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Why is Meng Wanzhou still in Canada?
Rogers Sportsnet briefly toned down the Huawei sponsorship of Hockey Night in Canada after the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou last year. That lasted a single week. In very late 2019, Huawei still has the prominent sponsorship slot on Hockey Night in Canada.
Entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig have now spent over a year in Chinese custody leading lives far more traumatic than the house arrest of Meng Wanzhou.
The United States had an arrest warrant for Meng citing violations of trade sanctions with Iran. The extradition process has gone on for a very long period of time.
We've gone through a number of steps in the process but again, Meng Wanzhou is in Canada, not the United States or China. Canada has paid the only price, an extensive price in human costs and trade restrictions with different human costs.
Canola farmers in Canada latest pawn in China battle over Meng Wanzhou arrest
Among the Five Eyes intelligence gathering countries (Canada, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom), Canada has not decided whether Huawei will have anything to do with 5G. The country's Five Eyes status is being threatened if Huawei is involved with 5G in Canada. Canada will likely have a decision in 2020.
NHL the week in preview December 21, 2018
Canada paying a price to go along with U.S. desire to arrest Meng Wanzhou
Huawei's financial ties to Canadian universities are more than $56 million, according to a CBC News story this month. The story also notes that the academic research is part of an overall $164 million on research in Canada in 2018.
Huawei should be more conciliatory since Canada might let the company be a part of the 5G system in the country. Given the reported ties between Huawei and the Chinese government, and how the Chinese government has essentially kidnapped 2 Canadians (Spavor and Kovrig), why would Canada say yes to Huawei?
Meng Wanzhou was arrested December 1 in the Vancouver airport. The 1-year anniversary of the arrests of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig came earlier this month. China has hinted at upcoming trials for Spavor and Kovrig, not that they will be trials in any North American sense. Justice often moves too slowly. This case needs to be settled soon.
Meng Wanzhou 1-year anniversary blog post (Huawei.com)
Is a Canada-China prisoner swap a good idea? (The Current on CBC)
What Canadian universities gain and lose by accepting Huawei funding (Front Burner CBC Radio)
Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant (CBC podcasts)
If you know very little about the Meng Wanzhou story, the CBC podcast series Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant has a basic overview. If you've kept up with our coverage, you won't learn too much more in the series.
photo credit: Rogers Sportsnet
Posted at 07:00 AM in border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, Rogers Sportsnet, trade, U.S. politics, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 5G, academic research, Australia, Canada, Canadian universities, CBC, China, Chinese, Chinese government, Five Eyes, Hockey Night in Canada, house arrest, Huawei, Iran, Meng Wanzhou, Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, New Zealand, podcast, podcasts, Rogers Sportsnet, Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant, trade sanctions, United Kingdom, United States
Editor's note: We take a moment before the Canada Day celebration to reflect on recent Canadian stories. Canada Day is July 1 on Monday, so we run this today. Have a safe and wonderful long weekend.
The impact of edibles can change marijuana tourism in Canada. Unfortunately for marijuana tourists, that impact is reduced and delayed.
The original idea was that October 17, forever known as marijuana legalisation day, would be the target date for edibles. Existing federally regulated processors can apply to Health Canada on July 15. The October 17 deadline marks 60 days before edibles can be sold in Canada. So Christmas sales, yes, but supplies will be limited.
Each individual package will be limited to a maximum of 10 mg of THC. My expert friends find the 10 mg standard to be a joke. If you are not an expert, 2.5 mg is a good starting point. The types of edibles will be scrutinized by Health Canada. So no to gummy bears if they are appealing to children. Cannabis extracts and topicals (ointments, oils, makeup) will also be available in mid-December.
Edibles will not have alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, or caffeine with exceptions for low amounts of naturally occurring caffeine, such as chocolate.
As someone who went to California over the winter and legally bought edibles, the Trudeau Government is going way overboard in every element. Safety should be a factor and children shouldn't ingest any sort of marijuana product. Education is important but structuring that is difficult when people don't know what the product will look like.
Anna Maria Tremonti to leave The Current this week
The Trudeau Government approved the Trans Mountain pipeline. I learned from The Current series on CBC Radio One that the Trans Mountain pipeline will run parallel to the current pipeline but somehow triple the capacity. The primary issue will be tanker traffic in Burnaby and the difficulty to get the oil to the West Coast. The tankers would have to sail through Vancouver Harbour under the Lions Gate Bridge into the Burrard Inlet.
The argument is that the Liberals aren't pleasing anyone with the decision (lots of pipelines vs. no pipelines). So Jason Kenney and the UCP in Alberta are upset about oil not getting to the West Coast but the current Trans Mountain pipeline gets to Burnaby, the same place the expansion will also end.
Andrew Scheer released the Conservative Party take on climate change. The carbon tax is a conservative idea that isn't that effective in fighting climate change. The conservatives have been fighting the carbon tax, even though households will get reimbursed for most of that money. Scheer's ideas are fine but will have far-less of an effect than even the carbon tax.
I also don't get why they have to send raw bitumen through the pipelines instead of refining the oil in Alberta (more jobs). British Columbia has expressed that concern from an environmental standpoint since bitumen spills are more costly to the environment than regular oil spills.
I really want to understand all of these rationales. I don't know if Canadians know the answers and so the news doesn't talk about it or I am the only one who is curious on either side of the border.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada has a new book on The Art of Diplomacy
Kelly Knight Craft may leave U.S. Ambassador to Canada post for promotion
We thought that Kelly Knight Craft seemed extra invisible in her limited time as U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Craft is the nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Under questioning in front of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, we learned that Craft was gone from her post more than 300 days over 19 months. We also learned that Craft posted social media messages from outside of Canada at times where there was no record of travel. Craft was absent 45 of 54 days between March 21 and May 13; some of her absences involved visits back home to Kentucky.
Craft cited visits to Montréal and Washington, where she said she was part of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer's negotiating team. Montréal trips aren't a concern; Washington trips can be justified. Her presence on the trade negotiating team, if that is true, should be alarming to Canada and the concept of being an ambassador. The ambassador role should be a go-between with the two countries. Her presence on the trade negotiating team is the equivalent of the butcher having a thumb on the scale.
Craft told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she received approval for her travel. That means little, especially if those trips were to go back to Kentucky.
The U.S. Ambassador to Canada is supposed to be about Canada. Craft couldn't even pretend otherwise. Her arrogance should be grounds not to get a promotion but the problem for Canada is that she might have to return to Lexington, er, Ottawa to continue to do a poor job in her current position.
Bill 21 is law in Quebec though the law is being challenged. The bill would ban religious symbols from public servants, defined to include teachers, lawyers, and police officers, while at work. You might remember the previous Liberal government pushed a less severe version of the bill.
Quebec Premier François Legault's CAQ government along with the Parti Quebecois voted in favour while the Liberals and Quebec solidaire were opposed. The primary target is Muslim women for the hijab or niqab but also affects Sikh men and Orthodox Jewish men. A provision was made for teachers as long as they remain in their position at their school.
The tug-of-war is about secularism vs. targeting religious minorities. The idea of a "secularism police" is remnant of the "language police" of previous times in La Belle Province.
Whatever you might think about these religious symbols, we think that governments requiring them is reprehensible. Having a government say you can't wear something also feels reprehensible.
CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage
Air Canada tells us the Tiffani Adams story is true, though you would have a hard time believing the story. We definitely advocate for traveling to and within Canada. Just be aware of your surroundings, whether you are the passenger or the carrier.
Canadian sports notebook: Record number of Canadians in the 2019 NBA draft
We normally put several sports stories in the Canada Day notebook. We had too many stories in the sports notebook so we gave them a separate notebook on Wednesday.
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As you watch all of those Huawei sponsorship mentions on Hockey Night in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet, consider that China still has 2 Canadians held captive in conditions much worse than how Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is living in Vancouver. Another Canadian may be put to death.
Canadian canola farmers have been feeling the sting of China's retaliation, at least all of this is "unofficial" retaliation.
Canada sends a lot of canola to China, about $2.7 billion worth in 2018. Suddenly, Chinese customs inspectors said they found "dangerous pests" in Canada canola shipments. Shipments from 3 Canadian companies have been blocked.
There is no reason to think "dangerous pests" even exist as China hasn't shown any proof.
Some might struggle with the idea of "China" and "food safety" in the same sentence.
While everything is unofficial, the correlation is clear. China is still upset about the arrest of Meng Wanzhou on Canadian soil at the request of the United States.
The original retaliation: 2-for-1 and in horrible conditions vs. living better than most people in Vancouver. A death penalty sentence and canola oil sales to China are icing on an over-frosted cupcake.
Canada could ban Huawei from its 5G networks. Australia is doing that. Australian coal shipments are "suddenly" running into extra scrutiny at Chinese ports, including impurity complaints.
The United States — the country that wanted Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou to be arrested and extradited — hasn't had any retaliation, mostly due to its size and impact of what the country could do in retaliation.
This op-ed provides enough details that, if they are close to being accurate about the conditions where Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig have been suffering for over 4 months, requires swift action.
This scenario will not magically disappear short of Meng Wanzhou being on Chinese soil and a full apology from Canada, neither of which is happening. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are going to be trapped in deplorable conditions for some time.
Robert Lloyd Schellenberg is in a whole different nightmare. Schellenberg was found guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to 15 years in November. After the Meng Wanzhou arrest, Schellenberg was retried and sentenced to death over the same charges in a one-day trial in Dalian.
There may be a delay in the very slow process, thanks to Meng Wanzhou filing a civil lawsuit, claiming she was unlawfully detained and questioned for 3 hours without being advised of her constitutional rights. She is entitled to file the lawsuit but you can't help but wonder that Canadians Spavor and Kovrig don't have those rights in China for much harsher treatment.
The Canadian canola farmers are innocent financial pawns. They might find other homes for the canola seeds but they had contracts with China.
China is upset against the Western world but Canada is paying the price. The allegations of the connection between Huawei and the Chinese government have strong credibility. In an open world, the threat of Canada banning Huawei from its 5G networks would be a financial incentive for China to release their "hostages." Canada and other countries don't want to use Huawei in their 5G networks but are seeing the financial impact in a world where denying them may not be possible.
photos credit: me
Posted at 07:00 AM in border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, Donald Trump, Saskatchewan, trade, travel, U.S. politics, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 5G, Australia, Canadian farmers, Canadian soil, canola, canola farmers, canola oil, China, civil lawsuit, constitutional rights, cupcake, Donald Trump, farmers, food safety, Hockey Night in Canada, Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, Rogers Sportsnet, smartphone, Vancouver
Canada and the United States have an extradition treaty agreement to honour each other's request for arrests. Unfortunately, Canada has been put in a really horrible situation with the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.
Like the Safe Third Country Agreement, Canada's willingness to go along with the United States on an agreement is biting them in the posterior.
We have already seen the Chinese government confirm the detention of 2 Canadians: entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig on "endangering national security." This is on top of the threats that may lead to more negative consequences for Canada.
The United States wants to extradite Meng from Canada to the United States for, well, unofficially over concern that Skycom, an alleged subsidiary company, violated U.S. trade sanctions with Iran.
Meng was arrested December 1 in Vancouver as she was switching planes. Meng was released on $10 million CDN bail Tuesday. Her next court date is February 6.
A Eastern District of New York judge issued an arrest warrant for Meng in August.
Canada did unusual favour for U.S. to arrest Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Chinese tech giant #Huawei. Can we talk #tariffs now? https://t.co/4eDj3ZTCzB
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) December 6, 2018
There is a sense of concern over the Chinese telecommunications giant and its ties to the Chinese government to security issues, especially with the implementation of 5G. Huawei is a major sponsor of Rogers Sportsnet with Hockey Night in Canada. While the visual elements remained in the Sportsnet coverage, there was no audio copy that is usually found in the sponsorship.
"Our extradition partners should not seek to politicize the extradition process or use it for ends other than the pursuit of justice," said Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.
To no one's surprise, Donald Trump spoke on just that point. Even before that remark, there was considerable speculation that this was a political arrest. Even if the allegations are true, Meng hasn't violated any Canadian laws. As long as Meng is on Canadian soil, Canada will suffer as a result.
As you might recall in the USMCA/CUSMA negotiations, the United States sneaked a provision that if Canada were to negotiate a trade deal with China (without saying China) that the United States would have to get access to secret negotiation information from Canada. The arrest hurts Canadian trade negotiations with China while helping the United States work out a deal with China.
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou might be justified in terms of the charges but this dispute shouldn't involve Canada. The United States is once again taking advantage of Canada's integrity in international agreements.
As we noted in the above tweet, the United States still has major tariffs in steel, aluminum, softwood lumber, and Bombardier planes (threatened) against Canada. There is a USMCA/CUSMA deal in place and still the tariffs exist. Canada should retain integrity in agreements but find some way to fight back against unfair practices by the United States.
Posted at 10:00 AM in border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, Donald Trump, Rogers Sportsnet, trade, U.S. politics, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 5G, aluminum tariff, Bombardier, Canada, Canadian soil, China, Chrystia Freeland, CUSMA, Donald Trump, extradition treaty, Hockey Night in Canada, Huawei, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, Iran, Meng Wanzhou, Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, national security, political arrest, Rogers Sportsnet, Safe Third Country Agreement, Skycom, softwood lumber tariff, steel tariff, tariff, tariffs, trade deal, trade sanctions, United States, USMCA
Greyhound Canada to abandon Western Canadian provinces
An Alberta sunset taken from a Greyhound Canada bus.
I've been to all 10 Canadian provinces, traveling on Greyhound Canada in 4 provinces. Greyhound Canada hasn't been a recent option in the Maritimes or Newfoundland and Labrador.
As of November 1, those travel opportunities of traveling Greyhound Canada in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta will be just memories. Greyhound Canada is also bailing out of British Columbia (the Vancouver-Seattle runs are controlled by Greyhound U.S.) as well as the Trans-Canada route between Winnipeg and Sudbury, Ontario will also disappear, so there will be no Greyhound Canada buses west of Sudbury.
I rode Greyhound from Calgary to Edmonton and back in my 2012 Alberta trip. The only other option was a car that I wouldn't have needed in either city. I got to watch an Alberta sunset where you could see the sun go all the way to the horizon.
I rode a Greyhound overnight bus from Winnipeg to Regina in 2016. The driving alternative would have been problematic for lots of reasons. A plane would have been expensive and I didn't need a car in Regina.
Via Rail is not an option for these and many other routes affected by the cuts. Driving and hitchhiking aren't great for a lot of people but may be the only options remaining.
Saskatoon berries a great reason to visit the Prairies
Going to Alberta? Some cool tips for your journey
Greyhound Canada cancelled the Prince George-Prince Rupert route in British Columbia June 1. That cut reflected the issues with hitchhiking with the history of indigenous girls and women on the Highway of Tears that runs down Highway 16 between the cities.
The best viable solution would be a regional bus system such as Maritime Bus out in the Maritimes. I rode from Moncton to Fredericton to Saint John as well as going to and from Charlottetown. The buses were a lot smaller, not as fancy as Greyhound. There were quite a few packages being delivered as well as people.
The Maritime Bus coverage area is relatively compact compared to the long distances in the Prairie provinces.
The Saskatchewan Transportation Company folded in 2017, but we have seen alternative such as Rider Express take over significant routes.
Calgary-Edmonton and Winnipeg-Regina are likely to be covered by smaller companies with smaller buses. The smaller towns and smaller routes are a bigger concern. There is the tourist angle, but there are many people who simply can't drive 800-1000 km across the vastness of Western Canada.
Greyhound Canada cited a 41% ridership decline since 2010. The company also noted bus runs of single-digit ridership at times, which was directly contradicted by numerous examples of buses from half full to almost full.
The company said 415 jobs would be lost with an impact to 2 million consumers.
How Rob Ford spent (part of) my summer vacation
We like encouraging Canadians and other people to explore Canada. Cars do have their advantages but not everyone can afford to travel that way. The fact that I could access the bus allowed me to spend more time in Winnipeg before going to Regina. The bus allowed me to mock Rob Ford online for following me on my Alberta adventure.
"I would assume that Ford had more appropriate transportation between Edmonton and Calgary. I took the 8 a.m. Greyhound Express. Extra legroom, electrical outlets, and free wi-fi all included. The scenery is flat between the two cities and you do get to stop over in Red Deer as a bonus."
I wrote that in 2012. Being on the bus allowed me to see the amazing scenery, make notes, and reflect in the middle of an amazing journey. Driving isn't the same. Hitchhiking would have been worse.
Hopefully, smaller transportation companies will rise to the occasion to help out Western Canadians in ways that Greyhound was too big and slow to make necessary changes.
photos credit: me; CTV
Posted at 07:00 AM in Alberta, British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, trade, travel | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Canadian provinces, Canadian tourism, Canadian travel, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Fredericton, freight, Greyhound, Greyhound Canada, Greyhound Express, Highway 16, Highway of Tears, hitchhiking, Manitoba, Maritime Bus, Maritimes, Moncton, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, overnight bus, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Red Deer, Regina, Rider Express, Rob Ford, Saint John, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Transportation Company, Saskatoon berries, Seattle, Sudbury, summer vacation, Trans Canada, Vancouver, Via Rail, western Canada, Winnipeg, Winnipeg
Donald Trump does not understand that the American economy benefits from Canadians shopping in the U.S.
Donald Trump would have hated Pirate Joe's.
The United States financially benefits from a flood of Canadians who cross the border to buy gas, spend money on groceries, and yes, buy shoes. The country wants Canada to raise the duties from $200 in a same-day trip perhaps closer to the $800 figure that Americans can bring back from Canada on a same-day trip.
Pirate Joe's, for those who don't remember, was Mike Hallatt who bought a lot of Trader Joe's food and sold it on 4th Street in Vancouver. Hallatt didn't even have to "scuff the shoes" to get the Trader Joe's food across the border.
RIP Pirate Joe's is no more
