Benninga, J. (2013). The fundamental connection between education for democracy and character education. Korean Journal of Educational Policy. 135-139.
Benninga, J., & Quinn, B. (2011). Enhancing American identity and citizenship in schools. Applied Developmental Science. 15(2), 104-110.
Benninga, J., Sparks, R., & Tracz, S. (2011). Enhancing teacher moral judgment in difficult political times: Swimming upstream. International Journal of Educational Research. 50(3), 177-183.
Benninga, J., & Tracz, S. (2010). Continuity and discontinuity in character education. International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing. Dordrecht; London: Springer.
Benninga, J. (2008). Cultural Transmission. Moral education a handbook. (pp.115-117) Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Benninga, J. (2008). James S. Leming. Moral education a handbook. (pp.252-254) Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Benninga, J. (2008). Edward A. Wynne. Moral education a handbook. (pp.474-476) Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Benninga, J., Berkowitz, M., Kuehn, P., & Smith, K. (2006). Character and Academics: What Good Schools Do. Phi Delta Kappan. 87(6), 448-452.
Benninga, J., Berkowitz, M., Kuehn, P., & Smith, K. (2003). The relation of character education and academic achievement in California elementary schools. Journal of Research in Character Education. 1(1), 17-30.
Benninga, J., & Wynne, E. (1998). Keeping in Character: A Time-Tested Solution. Phi Delta Kappan. 79(6), 439-45,448.
Benninga, J. (1997). Schools, character development and citizenship. The Construction of Children's Character. (pp.77-96) Chicago: NSSE : Distributed by the University of Chicago Press.
Benninga, J. (1997). Recognizing Schools for Character Education Success. Social Studies Review. 37(1), 56-57.
Benninga, J., & Minkler, J. (1997). Clearinghouse Established for Character Education. Social Studies Review. 37(1), 77-78.
Benninga, J., Tracz, S., Sparks, R., Solomon, D., Battistich, V., Delucchi, K., ... Stanley, B. (1991). Effects of Two Contrasting School Task and Incentive Structures on Children's Social Development. The Elementary School Journal. 92(2), 149-167.
Benninga, J. (1988). An Emerging Synthesis in Moral Education. Phi Delta Kappan. 69(6), 415-18.
Benninga, J., & Richardson, V. (1988). Young children and AIDS instruction: Practical and moral questions about education. Ethics in Education. 7(4), 4-6.
Benninga, J. (1985). Making friends: Ways of encouraging social development in young children, and Play together, grow together: A cooperative curriculum for teachers of young children (Book Review). Young Children. 40(4), 59.
Benninga, J., Guskey, T., & Clark, C. (1983). The influence of mastery learning on students' attributions at the college level. College Student Personnel Abstracts. 19(1).
Benninga, J., & Crum, R. (1982). Acting out for social understanding. Childhood Education. 58(3), 144-148.
Benninga, J., Guskey, T., & Thornburg, K. (1982). Selected attitudes of teachers and student perceptions of instruction at the primary level. Early Childhood Education: International Perspectives. New York, NY : Plenum .
Benninga, J., & Nelly, E. (1982). Social development in the classroom. Viewpoints in Teaching and Learning. 128-131.
Benninga, J. (1981). The Relationship between Teacher Attitudes and Student Perceptions of Classroom Climate. Elementary School Journal. 82(1), 66-75.
Benninga, J. (1980). Egocentrism in the Early Childhood Classroom. Educational Forum. 45(1), 113-20.
Benninga, J. (1980). Integration of Self-Concept and Moral Judgment: Two Studies. Journal of Genetic Psychology. 136(1), 25-36.
Benninga, J. (1980). Selected Attitudes of Teachers and Student Perceptions of Instruction at the Primary Level.
Benninga, J., & Meredith, R. (1977). Enhancing Young Children's Moral Judgments: The Piagetian Connection.
Benninga, J., & Day, B. (1976). Review of Open Learning in Early Childhood. Peabody Journal of Education. 53(2), 138-139.
Benninga, J. (1975). The Wheel Turns: A Look at the Old and the New-Old in American Education Today. Kappa Delta Pi Record. 12(1), 4-5,26.
Benninga, J. (1975). The Relation of Self Concept to Moral Judgment in Young Children.
Clark, C., Benninga, J., & Guskey, T. (1983). The Effectiveness of Mastery Learning Strategies in Undergraduate Education Courses. Journal of Educational Research. 76(4), 210-214.
Crum, R., Thornburg, K., Benninga, J., & Bridge, C. (1983). Preschool children's object substitution during symbolic play. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 56(3), 947-955.
Guskey, T., Benninga, J., & Clark, C. (1984). Mastery learning and students' attributions at the college level. Research in Higher Education. 20(4), 491-498.
Hall, J., Benninga, J., & Clark, C. (1983). A Comprehensive Approach To The Inservice Training of Teachers. The National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin. 67(461), 17-21.
Meredith, R., & Benninga, J. (1979). Counseling with Parents to Benefit Children. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling. 14(1), 36-42.


a low-level Pdf creation library that takes care of the pdf bits generation.
a Widgets system similar to Flutter's, for easy high-level Pdf creation.
It can create a full multi-pages document with graphics, images and text using TrueType fonts. With the ease of use you already know.
Use the printing package https://pub.dartlang.org/packages/printing for full flutter print and share operation.
No platform restriction found in primary library package:pdf/pdf.dart.


text:
Flood Disaster: Kerala to Initiate Talks on Foreign Aid
in Top Story
by BLive August 23, 2018, 10:41 am 481 Views
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will initiate high-level discussions, if needed, with authorities at the Centre to enable the fund- transfer from the UAE govt in the wake of deluge in Kerala, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.
The National Disaster Management policy provides provisions to accept voluntary offers from foreign nations in the wake of calamities, he said. He was reacting to the news reports regarding the Centre's unwillingness to accept the UAE aid of Rs 700 crore to deluge-hit Kerala.
The whole world is extending a helping hand towards the State at this juncture, he said. People here, irrespective of their political differences, are united in their efforts to rebuild the State. So far, a total of Rs 318 crore has been collected for the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. Of this, Rs 146 crore comes from various states, which contributed generously. This is apart from the contribution in the form of food grains from states like Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also thanked the gesture of the Indian Cricket team which dedicated its victory over England, to the disaster-hit Kerala.
There are 12,10, 453 people residing in 3,314 relief camps across the State today, the Chief Minister said. All efforts have been taken to prevent shortage of medicine and food and to ensure all facilities at the relief camps, he said.
The rescue operation is in its final stage and there will be a formal farewell at Mascot Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram on August 26 for the Central Forces who actively took part in the rescue efforts. Special packages will be created for the flood-hit, in order to mitigate their misery and to help them come back to normalcy, said the Chief Minister.
The fishermen and those who volunteered in the rescue operations, should undergo medical check up to prevent water-borne diseases, he said.
The Chief Minister also explained elaborately the State's preparedness to minimise the damage caused by the deluge. The state gave essential alerts and warnings regarding the opening of dams and resorted to all possible measures to minimise loss, following the unprecedented rainfall in the State, he said.
The flood and landslide the State experienced is more connected to the unparalleled rainfall than the opening of dam shutters, said Chief Minister listing out the rivers which caused havoc, without any dam connected to them. The state received a total of 758.6 mm rainfall during August 1-19, compared to the average rainfall of 287.5 mm for the period and it shows a rise of 164%, he said.
Even in 1924, when the state witnessed a deluge-like situation, the annual rainfall was 3368mm. But in 2018, the state received a total of 2500mm rainfall in southwest monsoon season itself and it is in no way comparable to the annual rainfall of 1924. Yet Kerala was able to control the damage, when we consider the number of dams in 1924 and 2018, the chief minister said.
While there was only one dam in Kerala in 1924, there are 82 dams in the State at present, in which 42 are major dams. "This shows that the government was able to manage the situation, even if it received more rain than that of 1924," Chief Minister said. All the other allegations in this regard are false, he said.
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Heroism, Compassion Triumph; This is How Kerala Survived the Deluge

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Each pesticide class has a corresponding homestudy package, a core plus lessons.
For example, if you check the table below, you'll see agricultural/landscape includes the core plus lessons #201-203, #300, #401 and #501-503.
Individual courses are listed by number, title and cost in the first drop down.
Another drop down has administrative fees including recertification and exam re-writes.
Special - Fish & Aquatic Invert.
Use the Homestudy Material Order form (interactive pdf) to order your homestudy package.
Complete course packages include the core lesson (common to all certification classes) and a series of lessons that differ depending on the certification class.
Individual lessons can be ordered separately to add other certification classes to your qualifications.


Sarah Dessen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Highest Honors in Creative Writing. Her first novel, That Summer, was a 1997 ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She is also the author of Just Listen, The Truth About Forever and Lock and Key, which recently reached number 1 in the New York Times Bestseller list. Sarah Dessen lives in Durham, North Carolina.


