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Category Archives: Re-Creations
When a creation meets a re.
At the End of Black History Month – Goddam!
Posted by danielwalldammit in Justice, Music, Politics, Re-Creations
AhSa-Ti Nu, Black Lives Matter, Cover Tunes, Desegregation, Mississippi Goddam, Nina Simone, Race, Racism, Social Justice
As we close out Black History Month, and my two efforts to say something worthy of the subject ended up in the e-trash, I was thinking about giving Nina Simone the final word on the month here on my blog. A question struck me; has anyone covered "Mississippi Goddam?" Would anyone dare?
Turns out someone has.
Really glad I thought to look.
A Crying Chorus, Very Lonesome!
Posted by danielwalldammit in Music, Re-Creations
Classic, Cover Tunes, Hank Williams, Hurray for the RiffRaff, I'm So Lonesome I could Cry, Loneliness, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Music, Nostalgia
Am I so lonesome, I could cry?
But I sure do like the song. I recall the original from my childhood. We lived in a small redneck town in Colorado back then, and the music was the perfect soundtrack for a part of my childhood spent on the back of a horse rather than a bicycle.
Of course, the rock&roll chased almost everything else out of my musical tastes for a time, and I have to admit I was slow to put anything by Hank Williams back in my personal playlists (kicking myself there), but I don't think there has ever been a moment I heard him on the radio, or in a movie, or on some friend's stereo that I didn't smile a little and enjoy the music. Hank Williams was full of amazing tunes.
But Lonesome is in a class all by itself.
Puts a lump in my throat every damned time!
I actually think what brought me back to the original was the cover by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes back in the oughts. That song did more damage to my truck speakers driving back and forth from Flagstaff to the middle of the Navajo Nation. Their version was made to be loud, very loud! They probably took a small portion of my hearing down along with the speakers, not that Black Sabbath hadn't already vandalized my hearing well before they added their two cents of post-punk goodness.
…or badness.
All is forgiven though. They led me back to Hank.
A few years back, I added one more version of this wonderful tune to my playlist, a cover by Hurray for the RiffRaff. Moni always says this version is a little too slow for her taste, which is odd, because she loves the RiffRaff even more than I do, but their version of Lonesome is just a bit too slow for her.
I love Moni anyway.
I know this tune has been covered and re-covered by many great artists, but these are the versions I know and love.
Anyway, Three Lonesomes!
Three favorite songs!
An American Flag as a Weapon, Redux.
Posted by danielwalldammit in History, Politics, Re-Creations
American Flag, Busing, Desegregation, Insurrection, MAGA, Patriotism, Race, Riot, Violence
Right wing patriots love their country in much the same way that an abusive spouse loves his wife.
"I love you baby, now do what I say or else!"
When one of those participating in the riots on the 6th picked up a flag used it to beat an officer, that struck me as rather par for the course. Independent of all the other crap perpetrated by those engaged in this insurrection, Francis Stager's choice of a weapon might have seemed ironic to some, but for me it actually seemed rather telling. An American flag used as a weapon makes a fitting symbol for right wing politics.
It makes a fitting symbol of right wing patriotism.
Peter Stager beat Capitol Police Officer with American Flag Credit: FBI
This morning I started thinking about another image of a flag used as a weapon.
Was it the hard had riot of the Nixon era?
After digging around a bit, I fount it. This iconic photo, "The Soiling of Old Glory," captures a moment in the busing riots of 1976. This time the flag wielder was a student upset that his friends would be bused away in an effort to desegregate the schools. His target wasn't a cop, it was a random African-American.
Luckily, he missed!
I don't know if Joseph Rakes, the flag-wielding student, fits the right wing stereotype quite so well as Francis Stager, but the meaning of the moment seems comparable enough. As does the outrageous nature of the action. You'd be hard-pressed to avoid seeing in either conflict some sense of the defense of privilege; harder to still to find any meaningful excuse for the decision to turn the arguments of the day into a physical assault against a momentarily defenseless victim. Whatever the cop might have done in some other context, he was hopelessly outnumbered when Stager attacked him. Ted Landsmark, the black man in the 76 photo hadn't done a damned thing; he too was hopelessly outnumbered and already realing from another blow. Neither deserved to be attacked with a deadly weapon.
Not any weapon.
Still, the weapon in each of these cases does seem to make a statement.
It's just not a very good one.
The photo of the Capital Hill riots is taken from Yahoo News.
The Soiling of Old Glory is taken from an NPR story about it.
Two Green Manalishis (Each With a Two Pronged Crown)
Cover Tunes, Fleetwood Mac, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Judas Priest, Loyalty, Musical genres, Rob Halford, Teenagers
I grew up listening to Green Manalishi, the Priest version of course.
To say that I loved that song is hardly the half of it. I recall waiting by the stereo with a cassette recorder, hoping it would play soon, and hoping the damned DJ would announce it in time for me to his record. That and "You Got Another Thing Comin'" led me to Judas Priest. Combined with a few other things, it led me to Heavy Metal. To say that I took an interest in the genre is putting it mildly. For an adolescent male back in the 80s, Heavy Metal was more like a religion than a musical genre. I didn't just embrace metal on account of this song and others like it, I instinctively renounced others. To love music from another genre just felt wrong; metal was my music. I made exceptions, but they were few and far in between for a few years there. My interest in metal back then was an oath of allegiance. Remembering now what it was like to sit in front of my dad's old stereo with a tape-recorder waiting for a Green Manalishi to make an appearance, I can't help but chuckle at he foolishness to come even as I wish I could have (just for one moment even) the magic and the intensity of my initial interest in this song.
I don't know when I first learned that one of my favorite Priest songs was actually a cover. I imagine, I must have responded with something like; 'cool', but I don't think I sought out the original. As with Diamonds and Rust, I was happy to know that there was a history to this song, but I didn't make too much of an effort to learn what it was.
I think I listened to the full version of this song only recently. It was a Fleetwood Mack song, made long before Stevie Nicks brought her own haunting vocals to the band. This was one of Peter Green's final contributions to the band.
What is a Green Manalishi?
To Green, it was a green dog, if you can imagine that, a green dog and a dead one at that, dead but still barking. The dog, according to Green represented money.
Yes, drugs were involved.
In its own way, the Green version of this tune is just as hard hitting as the Priest cover. It's slower, more minimalist, and yet so much more haunting. Anger always came through loud and clear in the Priest version; in the original it's dread. I always imagined Rob Halford angry at some old flame who wouldn't go away. I would never have imagined the Green version was an old lover; every note suggests something more sinister, more arcane. I wouldn't have guessed it was a dog or a money, but listening to the tune now, death and worse seems quite likely the point of the song.
I have two versions of this song in my favorites list now.
Oh Come On!
Posted by danielwalldammit in History, Irritation Meditation, Native American Themes, Re-Creations
Apache, Geronimo, Lozen, Native Americans, Photography, Photoshop, Retouched, Sex, Warrior
I see this image from time to time circulating about the net. It passes, I suppose, for a kind of homage to Lozen, one of at least three women who fought beside Geronimo at one time or another in the course of his campaigns. Lozen, it seems was with him at the end. She was sent to Florida along with the rest of his warriors (and some of the scouts who had helped bring him). As mentioned in the meme here, the picture above was taken as she and the other prisoners waited in front of the train to be taken away.
So, what has me griping about this?
Well, take a look at the original. Lozen is the 6th figure from the right on the back row.
…and here is another close-up derived from that same photo:
So, just take a moment to compare the two and you might be able to tell what's bothering me about the first photo.
Yeah, …they sexed her up.
The computer rendering in the first pic definitely lightened up her skin, brought her eyes out more, and gave the overall impression of much more delicate features. Hell, you can practically hear the photographer asking her to lick her lips and work it for the camera. The woman in this meme is a modern heterosexual (white?) male's dream girl. From what I gather of the stories told about her, Lozen was no such dream.
Far from it!
The problem here isn't necessary a question of objectivity. People make choices when they render a photo or tell a story. Maybe I'm being a little too cynical here, but I can't help thinking the choices made in producing the image for this meme aren't entirely in keeping with the spirit of the woman it portrays.
Malaglutit: A Review
Posted by danielwalldammit in Movies, Native American Themes, Re-Creations
Arctic, Canada, Inuit, John Ford, John Wayne, Malaglutit, Monument Valley, The Searchers, Zacharias Kunuk
One of the more iconic images we get from The Searchers, features John Wayne standing in the doorway of a home, the majestic landscape of Monument valley behind him. It's a recurrent motif in The Searchers, looking out through a doorway; it makes a great metaphor through which to view the content of a western. Those of us watching in the present look out into the wilderness beyond, almost as if we were viewing the frontier from the shelter of civilization itself. Men like John Wayne move back and forth across that threshold, but we don't. We view the mythic American frontier from the safety of the hearth while dangerous men, real men, like John Wayne transform the world beyond into the safe environments we now call home. After standing in the doorway a bit in the final scene, Wayne saunters off back out onto that wilderness. He may be an agent of civilization, but he's never quite at home in it. Wayne belongs out there, in the desert with all kinds of wild men. It's about as powerful a statement as anyone ever made in the western genre.
This image returns to us in Malaglutit, a remake of The Searchers by Zacharias Kunuk and Natar Angalaaq featuring an all-Inuit cast. This time what passes for an entrance is a hole torn into an igloo by men for the explicit purpose of taking women by force. Just as in the John Wayne/John Ford version of this story, the raiders have carried women off to parts unknown. The effort to reclaim these women will of course provide the substance of the story itself, but that moment when the men in either film return to find carnage in what should be a home is one of the more powerful scenes in the story. In The Searchers, Wayne enters the wrecked home and pauses in a small doorway, clearly distraught by what he sees. In Malaglutit, the porthole isn't even a doorway it's a gaping wound. This porthole isn't about frontier mythology; its symbolism is more direct, far more graphic, and it speaks far more directly to the violence that has occurred inside, the violence still occurring somewhere out there.
This film has been on the festival circuit for a couple years now, but it's still rather hard to come by. I finally got a chance to watch it when we showed Malaglutit at the Motif Film Festival in Fairbanks last month. Zacharias Kunuk may not be that well known south of the arctic circle and outside of indigenous circles, but he probably should be. His movie, Atanarjuat (Fast Runner), is perhaps the most well known of his creations. Now THAT film you can get ahold of. It's well worth the watch. Angalaaq is best known for playing the lead role in Atanarjuat, though he was also excellent in The Necessities of Life. And it's one of the reasons I have been looking forward to Malaglutit. The Searchers is easily one of the greatest westerns ever made. To see it remade as an indigenous production raises all manner of interesting prospects. To see it done by people as talented as Kunuk and Angalaaq makes them all that much more interesting.
Oh yeah; Spoiler alert!
It's difficult to make a sustained comparison between the two films, though that seems to be where I am going with this. Kunuk's cast is all Inuit. The villains, the heroes, the heroines; all of them are Inuit. So, the many racial themes present in the original Searchers just don't enter into this version of the story. Along with the absence of race, I think you'd have to say the essential themes of an American western are largely missing here (though at least one critic has referred to it as a Northern). It seems that some of the landscape Kunuk filmed might echo the rock formations of Monument Valley, but if so, the resemblance is slight. Most significantly, the central protagonist here is doesn't carry the moral complexity of John Wayne's Ethan Edwards. At least, we don't have to wonder if Kuanana (the hero in Malaglutit) will kill his wife and daughter instead of rescuing them. That was a big part of the original Searchers, and it's not present in this story.
What is present here, what is new to the basic-story-line, is an extraordinarily frank meditation on rape. In the original Searchers, violence between men is all over the screen, but the rape and torture of women takes place off-screen. We are invited to imagine its horrors, but what we see are men shooting at each other in a plot-line shaped by those horrors. In Malaglutit, we see much (though not all) of the sexual violence. From the moment of capture to the actual rape of the women in this film the camera lingers; we are forced to watch this play out slowly on screen. I wouldn't say that the scenes are all that sexually explicit, but I would say that they are emotionally explicit. What we see isn't body parts; people struggling with one another. Perhaps the most disturbing scene in the whole film, at least for me, occurs shortly after the initial capture when the kidnappers pause for a break in their travel, their captives still tied to the sleds. Ostensibly a chance to eat and rest, it is also the first time they and their victims are alone together with enough time to contemplate the prospects ahead of them. It is a moment of calm, and yet one thoroughly saturated with violence.
There is something about the stripped down nature of this story line that helps us focus on the violence against the women here. Yes, there men struggling to save these women, but the epic battle between good men and evil men doesn't eclipse the struggle between the captors and their captives in this story. We are never afforded the luxury of thinking about this as a story about men. The unimagined horrors of The Searchers have been put right there in front of us in Malaglutit. In the original, John Wayne's character is driven made at the thought that his niece might have gone native so to speak, that she had been sullied by a Comanche and (worse) that she might have grown to accept it. Racial themes play a big part of the horror through which Wayne's character views the events in question. In Malaglutit, racial differences are non-existent, and the violent process by which a captive might be made to give up hope unfold right there on the screen in front us us.
But do they?
Do they give up hope?
That was the question that occupied my attention throughout this story. Of course I also wanted Kuanana to rescue them, and I wanted the bastards who committed these terrible acts to be punished. But more than anything else, I wanted the women, Ailla and her daughter, to come through themselves. I wanted to see them hold on, not because Kuanana would have wanted them to, but because I saw enough of their story to care about their own struggle, their own part in this story-line.
At the end of the day, this really is its own film
(Movie Trailer)
(Kunuk on Malaglutit)
Damned Levees; They Breaks!
Blues, Cover Tunes, Flood, Kansas Joe, Led Zeppelin, Memphis Minnie, Music, Rock & Roll, When the Levee Breaks
I grew up listening to blues.
Like most any white kid in the suburbs of the 70s and 80s, I listened to hard rock. As I got older, I came to understand there was some kind of relationship between the blaring guitars and thundering drums making their way into my ears and the old blues artists of what then seemed to me like ancient times. In college, I learned a bit more about it from a History of Rock&Roll class, and from a friend with a good stash of old blues albums, but it wasn't until I started buying those albums myself that I realized just how much my favorite bands owed to the old blues artists. In time, I came to see just how much of what I loved about Rock&Roll was already there in blues.
Needless to say, this meant I had a whole new range of music to explore.
One of my favorite songs, then and now, would have to be Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks.
I'm sorry, I meant to say that one of my favorite songs has always been the Led Zeppelin version of When the Levee Breaks.
Zeppelin absolutely nailed this recording, but listening to four British guys play the song, I always had the sense that the lyrics didn't quite fit. Sure, it was Robert Plant's vocals on the albums, but it wasn't his voice (in the literary sense) that animated the story. No. The voice that shaped the lyrics belonged to Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe, the original artists to record the song. Realizing this, puts the tune in a whole new perspective. Minnie and Joe were singing about the great Mississippi flood of 1927, an event far closer to their own lives than those of the Mighty Zep. Zeppelin may have carried their story forward a bit, but not without taking a few ghosts along with it.
I still love the Zeppelin version, but I feel just a little better knowing where it came from. No. I don't always need that to enjoy a song, but in this case, the story itself keeps pointing back to its beginnings. The song keeps alluding to an origin that doesn't sit well in the mega-hit from the early seventies. For me at least, the song is a little more interesting when you can grasp the traces of dialogue within it, when you can hear at least a trace of Minnie's voice in that of Robert Plant.
Lately, my favorite version of the song comes from Buckwheat Zydeco. I didn't expect that. Really, When I first hit play on this version, I fully expected to mumble 'that's interesting' and switch half-way through the tune to something else (something louder and meaner). But no! He frickin kills it! Zydeco seems to keep a lot of the Zeppelin version in his own approach to the song, but of course he adds something new to the mix, something rather cool. Hearing Zydeco's own vocals onto the blaring guitars and thundering drums makes for an interesting twist in the story. Without erasing the classic rock influence, Zydeco manages to bring the song back closer to its original home. It all gets a little more interesting when this version of the song turns out to be a nod to the hardships brought on by Hurricane Katrina. You can hear a lot of history in this recording, both in the lyrics and the in layers of musical style.
Mostly, it just rocks.
An Uncommon Liberty
Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Museums, Native American Themes, Re-Creations, Uncommonday
Alaska, Cup'ik, Doll, Equity, Museum of the North, Native Americans, New York, Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty Doll Sealskin, velour, cotton, rabbit, simulated sinew, thread, wire, Cup'ik, Maker: Rosalie Paniyak, UA 2001-008-0003
Back in May, I made a stop at the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Lots of interesting stuff in there, but this one piece in particular caught my attention. The information card next to Miss Liberty had a nice note from the museum director. It reads as follows:
"I'm a Native New York who 13 years ago left the big city for the paradise of Alaska. Rosalie Paniyak's Statue of Liberty doll is, for me, one of the funniest works of art in the entire museum, and the embodiement of what I left and what I have now.
"When I lived in lower Manhattan, my dog and I would walk along the Hudson River.There was Ms. Liberty, tall, strong, and noble, an image that took itself very seriously. Moreover, it welcomed people to a Very Important City.
"Rosalie's Statue of Liberty is soft, with a face that is anything but dignified. She holds her torch askew. She is the Cup'ik version of an American icon, humorous and irreverent.
"After I enjoy its visual irony, what does this doll say to me? On the lighter side, that New Yorkers' sense of self-importance is a bit silly. And more seriously, that this privilege of liberty has not always been enjoyed by everyong, such as Native Americans."
Aldona Jonaitis
Museum Director
An Uncommon Parrot Sketch
Posted by danielwalldammit in Re-Creations, Uncommonday
419 Scams, Funny, Humor, Monty Python, Nigeria, Nigerian scammers, Parrot Sketch, Prank, Youtube
Okay we've all seen the original, and if you haven't, then shame on you! Watch it 5.8 times and then come back.
What I don't think we've all seen in the Nigerian version of the parrot sketch. Apparently, this is the result of a prank played on some 419 scammers. That said, I actually think they did the scene justice. The customer is particularly good.
Moby Dick Reimagined with 20% More Recursion
Cover Tunes, Dread Zeppelin, Dums, Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Moby Dick, Music, Parody, Rock&Roll
I have fond memories of Zeppelin, the dreaded version of course. Don't worry I love the leaded version of zeppelin too, but there is something about an Elvis impersonator belting out Robert Plants lyrics to a slightly more rhythmic version of the standard Zep. tunes, …it was hilarious and beautiful at the same time. I'm talking about Dread Zeppelin of course. If you don't know what I'm talking about the, not even Jah can save you.
I saw these guys at a New Year's performance at Calamity Jane's in Las Vegas many many years back. They put on a Hell of a show, and yes I still inflict their tunes on my friends whenever I get a chance. I always thought the most brilliant thing they ever did was this little gem For those insufficiently familiar with the original Zeppelin canon (shame on you again!), the name of the tune is of course, Moby Dick.
…a fact that has had me laughing for about 2 decades now.
(Oh yeah, here's the original)


