text:
+39 335-8141696 info@stefaniacuneolivemusic.com
Music for weddings
Music for events
Video Television & Theatre
Video Weddings
Video Piano Bar & Events
I AM VOICE, MUSIC, SOUL
I was born in Parma into a family of jazz musicians. When I was 5 I played the guitar, when I was 10 I taught it to adults. At 11 I entered the Conservatory "A. Boito" in Parma, where I graduated in trumpet with 9.50/10 giving also the eighth of piano. By day I studied Chopin and Vivaldi, by night, with microphone and Real Book in my backpack, I played in the smoky jazz clubs of Emilia.
At the age of 15 I began a long and fruitful collaboration with Luca Savazzi, Morandi's exceptional pianist and, at the same time, I sang with some sacred monsters such as Gil Coppini, Marco Viggi, Glauco Mosetti, Bruno Aragostini. With some young talents I formed a jazz quintet and, moved by strong enthusiasm and desire to experiment, we started to travel around Italy, absorbing different techniques and genres.
At the age of 20, after playing in the symphonic orchestras of the legendary "Teatro Regio" in Parma and Genoa, I took part in the RAI 3 programme "La fabbrica dei sogni". In the meantime, at Jackie 'O, a famous venue in Via Veneto in Rome, I learned a new way of making music: involving the public by making them sing and dance, accompanying them with my very special black voice. In those years I spent the summers playing and singing at "Bagaglino" in Porto Cervo in Sardinia, at "Punta Rossa" in Circeo, while in winter I was at "Jackie 'O", "Tartarughino" or "La Cabala" in Rome.
In the summer of 1990 Lello Liguori, patron of the legendary "Covo di Nord Est" of S. Margherita Ligure, dragged me on stage in front of 3,000 people to open the concerts of Gloria Gaynor, Ornella Vanoni, Antonello Venditti, Riccardo Cocciante, James Brown and many others. In the same year I moved to Milan to play in the famous pianobars "Montenapoleone club", "Sayonara" and "Il Patuscino".
In 1993 I joined the fantastic Patrizia Rossetti in the program of Network 4 "Good afternoon". I left for a VIP party in Montecarlo, I stayed until 1997 playing also for Prince Albert II of Monaco and his family, for Riva Yacht and for princes of the Arab Emirates. During that same period I also opened a restaurant in Cap d'Ail called "Le streghe" where, in addition to dinner, people sang and danced on the tables. During a party at the "Grand Hotel Ritz" in Paris, I had the honour, the only Italian, to sing for President Chirac. Here I met the great Rosanna Lambertucci who sent me for an audition in Rome in the presence of Luciano Rispoli, presenter of the television program "The flying carpet". So my life changed direction again: in 1997 my television adventure began and it brought me, besides singing and playing an increasingly wide repertoire, also to have the fortune and the privilege to meet and interview sacred monsters from the culture of entertainment and sport, first of all Vittorio Gassman.
For a rebel like me, however, the dear "uncle Luciano", was a bit 'old: I left for the time of Network 4 where I found the very nice Patrizia Rossetti in the program "Saturday morning". When I landed in Milan again, I felt the need to finally put down roots, after years spent wandering around the world. I took over the legendary piano bar "Il Patuscino", in Brera and I transformed it into the nicest, most colorful and cheerful place in the world where people, for years, stood in line to enter. At the end of 2006 I decided that it was time to sleep at least two days a week, so reluctantly I gave up my beloved place.
I've had an important and fortunate professional background. Wanting to "resize" myself in a present more suitable to my current needs means for me to be able to bring to my customers an excellent professionalism gained in more complex contexts, such as television or theater, and means for my customers to have a complete artist, who loves music and knows how to convey colors and emotions.
And now here I am for you, with weddings, piano bars, conventions, important events, often in suggestive locations and high level as "Cipriani" in Venice, "CastaDiva" in Como, "Swisse Diamond Hotel", "Villa Principe Leopoldo" and "Splendide Royal" in Lugano, "Grand Hotel Savoia" in Cortina. I travel all over Italy and abroad, happy to make your event unique and unforgettable.
Television and theatrical experience
Stefania Cuneo
Cantante, musicista, pianista
Cell. +39-335-8141696
info@stefaniacuneolivemusic.com
Convention & Gran Gala
Private events & Party
Music Piano Bar
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"IF YOU HIDDEN A MEMORY, THE SONGS WILL FIND IT"


We specialise in providing accountancy services to owner managed businesses, franchises, start-ups and small companies. If you need help with VAT returns, payroll, bookkeeping or year-end accounts and tax, that's why we are here.
Your business is unique, nobody knows it better than you, and we're here to support you by offering services specific to your needs.


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Jessica Davis | Nov 06, 2020
CIOs can expect to hit the gas pedal when it comes to digital business initiatives as we enter 2021. That's because corporate boards are approving an average increase of 8% for these efforts, according to Gartner VP analyst and Chief Forecaster John-David Lovelock.
The big increase comes at a time of volatility for enterprises. They are recovering from the whiplash of moving so many workers to a home office environment overnight. What's more, they are getting ready for the next phase of operating during a pandemic.
"The overall effect of this pandemic is going to actually bring the future forward," Lovelock told InformationWeek. "Spending on the cloud, cloud application development, software as a service, will all be brought forward. Spending we were expecting to see in 2024, we will start to see in 2022 and 2023."
This accelerated spending is the most recent bad news for on-premises server sales. It's part of a trend that began a decade ago -- a shift from ownership to service. Lovelock said that COVID-19 and our response to it will push us further down this path, and it's a massive change.
"The number of servers sold to enterprises drops from now on," he said. "It's down 6% to 7% this year, and it never improves."
The high-water mark for the number of servers bought by enterprises came in 2018, according to Lovelock. That was a turning point after which server sales began a downward trend that Gartner expects to continue. Meanwhile, spending for cloud servers continues to increase by both the number of units and installed base.
CIOs will also accelerate their spending on RPA (robotic process automation) and associated tools over the next few years, according to Gartner. Spending on this category hit $1.4 billion in 2019, and in 2020 it will experience a 15% growth rate. But by the end of 2024, spending in this category will hit $3 billion, Lovelock said.
"There's a major trend now from automation to hyperautomation," Lovelock said. "Automation is taking a person out of a process. Hyperautomation is taking everyone out of the end-to-end process."
Lovelock spoke with InformationWeek in conjunction with release of the firm's IT spending forecast for 2021. The company is forecasting spending declines across the board for the current year and increases for 2021. For instance, Gartner says that spending on data center systems will decline by 3.1% in 2020 and increase by 5.2% in 2021. Spending on enterprise software will decline by 3.6% in 2020 and increase by 7.2% in 2021.
Spending on IT services took a hit of 4.6% in 2020, but IT services are expected to increase by 4.1% in 2021. Communications services spending declined by 2.9% in 2020 but are expected to increase by 2.8% in 2021.
Perhaps the biggest hit of all came to spending on devices which declined by 13.4% in 2020, but is expected to increase by 4% in 2021.
That may seem counterintuitive when you think about all the organizations that quickly equipped their workers to move to a home office. But remember, this is an average.
"We have to go into the year 2021 absolutely hating the word average," Lovelock said. "As soon as you say 'the average is', the only thing you are going to know for sure is that absolutely nobody is going to do that."
Some CIOs spent on devices to get their workforces equipped to work from home. Others didn't. That's because executives looking to preserve cash in a crisis cut back where they could, according to Lovelock.
"In 2020 devices is one of those first areas where you can save cash," he said. "When CIOs are faced with cash flow restrictions like they were in March and April, the first thing you save on or the first thing you defer is that deferable spending. That's mobile phones, laptops, all those hard things you can buy and pay cash up front form. You can sweat these assets."
Meanwhile, categories that saw huge growth included desktop as a service and cloud-based video conferencing, according to Lovelock.
These extremes in spending are part of what makes the 2020 recession different from the Great Recession of 2009 and 2010. That earlier economic downturn hit everyone across the board.
"The decline in IT spending was more evenly spread," Lovelock said. "That compares to right now when there are extremes on either end in terms of IT spending." Airlines may be down 30%, while federal government spending is up by the same amount or more.
"The CIO's reaction is not to turn down or turn up spending as it was in 2009," Lovelock said. "It was about optimizing around cash, bringing on new tech required for operation, and saving where possible."
As you prepare for the impact of the pandemic on 2021 IT spending, that means watching for hyperautomation and digital business initiatives to accelerate.
TAGS: Compute Engines
IT Trends to Watch: Serverless Computing Architecture
Looking Back: Cloud Computing in 2020 Experienced Massive Growth
Is Your Enterprise Network Future Ready?
Four Azure Considerations to Reduce Costs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
De FIFA Ballon d'Or (Nederlands: Gouden Bal) was een trofee die van 2010 tot en met 2015 jaarlijks werd uitgereikt door de Wereldvoetbalbond FIFA aan de beste mannelijke en vrouwelijke voetballer en coach van het voorbije jaar. De winnaar was hij/zij die de meeste stemmen achter zijn naam kreeg. Deze stemmen werden uitgebracht door de bondscoaches, aanvoerders van de nationale ploegen en journalisten van over de hele wereld. De prijs was een samenvoeging van de Wereldvoetballer van het jaar en de Ballon d'Or. Na 2015 eindigde de samenwerking met de FIFA en werd de Ballon d'Or weer ingevoerd en ging de FIFA de The Best FIFA Football Awards organiseren.

