text:
Tag Archives: attain
Police in Sudan Aid Muslim's Effort to Take Over Church Plot
With possibility of secession by Southern Sudan, church leaders in north fear more land grabs.
NAIROBI, Kenya, October 25 (CDN) — Police in Sudan evicted the staff of a Presbyterian church from its events and office site in Khartoum earlier this month, aiding a Muslim businessman's effort to seize the property.
Christians in Sudan's capital city told Compass that police entered the compound of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) on Oct. 4 at around 2 p.m. and ordered workers to leave, claiming that the land belonged to Muslim businessman Osman al Tayeb. When asked to show evidence of Al Tayeb's ownership, however, officers failed to produce any documentation, the sources said.
The church had signed a contract with al Tayeb stipulating the terms under which he could attain the property – including providing legal documents such as a construction permit and then obtaining final approval from SPEC – but those terms remained unmet, church officials said.
Church leader Deng Bol said that under terms of the unfulfilled contract, the SPEC would turn the property over to al Tayeb to construct a business center on the site, with the denomination to receive a share of the returns from the commercial enterprise and regain ownership of the plot after 80 years.
"But the investor failed to produce a single document from the concerned authorities" and therefore resorted to police action to secure the property, Bol said.
SPEC leaders had yet to approve the project because of the high risk of permanently losing the property, he said.
"The SPEC feared that they were going to lose the property after 80 years if they accepted the proposed contract," Bol said.
SPEC leaders have undertaken legal action to recover the property, he said. The disputed plot of 2,232 square meters is located in a busy part of the heart of Khartoum, where it has been used for Christian rallies and related activities.
"The plot is registered in the name of the church and should not be sold or transfered for any other activities, only for church-related programs," a church elder who requested anonymity said.
The Rev. Philip Akway, general secretary of the SPEC, told Compass that the government might be annoyed that Christian activities have taken place there for many decades.
"Muslim groups are not happy with the church in north Sudan, therefore they try to cause tension in the church," Akway told Compass.
The policeman leading the officers in the eviction on Oct. 4 verbally threatened to shoot anyone who interfered, Christian sources said.
"We have orders from higher authorities," the policeman shouted at the growing throng of irate Christians.
A Christian association called Living Water had planned an exhibit at the SPEC compound on Oct. 6, but an organization leader arrived to find the place fenced off and deserted except for four policemen at the gate, sources said.
SPEC leaders said Muslims have taken over many other Christian properties through similar ploys.
"We see this as a direct plot against their churches' estates in Sudan," Akway said.
The Rev. John Tau, vice-moderator for SPEC, said the site where Al Tayeb plans to erect three towers was not targeted accidentally.
"The Muslim businessman seems to be targeting strategic places of the church in order to stop the church from reaching Muslims in the North Sudan," Tau said.
The unnamed elder said church leaders believe the property grab came in anticipation of the proposed north-south division of Sudan. With less than three months until a Jan. 9 referendum on splitting the country according to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, SPEC leaders have taken a number of measures to guard against what it sees as government interference in church affairs.
Many southern Sudanese Christians fear losing citizenship if south Sudan votes for secession in the forthcoming referendum.
A top Sudanese official has said people in south Sudan will no longer be citizens of the north if their region votes for independence. Information Minister Kamal Obeid told state media last month that south Sudanese will be considered citizens of another state if they choose independence, which led many northern-based southern Sudanese to begin packing.
At the same time, President Omar al-Bashir promised full protection for southern Sudanese and their properties in a recent address. His speech was reinforced by Vice President Ali Osman Taha's address during a political conference in Juba regarding the signing of a security agreement with First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit (also president of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan), but Obeid's words have not been forgotten.
Akway of SPEC said it is difficult to know what will become of the property.
"Police continue to guard the compound, and nobody knows for sure what the coming days will bring," Akway said. "With just less than three months left for the South to decide its fate, we are forced to see this move as a serious development against the church in Sudan."
Posted in Christianity, Islam, Presbyterian, Sudan	| Tagged 2005, accepted, accidently, according, action, activities, address, affairs, against, aid, aiding, annoyed, anonymity, anticipation, anyone, approval, approve, arrived, asked, association, attain, authorities, begin, believe, belonged, bring, business, businessman, busy, called, capital, cause, center, choose, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, church-related, churches, citizens, citizenship, city, claiming, commercial, compound, Comprehensive Peace Agreement, concerned, considered, construct, construction, continue, contract, country, decide, Deng Bol, denomination, deserted, development, difficult, direct, disputed, division, Documentation, documents, effort, elder, entered, enterprise, erect, estates, events, evicted, eviction, evidence, except, exhibit, failed, fate, fear, feared, fenced, Final, find, forced, forgotten, forthcoming, full, gate, General Secretary, government, grab, grabs, groups, growing, guard, happy, heart, high, higher, including, Independence, information minister, interfered, interference, investor, irate, Islam, John Tau, Kamal Obeid, Khartoum, know, land, leader, leaders, leading, leave, legal, Living Water, located, longer, lose, losing, measures, media, move, Muslim, muslims, name, north, north-south, northern-based, obtaining, office, officers, Omar al-Bashir, ordered, orders, organization, Osman al Tayeb, ownership, packing, part, people, permanently, permit, Persecution, Philip Akway, place, planned, plot, ploy, ploys, police, policeman, possibility, Presbyterian, President, produce, programs, project, promised, properties, property, proposed, protection, providing, rallies, reaching, receive, recent, recover, referendum, regain, region, registered, reinforced, related, remained, requested, resorted, returns, Rev, risk, Salva Kiir Mayardit, secession, secure, seize, semi-autonomous, serious, share, shoot, shouted, show, signed, similar, single, site, sold, southern, Southern Sudan, SPEC, speech, splitting, staff, state, stipulating, stop, strategic, Sudan, Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, Sudanese, targeted, tension, terms, threatened, throng, told, top, towers, transferred, undertaken, unfulfilled, unmet, unnamed, used, verbally, Vice President, vice-moderator, votes, words, workers | Leave a comment
Conclusive scientific evidence: homosexuality is treatable
The U.S.-based National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) has just released its long-awaited comprehensive review of over 125 years of scientific research on homosexuality, reports Family Watch International.
This groundbreaking report, "What Research Shows," dispels the myths that are commonly used to promote the legalization of same-sex marriage and the mainstreaming of homosexuality throughout society and in the public schools by force of law.
NARTH is a professional association of scientists and mental health professionals whose stated mission is to conduct and disseminate scientific research on homosexuality, promote effective treatment, and to protect the right of individuals with unwanted same-sex attraction to receive effective care.
While one might think that such a mission would be viewed as both commendable and relatively non-controversial, the reality is just the opposite. Homosexual activists try to suppress research on same-sex attraction because one of the pillars of homosexual advocacy is the falsehood that homosexuals are "born that way" and cannot change their orientation. Since the NARTH report proves that homosexuality can be changed through therapy in the same way conditions like alcoholism and other addictions can be changed, the whole case for mainstreaming homosexuality into society crumbles. Another myth the NARTH report disproves is that therapy to help people with unwanted same-sex attraction is ineffective and even harmful.
The extensive research and clinical experience reviewed by NARTH makes it clear even to a layman that these claims are false. Homosexual activists spread these misconceptions about homosexuality and even persecute their own who seek treatment because they know that public opinion polls show that people who believe homosexuals are born that way are more likely to support the homosexual agenda. NARTH is one of the very few credible, professional organizations anywhere in the world that is successfully challenging this propaganda.
Specifically, the NARTH report substantiates the following conclusions:
1. There is substantial evidence that sexual orientation may be changed through reorientation therapy.
"Treatment success for clients seeking to change unwanted homosexuality and develop their heterosexual potential has been documented in the professional and research literature since the late 19th century. …125 years of clinical and scientific reports which document those professionally-assisted and other attempts at volitional change from homosexuality toward heterosexuality has been successful for many and that such change continues to be possible for those who are motivated to try."
2. Efforts to change sexual orientation have not been shown to be consistently harmful or to regularly lead to greater self-hatred, depression, and other self-destructive behaviors.
"We acknowledge that change in sexual orientation may be difficult to attain. As with other difficult challenges and behavioral patterns—such as low-self-esteem, abuse of alcohol, social phobias, eating disorders, or borderline personality disorder, as well as sexual compulsions and addictions—change through therapy does not come easily."
"We conclude that the documented benefits of reorientation therapy—and the lack of its documented general harmfulness—support its continued availability to clients who exercise their right of therapeutic autonomy and self-determination through ethically informed consent."
The NARTH report warns that "The limited body of clinical reports that claim that harm is possible—if not probable— if a person simply attempts to change typically were written by gay activist professionals."
3. There is significantly greater medical, psychological, and relational pathology in the homosexual population than the general population.
"Researchers have shown that medical, psychological and relationship pathology within the homosexual community is more prevalent than within the general population. …In some cases, homosexual men are at greater risk than homosexual women and heterosexual men, while in other cases homosexual women are more at risk than homosexual men and heterosexual women. …Overall, many of these problematic behaviors and psychological dysfunctions are experienced among homosexuals at about three times the prevalence found in the general population—and sometimes much more. …We believe that no other group of comparable size in society experiences such intense and widespread pathology."
You can read NARTH's executive summary of the report on our Web site here.
Posted in Homosexuality, USA	| Tagged abuse, acknowledge, activists, addictions, advocacy, agenda, alcohol, alcoholism, assisted, association, attain, attempts, attraction, autonomy, availability, based, behaviors, believe, benefits, body, borderline, born, cannot, care, case, cases, challenging, claims, clear, clients, clinical, commendable, commonly, community, comparable, comprehensive, compulsions, conclude, conclusions, conclusive, conditions, conduct, consent, consistently, continued, continues, credible, crumbles, depression, develop, disorder, disorders, dispels, disproves, disseminate, documented, dysfunctions, easily, eating, effective, efforts, ethically, evidence, exercise, experience, experiences, extensive, false, falsehood, following, force, found, gay, general, greater, groundbreaking, group, harm, harmful, harmfulness, health, help, heterosexual, heterosexuality, homosexual, Homosexuality, homosexuals, individuals, ineffective, informed, intense, lack, law, layman, legalization, limited, literature, long-awaited, low, mainstreaming, marriage, medical, men, mental, misconceptions, mission, motivated, myth, myths, NARTH, National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, non-controversial, opinion, opposite, organizations, orientation, pathology, patterns, people, persecute, person, personality, phobias, pillars, polls, population, possible, potential, prevalence, prevalent, probable, problematic, professional, professionals, promote, propaganda, protect, proves, psychological, public, reality, receive, regularly, relational, relationship, relatively, released, reorientation, research, researchers, review, reviewed, right, risk, same-sex, schools, scientific, scientists, seek, self-destructive, self-determination, self-esteem, self-hatred, sexual, shown, significantly, simply, size, social, Society, specifically, spread, stated, substantial, substantiates, success, successfully, support, suppress, therapeutic, therapy, treatable, treatment, typically, unwanted, USA, viewed, volitional, warns, What Research Shows, whole, widespread, women, world, written | 3 Comments
FAITH AND ASSURANCE: Bishop J. C. Ryle
If you are a thoughtless, careless man about your soul, you will take no interest in the subject of this tract. Faith and assurance are mere names and words to you: they are neither land, nor money, nor horses, nor dress, nor meat, nor drink: like Gallio, you care not for them. Alas, poor soul! I mourn over you. The day will come when you will think differently.
Reader, if you really desire to go to heaven, and to go there in the Bible way you will find the subject of this tract of the deepest importance. Believe me, your own comfort in religion, and your peace of conscience, depend exceedingly on understanding the matter about which I am going to speak. I say then, that faith in Christ, and a full assurance of being saved by Christ, are two distinct things.
A man may have saving faith in Christ, and yet never enjoy an assured hope, like the Apostle Paul. To believe, and have a glimmering hope of acceptance, is one thing; to have joy and peace in our believing, and abound in hope, is quite another. All God's children have faith: not all have assurance. I think this ought never to be forgotten.
I know some great and good men have held a different opinion: I believe that many excellent ministers do not allow the distinction I have stated; but I desire to call no man master. I dread as much as anyone the idea of healing the wounds of conscience slightly; but I should think any other view than that I have given a most uncomfortable gospel to preach, and one very likely to keep souls back a long time from the gate of life.
I would not desire to make one contrite heart sad that God has not made sad, or to discourage one fainting child of God, or to give a soul the impression that you have no part or lot in Christ, except you feel assurance. I do not shrink from saying, that by grace a man may have sufficient faith to flee to Christ, really to lay hold on Him, really to trust in Him, really to be a child of God, really to be saved; and yet to his last day be never free from much anxiety, doubt, and fear.
"A letter," says an old writer, "may be written which is not sealed; so grace may be written in the heart, yet the Spirit may not set the seal of assurance to it."
A child may be born heir to a great fortune, and yet never be aware of his riches, live childish, die childish, and never know the greatness of his possessions.
And so also a man may be a babe in Christ's family; think as a babe, speak as a babe, and, though saved, never enjoy a lively hope, or know the full privileges of his inheritance.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ a man must have, beyond all question, if he is to be saved. I know no other way of access to the Father: I see no intimation of mercy excepting through Christ. A man must feel his sins and lost estate, must come to Jesus for pardon and salvation, must rest his hope on Him and on Him alone. But if he only have faith to do this, however weak and feeble that faith may be, I will engage, from Scripture warrants, he shall not miss heaven. Never, never let us curtail the freeness of the glorious gospel, or clip its fair proportions. Never let us make the gate more strait, and the way more narrow, than pride or love of sin have made it already. The Lord Jesus is very pitiful and of tender mercy. He does not regard the quantity of faith, but the quality He does not measure its degree, but its truth. He will not break any bruised reed, nor quench any smoking flax. He will never let it be said that any perished at the foot of the cross. "Him that cometh unto Me," He says, "I will in no wise cast out" (John vi. 37). 1
Yes, reader! though a man's faith be no bigger than a grain of mustard seed, if it only brings him to Christ, and enables him to touch the hem of His garment, he shall be saved: saved as surely as the oldest saint in paradise; saved as completely and eternally as Peter, or John, or Paul. There are degrees in our sanctification: in our justification there are none. What is written is written, and shall never fail: "Whosoever believeth on Him," not whosoever has a strong and mighty faith, "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed" (Rom. x. 11).
But all this time, I would have you take notice, the poor soul may have no full assurance of his pardon and acceptance with God. He may be troubled with fear upon fear, and doubt upon doubt. He may have many a question and many an anxiety, many a struggle, and many a misgiving, clouds and darkness, storm and tempest to the very end.
I will engage, I repeat, that bare simple faith in Christ shall save a man, though he may never attain to assurance; but I will not engage it shall bring him to heaven, with strong and abounding consolations. I will engage it shall land him safe in harbour, but I will not engage he shall enter that harbour under full sail, confident and rejoicing. I shall not be surprised if he reaches his desired haven weather-beaten and tempest-tossed, scarcely realising his own safety till he opens his eyes in glory.
Reader, I believe it is of great importance to keep in view this distinction between faith and assurance. It explains things which an inquirer in religion some times finds it hard to understand.
Faith, let us remember, is the root, and assurance is the flower. Doubtless you can never have the flower without the root; but it is no less certain you may have the root and not the flower.
Faith is that poor trembling woman who came behind Jesus in the press and touched the hem of His garment (Mark v. 25). Assurance is Stephen standing calmly in the midst of his murderers, and saying, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts vii. 56). Faith is the penitent thief crying, "Lord, remember me" (Luke xxiii. 42). Assurance is Job sitting in the dust, covered with sores, and saying, "I know that my Redeemer liveth" (Job xix. 25). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job xiii. 13).
Faith is Peter's drowning cry as he began to sink: "Lord, save me!" (Matt. xiv. 30). Assurance is the same Peter declaring before the Council, in after times, "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 11,12).
Faith is the anxious, trembling voice: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark ix. 24). Assurance is the confident challenge: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. viii. 33, 34).
Faith is Saul praying in the house of Judas at Damascus, sorrowful, blind, and alone (Acts ix. 11). Assurance is Paul, the aged prisoner, looking calmly into the grave, and saying, "I know Whom I have believed," "There is laid up for me a crown" (2 Tim. i. 12; iv. 8).
Faith is life. How great the blessing! Who can tell the gulf between life and death? And yet life may be weak, sickly, unhealthy, painful, trying, anxious, worn, burdensome, joyless, and smileless to the very end.
Assurance is more than life. It is health, strength, power, vigour, activity, energy, manliness, and beauty.
Reader, it is not a question of saved or not saved that lies before us, but of privilege or no privilege, it is not a question of peace or no peace, but of great peace or little peace, it is not a question between the wanderers of this world and the school of Christ, it is one that belongs only to the school, it is between the first form and the last.
He that has faith does well. Happy should I be if I thought all readers of this tract had it. Blessed, thrice blessed are they that believe: they are safe; they are washed; they are justified. They are beyond the power of hell. Satan, with all his malice, shall never pluck them out of Christ's hands. But he that has assurance does far better, sees more, feels more, knows more, enjoys more, has more days like those spoken of in Deuteronomy, even "the days of heaven upon the earth" (Deut. xi. 21). 2
Reader, whoever you may be, I exhort you never to be satisfied with anything short of a full assurance of your own salvation. With faith, no doubt, you must begin, with simple, child-like faith: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." But from faith go on to assurance. Rest not till you can say, "I know Whom I have believed."
Believe me, believe me, assurance is worth the seeking. You forsake your own mercies when you rest content without it. The things I speak are for your peace. It is good to be sure in earthly things; how much better is it to be sure in heavenly things!
Make it then your daily prayer that you may have an increase of faith. According to your faith will be your peace. Cultivate that blessed root more, and sooner or later, by God's blessing, you may hope to have the flower. You may not perhaps attain to full assurance at once: it is good sometimes to be kept waiting; we do not value things that we get without trouble. But though it tarry, wait for it. Seek on, and expect to find.
1 "He that believeth on Jesus shall never be confounded. Never was any; neither shall you, if you believe. It was a great word of faith spoken by a dying man, who had been converted in a singular way, betwixt his condemnation and execution: his last words were these, spoken with a mighty shout 'Never man perished with his face towards Jesus Christ.'" Traill.
2 "The greatest thing that we can desire, next to the glory of God, is our own salvation; and the sweetest thing we can desire is the assurance of our salvation. In this life we cannot get higher than to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth: some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth." Joseph Carlyle. 1658.
Posted in Christianity, gospel, J. C. Ryle, Theology	| Tagged abound, acceptance, access, activity, aged, allow, alone, anxiety, anxious, apostle, ashamed, assurance, assured, attain, aware, babe, bare, beauty, behind, believe, believed, believing, better, betwixt, beyond, Bible, bigger, bishop, blessed, blessing, blind, born, break, bruised, builders, burdensome, call, calmly, care, careless, certain, challenge, charge, child of God, childish, children, Christ, clouds, comfort, completely, condemnation, confident, confounded, conscience, consolations, content, contrite, converted, council, covered, cross, crown, cry, crying, cultivate, curtail, daily, Damascus, darkness, death, declaring, deepest, degree, degrees, depend, desire, Deuteronomy, differently, discourage, distinct, distinction, doubt, doubtless, dread, dress, drink, drowning, dust, dying, earth, earthly, elect, enables, energy, engage, enjoy, enjoyed, estate, eternally, excellent, excepting, execution, exhort, eyes, fainting, fair, faith, family, Father, fear, feeble, feel, flax, flee, flower, foot, forgotten, form, forsake, fortune, free, freeness, full, Gallio, garment, gate, glimmering, glorious, glory, God, good, gospel, grace, grain, grave, great, greatness, gulf, hand, happy, harbour, haven, healing, health, heart, heaven, heavenly, heavens, heir, hell, hem, higher, hold, hope, horses, house, idea, importance, impression, increase, inheritance, inquirer, interest, intimation, J. C. Ryle, Jesus, job, John, Joseph Carlyle, joy, joyless, Judas, justification, justified, land, last day, lay, letter, life, looking, Lord, lost, love, malice, man, manliness, master, measure, meat, mercies, mercy, midst, mighty, ministers, misgiving, money, mourn, murderers, mustard, names, narrow, never, notice, nought, old, oldest, opened, opinion, painful, paradise, pardon, Paul, peace, penitent, perished, Peter, pitiful, pluck, poor, possessions, power, prayer, preach, press, pride, prisoner, privilege, privileges, proportions, quality, quantity, quench, question, reader, realising, Redeemer, reed, regard, rejoicing, religion, remember, repeat, rest, riches, right, root, sad, safe, sail, saint, saints, salvation, sanctification, Satan, satisfied, Saul, save, saved, saving, school, Scripture, seal, sealed, seed, seeking, shout, shrink, sickly, simple, singular, sink, sins, sitting, slay, slightly, smileless, smoking, Son of Man, sores, soul, speak, spirit, standing, stated, Stephen, stone, storm, strait, strength, strong, struggle, subject, sufficient, surprised, sweetest, tarry, tempest, tempest-tossed, tender, thief, think, thoughtless, touch, touched, tract, Traill, trembling, troubled, trust, truth, trying, unbelief, uncomfortable, understand, understanding, unhealthy, view, vigour, voice, waiting, wanderers, warrants, washed, way, weak, weather-beaten, woman, words, world, worn, worth, wounds, writer, written | Leave a comment
SARAH PALIN'S PENTECOSTAL BACKGROUND: A Look at the Alleged Pentecostal Candidate for the US Vice Presidency
A video has emerged in the last day or so of US Republican Vice Presidency candidate Sarah Palin being blessed by a Kenyan bishop for protection from witchcraft.
The footage shows Sarah Palin standing before the congregation of the Wasilla Assembly of God Church in Anchorage, Alaska. Palin stands at the front with a man on either side placing their hands on her shoulders as Bishop Thomas Muthee leads the church in 'prayer,' seeking God's aid to assist Palin in running for governor of Alaska. This assistance would include finances, to be saved from Satan and protection from witchcraft. Palin credits the Kenyan bishop for helping her attain the office of governor.
Officials for the McCain-Palin campaign say that Palin is not Pentecostal and that she attends different churches – certainly the church in the video is 'different.'
The video is posted below – make what you will of the footage:
Posted in Alaska, Christianity, McCain-Palin Campaign, Pentecostalism, Politics, Sarah Palin, Thomas Muthee, USA, video	| Tagged aid, Alaska, Anchorage, Assembly of God, assist, attain, attends, background, bishop, blessed, candidate, certainly, church, churches, congregation, credits, different, emerged, finances, footage, God, governor, hands, helping, include, Kenyan, leads, look, McCain-Palin Campaign, office, officials, Pentecostal, placing, prayer, protection, Republican, running, Sarah Palin, Satan, saved, seeking, shoulders, shows, standing, Thomas Muthee, USA, Vice President, video, Wasilla, witchcraft | Leave a comment


