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Go Global VT has developed several projects in Kenya over the last few years. This was accomplished through several site visits which resulted in strong cross-cultural partnerships with schools and university sites, Most recently, Go Global VT has facilitated a partnership with the University of Nairobi. Learn about our work in Africa.
ST CHARLES LWANGA SECONDARY SCHOOL
The students at St Charles Lawanga Secondary School live and study in a safe and supportive school on the outskirts of Nairobi. Many are orphans who were living on the streets because their parents were not able to care for them. When they came to St Charles Lwanga, the school became their home, their family, and their place to study. Over 300 students live at the school, founded and supported by Brother Kennedy Oronjo and the Catholic Brothers of St Charles Lwanga. Although students study very hard and in small, crowded classrooms, St Charles Lwanga is a happy place to visit! It is filled with resilient young people eager to improve their lives and the lives of others.
Learn more about the school and the children of St Charles Lwanga Children's Centre and Secondary School by visiting their website.
Go Global VT partnered with St Charles Lwanga in 2016 when its founder and director, Brother Kennedy, urged our organization to create a partnership which would benefit Vermont students as well as his Kenyan students. After visiting the school, Go Global VT and the University of Vermont Community Development and Applied Economics Program (CDAE) developed a plan for reciprocal learning projects. Since that time, UVM has traveled to Nairobi with a group of CDAE students. The UVM students teamed with 12 peer mentors from St Charles Lwanga to do work at a sister school near Lake Victoria. UVM CDAE will return in January 2019 for a second community development project and will partner with an additional group of high school students. Much of the exchange is coordinated by Brother Kennedy and School Social Worker Florence Wairimu Maina (read bios).
In September 2018, Go Global VT offered training to St Charles students to empower them to become global partners through a virtual connection. Currently, three Vermont Schools partner with St Charles Lwanga students as collaborative leaders for world action using the UN Global Goals for Sustainability (SDGs) to help develop community projects that do good. Their motto is "Think Globally, Act Locally!"
RODI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
As a result of the initial partnership with St Charles Lwanga, Go Global VT became involved with the Rodi Community Development Project in a small village near Homa Bay. The Vianeey Centre was founded there and a sister school has been established to meet the needs of the community. Both adults and children learn at the Vianeey Centre, a small collection of buildings housing a primary school and now classrooms and dormitories for older students.
Go Global VT and University of Vermont has worked with the women of the community to support entrepreneurial projects. A volunteer water quality engineer has collaborated with community members to plan a water collection system for the Vianeey Centre. Others have been working with Thomas Thiongo, a young gardener, to plan and develop a garden system to increase food security for the residents. Thomas has now become a Trainer-of-Trainers with the Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya, and grows a majority of the food for the Vianeey Centre. The Vianeey Centre has just begun accepting both male and female boarding students and has installed fresh running water. It is currently seeking to bring electricity to the Centre so to provide students access to light and energy.
NYOGOKO SECONDARY SCHOOL GLOBAL PARTNERS PROJECT
Nyogoko Secondary School has been partnering with Peoples Academy in Morrisville, VT for several years. VT educator Kate Toland and Kenya teacher Mr. Horace have been engaging and communicating regularly with their students and have enjoyed sharing cross-cultural experiences. Recently, the conversations have focused on the UN Global Sustainability Goals. After a visit to Nyogoko in September, Go Global VT made the commitment to link additional classrooms at Nyokogo with Vermont students engaged in the Global Partners Seminar Series. Go Global VT will travel to Nyogoko in early January 2019 to offer student workshops on the SDGs and ways that students can think globally, and act locally to accomplish the goals. Students will link with Vermont classrooms to share projects, build relationships, and support each other. Students from Burke Town School District, Northfield Afterschool Program and Williamstown Afterschool Program will become their partners.
EARLY EDUCATION PROJECT (UVM CDAE)
We are engaged in professional development through reciprocal conversations about philosophy of education, curriculum reform, and teacher dispositions and practices. This requires observation and research about Kenyan Curriculum Reform. This project is aligned with the work of the SDG Global Goals.
FOOD SYSTEMS PROJECT (UVM CDAE)
We incorporate a train the trainer program through our demonstrations on canning, jarring and preserving foods. Specifically, we focus on cabbage and porridge production. We exchange knowledge of food storage and preservation techniques to increase food variety, safety, and teachable opportunities not only for caretakers but children in the community as well. Our long-term objective is to work together to decrease foodborne illness and gastrointestinal distress through a varied diet consisting of fermented foods. Desired outcomes include food sovereignty, experience-based education, training the trainer methods, sustainable growth, and development, capacity building. We are working toward the SDG Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production.).
ENTREPRENEURSHIP/WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (UVM CDAE)
We design and teach three entrepreneurship modules. Each module consists of a "classroom" learning component and a "real-world" challenge. We use an interactive approach as well as kinesthetic learning strategies to keep our students engaged and open to learning. This project is integrated with UN SDGs Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 10 (Reducing Inequality).
FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THROUGH TEAM SPORTS PROJECT (UVM CDAE)
The world's language, soccer, can ignite change for girls and women living in rural communities. Our program sets out to create a healthy, positive environment where females can step away from their domestic responsibilities and have an opportunity to reach their potential. Female leaders in the university soccer community and licensed female coaches traveling with us will encourage growth through play, identifying future female coaches in the area to ensure sustainability. Our efforts are in response to the community's desire to become more inclusive with soccer, as well as addressing several UN SDG Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellness), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 10 (Reducing Inequality), and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
TRAIN THE TRAINER PROJECT (UVM CDAE)
We are committed to capacity building under the UN SDG. All of our projects are based on expressed need from our partnership communities. By aligning with the UN SDG Goal 17 – Partnerships to achieve the Goal, we will follow the train the trainer model for each project. In collaboration with a high school in Nairobi, we will provide training of upper-level secondary education students who will then accompany us to the rural community. There, our young Kenyan partners will lead these projects with our support.


Realtek RTL8723AU Wireless LAN 802.11n USB 2.0 Network Adapter is a Network Adapters device. This Windows driver was developed by Realtek Semiconductor Corp.. The hardware id of this driver is USB/VID_0BDA&PID_0723&MI_02.
Download the driver setup file for Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Realtek RTL8723AU Wireless LAN 802.11n USB 2.0 Network Adapter driver from the location below. This is the download link for the driver version 1027.0.0612.2014 released on 2014-09-02.
This driver was installed by many users and received an average rating of 3.8 stars out of 65430 votes.
Take a look at the list of detected driver updates. Search the list until you locate the Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Realtek RTL8723AU Wireless LAN 802.11n USB 2.0 Network Adapter driver. Click the Update button.


As with any organisation we are only able to do what we do with help from external individuals and companies. However, in a new business working in a very new area we need their help more than ever.
Our Advisors in the UK and the USA who give up their valuable time to support us and the work that we do.
Miranda Gudenian for her help in proof reading and editing but any mistakes are our own!
Sandhy Robinson-Jones of Chameleon Design. Sandhy has been responsible for our logos, all marketing materials and our delightful leaping character, Titania.
Our Registered Providers and reviewers for their ongoing positive support and feedback.


Anything that can help you stay prepared for any emergency or disaster. Great items for Earthquake, Fire or Flood planning and Jobsite Safety.
100 watt Mtl Halide Wobble Light Jr.
Safety Cones - Safety Cone TC-18FL 18"


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Vodenkonji (lat. Hippopotamidae) su porodica parnoprstaša koja ima samo dva roda, a svaki od ta dva roda samo jednu vrstu, nilskog konja i patuljastog vodenkonja. Danas vodenkonji žive još samo u Africi.

Fosilni nalazi vodenkonja sežu još u miocen. Sve do pleistocena nastanjivali su pored Afrike i Europu i Aziju. Nova genska istraživanja daju naslutiti, da su najbliži srodnici vodenkonja kitovi.

Vanjske poveznice

Ostali projekti

Parnoprstaši

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Harish Narasappa, Author at Daksh - Page 2 of 3
A Refreshing Approach to Tackling Repeated Adjournments
Justice Gautam Patel's order dated 27 February 2018 in Ram Nagar Trust No. 1 v. Mehtab Sheikh imposing a cost of Rs. 1000 for each of the 450 days of delay in filing an affidavit, by the plaintiff, is an extremely important one in the context of the enormous delay that characterizes our judicial system.
Talk Point: Has the Judiciary's Overreach in Cricket, Medical Education, Among Others, Damaged Its Credibility?
Timely judicial intervention has often helped shape important policies. But recent judicial efforts to oversee legislative action have boomeranged.
"This Is No Reason To Celebrate", Says Harish Narasappa, Co-Founder DAKSH,
Recently, it was reported that four States and one Union Territory, namely, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, had managed to reduce pendency of 10-year old cases in lower courts to less than one per cent of total pendency.
Capacity in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court has, in March 2017, passed an order in Hussain v. Union of India suggesting various steps that High Courts should take with a view to disposing of criminal cases, particularly bail petitions, in a speedy manner.
Demonetisation and the Rule of Law
The debate since then has largely centered on the soundness of economic thinking behind the decision, the failure to plan its implementation properly, and the potential impacts, positive or negative, on 'black money' in the country.
How to Maximize Judicial Time
Discussions on India's judiciary will always mention pendency of cases and shortage of judges—it is claimed the former is a consequence of the latter and of how time is managed.
Understanding the State of the Indian Judiciary
IDFC Institute Conversation hosted a private discussion with Justice Gautam S. Patel, sitting judge of the High Court of Bombay, and Dr. Harish Narasappa, founding partner of the law firm Samvad Partners and co-founder of DAKSH, for a discussion on "Understanding the State of the Indian Judiciary."
You Can't Improve Access to Justice if the Courts Are Inefficient: Daksh Co-founder Harish Narasappa
DAKSH, the Bengaluru-based NGO, is a civil society organisation that undertakes research and activities to promote accountability and better governance in India, founded by citizens from varied backgrounds.
"Judges Aren't The Problem"
Bangalore-based Daksh has analysed data from courts to map the challenges facing the judiciary. The key finding, says its founder Harish Narasappa, is that there is a need to set up a separate administration for the judiciary to free up judges' time.
Cost of Pendency of Cases Could Be as High as 1.5% of Gdp: Harish Narasappa
Bengaluru-based DAKSH's State of the Indian Judiciary report focuses on the inefficiencies in the judicial procedures.
‹ Previous 1 2 3 Next ›
Custodial Deaths: A Heinous Crime
நில பதிவுகள் மற்றும் E- நீதிமன்றங்களின் இணைப்பு
Tweets by @daksh_india
Rakshit Agarwal July 19, 2022
Siddharth MandrekarRao May 26, 2022
भूमि अभिलेख (रिकॉर्ड) और ई-अदालतों को जोड़ा जाना
Focusing On Execution Proceedings
Sandhya PR May 6, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: json error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=3840 I am building a photo browser for Instagram. I don't have any runtime errors or crashes but evidently the logic in my getPath function block needs work because NSError is saying

json error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=3840 "JSON text did not start with array or object and option to allow fragments not set." UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=JSON text did not start with array or object and option to allow fragments not set.}

