As many may know if you've been following my musings for a while that I do in fact teach high school in an urban setting that I frequently relate and connect to the film Dangerous Minds. This year has most certainly been a better teaching year for me in many respects in comparison to the type of year I had last year in the classroom. Doesn't mean life got better or that I stumbled onto a load of money I just started looking at my time in the classroom from a different angle. And every year in the spring time I do a legacy unit that I've tweaked frequently based on the audience. I started this unit last week and began my "If You Really Knew Me" lesson by having the kids write about whether it was truly possible to know someone else or to know themselves.
I've done this activity before but the answers I got from these kids this year really were eye opening. I get caught up sometimes playing just the teacher role and forget that I should be open to what they're able to teach me. At 25 years old, my 16-17 year old students taught me that you can never truly know someone else because you never even truly know yourself. Since we are constantly changing or attempting to change we are too busy learning and adapting to ourselves to give enough time and energy to learn all of the changes occurring in someone else, no matter how well or how long you've known them. Their views on the topic wasn't something legendary or something that I hadn't thought of before. What struck a chord with me were my low expectations and the reality of their responses. They had an innate ability to internalize and articulate their views on such a grand topic that even people my age can not often times put into words.
I was proud, and interested to see how much further I could get them to go without vocally pushing. It was at that moment that I truly stopped hearing them and really started listening. I don't say this to play off of the cliched teacher role that we see on TV or read about in the papers. Teaching isn't glamorous by any means, and most of the time it isn't all its cracked up to be. However with the experiences I've had with my students this year I started to see many things differently beyond the classroom setting. We've faced great tragedies and great successes within the time span of this one year that were truly unparalleled to anything I've heard or had to deal with in my four years as a teacher. My personal struggles increased while my professional triumphs followed suit.
I carry each and everyone of my students with me when I walk out the door. And while some may see that as unhealthy, I see it as what needs to be done to improve the education system that is crumbling day by day. The value that is placed in teachers is so thoroughly disgusting to me. Why? Because without the presence and prevalence of my career in the world many things would be different, incomplete, and unstable. Am I a life saver? Yes. I will not belittle what it is that I do because people equate my career to having "summer's and holidays off". I am also not going to go into the long tirade of proving that my value is more than the measly salary I am given. I can not afford to sustain a life on my own because the value of a successful independent life is way higher than the numbers on my check.
However what I will do is always continue to strive for excellence for myself in relation to the continuous growth that is needed to be a successful adaptable teacher in a world that is unkind to people that look like my students. I will keep being the eyes and ears that they need in society when everyone else has turned their backs on them. I'm not saying I am a hero or that what I do is better than what anyone else does. I just like to remind others as I remind myself on daily basis, that what I'm doing matters without a doubt, to the structure and sustainability of the future world. That the way I treat these kids, talk to these kids, and look at these kids will leave a lasting impression far beyond what I could even begin to imagine. And that is something that no textbook or seminar could teach me. That is something that has been cultivated through experience and I can only hope to continue to do what I do… and to do it well.
Tags: blog, blogger, blogspot, dangerous minds, education, ELA teacher, high school, learning, life, ms johnson, quotes, students, teach, teacher, value, words, writer. Bookmark the permalink.
It's truly remarkable and a blessing when we step back and think about the things we can learn from others…especially about ourselves.
I'm so glad that you were able to learn such valuable things from your students.
I'm curious, what do you enjoy most about being a teacher?


text:
Calculating Stray Bullet Origin
On the night of March 3rd, 2017, a stray bullet went through my friend's sunroof while his truck was parked outside. His driveway is oriented almost exactly north of his house, so the truck was oriented facing south. The bullet left a perfect bullet hole in the sunroof with cracks emanating outward in all directions. The hole was directly above the driver's seat. There was also a crack in the instrument panel plastic, but no hole, and the bullet was found completely intact on the driver's floor mat. There were no other obvious impact marks. Based on the location of the hole, the cracked plastic, and the final resting place of the bullet, it appears that the bullet arrived from almost directly due north. My friend's neighbor said they have found a few stray bullets in their back yard as well, which is the north side of their house. All clues point north, but how far?
I thought it would be interesting to try to calculate the ballistic trajectory and source of the shot.
Known Variables
Since we didn't have a second through-hole or a second precise impact point to get an angle from, the deformed nose of the bullet is the next best thing. The sunroof glass and driveway were very level, so the angle of the flat spot on the bullet should give a pretty accurate impact angle. I took a very careful and well-lit photo of the bullet. I played with image rotation in the Gimp program to get an impact angle of 48.7 degrees. Yes, the .7 might be ridiculous given the other assumptions and errors involved, but there's no reason to start sloppy. I measured that between the impact flat and the non-deformed cylinder side.
My calipers show it to be a 0.40 SW.
My scale shows it to be a 180 grain bullet. The photo shows 11g, but a few toothpicks showed that it was closer to 12g. I chose 11.6g for my calculations.
We know the exact impact location in NW San Antonio, the elevation, and the weather conditions (not raining, low wind, ~60F/15C, etc). We also know the approximate compass direction the bullet came from, north.
Unknown Variables
We had no clue about the distance to the shooter, the angle the shooter fired into the sky, or the speed of the bullet as it penetrated the sunroof.
Ballistic Calculators
The online ballistic and trajectory calculators I found were totally useless for this purpose. Most were set up for long-range shooters to predict bullet drop given well-defined initial conditions, like firing angle and distance to target. They are not set up to solve for these initial conditions, which is the opposite problem. I thought about manually iterating inputs, but the angles and distances I'm working with here are outside the scope of most calculator input ranges and most calculators do not output the terminal angle. I found a few that would calculate things in this range, but they all neglected air resistance and produced totally unrealistic distances and perfect parabolas.
Ballistic Flight with Air Resistance
I found an extremely helpful NASA page called Flight Equations with Drag. Unfortunately, I had some difficulty testing their Java applets and then I realized I did not like some of the assumptions made on the page. For example, they assume the projectile is traveling at terminal velocity for the entire descent. During vertical descent, "there is no net force acting on the ball and the vertical acceleration is zero." That's incorrect. At the flight apex, vertical velocity is zero because the projectile is not ascending or descenting for a moment. At the end of the flight, there is significant non-zero vertical velocity as the projectile hits the ground. Acceleration is change in velocity, so, there is obviously vertical acceleration taking place during descent. I found many of the equations, descriptions, and links on the page to be very helpful though and I used it as a starting point to calculate what I wanted.
I chose to do everything in metric units for simplicity. In the source code, I used "T" for θ (theta) to represent angles. I did far too many searches to list all of the relevant links here, but the relevant values and variables are documented in the code comments. I had to search for a while to get the drag coefficient for a simple bullet. Most resources want to discuss ballistic coefficient, which is how a bullet's drag compares to another bullet shape, but I eventually found a few resources that led me to choose the 0.25-0.29 drag coefficients I assumed for the G1 bullet shape traveling at the speeds I'm concerned with here.
I calculated the cross-sectional area of the bullet in m2, from radius in mm, with
A = π * r2 / 10002
Instead of deriving a set of equations to describe the position and orientation of the bullet at any instant in time, I chose to calculate the position and orientation of the bullet at just the next instant in time (n) and integrate in software. I thought this approach was simpler and faster, but it meant I had to iterate some to find relevant solutions instead of solving sets of equations.
Given an initial velocity Vi and an initial angle θi, the position of the bullet a fraction of a second later can be calculated. You don't need to do anything special in polar coordinates, but to convert to more useful Cartesian coordinates I needed to use sine and cosine functions to break the vector up into its vertical (y) and horizontal (x) components. Also, I cannot neglect gravity and drag, and it is important to note that the drag must be applied in the direction the bullet is traveling. I calculated the initial vertical and horizontal components of velocity.
Viy = sin(θi) * Vi
Vix = cos(θi) * Vi
I used the drag equation from NASA's page to calculate drag force and drag acceleration (deceleration).
Fd = Cd * A * 0.5 * ρ(air density) * Vn-12
ad = Fd / m
After calculating the drag acceleration using Vn-12, from the direction the bullet is traveling, I calculated the vertical and horizontal components of the drag acceleration. This allows them to be applied separately to the changes in vertical and horizontal velocity. That is necessary so I can also take gravity into account for the change in vertical velocity.
ady = sin(θn-1) * ad
adx = cos(θn-1) * ad
With a velocity vector and accelerations, I can calculate a new velocity vector and a new position a fraction of a second later. I used 1 millisecond as the time step; larger time steps increase error.
Vny = Vn-1y - ady * 0.001 - ag(9.80665) * 0.001
Vnx = Vn-1x - adx * 0.001
θn = tan-1(Vny / Vnx)
Vn = Vny / sin(θn)
Δy = Vny * 0.001
Δx = Vnx * 0.001
After doing that once, it's just a matter of looping through time steps and summing Δy and Δx. These steps all looped together effectively integrate to get the instantaneous speed, direction, and position along the path of the bullet. Because I didn't manually solve a derived equation, I had to iterate through a few initial angles, θi, for each Cd until I arrived at the measured terminal angle of impact, θt. I could have automated this programmatically, but it didn't take long to manually run the program a few times to get really close. The code has all of the details for constants, variables, and algorithm.
Impact velocity was around 76 m/s, 170 mph, 250 fps, which is definitely fast enough to do some serious damage to a person. That's similar to the speed of a paintball at close range, but with a much denser, sharper, and less forgiving projectile.
The distance is estimated to be around 1500m +/- 100m and the shooter likely shot into the air somewhere around 21-23 degrees above the horizon.
A little Google Earth work later, and I had an approximate location on the map. The elevation in that area is very similar to where the bullet struck. The search area is centered on a multi-acre property with another multi-acre property adjacent north of that. Interesting.
There is definitely room for improvement in my method and implementation, like recalculating air density based on instantaneous bullet altitude, recalculating drag coefficient based on instantaneous bullet speed, and not converting back and forth between degrees and radians, but I believe the assumptions and calculations I used are sufficient my purpose.
Here is the source code: bullet.c