text:
RBGE Archive
The Archives of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
View archival description
Collection FRS - F.R.S. Balfour Collection
GB235 FRS
F.R.S. Balfour Collection
3 boxes, 28cm
Balfour, Colonel Frederick Robert Stephen (1873-1945)
Born Denbighshire 1873; died London 1945
Educated at Loretto School, Musselburgh and gaining a BA at Oxford University in 1896, Frederick Balfour was initially employed in his family firm in London. He travelled extensively on business and made several expeditions to the Pacific coast of North America, on one occasion staying there for 4 years, acquiring a deep knowledge of forest trees. He introduced the cultivation of several pines including Picea brewiana and developed the Arboretum at the family estate at Dawyck near Peebles, which he had inherited from his father in 1886. Dawyck was already a well established estate with trees dating back to the late seventeenth century. In 1916 Balfour was sent to France to liaise with the French Army over supplies of timber, being appointed Lieut. Colonel for the purpose. His interest in forestry continued after the war and he travelled extensively to supplement the Dawyck collection. With many business interests and directorships, Balfour was a member of the King's Bodyguard for Scotland, Royal Company of Archers and a local Justice of the Peace and Vice Lieutenant of the county in Peeblesshire.
Sources: R. Desmond 'Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists'; Gardeners Chronicle 1945; RBGE obituary folder.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Archives
FRS/1: Correspondence, mainly with William Wright Smith
FRS/1/1/001-221:	221 letters, mainly between Balfour and Smith (but also James Fraser re: James Murray; and A. Bruce Jackson re: William Evans) dating to between 1920 and 1928. Includes information on the Botany of Peeblesshire.
FRS/1/2/001-129:	129 letters mainly between Balfour and Smith (but also Gertrude Balfour; John MacQueen Cowan; Foister; William Gibson and John Andrew) dating to between 1930 and 1935.
FRS/1/3/001-155:	154 letters (024 does not exist) mainly between Smith and Balfour (but also John MacQueen Cowan, William Edgar Evans, David Wilkie?, Gertrude Balfour and Vera Higgins) dating to between 1936 and 1945.
FRS/2: Rhododendron Conference Papers
FRS/2/1/01-43:	Rhododendron Conference (1939), papers dating to 1938 including : programme, agenda, correspondence with Fred J. Chittenden, Campbell, Robert Moyes Adam, John MacQueen Cowan, William J. Blackwood, Euan Cox, John Finnie, Donald Wyman, Lionel de Rothschild, Sir John Stirling Maxwell, etc regarding research for paper to be presented by F.R.S. Balfour at the conference – there's a lot of weather data being passed around. Also copies of the paper "Rhododendron Species in a Cold Situation"
FRS/2/2/001-102:	Rhododendron Conference 1939 – folders containing Conference Committee papers and correspondence between F.R.S. Balfour and fellow attendees including Robert Moyes Adam, George Rutherford, George Campbell, Fred J. Chittenden, K.L. Kenneth, Bruce A. Jackson, Herbert Ihrig, John MacQueen Cowan, etc and F.R.S. Balfour's paper "Rhododendrons in the Western Highlands"
FRS/2/3/01-09:	correspondence relating to the cancelled 1939 Rhododendron Conference, dating to 1940
FRS/3: Ephemera
FRS/3/1:	Landowners' Co-operative Forestry Society, Ltd.
FRS/3/1/1:	List of Plants and Shrubs for sale, 1927-28
FRS/3/1/2:	List No.1 – F.R.S. Balfour's surplus plant list from nurseries at Dawyck, 1928.
FRS/3/2:	copy letters between Samuel Crosse, F.R.S. Balfour and the Curator at Kew Gardens, 1920, regarding the sale of David Douglas's telescope – originals filed under 'Douglas'.
requires permission from RBGE
original Samuel Crosse letters filed under 'Douglas'
Dawyck
Balfour, Colonel Frederick Robert Stephen (Creator)
Smith, Sir William Wright (Subject)
Douglas, David (Subject)
Archivist's note
description compiled by L.P.
Balfour, Colonel Frederick Robert Stephen
CollectionFRS - F.R.S. Balfour Collection
Box: B03
Shelf: C:3:4

