So on Friday night, we were invited by 2 of our work colleagues to go for some 'Western Food' and some KTV. (Karaoke) KTV is so popular here. There are tv channels dedicated to singing competitions. I even saw The Voice of China. It was so nice of them to bring us out!
First a glass of water arrived for us.
Then our dessert. DESSERT. Ice-cream with chocolate on top!
Once we finished our chips and dessert, our meal arrived. It consisted with processed beef that was squished flat. Beside the beef were noodles, a few pieces of cucumber, and a single fried egg. Our sauce consisted of, from what I gathered pepper sauce, but it didn't have much flavour. So that was our 'Western' food. It was so strange! It was mixture of Chinese, with the noodles, and their interpretation of what a Western style dish would be. I ate it all only because I was hungry, and I didn't want to disrespect our colleagues as they invited us. It was also funny to watch the Chinese try and eat with a knife and fork, as they are so used to eating chopsticks.
So after our meal, we headed to KTV. I thought it would be a little dingy place, but oh my god was I in for a surprise. It was so fancy! Inside the building was all marbled, with a long desk where you can buy drink, food and popcorn for when you are singing. There was a huge staircase where they took us to our own separate sound proofed room. There was a lovely leather sofa, a chandelier, a huge TV, and we even had our own bathroom! I couldn't get over how nice and professional it was. Then I realised that KTV is actually a big thing for them, and it showed. The car park was full up with cars.
At first I was a bit apprehensive about singing. Our colleagues; a teacher in the school and her husband and child, with my teaching assistant all got ready to start singing and pouring beers for us. But after a while I was fine, belting out tunes with my room-mate. We were there until half 12am! We had a great night and we thanked them, they promised they would bring us to a Chinese restaurant next time which I will look forward to!
Us at the famous KTV!
On Saturday, myself, my room mate, and 3 Chinese friends went to the shopping area of Chengdu. We had some messages to do and I had to try and get my Hard Drive fixed ( My friend came back from the computer shop and said 'it is destroyed' . So its definitley broken now. ) We went for some food in Pizza Hut, and then we went to a big indoor market. It was kind of like the Silk Market in Beijing, but this once wasn't as nice as Beijing. Although the prices were so much cheaper! I got a pair of shoes for 69yuan. About 10euro. And it was huge! I'll definitely be going back there! Then we went to a supermarket, where we ended up sitting for an hour drinking different Chinese teas. They are actually really nice, so I bought a packet for home and me and my room-mate bought a big packet of Jasmine tea. I will have to look out for it at home.
Sunday was work day. Although I only had one class, I still hate the fact we have to work weekends to make up for national days off. We were sprung by a group of Chinese people about a meeting at 7pm, so we had to rush to that. It ended up having me and Charlotte go into 20 classrooms where students were studying, and saying 'My name is Aisling, and I'm from Ireland' 20 times. We were unknowingly promoting our English clubs that will be starting the week after next.
So later on today I'm heading to meet a couple of friends at the train station where we will head to Xian and Juizhaigou National Park for our week off. Most of the group from the programme are heading to Shanghai, but I'd rather do more sightseeing. Lets bring on the Terracotta Warriors!
Why am I so busy???!
Why am I so busy?!? I don't seem to have time for anything lately! Lesson Plans, teaching…and more lessons plans are taking over my life. I hope once I get into the hang of making lesson plans I won't take as long as I do on them… it is hard though, trying to think of things to do for 90 minutes. And things that are actually interesting and fun for the students!
I've also had a busy few weekends too. The weekend before last, myself and a group decided to hit the Biggest Building in The World. Literally. It's called the New Century Global Centre and it was huge. It has only opened in August so its brand new, with numerous restaurants, 2 hotels, a cinema, loads of clothes shops, an ice-skating rink… and the infamous indoor beach! It really did feel like you were standing in a beach… and the water was lovely and warm. The only downside was that we had to wear a life-jacket….in 3 feet of water. So there was no actual swimming involved, more like trashing about like a beached whale. Buy it was enjoyable all the same. We then hit the slides which were amazing, then lazed about in the Lazy Pool.
But of course, as usual, there were stares. 9 Western girls in bikinis walking around China is bound to draw attention. But we carried on and just tried to ignore them as much as we could! But one thing I did notice though, was how quiet it was! Now this was a Saturday, so we were expecting the worse. But it was actually too quiet. I have no idea why this is. Maybe not a lot of Chinese people know about it? Or they may not be able to afford it? From what I gather they are trying to entice more Westerners to it.
So the next weekend, myself and 3 others organised a little trip because it was the Moon festival. We had Thurs, Fri and Saturday off (we had to work Sunday to make up a day) so we decided to go to Mount Emei and Leshan to see the Giant Buddha. We arrived in Mount Emei and we stayed in the 'Teddy Bear Hotel'… yes that's the name of it… It was actually not a bad place, where they played English films on a big projector screen! It was great, us relaxing on comfy sofas; eating our hamburgers and drinking coke. The only negative thing was the damp in the room and beds. We only stayed there 2 nights though so we could stick it out!
After that we went for ANOTHER walk… aka hike. I can't remember the name of the park but it was a nice area, with temples in it and monkeys; who peed on my friend. She thought it was rain coming from the tree.
The day after, we travelled to Leshan and went to see the Man himself. . . the Giant Buddha. It was really good! The Buddha is massive, and it overlooks a big river. I also thought the Buddha would have been located in the middle of a mountain or forest, but no… it sits looking out on a river, which people can go on a boat and see it from there. Our tour guide (an accounting teacher looking to practice her English) told us that the people who made it put grooves in his head so the water will run away from his face and down his ears instead. This was so he wouldn't erode from the rain. In total it took 90 years to construct. The man who conceived the idea died before it was actually finished.
So my next adventure is hopefully going to be Xian and Juizhaigou. We have a week off at the beginning of October so a lot of people will be travelling around then, including most Chinese! We are having trouble booking tickets though. We thought we needed to book train tickets 10 days in advance, until we went to the desk and found out there were only standing tickets… for 15 hours in a train. We were told that its actually 20 days in advance!
The Director of our Uni treated us to supper today. Sally ( our Advisor) came running up to us and said 'Our Director wants to take you out for dinner'…. Now the Director is busy, and I mean really busy man, but I thought it was lovely of him to take time out of his heavy schedule to bring us to dinner.
Dinner was actually funny! The Director, or his English name Thompson, has very little English, but he sometimes tries to say some English to us. Sally, who is practically fluent in English had to translate to him what we said. He got us all a bottle of beer… then later, he asked us do we like wine… Charlotte answered 'Yes, I like red wine' while I said I prefer white. He then said 'I like white wine…I go get you white wine in car'. So off he went to get us some wine, us shocked at his kindness. So he reappears with wine… but not white wine….. no, he appeared with RICE wine. Two small bottles of Rice wine for the both of us. Rice wine is kind of like Vodka.. it is about 45% volume but can go even higher.
So there we were, with chicken feet and fish in front of us, Thompson waiting for us to take a slug of this Rice Wine. You have to take Rice wine as a shot, but Charlotte asked could we have juice with it; to lessen the blow. So we poured the juice into the small glass and topped it up with the wine. Thompson looked HORRIFIED. We had to try and explain to him that we couldn't drink it straight, we needed to mix it. I think he presumed we would take a drink of the wine, then a drink of the juice. The wine didn't actually taste that bad, once the juice was added. We'll know for next time when we go out with him, which it appears to be sometime next week, not to mix juice with our wine. We got to keep the wine aswell… along with the left over chicken feet and fish….
In other news, class went well today. I only had one, and only 8 girls showed up, but I had a great class with them. Since its only the first week, I don't think half the students know their timetables, mine is changing again next week! I showed them pictures of my family and I showed them a video of myself when I was a child with blonde hair. They said the blonde hair was lovely and they wished they could have blonde hair. One girl kept calling me 'Teacher' so I had to say to her she can call me by my name , that that's ok.
Last night I had 30 boys in the class, no girls. It strange to see how the boys and girls act differently. The boys try and act like the cool dudes, giving smart answers back. One student said that being 'Handsome' was a skill. The girls on the other hand are a lot more eager to learn more about Ireland and myself, so I had a great class explaining to them about Ireland and the differences between Ireland and China. They were even helping me with my Chinese. My first Chinese phrase I know is 'I want to take-away'…. Ironic its related to food of all things. I went to my local place for food, my favourite place in the area, and although they laughed when I said it in Chinese, they actually understood me, and I think they actually were happy that I could say it to them. They put their thumbs up when I said it so that's a plus!
I have a busy timetable next week, I have two 7pm classes. Its mad to think they are at school from 8:30am to 8:35pm… I don't know how they do it, here's me crying when I had College until 5pm.
Had my first lesson today! Finally after a week of doing nothing since I arrived, it was good to actually start doing what I was meant to be here for. The class was 90 minutes long. 45 minutes, 5 min break, then another 45 minutes. It was quite daunting, trying to think of things to do in those minutes. I was teaching an elective group, who were studying Automotive Engineering, aged 17-19 years. They are apparently really clever, it's just their English isn't great.
Although I started teaching.. . my god was it challenging. My group just wouldn't answer my questions. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone. I quickly realised who was the best at English, firing questions at me. What made it worst though, I can't actually understand the students. They say something to me and I have to ask them 3 times to repeat it. I just can't understand them. Hopefully after a few more classes I will be able to catch a few phrases.
I also have a teaching assistant. .. I never saw the day where I would have an assistant. They got the power point ready for me, had a copy of my information, and they also brought a ball for me to use in the class. I was even asked do I want them to actually MAKE my power point before class! How mad is that? Their main job however is to translate to the students what I've just said. It kind of defeats the purpose though in my opinion. . . but apparently its necessary because they are really bad at English. Even their teachers (who aren't great at English themselves) state they are 'not very good'. My teaching assistant for that group is called Liang, he is so funny and nice. He only had to interpret what I said once to the group which was good. My next class is tomorrow at 3:15. My latest class runs from 7pm to 8:35pm at night!
I also forgot to mention my Great Wall experience. It was AMAZING. We had brilliant weather too, so we could see for miles in any direction. It was such an experience I will never forget. I actually made it to the top of our section… it was STEEP. I couldn't get over how steep it was. My legs were aching by the time I reached the top, but I was so pleased with myself. I was ready to quit near the top, but I said to myself 'when will I ever get to do this again?' So I pushed on and made it! I will never ever forget it.
After the Wall, we went for dinner, then went to see the Birds Nest. We didn't have a lot of time because we left late from the campus (nothing is ever on time in China) so we just got to go up on a bridge and look at it from there. We then headed to Tiananmen Square for a nosy. Nothing exciting was happening there. After that we got food…aka Peking Duck. I enjoyed it but with a large table of about 10 people, there wasn't much left after the Lazy Susan got to everyone. A Lazy Susan is a turntable in the middle of the table which spins. The food sits on top so everyone shares from the same dishes. Later we headed to the Acrobatics show. It was really good. There were girls spinning plates, balancing umbrellas, men throwing hats… I assure it was a lot better than what I described! All this happened the day before I left for Chengdu, so it was nice to be with the group one last time.
I went out last Friday night and met up with the Chengdu crowd. I have never seen half of them before because A. I just never got to talk to them before, or B. they were with the Love Tefl group. I actually had a great night, just would have been nice if some of my friends whom I met on the course were there.
And it's 'Teachers Day' tomorrow. I'm not going to be expecting much, or anything for that matter from the students. An answer to a question would be nice though.
I've only been here a couple of weeks, but already I've noticed a fair few differences between China and Ireland.
From the places I've been to in China, being Beijing, Harbin and Chengdu, I'm pretty sure 4 out of 5 cars are insanely nice cars. I'm talking Porches, BMW's, Audi's, Mercedes, Passat's here. They are kept immaculately clean, with hardly any scrapes and bumps (with the way Chinese people drive I'm shocked they don't have any). This was one thing I was surprised about. I hear cars are cheap here, but literally every person, bar taxi drivers, have gorgeous cars.
People like to beep their horns… all day every day. Whether it's to beep at a person crossing the road even when the green man is lit, to beeping in traffic a mile long and literally at a standstill. My teaching group came to understand our bus driver's beeps; quick beeps to warn a car in front that they are passing so the car won't swerve in front: Chinese people don't know they have wing mirrors. Then there are the loud, long and abusive beeps, where the bus driver is in a foul mood and wants everybody in the vicinity to make way for him.
I've often heard on other blogs that it's hard to cross a road. They are right. It's almost impossible! Even when the Green light in on, cars come veering out of nowhere and literally would plow into you if you don't move out of their way. It doesn't matter if the light is on for pedestrians, the cars rule the roads here and they make sure you know that!
I am going to become so tight with money when I go home. Everything is so cheap! A large bottle of beer is about 80cent, while a huge plate of rice, meat and veg is about 1 euro. From what I see, shampoo and conditioner are quite dear, with the likes of Starbucks and Costa have Western prices. What is dear however are nightclubs. Drinks are ridiculous, with one cocktail being about 80yuan, about 8-10euro. Girls are free in though!
All I can say is; Rock Hard. Now I don't mind hard beds, I'd rather a hard bed than a real soft one, but these are like sleeping on wood. Only a real thin blanket separates me from the base of my bed. I've noticed this with all 4 beds I've stayed in so far in China so it must be a universal thing.
The weather fluctuates so much here. The first day I arrived in Beijing the weather was glorious. Clear blue skies and about 35 degrees. Then the next day it was so hazy, most likely due to the pollution. Up North in Harbin, the weather was cooler, one day it would be sunny, the next raining. In Chengdu, it's mostly cloudy all the time. In the winter though it shouldn't fall below zero which is good.
The people are so friendly and helpful. They are quite reserved people, but they would help you with simple things, like helping you with your bags ( when I arrived in our hostel in Beijing, a group of employees came and took our suitcases into the hostel) to even helping to bring drinks outside. They are eager to help which is lovely to see. Even the older generation are lovely!
Everywhere I went, apartments and buildings were being built. Like I mean everywhere! Passing in the train, we saw endless amounts of large apartments being built in desolate areas. It was really sad to see because to me it seems like they are ruining their landscape without caring. Every city I've been to there were loads of buildings under construction. Not only that, they are building them in mass. Not one at a time, 10 skyscraper apartments all at one. It's sad.
I've noticed a lot of students hold hands. Well I'm meaning the girls from 17 onwards. They link arms and hold hands when walking together. It's nice to see and they seem comfortable with each other!
When we were lost in Harbin, we asked some people for a specific place. Blabbering on they went, talking in Mandarin to us. It really seemed as if they thought once we said Ni Hao to them, they automatically thought we could speak Mandarin. But the people do try to be helpful, most of the time anyway! Some people would ignore you if they thought we wanted help, this happened to us in the subway. A man turned his head away in a 'I don't want to talk to you' kind of way. We found our way back though, no thanks to him!
The amount of dogs I seen here is crazy. And I'm not talking about the ones they eat. I mean small dogs like little toy dogs. They are adorable. I have only seen 1 big dog since I arrived, it being an Alaskin dog. They love their small dogs. I suppose they are easier to care for and are better suited to apartments.
Will post more differences when I can!
After a 28 hour train journey, I finally made it to Chengdu! My group took the longest to reach our placement, with many travelling to the South taking just 20 hours. I have no idea how we took so long! We left Beijing on the Sunday and arrived the next day at 4pm, where our school advisors picked us up from the train station. The scene actually reminded me of the film 'Empire of the Sun' where the little boy (Christian Bale) was reunited with his Mum and Dad at the end of the film. All of us interns wandering around the crowd of people looking for our advisors. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to any of the other interns because we were whisked away, all of us starting a new life in a different part of Chengdu!
So a little about my placement; well it is HUGE. It is called 'Chengdu Aeronautic Vocational and Technical College' where they study aviation, flight stewarding, aviation engineering, marketing, among more. There are about 12,000 students studying here, and it has 2 supermarkets, hairdressers, a big stadium, 2 canteens and shops for stationary, electronics and the like. It's only a couple of years old, and they are building a new building at the moment. They even have a plane replica where the flight attendants train. Our apartment even has an actual plane sitting outside it! Not sure of the exact kind but it looks like a fighter plane? It is about an hour out of Chengdu city, which is quite close by China standards.
Our apartment is actually lovely too. Brand new fridge, washing machine and flat screen tv. (Although there are no English stations) There are two separate bedrooms with double beds and a bathroom. Apparently we are staying in the 'teachers dorm'. I feel so privileged!
I also tasted the famous 'Hot Pot'. My advisor called Sally brought us to the most famous Hot Pot restaurant in Chengdu apparently. The restaurant was gorgeous. The food however was a bit strange! Cow stomach, barely cooked pork and some kind of small ink fish was what we were faced with. I actually ate the fish which I was surprised about, but I left the cow stomach. I was delighted to see potatoes arrive, but the slices were still kind of raw…They even eat potatoes differently!
Today we had to meet with a couple of our assistant teachers where they told us I would be teaching a class to flight stewardesses. This is Grade 1, so First year students. Not sure what other classes I will be teaching yet.
Also, the weather here is terrible… actually feel like I'm back in Ireland. Cloudy, raining and cold. But I don't really mind it. I'm used to it back home, and I've packed more for cool weather than for hot. Also been reading about Chengdu in the past and I've expected bad weather as well. At the moment though, Ireland is going through another heat-wave which I'm missing!
My hard drive isn't working. I'm gutted. I literally am gutted. All of my films, tv series and pictures were on that. I even had my CV on it! Me and Charlotte (my roommate) were happy as Larry watching the Walking Dead last night on it, when I needed to charge my laptop. When I plugged it in again, nothing happened. The icon won't even appear on the Control Panel. I'm more annoyed because we have nothing to do now at night, and apparently my classes don't start until the week after next. I'm going to be pretty bored!
Internet; the internet is pretty crappy here in the apartment. My phone only works when I'm stuck to a window, whereas my laptop won't even connect.
Computer; My charger is being dodgy. I'm sure it's the battery but I really don't want my computer to break. It's vital for lesson planning!
These are all technological problems which I'm not surprised about at all. I'm really bad with technology; everything seems to happen with my electronics. Hopefully I will get it all to work. I HOPE.
Oh I also found a spider in my room which jumped away… yes actually JUMPED. Not happy with that! And I have a cold to top it off!