I have checked similar SO questions with the error but they are more json syntax centric and/or discuss array objects to which I don't how they apply to my code.
My do catch seems to be ok but I need help with data acquisition.
func get(path: String) {
    let url = NSURL(string: path)
    lastSearchURL = path

    let session = NSURLSession.sharedSession()
    let task = session.dataTaskWithURL(url!, completionHandler: {data, response, error -> Void in
        print("Task completed")
        if error != nil {
            print(error!.localizedDescription)
        }

        do {
            let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data!, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers) as! NSDictionary
            //self.delegate?.didFailToGetMedia?(error!)

                let results: NSArray = jsonResult["data"] as! NSArray
                self.delegate?.didFetchMediaItems?(results)

        } catch let error {
            print("json error: \(error)")
        }

        })

    task.resume()
}

A: I found out it has to do with my API set up. This tutorial is very good.
https://auth0.com/docs/connections/social/instagram
let baseURL = "https://api.instagram.com/v1/tags/nofilter/media/recent?access_token=1234567.d7e73cc.cces4f9532ba442529270d698fb173cc"
let popularEndpoint = "media/popular"
let clientID = "d5e23bhb23414e569480724305d3f104"

A: actually it's a server side issue. ie, the response is neither in array nor Dictionary,
so please ask the backend team to fix the error  :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In a follow-up pilot study led by researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 36 healthy pregnant women from Ibadan were recruited to investigate the impact of exposure to household air pollution on placental function.
The women were divided into two groups. One group used traditional biomass-based fuels to cook their meals. The others used ethanol-based cookstoves, supplied by the researchers. The women also agreed to donate placenta samples after birth, for research.
The researchers also compared placenta samples from the Nigerian women to samples obtained from 12 pregnant women from similar racial backgrounds in Chicago. Those women cooked with natural gas.
The findings, published online April 1, 2018 in the journal Science of Total Environment, suggest that switching from biomass to a cleaner ethanol or natural gas-based fuel can dramatically reduce the risk of oxygen deprivation in the placenta for the developing fetus. These less polluting fuels appear to have lowered the risk of pregnancy-related complications such as premature delivery, low birth weight, prenatal morbidity and mortality.
Chronic hypoxemia — in this case, insufficient oxygen delivery to the placenta of women who cooked with biofuels — can have a devastating impact on cognitive development in early childhood.
"Chronic exposure to these problematic cooking fuels can program the immune system in a pro-inflammatory direction that can promote the development of asthma, allergies and other chronic non-communicable diseases," said Olopade, senior author of the study.
Because of incomplete combustion, biomass-based cooking stoves generate far more particulate matter than natural gas or ethanol-based cooking stoves. Airborne particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5µM (about one-tenth the width of a human hair) or less, can harm the intrauterine environment and disrupt fetal development.
A normal pregnancy requires a healthy placenta, able to supply nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus. Any disruption in this exchange can lead to developmental defects and even premature death of a fetus. Exposure to household air pollution can lead to a compromised placental barrier leading to birth complications.
This is the first study showing the ability of household air pollution to damage the placenta and reduce fetal oxygen supply. The lack of oxygen can cause lasting fetal damage, and may raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes later in life.
An important surrogate measure of the oxygen supply delivered to the fetus is the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF), an indicator of oxygen deprivation. Olopade and colleagues studied placenta histology and determined HIF levels in three groups of pregnant women: those from Ibadan who used firewood or kerosene, those who cooked with ethanol-based stoves, and the women in Chicago who presumably used natural-gas stoves.
Increased expression of HIF can improve the supply of oxygen to a growing fetus by promoting the production of red blood cells and the generation of new blood vessels to improve the transport of oxygen to the potentially compromised placenta.
The researchers found a whopping 56 percent increase in HIF expression in firewood and kerosene users and a 20 percent increase in ethanol users, compared to only eight percent in natural-gas users. Firewood or kerosene users had seven times the levels of placental oxidative stress in response to inhaled particles from polluting cook stoves.
"To put it in context, HAP exposure kills 5 million people every year, mostly women and children, and we are motivated to stop this," said Olopade.
The Susan and Richard Kiphart family supported the placenta study and the United Nations Foundation funded the original randomized controlled study through its Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves.
Additional authors of the study were Galina Khramtsova, Katherine Brito, Donee Alexander, Ariel Mueller, Ian Hurley, Olufunmilayo Olopade, Sarosh Rana and Sireesha Chinthala of the University of Chicago, Damilola Adu, Tope Ibigbami and John Olamijilo of Healthy Life for All Foundation, Ibadan, Nigeria; and Oladosu Ojengbede Abayomi Odetunde of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, Kehinde Adigun of University College Hospital, Ibadan; and Liese Pruitt of the University of Utah.
Sonia Mohinta, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar at UChicago, and an immunologist interested in understanding the complex role of regulatory T cells in IPF disease pathology.