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The troussers is the chic piece in this outfit. I like this fluid side op this pants. When I was in London I wore this troussers from Love Collection You can find this at Topshop. I love this collection when I'm at Topshop I never hesitate to check this collection. I wanted to keep this classic look that's why I wore a withe shirt white metallic sandal shirt and my light pink mini Hermes bag.


text:
using System;

namespace _040_045_LINQ____Grouping_Operators
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            LinqSamples samples = new LinqSamples();

            // Comment or uncomment the method calls below to run or not
            samples.DataSetLinq40();    // This sample uses group by to partition a list of numbers by their remainder when divided by 5.
            //samples.DataSetLinq41();    // This sample uses group by to partition a list of words by their first letter.
            //samples.DataSetLinq42();    // This sample uses group by to partition a list of products by category.
            //samples.DataSetLinq43();    // This sample uses group by to partition a list of each customer's orders, first by year, and then by month.
            //samples.DataSetLinq44();    // This sample uses GroupBy to partition trimmed elements of an array using a custom comparer that matches words that are anagrams of each other.
            //samples.DataSetLinq45();    // This sample uses GroupBy to partition trimmed elements of an array using a custom comparer that matches words that are anagrams of each other, and then converts the results to uppercase.
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Crossover Prog • Canada
The Tea Party biography
Founded in 1990 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Disbanded in 2005 - Regrouped in 2011 up until today (2017)
1990 - The Tea Party consisting of Jeff Martin as lead vocals/lead guitar, Stuart Chatwood on bass and keyboards and Jeff Burrows on drums officially forms after a marathon jam session at Cherry Beach Rehearsal Studios on Toronto's waterfront.
1991 - The Tea Party release their first album independently. The self-titled debut was mainly distributed throughout Ontario and all 3500 original pressings sold out within a year.After this release, they were signed to Chrysalis and sold over a million copies of their official 1st release Splendor Solis, their most successful album to date.During the nineties the band did exstensive tours of both the USA and Canada and have developed something of a cult following.Transmission their studio release in 1997 is regarded as their most progressive album to date sharing a myriad of sound influences.They are widely regarded as one of Canada's most prominent bands and in 2007 they released their first official DVD of live material.
THE TEA PARTY forum topics / tours, shows & news
THE TEA PARTY forum topics
The Tea Party anyone?
Petition for The Tea Party to join
THE TEA PARTY tours, shows & news
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THE TEA PARTY Videos (YouTube and more)
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THE TEA PARTY - Water''s On Fire (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
(4 min 12 sec )
Added by progadicto
Buy THE TEA PARTY Music
More places to buy THE TEA PARTY music online
THE TEA PARTY discography
THE TEA PARTY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
Splendor Solis
The Edges Of Twilight
The Interzone Mantras
Seven Circles
The Ocean At The End
THE TEA PARTY Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
THE TEA PARTY Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
The Reformation Tour
THE TEA PARTY Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
THE TEA PARTY Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
Black River EP
THE TEA PARTY Reviews
The Tea Party Crossover Prog
Take Jim Morrison, put him in front of Led Zeppelin, and stick them in an isolation tank full of bong smoke and early 1990s goth albums and you might end up with something resembling The Tea Party's The Edges of Twilight. Although they don't sound very similar, I kind of think of this crew as being a bit like a Canadian answer to early Porcupine Tree, in the sense that in both cases the artists in question apply some of the production styles and motifs of 1990s indie/alternative rock to a progressive rock agenda, though they are rapidly distinguished from each other by their choice of influences. Porcupine Tree mashed up trippy psychedelia with aspects of trance music and jangle-guitared British indie pop, whereas The Tea Party take the most progressive moments of the Doors and Zep, taken the progginess a few steps further, and give them a Sisters of Mercy sort of aesthetic. It's a weird, weird plan, but somehow it works.
Posted Friday, August 26, 2016 | Review this album | Report (Review #1601486)
20 Years On: The Tea Party's The Edges of Twilight
It's kinda amazing that this album even exists in a way, let alone exists, and is good. This is a progressive hard rock album, released smack bang in the middle of the 90's, when both progressive rock and hard rock was at its most uninspired and awful. Prog then was either corny Dream Theater clones or corny wannabe 70's revival trite, and hard rock was split between grunge and post-grunge (aka buttrock) and AC/DC-style 'tuff guy' wannabe 70's revival trite. It seems ridiculous that somehow The Tea Party (oh, and these guys are called the [%*!#]in Tea Party) could put out a proggy hard rock record that a) isn't terrible, b) doesn't just sound like Rush, and c) actually is progressive and actually is hard rock is pretty incredible to be honest.
I'm going to say this straight away - this is better than any Rush record. Okay, maybe Moving Pictures tops it, but The Tea Party, at least for me, manage to merge prog and hard rock in a way that doesn't make me cringe internally. This isn't wanky nonsense with a punchier bass to give it a hard rock tag, nor is it dadrock with long songs to give it a prog tag. This is more or less the best progressive hard rock album I have heard, and it came out in 1995.
'Fire in the Head' is an absolute mother[%*!#]er of a song. I do hate using profanities to describe music, but there's simply nothing else that can grasp the balls on this track. From the harmonic- ridden guitar riff to the insane verse groove to the rich, powerful vocal lines, this song has testosterone levels that AC/DC could only dream of, yet does it without ever talking about trucks or intercourse. There's an insatiable swagger to Jeff Martin's voice here, with a very Jim Morrison-esque vibrato to it keeping the song in check. There are no tough-guy manly man-ness vocals of manliness here, because they're too good for that. It's so rich in powerful energy that even a rather campy Rush-styled pre-chorus lick can't pull the balls off it.
But the rest of the album doesn't try to repeat the energy of that track, and it shouldn't. Sure, a full record with the intensity of that song would have been pretty impressive, but it also would have been insanely dull. Despite me describing this as progressive hard rock a number of times, the majority of the album wouldn't exclusively fit in either. When it needs to pull some hard punches, it does, and there are some truly monstrous riffs to be found here, and the 'prog' side is more of a 'it's not generic trite' than a 'it has billions of solos' style of prog. The music here is tastefully written and arranged, which is a rarity for hard-edged rock music, even featuring soft, lengthy, piano led pieces, and a rather impressive acoustic instrumental piece, 'The Badger', focusing brilliantly on the harmonic play that many of the heavy riffs have, but with the acoustic instrument it takes its own form. 'Correspondences' is easily the other standout of the record, perfectly combining softer elements of piano and acoustic guitar with progressive structures and a couple of meaty hard rock riffs coming in its second half.
Jeff Martin's vocals really are the focal point of this album on the whole though, and I'm certain that without his romantic croon, this album would be nowhere near as impressive. He carries the music wonderfully through the album's otherwise pedestrian middle-run, with pretty much every song in this section being decent in one regard or another, often due to Martin alone. And I feel that this is the downfall of The Edges of Twilight. Although within the context of the 90's, this is absolutely brilliant and nearly unheard of - a new band coming in with the sounds of the 70's that actually legitimately sounds great, take this out of context and it's not as incredible. And the same thing goes for its genre. This may be a fantastic progressive hard rock album, but when has progressive hard rock really been fantastic? On the whole it is impressive, and definitely an essential album for any prog fan, but it's not quite as good as I want it to be overall.
Originally written for my Facebook page/blog: www.facebook.com/neoprogisbestprog
Review by russellk
Has it really been nearly ten years? One listen to THE TEA PARTY's 2014 reformation album makes it seem no time at all since they broke up after the bland 'Seven Circles'. And I don't mean that entirely in a good way.
Look, these songs are great. Some are outstanding, and the band certainly take more risks than they were taking in 2005. But - and I am finding this difficult to put into words - there's an oily sheen of rock professionalism all over this album. Perhaps it's the overproduction, but I have the feeling it goes deeper. 'The Black Sea', for example, ought to be a standout, but it falls flat. There's no rough hand reaching out from the speakers and grabbing me around the throat. I am not compelled to listen. We get THE TEA PARTY doing PINK FLOYD on the title track, with a plodding pace, ascending chord sequences and a bitchin' guitar solo. Actually, I like it. 'Like' is about the most they get out of me. Heck, even 'Submission' fails to move me, despite the amazing intro. The only time I did a double-take was at the chilling electronic five-minute outro. They have cleansed this record of anything that might irritate or hook the listener and, in so doing, have rendered it sterile.
And what's JEFF MARTIN done with his voice? He's sounding more and more like JIM KERR these days. (Have a listen to 'Cypher' to hear what I mean.) Now I love KERR's heavily affected voice, and it worked in the context of SIMPLE MINDS' elaborate electronic, pulsing rock of the early 80s ('Sons and Fascination' is one of the best records ever made - ooh look, I'm getting sidetracked). But it just sounds incongruous here. He tickles my ear now, when back then he scorched.
This album's good, make no mistake. But I think the band wanted to do better than good. If so, they're probably a little disappointed.
Was it worth them reforming the band? I'll find out in a couple of weeks' time, when I attend their Canberra gig.
Posted Wednesday, September 24, 2014 | Review this album | Report (Review #1283414)
And so we reach the rather bleak nadir of this compelling band. THE TEA PARTY learned its chops performing LED ZEPPELIN covers. However, by this, their seventh album, they have all the chops in the world but bind them up rather in the manner Chinese women were once forced to wrap their feet. The result is stunted and unbalanced.
