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20 Years After Diana's Death, William and Kate Pay Tribute at New Memorial Garden
August 31, 2017 – 9:25 AM – 0 Comments
By Roisin Kelly Parade
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It is hard to believe that today marks 20 years since the Princess of Wales was killed in Paris. As the car she was in was pursued at high speed by paparazzi, her driver Henri Paul—who was later discovered to have been driving under the influence—lost control, resulting in a horrific crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.
The driver and Diana's lover Dodi Fayed were killed instantly, while the princess died later in hospital of her injuries.
Her death rocked Britain, unleashing an unprecedented outpouring of grief. The gates of Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace were each surrounded with what has been termed a "sea" of flowers, in some places 5 feet deep, which were rotting in their cellophane wrappings by the time thousands of people took to the streets of London to watch Diana's funeral procession.
In the recent BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, Prince Harry described walking as a 12-year-old behind her coffin and hearing the "screaming" of grief-stricken people in the crowd.
"Of course, there was a huge amount of silence, but what I remember is every 50 yards or whatever, certain people in the crowd just unable to contain their emotion," Prince Harry said.
Yesterday, on the eve of the anniversary of her death, Prince William and Prince Harry once again stood outside the gates of Diana's former home of Kensington Palace to view fresh tributes of flowers, photos and cards left by fans to mark the two decades since her passing.
"Last time, it was all the way down," William remarked to Harry, recalling how far the floral tributes had stretched from the palace gates in the days after August 31, 1997.
The princes spoke to some of the well-wishers who had gathered, and accepted flowers from several people to lay on their behalf at the low-key shrine.
Earlier in the day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry came together on the grounds of Kensington Palace to visit a new garden planted in her memory.
As a heavy August rain fell, the trio sheltered below umbrellas so that they could be shown around the White Garden for the first time. Based on Diana's life and style, the garden has been planted with white flowers such as white roses, narcissi, and forget-me-nots, which are currently in bloom. Come September the garden will see a flourishing of white lilies, gladioli, and cosmos.
It was Diana's love for the existing Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, and her friendly relationship with the palace gardeners, that inspired the planting of a new memorial garden in that location.
Sean Harkin, head gardener at the palace, cites the princess's famous photoshoot with Mario Testino in 1997 as an example of an inspiring influence for the white theme.
"In some of those photos, she's either wearing white or cream. Or even the ones [in which] she's not, there's even a kind…of very radiant, uplifting feeling from those photographs and is very natural," he said.
"The feeling you get from that room is the feeling that we wanted people to get from the plants in the garden."
There are white lilies because Diana loved to decorate her apartment at Kensington Palace with them; forget-me-nots to represent the bittersweet pain of her passing; and white roses because "I think lots of people would refer to Princess Diana as the classic English rose," Harkin said.
He drew a parallel between the planting of the garden and the estimated 60 million individual blooms that were laid in tribute to her memory back in 1997.
"What most people remember about Kensington Palace is, 20 years ago, the golden gate and people bringing the sea of flowers.
"There's something quite poignant about using flowers to celebrate her memory, and it lets it live on."
Indeed, one of the biggest photographs that confronted William and Harry when they made their unannounced visit to the shrine outside the palace was that of Diana in her 'Elvis' dress: a white, pearl-encrusted gown with a matching high-collared jacket that has since achieved iconic status.
And pictured glittering on her head is the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, which was Diana's favorite headpiece. Kate Middleton has worn the tiara a number of times since her marriage to William, most notably in July this year when she paired it with a formidable ruby necklace and a delicate Marchesa gown of pink lace.
The tributes to Diana will be poignant in a different way for the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a poppy-print dress by Prada for the damp evening tour around the White Garden. Having never known her mother-in-law, she could only stand by her husband's side and listen sympathetically to stories about the woman who died at the age of 36, only a year older than Kate is now.
But she must sharply feel regret that her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte will grow up without their grandmother's unique personality as a feature in their lives.
After appearing in several documentaries about their mother to mark the anniversary of her death, both William and Harry have indicated that they will not be publicly speaking about Diana again.
Kensington Palace is home to both of Diana's sons—William and his family occupy her old residence of Apartment 1A—so they will undoubtedly take advantage of the White Garden's proximity to reflect on her life in quieter moments.
In the meantime, you can read more about how William and Harry are working to fulfill Diana's legacy of kindness here.
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Q: How to print Bar code 39 on star tsp future PRNT Hi am working on the Star TSP100 futurePRNT, have got a sample example to print data which is working fine. They use the code "\x1b\x1d\x61\x1" to allign to center. Need to know which coding it is? And how to print Code - 39 barcode in using the code?

A: It's a hexadecimal code specified by the below lined document.
As an example I'll deconstruct this command:
1B = Ascii Escape Character. This denotes the beginning of the command.
1D = Ascii Group Separator Character. This is part of the command.
61 = Ascii numeral '1'. This is part of the command.
1  = Value. This is the only parameter of the command.

Consulting the linked specification, 1B 1D 61 a is the command to specify position alignment. The a is the parameter. This command specifically sets center horizontal alignment (page 3-32).
The command to specify a barcode can be found on pages 3-43 through 3-46. It follows a similar format, there will be a code specifying the task, then a number of variable parameters to select the correct format, and finally you'll send your data.
Latest Line Mode Specification: http://www.starasia.com/%5CDownload%5CManual%5Cstarline_cm_en.pdf

