I really enjoyed The Endsister, a thoughtful and beautifully composed ghost story for young readers. The Outhwaite family decide to uproot themselves from their comfortable semi-rural Australian life when they inherit a large, dusty house in London. Of course, this house turns out to be haunted, although the two girl ghosts, Almost Annie and Hardly Alice, drift about harmlessly, noticed only by the youngest Outhwaite, four-year-old Sibbi. But there's something far more malevolent lurking behind the locked attic door: "a cobwebbed thing, tattered and dusty, so long forgotten, so long forgetting." This dreaded Endsister seems to be sucking the life out of poor lonely Sibbi and feeding on the unhappiness of the older Outhwaites, especially teenage Else, trying to discover who she is now that she's abandoned her once-beloved violin, and Olly, their mother, who's left behind her friends and teaching job and is toiling fruitlessly at her PhD thesis.
All of the characters are vividly drawn, with the story told mostly from the perspective of Else, Sibbi and their stoic, nature-loving brother, Clancy. The descriptive prose is lovely and the family's squabbles are both funny and sadly true to life. I was interested to read that this story was initially conceived as a weekly serial, because the narrative is complex and cleverly constructed, neatly looping back on itself – as Clancy concludes, it is "a story that ends where it begins: a story about coming home." The revelation of the Endsister's mystery is poignant and deeply satisfying, and there's a lot to contemplate in this book about memory, creativity and belonging.
In fact, this novel is so intricate and ruminative that it won't be for all young readers. It's also quite spine-chilling in parts (the scene with Sibbi in the study gave me the creeps, although admittedly, I am easily spooked). The publisher says it's for 10-14 year olds – I'd recommend it for readers in that age group, and older, who enjoy thoughtful, character-based stories.
I have read The Endsister in its original online version, but not yet the new edition (disclaimer: Penni is a friend of mine, and so is Sandra Eterovic, who is responsible for the cover illustration).
I haven't come across Come Back, Lucy! though I will certainly look out for it now, it sounds wonderful! Why are all the creepy ghosts called Alice? (My daughter's name is Alice). I think the spookiest book of my childhood was Charlotte Sometimes.
I wonder how different this new edition of The Endsister is from the original version?
Apparently, Come Back, Lucy was published as Mirror of Danger in the US, so you might have more luck searching under that title. There's a good, slightly spoilery review here. I read Charlotte Sometimes as an adult and was not at all spooked, but I think that was because there were so many typos in the edition I read that I was permanently distracted (at one point, a character climbed onto a "grass" roof, which really confused me until I realised it was a glass roof).
In the first incarnation, Adelaide was a boy called Sydney. Else didn't play the violin in the climax (I know, what was I thinking?) No adults, including Dave and Jonty believed in ghosts (but when I was researching between writing the first version and the second, I stumbled across a statistic claiming a staggering 1 in 3 adults in the UK believe in ghosts). In version one, Sibbi actually inherited the cottage on the hill and Olly didn't decide to move back to Australia without Dave. In version 2, Olly is more clearly unhappy and a bit less 'stand by your man' -ish. The children do more sightseeing (I actually went to London between the two versions, so I went to the Natural History museum and walked around Buckingham Palace etc.) The whole book was in third person, and several of the scenes were written from Olly and Dave's points of view. And they didn't do the school tours in the online version. I think that's everything! Oh, and the nightclub couple Else talked to were a girl and a boy online and gay in the rewrite. Oh, and Pippa was white and they didn't have the conversation about Aunty May – I put that in because even though the family are devoted to Australia and identify as Australians I wanted to acknowledge that this wasn't a straightforward position. I wanted to show Australia still has a lived colonialism that makes identity and belonging complicated.
That's so interesting, Penni – thank you! It's nice to get these insights into your writing process.
I liked the hints that the adults were aware of the ghosts, especially the bit where the lawyer very considerately tells the (totally invisible to him) ghosts about Dorothy's death at the beginning! And that Dave and Pippa had 'grown out' of believing in ghosts.
But I can't imagine the climax of the story without Else and her violin! That tied everything together so perfectly.
I would have liked to read more about the children's sightseeing – it seemed a shame for them to be living in such a fascinating place yet not see much of it, although I can understand it makes more sense, plot-wise, to focus on what's going on in the house (especially as Olly being stuck in the house is an important part of the family unhappiness/homesickness).
I have been reading here for some time now (came for the Marlow books commentary, stayed because your blog is interesting) but this is my first comment.
I adore Come Back Lucy. It's one of my favourite children's books and the television series was good too – which as we all know, isn't always the case. It does such a good job of understanding how and why Lucy does what she does and manages to ratch up the tension very well.
Welcome to the blog! I'm happy to hear from another Come Back Lucy fan.
I had a look at some bits of the television series on YouTube and I'm sure the opening credits alone would have terrified me if I'd watched them as a child. She turns from the mirror and HER FACE IS MISSING! Those child actors seem really convincing – Lucy, Alice and the other children are just as I imagined them.
The Australian Amazon site sells the Kindle version of The Endsister but I'm not sure if you're able to access that from the US.
I think you'd really like Come Back Lucy (aka Mirror of Danger in America)! I hope you can find a copy. But you will probably not find it as spooky as I did, because I am easily spooked.


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The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop is taking a day off after a fun-filled weekend.
Police officers were mobilized to Webster Hall shortly before 8:30 p.m. last night when a large crowd lined up for "Summer Madness 2." Plus: The man behind the Magnetic Fields will celebrate with Big Gay Ice Cream.
The store is on winter break until next year, but the Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff remain romantic partners.
There'll be a ribbon cutting tomorrow.
Tweets and Facebook posts asking when the East Seventh Street store will open have officially become overwhelming.
A debut on the ice cream shop's debut. Bacon and chocolate ice cream sandwiches, anyone?
A roundup of this morning's news, including an Artichoke imitator in Hoboken and a big anniversary for Big Gay Ice Cream.
A sign touts a grand opening soon.
As Valentine's Day approaches, The Local is celebrating love in the East Village. Today, meet James and Veronica.
A roundup of this morning's news, including more on Pvt. Danny Chen, Festivus at Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, praise for Prima and the Wren, an opening date for Japadog, a fundraiser for the Bea Arthur Residence, and more.
Firefighters wait out a seeming false alarm at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop.
With Concierge Relationship Representatives and $20 rebates.


Ask TreeHugger: Do Scented Candles Stink?
Question: I have scented candles in my bedroom and living room, which I like to burn when I come home from work and want to relax. Lately, I have noticed that my walls look a little dingy. Is this from the candles? Why?
Response: In addition to leaving a nice smell, scented candles can also leave black soot and other pollutants (such as formaldehyde and acrolein) inside your home. The soot (especially) can deposit onto your walls, ceilings, and other indoor surfaces, leaving these surfaces looking dirty and dingy.
In addition to avoiding candles with lead containing wicks, you may also want to take other steps to minimize pollutant emissions from candles. For example, you should keep wicks trimmed to one-quarter inch and keep candles out of the wind or other drafts, both of which will allow for more complete combustion. You should also consider switching from scented to non-scented candles, especially to those that are made from beeswax or other natural materials. Finally, you should only use candles that burn cleanly (without the tell-tale trail of black smoke from your candle) and use a snuffer to put out the candle.


