As one of the official harbingers of spring, rhubarb is on my list of "I'm so excited to be eating what's growing in my backyard ". Technically its growing in my neighbour's backyard……..but, thankfully, they share it with me. Luckily for everyone concerned this has obliterated the stealth missions in the middle of the night armed with a flashlight.
Super tart and bordering on sour you need a lot of sweetness to make the stalks edible, but never ever try to eat the leaves – they're toxic.
Field versus hot house. The stalks of field rhubarb vary from shades of green to deep ruby red depending on the variety, hot house tends to be more pink.
As with all vegetables or fruits that have a stalk look for crisp, firm ones. And like all super models perky counts – look for perky leaves to ensure freshness. If you are picking fresh, pull the stalk from the bottom up to get the entire stalk. Cut off leaves and discard.
To store wrap the stalks in damp paper towels and place in a plastic bag for up to one week in the fridge. Or chop into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and freeze for up to one year.
Rhubarb boasts a host of beneficial nutrients, its high in fibre, it also contains vitamin C plus it contains lutein and zeaxanthin for healthy eyes.
Have any dingy looking stainless steel pots? According to the Rhubarb Compendium you can use rhubarb to clean them, no elbow grease required. Just boil up some chopped rhubarb with water in a pan and it will come clean. They suggest: An application of rhubarb over the afflicted area will bring back the shine in next to no time. Environmentally friendly too!
I want to know how much sour cream goes into the sour cream rhubarb pie in todays Province paper. I would like to make it as it sounds very good. i do make the rhubarb honey ginger sauce just love it.
In the Sunday Province there is a recipe for sour cream rhubarb pie but there is no amount of sour cream mentioned in the ingredients for the pie.
I would like to know how much sour cream to use.
It was 1 cup of sour cream, cant believe that was missing!


Nottingham Forest Ladies Football Club have two prestigious, exciting and challenging positions available.
NFLFC are looking to recruit an experienced, enthusiastic and committed First Team Manager/Senior Head Coach and a Reserve Team Manager/Coach.
Both the First Team and Reserves currently play within the FA Women's Premier League pyramid in their respective leagues. NFLFC have reached significant milestones during their history and candidates who reflect the Club's ambition and ethos will be well received. Importantly, those candidates with the relevant practical and knowledgeable skill set who can also demonstrate excellent people management skills will be acknowledged as a priority.
The key roles of the two positions involve the co-ordination, organisation and delivery of well-structured and professional coaching sessions held on Tuesdays and Thursdays scheduled for 7.00-9.00pm. Availability to manage and coach the team for all home and away games on Sundays and sometimes midweek is also essential.
- for both roles, relevant experience of coaching/managing a Women's Premier League team or equivalent experience is required.
If you are interested in either of these positions then please send your expression of interest, including an up to date CV, by e-mail to Steven Gray at steven.gray@nottinghamforestladies.co.uk.
If you have any questions regarding this positions please do not hesitate to contact Steve on (07870) 156937.
Nottingham Forest are also looking to recruit an experienced, enthusiastic and committed Goalkeeper Coach for the Seniors.
The position involves the co-ordination, organisation and delivery of well-structured and professional coaching sessions on training nights. Availability to coach the goalkeepers for home and away games on Sundays and sometimes midweek is also essential.
- Goalkeeper coach level 2 preferably or may accept level 1.
If you are interested in any of these positions then please send your application, including an up to date CV, by e-mail to steven.gray@nottinghamforestladies.co.uk.
Pre-Season Open Trials for Nottingham Forest Ladies FC Senior Teams have now been confirmed for the following dates: Tuesday 25th June (7pm-8.30pm), Thursday 27th June (7pm-8.30pm) and Sunday 30th June (11am-1pm) at the Gresham Sports Complex, Gresham Park Road (Off Wilford Lane), West Bridgford, NG2 7YF.
NFLFC are also looking to recruit an experienced, enthusiastic and committed Under-16's Head Coach and Assistant Coach. The Under-16's currently play within the Notts Girls and Ladies League.
The two positions involve the co-ordination, organisation and delivery of well-structured and professional coaching sessions held on Tuesdays scheduled for 7.00pm-9.00pm. Availability to manage and coach the team for all home and away games on Sundays and sometimes midweek is also essential.
If you are interested in any of these positions then please send your application, including an up to date CV, by e-mail to fay.glover1@ntlworld.com. If you have any questions regarding this position please do not hesitate to contact Fay on (07740) 869756.
Please Note that whilst all positions within the club are currently voluntary and unpaid, this remains a great opportunity to develop as a Coach/Manager as well as contributing to the development of Women's Football and individuals associated with NFLFC.
If you wish to attend trials can you please contact Fay Glover on (07740) 869756 or e-mail fay.glover1@ntlworld.com.
Open training sessions for these age groups are on Sunday 23rd June at Gresham Sports Complex from 11am-1pm.


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Is Arya Stark Getting a 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff?
Katrina Nattress
Katrina Nattress Published: May 22, 2019
**WARNING SPOILERS**
As Game of Thrones wrapped up the main characters' storylines during its polarizing finale, one particular person's journey didn't seem to be over. When it was revealed that Arya Stark planned to venture West and see what laid beyond the maps of Westeros, fans thought it was setting up a spinoff series. We already know HBO has at least one prequel in the works, so does the network also plan on picking up where the current story ended? According to HBO programming president Casey Bloys, the answer is a hard no.
While he admitted during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the network would be shooting its first spinoff pilot this June, with two more successors in the works, none of the stories involved Maisie Williams' beloved character.
"Nope, nope, nope. No," he said when asked about the possibility. "Part of it is, I do want this show—this Game of Thrones, Dan and David's show—to be its own thing. I don't want to take characters from this world that they did beautifully and put them off into another world with someone else creating it. I want to let it be the artistic piece they've got. That's one of the reasons why I'm not trying to do the same show over. George has a massive, massive world; there are so many ways in. That's why we're trying to do things that feel distinct—and to not try and redo the same show. That's probably one of the reasons why, right now, a sequel or picking up any of the other characters doesn't make sense for us."
WHOMP!
But hey, at least we have the prequels to look forward to, even if Bloys is being tight-lipped about them. "We're shooting the pilot in June, you can do the math and figure out when it would be on the air," he said. "What I'm not doing is working backwards by saying, 'This has to be on the air by this date.' We want to do the best show possible. This is a pilot, so we're doing it the old-fashioned way, which is shooting a pilot. My expectation is it will be great and we'll move forward and it'll move along on a regular TV timetable. I don't want to speculate any dates."
Maybe this time they'll find writers that don't warrant fans to start a petition asking HBO to remake a whole season.
What's Next for the 'Game of Thrones' Cast Members
Filed Under: Game of Thrones

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
At AT&T, we align diversity & inclusion to four pillars — our employees, the communities we serve, our customers and our suppliers.
AIM Institute receives grant to promote diversity and inclusion among youth through tech education program, thanks to AT&T
Nebraska By AT&T Nebraska on July 26, 2021
AT&T at Work in Kansas
Kansas By Molly Kocour Boyle on April 02, 2021
Celebrating those making Black History today to shape tomorrow
Indiana By Bill Soards on February 26, 2021
Illinois By Eileen Mitchell on February 26, 2021
Reflecting on 2020 accomplishments and serving our communities
Missouri By Craig Unruh on December 28, 2020
AT&T is full of dimension — a richly diverse and multifaceted group of people. We are thousands of individuals who represent a variety of backgrounds, genders, races, religions, sexual orientations, nationalities, generations and experiences. We each have unique ideas and harness our talents in a multitude of ways. But we're also one. Drawing on our diverse perspectives, skills and abilities, we are working together to build a modern telecommunications media & technology company that inspires human progress through the power of communication and entertainment.


At Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House, located at Quayside Isle on Sentosa, Chef Ricky Ng keeps to his culinary philosophy of offering new perspectives on Chinese cuisine through a selection of new signature dishes. Highlights of his new menu include Chicken Rice Paella, Smoked Truffle Wonton Bisque, Wok Fried 'Prata' Seafood Char Kway Teow and Chilled Durian Puree Shaved Ice. These dishes complement his popular menu which also features one of the best Chilli Crab dishes in Singapore, the Chilli Pomelo Crab.
Chef Ng is well known for his modern new age Chinese cuisine and is always experimenting with flavours, adding a contemporary spin to traditional and popular dishes.
Situated at the idyllic Sentosa Cove, the Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House will no longer be the sole outlet come November 2016. The restaurant is set to make its mark in the heart of the city at Tanjong Pagar Centre with the opening of the Blue Lotus Chinese Grill House and Bar.


In the rapidly changing world we live in, capability in Computer science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an essential life skill that will enable all learners to innovate and strive towards excellence in this field.
Computer science and ICT are fundamental components of teaching at St Wilfrid's School. Computing and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject to all students in Years 7, 8 and 9. As such, it is intended that all students acquire a number of transferrable skills in a broad range of software, both in ICT lesson and across the curriculum. Our aim is also to equip students with the ability to use technological tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information creatively and responsibly.
By following a progressive and innovative Computer science and ICT curriculum, students will develop the expertise and confidence to use ICT across a broad range of activities. Outside of formal teaching, students have access to well-resourced, modern computer suites where they are encouraged to work independently, using facilities for presentation of work in a range of subjects and for research. All students have their own email address and access to the internet.
Throughout years 7, 8 and 9 students study a wide range of topics and skills and gain exposure to a range of innovative technologies.
Component 1 and 2 are assessed by written exams, each worth 50% of the GCSE. The Component 3 is a non-exam assessment where students are required to spend 20 hours producing a solution to an exam board set programming scenario. The solution is then sent to the exam board as evidence.
The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, ouput and storage devices.
Types of software and the different methodologies used to develop software.
Problem solving and programming - how computers and programs can be used to solve problems.
Students are expected to apply the principles of computational thinking to a practical coding programming project.
They will analyse, design, develop, test, evaluate and document a program written in a suitable programming language.
The project is designed to be independently chosen by the student and provides them with the flexibility to investigate projects within the diverse field of computer science.