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Winston C and Baltimore Bucko to race Jan. 30 at Naas
Once again trainer Keri Brion's plans for her string of racehorses in Ireland were disrupted by the weather.
Baltimore Bucko and Keri BryonBaltimore Bucko was scheduled to run in a Novice Hurdle at Royal Downs on Jan. 26, but racing at Royal Downs was scrubbed when the ground was still frozen on the morning of the meet.
Winston C's race on Saturday, Jan. 23 was also cancelled due to frozen ground.
Both Winston C and Baltimore Buck are now scheduled to race at Naas in County Kildare on Saturday, Jan. 30.
Hopefully, the weather in Ireland will cooperate and racing will be contested on Jan. 30,
Laura Kraut and Hunt Tosh win Equestrian of the Year, Balou du Reventon and Big Shot win Horse of the Year
Keri Brion had a meteoric rise to fame in 2021 that she hopes to continue in 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At Spire Parkway private hospital in Solihull, we have a number of orthopaedic specialists who offer private platelet rich plasma therapy.
As well as platelet rich plasma therapy being used for knee wear and tear, some studies have shown it to be effective for longer than a steroid injection.
Platelet rich plasma therapy can also have a role in treating early arthritis.
We have a number of orthopaedic specialists who offer private platelet rich plasma therapy.