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Q: when the computed column will update? I have computed column in table called "Claim" and  definition of column is calling one scalar function.
I created a 10000 claims so when i select those 10000 claims the computed column will update are when 10000 rows inserting itself the computed column will execute?
Please update me
Thanks in advance

A: It depends if the computed column is marked as persisted or is indexed.
If neither of these conditions are true then nothing is stored and it is calculated at runtime. Otherwise it is automatcally updated when the underlying data changes.

A: The computed column computes its value when you execute a SELECT command that includes the column, assuming that the computed column's value is not PERSISTED.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) is a hot topic today. Successful IT-OT convergence requires close cooperation between the previously separate IT and OT groups within an organization. IT and OT cybersecurity teams need to follow suit. Convergence of their efforts will close gaps in existing, siloed programs and help defend the organization against new challenges.
Many industrial companies still view IT and OT cybersecurity as separate challenges. Different concerns and practices seem to justify siloed efforts and separation of responsibilities. However, attackers are already exploiting gaps between IT and OT defenses. For example, spam phishing is commonly used to gain privileges and entry into OT systems. And hackers are using HVAC and other poorly defended OT systems as entry points into data centers and corporate IT networks.
While necessary, IT-OT cybersecurity convergence will be challenging. The different priorities, practices, and technologies could be hard to reconcile. Cultural issues, such as overcoming the longstanding distrust between IT and OT groups can be an even larger hurdle. A convergence plan that anticipates these roadblocks is essential.
Keywords: IT-OT Convergence, Industrial Cybersecurity, ARC Advisory Group.