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Day Trips around Aberdeen
Tags: Aberdeen
So, you've just passed your driving test at Aberdeen North test centre (Bridge of Don) or Aberdeen South (Cove) and you're looking to go on a road trip — without getting too crazy with the distance. Look no further. GoRoadie breaks down the top 5 locations to visit around the Aberdeen city, whilst still getting home to your own bed in the same day.
Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle
Checking out Stovenhaven is a must for a day trip for a starter. This wee town is just 15 miles south of Aberdeen, taking only 20-30 minutes to get there.
Stonehaven is an interesting town, with tons of places to eat, a beautiful beach and a charming harbour. Throughout the year there are quirky events such as a classic car rally and the famous Hogmanay fireball ceremony. Legend has it that the infamous deep-fried Mars bar was invented here!
Just a little further south, about 2 miles, is Dunnottar Castle, which sits on the edge of a cliff. This medieval fortress is the perfect place to end your day. Formerly home to the Scottish crown jewels, Dunnottar Castle boasts 12 listed buildings as part of its grounds.
Cairngorm Mountains
The Cairngorms are a beautiful mountain range on the east side of the Scottish Highlands. Braemar is the town located nearest to the middle of the Cairngorms National Park, about 60 miles from Aberdeen, or about 1 hour 30 minutes drive.
During winter, this is snow sports heaven for skiers and snowboarders. A funicular railway can take travellers up to the Ski Centre. There are reindeer parks and wild animals include mountain hares and other mountain specialist animals.
During the summer, there are plenty of walks and hikes to go on, dependant on your experience level and many other adventures to go on. The Cairngorms boasts 18 of Scotland's 282 Munros.
The Higgs boson particle was originally hypothesized by Peter Higgs whilst he was walking in the Cairngorms.
Take the A93 road west of Aberdeen will lead you to this outdoor wonderland.
Donside
This rugged valley is north of Deeside - and its quite a different flavour from it too. The land is filled with castles, symbol stones, and famous road signs (Lost, pictured). The area is beautifully scenic with plenty of heritage trails.
For castles, Donside has your pick. There is Castle Forbes near Alford, Kemnay House and Ruined Corse Castle near Lumphanan. Not bad for a short drive from Aberdeen. Castle Forbes is around 50 minutes drive north-west of Aberdeen and Ruined Corse Castle is 50 minutes west - you can definitely visit both on the one trip! These Makes you think Aberdeenshire truly has everything.
The famous Lost in Aberdeenshire which has an appropriate sign gained national interest back in the 2000s. So if you ever feel like you've lost all hope and want a fitting selfie, then its a must-see. It is located just outside of the village Lost which is 40 miles west of Aberdeen.
Glenfinnan Viaduct
A viaduct you say?! Not any viaduct - the Harry Potter Bridge.
Glenfinnan has 1000s of people visiting from all over the world to experience the beautiful scenery and special atmosphere. The Jacobite steam train runs from here to Fort William and Mallaig in summer months with regular trains available the rest of the year.
Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were both filmed in this area as the Hogwarts Express calling at Glenfinnan! In August every year, on the Saturday closest to 19 August, the Glenfinnan Gathering and Games take place.
You can get there by taking the A96 west out of Aberdeen. It takes around 4 hours drive and 167 miles - but trust us, it's worth it if you're a train or Harry Potter fan that is. Who could resist riding a train in such beautiful scenery? Also, we recommend being a confident driver before taking on this one - these roads can be quite intimidating to navigate for younger drivers - stay safe!
The city of discovery is south of Aberdeen is Dundee, home of GoRoadie. Dundee is a great little day trip. Start in town, walk down to the waterfront to visit the V&A Museum - voted one of the best places to visit in Time Magazine. Next, drive up to Camperdown Park to see the Zoo. Afterwards, you can drive along to Broughty Ferry beach and have ice-cream at Visocchi.
The V&A is the first design museum in Scotland and sits on the River Tay. To visit, there is no entry cost and there are pay and display parking outside. There are a number of free exhibits, a coffee shop, bar and restaurant. There are select paid exhibits to see too; recently an Oceanliners exhibit was shown as was a Video Games Live exhibit.
Camperdown Zoo has a host of animals including bears, wolves and meerkats. There is also a place to eat.
From Aberdeen, you can take the A90 south and should be in the city within 80 minutes - it's a simple 70-mile drive. Also, it's a great excuse to get on the new Aberdeen bypass if driving from Aberdeen Airport or the North of the City.
About GoRoadie and Aberdeen
The Scottish based GoRoadie, an online platform which enables learner drivers to connect with driving instructors, has taken to Aberdeen's roads! We have helped 1000s of learners in the area get started with driving lessons.
Barry White, co-founder of GoRoadie said, "We are hugely excited to be launching in Aberdeen. We have been working with instructors and students in the city for the past month to prepare for our launch, and their feedback has been extremely valuable."
You can find Aberdeen Driving Lessons on GoRoadie and book your instructor straight from your phone.
Aberdeen Driving Lesson Guide
Fit Like?! Since we love the granite city. We are helping learners in Aberdeen get started with their driving lessons and we have an in-depth guide to helping them learn to drive in the city.
Learner Driver Guide: Aberdeen
An online guide to help you pass your test.
For Aberdeen Driving Lessons look no further than GoRoadie.
Cheap Driving Lessons in Aberdeen
What to Check Before Buying a Used Car
How To Make It Through a Traffic Jam
Podcasts to listen to while driving
Driving Experiences In and Around Aberdeen
The Best Places to Unwind In and Around Aberdeen
The Best Places to Walk Your Dog in Aberdeen
The Best Nightlife in Aberdeen
Parking Spots in Aberdeen
Moving to Aberdeen for University Guide
Top 5 Most Popular Cars in the UK in 2018
Driving Test Practice: Reaction Games
Easiest Places to Learn to Drive 2018-2019
15 of the Best Driving Themed Songs


