Frontiers in Retreat (FiR) is a five-year collaboration project that fosters multidisciplinary dialogue on ecological questions within a European network involving artist residencies, art and education organisations, artists, experts in various disciplines as well as diverse audiences. The aim of the project is to broaden the understanding of global ecological changes and their local impacts on European natural environments by means of contemporary artistic practices and through a multidisciplinary approach.
During the course of FiR, SSW has hosted residencies for six artists in the network and worked closely with each of them throughout to support and develop their individual projects. These artists are Brett Bloom, Sylvia Grace Borda, Fernando Garcia-Dory, Carl Giffney, Mari Keski-Korsu and Simon Yuill.
As the Frontiers in Retreat project draws to an end, we will present and reflect on each of these artist's practices developed at SSW and bring these together with a wider group of practices through Edge Effects; a programme of workshops, walks, sound work, film and performance that explore the complex co-dependencies between ecological, social, economic, and political phenomena.
In the month leading up to the Edge Effects programme, each week we will feature a Frontiers in Retreat artist who has undertaken a residency at SSW. This is an great opportunity to share their projects which have been formulated and realised at SSW in rural Aberdeenshire, and will be presented during Edge Effects in Glasgow.
Mari Keski-Korsu is a transdisciplinary artist. She explores how ecological and socio-economical changes manifest in everyday life. Keski-Korsu's permaculturic practice can be in the form of interventions, documentary, performance, virtual worlds and installations.
In the context of our global humanitarian crisis we need to become more aware of our ability to nurture deep connections and build our capacities for empathic communication with other species and entities within our ecosystems.
Mari has organised and facilitated two Clydesdale Oracle's through SSW, the first being part of Camp BreakDown Break Down and the second being at Strathorn Farm Stables for SSW Incubator. The Clydesdale Oracle aims to ask help and advice for humankind from other animals. It looks at the possibility of expanding human consciousness on the present state and future prospects of life on Earth by practicing the skills of inter-species communication or telepathy. These sessions search for emphatic connection to other species and trough that a deeper connection to the ecosystem we live in.
The Scottish Sculpture Workshop sauna was purpose built with Mari for her Beat To The Balance project during Camp BreakDown Break Down and the SSW Incubator: Sitting on Eggs. Now regularly used during SSW residencies the sauna has become a key space for people to relax, discuss, contemplate, connect, and keep warm in the winter!
For the Edge Effects programme in July, Mari will bring her Beat to the Balance to the Arlington Baths Club in Glasgow. Over the Thursday and Friday you can sign up for one to one sauna whisking sessions with Mari Keski-Korsu or Maaria Alén. Mari will also be running a Holding Space with trees workshop on the Saturday morning. See below for more details on each.
Through this ritualistic, whisking practice the interdependence between tree communities and humans can be made more tangible, heightened by the sauna space. The trees present in the sauna will be Birch, Oak, Maple, Rowan and Juniper. In the sauna with trees, self-care transforms into ourselves-care, kinship that could be an even stronger asset than warfare; it is a building block for the narrative of humanity.
Self-care is not self-indulgence but self-preservation and as such, an act of political warfare.
Civil rights activist Audre Lorde.
Holding Space with Trees is an introduction to inter-species forest communication. During the workshop the group will look for different kinds of tree species that might call for them and learn what kind of effects these trees have on people. In this workshop, the group will try to understand ecosystems around them not as a resource but as equal communities interdependent of each other. There will be a tree leaf bathing ritual at the end of this workshop.


Beacuse it is in the middle of the Atlantic, the Azores is a popular port of call for cruise ships re-positioning between America and Europe. As a result, the Azores busiest seasons for cruise ships are the Spring and Fall. It is also someti,es on the itinery of cruises going from the UK to the Canary Islands.
The fact that it is in an out of the way location also means that it is not overdeveloped. While tourism is an increasingly important part of the Azores's economy, it has not become commercialized. Iat this point, it still has spectacular natural scenery and the towns and villages still retain a traditional Old World flavor.
The Azores were uninhabited when Portugese settlers arrived in 1430s. Many were Portuguese Sephardic Jews seeking to escape the Inquisition. Later, they were joined by a large continengent of people from Flanders. Although the economy established on the islands was agriultural, it did not develop into Caribbean-style plantations and so few African slaves were brought to the Azores.
During World War II, the Allies established bases on the Azores. Beacuse the middle of the Atlantic was out of the range of aircraft based in North America and aircraft based in Britain, Allied convoys were partciularly vunerable to attack by German U-boats in that area. With air bases in the Azores, the Allies were able to patrol the middle of the Atlantic and hunt the U-boats. Thus, the Azores played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. They played a similar role during the Cold War, acting as bases for aircraft tracking Soviet submarines.
In 1976, the Azores became an autonomous region of Portugal. Thus, they largely make their own laws but they are not completely independent. As a result, the official language is Portugese and the currency is the Euro.
The seat of the Presidency of the Autonomous Region of the Azores is in Ponto Delgado on the iAzores' largest sland Sao Miguel. Ponto Delgado is a small city with picturesque churches, splendid parks (see separate article) and a few museums. As in Lisbon, some of the squares and some streets have designs embossed into the pavement. There are restaurants and cafes but this is not a party town. There are also shops but this is not a Caribbean-style shopping port.
Outside of town, the scenery is often spectacular and unspoiled. The Azores are volcanic in origin and there are still calderas, volcanic vents and hot springs.
The weather is unpredicatble. It is a mild climate but storms blowing in from the Atlantic can change the weather suddenly. Thus, a day that begins cloudy may end sunny and vice versa.
Much of The Azores is unspoiled.Above: A lake surrounded by forest in a dormant volcano.
Below: Flowering plants are plentiful.
Above and left: The main square (Gonçalo Velho Cabral Square) and city gates (Portas da Cidade) in Ponta Delgada. The gates date from 1745.
Below: Ponta Delgada's city hall.
Below: Forte de Sao Bras was begun in 1522. It remains a base for the Portuguese navy but it also contains a military museum, which is open to the public.
Above left: Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperanza in Ponta Delgada dates from 1545 and is a spititual center of the islands. Pope Paul III donated a statute of Christ to the convent in the 15th century that is still carried in religious processions each Spring.
Above right: The Church of Sao Jose is in the same square as the convent. It was once part of a 17th century Franciscan monastery and has Mannerist and Baroque features.
Above: The coastline of Sao Miguel has towering cliffs that plunge into the sea.


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The South West Coast Path is one of the UK's greatest and most famous walks; 630 miles in total, running from Somerset around Devon, Cornwall and on to Dorset. It links the myriad footpaths that follow the coastline of Cornwall and adjacent counties, along the wonderful beaches and headlands that form the most popular coastline in Britain.
It meanders through the countryside but all the while remains in sight of the sea. Punctuated by towns and villages, it's easy to pick a route of the length and difficulty that suits you. Some people set out to complete a section of the path each day. Others will return year on year, slowly finishing the whole circumnavigation.
Although not really the South West Coast Path as such, Kernow afficionados can head inland near Mead or Morwenstow, and seek the source of the River Tamar which rises near Youlstone, still quite close to the north coast. From there the Tamar, forming the border of Devon and Cornwall, increases in size until it becomes a tidal estuary thirty-five miles south at Gunnislake. Then to Saltash, where the coast path wanders west Cremyll (ferry to Plymouth) towards Portwrinkle.
The official South West Coast Path website has excellent tools and guidance for selecting your start/finish point or route. There's a day walks list with a number of walks that are mostly less than five miles in length. Routes are also organised into handy categories such as discovery walks, seasonal wanders, easy walks, cafés and teashops, pub trails, treasure hunts, train journeys and family friendly. It offers advice on how to photograph the things you'll find along the way as well as information on the geology, history, culture, and flora and fauna. With their Walkfinder tool, you can find a route based upon interest, difficulty and location.
Dog-friendly walks
Dog owners love the fact that their four legged friends are welcome on all of the South West Coast Path at any time of the year. Walkers must take care to look after their dogs responsibly, to ensure that they don't harass livestock or wildlife and that they don't cause a nuisance of any kind. The South West Coast Path website has a special page aimed at helping dog-walkers to manage their pets correctly while using the coast path.
It's pretty useful to know about the river crossings on the path, as some of the ferries are time dependent or seasonal.
There are holiday cottages available all year round throughout the county with Cornish Traditional Cottages, providing the perfect base to explore the South West Coast Path.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The African Union troops, AMISOM in Somalia are mandated under UN Resolution (2297) to provide security and stability to Somalia's Fragile Government. The mission has three fundamental functions 1) to fight terrorism Alshabaab, 2) to provide support and protection to Somali Government in Somalia and 3) to foster peace, reconciliation, and political stability. The AMISOM and Somali Army troops fight side by side to combat Al-Shabaab terrorists who have begun a relentless campaign of violence in South Central Somalia since 2007.
As a diaspora community, we recognise the huge human sacrifices being endured by AMISOM and Somali Army troops in their mission to defeat terrorism. As a diaspora, this is something in our own conscience, which we deeply appreciate. Somalia is forever indebted to these combined human sacrifices. These combined human sacrifices are not taken lightly by our diaspora community. It is also fair to acknowledge the real achievements that have been collectively achieved by Somalia with the unwavering support of international partners in the area of security, political stability, urgent humanitarian intervention by UK Government, growing democratic ethos, and partial economic development supporting local economies.
However, what we have also witnessed with evidence on the ground is the un- accountable nature of the AMISOM troops in Somalia. Evidence on the ground suggest there have been widespread rapes of Somali women by AMISOM soldiers with no single prosecution, there are young and old people they have run over with heavy military vehicle with deadly consequences. They have confiscated people's lands without the owner's agreements or paying any rent towards such use for properties.
I have personally taken a case to Addis Ababa African Union HQ and to the Somali Desk at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office personally handing the case to Lord William Hague, former Foreign Secretary during a community event in May 2014. To date, there have been no movements and not even a formal response from the African Union despite many attempts by UK Foreign Ministers and diplomats in Addis Ababa to help find a resolution to the case. The lack of response from AU and the utter contempt they have shown to the community and British Government only further exposes the degree of impunity they enjoy.
Having studied and analysed the AMISIOM Mission Mandate there is an optional requirement for AMISOM to set up Standing Claims Commission (page 18) in cases of dispute between AMISOM and private citizens. That has not been forth-coming for the past five years of the cases I have been involved in. A mandate without strong teeth and accountability and international oversight, especially where there are serious human rights violations is a serious failure that needs urgent redress by international actors engaged in the development of Somalia.
These cases have highlighted the current mechanism available is not fit for purpose and cannot as evidenced be seen to be effective in finding a resolution for individual cases. It borders a complete disgrace. What we have is the perpetrators (AMISOM) investigating its own human rights abuse cases/crimes without an independent oversight. This is also fundamental short-comings and failure from the international efforts towards Somalia.
As a response to these claims - the only response one receives from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Somali Desk is a polite diplomatic response, which fails the vulnerable people of Somalia. Once you engage with the civil servants and Ministers, you get the feeling these serious human rights abuses are a sideshow to them – and what matters to them is ONLY the AMISOM Mission and its fight against terrorism, losing sight of the fact that unresolved human right abuses only add to terrorism recruitment.
This impunity is the unacceptable face of AMISOM and the international response towards Somalia. It is unsustainable and counterproductive to the fight against terrorism. These crimes and its unaccountable nature only strengthen the Al -Shabaab recruitment drive and we can no longer stay silent about it. As Somali citizens in Somalia and in the Diaspora, we deserve a better settlement for our vulnerable citizens from the international community. My fear is that without effective resolution and checks/balance on human rights violations, the AMISOM mission will de-facto become an occupation force as they are currently beyond the reach of Somali Police Force and Somali courts, immunity that stems from the AMISOM Mandate granted by UN resolution 2297.
It is my view this is an unacceptable state of affairs, when UK/EU funds are not properly being spent on the very uses requested for by AU, leading to human rights abuses against Somali citizens in Somalia and in Europe, further indirectly implicating relevant donor countries as there is no strong accountability mechanism in place.
I had hoped UK or donors Funds had strict safeguards against human rights abuses and I took the view that such funds are conditional for the promotion of good governance and human rights - but these cases suggest otherwise. I have experienced at firsthand how AU behaves in cases of human rights or property right abuses, and how they continue to ignore repeated requests from Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and diplomats as well as Somali Government Institutions as far as the Somali President's and Prime Minister's Offices.
In the next coming weeks, we will be working with our Member of Parliaments in UK and Somalia to each set up an investigation into these abuses. We are also aware of the coming London Somali Conference on 11th May 2017 entitled Mutual Accountability between Partners. A conference intended to discuss the future security, developmental needs and accountability between partners in Somalia is not a meaningful conference without addressing fundamental human rights abuses by AMISOM who are mandated under a UN mandate and form part of the international effort towards Somalia. Despite the progress on the ground, failure to address these serious concerns of human rights abuses will be a dereliction of duty from the international actors that are engaged in Somalia. We urge the international community not make this Conference "a Talk Shop" between donors and recipients, but a comprehensive meaningful accountability based conference where the concerns British/Somali citizens are addressed in relation to AMISOM human rights violations.
With things as they are, I believe these cases are the tip of the iceberg. I am concerned for many more Somali citizens who have no influence or people to raise their cases with AU who are suffering in silence. This is why I feel this issue is a Scandal and would not win hearts and minds of the Somali community in Somalia and abroad. It will only fuel further terrorism recruitment, which is politically and militarily counter-productive to AMISOM and international in Somalia.
It seems the alternative (AMISOM) to warlordism, terrorism, and chaos is also engaged in injustice and human rights abuses. This must not be allowed to carry on without the right effective check and balances.
The Somali public and its Government and the international community should start seriously thinking about re-building the Somali Army as the only entity that will protect its citizens with dignity and respect if the international community failed to show actionable commitment to human rights abuses.


The Gospel readings on the Sundays leading up to Christmas help to prepare the background and context of Christmas. The birth of St. John, the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ is also the preparatory event for the birth of our Lord. God had selected a dedicated priestly couple to give birth and to nurture that child. However, the doubtfulness of that priest, the punishment for that doubt and the faith that was strengthened through that punishment, form the theme of this week's Gospel reading.
I would like to present a few thoughts from this passage to engage our attention.
The lack of support in times of need is one of the greatest shortcomings in today's world. It is said about Elizabeth and Zechariah – "They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lords laws and commandments". Elizabeth was barren. Yet in Zechariah, we see a husband who did not abandon his wife because of her shortcomings. On the other hand, in Elizabeth we see a woman who was the wife of a priest but did not blame God or her husband's services to God for her shortcomings. Their mutual support and care is very evident here.
The lack of a support system is evident in families and individuals these days. In the past, both families and individuals had the support of parents, grandparents, relatives, friends, the church and their communities. The increasing number of suicides these days can be attributed to the lack of this support system. When a wife, husband, children, teachers and the community are able to come together and provide mutual support to understand each other's problems, the individual is able to overcome problems faced in life. Each of us should be able to become a unit of this support system.
Here we see a man who should have been firm in his faith and lead people towards this faith had momentarily given priority to his logical thinking. He momentarily forgot about the powerful miracles in his history that gave elderly Abraham and Sarah a son and also produced water from a rock. He was not supposed to do that.
Gabriel (man of God) was not able to bear this unbelief. The unbelief of a believer is not acceptable in the eyes of God.
In today's world it may be fairly accurate to say that there are more religious atheists than ever before. The shifting of churches to shopping centers is an indication of the Christian's hollowness. This indicates a priority for the temple of materialism rather than the temple of God. Which of these is our centre of worship? In some critical stages of our lives, God extends his helping hand. Does the thought cross our mind about whether we should take his hand? Each believer should have in his or her life, the ability to `taste and see that the Lord is good'.
Today's lifestyle is one that promotes individualistic thinking and personal space. This type of thinking is visible in all aspects of life like social, economic, political, cultural etc. This has now even affected families. Today we can even see a situation where a son may sit upstairs and email his mother to bring his meals up. Even is spiritual life, instead of family prayers, there is a tendency to move towards individual prayers or even a prayer-less life due to lack of time.
Zechariah, the priest, and the congregation are praying to God in unison. "According to the custom followed by the priest, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the temple of the lord while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned" (St. Luke 1:11).
The fruits of Zechariah's and the community's prayer are shared by both parties. A childless couple was blessed with a baby (among all humans born from a woman, there was no one greater than him - Luke 7:28). The community got a prophet of justice.
Just like individual prayers are necessary, so too are community prayers necessary. A community that joins in prayer with the priest, is what the world needs today. Do we pray for those priests and high-priests that offer our sacrifices before God? Believers need to pray that their priests be given strength and guidance to overcome the many stresses and anxieties that fill their life. When a priest prays for the community and the community prays for the priest, the fruits of 'unity of prayer' can be experienced by all.
From this Gospel reading, may God our Father fill us with strong faith, mutual love and a mentality of prayer for each other.


As we enjoyed our annual Santa Show, with students starting Christmas celebrations early and with much energy, I started to reflect on a hectic term and hugely satisfying year. May I use this forum to wish the entire MHJC community a wonderful Christmas and summer break. I trust everyone has a restful time with plenty of relaxation and focus on the family, the spirit of giving and considering those less fortunate than ourselves. If you are travelling I hope you return safely and that our students are recharged and ready for an exciting year. Christmas is about hope and belief in our fellow man, with this in mind let us consider an exciting 2019.
The return of the Education Review Office in Term 3.
We will also be able to begin our property plan after the ministry approved funding.
We are looking forward to continue exciting, innovative learning including a whole school focus on the guardianship/kaitiakitanga of Tāne forest and working in partnership with the University of Auckland to promote creativity within our curriculum and continuing our ready to learn activities which include mindfulness practices.
Another important work stream will be the development of our new holistic report which promises to be ground-breaking with students taking part-ownership of the report as well as providing engagement and academic progress and achievement data.
Many thanks to everyone for their support of our hard working teachers and enthusiastic students who have all enjoyed every opportunity to grow their greatness.
There has been much discussion of teachers in the media recently with primary and secondary teachers' unions having taken or considering strike action after negotiations over conditions of service broke down with the ministry.
I attended a lecture about teacher retention earlier this year and learnt that among the most significant reasons for teachers staying in the profession include their commitment to teaching and their commitment to the school. In this regard I wish to thank our community for supporting our teachers and expressing whenever possible your appreciation for their efforts. These simple actions, along with our wonderful students, go a long way to ensuring MHJC remains a place which teachers hate to leave.
We are very fortunate at MHJC that we are currently fully staffed and enjoy a high number of applicants for every vacancy we advertise. For example we received 20 applications for one position recently. We are able to attract primary and secondary trained teachers both of whom fall into the SCTA or Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement which is why we were not on strike last week.
Some more information may interest the community.
7 "master craftsmen and women" have 15 years experience or more who help to guide the less experienced teachers within our mentoring programme.
13 with a masters qualification.
only 6 staff leaving last year. This includes two teachers who are on maternity leave and will be returning.
At time of writing we are fully staffed for next year with only four teachers leaving us.
We closely track the reasons for leaving and in the last three years these include promotion opportunities at other schools, relocations (nationally and internationally) and retirement. I am pleased to report that MHJC continues to be a sought after school for teachers who, according to the latest community feedback survey, enjoy high levels of satisfaction within an innovative and supportive learning environment.
Sunday 11 November marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the day world war one ended. Every year we acknowledge Anzac Day however the centenary of the day on which the "war that will end all wars" ended is not always observed as widely in New Zealand. It is an important day for us because while the sacrifice shown by the Anzac Forces in Gallipoli cannot be underestimated, New Zealand soldiers also contributed greatly to the Allied war effort on the Western Front in Europe. In total 16 697 New Zealanders were killed in the war, 2779 during the Gallipoli campaign.
Indeed a casualty rate of 58% was one of the highest of any countries involved in world war one. The impact on such a small country was significant and it took many years before the country recovered.
Again we are reminded of the courage of those men and women who served their country, too many giving the ultimate sacrifice. And we appreciate the relative safety and stability we enjoy here in New Zealand. Perhaps a relevant message is that we still need to have the courage to stand up for universal values which uphold and preserve our humanity.
I trust the students of MHJC never have to face the horrors of war but will be prepared to face the challenges of the future with confidence and compassion.


Our Amusemat is a foodie playground for babies, its playground design encourages kids to play with food. if you have a fussy eater, playing with their food is also a great way to increase their appetite. Let junior have some fun and explore their food at the table. You might catch them with pasta noodle in one hand, broccoli in the other and ketchup smeared up to their ear, but you'll also catch them having a great time. Self-feeding is part your little one's curiosity, discovery, exploration, and sensory experience.


Luke Doris – Sullivan Supply, Inc.
Luke Doris runs a multi-breed operation out of Ree Heights,SD. He has been a part of numerous national champion females, in addition to numerous major steer champions. When asked what advice he has to offer to succeed, he says that practice makes perfect, and don't forget to work hard and never give up. His favorite product is Powderful, as he likes how easy it is to build legs with this product.


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In La Mirada, '1776 the Musical' looks…
In La Mirada, '1776 the Musical' looks back, reflects today
The production, which will also play in Northridge, is a first-class staging of the 1969 musical.
"1776 the Musical" will be at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through Feb. 3. (Photo by Jason Niedle)
By Dany Margolies | dany.scng@gmail.com |
PUBLISHED: January 15, 2019 at 9:01 am | UPDATED: January 16, 2019 at 2:50 pm
The musical "1776" is quite a piece of writing. Indeed, the story is the indisputable star in this La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts' production, even while the performances engage and the staging enchants.
In May 1776, John Adams (Andy Umberger), Massachusetts representative to the Continental Congress, is desperate to untether the colonies from the despotism of George III. But as Adams' best ally Benjamin Franklin (Peter Van Norden, well-cast) notes, their fellow congressmen consider Adams "obnoxious and disliked."
By June, Virginia Congressman Thomas Jefferson (Caleb Shaw) is still merely reporting on the weather, as his seat is nearest the window. What a waste of a writerly mind.
Or so it goes in this musical, first produced in 1969, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, book by Peter Stone, based on a concept by Edwards.
Andy Umberger as John Adams and Caleb Shaw as Thomas Jefferson appear in a scene from "1776 the Musical." (Photo by Jason Niedle)
James Barbour (standing) as Edward Rutledge and other cast members appear in a scene from "1776 the Musical." (Photo by Jason Niedle)
Andy Umberger stars as John Adams in "1776 the Musical" at the La Mirada Theatre for the Perfoming Arts. (Photo by Jason Niedle)
"1776 the Musical," which depicts the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is on stage at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through Feb. 3. (Photo by Jason Niedle)
James Barbour (standing) stars with the company of "1776 the Musical," now playing at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. (Photo by Jason Niedle)
From left, Michael Starr as Richard Henry Lee, Peter Van Norden as Benjamin Franklin and Andy Umberger as John Adams star in "1776 the Musical." (Photo by Jason Niedle)
Peter Van Norden as Benjamin Fraklin, Ellie Wyman as Martha Jefferson and Andy Umberger as John Adams appear in a scene from "1776 the Musical." (Photo by Jason Niedle)
Teri Bibb and Andy Umberger star as Abigail and John Adams in "1776 the Musical." (Photo by Jason Niedle)
The main battle over independence is between sides of a rather apparent aisle. To the audience's left are the Northerners, to the right are the Southerners. Oh, how those Southerners adhere to their way of life, singing that they are "cool, cool conservative men," who "dance ever to the right, never to the left," in a gorgeous blend of voices (music direction by Jeff Rizzo).
It all looks like an easy choice, until the Courier (Nick McKenna) arrives to sing "Momma Look Sharp," conjuring the horrors of warfare endured by those with boots on the ground. And thus far, McKenna gives the performance to beat here, though well-aided by Jared A. Sayeg's dramatically ghostly lighting.
Battles brew between but also within these men, and director Glenn Casale lets us see these struggles. Some are ego-based, and these men have big egos. Some are fear-based, because they fear losing their bases.
Whatever our individual political bents, we can't help but notice how these men argue, seethe, maneuver, but then work together to try to form a more perfect union. Because eventually it's not about what each wants. It's about a nation.
So, just when independence seems near, John Dickinson (Michael Stone Forrest) of Pennsylvania moves that the vote be unanimous. John Hancock (Nick Santa Maria), for once agreeing with the naysayers, notes "Either we walk together or together we must stay where we are."
And then, this Congress realizes the need for a written document defining, for those outside the room, what independence would mean. Is there a writer among these men who can marshal the arguments, choose the words, turn the phrases and produce one of history's most effective documents?
The weatherman finally gets his chance. But of course his version gets picked apart by his colleagues, because it's easier to "amend, delete and alter" than to put an incipient nation's Declaration of Independence together. And Jefferson quietly shows how bipartisanship benefits the nation, at least eventually.
Among the deletions from his original Declaration is his depiction of slavery as a cruel war against human nature. But South Carolina Congressman Edward Rutledge points out the hypocrisy of the North and its lucrative slave-shipping trade.
Theatergoers may wonder why James Barbour, a superstar in any other production, would sit onstage with 23 other men, disappearing into the scenery for most of this musical. It's probably because he gets to play Rutledge, singing his showstopping "Molasses and Rum." It demands a huge, powerful range. It demands big acting and flamboyant vocals. And Barbour delivers and stops the show, though bookwriter Stone and director Casale wisely keep things moving by immediately sweeping Barbour off the stage. Unfortunately, otherwise, Barbour seems utterly bored.
Women, who must wait 144 years to be allowed to vote, are not yet in Congress. So they support their men. Abigail Adams (Teri Bibb) matches her husband in strategy and debate, and Martha Jefferson (Ellie Wyman) gives musical theater's most subtle depiction of mister-and-missus activity in "He Plays the Violin." Speaking of which, Casale certainly doesn't let any double-entendres slip by without a raised cane, quill or violin bow.
Stephen Gifford's scenic design includes a tote board for the votes, not historically accurate, but also the round-back Windsor chairs immortalized in the Pine-Savage engraving of the signing.
Shon LeBlanc's costuming makes Adams seem thoroughly practical in rusts, Jefferson quietly elegant in pale golds, and Rutledge a little toxic in various shades of bitter green. Hair, wig and makeup design by EB Bohks completes the look of the era.
This production entertains, it evokes admiration, it provokes discussion. But its most pertinent and useful purpose may be to encourage its audiences to reread the Declaration of Independence, in full. Now, that's a piece of writing.
Dany Margolies is a Los Angeles-based writer.
'1776 the Musical'
Rating: ****
When: Through Feb. 3. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. (ample free parking adjacent to the theater)
Tickets: $15-$84
Length: 2 hrs. and 45 mins., including intermission
Suitability: Ages 10 and up
Information: 562-944-9801 or 714-994-6310, www.lamiradatheatre.com
Next: The production will move on to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. Tickets are $44-$86. For information, call 818-677-3000 or go to TheSoraya.org.
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Dany Margolies
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WRITTEN BY: Jackie Brown
Wish Upon a Star: Making the Team COMIC
Petite tomboy Renee wants nothing more than to make her college's football team, but it doesn't take long for her to realize that she's too small and weak to cut it on the field. Already feeling defeated, the incessant taunting from Zack the team's quarter back and his cohorts makes Renee want to quit altogether. But after she wishes upon a star that she were big and strong, she awakes the next morning to find everything about her is bigger and better, including her insatiable libido and mini giantess height. Since this growth only takes effect during moments of extreme arousal, Renee puts it to use the next time Zack and his buddies give her a hard time, since she becomes taller than them. Renee uses her newfound size and strength to conquer them sexually, leading her to learn there's more than one way to make the team.
The debut comic from Jackie Brown, Making the Team spins out of Wish Upon a Star, showing a new tale of a woman transformed by the shooting star phenomenon. When petite tomboy Renee realizes she's too small and weak to make her college's football team, she wishes upon a shooting star that she were bigger and stronger. Not only did her wish come true, but it gave her libido an extra boost. While her newfound size only takes effect during moments of extreme arousal, it proves to be just what she needs to overcome the only thing more important to her than the football team. A spin-off of Wish Upon a Star: A Giant World Begins by Bob Saget created by Jackie Brown.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Giantess-Amazons, Muscle Growth
FETISHES: Clothing Fetish, Exhibitionism, Female Dominant
SCENES: Male-Female Sex, Masturbation
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James "Jim" Farrow, J.D. - President and founding member of MHHM. Jim retired from being a public school history teacher after thirty-two years. As president, Jim serves ex officio on all committees. With a J.D. from Suffolk School of Law, Jim is, also, an experienced mediator and negotiator. A longtime resident of Mission Hill, he has been involved many community activities. He serves as the Manager and Coach of the Boston Breakers Wheelchair Power Soccer Team.
Angel Pizzaro- Vice President and Building Superintendent. Angel is a local Contractor. He serves on many committees including finance, programs, and buildings and chairs the Health Fair Committee. Angel, a longtime Mission Hill resident, is also an active gardener.
Maynard Clark, MS- Recording Secretary- Maynard works at Harvard School of Public Health and attended Harvard Divinity School. He also received an MS in Management from Emanuel College. Maynard is a founder of the Boston Vegetarian Society. He serves on many committees and boards. Maynard is a board member and Officer Assistant Treasurer of the Charlesbank Cooperative Corp and editor of the quarterly Charlesbank Newsletter.
Betty Commerford, MS-Treasurer and Clerk and Founding member of MHHM-Betty is a retired Psychiatric Social Worker. As one of MHHM founders she was involved in the creation of the Harvard Community Health Plan that began in Mission Hill and provided free health care for Mission Hill residents. She was instrumental in the opening of a health clinic at 1534 Tremont Street, elder housing programs, free children's dental care as well as many other community projects. Betty is a trained mediator and serves on many committees and other neighborhood boards.
Our office is located at 1534 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA. Office hours are: Monday -Friday 9am-12noon and at other times by arrangement.


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Order kan syfta på:

 Order (ekonomi) – en formell beställning av varor eller tjänster. Kvittensen på mottagen order kallas ordererkännande.
 Order (börs) – ett erbjudande om att sälja eller köpa instrument på en finansiell marknad
 Order (befallning) – en befallning, särskilt från en militär chef

Se även
 Orden – en sammanslutning av personer med ett gemensamt intresse (engelska Order)
 Orden (utmärkelse) – en civil eller militär utmärkelse som bärs offentligt
 Årder – ett jordbruksredskap

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Children spend the majority of their time in schools, which, on average, are more crowded than many other indoor spaces. In fact, schools often have four times the population density of a typical office, which can have a major impact on the indoor environment.
Good indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important component of a healthy indoor environment in schools and can contribute to improving students' health. However, schools face numerous challenges to maintaining good IAQ.
Deferred preventative and regular maintenance, postponement of minor and capital repairs, and delays in major system and component replacements can result in costly issues, including those related to poor IAQ. However, tight budgets, overcrowding, older buildings and facilities, and other various concerns can make managing indoor air in schools difficult and prolong the amount of time students, faculty, and staff have exposure to poor IAQ.
IAQ issues can lead to long- and short-term health problems, such as coughs, eye irritation, headaches, allergic reactions, and in some cases, life-threatening conditions. Continue reading to find out how else poor IAQ can impact education facilities in addition to the students and staff who spend countless hours in these types of facilities.
It is helpful to think of the benefits of IAQ management and healthy school environments as a three-legged stool. All three elements—student and staff performance, the physical environment, and occupant health—are equally important, and when combined, support a balanced and healthy school environment.
Health directly relates to the ability to think, learn, and work. Studies have consistently shown that healthier indoor air helps students achieve higher test scores and helps both adults and children improve in their performance of mental tasks, such as concentration and recall.
A 2015 Harvard School of Public Health research study published inCurrent Environmental Health Reportsfound that improved health and productivity correlates with enhanced ventilation. This strengthens the case for schools to develop an IAQ management program with enhanced ventilation strategies, a critical component of a school district's education development plan.
Data from the National Center of Education Statistics indicates the average school building in the United States is 57 years old. One quarter of school buildings need extensive repair, and half of all schools report complaints related to IAQ.
The age of a building affects its physical environment, as older buildings are likely to need more frequent repairs. The physical environment of a building also determines the building's mechanical systems and the methods used to maintain the building and its systems, such as the chemicals used for cleaning and pest control and the handling of pollutants. All of these factors influence the quality of the indoor environment.
Indoor air pollution, like outdoor air pollution, can negatively affect health if not properly addressed. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its scientific advisory board consider poor IAQ to be one of the top five environmental threats to health. A host of pollutants, allergens, and asthma triggers may be found indoors, including mold, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, lead, asbestos, pesticides, second-hand smoke from tobacco products, and more.
Studies of human exposure to air pollutants conducted by the EPA indicate indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times—and occasionally more than 100 times—higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Additionally, children often are more susceptible to pollutants because they breathe proportionately more air than adults.
The state of a school's physical environment can significantly influence student health and exacerbate asthma, which is a major health concern in schools and can negatively affect student attendance. Nearly one-in-10 school-aged children has asthma, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism.
In some states, school funding is tied to student attendance, and absenteeism caused by asthma can cost districts in those states significant amounts of money. By improving IAQ and acting quickly if an IAQ issue arises, it is possible to protect the health of students and staff, thereby saving the school district money.
The chemicals found in certain standard cleaning products can cause health problems, and when the products contain VOCs, they can provoke asthma, upper respiratory irritation, nasal congestion, dizziness, and nausea.
Green cleaning products and practices may help avoid these health effects and are a key component of an effective IAQ management program. Green cleaning should be a simple solution, but smart materials selection is not always intuitive. EPA'sIAQ Tools for Schoolsprogram (see sidebar) offers a list of green cleaning recommendations and identifies what to look for when purchasing environmentally preferable products.
Schools can rely on third-party certifiers to screen and document products that meet the proper green cleaning criteria. Common third-party green product certification programs include Green Seal™, UL GreenGuard and UL ECOLOGO®. EPA's Safer Choice program offers guidance specific to selecting products for safer and healthier school environments. Third-party certified green products are widely available at costs comparable to those of standard cleaning products.
Share the responsibility with others.
However, data and results from the CDC's 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study reveal that only 31.3 percent of all states promoted policies and offered assistance to districts and schools on green cleaning products and practices.
With tight budgets and other resource constraints, a majority of school districts still struggle to provide the training necessary to ensure that all staff members have a functional understanding of the impacts of effective cleaning and maintenance. Less than half (about 44 percent) of districts provide funding for or offer professional development for school faculty and staff on green cleaning products/practices; 63 percent provide funding for these services.
Cleaner, safer, and healthier learning environments for students and staff are achievable through effective IAQ management.
EPA has the resources necessary to train, educate, and support school districts and their staff on green cleaning and IAQ management. The IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, the School IAQ Assessment Mobile App, the Framework for Effective IAQ Management, the IAQ Master Class Professional Training Webinar Series, and the Energy Savings Plus Health guide all are offered at no cost on the EPA website. These resources work together seamlessly and are tailored to help coordinate school IAQ assessments and management programs.
Cristina Córdova's dedication to the environment led her to The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc., where she has spent the last two years supporting the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Environments Division.
Tracy Washington Enger works for the Indoor Environments Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For 20 years she has worked with communities around the country and internationally facilitates events that generate action to address critical health and environmental issues.


As fondly called by his friends as Editor, it is difficult to find Tsering Wangyal's profile information and hence resorted in collecting bits and pieces from different sources.
Unknown of his primary and secondary education, Tsering Wangyal studied history at the University of Bristol. He had earlier served in the Tibetan exile administration in the 1970s. In 1976, he succeeded Dawa Norbu as the editor of Tibetan Review and remained until his resignation in 1996. In 1986, he was hosted by The (Quincy) Patriot Ledger to visit the United States as the fellow of Alfred Friendly Press Partners.
He passed away in Toronto at 8:33 pm on 24 November 2000 from hepatitis B. He was 51. (Samphel la wrote he was 48 when he passed away).
That spirit is no more. Tsering Wangyal, the editor of Tibetan Review for twenty years from 1976 to 1996, died on 24 November in Toronto from hepatitis B. He was 48. He remained single and was almost monkish in his singleness. But he is survived by his quick wit, his irreverent humour, and his prodigious output in the Tibetan Review. And by what his friends call his "Editor-lese," a collection of Editor's puns on people and places that are still passed around with delight in the Tibetan diaspora world and re-told many times over….
Editor had several life-long interests, in books, movies, music, and musicals. His devotion to Broadway musicals was almost spiritual in its intensity. Once to broaden our narrow minds, Editor took us to see Miss Saigon on Broadway. The ticket of $36 each was enough to develop a lasting aversion in us to all such fancy stuff. Our minds were quickly converting the sum into astronomical Indian rupees. But once through the musical we felt as if we had visited Shangri-la itself. Or was it Shambala? "No, that's Broadway," Editor thundered. But that wasn't enough. After the musical, Editor forced us to go through another expensive ritual. Eating at a steak house to express effusive fascination with the experience.
However, Editor will most be remembered for his twenty years of stewardship of the Tibetan Review. He and his predecessor, Professor Dawa Norbu, turned a magazine into a venerated institution of the Tibetan exile world and created a whole new generation of Tibetans: the TIBgotes or the Tibetan Review generation of Tibetan exiles. A generation born in Tibet, educated in exile and using the forum provided by the Review to discuss how to redeem its lost inheritance.
China has its People's Liberation Army, but the Tibetan exiles have their Tibetan Review.
Pen versus the sword? A favourite topic of debate at Tibetan schools. In the long run, the pen always wins because it generates ideas and inspirations that endure. Editor used his pen or in his case his massive Remington typewriter with thundering rage. He pulled no punches, both against what he perceived as Tibetan government bungling and China's unrelenting assault in Tibet. In the end the image remains of Editor, shirtless, pounding on the Remington typewrite with his rapid, flowing two fingers, to produce his spontaneous, angry editorials which became the delight of the public and dismay of authorities. Tsering Wangyal will remain the reporter's reporter and Editor to a whole generation of Tibetan exiles.
Source: Obituary on Tsering Wangyal by Thubten Samphel, Tibetan Bulletin January-February 2001.
Tsering Wangyal had an uncanny power over words that came with mathematical precision, 'quick wit and irreverent humour'. During his nineteen years as the editor, Tibetan Review became a standard forum where ideas were debated, ideologies were shaped and shaky policies from both sides of the Himalayas were shredded. His ascetic life was made more attractive by the sounds of his words which echoed in the corridors of the Kashag and Zhongnanhai in equal measure.
Editor's dedication to his profession was also incomparable. The day on which he was to leave for Canada he attended his office at the Voice of Tibet in Dharamshala with his belongings stuffed in a small carry bag. After office that evening, he sat in a bus that wormed slowly down the narrow road towards the plains. It was the last time we saw him.
Tsering Wangyal passed away in Toronto at 8:33 pm on 24 November 2000. He was 51.
Sino-Tibetan Relations: prospects for the Future, The Potomac Conference, October 5-6, 1992, II. Historical Perspectives: Recent Sino-Tibetan Dialogue/Democratization Evolution of the Chinese Democracy Movement and the Tibetan Issue by Tsering Wangyal.
Obituary on Tsering Wangyal by Thubten Samphel, Tibetan Bulletin January-February 2001.


InDesign 13.0.1 on a apple mac running 10.13.3 does not recognize alias (links) on a server share anymore. Photoshop still does.
Steps: Go to a server share, no matter if an smb or afp share.
Create an alias from folder A => A alias.
The Folder A is in black typo an available. Highlight A and you see the file.
The Alias A alias is gray, InDesign does not recognize the link.
Do the same in Photoshop, you will see the file no matter if you chose the folder or the alias.
All the years this worked in InDesign too (as expected).
If you create an alias of a folder (located on a server) and drag it to the desktop, it works. For quick creation of aliases this way, press Option-Command while you drag the original item to the desktop.
Note : Accessing items of an folder's alias located on a server has not worked in previous releases of InDesign too.
1. Using InDesign CC 2018 on a Mac.
2. Upon launching Indesign the command+n shortcut for a new file does not function. Only works when I have a file open.
3. Expected result would be for it to come to the new file options box.
4. Just makes the weird bumping sound and I have to go up to file and select new file.
This keyboard shortcut works on Illustrator CC 2018 and Photoshop CC 2018 upon launching. Thank you!
As mentioned by Reyna, the issue is now resolved.
InDesign 2019 14.0.2 has created a new bug with GREP. If you search for any character, InDesign jumps half way through the file.
So, for example, if you click the cursor at the start of the document, instead of GREP finding the very first character that you search for, it instead jumps towards the end of the document.
So, for example, if you do a search for the letter 'a' in GREP, it will miss most of the document out and find the first one towards the end of the document.
To confirm this, if you do a search and replace of . to $0 instead of finding all the characters in the document and replacing them with themselves (we use this for finding out how many characters are in a document), in one of our documents it found and replaced 30,000 characters when it should have replaced 500,000 characters.
This has only happened in this latest update.
Based on user response, closing this issue.
1. If I try to open the character panel, there is a lag time with the dreaded rainbow spinning wheel that either takes way to long to load and sometimes crashes the program.
So, to get around that, I've adopted using the properties panel for type changes, which opens immediately and allows me to make the same changes I could in the character panel. However, there is one thing that is slowing my work flow and I'm wondering if there's any way around it.
2. When I'm in the text tool and needing to make text changes repeatedly throughout a document. I need to expand either the character or paragraph panels by clicking the three dots to expand the menu. Every time I reinsert the cursor to make the same or similar changes to other text within the same document, the panel snaps shut and I'm forced to scoll down and reopen the extended panel. This is cumbersome and annoying and wastes time. Is there a work around that I'm not aware of?
After updating to InDesign 14.0.2, the issue is resolved.
Windows 10 - i7 6700 with a Nvidia Quadro graphics card, and 16gb RAM.
Layout images in a spread and some dummy text.
It's a newly created document.
Images are stored on server - thought this was the problem - moved all images to desktop - still crashes.
Saved the file to IDML and opened that and resaved it.
Shut down/End Task of all non-essential programms, including anti-virus.
As updated on the Adobe Forum, the issue is no longer reproducible with the user.
Step and repeat is not working correctly.
If you have an object, whilst holding option, drag the object to a new position and release, the object is duplicated. This works correctly. If i then select Duplicate from the Edit menu, it should repeat the the last duplication. It does not! It uses the last step and repeat measurement. This is a bug.
This is using indesign 2019.
My Indesign Dictionary is set to English: USA, but it still regularly corrects to UK spellings i.e. enrol vs. enroll. I am running Indesign 13.1. Can this be fixed?
The Dictionary section in Preferences dialog shows the Dictionary that is in use for a particular Language. The path (which looks like /Linguistics/UserDictionaries/Adobe Custom Dictionary/…) shown in the dialog is the location of the dictionary that is being used. You can add your own custom User Dictionary by clicking on the + button.
The Language used for Spell check is NOT the one chosen in the Preferences dialog.
To specify the default Language used for Spell check for all documents, you should close all documents and select the Type Tool. The Control panel (when Character Formatting Controls – 'A' button is selected at the left) shows the Default Language set for all documents. This is the language used for Spell Check. You can also open the Paragraph Styles panel, double-click on the [Basic Paragraph] style and under Advanced Character Formats section, change the Language.
Baselinegrid is invisible. Also when visibility is 'on '. (Documentgrid visibility works fine).
The correct resolution for this issue has been resolved by a user.
I like to layer different styles of content. I'll have a background layer for images, etc., that I want to not touch later so I can lock/unlock while I work with my content over the top of it. Sometimes, I accidentally am in the background layer and create content that needs to be moved to another layer. I would love for a feature like Illustrator that allows me to highlight an object or group of objects, click an opposing layer, and then right-click > arrange > move to selected layer.
Also, there is a slight bug I've found, but it doesn't crash and I can work around it: When I have grouped objects, and I copy and paste them into a new layer, they appear to be in the new layer; however, if I ungroup them, they automatically de-group back into their original layer before I copied and pasted them. Does that make sense? That feature I mentioned above would fix this, but either way, this bug is kind of annoying because then I have to go back and copy and paste the ungrouped objects back into the new layer I wanted them in. Might be unclear, but I just ran into this issue today.
There is an option in the Layers panel flyout menu called "Ungroup Remembers Layers". This is ON by default. That's why when you ungroup, the objects go back to the layers to which they belonged prior to the grouping. You can uncheck this option if you want to have the objects get ungrouped on the same layer as the group.
Latest version (2018) does not correctly locate objects when using the 'paste in place' function.
Open a double page spread document. Select item from left page spread and paste in place on another spread in same document - locates incorrectly.
User confirmed that the issue is resolved with the latest update, on being contacted via email by Adobe staff member.


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Dynamic Driver vs Neodymium Drivers – Here's What You Need to Know
Written by Vitaly Fedorov in Blog Last Updated August 6, 2022
When you get yourself a headphone, you may take it for the driver quality alone. But there are other specifications which you should take into consideration.
This is the reason why it is also important to look into the kind of magnet your headphone driver comes with.
The dynamic drivers, for instance, typically have a fixed neodymium magnet. To understand the relation between the two, it is important to know about the dynamic driver and neodymium magnet.
But, first, let us proceed with drivers in general to get a basic idea about them.
Dynamic Driver vs Neodymium Drivers: What are Headphone Drivers?
A headphone driver is a mechanism that converts electrical signals into sound waves.
A driver unit is made up of three components: voice coils, magnet and a cone-like diaphragm.
Earlier, the size of the driver used to decide the sound quality of the headphones. Now, it is rather the technology used in the driver which determines the sound quality.
Let us now look into one of the most popular headphone drivers available out there: the dynamic driver.
How Does A Dynamic Driver work?
The dynamic driver uses the principle of magnetism and electromagnetism to vibrate the diaphragm in order to produce sound.
The most important components of a dynamic driver are
A fixed neodymium magnet
A voice coil
A diaphragm that is attached to the voice coil
The diaphragm receives electrical input and is thus converted into an electromagnet, the field which is determined by the direction of electric current. The neodymium magnet forms the other part of the magnetic loop. The mutual interaction between the magnet and voice coil moves the diaphragm to produce sound.
Dynamic Drivers: How do they Fare for the Music Lovers?
These drivers are the most simple in construction and do not consume much power to give the best output volume. This can be a blessing for devices that have low power ratings, thus saving enough energy for other applications.
The dynamic driver excels in producing bass of high quality. It achieves this through its powerful capability to displace air.
Initially, some people had complaints about the sound distortion at high volumes. Better engineering, however, has come to the rescue of this particular problem.
Neodymium magnets are composed of neodymium, boron and iron. They are considered to be one of the strongest magnets available for permanent usage.
Neodymium magnets have replaced different types of magnets in many modern products. They are now used in hard disk drives and magnetic fasteners as well.
The strength of neodymium magnets has also inspired new areas where magnets were not used before, such as magnetic jewellery clasps.
Dynamic Driver vs Neodymium Drivers: Final Remarks
As we learnt, the neodymium magnet forms an integral part of the dynamic driver. Hence, the two of them can't be separated.
Dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets have the advantage of being lighter and smaller to fit conveniently in earbuds and headphones.
Neodymium magnets have more magnetic energy per unit of their weight than other magnets. In fact, their sound definition and bass performance are eight times better than the headphones with a ferrite magnet.
So when it comes to the right driver with the right magnet: the duo of the dynamic driver and neodymium magnet works best.
Red Also: Balanced Armature vs Dynamic Driver
Vitaly Fedorov
Vitaly Fedorov is a seasoned audio technician and writer. After spending ten years in a studio team, I have decided to spread my knowledge to people in this domain. On this site, I work for headphone fixing or repair issues, that you're thinking about fixing. Click on any article on my site and read the complete answer about that issue. I am excited to read your feedback.
link to How will small magnets affect Neodymium headphone drivers?
How will small magnets affect Neodymium headphone drivers?
How do Neodymium headphone drivers react to tiny magnets?: benefits, effects, and comprehensive evaluation The strongest type of electromagnet now in use is a neodymium magnet. They are ten times...
link to It's Al About What Are The Advantages Of Dual Driver Headphones
It's Al About What Are The Advantages Of Dual Driver Headphones
Dual driver earphones are Specially made for improved acoustic signal are dual-driver earbuds. These earbuds have two speaker sets that work together. On each earpiece of these earphones are two...


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The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook
Posted on August 9, 2015	by Stavros Alexakis
The new study, conducted by Pew Research Center in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, finds that clear majorities of Twitter (63%) and Facebook users (63%) now say each platform serves as a source for news about events and issues outside the realm of friends and family. That share has increased substantially from 2013, when about half of users (52% of Twitter users, 47% of Facebook users) said they got news from the social platforms.
Although both social networks have the same portion of users getting news on these sites, there are significant differences in their potential news distribution strengths. The proportion of users who say they follow breaking news on Twitter, for example, is nearly twice as high as those who say they do so on Facebook (59% vs. 31%) – lending support, perhaps, to the view that Twitter's great strength is providing as-it-happens coverage and commentary on live events.
These findings come at a time when the two social media platforms are increasing their emphasis on news. Twitter is soon set to unveil its long-rumored news feature, "Project Lightning." The feature will allow anyone, whether they are a Twitter user or not, to view a feed of tweets, images and videos about live events as they happen, curated by a bevy of new employees with "newsroom experience." And, in early 2015, Twitter purchased and launched the live video-streaming app Periscope, further highlighting their focus on providing information about live events as they happen. Meanwhile, in May, Facebook launched Instant Articles, a trial project that allows media companies to publish stories directly to the Facebook platform instead of linking to outside sites, and, in late June, Facebook started introducing its "Trending" sidebar to allow users to filter by topic and see only trending news about politics, science and technology, sports or entertainment.
Source: http://www.journalism.org/2015/07/14/the-evolving-role-of-news-on-twitter-and-facebook/


Jo: Yeah they say teachers should be, too. Right… So, I hear you got signed – what's the story?
Raf: I heard that too. And since the label posted it on their website, I suppose it's true. Basically, we've been previewing songs off the album on our Myspace page. Laurent and Laurent (I kid you not) from D-Monic came across them, liked what they heard and let me know they were interested in a release. So I sent them a CD with all the songs and there you go : a record deal. Sometimes it is that simple.
Jo: I think some people would be very jealous, actually, i can think of at least two… Blimey, a bolt from the blue.
Raf: FGG's album will get a release as well, I'm certain of that!
Jo: Aw, wasn't referring to that! Mind you, that makes three… Hard work pays off, then. Bearing in mind that most of my readers won't have a clue what you do, can you fill them in a bit?
Raf: What I do, or what we do?
Raf: Ok. Collectively, we play music I wrote… Basically, what I wanted to do was to take the music that influenced me and do my own take of it. Since most of these bands say they're not goth, I guess we play 'non goth' *evil grin* I started a band in 1996, but that never panned out. Ahráyeph is actually a continuation of what got started eleven years back, but slightly updated and with musicians I can depend on. Mind you, up until a year ago, Ahráyeph was just a one man project.
Jo : Not 'goth in denial', then? What happened a year ago? You suddenly got your arse in gear, or several musicians landed in your lap from the heavens?
Raf: The latter, actually. Here I was, working on the end phase of the album's recording, when all these musicians came crawling out of the woodwork and offered to play in a band with me because they liked what I did. Once again : it was as simple as that. Having gone through a few ordeals when it came to the right personnel for a band, I was a bit weary to say the least, but it turned out great. We even got ourselves a real drummer, something I didn't fancy at first. Drummers take up tons of space on stage and they always steal the most interesting groupies. It helps that Steve is a nice bloke, a great musician and already has a girlfriend, so we're safe.
Jo: Well i never knew that about drummers… I shall check that one! Are you a very lucky boy, or have you sold your soul?
Raf: I sold my soul, just like everyone else in this business. What else can you expect from a Pagan?
Jo: Well, I dunno. It might have gone earlier on something else.
Jo: We have our uses… mind they don't claim royalties!
So how many influences have you managed to fit in, do you think? Do they gel nicely?
Jo: I should think that's a major compliment, then. Does that relate to lyrics as well?
Raf: Well, that's a whole different matter. My lyrics are my own and I take more cues from literal writers than I do from song writers. You could never compare my lyrics to eg. Carl Mc Coy's or Ian Curtis's. Nor would I want to make comparisons to either of them. I write lyrics the way they come out. It's part stream of consciousness, part hard work. Sometimes the music dictates what the lyrical subject for a song will be. Hence, you can't really say where they come from.
Jo: How IS the general music scene in Belgium, and how do you fit in?
Raf: Most of the scene is either commercial techno stuff or alternative rock. The latter is quite interesting because, whether you loathe or love them, the bands can play and have good songs. But, we don't fit in with them at all. What we do is being shunned and ridiculed by the mainstream alternativemusic media down here even more than metal. They take their cues from their UK colleagues, which I'm not sure is a good thing.
Jo: Pish, no, they don't know a good thing most of the time, and they like to destroy when they've built. This internet thingy is a bit of an asset, then.
Raf: Well, let's say Myspace is a blessing of sorts. And so are all kinds of music forums. It gets your music to the people that like it without the middle man. The digital medium has certainly been beneficial to us as far as promoting ourselves goes. It even got us the deal with D-Monic, so you won't hear me complain.
Jo: I should hope not, young man. Is gigging difficult, given what you said?
Raf: It's not been easy to get gigs from the start. We have been offered some gigs next year, but since we're still largely unknown, these are few and far between. Once upon a time, you toured to promote your album. These days, it seems to be the other way around : you release a record to promote your live gigs. So we hope that's what will happen when 'Marooned On Samsara' is released because we love to play live.
Jo: Anything lined up right now?
Raf: We've got another gig in our home town next April and some offers to play in countries as diverse as Poland and the UK.
Raf: indeed, we've been lucky with people in the UK trying to help us out to get gigs there. It's something I find important, because the music that inspired me to do Ahráyeph all came from there – give or take a few exceptions.
Jo: Aye, we ain't done bad over the years. The next step is – gig as much as poss and get all worked up for launch date?
Raf: As strange as it may seem, the next step is writing new material. I've been having a creative outburst lately and with no confirmed gigs before early 2008, I felt it better to ride that creative wave, in order to start production on the new album somewhere in the middle of next year. We know the old songs by heart now, so we require few rehearsals to get ready for new gigs, should the opportunities arrive.
Jo: Taking the bull by the horns whilst you can? very wise.
Jo: Carpe diem… what question do you want to be asked?
Jo: *snork* rephrase… what do you want us to know that we don't already?
Raf: Everything that's being withheld by the evil forces of government and religion in order to dominate and control. Knowledge is power and freedom rolled into one.
Jo: Thinly disguised as governmental leaks?
Raf : See? it's working!
Anyway, with that, we parted. Check out the links below for the music, the record company, and general info.
This entry was posted in OI and tagged Ahráyeph, Interviews by OI. Bookmark the permalink.