Trump identified duties as tariffs and as "massive," even though the U.S. benefits from the policy. Canadians spend money in the United States on local businesses and locations of national businesses, and Trump thinks that is bad. Some Canadians may have cut back on those trips thanks to the hostility in the United States, but that isn't what is angering him.
"We can no longer be the stupid country; we want to be the smart country." Donald Trump really said this. Understanding the difference between tariffs and duties and knowing when money is spent in a country: these would be smart traits.
Most Canadians aren't in a practical position to take advantage of cross-border shopping. Figure the Maritimes, short of western New Brunswick, have no U.S. contact. Southern Canadians from the Cascades to Thunder Bay, Ontario have no major shopping areas outside of perhaps Fargo and Spokane. Those in southwestern British Columbia, southern Ontario and Quebec make up the majority of cross-border shoppers.
Those shoppers deal with a 20% currency disadvantage versus the U.S. dollar, lost time, and dealing with customs (with or without scuffed shoes) all to buy U.S. products on U.S. soil. This makes the Trump temper tantrum all the more confusing. Those Canadians deserve a thank you for making significant financial contributions to the American economy.
The beauty of Pirate Joe's was that people in Vancouver could buy desired U.S. products without having to leave Canada. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court ruling bringing the case back to the district court. The problem stemmed from not being able to afford to fight the appeals.
Donald Trump admits what we've known: he makes up facts on trade with Canada
Americans should appreciate that Canadians do as much shopping as they do in the United States as they do. They might learn a bit more over this aspect of Canadians thanks to this story. Someone besides me on the U.S. side needs to understand this as part of the Canada-U.S. relationship. The tariffs, trade battles, and difficult NAFTA negotiations are detracting away from a normally natural welcoming relationship between these two countries.
photos credit: me; This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Posted at 07:00 AM in border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, Donald Trump, trade, travel, U.S. politics, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: border crossings, British Columbia, buy gas, buy shoes, Canada, Canadian dollar, Canadians, cross border shopping, currency, customs, Donald Trump, duties, Fargo, groceries, Maritimes, Mike Hallatt, NAFTA, New Brunswick, Ontario, Pirate Joe's, Quebec, same-day trip, scuff the shoes, smart country, Spokane, stupid country, tariffs, Thunder Bay, Trader Joe's, U.S. dollar, United States, Vancouver
2018 NHL notebook: Saying goodbye to Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin
Like 4 other Canadian NHL teams, the Vancouver Canucks won't be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This means the end of the careers of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.
The final game in Edmonton was a bit anti-climatic compared to the Thursday night heroics in Vancouver. The Canucks game in Edmonton was filled with flashbacks and memories of the twins from draft day until the final game.
Special thanks to Rogers for putting the final Vancouver home game on Rogers Sportsnet 360. And thanks to NHL Center Ice for putting the game in the primary HD channel. They showed quite a bit of the postgame celebration after Daniel Sedin shot the game-winning goal in overtime with an assist from his brother, Henrik Sedin. A fitting end to their last game in Vancouver.
We normally don't endorse a local announcer calling a late game on CBC but we make an obvious exception for John Shorthouse to call the last Sedins game. Since Louie DeBrusk is a studio analyst for the Edmonton Oilers during the week, there was balance.
The Sedin twins were champions in their 17-year career. They didn't win a Stanley Cup in great part due to a huge referee bias toward Boston in 2011. As the stories go, no matter the situation, Daniel and Henrik Sedin were accountable every time, all the time.
Vancouver Canucks fans know what they will miss about the Sedins. NHL fans will miss them in ways they might not realize. Great talent on the ice, greater people off the ice.
We saw their children in the benches for the final game. Athletes and other famous people often say they are retiring to spend more time with their families. In the case of Daniel and Henrik, they are probably telling the truth.
Sedins thank you letter
The NHL Network held fairly firm to keeping the Montréal-Toronto battle on its schedule. Given the NHL Center Ice free preview, and games of importance for the playoffs, we have no issue with the last-minute switch.
From an anecdotal viewpoint, we never got a technical NHL Center Ice preview as much as a MLB Extra Innings preview. The Friday and Saturday games were in a mode (thanks Xfinity) where you can watch the games only if you tape them but the fast forward is clunky.
The 2017-2018 NHL Center Ice free previews were the worst by far since we've monitored them. Only a week in the beginning, a sneaky mid-season preview during the Olympics that also featured the clunky part, and an end of season where things got clunky at the end.
#AlainVigneault is a very fine coach and should find a home soon in @NHL. There are a few Canadian teams that could have an interest in him.
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) April 8, 2018
The New York Rangers said goodbye to Alain Vigneault Saturday night. While the Rangers needed a change, Vigneault has proven himself to be a great coach. As the Sedins know very well, Vigneault came so close to winning the Stanley Cup for Vancouver in 2011.
The NHL went the entire season before a coach got fired. There are a few Canadian teams that might change coaches. Vigneault is available and very bilingual. Let's see if there is a match.
The Rogers pregame and the show open were devoted to those in Humboldt, SK dealing with an unbelievable tragedy with a bus crash that impacted the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team.
Rogers Sportsnet also ran the vigil Sunday night in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
Cassie Campbell-Pascall got one last chance in the booth for Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night. Campbell-Pascall has been the primary fill-in colour analyst for the Flames when she wasn't at the 2018 Olympics. We will see more of Campbell-Pascall as an analyst in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, though we aren't sure if the U.S. audience will even get the Rogers Sportsnet feed for this series.
CBC promos in the final week of the season aren't typically that insightful. This is part of the compensation deal for running NHL games without a drop in ad revenue.
We got 6 CBC promos in the early game. For the second week in a row, we only got 4 CBC promos in the late game. Neither week felt like an accident to not have the full allotment of 6 promos.
The Rick Mercer Report was the series finale that airs tonight on CBC television. The Stream CBC TV app continues to get a lot of love.
Early game: Rick Mercer Report; CBC TV app (1st); Schitt's Creek; Workin' Moms (2nd); Rick Mercer Report; CBC TV app (3rd)
Late game: Rick Mercer Report (1st); CBC TV app; Schitt's Creek (2nd); Workin' Moms (3rd)
photo credit: Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
Posted at 07:00 AM in British Columbia, cable TV U.S., Canadian society, CBC (sports), NHL, Rogers Sportsnet | Permalink | Comments (2)
Tags: 2011 Stanley Cup, 2018 Olympics, Alain Vigneault, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, CBC, CBC promo, CBC TV app, Daniel Sedin, Edmonton, Edmonton Oilers, Henrik Sedin, Hockey Night in Canada, Humboldt, Humboldt Broncos, Humboldt vigil, John Shorthouse, junior hockey, Louie DeBrusk, MLB Extra Innings, Montreal Canadiens, NHL, NHL Center Ice, NHL Center Ice free preview, NHL Network, Rick Mercer Report, Rogers, Rogers Sportsnet 360, Saskatchewan, Schitt's Creek, Sedin twins, Sedins, Stanley Cup playoffs, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Workin' Moms, Xfinity
Top 10 Canadian travel stories of 2017 (so far)
Canada 150 is going strong. The Canadian dollar has risen a bit with a falling U.S. dollar but the exchange rate is still at about 20% in favour of the American tourist.
Perhaps you are on vacation in Canada right now. If not, why aren't you in Canada?
The free admission to national parks has certainly helped increase interest. In the first 7 months, more than 14 million have gone to national parks and historic sites, up 12% from the same time period in 2016. The increase is more than 1.5 million visitors.
Point Pelee in southwestern Ontario has seen a 66% spike over the same time from last year. Prince Edward Island National Park is up 37%.
We thought we would look back at some of our best travel-related stories in 2017:
Barack Obama takes in Montreal
U.S. presidents do go to Canada (some of them anyway) but they don't get to stay long or take time to appreciate what Canada has to offer.
The former president gave a speech at the Palais des congrès before the Montréal Chamber of Commerce. President Obama also took some time to hang out with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Liverpool House.
Obama even wished Montréal "bon anniversaire" for the city's 375th birthday.
The two leaders enjoyed oysters and lobster spaghetti as well as local fare such as smoked trout, asparagus, rib steak, halibut, and morel mushrooms.
Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spent part of this summer in North Hatley in Quebec's Eastern Townships.
Come From Away wins a single Tony award for best direction
The awareness of Newfoundland has significantly increased in the last year or so thanks to Come From Away. Even with only a single Tony Award, the cast performed a song during the 2017 Tony Awards.
We even talked about a potential tour of Newfoundland destinations from The Shipping News in New Bonaventure to Gander, the site of the play. You can see where Newfoundland films were made from The Grand Seduction to Rare Birds.
If you want to see location shots from Republic of Doyle (now on Netflix), St. John's has plenty of shots, including the exterior of the Doyles' bar. There is a real bar on the inside with outstanding gravy.
The trip is a long distance from everywhere and the climate may not be warm, but the area will bring a lot of good travel memories.
Anne with an E makes Netflix debut
Prince Edward Island. Potatoes. Red soil. Mussels. Anne of Green Gables.
The updated series that aired on CBC and Netflix has been renewed for a second season. Though most of the show is not shot in PEI, the show should be inspiration to explore the land that inspired the great novel.
I do share my travel memories of the island in the travel story as well. Try the Cows ice cream. Mmmmm. Extra butterfat.
Day 2 for Kelly and Ryan in Niagara Falls: Howie Mandel and Nathan Fillion
Day 1 for Kelly and Ryan in Niagara Falls: Justin Trudeau and Tatiana Maslany
Niagara Falls is barely in Canada but Live with Kelly and Ryan did spend a couple of days on the Canadian side of the falls. The show did travel to Two Sisters Vineyards at Niagara-on-the-Lake where Americans saw a 20-year-old legally drinking. That felt Canadian.
Use Niagara Falls as a jumping off point to explore the southern Ontario region, even if that only involves vineyards. Stratford is a bit more than 2 hours away and Toronto is only a couple of hours away.
Washington Post travel section celebrates going to Canada
The Washington Post got into the spirit of Canada 150 and free admission to national parks to produce 5 significant travel stories for the newspaper.
If you aren't able to travel where you want to go in Canada, these articles would prove to be a fine resource well after Canada 150.
Canadian tourism ads from 2017 winter NHL Center Ice free preview
We cover a lot of Canadian ads during MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice free previews. The winter break had so many tourism-related ads that we created a separate story. The ads were summer-related including the polar bears in Churchill. I had a friend who was just up there this summer. Her polar bear pictures were beautiful.
The collection includes Manitoba, Edmonton, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Ontario refugees was more about how welcoming the province is to new arrivals.
CFL travels have sent me to every league city
Summer travel may be over soon but traveling for the CFL is almost at the halfway point. I've been to every CFL city as well as Moncton for Touchdown Atlantic.
Coming from downtown Montréal, getting to Molson Stadium is a bit of a climb, but the views are really amazing at the Alouettes home stadium. Trains take you right to the stadiums in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Walking to old and now new Mosaic Stadium is a reasonably short walk in downtown Regina. Buses take you right to the stadiums in Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Ottawa. Toronto requires a streetcar and a healthy walk or a GO train and a relatively short walk.
However you get there, you have a lot of good options to take in a CFL game this fall.
Where to visit Canada in 2017
All Canada national parks are free in 2017
Things have been fairly smooth in Banff National Park other than a few wildfire-related problems. Banff was expected to be crowded with the free admission for 2017. The scenery is absolutely off the charts. If you go in 2018 and the parks are no longer free, you will get a lot of beauty for the admission price.
The BC wildfires have caused a lot of damage in people and property. Was glad to get to Tofino last year in between the years of extreme wildfires.
You had and have a lot of choices for national parks in Canada. And there is still plenty of beauty remaining this year.
Tofino: an escape within Vancouver Island
This is a bonus article since this first ran on December 28 but you might not have read it until 2017. Tofino offered a true escape inside a rainforest. Surfing in wetsuits is a major activity. You can find plenty of places for relaxing nature and then fish tacos for sustenance.
You can find all our travel coverage here.
photos credit: me; Obama Foundation; me; Live with Kelly and Ryan; Prince Edward Island tourism; Parks Canada; me
Posted at 07:00 AM in Alberta, border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian society, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, trade, travel, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 2017 Tony Awards, American tourist, Anne of Green Gables, Anne with an E, asparagus, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, butterfat, Calgary, Canada, Canada 150, Canada travel, Canadian ads, Canadian dollar, Canadian tourism, Canadian travel, CBC, CFL, Churchill, Come From Away, Cows ice cream, Discovery pass, Eastern Townships, Edmonton, exchange rate, fish tacos, Gander, gravy, halibut, Hamilton, Hillary Clinton, historic sites, Howie Mandel, Joe Beef, Justin Trudeau, Live with Kelly and Ryan, Liverpool House, lobster spaghetti, Manitoba, MLB Extra Innings, Molson Stadium, Moncton, Montreal, Montreal Chamber of Commerce, morel mushrooms, Mosaic Stadium, mussels, Nathan Fillion, national parks, Netflix, New Bonaventure, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, NHL Center Ice, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, North Hatley, Obama Foundation, Ottawa, oysters, Palais des congrès, Point Pelee, polar bear, polar bears, potatoes, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, President Clinton, President Obama, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister Trudeau, Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island National Park, Prince Edward Island tourism; Parcs Canada, Quebec, rainforest, Rare Birds, red soil, Regina, Republic of Doyle, rib steak, smoked trout, southwestern Ontario, St. John's, Stratford, surfing, Tatiana Maslany, The Grand Seduction, The Shipping News, The Washington Post, Tofino, Tony award, Tonys, Toronto, Touchdown Atlantic, Two Sisters Vineyards, U.S. dollar, vacation, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Washington Post, wetsuits, Winnipeg
British Columbia transitions power from Liberals to NDP with Greens help
Time and patience were needed when dealing with the 2017 British Columbia election. NDP Leader John Horgan showed a lot of patience and eventually became the new premier of the province.
The May 9 election followed by recounts left us with a 43-41-3 mark. The Liberals had the first shot of forming government. Christy Clark had key points from the NDP and Green Party in the Throne Speech. The vote on those measures was defeated in a party-line vote.
Parliamentary tradition calls for the premier — Clark — to approach Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon. Guichon had options: dissolve the legislature, which would kick in a new election, or see if Horgan could form a new government. Clark said she wouldn't ask the lieutenant governor to dissolve Parliament, then changed her mind and did so. Guichon gave the whole matter considerable thought and ultimately decided to have Horgan (right) form a government.
'The Daily Show' take on PM Harper's request to prorogue Parliament
We should probably explain a few details for non-Canadians as well as those Canadians who weren't paying attention in school. The Lieutenant Governor (pronounced left-ten-ant) is the Queen's representative in the provinces, similar to the Governor General for the federal government. You might remember in 2008 when the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois wanted to form a coalition government, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper convinced Governor General Michaëlle Jean to prorogue Parliament. After the Parliament came back, Harper and the Conservatives had a minority government and stayed in power.
The Speaker of the House takes on a very different tone in Canada. The speaker comes from the majority party yet is considered neutral and only votes in case of a tie. Clark challenged the idea of the NDP-Greens coalition on the grounds that a speaker would have to come from their side and having the speaker vote on almost every bill would be a burden.
A most recent example happened in New Brunswick in 2003 when the Conservative government had a single-seat majority. The Speaker, also a Conservative, often was the deciding voter in favour of the government.
BC elects Liberal minority government for the moment
The Green Party under Andrew Weaver will wield a certain amount of power in the new BC government, but in a a bit of a surprise, no Green Party will serve in the government cabinet.
Horgan is the premier-designate, so Clark is still serving as premier until the swearing in of the new premier. The new government will recall the legislature after Labour Day.
Clark is set to be the opposition leader. Normally, the losing party considers a leadership shuffle. The Liberals in British Columbia might be an exception since the new government may not last a long time.
2017 British Columbia provincial election preview
2017 Canadian politics preview
Christy Clark becomes the answer to a trivia question "Name the first female premier to be re-elected?" Her reign after re-election will be about a couple of months.
Rachel Notley (Alberta) is toward the beginning of her first term while Kathleen Wynne (Ontario) will be up for re-election in 2018. Notley and Wynne are the only current female premiers in Canada.
photo credit: Mike McArthur/CBC
Posted at 07:00 AM in British Columbia, Canadian politics, Canadian society, trade | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 2017 British Columbia election, Alberta, Andrew Weaver, Bloc Quebecois, British Columbia, British Columbia election, Canadian politics, Christy Clark, coalition government, Governor General, Green Party, John Horgan, Judith Guichon, Kathleen Wynne, Labour Day, Liberal Party, Liberals, Lieutenant Governor, Michaëlle Jean, minority government, NDP, New Brunswick, Ontario, opposition leader, Parliament, party-line vote, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, prorogue Parliament, Queen's representative, Rachel Notley, Speaker of the House, Stephen Harper, Throne Speech
Pirate Joe's, the Vancouver store that carried Trader Joe's in a country where Trader Joe's has not gone, has come to a close. Trader Joe's had sued the Vancouver store in 2013. That suit was dismissed by a Washington-state court.
Late last summer, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court ruling bringing the case back to the district court.
The store didn't go down because business was bad or the store couldn't win in court. The problem stemmed from not being able to afford to fight the battle. That doesn't seem very piratey, but litigation costs are a factor even if you think you are innocent.
The location that I recall at 2348 W. 4th Avenue had a bit of poetry because the store was close by the Whole Foods at 2285 W. 4th Avenue. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have a bit of overlap in competing in the United States. The 4th Avenue location was also across from a Safeway as you can tell in the reflections in my pictures. The store had to relocate to 3744 W. 10th Avenue in 2016 because the building was sold off.
Canadian Trader Joe's lovers can get fix in Vancouver
Mike Hallatt fought an amazing fight against a large corporation. That makes the fall of Pirate Joe's that much more shocking.
Hallatt's point, besides making a legal stand and some money, was for Trader Joe's to come to Canada. While the success of Pirate Joe's didn't change the company's mind, the closure of the store reduces the pressure on the company to have Canadian locations.
Hallatt had been banned by Trader Joe's in Bellingham, Washington, the nearest city with Trader Joe's stores to Vancouver. He got around that by paying people to shop at Trader Joe's and bringing him back the groceries.
So if people in Vancouver could buy Trader Joe's food in Bellingham, why would there be a need for Pirate Joe's? The drive is about an hour, not counting customs either way. Some foods can't be brought into Canada so the focus was more on dry goods. Hallatt did charge extra but transportation costs and store rent play their role. The markup made sense for a lot of Pirate Joe fans.
Unfortunately, the closing of the store means the issue of reselling won't be settled in United States or Canadian law.
Pirate Joe's was a way to get an average person to draw the attention of a corporation. Trader Joe's has many fans in Vancouver as Pirate Joe's clearly proved. The question is whether those in Vancouver can someday get Trader Joe's products on their side of the border.
map credit: Google
Posted at 07:00 AM in border crossings, British Columbia, Canadian society, food/drink, trade, U.S. politics, U.S. society | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Bellingham, Canada, grocery store, Mike Hallatt, Pirate Joe's, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Vancouver, Washington, Washington state, Whole Foods


