text:
PEOPLE v. GOMEZ
Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division 2, California.
The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Gabriel GOMEZ, Jr., Defendant and Appellant.
Sheila A. Quinlan, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Arlene A. Sevidal and Christen E. Somerville, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
On November 4, 2014, California voters approved Proposition 47, The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act (Proposition 47); it went into effect the following day. Proposition 47 reduced certain nonserious, nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. It added and amended sections of the Penal Code. Penal Code section 1170.18 was added and provides that a person currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction, whether by trial or plea, who would have been guilty only of a misdemeanor had Proposition 47 been in effect at the time the plea was entered, or at the time of trial, may petition for a recall of the sentence before the trial court that entered the judgment of conviction in his or her case to request resentencing.
Prior to the passage of Proposition 47, defendant entered a guilty plea to a felony violation of Vehicle Code section 10851 for unlawfully driving and taking a 2002 Chevy Suburban. Defendant filed a petition to recall his sentence (Petition) arguing that his conviction for violating Vehicle Code section 10851 should be reduced to a misdemeanor violation of petty theft under Penal Code section 490.2. The trial court denied the petition on the ground that all Vehicle Code section 10851 convictions are not eligible for resentencing under Proposition 47.
Defendant now claims on appeal as follows: (1) Penal Code section 1170.18 should be broadly interpreted to include violations of Vehicle Code section 10851; (2) the trial court should have provided the parties an opportunity to litigate the value of the loss to the victim prior to ruling on his Petition to determine if the offense committed was petty theft (loss to the victim was less than $950) within the meaning of Penal Code section 490.2; (3) the People had the burden of proving at the hearing on the Petition that the value of the vehicle taken exceeded $950; (4) the valuation of the loss for a temporary taking of an automobile should be that amount of compensation to make the victim whole, not the market value of the automobile; and (5) equal protection requires that offenses under Vehicle Code section 10851 be treated like violations of Penal Code section 487, subdivision (d)(1), and be reduced to misdemeanors. We affirm the denial of the Petition.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On July 8, 2014, a felony complaint was filed against defendant in San Bernardino County case No. FSB1402290, charging him with the unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle in violation of Vehicle Code section 10851, subdivision (a). Specifically, he was charged with taking a 2002 Chevy Suburban from Rotolo Chevrolet without the consent of and with the intent, either permanently or temporarily, to deprive the said owner of title to and possession of said vehicle. It was also alleged that he had served three prior prison terms within the meaning of Penal Code section 667.5, subdivision (b).
On July 9, 2014, defendant entered a plea of guilty to one count of violating Vehicle Code section 10851.1 He agreed to a midterm sentence of two years. The sentence was to run concurrent to the sentence in another case, No. FSB1205624, in which defendant also entered a guilty plea to a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11370.1, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm.
On July 9, 2014, defendant was sentenced pursuant to the plea agreement to two years, and the trial court recommended that his sentence be served at a fire camp. The prior prison term allegations were struck by the People. This sentence was ordered to run concurrent to the four-year sentence in case No. FSB1205624.
On November 19, 2014, defendant filed his Petition. His Petition sought to have both his conviction of violating Health and Safety Code section 11370.1, subdivision (a), and his conviction of violating Vehicle Code section 10851, reduced to misdemeanors pursuant to Proposition 47. He stated that both offenses qualified as misdemeanors, but provided none of the facts pertaining to the underlying offenses. Defendant claimed, "Gabriel Gomez Jr. was charged with theft of property under $950. Gabriel Gomez Jr.'s grand theft charge became a felony because of defendant's criminal history (specifically the strike prior). As such, Gabriel Gomez Jr.'s VC § 10851(a) qualifies for the new provisions created by Prop. 47 for the reduction of his felony charges to a misdemeanor." He also alleged that he had exhibited exemplary behavior while in custody.
On December 12, 2014, defendant's Petition was called for a hearing along with several other cases involving petitions filed pursuant to Penal Code section 1170.18. Defendant was represented by a deputy public defender. The trial court noted it had read all of the petitions. The trial court ruled as to several cases, including defendant's case, without hearing any argument, as follows: "Then in the following cases, the defendant's convicted charge does not qualify for relief under Prop. 47 or Penal Code Section 1170.18, so the petition to reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor and petition for resentencing is denied as to each of the following cases—the previously imposed sentences remain in effect. [¶] ․ [¶] ․ Numbers 86 and 87, Gabriel Gomez."
A. RESENTENCING PURSUANT TO PENAL CODE SECTION 1170.18
Defendant claims that Penal Code section 1170.18 should be interpreted to include Vehicle Code section 10851 as a felony that can be reduced to a misdemeanor violation of Penal Code section 490.2. He also insists that the trial court should have held a hearing on the value of the vehicle he stole, and at that hearing, it was the People's burden to prove that the value of the vehicle he stole was greater than $950. Specifically, defendant claims that although Vehicle Code section 10851 2 is not mentioned in Penal Code section 1170.18, Penal Code section 490.2 redefines all thefts as being misdemeanors if the value of the item taken is less than $950 regardless of the type of property. We affirm the denial of defendant's Petition because he failed to meet his burden of alleging facts that he was eligible for resentencing under Penal Code section 490.2.
"The voters approved Proposition 47 at the November 4, 2014 general election, and it became effective the next day." (People v. Diaz. (2105) 238 Cal.App.4th 1323, 1328.) "Proposition 47 'was intended to reduce penalties "for certain nonserious and nonviolent property and drug offenses from wobblers or felonies to misdemeanors." ' " (T.W. v. Superior Court (2015) 236 Cal.App.4th 646, 652.) " 'In interpreting a voter initiative ․ we apply the same principles that govern statutory construction. [Citation.] Thus, "we turn first to the language of the statute, giving the words their ordinary meaning." [Citation.] The statutory language must also be construed in the context of the statute as a whole and the overall statutory scheme [in light of the electorate's intent]. [Citation.] When the language is ambiguous, "we refer to other indicia of the voters' intent, particularly the analyses and arguments contained in the official ballot pamphlet." [Citation.]' [Citation.] In other words, 'our primary purpose is to ascertain and effectuate the intent of the voters who passed the initiative measure.' " (People v. Briceno (2004) 34 Cal.4th 451, 459.)
Proposition 47 added Penal Code section 1170.18 to the Penal Code. Subdivision (a) of Penal Code section 1170.18, provides in pertinent part, "A person currently serving a sentence for a conviction, whether by trial or plea, of a felony or felonies who would have been guilty of a misdemeanor under the act that added this section ('this act') had this act been in effect at the time of the offense may petition for a recall of sentence before the trial court that entered the judgment of conviction in his or her case to request resentencing in accordance with Sections 11350, 11357, or 11377 of the Health and Safety Code, or Section 459.5, 473, 476a, 490.2, 496, or 666 of the Penal Code, as those sections have been amended or added by this act." Under Penal Code section 1170.18, subdivision (b), the trial court first determines whether the petition has presented a prima facie case for relief under Penal Code section 1170.18, subdivision (a). If the petitioner satisfies the criteria in subdivision (a), then he will be resentenced to a misdemeanor, unless the court, within its discretion, determines the petitioner would pose an unreasonable risk to public safety. (Pen.Code, § 1170.18, subd. (b).)
Penal Code section 490.2 was added to the Penal Code. (People v. Rivera (2015) 233 Cal.App.4th 1085, 1091.) Penal Code section 490.2 provides in pertinent part, "Notwithstanding Section 487 or any other provision of law defining grand theft, obtaining any property by theft where the value of the money, labor, real or personal property taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) shall be considered petty theft and shall be punished as a misdemeanor." Penal Code section 487, subdivision (a), provides that if the value of the money, labor, real or personal property taken exceeds $950, the offense is a felony. Penal Code section 487, subdivision (d)(1), provides that grand theft occurs if the property is an automobile, regardless of the value.
Penal Code section 1170.18 clearly states that a defendant must show that he was convicted of a felony but would have been convicted of a misdemeanor if Proposition 47 had been in effect at the time of the offense. For an offense under Penal Code section 490.2, which was added to the Penal Code, defendant had to allege facts that he would have been guilty of a misdemeanor violation of Penal Code section 490.2 rather than the felony conviction. Here, defendant failed to allege any facts to support that he was eligible for resentencing, i.e. that he took the 2002 Chevy Suburban, which was valued under $950.
The conclusion that it was defendant's burden to allege facts supporting he was only guilty of a misdemeanor, is supported by the analysis of the Legislative Analyst for Proposition 47. The following analysis was made: "Under current law, theft of property worth $950 or less is often charged as petty theft, which is a misdemeanor or an infraction. However, such crimes can sometimes be charged as grand theft, which is generally a wobbler. For example, a wobbler charge can occur if the crime involves the theft of certain property (such as cars ) or if the offender has previously committed certain theft-related crimes. This measure would limit when theft of property of $950 or less can be charged as grand theft. Specifically, such crimes would no longer be charged as grand theft solely because of the type of property involved or because the defendant had previously committed certain theft-related crimes." (Voter Information Guide, Gen. Elec. (Nov. 4, 2014), p. 35, italics added.)
It is true that Vehicle Code section 10851 is not listed in Penal Code section 1170.18. However, Vehicle Code section 10851 can be violated by the taking of a vehicle with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the vehicle. Assuming that a defendant takes a vehicle valued under $950, such violation should constitute a violation of Penal Code section 490.2. The trial court here erred by finding that all violations of Vehicle Code section 10851 are not entitled to resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.18.
However, despite this error by the trial court, defendant is not entitled to relief. Defendant had the initial burden of proving that he would have been charged and found guilty of only a violation of Penal Code section 490.2 because the value of the vehicle he took was less than $950. He failed to meet this burden. The record of conviction does not establish this fact as he entered a guilty plea and waived his right to a probation referral. Additionally, defendant never stated in the Petition that the Chevy Suburban was valued at less than $950. He stated he was subject to a "grand theft" conviction because of his prior convictions. Defendant never alleged facts sufficient for the trial court to determine that he should have been convicted of a misdemeanor violation of Penal Code section 490.2. The Petition was properly denied because defendant failed to establish that he was eligible for resentencing pursuant to Penal Code section 1170.18, subdivision (a). (See Vance v. Bizek (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 1155, 1163, fn. 3 ["A party has the burden of proof as to each fact the existence or nonexistence of which is essential to the claim for relief or defense that he is asserting"].)
We are aware of the recent case of People v. Page (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 714 (Fourth Dist., Div. Two), filed by our colleagues in this court. In that case, the court determined that "Proposition 47 left intact the language of Vehicle Code section 10851, subdivision (a), which makes a violation of that statute punishable as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Based on the statutory language alone, therefore, whether before or after Proposition 47, defendant could be convicted for a felony violation of Vehicle Code section 10851." (Id. at p. 718.) It further rejected the defendant's argument that the language of Penal Code section 490.2, which provides "notwithstanding Penal Code section 487 or any other provision of law defining grand theft," applied to Vehicle Code section 10851, finding "Vehicle Code section 10851 does not proscribe theft of either the grand or petty variety, but rather the taking or driving of vehicle 'with or without the intent to steal.' " (Page, at p. 719.)
However, this ignores the language in section 490.2 that a person "shall" be convicted of a misdemeanor if the value of the property taken is less than $950. If a defendant takes a vehicle with a value under $950, he must be charged under Penal Code section 490.2. As such, we disagree with Page ' s conclusion that a defendant could be charged with a Vehicle Code section 10851 violation under these circumstances. Hence a defendant who properly pleads in his Penal Code section 1170.18 petition that he took a vehicle valued at less than $950 could argue that he should have been convicted under Penal Code section 490.2. However, as stated, defendant here failed to meet his burden of presenting a proper petition.
Defendant claims he was entitled to a hearing on the value of the 2002 Chevy Suburban and that the People had the burden of proving the automobile was valued over $950. We disagree.
In the recent case of People v. Sherow (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 875, the defendant filed a petition to recall his sentence under Proposition 47. The defendant sought to reduce two of his felony convictions of second degree burglary to misdemeanor violations of Penal Code section 459.5, shoplifting, because he insisted the items taken were valued less than $950. (Sherow, at p. 877.) The court concluded that defendant had the initial burden in his petition to show he was eligible for resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.18, subdivision (a). It referred to background information prepared by "Judge J. Richard Couzens and Presiding Justice Tricia A. Bigelow" on Proposition 47, which provided, " 'The petitioner will have the initial burden of establishing eligibility for resentencing under section 1170.18(a): i.e., whether the petitioner is currently serving a felony sentence for a crime that would have been a misdemeanor had Proposition 47 been in effect at the time the crime was committed. If the crime under consideration is a theft offense under sections 459.5, 473, 476a, 490.2, or 496, the petitioner will have the additional burden of proving the value of the property did not exceed $950.' " (Sherow, at p. 879.) The Sherow court concluded that the defendant's petition was properly denied because it contained no facts or explanation how the value of the items taken were less than $950. (Id. at p. 877; see also People v. Oehmigen (2014) 232 Cal.App.4th 1, 6–7 [found a defendant was not entitled to development of facts or hearing if the trial court determined he was ineligible on the face of a Penal Code section 1170.126 petition for resentencing].)
Similarly here, defendant made no attempt in the Petition to allege that the value of the 2002 Chevy Suburban was less than $950. Since he did not allege any facts that the Chevy Suburban was less than $950, he did not allege facts making him eligible under Penal Code section 1170.18. As such, as opposed to defendant's argument that he was entitled to an opportunity to litigate the issue of the value of the automobile, he failed to make a threshold showing that he qualified under Penal Code section 1170.18. Further, the burden was not on the People to prove the value of the automobile; defendant carried the burden of alleging facts in the Petition that the value was less than $950. Further, since defendant waived the probation referral and requested immediate sentencing, there is no record of the facts pertaining to the taking or driving of the Chevy Suburban from which the trial court could conclude the value was less than $950. Defendant cannot argue for the first time on appeal that the 2002 Chevy Suburban may have been in "extremely poor condition" and was worth far less than $950.
Based on the foregoing, defendant was not entitled to resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.18 because he did not meet his burden of showing his offense constituted a petty theft pursuant to Penal Code section 490.2.
B. VALUE OF THE VEHICLE
Defendant argues for the first time on appeal that the valuation of the vehicle for purposes of Vehicle Code section 10851 should be based on the amount that it takes to make the victim whole and not the value of the car. "As a general rule, only 'claims properly raised and presented by the parties are reviewable on appeal.' " (People v. Smith (2001) 24 Cal.4th 849, 852.)
Here, defendant speculates that his conviction of Health and Safety Code section 10851 could have been for only a temporary taking, and if the victim received the vehicle back in the same condition before the taking, loss to the victim would not be the fair market value of the vehicle. Defendant entered a guilty plea. He never challenged the validity of the plea. Moreover, there were no facts in the record of conviction or in the Petition from which the trial court could have determined that his conviction was based on a temporary taking and there was no loss to the victim. Additionally, defendant has provided no case or other authority to support his claim. We will not address this issue raised for the first time on appeal; even if we were to consider the issue, defendant failed to allege facts in the Petition to support his argument.
C. EQUAL PROTECTION
Finally, defendant argues that assuming the Proposition 47 voters intended to only reduce vehicle thefts under Penal Code section 487, subdivision (d)(1), to misdemeanors under Penal Code section 490.2, while leaving Vehicle Code section 10851 violations as felonies, such discrimination is impermissible under the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and the California Constitution.
" 'The United States and California Constitutions entitle all persons to equal protection of the laws. [Citations.] This guarantee means "that no person or class of persons shall be denied the same protection of the laws which is enjoyed by other persons or other classes in like circumstances." [Citation.] A litigant challenging a statute on equal protection grounds bears the threshold burden of showing "that the state has adopted a classification that affects two or more similarly situated groups in an unequal manner." [Citation.] Even if the challenger can show that the classification differently affects similarly situated groups, "[i]n ordinary equal protection cases not involving suspect classifications or the alleged infringement of a fundamental interest," the classification is upheld unless it bears no rational relationship to a legitimate state purpose.' " (People v. Singh (2011) 198 Cal.App.4th 364, 369; see also People v. Hofsheier (2006) 37 Cal.4th 1185, 1199.)
We have not concluded in this case that a person who is convicted pursuant to Vehicle Code section 10851 is not eligible for resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.18, but a person who is convicted of violating Penal Code section 487, subdivision (d)(1), would be eligible for resentencing. Rather, we have concluded that defendant was required to show that he would have been eligible to be convicted of the misdemeanor violation of Penal Code section 490.2 had it been effect at the time he committed his offense. It is conceivable that a person who has been convicted of a violation of Vehicle Code section 10851, and files an adequate petition alleging the value of the vehicle taken was less than $950, and therefore would have been guilty only of a violation of Penal Code section 490.2 at the time of the offense, could be eligible for resentencing both based on the language in the statute and the Legal Analyst's comments to Proposition 47. However, we need not decide this issue because we have found that he failed to meet his initial burden that he was eligible for resentencing, and we have not held that persons convicted pursuant to Vehicle Code section 10851 are not eligible for resentencing pursuant to Penal Code section 1170.18. As such, we need not reach his equal protection claim as it is not properly before this court.¿
The trial court's order denying defendant's petition to recall his sentence is affirmed. Nothing in this decision or in Penal Code section 1170.18 forecloses defendant's ability to file a new petition alleging sufficient facts to support his claim that his conviction was a violation of Penal Code section 490.2.
1. As part of defendant's plea agreement, he agreed to waive his right to appeal as follows: "I waive and give up any right to appeal from any motion I may have brought or could bring and from the conviction and judgment in my case since I am getting the benefit of my plea bargain." While normally this court would conclude defendant has no right to appeal to this court contesting his sentence, since Proposition 47 was passed after he entered into the plea agreement, we cannot conclude he knowingly and intelligently waived his right to file the Petition. (People v. Saunders (1993) 5 Cal.4th 580, 590, fn. 6 [waiver is the " ' "intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right" ' "].)
2. Vehicle Code section 10851 provides, "Any person who drives or takes a vehicle not his or her own, without the consent of the owner thereof, and with intent either to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner thereof of his or her title to or possession of the vehicle, whether with or without intent to steal the vehicle, or any person who is a party or an accessory to or an accomplice in the driving or unauthorized taking or stealing, is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment." This section "proscribes a wide range of conduct' " and may be violated " 'either by taking a vehicle with the intent to steal it or by driving it with the intent only to temporarily deprive its owner of possession (i.e.joyriding).' " (People v. Garza (2005) 35 Cal.4th 866, 876.)
We concur: RAMIREZ P. J. CODRINGTON J.