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NBA ID
NBA Together
2022 UFC Schedule
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When is the 2023 Winter Classic? Date, location, teams for the NHL's outdoor showcase
The 2022-23 NHL season is about a quarter of the way over, and one of the marquee events of the season is on the horizon — the 2023 Winter Classic.
The annual outdoor event has become a fan favorite. Taking place in the dead of winter has resulted in games being played in freezing temperatures and snow, making for quite the entertainment.
This season's event is between the Bruins and the Penguins, two teams all too familiar with the Winter Classic. It's the 13th Winter Classic in NHL history, and while we have a few months to go before the outside action, it's one to circle on your calendar.
Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 Winter Classic.
When is the 2023 Winter Classic?
Date: Monday, Jan. 2
Time: 2 p.m. ET
This season's Winter Classic will not take place on New Year's Day like normal. With the holiday falling on a Sunday, the game instead will be played the next day, Monday, Jan. 2.
It is the third time the NHL has pushed the Winter Classic back one day with New Year's Day on a Sunday.
Who is playing in the 2023 Winter Classic?
This year's game will be played between the Bruins and the Penguins.
This is the fourth Winter Classic appearance for Boston and third time hosting the event. The Bruins previously played in 2010, 2016 and 2019.
The Penguins, who played in the inaugural event in 2008, are playing in their third Winter Classic. It's the first time Pittsburgh will partake in the outdoor festivities since 2011.
Where is the 2023 Winter Classic?
Venue: Fenway Park
Location: Boston, Mass.
The 2023 Winter Classic will be played at Fenway Park, home of the MLB's Boston Red Sox.
It is the first time that the NHL is repeating a location for the Winter Classic. Fenway Park was the home of the 2010 Winter Classic when the Bruins hosted the Flyers.
It is the third time that Boston is hosting the event. In addition to 2010, the Bruins faced the Canadiens in the 2016 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots.
How to watch the 2023 Winter Classic
TV Channel: TNT (U.S.), Sportsnet (Canada)
Live Stream: Sling TV, fuboTV, DirecTV, SN NOW (Canada)
Fans can watch the game on TNT in the United States, while Canadians can watch on Sportsnet.
Streaming options are available on Sling TV, fuboTV and DirecTV. In addition, those in Canada can stream the action on SN NOW.
2023 Winter Classic jerseys
The jerseys are one of the best parts about the Winter Classic, as team design specific sweaters for the event.
The Bruins and Penguins revealed their 2023 Winter Classic jerseys in late November.
The Bruins and Penguins Winter Classic jerseys have arrived. Thoughts? 🐻🐧
(via @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/lY9jjG776A
— BarDown (@BarDown) November 25, 2022
Boston is utilizing one of the team's previous bear logos, commonly known as the "Meth Bear", as its primary logo. The bear head was used as a shoulder patch for the team's jerseys starting in the 1976-77 season and was a part of the uniform until 1995.
Here is a look at the full uniform setup for the Bruins.
👀 pic.twitter.com/sjfGsCP3yR
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 28, 2022
Pittsburgh is throwing it all the way back to the 1920s with their "P" logo. The crest was worn by Pittsburgh's original hockey team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates played from 1925 to 1930, when the franchise's ownership group changed and the team was forced out of the city.
Previous Winter Classics
The Winter Classic has been around since 2008. The league has played the outdoor event at MLB, NFL and college football venues.
2008 Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park, N.Y. Penguins 2, Sabres 1 (SO)
2009 Wrigley Field Chicago Ill. Red Wings 6, Blackhawks 4
2010 Fenway Park Boston, Mass. Bruins 2, Flyers 1 (OT)
2011 Heinz Field Pittsburgh, Pa. Capitals 3, Penguins 1
2012 Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia, Pa. Rangers 3, Flyers 2
2014 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, Mich. Maple Leafs 3, Red Wings 2 (SO)
2015 Nationals Park Washington, D.C. Capitals 3, Blackhawks 2
2016 Gillette Stadium Foxborough, Mass. Canadiens 5, Bruins 1
2017 Busch Stadium St. Louis, Mo. Blues 4, Blackhawks 1
2018 Citi Field Queens. N.Y. Rangers 3, Sabres 2 (OT)
2019 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, Ind. Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2
2020 Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas Stars 4, Predators 2
2022 Target Field Minneapolis, Minn. Blues 6, Wild 4
Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News.
Copyright © 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Globalization;
using NuGet.Common;

namespace NuGet.Commands
{
    public abstract class DownloadCommandBase : Command
    {
        private readonly IPackageRepository _cacheRepository;
        private readonly List<string> _sources = new List<string>();

        protected PackageSaveModes EffectivePackageSaveMode { get; set; }

        protected DownloadCommandBase(IPackageRepository cacheRepository)
        {
            _cacheRepository = cacheRepository;
        }

        [Option(typeof(NuGetCommand), "CommandSourceDescription")]
        public ICollection<string> Source
        {
            get { return _sources; }
        }

        [Option(typeof(NuGetCommand), "CommandNoCache")]
        public bool NoCache { get; set; }

        [Option(typeof(NuGetCommand), "CommandDisableParallelProcessing")]
        public bool DisableParallelProcessing { get; set; }

        [Option(typeof(NuGetCommand), "CommandPackageSaveMode")]
        public string PackageSaveMode { get; set; }

        protected void CalculateEffectivePackageSaveMode()
        {
            string packageSaveModeValue = PackageSaveMode;
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(packageSaveModeValue))
            {
                packageSaveModeValue = Settings.GetConfigValue("PackageSaveMode");
            }

            EffectivePackageSaveMode = PackageSaveModes.None;
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(packageSaveModeValue))
            {
                foreach (var v in packageSaveModeValue.Split(new[] { ';' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries))
                {
                    if (v.Equals(PackageSaveModes.Nupkg.ToString(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                    {
                        EffectivePackageSaveMode |= PackageSaveModes.Nupkg;
                    }
                    else if (v.Equals(PackageSaveModes.Nuspec.ToString(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                    {
                        EffectivePackageSaveMode |= PackageSaveModes.Nuspec;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        string message = String.Format(
                            CultureInfo.CurrentCulture,
                            LocalizedResourceManager.GetString("Warning_InvalidPackageSaveMode"),
                            v);
                        Console.WriteWarning(message);
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        /// <remarks>
        /// Meant for unit testing.
        /// </remarks>
        protected IPackageRepository CacheRepository
        {
            get { return _cacheRepository; }
        }

        protected IPackageRepository CreateRepository()
        {
            AggregateRepository repository = AggregateRepositoryHelper.CreateAggregateRepositoryFromSources(RepositoryFactory, SourceProvider, Source);
            repository.Logger = Console;

            if (NoCache)
            {
                return repository;
            }
            else
            {
                return new AggregateRepository(new[] { CacheRepository, repository });
            }
        }

        protected virtual IPackageManager CreatePackageManager(IFileSystem packagesFolderFileSystem, bool useSideBySidePaths, bool checkDowngrade = true)
        {
            var repository = CreateRepository();
            var pathResolver = new DefaultPackagePathResolver(packagesFolderFileSystem, useSideBySidePaths);
            IPackageRepository localRepository = new LocalPackageRepository(pathResolver, packagesFolderFileSystem);
            if (EffectivePackageSaveMode != PackageSaveModes.None)
            {
                localRepository.PackageSaveMode = EffectivePackageSaveMode;
            }

            var packageManager = new CommandLineInstallPackageManager(repository, pathResolver, packagesFolderFileSystem, localRepository)
            {
                Logger = Console,
                CheckDowngrade = checkDowngrade
            };

            return packageManager;
        }

        private class CommandLineInstallPackageManager : PackageManager
        {
            public CommandLineInstallPackageManager(
                    IPackageRepository sourceRepository,
                    IPackagePathResolver pathResolver,
                    IFileSystem packagesFolderFileSystem,
                    IPackageRepository localRepository)
                : base(sourceRepository, pathResolver, packagesFolderFileSystem, localRepository)
            {
                SkipPackageTargetCheck = true;
            }

            protected override void OnExpandFiles(PackageOperationEventArgs e)
            {
                e.Package.ExtractContents(e.FileSystem, e.InstallPath);
                LocalRepository.AddPackage(e.Package);