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Next:SUDAN: The Missiles Are On The Way
Procurement: What Afghans Love About Russia
May 24, 2012: The U.S. Department of Defense has agreed to obtain another ten Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan, as part of American military aid. The U.S. has already bought, upgraded, and delivered over fifty Russian Mi-17s to Afghanistan. The Russian choppers have Western electronics installed and are often rebuilt to make them more reliable and durable.
Afghans prefers Mi-17s because they are familiar and cheap. The cost of these Mi-17s varies widely. Some second hand ones from Eastern European nations cost less than a million dollars each. Iraq recently obtained 22 Mi-17 helicopters from Russia for about $3.7 million each. At one point the U.S. bought 24 refurbished Mi-17s for $4.4 million each. The most expensive purchase was for 22 Mi-17s equipped for night operations and with American electronics. These cost nearly $15 million each.
Afghans prefer the Mi-17, as they have used Russian helicopters for decades. The Mi-17 is the export version of the Mi-8, a twin-engine helicopter roughly equivalent to the U.S. UH-1. But the Mi-8/17 is still in production and is the most widely exported (3,000 out of 12,000 made) helicopter on the planet.
For many bargain conscious nations, Russian helicopters are preferred. In particular, the Mi-8 and Mi-17 are still in big demand. This chopper is about twice the size and weight of the UH-1 but only hauls about 50 percent more cargo. However, the Mi-8 has a larger interior and can carry 24 troops, versus a dozen in the UH-1. The UH-1 was replaced by the UH-60 in the 1980s, while the Mi-8 just kept adding better engines and electronics to the basic Mi-8 frame. But the UH-60, while weighing twice as much as the 4.8 ton UH-1, could carry as much as the 12 ton Mi-8. However, the Mi-8 costs about half as much as a UH-60 and the larger interior is popular with many users. If you want mobility for the least cost you get the Mi-17. Many peacekeeping and humanitarian operations go for the Mi-17, which can be leased from Eastern European firms, complete with maintenance crews and English speaking pilots.
KOREA: Dead Men Walking
SUDAN: The Missiles Are On The Way
Procurement: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Plymouth Board of Public Works & Safety Approve Purchase of Vehicles
Updated at 3:40 am on March 8, 2022
During the last Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety meeting a recommendation on the bids for vehicles for the Water Department and Wastewater Department was presented by Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson.
Oliver Ford Lincoln and Auto Park Buick GMC submitted bids for the vehicles.
Davidson recommended the low bid of Oliver Ford for the Water Department truck. The low bid was $34,310.
For the Wastewater Department the bidding is "different," according to Davidson. Initially the bid from the Auto Park for a Chevy Silverado was the low bid at $131,134.25 and the F250 was $31,573. Davidson said while reviewing the specifications he discovered three items that the Silverado bid had left out. Using the aftermarket pricing for those items made the Silverado bid higher than the Ford. Davidson said they prefer not to use aftermarket items, so the Ford bid had everything in the specifications and his recommendation was to accept the bid from Oliver Ford for the F-250 for $31,573.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety approved the recommendation of Superintendent Davidson for the vehicle purchases.
The Board of Public Works also opened the only quote for a new Fire Chief's Vehicle. Oliver Ford was the only company to submit a quote. They quoted a 2022 Ford Expedition SSB. The manufacturer's suggested retail price was $54,320 and the City of Plymouth price was $43,490. Oliver Ford offered $10,000 for a 1998 International trade-in bringing the net price to $33,490.
Chief Holm's recommendation was to accept the only quote which was well within the budget and move forward with it.
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved after the bid is reviewed by the City Attorney.