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Trekking the GR5 from the North Sea to the Mediterranean - Highlights
By Carroll Dorgan
Published 12 June 2016 12 minute read
The GR5 (Grande Randonnée 5) is a trail – a marked route in some places – that begins in Hoek van Holland and runs for about 2300km through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and several regions of eastern France (Lorraine, Alsace, the Jura and the Alps), plus small segments of Swiss territory around Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), to Nice.
Mary and I had hiked for two months on the GR5 in 1989 (Vosges, Jura and the Alps), and since then we had dreamed of hiking the whole thing, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. I retired on 1 January 2015, and Mary took extended leave from her job, so we were finally ready for a hike that would take about four months. In 1989 we had camped along the trail, but this time we left the camping gear behind and would wallow in the relative luxury of hotels, B&Bs, chambres d'hôtes, gîtes d'étape and mountain refuges. This is the first in a series of three articles from Carroll about his trek south through Europe.
I filled a small container with water on a beach in Hoek van Holland, near Rotterdam, intending to carry that sample of the North Sea along the GR5 trail all the way to the Mediterranean. It was 30 April 2015, and the next day my wife Mary and I would start our long trek southward.
On 1 May, fortified by a copious breakfast at our hotel in Hoek van Holland, we started hiking. A GR5 marker – white and red rectangles – was visible on a pole across the street. We'd set off! Our destination: Nice.
The GR5 traverses the Delta region to Bergen op Zoom. The trail is flat, often along bicycle paths. Water is everywhere: rivers, canals and ponds – not to mention the nearby North Sea, the source of great storms that sweep suddenly inland, with high winds, lightning and hail. This environment is home to many aquatic birds, including ducks, grebes, coots, herons, geese and swans. In May their offspring were learning how to navigate in the water – sometimes following mother in dutiful lines, sometimes paddling away in their first experiments with independence.
Mary pauses before a drawbridge in Maassluis (Netherlands)
It is easy to get acquainted with Dutch people, since they are friendly with strangers and generally speak English well. We especially appreciated Dutch hospitality the day I lost my glasses during one of those big North Sea storms. Jeroen, our host at the B&B in Herkingen, sprang into action and took me to an optician in nearby Middelharnis where I could order a new pair. A week later, when the glasses were ready, Jeroen returned to the optician, picked up the glasses and drove to Noorderwijk in Belgium to meet us and deliver the new glasses. Dank je wel, Jeroen!
We stopped for our first rest day in Bergen op Zoom, a convenient place to shop for small items of gear and clothing that a week of hiking had shown to be needed. Mary found a shoemaker who could repair the stitching on one of her boots.
The GR5 turns inland at Bergen op Zoom and crosses the Belgian border. We hiked for nearly two weeks across northern Flanders, a land of lush, opulent farmland. Mary, who grew up in rural northern California, was impressed by the quality of the horses that we saw grazing in fields beside the trail.
A hike across a wide swath of Europe inevitably produces chance encounters with interesting events. On Ascension Day, 14 May, we found ourselves walking with 4000 participants in the Abdijentocht ('Abbey Tour'), an annual walk from Tongerlo Abbey to Averbode Abbey. We paused at a refreshment stand, where we stood out in the crowd with our big backpacks. A Flemish TV reporter who was preparing a report on the Abdijentocht struck up a conversation. We chatted with him for a while, describing our hike, and he interviewed us for his report.
A view of Stavelot in the Ardennes (Belgium)
After Flanders the GR5 crosses Wallonie, the francophone region of Belgium. We hiked into the Ardennes, where we encountered our first hilly terrain – a hint of the more varied topography that lay before us. We had not seen many other long-distance hikers on the trail so far, so we were pleased to meet Omar, a fellow American, in Spa. He, too, was hiking the GR5. He hiked faster and further than we generally did, but our stages matched his for several days, so we enjoyed dinners with him before he outpaced us in Luxembourg.
The GR5 enters Luxembourg at the point where its border touches those of Belgium and Germany. A beautiful forest trail follows the Our River, on the eastern border of Luxembourg, and later passes through an area of spectacular sandstone formations called La Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise. This is a tamed wilderness: we were deep within forests, beside scenic rivers, but the trails were smooth and sometimes had steps built into steep sections. We even saw two traffic cones on a forest trail, marking a small area where the trail had subsided.
After reaching the Moselle River, the GR5 crossed vineyards and then curved westwards in mostly open territory towards Dudelange, an old industrial city near the French border.
The GR5 follows the Moselle River and its vineyards (Luxembourg)
Lorraine is a land of beautiful, rolling countryside, with long forest trails. The region has not recovered from the decline of its steel industry: the blast furnaces are mostly cold now, but the Lorraine people's hospitality still glows with undiminished warmth. Hiking alone for a few days (while Mary supervised renovation work in our apartment), I greatly appreciated this hospitality. My first night in Lorraine, I stayed at a chambre d'hôtes in Angevillers. My host, Fabrice, invited me to join a convivial barbecue with neighbours that he had organised.
Mary rejoined me a few days later. Together, we continued to enjoy the hospitality of Lorraine. In Bioncourt, a nondescript village east of the Meurthe River, we spent the night at Le Clos des Pommes, one of the most comfortable chambres d'hôtes on the GR5. Our hosts, Claude and Marie-Paule, were friendly and helpful, and the dinner that they served was delicious. Two days later we reached the Château d'Alteville, a collection of buildings and farmland with a history dating back to the 16th century. David, a scion of the family that has owned and run the farm since 1906, welcomed us warmly in the part of the château that is devoted now to chambres d'hôtes. It was a sybaritic moment for two long-distance backpackers!
Another two days of hiking gave us our first view of Vosges Mountains on the horizon – la ligne bleue des Vosges, as they were described by the French after Alsace (along with part of Lorraine) was annexed by Germany in 1871.
The Alps, dominated by Mont Blanc, can be seen from Mont d'Or (Jura)
Alsace is the domain of the venerable Club Vosgien, which has marked a dense network of trails in the Vosges Mountains. We passed signs with as many as a dozen different symbols marking various trails passing a single point: the GR5 hiker has many options and alternatives along the route.
Our first day in the Vosges it rained steadily. After that the weather cleared, and soon a fierce heat wave (canicule) settled over France. Temperatures rose and stayed in the high 30s Celsius. A glass (or two) of Alsatian Riesling was welcome refreshment at the end of a day hiking on the crest of the Vosges in such heat!
The day we hiked from l'Etang du Devin to Les Trois Fours was one of the most memorable. It was long and tiring, but also interesting and beautiful, a quintessential day in the Vosges. The trail that climbed through a forest from l'Etang du Devin to the Tête des Faux was marked by the stigmata of World War I – old concrete bunkers, tangles of rusty barbed wire and a military cemetery. Walking across the open Gazon du Faing, we admired vast, 360° views from high points such as the Tanet (1292m). We spent the night in a mountain refuge, Les Trois Fours, with fellow GR5 hikers and an animated group of teenage cyclists.
The canicule continued as we hiked over the Ballon d'Alsace (1247m.), at the southern end of the Vosges, and crossed the Belfort Gap (Trouée de Belfort), en route to the Jura. By 7.00am on 7 July 2015, as we ate our breakfast at a chambre d'hôtes in Evette-Salbert, the temperature had already risen to 27°C.
The GR5 descends from the Vosges Mountains to Barr, a picturesque town on the Alsatian plain
The GR5 hiker in the Jura can expect many encounters with the Doubs, a meandering river. The trail winds its way through dense forest, bounded by rocky cliffs, as it follows gorges from Saint-Hippolyte, past Goumois and La Rasse, to a waterfall at the Saut du Doubs, near Villers-le-Lac. Several dams and hydroelectric power stations control the flow of the river. In some places, the river is calm, its current imperceptible; elsewhere, narrowing banks force the river to flow more rapidly. One of the highlights of the hike in this area is the climb down a series of long, steep ladders, called (with a touch of exaggeration) Les Echelles de la Mort.
Our trail left the Doubs at Villers-le-Lac (to rejoin the river at its source in Mouthe about six days later), and crossed rolling countryside, with occasional sections on country roads. The GR5 climbed dramatically as it followed a ridge south of Hôpitaux-Neufs, up to the summits of Le Morond (1419m) and Le Mont d'Or (1461m). The surrounding countryside, seen from these heights, was beautiful, but most spectacular view was the vision of the Alps spread across the southern horizon. The great massif of Mont Blanc seemed to float above the haze.
The GR5 reaches the northern shore of Lac Léman at Nyon, an attractive Swiss town. Nyon is the psychological, if not the geographical, mid-point of the GR5. Major sections of the trail lie behind: Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lorraine, the Vosges and the Jura. But across the lake loom the Alps!
For many people, the great crossing of the Alps is the GR5, and the month of hiking between Saint-Gingolph and Nice is a great and rewarding challenge. The GR5 hiker crosses about 40 passes in the Alps, the top ten of which stand between 2500m and 2800m. Looking back, the three months of hiking from Hoek van Holland to Lac Léman seemed like a prologue to the Alps.
Mont Blanc (4807m) looms over the GR5 for about a week's worth of hiking. Approaching from the north, there are dramatic views of Mont Blanc from the Col d'Anterne (2060m) and the Col du Brévent (2368m) – weather permitting, which was not the case on our hike! We spent a night at the Refuge Bellachat below the Col du Brévent. The weather cleared in the morning, allowing us to admire Mont Blanc across the Chamonix valley. The GR5 then curves around the southwestern side of the massif. The day we hiked under sunny skies and scattered clouds from the Refuge de Balme (1706m) to the Gîte d'Alpage de Plan Mya (1860m) was one of the most memorable of the entire hike, as we crossed two passes – Bonhomme (2329m) and Croix du Bonhomme (2479m) – and then walked along the dramatic Crête des Gittes (2538m). We were fascinated to see birds soaring around in circles below us. As we hiked into the Beaufortain region the next day, we looked back for a final view of Mont Blanc dominating the horizon.
Mary walks along the Crête des Gittes (Pays du Mont Blanc)
We entered the Parc National de la Vanoise on 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption, and hiked in heavy rain to the rustic Refuge d'Entre le Lac. Looking around, Mary declared that it appeared to be run by bachelors, but dinner was good and we were able to dry our wet clothes. What more could we ask for?
The next day, after crossing the Col du Palet (2652m), we followed the 'high mountain' variant, the GR55. There is nothing technically difficult about this route, which simply avoids the valleys apart from a descent to Pralognan-la-Vanoise (1418m), an attractive resort town. In spectacular terrain, we crossed the Col de la Leisse (2758m), the Col de la Vanoise (2522m) and finally – on a cold, windy day – the Col de Chavière (2796m).
We were dazzled by the Vanoise but really charmed by the Queyras, a lesser-known area of the French Alps. We especially enjoyed our hike from Brunissard to the Refuge de Furfande, following another variant, the GR58. That refuge was one of the best we encountered during our hike: newly built and quite comfortable, it overlooks a valley, with a range of mountains filling the southern horizon; the food is excellent, and the gardiens are friendly and interesting people.
The view from the terrace of the Refuge de Furfande (Queyras)
We left the Queyras at the Col Girardin (2700m) and hiked through the Ubaye Valley. The 'trail' from Maljasset to Fouillouse was mostly a road, but the following day made up for that. Our route from Fouillouse to Larche crossed two passes – Vallonet (2524m) and Mallemort (2558m) – and combined two greatly appreciated qualities: easy walking and spectacular scenery.
Leaving Larche, we entered the Parc National du Mercantour. We got acquainted with groups of hikers whose stages on the GR5 matched ours. We, the 'Americans', enjoyed several convivial dinners and songfests in refuges with the 'Savoyards', the 'Italians' and the 'Belgians'. We were pleased to share this experience with our daughter, who joined us for two weeks of hiking.
Hiking south, we observed changes in the climate and vegetation. As we encountered mélèze (larch) trees, lavender, thyme and other aromatic herbs, we sensed that we were approaching the Mediterranean. Finally, hiking from Aspremont on 9 September, we crested a modest hill below Mont Chauve, and the Mediterranean filled the horizon. We walked down the hill into the bustling city of Nice. We stopped at the Maison de l'Environnement, the official terminus of the GR5. We then continued to the Mediterranean, the true terminus of the GR5.
We walked into the water, and I performed the little ritual that I had planned back in Hoek van Holland: I poured some of the North Sea water that I had been carrying into the Mediterranean (thereby diluting the salinity of the latter by an infinitesimal amount). I then added Mediterranean water to the remaining North Sea water in the little container. That mixture of North and Mediterranean Seas will be a tangible souvenir of our memorable hike on the GR5.
This article describes highlights of our hike on the GR5. For a more detailed narrative, with photos, see the author's blog (27 April–9 September 2015). The Flemish TV interview referred to can be watched here (starting at 1:25).
About an area
The GR5 Trail - Benelux and Lorraine
The North Sea to Schirmeck in the Vosges mountains
The GR5 Trail
Through the French Alps from Lake Geneva to Nice
The GR5 Trail - Vosges and Jura
Schirmeck to Lac Léman, and the GR53
The GR10 Trail
Through the French Pyrenees: Le Sentier des Pyrenees
Feature · 11 Jul 2016
Trekking the GR5 from the North Sea to the Mediterranean - History
Feature · 4 Aug 2016
Trekking the GR5 from the North Sea to the Mediterranean - Logistics
Feature · 7 Mar 2014
Trekking the GR5 - French Alps
Article · 18 Feb 2013
Who walks the GR5?
Feature · 5 Jun 2017
GR5 Vosges and Jura – walking the borderlands of France
Crossing the Crête des Gittes on the GR5


text:
Mapping the manifestos
The platforms of Britain's main parties offer voters areas of overlap and clear blue water
by THE DATA TEAM
FOR once, British voters can hardly complain that the parties are all the same. Jeremy Corbyn has taken Labour far to the left with a plan to re-nationalise industries and spend billions on public services, including free university education. Theresa May's Conservatives are focused on executing a hard Brexit. The Liberal Democrats are offering the chance to overturn it altogether, via a second referendum. And the UK Independence Party (UKIP), whose founding purpose was to make Britain leave the European Union and which has rather lost its mojo since the referendum, offers a right-wing sideshow.
So far, so different. But there are some curious overlaps. The Tories have hoovered up UKIP voters by borrowing the party's promises to slash immigration and to bring back selective "grammar" schools, for which there is great nostalgia, if little evidence of their value. At the same time, Mrs May's team has leaped onto Labour's turf, adopting a Labour policy to intervene in energy markets by placing a cap on bills. Labour and the Lib Dems agree on enfranchising 16-year-olds (who might vote for them) and protecting the incomes of pensioners (who generally don't). And everyone is offering free school meals of some sort: lunch from Labour and the Lib Dems, breakfast from the Tories.
More from Graphic detail
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have heard of QAnon
In serious cases, covid-19 symptoms can linger for a long time
The meat spot
Japanese people may have gained longevity by balancing their diets


text:
Q: How can any "replace your DNS and watch netflix from another country" company work with HTTPS traffic? There are many services like "unblock-us.com" that make it possible to use geo-restricted services from other countries. The setup is always the same: just replace DNS and that's it.
My question is: how does it work?
For HTTP traffic it's very simple - DNS has to return IP of some server that is in the right geo area, accepts HTTP requests, and forwards them to the server known from the HOST header.
For HTTPS traffic - HTTP traffic is sent over SSL, so theoretically any proxy can only see that someone sent a blob of encrypted data with unknown destination. How does it work?

A: The Smart DNS service need not bother with the actual request contents. It just redirects the whole connection as is. Of course, this requires a 1:1 mapping between redirected domain name and IP address.
If you want to access netflix.com, the Smart DNS server "forges" the response and directs you to, say, 1.2.3.4. This server is located in the US, to fool Netflix. It just swaps some headers on the traffic while mediating between the actual netflix.com servers and your PC. For Netflix, it looks like it's communicating with 1.2.3.4.
The server knows that when traffic arrives for 1.2.3.4, it's for Netflix. There could be another address, 1.2.3.5, for Youtube.

A: Most modern software are capable of decrypt and re-encrypt SSL traffic by configuring the proxy as a man-in-the-middle. This way, the SSL/TLS certificate chain of trust is indeed broken, but is a bit more sofisticated so the user doesn't even know it was.
In my case I've used Squid3 to make a similar configuration for a transparent proxy, and there's a feature called Squid-in-the-middle SSL Bump which in resume does this. This (as you'll see in this link) entails some moral and even legal issues as it might be illegal depending on which country/state you live. However, keep in mind that when the proxy generates a dynamic Certificate, it must be accepted by the user in any case.
There's a very nice link which describes this in depth and it's easy to read, so I hope it helps you understand how these kind of transparent proxies are done.

*

*Squid Proxy with SSL Bump


Talk to a local Financial Advisor about an RRSP in North Vancouver today!
Have you been thinking about registered retirement savings plans or RRSPs in North Vancouver? No matter what your age, it's never too early or too late to learn about an RRSPs in North Vancouver and other investment options. The Co-operators has local Financial Advisors across the province waiting to answer any questions you might have about RRSPs in North Vancouver and more. So talk to The Co-operators today and find out what our insurance and investment options can do for you.
Your retirement savings plan should take your unique needs and goals into careful consideration. Our network of expert advisors in North Vancouver and throughout British Columbia understand this well. When it comes to setting up a Registered Retirement Savings Plan that's right for you, we're here to help every step of the way. We will take all key factors into account—including your income, savings, and goal retirement age—in order to make sure your plan is working for you. For over 70 years and counting, we've been helping our members and communities at large make the right financial decisions for their needs.
The biggest attraction of RRSPs in North Vancouver is that your money grows while making after-tax dollar contributions. Depending upon your needs, critical illness insurance coverage may provide lump sum benefit amounts which can range from $25, 000 to $2, 000, 000. Get the advice you need, talk to your local Co-operators Financial Advisor.
As a responsible corporate citizen, we believe in balancing our economic, environmental and social priorities. In fact, The Co-operators was recently recognized in Hewitt Associate's Green 30 guide, which identified Canada's 30 most environmentally-conscious employers. Talk to The Co-operators today about an RRSPs in North Vancouver AND about what we're doing to help the environment.
North Vancouver has a public an policy system that provides a minimum level of mandatory coverage to vehicle owners when they purchase license plates.


text:
Nikola Žigić (* 25. září 1980, Bačka Topola, SR Srbsko, SFR Jugoslávie) je srbský fotbalový útočník a bývalý reprezentant, od července 2015 je bez angažmá.

Jeho silnou zbraní byla hra hlavou, při níž uplatnil svoji mimořádnou výšku 202 centimetrů.

Klubová kariéra
  FK AIK Bačka Topola (mládež)
  FK AIK Bačka Topola 1998–2001
  FK Mornar 2001–2002
  FK Kolubara 2002
  FK Crvena zvezda 2002–2006
 →  FK Spartak Subotica (hostování) 2003
  Racing de Santander 2006–2007
  Valencia CF 2007–2010
 →  Racing de Santander (hostování) 2009
  Birmingham City FC 2010–2015

Reprezentační kariéra
Celkově za srbský národní výběr odehrál 57 zápasů a vstřelil v něm 20 branek. Za reprezentaci Srbska a Černé Hory se zúčastnil MS 2006 v Německu a za reprezentaci Srbska se zúčastnil MS 2010 v Jihoafrické republice.

Úspěchy
 Mistr Srbska a Černé Hory: 2003–04, 2005–06
 Copa del Rey: 2007–08
 Football League Cup: 2010–11
 Nejlepší ligový střelec: 2003–04
 Fotbalista roku (Srbsko): 2003, 2007

Odkazy

Reference

Externí odkazy

 Profil hráče na transfermarkt.com
 Profil hráče na national-football-teams.com

Narození v roce 1980
Srbští fotbalisté
Fotbaloví útočníci
Fotbalisté TSC Bačka Topola
Fotbalisté FK Mornar
Fotbalisté FK Kolubara
Fotbalisté CZ Bělehrad
Fotbalisté FK Spartak Subotica
Fotbalisté Racingu Santander
Fotbalisté Valencie
Fotbalisté Birminghamu City
Narození 25. září
Srbští fotbaloví reprezentanti
Žijící lidé
Muži
Hráči Mistrovství světa ve fotbale 2010
Hráči Mistrovství světa ve fotbale 2006


text:
Related: Top 5 Spider-Man Clix
#9 AQUAMAN (DC 75th)
While not the prettiest of sculpts, this figure would still look great in your tank if only because of the cool blue tentacle that Aquaman is standing on. If you have a pirate ship in your tank, then this Aquaman would be the perfect compliment!
"Aquaman (nicknamed the King of the Seven Seas) is a fictional character, a superhero that stars in many comic book titles by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (September 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title. During the late 1950s and 1960s superhero-revival period known as the Silver Age, he was a founding member of the Justice League of America. In the 1990s Modern Age, Aquaman's character became more serious than in most previous interpretations, with storylines depicting the weight of his role as king of Atlantis."


Join us for First Friday June!
Join us for First Friday on June 1st from 5-9pm in Downtown Scranton!
Artist spotlight: Jennifer Esken – Summer is Finally Here!
Jennifer will be featuring her photography at Northern Lights Espresso Bar.
While you're at Northern Lights, also be sure to check out the live jazz guitar music by Mark Biederman!
ArtWorks Gallery and Studio will be featuring a collaboration show between the students at ArtWorks and The Lackawanna County DHS/OYFS titled "Eccentricity & In the Classroom: Reflections What Matters Most is How You See Yourself". Live music by Steve Weener & Pat McGlynn.
St. Luke's Church will be exhibiting automotive photography of local cars by Zeedakay Pictures.
The Workshop and the NEPA Design Collective will be displaying various posters, letterpress, and 3-D art in their show "The Art of the Protest".


by Mark N. Ottemiller, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Retired President | NuTec Design Associates, Inc.
Whether you are planning to construct a new manufacturing facility, renovate, or expand, the key to your success is implementation of a proven process that focuses crucial decision-making on the front-end of a project. Nutec has developed a planning process through blending staff knowledge with lessons learned from several decades and hundreds of successful projects.
This process is effective because it follows a logical sequence to arrive at the required decisions prior to design and construction.
- Permitted and restricted uses, hours, etc.
It is important that the project's major stakeholders all play a role during the planning process, so it is critical to create a project team comprising both internal staff – management, engineering and maintenance – as well as external resources in order to gain a perspective of current best practices as well as the latest trends and technologies.
- Conveyors, fork trucks, cranes, automation, carts, etc.
- Parameters include: cost, speed of installation, soil conditions, GMP, etc.
Support requirements - offices, break rooms, toilet rooms, etc.
Once all parties agree on the conceptual plan, the next step is to prepare more-detailed project cost projections to compare against the budget developed during the project vision stage. If these cost projections do not fall within with the budget, the conceptual documents should be refined in order to bring the projected costs in line with the budget by determining "must haves" versus "nice-to-haves." In other words, what is absolutely required and what is not critical to successfully meet the project vision? Note that the project budget is much more than a construction budget. It should include items pertaining to site, environmental, utility services, indirect costs, technology, communications/data/security, commissioning, training, etc.
This purpose of this planning process is to discover the unknowns, create buy-in at critical levels, and establish a solid foundation that will allow you to move forward for a successful project.
Questions about Nutec's manufacturing facility planning process? Contact Mark N. Ottemiller, PE, LEED Green Associate at 717.434.1523 or email him at mottemiller@nutecgroup.com.
Older PostOutsourcing Maintenance: Is it Profitable?


for sustainability professionals, champions, green team members, leaders and change agents.
This workshop is an opportunity to stop and reflect.
Please contact Kirsti [at] actionforsustainability.com for further information, to find out more about the suitability of the workshop for your group, and to discuss group sizes, costs and available dates.


Offering full representation for those injured in bike accidents.
If you have been involved in a bicycle accident, you have rights. Serious injuries occur as the result of bicycle and vehicle collisions. Often times, drivers don't want to cooperate because of the costly repercussions and you cannot count on receiving help from insurance companies. Despite what many people think, insurance companies are not interested in getting you fair compensation. You need someone to fight for your rights.
Gary B. will get you the money you deserve. Case reviews are always free. We don't get paid until you get paid.


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe SitePrism::Page do
  it "should respond to load" do
    SitePrism::Page.new.should respond_to :load
  end

  it "should respond to set_url" do
    SitePrism::Page.should respond_to :set_url
  end

  it "should be able to set a url against it" do
    class PageToSetUrlAgainst < SitePrism::Page
      set_url "bob"
    end
    page = PageToSetUrlAgainst.new
    page.url.should == "bob"
  end

  it "url should be nil by default" do
    class PageDefaultUrl < SitePrism::Page; end
    page = PageDefaultUrl.new
    PageDefaultUrl.url.should be_nil
    page.url.should be_nil
  end

  it "should not allow loading if the url hasn't been set" do
    class MyPageWithNoUrl < SitePrism::Page; end
    page_with_no_url = MyPageWithNoUrl.new
    expect { page_with_no_url.load }.to raise_error SitePrism::NoUrlForPage
  end

  it "should allow loading if the url has been set" do
    class MyPageWithUrl < SitePrism::Page
      set_url "bob"
    end
    page_with_url = MyPageWithUrl.new
    expect { page_with_url.load }.to_not raise_error SitePrism::NoUrlForPage
  end

  it "should allow expansions if the url has them" do
    class MyPageWithUriTemplate < SitePrism::Page
      set_url "/users{/username}{?query*}"
    end
    page_with_url = MyPageWithUriTemplate.new
    expect { page_with_url.load(username: 'foobar') }.to_not raise_error SitePrism::NoUrlForPage

    page_with_url.url(username: 'foobar', query: {'recent_posts' => 'true'}).should == '/users/foobar?recent_posts=true'
    page_with_url.url(username: 'foobar').should == '/users/foobar'
    page_with_url.url.should == '/users'
  end

  it "should respond to set_url_matcher" do
    SitePrism::Page.should respond_to :set_url_matcher
  end

  it "url matcher should be nil by default" do
    class PageDefaultUrlMatcher < SitePrism::Page; end
    page = PageDefaultUrlMatcher.new
    PageDefaultUrlMatcher.url_matcher.should be_nil
    page.url_matcher.should be_nil
  end

  it "should be able to set a url matcher against it" do
    class PageToSetUrlMatcherAgainst < SitePrism::Page
      set_url_matcher /bob/
    end
    page = PageToSetUrlMatcherAgainst.new
    page.url_matcher.should == /bob/
  end

  it "should raise an exception if displayed? is called before the matcher has been set" do
    class PageWithNoMatcher < SitePrism::Page; end
    expect { PageWithNoMatcher.new.displayed? }.to raise_error SitePrism::NoUrlMatcherForPage
  end

  it "should allow calls to displayed? if the url matcher has been set" do
    class PageWithUrlMatcher < SitePrism::Page
      set_url_matcher /bob/
    end
    page = PageWithUrlMatcher.new
    expect { page.displayed? }.to_not raise_error SitePrism::NoUrlMatcherForPage
  end

  it "should expose the page title" do
    SitePrism::Page.new.should respond_to :title
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A wise man once said of the hand-capturing Pringles tube, "Sometimes you gotta let those hard-to-reach chips go." Designer Dohyuk Kwon wasn't satisfied to tip the tube over to let gravity deliver the chips into his hand, however, so he set about creating a frustration-free potato chip tube. The Bloom package starts out as a tube (which protects the delicate potato discs inside) and then "blooms" into a bowl, making it simple to reach even those stubborn chip fragments on the very bottom.
The Red Dot Award-winning design is basically a wrinkled cylinder held in place with a paper band. When you get it and its delicious cargo home, you remove the paper band and pull the tube open. It forms a kind of narrow bowl, allowing your hands easy access to every last chip. Of course, the idea behind the Bloom concept is to share those Pringles, and if you're anything like us you might prefer the current package for just that reason.


text:
DC mayor says city's security fund is bankrupt
Changes to Route 7 in Loudoun County expected ahead of schedule
New Gallup poll finds majority of Americans are against DC statehood
8th suspect charged in murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson, DC police announce
At Very Sad Lab in Georgetown, two artists help plant owners turn into plant healers
Giant, human-sized jellyfish spotted off English coast
Some parents outraged by Stafford County redistricting plan
By Tisha Lewis, FOX 5 DC
Posted Apr 05 2019 07:10PM EDT
Video Posted Apr 05 2019 07:04PM EDT
Updated Apr 05 2019 10:10PM EDT
Image Gallery 2 PHOTOS
STAFFORD, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A northern Virginia school district approves a redistricting plan this week that some parents say discards diversity.
On Tuesday, the Stafford County Public Schools School Board put new boundaries in place for its 17 elementary schools.
Parents say it was a done deal despite the public hearings, and similar situations are happening at districts across the area.
Some parents say the new boundaries amount to segregation in schools — especially Moncure Elementary, where the now-balanced population will go to 80 percent minority students.
Parents say they were not part of the decision making process and the shift impacts the socioeconomic makeups of the schools, which means more resources could be needed at some schools compared to their counterparts.
Maya Guy and Karen Presecan both have elementary school age children impacted by the boundary change.
Both say their children will be attending a new elementary school this August.
Both say their children will go from a racially diverse educational environment to one that is segregated.
The narrowly approved redistricting plan for the county's 17 elementary schools was passed by a 4–3 vote.
The redistricting plan became possible when the county purchased an old district building that will house its early childhood programs.
The move made classroom space available in several elementary schools.
The school district did not respond to the question of whether the new boundaries will cause segregation in schools.
The district did offer the following statement:
"The Elementary Redistricting was commissioned to balance the projected elementary students at 17 elementary schools due to overcrowding at some and underutilization at others. The redistricting will take place starting with the 2019-2020 school year."
Some residents say property values are also impacted by redistricting.
Stafford has several new developments – and many people are purchasing homes based on schools zoned for their property.
2 dogs found decapitated in St. Mary's County, police say
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. (FOX 5 DC) -- Two dogs were found decapitated in St. Mary's County on Sunday, according to officials.
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office said the dogs were found in the 40400 block of Parlett Morgan Road in Mechanicsville.
The dogs were black Labrador Retrievers, both weighing more than 80 pounds, according to authorities. The sheriff's office said both dogs had been decapitated and discarded in the wooded area within the last 48 hours.
By Nick Smith, FOX 5 DC
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) — Having healthy houseplants is easier said than done. Not all of us are born with a "green thumb" – and to those of us with a less than perfect track record of keeping plants alive, gardening can seem like a pretty intimidating art.
Very Sad Lab in Georgetown is described as a safe space for serial houseplant killers.
It's an idea that Valerie Wiseman brought to life last year as part of a show at Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Maryland.


Your Landscape Materials Supplier! Pick-up and Delivery from our Tualatin and Clackamas, OR locations.
Valley Landscape has an amazing selection of rock, bark dust, flagstones, topsoil and more!
Closed Thanksgiving Day at both locations.
Stop by today to see what we offer!
Highly recommend you call them if you need landscape stuff delivered.
I like Valley Landscape. They are friendly and efficient with decent, competitive prices.
They are great and I wouldn't bother to use anyone else.


text:
Q: Rails validate child before save I have an usual nested model
class Parent
  has_one :child
  accepts_nested_attributes_for :child
end

class Child
  belongs_to :parent

  validate :name, :presence => true
end

If I try to save a child without a name, it is prohibited, but if I save the parent with the child nested, if ignores the validation.
I don't want to repeat my child validations with :reject_if.
How can I validate the child and, only if the child is valid, save the parent along with the child?

A: You should use validates_associated:
class Parent
  has_one :child
  accepts_nested_attributes_for :child
  validates_associated :child
end


Happy Easter Tuesday? I guess the limit of holidays after Easter can only extend so far. Regardless tune in to Adam and Mike this Tuesday morning. As per usual we air from 7-9am on 93.1 CKCU FM in Ottawa or on www.ckcufm.com for everyone else.
It seems the story of the upcoming Ottawa mayoral race is who won't run. Peter Hume declares that he is out.
Our current mayor wants to move Ottawa's Greyhound Bus Station out to where the VIA Rail Station is.
While there probably won't be a Canadian election this spring, there is certainly going to be a British one.
Federal MPs seek to understand the internet with Google's help.
The US makes it very clear; they want Canada to stay in Afghanistan. But maybe Canada has something different in mind? Like the UN Mission in the Congo? Well…think again.
Not missing its chance to make something tragic into something political: Vic Toews vows to crack down on the National Parole Board in the wake of them pardoning former hockey coach Graham James.
Canada's definition of maternal health differentiates pretty substantially from that of the US and UK.


text:
from django import forms
from django.conf import settings
from django.contrib import admin
from django.contrib.auth.admin import UserAdmin
from django.contrib.admin.sites import NotRegistered
from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Group, Permission

from .models import UserPermissionList, GroupPermissionList
from .utils import update_permissions_user, \
     update_user_groups, update_permissions_group

class UserForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = User
        fields = ('username', 'email', 'first_name', 'last_name', 'is_active',
                  'is_staff', 'is_superuser')

class NonrelPermissionUserForm(UserForm):
    user_permissions = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)
    groups = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(NonrelPermissionUserForm, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

        self.fields['user_permissions'] = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)
        self.fields['groups'] = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)

        permissions_objs = Permission.objects.all().order_by('name')
        choices = []
        for perm_obj in permissions_objs:
            choices.append([perm_obj.id, perm_obj.name])
        self.fields['user_permissions'].choices = choices

        group_objs = Group.objects.all()
        choices = []
        for group_obj in group_objs:
            choices.append([group_obj.id, group_obj.name])
        self.fields['groups'].choices = choices

        try:
            user_perm_list = UserPermissionList.objects.get(
                user=kwargs['instance'])
            self.fields['user_permissions'].initial = user_perm_list.permission_fk_list
            self.fields['groups'].initial = user_perm_list.group_fk_list
        except (UserPermissionList.DoesNotExist, KeyError):
            self.fields['user_permissions'].initial = list()
            self.fields['groups'].initial = list()

class NonrelPermissionCustomUserAdmin(UserAdmin):
    fieldsets = None
    form = NonrelPermissionUserForm

    def save_model(self, request, obj, form, change):
        super(NonrelPermissionCustomUserAdmin, self).save_model(request, obj, form, change)
        try:
            if len(form.cleaned_data['user_permissions']) > 0:
                permissions = list(Permission.objects.filter(
                    id__in=form.cleaned_data['user_permissions']).order_by('name'))
            else:
                permissions = []

            update_permissions_user(permissions, obj)
        except KeyError:
            pass

        try:
            if len(form.cleaned_data['groups']) > 0:
                groups = list(Group.objects.filter(
                    id__in=form.cleaned_data['groups']))
            else:
                groups = []

            update_user_groups(obj, groups)
        except KeyError:
            pass

class PermissionAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    ordering = ('name',)

class GroupForm(forms.ModelForm):
    permissions = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(GroupForm, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

        self.fields['permissions'] = forms.MultipleChoiceField(required=False)

        permissions_objs = Permission.objects.all().order_by('name')
        choices = []
        for perm_obj in permissions_objs:
            choices.append([perm_obj.id, perm_obj.name])
        self.fields['permissions'].choices = choices

        try:
            current_perm_list = GroupPermissionList.objects.get(
                group=kwargs['instance'])
            self.fields['permissions'].initial = current_perm_list.permission_fk_list
        except (GroupPermissionList.DoesNotExist, KeyError):
            self.fields['permissions'].initial = []

    class Meta:
        model = Group
        fields = ('name',)

class CustomGroupAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    form = GroupForm
    fieldsets = None

    def save_model(self, request, obj, form, change):
        super(CustomGroupAdmin, self).save_model(request, obj, form, change)

        if len(form.cleaned_data['permissions']) > 0:
            permissions = list(Permission.objects.filter(
                id__in=form.cleaned_data['permissions']).order_by('name'))
        else:
            permissions = []

        update_permissions_group(permissions, obj)

try:
    admin.site.unregister(User)
except NotRegistered:
    pass

try:
    admin.site.unregister(Group)
except NotRegistered:
    pass

admin.site.register(User, NonrelPermissionCustomUserAdmin)
admin.site.register(Permission, PermissionAdmin)
admin.site.register(Group, CustomGroupAdmin)


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Music in Higher Education in Italy and the United States: The Pros and Cons of Tradition and Innovation
Marcello Sorce Keller
Italy Germany
Toward the beginning of this century, the German sociologist Max Weber had the opportunity to visit the United States. He later wrote about his American experience in a charming essay entitled Wissenschaft als Beruf (The Intellectual Profession as a Vocation; Berlin, 1919).1 Weber was a keen observer of social customs and gave an insightful, as well as humorous, description of the differences between academic life in Europe and in the New World. He was convinced that the United States provided the perfect antithesis to the Germany of his times.
He noticed, among other things, that German professors were put somewhat on a pedestal by their students, while American professors were not. Whereas in Germany college students expected from their teachers a "Weltanschauung," an entire philosophy of life and a moral code of behavior, their American counterparts expected from their professors only practical knowledge and technical skills. Possession of those skills would help them in their professional growth and—most of all—in landing a good job. American students, according to Weber, were aware of the fact that their parents paid for the educators' salaries. Professors, in a way, were in the business of selling knowledge (a merchandise like any other). From this came probably that familiarity between faculty and the student body that is typical of the United States and so unusual in Europe. Whereas in the Germany of those days a professor was a Guru, in America, according to Weber, he was almost a merchant. Oddly enough, he seemed to appreciate some of the advantages inherent in this "mercantile" condition. A professor who was only expected to impart skills and knowledge after all, was unlikely to ever become a demagogue or a political activist, something that Weber intensely disliked and considered unethical. That was often the case in Europe. Other consequences of the fact that American higher education was integrated into the Nation's economic machinery were that it was responsive to public opinion and, therefore, at least in the best of cases, able to fulfill new social and educational needs when they arose.
In Germany and in Italy, my native country, the situation was and still is considerably different. Though a number of things have changed over the years, many old attitudes persist even today. The differences between European and American education may not have increased since then, but they do not seem to have decreased either. In fact divergent philosophies about the purpose of higher education still prevail on the opposite shores of the Atlantic. In Europe school is essentially elitist and not practically-oriented (though it has now to cope with the problems of mass education); in the United States it is tendentially democratic and empirical. Such attitudes inevitably translate into the way the curriculum is organized. Europeans of my generation, therefore, went through an educational process that made them, for better or worse, remarkably different animals from their American counterparts.
The following statements concerning musical matters could apply to a large degree to other fields of artistic endeavor. In Italy, as in other Southern European countries, music has traditionally been taught only in conservatories. Outside of conservatories there are few opportunities to learn it; and one would not enroll in a conservatory unless he intended to make music a career.
Similarly, it is difficult for conservatory students to have access to a college education unless they manage to attend high school at the same time. An important Education Act of 1923 by Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944) excluded from college Art Academy graduates, or graduates from any other school providing a professional training. Gentile was a very influential philosopher who, during the early years of Fascism, became Minister of Education. The gap between the theory and the practice of an art or a craft, which had been all along part of the aristocratic, liberal upbringing, was in this way institutionally sanctioned. Even the teaching of scientific and technological subjects—which Gentile and the equally influential Benedetto Croce (1866-1952; perhaps the most important Italian philosopher of the time) thought to be of minor importance—is such that students seldom get much "hands-on" experience. Education, after all, is not to be acquired for practical purposes, according to the old philosophy, but rather for its own sake, and for the sake of developing a rounded personality.
In college the scholarly study of music—viewed as a significant part of culture and human behavior—did not really exist in Italy until recently. Only now is it being slowly and progressively accepted. Indeed the Education Act of 1923 (the Riforma Gentile, as it is called in Italy) re-emphasized the entrenched philosophy that sees music and the arts as detached from the mainstream of humanistic culture and scientific research. Apart from a slight increase of emphasis on such activities as drawing and singing in high schools, the arts were essentially absent from the curriculum. They were almost totally relegated to professional schools where only the craft—rather than its history and relation to other societal activities and values—was taught.2 To this day higher education in Italy is based on a dichotomy between "humanistic education" on the one hand, and "professional/technical training" on the other, a dichotomy which had its roots in the idealistic philosophy of the nineteenth century.
Conservatories (from the Italian conservare, "to preserve/protect"), were originally charity schools taking care of foundlings and orphans who were taught a trade (music was at first only one of many crafts being taught). Such were the Ospedale della pietà in Venice (where Vivaldi was the music instructor) and the Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesù Cristo in Naples.3 Conservatories are, needless to say, performance-oriented. Given their practical aim they cannot afford to supply a general education, and must take the cultural values of music for granted. The student, therefore, should already possess a general education or should acquire one at institutions best suited for this purpose. That is simply not feasible for most people.
In Italian conservatories, to make matters worse, even music history is dealt with rather superficially. It is often presented without proper relation to the music performed. No wonder, therefore, that these schools often turn out trained technicians who do not have the intellectual grasp of what they perform. Many students are required to take a course in Letteratura poetica e drammatica in order to be acquainted with those literary works that found their way into music history, usually as operatic librettos. Better than nothing. Instrumentalists are also required to pass an exam of Cultura musicale generale, which is a misnomer, since candidates are asked only specific questions about the technical make-up of their instruments. If they are flutists they will be questioned about the improvements made on their instrument by Ziegler, Briccialdi, Böhm, etc. So much for "general education."
Universities, which ultimately derive from the casual mingling of scholars on the streets of twelfth century European cities, provide the proper setting for the study of the arts as a cultural and social phenomenon. That is usually achieved, but perhaps to the excess. A college student who takes a music history course in Italy, in fact, receives no technical information about music making and practice, but rather historical and aesthetic doctrines. No "Music Appreciation," no teaching of what the musical forms are, no "Introduction to the Art of Music" and, certainly, no history of the craft: only the history of aesthetic concepts, and the biographies of musicians.
In the United States this approach is often reversed. Even a college course in music history is often taught with little or no reference to history itself, to literature, or to philosophy. To present Beethoven without mentioning the French revolution would not only seem to be difficult to do, but would also be misleading to the student. Even traditional periodizations such as Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism can hardly be explained without reference to literature and the fine arts. But this is nevertheless very often done.
It would be desirable to strike the happy medium. In college some knowledge should be given to students in the humanities about the process of music-making. In conservatories, on the other hand, the professional musician ought to learn how his art relates to the others and how it developed and adapted to the needs of social life.
In Italy education is centralized and dependent on the Ministry of Education (and thus it is, to various degrees in France, Britain and throughout most of Europe). This practice dates, as far as universities are concerned, from the Casati Bill of 1859-60. The Bill established that college-level education could be given only in State Institutes, or in private institutes recognized by the Ministry (elementary, professional and high school education were already under centralized control).4 The endorsement is obtained on the basis of several considerations, and primarily the curriculum. State endorsement guarantees the quality of teaching and establishes standards, valid nationwide, for the hiring and promotion of teachers.