For the 2013-14 OUA preview, I've divided all the teams up into tiers. Ontario is deep this year with four teams being in the conversation for nationals. There are other teams who could surprise too, if they get a few lucky bounces and some transfers pan out. Then, we have some programs floundering in the basement without a shred of hope of making noise. For each team, I've given a projected finish and a player to watch. That player is a combination of on-court entertainment while also being a barometer for the success a team will have.
There is no weakness in the Ravens' game. Sure, their jerseys are lacking in creativity, but that's the most significant criticism I can find. The team that claimed its ninth CIS title in 11 seasons this past year, Carleton will put more distance between themselves and the rest of the pack come March 2014.
Behind Tyson Hinz, the Scrubb brothers, and transfer Victor Raso there is just no way another team beats these guys. We're talking about a team that nearly beat the Syracuse Orange.
Last year, Dave Smart orchestrated the best offence and defence in the country. Not just the OUA — the entire CIS. The Ottawa Gee-Gees had an offensive rating of 107, second in the country to Carleton's 122 (!). The gap between the Ravens and the field for defensive was closer — Carleton put up a defensive rating of 84, with the next closest figure being 89 from the Ryerson Rams.
Carleton owns the best REB% in the league at 41 per cent. They get to the line at a great pace – second to McMaster – and shoot the highest 78 per cent at the charity stripe. The Ravens hold teams to a 40 per cent eFG% too.
If you haven't caught on yet, Carleton can do it all and their key players all fall somewhere in the top ten in the nation. Expect another dominating season from the Ravens.
Player to Watch: Phil Scrubb. I just want to know what this guy's ceiling is. He opened the year with 38 points on 13 shots through two games.
This is a veteran team. Josh Collins, Enrico Diloreto and Lien Phillip are all in their fifth year of eligibility. They are this year's version of the 2012-13 Lakehead Thunderwolves, relying on experience through the long season.
Windsor's strength lies in their defence, which plays a suffocating press that forces turnovers at the highest rate in the conference. Phillip grabs 28% of the Lancers' defensive rebounds, good for No.1 in that category. He's also a highly capable defender on the block and while not a player who blocks shots (he only had 14 blocks last season), Phillip can bother shots in a help situation.
The concern for this team will be how they function on offence. Michael Petrella played a ton of minutes at guard for the Lancers last year, but with his departure, Windsor has to look elsewhere to get the ball moving on offence. Collins is a top-level point guard, great at distributing the ball to his teammates. His average of 4.1 assists per game put him at 15th in the country. But the issue here is his turnovers.
The talented teams in the OUA prey on turnovers, and if you can't control turnovers — as Collins has shown — you're not going to win. Last year, take a look at the OUA teams who made it to the CIS Final 8: Lakehead, with Greg Carter and Dwyane Harvey leading the charge; Carleton, with the Scrubb brothers and Clinton Springer Williams wreaking havoc on ball-handlers; Ottawa, with Johnny Berhanemeskel and Warren Ward finishing top-five in total steals, and the Lancers. Windsor as a team has a low TOV% (20 per cent) but Collins owns a 24 per cent TOV%. It's tough to build a successful offence around that, proven by their lowly 98 O-Rtg.
Another key to shoring up their offence will be reigning in Diloreto. He's a talented offensive player, but he shoots an abysmal eFG% of 44 per cent. His shooting is only compounded by his USG%, which ranks 13th in the league among qualified players. If coach Chris Oliver can move some of those possessions to Rotimi Osuntola Jr. - a hyper-efficient guard with range - Windsor should be able to come out on top of the OUA West.
Lastly, they need to improve in all areas of free throws — both getting to the line and knocking them down. Their free throw to field goal attempted ratio is second worst in the OUA (to Western), and their free throw percentage is the worst, at 65%. If they can do a better job at getting to the line and setting up that hellacious press that Oliver has crafted, the O-Rtg should improve greatly.
Player to Watch: Lien Phillip - Professional-level talent, will be key to maintaining their defence.
The talk in Hamilton has been about nationals, and I think that's a fair conversation to have.
Adam Presutti had a rough sophomore season, riddled with injuries causing him to never catch on in the lineup. Outside of that, McMaster's roster all made significant strides; Joe Rocca become a reliable offensive weapon, Taylor Black emerged as one of the best players in the conference (and nation), Rohan Boney won a Rookie of the Year award and Nathan McCarthy proved himself to be a top defensive big man.
With all of those players back, the Marauders seemed poised to build off a good season in 2012-13. It started off rough, with only two wins and five losses after the interlock period. But the team would turn it around and finish 13-8 and were this close to getting to the Final Four before succumbing to Lakehead in the Thunderdome.
McMaster had an average offence, but that was largely a product of Boney and Redpath having to take control when Presutti missed games. When the 2011 CIS Rookie of the Year did play however, he improved the offence with his playmaking ability. Presutti posted a 26 per cent AST% last season, good for second in the conference.
Where McMaster hangs their hat is on defense, and don't expect a regression there. Boney is a great defender, Black and McCarthy can handle nearly any frontcourt and head coach Amos Connolly has added some other talent to beef up the defense. Trevon McNeil, Hamid Nessek and Leon Alexander — all in their first year with the program — are solid players who are overwhelming when defending the perimeter.
Black could take the next step and be in the conversation for an All-Canadian spot. He posted the best PER for players not from Carleton and has shown a knack for scoring at the right time and taking over quarters.
I'm very high on this team because I've already said a couple hundred words about them and haven't even talked about some players who won't be playing major minutes for them. They lost Scott Laws, an emotional leader for the team, but as the team matures, they should have been able to replace the void.
They'll need to knock off a ranked team to get to the CIS Final 8, but don't be surprised if they do. This team is ten players deep and capable of playing with any team in the conference.
Player to Watch: Taylor Black. He is only in his fourth year of eligibility and has already made noise through the beginning of this season. Just how good can he be?
Projected Finish: Second in the OUA West, potential Wilson Cup finalist.
With the departure of Warren Ward — a player who received NBA camp invites and praise from professional hoops writers — to Germany, it's easy to sweep the Gee-Gees out of the conversation. But there is more to the Garnet and Grey than Ward. Johnny Berhanemeskel is the league-leader in three-pointers made, Vikas Gill is an efficient option to take some more of the offensive load and Mike L'Africain has been stellar through the Gee-Gees undefeated pre-season.
To say L'Africain struggled through his sophomore season is putting things gently. Offensively, he was unable to be efficient while playing off Ward's double teams and was an average defender with a D-Rtg of 98. But L'Africain has all the tools to be an effective point guard for an electric offence.
Head coach James Derouin has looked to increase the tempo of the game, and that lends to L'Africain's ball handling abilities and decision-making. Last year, the second-year guard finished 16th in the OUA for assists. Playing alongside Gill and Berhanemeskel gives L'Africain two lethal weapons on the perimeter, so his assist numbers should improve this year.
I mentioned earlier that the Ottawa offence is second in the conference and while it will regress due to the loss of Ward, it will still be up there with the best. The defence is what's suspect here.
Matt Nelson, a six-foot-nine centre, hardly played last year after suffering multiple injuries. In fact, he even doesn't show up on the CIS roster for last year's team. But he'll be the key to keeping the Gee-Gees defence in the upper echelon of the OUA ranks. Ottawa played a small-ball rotation, with Gill at six-foot-seven being the largest player on the court. While this rotation led them to a CIS bronze, it's hard to imagine this being sustainable after losing a strong perimeter defender in Ward. If Nelson can come in and become a fearsome paint presence, Ottawa's defence could take a leap. But that's a tall task for a second-year player with minimal on-court experience.
Another key piece to the defensive puzzle is Caleb Agada, who showed himself to have a little something during the Gee-Gees CIS Final 8 run. He has been getting a lot of minutes early in the season and I'm bullish on his perimeter defence being able to slow some offences down.
Nelson should have time to grow, however. Last year, Derouin had his team forcing opponents into difficult shots, gang-rebounding and forcing turnovers. All of those skills do not require height; they require extreme amounts of will and no player missing a beat.
With Derouin behind the bench, L'Africain poised to become a top OUA point guard and the majority of the parts from a CIS medal finish still in tact, the Gee-Gees could be in the hunt for a CIS wild card berth.
Player to Watch: Mike L'Africain. With Ward gone, someone will have to take over on offense and orchestrate. Can L'Africain pick up the slack? My quick answer is yes.
You could make the case for Ryerson to be a CIS contender. They have the pieces; they only lost one player from last year's team and added some intriguing talent.
But I'm pessimistic about this Rams squad. Their offence earned a pedestrian O-Rtg of 100 despite having Jahmal Jones, Aaron Best and Jordan Gauthier. Those players though, might be the reason that their offence struggled.
Both Best and Jones have been efficient on two-point shot attempts: Best shot 55 per cent from inside the arc while Jones shot 45 per cent last year. That figure from Jones is a dip in production from his first three years in OUA play, when he shot 48.3 per cent in 2011-12 and a scorching 52.4 per cent in 2010-11. His shot totals through those years were all within 11 FGA of each other.
Gauthier shot 51 per cent on non-threes last year, but 122 of 266 shot attempts were threes last year, where he only made 40 — or 32 per cent of his attempts.
It's the three-point shots that are killing the Rams. Through twenty games last year, 38 per cent of Ryerson's shots were threes and they only shot 29.0 per cent behind the arc. That's a lot of threes for a team that isn't particularly good at it.
Teams with similar three-point shot rates? Carleton with 39.5 per cent and Ottawa with 39.7 per cent. But those squads are really, really good at threes. The Ravens knocked down 40.2 per cent of threes and Ottawa knocked down 40.1 per cent.
I'm not saying that Ryerson should abandon the three-point shot. My point is that they'll need to make better decisions in the half court. The three aforementioned guards lead the team in USG% and if they want to make it to the Final 8 tournament, head coach Roy Rana is going to have to reign their shooting in.
Instead, they should look to Bjorn Michaelsen. He is a solid big man and shoots a team-best eFG% of 56 per cent. He is polished in the post and should receive more touches than he did last year.
Ryerson is capable of making nationals, but it will take a major shift in player tendencies to get there. Can Rana change the established player styles of his three guards?
Player to Watch: Aaron Best. In his third year, he has the opportunity to climb into the top five scorers of the OUA.
Manny Pasquale is gone, but this team has the ability to rework itself and make noise in the OUA East. Don't expect them to be challenging Ottawa or Carleton at the top of the standings, but they should have upset potential in the playoffs.
Georges Serresse, Jamie Weldon and Stephen Williams have all moved on from the program but Josh Budd, Nelson Yengue and Tychon Carter-Newman should have no issues filling those minutes.
Budd has already shown a scoring prowess, leading the team in scoring over Waterloo in the season opener. Carter-Newman is a defensive monster and able to clean up some plays on the offensive glass too. Nelson Yengue didn't use a ton of offensive possessions last year, but made good on the times he did, shooting a 52 per cent eFG%.
This team is balanced, with an O-Rtg and D-Rtg of 101. Alex Ratte had a great year last year while leading the team in USG%, but it'll be interesting to see how the loss of Pasquale impacts the defenders he faces.
I'm buying Voyageur stock because of that Sudbury advantage and returning players who are capable of filling in for the losses. The only thing that worries me about this team is what happens when Ratte has an off night or takes on an elite defender. Who takes on the shooting responsibilities? It looks like Budd, but he only averaged 7.2 points a game last year in 24 minutes per game. Will he be able to carry the offence?
Player to Watch: Josh Budd. I hinted at it before, but I'm really curious to see if the fourth-year can take these offensive units to new heights in the post-Pasquale era.
Queen's has never made the national tournament. For a school with rich history and enough spirit to support a handful of OUA competitors, that's a jarring fact.
But the Gaels seem to be building towards something now. Last year, rookies Sukhpreet Singh and Roshane Roberts were second and third in minutes played per game. Fourth-year Greg Faulkner led the team in minutes and scoring before going down with an injury. His strong debut in tricolour after transferring from Carleton put Queen's at 6-3 heading into the winter break. The wheels fell off later in the season, going 1-4 in their final five games without Faulkner to finish 10-10.
It's those outstanding rookies that put the Gaels in the up-and-coming conversation. Both were thrust into high usage situations, tasked with carrying the offence. The adjustment from high school to the OUA got the best of the two, with Singh putting up an eFG% of 46 per cent and Roberts hitting at a 40 per cent clip. Those are two sobering numbers, but there are positives.
Singh got the line at an all-OUA level. His free throw rate of 0.37 was good for ninth in Ontario. He only made 74 percent of his free throw attempts, but for a rookie to come out and make a habit of getting to the charity stripe is nothing short of impressive. Singh also has an elite play-making ability, finishing his first-year campaign with a 21 per cent assist rate to put him at tenth in the conference.
For Roberts, there are not many redeeming offensive numbers. All around, it looks pretty bleak. He's not a great shooter from anywhere, doesn't do well at the line (71 per cent last year) and averaged just over an assist a game. Those numbers will definitely turn around as he gains experience.
Where Roberts could redeem himself is to grow on the defensive end. He showed promise; he averaged a hair over a steal per game last year and owned an impressively low 2.6 fouls committed per 40 minutes.
Mike Mullins — brother of Columbia University and member of the Canadian development team Grant Mullins — joins the team and should take some of the scoring load off of Roberts.
Nikola Misljencevic has had a strong pre-season, including 20 points over No. 8 McGill to lead his team to an OT victory. He only averaged seven shots a game, but it's likely that he'll take more possessions too.
Don't expect a breakout season though. This team will likely be building off of last year's success and give their young players more on-court experience.
Player to Watch: Greg Faulkner. He is a savvy player with range who has the potential to go for 30 if the defence is sleeping on him.
This one is a tough call. Their roster screams "average" as evidenced by last year's O-Rtg of 94 and D-Rtg of 101. Both marks are just middle of the pack, but more importantly, they are far off from the mark of teams that compete for the Wilson Cup year-in and year-out.
Still, they have a chance to make a run. Max Allin, in his final year of eligibility, is one of the best scorers in the country. He plays an efficient style; good three-point shooting and a ton of free throws. Third-year Will Coulthard has one of the quickest triggers in the conference, willing to throw it up at any second. Consistency is still an issue for him, though. He used the most possessions out of any player on his team, but only shot at an eFG% of 45 per cent.
While those two players are good on the offensive end, there are not many other players to rely on and that's where we see the difference between them and true contenders. Allin and Coulthard combine for many of the team's possessions per game but the others go to players who simply are not efficient enough to be deemed worthy of using a possession.
The next two leaders in USG% are Patrick Donnelly and Jamar Forde, at 20 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Donnelly, who left the team late last year for unknown reasons but is back now, shot a horrific 39 per cent eFG%. That's 96th worst among players that played at least one-third of team minutes. There were only 107 players that qualified. Forde isn't much better - he ranks 85th in the category.
Head coach Peter Campbell will have to either move those shots to Coulthard and Allin or find new sources of offence. Matt Chesson, OUA Rookie of the Year, and incoming rookie Jack Simmons could give them that offence. Chesson has size and a post-game, while Simmons has put up 11.6 points through five preseason games.
Their defence is average but should be better with Donnelly back, Chesson playing more minutes and Allin maintaining a low foul rate. Turning that offence around is more important than making that defence on par with team's in the running for the title.
Player to Watch: Max Allin. He broke the school scoring record last year in his first game back after the passing of his father. Allin can light it up with the best of them and is always worth a look.
I refuse to put Lakehead in the basement. Yes, Scott Morrison is on a professional leave of absence, scouting for the NBA D-League's Maine Red Claws. Yes, the group of players like Joseph Jones, Greg Carter, Yoosrie Sahlia, Ben Johnson, and Matthew Schmidt who took this program to a new level are all gone. But the Thunderwolves will find a way, as they always seem to.
Lakehead had a surprising preseason, playing the Victoria Vikes tough and grinding through a game against Carleton. They dropped some games to inferior opponents, but once this team plays gets their feet wet and uses that Thunderdome advantage, they'll be back in the conversation for the top of the OUA West.
Since the majority of players who played for this team are gone (and Ryan Thomson is sitting out the year to recover from knee surgery), I'll shy away from putting stock in team stats. However, we can look at some players with increased roles that will try to get Lakehead back in the CIS Final 8.
Anthony McIntosh is a fourth-year player who has been asked to take on increased importance for this squad. He did not log major minutes last year — his highest minute total was in the final game of the regular season with 13 — but has already played a ton in the preseason.
Igor Lebov is a transfer from Franklin Pierce University and he has a wealth of talent. Lebov could another one of those players that Morrison has plucked out of seemingly nowhere and has potential to lead this team in scoring.
Justin Bell is in his final year of eligibility after bouncing around the OUA. He's played for Ottawa and York but looks poised to grab a starting forward spot on the roster.
With so many moving parts, this season could go very right or very wrong for the Thunderwolves. Not having Morrison behind the bench puts a damper on my optimism slightly. What will kill this team's chances is a slow start in the difficult interlock period.
Player to Watch: Igor Lebov. The transfer is a talented player on offensive who can hit from anywhere on the court. He could give below-average defenders nightmares.
Head coach Tom Olivieri has built a good roster here, with a lot of depth and experience. True, this team is competing in a tough conference, but I like their chances.
Aaron Rados is leading this squad as a fifth-year forward. He plays tough and led the team in minutes last year, although just barely beating out David Tyndale. Rados will be asked to take on more of the offensive load this year since Tyndale was a major source of their scoring.
This could be a good shift though, as Rados had a 52 per cent eFG% last year, a respectable mark in the top-third of the conference. He spreads his shots well; taking just under half his shots from three while shooting a decent 35 per cent and getting to the line consistently.
The Lions' defence was respectable last year too, posting a D-Rtg of 103. A lot of that can be credited to Nick Tufegdzich, a fourth-year forward who anchors this defense. Olivieri has to hope that his presence inside can push that D-Rtg south of 100.
I've put this team in the "up-and-coming" section because I think their experience will pay off. But there is no time for growing pains and the loss of Tyndale can't linger on the offence. Tyndale was an "oh no the shot clock is running down, here just take the ball" guy and did a decent job in that role. But do they have the pieces to replace that? They should, as Olivieri seems intent on playing nine guys in his rotation, according to a York Lions website video.
Player to Watch: Aaron Rados. With more possessions heading for his hands, he is one of the most intriguing players in the OUA East.
Projected Finish: Sixth in OUA East, lose in quarterfinals.
I'm expecting this team to squeak into the playoffs but only as a product of a weaker lower half of the OUA.
I'm not a fan of this team whatsoever, as they play a rough style that is not exactly fun to watch. Last year, in a regular season match-up against McMaster, the Mustangs could not hit a shot from anywhere on the court. Mac was running them out of the gym and instead of accepting that the game was lost, Western decided to just start playing dirty. They began to hit players at every possible second and it became a safety concern.
That Mustang squad is the proud owner of the worst O-Rtg in the conference, at 86. The leader for that offensive unit was Peter Scholtes, who used 27% of the possessions but put up an eFG% of 41 per cent. He is back to lead the offensive, which is not an encouraging sign. Western also turned the ball over on 25% of their possessions last year.
Alongside him on offence is Quinn Henderson. He too used a lot of possessions for them and shot a better percentage at 47 per cent, but that mark is not something to structure an offence around.
Defensively, this team was bad. They posted a D-Rtg of 106 and turned the ball over at an OUA-worst rate of 25 per cent of possesions. There is reason for optimism, though. Greg Morrow is back for a third-year and he was the strongest defensive player for the Stangs last year. He also shot a great percentage from the field with a 58 per cent eFG%, so if you're looking for a bright spot, here it is.
Eric McDonald is a transfer from Guelph and could provide more offence for the squad. He had a strong preseason, including 18 points against Acadia.
Brad Campbell has added some recruits but it's yet to be seen how many minutes they will play.
Western's experience could pay off and they should prey on weaker OUA teams like Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto and Algoma.
Player to Watch: Greg Morrow. He shoots the best percentage (by far) on this team and can get his own shot. Will he be given the keys to the offence over Scholtes though?
Projected Finish: Fifth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.
Guelph is just too young of a team to put in a category other than the basement. Zach Angus is one of my favourite players to watch in this league, but he can only do so much. Angus and Michel Clark are two returning players who logged major minutes, but the rest of the returning cast are relative unknowns. 13 (!!!) players averaged double-digit minutes per game last year too, and they need to figure out their rotation.
Their O-Rtg and D-Rtg were so bad last year, I contemplated not putting them in to save the horror. For offense, Guelph was tied for third worst in the league with 92 and for defense, they were second worst in the league, with 107. What's scary is that Dan McCarthy — one of the team's best defenders — is gone. Adam Kemp is a six-foot-seven forward and has a year of experience under his belt. They will need him to anchor the defence.
Offensively, McCarthy's departure means that the team will need to look elsewhere for offence. He used a lot of possessions for the team last year and the Gryphons will miss his production. For a player using as many possessions as McCarthy did, you would want his eFG% to be higher (it was 46 per cent) but Guelph needs whatever they can get.
They have a fresh crop of rookies, with 12 first-year players listed on their 2013-14 roster. It'll be a rough start for the season to them if head coach Chris O'Rourke spreads the minutes as much as he did last year.
Guelph has committed themselves to the development of athletics, with a new indoor complex, brand-new football stadium and revamped soccer complex. They have some highly competitive teams in soccer, rugby, football, field hockey and cross country (to name a few). Basketball has been lacking though. Could this be the year where they start to turn that around? Probably not on paper, but through the development of their first-years, it could be the beginning.
Player to Watch: Zach Angus. He is a tough player with solid stroke and ability to get to the hoop. He'll get more touches this year and it'll be fun to see what he does with it.
Projected Finish: Sixth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.
I've put Toronto here because of the conference they play in, but I'm optimistic about the future of this team.
For one, John Campbell is the new coach. He is leaving Dalhousie, where he took two teams to the Final 8. He has implemented a new system, but said that it's been "challenging" to introduce.
Then there is the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport opening in 2014. If you've seen the promotions for it, you know that Toronto has laid the foundation to host a CIS-best athletic department.
But for this year, they have Alex Hill returning, Matt Savel should hopefully be healthy and Dakota Laurin should get more shots since Arun Kumar has left.
Last year, Kumar and Hill used a large proportion of the team's possessions and neither was even close to efficient. Losing Kumar is a blessing for Campbell, as he stopped any and all ball movement. If he can rein Hill in a bit, Toronto will improve on offence.
The defence was an issue last year, but again that comes from Kumar. He is a short guard and let a lot of guys get by him. If your point guard can't defend in the OUA, you're going to have a bad time.
These guys will be worth a watch to see what Campbell can do, but you won't see these guys making much noise in a loaded OUA East.
Projected Finish: Eighth in the OUA East.
The newest OUA team could turn into a Lakehead-lite. Their coach, Thomas Cory, casts a wide net in recruiting — he grabbed recruits from British Columbia and Michigan — and he has been the team's coach through their college competition. Throw in the travel factor, where teams are playing in Sudbury the night before and you've got a distinct advantage. The two schools even share the same weird "Thunder" prefix.
McMaster's Joe Rocca said that the team is ultra-athletic and will look to just run teams out of the gym, a sentiment Mac coach Amos Connolly echoed in a separate interview.
They'll be able to surprise some teams too, with teams having to do so much travelling to get there.
Player to Watch: Terrell Campbell. Athletic player who can get up and down the court as fast as anyone.
Projected Finish: Seventh in OUA East.
The new head coach in St. Catharines has already called this a rebuilding season, but Brock seems to finally be having a positive rebuild.
For the past couple of seasons, the Badgers have fielded teams that struggle to mesh on the offensive end. Last year, they put up a brutal O-Rtg of 90. With Charles Kissi in charge, the offence already looks better when I watched a preseason game against Niagara College. The ball moved a lot quicker and they were playing an inside-out style instead of the iso-ball of years past.
Mike Luby, Brian Nahimana, Jameson Tipping and Mark Gibson have all moved on from the program. Tipping had two years of eligbility remaining but left the program to play for the Brampton A's — where Tipping's older brother is the president and his father is the owner. Tipping used a lot of possessions for this team but was a treat to watch, as he could get to the hoop with ease, back you down in the post and hurt you from outside — evidenced by his 34 per cent mark from three.
Tshing Kasamba and Issack Egueh played the most minutes of returning players and are set to lead this squad. Alongside them is Dani Egaldi, a six-foot-seven rookie with long arms and scoring touch. He doesn't have the size to handle older players on the defensive end but his quickness is a plus if Kissi wants to switch him on to a guard.
You don't want to look too much into last year's team stats because the roster will be comprised of a whole new crew. I'm looking forward to seeing where this team ends up in February because they could be really coming into their own. Egaldi is a player with OUA Rookie of the Year potential and Kissi is a coach who seems intent on changing the culture at Brock.
Player to Watch: Dani Egaldi. I can't say enough about him. He looks like he could really give defence problems with his size and ball handling abilities. Needs to find a three point shot, though.
The Warriors only lost two players — Brendan Smith and Kyrie Coleman — but having so many players return is exactly what I don't like about this squad.
Waterloo was just as bad as Western was last year offensively and marginally better defensively. Their offence lacks any balance and their defence is susceptible to foul trouble, with abysmal fouling numbers for their major players.
I'll highlight some positives for the team, though: it's Greg Francis' second year with the program, and perhaps that will give the team a little more stability. Jaspreet Gill has potential to be a dynamic offensive weapon too. But I'm running low on positives.
Simply, this roster lacks the talent to compete. In losing Smith, they lost their best rebounder, a loss that is already showing signs of problems as they nearly got doubled in rebounds in their season opener.
To get back to the playoffs, players need to have worked hard at becoming better defenders and cleaning the defensive glass. Otherwise, this team is going to be lucky to reach the quarterfinals again.
Player to Watch: Jaspreet Gill. He could be asked to take even more shots than he did last year, and that could lead to some eye popping stat totals.
Projected Finish: Seventh in the OUA West.
"We're talking about a team that beat the Syracuse Orange."
Did you? OK. I read it twice to make sure, but there you go.
Your point stands, as taking Syracuse to OT, even in August, is damned impressive.
Actually, this was my fault, sorry: I accidentally edited that mistake into the piece, then after the first comment I didn't acknowledge my correction when I should have.
The crazy part about Carleton is the number of insane numbers you can cite. They're endless and seem unrealistic. Phil Scrubb has 38 points on 13 shots this year and an 89 TS%. I am not convinced he is a human.


This JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita Review is part of a trip report including luxury resorts and dining in Asia and the Maldives, including JAL First Class from Tokyo Narita to New York JFK, Etihad First Class and Emirates First Class.
The Japan Airlines First Class Lounge at Tokyo Narita Airport is located in Terminal 2, and shares its main entrance on the 3rd floor with the JAL Sakura Lounge. To the left, you'll see the JAL First Class Lounge Reception, which on our morning visit was staffed by two friendly associates. They welcome us, including my son, even though I doubt they see that many kids.
The lounge is open 7:30am-10pm daily, and others have been able to use the lounge even if you're arriving in JAL First Class but connecting onward in business class. Be sure to show both boarding passes at reception.
The lounge is of course smaller than the next door Sakura Business Class Lounge, but it also tends to be less crowded since fewer passengers have access. A nice touch for the luggage storage area was that there were small compartments to lock up valuables you didn't want to carry around with you. Since we travel with carry-on luggage only (see How to Avoid Checked Luggage and 6 Reasons to Never Check Baggage) we were able to lock up everything, which definitely made it more convenient to move around in the lounge.
After securing our things, we proceeded to the seating area of the lounge. On the left there was plenty of seating, although rather dark, without natural light.
And the bathroom was also here. I've noticed that both on planes and in the lounges, JAL bathrooms tend to be quite spartan, in keeping with a very simple design aesthetic. Pretty much the opposite of Emirates.
Now, this isn't amazing sushi, but it was better than most sushi you'll get in airline lounges. There isn't any choice in what you receive, either. I would have loved to be able to have some hamachi sushi, for example, but that wasn't on offer.
The next best thing, to my taste, was the fresh bread sourced from Maison Kayser. I don't know why more lounges, especially in cities such as NYC that have Maison Kayser bakeries, don't do the same–it's fantastic bread.
In a nod to it still being cherry blossom season, there were sakura mochi (cherry blossom rice cakes), adorned with cherry blossoms for dessert. While in general I don't care for Japanese or other Asian desserts, there was no denying it was very pretty.
The chocolate cake was forgettable, and I didn't finish it.
The massage is with clothes on, but at least you do lie down, in contrast to the Elemis Spa in the Concorde Lounge, which has the kneeling massage chairs. It was fine, although in terms of complimentary airport lounge massages I've experienced, the Thai Airways one of course wins, followed by the Etihad Six Senses shoulder massage I had in Abu Dhabi.
Since the family room / kids' room is in the JAL Sakura Lounge, we went there for a few minutes, where I caught up on some client emails while my son watched some Japanese cartoons.
We enjoyed the JAL First Class Lounge, but it's far from my favorite first class lounge experience. I did find it much more relaxing than the Sakura business class lounge, due to fewer passengers being in the lounge, and food was a step up from the business class side as well.
If you've been to the JAL First Class Lounge, what was your experience?