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Posts Tagged 'analysis'
Hem – Half Acre – Analysis of a perfect thing
I often suffer from a common malady amongst composers, the illusion that complexity can make a weak idea stronger. Or perhaps make up for a deficiency in structure. Maybe it stems from the thinking that if you impress someone's ear with something complex, they will be so wowed by your sophistication that they'll figure that the music MUST be good. If they don't like the music, surely that's THEIR deficiency.
From now on, whenever I start to feel like I'm adding crunchy harmonies or complex rhythms to dress up a goat (not that there's anything wrong with goats… or dressing them), I'm going to take a few minutes to listen to Hem's magnificently sparse masterpiece, Half Acre. It is, I dare say, a perfect thing.
Here. Listen.
Is that NOT perfect? (If you don't think so, you can feel just free to skip to some other blog.)
So… what's going on here? I took some time to identify the key elements that make up this piece, focusing on the core of the song, the melodic and harmonic gestures that make this piece work.
The piece is quite sparse and made of of a few static elements. First there's an ostinato figure on a distant piano that continues for the entirety of the song (taking a couple of beats of rest at a few cadential breaths).
Ostinato
[audio:http://musicvstheater.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ostinato.mp3|titles=Ostinato]
Pretty clear C tonality, major or minor is unclear.
Then the harmonic backbone comes in underneath the ostinato:
Section A backbone
Expansive open fifths with a fast, fast, slow harmonic rhythm, landing squarely on a C tonality in the second half of each measure, clearly C major with the A and E naturals. There's no attempt at any sort of voice leading, just sound, sound, sound.
At the same time, a mandolin comes in with an easy, lilting line in a pentatonic C, avoiding F and B. (I'd argue that this isn't really a core structural element but it does add to the character of the piece):
Mandolin line
[audio:http://musicvstheater.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Intro.mp3|titles=Intro]
And finally the real melody begins with the utterly gorgeous voice of Sally Ellyson.
Section A Melody
[audio:http://musicvstheater.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A-Section.mp3|titles=A Section]
It's sparse and gorgeous, wringing expression from a reach to the sixth scale degree (A to G) and then a fall from either the major third or the blues third (E to C or Eb to C). Note the change in harmony and harmonic rhythm in the last two measures. The pace of the harmonic changes is slowed by half and we hear the seventh scale degree for the first time, a flatted seventh in the backbone, the characteristic modal sound of much folk music. These two measures are both a cadential pause and a foreshadowing of musical material to come.
At this point the stage is set for what I think is the real magic of the piece, the transition into the B section, the material that takes this from a pretty little song to something unspeakably beautiful. It starts with a restatement of the A section, same ostinato same harmonic backbone, but when it gets to those last two measures, where before we took a cadential pause, the melody breaks out into new heights:
[audio:http://musicvstheater.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/B-Section.mp3|titles=B Section]
Gah! It gets me every frickin time. It's magic! What makes this work? There's the big seventh leap to a whole other register of her voice (stunning in any register), and this is the first time the melody has that flatted seventh (Bb) which was only teased at in the initial statement of the A section. But for me, the thing that really makes a difference is the slowing down of that harmonic rhythm. The open fifths in the bass are held for every two beats now as opposed to changing each beat, which makes the whole thing open up and feel vast and expansive.
Some melodic details worth pointing out, the G in 'every' in the first measure is the first real accented dissonance in the entire piece and it feels like so much heartache, landing right on beat three, emphasizing the slowed down chord changes. The B section consists of the same two measure melody repeated three times. And on that third time there's a variation, a reach up to the appoggiatura D on 'night', which is the climax of this section (and the song). Then there's another cadential breath, which parallels the last two measures of the initial A statement.
It's worth noting that melodically, everything in this song moves by either leap or by whole step. The only time we see half steps at all is the slide from the bluesy Eb to D on the way to C and that's more of a gesture than a melodic idea. In the melody, there are NO leading tones and NO ascending half steps. Nowhere. Not once. There is, however, one pseudo leading tone harmonically, the A in the bass that finishes each two bar phrase and leads into the Bb that starts each phrase that keeps the motion going throughout the section.
That's the core of the song. There are certainly many other observations that could be made about the orchestration of the piece, the Es in the cello that sail through every other measure of the B section (1:10), the magical addition of the celeste with the piano playing the fifths an octave higher during the final verse (2:17), the beautiful descending piano scale that brings us into the final B section(2:46). But these are more production/arrangement decisions and not so much compositional ideas. The guts of this piece are a pure exercise in restraint, proportion, and making the right moments count. Certainly something worth considering when trying to write music that people respond to.
Tags: analysis, half acre, Hem, simplicity
Essays and Analysis, Listen to this...


