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Neil Gaiman on Showrunning 'Good Omens' and What Happened to 'Sandman' and 'Graveyard Book'
by Christina Radish June 3, 2019
When the armies of Good and Evil start to gather together, and the Four Horsemen get ready to ride, it seems as though it's safe to assume that the Apocalypse is coming and the world is about to end. But when it comes to the story that Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett created for Good Omens, and that Gaiman has brought to life via a six-episode series (streaming at Amazon Prime Video), nothing quite goes according to plan, and the unlikely duo of Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) from Heaven and Crowley (David Tennant) from Hell set out to find the currently misplaced young Antichrist (Sam Taylor Buck) and stop Armageddon before it's too late.
While in Los Angeles to promote the series, Collider was invited for an extended 1-on-1 chat with showrunner/writer/executive producer Neil Gaiman to talk about revisiting the story of Good Omens three decades after the release of the book, why he wanted to make this series for Terry Pratchett, the difficulty of bringing this story to the screen before now, what made Douglas Mackinnon the right director, how he came to Michael Sheen and David Tennant for his unlikely duo, and getting Benedict Cumberbatch to voice Satan and Frances McDormand to sign on as God. He also talked about the long and winding journey to still trying to develop adaptations of The Sandman comics and The Graveyard Book for the screen.
Image via Amazon Studios
Collider: This is such a great story and such a fun show. What was it like for you, especially having released this book 30 years ago, to be revisiting the material, in this way?
NEIL GAIMAN: It was wonderful, and it was a bit weird.
It seems like an unusual circumstance that doesn't happen very often, that you get to be the showrunner for a TV series that you adapted from your own book.
GAIMAN: I wouldn't have done it, if it wasn't for Terry [Pratchett]. As far as I was concerned, what we should have been doing was finding someone to adapt and showrun Good Omens, except Terry asked me if would do it because we couldn't find anybody who would take it on. People thought it was too weird or too complicated. Nobody said yes. Terry asked me to do it, and I said yes because Terry never asked me to do anything before. And then, he died. I thought we had lots of time, and he went very suddenly. I left his funeral, flew back, and started writing Episode 1, as a way of dealing with somebody who's been such a huge part of my life not being there anymore. It was interesting. I did Good Omens very differently to the way that I normally do things, where I'm affable and easygoing and people say, "Oh we're going do this," and I'm like, "Okay. Well, good luck. Go have fun with it." With this, I was making it for Terry. So, when producers said, "We've figured out a great way to save an enormous amount of money. We think you should do the Agnes Nutter sequence with a narrator talking over illustrated woodcuts," I'm glad to say it didn't happen. But that was also because I'd given myself the power to say yes or no to things. That drove some of the people at the BBC mad because they weren't quite sure what a showrunner was and why I was one. I said, "Actually, you just have to listen to me, on this one." I was lucky, in that I had a fantastic, wonderful director, Douglas Mackinnon, who really got what we were doing. We were just so lucky. Good Omens has given me the two best collaborations of my career. It gave me Terry Pratchett, and it gave me Douglas Mackinnon.
How did you decide on Douglas Mackinnon, specifically?
GAIMAN: Douglas had directed some wonderful stuff, including the Emmy award-winning episode of Sherlock, set in Victorian times. But the thing that I had fallen in love with Douglas for was Jekyll, which he wrote. It was a wonderful Steven Moffat project, which never got the attention or acclaim that it should have. What I loved about Jekyll was that the funny stuff was funny, the scary stuff was scary, the romantic stuff was romantic, the spy stuff was spy-ish, and the mysterious stuff was mysterious. There was no point in it where a director tried to homogenize it. Years and years and years ago, when I was doing Neverwhere for the BBC and interviewing directors, I remember directors coming in and saying, "The scripts are all over the place. They're funny, there's romance, there's adventure, there's social commentary. You have to pick one and stick to it. Just make it one thing." And I was like, "No. The whole point of this thing is not only that it's going to contain multitudes, but it's only going to work, if we commit to every multitude that it contains." There's no funny acting in Good Omens. The whole point was that we didn't actually want people doing the funny acting. We wanted people doing their serious, emotional, committed acting, and we figured that the funny would take care of itself. And Douglas had that. I remember the first interview with Amazon – and there were people, back then, at Amazon who are no longer at Amazon – and they very much were of the opinion that they didn't want Douglas. What they wanted was somebody with an Academy Award for directing a movie. I was like, "No, I really want Douglas. I think he can do this." I remember them asking Douglas, "Well, what's the tone of Good Omens?" And he said, "There will be no tone to Good Omens. There will be absolute commitment to every scene that Neil has written. You get scenes that are from a spy novel, you get scenes that are from an adventure, and there's romance. There's everything in there, and that's what we're committing to, tonally." We did that, and it worked.
It does. I also cannot imagine anyone other than David Tennant and Michael Sheen playing Crowley and Aziraphale. Was that the case for you? Had you imagined anyone else, or was it always them?
GAIMAN: It was always them. Having said that, before I started writing, I imagined Michael as Crowley. I started writing the scripts and rapidly went, "No, I want Michael as Aziraphale. The loveliness of Michael will be brilliant." And then, I decided that I wanted David Tennant while writing the script for Episode 3, during the bit where he's coming down the aisle of the church and he's on consecrated ground, and he's hopping from foot to foot because it's like being at the beach with bare feet. I was like, "Who could do that?" And I suddenly thought, "Oh, David Tennant. He could do that in silhouette, and it would work." Suddenly, I had my Crowley and my Aziraphale. And then, I needed to convince people, not for Michael, but for David. There was definitely a period of time where they were like, "Well maybe we can get . . ." These were people who were at Amazon then, who are no longer at Amazon, but they were like, "Maybe we could get Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt." And I was like, "But I don't want them. They're wrong for this. They're wonderful, but I don't want them." So, there was a definite trying to talk people down from the stars' ledge, to give me the actors that I wanted.
I also think Jon Hamm was a great choice, but an unexpected choice.
GAIMAN: Isn't he lovely? I chose Hamm for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted somebody who was the boss that you hate. He needed to be better looking, better dressed, taller, bigger and more imposing than Aziraphale, in every way. And I happened to know that Jon Hamm was a fan. He told me that American Gods and Good Omens were his favorite books when he was at college. I wrote him an email that said, "You once told me that Good Omens was your favorite book and that you thought it was un-filmable. I would love to have you play Gabriel in Good Omens. He's not in the book, but will you do it?" And I got back an email from him that said, "Yes. Hamm." Casting was mostly really, really easy because the book has generated an awful lot of good will. They're fans and they wanted to be a part of this, and that makes me so happy.
Seeing this series, it seems like it would have been impossible to have made a film instead. Do you feel like that was part of the problem with it never going into production before?
GAIMAN: I think so. I also think that Terry Gilliam going to Hollywood to try to sell them on a Good Omens movie, three months after 9/11, was also part of the problem. I would've loved to have seen Terry's movie. It would have starred Johnny Depp as Crowley in 2002, and Robin Williams as Aziraphale and Madame Tracy. It would've been great, but I'm glad it wasn't made. I'm also glad that we said no to all the TV series that people wanted us to make, back in the 90s, because technology couldn't have done this. We wouldn't have had the budget. We wouldn't have made it look like this. It would've been Doctor Who, and that wouldn't have been good. We are so lucky. Visual effects needed to get to the point that visual effects are at right now. And I'm not talking about the obvious things, like Crowley driving around in a burning Bentley. I'm talking about things, like our street in Soho, which is a set that becomes a street. It's absolutely invisible to the eye. I know where the street ends, and I'm still astonished and amazed at knowing how much of that is digital. It just looks like we closed down London to shoot for a week. Douglas did some things that were magic.
How challenging was it to find a group of kids that could do everything you needed them to? They're all so great in the series.
GAIMAN: They really are. We had a fantastic casting department, who basically went out and narrowed down all of the child actors in the UK to about 20 people. Douglas went out and worked with those 20 for a day, and took them down to about eight. And then, we went in and watched the eight go through their paces. It was interesting because Adam, for example, was down to two kids. Sam Taylor Buck and another kid. The other kid was amazing, and landed every joke. Sam didn't really land the jokes, in the same way, but you believed him and, when he got angry and scary, he was absolutely terrifying, whereas the other kid was suddenly a shout-y 11-year-old. If you didn't believe that this kid has the power to end the world, nothing was going to work. He's amazing. All of them are so good. Our little Wensleydale (Alfie Taylor) is fantastic. Ilan [Galkoff], who plays Brian, is the linchpin of those four. We always knew that we could cut to Brian for a reaction shot. And then, Amma [Ris] just is Pepper. I wrote a bunch of that dialogue for her and was worried that it was going to be too on-the-nose. I thought, "Can I actually have Pepper say 'I do not endorse every day sexism'?" But I could, and it worked just fine because she delivered it. I love those four kids. I want to see where they are, in four years time, and I want to see what they are in 10 years time, and I want to see what they are in 15 years time. Some of them may well stay in acting and some of them may be stars, and some of them may go, "Okay, well, that was a thing I did." They're all amazing. The kid who plays Warlock (Samson Marraccino) is just marvelous.
How cool is it to have Benedict Cumberbatch as Satan and Frances McDormand as God?
Barry Jenkins Sets Up Next Movie at Disney-Owned Fox Searchlight
New 'The Lion King' TV Spot Shows the Animals Talking and Honestly…
• Amazon Studios • Good Omens • Interview • Neil Gaiman • Sandman • The Graveyard Book • The Sandman