And yet. A surfeit of heavy rock riffs still stirs a faint pleasure in me. Stop it, 'Overload'! I don't want to enjoy this; I shouldn't! But - hee hee - it's still fun. 'Writings On The Wall' is a superior hard rocker. The chorus to 'Wishing You Would Stay' is lovely, with the female voice lifting the song out of mediocrity. Listened to in isolation - perhaps as part of one of their earlier albums - these tracks wouldn't be too bad. (Well, 'The Watcher' is pretty bad, really.) But put 'em all together and you have the same result you'd get if you forced Shakespeare to write a script for a Teletubbies episode.
No, 'Seven Circles', I'm going to resist your crude blandishments. You are a sellout, written to get heavy rock radio airplay, and I despise you for that. If I was the charismatic lead singer and had a desire to make more meaningful music I'd leave after such a limp effort - oh look, he did.
A classic case of misleading advertising. One look at the album cover and title and you'd be forgiven for thinking THE TEA PARTY have returned to their glory days of beautiful Eastern melodies. But they have not. These are not mantras. Shiva does not appear as guest vocalist on any track. Drat.
With this album THE TEA PARTY settle firmly into their post-'Transmission' album formula. Really, this review is largely interchangeable with any of their four most recent albums. And that's a shame: there's no surprises left. It happens to virtually every band - but one can hope...
So. Hard rocker to open, a couple of mid-tempo ballads as singles separated by a few stronger (but interchangeable) numbers. After about five or six tracks, pull out a sequence of three excellent tracks lightly dusted in the glamour that made them a candidate for Crossover Prog: a bit of Arabic melody and rhythm, an oud or a sitar or a tambla drum, a flash of LED ZEPPELIN tinsel (there's a guitar figure in 'Angels' that'll arrest your attention if you're a ZEP fan, and 'Must Must' is yet another return to that troubled Himalayan province, you know the one I mean). Save the most progressive track for the end. Result: an album much more Crossover than Prog. Rinse and repeat.
They are so very good at it.
Crunchy riffs (Exhibit A: 'The Master & Margarita'), superb rhythm section (Exhibit B: 'Apathy'). The occasional surprise (the delicious, sumptuous horns in Exhibit B) and outright brilliance (Exhibit C: the entirety of 'White Water Siren', but especially the chorus riff, oooooh) make this an album I play again and again, albeit in reduced form as a 40-minute playlist. Two songs ('Apathy' and 'White Water Siren') make it on to my 50-minute Best Of THE TEA PARTY playlist. Write more of this stuff, guys! To me, all this adds up to a solid three-star album.
But with a more liberal sprinkling of prog dust it could have been so much more.
It happens to almost every band eventually. Their repertoire gets large enough that their new songs begin to sound derivative of their old songs. THE TEA PARTY have consciously worked to avoid this since the beginning of their career, but I'm afraid on this album they do not succeed.
'Triptych' is a reasonable album. Musically competent, full of excellent melodies. What it's missing, however, is heart. The songs sound like inferior copies of what's gone before. The #1 Canadian single, 'Heaven's Coming Down', is stripped back soft rock... dare I mention a band called NICKELBACK? This is an abrogation of what makes the band great. This song succeeds only because the passion has been torn out of it. Rock by numbers. MARTIN's great voice is wasted here - in fact, it sounds incongruous, more like TOM JONES than JIM MORRISON. Songs like 'Underground' and 'The Messenger' drift past on a cloud of their own inconsequence. Others ('Samsara', as you'd guess from the title, and 'Halcyon Days') reference the glorious 'The Edges of Twilight' but those days appear to have gone. There's nothing exotic here, nothing searing, nothing propulsive. It's telling that many of the songs fade out. As does the album.
Again I must emphasise that this is not a poor album. But I would genuinely choose to listen to 'Transmission' twice in a row than follow it with this one.
Posted Tuesday, September 23, 2014 | Review this album | Report (Review #1281862)
The follow-up to the wildly impressive 'The Edge Of Twilight' is a calculated change of direction. You have to admire a band for opting out of a reprise when their formula has reached its pinnacle. THE TEA PARTY does just that by introducing samples, loops and other techniques garnished from the electronica/IDM scene that was cresting at the time. The result is 'Transmission', an album that continues the band's excellent songwriting and performance.
Unlike their earlier albums, this is a slab of top-quality music with no weaknesses - but fewer strengths also. There's no 'Sister Awake' or even 'Save Me', but there are searing rockers (and I mean searing: 'Temptation', 'Pulse' and 'Gyroscope' stick their fingers in your ears and try to gouge out your eardrums) and intriguing, superbly original tracks, such as the title track. This track begins with electronic feedback overlain by what sounds like a sample of a Jim Jones rant, joined by a thunderous Arabic beat, a Mellotron, an Eastern flute and MARTIN's vocal rasp. The song doesn't take full advantage of such an intriguing beginning (which is a complaint one could levy at most of the tracks on this album) but it is wildly atmospheric and needs to be heard to be believed. To my mind this is exactly what a progressive band needed to do in the 90s - take from the dominant musical cultures to flavour their own work.
And those flavours are stolen without apology. After fifty seconds of exactly what you'd expect, the opening track ('Temptation') is subverted by a pulsing beat one reviewer describes as reminiscent of 'When The Levee Breaks' but is in fact lifted straight from 'Minniapolis' an obscure 1992 Lemon Interupt (later to be Underworld) track. This sot of thing wins my admiration even though it comes at the cost of much of the Arabic/Eastern feel.
In a decade where 'progressive' music was by and large taking place outside normal 'prog rock' circles, it was refreshing to see bands like THE TEA PARTY reinventing themselves.
Posted Monday, September 22, 2014 | Review this album | Report (Review #1281838)
Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1996
Issued as a way to keep interest alive after their superb 'The Edges Of Twilight', THE TEA PARTY's 'Alhambra' is an excellent EP and well worth acquiring for any aficionado of the band.
Acoustic-based songs are an important part of the band's repertoire, both on their studio albums and live: in fact, they have toured as an acoustic outfit. This EP offers acoustic versions of some of The Edges Of Twilight's choicest cuts. Indeed, 'Inanna' and 'Turn the Lamp Down' are substantially the better for it - particularly the former, which is slowed down to a pace where the Arabic flavour seeps into your bones. Delicious.
After four acoustic tracks somes the highlight of this release. ROY HARPER guests as vocalist on 'Time' (sorry, Floydian flashback there) and I can see why he was asked - this outstanding song would not have suited a baritone. HARPER's voice sounds excellent, if a little thinner than back in the day, and it is somewhat of a coup for the band to have recruited him. When the glorious chorus arrives, after over two minutes' worth of largely acoustic setup, it is a substantial shock. Genuinely one of the best tracks in THE TEA PARTY's canon.
What to say about the remix of 'Sister Awake', a remake of one of the best tracks in rock? We're better for having it, I suppose, but it's not up there with the original. This is a link between their previous album and the upcoming industrial electronic feel of 'Transmission'. I think this is an excellent example of how a song's arrangement is crucial.
Four stars as an excellent example of what can be achieved in an EP's length. These days I suspect it would be issued as a bonus disk.
'The Edges of Twilight' is THE TEA PARTY's acknowledged masterpiece, but perhaps you haven't yet experienced just how excellent it is. This power rock trio from Canada took their formula of hard rock blues and folky acoustic sound and slathered a layer of Middle-Eastern instruments, melodies and timing all over it, to end up with half a dozen all-time rock classics, surrounded by another half-dozen lesser (but still excellent) tracks. If you want to sample this band, this is where you start.
Specifically, this album is organised around the spine-tinglingly majestic 'Sister Awake', one of the best rock numbers of the 90s. More than a little prog-tinged, this six-minute adventure comes in two parts, a Moroccan-drenched intro and outro sandwiching a most beguiling centrepiece with enough riffage, drama and atmosphere to satisfy any lover of rock, prog or otherwise. This is THE TEA PARTY's 'Kashmir', the apogee of their art. It's that good. Go and have a listen to it now.
But to get there you will have already rocked out with 'Fire In The Head', an opener with more than enough power and subtlety to please, 'The Bazaar', a shorter track based on an eastern rhythm, and the longer, slower, bluesy 'Correspondences', a prog track good enough to be the highlight of many artists' careers. You'll have chilled out with the Celtic acoustic beauty of 'The Badger' and been woken up again by zeppelinesque 'Silence'.
The rest of the album's a bit of a curate's egg. For some reason the band felt the need to insert two of their blues numbers ('Turn The Light Down Low' and 'Since I've Been Loving You' - sorry, I mean 'Drawing Down The Moon') - just delete or skip if you're not a fan of this sort of stuff (I'm not). 'Inanna' is the other indispensable eastern-sounding track on the album and is cut criminally short, while the last two tracks would stand out on any other album by this band.
In the end this album's not about the individual tracks but the overall sound, which will, I hope, capture you and intrigue you over many listens.
A lot of rock and a dusting of prog, THE TEA PARTY are a perfect fit for Crossover Prog. This, their second album (but first widely available release), showcases their sound. Blues-based rock tinged with acoustic tendencies a la LED ZEPPELIN III or any number of folky '70s bands is your starting point, but I would point out that you can hear grunge influences, particularly in some of the guitar and vocal phrasing. The Middle Eastern references people associate with THE TEA PARTY are almost absent here. If this is your cup of tea, read on.
Splendor Solis is organised around a solid centre of excellent material: the first five songs are well crafted, powerful and fit together very satisfyingly. 'The River' is a snappy opener, while 'Midsummer Day' is an improvement on the version recorded for their debut. The drama peaks on 'A Certain Slant of Light', which is carried by an outstanding vocal performance laid on a strong rhythm section and an excellent guitar riff. 'Save Me' is a fan favourite and about as proggy as it gets on this album.
Sadly, the second half of the album tapers off, starting with the cringeworthy and thoroughly derivative 'In My Time Of Dying' - I mean 'Sun Going Down', sorry. 'Dreams Of Reason' needed more work to make it worth over six minutes of your time. The rest of the tracks are at best inoffensive.
Posted Sunday, September 21, 2014 | Review this album | Report (Review #1280807)
Thanks to chris s for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates


We bought some bone in chicken breast at Wholefoods they were not on our list but on sale. I am not a big white meat fan but it is better for you and Lyn does not like the dark meat I love her and I cater to her like most of the time. Anyway we already used the boneless chicken breast in the Carrot Orange Juice Chicken Noodle Soup and I had planned on doing something with it last night. I was surfing the net on my lunch break and found a few but this one from DadCooksDinner.com caught my eye, I did not have everything he used but had substitutes, onion for shallot, dried instead of fresh herbs and I added lemon juice. I did not notice the title until today when I went back to post. He did call it lemon herb sauce after all, but listed no lemon I took liberties, besides it would not be the first time someone else other than me or my Mom left out one ingredient. Anyway this came out with crispy skin, moist and tender so good when Lyn walked in the door I said forget your special diet you just got to try this. She asked if I marinated in buttermilk it was so moist and tender. Like he said in his post he has pan seared oven roasted steak, pork etc. – a man after my own heart – he thought why not with chicken.
You can adjust the salt and pepper to your taste, my wife is a pepper head so.
Prepare the Chicken: Heat your oven to 350F. If the chicken breasts came with the rib section still attached, remove them- they might get too dried out. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Combine salt and pepper together and sprinkle the chicken all sides. Let rest at room temperature until the pan is heated.
Sear the chicken: Put the teaspoon of oil in your fry pan, and heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Swirl the oil around to coat the pan, then add the chicken, skin side down. Sear for 4 to 8 minutes, or until the skin is a dark golden brown. Flip the chicken and sear the bone side for 4 minutes.
*Searing time will depend on how crowded your pan is. If your pan isn't very crowded searing will take less time – 4 to 6 minutes.
Roast the Chicken: Move the pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. You want to cook the chicken until it is just 160*F in the thickest part of the meat. (The best way to check this is with a remote probe thermometer.) Remove the pan from the oven, and move the chicken to a serving plate. Keep the oven mitt on the handle this reminds you the handle and pan are still very hot. I have the scars to prove that I had brain fart moments.
Make the Sauce: Remember, the handle is still &*&^%!! Hot. Using an oven mitt or pot holder, put the pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute, until the onion is softened. Add the chicken stock and herbs, turn the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits of chicken, bring to boil until the stock until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. The plate holding the chicken breasts will have some chicken juice on the bottom; add it to the pan. Turn off the heat, and remove the herb sprigs if you used fresh. Whisk the butter into the sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste. I am on a self imposed very low salt diet so I used the salt sparingly.
Spoon a teaspoon of sauce over each breast, then serve I also used over the asparagus.
This entry was posted in Bird, Chicken, Sauces and Gravy and tagged Black pepper, Butter, chicken, Cook, Deglazing (cooking), Home, Kosher salt, Stock (food). Bookmark the permalink.
Wonderful! I am so glad I found this site. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Thanks I enjoy cooking and sharing, been a little quiet this winter.