text:
'''
Created on May 7, 2014

@author: cmills
'''

from client_test import TestTASRAppClient

import unittest
import tasr.client
import tasr.client_legacy
import httmock

class TestTASRClientMethods(TestTASRAppClient):

    def setUp(self):
        super(TestTASRClientMethods, self).setUp()
        self.event_type = "gold"
        fix_rel_path = "schemas/%s.avsc" % (self.event_type)
        self.avsc_file = self.get_fixture_file(fix_rel_path, "r")
        self.schema_str = self.avsc_file.read()
        # client settings
        self.host = self.app.config.host  # should match netloc below
        self.port = self.app.config.port  # should match netloc below
        # clear out all the keys before beginning -- careful!
        self.app.ASR.redis.flushdb()

    def tearDown(self):
        # this clears out redis after each test -- careful!
        self.app.ASR.redis.flushdb()

    def bare_register_subject_skeleton(self, config_dict=None):
        '''register_subject() - skeleton test'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            meta = tasr.client.register_subject(self.event_type,
                                                   config_dict,
                                                   self.host, self.port)
            self.assertIn(self.event_type, meta.name, 'Bad subject name.')
            return meta

    def bare_register_schema_skeleton(self, schema_str):
        '''register_schema_for_topic() - skeleton test'''
        # whitespace gets normalized, so do that locally to the submitted
        # schema string so we have an accurate target for comparison
        ras = tasr.registered_schema.RegisteredAvroSchema()
        ras.schema_str = schema_str
        canonical_schema_str = ras.canonical_schema_str
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            func = tasr.client.register_schema
            rs = func(self.event_type, schema_str, self.host, self.port)
            self.assertEqual(canonical_schema_str, rs.schema_str,
                             'Schema string modified!')
            self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.group_names,
                          'Topic not in registered schema object.')
            self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.ts_dict.keys(),
                          'Topic not in registration timestamps.')
            return rs

    ########################################################################
    # subject tests for S+V API
    ########################################################################
    def test_bare_register_subject(self):
        '''register_group() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton()

    def test_bare_lookup_subject(self):
        '''lookup_subject() - as expected, should return True'''
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton()
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            self.assertTrue(tasr.client.lookup_subject(self.event_type,
                                                          self.host,
                                                          self.port))

    def test_bare_lookup_missing_subject(self):
        '''lookup_subject() - no such subject, should return False'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            self.assertFalse(tasr.client.lookup_subject(self.event_type,
                                                           self.host,
                                                           self.port))

    def test_bare_get_subject_config(self):
        '''get_subject_config() - as expected'''
        test_config = {'bob': 'alice'}
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton(test_config)
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            config_dict = tasr.client.get_subject_config(self.event_type,
                                                            self.host,
                                                            self.port)
            self.assertDictEqual(test_config, config_dict, 'bad config dict')

    def test_bare_update_subject_config(self):
        '''update_subject_config() - as expected'''
        test_config = {'bob': 'alice'}
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton(test_config)
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            update_config = {'bob': 'cynthia', 'doris': 'eve'}
            config_dict = tasr.client.update_subject_config(self.event_type,
                                                               update_config,
                                                               self.host,
                                                               self.port)
            self.assertDictEqual(update_config, config_dict, 'bad config dict')

    def test_bare_is_subject_integral(self):
        '''is_subject_integral() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton()
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            is_int = tasr.client.is_subject_integral(self.event_type,
                                                        self.host,
                                                        self.port)
            self.assertFalse(is_int)

    def test_bare_get_get_active_subject_names_with_none_and_one_present(self):
        '''get_active_subject_names() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton()
        # without a schema, the subject is not active
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            subject_names = tasr.client.get_active_subject_names(self.host,
                                                                    self.port)
            self.assertEqual(0, len(subject_names), 'expected no subjects')

        # now reg a schema and try again
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            subject_names = tasr.client.get_active_subject_names(self.host,
                                                                    self.port)
            self.assertListEqual(subject_names, [self.event_type, ],
                                 'unexpected groups: %s' % subject_names)

    def test_bare_get_get_all_subject_names_with_one_present(self):
        '''get_all_subject_names() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_subject_skeleton()
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            subject_names = tasr.client.get_all_subject_names(self.host,
                                                                 self.port)
            self.assertListEqual(subject_names, [self.event_type, ],
                                 'unexpected groups: %s' % subject_names)

    def test_bare_get_get_all_subject_names_with_none_present(self):
        '''get_all_subject_names() - checking an empty list doesn't blow up'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            subject_names = tasr.client.get_all_subject_names(self.host,
                                                                 self.port)
            self.assertEqual(0, len(subject_names), 'expected no subjects')

    def test_bare_get_all_subject_schema_ids(self):
        '''get_all_subject_schema_ids() - as expected'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            schemas = []
            sha256_ids = []
            for v in range(1, 50):
                ver_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str,
                                                             "fn_%s" % v)
                # whitespace gets normalized, so do that locally to the
                # submitted schema string so we have an accurate target for
                # comparison
                ras = tasr.registered_schema.RegisteredAvroSchema()
                ras.schema_str = ver_schema_str
                canonical_ver_schema_str = ras.canonical_schema_str
                schemas.append(canonical_ver_schema_str)
                # reg with the non-canonicalized schema string
                rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(ver_schema_str)
                self.assertEqual(canonical_ver_schema_str, rs.schema_str,
                                 'Schema string modified!')
                self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.group_names,
                              'Subject not in registered schema object.')
                self.assertEqual(rs.sha256_id, ras.sha256_id,
                                 'SHA256 ID mismatch')
                sha256_ids.append(rs.sha256_id)

            # now pull the ID list and check it matches
            ids = tasr.client.get_all_subject_schema_ids(self.event_type,
                                                            self.host,
                                                            self.port)
            self.assertListEqual(sha256_ids, ids, 'ID list mismatch')

    def test_bare_get_all_subject_schemas(self):
        '''get_all_subject_schemas() - as expected'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            test_schema_strs = []
            for v in range(1, 50):
                ver_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str,
                                                             "fn_%s" % v)
                # whitespace gets normalized, so do that locally to the
                # submitted schema string so we have an accurate target for
                # comparison
                ras = tasr.registered_schema.RegisteredAvroSchema()
                ras.schema_str = ver_schema_str
                canonical_ver_schema_str = ras.canonical_schema_str
                test_schema_strs.append(canonical_ver_schema_str)
                # reg with the non-canonicalized schema string
                rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(ver_schema_str)
                self.assertEqual(canonical_ver_schema_str, rs.schema_str,
                                 'Schema string modified!')
                self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.group_names,
                              'Subject not in registered schema object.')
                self.assertEqual(rs.sha256_id, ras.sha256_id,
                                 'SHA256 ID mismatch')

            # now pull the schema list and check it matches
            schemas = tasr.client.get_all_subject_schemas(self.event_type,
                                                             self.host,
                                                             self.port)
            for v in range(1, 50):
                reg_schema = schemas[v - 1]
                test_schema_str = test_schema_strs[v - 1]
                self.assertEqual(reg_schema.canonical_schema_str,
                                 test_schema_str, 'schema string mismatch')

    ########################################################################
    # subject schema registration tests
    ########################################################################
    def test_bare_register_schema(self):
        '''register_schema_for_topic() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)

    def test_bare_reg_fail_on_empty_schema(self):
        '''register_schema_for_topic() - fail on empty schema'''
        try:
            self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(None)
            self.fail('should have thrown a TASRError')
        except tasr.client.TASRError as te:
            self.assertTrue(te, 'Missing TASRError')

    def test_bare_reg_fail_on_invalid_schema(self):
        '''register_schema_for_topic() - fail on invalid schema'''
        try:
            bad_schema = '%s }' % self.schema_str
            self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(bad_schema)
            self.fail('should have thrown a ValueError')
        except tasr.client.TASRError as te:
            self.fail('should have thrown a ValueError')
        except ValueError:
            pass

    def test_bare_reg_and_rereg(self):
        '''register_schema_for_topic() - multi calls, same schema'''
        rs1 = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        rs2 = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        self.assertEqual(rs1, rs2, 'reg and rereg schemas unequal!')