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KCUR | By Jonathan Ahl
Market On The Hill
Market On The Hill in Mount Pulaski, IL is a community owned grocery store that opened in response to retail food consolidation in its rural area.
New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found there are fewer places to buy groceries with each year that passes, but the consolidation is especially high in rural areas.
The USDA report shows the percentage of grocery sales from the nation's top 20 retailers more than doubled from 1990 to 2020. The consolidation was more pronounced in rural areas.
"Food retailing markets in rural and small non-metro counties are considerably more concentrated than food retailing markets in metro and large non-metro counties," the report stated.
That means for many small town residents, buying food requires driving to Walmart a few towns over or trying to make do with prepackaged and canned foods available at a Dollar General.
Even as small, full-service grocery stores become less common, some small-town grocers are finding ways to stay competitive, while in other communities, they're banding together to start their own.
Sanborn Foods in Sanborn, Iowa still operates, despite being in a town of just 1,400. Owner Scott Vogelaar has found a way to compete with larger grocery stores in surrounding towns. He joined the Associated Wholesale Grocers, a co-op of small stories based in Kansas City, Kansas.
"Being as large as they are and as many stores as belong to the co-op, they've got a really good buying power with the manufacturers and that helps us with prices, a lot," he said.
Vogelaar said he also works to differentiate his store through quality and service in particular departments.
"Meat and produce is where we can do that," he said.
But Vogelaar admits that "price is what drives most shoppers." As part of the co-op, he's able to get better prices and pass the savings along to customers.
When the supermarket closed in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, a community-owned grocery store took its place. In 2020, Market On The Hill opened in the town of 1,500 people. The store focuses on locally grown and made foods to help differentiate themselves from national chains several miles away, as well as the dollar store that opened in town.
"We have a deli and fresh baked goods everyday. That's something Dollar General can't offer," said Kaitlin Weitekamp, a member of Market On The Hill's board of directors.
Having opened the grocery right as the coronavirus pandemic was starting, then getting hit with the high inflation of the last year, makes it difficult to know what normal operations will be, said Weitekamp. Still, she said the community grocery is confident they will be successful, even if consolidation continues in the grocery industry.
"We're here because the people of Mount Pulaski want us to be here and that really is what will make the difference in the future," she said.
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Jonathan Ahl joined Iowa Public Radio as News Director in July 2008. He leads the news and talk show teams in field reporting, feature reporting, audio documentaries, and talk show content. With more than 17 years in public media, Jonathan is a nationally award-winning reporter that has worked at public radio stations in Macomb, Springfield and Peoria, IL. He served WCBU-FM in Peoria as news director before coming to Iowa. He also served as a part-time instructor at Bradley University teaching journalism and writing courses. Jonathan is currently serving a second term as president of PRNDI ââ
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Author or co-author of 3 books, 50 book chapters, 380 articles in archival journals, including 9 award-winning papers from ASCE (Alfred Noble Prize, Croes Medal (twice), Moisseiff Award, State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award (twice), and Wellington Prize), IABSE (OPAC Award), and Elsevier (Munro Prize), more than 600 papers in conference proceedings, and more than 100 technical reports. Editor or co-editor of 46 books published by ASCE, Balkema, CIMNE, CRC Press, Elsevier, McGraw-Hill, Taylor & Francis and Thomas Telford. Guest editor or co-editor of 22 special issues of international journals.
From more than 21600 citations, 73 have been cited at least 73 times (h-index: 73) and 361 have been cited at least 10 times (i10-index: 361) (Google Scholar, 2019; Researcher ID; Scopus Preview; Research Gate; ORCID).
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"RELSYS: A Computer Program for Structural System Reliability Analysis," (with A.C. Estes), Structural Engineering and Mechanics , Techno – Press , Vol. 6, No. 8, 1998, 901-919.
"Lifetime Bridge Maintenance Strategies Based on System Reliability," (with A. C. Estes), Structural Engineering International, Journal of IABSE ,SEI Vol. 7, No. 3, 1997, 193-198.
"Performance Assessment of Concrete Masonry Wall Buildings Using Monte Carlo Simulation," (with G.T. Zorapapel and G. Hart), The Masonry Society Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1997, 59-66.
"Efficient Field Testing and Load Rating of Short- and Medium-Span Bridges," (with J.L. Schulz, B. Commander, and G.G. Goble), Structural Engineering Review, Pergamon, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1995, pp.231-236.
"Safety Sensitivity Functions for Reinforced Concrete Beams," (with J.J. Trautner), ACI Structural Journal, American Concrete Institute, Vol. 88, No. 5, 1991, 631-640.
"Redundancy in Highway Bridges, " (with R. Nakib), Engineering Journal, American Institute of Steel Construction, AISC, Vol. 28, No. 1, 1991, 45-50.
"Integration of Human Errors in Models of Structural Risk Evaluation," Forensic Engineering, Pergamon Press, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1987, 3-46.


National Video Centre is a premier provider of CD DVD and USB Media Duplication in Canberra.
Optical disc authoring, including DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring (often referred to colloquially as burning), is the process of assembling source material—video, audio or other data—into the proper logical volume format to then be recorded ("burned") onto an optical disc (typically a compact disc or DVD).
To burn an optical disc, one usually first creates an optical disc image with a full file system designed for the optical disc, and then copies the image to the disc. The disc image is a single file, built and stored on the hard drive.
There are many optical disc authoring technologies for optimizing the authoring process and preventing errors. Some programs can mount a disc image as a file system type, so these images appear as mounted discs. The disc image can then be tested after it is assembled but before writing to a physical disk.
Data on an audio compact disc is laid out in sessions. Each session has three areas: a lead-in containing the session's Table of Contents; a program holding several tracks (described in the next section); and a lead-out to mark the end of the session. A disc can have up to 99 tracks. Each session must have at least one track. The tracks are in the program area of the session. When the session is closed, the lead-out area is written.
Use of optical disc recorders require optical disc authoring software, sometimes called "burning applications" or "burner applications". Such software is usually sold with the recorder. Some operating systems come bundled with them.
Creating an optical disc usually involves first creating an optical disc image with a full file system designed for the optical disc, and then actually burning the image to the disc. Many programs create the disk image and burn in one bundled application (Quick Copy or Copy On-the-fly), such that end-users do not even know the distinction.
Disk file systems include ISO 9660 (often known simply as "ISO") and Universal Disk Format (UDF). ISO is most common for CDs and UDF is most common for DVDs.
Optical disk file systems include ISO 9660 (often known simply as "ISO") and Universal Disk Format (UDF). ISO is most common for CDs and UDF is most common for DVDs.
ISO 9660 is a format mainly used on CDs. The ISO 9660 can be extended with El Torito, Joliet, Rock Ridge, Amiga Extensions to Rock Ridge, or the Apple ISO 9660 Extensions. El Torito makes it possible to boot from a CD. The Joliet file system was made by Microsoft; it makes it possible to have long file names, among other things. Rock Ridge is a system providing file-ownership, fewer restrictions on the file names, and more. Amiga extensions allow use of Amiga-specific attribute bits and comments. The Apple Extensions enables Macintosh-specific creator codes, file type, and so on.
Universal Disk Format (UDF) can be extended with Mount Rainier packet writing, making it possible to use the disc like a floppy disk. This allows one to easily delete, create, and modify files, without having to write the whole disc again.