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How's Your Tree?
Audio Player Below
By Jarrett McLaughlin
In the category: Sermons
Jarrett McLaughlin
Scripture – Matthew 1:1-16
An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
Scripture – Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and Joseph named him Jesus.
Less than two weeks to go 'til Christmas, folks. Are the presents wrapped? Have they even been purchased? Is the menu set? What about your exterior illumination? How's your tree?
Am I stressing you out? I'm stressing you out, aren't I?
Let me ask you – on this, the third week of Advent – Are you feeling more Norman Rockwell and the home is alight with a soft glow and it's scene after scene of holiday perfection? Or are you feeling more Clark Griswold – slightly crazed and confident this whole holiday enterprise could go off the rails at any moment?
There's a scene in Christmas Vacation where the Griswold's doorbell emits this ominous tone – signaling the arrival of loud and boisterous family members who thrust heavy suitcases into waiting arms. Then Clark says "If you need me, I'll just be outside…for the rest of the season."
We are right at that middle point between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it may seem like it's all-too-soon to get back together with family already. This kind of focused family time leads some to say that the best Christmas lights are tail lights…leaving the driveway…family going back where they belong.
Try as you might, family is the one thing you cannot escape. So let me ask you again – how's your tree? Not your Christmas tree, but your Family Tree. Let me tell you about mine.
On Jackson road, in the middle of rural Rowan County, North Carolina there sits an old farm where my Father grew up. It has an old, gray barn that collapsed years ago. The 1911 farmhouse is still there.
There's a dirt track that cuts through the acreage and if you followed it far enough – tucked back in the woods you just might find what my family calls "the other place." It's an old, hand-built house that is falling apart – last I saw, no roof, two of the four walls were down. It's a wreck.
The interesting thing about the Other Place is that not a single soul ever lived in that house. It made a nice place for my Father to store his peanut crop when he was a teenager, but that house never became a home.
It was built by my great grandfather, Daniel McLaughlin – my brother's namesake – and he was apparently quite a character. He kept a moonshine still way back in the woods.
On the weekends, he had his ten year old son, who would be my Father's uncle – and I kid you not his name was actually Ditzo – well, Ditzo had to go with his Father and Uncle Cag down to Salisbury – the big city – where they'd "enjoy" some of their homemade spirits with the locals, and ten year old Ditzo's job was to drive those grown men back home when they were "unable to do so on their own."
So that's the kind of guy who built "the Other Place."
Daniel was the youngest of seven boys – and he wanted to acquire some land to start his own farm. Well instead of actually spending money and buying land like his brothers before him – he instead went up to his widowed Mother's place and said "Ma, how about you give me the land that belongs to the family and in return I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."
She was getting on in years – you know, like in her 60s – so Daniel figured "the rest of her life" couldn't be that much longer. I bet for a schemer like him this seemed like a really good plan to get his own land.
"Well what do you think, Ma?" he said.
"No," she replied, "I don't think I want to do that."
Well – in a huff, Daniel stormed out and took his savings and he bought up a piece of land nearby that would henceforth be called "The Other Place." He started building that house with his own two hands, and just as he was finishing, his Mom comes to him and says "You know, I was thinking, why don't you move in with me up at the main house and you farm the land and just live with me for whatever time I have left – after that it's yours."
She got him. And she got him even one better – that woman lived well into her nineties, so "the rest of her life" was a looooonnnnggg time.
Daniel and his mother Amanda and most of the other McLaughlin clan are all buried at Prospect Presbyterian Church – to most of the world they're just some names on a grave marker…but there's so much more there than just a name.
So that's how my tree is doing? How's your tree?
It may not make for a great page-turner, but Matthew begins the story of Jesus with a family tree – Joseph's family tree to be precise. It's a long recitation of fathers and sons, and boy does it have some odd names: Aminadab, Rehoboam, Jehoshaphat, Zerubbabel…if you're expecting in 2020, the only Baby Name book you need is the Bible. (Come on people, Make my dreams come true – I've always wanted to baptize a little Zerubbabel).
The names me by odd, but even stranger than the names are the stories behind them. Don't let all the halos in the paintings fool you – Joseph's family tree is as dysfunctional as any.
Of particular interest in the genealogy is the presence of four different women.
In a culture that was all about fathers and sons, the fact that these women turn up at all is nothing short of incredible – but who are they?
The first is Tamar – I bet you didn't know this – but in Genesis 38 Tamar pretends to be a prostitute and she tricks her father-in-law Judah into giving her children. That's…pretty gross. But the fact of the matter is that Judah was not doing right by her so she got creative.
Next one up is Rahab – who didn't even pretend, she actually was a prostitute – she lived in Jericho, but helped some Jewish spies infiltrate the city, and somehow she – an outsider – ends up in the line of King David.
Speaking of which, the next person is not even mentioned by name but it's Bathsheba – Matthew just calls her "the wife of Uriah." It's hard to say why she isn't named specifically. It might be Matthew's way of calling attention to the fact that King David abused his royal power and arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle so that he could take Bathsheba as his – not first, not second, but THIRD wife.
Take a closer look at Joseph's family tree and it's like the poor guy is related to the cast of "The Young and the Restless."
All of this serves as a preamble to this simple story of a young couple betrothed to be married, but suddenly it becomes apparent that the young girl is pregnant – and it ain't Joseph's baby.
Matthew takes care to say that Joseph was a righteous man – but that actually depends on how you look at it.
To say that Joseph is a righteous man ought to mean that he is obedient to Torah, to the Law. If Joseph is righteous it means he will equally apply the principles of the Law no matter what.
Here's what the Law says – you can find it for yourself in Deuteronomy 22:21 – the Law says that Joseph ought to gather all the men of his community, take Mary outside the city and stone her to death. That's what the Law says.
But Joseph doesn't do that – instead he resolves to divorce her quietly. How do we reconcile this? Matthew says that Joseph is righteous, that he's obedient to the Law, but then he goes and ignores the Law completely.
It makes me wonder if Joseph is obedient to something other than the letter of the Law? It makes me wonder if Joseph is obedient to the heart of God instead.
Now – before we go thinking that Joseph has that soft-lit Normal Rockwell halo – you have to imagine that this situation is really difficult for him. Doubtlessly he had imagined a normal life with Mary, where they had absolutely normal children – and now he has to put all of those dreams away. He must have been devastated to discover she was pregnant, but out of kindness, he decides to divorce her quietly.
Of course, before he can even initiate the divorce, an angel appears to him in a dream and asks him to do something even more difficult – take Mary as his wife, raise the child as his own, and lastly the angel says, 'YOU, Joseph, are to name him Jesus.' In Hebrew culture, to name a child is to acknowledge paternity.
Now – everybody in Nazareth knows this isn't Joseph's child – it's obvious. So in addition to being the guy who disregards the Law, in addition to signing up for a lifetime of "Mary and the Milkman" jokes behind his back, this angel is asking him to go one further – this angel is asking Joseph to adopt this child as his own son.
It might just be the greatest miracle of all in Matthew's Gospel – but Joseph agrees to do it. This righteous man who came out good in spite of a pretty messed up family tree takes in this "fatherless child" as his own – all based on the advice of some angel that spoke to him and him alone.
What is it that gave Joseph that kind of inner fortitude? If I understand Matthew's sequencing, I think he intends to suggest that it's precisely because of that very same family tree – warts and all.
On the one hand – Joseph can look back and see a number of "unconventional" families in his lineage – he can see that God works through and sometimes in spite of a pretty messed up family tree.
But Joseph can also look back to his ancestors and see Love… unconventional love…the kind of love that is perhaps more holy even than the Law itself. The one other woman that shows up in that genealogy is Ruth – as a Moabite, the Law says she shouldn't even be there, but she is – grandmother to King David no less.
Ruth – that foreign woman whose husband died and then she followed her destitute mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel.
Ruth who said to Naomi "Do not press me to leave you, where you go I will go…not even death can part me from you."
Ruth who said "I am staying with you no.matter.what."
Ruth has no business being in that family tree, but she is perhaps the very best of Joseph's ancestors…because her's is a story of a Love that transcends the requirements of the Law.
Joseph's family tree has some pretty messed up branches, but it has also produced some incredibly faithful fruit. Fruit that helps Joseph make a really difficult decision – to set aside the Law, to choose Love instead, to stay by Mary's side no.matter.what.
One of the true characters in Meg's family was her uncle Claude. Claude loved to travel – and frankly, he had the means to do so in style. We'd visit him at his senior living center in Richmond during seminary – we'd often catch him napping – and when he stirred he'd always say "I was just taking a trip…Egypt this time."
As a younger man, Claude went all over the world.
He loved traveling. That is, until his first son, Claudie, was born. The OB that delivered Claudie made some mistakes and Claudie was born with significant disabilities.
When Claudie was diagnosed, the doctor told them "this child will never develop – he will be a burden to you for the rest of your life – put him in an institution, forget about him, live your life." That's what the doctor said.
Now Claude and his wife Nancy loved to travel, they loved to live their life in style, but they did not follow that doctor's advice – they kept Claudie at home. They raised him themselves. They taught him how to live his life in style. They stuck by his side no.matter.what.
Until his recent retirement, Claudie would ride a man-sized Tricycle to his job at the Collegiate school in Richmond…every ten years or so they would auction his Tricycle when it was time for an upgrade – people would bid thousands of dollars for that thing. Claudie is an institution – easily the longest tenured employee at the school. Thanks to his parents who loved him and stuck with him, Claudie has a life that matters in spite of some significant obstacles.
Sometimes, our families are filled with incredible stories of unconventional love. Joseph's family tree was the same way – I believe Matthew wants to suggest that all those stories gave Joseph the strength to say to Mary; to say to this mysterious Immanuel-God-With-Us baby, I'm going to stay by your side no.matter.what.
It's interesting to wonder how much Joseph influenced Jesus. It's not like they shared blood or anything, but I can't help but wonder how much this man left a mark on that boy's life; because clear on the other side of Matthew's Gospel, 28 chapters and 30-some years later, a very-much risen-from-the-grave Jesus stands on a Galilean mountain before his incredulous disciples – guess what he says to them.
"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
In other words – "I will stay by your side no.matter.what."
I wonder where he learned that kind of love from?
I wonder where we might learn that kind of love from?
Jarrett McLaughlin , Pastor
Email: jarrett@upcch.org
Jarrett grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina where he had a pretty regular childhood – riding bikes around the neighborhood, muddling through school, trying to play various sports (emphasis on try), going through a phase of wearing lots of black in high school, and through it all, always finding a place of welcome in the Church. Jarrett became a "traitor" to his NC State traditioned family when he went to UNC-Chapel Hill for college. Missing youth group terribly, Jarrett quickly discovered Presbyterian Campus Ministry where, in addition to exploring his call to ministry, he also met Meg. After college, Jarrett served as a youth minister for one year and then spent another year traveling, spending a great deal of time in Port-au-Prince, Haiti living in community with disabled children at Wings of Hope. He then went to Union-PSCE Seminary (now "Union Presbyterian Seminary") and then went on to serve as an associate pastor for mission and young adult ministry at Village Presbyterian Church in Kansas City. In June of 2013 Jarrett and Meg accepted a call to serve as co-pastor Heads-of-Staff at Burke Presbyterian Church. In July of 2013 they learned that they would be expecting. In August of 2013 they learned they would be expecting twins. In September of 2013 they moved and told the Church all of this on their second Sunday. Jarrett is very much looking forward to NOT repeating that pattern as they accept the call to serve University Presbyterian Church. When not engaged at Church, Jarrett enjoys running and hiking. He is also an obsessive music fan intent on keeping up with independent music of all kinds – reading blogs and record reviews, scoping out live shows and constantly spinning tunes in the car, home or office. Most of all, Jarrett has a deep passion for the Church as a place of radical welcome and hospitality and tries his best every day to honor the ways he has experienced that in his own life as grace upon grace.
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209 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 - (919) 929.2102

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To kick off the season of spring, Shake Shack brings us a new Cherry Blossom Shake ready to get our tastebuds and Instagram feed's running wild!
We're unsure of how long the shake will be on menus but will probably coincide with Japan's sakura/cherry blossom season as the drink was made to represent it.
Previously only available at a few Japanese locations, customers can now order these in the US, reports The Daily Meal.