Students from Village Oaks Elementary School are taking part in a technology showcase in Lansing next week.
Students from Village Oaks Elementary in Novi are headed to the state Capitol next month to participate in the 16th annual AT&T/MACUL/MVU Student Technology Showcase.
This event takes place from 9:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, and will give students opportunities to demonstrate and display for state lawmakers technology projects they have created. Parents, students and other attendees will also have time to discuss technology and innovation in schools with state education leaders.
Presented by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning and underwritten by AT&T and Michigan Virtual University, the 2016 Student Showcase will feature demonstrations from students representing more than 30 schools across Michigan.
"We are proud to have the chance to demonstrate students' projects to lawmakers and even prouder of the work our kids have done this school year. Having our students experience that they can truly share their learning with others and the world is a very powerful thing," said Melissa Cyrus, second-grade teacher at Village Oaks Elementary.
Jim Murray, president of AT&T Michigan, said students and their teachers "understand how important technology learning is in today's ever-connected world."
"When students have opportunities to learn about and become more comfortable with technology, they are more prepared for their futures," Murray said.
The local students' project focuses on using the digital learning portfolio Seesaw, a place where students can show their learning and can even share where they are at in the learning process. It is also has a wonderful school-to-home connection that allows parents to see what their children are up to every day and makes classrooms very transparent to the community.


text:
Miami Horror
Miami Horror live in Washington DC, 2019
Electropop[1]
synth-pop[2]
dance-pop[3]
nu-disco[4]
indie electronic[5]
Vitalic Noise
Dine Alone
Mild Minds
Wunder Wunder
Gameboy/Gamegirl
Alan Palomo
www.miamihorror.com
Benjamin Plant
Miami Horror are an Australian electronic music band from Melbourne, Victoria. Miami Horror was initially formed by its producer and DJ, Benjamin Plant who began it as a solo project.[6] In addition to Plant, the band has a revolving cast of band members, most usually with Josh Moriarty (guitars and vocals), Daniel Whitechurch (bass, keyboards, and guitars), and Rhythm Luna (drums). The band takes influence from dance and rock artists of the 1970s and 1980s such as Prince, New Order, Todd Rundgren, and Pink Floyd, combining it with modern production techniques from styles such as house and pop music.
They debuted in the music scene with the EP Bravado, released in 2008. Their debut album Illumination was released in 2010, and their second, All Possible Futures, in 2015. A second EP titled The Shapes followed in 2017. Additionally, they have remixed songs from other artists such as Gorillaz, Pnau, and Phantogram, among others.
Currently, they are working on their as-of-yet untitled third studio album, slated for a release in late 2020.
2 Band members
3.2 Extended plays
In 2007, Plant began releasing remixes under the moniker Miami Horror; their instantaneous blog success led him to leave film school and pursue a career in music. A series of both bootleg and official remixes included Stardust's "Music Sounds Better with You" and Tegan and Sara's "Walking with a Ghost", along with contemporary Australian acts such as the Midnight Juggernauts, Faker, and The Presets. According to Plant, the name Miami Horror "was just a visual thing. I thought both words were pretty bold in themselves, but also have quite a strong visual side. Miami representing the colorful and flamboyant side, while horror represents the darker."[5] He has said that he "didn't like it for the first two weeks", but he "learnt to live with it".[7]
Plant began his music career early on, producing music at home from a young age, often DJing at house parties and regular weekly Melbourne club nights such as Streetparty and Third Class. In 2008 he remixed Pnau, The Presets, Bloc Party, Datarock and The Dirty Secrets.[8] Miami Horror has also collaborated with Melbourne electropop group Gameboy/Gamegirl in 2007 and produced the Golden Ghetto Sex EP which featured the single "Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp", a one-off single that became a left-field hit in the music blogosphere the same year.[9]
As Miami Horror, Plant made his commercial debut in 2008 with a five-track EP, Bravado, on Virgin Records. The EP features the song "Don't Be On with Her", for which a promotional video was released online.[10] Miami Horror has since been signed to EMI for distribution in Australia and France.
Miami Horror's live show is formed by Josh Moriarty (guitars and vocals), and Daniel Whitechurch (bass, keyboards, and guitars), Kosta Theodosis (drums).[11] The live incarnation of Miami Horror appeared at the Field Day, Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, Groovin The Moo[12] and Splendour in the Grass festivals in 2009. The band also supported Phoenix, Lily Allen, Simian Mobile Disco and Friendly Fires on their Australian tours in 2009–10.[8]
In late 2009 the band released their first major single "Sometimes" to commercial success, receiving frequent airplay on radio stations and club circuits. They later released their debut album Illumination on 20 August 2010,[13] with further singles including "Moon Theory" and "I Look to You" (the latter featuring Kimbra), each single receiving a music video alongside them. The fourth single, "Holidays", received a music video as well. In 2013, "Sometimes", was included as part of the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack.
The same year, single "Real Slow" was released, and a follow-up single, "Colours in the Sky", was released that November. In 2014, another single, "Wild Motion (Set It Free)" was released. The band's sophomore album All Possible Futures, was released on 21 April 2015. It debuted at number 65 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015,[14] with later singles including "Love Like Mine", and "Celloplane (So Cruel). The band performed at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Corona Capital Festival, Electric Forest, and many other festivals in support of All Possible Futures.
The departure of Aaron Shanahan was announced on 12 December 2016. The next year, the band independently released the EP The Shapes, featuring the single "Leila" which reached commercial success and frequent airplay in Japan, as well as Latin America where a Spanish version of "Leila" was also released and serviced to radio.
In both the summer and autumn of 2019 the group released two new singles, "Restless" and "Luv Is Not Enough", along with the announcement of work beginning on their third studio album, due out by late-2020.
Band members[edit]
Current Live Band Members
Benjamin Plant – production, synthesisers, bass
Joshua Moriarty – guitars, vocals
Daniel Whitechurch – piano, synthesisers
Rhythm Luna – drums
Reva Devito - vocals
TC Milan - vocals
Nicholas Mulhall - guitar, vocals
Former Live Band Members
Aaron Shanahan – guitar, vocals
Kosta Theodosis – drums
Joel Farland – drums
Formats: CD, LP, digital download
All Possible Futures
Released: 7 April 2015
Label: Remote Control
Extended plays[edit]
Released: 14 November 2008
Label: Virgin
Formats: CD, digital download
The Shapes
Released: 17 March 2017[15]
"Sometimes"
2009 Illumination
"Moon Theory"[16]
"I Look to You"[17]
(featuring Kimbra)
"Holidays"[18]
(featuring Alan Palomo)
"Summersun"[19]
"Real Slow"[20]
2013 All Possible Futures
"Colours in the Sky"[21]
(featuring Cleopold)
"Wild Motion (Set It Free)"[22]
"Love Like Mine"[23]
"Cellophane (So Cruel)"[24]
(featuring Aaron Miller and Gavin Turek)
"Stranger"[25]
(featuring Future Unlimited)
"Leila"[26]
2017 The Shapes
"Restless"[27]
2019 TBA
"Luv Is Not Enough"
Remixes[edit]
"Embrace"
2008 Pnau
"Empire Ants"
2010 Gorillaz and Yukimi Nagano
2013 Surahn
"Can't Stop"
2015 Moullinex
"You Don't Get Me High Anymore"
2017 Phantogram
^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Miami Horror | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
^ Zo (17 September 2015). "Miami Horror & Queen Magic Roll Out An Extra-Smooth Cover Of Childish Gambino's "Sober"". Okayplayer. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
^ Keil, Jason (20 May 2015). "Miami Horror Makes Musical Pulp From Its Influences". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
^ Hardmeyer, Casey (5 May 2015). "Miami Horror: All Possible Futures". PopMatters. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
^ a b Li, Christina (9 March 2011). "Miami Horror Thinks American Culture Is Strange, Is Not That Into the '80s". SF Weekly. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
^ Wienkers, JJ. "Q&A with Miami Horror". Saturday Night Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
^ Marcus (27 August 2010). "Miami Horror talk band names, remixes and biding time". TheVine. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
^ a b "Miami Horror Bio". Sidekick Management. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Gameboy/Gamegirl + Miami Horror". BIGSTEREO. 27 January 2007. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Miami Horror – Don't Be On With Her". YouTube. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Miami Horror on MySpace". Myspace. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Groovin The Moo 2009 line-up". FasterLouder. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Australian Albums: What To Expect in 2010". Triple J. 21 January 2010.
^ a b Peak chart positions for albums in Australia:
Illumination: "Discography Miami Horror". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
All Possible Futures: Ryan, Gavin (2 May 2015). "ARIA Albums: Sam Smith Holds On To Top Spot In Australia". Noise11. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
^ "The Shapes – EP by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Moon Theory – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "I Look to You (feat. Kimbra) – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Holidays (feat. Alan Palomo) – EP by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Summersun – EP by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Real Slow – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Colours In the Sky – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Wild Motion (Set It Free) – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Love Like Mine – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Cellophane – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Stranger (feat. Future Unlimited) – EP by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Leila – Single by Miami Horror". iTunes Store (Australia). Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ "Restless – Single by Miami Horror". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
MusicBrainz: fa92553b-3cd5-4876-a7db-1d9dfcdf9fa9
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miami_Horror&oldid=934694626"
2007 establishments in Australia
Australian synthpop groups
EMI Records artists
Indietronica music groups
Musical groups from Melbourne
Musical quartets
Nu-disco musicians
Use Australian English from July 2012