                base.ExpandSatellitePackageFiles(e.Package);
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I never thought that at 21, I'd have gotten to the level that I'm at in my life. Don't get me wrong, I am not yet where I am supposed to be, neither am I where I could have been if I followed the path earlier on but I certainly know that I am ahead of where I could have been if I sat to wait for life to take its course. Being an individual who has always desired to be great, I thought being great is something you are "born to be". Hence I lived a life not trying to work towards it, but adjusting to life waiting for greatness to happen because I was born to be great right? NO! No one is born to be great, you become great. You work towards greatness, and yes I know you've heard this over and over again from motivational speakers but maybe you've not been told exactly how to become great! Well, I'll dissect the steps for you. They are not really the easiest but if it was easy then everyone would be great right?
Your will has to exceed your effort: You cannot be great if your effort exceeds your will because your effort can never push you beyond your limits. Your effort will always convince you to do the bare minimum and you will be okay with that.
You've probably heard the saying "The difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary is the "extra" in front of the ordinary". Let me give you an example; if the ordinary thing to do, is waking up at 06:30, take a shower, take your breakfast, brush your teeth, comb your hair and go to school/work, why not wake up at 05:30, take a run, or write down your thoughts and plans, or meditate depending on what exactly you want to achieve in life.
Steve Jobs took the mobile phone industry by storm not because he invented something different, I mean the likes of Nokia, Motorola and the rest were in existence but it was his extra that made apple dominate in an already existing industry.
Do not stop when things get hard, when you become tired or when you face rejection, stop when you have reached the goal, stop when you're done: Persistence and consistency are key. I have been running this very blog for 2 years now and I can tell you that it's not been easy to stay consistent. Times come when I get caught up with life and wonder what to write, how can I empower others, when I'm facing my own challenges. At times I just get tired wondering how I've been at this for a whole 2 years and probably not where I would envision myself to be. Such thoughts make individuals quit. Quit on their dreams, their goals, and their vision. I could start naming several individuals who have fought against all odds to get to their goals.
Let me give you a little test. Think of any successful individual you know, this could be in any industry (Entrepreneurship, Arts/Music/Actor(ress), Politics….) and find their story, I can promise you that all have gone through situations that you'd imagine should have put them down but they still pressed on. So what is holding you back?
Learn how to think positively: The wise woman who raised me constantly reminded me of the fact that "As a man thinketh, so he is". If you are the type of individual to see negativity and failure even before you start something, then there is no way you will change that situation. I used to think very lightly of my mother's words until I learned the hard way. "Asiyesikia la mkuu huvunjika guu au sio?" (He that does not heed to the advice of the elders ends up with a broken leg), well both my legs ended up broken (metaphorically).
The moment you learn how to see an opportunity where others see impossibility or see victory where others see failure, then you'll that you'll stop experiencing frequent failures and setbacks in all aspects of your life.
Quit feeling sorry for yourself because of your circumstances: You say you can't because you are poor, that you don't come from a rich background, you say you can't because you got into an accident and lost an arm or a leg, you say you can't because of your circumstance! Your circumstances DO NOT define your ability! In the words of Bill gates "If you're born poor it's not your mistake, but if you die poor it's your mistake", a great example would be Oprah, born into poverty to a teenage mother, molested while young, but still did not let her "circumstance" define her ability. Went on to being listed as the richest African American in the 20th century, North America's first black multi-millionaire, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, severally been ranked as the world's most influential woman and more. Gives you chills yes? But you can just do the exact same thing. What's stopping you?
Nick Vujicic, born with no limbs, runs an international Non-profit organization and ministry, founded a motivational speaking company, written not one but several books and spoken at great forums all across the globes. You have hands and legs, what's your excuse? What's your circumstance?
Success is not only in regard to your career, business or finances, success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. I also believe that success is attaining a level of satisfaction in who you are, what you do and where you are in your life in all aspects.
Try thinking of it this way, think of the one individual who you look up to, who you wonder what they did to get to where they are or rather the individual who has a profound story, and ask yourself, do they have two heads? Do they have 4 hands? Do they have 29 hours a day? If no, (Assuming the answer is no, or else we should look into that individual) then it's the same for you as well right? What makes then extraordinary is the "extra", so quit being ordinary and become extraordinary. Start that blog/vlog and stay consistent. Open that business and plan out how to maximize on profit, start small and work up. Lose that weight and get into the best shape of your life. What's stopping you? If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. You want more, then do more!


Some quick obligatory observations from today's SCOTUS ruling, in which the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's healthcare law, including the individual mandate which requires all Americans to purchase health insurance.
1) Our news organizations are pretty terrible. I'm the first to preach about the benefits of being first-to-market. For instance, Coke is beating Pepsi today primarily because they got there first. Unfortunately, news organizations understand this reality. And today, we saw too many examples of the desire to be first, above....any sort of accuracy whatsoever.
2) For conservatives who see no real, practical difference between an Obama and a Romney candidacy, this court ruling may end up creating a Romney enthusiasm that didn't exist before, these particular conservative's only hope for a full repeal of the healthcare bill.
3) I'm still not sure how we expect this to actually lower our health care costs in a game changing way, without either incentivizing people to healthy living or penalizing individuals for preventable healthcare costs caused by lifestyle choices. We can make fun of Bloomberg's banning soft drinks 16 oz. and up, but IF (and that's a big "if") we are going to collectively pay for everyone's healthcare, this is the only thing that makes any sort of economic sense, liberty be damned.
Everyone's Facebook experience starts out pretty great.
You immediately "friend" the people closest to you. And now you have this news feed of your favorite people, sharing with you in real-time, news about your very favorite people.
But by definition, as your # of Facebook friends increases, the quality of your news feed goes down.
Because you stray further and further from your inner circle each time you add someone. From closest friends to college friends. High school friends. Church friends. Extended family. That guy I met that one time that I think is friends with Jeff somehow?
If you add a new Facebook friend today, it's probably because you either just met the person, or you were never that close to begin with.
Now there is a small chance this new friend will enter your inner circle over time, but the odds are greater that the quality of your news feed just went down a little.
"But, what if they're really interesting and funny, Eric?"
They absolutely could be. But we also might disagree on what "interesting" and "funny" are. After all, the reason your closest friends are your closest friends is because you probably happen to think, act and live fairly similarly. You share interests. You share humor. You share worldviews. You share the same preference for what Facebook should be.
For me, I just want to be entertained. I want you to make me laugh. I want you to make me think. I want you to show me cool things I haven't seen. That's why I'm on Facebook.
And if your Facebook posts don't do those things, I'm going to hide you.
But, we can still be friends.
Five years ago, I put forth a challenge on this blog.
"The next time you see a child entrepreneur (lemonade stand, etc.), pay $5 for the cup of lemonade."
This weekend, I finally completed my own challenge. I was driving in my car when I saw the four 9-year olds and their makeshift box stand. Remembered my challenge. Had my wallet. And pulled over.
They were selling Arizona iced tea for a quarter.
I bought a cup for $5. They were thrilled. I heard one whisper, "...fill up the cup as high as you can. he paid $5 for it!"
As I drove away, I heard another shout out to his mother, "He bought one! And paid $5! For just the one!"
I left happy, believing I had instilled a beautiful belief in entrepreneurship for these 4 young kids.
It was only later that I questioned whether or not I may have instead birthed a forever love of money itself.
People need to stop evangelizing capitalism as if its the end game.
Because it's not. Capitalism merely maximizes the total pie. It's a given.
Now what we choose to do with our greater slices, that's worth evangelizing.
I have limited time in the day.
Most of my learning comes from reading.
There are a lot of bad writers out there.
There are a lot of great writers out there who don't write things I'm interested in.
So, this ends up with me reading a lot of different articles each day about politics, technology, education, faith and more. From blogs I subscribe to. Magazines I subscribe to. Twitter links from people I follow. Facebook links from people I follow.
Only approximately 10% of the content I read in a day is really worth reading.
Any tips on how to better filter my information intake?
He told me I'm grinding my teeth so hard at night I'm actually wearing down my fillings.
He told me this is typically a symptom of stress, before recommending I wear a mouth guard at night.
As a health care professional, shouldn't he at least have entertained the possibility of trying to lower my stress, rather than resign to the fact that my molars will perpetually attack each other?


Experience diverse cultural and have a detailed view of different traditions of different countries across the globe. At Asaan plan your next cultural trip to top-rated cultural holidays destinations to step into the lands of unknown traditions. Have a sneak peek into the history of some widely known places around the world and fulfil all your travel goals with Asaan.


Laos Tours - Get a Free Quote for an Amazing Holiday to Laos Today!
An often overlooked Asian destination, Laos offers lush scenery, historic, fairytale cities and Buddhist culture.
A tour to Laos is a journey to traditional, authentic Asia, where a relaxed atmosphere and incredible hospitality still reign.
Check out all our tours to Laos below.
Experience a tour to the Far East of yesteryear. A country where time almost stands still, and where the tranquillity is perceptible.
From Vietnam's hills, to the mighty Mekong Delta. From the sunset over Angkor Wat, to the laid-back atmosphere of the amazing Luang Prabang. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the one tour.
Why should you holiday in Laos?
Situated between five Asian destinations, including Thailand and Vietnam, lies Laos. Laos is the only landlocked country in South-east Asia. The country's lifeline is the Mekong River, which runs through the entire country, contributing to its lush nature.
In Laos, you will experience something completely different from other destinations in Asia. This is traditional Asia, with fairytale landscapes and diverse populations that exude a honourable calm and hospitality the like of which is not found find in many other places.
Below you can read about some of the highlights you can experience on our holidays in Laos.
In northern Laos, along the Mekong River, lies the former royal city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO-protected city, which offers a unique blend of traditional Laotian architecture and French colonial charm.
You won't find modern buildings in Luang Prabang, but French colonial villas side by side active temples in the old streets.
The city's rhythm is a chapter in itself, where life is lived quietly and with a dignity rarely seen. Every morning, several thousand monks proceed silently through the streets of the city to collect alms. You cannot fail to be amazed by the respectful silence and great dignity with which this daily ritual takes place.
In the evening, the main street transforms into a large night market where tribal people from neighbouring villages come to sell their wares. You will find a wide selection of traditional handicrafts, with stalls selling all manner of colourful textiles, ceramics and even Beer Lao T-shirts.
Explore Luang Prabang on two wheels and see monks in their traditional orange dress, the iconic temple of Wat Xieng Thong, and climb to the top of the Phousi Hill, which affords excellent views of the city and the river.
South of Luang Prabang, in the heart of the jungle, lie the scenic Kuang Si Falls. Swim in the natural pools, or visit the centre for Malay bears, which works to protect the highly endangered bear.
Sail along the Mekong River to Kamu Lodge, which is nestled in a valley surrounded by rice fields, small villages and lush nature. Explore the scenic surroundings or gain an insight into life in the countryside with a visit to the Kamu tribe where you can, for example, participate in the daily work.
Deep inside northern Laos, in Xieng Khouang province, is the Plain of Jars, one of Laos' most unique and mysterious sights.
The Plain of Jars is an impressive archaeological site, where hundreds of stone jars lie scattered across the plateau. The jars are man-sized, measuring between 1 and 3 metres in diameter, and the largest weighs up to 14 tonnes.
Several thousand years old, very little is known about what these giant jars were used for, or where they come from. Local legends tell of giants who lived on the plain, who used the jars for rice wine when celebrating their war victories.
South of Luang Prabang is Vang Vieng, which, for many travellers, is a little piece of paradise.
The landscapes around Vang Vieng look like something from a fairytale. The town is surrounded by green-clad limestone cliffs, which rise up from the deep green rice fields. The tranquil river runs through the town, providing the focal point for a whole host of activities, ranging from rafting and kayaking to the popular activity "tubing", where you gently float down the river in a large, inflated rubber ring.
Vang Vieng also offers visits to caves such as Tham Norn, which is one of the largest caves in the town, and Tham Poukham Cave is the source of crystal clear water which attracts many bathers.
At the town's market, you will also find local, reasonably-priced handicrafts including beautiful hand-woven Laotian fabrics, e.g. phaa sin (sarongs).
Further south lies the capital of Vientiane, which is considered to be one of South-east Asia's quietest capitals. Many visitors fall in love with the incredible tranquillity found in many places.
Vientiane offers beautiful monuments and temples, e.g. Wat Sisaket, which houses more than 5,000 Buddha figures, Hor Pha Keo, a 16th century Buddhist temple where you will discover one of the finest collections of Laotian art, and Patouxai, Vientiane's victory arch, where you can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view of the city.
Just north of the city lies the stupa Pha That Luang, which is the most sacred place in Laos and the country's national symbol. The stupa was built in the 16th century on the ruins of a Khmer temple and is completely covered with gold leaf – an impressive sight.
The city also has a night market along the promenade and plenty of delicious food at the food stalls. And be sure to try the local beer, Beer Lao.
One of our tours takes you to ancient Indochina, a combination of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Vietnam is a hugely popular travel destination, offering everything from interesting, historic cities to magnificent, UNESCO protected nature.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Discover a city of contrasts with its mix of colonial history and modern-day buzz. Visit, for example, the Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ngoc Son Temple.
Ha Long Bay on a mini cruise and get right up close to one of Vietnam's most distinctive areas of natural beauty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The colonial city of Hoi An, which used to be one of the most important ports in South East Asia. Visit the old town, which testifies to Japanese, Chinese and Indian influences.
Cambodia offers some of the world's biggest sights.
Discover the legendary Angkor Complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in South-east Asia.
The temple complex Angkor Wat, which is Cambodia's biggest attraction. It was the most splendid of all the temples of the Khmer Empire, and an architectural masterpiece. It is said to have taken some 300,000 men and 6,000 elephants 37 years to build the complex.
Want to know more about Laos?
To obtain further information about the practicalities of travelling to Laos on our site, visit Practical information, where you can read more about the climate, vaccinations and visas.
If you have any questions about booking, our other tours to the Far East or something else entirely, our travel consultants are on hand to help you.
We look forward to sending you on the holiday of your lifetime.
When is it best to travel to Laos?
Laos has a tropical monsoon climate that does not fluctuate greatly during the year. There are two seasons: the dry season, which runs from November to April, and the rainy season from May to October. The average temperature is between 25 and 30 °C all year round. It is hottest in May, when the temperature in the middle of the day can reach 40 °C, and coldest in December, when the temperature can drop as low as 15°C at night.