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21 New Instant Download DVDs now available from Hudson Music!
The title says it all – 21 New Instant Download DVDs now available from Hudson Music!
Now available are new videos from Stanton Moore, Buddy Rich, Victor Wooten, Rocco Presita and David Garibaldi (Tower of Power), Antonio Sanchez, John Blackwell, rudimental master Bill Bachman and more!
Born in Oakland, California, David grew up just East of San Francisco. Through his fascination for drums, he began playing music at age 10. His parents bought him his first drumset in high school and the rest, as they say, is history.
Teacher Guide: The Code of Funk
Part of a series of guides designed to help teachers integrate and utilize DVDs and new books with their students, these teacher guides are carefully constructed to give tips on using the source material, as well as supplemental books that will help to make a more complete educational package. Available in printable PDF format.


Welcome to week 3 of my free interactive 11+ Bucks course! This blog will be updated every week, just as if you were attending tuition. I am a professional 11+ tutor but I am sharing my weekly notes, tips, and clips from other free sites. I have carefully chosen clips that are relevant to you as you prepare for September 2018.
This week, I have a sample non-Verbal Reasoning paper written by the same exam board that sets the 11+ in Bucks. But first, some verbal reasoning.
In each question below, one letter from the word on the left must be moved into the word on the right to make two new words. The letters must not be re-arranged. Both new words must make sense. Write the two new words in the spaces provided.
PS: both must be real words, names aren't allowed, and all spellings must be correct!
Warm Up. Clockwise and anti-clockwise are very important in non-Verbal Reasoning: Here's a clip.
Play this one game (below) about angles.
Here is a Sample Paper from the 11+ Bucks (Buckinghamshire) exam board GL Assessment.
and a plughole and bathwater.
I will go through the sample paper section by section, giving insider tips. If you haven't seen non-Verbal Reasoning before, and many of you haven't, it will look very puzzling at first, even like nonsense. But there is sense to it, and with practice you will begin to see patterns and to solve the puzzles!
The following images are taken from the https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/media/169656/nvr-1-familiarisation-test-booklet.pdf.
What is the rule of the example puzzle below?
Rule 1, the dot acquires an extra ring around it, the number going up by one in each box. This is to do with number.
Which, A B C D or E follows the rules of the puzzle and completes the sequence?
P1: The next puzzle Practice 1 (or P1) has two rules.
Rule 1, the number of arrows increases by one each time.
Rule 2, the direction of the arrow alternates, pointing downwards then upwards etc.
Which, A to E, follows these two rules and completes the sequence?
Rule 2, the pattern for 1, 3, 5, shows that the six-sided shape (hexagon) is always the same but theshading of the diagonal lines inside the shape changes direction from diagonal to the left, to diagonal to the right.
Which out of A to E follows rules 1 and 2?
The following sequence has 3 rules.
Rule 1: positionof a shape is important (look at the example below, how the rectangle moves DOWN by 1/3 of the box. You can see it most clearly in boxes 2/3/4.) It returns to its original position.
Rule 2: the circle moves UP by 1/3 of the box.
There is also a 3rd rule: can you see what it is?
shape is important, and the so is the number of sides a shape has: triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, septagons, (even your octogons, nonagons and decagons).
Are all the arrows below going clockwise?
Trace you finger round in the direction of the arrow. Does it go the same way round as the fingers on a clock?
Trace your finger or pencil in the direction of the arrow. Does it go round the same way as the clock, or in the opposite direction?
The first set of arrows were all going clockwise, and the second set were all going anti-clockwise, but they may not have looked like it. That is why you have to TRACE IT.
When a shape moves around a box 90° (clockwise) it goes from corner to corner like this.
All those arrows are pointing clockwise too.
When a shape moves around a box 45°, it goes from the side to the corner, to the side to the corner, and so on.
We can also have on shape moving clockwise by 90° and another shape moving anti-clockwise by 45°. Look at the square first. Then the circle.
If you print and cut out the boxes and put them on top of each other you can see this for yourself: measure the angle if you have a protactor.
size is important. Does the shape get bigger, smaller? C = big shape, D = small shape.
layering (Only the top shape will be fully visible. If a shape obscures some of another shape, it means it is on top of that shape. Put 4 different coloured cards on top of each other – you can see one card obscures the card underneath (the part that overlaps the card underneath). This can go on for several layers.
You may want to print off the sample exam paper and use that. We are only going through section of the sample paper 1 here. Please keep the rest of the paper as you will need it in later weeks of this blog. Please do not look closely at the rest of the paper as there are very few example of free-to-use gl assessment papers, in fact this is the only one I have found so far. It is better for you to put it somewhere safe until I go through section 2 with you on this blog.
Clues: Direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) and Shape are the clues for question 1 Always cross off the ones you can eliminate with a quick stroke of a pencil.
If the picture is very complex and it is all too much to take in at once, like the picture above, focus on one part first, like the bottom left hand square, eliminate the wrong answers, then look at another part of the drawing, say the bottom right hand square, and eliminate what you can, until you are left with one. That is your answer.
When turning something in you mind, focus on one part of it so that you don't get lost and confused.
Clues: Position, Shading and Counting help with q10.
Clues: Pointing: up, down, up, which direction do things point in? and Shading.
Clue: Rotation of outer shape. Inner shape moves as well, but independently.
Draw these as you imagine each one will look upright, then compare it to the picture to see if you got it right. If you didn't draw the image on the picture, then turn it 90 degrees, and see how it really looks.
Did you remember to do the sequence from right to left on Q18?
If you found the rule fairly easily to find, if you could 'just see it,' you have good spatial reasoning skills and you will find that often you can 'just see' the answer. Some of us have to work at it, thinking it through in terms of number, size, shape, shading, direction, rotation, number of degrees of rotation.
Here are the right answers to the questions above. Do not waste them. If you got the answer wrong, or if you guessed, it is essential you read the explanation to learn 'how they think' and be on step closer to getting it right next time. If you got the answer right, you can learn from reading the explanations also.
These will be meaningless unless you look at the graphic of the question as you read the answer (scroll up and down). It is essential that you SEE the solutions.
B, Rule 1, because the circular shape moves from one corner to the next in the pentagonal shape. Rule 2, it moves anti-clockwise.
D, Rule 1, the shape, (I think of it as an anchor) flips 180 degrees in each box. Eliminate B and E. Rule 2, the black dot is always next to the straight line. Eliminate A. Rule 3, the curved line is replaced with a white circle, then the second curved line is replaced with a second white circle, and then the white dots get replaced by two curved lines again. So the picture in the next box must follow the sequence black line, black dot, and the curved line be replaced with a white dot. Only D works.