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Pandemonium Big Band
With the L.A. County's COVID mandates in place, all guests will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated along with their I.D.
By Feinstein's at Vitello's
Thu, December 16, 2021, 8:00 PM PST, Doors at 6:30 PM
Feinstein's at Vitello's 4349 Tujunga Ave Studio City, CA 91604
PLEASE NOTE, $20 MINIMUM ON FOOD OR BEVERAGES
Doors: 6:30pm //Show: 8:00pm
PANDEMONIUM BIG BAND: XMAS 2021
featuring special guest vocalist Teryn Ré
A jazz collective of the best players on the West Coast. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impossibility of performing together in person, the 18-piece Pandemonium Big Band slaps hard.
Musical director and trumpeter Elliot Deutsch has been a fixture of the Los Angeles music scene for more than a decade, writing arrangements for a who's who of jazz performers including Arturo Sandoval, Take 6, Lalo Schiffrin, and many others. Presented with the challenge of leading a big band during the shutdown, Deutsch took the bull by the horns and ran with it.
Pandemonium Big Band began as an experiment born out of the new, pandemic-compromised reality of 2020. Releasing twelve virtual performance videos during the lockdown, Pandemonium Big Band was easily Los Angeles' busiest large ensemble during 2020.
Composer/band leader Elliot Deutsch is one of Los Angeles' most in-demand arrangers. He has written music for Arturo Sandoval, Jane Monheit, Take 6, Martina McBride, U.S. Air Force Bands, and the Kennedy Center Jazz Orchestra. His music is known for its straight-forward, non-pretentious approach, high energy, and Deutsch's unique style of combining popular music genres with intricately orchestrated jazz ensemble textures.
Members of the Pandemonium Big Band include Scott Healy (Conan O'Brian's house band), Mitch Cooper (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy), and Will Brahm (Arturo Sandoval).
For this special performance, Pandemonium Big Band will feature the amazing vocalist and arranger, Teryn Re. She will join the band to perform a selection of Christmas songs penned by her, as well as Deutsch's version of "It's the Holiday Season" that he originally wrote for Martina McBride. Pandemonium Big Band will also perform adventurous versions of holiday favorites including "The Christmas Song," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and Deutsch's popular version of "Sleigh Ride." In addition, the band will perform a selection of songs from Deutsch's regular catalog including his version of "Pure Imagination."
With the L.A. County's COVID mandates in place, all guests will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated along with their I.D. Please help us keep each other safe and have this ready with you when checking in.
A minimum of $20.00 is required per person while inside the showroom. Dining in the restaurant or any of our bars does not apply to the showroom minimum. Service fees apply to all tickets purchased via Eventbrite, at the door, and/or at the Box Office.
Guests requiring accessible seating should book directly by calling 818-769-0905
Things to do in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles Music Performances
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#jazznight
Feinstein's at Vitello's
Pandemonium: Pro Wrestling presents-Pandemonium .TV(Vol 4):Best Damn Thing
JLFX Studios • Burbank, CA
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pandemonium live
5632 Washington Blvd • Los Angeles, CA
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Buddha Trixie, The Band Ice Cream and Velvet Starlings!
The Smell • Los Angeles, CA
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CARL VERHEYEN BAND
Bogie's • Westlake Village, CA
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SIEGE (ONLY L.A. SHOW)
Sat, Apr 8, 7:00 PM
First Street Pool & Billiard • Los Angeles, CA
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Funk Friday's w/Live Band
Inglewood • Inglewood, CA
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★ Anna Seregina: Work in Prog II
The Elysian • Los Angeles, CA
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The Amazing Banana Brothers
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The Redmoon Band at the Whisky A Go Go!
Whisky a Go Go • West Hollywood, CA
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Paul Audia Band live @ Whisky a Go Go
Sun, Jul 16, 7:00 PM
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The recently signed Reproductive Health Act is a step forward for equal rights.
There are wide-ranging thoughts on abortion and contradictions wrapped inside these opinions. Some progressives believe that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. Within the anti-choice group there are those who think abortion should be allowed under certain conditions.
I'm writing because we don't often hear unapologetic voices for the right to choose. Pregnancy doesn't erase self-determination.
There are people who lie about abortion. They distort the science of fertilization, they lie about birth-control pills, and fantasize about adverse effects on women's health. Some vote against abortion, but privately pay their mistress to have one. Just like high quality health care, abortion has always been available for the rich.
People will try to distort the Reproductive Health Act, but I'm not willing to hedge anymore. I believe in a moral case for abortion. If you really want fewer abortions, embrace universal healthcare so pregnancy can happen in a healthful way, regardless of race, class, or geography. I'm grateful to everyone who made passing the Reproductive Health Act possible.
A piece of legislation is pending in the New York City Council to ban Foie Gras in restaurants because it is allegedly cruel to geese.
At the same time, MS-13 gang members are committing murder in broad daylight on the subway platforms of that city, which, by the way, is a "sanctuary city."
In that same city, it is now legal to murder a human being up to the time of birth.
Geese will be happy, gang members are ecstatic; babies not so much.