Mannelijke winnaars

Winst per speler

Winst per land

Winst per club

Vrouwelijke winnaars

Winst per speler

Winst per land

Winst per club

Beste coach

Mannen

Vrouwen

Zie ook
 FIFA World Player of the Year
 Ballon d'Or
 The Best FIFA Football Awards

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 20, 5–8 p.m.
Opening Reception: Wednesday, April 3, 5–8 p.m.
The Graduating Exhibitions are capstone experiences for students graduating from the UTM and Sheridan joint Art & Art History program. Students graduating from the Art and Art History program receive both an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto Mississauga and an Advanced Diploma in Art and Art History from Sheridan College. The program is designed to provide students with a strong and diverse base of knowledge that prepares them for a broad spectrum of careers within the arts community and beyond.
This two-part exhibition is curated in partial fulfillment of FAH451: Curating Now: Turning Concepts into Curatorial Projects. This course is a part of our newly offered Curatorial Studies Certificate.


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Pike Lib falls to Straughn on the road
Published 1:49 pm Friday, November 18, 2022
By Josh Boutwell
Levi Deboer scored nine points against Straughn. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)
The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (0-2) hit the road and dropped a game with Class 3A's Straughn Tigers on Thursday night by a score of 51-34.
Straughn jumped out to a 19-9 lead in the first quarter and Pike was able to cut the lead to 28-20 at halftime. Straughn pulled away again in the third quarter, taking a 42-27 lead into the fourth quarter. Straughn outscored the Patriots 8-7 in the fourth, as well.
Pike was led by Levi Deboer and Will Rice both scored nine points and Chase Deboer scored six points. Straughn was led by Micah Turner with 16 points.
The Patriots host Northside Methodist next Tuesday.


On November 3, Replica Hublot revealed a new watch in 'Concrete jungle' New York, where a collaborative partnership was sought again. This time the watch came true in co-design with street artist Tristan Eaton. The watch fully carries the name 'Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle'. Hublot has a first appearance with the watch in the "new material" series; The bezel is made of concrete and epoxy resin.
Hublot has a mission to be 'First, Different & Unique' and that has been achieved by using other concrete as a material for the watch. Tristan Eaton provided the concrete cover of the Concrete Jungle with his work as a signature. Whether the watch will be spotted outside NYC is the question because the watch has a very limited edition of only 50 pieces.
It is Hublot's intention to release more watches with a partial concrete bezel after this first introduction. The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Special Edition Concrete Jungle has a 45mm cabinet of microblasted black ceramic. Of this material are also the pushers and the crown. The known H-shaped hublot geneve cricket watch fake screws are of black titanium. The watch is powered by a 207-part automatic clock, caliber hublot big bang ferrari uk. The watch is water supply up to 50 meters and has a 42-hour travel reserve.


I love this soup because it is delicious, loaded with healthy veggies and it freezes very well. The nutritional yeast gives it a yummy cheese flavor.
Every time I make it I prepare a double batch so I can freeze one batch in lunch sized containers. It is wonderful with Rainy Day Biscuits (gluten free) which have been posted on the blog already.
Adapted from Angela Liddon's fantastic soup recipe.
Grab a very large pot and heat the oil.
Use a food processor to quickly chop the onion. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes. Season salt and pepper.
I put on the slicing blade and put through the carrots, celery, and peeled broccoli stems, adding them to the pot. Stir every once and a while so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Cover the pot and saute the vegetables for another 4 – 5 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.
Add the broth. Bring the soup just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low/medium and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.
Remove from the element and allow to cool slightly, lid off. Blend with an immersion blender. Add in the nutritional yeast, cayenne, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper.
Put leftovers into jars or glass containers and allow to cool before securing the lid and putting in the fridge or freezer. It should stay fresh for a few days in the fridge and is excellent as a freezer meal.


After planting your tree, remove the nursery stake, which is the thin pole tied to the tree.
If the tree cannot stand upright by itself, support it by placing two stakes at least 18 inches from both sides of the trunk. Locate where the trunk bends, place one tie around the trunk, bring the tie back toward the stake and cross the tie to form a figure eight, and then secure the tie to the stake. Repeat on the other side at the same level.
Check the ties monthly. Remove the stakes and ties as soon as the tree is able to stand upright on its own—usually within 6 months to a year. Staking too long slows tree growth.
The sooner stakes and ties are removed, the stronger the tree will be. When a tree moves in the wind it will create a stronger root system and will not need the additional support as long.
To see a good staking demonstration watch our Planting Your Shade Tree video.