D, Rule 1, the oblong shape moves 1/3 of the way down the box. Rule 2, when it reaches the bottom of one box, it goes back to the top of the next box. So it can't be option B or E. Rule 3, the dot alternates shading from black to white, and we are due a white dot. So, it can't be option A. That leaves C or D. Rule 4, the dot also moves 1/3 of the square, but it goes UP the box, and it is due to be on the bottom, so it can't be option C. That leaves option D.
A, Rule 1, the shape (I think of it as something familiar, in this instance I think of it as buttons on a bag because that helps me visualise it) moves 45 degrees anti-clockwise. It is due in the top right hand corner so it can't be B, C or D. That leaves A or E. Rule 2, the black dot moves one place to the right, so the black dot is due in the middle. The answer is A.
D, There is too much to take in all at once so I focus on one small part of it to find Rule 1, each box gains two new semi-circles, with the white turning black, and the black turning white. Rule 2, the semi-circle in the bottom right hand corner of box 4, is black, so I know the next one has to be white, so I can eliminate A and C. I am now left with B, D and E. Rule 3, the semi-circle in the bottom left hand corner of box 4 is black so the next one has to be white, so out of the ones I have left, I can eliminate C. That leaves me with D and E. Rule 4, the semi-circle in the top left hand corner of box 4 is white, so the next one has to be black, so it can't be E, and it must be D.
D Rule 1, the pattern is hexagon, pentagon, hexagon, pentagon, so a hexagon has to be next, but all the options are hexagons so that doesn't help. Rule 2, The entire hexagon in boxes 1 and 3 rotates 90 degrees clockwise (I can tell by focusing on the shaded tip of it) so I can cross off B and E. Rule 3, The little leaf shape on the inside of the hexagon is always one corner to the left of the shaded triangle, so it has to be D.
C Rule 1: The arrow rotates 45 degrees, so it has to be A, B, C or E. I can eliminate D. Rule 2, the line appears by the circle, then by the arrowhead, then disappears. It is due by the arrowhead so it can't be A or B, which leaves C or E. Rule 3, The black and white half of the circle switch shading in each box, so it has to be C.
D Rule 1, the Y shape alternates between up and down, (it turns 180 degrees) and it is due to be upside-down in the blank box. It has to be B or D. I can cross of A, C and E. Rule 2, the lines at the bottom of the shape in boxes 4 and 5 increase in number from 1 line to 2 lines, so perhaps the sequence is 1, 2, 3 lines. There is a gap in-between the 1 line and the 3 lines, so I think there may a two line option in the shapes I have left. There is: it's D, but I'm not entirely sure. (Just to be on the safe side, there is also something going on with the shading of the box. Rule 3, the circle on the upside down Y is always white, and the box is always black, so I can eliminate B. That confirms it, it's D.
E I found this one very tricky. It took me a long time, so I left it and came back to it when I had done the others. I suggest you do the same if you get really stuck on one. (Have a guess, mark it G, and come back to it at the end.) The solution is to do with Position. Rule 1, the triangle moves diagonally up to the right of each box, then goes back to its original position, so that eliminates A. Rule 2, the circle does the same, so that eliminates D. I am left with B, C and E. Rule 3, the black dot moves diagonally from the bottom right corner, to the middle, to the top left corner. There is a slight optical illusion in that it looks like it is moving from bottom left to top right, but that is not the case if you think it through carefully. The answer is option E.
D Rule 1, upright T shape is due, so I can eliminate A, B, and C. I am left with D and E. Rule 2, the black shape is moving, but it hasn't moved at all in E, which is exactly the same as the shape in the 3rd box. I am left with D. To check, I look for another rule, Rule 3, the black shading moves down 1/3 in each new shape, so it must be in a different position in shape 3. So it can't be E, (that would take 4 moves, not 3).
E Rule 1, the keyhole shape rotates 90 degrees, from line to line, going anti-clockwise. I can eliminate A, C, D. I am left with B and E. Rule 2, The circle alternates between white and black, and I am due a white, but both of the options I have left have white circles. Rule 3, the crooked line goes from the bottom left of the shape, to the bottom right of the next shape, (if I draw all the shapes upright). It is due to go to the bottom right, but B goes to the bottom left. I can eliminate B. The answer is E.
D Rule 1, background lines alternate between horizontal and vertical. Horizontal lines are due, so I can eliminate A, B and C. I am left with D and E. Rule 2, a diamond shape is due, but both options I have left are diamond shapes. Rule 3, the black shading moves one place anti-clockwise, so I can rule out E. The answer is D.
D, 1 circle disappears in each box, in an anti-clockwise direction. I should be left with one circle in the bottom right hand corner of box 4. I can eliminate A, C, and E. I am left with B and D. Rule 2, the arrow rotates 90 degrees clockwise so it is due to point South. I can eliminate B. I am left with D. The answer is D.
E, Do this going from right to left. Rule 1, the number of oblong shapes goes 1, 2, 3, 2. Could it be that it goes 1, 2, 3, 2, 1? The only option in the answers is a 1, so it must be that. It doesn't get me any closer to getting the right answer though. Rule 2, the shading of the circle goes black, white, black, white, so a black is due. That eliminates B and C. I am left with A, D and E. There has just been a circle in the middle so I can eliminate D. I am left with options A and E. Rule circle appears in column 2 (from right of box to left), 1, 3, 2, so a circle in column 1 is due. That eliminates A. I am left with E. The answer is E.
C, Rule 1, graphic (I think it looks like a tie) needs to have black shading, so I can eliminate D. I am left with A, B, C and E. Rule 2, the top of the shape, which is black on the left, white on the right, can't be A. I am left with B, C and E. Rule 3, the inner leaf shape has to be underneath the black triangle, so I can eliminate E. I am left with B and C. I now have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.
C, (from right to left,) Rule 1, bottom of shape is in bottom right corner of box, then middle of base, then bottom left hand corner, so I know the shape is moving 45 degrees anti-clockwise, so the shape is due bottom left of the box, pointing diagonally. I am left with A, C or E. I can eliminate B and D. Rule 2, black becomes white and white becomes black, so we are due white/black in that corner, so I can eliminate A and E. I am left with C. C is the answer.
C, I got to Rule 4 before I found one that mattered. Rule 4, on the left side we have 2 circles and 1 on the right, then three on the left side and 2 on the right, then 1 on the left side and three on the right, then two on the left and one on the right- which is where we started out – so could it be that three on the left and two on the right follows again? This answer is there, and it is the only rule that leaves us with only 1 answer. C is the answer.
D, Rule 1, lose one black shape going anti-clockwise, so I need to have one black half-a-square remaining in the bottom left hand corner of the box. I can eliminate A and C. I am left with B, D and E. Rule 2, the black triangular shape switches from the outermost side of the inner square to the innermost side. In option B, the black triangular shape has not moved, so I can eliminate it. I am left with D and E. Number of inner squares reduces 9, 6, 4, _, 1. That sequence doesn't mean much until I take into account that the jump from 9 to 6 is 3, the jump from 6-4 is 2, and the jump from 4-2 is 2, and the jump from 2-1 is 1. So the 'jumps' go down 3, 2, 1. I have found the final rule. The answer is D.
If you found the non-Verbal Reasoning difficult, carry on, as it gets easier as you get used to it.
If you found the non-Verbal Reasoning impossible, you need to take step back and start working at age 9-10 level.
You can come back to the higher level in a few months time.


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The Satan character is clearly displaying the same hand signal. " It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
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The world is God' s enemy. We are living in the Last Days, times of woeful apostasy when more and more people are claiming to be Christians, while openly and shamelessly living for the Devil.


text:
Livermore High School student killed in solo vehicle crash, 5 other classmates injured
By KTVU Newsroom
Photo: Alameda County Fire Department.
LIVERMORE, Calif. - A student from Livermore High School was killed and five other classmates injured in solo vehicle crash late Friday night near Livermore, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District said in a statement Saturday.
The Alameda County Fire Department says they received a report of a pick-up truck 200 feet down an embankment along Del Valle Road in unincorporated Livermore at 11:27 p.m. Friday.
Once at the scene, a total of six people were discovered to have been injured. Two of the six were airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, and the other four were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Alameda County Fire says one of the six people was trapped inside the vehicle and required was extricated once the vehicle was stabilized.
Sal, seen here before Friday night's solo vehicle crash near Livermore that left him in critical condition. Photo: Giulianna Zetterlund via GoFundMe.
Of the six students involved in the crash, only one has been identified. Giulianna Zetterlund of Livermore said in a GoFundMe that her younger brother Sal is in critical condition following the crash. He was one of the two people airlifted, Zetterlund said.
The name of the student who died was not immediately known.
"No words can express our collective sadness and grief at this tragic news. Our hearts go out to this young man's loved ones and our entire school community. We are all understandably grieving this tragic loss of young life. In this difficult aftermath, we are sending hope and strength for a full recovery to our other injured students involved and their families," Dr. Kelly Bowers, Superintendent of Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District said in a statement.
As always, during periods of crisis and trauma, our school district and entire Livermore community will pull together, comfort, and support each other.
— Dr. Kelly Bowers, Superintendent of Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
The school district is mobilizing crisis support teams for both staff members and students.
A vigil for the victims of the crash is set for 7 p.m. Saturday in Livermore.


Switzerland's biggest private aid organisation, Helvetas, received a record SFr14.9 million ($12.9 million) in donations in 2008, up 23 per cent on 2007.
Announcing the figures on Thursday, Helvetas said its "Toilets for All" campaign had inspired many donors. The campaign to mark Sanitation Year highlighted the fact that 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to basic sanitation.
In 2008 the organisation helped provide 250,000 people with access to clean water, and improved the sanitary conditions for nearly half a million in 11 countries.
Helvetas's money comes not only from private individuals, but also from private foundations, enterprises and the cantons and communes.
Aid organisation reports record donations Feb 5, 2009 - 10:53 Switzerland's biggest private aid organisation, Helvetas, received a record SFr14.9 million ($12.9 million) in donations in 2008, up 23 per cent on 2007. Announcing the figures on Thursday, Helvetas said its "Toilets for All" campaign had inspired many donors. The campaign to mark Sanitation Year highlighted the fact that 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to basic sanitation. In 2008 the organisation helped provide 250,000 people with access to clean water, and improved the sanitary conditions for nearly half a million in 11 countries. Helvetas's money comes not only from private individuals, but also from private foundations, enterprises and the cantons and communes.
Water set to be the "challenge of the century"
To mark Saturday's United Nations World Water Day, Swiss non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been highlighting the lack of access to water.


text:
Home Sports Hurricanes nab second straight ACC title
Hurricanes nab second straight ACC title
The women's track and field team won its second consecutive ACC Indoor Championship in Blacksburg, Va., last weekend.
"[Winning the championship] was great. I was really proud of the way the girls stepped up," said Head Coach Amy Deem. "It was probably one of our best team efforts all the way around."
The Hurricanes finished with an overall score of 117. The University of North Carolina came in second by 20 points. Two first place wins in the 4 x 400-meter relay and triple jump helped the 'Canes finish the weekend on top.
Ginou Etienne and Charlette Greggs, both juniors, along with freshmen Krista Simkins and Ena Leufroy, clinched first place in the relay with a time of 3:38.40. The mark was an ACC Championship and university record.
"It was nice to see them break their own school record," Deem said. "That's an area we can have a lot of success with at the National Championships. We're one of the top teams and if we run well, we'll finish a top team."
The second first place finish for the Hurricanes came from Tabia Charles in the triple jump. Her final jump was recorded at 13.46 meters. Charles also had a personal best in the long jump but ended up in second.
"She had a personal best in the long jump, but another girl had a personal best that was a little bit longer," Deem said. "It sets her up really nice for the NCAA Championships next weekend."
Melanie Schultz had a sixth place finish in the one-mile event.
The Lady 'Canes came in second and third in the 60-meter dash with India Ransom and Chinela Davis finishing within seconds of one another. In the 200-meter event, Greggs managed a second place finish and Dominique Darden trailed closely in third place. Eitenne and Simkins placed second and seventh respectively in the 400-meter. Pavi'Elle James finished eighth in the 60-meter hurdles.
Brenda Faluade finished third in the jump and Amy Seward placed eighth. Throwers Khadjia Talley and Akera Lathan came in third and fifth respectively.
Charles and the relay team automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship next weekend.
"This senior class has never lost an indoor championship," Deem said. "There aren't many kids in the country that can say they've never lost a conference championship. I'm very proud of them."
Stacey Arnold can be contacted at s.arnold@miami.edu
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Graphics card is a GTX 970.
I have rolled back to 18.0 for now, but could tinker and perhaps provide more information if anyone else is seeing this.
I have same issue with 18.1 on my 2012-era laptop connected to dual monitors (VGA+HDMI) with Intel GPU. On 18 icons only sometimes did not show up on boot, but 18.1 does it every time.
I have the same issue with 18.1, Cinnamon. I loose desktop icons on the second monitor, only after a reboot.
Toggling "Show desktop icons on all monitors" in desktop preferences always seems to restore them.
Last edited by blockhead47 on Sat Dec 24, 2016 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
In my case I have one monitor connected via DVI and one through HDMI. The only option that worked consistently was to choose to show icons only on the non-primary display, in this case the DVI connected monitor. Anything else and icons were lost at logout.
I have the same problem with a triple monitor setup. All are connected to a GTX 1060 via DisplayPort, and the icons on the primary monitor do not show up on login, but the icons on the non-primary monitors do show up. This is happening on 18.1 after upgrading, and did not occur on 18.
Same problem on a dual-monitor set up.
Disconnecting the secondary display causes the icons to appear again. Re-connecting the secondary monitor will cause the icons to disappear on the next reboot.
I have this issue also with dual monitor setup.
I have the same problem with my dual monitor set up and so does my boy. Any fixes or work arounds? As I understand it it is a Nemo crash, or am I off here?
I have this problem on my Acer laptop. Not running dual monitors. Gets very annoying having to reboot to get the desktop icons working.
I have the same problem with Mint 18.1 Cinnamon. When it happens I click the "Show desktop" in task bar and it corrects it.
Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon Edition 64-bit.
Same problem here in 18.1, running dual screen, nvidia driver and Cinnamon. Was working since 17 (have upgraded ever since).
As a workaround I suppose a short bash script at startup (restart nemo) could bring icons back, but it's not a solution to the problem.
Take a look at the following thread on Linux Mint's Launchpad.
Once in Launchpad, please also make sure to login, at the top of the page click the yellow circle with an inscribed pencil next to the list of users this bug affects, and select 'Yes, it affects me'.
This way we can up the heat and hopefully attract the attention of the developers for a potential fix.
Any participation in testing out this issue, within that same thread would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Had the same problem a few times not sure why it's happening all I do is open up the home folder and the icons appear.
Yeah having the same issue. I have a bunch of files that I set firefox to download to desktop by default. Booted up and their all missing. Went to Files on the taskbar and then Desktop and the files are there. Don't know why this is happening, I hope they fix this problem.
I just installed Mint 18 the day before yesterday and this problem also started happening to me today when I ran the newest update to the kernel available to me. I am also running dual monitors and have an Nvidia video card running the Nvidia drivers.
When I reboot my wallpaper is gone, I am left with a grey desktop and I only have icons that had been placed on my secondary monitor. I can fix it by entering desktop settings & telling it to only display icons on the primary monitor. Once I do that, all the missing icons return and checking "display icons on both desktops" puts everything basically where I had set them across both monitors. However, none of these settings stick after a reboot, and its the same thing with icons gone and a grey desktop again.
I think the wallpaper disappearing might be related to something else, while searching for a solutions I read some cases of people having wallpaper disappear when they have the wallpapers on a different partition which i do. I only mention it because the problem did not begin for me until I applied that kernel update.
*Edit * Moving the wallpapers to the Mint partition did fix the issue of having to reset the wallpapers with every reboot as I expected.
I had this problem in the 18.2 pre-release for whatever reason.
into Startup Applications with a 2 second delay.
Yesterday I installed the new 18.2 version (64bit) of Linux Mint (Cinnamon) to teplace v. 18.1.
To my horror the desktop was blank, except for my usual background image, without any icons!
I came to this forum to see if there was any info or any solution to this problem - lots of discussion to what has seemed a widespread problem for several years but no definite answer. Spending half a day looking at the problem have a last managed to get the icons re-appearing on the 18.2 desktop.
Expecting that was all that needed to be done,found that was not true when on rebooting the computer the desktop appeared again without icons!
Hope the above also works with the previous range of situations found with disappearing desktype icons.
"nemo-desktop", this fixed my missing desktop icons issue also with LM 19 cinnamon.


