and the list goes on. The decision still makes no sense to this day. But that slight is clearly sitting with her. Watching her play was the highlight of the weekend (dropping the most points of the weekend, 34). The way she stretched the floor and even got physical with Bird and Stewart (both Olympic selectees) was incredible. This was definitely an "F** You" game leaving many wondering how or why she was ever cut. I'm calling it now, Parker will be out for blood this season. And I'm going to witness and savor ever second of it.
The Stewart Storm
As a transplant who's been living in Seattle, I've come to following their sports teams as well. Again, I'm not the most well-versed with this Storm team but looking over this roster and what I gathered from Wikipedia and other sources. This Storm team appears to be a roster of fresh faces, many of whom haven't been on the team for more than two years. From the looks of it, this is a rebuild will take some time to get going, or if it'll even work in the first. And after the waxing Parker and Sparks out on them, they'll need it fast. Enter fout time UConn champion, 2016 WNBA number one draft pick, Breanna Stewart.The amount of pressure and expectations the Storm and the WNBA as a whole have riding on this young rookie is beyond extraordinary. But Stewart is no stranger to rising to the challenging occasions and the spoils of winning. It's practically all she's known since her freshman year of high school. And ins many ways, she's nothing the NBA or WNBA have ever seen before. So far, she's handled the whirlwind of fame and media scrutiny with a surprising amount of humility and focus. But for all of Stewart's success, she's had a strong cast of players working with her. Her Sunday debut, while impressive, was met with a sizable lose. Losing is not something Stewart is familiar with. And from the looks of it, the Storm could likely eat more "L's" during this rebuilding period. So it'll be interesting to see how this will affect her development in the league and with the Storm. Fellow UConn alum Sue Bird should prove to be a solid mentor in dealing with these kind of hardships. I can't imagine how jarring it is to transition from a long, established culture of winning to an organization that's in flux in a city that doesn't turn out to support their team. All the endorsements and cash in the world usually can't repair that kind of psychic trauma for atheletes wired like Stewart. Regardless, watching it all unfold will be great
As stated the earlier, these games were mostly just warm-ups. But the things will get in gear soon given the short season. Also worth considering is how things will pan out with key players taking off for the the Rio games, not to mention the playoff format adjustments, etc. For now, I'll close with some minor predictions, questions, and quick takes:
If the Storm keep shouldering her the majority of work, Breanna Stewart will be the unanimous Rookie of the Year without question. But will it actually help elevate the Storm to being a formidable threat again is the question.
The LA Sparks will be a force to be reckoned with under Brian Agler. The fury of Candace Parker will at least take them to another conference final if not the finals.
Shoni Schimmel: The general consensus is that Schimmel was traded after coming to training camp out of shape for the second year in a row. This isn't uncommon for most athletes for any sports real. These type of players generally play themselves into shape over the course of the season. And that's exactly what she did, becoming one of the league's All-Stars for two seasons. Cutting bait with a key role player like her seems very suspect. Speaking of which…
With so many key players leaving for Rio, how will teams make adjustments to competitive?
And lastly, how will my hometown Chicago Sky fair? Looking at the past few seasons, the Sky have been a top tier team during the Pokey Chatman era and thanks to Elena Delle Donne (who was inactive this weekend due to 'illness'). Hopefully they'll overcome their demons escaping the playoff berth puling into either of the finals again.
The NBA is in full swing with now with some great match-ups with this historic Golden State team against the reinvigorated OKC Thunder with Cleveland just waiting in the wings for the final showdown. But do yourself a favor and squeeze in some time for these WNBA games. You may be surprised at how entertained and involved it is. If you don't believe me; listen to the man himself, Draymond Green.
Basketball, Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, LA Sparks, League Pass, Seattle Storm, Skylar Diggins, Sue Bird, WNBA, Women in Sports


Momentary madness led us to buying a huge tiny house...the fun never stops!
Folded down and ready for travel!
Good cooks and novice kayakers.
We enjoy camping and hiking in the Monongahela National Forest in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia.
Year 2005, 2720 TrailManor hard sided pop-up. It folds down to 20 foot for towing and expands to 27 foot for camping.
We hardly knew they were there and enjoyed visiting with them. They are welcome anytime.
Ramblers 13 stayed with us for 2 nights and we had a great time. Sincerely hope they get back this way again so we can here about where they have ventured. Couldn't have asked for nicer boondockers!
THEY COULD HAVE STAYED LONGER - GREAT GUESTS!!
We didn't even know the Ramblers13 were camping on at our place for a couple of days. They were quiet, very considerate and appreciative. We hope their stay was acceptable and hope to see them again if they are ever back in this area.
We enjoyed having Ramblers13 as guests for a couple of nights. They are friendly, quiet and appreciative. What more could one ask of anyone. Hope they come back some day and go kayaking with us.
We were met as soon as we arrived and got info as to where to park. It was nice to have power. Would not hesitate to stay again if in the area. We only spent the night and left early in the am.
We unfortunately cancelled our stay due to our own planning, but they were extremely helpful and friendly in the communication we had. Based on this I would highly recommend contacting them and staying with them! Thank you for the advise!


