text:
Jag ska måla hela världen, lilla mamma är en sång med musik skriven av Josef Toje och text av Britt Marie Toje-Edström. Sången spelades ursprungligen in av Yvonne Eriksson den 23 maj 1952, och släpptes på skiva i september samma år. med musik skriven av Josef Toje och text av Britt Marie Toje-Edström. Låten har framförts av flera dansband som Flamingokvintetten och Simons, men också barnsångare som Anita Hegerland.

Låten kom till efter att Inger Toje (född 1943), senare Olofsson, som nioåring uppmuntrande myntade sångens titel då modern Britt-Marie Toje beklagade sig över att blommorna vissnade så fort i de trånga gränderna i Gamla stan i Stockholm, varpå modern skrev låten och lät sin make tonsätta den.

Källor

Sånger 1952
Svenskspråkiga sånger
Svenska sånger


text:
Performing Menken: Adah Isaacs Menken's American odyssey
Renee M. Sentilles, College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences
Robert A Gross
This dissertation explores notions of self-invention and performance in mid-nineteenth century America by examining the life and writings of actress and poet, Adah Isaacs Menken, from roughly 1835 to 1868. During America's Civil War years, Menken became an international star in the controversial title role of Mazeppa, an equestrian play. at the climax, soldiers forcibly stripped Mazeppa (Menken) to reveal her body in a costume suggestive of nudity. The soldiers tied her to a horse and sent her careening up a steep mountain into the theatre rafters. This provocative "breeches part" allowed Menken to pursue unusual freedoms for a woman of her time as she faced a public that both celebrated and demonized her physical display.;Menken maintained a complex relationship with the public that hinged upon constantly shifting identities; she wore men's clothing while emphasizing her reputation as a femme fatale, formed intellectual friendships though she perpetuated low-brow drama, and claimed African, Jewish, Irish, Spanish and British ancestry. Dime novels and Bohemian literature suggested alternative routes for a woman to fulfill her aspirations, and Menken used their tropes to explore gender and sexual identity both on and off the stage. An aspiring poet, she also used her fame to befriend some of the most famous writers of her age, including Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Charles Swinburne, Alexandre Dumas, and Walt Whitman. When she died in 1868, she left a volume of poetry, Infelicia, that has gone in and out of print for over a century.;Menken's writing and correspondence allows us to examine not only Menken but the world in which she tried to meet her aspirations. This biographical dissertation functions as a study of mid-nineteenth century America as Menken traveled from New Orleans to Cincinnati, New York, and California. Her final years in Europe also enable us to explore how Americans judged their importance in the larger culture of the western world. This dissertation adds to the history of African-Americans, Jews, and women, explores Victorian notions of gender and sexuality, and contributes to our understanding of nineteenth-century American popular culture.
https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-ew9x-s341
Sentilles, Renee M., "Performing Menken: Adah Isaacs Menken's American odyssey" (1997). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623901.
American Literature Commons, Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, United States History Commons

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Nov. 26, 2020
Josh Pringle Digital Multi-Skilled Journalist
@PringleJosh Contact
Love locks on Corktown Bridge over the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Ont. (Photo by Jesse Little of Unsplash)
OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Ottawa's medical officer of health recommends celebrating the holidays with members of your household only, avoid intercity travel due to COVID-19
23 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday
Dr. Vera Etches recommends Ottawa stay in the orange-restrict zone at this point
New rapid COVID-19 testing being used in Ottawa
COVID-19 ices plans for outdoor pick-up hockey games at City of Gatineau rinks
Who should get a test?
Ottawa Public Health says there are four reasons to seek testing for COVID-19:
You are showing COVID-19 symptoms. OR
You have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by Ottawa Public Health or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app. OR
You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health. OR
You are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Appointments are required in most cases but LIMITED walk-up capacity is available.
To book a test for an adult, click here.
The CHEO Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena – 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Testing is available by appointment only.
To book a test for a child under the age of 18, click here.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 595 Moodie Dr. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
To book an appointment, click here.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 1485 Heron Rd. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex – 1585 Tenth Line Rd. is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
The COVID-19 drive-thru assessment centre at the National Arts Centre. The centre is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at the McNabb Community Centre, located at 180 Percy Street, is open Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Centretown Community Health Centre at 420 Cooper St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500.
The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre at 221 Nelson St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Click here to book an appointment or call 613-789-1500
The Somerset Community Health Centre at 55 Eccles St. will offer COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500.
See here for a list of other testing sites in Ottawa and eastern Ontario.
COVID-19 screening tool:
The COVID-19 screening tool for students heading back to in-person classes can be found here.
Classic Symptoms: fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath
Other symptoms: sore throat, difficulty swallow, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, new or unexplained runny nose or nasal congestion
Less common symptoms: unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, headache, delirium, chills, red/inflamed eyes, croup
Celebrate the holidays with your household only: Ottawa's top doctor
One month before Christmas, Ottawa's medical officer of health is urging people to spend the holidays with members of their household only, and avoid travelling to COVID-19 hotspots.
"What we're asking people to do is consider that this holiday season in 2020 will be one like none other in our lives. This is 2020 COVID pandemic and it's just going to be pretty memorable because it's going to be different," said Dr. Vera Etches.
"We have to create new traditions, new approaches which are based on limiting our celebrations in person to the people we live with, unless it's a single person, grandparents who have assessed their risks and need to be connected to a family."
The Ontario government released guidelines for the upcoming holidays on Wednesday, recommending people avoid trips from higher COVID-19 transmission areas to areas with lower transmission and no non-essential visits with family and friends.
Four new COVID-19 deaths in Ottawa, 23 more people test positive
Ottawa Public Health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, along with four new deaths linked to the virus.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, there have been 8,254 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 372 deaths
Public Health Ontario reported 1,373 new cases of COVID-19 across Ontario on Wednesday, 860 of which are in the locked down regions of Toronto and Peel.
COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Ottawa's top doctor doesn't recommend moving out of the orange-restrict zone for COVID-19 restrictions at this point
Ottawa's medical officer of health says she doesn't recommend Ottawa move out of the "orange-restrict" zone at this point, despite the positive COVID-19 trends.
Ottawa Public Health reported Wednesday that Ottawa's cases per 100,000 is at 25.1 over the past seven days, and the positivity rate is at 1.6 per cent.
However, with COVID-19 cases trending down, Dr. Vera Etches told reporters, "I don't recommend that we move into yellow at this point."
"I do see that we are on the edge of yellow, but we haven't met all the criteria for yellow and we don't want to be in the situation where we're having to go right back into orange," said Dr. Etches.
"We want to have a clear sign that we are in the yellow category where the indictors are all aligned and we also have positive trends downwards. This virus is very hard to control, we see that around the world. We can't just go back to everything's open as if COVID isn't here. We do have to continue with some controls that decrease the opportunity for COVID to be transmitted through the winter or through until we have a vaccine."
New rapid COVID-19 testing has made its way to Ottawa
Two types of rapid COVID-19 tests are being used in Ottawa.
"The Ottawa Hospital and Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association have received 3,000 IDNOW and 10,000 PANBIO rapid tests for deployment in the Ottawa region," said a spokesperson for the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce.
The Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario tells CTV News Ottawa there's still some "uncomfortableness" with the reliability of the tests.
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce says once it gets through quality assurance, the tests can be rolled our more broadly.
Outdoor pick-up hockey to be banned in Gatineau amid COVID-19
The City of Gatineau is banning pick-up hockey games on outdoor rinks this winter due to COVID-19.
"The city of Gatineau is looking to install one net so that players will be able to go on solo or duo shooting pucks on field," said Martin Lajeunesse, city councillor and chair of the recreation, sport and community development committee.
Outdoor rinks will be limited to 25 people at a time, signs will be posted with the rules, and city officials will be monitoring all 80-plus rinks in the city.
General Feedback News Tips Editorial standards and policies Why you can trust CTV News
All of Ottawa vaccinated by the summer?
Game Day for the Ottawa Senators
Urgent search for a donor
End of an era in Douglas
Ultimate Take-out Friday: Round 4
Ottawa Top Stories
Ottawa embracing latest blast from Old Man Winter
Arnprior homeless man building own roof over his head
Stay-at-home, a devastating fire, and a huge haul of beer: Top five stories in Ottawa this week
Driver pulled over with 58 cases of beer on Highway 401
No place like home: Victoria Dark's watercolour illustrations celebrate where we live
Ottawa on track to be fully vaccinated by summer: Ottawa Hospital CEO
Ottawa's COVID-19 death toll surpasses 400 as Ontario sets new record
OCDSB secondary schools continue remote learning until Jan. 29
COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Jan. 15, 2021
Active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa reach new high


text:
package org.zaproxy.addon.network.internal.client.apachev5;

import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.given;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoInteractions;

import org.apache.hc.core5.http.HttpHeaders;
import org.apache.hc.core5.http.HttpRequest;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.NullAndEmptySource;
import org.zaproxy.addon.network.ConnectionOptions;

