Topic 1 concerns a video of Las Vegas (Nevada) Police officers Francisco Rivera and Padilla Mills fatally shooting motorist Junior Davis Lopez after telling him repeatedly to not reach for his gun (he did not comply).
Topic 2 concerns a video of Danville (Virginia) Police officers fatally shooting motorist Juan Jones after he fled from police and quickly mocked a shooting stance and position towards police. Police Chief Scott Booth was referenced in the story.
Topic 1 concerns a state of Illinois proposal by Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch to replace armed school officers with therapists. Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley from the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law is quoted in the story.
Topic 2 concerns a new Cleveland (Ohio) Police pursuit policy enacted in 2014 after consulting with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Police Chief Calvin Williams defends the policy while Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek and others criticize it. Lieutenant Brian Betley, President of the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), is quoted in the story. Reference was made to deceased Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell.
Topic 1 concerns Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Police Chief Scott Schubert joining 472 police officials in opposing H.R. 38 (a.k.a. National Concealed Carry). Reference was made to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. H.R. 38 is also known as Concealed Carry Reciprocity.
Topic 2 concerns an update on churches in California pledging to stop calling law enforcement, even in situations involving mental health or acts of violence. Reference was made to the group organizing this movement, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Reference was made to Rev. Anne Dunlap.
Topic 3 concerns an update on Broward County (Florida) Sheriff Scott Israel who is facing a No-Confidence vote from the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association. Reference was made to union president Jeff Bell and police union IUPA.
There's controversy brewing over the release of an American prisoner, who was sentenced to life for the murder of two policemen. Herman Bell is set to walk free on Friday. However, the police union is making last-ditch attempts to keep him locked up.
Topic 1 concerns an update on Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Police Commissioner Richard Ross apologizing to Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson who were arrested for trespassing at Starbucks.
Topic 3 concerns an update on Chicago (Illinois) Mayor Rahm Emanuel's failing program to get police officers and firefighters to purchase homes in the city's more violent areas.
Topic 1 concerns a video of Hurst (Texas) Police Officer Travis Hiser responding to a home and walking through its front yard when the house suddenly explodes and Off. Hiser is blown back. Corporal Ryan Tooker is the other officer in the video. Reference is made to residents Dixie and Charles Bridges and illegal immigrant driver Alejandro Enriquez-Castro who is now in ICE custody.
Topic 2 concerns a video of Gwent (Wales) Police officers Rhydian Jones, Gareth Marsh and Ashley Cotton engaging armed Tony Buttigieg with only a Taser. Buttigieg was armed with two knives and repeatedly attempted to stab Off. Jones during the struggle.
08:22 Should police identify suspects thru DNA websites?
Topic 1 concerns Contra Costa (California) District Attorney candidate attorney Lawrence Strauss stating that people who kill a single law enforcement officer should not be eligible for the death penalty. Interim DA Diana Becton, candidate attorney Paul Graves, Sheriff Sean Welch and Officer Ben Therriault were referenced in the story.
Topic 2 concerns the Sacramento County (California) Sheriff's Department identifying "Golden State Killer" Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. by linking their DNA evidence to genetic information on consumer genealogical websites.
How dare you post bad cop videos!
Police bodycam footage has emerged of officers in the US tasing a mentally ill man 18 times. Adam Trammell was later pronounced dead.
Topic 1 concerns Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz being acquitted of 2nd degree murder by a jury in the shooting death of Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. Reference was made to Mexico's Calle Internacional in the story.
Topic 2 concerns a viral video of Saraland (Alabama) Police fighting with Chikesia Clemons while attempting to arrest her at a Waffle House restaurant. Her friend, Canita Adams, is also referenced in the story.
Topic 1 concerns a video of Louisville (Kentucky) Metro Police officers Kody Despain, Benjamin Dean and Det. Joseph Fox in a fatal shootout with robbery suspect Demonjhea Jordan. Officer Joshua Wever is referenced in the story.
Topic 2 concerns a video of former Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner berating Tenafly Police officers who pulled over a vehicle that her daughter was a passenger in. Reference was made to Hillary Clinton in the story.
Topic 1 concerns a video of Des Moines (Iowa) Police responding to a domestic violence call when Wayne Anderson charged them with a knife before being fatally shot. Chief John Wiebold is quoted in the story.
Topic 2 concerns a video of a Toronto (Canada) Police officer having a standoff with armed Alek Minassian. Police Chief Mark Saunders praised the officer and his "high caliber training" after the officer left his cover and confronted the gunman at gunpoint with no barrier.
Topic 1 concerns a new trend in law enforcement where major U.S. cities such as Washington, New York City, Chicago and Las Vegas are loosening their policies to allow officers to shoot at moving vehicles in the name of stopping vehicular attacks. Washington D.C. Metro Police Chief Peter Newsham is quoted in the story.
Topic 1 concerns a video of Fairfax (Virginia) Police officers who save Mateusz Fijalkowski from drowning and then in turned get sued for allowing him to drown before saving him. Lifeguard Sean Brooks, attorney Victor Glasberg and Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. are referenced in the story.
At the end of the recent apprehension of a suspect in possession of a stolen vehicle, a Miami police officer decided to disgrace the badge with actions that set those of us back fighting for the perception of officers that's accurate and not the minority of actions of a those who don't understand what that badge actually means.
Those who complain that he's suspended "with pay" just remember you'd want due process for him as much as the bad guy on the ground, so chill.
Rapper "PLIES" asks cops to help him understand a question he has about the difference between catching the waffle house shooter compared to what he perceives to be the indiscriminate taking of unarmed teen lives.
I'm open to PLIES correcting me, but he definitely seems to infer this is an issue of race. I think there are vastly more important underlying sources of violence and try to explain that factually as well as honestly help him understand the differences in the arrests he's talking about.
My invitation to have more open dialogue with him remains open.
Interview with a DUI Expert!
Topic 1 concerns Andrew Pollack suing retired Broward County (Florida) Sheriff's Office Deputy SRO Scot Peterson in the shooting death of his daughter Meadow Pollack by Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz. Attorney Joseph DiRuzzo is referenced in the story.
Topic 2 concerns the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturning a lower courts ruling and blocking a lawsuit filed by five Baltimore (Maryland) Police officers against State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby for maliciously investigating and prosecuting them in the death of Freddie Gray.


Welcome to the new Kingstowne Pet Services website! It has updated information, a new responsive design that works great on everything from mobile devices to full-size monitors, and new features and functionality - with more to come. We hope this new website will be a useful platform for both new and existing KPS clients.
We'd love your feedback, as well as any recommendations for improvements or new features. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, visit our new Contact Page.