text:
910 E Boston Post Rd
Steve D. Rubinstein, OD
Myopia Management for Kids
Optical Department
Laser Vision Correction Management
Glaucoma Evaluation and Treatment
Evaluation and Treatment of Cataracts
Kids Eye Care
Don't Skip your Eye Exam — Your Vision is Too Precious
Our eyesight is so precious, but can so often be taken for granted. In reality, proper vision is a complex balancing act requiring skills that must be carefully developed. No one understands this better than the doctors of optometry at the office of Sound Shore Vision Center, who are specially trained to detect signs of imbalance and ensure that our patients are seeing the world with precision and clarity.
It may be surprising to learn that each of our eyes actually see slightly different images, which are then fused by our brains into one three-dimensional picture. Finely tuned coordination is necessary to keep our eyes in their proper alignment, or else our vision can suffer from stunted development. Problems can arise due to poor muscle control, leading to eye strain and sometimes double vision. If our brains begin compensating for imbalances between the eyes, a condition known as "lazy eye" can develop that can cause long-term visual impairment that cannot be fully rectified — even with corrective lenses.
Poor eye coordination also can lead to headaches, difficulty concentrating and reading, dizziness, irritability, and eye fatigue. These symptoms can be especially acute in children, who can face obstacles focusing on schoolwork and while playing sports. They may tire easily and even resort to covering one eye to compensate for their vision imbalance. That's why we recommend a comprehensive eye examination starting at 6 months of age and again at age 3, during which our specialists will test for indications of how the child's eye coordination is developing.
At the office of Sound Shore Vision Center, our doctors of optometry are specialists in diagnosing eye coordination and imbalance conditions and determining effective solutions including eyeglasses and vision therapy. Call us today to learn how our friendly, attentive staff can make a clear difference in your family's outlook on life
Each of your eyes sees a slightly different image. The brain, by a process called fusion, blends these two images into one three-dimensional picture. Good eye coordination keeps the eyes in proper alignment. Poor eye coordination results from a lack of adequate vision development or improperly developed eye muscle control.
Eye coordination is a skill that must be developed. Inadequate vision development or improperly developed eye muscle control can cause poor eye coordination. Although rare, an injury or disease can also cause poor eye coordination. People with poor eye muscle control often subconsciously exert extra effort to maintain proper alignment of the eyes. In more severe cases, the muscles cannot adjust the eyes so that the same image is seen by both eyes, resulting in double vision. However, the brain will try to avoid seeing double, so it eventually learns to ignore the image sent by one eye. This can result in amblyopia, a serious vision condition commonly known as lazy eye. Left untreated over a long time, amblyopia can impair the visual system. Vision will not fully improve, even with glasses or contact lens correction.
Symptoms of poor eye coordination include double vision, headaches, eye and body fatigue, irritability, dizziness, and difficulty reading and concentrating. Children with poor eye coordination might cover one eye, skip lines or lose their place while reading, perform poorly in sports, avoid tasks that require close work and tire easily.
Because poor eye coordination can be difficult to detect, the American Optometric Association recommends comprehensive eye examinations, beginning at age 6 months and again at age 3. In this comprehensive examination, a doctor of optometry will test for poor eye coordination.
Poor eye coordination is often successfully treated with eyeglasses and/or vision therapy. Sometimes, eye coordination will improve when other vision conditions like nearsightedness or farsightedness are corrected. In some cases, surgery may be necessary.
By Sound Shore Vision Center
Tears Do More Than Express Our Emotions
Eyeglass Lenses: Your Choices Are Aplenty
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Five Important Tips for Anyone Who Wears Contact Lenses
Ways Your Vision Can Change As You Get Older
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text:
Q: Calculating Resistor Wattage for Voltage Divider? Background:
I am monitoring the voltage of a 4 cell LiPo battery (max voltage 16.8V, maximum advertised current output = 60A) using a sensor with a maximum input of 3.2V.
I am using a 2-resistor voltage divider with R1 = 22KΩ and R2 = 4.7KΩ.  This maps the maximum battery voltage to approximately 2.95V.
Vout = (R2 / (R1 + R2)) * Vin = (4.7KΩ / 26.7KΩ) * 16.8V = 2.95V

Question:
Once I have these values, how do I calculate the required wattage of the resistors R1 and R2?
As a practical matter I see many people using 1/4 watt resistors, but I'm interested in understanding the calculation myself.

A:
Once I have these values, how do I calculate the required wattage of the resistors R1 and R2?

Use the power equations.
$$ P = VI $$
and by various substitutions from Ohm's Law, \$ V = IR \$ we can generate alternatives:
$$ P = VI = I^2 R = \frac {V^2}{R} $$
If you have any two values of V, I and R you can calculate the power.

A: Let's say the maximum input voltage is 20 V, just to have a round number and give some margin from the expected 16.8 V.
Now the maximum current through the divider is
$$\frac{20\ {\rm V}}{26.7\ {\rm k\Omega}} \approx 0.75\ {\rm mA}$$
Now you can use the \$I^2R\$ form for resistor power to find the power used in each of your resistors. Start with the higher value one, since that one will consume more power:
$$(0.75\ {\rm mA})^2(22\ {\rm k\Omega})=12.3\ {\rm mW}$$
Since this is well below the power limit of even a 1/16th W SMT resistor, you won't really need to worry about power specs on these resistors. .