/** Unit test of {@link HttpConnector}. */
class HttpConnectorUnitTest {

    private ConnectionOptions connectionOptions;
    private ConnectRequestInterceptor connectRequestInterceptor;

    @BeforeEach
    void setUp() {
        connectionOptions = mock(ConnectionOptions.class);
        connectRequestInterceptor = new ConnectRequestInterceptor(connectionOptions);
    }

    @Test
    void shouldAddUserAgentIfDefined() {
        // Given
        String userAgent = "Custom User-Agent";
        given(connectionOptions.getDefaultUserAgent()).willReturn(userAgent);
        HttpRequest request = mock(HttpRequest.class);
        // When
        connectRequestInterceptor.process(request, null, null);
        // Then
        verify(request).addHeader(HttpHeaders.USER_AGENT, userAgent);
    }

    @ParameterizedTest
    @NullAndEmptySource
    void shouldNotAddUserAgentIfNullOrEmpty(String userAgent) {
        // Given
        given(connectionOptions.getDefaultUserAgent()).willReturn(userAgent);
        HttpRequest request = mock(HttpRequest.class);
        // When
        connectRequestInterceptor.process(request, null, null);
        // Then
        verifyNoInteractions(request);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Worlds of Words
International Collection of Children's and Adolescent Literature
Field Trips to WOW
Imagination Fridays
WOW Stories
WOW Review
WOW Libros
WOW Currents
WOW Recommends
My Take/Your Take
Evaluating Literature for Authenticity
Evaluating Global Literature
Exploring International and Intercultural Understanding through Global Literature
Global Literacy Communities: Creating Curriculum That Is Intercultural
Globalizing K-12 Reading Lists
Thematic & Award Booklists
Language and Culture Book Kits and Global Story Boxes
Teen Reading Ambassadors
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Global Literacy Communities
WOW is committed to creating an international network of people who share the vision of bringing books and children together, thereby opening windows on the world. We encourage thoughtful dialogue around international literature so that children can reflect on their own cultural experience and connect to the experience of others across the globe.
International Collection of Children's and Adolescent Literature
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email: wow@email.arizona.edu
Open Reading Hours: Monday through Friday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Search Options: Catalog Pages Posts
Samira Surfs
Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in her village in Burma, when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There's before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, there's before Samira saw the Bengali surfer girls of Cox's Bazar, and after, when she decides she'll become one.
Published: 2021, Kokila
Tags: refugee, Sports, Stories in verse, transformations
Categories: AsiaAsia, FictionAsia, Fiction, IndiaAsia, Fiction, India, Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Charles Albert Bender: National Hall Of Fame Pitcher
Charles Albert Bender invented the slider. He was a World Series-winning pitcher and the first Minnesotan inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He grew up poor on a farm where he worked in the fields. He lived far away from his home and family while attending an Indian boarding school in Pennsylvania. Charles Albert Bender worked hard all his life and defined his success by the amount of effort he put into something. His story is a Minnesota Native American life.
Published: 2020, Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Tags: Baseball, Indigenous, Sports
Categories: AmericasAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- MemoirAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, North AmericaAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, North America, Primary (ages 6-9)Americas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, North America, Primary (ages 6-9), United States
Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe And The Carlisle Indian School Football Team Defeated Army
In the autumn of 1912, the football team from Carlisle Indian Industrial School took the field at the U.S. Military Academy, home to the bigger, stronger, and better-equipped West Points Cadets. Sportswriters billed the game as a sort of rematch, pitting against each other the descendants of U.S. soldiers and American Indians who fought on the battlefield only 20 years earlier. But for lightning-fast Jim Thorpe and the other Carlisle players, that day's game was about skill, strategy, and determination. Known for unusual formations and innovative plays, the Carlisle squad was out to prove just one thing — that it was the best football team in all the land.
Published: 2018, Capstone Editions
Tags: History, Indian boarding school, Indigenous, Sports
Categories: Biography - Autobiography- MemoirBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, NonfictionBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, Nonfiction, Primary (ages 6-9)
Sakamoto's Swin Club:How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to Victory
The inspirational and little-known story of a dedicated teacher who coached Hawaiian swimmers all the way to the Olympics, beautifully told in simple rhyme.When the children of workers on a 1930s Maui sugar plantation were chased away from playing in the nearby irrigation ditches, local science teacher Soichi Sakamoto had an idea. He offered to take responsibility for the children — and then he began training them how to swim. Using his science background, Sakamoto devised his own innovative coaching techniques: he developed a strict practice regime for the kids, building their strength and endurance by using the ditch water's natural current. The children worked hard under the dedicated Sakamoto's guidance, and their skills improved. They formed a swim club and began to dominate in swimming events around the world.
Published: 2021, Kids Can Press
Tags: Olympic Games, Sports, Swimming
Categories: Biography - Autobiography- MemoirBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, HawaiiBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, Hawaii, Primary (ages 6-9)
Breaking The Ice: the true story of the first woman to play in the National Hockey League
"One day, a woman will play in the National Hockey League. If no one prevents her," said a twelve-year-old Manon Rhéaume. Manon always dreamed of playing hockey. So, when the team her father coached needed a goalie, five-year-old Manon begged for the chance to play. She didn't care that she'd be the only girl in the entire league or that hockey was considered a "boys' sport" in her hometown of Lac-Beauport, Quebec, Canada. All she cared about was the game. After her father gave her that first chance to play, she embarked on a spectacular, groundbreaking career in hockey.
Published: 2020, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Tags: ice hockey, Sports, Women and girls
Categories: Biography - Autobiography- MemoirBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, CanadaBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, Canada, Picture BookBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, Canada, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9)
Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A Marathon
"The inspiring true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon, shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community"–
Tags: Inspirational, self-determination, Sports
Categories: Biography - Autobiography- MemoirBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, IndiaBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, India, Picture BookBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, India, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9)
There's No Base Like Home
Sophia Garcia, thirteen, wants to excel at softball like her older sister, Ellie, and make her family proud, but when she is chosen for a different team and position than Ellie, she must learn to succeed by being herself.
Published: 2018, Tu Books
Tags: Baseball, girls and women, Hispanic and Latino, Siblings, Sports
Categories: Intermediate (ages 9-14)Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latinx in USIntermediate (ages 9-14), Latinx in US, Realistic Fiction
Pele The King Of Soccer
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to his schoolmates as Pelé, grew up in poverty in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil. He was too poor to afford a real soccer ball, so he played with a ball of newspaper tied together with string. Yet he dominated the youth leagues and signed his first professional soccer contract at the age of fifteen. Within two years he was celebrated internationally, when he led Brazil to victory at the world cup. Known by his fans as "O Rei" (The King), Pelé is widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. But he's more than just an athlete: he also traveled the world as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Pelé is the living symbol of a sport he dubbed "the beautiful game" a game that brings people together regardless of race or nationality.
Published: 2017, First Second
Tags: Brazil Soccer, soccer player, Sports
Categories: Biography - Autobiography- MemoirBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, BrazilBiography - Autobiography- Memoir, Brazil, Intermediate (ages 9-14)Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, Brazil, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latin America
Neymar A Soccer Dream Come True
Born in Brazil, Neymar Jr. grew up imagining that he might one day become a famous soccer player. Now his dream has come true. Using playful, child-friendly language, deep knowledge of the sport, and passion for it author, Mina Javaherbin, brings to life Neymar's childhood and professional career for young soccer fans to enjoy. Her text is accompanied by Paul Hoppe's modern, colorful illustrations.
Published: 2018, Farrar Straus Giroux
Categories: AmericasAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- MemoirAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, BrazilAmericas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, Brazil, Early Years (ages 2-6)Americas, Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, Brazil, Early Years (ages 2-6), Picture Book
Peasprout Chen
Peasprout Chen dreams of becoming a legend of wu liu, the deadly and beautiful art of martial arts figure skating. As the first students from the rural country of Shin to attend Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, Peasprout and her little brother Cricket have some pretty big skates to fill. They soon find themselves in a heated competition for top ranking. Tensions rise when the dazzling pearl buildings of the Academy are vandalized and outsider Peasprout is blamed for the attacks by her rivals and even some friends. Now, she must uncover the true vandal to ensure peace between Shin and Pearl – all while becoming a champion.
Published: 2018, Henry Hold and Co.
Tags: action and adventure, Martial arts, Sports
Categories: AsiaAsia, ChinaAsia, China, FantasyAsia, China, Fantasy, Intermediate (ages 9-14)
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The starting wage of $17.85 which increases to $19.83 after six of employment. Maple Leaf Foods supplies all necessary safety equipment up to specified limits (Probationary period must be met for boot reimbursement). The successful applicant will assist the drivers on deliveries of day old chicks, and will be required to back up chick delivery and egg truck drivers as required. When not required on deliveries or egg pickup, may be required to work in other areas of the hatchery.
Shifts are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. Start time may vary from 530am-10am.
WHY Maple Leaf Foods, Hanover?
If interested, please send resume by fax: 519-364-4692 or by email rebecca.hendry@mapleleaf.com.