text:
"""
Necessary bindings for Pybuild files.
"""
from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
from mybuild._compat import *

import inspect

from mybuild import core
from mybuild.util.deco import constructor_decorator

__author__ = "Eldar Abusalimov"
__date__ = "2013-07-29"

__all__ = ['module', 'project', 'option']

class PyDslModuleMeta(core.ModuleMetaBase):
    """Infers options from class constructor.

    Adds an optional 'internal' keyword argument.

    Produces real modules by default, however subclasses must still pass
    an 'option_types' keyword argument or provide a resonable implementation
    of '_prepare_optypes' method.
    """

    def __init__(cls, name, bases, attrs, internal=False, **kwargs):
        """Keyword arguments are passed to '_prepare_optypes' method."""
        super(PyDslModuleMeta, cls).__init__(name, bases, attrs,
                option_types=(None if internal else
                              cls._prepare_optypes(**kwargs)))

    def _prepare_optypes(cls):
        """Converts a constructor argspec into a list of Optype objects."""
        func = cls.__dict__.get('__init__')  # to avoid MRO lookup
        try:
            argspec = inspect.getargspec(inspect.unwrap(func))
        except TypeError:  # no constructor, or it is a wrapper descriptor
            return []
        else:
            args, va, kw, dfls = argspec
            dfls = dfls or []

        if not args and not va:
            raise TypeError('Module must accept at least one argument')

        for arg in args:
            if not isinstance(arg, str):
                raise TypeError('Tuple parameter unpacking '
                                'is not supported: {arg}'.format(**locals()))

        if args:   # forget about the first arg (which is usually 'self')
            if len(args) == len(dfls):
                del dfls[0]
            del args[0]

        def to_optype(optype_or_default):
            if isinstance(optype_or_default, core.Optype):
                return optype_or_default
            return core.Optype(optype_or_default)

        head = [core.Optype() for _ in range(len(args) - len(dfls))]
        tail = list(map(to_optype, dfls))

        return [(name, optype.set(name=name))
                for name, optype in zip(args, head + tail)]

    def _instantiate(cls, optuple, *args, **kwargs):
        instance = cls.__new__(cls, optuple, *args, **kwargs)

        if isinstance(instance, cls):
            # The following dirty hack is to be sure that Module.__init__ gets
            # called with proper arguments and exactly once.
            super(PyDslModuleBase, instance).__init__(optuple, *args, **kwargs)
            # On the other hand, the real __init__ is invoked with keyword
            # arguments holding option values and it is not required to call
            # super constructor (which anyway does nothing, see
            # PyDslModule.__init__).
            instance.__init__(**optuple._asdict())

        return instance

class PyDslModuleBase(extend(core.ModuleBase,
                             metaclass=PyDslModuleMeta, internal=True)):
    """
    Example of a simple module without any options:

    >>> @module
    ... def modname(self):
    ...     pass

    More examples:

    >>> @module
    ... def m(self,
    ...       foo = option(0, 'one', 'two'),    # one of these, or any other
    ...       bar = option.enum(38400, 115200), # enumeration of two values
    ...       baz = option.bool(default=True),  # boolean flag
    ...         ):
    ...     pass

    >>> list(m._options)
    ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']

    >>> class modclass(module):
    ...     def __init__(self, opt = option.bool()):
    ...         pass

    """

    def __init__(_self, *args, **kwargs):
        # Notice the absence of super constructor call,
        # see PyDslModuleMeta._instantiate for explanations.
        pass

    def __repr__(self):
        return repr(self._optuple)

    # XXX
    constrain = core.Module._constrain
    consider  = _consider  = core.Module._discover

def new_module_type(name, *bases):
    return new_type(name, bases, {}, metaclass=core.ModuleMetaBase, internal=True)

module  = constructor_decorator(new_module_type('PyDslModule',
                                PyDslModuleBase, core.Module))
project = constructor_decorator(new_module_type('PyDslProject',
                                PyDslModuleBase, core.Project))

application = None
library = None

option = core.Optype


text:
Home » Retrospections » Living in a Dying Solar System, Part 1
Living in a Dying Solar System, Part 1
Categories: Retrospections Sun Thought Experiments
By Ray Villard - Jul 27, 2009
The Mayan calendar, which ends in 2012, was based on astronomical cycles.
With this essay by Ray Villard, news director for the Hubble Space Telescope, Astrobiology Magazine presents another in our series of 'Gedanken', or thought, experiments – musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. Gedanken experiments, which have been used for hundreds of years by scientists and philosophers to ponder thorny problems, rely on the power of one's imagination to project these scenarios to logical conclusions. They do not involve lab equipment or, often, even experimental data. They can be thought of as focused daydreams. Yet, as in the famous case of Einstein's Gedanken experiments about what it would be like to hitch a ride on a light wave, they have often led to important scientific breakthroughs.
There is a lot of hysteria on the Internet these days that the ancient Mayan calendar, which ends in 2012, portends the end of the world through a variety of possible astronomical events: rogue comets, supernovae, or even supposed "energy" from the galactic center. The reality is that the Mayans simply tracked astronomical cycles. They were not psychic.
This preoccupation with doomsday has inspired science fiction tales depicting the end of Earth, including a recent TV miniseries Impact, and the upcoming motion picture 2012 that is described as "an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors."
Comparison of the current-day Sun and the Sun as a red giant in the future.
Credit: User:Mysid, User:Mrsanitazier
Today's astronomers don't need the Mayan calendar, or Nostradamus, or Hollywood's imagination to explore the solar system's far future fate. Observations of planets around other stars, combined with stellar evolution theory and supercomputer simulations give us a reasonable prediction of what's in store for the solar system.
As their parent stars inevitability age and burn out, every inhabited planet across our galaxy faces the ultimate apocalypse due to fundamental changes in a star's energy output and its physical diameter. Yet the emerging view of what happens to planets at the end of a star's life is more complex than scientists once thought. What's more, the ever-shifting fortunes of survivability in the universe suggest one planet's apocalypse may be another world's genesis.
Roughly 5 billion years from now, the Sun will go through a late-life crisis as nuclear fusion reactions change in the core. The Sun will begin to swell as a red giant. Like a runaway hot air balloon, the Sun's outer layers will reach escape velocity and peel off into space. As the Sun begins losing mass, the planets' orbits will widen because the Sun's gravitational pull will grow weaker. But Mercury and Venus will not get far enough away to avoid being engulfed by the ballooning red giant. Earth will migrate out to Mars' current orbit, but still may not survive. Mars the Red Planet will move proportionally farther out.
Five billion years from now the Sun will expand into as a bloated red giant star, swallowing the inner planets.
Credit: STScI
The Sun's evolution into a red giant certainly will render the inner solar system uninhabitable. Yet all hope may not be lost. The "habitable zone" — the radius from a star where water can remain liquid under room temperatures — will expand along with the Sun. This will warm once-frozen planets and their moons, bringing a brief springtime after a 10-billion-year winter.
As the Sun balloons to a red giant, the habitable zone will sweep through a range of 200 million to 900 million miles radius. Under the warm glare of the giant Sun, the frozen moons orbiting the outer planets, such as Europa, Ganymede, and Enceladus will have their icy crust melt quickly into liquid water. Ancient craters will dissolve into the warming seas. After being in hibernation for all of its star's main sequence lifetime, the moons' newborn oceans, laden with a carbon-rich broth, could spring to life.
Life on Earth may have begun as soon as a few tens of millions of years after Earth cooled down from its fiery birth. If life elsewhere could form within a billion years of when conditions become ripe, then inhabitable planets could exist around the aging Sun and other red giant stars. Life could then have a chance to develop in a newly extended habitable zone.
Once frozen and carbon-rich moons like Saturn's Titan would thaw out and become incubators for the first stages of life. This could even stretch out to Neptune's moon Triton – which is now one of the coldest places in the solar system. At the Sun's peak output as a red giant, even distant Pluto and other icy dwarf planets would get slushy, but for only about 10 million years or less.
Under a red giant Sun, Titan's mountains of ice could melt into the hydrocarbon lakes, creating an interesting brew with the potential for life.
As the Sun finally burns out and gravitationally collapses to a white dwarf, the outer planets will quickly chill and reach colder conditions than before. The watery moons will quickly ice over and life will face mass extinction. The only source of energy left for life to survive will be gravitational tidal forces that would warm subsurface oceans. So, even when the Sun is reduced to a cold cinder, life could still hang on in the interiors of the outer moons.
In the final days, asteroids and comets may be dislodged by the gravitational pull of Jupiter, and sent falling in toward the white dwarf. Dwarf-grazing asteroids would be tidally torn apart to make a dusty ring around the dwarf. In 2004 The Spitzer Space Telescope found a Saturn-like dust ring around the white dwarf G29-38, which may have been created by tidal disruption of a comet passing too close to the white dwarf.
Even in these post-apocalyptic days there will still be a habitable zone in the solar system, but it will be very close to the white dwarf. As the dwarf slowly cools the zone will move in closer, like a noose around a neck. If any large asteroids survive, like the dwarf planet Ceres, they could also be the last holdout for life if they can get close enough to the dwarf's feeble glow without being gravitationally ripped apart. Ceres is believed to have an icy mantle, and so microbial life might eke out an existence in the twilight years of the solar system.
This article is also available in French.
SwRI solar activity research provides insight into sun's past, future
Parker Solar Probe Breaks Record, Becomes Closest Spacecraft to Sun
Gravity Assist Podcast: Solar Storms, with Alex Young
NASA-funded rocket to view sun with X-ray vision
(Retrospections, Sun, Thought Experiments) Most Read
Engineering the Skies
If We Had No Moon
Under the Bright Lights of an Aging Sun
Titan: A Moon with Atmosphere
O Antropoceno: A Humanidade Como Um Ponto de Mutação Para a Terra
Astrobiology Top 10: LCROSS Confirms Water on the Moon
The Discovery of Eris
Colors of Alien Plants
Titan: Greenhouse and Anti-greenhouse
The Drake Equation Revisited: Part I