The disadvantage of State control is the considerable difficulty in bringing about change in the curriculum (approval of the Ministry is required). Conservatories should be geared to fulfill the ever changing needs of musical life, but it is very hard for them to do so.
Colleges are an entirely distinct sort of institution. In some of them music history can be studied, but in Italy no thorough training in musicology is ever offered there.5 In Germany, a country with a respectable musicological tradition, the practical study of music also takes place in conservatories. Colleges, on the other hand, are equipped to provide a thorough training in musicology, but give no elementary music instruction of any kind. Again, in the United States the situation is very different. The musicologist Manfred Bukofzer once observed:
The recognition of music as an academic subject in the undergraduate college is a rather recent and, we should add, a specifically American achievement. . . . This phenomenon is unique. Only in this country has the idea of a general musical education been combined with the comprehensive school system of an industrial and democratic society.6
Bukofzer was European by birth and education, but he lived and taught in the United States and became an American. He also observed that undergraduate musical education is not intended for the training of professional musicians but, rather, to foster more intelligent listening habits, in the same way as a general education seeks to produce a more intelligent and well-rounded person. The American concept of mass education in music, therefore, is not separate from that of music as a liberal art, of music as part of the humanities.7 The liberal arts were in fact so called in antiquity and in the Middle Ages because they embraced the knowledge and the activities of the free man (in Latin, vir liber), as opposed to the mechanical arts (in Latin, serviles) that were suitable for slaves. No doubt, part of the idea was the conviction that knowledge makes man free. We know how important education for music was considered to be in the Renaissance. Castiglione's The courtier (1528) clearly says that a gentleman's education would be incomplete without some ability in music (it is known however, that in those times few gentlemen had the intellectual sophistication desired by Castiglione). But education "for music" requires a certain degree of education "in music." This is what European higher education lacks.
In Italy, and in other Southern European countries, until recently there was no music education from the elementary grades through high school. This delay in introducing it can be attributed to historical factors. An important one is probably the almost total absence in those countries (Italy, Spain, France) of a religious choral tradition based on folk music such as was experienced during and after the Renaissance by the Reformed churches of Germany, Switzerland and the Anglo-Saxon countries (folk music was virtually unknown in Italy, even to scholars, until the early 1950s).
The curriculum of Italian conservatories is also notably different from what we have in the United States.8 The curriculum, moreover, has not changed very much over the past one hundred years. The one which is operative today dates from before World War II but, as the emphasis on the practice of figured bass shows, it inherited much older features. Also it allows no electives. Each graduate goes through the same training regardless of the school he attends. Composers takes four years of intensive four-part harmony writing (in the old keys, naturally), three years of strict counterpoint, and three years of orchestration and "free" composition. On the side there is piano, score reading at the instrument, and organ (improvisation, at least to a minimal degree).
The craft is also taught with minimal verbalization. In fact, while I was studying in Italy I never heard of such a thing as a "sonata form." When I came to the United States I did. Immediately I took from the shelves the old and dusty pieces I had written for my teacher and, to my surprise, many of them were indeed sonatas. They had an exposition, a development and a recapitulation; I was quite unaware of that at the time of their writing. My teacher, like many of his generation, was a fundamentally uneducated person, but he knew the craft remarkably well. He would habitually suggest that his students read some music, say a quartet by Cherubini, and then try to write something similar. In discussing our attempts at composition he would only use a few adjectives: "correct" or "incorrect," "tasteful" or "poor taste." His approach to the teaching of composition is still widespread. Few Italian composers are familiar with musical analysis, few indeed are even aware of the existence of Schenker.
In our Western culture the ability to express oneself verbally is most often equated with intelligence itself, and erroneously so. Some aspects of human intelligence can only be expressed otherwise.9 Many composers—and my teacher was a case in point—are unable to say anything worth hearing about music, and sometimes even about their own music. Music, after all, can be and is traditionally taught in many non-European cultures through osmosis, or imitation, rather than through verbal interaction. There may be an advantage in "growing into" a musical practice rather than being "talked into" it. Analysis requires detachment. What is an object of observation cannot be at the same time second nature. A musician who is guided by analytical concerns does not produce music ''as naturally as breathing," so to say. The keen interest that German composers have shown for the development of musical form and architecture may after all suggest that a meaningful configuration of musical ideas did not come to them quite spontaneously. But that is probably an Italian prejudice.10
It would be hard, however, to imagine a composer like Bellini being tormented with "musical form." Still his "Casta Diva" is a remarkably well organized tune, where every section flows very naturally and meaningfully into the next one.
I wish, however, to qualify my statement by saying that no one could reasonably overestimate the import of analysis in almost every area of musical scholarship. What I am saying is simply that, just as we consciously learn the grammar and syntax of our native language after learning to speak it, it would probably make sense to teach musical theory only after the student has developed some basic abilities in performance and composition.
In conclusion I would like to stress that European education, because of its rigidity, allows an accurate transmission of traditional values and skills. The craft of music is probably taught best by compelling the student to go through a grinding mill of pedantic, old-fashioned drills. In Bologna today, the student can obtain essentially the same kind of training that Donizetti was given by Padre Mattei. That form of instruction was already old-fashioned in Donizetti's time, and it is even more so today. The technical procedures of contemporary music, however, are not yet systematized to the point where they can be made a nationwide standard. American education, on the other hand, where innovation is an almost daily occurrence, has the power of forming musicians who are in tune with society to a degree unthinkable of in Europe. It also provides a high professional standard in those areas in which it is demanded, whether it be jazz or Renaissance music performed on original instruments, or music education (for all of these there is a market).11
Schools must survive economically, and if they fail to attract students they may have to close down.12 While it is at times regrettable that education be linked to mercantile considerations, there is little doubt that total independence from the marketplace generates isolation and estrangement from the real world. The Italian case shows it very clearly. There is a need for scientific research, especially where technological breakthroughs are feasible, and colleges are unable to fulfill that need. There is a need for a variety of music, and conservatory graduates can provide only one kind. It would indeed be marvelous if we could have the best of both worlds.
1Max Weber (1864-1920) was one of the most influential sociologists and political economists of all time. He is mostly known for Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904-5) where, opposing the Marxian view of the pre-eminence of economic factors, he emphasized the role of religious values and ideologies in shaping societies.
2A detailed and critical discussion of the philosophy of Giovanni Gentile—who belongs to the school of thought that in Europe was called "neo-idealism"—can be read in H.S. Harris, The Social Philosophy of Giovanni Gentile (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1960).
3For historical information about Italian conservatories and their origins, cf. Salvatore di Giacomo, Il conservatorio di Sant'Onofrio a Capuana e quello di S.M. della Pietà dei Turchini (Palermo: Remo Sandron, 1924) and, by the same author, Il conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo e quello di S. Maria di Loreto (Ibidem, 1928).
4In 1859, Italy was not yet a unified country. The Casati Bill, therefore, was originally promulgated for the Kingdom of Piedmont and later extended to cover the annexed territories of the Peninsula.
5There are now two notable exceptions, the Dipartimento delle Arti, della Musica e dello Spettacolo of the Universita di Bologna, where several musicological subjects are taught and where one can obtain a Doctorate with a music major (this is the only case, to my knowledge where the concept of "major" is applied in an Italian college), and the Doctorate in Musicology offered by an Institute of the Università di Vicenza which is located in Cremona. It is peculiar that in a country like Italy where one can get a doctorate in 72 different subjects (cf. Corriere della Sera, Sept. 22, 1982, p. 14), one can study musicology only in Cremona.
6The Place of Musicology in American Institutions of Higher Learning (New York: The Liberal Arts Press, 1957), p. 5.
7The Liberal Arts, belonging to the so-called "Quadrivium" were: Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy. With the disciplines of the "Trivium" (Grammar, Rhetoric and Dialectic) they constituted in Medieval schools the preparation for the study of Philosophy and Theology.
8Detailed information about the curriculum can be found in G. Colarizi, L'insegnamento della musica in Italia (Roma: Armando, 1967, 1971).
9After many years of I.Q. tests, suitable to measure verbal and mathematical intelligence, psychologists are coming to the realization that there are after all "different kinds" of intelligence, some of them unrelated to each other. Cf., for instance, Howard Gardner, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (New York: Basic Books, 1983). Such discoveries are having some echo in the popular press (e.g. Sharon Begley, "Redefining Intelligence," Newsweek (November 14, 1983), 123.
10For an Italian point of view on musical form, see Marcello Sorce Keller, "A 'Bent for Aphorisms': Some Remarks about Music and about his own Music by Gian Francesco Malipiero," The Music Review XXXIX, No. 2-3 (1978), 231-239.
11Since until recently in Italy there was no music education in schools, there was no need for teachers. Now that some music education has been introduced in elementary and junior high, conservatories are unable to supply musicians who have some background in pedagogy and child psychology.
12It is quite surprising for Europeans to realize that American colleges function pretty much as firms acting in a free market and, therefore, affected by the law of supply and demand.
Last modified on Wednesday, 24/10/2018