text:
US Cultural Engagement
Adventures, comments, impressions and information sharing about U.S. cultural engagement and cultural policy at home and on the road.
Finding Nemo: The Bureaucracy of Border Crossings
It was like a very, very bad dream-one where you want to yell at yourself to wake up. After the third consecutive night of about 4-5 hours of sleep and too many days of pretending to fire on all cylinders, I watched the bus with my colleagues pull away to cross the border into Beirut for the next academy. We were all so tired and preoccupied that we forgot that I would need extra funds to cover the taxi ride, exit fee and visa at the border to return to Lebanon. I tried not to focus on the fact that I was now stranded in Syria, alone, with no passport and limited funds thanks to my paranoia about carrying too much cash (I had left the majority of my emergency fund in Lebanon) or leaving too much in my travel bank account (both of which are still sound ideas). After the staff at the hotel, myself and my colleagues had searched my room and all my bags three times, my passport was still absolutely nowhere to be found.
Home Sweet Home: NY Stock Exchange
Luckily, I was in a capitol city-one with a U.S. Embassy and consulate with entry hours that ended in just 45 minutes. After some frantic calls to our partners at the Embassy who called ahead to say I was coming, I ran to the consulate with every single electronic item you can think of that is not allowed into an Embassy (cell phone, Blackberry, laptop, camera, Kindle, microphone etc.) determined not to lose anything else that day. It took some time, but eventually the staff realized they were expecting me and I was admitted in and promptly relieved of all my stuff. I walked into a room filled with Syrian nationals hopefully waiting for their visas to come to the U.S. Into the third run of "Finding Nemo" (the irony of feeling stranded like a fish out of water dependent on the kindness of strangers was not lost on me) and after rereading the version of Little House on the Prairie left in the waiting room, I finally had a new emergency passport.
I would love to say that is was easy to get a new passport and resume travel. On the whole, it was relatively easy, albeit extremely humiliating. I would also like to say I handled it like a pro and was cool, calm, and collect throughout. But, everytime I got called into the booth with the local bureaucratic consular official who really was doing his very best, tears of fatigue and frustration would start streaming again because when you lose/have your passport stolen they pretty much treat you like a complete moron with no sympathy and in my case also like a dumb girl (even before the tears). At that point, I have to confess that the repatriation option was looking good even though I had already sent one of my bags to Lebanon.
Currency Dilemmas
After much discussion of how much I needed to pay in Syrian livres to make up the difference from the $55 remaining USD in my wallet to purchase a new passport (now $135.00 as of July 13), I headed off to the Saudi bank down the street to get funds because (and this is very important) you can only pay in cash-no credit or debit allowed. On return, I was then informed that they would only take one currency after three of us had had a 20-minute conversation breaking down the difference between the Syrian livres and USD I had on me. This was all calculated according to the US Embassy exchange rate which of course is the best for the dollar you will find in the region and can differ dramatically from what is accepted on the street. Although some ATMs in the region will hand out multiple currencies, the Saudi bank they sent me to didn't hand out dollars.
A big thank you to Karen, the American consulate FSO, that stepped in between myself and the bureaucrat, who at this point saved the situation by changing money out of her own pocket (a thousand times better than the alternative suggested by the bureaucrat which was go into the room of rapidly diminishing hopefuls and play let's negotiate an exchange rate). I then, finally, received an emergency passport. Basically, it is good for a certain period of time (in my case one year) to get you home and then you can turn it in for a real one that expires in 10 years.
The ever important exit and entry stamps
On the way out (five minutes before they closed for the day), I thanked them for their help, and asked about next steps and the "what if" of having the passport appear at the hotel since they were still looking. We agreed that it would be best if I did find the old passport because it had both my Syrian and Lebanese visas and the entry and exit stamps. With the new emergency passport, to get out I would have to make a report at the hotel, a report at the police station and then a visit to immigration/internal affairs to get a special exit stamp before heading to the border. A daunting process in itself and I should mention I don't speak Arabic well enough to navigate this kind of bureaucracy.
Back at the hotel, things got better. The high speed Internet was working and my Dad (a long time personal hero) initiated a cash infusion into my travel account just in case I had to stay for an additional week. The hotel staff continued to help me try and find the lost passport and offered me lunch. 5 different members of the staff at Fardoss Towers who had been so good to us the past week came up and offered kind words. Our local project manager and a contact at the Ministry of Culture met me at the hotel to facilitate the process of getting an exit stamp. After a strange visit to immigration/internal affairs (picture really dirty floor and walls, lots of guys sitting around in military uniforms, and a computer that looked like it was operating on the DOS system) we learned that we had missed the guy with the paper to take to the police station by 5 minutes or so when he left for the day at 3 pm. Yes, 3 pm.
Back at the hotel, the three of us got ready to tear apart the room and all my luggage one last time so that I could perhaps avoid staying in Syria for another four days or so since I really was needed in Lebanon. And, thank God, now 7.5 hours later, we found the original passport at the bottom of a bag that 4 people (myself, two colleagues and a hotel employee) had thoroughly checked and emptied out that morning. Knowing that the process of cancellation had been initiated for the passport, we immediately took off for the border taxi stand so I could make it across asap.
Our local project manager, jazz talent Amr Hammour-now another one of my personal heroes, made sure I got a good taxi and had enough in livres to make the border crossing. As we left, one of the daughters of the middle-aged woman also making the trip asked me to watch over her mom which I did my best to do. On the ride to Lebanon, totally exhausted at this point, my fellow passengers were so kind and not one complained about the extra 30 minutes it took for me to get the transit visa. They tried to feed and water me, in broken English kept asking if I was ok, and the Mom sincerely said as she got out "I will miss you." The European, Australian and Canadian members of a tour group that had witnessed the drama that morning were also at the border crossing and were extremely kind when they recognized me (although as my mother's daughter I was very embarrassed). All of these gestures are typical of the amazing kindness and hospitality that as a Southern girl I was brought up with and find prevalent far from home (as did Nemo) but see more rarely in the U.S. these days.
Standing in the customs line at Newark, I fully expected to be pulled out to do a full entry interview when I presented my emergency passport. And I was, but they were very courteous and Homeland Security processed the emergency passport, commended me for reporting it lost so quickly so that it couldn't be used for terrorism, and then sent me on my way in less than 10 minutes. Again, I am sure the note that all my travel was U.S. Embassy sponsored helped.
Threshold from the Covered Souq to the Old City
So lessons learned: Don't lose your passport! Have a considerable emergency cash fund available (I suggest $1000) in case you have to stay a few extra days and a family member or friend that can easily be accessed to put more money in your travel account or wire money in emergency situations. Without the help of our local and official partners (US Embassy and Syrian Ministry of Culture), it would have been far, far worse. As an independent tourist, the process would have taken an inestimable amount of time. That said, despite everything, there are options as an American to always get home which I find very comforting. However, I do recommend a policy change of being able to pay via debit or credit card!
So Syria, I will be back, hopefully for YES Academy 2011; better prepared for emergencies and with a new passport ready to be stamped because Damascus is a beautiful, ancient city full of life that I only scratched the surface of. Despite the drama of that day, I recommend it as a place truly worthy of visiting for at least a week; just don't lose your passport!
Posted by AF at 5:34 AM 0 comments
As I am transitioning from one world to another and before I really get my thoughts together after trying to process the past 40+ days and nights in the Middle East, here are some things I want to make sure not to forget. This is also the key to unlocking my memories for anyone that wants the full story after I survive reverse jetlag. By sharing these personal memories informally, I hope this conveys both the realities of international engagement on the road as well as the generosity of spirit and the kindness of strangers that often become friends. Although we were all brought together by a love of the arts, our team, local partners and participants also bonded through collective problem solving and a shared love of popular world culture. So…in no particular order by country here is the unforgettable hit list:
ERBIL, KURDISTAN/IRAQ (June 26-July 16)
Grease Number for Airport Film
The Airport. When we return our kids will be featured in a promotional video about Kurdistan to greet us as we go through the 5 levels of security.
 Just how Modern, "Modern City Hotel" was-it depends on who you ask.
 Finally conquering non-Western toilets. I cannot express how important this survival skill is while traveling abroad. There should be a book.
 The spontaneous folk celebration at the end of the Gala concert and dancing with John Ferguson and 300 exuberant Kurds.
 Taking photos with almost every single male student and being asked if I knew the girl in the Twilight movie. I am a little afraid of where all these photos will end up.
Entrance to the Citadel
 Exploring the Erbil Citadel with Dr. Brad and WherethehellisMatt.
 Teaching ballet to the Bboys (their request) and oboe to Hersh.
 Realizing that few can type confidently in Kurdish. It takes half a day to translate and a whole day to type. (My computer now has the fonts if anyone needs them.)
 Garden parties after midnight in the "Christian District" and the smell of hookah. In Erbil, "family" means women allowed and "Christian" means alcohol is available in the area. They are not mutually exclusive.
 Everyone, including the Iron Man, getting really, really sick for an average of 10 days. Trust me you don't want to know.
 Watching Dr. Greg tune down his viola to play beautiful Kurdish folk music with Alan.
 All the forbidden teenage love drama (you know who you are).
Grand Piano Success
 Getting the grand piano onstage and likewise moving it back out again. Thanks again to all the bboys and volunteers that lent a hand. I do not offer this up as a best practice.
 The kids choosing to sleep on the streets of Erbil in the middle of the night because the AC broke in select dorm rooms and it was cooler outside.
 Watching the young women paint the mural outside the Ministry of Culture.
 Mariano's exuberance about Spain's progression and victory in the World Cup-we watched the key games outside despite the heat.
 The delicious apricot soup, the tea and the scary kabobs.
 Middle Eastern Bureaucracy. This holds true in all three locations each displaying a distinct and diverse flair that distinguishes it from similar N.America, Southeast Asia, African and European bureaucratic drama each of which has its own cultural characteristics. And you thought government and bureacracy was boring!
 How my laundry literally dried in an hour because of the lack of moisture in the air.
 The sheer genius of having your room key control the electricity. Also means you never lose the key. Recycling, though, hasn't really caught on yet.
 Never knowing when the electricity would go off. Note: avoid elevators unless necessary.
 Having the office boys take me to the new modern mall. The outside photos feature beautiful, happy Scandinavian families.
 Dancing with Bruce at the Kurdish wedding we got pulled into. (See "The Newbie" for the full story)
 Using Iraq and Kurdistan labels selectively depending on who you are talking to.
 Trying to fit 2 administrators, 5 office volunteers, and 10 teachers into an 11 by 7 office. Needless to say, it didn't work.
 The office guys getting excited about Shakira and Enrico Inglesias. SHAKIRA! In the Middle East it is also perfectly sociably acceptable for male friends (bromances) to hold hands, sit close and put their arms around each other.
 Dr. Gene's famous disco shirt (it made an appearance in Syria too.)
 Goodbye dinner at the American compound cantina-can we say Mash with barbed wire anyone? Company and food were excellent though.
 Hearing all the amazing stories of our students many of whom sacrificed more than you can imagine to attend.
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (July 16-July 27)
 After too many days of functioning on too little sleep, I watched the bus pull away with my colleagues headed to Lebanon due to a lost passport. Let's just say there is more than a little video of me streaming tears at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus that I hope stays locked away forever. On the plus side, I caught up on Little House on the Prairie and "Finding Nemo" in the waiting room and now have an emergency passport without any Arab state stamps. Guess I have a year to go and see Jerusalem. For the record, it takes the duration of 2.5 "Finding Nemos" to get a new passport when they are expecting you. (See "Finding Nemo" for the full story.)
 Border crossings. Seems Syria wants me to stay forever. I can always get in but seem to have a lot of trouble getting out. Wouldn't have made it without our awesome taxi drivers that were willing to go to bat for perfect strangers.
 Green mosques lighting up the city at night
 Amr Hammour giving us the grand tour with the view of the city from the Mountain
 Seeing all the diverse women's fashions. I love the sequin patterned burquas.
Supermen of Syria at Umayyad Mosque
 The souq and the old city.
 Flirting with the babies and talking with their moms using sign language at the famous Umayyad Mosque while my colleagues got a tour on the male side and I sweated it out in a borrowed Hajib.
 Running into other hotel guests at the border crossing that had witnessed all the lost passport drama. They were kind, I was embarrassed.
 The yummy delicious food at the hotel and the pistachio ice cream. I got an extra scoop at the souq because I was a smiling American.
 Early 6:30 am breakfasts and shopping with Miss Carole.
 Trying to figure out exactly how many hours of rest the gas station guys could get sleeping on the roof visible from the breakfast table. I finally caught them sleeping right before we left. My estimate is about 4 hours max.
 Mint lemonade and dinner at the old Damascene House with Amr and Dr. Gene.
 Splurge of the year…thai massage at Four Seasons around the block from our hotel. In my defense, I was desperately warding off my nemesis, migraine, and all the $6 bathhouses that allow women were closed. Best massage of my life to date though and totally worth it.
 Samaa and Abir's kindness and essential help on the ground and rockin out to Amy Winehouse, "No, No, No."
Our talented voice and piano students
 The students and translators randomly deciding not to show up on any given day. On the other hand, most of our students were very talented and dedicated thanks to their Soviet training.
 Ira working the audience with traditional spirituals.
 Late night talks with Anne Marie.
 Visiting the National Museum where they have evidence of the first written languages.
 Sitting under a full moon with about 1000 Syrians and three TV station cameras as my colleagues and the students rocked the outdoor venue.
BEIRUT, LEBANON (July 27-August 9)
 Reuniting with old friends. Singing showtunes everyday in the office with Mahmoud with guest voice contributions by Balsam, Amal, Omar and Eliane. There may have been some belly dancing as well to Arabic music but we are taking the 5th.
Omar at the beach. Courtesy of a colleague.
 Waking up to see the sea every morning outside my window.
 Watching Omar (visiting from Kurdistan) experience the beach at White Sands and Byblos after never seeing the sea before in his life. Once again at Byblos, life soundtrack was Shakira, Enrique and Beyonce from the party down the beach.
 Jeita Grotto! (Please vote for a as a new wonder of the world. I have never seen anything like it!)...and that entire day (notable as my one day off.) Hezha, you have a rewarding future ahead of you as a Minister or tour guide.
 Bruce's interactive conducting of the score from "Pirates of the Caribbean" while wearing an over-the-top Pirates Hat. Concert highlight was the hat flying off and hitting a cellist after a perfectly executed turn. After a brief pause, cellist and conductor fully recovered and immediately the show went on.
 Eating at Petit Café suspended on cliff supports near Pigeon Rock with Marc, Greg and John. (Eating was usually the only time off for admin.)
 Taking the teenage dorm kids to see the third Twilight movie, "Eclipse"-their request, and debating Edward versus Jacob all the way home. Cheesy vampire love stories CAN facilitate cultural exchange!
 How close Lebanon and Israel came to war over a tree incident that left five dead.
 Seeing Cynthia Schneider so far from home on our first day.
 A nameless staff member with a devilish laugh signed into the dorms as Satan in room 666 one early morning and then was too sick to work. He blamed it on the wings, I blamed it on the absinthe. As management, we were NOT happy but I still had to secretly laugh.
 Manoosh for breakfast. Ahh manoosh! Think big salty cheesy personal pita pizza with thyme and spices.
 Improv with Chris and the hip hop class.
 Michael Parks Masterson in general (this goes for Iraq and Syria too.)
 Dunkin Donut farewell breakfast with Amal and Eliane, our fabulous chaperones.
 Amal's mother's chocolate coconut balls. The staff went through two batches in two days. Shokrun, shokrun, shokrun!
 After a failed border crossing and 3 hours of sleep, a perfect 4 hours of writing at Café Younes just in time to meet two deadlines.
 A free taxi ride on the way back from the supermarket in Hamra to Bliss Gate (completely unheard of) offered due to my heavy load. In comparison, another taxi driver dropped Miss Carole and I off 8 busy highway lanes away from the grocery store, told us to walk, lied to our translators that we had called and then tried to charge us double (foreigners cost extra) after an hour of getting lost.
Feeding all the wild cats
 American University of Beirut kitties everywhere. They feed and water the wild cats daily.
 Dad using Skype for the first time!
 Arabic and bachata dancing with Bruce and Mahmoud at the goodbye party.
Its official! I can live without Starbucks, my blackberry, air conditioning in extreme heat, western toilets and even the Internet (which I had maybe 30% of the time). Not only is it possible, but I reconfirmed that some of the most intense and rewarding experiences of my life can take place.
Thanks to all my fabulous colleagues, our wonderful students and everyone that touched my life during the past 5 and a half weeks. I hope to be back next year (Inshallah!) And, finally, thanks to all my loved ones and colleagues stateside for being so supportive and letting me have this essential, annual, field experience which always successfully re-inspires my work as a teacher, policy advisor and researcher. Photos of classes, the 10 concerts and life on the road can be found at http://www.aimeefullman.com/ under Photos or on Facebook at YESAcademyKurdistan, YES Academy Syria and YES Academy Lebanon 2010. Donations to American Voices for 2011 can be made through http://www.americanvoices.org/.
Yalla, On y va
Originally posted on www.aimeefullman.com on July 18 at 2:50 pm local time from Damascus, Syria because blogspot is blocked in Syria.
"Yalla, on y va!" Dr. Gene, I and our Syrian cab drive were feeling optomistic and festive yelling "yalla" followed by the French "let's go! as we prepared to cross by taxi the Lebanese-Syrian border on the road to Damascus.
For Dr. Gene (legendary doctor of jazz in case you were wondering) and myself, it was our second try to cross the border in 36 hours. When we first arrived at the border after carefully selecting our then Lebanese cab driver under a very sketchy highway bridge based on the perceived quality of his car and his willingness to take our rate of no more than $100, we were denied. Well--Dr. Gene's multi-entry visa obtained via mail via the consul in Houston was denied due to a technicality (no end date). My beautiful spanking-new, obtained in 20 minutes by an old-school gentleman in Washington, DC, visa had been approved in about 2 minutes which left us with a dilemma. After several calls to our Arabic-fluent project managers in both Syria and Lebanon at about 4 am, and some kindly negotiating by our taxi man, it was determined that I would have to cross the border alone to get my exit stamp and pay the required 500 exit fee in Syrian currency and then pick up Dr. Gene again on the way back.
If my mother was alive, there was no way she could have slept well for at least a week ever thinking her daughter, who according to the natives doesn't look a day over 25, (although they are still worried that I might be in danger of missing the marriage bus-I told my Kurdish assistant I was still waiting for the limo) could ever be entering a nation infamously described as part of the axis of terror alone in the middle of the night with a strange taxi driver. But on we went over the border. Dr. Gene had done his best to coax pig latin from my tired brain to comment on how the driver was so lowsay compared to the dare deviled driving we were expecting as we left Beirut. But at this moment, my slow -driving, heavy-smoking driver held my safe passage in his hands and he was looking mighty wonderful.
I made it back to Lebanon only to have to run back and forth between the two administrative offices on that side of the border and here our driver proved invaluable. He pushed and prodded to get us the entry stamps we needed without another visa. When you arrive via air you don't need a visa but at the border with car you do-go figure. After an hour of navigating the now very busy border bureaucracy with everyone now knowing our bidness, we were back in Beirut in time to get a teeny bit of sleep and some important applications out the door and try again.
After stopping at the little cafe on the way where our new driver made us try some of the local specialities including an olive with the hottest, spiciest garlic I have ever tasted (no vampires in Syria clearly) we were on our way again. We shot the no man's land between Lebanon and Syria this time with the windows open and it felt like we were flying through the rugged beauty. With some attention to the saxophone and printer at customs, we made it into Syria in time for the sunset.
The road to Damascus in the 21st Century can be a bit tricky but overall beautiful. We were greated with real welcome both times and our drivers could not have been more thoughtful or trustworthy-with a proven willingness to go to bat for perfect strangers. Even at the most difficult part of our crossing we were never yelled at or treatly unkindly in any way. I am ashamed to say it probably would have been much much different back in the States. And in fact, it was hinted that part of the wait to get visas for some of our team was due to some retaliation for similar treatment.
All in all, a nice adventure and one I would not have wanted to share with anyone else from our team. So my recommendation.....if you plan to shoot the Lebanese border on the road to Damascus, get your visa in person in DC, find a groovy jazz man as your traveling companion, get a good driver, a Syrian car and cross your fingers that the border crossing back home goes smoothly (with Iraq, Syria and Lebanese stamps on my passport, bets are now open for how long the entry interview back in the States will take.)
PHOTO: Dr. Gene and I happy to be eating good food in Damascus and talking about jazz with Amr our project manager after our successful border crossing!
Beauty Out of Chaos: The Story of American Voices
"A 1, a 2, a 123", and suddenly the air is filled with fused American and Kurdistani jazz almost hotter than the 125°F temperatures outside Peshawa Hall in Erbil, Iraq. Over the next three hours, representatives from the Cultural Ministry of Kurdistan, the U.S. Embassy Regional Reconstruction Team, Pepsi, and other local sponsors, along with the parents and friends of over 250 youth and young adults aged 7-27, will experience the artistic fruits of two weeks of training at the Youth Excellence on Stage (YES) Academy.
This program, brought you to by American Voices, is just the latest initiative in a 16-year history of bringing concerts, workshops, master classes and interactive performance projects to over 200,000 live audience members in 110 countries on five continents. Under the direction of John Ferguson, our Jazz Bridges, Broadway, Hiplomacy and Yes Academy nonprofit programs aim to further accessibility and the understanding of American performing arts and culture including Broadway, Jazz, and Hip Hop, children's theater and classical orchestra, classical voice, and piano instruction. In 2007, American Voices launched the YES Academies to inspire and motivate youth artistically and personally in areas of the world lacking opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue with the U.S. Perhaps most importantly, we further strive to build bridges of mutual understanding among our participants of both gender, especially in nations where youth are separated by religious, ethnic, linguistic and political divides.
Each day in the field, as American teachers and volunteers, we confront our own challenges and uncertainties and dig deep for the patience it requires to facilitate multi-lingual, cross-cultural collaboration with students representing a broad spectrum of ability and training. Motivated by our own personal reasons, we fight injustice by navigating the underlying chaos of conflict, bureaucracy, limited resources, graft, substandard facilities and equipment and grueling travel schedules to create continued opportunities for our most talented students here and back in the States. But it is our student's stories that haunt us and our sacrifices seem small in comparison with the real risks our students take to pursue something they love. Our students from Mosul are not allowed to be photographed or filmed because if news about their involvement in the arts were made public, their lives and that of their families would be in danger. In 2008, our teachers discovered that the most talented ballerina from Iraq's Camp Unity, a child of 10, had been killed along with her entire family in Baghdad by extreme religious conservatives when a neighbor reported that she was involved in dance; for such stories, I find there are no words.
YES Academies have been conducted worldwide in languages including Kurdistani, Arabic, Urdu, Thai, French and English. Our students may speak different tongues but the language of beauty and creativity is shared and during the magic of the performance we are all on the same page buoyed by our new friendships and changed forever in ways we can only begin to imagine. In my second year as a member of this merry band of teachers and volunteers, I am amazed each time at each of the many tiny personal, organizational and artistic successes. This year our street dancers, many of whom have never taken a formal class and who have long standing rivalries, explored and then collaborated to teach their original choreography together. In another class, a pianist who moved us with his expressive rendition of a Chopin composition couldn't explain how he had progressed from almost square one last year with limited access to a piano.
If I were a betting woman, I would put my money on the drive and passion that comes from not taking these opportunities for granted. Long term human development challenges like poverty can take generations to alleviate. But human expression through music, dance, poetry and theater, and the possibilities they allow for cultural and individual liberty, allows us joy and comfort along the way no matter our personal circumstances. Our students are so hungry for the knowledge that is otherwise not available and this is a place where my beaten up beginner oboe method book and a new reed are received like long-lost treasure to be used in isolation with newly learned skills until we return. American Voices also helps to facilitate donations of scores and instruments and on any given day our teachers can be found fixing a saxophone or violin.
At the close of this year's first Academy of Summer 2010, as we rested from the spontaneous folk dancing that celebrated our shared experience, they implored us, in a common refrain, to return. We come each year, not to change the over 3,200 friends and collaborators we have made in Afghanistan, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria and Thailand even as we are deeply altered ourselves, but only to offer opportunities through the arts by providing the skills and training they crave to make their own way in the world. American Voices and countless other cultural organizations in the field whose bread and butter is cultural exchange aren't just feeding the soul. These programs train the next generation of cultural leaders often leading to income through teaching jobs and continuity through the development of new training schools. Measuring our impact is not always possible numerically but seeing the reflected joy on their faces and sharing the music of our hearts, despite all the chaos, danger and uncertainty, is a profoundly beautiful thing.
This year, I am no longer the "new worker bee". The team here in Kurdistan is comprised of many American Voices veterans-John, Miss Carole, Marc, Dr. Gene the jazz doctor, and of course Mr. Michael. This year in Kurdistan, we have two additional string teachers, a Spanish jazz teacher and a pianist for a total of 7 core disciplines. The first days in the field are always the roughest but particularly so for the newbies who have no real idea what to expect. We all have to take a page from the military practice of hurry up and wait. Translation difficulties, not knowing what to expect, a schedule that is constantly changing, almost having to clean the toilets ourselves, no shows, kids having to be turned away because we are over capacity, half the students leaving their instruments at home, leaking roofs in the middle of auditions, not having a working printer, losing students a half an hour early to the World Cup games—any of these things can be enough to push anyone, much less a jet lagged newcomer to Iraq, over the edge. But the team remained calm and functional yesterday as we all walked the tightrope together today knowing that tomorrow things will start settling in. I can already hear the strings making beautiful music through the office door so we are already well on our way now on Day 2.
Last night, I had a few quiet moments as I was watching football aka soccor in the hotel lobby after dinner (sad for Brazil) to think about how normal the moment was and how strange it feels to not be the newbie this year. As John and I were chatting, Bruce came bounding into the lobby with his cello and a handful of method books. Bruce is probably 6 foot 6 inches of African American positive pep and in comparison makes my enthusiastic self look like Darth Vader. Feeling hungry, we strolled out at about 11 pm to the neighborhood store right next door for some Muesli and ice cream. On the way back, we followed our ears to a Kurdistani wedding just down the block. The fourth wall was open to the sidewalk and so hearing the music we went by to peek in. Bruce got pulled in right away and after a few half hearted protests, my half-eaten ice cream cone was thrown literally out the window by the host and we were "forced" to start dancing with everyone. Believe me, a Western white woman and a very, very tall peppy black man dancing together and with the natives here makes a real statement but we lived it up with everyone for about 20 minutes and then took pictures with the Bride and Groom.
Being invited to participate in one of most important moments in a stranger's life will always be extraordinary to me, but I have seen it happen more than once as the legendary hospitality of the region and genuine curiosity about us kicks in. Last year, I attended an amazing Palestinian-Swedish Circus Wedding in Southern Lebanon as a guest and again was invited to dance with the guests despite my clear outsider status. Even knowing we were Americans, last night we were very welcome, and in conversations afterwards we explained afterwards that we were here as arts teachers and citizen diplomats rather than with soldiers as they expected. After these moments, I am so aware that sharing this kind of human experience, even as my presence alone slightly pushes social boundaries, is priceless. No matter how many times I find myself in such situations, bonding across cultures always invigorates me allowing me to keep the enthusiasm of a "newbie." I confess though that falling asleep I wondered what happens to all those photos….hmmm.
Tomorrow, I head out for my second year in the field with American Voices to support their Yes Academy performing arts youth academies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Looking forward to my annual shot of inspiration and field experience- my own version of the "Cultural Policy Peace Corps". This year, to appease my family and friends, none of which were particularly keen on me visiting a region known for conflict, I have agreed to blog in order to be in contact more frequently and to share the experience more broadly. So, for the next five weeks, I will do my best to provide an inside and mostly informal look at adventures in a cultural policy worker's life on the road. I can promise meanderings, tangents, cool photos, jet lagged commentary and perhaps even once in awhile even something profound or useful to the ongoing conversations in cultural policy and cultural engagement.
Bags about to be packed, insurance waived for war regions, and giving up blackberry for a whole 6 weeks-which may be the hardest part of all.
A bientot!
Posted by AF at 5:37 PM 0 comments
Aimee Fullman 2010. Picture Window theme. Powered by Blogger.