text:
Milton Brown (Stephenville, 8 september 1903-Crystal Springs, 18 april 1936) was een Amerikaanse leadzanger en een van de grondleggers van de western swing. Zijn muziek vermengde jazz, country en pop.

Biografie

Het begin
Brown woonde vanaf 1918 in Fort Worth, waar hij naar school ging. Daarna verkocht hij sigaretten, tot de crisis toesloeg. In 1930 begon zijn muziekcarrière na een toevallig optreden met de groep van Bob Wills waarin hij St.Louis Blues zong, Wills nodigde Milton en diens broer Durwood uit bij de band te komen. De Wills Fiddle Band speelde op medicine shows en kreeg een kleine radio-show, waar ze optraden onder de naam Aladdin Laddies, naar de showsponsor Aladdin Lamp Co.. In 1931 kon de groep elke dag optreden op een andere zender. Deze optredens onder de naam Light Crust Doughboys waren succesvol door de vele stijlen waarin ze speelden, zoals hillbilly, jazz en blues. In februari 1932 nam de band onder de naam Fort Worth Doughboys voor RCA een plaat op.

Musical Brownies
In datzelfde jaar, 1932, verliet Brown de groep en richtte er zelf een op: de Musical Brownies, onder meer met zijn broer. Door de bezetting was het de eerste echte swing-band, met een contrabas, piano, tenor-banjo en twee violen. In 1934 kwam daar gitarist Bob Dunn bij, die voor innovatie zorgde met zijn elektrisch versterkte steelgitaar.

De groep had succes, met optredens op een radiostation en in volle zalen in Texas. In 1934 namen de Brownies op voor Bluebird Records en in 1935 kreeg de band een contract bij Decca Records, waarvoor ze daarna 36 songs opnamen. De uitgekomen platen zorgden ervoor dat de Brownies de beroemdste en meestgevraagde swingband van Texas werd. Bij volgende plaatopnames werd de band versterkt door Cliff Bruner.

In april 1936 kreeg Milton Brown een auto-ongeluk. Hij overleed vijf dagen later aan een longontsteking. Zijn broer nam de leiding van de band over, twee jaar lang, en nam voor Decca nog veertien songs op.

Discografie (selectie)
 Country & Western Dance-O-Rama (Decca-opnames), Mutual Music Corporation
 Milton Brown and His Musical brownies, the Complete Recordings of the Father of Western Swing 1932-1937 (5 cd's), Origin Jazz Library

Literatuur
 Cary Ginell - Milton Brown & the Founding of Western Swing, University of Illinois Press, 1994

Externe links
 Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies, artikel Robert Palmer
 Artikel in Handbook of Texas Online