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In addition to appearing on diplomas and transcripts, the seal provides students an opportunity to earn early college credit. All public community colleges and universities in the State of Illinois have established criteria on how early college credit will be awarded. Information regarding this is available in the college's or university's guidelines.
Earn a minimum composite score of 21 on an official administration of the ACT.
Reach the ACT college readiness benchmark of 18 for the English subject area test.
Earn a minimum score of 540 on the Evidenced Based Reading and Writing portion of an official administration of the SAT.
Earn a minimum overall composite score of 4.8 on the ACCESS for ELLs exam.
Earn a 4 or a 5 on the AP language exam.
Earn a minimum of an I-5 on all components of American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' (ACTFL) Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) exam, a minimum of Intermediate High on all components of Avant's STAMP 4S exam, or a minimum of B1 on the Standard Test of Bulgarian as a Foreign Language. The following languages can be assessed with the AAPPL exam: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai. The Avant STAMP 4S assessment is offered for Hebrew and Polish. The Standard Test of Bulgarian as a Foreign Language will be offered through the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria. For more information about this assessment, please contact Angela Sisi at angela.sisi@d214.org.
To learn more about qualifying for the Seal of Biliteracy and associated costs, please refer to the District 214 Academic Handbook.
For more information on the Seal of Biliteracy, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.


Achieving flow rates of up to 595 lpm and pressures up to 241 bar, the company says the pumps have low NPSH requirements, allowing for operation with a vacuum condition on the suction - positive suction pressure is not necessary. Hydra-Cell Q155 Series pumps can operate with a closed or blocked suction line and run dry indefinitely without damage, eliminating downtime and repair costs. The diaphragm design is said to handle solids up to 800 microns along with the minute abrasive particles that cause wear in gear, screw or plunger pumps.


text:
The Innocence of Childhood & the Destruction of Gentrification in Crooklyn
by Henry Baime
Following his success with Malcolm X, Spike Lee turned the camera onto his own life with Crooklyn, a semi-autobiographical film co-written with two of his siblings that takes memories of a safer Brooklyn and making a love letter of sorts to a bygone era and the innocence of childhood. It's less confrontational than most of Lee's joints – remaining content as a fairly straightforward family drama with few aspirations of sweeping statements – but it has a potent emotional core and lets Lee engage in some of his boldest cinematic experimentation as he explores where his sensibilities came from.
The third of currently six films in Lee's Chronicles of Brooklyn series, Crooklyn's Bed-Stuy setting shares a lot of the visual flair found in all of them, with brighter colors than the actual streets and an added sheen they mostly lack today. As with so many films about childhood, there is an undercurrent throughout that the world through a child's eyes is more wondrous and magical, before the sting of reality can set in and bring disillusionment with it, but to anyone familiar with the neighborhood's crime problems during the time of the film's release, this seems even stronger. Now, as the neighborhood has been overtaken by gentrification, Crooklyn takes on a new meaning as a sort of cultural document, giving a glimpse into the lives of the people who have largely been forced out but who once had a lively and vibrant community.
Though the film is about the early lives of Lee and his siblings and particularly their mother's illness, it's a loose retelling that uses a fictional family experiencing many of their memories. Many scenes, however, feel so true to life that it feels as if Lee had turned on the camera in his own childhood home and stitched the footage together decades later. This isn't because they are filmed realistically, especially as Lee's trademark camera tricks all show up here and reality becomes distorted, but because the stories (like a dog getting squished in a couch) often seem so absurd that they have to be true. They are all played out so earnestly and frantically that they feel like actual memories of my life. Kids play games and dump garbage on neighbors' houses and give their commentaries on television programs. They aren't the same as the experiences I had as a kid, but they capture the mindset of youth and the carefree nature of even the worst days that is common to so many memories of childhood. It's a time to run free but also a time where danger lurks everywhere and the adults that deal with that shape minds for years to come. This all finds its realization through a brilliant choice of performers, particularly the children. Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo have long been some of the most talented actors in the business, no matter what kind of role they're playing, and they bring the right amount of tension and sensitivity to every moment here, but a long history of child actors being less than stellar makes the ability of the children to pick up on each other's rhythms and feel like real siblings particularly astounding.
The most jarring aspect of the film comes when one of the children, Troy, is sent south to live with her relatives and Lee switches to using an anamorphic lens. The result is a squeezed picture meant to make the world and inhabitants of the south seem alien to the Brooklyn-raised Troy. In a film otherwise mostly devoid of these sorts of camera tricks, it is particularly memorable and so out of the blue that many audiences, myself included, found themselves wondering at first if there was a problem with the display. Spike Lee has always been known for his confronting experimentation, and it often leads to fairly messy, though intriguing results. Here, in its most overt form, married to a story about Lee's own life, his filmmaking sensibilities become clearer than ever.
TagsAlfre Woodard • America • Crooklyn • Delroy Lindo • Malcolm X • Spike Lee
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text:
'We have just begun:' Opponents of militarism proclaim
Published on: April 15, 2020 by Brad Geyer Category:News
Northside News | 15 April 2020 | Oona Mackesey-Green
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson announced Wednesday morning that the U.S. Air Force had selected Truax Field in Madison as the site for squadron of F-35 fighter jets.
The announcement follows months of local opposition to the F-35s from residents who live near Truax Field and are concerned about the impacts of noise and environmental contamination on their health and the local economy.
Tehmina Islam works as a midwife out of her home in Eken Park neighborhood near the base and helped organize a neighborhood group, Eken Park Resistance, to oppose the F-35s. Islam said that despite the Air Force's announcement, "Local neighborhoods and communities will continue to gather, organize, and resist this decision made by the Air Force. The collective of our voices will always be our greatest strength."
Johnson said in a tweet that the decision was "Great news for Wisconsin," and would ensure that "Wisconsin's 115th Fighter Wing will now receive a critical upgrade with the F-35 replacing the aging F-16 fighter jets currently in service." Supporters of the F-35 mission have argued that they will bring additional jobs and economic opportunities to the area.
According to a statement released by the Wisconsin National Guard the first F-35s are estimated to arrive at Truax Field in 2023.
Opposition to the F-35s surged last fall after the Air Force released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that showed that if the fighter jets were based at Truax Field, increased noise exposure from the jets would disproportionately impact low income communities, communities of color and children.
Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin Coalition formed to oppose the F-35s. Safe Skies organizer Tom Boswell said that the group is considering legal options to keep the F-35s out of Madison.
"The Air Force's decision is not unexpected, although we were hoping for something better from them. But we know they have no regard for our community," said Boswell.
Safe Skies has raised concerns about environmental contamination from the base in addition to noise exposure. In a written statement, Boswell said "They have been contaminating our water for half a century (and doing the same to hundreds of other communities across the country). Now they want to expose our community – people who can afford it least — to more noise and air pollution and the unimaginable risk of harboring nuclear assault weapons in our backyard.
"But this is not over. We have just begun to fight. We have retained a law firm and will be considering all our legal options. We will continue to mobilize and continue to resist until we are triumphant."
Northside Alders Syed Abbas and Rebecca Kemble helped write a resolution opposing the F-35s that was passed by the Common Council in March. Abbas and Kemble, along with two east side alders, released a statement this afternoon. The statement emphasized overwhelming opposition from residents of their districts and said that adverse impacts anticipated in the final EIS "undermine multiple long-term goals of City policy makers."
"We are saddened by this decision, but will continue stand with our neighbors in opposition to this action. Members of our community have already retained legal representation and will likely be pursuing legal action."
The Northside News is a publication of the nonprofit Northside Planning Council. The Northside Planning Council issued a statement opposing the F-35s in September of 2019.
This entry was posted in News
Tagged with 115 fighter wing, air national guard, F-35, Madison, military industrial complex, Truax, Wisconsin
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DNR : National Guard not complying with laws
Madison chosen for F-35 mission; Truax to get first jets in 2023


What a whirlwind of a year! The holidays will be here before you know it. If you are planning to send gifts to family and friends who won't be with you for the holidays, there are some considerations to be aware of so that your parcels arrive in time and intact. With the proper packaging, your gifts can look festive and arrive in one piece.
Nothing says "holiday" like an attractively wrapped package. If you want to use wrapping paper and ribbon on your gift, add it to the actual gift box and not the mailing box. Your outer mailing container needs to be sturdy, but you can always wrap a smaller gift box and put it inside. Use bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts to keep it safe.
A better option for a decorative gift box is one that's readymade. Many stores sell cardboard boxes with lids that look like wrapped packages. The advantage is that the wrapping won't tear. If you don't want to chance torn paper, you could always use stickers, stencils, or personalized drawings on the mailing box. Just make sure that decorations don't interfere with the address label.
Attach a legible mailing label.
Print the complete and correct mailing address with a pen or permanent marker. Use the ZIP CodeTM +4 if possible. For another level of safety, cover it with clear packing tape to protect it from rain and snow.
You will want packaging that is big enough to provide cushioning for the gift inside. Tape it securely using 2" packing tap and never cord or twine, which could get caught in package sorting machines.
Make your gift safe before mailing. If the package gets bumped around and the gift starts making noise or moving, it could set off red flags.
Put an extra label inside the package in the event the outer box is damaged or the package is lost.
Keep your package fresh! Ideally, ship your package via next-day air – so that they arrive as fresh as possible. If you're sending them over a weekend, you might need to add ice packs.
Insure valuables and ship them next-day air.
Don't add anything to the labeling that indicates their value. Also, if you're shipping jewelry or something else small, use a box that is no smaller than 7"x4"x2".
Using a SCAN form will let you know whether or not the package has shipped.
Be diligent about removing all other labeling. You don't want any confusion about the package's destination.
Shop around for the best value.
If you allow yourself a good amount of time to mail your packages, you can likely take advantage of less expensive ways to mail them.
In addition to knowing how to package a gift, you should be aware of the deadlines for mailing holiday packages. The United States Postal Service has compiled a list of mailing dates for the contiguous United States, international destinations and military destinations. If you follow their guidelines, your gifts should arrive – hopefully, on time and unscathed.
Do you need shipping supplies? Contact Planned Packaging of Illinois Corp. (PPOIC), a full-service national provider and distributor of industrial packaging products and machinery services. From corrugated packaging containers in all colors, styles and sizes to stretch and shrink film and protective packaging, PPOIC has your needs covered.


text:
package e2e

import (
	"encoding/base64"
	"fmt"
	"testing"

	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/e2e/nomostest"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/e2e/nomostest/ntopts"
	nomostesting "kpt.dev/configsync/e2e/nomostest/testing"
	v1 "kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/api/configmanagement/v1"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/api/configsync"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/api/configsync/v1alpha1"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/api/configsync/v1beta1"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/core"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/reconcilermanager"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/reconcilermanager/controllers"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/status"
	"kpt.dev/configsync/pkg/testing/fake"
)

func caCertSecretPatch(name string) string {
	return fmt.Sprintf(`{"spec": {"git": {"caCertSecretRef": {"name": "%s"}}}}`, name)
}

func syncURLHTTPSPatch(url string) string {
	return fmt.Sprintf(`{"spec": {"git": {"repo": "%s", "auth": "none", "secretRef": {"name": ""}}}}`,
		url)
}

func syncURLSSHPatch(url string) string {
	return fmt.Sprintf(
		`{"spec": {"git": {"repo": "%s", "auth": "ssh", "secretRef": {"name": "%s"}}}}`,
		url, controllers.GitCredentialVolume)
}

func secretDataPatch(key, value string) string {
	value64 := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(value))
	return fmt.Sprintf(`{"data": {"%s": "%s"}}`, key, value64)
}

func TestCACertSecretRefV1Alpha1(t *testing.T) {
	nt := nomostest.New(t, nomostesting.SyncSource, ntopts.SkipNonLocalGitProvider,
		ntopts.NamespaceRepo(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()

	key := "GIT_SSL_CAINFO"
	caCertSecret := "git-cert-pub"
	caCertPath := "/etc/ca-cert/cert"
	var err error

	// verify the deployment doesn't have the key yet
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	err = nt.Validate(core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	rootSync := fake.RootSyncObjectV1Alpha1(configsync.RootSyncName)
	nn := nomostest.RepoSyncNN(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)
	repoSyncBackend := nomostest.RepoSyncObjectV1Alpha1FromNonRootRepo(nt, nn)
	reconcilerName := core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)

	// Set RootSync SyncURL to use HTTPS
	rootSyncHTTPS := "https://test-git-server.config-management-system-test/git/config-management-system/root-sync"
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, syncURLHTTPSPatch(rootSyncHTTPS))
	// RootSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRootSyncSourceError(configsync.RootSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", rootSyncHTTPS))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set caCertSecret for RootSync
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, caCertSecretPatch(caCertSecret))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key, caCertPath))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RepoSync to use HTTPS
	repoSyncHTTPS := "https://test-git-server.config-management-system-test/git/backend/repo-sync"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncHTTPS
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "none"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1alpha1.SecretReference{}

	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync use HTTPS")
	// RepoSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncSourceError(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", repoSyncHTTPS))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set caCertSecret for RepoSync
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef = &v1alpha1.SecretReference{Name: caCertSecret}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync set caCertSecret")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key, caCertPath))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Unset caCertSecret for RootSync
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, caCertSecretPatch(""))
	// RootSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRootSyncSourceError(configsync.RootSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RootSync to use SSH again
	rootSyncSSHURL := nt.GitProvider.SyncURL(nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].RemoteRepoName)
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, syncURLSSHPatch(rootSyncSSHURL))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", rootSyncSSHURL))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Unset caCertSecret for repoSyncBackend
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef.Name = ""
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync unset caCertSecret")
	// RepoSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncSourceError(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RepoSync to use SSH again
	repoSyncSSHURL := nt.GitProvider.SyncURL(nt.NonRootRepos[nn].RemoteRepoName)
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncSSHURL
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "ssh"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1alpha1.SecretReference{Name: "ssh-key"}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync use SSH")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", repoSyncSSHURL))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
}

func TestCACertSecretRefV1Beta1(t *testing.T) {
	nt := nomostest.New(t, nomostesting.SyncSource, ntopts.SkipNonLocalGitProvider,
		ntopts.NamespaceRepo(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()

	key := "GIT_SSL_CAINFO"
	caCertSecret := "git-cert-pub"
	caCertPath := "/etc/ca-cert/cert"
	var err error

	// verify the deployment doesn't have the key yet
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	err = nt.Validate(core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	rootSync := fake.RootSyncObjectV1Beta1(configsync.RootSyncName)
	nn := nomostest.RepoSyncNN(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)
	repoSyncBackend := nomostest.RepoSyncObjectV1Beta1FromNonRootRepo(nt, nn)
	reconcilerName := core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)

	// Set RootSync SyncURL to use HTTPS
	rootSyncHTTPS := "https://test-git-server.config-management-system-test/git/config-management-system/root-sync"
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, syncURLHTTPSPatch(rootSyncHTTPS))
	// RootSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRootSyncSourceError(configsync.RootSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", rootSyncHTTPS))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set caCertSecret for RootSync
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, caCertSecretPatch(caCertSecret))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key, caCertPath))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RepoSync to use HTTPS
	repoSyncHTTPS := "https://test-git-server.config-management-system-test/git/backend/repo-sync"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncHTTPS
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "none"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync use HTTPS")
	// RepoSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncSourceError(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", repoSyncHTTPS))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set caCertSecret for RepoSync
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{Name: caCertSecret}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync set caCertSecret")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key, caCertPath))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Check that the namespace secret was upserted to c-m-s namespace
	err = nt.Validate(controllers.ReconcilerResourceName(reconcilerName, caCertSecret), v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &corev1.Secret{})
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Unset caCertSecret for RootSync
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, caCertSecretPatch(""))
	// RootSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRootSyncSourceError(configsync.RootSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RootSync to use SSH again
	rootSyncSSHURL := nt.GitProvider.SyncURL(nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].RemoteRepoName)
	nt.MustMergePatch(rootSync, syncURLSSHPatch(rootSyncSSHURL))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", rootSyncSSHURL))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Unset caCertSecret for repoSyncBackend
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef.Name = ""
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync unset caCertSecret")
	// RepoSync should fail without caCertSecret
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncSourceError(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName, status.SourceErrorCode, "server certificate verification failed")
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Set RepoSync to use SSH again
	repoSyncSSHURL := nt.GitProvider.SyncURL(nt.NonRootRepos[nn].RemoteRepoName)
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncSSHURL
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "ssh"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{Name: "ssh-key"}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync use SSH")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", repoSyncSSHURL))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
}

func TestCACertSecretWatch(t *testing.T) {
	nt := nomostest.New(t, nomostesting.SyncSource, ntopts.SkipNonLocalGitProvider,
		ntopts.NamespaceRepo(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	key := "GIT_SSL_CAINFO"
	caCertSecret := "git-cert-pub"
	caCertPath := "/etc/ca-cert/cert"
	var err error

	// verify the deployment doesn't have the key yet
	err = nt.Validate(nomostest.DefaultRootReconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	err = nt.Validate(core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentMissingEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	nn := nomostest.RepoSyncNN(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)
	repoSyncBackend := nomostest.RepoSyncObjectV1Beta1FromNonRootRepo(nt, nn)
	reconcilerName := core.NsReconcilerName(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName)

	// Set RepoSync to use HTTPS with caCertSecret
	repoSyncHTTPS := "https://test-git-server.config-management-system-test/git/backend/repo-sync"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncHTTPS
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "none"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{}
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{Name: caCertSecret}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync use HTTPS with caCertSecret")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, key, caCertPath))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Check that the namespace secret was upserted to c-m-s namespace
	cmsSecret := &corev1.Secret{}
	cmsSecretName := controllers.ReconcilerResourceName(reconcilerName, caCertSecret)
	err = nt.Validate(cmsSecretName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, cmsSecret)
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	// Modify the secret in c-m-s namespace
	nt.MustMergePatch(cmsSecret, secretDataPatch("foo", "bar"))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	// Check that watch triggered resync of the c-m-s secret
	err = nt.Validate(cmsSecretName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &corev1.Secret{}, nomostest.SecretMissingKey("foo"))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	// Modify the secret in RepoSync namespace
	rsSecret := &corev1.Secret{}
	err = nt.Validate(caCertSecret, backendNamespace, rsSecret)
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
	nt.MustMergePatch(rsSecret, secretDataPatch("baz", "bat"))
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	// Check that the watch triggered upsert to c-m-s secret
	err = nt.Validate(cmsSecretName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &corev1.Secret{}, nomostest.SecretHasKey("baz", "bat"))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}