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Bobby Nightengale
Five days after Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred insisted there was a "100%" chance of a 2020 season, he told ESPN on Monday that he's "not confident" there will be games played this year.
The Players Association appeared to end economic negotiations Saturday evening and told Manfred to order players to work.
Apparently, Manfred's response could be shutting down the entire sport.
More: MLB owners-players appear to end negotiations. A timeline of how baseball ended up here.
"So, Rob, explain to us how you can be 100% sure that there's going to be baseball but not confident there will be baseball at the same time?" Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer tweeted. "Hmmm. What changed between those statements? Players told you to set the season, but it's too early to set the season right now, isn't it Rob? Because then you'd have to explain why you're only going to impose 50 games when we could easily play 70+ right now.
"The tactic is to bluff with 'no season' again and delay another 2-3 weeks until you clear the risk of 'not negotiating in good faith by trying to play as many games as possible.' The public backlash combined with (the) potential of having to explain yourself in front of an arbitrator isn't too appealing, is it?"
From an agreement between the league and union in March, Manfred can implement a season of any length with players receiving prorated salaries based on the number of games played.
Union chief Tony Clark responded to the league's latest proposal – a 72-game schedule with players receiving a maximum 80% pro-rata salaries – with a statement: "It unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile. It's time to get back to work. Tell us when and where."
Doc column: Where's the integrity in a 48-game season?
The league sent a letter to the union, according to the Los Angeles Times, that said there wouldn't be a 2020 season unless the union waived any legal claims against the league. Owners had a conference call with Manfred on Monday, according to USA TODAY Sports, where they agreed to focus on health and safety protocols.
"You've gone as high as about 55 games full prorated salary, so you'll probably settle somewhere around there, potentially a couple games higher than that to throw people off the scent, isn't that right, Rob?" Bauer tweeted. "So, in that scenario, let's see, Sept. 27 end date to protect playoff TV schedules, 60-ish games, going to have to be at least 4 off days in there... so that's 64 days. Plus about 20 for spring training... 84 days. Sept. 27 (minus) 84 days is July 5. Plus about a week to get players to spring training. So tack on another 7 (days), that takes us to June 28. As I have it figured, that's your deadline.
"But today is June 15, so how do you delay another 13 days? Guess we all got that answer today. Threaten to cancel the season. Threaten arbitration. Threaten grievances. All the while, hold the fans for ransom. Hold the future of the game for ransom. No one believes your bluff, bud."
Manfred made his "not confident" comment on a pre-taped ESPN "Return to Sports" special with commissioners from five sports leagues. Despite his optimism last week, he told ESPN, "I think there's real risk; and as long as there's no dialogue, that real risk is gonna continue."
"Well, could someone make a decision?" Reds pitcher Amir Garrett tweeted. "We all know what they are doing. Just make a decision already, stop wasting time."
Bauer added in his tweet directed to Manfred: "You're holding a losing hand. Unfortunately, it's a losing hand for everyone involved, not just you. There's some saying out there about not killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Check it out on the ole google machine. It's worth knowing."


