hi there, can you share a copy of the ovf please ?
Elly, right now Prism Central could be considered a single point of failure, since it is only one VM. On the other hand, the good thing is that you can connect to the individual Prism Elements that run in a scale out fashion, meaning you won't lose management capabilities.


Summer Quarter is an excellent opportunity to take classes that apply directly to your degree or as an elective. However, because of the unique nature of summer quarter, there are several important factors to keep in mind to make sure you understand what's required to be full-time, ¾ time, half-time, etc. The curriculum is organized into three distinct terms; Term A, Term B, or Full Term, all which can impact your enrollment status.
Undergraduate students who take a minimum of 5 credits in the A term and 5 credits in the B term will be considered full-time.
Undergraduates who take 10 Full Term summer credits will receive full-time benefits.
5 credits in A term and 5 credits in the full summer term is not full time for summer term.
5 credits in B term and 5 credits in the full summer term is not full time for summer term.
Some of you may not have the option of taking classes that give you full-time VA benefits depending on your program. Typically though most people are able to arrange their schedule to give them full-time benefits.
Note: Taking strictly online (distance learning) classes, regardless of being full-time will reduce your monthly BAH payment. Due to the various combinations of hybrid, online and in-person classes, please contact the VMRC to verify if your schedule meets the requirements to receive full BAH.
Another very important piece of information is if you are receiving financial aid in addition to VA benefits. In order to receive full-time Financial Aid, you need to have at least 12 credits spread out over the summer term to be considered full-time. There are no specific term requirements as to when you take the 12 credits. As long as you take 12 credits, that is considered full-time for financial aid. Keep in mind you still need to refer to the above requirements when considering full-time status for VA benefits. If you are receiving summer financial aid, please review this link.
Graduate Programs work on the same principles, but there are fewer A or B term courses at the graduate level. For specific information about your graduate program requirements for summer quarter, please contact the VMRC directly.


NLRB Issues Joint-Employer Proposal. Whoa. Today, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published a proposed rule regarding its joint-employer standard. The proposed rule would undo the Board's 2015 Browning-Ferris Industries decision and return the Board to a "direct and immediate" joint-employer standard. More details here. Back in June, NLRB Chairman John Ring promised that joint-employer regulation would issue before the end of summer, and he was right on target: autumn begins one week from tomorrow.
NLRB to Review Construction Industry Prehire Agreements. On September 11, 2018, the NLRB issued a notice inviting briefs from the public on whether the Board should revamp its policy on what is required to transform a construction industry prehire agreement into a "traditional" collective bargaining agreement. Pursuant to prehire agreements—which are permitted under federal law but limited to the construction industry—labor unions can enter into a contract with an employer without the majority support of employees (indeed, as the name entails, many employees will have yet to be hired for the project). However, labor unions like to transform these prehire agreements into "traditional" collective bargaining agreements because prehire agreements do not bar representation petitions and do not obligate an employer to continue to bargain upon expiration of the agreement. In its solicitation for briefs, the Board asks stakeholders to address whether a prehire agreement can be transformed into a "traditional" collective bargaining agreement simply via the language in the agreement, or whether a contemporaneous showing of actual majority support of employees is necessary. Briefs are due on Friday, October 26, 2018.
T. Scott Kelly has the details on the 750 corporate scheduling announcement letters that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) mailed out late last week.
Further, OFCCP issued a directive this week that proposes changes to its procedures for requesting and maintaining functional affirmative action program (FAAP) agreements. Hera S. Arsen has more.
Kavanaugh Update. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary has set September 20, 2018, as the date on which they will vote to advance Judge Brett Kavanaugh out of committee. It is presumed that Kavanaugh will make it through the committee and proceed to a vote on the Senate floor sometime during the week beginning September 24. Kavanaugh, who must still be a bit toasty from being on the hot seat all last week, recently submitted his 263-page response to Questions for the Record (QFRs) he received from senators after his grilling last week. Over the past 100 years, from 1916 (Justice Brandeis) to 2017 (Justice Gorsuch) a combined total of 1,247 QFRs were submitted to 47 Supreme Court nominees. Kavanaugh alone responded to a staggering 1,287 QFRs.
Political Schmear Tactics. While the political volume in D.C. is turned up to 11 these days, perhaps the most outrageous (and, frankly, offensive) political story this week came from New York City, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon inexplicably ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. And lox. And onions. And capers. While no one can say for sure whether this horrific combination cost her the election in yesterday's primary, the native New Yorker in us thinks such an act should be per se disqualifying. That being said, in Nixon's defense, she isn't the first politician to make a public gaffe at the deli counter or a restaurant. For example, current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio overcame the utter shame and embarrassment that comes with eating pizza with a knife and fork. And although he never made it to the White House, becoming secretary of state isn't too shabby for the man who once ordered Swiss cheese on his Philly cheesesteak.
As 2013 comes to an end, we have been considering a number of workplace issues that employers might face at the end of the year and the beginning of the holiday season. In parts one, two, and three of this blog series, we covered employers' chief concerns when hiring a…..
In a two-sentence decision issued on September 12, 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court approved an advisory opinion issued by the State Bar of Georgia Standing Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. The advisory opinion interpreted existing Georgia case law as requiring any answer of garnishment filed in a court of record in Georgia to be signed by an attorney licensed to practice in that state.


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As the coolness of autumn falls upon the western hemisphere, and summer slips away – how are you handling life's one constant?
Change… the one thing that remains the same.
I write you on board a flight from NYC to Rome. It's been an amazing, beautiful, and challenging 7 weeks stateside, in my homeland. Change is welcome as I journey on to life's next call. On this long flight I'm thinking about some of the more dense lessons of this past period.
One of the things that comes is that I'm super thankful to write the story and script of life according to who I am now, rather than from pain filters of the past. A little critter showed up recently, and showed me why I needed to do this.
Recently I was diagnosed with Giardia by the worlds leading expert on parasites. I refuse to take the pharmaceuticals prescribed at $1,800, for 10 days. What a joke.
Outraged, I'm also happy about it. It's prompted me to dig deeper for a truly natural cure. I've tested many over the years with clients, without affective results. It's quite a quandary given these factors, and especially because not everyone can make it to New York City to see Dr. Cahill.
Btw – in case you don't know already, Dr. Cahill says stool tests are 70% inaccurate. So if you're itchy (anywhere – and in the bum), have rashes or skin problems, bloating, loose stools, achey, have sleep disturbances, tired, or chronically sick – you may have parasites. For women, they may be extra aggravating during peri-menopausal/menopause years (40-55). Traditional stool tests often don't find them. It's known parasites are MOST ALWAYS the root cause of MOST ALL illnesses, and what ails us.
I've been hearing about parasite cleansing with turpentine and castor oil for years. Researching it on Youtube, Dr. Jennifer Daniels and SunFoodDan inspired me to give it a go. It's been 2 weeks now, and my system is definitely cleaning up. I can tell because symptoms are disappearing. The jury is still out if it's gotten rid of my new friends. Friends? Yes, they have a message for me – for us. Think it's only a physical issue? Not in my personal experience, or working with thousands of people over the years. Facing "them" is helping me to be proactive with boundaries, and face what's going on inside of me – rather than refusing emotions that were at one time (in childhood), not safe to feel.
Back to the turpentine. I know what you're thinking – so did I at first. "You mean – turpentine – like, paint thinner?" Yes, though this is the food grade kind – it's 100% Pure Gum Spirits. Be sure to get this only. I bought it off Amazon. And organic castor oil in a glass bottle (not plastic). It doesn't taste bad, and it's actually quite easy to take – just before bed is my preferred way – to sleep off symptoms. So far its been quite gentle (though at the same time – strong). I can still eat, work, and live normally. You would just need to start out on a low dosage till you find your threshold. One more thing, it may release inflammation and arthritic symptoms… so don't be surprised if you feel achey in your joints – and it gets worse before better. This is how natural healing most often works. Just go slower so you don't get overwhelmed.
It's very important to get the poop out (it will be full of toxic die off), blood flowing, and your oxygen uptake increasing – so you don't feel too crappy. Eliminating from your bowels, and pores each day with the above, you'll likely feel much better. I don't recommend doing this cleanse without the above helpers. What if you or your loved one just won't do colonics or enemas? Be sure to take the turpentine with castor oil, and that you poo 3 times daily. Then reconsider, as water irrigation will help more than words can express, and you won't believe how much is in there, clogging up the release of critters.
Is turpentine safe? Yes, so long at it's 100% Pure Gum Spirits (food grade), and not the chemical type, and its taken correctly. Turpentine is an old granny cure. And it's natural, made from pine. .
Does everyone have parasites? Perhaps. Really, everyone? Over the 16 years I've been sending people to Dr. Cahill, only 1 in 20 tests negative. It doesn't mean they are all destructive or to be rid of…. though it very well might mean that.
Could critters be at the core of what ails us for almost everything? Could they be the cause of aches, pains, arthritis, headaches, digestive problems, fatigue, and in general feeling bad? Absolutely. Most important is to investigate, and find out for yourself. Some people aren't symptomatic. Though that doesn't mean these pesky messengers aren't wreaking havoc on your health. Often lying dormant, they tend to get activated by an acidic internal environment, when stressed, under pressure, through hormonal changes, and intense emotional experiences.
1. Do due diligence and get informed.
2. Don't ignore it or brush it aside, as they only grow – not lessen – gone untreated.
Feeling paranoid? Don't let that bug you (hahaha), just get proactive. Now is the time.
And remember, they aren't just in 3rd world countries, they are everywhere. Most of us are full of parasitical messages we haven't received. The could news is they can be acknowledged and acted upon that helps us get, yes – get the message.
Let me know how your investigation and journey goes. Also check out our Facebook Parasite Info & Support page, and share your experience. It's very helpful for those seeking solutions.


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Sarita Choudhury Married, Bio, Husband, Salary, Age, Relationship, Ethnicity, Net Worth, Height
Sarita Choudhury is best known for playing Tara in the film "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love." Tara has more than two decades of acting experience and has earned the respect of seasoned actresses. Sarita began her acting career as a waitress for a well-known celebrity and has been a part of the Hollywood scene since the 1990s.
Quick Facts of Sarita Choudhury
What is Sarita's estimated net worth?
Is Sarita still single or married?
Biography of Sarita Choudhury
Single (2019)
5'5″ (1.65 m)
Julia Patricia Spring (Mother), Prabhas Chandra Choudhury (Father)
Kumar Michael Choudhury, Chandra Paul Choudhury (Brothers)
Sarita Choudhury, an English actress, has been working in the industry since 1991. Sarita has almost 27 years of acting experience and a long list of acting credits to her name. Her net worth is derived from her long acting career and various roles. Sarita, on the other hand, has remained tight-lipped about her lucrative earnings.
Sarita's breakthrough came in 1991, when she co-starred with Denzel Washington in Mississippi Masala as Meena. Sarita was also given a Screen Actors Guild card for her role in the film.
Sarita worked as a waitress in Manhattan's East Village before trying to make a name for herself as an actress. Meanwhile, in 1994, Sarita portrayed a lesbian mother in the film Fresh Kill.
Sarita has also appeared on television shows such as 100 Centre Street, Blindspot, and The Good Wife. She is currently a cast member of Instinct, an American police procedural drama television series, in which she portrays Mayor Myers, and Lilith on The Path.
When it comes to Sarita's on-screen marriage, she was married to Saul Berenson, a character played by Mandy Patinkin in the television series Homeland. Sarita and her on-screen partner, Mandy, had such great chemistry in the series that the writer decided to give her a bigger part.
Behind the camera, Sarita was related to Sam Rockwell, who starred in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The two are thought to have been lovers in the past, although the exact date when they were romantically related is uncertain. Sam, on the other hand, has made no apologies for declaring his love for Sarita. ", he explained.
"Sarita was the one who escaped. She was incredible, truly incredible. Sarita was one of my favorite characters. She was a good friend of mine."
Sarita has a daughter named Maria from a previous marriage. She is unable to share information about her broken marriage and her estranged partner, a war photographer. "I," she said in an interview "I don't want to bring up my husband here. I hope this does not bother you."
"He has no link to the industry! My baby (her seven-year-old daughter Maria) gets her blonde hair from him, as he is a war photographer."
Sarita Choudhury was born on August 18, 1966, in London, England, to her parents as Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury. In terms of her heritage, she was born to Julia Patricia, an English mother, and Prabhas Chandra Choudhury, a Bengali father. Kumar Michael Choudhury, Sarita's younger brother, and Chandra Paul Choudhury, her older brother, are her siblings.
Sarita is 1.65 m (5′ 5″) tall and measures 35-32-38 in her body measurements. She is of mixed race and British nationality.
Tags: actress
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Volume 73 - Geological Time Moves More Quickly Than My Teenager!
Scanning the course directory, I strategically selected a geology class, believing it would be the path of least resistance (it wasn't). As the pedantic, white-haired professor loved to frequently remind us (speak really, really slow while saying this) "geological time spans millions of years . . ." which means that geological time moves more quickly than my teenager!
Last Friday I was reacquainted with the concept of "geological time" when I went to hear Howard Cook speak at the Oakland Association of Realtors offices in downtown Oakland. (No, I'm not implying that he spoke too long.) Mr. Cook is a partner at Bay Area Retrofit and was speaking to the complicated, yet compelling tax rebate programs currently being offered by the cities of Oakland and Berkeley.
The retrofit program doesn't apply to those of us living here in Piedmont - but does apply to anyone in Oakland or Berkeley who has recently bought, or is in the process of buying; however, the qualifying criteria is specific to each city and extremely time sensitive so act quickly if you are interested. For a detailed description of qualifying criteria, go to www.bayarearetrofit.com.
Cognizant that most of us in the room didn't have geological hours to spare, Mr. Cook (Howard) and his partners limited their remarks to a few digestible hours. (I think I speak for the handful of REALTORS who had gathered when I say, "thank you - we appreciated your brevity.") Still "geological time" was very much in the forefront as each partner spoke, in turn, about the Hayward Fault, which spans 40 miles and runs 20 miles deep.
According to Howard, "The Hayward Fault is continuously in motion, but its history shows a major tectonic event of a 6.9 earthquake or more, every 140 years (give or take 25 years)!"
Guess what? It's been 140 years since the last major event.
Seven million people live along the Hayward Fault.
Most homes will greatly benefit from relatively inexpensive earthquake retrofitting.
No codes currently exist for earthquake retrofitting, thus retrofitting companies require no license, no inspections, no follow-up and no special training.
Not all contractors are created equal. Ask yours if he understands current local guidelines.
Properly protecting a home, requires a 3-phase plan: bolting the foundation, sheer walling the cripple walls and attaching the the floor joists of the building with transfer ties. All three components must be addressed for retrofitting to be truly effective.
Now you know what I know. Had I understood this back at the College of Marin, I might have improved my grade in geology.
To reach Bay Area Retrofit, call 510- 418-1676.
Volume 72 - Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits!
If you read last week's column (and let's assume for the sake of my ego that you did) I talked about the fact that the Piedmont market has fallen very little in value, relative to other years. This isn't to say prices haven't softened (they have) but not as much as the mainstream media would have you believe. Let me repeat last week's message: third quarter values in Piedmont sales were off by only 1.059%!
So why hasn't my neighbor's beautiful home sold yet? The difference in today's market is the lack of credit in the marketplace (the lender's ability to make loans) and the scarcity of options for jumbo loans (those loans over the super conforming rate of $729,000*). Sales requiring a loan larger than $729,000 are going to find it much tougher to fund than sales at the lower end of the scale. While jumbo loans are still available (hunting them down may prove profitable) - they take longer to process, require more money down, have stricter guidelines, and are currently short-term products only.
This is where seller financing comes into play. If you are in the position to carry back some part, or better yet, ALL of the loan to the buyer, you have just increased your buyer pool dramatically!
That's interesting but I don't need a loan; I have CASH to spend!
Fantastic - you should be well-rewarded in the current marketplace. This is the time to take advantage of those homes at the high-end of the market as they will have far less competition at the table and will likely sell for less than they would have a few short years ago.
I also have a house to sell? Can I come out whole on my end and capture a discount on the other?
That depends. How long have you owned the home? If it is less than five years, the straight answer is - not likely.
Remember that markets are relative. When asking for a haircut on one end, you should expect the Buyer of your house to demand a similar shave on your end as well. However, the substantial savings on the UP leg and its increased appreciation capacity over the long term, should make up for any loss experienced on the selling end now.
Buying UP in a down market may be the best time to realize your biggest gain - especially if you have owned your current home for several years. *Please note that the super-conforming rate is scheduled to be reset to $625,000 come January 1, 2009. IF you have a Refi on your loan coming due in 2009, you may want to take advantage of lower interest rates and the higher conforming limit NOW. You'll need to do this no later than December 1, 2008 in order to get the loan processed in time!
Please speak to your banker or an experienced mortgage broker.
Volume 71 - Dancing with the Gorilla!
As Wall Street meets Main Street, the Piedmont residential housing market remains a very stable investment. Looking at third quarter statistics for 2007, compared to the same quarter for 2008, the value of your home seems to be good and sound!
Last year, 23 homes sold in Piedmont between July 1 and September 30, 2007. The average list price was $1,797,217 and the average sales price was $1,772,304. Days on market (DOM) averaged 32 days. When I remove the $7, 600,000 sale on Sea View Avenue (which statistically skews the numbers) the average list price adjusts to $1,522,272 and average sales price adjusts to $1,507,409. DOM remained virtually the same at 32 days.
Piedmont real estate seems to be holding its own! Isn't it nice to hear good news for a change?
Did the real estate market stand still the last few weeks?
D0 we have market optimism?
Here's Why . . . There are currently 23 Piedmont homes listed for sale on the MLS (Mulitple Listing Service) which represents a fair amount of inventory as we approach a late fall market and The GRUBB Co. is scheduled to bring on another seven homes in the next 10 days - so stay tuned (I'll be bringing you all the news)!
The least expensive listing is Tricia Swift's 2bdrm/1bth sunny "starter" home at 102 Oakmont Avenue for $695,000 and the most expensive property is a 6bdrm/5bth rambling estate with a private tennis court on Tyson Circle for 7 million! Between these two extremes, lies a more traditional price point averaging $2,210,208.
Here's even better news: Sellers are paying attention - especially to terms! In a market where liquidity is scarce and loans are tougher to come by than they were in the not-too-distant past, CASH will play a more significant role than it has previously - and so will seller financing!
However, any offer can provide an opportunity for true negotiation to take place. This is a very healthy environment! In spite of the uncertain economic landscape nationally, this may actually be the best time to purchase locally - but only if you are so inclined.
YOU have to be comfortable on the dance floor before taking on the Tango!
Volume 70 - Who Needs Permission?
Thrown by my inability to look into the future, I spent Friday cleaning out my closets in an attempt to control my own small corner of the world. For me, there's something incredibly calming about seeing everything in its proper place.
In spite of Congress' approval of the 700-billion dollar stimulus plan (plus!) none of us really knows how this will all shake out or what priorities will need to be reexamined. We do know it will take several weeks for the money to percolate through the system and several more to gauge the impact. In short, this isn't a quick fix!
In the meantime, buyers are reluctant to take that first step into the market. Worried that sales prices will correct further (in spite of strong bay area sales) buyers are holding back until someone else makes that first bold move.
Everyone is waiting for permission. Hmmm.
While waiting makes sense from an emotional point of view, it doesn't necessarily make sense from a financial one.
When a buyer and a seller meet at the negotiation table - without competition - there is obviously, much greater parity. Without the pressure of another offer in the wings, buyers can negotiate terms and conditions with a receptive Seller (Isn't that nice for a change?) Buyers, here is the market you have been pining for, so good news - I am giving you permission . . .
Hmmm . . . Guess what?
You don't need my permission, nor do I have the authority to give it.
Frankly, the more I encourage you to buy OR to sell (even if I believe the circumstances merit it) the less credible I become. YOU are the only one that can decide your level of risk, your confidence in the marketplace and your desire to participate in it.
Until then, I am here to inform you, to advise you, and to assure you to the best of my ability. My job isn't to sell you a home - my role is to give you advice you can trust! While I can't control the outcome of the market, I certainly can control my efforts and my intentions with respect to my actions and with regard for yours. So I am here to support your decision - whatever that decision is; buy, sell or sit it out - it's up to you.
In the meantime, with closets well organized, I have now moved on to the drawers in my home. I will be here when you are ready. Just give me a call!


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Posted inAT Finance, China, India, Japan, Northeast Asia, Russia, Singapore, South Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, World
Asia ahead of US in passing laws against social media abuse
However, curbs on false identities and 'fake news' in Japan, South Korea wouldn't work in America due to societal differences; and US passion for 'free speech' culture defies regulation
by Doug Tsuruoka Editor at Large March 1, 2018 February 18, 2020
Facebook said it would not share revenue made from posting news stories with the organizations that produced the stories. Photo: iStock
The indictment of 13 Russian nationals by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election is spotlighting the role of social media in spreading fake news and disinformation.
Mueller's 37-page document spells out in detail how US social media companies Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet allegedly allowed a Russian-government-backed entity, the Internet Research Agency, to create and operate thousands of fake accounts in what was termed "active measures" or propaganda.
Wall Street technology analyst David M. Garrity notes that the scandal has been aggravated by the refusal of US social media firms to accept any legal, moral or social responsibility in policing their platforms and user bases for fraudulent content or fake users.
Garrity says this makes these social media firms "complicit in undermining the liberal democratic system that has nurtured them" and raises the question of whether the US needs tougher laws on social media to halt such abuses.
From an Asian view, one ironic twist in the US caper is that China, a nation often chided for its "Great Firewall" and curtailing internet freedoms, would be virtually immune from the kind of disinformation attack directed at American voters. The two nations have vastly different political systems and it's clear that the strict social media controls which China uses wouldn't work in the US.
But it's also a fact that a number of liberal democracies in Asia, including those of Japan and South Korea, are ahead of the US in instituting safeguards against fraudulent identities and fake content on social media. Their steps to combat fake news and disinformation might provide a basis for similar US laws.
"These may be markets to emulate," Garrity told Asia Times. But others caution that societal and cultural differences between Asians and Americans make it unlikely that similar social media curbs will succeed in the US.
What South Korea did
In 2005, South Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the Election of Public Officers Act that required all Korean users to verify their identities before joining and/or contributing to web portals and other major websites in the country. Passed after the 2002 presidential campaign, the amendment applied specifically to election-related online discussion forums to "protect the privacy of candidates and to nurture more reliable internet politics."
In 2007, a further change to the Information and Communications Network Act came into effect that mandated user identity verification by every internet portal as well as professional intermediaries of user-generated content with an average daily viewership of more than 300,000. Online news media that served 200,000 or more visitors per day were also made to comply.
Under the provisions, only users who had had their identity verified through the submission of their Resident Registration Number (RRN) and other personal details were able to express their opinions on such websites. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in significant fines for website operators.
"(South Korea) has a strong aversion to false reporting and has ousted administrations that have averted the truth," Diana M. Owen, an associate professor of communication, culture and technology at Georgetown University, told Asia Times in an email interview. She adds that South Korean election laws prohibit publishing false information, especially in the case of misleading poll results.
Owen is the co-editor of "Internet Election Campaigns in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan."
Japanese example
Japan's Upper House passed a bill in April 2013 to allow more online interaction between candidates and voters. The revision to the country's Public Offices Election Law allows political parties and candidates to campaign online by updating their home pages or blogs and using social media sites like Facebook or Twitter to post comments.
But the law also took steps to stop the posting of slanderous comments through identity theft by requiring any blogs launched after the beginning of election campaigns to provide contact information. It also encourages parties and candidates to employ an email certification system to detect false messages.
Owen notes that prior to 2013, internet and digital media use in political campaigns was prohibited in Japan. The legislation passed in April 2013 nixed a previous ban on internet and digital media use in Japanese political campaigns, but she says the rules are still fairly restrictive.
Only political parties, for example, can send campaign email, and they must display online banner ads that link to a party website. This activity is also limited to an extremely short window of time (14-17 days depending on the election).
Owen says more recent rules have been instituted that prohibit the posting of slanderous comments and hate speech. Public disclosure of groups or individuals who engage in these practices is also required, and offenders face fines and even jail time.
Why did Japan's government originally ban the use of social media and other digital media in campaigns? "The prohibitions on Internet campaigning were initially enacted because some politicians feared that Twitter and other social media could be used in a way that instigated negative discourse," Owen said.
One of their concerns was that unregulated online discussions would subject politicians, candidates, and parties to ridicule, thereby undermining the political process. Looking at the situation in the US, Tokyo also worried that increased use of digital media use in political campaigns would cause the cost of these campaigns to skyrocket, giving an edge to wealthier parties and candidates, according to Owen.
By 2013, Japanese officials faced up to reality. They recognized that banning the use of the internet in political campaigns was in opposition to the country's constitution — which guarantees free speech.
They also saw the upside. "Japanese politicians saw that digital media could be useful in campaigns. The short campaign period — which is much different than in the US — meant that the kind of unbridled social media use that occurs in the US would be unlikely in Japan," Owen said. She also emphasized that Japanese voters are culturally less inclined than Americans to engage in harsh campaign discourse. So the use of digital media in Japanese elections has evolved slowly, without the jarring impact seen in the US.
Taiwan, India, Singapore
Taiwanese laws governing the use of various media in political campaigns resemble those of the US, though there appears to be less of a legal problem with spreading false information. "There have been some issues with trolls infiltrating debates on issues such as marriage equality," Owen said. "The press has spread some misleading information about the Presidential Office, but these were identified and corrected fairly swiftly."
India's government imposes Internet blackouts, especially in politically sensitive regions like Kashmir, and polices social media websites. Facebook also ranks the Indian government among the top countries asking it to censor content.
Singapore's Media Development Authority censors internet activity for politically and racially sensitive content. The island republic also has tough laws against online defamation and cyber-bullying.
Would any of these Asian remedies for social media abuse work in the US? Owen doesn't think so. "It would be impossible to put the genie back into the bottle," she said of the US's passionate fixation on First Amendment rights. Unlike Americans, she notes that Japanese more willingly accept that there are instances when free speech should be balanced against the public interest.
She also cautions that official curbs on social media would likely conflict with individual rights that are protected under the US Constitution. The bottom line, according to Owen, is that the US's passionate "free speech" culture makes it unlikely that serious steps will be taken to regulate "fake news."
Garrity says the US needs tougher controls on social media since firms like Twitter seem incapable of "self-policing" their activities.
"We're operating with a cybersecurity regime that's quite porous and increasingly prone to failure," he said, arguing that advertising-driven "commercial free speech", as practiced by social media firms, doesn't necessarily enjoy the same constitutional protections as individual free speech.
Tagged: America, Arts & Culture, China Firewall, Culture, disinformation, Economy, election meddling, Entertainment, Facebook, Fake News, Fraudulent content, Free speech, Identity verification, Internet election campaigns, Interviews, Japan, Media curbs, Politics, Russia election meddling, Singapore, Social media abuse, Social responsibility, South Korea, Technology
One reply on "Asia ahead of US in passing laws against social media abuse"
Noel Delcourt says:
The thing is, Fake news are not from independant people on Internet. They are from the corporate media wich are mostly subsidized. How can a subsidize media be honest while subsidized? SK knows who is who and that's not liberty, that's dictatorship…


A 5.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the East Coast, rattling people from Martha's Vineyard to Washington, D.C. to North Carolina, prompting the evacuation of Congressional buildings, slowing rail and air traffic, and taking two nuclear reactors offline.
The earthquake sent people pouring out of office buildings, hospitals, the Pentagon and the State Department. The pillars of the capitol in Washington, D.C. shook. Alarms sounded in the FBI and Department of Justice buildings, and some flooding was reported on an upper floor of the Pentagon as a result of the quake.
Parks and sidewalks in Washington were packed with people who fled their buildings. Police on horseback are keeping people a safe distance from getting too close to the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial.
Officials are inspecting Congressional buildings before members of Congress and their staff can return to their offices.
The quake was felt as far north as New Hampshire and in Martha's Vineyard where President Obama and his family are vacationing. It was felt as far south as South Carolina.
No significant damage or fatalities have been reported. Some injuries have been reported in Washington D.C., the fire department spokesman told the Associated Press. In New York City, the fire department said that they are receiving a surge in calls but have had no serious building damage reported.
Authorities in New York and Washington said cell phone traffic was so heavy that it hampered their ability to respond to emergencies.
The epicenter of the quake was near Mineral, Va., 39 miles from Richmond, Va., and 85 miles from the nation's capital. The quake was .6 miles deep.
According to convertalot.com, a web site which compiles measurements and calculators for a variety of statistics, the magnitude 5.9 earthquake released energy equivalent to the explosion of 10,676 tons of TNT.
The epicenter of the quake is very close to two Dominion Power nuclear power plants, North Anna 1 and 2.
Elizabeth Stuckle, spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that the reactors were "automatically and safely shut down." The plant declared an "unusual event" which is the lowest category of four emergency classifications. Back-up generators automatically kicked in to keep the reactors cool, the NRC said.
Nine other nuclear plants on the East coast declared an "unusual event," but were none shut down.
The East Coast gets earthquakes from time to time, but rarely of a magnitude to make skyscrapers sway.
Paul Segall, a Stanford geophysicist who studies the structure and development of earthquake faults, called today's shaker "a significant earthquake for that part of the world. It could do significant damage."
"I can't remember an event that large on the East Coast," he said.
The tremblor affected travel in the region.
Amtrak said it was running at reduced speed and was checking tracks and terminals for damage. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said the Metro is moving at 15 miles per hour as inspectors check all tracks.
There have been reports of structural damage to some residences in town, Reidelbach says, but no reports of significant injuries. Mandatory evacuations were put in place shortly after the quake with all non-essential government and county personnel were sent home for the day. Schools were also closed.
Amtrak said it was running at reduced speed and was checking tracks and terminals for damage. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said the Metro is moving at 15 mph as inspectors check all tracks.
Flights at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, JFK International in New York and in Philadelphia were temporarily halted. Control towers at JFK and Newark International airports were temporarily evacuated. The delay will cause slow air traffic throughout the region, the Federal Aviation Administration warned. In addition, about a dozen flights were diverted from JFK to Boston.
A woman who works at Mineral Barber Shop in Mineral, Va. said that the inside of her shop is a mess but there doesn't appear to be any major damage outside the town square.
In Richmond, Va., a woman who works on the 18th floor of a 20 story building said she and her co-workers left the building when the shaking first began.
"At first I thought it was someone jumping on floor above me, but then it was really loud and shaky," she said.
People in the New York Times building on 42nd street in Manhattan said they felt the entire building shift, and watched office furniture move. As the tall buildings in New York swayed, people ran out into the street.
The New York City Criminal Court in lower Manhattan was also evacuated.
In Baltimore, Maryland, artist Lisa Lewenz was working in her basement studio when she began to feel movement under her feet.
"Everything started trembling, with a big boom sound coming up from the ground. I've lived in LA long enough to know this drill, so rushed upstairs, and found the glassware still shuttering for about a minute. Couldn't get through by the phone to friends, and there was no news online, so I started worrying my house was collapsing," Lewenz said.
Since there were no serious injuries, some saw the lighter side in the unexpected quake.
Michelle Mittelstadt said, "My first earthquake! What's next: Plague of locusts?"
Another woman who works with the Federal Aviation Administration said that the, "If you have to be evacuated for an earthquake, the National Mall is a nice spilling out point!"
The earthquake felt along the eastern corridor follows an earthquake felt Monday in Colorado. That 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Trinidad, Colorado.
The United States' Geological Survey said that earthquakes have been felt in the central Virginia area since 1774.
ABC News' Jane E. Allen, Christina Caron, Troy McMullen, Jack Cloherty, Jim Sciutto, Aaron Katersky and Dennis Powell contributed to this report.
Tennessee was a vastly divided state at this stage of the War. A vote held on the question of secession had come down to an almost even divide, but secession was voted down. Governor Isham Harris, however, was the foremost supporter of the notion of joining the Confederacy, possibly due to the greater powers afforded states under that system of government. And therefore into the Confederacy Tennessee was taken. Today Harris issued a call to the mothers, wives and daughters of his state, that they should make and send clothing and blankets to soldiers in the field.
It is not always the big battles that effect the actions of war. If all the fighting that took place today had occurred in the same place it would have rivaled Manassas or Antietam....well, okay, maybe not Antietam, but at least Balls' Bluff or Wilson's Creek. Combat occurred in or near Four Mile, Hickory Grove and Wayman's Milll, Missouri; Bayou Sara, Louisiana; Big Hill, Kentucky; Greenville, Mississippi; Trinity, Alabama, and Fort Donelson, Tennessee; Moorefield in western Virginia. In Virginia proper things were hottest, with fighting at Rappahannock Station, Beverly Ford, Fant's Ford, Smithfield, Sulphur Springs, and on the railroad between Harper's Ferry and Winchester. A train was captured by Confederate forces.
The area of the mouth of the Rappahannock River in Virginia had been assumed to be firmly held Union territory for quite some time. This may have resulted in a slackening of vigilance today, which turned out not to be the time for slackness. A group of sixty Confederates, accompanied by 30 sharpshooters, set out on the river in four small boats. Led by Lt. L. Taylor Woods, they simply took advantage of the calm to capture two Union gunboats, the USS Satellite and USS Reliance. The action was of minimal military significance, but resulted in massive embarrassment for Union naval commanders in the region.
Fort Morgan was the last outpost guarding the inlets to Mobile Bay, which was the last Confederate port of any size on the Gulf of Mexico not in Federal hands. Since yesterday the fort had been pounded by land batteries, gunboats, and three monitors. Although the damage inflicted was not massive it was relentless, and the fort was unable to respond as it was cut off from supplies. Today the installation was surrendered, and the road to Mobile lay open. After this, only Wilmington, N.C., would be accessible to that Confederate shipping that could slip past the blockade.
One detail that is rarely mentioned is that in Washington, D.C., there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.
Once you know Laus Deo's history , you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.
A cross, you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, and is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.
It is hoped you will send this to every child you know; to every sister, brother, father, mother or friend. They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they probably never learned in school. With that, be not ashamed or afraid, but have pity on those who will never see this because someone failed to send it on.
Thanks for the history lesson, Dools!
This is too funny - but I suspect the minister didn't appreciate it.
Smile - life is too short not to!!
See you at the river !!
5 Affirmation Starters You Need To Know To Make Them Work!
"I think I can. I think I can." Those are the immortal words of the Little Engine That Could, the train locomotive from the children's story who against all odds pulled his heavy load over the mountain. Those words were his affirmation to himself that pushed him to keep trying until he finally succeeded.
That's all fine and dandy for a children's story. The real question we must ask now is, Do affirmations always work?
The answer is yes, so long as certain "criteria" have been met.
First off, what is an affirmation?
An affirmation is a carefully worded statement that aids in our ability to solidify a belief. There are hundreds -- if not thousands -- of resources available as it relates to affirmations, yet many people struggle with making them work. Thankfully, there is a reason and a solution!
An affirmation is said to be most effective when worded in the present tense. Meaning, what we say or think must reflect what is happening now rather than in the future. The reason is if we were to word an affirmation using future tense, we would continually reach for our desire rather than attaining it. This makes sense because our mind takes what we say to it quite literally and when said often enough, produces the exact results we are implying.
With that said, this poses an interesting dilemma. One's mind is extremely intelligent. You have been living for a very long time, a lifetime so far, in fact. Therefore your mind knows when you are attempting to trick it. When this happens, it can -- and often does -- retaliate.
For example, if a person's desire is to be rich, they may use an affirmation similar to this: "I am wealthy beyond my wildest dreams." This affirmation is worded in the now and sounds very motivating. What this affirmation can also produce is an internal battle between what one consciously desires versus what one truly believes one can have. Without being aware of it, the person who uses this affirmation is taking a risk of producing an increase in doubt, anxiety, frustration, and struggle.
Your mind plays the association game. It works with patterns and stores data on a continual basis. It assesses all stimuli, determines the pattern from previous information, then produces natural reactions internally. Therefore, when your conscious reality is contradictory to what you are affirming, your mind disagrees because it is associating with lack of money rather than an abundance of it.
In other words, if you were to say "I am wealthy beyond my wildest dreams" and you look in your wallet and see five dollars, your mind would think "You're full of poop!" An instant reaction of disagreement occurs. From there you have to "remind" yourself that "It is coming," which then causes you to affirm future events. That, of course, is counter-productive, since you are making your "affirmation" in the future tense.
So what can you do? You do in fact word affirmations in the present tense. You also word your affirmations in such a way that it is accepting in the mind. Using words that embrace the journey of acquiring the amazing things you desire makes it much more believable and therefore causes the mind to accept and work cooperatively with your conscious efforts.
"I Am" -- Use this starter when affirming an action you are taking each day toward your goal.
"I Have" -- Use this starter when you know you have it now and wish to maintain it or expand on it.
"I Do" -- Use this starter when affirming your ability, through the actions you are taking, to create amazing results.
"I Attract" -- Use this starter when you are affirming your faith in your ability to attract great things.
"I Achieve" -- Use this starter when you are affirming the journey and the end result of a goal/desire.
Remember, if at any time you are using an affirmation and you are feeling emotions less than enthusiasm, confidence, motivation, and undeniable faith, they may be counter-productive. Assess your affirmations and make certain they work for you!
Have a fabulous day and keep smiling that gorgeous smile of yours. After all, it's contagious!
Claire was diagnosed with a rare hereditary muscle disorder. During the healing process Claire studied the relationship between our conscious thoughts and decisions and our subconscious belief in the outcome.
After discovering the power which lies within the province of the mind, Claire moved from being extremely depressed and self destructive to self empowerment and success.
Through Claire's education, research and speaking with others she came to realize, the Law of Attraction truly is a powerful phenomena to which we all have access to use to our advantage. She then went on to write a book , I Believe Therefore I Am to give people an extremely important step, which can help to eliminate the internal battle of what we want versus what we believe we can have.
Claire now believes when we create a new reality within the province of the mind we can change our habits and ultimately succeed at creating the life we wish to lead.
Claire is a highly respected motivational teacher and author. She provides seminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching services to people all over the world.
Two women in the one horse town of Parched Gulch had daughters, each of marriageable age. But there were no prospective husbands in town due to shootings, running off with outlaws and drunk riding. And there was no chance at all of any bridegrooms turning up.
The two mothers pooled their meager resources, advertised, and sure enough, they got results: twin brothers in Cactus Corners looking for wives. The twin bridegrooms were sent for.
Along the way the twins met up with outlaws. One was killed, the other escaped. Upon his arrival, the mothers were in immediate conflict as to whom the surviving twin belonged. They were going to kill each other over it. After all, each had a daughter's future at stake.
They took the case to Judge A.K. Hornswoggle, alcoholic, disbarred, but with Solomonic frontier wisdom. After due deliberation, Hornswoggle ruled that the young man be chopped in half and one half awarded to each daughter.
The first mother was outraged. If Hornswoggle wasn't drunk or stupid, he was a monster for suggesting such a thing.
The second mother thought it would not be a bad solution.
And pointing to the second mother, Hornswoggle said, "Your daughter gets him. You are the real mother-in-law."


Coral reefs are biodiversity hotpots that are under significant threat due to the degradation and death of hard corals. When obligate coral-dwelling species die, the remaining species must either move or adjust to the altered conditions. Our goal was to investigate the effect of coral degradation on the ability of coral reef fishes to assess their risk of predation using alarm cues from injured conspecifics. Here, we tested the ability of six closely related species of juvenile damselfish (Pomacentridae) to respond to risk cues in both live coral or dead-degraded coral environments. Of those six species, two are exclusively associated with live coral habitats, two are found mostly on dead-degraded coral rubble, while the last two are found in both habitat types. We found that the two live coral associates failed to respond appropriately to the cues in water from degraded habitats. In contrast, the cue response of the two rubble associates was unaffected in the same degraded habitat. Interestingly, we observed a mixed response from the species found in both habitat types, with one species displaying an appropriate cue response while the other did not. Our second experiment suggested that the lack of responses stemmed from deactivation of the alarm cues, rather than the inability of the species to smell. Habitat preference (live coral versus dead coral associates) and phylogeny are good candidates for future work aimed at predicting which species are affected by coral degradation. Our results point towards a surprising level of variation in the ability of congeneric species to fare in altered habitats and hence underscores the difficulty of predicting community change in degraded habitats.


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Asian leaders at summit vow to help Afghanistan
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — The leaders of several Asian countries called for boosting their economic ties and pledged to provide assistance to Afghanistan during a summit in Turkmenistan on Sunday.
The countries, which are part of the 10-member Economic Cooperation Organization that includes Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and six ex-Soviet nations, called for removing trade barriers and developing new transport corridors across the region. They also voiced concerns about the situation in Afghanistan, which has been taken over by the Taliban, and promised to help stabilize the country.
Speaking at the summit, Pakistan's President Arif Alvi pointed at the threat of Afghanistan's economic and financial collapse, saying the Islamic world needs to pool efforts to help avert a "catastrophe that could foment chaos and conflict." He said countries in the region need to move quickly to help rebuild the Afghan economy, shore up the country's health care and education systems and offer humanitarian assistance. He noted that the stabilization of Afghanistan would allow the implementation of long-stalled infrastructure projects, including a gas pipeline, railways and power grids linking countries in the region.
Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov emphasized that those projects would help offer "colossal cooperation prospects and help attract foreign investment," strongly benefiting Afghanistan and its neighbors. Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan noted the importance of rebuilding Afghanistan's economy, saying that the country's meltdown could trigger a massive refugee exodus that would affect the entire region. He said Turkish humanitarian groups have stepped up efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also offered help, saying that Afghanistan desperately needs food, fuel and financial assistance as the winter looms.
On the sidelines of the summit, officials from Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan signed a trilateral deal on natural gas deliveries from gas-rich Turkmenistan to Iran and onto Azerbaijan.
Russia won't rule out military deployment to Cuba, Venezuela
French teachers strike over handling of pandemic
Dutch king won't use royal family carriage criticized for glorifying colonial past
Nobel body criticizes Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy over war
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, on ...
NATO, Russia eye more high-level talks despite tensions
BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the military organization and Russia have ...
Russia, US take tough stands ahead of more talks on Ukraine


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Sean Michael Morris
An Upsurge of Questioning and Critique: toward a Community of Critical Pedagogy
by Sean Michael Morris
My most valued colleague and mentor was a 60-something Southern woman. She had spent more than two dozen years working in state and federal government—short-statured and kind—surrounded by blustering Southern white men certain of their own power. At the time I knew her, Dottie was my musician husband's manager, having agreed to take on that unfamiliar work entirely out of her love for him, when he was but an upstart with grand dreams and ambitions.
Dottie had a glint in her eye always. Of mischief, of steely determination, of profound curiosity, of keen insight. She could walk into a room, or a meeting, or a confrontation, and with silent patience assess the temperature and temper of the moment, and depending on what was needed, offer a disarming smile, a conscientious nod, a well-considered "hm" or "Well…" She was the least assuming person at the table, and also the keenest strategist.
The music industry—my husband's work for 25 years—is a hard, unkind environment bloated by its own sense of importance, its wealth, and the posturing of its biggest names. (Not dissimilar from academia, on its worst days.) Dottie was a mystery to music executives and celebrities alike, with her sincerity, her step-aside-ness, her capacity and desire to remember people's kids' names. They might have been able to stereotype her as a grandmotherly type—or as a harmless Southern charmer who could mend disagreements and make everyone feel better—but for her ability to just as easily put her foot down, or firmly close a door.
Dottie taught me the most important things I know about doing business with people. Be kind. Pay attention. Tell stories. Invite stories. Show you care. Don't be afraid of love. Close doors when they need to be closed. Keep doors open when they need to be kept open, even if keeping them open is hard on your heart.
These are lessons in pedagogy, too.
There has been, of late, a lot of talk about centers of teaching and learning, digital innovation centers, and efforts to grapple with the emergent nature of the educational profession and practice. Academics of a certain shade are padding down desire lines toward a future where learning and progressive digital education might leave its paddock and find its space upon the wider pasture of higher education. Many of these efforts, though, look and feel like paddocks themselves, circumscribed around professionalism, administrative power or vision, closed by the choice of their constituency even in their testament of openness.
If leaders choose groups of leaders, if those groups publish upon their pedigree in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Times Higher Ed, &c, then they will be hard put to magnify their purpose through an allegiance with education's lesser privileged: students, adjuncts, "drop outs," instructional designers—those without access, without committees, without the funding to network, without the key cards necessary to open certain doors. Change kept at high levels—change which doesn't include, but makes obsequious gestures towards, those who lack the privilege to debate change—cannot be productive except to elevate higher the privileged and further disenchant those who most need change to occur.
Change, in other words, cannot be accomplished with a coffee klatsch, no matter how well-funded by a Mellon grant.
Maxine Greene writes that conscientization—that critical consciousness that alerts us to our agency, and that spurs us to intervene in the world—to make change— "is only available to those capable of reflecting on their own situationality" (102). If we find ourselves finally capable of that reflection only when or if we clear a certain pay band, or are granted a certain title, or are invited into the right rooms (rooms too often unlocked by respectability politics), then what of those who remain outside those rooms, who cannot—or refuse to—participate in respectability, those without the titles, those underpaid?
Doesn't leadership in education also include the adjunct who offers their time to an online community college student? Doesn't leadership include a student who conscientiously objects to Turnitin? If leadership in education has to include a 3D printer, an Oculus Rift, a budget to hold "summits" and attend conferences, then I fear there are too many leaders being left out.
Quoting Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Greene writes:
Praxis cannot be the viewed as the project of any single individual. Rather, it is "the cluster of relations of an ideology, a technique, and a movement of productive forces, each involving the others and receiving support from them, each, in its time, playing a directive role that is never exclusive, and all, together, producing a qualified phase of social development." (99)
In other words, change requires movement across many lives, the weaving together of multiple and unexpected intelligences, and a radical inclusivity that is bound to make uncomfortable those who issue the call, that disrupts the disruptors, that leaves humbled leadership. It's not that a community formed around inclusion must aim to unsettle and unseat, but rather that the myriad diversity that answers the call will necessarily yield the unexpected. A multitude will never be of a single mind; but it is a multitude, by Merleau-Ponty's accounting, which is the only means toward change.
Similarly, Jesse Stommel has written about critical digital pedagogy, that praxis:
must remain open to diverse, international voices, and thus requires invention to reimagine the ways that communication and collaboration happen across cultural and political boundaries;
will not, cannot, be defined by a single voice but must gather together a cacophony of voices.
Cultivating these many voices to realize a praxis is an ongoing project. I wrote recently to a friend affected by the recent UCU strike in England:
There are times when a critical pedagogy refuses to be merely theoretical. It is a tradition that comes out of a concern for labor, for the agency of those doing labor, and the perspicacity inherent behind that agency. The imagination is not an impractical facility at all, not a dreamer's tool only, but a precision instrument that delivers a certainty that things can be otherwise; and in the face of circumstances that are unfair, the imagination gives us insight into what is just.
Similarly, though, the imagination asks us to consider justice an evolutionary project, if not an asymptote we will never quite reach, a process more than a destination. "The role of the imagination," Greene tells us, "is not to resolve, not to point the way, not to improve. It is to awaken, to disclose the ordinary unseen, unheard, and unexpected." Each new dialogue around justice leads to new insights, new confrontations, new inventions, and each new dialogue necessarily also uncovers old hurts, systemic injustices, and offenses nested within un-inspected assumptions and behaviors.
It is with this in mind that I find myself so often blinking into a teacher's or administrator's assertions about grading, or plagiarism, or taking attendance, or just "making sure they do it." There are undetected injustices riding under our teaching policies, the teaching we received, and the teaching we deliver.
There are likewise injustices riding under so many attempts to gather in our circles of prestige. To enact a just agency, we must step outside those circles into unexpected places. "An upsurge of questioning and critique must first occur," Greene insists, "experiences of shock are necessary if the limits or the horizons are to be breached" (101).
In her time in the music industry, Dottie was both that presence who did not arrive with the keys to the doors that needed opening, and that essential, unconsidered voice that spoke honesty and sincerity in an industry that did not truck with either. By learning from her, I have learned to look outside the door for those who must be let in, and I likewise have come to recognize when I am not the one inside the room, part of the discussion, a voice in the decision. And, like Dottie, I usually decide to raise my voice regardless.
It is perhaps odd to think the gathering I direct has its roots in the ethos of that bewitching Southern lady, but Digital Pedagogy Lab is founded upon values of hospitality, openness, agency, freedom, kindness, and a community that knows—or wants to know—when to put its foot down. The community at the Lab is open to everyone, and seeks to offer not only a place for stimulating dialogue and action, but for reflection and introspection.
This year, nearly 20% of the participants at Digital Pedagogy Lab will attend for free. We don't have a Mellon grant. The Gates Foundation hasn't found us. Instead, these folks will attend for free due to the generosity of our teachers—some of whom donated back their teaching stipends to make room for people who couldn't attend otherwise—and to the kindness of donors who gifted scholarships. They're attendance is also possible because the event reinvests its revenue every year back into its participants, providing more fellowships at each new event than at previous events.
It's my belief that the Lab must be a place where a cacophony of voices can be heard, where an upsurge of questioning and critique is the mode of the day. And to make this happen, no door is left unopened. If praxis "signifies a thinking about and an action on reality" (98), then Digital Pedagogy Lab seeks to be praxis, and to make change through the movement of productive forces, new insights, new confrontations, new inventions. All gathered together in matching tee-shirts.
unsplash-logoPhoto by Sam Beasley
Sean Michael Morris © 2019


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Lottery Launch: Support the charity that supports the Victorian community
We're excited to share news about a new initiative launching today, the St John Charity Lottery.
St John Charity Lottery aims to provide vital funds to continue our lifesaving service in the community.
By purchasing a ticket, you will support Victorians through emergencies, disasters and sickness.
Every year, over 370,000 Victorians use St John services – whether it be our transport services, First Aid care, or First Aid training. This is in addition to the millions of people whose health we oversee at sporting, community, and entertainment events across the state each year.
As a charity, we self-fund our life-saving community initiatives and programs through philanthropic support, some fee-for-service activities, training, and sales of First Aid kits and products.
But to continue to do that, we need your support.
The St John Charity Lottery is giving you the chance to win a brand-new GLA Mercedes Benz, valued at $85,021.
For just $10 a ticket, you have a chance to win this incredible prize, all while supporting your favourite cause.
Visit St John Charity Lottery to purchase a ticket.
Learn about how you can buy a ticket to win a brand-new GLA Mercedes Benz whilst also helping us continue serving the community.


If you need a specific CS-20TP-QD firmware or series, then we probably have it. Please call or email us your request.
GS2 AC MICRO DRIVE, 5.0 HP, 460V, THREE-PHASE INPUT, THREE-PHASE OUTPUT, V/F (VOLTS PER HERTZ) CONTROL MODE. MANUAL INCLUDED WITH PRODUCT.


What an amazing opportunity to own this wonderful 2,475 square foot home overlooking Lake Oroville and the East Foothills. This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is complete with large windows and a wonderful front deck to take advantage of one of the best panoramic views of the lake in Kelly Ridge. Only minutes from Bidwell Marina for boating and fishing and not far from town. The large living room, kitchen and dining area all have spectacular views overlooking the lake. The cozy living room has a fireplace and the ceiling is vaulted with wood beams. The kitchen has an abundance of cabinets and granite counters as well as a new cook top recently installed. The master suite has a large walk-in closet and recently remodeled bath with a large jetted tub. Owners refer to the downstairs bedroom as the "dorm bedroom" because of its size and the fact that it can accommodate several beds. This bedroom also has an attached bath that was recently remodeled. The large laundry room has many cabinets for storage and there is also a bonus room with glass doors leading to the backyard deck. The backyard is fenced and the property beyond, which is owned by the State of California, is beautiful with large rock outcroppings. Truly a wonderful home in a great location overlooking Lake Oroville.
Directions: Olive Hwy., left on Kelly Ridge Rd., right on Royal Oaks, left on Woodman Dr.


If you're feeling adventurous this Shrove Tuesday, here's our recipe for crêpes suzette; the classic French dessert, consisting of crêpes flambéed in orange liqueur, which was allegedly created by accident for the future King Edward VII at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo in 1895. It's quite a tricky recipe, so in case you don't fancy making it yourself, we'll be serving these in the restaurant on Tuesday.
75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan.
To make the crêpe mix, begin by sifting the flour and salt together in a big mixing bowl and make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Then whisk the eggs and flour together slowly, trying to get rid of any large lumps in the mixture. It's important not to whisk too much though, particularly if you don't have time to let the mixture rest before cooking. Add the milk and water mixture in small amounts, whisking until smooth after each addition (This will prevent lumps). Continue to add the milk and water until the mixture has the thickness of thin cream. Add the melted butter and whisk. Leave to rest for a few hours, or overnight.
When ready to make the crêpes, take a frying pan with a large diameter (about 20cm) and place it over a medium-high heat and allow to become hot. Grease the base with a small amount of unsalted butter. When hot, spoon (or use a ladle) enough crêpe mix into the pan to form a layer on the bottom. Tilt the pan so that the mixture forms an even coating. They shouldn't take long to cook. As the mixture is cooking, use a palette knife to lift the edges of the crêpe to check how it's cooking. Eventually you should be able to loosen it completely from the bottom of the pan and the bottom of the crêpe should be golden. At this stage, it's time to decide whether you want to opt for amateur dramatics and flip your crêpes, or alternatively use a palette knife to lift and turn them over. Either way, once they're flipped over, they'll just need a little while longer to finish cooking. You can stack the crêpes and reserve for later.
To make the sauce, begin by adding the sugar in a large frying pan. Heat this over a medium heat, and watch it until the sugar begins to caramelise. When it does, shake the pan so that the whole mixture becomes liquid. Be very careful as this will be very hot. As soon as the sugar has become caramel, add the orange juice and zest and stir to make a sauce. Add the orange liqueur to the pan and allow the sauce to catch a flame from the stove. Again, be careful, because the liquid can ignite quite dramatically. Allow the flames to burn out.
Introduce the crêpes to the sauce one at a time, folding each one into triangles before adding the next one. Allow the crêpes to heat from gently and become soaked in the sauce.
To serve, place the triangles on warm plates, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each. Enjoy!
Last Friday, we hosted a celebration of Scotch food and whisky in our River House venue as an alternative to a traditional Burns' night. The evening began with bagpipes, tartan and a spirited recital of 'address to a haggis', but the focus was very much on showcasing some great Scottish produce, cooking and, of course, whisky.
This Christmas, along with several others, we shall be providing for the Christmas dinner at the Salvation Army Blackpool Citadel, which is organised by their 'Bridge Project'.
The Bridge Project supports the most vulnerable adults in Wyre and Fylde communities. This often means they are homeless, suffering from addiction or impoverished. To do this they organise drop-in sessions where people can get meals, toiletries, bedding and other basic necessities. They work with the NHS to provide health checks, they help people to get into accommodation and to resolve personal difficulties, such as addiction and mental illness. They also deliver education programmes, with the aim of moving people from crisis into more settled circumstances. On Christmas Day this year, they will be providing Christmas dinner for seventy disadvantaged people in Blackpool.
The Bridge Project receives no government funding. In order to deliver this indispensable service, it therefore relies on generous donations and volunteers. At this time of year in particular, their work is crucial in lifting the spirits of thousands of less fortunate people in our community. We encourage you to take a look at their website and Facebook page to learn more about the vital work they do all year round.
Wednesday saw The Great British Pub Awards 2016 held at London's Park Lane Hilton and we are very proud to announce that The Cartford Inn won the title of 'Best Inn'!
The award recognises our overall high standards and the visitor experience of our guests, but in particular our luxury, boutique accommodation, outstanding food, drink and service and the unique pub environment.
The Great British Pub Awards are considered the pub industry's most prestigious awards and are organised by The Morning Advertiser, the industry's premier publication. This year they were hosted by comedienne Katherine Ryan, star of Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and QI.
We competed against five other finalists in the 'Best Inn' category to win the overall title. The rigorous judging process included a written application, site visits and interviews about the business.
The awards were a great evening for Lancashire as The Freemason's in Wiswell also took the title of 'Best Food Pub'. We are delighted that this combined recognition is contributing to Lancashire's deserving reputation as a destination for food lovers from across the UK.
We're raising money to buy an AED to help save lives in the local community.
Cardiac arrest occurs when a person's heart goes into a life-threatening rhythm and stops pumping blood around the body, often caused by a heart attack. Over 30,000 cardiac arrests happen each year in the UK outside of hospitals. Once in cardiac arrest, a person requires immediate CPR to stay alive and their only chance of survival is if their heart can be shocked back into a normal rhythm. This requires professional medical attention and the use of a defibrillator.
Sadly, still less than 1 in 10 victims of a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive. A person's chance of survival often depends upon how soon they receive emergency treatment; for every minute a person is in cardiac arrest, their chance of survival decreases by 10%. So unfortunately, waiting for an ambulance, particularly if you happen to be in a remote location, might take too long. This could be the case at The Cartford Inn.
Thankfully, along with early CPR, an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) can significantly improve someone's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. An AED is a compact and portable defibrillator, which can be used by anyone to try give an electric shock to somebody suffering a cardiac arrest, to try to restore a normal heart rhythm.
We want to raise the money to purchase an AED so that we have one at The Cartford Inn in case of such an emergency. We also want to make sure that the local community has access to it, so we want to raise additional funds to purchase a box so that we can mount it on an external wall. In total, we anticipate we will need to raise nearly £2,000 if we purchase one through the Cardiac Smart initiative with the North West Ambulance Service, so we're aiming to raise this amount and any funds left over will be donated to The British Heart Foundation.
To raise these funds we're going to be holding a raffle. We're offering you the chance to win a private dining experience for sixteen people in our River House venue (wine included*). The price of an entry into this raffle is a £10 donation.
There's no limit on the number of times you can enter (eg. for £20 you will get two entries), and we'll stop selling tickets once we've raised our target, and a winner will be picked at random.
You can enter the competition in several ways. You can make a donation in the pub, notifying a member of staff. You can telephone and donate by calling us on: 01995 670166. And we've set up a Just Giving Page so that you can donate online. Just make sure to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you win. You can of course make an anonymous donation.
Good luck should you choose to enter and thank you for helping us make the community safer.
We were selected by Visit England, along with a few other award-winners at this year's Visit England Awards, to be the subject of several case studies about good business practice in the tourism sector.
Listen to Patrick talk about the importance of developing a strong team and the power of social media to enhance relationships with customers.
We're delighted to announce that we've been named as a finalist at this year's Great British Pub Awards in the 'Best Inn' category.
The awards are the UK pub industry's most prestigious awards and the 'Best Inn' category honours great pubs across the country with outstanding accommodation.
We'll be looking forward to attending the awards ceremony at the London Hilton later in the year, and be hoping to be named as national champion. Wish us luck!
2015 was a momentous year here at The Cartford Inn and one that will be remembered fondly for many special moments, occasions and successes. The year seemed to get better and better as we completed several developments on-site to improve the overall experience for visitors and we continued to receive recognition for our food, drink and hospitality with the receipt of several prestigious awards and in the press too. The kitchen was also as vibrant as ever; using the best local produce they created more exciting dishes than ever before and we went out around Lancashire, to food festivals and shows, to showcase these and further contribute to the region's thriving food and drink culture.
Admittedly not one, but several special events, each hosted in our new two-floor facility for private and corporate events: The River House, overlooking the outside dining areas and with views of the riverscape and countryside beyond. Last year we organised a collection of popular events including wine tastings, a fish, chips and Champagne dinner and an evening celebrating the music and food of Spain with internationally acclaimed Flamenco guitarist Samuel Moore.
These events were particularly memorable as our first forays into using the recently opened River House for our own exciting events. The popularity and success of these events means that we'll be hosting more in 2016. So make sure you look out for upcoming events throughout the year.
For more information on the River House and private and corporate events, click here.
Throughout 2015 we attended many regional food and drink festivals and shows. Together, Patrick and head-chef Chris impressed audiences by cooking dishes that wouldn't be out of place on the menu here at The Cartford Inn, offering advice to people wishing to replicate the results at home. It was repeatedly thrilling for them to demonstrate newly created recipes, often devised to showcase particularly outstanding seasonal ingredients. We were frequently billed alongside top regional and celebrity chefs too; notably at the Great British Food Festival at Stonyhurst college and at Great Eccleston's own annual show.
The pinnacle of these events for us, however, was The Lancashire Game and Country Festival. The festival, celebrating Lancashire's rural heritage and game sports culture, took place for the first time near Scorton over one weekend at the end of summer and significantly, we organised the festival's 'Theatre of Food'. This included a demonstrations theatre, where we showcased a multitude of game recipes alongside our butchers Honeywell's, who showed crowds how to expertly butcher and prepare a variety of game.
In addition to the 'Theatre of Food', we also had a food tent and pop-up bar where we sold hot and cold take-away food, appropriately including venison stew, hand-raised game pies and fresh oysters too. And you could enjoy these with a pint of Giddy Kipper, a glass of Champagne or one of our a home-made fruit sodas.
The festival itself was well attended, impressively well organised and benefitted from largely pleasant weather throughout the weekend. The success of this event for us means that we'll be doing lots of similar events throughout 2016.
In November of last year we were again a finalist at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, organised annually by Marketing Lancashire. We were shortlisted for a second consecutive year in the 'Tourism Pub of The Year Category'. This time however, we were delighted to be awarded the title!
We were particularly honoured to win this award (in such a competitive category) as it recognises our contributions to Lancashire's vibrant food and drink culture and the affect this has on boosting the region's valuable tourism sector.
Winning this award means that we now have the chance to compete for a national title at the Visit England Awards for Excellence later in the year. Wish us luck!
One of our greatest achievements this year was being named Leisure Business of The Year at Lancashire's most prestigious business awards: The 'BIBAs'.
The awards, organised by the North and Western Chamber of Commerce, are known for their rigorous judging process. Progressing to the finals involved an initial application, followed by a panel interview, followed by a visit to the business by the judges. Along with the long-established BIBAs brand, this makes them Lancashire's most coveted business awards - 'the one everyone wants to win'. This made winning the award feel like a particularly significant accomplishment.
Probably the most significant event of our year was the launch of our new on-site delicatessen 'TOTI'. In case you didn't know TOTI stands for Taste Of The Inn and it was created by transforming a previously disused building next to the inn's outside dining areas with characteristic style.
TOTI is the realisation of a big idea and the result of many months planning and work. It aims to be one place where you can find outstanding quality deli ingredients, speciality foods, excellent wines and other things of gastronomic interest, all carefully chosen by The Cartford team, alongside our own bakery and patisserie items and hot and cold foods to take away.
The plan is that TOTI will develop and grow continuously. So over the next year expect to see the shelves filled with more exciting produce, more of our own freshly prepared food and more help and inspiration for recreating a taste of the inn at home.
For more information about TOTI click here and keep up to date by following our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
Our new on-site shop and delicatessen TOTI is a destination like no other in Lancashire for regional food lovers to find outstanding produce, carefully sourced specialist ingredients and our own-made artisan products; allowing you to recreate a flavour of the inn at home.
We've recently revealed the latest highly anticipated development at the award-winning country inn set in the picturesque Fylde countryside - a shop and delicatessen named 'TOTI' (short for 'Taste of the Inn'). TOTI brings together fine food and drink, deli produce and speciality ingredients, all knowledgeably selected by The Cartford Inn team for their quality, provenance and exclusivity. It also sells a range of our own freshly made bread, pastries, cakes and hot and cold food for you to take home; all of the same high standard that you've come to expect from the inn.
The project aims to be a unique attraction for people in the area who enjoy great food and drink. The emphasis at TOTI is on quality and selectivity. So you'll find all the things you'd expect from a great deli: fine cheeses, antipasti, preserves, store-cupboard essentials, wines and spirits, but everything's of the choicest quality.
You can also expect to find things you won't have seen elsewhere in Lancashire. For example, there's a wide range of cured meats from pioneers of British charcuterie Trealy Farm and Moon's Green and fine flours for bakers from Shipton Mill. We've exclusively imported farmed caviar from France and where else can you find smoked Gigha halibut; a favourite of Michelin star chefs around the country?
Customarily, TOTI stocks a range of staple Mediterranean ingredients, but there's an unconventional focus on British speciality foods here. Apart from eschewing continental charcuterie in favour of British counterparts, the deli's cheese selection, from Bath's Fine Cheese Co., is almost entirely British. And of course we're championing local produce too! You can get your Atkinson's coffee, freshly ground, Fitzpatrick's cordials and handmade Lancashire chocolates.
Naturally, 'Taste of the Inn' has been brought together with the same individual style and eccentricity expressed throughout the rest of the inn. It's been created by converting a weathered red-brick barn at the pub's main entrance. With its multi-pane window front and moss-mantled slate roof, it has the appearance of the quintessential village shop. Inside it features reclaimed wood panels and shelving and racing green enamel lights hang from oak beams alongside dried ingredients. The multicoloured tiled floor, inspired by the boulevards of French seaside resorts, accents the colourfully stocked shelves. A tangerine coloured, cast iron and shiny stainless steel meat slicer is a focal point.
TOTI offers freshly prepared food for you to enjoy at home, including soups, salads and familiar items from The Cartford Inn's menu such as our homemade crackers and rustic dips. Particularly at the weekends there are freshly baked breads, cakes, pastries and irresistible rotisserie chickens to take away. Everyone should try our specially created signature pastry, the 'TOTI bun' (a mouthwatering creation of choux pastry filled with hazelnut cream and topped with bourbon caramel), that is sold daily.
Knowledgable and friendly staff are present to inform you about all that's on offer at TOTI. This extends to help and advice on using ingredients and getting together all that you need to prepare a meal for friends and family. With the aim of inspiring peoples' home cooking, it is planned that you will soon be able to pick up recipe cards along with all you need to create a taste of the inn at home. So sign up to our mailing list when you're in and follow our social media pages for news and updates in the future.
Lancashire Tourism Awards 2015. Winner: Tourism Pub of The Year!
Thursday was the annual Lancashire Tourism Awards and we are very proud to have been awarded the title of 'Tourism Pub of The Year'.
The event was hosted in the Empress Ballroom at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Several staff members attended along with luminaries from across Lancashire's thriving tourism industry.
It's very special to win such an award and be recognised as an outstanding contributor to Lancashire's burgeoning food and drink culture and the affect this has on attracting high value, sustainable tourism to the area. The award is now proudly displayed in the entrance to the pub.
Success at The Lancashire Tourism awards means we'll have a chance to win a national accolade at the Visit England Awards for Excellence next year in London.
Wish us luck at the nationals and thank you for your continued support!


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BENJAMIN'S ADVENTURE DISPATCH
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Monarch Butterfly feeding on milkweed.
The Threat of Extinction
The epic 3,000-mile monarch butterfly migration may become a thing of the past.
Each fall, monarchs travel from their summer homes in the northern U.S. and Canada to winter habitats in California and Mexico. This migration is considered one of the most admirable phenomena in the animal kingdom. But, the latest survey in 2020 indicates a population decrease of 53 percent since the previous season, for a total decline of more than 80 percent over the past 20 years.
The twin forces of human-caused climate change and habitat loss are now threatening North American monarch butterflies with extinction. Preserving their journey requires action in light of threats such as climate change, land conversion, and forest degradation.
Climate Change:
Climate change threatens to disrupt the monarch butterfly's annual migration pattern by affecting weather conditions in both wintering grounds and summer breeding grounds. Increasing carbon dioxide levels may be making milkweed (the only food monarch caterpillars will eat) too toxic for the monarchs to tolerate. And higher temperatures may also be driving summer breeding areas further north. That means the Monarchs' migration routes will get longer and therefore more difficult.
Land Conversion:
The creation of herbicide-resistant corn and soybeans means that farmers will eradicate weeds, including milkweed. These new crop varieties could cause the demise of the milkweed plant, a vital food source for the Monarch Butterfly. Plants like milkweed in the United States and Canada are essential for monarch reproduction; it's the only plant where monarchs lay their eggs and where baby larvae feed from.
In addition to the loss of milkweed across farms, drought and development on the land where milkweed once grew abundantly, has reduced the plant numbers significantly.
Forest Degredation:
Generations of the Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles until they reach Mexico, where they overwinter until it's time to begin their migration back home in March. The butterflies spend their time in concentrated areas of forest where they form colonies by clinging to the branches of trees, forming beautiful cascading clusters. These mountain forests in Mexico are their winter habitat, however nearby human communities also rely on them and create pressure on forests through agriculture and tourism activities.
"We have the capability to save the monarch and other species.
The question is whether we have the will to do it."
-Chip Taylor (MonarchWatch)
Children observe the beginnings of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis
As population numbers continue to drop, extinction of the Monarch Butterfly is becoming even more likely. Just like every other organism, plant, insect or animal on the planet, monarchs play a crucial role in the survival of our ecosystems. Butterflies help pollinate plants, making them a vital contributor to crop growth and food production. They also serve as a food source to birds and other animals.
We can all help by creating new monarch habitats by planting native milkweed species. This will help provide crucial fuel and rest stops for the traveling butterflies, as will taking more action to address climate change. Ditch the pesticides in your yard, and choose to purchase organic and non-GMO products as often as possible. And by being a conscious consumer, you can help prevent deforestation by avoiding the purchase of wood and paper products unless they're certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
World Wildlife Federation
One Green Planet
PREVIOUS DISPATCH
Fly Monarca - In The Beginning
[right:image:23890][/]How do you start something that seems impossible to finish? An unsupported, 2,800 km paraglider journey across the US? In one season!? 'Yeah right!' I thought, slowly packing my bag, just one meter north of US/Mexico border. Who was I kidding? My 1200 km Canadian Rockies journey took almost two months and was less than half that distance! And besides, these desert bumps in southern Arizona are no Rocky Mountains. Not only have I never flown in this type of environment, I've never BEEN in this type of environment. Lizards, rattle snakes and wind so strong it'll blow your hair right off. Welcome to southern Arizona. Welcome to me, tricking my mind into stumbling out the perceived impossible. [show:image:23833] [c]'Break the big mission down into small missions'[/c] [right:image:23832]'Break the big mission down into small missions', advice from the great Will Gaad and something I employ every day, even when feeling overwhelmed at the grocery store. But now, I'm so bewildered that I've broken it down again, again and again until I've reached the simplest of tasks: Breath in, check. Breath out, check. Am I getting anywhere? Years of dreaming, research and phone calls to sponsors, reassuring them that I could really do this has all come down to this single, finite, moment. Now the only one left to convince is myself. Breath in. Breath out. Smile for the camera. Walk forward... Ben [group:image:23891][/][group:image:23717][group:image:23888][/][group:image:23856][group:image:23874][group:image:23834][group:images:23833]
NEXT DISPATCH
Monarch Butterfly Documentary
Check out this captivating nature documentary about the majestic Monarch Butterfly. There are many more out there, but this is a great place to start your journey of amazement. (NOTE: Low resolution, but High awesome-factor! See HQ version below if outside US) [show:video:511] [b]NOVA/PBS:[/b] The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies Higher Quality Version of same Documentary (Not viewable in the US and possibly elsewhere. Tested in Mexico.) [show:video:512] [b]NOVA/PBS:[/b] The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies Reference:[url=https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-the-incredible-journey-of-the-butterflies/]PBS[/url] (Official Page)
The Boy Who Flies
Adventuring into the heart of Africa, a paraglider instigates a young man's potentially deadly quest to release the weight of poverty, social taboos and self doubt, and take to the skies. In doing so, the traveler is confronted with unsettling truths about his own racial and cultural identity.
In a country where no one flies, two friends can inspire a nation by putting everything on the line.
Watch Now..
A Canadian Dream
Fly along as Benjamin Jordan sets a new World Distance Record (10,000 km) as he crosses Canada by Powered Paraglider. Along the way, you will land at summer camps and inspire thousands of children, while raising funds to send less fortunate ones to summer camp next year! The 71 minute, Documentary Feature contains 15 chapters chronicling the epic successes and failures of this unprecedented journey. Each chapter focuses on a unique aspect of Canadian geography, culture and the exact mix of team-work and blind optimism required to pull off such a daring stunt. Since it's release in 2010, A Canadian Dream (formerly "DREAM") has screened in theatres world-wide and, through it's proceeds, has allowed almost 100 children, from low-income homes, the opportunity to attend summer camp.
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