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Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/suspect-in-attack-on-asian-american-woman-in-nyc-is-arrested
Suspect in attack on Asian American woman in New York City is arrested
Nation Updated on Mar 31, 2021 6:52 PM EST — Published on Mar 31, 2021 10:17 AM EST
NEW YORK (AP) — A parolee convicted of killing his mother nearly two decades ago was arrested on assault and hate crime charges in an attack on an Asian American woman in New York City, police said Wednesday.
Police said Brandon Elliot, 38, is the man seen on surveillance video kicking and stomping the woman near Times Square on Monday. The woman was attacked in front of an apartment building.
Two lobby workers witnessed the violence but no one intervened or called 911, police said. Their union said Wednesday they told a union representative that they waited until the attacker left because he had a knife and then flagged down a police car.
Elliot lived at a hotel that serves as a homeless shelter a few blocks from the attack scene, police said. He was taken into custody at the hotel around midnight. Tips from the public led to his apprehension, police said.
Elliot was convicted of stabbing his mother to death in the Bronx in 2002, when he was 19. He was released from prison in 2019 and is on lifetime parole. The parole board had previously twice denied his release. His record also included an arrest for robbery in 2000.
READ MORE: What you can do to fight violence and racism against Asian Americans
"For the life of me, I don't understand why we are releasing or pushing people out of prison — not to give them second chances, but to put them into homeless facilities or shelters, or in this case a hotel — and expect good outcomes," Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a news conference Wednesday. "We need real opportunities. We need real safety nets."
Elliot, who is Black, faces charges of assault as a hate crime, attempted assault as a hate crime, assault and attempted assault. It wasn't immediately known whether he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. He was expected to be arraigned by video Wednesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said prosecutors will seek to have Elliot jailed without bail pending trial. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted, Vance said.
A law enforcement official identified the victim as 65-year-old Vilma Kari. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. Kari's daughter told The New York Times that she emigrated from the Philippines several decades ago.
Kari, who was repeatedly kicked and stomped, suffered serious injuries including a fractured pelvis, the law enforcement official said. She was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, a hospital spokesperson said. Kari has been speaking to police, Shea said.
Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez said the victim is Filipina American.
The country's foreign secretary, Teodoro Locsin Jr., condemned the attack, writing on Twitter: "This is gravely noted and will influence Philippine foreign policy." He didn't elaborate how.
The Philippines and United States are longtime treaty allies, but Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte is a vocal critic of U.S. security policies who has moved to terminate a key agreement that allows largescale military exercises with U.S. forces in the Philippines.
"I might as well say it, so no one on the other side can say, 'We didn't know you took racial brutality against Filipinos at all seriously.' We do," Locsin said.
Kari was walking to church when police say Elliot kicked her in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, stomped on her face, shouted anti-Asian slurs and told her, "You don't belong here" before casually walking away as onlookers watched. Shea called it a "completely unprovoked violent attack on an innocent, defenseless woman."
Monday's attack, among the latest in a national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, drew widespread condemnation and concerns about the failure of bystanders to intervene. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack "absolutely disgusting and outrageous" and said it was "absolutely unacceptable" that witnesses didn't help the woman.
The attack happened just weeks after a mass shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent, and just a few days after a 65-year-old Asian American woman in the same midtown Manhattan neighborhood was threatened and heckled with anti-Asian slurs.
The surge in violence has been linked in part to misplaced blame for the coronavirus pandemic and former President Donald Trump's use of terms like "Chinese virus."
"This brave woman belongs here," Vance said. "Asian American New Yorkers belong here. Everyone belongs here."
The late morning attack happened in front of a luxury apartment building in Hell's Kitchen, west of Times Square. Two lobby workers, described by their union as doormen, were seen on video witnessing the attack but failing to help Kari. One of them was seen closing the building's door as she was on the ground.
READ MORE: 'Words matter' as Asian American leaders urge action against hate crimes
The building's management company said the workers were suspended pending an investigation. The workers' union, SEIU 32BJ, initially said that they immediately called for help. A spokesperson clarified Wednesday that the workers waited until the assailant walked away to check on Kari and flag down a nearby patrol car.
Residents of the building also defended the workers, saying in a letter Wednesday that a widely seen video clip focusing on the assault cut off before they could be seen giving the victim aid and alerting medics.
Detective Michael Rodriguez said Wednesday that patrol officers driving by came upon the victim after she was assaulted.
The Associated Press has requested the full video from the building's management company. The company has not responded.
This year in New York City, there have been 33 hate crimes with an Asian victim as of Sunday, police said. There were 11 such attacks by the same time last year. The NYPD last week said it was increasing patrols in Asian neighborhoods, including using undercover officers to prevent and disrupt attacks.
Joo Han, the deputy director of the Asian American Federation, called the plainclothes patrols a "knee-jerk response" that ignored misgivings she said many people in Asian communities have about law enforcement.
"That wasn't something that was done in conversation with community leaders," Han said. "That's not something that we would have recommended. That's not safe for a lot of folks who may not have status, who don't have comfortable interactions with NYPD."
Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.
Left: People wave a large "AAPI Against Hate" sign during a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes held by the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Organizing Coalition Against Hate and Bias in Newcastle, Washington. Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Reuters
Video shows Asian American woman assaulted on New York City street
WATCH: Biden, Harris offer solace to grieving Asian Americans
By Jonathan Lemire, Jeff Amy, Zeke Miller, Associated Press
Asian American churches call for actions beyond prayer
By Luis Andres Henao, Mariam Fam, Jessie Wardarski, Associated Press
asian american hate crimes
Actress Margaret Cho on why racism is a 'deep well of shame' for some Asian Americans
Nation Mar 20


Not a game for busy people since you will eventually get crushed by opponent. Some players play by coalition of friends. Ask your friend to play and relocate their base nearby so everyone can help each other and destroy anyone else. At start, you will be given 7 days protection from other player's attack unless you tried to attack others (not NPC). By the moment you attack others, you will lost your protection. During this 7 days period, it is a vital period because you will need to keep attack NPC enemy to gather resources to beef up your defence and by the time you reach level 20+ you no longer able to loot resources from lvl 3-5 NPC enemy which is a piece of cake.
1. Upgrade your command centre.
2. Attack lvl 3 using soldier.
3. Build defensive protector: Mortar and Machine guns and bars.
5. Diversify your base troop. Mix them up.
6. Upgrade airport for higher air capacity.
By 7 days, attack NPC using aircraft and gather even more loots.


natalie's sentiments: Ina's Lentil and Sausage Soup - Please tell me you will make it.
Ina's Lentil and Sausage Soup - Please tell me you will make it.
Serve with crusty bread and salad. Better the next day. YUM!
Make sure to enter my latest giveaway! Ends tonight at midnight!
Natalie, thank you so much for visiting Rook No. 17 and for entering my contest. I love your blog. This recipe looks fabulous. Lentil soup is one of my favorites. I was reading Dr. Sears Healthy Families book recently and he was definitely pro-Lentil. I look forward to exploring your blog further.
I tell you I will make it! But without the sausage. Does that count?
OH I WILL SOOOOOOOO BE MAKING THAT!!! I lost my fave lentil soup recipe just in time for fall!!! THAT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!
That looks amazing!!! I love Puy Lentils--they are my new favorite--the others don't even compare. Yesterday was so much fun--loved having you guys down!
The soup looks perfect for the fall.


text:
Hyrum City Museum
Smithsonian Exhibit, "The Way We Worked" at Hyrum City Museum
Native Utah
Caching In
Hyrum's Foundations
Sustaining Life: Agriculture
Blacksmith Fork Canyon
Tools, Trades, and Industry
Getting an Education
Religious Community
Hyrum's Heroes
Notable Figures in Hyrum
Community Exhibit
E. A. Miller's Legacy
The Hyrum Dam
Hyrum's Civic Organizations
Historic Tour of Hyrum
Hot Wheels & Hot Dogs
Passport to Summer Fun!
Elite Hall Art and Quilt Show
Coloring Contest
Volunteer for the Smithsonian Exhibit, "The Way We Worked"
In pioneer days, eggs were used almost as much as money as a medium for exchange. Farmers, as a rule, would have one to two dozen chickens. They could take their eggs to any store and exchange them for merchandise just as readily as money. Andrew Arne Anderson and Soren Hanson both established thriving egg businesses in Hyrum.
Almost every family in Hyrum raised corn and peas in their gardens. Sugar beets were also grown as early as the 1890s, providing an important industry for Hyrum both in production and intensive labor requirements. Orchards provided apples, pears, peaches, and cherries, and many settlers also grew raspberry and strawberry patches. Sugar was initially scarce and expensive, so molasses was used, and eventually families established a bee hive or two in their fields or orchards.
The first flock of sheep in Hyrum was owned by H. P. Hansen and Charles Sorenson. They worked as partners for some time and eventually established a herd of over 4,000 head. During the winter, the sheep foraged in an area west of Tremonton and spent the spring lambing in Paradise Hollow. When lambing season ended, the sheep were sheared and the wool was stored in large sacks for market. Then the animals were trailed to the summer range in Blacksmith Fork Canyon.
Hyrum S. Brown and sons owned a beautiful 7,000 acre ranch in the mountains south and east of town where grass and water were plentiful, grazing 200 to 1,000 head of cattle. To fully utilize the grazing potential of their ranch, they also went into the sheep business for a time, but eventually sold the sheep and became exclusively devoted to the cattle business.
In 1912, the Utah Condensed Milk Co. built a plant in Hyrum. Cheese and butter were made from the milk and during the Depression, more cheese was made in this plant than at any other plant west of the Mississippi River. Fourteen men made railcar loads of the 50,000 pounds of milk received daily, which were shipped east. In 1921, the Sego Milk Products Co. took over the dairy operation and operated successfully until 1958.
Tuesday, Thursday
museum@hyrumcity.com
The Smithsonian Institution, National Archives, and Utah Humanities Present: "The Way We Worked" at the Hyrum City Museum


On September 1, 2017, Dove Award-winning, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Jamie Grace dropped her first studio album since 2014—back when her track "Hold Me" (featuring TobyMac) made her one of only four female Christian artists ever to boast a certified Gold single.
Grace's new LP, titled '91 (after her birth year—buy), which released independently and featured her sister and Harper Still partner, Morgan Harper Nichols, as well as an eclectic blend of musical flavors. The Los Angeles-based musician discussed this "comeback" album with us at CCM Magazine earlier this month.
CCM Magazine: What's' your take on the reaction to '91 so far?
Jamie Grace: I've had the most overwhelming experience with this record, as far as reaction. When the album came out, and the next five-to-seven days there after, my sister and I were away filming and I didn't have my phone. We didn't have access to the internet, so I didn't know anything.
CCM: What was the film shoot for?
JG: I can't really say what it is yet, but we were away filming for two weeks.