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Worship is at the heart of all we do at St. David's. From the multiple regular services on Sundays to the great services of the church year, we are a worshiping community who come together to offer our praise and prayers to God and to grow in community in the presence of the Lord. We encourage you to join us often to enter more deeply into the worship of God.
Sundays at St. David's
Worship Volunteers
We are located at 763 South Valley Forge Road, Wayne PA 19087. The Church is the smaller stone building. The Chapel is the larger building on the hill.
Rite I Worship, Church
9:15 am, In-Person & Livestream
Rite II Worship with choir, Chapel
Livestream Here >
Family Worship, St. David's Hall
Rite II Worship with music, Church
Ushers to Help
Please see any of our ushers for assistance when you come into the building. There is also a greeter at the Welcome Table located near the front doors of the Narthex.
Have Kids?
All children are welcome during our services. Adults guide children Pre-K through 5th grade to the Choir Room for the Children's sermon during the 9:15am service. Our new Family Worship service takes place on Sundays at 9:30am. Childcare is also available for ages 3 months to 5 years from 8:30am to 12:15pm for those attending the 9:15, 9:30, and 11:30am services.
All Baptized Christians are welcome to take communion. If you would prefer not to take communion, you can remain seated, or come forward with your arms crossed to receive a blessing.
St. David's follows the services outlined in the Book of Common Prayer 1979. The services include Old & New Testament reading, a reading from the Gospel, a sermon, and traditional communion.
Formation for all ages takes place immediately following the 9:15am Chapel service. See the formation page for locations and topics. Stay tuned following the service for a livestream of the Rector's Forum.
After You Go
We would love to have you back next Sunday! In the meantime, stay in touch! Fill out the Get Connected form at the bottom of this page.
A few more things to note…
Handicapped Parking – Our facility is handicapped accessible with multiple handicapped parking spaces available. Parking attendants are available Sunday mornings to direct you to our handicapped accessible parking spots.
Special Needs – For those with limited hearing, our services are t-coil enabled. Speak to an usher for more information. Our facility is also ADA compliant.
Quiet Room – For those who are nursing or who have unruly children, a Quiet Room is available for you in the Narthex. There is a television in the room which will be displaying the service.
Dressware – Parishioners of St. David's dress in smart casual or business casual attire, but please come in what you are most comfortable wearing!
Gift Shop & Art Gallery – Our Gift Shop features expertly curated fine gifts, home décor, jewelry, and accessories. Our unique collection includes popular brands and beautifully handcrafted Fair-Trade items. The Art Gallery features new works monthly, which are also available for sale. All proceeds go towards our international outreach missions in Cuba, Guatemala, and Uganda. The Gift Shop is open following the 9:15 am Chapel service and during the week.
Worship is at the heart of all we do at St. David's. If you are unable to join us for services on Sunday, use this page to hear the weekly sermon from the chapel pulpit. If you would like a copy of the sermon mailed to your home, please call the office at 610.688.7947.
The Reverend Maurice A. Dyer, II - June 13, 2021
We Are the Seeds
Scripture References: Mark 4:26-34
More Messages from The Reverend Maurice A. Dyer, II
The Reverend W. Frank Allen
Easter Vigil 2022
The Reverend Elizabeth W. Colton
Displaying 40-42 of 213« Back 1…9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 …62More »
Worship Service Volunteers
We are always in need of volunteers to help serve at our various Worship services. Please consider serving as an acolyte, lay assistant, or verger, as well as in either the Altar Guild, Flower Guild and Prayers of the People.
Acolytes (Grade 5 and up)
 Christine & Steve Payne
The Acolytes of St. David's serve the clergy and congregation during services as crucifers, torchbearers, Gospel bearers, and banner bearers.
 Cindy McCallum
The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary for worship, and cares for the vessels, linens and vestments used in worship.
 Tracey Smith
 Lura Wampler
The Flower Guild arranges flowers for the altar during our Sunday worship services and Holy Days.
Lay Assistants
 Susan Barber
Lay Assistants support our worship services by offering selections from the Bible as Readers, leading our weekly Prayers of the People as Intercessors, and serving the Blood of Christ as Chalicists
CUSTOMARY FOR LAY ASSISTANTS
Prayers of the People
 Amanda Smoot
The Prayers of the People writers prepare the prayers for weekly services and special events.
 Michael Tredinnick
Ushers offer hospitality to those who enter our doors, assist those needing to find a seat for worship and provide guidance at communion.
Vergers
 Chris Hopkins
Vergers assist the clergy during Sunday services. Training is provided and service is rotating.
Make the Church & Chapel beautiful with your gift of altar flowers on special occasions and throughout the year. These flower donations could be given in memory of a loved one who has died, in thanksgiving for a birth, or other special thanksgiving.
If you would like to honor your loved ones with flowers on a particular Sunday, please complete the form below. The recommended donation is $50, but we accept donations of any amount to defray the cost of flowers that decorate the Church & Chapel throughout the year.
Please fill out the form below to submit your donation request, and someone will be in contact with your shortly with further instructions.
Or you can give online by clicking here. Simply select 'Altar Memorials' under the 'Select a Fund' dropdown.
Given By:*
Please use commas to separate names
In Memory of:*
Enter names as you wish them to appear in the bulletin—please use commas to separate names
Would you like the memorial flowers in the Church or Chapel?*
ChurchChapel
Would you like the memorial flowers on the first or third Sunday of the month?*
First SundayThird Sunday
Would you like to volunteer or get involved with one of these ministries?
Fill out the form below and someone will contact you.
Volunteer Interest*
Usher/Greeters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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10 Tamil Celebs Who Married Their Co-Stars In Real Life
Home Articles Tamil Tamil Articles
1. ' M G Ramachandran' and Janaki Ramachandran: -
The couple got married on 1967, and after the death of M.G Ramachandran in 1987, she has been living alone. They acted together in multiple films like Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi, ' Naam', Raja Mukthi and Mohini. Janaki was a political figure who was born in Kerala. She died due to cardiac arrest in 1988.
2. Saranya Ponvannan and ' Ponvannan': -
We all know the Saranya as the best mother role awardee in the past decades. She got married to Ponvannan her co-actor in 1965. Ponvannan, on the other hand, has been acting either a villain role or a side role. They have acted together in movies like 'Pulimaan', 'Pasumpon', and 'Karuththamma'.
3. ' Sneha' and ' Prasanna': -
Sneha and Prasanna are the couple ever body loves. They had been in a relationship for a long time and got married a few years ago and Prasanna attended all the modeling shows and movies that Sneha featured in. The couple has acted together in films like ' Goa', Achchamundu Achcamundu, 'Biryani', and JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai. They got married in 2012 and have a son together.
4. ' K Bhagyaraj' and Poornima Bhagyaraj: -
Bhagyaraj is a film Director, Actor, Producer and Writer. Poornima was an actress in many regional languages of South India. The both acted together in movies like Munthanai Mudichu, and Darling, Darling Darling for which he was the Producer of the film. They got married in 1984.
5. Suriya Sivakumar and Jyothika Saravanan
Love is surely blind. Suriya and Jyothikas marriage was a sudden shock and happiness to the public. The marriage seemed too much for the fans as it was their greatest moment of Joy. The couple met during the shoot of Poovellam Kettuppar; Jyothika was from Mumbai who learned the Tamil language. Suriya fell in love with her for her humanity and kindness. The couple then met again and became close, and the love had blossomed between them with time. They announced their marriage and got married in 2006. They have starred together in many films like Kaakha Kaakha, Poovellam Kettuppar, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, 'Maayavi', 'Perazhagan', and Uyirile Kalanthathu.
6. Radhika Sarathkumar and 'R. Sarathkumar': -
Radhika married Sharath Kumar as her third husband, and he married her as his second wife. Though it makes people want to judge the couple has seemingly found the best in each other. They got married in 2001 and are still together with their children. The husband and wife had acted in several movies like Namma Annachi, Chennaiyil Oru Naal, and Naane Raja Naane Mandiri.
7. Ajith Kumar and Shalini Ajith Kumar: -
It's a tough task to maintain a relationship when you are in the same industry and especially from the constant glare of Media. Ajith and Shalini were in love for many years, and they kept their relationship hidden for a while. They fell in love on the sets of 'Amarkalam' where Ajith took care of Shalini after accidentally cutting her finger. She fell for him, and they got married in 2000. They acted together in the film Amarkalam and had left the industry after marrying Ajith. They have a son and a daughter.
8. ' Krish' and Sangeetha Krish: -
Krish and Sangeetha got married in 2009. They were in love for many years. They met in a friend's wedding and started liking each other after attending it at Tirupathi.
9. ' Vandana Srikanth' and ' Srikanth': -
Vandhana and Srikanth got married in 2007, and they have acted together in the movie ' Nambiar'. She played a small role as a Fashion Designer in the movie.
10. ' Khushboo' and Sundar. C: -
Khusboo is an actress, and Sundar. C is a producer and director. They got married in the year 2000. Khusbhoo worked with Sundar. C for a film and became close to him, and they fell in love. The couple then decided to announce their wedding.
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Home Featured A Year After the Triumphant Revolution: Armenia Is on the Right Track
A Year After the Triumphant Revolution: Armenia Is on the Right Track
Former President Robert Kocharyan Goes on Trial for 2008 Post-Election Violent Crackdown
Published on 12 May 2019
One year ago, on May 8th, the Armenian National Assembly elected Nikol Pashinyan as the new prime minister of the country, to bring the people's revolution to its triumphant and logical conclusion. Two weeks before that, on April 23rd, under the pressure of the popular uprising, former president and Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan submitted his resignation and stepped down, openly admitting that, "He was wrong, and Nikol was right".
After Sargsyan's resignation, the former ruling Republican Party tried to find ways to stay in power, relying on its parliamentary majority. Yet again it failed to withstand the people's movement, and was forced to surrender the full power to the leadership of the revolution. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Republic Square to celebrate this historic occasion. The overwhelming joy was evident not only in the Homeland, but also throughout the Diaspora.
During the past twelve months major changes took place in Armenia. The oligarchy has ceased to exist, systemic corruption has greatly diminished, steps were taken to eliminate economic monopolies, and the roll of businessmen in the management of the country were curtailed. Besides this important changes, free and fair elections were held and a new Parliament was formed. The level of freedoms generally, and in the media in particular have improved. The people began to feel that they are involved in the country's governance. Most importantly, emigration began to show signs of slowing down, as the young generation had hope in the future of their country. This week Prime Minister Pashinyan held a press conference and pointed to 100 positive changes that his government was able to achieve during its first year in office.
As with any new and inexperienced government, mistakes and shortcoming were inevitable. Some of the criticisms voiced against the Pashinyan government are justified, but they are mainly related to secondary issues. Often immediate solutions are found to correct these issues, as soon as they are brought to attention. The government has not been afraid to admit its mistakes and to take corrective actions. The challenges the leadership of the country is now facing in foreign affairs, economic, social, and other spheres are immense. Problems accumulated over the past twenty years can hardly be tackled in one or two years. Currently, the most important challenges facing the Pashinyan government are socioeconomic. Reducing the levels of poverty, creation of jobs, and improvements in the standard of living of the citizens of Armenia are priorities. Tangible step are being taken in these regard, but there is a long way to go to reach to the level that the people aspire to.
On the first anniversary of the revolution, we should all appreciate what has been achieved in a short period of time. Positive changes are there to see for everyone for whom the future of Armenia is a matter of utmost importance. In that sense the country is on the right track.
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It was such a jarring phrase, such a well-aimed shot to the heart with simultaneous punch to the gut that I audibly gasped.
I wanted to pull the van over and hug the driver. I wanted to tell the driver how sorry I was. I wanted the driver to tell me a story about his or her son so that I could remember him too. I wanted something. I didn't want to just read that bumper sticker and keep on about my day.
And I guess I didn't since the bumper sticker followed me around all day. I could not get it out of my mind. I thought about my reaction to it and how my immediate response had been empathy–not an emotion I am used to feeling on the highway when I often mentally (and sometimes audibly) berate my fellow drivers. As this bumper sticker hounded me, I wondered what life would be like if we all wore our hurts as bumper stickers on our cars. As pins on our jackets. As tattoos on our foreheads. Some of us might have a lovely clean rear bumper. Others might have pins on their jackets rivaling a "Fridays" waiter. But I can't imagine that all of us wouldn't have something that makes us vulnerable. Some hurt that shows how deeply human we are.
How might we treat one another then? What would we say to one another? How might we interact?
If nothing else, I imagine it would make me a much more forgiving highway driver.
Whatever the reason that some bumper-sticker messages stick, I appreciated reflecting on your thoughts. And I hope that you, Mark, and Zoe have a happy Valentine's Day!