text:
Gay marriage fight could cost taxpayers nearly $2M
DETROIT – Lawyers who won a historic legal battle to strike down Michigan's ban on gay marriage are seeking nearly $2 million from the state.
Under federal law, there seems to be no dispute that lawyers for April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse are entitled to payment from taxpayers. Attorney General Bill Schuette vigorously opposed their challenge to Michigan's 2004 ban on gay marriage, which was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
It's up to Detroit federal Judge Bernard Friedman to determine what's reasonable for the legal team. Schuette will have an opportunity to respond.
In a court filing Saturday, attorneys for the Detroit-area nurses say the case was "novel, complex and difficult." It lasted three years and included a trial in Detroit.
The main lawyers were Carole Stanyar, Dana Nessel, Ken Mogill and Mary Bonauto.


text:
India and the U.S. Find Common Ground in the Indo-Pacific
Jan 29, 2018 | 09:00 GMT
The United States seeks to improve its relationship with India in the hope that they can together counter China's rise. However, New Delhi's doctrine of strategic autonomy and its aversion to formal alliances is frustrating Washington's ambitions.
(GIO BANFI/iStock)
The world's three most populous countries are locked in a power struggle across the Indo-Pacific region. The United States wants to strengthen its defense partnership with India as part of a broader effort to counter China's growing influence in the region and around the world. India, too, is interested in challenging China by asserting itself in Southeast Asia's political, economic and security domains as it pursues its "Act East" policy. But although they share a rival in common, Washington and New Delhi have different aims in their efforts against Beijing. The divergences in their strategies will get in the way of greater cooperation in the region between the United States and India....
China in Transition
Instability in Central Asia
India's Own Worst Enemy
The India-Pakistan Rivalry
oil and natural gas corp
Quadrilateral Security Group


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text:
Khalil Shaheed, auch Tom Hall (eigentlich Thomas Howard Hall, * 19. Januar 1949; † 27. März 2012 in Oakland), war ein US-amerikanischer Trompeter im Bereich des Blues, Fusion und Jazz sowie Musikpädagoge.

Leben und Wirken
Shaheed wuchs in Pittsburgh und Chicago auf, wo er als Jugendlicher in den Jazzclubs der South Side verkehrte. Nach zwei Jahren Studium an der Southern Illinois University Carbondale begann er als professioneller Musiker in San Francisco zu arbeiten, wo er bei seiner Mutter lebte. Er ging dann sieben Jahre in der Band von Buddy Miles auf Tourneen, um dann hauptberuflich als Musikpädagoge in Oakland zu arbeiten. Er unterrichtete zunächst im Dimond Rec Center und im Malonga Casquelord, bevor er 1994 das musikpädagogische Programm Oaktown Jazz Workshop (OJW) gründete, das 1998 als Jazz in the Schools an Elementar-, Middle und Highschools in Oakland und Fremont durchgeführt wurde. Ein weiteres Programm des OJW namens Jazz Encounters veranstaltete im Jazzclub Yoshi's Konzerte mit Künstlern wie Branford Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval oder Joe Zawinul.

Als Musiker war Shaheed vorwiegend in der Jazzszene von Oakland aktiv; er spielte im Laufe seiner Karriere u. a. mit Buddy Miles, Jimi Hendrix (als Tom Hall), Woody Shaw, John Handy, Billy Higgins und Taj Mahal; insgesamt wirkte er dabei bei 30 Aufnahmesessions mit, darunter mit eigenen Formationen sowie mit Ledisi Young und Babatunde Lea.  Shaheeds Album mit der Big Belly Blues Band wurde 2002 in der Kategorie New Blues Artists für den Grammy nominiert. Bei einer Benefiz-Veranstaltung im Yoshi's Oakland für den an Lungenkrebs erkranken Musiker nahmen 2010 Musiker wie Bobby Hutcherson, John Handy, George Cables, Eddie Gale, John Santos und Winard Harper teil. Shaheed arbeitete bis kurz vor seinem Tod im März 2012 in den Bands Big Belly Blues, Mo' Rockin' Project, Open Mind Ensemble und in Redwood Brass.

Diskographische Hinweise
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix (1968–70, ed. 2003)
Buddy Miles Express – Electric Church (1969)
Buddy Miles – Them Changes (1970)
 The Freedom Express – Easy Ridin' (1970)
 Ledisi – Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue (2001)

Weblinks
Webpräsenz

Einzelnachweise

Jazz-Trompeter
Fusion-Musiker
Musikpädagoge
Person (Oakland)
Musiker (Vereinigte Staaten)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1949
Gestorben 2012
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Here is a series of activities for Alice Mead's historical fiction novel "Soldier Mom". There are comprehension quizzes, characterization activities, setting activities, conflict questions, and point of view questions. Students are asked to cite evidence from the text throughout the questions, making this a perfect resource for teaching the common core standards.


The Villa established inside of Seminyak's heart, it is a hidden gem with Euro style building in Bali. Situated on quiet part of Seminyak – Bali, the villa offers a peaceful ambiance and atmosphere. With short stroll, you will enter hustle bustle of Seminyak's eat streets.
The villa itself can accommodate up to six adults and three children. Furnished with complete kitchen and dining area, This Villa is a perfect family vacation rental in Bali. This Villa also have spacious private swimming pool adjacent with garden and outdoor shower. It is also perfect spot for petite party to arrange bachelor or bachelorettes.
This Villa came with two and three bedrooms, each of bedroom has it owns LCD TV, Safety Deposit Box and along en-suite bathroom. Living area located on first floor and equipped with Hi-Fi Stereo sound system. Adjacent with living area, dining area with pool view will boosts your mood during breakfast in morning time.
The convenience pool itself size 5 meters x 11 meters. It is a perfect place to lazy down and enjoying your holiday in Bali. The villa also have private parking space to keep your vehicle secured.