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Verizon Brings Blazing-Fast Computer Connections to Manhasset, Long Island Customers
MANHASSET, N.Y. - Verizon customers here can experience breathtaking high-speed Internet access as the company begins to offer its Verizon Fios (FYE'-ose) Internet Service to homes in Manhasset.
Verizon is rolling out the industry's premier consumer broadband services to a growing number of residents in Nassau County. The company is offering three tiers of service with downstream (download) speeds of up to 5, 15 and 30 Mbps (megabits per second).*
Verizon is delivering Fios services over its new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which the company is currently building in half of the states where it offers landline communications service. In Nassau County, Fios is also available in the communities of Massapequa, Wantagh, Franklin Square, Port Washington, Oyster Bay, Great Neck, Mineola and Syosset.
FTTP technology utilizes fiber-optic connections - instead of copper wire - directly into homes and businesses to enable a broad array of voice, data and video applications. In addition to its current Fios Internet Service, Verizon plans to launch Fios TV in 2005 to compete directly with cable-TV providers. Fios TV will be available in markets where Verizon has negotiated cable franchise agreements with local authorities.
"Fios is setting the new standard for consumer broadband services in America," said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group. "Our customers who already subscribe to Fios services are astounded at what they now can do with their online experience. Video chats and conferencing, purchased digital movie downloads and interactive multi-player games have become a part of their daily lives."
Customer reaction to Verizon's new fiber-based Internet access service has been very positive, with broadband subscribers already more than doubling in the company's inaugural Fios market of Keller, Texas, just outside Dallas/Fort Worth.
Ingalls added that Verizon is using the most advanced technology to deliver downstream and upstream speeds that will give customers truly interactive, two-way broadband capabilities.
"The Internet is an increasingly interactive place where quickly sending information is just as important as quickly receiving it," Ingalls said. "From uploading multi-megabyte e-mails with photo attachments, to interacting with the office from home, Fios gives customers unprecedented speed, efficiency and productivity at very competitive prices."
Each Fios service is available either as part of a bundle of local and long-distance calling services from Verizon, or as a stand-alone Internet access service.
"In addition to an outstanding array of high-speed access options, we will provide our customers with a first-class installation experience, in which a Verizon technician visits the home, sets up the connection and configures the service," said Ingalls.
While Fios services are not immediately available to all customers in all locations, the services now are available to many Verizon customers in the 516 area code. Customers who want to determine whether they can order Fios Internet Service can call 888-GET FIOS (888-438-3467) or visit Verizon's Fios Web site at www.verizon.net/fios.
* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.
With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of 212,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 45.5 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit
www.verizon.com.