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Nathan Miller may refer to:

Nathan Miller (figure skater) (born 1988), American pairs skater
Nathan Miller (Rhode Island shipbuilder) (1743–1790), politician, Congressional delegate, militia general
Nathan H. Miller (born 1943), politician in Virginia
Nathan Lee Miller (1866–1933), ninth lieutenant governor of Alabama
Nathan L. Miller (1868–1953), Governor of New York

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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My Love Affair With Japan
"Shinjuku Skyline" by Ryan
I am absolutely infatuated with Japan. I have been for an incredibly long time and I'm not the only one. But why? What is it about this tiny country of extremes that draws the admiration of foodies, geeks, nerds and (supposed) normal people alike? How can one country make me feel the love that I do, especially considering how much I struggle with the language?
Before I jump into the bulk of this, if you are in a financial situation that allows, I implore anyone reading to please donate to the Japanese relief effort. I have been supporting The Japanese Red Cross although the Anime & Manga Bloggers 4 Japan are also doing some great work. My heart is still breaking for all of those affected by the devastating events on March the 11th.
"Age Old" by Ryan
My love affair started with Japan before I even knew it had blossomed. As a child I loved cartoons just as any child loves cartoons. My absolute favourites, however, were Transformers and Astro Boy. These are two series that, unbeknownst to me at the time, had their roots tied firmly to Japan, Tezuka Osamu-san's Astro Boy even more so. I would sit for hours and watch these series', Astro on Channel 2 and Optimus and the gang on Channel 10. It was a before and after school ritual. I would get up, eat my Vegemite on toast and watch my cartoons before getting dressed and deciding whether I wanted to take Hot Rod, Mirage or Grimlock to school that day. Grimlock, always Grimlock.
I watched Transformers: The (Animated) Movie an incredible amount of times, wearing out the VHS before too long. I loved that movie. Through my 6 year old eyes it was just as grand as The Empire Strikes Back. It had the touch, it had the power.
"All Aboard" by Ryan
Astro on the other hand was far more dark, a darkness that I never truly understood until I grew older. It was the perfect appetiser for a main course of Baker as Dr Who which usually followed.
Before too long I found myself being drawn to monster movies and the films of legendary director Akira Kurosawa. His samurai epics were just that. He recreated on screen a land and a time that I had never even heard of. To a 10 year old boy living in rural Halfway Creek, it may as well have been science fiction.
In grade 7 I enrolled in Japanese language class at school, a subject which only lasted 2 lessons due to a lack of enrollment. Instead I took Vietnamese lessons which lead me, strangely enough, back to Japan. Bao, the guy I sat next to, turned out to be a massive anime fan. At this time anime didn't even exist, and was instead known simply as Japanese cartoons. Bao came from a reasonably wealthy family who travelled to Hong Kong often for business. This allowed me to live vicariously through Bao, borrowing VHS tapes of Dragonball, Macross and Yamato all in Cantonese. This was the true dawning of my infatuation. I was beginning to understand what it was that I was falling in love with and where it came from regardless of the alternate foreign language it was screened in.
At the age of 15 I got a job at the local comic book store, a job that opened the flood gates that washed me into a sea of geekdom. I still haven't managed to get back to dry land and I don't think I want to. It was here that I was first introduced to Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll and Akira. These films changed my perception of animation. I learned that animation was a medium and not a genre. It wasn't married to kids or family films. It was happy and willing to play the field and it did.
"Like a Sardine Can" by Ryan
During these high school years I started to form an even stronger appreciation for Japanese animation through films such as Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll and the incredible Akira. These three films are the holy trinity of anime. They are the three films that captured the hearts of most modern day anime nerds in Australia. They were animated features unlike anything that we had ever seen. Incredibly diverse animation styles that told no-holds-barred stories full of beautiful pictures, sex, violence and wonderfully fantastical stories the likes of which I could never have imagined.
My interest was now most certainly piqued. I knew what I liked and now I knew where it came from. Now I had to have more.
"Cleanliness" by Ryan
Yet another setback popped up in the form of monetary instability. I had kept in contact with my Japanese teacher who suggested that I apply for an exchange student program. I was ecstatic. I read all about the program before day dreaming about the possibilities. Later that month I sat a test to gauge my suitability and also in application for a scholarship. I gained a partial scholarship that would cover my tuition, study materials and a small amount of living fees. Unfortunately my parents weren't able to pay the other relevant costs such as airfares, uniforms and spending money. I was gutted. I had my chance and it had slipped through my fingers.
Years passed and I continued to be infatuated with the land of the rising sun. I raided Asian grocery stores for Pocky (not the ones made in Thailand), I began writing reviews on anime and manga for the website of my local comic book store and located a nice handful of Japanese restaurants ensuring that each one of them sold glass bottled ramune.
Around four years ago Japan gave me the greatest gift that I could ever have imagined, my beautiful wife. Coming from Japanese/Australian bloodlines we met at college and the rest is history. She's my best friend and very, very easy on the eyes. Sure, she may not be able to speak a lick of Japanese, in fact I speak more than her! Thankfully I finally made it to Japan, the country that I had so longed to visit. The missus and I have been there twice and neither time did it disappoint. It still boggles the mind that I could visit a 600 year old tea shop and the Universal Studios Osaka on the very same day.
Thank you Japan. Thank you for ramen, ramune and anime. Thank you for Kinokuniya, sukiyaki, okonomiyaki and genmaicha. Thank you for manga, Polysics, Beat Crusaders and Drakskip. Thank you for living up to my dreams and expectations and thank you, most of all, for my gorgeous wife.
I want to hear your stories about Japan. Please leave comments below and spread the love.
"Even Roofs are Better..." by Ryan
Anime Charity Earthquake Japan Manga Thoughts Tsunami
Art 28 November 2013 at 02:11
I was lucky enough to spend two and a half years in Japan back in the '60s. At that time it was sort of affordable. I could spend the weekend in the Tokyo Hilton even though I was only an E4 in the USAF. I loved the train ride from Tachikawa to downtown Tokyo. The architecture of the homes was like food for me eyes.
After leaving the military I studied Japanese at university for three years. The book 'A Japanese Inn' by Oliver Statler was pivotal for me.
Thanks for sharing, Art! I've not read 'A Japanese Inn' but I'll certainly be chasing down a copy.


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Special police units discover weapons during house raids in Anderlecht
Weapons and ammunition have been discovered in a private garage in Anderlecht. The house raids took place last night, when special units of the federal police searched four houses and two garages. Four suspects were taken in for questioning; it is believed they had plans for a terror attack.
Michaël Torfs
(archive picture)
Police have been searching weapons for some time, staging various house raids, but usually without success. This time, they discovered Kalashnikovs and other guns.
Mohamed Abrini, who was seen on CCTV footage in Brussels Airport together with the terrorists minutes before the attack - but who escaped unharmed before being arrested later on - declared that weapons had been hidden somewhere. It is not at all clear though whether the latest discovery can be linked to the March attacks.
Four people were taken in for questioning. Two of them are brothers with links to the Kamikaze Riders, the Brussels motor gang that made the headlines in 2015, when it was thought they were preparing a terrorist attack in Brussels on New Year's Eve.
In the same case, one man was apprehended in Lille, in France. The VRT found out that the latest suspects had plans for a terrorist attack, though these plans were not very concrete. There wasn't even a particular location.
Drug haul at Tomorrowland


Early this morning we had one of those ultra rare cosmic incidents: the second full moon in a month, known as a Blue Moon, also happened to be a Supermoon, which means its particularly close to earth, and we had a full lunar eclipse, known as a Blood Moon.
Thanks to contemporary fiction people tend to think of the Blood Moon as a bad omen (as if omens could be either good or bad) but it really isn't because blood is life.
I could go on for hours regarding the symbolism of this extraordinary event but instead I'm just going to relay my own experience of it and mostly let you draw your own conclusions or refer to other people's opinions on the subject. There are many.
I woke late, thanks to a slight case of bronchitis, the reminder of a nasty case of flu I didn't actually get having only suffered mildly unlike so many others here, that keeps me coughing through the night. I saw a doctor yesterday about it and got a couple prescriptions that should help but I can't afford to fill them until after work tomorrow.
Being late meant I got to witness Selene, the goddess of the Moon in all her magnificent fullness on the way to work and then arrived at my truck just as the eclipse began.
I gazed in silent prayer as my truck warmed up and then watched intently as I first drove North cutting through town and then Northeast as I left the metropolitan area.
A lunar eclipse happens pretty quickly so by the time I was mostly heading East the moon was half eclipsed and dropping below the tree line as the sun rose.
I would lose sight of it and then catch a glimpse in my mirror or see it reflected in my windows.
I could see the red haze begin to form as it pales from view as if hidden behind a colored veil.
I lost it again for a dozen or so miles as I headed East and then caught it in all its glory as I crossed over the twin bridges on I10 affectionately refered to as the "Dolly Parton" bridges. If you're curious why they earned that name you can look up some images.
So there I am on top of the twins and behind me on my left is the pale red ghost of the moon while ahead of me on my right is the sun while I crossed over the rivers.
Behind me lay Mobile. My destination was towards the rising sun. Then I descended the bridge and both were again lost from view. By the time I made it over the next rise the moon was gone and the sun shone brightly.
In those few seconds when I was caught between the two, the sun raging as if to catch the moon while the moon reflected that rage as beautifully as she could, I experienced eternity. It was for just a fraction of a fraction of a second but even a fraction of a second in eternity lasts forever.
I continue my day and my journey in awed gratitude.