Port Dover Maple Leaf The Port Dover Maple Leaf is a community newspaper and online resource that has been serving Port Dover and area for over 100 years.
LOSING by a score of 10 to 1 is never ideal, but the Port Dover Junior C Sailors showed a lot more game on Sunday afternoon when they played the first place Glanbrook Rangers for the second time in just over a week..
For one thing, they got on the scoreboard with a second period goal from George Kapralos, assisted by Brent Mio and Peyton Adams-Matthews.
Another plus was the Sailors attitude. They came out ready to skate and battle for the puck from the get-go in the first period.
They played aggressively, even getting the first shot on goal and out-shooting Glanbrook 17 to 12 in the first period. Glanbrook came out of the first period with two goals from Noah Matteson.
Glanbrook's other goals came from David Wilson, Jacob Buch, Nicholas Bisser, former Sailors forward Connor MQuhae, Dawson Shackelton and Lukas VanBerkel.
The winning goalie for Glanbrook was Warren Lament who stopped 30 shots.
Sailors goalie Andrew Hawkins stopped 32 shots.
Sailors Head Coach Mike Tobin said the score may have been similar to the last time they played Glanbrook, but the Sailors game was a whole lot better.
With the playoffs just a few weeks away, the Sailors won't be moving up or down in the standings.
The focus now is on preparing for the playoffs.
That means that winning or losing a game is less important than improving their play.
Sailors' goal-scorer George Kapralos believes that.
The 19-year-old from Etobicoke dreamed of playing in the OHL and even as a pro when he was growing up.
That all seemed to end when he was 17 and broke his wrist badly while playing hockey. Surgery strengthened the wrist with a metal pin, followed by months of physiotherapy.
Now in his second year of accounting at the University of Guelph, George started training again and went to talk to the coaches of the University of Guelph hockey team. It so happened that Sailors general manager and owner John Lennox was meeting with the Guelph coaches that afternoon.
George met with Lennox and has been a Sailor ever since.
The Sailors' relationship with the University of Guelph helped make that happen, but just as important is the Sailors commitment to education.
He tries to be in the gym every day to train and is on ice three to four times a week. He also loves playing shinny on outdoor ponds — something he did over New Year's when he and some friends went to a cottage.
The arrangement has worked out well for both sides. George is the top scorer for the Sailors this year, with 27 points.
Now that he's playing hockey again, he's dreaming hockey dreams again – to play on the University of Guelph Varsity Hockey Team.
But this year he's happy to be a Sailor and playing hockey again.
The Sailors next home game is Sunday, Jan. 20 at 2 pm.


Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, 10 minutes before roasting. Wipe the joint and reserve.
Heat the hoisin sauce, plum jam, oil and soy sauce and stir until smooth. Brush over the turkey joint and leave lightly covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, place in a roasting tin, pour over the marinade and pour the orange juice round. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour 26 minutes. Baste occasionally with the juices in the pan.
Meanwhile place the plums, shallots, sugar and vinegar in a pan and cook gently for 12-15 minutes or until the plums are cooked. Pass through a food processor to form a purée.
Twenty minutes before the end of the turkey cooking time, brush 2-3 times with the prepared plum sauce. Check the juices run clear with a skewer and then remove the turkey from the oven. Place on a serving plate, cover lightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish then serve the cooked turkey joint with the plum sauce and freshly cooked vegetables.


RiverTown Antiques has been in business for eight years in Rochester but owner Ann Sutherland was looking for a change.
"I believe that antiques and vintage shops are a natural fit for the Ambridge Historic District" said Sutherland.
Sutherland purchased the bowling alley in Ambridge on Merchant Street, which is located in the Historic District of the community.
Sutherland said "I believe this Historic area which encompasses the designated US National Historic area, and the Pennsylvania managed Old Economy Village, is a gem within Beaver County and Southern Western Pennsylvania ."
"Development will take time, but the bones are here, and we need to continue to grow and preserve this area."
"I am excited to move to Ambridge. The bottom line for my decision: this is the right building, at the right time, in the right area. I think the Borough of Ambridge, and the people of Ambridge, work hard to support and improve their town," added Sutherland.
RiverTown Antiques carries a variety of antiques, vintage items, collectibles and quality decoratives, at a range of price points. Sutherland noted that "We attract customers of all ages. Vintage bar ware is particularly popular, and we have sold authentic ships lanterns, artwork, a phone booth, cast iron fireplace surrounds and other architectural items, tools, Pyrex kitchen ware, Fiesta china, art glass, and vintage glassware of all types. If the item is unique or unusual, we like to carry it."
Saturday, May 6 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.


text:
There are more up to date resources available right now, please check out Angular Class' version at https://github.com/AngularClass/awesome-angular2.

The resources that were here are still availble at https://github.com/swirlycheetah/awesome-angular2/blob/master/readme.md.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Located a 15-minute walk from Emirates Stadium in London, 2 Bedroom Victorian Flat in the Heart of Islington offers accommodations with a kitchen. Guests have a private patio. This apartment has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with a bath, a shower and free toiletries.. A TV is available. King's Cross Theatre is 1.3 miles from the apartment, while Camden Market is 2.2 miles away. London City Airport is 9 miles from the property.


WHO SHOULD WEAR THIS PRODUCT: * If you have to use a computer or a cell phone for a long period of time * If you have to keep focused on your work for a long period of time * If your job requires you to stand or do laborious work for a long time and if you are a person who always has cold hands and cold feet * If you have problems such as tense nerves, poor blood circulation, or stiffness and shoulder and neck pains. * If you are weakly resistant to illnesses and catch colds easily. * If you have a stressful life style and want to relax and regain your energy. * If you have an irregular life style and are often sleepless. * If you are fond of sports and want to develop your sport fitness.
If you have any questions about this product by GD, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.


A 90 day US visa ban was recently imposed on Muslim countries such as Somali, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Iran and Syria by US President, Donald Trump.
NaijaOnlineTV gathered these has to do with measures of curbing terrorism, as earlier mentioned by Trump during his campaign. These ban according to report also affects citizens of other countries, who have dual citizenship with these affected Muslim nations, as they have also been banned from entering the USA.
One man who is not having it good in regards to Trump's decision on these, is Mo Farah, a British sprint champion, an origin of Somalia. Mo Farah writes on his displeasure.
I am a British citizen who has lived in America for the past six years, working hard, contributing to society, paying my taxes and bringing up our four children in the place they now call home. Now, me and many others like me are being told that we may not be welcome.
It's deeply troubling that I will have to tell my children that Daddy might not be able to come home, to explain why the President has introduced a policy that comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice.
I was welcomed into Britain from Somalia at eight years old and given the chance to succeed and realize my dreams. I have been proud to represent my country, win medals for the British people and receive the greatest honor of a knighthood.
My story is an example of what can happen when you follow policies of compassion and understanding, not hate and isolation. Mo Farah says.
Other reports from the UK indicates that over a million people have signed a petition against this latest executive order by the 45th President of the United States and a demonstration is said to occur today especially against his proposed state visit to the UK.


text:
Q: TYPO3 no data in frond end of extension On TYPO3 8.7.3 using "extension_builder" I made a new simple extension, one table and two views: list, show.
After installation, I added  new folder for my data, filled it with some records and inserted FE plugin with record storage page set to my folder. Problem is that no records are shown in FE, I see only field headers (translations are working fine).
(on older versions of TYPO3 (6.. and 7..) i never had this kind of problem.
My templates: Templates/List.html

    <f:layout name="Default" />

    This Template is responsible for creating a table of domain objects.