text:
Australia | 2019 participation confirmed and possible National Final
Michael Ebeid, the Outgoing Managing Director for SBS, the official Australian broadcaster for Eurovision, has confirmed that Australia will be taking part in Eurovision 2019 in Israel and has also hinted that for the first time in Australia's Eurovision history, they might host a national final to chose their representative. Speaking to TV Tonight, an Australian TV Blog, Michael had this to say:
"I would love to get Australian's more involved in selecting our artist to represent us. We don't have the money to do The Voice or Australia's Got Talent, and it wouldn't work with an emerging artist. But we are looking to do something a bit different with some experienced artists."
Michael went on to say:
"It's a hell of a lot of pressure and we've seen lots of people freeze on stage when they get up there. There's 14,000 people in the auditorium and 200 million at home. So you need someone with the experience to get out there and own the stage, with a machine behind them of choreographers, set designers, costume and record label."
Michael mentioned that all of Australia's previous four participants have all found fame from talent shows such as Pop Idol and X Factor, and all of them are signed with the record label SONY. He explains that: "...at the end of the day, what I look for is the best artist possible and not the record label. Sony has just happened each year to put forward the best person possible."
So would you like to see an Australian national final for Eurovision 2019? And who would you like to see take part in it? Let us know in the comments below!
#Australia #Eurovision #Eurovision2019


VSAT IP@SEA is our maritime broadband VSAT (DVBS2-RCS2) service for commercial vessels, which offers the most extensive Ku-Band and C-Band coverage in the industry. NSSLGlobal can provide 'always-on' connectivity through our VSAT IP@SEA service, which comprises of five teleports supporting 25 beams.
NSSLGlobal owns and fully operates its VSAT IP@SEA satellite network, allowing end-to-end control from the on-board complete VSAT system to the internet breakout at our hubs. With five (5) hubs located strategically around the globe to maximise both coverage and availability, we can offer our ships some of the best coverage in the industry.
NSSLGlobal provides multiple beams with large satellite azimuth separation to eliminate mast blockage issues, and significant overlapping beam areas. The coverage offered on both Ku-Band and C-Band is detailed on the right, this may be subject to change but the global footprint will remain in place.
Quality of Service (QoS) for video conferencing and other critical data application allowing us to prioritise in the network the services that are important to specific ships.
With the knowledge of a one monthly fee, VSAT IP@SEA delivers peace of mind compared to 'pay-as-you-go' models. And with speeds of up to 40 Mbps we can guarantee your vessel continues to operate whilst adhering to the MLC-2006 regulations.
If a customer wishes, their network of terminals can be plotted on Google Maps via the VSAT IP@SEA service called TRACKER. This shows, on a customer's own private branded homepage, additional position- related information such as the terminal status (up / down) current NSSLGlobal hub and beam that the terminal is connected to and their true azimuth and elevation to the current satellite (and any other NSSLGlobal satellites that are also visible – for planning purposes). It also displays the LNB fitted, and measures LNB performance.


In the November 2018 AHT newsletter, we provide technical resources to help you choose your heat treatment and introduce you to our AHT Family. Plus, you can find out our holiday hours.
This one page PDF provides a great overview of the different types of steels, typical heat treatments for each, and also machinability and material cost.
We continue our "Meet the Team" blog series with Jason Taylor, Regional Sales Manager at our Alabama office. Learn about his professional background, hobbies and more.
We were recently published by Machine Design with our article "How to Determine the Best Heat Treatment for Your Parts."
Check out our holiday hours over the next couple of months at our Iowa, Michigan and Alabama locations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current employee has been at their job for 4.2 years. Well, AHT easily surpasses that. Over 20% of our employees have workers at AHT for 15+ years.
We continue to make great progress with our 15,000 sq ft expansion at our corporate headquarters. And, we just had a new gas nitriding unit delivered too.
Get our newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox every month by filling out the form located at the bottom lefthand corner of this webpage. Thanks.


text:
Horse Racing News And Outcomes
by Bessie horse
If a breed is described as a "pony" by the breed normal or principal breed registry, it's listed in this part, even when some people have horse characteristics. All different breeds are listed in the § Horse breeds part above. In some cultures and for some competitors-sanctioning organizations, a horse that normally matures lower than about one hundred forty five cm (14.1 palms) when fully grown may be classified as a "pony". Unless the principal breed registry or breed normal describes the breed as a pony, it's listed in this section, even if some or all representatives are small or have some pony traits. Ponies are listed in the § Pony breeds part below. The breeds and kinds listed here are those that already have a Wikipedia article.
How Much Do Horses Price?
Free-roaming North American mustangs, for example, are the descendents of horses brought by Europeans greater than four hundred years ago. The horse in life has served people in travels, wars, and labours and in dying has provided many commodities. Long earlier than their domestication, horses were hunted for his or her flesh, and horsemeat is still consumed by people in parts of Europe and in Iceland and is included in many pet meals. In prehistoric occasions the wild horse was most likely first hunted for food. Research means that domestication had taken place by approximately 5,500 years in the past. It is supposed that the horse was first utilized by a tribe of Indo-European origin that lived in the steppes north of the chain of mountains adjacent to the Black and Caspian seas. Influenced by climate, food, and people, the horse quickly acquired its current kind.
Driving Fundamentals (western Type)
Horses require routine hoof care from a farrier, in addition to vaccinations to protect against numerous illnesses, and dental examinations from a veterinarian or a specialised equine dentist. If horses are kept inside in a barn, they require regular every day train for their bodily health and mental nicely-being. When turned exterior, they require properly-maintained, sturdy fences to be safely contained. Regular grooming is also helpful to assist the horse keep good health of the hair coat and underlying skin. Horses also provide psychological advantages to folks whether or not they really ride or not.
For a extra extensive record, see the List of all horse breeds in DAD-IS. While most horses are home, others stay wild. Feral horses are the descendents of once-tame animals that have run free for generations. Groups of such horses could be discovered in lots of locations around the globe.
horseoutcomesracing
Partners for Healthy Pets


text:
Elite: Dangerous's trading systems detailed by Frontier
By Phil Savage
Andy's got you covered if you want to know about Elite: Dangerous's more exciting elements, like ship combat or Oculus implementation . But stick with me if you want juicy details about the real hot action. In a recent newsletter for the upcoming space sim, the development team have detailed the intricacies of trading. I'm breaking out into sweats just thinking about it.
"The rules are, of course, simple and universal," write Frontier , "buy goods cheaply, where they are made and there is plentiful supply, and then sell them where prices are high, in a location that has a high demand for your cargo. Of course that may be easier said than done because of people who have honed their combat skills and are not averse to a little piracy as they spot you travelling from A to B."
The economy is powered by commodity markets, of which thousands exist throughout the game's many star systems. Each system has its own economy—the developers list Agricultural, Industrial, Hi-tech, Extraction, Refining and Service as examples—and each main type can be further specialised through sub-economies. As most markets will only produce a few specialised commodities, players are encouraged to explore for rare goods and low prices.
"As in today's world, supply and demand drive prices," write Frontier. "Elite: Dangerous' galactic market uses a server-based background trading simulation as a foundation. Initial supply and demand levels are influenced via trading between local systems. In this way, markets are not isolated but affect their near neighbours; if there is an increase or decrease in the supply of a particular commodity it will have a knock on effect on the pricing in other local systems too, as traders (AI or player) rapidly level the prices a little based on supply and demand."
Markets can also be affected by players. The smaller the economy, the more an individual can impact upon it, but even larger financial systems can feel pressure from groups working in tandem.
The system is further complicated by governments. "The type of government in each system helps define the legality of individual goods in that particular market; ranging from anarchies where 'anything goes', to theocracies who have their own idiosyncratic strict proscriptions." This is perhaps the thing I'm most looking forward to. Trade, by itself, isn't the most exciting prospect, but instantly takes on a different meaning when it's part of a black market smuggling run.
You can read the developer's full update here .
Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.
Roller Drama review: Charming but flawed
Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X review
Colossal Cave review: A piece of gaming history that's lost its shine
Noblechairs Legend gaming chair review


text:
Q: Select First Element by jQuery This is My HTML Dom

       <select name="Kind" id="kind">
         <option value="1" >K1</option>
         <option value="2" >K2</option>
         <option value="3" >K3</option>
      </select>

       Browse
       <input type="file" name="Files" class="fileupload customfile-input">

    <select name="yap">
        <option>1</option>
        <option>2</option>
        <option>3</option>
    </select>

<input type="button" value="new" style="margin-top:5px;" class="AddNewE button red" id="AddFiles">

And my Script:
//Add new Addable div
$('.AddNewE').click(function () {

    var Target = $('.Addable.Files:first');
    var CloneTarget = $(Target).clone();
    CloneTarget.insertAfter('.Addable.Files:last');

    $(Target).find('select').each(function () {
        $(this).css('color', 'red');

    });
});

So I expect when I click add button just first two select (two select of first div) be Red and all other selects don't changed, but I see weird behavior, In first Add everything is OK, but then in each Add all selects be red except second one, I think Target is first div and also I select Target's Select elements so why all selects be Red? where is my problem?
EDIT
I am sorry about wrong script, but this is my actual script:
//Add new Addable div
$('.AddNewE').click(function () {

    var Target = $('.Addable.Files:first');
    var CloneTarget = $(Target).clone();
    CloneTarget.insertAfter('.Addable.Files:last');
    $(CloneTarget).css('color', 'green');

    $(Target).find('select').each(function () {
        $(this).css('color', 'red');

    });
});

A: This is achievable just by changing your function slightly. Try:
$('.AddNewE').click(function () {

    var Target = $('.Addable.Files');
    var CloneTarget = $(Target).first().clone();
    CloneTarget.insertAfter('.Addable.Files:last');

    $('select').css('color', 'gray');
        $(Target).find('select').each(function () {
        $(this).css('color', 'red');
    });
});

To summarise the points I have changed, I have edited your Target variable to target all of the .Files items, then changed the CloneTarget to only clone the first .Files target. That way, when it comes to changing them all to red you're actually changing all the existing .Files items except the new one you're adding.
Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/usZPN/

A: Your select is on .Addable.Files:first which selects the first select with that name, didn't you want to select the first div underneath like so: .Addable.Files > div:first-child?