Canadian Construction Documents Committee ("CCDC") standard form contracts often govern the relationship between owners and general contractors for construction projects in Canada.
A party claiming a builders lien must do so by filing a "claim of lien" in the form prescribed by the Builders Lien Act.
The recent decision of Ankenman Associates Architects Inc. v. 0981478 raises some interesting issues surrounding the intersection of copyright law, construction law, and the foreclosure process.
Arbitration is a process for resolving disputes outside of the courtroom.
Building contracts sometimes arise from an invitation to tender.
Pushor Mitchell is pleased to present "The Tender, the Contract and the Builders' Lien: The Basics of Construction Law."
Most building projects involve a "chain" of contracts entered into among the owner and contractor, and the contractor and its subcontractors, and so forth.
Our courts regard claims for builders liens ("CBLs") as extraordinary remedies because they allow one to encumber another's land before proving, in court, that person owes them money.
I am often asked whether a person may claim a builders lien for the supply of work or materials to a construction project where the right to do so is not obvious.
I Might Be Too Late To File A Builders Lien – Should I File One Anyway?
A drawback of British Columbia's Builders Lien Act, S.B.C. 1997, c. 45 (the "Builders Lien Act") is that the cost of enforcing a lien relative to the amount in dispute may be prohibitive. A builders lien must be enforced in the Supreme Court of British Columbia even if the value of the lien is within the monetary jurisdiction of Small Claims Court (i.e. $25,000.00 or less).
In Action Holdings Ltd. v. Trend Homes Ltd., 2011 BCSC 381, the Supreme Court of British Columbia clarified when a claim of builder's lien may be filed for work that is not done on the land subject to the claim of lien.
Is The Air Space Above A Strata Lot The "Common Property" Of The Strata Corporation?
What is "Lock-up" and When Does it Occur?
These questions were not considered by a Canadian court until the recent British Columbia Supreme Court decision of Skadberg Construction v. Buchholz, 2010 BCSC 869.