    If you modify this template, do not forget to change the overwrite settings
    in /Configuration/ExtensionBuilder/settings.yaml:
      Resources:
        Private:
          Templates:
            List.html: keep

    Otherwise your changes will be overwritten the next time you save the extension in the extension builder

    <f:section name="content">

Listing for Calendars

        <f:flashMessages />
        <f:debug inline="TRUE" >{_all}</f:debug>

                aa<f:translate key="tx_pbjavrocalendarscatalogs_domain_model_calendars.calendar_name" />
                <f:translate key="tx_pbjavrocalendarscatalogs_domain_model_calendars.calendar_description" />
                <f:translate key="tx_pbjavrocalendarscatalogs_domain_model_calendars.calendar_colors" />
                <f:translate key="tx_pbjavrocalendarscatalogs_domain_model_calendars.calendar_category" />
                <f:translate key="tx_pbjavrocalendarscatalogs_domain_model_calendars.calendar_category_sub" />

            <f:for each="{calendarss}" as="calendars">

                    {calendars.calendarName}
                    <f:link.action action="show" arguments="{calendars : calendars}"> {calendars.calendarDescription}</f:link.action>
                    <f:link.action action="show" arguments="{calendars : calendars}"> {calendars.calendarColors}</f:link.action>
                    <f:link.action action="show" arguments="{calendars : calendars}"> {calendars.calendarCategory}</f:link.action>
                    <f:link.action action="show" arguments="{calendars : calendars}"> {calendars.calendarCategorySub}</f:link.action>

            </f:for>

    </f:section>

Layouts/Default.html

        <f:render section="content" />

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: CollectionView "Fatal error: Unexpectedly found nil while implicitly unwrapping an Optional value" I made a collectionView using storyboard everything works fine the collectionView fetches the data from the firebase as expected. when I tried to make the same collectionView grammatically so I've more control over the layout I got this error: "Fatal error: Unexpectedly found nil while implicitly unwrapping an Optional value" on this line
self.collectionView.reloadData()

I don't know what causes this error
Storyboard
import UIKit
import FirebaseFirestore
import FirebaseAuth
import Kingfisher

class storyCollection: UIViewController, UICollectionViewDelegate, UICollectionViewDataSource {

    @IBOutlet weak var collectionView: UICollectionView!

    private var listener: ListenerRegistration?

    private var profiles = [Profile]() {
      didSet {
        DispatchQueue.main.async {
          self.collectionView.reloadData()
        }
      }
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        collectionView.dataSource = self
        collectionView.delegate = self

        collectionView.register(UINib(nibName: "colCello", bundle: nil),
        forCellWithReuseIdentifier: "colCello")

    }

    override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
      super.viewDidAppear(true)

        let user = Auth.auth().currentUser

        listener = Firestore.firestore().collection(DatabaseService.usersCollection).document(user!.uid).collection(DatabaseService.profilesCollection).addSnapshotListener({ [weak self] (snapshot, error) in

            if let error = error {
              DispatchQueue.main.async {
                self?.showAlert(title: "Try again later", message: "\(error.localizedDescription)")
              }
            } else if let snapshot = snapshot {

                let profile = snapshot.documents.map { Profile($0.data())}

                self?.profiles = profile
            }
          })
        }

    override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
      super.viewWillDisappear(true)
        listener?.remove()
      }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        return profiles.count

    }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {

        if indexPath.row == 0 {
            let staticCell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: "colCello", for: indexPath) as! colCello

            staticCell.profileImageView.image = UIImage(systemName: "plus")!
            staticCell.backgroundColor = .systemYellow
            staticCell.profileNameLabel.text = "Add Profile"
            return staticCell
        } else {

          let defaultCell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: "colCello",   for: indexPath) as! colCello
       let profile = profiles[indexPath.row]
            defaultCell.configureCell(for: profile)
            defaultCell.backgroundColor = .systemTeal

       return defaultCell
    }
    }
}

class colCello: UICollectionViewCell {

    @IBOutlet weak var profileImageView: UIImageView!
    @IBOutlet weak var profileNameLabel: UILabel!

    public func configureCell(for profile: Profile) {
        profileImageView.kf.setImage(with: URL(string: profile.imageURL))
        profileNameLabel.text = profile.profileName

}
}

Programmatically
import UIKit
import FirebaseFirestore
import FirebaseAuth
import Kingfisher

class ProfilesViewController: UIViewController, UICollectionViewDelegate, UICollectionViewDataSource, UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout {

    private var collectionView: UICollectionView!

    private var listener: ListenerRegistration?

    private var profiles = [Profile]()

    {
      didSet {
        DispatchQueue.main.async {
          self.collectionView.reloadData()
        }
      }
    }

         override func viewDidLoad() {
         super.viewDidLoad()

            let layout = UICollectionViewFlowLayout()
            layout.scrollDirection = .vertical
            let  collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0), collectionViewLayout: layout)
            collectionView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
            collectionView.backgroundColor = .white
            collectionView.register(colCell6.self, forCellWithReuseIdentifier: "colCell6")
            collectionView.isPagingEnabled = false
            collectionView.frame = CGRect(x: 5, y: 0, width: view.frame.width-10, height: view.frame.height)

            collectionView.dataSource = self
            collectionView.delegate = self

            view.addSubview(collectionView)

    }

    override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
      super.viewDidAppear(true)

        let user = Auth.auth().currentUser

        listener = Firestore.firestore().collection(DatabaseService.usersCollection).document(user!.uid).collection(DatabaseService.profilesCollection).addSnapshotListener({ [weak self] (snapshot, error) in

            if let error = error {
              DispatchQueue.main.async {
                self?.showAlert(title: "Try again later", message: "\(error.localizedDescription)")
              }
            } else if let snapshot = snapshot {

                let profile = snapshot.documents.map { Profile($0.data())}

                self?.profiles = profile
            }
          })
        }

    override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
      super.viewWillDisappear(true)
        listener?.remove()
      }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        return profiles.count

    }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {

        if indexPath.row == 0 {
            let staticCell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: "colCell6", for: indexPath) as! colCell6

            staticCell.profileImageView.image = UIImage(systemName: "plus")!
            staticCell.backgroundColor = .systemBackground
            staticCell.profileNameLabel.text = "Add Profile"
            return staticCell
        }

        let defaultCell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: "colCell6", for: indexPath) as! colCell6

        let profile = profiles[indexPath.row]
        defaultCell.backgroundColor = .systemTeal
        defaultCell.configureCell(for: profile)

        return defaultCell
    }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, sizeForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGSize {

        return CGSize(width: (collectionView.frame.width-5)/2.0, height: 200)