text:
Spain's Equality Minister, Irene Montero Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Irene Montero, Spain's equality minister, has tested positive for coronavirus as confirmed in a statement released by the country's government on Thursday March 12.
Irene Montero has been quarantined along with her partner, deputy prime minister and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias.
The European country which has reported 55 deaths due to the deadly virus and nearly 2,300 people being infected, also disclosed in the statement that all members of the Executive will be tested on March 12 and results will be made available in the afternoon.
Former Nigerian Footballer, Musa Nosa Kadiri Is DEAD
Former Nigerian international, Musa Nosa Kadiri, has passed on at the age of 53. According to reports, Kadiri…
Prostitutes Beat Evangelist To Coma For Asking Them To Change Their Ways
A group of prostitutes in the Ejigbo Axis of Lagos reportedly beat an evangelist who arrived their brothel…
Unqualified Teachers To Be Sacked Before December 31
Federal Government of Nigeria have ordered the sack of unqualified teachers before December 31 as confirmed by Prof.…
#COVIDー19: FG Shuts Down Lagos, Abuja Airports
The federal government of Nigeria has ordered the closure of the two remaining international airports in Lagos and…


text:
Jonathan Cocco's Reel
Video / Audio 5
About Posts & Updates 1 Photos 5 Video & Audio Reels
By Jonathan Cocco • 4 years ago
Director Reel
Rage - Trailer
When his wife is brutally murdered, a former assassin seeks revenge. Starring: Emilien De Falco https://instagram.com/emiliandefalco/ David Neyts https://twi...
Roulette - A Drama/Thriller Film
On a darkened theater stage, four seemingly unrelated strangers engage in a deadly game of Russian Roulette. With no hope and no explanation as to why they a...
Abduction - A Sci-Fi Horror Film
This film is a subtle homage to the 1950s science fiction B movies I watched as a kid and still do to this day. Check out my Facebook page and follow me on T...
Goodbye - A Crime Drama Film
When a mob hit man is ordered to murder his best friend, he must decide what really matters most in life. Check out my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter...


So, on a whim I decided to get some chiffon flowers from etsy - I though these would be super cute on cardigans, jackets, scarves etc. I didn't really know what to expect, and my pictures do these flowers NO justice, but I LOVE them!!!
Thanks so much! I am glad that you like them. You just made my day!
These are gorgeous!!!! I must got a few for myself!! Great finds!
These look super pretty! Can't wait to see how you wear them.