It's only a little over a month since River Plate were celebrating their greatest ever triumph in Madrid but after their subsequent Club World Cup defeat and a short break, the Copa Libertadores champions were back in Superliga action on Saturday. One of four games in-hand, River were now looking to close the gap on the leaders but were dealt an early blow in 2019 by the still, ever so impressive Defensa y Justicia.
Sebastián Beccacece's side resumed the year in second, the only unbeaten side in the top flight, and without having lost any of their talented youngsters during the window travelled to the Monumental full of confidence.
That much was clear from the outset. Well drilled and disciplined Defensa y Justicia harried and pressed their sluggish hosts and Nicolás Fernández proved a constant nuisance to the River backline. A bouncing header had drawn a flying save from Franco Armani and a snapshot from the edge of the box skidded past the post as the visitors looked the more likely opening scorers.
That breakthrough came midway through the first half when Matías Rojas' low free-kick took a touch off the wall and beat a slightly wrong footed Armani. The Paraguayan midfielder another fine example of a player who looks transformed since arriving in Florencio Varela – seven goals in eleven appearances and this his third free-kick of the campaign.
Despite being far from their best River should have been level at the break. Rafael Santos Borré, so decisive in front of goal during the Copa Libertadores campaign, fired wide with only Ezequiel Unsain to beat during stoppage time and it was the closest the home side came to unlocking the visitors.
Dominant after half time in terms of possession, River lacked ideas and the responsibility of creativity lying with Juan Fernando Quintero made Defensa y Justicia comfortable in snuffing out danger. Captain Alexander Barboza and Lisandro Martínez have proved one of the top central defensive pairings in the league and were never going to be undone by what Gallardo's side had to offer at this early stage of the year.
With the win Defensa y Justicia close the gap behind Racing to just three points and El Halcón's unlikely title challenge has to be taken seriously while River clearly have plenty still to do in the transfer window if they are to make substantial improvements.
Why have the River Plate fans got their banners upside down? What are they upset about?