        }
        func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, minimumLineSpacingForSectionAt section: Int) -> CGFloat {
            return 5
        }
        func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, minimumInteritemSpacingForSectionAt section: Int) -> CGFloat {
            return 0
        }

            }

class colCell6: UICollectionViewCell {

    static let identifier = "colCell6"
    var profileImageView: UIImageView = {
         let iv = UIImageView()
        iv.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill
        iv.clipsToBounds = true
        iv.backgroundColor = .yellow
        iv.layer.cornerRadius = 60

        return iv
    }()

    var profileNameLabel: UILabel = {
         let nl = UILabel()
        nl.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill
        nl.clipsToBounds = true
        nl.layer.cornerRadius = 10

        return nl
    }()

    override init(frame: CGRect) {
        super.init(frame: frame)
        contentView.addSubview(profileImageView)
        contentView.addSubview(profileNameLabel)

        contentView.clipsToBounds = true
        contentView.layer.cornerRadius = 10

        profileImageView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        profileImageView.leftAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.leftAnchor, constant: 40).isActive = true
        profileImageView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.topAnchor, constant: 40).isActive = true
        profileImageView.rightAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.rightAnchor, constant: -40).isActive = true
        profileImageView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.bottomAnchor, constant: -40).isActive = true
        profileImageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill

        profileNameLabel.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        profileNameLabel.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.contentView.centerYAnchor,constant: 80).isActive = true
        profileNameLabel.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: self.contentView.centerXAnchor).isActive = true
    }

    required init?(coder: NSCoder) {
        fatalError("init(coder:) has not been implemented")
    }

    public func configureCell(for profile: Profile) {
        profileImageView.kf.setImage(with: URL(string: profile.imageURL))
        profileNameLabel.text = profile.profileName

}

}

A: You never assign a value to private var collectionView, you declare a locale variable collectionView which is a different object. Just remove let
Replace
let collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0), collectionViewLayout: layout)

with
collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0), collectionViewLayout: layout)

A: This answer is similar to @vadian's answer.
Use
collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: .zero, collectionViewLayout: layout)

instead of
let collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0), collectionViewLayout: layout)

Instad of CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0),  you can use just .zero
class ProfilesViewController: UIViewController, UICollectionViewDelegate, UICollectionViewDataSource, UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout {

    private var collectionView: UICollectionView!

    private var listener: ListenerRegistration?

    private var profiles = [Profile]()  {
        didSet {
            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                self.collectionView.reloadData()
            }
        }
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        let layout = UICollectionViewFlowLayout()
        layout.scrollDirection = .vertical

        // Assign UICollectionView to the globle collectionView instead
        collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: .zero, collectionViewLayout: layout)
        collectionView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        collectionView.backgroundColor = .white
        collectionView.register(colCell6.self, forCellWithReuseIdentifier: "colCell6")
        collectionView.isPagingEnabled = false
        collectionView.frame = CGRect(x: 5, y: 0, width: view.frame.width-10, height: view.frame.height)

        collectionView.dataSource = self
        collectionView.delegate = self

        view.addSubview(collectionView)

    }

    // Rest of your code
}


text:
"Genius" will make its sophomore season debut on National Geographic on Tuesday, April 24, at 9 p.m./8c.
As one of the 20th century's most influential and celebrated artists, Pablo Picasso imagined and interpreted the world in totally new and unorthodox ways, reinventing our perception of creativity in the process. Starring Antonio Banderas in the titular role, the second season explores how the Spanish-born artist's passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
The series is executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.
Show Runner/Executive Producer:
Ken Biller
Co-Exec Producer:
Raf Green, Noah Pink, Wendy Riss
Kelly Manners, Matthew Newman

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Cascade-seeding algorithm for graph dominance competitions (Caltech CS 144, Winter 2015)

## "Pandemaniac" Competition Guidelines

In groups of 2 or 3, create an algorithm that will take as input an undirected graph (in adjacencylist form) and output a list of N seed nodes where your epidemic will start (where N is given).
You will be competing against other teams who are also trying to spread their epidemics on the same graph.
Your team's goal is to take over more of the network (i.e., a larger number of nodes) with your epidemic than your competitors do with theirs.

See pandemaniac.pdf for more competition rules and information.

## Our Algorithm

First we calculate the closeness and degree centralities for each node.
A high degree centrality allows us to convert a large number of nodes quickly,
while a high closeness centrality allows our influence to expand to other areas rapidly.
Combined, these rankings identify seeds that will allow us to convert uncolored nodes in many areas of the graph.
We weight these two centrality measures equally,
because our simulation testing was inconclusive regarding which measure contributed more to a strategy's success.
Considering the following aspects of our algorithm,
we see no convincing reason to prefer one measure over the other.

We then remove the bottom 90% of nodes with regard to the sum of the two measures of centrality,
or the "score" of a node. We then draw our seeds from a probability distribution over this top 10% of nodes,
where the probability of selecting a node grows linearly with its score.
This hedges our seeds against the threat of repeated collisions across rounds
by not repeatedly picking the same nodes as another team.
We accelerate this computation by considering the highest-scoring nodes first,
which greatly reduces the number of iterations required to find a fixed number of nodes by probabilistic means.

Additionally, we never pick a node with a closeness or degree centrality in the top 1% of the graph.
This further hedges our seeds against the threat of collisions,
as the data gleaned from histograms of prior rounds' seed nodes showed that
some groups' strategies heavily weighted one or both of these centrality metrics.
Often the highest scoring teams avoided the top 1% most-central nodes
(whether this is intentional or a by-product of a radically different algorithm is unknown),
so we emulated this in our design.

See report.pdf for more information about our approach and reasoning.

![Our Approach in a Nutshell](http://i.imgur.com/DJhUzRy.jpg)