text:
Sacred Elephants
Television, Movies, Music
Animal tattoos on Is the Elephant Your Spiritual Animal Totem?
asddasd on Ganesh Tattoos: Your Body as an Altar
Thomas Revitt on Room to Roam at San Diego Zoo's New Elephant Odyssey?
Linnea on Interview with Filmmaker Erik Dettle on Thai Mahouts
Monique Vasquez on Ringling Bros. Circus Protests for SF Bay Area 2015
Jaya Savannah on Ringling Bros. Circus Protests for SF Bay Area 2015
ueroomoilpainting@163.com on "Beautiful Giants" Oil Paintings by Lena Navarro
Christina on 7 Turkish Elephants and 1 Evil Eye
Jaya Savannah on How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head
Sujatha the Elephant is Euthanized at Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo euthanized Sujatha, a 47-year-old Asian elephant on October 17, 2018.
Jaya Savannah on October 17, 2018 in Conservation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Digg This | |
UK Proposes Tough Ivory Ban [VIDEO]
The UK just proposed the toughest ban on ivory sales in the world! This video explains the UK proposal and how it compares with US and Chinese bans on ivory sales. We just had a setback here in the states. It's important to teach people how the current laws are inadequate. Thanks, elephant lovers!
UK offical press release
Jaya Savannah on April 03, 2018 in Conservation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Ringling Bros. Circus Protests for SF Bay Area 2015
We have made a lot of progress for elephants this year, but we still have work to do. This year (2015) Oakland CA followed in Los Angeles' footsteps and passed a ban on bull hooks. Because Ringling cannot control the elephants without bull hooks, they were losing some of their major cities. After putting up a fight, Ringling announced they would remove elephants from their shows starting in 2018. They are not retiring the other animals.
The elephants, tigers, and other animals will be performing as usual in Oakland, San Jose, and Daly City.
We still need you to protest at these shows to raise awareness. Despite much public and political outcry, many ticket goers remain unaware of the abuse inflicted on the animals.
Protests at the Ringling Brothers shows in the San Francisco Bay Area for 2015 are scheduled as follows.
OAKLAND ARENA
Location: 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland (off of 880 Freeway @ 66th Ave exit)
Opening Night: Thursday August 13th at 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Please meet in front of the ticket booths for all protests.
Shows marked with an * are timed to coincide with one show that is ending and another that is starting, so please be on time.
Thu, Aug 13, 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Fri, Aug 14, 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Sat, Aug 15, 12:45pm* > Facebook event page and 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Sun, Aug 16, 2:45pm* > Facebook event page
Mon, Aug 17, 5:30pm > Facebook event page
SAN JOSE ARENA
Location: 525 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose
Please meet on the corner of Santa Clara & Autumn Street for all protests.
COW PALACE, DALY CITY
Location: 2600 Geneva Ave Daly City, CA 94014
Opening Night: Thursday September 3rd at 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Please meet at front doors.
Thu, Sept 3, 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Fri, Sept 4, 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Sat, Sept 5, 12:45pm* > Facebook event page and 5:30pm > Facebook event page
Sun, Sept 6, 2:45p* > Facebook event page
Mon, Sept 7, 1:45pm* > Facebook event page
SLEEP TRAIN ARENA, SACRAMENTO
Location: 1 Sports Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95834
Opening Night: Thursday September 17th at 6:00pm > Facebook event page
All Sacramento shows share the same Facebook event page above.
Thu, Sept 17, 6pm-7:30pm
Fri, Sept 18, 6pm-7:30pm
Sat, Sept 19, 10am-11:30, 2pm-3:30, and 6pm-7:30
Sun, Sept 20, 12pm- 1:30, and 4pm-5:30pm
If you've never been to a circus protest before, you might be wondering what to expect. I made a video just for you that I hope answers your questions. If not, please ask in the comments section below.
Big shout out to Humanity Through Education and Peta for working so hard to organize and provide materials for these protests!
Jaya Savannah on August 11, 2015 in Events | Permalink | Comments (3)
"Beautiful Giants" Oil Paintings by Lena Navarro
I met an artist who has some lovely paintings of elephants and other large animals. Meet Lena Navarro. This painting is called "Majestic."
I asked her, "You have a lot of elephants in your art. How did you get inspired to paint them?"
Lena replied, "I like to paint animals. There is something about painting live objects. Animals and people - are my favorite subjects in my art. So one day I decided to paint an elephant, because of its majestic, beauty and strength . I was very pleased with the result as much as with the process. I really enjoyed painting thousands of those wrinkles. They kept me for hours in my studio even without my favorite tea breaks. I fell in love with these beautiful animals. They are themselves a piece of art. As an artist I am creating my own reality on my canvas. Obviously, I will never posses an elephant, but making art makes me believe that it possible. I have a few of my own elephants, and they are almost real, because they were painted by a loving heart.
Click here to view the other animals in her "Beautiful Giants" series.
Jaya Savannah on April 29, 2015 in Art, Photography | Permalink | Comments (1)
Sacred Elephant by Renee Jahnke
When elephant loving photographer Renee Jahnke said she needed subjects for a photo project, I quickly volunteered. Renee has a poetic eye and the assigment she was working on included digital manipulation. She spent a morning at Oakland Zoo photographing the elephants. Then we did a shoot with me in the golden hills of Petaluma, California. Here is the final composite. I absolutely love it.
Please visit Renee Jah Photography & Design to view more of her works.
Jaya Savannah on December 12, 2014 in Art, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)
Interview with Filmmaker Erik Dettle on Thai Mahouts
Interview by Jaya Savannah, elephant conservationist and matriarch of SacredElephants.com
Erik Dettle's short documentary Mahout: Changing Reigns explores the Gwi people, an ancient tribe of elephant keepers known as mahouts. In this interview with Jaya Savannah, he answers questions about the belief systems and practices of the mahouts, and the cultural changes they face as a result of ecological conservation efforts.
Jaya Savannah: Your film Mahout: Changing Reigns focuses on the Gwi tribe of Thailand and their cultural use of trained elephants. What are you hoping to accomplish through this work?
Erik Dettle: The goal of this film is to tell the story of an ancient culture that is quickly becoming extinct and to explore the evolving cultural context surrounding elephant husbandry in Thailand. I am much more a storyteller than an activist. But I do believe in the power of imagery and hope that this film will communicate the need to respect diversity (cultural and biological) and help illustrate the powerful link between human culture and natural conservation. I'm thankful that you have given me the opportunity to provide some background on this subject matter as I know that it is sensitive and because there is so much more to this story than could be included in this short film.
JS: How did you become aware of this topic, and what motivated you to document it?
ED: This film was in development for a long time. It took nearly two years of research to settle on exploring the relationship of man and elephant from the POV of the Gwi. Originally, it was the image of an Indian mahout and his elephant (I don't remember where I saw it) that first inspired me to start the research. I like telling that story because it is proof (however small) of the power of imagery to motivate action. In doing this research I found that there are many groups of people who identify as mahouts across India and Southeast Asia. But the Gwi are unique in that their ethnic identity, religious practices, rituals and even tribal languages have been shaped by their age-old relationship to elephants. The Gwi are well known throughout Asia for this. At first, my interest was to tell a simple, visually charged anthropological/ethnographic story. But as I got closer to the subject I realized there was much more there. I am generally interested in telling stories that take place at the crossroads where human culture and the natural world meet and sometimes clash. Further reading led me to realize that the story of the Gwi fit my interests quite well.
JS: Asian elephants are at risk due to habitat loss and ivory poaching, as are wild elephants everywhere. Yet another conservation issue affecting Asian elephants specifically is the capture of wild elephants to be used in Thai tourism and entertainment. Although it is no longer allowed, young calves are still being stolen from their herds and protective mothers and family members are killed. Did you see evidence or hear stories about where modern mahouts acquire their elephants?
ED: I did not hear any stories or see any evidence of calves being stolen from the wild while making this film. That is certainly not to say that it doesn't happen. In Thailand it is legal to buy and sell elephants, but each one is supposed to have paperwork showing its pedigree, like a birth certificate explaining its lineage in order to prove that it was not captured from the wild. Mahouts generally acquire elephants that have been bred in captivity through legal sales. But where there is a regulated market, there is often an illegal trade market to accompany it. However, the Gwi allegedly stopped capturing elephants from the wild sometime in the 1950's because of territorial altercations with the Khmer Rouge. Traditionally, the Gwi regarded elephant catching as a sacred activity and in the past it even dictated community hierarchy. Before one was allowed to capture elephants he must be considered an elephant shaman of particular rank and understand the legends, rituals, tools and languages that were unique to the Gwi elephant capturing experience. To me, one of the most interesting traditions of an elephant capturing expedition is the use of a "ghost language." It is a language that is understood only by Gwi mahouts and was spoken exclusively during expeditions.
JS: What is the Prakam Rope and why is it such an important part of Gwi tradition?
ED: The Prakam Rope is a very important symbol of Gwi culture. It is a braided rope made up of buffalo hides, usually about 80 meters long with a loop on one end that was used for coralling wild elephants. Even though Gwi no longer capture wild elephants, every Gwi community has a shrine that is dedicated to keeping a sacred Prakam Rope. The rope is believed to be the spirit home of the mythical elephant shaman Phra Khru Prakram. The story goes that there was once a time when elephant expeditions did not require ritualistic practices. But that changed when a young Gwi man set out with his family to capture elephants. Tragedy struck this expedition twice: once when the man's son was dragged away by a mother elephant and again when his wife, who stayed back at camp, was eaten by a tiger. The man asked all of the elephant catchers to help find his son, and Phra Khru Prakram is the one who dedicated himself to the challenge. The story does not say what became of the man or his son but out of the search came the practices and rituals that for centuries would be associated with Gwi elephant expeditions and community structure.
JS: One of the elephant training tools seen throughout the film is the bull hook. Its use has been banned in some zoos and in cities such as Los Angeles, where the local ordinance disallows circuses to use them. Do you know what tools the Gwi used before the modern day steel bull hook was invented?
ED: I am unaware of a bull hook made from anything other than a combination of steel and hardened vines. People in this region have been using steel for over two thousand years and for centuries before that they would have used iron and/or bronze. Dare I say that I think too much focus is placed on the bull hook instead of the real problem - an instance of losing the forest for the trees. Ultimately, I believe that forcing elephants to perform is the issue.
JS: An ever-present visual element of the film was the heavy chains that beleaguered the necks and ankles of very sad looking elephants. Buddhist philosophy has given us the term "sentient beings" to describe living consciousness. How do the Gwi tribe view elephants in relation to humans?
ED: I can definitely see how there is some hypocrisy at play when a Buddhist would keep another "sentient being" captive. But, I can also see how this hypocrisy is not absolute nor is it unique to Buddhist mahouts of Thailand. There is often a disconnect between religious doctrines and the actions of its devotees. While it is true that Theravada Buddhism is now the religion of Thailand, that was not always the case. The Khmer Empire, which controlled most of Southeast Asia and built the Angkor temple complex, started as a Hindu society and followed the caste system for many centuries. Hinduism was present in Gwi territory as early as 300CE, and the Gwi still pay special respect to the Hindu elephant deity Ganesh. In Thailand elephants are mystical symbols, shrouded in superstition, with a link to both Hinduism and Buddhism. The elephant is also a national symbol, closely associated with the monarchy and has been inextricably linked to the culture of Thai people for thousands of years. But the animals themselves are legally considered livestock, simple commodities just like a domestic buffalo. It is up to the individual mahout to uphold the respected status of his elephant. Many do and many do not. It is not uncommon for a good mahout to spend more time caring for his elephant than with his family. Some mahouts have a lifelong relationship with their elephants that becomes a sacred bond. But the reverse is also true. For many mahouts, an elephant is simply a tool and/or a symbol of status, the western equivalent of a luxury automobile. Why the actions of some people do not wholly reflect their reverence or religious beliefs is a universal question that deals more with the nature of humankind than the rearing of elephants.
JS: Twenty five years ago, logging was banned in Thailand. A conservation success that forced the unemployment of several thousand elephants and mahouts. It is understandable that the mahouts and the elephants need to eat. Having their livelihood options thus limited, they transitioned to begging and busking. Yet like the human trafficking and drug trade tourism that plagues Thailand, elephant entertainment for tourists is not a victimless crime. The elephants are being mistreated and abused. Although it would take away the little that remains of the mahouts' livelihoods, I believe that intervention is needed. A core part of your philosophy seems to be giving local voices a chance to speak on global issues that may be decided for them. What is your position on intervening in the behalf of elephants in Thailand?
ED: I'm very glad you asked me this question as the issue of "intervening" is a hot and complicated one that I do have particular feelings on. I would urge anyone to understand that superimposing a foreign will on another's culture is not the best approach as is exemplified time and time again on the international stage in many ways. The elephant welfare issue in Thailand is complex with many cultural and economic nuances at play. Simply showing up and coercing others to honor foreign beliefs will do very little. Everything is interconnected, and the problems facing mahouts and captive elephants have real-life, tangible causes. It behooves anyone interested in elephant welfare to understand the cultural, ecological and economical catalysts that have led to the problems with elephant captivity in Thailand. I believe that helping the local people enact solutions to those problems with their own hands is the best way to intervene. There is a project in the Gwi village of Ban Tha Klang that is doing this well. "The Surin Project is a new and innovative project focused on finding solutions to the challenges faced by mahouts and their elephants in Surin province in North-Eastern Thailand. It is committed to improving the living conditions of Asian elephants and providing sustainable economic revenue for their mahouts in the local community." surinproject.org
JS: Your previous film Wastrel: Cast Out in Kisumu was filmed in the slums of Kenya. What is the next project on your horizon?
ED: Since making these documentaries I produced/shot a promotional film for the Rainforest Fund which played at Sting's Concert for the Rainforest at Carnegie Hall in NYC and I have provided cinematography for hire on independent documentaries and television programs. I plan to continue exploring ancient cultures and their evolving relationships to the natural world. In particular, I am interested in the culture of Nepalese Sherpas and how their relationship to the Himalayas may or may not have been affected by tourism and globalization. I also plan to continue working as a cinematographer for hire and would love to collaborate.
Mahout: Changing Reigns is currently available to WATCH ONLINE and at select screenings internationally. For all film-related inquiries, contact Erik Dettle at Misnomer Productions.
This interview may be syndicated provided that byline remains intact and a link back to the original article is included. Notification sent to Jaya Savannah greatly appreciated.
All photos © Erik Dettle.
Jaya Savannah on September 10, 2014 in Television, Movies, Music | Permalink | Comments (1)
96 Elephants for World Elephant Day
Ivory poaching is destroying African elephant populations at crisis levels. 35,000 elephants were killed in 2012. That is a rate of 96 elephants per day being killed in Africa.
I made a PSA video to demonstrate what 96 elephants looks like. Give it a watch and please share.
The petition I mentioned at the end of the video is at 99Elephants.org
Jaya Savannah on August 11, 2014 in Conservation, Events | Permalink | Comments (0)
If you'd like to help out elephants and other animals being abused and exploited by Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, please join a protest.
Following is the full schedule of protests for the San Francisco Bay Area, Summer of 2014.
Opening nights are the largest gathering, but protesters are needed at all the shows. You can bring your own signs, but if you don't have time, just show up. Organizers for the events will usually have some you can borrow. Facebook event pages have been included, although you do not need to register to join.
Oakland, CA (August 14-18, 2014)
Oracle Arena 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94621
Opening Night: Thursday August 14, 2014
Protests meet in front of ticket booths.
Thu, Aug 14, 6 p.m. event page
Fri, Aug 15, 6 p.m. event page
Sat, Aug 16, 12:45 p.m. event page
Sat, Aug 16, 5:30 p.m. event page
Sun, Aug 17, 2:45 p.m. event page
Mon, Aug 18, 6 p.m. event page
San Jose, CA (August 20-25, 2014)
SAP Center 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113
Opening Night: Wednesday August 20, 2014
Protests meet on the corner of Santa Clara & Autumn Street.
Wed, Aug 20, 6 p.m. event page
San Francisco, CA (August 28-September 1, 2014)
Cow Palace 2600 Geneva Ave, Daly City, CA 94014
Protests meet at front doors.
Mon, Sep 1, 2:45 p.m. event page
Sacramento, CA (September 12-15, 2014)
Sleep Train Arena One Sports Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95834
Opening Night: Friday September 12, 2014
Protests meet near stairs next to the box office.
Fri, Sept 12, 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Sept 13, 10:15 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Sun, Sept 14, 11:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Mon, Sept 15, 5:30 p.m.
event page for all Sacramento dates
Stockton, CA (September 19-21, 2014)
Stockton Arena 248 W Fremont St, Stockton CA 95203
Opening Night: Friday September 19, 2014.
Protests meet in front of the ticket booths.
Fri, Sep 19, 5:30 p.m. event page
Sat, Sep 20, 1:15 p.m. event page
Sun, Sep 21, 2:45 p.m. event page
If you've never been to a circus protest before, you might be wondering what to expect. I made a video just for you that I hope answers your questions. If not, please ask in the comments section below or on my YouTube page.
Hope to see you out there. Thanks for helping elephants!
Looking for 2015 dates? They are here!
What to Expect at a Circus Protest for Elephants
Thinking about going to a circus protest, but unsure about what it will be like? Let me be your friendly guide. I created a video that explains what the protests I have attended were like. If you have any more questions, please ask in the comments.
Love to get more people out there protesting. Please like and share the video with your elephant loving friends. We need to show strength in numbers. Friends don't let friends go to animal circuses.
Jaya Savannah on August 06, 2014 in Conservation | Permalink | Comments (2)
My family tradition is to boycott elephants at the circus
Please like and share if you agree!
Jaya Savannah on May 02, 2014 in Conservation, Opinions | Permalink | Comments (0)
More Elephant Tales »
Jaya Savannah
I'm passionate about wild elephant conservation. It's something that has overtaken my heart and soul. After a trip to Kenya, where I went to see wild elephants and meet some of my conservationist heroes, I returned to Northern California, asking, "What can I do to help?" So I began writing.
My intention for Sacred Elephants is to raise awareness about elephant conservation by touching your heart, enlightening your mind, and trumpeting a call out to your elephant-loving spirit.
I'm also looking for opportunities to work with other elephant philanthropists for events, travel/tourism, corporate social responsiblity ventures, and media productions. I also accept requests to review elephant books, DVD's, and other products.
Thank you for reading and helping to save our elephant friends!
Jaya Savannah International
Business coaching, consulting & training services for holistic lifestyle companies, spas, salons, alternative health & spiritual practitioners.
Copyright Jaya Savannah © 2006-2018. All rights reserved. Text and images are not to be used without permission.