text:
Tiziana Filippini, a renowed Reggio Emilia Educator, speaks to an audience in the Faculty of Education as her Reggio Emilia colleague, Laura Rubizzi, listens.
Think of a child as 'full of intelligence' Reggio Emilia educators encourage U of M audience
Use documentation to guide understanding of learning process, they urge attendees
Two world-renowned Reggio Emilia educators encouraged an audience at the U of M recently to believe in the intelligence of "the whole child" and to strive to empower children in order to empower schools, parents and the community.
Attendees were engaged early on during the April 22 evening lecture, when the presenters showed a video of a nine-month-old boy, Antonio, in one of the Reggio Emilia infant centres, as he "discovered" the various sounds that could be made by drumsticks—on cymbals, the floor and other objects. Antonio alternately tapped on the instruments and listened to the sounds and vibrations that occurred—a learning approach that caused ripples of laughter throughout the audience but also served to inspire the crowd.
Audience members were then asked to discuss their own interpretations of what they saw.
Tiziana Filippini
"What does Antonio have to tell us?" asked lecturer Tiziana Filippini, who was a pedagogista at an Istituzione Infant Toddler Centres and Preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, for 20 years and was also a contributor to the production of "The Hundred Languages of Children" exhibit that travelled around the globe. (The Reggio Emilia approach is a philosophy of education focused on early childhood and the idea that views young children as competent and capable of developing their own theories. It takes a child-centred and child-led approach to learning.)
The audience, which included many from Manitoba's educational community, from early childhood educators to educational partners and faculty, made various suggestions from Antonio's need to show others what he was learning, to his reactions to the sound.
Filippini said the most important takeaway is to look at the child and find out how he or she learns. "We need to learn from the children," she said, adding, "Who they are, and how they learn from each other."
Filippini and Laura Rubizzi, pedagogistas (specialists in the theory of education) recently spent a week in Winnipeg touring early childhood centres and schools and spoke to two different audiences on pedagogical documentation at the U of M's Faculty of Education.
The afternoon event on April 22 concerned "the role of the pedagogista," while the evening event that same day looked at "pedagogical documentation and the presentation of an investigation."
Filippini urged educators to start with the image of the child as one that is "full of potentiality" and to think of children as little persons who come into the world "with a lot of intelligence."
"We shouldn't waste this intelligence."
She also pointed out that often, educators simplify the environment for little ones when instead, complexity is often what's needed to allow children to think and learn.
Rubizzi, who worked as a teacher at the Diana Municipal Preschool in Reggio Emilia for over three decades and collaborated with Professor Loris Malaguzzi (founder of the Reggio Emilia philosophy) to help publicize his teaching theories, showed the evening audience a video of a new class of three-year-olds.
Laura Rubizzi
The video shows how, little by little, over a course of a few weeks, the class became a community as she and other teachers encouraged them to work together to build roads and an entire town out of clay for their toy cars.
Rubizzi spoke of the importance of not only taking parents' view of how their children are doing, but also trying to get to know the children "directly," by observing them carefully and taking documentation of what she observed.
The children in the class are encouraged to take the initiative in terms of what they are learning each day, she said. While the teacher might have certain plans, sometimes the day ends up very differently, Rubizzi said. She showed a video of a day two boys were playing with cars and making imaginary roads. The racetrack was "so appealing" that other children joined in and the teacher then encouraged the development of this imaginary racetrack, getting all of the children involved in working together to make roads of paper and later, of clay.
"As a teacher, in your mind you want to bring children together to be a group, a community," said Rubizzi. She encouraged careful daily observation and documentation of the children's development in order to guide their education.
Bringing Reggio Emilia to Winnipeg
The Italian visitors said they enjoyed the University of Manitoba and their visit to Winnipeg.
"The passion of the people we met is unbelievable. We really could develop a very nice dialogue and exchange," said Filippini.
Wayne Serebrin, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education who organized the event, said he was pleased with the turnout of so many from Manitoba's early childhood education community.
"I think it speaks to the spirit of what has been happening in Manitoba for quite some time now," said Serebrin. He noted that there is a strong grassroots interest in Reggio Emilia among teachers in Manitoba, which began with a conference in 2009 and the development of the Manitoba Reggio-Inspired Coalition of Educators and included many events over the years, culminating in the April 22 event with the Italian educators.
"We have elementary teachers thinking and working together, and I think that's really important."
Allison Dunfield
Faculty to host forums on assessment in education
The Faculty of Education is hosting two online forums on assessment—the first on Jan. 26 and the second Feb. 24.
The Conversation: Restraining and secluding students with disabilities is an urgent human rights issue
UM researches find schools using physical restraint and seclusion spaces, further marginalizing children with disabilities
Faculty of Education, Research and International, The Conversation
New CRC Chair hopes to make organizations more welcoming to LGBT2Q community
Now that he has been named Canada Research Chair in queer, community, and diversity education, Robert Mizzi, associate professor at U of M's Faculty of Education, aims to confront issues like these and make positive cultural changes in organizations nationwide.
Connect with the Faculty of Education
Contact the Faculty of Education
Email: education@umanitoba.ca
Faculty of Education, Office of the Dean
230 Education Building
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada


This fellow is Scottsdale, Arizona born and raised. He offers a soft color palette and simple look for those minimalism lovers, and is sure to cozy up any space in your home! He's handsome as a stand alone wall print, and also pairs nicely with some other friends in the shop (see suggestions below)!


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Travel Guide 2 > Europe > UK > Places of Interest > Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is a historic astronomical observatory in Greenwich, which is in East London.
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich was commissioned by King Charles II in 1675. It subsequently went on to make many contributions to science during its long history.
The site was important for astronomical work (which of course had maritime applications), and was where the Prime Meridian (the basis of longitude) was established in 1851, and agreed upon by an international conference in 1884. Additionally, until 1954, Greenwich Meantime (GMT), which is now known as "Universal Time", was calculated based on observations from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
For more information about the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, please visit the official website:
Official website: More Info about the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
National Maritime Museum
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text:
Release Process
====================

## Branch updates

### Before every release candidate

* ( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Update translations see [translation_process.md](https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core/blob/master/doc/translation_process.md#synchronising-translations).
* Update manpages, see [gen-manpages.sh](https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core/blob/master/contrib/devtools/README.md#gen-manpagessh).
* Update release candidate version in `configure.ac` (`CLIENT_VERSION_RC`).

### Before every major and minor release

* ( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Update [bips.md](bips.md) to account for changes since the last release (don't forget to bump the version number on the first line).
* Update version in `configure.ac` (don't forget to set `CLIENT_VERSION_RC` to `0`).
* Write release notes (see "Write the release notes" below).

### Before every major release

( **These are handled by upstream Bitcoin Core, not Namecoin.** )

* On both the master branch and the new release branch:
  - update `CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR` in [`configure.ac`](../configure.ac)
* On the new release branch in [`configure.ac`](../configure.ac)(see [this commit](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/commit/742f7dd)):
  - set `CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR` to `0`
  - set `CLIENT_VERSION_BUILD` to `0`
  - set `CLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE` to `true`

#### Before branch-off

* Update hardcoded [seeds](/contrib/seeds/README.md), see [this pull request](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/7415) for an example.
* Update [`src/chainparams.cpp`](/src/chainparams.cpp) m_assumed_blockchain_size and m_assumed_chain_state_size with the current size plus some overhead (see [this](#how-to-calculate-assumed-blockchain-and-chain-state-size) for information on how to calculate them).
* Update [`src/chainparams.cpp`](/src/chainparams.cpp) chainTxData with statistics about the transaction count and rate. Use the output of the `getchaintxstats` RPC, see
  [this pull request](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/20263) for an example. Reviewers can verify the results by running `getchaintxstats <window_block_count> <window_final_block_hash>` with the `window_block_count` and `window_final_block_hash` from your output.
* Update `src/chainparams.cpp` nMinimumChainWork and defaultAssumeValid (and the block height comment) with information from the `getblockheader` (and `getblockhash`) RPCs.
  - The selected value must not be orphaned so it may be useful to set the value two blocks back from the tip.
  - Testnet should be set some tens of thousands back from the tip due to reorgs there.
  - This update should be reviewed with a reindex-chainstate with assumevalid=0 to catch any defect
     that causes rejection of blocks in the past history.
- Clear the release notes and move them to the wiki (see "Write the release notes" below).
- ( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Translations on Transifex
    - Create [a new resource](https://www.transifex.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/content/) named after the major version with the slug `[bitcoin.qt-translation-<RRR>x]`, where `RRR` is the major branch number padded with zeros. Use `src/qt/locale/bitcoin_en.xlf` to create it.
    - In the project workflow settings, ensure that [Translation Memory Fill-up](https://docs.transifex.com/translation-memory/enabling-autofill) is enabled and that [Translation Memory Context Matching](https://docs.transifex.com/translation-memory/translation-memory-with-context) is disabled.
    - Update the Transifex slug in [`.tx/config`](/.tx/config) to the slug of the resource created in the first step. This identifies which resource the translations will be synchronized from.
    - Make an announcement that translators can start translating for the new version. You can use one of the [previous announcements](https://www.transifex.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/announcements/) as a template.
    - Change the auto-update URL for the resource to `master`, e.g. `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/master/src/qt/locale/bitcoin_en.xlf`. (Do this only after the previous steps, to prevent an auto-update from interfering.)

#### After branch-off (on the major release branch)

- Update the versions.
- Create a pinned meta-issue for testing the release candidate (see [this issue](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/17079) for an example) and provide a link to it in the release announcements where useful.
- ( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Translations on Transifex
    - Change the auto-update URL for the new major version's resource away from `master` and to the branch, e.g. `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/<branch>/src/qt/locale/bitcoin_en.xlf`. Do not forget this or it will keep tracking the translations on master instead, drifting away from the specific major release.

#### Before final release

- Merge the release notes from the wiki into the branch.
- Ensure the "Needs release note" label is removed from all relevant pull requests and issues.

#### Tagging a release (candidate)

To tag the version (or release candidate) in git, use the `make-tag.py` script from [bitcoin-maintainer-tools](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-maintainer-tools). From the root of the repository run:

    ../bitcoin-maintainer-tools/make-tag.py nc(new version, e.g. 0.20.0)

This will perform a few last-minute consistency checks in the build system files, and if they pass, create a signed tag.

## Building

### First time / New builders

Install Guix using one of the installation methods detailed in
[contrib/guix/INSTALL.md](/contrib/guix/INSTALL.md).

Check out the source code in the following directory hierarchy.

    cd /path/to/your/toplevel/build
    git clone https://github.com/namecoin/guix.sigs.git
    #git clone https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-detached-sigs.git # Namecoin doesn't use detached sigs yet, so don't do this.
    git clone https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core.git

### Write the release notes

( **Not in Namecoin yet.** )

Open a draft of the release notes for collaborative editing at https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-devwiki/wiki.

For the period during which the notes are being edited on the wiki, the version on the branch should be wiped and replaced with a link to the wiki which should be used for all announcements until `-final`.

Generate the change log. As this is a huge amount of work to do manually, there is the `list-pulls` script to do a pre-sorting step based on github PR metadata. See the [documentation in the README.md](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-maintainer-tools/blob/master/README.md#list-pulls).

Generate list of authors:

    git log --format='- %aN' nc(current version, e.g. 0.20.0)..nc(new version, e.g. 0.20.1) | sort -fiu

### Setup and perform Guix builds

Checkout the Namecoin Core version you'd like to build:

```sh
pushd ./namecoin-core
SIGNER='(your builder key, ie JeremyRand, jonasbits, etc)'
VERSION='(new version without nc-prefix, e.g. 0.20.0)'
git fetch "nc${VERSION}"
git checkout "nc${VERSION}"
popd
```

Ensure your guix.sigs are up-to-date if you wish to `guix-verify` your builds
against other `guix-attest` signatures.

```sh
git -C ./guix.sigs pull
```

### Create the macOS SDK tarball: (first time, or when SDK version changes)

Create the macOS SDK tarball, see the [macdeploy
instructions](/contrib/macdeploy/README.md#deterministic-macos-dmg-notes) for
details.

### Build and attest to build outputs:

Follow the relevant Guix README.md sections:
- [Performing a build](/contrib/guix/README.md#performing-a-build)
- [Attesting to build outputs](/contrib/guix/README.md#attesting-to-build-outputs)

### Verify other builders' signatures to your own. (Optional)

Add other builders keys to your gpg keyring, and/or refresh keys: See `../namecoin-core/contrib/builder-keys/README.md`.

Follow the relevant Guix README.md sections:
- [Verifying build output attestations](/contrib/guix/README.md#verifying-build-output-attestations)

### Next steps:

Commit your signature to guix.sigs:

```sh
pushd ./guix.sigs
git add "${VERSION}/${SIGNER}"/noncodesigned.SHA256SUMS{,.asc}
git commit -m "Add attestations by ${SIGNER} for ${VERSION} non-codesigned"
git push  # Assuming you can push to the guix.sigs tree
popd
```

( **Not in Namecoin yet.** )

Codesigner only: Create Windows/macOS detached signatures:
- Only one person handles codesigning. Everyone else should skip to the next step.
- Only once the Windows/macOS builds each have 3 matching signatures may they be signed with their respective release keys.

Codesigner only: Sign the macOS binary:

    transfer bitcoin-osx-unsigned.tar.gz to macOS for signing
    tar xf bitcoin-osx-unsigned.tar.gz
    ./detached-sig-create.sh -s "Key ID"
    Enter the keychain password and authorize the signature
    Move signature-osx.tar.gz back to the guix-build host

Codesigner only: Sign the windows binaries:

    tar xf bitcoin-win-unsigned.tar.gz
    ./detached-sig-create.sh -key /path/to/codesign.key
    Enter the passphrase for the key when prompted
    signature-win.tar.gz will be created

Code-signer only: It is advised to test that the code signature attaches properly prior to tagging by performing the `guix-codesign` step.
However if this is done, once the release has been tagged in the bitcoin-detached-sigs repo, the `guix-codesign` step must be performed again in order for the guix attestation to be valid when compared against the attestations of non-codesigner builds.

Codesigner only: Commit the detached codesign payloads:

```sh
pushd ./namecoin-detached-sigs
# checkout the appropriate branch for this release series
rm -rf ./*
tar xf signature-osx.tar.gz
tar xf signature-win.tar.gz
git add -A
git commit -m "point to ${VERSION}"
git tag -s "nc${VERSION}" HEAD
git push the current branch and new tag
popd
```

Non-codesigners: wait for Windows/macOS detached signatures:

- Once the Windows/macOS builds each have 3 matching signatures, they will be signed with their respective release keys.
- Detached signatures will then be committed to the [namecoin-detached-sigs](https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-detached-sigs) repository, which can be combined with the unsigned apps to create signed binaries.

( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Create (and optionally verify) the codesigned outputs:

- [Codesigning](/contrib/guix/README.md#codesigning)

( **Not in Namecoin yet.** ) Commit your signature for the signed macOS/Windows binaries:

```sh
pushd ./guix.sigs
git add "${VERSION}/${SIGNER}"/all.SHA256SUMS{,.asc}
git commit -m "Add attestations by ${SIGNER} for ${VERSION} codesigned"
git push  # Assuming you can push to the guix.sigs tree
popd
```

### After 3 or more people have guix-built and their results match:

Combine the `all.SHA256SUMS.asc` file from all signers into `SHA256SUMS.asc`:

```bash
cat "$VERSION"/*/all.SHA256SUMS.asc > SHA256SUMS.asc
```

- Upload to the namecoin.org server (`/var/www/bin/namecoin-core-${VERSION}/`):
    1. The contents of each `./namecoin-core/guix-build-${VERSION}/output/${HOST}/` directory, except for
       `*-debug*` files.

       Guix will output all of the results into host subdirectories, but the SHA256SUMS
       file does not include these subdirectories. In order for downloads via torrent
       to verify without directory structure modification, all of the uploaded files
       need to be in the same directory as the SHA256SUMS file.

       The `*-debug*` files generated by the guix build contain debug symbols
       for troubleshooting by developers. It is assumed that anyone that is
       interested in debugging can run guix to generate the files for
       themselves. To avoid end-user confusion about which file to pick, as well
       as save storage space *do not upload these to the namecoin.org server,
       nor put them in the torrent*.

       ```sh
       find guix-build-${VERSION}/output/ -maxdepth 2 -type f -not -name "SHA256SUMS.part" -and -not -name "*debug*" -exec scp {} user@namecoin.org:/var/www/bin/namecoin-core-${VERSION} \;
       ```

    2. The `SHA256SUMS` file

    3. The `SHA256SUMS.asc` combined signature file you just created

( **The following is not in Namecoin yet.** )

- Create a torrent of the `/var/www/bin/namecoin-core-${VERSION}` directory such
  that at the top level there is only one file: the `namecoin-core-${VERSION}`
  directory containing everything else. Name the torrent
  `namecoin-${VERSION}.torrent` (note that there is no `-core-` in this name).

  Optionally help seed this torrent. To get the `magnet:` URI use:

  ```sh
  transmission-show -m <torrent file>
  ```

  Insert the magnet URI into the announcement sent to mailing lists. This permits
  people without access to `namecoin.org` to download the binary distribution.
  Also put it into the `optional_magnetlink:` slot in the YAML file for
  namecoin.org.

- Update other repositories and websites for new version

  - namecoin.org blog post

  - bitcoincore.org maintained versions update:
    [table](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoincore.org/commits/master/_includes/posts/maintenance-table.md)

  - Delete post-EOL [release branches](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/branches/all) and create a tag `v${branch_name}-final`.

  - Delete ["Needs backport" labels](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/labels?q=backport) for non-existing branches.

  - bitcoincore.org RPC documentation update

      - Install [golang](https://golang.org/doc/install)

      - Install the new Bitcoin Core release

      - Run bitcoind on regtest

      - Clone the [bitcoincore.org repository](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoincore.org)

      - Run: `go run generate.go` while being in `contrib/doc-gen` folder, and with bitcoin-cli in PATH

      - Add the generated files to git

  - Update packaging repo

      - Push the flatpak to flathub, e.g. https://github.com/flathub/org.bitcoincore.bitcoin-qt/pull/2

      - Push the snap, see https://github.com/bitcoin-core/packaging/blob/master/snap/build.md

  - This repo

      - Archive the release notes for the new version to `doc/release-notes/` (branch `master` and branch of the release)

      - Create a [new GitHub release](https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core/releases/new) with a link to the archived release notes

- Announce the release:

  - bitcoin-dev and bitcoin-core-dev mailing list

  - Bitcoin Core announcements list https://bitcoincore.org/en/list/announcements/join/

  - Namecoin Twitter https://twitter.com/namecoin

  - Celebrate

### Additional information

#### How to calculate `m_assumed_blockchain_size` and `m_assumed_chain_state_size`

Both variables are used as a guideline for how much space the user needs on their drive in total, not just strictly for the blockchain.
Note that all values should be taken from a **fully synced** node and have an overhead of 5-10% added on top of its base value.