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Seat Belt Safety Facts and Statistics
July 29th, 2011 by thomasjhenry
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It is common knowledge that seat belts save lives, yet there are still folks who are not buckling up. While seatbelt use averages 88% nationally, there are still groups less likely to wear seat belts: teens, commercial drivers, males in rural areas, pick-up truck drivers, and people who have been drinking.
Seat Belt Safety Statistics
Information provided by the National Safety Council.
Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50%
Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008
42% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were unbelted
People are less likely to wear seatbelts when they are alone in their car or driving at night
Texas Seatbelt Laws
Sec. 545.413 of the Texas Transportation Code states:
Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt
Drivers and passengers can be fined for failing to buckle up
Fines range from $25 to $200
Seat Belt Safety Tips
Information provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash- buckling up saved 13,000 lives in 2008 alone.
Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them- failing to wear your seatbelt could put you at risk for injury from air bag impact.
Seat belts only work when they are used correctly- wear your seatbelt the way it was meant to be worn, with the lap belt and shoulder belt secured over your body.
Fit matters- Use seat belt adjusters or extenders to get the best fit.
Occupant protection is for everyone- there are various safety restraint systems designed to protect passengers of all ages.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Thomas J. Henry is a personal injury law firm with offices in Corpus Christi, Texas and Houston, Texas representing accident victims nationwide. Our priority is to provide our clients with the best legal representation. Our experienced trial attorneys are committed to defending your rights in personal injury matters including defective products, trucking accidents, maritime accidents, and other catastrophic accidents.
Medical Malpractice Facts and Statistics
Seat Belt Laws Have Reduced Traffic Fatalities
3 Injuries, 1 Death in GM Airbag/Seat Belt Recall


A damning report by the British Film Institute (BFI) has lifted the lid on the difficulties faced by British film producers including a lack of opportunities for 'new blood' producers to break into the industry, issues around funding and problems caused by partnering with Hollywood studios.
While the report highlighted a number of negatives within the business, it also noted positives including the possibilities for film businesses in television, the strength of vertically integrated distribution and sales units and growing opportunities across video-on-demand.
However, the report – The Corporate Finance of SMEs in the UK Film Industry – has a controversial provenance. Compiled in 2014 by chartered accountants Northern Alliance, it was never released by the BFI, which is run by Chief Executive Amanda Nevill, and only came to light after a Freedom of Information request from film statistician Stephen Follows. One BFI exec called the suppression of the report a "triple-decker sh**show".
One of the most damning statistics in the report is the fact that almost half of the film businesses that produced, sold or distributed top British films between 2009 and 2014 have "subsequently ceased trading or appear to be in decline".
It stated that stand alone independent production companies typically have "weak" and "illiquid" balance sheets, often reporting losses, "though many appear to do so because the owners take out as much cash from their companies as soon as possible".
It added that the industry is also "resistant to new blood" or "simply that there is no substitute for experience in a highly complex area such as film production" and there is a low churn rate at the top film firms.
A number of hybrid film companies, those which have moved into television and advertising, have had highest average turnover in the period. "The film and TV model still appears to be the most successful. The more stable and continuous revenue from TV commissions apparently providing an even basis for the more uncertain and irregular returns from film production," it added.
There has been a "seismic" shift in the UK with many of the most high-profile film companies moving aggressively into television. The Football Factory and The Sweeney producer Vertigo Films has been at the cutting edge with series such as epic period romp Britannia and buddy cop action thriller Bulletproof, both produced for Sky, while the likes of Alison Owen's Monumental Pictures recently made Hulu and ITV Encore prostitution drama Harlots and The Fyzz Facility recently set up a small screen division.
Another difficulty highlighted by the report is that, while private investment in individual film projects is quite common, there are few instances of venture capital investment in film companies and these firms are not supported by banks. "This seems to indicate that UK film businesses typically still do not have ready access to traditional sources of corporate finance other than their self-generated working capital and there remains a wide 'equity gap' in the UK film industry," it noted.
It added that having the support of a Hollywood studio can be damaging. "Whilst on a personal level working for a studio might be profitable, at a corporate level, the majority of the companies that enter into long-term arrangements with MPAA companies generate significant losses".
Eric Fellner, co-chairman of NBC Universal-backed Working Title, told The Times newspaper that this was not his experience but that he did recognize the report's description of short-term attitudes in the industry. The Baby Driver producer said that many producers lived "hand to mouth" from one project to another and failed to invest in the business.
The problems were not limited to production: the report highlighted the difficulties in the sales and distribution side of the industry. It found that there "appears to be" a minimum threshold of around £2M (US$2.7M) per year in turnover in order for sales agencies to prosper. "The business of being a truly independent sales agent remains a tough one, with previous incumbents either navigating their way towards new types of business model or persevering through being very tightly resourced, low overhead businesses focussed around very small teams of experienced sales executives," it added.
There were some rays of light for the UK film production business, which is thought to be worth around £1.6B (US$2.1B) per year. It noted the emergence of video-on-demand, and given that the report is three years old, this sector with the growth of Netflix and Amazon and moves by Apple means that this is only likely to help further. "Access to VOD audiences now appears to be emerging as a critical success factor".


Would Hillary be "Shocked" to hear about Bill's eavesdropping, too?
What's up with Hillary Clinton?
For months we hear hardly a peep from the liberal Senator from New York, but this past week she made the national news nearly every day for bashing President Bush.
"Their argument that it's rooted in the authority to go after al-Qaida is far-fetched," she said. "Their argument that it's rooted in the Constitution inherently is kind of strange because we have FISA and FISA operated very effectively and it wasn't that hard to get their permission," she said.
She made the allegations today as if she knew nothing of her husband's warrentless searches during his time in the White House.
But, then again, she was "shocked" when she found out her husband had been cheating on her. She was "shocked" when she heard about her brother receiving $400,000 for brokering presidential clemency deals with the White House during her husband's years in office. Hillary was "shocked" to hear of the suicide death of Deputy Counsel Vincent W. Foster, Jr. The White House Travel Office was "shocked" for the way they were treated during Travelgate. So maybe this is just a bit more of "shocking" news for the New York Senator from Arkansas.
Clinton's desire for far-reaching eavesdropping authority is amply documented. In his first term, his administration was the most wiretap-friendly in history. In 1995, it set a record for the most crime-related wiretaps in a year (a record it is bound to break this year) and for the most "national security" wiretaps without establishing probable cause of a crime. For the first time, federal agents conducted more wiretaps than the police in the 50 states combined.
The Anchoress breaks down the hidden truths on Hillary from the Gallup poll today.


Light is king. Whether you love landscape, food, portrait, street, sports or macro, getting the light right will make or break your images. You can't fix 'bad' light after the shot's been taken, you have to get it right in camera at the precise moment of releasing the shutter. Understanding the importance of light and its qualities is what more photographers struggle to learn than anything else.
It's so easy to think. "I can see it, therefore there's light." or that more light is better than less. It's the quality of light that's important. So what does quality of light really mean? It means light that makes the subject or scene look its best. So one windy morning after completing my workshop on Lanzarote I thought I'd go shoot some Landscapes and show you how quickly it can change.
Days like the one in the video are perfect for landscape photography. Lots of clouds mean more than an interesting sky, they mean there's be patches of light and shade moving across the landscape, highlighting different areas of it as it goes. If you want to shoot landscape, you have to be patient, find a scene that'll be pleasing to look at and think about what you want to include, where to place those things in the composition (in other words where to position the camera).
You must look at the light and ask yourself if it's lighting up the scene to show it at its best. And if not, when will it do that? You often have to return at another time or day or even month for the light to be appropriate. Sorry, there are no shortcuts.
A windy day with plenty of cloud is a good day to go out shooting landscape. The stronger the wind, the faster the clouds move and the blue holes between them through which the sunlight shines. These are like searchlights sweeping the land. All you have to do is be patient and wait for it to hit the spot you want to stand out - and be ready. On very windy days light moves fast and changes in seconds as you saw in the video.
You've probably heard of Henri Carier Breson's concept of the 'decisive moment'. If you're unsure what it means, here are some definitions I found online.
"The capture of a unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment, ideally one involving movement and action."
"A precisely timed, unrepeatable, one-chance shot."
"The simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression."
Many photographers think of it only in terms of street or people photography, but it surely applies to the ever changing play of light on a landscape just as much as human behavior. In landscape photography the decisive moment is when the light qualities are perfect for the shot you have pre-visualised.
In the video, whilst photographing the stone building, vinyard and volcanoes in the distance I wanted light to highlight the building and the 'curly volcano' in the background so I had to wait until it happened.
If you missed the light moving across the landscape, go back and watch the video again and look out of me going in and out of shade, patches of light and shade moving across the ground and how quickly it does it.
Be ready with your camera set up before the event. If you're fiddling with settings you'll probably miss it.
If you don't know what you want or how to have the camera ready, my Ultimate Beginners course will quickly get you up to speed with your camera, light, composition, lenses and more, and the 7 Building Blocks Of Photography will have you knowing how to combine these things appropriately for any image you want to take.
If you're really serious about your photography, why not come and shoot these locations with me as your guide and mentor on the next Lanzarote workshop?
The end result was universally admired, and captured exactly what we wanted from the photo shoot.
Great video, Mike. What I am learning is that there is a good picture even when at first sight the scene does not seem to indicate it.
I would like to know if your laser sets of shots were as taken or post processed?
Sorry meant if your later not laser!!
Thanks for the videos. I watch them with interest and like you often see some opportunity when you are out and about you want to capture and preserve. I cycle the national trails, and my wife and I are walking the Brecon canal. Might be a Heron on the bank, a stone bridge in the forest, a classic farmhouse on the hill whatever.
Question: I'm interested in subscribing to your lightroom course, but only have lightroom 5.7 I don't want to subscribe to CC . Will v.5 be adequate, should I buy a V.6 or would I need CC? message to joseph@cj17.co.uk would be really helpful.


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Q: WooCommerce Reset Password only by email It is possible to change form-lost-password in the way, that user can be reset password only by email (validate username like email and show error, when input not email), I don't find a hook for this.