Media & News » Telcos Sanctioned GHC34m for Failing Quality of Service Tests . .
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has sanctioned all four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); AirtelTigo, Glo, MTN and Vodafone for their non-compliance with various Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. The four have been fined a total of GHC34,065,000.00 – AirtelTigo (GHC11,635,000.00), Glo (GHC4,460,000.00), MTN (GHC9,080,000.00) and Vodafone (GHC8,890,000.00).The NCA regularly undertakes QoS Monitoring to determine MNOs' compliance with their licence conditions and to ensure that consumers receive the quality service they have paid for.
In the first quarter of this year (2018), the Authority undertook QoS monitoring of all MNOs in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Northern Regions and two districts in the Ashanti Region in the phase one of a nationwide monitoring exercise. The monitoring enabled the Authority to determine the MNOs which were unable to meet their Licence Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in some District Capitals with regards to QoS; Obligations for Coverage, Data, Voice and Speech Quality.
As has been the practice, the NCA subsequently held reconciliation meetings with all four (4) MNOs and they were given three (3) months ending 21st August, 2018 to cure the infractions detected. At the end of the deadline, the NCA embarked on a follow up monitoring to ascertain if the QoS infractions recorded had been resolved.
This follow up monitoring revealed that though the KPIs in some District Capitals had improved, the MNOs were not able to meet the KPI thresholds as per their licences. The NCA as a result has sanctioned the MNOs.
It should be noted that although Voice and Data quality and Coverage obligations were tested, these sanctions are focused on only Voice Services.


text:
Home Explore The English Language Language Questions Common Vocabulary Questions What Do You Call Words That Sound Like The Thing They Describe?
What Do You Call Words That Sound Like The Thing They Describe?
The formation of a word from a sound associated with the thing it describes is known as onomatopoeia; the related adjective is onomatopoeic. Examples of this type of word include atishoo, cuckoo, croak, hiccup, miaow, ping-pong, splash, and sizzle. As these examples indicate, there is a variety of sounds that are 'translated' into human speech using onomatopoeias: from human exclamations and machinery, to physical and natural phenomena such as the sounds animals make.
The word onomatopoeia itself derives from Greek and came into the English language via Latin in the 16th century. It literally means 'word-making' (from the Greek onoma, onomat = name and –poios = making). Every onomatopoeia makes use of the sound inventory of the given language. This means that onomatopoeias for the same sound will differ in various languages. For example, in English the onomatopoeia for chewing is nom nom or om nom nom, whereas it is mampf in German.
As demonstrated by the examples in the first paragraph, many examples of onomatopoeia are found in the 'translation' of animal sounds into human speech. Very often, children will learn the onomatopoeia for an animal sound before the actual name of the animal. For example, rather than calling a cat a cat, a child is very likely to call it a miaow because it associates the animal with the sound it produces.
Again, the onomatopoeias for animal sounds vary across the world. Some are very similar across many languages: in English, a cat makes a miaow or meow, in German it is miau, in French miaou, in Spanish miau, and in Chinese miāo. On the other hand, the onomatopoeias used to describe the sound produced by a rooster are comparatively different. In English we would say cock a doodle doo, while German uses kikeriki. A French rooster says cocorico and an Arabic-speaking one will sound something like kuku-kookoo. Whereas the vowels differ in these examples, all of them contain a plosive(/k/). Another example where this is the case is the different onomatopoeias for the sound of a duck: quack in English, coin coin in French, cua cua in Spanish.
See also: What is the origin of the word 'OK'?


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Whatever the challenges facing your business, we at PKF can be relied upon to help you find the optimum solution. As a local partner integrated into a global network we have been honouring this promise to our clients for more than 80 years.
As our client, you gain access to the knowledge and resources of some 18,500 employees, including nearly 1,650 partners, in 150 countries. So we can support you in almost all the world's major financial centres. Your local partner has access to the extensive expertise of a strong international network and will act as lead advisor on all issues arising from cross-border activities.
Our teams are experienced in managing large, international audits. You can expect delivery of the highest quality to a tight schedule.
Whether in Hamburg or Hong Kong, Berlin or Buenos Aires, PKF is the same everywhere. Short lines of communication, a flat hierarchical structure and rapid exchange of information make the job easier. The customised support provided by our German partners remains one of our characteristic features at an international level.
We work and think internationally, without being an anonymous consulting group. In short, we are close to you and we are global!


text:
Die Tour der sri-lankischen Cricket-Nationalmannschaft nach Indien in der Saison 2006/07 fand vom 8. bis zum 17. Februar 2007 statt. Die internationale Cricket-Tour war Bestandteil der Internationalen Cricket-Saison 2006/07 und umfasste vier ODIs. Indien gewann die Serie mit 2–1.

Vorgeschichte
Indien spielte zuletzt eine Tour gegen die West Indies, Sri Lanka in Neuseeland.
Das letzte Aufeinandertreffen der beiden Mannschaften bei einer Tour fand in der Saison 2006 in Sri Lanka statt.
Für beide Teams war es die letzte Vorbereitung auf den Cricket World Cup 2007.
In Indien gab es vor der Tour eine Entscheidung der Regierung, die private Inhaber der Übertragungsrechte verpflichtete Sportereignisse von nationaler Bedeutung, zu dem alle Spiele der Cricket-Nationalmannschaft gehörten, mit dem indischen staatlichen Fernsehen Doordarshan zu teilen.

Stadien

Die folgenden Stadien wurden für die Tour als Austragungsort vorgesehen und am 28. Januar 2007 bekanntgegeben.

Kaderlisten
Sri Lanka benannte einen Kader am 17. Januar 2007.
Indien benannte seinen Kader am 2. Februar 2007.

One-Day Internationals

Erstes ODI in Kolkata

Zweites ODI in Rajkot

Auf Grund zu langsamer Spielweise wurde Sri lanka mit einer Geldstrafe belegt.

Drittes ODI in Margao

Viertes ODI in Visakhapatnam

Statistiken
Die folgenden Cricketstatistiken wurden bei dieser Tour erzielt.

Player of the Series
Als Player of the Series wurden die folgenden Spieler ausgezeichnet.

Player of the Match
Als Player of the Match wurden die folgenden Spieler ausgezeichnet.

Weblinks
Tour auf Cricinfo

Einzelnachweise

Internationale Cricket-Saison 2006/07
Tour der sri-lankischen Cricket-Nationalmannschaft in Indien

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
import base64
import datetime
import hashlib
import json
import os
from urllib.parse import urlparse, parse_qsl, urlencode

import pytest
import responses
from oic.oic.message import AuthorizationRequest, AuthorizationResponse
from werkzeug.test import Client
from werkzeug.wrappers import BaseResponse

from svs.wsgi import make_app

class TestApp:
    def do_auth_flow(self):
        # get provider configuration information
        resp = self.app.get('/.well-known/openid-configuration')
        assert resp.status_code == 200
        provider_config = json.loads(resp.data.decode('utf-8'))

        # incoming auth request from client, verify response is redirect to discovery service
        auth_req = AuthorizationRequest(client_id='client1', response_type='id_token', scope='openid student',
                                        redirect_uri='http://localhost:8090/authz_cb', nonce='nonce')
        auth_url = auth_req.request(urlparse(provider_config['authorization_endpoint']).path)
        resp = self.app.get(auth_url)
        assert resp.status_code == 303
        disco_url = dict(resp.headers)['Location']
        assert disco_url.startswith('http://localhost:8080/role/idp.ds')

        # incoming disco response, verify response is auth request to IdP
        disco_resp_url = dict(parse_qsl(urlparse(disco_url).query))['return']
        with responses.RequestsMock() as rsps:
            idp_metadata = """<md:EntityDescriptor xmlns:md="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:metadata" entityID="testProvider">
                    <md:IDPSSODescriptor WantAuthnRequestsSigned="false" protocolSupportEnumeration="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol">
                        <md:SingleSignOnService Binding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-Redirect" Location="http://localhost:9000/sso/redirect"/>
                    </md:IDPSSODescriptor>
                    </md:EntityDescriptor>
                    """
            rsps.add(responses.GET,
                     'http://pyff:8080/entities/%7Bsha1%7D' + hashlib.sha1('testProvider'.encode('utf-8')).hexdigest(),
                     body=idp_metadata, status=200)
            resp = self.app.get(urlparse(disco_resp_url).path + '?' + urlencode({'entityID': 'testProvider'}))

        assert resp.status_code == 303
        idp_url = dict(resp.headers)['Location']
        assert idp_url.startswith('http://localhost:9000/sso/redirect')

        # incoming authn response from IdP, verify response is consent page
        saml_response = """<samlp:Response xmlns:samlp="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol" xmlns:saml="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion" ID="_8e8dc5f69a98cc4c1ff3427e5ce34606fd672f91e6" Version="2.0" IssueInstant="{0:%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ}" Destination="" InResponseTo="">
          <saml:Issuer>testProvider</saml:Issuer>
          <samlp:Status>
            <samlp:StatusCode Value="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:status:Success"/>
          </samlp:Status>
          <saml:Assertion xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" ID="_d71a3a8e9fcc45c9e9d248ef7049393fc8f04e5f75" Version="2.0" IssueInstant="{0:%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ}">
            <saml:Issuer>testProvider</saml:Issuer>
            <saml:Subject>
              <saml:NameID Format="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:nameid-format:transient">_ce3d2948b4cf20146dee0a0b3dd6f69b6cf86f62d7</saml:NameID>
              <saml:SubjectConfirmation Method="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:cm:bearer">
                <saml:SubjectConfirmationData NotOnOrAfter="2024-01-18T06:21:48Z" Recipient="http://localhost:10000/SAML2Transient/acs/post" InResponseTo=""/>
              </saml:SubjectConfirmation>
            </saml:Subject>
            <saml:Conditions>
              <saml:AudienceRestriction>
                <saml:Audience>http://localhost:10000/SAML2Transient/acs/post</saml:Audience>
              </saml:AudienceRestriction>
            </saml:Conditions>
            <saml:AuthnStatement AuthnInstant="2014-07-17T01:01:48Z" SessionNotOnOrAfter="2024-07-17T09:01:48Z" SessionIndex="_be9967abd904ddcae3c0eb4189adbe3f71e327cf93">
              <saml:AuthnContext>
                <saml:AuthnContextClassRef>urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:ac:classes:Password</saml:AuthnContextClassRef>
              </saml:AuthnContext>
            </saml:AuthnStatement>
            <saml:AttributeStatement>
              <saml:Attribute FriendlyName="eduPersonAffiliation" Name="urn:oid:1.3.6.1.4.1.5923.1.1.1.1" NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:uri">
                <saml:AttributeValue xsi:type="xs:string">student</saml:AttributeValue>
              </saml:Attribute>
            </saml:AttributeStatement>
          </saml:Assertion>
        </samlp:Response>
                """.format(datetime.datetime.utcnow())
        resp = self.app.post('/SAML2Transient/acs/post',
                             data={'SAMLResponse': base64.b64encode(saml_response.encode('utf-8')),
                                   'RelayState': dict(parse_qsl(urlparse(idp_url).query))['RelayState']})
        assert resp.status_code == 200

    @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
    def create_app(self):
        os.chdir(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '../../config'))
        self.app = Client(make_app(), BaseResponse)

    def test_consent_css(self):
        resp = self.app.get('/consent.css')
        assert resp.status_code == 200
        assert resp.headers['Content-Type'] == 'text/css'

    def test_full_flow(self):
        self.do_auth_flow()

        # incoming accepted consent, verify response is OIDC authn response to client
        resp = self.app.get('/consent/handle_consent/allow')
        assert resp.status_code == 303
        authn_resp = AuthorizationResponse().from_urlencoded(urlparse(dict(resp.headers)['Location']).fragment)
        assert 'id_token' in authn_resp

    def test_full_flow_with_denied_user_consent(self):
        self.do_auth_flow()

        # incoming denied consent, verify response is OIDC authn error response 'access_denied'
        resp = self.app.get('/consent/handle_consent/deny')
        assert resp.status_code == 303
        authn_resp = AuthorizationResponse().from_urlencoded(urlparse(dict(resp.headers)['Location']).fragment)
        assert authn_resp['error'] == 'access_denied'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
How COVID-19 Ended Up Saving 11,000 People in the EU
Investigate and substantiate the facts that can hold the CCP accountable for the coronavirus pandemic and thereafter, unite countries with a large number of claims. (Image: avtar via Pixabay)
The COVID-19 outbreak has infected millions of people and killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. However, the pandemic has had an unexpected silver lining — it has indirectly saved the lives of about 11,000 people in the EU by cutting down pollution. The findings were made by a study conducted by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Pollution and death
According to the study, there has been a sharp decline in industrial emissions and road traffic due to the various lockdowns announced by EU governments. In the month of April, there was a 40 percent reduction in the average level of nitrogen dioxide pollution, as well as a 10 percent decline in the average level of particulate matter pollution.
Combined, they prevented 11,000 deaths that would have taken place due to air pollution. The unexpectedly good weather in many parts of Europe during the springtime reduced the need for home heating fuel. Additional benefits included 1,900 avoided emergency room visits from asthma attacks, 6,000 avoided new cases of asthma in children, and 600 prevented preterm births.
Germany is said to be the biggest beneficiary of this COVID-19 side effect, with about 2,083 saved lives. Other countries where more than 1,000 deaths have been prevented include Spain, France, Italy, and the UK. When it comes to disease, about 40 percent of prevented deaths were linked to heart failure, 17 percent to emphysema and bronchitis, and 13 percent were related to cancer and strokes.
During this period, oil consumption fell by one-third while coal power generation was reduced by 37 percent. Burning oil and coal are some of the main reasons for particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide pollution. The researchers used a combination of air quality, emissions, disease prevalence, weather conditions, and population data to arrive at their conclusions. Globally, the number of prevented deaths will be much higher.
Burning oil and coal are some of the main reasons for particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide pollution. (Image: via Pixabay)
"We have seen many fewer patients admitted with exacerbations of asthma and COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] over the last month and there is no doubt that a fall in air pollution is part of the reason… It's allowed us to question what we have previously accepted as normal. If air pollution returns to its previous levels my waiting room will once again start filling up with children and adults struggling to breathe," Dr. LJ Smith, a consultant in respiratory medicine at King's College hospital in London, reported to The Guardian.
According to data from the European Environment Agency, almost 71,000 people died in 2016 due to nitrogen dioxide pollution. Particulate pollution resulted in a death toll of 400,000 that year. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2020 predicts that the world will suffer a loss of US$5 trillion due to decreased productivity as a consequence of air pollution.
EU legal warning
The European Commission recently warned the governments of Poland and Bulgaria that it will be launching infringement proceedings against them for blocking people from going to court and fighting for their right to breathe healthy air. Both countries have some of the most polluted air in all of Europe, with laws that block people affected by dangerous levels of air pollution from seeking respite in courts.
People affected by dangerous levels of air pollution in Poland and Bulgaria face laws that block them from seeking respite in courts. (Image: via Pixabay)
Back in 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union determined that Poland had allowed excessive PM10 concentrations in the air, thereby breaking EU laws. Recently, Romania was convicted in the European Court of Justice after the city of Bucharest failed to bring down the PM10 pollution level.
Jack Roberts is an author who specializes in World Events and Global geopolitics.


Epiphany Learning | i am ME. Podcast - Why districts need to create levels of engagement in our rigid education system, with Anthony Kim.
Home > Podcast > Episode 043: Why districts need to create levels of engagement in our rigid educational system, with Anthony Kim.
Anthony is the author of Personalized Learning Playbook, Why the Time is Now. He has contributed to many publications on new school models including Lessons Learned from Blended Programs: Experiences and Recommendations from the Field. Anthony is a nationally recognized speaker on personalized learning and his work has been referenced by the Christensen Institute, iNACOL, EdSurge, CompetencyWorks, EdWeek, District Administrator, and numerous other research reports. He is the founder and CEO of Education Elements, a provider of technology and professional services to school districts across the country. Prior to Education Elements, Anthony founded Provost Systems, which provided online learning solutions to school districts. In 2008, he sold Provost Systems to Edison Learning and served as Executive Vice President of Online. Beyond implementing personalized learning models, Anthony focuses his research on organizational design and culture of innovation at school districts. Though this research, he is currently working on a new book, which bring self-organization strategies to school districts to better prepare students for the future of work. Anthony is a graduate of Cornell University and lives in San Francisco.
Describe Education Elements and tell us more about the work you are focused on, and as you look ahead at the future of education, what do you see?
The work that we think about deals with how a digital native actually learns in a new school system environment and what might that system environment actually looks like. Our job is to help schools figure out the school design of the future including what incremental steps they can implement to create learning experiences that are more relevant to the students we are trying to serve.
Why does the work you do now matter? What happens to the education system, and the students in it, if we don't change?
Students that have opportunities are leaving rural communities and the students who do not see opportunities are staying, creating a vicious cycle and a lack of global awareness and a lack of people to expand beyond the community.
You have spent time on a number of different initiatives in the education space. Tell us about what led you to the work you are doing today and why you think it is different than other things you have done in the education space.
By working with Provost Systems and tracking student data, I was able to better understand where students spent their time in an online world, which led me to build a system for virtual schools. When I left in 2010, a friend asked me to help figure out how to create a small group experience when schools had increased class sizes. We used centers based learning by dividing the students into three groups of ten and rotating the students every 30 minutes. At Education Elements we work exclusively with school districts to build and support dynamic personalized learning systems.
Why is it important that teaching and learning gets transformed? What outcomes do you hope to see as a result of districts making this shift to their approach?
I would like to see the notion of competency based education taking more of a clear implementation track. In order to achieve this, we need competency based education to be indoctrinated across the district system.
Can you share some examples of districts and how this work has changed them?
Charleston School District is restructuring their whole district office. Because of this change, this district can better support their needs of their students and teachers.
One of the things I often recommend to districts we work with is when you bring a third party facilitator in, you can control the meeting to be more productive. Maybe districts should focus on building capacity within their own organization to facilitate their meetings.
For a district that is just starting to think about this work, where do you think they should start? What is one thing you think will be essential to their success?
The first thing they need to do is be honest through self reflection as well as align on a common vocabulary.
People often want to know not only how to be successful, but also what mistakes to avoid. What are some of the risks to personalized learning and what can districts do to avoid them?
It is important to not over plan because it takes away from our actions.
What final words would you share with the audience to inspire them to start,continue or accelerate this transformational work?
The first step is to take a small step forward in personalizing instruction in the classroom and allow for feedback and iteration.


text:
Authorities Fighting Over What To Do With The Land Osama Bin Laden Died On
Andrew P. Collins
Filed to: Osama Bin LadenFiled to: Osama Bin Laden
(Photo credit: openDemocracy/Flickr)
The site of the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan where terrorist Osama bin Laden was tracked to and killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in 2011 is now the subject of a turf war between local municipalities. As it stands, there are two very different ideas of what to do with the place.
The actual structure you might have called "Osama's house" was razed years ago, but now NBC reports that provincial authorities want to put a playground on the vacant lot. Meanwhile, Cantonment authorities (law enforcement, basically) have already designated it to be a graveyard.
Osama's compound before it was crushed. (Photo credit: Sajjad Ali Qureshi/Wiki Creative Commons)
"When OBL was killed, nobody went near the place and nobody claimed its ownership," Omar Farooq, deputy director of the local Cantonment Administration in Rawalpindi, told NBC Tuesday. "According to the law, we took charge. And were then instructed to demolish the property."
Currently, the plot of dirt apparently "sits largely unused — although it occasionally becomes a makeshift cricket pitch or a kite-flying field for local children." It will remain that way until the competing parties can work something out.
Hat tip to Eric!
The secret stealth drone that helped kill Bin Laden
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Reviews Editor, Jalopnik | 1975 International Scout, 1984 Nissan 300ZX, 1991 Suzuki GSXR, 1998 Mitsubishi Montero, 2005 Acura TL, 2008 Yamaha WRR
Recent from Andrew P. Collins
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Ya Boy Twiz from Uber Micro Gaming goes old school and plays the haunting starring Polterguy for the sega genesis.
In this game Ya boy Twiz takes on the role of a ghost that is trying to scare a family of jackasses out of the house. You do this by jumping inside of various objects in the house and when the family members get near them they trigger.
you have to be careful because as time goes by you run out of echo plasma. so the goal of the game is to scare the family out of the house before the echo plasma runs out.


Using 275 cubic yards of concrete and 3,500 ICFs, this 16,000 sq. ft home is anything but ordinary. Elliptical windows, radius tall walls, and significant elevation changes only added to the challenge.
The story of this home begins in March of 2005, when Troy and Paula Walker sat down with a general contractor to begin planning their dream home.
They partnered with Robin Anderson of Metro Design and Drafting to convert their sketches into a buildable plan.
Blueprints specified a 13,255 sq. ft. home built into the sloping hillside. A two-story high great room in the center of the house would provide a measure of privacy for the separate "mother-in-law" apartment in one wing of the home. The immense picture windows built into the great room would provide striking views of the fields and pine trees that surround the site in rural Central Alberta.
A below-grade shop, built with ICFs and topped with a concrete roof, would provided several thousand additional square feet of living space.
They began with the shop, with walls reaching 14'8". These were stacked with 8" core Logix and poured in a single lift. After the Hambro joists were set, they poured the concrete roof, which doubles as the home's back porch.
The back wall of the shop is curved to match the wall of windows that rises above it. To create the radius, Bingeman wired the ICF forms together internally, then wrapped a 1x4 around the outside of each course to brace it. The result was impressive.
how we completed the complicated foundation plan with speed and efficiency, he immediately began to work with the architect and engineer to convert the entire project to ICF," he says.
Bingeman lists the main factors that influenced their decision: energy efficiency, noise reduction, longevity, healthier materials, and structural strength. He adds that the fact that his company had already proven themselves competent and easy-to-work with also contributed to the decision.
Despite its size, the home is a monument to energy efficiency. Hydronic in-floor heating is installed throughout the house.An inch and a half of EPS foam was installed under all slabs on grade, and the underside of all the floor joists are insulated with spray foam.
Windows are triple pane, argon-filled, low-E tinted-glass. A "lifetime roof" of imitation slate—actually made from recycled tires—is impervious to snow, hail, and rain, and provides additional R-value and curb appeal.
The biggest construction challenge, according to Bingeman, was the giant radius wall on the back of the home that stretched 50 feet above grade. Bracing was done from the inside, in stages as each floor was set in place.The other challenge was getting the bucks built.
"Building elliptical window bucks into a radius wall is not simple," he says. He ended up laminating the curves using three layers of 3/8" plywood. Cutting the inside of the buck to match the radius, the cut-off was then attached to the outside of the buck to complete the job.
Completed in January of 2008, the home is a masterpiece of efficiency, durability and architecture.It used about 3,500 Logix forms, and took 275 cubic yards of concrete to complete. In addition to the exterior and basement walls, ICFs were used for an interior fire separation wall, 72 feet of wing-wall abutments for below grade wall reinforcement, and in retaining walls for a below grade stairwell between basement and shop.
ICF Installer: Lorne Bingeman/Bingeman Construction Ltd.


If you're an avid reader, you've come across that book.
That magical book that touched you and moved you. The one you didn't want to put down. The one you stayed up too late reading. The one you couldn't wait to get back to, couldn't stop thinking about, and were sad to finish.
If you love to read, at least one book has already come to mind. Maybe more. But the truth about reading is that this type of book doesn't come around often. It certainly doesn't describe every book we pick up. Still, those magical books fill us with hope that another is around the corner. And that hope is what keeps us reading the good books as we hunt for the great ones.
I remember the first book that captivated me in this way. The one that transported me away from my real world and firmly planted me elsewhere. It was John Grisham's legal thriller The Firm. Decades after it was originally published, I still consider it one of the best suspense novels I've come across. I've read it multiple times simply for entertainment. And now, as an author, I read it to remind myself how to write good suspense. I read Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs for the same reason.
To me, each represents that book. They have a special place in my heart, not just because they are books I love, but because they saved my career. They may have caused it.
The road to publication can be rocky and long. My journey to get my debut novel, Summit Lake, into bookstores was a decade long battle fraught with rejection. It was my fourth attempt at writing a book. My first manuscript generated more than one hundred rejection letters. My second was worthy enough to land me an agent, but still produced scores of rejections from New York publishers. On my agent's urgings, I wrote a third manuscript, and when that story met with the same fate as all my previous works—four hundred pages of plot, more than a year of my life, and a stack of rejection letters—I decided I'd had enough. I concluded that the publishing industry was too difficult to break into, and my talents too meager to compete.
So, I stopped writing. A solid few weeks went by. I hadn't quite told my agent that I'd given up, but she knew how disappointed I was by the last round of rejections. During that low point, I found time for self-reflection and discovered something was missing in my life. After I stopped writing, an odd feeling of loss filled me up inside. It took a little time to figured out that void was present because I was no longer chasing my dream.
After weeks of sulking, I got back to the computer and started another story. It would be my fourth manuscript. This time, I did not dive blindly into the story. Before I started, I asked myself why I wanted to write it. I attempted to define my dream, and figure out what, exactly, I was trying to accomplish. My answer came when I reflected on why I love to read. My epiphany arrived when I thought back to John Grisham and Pat Conroy and Thomas Harris, and the novels that moved me and touched me. I realized then I was writing because I wanted to create that book. I wanted to write a novel that people couldn't put down, the one they couldn't wait to get back to, the one they couldn't stop thinking about. I wanted to write a book the reader would be sad to finish.
With all these intentions clear in my mind, I penned the story of a murdered law school student, the investigative reporter assigned to her case, and the chilling connection that forms between victim and investigator as secrets emerge in the small mountain town where the killing took place. I placed this town in the Blue Ridge Mountains and named it Summit Lake. Then, my agent and I shipped the manuscript off to New York.
In a few weeks, we had an offer for a two-book deal. Summit Lake sold at auction in Germany, as well as Poland and Brazil. Brilliance purchased the audio rights, and Reader's Digest bought the condensation rights to include in their May publication of Select Editions alongside Amy Sue Nathan and Lee Child.
Today, I am moved every time I hear from a reader who tells me Summit Lake is the book they couldn't put down. The one they couldn't wait to get back to. The one they couldn't stop thinking about and the one they were sad to finish.
Will it be that book for everyone? Surely not. But this writer is proud to hear that it has been for some, and grateful for those who have let me know.
Charlie Donlea lives in Chicago with his wife and two young children. He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to "God's Country" inspired the setting for Summit Lake. With so many choices of entertainment, and countless other books to choose from, he thanks you for spending your time and treasure on his creation.
Such an insightful post! Summit Lake was a great read and sometimes you are so lost in the book that you forget what it takes to get to that final stage!
I feel like I am always in search of "that" book – I have loved to read since I can remember, but like many, I think the Harry Potter series sealed the deal at a young age. Great post! I can't even imagine trying to break into the industry as an unknown. Book sounds interesting, will definitely check it out!


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New Report: Earth In 'Greatest Two-Year Cooling Event In A Century'
April 27, 2018 Adam Casalino, Opinion Columnist Health & Science, Social Issues
People who shriek about global warming have yet another thing to be upset about. A new report has been released, destroying one of their major arguments. The data confirms what most of us believed all along, but you won't hear this from the mainstream media.
Al Gore is not going to enjoy this news. (Photo Credit: David Stanley/Flickr, JD Lasica/Flickr)
Most people care about the environment — to an extent. We don't like pollution, and we want to enjoy nature from time to time. Liberals, however, take this to a dangerous extreme. They push environmentalism, trying to convince the rest of us that the earth is doomed unless they have their way.
The only solution liberals have to "fix" the planet is big government. That's their solution for everything. In order to prevent the world from getting hotter, we must let the government pass strict laws controlling private industry. Obama and many others pushed regulation, taxation, and penalties all designed to hurt businesses.
It doesn't stop there, of course. Democrats use global warming as an excuse to restrict what private citizens can do on their own land. The end goal is to eliminate private ownership of land, business, and wealth. This is all based on the notion that the world is getting warmer, soon to be too warm for life.
A new report has come out that has sent climate alarmists reeling. The single most important idea they push has been challenged. They are doing everything they can to silence this bombshell revelation. As it turns out, over the last two years, the earth has been getting cooler.
Our planet has just experienced the most extreme two-year cooling event in a century. But where have you seen this reported anywhere in the mainstream media…
"From February 2016 to February 2018 (the latest month available) global average temperatures dropped 0.56°C. You have to go back to 1982-84 for the next biggest two-year drop, 0.47°C…
The 2016-18 Big Chill was composed of two Little Chills, the biggest five month drop ever (February to June 2016) and the fourth biggest (February to June 2017). A similar event from February to June 2018 would bring global average temperatures below the 1980s average. February 2018 was colder than February 1998."
To put this temperature drop in context, consider that this is enough to offset by more than half the entirety of the global warming the planet has experienced since the end of the 19th century. [Source: Breitbart]
Our earth is getting cooler? But — what about everything Al Gore said!? He has promised that we would reach "a point of no return" by now. Numerous climate alarmists have predicted the end would come in 2005, 2010, and 2015. Not only are we still here, but things are cooling off in a big way.
Keep in mind, with all the "green" initiatives we've seen in recent years, climate alarmists said we needed to do more. China still belches smog into the atmosphere. The vast majority of people drive gas-burning cars. Our power plants have not been converted into wind and solar. Yet, the earth is cooling off.
It's almost as if man-made global warming… was a hoax. But you better believe the clowns at CNN, MSNBC, and the New York Times aren't talking about this.
My point is that statistical cooling outliers garner no media attention. The global average temperature numbers come out monthly. If they show a new hottest year on record, that's a big story. If they show a big increase over the previous month, or the same month in the previous year, that's a story. If they represent a sequence of warming months or years, that's a story. When they show cooling of any sort—and there have been more cooling months than warming months since anthropogenic warming began—there's no story. [Source: Real Clear Markets]
Of course not. These facts shatter everything that Al Gore and his cronies have been preaching over the last twenty years. They have pushed global warming so hard on people, that it's just accepted as fact, despite the reality. Scientists have always challenged global warming. There's always been data to prove otherwise. Yet the left keeps pushing it, for their political agenda.
This brings projected "global warming" from being potentially dangerous to being easily manageable. Which is why, of course, it is unlikely to get much attention from a scientific establishment and a complicit media that much prefers to ramp up the global warming scare – even when the evidence doesn't support it. [Source: Breitbart]
Liberals want to use the fear of global warming to control what you drive, where you live, and what you can do on your own land. They tried to use global warming to commit the U.S. to a terrible deal with France and other nations. The Paris Climate Agreement would have cost the U.S. billions and destroyed millions of jobs.
But, once again, the real facts will be ignored. The good news is, we no longer have a climate alarmist in the White House. Hopefully, more people will learn about this stunning report.


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Jason Heath
Patty Spitler named Best TV Personality in Indianapolis
The votes are in and who's the most popular TV personality in Indianapolis?
Patty Spitler!
The Indianapolis Star recently conducted a 2018 Best Things in Indianapolis poll online, where you could pick your favorite restaurants, music venues, sports personalities and more. Patty took the top spot in the "Best TV personality in Indianapolis" category.
"Holy crappola!!! I'm shocked . . . humbled . . . stunned . . . WOW!! Does this mean I
have to give everyone who voted for me a new car? Oh, wait, that's Oprah. I really don't know what to say. I was NOT expecting this at all. Thank you SO much to everyone who voted for me!" remarked Patty, who is host and executive producer at Great Day TV and Pet Pals TV, as seen on WISH TV.
Both shows are independently produced by Indy Audio Visual Productions in Indianapolis, owned by Executive Director Ramon Carrera.
Patty was a popular news anchor and entertainment reporter for WISH TV Indianapolis from 1982 to 2004, when she retired due to hearing loss.
There were 175,000 votes in 150 categories for Best Things in Indy. A winner's reception will be held Sept. 27 where Patty will celebrate with a red-carpet check-in, drinks, appetizers and a Best Things Winner's award. IndyStar also will publish a Winner's Guide on Sunday, Sept. 30.
"I am deeply grateful for all the opportunities afforded me by the media in Indy," says Patty. "And I hope to keep sharing positive, informative and entertaining TV stories with you for a million years . . . or more!"
The Indianapolis Star is owned by the Gannett Company and is part of the USA Today Network. For the complete list of winners, click here: https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/2018/09/18/best-things-indy-winners-things-you-do-and-see/1337850002/
Making Valentine's Day special
Ruby is a sweetheart mascot at ASC
Dave "The King" Wilson is up to something nice


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Home > Features > David Crosby: Crosby, Coltrane & Miles
David Crosby: Crosby, Coltrane & Miles
A renowned singer-songwriter tells tales from his surprisingly deep—and still-thriving—jazz life
Updated April 25, 2019 – By Jeff Tamarkin
David Crosby recording with Snarky Puppy in New Orleans, for the band's 2016 release Family Dinner – Volume 2 (photo by Stella K)
No one would ever call David Crosby a jazz singer. Yet the singer-songwriter's music—his guitar tunings, chording and vocal phrasing, his insatiable desire to step out of bounds—has been informed by jazz since he first appeared on the scene in the mid-'60s as an original member of the Byrds. While neither that group nor Crosby, Stills & Nash ever steered toward jazz in an overt manner, Crosby's lifelong love for the music has, at times, poked through and made itself known. In 1970, no less than Miles Davis picked up on and covered "Guinnevere," a ballad Crosby had written the previous year for the debut CSN album (more on that in a minute).
That song found its way into a new jazz-based arrangement in 2013, when Crosby, Stills & Nash collaborated with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for a pair of New York concerts. With Stephen Stills sitting it out, Crosby, playing acoustic guitar, and Nash harmonized while Marsalis blew muted trumpet.
Originally Published February 7, 2018
No one would ever call David Crosby a jazz singer...
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Vocalists Celebrate Jon Hendricks' Centennial
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Suffolk is a fairly flat county with a lovely coastline making it ideal for cycling. There's miles of open countryside to explore on quiet country roads and off road paths with a variety of well signed local and national routes to follow.
One of the highlights is the lovely town of Bury St Edmunds with its historic ruined abbey.


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A Chance for Peace? The Soviet Campaign to End the Cold War, 1953-1955
By Geoffrey Roberts
Part of the CWIHP e-Dossier Series
Molotov's Proposal that the USSR Join NATO, March 1954
Cold WarHistoryCommunismEuropeRussia and EurasiaSoviet Union
CWIHP e-Dossier No. 27
The document below is a translation of V. M. Molotov's proposal to the Soviet Presidium in March 1954 that the USSR should issue a diplomatic note to the Western powers stating its willingness to consider joining NATO. The background to Molotov's memorandum was the launch of the Soviet campaign for European collective security at the Berlin Conference of Foreign Ministers in February 1954. At that conference Molotov proposed the Soviet alternative to western plans for a European Defense Community (EDC) involving the participation of a rearmed West Germany—the conclusion of a pan-European collective security treaty. This proposal was linked in tum to a further set of Soviet proposals on the German question, including Germany's reunification and neutralization in the cold war.
Molotov's collective security proposal was rejected by western representatives on two grounds. Firstly, because the United States was excluded from the proposed treaty and relegated, together with Communist China, to observer status. Secondly, because the Soviet proposal aimed, it was said, to disrupt NATO as well as halt the formation of the EDC. Molotov responded to these criticisms by saying that the Soviet proposal could be amended and that he was open to persuasion about the value of NATO as a defensive organization.
When Molotov returned to Moscow he tasked Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to formulate proposals on the furtherance of the Soviet collective security campaign. On 10 March Gromyko presented Molotov a draft note for the Presidium proposing that the Soviet position on European collective security should be amended (a) to allow full US participation in the system and (b) the possibility of the USSR joining NATO.[1] Further drafts were presented to Molotov on 20 and 24 March.[2] These drafts were corrected in detail by Molotov. The major change made by Molotov was to delete Gromyko's statement that the USSR would join NATO on certain conditions and to substitute the formulation that the Soviet Union was prepared to discuss the matter with interested parties. He also added a paragraph stating that the implications of possible Soviet membership of NATO had to be considered even now (see paragraph 9 in the document below). The final version of the note was sent Malenkov and Khrushchev on 26 March, together with the text of the proposed Soviet statement to the Western powers. This text was issued, unaltered, to Britain, France and the United States on 31 March 1954. It announced two amendments to the Soviet draft treaty on European collective security: the United States would not be excluded from formal participation in a system of pan-European collective security and if NATO relinquished its aggressive character the USSR would consider participation in the organization. In those circumstances, concluded the note, NATO "would cease to be a closed military alignment of states and would be open to other European countries which, together with the creation of an effective system of European collective security, would be of cardinal importance for the promotion of universal peace."[3]
The administrative process through which the Soviet proposal was produced internally was typical of Molotov's foreign ministry i.e. the production of numerous drafts by his deputies that he personally hand-corrected before they were sent to the Presidium (in the first instance to Khrushchev and Malenkov) for approval. It was unusual, however, for Molotov to present the Presidium with a long, discursive memorandum justifying what was being proposed. Usually, he just sent a short note enclosing the foreign ministry's proposals which were then discussed in personal conversation at the Presidium level. On this occasion Molotov evidently felt the need for an advance written justification of what was being proposed.
Readers can judge for themselves what the document tells us about the character of the Soviet campaign for European collective security but it seems clear that (a) the reformulation of the Soviet position on 31 March 1954 was designed to further that campaign and (b) that while Molotov thought it unlikely the proposal would succeed (c) he did not rule out the possibility of the USSR joining NATO under certain conditions. It should be noted, too, that while propaganda advantage was an argument the foreign ministry frequently deployed in its submissions to the Presidium that did not mean the proposals were not seriously intended as well.
In May 1954 the Western powers rejected the Soviet proposal to join NATO on grounds that the USSR's membership of the organization would be incompatible with its democratic and defensive aims. However, Moscow's extensive and intensive campaign for European collective security continued until the Geneva Foreign Ministers Conference of October-November 1955.[4]
Geoffrey Roberts is Professor and Head of the School of History at University College Cork, Ireland. His latest book is Molotov: Stalin's Cold Warrior, Potomac Books, 2011.
[1] Foreign Policy Archives of the Russian Federation (Arkhiv Vneshnei Politiki Rossiiskoi Federatsii, or AVP RF), F. 6, Op. l3, Pap. 2, D. 9, Ll. 20-25. I am grateful to Alexei Filitov for bringing the existence of this file to my attention.
[2] Ibid., Ll. 34-37, 44-55.
[3] "Note of the Soviet Government… 31 March 1954," Supplement to New Times, no. 14, 3 April 1954.
[4] For a more in-depth discussion, see Geoffrey Roberts, "A Chance for Peace? The Soviet Campaign to End the Cold War, 1953-1955," Working Paper No. 57, Cold War International History Project, December 2008.
Source: Foreign Policy Archives of the Russian Federation (Arkhiv Vneshnei Politiki Rossiiskoi Federatsii, or AVP RF), F. 6, Op. 13, Pap. 2, D. 9, L1. 56-59. Translated for CWIHP by Geoffrey Roberts.
[Click to view the document in CWIHP's online Digital Archive]
Presidium, CC CPSUTo: Comrade G.M. Malenkov and Comrade N.S. Khrushchev
According to reports from Soviet embassies and missions and in the foreign press, the Soviet draft of a General European Agreement on Collective Security in Europe has provoked positive responses from quite broad public circles abroad, including such French press organs as Le Monde… At the same time, the Soviet draft has, for understandable reasons, provoked a negative reaction from official circles and from supporters of the "European Defense Community" in France, England and other West European countries. It should be noted that official circles in France have also taken measures to mute the Soviet proposal. Among opponents of the European Defense Community there are also those who don't support the proposal for a General European Agreement. In this regard the main argument advanced against our proposal is the thesis that the Soviet draft is directed at dislodging the USA from Europe so that the USSR can take its place as the dominating power in Europe. Especially broad use of this thesis is being made in France. Meriting attention in this connection is a conversation between our ambassador in Paris, comrade Vinogradov, and the Gaullist leader [Gaston] Palewski, who said the Soviet proposal is unacceptable in its present form because it excludes the USA from participation in the collective security system in Europe. According to Palewski attitudes to the Soviet proposal would change if the Soviet government declared the USA could take part in the system of collective security in Europe in its capacity as an occupying power in Germany, bearing in mind that the occupation of Germany would not last forever. From this statement of Palewski's it follows that the USA's participation in the General European Agreement on a system of collective security would be of a temporary character and limited to the period until the conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany.
The thesis of the dislodgement of the USA from Europe is also being used against the Soviet proposal by supporters of the European Defense Community in England and other countries, by official circles that support the plan for the creation of such a "community" and its so-called European army.
Taking this into account, the Foreign Ministry considers it advisable to limit the possibilities of using this argument against the Soviet draft by sending the governments of the USA, England and France a note which states that on its part the Soviet government sees no obstacle to the positive resolution of the question of the USA's participation in the General European Agreement on Collective Security in Europe. In the Foreign Ministry's view it would be inadvisable to declare that the participation of the USA would be of a temporary character. In this regard the Foreign Ministry proceeds from that fact that from the point of view of the interests of the struggle against the European Defense Community it would be inexpedient to indicate the temporary character of the USA's participation in the General European Agreement.
In introducing a proposal for the participation of the USA in the General European Agreement, the Foreign Ministry considers it advisable not to change the previous proposal that the Chinese People's Republic would participate in the system of collective security in Europe as an observer
It is necessary to consider another argument deployed against the Soviet proposal, namely that it is directed against the North Atlantic Pact and its liquidation. In order to limit the use of this argument against the Soviet proposal the Foreign Ministry considers it advisable that simultaneously with our proposal about the participation of the USA in the General European Agreement we should, in the same note, pose, in an appropriate form, the question of the possibility of the Soviet Union joining the North Atlantic Pact. Raising this question would make things difficult for the organizers of the North Atlantic bloc and would emphasize its supposedly defensive character, so that it would not be directed against the USSR and the people's democracies.
The simultaneous posing of the possible participation of the USA in the General European Agreement and possibility of the USSR joining the North Atlantic Pact would be advantageous for us because it would be perceived as demanding a concession in return for the USSR's agreement on the participation of the USA in the General European Agreement… However, the Foreign Ministry's view is that our agreement on the admittance of the USA into the General European Agreement should not be conditional on the three western powers agreeing to the USSR joining the North Atlantic Pact.
Most likely, the organizers of the North Atlantic bloc will react negatively to this step of the Soviet government and will advance many different objections. In that event the governments of the three powers will have exposed themselves, once again, as the organizers of a military bloc against other states and it would strengthen the position of social forces conducting a struggle against the formation of the European Defense Community. Such a negative attitude toward the initiative of the Soviet government could, of course, have its negative side for us in so far as it affected the prestige of the Soviet Union. Taking this into account, the Foreign Ministry proposes that the Soviet note should not state directly the readiness of the USSR to join the North Atlantic bloc but limit itself to a declaration of its readiness to examine jointly with other interested parties the question of the participation of the USSR in the North Atlantic bloc.
Of course, if the statement of the Soviet government meets with a positive attitude on the part of the three western powers this would signify a great success for the Soviet Union since the USSR joining the North Atlantic Pact under certain conditions would radically change the character of the pact. The USSR joining the North Atlantic Pact simultaneously with the conclusion of a General European Agreement on Collective Security in Europe would also undermine plans for the creation of the European Defense Community and the remilitarization of West Germany.
The Foreign Ministry considers that raising the question of the USSR joining NATO requires, even now, an examination of the consequences that might arise. Bearing in mind that the North Atlantic Pact is directed against the democratic movement in the capitalist countries, if the question of the USSR joining it became a practical proposition, it would be necessary to raise the issue of all participants in the agreement undertaking a commitment (in the form of a joint declaration, for example) on the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of states and respect for the principles of state independence and sovereignty.
In addition the Soviet Union would, in an appropriate form, have to raise the question of American military bases in Europe and the necessity for states to agree to the reduction of military forces, in accordance with the position that would be created after the USSR's entry into the North Atlantic Pact.
At the present time, however, it will be sufficient, taking into account the above considerations, to include at the end of the note a statement of a general character: "the Soviet Government keeps in mind that the issues arising in connection with this question must be resolved in the interests of strengthening world peace and the security of peoples."
The draft resolution for the CC of the CPSU is enclosed
I ask you to examine it.
V.M. Molotov26 March 1954
Geoffrey Roberts
Former Short-Term Scholar;
Professor, Department of History, University College Cork, Ireland
The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
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press-releases Brits escape to warmer climates earlier, figures suggest
Posted on	 3rd April 2009 by Skyscanner
Brits escape to warmer climates earlier, figures suggest
More people appear to be escaping to warmer climates earlier this year, figures from cheap flights carrier Monarch have revealed.
The low-fares airline reported an increase in traffic to its mid-haul destinations last month as more people go on holiday in search of warmer weather.
It was also revealed that demand was particularly strong for flights to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar.
Among the most popular mid-haul destinations were Tenerife, Lanzarote and Larnaca.
Commenting on the upturn in demand, Liz Savage, Monarch's managing director of flights and holidays, said: "The mid-haul destinations within Monarch's scheduled network have once again proven they are firm favourites with customers."
The airline has said that it carried 70 percent more passengers to Larnaca compared to the same period last year, while Lanzarote and Tenerife saw respective increases of 32 percent and 11 percent.
Monarch began a twice-weekly flight to Larnaca from Birmingham on Sunday (March 29th).
The Cypriot destination an also be reached on the airline's routes from Gatwick, Luton and Manchester.