Previously he studied at the RCA exploring how design can provoke critical public engagement through the creation of products as actors, translating estrangement techniques from Epic Theatre into both critical and pragmatic design solutions. Sam previously worked for Nokia and Microsoft as a 3D Printing Specialist and Industrial Designer.
Dr Priti Veja is a London based design researcher, smart materials & electronic textile (e-textile) consultant and lecturer. Priti completed her PhD doctoral research at Brunel University London, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences (EPSRC supported) in 2015. The research focused on woven e-textiles through design led processes and empirical investigations, combining electronics into constructed woven structures. Using her expert woven knowledge, Priti's research applied woven methods to make integrated soft circuits as a simultaneous process. The work investigated e-textiles materials for soft product application, (e.g. wearable technology, smart textiles) and opportunities for e-textiles manufacture. The research continues through a spin out practice called 'Weft Lab'.
Alongside her research work, Veja lectures at Central Saint Martins, (UAL) London, where she teaches on the BA (Hons) Textile Design course. Priti previously trained as a woven textile designer at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, London. Priti's industry experience includes collaborative research and design projects, exhibiting work internationally, delivering e-textile workshops, product development and consultancy work with engineers, scientists, product designers and textile manufacturing.
Philippa Brock is a digital jacquard woven textile researcher, designer, artist and curator, who explores innovative, self-folding, deployable 3D jacquard textiles which combine unusual combinations of design, weave structure and yarn – textile engineering. Her work is self woven on an industrial power loom and pushes the boundaries of what is possible on the machinery. She has also developed e-textile sensors, actuators and switches in collaboration, and is currently working on multilayered woven jacquard textiles and laser cutting. She studied at Goldsmiths' College, University of London and the Royal College of Art.
Brock also works with international textile companies including research and development, colour and materials forecasting, exhibits her textile work internationally in galleries, including a solo exhibition in Montreal and was part of the Nobel Textiles Project, interpreting science concepts into 3D digital woven jacquard outcomes. Her work is in the Crafts Council permanent collection, and she was awarded The Worshipful Company of Weavers Silver Medal in 2014.
Recent exhibitions include New York Textile Month, Kickback London Motorcycle show and exhibitor & co-curator of Real Dirty Blue at the Lethaby Gallery London. Brock runs the weave department at Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London, part time – is a lead researcher in the Textiles Futures Research Centre, occasional visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art, editor of The Weave Shed, a resource website and blog for professional weavers and joint founder of Studio Houndstooth with Jo Pierce, a materials and textiles studio.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 19th, 2017 at 8:30 am	and is filed under Events, Exhibitions, General, New weave developments, News, Reseach, Symposium, Workshops. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback.


Share Better Than Bowling's EPK!
Better Than Bowling is a Rockin' Rhythm and Blues group based inSyracuse,NY.
Paul Powers, (Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Harp, and Mandolin,) attended SUNY Oswego studying Music Education before starting his professional music career in Syracuse. He was a founding member of the folk duo "Sweet Breeze". That group evolved into a five-piece group that played colleges, universities and nightclubs from Buffalo to Boston. Paul has played concerts with Don McLean, Melanie, and The Chambers Brothers and more recently the Area 52 Concert. Paul has played with Mark Tiffault-Los Blancos, Steve Foster-The Drifters, King Biscuit Boy, Loren Barrigar, and Jane Zell. Paul is currently collaborating with his brother Hal Powers, a writer and lyricist from Eugene, Oregon on a CD project of original songs.
Terry Vickery, Dave Pasternak, Jane Zell, Loren Barrigar and Mark and Lee Tiffault.
Dave Clement (Vocals, Drums and Percussion) "As Dave says, "My first drum started out as a spoon on a pot….the rest is history." He has studied music since 3rd grade and played in concert band and marching band in Cicero High School. In college at Alfred State College, Dave was exposed to much more diverse music. Music has always been a passion for Dave and his family. His daughter Erika has sung in College as well as in Europe. His son Trevor is a guitar player whose band has toured the East Coast. Before coming to Better Than Bowling, Dave had played with the Celtic Rock band "Mac An Tuile" and played in both theSyracuse andRochester area.
Sharon Allen (Vocals, Guitar and Percussion) Sharon is a singer songwriter as well as published Author of children's books. Sharon comes from a very talented family of successful musicians. Her brother Mark Z is a full time singer guitarist in Orlando FL, Cousin Donna Colton is a singer songwriter with several CD's in distribution. And father Frank performed locally with the likes of Wayne Schramm and the Ozark Mountain Boys in the 50's and 60's. Sharon is self-employed with Central New York's popular children's duo "Milk and Cookies" with a CD to their credit. Sharon is also author of two children's books "Toes" and "Outside Today". Both include a CD with music written and performed Sharon and Syracuse Musicians: Loren Barrigar, Sam Patterelli, Phil Petroff, Bob Purdy, Terry Vickery, and George Newton. Sharon also performs with her son Nick Allen on guitar and vocals and George Newton on pedal steel guitar in the group "Grapefruit Soup".
George Newton (Pedal Steel Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar) George has been using the pedal steel guitar to add flavor to all genres of music for 4 decades. Rusty Young of Poco first influenced him in the late 60's, who demonstrated that the instrument could be used with all types of music, not just with country music, where it had traditionally been used almost exclusively. George has played with groups inNew Jersey,New York City,Florida,Austin,TX and Upstate New York and has recorded on albums with Terry Vickery, Greg Hoover and Loren Barrigar. He can be found working locally with many well-known Upstate artists including Colin Aberdeen, Mike Powell, Mark Gibson, Chris Taylor and Donna Colton.


Gardeners who take the "no fuss" approach will love sempervivium plants. Sempervivum care and maintenance are almost task free and their lovely rosettes and hardy nature are stand outs among the garden. Not only do the plants thrive on neglect but they produce offsets, or new plants, every season that are simple to separate and grow as new specimens. Read on to get some sempervivum information and learn how to grow and care for these amazing plants.
Plants that take a lot to grow, such as orchids, are a collector's dream but their fussiness and specific needs take a lot of time and energy to sustain. For us lazy gardeners, sempervivum offers unique form and beauty without any of the effort. Try growing these succulent plants on a rockery, vertical wall or even on driftwood. Sempervivum growing conditions are only limited by good drainage and sunlight.
So you say you have a hot, dry spot in the garden with rocky or gritty soil and low fertility? What should you plant? This sounds like perfect sempervivum growing conditions. Not only can these fun little alpine succulents thrive in sites that would make most other plants faint, but they multiply and flower with ease.
Sempervivum produces rosettes in a host of hues. They are low growing and adaptable to most soils but prefer full sun and a well-draining medium. Many of the varieties produce star-shaped flowers in pink, red or occasionally yellow. The spiky leaves are trimmed with green, red, purple or even shrouded in fine gossamer hairs. For sheer diversity of form, size and color, these plants are excellent in a host of situations.
Growing plants from scratch is a fairly easy process with most plants, but if you want to grow sempervivum from seed you will need to know a few tricks. The initial process is easy and similar to any seed. Plant seeds in 2-inch pots on the surface of the soil. Just press them into the soil. The seeds need light to germinate and temperatures of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C.).
If they don't germinate in 4 to 5 weeks, the experts say to put the pots in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks and repeat the sun and temperature conditions. In most cases, the seed will germinate and you will get tiny rosettes over time. The tricky bit is that when you grow sempervivum from seed, the plants may not be true to form, as they tend to hybridize quite easily. You will still get some fine and interesting plants, just not the same form as the parent.
The easiest way to grow sempervivum plants is to separate their offsets. These will be clones of the parent and have a jump start on life. Of course, you can also purchase nursery plants too.
Sempervivum plants prefer well-draining compost with 25 to 50 % sand or other grit. They may grow in trays, in ground, or on wood or in rock piles. Once established, the plant's need no further care – in most cases.
The majority of sempervivum are frost hardy but it you prefer to grow a variety that is not, plant it in a pot or flat and move indoors for winter.
Sempervivum are monocarpic, which means that once a rosette flowers, it dies. Pull out the dead rosette and fill the hole with gritty soil. The plant will quickly fill in any empty spots with offsets.
Note: If you wish to know how to grow sempervivum from seed, you first need to harvest it. Once flowers are spent, a small, dry, seed-filled fruit is produced. Remove these pods and allow the fruit to dry completely before crushing and removing the seeds. Refrigerate or chill the seeds for 4 weeks before sowing.
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Boys' team identity, meditation may ease stress in Thai cave
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and GRANT PECK, Associated Press
MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — At a gilded temple in Thailand's mountainous north, Ekapol Chanthawong honed a skill that will serve him well as he sits trapped underground in a dark cave: meditation.
Before the 25-year-old was a coach to the young boys on the Wild Boars soccer team — 12 of whom are trapped alongside him — he spent a decade as a saffron-robed Buddhist monk. He still stays at the temple from time to time and will meditate with the monks there each day.
"He could meditate up to an hour," said his aunt, Tham Chanthawong. "It has definitely helped him and probably helps the boys to stay calm."
More than 288 hours have passed since Ekapol and the boys got trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non cave by monsoon floodwaters on June 23 after they went exploring. The group was discovered July 2 after 10 days totally cut off from the outside world, and while they are for the most physically healthy, experts say the ordeal has likely taken a mental toll that could worsen the longer the situation lasts.
"It's very likely that while the boys were in the cave but not yet discovered by rescuers that they experienced various degrees of anxiety, fear, confusion, vulnerability and dependency, and perhaps hopelessness," said Paul Auerbach, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University's medical school.
Videos taken inside the cave show the boys, aged 11-16, and their coach interacting with Thai navy SEAL divers, who have been sent in to supply them, provide medical care and to keep them company. Though they are visibly skinny and weak, the boys and their coach appear to be in good spirits, smiling for the camera as the SEALs crack jokes.
Still the group is unable to leave and there is no timeline for their extraction. The only way out of the cave at this time would be for the boys to dive through the same complicated route of narrow passageways that their rescuers entered, something that is extremely dangerous even for expert divers let alone children with no such experience. Yet it is something being considered with storms on the way that could worsen the floods.
Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down either naturally or by pumping. That could take months, however, given that Thailand's rainy season typically lasts through October.
"Being discovered was a moment of elation," Auerbach said, "but that is now followed by the reality that a difficult technical rescue might be necessary, which carries with it disappointment for the boys and a new set of fears."
Experts say the Wild Boars come into their situation with some advantages, including their youth, their group identity and, yes, their coach's experience with meditation.
"Adolescents are especially social creatures, and having friends with them as well as their coach would be a tremendous help," said David Spiegel, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University's medical school.
The boys and their coach are known to be a tight-knit group who go on adventures, including swimming in waterfalls, cycling trips through the mountains, river rafting and cave exploring.
Experts say Ekapol's meditation — a mainstay of the Buddhist faith — likely served the group well.
"I'd speculate it could be helpful — even if it functioned solely as a way for the children to feel like their coach was doing something to help them," said Michael Poulin, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo. "Feeling loved and cared for is paramount."
Spiegel agreed that meditation could help those trapped manage their mental state, "allowing their fearful and negative thoughts to flow through them like a storm passing, rather than fighting their fear."
Aisha Wiboonrungrueng, whose 11-year-old son Chanin is trapped in the cave, has no doubt that Ekapol's calm personality has influenced the boys' state of mind.
"Look at how calm they were sitting there waiting. No one was crying or anything. It was astonishing," she said, referring a video that captured the moment the boys were found.
Omar Reygadas, who spent 69 days trapped underground in Chile in 2010 with 32 other miners, said faith and prayer, as well as humor were very important to the miners at times when they doubted they would get out.
"They shouldn't be ashamed to be scared," he said of the boys. "Because we were scared, too. Our tears also ran. Even as adult men, we cried."
If safety concerns force the boys to stay in the cave for an extended period, it will be important to their mental health for there to be organization and daily routines, said John Fairbank, a psychiatry professor and co-director of the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.
He said that could include "daily hygiene routines, regular meal times, age-appropriate cognitive activities, regular physical exercise to the extent feasible in limited space, religious/spiritual practices, and specific times for daily briefings on their situation and for communicating with their families."
All the experts agreed that the group will continue to face challenges even after they make it out of the cave.
Thailand's Department of Mental Health said hospitals are making preparations to care for the boys' and will monitor them until their mental health is fully regained. They are also working with the families to prepare for how to interact with the boys once they get out, such as not digging for details about what they endured.
"Their re-entry into the world outside the cave will predictably be one of massive attention from family, friends and the media," Auerbach said, noting it could be overwhelming. "The world soon loses interest and moves on to the next story, so it is extremely important that these survivors not be forgotten and be closely monitored so that they can receive the best possible support."


Each blue number is made up of three pink numbers. Can you match up the correct cards?
All these multiplication number pyramids only have a number at the top. Can you work out what numbers the other circles could be filled with? There are various different ways of completing each one.


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Mathew was born in North West London. He studied English Language and Literature at Leeds University, where he also went on to take an MA in Renaissance Literature.
His most recent book, The Favourite, the first book-length exploration of the love affair between Walter Ralegh and Elizabeth I, was published by Constable in March 2011. He is currently working on a book about the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Mathew's previous book, Impossible Journeys, was compared by The Guardian to a 'non-fiction Calvino'. It has been a Folio Society bestseller since publication in 2010.
Mathew is a frequent contributor and former columnist for History Today magazine and he has written for a wide range of other publications, including the Financial Times, the Times Literary Supplement, Spectator, New Statesman, Management Today, the Guardian and the Times. He has been profiled in The Yorkshire Post and The Herald in Scotland.
His media appearances include Sky News, ITN, CBC, BBC Radio London (Robert Elms), LBC (Sandi Toksvig), and a wide range of regional radio stations including BBC Radio Wiltshire, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Radio Oxford, BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Radio Manchester (GMR).
He has spoken at the London Book Fair, Words on the Water, Chiswick Book Festival, Sharjah International Book Fair, Essex University, Bath Spa University, and numerous local history, library and book-shop events.
He also performed in the Dolphin's Back production of Marlowe's Massacre At Paris at the Rose Playhouse, as well as at the History Show-Off stand-up evening and at Wunderkammer, hosted by the Do Not Adjust Your Stage improv group.
Michael Downes says:
So, Sir Walter is definitely being remembered in the 400th year. But not everywhere. My US contact at the University of North Carolina has tried in vain to get the Mayor of Raleigh NC interested. No response. He even feels that the city does not know why it is so named.
Hello Mathew
Very much enjoyed The Favourite; thank you.
And I have a quick question; did Bess attend Sir Walter's trial?
Mathew Lyons says:
Hi Rachel.
Thank you – that's lovely to hear.
I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question, excellent though it is. It may not be specifically recorded, but 'll try to find out for you!
That would be brilliant; thank you again! I am starting a play-writing project (you may start to guess what – or who – it is about) and once it is in some sort of vague draft, I would love it if you could check it for accuracy. If you would rather not, please say and I'll track down a history bod at Winchester Uni. Credit would be given of course!
Hi Rachel. Would be delighted to help in any way I can!
Hi again Rachel
Looking in Anna Beer's biography of Bess, it seems unclear where she was during W's trial. AB speculates that she may have based herself either with her brother Arthur at Mile End, or with her uncle at Beddington in Surrey. You can read the lack of evidence either way (especially for dramatic purposes) but I think it more likely that she did not attend the trial.
Apologies if this isn't very helpful.
PS. Plus Roanoke Historical Association in North Carolina and 'The Lost Colony' team among the organisations.
Hello: writing from Budleigh Salterton, where Millais worked on his Boyhood of Ralegh painting, I'm just wondering what events are being planned anywhere in the world to mark the 400th anniversary next year of Sir Walter's death. Yet another biography?
That's a very good question to which I am afraid I do not know the answer! I shall do some digging.
Naturally I'm digging away myself. Sherborne Castle very aware of the 40th. Keen to put together a Ralegh trail for 2018, either leaflet or digital.
Do let me know if I can help.
Many thanks Mathew. Please let me have your email address. My Raleigh/Ralegh project is turning out to be an extended networking exercise to stir thoughts at East Budleigh Parish Council, Sherborne Castle, the Middle Temple, HMS Raleigh, Raleigh International, the Tower of London, Elizabeth Castle,Tate Britain etc etc. I have a letter which I am about to send out on behalf of Fairlynch Museum and it would be good to include your name in a list of people that we have consulted. Best wishes, Michael
Many apologies for the delay. I'm on holiday and not checking in very often! My email is info@mathewlyons.co.uk. Best wishes. Mathew
PS That's an impressive list!
Very happy to have found your site. I am from Virginia where we studied Sir Walter Raleigh in early education as you can imagine. Had no idea there was a love affair with Elizabeth I, will be searching for your book soon! (Didn't get THAT lesson in elementary school…)
Can't believe I didn't read your about page before! I also have a feeling WP have unfollowed me on my behalf. Thanks, WP. Grrr.


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Q: How configure NHibernate Facilities? I have some experience with NHibernate and I'm trying to get started with Castle Nhibernate Facilities OR Castle NhibernateIntegration. I'd like to know,  where I can find a demonstration project of how to configure and perform transactional control (with attributes) in a service layer (business, class library project)? There is no documentation, and I have a really difficult to find some content to getting started.
I found some samples on the web but only with pieces of code and not the demonstration project... I would like to download something to study. I'm not finding to a complete solution, just the configuration and transactional control in business classes (class library).
Sorry for this kind of thread here, but I do know how to start.
Thank you!

A: If you want to see an full example of Castle Windsor integrating with nHibernate then I would check out Sharp Architecture
Sharp is an attempt at a 'best practice' template project and utilises a number of tech's (Castle and nHibernate included). While some of the things it does may not be to your taste it will clearly show you one of the ways that it can all fit together.
You may need to go hunting into the source repository on GitHub if you want to see what is going on at a low level as Sharp uses it's own base classes in the template project that are pre-compiled (tho its still open source so you can see what is going on if you want).
It was an invaluable help to me when I was putting my architecture together and I can honestly say that Castle and nHibernate are the way to go, so you are very much on the right track.
EDIT FOR COMMENT 1: Perhaps I am a little confused here. According to the Castle notes

Facilities are main way of extending the container. Using facilities
  you can integrate container with external framework, like WCF or
  NHibernate, add new capabilities to the container like event wiring,
  transaction support... or to components (synchronization, startable
  semantics...).

To the best of my knowledge both Castle Nhibernate Facilities and Castle NhibernateIntegration are Facilities and must be based on a container.
If you want to work without a container then you need to use some form of Singleton Factory to manage the SessionFactory. There is an example of this here.
In terms of attributes controlling Transactions then this is how Sharp does it (see here). You may get away with reusing this code and replacing NHibernateSession with your own Singleton like theirs.
You don't need to implement UnitOfWork as nHibernate is effectively doing this for you. What you really need is an architecture that allows you to manage a transaction at a single point of control (Singleton) and is available in every repository.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Members of the Palatine High School State Debate Team are pictured; three also were finalists: Brian Burton (top left); Dani Escalona (top right); and Jasmine Service (front left).
Fremd High School Debate Team coaches and finalists (not pictured in order): Head Coach Martin Zacharia; Assistant Coaches: Dorothy Robak-Iacch, Christopher Caton, and Lauren Brownstone. Octafinalists, Public Forum: Rebecca Beale, Sresht Iyer, Joshua Lee, and Eric Simon; All-State Debate Team: John Komoll; Octafinalist, Lincoln-Douglas: Jessica Lu; Quarterfinalists, Public Forum: Scott Theer and Jacob Werling.
Schaumburg High School students were finalists at the state debate competition: (far left) Sponsor Darrell Robin; (back row, left to right) Nathaniel Leonhardt (first place, Lincoln-Douglas); Raza Haque (first place, Public Forum); Brendan Due (Octafinalist, Lincoln-Douglas). (front row, left to right) Kshitij Vashi (Octafinalist, Public Forum); Healy Gier (Quarter-Finalist, Lincoln-Douglas); Melissa Tran (first place, Congressional); Jessica D'Souza (first place, Public Forum); Sarah Bier (Quarterfinalist, Lincoln-Douglas). (not pictured, Meagan-Fay Allen, 10th place, Congressional).
Fremd and Palatine High School both had finalists at the state speech competition: (left to right) Sponsor Katherine Giegler with students Justin Gorecki and Kristi Lin (Fremd High School) and Payal Mallik with sponsor Elizabeth Sheehan (Palatine High School).
Three Fremd High School students received All-State Honors in Contest Play at the state Contest Play competition. (left to right) Sponsor Judy Klingner, Amelia West, John Farina, and Alec Stadler.


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Graham Spark
TOKYO BLADE – Unbroken (Album Review)
Tokyo Blade are renowned for their contribution to the classic era of New Wave of British Heavy Metal and especially their classic self-titled debut.
However, they're much more than that and in the intervening period have released 12 studio albums. Yes, they've had their ups and downs, break-ups and disagreements, but what relationships haven't had some of that over the course of 40 years?
Since the band reformed in 2010 with four of the original 'classic' line-up plus the more recent acquisition of vocalist Alan Marsh, Tokyo Blade have released Thousand Men Strong and now Unbroken.
Out now on 3Ms Music, Unbroken finds Tokyo Blade in absolute top form.
Unbroken gets off to a rip-roaring start and the veterans of Andy Boulton (guitar), John Wiggins (guitar), Andy Wrighton (bass) and Steve Pierce (drums) prove they've got it, and in spades. "The Devil's Gonna Bring you Down" is a great opener, full of pace and power.
From then on there is no let up at all, with Marsh at the top of his game. His vocals are special with just a hint of the occasional vibrato so reminiscent of Sean Harris, of fellow NWOBHM forerunners Diamond Head.
Throughout the album there are solos galore, none more impressive than on the barnstorming second track "Bullet Made Of Stone".
This is no nostalgia trip for Tokyo Blade, they're here to prove they can perform modern rock and this is no better highlighted than on on track 3, "Burn Down the Night". Wrighton's cool bass leads us gently into a song which could easily fit into Shinedown's canon. Intense pointed lyrics are perfectly staged ahead of solid riffs.
Wrighton is at it again, but in a more direct fashion, to open "The Man In Black" and the following intro is definitely the chops of Thin Lizzy. Cool stuff indeed.
A smoother track follows in "No Time to Bleed", although still Lizzy inspired riffing is present throughout. On this track the band prove they can soften up but maintain quality melodies and the solo is up there.
Unassuming, but boy can these boys rock
"Dead Again" ramps up the pace once more and is a song full of intent and purpose with a superb extended solo fitting in perfectly.
"Bad Blood" is up next and the quality never wanes. A rocker interspersed with Brian May-esque guitar wails, which just adds to the interest. Boulton shows his phalangeal dexterity is maintained with another scorching twiddling solo, great stuff.
If you desire a head-banging singalong then look no further than "Black Water", shake your fist and scream the chorus then air-guitar the solo. Something for everyone there. Check out the video below.
"Stings Like An Open Wounds" carries on the good work, with great melody, riffage and solo action.
Tokyo Blade's storytelling is at its best on "The Last Samurai". With atmosphere aplenty there is a great deal to admire.
Finally, we have a nod to Tokyo Blade's NWOBHM roots with "My Kind of Heaven". Whilst the acoustic start may not be reminiscent of their past, the rest most definitely is. Crunching riffs announce the arrival of the storming vocal which may well have been intended for "If Heaven Is Hell" in a past life. The solos come thick and fast in glorious fashion and this track provides an absolute killer finish.
Overall, this album is fabulous from start to finish. Tokyo Blade prove 11 times over that they aren't about reliving past glories, they're all about creating new ones.
BUY: Amazon.ca / Amazon.com
OFFICIAL WEBSITE / FACEBOOK
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqBC5k5vLX0[/embedyt]
Check Out Our Latest .
Chris Czynszak	January 20, 2022
One of our favorite radical, counter-culture bands from the 90's, Warrior Soul, is set to release their new album 'Out on Bail'
With Chris & Aaron out of town for an interview, this week we look back on a DBG Classic as we revisit
Chris Czynszak	January 7, 2022
As we barrel into the new year, we share our favorite music in our Best of 2021 episode! The general public (over


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What's to come with the Richmond Underground: Cleary Station
It's at least a decade away, but the City of Ottawa is planning to build on the light-rail line currently under construction to extend it from Tunney's Pasture westward towards Lincoln Fields before turning south and heading to Baseline Station (although I've heard rumours that there may be a movement afoot to change the Transportation Master Plan in the near future in order to connect Bayshore Station to the LRT line in this second phase of the project). This past summer, the city decided they'd be moving forward with what's called the Richmond Underground route, which combines a shallow trench along the Parkway with a tunnel underneath Richmond Road (-ish) into a redesigned Lincoln Fields station.
What interests me most about the Richmond Underground proposal are the two new stations that would be incorporated into it, Cleary Station in McKellar Park and New Orchard Station in the Woodroffe North. Neither of these communities are currently served by high-speed transit; the current Transitway has a massive service gap between Dominion Station and Lincoln Fields. Although residents of the McKellar Park and Woodroffe are connected to the main Transitway by the 2 and the 87, the fact that the Transitway passed right by them without stopping them is a pretty huge missed opportunity. Richmond Underground addresses that service gap with two new stations, each of which has a relatively strong catchment area of existing residential development.
The easternmost of these new stations is Cleary Station, which is--appropriately--at the intersection of Cleary Avenue and Richmond Road. There's a strip mall on one side of Cleary (it's unclear whether or not that strip mall will stay... ) as well as the Charlesfort Continental condominium building on the other side. To the south are some low-rise apartment buildings and then some single-family homes. Westbound trains will proceed through the shallow trench towards Cleary Station, at which point they'll head underground into the Richmond tunnel.
A little while back, I went by the place where the station's going to be located to check it out (and take some photos). Below is a conceptual image of the line when viewed from the Parkway towards the west; in it, you can see the Continental condo in the background. You'll also notice just the top of the train is visible because the vehicle is inside the trench.
And here's a photo of that general area, but slightly closer to where the station itself is going to be.
Up next is a photo taken from the western side of Cleary Avenue towards the east, roughly where the station itself will be (you can see the back corner of the strip mall at the right of the image). It's tough to imagine a transit station, but... this is roughly where it's going to be.
A couple more concept images of Cleary were made available by the city; if I had to, I'd guess this first one is taken from about the fourth floor of the Charlesfort condo looking east across Cleary Avenue and along the trench. The van that's randomly parked outside the station is in roughly the same spot as the fence in the above image.
Finally, a pretty typical concept image of the station from Cleary Avenue itself.
Although the city has made promises to restrict intensification around Cleary and New Orchard stations, the population density around them is already pretty strong; certainly enough to justify adding in these two new stops.
In the near future, I'll publish some photos of the area around where New Orchard Station will be later in the week.
Posted by Peter Raaymakers at 7:00 AM 3 comments
Tags: Cleary Station, Light-Rail, Ottawa River Parkway, Richmond Underground, Transit plans
Construction update: Confederation Line western portal, Sept. 25
Digging has begun in earnest on the Confederation Line's downtown tunnel, as the city officially announced a few weeks back. Although potential damage to nearby heritage structures have raised some concerns, blasting continues, and thanks once again to Jim Louter, here are a few more photos of the of the ongoing project. All photos were taken on Sept. 25, 2013.
First, two photos from above the tunnel opening looking westward up the slope:
And below, two up-close photos of the trench's side wall:
Tags: Confederation Line, Construction, Downtown tunnel
Tragic OC Transpo crash leaves six dead, more than 30 injured, and a city shaken
Photo © The Canadian Press/Terry Pedwell
Just before 8:50 on Wednesday morning, a northbound OC Transpo double-decker bus collided with a VIA Rail train along Woodroffe Avenue near the Fallowfield transit station. The collision left the front corner of the bus shorn clean off. Six of those on the bus were killed by the collision, five declared deceased at the site and a sixth who perished after arriving at hospital. Among the dead was ten-year veteran OC Transpo bus driver Dave Woodard, who may be remembered as one of several operators who volunteered their time to shuttle disabled residents around the city during the 2008-09 OC Transpo strike. Over 30 other passengers from the bus were treated for injuries in hospital, but thankfully none of those on the VIA Rail train suffered any injuries.
While this description coldly offers the grim details of the tragic incident, it fails to capture much else about it--including the emotion that took over the City of Ottawa. The collision has left residents across the city shocked and feeling vulnerable to a degree that isn't typical of our usually sleepy town.
I found out about the incident while standing on a 95 riding through downtown. There was a young woman sitting beside me, talking on the phone and crying. A lot. It was obviously a personal matter, but I couldn't help but overhear snippets of her conversation; things like, "... the driver may be dead... " and, "... my brother was on the bus." That last word made me fear it was more than a car accident, so I checked Twitter on my phone; sure enough, the initial reports had begun flooding in from all the local news sources. As often as I could I updated the nwsfeed, but sadly the news didn't improve--in fact, the details seemed to get more grim as they came in.
More information about what happened to cause this tragic incident will surely come in the days and weeks ahead. In the meantime, my thoughts are with the families of those who were killed or injured in Wednesday's collision. Thanks are due to the first responders and hospital staff whose quick and decisive work prevented this crash from becoming an even more horrifying one.
Thanks are also due to the bus drivers who get us to work and back every day. Their jobs aren't as easy as many assume, so they deserve our gratitude and respect--especially after an event like today's, which must have them as shaken as anyone else. So when you're getting on or off the bus this week, make sure you say thank you to the operator who got you where you needed to be. If you can, try to make a habit of doing it regularly; I'm going to.
Tags: Fallowfield, OC Transpo, Safety, Transit operators, Transitway
#CivilTransit: Tips on using transit from New York city
Last month I posted a question on Twitter asking people what the most annoying thing a fellow rider could do while on OC Transpo. It's part of my embryonic #CivilTransit project, a (probably misguided) project to inform people of just how irritating their behaviour can be in order to make the transit experience more enjoyable for everyone.
Responses to my Twitter poll included many things you'd expect. The most serious of infractions was harassment, an issue that's been in the news for some time and was mentioned by a few respondents. Less illegal (but still obnoxious) infractions included listening to music absurdly loud, blocking the aisle when there's room at the back, talking loudly on cell phones, back-door boarding on buses not equipped for it, putting feet on seats, and running after 95s in rush hour (you know, when the next one is no more than five minutes away).
Along a similar vein, New York City-based artist Nathan Pile recently released a bunch of fun, animated .GIF images that demonstrate "basic tips and etiquette" for visitors or residents of his place of residence. They're all funny, but the transit-related ones apply as well to Ottawa as they do to New York.
For instance, regarding your music: Here's a failsafe way to determine whether it's actually obnoxiously loud...
Also, something that I experienced recently, here's a way to determine if the food you're considering eating on the bus is inappropriate...
If you're not aware who the Courtesy Seating section is intended for, this should help...
And finally, here's a demonstration of how illogical it is to jump on the bus before allowing others to make their way off of it...
Shortly after publishing his cartoons on Imgur (here and here), Pyle got a call from a publisher asking to turn his tips into a book--which is scheduled for publication in April 2014. Hopefully his cartoons make people more aware of their surroundings on public transit.
And if you like his stuff, you can like Pyle on Facebook.
Tags: #CivilTransit, Other cities, Service
Construction update: Downtown tunnel western portal
Thanks once again to Jim Louter (who provided some of the photos in this post, too), here are a few photos of the western portal of the Confederation Line's downtown tunnel. They were taken on August 16, 2013.
First, a couple of shows of the view eastwards into the opening of the trench:
Second, the opposite view, looking wast over the opening:
And finally, a look at the huge mounds of dirt that have been excavated:
Thanks again to Jim for sending in the photos. I'll try to keep posting updates whenever I can, at least until the Confederation Line website starts updating (as it hopefully will).
Tags: Confederation Line, Construction, Downtown tunnel, Light-Rail
What's to come with the Richmond Underground: Clea...
Construction update: Confederation Line western po...
Tragic OC Transpo crash leaves six dead, more than...
#CivilTransit: Tips on using transit from New York...


The BF is a bit partial to the golden liquor, and so there was no way we could drive through this part of the country without paying a little visit to Lynchburg, Tennessee, the dry county that brought Jack Daniels to the world. I was amazed to learn that you cannot actually consume Lynchburg's famous export within the county borders, and at the end of the distillery tour, they offer you a nice refreshing glass of… lemonade!
Lynchburg sure knows all about merchandising though – no visitor is in any doubt as to what they produce here!
Next stop was Nashville and most notably The Country Music Hall of Fame. Now, I have never particularly been a country music fan, but I have to say that after this trip I WAS a little brain washed and have certainly started to appreciate SOME of the local musical offering! Still, if nothing else, they certainly know how to put together an exhibit here – it was a fascinating place and well worth the visit.
There were some phenomenal outfits and custom guitars on display.
The ORIGINAL Blue Suede Shoes! (which, incidentally were NOT Elvis Presley's, but in fact, Carl Perkins who originally performed the song).
This piano is covered in 24k gold leaf inside and out (!) and was a gift by Priscilla to Elvis "for the man who has everything".
But enough of the Country Music Hall of Fame and time for a wander around Nashville. Gotta love a place that offers you "free smells"! Nashville really looks very different by day and by night!
We listened to some FABULOUS music in Nashville, from singer songwriters, to rock bands, to country bands – it was a great mix, everyone playing for tips and you could feel an AUTHENTIC music vibe all around you. Yes, it's touristy, but you can also tell that the music scene here is alive, vibrant and full of young and original talent just waiting and hoping to be discovered.
Click HERE for Part III – Memphis and Granceland.
If you are looking for the start of the journey and the introduction, it begins HERE.
If you would like to see the full gallery of all the images I took (way more than on the blog), without the commentary, please click HERE.


MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Virginia's men's basketball team has come full circle since the 2018 tournament where they became the lone No. 1 seed in tournament hstory to lose to a 16th seeded squad, by winning the 2019 Men's NCAA Basketball National Title! They did it despite giving up multiple 10 and 8-point leads, however, it did take overtime, before they could seal the 85-77 win over Texas Tech.
Here's how it all went down at US Bank Stadium in the 2019 Men's NCAA D1 Basketball National Title game Monday, April 8th, as the Hoos grabbed redemption!
Texas Tech won the tipoff, but it was Virginia getting the first basket of the night, which didn't come until 1:50 into the game. The Red Raiders struggled from the field early as well with their first three points to take the lead coming off of free throws.
Guy sank home the Cavs 2nd basket of the game 5:24 into the 1st half to put UVA back on top 4-3. This was followed up with a triple on their next possession from Ty Jerome. Next, a dunk from Braxton Key made it 9-3 with 12:56 left in the half, forcing Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard to call timeout.
Out of the timeout, Davide Moretti sank home a triple to give Texas Tech their first basket from the field of the game. Then Kyle Guy answered the bell with a triple, pushing their lead back to six. The lead would extend to 10 with 9:51 left in the half.
That is when the Tech offense woke up to the tune of three triples on consecutive trips! Two came from Brandone Francis and one came from Kyler Edwards as part of a 9-2 run to make it a three point game with 8:24 left in the half.
A fourth straight triple would tie things up at 19 as Moretti sank another. The Raiders would ride the wave, taking the lead off two free throws from Edwards with 5:22 left in the half.
Then what started, as two defensive powers shutting each other down became a show of two heavyweight's trading punches basket after basket. Matt Mooney sank a jumper to put Tech up four. UVA answered as Kihei Clarke sank a triple, to trim the deficit to one.
Francis then sank a step back jumper to push the Red Raider lead back to three. Guy answered for the Wahoos with a triple to tie things up at 27. Then two free throws from Moretti made it 29-27 Tech with 2:29 left in the half.
The offense for the Red Raiders would fizzle out the rest of the half, with UVA taking advantage with a jumper from De'Andre Hunter with 1:30 left in the game. As the half came to a close, Jerome sank a triple from the top of the key in the final seconds to send Virginia into the locker room with a 32-29 lead.
Leading the way for the Red Raiders at the half was Moretti and Francis with eight points each. For Virginia, it was Guy with 10 points, and Jerome added eight points and a team-high three assists.
Virginia came out in the second half, looking to send a message. Guy drained a triple to push the lead to six. Then after Tariq Owens turned it over for Tech, the Cavs got the line twice, with Hunter sinking both and then Mamadi Diakite making one of two, to make it a 38-29 lead for UVA 2:06 into the second half.
Tech was finally able to get their first bucket of the 2nd half with a layup from Francis with 17:45 left to play to trim the deficit to seven. As we reached the first media timeout of the 2nd half, Texas Tech trailed Virginia 42-35 with 14:15 left to play.
Out of the timeout, Edwards depleted a triple to cut the deficit to just four for the Red Raiders. However, with the answer at the other end, Hunter drained a triple. The party kept going with another one from the sharpshooter Francis trimming it back to four. However, the Cavs would quickly rally, pushing their lead back to nine as Jerome hit a jumper and Hunter drained a triple with 11:22 left to play.
After a jumper from Jarrett Culver cut it back to seven for Tech, Guy answered yet again. This time he drained a triple to extend the lead for the Cavs to 10 with 10:24 left to play.
Two buckets from Moretti ensued for Tech as they cut the deficit back to six. Jerome answered right back for UVA, starting what would be an exchanging of baskets over the next 3:31, with the margin fluctuating between eight and six for four time. However after cutting it to six with a basket from Edwards, the Red Raiders had more in store.
Mooney drained a triple with 4:15 left to play, cutting the deficit to three. Then a layup, plus an and one sank by Norense Odiase tied things up at 59 with only 3:30 left to play.
Mamadi Diakite then got to the line for Virginia, sinking both. This was answered with two free throws from Culver to tie it back up at 61 with 2:38 left on the clock. A quick basket from Hunter, a miss from Culver the other way and a layup from Guy ensuing that, all of the sudden put Virginia on top by four with only 1:44 left to play.
Texas Tech answered yet again, this time with a triple from Mooney, a block the other way by Odiase and then a layup from Culver to regain the lead at 66-65 with 42 seconds left. Then Odiase would add to the lead with two free throws, pushing the lead to 3 with only 22 seconds left.
However, the party was just getting started for UVA, as Hunter sank the game tying three with 14 seconds to play in regulation. Culver missed a triple at the other end of the floor. Hunter would turn the ball over on an arrant pass.
This set up the Red Raiders with the ball, out of bounds with 1.6 seconds left to play. On the inbound, Hunter got off a shot, but Braxton Key quickly blocked it, thus sending the Title game into overtime.
Overtime was a different story though. UVA answered first, with Hunter sinking two shots from the line. Then Mooney put the Red Raiders on top with a triple. Mooney followed this with a deuce after a UVA turn over to make it 73-70 TTU with 3:10 left in OT.
Shortly after Mooney's OT burst is when the excitement for the 3rd seeded Red Raiders started to diminish, and fast.
Guy sank two free throws at the other end. Then Hunter followed this up with a triple, to make it 75-73 UVA with 2:09 left in OT. On the ensuing possession, Diakite blocked a shot from Culver. The Red Raiders corralled the offensive board, but Mooney missed the second chance shot from deep.
After another failed trip from UVA, Moretti turned the ball over. Jerome got to the line for Virginia and sank two shots to push their lead to four. Following a missed triple from Francis, Guy made his way to the line for the Wahoos, sinking both. This made it a 6-point game with only 31 seconds left in OT.
You could feel the energy being sucked out of the Texas Tech faithful! Culver missed another triple and Mooney fouled to send Diakite to the line, where he sank two of two, making it 81-73 with just 23 seconds left. Edwards added a layup at the other end to trim it back to six with 17 seconds left.
However, it was a lost cause at this point, with no help from defense in the frontcourt for Tech, Jerome threw a deep pass from the opposite baseline down the court to a wide open and running free Key, who slammed it home for UVA.
The Red Raiders made one last layup, coming from Francis, but the deed was done, as UVA's Key sank two more free throws and history was made as the final buzzer sounded just four seconds after a missed triple from Mooney.
De'Andre Hunter led the scoring for Virginia with 27 points. It was however Kyle Guy that was named the 'Most Outstanding Player' of the tournament as a whole. Guy finished the National Title with 24 points, three rebounds and one steal. Diakite led the team with two blocks, while Key led the Wahoos with 10 boards.


Britons are failing to take basic steps to protect themselves from online crime - despite identity fraud now being at record levels.
With this in mind, Action Fraud - the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime - has launched an awareness campaign targeting ID, with the hashtag #AreYouOneofThem.
It follows a YouGov Survey which showed that people in the UK are aware that they need to improve their online safety but still aren't doing so.
Identity fraud is estimated to cost the UK £5.4 billion per year, as 172,919 people reported identity fraud to Cifas in 2016 with the reporting figures steadily rising since 2008.
55% of people surveyed access public Wi-Fi that is not password protected.
40% of people do not have antivirus software installed on their devices.
27% of people use the same password for multiple accounts.
32% admit that they are at risk to identity fraud because of their behaviour.
31% of people think the over 60s are the most at risk to fraud.
City of London Police, Commander Dave Clark, National Police Coordinator for Economic Crime said: "The recent survey results have highlighted that we need to do more to protect ourselves from fraudsters. There is a common misconception that only old people fall victim to fraud but reports show that every age and demographic is affected.
If you have information about those committing identity crime please tell independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously online or call on 0800 555 111.
If you have been a victim of fraud, you can contact Victim Support for free (http://www.victimsupport.org.uk), confidential advice and support. Victim Support is the independent charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales.


text:
NOAA Chief Scientist Fired for Asking New Hires to Mind Scientific Integrity
The acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was fired by the agency's chief of staff after he asked Trump's newest appointees to NOAA to recognise the scientific integrity policy. Craig McLean, NOAA's acting chief scientist, emailed the new staff members in September asking them to acknowledge the agency's rules on scientific conduct and code of ethics, which among other things requires that employees make decisions based on the science and without political influence. Dr Erik Noble, NOAA chief of staff and former White House policy advisor, fired back: "Respectfully, by what authority are you sending this to me?" Noble wrote the next day: "You no longer serve as the acting chief scientist for NOAA. Thank you for your service," The Times reported. In his place, Noble has hired Ryan Maue, a meteorologist and former adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a think-tank co-founded by billionaire Charles Koch, who has made a fortune in the fossil fuel industry. - The Independent


text:
package com.maxiee.heartbeat.ui.adapter;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.support.v7.app.AlertDialog;
import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.bumptech.glide.Glide;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.R;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.common.GalleryUtils;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.common.TimeUtils;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.data.DataManager;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.database.utils.ImageUtils;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.database.utils.ThoughtUtils;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.model.Event;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.model.Image;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.ui.AddEventActivity;
import com.maxiee.heartbeat.ui.EventDetailActivity;

import java.util.ArrayList;

/**
 * Created by maxiee on 15-6-12.
 */
public class EventListAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<EventListAdapter.ViewHolder> {

    private static final String TAG = EventListAdapter.class.getSimpleName();

    private ArrayList<Event> mEventList;

    public EventListAdapter(ArrayList<Event> mEventList) {
        this.mEventList = mEventList;
    }

    public void setData(ArrayList<Event> mEventList) {
        this.mEventList = mEventList;
    }

    @Override
    public ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        View v = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext())
                .inflate(R.layout.item_event_card, parent, false);
        return new ViewHolder(v);
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(ViewHolder holder, final int position) {
        final Event event = mEventList.get(position);

        holder.tvEvent.setText(event.getEvent());
        holder.tvTime.setText(
                TimeUtils.parseTime(
                        holder.mView.getContext(),
                        event.getTimestamp()));

        holder.tvThoughtCount.setText(String.valueOf(ThoughtUtils.getEventCount(holder.mContext, event.getId())));

//        Log.d(TAG, "事件列表项目");
//        Log.d(TAG, "编号:" + String.valueOf(event.getId()));
//        Log.d(TAG, "名称:" + event.getEvent());

        holder.mView.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Context context = v.getContext();
                Intent intent = new Intent(context, EventDetailActivity.class);
                intent.putExtra(
                        EventDetailActivity.EXTRA_NAME,
                        mEventList.get(position).getId());
                context.startActivity(intent);
            }
        });

        holder.mView.setOnLongClickListener(new View.OnLongClickListener() {
            @Override
            public boolean onLongClick(View v) {
                AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(v.getContext());
                final String[] items = new String[]{
                        v.getContext().getString(R.string.dialog_edit_event),
                        v.getContext().getString(R.string.delete)
                };
                final Context context = v.getContext();
                builder.setItems(items, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                    @Override
                    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                        if (which == 0) {
                            Intent i = new Intent(context, AddEventActivity.class);
                            i.putExtra(AddEventActivity.ID_EVENT_MODIFY, event.getId());
                            context.startActivity(i);
                        }
                        if (which == 1) {
                            DataManager.getInstance(context).deleteEvent(event.getId());
                        }
                    }
                });
                builder.show();
                return true;
            }
        });

        Image i = ImageUtils.getImageByEventId(holder.mContext, event.getId());

        int marginTBHasImage = (int) holder.mContext.getResources().getDimension(R.dimen.item_event_has_image_margin_tb);
        int marginTBNoImage = (int) holder.mContext.getResources().getDimension(R.dimen.item_event_no_image_margin_tb);
        int marginLR = (int) holder.mContext.getResources().getDimension(R.dimen.item_event_image_margin_lr);
        ViewGroup.MarginLayoutParams params = (ViewGroup.MarginLayoutParams) holder.tvEvent.getLayoutParams();

        if (i != null) {
            holder.mCoverImage.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            Glide.with(holder.mContext)
                    .load(GalleryUtils.getImagePath(i.getPath()))
                    .centerCrop()
                    .into(holder.mCoverImage);
            params.setMargins(marginLR, marginTBHasImage, marginLR, marginTBHasImage);
        } else {
            holder.mCoverImage.setVisibility(View.GONE);
            params.setMargins(marginLR, marginTBNoImage, marginLR, marginTBNoImage);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return mEventList.size();
    }

    public class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
        public TextView tvEvent, tvTime,tvThoughtCount;
        public final View mView;
        public Context mContext;
        public ImageView mCoverImage;

        public ViewHolder(View itemView) {
            super(itemView);
            this.mView = itemView;
            this.tvEvent = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.tv_event);
            this.tvTime = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.tv_time);
            this.tvThoughtCount = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.tv_thought_count);
            this.mCoverImage = (ImageView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.image_cover);
            mContext = itemView.getContext();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


HATCH is a design communications studio that specializes in developing the visual story behind our projects. We believe strongly that every piece of the built world has a narrative. We simply aspire to bring that narrative to life.
Whether that requires visualization, film, VR, photography, brand development, interactive, or a medium we've yet to discover - our experience positions us firmly to deliver what's necessary to craft an impactful story.
OMA | Gensler | Dan Hisel Architect | HPI, Inc | Wolf in Sheep Design | Pickard Chilton Architects | Moshe Safdie Architects | Elkus Manfredi Architects | Stellar Management | over, under | Cube 3 Studio | Fennick McCredie Architects | SWA Group | McMahon Architects, Inc. | EQR | Antonio DiMambro and Associates | Dyer Brown Architects | FH Chase, Inc | Friar Associates | G&P Properties | Interiors East | Joseph Tatone and Associates | Moth Design | dbox | Neoscape, Inc.


text:
Q: Form submitting but mysql query not properly functioning The following code gives a signup form that i created but unfortunately though it works the mysql query fails and returns the error message unsuccessfull signup! how can i correct this?
    <!DOCTYPE html>

      <title>Arsiri Textile </title>
      <meta charset="utf-8">
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <title>Arsiri Textile </title>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css">
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lato" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">

  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/basic.css">

      ARSIRI TEXTILE |

About Us

Contact Us

Login

 Signup

    <!doctype html>

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/bootstrap.min.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/bootstrap-theme.min.css" />

Customer Registration

 <form class="form-horizontal" role="form" action="signupaction.php" method="post" >

    First Name

      <input type="text" class="form-control" id="name" name="firstname" required>

    Last Name

      <input type="text" class="form-control" id="name" name="lastname" required>

    Address

           <textarea class="form-control" class="form-control" name="address"></textarea>

    Contact No.

      <input type="text" maxlength="10" class="form-control" id="name" name="contactno" required>

    E-Mail

      <input type="email" class="form-control" id="name" name="emailaddress" required>

    Password

      <input type="password" class="form-control" id="pass" name="password" required>

    Confirm password

      <input type="password" class="form-control" id="confirmpass" name="cpassword" required>

        <input class="btn btn-success btn-sm" type=submit name=submit value=Submit >
<input class="btn btn-success btn-sm" type=reset name=reset value=Cancel>

</form>

 Asiri all rights reserved

The relevant php script(ignupaction.php) for the above html form is as follows
<?php

//importing db.php in the includes folder

require("includes/db.php");

$fname=$_POST["firstname"];
$lname=$_POST["lastname"];

$address=$_POST["address"];
$contact=$_POST["contactno"];
$email=$_POST["emailaddress"];

$password=$_POST["password"];
$cpassword=$_POST["cpassword"];

$sql="INSERT INTO `signup`  VALUES ('$fname','$lname','$address','$contact','$email','$password',$cpassword')";

$result=mysqli_query($db,$sql);

if(!$result){
    echo "Unsuccessful signup";
}
else{
    echo "Successful signup";
}

?>

when the form is submitted it returns unsuccessful signup! how can i correect this?

A:
$sql="INSERT INTO signup  VALUES ('$fname','$lname','$address','$contact','$email','$password',$cpassword')";

you are missing a ' on the last variable. you have '$password',$cpassword'  <----- missing '. Also change the ticks around 'signup'.
Try this :

$sql="INSERT INTO 'signup'  VALUES ('$fname','$lname','$address','$contact','$email','$password','$cpassword')";


text:
Five Popular Movies I Can't Stand
These films have won the plaudits of many a fan around the world, but I just can't understand the cult following behind these overrated piles of tripe.
A few years ago, buoyed by all the positive reviews, I finally got around to watching Atonement. Setting aside my aggressive antipathy towards its female star, you know – the one with a chin like a Seth MacFarlane doodle, I was fully prepared to give it a fair hearing. It was beautifully filmed, reasonably well acted, and managed to keep me engaged, right up until the ending. Now, maybe it was the fault of the critics. They were the ones who'd billed its rug-pulling dénouement as a jaw-dropper to rival the best of M Night Shyamalan, but to me, the whole thing just felt like obtuse narrative retconning. It took the concept of the unreliable narrator and violated it with a rolled up manuscript. In my red mist-addled mood, I made the fatal error of taking to the IMDB message boards to voice my indignation. I even outlined how I'd expected the film to end, being unfamiliar with its source novel by Ian McEwan.
Unsurprisingly, the backlash was swift, brutal and unfailingly condescending. I quickly discovered that Atonement is one of those special films that inspires a loyal, almost obsessive following. And to speak ill of the object of their affection is to invoke the ire of an entire army. They labelled me a troll, a hater and, most annoyingly, too stupid to understand the film's poetic sophistication. Bollocks. I just didn't like it. But that's not enough for some people – they have a pathological need to defend their favourite films from attack, no matter how valid or even-handed the criticism might be.
Nonetheless, this backlash has made me wary of speaking out against the majority opinion where films are concerned. But I've had enough. No longer will I be silenced by outspoken enthusiasts. It's time to tip some cinematic sacred cows.
Let's start with the most recent item on this list. In many ways I can understand why people fell for Nicolas Winding Refn's modern masterpiece. After all, it certainly looks and sounds fantastic. Then again, so does Katherine Jenkins, but I could only stand about twenty minutes in her company before making a grab for the Hedex. Looking for a loving recreation of a 1980s aesthetic? You'd be better off playing Grand Theft Auto Vice City – at least that lets you change the radio station.
Drive was released at the perfect time to capitalise on Ryan Gosling's man-of-the-hour ubiquity, inspiring a tsunami of breathless appreciations of his manly perfection. Unfortunately, I struggled to get past the ugly bomber jacket and the repartee of a trappist monk. He's supposed to be the strong, silent type, but he makes Harold Lloyd look like Robert Downey Junior. It's one thing to aim for quiet introspection, but without any dialogue, Gosling resorts to gurning like a spare Grumbleweed.
If you're going to build a film around the powerful connection between two mismatched characters, they have to have some kind of rapport. I'm no relationship expert, but it takes more than a few coy smiles over a bowl of Cheerios to see into someone's soul. When Drive was released two years ago, one litigious movie-goer tried to take the studio to court for misrepresenting the film. She claimed that she'd gone in expecting a Fast & Furious knock-off, so she attempted to sue for emotional distress. Maybe she'd have stood more of a chance if she'd blamed it for triggering involuntary narcolepsy – I'd have happily stepped in with some supportive testimony.
Grit, Glamour & Ryan Gosling: Drive Reviewed
11 Of The Best Film Soundtracks
Remember all the buzz last year about Prometheus, before the world discovered it was derivative pile of pretentious horseshit? Much of the pre-release excitement trumpeted Ridley Scott's long awaited return to science-fiction after a thirty-year absence. As the rest of the world worked itself into a state of lightsaber-like tumescence, I was busy preparing for the worst. You see, I'd never fallen for Scott's style-over-substance approach to futurism. It may cast me firmly in the minority, but I found his adaptation of Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? to be an overblown masturbatory tribute to the conceptual designer's art. As cold, emotionless and synthetic as the androids that Decker is tracking, the Blade Runner dresses itself in spectacular sci-fi drag, but nothing can disguise its utter lack of narrative momentum.
The big concepts around mortality, identity and sense-of-self could have been portrayed just as effectively in a minimalist film noir milieu, and made for a far more compelling experience. Instead, it's almost as if Ridley was contractually obliged to spend a shitload of cash on building the world outside, when what was going on internally was far more interesting. While Harrison Ford was struggling to locate the man behind the emotionless façade, Ridley's camera kept rushing to the window to point out another flying car.
When it comes to style over substance, this film wrote the stunningly typeset, immaculately laid-out, limited edition, leather-bound coffee-table book on it. Its fans love the fact that Ridley's first cut (there have now been 117 different versions released on various home entertainment formats) left the question of Decker's true nature unanswered; leaving audiences to guess whether he was actually a replicant, like the androids he was hunting down. But surely that's the whole point of the story? In which case, it's like The Usual Suspects ending the moment Verbal leaves the detective's office.
There's no greater example of the gender divide than the films that each sex takes to its collective heart. For those of us who grew up in the VHS era, there were only ever two contenders – Dirty Dancing and Top Gun. While the fairer sex was busy wearing down the heads in the toploader with scenes of Patrick Swayze molesting a school-girl, the boys were expected to fantasise about buying a pair of Ray-Bans and getting it on with the teacher. Thanks for that, Top Gun.
Tom Cruise had been toying with leading man status for a couple of years, but it was the role of Maverick that cemented his place as the ever-grinning crown prince of Hollywood. With a killer soundtrack, a tried and tested concept (this was An Officer and a Gentleman Part 2 in all but name), and the full support of the US Navy, the film had success written all over it. And it bored me fucking stupid.
As jingoistic military recruitment propaganda goes, Top Gun is a stone-cold classic. As entertainment, not so much. It just doesn't really work as a film – the characters are as complex as the nicknames they're all assigned, and the plot is similarly vacant. And yet, despite its egregious simplicity, I always struggled to follow what was going on. There's never had any real sense of whether the aerial acrobatics taking place are part of a training exercise, or an actual conflict. So the viewer is unsure when they're supposed to be feeling the adrenalin rush. Stunning aerial photography aside, watching someone else learn to fly a plane is about as compelling as watching Maureen struggle with an Austin Maxi in Driving School. It didn't help matters that the only fatality took place during a bungled routine - something about jet wash and premature ejections. Is it any wonder that the film's homoerotic undercurrent has taken on legendary status?
Christopher Nolan Has Changed The Comic Book Movie For Good
Superhero Films You Should Be Pumped For In 2013
No-one's ever going to argue that this was a classic film by any conventional critical standards, but I know a lot of people who've showered an improbable amount of love on this baffling mess of a movie. It could be that my distaste for Highlander has simply been compounded by the number of times I had to sit through it as a student. My housemates only had one video – this one. And they insisted that we watch it with a torturous regularity.
Over the next couple of years I was able to identify my main problems with Highlander, besides its utterly bewildering plot. For a start, there's the soundtrack – which turns the film into a musical where no-one sings. Given the cast's inadequacy at expressing basic human emotions, we have Freddie Mercury to take us through it instead. "Who wants to live forever?" he sings, as Christophe Lambert sets up home with his flaxen-haired beloved, only to watch her age and die. By the time she checks out, we too have felt the crushing ennui of immortality.
The second problem I have is with the casting. Everyone knows that accents are the toughest part of an actor's gig. So who the merry fuck decided to cast a Frenchman as a Scot, a Scot as an Egyptian, and an ironing board as the love interest? Sean Connery only ever sounds like himself, and Lambert would have been better channelling his grunting ape-man from Greystoke.
And finally, we have Highlander to thank for ushering in a new cinematic phenomenon – the music video director turned film-maker. Mulcahy's background couldn't be more obvious if the artist and album details appeared in the bottom left of the screen every three and half minutes. Everything about this film feels like it was lifted from the derivative video of some generic mid-eighties power ballad – all flashing neon, billowing curtains and venetian blinds. So next time you're suffering through another Michael Bay or McG monstrosity, just remember who blazed this particular trail for them.
Perhaps the most frustrating film on this list, From Dusk Till Dawn should have shoulder-barged its way straight into my top ten of all-time favourites. Tarantino and Rodriguez were a match made in heaven, Clooney was all set to channel his potent charisma onto the big screen, plus it had vampires and a supporting role for the incomparable Tom Savini. What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything, as it happens. Starting with Quentin's decision to take on one of the lead roles, despite an acting career that had peaked with an appearance as an Elvis impersonator in an episode of The Golden Girls.
Tarantino's self-indulgent performance is just one of many aggravating elements in this shrilly objectionable film. Aside from the "Fuck it, that'll do" approach to plotting, pacing and characterisation, my real issue was with the ugly seam of misogyny running through it, like 'Cunt' through a particularly offensive stick of Blackpool rock. And before you start, I know that this was a film about vampire strippers. Character names like Chet Pussy and Sex Machine didn't exactly promise an intellectual dissection of the male gaze. But the film lost me early on, with a scene where Richie Gecko gets bored and accidentally rapes and mutilates the woman that he and his brother had kidnapped. The bloody aftermath is bad enough, but the fact that the recriminations between the two siblings are played like an astonishingly dark episode of the Chuckle Brothers, was what really bothered me.
One of the most meaningless phrases in film criticism has to be "It looked like everyone had a blast making it," largely because watching other people enjoying themselves is no guarantee of fun for the observer. That's why tramps always look so miserable when they stare through restaurant windows. So Tarantino's grin as he gets to drink the whisky trickling down Salma Hayek's thigh is effectively a 'fuck you' to everyone in the audience: "I'm having a ball here, and you idiots have paid to watch me do it."
Ryan GoslingHollywoodMoviesReportageQuentin Tarantino
Are Movie Trailers Life's Biggest Con?
By Charlie Baker
Steve McQueen: A Beginner's Guide To The Icons Icon
Five Great Films of the 1990s You Should See
5 Of The Best Concept Movies
The 5 Best Found Footage Movies


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Running any business presents challenges, but running an ethical business has obstacles as well as rewards. As Cayla remembers, "We had never launched a web-based business before, and the learning curve was very steep, especially with respect to the financial aspects of online marketing and e-commerce. I studied these areas until I understood them well enough to build our business model upon them, and continue to develop my coding abilities so that I can have a deep understand of our platform as it continues to grow and develop. I also struggled with the realisation that I do not have uniform strengths – we sought out people who were better at online marketing that we were, so that I could focus on growing the business. One of the biggest obstacles I still personally face as an entrepreneur is day to day stamina of running a company of this scale and breadth. Unicorn Goods has challenged me to balance my life in a way that prevents me from burning out and equips me to follow through on our vision in the long-term.
Unicorn Goods is the main sponsor for our #VildaOOTD Vegan Outfit of the Year competition – if you haven't voted for your favourite already, do so here!