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The Gospel According to Sir Desmond Stirling
Patriot, author & God-fearing subject of Her Majesty. What the uncouth call a 'blog,' I like to think of as an epistle to my apostles
Posts Tagged 'writer'
Wife No 4
My fourth wife is an era I sometimes wish I could forget, but thanks to the News of the World it is a story which is out in the public domain so there is no point in denying it.
After my third wife died, I was rather busy. I wrote seventeen book in 2 years, and there were extra-curricular activities. I presented a documentary series for the BBC about historical villains – Rasputin, Vlad the Impaler, Harold Wilson; I lived in Italy for a while writing horror screenplays for Buitoni – all unproduced, as no-one told me they were being financed by the Vatican, hence my villainous priests and libidinous nuns being rather frowned upon. My weekly column for TitBits was also a long-standing obligation. All this plus the usual public duties of a best-selling author – book tours, chat shows, restaurant reviews etc.
I also dabbled in politics which I probably shouldn't discuss until everyone else involved is dead.
I also felt I had to spend a bit of time with the children – when they weren't at boarding school – which was very distracting from the important things.
The old sex life took a back seat somewhat, although I wasn't completely chaste. I had a very well-reported affair with a Miss Borneo, a court case with an actress from a TV soap set in a motel over an illegitimate child (not guilty – phew! The actual father was a member of the Johnny Pearson Orchestra), plus the occasional brief and anonymous dalliance (when I say anonymous, it's quite possible they did actually tell me their name at some point in the proceedings).
Then one fateful February evening I was recording an episode of Call My Bluff for the British Bolshevik Corporation. Darling Paddy Campbell always had an entourage with him – bodyguard, manager, reflexologist, and he insisted on using his own make-up artist. And that's how I met Simone.
Well, that was it, poor old Stirling was nabbed, hook, line and sinker.
Was it love or lust? Is there a difference? She had me by both the heart and the orchestras.
She was beautiful, 23 years old and the most exquisite thing I had ever seen. Tall, long luscious legs, gorgeous flowing blonde locks, a sexy husky voice…
The last should have been a giveaway. Because, in fact, my delicious Simone had been, only two years previously, a panel-beater from Solihull called Kevin.
Tags:1970s, horror, writer
After the divorce from my second wife, Marjorie – only slightly less acrimonious than the second world war (and my solicitor was no Churchill) – I swore I wouldn't marry again. No, the life of a bachelor gay – in the old-fashioned sense of the word – was my role in life, I decided, and that's how I would remain. It was the swinging sixties, dolly birds were wearing hot pants and on the pill, so the world was my frankly aphrodisiac oyster.
This went on very nicely for a while. I added 'playboy' to my list of accomplishments, and life was ticking along very nicely. My books were selling by the truckload, film rights were being optioned left, right and centre, and I was never off the box, holding forth on all manner of topics. I drove an Aston Martin, wore suits from Monsieur Neddy in South Molton Street, ate regularly at sailor beware (the frightfully 'in' restaurant owned by Moonquake actor Rupert Houghton's other half) and drank cocktails at Wynegarde's in Frith Street.
Then I met Sarah. She was kind, gentle, tolerant of my idiosyncrasies – even seemed to find them endearing – and laughed at my jokes. She wasn't beautiful, but her smile lit up life. She was a widow with a young daughter, but that didn't seem to matter. Aleister, all of 6 yrs old, approved of her, so she and I got married. I wanted a big society wedding, she didn't so we had a small ceremony in a small Wiltshire village called Thayer David. Aleister was my best man. A year later we had a son, Oswald – who so resembles his mother it's almost unbearable to look at him – and lived very happily for about three years until she became ill and died within a few short weeks.
It was all jolly sad. I was rather upset at the time, I seem to recall, but I threw myself into a book or two. The children were very unhappy, but I was very busy with my writing so I employed a nanny – well, several as the children were not easy to deal with – until it was time for boarding school, and we just got on with things.
I still think about Sarah. Nice woman.
Tags:horror, Moonquake, writer
My second wife Marjorie has just contacted me to say that if I write anything about her on the internet then she will – and I quote – 'sue the effing arse off me!'
I will take heed. My annual alimony to her is already the equivalent of Ireland's deficit.
And, poor darling, she needs the money. Such vital cosmetic surgery doesn't come cheap.
Tags:horror, writer
I have not been lucky in love. That is an understatement, to say the least! Married 5 times and none of them turned out well. Obviously the current marriage is still extant and seems satisfactory to both parties. It's not the great romance of the century, but I get the house kept quite competently – and she gets a title.
My first wife was called Debbie (can you check that please, Cilla?) and she was a great beauty in her day. We met, as one did in those days at a debs ball, had a whirlwind romance and married within a couple of weeks. Her parents – minor aristocracy, nothing impressive – disapproved. I wasn't quite the huge literary success I was destined to be, and they didn't think I would be able to keep their darling daughter in the manner to which she was accustomed. As they lived in the servants' quarters of a rather dilapidated manor house in Bucks and couldn't cough up a decent dowry, I don't think they were in any position to complain. To cut a long story short, we had a glorious honeymoon, carefree, blissfully in love and, frankly, at it like rabbits. She got in the club, gave birth to my darling son Aleister, then went potty. Literally. Off her trolley, round the bend, doo-lally oddsocks. Later research showed there had been a quite a bit of it in her family history. You would have thought her parents would have told me – that would've been a damn sight more effective at stopping the wedding than moaning about my lack of prospects.
Some blamed my philandering for her mental state, but, to give me my due, she went barmy first. And when one has the prospect of going home to Mrs Rochester and a screaming child, who can blame me for seeking succour in the arms of another. Well, quite a few anothers. My career was taking off and I was being feted around London – I tell you, totty was flinging itself at me. I rarely even had to buy dinner.
Things got rather heated when she found a pair of lady's knickers in my suit pocket that weren't hers, and she went atomic – as we said in those days. She leapt at me, claws outstretched, screeching like a banshee. Once I was on the ground – I didn't like to fight back as she was a woman – she then attacked me with the lawnmower. Yes, she tried to mow me! Ruined my suit, and very nearly did me a very great mischief to the old meat-&-two-veg. Luckily, as I had discovered in the war, at life-threatening moments anything extraneous retracts inside the body so, with the exception of very evenly trimmed pubic hair, I was personally unblighted.
I was rescued by my chauffeur, Raven, who grabbed the lawnmower off her and flung it into the ornamental pond. She leaped into the water to retrieve it, and he helped me up. We then locked ourselves indoors, called the police, and hid in the cellar while she tried to get in the house by eating the front door.
(Incidentally, Raven is still with me as my chauffeur. He's 92 and registered blind so I actually drive him, but he's company in the car.)
Anyway, Plod arrived, sirens a-blazing, and into the nuthatch she went, and there she remains. I don't visit. It upsets her, and doesn't do a lot for me. She looks well, funnily enough. They dope her up to the eyebrows which obviously suits her. She crochets, does Sudokus (I have no idea if she inserts the correct numbers), and occasionally visiting drama students sing old-tyme music-hall numbers to her and her fellow crackpots. Our son visits her when he's in the country, but sometimes she thinks he is me, and tries to murder him.
We divorced on grounds of insanity – hers, obviously – and I contribute to her upkeep which, surprisingly, is cheaper than alimony.
Tags:asylum, barmy, horror, lawnmower, writer
My adventures sans trousers (continued)
Further to my ponderings re my possible popping-up in a nudist film back in the day, I've had an anonymous message re an alleged sighting. According to the nameless claimant – gender unknown – I am quite prominent in said film & I have nothing to be ashamed of.
In fact, this person claims that I played an important part in their adolescent amatory fantasies. I am consulting my lawyer. I'm curious to watch it for old time's sake. It'll be fascinating to see how little I've changed in the intervening years. Greyer of pube, mayhap? Harder of toenail? Nipples less horizontal? But still firm where I need to be.
PS: Been contacted by the British Film Institute. If my nudist film is found they want to 'digitally restore' it & show it in an Acclaimed Authors in the Nude' season.
Tags:horror, nudism, writer
Nude With Pencil
I wish to categorically deny that I have ever starred in a pornographic film.
I am however a proud nudist and always have been. I may – and it's never been proved – have had a small part in a nudist film in the 1950s. By 'small part' I am referring to my status in the billing. If I had been in such a film. Which I may have been. Or not.
Look… It was a lovely summer & I was spending a lot of time at 'Sans Pantaloons' a nudist colony just outside Rustington. I would write my latest novel 'Hell Sailor' during the night, then join some lovely ladies with unfettered knockers for a round of badminton.
One lunch the Pimms had been flowing rather freely. We'd been joined that day by a – with hindsight – frankly seedy chap with a film camera. He claimed he was making a serious documentary about nudism & how it would benefit mankind if we all doffed clobber & frolicked au naturel. I was young, naive, idealistic, & rather liked the idea of ubiquitous naked lassies. Well, except for hideous ones of course.
So, full to the brim of Pimms – all right, pissed out of my head – I agreed to partaking in some scenes for his meisterwerk. Trouserless!
There my yarn rather stumbles to a halt. Foolishly I continued to glug back the booze & the rest of the 'shoot' is absent from the brain. So what happened? Did I partake? What was my contribution? More badminton? Al fresco Calisthenics? Beachball? Or worse…?
And who was that sordid auteur & his wretched Bolex? Michael Winner? No, he's too much of a gent to exploit a pissed novelist in the altogether. And what became of the wretched footage? For years I have watched every nudist film I could get my hands on to see if my red-cheeked shame was on display. I've even imported nudist films from abroad eg Sweden, Denmark, Finland to see if the filthy sods had got their hands on my youthful folly,
And, yes, I am still a proud nudist. Although I'm not as proud as I used to be. After all, the summers aren't as warm as they used to be. These days I find I prefer to get starkers with my fellow chaps. Young women of today can be so cruel. And there is something deeply spiritual about swimming nude with one's fellow men, our unrestrained testes bobbing with the current. Towelling each other down afterwards, the wet sheen on our masculine skins reflecting the afternoon sun. Yes, that makes me very proud.
Bloody agents
The agent's just phoned in a great state of excitement – pissed, not priapic, thank God. Claimed to have a marvellous idea for my next book. And his great idea? That my next novel should be in 3D. Fellow's mad. I always knew he was a drunk & a deviant, but insane is quite new. He's always been repulsive, but a tip-top agent. The two go together, I suspect. I don't mind how vile he is as long as the cash flows in and the contracts are water-tight and entirely in my favour. So the last thing I want is for my usually proficient agent going doolally odd-socks
Tags:agent, horror, writer
Pokers and Gerbils
I am now being followed on 'The Twitter' by a US Poker website. I'm jolly interested in fireside implements. They often feature in my books in murder or orgy scenes. I recall a scene in one book where Charles the hero impales an imp on it's own toasting fork. Fans consider it an iconic death. There was an unfortunate incident with my son's pet gerbil while I was writing that scene. I often use props to help me block a sequence. The tongs were sharper than I expected. And gerbils contain more tripes than I had previously realised. Quite ruined the hearth rug which had been cross-stitched by my then wife's late grandmother. I got it in the neck from both wife & son. At least one of them I could slap & send to bed without any supper. But my son was harder to placate
Ladies' fashions
Earlier this evening I was pleasingly reminded of when ladies would wear a dead animal around their neck. Gave them a delightfully gamey aroma. And if a chap was shy, he could direct his conversation towards the decorative carrion's glassy eyes. Made it easier to ask how far she went. Annoyingly, I caught ringworm off a dead fox which was draped around a rather tasty young Milanese Contessa. Although, in truth, it was the lesser of the infestations with which she presented me.
Ladies knew how to dress themselves back in the day. I particularly liked their use of gravy browning for tights during WWII.
Sunday lunch still gives me the horn.
Like a hole in the head…?
Had lunch today with Sir Adrian 'Nobby' Thrippleton. Old school chum. Noted neurosurgeon & author of the seminal 'Brain Salad Surgery' which is the famous 'self-help' guide to Trepanning oneself. Banned in 17 countries, a feat even I couldn't achieve. Rather envious. He once offered to trepan me, but England is so damp, I was worried that rain would get in the skull and I'd get rheumatism of the brain.
Anyway, I took him to lunch at my club to pick his brains -no pun *guffaw* – about trepanning for a sequence on my new book. My hero Charles will trepan himself to release a demon trapped in his brain. Jolly gruesome, this Trepanning lark. You'd need a screw loose to want to inflict it on oneself. But it'll make a thrilling chapter. My editor is worried it might encourage a stupid person to have a go. But if so, so
what? If they're that daft, who'll notice any difference?
'Nobby' told me in confidence that he'd trepanned The Duke of Edinburgh. They'd both been frightfully drunk at the time. He was bunged the knighthood to stop him blabbing about the hole in the royal bonce! And a title has done wonders for his Harley St practice.
Between you & me & the gatepost Nobby is a bit of a quack. I wouldn't trust him to remove an ingrowing toenail. Particularly not when sober.
Tags:brain salad surgery, duke of edinburgh, horror, trepanning, writer