    def test_bare_register_schema_if_latest(self):
        '''register_schema_if_latest() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            alt_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str)
            cur_latest_ver = 1
            rs = tasr.client.register_schema_if_latest(self.event_type,
                                                          cur_latest_ver,
                                                          alt_schema_str,
                                                          self.host,
                                                          self.port)
            self.assertEqual(rs.current_version(self.event_type), 2, 'bad ver')

    def test_bare_fail_register_schema_if_latest_stale_version(self):
        '''register_schema_if_latest() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        alt_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str)
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(alt_schema_str)
        # so cur ver is now 2
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            old_ver = 1
            try:
                tasr.client.register_schema_if_latest(self.event_type,
                                                         old_ver,
                                                         self.schema_str,
                                                         self.host,
                                                         self.port)
                self.fail('expected a TASRError')
            except tasr.client.TASRError as te:
                self.assertTrue(te, 'Missing TASRError')

    def test_bare_fail_register_schema_if_latest_bad_version(self):
        '''register_schema_if_latest() - as expected'''
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        # so cur ver is now 1
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            alt_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str)
            bad_ver = 2
            try:
                tasr.client.register_schema_if_latest(self.event_type,
                                                         bad_ver,
                                                         alt_schema_str,
                                                         self.host,
                                                         self.port)
                self.fail('expected a TASRError')
            except tasr.client.TASRError as te:
                self.assertTrue(te, 'Missing TASRError')

    ########################################################################
    # schema retrieval tests for TASR S+V API
    ########################################################################
    def test_bare_lookup_by_schema_str(self):
        '''lookup_by_schema_str() - as expected'''
        reg_rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            func = tasr.client.lookup_by_schema_str
            ret_rs = func(self.event_type,
                          reg_rs.canonical_schema_str,
                          self.host, self.port)
            self.assertEqual(reg_rs.sha256_id, ret_rs.sha256_id, 'ID mismatch')

    def bare_get_for_subject_skeleton(self, subject_name, version):
        '''lookup_by_version() - util method'''
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            func = tasr.client.lookup_by_version
            return func(subject_name, version, self.host, self.port)

    def test_bare_fail_lookup_by_version_bad_version(self):
        '''lookup_by_version() - bad version'''
        reg_rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        bad_ver = reg_rs.current_version(self.event_type) + 1
        try:
            self.bare_get_for_subject_skeleton(self.schema_str, bad_ver)
            self.fail('Should have thrown an TASRError')
        except tasr.client_legacy.TASRError as te:
            self.assertTrue(te, 'Missing TASRError')

    def test_bare_lookup_by_version(self):
        '''lookup_by_version() - multiple versions, as expected'''
        schemas = []
        for v in range(1, 50):
            ver_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str,
                                                         "f_%s" % v)
            # whitespace gets normalized, so do that locally to the submitted
            # schema string so we have an accurate target for comparison
            ras = tasr.registered_schema.RegisteredAvroSchema()
            ras.schema_str = ver_schema_str
            canonical_ver_schema_str = ras.canonical_schema_str
            schemas.append(canonical_ver_schema_str)
            # reg with the non-canonicalized schema string
            rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(ver_schema_str)
            self.assertEqual(canonical_ver_schema_str, rs.schema_str,
                             'Schema string modified!')
            self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.group_names,
                          'Topic not in registered schema object.')
        # now pull them by version and check they match what we sent originally
        for v in range(1, 50):
            rs = self.bare_get_for_subject_skeleton(self.event_type, v)
            self.assertEqual(schemas[v - 1], rs.canonical_schema_str,
                             'Unexpected version.')

    def test_bare_lookup_by_version_old_version(self):
        '''get_schema_for_topic() - non-sequential re-reg'''
        alt_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str)
        rs1 = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(alt_schema_str)
        rs3 = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        self.assertEqual(3, rs3.current_version(self.event_type),
                         'unexpected version')
        # now get version 1 -- should be same schema, and should list
        # requested version as "current"
        rs = self.bare_get_for_subject_skeleton(self.event_type, 1)
        self.assertEqual(rs1.canonical_schema_str, rs.canonical_schema_str,
                         'Unexpected schema string change between v1 and v3.')
        self.assertEqual(1, rs.current_version(self.event_type),
                        'Expected different current version value.')

    def test_bare_lookup_by_sha256_id_str(self):
        '''lookup_by_id_str() - multiple versions, as expected'''
        sha256_ids = []
        schemas = []
        for v in range(1, 50):
            ver_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str,
                                                         "fn_%s" % v)
            # whitespace gets normalized, so do that locally to the submitted
            # schema string so we have an accurate target for comparison
            ras = tasr.registered_schema.RegisteredAvroSchema()
            ras.schema_str = ver_schema_str
            canonical_ver_schema_str = ras.canonical_schema_str
            schemas.append(canonical_ver_schema_str)
            # reg with the non-canonicalized schema string
            rs = self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(ver_schema_str)
            self.assertEqual(canonical_ver_schema_str, rs.schema_str,
                             'Schema string modified!')
            self.assertIn(self.event_type, rs.group_names,
                          'Topic not in registered schema object.')
            self.assertEqual(ras.sha256_id, rs.sha256_id, 'ID mismatch')
            sha256_ids.append(rs.sha256_id)
        # now pull them by sha256_id and check they match
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            for v in range(1, 50):
                sha256_id = sha256_ids[v - 1]
                schema_str = schemas[v - 1]
                try:
                    rs = tasr.client.lookup_by_id_str(self.event_type,
                                                         sha256_id,
                                                         self.host,
                                                         self.port)
                    self.assertEqual(schema_str, rs.canonical_schema_str,
                                     'schema string mismatch')
                except tasr.client.TASRError as terr:
                    print terr

    def test_bare_lookup_latest(self):
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(self.schema_str)
        alt_schema_str = self.get_schema_permutation(self.schema_str)
        self.bare_register_schema_skeleton(alt_schema_str)
        # so cur ver is now 2
        with httmock.HTTMock(self.route_to_testapp):
            rs = tasr.client.lookup_latest(self.event_type,
                                              self.host,
                                              self.port)
            self.assertEqual(2, rs.current_version(self.event_type), 'bad ver')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    SUITE = unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromTestCase(TestTASRClientMethods)
    unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2).run(SUITE)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Travels March 9, 2015
Whirlwind: India, Nepal and Thailand
A "quick" 33 day tour of India, Nepal and Thailand.
Travels September 29, 2014
The final leg of our Australian adventure landed us in the middle of Sydney's rainiest August in over a century. The
The second half of our Australian adventure kicked off in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and regular ranked as one of
Kangaroos, Koalas, Kappuccino and Kabernet
Adelaide was one of my favorite overall stops on our Australian holiday, mostly because we got to spend a
Travels September 8, 2014
The second leg of our Australian adventure took us to the capital of South Australia, Adelaide. Lesser known that its
Travels August 29, 2014
Cairns is a charming coastal town, but it's not exactly a tourist hotspot on its own. The real draw
Cairns City Tour
When we're out adventuring, we often find ourselves asking the question "Are we old people?" It's usually to do
Cairns, Australia
It wasn't long after we found out we'd be moving to Japan that the idea of a trip to
Cascadian Abroad started in 2014 to document our experience living in Japan. Over the past three years, we've visited more than 20 countries on four continents. The adventure continues...
Day 1: Holiday in Cambodia
Bibliotheca Alexandrina: One of the Coolest Libraries in the World
Yasukuni Shrine
Christmas 2015: When in Japan
The Last Wonder: Great Pyramid of Giza
Subscribe to new posts via e-mail
Thank you for subscribing! An email was just sent to confirm your subscription. Please find the email now and click activate to start subscribing.
Amman: Middle East Meets West
Nile River Cruise and the Temples of Upper Egypt
Petra: Secrets of the Lost City
How Many Wonders Have We Wandered?