Objectives of this product photo training: learn and master the issues, specificities, and basics of shooting items from the leather goods sector, know how to position an object, choose and prepare lighting, master the shooting process and become initiated in the basics of photographic post-processing.
Method and educational resources: the training program takes place in a fully equipped photo studio with all necessary material. The provided photo equipment: Canon 1100D, 650D, or superior. Software: PackshotCreator and Viewer, Lightroom, and Photoshop.
Public: actors in the leather goods sector.
How and which types of photos to obtain in order to showcase the many references of leather goods: from high-end products to mass released products?
How to promote their manufacture or handling in order to generate consumer interest in e-commerce?
Also, create visuals for quality control, so as to create a database, or for research and development.
What are the different visual codes of this industry?
Articles from leather goods and small leather goods are often pleasure purchases, hence the central role of visuals, be it for the high-end section, mid-range, department stores, or retail specialized in multi-brand.
Prepare, equip, and configure one's photo studio.
Prepare and position one's products: luggage, small leather goods, bags, belts, handles and shoulder straps.
How to put forward the layout of a bag (pockets, closures, links, and features)?
Know how to create specific visuals to showcase the accessories and finishing of products (suspender straps, sharp edges, linings, belts, and part-assembly details).
Create a system of repeatability of the "ghost image" object placement for the lots to be photographed.
Install and adjust the lighting depending upon the size, colors, textures, and details of the photographed subjects. The settings and management of the light will be different for suede, leather, Nubuck, velvet.
Case studies on different product types of the industry: large products like trunks or suitcases, bags, small leather goods.
Photography is the job of a specialist. Nevertheless, learning the theoretical and practical fundamentals tied to the leather goods industry will enable you to master these aspects for the production of quality visuals, directly useable for quality control, research and development, or even to reinforce the pleasure purchasing proper to the sector. The trainee will be able to place and photograph objects on a neutral background so that they are ready to be integrated into a catalogue or on an e-commerce website.


Ships in two boxes UPS or FedEx. Due to the large box size, shipping will be higher than the estimated shipping cost.
A quality solid wood workbench at an affordable price. Features sturdy wood top with 1" railing and attractive natural finish, full-length side and back panels, two-tier tool tray, metal-lined catch pan for sweeps and three side drawers. Includes two pullout armrests, bench pin and two mandrel holes. Complete assembly required (detailed instructions supplied). Made in China.
Measures 38-3/4"W x 19-1/2"D x 39"H. Ships in two boxes via UPS.
Can be shipped via UPS!


There are two types of lifelong learning (also called continuing education) opportunities for seniors: you can pay discounted tuition fees and join younger students in regular credit or non-credit courses, or else mingle with other retirees in non-credit, mostly daytime, senior-specific programs. Courses are listed here if the cost per session is $30 or less.
Members make presentations on areas of interest. Group meetings at Knox College, University of Toronto. Social events. Affiliated with University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies.
Between College St. and Harbord St.
A variety of art courses for adults, including drawing, painting, folk art, weaving, pottery, and sculpture. Affiliated with the City of Toronto Culture Division.
Near Lawrence Ave E and Scarborough Golf Club Rd.
Online courses. Registration required. You pay fees for some courses, and to have your work assessed. Some courses from University of Toronto, McMaster and the University of Alberta.
Free online courses. Registration required. Some courses from University of Toronto, McGill and University of British Columbia.
20% tuition discount for seniors (65+). Some restrictions apply. Various locations.
Daytime general interest courses for seniors (55+). Various locations.
Morning speaker series on a wide variety of topics.
Tuition discounts for seniors (65+). Contact Financial Aid department for details.
Moderator-led daytime courses on various topics. Classes are held at OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education).


We've been doing a lot of space themed activities recently focussing on the many famous scientists who changed people's perception of the Universe. In the 1600s many people thought that the Earth was at the centre of the Universe, until Copernicus used mathematical models to prove that the Earth actually orbits the Sun.
We've used a paper plate, magnet wand and paper clip to show this.
First draw the Sun in the centre of your paper plate.
Next draw a picture of the Earth on your cardboard and cut it out.
Carefully attach a paperclip to the Earth.
Place the Earth and paperclip on the front of the paper plate the magnet behind. You should be able to move the Earth around the Sun using your magnet.
Can you add other planets into your model?
Magnets attract some objects but not others and can be different strengths. The paperclip in this activity is made from steel which is why it is attracted to the magnet.
Do you think a plastic covered paperclip would work as well?
Can you make a model of the Solar System using a paper plate?
Think about where to position the planets and how big they are relative to each other. Obviously our Sun should be much, much bigger!!


Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will host a television show covering the Champions League, it has been announced.
Mourinho filmed a promotional advert for the new show when he paid a recent visit to Russian Federation, where he attended an ice hockey game and slipped while delivering the puck.
"I'm going to talk about football on RT".
The opening show will be broadcast after the first set of Champions League last 16 second-leg matches have been concluded, and Mourinho will continue his role with Russia Today until the 1 June final.
Despite mainstream politicians and pundits appearing on its channels in Britain, the USA, and beyond, a number of academics have claimed it broadcasts distorted information on behalf of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
And in December past year, United Kingdom media regulator Ofcom ruled that seven programs that RT broadcast after the Salisbury nerve gas attacks breached strict impartiality rules.
Mourinho guided United through the competition's group stages before being sacked in December amid reports of player unrest.


text:
// $Id$

#ifndef moses_WordsBitmap_h
#define moses_WordsBitmap_h

#include <limits>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>
#include <cmath>
#include <cstdlib>
#include "TypeDef.h"
#include "WordsRange.h"

namespace Moses
{
typedef unsigned long WordsBitmapID;

/** vector of boolean used to represent whether a word has been translated or not
*/
class WordsBitmap
{
  friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const WordsBitmap& wordsBitmap);
protected:
  const size_t m_size; /**< number of words in sentence */
  bool	*m_bitmap;	/**< ticks of words that have been done */

  WordsBitmap(); // not implemented

  //! set all elements to false
  void Initialize() {
    for (size_t pos = 0 ; pos < m_size ; pos++) {
      m_bitmap[pos] = false;
    }
  }

  //sets elements by vector
  void Initialize(std::vector<bool> vector) {
    size_t vector_size = vector.size();
    for (size_t pos = 0 ; pos < m_size ; pos++) {
      if (pos < vector_size && vector[pos] == true) m_bitmap[pos] = true;
      else m_bitmap[pos] = false;
    }
  }

public:
  //! create WordsBitmap of length size and initialise with vector
  WordsBitmap(size_t size, std::vector<bool> initialize_vector)
    :m_size	(size) {
    m_bitmap = (bool*) malloc(sizeof(bool) * size);
    Initialize(initialize_vector);
  }
  //! create WordsBitmap of length size and initialise
  WordsBitmap(size_t size)
    :m_size	(size) {
    m_bitmap = (bool*) malloc(sizeof(bool) * size);
    Initialize();
  }
  //! deep copy
  WordsBitmap(const WordsBitmap &copy)
    :m_size	(copy.m_size) {
    m_bitmap = (bool*) malloc(sizeof(bool) * m_size);
    for (size_t pos = 0 ; pos < copy.m_size ; pos++) {
      m_bitmap[pos] = copy.GetValue(pos);
    }
  }
  ~WordsBitmap() {
    free(m_bitmap);
  }
  //! count of words translated
  size_t GetNumWordsCovered() const {
    size_t count = 0;
    for (size_t pos = 0 ; pos < m_size ; pos++) {
      if (m_bitmap[pos])
        count++;
    }
    return count;
  }

  //! position of 1st word not yet translated, or NOT_FOUND if everything already translated
  size_t GetFirstGapPos() const {
    for (size_t pos = 0 ; pos < m_size ; pos++) {
      if (!m_bitmap[pos]) {
        return pos;
      }
    }
    // no starting pos
    return NOT_FOUND;
  }

  //! position of last word not yet translated, or NOT_FOUND if everything already translated
  size_t GetLastGapPos() const {
    for (int pos = (int) m_size - 1 ; pos >= 0 ; pos--) {
      if (!m_bitmap[pos]) {
        return pos;
      }
    }
    // no starting pos
    return NOT_FOUND;
  }

  //! position of last translated word
  size_t GetLastPos() const {
    for (int pos = (int) m_size - 1 ; pos >= 0 ; pos--) {
      if (m_bitmap[pos]) {
        return pos;
      }
    }
    // no starting pos
    return NOT_FOUND;
  }

  bool IsAdjacent(size_t startPos, size_t endPos) const;

  //! whether a word has been translated at a particular position
  bool GetValue(size_t pos) const {
    return m_bitmap[pos];
  }
  //! set value at a particular position
  void SetValue( size_t pos, bool value ) {
    m_bitmap[pos] = value;
  }
  //! set value between 2 positions, inclusive
  void SetValue( size_t startPos, size_t endPos, bool value ) {
    for(size_t pos = startPos ; pos <= endPos ; pos++) {
      m_bitmap[pos] = value;
    }
  }
  //! whether every word has been translated
  bool IsComplete() const {
    return GetSize() == GetNumWordsCovered();
  }
  //! whether the wordrange overlaps with any translated word in this bitmap
  bool Overlap(const WordsRange &compare) const {
    for (size_t pos = compare.GetStartPos() ; pos <= compare.GetEndPos() ; pos++) {
      if (m_bitmap[pos])
        return true;
    }
    return false;
  }
  //! number of elements
  size_t GetSize() const {
    return m_size;
  }

  //! transitive comparison of WordsBitmap
  inline int Compare (const WordsBitmap &compare) const {
    // -1 = less than
    // +1 = more than
    // 0	= same

    size_t thisSize = GetSize()
                      ,compareSize = compare.GetSize();

    if (thisSize != compareSize) {
      return (thisSize < compareSize) ? -1 : 1;
    }
    return std::memcmp(m_bitmap, compare.m_bitmap, thisSize * sizeof(bool));
  }

  bool operator< (const WordsBitmap &compare) const {
    return Compare(compare) < 0;
  }

  inline size_t GetEdgeToTheLeftOf(size_t l) const {
    if (l == 0) return l;
    while (l && !m_bitmap[l-1]) {
      --l;
    }
    return l;
  }

  inline size_t GetEdgeToTheRightOf(size_t r) const {
    if (r+1 == m_size) return r;
    while (r+1 < m_size && !m_bitmap[r+1]) {
      ++r;
    }
    return r;
  }

  //! TODO - ??? no idea
  int GetFutureCosts(int lastPos) const ;

  //! converts bitmap into an integer ID: it consists of two parts: the first 16 bit are the pattern between the first gap and the last word-1, the second 16 bit are the number of filled positions. enforces a sentence length limit of 65535 and a max distortion of 16
  WordsBitmapID GetID() const {
    assert(m_size < (1<<16));

    size_t start = GetFirstGapPos();
    if (start == NOT_FOUND) start = m_size; // nothing left

    size_t end = GetLastPos();
    if (end == NOT_FOUND) end = 0; // nothing translated yet

    assert(end < start || end-start <= 16);
    WordsBitmapID id = 0;
    for(size_t pos = end; pos > start; pos--) {
      id = id*2 + (int) GetValue(pos);
    }
    return id + (1<<16) * start;
  }

  //! converts bitmap into an integer ID, with an additional span covered
  WordsBitmapID GetIDPlus( size_t startPos, size_t endPos ) const {
	  assert(m_size < (1<<16));

    size_t start = GetFirstGapPos();
    if (start == NOT_FOUND) start = m_size; // nothing left

    size_t end = GetLastPos();
    if (end == NOT_FOUND) end = 0; // nothing translated yet

    if (start == startPos) start = endPos+1;
    if (end < endPos) end = endPos;

    assert(end < start || end-start <= 16);
    WordsBitmapID id = 0;
    for(size_t pos = end; pos > start; pos--) {
      id = id*2;
      if (GetValue(pos) || (startPos<=pos && pos<=endPos))
        id++;
    }
    return id + (1<<16) * start;
  }

  TO_STRING();
};

// friend
inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const WordsBitmap& wordsBitmap)
{
  for (size_t i = 0 ; i < wordsBitmap.m_size ; i++) {
    out << (wordsBitmap.GetValue(i) ? 1 : 0);
  }
  return out;
}

}
#endif


AK: What do you believe kids gain from listening to classical or symphony music?
ME: Research after research shows that kids who are exposed to classical music will perform better in their academics. I think this is only the tip of the iceberg. Science is just starting to grasp the immense potential that classical music has over our lives. It is not coincidence that this music has survived for 300 years and in some cases more. There's something special about it that cannot be explained with research and scientific examination.
AK: What have you learned from working with kids in an orchestra setting?
ME: In my work with high school students and conservatory students I have found that for most of them it is usually the first time that they're experiencing the particular piece of music that we're working on. That fact has an immense impact on the way I approach the music and how I work the music before and during rehearsals. I'm quite aware of the fact that for most of them, every rehearsal and every concert is a decision point. Their study loads in their school lives are so immense that the question to continue with music or not is constantly present. My job is to encourage them, make it fun and aim for excellence.
AK: Do you believe learning to read music is always necessary? If so, why?
ME: Musical literacy is important. It will only enhance any musical experience that one may have.
AK: Why do you think playing a musical instrument is a good activity for kids? What else do they learn through playing an instrument?
ME: It is excellent idea to learn an instrument. Albert Einstein contributed a major part of his discoveries on his musical sensitivity and intuition. He was a violinist.
AK: What composer is a good one for kids to start with if they want to develop an interest in classical or symphonic music?
ME: Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Tchaikovsky.
AK: What is the single most important thing parents can do to encourage their kids to have a deeper appreciation of music?
ME: Devotion and persistence; personal example and focusing on long-term goals rather than day to day fussing over practicing.
AK: What is your favorite genre of music, besides classical?
ME: I like Radiohead, Annie Lennox, The Beatles.
AK: Who was your biggest inspiration in your career choice as a conductor?


Andrew Auseon is an author of acclaimed novels for young people, including: Funny Little Monkey, Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, Alienated (w/ David O. Russell) and Freak Magnet, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. His books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the ALA's Best Books for Young Adults, the Cybils, and state book awards.
In addition to his writing, Andrew is a producer and designer of video games. He was the first full-time writer ever hired by Big Huge Games, where he worked on The Asian Dynasties expansion for Age of Empires III and the open-world RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning; he was the Lead Narrative Designer on The Legend of Dead Kel expansion and the cancelled Reckoning sequel. As Epic Games' Impossible Studios, Andrew focused on creative direction, IP cohesion, and ways to integrate narrative and gameplay.
Andrew received his MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College and a BA from Ohio University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Sarah Zogby, and their two daughters. In his spare time, Andrew teaches Interactive Narrative and makes appearances at writing festivals, schools, and game industry events.
I've been writing for almost as long as I can remember. I still have many of the "books" I wrote in grade school, and even earlier. During classroom quiet time I often scribbled in a journal or notebook, writing stories about my classmates. My friends were eager to hear the next installment of my stories because they were often the main characters. I continued writing through junior high and high school, and then went to undergraduate and graduate school for creative writing. I feel very lucky that I have known what I've wanted to do with my life from a very young age.
Why do you write books for young people?
I find that most of the books I reread often are those I read when I was young. There is a particular sensation I get when experiencing these stories. It's more than nostalgia. It's simply great storytelling. These books were usually not written to impress people, or to win awards, but they achieve something more enduring. For a short time, I forgot who I was and what I was doing. Those books conjured magic. This kind of enchantment is what I'm constantly trying to replicate when I write novels. I hope to one day capture that magic in one of my own books, create a story that would have made a younger version of me happy. I don't think I've accomplished this yet, but I keep trying.
Some writers start with a great premise. They see an article in the newspaper, or are struck by something a friend or relative says in passing, and they feel drawn to that idea. I usually start with a character, or I think of a pair of characters and wonder what one of their interactions might sound like. I tend to let people pull me along, and if a plot is part of that experience then great. If not, that doesn't bother me.
How is writing video games different than writing books?
Games are about interaction, whether it be with people or an artificial intelligence, namely the game itself. When you read a book you are placing yourself in the hands of the author, who has a specific story to tell. This story does not change depending on the person reading it an any given time. Games are about a player creating a unique story, one that grows organically from the experience of playing. When you write a game, you have to take into consideration that the player will be an active participant in the action, and that they often determine how events unfold. You must learn to surrender control, to remember that the story you're telling isn't yours, but the player's. You write in a way that allows them to make the experience their own.
What do you like better, writing books or writing video games?
They are very different. With the exception of working closely with an editor to revise your book, writing novels is a very lonely process. The upside is that you have almost complete ownership of a story. In game development, writers are part of a larger team, and much of the challenge, and the fun, is in working with other talented people. You share the vision for the game, and you must learn to be extremely flexible in order for that collective vision to become a reality.
Andrew is represented by the literary agency of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth.


I've been praying about it and struggling with thoughts on how to write this post for quite some time now. But I feel it is time. I am ready to take a new step, spend more time with my husband and growing family, and say farewell to 30-hr weeks, late nights, and stress-filled weekends on top of my full time job! As with any job, you have ups and downs and the cake business definitely has both, but I have truly enjoyed the journey.
Over the years, you have challenged me, allowed me to grow and be creative, and I will surely miss that! So please hang around this page, as I plan on having FLASH SALES occasionally! If I get the urge/time to bake some amazing cheesecakes or see something I'd like to try, I'll post it either for sale or take a few orders at that time. Maybe I'll make 50 amazing gingerbread houses and post them for sale, or finally take time to make decorated Christmas cookies... who knows! And you can continue to use the Facebook page and my website for ideas and inspiration.
Thank you all again so very much. So many of you have been with me from the start, become friends, and I've appreciated your support more than you know. It's been a great 17 years with one to go!! God Bless!
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Watch interviews, project fly-throughs and our latest campaign videos.
Download the latest key speeches from our senior management team.


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