text:
The president who went to Hollywood
Although Venustiano Carranza signed off on the 1916 Constitution, he didn't necessarily approve of it… not when at the end of his term, the voters had the temerity to vote for the wrong candidate. The "Liberal Constitutionalist Army" put an end to his Carranza's plan to hold on to office… and to Carranza himself, when his train… loaded down with the country's gold reserves… was ambushed during his attempt to move the government to Veracruz and re-ignite the revolution from there.
To restore the new Constitution, Adolfo de la Huerta was installed as "acting President" on the 25th of May 1920. His term would only run until November, allowing Alvaro Obregon, to win the election that Carranza had cancelled when it was clear his chosen successor (the unknown Ignacio Bonillas) was going to lose, and lose badly. De la Huerta was one of those guys who'd never had the chance to turn his artistic pursuits into a living, although, unlike his contemporary, Adolf Hitler, he could return to his preferred vocation with some success. But then again, ending up in politics (as did Hitler) was not nearly the disaster for everyone that the German Adolf's fall-back proved to be.
Although his family was well-off, a musician's life would hardly support young Adolfo in the style to which he was accustomed. And, so, he also learned bookkeeping and accounting, landing him a safe, boring job in the Sononan state bureaucracy. Taking a hand in civic affairs, he was appointed Secretary of the Guaymas "Anti-Reelection Society" in 1911 (opposing another term for Porfirio Díaz) which got him summarily fired from his cushy job and drove him into the Revolutionary camp.
Never a military man (unlike that other Adolf), but (again like that other guy in Germany), he did go into politics, winning a seat in the new State Senate, before going back to bureaucratic duties as chief clerk (basically head of the revolutionary's civil service) for Carranza as the Constitutionalists consolidated the Revolution in 1915-16. That was followed by a short stint as Governor of Sonora, and .. with the United States entering the First World War in 1917, and pressuring Carranza to shift from a neutral but pro-German position to one more aligned with the U.S. Perhaps thinking musicians have charms to soothe the savage beast, he was also charged with smoothing over relations, and defending Mexican neutrality. He returned to Sonora as Governor in 1918 for another two year term, as Carranza was attempting to consolidate federal power in the state … specifically to sell off the lands controlled by the still independent Yaqui nation.
Being an accountant and all, when Carranza tried to seize the national treasury, maneuvering to hold on to power in 1920, de la Huerta, together with his more military minded fellow Sonorans, Alvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elias Calles, drew up the "Plan of Agua Preita"… the last of the revolts within the larger 1910-20 Revolution. The plan was quite detailed, but didn't exactly spell out what the long-range plan was. De la Huerta would be the interim president until Obregón could be elected, his term to be followed by Calles. It would work out that way, but with a huge bump in the road.
During de la Huerta short term the last important dissident rebel, Pancho Villa, was convinced to lay down his arms, and the critical work of pacifying the country and restarting the economy began. He oversaw Obregón's election (by 94 percent of the votes… draw your own conclusions about "free and fair"), stepped down in November, to take a cabinet post as Secretary of the Treasury.
In 1923, with new elections coming up, meant to install Calles, de la Huerta either genuinely was "shocked, shocked and appalled" to find corruption had crept into public finance, or…was duped into backing an attempted counter-revolution by Catholics who had chafed at the anti-clerical laws that Callas promised to strengthen, joining with pre-revolutionary conservatives, disgruntled generals who chaffed at Obregón de-militarization and support for more pacific and useful social sectors like farmers and workers, and financially supported by the foreign oil companies. The very short revolt ended with de la Huerta having to flee the country.
Not exactly in a position to receive a pension, not having had the foresight to steal a fortune, and only in his early 40s, de la Huerta had to find a job. Or… being the creative sort he was… make one. It was still the silent movie era, but Hollywood was the entertainment capital, not just move-land. And so… there was a need for even silent film stars… expected to go on the road and do public appearances… were expected to be able to sing and dance. And, politics is largely entertainment. Although, in revolutionary Mexico, a much less dangerous kind.
Until he returned from exile during the Cardenas administration, he was a behind the scenes Hollywood figure, running a singing and dancing academy.
from → Adolfo de la Huerta, Alvaro Obregon, Mexican History 1910-20 (Revolution), Plutarco Elías Calles, Venustiano Carranza
← Jumping the gun… May 1942
Nobody's perfect… but… →