text:
Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273)
StraCon is pleased to announce the award of the PMA-273 Program Management Support Task Order on the PM CSS MAC Contract Vehicle. We are excited to provide five more years of service to PMA-273.
PMA-273 was chartered to develop a rigorous, diverse, carrier-capable Naval Flight Training System where student pilots and Undergraduate Military Flight Officers (UMFOs) acquire mission-critical aviation skills necessary to carry out current and future missions of the United States Navy. PMA-273 is a program office under the Program Executive Officer, Tactical Aircraft (PEO(T)). PMA-273 is responsible for procurement of products and services to meet flight training requirements as defined by the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). PMA-273's area of responsibility includes the following training systems (aircraft, ground systems, classroom and computer-based training, and Contractor logistics support): T-34 Turbomentor, Joint Primary Aviation Training System (JPATS) T-6A and T-6B Texan II, T-44 Pegasus, TH-57 Sea Ranger, TH-73A Thrasher, T-45 Goshawk, Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO), and Naval Flight Officer (NFO) programs. StraCon provides program/project management, administrative, budget financial management, and corporate operations support services for PMA-273 Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). PMA-273 IPT's are responsible for the planning, execution, and management of PMA-273 programs/efforts across all platforms.
Lexington Park, MD
INTERNAL CONTRACTOR SUPPORT SERVICES (iCSS) at Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Orlando
StraCon is pleased to announce the award of a contract to support NAWCTSD for up to 5 years, comprising of a 3-year base period and a 2-year option period to provide support for a variety of federal acquisition efforts for multiple Program Directorates and numerous Product Support Competencies within NAWCTSD. StraCon will provide support services to a variety of Navy platforms to include Aviation, Surface, Undersea, and Cross Warfare. StraCon, along with our subcontractors Zenetex, Precise, WISOBS, and University of Central Florida provide support to: Director for Aviation, Director for Surface, Director for Undersea, Cross Warfare Training, International, Research and Technology, Corporate Operations, Financial Management, Integrated Logistics, Program Management, Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software Acquisition, Software Development, Network And Computer Systems, Modeling and Simulation, Visual System Acquisition, Synthetic Natural Environment, Flight Simulations, Systems Analysis, Computer/Electronics, Cybersecurity, Systems Security, Information Security Analysis, Research Psychology, Instructions Systems, Training, Graphics, Authoring Systems/Web Design, Oracle Database, Testing, Mass Communications, Program/Project Schedule, Interoperability Engineering, Support Equipment and Administration.
V-22 Osprey Joint Program Office Support, PMA – 275
StraCon Services Group announces the award of a 5-year task order to provide program management, administrative, financial and corporate operations support services for the V-22 Osprey Joint Program Office under the Program Executive Officer Air, Assault, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) & Special Mission Aircraft (PEO(A)). PMA-275 is an ACAT-1C, Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP)) currently in full-rate production, led by the Department of the Navy for the purpose of developing, testing, evaluating, procuring, fielding, and supporting a tilt rotor, Vertical/Short Take-off and Landing (V/STOL) aircraft for Joint Service application. The V-22 program is designed to provide an aircraft to meet the amphibious/vertical assault needs of the United States Marine Corps with the MV-22 and the Carrier Onboard Delivery needs of the United States Navy with the CMV-22B. Additionally, the platform meets the special operation needs of the United States Air Force and the United States Special Operations Command with the CV-22. Our team members include Zenetex, Precise and DSE.
Navy Public Affairs, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Code 103
StraCon Services Group announces the award of task order to provide Public Affairs support to the Corporate Operations Department, Corporate Communications Division, Code 103 for Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). The task order has a one-year base period and four option periods. StraCon is teamed with kglobal to provide strategic counsel, planning, and execution of communication for NSWCDD. This effort consists of managing the internal and external communication of NSWCDD located in Dahlgren, Virginia, informing, promoting, and marketing the successes of NSWCDD Dahlgren, NSWCDD Dam Neck Activity, and the 8,000-member workforce as well as local community leaders, elected officials, Program Executive Offices, and other Navy and Department of Defense stakeholders. Code 103 oversees the development, implementation, and execution of the command's communication, engagement and marketing strategy, planning and tactics for enterprise and national-level initiatives across all target audiences. To accomplish this, Code 103 requires specific communication support services: speechwriting, public release review, multimedia documentation, broadcasting, multimedia production and design, web page design and program support. In addition, they provide support with the Armed Forces Public Information Management System, to include exhibit planning/coordination/management services to support the Surface Navy Association Symposium, American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) conferences and the annual Sea Air Space Exposition, with audiovisual, writing/editing, digital signage content development, and photography support to augment existing staff and provide critical assistance in development of communication messages for NSWCDD.
Dahlgren, VA
Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office Support, PMA-205
StraCon supports the Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office (PMA-205) as a sub-contractor to Precise Systems. StraCon provides program management support services to the PMA-205 Integrated Product Teams through all phases of Naval Aviation training system acquisition for various Naval Aviation platforms. PMA-205 is responsible for acquisition program management of Acquisition Category programs, Abbreviated Acquisition Programs, and Non-Designated Acquisition Programs. PMA-205 also supports training systems acquisition under larger-platform ACAT programs, including Foreign Military Sale acquisitions. PMA-205 provides warfighters with state-of-the-art training systems specific to a wide array of aircraft, affording U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircrew and maintainers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable mission success. The program office is responsible for acquisition and life-cycle management of training systems, including flight simulators, part-task trainers, maintenance trainers, and associated training curricula to ensure optimum performance for Naval Aviation.
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
StraCon has teamed with Logistics Management Institute (LMI) to provide continued Program Management and Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation (AM&E) support of Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). DSCA advances U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges. DSCA leads the broader U.S. Security Cooperation Enterprise in its efforts to train, educate, advise, and equip foreign partners. The agency is responsible for planning, coordination, administration, and supervision of Department of Defense (DoD) programs for transfer of defense articles and services by sale or grant to foreign governments and international organizations. These programs include Building Partner Capacity programs under chapter 16 of title 10, United States Code, Foreign Military Sales in which defense articles and services are sold to eligible foreign countries and international organizations with Foreign Military Financing and host nation funding; and the International Military Education and Training Program, wherein training is provided by grant aid. StraCon is tasked to lend experienced expertise to high priority and high visibility programs to intensively assist the Government with management of these programs and assure responsiveness from requirement definition to delivery and case closure. Responsibilities include identifying requirements, submitting Congressional Notifications, tracking Letters of Requests and Memorandum of Requests, implementing Letters of Offer and Acceptance, and implementing actions to manage and execute assigned Building Partner Capacity program cases and activities that are funded under U.S. legislative authority.
Army Virtual Learning Environment, Virtual Reality Courseware – 92F
StraCon and our partner LSI, were awarded a contract to develop cutting edge virtual reality (VR) training simulators for the U.S. Army Quartermaster School's. Under the Army Virtual Learning Environment (AVLE) IDIQ contract, Team StraCon will design, develop and deliver innovative VR courseware products for the Petroleum and Water Department's MOS 92F Petroleum Supply Specialist advanced individual training (AIT) for Soldiers at Fort Lee, VA. This contract is a VR training effort for operating the Modular Fuel System, and Tank Rack Module System. This VR 3D training environment allows AIT Soldiers to perform fully immersive work package procedures in a "crawl-walk-run" Serious Game modality. This phased training approach enables 92F AIT Soldiers to prove their mastery of prerequisite knowledge and procedures in a classroom setting before they transition to training on the actual systems in a field training site. Additionally, this VR training is leveraging the xAPI enterprise learning ecosystem where the learning is self-directed but available to the training institution for performance tracking and recording in near-real time.
Army Virtual Learning Environment, Advanced Digital Training – 92L and 92W
StraCon and our partner LSI, were awarded two contracts to develop innovative virtual training and education (T&E) products for the U.S. Army Quartermaster School. Under the Army Virtual Learning Environment (AVLE) IDIQ contract, Team StraCon will design, develop and deliver advanced digital training and eLearning products for the Petroleum and Water Department's MOS 92W Water Treatment Specialist and MOS 92L Petroleum Laboratory Specialist advanced individual training (AIT) for Soldiers at Fort Lee, VA. Our innovative virtual training products include digital training enablers (DTEs) for the Quartermaster School. DTEs are interactive 3D virtual replicas of the actual equipment and systems that MOS 92W and 92L Soldiers use while conducting logistical support during operational missions. These virtual but lifelike systems allow Soldiers to retain more procedural task knowledge through ease-of-use and augmented repetition, so when Soldiers complete the DTE modules, they are ready to fully engage with the actual systems and components. By using DTEs in a blended program of instruction, mastery of requisite of MOS task procedural skills can happen in hours instead of days required using legacy classroom instruction methods. DTEs are created using gaming development tools and use 3D immersive modeling and simulation (M&S) approaches to create immersive, scenario-based training for Soldiers to reinforce and apply knowledge and skills acquired in classroom settings before moving on to training on the actual equipment or systems in a field environment. Training with the virtual DTE simulators in a Serious-Game setting provides a learner-centric bridge between traditional classroom instruction and live training providing time and resource savings. Additionally, Team StraCon is developing interactive multimedia instruction (IMI) hosted on the Blackboard LMS and instructional videos both live action and 3D animations as part of a holistic blended curriculum tailored for Sustainment Soldiers.
Army Virtual Learning Environment (AVLE) Contract
Team StraCon (LSI, Will Interactive, and Bohemia) were awarded an IDIQ contract to support new Army innovations in training that require the design, development, and delivery of an extensive range of distributed learning products to include Interactive Multimedia Instruction, Digital Learning Content Objects, Analysis Products, Gaming, 3D Modeling and Simulations, augmented and virtual reality using delivery types never before used in Army distributed learning. This includes synthetic tutors, gaming engines, and virtual reality oculus goggles and other modalities that engage all human senses. This effort marks a new paradigm in distributed learning in a virtual learning environment. AVLE is a revolutionary concept that will shift the way the Army develops and delivers training and education products to the total force. The A-VLE proposes new programs, plans and policies, risk taking in leveraging new learning and neuro sciences and technologies in curriculum design, courseware design and delivery that will enable the execution of rigorous, relevant, and tailorable learning content at the point of need.
C-130T Avionics Obsolescence Upgrade (AOU) Courseware and Curriculum
StraCon was awarded the follow on Phase II of a courseware development contract to support training for aircrews and maintenance personnel for the Avionics Obsolescence Upgrade (AOU) differences training for pilot, flight engineer, and maintenance personnel. To effectively meet worldwide aircraft mission needs, the Navy is modernizing the C-130T aircraft by upgrading, replacing, and adding additional avionics systems through the AOU program. This modernization effort will meet DoD established Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) mandates, provide upgraded flight safety systems, address avionics obsolescence, and minimize total lifecycle costs. This contract will also include StraCon/LSI provided AOU differences training for contract instructors at the C-130 Air Logistics Training Center (ALTC) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (JRB) using a blended training solution consisting of interactive and instructor led courseware, a suite of state of the art Virtual Maintenance Training Devices (VMT's), and an enhanced aircrew glass cockpit emulator. This blended training system approach implements Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) and Commander Naval Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC) training vision for ALTC C-130T training.
V-22 Computer Based Training Courseware Conversion for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force
StraCon has partnered with Logistics Services International (LSI) for the courseware conversion of existing Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) and Interactive Courseware (ICW) for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) V-22 Opsrey program. PMA-275 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) has been tasked to convert the existing V-22 courseware from its current Flash-based format to Adobe Captivate with Hyper Text Markup Language version 5 (HTML5) format. HTML5 will be deployable on virtually any modem internet browser without the need for additional plug-ins and will be editable using a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) editor. Stracon's team of experienced graphic designers and courseware developers will provide PMA-275 with over 500 Adobe Captivate produced lessons for pilot, enlisted aircrew and maintenance personnel that is 100 percent compatible with virtual training devices.
PMA-268 Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) Multi-Mission Unmanned Aerial System (MQ-25) Project Lifecycle Management (PLM) Development and Implementation
StraCon has been contracted to develop and implement a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system that is hosted in a secure commercial DoD Cloud environment. This enables PMA-268 to accelerate the product development cycle and lower support costs for integration of new capabilities. This program requires the detailed management of PLM software procurement, system design / architecture and PLM configuration. The first phase of this contract involved building a development environment for promotion to a cloud hosted fully accredited environment. Phase 2 will develop the Collaboration Environment between the OEMs/Vendors, NAVAIR, FRCs, and other identified stakeholders to establish an enterprise-level collaborative data management environment for access, storage, configuration, and use of product and project data. Phase 3 demonstrates the Model Based System Engineering approach within the PLM tool and verifies that the tool had all the authoritative data created to date and all functions are uploaded into the PMA-268 PLM system and that all IT functions work properly.