	// Unset caCertSecret for repoSyncBackend and use SSH
	repoSyncSSHURL := nt.GitProvider.SyncURL(nt.NonRootRepos[nn].RemoteRepoName)
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Repo = repoSyncSSHURL
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.Auth = "ssh"
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.SecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{Name: "ssh-key"}
	repoSyncBackend.Spec.Git.CACertSecretRef = &v1beta1.SecretReference{}
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].Add(nomostest.StructuredNSPath(backendNamespace, configsync.RepoSyncName), repoSyncBackend)
	nt.RootRepos[configsync.RootSyncName].CommitAndPush("Update backend RepoSync unset caCertSecret and use SSH")
	nt.WaitForRepoSyncs()
	err = nt.Validate(reconcilerName, v1.NSConfigManagementSystem, &appsv1.Deployment{}, nomostest.DeploymentHasEnvVar(reconcilermanager.GitSync, "GIT_SYNC_REPO", repoSyncSSHURL))
	if err != nil {
		nt.T.Fatal(err)
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The temperature at four points are measured by Temperature Module and compared with one common setpoint 0-200 deg F, an alarm output LED out-a goes ON when the measured temperature exceeds the common setpoint.
A digital timer is avoided so as to keep costs low, The alarm is audio-visual, piezo electric buzzer for sound and a flashing red big 10mm LED for visual annunciation, a digital output is also given to turn on an optional SSR to power a hooter or to turn off something.
Whenever out-a goes high and low the Counter Module counts from 0000 to 9999. The counter can be reset at any time by pressing a button. This will count the number of times temperature in pipe went above the setpoint.
The unit is powered by a 9V battery to backup the counts in counter module, The LED displays are turned on by a pushbutton for momentary use to extend battery life.
Watlow heating elements, industrial heaters.
The accurate measurement of temperature is vital across a broad spectrum of human activities, including industrial processes (e.g. making steel), manufacturing; monitoring and in health and safety.