text:
There's more to Pavillion to be upset about than recent conjecture
February 18, 2014 by Dustin Bleizeffer 1 Comment
At a conference in Idaho late last year, a former employee of the Wyoming State Engineer's Office suggested, as if a foregone conclusion, that oil and gas activity contaminated groundwater in the rural neighborhood east of Pavillion. Robert Johnson's comments surfaced in a blog earlier this month, and the whole thing was heavily hyped as a "bombshell."
Dustin Bleizeffer
Yet Johnson's comments didn't seem to matter much to those residents east of Pavillion who, for nearly 10 years, have lived with contaminated drinking water wells and no definitive answers regarding the source. A lot of people have said a lot of things. What these citizens need are scientifically-proven answers.
"None of us knew him or knew how he was involved. … He didn't really seem to have much detailed information (about the groundwater investigation)," Deb Thomas, an organizer for Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens, told WyoFile.
Then a newspaper article followed reporting that Johnson, then and still employed by Idaho's Department of Lands, had recanted his statements after speaking with Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission supervisor Grant Black. Johnson was now saying that the statements he'd made in Idaho were "dead incorrect." "(Grant) set me straight and told me I was wrong," Johnson reportedly told the Casper Star-Tribune.
Members of Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens reacted strongly; "This is unbelievable and unacceptable!" Pavillion area resident John Fenton said in a prepared statement sent out Friday. "It appears that the state has already reached conclusions about the investigation of Pavillion area groundwater contamination before they've released findings or even hired experts to review their analysis. … How did supervisor Black reach his conclusion?"
I reached out to supervisor Black for his version of what had transpired. "My conversation with Robert Johnson was simply to explain to him that we have an ongoing investigation. We have not reached conclusions yet," Black said.
Simple enough. I believe that was likely the general substance of the conversation between Black and Johnson. (Johnson did not return my calls on Friday or Monday.) It's easy to believe that Johnson might regret speaking in such conclusive terms about Pavillion, as he did in Idaho. When I listened to the audio of Johnson's Pavillion comments, I had the same initial reaction as Deb Thomas: He didn't really seem to have much detailed information.
In his attempt to underscore Idaho's path forward regarding requirements for lined pits in the oil and gas industry, Johnson alluded to the fact that several legacy pits in the Pavillion oil and gas field have for years been known to be contaminated. He noted that the pits and several well bores are under examination in the ongoing investigation seeking to discover the source of measured contaminants in the groundwater. All true. But Johnson took it a step further.
According to the audio, Johnson spoke specifically of contaminated groundwater and the unlined legacy surface pits in Pavillion: "Did the industry cause it? Yes they did. Are they mitigating it? Yes they are. But should we have to mitigate it? No. That's why we required lined pits that have been sealed and certified by a professional engineer."
By the way, "legacy" means the pits in question were unlined and contaminated before EnCana Oil & Gas USA bought the properties.
Since no agency involved in the ongoing investigation has made scientific conclusions that have gone through a peer review process, it's easy to understand how the tone of Johnson's comments raised eyebrows. Pavillion is still an ongoing investigation nearly 10 years after citizens began seeking answers. That's part of the frustration.
At the Idaho conference, Johnson made several more statements that have been rightly challenged. He claimed he was close to the investigation (Wyoming SEO was never a lead agency in the investigation), and he suggested that all, and/or, portions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 draft report had been "rescinded." (That report concluded that chemicals commonly associated with fracking contributed to contaminated drinking water.)
To say the draft report has been rescinded is dead wrong. "We stand by the data we collected and expect the state to consider those data as they move forward," EPA Region 8 spokesman Richard Mylott told WyoFile via email on Friday. "The findings in our draft report have not been peer reviewed or finalized."
Looking back at this flare up, I'm struck by how much flash and heat is concentrated on conjecture when there's so much more of substance to be upset about. Like the fact that Wyoming and EnCana Oil & Gas USA — the current operator of the Pavillion oil and gas field — have spent years attempting to diminish the validity of the 2011 EPA report, EPA's methods and its draft conclusions, while also doing everything they could to delay the draft report from being peer reviewed by experts convened by the EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel. Both the governor's office and EnCana have taken issue with this statement, noting correspondence asking EPA for a peer review. But there's plenty of nuance in that criticism, particularly the numerous requests for exactly how the EPA should gather and analyze more data, for how and who to select as experts, and many other detailed requests that EPA meet "prior to the peer review."
EPA worked closely with the state and EnCana over their concerns, and ended up issuing one delay after the other.
Keep in mind that no portion of the state's and EnCana's criticisms of the EPA report have gone through peer review, either. And thanks to a backroom deal that purposely excluded Pavillion area residents and tribal representatives of the Wind River Indian Reservation, there may never be a high-caliber peer review in the Pavillion groundwater investigation that is accepted by all stakeholders involved.
Last summer, Gov. Matt Mead announced that EPA had agreed to turn over control of the investigation to the state of Wyoming. Under the state's plan, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will lead the investigation in consultation with EPA and EnCana. EnCana agreed to pony up a $1.5 million grant to the Wyoming Natural Resource Foundation to help pay for the investigation. Members of the Northern Arapaho Business Council said EPA broke federal law in handing the investigation over to the state without consultation with the tribes, while Pavillion area residents were left stunned that the one agency they did trust — EPA — gave up control to the state, which they've never trusted in motivation or capacity to conduct the work.
After the state took over, Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) went to work compiling a draft report of oil and gas surface pits and their potential contribution to groundwater contamination. That draft report is due to be completed in the next few weeks, according to the state. The second piece of the state-led investigation is a look at the potential role of well bores in the region. That work, and draft report, was headed by longtime Casper oil and gas consultant Bob King due to his past work on the matter at WOGCC.
King, incidentally, served as WOGCC interim supervisor after former supervisor Tom Doll was forced to resign. Doll was quoted in 2012 by Environment and Energy Publishing telling his colleagues at a conference in Canada he believed Pavillion area residents were motivated by "greed" in their search for answers.
Rather than subjecting the state's draft reports to a review of experts convened by the EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel, the state will convene its own panel of experts — nominated by all parties — to review the work. The state has already rejected some nominated experts, and it is just now finalizing the expert panel.
Is this really the process that's going to generate scientifically-defensible conclusions in a politically-charged case that has festered for nearly 10 years? The alternative was to allow the Scientific Advisory Panel peer review to test EPA's draft report along with the state and industry's criticisms. But Gov. Mead and EnCana made sure that didn't happen. And that's worth being upset and skeptical about.
"Until that contamination is actually sourced, there's no party for them to hold accountable, and that leaves the people who are having impacts in a really bad position," said Deb Thomas of Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens. "They (area residents) certainly didn't cause it. That's what needs to happen; the contamination needs to be sourced … so that someone is accountable."
— Click here to see Wyoming's Pavillion groundwater investigation website.
— Click here to see the EPA's Pavillion groundwater investigation website.
— This column was corrected to clarify that the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is leading the study of oil and gas well pits in the Pavillion groundwater contamination study, and to further express the state of Wyoming's and EnCana's view of the peer review negotiation.
— Dustin Bleizeffer is WyoFile editor-in-chief. He has covered energy and natural resource issues in Wyoming for 15 years. You can reach him at (307) 267-3327 or email [email protected] Follow Dustin on Twitter at @DBleizeffer
If you enjoyed this column and would like to see more quality Wyoming journalism, please consider supporting WyoFile: a non-partisan, non-profit news organization dedicated to in-depth reporting on Wyoming's people, places and policy.
REPUBLISH THIS COLUMN: For details on how you can republish this column or other WyoFile content for free, click here.
Trump lifts coal leasing moratorium
Obama admin bans drilling on 40,000 Bridger-Teton acres
Judge: Pavillion fracking contamination case can go to trial
Filed Under: Energy Report, Power to the People
About Dustin Bleizeffer
Dustin Bleizeffer has worked as a coal miner, an oilfield mechanic, and for 20 years as a statewide reporter and editor primarily covering the energy industry in Wyoming. Most recently he was Communications Director at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, and WyoFile editor-in-chief. He lives in Casper. You can reach him at (307) 267-3327, [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @DBleizeffer.
rbd says
Dustin, I hope you continue to monitor the situation in Pavillion. Without third party oversight and investigation, the various political organizations involved will quietly sweep this under the rug. I appreciate your well balanced and unbiased approach to reporting – in particular as it relates to this issue.
While I support responsible energy development in this state, it is apparent to most that neither the State or EPA are looking out for the best interests of the citizens of this state. Time and time again, the various governmental agencies and EnCana stumble amongst themselves trying to point fingers in any direction they can, all the while the citizens of Pavillion are left hanging.
With the substantial increase in energy development in Wyoming – areas that have typically not seen energy development in the past – there is more risk for potential irresponsible development or accidents. It is obvious the various government agencies tasked with protecting the people of this state are not interested or are handcuffed by legislative leaders. The Governor's comments to the citizens of Converse County is a good case in point.
Thanks Dustin


text:
Q: Using Directory.GetFiles() WITH multiple extensions AND sort order I have to get a directory file list, filtered on multiple extensions...and sorted!
I use this, which is the fastest way I've found to get dir content filtered on multiple extensions:
Dim ext As String() = {"*.jpg", "*.bmp","*png"}
Dim files As String() = ext.SelectMany(Function(f) Directory.GetFiles(romPath, f)).ToArray
Array.Sort(files)

and then use an array sort.
I was wondering (and this is my question ;)) if there would be a way to do the sorting IN the same main line? A kind of:
Dim files As String() = ext.SelectMany(Function(f) Directory.GetFiles(romPath, f).**Order By Name**).ToArray

and, if yes, if I would gain speed doing this instead of sorting the array at the end (but I would do my test and report..as soon as I get a solution!!)?
Thanks for your help!!

A: You can use the OrderBy() Linq extension method, like this:
    Dim ext = {"*.jpg", "*.bmp", "*png"}
    Dim files = ext.SelectMany(Function(f) Directory.GetFiles(romPath, f)). _
                OrderBy(Function(f) f). _
                ToArray()

It won't make any difference for speed, sorting is inherently O(nlog(n)) complexity.  It does make a diffence in storage, OrderBy() has O(n) storage requirement.  Array.Sort() sorts in-place.  Not a big deal for small n values, like you'd expect on a disk directory.