Patuxent River, MD and Charleston, SC
Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, Logistics Distribution Policy (HQMC LPD) Training Courses Maintenance Support
StraCon was awarded a contract in support of HQ United States Marine Corps Logistics Distribution Policy (HQMC LPD) to facilitate all aspects of maintenance (e.g., programming changes, instructional design changes, narration changes, etc.) on newly developed web-based USMC logistics training courses. Stracon's Instructional System Designers and Graphic Artists provides support for training courses previously developed for LPD to include correction of current content identified by the USMC during initial small group tryouts, development of instructional design processes due to changes in USMC policies and/or technical documentation revisions and provide technical fixes for interactive courseware on the Marine Net website. In addition, StraCon provides revisions and maintenance on 30 separate courses during the contract period of performance.
Curriculum Revision & Upgrade Of The Computer Based Training System For The V-22 Program
StraCon was awarded a curriculum revision & upgrade contract in support of PMA-275 for the Computer-Based Training (CBT) system for the United States Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey program. PMA-275 has been tasked by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide curriculum revision & upgrade of the CBT system to current V-22 aircraft configuration due to decreased readiness, operational tempo and, demands on existing resources. StraCon's courseware upgrade and revision effort will provide critical maintenance training tools to assist in meeting readiness objectives and fleet knowledge enhancements that will optimize existing qualification, certification, and designation processes. StraCon's Instructional System Designers, Courseware Developers and Graphic Artists shall provide production and delivery of the revised and upgraded MV-22 curriculum according to current aircraft configuration for technical "Train-The-Trainer" podium, laboratory, and Partial Task Trainer (PTT) programs.
PMA-273 Naval Undergraduate Flight Systems Program Support
StraCon Services Group announces the award of a 5 year task order to provide program support to PMA-273. PMA-273 is the Naval Undergraduate Flight Systems program office. We will be supporting PMA-273 in their mission to procure products and services to meet flight training requirements for training systems (aircraft, ground systems, classroom and computer based training, and Contractor logistics support): for the T-34, Joint Primary Aviation Training System, TC-12, T-44, T-39, TH-57, T-45, Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO), and Naval Flight Officer (NFO).
Patuxent River, MD
Navy Public Affairs/Visual Information and Knowledge Management Support
StraCon will be providing Public Affairs (PA) and Knowledge Management (KM) support for Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP). StraCon provides technical, administrative, and creative expertise to support CNSP's Public Affairs and Knowledge Management staffs. This effort consists of Website Management, SharePoint Configuration and Administration. Provides command level briefings, supports media events and maintains a suite of web-based communication and social media tools.
US Army, Persistent Ground Surveillance System (PGSS)
StraCon is actively developing and revising Technical Manuals and Technical Manual supplements for the U.S. Army under Program Director (PD) Aerostats in support of the PGSS. StraCon's responsibility includes development, and revisions to PGSS TMs and TM supplements that are driven by hardware/software changes. StraCon also provides the client with curriculum development services that utilizes Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE), an instructional system design model, to guide the approach to curriculum development. This approach applies the team's existing Technical Data Production capabilities utilizing Windchill and allows for rapid development and incorporation of relevant training system changes into the required training manuals.
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
PMA-201 Precision Strike Weapons Program Support
StraCon is pleased to announce the award of a program management support service contract for the Precision Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-201). PMA-201 is responsible for development, production and in-service management of air-to-ground munitions for US Navy and Foreign Military Sales (FMS). StraCon personnel provided support for two projected Acquisition Category (ACAT)1D, two ACAT 1C, one ACAT II, one ACAT IVT, sixteen Abbreviated Acquisition Programs (AAP)/ Non-ACAT programs. Additionally, forty-one FMS countries require support with Program and Acquisition Management, Engineering, FMS, Financial, Operational, Security and general Administrative Support. Management services directly support the Harpoon, SLAM-ER, JSOW, Bombs/Fuses, Aircraft Armament Equipment (AAE) and Aircraft Refueling Stores (ARS) systems programs. Stracon provides technical support services spanning all acquisition phases to include research, design and development, engineering, test and evaluation, training, aircraft modification, repair, in-service engineering, and production line transition. For execution of this contract, our employees support multiple products across all the armed services and 41 client countries. This program requires the detailed management of over 100 lines of individual accounting.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Office of Financial Operations (FMO)
StraCon was awarded a contract to support the Department of the Navy's Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan (FIAR). The Department of Navy's FIAR plan is the vehicle used by the Department of Navy to meet the Congressional mandates related to audit readiness. This long-term, multi-step effort is an enterprise-wide endeavor which requires changes in business practices at every level of DON. StraCon personnel will provide FIAR sustainment requirements, responsiveness to private sector auditors requirements, and assist in the completion of the several other steps toward full financial auditability. StraCon provides quality professional support for the Office of Financial Operations (FMO) various business operations functions. This contract covers a broad range of taskings to include Program Management, Financial Management, Human Resources, Administrative Support, and Facility Management.
Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C.
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIR 4.11 Special Surveillance Programs (SSP)
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD) Special Surveillance Programs (SSP) 4.11 requires StraCon to provide Technical Data Packages (TDPs), Technical Manuals (TMs) and Configuration Management (CM) support for the Gondola, Mobile Platform and Surveillance Towers for SSP. Efforts focused on establishing the baseline of TDPs and TMs that would allow lifecycle provisioning of these products. To accomplish this task, StraCon will develop multiple engineering processes, including a drawing standard utilizing ASME Y14. StraCon will provide detailed 3D models in conjunction with 2D drawing packages that are used to operate, service and sustain these systems. StraCon will provide a detailed model of the payload system controller (Gondola v3.1), and the mobile platform system, as well as a new system the mobile Surveillance Tower v01. This effort is a 100% government owned/non-proprietary solution and will be stored within a NAVAIR owned Windchill PLM instance hosted by StraCon.
Naval Air Systems Command, the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD)
StraCon partnered with Zenetex and were successful offerors on a Contractor Support Services (CSS) Task Order (TO) under the SEAPORT-E Multiple Award Contract (MAC). These services encompass a wide range of corporate operations, research and technology, program management, logistics, engineering, instructional systems, and test and evaluation support for training systems managed by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD). StraCon provides highly qualified personnel for the following Program Directorates: Research and Technology (46T), Corporate Operations (COPS), Aviation (PDA), Surface (PDS), Undersea (PDU), Cross Warfare (PDX), and International (PDI). Service requirements for this contract will occur throughout the entire acquisition cycle from concept refinement through operation and support. StraCon provides personnel whose responsibilities include authoring/modifying NAWCTSD and NAVAIR policy/procedures and other technical and administrative requirements as directed by the Government.
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIR 4.5X Special Surveillance Program (SSP)
NAWCAD SSP 4.5X awarded a contract to StraCon to provide Technical Manual Support Services and Configuration Management (CM) support for surveillance system components within the SSP. This contract requires the rapid development and delivery of technical publications and technical engineering data required by 4.5X SSP. StraCon provides services such as: design and readiness reviews, progress reports, Technical Data Package (TDP) development, 3D/2D drawings development, TM development, complete GCS refurbishment, and test and evaluation. StraCon also provides timely research-based recommendations for the use of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software technologies to enhance PGSS GCS capabilities and reduce system Life Cycle Support Cost. StraCon will develop the PGSS GCS Configuration Management Plan and is responsible for the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process, including development, implementation and evaluation. StraCon will provide a CM plan to ensure all architectural changes are properly captured, and that all impacts of configuration changes to PGSS baseline are documented. StraCon provides a comprehensive process for maintaining status accounting and verifying the completeness, consistency, and correctness of Configuration Items (CIs) throughout the PGSS architecture to promote CM success.
PMA-275 V-22 Program Support
The V-22 is a growing military asset for transporting U.S. troops and supplies. More than 145 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft are in operation today. Marine Corps V-22s are deployed in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and with Marine Expeditionary Units for world-wide contingency operations, while Air Force Special Operations Command V-22s are deployed in support of National mission taskings. StraCon will provide Acquisition, Financial, Retrofit and FMS Support.
PMA-275 V-22 Training Program Support
Team resources will provide product reviews to include engineering, technical, budget, program management, and analysis tasking; as well as development of recommendations for technical, logistical and life cycle support for the V-22 Training System.
Patuxent River, MD and other locations including Kirtland AFB, NM and MCAS New River, NC.
StraCon Teams with Camber for PMA-261 H-53 Program Office Support
StraCon teams with Camber to provide Contract Services Support for the ACAT 1 PMA-261 Training IPT. Support provides a full spectrum of capability that includes Front End Analysis, Capability Based Assessments, Requirement Definition and Requirement Analysis. StraCon provides significant support with Instructional Systems Design, Media Analysis, Job Task Analysis, Training Effectiveness Analysis, Naval Training System Plan Development, Manpower Analysis, and Personnel/Skills Analysis. StraCon performs critical Configuration and ECP Management/Configuration Control roles to assure continuously improved training system performance, reliability, and maintainability. StraCon helps the Training IPT define better Training System solutions, execute the procurement process faster, and reduce Life Cycle Cost (LCC) for the entire aircraft program.
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I went to the Stanleys again this year. The Stanleys are the conference/awards night of the Australian Cartoonists Association. I blogged about it the first time I went, in 2011.
The ACA is a funny little club, and I've been asked why I'm involved with it. I've now been a member for three years and I still can't answer the question properly! I'll try again at the end of this recap.
I arrived in Coffs Harbour late Friday afternoon and was picked up at the little airport by Pat Grant's mum, who had offered me a room to stay in during a drunken night a few weeks earlier at the Graphic after party. Paranoid that she'd regret her generosity, I made myself invaluable by loading up on Haigh's nougat and chocolate frogs before leaving Melbourne.
I had myself a quiet, early night in preparation for the conference on Saturday, so I missed the Rotary Cartoon Awards, which took place Friday evening at the Bunker (a cartoon museum located in… a bunker). Apparently it was a nice night, and I gathered from the talk the following day that one notable part involved an older gentleman doing something quite slowly.
The conference day began with the yearly AGM. This is a brief affair punctuated by amusing quips from off-camera. There were a few items of business, but I'll be damned if I can remember what they were.
Brian Cook is an agent for authors and illustrators, and his presentation on how a typical book deal works made me wonder why anyone bothers to try to get a book deal at all.
My understanding was that an illustrator on a kids book that does fairly well can expect to make about $3000 in royalties on the first edition. After hearing that, spending $300 to self-publish 150 copies of a comic book and making $700 back doesn't seem quite as pointless.
Tom Richmond makes us all draw Jon Hamm. Photo by Tim McEwen.
The weekend's international guest was MAD Magazine's Tom Richmond, who is the chief TV/movie satire guy there.
He did an excellent caricature masterclass. One bit that resonated for me was when he spoke about the elements of the face, and remembering to observe the space between them. Not enough to draw all the bits rights, you gotta space them correctly too.
Caricature of me by Paul "Harv" Harvey.
A couple of fellows representing The Bunker spoke briefly about how they need to start making some money out of their enormous original cartoon collection, as the Coffs city council wants to withdraw their funding.
Their idea of the way to do this, possibly thought up by their lawyers, was to request that all artists with work in the gallery sign over their copyright in the works. Several members pointed out politely that this idea robs artists of their rights and suggested an simply written licensing agreement allowing the Bunker to sell prints of the works instead.
Caricature of me by Rob Feldman.
After lunch, we learned a fair bit about how a MAD satire gets made in a panel called Defining MADness. It featured Tom Richmond, Anton Emdin and DJ Williams, the editor of Australian MAD.
Anton talks about his Glee parody. Photo by Tim McEwen.
Was interested to learn that for Anton's Glee satire (shown below), DJ chucked Anton the pages with finished speech balloons and photos of the characters dropped in where he wanted them drawn.
Tim talks about Australian comics. Photo from Tim McEwen.
Tim McEwen and I were asked to speak about the Australian comics scene. Tim ran through a massive (and yet incomplete!) list of Australian comics projects and events from just the past year. Among other things, he mentioned Aboriginal community art project NEOMAD, the anthology Blood & Thunder and the Silent Army Storeroom.
I wasn't sure how to pitch my talk, as the amount of knowledge of local comics (as opposed to the more mainstream local "cartoons" and "comic strips") in the room varied, so I kept my talk personal and narrative.
I spoke about the comics I read when I was young.
I spoke about the Melbourne comics scene.
I spoke about Hutcho and the other guys who founded Squishface Studio.
I spoke about what we hoped to achieve with the studio when we started.
I spoke about "our financials".
And I spoke about why we love the studio and how it might grow and change in the future.
Apparently people found my talk interesting. I hope so.
This recap is already huge so I'll get to the rest of the day and the awards night in Part 2.