text:
Tag Archive | marianne grubaugh
Last week, I had one of those life experiences that reminds you of everything all at once. You're smiling, you're crying, you're so happy, you're so utterly grateful.
Meet Ellie, the cute little brunette with the pixie cut on the left, and Kaleb, the strong, blonde gentleman in the middle. They are both elementary school students at Westside's Sunset Hills, and when their principal, Michelle Patterson, found out they were competing in the Special Olympics for gymnastics, she scheduled a field trip so their entire 3rd and 5th grade classes could attend to cheer them on.
They made signs. They wore Team Sunset Hills t-shirts. They exploded with cheers and rally chants every time Ellie or Kaleb stood up to compete, and they applauded just as loudly when one of the other athletes did well. Ellie stopped mid-floor routine, turned and grinned at her cheering section. I bawled behind my I-phone. CLICK HERE to watch Ellie & Kaleb's story on KETV by Sarah Fili and Adam Ennis!
I remember another moment several months ago when tears welled up in my eyes.. watching Kindergartners in my son's class run up to him to say hi and give him a hug. He has friends; he's happy; he feels loved and wanted at school. It made my heart burst with pride and happiness for my sweet boy.
It's all so much the same; we as parents have a universal wish for our children, perhaps more than anything else. We want them to be happy.
Kogan Murphy isn't a parent, but she wants the same thing for every child she comes in contact with… so those children don't go through what she did as a teenager.
Miss Douglas County 2017 Kogan Murphy
"I was bullied for years in middle and high school," Kogan told me recently. "I struggled alone for nearly five years before anyone stepped in to help – they just didn't know or couldn't see what was happening to me. There were days I feared for my life and days I couldn't leave the house, let alone feel safe enough to go to school. Although I triumphed by working with people who supported and cared about me, not everyone is so lucky."
It seems like these stories are everywhere these days, happening to people you would never predict as the target. Kogan is a gifted ballet dancer, a gorgeous blonde, a confident and mature young woman. Why would anyone bully her? It's a question Kogan has asked for years, and one she intends to find answers to and solutions for.
"I have spent over seven years now researching, living, visiting, speaking and gathering information on bullying," said Kogan. "I was a victim of both harassment and physical violence. Unfortunately, as is often the case with technology, the harassment didn't end when I got home at night. A large portion of my bully's attacks came through online channels and social media. I have spoken to many different age groups and types of people about bullying and it continues to become a more and more important issue that is still so relevant today."
Kogan found a powerful weapon against her bully when she was 17.. in the form of a crown. That was the first time she competed for the title of Miss Illinois.
"I still felt very lost after being bullied, "said Kogan. "What most people don't realize is that even after the bullying stops and the problem is 'resolved', there is still a lot of work to be done. It took me years of trying to get my school grades up and figure out who I was again. Each time I competed, I felt like I was a little bit closer to finding myself again."
Kogan held multiple titles within the Miss Illinois Organization, but took a year off when she moved to Omaha and joined Ballet Nebraska.
"I have been dancing for 21 years," said Kogan, who has since performed professionally in productions including Swan Lake. "Dancing has always been a great way for me to express myself and I love getting the opportunity to perform. I also choreographed my solo for Miss Nebraska and it is very special to me."
Kogan discovered the Miss Omaha/Miss Douglas County pageant in her new home, and decided to refocus on the organization that had done so much to build back up her self-confidence.
She was crowned Miss Douglas County last fall, and was immediately surrounded with a network of people offering constant friendship and encouragement no matter life's circumstances.
"The people you meet during your year, the people who volunteer their time and money to make this organization all that it is, and then of course, the mentoring," said Kogan. "Over the past 6-7 years being involved in this organization I have met countless young women that I have looked up to and admired and then been able to take on that 'big sister' role myself with many little girls and my 'pageant families'!"
For Kogan, this has also been an opportunity to try prevent other kids from traveling the same rough road she had to. She visits classrooms, youth groups and dance classes all over Eastern Nebraska sharing her personal platform: 'Respect: Changing the conversation about bullying.'
"I feel so lucky that I have been given the opportunity to have a voice and share my story," said Kogan. "Having a dramatic personal experience gives me the credibility and relevance to connect with kids and adults alike; I've been there. I have been hurt, afraid for my life and embarrassed. No one should feel afraid to go to school, leave their house or feel as if their life does not matter. I am proof that there is a way out and a way back to having confidence in yourself. Let's bring RESPECT back to the conversation. Everyone deserves the right to feel loved, appreciated and wanted in this world."
AGREED. I think that's why I was so touched by what happened in that gym last week. My hope is that not only did Ellie and Kaleb feel loved and supported, but that all of their friends saw the value in loving and supporting others. I was only a bystander that day, but I left that gym feeling like I could conquer the world.. and that our world was an accepting, beautiful place. Love multiplied again and again that day, and I hope the lasting memory every single one of those children will have is that smile on Ellie's face. I hope they all realize they can do that throughout their whole lives; they can impact someone's life by simply being KIND.
It's a message Kogan Murphy will continue to spread through her words, through dance, and she hopes, as Miss Nebraska 2017.
"This organization has not only shaped me into the woman I want to be but it continues to encourage me to be the best version of myself," said Kogan. "I am very much at a place where I would love to dedicate a full year and serve the wonderful state of Nebraska through this organization. My goal and mindset is to always be the very best version of myself, enjoy every moment and know that timing is everything."
CLICK HERE to follow Miss Douglas County 2017 Kogan Murphy on Facebook.
For more information about the Miss Omaha/Miss Douglas County Pageant or to become a contestant CLICK HERE to follow the organization on Facebook, and CLICK HERE to follow on Twitter. You can also email missomahapageant@yahoo.com, or contact Director Marianne Grubaugh at ggrubaugh@cox.net.
PREVIOUS..Miss Queen City of the Plains 2017 Jaicelyn Shakespaere
COMING SOON.. Miss Gering 2017 Alayna Wilson
This entry was posted on May 24, 2017, in KETV, Miss America, Omaha, westside and tagged Adam Ennis, Alayna Wilson, ballet, Ballet Nebraska, bullying, Cahoy's Gymnastics, Ellie, jaicelyn shakespeare, jenn cady photography, Kaleb, KETV, Kogan Murphy, marianne grubaugh, Michelle Patterson, miss douglas county, Miss Illinois, miss nebraska, Sarah Fili, Special Olympics, Sunset Hills, Swan Lake, westside.	3 Comments
NamaSLAY
I have a new best friend. I look forward to the time we spend together everyday. My husband knows about this new friend.. and encourages our relationship.
Meet Vytas. Vytas is really good at yoga. Vytas is helping ME get better at yoga.
Note: I've never met Vytas. He lives in my computer. Please halt all potential warnings to Vytus about his creepy 'friend' Brandi.
Like so many, I struggle with my weight and nutrition. I lose weight, then I lose interest and lose control. I'm an emotional eater. Pretty sure my body is 99% coffee instead of water. When I was 18, I could get away with eating Chex Mix and Mt. Dew for breakfast. Now, a few trips through the Runza drive-thru and the only thing that fits are my husband's sweats (and he gets grumpy when I steal them!) But aside from how I look and my confidence, my health has started to suffer because of my less than ideal lifestyle. I feel like I've been sick in some form since early November.. and just after Christmas, I contracted strep throat. A trip to the ER, 2 rounds of antibiotics and a week in bed later, I promised myself I was going to start doing a better job taking care of the body God has given me.
I've been trying Beachbody on the advice of my friend and stunning beauty, Amanda Soltero. One of her challenges to kick off 2017 included 3-Week Yoga Retreat with Vytus. I tried it.. and became hooked. I LOVE the way yoga makes me feel. I love awakening the muscles I used to stretch in gymnastics as a kid. I love realizing I can touch the floor with my hands, or now keep my legs straight in downward dog. I love when I automatically sit up straighter at my desk because the practice has already improved my posture and carriage. Most of all, I love the RETREAT that yoga has provided me.. a chance to breathe deeply and for 30 minutes a day dissolve all of the stress and burdens that have piled on throughout the other 23 hours.
For a young woman from Omaha, this is a message of health and wellbeing she's understood for quite some time.. one she's now taking to children across eastern Nebraska.
Miss Omaha 2017 Wellesley Michael
"I am currently a yoga teacher and went through children's yoga teacher training this summer," said Wellesley. "Both of those experiences led me to mindfullness. I then continued my training on mindfullness with [my platform] 'Mindful Schools: Peace Begins With Me'."
A platform that skyrocketed last fall when Wellesley was crowned Miss Omaha 2017.
"I've always admired the women that have been in the Miss Nebraska Organization," Wellesley told me recently. "Then, when I was old enough, I felt as if it was time for me to stand up and be a leader and role model like the women who have been in the system before have been for me."
A title doesn't make you a role model. A crown doesn't make you a leader. But Wellesley used both of those tools to find new audiences in schools across Omaha.
Wellesley sharing yoga and mindfulness with students at Westside's Oakdale Elementary and at Brownell Talbot, where she attended school!
"Mindfullness is the act of paying attention on purpose without judgement," said Wellesley. "I've spent a large part of my year so far going to schools and working with students on techniques to help them breathe, focus, listen and just feel good! In a world that is so chaotic and go-go-go we have to find a way to slow down. It's healthy! Mindfulness brings that stillness we are often missing."
Wellesley is also a frequent visitor to Children's Hospital and Medical Center, delivering blankets over the winter holiday and bringing in Valentine's Day crafts for patients this week. She's also partnered with businesses like Yogurtini in Lincoln to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's community partner.
"Three words to describe me are driven, organized and focused," said Wellesley. "Goal setting is one of my favorite things. When I set a goal I dig in right away and figure out what it takes to get me to my dream."
CLICK HERE to hear more from Wellesley during a guest appearance with Matt Tompkins on News Talk 1290!
These are the character traits Wellesley hopes stand out to both children and adults, attributes she credits in part to her participation in the Miss Nebraska Organization.
"This organization has helped me to clearly articulate my opinions and beliefs without fear," said Wellesley. "It has given me experience in skills I will always need such as interviewing and networking. I go into a lot of situations with more confidence than ever because of this organization. The fact that I get to even put on the Miss Omaha crown and sash and meet so many amazing people around my city is unreal to me. The whole experience is a dream come true."
Wellesley is clear: her big goal is to become Miss Nebraska. However, she is also mindful of the big picture. Wellesley is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student majoring in advertising/public relations and journalism and has authored her own fashion/pop culture blog for several years. CLICK HERE to check it out!
"Beyond the pageant world, I hope to one day combine my loves of journalism and yoga to work for a wellness magazine or website like The Yoga Journal or mindful.org," said Wellesley. "At the state pageant, my plan is just to do my best and get people thinking about mindfulness and all of its benefits."
Wellesley and her fellow titleholders will be the first to tell you, just as yoga isn't just 'stretching', competing for Miss Nebraska isn't just slapping on makeup and waving your hand in parades. They spend hours in the gym every week. They dedicate countless hours to people and causes they care deeply about. They study, they work hard, they plan. But at the end of each day, Wellesley also remembers to breathe deeply and to reflect.
"Here's a mindfulness tip before I go. I do this everyday," said Wellesley. "Take five minutes, mute your phone and listen to your breath. Maybe you say 'inhale, exhale' with each breath or count how many times you breathe. Thoughts will come up and that's ok! After five minutes sit for a minute and notice how you feel."
On behalf of this blossoming yoga instructor, Namaste. To you, Miss Omaha Wellesley Michael, NamaSLAY.
Photo courtesy Michael Dar
CLICK HERE to follow Miss Omaha 2017 Wellesley Michael's blog, Wellesley Lauren. You can also CLICK HERE to follow her on Facebook, or CLICK HERE to follow her on Twitter. To contact Wellesley for appearances and speaking events, email wellesleymich@gmail.com.
PREVIOUS.. Miss Omaha's Outstanding Teen 2017 Katie Harris
NEXT.. Miss Sarpy County's Outstanding Teen 2017 Phoenix Stanford
This entry was posted on February 14, 2017, in Fashion, Food, Friends, Health, Hobbies, Miss America, Omaha, westside and tagged 3 Week Yoga Retreat, Aislin Stanford, Alpha Xi Delta, amanda soltero, Amanda Wubbenhorst, Beachbody, Brownell Talbot, Children's Hospital & Medical Center, childrens miracle network, crowns and gowns, fashion, jenn cady photography, lincoln, marianne grubaugh, Matt Tompkins, MIchael Dar, mindful.org, Mindfullness, miss america organization, miss omaha, Miss Sarpy County's Outstanding Teen, Namaste, News Talk 1290, Oakdale Elementary, omaha, Runza, university of nebraska-lincoln, Vytas, Wellesley Lauren, Wellesley Michael, westside, yoga, Yoga Journal, Yogurtini.	5 Comments
Maybe you've seen her on TV. Maybe you've seen her face while checking out at the grocery store. Maybe you saw her story here on KETV.
Photo courtesy People Magazine
Lincoln native Ashley Graham made history earlier this month, named as Sports Illustrated's first size 16 model on the cover of the annual swimsuit edition.
CLICK HERE to see the cover, and read KETV's story about Graham!
I LOVE this story. Ashley is simply jaw dropping STUNNING, and this cover is absolutely beautiful. I believe God made us in all shapes and sizes, and as long as you are healthy and happy, rock on!! In addition, Ashley is NEBRASKA; she grew up here, went to high school here, still has family here. She was 'discovered' by an Omaha photographer while shopping at Omaha's Oakview Mall. She's also appeared in Vogue, Elle, on The Ellen Show, and has modeled for Jennifer Lopez. It always excites me to see OUR people make it REALLY big in their chosen fields.. it proves to anyone else dreaming big that YES, it can happen to you, too!
I'm not sure if runways in New York or photo shoots in Belize are on THIS young woman's radar..
..but if they are, Savannah Rave is on the right path. The 19-year old is the current Miss Douglas County 2016, and she's been modeling for years, appearing everywhere from the cover of Omaha magazine to national TV.
Photo courtesy Bill Sitzmann for Omaha Magazine; CLICK HERE to read the article!
You may notice Savannah's props in this cover shoot.. the Miss Nebraska Teen USA sash and crown she won in 2014.
"I fell in love with everything the pageant world has to offer during my reign," Savannah told me recently. "I got involved with Miss Nebraska because I value that it is a scholarship pageant that shines a light on education of women and their ability to do so much good with their title. I am excited to be involved with Miss Nebraska because I enjoy the opportunity of being able to have my voice heard at not only a state level, but also a national level."
It's not uncommon for young women to compete in both the Miss America and Miss USA organizations (CLICK HERE to read more about the differences between both, from the current Miss Nebraska USA Sarah Hollins)..especially for young women like Savannah who also love to perform.
"I sing," said Savannah, who held starring roles while attending Elkhorn South High School. "For the Miss Nebraska Pageant I will be performing a musical theatre vocal."
Want a preview? Click here to watch and listen to Savannah singing, a link she provided on the Miss Douglas County 2016 Facebook page!
Still, Savannah's favorite part of the competition is the phase that spans both systems, Interview.
"I enjoy getting the chance to be face to face with the judges and informing them on my beliefs and ambitions," said Savannah. One of those priorities is her personal platform as Miss Douglas County, 'Spread The Word To End The Word.'
"My platform focuses on stopping the derogatory use of the R-word and creating a more respectful environment for people of all abilities," said Savannah. "I chose my platform because of a connection I made with a young boy with down syndrome during my high school years. I believe it is important for people to be politically correct in the terms that they use each day. I believe in inclusion and in all abilities and want to spread the word in order to create a chain reaction in which people all over begin to monitor what they say, pledge to end the word, and become allies for those with intellectual and physical disabilities."
Savannah on Facebook: 'I spent my evening at Night to Shine which is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and was hosted at Harvest Church in Norfolk, Nebraska! I had a blast with my prom buddy, Debbi, and we danced the night away. I admire the goal of this foundation and event and its ability to bring people together in such an uplifting way.'
Savannah is also a passionate advocate for kids, volunteering with the Children's Miracle Network (partner of the Miss America Organization), Nebraska Students for Young Children, the UNL Children's Center and the Friendship Home. She's majoring in Inclusive Early-Childhood Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she's VP Recruitment Chair of Alpha Chi Omega.
Savannah on Facebook: 'I am feeling so blessed to be a part of two amazing organizations. This morning I visited the Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha which is a Children's Miracle Network Hospital, and delivered handmade valentines that I put together with some of my compassionate Alpha Chi Omega Xi Chapter sisters! '
But above all of these connections and friends is Savannah's commitment to her family and faith. She's the youngest of seven children and says her mom, Brenda Rave, is her role model.
"I admire my mother's selflessness and willingness to do anything and everything for her children," said Savannah. "My mother is a breast cancer survivor and a true definition of a fighter and a woman of faith. I look up to my mother for so many reasons: her strength, her independence, loving heart, wild side, and her incredible cooking."
THIS is what keeps Savannah grounded through magazine covers and photo shoots and crowning moments, and the message she wants to relay to you as to why she'd be a great Miss Nebraska.
"I know I don't need this title to make a difference or to be content with my life, because I already do, and I already am," said Savannah. "To me, the title of Miss Nebraska is more than a crown and sash, it is a job. I should be Miss Nebraska because I am ready for the responsibility, ready to make a difference, and I am prepared for a busy year filled with appearances, community service and lots of amazing memories."
Design courtesy Ellie Illustrations
Countless local girls may now be looking at model Ashley Graham, hoping and dreaming because if a Nebraska native can hit it big, maybe they can, too! HECK YES, THEY CAN! And Miss Douglas County Savannah Rave hopes she and the other models, ROLE models she competes with, will inspire just as many future cover girls.
"The women in the Miss America system are educated, goal-oriented and ambitious," said Savannah. "Each woman stands for something she believes in and is not afraid to have her voice heard, which is something that should be respected. The women in these pageants are role models I would want my daughter to look up to someday."
Photo courtesy Katie Meeks
CLICK EACH LINK to follow Miss Douglas County 2016 Savannah Rave
on FACEBOOK, on TWITTER, on INSTAGRAM
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SAVANNAH?
CLICK HERE * Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2014
For more information about the Miss Omaha/Miss Douglas County Pageant, visit THEIR WEBSITE, FACEBOOK PAGE, or follow ON TWITTER. For information on becoming a contestant, contact Executive Director Marianne Grubaugh at ggrubaugh@cox.net or by phone at 402-330-8033.
PREVIOUS.. Miss Western Nebraska's Outstanding Teen 2016 Grace Heggem!
NEXT.. Miss Alliance 2016 Kate Lynne Duncan!
This entry was posted on February 28, 2016, in Fashion, Health, KETV, Miss America, News, Omaha, TV and tagged alpha chi omega, ashley graham, belize, bill sitzmann, Breast Cancer, brenda rave, Children's Hospital & Medical Center, childrens miracle network, elkhorn south, elle, ellen, ellie illustrations, end the word, friendship home, harvest church, jenn cady photography, jennifer lopez, KETV, marianne grubaugh, Miss America, miss america organization, miss douglas county, miss nebraska, miss nebraska teen usa, miss nebraska usa, modeling, nebraska students for young children, new york, norfolk, oakview mall, omaha magazine, people magazine, r-word, sarah hollins, savannah rave, sports illustrated, tim tebow, UNL, unl childrens center, vogue.	4 Comments
You advocate for something because you believe in it. You put your face and name behind a cause to share a compelling argument for why you are so passionate about that effort. It takes courage to speak out (especially from a personal place); it takes time and dedication; it takes a leader who can command attention and compel others to make a difference.
This is one of the reasons I advocate for the Miss America Organization.. because no matter what you think of beauty pageants, or women competing for crowns, when that ONE DAY of competition is over, they are out in their communities and states 364 OTHER days of the year trying to do all of the things I just mentioned, in most cases, serving others.
This young woman will continue to promote her platform after her pageant days are over; she wants her cause to become her career.
MISS DOUGLAS COUNTY 2015 ALYSSA HOWELL
(Photo courtesy Jenn Cady Photography)
"I will be a junior at Creighton University, studying Elementary Education, with the career ambition of becoming a child life specialist in a Children's Miracle Network Hospital," Alyssa told me recently. "Truly, Children's Miracle Network is my passion, and my platform, 'Making Miracles Happen', stands to improve the lives of children in hospitals all over Nebraska."
Several of this year's Miss Nebraska contestants, including Alyssa and Miss Nebraska 2014 Megan Swanson, delivered gift bags to Children's Hospital & Medical Center Rainbow House pediatric patients and their families for Miss America Serves day.
Children's Miracle Network is also Miss America's community partner, the organization which titleholders all over the country must raise money for in order to compete at the local and state level. Money raised benefits hospitals like Omaha's Children's Hospital and Medical Center. Many of this year's Miss Nebraska contestants have spent time volunteering at Children's; Alyssa visits on a consistent basis, inspired by her cousin and former CMN patient, Shayna.
"Eight years ago my family (after a streak of 12 boy cousins) was finally blessed with a girl! However, Shayna was sick with a frightening virus that left her sick and in the hospital for days after her birth," said Alyssa. "18 months later, she tested positive for profound hearing loss. My family was devastated, however, with the help of St. Louis Children's Hospital (a CMN facility), Shayna was able to receive cochlear implants that allow her to hear as a normal child."
Alyssa witnessed part of that journey in person, staying with Shayna and her family for two months while Shayna attended the Central Institute for the Deaf. Alyssa had already been involved with CMN fundraisers as a young girl, at her sister Devin Howell's side during her time as Miss River City 2008, Miss Douglas County 2009 and Miss Omaha 2010.
When Alyssa was crowned Miss Eastern Nebraska 2014, (click here to see read my interview with her last Spring!) she wanted to take her passion for CMN hospitals and the children they serve to another level. Alyssa designed and implemented something she calls the Miracle Bags Program.
"I go to sororities [including her own, Pi Beta Phi], business groups, girl scouts and schools and collect donation items. Each bag [I create] contains a blanket, coloring book, crayons, Play-Doh, and a handwritten card," said Alyssa. "I then deliver these bags to the patients at Omaha Children's, and let me tell you, nothing makes a sick child light up like a princess with a bag of goodies!"
To Alyssa, the Miss America Organization presented opportunities for both volunteering and for her own personal growth. It's a stage for this pianist (and piano teacher) to play for a crowd; it's a path to scholarships for this college student; it's a platform for her to share Shayna's story and encourage others to help pediatric hospital patients.
"I truly believe that EVERY woman can gain so many incredible things from this organization, and Miss Nebraska stands to represent every woman in the state regardless of career, beliefs, appearance or education," said Alyssa. "As the All-American daughter of a former Marine and the 1981 Miss Iowa Dairy Princess, my upbringing led me to big dreams, big accomplishments and making big differences in the lives of everyone I meet."
Alyssa Howell isn't just an advocate for Miss America or for Children's Miracle Network, she shows what strong, smart, talented women can accomplish when inspired by something as powerful as a little girl's smile. Just a guess, but I'm betting the feeling is mutual, and that Shayna's grin will light up the entire North Platte High Auditorium in just three weeks.. as her princess, Miss Douglas County, competes to become the next Miss Nebraska.
(Photo courtesy Studio FBJ)
To find out more about Miss Douglas County 2015 Alyssa Howell's Miracle Bags Program, and to contact her for appearances and events, email alyssahowellva@gmail.com or click here to visit her Facebook page.
For more information on the Miss Omaha/Douglas County Pageant, click here to visit their website, here to visit them on Facebook, and here to follow on Twitter.
For information on becoming a future contestant, contact Executive Director Marianne Grubaugh at 402-330-8033 or by email at missomahapageant@yahoo.com.
The Miss Nebraska Pageant will take place June 3-6, 2015 in North Platte. Click here to visit the organization's website, to visit the pageant on Facebook, to follow the pageant on Twitter, and to follow the pageant on Instagram.
PREVIOUS.. Miss Heartland 2015 Steffani Jiroux
NEXT.. Miss State Fair 2015 Marie Allison
To read more about the Miss Nebraska Class of 2014, click on the 'There She Is' link at the top of the page.
This entry was posted on May 13, 2015, in Family, Miss America, Omaha and tagged allison tietjen, alyssa howell, central institute for the deaf, Children's Hospital & Medical Center, childrens miracle network, chrissy townsend, CMN, creighton, Creighton University, DEVIN HOWELL, jenn cady photography, Kaylee Carlberg, MAO, marianne grubaugh, Marie Allison, megan swanson, Miracle Bags, Miss America, miss america serves, miss douglas county's outstanding teen, miss eastern nebraska, miss iowa diary princess, miss nebraska, miss omaha, mISS rIVER CITY, Nebraska, north platte high school, omaha, pi beta phi, rainbow house, St Louis children's hospital, steffani jiroux, studio fbj, tosha skinner.	3 Comments