A: enter code hereIf Count = 4 Then
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Live long enough and you become a part of history. I have. I will be 81 in two weeks. Many events reported today as historical occurrences are events I saw happening.
On this day in 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the GI Bill. I have no specific recollection of that day.
The GI Bill made it possible for World War II returning veterans to purchase new homes and receive college educations. Those events I do recall. The years 1945-1950. I was 10-15 years old at the time.
The GI Bill provided low interest loans for home purchases. All of a sudden, new neighborhoods grew on the edges of Utica and out into the country. The birth of the suburbs. Homes generally small. Looked alike. Ranch or Cape Cod in style. A front yard. A good sized back yard.
The GI bill also funded college educations for returning veterans. It seemed like everyone was going to college. Men who might not otherwise have obtained a college education.
By 1947, veterans made up 50 percent of college enrollments.
There were not enough college campuses. Inner city neighborhoods suddenly became college buildings. Whole neighborhoods were purchased. Old buildings turned into college class rooms, libraries, etc.
In Utica, it occurred in the Oneida Square area. First, an old church became Utica College. Within a short time, a several block area had become Utica College.
I saw all this happening. I recall it distinctly.
I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon fine tuning last night's podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Did the show at 9. I especially enjoyed doing last night's show.
Two topics received emotional attention from me. Venezuela and the U.S. Senate's failure to pass safe gun legislation.
Nicholas Maduro has been Venezuela's President four years. An abomination! A failure! I have followed the man and his country ever since Venezuela ran out of toilet paper four years ago. Still do not have enough toilet paper.
They also do not have enough food today. It has come down to that. People are hungry. Starving a better description. Families eating every second or third day. And then only a piece of fat boiled in water. Soup of sorts. No bread.
Riots and fighting in the streets. People clashing to get food. The military and police guarding the minimum food supplies available. People being killed. One a four year old boy.
Why Venezuelans do not revolt, I do not understand.
The U.S. Senate failure speaks for itself. Four failed votes monday night. Mass gun killings will continue in our country.
The sad thing is that the NRA controls/owns our elected officials.
What sticks in my craw is that a person on a terrorist list cannot fly. Yet that same person can buy a gun. A gun that could subsequently be used in a mass killing.
Events can be exciting. One occurred yesterday in Key West. I missed it.
Several Cubans landed on the beach on South Roosevelt Boulevard. Across from the Best Western. Only one could speak a bit of English. Key Westers and Best Western staff went to work assisting our new neighbors. Food and water provided. Hands of welcome offered.
It was a dangerous three day trip Cuba to Key West. They made it. I hope they make it in the U.S. also. May their lives be rich and fulfilling.
Candidates announcing to run for the Key West Mosquito Control District board. I short cut the title and refer to it as the Mosquito Control Board.
Ollie Kofoid running. Ran the last time. Lost. Hope he wins this time. His type is needed.
Ollie has an environmental degree. He understands mosquito problems. Especially, the genetically modified mosquitoes the board is trying to shove down our throats.
Ollie is opposed. He has knocked on my door and other doors several times the past two year explaining the dangers involved in the testing of the genetically modified mosquitoes.
I am with you, Ollie!
Cocktail time tonight with Mark Watson at Aqua's Back Door Bar. Fun time!
The cupboard is bare again. Nothing new. Need to shop today. My breakfast consisted of grapefruit and a cup of tea. Plus, a Chinese fortune cookie. Left over from my delivered Chinese dinner the other night.
The fortune: It's not only important to add years to your life, but to add life to your years.
To add life to your years…..How true! I try!
TO ARMS, TO ARMS, THE BRITISH ARE COMING…..
Today marks the anniversary of two notable events in the history of the United States. I make mention of them in reverse order.
On this date in 1942, the Doolittle Raiders bombed Tokyo and other Japanese cities. It was the U.S.'s first retaliatory attack following December 7.
Doolittle represents a World War II happening. Next, a Revolutionary War one.
It was April 18, 1775. The British attacked Lexington and Concord. Paul Revere made his famous ride making colonists aware the British were coming. To arms, to arms, the British are coming.
Revere's ride covered 20 miles.
His ride and words were made famous in a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
There was another rider. Lost to history. Few aware he even existed. His name, Israel Bissell.
Bissell was a 23 year old dispatch rider.His ride began the next day. He rode south spreading word of the Revolution. He started in Connecticut. Then to New York. He kept going. Philadelphia next.
Bissell covered 350 miles in six days. He literally rode one of the horses to death.
Revere only rode 20 miles.
History remembers Revere and not Bissell because again Longfellow wrote of Revere.
No one wrote a poem about Bissell till moe than 200 years later. In 1995, a Massachusetts poet Clay Perry gave Bissell a poem of his own: Listen my children, to my epistle, of the long, long ride of Israel Bissell, who outrode Paul by miles and time, but didn't rate a poet's rhyme.
Spent most of my yesterday writing this week's KONK Life column. Clarence Thomas / Anita Hill. The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice which took place 25 years ago. From a personal and factual perspective. Insight into Thomas' tainted victory.
Took a break. Went out on the deck for a few minutes. When I was going back into the house, I forgot about the screen door. I have a swollen nose and broken glasses.
I was beat in the evening. Took a shower. Intended to go to bed. Instead I stretched out in the recliner chair and watched Mutiny on the Bounty for the 200th time.
Key West has bicycle problems. Too many, failing to stop for lights and stop signs, etc. Marlin County in California has similar problems. Its concern is with speeding.
Speeders in Marlin County beware. Anything over 15 mph is considered speeding. Radar is being used. Tickets given.
Last night was the first major battle in the war. The war to keep genetically modified mosquitoes out of Key Haven. A meeting was held. Monroe County Mosquito District and Oxitec representatives in attendance. And tons of Key Haven residents. The residents furious over the proposed use of GM mosquitoes on the island. The natives properly incensed.
I am a resident of Key Haven. I could not be at the meeting because of my blog talk radio show.
My voice was not required. My neighbors did the job well. Especially neighbor Ed Swift.
He went even further. Members of the mosquito control district are elected. Swift swore he would work to defeat each of them in the next election. Properly so. What they have connived to do is dangerous and with out thought.
This morning's Key West Citizen reports something that came up at the meeting I did not know. The chemicals used to screw up the male mosquitoes contain fragments of E-coli and herpe viruses.
There is another meeting scheduled next week.
My face was still a mess. Only the second day. I had it covered with Neosporin. Three quarters covered. I looked strange.
Ergo, I stayed in, except for a manicure appointment with Tammy.
My blog talk radio show was scheduled for 9 last night. It is a half hour show. It ended after 15 minutes. Automatically ended. Screw up again. Sloan is looking into it with the station.
It did not take long for listeners to contact me. Within minutes, I received four e-mails and several telephone calls wanting to know what happened, did I know, etc.
One of the items in yesterday's blog concerned breakfast clubs. Bars that have drinkers waiting for the doors to open at 7 in the morning. Several readers e-mailed me. From outside the Key West area. They had never heard of a breakfast club. Neither had I till I moved to Key West.
Bebe Clark. My friend of many years who I do not see enough. Bebe is to be congratulated. Her granddaughter Allyssa Nicole Sawyer is running in the Boston Marathon on April 18th. She is an experienced runner. Will come in under four hours.
This week's KONK Life hits the stands today. My column this week is Shakespeare Incidentals. One of the items discussed is Shakespeare's contribution phrase wise to today's speaking culture..
"Knock, knock! Who's there?" I thought something the grandkids came up with. Not so. It was Shakespeare. How about, "It's Greek to me." Shakespeare again.
There are similar phrases outlined in the column.
Tiger Woods won his first Masters on this date in 1987. Seems like yesterday.