Son of George and Ethel Witty from Hull; Husband of Annie Witty from Hull.
On June 22, 1944 collapsed on the Laws end of a Lancaster bomber crashed I of 49 Squadron, flown by F / Lt J.R. Hill. He came with his entire crew were killed: Sgt. G. F. Witty; F / O K.W. Jones; Sgt. T. B. Whewell; Sgt. T. A. Hall; Sgt. D.M.F. Bell and F / Sgt G.F. Wood. The bomber was a member from a mission to Germany with the intention to bomb a complex of chemical plants in Gelsenkirchen, where synthetic fuel from coal was mined. Of the 123 Lancasters who had participated in the raid, eight were shot down over Brabant. Except in Nuenen, they crashed in Boxtel, Drunen Helvoirt, Macharen, Riethoven, in Werkendam in the Biesbosch and Westerhoven.
The Crew was on her 9th surgery. They flew in a Lancaster ME675 (EA-R).


text:
Q: arguments passed to `npm start` are not recognized like the ones passed using `npm run start` I have a simple npm script:
{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "npm run start:dev",
    "start:dev": "node server.js"
  }
}

Inside server.js I have:
console.log(require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2)));

Running the following commands, these are the outputs:
$ npm start -- --test one
{ _: [ 'one' ] }

$ npm run start -- --test one
{ _: [], test: 'one' }

The second output is the one I'd like to have when I use npm start, why instead I get the first one?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Eden Scott's client is one of the leading legal firms in Scotland providing a full range of legal services for clients both in their personal and business life.
They are seeking to appoint Private Client solicitors in both St Andrews/Dundee and/or Anstruther offices. You will have experience in all aspects of Wills, Trusts, Executries and general private client advice work, those with additional tax advice skills or in advising high net worth clients would be of real interest. Ideally you will be at Senior Solicitor or Associate level.
The firm invests in training for their people and advancement of their systems to ensure they are constantly at the forefront of service delivery in the legal sector.


text:
Q: Best way to access a parent Module from a Sub Module with Marionette I have a Marionette Module with several Sub Modules. The parent Module has its own event aggregator that I would like to use in the sub modules to trigger events. I know that I could use the Application's event aggregator, but these events are specific to the Parent Module and its Children, and not the whole Application.
I could namespace the events in the Application's event aggregator like so:
App.module("Parent.Child", function(self, App, ...) {

  // somewhere in the child
  App.vent.trigger("Parent:something");
});

But I'd really rather not go that route. I think the idea of having a single event aggregator for Parent Module and its children is cleaner. I like having a single interface from the Parent to the Application, and the Child to the Parent ... but perhaps I'm wrong in this thinking?
I could also get to the Parent Module's event aggregator from the App object like so:
App.module("Parent.Child", function(self, App, ...) {

  // somewhere in the child...
  App.Parent.vent.trigger("something");
});

But I'd rather not do that either. I think that would couple the Child module and the App too tightly.
Any other idea's or options? Maybe these are good ideas, and I just don't understand the benefits.

A: Unfortunately, while Marionette gives you the ability to drill down the app/module/submodule chain via the submodules property, it doesn't offer easy access to identify a Module's parent. We've encountered a few times where this could have been helpful, but never ran into a situation where not having it became an issue. That said, if you think it'll make your codebase cleaner you might try wrapping the _addModuleDefinition function to create a parent property:
var func = Marionette.Module._addModuleDefinition;
Marionette.Module._addModuleDefinition = function(parentModule, module) {
    module.parent = parentModule;
    func.apply(this, arguments);
};

This would give you the ability to do something like
App.module("Parent.Child", function(self, App, ...) {
    self.parent.trigger('whatever'); // (vent isn't required anymore)
});

A: You could substitute your parent module with subapp. This way you can use subapp events.


In the long list of popular public figures that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has insulted, he's finally gone low enough to scorn the woman who goes high. Friday, he attacked First Lady Michelle Obama in a speech to a crowd of his disciples in Fletcher, North Carolina. "All she wants to do is campaign," said Trump.
Trump continued to demean Michelle Obama, calling her "his wife." He failed to mention her name or titles: "I see how much his wife likes Hillary, but wasn't she the one who originally started the statement 'if you can't take care of your home' . . . right?" Trump implied that Mrs. Obama criticized Hillary Clinton in a 2008 speech, which Mrs. Obama has since denied and said that she was referring to her own family.
At the Al Smith charity dinner Thursday night, Trump critiqued the first lady, mostly in his tone, likely licking his chops in preparation for his Friday attack. "Michelle Obama gives a speech and everyone loves it — it's fantastic. They think she's absolutely great. My wife, Melania, gives the exact same speech, and people get on her case. And I don't get it. I don't know why," joked the country's first orange presidential nominee.
Thursday, Michelle Obama spoke to a crowd of Hillary Clinton supporters in Arizona and criticized the Republican Presidential nominee. "You do not keep American democracy 'in suspense" she said, alluding to Trump's statement at the final debate when he decided to keep the country "in suspense" on the question of whether or not he would accept the elections results should Secretary Hillary Clinton win the election.
64 percent of Americans approve of the first lady according to an August Gallup poll, making her more popular than President Bill Clinton at 58 percent, and Melania Trump at 38 percent. This also means even Melania is more favorable than Donald Trump who had a 35 percent favorability rating after the first debate, and that poll was taken before Pussygate.


text:
A Minden kezdet nehéz (Pilot) a Glee – Sztárok leszünk! (Glee) című amerikai filmsorozat legelső epizódja.

Az Amerikai Egyesült Államokban először az Fox csatorna sugározta 2009. május 19-én. Az epizód kibővített rendezői változata 2009. szeptember 2-án került adásba. Magyarországon először az RTL Klub tűzte ki műsorára 2010. augusztus 28-án, majd közvetlenül utána a második részt is.

A részt a sorozat megalkotója, Ryan Murphy rendezte és ő is írta, Brad Falchukkal és Ian Brennannel. Murphy választotta ki, hogy mely dalok csendüljenek fel a sorozat nyitó epizódjában. Fenn akarta tartani a középutat a színpadias dalok és a könnyűzenei slágerek között.

Az epizód cselekménye
Az Ohio állambeli Lima városában áll a William McKinley Gimnázium, melyben egyfajta kasztrendszer uralkodik: meg van határozva, kik a menők és kik a lúzerek. Amikor egy nap a kórus vezetőjét, Sandy Ryersont kényes okokból elbocsátják, a spanyoltanár, Will Schuester szeme felcsillan: eszébe jut, hogy annak idején ő is az iskolai énekkar tagja volt, és nagy sikereket ért el. Persze akkoriban más idők jártak, még nem volt "ciki" énekelni a gimiben. Mivel az iskola halk szavú igazgatója, Figgins csak egy bizonyos összegért egyezik bele, hogy a kórus újra működjön, és a sikereket sorra halmozó pompomcsapat a győzelemért bármire képes, elszánt és nagyhatalmú edzője, Sue Sylvester azonnal vetélytársként tekint Willre; a felesége, Terri sem rajong az ötletért, hogy Will még többet dolgozzon ott, ahol nem keres eleget, hogy gyereket vállalhassanak. Egyedül az iskola csinos, bociszemű, félénk életvezetési tanácsadója, Emma Pillsburry támogatja a férfit mindenben, mivel nyilvánvalóan gyengéd érzelmeket táplál iránta. Mi több, jelentkezik kísérőtanárnak. Így hiába az akadály, a tiltakozás és a fenyegetés, Will belevág a dologba, és az iskolában kiteszi a jelentkezési lapot a New Directions (magyarul: Új irányok) kórusba.

A jelentkezők közt van Rachel Berry, az elszánt sztárpalánta, aki mindent megtenne, hogy elérje a célját, és híres előadóművész váljon belőle. Erre utal, hogy a szignója mellé mindig aranycsillagot ragaszt. Születése óta két meleg férfi neveli, és habár egyikük fekete, valahogy senki sem tudja, melyikük is Rachel vér szerinti apja. A lány naponta frissíti éneklős videóit az interneten, várva, hogy felfigyelnek rá, de vagy észre sem veszik, vagy kigúnyolják, amiért nem a menő csorda tagja. A lány a Senkim már című dallal mutatkozik be A nyomorultak című musicalből.

Kurt Hummel is jelentkezik az énekkarba. A magas hangú, igényesen öltöző és látszólag magabiztos fiút nap mint nap nyilvánvaló homoszexualitása miatt gúnyolják. A jelentkezéskor a Mr. Celofán című dalt énekli el a Chicago című musicalből. Az Aretha Franklint idéző, temperamentumos Mercedes Jones a Respect (magyarul: Tisztelet) című dallal nyit. A félénk, dadogós, goth stílusban öltöző Tina Cohen-Chang pedig Katy Perry I Kissed a Girl-jével (magyarul: Megcsókoltam egy lányt) mutatkozik be. Szintén kórustag válik Artie Abramsből, egy tolókocsis, mégis életvidám srácból, aki nem csak énekel, de gitározik is.

A focicsapat egyik oszlopos tagjának, Finn Hudsonnak a lelkét sok minden nyomja. Az apja az iraki háborúban halt meg, az édesanyja egyedül neveli, és zenei tehetsége kimerül a dobolásban, amit szintén csak hobbiként űz. Éneklési tehetsége kiskora óta feledésbe merült. A gimiben a menők csoportjába tartozik, így gyakran ő is részt vesz a "lúzerek" gúnyolásában, piszkálásában, de nem érzi jól magát ebben a helyzetben.

Will érzi, hogy az eleinte csetlő-botló énekkarnak több fiúra van szüksége, hogy a kórus fennmaradjon, így Ken Tanakához, a focicsapat edzőjéhez fordul. Ken, aki a Will után vágyakozó Emmáról álmodozik, pár jó szóért cserébe segít Willnek. Azonban a focicsapat nem veszi komolyan az énekkar lehetőségét. A férfi összefut a kórus korábbi vezetőjével, Sandyvel, aki, mint kiderült, felcsapott drogdílernek, és ad is egy kis kóstolót a tiltakozó Willnek az orvosi marihuánából.

Amikor Will balsorsán bánkódik a focicsapat öltözőjében, meghallja a zuhany alatt a éneklő Finnt (REO Speedwagon: Can't Fight This Feeling magyarul: Nem tudom legyőzni ezt az érzést), akinek csiszolatlan hangját kissé elnyomja a zubogó víz, de Will azonnal meglátja benne a tehetséget. Nem is kell több, hogy becsempéssze a Sandytől kapott füvet Finn táskájába, és választás elé állítsa a fiút: ha Finn nem csatlakozik a kórushoz, Will elmondja az igazgatónak, hogy kábítószert birtokolt. Finn egyik pillanatról a másikra énekpróbán találja magát (Grease: Belehalok). Hamarosan Rachel is megkörnyékezi, mire ő benyögi, hogy barátnője van, mégpedig a szurkolócsapat és a cölibátus klub vezetője, a népszerű és angyali Quinn Fabray. Azt persze nem árulja el, hogy a lány nem hajlandó nemi életet élni vele. Később Finnt nyilvánosan megalázzák a saját csapattársai, amiért a lúzerekkel énekel.