Should the Government Promote Financial Literacy? Jane Rooney Responds.
Home » Blog » Should the Government Promote Financial Literacy? Jane Rooney Responds.
What is financial literacy and it is something the government can teach or promote? November is financial literacy month in Canada. Our guest, Jane Rooney is Canada's Financial Literacy Leader. We ask her those tough questions.
Financial Literacy is knowing what you need to know in order to build a rock solid financial foundation. But it's not just about the knowing. It's also about the doing.
Having the knowledge, the skills and the confidence to make responsible financial decisions.
What Role Should the Federal Government Play in Promoting Financial Literacy?
Which brings us to the central question: should the federal government promote financial literacy, or should the private sector or charitable organizations lead the charge?
There are numerous resources already available if you want to learn about money. Every bank, financial planner, credit counsellor, mortgage broker and bankruptcy trustee wants to help you improve your financial literacy skills, and they want to make a buck doing it. And that's where it gets difficult. How do you know if you are getting good advice, or just a sales pitch?
Jane Rooney was appointed by the federal government to be Canada's Financial Literacy Leader, and as she explained on today's show her role is to take all of the resources that already exist, and bring them together. She is working with all stakeholders, to ensure that all Canadians know where to find the resources they require. She is also looking for gaps in the resources that exist. She hopes to encourage others to create them, or the government may take a more active role in creating the necessary resources directly.
Ultimately no-one is unbiased, so we conclude that it's up to each individual to do their own research and decide for themselves what resources they require to be fully informed and protected consumers.
Doug Hoyes: Welcome to our special Financial Literacy broadcast here on Debt Free in 30. I'm Doug Hoyes.
It's the month of November, and if you are in the money business you know that in Canada November is Financial Literacy Month.
Many reasons. One reason is that Financial Literacy Month is a creation of the federal government, so it can be argued that your tax dollars go towards promoting financial literacy in Canada. You want to know if your tax dollars are being wisely spent.
Why is the federal government spending your tax dollars on financial literacy?
Good question, so to find out I've invited Canada's Financial Literacy Leader to be on the show to answer that question, and many others.
But first, what is financial literacy?
Gail Vaz-Oxlade: Financial literacy is knowing what you need to know in order to build a rock-solid financial foundation. But it's not just about the knowing, it's also about the doing. And the big gap we have had so far is that it's fine to say, yes, I know I should contribute to my RSP but if I'm not actually contributing to my RSP then I'm not getting any further ahead. Yes, I know I shouldn't be carrying a balance on my credit card but if I'm actually carrying a balance on my credit card then that knowledge component is in direct conflict with the behaviour.
Doug Hoyes: I like Gail's definition of financial literacy. It's knowing what you need to know, when you need to know it, and doing it. But how do you learn what you need to know? The problem, as I see it, is that you want unbiased advice and most people are trying to sell you something, so their advice is biased.
If I go to the bank to get advice on an RRSP the bank may recommend that I get an RSP loan to top up my RRSP. That may be very good advice, or not. Is the bank telling me to get an RRSP loan because that's what I should do, or is it because they're trying to sell me both a loan and an RRSP? I don't know.
Who can teach financial literacy in an unbiased manner?
Obviously, Gail is doing her best, but she doesn't have unlimited resources to maintain a training program for the entire country. It costs money.
So if a single person can't afford to help the entire country, and if the banks and other big organizations are biased because they're trying to sell us something, who else can we turn to for help?
Perhaps the answer is the federal government. On the surface, it doesn't appear that they are biased. They don't appear to sell loans, or credit cards or any other financial product. Perhaps they should be leading the charge for financial literacy.
As it turns out, they are.
On April 10th, 2014 the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, an agency of the federal government, appointed a Financial Literacy Leader. Her name is Jane Rooney. So I phoned her up to see what she's doing.
Jane Rooney: Jane Rooney speaking. May I help you?
Doug Hoyes: Hi. It's Doug Hoyes calling. How are you doing today?
Jane Rooney: Hi there. I'm great. How are you?
Doug Hoyes: I am good. Thank you very much.
Jane Rooney: The definition of financial literacy that we have adopted was coined by the Task Force on Financial Literacy. And it's having the knowledge, the skills and the confidence to make responsible financial decisions.
Doug Hoyes: Okay. So that's pretty straightforward. So your mandate then as the Financial Literacy Leader, so what specifically are you trying to accomplish?
Jane Rooney: The mandate at my office is to develop a national strategy for strengthening financial literacy of Canadians. And to do that I have a mandate to collaborate and coordinate financial literacy initiatives among all stakeholder groups. So private sector, public sector and the non-profit sector. And, ultimately, what we're trying to accomplish is helping Canadians better manage their money.
Doug Hoyes: So you listed off a number of different groups there. And I guess my question is there's all these different groups who are already doing things, you're going to be kind of the coordinator, you've got the big banks, you've got financial planners, credit counsellors, obviously, they're very active, there's lots of resources available on the internet. So, with all of that activity, why is it necessary for there to be a coordinator like you with the federal government to get involved in promoting financial literacy?
Jane Rooney: So important to have a focal point for financial literacy so that Canadians can understand where to go to to get information. And it's an opportunity to coordinate efforts that are already underway because, you're right, there are lots of great activities that are already underway. But with a coordinated approach, common goals that we're all trying to improve financial literacy for Canadians, a coordinated effort will improve, we hope, the results of our financial literacy efforts.
So it's bridging the different groups. So bridging the opportunity is to bring together non-profits with, say, public sector entities, like the federal government, or provincial entities or even private sector. So it's an opportunity to coordinate efforts, to bring people together to one area to understand what's available for people to help improve their financial literacy.
Doug Hoyes: So you were appointed … I think it was April of 2014. So we're about, let's say, half a year into your appointment. So what bridging, what accomplishments have you had so far, how have you made progress so far in improving the financial literacy for Canadians?
Jane Rooney: To date, I have appointed fifteen members to a national steering committee. And those are champions from different sectors. So I have fifteen members of non-profit organizations, public sector organizations and private sector entities to help me develop the national strategy. They are to help me champion and undertake activities within their own sectors.
I've gone through a fulsome consultation process on helping improve the financial literacy for seniors. So I've met with … along with Minister Sorenson, the Minister of State for Finance, and Minister of State Wong for Seniors. We've worked through a five-city consultation process and an online consultation. And we will be launching a senior's strategy to improve financial literacy for seniors in the very near future.
We have re-fielded the Canadian Financial Capability Survey. So in 2009 the largest Financial Capability Survey was first fielded. We have re-fielded it and the results will be available during Financial Literacy Month. I will be releasing them early November. And so we'll have a very good sense of where Canadians are at in terms of their knowledge and their skills around money matters.
And we've also developed a resource database. So, again, it's to bring Canadians to the resources that are available to help them strengthen their financial literacy. And that database will be fully launched in the month of November, during Financial Literacy Month. So there's material, there's tools, information about workshops, from all walks of life. So across provinces, nationally available, workshops that are available in person. So it's an opportunity for Canadians to learn who's out there to help them, what information's available to help them in a one-stop shop resource database.
Doug Hoyes: And that's really the main thrust of it then is to make sure people know where to go to find those resources. So it's not necessarily that you are creating the resources. It's there are resources out there, let's make sure people can find them. Is that one of the main things?
Jane Rooney: Exactly. We want to reduce duplication of effort and bring people to what already exists. So it's not reinventing the wheel, it's actually pointing people to the resources that already exist.
It's also an opportunity to identify are there gaps, is there anything that's missing out there? And then we at the FCAC could identify whether or not we're the best place to fill the gap with a new product or whether there are others out there that are best placed to fill that gap.
Doug Hoyes: That's the first part of my conversation with Jane Rooney, Canada's Financial Literacy Leader. After the break, you'll hear her answers to more questions, including her view on the main financial literacy issues we face. And I also ask her to summarize her accomplishments since being appointed Financial Literacy Leader about six months ago. Those questions and more after the break. You're listening to Debt Free in 30.
Doug Hoyes: Before the break I asked Jane Rooney, Canada's Financial Literacy Leader, to explain why, with all of the resources out there, she thought it was necessary for the federal government to get involved in financial literacy. She explained that there are lots of resources but there is no focal point to bring all of those resources together, and one of her jobs is to determine if there are any gaps in the financial literacy resources available to Canadians. So I asked her to tell me what gaps she sees and to give her view on what she sees as the main financial literacy issues in Canada. Here's her answer.
Jane Rooney: So I mentioned a survey that was conducted. And the results were described in five different areas. So people are having trouble planning ahead. That means planning ahead for short-term goals, savings goals and long-term goals like planning for retirement.
People are having trouble keeping track of their money, so that means basic budgeting skills, knowing what their income is, knowing what their expenses is and how much is left over.
We know that people are having trouble staying informed about financial products and services. As you know, it's a very complex financial marketplace, and more and more new products and new ways of accessing products is coming out, like mobile. So it's important for us to know and that things are being done to help improve people staying informed.
The other two areas that were evaluated were choosing products. And the choosing products … people, once they know what's available, are finding products that suit their needs. But, again, the definition of financial literacy, it's so important for people to know what are the products and services, what are their rights and responsibilities, what questions should they ask so that they are choosing a product that best suits their needs.
And then, as a final area that they're looking at in terms of improvement, is around … sorry, I'm forgetting the last one. But all that to say is this first three, planning ahead, staying informed and keeping track of money are the key areas that we know people need help with. And so my focus is what products are already out there and connecting Canadians with those products so that they can improve those skills.
Doug Hoyes: Gotcha. And I think getting people to ask questions is probably the most important of all those things you listed off. If we would all take a step back and ask questions before we signed on the dotted line, we would probably be in a lot better shape.
So your group is in the process, you said, of drafting a national strategy for financial literacy. And I'll put a link in the show notes to the material on your website that talks about what you've addressed.
So the first phase you mentioned is with respect to seniors, strengthening financial literacy for seniors. And I'm curious, so why did you start with seniors? I'm sitting here thinking, well, I guess the people we need to talk to are the young people because they've got their whole lives ahead of them. Why did you start with the focus on seniors? Are there some issues that are unique to them? Why seniors?
Jane Rooney: Yes. So the first phase of the consultation was around seniors. And there are two other phases. One is around priority groups, so helping low income, Aboriginal, newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities, help strengthen their financial literacy. Phase three is about youth and adults.
And all those phases of consultations will be done this year. And all of that information will be fed into a national strategy on financial literacy. So it'll be a national strategy for all Canadians that's inclusive, it's relevant and it's accessible to Canadians. So it'll be across the lifespan, how can we help people.
Now, why did we start with seniors, key information … seniors were found in the Financial Capability Survey as having a higher need. They answered the questions with less confidence than other segments of the population.
There's also recent statistics that show seniors and near seniors are higher levels of debt as they enter their senior years. But also higher levels of bankruptcy rate. So there's a key concern there. And with a growing population in near seniors and current seniors, really important to tackle that audience.
It's also important to note that the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada was actually given funding for youth, developed a financial literacy program for youth back in 2007. So we actually tackled, at the agency, information for youth and developed a program called The City: A Financial Life Skills Resource. And we worked very closely with provinces and territories across Canada to integrate financial education into the school curriculum.
So youth continues to be a key focus and you will see youth reflected in the national strategy. It's important to start young and it's important to repeat that information all throughout one's life course.
Doug Hoyes: Yeah, and you're absolutely right with the seniors, they do have the highest level of debt because they've been around long enough to accumulate it. It's, kind of hard for an eighteen-year-old to have mortgages, and car loans and lots of credit cards and everything. And I think you're right, they as a result become more susceptible to bankruptcy and other factors when they get downsized or have other issues.
So what's next then? You talked about drafting the national strategy. So what's the timeline on having that completed and what do you see as the next steps?
Jane Rooney: Well, very exciting times. We're actually going to be launching our phase two consultations. So that's consultations around the priority groups, low-income Canadians, Aboriginal Canadians, newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities. So what are the unique challenges that those people face that we can address in the national strategy. Those consultations will be launched shortly. And the online consultation paper is open until December 10th for comment.
We're also going to be launching consultations during the month of November, Financial Literacy Month, around children, youth and adults. So, again, it's an opportunity for all Canadians and stakeholder groups, people who work with Canadians, to have their say about what are the unique challenges that these groups face and how best can we reach those groups with key information, at teachable moments, through what types of activities.
The phase three consultation paper will be available until December 31st for comment. Once we've analyzed all the input that we've received, the final version, a national strategy for all Canadians will be launched in 2015.
Doug Hoyes: Gotcha. So the seniors was the first consultation and the consultation phase is closed. And the results of that phase are going to be released in November; is that what you said?
Jane Rooney: We're going to be releasing the national … sorry, seniors strategy, very shortly, actually.
Doug Hoyes: Very shortly, okay.
Jane Rooney: That was as a result of Economic Action Plan 2013 where the government put a priority on developing a strategy for seniors, improving their financial literacy. And we will deliver on that very shortly. And it'll be publicly available, the seniors strategy, on FCAC's website.
Doug Hoyes: Okay, good. And what I'll do in the show notes is I'll put all the links to the website. And it's very well laid out. You've got all the different segments there. So that should make it easier for people to follow along. So I appreciate you joining me. Is there anything else you would like to add that we haven't covered, anything else in conclusion?
Jane Rooney: Sure. I'd like to say I'm honoured to have been named Canada's first Financial Literacy Leader. And I'm really pleased and proud that the Government of Canada has made such a commitment to financial literacy. And by having a focused office for financial literacy, I hope Canadians will be able to find the resources to help them improve their skills.
And, finally, Financial Literacy Month is the month of November. There are lots of activities that are happening. So I would invite people to come to FCAC's website, look at the calendar of events, find out if there's an activity or an event happening in a community near you that you might want to be involved in.
Doug Hoyes: That's my conversation with Jane Rooney, Canada's Financial Literacy Leader. I'll be back after the break to wrap up the show. You're listening to Debt Free in 30.
Welcome back. It's time for the 30 second recap of what we discussed today.
My guest today was Jane Rooney, Canada's Financial Literacy Leader. Ms. Rooney gave her definition of financial literacy, discussed her mandate, and described her accomplishments during the first six months of her tenure, and laid out the plan for drafting a National Strategy for Financial Literacy for Canada.
She agreed that there are lots of groups involved in financial literacy, and lots of resources available. She sees her job as a facilitator, bringing together the different groups, and identifying gaps in the resources available and working to fill those gaps. She is working towards a National Strategy on Financial Literacy, and is consulting with Canadians with a goal to have the strategy ready to go in 2015.
Should The Federal Government Promote Financial Literacy?
As I said during the show, there are lots of resources out there. Every bank, financial planner, credit counsellor, mortgage broker and bankruptcy trustee wants to help you improve your financial literacy, and they want to make a buck doing it. And that's the difficult issue. How do you know if you are getting good advice, or just a sales pitch?
That's why there may be a role for the federal government.
I'm a taxpayer, so I don't want my tax dollars spent on anything unnecessary, but since the government has many partners in this endeavour, and those partners are helping with the funding, it may be a positive step to have the government co-ordinating the efforts of the private and not for profit sector.
Or not. It's too early to tell.
Perhaps the government is also biased. The National Conference on Financial Literacy, to be held on November 6 and 7 in Vancouver, is sponsored by Visa and all of the big banks. If you are getting funding from the big banks, are you unbiased?
See what I mean about this being a difficult issue? I don't want the government using my tax dollars, but I also worry about the big banks funding the exercise, so it would appear to be a no win situation. Or not. It may work out great. Jane Rooney is obviously very passionate about this project, and I'm sure she will do everything in her power to advance the cause of financial literacy in Canada, and that's a very noble objective.
I'll keep a close eye on this, and if there are any significant developments I'll report back on future episodes.
I'm interested in your thoughts, so feel free to post your comments on our website at hoyes.com, that's h-o-y-e-s.com, where you can also find full show notes, transcripts, and links to everything we talked about on the show.
To get this show automatically every Saturday morning, please subscribe on iTunes or any other podcasting service.
Doug Hoyes: As is often the case on these shows I run out of time on the radio only portion of the show, so for our podcast listeners I'd like to do a more complete wrap up of what we discussed.
First, I think we had two very good definitions of financial literacy today.
Gail Vax-Oxlade: Well, financial literacy is knowing what you need to know in order to build a rock solid financial foundation. But it's not just about the knowing, it's also about the doing.
So Gail's definition is about both know and doing.
Jane Rooney: Having the knowledge, the skills and the confidence to make responsible financial decisions.
Jane's definition includes the word "confidence", and I like that word. When you are sitting at a car dealership or the bank haggling over the interest rate on your car loan, you need the confidence to be able to stand your ground and walk away if you aren't getting a good deal.
It's a combination of timely skills, confidence, and actually getting it done.
Gail Vaz-Oxlade: I created a website called mymoneymychoices.com, because there was nowhere, anywhere [laughs], anywhere on the internet, nowhere in a financial institution, nobody had a plan. Everybody was talking about financial literacy and there was a huge debate about what should be included in financial literacy, but nobody was willing to step up and give a plan. And so what I did was I created the roadmap, and the roadmap starts at step one – you can't get to step two until you do step one. You do step one, then you do step two, and so on, all the way through to the end. The idea being that you actually have to take the steps to make your financial foundation firm if you want to be considered financially literate.
Doug Hoyes: So this is a money making thing for you. What's the cost of this?
Doug Hoyes: [Laughs]. What, are you nuts there, Gail? I mean come on.
Gail Vax-Oxlade: That's what everybody says. Everybody says so how are you monetizing this, Gail? And I'm not monetizing it. In fact, this has cost me probably about $20,000 of my own money so far in order to put this program in place in terms of coming up with the structure and paying someone to build the website and purchasing the pictures that go on the website and all that other stuff. I am not interested in monetizing this. What I am trying to do is get Canadians – because I can't be everywhere, Doug.
Gail Vax-Oxlade: And this is the thing, is that everybody wants me. And so what this does is this tells you exactly what I would tell you to do if I showed up at your door. If I showed up at your door the first thing I would make you do is do a spending analysis. So the first step in the My Money My Choices Program is to do a spending analysis. I'd make you make a budget, I'd make you make a debt repayment plan.
The nice thing about the programme is it's structured in such a way that it's a learn one teach one system. So when I do my spending analysis, not only do I move to the next activity but then it becomes incumbent on me to find somebody to teach to do a spending analysis. And that's how I hope the program will spread across Canada. I'm just about to implement a fundraising campaign to get some money to do some advertising, because I think that's an important step. And I have only so many resources to commit to this, so that will be my next step.
Doug Hoyes: And since we recorded that interview Gail has started a fund raising campaign; I'll put a link in the show notes if you want to contribute.
But again I come back to my earlier point: who can teach financial literacy in an unbiased manner?
Obviously Gail is doing her best, but she doesn't have unlimited resources to maintain a training program for the entire country. It costs money.
So if a single person can't help the entire country, and if the banks and other big organizations are biased, because they are trying to sell us something, who else can we turn to for help?
That's where Jane Rooney and the federal government can play a role, but as I said earlier, even the government receives funding from the big banks, so even they could be subject to some bias.
You have to be the boss. You have to take care of yourself.
You should use all of the resources available to learn everything you can about money management.
Join Gail's my money my choices group.
Go the government's website and review all of their resources.
Go to my websites and read all of the free material.
Whenever you are getting advice, ask yourself "what are they trying to sell me?" By asking the tough questions, you can get answers, and you can make an informed decision.
It's not easy, but that's my ultimate solution to improving financial literacy in Canada.
We must take responsibility for ourselves. That's the solution.
That's our special financial literacy show for today.
Please subscribe on iTunes, and leave a review because that helps the show, and whether you agree or disagree please leave your comments on the show notes on hoyes.com.
Until next week, that was Debt Free in 30.
Why Doesn't the Federal Government Consult Their Own Debt Literacy Experts?


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Jim St. Lawrence 1944-2018
Television Innovator Dead at Age 74
By Mark Schubin, Contributor, Schubin Cafe | Sunday, December 30, 2018 - 2:48 pm
Movie director Errol Morris is justly praised for the use of the "Interrotron," a system allowing even untrained subjects to speak directly into a video camera's lens as though conversing with another person. Before Morris's first movie, however, Jim St. Lawrence came up with the same technique for use on one of his series on TVOntario; he called it "the people prompter."
I first met my dear friend Jim in 1977, when, after such shows as Night Music and Media Circus, he was preparing another television series for TVOntario, Fast Forward, about technological advances. He saw my picture next to a column in Videography magazine, decided I looked like him, and asked me to work on the shows. All of us who worked with him were fortunate to have done so. The music Jim commissioned from Harry Forbes could later be heard on TV commercials in the U.S.; animation and appearances by David Stringer promoted his long TV career; Barbara Morris began the research that led to a varied professional career. Fast Forward, itself, ran on public-TV stations in the United States and elsewhere in the world.
Pixar, the company that released such blockbuster hits as Toy Story, is now part of Disney, but the team that created Pixar started at New York Institute of Technology when Jim was there, and they seemed delighted to see him as he interrupted their work to show off the Computer Graphics Lab. So did his colleagues at the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment and his many students at Polytechnic University. And, when he "retired" to Stratford, Ontario, with Christine, his partner and spouse of almost 52 years, he remained a center of delight, whether entertaining neighbors with an informal film festival, hosting "The Last Rose of Summer," or working on the music festival and Off the Wall artists alliance.
Many used the bathroom/washroom in their house, where, on the wall, they could read these words by Jim's relative William Butler Yeats:
Think where man's glory most begins and ends,
And say my glory was I had such friends.
Jim St. Lawrence died December 7 at University Hospital, London, Ontario.
Tags: Fast Forward, Jim St. Lawrence, Off the Wall, TVOntario,
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February 17-20, 2020: HPA Tech Retreat, The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, CA
Schubin Cafe: Cinema Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow | September 14th, 2017
Schubin Cafe: NAB 2017 Wrap-Up | June 7th, 2017
Schubin Cafe: Technology Year in Review (HPA 2017) | March 15th, 2017
What the H? Did Pittsburg Give Us Our First Letter? By Mark Schubin | February 28th, 2017
Breaking the Pictures Barrier: Why Television Research Began in 1877 (and why no one knows it) | January 24th, 2017
Television & Opera: A 140-Year Collaboration by Mark Schubin | December 5th, 2016
Pittsburgh, SMPTE, & Before by Mark Schubin | November 4th, 2016
HDR: The Bottom Line by Mark Schubin | September 1st, 2016
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text:
import os
import re
from flask import request
import psycopg2
from sqlalchemy import create_engine, types
from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker, scoped_session
from sqlalchemy.pool import NullPool
from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
from psycopg2.extensions import adapt, register_adapter, AsIs

# Read the connection parameters from file
#if 'WOPR_CONN' not in os.environ.keys():
#    os.environ['WOPR_CONN'] = open('/home/ubuntu/wopr_conn', 'r').readline()

app_engine = create_engine(os.environ['WOPR_CONN'], convert_unicode=True)
#        echo=True)
task_engine = create_engine(
    os.environ['WOPR_CONN'],
    convert_unicode=True,
    poolclass=NullPool)
session = scoped_session(sessionmaker(bind=app_engine,
                                      autocommit=False,
                                      autoflush=False))
Base = declarative_base()
Base.query = session.query_property()

class Point(types.UserDefinedType):

    def get_col_spec(self):
        return 'POINT'

    def bind_processor(dialect):
        def process(value):
            return '(%s)' % ','.join([v for v in value])
        return process

    def result_processor(self, dialect, coltype):
        def process(value):
            if value is None:
                return None
            m = re.match(r"\(([^)]+),([^)]+)\)", value)
            if m:
                return (float(m.group(1)), float(m.group(2)))
            else:
                raise psycopg2.InterfaceError("bad point representation: %r" % value)
        return process

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Obsessed with that outfit -- what a perfect weekend look!
Your blog is so beautiful! Love the top!
so comfy yet cute.. love target!
I am so loving that tee. I think that should be on everything.. Love this post.
The shirt is funny - put "dont be basic" on a basic shirt and you have got a centerpiece of an outfit.


text:
Ким — мужское или женское имя, уменьшительное или псевдоним для таких имен, как Кимберли, , . В СССР мужское имя, которое образовано как неологизм по названию революционной политической организации, расшифровывается как аббревиатура Коммунистический Интернационал молодёжи. В 1920-х годах практиковалась смена имени Иоаким (Иоахим) на Ким, обусловленная сменой вкусов и "ассимиляцией" к новым коммунистическим мотивам.

В культуре
 Ким — Кимбол О'Хара, вымышленный лахорский мальчишка-сирота, сын ирландского солдата, оставшегося в Индии, когда его полк вернулся домой в Ирландию в романе Редьярда Киплинга «Ким», опубликованном в 1901 году.
 Ким О'Хара — героиня романа Сергея Лукьяненко «Геном».
 Ким — дочь главной героини романа Эдны Фербер «», потому что дочь родилась в тот момент, когда плавучий театр «Цветок хлопка» находился в точке схождения на реке Миссисипи трёх штатов Кентукки, Иллинойс и Миссури
 Ким — брат Мэлса в фильме «Стиляги».
 Ким — капитан из повести К. Булычёва «Тайна третьей планеты».
 Ким — сын писателя Андрея Константиновича Жаркова из фильма «С вечера до полудня».
 Ким — имя главной героини мультфильма Ким Пять-с-плюсом.
 Ким Вершинин — старший лейтенант МУРа из сериала Шифр.
 Ким — Ким Кицураги, персонаж в игре Disco Elysium.

 Кима — одна из персонажей советского фильма «Аты-баты, шли солдаты» («…Коммунистический Интернационал молодёжи, только женского рода»).