"Soils Magic: Bringing Civil Engineering to the K–12 Classroom" by David J. Elton, James Hanson et al.
Postprint version. Published in Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Volume 132, Issue 2, April 1, 2006, pages 125-192.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1052-3928(2006)132:2(125).
An investigation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a series of kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) educational outreach activities related to civil engineering. In particular, a program called Soils Magic that contains a series of simple geotechnical engineering experiments was delivered in various formats to K–12 students. This paper provides an overview of the Soils Magic program and provides further details of selected experiments from the program. This paper highlights the experiences of various civil engineering professors bringing the program to school children to promote the excitement and accessibility of the engineering profession. Suggestions are provided for conducting successful educational outreach programs. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using survey responses of the program participants. The need for outreach activities that promote science and engineering in an entertaining manner was established using survey responses of K–12 students.


During the evening, Simmons and Vallee will discuss Simmons' memoir Snow On The Barb Wire with Theresa Hummel-Krallinger, the facilitator for the Philly Author Series at the Pyramid Club. Theresa is a seasoned corporate trainer, motivational speaker, and professional stand-up comedian. The event will also feature a Q&A session and book signing.
For SportsRadio 94WIP listeners, you can use "94WIP" as a promo code to save $2.
After winning Philadelphia's SportsRadio 94WIP's Wing Bowl in January 1999, competitive eater Bill Simmons became "El Wingador" and an overnight celebrity—helping inspire food-obsessed gluttons across the nation.However, despite winning four more Wing Bowl championships, and participating in numerous television commercials and public appearances across the country, there was much more going on behind the scenes in the life of this six-foot-five, larger-than-life character than what appeared on his plate.
Personal setbacks soon forced Simmons down a devastating and destructive road, leading to his subsequent arrest and jail sentence. A series of near-death experiences while in prison inspired Simmons to take control of his life, and his newfound path has helped him regain the love and respect of legions of fans.
'Snow On The Barbwire' is more than just the story of a man eating chicken wings. It is the candid, compelling tale of a man whose random participation in one of the world's biggest eating competitions led to fame, fortune, and some rather unintended consequences. It inspires all of us to rise up against adversity and never give up on life—no matter how dire the consequences may seem.
Bill Simmons and Joe Vallee will be available immediately following the program to sell and sign books.
Tickets for the event are $12. Price includes admission to this limited seating event and light food. Registration is limited, so be sure to save your seat today! Registered participants will receive a note with details about the venue and discounted parking. The directions and info for the event are located below.