A: Worksforme in http://jsfiddle.net/Y2XhV/, although I'm not sure which
 you want to clone: the one with the margin or the one with the 2 classes? Your selectors are for the latter case. Yet, there are some small improvements to your code making it simpler:
//Add new Addable div
$('.AddNewE').click(function () {

    var $Target = $('.Addable.Files:first');
    var $CloneTarget = $Target.clone();
    $CloneTarget.insertAfter('.Addable.Files:last');

    $Target.find('select').css('color', 'red');
});

You don't need to recreate new jQuery objects from Target when you already have one, and .css() doesn't need a each.

A: I guess the following fiddle solves your purpose.
http://jsfiddle.net/meetravi/9ehAF/
I am finding a bug in the code you have written in the following line.
 $('.select').css('color', 'gray');

There is no select class in your code rather the code should be
$('select').css('color', 'gray');

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Why Twitter, AmerisourceBergen, and Chegg Jumped Today
Tuesday continued the market's upward momentum, with major benchmarks bouncing back from losses early in the morning session to end modestly higher. The Dow picked up about 39 points, and other stock indexes climbed between 0.25% and 0.5% as market participants appreciated the restoration of calmer trading conditions. With economic and geopolitical considerations all having found a rough equilibrium, many investors are focusing more closely on individual stocks, some of which enjoyed considerable gains today. Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC), and Chegg (NYSE: CHGG) were among the best performers. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.
Twitter keeps singing a happy song
Shares of Twitter rose another 8%, continuing a positive trend that has persisted throughout much of the past several months. Most investors in the social media giant focused on the company's quarterly financial release late last week, which featured huge increases in ad engagement and earnings per share. Even though user growth still remains subdued, guidance for the near future points toward expanded demand for advertising and a greater emphasis on data and enterprise solutions. With the stock having doubled just since September, it'll be important for Twitter to follow through on investor expectations in order to hold onto its gains.
For AmerisourceBergen, gains are as easy as A-B-C
AmerisourceBergen stock climbed 9% after investors reacted to reports that Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) might be looking to purchase the drug distribution giant. Many industry followers have argued that given the competitive pressure from an e-commerce-led consortium seeking to make monumental changes to healthcare, traditional players in the industry would have to make moves to consolidate their operations and fight. A Walgreens-Amerisource deal would definitely qualify in that category, bringing together two giants that already have considerable power to negotiate and control costs. Yet some still fear that even a combination between two industry behemoths won't be enough to hold innovation at bay without further strategic moves, and so it'll be interesting to see whether this speculation results in an actual deal.
Chegg hits the e-books
Finally, shares of Chegg soared 17%. The educational specialist reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2017 financial results that included dramatic jumps in revenue, subscriber counts, and content views, reflecting a successful transition to a digital strategy for the former textbook specialist. Chegg celebrated a number of milestones over the past year, including acquisitions to broaden subject coverage and go beyond educational materials toward career services and alternative learning methods. If connected learning keeps gaining traction, then Chegg will find itself positioned well for what lies ahead for the industry.
Offer from The Motley Fool: The 10 best stocks to buy nowMotley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. In fact, the newsletter they run, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the S&P 500!*
Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now.
Click here to get access to the full list!
*Stock Advisor returns as of Feb. 5, 2018.
Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Twitter. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


I know I haven't been blogging very often lately but there's stuff and things and stuff and I'm so busy but I'm going to rectify the non blogging I promise – for all 4 of you who read this bloggy thing on a regular basis.
So, Spinning Spider Jenny just left. She arrived on Wednesday afternoon and her plane left this afternoon. It was fantastic. The classes were top notch. Full of information. And also fun. Jenny was a great sport for many reasons. First of which she was willing to stay in my unorganized mess of a house. Sleep in my 3 year old's bed sight unseen. Can anyone say potty training? And second because she was up for any adventure short of camping outside.
Camping inside was another story though.
I have a Ravelry group called "wool shop sleepover". Currently there are only 3 members because when Galina was in town Erica, Kate and I slept in the shop and made this little group. Not a lot of action in the group but it is pretty tiny and we email each other usually. I think this is going to slowly change though. The group is open to those who have slept overnight in a wool shop. Now Jenny and Shannah are part of the group. We all slept on the floor. Lee (Baabins on Ravelry) stayed pretty late but she was afraid she would wake us all up with her horrific night noises.
This is a picture of Jenny's friend Noreen in the green sleeping bag, Jenny in the middle and Shannah on the right. Jenny's friend Jofran is over in the lace room sleeping away at this point. She was in the class and there's a photo of her coming up. Noreen is not a spinner. I have a feeling she may be one soon though. I was able to get her to do some woolhuffing.
Woolhuffing is my version of recreational drugs. You take a nice amount of grease fleece in your hands, put your face right into it and breath in deeply. There's nothing like that smell. Many breeds smell different from one another too. I expect to be able to – in the future – identify a sheep's breed by it's smell as well as I can identify it by it's look and feel.
So, Noreen was game and so I gave her a free sniff of several of my favorite fleeces. You know, like a drug dealer would to get you hooked:-) Here are Shannah and Jenny at the beginning of Thursday – New Wave Fibers. I think Shannah is giving Jenny her blog address. They hit it off immediately.
Here is just one picture of the samples Jenny brought. Amazingly spun skeins and beautifully knitted pieces. Under the table were notebooks and notebooks of samples and swatches and notes for us to look at. I didn't take full advantage of this opportunity and regret it already.
This is Shannah showing and telling about her first knitted item from her own handspun. I let her tell you the story but I love the scarf.
Here are some samples from the plying class – Saturday. In the front is Cindy, Shannah behind her, and behind Shannah is Kathy who you may not be able to see very well. Kathy is great fun. If you have a class get her to come. She'll certainly liven it up!
I just like this picture of the wall of fleece.
This is Jenny telling us to not listen to anybody and be as disobedient as possible and question everyone. Hee, hee.
Actually, she told us to question things and if anyone ever says you MUST do something in one particular way then just smile and say thank you and continue with what works for you. I will definitely be questioning conventional wisdom from now on, and have pages and pages of notes on spinning experiments I want to do.
More plying. That's Lisa in the front, then Michelle, Roberta, Mary, Lee, Jofran, and Jenny (holding up nothing). And here we are this morning before Jenny headed off to the airport. I had a great time with her. She's like a spinning genius, funnyfunnyfunny, and a wonderful teacher where all of the students feel wonderful and welcome and talented. I'm hoping she'll be willing to come back to teach again.
LOL! Okay, next class I want to spend the night, if you all think you can stand it!!
Thanks for making me feel so welcomed – you have a lovely shop.
I have plans to head back to see you soon!!
Thanks so much too, for the amazing day. My brain has been going crazy with everything I learned yesterday!!
That looked like great fun! I'm particularly amazed by Jenny's display and collection of samples. I wish I was a bit more organized. I need to start labeling my stuff before I've amassed so much that I've forgotten what everything is!
YOU, Ms. Three Sheeps, are a love. Plain and simple, you're a love. The more detailed explanation: You're a smart, witty, thoughtful, kind, generous, savvy, and beautiful sort of love. So there.
I had so much fun on Friday. Wish I could have slept over with you folks.
Beth, you are a super woman!
I wish I could have been there, Beth! It looks like a great time. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much for such a FANTASTIC weekend!! It was such comic relief and I know that you are now glad that I am no longer a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream virgin. You are a baaad influence. Haha.
Yes, I would have LOVED to sleep over in the wool shop but I know that after I kept everyone awake with my not so ladylike SNORING, all of you would have resorted to harpooning me with drop spindles. If that wouldn't work, you would have then resorted to asphyxiating me with that wonderful "huff grazing sheep wool" by shoving it down my throat and up my nostrils!
We will definately have to keep in touch and make an effort to cross the border to meet once in a while.
fabulous pics–and what a fabulous time we had!