text:
Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews
Album Party
Dusty May Taylor
I sat down with Kate McGill and Frith Horan to discuss their tongue-in-cheek, pop-inspired brainchild Album Party, aka The Better Best Possible Album Party That Anybody Has Ever Been Two. Coming to Wellington's BATS Theatre from 13-17 December, Album Party is launching The Besties Tour, a brand new collaborative venture between BATS Theatre in Welly and The Basement Theatre in Auckland. Winners of the 2015 Auckland Theatre Award for Best Entrance, Wellington natives Kate and Frith (with the help of their lovably demented characters TYLA and DENI$) are more than up to the challenge of spearheading a new initiative.
When asked what audiences can expect from Album Party, Kate and Frith were a rapid-fire tumult of enthusiasm.
Kate: It's the biggest, most extravagant over-the-top pop concert by two quite shitty pop stars that you will ever see. It's The Topp Twins meets Britney Spears meets Flight of the Conchords in a big mashup of ridiculousness.
In the spirit of popdom, I picked up the names they dropped, and asked if they could tell me a bit more about Album Party's premise.
Kate: Two failed popstars, TYLA and DENI$ had a big meltdown nine years ago, and haven't been seen or heard from since. Their friendship used to be rock strong, but has been diminished to nothing. This one-off concert is the first time they get to connect with an audience and connect with each other again. The show features twelve original songs, which are all pretty ridiculous and fun and great.
Frith: The style is very much a tribute to Nicki Minaj, Britney, Iggy Azalea, and 90s girls groups.
Kate: We have the most amazing musicians. The songs are so sick. They're so good.
McGill and Horan turned to each other and gesticulated madly in mutual frustration of lacking words to communicate the awesomeness of Album Party's beats, delivered to audiences through TYLA and DENI$'s ReDempShun tour.
Frith: Any child of the 90s will really appreciate our music.
Kate: There are all these little tips of the hat to Brandy and TLC.
Any meaning in this party?
Kate: The aim for the show is pure entertainment and joy. Hopefully by the end of the show you're dancing with us. In these times there's so much going on in the world, you need a break.
I wondered, with such powerhouse characters, is there a feminist theme at play? The girls shrugged in response.
Kate: The fact that we are two female theatre creators who have written these strong female characters for ourselves to play, that's the part of it that sends a message.
Having seen the unbearably catchy music video for "Gas-in-my Ass-o-line," I remarked that it could be either freeing or awkward to play the characters of TYLA and DENI$. As actors, how did they feel about it?
Frith: I love it. They are essentially clowns, these characters. When you have a clown, all the rules go out the window, which for an actor is the greatest and scariest thing ever. We know these women so well. We know the games they play with the audience and with each other.
Kate: Pop stars aren't successful unless they have a certain level of confidence. One theme we explore is what being a pop star does to us as performers. I can get up and rap in front you guys and not give two shits.
Pop stars as modern day clowns is a loaded concept. Based on what I was hearing, there would be little difference between a pop star portraying a clown for stardom and an actor portraying a clown for a role. Is this harmful, beneficial, somewhere in between? Curious, I asked about their commentary on the pop industry.
Kate: Something we really focus on is the giving up of who you are. These human beings are turned into a brand, and that's who they become. Their humanity kind of goes out the window. We explore that in a way that's not heavy. We all buy into it, and we want to laugh at how ridiculous it is. When TYLA and DENI$ engage with the audience, a lot of the games centre around when they're being truthful and when they are lying.
Frith: Comedy always has to stem from truth.
Kate: The goal is to get people to laugh at their own culture, and just shake it all out.
Album Party's youth engagement?
When asked what else they wanted to share about Album Party, Kate McGill and Frith Horan erupted.
Frith: The kids! We're very excited about the kids. We've got ten Wellington dancers who have come from local schools and acting workshops. We're so excited. We've had five backup dancers in Auckland but we're going to 13.
Kate: Getting young people involved has been one of the most rewarding parts for us. We're seeing them grow in influence and have more of a part in creating the show and the characters, hopefully giving them a key to creating their own work, and possibly creating their own shows.
Frith: Introduction to the theatre is the main thing. And they're cool.
Kate: They're so cool. It's stressing me out, the stuff they come up with. They're a lot more sophisticated than I was at that age.
Frith: They bring a whole other level to the show that takes it from sixty to a billion.
What is The Besties Tour?
Kate: The Besties Tour is about bridging the divide from a practitioner to practitioner point of view. The Auckland-Wellington relationship can be interesting, but we're all just people doing our own thing. BATS and The Basement are both really great stomping grounds for any demographic, particularly new practitioners, and they have a lower price point than other theatres. So they decided to do a collaboration where they share work, and call it The Besties Tour. They take shows from Auckland and bring them to Wellington and vice versa, and provide a support system for emerging artists.
What are the advantages of this?
Kate: Conversation can be had. They can test whether audiences engage in the same way or differently. Also, there's a lot of administration in these theatres. It means people like us get additional marketing support through groups like Elephant Publicity, which is worth its weight in gold. It's really hard to get a new show off the ground without that support.
Will this partnership create fresh momentum for emerging theatre practitioners in Wellington and Auckland?
Frith: There are so many shows at BATS and The Basement that go nowhere because there's no support. Now artists have the chance to do multiple seasons, and continue to grow the work. Hopefully we'll see these works progress to other theatres, or national tours and festivals. It gives people a launch pad to take their work to the world. We'd love to take Album Party to the Edinburgh Fringe, the Melbourne Fringe. Each time we do a show we're making it stronger and tighter and better.
Their final thoughts?
Frith: Come to the party of the century! You will not be disappointed!
Kate: We'll have you dancing in the aisles by the end of it.
With help from directors Holly Chappell and Tom Eason, Musical Director Adrian Hooke and musician Oswell Didsbury, TYLA and DENI$ are confident and ready to hit the Wellington stage. Support Album Party and The Besties Tour by checking them out 13-17 December at BATS Theatre.
Local Honest Reviews
At Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community.
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