To calculate `m_assumed_blockchain_size`:
- For `mainnet` -> Take the size of the data directory, excluding `/regtest` and `/testnet3` directories.
- For `testnet` -> Take the size of the `/testnet3` directory.

To calculate `m_assumed_chain_state_size`:
- For `mainnet` -> Take the size of the `/chainstate` directory.
- For `testnet` -> Take the size of the `/testnet3/chainstate` directory.

Notes:
- When taking the size for `m_assumed_blockchain_size`, there's no need to exclude the `/chainstate` directory since it's a guideline value and an overhead will be added anyway.
- The expected overhead for growth may change over time, so it may not be the same value as last release; pay attention to that when changing the variables.

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I will be the first mom to say that mommin' ain't easy. I have been blessed to be able to be a step mom for almost three years and now have the privilege of raising one of my own as well. Both roles are difficult in different ways but both are beautiful as well. They don't tell you about the difficult times and the sleepless nights. Maybe they do but in your mind you imagine different. They don't tell you about being so worried about either of them or praying for their future. They don't tell you how deeply and completely your heart will belong to them.
If there is one thing I've learned these last three years and these last two weeks, it's that being a mom should be hard because being a mom means sacrifice. It means giving when you are empty. Loving when you are hurt. Praying when you don't know what to say. And hoping that through it all you can be a light in the darkness and a refuge from the storms in this world. God has reminded me that it is a blessing to be walked out with Him. Time with Him is crucial to not lose your sanity and patience. Prayer is our biggest weapon against the enemy and love covers all.
If there is one thing I've learned…it's that being a mom should be hard because being a mom means sacrifice.
So while there are many days I have cried over these last few years, there are many prayers that have been answered. God continues to guide and show me how to walk along this mom path. Sometimes it's beautiful and sometimes it's just really hard. But at all times, He is God and He is with us. He gives us the strength we need for each day if we let Him.
This verse has resonated with me a great deal recently. I feel like the Lord just kept saying it to me over and over again this past week as my anxiety crept up in the way it usually does. This anxiety is not necessarily due to any one certain thing, but everything–the small and the big. I like to be in control of all aspects of my life, and when I realize I'm not, it can feel so immensely halting. The unknown can feel truly crippling at times. I've struggled to give this control over to God for so long. For too long I've fought this battle by myself, not letting anyone else take control. Especially not the One who wants to take it all from me. I am only so strong.
And as I let this verse from Isaiah settle in my mind and in my heart, I realized I don't need to be afraid anymore. I've struggled with this burden for as long as I can remember and I don't want to fight this battle alone. I don't need to fight this alone. I can keep trying my plan…or I can yield to God. His grace abounds in deepest waters and I feel God's grace most when He settles the storms inside me. I know He can use these struggles to draw us closer to Him and this includes the anxiety we may feel in life.
His grace abounds in deepest waters and I feel God's grace most when He settles the storms inside me.
Admitting I struggle with anxiety has been such a rough battle in itself. Anxiety at it's depths is ugly, and I didn't want to burden others with my struggles. But that's where I'm learning about community as well. I'm slowly growing a community around myself that encourages me to draw closer to God when I feel weak. He will never abandon me when I'm afraid. He knows my struggles and fears, and He holds me anyway.
Take time to rest today in the fact that you are known and pursued by a God who loved you before time began. You don't have to try to be good enough to receive His love. You are enough as you are right now. So often I think we over-complicate God's love. We take what we know here on earth as a broken version of love and try to mimic that relationship with Christ. "If I just try harder, then He will love me." "If I can just clean myself up a bit and look a little better, then He will love me." "After I get through this mess, then He will love me." The truth is that God loves you as you are right now. He takes those broken places and seals them with His love. It says later in this chapter that after we turn from our sin, He makes us into a new vessel. One that is used for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful and ready for every good work. So embrace the truth today that you are enough…because who He is and His love for you is more than enough.
What does the adoration of Christ mean to you in your life? The word adore means to regard with the utmost esteem, to love, to respect and to pay divine honor to or worship. This season, as we approach a time where we reflect on the significance of what Jesus did for us, let's throw aside the expectations and just rest. Rest in who God says you are. Rest in who Christ became for you. Rest in complete adoration of the One who gave it all up in order that we might know Him. True adoration of Christ begins when we throw aside the selfish idea that we can do it all and remind our hearts of how desperately we need a Savior.
I've had Psalm 23 memorized for as long as I can remember. It's one of those Sunday school staples that just seems to nestle itself in your long-term memory.
I have a vivid memory of a family trip to Durango, Colorado when I was in the fourth or fifth grade. We had been hiking all day long in search of a lake at which we would finally bust out our brand new fishing rods. The day ended up being a real bummer because the lake was nowhere to be found and exactly zero fish were caught. On the final stretch when just about all hope was lost, we peaked over a cliff edge to find not the elusive lake but a huge field in the valley of two mountains. It was one of those Sound of Music scenes where the wind is whistling through the grass and if you closed your eyes just right, the sun glares would peak through your eyelashes. Bliss. The feeling of laying down in that field after a day of disappointment is up there on my list of favorite things.
I am sitting in my living room with my coffee in hand on this raining start to the work week. It is such a peaceful moment to quiet my soul before the Lord as the day begins. I love mornings like this, but they are not always in my daily routine.
How many times do I rush through the Word just to check it off on my to-do list only to feel an empty soul by the end of the week. When my busy season begins to grow, my ability to hear His voice seems to decrease. I'm less attentive to His promptings and direction. And when things become more difficult than the average daily struggles, my decisions begin to be based more on emotions, I get frustrated, and I feel full of fear.


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text:
Q: Spring Security is not loading js and css. (giving 404 error) I have recently implemented spring security in my MVC system. After implementing this the JS and CSS are not getting loaded in (giving a 404 error).
spring security XML:
<global-method-security secured-annotations="enabled" />
<http pattern="/**/*.css" security="none" />
<http pattern="/**/*.js" security="none" />
<http pattern="/**/*.png" security="none" />
<http pattern="/**/*.jpg" security="none" />
<http pattern="/**/*.gif" security="none" />
<http pattern="/resources/**" security="none" />

<!-- enable use-expressions -->
<http auto-config="true" use-expressions="true" entry-point-ref="authenticationEntryPoint">

    <!-- Dashboard & resources -->
    <intercept-url pattern="/" access="permitAll" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/loginRequest**" access="permitAll" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/logout**" access="permitAll" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/dashboard**" access="permitAll" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/resources**" access="permitAll" />

    <!-- Incoming Product -->
    <intercept-url pattern="/incomingProduct**" access="hasRole('Administrator') and hasRole('Local_Administrator') and hasRole('Supervisor') and hasRole('Manager')" />

    <!-- Maintanence pages -->
    <intercept-url pattern="/depotUser**" access="hasRole('Administrator') and hasRole('Local_Administrator')" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/product**" access="hasRole('Administrator') and hasRole('Local_Administrator') and hasRole('Supervisor') and hasRole('Manager')" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/productOwner**" access="hasRole('Administrator') and hasRole('Local_Administrator') and hasRole('Supervisor') and hasRole('Manager')" />
    <intercept-url pattern="/storageTank**" access="hasRole('Administrator') and hasRole('Local_Administrator') and hasRole('Supervisor') and hasRole('Manager')" />

    <intercept-url pattern="/admin**" access="hasRole('Administrator')" />

    <!-- access denied page -->
    <access-denied-handler error-page="/error/403" />
    <form-login
        login-page="/"
        login-processing-url="/loginRequest"
        default-target-url="/dashboard/home"
        authentication-failure-url="/loginPage?invalidLogin=Yes"
        username-parameter="username"
        password-parameter="password"
        />
    <logout logout-success-url="/logout" />
    <!-- enable csrf protection -->
    <csrf />

    <custom-filter before="FORM_LOGIN_FILTER" ref="authenticationFilter"/>
</http>

I have defined my resource path in my dispatched servlet XML:
<mvc:resources mapping="/resources/**" location="/WEB-INF/resources/" />

I am including my JS and CSS as follows:
<script src="./resources/plugins/jQuery/jQuery-2.1.4.min.js"></script>
<!-- Bootstrap 3.3.2 JS -->
<script src="./resources/bootstrap/js/bootstrap.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!-- Bootstrap 3.3.4 -->
<link href="./resources/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

I think there is some mistake that i am overlooking over here.
Can anyone help me?
Thanks, in advance.

A: Try using jstl core library by adding this line of code on your page.
<%@ taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" %>

and instead of using this.
<script src="./resources/plugins/jQuery/jQuery-2.1.4.min.js"></script>

try to use this.
<script src="<c:url value="/resources/plugins/jQuery/jQuery-2.1.4.min.js"/>"></script>

A: I think the you are pointing to incorrect location in <mvc:resources .../>.
It should be <mvc:resources location="/resources/" mapping="/resources/**"/> if all of your js/css files are under src\main\webapp\resources directory.
See this answer.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange