text:
Beer, Castles, Ireland, Irish Beer, Irish Whisky, Whisky
A brewtiful drive through County Meath
So you fancy yourself a travel fanatic, eh? If you are like me, you secretly (or openly) love when people ask you for travel advice. Someone starts to ask you, What should I see in… and before the words are out of their mouth, your pulse has increased by 200% and you are immediately Rick Steves on two cans of Red Bull.
The answers you give (or splatter in someone's face like a dog whose master has just come home) will obviously depend on how they finish that question. On one end of the spectrum will be places like Italy which has so many famous sites like the Colosseum, Pompei, Tower of Pisa, Santa Maria del Fiori, Piazza San Marco, etc. etc. etc. On the other end of the spectrum are places like Ireland.
Stamullen, County Meath
Ask a travel fanatic what the best sites are to see in Ireland and the answer will hardly consist of any sites at all. Ireland doesn't have any sites which have crossed over into pop culture or have been made superstars by the Renaissance or the Roman Empire. A person who really knows Ireland will explain in their own way this basic principle. Sites in Ireland are merely interesting waypoints. The real "sites" in Ireland are the journeys to and between those waypoints. In fact, the sites that will be recommended when going to Ireland will consist of names such as Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Way, etc. What these have in common are that they are counties or regions with specifically recommended driving routes. Most of the names of the sites you see along the way will make most people stare at you blankly. Anyway, how does one explain to someone that the real sites of Ireland are its atmosphere, scenery, mysteriousness, starkness, sorrow, jubilation, music, color, stones, sheep, heather, whispers in the wind, and of course the stonewall-lined single lane roads with 100km/h impossible speed limits.
Note: If you really want to know how to experience the best of Ireland with your heart, look no further than my friend's blog HERE.
Besides a beautiful hike or bike ride, my favorite thing to do in Ireland is to spend the day doing a scenic drive around a particular region going from waypoint to waypoint. The ones I have mentioned above have established routes where you will be competing for the precious space on the single lane roads with the occasional tour bus. Eventually I will find the time to write about them too. But this post will focus on a particular drive which I planned spontaneously earlier this year the day before my Slieve Donard hike. County Meath.
County Meath is a short ride north of Dublin, and its location made it a perfect place to stay for the Slieve Donard hike weekend. It will not regale you with the breathtaking scenery that you would get with the other aforementioned scenic drives, but it is perhaps the area where one can best come in contact with Ireland's ancient past. One glance at Google maps and it didn't take long to piece together a drive thru ancient Ireland sprinkled with a few brewtiful delights along the way. Hey its all really about getting to the whisky and beer, isn't it?
Stamullen
Hill of Tara
Trim/Trim Castle
Slane Distillery
Newgrange/Brú na Bóinne
Boyne Brewhouse
The Hill of Tara is where supposedly the ancient High Kings of Ireland were crowned. Most things that happened something like 2500 years ago fall somewhere on the supposedly scale, especially in regions steeped in myth like Ireland. There is a standing stone called the Stone of Destiny which would supposedly (there's that word again) scream out if the acceptable contender for the crown touched it. The stone is believed to have been placed about 600 years B.C. Next to the standing stone, there is a grave marker for the 400 Irish rebels who died here in the Rebellion of 1798.
Stone of Destiny (right)
Another feature of this site is the 5000-year old Mound of the Hostages where up to 500 ancient people are buried. While the name is really cool and makes you think that the dead bodies inside were all unredeemed hostages from cheap and heartless families, the name actually derives from the Middle Ages, when this mount was a traditional spot where exchange of hostages took place. So the name has nothing to do with what's buried inside.
Mound of the Hostages
Bective Abbey was a Cistercian abbey started in 1147 and dissolved during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid-1500's. So sadly I would find no abbey beer on the premises. The cloisters of the abbey was used in the movie Braveheart for the scene where the Princess and her lady-in-waiting are walking and talking about stories of William Wallace's exploits. This would not be the last time that Braveheart came up on this day. The location of this abbey is along a quiet road in the middle of farmland. I arrived in the morning and found myself practically alone with the whispers in the stones. On a gorgeous late Spring morning, it gave that awe one gets when finding a spot while you are traveling that feels like your own.
The cloisters used in a Braveheart scene
Trim is not a household name but it is definitely one of the most interesting cities I have been to in Ireland. It seems everywhere you look, there is something provocative that fires the imagination. I had no plan when I arrived. I found a parking place at a shopping center as you enter the city and started following the signs to the castle. It was a short walk to the first of the city's interesting features.
The Oldest Bridge in Ireland (…kind of)
This bridge was built in 1330 replacing a previous bridge which was destroyed by a flood. Depending on where you look on the internet, it is called the oldest "unchanged" bridge in Ireland or the oldest "in-use" bridge. Whatever it is or isn't, it is old.
From the bridge, I went immediately to the Trim Castle to get my timed ticket for the castle tour. The time for the tour afforded me a chance to have a stroll around the small city center where I was introduced to Trim's favorite son.
Wellington Monument
Strange that an Irish city would have a monument to a British Prime Minister and the war hero of Waterloo. But that is not so surprising once you realize that the Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley was born in Dublin and went to a diocesan school in Trim. One of his family homes was Dangan Castle not far from Trim and for a brief time, the Wellesley family also owned Trim Castle.
Braveheart Trim Castle
While the imposing Trim Castle stands proud like an elder warrior of Ireland's freedom, it was built not to preserve Irish liberty but to subjugate it. It is the biggest of all Norman castles in Ireland. Norman referring to the castles built after William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England from Normandy in 1066. This one was built sometime in the 12th century. I found Trim Castle to be a surprising breath of fresh air compared to other castles I've visited in that it has no reconstructed interior and it is not thronging with tourists. The castle grounds are open to the public and locals use it as a place to come and relax. Although I was disappointed to find that there was no gift shop and that meant no special beer for the castle, something that I have come to expect more and more. The tour was enjoyable and although it was filled with names, dates, and events I have since forgotten, it had one aspect that definitely appealed to me.
Braveheart.
It was this castle where Mel Gibson in blue face paint besieged the city of York and came a-knocking with a battering ram. Later on in the movie, the castle was transformed from York to London and one side served as the backdrop for the execution scene. I feel a bit guilty that the things I remember most about an Irish castle are the scenes in which it was used to make a movie about a Scottish hero, which in turn was so inaccurate, it doesn't even qualify for supposedly.
Where Mel Gibson was decapitated
After the castle, I felt like a walk…. and a beer.
The start of the river walk
Newtown River Walk
Across the river from the castle is a river walk (about 3km loop) which takes you around Trim's wonderful ruins. The first one is the 13th century Newtown Abbey which was also victim to Henry the VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The ruins of the abbey have become a cemetery of Celtic crosses which had me humming a little Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath.
A little further past the Newtown abbey are the ruins of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist.
At this point, the walk doubles back towards Trim, but first a stop at Regan's Pub, the second oldest pub in Ireland.
Here I took a break with a stout from the local Brú Brewery. This is a traditional creamy Guinness-style stout rather than the typical modern craft beer stout. It was as delicious as it looks. I did seek out the brewery afterwards but the brewery itself is a small corner of an industrial park just outside of Trim. The actual brewhouses are located in Newbridge and Dublin, not on my itinerary.
On the way back, the final distinctive ruin is that of the Yellow Steeple which is most of what remains of St. Mary's Abbey. Henry VIII clearly left his mark on this region.
After the river walk, it was back to the car and a thoroughly enjoyable ride thru the farm villages and rolling hills of the area until the town of Slane.
Slane Distillery and Slane Castle are two sites adjacent to each other. By this point, I was already castled out, and the distillery easily won my attention. Slane Distillery is owned by Brown-Forman, the American distillery conglomerate who also owns Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, and others. The distillery exists in what used to be the stables of Slane Castle. It was started up in 2015 in cooperation with the family owning Slane Castle to channel the long disappeared distillery tradition of the Boyne Valley. In a way, you could say that this is a whisky version of the Belgian Abbey beer where a commercial brewer licences the name of an abbey who hundreds of years ago had a brewing tradition and turns it into a marketing wonder.
But you know what? I love abbey beers so why should I think any less of Slane whisky. And what a whisky! It was smooth, flavorful, had a perfect golden color and went down about as easy as a whisky can. It is not a single malt, but I held no prejudice and gave it a try. I admit to being a whisky amateur but this one was one of the best I've had. The distillery grounds are pristine. It has definitely been manicured to look elegant like you would expect the stables of a wealthy land owner from 200 years ago to look. For the carry-on travellers, you will be happy to know the whisky is available in Dublin Airport Duty Free… so I did not have to go home empty-handed.
By the time I was finished overspending in the gift shop thanks to the warm, golden buzz of that delectable liquid, it was already late afternoon and I still had one cultural site to go.
Newgrange / Brú na Bóinne
Newgrange is an ancient burial mound which pre-dates the Great Pyramids by half a millenium. However, I had tarried too long with my whisky and it was not possible to buy tickets anymore for the site. This is one site you should probably reserve in advance. At one spot along the path to the welcome center, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the mound. Aligned east-west, it is designed to capture sunlight on the winter solstice.
Back on the road, I passed another site which which would have been interesting, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Center, but it also was closed. There was still one final stop. All day long I had been carrying a bottle of Oatmeal Stout from Boyne Brewhouse. What better cap off to a terrific drive than to visit the brewhouse itself.
I pulled into the brewhouse fearing that the establishment might be closed. There were several people making their way from a large tasting room to a waiting bus so I quickly used the confusion of people to blend in and make my way inside the room as if I had forgotten something. There I found myself standing among several picnic tables on top of beer kegs full of empty beer glasses and many empty and half empty bottles, like a big party just happened here. When the crowd finally left and the chattering of beer buzzed conversations died away, I looked around innocently hoping for attention. Just for your information, Boyne Brewhouse does not really accept walk ins. They give tours and tastings to groups on reservations, but the host was extremely friendly and offered me to take a beer glass and any unopened beers were left on the tables. Hey, they were already paid for! I gladly and enthusiastically accepted her wonderful Irish hospitality and you can see before you that I managed to salvage a few treasures.
There you have it folks, one of the best day road trips of my life. I love Ireland and days like this are the reason. I have never had so much fun getting behind the wheel of a car as I do when I am in Ireland (except maybe Scotland… thank God no one will ever put a gun to my head and make me choose… I think). You can see so much in such a short distance, so many eras of history, both factual and supposed, beautiful landscapes, whisky, beer, castles, abbeys, pubs, and did I mention whisky? There is also the pleasure of telling yourself over and over, stay to the left. So if you come up to me in the street and ask me what you should see in Ireland, forgive me if I get really excited, and prepare yourself for an answer that will take at least as long as a drive around County Meath on a beautiful day in May.
October 8, 2018 September 6, 2020 1 CommentBeer, boynebrewhouse, countymeath, Ireland, Slanedistillery, Travel, Travelblogger, trim, Whisky
One thought on "A brewtiful drive through County Meath"
What a beautiful journey. History and majestic sites are wonderful but I think I would like the magical in betweenness of Ireland. No need to hurry there's wonder everywhere. Thank you for a grand tour!
Previous Previous post: Hike the Brewtifulworld: Slieve Donard
Next Next post: Before Life was Brewtiful: Arizona/Utah


text:
5 best shoe shops in Milan
Read our sartorial city guide and discover the top shoe stores in Milan. Whether you are looking Italian designer shoes, practical flats or wish to invest in top Italian leather, these are the best places to shop for shoes in Milan
Emily Scrivener , 12 May, 2017
Andrea Martiradonna
Synonymous with craftsmanship and Italian excellence, Santoni marries tradition and innovation to create some of the finest men's and women's shoes in the country. It is known as a reference brand for top shoe styles and offers everything from smart leather loafers to urban sneakers and ankle boots. It also provides a special bespoke service for made-to-measure shoes. Santoni is a brand to watch and its store in central Milan is a must-visit while you are in the city.
Santoni, Via Montenapoleone 6, 20121 Milan, +39 02 7628 0508
Find out how much you can save
Original price / Tax Refund (approx.)
Greymer is a good place to browse for luxury women's footwear with the 'Made in Italy' label. Established in 1980, the brand offers sleek, modern styles which reflect the current season's fashion trends. Whether you are looking for elegant high heels, summer sandals or edgier ankle boots, Greymer provides plenty of choice.
Greymer, Via Borgospesso 23, 20121 Milan, +39 02 8396 9824
Dolce & Gabbana is one of Italy's most renowned and recognisable brands. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana met in Milan in 1985 and today the fashion duo's company encapsulates the vibrant Italian spirit. With its bold aesthetic, the brand is a must-visit for designer souvenirs from Milan and the store on Via della Spiga is a haven for discerning fashion and accessories lovers. From striking kitten heels to summer espadrilles and embellished shoes, Dolce & Gabbana's footwear is the epitome of luxury Italian style.
Dolce & Gabbana, Via della Spiga 2, 20121 Milan +39 02 795747
Italian luxury shoe brand Casadei was founded in 1958 and has built up a reputation for producing sophisticated footwear, all made in Italy from exclusive, hand-finished materials. The shoes are designed with great skill and the brand offers on-trend styles that carry across seasons for a timeless sense of style. A popular choice for red-carpet events, Casadei is a favourite with Milan's fashion elite and Hollywood stars.
Casadei, Via Sant'Andrea 1, 20121 Milan, +39 02 7631 8293
Verity Hogan
La Rinascente is one of the most exciting department stores in Milan thanks to the myriad luxury Italian and international brands it offers. With a diverse array of fashion, beauty, homeware, design and food, it is the ultimate place to make new-season purchases. Shoe aficionados should make a beeline to the store's third floor, which is dedicated to showcasing the most illustrious shoe designers. From Jimmy Choo to Gucci and Valentino, La Rinascente offers the crème de la crème of new-season shoes.
La Rinascente, Piazza del Duomo, 20121 Milan, +39 02 88521
Milan is rightly regarded as one of the world's top fashion capitals. Many key Italian brands such as Prada and Versace were founded here and the city is also a hotspot for top international designers. Milan is known for its bold, fun fashion. Its street style is among the most vibrant and coveted in the world, its fashion aficionados have a strong love of accessories ‒ and there's nowhere better to invest in top Italian accessories than at some of Milan's best shoe shops. Here we guide you to some of the best Italian shoe shops in the city, from luxury leather at Santoni to top designer shoes at La Rinascente.
Milan Milan designer shopping Shopping in Milan
The best boutique hotels in Italy
What to pack for Milan Fashion Week
Best vintage stores in Milan
14 of the most Instagram-worthy places in Milan
7 of the best beauty stores in Milan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Grieving is a powerful and personal process that is uniqe to each individual as each person gieves in their own way and in their own time. There is no right or wrong way to grieve for the loss of a loved one and loss can also take many forms. It could be that you have moved to a new country, moved house or to a new area, are experiencing ill health, going through separation or divorce, changing jobs or facing redundancy, or it may even be that your children are all grown up and have fled the nest. Grieving and loss are an inevitable part of living. We all eventually grieve for someone or something. If you've lost a parent, a child, a sibling, friend, partner or spouse, you know that grief has the power to transform and change everything that has been a constant in your life.
I can offer you my support and a safe space to talk about your feelings, whatever they may be. It is only by processing your difficult and painful feelings that you can begin to regain the hope and strength to move forward one step at a time, and all in your own time.
All enquiries are in the strictest confidence with the highest discretion.


text:
Age distribution among who say religion is their primary source of guidance on what's right and wrong by educational group
Age distribution among who say religion is their primary source of guidance on what's right and wrong by educational group (2014) Switch to: Educational distribution among who say religion is their primary source of guidance on what's right and wrong by age group
% of who say religion is their primary source of guidance on what's right and wrong who are ages…
Educational distribution
High school or less
Post-graduate degree
8% 40% 31% 21% 1,602


text:
Judge & Police praise Shomrim for their part in catching robbers
The police and a judge have praised the work of the Shomrim in helping apprehend a group of robbers in Hendon.
On August 9, 2011, police were called after four men robbed a man, 24, while he was waiting at a bus stop in Queens Road.
The robbers stole his phone, cash and debit card before grabbing him and threatening to shoot him if he did not give them his pin number.
After seeing the attack, a witness called the Shomrim Community Patrol and a member came to the assistance of the victim.
The Shomrim managed to stop the robbers' car allowing the police to arrest them.
On Thursday, February 2, at Wood Green Crown Court all four men were found guilty of robbery. They were Norulhaq Saeed, 21, of Banstock Road, Jonis Farah, 18, of Brook Road, Naqibullah Norzai, 18, of Alder Grove, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. They will be sentenced on March 1 at Harrow Crown Court.
At the end of the trial Judge John Anderson said: "It is quite clear that the members of the Shomrim on this occasion have acted very quickly, properly and effectively and, it must be said, bravely.
"They made a very significant and impressive contribution to the safety of their community. They demonstrated, in my view, an excellent example of public-spirited willingness to take responsibility, at least partially, for the safety of members of the public in that area and they are to be highly commended for what they did."
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hewitt, of Barnet CID, said: "As a result the prompt action of the witness and members of Shomrim four men who may have got away with robbery now stand convicted. The police and the community owe them our thanks for helping to keep Barnet safe."


Find periodic summaries of the activities of Marlboro's Ashoka Changemaker Team here.
In February, Marlboro College hosted an Ashoka Changemaker Team for a three-day visit of our campus. The team was made up of Sarah-Marie Hopf (Director of Ashoka U Campus Partnerships) and Luzette Jaimes (Director of Learning and Development at Ashoka), both based in Washington, D.C., and Jay Friedlander (Professor of Sustainable Business from College of the Atlantic). Learn more in Travis Hellstrom's blog entry titled Ashoka Changemaker Team Visits Marlboro College.
In January 2017 Marlboro was officially invited to join three other schools to complete the Ashoka application process. The Change Leaders (Travis Hellstrom, Kate Trzaskos, and Seth Harter) are working with colleagues from HEC Montreal, Indiana State University, and North Central College to complete the rigorous application. The group will be refining Marlboro's social innovation programming and learning from peers at other Ashoka campuses. We hope to receive the Changemaker Campus designation in Summer 2017.
On December 14, 2016 five representatives from Marlboro College visited Brown University, a long time Ashoka Changemaker Campus. A highlight from the trip was hearing from four Brown students who gushed about the social innovation opportunities that Brown offers. We also spoke with several faculty and staff from Brown who helped us understand how they incorporated Ashoka values into the liberal arts curriculum.
Marlboro' Ashoka Team is promoting two social innovation opportunities for students. The Newman Civic Fellowship supports students who are committed to solving community challenges. The Fellowship provides a year-long in person and online training experience to help students develop leadership skills. Please nominate yourself or others in this form: http://bit.ly/Newman-Nomination.
Another great opportunity for incoming sophomores and juniors is the Oxfam Change Leader Program. The program provides leadership and advocacy training to prepare university students to promote social change locally and globally. The program includes a fully funded week-long trip to Boston! Start your application here.
Marlboro Cohort at the Ashoka Exchange in Miami Florida (March 2-4): Kevin Quigley, Seth Harter, Helen Pinch, and Kara Hamilton will be representing Marlboro College at the Ashoka Exchange hosted by Miami Dade College. The Exchange is an opportunity for schools from all over the world to come together and discuss social innovation on campus. The Marlboro group will be leading a workshop on Marlboro's Town Meeting. The group will report on their experience at the upcoming Changemaker Day.
Changemaker Day at Marlboro College (March 31): Join the Beautiful Minds Winners and Marlboro's Ashoka Team for a day of social innovation on the hill. Details coming soon!
Changemaker Week at Marlboro College (July 9-15): Summer Intensive as part of Marlboro College's Pre-College Program. This program is for high school seniors who have an unquenchable curiosity that inspires them to create, innovate, lead, and discover. The future needs you! Join us for a week focused on positive change. Learn from professionals, take classes with experts, and get the skills to make an impact.
Visit https://www.marlboro.edu/admissions/teens/summer for more details.
Marlboro is becoming an Ashoka Changemaker Campus! Ashoka is a global organization that promotes positive change by supporting people and organizations doing cutting edge social innovation work. Since 2008, Ashoka has offered the Ashoka Changemaker Campus designation to colleges and universities. We have put together a Change Team to lead project which includes students, faculty and staff from both campuses. Team members include: Travis Hellstrom, Kate Jellema, Seth Harter, Kate Trzaskos, Kelsa Summer, Helen Pinch, Kate Ratcliff, Roberto Lugo, Hillary Orsini, and Jennifer Girouard.
We are also putting together an advisor group which so far includes Solomon Botwick-Ries, Luis Rosa, Richard Glejzer, and Kevin Quigley. We're excited to share this Fall Update with you including a summary of the key meetings and steps that took place since June 2016!
We got our Ashoka conversations off to a great start by attending the Middlebury College Social Entrepreneurship Forum in June. The focus on mindfulness and inclusivity gave us a lot of great ideas to bring back to Marlboro.
The Change Leaders ( Kate Jellema, Kate Trzaskos, Seth Harter, and Travis Hellstrom) have been meeting weekly since the beginning of June to keep the process moving forward. We've had some special guests in our meetings including Marlboro College President Kevin Quigley. The Change Leaders have engaged individually with members of the Change Team and are working on building a group of Change Advisors from a diverse stakeholder pool. The Change Leader group has also been organizing several trips to Changemaker campuses.
We had a very successful half-day retreat on Sept. 12th attended by 8 Change Team Members (Helen, Kelsa, Kate J, Seth, Kate T, Travis, Kate R, Hillary) and 2 Advisors (President Kevin and CAO Richard). We brainstormed dozens of places that social innovation is already happening on our campuses and focused in on some areas for growth.
We had a wonderful discussion at Town Meeting on Sept. 14th. Change Team members present included Kelsa, Seth, Kate T, Helen as well as Change Advisors Solomon, Richard and Kevin. We asked the community to discuss where at Marlboro the Ashoka values are already present and what opportunities we have to practicing them even more. Residency Tea We had a great Ashoka Tea at the graduate school residency weekend on Sept. 16th. Change Team members present included Kelsa, Hillary and Travis with over 10 guests present as well including students, faculty and staff from all programs. Guests were eager to hear about the benefits to Marlboro of becoming a Changemaker campus and they embraced the idea of bringing to two campuses closer together around social innovation.
Our enthusiastic Change Team completed the Change Team survey in October and we are looking forward to continuing to work on the 360 campus scan with Ashoka in the coming months.
We have completed a visit to Ashoka Changemaker Campus College of the Atlantic and we are looking forward to trips to the College of Social Innovation (November 4th, Massachusetts) and Brown University (December 14th, Rhode Island). If you would like to be part of the visits to COA or Brown, please email Kelsa Summer to learn more.


text:
Labour assault complaints: 'We need to see reform, not just cover-ups and resignations'
7:07 pm on 13 September 2019
Craig McCulloch, Deputy Political Editor
@craigmcculloch craig.mcculloch@rnz.co.nz
One of the people who first brought Labour's assault complaints scandal to light says the party has a long way to go before it's clear it has learnt from its mistakes.
New Zealand Government. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
The party has been subject to a firestorm of criticism over how officials and senior politicians have handled allegations against a former staffer, ranging from bulling to serious sexual assault.
The staffer's lawyer issued a statement on Thursday, saying he had quit his job at Parliament but maintained he was innocent of the serious allegations levelled against him.
One of the women who first contacted media with claims about the man told RNZ the resignation does not end matters for Labour.
She is not one of the seven people who laid formal complaints about the staffer with Labour, but she said she had spoken up about his "problematic behaviour" before.
In a statement, she said there was still "an urgent need for culture change and behavioural reform" within the party.
"There's a long way before we can say that the Labour Party has learnt from any of its mistakes," she said.
"We need to see reform, not just cover ups and resignations."
Speaking from Christchurch, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told media part of her job as Labour leader was to create a safe environment.
"Obviously that has not happened in this case. There have been problems with the process, complainants haven't felt heard, so now we are addressing that."
Change was clearly needed, Ms Ardern said.
"Now we've got to get on with the job of creating that change", she said. "It's my job to fix this - and I will."
On Monday, Ms Ardern announced that a review into the complaints process - which had been previously announced - would now report directly to her.
The terms of reference for that review were still being finalised on Friday and Ms Ardern said they would not be released publicly until the complainants were satisfied.
"Our focus is on making sure that both the issues that need to be covered are, but also that the complainants are happy with the terms of reference before they are released more broadly."
Ms Ardern said her offer to meet directly with the complainants still stood.
"Open, ready and willing. Whenever it is best from their perspective."
Next story in Politics
Government to bring in harsher penalties for illegal trade of firearms
Week in Politics: Ardern has a lot to make right
Analysis - An astounding week in politics has left Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern carrying responsibility for sorting out the mess the Labour Party is in over the sexual assault allegation, writes… Audio
Week in Politics: Jacinda Ardern has a lot to make right
Helen Clark on handling allegations: PM 'will deal with it and move on'
Former Prime Minister and Labour leader Helen Clark is backing Jacinda Ardern in her handling of the controversy over sexual assault allegations.
Helen Clark backs Jacinda Ardern over handling of sex assault allegations
Labour youth wing member: 'Can't keep quiet if injustices going on'
A member of the Labour Party's youth wing says the party's handling of sexual assault allegations has left him heartbroken and doubting his commitment to the party.
Labour youth wing member 'heartbroken' over handling of allegations
Staffer at centre of Labour Party sexual assault allegations resigns
The man says he has made the decision to resign because of stress and to avoid being a political distraction.
Staffer at centre of the Labour Party abuse allegations resigns
Jacinda Ardern sets out when she knew of allegations
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has reiterated she saw details of assault allegations for the first time this week, as pressure mounts over Labour's handling of the claims.
Labour assault complaints: Jacinda Ardern sets out when she knew details of allegations
Covid-19: New Zealanders have to wait their turn for vaccination - Chris Hipkins
Tiwai Point negotiations continuing despite breakthrough on smelter
Suspended Twitter accounts: Concern over Simon Bridges' reaction
Politics RSS


Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of Mikaila. This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate the life of their loved one.
Mikaila Wells Batchler, 20, of Gaffney died Thursday, January 31, 2019.
Mikaila was born on August 23, 1998 a daughter of Carlton L. Wells and Kristy Harmon Wells. Makaila was married to the late Trent Batchler of Gaffney where they resided.
A graduate of Newberry High School, Mikaila was gifted and talented with a kind and quiet demeanor, yet a strong-willed personality. While living in Newberry she had been involved in a number of organizations, acting with the Newberry Community Players, participating with the Bucket Brigade, and working at the Newberry Opera House. She had also worked at the Grill on Main.
Survivors include her parents, brother, Quinton W. Wells and his finance, LeAnn Marlow both of Newberry; paternal grandmother, Bessie Wells of Saluda; aunts and uncles, Brad and Michelle Harding of Florida, Linda Sue and James King of Missouri, Victoria Gentry of Seattle and her Aunt Francene..
A service will be held at 4:00 PM on Friday, February 15, 2019 at the Whitaker Funeral Home Chapel in Newberry.
"Email Address" would like to share the life celebration of Mikaila Wells Batchler. Click on the "link" to go to share a favorite memory or leave a condolence message for the family.


An unusual fire at an East Texas lake marina destroys two yachts.
The Mims Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze at the Longview Yacht Club on Big Cypress Road on the north shore of Lake O' The Pines.
Investigators say it started around 2:00 a.m. on Friday. The fire began on one yacht then spread to a second. Several other boats were damaged but no one was injured.


text:
Jun 28, 2022 - Economy & Business
The gamification of gambling
Pete Gannon
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Jackpot, a soon-to-be-launched app for buying lottery tickets, announced last week that it raised $35 million in its first funding round, backed by a slew of high profile professional athletes and sports ownership groups.
Why it matters: The gamification of gambling, in all its forms, has become increasingly big business fueled by governments, professional sports and venture capital — all eager to usher in a newer, younger group of bettors.
Driving the news: Jackpot, which delivers the convenience of buying a lottery ticket from your phone, is looking to grow states' $100 billion in annual ticket sales.
Its goal is to grow the lottery by making it a "form of entertainment" and attracting younger people.
Its competitor, Jackpocket, has been been doing exactly that since 2013. Its annual sales have grown by more 400% in both the last two years, with more than 7 in 10 of its millions of users under 45, the average age of a lottery player, according to Forbes.
Meanwhile: Mobile betting is also upending sports gambling, long shunned by professional leagues out of fear that it would compromise the integrity of their games.
But attitudes have spun a full 180 in recent years, particularly as in-game prop betting — facilitated by the sleek intuitive mobile platforms — has shown to amplify audience engagement.
Advertisements for sportsbooks are now commonplace during professional games in all the major leagues — MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL — both on TV and in arenas.
Professional athletes now regularly sponsor, and even invest in, platforms that facilitate betting.
The result: The market for legal sports betting in the U.S. doubled last year, to more than $52.7 billion wagered.
State of play: All of this continues to draw in younger customers. Just like the trends seen in the online lottery, more than 6 in 10 sports gamblers are 40 or younger.
And they're doing it more frequently.
1 in 5 respondents to a Morning Consult poll in December said they bet on sports at least once a month, an 80% increase in participants over the previous January.
The bottom line: Gambling is big business. The massive revenues for governments and businesses are hard to resist. And so is gambling, especially when it's made so easy.


BusyCal has built-in support for CalDAV and WebDAV servers & subscriptions, and by extension supports any third party app that supports the same.
Some other apps, such as Omnifocus (see this article here), allow publishing their events as a WebDAV subscription. You can simply add such subscriptions to BusyCal.
Other apps such as 2Do, a popular Task Manager on macOS, iOS and Android, are also well supported. 2Do supports syncing via CalDAV. You can, for example, use both 2Do and BusyCal via iCloud. You can learn more about 2Do here.


Frederick N. West has directed the Seattle Peace Chorus since 2001. Under his leadership, the chorus has embarked on an adventurous mix of multicultural and classical programming, including the Vaughan-Williams masterpiece, Dona Nobis Pacem; Pablo Neruda's Canto General composed by Mikis Theodorakis; the Missa Luba, a Latin mass set to Congolese rhythms; and Beethoven's magnificent Ode to Joy.
Mr. West's compositions include the Christmas Cantata, a piece interwoven with Balkan themes; Mass for the Children, an expression of the hopes and dreams of parents for their children; Upon This Land, an environmental oratorio performed for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day; and Let America be America Again, based on the poem by Langston Hughes. The latter two compositions were premiered by the Seattle Peace Chorus.
Mr. West studied at Western Washington University, focusing on composition with Dr. E. LaBounty and choral conducting with Dr. Robert Scandrett. He has continued his studies in various national and international workshops with Rodney Eichenberger, Weston Noble, Doreen Rao, and the very distinguished Robert Shaw.
Mr. West also directs City Cantabile Choir.


text:
Former Scientology member sues church, claims child abuse and human trafficking
The Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige are the targets of a lawsuit by a former member of the church, who alleges child abuse, human trafficking and intimidation. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles. In court documents, the defendant was called Jane Doe to protect her identity. According to the lawsuit, Doe was born to Scientologist parents in 1979 and lived from ages 6-12 at the spiritual headquarters of the church in Clearwater. She claims she was forced to work from 8 a.m. to midnight and only instructed on Scientologist teachings. Doe claimed at age 10, she was subjected to a ritual called "bullbaiting," where she says she had to sit in a chair while obscene things were shouted at her. According to the lawsuit, she was expected to show no reaction; if she did, she claims the practice would start over. The lawsuit says when she was 15, Doe was lured to Los Angeles with promises of fair pay and a simple job. Instead, she claims she was forced to work long hours for little pay. She became a member of the Sea Org, which the suit describes as a military-like "sub-organization for Scientology's most dedicated members." The suit claims members sign a "billion-year contract" dedicating their lives to the church and work an average of 100 hours a week for $46. Doe said she started working as Miscavige's steward seven days a week and became close to his wife, Shelly. Miscavige, though, had a falling out with his wife in 2005, Doe said. That led to Doe being sent to "the hole," a pair of double-wide mobile homes where those accused of ethics violations were kept under strict surveillance, the lawsuit alleges. She claims she was kept there for three months, then sentenced to three months of hard labor. Doe claims she witnessed a crying Shelly Miscavige being dragged into a car. Shelly Miscavige has not been seen or heard publicly since, according to the lawsuit. Doe said she tried to escape the church in 2016 but came back because of her family connections. She finally left for good in 2017 and now works with actress Leah Remini, who has become an outspoken critic of Scientology. Doe's story became part of an episode of Remini's TV series "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," which told the story of defected church members. The suit claims the church set up a hate website -- leahreminiaftermath.com -- that targeted Doe and the others featured on the show. The website contains what the suit calls "false, defamatory and inflammatory information about Jane Doe, all under the (Church of Scientology) copyright." The suit claimed similar articles and videos about Doe appeared on the official website of Freedom Magazine, a Scientology-run publication. The lawsuit seeks damages for multiple complaints, including false imprisonment; kidnapping; stalking; libel; slander; invasion of privacy; intentional infliction of emotional distress; human trafficking; failure to pay minimum wage; exceeding maximum work hours and overtime, failure to provide days of rest and meal periods; violation of California labor codes; fraudulent inducement of employment; negligent misrepresentation; and negligence. "Scientology for decades has sought to quash dissention, cover up its long history of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of its members, including its most vulnerable members, its children, and weaponize its doctrine against those who escape and find the courage to speak up," said Attorney Brian Kent of Laffey, Bucci & Kent, LLP, which filed the lawsuit. "This is just the beginning and we are not going to stop until they do." In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology said the lawsuit was filled with nothing more than unfounded allegations. The spokesperson said Jane Doe's complaint was littered with "anti-religious slurs culled from the tabloids" and accusations that have already been disproven in courts. "We are confident the lawsuit will fail," the Church of Scientology wrote in an email. "Federal courts have already determined that service in the Church of Scientology's religious order is voluntary and protected by the First Amendment. Moreover, the evidence will establish that while serving the Church, Plaintiff came and went freely, traveled the world, and lived in comfortable surroundings. The Church will vigorously defend itself against these unfounded allegations."
Today marks 1 year since deadly Clearwater convenience store shooting
Trashion Fashion event set for this weekend in St. Petersburg
TAMPA-BAY-TO-Z
Video: Pinellas County deputies allegedly try to humiliate inmates
PINELLASCOUNTY
Moon over Treasure Island on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch
St. Petersburg utilities customers keeping close eye on water billing | 10News WTSP
A Tampa woman was last seen Sunday, and police need your help | 10News WTSP
'They just left her there like a dog': Family of hit-and-run victim wants answers | 10News WTSP
Woman killed in deadly St. Petersburg hit-and-run crash
St. Petersburg police search for driver in deadly hit-and-run
Pinellas County deputies suspended after taping derogatory signs to inmates' backs
Catching waves, for a good cause: 9th Annual Suncoast Surf & Beach Festival | 10News WTSP
Fired city worker accused of attacking 2 people, driving truck at 4 more


Macro Vegetarian is a creator of meal experiences for those who are vegan, lessatarians, and foodies.
Our goal is to provide people with delicious and easy to eat plant-based food. It is our belief that our plant-based products are much more sustainable and environmentally friendly than food created from animals.
All of our products are ready-to- eat in prepackaged containers so they are perfect for those in a rush looking for something fast, healthy, and tasty.
We only use non-GMO ingredients and source organic & local whenever possible.
Even if you are not vegan or vegetarian we hope you give our meals a try. We believe that everyone should incorporate more plant-based foods in their diets!
We are a family- owned-and- operated business.
My mother has always been obsessed with health since we were born. We rarely ate junk food growing up. My father's side of the family had a typical chinese restaurant in the suburbs which did not always have the healthiest options. Pursing her passion she moved to New York and with the help of a family friend started Macro Vegetarian.
When I was young I always thought it was frustrating how my mother did not let me drink Soda, eat cereal for breakfast and eat Mcdonalds as a kid but instead followed a healthy mostly plant based diet. Today I think of it as a blessing we are as healthy as can be and her passion has bloomed into a regional business.
We are always striving to make the most sustainable, delicious, healthy, plant-based foods.
We can co-pack and private label. Product must be vegan and cannot contain peanuts.
We currently operate out of a 100,000-square-foot facility in Central Jersey which includes warehouse and cold storage.
We use local and organic product whenever available and economically feasible. Please see Our Suppliers.
We believe that plant based diets reduce the human impact on the environment.
Our roof solar panels powers about a third of our energy needs.
Besides our labels all of the packaging we use for our final products are recyclable. Please recycle whenever possible - Note that you may need to recycle number 5 plastics - PP polypropylene in select areas. Some Residential Curbside Garbage Companies do not recycle this.


One thing I forgot to mention from the Downtown Dayton Partnership's presentation on Austin Road yesterday- there are four quadrants of land around the interchange. The two on the East side are both owned by RG Properties. The West side is optioned by RG Properties. Part of the North West quandrant- is owned by the Dayton/Montgomery County Port Authority.
Anytime I see mention of the Port Authority, alarm bells ring. This is the shadow-quasi governmental slush fund used to put tax dollars into corporate pockets at a steep discount. MCSi, the ponzi scheme computer supply company that built their corporate HQ in Kettering, only to leave the taxpayers taking a bath.
I'm sure a few of my readers know more about this deal than I do- please feel free to share the info in comments.
Next Post: Not that Jamie Simpson.
I think I bloggged on this or it was in that lengthy Austin Road thread over at Urban Ohio. You should read my blog more (just kidding).
The PA bought the land from Long Farm Investors (don't know who they were) in June 2003. Long Farm had the land for quite a while I think…since the 1990s?
….and in May of 2007 there was a story that the Transportation District was in negotiations with RG Properties on an option for the property contingent on RG coming up with a development plan.
Reports also said part of the planning on that corner involved relocating Byers Road to make the land more developable.
As an aside RG and Miller-Valentine bought out Danis' industrial park on the SE corner. Im probably more interested in RGs involvement in the NE corner as that is a huge block of land. I know it was owned by Mead but would be interested to know the trail that led to RG's control of the land.


Looking for garage sales in Wedgefield?
Many many golf clubs , bags, range balls automattic putting surfaces, and more. Non golf: Bikes and walkers.
Find more great estate sales around Wedgefield on EstateSales.org.


Hi, I can't make EasyBCD run from WinPE.
I notice that EasyBcd need .NET2 in order to run.
I build my WinPe from Windows 7 with Winbuilder and Win7PE_SE source (which include .NET) and I just add EasyBCD.
My WinPe perfectly launch from my USB key, but when I run EasyBCD, nothing Append.
Open the error viewer and see if there's anything there associated with trying to turn on EasyBCD.
Sorry but I don't have Event viewer in that WinPE3.0.
Is it possible to launch easybcd with an output file ?
EasyBCD isn't getting far enough along to log anything or it would've shown an error message.
Ok thanks, did you have the opportunity to test EasyBcd on WindowsPE ? If so, which release do you think I shoud use ?
EasyBCD is excellent FREE program. True!
But it would be really nice to have an executable build that DOES run on WinPE.
"Good software should be designed with portability and stability in mind from the start."
I'm planning on making a bootable version of EasyBCD in the near future.
Could you send me a PM when its completed?
If a portable version is made, it isnt going to be anytime soon. Like not even before the new year. Be patient, there will be a news release when it happens.
The developers has school and a full time job along with this project that he does as a hobby. It is a lot for 1 person to do.
While that is true EasyBCD was 2 years in development. So i wouldnt look for a bootable version so soon. It will take time.
I have spent the last couple of evenings looking through the forum to see if there has been any update to this, i have also check the change log for the beta versions. Still unclear though.
Does the current 2.0.2 or any beta versions work inside a WinPE 3 boot? Mine is a heavily customised Win PE 3 made using Make_PE3 so it includes .Net , C++, and various other libraries and components.
If it were to work, what would I need from the Prog Files folder/registry?
Happy to give feedback and assistance if i could get some guidance.
What you're asking for is not tried, tested, or supported. Though I have plans to start working on a bootable version of EasyBCD soon.
We're going to license WinPE from MS and make available ready-made EasyBCD bootable CDs, to make it easy for everyone to access the recovery options it provides. Almost there.
Any word on the bootable image?


text:
Often asked: What Is The Ice Rink Cleaning Machine?
1 What do you call the machine that cleans ice rink?
2 What does the ice rink machine do?
3 Why is a Zamboni called a Zamboni?
4 What liquid is in a Zamboni?
5 What is the most important hockey skill?
6 How do zambonis not slide?
7 How thick is the ice on a hockey rink?
8 How did they clean the ice before the Zamboni?
9 What is underneath an ice rink?
10 Is a Zamboni street legal?
11 How many people have died from Zamboni?
12 How much do NHL Zamboni drivers get paid?
13 Is driving a Zamboni easy?
What do you call the machine that cleans ice rink?
Even though the Zamboni machine has become synonymous as the machine that cleans the ice, it is in fact a brand name for the most popular ice resurfacer built by Frank Zamboni beginning in the early 1940's.
What does the ice rink machine do?
The Zamboni is a mechanical ice resurfacer. It works by scraping the ice surface and collecting the snow (which is later discarded). Next, it "cleans" the ice, by putting down water which flushes the grooves deep in the ice, loosening any dirt or debris.
Why is a Zamboni called a Zamboni?
Frank Zamboni, the son of Italian immigrants, invented the first ice-resurfacing machine in Paramount, California, in 1949. Zamboni initially wanted to name his company the Paramount Engineering Company, but the name was taken, so he used his family name instead.
What liquid is in a Zamboni?
A front squeegee collects that dirty water. The machine dispenses warm water (140 to 145 degrees F or 60 to 63 degrees C) through holes at the back, where a towel smoothes it as it freezes along the surface [sources: Exploratorium, Zamboni].
You might be interested: FAQ: When Will Cambridge Ice Rink Open?
What is the most important hockey skill?
While skating is the most important skill it is important to practice skating fast with the puck and shooting quickly. In the development pursuit of becoming a complete hockey player work to become as best as possible at the skills below: Striding Technique become as efficient as possible by lengthening the stride.
How do zambonis not slide?
The tires have studs to keep the Zamboni from sliding helplessly around the ice. Until the early 1960s, Ahearn said, the machines had sand-coated tires to give them traction. Doing tricks with the machine these days isn't easy. "Zamboni came out with a new tire," Ahearn said.
How thick is the ice on a hockey rink?
The jersey is sometimes called a sweater because, during hockey's early years, players actually wore sweaters and not the mesh-like jerseys of today. How thick is the ice? Ice is approximately 3/4″ of an inch thick and is usually chilled at 16 degrees fahrenheit.
How did they clean the ice before the Zamboni?
Built on a Jeep platform, a wooden box held the snow shavings; water dropped from a tank to wash the ice and was pumped back into the bucket. Then another layer of water was laid down for a fresh, clean surface. The vehicle looked ungainly, but it worked, resurfacing the rink with a clean sheet in 15 minutes.
What is underneath an ice rink?
Underneath there is a layer of insulation and a heated concrete layer. This keeps the ground below the ice from freezing, which could expand and ultimately crack the rink structure.
You might be interested: FAQ: How To Maintain An Outdoor Ice Rink?
Is a Zamboni street legal?
In the only previous Zamboni DWI case (to my knowledge), a New Jersey judge dismissed the charge against that defendant after ruling that a Zamboni is not a "motor vehicle." He based this on his findings that a Zamboni can't be used on streets or highways and can't carry passengers.
How many people have died from Zamboni?
Have there been any Zamboni accidents? Yes, including the one that killed Carla's husband, Eddie LeBec, on the sitcom Cheers. In 2008, a Calgary man almost lost his leg after it got trapped in a Zamboni as he was stepping down from the machine.
How much do NHL Zamboni drivers get paid?
According to reported salary estimates on job posting sites, the average Zamboni driver salary is around $13 per hour, or $26,500 (USD) annually. Top earners, such as NHL Zamboni drivers, earn a salary range from $29,000-$31,000, per ZipRecruiter.
Is driving a Zamboni easy?
How difficult is it to be a Zamboni driver? If you can drive a car, you can drive an ice resurfacer. Most people can be out making a sheet of ice on the first day. However, it takes practice to become a true operator of the machine.
How To Make Ice Hockey Rink?
Where Was Paisley Ice Rink?


text:
Southern California orchid growers are blessed with (mostly) moderate temperatures throughout the year, allowing many orchids to be grown outdoors. In fact, fully 40% of OSSC members don't have a greenhouse! The photos on these pages are all examples of plants that have been grown in Southern California, both in and out of greenhouses, and come from the OSSC flickr group, which is open to all Southern California orchid enthusiasts. By default, the "most interesting" photos are presented first. (Note: the degree of "interestingness" is determined by flickr's proprietary methodology.)
There are 4345 photos in the OSSC flickr group.
Sorted by: interestingness, date uploaded
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182
by shennes7
Cymbidium devonianum 'Sycamore Creek 2'
by sycamorecreek77
Phragmipedium Stairway to Heaven 'Sycamore Creek'
Sarcochilus Heidi 'Sycamore Creek'
Dendrobium linawianum 'Sycamore Creek'
by aFAview
Cymbidium Mem. Connie Jo Nine 'Heart of Gold'
by orchids by art
Masdevallia veitchiana; taken at the Santa Barbara Orchid Show Mar 2009
by orchid dude
by elbee
Ascocenda Pine Rivers 'Redland Sky'
Slc Coastal Sunrise 'Leucadia'
by rwa_in_SD
Blc Canyon View 'Fascination' x Lc Ovation
Pico Farmers Market in Santa Monica
by NH567
Inside an Orchid
Maxillaria lankesteri 'Sycamore Creek'
Masdevallia caudata 'Sycamore Creek'
Masdevallia peristeria 'Sycamore Creek'
Ascocenda Tavivat 'Sweet Frangrance'
Ascocenda Yarnisa Gold '24K'
Ascocenda Princess Mikasa 'Royal Sceptre'
%28cym.%29 california cattleya epiphyte flickriosapp%3afilter%3dnofilter flor hothouse i+grew+this nikon orchid orchidaceae orchids orchidsocietyofsoutherncalifornia orchidssc ossc


You and your partner have made the decision. It's time to start "trying" to get pregnant. For best results, narrow down the day you ovulate–that is, the time you release an egg. An egg only spends a day seeking sperm with which to unite, and the day you ovulate is your most fertile. Three to five days before the egg's release is also a good time to try, as sperm can survive that long. Instead of avoiding those magical days in the middle of your cycle, embrace them, and each other.
According to Lisa Rodriguez, R.N., contributing writer for the Dr. Spock website, sinus pain and infection are common pregnancy ailments. The hormones responsible for vaginal swelling also cause the lining of nasal passages and sinus cavities to swell, a condition called sinusitis. Increased swelling prevents nasal passages from draining properly, and this back-up of fluid can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria. The result is a painful sinus infection.
If just the thought of head lice makes your head itch, think about what it is doing to your child who has them. Lice are a common problem shared by school-age children across the United States. Most parents receive the dreaded letter from the school at least one time during their child's school career. The letter usually states that lice are going around the school and that you had better check your child.
A fever in your toddler is a sign that he has an infection and that his body is trying to fight it. It's normal and, in most cases, there is no cause for concern. You can treat the fever at home, but you should contact your doctor if the fever is high or if your child seems abnormally sick. The most important thing that you'll need to treat your toddler's fever is patience, as a sick child can require a great deal of your attention.


If you have a Tutorial that was orphaned during the switch from the CKD to KNET or if you have a new tutorial that you would like to make available to the knife making community you can post it here. Send the URL of your tutorial to me at knives@rayrogers.com and I will add it to this list.
Last edited by Ray Rogers; 12-18-2015 at 05:49 PM.


This is the second in a two-part introduction to season two. After addressing the loss of mystery, I clarify my position on ideology.
Those who follow sacred tradition, and love the mystery, have no desire to immanentize the eschaton.
We have lost our sense of Mystery in Western thinking.
I do this with the help of poetry by Edwin Muir and Matthew Arnold, ruminations on a long ago conversation with a fellow philosopher, and by discussing the idea of faith as a dimension of one's soul.
In this age, the world is flattened. More than that, it is the age of embracing flattening. For those who seek wholeness, one cannot literally take a secular ('of this age') approach. The most terrifying aspect of losing one's faith, for instance, is that one does not know that one has lost it. This is analogous to our understanding of wholeness in a flattened world. It is almost impossible to see that which one can no longer recognize.
I've long expressed a desire not to discuss these popular themes of our time. This ambiguity on my part may have caused misunderstanding as a result, which I would like to address. However valid my reasons for not wanting to talk about this have been, it's time to clear things up. Also, I recognize that I cannot firewall these topics and really engage thinking on the level of the whole.
Don't get me wrong, I remain as firmly committed as ever to pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful. I have no desire to discuss politics on this program, or to join the overflowing ranks of the philodoxers. Such tedium is not our concern.
Indeed, all around us there are people in high dudgeon, doing their best to immanentize the eschaton. I am not one of them. And if you are, may I suggest to you that you stop doing so?
In other words, I am neither blithely indifferent nor blandly neutral in the culture wars. But I also see that the field of conflict is tilted from the start toward a certain end, so I am not placing my hopes in political solutions to our problems. Therefore, I render unto Caesar his due, but no more.
In addition, I find it quite interesting that the terms that are still used so often today in the culture wars, of the 'left' and the 'right,' come to us from the time of the French Revolution, and are then, in a sense, relics of the Enlightenment.
Therefore, I'd rather change the direction of thinking entirely.
For without doing so, we might well be forever in the stage of fighting culture wars over arbitrarily drawn and ever-shifting lines, against those woebegone waifs for whom the world can never be flat enough. This certainly seems to be a dead end pattern for Enlightenment thinking.
In conclusion, we can start changing direction by recognizing that we must not reduce tradition, or the pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful, to a political manifesto, nor objectify it at all.
Sacred tradition can and should instead be the rallying point for the soul.
The first in a two-part introduction to season two. This season will deepen our focus on the sacred religious tradition in connection with the same goals and aims of last season.
After opening remarks, I restate the goals and aims of the program from the first season. Season Two adds a dimension to those same goals. In Season Two my approach comes with a deepened focus on the sacred religious tradition. We are speaking primarily of Christianity, in its more traditional and orthodox sense.
Heidegger provides a sweeping, insightful, and trenchant critique of Western metaphysics. His critique of calculative reasoning and the technological paradigm is extremely valuable in understanding the problems in Western thinking.
However, Heidegger sees himself at the end of Western metaphysics. He is, therefore, prone to making sweeping assessments of the tradition itself. For instance, his focus is on the question of fundamental ontology. He thus reduces traditional study of the true, the good, and the beautiful to a question of Being disclosing truth.
This reduction does not help us with how to live in the face of the today's problems. In addition, it is also a flattened view in itself of tradition.
I then compare Heidegger with Meister Eckhart. Eckhart's work speaks to me on not merely an intellectual, but also spiritual level. This is perhaps because Eckhart participates in a living sacred tradition.
Some may ask, however, why sacred tradition should be included in the search for holistic thinking. Others, such as ecologists, make earnest efforts at holistic thinking without doing so, for instance.
Yet I agree with Philip Sherrard, as discussed in season one. Wholeness presupposes the sacred. Indeed, turning away from the sacred has increased fragmentation and flattening in our thinking.
Indeed, many now fail even to see tradition or the sacred itself now in anything but a two-dimensional, flattened way. Nevertheless, we will endeavor to do so.
A discussion of the poetic gathering of appearances in connection with innocence and tradition. Revisiting Heidegger's treatment of Hölderlin, we compare this poetic approach with holistic approaches to science. The relationship of image to the questions of how we see and dwell in our world also comes up. The pure heart of Hölderlin and the poetic innocence of Yeats come together as well to show an alternative to the 'flattening' of our world by technology. In addition, the writing of Kathleen Raine and Philip Sherrard is important in aiding the discussion.
References within this episode presume awareness of previous discussions. See Love the Questions: Poetic Measure & The Unknown (Episode 029). Also, Poetic Measure and the Sacred: Raine, Heidegger, Sherrard (Episode 028).
The discussion opens with a look at Heidegger's treatment of Hölderlin. 'Gathering the appearances' is means by which poetic dwelling occurs. In this respect, there is a similarity to holistic approaches to science. For instance, Bortoft's Goethean approach involves 'Taking Appearance Seriously.' Barfield writes of 'Saving the Appearances.' For more on Bortoft, see (especially). Not Your Grandfather's Empiricism (Episode 006). Let It Be (Episode 007). For more on Barfield see (especially). Collective Representation or 'Is It Really There?' (Episode 010). Sense and Non-Sense (Episode 011). Dashboard Knowledge and Technology (Episode 013).
There are similarities in discussing the limitations of the modern scientific approach and in explaining the essence of what it means to dwell poetically. They point toward our relationship with nature. The crux of the matter deals with how we see and contemplate that which shows itself to us. Our aim is, therefore, to relate to experience or appearance without immediately reducing it. We tend to remove ourselves from appearances and return to that with which we are familiar.
We then build upon previous discussions of Heidegger, Raine, etc., and the role of image. Furthermore, the mechanistic worldview itself has roots in an image, from which we also see ourselves. Image is at the root of cosmology. Eventually, we connect this to the notion of the 'flattening' and to the work of Philip Sherrard on sacred cosmology.
In discussing the difficult notion of non-quantitative measure in poetry, we then turn to Kathleen Raine. Raine's contrast between Eliot and Yeats seems especially relevant. With Eliot, his poetry reflects the 'known' and the 'historical tradition.' While with Yeats, there is the presence of the 'unknown' as well. Here we have rather the 'metaphysical Tradition' (capitalized in reference to the tradition of the sophia perennis).
In addition to the discussion of poetry, I also address the coming next phase of the Wholly Orders project.
An exploration of the poetic and sacred, with poetry as a 'measure' of dwelling in that realm. Kathleen Raine's poetry and prose, along with Heidegger, serve as the backdrop to an introduction to the work of Philip Sherrard.
This episode continues discussion of many relevant themes from previous episodes. See especially: Macrocosm & Microcosm, and the 'Inner' (Episode 027) and Language of the Poet, Language of the Heart (Episode 026).
We begin with Kathleen Raine's poem 'Rose' from 1961. This poem provides an image of the created in relation to the uncreated. Her meditation upon the Rose transcends the rose as an object in time and space. It also evokes a sense of sacred by reference to the weaver of the rose. This is an open-ended inquiry, meant to stir contemplation of the sacred realm.
Finally, we address the work of Philip Sherrard. Today's discussion serves only as a brief introduction to one of his works, The Sacred in Life and Art. This is a deeply rich work by Sherrard, with many observations worthy of note. Sherrard's comments that might help us to better understand the themes we have been discussing not merely today, but also of late in general. Also, Sherrard's work can even bring us full circle with our discussion of the nature of holistic thinking.
First, Sherrard makes a point of mentioning that holistic thinking often does not go far enough. Missing often from the discussion is the grounding of everything in the sacred. Heidegger puts fundamental ontology and asking the question of Being at the forefront of everything that he does. Sherrard also grounds his understanding of holistic thinking by asking from the perspective of God.
Sherrard then argues against the separation made between the supernatural order and the natural order made in Scholastic times. It has had the consequence of reducing thinking to the modern scientific approach with its mechanistic and fragmented nature. His description of this consequence of reason removed from a connection the to sacred reflects very well the sense of 'flattening' that we have discussed previously.
In conclusion, Sherrard regards nature as theological. Its underlying reality is divine, and it participates in it. The existence of the human being is theological in the same way. Whereas Heidegger speaks of 'dwelling' in the Fourfold, Sherrard speaks of the 'mutual in-dwellingness' of God and nature.
We explore the language of the poet as that which opens a space for dwelling. A meditation upon the heart, inspired first by comments from Rilke. Whatever shrines are kept for the gods, they are safe nowhere but in our heart. The Fourfold relationship essential to dwelling, which resists calculative thinking, then finds its place in the heart.
I. The poet Rilke reminds us that: Whatever shrines are kept for the gods, they are safe nowhere but in our heart.
First, the 'world' in which we dwell is not merely an external reality. When talking about dwelling and the 'world,' I am speaking much more of the macrocosm and microcosm. The human being and world reflect each other. Where one can build a world, one might dwell authentically. This 'where' is not a geographical location, but a condition and/or disposition.
I begin here with a response to listener mail. The question of whether one could properly dwell today came up in Re-enchanting the World: Dwelling Poetically & Novalis (Episode 025).
Afterward, I elaborate on the relationship of the inner disposition to dwelling.
The flattening of our world threatens that inner disposition, of course. It does so in part by making our familar world too familiar, so that it is flattened in microcosm as well.
Whatever 'outer' danger is posed by the technological paradigm, it is that threat posed to the inner self, to one's Being-in-the-world as care, that most concerns me. One reads these days of AI, or of present and future 'enhancements' to 'humanity,' that what is coming will be 'better' or 'superior' to human beings. This supposed superiority is purely in calculative terms, as if this could somehow capture the essence of life, of human being.
First, I elaborate on comments from the last program with respect to the will. In connection with comments made by listeners, I then explore what the 'decision' is with respect to attention and care. This 'decision' is not the same as a subject-centered will. It is an openness, a letting-be.
How do we then tie this back to language, and specifically to poetry?
We begin a discussion of Heidegger's "Poetically Man Dwells." The poet Hölderlin presents us with a sense of dwelling aside from the calculative sense. (See Dwelling and Poetry: Rilke, Hölderlin, Heidegger (Episode 024)). After an initial exploration of dwelling in this essay, we return to Rilke.
With help from Rilke, Hölderlin, and Heidegger we discuss how poetry relates to Being, or "dwelling." A continuation of last week's discussion.
We begin with a discussion of Rilke's poem dedicated to Hölderlin. The images of the poet are not meant to freeze or fix Being into a this or that, but to gives glimpses of the ineffable. We've talked quite a bit about the calculative mindset. Most recently we've discussed the left-brain approach to the map and the territory. This poem might actually help us to get a better understanding of a possible right-brain mistake, that of holism. (Along the lines of what Bortoft has referred to as the counterfeit whole.) For here, the spirit of Hoelderlin, according to Rilke, is not one to hold on to a perspective in the sense of reifying it. Others might stay inside of their poems, cutting themselves off from a dynamic participation in the whole. While not engaging in the literalist worldview and perspective of subject-object dualism, their sense of participation in Being is not dynamic, but fixed, static. Rilke offers us striking images of how the poet illuminates the landscape. Rather than use the image of the sun, in which all is made clear and shown, he presents the image of the moon. This moon shines over the nocturnal landscape. There is at the same time a brightening and a darkening. This is precisely the sense of the dynamic engagement with the whole that I have been trying to get at from the point of view of the poet. The poet's language is not meant to represent Being in a left-brain, subject-object sense. Nor is it meant to grant us immediate unfettered access to the ineffable. This latter is a counterfeit sense of the whole in a static, right-brain sense. Poetic language is, rather, that which reveals truth, as that which unconceals. Yet at every revealing there is also a concealing.
II. A brief overview of Heidegger's "Building, Dwelling, Thinking" in connection with these themes.
For our purpose today, I'd like to focus primarily on this notion of dwelling. Heidegger argues for something far different than our 'normal' understanding of the relationship between building and dwelling. Rather than take an architectural viewpoint and say that we build a dwelling, he instead makes the argument that building belongs to dwelling. He locates in the German language the notion of building (the verb bauen is to build) as relating in root to our sense of being (ich bin, du bist). Let's leave aside whether this etymological connection is valid. He then goes on to tie this to our notion of Being as care. Our dwelling is always, for Heidegger, something to understand as part of the Fourfold of earth, sky, gods, and mortals. To talk about one is to also implicitly acknowledge the others. For Heidegger, they come together in this act of dwelling. We then discuss 'dwelling' in connection with a 'thing.' We explore the example of a bridge given by Heidegger. Finally, we bring in Iain McGilchrist's The Master and his Emissary. McGilchrist's remarks regarding the challenge of philosophy to get beyond what one can grasp or explicitly state serve for a good closing of this discussion.
For reasons cited in the program, there will be a change in scheduling going forward. Future episodes will come out on the first and third Thursdays of the month.


It is very important that local, fresh produce is available to all people, regardless of income or stability. Currently we have three programs that help low-income people buy healthy foods at our markets. By accepting SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps), WIC, and SFMNP vouchers, we aim to decrease the access barriers to fresh healthy food.
Instructions: To use your SNAP, go to the Market Information Booth, tell the staff how much you would like to spend, and they will swipe your EBT card for the amount you request. You're then given your requested amount in $1 plastic tokens.
You may not use your tokens to buy non-food items, and no change may be given.
If you don't use all your tokens that day, you can save them to use another day at either of our markets.
WIC (Women, Infants and Children) FMNP checks are specifically for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at authorized farmers stands.
Instructions: You can also use your WIC FMNP coupons to purchase fresh, unprepared fruits, vegetables and herbs at both of our farmers markets. WIC FMNP coupons may only be used between July 1 and October 30.
The purpose of the Senior FMNP is to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to senior citizens. The program expands the awareness and use of farmers markets and also supports and promotes the daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Seniors (60 years plus) who meet the income requirements are eligible to participate in the Senior FMNP. Under the SFMNP, recipients receive checks to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from an authorized farmer's stand; these farmers display a large sign stating that they accept Senior FMNP checks. These checks may only be used between July 1 and October 30.
"Eat right. . . even when money is tight."


Thank you for joining us for the 2018 Minnesota Paint & Powder Coating Expo. Held on March 14 & 15 at Century College, in White Bear Lake, MN the Expo was sponsored by the CCAI Twin Cities Chapter and the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) at the University of Minnesota. The Expo offered two days of seminars and demonstrations geared to improving the efficiency of industrial finishing operations.
Click on the presentation title below to view pdfs of the slide decks from the speakers who gave permission to share them.


Stand up performance with host Joe Perrow with Sally Ann Hall, George Anthony, Drew Harrison, Gregory Joseph, TJ Wharry, Connor Creagan and featured performer Tom Simmons.
Comedians on this show are from NYC, Wilmington, Raleigh, Brooklyn, San Antonio, Indiana and Greensboro.
Featured Performer: Now a 21 year veteran of stand-up comedy, Tom Simmons has remained a power player in an industry where comics fail, and often. For over two decades he has travelled on national tours, headlined comedy-clubs, won comedy festival awards and made numerous TV appearances on major networks including: Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, Bounce TV, Comedy.TV, Laughs on FOX, and COMICS Unleashed.
A self-described contrarian, his style of comedy will remind you of that funny friend who has you laughing so hard your stomach hurts. Pulling from everyday situations as a father and husband, Tom finds comedy wherever he takes a good look. He likes to make stupid people and smart people laugh because he sees himself as both.
Tickets are $10.00 in advance, $13 day of show. A $1 Facility Fee and NC Sales Tax is added to the price of each ticket.
There is an additional $3.50 per ticket web fee for internet purchases; call 336-333-2605 to avoid those charges. Guests can opt to have their tickets mailed to them for a $1 post fee, or can pick up tickets in will call for no additional charge.


Just a short note to let people know of a significant change that has occurred in FHIR since the Baltimore Working Group meeting in September.
Previously called the conformance resource, it describes the version of FHIR that it supports, the RESTful endpoints, profiles, messaging endpoints and a host of other stuff.
However, the word 'conformance' has come to mean a lot more as FHIR has evolved, so its name has been changed to 'CapabilityStatement' to reflect that.
It has the same structure (or pretty much so I think) and serves the same purpose – it's just a rename.
Currently only Grahames server has this change (so the link above will return it) but you can expect the other STU-3 servers to support this soon.


Spending a rainy Sunday afternoon twirling around the kitchen with Cora in my arms, singing along loudly and badly to Viva Hate.
Morella's constant neediness: her inability to play alone for more than two minutes, hanging on my arm while I'm trying to eat dinner, whining if someone wants to go to the bathroom alone, begging for a playdate and saying she "never" gets to see her friends when one of them was at our house all day and had just left.
Me and Matt, two introverts, trying to figure out how to conscientiously raise an extrovert.
Morella's constant creativity: using her two pointer fingers as dolls when she doesn't have any handy, hopping around the house with her secret agent supplies from her latest Kiwi Crate, throwing a solemn funeral for a dead cicada on the back deck with sidewalk chalk decorations, collaborating on exquisite corpse drawings with Matt, turning her paintbrush on herself and painting her hand in a blue and purple "galaxy" design.
Texts from Brandi first thing in the morning.
Texts from Gemma and Lianna last thing at night.
Cora's perfect squishiness at this particular moment in time.
Matt staring from his seat on the deck out into the garden, yawning and looking a little groggy from staying out too late (10:45pm?) the night before. Some flecks of gray starting to show in his light brown hair.
Cora biting everything in sight with her two razor-sharp bottom teeth.
Bedtimes with Bub (our sometime nickname for Morella) after Cora's asleep, reading books, finding Waldo, catching up on Steven Universe ("I choosen, you, Gah-reg," she says).
On a date with Matt, walking to a second location to find oysters for dessert, because we love oysters and we felt like it.
Adjusting my expectations for baby milestones, as Cora rolled over early, sat up early, started pulling up to stand early, and is bent and determined to be walking early.
Trying to figure out what color Cora's eyes are, and settling on gray for now.
A sweaty, swampy National Night Out with kids and pizza and a sprinkler and a line of ants and neighbors laughing. The one who's lived on the block the longest was talking about its changes over time and said "Tess has really brought the block together" and I felt a mixture of pride and gratefulness and shame at not making time to get the neighbors together often enough.
A perfect 70-degree day in August with the girls on the back deck, dappled sunlight, Cora giggling in her walker and Morella drawing and painting nearby.
Matt's high-pitched cackling whenever something funny in A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix catches him off-guard.
My new favorite sight in the world: the whole family out on the front porch waiting for me to get home, Matt pushing Cora in the swing and Morella hopping up excitedly from the steps.
Painful, clogged highway commute into the soulless suburbs for work every day.
Ira's bout with fleas. And he's a 100% indoor cat!
The wheels of bureaucracy turning more slowly and disjointedly than usual, making a weeklong project into a monthlong one.
Neighbors who sneak our garbage cans full with a zillion bags overnight so that, two days after garbage pickup, we have nowhere else to put garbage for the week.
The book I was reading on vacation, sitting dusty on the nightstand, still on the same page I left it on in June.
← ode to the pajama crew.
That little lady has been after my heart since the day she was born.


The Barden Bellas are back and this time around, the film focuses on Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Fat Amy (Rebel Wil-son) as they navigate through their senior year. When Fat Amy has an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction on live TV, the team is disgraced and banned from domestic com-petition. The only way for the team to redeem themselves is to win the World Championships, to be held in Copenha-gen. They're joined by newbie Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), whose mother (Katey Sagal) once sang with the troupe, in order to win against German reigning champions Das Sound Machine.


Workshop organized by FPCCI in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Humanitarian Network (NHN) & Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) at Capital House Islamabad under Focal Person Ms. Reem Abbasi President IWCCI and President Center of Pakistan & International Relation (COPAIR) Ms. Amna Malik-Chairperson FPCCI Women Committee.
The celebrations of 138th National Day of Qatar were held by Embassy of Qatar in Islamabad. The reception was hosted by Ambassador of Qatar, Saqr Bin Mubarak Al-Mansouri. The chief guest of the event was Federal Minister for Privatization, Daniyal Aziz Chaudhary. Among the prominent personalities and diplomats who had turned up to congratulate Qatari ambassador included Deputy Chairman of Senate Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Mohammed Omar Ahmed Al Marhoon, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Ambassadors of Palestine, Jordan, Spain, Ukraine, Romania, Azerbaijan, Iran and Iraq.


text:
Texas IndyCar Friday Notebook
By alley September 5, 2013 9:14 PM
By alley | September 5, 2013 9:14 PM ET
Franchitti's paint scheme de jour shows off Texas aero spec (LAT photo)
INSIDE THE TMS AERO SPEC
Last year's low-downforce specification at Texas delivered some of the most exciting oval racing the IndyCar Series had produced in ages. The call to reduce downforce even more for this weekend's event was met with a bit of concern by the competitors – the 2012 event was a knife-edge affair for a number of drivers – and a regular topic of conversation on Friday.
The better drivers dealt with it while some of the second-tier pilots whined incessantly, but the fact remained that touring the 1.5-mile oval was a challenge even for those who had perfect setups.
"It's a 12 or 13 percent reduction in downforce, so grip goes down," Dale Coyne Racing engineer Bill Pappas told RACER. "So, OK, you need a good mechanical platform, and then it's just varying how much you have to adjust for track conditions."
Pappas, who won this race with driver Justin Wilson last year, broke down what he and the other engineers have to work with when the series mandates a maximum level of downforce (which is actually fairly low) that runs through hot, thin air.
"Indianapolis is a great example of how to deal with limitations," he continued. "We showed up with our car and finished seventh last year and Justin goes out, he does one run, says, 'I'm sliding more, let's make an adjustment to try to pick up some grip.' Is the balance right? Drop the springs or adjust the springs or adjust the dampers to try to help pick up the grip that you lost to the track at Indianapolis last year.
"But here, it's aerodynamics. I'm hoping that the basic package is still good, we just need to soften it off or do something to tune it a little bit to find that grip. Again, just the general rule of thumb, the heat affects one end of the car versus the other and so you've got to rebalance it for those conditions. Pretty straightforward. As it gets hot, obviously you've got to adjust the front wing and use it to balance it out."
Firestone has brought a new tire to Texas that is meant to work better with the lighter downforce package.
"It makes it a little bit less edgy this year," said Wilson. "Last year, we had a tire that was designed for x amount of downforce, so when we took the downforce away the night before the race, that made the tire a little edgy, a bit nervous. I think for this year, Firestone have tried to make it so you could feel it and control it better.
"But also that allows people to go bit faster, so IndyCar then comes back and takes off another 300 pounds of downforce for this event. So…We'll take it as it comes tomorrow night."
Wilson expects the field to be a bit less wild during the 228-lap race, which should keep the 24-car field running closer lap times from start to end of stints than we saw in 2012, but he still expects to see some teams going forward and backward on the same stint.
"It's going to be tight," Wilson emphasized. "You always need to be right on the edge of being quick but not over-doing it. This setup is definitely very peaky – it's not a rounded slope – so you've got to take chances and it's going to bite you every now and again. We're just trying to be controlled and be patient as best we can so we hit the right mix of speed and control when it's race time.
"We're good over a stint but we're not the quickest car to begin a stint. So we'll see if we can change that around. I think a lot of people are going to be dealing with a similar thing."
THE BEST BANNER EVER
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage is, among other things, an excellent promoter. But don't take my word for it. His Firestone 550 promotional banner, placed directly in front of the media center and along the path many drivers, owners and series officials take to pit lane, uses Will Power's infamous double bird from Loudon 2011 and Sebastian Saavedra's copycat image from Detroit last weekend to present the lighter side of the sport.
"IndyCar fans tend to take themselves too seriously, but the only concern I had was what Will and Sebastian would think," Gossage told RACER. "I hope they take it as a laugh because that was all it was meant to be. And I hope the fans take it that way.
Gossage came up with the "Angry Birds" concept three days before the series announced a $30,000 fine for Saavedra who used his middle fingers to demonstrate his frustration at Marco Andretti – unknowingly, on live TV.
"I didn't know about the fines," admitted Gossage. "We came up with it on Monday, and then the fines were announced, so some people were going on about it on Twitter, but most people realized this was meant as a joke. One guy said, 'You understand IndyCar better than IndyCar,' which was nice, but I wouldn't have fined Sebastian. He wasn't aware he was on camera and it wasn't done for anyone but Marco. If you're running a guy off the track to get even or if you're throwing a punch, then that's too far. It was a gesture he made, which didn't hurt anybody."
The banner has become an instant favorite among the media and, apparently, for at least one driver.
Said Gossage with a big smile: "Will told me he wants it for his garage, so we'll send it to him after the race…and if Sebastian wants one, we'll make one and send it to him, too."
· After two consecutive events with expensive technical infringements assessed to James Jakes' No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry, the team made a change at the chief mechanic position, hiring Derek Davidson, formerly of Panther DRR, to look after the Briton's Dallara DW12-Honda.
· And speaking of RLLR, another miserable qualifying session for Graham Rahal has made me wonder how long he and engineer Gerry Hughes will continue working together in that dynamic. Hughes, who was rather effective last year in his first IndyCar season with then-RLLR driver Takuma Sato, has yet to jell with young Rahal, and it's hard to imagine the team will continue to struggle through the second half of the season while waiting for things to improve.
"The car was slow," said Rahal after qualifying 19th at 213.8, way off Power's pole speed of 219.1. "I don't know what else to say. I don't know where we find four or five miles an hour."


Both are equally exciting opportunities, of course – but only one of them is real. So, maybe let's talk about that one?
The Juniper Ambassador Program was, until yesterday, a group of 25 brilliant network engineers around the globe, united by a passion for, and expertise in, Juniper's product set and technologies. But now, it's all changed: as of today, it is instead a group of 25 brilliant network engineers, plus me.
So, what is a Juniper Ambassador? Essentially, they're people who go above and beyond to get involved in the community, to spread knowledge about how Juniper's products actually work, to help educate and give support to colleagues worldwide in learning the inner-workings of Junos, and all the protocols that hold our beloved internetworks together – as well as the latest developments in SDN, the power of Juniper's automation offerings, and plenty more.
In particular, we're actively expected to stay honest – in other words, we're not paid shills, blindly saying everything Juniper does is perfect. Instead, we're simply folks who regularly evangelise on social media, in blogs, on the forums, and indeed in real life (that's right, dorks – real life!! Customer meetings, presentations, and plenty more behind-the-scenes stuff) about Junos and the Juniper way of thinking – and we do it because we sincerely think that Juniper technologies are among the best of the best. We do all of this not for money, but for love. …well, and for free merch. …and cocktails. But mostly for love.
We get access to new Juniper news and developments early, so you can expect me to be sharing (with permission of course!) some exciting new upcoming tech. We get invited to write books for Juniper, and to contribute chapters to the annual Ambassadors Cookbook. We also get direct access to some "Senior Nerds" at Juniper HQ who we can refer to when we have our own technical questions – which gives us the ability to then pass that knowledge along to our fellow engineers in the industry. Hey there: I'm talking about you!
I think it's fantastic that Juniper has a program like this. I've been blogging my Juniper knowledge for a while now, and I did it with no expectation of any gain, apart from making some new friends online. It would have been easy for Juniper to pay no attention to it at all. Indeed, I would have thought nothing of it if they had ignored it. They're a huge company, and I'm one guy. So the fact that they actively try to bring people like me on board, shows to me a heartening commitment from Juniper to nurturing the community.
There's a blog post on the Juniper forums welcoming me to the team, with a little interview with me. You can read it, if you like?
WHAT WILL I BRING TO THE AMBASSADORS TABLE?
I'm truly honoured to have been invited to become a Juniper Ambassador. It's a dream, and I can't tell you how excited I am to have joined the gang.
In terms of technical expertise, I'm clearly the baby of the group. I'm only a JNCIP, whereas most of my fellow Ambassadors have at least one of Juniper's Expert certs – and indeed, many of them have multiple JNCIEs. Multiple! Most days I can barely even remember where I put my keys. In the fruit bowl? In the bin? It's anyone's guess, it really is.
But that's okay, because I like to think I can bring a different skill to the table: my old career as a comedian taught me a lot about how to communicate complicated ideas concisely, in an engaging way; to explain difficult technical concepts even to non-technical people, in a way that is fun and interesting, and in a way that they actually understand.
I think all of us in this industry can think back to a training session, or video tutorial, that made us want to fall fast asleep, and never wake up. There's a lot of it around, and the trainers mean no harm by it, but the fact is, being well-versed in a technology doesn't necessarily mean that you can teach that technology, let alone teach it in a way that will inspire people.
That's why my aim is very much to inspire people to be as enthusiastic and electrified (not literally – stay safe, friends) about networking, and Juniper, as I am. And as an Ambassador, I fully plan to take that aim to the next level. I'll carry on sharing my knowledge, especially on my own personal quest, whether my next step is the JNCIE-SP, JNCIP-ENT, or JNCIS-SEC. I want them all, and I'll make sure to bring you along on the journey with me.
The second is handsome viking Stefan Fouant, not only for being instrumental in bringing me on board, but for being a huge inspiration to me over the past 12 months. Stefan is the embodiment of the kind of engineer whose passion is infectious, and the industry is very lucky to have him. It's a privilege to be alongside him.
And finally, of course, the biggest thanks of all has to go to Julie Wider, the hero that runs the Ambassador program, and the J-Net Community at large. None of this would have happened without her, even the community itself. I'm sure engineers would still find a way to share knowledge, but no way would it be the same, not nearly as big or connected. Julie expertly runs and maintains the very fabric that brings us all together, and we owe her a great deal.
If this is your first time hearing about me, I'd love you to have a read through some of my other posts. I hope you'll enjoy them, and learn some new cool stuff along the way. And if you like what you read, follow me on Twitter to find out when I make new posts. If you don't like my tweets, I promise you, I'll give you your money back.


Did you ever wonder about equivalent measures while making a recipe? Here's a helpful chart to help you out.
Remember to use liquid measuring cups for liquids, and dry for dry. While they do measure the same, filling a 1 cup dry measuring cup to the brim with water will guarantee a bit of spillage before it reaches the bowl!
Also note that in other countries dry ingredients are listed by weight vs. volume. While that is technically a more accurate way of measuring, I have not run into any major problems using volume.