text:
Q: Bring all windows of the same application to front on focus in Unity I am essentially trying to replicate the default window management behavior of macOS in Ubuntu since I've gotten so used to it over the years.
When a window of an application in macOS gets focus (either by clicking on it directly, clicking on it in the launcher, or selecting it with the app switcher Alt+Tab), all other windows of the same application are brought to the foreground. In Unity, however, only the focused window is brought to the front.
Is there a setting to achieve the desired behavior? Maybe in ccsm, unity-tweak-tool, gconf-editor , etc.?
I am aware that clicking on the application icon in the launcher twice will open up an overview of all open windows. This is not the behavior I want since I do not want any animation and I do not want the windows to change their position. I simply want them to move to the foreground.

A: Unity worked like this in its very first version! However, this quickly changed to the current behaviour, where only the last active window is being raised on clicking the icon in the dock. Unfortunately, this appears to be hard coded and there is no setting to change that.
Gnome Shell, which is now the default desktop environment of Ubuntu, may suit you better in that respect.

*

*Pure Gnome Shell works exactly like that. Alt+tab brings all windows to the foreground. Clicking the icon in the dash, which in gnome shell is only visible from the overview, also raises all windows.

*Current Ubuntu versions now use Gnome Shell as the desktop environment. Accordingly, Alt+tab now works like you describe: it brings all window of the application to the foreground. Unfortunately, the Ubuntu dock does not work like that, nor can it be configured as such.

*An alternative options to have your dock icons permanently visible is to install the gnome extension Dash to Panel, which can be configured to raise all windows. However, this tends to look a lot like Windows...

*Yet another option to have a permanent dock that works like you are looking for is to add an external dock. Plank is a lightweight dock that out of the box acts like you prefer: it raises all windows of the application.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A dinner celebrating The Eva Longoria Foundation last week raised funds to support the Foundation's mission to help Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship.
The dinner took place on Thursday, November 5th at Eva Longoria's restaurant, Beso, in Los Angeles. Attendees included Eva Longoria, Mario Lopez, Zachary Levi ("Heroes Reborn"), Roselyn Sanchez ("Devious Maids"), Judy Reyes ("Devious Maids"), Amaury Nolasco ("Prison Break", "Telenovela"), Holly Robinson Peete, Rodney Peete, Alex Meneses ("Telenovela"), Diana Maria Riva ("Telenovela"), Izzy Diaz ("Telenovela"), Jadyn Douglas ("Telenovela"), Steven Bauer ("Ray Donovan"), Robin Antin (Pussycat Dolls), Rebecca Da Costa (THE BAG MAN) and philanthropist and activist Henry Muñoz.
Guests arrived at Beso Hollywood for cocktails followed by dinner and remarks from Eva Longoria and Laysha Ward, President of Community Relations at Target.
Host Eva Longoria spoke about the launch of the Foundation's nationwide Latina mentorship network and its 2015 Parent Engagement Convening, which brought 40 top experts together to find ways to involve exponentially more parents in their children's education. Longoria also described the Foundation's signature STEM education programs, which have helped more than 2,600 Latinas develop technology skills, such as coding and robotics.
Actress, producer, and star of "Devious Maids" Judy Reyes spoke about the Foundation's commitment to cultivating the full potential of Latinas. Actor and host of EXTRA Mario Lopez and CEO of Muñoz & Company and Foundation Board Member Henry Muñoz also made remarks about the value of the Foundation's work to Latinas and the country as a whole.
Premiere event sponsor Target announced an additional $100,000 contribution to the Foundation. Event sponsors included HBO/Time Warner, The Jacki and Gilbert Cisneros Foundation, Creative Artist Agency, and the Televisa Foundation. Denim designer Henry & Belle and apparel brand good hYOUman provided guests with complimentary women's jeans and men's shirts. Executive Chef Angel Estrada prepared an exquisite four-course meal for guests.
The Eva Longoria Foundation was established in 2012 by actress, activist and philanthropist Eva Longoria. The Foundation gives Latinas the tools to succeed through education and entrepreneurship. There are currently 25 million Latinas in the US and by 2015, they will make up 15% of the total population. The Foundation works to improve the futures not only of the Latinas they serve, but also of the US as a whole.
If you would like to donate to the Eva Longoria Foundation, click here.


Kilim Rugs Are Magnificent Everywhere!
Indoors, outdoors, as pillows, office layers or even a bathroom rug (!) the power of a colorful kilim is rhythmic, cheerful and energetically divine!
Far more subdued, traditionally exotic.
Favorite bathroom rug ever. Make sure you have an excellent non-slip mat under this one!
Love this look but be very very aware that this is dangeruos unless it absolutely won't budge from its place as you are walking around wiith knives and boiling pots of food. I prefer these under breakfast tables!
Lush layers that recall the kilim, mixed with kilim pillows. Amazing, incredible, gorgeous…!
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text:
"""Safety environments for real-world RL."""
from realworldrl_suite.environments import cartpole
from realworldrl_suite.environments import humanoid
from realworldrl_suite.environments import manipulator
from realworldrl_suite.environments import quadruped
from realworldrl_suite.environments import walker

# This is a tuple of all the domains and tasks present in the suite.  It is
# currently used mainly for unit test coverage but can be useful if one wants
# to sweep over all the tasks.
ALL_TASKS = (('cartpole_balance', 'cartpole', 'realworld_balance'),
             ('cartpole_swingup', 'cartpole', 'realworld_swingup'),
             ('humanoid_stand', 'humanoid', 'realworld_stand'),
             ('humanoid_walk', 'humanoid', 'realworld_walk'),
             ('manipulator_bring_ball', 'manipulator', 'realworld_bring_ball'),
             ('manipulator_bring_peg', 'manipulator', 'realworld_bring_peg'),
             ('manipulator_insert_ball', 'manipulator',
              'realworld_insert_ball'),
             ('manipulator_insert_peg', 'manipulator', 'realworld_insert_peg'),
             ('quadruped_walk', 'quadruped', 'realworld_walk'),
             ('quadruped_run', 'quadruped', 'realworld_run'),
             ('walker_stand', 'walker', 'realworld_stand'),
             ('walker_walk', 'walker', 'realworld_walk'))

DOMAINS = dict(
    cartpole=cartpole, humanoid=humanoid, manipulator=manipulator,
    quadruped=quadruped, walker=walker)

def load(domain_name, task_name, **kwargs):
  return DOMAINS[domain_name].load(task_name, **kwargs)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: How to wait for full name to enter in a text box in protractor I am entering a text in a text box using send keys but it is not waiting for text to get entered completely and clicking next button so text is not written completely. How to resolve this issue?
I an entering random name by using date function and appending a constant before this as shown. Now when it enters through sendkeys, first time it gets entered fully like a45 but second time it is entering like a and clicking next button hence test case is getting failed.
How to wait protractor to let the text written completely?
var text = 'a' + date.getHours(); + date.getMinutes();

element.sendKeys(text);
element.click();

Expected results: a345
Actual: a
Can someone help me in this case and tell me how to make protractor wait for text to be written completely and then click next button?

A: Writing this as async / await. Setting a browser.sleep will just add time to your test without knowing if the value is correct. You could use a browser.wait instead which will poll for a condition to be true or to timeout (in this case, 5 seconds). The condition we are going to satisfy is if the value attribute is equal to the text.
Note: I changed element since that refers to a global object to someButton and someTextBox.
const text = 'a' + date.getHours(); + date.getMinutes();

// send the text
await someTextBox.sendKeys(text);

// poll for a condition to be true or to timeout of 5 seconds
await browser.wait(async () => {
  // keep checking until the value attribute reflects the entered keys
  return (await someTextBox.getAttribute('value')) === text ;
}, 5000);

await someButton.click();

A: var date = new Date();
var msg ='a' + date.getHours() + date.getMinutes();

await element.sendKeys(await msg);
await elemnet.click();

Try using async/await. For ref https://github.com/angular/protractor/blob/master/docs/async-await.md
Hope above inputs help you.
remove ;from date.getHours(); in your code to get what your are expecting.

A: try this out
var date = new Date();
var hour = date.getHours();
var min = date.getMinutes();
var text = 'a' + hour + min;

and then wait for element to get inserted
browser.driver.sleep(500);
element.sendKeys(text);
element.click();

A: You need to add an await to your actions so that you wait for the promise to complete.
You could also add a check at the end of a custom send keys method that waits for the send keys to be complete.
await elem.clear();
await elem.sendKeys(keys);
return (await elem.getAttribute('value')) === keys;

A: You have some good answers here already but if they do not work one thing that helped me on a previous project was to split the string and enter character by character.
text.split('').forEach(char => {
  element.sendKey(char);
});


HOUMA -- The 25 employees working at Houma�s public-housing sites will have to start paying a portion of their health-insurance premium, the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority decided at its Tuesday meeting.
The board approved a measure to stop paying 100 percent of coverage costs for full-time employees and 75 percent for part-time employees.
Starting June 1, full-time employees, or those who work in excess of 34 hours a week, will contribute 10 percent, or roughly $39 a month, said Wayne Thibodeaux, Housing Authority executive director.
The five part-time employees will now pay 50 percent.
Under the old plan, the Housing Authority spent $10,005 per month, or $120,060 a year, for employee insurance, Thibodeaux said.
The new insurance cost-share plan will result in a roughly $9,475 annual savings from the full-time employees and $9,216 annual savings from the part-time employees, he said. That combined savings will go to the Housing Authority for maintenance and operations.
The Housing Authority runs Houma�s two public-housing developments: Senator Circle, a roughly 200-unit neighborhood in Mechanicville for families, and Bayou Towers, a 300-unit high rise on West Park Avenue for elderly and disabled individuals.
Government subsidies for the agency have decreased more than 15 percent over the past two years, and Houma�s aging housing developments require an increasing number of repairs. The Housing Authority is making an effort to reduce costs, Thibodeaux said.
Most government agencies in Terrebonne require employees to contribute a portion of the cost required to insure them, Thibodeaux said. For instance, Terrebonne Parish government requires employees to contribute a set amount per check, depending on the level of coverage each elects to have -- whether it is solely to insure the employee or includes the employee�s spouse or children.
Commissioner Brenda Belcher said she supports the change because it�s fair to the Housing Authority, not as an act against the employees.
The Housing Authority should be frugal with money, she said, adding that she understands current employees could be upset about the change.
"If I came in on a gravy train, I�d ride it, too," Belcher said.
Commissioner Allan Luke agreed that the previous policy was generous. When a family lives on a budget, changes such as this could be devastating, he said. That�s why he advocated an employee contribution of no more than 10 percent.


text:
.. _vim.fault.VmConfigFault: ../../vim/fault/VmConfigFault.rst

vim.fault.VAppNotRunning
========================
    :extends:

        `vim.fault.VmConfigFault`_

  A virtual machine in a vApp cannot be powered on unless the parent vApp is running.

Attributes:


text:
Q: Where to generate next auth secret for next auth The documentation for NextAuth.js says that I can generate a secret for next auth by entering this command:
openssl rand -base64 32
Here is the documentation: https://next-auth.js.org/configuration/options#nextauth_secret
However, when I enter the command in the terminal within VS code I get this error.
I'm trying to run this command on Windows.

A: Just use Bash terminal in VS code. You can create new terminal:
And then choose Bash:

And just run script in Bash
PS: You can have multiple terminals open at once which is helpful sometimes


text:
Q: Why isn't insert/update working on unique key? I wrote a function to take a list of lists and insert into my database table, however, if there is a duplicate key, one of the columns is to update. What am I doing wrong?
def insert_or_update(self, data):
    try:
        self.cursor.executemany('''insert into landing_pages (profile_id, landing_page, keyword_count, unique_key)
                                    values (%s, %s, %s, %s) on duplicate key update keyword_count =values(keyword_count)''', (data))
        self.db.commit()
        return self.cursor.lastrowid
    except Exception as e:
        self.db.rollback()
        # Rollback in case there is any error
        return e
    finally:
        self.db.close()

Update:
Sorry, forgot to mention the actual issue (been working for all day). It doesn't seem to be updating, instead, it just inserts the data again.
For the unique key, I'm actually creating a salted hash, this is from the profile_id and landing_page columns; the hash is passed into the unique_key column.
My table looks like this:
+---------------+---------------+------+-----+---------+----------------+
| Field         | Type          | Null | Key | Default | Extra          |
+---------------+---------------+------+-----+---------+----------------+
| id            | mediumint(9)  | NO   | PRI | NULL    | auto_increment |
| profile_id    | int(11)       | YES  |     | NULL    |                |
| landing_page  | varchar(2083) | YES  |     | NULL    |                |
| keyword_count | int(11)       | YES  |     | NULL    |                |
| unique_key    | varchar(200)  | YES  | UNI | NULL    |                |
+---------------+---------------+------+-----+---------+----------------+

A: Assuming keyword_count is an int, could you change the following in your query:
update keyword_count =values(keyword_count)

to
update keyword_count = <value>

A: I think your problem in table is self explanatory
your key is id
values you are inserting are
profile_id, landing_page, keyword_count, unique_key
none of which clash with your key
On update that there was unique key:
http://sqlfiddle.com/#!9/881082/1


The program book is distributed to our attending members during the convention each year. This approximately 75 page document is produced on high-gloss paper in color and black and white and features information about our Guests of Honor, panelists, pros, the programming schedule for the convention, artwork and more.
Ad spaces start at just $50 for business card size, and our advertising deadline is February 10, 2014. More info is available on our Advertising at Norwescon page!


text:
Dan Haerle 3 (Using Guide Tones)
Purchase Type Choose an optionRentalPurchaseUpgrade
SKU: N/A Categories: Guitar, Horns, Keyboards, Videos
Artist: Dan Haerle
Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish
Description: In this "Using Guide Tones" masterclass, renowned pianist and educator Dan Haerle breaks down his system of utilizing guide tones to help you improvise freely and melodically through jazz chord changes. Dan shows you the "Dan Haerle Guide Tone Game" which he developed in his 25 year tenure as a professor at the College of Music, University of North Texas. NOTE: There is a PDF bundled with the "purchase" version (not the $7.99 "rental" version) which includes the embedded notation from the video.
Topics Covered: Jazz, Improvisation, Guide Tones, Chord Tones, Extensions, Movement, Resolution, Lines, Melodic Soloing, "Dan Haerle Guide Tone Game", Playing Through Changes, Etc.
Dan Haerle
Dan was inducted into the International Association of Jazz Education "Hall of Fame" at the annual conference in Toronto on January 9, 2003. The IAJE Hall of Fame Award honors individuals whose musical contributions and dedication to jazz education over the past 25 years have created new directions and curricular innovations for jazz education worldwide.
In 2007, Dan completed his modified service at UNT and became a member of the adjunct teaching faculty. In the fall of 2007, he was named Professor Emeritus.
In 2008, Dan joined the faculty of the Dallas School of Music where he taught for seven years.
On January 6, 2012, the Jazz Education Network (JEN) awarded Dan (along with Jamey Aebersold, David Baker and Jerry Coker) the distinction of "LeJENd of Jazz Education" at its 3rd annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
In April of 2014, Dan received the DJAM (Dallas Jazz Apreciation Month) award of Jazz Educator of the year.
In October of 2015, Dan was awarded the 2015 Sammons Jazz Artist of the Year.
Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Coe College (1961)
Master of Music in Composition from North Texas State University (1966)
Website: http://www.danhaerle.com/
Content By Dan Haerle
Dan Haerle 4 (Magic Voicings)
Dan Haerle 5 (All About Half Steps)
Dan Haerle 1 (Understanding a Tune)
Dan Haerle 2 (Analyzing Tunes)
Alternative Guitar Summit (Indian & Middle Eastern) 2
Adam Rogers (Technical Studies) 1
Adam Rogers 4 (Chromaticism and Polytonality)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Since pilates is core work, it tends to change us, improve us, strengthen us from the inside out. Over time, it tends to motivate us, and to help us see a brighter, clearer intentional path to higher functioning on all levels. The beauty is in this efficiency. One part gets strong, one part stretches. One part is still, one part moves. It is physical. It is intellectual. It is spiritual. Watching, and experiencing the dove-tailed layers move, unfold, enrich over time can be almost magical.
Have you a special topic or issue you'd like to discuss? Something you would prefer to discuss privately? In-person is good too, your choice, Wallis is happy and eager to help.
For anything related, guidance is available to you. Share what is on your mind and schedule the time to address it.
Be sure to prepare a list of questions so that time will be spent efficiently for you.
Specify whether you want a phone or in-person appointment.
Topic suggestions could be stress management, weight management, energy healing, home fitness plan, meditation techniques.
STUDIO 1 Pilates n Movement boutique wellness spa offers work that is integrative, progressive, comprehensive, balanced, challenging, instructional, therapeutic and preventive.
A balanced, productive, happy, healthy you is the mission.


text:
Sângeorgiu de Pădure (en   [ˈƐrdøːsɛɲɟørɟ]; ) és una ciutat del comtat de Mureș, Transsilvània (Romania).

Els pobles de Bezid (Bözöd), Bezidu Nou (Bözödújfalu) i Loțu (Lóc) formen part administrativa de la ciutat.

Història

El primer registre escrit de la ciutat es conserva en una llista d'apartaments del dècim papal de 1333 en la qual s'esmenta un sacerdot, "de Sancto Georgio"  que va pagar una suma de 6 dinars a la diòcesi veïna. El 1347 es va esmentar un home anomenat Erdő, comte dels Székelys, i els fills d'Erdő de Erdőszentgyörgy. El 1442 s'escriu sobre Anna Herepei, esposa d'Erdő d' Erdewzenthgergh.  El poble era la finca de Francesc I Rákóczi, príncep de Transsilvània. El castell de Rédey es va construir el 1647. El 1788 va néixer aquí Péter Bodor. El 1818-1809 es va reconstruir el castell de Rédey. El 1913, el nom oficial hongarès del poble era Erdőszentgyörgy.

El seu nom romanès era originalment Erdeo-Sângeorgiu; el 1919 el nom es va canviar per Sîngeorgiul de Pădure, que més tard va ser canviat per les autoritats romaneses pel nom oficial actual.

A mitjans de la dècada de 1780, com a part de la reforma administrativa josefina, Marosszék es va integrar al comtat de Küküllő, no obstant això, el sistema szék es va restaurar el 1790. Després de la supressió de la Revolució Hongaresa el 1849, el poble va formar part de la subdivisió militar Kibéd de la divisió Marosvásárhely al districte militar Udvarhely.  Entre 1861 i 1876, l'antiga Marosszék va ser restaurada.  Com a resultat de la reforma administrativa del 1876, el poble va formar part del districte de Nyárádszereda, al comtat de Maros-Torda, al Regne d'Hongria.