См. также
 Имена советского происхождения
 Кимберли (имя)

Ссылки

Примечания

Мужские имена
Женские имена
Английские имена
Японские женские имена
Советские имена
Русские мужские имена


text:
Home » Australia's Parliament House graffitied after release of IPCC climate change report
Australia's Parliament House graffitied after release of IPCC climate change report
Australia's Parliament House graffitied after release of IPCC climate change report
(CNN)Australia's Parliament House and the Prime Minister's residence were vandalized on Tuesday morning with messages accusing the government of not doing enough to protect the country from the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis.
Photos from the Australian capital of Canberra showed the message "duty of care" and the logo of the Extinction Rebellion protest movement spray-painted across the entrance to Parliament House and on the walls of the Lodge, the official residence of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Extinction Rebellion is a protest group which advocates public disobedience and demonstrations to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
According to a statement from the Australian Capital Territory police, eight people were arrested for property damage on Tuesday morning near the two buildings, some of whom had also glued themselves to the ground and set a baby pram on fire.
It came after the release of a new report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which showed the world had warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels and was on track to hit 1.5 degrees.
The report concluded it is "unequivocal" that humans have caused the climate crisis and confirms that "widespread and rapid changes" have already occurred, some of them irreversibly. Only by making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, while also removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, can the world halt the precipitous trend.
According to the report, Australia in particular can expect with a high confidence to see increased fire weather across the country, as well as droughts and a higher number of cyclones in the country's northeast.
#globalwarming #climatechange #carboncompensation #bluesky #climateemergency #climatecrisis #blueskye #blueskyefoundation #compensate #greentechexchange #zerocarbon #climatenews #blueskyelife #elonmusk #billgates #greentech
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/10/australia/australia-graffiti-parliament-climate-change-intl-hnk/index.html


Austin Aries rips WWE in a tweet responding to the WWE Network's twitter feed sharoing a video of him being confronted by Hideo Itami at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. I think it speaks for itself. So, I will let it.
Ahh yes, my reward after giving @WWENoWayJose the best feud and match of his @WWE career. My first meaningful win in @WWENXT and any equity I�d earned is immediately discredited. And what�s either guy done since? Great success?


text:
When the Government Decided the Spread on Your Toast Should Be Pink
The 'Margarine Wars' Explain the 19th-Century Struggle to Regulate Food
This 1948 ad for Cudahy's Delrich brand of margarine uses a "color berry" to color its margarine yellow. Courtesy of the Ladies' Home Journal.
by Ai Hisano | January 15, 2020
Tomatoes are red, margarine is yellow, and oranges, are, well, orange. We expect certain foods to be certain colors. What we don't realize is that these colors are not necessarily a product of nature but rather of historical controversies and deliberate decisions by various actors—including the government.
The story of how America's federal government helped select specific colors for certain foods dates to late 19th century, when new processed foods were introduced. The color of margarine is a particularly powerful example of how the intersection of political power, industry competition, and regulation determined the look of what people ate.
When margarine was first introduced to the U.S. market in 1873 as a cheaper substitute for butter, dairy producers, fearful of intense competition and a price decline for butter, lobbied against the manufacturing and marketing of margarine. One favored way of limiting margarine was to restrict the color of margarine, so it would not look like butter.
By 1898, 26 states had regulated margarine under so-called "anti-color" laws, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of yellow-colored margarine (uncolored products were allowed). Other states went further: Vermont (1884), New Hampshire (1891), and South Dakota (1891) passed laws that required margarine to be colored pink.
Margarine color wasn't just a matter for the states to decide. The federal government enacted the first national margarine legislation in 1886. The Oleomargarine Act permitted the addition of color to margarine but restricted margarine production and sale by levying a tax of two cents per pound on margarine whether it was colored or uncolored. The act proved ineffective, however, because inspection took time and money. And that was more than state inspectors could manage, according to the Sixteenth Annual Report of the Michigan Dairymen's Association, published in 1900.
So, to make margarine restriction more stringent and effective, in 1902 Congress passed an amendment to the 1886 act, levying a higher tax on colored margarine. It enforced a 10-cent tax on "artificially colored" margarine while reducing the tax on uncolored products from two cents to one-fourth of a cent.
Margarine production decreased immediately, and significantly, afterward. Consumers wanted their margarine in yellow, particularly when serving it as a spread. After all, margarine was a substitute for butter, which many consumers expected to be the same yellow color all year round, even though the color of butter, in fact, was fluctuating seasonally (butter actually assumes a rich yellow color in early and mid-summer and pale yellow in autumn and winter due partly to cow's feed).
Nevertheless, by 1910, margarine production had managed to rise to more than 140 million pounds annually—that's 25 million pounds more than the amount produced in 1902. Margarine manufacturers managed this feat in part by an innovative workaround. They sold uncolored margarine with a capsule filled with yellow color solution so that consumers could just mix the dye with margarine at home themselves.
Soon, coloring margarine became a household chore and a regular part of American life. But the increasing consumption of margarine during and after World War II shifted the political climate over the bread spread, leading to the relaxation of the laws around coloring. Finally, in 1950, Congress repealed the 1902 margarine act. It took even longer still for Wisconsin—one of the strongest dairy states—to repeal its anti-margarine regulation in 1967.
Margarine manufacturers managed this feat in part by an innovative workaround. They sold uncolored margarine with a capsule filled with yellow color solution so that consumers could just mix the dye with margarine at home themselves.
The margarine wars, of course, were only one part of a larger story of the government's struggle to regulate food. The government's most important tool in this fight was the so-called "grade standards," for monitoring the color of food, as well as other grading criteria such as shape and size. Over the course of the 20th century, grade standards were legalized, with apple-producing Maine leading fruit-producing states to enact standard laws that specified the colors, sizes, and shapes of foods.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had established the first federal grade standard in 1917 for potatoes, and then followed those up with standards for other fruits and vegetables. These were soon followed by new standards to govern canned foods, which were seen as a way to fight the adulteration and misbranding of canned products. These efforts were slow; the first canned foods standards, passed by Congress in 1930, were limited first to canned peas, tomatoes, and peaches—the government lacked financial resources for inspecting a wider variety of products. For the color of canned peas, not more than 4 percent of the peas in a can could be spotted or discolored.
By the 1970s, efforts by the government to regulate food color were less about inconsistent peas and more about increasing concerns over chemical additives, including food colorings. The federal government began to look at food color again, this time with an emphasis on safety regulation. Among many food additives, Red Dye No. 2, which many government officials and scientists had long believed to be among the safest, became one of the most controversial due to its potential toxicity. After more than two decades of debate, the federal government banned it in 1976.
That ban altered the food industry scene. Some food processors stopped making products in red entirely. General Foods, which had used Red Dye No. 2 in some flavors of Jell-O, Kool-Aid, and pet foods, switched to other red dyes. Other food companies, including Armour, General Mills, and Nabisco, followed suit.
Even M&M candies were impacted. Mars, Inc. eliminated red M&M's entirely in 1976. According to the company, although it had not used Red Dye No. 2, the firm abandoned the red food coloring due to consumers' "confusion and concern" over the dye, which the company worried could give consumers a negative impression of the red color in general. The company introduced orange M&M's instead, along with green, yellow, light brown, and dark brown. Red M&M's disappeared from the market for nearly a decade until the company reintroduced red candies in 1985.
Today, the USDA still categorizes fruits and vegetables into grades, such as "U.S. Extra Fancy," "U.S. Fancy," and "U.S. No. 1." Among determining factors for each grade, color is one of the important criteria specified by the USDA.
How red is red enough? The answer varies. But for apples of red varieties, 50 to 60 percent of the surface needs to be covered with a "good shade of solid red" in order to be categorized as "U.S. Extra Fancy" (the exact percentage depends on the variety). The colors presented to consumers' eyes are no longer the full spectrum that nature would offer, but rather the narrower range specified by government standards.
Ai Hisano is Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Economics at Kyoto University, Japan, and has been Newcomen Postdoctoral Fellow in Business History at Harvard Business School. She is most recently the author of Visualizing Taste: How Business Changed the Look of What You Eat.
Buy the Book Skylight Books | Powell's Books | Amazon
PRIMARY EDITOR: Joe Mathews | SECONDARY EDITOR: Lisa Margonelli
Butter, Food Color, M&Ms, Margarine, politics


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Thank YOU for creating an EPIC party with us for "Grind With Me" on March 5 !
Each time we gather with all of you to do an event, we're left with a sense of amazement at the beauty, diversity and creativity you bring to share and give to each other. In other words, wow.
Thank you for bringing all of you and all of your friends to "Grind With Me". Thank you for playing light, hard, soft, deep, a little, and a lot. Thank you for dancing, for dressing up, for kissing, and for flirting. Thank you for being YOU in all the ways that you are! Because of you, this event was much more than a dream in our imaginations. Because of you, our last secret ingredient, this party was DELICIOUS and EPIC.
The Club Exotica community is primarily a group of burners, west coat festival culture and underground electronic music lovers. You love to dress up, show up, and move like nobody's business. And you come because what we offer you at Club Exotica events is a place to be fully self-expressed in all the ways that you love, with no pressure to do or be more than what is ok with you. We create incredible spaces for you to explore intimacy, relationships, sensuality and sexuality, and do it in community.
Please click here to let us know how you loved the event (or what didn't work for you).
We LOVE to hear what you have to say, and it ALWAYS makes a difference for us. And please include your contact info if possible so we can get in touch with you in case we have questions!
How far and how deep will you go?
Click here for all the details on our website!
PS: Want to help as a volunteer for the next party or contribute in any other way? We have some half-priced tickets! These will go fast, so email us at clubexotica+volunteer@gmail.com as soon as you can!
These photos are for personal use only.
Each image has a four digit number that one can reference for their order.
He can also offer private photo shoots for couples from $300 to $500.
Claire says: I am interested in shooting any kind of event/party/wedding in the bay area, and I also do a lot of portraiture. I would be interested in doing photography for any kind of charity/non-profit for free as well!
Daniela says: I like to do events, portraits, wedding, concerts!
Looking forward to seeing you connecting, body and spirit, at "Worship Me" on April 2!


text:
Positions-Bylaws
Join Us & Donations
Know Your Borough Quiz
State of Alaska Government & Community Information
Alaska State Legislature
http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/index.php
LWV Alaska Judicial Appointment and Retention Study
At its 2015 Annual Meeting, the League of Women Voters of Alaska approved a study of Alaska's Judicial Appointment and Retention System. The study committee completed its activities in the fall of 2015 and presented to the Board its findings along with a series of consensus questions (see "Consensus Questions..."). Local Leagues held consensus meetings in December of 2015. A final Position Statement on Judicial Appointment and Retention was adopted in January 2016.
This website includes links to research materials gathered by the study committee for use by Local Leagues in their respective consensus meetings.
https://sites.google.com/site/lwvalaskajudicialstudy/home
http://alaska.gov/
State of Alaska Division of Elections
Need to register to vote? Enter a change of address? Find a polling place or election dates? This is the place.
http://www.elections.alaska.gov/
Statewide Library Electronic Doorway
http://sled.alaska.edu/
National Government & Community Information
Federal Judiciary Center
http://www.fjc.gov/
League of Women Voters National Website
http://lwv.org/
http://www.nationalpopularvote.com
http://www.vote-smart.org/
Thomas Legislative Information Online
http://thomas.loc.gov/
United States House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Fairbanks Government & Community Information
City of Fairbanks
http://www.fairbanksalaska.us
City of North Pole
http://www.northpolealaska.com/
Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) School District
http://www.k12northstar.org/
http://www.uaf.edu/
State Board Members
Judy Andree, President
(Juneau) 2020
Sue Sherif, Vice-President
(Tanana Valley) 2020
Carol Dickason, Secretary
(Anchorage) 2020
Shirley Pittz, Treasurer
Pat Redmond, Past-President
Hetty Barthel
Mary Lee Guthrie
Diane Mathisen
Marianne Mills
Cathleen Rolph
(Central Kenai Peninsula) 2021
Local League Presidents
Margaret McDonagh
(President, - LWV of Anchorage) 2020
Lois Pillifant
(President, Central Kenai Peninsula League of Women Voters) 2020
Sue Sherif & Mary Lee Guthrie
(Co-Presidents, LWV of Tanana Valley) 2020
Karen Crane
(President, LWV of Juneau) 2020
If you are a U.S. citizen and you are at least 18 years old, you can vote. In most states, before you can vote you need to register. Registration must be completed 30 days before Election Day.
Register to Vote now! Make sure you fill out the form completely; then print, sign, and mail it to the address given.
© Tanana Valley League of Women Voters - 2004-2019


text:
Home Book Review
Book Review: India's Glorious Scientific Tradition
Book Name: India's Glorious Scientific Tradition
Author: Suresh Soni
Reviewer: Dr. Sudarshan Kumar Salwan, PhD.
India, the third world country. India, the underdeveloped country. You hear this kind of narrative, so often. The correct narrative should be, India, the most invaded country. India, the most looted country, where looters should be brought to justice and not denigrate the looted. India has been a case study of how to rule a country by decimating its education system.
Suresh Soni's book on India's Glorious Scientific Tradition lays it bare. He has comprehensively traced India's scientific knowledge starting from thousands of years back, from the times of Vedas. He has so very rightly said science is not the gift of west. Indian science had offered, much earlier, solutions to various problems of Science & Technology.
Knowledge is Power – Western Civilization.
Knowledge is Salvation – Indian Civilization.
Intellectual Pursuit – Western Philosophy.
Essence of Life- Indian Philosophy.
The damage to ancient Indian knowledge was particularly instrumented by British. Indian methods of knowledge creation, storage and distribution were made to be looked down upon and consigned to oblivion. The consequences of oblivion were enormous including that India could not pursue the native knowledge and pedagogy for betterment of India.
Suresh Soni describes ancient knowledge in various aspects of Science & Technology including Electrical Science, Mechanics, Mechanical engineering, Elastic Forces, Metallurgy, Aeronautics, Mercury Vapor, Marine science, Garment industry, Mathematics, Relativity Measurement of time, Astronomy, Architecture, Health and Hygiene Vaccination, Cloning, Science of Sound and Voice, Graphemics and Theoretical science.
The author brings out that before Pythagoras, Rishi Bodhayan, hundreds of years before Pythagoras, had elaborated on the theorem and with much clarity. In ancient times in India, Metallurgy was in a much-advanced stage. Westerners did not even know about the atom, when Indians were working on advanced metallurgy and chemistry. The world still wonders Indian Vishnu Stambh (The Iron Pillar) of Delhi which is approximately 1600 years old and has not rusted till date. Even with all the advanced technology currently available, no one could replicate the feat.
Before Stephen Hawking's history of time, Indian Vedas described measurement of time with detailed examples. Vishwakarma Vastushastra is an excellent example of architecture. The process for the metamorphosis of mercury resulted in use of mercury in Health science.
Way before Sir Isaac Newton explained gravity, ancient Indian scholars had already figured out how it worked. Acharya Aryabhata had stated the details about gravity.
Sayana, a Vedic scholar from the 14th Century had said "With deep respect, I bow to the sun, which travels 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha" which is equal to 185,794 miles per second. This is close to current calculated speed of light.
Aacharya Bhardwaj (800 BCE), pioneer of Aviation Technology, had authored the "Yantra Sarvasva" a treatise in space science and flying machines.
Sushruta Samhita is the oldest encyclopedia of medicine known to mankind.
The author brings out that Rig Veda, the first book ever had by mankind, had noted that central placement of the Sun and other planets orbit the solar system. Sun moves in its orbit and each celestial objects have their own gravitational force which help them move around, like earth moves around the Sun.
Mahabharata mention the concept of cloning, test tube babies and surrogate methods. Vedas already had a very robust scientific explanation.
Aryabhatta's deduction of the value of PI is approximately 3.1416. He did this in 499 CE at the age of 23. He also concluded that the circumference of Earth was approximately 39736 Kilometers. The actual circumference of Earth, as deduced by scientists later, is 40,075 Kilometers.
The author further brings out that Varahamihir (499-587 CE) Eminent Astrologer and Astronomer, had discovered the domains of geography, constellation, science, botany and animal science. His book titled, 'Panch Siddhant' holds prominent place in the realm of astronomy.
Acharya Patanjali (200 BC) has been the father of Yoga, father of Ayurveda and control of prana (life breath). Now whole world is accepting the benefits of Yoga.
When all the credit of Atomic theory has been taken by Western world, it was Acharya Kanad (600 BC) was the founder of Atomic theory, law of causation and the atomic theory. Acharya Kanad had said, "Every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules'
Acharya Nagarjuna (100 CE), authored several medical books such as 'Arogyamanjari' and 'Yogasar'. Acharya Nagarjuna also made a significant contribution to the field of curative medicine. Nagarjuna had discovered the alchemy of transmuting base metals. The author also highlights the modem Indian scientists who have done extremely good work in the field of Science & Technology.
Einstein had said that Science could denature platinum, but it is unable to denature evil from human mind. Ancient Indian scientific knowledge can help to denature evil from human mind. That would be the supreme science and technology for the modern world.
The book must be read by all to know the truth and give credit to where it belongs. In my opinion, the book presents a hearty challenge to the modern scientific community, if they could even count and remember by heart the names of those Indian scientists and their works, that have been discussed in this book. India's scientific knowledge could not be appreciated, possibly, because of language barriers. Suresh Soni's book bridges that gap. (Reference: SURESH SONI, INDIA'S GLORIOUS SCIENTIFIC TRADITION, 2018, English, Pages 248, Prabhat Prakashan ISBN: 9788184305388)
Here are the links to buy the book:
India Amazon
USA Amazon
[NOTE: The Indian Free Press is not affiliated with the Author or Amazon and won't receive any commission/remuneration on the purchase of books. The links are provided only for the convenience of the readers in case they are interested.]
Dr. Sudarshan Kumar Salwan, PhD, is an eminent scientist. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of the Government of India for his invaluable contribution to defense technologies and strategic defense, in 2009.
India's Glorious Scientific Tradition
Suresh Soni
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Q: Calling a function from a sub in VBA - qualifier error I am trying to be more "object oriented" in my VBA code. However, I am having trouble passing variables through to functions. Here, I get an invalid qualifier error message on the IsEmpty function.
How can I correct my code?
Sub test_too_much_data()

If toomuchdata("Data input", "B1018") = False Then
    MsgBox ("Sorry, the tool can only accomodate 1000 rows.")
    Exit Sub
End If

End Sub

Function toomuchdata(sheet As String, range As Variant) As Boolean
    toomuchdata = IsEmpty(Sheets("String")).range(range)
End Function

Thank you!

A: Update your Function code to something like below:
Function toomuchdata(sheetStr As String, RngStr As String) As Boolean
    toomuchdata = IsEmpty(Sheets(sheetStr).Range(RngStr).Value)
End Function