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THE MOST INEXPENSIVE CAR
19.07.2018 12.05.2018 Categories Auto show
CHEVROLET SPARK is the compact car class A. And exhibitions, and the streets are compact cars always become the object of attention. At the international auto none full-size luxury car does not attract as much public, how many small, almost like a toy car. In our country this car is a Korean car DAEWOO MATIZ, the bulk of which in Russia started mainly after running it in series at the factory Uz-DAEWOO Auto in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Joint venture to produce cars in the South Korean city of Pupyong was founded in 1972 by a local company, Shinjin Motors and U.S. group General Motors. In 1978, the shares bought by Shinjin powerful financial and industrial group Daewoo, and since 1983 a joint Korean-American enterprise began to carry the name Daewoo Motor.
A decade later, the cooperation of Daewoo and General Motors ended, and the car company was owned exclusively concern Daewoo.
In the second half of the 1990s, the leaders of the Korean group has taken a number of measures for the withdrawal of the private automobile production in number of leaders of world car industry by investing huge funds in development of production of four families of modern cars.
However, in 2001 the financial situation of Daewoo, which had to that time five factories in the Republic of Korea and eleven outside the country and producing a total of 2.3 million cars a year, has become critical. Concern-the bankrupt was offered for sale to foreign buyers. The main contenders for the purchase of Daewoo was an American Corporation Ford Motor and General Motors. Won last, paying for the purchase of 440 million dollars.
Many economists considered the deal risky, but in just three years, the head of the newly founded company GM Daewoo, Nick Reilly has managed to literally revive a dying company — in 2004 the car factories of GM Daewoo produced around 900 thousand cars — three times more than in 2002. And this year it is planned to produce over a million machines. By the way, from 1 January 2005, all the cars are GM Daewoo started to be supplied to Europe under the CHEVROLET brand, which is owned by General Motors.
DAEWOO MATIZ edition 1997 — the predecessor of the CHEVROLET SPARK
MATIZ and SPARK — feel the difference!
CHEVROLET SPARK release 2005 — the European car size class A
However, back in the 1980-ies, when the Korean company decided to develop the consumer sector, who preferred compact cheap car. The first car company Daewoo has become cheap and economical TICO that no body was unified with the Japanese five-door SUZUKI ALTO micro-car, only issue 1982. Shipped in our country, baby TICO, despite some similarities with Russian minicar VAZ-1111 "Oka", differed from it by its greater reliability, comfort and speed. However, in the late 1990-ies "suitcase" style is not contributed to widespread TICO — youth (and, in the first place — her beautiful half!) prefer more elegant cars.
This car became DAEWOO MATIZ edition 1998, causing widespread sympathy compact car is quite a modern design developed in a bodywork Studio Italdesign Giugiaro, the famous Giorgetto. MATIZ was equipped with 3-cylinder engine working volume of 0,786 l and a power of 52 HP. it Should be noted that the engine was a motorcycle of engine capacity, but provides nevertheless a cruising speed of 110 km/h and could accelerate the car up to 144 km/h; average fuel consumption was 6.1 l per 100 kilometers.
In 2002, the car was upgraded — it has strengthened the body frame, which increased the passive safety of the car. Moreover, in addition to the 3-cylinder engine of the DAEWOO MATIZ was equipped with 4-cylinder 1.0-liter engine capacity of 66 HP and automatic transmission.
It is interesting that the DAEWOO MATIZ was one of the most popular cars in its class on the European market in 2004, the number of sales he had lost only a classmate FIAT PANDA. To date, the happy owners of this machine of steel, 1.3 million people!
Geometric diagram of the CHEVROLET SPARK
In 2005, the Assembly line of GM Daewoo came off the car under the name CHEVROLET SPARK, which is a further development of MATIZ cars. Should
notice that the name CHEVROLET SPARK, the car will only be shipped to Russia, where UzDaewoo-Auto will continue to supply small cars of the previous generation. In the rest of the country it will be sold as the CHEVROLET MATIZ.
New Daewoo Spark instead of round lights appeared complex, compound block-lights, and oval taillights replaced the round. To all — the car is enough roomy trunk (0,17 m3) and with the rear seats folded the volume is already 0,845 m3! By the way, to fold all of the rear seat and its parts — the back of the couch is cut in the ratio 2:3.
The new car's dimensions have remained virtually the same as its predecessor, only the height has increased by two centimeters. However, the drag coefficient decreased from 0,399 to 0.34, and the interior provides a quite satisfactory location of both driver and passengers; such crews say the inside more than the outside. Theoretically, Spark is considered a quintuple (it is possible, in particular, to judge by the three headrests on the back of the sofa), but with enough comfort at the rear can accommodate only two passengers.
Saved resemblance with its predecessor, but the interior of the CHEVROLET SPARK is made completely different. Ergonomics of the driver can be driving the man almost any body type. And this despite the unregulated new three-spoke steering wheel (for reviews testers, for this car it is not so important). Dashboard designers were placed in the center of the front panel; and the front of the driver, behind the wheel — only scoreboard sovetovali indicators as for the appliances, then the buyer will be able to select an instance of the new car with a green, blue or orange scales.
The front of the cabin of the subcompact SPARK
The instrument unit is located on the center console
Display with indicator lights
The trunk 170-litre variant
Mindful of the fact that the majority of cars of small is purchased by women, the designers have placed inside the a lot of boxes, pockets, niches and other "Samorodok" in which you can place a lot useful in the way of things — from a pair of sunglasses (the case for them is on the ceiling) to the road atlases and maps (they can be easily placed on the two shelves under the front panel). Women enthusiasts and a mirror built into the back of the driver's sun visor.
The designers of the machine we paid special attention to passive safety of the vehicle, and the prototype was quite high (according to the international classification four "stars"), while his successor, CHEVROLET SPARK, it has further increased: the proportion of elements of reinforced steel in the vehicle frame (by weight) increased from 37 to 51 percent, and the floor and mount it to the b-pillar is significantly enhanced for best of the confrontation of the body lateral impact. In addition, in the zones of maximum deformation are used in honeycomb design. And yet, the CHEVROLET SPARK was the first in its class car,the front part of which is made in accordance with the European standard for pedestrian safety.
In the basic version the compact machine is equipped with a driver airbag, seat belts with pre-tensioners and pads to protect the knees. In the maximum configuration in the vehicle are also airbag for passenger front and side airbags. The car has a collapsible steering column and three-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners. Rollover of the vehicle the possibility of a fire is minimal — the fuel tank has an emergency fuel-valve-switch. Brake system is equipped with a very effective ABS, which provides more than a reliable stop of the vehicle.
The new machine will also be equipped with 3 – and 4-cylinder engines, which have undergone a major upgrade. Both now comply with Euro 4 standards, which they had upgraded intake and exhaust system, and gas distribution mechanism instead of a steel rocker arm is an aluminum, with roller tappets. All these improvements allowed to reduce losses in the valve mechanism 15 percent. To all modified motors are less noisy than their predecessors; the silence in the cabin has also contributed to changing the engine mounts — instead of four legs he now three.
Technical characteristics of the car CHEVROLET SPARK
Significantly improved (compared to the DAEWOO MATIZ) suspension subcompact. Its energy intensity was slightly higher, and the front suspension is now more rigid in the transverse direction. Also changed the rear suspension semi — trailing arms of the former were replaced by more rigid in the transverse direction oblique levers. And gas-filled shock absorbers made by oblique, slightly improved their damping characteristics.
Test CHEVROLET SPARK revealed that the new car is more economical, more dynamic and safer than DAEWOO MATIZ. Unfortunately, it is unclear what the cost of these improvements. Korean and Korean-Uzbek small car of the previous generation is not without reason known for its lowest price among all cars, about $ 7,000.
Claim that SPARK will also remain the cheapest cars, so you should wish Korean brands a good competition with UzDaewoo on the Russian market.
I. EVSTRATOV
To find the roots of the TagAz TAGER SUV, which today issued the Taganrog car factory, will have to go to South Korea in 1950, where the company Hadonghway Motor Company was building...
GAS-4
The history of "picaporte" in our country, opened the car GAZ-4 with a lifting capacity 0,5 t, launched the series in 1933. The development of machine production did not require much...
BELTS GLOVES FROM
WITH A PIPE — NO STAINS


A Jewish community patrol group has pledged to protect a mosque after a rise in Islamophobic hate crime in London following the Woolwich attack.
In a display of community togetherness, the Shomrim patrol group – which means safety and security in Hebrew – accepted a request for protection by the North London Community Centre (NLCC) in Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington.
The deal was brokered at a meeting coordinated by Hackney Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Sharer.
He said: "I was asked by Muslim friends to chair the meeting. The meeting was a great success. The Shomrim patrols have agreed to include the local mosques and other buildings as part of their routine patrols.
The Stamford Hill Shomrim group has 22 people and was set up in 2008 in part as a reaction to anti-Semitic incidents.
Members of the 24-hour patrol group have been trained by Hackney police, and have neighbourhood patrol badges and uniforms.
Chaim Hochhauser, 33, one of two Shomrim supervisors, who lives near Stamford Hill junction, Stamford Hill, said: "The Muslim community approached Cllr Sharer and asked him what they could do to protect themselves.
"He called us and asked us if we could help. We told them what we could do. We are pleased the Jewish community wanted to help.
Eusoof Ameerat, 66, of Fountayne Road, and a member of the Hackney Police Independent Advisory Group, said: "It's a great offer. We don't just want to receive, we want to work together as a team rather than just taking their support and try to support each other as a community.
Following the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last month, there was an arson attack on a Somali community centre in Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park Mosque in St Thomas's Road has reported a rise in hate crime incidents.


text:
Q: Flutter & Dart : What is an isolate in flutter? As I study about flutter, I notices that there is a thing called isolate.
What is it for? And how do we implement that? Can you give me a simple example?
Thank you in advance.

A: Isolate in flutter, similar with threading.

"Flutter is single-threaded but it is capable of doing multi-threading
stuff using Isolates (many processes). When Dart starts, there will be
one main Isolate(Thread). This is the main executing thread of the
application, also referred to as the UI Thread. In simple Flutter apps
you will only ever use one Isolate, and your app will run smoothly.
Isolates are:
Dart's version of Threads. Do not share memory between each other.
Uses Ports and Messages to communicate between them. May use another
processor core if available. Runs code in parallel."

Docs & Simple Example

"Concurrent programming using isolates: independent workers that are
similar to threads but don't share memory, communicating only via
messages."

Official Docs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


NASA is planning a journey to Mars, and current scholars could very well be a part of a future mission. During the unit, pupils research the advances in space exploration and knowledge about the universe. Then they work in groups to create articles to combine into a newspaper of the future.


Everyday ethics on NPR's WOSU "All Sides with Ann Fisher"
How much loyalty do we owe the people with whom we work? That's at the heart of a question posed to me by a reader, an editor at a publication that uses a number of freelance writers.
His job is to edit many of these freelancers. "While technically they are nothing more than vendors," he writes, "I have always seen my role as not only to represent the company to them, but also to represent them to the company -- sending information, problems and solutions in both directions on an ongoing basis."
My reader has worked with many of his freelancers for a decade or more. Although in most cases, he hasn't met them face-to-face, he has come to regard some more as friends and co-workers than as vendors.
"Earlier this year my boss told me that she would be terminating the services of one of these freelancers," he writes, "one with whom I have a warm relationship." He was not specifically told not to tell the freelancer what was going on, but it was clearly understood that he shouldn't. "So, I didn't."
A couple of awkward months followed as my reader continued to work with this freelancer while knowing they wouldn't be working together for much longer.
"I felt guilty for not telling him about the situation," he writes, "and was very pleased when the termination date was finally set and my boss notified the freelancer. It was good to have the facts on the table, though his feelings were clearly bruised."
Subsequently, in the freelancer's final days working for my reader's company, my reader advised him about placing his services elsewhere, which he soon did . . . with a major competitor.
My reader is quick to point out that there was nothing illegal about the advice he gave. He had clearly advocated on behalf of his freelancer to his boss to give him more ownership of his work than his contract originally gave him. Still, his boss was unaware that he had coached the freelancer and he was happy to keep it that way.
Now, he is left wondering if he did the right thing. "Should I have dropped a hint to the freelancer earlier, which would have made it easier for him to find work elsewhere?" he asks. "Should I have avoided any discussion of his future prospects outside of our company? Or was the way it worked out a sufficiently ethical way to square this particular circle?"
Deciding whether you owe more loyalty to your employer than to the folks with whom you do business is always a challenge. Sure, the freelancer would have benefitted from an earlier heads up that his services would be terminated. But to do so would have meant violating a trust with a boss that news of the decision would be kept in-house until she decided to make the call. A lot could have happened between the initial decision and that call. The boss could, for example, have decided not to sever ties. If that had been the case and the editor had already spilled the news, it would have made it awkward for all parties.
The editor did the right thing by staying true to his company and also by offering assistance to the freelancer. If he had recommended the competitor before the decision was made to sever ties that would have been wrong. But doing it after the fact displayed both professional courtesy and kindness. Finding a way to show kindness in a difficult situation speaks volumes about my reader.
Does spilling the beans put reader in the soup?
A building management firm orders lunch for tenant companies' employees. Although the companies pay for the food, building management does the ordering. Once the food arrives, it's put out as a buffet.
A couple of months ago, a reader took over the job of being the guy who orders food for all of the companies on a particular floor.
My reader and others in his position on different floors are allowed to eat from the buffet. Many also were ordering extra items for themselves. "I guessed this was allowed," my reader writes, "and I did the same." He points out no item ordered was expensive. More specifically, he would add on containers of soup that he would eat for lunch.
Apparently, none of the higher-ups knew that the food orderers had been ordering small items for themselves until my reader spilled the beans.
"Is there anything to feel bad about or is my guilt unnecessary?" he asks.
My reader acknowledges that he feels bad partly because he wants to be accepted and liked by the others who fill his role on other floors of the building. They're all roughly his age and chummy with one another.
But my reader should have no guilt. He engaged in what he thought was accepted, common practice. That he was open about it with his higher-up suggests he wasn't trying to hide anything.
The right thing would have been for the higher-ups to be clear on the unacceptability of the practice to those doing the ordering. And if the folks on other floors knew that what they were doing was not condoned, they weren't being particularly chummy with their new colleague by not filling him in. If they knew this practice was against the rules, they should not have engaged in it.
My reader has it right. He might not have agreed with the policy, but he and others should follow it. It's generous enough that they're permitted to eat some of the food the companies order without having to pay for it. If they were pushing the limits by tacking on their own personal orders when they knew they weren't supposed to, they were just being gluttons for punishment.
Every morning, a woman who lives in a wealthy suburb outside a major city in the Northeast region of the United States, moseys into her local Starbucks coffee shop.
The well-coifed patron is well off financially. She and her surgeon husband own three homes, travel extensively and have put each of their children through exclusive private boarding schools and Ivy League universities.
She always orders a grande latte extra hot, plunking down three-plus dollars for her drink of choice.
On her way to a table, as has been her practice for years, the well-coifed patron picks up a copy of The New York Times from the sales rack. She proceeds to sit down, spreads the newspaper on the table, and reads every section, taking care not to rumple the pages of the daily paper. She then folds the paper back up, making sure that it looks almost unread.
A reader who happens to frequent the same Starbucks every morning questions the wealthy patron's behavior.
There's a coffee shop in a bookstore near where I live that has a well-stocked magazine section. The owners of the bookstore make it clear that it is OK with management to peruse the magazines while drinking a cup of coffee, as long as the magazines are returned in pristine condition to the rack. It doesn't, however, have the same policy for the newspapers it sells. You read those, you buy them is the policy on newspapers. The policy is made clear to all patrons.
My reader's local Starbucks has no read-and-return to the sales rack policy. The assumption is that you are to buy the newspaper before poring over it, whether in the shop or at home.
By returning the read and refolded newspaper, the wealthy patron might assume she shouldn't have to pay for the paper, but she's wrong. She's read the newspaper through and through and should pay for the product she used. Just as most people know it's wrong to take an extra paper from a newspaper box when they've paid for just one, the wealthy patron should know better than to think it's OK to read from cover to cover a newspaper she's expected to pay for but hasn't.
Granted, I may appear to have a bias here since my compensation for this column is directly tied to the newspapers that carry it making money. But my response would be the same for any item for which a customer was expected to pay if she took it and consumed it and then put it back on the rack or shelf without paying.
The Starbucks baristas may not want to make a scene because they don't want to anger a regular customer and because they're likely busy brewing and selling coffee.
But the right thing is for the wealthy patron to pay for what she uses. And the right thing for the local Starbucks is to make it even clearer to patrons that they are expected to pay for newspapers they take and read.
Is free Xbox game a fable?
For two hours on a Friday in mid-October, alert fans of the Xbox game Fable II were treated to a surprise. On Microsoft's Xbox Live website, the complete game that is supposed to cost $19.99 to download was offered for "free" on the site.
Word got out and was tweeted with abandon to fans — but within two hours, Microsoft issued a statement that it had heard reports of the freeness of Fable II, but that the correct price was $19.99, and the Xbox Live website was corrected.
K.G., a reader from Worcester, Mass., who is a console game aficionado, wondered about the ethics of taking advantage of what appeared to have been a pricing error.
The parallel between a retail clerk forgetting to charge for an item and a software company posting an errant price for a product doesn't hold up. In the retail setting, you're likely to see all of the physical products as well as the prices being keyed into the register. You also receive a printed receipt itemizing the goods you bought and what you paid for each of them. But in the online situation, there was no way for anyone to know that the Xbox game should have been priced differently. It wasn't like a vending machine that dispenses soft drinks for half the posted price. In other words, there was no way for the lucky few who found the free Fable II offering to know it was a mistake.
K.G. raises an interesting point: If we find out after the fact that we were the beneficiaries of something that turned out to be the result of someone else's error, are we obligated to somehow make things right for the person or company that made the error?
In cases where it's clear that a mistake has been made — a bank inadvertently registers a deposit greater than the amount you gave it, a clerk puts an item or two in your bag without ringing it up — the right thing is for the buyer to bring attention to the mistake and make things correct.
But in cases where there is no way to know that a mistake has been made — as was the case with the mispriced Xbox game — the lucky customers have no obligation to make up for the seller's apparent mistake.
As it turns out, the error ended up creating great buzz for the Fable II game, which, interestingly enough, coincided with the release of its follow-up, Fable III. Sometimes it's difficult to know if an apparent mistake is just a deliberate marketing maneuver in disguise.


text:
Dansk lantanka är en lantras av anka från Danmark. Den är en liten anka, vikten är 2-2,5 kilogram. Fjäderdräkten är vit. Den lägger grönaktiga ägg, som ska väga minst 50 gram.

Referenser
Odén, Kristina. Höns och andra fjäderfän, 1994, s. 125.

Danska lantraser
Ankor


text:
5 Best Shots from Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat Earth
Shot #1 - At Odds with the World
We meet Mad Mike as a solo man, although he has a crew. But while setting him up as a man at odds with the world isn't too terribly hard (there's some nice uses of internet comments throughout) there are some deft touches throughout Cats manage to be relatable as well as a little crazy. Showing the cat some troll's online comments definitely puts you over the top. And locking your mailbox up doesn't help either.
Shot #2 - Informoverload
I love the difference between the internet world that observes Mike and the man himself. Here's Mike on a Canadian show Informoverload and it's harder to see two things more at odds: Mike in his grungy shirt, with his homemade rocket in the background and the two hosts with a MacBook in front of them.
Shot #3 - Summing Everything Up
What a great shot with Waldo, the self taught rocket scientist of the group, describing what will happen to Mike's rocket after launch. The look of it all is just perfect: The sunlight through the beer bottle with the real rocket in the background, Mike looking on, Waldo in his American flag t-shirt with the real American flag in the background. In one shot is the chord this movie is trying to strike - I don't know whether to be proud of their ingenuity and individual spirit or shocked that this is how people choose to spend their time.
Spoiler below
Shot #4 - Liftoff
It's genuinely thrilling to see Mike takeoff. For all that he might be a little crazy, it's one of the most heartfelt moments in the movie and it's a tribute to Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn that they keep the tension throughout.
Shot #5 - Both Prone and Spent
Having given all they can give both man and vessel end up lying parallel, Mike heading off to get checked out by paramedics and "Flat Earth" there to wait until next time.
Bonus Shot - Roadtrips
Mike shifting his trailer home to the launch site. C'mon. Every doc deserves a ride-along camera shot.
Celebrity Book Recommendations
We've had the pleasure of meeting some pretty interesting people over the years. Actors, politicians, pageant winners, producers, and musicians and we're adding more every week!
Here is a list of their book recommendations.
Kimberly and Darrell met Mr. Cranston in New York City in January 2019. He had just finished a performance of his Broadway show Network and was kind enough to meet us for a chat. His book recommendation is his book, A Life in Parts.
Bryon Cranston, Kimberly Braun, Darrell Johnston
Dolly Parton
Darrell worked with Dolly in Nov. of 2018 for a new Christmas show she was working on. She is a dream to work with! When asked about a recommendation she wanted a minute to think about it. I will update this as soon as I get her answer!
Darrell Johnston and Dolly Parton
Stephen Colbert is the host of the Late Show. Darrell asked him for a book recommendation in Jan. 2016. First he said, "have you read the bible?" to which Darrell said, "Yes." He then suggested the Hobbit and finally landed on Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger.
Senator Charles Grassley
Darrell interviewed Senator Grassley in Washington D.C. in Jan. 2019 with Kimberly Braun. We talked about Iowa's role in renewable energy. His recommendation is anything about American history. He eventually had to recommend the Constitution.
Senator Charles Grassley and Darrell Johnston
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Darrell met Nancy Pelosi in April of 2017 at the National Governors Conference where Highway Walkers Media was presenting on a panel about documentaries in policy making. We are anxiously awaiting her book recommendation.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Darrell Johnston
Sue Nelson
Sue has played the organ for the Minnesota Twins for over 30 years. She loves interacting with fans and watching the games. Darrell met her in 2019 and asked her recommendation. It is Kent Hrbek's: Tales From the Minnesota Twins Dugout.
Jeff Daniels is a renowned actor known for his work on screen and Broadway. Darrell asked him his book recommendation in Jan. 2019 after his Broadway show of To Kill a Mocking Bird. His book recommendation is; Atticus in Biography by Joe Chrispino.
Rod Kaats
Rod is a Broadway Producer and is currently the Producing Artistic Director at the Ordway in St. Paul, MN. He is a good friend and mentor. His reading recommendation is this quote and the books Can Love Last: The Fate of Romance Over Time by: Stephen A Mitchell AND Sex At Dawn by: Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá
Rod Kaats and Darrell Johnston
Tim Guinee is an actor appearing in over 200 films and television shows. He works closely with Vice President Al Gore with the Climate Reality Project. We interviewed him on the podcast episode #33. His book recommendation is Disgrace by: JM Coetzee.
Morgan Kofoid
Morgan is Ms. Iowa 2020. She will go one to compete in the Miss World pageant. We interviewed her on podcast episode #34. Her book recommendation is Tuesdays with Morie by: Mitch Albom.
Mary Shields
Darrell met Mary at her home in Alaska in 2019. She was the first woman to finish the Itarod, a dog sled race that runs 1,100 miles. She entered that race in 1974 and paved the way for women to win the race for years to come. Her book recommendation is Two in the Far North by: Margaret Murie.
Sled dog and Mary Shields
Josiah met presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg in Decorah, IA November 2019. Mayor Pete recommends the book Ulysses by James Joyce or The Little Prince.
J.J. Kelley
J.J. Kelley is a friend, mentor, and an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and explorer focusing on issues of conservation and wildlife crime. He's also the host of the Travel Channel series, "Lost In The Wild," which investigate some of history's greatest adventures gone wrong. Three of Kelley's documentaries have been featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine. J.J. was a guest on an upcoming episode of the podcast and his book recommendation is Into the Wild by: John Krakauer.
J.J. Kelley and Darrell Johnston
Paul Draper is a Comedy Presenter, Mind-Reader, and Speaker who has appeared on the History Channel, A&E, HBO, Hallmark, the Travel Channel, HGTV, and shows like Hell's Kitchen, Pawn Stars, Ghost Adventures, Mindfreak, and House Hunters.
We have had the pleasure of working with Paul while he was on tour. His book recommendation is: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by: Joseph Campbell.
If you enjoy our work please consider donating $1/month!
Four Feet from Pete
An evening spent in the remote vicinity of Pete Buttigieg
The gang: Jeremy, Alan in back and the two Josiahs in front.
6:30pm - It is cold outside of Decorah High School. We've just arrived, to attend the Buttigieg town hall, myself, Alan, Jeremy, and oddly enough, another Josiah. They told us to get here at 6:30. The line is maybe two blocks long and we are midway back.
6:34 - The conversation drifts from personality tests to celebrity meetings. Some Gen Zs or Millennial cuspers check our names off on their phones and give us wristbands. No one acknowledges them the rest of the night.
6:43 - No movement. I get a text telling thanking me for coming.
6:47 - Movement ahead. Finally we're inside! Bubbly and ethnically diverse (especially for Iowa) young people encourage us to go caucus for Mayor Pete. Instead I go to the bathroom.
6:50 - The whole thing is in the high school gym. People clump together beneath banners recognizing state qualifiers for various sports, pictures of Vikings (the mascot), and basketball hoops. There is only seating for those with mobility needs. I'm thinking of spraining an ankle. I instead look for the group.
6:54 - Several ladies I squeezed past recognize me from the Commonweal Theatre. They take our picture and ask us to take theirs. Small world.
7:07 - A lady in a red coat to my side says to her friends, "He gets 3 minutes and I'm leaving."
7:12 - A female voice announces they're raising the curtain in the gym to allow more people in. "Why didn't they do that in the first place?" says Red Coat. She's still here. Maybe Pete's worth the wait.
7:17 - One of Red Coat's friends, Purple Sweater says she told off the RNC. "I don't normally answer those calls. I would never give money to the RNC." She shudders. "It's like a civil war."
7:20 - been here since 6 says red coat. College students standing on platforms dutifully hold "Pete for Iowa" and Freedom Security Democracy" signs.
7:21 - Red Coat says they went through the crowd picking them out. Most of them are from Luther College. The raising of the curtain didn't create any more room. I'm beginning to wish I'd applied more deodorant.
7:24 Still no Pete. "I'm out," says Red Coat. Like a gambler cashing who knows it's not her night. It's a little sad. "I'll send you an email," Purple sweater says.
7:28 - Applause but no Pete. Toby Kane here to announce him. She is young blonde and vibrant - the perfect young campaigner. She speaks well and uplifts her community. "We have so much work but here we've created a home. We need to take what we've done here in Deborah and turn that into something that spreads all across the country."
7:30 - The phrase "Pete Supporters" is making me hungry. Say it out loud.
7:32 - Purple sweater leaves. I guess there's going to be no email.
There's a signer upfront. Kane says Pete embodies all the values of America. I keep watching the signer to see what the sign for "Buttigieg" is but I cannot make it out. She must be spelling it.
7:33 - Kane asks all of us to get involved. A girl in pigtails being held up by her mother claps. There's a lot of clapping.
7:35 - Finally Kane is done. The last thing she says is we need your help. Bring on the Pete!
7:36 - Nope. Kia Niel is next. That's not Pete. Talking about public schools. Part of Pete's platform but not Pete. Pigtails girl loves Kia. Lots of claps for the young speaker. Kia tells me to build my relational network.
7:39 - Mayor Pete! Quit clapping and let the man talk. It's 7:40 when he finally speaks.
He is earnest and engaged. Passionate. His vocal patterns almost sound like Obama - who he wastes no time telling us he campaigned for in 2008. His Norwegian joke kills. Know your crowd.
He asks us to visualize the sun coming up on a country where DT isn't President. "Take refuge in the thought," he says. However... "Think about the work it's going to take for the next president to pick up the pieces and build a better country."
7:45 - Pigtails girl is picking her mom's ear. But stops to clap in that last applause line, then sticks it right back in. I hope her mom's got health insurance.
7:47 His message: "Ideas that are bold enough to solve the problems and capable of unifying us." His topical outline: Medicare, Gun Control (No guns in school get the biggest applause), Climate change (the carbon negative farm by 2050), Patriotism, Faith, Current Administration (he doesn't stay too long on this thankfully. It's been done to death), Racial Tensions, and Public Education ("We need a Secretary of Education who believes in public education.")
7:55 Question time. Mostly your typical soft balls questions, although one kid asks if he plays Dungeons and Dragons (Newsflash: He doesn't, but he's always up for learning something new).
His best soundbite comes from talking about climate change as a national project:
"America always does better when it has a national project and this one doesn't involve fighting other people." Not bad, Pete.
8:11 - The Q&A session lasts about 20 minutes. My favorite question is about increasing his internet advertising budget, not because of the answer (he intends to advertise - go figure!), but because a man in a deer hunter jacket standing next to me leaves. Finally a little room!
8:19 - Pete wraps up and encourages us, whether "volunteer, voter, or candidate, to make the case for hope." Hope is a good word to build on. He shakes a couple of hands. I get muscled out of the way by more determined Buttigieg fans. That's ok. With a few more waves to the crowd, Pete Buttigieg leaves to September by Earth Wind and Fire.
At the end of it all, I learned the Mayor Pete cares pretty hard, that he likes Earth, Wind, and Fire and that he might like to try out Dungeons and Dragons. He's got a lot of solid ideas and an idealistic view to go with it. I don't know if he'll be dancing in September next year, but I think he's got a little hope.
Actors and the Climate Crisis | Tim Guinee
What role does an actor have in fighting the climate crisis? Shakespeare said:
For anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. - William Shakespeare [Hamlet]
https://images.app.goo.gl/yJxS7bUYsHJrnosGA
Historically the theatre was the force that progressed social, economic, and political movements. Now is the time to include environmental. The American film industry generated $43.4 billion in revenue last year according to Medium.com. Americans turn to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon, CBS, NBC, PBS, and countless other streaming sites and TV stations to unwind. We count on actors telling stories to connect us with the outside world. The actor has a wild amount of responsibility in working to combat the current climate crisis as they connect with people around the world.
I spoke with Tim Guinee, an actor who has been seen on over 250 films and television shows including Iron Man, Bones, Blue Bloods, and many more. He works closely with Vice President Al Gore in the Climate Reality Project and recently sat down with activist Greta Thunberg. I interviewed Mr. Guinee for an upcoming podcast.
Darrell: Where should actor/environmentalists go?
Mr. Guinee: Anywhere they can I guess would be my first answer. Climate Actors Project, which just started up witch has a lot of people like Ed Harris, Ed Begley Jr., Sinthia Viro, Mandy Patinkin, and Danny Glover. All of these big actors have formed behind this thing. We're just starting up so we will be developing a webpage and beginning to hold training events but look for a webpage within the coming months.
Darrell: Who are some things that actors can be doing to combat the climate crisis?
Mr. Guinee: Part of my work is with Al Gore's Climate reality project, I give talks and I've given them all over the world about what's going on. One of the former heads of the National Endowments for the Arts, Jane Alexander, heard my talk and said that somebody needs to do this work for the acting community. In thinking about it I realized that many actors have this outside soapbox. They have a real platform to express their opinions and that people rightly gets bullied by people when actors are expressing their opinions and don't know what they're talking about. So it's imperative that we use that soapbox and they know exactly what they're talking about and then I also think that given the desperate state that we're in, I want people in every walk of life to be talking about this and recognizing certain things about actors that would be really important audience for me to speak and one that I thought I could be impactful in speaking to. The one big thing that comes to my mind is that the arts, all of the arts work with human emotion and empathy for that emotion and in that way the arts are universal. But also because of that one of my biggest concerns about the environmental movement and one of the biggest failures of the environmental movement is that we tend to speak within the environmental bubble. We tend to talk to people who are like minded. And there is a big problem in this country, not just with the environment but with all kinds of issues that everybody gets siloed into just talking to people who agree with their position. Social Media has been a disaster in this area and I think one of the things that artists/actors can bring to this through empathy is an ability to show up and care about different kinds of audiences. So in the work I do, I work very very hard to not speak to just environmentalists but I talk to Houston oil industry executives, I've talked to coal miners, I've spend three-and-a-half months in Northern Africa this year and spent some time doing climate talks in some of the slums in North Africa... The crisis is in such a terrible state, we need everybody's involvement... We need everyone to get involved if we're going to divert real catastrophe... This is some of the work that I do and I think actors can be incredibly helpful in that work.
To learn more about Tim Guinee or the upcoming Climate Actors Project check back here often as we will be sharing that URL as soon as it is live.
To hear the entire interview, subscribe to Highway Walkers Podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, and anywhere else you stream.
The 5 Best Shots from Minimalism
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things is definitely a movie with a message. The story is told mostly by following two men, Ryan and Josh, as they promote their book, Everything That Remains. We also hear from some talking heads people who practice minimalism to some extent in their daily lives. This message is basically the story. But like all film the cinematography is telling its own story. Here are my five favorite shots that help tell the story. Check out our review of the movie in podcast form here!
Shot #1: Times Square
What better place to start a movie about minimalism than the heart of capitalism? This shot is the opening look of the film and is held for a solid five seconds. Screens abound. Advertisements everywhere. Taxis, people rushing by. It's an iconic view and simply by dint of the title of the film we're looking at it in a different way. Not sure if it's stock footage, but if it is, it's simply great usage. A solid start.
Shot #2: Expectations = Humor
We've been told that Josh and Ryan are heading to SXSW to speak. We have before this a great shot of Ryan delivering the message of minimalism and then the reveal: mostly empty seats and people on phones. Really good use of setting expectations to get an easy laugh.
Shot #3: Visualizing the Message
Here is maybe my favorite look of the whole film. Clearly the director Matt D'avella wanted to get some quotes from the book Everything That Remains into the film. And instead of just having Josh read them in an ordinary space, they trek out to an area devoid of anything. Visual minimalism paired with personal minimalism. A great shot that taking what could've been boring and making it stand out.
Shot #4: Focus on Shallow Depth of Field
The movie doesn't have a lot of dissenting opinions, though it does offer a few comments from Clyde Dinkins, an attendee at a Las Vegas talk. The videographers got some great images of Clyde, highlighting his comments which are some of the most thought-provoking in the film.
Shot #5: Graphics, the Good and the Bad
Not all graphics are created equal. I'll include two here. The first is a simple but effective visual of a standard house set-up with the red dots indicating areas people use. Really driving home a message. The second is a intertitle card (see below) used about three times throughout the movie. If you're going to use intertitles to convey messages, jazz it up a little. Use them with a purpose. Have it mean something. This felt like information that could've been conveyed through interviews.
Could've eliminated the intertitles.
Bonus! Iconic Road Trip Shot!
An oldie but a goodie and one Highway Walkers have used too many times to count. Two friends on a drive, looking over the shoulder at the open road... Sometimes you just can't beat a classic.
Again check out our podcast review of the film here! Thanks for reading.
On the Buffalo - Day 3
I am lying in our tent. It is, by my best guess, close to 8:45pm and nearing the only true moments of darkness we have on this trip. The sun has finally set and the moon is about to rise: waxing full and ripe, far brighter than I have ever seen it in cities or towns. When it rises it will give light to our little sandbar.
We made an impromptu camp this evening, on the east side of the river to catch as much of the waning sunlight as possible. We needed to dry our things. Rachel and I tipped our canoe this afternoon.
The moon rises and casts its light on the various articles hanging from branches and vines: shirts, underwear, hats, our rain fly, Kim's sleeping bag, trash, our food bag, and eleven pages from my Midsummer Night's Dream script all on the same branch, pale in the light, like a congregation of ghosts.
The river had flooded the week before we came, rising as high as 18 feet above its normal level. The trees along the bank are full of branches, leaves, trash, and other debris. Many were knocked down, dragged along, and left in the river.
Memory has funny tricks it plays. I am sure the actual tipping our canoe took no more than five seconds, but the memory of it is slow and segmented.
Rachel and I had come around the bend and seen the tree, but the current was too strong, we too inexperienced. Remembering it I feel we had days to turn, but didn't, our canoe slowly drifting sideways into the uprooted oak, the water pouring into the bottom of our canoe like batter into a pan. It all seemed so slow in retrospect? How could we have lost control?
We managed to get the canoe out and the only thing lost was our bailer (the top half of a plastic jug). Much was dampened, including my and Rachel's spirits and we moved a little slower the rest of the day.
It is at first glance a learning experience, but here under the moonlight, spent and exhausted and content, I draw no lines between learning and not. Everything thus far has simply been to experience, learning and growth and the need to categorize and contextualize fade away under the moonlight and I simply lay back, close my eyes, and feel the river sway me softly to sleep.
On the Buffalo River - Day 2
Day 2 on the Buffalo River
The green canoe that once contained Darrell and Kim is wrapped around a rock in the middle of the river. It has sunk about a foot and a half underwater. It is sideways. It's bow and stern have filled with water and the continuous pressure of the flowing river has bent it in half around the rock.
I am waist deep next to the canoe as the water flows around me. Mike Mills is next to me. We are trying to lift the canoe.
Mike has said that the river at Ponca was flowing at 400 cf/s. I have no idea what kind of pressure this amounts to, all I know is it's enough to bend a canoe in half. The canoe is plastic, yes, but it was a sheet of high density polyethylene. It now looks like a rag.
"You don't pull the canoe towards you," Mike says in a voice loud enough to carry above the rushing water. "The current's too strong. You want to lift up." And so we try.
And we fail. However much water the canoe is holding, plus the pressure of the river, is too much for us. Darrell, who lost a shoe in the spill, steps out to help, as does another canoer who'd been floating by and stopped to check up on us.
The Buffalo River is a friendly place. Most of the people there live within a 500 mile radius, and most are willing to stop and chat. The beginning is far more populated than the end. As Mike has said, the beginning is the most beautiful part and people flock to it. We're lucky they do.
Mike, Darrell, the helpful stranger, and I manage to lift the sideways canoe above the water level, unpinning it from the rock. It drags us a few feet downriver before skidding to a stop in a shallower area.
The stranger wades back to his own canoe and Darrell and I wearily shout a thank you. He waves and sets off.
The canoe, it seems to us, is irreparable. I help Mike dump the water while Darrell tells Mike we'll pay for the canoe. I can hear the disappointment in his voice. Canoes like these run anywhere from $700 - $1000 or more.
Without saying a word, Mike climbs into the bent canoe and gives it two quick stomps. Like magic the canoe pops back into place. But is it river worthy? "Give it a try," Mike says. Though he must be tired from the effort, there's a hint of a mischievous smile on his face.
The canoe floats. Darrell and Kim climb in and Rachel and I wade back to our canoe. "I don't know a canoe of ours that's been on this river that hasn't hit a rock or been bent or filled with water," Mike says nonchalantly. Rachel and I suspiciously eye the creases in the side of our canoe before climbing in. The river seems a little more dangerous than before.
"Well now you know and you can learn from it," Mike says and he starts to go over what went wrong. Mike has a way of turning mistakes into lessons and lessons into successes. His is a quality of a true teacher.
Fortunately the canoe had been empty. Mike had us do this leg of the trip with no gear. "You can load up where I get picked up. It's better that way." The only thing lost was a sandal of Darrell's and a camera got wet. We'll toss the camera in some rice and hope for the best.
The next few rapids go by slowly, with lots of planning and nerves. We are all a little timid.
Soon we reach Kyle's Landing. This is where Mike will be picked up and before he goes he offers some advice: "Remember, pick a line a stick with it. Don't second guess yourself."
Mike gifts Darrell a pair of his old river shoes so Darrell will have something dry to change into when we stop for the night. Never have a pair of raggedy old shoes meant so much.
We load the canoes up with food and cameras, tents and sleeping bags. Tipping now would far more disastrous than before. Mike bids us farewell. "Trust your instincts," he says by way of parting advice and we laugh nervously.
Once on the river, we put in a few more miles. We go through our first few rapids on our own. The river without Mike is wide and full of possibilities both great and daunting. We look for a place to camp.
The best teacher is experience... and an experienced guide.
Day 1 on the Buffalo River
Mike Mills sits in a canoe like a king in a throne, upright and at ease. Thick arms skim the craft over the river. Oftentimes his paddle stays out of the water for long stretches, needing only one deep stroke to navigate a rapid, letting the current - and years of experience reading it - do the rest. And yet one stroke of his takes him as far as three of our hurried stabs at the water. He is a man in his element.
We are nervous, Darrell, Kim, Rachel, and I, on our first day on the river. Mike is taking us from Ponca to Kyle's Landing, ten miles or so, to train us for the rest of the trip. We will take out at Kyle's and return to the beginning the next morning and start the trip anew. "The first 10 miles is the most beautiful part anyhow," Mike says. He speaks with certainty, a man used to making split second decisions and making the right ones.
Mike begins by teaching us the draw stroke, the most important lesson, he says. A draw stroke is a stroke where the paddle is parallel to the canoe and you pull in toward the canoe. It is the primary tool of the person in the bow (or front) of the canoe. It moves the tip of the canoe in the direction of the paddle - and can be the difference between hitting a rock and gliding past.
"My job is not to judge, " Mike says in his easy Arkansas lilt, "It's to assess. Then I know what I have to teach you."
None of us knew the draw stroke prior to this little lesson. All of us had canoed on lakes before, but lakes usually don't have water pushing you toward rocks and debris - of which there is plenty. The river finished flooding no more than a week ago and downed trees are around every bend.
After learning the stroke, Mike takes us down the first rapid. "Most rapids on the Buffalo River are 1s and 2s," he says, speaking of the classification of rapids which range from 1 (easy) to 6 (impossible). "The classifications basically relate to the likelihood of you being seriously injured or killed if you fall out in a rapid. 1s you might get a bruise, 2s it's possible to break a bone. 3s and 4s and 5s you could be severely injured or worse."
The river wasn't always this calm.
Going over the maps.
We all make it through the first rapid just fine and the second as well. On the third, Rachel and I get hung up sideways on a rock. Mike paddles next to us, yelling at us to power stroke (a long deep stroke meant to propel you forward). We do. We make it off the rock without tipping. Though we feel a little bad, Mike congratulates us.
"Two more seconds and you would've started filling up with water. It's much better to hit the rapids head on. But you did alright."
On the next rapid, we hit an eddy, spinning ourselves around and head backward through the branches of an uprooted tree. Rachel folds forward in the canoe and the branches fly over her head. Again Mike congratulates us. "It's good to know what to do when things aren't going right."
True, but we'd prefer to be doing things right. Darrell and Kim seem to be getting along better. All of us want to impress Mike. He's the kind of man whose respect you want to earn.
In the calm stretches between rapids he grabs onto our canoes and dispenses his advice. All four of us nervously glance ahead to the rapid just ahead, but Mike barely takes his eyes off us as he talks, paying no mind to the upcoming rocks and trees and rushing water.
"It's better to pick a line and stick with it. Decisiveness. When you start second guessing your decisions is when you get into trouble."
When we make it to Kyle's Landing, a few hours after we put in, about 5 o'clock or so, we're tired and giddy. Mike invites to his house to talk, go over maps, and have a drink (no food - he doesn't eat dinner: "Just a glass of red wine, and a handful of nuts.").
When he asks if we'd like to go home first and "freshen up" or come straight up with him, we dither. He barks, "there's a rock coming up in the river, make a decision." We decide to freshen up.
His house sits on top of a large mountain overlooking the river valley. A window covers the whole east facing wall. It makes for a gorgeous sunrise, he tells us and encourages us to arrive at 6am tomorrow and watch.
We all pour over the maps with Mike and he labels rapids, potential camp sites, things to watch out for, and spots too beautiful to miss. He writes in a red permanent marker and the maps (with good reason) are waterproof. Finally, empty of stomach and full of information, we leave for our cabin to eat and sleep and rise with the sun for the true start of our trip down the Buffalo.
Not a bad view from your porch.
Earth Day: A History
Earth Day was first started in 1970. The legislation was pushed through by a Wisconsin Senator named Gaylord Nelson. The idea came to him after an oil spill in Santa Barbra, California.
"We're going to have to do a whole lot more, and give nature at least a chance to repair some of the damage we've done." - Gaylord Nelson
John Muir was a precursor to Gaylord Nelson's Earth Day. Muir, born in 1838, was a novelist, poet, geologist, environmentalist, and renown climber. He is also the founder of the Sierra Club. Conservationists like Theadore Roosevelt camped and learned from John Muir about the importance of protecting the most precious lands in the United States.
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir
Here are just two of the many early influential individuals that knew the importance of protecting our lands and resources. Make every day Earth Day!


It was a fantastic day for the children in Year Five today as they spent the day as ancient Greeks with the help of the team from 'Portals from the Past'. The children all came to school dressed to impress as Greeks and gathered in the upstairs hall where they learnt all about the Sparta and the Athens battle. They then had the opportunity to play a Greek game, complete a jigsaw and compete in a quiz; drawing on all the facts that they had digested throughout the day. In the afternoon the children all competed in a mini Olympics and loved taking turns to throw the javelin! It was a brilliant day which everyone enjoyed. Thanks to all of our lovely parents for helping it go so well by sending the children into school in such great costumes.
Meanwhile, in Year Two, the children continued to investigate the life of the author Julia Donaldson. they researched her life and then used the facts to create their own fact files about her and her work.
At lunchtime Mr B had a smashing lunch where he enjoyed a very grown up conversation in the company of some boys from Year Six who he had spotted being particularly polite when being served their lunches. Well done boys,, we are proud of you.
It was a sad lunchtime though today as we said a fond farewell to Mrs Paterson, one of our much loved Midday Assistants, after six happy years as part of the team. Mr B interrupted play on the KS1 playground and the children all gave Mrs Paterson three cheers as she was presented with a lovely flower arrangement. Thank you Mrs Paterson for all of your hard work over the years.
Over in the pool, in the afternoon, the children in 6C enjoyed their final swimming session of the term by taking part in a fabulous fun swim session.
← Layer Marney Tower Trip!


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