Will és Emma, valamint az újonnan megalakult glee klub elmennek megnézni a legutóbbi regionális énekverseny nyertesének fellépését. Mindannyiukban a megdöbbenés és az ijedtség érzése vetekedik, miután tátott szájjal végignézik a Vokál Adrenalin dinamikus produkcióját (Amy Winehouse: Rehab magyarul: Elvonó).

Willt a felesége, Terri nagy hírrel várja otthon: végre sikerült teherbe esnie. A kis család nagyon boldog, de Will kénytelen elfogadni Terri ajánlatát, hogy tanítás helyett vállaljon egy jobban fizető állást, mint könyvelő. Will tudatja a csapattal, hogy távozik az iskolából, mire Finn úgy érzi, ennyivel megúszta a dolgot: mégsem kell énekelnie. Rachel jól le is teremti, amikor nem jelenik meg a próbán. Amikor azonban Finn csapattársai heccből egy mozgássérülteknek fenntartott mobil WC-be zárják Artie-t, Finn közli a többi focistával, hogy túl messzire mentek, és úgy dönt, mégis folytatja az éneklést.

Mikor Will felmond, Emma megpróbálja meggyőzni, hogy maradjon. Mutat neki egy régi felvételt, amin Will táncol és énekel az akkori kórussal. A férfi bevallja, hogy addig, amíg nem tudta, hogy apa lesz, az volt a legboldogabb pillanat az életében. "Akkor gondoskodsz igazán a családodról, ha megtanítod a gyerekednek, hogy csak szenvedéllyel érdemes élni az életet" – érvel Emma. Viszont Will nem gondolja meg magát egészen addig, amíg meg nem hallja, hogy a próbateremben előadás folyik. A hattagú énekkar a Journey Don't Stop Believing (magyarul: Higgy benne tovább) című dalát adja elő, lelkesen, mindent beleadva. Finn csapattársai és a pompomlányok messziről figyelik, ahogy Will végleg kimondja: marad.

Főszereplők
 Dianna Agron – Quinn Fabray
 Chris Colfer – Kurt Hummel
 Jessalyn Gilsig – Terri Schuester
 Jane Lynch – Sue Sylvester
 Jayma Mays – Emma Pillsburry
 Kevin McHale – Artie Abrams
 Lea Michele – Rachel Berry
 Cory Monteith – Finn Hudson
 Matthew Morrison – William Schuester
 Amber Riley – Mercedes Jones
 Mark Salling – Noah "Puck" Puckerman
 Jenna Ushkowitz – Tina Cohen-Chang

Mellékszereplők
 Naya Rivera – Santana Lopez
 Stephen Tobolowsky – Sandy Ryerson
 Patrick Gallagher – Ken Tanaka
 Iqbal Theba – Principal Figgins
 Romy Rosemont – Carole Hudson
 Ben Bledsoe – Hank Saunders
 Justin Gaston – Focista fiú

Külföldi epizódcímek
 Angol: Pilot (Bevezető)
 Olasz: Voci fuori dal coro (Hangok a kóruson kívül)
 Spanyol: Piloto (Bevezető)

Külső hivatkozások

Glee – Sztárok leszünk!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package de.codecentric.jbehave.junit.monitoring;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

import org.jbehave.core.failures.UUIDExceptionWrapper;
import org.jbehave.core.model.ExamplesTable;
import org.jbehave.core.model.GivenStories;
import org.jbehave.core.model.Meta;
import org.jbehave.core.model.Narrative;
import org.jbehave.core.model.OutcomesTable;
import org.jbehave.core.model.Scenario;
import org.jbehave.core.model.Story;
import org.jbehave.core.model.StoryDuration;
import org.jbehave.core.reporters.StoryReporter;
import org.junit.runner.Description;
import org.junit.runner.Result;
import org.junit.runner.notification.Failure;
import org.junit.runner.notification.RunNotifier;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

public class JUnitScenarioReporter implements StoryReporter {
    Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(JUnitScenarioReporter.class);

    private RunNotifier notifier;
    private Description currentScenario;
    private Description currentStep;
    private Iterator<Description> scenarioDescriptions;
    private final Description rootDescription;
    private final ArrayList<Description> storyDescriptions;

    private Description currentStoryDescription;
    private Iterator<Description> stepDescriptions;
    private Iterator<Description> exampleDescriptions;
    private Description nextExample;
    int testCounter = 0;
    private final int totalTests;

	private boolean givenStoryContext;

    public JUnitScenarioReporter(RunNotifier notifier, int totalTests, Description rootDescription) {
        this.totalTests = totalTests;
        this.rootDescription = rootDescription;
        this.notifier = notifier;
        this.storyDescriptions = rootDescription.getChildren();
    }

    public void beforeStory(Story story, boolean isGivenStory) {
        logger.info("Before Story: {} {}", story.getName(), isGivenStory ? "(given story)" : "");
        if (isGivenStory) {
            notifier.fireTestStarted(currentStep);
            givenStoryContext = true;

        } else {
        	if (testCounter == 0) {
        		notifier.fireTestRunStarted(rootDescription);
        	}
	        for (Description storyDescription : storyDescriptions) {
	        	if (storyDescription.isSuite() && storyDescription.getDisplayName().equals(story.getName())) {
	                currentStoryDescription = storyDescription;
	                notifier.fireTestStarted(storyDescription);

	                scenarioDescriptions = storyDescription.getChildren().iterator();
	                if (scenarioDescriptions.hasNext()) {
	                    currentScenario = scenarioDescriptions.next();
	                }
	            } else if (storyDescription.isTest() && storyDescription.getMethodName().equals(story.getName())) {
	                // Story BeforeStories or After Stories
	                currentStoryDescription = storyDescription;
	                notifier.fireTestStarted(currentStoryDescription);
	            }
	        }
        }

    }

    public void afterStory(boolean isGivenStory) {
	    logger.info("After Story: {} {}", currentStoryDescription.getDisplayName(), isGivenStory ? "(given story)" : "");
	    if (isGivenStory) {
	    	givenStoryContext = false;
	    	notifier.fireTestFinished(currentStep);
	    	prepareNextStep();
	    } else {
		    notifier.fireTestFinished(currentStoryDescription);
		    testCounter++;

		    if (testCounter == totalTests) {
		        Result result = new Result();
		        notifier.fireTestRunFinished(result);
		    }
	    }
	}

	public void beforeScenario(String title) {
	    logger.info("Before Scenario: {}", title);
	    if (!givenStoryContext) {
		    notifier.fireTestStarted(currentScenario);

		    ArrayList<Description> children = currentScenario.getChildren();
		    if (!children.isEmpty() && children.get(0).getDisplayName().startsWith(JUnitDescriptionGenerator.EXAMPLE_DESCRIPTION_PREFIX)) {
		    	exampleDescriptions = currentScenario.getChildren().iterator();
		    	if (exampleDescriptions.hasNext()) {
		    		nextExample = exampleDescriptions.next();
		    	}
		    } else {
		    	stepDescriptions = getAllDescendants(currentScenario).iterator();
		    	if (stepDescriptions.hasNext()) {
		    		currentStep = stepDescriptions.next();
		    	}
		    }
	    }
	}

	private Collection<Description> getAllDescendants(Description description) {
		List<Description> descendants = new ArrayList<Description>();
		ArrayList<Description> children = description.getChildren();
		for (Description child : children) {
			descendants.add(child);
			descendants.addAll(getAllDescendants(child));
		}
		return descendants;
	}

	public void afterScenario() {
        logger.info("After Scenario: {}", currentScenario.getDisplayName());
	    if (!givenStoryContext) {
	        notifier.fireTestFinished(currentScenario);
	        if (scenarioDescriptions.hasNext()) {
	            currentScenario = scenarioDescriptions.next();
	            logger.debug("--> updating current scenario to {}", currentScenario.getDisplayName());
	        }
	    }
    }

    public void beforeExamples(List<String> arg0, ExamplesTable arg1) {
	    logger.info("Before Examples: {}", arg0 != null ? arg0 : "n/a");
	}

	public void example(Map<String, String> arg0) {
	    logger.info("Example: {}", arg0);

	    stepDescriptions = nextExample.getChildren().iterator();
	    if (stepDescriptions.hasNext()) {
	        currentStep = stepDescriptions.next();
	    }

	    if (exampleDescriptions.hasNext()) {
	        nextExample = exampleDescriptions.next();
	    }

	}

	public void afterExamples() {
	    logger.info("{}", "afterExamples");

	}

	public void beforeStep(String title) {
        logger.info("Before Step: {}", title);
	    if (!givenStoryContext) {
	    	notifier.fireTestStarted(currentStep);
	    }
    }

    public void failed(String step, Throwable e) {
        if (e instanceof UUIDExceptionWrapper) {
            e = ((UUIDExceptionWrapper) e).getCause();
        }
        logger.info("Step Failed: {} (cause: {})", step, e.getMessage());
	    if (!givenStoryContext) {
	    	notifier.fireTestFailure(new Failure(currentStep, e));
	    	testCounter++;
	    }
    }

    public void successful(String step) {
        logger.info("Step Succesful: {}", step);
	    if (!givenStoryContext) {
	        notifier.fireTestFinished(currentStep);

	        prepareNextStep();
	    }
    }

    private void prepareNextStep() {
		if (stepDescriptions.hasNext()) {
	        currentStep = stepDescriptions.next();
	    }
	    testCounter++;
	}

    // BASICALLY UN-IMPLEMENTED METHODS

	public void dryRun() {
        logger.info("{}", "dryRun");
    }

    public void failedOutcomes(String arg0, OutcomesTable arg1) {
        logger.info("Failed outcomes: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void givenStories(GivenStories arg0) {
        logger.info("Given Stories: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void givenStories(List<String> arg0) {
        logger.info("Given Stories (List): {}", arg0);
    }

    public void ignorable(String arg0) {
        logger.info("Ignorable: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void narrative(Narrative arg0) {
        logger.info("Narrative: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void notPerformed(String arg0) {
        logger.info("Not performed: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void pending(String arg0) {
        logger.info("Pending: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void pendingMethods(List<String> arg0) {
        logger.info("Pending methods: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void restarted(String arg0, Throwable arg1) {
        logger.info("Restarted: {} ({})", arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void scenarioMeta(Meta arg0) {
        logger.info("Meta: {}", arg0);
    }

    public void scenarioNotAllowed(Scenario arg0, String arg1) {
        logger.info("Scenario not allowed: {} {}", arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void storyCancelled(Story arg0, StoryDuration arg1) {
        logger.info("Story cancelled: {} after {}", arg0, arg1);
        System.out.println("JBehave2JunitReporter.storyCancelled()");
    }

    public void storyNotAllowed(Story arg0, String arg1) {
        logger.info("Story not allowed: {}, {}", arg0, arg1);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub