1. Attach a brief explanation with the "alt" attribute (alternative text) to images posted on a website.
In order to enable voice browser users to understand the content of images, attach brief explanations with the "alt" attribute (alternative text) to the images, e.g. alt="A photo of the main lecture hall".
In the case of an image that serves as a link button, attach an "alt" explanation to specify the linked page, e.g. alt="A link to Hiroshima University".
To avoid confusion, do not attach an alt explanation to decorative images with no particular meaning used simply for making the page look good, e.g. alt="".
Some people may browse website contents using a software program that reads aloud text information in a synthetic voice (hereinafter "voice browser"). This program reads aloud an "alt" explanation attached as an alternative to an image.
2. Add a text explanation or caption as an alternative to audio or video information.
Add a text explanation or caption to audio or video information.
Some website visitors may have hearing or vision impairments, or do not understand the language used in the audio or video contents.
3. When using a table, give consideration to the order in which a voice browser will read the table content aloud (from left to right, from top to bottom).
When using a table, make the logical relationships of the table (table structure and relationship between cells) clear by using child, descendant elements such as tr, th (heading cell), and td elements.
When using a table, keep in mind to make the table structure and contents comprehensible to the voice browser that reads the contents aloud from left to right and from top to bottom.
Please do not make a complex table structure for design purposes.
Generally, voice browsers will read the table contents aloud from left to right, from top to bottom.
4. Ensure that information conveyed with color can also be expressed without using color.
When using different colors for text or categorization, make sure that the content information can be conveyed as the same when printed in black-and-white.
e.g. Using both colors and patterns to express each section of the pie chart.
e.g. Using both colors and texts to express each section of the pie chart.
Some users find it difficult to distinguish colors. When using different colors for text, charts and graphs, keep in mind to make the content comprehensible without distinguishing colors.
5. Provide high contrast between the text and background colors.
Be sure to provide sufficient contrast between the text and background colors (contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1) to consider text readability.
Some users find it difficult to identify the content on a webpage where the contrast between the text and background colors is insufficient. It may also be difficult to read text written on patterns or photos.
6. Make it possible for each user to change the font size as they like.
When using a style sheet, designate the font size and the text container size with a relative value.
When size is set by relative value, users can make the text readable by changing the font size setting in the OS or browser.
7. Do not use device-dependent characters such as encircled numbers.
Do not use Device-dependent characters (e.g. encircled numbers, single-byte katakana characters, double-byte Greek numbers, and special symbols).
Device-dependent characters may not be displayed correctly depending on the OS used.
8. Make it possible to select all items, including links, buttons and menus, by using a keyboard alone.
Make sure that the movement from item to item and selection of items can be performed using the "TAB" key or "ENTER" key.
Make sure that all items in a menu or list can be selected by using the arrow keys in combination with the "TAB" key or "ENTER" key.
If any of the items on the page cannot be accessed using a keyboard alone, think of an alternative method for providing information without using such inaccessible item.
Some users (users with visual impairment, mobility impairment, etc.) may have difficulty using a mouse. Make sure all movements of all pages are accessible by using a keyboard alone.
9. Provide enough time for the user to use the contents.
When setting a time limit for the contents, consider the users taking time to use the contents.
e.g. Notify the users with a caution (at least 20 seconds before the timeout) so that the users can adjust (extend) the time limit.
10. Do not use contents that include severe display flashing.
Do not use contents that flash more than three times in a second.
Exposure to the severe flashing lights may trigger epileptic seizures.
11. Give an appropriate title to each page.
Give a title specific to each page that is easy to understand and associated with the page content.
Voice browsers read aloud information on a webpage from top to bottom. Giving an appropriate title to each page helps in understanding the structure of the website and makes it easier to search for information.
12. Make it possible for users to skip the contents that appear repeatedly on multiple pages and jump to the main text.
Provide an internal link that can jump to the main text when some contents that appear repeatedly on multiple pages (e.g. navigations) are placed on prior to the main text.
When some contents (e.g. navigations) that appear repeatedly on multiple pages are placed prior (above or left) to the main text, voice browsers will read these contents every time before reading the main text.
13. Give a link title to a link button to specify the content of the linked page.
Give a link title to a link button to specify the content of the linked page.
If a linked page is on an external website, give a note to that effect.
If a linked page is a PDF file or file in any other format, indicate the file format and file size.
14. Add an appropriate navigation aid to make it easier to locate each page within the website.
In order to make it easier to locate each page within the website and to move from one page to another within the same website, keep in mind to add an appropriate navigation aid (breadcrumb list, link to the top page, etc.).
15. Avoid using too many frames and arrange items in order.
Use frames to the minimum, and when using frames, arrange items in order.
Voice browsers identify and read aloud frames as different pages. Therefore, frames are sometimes difficult to use for voice browser users. Also, if items are arranged at random, the frame for selection goes hither and thither, and users who access the webpage using a keyboard (without using a mouse) might lose sight of the item that they are selecting.
16. Clarify the natural language used in each webpage.
Clarify the language used in each webpage so that voice browsers can recognize it.
Clarify the languages used partially in each webpage so that voice browsers can recognize them as need.
17. Prevent the website from creating motions without users' choice.
Prevent the website from reproducing sound automatically without users' choice.
Prevent the movement from one page to another from occurring automatically without users' choice.
Make sure that the website will not create motions against users' intention.
18. Verify the accessibility of webpages.
Verify if the webpages are accessible to various users.
e.g. Verify the accessibility using check tools.
e.g. Make sure that the same information can be conveyed when changed into text.
e.g. Make sure that the same information can be conveyed when printed in black-and-white.
e.g. Make sure all movements are available by using a keyboard alone.
e.g. Ask various people including people with disabilities to use the website and hear their opinions on its accessibility.


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text:
package uk.co.bluegecko.core.exceptions;

/**
 * Marker interface to denote errors with client requests.
 *
 * Usually used for expected and correctable errors.
 */
public interface ClientError
{
	// marker interface
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Grab your business cards and unwind from your work day with your fellow colleagues at Nacional 27!
Join your fellow colleagues for a networking happy hour at Nacional 27 - a Latin American restaurant-bar in River North featuring delicious cuisines from 27 different countries. Note: All members of the Society are welcome to attend. Please consider this an opportunity to showcase the diversity of the Society to a female client or co-worker.
UCAN is a multi-faceted social service agency whose mission is to offer children and families the support and skills necessary to break cycles of abuse and neglect by striving to build strong youth and families through compassionate healing, education and empowerment. UCAN's priorities are advanced through a network of community-based initiatives focusing on out-of-home care, community collaboration, education and counseling. This network provides a continuum of care to ensure that clients receive the highest quality treatment without having to make often-difficult transitions to other providers. In FY 2010, UCAN programs served 12,000 children, youth and families. Please visit www.ucanchicago.org.
Note: Fee includes one drink ticket and appetizers. Attendees may purchase additional drinks at their own expense.
Student rate only available to students approved as a Student-Member of CFA Chicago for 2012-2013. Regular and Affiliate Members may apply function tickets as payment for Non-member. Credit card is required to guarantee ALL reservations. No day-of-event pre-registrations accepted (on-site only, if applicable and space available). There is a $5 surcharge for walk-ins. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Diners Club are accepted. Cancellations accepted until 5:00 pm, Aug. 17.


text:
Q: Simply Connected Complexes and a Combinatorial Poincaré Lemma On the wikipedia page for conservative vector fields there is a proof sketch given for the following result:

Wikipedia: Let $U$ be open subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$.  Then all closed differential $1$-forms are exact if and only if $U$ is simply connected.

I assume there is a combinatorial variant for a finite simplicial complex, but I am not really comfortable with fundamental groups or the Hurewicz isomorphism, and the part of their argument regarding torsion I don't follow, so I was hoping someone could help me fill in the blanks for the following claim:

Claim: Let $K$ be a finite simplicial complex.  Then $K$ is simply connected if and only if $H^1_{\Delta}(K, \mathbb{R})=0$.

The two parts I'm having trouble formalizing are (i) why a trivial fundamental group yields $H_1(K,\mathbb{Z}) = 0$ (which I suspect is trivial), and how I can get the other direction, where I need to go from $H^1(K, \mathbb{R})=0$ to $H_1(K,\mathbb{Z})= 0$.  Why can't torsion be an issue?

A: The Hurewicz theorem states that, for a connected complex
$K$, $H_1(K,\Bbb Z)$ is the Abelianisation of the fundamental
group $\pi_1(K)$. We can have $H_1(K,\Bbb Z)$ trivial if
say $K$ has non-Abelian simple fundamental group.
In the original example for $U$ an open subset of $\Bbb R^2$,
$H_i(U,\Bbb Z)$ never has torsion, so by then universal coefficient theorem,
$H_i(U,\Bbb R)=H_i(U,\Bbb Z)\otimes \Bbb R$.
Also, if $U$ is not simply connected, there is a point in its complement
such that a cycle in $U$ winds about it. That cycle gives a non-zero element of $H_1(U,\Bbb Z)$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Offering a large variety of contemporary hardware, home decor, furniture, and much more. We are constantly adding trending new products to our selection. Like us on Facebook to receive the most current updates and promotions.


Leaving Moab was hard, there was still so much we wanted to see! Guess, we'll just have to plan another trip, right? Right!! We left Moab to go to our next stop at Bear Lake, UT.
We'll take day trips into Logan, UT to see where I went to college, Utah State University. I spent about 6 years there and, no, it didn't take me 6 years to get my degree!!! Instead I ended up quitting after my sophomore year because I couldn't decide on a major. Then I worked for the college for about 4 years. I finally went back in my 40's while working full-time and got my BS in Business Management. But, to get back to the main story.
We left Moab and it was a pretty long drive to our campsite at Bear Lake State Park. We decided to stop at the Mountain Valley RV Resort in Heber UT, which was the halfway mark. And let me tell you, we're glad we did. Not only because it cut our drive time in half, from six hours to about three hours, but also because it was a mountainous drive. And three hours driving two-lane roads through the mountains is plenty of drive time for us old fogeys.
The Mountain Valley RV Resort is one of the best RV parks where we've ever stayed. If you're ever near Salt Lake City, take a look at this RV Resort. Heber UT is a suburb of Salt Lake and close to SLC. Plus it's a very new park and the site spaces are fabulous. It is one of the finest RV resorts in the Western United States and the highest rated park in Utah. You will find the family-friendly resort just off HWY 40 in Heber City, located in Northern Utah just 45 mins east of Salt Lake City, 20 mins south of I-80 ( Park City ) and 30 mins east of I-15 ( Orem ). It's open year-round and sheltered by the stunning Rocky Mountains of the Heber Valley.
They have both a Phase 1 and a Phase 2 park, Phase 1 is for families and Phase 2 is for adults only. Phase 2 also has sewer connections, laundry, and trash pick up daily. Both phases are up to date, clean, and have cement pads for your RV and grassy spots for the picnic table. It is beautifully landscaped and accommodates big rigs easily with pull thru sites that are 80'x30′. And, of course, they also have cabins and tent sites.
So we stayed there one night before taking off for Bear Lake State Park, we'll be at the Bear Lake State Park for three nights. We're staying the area of the park known as Rendezvous Beach in the Birch Campground. We can see the lake from our pull-through site and the beach is just a few steps away. Our site has water, electricity, sewer, and a fantastic view. The site is a level asphalt pad. The ranger told us it's the best site in the park. Site BIRC15 if you ever get to this area.
Plus they have showers and restrooms here. It's going to be great staying here a few days and using this as our base camp to explore the area and get back to seeing Logan and USU. There are so many things to do here, you can rent boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, pontoons, wakeboards, stand up paddle boards, you name it, they have it. There's a golf course close by (but we forgot our clubs), hiking, and of course the National Forest in Logan Canyon as you drive to Logan about 45 minutes away.
We've got the dog pen set up so the dogs can go in and out as they please, we've got our chairs out, the grill setup, our propane fire pit and getting ready to take a spin on our bikes then take the dogs for a walk and have dinner.
Weather is in the 30s-40s at night and 60s-70s during the day. You can definitely tell fall is in the air.
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Sobhan Darou was designed and established in 1980 under the name of Suiiran by the participation and technical knowledge of Ciba-Geigy Switzerland [current Novartis. [ . The Pharmaceutical Group of neurology and psychiatry/psych-nerves, cardiovascular, digestive system and all other pharmaceutical products are manufactured in the company in the production lines of solids (tablets and capsules), semi-solids and oral drops that by producing about 3 billion numbers per annum, the Sobhan Darou Company is identified as the largest numeral producer of tablets and capsules in Iran. Exports are accomplished to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and at present the sobhan products registered in Kazakhstan, and registration is underway for the countries of Tajikistan, Russia, Uganda and Yemen.


Why can't we put God and family first?
After watching the politicians go round and round for the past few months, (seems like years already!), I still haven't heard what I am looking for, but in glances. What is the REAL solution to the dilemmas that we face as Americans today?
Our society has major predicaments that stretch across and deeply effect all classes. I could name them but why waste your time, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The one cause that the serious problems all really point to when all of the smoke clears is the family unit. What has happened to the American family unit? Why don't any of the presidential candidates speak to the disintegration of the family as a point of emphasis? Is it because there's no money in it? This brings me to the real heart of the matter, money and our insatiable appetite for it.
More toys, (that cost more money to play with and maintain), a bigger house, (that costs more to maintain and one day you will grow out of and ultimately lose anyway), a more expensive car, (so you can feel the fleeting joy of fulfilling an unrealistic childhood dream). What is life REALLY about anyway?
So from where does this love of money come?
Studies have proven that the first three years of life are the most crucial, and from there our real memories are made. Our childhood is what shapes us. All things are seated in our upbringing, whether we want to admit it or not. Not placing blame, just sayin'.
I say this because if we really want to solve the multi-level crisis of today then we have to look inside the box. We as parents and role models NEED TO raise our children properly from the beginning to the end. Teach and show them that putting God and family first is the foundation on which all that is truly good is built. Otherwise the cycle will continue and we will be continuing to put little bandages on gaping wounds. Shouldn't we be actively trying as leaders to prevent the wounds in the first place? But then again, think about all the money that would be lost, that's what all the politicians do….
If we put Father God first in all situations, "good" or "bad", the multi-dimensionally confusing situation becomes crystal clear and it seemingly takes care of itself As God intercedes for His children.
Money isn't the root of all evil, greed above God is.
Keep your eye on the ball parents…….the world and your children's future depends on it.
Author Tom McGrawPosted on April 5, 2016 July 28, 2016 Format GalleryTags Christian, christian family life, Christian politics, church, daily bread, parenting, true christian beliefsLeave a comment on Why can't we put God and family first?


text:
Master Ndo unmasked
01 Aug 2020 at 07:54hrs | Views
UNTIL now his whereabouts had been unknown despite his fame in the early 1990s going far and wide, with even some of his peers literally worshipping him.
In late 1995 at the age of 22, he, together with some members of his Black Shaolin Guards left Pumula in Bulawayo for Harare where he set up a brown and black belt instructors only club.
Then in 1996 at the age of 23, he turned his back on Zimbabwe and flew to the United States of America to join his father. By then he had changed his name to Walter Grahams.
Since he left, he has never set foot in Zimbabwe again, but it is believed he usually visits Malawi, his country of origin, although he was born and bred in Zimbabwe. This is a brief summation of one of, if not the greatest and mystical martial arts figure to ever emerge from Pumula in Bulawayo. His birth name was Ndodana Gonde, but everyone knew him as Master Ndo.
"It's Ndo not Ndoe as I have seen some people write," Simbarashe Simango, one of his surviving students told Chronicle Sport. Master Ndo had a good sense of fashion Simango told us that Master Ndo went to Robert Sinyoka Primary School and Gifford High School. Master Ndo loved his food and if he missed breakfast and lunch, he would demand those meals whenever he returned home. If he came back towards supper time, he would first have breakfast and then lunch before climbing into his supper. That's just how mystical Master Ndo was. Master Ndo's father stayed in Pumula East, while he stayed with his mother in Old Pumula.
"Master Ndo grew up in Pumula and as for martial arts, he developed an interest due to those movies that were popular during that time. He started practising martial arts as a young boy, training under Dragon which was headed by Silas Manaka for about six months and from there he started training alone and that is probably where his talent and what he believed in started. He copied some moves and skills from the movies and would change some of those skills to suit his liking," says Simango.
At the age of 17 in 1990, Master Ndo formed his own martial arts club and named it Master Ndo Martial Arts School and by then his fame had already gone beyond Pumula. Inside one of the rooms at Pumula Open Arena (above), there is Master Ndo's footprint two metres from the ground implanted as he was demonstrating to his students.
"When I joined the club in 1990, I found other guys like Givens Dube, Shepherd Khumalo, Maxwell Dube, Nhlanhla Mkwananzi, Welcome Shiro, Patrick Gomo and Dumisani Ndebele. Gomo and Ndebele are in the United Kingdom, while others are in South Africa and some unfortunately are now late. We used to conduct our training sessions at the local hall, Pumula Open Air Arena and sometimes we would shift to the other hall since he (Master Ndo) was a well known person who was loved by the community," Simango said.
Just like in the Kung Fu movie where masters train with their students, but always stay well ahead of them, they would also have individual and private training sessions. Master Ndo also did the same. Simango reveals that there was a place in Pumula called China, Master Ndo's secret skills honing place.
"He used to have his own private training place in the bush which he called China. Even now if you ask senior residents here about China, they will tell you where the place is. He called his type of martial arts, Master Ndo Martial Arts. He said it was different from the Chinese one and we tended to believe him in that.
"He combined different types of martial arts; what he learnt from Manaka, what he saw from the movies and what he invented himself. Maybe we can call it mixed martial arts now," said Simango. When his club grew, he changed its name to Master Ndo Martial Arts and the Black Shaolin Guards, who were nine.
"Master Ndo's work ethics were something else. He would start training as early as six in the morning before us and at 2pm he will be at the club with one class and at 6pm he will be with another class. One other mystery thing about him was that when he got home in the evening, he would want to find his porridge, his tea and even lunch. His family knew very well about that because wayehlupha once he doesn't find his meals," reveals Simango.
Black Shaolin Guards (from left) Denis Sibanda, Simbarashe Simango and Khumbulani Mpofu
Simango said as Master Ndo grew in stature and age, he became much closer to his father and in hindsight, it was probably the reason he eventually decided to relocate to Harare where he formed another martial arts club in Waterfalls which was strictly for instructors only whereby only those with either a brown or black belt were allowed. It was during this time that Simango and Khumalo, who had relocated to Harare with Master Ndo, learnt that their master was now using the name Walter Grahams.
"When people were asking him his name, he would say Walter Grahams. I remember Dorothy Masuka (the late musician) used his original name which she knew from Pumula when they met in Harare, but Master Ndo remained adamant that his name was Walter. "Master Ndo left Zimbabwe in 1996 to join his father, who had sold his Pumula house and migrated to America," Simango said.
According to Simango, Master Ndo left an angry man because he wanted to go with them to America, but they first wanted to inform their parents, something he was never comfortable with.
"When we left Bulawayo for Harare, he had told us that he was going to organise passports for us then we go to Malawi and open a martial arts club there and after a while we then go to America. Somehow there was a change of plans and he suddenly wanted us to go with him to America. He never took no for an answer, that was Master Ndo for you," Simango recalled.
Although it has been 25 years since he left Pumula, his fame still abounds in the neighbourhood that he cultivated his mystical figure and surrounding suburbs.
Source - chronicle
More on: #Master_Ndo, #Unmasked, #Bulawayo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Leveraging the Power of Digital Technologies and Data Systems against COVID-19
Photo by Sarah Grile for USAID.
Lessons from the Ebola outbreak response.
By Rebecca Saxton-Fox
Center for Digital Development, USAID Global Development Lab
By Jaclyn Carlsen
By Merrick Schaefer
Center for Innovation and Impact, USAID Bureau for Global Health
By Adele Waugaman
How can digital technologies and data best be leveraged to support the COVID-19 response in low- and middle-income countries?
Recent efforts to fight the pandemic demonstrate the incredible power that digital technology offers as we rise to face unprecedented global threats and support partner countries' on their journey to self-reliance.
To fight the spread of COVID-19, information is critical. Responders and decision makers need detailed and timely data about the disease's spread, and communities need access to trusted and truthful information to protect themselves and their families.
Children are using digital technology to learn, people are using digital payments to send money to loved ones, and local institutions are coming online to deliver services that have been impacted by the epidemic. This requires robust digital tools, internet connectivity, as well as policies and infrastructure to support the responsible use of these technologies and sensitive data.
The response to the Ebola outbreak that hit West Africa in 2014 offers powerful lessons for how to effectively and responsibly use digital technologies and data.
When that outbreak happened, the world was unprepared. The consequences: 30,000 cases, 11,000 deaths, and billions of dollars lost. The scale of COVID-19 is already much broader.
During the Ebola outbreak, the systems West Africa required to gather, analyze, and use data and information were not robust enough to support a timely response. USAID and partners worked together to overcome some of these challenges. The resulting investments show the power of digital technology. In fact, these are programs that have been in use since the end of the Ebola outbreak and are now being used to respond to COVID-19.
Photo by Morgana Wingard for USAID.
mHero
Problem: Uncoordinated investments led to more than 50 digital data systems being brought in or created to support affected countries' response. Health workers on the front lines did not have consistent access to information.
Solution: USAID and partners developed mHero, an information-sharing tool that helps speed up communication with frontline health workers. The tool reuses a government's existing systems rather than developing new ones. The Government of Liberia used it to communicate directly with frontline health workers during the Ebola outbreak. Since then, mHero is used on a regular basis by a variety of departments within the Ministry of Health to inform health governance and service delivery.
Today: Thanks to mHero's flexible design, the Government of Liberia has repurposed it to share weekly updates on COVID-19 and support early case detection. This helps the Ministry of Health know about outbreaks faster, communicate the results of lab samples faster, and respond in a rapid fashion, making Liberia and neighboring countries safer.
West African Health Informatics Team
Problem: Before and during the Ebola outbreak, West African technical expertise to maintain and adapt digital health platforms was located within the private sector. The public sector—made up of the people responding to the Ebola outbreak—relied on international experts flying in to adapt and maintain information systems.
Solution: USAID and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) developed and launched the West African Health Informatics Team (WAHIT), a group of software engineers and informatics experts from the region to sustain health information systems at a regional level.
Today: Because of WAHIT, WAHO has the capacity to support countries and regional efforts in a data-driven COVID-19 response. WAHIT has developed a COVID-19 case tracker that compiles and shares information directly from ministry of health data management teams and via social media. It supports WAHO in understanding and responding to trends across the West Africa region.
These life-saving programs are possible not just in West Africa but in all countries, and as part of USAID's new Digital Strategy and forthcoming Digital Health Vision.
Top 10 Lessons to Fight the Pandemic
Leveraging the lessons from recent epidemic response efforts will help ensure we fully harness the power of digital systems and data systems for COVID-19 response and recovery. Our list of lessons learned is a good place to start.
Ensure that country governments are in the driver's seat from the beginning.
Reuse existing digital tools whenever possible, and support country health systems by developing inventories of existing digital tools and systems.
Coordinate across and between various government offices and ministries.
Consider how digital tools can both share and collect information. Two-way communication can increase insights, trust, and accountability in data collection and use.
Coordinate with local and global organizations to standardize data definitions and make it easier to compare and share data.
Publish datasets in machine-readable formats to common data repositories that enable analysis and reuse.
Pay health workers electronically and send emergency funds to clients the same way.
Know your audience's tech savvy. For example, what percentage of the country has internet connectivity? What is the most popular messaging platform? How many people have mobile phones?
Use a community-driven approach. During Ebola, communities only believed in information coming from trusted community leaders. Look for ways that technology can amplify local efforts.
Reference best practices. Here are three guides to start: Principles for Digital Development, the Principles of Donor Alignment for Digital Health, and Principles for Digital Payments in Humanitarian Response.
With funding from USAID, IntraHealth International and UNICEF created mHero in August 2014 to support health-sector communication during the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Learn more.
This post originally appeared on Medium.
infectious diseases COVID-19 Ebola digital health Technology Mobile Technology
New Digital Health Tools Lead to Better Services, Stronger Data, and Cost Savings in Uganda
New on Vital


The Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA) is hosting its first-ever networking event for alumni involved in the nonprofit arts world. Meet fellow practitioners, board members, fundraisers, and volunteers who share your passions and challenges as you pursue your nonprofit arts career. The evening is designed to enhance networking within specific segments of the Arts, including dance, drama, music, television, film, and visual arts. Joining us to deliver a brief keynote will be James Hackney, '79 MAR, the recently appointed Senior Director of Development at the Yale Divinity School, who has over 30 years of experience in fundraising. Followed by the keynote, enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar. Please make reservations in advance by emailing events@yaleclubnyc.org.


text:
← t h a n k s g i v i n g
Jaimy Gordon →
Posted on November 28, 2011 by daysofyore
Reed Birney has become a ubiquitous presence on New York stages, appearing in some of the most celebrated new plays of the past few years. He received a Drama Desk Award last May for his work in three critically acclaimed dramas: A Small Fire at Playwrights Horizons, and Tigers Be Still and Dream of the Burning Boy at the Roundabout Underground. He also starred in the controversial, wildly popular 2009 production of Sarah Kane's Blasted at Soho Rep, and was a member of the Obie and Drama Desk award-winning ensemble of Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation. In addition to a host of other Broadway, Off-Broadway, TV, and film credits, he is the recipient of an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance.
Birney is a richly versatile actor that younger, aspiring performers in New York look up to, and one young playwrights consistently gravitate toward — an actor, director, and playwright's actor, if there ever was one.
He spoke to the Days of Yore over popovers on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
You were born in Delaware, but raised in Western New York?
Right. In ninth grade we moved to Buffalo, which even now I can't really believe. My dad was an Episcopal Minister, but he had done mostly administrative work. He would assist bishops. So we went from Delaware where he had a parish over to the diocese in Western New York. And it's a nice place, I guess, but I just never saw myself as anybody who spent any time in Buffalo. But then… I did. I went to high school there.
Did you always know you wanted to act?
I'm one of those little freaky kids who knew really young. I remember saying to a group of grown-ups at 5, I'm going to be an actor, and they all laughed. "He's adorable and weird!"
So you were one of those kids putting on puppet show performances and things like that.
Yeah, the puppet show guy. But I feel like I had this epiphany. I went to see The Wonders of Aladdin, I believe, with Donald O'Connor. And I seem to remember thinking: That's for me. I want to do that. Why? Who knows.
Did your dad ever make you perform at church?
It never was tied in that way, but it was interesting because he didn't have a parish most of my life. Whenever I would see him preach, though, I was amazed by how much of a performance it was. Like: That's my dad performing. That's not the guy I see at home.
Was that weird?
It was a little weird to see. Like – why is he talking like that? I still think it's very weird to see people you know in a play. I can't work on auditions with my wife, because it feels silly. I'm being someone else. It doesn't feel quite right.
So you do a bunch of plays in high school and then head to college for acting?
I did. I went to Boston University for two years and then dropped out. I thought: I could be treated this badly for free. So I came to New York and went to Circle in the Square, a theatre school here. And it was terrible. It was really about getting grant money to keep the theatre open, that's the only reason it was there, I think. So I was unhappy there, too. But I got my [Actor's] Equity card doing children's theater — two of the worst shows ever written.
What were they, do you remember?
Two soft rock musicals. One was called Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and the other was Swiss Family Robinson set in America. And they were an hour long. And we traveled from Maine to Florida in – if my memory serves – an unheated station wagon. No iPods or Walkmen. Just the radio.
And each other.
And each other, right. A real sad, unhappy group. I was 20. I only lasted at Circle for 3 months and then started doing these shows.
Was it a resistance to education or more of an impatience to get started doing it professionally?
I just think I was ready to go. I was a cutie-pie, you know? I thought, I need to strike now while I'm young and cute. But the youth culture had not begun yet, so there really wasn't much of a premium on being young and cute at that point.
Really? I thought that was always a premium.
No, they still had 30-year-olds playing 18-year-olds in movies, at that point. So I was sort of on the wrong side of the fence. But then when I got a little older, I suddenly became too old. Funny how that works.
So you toured with these shows for a few months.
Yeah, and they paid a little bit. Like $350 a week, maybe? It was produced by the same people who produced Chicago, but this was before they'd moved up to Broadway. They basically sent us out on the road and forgot about us. We'd be stuck somewhere in Louisiana, you know, with everything folded up into the back of a truck. It was pretty gruesome. The guy who played King Arthur was 40, and he was the driver, and he was a Vietnam vet. He was an angry dude.
Would he tell a lot of stories?
He just got very very dark. Imagine being this 40-year-old vet and this is the best job you've got…
The thing is: A lot of new York is filled with the guy who was the star of all his high school plays. You just come to New York and assume it'll keep going like that. But the other thing that happened – and this is sort of telling – one of the reasons I dropped out of BU was because somebody came up to me at school and said, "They're doing a musical version of Look Homeward, Angel on Broadway next year, and you would be great as Eugene.
A producer came up and suggested this to you?
No, just a classmate! He was like: you should go up for that, you're good for it. I was like, "Great idea! I'll just go do that."
That easy. So how did you finagle an audition for it?
Frances Sternhagen was a family friend and I wrote to her and asked if she could get me an audition and she did. She helped a lot. So I snuck down to New York one Wednesday and went and sang for everyone around a piano. They were perfectly nice, but in my 19-year-old mind, I thought…I got it. They were gonna do Look Homeward, Angel at Circle in the Square the following winter, and…
You thought: this is in the bag.
Right, I thought: I'll drop out, I'll be at Circle in the Square, and then I'll be on Broadway. So then I started to become obsessed with Thomas Wolfe [the author] and reading all his stuff. I came to New York, changed my life, went to Circle in the Square. And then my memory is — let's say the first day of classes — they suddenly announced, they're not doing Look Homeward, Angel, they're actually doing Where's Charley.
So I was like … great! Fantastic! So the show was being postponed. And then I got this children's theatre tour. Went out on the road but was still just completely obsessed with Look Homeward, Angel. I was going to be the guy, you know? I would write letters to the composer. We went near Asheville, North Carolina on the tour and on the day off I took the bus and spent the night at the boarding house [featured in the book, which is now a Thomas Wolfe Memorial]. There was a point, I think, where if they had done the play and not cast me, I would have killed myself.
So even the mere possibility…
I was the character. I thought I knew more about it than anybody in the world. I needed it.
But, it's an interesting thing — and part of a lesson that actors learn over and over — When I got back from the children's theatre tour, a year went by, the show hadn't been done, but then somebody said to me, out of the blue, "Oh I read in the paper they're actually producing Look Homeward, Angel."
Like the same classmate. He followed you around.
Yeah, exactly. But no, so I wrote to the composer and said, "I'm still interested if you're still interested." So then they called me in again, and I sang for them again. It was for a summer of backer's auditions. And then, they hired me! They did. So I spent that summer of 1976 performing for backer's auditions in New York for producers and money people as the guy. As the guy I dreamed about. It was going to happen. Amazingly, as part of this publicity stunt, we flew to Asheville and did the audition IN the boarding house, and Wolfe's only living relative, his brother, came to see it.
So it all worked out.
Well, wait. There's more. What nobody told me is: Everybody doing the backer's audition they wanted. Except me. They wanted Don Scardino. He was acting then, he directs 30 Rock episodes now. He was in, but he didn't want to do the backer's auditions. I was just a placeholder.
And I'm in this acting class the whole time. And in this class with me is Mercedes Ruehl and Sigourney Weaver (before they were famous.) But I credit this class with everything I know, it was taught by a man named Gene Lasko. We did a showcase one year and a couple of Sigourney's classmates from Yale came to see the showcase, and they said Sigourney's next play is a play at Playwrights Horizons — at the time the second play ever at Playwrights Horizons — they said, "Would you like to play her brother in that play?" Well, it turns out it was a play called Gemini.
Which ended up going to Broadway, right?
Well, not yet. We were rehearsing in this unheated building in Times Square. And Look Homeward, Angel was announced — it was going to be done first at the Northport Dinner Theatre in Long Island. And Gemini was 9 performances at Playwrights Horizons, that's all it was. And I remember coming in to this building and being so bummed out — thinking: All these guys are going do this show, I'm in this stupid showcase, I'm a loser. I went out to Long Island to see Angel and Frances Sternhagen was playing the mother. And it was actually … it was terrible.
Well, that must have felt kind of good, right?
Yeah, but I still wanted to be in it. [Laughs.] But then Gemini gets done, and a producer picked us up to go back into rehearsal after Christmas and do that play out in Long Island. So we go out there, do it, and the last performances Marshall Mason and Lanford Wilson come see, because they had lost a play at Circle Rep and needed a play, like, tomorrow. So then we came back and opened at Circle Rep, and it's a huge hit. The hardest ticket to get in New York. The play moves to Broadway, where it runs for 5 years.
Look Homeward, Angel finishes its run, takes them another year to raise money for Broadway. Then they opened across the street from Gemini, a year to the day we opened that show. There was this huge one-year-anniversary party – Liza Minnelli, blah, blah, blah, all these people. We finish the show that night, go to the opening night party of Look Homeward, Angel, and I'm there when the scathing review comes out. And then it closes the next day.
Across the street from you. Well, so what does that whole story say? Does that say something?
I guess the key moment is me crying in rehearsal [for Gemini] saying, "I'm in this piece of shit, Gemini, and I could be in Look Homeward." The point is…we never know. We never know. And the lesson we learn over and over again, as painful as it may feel, is that we're all exactly where we're supposed to be.
I've had to relearn that lesson over and over again since then. It comes to a point when in your 50s and you don't have enough money to pay your bills and you say, this was a terrible mistake.
Do you still think that sometimes?
No. Not anymore. There have been 3 times I've tried to leave, and the last was in 1986, when I was being crushed by it. I felt like, they're not getting me. Nobody gets me. And I don't know what to do. So I took a trip around the world. In May of '85, I was walking up Broadway just…I felt myself shrinking. Dying. And a little voice said to me, "Go around the world. Go see all the things you've always wanted to see that you never let yourself see because you wanted to be an actor." I was 31.
Were you married at this point?
No, I was living with a woman, but we seemed to have an aversion to talking about a future. I said to her, I'm not going on this to break up with you, but I think it will be useful if we have anything survivable. She of course left me over the course of the year…married a guy who she's still married to.
So you were gone for a year.
A year to the day. I moved to Paris for 5 months, my grandmother had died and I had a chunk of money, so I had that. I only knew one person there. And the day I arrived I was waiting to get the key to my apartment from a friend I went to high school with, who was the head of Columbia Pictures in Europe. He was a distributor. And he said, "Did you make a movie called Crime Wave?" And I said, "Yeah its terrible!" And he said, "Well it's opening here in a month, do you want to do publicity for it?" And I said, "Sure! Why not."
[Laughs.] Look at that! So you were suddenly a movie star in Europe?
Sort of, yeah. For a moment. Film Festivals, red carpet, all that. The movie was still terrible, but I met all these amazing French people. I was there for 5 months, so the rest of the time I was in Paris, I had this fantastic social life. But then I took off with a backpack and went to Greece, bummed around islands for several months, went to Africa, Zimbabwe, went to Bali.
Did you find yourself missing it when you were gone?
I just came to the realization that I'm an actor. For better or for worse. And, you know, you have the same feeling sometimes: It's like, why am I an actor? I will never understand it. But part of my despair was: I thought I'd been given a gift to take care of. And I was a bad caretaker of the gift. I wasn't coming close to my potential, and that I'd fucked it up. So I finally don't feel that way anymore, but only in the last five years.
Do you think that comes from – when you're younger you feel an inherent cockiness that you feel like your career should be a certain way that it never is? And then its harder to accept the way things are?
I'm sure that's a huge part of it, but there's such a learning curve, where you figure out how the business works. And just cause you want it, doesn't mean you're going to get it. It's a great blessing and a great curse. I think we are leading more examined lives than maybe our friends are.
It makes you ask questions every day – why you're doing what you're doing.
Yeah, it does. There are enough examples of guys who just come out of school, were in a parking lot, like Brad Pitt, and get discovered and it's like: how does that work?! He was in a diner! Should I go to a diner?
Spend more time in diners, yeah.
I should go to diners more. [Laughs.] Sigourney told me this story about how, in the 80s, Mel Gibson did this Mutiny on the Bounty remake. And it put him on the map. And Christopher Reeve had turned it down, and he was at a party just flipping. out. Like – "That Mel Gibson is napping at my heels." He was incredibly threatened, like another cute young guy was coming to take all his part. You know, it never stops. Never stops. It's a mental thing, especially in your 20s or early 30s and you don't know that yet, not really: that everybody goes through this, no matter how successful you are.
So back from your round-the-world trip. Did you plunge right back in to things when you got back?
Well, I get back, and one of my first auditions back I see a guy I always saw at auditions. And he goes, "Hey Reed, what's up? What've you been doing?" And I thought: Oh, I haven't missed a thing. It's still all the same.
And of course it's not something you'll ever regret: going around the world.
Right. It had completely changed my life. And then I got back on track. But years go by, and its still all about perseverance, about not blowing your brains out. Things didn't really change for me. You get into horrible debt and you get a job that gets you out of it. And that's another lesson to learn: somehow or other, eventually, it'll all get taken care of.
Did you work other day jobs?
The only one I ever did was work in an ice cream parlor across from Lincoln Center for about two months. It was no fun. In my early 20s. And then once, at a particularly low time, I worked in the subscriptions department for Lincoln Center for about…two weeks? Two weeks. That was in the 90s. I was so broke, and a lot of other actors worked there, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't do it. I thought I'd rather struggle than hurt myself doing that.
So what turned things around?
Honestly, stuff didn't really change for me until I was about 50. I got a job at Steppenwolf in Chicago doing a beautiful play called Theatre District with the About Face Theatre Company. And after that I got Homebody Kabul[by Tony Kushner] at Steppenwolf, with Tracy Letts. I was the father. And then we went from there to the Taper [a theatre in L.A] and Maggie Gyllenhaal played my daughter in that. And then we brought that to BAM. And then Tracy, after working with him, he asked me to do his play Bug, in New York.
I loved that play. How was that process, rehearsing that?
Most of that rehearsal process I thought, this was the biggest flop I've ever been in. I don't know who these people are, I'm in a community center, it's over. We were supposed to start previews Saturday and Amanda Plummer, the lead actress, quit on the FRIDAY before. She just quit. So they called Shannon Cochran who had done it 8 years earlier in London — she flew in on Sunday and they started rehearsing the next day. On Wednesday, Brantley [NY Times reviewer] saw it and it got a rave. Huge.
After that, my stock had changed somehow. People in New York thought of me differently. It was an important time.
And now you get to do things like Blasted, one of the most controversial and biggest things I remember since being in New York…
Yeah, after that play, I feel like I can do anything. I remember my wife wasn't going to see it, but when everyone started talking about it she said she wanted to come, but she wasn't going to tell me when she was coming. After she saw it, she said, "I watched you in the play and thought, there was a man who was giving everything he had to his work, and there was nothing left over." But I don't know, I felt so energized doing that play. When people came up afterward, in whatever Blasted state they're in. They saw me in the lobby and I'd be like, "Hey! Where we going? Let's go!" And they'd be like, what are you doing? How can you be like that after doing that play?
"How are you even standing?"
Yeah, but the thing was: It did everything you want a play to do. It was like playing cops and robbers. I have a gun, I shove people against the wall.
It's so far away from your life.
Right, I don't smoke, I don't drink, I'm not English…
You don't get sodomized by guns.
Right. None of that. It's a different thing. Small Fire, Dream of the Burning Boy, those plays were harder to shake off at the end of the day, because they're so much closer. What if you had a son who you never spoke to? And he died? That would be awful. If your wife went blind and you had to describe your daughter's wedding to her? You know, harder to shake than Blasted. At least for me.
What would you tell young actors starting out today?
I think people need to be studying, need to be in class more than they think. It's important to have a support system. So important. And not just people you meet waiting for EPAs. You need to have consistency – people who know you and like you and who you feel you can be an artist with. You're meeting people who will have careers, who will remember you. You're acting together. Because I was never able to go to parties and cultivate "cool friends," I was never interested in a career like that. If I was going to be famous, it was going to be as a great actor. That was what's important to me. And it still is.
It's a long process, a long time to learn that your life is more important than your career. And at the end of the day, I have to be with myself. I remember early on, when I was in that showcase with Sigourney [Weaver], one of my brothers was getting married in the middle of it, and I was going to miss a weekend of performances to go to this wedding. And the girl in my acting class said, "Why are you missing it?" I said, "I have to go to my brother's wedding." And she's like, "I would never miss a play to do that." And I just thought…what are you talking about?! That's crazy. At the end of the day, you have to make choices you'll be proud of down the line.
Interview by Lucas Kavner
Photo by Matt Harrington
This entry was posted in Actors and tagged actor interview, circle mirror transformation, drama desk, drama desk awards, new york plays, new york theatre, obie, obie awards, off broadway, off broadway theatre, reed birney, reed birney interview. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to Reed Birney
You folks at The Days of Yore always pick the best people to interview. Reed Birney has been one of my favorite actors, since I saw him in The Dream of the Burning Boy. His performance reminded me why going to see live theatre is so exciting, it was awesome to see someone who was such a good actor.
The advice in the last two paragraphs is beautiful – it is sound advice for how to be a good artist in any field, or how to be a good human. Thanks Reed and Days of Yore!
daysofyore says:
Hey Kristen!
Thanks for your amazing enthusiasm, you just made my morning! Reactions like yours are why we do this.
Keep being awesome,
Editor, The Days of Yore


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In Australia found Jurassic Park
The Real Jurassic Park were found in Australia researchers from the University of Shotlandskogo. Under the main countries in the area of Cooper-Erromango revealed a complex of more than one hundred ancient volcanoes, buried under thick layer of sand and stones. Whether local residents to worry about, or is it just a geological fact, which can live in peace?
Discovery of new volcanoes in Australia
Despite the active development of the field, a unique feature of this region was opened and seen only now. According to the journal Gondwana Research open was formed in the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago. Despite the fact that Central Australia currently consists of a sun-scorched desert, during the time this area was quite picturesque place. The mining area is Cooper-Erromango was completely riddled with craters, which almost always erupted streams of hot lava that form the surrounding landscape.
Another «new» the volcano:
the Most famous cricketer
Discovered volcanic Park will now be able to attract tourists not only for its history but also a very original name. The researchers decided to name his discovery as Warnie Volcanic Province in honor of a rather famous cricket player named Shane Warne. Such an unusual idea found its implementation because of held cricket match, which coincided with the discovery of an ancient chain of volcanoes. Ready to share your opinion about this?
Despite its original title, the discovery may point to a huge number of yet undiscovered features of the landscape of Australia. Due to the fact that the Central region of this continent remain at present virtually unexplored, in the future, scientists expect even greater discoveries.
StudyThe VolcanoesGeologySports
China — the birthplace of the flying dinosaurs
More than 160 million years ago, forests of ancient China was inhabited by strange creatures: a tiny, predatory dinosaur, with leather wings like the flying mice. These amazing creatures gliding between the trees like birds. And t...
Our DNA hides the traces of the unexplored types of people
did you Know that with high probability, you are the carrier of genes ? According to studies, almost every modern representative of the genus Homo Sapiens is about 2% of the genes he had inherited from the ancient ancestors of Hom...
Found a way to remove the world's oceans from all the plastic
every year humanity dumps into the ocean up to 14 million tons of plastic, 40 percent of which is considered «fresh». That is, he falls into the water during the same year in which it was produced. And if you are not afr...


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Benedictine Women of Madison is an ecumenical community of religious women who follow the Benedictine monastic tradition. They are located in Middleton, Wisconsin, near Madison, where they manage Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Members of the Benedictine Women of Madison participate in communal prayer five times daily. They hold retreats and manage the business affairs of the monastery.

History
The community grew out of an earlier community of Roman Catholic religious women. In 1954, a group of sisters moved their community from Sioux City, Iowa, to Madison, Wisconsin at the invitation of the Bishop of Madison. The sisters founded and built a Roman Catholic high school for girls in 1958, which they ran until 1966. At that time, the sisters closed the school and reopened their building as an ecumenical prayer center, called St. Benedict Center, to serve the wider Christian community of Madison.

In the late 1990s, the community formally withdrew from the jurisdiction of Roman Catholic canon law. They transferred their governance to the Federation of St. Gertrude, a group of 17 independent Benedictine women's communities. The process of transferring governance took over ten years and allowed the Madison women to begin accepting women of any Christian tradition as a member of their community.  An ordained Presbyterian minister became the first Protestant member of the community in 2004. She joined two Roman Catholic women. On Sunday mornings, an ecumenical Christian service is held at Holy Wisdom Monastery, which is led by a rotation of ordained Christian ministers, though never a Roman Catholic.

Relations with other communions
Other groups involved in Holy Wisdom Monastery include the Oblates and the Community of Benedict, two different groups of single and married people from many religious traditions who follow the Rule of St. Benedict in their daily lives; and Sunday Assembly, which gathers on Sunday mornings for an ecumenical Christian worship service.

As an ecumenical retreat and conference center, Holy Wisdom Monastery has hosted groups such as the Lutheran Churches' Summer Institute for Mission, monks from the Taizé Community in France, and a visit from the Dalai Lama.

In a June 2006 letter to priests in the Diocese of Madison, Bishop Robert Morlino wrote: "While this community [the Benedictine Women of Madison] fulfills our call for stronger efforts in ecumenical dialogue, I must stress that this is an experimental community and will not necessarily be Roman Catholic in belief or practice." The move toward ecumenism by the Benedictine Women of Madison was affirmed in 2007 by the worldwide leader of Benedictines, Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, the abbot of San Anselmo Monastery in Rome and official representative of the Benedictine order at the Vatican.

Monastery and grounds
Holy Wisdom Monastery's grounds cover , containing an oak savanna, tall grass prairies, and an ancient glacial kettle lake. Buildings on the grounds include a retreat and guest house, a hermitage, and the main monastery building, which is a LEED Platinum-certified building. This main monastery building houses a large gathering space for Sunday morning church services, an oratory for daily prayer, a kitchen, small and large dining rooms, a library, and office spaces.

The sisters began the environmental restoration of sections of the monastery property in the 1990s. Much of the land had been used for farming.  An ancient glacial kettle lake on the property was dredged and 5000 truckloads of silt removed. Fields were also restored to native tall grass prairie, using seeds collected from similar prairies in the area.

In the early 2000s, the former high school and retreat center building was demolished and construction on a new monastery building began. Some 99.75% of the materials from the former building were either reused in the new building or recycled.  The new monastery building has been LEED-certified at the Platinum level by the U.S. Green Building Council.

See also
Gertrude McDermott
Mary David Walgenbach

References

External links
 Benedictine Women of Madison website

Benedictine monasteries in the United States
Catholic–Protestant ecumenism
Catholic orders and societies
Sustainable buildings in the United States
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certified buildings
Christianity and environmentalism
Christian organizations established in 1954
1954 establishments in Wisconsin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home » 'Go well, Madiba'
'Go well, Madiba'
Nelson Mandela was South Africa's "greatest son who became their father, their beloved Madiba," says Archbishop Fred Hiltz, who spoke at a multi-faith community tribute to Mandela. Photo: Marites N. Sison
By Marites N. Sison on December 13, 2013
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, today joined leaders of Toronto's faith communities in honouring the legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who will be laid to rest on Sunday, Dec. 15.
"We pray that nothing good in his life will be lost but be of continuing benefit to the world and that everything that was important to him will be remembered by those who follow him," said Hiltz, in a tribute delivered at the multi-faith community tribute to Mandela, held at the University of Toronto's Multi-Faith Centre.
Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish leaders — along with members of the South African-Canadian community, Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow and representatives of various groups — also paid tribute and offered prayers to Mandela. A portrait of a beaming Mandela was displayed near the speaker's podium, with a lit candle.
From a Christian perspective, "Mandela's labours are a powerful reflection of the teaching of Jesus," said Hiltz. "'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be satisfied.' "
Mandela's spirit was "deeply rooted in the tradition of the prophets," said Hiltz. Like Micah, Mandela loved kindness, and he "not only loved justice, but as the prophets called us, he did justice; he walked humbly with God." Like Isaiah, Mandela gave his people hope and he helped them to live in peace, added Hiltz.
Hiltz urged those present to remember what Mandela said about religious institutions: "We need religious institutions. We need them to continue to be the conscience of society, a moral custodian and a fearless champion of the interests of the vulnerable, the downtrodden people of the world." To heed this call "will be to truly honour this great man," said Hiltz.
The primate-and other faith leaders present-extolled Mandela's extraordinary capacity to forgive the South African regime for the injustices it committed against him and his people during 46 years of apartheid. "It's hard to imagine someone imprisoned for 27 years and walking out at the age of 71 and greeting the cheering crowd with these words: 'I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all,' " said Hiltz.
"The amazing thing about Mandela was that while he was justly angered over the injustices borne by his people under apartheid, he channelled that anger for good," said the primate. "He turned a sentence of lifelong imprisonment into a commitment of lifelong resolve in liberating people and in building a truly free and democratic nation."
Rev. Dr. Bhante Saranapala, the University of Toronto's Buddhist chaplain, chanted a prayer for Mandela and recalled Mandela's famous words about forgiveness: "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." These words are in line with what Buddha said centuries ago, said Saranapala.
The lesson of forgiveness was not lost on Ezrom Mokgakala, a South African expatriate who came to Canada as a refugee in 1983. Like Mandela, Mokgakala had spent time at the infamous Robben Island Prison, where he suffered untold indignities.
In his eulogy, Mokgakala said a priest in his church had asked him to say some words about Mandela and it dawned on him that his heart [Mokgakala's] was still full of hatred toward his jailors. "It is so easy to say, 'Forget the hatred, it doesn't do anything for you.' But if you have felt the pain, if you have been chained, if you have physical wounds, if you've been insulted and made to feel like a pig-that stays…it's difficult to forget," he said. "But when Madiba died, I told myself I have to forgive…I have to remember to honour his name because this is what he wants us to do."
Mokgakala's emotional account was met with sustained applause by the audience- some of whom dabbed away tears.
South African consul general Tselane Mokuena urged people not to forget the gains that were made by Mandela's government in the post-apartheid period. She noted that basic needs like access to water rose from 13.5 per cent to 85 per cent.
Dr. Budhendranaouth Doobay, representative of the Hindu community and president of Vishnu Mandir, said Mandela was not just an icon but also a "non-religious saint."
Imam Hamid Smili, chair of the Canadian Council of Imams, agreed with Doobay, adding that Mandela lived for others. Smili said he had asked South Africans to tell him what they remember the most about Mandela and they all noted his humility. "As the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, 'Those who are humble are highest in the eyes of God,' " said Smili.
Rabbi Avraham Plotkin, spiritual leader of Chabad Lubavitch of Markham, spoke about how the lives of Jewish people who used to live in South Africa were changed because of Mandela's sacrifice. Mandela spoke of reconciliation and he had "Bible-like greatness," said Plotkin.
Plotkin recalled the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a Jewish sage and mystic who once said, "There are three crowns: the crown of priesthood, the crown of wisdom and the crown of kingship, but the greatest of them all is the crown of a good name." Mandela was the master of a good name, he said. "May his soul rest in peace, but most important of all, may the people of this world take to heart his message and internalize it…"
Olivia Chow, an anti-apartheid activist in the 1970s, declared that, "Nelson Mandela is alive in our hearts. He's alive in our hearts because he has touched us profoundly, gently and eternally." Mandela touched "that part of us that is good, that part that is divine, that helps us transcend pettiness, indifference, greed and despair," she added. She added that his greatness transcends political boundaries, ideologies and religion.
"Go well, Madiba [Mandela's Xhosa clan name which became the term of endearment used by South Africans for him]," said Jag Pillay, founder of the Canadian Council of South Africans.
South African-Canadian Indira Naidoo-Harris, who acted as the event's master of ceremonies, said Mandela was "the embodiment of the best in us…He showed us how to have and live a just life." Mandela will continue to live "in our hearts and minds," she said, adding, "Thank you for all you've done for us."
The tribute ended with the community singing together "Asimbonanga," an ode to Mandela composed in 1987 by South African musician Johnny Clegg, who formed the first integrated rock band in apartheid South Africa in the 1970s.
Primate announced for Sudan
The power of hope
Marites N. Sison
Marites (Tess) Sison was editor of the Anglican Journal from August 2014 to July 2018, and senior staff writer from December 2003 to July 2014. An award-winning journalist, she has more that three decades of professional journalism experience in Canada and overseas. She has contributed to The Toronto Star and CBC Radio, and worked as a stringer for The New York Times.


Some clients call me: "hey, I need to implement agile" because they have been told it really works. Many believe "agile" will solve all their problems magically; and they are surprised because my first response usually is: "let's have a conversation and see what I can help you with". As we are chatting and they tell me how they are working, about the issues they want to overcome, improvement points and so on; they realize at that moment that the transformation will not be immediate: it has nothing to do with going to a mall, putting it all in the cart, paying and enjoying.
It won't happen overnight, we have to make it happen, work for it.
Spotify is famous for their successful kaizen culture. Another case is ING (financial services), which has implemented "the Spotify model", with specialized tribes which turn business objectives into reality and squads teams guided by an agile coach.
That is why many companies want to clone Spotify methods and its model.
Ok, but it works, right? Why not replicate it?
Some time ago I heard: "if you don't sell music in the internet the Spotify model is not for you" Copy and pasting models is like trying the Cinderella's shoe on. You might be lucky enough for it to fit you; one in a million chances. The rest of us mortals have to try on several pairs of shoes before we find the one that fits perfectly.
Replicating a work system exactly as they do it in another part of the world (generally) won't suit your needs, because your company is unique, the people which work in your organization are unique, their values, their culture, their motivations and interests are unique. Of course, you can share and investigate about similar issues they had and how they solved them that can give you an idea about how to work out your own unique and particular problem. You can also extrapolate the basics as a map to follow a similar trail and design experiments to enable a smart failure, put ideas to test, correct and repeat.
So the question should be: how did Spotify make it? They took their time for researching, failing and successfully rethinking their processes until they came up with this model that works perfectly for them and continues to evolve, it is dynamic and adapts to the market, company scaling and the people who work there.
How did Spotify scale agile within their organization? Three words: inspect and adapt. They started with Scrum, then they realized they needed to tailor some practices to scale this model to the whole company as it was organically growing up. This was also thanks to the help of coaches like Henrik Kniberg, who fostered the changes within the company, and are still exploring and developing new techniques and practices.
If you want agile to work for you in your company, you have to add your personal touch, tailor and shape it to the people you have and go over on your own ideas, transform. Adopting a methodology (copy & paste "by the book") represents a burden for everybody in the organization. On the other hand, evolving is soft, light and progressive.
Sure, you have to start somehow, and the most common approach is to walk through the Shu Ha Ri stages until the transformation and internalization of the process has been completed and mastered. Many of us (myself included) have applied the theory directly at first, getting some headaches in the way, and setting the bases for the agile thinking and learning mindset from where we built up our experience.
This change curve will also be presented in an agile way, the first stages will be specially highlighted in the first iteration, and we will use them as the base for the next revolutionary steps.
In stages 1 and 2, Stagnation and Preparation, we listen to and observe their reactions to change without judgment. We simply let the people involved express their feelings, complaints, purge their emotions into catharsis; not for so long, though. Resistance is inevitable and you have to be aware and alert to prevent a negative state to be contagious to the rest of the teams. We can use our coaching skills to neutralize the arguments and turn tables to focus on the benefits this change will have once the whole company is transformed.
From the beginning make a clear statement: things will change around here, explain the future and desired state and the boons to be expected from this transformation. You can also describe these stages, without going into too much detail so as not to generate false expectations, because every organization has their own way and time to transcend their boundaries.
Particularly during the Preparation we will model and reframe the actual conditions into an agile mindset to establish the basics for the next phase. I like to make some games and simulations during this lap to enable the mind openness to new ideas, paradigms and rethinking their environment.
In phase 3, Implementation, we start the evolution through iterations. We go deeper into the roles, processes, tools and we cocreate little improvement experiments to be tested. We start with a couple of teams and brainstorm, design new experiences and form the teams.
In stage 4, Determination, we measure the results, inspect and solve conflicts, analyze the failures and success produced by these exploration labs.
In the final lap of the iteration, Fruition, we capture all the lessons learned and recycle them as components for new experiments, we reflect about the changes and keep on innovating. We celebrate our conquests as a team and as an organization, and codesign the plans for the next iteration.
During this whole process you will notice how every person goes thru these phases at their own pace. We can take this opportunity to empower the individuals who are more advanced in some aspects of the process to help the others, and cultivate the brotherhood spirit together. There will be some people who feels they are losing control of the situation, or losing power, prestige, trust, value; and it is our responsibility as coaches to help them be part of the process and collaborate towards a healthy teamwork culture. Everybody has to be an starring actor of the change.
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Chesapeake Energyposted a jump in second-quarter profit on Monday after it sold its midstream subsidiary and said it expects to sell another $7 billion in assets during the current quarter.
The company, the nation's second biggest producer of natural gas, expects to sign three deals for its 1.5 million acres in the Permian Basin in West Texas, easing investor worry about the need for the cash-strapped company to raise funds.
Net income in the quarter was $929 million, or $1.29 per share, up from $467 million, or 68 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
Excluding the $584 million gain from sale of its Chesapeake Midstream Partners, a $490 million gain in the value of its energy derivative positions, and other one-time items, earnings per share were 6 cents, the company said, down sharply from 76 cents a share in the year-earlier period.
Revenue increased 2 percent to $3.4 billion from $3.32 billion a year ago.
Revenue topped expectations but earnings fell short: Analysts had expected the company to report earnings excluding items of 7 cents a share on $2.44 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.


text:
Dentists advise against participating in TikTok teeth filing challenge
by: Felicia Bolton and Nexstar Media Wire
BOSTON (NewsNation Now) — There are some TikTok challenges that are raising health concerns, and the latest one involves people filing down their own teeth.
In a TikTok video sent to NewsNation, you can see a teenage girl using a nail file to alter the appearance of her teeth.
"It's been a strange year. We've been in quarantine. We are seeing people do things, DIY in quarantine, like now visits to salons to fix our DIY haircuts, but when it comes to altering our teeth, I absolutely don't recommend that," said Dr. Brittany Seymour.
Seymour is the global health discipline director and an associate professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine
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"No, don't file your beautiful teeth!" said Seymour. "If we file the enamel — the protective layer of our teeth — that doesn't grow back. That is irreversible and that can lead to permanent damage. First, it can cause sensitivity, so imagine having permanent brain freeze anytime you're drinking something cold, or it can actually lead to higher risk for getting cavities."
She told NewsNation it may be a small thing to be doing but it can cause a domino effect of harm to our oral health.
"Because you have removed that protective layer of enamel and also if you think about changing the shape of your teeth, that can alter your bite, which can impact our jaws and cause headaches," she said.
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The FDA is once again reminding people to not take part in the Benadryl challenge as well. That challenge involves taking several doses of the over-the-counter drug in order to produce a high along with hallucinations. Officials with the department reported several cases of people getting sick, including the death of an Oklahoma teen.
An active ingredient in Benadryl can be toxic, if taken in high doses.
The FDA is now calling on TikTok to remove any videos related to the potentially deadly social media challenge.
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's ban on new TikTok app downloads.