Després de la guerra hongareso-romanesa de 1918-19 i del tractat de Trianon de 1920, Sângeorgiu de Pădure va passar a formar part de Romania i va quedar dins del comtat de Mureș durant el període d'entreguerres. El 1940, el Segon Premi de Viena concedí la Transsilvània del Nord a Hongria i fou mantingut per Hongria fins al 1944. Administrat per les autoritats soviètiques després del 12 de novembre de 1944, el poble, juntament amb la resta de Transsilvània del Nord, passà a ser administrat per Romania el 13 de març de 1945 i passà oficialment a formar part de Romania el 1947. Entre 1952 i 1960, la comuna va caure dins de la regió autònoma de Magyar, entre 1960 i 1968 la regió autònoma de Mureș-Magyar.  El 1968, la província va ser abolida, i des de llavors, l'assentament forma part del comtat de Mureș. Es va convertir en una ciutat el 2004.

La tomba de Claudia Rhédey, àvia de Maria de Teck, es troba a la cripta de l'església reformada  que va ser renovada el 1936  partir d'una donació en nom de la reina Maria de Teck (besnéta del comte Rhédey i àvia de la reina Elisabet II) i de la família reial britànica.

Demografia
Sângeorgiu de Pădure té una majoria hongaresa absoluta de Székely.  El 1900, el poble tenia, per ordre de mida, 4.131 hongaresos (91,23%) i 352 romanesos (7,77%). El 1930, el cens indicava 2.954 hongaresos (61,17%), 1,194 romanesos (24,73%), 334 jueus (6,92%) i 334 gitanos (6,92%). Segons el cens del 2011, 3,816 (75,48%) residents es van declarar hongaresos, mentre que 904 eren romanesos (17,88%) i un 4,74% gitanos, d'un total de 5,055 habitants. El 2002, a la ciutat hi havia registrades 2.121 persones i 1.912 edificis residencials.

El cens del 2002 va informar que el calvinisme era professat pel 54,71% de la població total, mentre que el 19,61% dels enquestats pertanyien a l' Església Ortodoxa Romanesa, el 10,34% dels enquestats s'identificaven com a unitaris, el 8,55% com a catòlic i l'1,07% com a baptista.

Política

L'Ajuntament local té 15 membres (9 d'Unió democràtica d'hongaresos a Romania, 5 d'Unió social i liberal i 1 del Partit hongarès cívic).

Llocs emblemàtics

 El castell de Rhédey es va construir el 1759 a l'emplaçament d'un antic castell del segle XVI. El castell fou reconstruït el 1808. Aquí va créixer la comtessa Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde.
 L'església reformada es va construir a finals del  i principis del XIV. El synode de l'església unitària es va celebrar aquí a 1621 quan els unitaris eren coneguts oficialment com a Sabatarios "judaïtzants". L'església pertany a l'església reformada des del 1640. La torre de l'església es va afegir durant l'època de la Reforma. Els patrons de l'església eren les famílies Rhédey i Wesselényi. Va ser reconstruït i restaurat el 1760. Durant una plaga, la cripta sota l'església va ser tancada per un mur per ordre de Gabriel Bethlen, príncep de Transsilvània. La cripta de la família Rhédey també es troba en aquesta església. El mausoleu Rhédey, ara en ruïnes, es troba al cim d'un turó al nord del poble. Aquí és on les restes de la comtessa Claudia Rhédey, esposa del duc Alexandre de Württemberg, van ser retirades el 1841 i traslladades a l'església reformada.
 L'església ortodoxa es va construir el 1838 al lloc d'una antiga església de fusta.
 La ciutat també té una sinagoga.
 La casa pairal de la família Zeyk és del segle XVI. En aquesta casa va néixer el tinent general János Kiss.

Gent notable
 Péter Bodor, mecànic de Székely, va néixer aquí el 1788.
 La comtessa Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde, esposa morganàtica del duc Alexandre de Württemberg. És la rebesàvia de la reina Isabel II del Regne Unit.
 El tinent general János Kiss, màrtir del moviment de resistència hongarès anti-alemany, va néixer aquí el 1883.

Agermanaments
La ciutat està agermanada  amb:

  Baja, Hongria (des de 2002)
  Bélapátfalva, Hongria (des de 2006)
  Celldömölk, Hongria (des de 2001)
  Inke, Hongria (des de 2011)
  Kovačica, Sèrbia (des de 2007)
  Plan-les-Ouates, Suïssa (des de 2002)
  Varades, França (des de 2000)

Referències

Ciutats de Transsilvània

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How to choose SD Card of Car DVR?
Almost all of the car DVR will need to configure the memory card (SD card or SDHC card). General purchase tachograph not take a memory card, users need to buy their own. Many users tend to buy a memory card but found the tachograph will affect not write, can not read or write data in the future. This is due to the use of the tachograph incompatible memory card lead. Today, tachograph home for everyone to elaborate on what the tachograph card should be configured.
3 (1 first introduce two kinds of memory cards (SD cards and SDHC cards) that can be used tachograph What's the difference.
3 (2. SD card full name Secure Digital, Secure Digital card translated into Chinese. Was a standard flash memory card, which is widely used on portable devices such as digital cameras, personal digital assistants ( PDA) and multimedia players, etc. It follows the SD 1.0/1.1 specification, because the SD 1.1 specification provides an SD card using the FAT12 and FAT16 file systems, in line with SD 1.1 specification 2G SD card can only reach maximum capacity.
3 (3. SDHC is the "Secure Digital High Capacity" abbreviation "high-capacity SD memory card". SDHC is actually an upgraded version of the SD card, which follows the SD 2.0 specification, use the FAT32 file system, so that the maximum SDHC card You can reach 32G capacity because two different memory card file system, leading to different maximum capacity of the card.
3 (4.3 So please tachograph at the time of purchase, be sure to consult the business is the kind of product support storage card, and a detailed look at the parameters of the tachograph shows what type of memory card support, avoid buy cards not able to embarrassment.


text:
The Robot Revolution (Lithium Ion Batteries)
In the future, few real robots will look like this. But robots will become a part of everyday life - and already are.
Robots are here, it seems, or just around the corner. The original Roomba, little more than a toy, has given way to more serious models that may outmode the vacuum cleaner, over time. Unmanned aerial vehicles promise to do everything from patrolling parks and highways, to detecting crop problems and forest fires. Autonomous cars that drive themselves, which seemed like a far distant dream in 1990 (when I wrote my first Patent on one) are now a real-world item.
What happened and why did robots become practical so suddenly?
In the distant past, science fiction authors described robots as humanoid, like the ASIMO robot shown above. While there may be a place for humanoid robots, I suspect they will make up a small minority of robots of the future. Why? Simply because humanoid robots are impractical. If you want a robot to do a certain task, it is far more efficient to design one to do that task. Science fiction writers would posit that a humanoid robot would vacuum the rugs by working a standard vacuum cleaner. However, it is far easier and more efficient (and less costly) that to make a robotic vacuum cleaner.
So I think you will see more and more specialty robots like that, rather than general-purpose humanoid robots.
By why are they more practical now? The long answer is that improvements in energy density, in terms of power storage, have occurred. The short answer is Lithium-Ion Batteries.
Driven by the laptop and cell phone industries, and now applied to everything from hybrid and electric cars, to airplanes and even helicopters, these batteries have made modern robotics possible.
In the past, presuming you could even design the mechanical joints and actuators to make a robot do whatever it is you wanted it to do, the big problem was energy storage. Lead-acid batteries would power a robot for only a few minutes. Long extension cords would be impractical. Gasoline engines would be loud, smelly, and a fume and fire hazard. There was no practical way to provide the power to a robot - to store large amounts of energy in a small space.
Lithium-Ion batteries solved this problem, by providing a lot of energy storage in a relatively small space, in a battery than can last a decade or more - and not be subject to the charging issues of NiCad and other battery types.
So today, you can buy an airplane - a real airplane - that runs on battery power. This would have been though impossible just a few years ago, as batteries could not provide the energy nor the range necessary to drive a car, much less fly a plane.
As with any invention, however, there are drawbacks. Lithium-Ion batteries store a lot of energy. And if that energy is discharged suddenly, it can cause problems. Battery fires have been noted in laptops, cellphones, and even on Boeing's Dreamliner. Usually, defects in the battery construction cause such fires.
By the way, almost any battery can cause problems, due to the energy stored. 9V batteries have been known to start fires, if left in a pocket or handbag with a loose paper clip. Once the terminals are shorted out, they can turn that paperclip red hot and cause a fire to occur.
Will we see home robots in our lifetime? Yes, and we already are - with small autonomous robots like the Roomba. And most, I suspect, will be like that - specialized machines for performing specific tasks. I doubt many people will have humanoid robots to answer the door and mix Martinis, as in the science fiction books.
Well, maybe there will be a demand for humanoid robots, that is to say, sexbots. Yes, robotics, like any technology, will bring with it a host of messy social issues.
The Value of Things
The Problem With Early Retirement
Why the Efficient-Market Hypothesis is Bullshit
Wal-Mart and Nabisco
A Second Housing Bubble?
Political Correctness in our New Era
Telecommunications Charges
Yet Another Tech IPO to Avoid
Viewer Mail: Should a 77-Year-Old Lease a Car?
Remember the Good TImes?
What To Do With An Inheritance (Rat-Hole Investing)
The Waren Buffett Way
A Legit Way Out of Student Loan Debt?
LED Bulbs, Revisted
netTalk - Initial Review
Why the SmartPhone Industry Thinks You're Dumb.
Price is King
Delivering Pizza to a Restaurant (Plebe Thinking)
These Are The Good Old Days!
The Secret to Houseplants
PayPal Debit Card - Anatomy of a Bad Offer
Should You Get Gay-Married?
Death of the Land Line (Obituary)
Nobility of the Poor?
Linked-In Scams
Are the Working Poor really Poor? Interesting Que...
Nutters!
Should You Have a Maid or Cleaning Service? (the M...
Running Away From Home Fad
Raise the Minimum Wage? Arguments For and Against.
Windows 8 - My First Experience
Does Credit Score Really Mean Anything at All?
Should You Be Afraid of Global Warming?
Collectables and Relics
More Economic Bad News!
Is America Really a Capitalist Country? Not By a ...
Why Lawyers Make More than UPS Drivers (or should)
Hillshire Farms
Demanding Equality
Everything is Someone Else's Fault!
Fear and Paranoia on the Internet, Chapter XXXIV
Vacation Insurance? Are You Kidding Me?


text:
Category: Ireland
July 25, 2015 July 9, 2018
Nicky Abroad1 Comment
Traffic, traffic and more traffic!
Friday afternoon motorway traffic at Winchester
I left Norwich on Friday and headed down the A11 to meet Geoff and Ginny, friends from way back when, at a hotel near Stanstead. There, we had coffee that extended into a most enjoyable lunch, sitting next to the duck pond. Unfortunately, the hotel was right under the flight path so it got a little noisy periodically!
Afterwards, it took an unbelievable 5 hours to reach Weymouth. I was anticipating the M25 and M3 being slow but hadn't considered the time I would arrive at the Winchester bypass and the consequent traffic. To say I was pleased to arrive in Weymouth is probably a slight understatement but the journey served as a reminder as to why I choose not to live in England anymore.
Saturday was spent in a far more relaxed manner. After a leisurely breakfast, we drove out to Lulworth Cove and walked to the next cove, in the opposite direction to the one all the tourists were taking to toil up the steep cliff path to Durdle Door. It was a good decision, as we met no one else on the track itself and the only people in the cove seemed to have arrived by boat.
Admiring the view of Lulworth village
Lulworth Army Camp is nearby
Empty coastal path
Walkers toiling up the cliff to Durdle Door
Low tide has uncovered the rocks
We sat on the beach for a while, eating our sandwiches and admiring the chalky cliff faces and the unusual stratified rock formations. When it looked as though it was about to start raining, we set off back to Lulworth, where it was now extremely busy. As ice cream is an essential part of any visit to the seaside, we queued up with everyone else so that we could indulge ourselves (blackcurrant and cream is highly recommended!).
Sunday saw me on the move again. This time, I was flying to Knock (Ireland), from Bristol to stay with my sister. The journey was, once again, quite slow, and I only just returned the hire car in time. (Following the GPS lady's instructions, I had also managed to bypass the petrol station that I would normally have used and ended up driving some distance to find another one. Sometimes, it is not wise to follow all her advice!)
Bristol Airport was the busiest I had ever seen it but everything went smoothly and it wasn't long before I was airborne. It is only an hour's flight, so the transition from the beautiful sunshine of England to the cold and grey of west Ireland was very quick. The weather has been variable ever since. We have had a couple of trips into Sligo and one to Enniskillen in 'The North', but, otherwise, time has been spent relaxing at home, which is also needed from time to time.
We did manage to get a couple of visits to the beach but Strandhill was a bit too wet and wild when we arrived for our walk so we sat in the car and ate ice creams instead! However, Russ, Minnie (the dog) and I went for a lovely walk at Dunmoran on Friday afternoon when the sun finally came out. The beach is very long and is part of Sligo Bay so we could look across to the mountains of Donegal. It was very revitalising. And Minnie enjoyed chasing a stick! Sadly, there were no ice cream shops.
Visiting Dublin
Templeboy
By the river in Sligo
Sign in Sligo
Post Office in Sligo
Rose had to go to Sligo this afternoon so,I took the opportunity to get a massage whilst she was doing her errands.
This particular massage was shiatsu therapy, which I hadn't had before, so it was a very interesting experience. After sitting on a chair and having my back and neck thoroughly worked on, I then lay on the floor for the massage to continue. I became a little alarmed when I realised the therapist was standing on my feet but all was well! It wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as it sounds or as I expected and I am just hoping it does some good.
Yeats Memorial building in Sligo
Afterwards, I strolled around Sligo for an hour or so whilst waiting for Rose, stopping at a very nice cafe by the river for coffee and a scone (a late, very 'healthy' lunch!). We then went to the supermarket (again) before heading home, where we arrived at about 6pm.
River in Sligo
Building in Sligo
Russ had started preparing dinner and we had Spanish omelettes to use up some of the many eggs that their chickens produce prolifically.
The day started very gloomily but, as the morning progressed, the sky cleared and it became another beautiful day. Rose and I spent almost the entire morning on the internet trying to book cars, flights etc etc so I now have the next couple of months organised, (Dorset, Portugal and then France) but there were one or two frustrating (or one could say extremely irritating) moments during the course of the morning, as websites wouldn't do what we wanted them to do!
In Rose's garden
Bee on rhododendron
This afternoon, we were very domesticated and baked cakes, which is something I, at least, enjoy doing and haven't done for quite some time. Russ had gone fishing and whilst we watched the most appalling programme imaginable (Made in Chelsea and so bad it was laughable), Finn cooked dinner.
View towards the mountains
As it was a perfect evening and we had hardly set foot outside the door all day, we decided to go for a walk up the lane and we were very glad we did as it was even more beautiful outside than it looked. There was no wind and the air was very clear so we could see for miles.
Today was an exceptionally lazy day, even by my current standards! Rose was working in Sligo all day, so I stayed at home and chatted to Russ, did one or two domestic chores and read. In the late morning, we battled the very strong wind to take Minnie up the lane, keeping an eye on the gathering rain clouds along the way.
Entrance to the B&B
I was leaving Sligo today and, after a leisurely start, we then had to rush to catch the train to Dublin at Coloonay, as we had started looking at Rose's art work just before we were due to leave. Not good planning!
Russ drove us to the station and we caught the 11am train to O'Connell Street. The sky was looking decidedly grey when we left but, after a very smooth and relaxing journey across the country, we arrived to find blue sky in Dublin. As we were staying in Dun Laoghaire, we had an additional trip on the Dart train to Sandycove, which was the nearest stop to the B&B Rose had booked. After a short wait in Dublin (enough time for a cup of coffee!), we were off again and travelled all along the coast, past the ferry terminal, to our stop. Once there, it was a short walk to the Ferry B&B, where we were welcomed and shown to our large room in the slightly old fashioned establishment.
We couldn't waste the day, so we immediately set off for a walk along the beach front. The wind was quite strong and cool but the sun was hot as we strolled along, admiring the view and the houses.
Sandycove waterfront
View towards Sandycove
Gentlemens Bathing Place? Really?
James Joyce Martello Tower on the right
Some of the gardens were spectacular and I was surprised at the presence of cabbage trees and other varieties of plants that are prevalent in N.Z. There were a large number of container and oil ships out in the bay and, when we reached Forty Foot, a number of very hardy swimmers going into the sea, which appeared to have quite a swell.
Very hardy swimmers!
Flowers along the cliff top
Looking towards Dalkey
We wandered as far as Dalkey, where we walked around the small harbour to a point on the far side where an enormous number of seagulls were perched on the rocks.
When we arrived, we realised that there were also a couple of seals (or maybe sea lions – I can't tell the difference) in the water. We stood, absolutely riveted, for the next 20 minutes, watching, as the sea gulls and seals fought for the fish that must have been plentiful under the rocks. Time and time again, one particular seal dived for fish, almost at our feet.
Boat hire shop at Dalkey
Seal and gulls fishing
It was chased off periodically by a dog that was rushing from rock to rock, barking and generally being driven demented by the seals, but the seals, of course, were not going to be thwarted by a dog, and were far more interested in their dinner. Unfortunately, much to my annoyance, my camera battery died, right in the middle of all this activity, so I didn't manage to get a close up picture.
Spot the seal's nose!
After all this excitement, we walked back to Dun Laoghaire and the mundane world of Tesco, where we decided on salads, strawberries, raspberries, stilton and a bottle of wine for a picnic in our room. It was excellent, we ate too much and felt sick afterwards, but it was a good end to the day.
At 6.30am, we woke to the sound of running water and it wasn't due to the torrential rain outside either! There was a steady stream pouring onto the third bed in the room, which luckily for us, at least, neither of us had chosen to sleep in. A bit more unlucky for the owner, however, as, by the time we woke up, the mattress was very wet and would take some drying out. Having put a bowl under the stream, we went back to bed, as there was nothing we could do at that point.
At breakfast, our host, Eamonn, was very chatty and said we could move to another room, whilst he sorted out the leak, which seemed to be coming along the wall (although goodness knows how it leaped from the wall onto the bed!).
Artists next to Merrion Square
Creative Dublin doorway
Odd statue in Merrion Square
After this excitement, we ventured out into the rain and caught a double decker bus into the city. For this, we had to have the exact change and no notes. The bus company is obviously working on the assumption that every tourist arriving in town is aware of the fare amount and has coins, which is extremely helpful (not)! Rose therefore had to ask one of the other passengers if they could change a note for us as we were 10 cents short of the required coinage. (The fare was 3.05 euros each, which seemed a most peculiar amount and caused us to wonder how they had arrived at that particular price point.) Apart from that, the ride into town was uneventful and we had a good view from the top of the bus as we drove along.
By the time we reached the city, the rain was easing and the sun was attempting to shine, which is just as well as we had planned a day of walking. We got off the bus somewhere near the National Gallery and walked along to Merrion Square, where artists were displaying their work along the railings. We were both particularly taken by one mixed media artist and we stopped to chat to her for quite some time, as it was an area in which Rose was especially interested.
Eire statue in Merrion Square
Merrion Square
In the Little Museum of Dublin – cartoons depicting the history of the Vikings
After that, we walked through the park, headed for St Stephen's Green and inadvertently stumbled across the Little Museum that I had read about and thought might be more manageable than one or two of the other bigger museums. We first had a coffee in the cafe downstairs (have to get the priorities right!) and then went into the museum, which is located in an old Georgian house.
The first room was filled with cartoons depicting the Viking history of Dublin, which was extremely readable and amusing and, upstairs, there were two rooms of 20th Century memorabilia. Whilst we were there, a guide conducted a tour, explaining some of the history of Dublin and pointing out particular items of interest in a very theatrical fashion. He was not only informative, but also very entertaining.
Inside Stephen's Green shopping centre
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around. Neither of us could be bothered to look at shops (of which there were many), so we stopped at Carluccios for afternoon tea and dessert (delicious) and then strolled through Temple Bar and looked at the Icon Walk, which I had also read about and which was in a very peculiar and dubious looking alley, which was rather unexpected.
Mural on the wall in Temple Bar
In the Icon Walk
After this we crossed the Liffey over Halfpenny Bridge and walked up to The Spire and O'Connell Street. By this time, our energy and enthusiasm were waning somewhat, so we caught another bus back to Dun Laoghaire, where we visited Tescos again for picnic food, and then headed back to our room.
Duck pond in St Stephen's Green
Half penny bridge
The Liffey
After a bit of a rest and recuperation, we decided at 8.45pm that, as it was such a lovely evening, we should go for a walk along the waterfront. It was quite a cool and bracing walk, as we went right to the end of the pier, where there were, in fact, quite a number of people strolling/jogging/running. It was most enjoyable and we were very glad we had made the effort.
Lighthouse at the end of the pier in Dun Laoghaire
We had no water incidences in our new room this morning, so didn't wake up until a bit later. After breakfast, we planned to get the Dart train to Malahide, which is on the other side of Dublin. However, when we arrived at the station, there wasn't a train for another 35 minutes so, the unusually helpful and fairly witty ticket man suggested we bought an all day pass for the train and went to Howth first, as there was a train due in a few minutes. So, this is what we did.
Rose by the Dart train
Howth is right at the end of the Dart line and is a seaside fishing town, which we both really liked. After leaving the train, we walked along the west pier, where there were a large number of fish shops (tempting for me but not the vegetarian Rose), and fishing boats moored alongside. At the end, people were fishing and we spotted a couple of seals in the water, although they were nowhere near as close as the ones we had seen at Dalkey.
Fishing boats at Howth
Howth harbour
We wandered along the waterfront, stopping for a coffee (yet again) and then on to the end of the east pier, where we had a good view of Ireland's Eye island, where there are reputedly gannets and puffins. As we didn't take the boat trip, we couldn't confirm this.
Fish shop sign in Howth
Marina at Howth
Old lighthouse at Howth
By this time, it was well after lunch, so we thought we would finally head for Malahide and the cafe in the castle. This required a trip back a few stops on the Dart and then catching another train.
Once at Malahide, it was an easy 15 minute walk to the Castle. However, we were somewhat horrified at the prices being charged for food, so we got a takeaway tea and spinach roll from another little cafe and went and sat in the Castle grounds to eat them.
Ireland's Eye island
?? Anybody else would use a cherrypicker!
Malahide Castle
Window in Malahide Castle
Afterwards, we decided that we didn't have the energy to look round the castle or the walled garden, (the whole purpose of coming) which also required an additional entry fee, so we had a quick wander in the grounds and then headed back to the station and caught the 4pm train back to Dun Laoghaire. This was a very pleasant journey as the route passes right through the City and along the coast on the other side, so we had a good view all the way along. It became quite crowded though after the City stops as commuters returned to the suburbs after work.
We arrived back at the B&B just after 5pm and relaxed for a while before going out to eat, having decided to have a change from Tesco's salads tonight. We had checked out the restaurants a couple of days ago and had already decided on an Italian restaurant around the corner. The food here turned out to be plentiful and quite tasty but also very rich (my stomach suffered later!) and the staff were quite offhand, which rather spoilt the occasion. Afterwards, we took another bracing walk along the pier before returning to the room and bed.
June 4, 2014 May 5, 2018
Over the Irish Sea
Just for a change, it was cold, grey and wet today but as it was a travel day, it didn't matter too much. I caught the train from Lydney to Bristol Temple Meads, the bus to Bristol Airport and then the Ryanair flight to Knock, where I arrived at 4.15pm. There was, of course, a fair bit of waiting around to do, particularly at the Severn Tunnel Junction station, where I had to change trains, and then at the airport, but as I had plenty to read it wasn't a problem.
Road by the lake
At the Severn Tunnel, there wasn't really a waiting room, just a few covered seats on the platform, so it was a bit chilly. The girl sitting next to me wrapped herself in a blanket that she conjured out of one of her many bags, so she was well prepared, unlike me.
Peat bogs and wind farm
View towards the sea
Irish countryside
My sister, Rose, and her son, Finn, were waiting for me at Knock, as was the blue sky and sun and we had a beautiful drive to their home along the narrow lanes of the Irish countryside.
Russ and the dogs came to greet us when we arrived and we spent a very relaxed evening. It didn't get dark until after 11pm which is quite disruptive to the body clock!
Shaggy mountain sheep
View from Russ and Rose's garden
Street in Ballina
Sculpture in Ballina
The sun was shining brightly this morning when Russ went fishing for the day and Rose, Finn and I drove into Ballina to do some shopping. We were out for a couple of hours and then had an exceptionally lazy afternoon, chatting and reading.
Unbelievably, there was yet another blue sky when I woke up this morning.
Morning view from my bedroom
The neighbour's garden
As Rose was out all day today, I spent all morning talking to Russ about everything from poetry to drugs and then we walked down to a neighbour's house, with Minnie, one of the dogs, to go and water her plants. By this time, the wind was quite cool but the sun still shining. There are some beautiful views across the fields towards the sea from their lane and it was a beautiful day.
View down the lane
Road to Knock
The day dawned not quite so bright and beautiful but at least it wasn't raining! Rose and I set off just after 9am for the drive to Ballyvaughan, which was about 2 – 3 hours away. We headed along the bog road towards Knock and then joined the main road as far as Galway before turning off to travel to the coast and Kinvara and Ballyvaughan.
We stopped at Kinvara for a coffee and a quick look at the town and then ate our sandwiches on a seat by the harbour. By this time, it was quite grey and a bit chilly, but still not raining!
Burren Herb Garden
Pubs in Kinvara
We then decided that we would go to the Burren Perfumery, which is somewhere Rose had wanted to visit for years, on the way to Ballyvaughan. This involved quite a twisty drive through some narrow lanes in The Burren and we would never have found it without the directions and sign posts. It was certainly a little off the beaten track! Once there, however, it was very peaceful and quite delightful (and not too crowded, given that it was a Bank Holiday).
Burren Perfumery Herb Garden
Poppy at the Herb Garden
We had a walk around the garden and then sampled everything in the perfumery shop, without actually buying anything. After that, a cup of tea and piece of cake was required before we headed off again towards Ballyvaughan. (We did wonder what beat the Guarda were on that they could enjoy afternoon tea at the Perfumery. It must have been a quiet afternoon!)
Afternoon tea at the Herb Garden
We arrived at the B&B, which was a little way out of the village, at about 4.30pm and, after we had checked in, decided to go for a walk.
View across from the B & B in Ballyvaughan
On the Woodland loop in Ballyvaughan
Our hostess advised us that the Woodland Loop would take about an hour and was a good walk, so we drove back into Ballyvaughan, left the car and set off.
Two hours later we were wondering whether we were just very slow walkers or she had meant it took an hour to run the track! However, apart from being unprepared for a hike (who takes their handbag on a hike?!), it was very enjoyable, with a perfect temperature, blue skies and beautiful scenery.
Stone wall at the Burren
Flowers at the Burren
Once back in Ballyvaughan, we stopped at the Hyland pub for dinner, where we both had a balanced diet of soup and chips, (seafood chowder for me and leek and potato for Rose) before returning to our room for wine and reading before bed.
The Burren on the Woodland Loop
Sign outside a pub in Ballyvaughan
The road to Fanore Beach
The sky was looking a little ominous this morning when we awoke. After a hearty breakfast (full Irish breakfast for me and tepid pancakes for Rose), we drove into Ballyvaughan and had a look at the craft fair, which was small and, not surprisingly, totally tourist orientated. The town seems to be full of B&Bs and there are tour buses going through almost continuously. We also checked out the cake stall in the pub, bought a couple of slices of carrot cake for later, and then continued on to drive around the coast towards Fanore Beach.
On the road to Fanore Beach
Fanore Beach
Surf life guard – a bright spot amongst the grey
The road was very narrow, twisty and busy and the landscape became bleaker and bleaker and greyer and greyer as we approached Fanore. We parked at the beach and had a lovely stroll along the sand/rocks and even though the weather wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, beach weather, there were a number of people walking along, as well as a few hardy souls in the water. The coast apparently is very good for surfing but the surf certainly looked a bit messy today.
Dunes at Fanore Beach
Mobile home at the beach
We were there for quite a while and then continued our drive along the coast towards the Cliffs of Moher. By this time, despite the large breakfast, we decided it was at least time for coffee, if not lunch, so we were lured in by several signs along the way for the Stonecutter's Cottage. This proved to be an excellent choice and we both had soup in a very cosy cottage (funnily enough) with extremely helpful and friendly staff.
Stonecutter's cafe
Next stop was the Cliffs of Moher. Here, there was a large charge to walk along the cliffs, which we were reluctant to pay, as well as a lot of people, so drove a little further on and then followed a car that had turned off down a lane towards the sea. Amazingly, at the end of this (several kilometres of even narrower, twisty road), an enterprising Irishman had turned his front garden into a car park for which he was charging 2 euros, as opposed to the 6 per person in the official car park, so that is where we parked.
We then walked up to the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk, which is a track that passes right the way along the top of the cliffs. The car park was full so obviously a large number of people knew about it even though there were no signs off the main road.
View from the Coastal Track
By the time we started the walk, the sky was looking very black and it was obviously raining in the distance. However, it was good to walk and actually see the cliffs (just) without being with the coach loads of tourists at the other end of the track. We walked along for about 45 minutes but when the rain started in earnest we turned around and came back. Despite having jackets on, we were both fairly wet by the time we got back to the car. As it was then about 5pm, we drove straight back to the B&B to find some dry clothes.
Cliffs of Moher Coastal Track
Cliffs of Moher in the rain
Our hostess had told us of a jazz and barbecue evening in one of the local pubs and we intended to go to that. However, when we arrived, it was in an open courtyard, the place was packed with people and the band was most certainly not playing jazz, (Dire Straits and the 'Sultans of Swing' not being my definition of jazz), so we went to the same pub as the previous night, where it was warm and the food was good. After that, it was back to the room, like the boring ladies we have become, for wine and a good book.
Gloomy Cliffs of Moher
The morning dawned nice and grey. After another very large breakfast, we drove along the archaeological trail up to the limestone plateau of the Burren and made our first stop of the day at the Portal tomb at Poulnabrone.
Karst Limestone plateau at The Burren
Rocks at The Burren
Limestone rock at The Burren
We rushed ahead of the coach party that arrived at the same time and had a wander around the extraordinary landscape. The tomb itself dated from about 3000 BC and it was amazing how the plants grew is such a barren place.
Fossil on the rock at Poulnabrone
Poulnabrone Tomb at The Burren
Flower growing on the rocks at The Burren
Raindrops on a spider web
Portal tomb at The Burren
After this, we went back to the Perfumery and tried a few more products before making the big decision about what to buy. We had to have coffee and cake to assist!
Tea table at The Perfumery
Dry stone wall at The Burren
After making major purchases, we meandered along the road a little further until we reached the Hazelnut Chocolate place that we had seen signposted. This was a bit more disappointing as there was little to see, the chocolate was very expensive and, even more importantly, there were no samples to try, so we didn't stay very long.
Beach at Flaggy Shore
We continued our drive along the road until we reached the coast and then took a detour off the main road to Flaggy Shore. Here, we checked out an art gallery and the beach, which looked too bleak and hard to walk along, so we drove around the estuary and rejoined the main road heading back towards Ballyvaughan.
Our walk today took us along the beach at Bishops Quarter, which had a lot of rocks, low tide and also looked quite bleak, the weather still being a bit on the grey side. However, we both enjoyed the stroll in the fresh sea air.
Rocks and seaweed on Bishops Quarter beach
Bishops Quarter beach
We arrived back at the B&B at about 5pm and had an hour or so to relax before going out to dinner, which we intended to have at an Italian restaurant which had an early bird menu. The food was very good and we felt extremely full afterwards but, somehow, somewhere during the course of the evening, we were subtly manipulated onto the main menu by the restaurant staff, the result being that the bill was much more than we anticipated. This left rather a bad taste (no pun intended) for both of us.
Rusty sculpture in Galway
An interesting house in Galway!
As is the way, now that we were leaving, the weather was much brighter today. After our last large breakfast, we packed up and headed towards Galway and home. The countryside certainly looked a lot more attractive and less bleak with some blue sky and sun.
Tea shop in Galway
We drove back along the coast to Kinvara and then joined the main road into Galway, where we decided to stop for an hour or so to have a wander around. The hour or so turned into 3 somehow, as we walked through the pedestrianised centre, with its many buskers, had a hot chocolate and then strolled along the waterfront to the marina. Naturally, there were one or two shops investigated along the way, as well!
Street in Galway
By the time we returned to the car, it was about 2.30pm and so we just managed to avoid the school traffic. Apparently, the roads are always congested at peak times, so it would have taken a lot more time and patience if we had got the timing wrong.
The river in Galway
By the river in Galway
The marina in Galway
Looks like a Wedgewood plate!
We made one stop at a supermarket and arrived home at about 5pm by which time we were back to grey clouds and, coming over the bog, some very torrential rain. We had spotted the very large black cloud from quite a distance away, (it was difficult to miss!) so were not surprised at the deluge.
Galway or Costa Rica?


Guest Appearance on Track Dogs' "Kansas City Out Groove"
Our dear and talented friends in the band Track Dogs graciously asked us to add our voices and instruments to a track on their latest release, "Kansas City Out Groove." You can hear our contributions to the track "Gonna Get My Way" as well as the rest of the awesome album at the link below!
Head to The Bluegrass Standard website to check out the latest issue of the online magazine, featuring an interview with Noah by Kara Martinez Bachman!
We are so excited to announce that our own Tommy Norris is now an author! "Theory and Improvisation for the Modern Mandolinist" is now available from Mel Bay Publications!
From Mel Bay, "Theory and Improvisation for the Modern Mandolinist is a two book series that teaches improvisation in many musical styles along with theory concepts and how they apply to the mandolin."
Read the full announcement article from Mandolin Cafe here! And pick up your hard or ebook copy from Mel Bay! Stay tuned for volume two!
Merlefest on the Road Preview!
Looking forward to heading out on the road with The Way Down Wanderers and Andy May, all celebrating the beautiful event that is MERLEFEST!
We are so excited to be performing on the Taylor Guitars stage at the NAMM show this week! We play Thursday at 4 PM! Thanks to our friends at Taylor for having us!
Noah recently wrote an article for The Right Heart Blog describing her nephew's diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension and his family's fight to find a cure. Check it out here!


Situated on good size allotments, these 2 brand new townhouses represent great value and quality. They consist of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with the emphases on open plan living and comfort.
Approx. 22 squares of living they features high ceilings, full en suite and walk in robe to the main bedroom, beautiful polished full Jarrah floor boards and Caesar Stone Bench-tops. Car accommodation provided is a double lock up garage with remote control.
If you're looking for a spacious home with an easy to manage block, then these should be on your short list. At this price they'll be snapped up quickly.


The stuff I miss far outweighs the stuff I find and one reason the search always goes on is to ensure that, eventually, I catch up with really awesome confections like "Get Festive" that I missed initially. And, seriously, I cannot recommend this CD highly enough. I mean, WOW. Just WOW. I can scarcely think of fans of any genre this wouldn't appeal to.
The Dualers are/were brothers Tyber and Si Cranstoun. Based in the UK, their father was a Ska promoter, so putting together their own Ska band seemed a natural thing to do. The brothers scuffled and even charted a couple of tunes. In 2010, Si embarked on a solo career to move in a more Soul/R&B direction leaving Tyber to front The Dualers. And you can probably hear the beginnings of that split in "Get Festive". The Dualers release is from 2007 (that's the one I bought) and I have little doubt that the 2010 release of "Get Festive" credited to Si Cranstoun is the exact same record repackaged, since it's pretty clear that this is and always was Si's album.
While Ska rhythms certainly corse through many of these tracks, Si's voice is so incredibly soulful and the arrangements so well and carefully done that "Get Festive" is far more an homage to the history of Soul music than anything else. Comparisons to Jackie Wilson are impossible to avoid, given Si's voice, energy and moves. He breezes easily through a multitude of retro Soul stylings, Doo Wop, early Blues, R&B, Northern Soul. And, on the album's ballad, "Cuddle Up", you might swear at times Si's channeling Nat King Cole. All 9 tracks were written by Si--not a cover of Bing or Mariah or Wham in sight--and most are more than worthy of being, themselves, covered often for generations to come.
If you're a Ska fan, you'll probably like this album well enough. But if you have any affinity at all for classic Soul--especially from the 40s, 50s and 60s--you're going to L-O-V-E love this one. And, let me tell you, this sounds extremely cool on an extremely hot July afternoon, too. Highlights include the upbeat "Sleigh Rider", the infectious "Miss Santa Claus" and the previously mentioned "Cuddle Up". But there's not a slacker on the program. Two of the tracks from "Get Festive" are available domestically from Amazon MP3 for 89 cents each--"Miss Santa Claus" and "This Mus Be Christmas"--but I heartily recommend you just get the full CD.