text:
import * as React from 'react';
import styled from 'styled-components';

export interface Coordinate {
  x: number;
  y: number;
}

export interface Props {
  xs: any[];
  ys: any[];
  verticalBorders?: string[];
  horizontalBorders?: string[];
  onClick?: (x: any, y: any) => void;
  onHover?: (coordinate: Coordinate | null) => void;
}

const Columns = styled.div`
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  position: absolute;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
`;

const Column = styled.div`
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  flex: 1 1 auto;
`;

const Cell = styled.div`
  flex: 1 1 auto;
`;

/**
 * Cells can be placed inside a Frame to create vertical and horizontal gridlines. It acts as a
 * background layer, and does not render children.
 */
const Cells: React.SFC<Props> = ({xs, ys, verticalBorders, horizontalBorders, onClick, onHover}) => {
  return (
    <Columns>
      {xs.map((x, idx) => (
        <Column
          key={x}
          style={{
            borderRight: verticalBorders && verticalBorders[(idx + 1) % verticalBorders.length]
          }}>
          {ys.map((y, idy) => (
            <Cell
              key={y}
              onClick={() => onClick && onClick(x, y)}
              onMouseOver={() => onHover && onHover({x, y})}
              onMouseEnter={() => onHover && onHover({x, y})}
              onMouseLeave={() => onHover && onHover(null)}
              style={{
                borderBottom: horizontalBorders && horizontalBorders[(idy + 1) % horizontalBorders.length]
              }} />
          ))}
        </Column>
      ))}
    </Columns>
  );
};
Cells.defaultProps = {
  verticalBorders: [],
  horizontalBorders: []
};

export default Cells;