A: You can use "lostpassword_errors" hook.
Please check line 2930 of wp-includes/user.php
$errors = apply_filters( 'lostpassword_errors', $errors, $user_data );

So, if you want to reset password only by email address, not by username, you can use following code.
add_filter( 'lostpassword_errors', 'reset_password_by_email_only', 20, 2 );

function reset_password_by_email_only( $errors, $user_data ) {
    $user_login = !empty($_POST['user_login'])?$_POST['user_login']:'';

    if ( empty( $user_login ) ) {
        $errors->add( 'empty_username', __( 'Error: Please enter a username or email address.' ) );
    } elseif ( strpos( $user_login, '@' ) ) {
        $user_data = get_user_by( 'email', trim( wp_unslash( $user_login ) ) );
        if ( empty( $user_data ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'invalid_email', __( 'Error: There is no account with that username or email address.' ) );
        }
    } else {
        $errors->add( 'invalid_input', __('Error: YOUR MESSAGE FOR INVALID INPUT HERE.' ) );
    }

    return $errors;
}

It will return error when user input is not email address.
Hope it would help you.
UPDATE:
If you are using woocommerce and you want to reset password by email address only on myaccount page(customer area), you need to use "lostpassword_post" hook.
    add_action( 'lostpassword_post', 'reset_password_by_email_only', 20, 2 );

function reset_password_by_email_only( $errors, $user_data ) {
    $user_login = !empty($_POST['user_login'])?$_POST['user_login']:'';

    if ( empty( $user_login ) ) {
        $errors->add( 'empty_username', __( 'Error: Please enter a username or email address.' ) );
    } elseif ( strpos( $user_login, '@' ) ) {
        $user_data = get_user_by( 'email', trim( wp_unslash( $user_login ) ) );
        if ( empty( $user_data ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'invalid_email', __( 'Error: There is no account with that username or email address.' ) );
        }
    } else {
        $errors->add( 'invalid_input', __('Error: YOUR MESSAGE FOR INVALID INPUT HERE.' ) );
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Archive for the 'South San Francisco' Category
SF Entertainment Commission New Surveillance Rules to Impact Privacy, Venues
Posted: April 9, 2011 in Bay Area, CCTV, identity, privacy, scanners, South San Francisco
WHO: Anyone with professional and recreational pursuits concerning entertainment in the City of San Francisco, Calif.
WHAT: Public input and review of rules containing increased police and surveillance forces at entertainment venues in San Francisco
WHEN: Tuesday, April 12th 6:00 PM
WHERE: San Francisco -City Hall: RM 400, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
WHY: It impacts business, tourism and San Francisco's culture.
HOW: Show up to City Hall, sign up and be prepared to give input about the how your information would be handled by local venues and the police.
For comments and information:
Deborah Pierce for Privacy Activism
dsp@privacyactivism.org
ARTICLE: Surveillance, San Francisco-Style (4-6-2011)
TECH LIBERATION FRONT
San Francisco's Entertainment Commission will soon be considering a jaw-dropping attack on privacy and free assembly. Here are some of the rules the Commission may adopt for any gathering of people expected to reach 100 or more:
"3. All occupants of the premises shall be ID Scanned (including patrons, promoters, and performers, etc.). ID scanning data shall be maintained on a data storage system for no less than 15 days and shall be made available to local law enforcement upon request.
4. High visibility cameras shall be located at each entrance and exit point of the premises. Said cameras shall maintain a recorded data base for no less than fifteen (15 days) and made available to local law enforcement upon request."
"Don't pay" says San Francisco Mayor over red light cameras
Posted: February 14, 2010 in red light cameras, refusal to pay, South San Francisco, tickets
VIDEO & Reporting c/o Camera Fraud>>KGO ABC7
http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=kgo&section=&mediaId=7273496&cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&site=
For information about obtaining a refund,
call the red light ticket hotline at (650) 829-3777.
:::SEE WHO ELSE IN AMERICA
IS PROTESTING RED LIGHT CAMERAS:::
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA (KGO) — The mayor of South San Francisco's message to those captured on red light cameras at two heavily traveled intersections in the city before Jan. 27 is this: Don't pay your ticket!
"We don't want any more money to refund, so please don't pay your ticket." That is South San Francisco Mayor Mark Addiego's answer to drivers who were nabbed by red light cameras in the city between Aug. 15 and Jan. 27. If you have already paid your ticket, the mayor says you will be reimbursed.
It all stems from one big snafu in which the City Council failed to seal the deal with the manufacturer of the cameras.
Related STORY: Technicality leads to refunds for red light runners
"The ratification of the contract somehow fell off the radar," Addiego said.
City officials believe some 3,000 drivers were ticketed, amounting to more than a million dollars in citations. They occurred at El Camino and Westborough, and El Camino and Hickey. Fixing the mistake will be costly for this small city, especially during lean times.
"It could range up to $50,000 to undo it, just administratively with manpower," Addiego said.
Not to mention all the money the city would have received from those huge fines.
Annalyn Chacon was caught on camera twice just one month after she moved to the area. Both times Chacon was making what is called a "California stop," a rolling stop as you make a right against a red light. The tickets have cost her almost $900.
Almost all of the many e-mails we received since we broke the story last week were from motorists who made those California stops.
Paul Ault was cited in September making the same kind of stop as Chacon did.
"I know it's a big revenue line for the city, but it doesn't seem responsible," Ault said.
Believe it or not, the mayor seems to agree.
"I don't think they rise to the same level as someone who blows a red light, so I think we need to look at the red light cameras for right turns versus through the intersection," Addiego said.
The mayor says a letter will be sent in two weeks to all those cited explaining how they can obtain a refund.
For information about obtaining a refund, call the red light ticket hotline at (650) 829-3777.


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Fear over DACA, deportation evident at Granville immigration panel
Standing in a church in Granville Thursday night, a woman originally from Mexico and now a Green Card holder said, "We get labeled 'immigrants' and that label sticks. We are human beings. Immigrants are people, just like us."
Bridges Not Walls (BNW) of Licking County hosted an open panel Thursday at the United Church of Granville on DACA — an acronym for "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" — and related issues involving undocumented people.
DACA policy status is currently in legislative limbo and a contentious talking point and bargaining tool for both major political parties.
As described by member Joseph Hopkinson in his opening remarks, BNW "is a local community organization based in Licking County. We're all greatly concerned about immigration, especially in the aftermath of the 2016 election.
"We have a social media firestorm going on," Hopkinson continued. "We have the National Guard being called to the border and we've been told there will be no DACA deal… If you're on DACA, right now, you're just feeling scared."
In other news:Newark rallies support to keep 8-year-old walking
He noted some speakers had dropped out of the Thursday panel citing fears of arrest or other safety concerns in a charged environment. Illustrating those concerns, some of Thursday's speakers asked not to be photographed and their full names were not shared.
In all, about three dozen gathered to hear poetry, personal stories from undocumented people and immigrants who have been granted Green Cards, as well as activists and faith leaders who work closely with those grappling with current DACA policy uncertainty and the threat of deportation.
Hopkinson is originally from Canada. He spoke of inequities and uneven application of immigration laws, noting he and his wife's granting of citizenship — in terms of speed of granting — was possibly facilitated by the fact both "are very white."
"A lawyer warned the Green Card interview could last two hours and involve bizarre questions," he remembered, such as which side of the door a handle would be located, or whether a marriage had actually been consummated.
In other news:Small town police departments face unique size-related challenges
In the end, the interview took about 20 minutes for Hopkinson and his wife, but he also recalled later being told to sing "Proud to be American" before receiving his citizenship documents.
Tanya Hedges of BNW read poetry composed by a young female immigrant working toward her MFA in poetry.
The poems described how "being an undocumented immigrant means many decisions are taken away from me…" that "…one doesn't decide to migrate because migration is easy… You don't blithely pack a suitcase…" instead you focus on the effort "to survive."
Two current Denison students who asked not to be named shared their personal stories of family immigration and of harshly learning "how different life is as a DACA recipient," as siblings were unable to take advantage of scholarship opportunities.
Both Denison students said they had nearly reconciled themselves to community college education paths before being given opportunity for college studies at DU.
One student recalled that when she shared the news of her Denison opportunity with her mother, her mom said, "This is it! You are the reason we came to this country."
At Denison, another student said, she had found "a lot of hope and inspiration."
Alejandra Leon was born in Mexico and now has a Green Card, but recounted her own pathway to citizenship and challenges and fears along the way, including the possibility of being permanently separated from spouse and child.
As someone who originally came to the U.S. as a "dependent," she described the bureaucratic challenges and "massive amount of paperwork" she faced. She also said contrary to claims many come to the U.S. to enjoy social welfare benefits, the system works to thwart that possibility.
"DACA people are Americans," Leon said, "and they're being told 'you don't belong here.' There is something wrong here. The immigration system needs to be reorganized. It's very difficult to navigate. It's way too easy to fall into undocumented status."
Pastor Kristin Santiago of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Heath has worked and served in pastoral capacities in border churches and cities in southern Texas.
She told of undocumented families who have been divided by deportation of family members while others are living in sanctuary churches to avoid the same fate.
She remembered a young girl who cowered under her bed each time medical helicopters made flyovers, thinking they were coming for her and her family.
Sharing stories of her time "in a little storefront Lutheran Church in El Paso, across from Juarez," Mexico, she said, "My heart belongs to all God's people."
She told the story of one man who carried his son in his arms, all the way from El Salvador to El Paso, a distance of about "3,100 kilometers," seeking a better, safer life for his child.
"By what right can anyone say to anybody they can't come," Santiago asked.
Before concluding the program, a question and answer and strategy discussion was held, and attendees provided the opportunity to volunteer or assist in activism.
Hopkinson said, "DACA is all about children. We have immigrant people here now in Licking County, a very red county… There are people in our community who are afraid to go to church. They are undocumented and they try to be hidden and under the radar... We're here for you. We have your back. We were worried about security tonight… We had so many cancellations. But we have your back. You have friends here."