text:
An interview with Paul Wood - Masculinity, Prison, and life after TEDx
By Tara Ranchhod
TEDxAuckland speaker, Paul Wood took the stage in 2012 with his talk, 'What's Your Prison?'. Since then, Paul has gained a huge amount of attention connecting with people from all walks of life. 7 years on, we met up with him to reminisce about the experience, his life since then, and important societal issues.
How would you best describe your TEDx experience back in 2012? Why was it important to you?
My talk in 2012 was the first time I spoke publicly to an audience about my background. I saw it as an opportunity to try and have a positive impact on other people based on my experiences of change, growth, and overcoming some of the obstacles that I think are so common for us all.
It was a nerve-racking experience, as my story is not focused on the positive things that I have done, but rather a redemptive journey to try and better myself as a person. So, there's an additional element of vulnerability there.
There's a strong sense of bond and camaraderie that builds with the other speakers. It was such an emotionally intense thing to do. I compare it to social bungee jumping as you certainly feel alive while doing it.
It also began the start of a speaking career. I spoke to people afterwards who said they had gained value from the talk. It gave me a reassurance that this was a redemptive vehicle for me to try and have a positive impact and do something that would matter.
Looking back at where you were when you started this journey (in your industry), where did you think it was going to lead you? Did you expect to be where you are today?
I didn't have any great expectations of where it would lead me, but I wanted to share my story. Before it was public knowledge, I'd been out of prison for a number of years and had built a career for myself. Yet, it felt inauthentic because I was constantly worried about clients finding out about this secret I harboured, and it wasn't my place to share it with people because I wasn't a free agent – I was a representative of the values and brand of the organisation I worked for.
When my background did become public, I felt liberated and saw it as a great way for me to try and do something meaningful with my life. The TEDxAuckland event was a vehicle for this, and a bucket list opportunity to be involved in such a prestigious event.
One of the things I became aware of through that experience was that public speaking was really well paired with my personality, strengths, and something that I could turn into a career. Whereas, I wasn't aware of that option beforehand. In fact, it was through connections in TEDxAuckland that made it happen.
Part of the TED ethos for me is an openness to changing your mind, sharing your thoughts and ideas. Therefore, I approached it with the level of openness which meant that I would be in a position to be able to pursue other opportunities that would come from it as opposed to having a particular plan around that. So, I got all sorts of things that were completely unpredictable and unexpected.
What are the most common problems that men are experiencing/facing today? How can we better support them?
One of the biggest issues we have is false ideas around what it means to be a strong and courageous man.
Courage and strength is to be able to own your own vulnerabilities, risk rejection, and exposure by asking other people for support and assistance. We love this narrative that you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and do it all on your own, but that's the most unhelpful way to approach life.
You can certainly reach a level of self-containment and resilience through that approach, but it will also wall you off from the people who could give you the greatest opportunity for what love feels like to give and receive because there are costs associated with that approach to masculinity.
For example, in prison you have to become resilient or you won't survive, so you become very good at putting walls up. Men tend to be encouraged to do this, to suck it up and not to demonstrate anything you'd associate with feeling weak or vulnerable. One of the biggest miscomprehension's is who you're supposed to be as a man. It's about understanding what the values are that you're placing on that gender identity, and how to live those in a way which is empowering, enabling, and life enhancing rather than depriving and diminishing.
Where do you see those narratives need to be told?
In early education. Emotional literacy should be included in our school's national syllabus. Part of the challenge for men, in particular, is they grow up getting messages that they shouldn't have certain types of emotions, and as a result don't know how to effectively deal with them. Woman also receive equally unhelpful but different messages around their emotions. So, by having emotional literacy as part of the syllabus you're saying that it's normal for you to feel lots of different emotions, and you're equipping people to better recognise and manage what they are feeling.
If I can't tell the difference between shame and guilt then my brain is going to assume the worst and think what I feel is shame. As a result, I'm going to assume there's something broken and wrong with me, which means that I'm irredeemable as a person. Whereas, if I can correctly identify between them, I can recognise when the distress I feel is guilt resulting from my behaviour rather than shame because of who I am. Being able to distinguish between these gives me hope and motivation as it means I can recognise that it's within my power to change my future behaviour and therefore do better and be better.
I make a real effort to go out and make myself vulnerable, particularly to groups of people who are not used to that. The aim is to role model that it's okay to admit to people that you are not perfect and don't always feel happy and in control. For example, I have spoken to soldiers and professional athletes who inhabit hyper masculine environments (from a traditional sense) and often think they gain the most from this because they're often least exposed to it, and are in environments where some of the more traditional ideas about masculinity are reinforced.
How do you personally cope with new challenges and stress?
By continuing to expose myself voluntarily to both and embracing them is the way you grow and get better. However, we've evolved to treat both as a potential threat.
A piece of research was conducted last year where they gave people two options. The first option was a low-intensity electric shock at random and the second was a significantly stronger electric shock right then. People would rather have a greater physical pain right now than deal with the emotional distress of coping with the uncertainty. It makes us feel unsafe which is inherently stressful. However, if you deliberately embrace the stress associated with uncertainty (such as getting out of your comfort zone) then it activates the approach system in your brain which is related to positive emotional experiences. So, I choose to voluntarily expose myself to those situations and through that I expand my comfort zone, grow as a person, and continue to inoculate myself against the challenges associated with uncertainty and stress.
What is one of the most interesting (or perhaps unpredictable) things you have learned about others through your workshops and coaching sessions?
How similar we all feel in terms of the challenges we experience. There's this concern that if people found out about our real struggles we'd be rejected. But when you're prepared to be courageous enough to make yourself vulnerable, there's a far greater sense of connection and respect from others.
Another surprising element is just how challenging people find it to be confronted with positive impressions of themselves. Our brains are so geared towards threat detection, avoidance and self-doubt. People often find it really emotionally challenging, and overwhelming when they get a more accurate gauge of just how positively they're perceived by others.
Over the last couple of years I have done a lot of work in the anti-bullying and harassment space. Yet something interesting I know about this area is that the most frequent bullying that goes on is often the stuff between your ears - how you talk to yourself. I often challenge people to pay attention to when they're beating up on themselves and ask themselves at that point: What would I be saying to someone else in this situation who you cared about and loved right now? Because I bet you wouldn't be saying anything as harsh as you'd say to yourself. It can be incredibly liberating for people to realise that they're not alone in this experience.
Are there any other resources that you think should be readily available for our youth to help them with their personal growth?
I would make sure that sports or other extracurricular activities are fully supported. Part of the challenge is that the current cost associated with those activities can be a barrier for people who would most benefit from it, typically in lower socioeconomic areas.
It was a judge up North who said "a kid in sport is a kid not in court", which is so true. You need a positive outlet for your energy, direction, sense of identity and community - in your teenage years more than ever. It needs to be something that gives you a sense of community outside of your standard life activities. So, if you have a positive outlet and focus for your time that builds those things then you're just winning on every level.
How does prison affect men psychologically? What changes would you like to see within the prison system?
The current prison set up reinforces some of the unhelpful ideas, mindsets, and approaches that men end up having in there, such as the emotional disconnection.
One of the reasons that people end up in prison is due to a lack of appropriate empathy for other people. You're then put into an environment where any demonstration of empathy is punishing, in terms of your ability to be resilient and survive. It's such a predatory environment that if you feel empathy for others, you just wouldn't cope, and it'd be perceived as an invitation for victimisation. To then expect you to demonstrate empathy when you're released is just a ridiculous notion.
I'd create a greater emphasis on people having the opportunity to become better rather than simply be contained. We want to prepare people for release but also want to make sure society is secure in their containment. Unfortunately, the weight at the moment is so heavily geared towards containment and security that it comes at a massive cost to actually preparing people for release. As a society we need to be prepared to take a bigger risk.
There's the Scandinavian approach, which isn't about punishment, but is an evidence-based approach to reducing the likelihood that reoffending will occur VS the ideologically driven North American approach. This is about playing on and appealing to public fear, which produces a climate where certain types of policies and approaches are about winning votes.
Prison then becomes an industry, and the taxpayer cost to imprisonment becomes higher and higher. The human cost associated with the way we approach putting people in a hostile environment (such as prison) comes at a massive cost to us as well. If you don't want people to reoffend you should not expose them to the prison environment, as it's one of the key determinants of ongoing criminal reoffending. There are certainly people who need to be imprisoned. I've been around lots of them, but there are lots of people who would benefit from other approaches. It would be more effective in terms of curtailing any criminal offending and turning them into contributing tax-paying members of society.
Looking forward to the future what kind of impact would you like to have on the world?
At a micro-level, I'm focused on trying to create an environment where my kids will grow up with as few barriers and challenges as necessary for them to be able to live an authentically rich and fulfilled life. I also want my wife to have a greater well-being and flourish as much as possible.
At a macro level, any opportunity I have to communicate what I consider to be the accurate and liberating ideas that leads greater emotional self-acceptance about who we are and aren't as people is what I want. I'm just trying to scale up that impact and I love the fact that my TEDx talk and now my book How to Escape from Prison has enabled me to reach so many.
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text:
Arran Magee
Norrag Blog
UNESCO Futures of Education Progress Review – A Missing Thread?
Abstract: This NORRAG Highlights was written by guest author, Arran Magee, doctoral scholar in Education and International Development at the UCL Institute of Education. Magee discusses the progress update released by UNESCO's International Commission on the Futures of Education. He reveals paradoxes, brought forth by focus groups, in the vision for education and proposes that the Commission take a more process-centered approach to their final report (expected: November 2021).
In September 2019, UNESCO convened the International Commission on the Futures of Education. It outlined an ambitious vision "to reimagine how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet" (UNESCO, 2019) as part of a "radical reframing" of education that can "strengthen our common humanity and ensure sustainable relationships with others, with nature, and with technology" (UNESCO, 2021b). It builds on UNESCO's history of (re)framing a humanist vision of education to integrate the multiple dimensions of human existence; an education based on respect for life and human dignity, equal rights, social justice, cultural diversity, international solidarity, and shared responsibility for a sustainable future (UNESCO, 2015).
The initiative and vision has drawn considerable attention. At the time of writing, over 1 million people had engaged with the Futures of Education initiative through various mediums including focus group discussions, background papers, surveys, webinars and artwork. In March 2021 a progress update (UNESCO, 2021b) from the Commission gave the first real insight into our collective contributions and presented a juncture to reflect on the published materials and process to date. As someone whose work is grounded in humanist visions of education and having been invited to a UNESCO-NORRAG consultation in 2020 (NORRAG, 2021) I was eager to assess the progress so far.
What has become clear through this assessment, is a significant discrepancy between the visions for education across the datasets. In particular, between the background papers produced by academics (UNESCO, 2020) – predominantly from the Global North – and the synthesis of the 410 focus groups, including students, youth, educators, parents, government officials, and academics as well as leaders from business, civil society and nongovernmental organizations (UNESCO, 2021a).
Indeed, a number of the background papers presented utopian left-leaning wish lists (Common Worlds Research Collective, 2020) that would always have been difficult to reconcile with the broad political spectrum of views and opinions we face in 2021. However, they also shared a very reasoned recognition of paradoxes in education visions to date:
Education's preoccupation with jobs and fueling economic growth on the one hand and its simultaneous ambition to mitigate the degenerative impacts of economic growth on the other (e.g. Gautam and Shyangtan, (2020); Facer, (2021))
Education's focus on individualism to solve collective problems, rather than interdependence with both nature and each other ( e.g. Common Worlds Research Collective (2020); Hager and Beckett (2020))
Subsequently, the background papers suggest that 'more of the same' will not suffice and that there must be an opportunity for a broader perspective of education and what a successful education system can achieve (Buchanan et al., 2020). Presumably such a vision sat well with the UNESCO Education Futures which has long sought a broader vison of education "beyond narrow utilitarianism and economism" (UNESCO, 2015, p. 10).
In the analysis of the focus group discussions, however, this message, although present, does not share the same emphasis. The focus groups maintain a significant steer towards the job market:
Participants emphasized that learning should focus on twenty-first century skills, particularly critical and creative thinking, virtual and financial literacies, flexibility, communication and teamwork. According to them, these skills provide a more humanistic learning experience and equip individuals for a changing job market (UNESCO, 2021a, p. 7).
Moreover, the focus groups were "largely seen by participants as being driven primarily by the individual learner, who by setting their own agenda and fulfilling their needs (mind, body and soul) produces better social outcomes" (UNESCO, 2021a, p. 7). The focus group analysis identifies for itself the contradiction at hand:
The paradox here is that, while social and global problems were often discussed in collective terms, the solutions offered focused mainly on the individual (aligning with their interests, goals, well-being and happiness) (UNESCO, 2021a, p. 7).
The Commission's progress report – which outlines some key themes and a structure for the final paper to be released in November 2021 – has done well to balance the contrasting views presented in its dataset. The progress report maintains its steer towards a need for a humanist vision and radical reform, yet recognises some of the pull-factors that maintain the status quo: that "families, communities, and governments around the world know well that, despite shortcomings, contemporary education systems create opportunities and provide routes for individual and collective advancement" (UNESCO, 2021b, p. 7).
The progress report to date, however, has overlooked a vital thread that unites its datasets and underpins its humanist philosophy: the importance of the process itself. It notes only briefly and without detail in the 'Epilogue and continuation' section UNESCOs intent of an 'ongoing intergenerational debate' (UNESCO, 2021b, p. 17). Yet the Commission's evidence of the disjunctures that exist between and within us calls for coordination of a continual process of negotiation and balancing of interests and perspectives in order to continue to evolve a collective vision of education. It is a need already well established in the background papers and their principles (e.g. Desjardins, Torres and Wiksten (2020); Haste and Chopra (2020); Stitzlein (2020)) and at the heart of UNESCOs humanist, democratic vision.
Therefore, my reading of the Commission's progress to date calls for far greater emphasis on the process rather than the 'outcome'. Producing what it calls the 'final report' would be to miss what we need most from the Commission: the leadership to continue the discussion. Subsequently, as part of its core chapters should be:
a reflection on the process so far and its role in shaping education
a proposal on how to continue the discussion
a proposal to incorporate yet more voices, from even further afield
In doing so, the Commission would be demonstrating its intent to try and invoke constructive conflict and negotiation. In this space exists the opportunity not only to discuss the future we envision, but the opportunity to collectively create one.
About the Author: Arran Magee (@arranmagee) is a doctoral scholar in Education and International Development at the UCL Institute of Education. His research centres on education in emergencies with a particular focus on critical pedagogies for conflict-affected forced-migrants. Over the past decade he has worked across a range of contexts, including Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan.
Student resilience during the COVID-19 crisis
Teachers as Agents of Change: Supporting, Enabling, and Empowering
How far are Arab Countries from meeting SDG4 education targets?
Education and skills for women's integration into the labor market: a comparative analysis of eight sub – Saharan African countries
What does it mean to build a new social contract for education? An invitation to think, act…and write!
Ensuring rights-based quality Education for Refugee in host communities: An analysis of policy, curriculum, teaching and pedagogies in Ontario, Canada
Context matters: critical evidence gaps in non-state education
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