Experts demand more and better research. Will sports mag publishers shout gooool in 2006? Fronteras breaks new ground. English-language mags popular with Hispanics. Financial and Health ad categories poised to grow. Florida: How to buy media in Florida's melting pot.
Florida has the fourth largest Hispanic market in the U.S. And no one doubts that it is the most sophisticated. The high purchasing power of Hispanics and Latin Americans in Florida make the Sunshine state a very desirable market.
According to the study, important concepts of advertising targeting Hispanics are: family, identity, group over individual,belief in fate/nature.
A media buyer study published by MPA and Ad Age revealed that 60.1% of the media buyers interviewed currently include Hispanic Magazines in their media plan.
What content do Hispanic parents like?


Polish largest rail freight operator PKP Cargo has ordered five Vectron multisystem locomotives. The deal with Siemens Mobility signed on 28 January is worth around 26 million Euros. PKP Cargo will receive the first new locomotives in the middle of the year.
The ordered locomotives are certified in several European countries. Besides Poland, they will be able to run in Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. PKP Cargo intends to use them on the Three Seas Corridor. "By purchasing multisystem Vectron locomotives, we implement the development strategy of the PKP Cargo Group. One of the goals is to gain a leading position on the Three Seas market, through which the European North-South corridor runs", noted the CEO of PKP Cargo Czesław Warsewicz.
Three Seas Corridor is a transport triangle that connects the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas. In November 2018, PKP Cargo adopted its strategy for 2019-2023. One of the companies' goals is to reach leadership in rail freight transportation on the Three Seas Corridor.
The decision was just a documental consolidation of the company's policy during the last five years. It was 2013 when PKP Cargo received an access license to carry goods to Tarvisio station in northeastern Italy. Later, the company started to acquire rail freight companies in other countries to strengthen its presence on the Three Seas Corridor. In 2015, PKP Cargo purchased the Czech operator AWT while the list of subsidiaries was extended by Slovenian company Primol-Rail.
The five new locomotives will extend the multisystem fleet of PKP Cargo, which now includes fifteen units. These vehicles were ordered in September 2015. Siemens Mobility delivered the first three Vectrons to PKP Cargo in January 2016. The delivery was accomplished in May 2017.
"Vectron is the greatest, universal locomotive on the European market, with a modular design allowing easy adaptation to the requirements of use and the specificity of operation in different countries. Due to that, PKP Cargo can certainly build a competitive advantage not only in Poland, but also across Europe", said Krzysztof Celiński, CEO of Siemens Mobility's Polish division.


Roselli's Chinese chef's knife is, like the traditional Chinese-style knife, a large universal kitchen knife that easily handles all the cooking related cutting.
In the Chinese kitchen it is used for all manners of cutting and slicing. The knife has a carbon steel blade and the handle is made from birch, coated with linseed oil to ensure a firm grip even when wet.
The Chinese chef's knife comes with a knife rack made from birch, coated with linseed oil.


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Ina Garten Rosenberg (Nova Iorque, 2 de Fevereiro de 1948) é uma autora americana, apresentadora do programa do Food Network Barefoot Contessa, e ex-analista política da Casa Branca. Conhecida por projetar receitas com ênfase em ingredientes frescos e dicas de economia, ela tem sido observada por Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, e Patricia Wells pela sua cozinha e casa de entretenimento.

Garten teve nenhum treinamento formal, ela aprendeu sozinha as técnicas culinárias com o auxílio de franceses e livros de receitas da Nova Inglaterra. Mais tarde, ela confiou na intuição e nas opiniões de clientes e amigos para refinar suas receitas.

Trabalhos

Livros

 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999), Clarkson Potter,  ISBN 0-609-60219-5
 Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ideas and Recipes For Easy Parties That Are Really Fun (2001)
 Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family (2002)
 Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home (2004)
 Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again (2006)
 Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients (2008)
 Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That? (2010)

Colunas de revista
 "Entertaining is Fun!" (Martha Stewart Living 1999–presente)
 "Entertaining." (O, The Oprah Magazine 2003–presente)
 "Ask the Barefoot Contessa." (House Beautiful 2006–presente)

Televisão
 From Martha's Kitchen: Ina Garten's Kitchen Clambake (2000)
 Barefoot Contessa (2002–presente)
 Chefography (2006)
 30 Rock (2011)

Leitura adicional

 Druckman, Charlotte (2004).  "Entertaining Ina Garten."  Food and Wine Magazine.
 Garten, Ina & Stewart, Martha (1999).  The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Clarkson Potter.  ISBN 0-609-60219-5.
 Garten, Ina (2001).  Barefoot Contessa Parties! Clarkson Potter.  ISBN 0-609-60644-1.

 Gershenson, Gabriella (2006).  "The Art of Food Porn: Getting Off Without Getting Fat."  New York Press.
 Hale-Shelton, Debra (2003).  "Contessa Says, Keep It Simple."  Cincinnati Post.
 Katz, Carissa (2005).  "Ina Garten: The Barefoot Contessa."  East Hampton Star.
 Network, Food (2006).  "Barefoot Contessa."  The E.W. Scripps Company.
 Snipes, Stephanie (2004).  "Barefoot Contessa Keeps It Simple."  CNN.
 Thomas, Cathy (2004).  "Simply Marvelous."  Orange County Register.

Ligações externas
 Site oficial de Barefoot Contessa
 Barefoot Contessa na Food Network
 Perguntas a Barefoot Contessa na House Beautiful

 Ina Garten no Chef and Restaurant Database
 Barefoot Contessa no Reino Unido

Naturais de Nova Iorque (cidade)
Judeus dos Estados Unidos
Alunos da Universidade George Washington


CS Group has completed the acquisition of 100% of MOLTEK Consultants Ltd today. MOLTEK, created in 1995, is an international technology and consulting organisation providing knowledge and resources in core skills to organisations within the Space Industry. In 2018, MOLTEK posted sales of around € 3.5 million with nearly 30 consultants.
As a designer, integrator and operator of mission-critical systems, CS is an established international player in the field of systems and services for space missions and applications. Space activities represent 20% of CS Group revenues. MOLTEK reinforces the European positions of CS Group, especially in space engineering in Germany & the Netherlands.
Space Engineering: on-board software engineering, satellite modelling, simulation and tests.
MOLTEK is an ideal complement, which allows CS to strengthen its positions and to deliver comprehensive services to its key clients, including European Space Agency and EUMETSAT. MOLTEK experts will benefit from wider opportunities created by being part of CS Group, an organisation of 2000 people, with leading market positions and complementary expertise.


Good recruiters help your business. We all know that. For a large majority of businesses humans are the most critical resource conducive to business growth, development and mere operational status. So when an organisation can source, select and place an exceptional candidate into a suitable job opening, with professional experience leading to a range of efficiencies, everyone benefits.
You are likely to have often heard of these fundamental benefits for employer and employee alike; economic savings, time efficiencies that lead to further economic advantages, and intensive testing – psychometric or otherwise – that ultimately leads to a more effective outcome facilitated through alignment, of skills, attitudes and goals. However, many of the benefits engaging with us at Options Consulting Group can provide are hidden to the naked eye – but we wanted to tell you about them. So below are four, key, 'hidden' advantages that exploring your – and our – options can bring.
Unbeknown to many internal recruiters, there is a hidden market of potential employees available. Yet only a few have access to this market. Given the nature of the hidden market, which can include potential candidates that to the public eye are off the job market, Options Consulting Group are trusted by the market with a strong adherence to confidentiality. Yet exploration of this hidden market can often reap exceptional results for employers, especially those who are seeking candidates with niche areas of skill, expertise or experience.
When negotiating fine details – such as salary or working conditions, having an intermediary that can represent both parties can ensure ease of the process. Expectantly, Options Consulting Group fills this void in communications between employer and employee. Ultimately, it leads to a process where more realistic expectations are measured and set and ensures a solid level of understanding between both parties prior to the commencement of work.
Being professionals in the recruitment and human resources industry, we are passionate about keeping up to date with the latest trends in the industry. As such, we are at the forefront of knowledge when it comes to understanding recruitment trends – such as the rising popularity of contractual employment conditions – and how these trends will not only integrate with your hiring goals and processes but also how they can provide opportunities for further business development and efficiencies. Engaging with us can prove insightful, and potentially lead to a shift in recruitment tactics required to achieve your goals.
Recruitment is not the only professional service we offer. We also have expertise in human resources consulting, which means we can develop innovative strategies that integrate your recruitment objectives with human resources functionality and efficiency. The reality is, whilst critically important in its own right, recruitment is only one link in the chain of an effective human resources strategy. Even the greatest recruitment practices will not fill the void left by ineffective human resource management planning.
With a greater understanding of the advantages Options Consulting Group can provide for you, get in contact with us today to strategise your human resources and recruitment planning effectively; investing in people always pays the best dividends.
Learn more about why employers should use OCG?


Have you ever given serious thought to the future of the planet? Perhaps you might have considered your own future or the future of your children?
When you considered the future, whether in an already developed nation or the future of developing nations- what challenges, recommendations or positive attribute do you envision?
Unfortunately challenges like nuclear, biological and ecological threats are predominantly the main focus. If you think about it, ecological challenges such as global warming and toxic substances from industrial waste polluting the water supply in the sea or plant life is also of great concern.
Another challenge, are the persistent diseases such as AIDS and Cancer. Within certain parts of the world, either one or both of these diseases are rapidly increasing.
Many nations may now display natural behaviors of fear, helplessness, suspicion, denial or even avoidance. However, I strongly believe and recommend that in order to create intergenerational equity we need to focus on creating international collaborative efforts to slow down or combat these threats.
Another key focus that I believe to be important is the protection of our children's future.
Creating and supporting positive human growth in terms of national values, ideals, political systems and cultural characteristics, will help to form cohesive (I love that word) relationships within communities and societies.
Security should also be paramount. How well a nation provides protection and safety for its people says a lot about the value being placed on human life. Regrettably, there are countries characterized by fear, war, every day violence and danger. Such places are unable to provide an adequate sense of national security which in turn stifles economic prosperity by deteriorating investor confidence.
Some nations are famously known for their capacity to provide a sense of connectedness among their population. Whether at home or abroad, they are always eager to socialize with each other and perhaps create that important emotional and psychological support for each other.
There are many countries that I am proud to say enjoy and display this very important characteristic.
Some nations or cultures are well known for how well they communicate with one another towards purposeful goals and show great respect towards their leaders. There is a collective sense of the culture's expectations and important values such as equality, human rights, justice or environmental protection are supported and encouraged.
I strongly believe however that a mature community or nation should consist of many of the above statements. There should also be a national plan aim at getting that country to a level where they are aware of the existing needs of their people and are taken steps to actively plan (Not just for today, but 50 years from now) on carry out actions that will lead the next generation into the desired positive change and improvement based on global standards and circumstances.
Please note however that I am no expert and I am well aware that it is easy to write these points but sometimes difficult to coordinate and execute the ideal plan or vision for the future. Sometimes there is an unexpected crisis or event which may occur and plans are diverted to facilitate the unexpected. Understandably this is what life is like sometimes.
Unfortunately, we still have many communities struggling with cohesion, safety, security and trust. I sincerely believe that some of the reasons may be lack of communication, cultural biases and stigmas, racism, classism, and general disrespect of other people's privacy and/or property.
I hold the above statements true and keep them within my heart as I live my life every day.
I strongly believe as a community or nation wishing to create intergenerational equity and cultural strength and continuity, having quality schools and education is vital for this to take place.
Intergenerational equity is therefore created as we develop our children's capacity to live and lead more fulfilling lives within the society.
Intergenerational equity is also created by providing people with the necessary skills to enable them to get and keep productive jobs.
Intergenerational equity is created and maintain when individuals make use of academic knowledge learnt to assist others in the society.
Intergenerational equity is also created and maintain when positive types of moral socialization is allowed to flourish.
Schools are very useful in any society and they serve the communities in many ways. Most parents focus their living arrangements around a particular school in order to facilitate the daily functions of the family.
Schools also provide many educational programs and physical activities for children and is also considered a safe and protected environment.
I pray continually that it stays that way.
According to my continuous research on education, the basic aims of education should be the same for everyone.
History stated that Plato (429-347 BC) who was born in fifth-century Athens thought that people of power would need a much more thorough education than anyone else.
A similar perspective was apparent in Britain's Aristocratic time period, where the expansion of education was only sufficient enough for the mass population to become a more productive workforce but not enough to rebel against the ruling classes or people with Aristocratic Titles.
Today however, basic education should be the same for everyone and opportunities for higher education should also be promoted and extended to those in need of such a gift who are willing to show adequate passion and ambition.
This Ivy League University consistently ranks as one of the top schools in America and I was pleased to note that they no longer only welcome the sons of America's aristocracy, but also women and students of color.
Academics at Princeton are quite rigorous, however I learnt that lectures are never huge and are pleasantly supplemented by "precepts" or small-group discussion sessions.
They also sign papers with a note saying the writings represent their own work in accordance with the university regulations and students must accept the Honor Code in order to attend Princeton.
All Princeton Students face a respectable set of distribution requirements in order to earn either an AB (Princeton's term for a bachelor of arts and sciences) or a bachelor of science in engineering (BSE) degree, chosen from mostly quite serious specialized courses.
However, before you begin preparing your application, we encourage you to review our application checklist, standardized testing requirements and financial aid program.
Whitman College, named after donor Meg Whitman '77, is the newest of Princeton's residential colleges and was established in 2007. Whitman is located in the center of campus and its architectural style recalls the collegiate gothic architecture typical of Rockefeller and Mathey colleges, built in the late nineteenth century.
Wilson College, named after Woodrow Wilson (Class of 1879), was established in 1966. Located just west of the Frist Campus Center, Wilson includes Dodge-Osborne, Gauss, 1937, 1938, 1939, Feinberg, 1927-Clapp, and Wilcox halls, as well as part of Walker Hall. Wilson's pink brick buildings contain many of the largest suites on campus.
Forbes College, named after Malcolm S. Forbes Jr. '70, was originally established as Princeton Inn College in 1970. While students living in Forbes have a longer walk to their classes, they enjoy spacious rooms, private bathrooms, proximity to the 24-hour WaWa Market, and Forbes's self-contained structure.
Rockefeller College, named after John D. Rockefeller III '29, was established in 1983. "Rocky," as it is known, includes Holder, Witherspoon, and Buyers halls. Students in Rockefeller enjoy its stunning Gothic architecture, proximity to Nassau Street, and an impressive dining hall.
Mathey College, named after Dean Mathey '12, was established in 1983. Mathey (pronounced "Mad-dee") includes Blair, Joline, Campbell, and Hamilton halls. Mathey is noted for its Gothic architecture and proximity to the town of Princeton. Special facilities include a darkroom, TV room, game room, and music practice rooms.
Butler College, named after Lee D. Butler '22, was established in 1983. Located just south of Wilson College, Butler includes Lourie-Love, 1915, 1922, 1940, 1941, and 1942 halls, as well as part of Walker Hall. Wu Hall, the only campus building identified with Chinese characters, houses the Butler dining hall, a lounge, TV room, and game room.
Each residential college has a dinning hall and organizes intramural teams and activities for students.
Juniors and seniors live in dorms and dine in a peculiarly Princeton setting known as "eating clubs". These dozen mansions line Prospect Avenue or "The Street" and serve as the heart of Princeton's social scene.
Princeton Eating Clubs are part of a tradition that dates back to 1879. In the early years, the University did not provide students with dining facilities, so students created their own clubs to provide comfortable houses for dining and social life. Eating clubs are unique to Princeton and the most popular dining and social option for students in their junior and senior years.
As times have changed, so have the clubs. When Princeton made the decision to accept women in 1969, the eating clubs began to accept women as well. All of the clubs are now co-educational and reflect the full diversity of the Princeton student body.
There are currently 11 eating clubs, each with a distinctive character. Most of them are located on Prospect Avenue, except for Terrace Club, which is located around the corner on Washington Road.
During the 1970s some of the clubs changed from a selective admission process (called "bicker") to an open (or non-selective) admission process. There are currently six selective clubs (Cannon, Cap and Gown, Cottage, Ivy, Tiger Inn, and Tower) and five open clubs (Charter, Cloister Inn, Colonial, Quadrangle, and Terrace).
Membership in your eating club lasts for life, and many Princeton students say their closest friendships, during and after college, were formed with their clubmates.
Guess what else is exciting? Princeton students love sports! Almost half of all students participate in intramural athletics; and many more can be found on the Stairmasters in Dillon gym.
There are more than 300 student-run organizations across campus that range from a cappella groups to Model Congress. While some groups are deeply rooted in traditions created over a century ago, the University encourages students to create new groups that fit their interests and hobbies.
And guess what other information I was happy to come across about Princeton? Albert Einstein use to teach there!
Albert Einstein began his relationship with Princeton University in 1921, when he visited the University to receive an honorary degree and to lecture about his theory of relativity. Eventually Albert Einstein moved to Princeton Township in 1933, where he lived until his death in 1955.
I believe education is very important for cultural continuity and it helps to promote equality, creates respect for a society's standard of living and highlights each person's basic human right.
Ultimately the aim for education rest on our values and our concepts of what makes for a good life both as an individual and as a society.
Please note however that we do not all share the same cultural values and there will always be debates as to what concept is considered more effective and efficient for each specific culture.


Henry Schein's donation supports Colorado State University's residency position with program that cares for sporting, hunting, working and service animals.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) demonstrated its enduring commitment to veterinary education by supporting a three-year residency position with the Small Animal Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation service at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Colorado State University (CSU).
The company's donation of essential health care supplies supports Dr. Ilan Frank, a second-year resident with the service. The Small Animal Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation team provides non-surgical orthopedic care to sporting, hunting, working and service animals, as well as pets with mobility issues. The veterinarians on the team use innovative imaging techniques, medical treatments, and rehabilitation to help animals regain strength, speed, and endurance after an injury.
The donation is an initiative of Henry Schein Animal Health, Henry Schein Medical, and Henry Schein Cares, the company's global corporate social responsibility program.
As a veterinarian in the Israeli Army, Dr. Frank helped to establish the veterinary services of the Army's Special Operations and served as the chief veterinarian of its K9 unit for 15 years. In that position, he often worked with military working dogs, conditioning them for service and treating them after injury. His experiences in the military led him to pursue a residency at CSU so that he may enhance his ability to provide quality care to working animals and animal athletes.
While a resident at CSU, Dr. Frank is mentored by Drs. Felix Duerr and Nic Lambrechts. He is also working closely with Sasha Foster, canine rehabilitation specialist and a certified human physical therapist. Dr. Frank will complete his residency in two years. Afterwards, he said he hopes to continue his work with sporting and working dogs in the United States or Israel.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a health solutions network powered by people and technology. With more than 22,000 Team Schein Members serving more than 1 million customers globally, the Company is the world's largest provider of Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions to enhance the efficiency of office-based dental, animal health, and medicalpractitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites.
Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 34 countries. The company's sales reached a record $12.5 billion in 2017, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein atwww.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on Twitter.
The Henry Schein Cares Medal recognizes organizations that reflect company's commitment to expanding access to care for people and animals in need.
Henry Schein Acquires eVetPractice, a cloud-based veterinary clinic practice management solutions company.
Henry Schein has acquired a majority interest in ABASE, a distributor of veterinary health care products In Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The Ethisphere in 2018 named Henry Schein Inc. one of the world's most ethical companies Institute for the seventh time.


Making infographics is a very valuable skill. Done right,tools for making infographics can be an extraordinary method to comprehend complex data. The best infographics change complex information and data into graphics that are both simple to grasp and visually appealing. The main issue is, infographics that appear like they were simple to make are often anything but.
Here, we've selected our best tools and apps for making infographics – we'll begin with a heap of free tools for making infographic , at that point incorporate some paid choices toward the end on the off chance that you need to investigate something with more control. Some of the options here are even better for non-designers, as template and other features make them simple to use.
Visme guarantees to enable you 'speak visually'. You can likewise use it to build presentations, yet it's particularly geared towards making engaging infographics. This free tools include more than 100 free fonts, a great many free images and a large number of value icons, and there are alternatives to incorporate video and sound (including the capacity to record a voiceover directly in the editor, which is handy). You can likewise animate your content to make things clearer.
What differentiate this tool from the rest on this list is the fact that Visme permit users to whip up an infographic in a blink of an eye, thanks to a library of pre-made assets that can be easily dragged and dropped into place. A premium option is also available.
Cacoo is a cloud-based infographic maker, and as with any cloud-based tool its major plus point is collaborative working. Cacoo's interface allows teams to create, edit, and deliver high-quality diagrams together online, in real time. The application offers a diverse library of templates and shapes to help you put together beautiful visuals quickly and easily, with everything you need to create flowcharts, wireframes, network diagrams, org charts, and more available through the user interface.
You can likewise share your infographics with team member and clients if they don't have a Cacoo account, and integrate Cacoo with other profitability tools, for example, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Confluence.
Canva is a powerful and easy-to-use online tool that's suitable for all manner of design tasks, from brochures to presentations and much more besides. It also offers users a vast library of images, icons, fonts and features to choose from.
It features a dedicated infographic maker that you can use for free, with hundreds of free design elements and fonts at your fingertips, and many more premium elements that you can buy for $1. You can either use it in the browser or download the Canva iPad app to design on the move – which is now also available for Android phones/tablets.
Infogram is a great free tool with a wide variety of graphs, charts and maps as well as the ability to upload pictures and videos to create cool infographics. You enter and edit the data that makes up the infographic in an Excel-style tool, the contents of which are reflected in your design. The software will automatically change the look of the infographic to perfectly represent your data, too.
When you're happy with your infographic, you can publish it to the Infogram website for all to enjoy, embed it into your own website, or share it via social media.
Mind the Graph specialises in time in scientific infographics, yet its tools can be used to make illustration to complement most forms of data outside scientific papers. The online infographic producer gives different infographic layouts that can be used straight out of the box to design numerous sorts of visual illustrations.
Mind the Graph provides thousands of icons that are useful for non-scientific purposes as well as for livening up a wordy journal paper, and you can take advantage of its built-in image editor and online updater to make changes on the fly.
For map-based infographics, you need look no further than Kartograph. Kartograph is a free design tool for create illustrative and interactive maps, created with the needs of designers and data journalists in mind. The application doesn't require Google Maps or any other mapping service, making it is a simple and lightweight framework – and there are a variety of map types to suit your needs.
It wouldn't have been long until an infographic resume generator turned up. With this tool, you can visualise your imaginative resume in a single click and furthermore investigate past examples. The thought is to empower individuals to express their expert accomplishments in a simple yet convincing personal visualisation. While infographic resumes aren't right for each circumstance, for specific cases, they can be an extraordinary option.


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Stevenson returns with Human Statues
Former Parksville resident Zachary Stevenson teams up with Jeff Bryant
Brenda Gough
Submitted Photo Parksville's own Zach Stevenson (left)
He has been a hit with his portrayal of Buddy Holly in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, but Parksville's own Zachary Stevenson's musical energy goes far beyond impersonating the music legend of '50s rock and roll who died in a plane crash in 1959.
Stevenson's band, The Human Statues, which also includes Jeff Bryant, will showcase the pair's diverse musical range when they perform Friday, March 9 at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo.
Stevenson said he's excited to perform so close to home.
Stevenson and Bryant, who portrayed the Crickets' lead guitarist in Buddy, bring plenty of talent to the folk/pop duo. With their combination of music and comedy, they have been likened to a mix of Simon and Garfunkel and Flight of the Conchords. Bryant, originally from Victoria, said they are musicians first, comedians second.
Stevenson and Bryant have been performing together off and on for a decade but made The Human Statues official in 2008. Stevenson said he and Bryant have a lot of elements when they are on stage but their show really reflects their love of music and live performance.
Described as a bit of folk, funk and punk with some comedy, choreography and theatre thrown into the mix the show with its three-part harmonies, catchy songs and funny on stage repartee, has been called musically infectious. The pair have toured the country several times and Stevenson admitted there is nothing better than performing close to his home turf.
The Ballenas grad, who now lives in Vancouver, said his music career has taken him to some big cities and he admitted growing up in Parksville, he never would have envisioned his life as it is now and appreciates all the support he has received in his music career from his home town.
"I remember feeling it was an impossible dream growing up in a small town. It's great that a community can celebrate and show some pride and I hope what I do can make young kids feel enabled," he said.
Friday night's concert is a double bill and will also include the Good Lovelies, nominated in the 2012 Juno Award category of Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Group. They picked up a Juno in the category in 2010.
For tickets to the March 9 show at 7:30 p.m. at the Port Theatre, call 250-754-8550 or visit the Ticket Centre at 125 Front Street. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.porttheatre.com.
School music program wins more awards
Carlos del Junco brings harmonica talents to Errington


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Mercer County Italian American Festival
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Bruschetta with Peppered Scallops
by Biba Caggiano
by Giada De Laurentiis


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A GLEAM IN HIS EYE
The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D., Ph.D. (7/18/09)
"A gleam in my eye" is the way Virgil Frye describes his feelings when in late February and early March, he starts planting his tomato seeds. In his mind's eye, he sees them maturing through spring and early summer, and then later in the summer he sees himself savoring their luscious fruit. His relationship with his garden is not mechanical and distant, but immediate and simpatico. His garden is family.
A longtime widower whose grief is near spent, traces remain, a catch in his throat, misted, down cast eyes, but, happily, he's soon to wed again. Something of a recluse, living near the edge of nowhere on the outskirts of Winona, he's fashioned a place of peace for himself on a slope of land in a forest of junipers at the end of the road. For him gardening's a solitary sport. "Group gardens, like communes, fail because some people work hard but most don't." He believes in self-reliance.
At the entrance to his land are the ruins of the original settlers' cabin, the place they chose because the Ancient Ones had chosen it before them. Occasionally, he finds shards of the Ancients Ones' presence. His place has an aura of history. Virgil believes that present-day inhabitants of the Colorado Plateau would do well to follow the Anasazi in the way they use the land. "We like to think we're just too smart," he says, "and sometimes we pay for it."
Authenticity is his watchword. He didn't haul in dirt to make his garden. He cleared the land of rocks and added organic matter to make the soil. Then he built a walled enclosure of plastic sheeting with a roof he can cut way when the danger of frost is past. Next, he covered the soil with straw which he keeps damp, "a tomato swamp cooler."
He begins his tomatoes from seed because, "boughten tomato plants" are strangers, not family. Using pint-sized containers, he covers the seeds with a few inches of soil, and when the plant emerges, becoming a few inches high, he adds more soil to develop the root system. "I grow root systems not stems." He's committed to what the eye doesn't see, rich, deep soil and roots.
A son of the soil himself, he grew up on a farm in northwest Iowa. A self-confessed vagabond, he settled for a time in Oregon but migrated to Arizona to get away from the wet and rain. One senses he's found a home on that slope once farmed by the Ancient Ones.
As always, the proof is in the pudding. His tomatoes are
spectacular. It's like an alternate reality, once a person steps over the threshold into his large plastic enclosures. Row upon row of tomatoes, some shoulder high, laden with fruit, some as big as baseballs, all in the middle of July. He fusses over his tomatoes as though they were his children. "I want to see my tomatoes progress, rather than just staying alive."
Virgil plants by the moon and credits it with his bumper crop of tomatoes, but he also carefully composts his soil, using only a little synthetic fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season to give his tomatoes a "jump start."
Once a visitor has recovered from the shock of stepping into his first plastic enshrouded tomato Eden, Virgil opens up a second, similar in structure, identical in horticultural opulence, hidden down slope behind some junipers. When asked if he planned to sell his tomatoes, Virgil, stunned in quizzical disbelief as though he had just heard an unspeakable sacrilege, finally replied, "You don't sell your children. This is food, not some old washtub. It's too important for money."
He gives much of it away, but he also cans his own tomato juice and tomato sauce, keeping some of his family around him during winter's cold fury.
Virgil won the "Special Interest" award in the contest of gardens by
the Arizona Native Plant Society and the Flagstaff Xeriscape Council. A tour of all the gardens is from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Sunday, July 26. A map is available on line at www.thearb.org.
Photographs courtesy of Tom Bean
Posted by OLD GEEZER'S REPORT at 9:52 AM No comments:
RONALD REAGAN AND TOMATOES
An unintended of consequence of President Ronald Reagan's foreign policy was a boon for tomato fanciers in the High Country. When he demanded on June 12, 1987, at the Brandenburg Gate that President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union "tear down this wall," he was referring to the Berlin Wall, but the consequence was "glasnost," an opening up of the Soviet Union which, heretofore, had been a closed society. Actually, under Gorbachev's leadership there had been a gradual glasnost earlier in the 1980's.
"Glasnost" meant, amongst other things, an opening up of Soviet agriculture which meant in turn an opening up of gardens and gardeners in Siberia. Russians have long been known as excellent gardeners, but Siberian gardeners were a special breed of Russian gardeners.
While President Reagan had hydrogen bombs and an end to the Cold War on his mind, a result was the discovery of Siberian heirloom tomatoes. For decades the Soviet Union had been a closed society, especially after the end of World War II, but long before that. Winston Churchill in 1946 said, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." Actually, an iron curtain had descended soon after the Russian Revolution of October 1917. This meant that the Soviet Union had been a closed society for about 70 years.
During those years of isolation, Siberian farmers had slowly, year after year, developed superior heirloom tomatoes, taking the seed from the best tomato plants and planting them the following year, developing hardy tomato plants with a short growing season. There had been no artificial hybridization from Western capitalist commercial agribusiness, but just natural selection, producing strong, reliable, heirloom tomatoes.
Soviet paranoia about Western imperialism kept the agricultural capitalists out of Russia, leaving the Siberians to themselves to develop robust heirlooms. The Siberian tomatoes are amongst the ironies of horticulture, the blessings of a communist blowback.
Of course, tomatoes that would do well in Siberia would certainly do well on the Colorado Plateau. One of the problems for gardeners in Flagstaff is that many of the old favorites have a long growing season. The famous heirloom Brandywine takes from 80 to 100 days to mature, leaving the Flagstaff gardener feeling the nip of frost before the first tomato.
Sad it is, but most commercial nurseries don't stock these Siberians, preferring to merchandise the old reliables of Better Boy and Early Girl, which are great early-producing tomatoes. However, the variety has been limited, except for Stupice, another early producer (52 days) from Czechoslovakia.
Perhaps, the most delightful of the Siberians is the Galina with a vine that resembles an adolescent in the throes of growth, all arms and legs. An ungainly vine that is easily espaliered, the fruit comes in clusters of golden cherries, so sweet of taste that they seldom reach the kitchen. Unlike our loppy capitalist adolescents, the Galina is productive, being both early (59 days) and abundant.
Another pleasure is Sasha's Altai which hails from the Altai Shan mountains near China. So remote, that it was considered terra incognita by Renaissance cartographers and was even designated by Medieval cartographers as hic sunt dracones (here are dragons.) Sasha, a barefooted Siberian gardener, walked, unshod, eight miles one way to give Bill McDorman, the tomato seed hunter, seeds from his own heirloom tomato plant.
The plant isn't loppy as is the Galina, but compact and bushy, reminding one of a short, sturdy, hardy Siberian gardener. An early producer (59 days), it is prolific with a prize-winning taste. Unlike Galina which falls out of a cage, Sasha's Altai can easily be contained in a medium sized cage. They are sort of the Mutt and Jeff of the Siberians.
Two other Siberian good-producing cultivars are Perestroika and Glasnost, but if one is looking for a replica with taste of those round, full-figured tomatoes in the supermarket, another Siberian, "Market Miracle," is a good bet.
President Reagan can be forgiven trying to palm off ketchup as a vegetable in school lunches because in his Cold War triumph he opened up Siberian tomatoes for High Country gardeners.
Copyright (c) Dana Prom Smith 2009
GARDENING IN COMPLETE SENTENCES
"Grandpa, you should talk to Roxie in one word commands." Our granddaughter and my namesake, Dana Marie, heard me talking to Roxie, our three-legged, pink-nosed, aging yellow lab, in complete sentences. A third year student at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, she's inclined to rational thinking, evidence, and analysis. A tall, blue-eyed, neocortical blonde, she owns a steel-trap mind.
I told her that my relationship with Roxie is more collegial than patriarchal, saving the patriarchal stuff for human beings.
She continued, "Gretchen says that you even talk to plants, birds, squirrels, bees, and skunks in complete sentences." I replied, "Not always. Sometimes, I curse them, but I remain engaged. A garden isn't a machine with interchangeable parts like cars and wind turbines. It's an organism. Everything affects everything else internally. A garden is better off with tender mercies instead of syllogisms.
A self-confessed technophile, she drifted off by the fireplace using
Roxie as a pillow, fiddling with one word messages on her Blackberry, never mentioning Gretchen's conversations with the television set.
Gardening's a relief from the soulless "I-It" formulaic relationships of answering machines' disembodied voices, ideologically driven decisions, and digitized human beings. Gardening's "I-Thou," "up close and personal," if a little chaotic. Gardening's largely limbic which, as one widely unaccepted theory has it, is that middle layer of the brain we share with other mammals, not the neocortical which we, as humans, keep to ourselves, except perhaps for an occasional anthropoid and extraterrestrial.
The neocortex is the brains' newest evolutionary part, giving us the ability to think rationally, to solve problems, and, also, to lie. Jean-Paul Sartre in Being and Nothingness wrote, "bad faith is a lie to oneself" which is hiding from the truth. The neocortex also gives us the capacity for self-consciousness, like talking to ourselves, as in "why did I do that?" However, it comes with the price of inner internecine conflicts. As with Shakespeare's Brutus, we're at war with ourselves, "forgetting the shows of love to other men."
Dogs, birds, squirrels, and plants don't lie. Often a puzzlement, they're never deceitful although Roxie has a way of sneaking off when no one is looking.
Gardening's limbic, an emotional experience. Some people love life, some don't, and some aren't sure, but a committed gardener is a lover which, as we all know, is both an emotion and a virtue. Gardeners love to watch things grow, fret over plants that don't thrive, grieve at a plant's death, and, most of all, celebrate the flowering of life. In short, gardeners embrace the chiefest of virtues and the finest of emotions which makes them out of step with much of the reptilian, the lowest brain layer, in modern American life.
Also, gardening is alien to the frenetic, fast-paced quality of modern life. Soil may be enriched, watered, and cultivated, but nothing changes the sequences of time. As with Ol' Man River, gardens just keep "rollin' along." They can't be hurried. No fighting time. With the rhythms of nature, gardeners are in tune, if not with the "music of the spheres," with the harmonies of the earth. Gardens, just as does time, have no fast-lanes.
Gardening may seem absurd to many people, but cold, impersonal, fast-paced rational, formulaic modernity doesn't seem to have done much for human equilibrium either. Putting it plainly, the neocortex enables us to stress out. Getting in sync with nature's beat works by relaxing us and, thereby, allowing our neocortex to function efficiently without mauvais foi gumming it up. Our senses relax us. Gardening is about those senses.
Drifts of daffodils and the elegant beauty of bearded irises, the aroma of roses and lavender, and the taste of tomatoes and snap beans just off the vine connect us with the rhythms of nature, regaining our emotional balance and relieving our inner conflicts.
Torqued by their presuppositions, rationalistic ahedoniacs, people who don't relish their senses, stress out with unintended consequences, blowbacks, absurdities, and ironies. Gardeners, on the other hand, know that the best antidote for stress is the scents, scenes, tastes, and sensations of a garden in bloom. They enjoy life for having touched it.
A GLEAM IN HIS EYE The Rev. Dana Prom Smith...
RONALD REAGAN AND TOMATOES The Rev. Dana...
GARDENING IN COMPLETE SENTENCES The Rev. D...


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