How do we help our children hear and understand (and share) the words that we think matter so much?
How do we speak with children in our church?
How do we provide opportunities for the voices, the words, of our children to be heard in worship?
Our words matter to their faith development. And their words matter to our faith development!
Some people are black like ebony wood.
Some people are light brown like roast turkey.
Some people are pink like bubble gum.
Some people are brown like chocolate cake.
Some people are white like vanilla ice cream.
Some people are yellow like a ripe pear.
Some people are reddish brown like cinnamon rolls.
Some people are tan like peanut butter.
From an article by Kathleen McGinnis pubished in Parenting for Peace & Justice, circa 1989; an excerpt from the book Starting Out Right by McGinnis and Oehlbeg.
A children's message for World Communion Sunday. Greetings from other cultures could be used.
What do we do and say in English to greet people?
Does anyone know what the word "Namaste" means?
The word "Namaste" means more than just "hello." It means "The divine or God in me greets the divine or God in you. It helps people remember that God's spirit lives in every person they meet. So when I say it to you, it means I remember that God's spirit lives in you.
God, thank you for people of other countries who can teach us things. Help us see that your spirit lives in everyone we meet. Amen.
Hold up cards of different colours, one at a time.
Ask: What can you name that is… [the colour of the card being held up] orange/red/purple/etc?
Thank you God for the colour orange/red/purple/etc and everything that is orange/red/purple/etc.
God created our eyes to see. We praise God for all the colours we can see.
Some people cannot see colour.
But they can hear! And we can praise God for every sound, too!
Have you ever made a bad decision?
What happened when you made a bad decision?
Today, we're going to go on a trip with a young man named Henry.
Put on a baseball cap and oversized jacket.
Click here for the full script.
In Africa the "King of Beasts" sleeps.
At night some small animals come out.
What is it? [mouse] They say a mouse likes cheese.
Mice like to nibble. This little mouse finds a rope across the path, at least the mouse thinks it's a rope. She nibbles on the rope.
The lion awakens. "Ow!" he roars!
Quick as a cat, the lion catches the mouse.
The lion laughs so hard he holds his tummy, and the mouse…runs away!
A few days later, two hunters come to the jungle. They set a big rope snare.
The lion roars! He weeps! But he cannot escape.
Far away, the mouse hears a faint howling. "What's that noise? Could it be that lion?" she wonders. She hurries through the jungle following the sound.
The mouse finds the lion tangled in the trap. She sees how the ropes hold him tight.
Shat do mice like to do? Yes, mice like to chew!
Picture 6: (lion and mouse together) — Apologies, the artwork is missing.
With her sharp little teeth the mouse nibbles until the main rope breaks. The lion shakes off the other ropes that hold him. The lion stands free again! The lion turns to the mouse and says, "Little mouse, I was foolish to ridicule you for being small. You helped me in a BIG way and saved my life!
You are never too small to help others. And others are never too small to help you.
God, you give each of us gifts. No gift is too small or unimportant to be of use to you and to use to help others. May we encourage one another, and especially people who are younger or smaller than us, to find and use their gifts. Amen.
Sub-themes: Build others up, not down; You never know who will help you!
Images of saints, past and present, are used to help children identify and appreciate people who are 'saints', who use their life to make the world a better place.
The iconography of Robert Lenz provides numerous portraits of what he calls "marginalized heroes" –both traditional saints and modern figures who might be considered saints of their day.
2. The first letter is?…'A,' and the second letter is?…funny.
6. Alpha and Omega, these two letters, stand for God. We sometimes say, God is the Alpha and the Omega. God is the beginning and the end; nothing is outside of God. Like the cover of a book, with all the pages inside, everything is inside God.
7. Thank you for being the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Thank you for wrapping yourself around us and our world, like the cover of a book wraps itself around all the pages, from the beginning to the end. Thank you that you are always with us, and with everyone. Amen.
How do you make someone feel WELCOME?
Who here at our church who tries to make people coming to church feel welcome?
Explain: There are many snakes in Zimbabwe. And many of them are… poisonous! So many people carry a big heavy stick, called a Knobkerrie, to protect themselves. And sometimes when people were fighting, they would use a knobkerrie as a weapon.
When the people greet one another, they use a two-handed handshake. They still shake with one hand, and the other hand grasps the wrist of the shaking hand, so they are clasped together.
What would a person have to do with their big knobkerrie in order to shake hands with both hands?
Yes, they would have to put it down.
Shake hands, in the Zimbabwe style, with each child.
It is important that we are welcoming, to help other people feel safe and part of the group.
God, thank you for showing us how to be welcoming and friendly. May we always be messengers of peace. Amen.
2. Have you ever broken something?
4. Have you ever broken something your mum or dad told you to be careful with?
6. Even when we do something wrong, our parents still love us.
7. And even when our parents are angry with us and punishing us, God still loves us and God watches over us.
God, thank you for our mums and dads who love us even when we break things. Thank you for loving us, too. Amen.
Once upon a time…a new girl comes to school.
She comes from far, far away. She talks differently. She dresses differently.
Who knows how to jump rope?
The new girl does not know how to jump rope which is the favourite game the children play.
And when they teach her, she is not very good at it.
Because she's new and different and she doesn't know the games and she's not very good at them, the children call her names.
How does the new girl feel? How do you feel if other children call you names?
Words matter. They are important. Once the words are said, can you put them back inside your mouth? Can you make them to not be said?
When you hear 'I hate you,' how do you feel?
When you hear 'I love you,' how do you feel?
Long ago a man named James writes in the Bible that words are powerful. He says we should be careful with our words. He says be quick to listen, be a good listener, and slow to speak. Be careful and thoughtful of our words before we say them.
God, we are sorry for when we have used mean words to hurt people. Help us be friendly to people we meet. Amen.
+ A grasshopper stands in a field and plays his fiddle.
+The grasshopper sees an ant working hard carrying something.
+ The ant says, 'I cannot stop right now. I am toooo busy working.
+'What are you busy doing?' asks the grasshopper.
+… [let the children say…] Winter!
+ With that, the ant continues her work gathering ant food.
+ The grasshopper contines to play.
+ Ant snug in her ant hill burrow, with the cupboard full of food.
+ And grasshopper? In his burrow, but hungry because the cupboard is bare.
+You must be ready says Jesus. You must be prepared.
And we prepare for the love of Christmas, for Jesus, by living each day as if he is here.
It is a puzzle, but we believe Jesus is with us in a very special way.
God, we are looking forward to Christmas coming soon. As we prepare for Christmas, show us how to prepare our hearts for your love. Amen.
(Ask one child) What are you thankful for?
God, thank you for (repeat what child said).
(Ask second child) What are you thankful for?
Let's try it again, but this time let's get some help. We'll get a louder fireworks sound if everyone claps with us.
(Ask third child) What are you thankful for?
(Ask fourth child, or open it up to anyone) What are you thankful for?
God, thank you for (repeat what child/adult said).
I really like the rockets!
Thank you for lighting our wy in good times and bad times.
let us walk in the light of God.
I have something in my bag.
I carry this cross to help me remember Jesus, when I'm not in church.
I get angry, too. And sometimes when I'm angry, I'm tempted to be mean.
So, I get out this cross and I just hold it to remember Jesus, and to remember to be thoughtful and loving, not cruel and mean.
I have something else in my bag…a cross for each of you.
Now you can keep your cross with you to remember Jesus, and to help you be the best person you can be.
God, thank you for reminders to help us do the right thing. Amen.
I was born in ____________________. Can you find it on the globe?
What about your mums and fathers? Where were they born?
Let's find those countries on the globe.
We come from many places.
And today we are all here at ________________ Church.
Why have we come from so many different places to be here today?
We are all part of God's family!
And each Sunday morning we have a family re-union.
No matter where you are, you are always invited to the re-union of God's family every Sunday!
God, thank you for having such a big family, big enough for all of us and anyone else who wants to be part of it. Thank you for bringing us together today for this amazing family re-union. Amen.
And that God loves you.
Of the family of God.
In the ritual, we give dignity to the human journey and name it as truly significant before our God.


12/14/2015 Please read the attached letter from Textron Aviation's Supply Chain Quality organization regarding an update to heat treat specifications. More information will be communicated in 2016.
04/23/2015 Please click the link to the right for the latest changes to AS6279.
02/26/2014 Notice: Beechcraft has released a Part Marking Training Package in the Supplier Training section under Supply Chain on the Beechcraft internet. This training guide has been provided to help suppliers effectively mark/identify parts and product.
02/21/2014 Alert! Revision J to QC00 has been released. Revised to reflect current requirements and clarify items as found necessary.
02/21/2014 Notice: Beechcraft is in the process of updating and revising the special process codes in its Special Process Index. New special process codes will be shown alongside the old process codes. The old process codes will remain visible for the next 3 years. New formatting of the Special Process Index and Approved Special Processors list will allow for expanded search capabilities.
09/12/2013 As Beechcraft continues to standardize supplier requirements, effective September 27, 2013, Beechcraft will no longer accept electronically delivered documentation from Aerospac, per Supplier Quality Document QC00, Delivery Documentation, Section 4.10, Revision H. Please read the attached and also the new release of QC00.
07/15/2013 Visit the latest eTool, IDEA Commons, https://www.beechcraft.com/IdeaCommons/and submit cost-savings ideas and partner with Beechcraft Corporation.
02/22/2013 Please be sure to adhere to the Quality Requirements detailed in each Purchase Order for packaging requirements. Refer to the clauses and also WI 04-08-038 at https://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/supply_chain/contractual_flowdown/.
10/22/2012 Alert! Revision H to QC00 has been released. Revised to reflect current requirements and clarify items as found necessary.
12/12/2011 November SRS is now available: 3 Month SRS Scores will reflect September, October, and November. 12 Month SRS Scores will equal 3 Month Scores until there is enough data to average 12 months. You have until 12/31/11 to make any changes to Delivery for Sept, Oct, and Nov.
08/12/2011 QN history was not brought over to the new system, but you can contact your Buyer for any required QN history.
02/17/2011 HBC has released BS392875 'Reprocessing Specification for HBC Parts'. Under the conditions noted in the specification, BS392875 permits one strip and re-processing of parts without requiring submission of a Variation Request (VR). Please thoroughly review the specification and incorporate into your Quality Management System. Click the link to the right for more information.
Beechcraft Corporation's Supply Chain Quality Assurance group is responsible for supplier approval, surveillance, and performance measurement, as well as receiving, inspection and change control functions.
It is Beechcraft Corporation's policy to procure from those suppliers that offer the most cost-effective products and services. Approved suppliers are selected through a rigorous screening process.
"Supplier Quality Requirements Document QC00" can be accessed through "Quality Documents" link under "Supplier Information/Contractual Flowdown".
Stringent FAA requirements mandate that we control our supplier base, review Purchase Orders for Quality Flowdown, and inspect incoming Orders for compliance to the Purchase Order.
Visit the Processes & Suppliers section below to identify the list of the materials and processes that require use of Beechcraft Corporation approved suppliers and the list of the associated approved suppliers.
Email your Quality Assurance specific Comments or Suggestions to scm_qa@txtav.com.
Also see the Reference Items section below.
Intel 486 Processor chip "End of Life Notification"
Beechcraft Corporation's Purchase Orders may reference additional quality requirements imposed by contract or policy. Quality clauses are available under Supplier Information, then click on Contractual Flowdown, and then the Clauses tab. The information contained in each clause is contractually binding and as such is part of the Beechcraft Corporation incoming inspection plan.
Beechcraft Corporation's references Beech Specs within some of our quality clauses. Please contact the buyer on the Purchase Order for assistance on Beech Specs.
Email your Quality Assurance Specific Comments and Suggestions to scm_qa@txtav.com.
Beechcraft Corporation's requires that certain Processes in our manufacturing cycle are controlled and in some instances require our suppliers to utilize only Beechcraft Corporation approved suppliers.
The Special Process Index lists the processes identified on Beechcraft Corporation drawings and / or specifications that must be performed by a Beechcraft Corporation approved processor. For a complete listing of the approved processors, refer to the Beechcraft Corporation Approved Processor List.
Suppliers must also have special approval to produce tooling for Beechcraft Corporation. The Beechcraft Corporation Approved Tooling Supplier List identifies the currently approved suppliers.