Amerikaans jazzzanger
Western swing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
FSU professor emerita pens New England story
By Elizabeth Pimentel, Correspondent
Jul 28, 2018 at 4:00 AM Aug 2, 2018 at 9:49 AM
"My mother is leaving home for the first time in her eighty years of life." From this opening line you know that Catherine McLaughlin's searing debut novel Blue Collars is about resilient personalities with strong ties to family and locale.
Fiona "Finn" Kilroy, the narrator raised in an Irish-Catholic family, comes of age in New Bedford, Massachusetts during the 60s. Unlike her mother, who grew up in an era when it was rare for working-class women to travel out of their surroundings, Finn lives through a time of social upheaval and changing norms.
Having previously published a collection of poetry, "Under a Circus Moon," McLaughlin, a professor emerita at Framingham State University, has now created a powerful work of fiction. The narrator describes her extended family, their working-class neighborhood, and the town where she was raised with such intimacy and clarity that it's hard to believe this isn't a memoir. Like the fishermen from this seaport town where she grew up, the author reels you in.
Although McLaughlin and I have never met, I know her world. Finn could have been my next-door neighbor, so vividly are the characters portrayed, and so accurate is the depiction of events and the description of the South End where, as contemporaries, we both spent our childhood.
My mind teemed with memories of years spent under the stern tutelage of the sisters at St. Mary's School. I shivered recalling how I, too, learned the backstroke at Municipal Beach swim classes, held rain or shine. Once, while walking along the top of the waterfront's imposing hurricane dike, I dropped my key chain into one of the crevasses and finally retrieved it by fashioning a hook and line from a bobby pin and string. I relived trips to Gulf Hill for the tastiest ice cream ever, Saturday afternoon double features at the cinema on Water Street, bustling with activity, and hours spent at the library where Finn and I both lost ourselves in books.
The author's lyrical prose details the heart-warming, yet dark, disturbing life of Finn, a little girl residing in one of New Bedford's ubiquitous three-story tenements where both her grandparents and aunt and uncle's family also lived. She is the daughter of a hard-working and hard-drinking textile mill loomfixer and a loving, yet naïve mother. Religion plays a big part in Finn's daily life. "…all come in now for the Rosary!" her mother would call out of the second-story window to her five children playing outside.
But beneath the veneer of a strong Catholic family lies a house divided. Finn's mother is constantly at odds with her alcoholic husband. "Do you have to come home drunk every night?" she laments, while he responds, "I'm not drunk. Lay off me."
Finn tells of her father's eventual unemployment, her clandestine friendship with an African-American girl, and her close bond to her adored older sister, Molly.
Against the backdrop of the demise of the Berkshire Hathaway mill, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, a secret unfolds and gnaws at Finn throughout her childhood and adolescence — one she fears would tear apart her tight-knit family.
Like the dike shielding the harbor and factories of this New England city, Finn builds a wall of silence to protect her loved ones. But the specter of guilt and shame has left its imprint.
McLaughlin captures the full array of emotion as Finn's girlhood progresses. On one page she plays blissfully at the beach with her father and siblings, on another she is shaken by the death of her best friend's brother.
The author's creative strength is getting into a troubled child's mind, uncovering the humiliation, self-loathing and self-blame, and explaining it with deep self-reflection, the way a young girl would. She reaches back to the past and relates it to the present, as when Finn recalls her father. "He was a humble man, and I've often wondered if he ever felt appreciated, or if he felt like the lonely breadwinner on the outskirts of his family's life, unthought of as we slept in our beds."
The characters are our neighbors in a stunningly portrayed mill city in the midst of economic depression and changing values.
McLaughlin was mentored as a graduate student by James Baldwin. The influence of his book, "The Fire Next Time," is evident in her raw portrayal of racism on a national, community and personal level. Furthermore, like Baldwin, she seamlessly interweaves her poems into the novel. In the chapter titled "Origins of Shame," she begins with a verse: "…Children hide in the hollows eating stolen apples poisoned with their shame."
Finn's setbacks and disappointments serve as catalysts toward self-discovery. She begins as a fearful little girl dealing with her anxiety by ritualistically tearing at the plaster wall behind her bed. Yet she evolves into a teenager who defies the racism and hypocrisy of her family, a graduate student who finds romance while living abroad, a mother and writer.
This is a story of survival. But it is also a love story to a girl's family. As Finn recounts, "The connections among three generations had been forged in that tenement and our love for each other. The threads of our individual lives, while occasionally strained, were drawn from this family and this neighborhood, woven together like the fabric of the mills, the whole cloth durable and of an intricate, colorful, and comforting design."


ESPN's Sam Ponder is one of the top college football personalities today, and can be seen on top ABC/ESPN college football broadcasts, College GameDay, and College Football Live.
We caught up with Sam Ponder earlier this week to talk about the 2016 season, this year of College GameDay, last weekend's insane Ohio State win over Michigan, and some of the recent coaching turnover in the sport.
The Spun: Last weekend, College GameDay was in Columbus for Michigan-Ohio State. In my opinion, at least, it was probably the game of the year so far. Was that post-game scene with the big field rush one of the craziest you can remember being on the field for?
Sam Ponder: You know what, I've been in three of those this year. The games that we've gotten this year ended up being just crazy. I had the Clemson-Louisville game, and then I had the Ohio State-Penn State game, and then I had Michigan at Iowa, and they rushed the field for that, and then Ohio State-Michigan. So its been a crazy year of fans rushing the field, and trying to keep my elbows out while I find the coach, because it gets a little crazy down there. But in terms of the game of the year, it's gotta be up there, at least in terms of excitement down the end. I don't think that either team played all that great. I think Michigan certainly looked better throughout the game than Ohio State, especially from the quarterback position. I thought Wilton (Speight) did really well, but when it came down to it, it doesn't get any more compelling and thrilling than that. I was standing right next to Urban (Meyer) when he's trying to figure out "are they gonna call it a first down or not?" in double OT, so I thought he was gonna lose his mind. Watching some of these coaches deal with the stress down the stretch like in games like that is super intense. So it was a fun one to be a part of for sure.
The Spun: He collapsed on the field out of relief, I think, which I don't believe I've seen a coach do before.
Ponder: He gets so wound up. And a lot of those top name coaches, Jim (Harbaugh)'s the same way, where you get so wound up, you'll notice he never stands still during a game. He is pacing the entire time. The stress and pressure of it all is crazy to watch. I think at the end it was the release of all that pressure he was feeling, so I don't blame him for that.
The Spun: You guys have made some pretty interesting trips this season. Obviously, Ohio State's a place you can probably go to most years. You were at Lambeau Field and Bristol Motor Speedway to open the year, and then places you don't get to as often, like Louisville and Kalamazoo. Which GameDay location really stood out this year?
Ponder: For me, the ones that stand out the most are the ones that are kind of off the beaten path. This year, we had a number. That first game at Lambeau was really cool. I had been there a few times to watch my husband (San Francisco 49ers quarterback Christian Ponder) play. And that is one of my favorite places in the country to watch any sort of game at any level. Lambeau's just one of those places where you, like, get chills when you walk in there. The Bristol deal was cool for a completely different reason. It's so huge, and to watch college football on that type of stage with that many people was really neat. But for me, the most memorable are always the ones that are more obscure, for lack of a better term, college football schools, like last year was JMU, where the whole city came to GameDay, and then this year in Kalamazoo for Western Michigan. It was incredible. To see a guy like P.J. Fleck, where there's so much chatter about what big school he's going to end up at next year if that happen, having this undefeated season, it was snowing, the home town seemed to come out for that one too. Those are always the most memorable because they're memorable to the fans. We can go to Tuscaloosa twice a year, and even though they may be the best team in college football, the fans are used to all that. To go to a place where it really is exciting for them, even Walgreens had a sign saying "Welcome College GameDay," it's really cool to be a part of something like that.
The Spun: Along those same lines, what do you think is the most important factor to a great episode of GameDay?
Ponder: Lee Corso, for sure. That show, to me, is defined by the headgear selection. I think it's a great show outside of that also, but to me he is the most important thing, because when people think of College GameDay, they think of Lee Corso putting on the headgear. So we are all forever grateful to him for that, but I think it's been really cool to see over the last couple of years, us kind of stepping out of the box to try new things and find new ways to communicate with younger audiences and use social media and bring in some new people. We have Jen Lada this year, who's doing features with us, we had Scott Van Pelt a few years ago. So they do a good job of not letting the show get stale. Because it is three hours, and gosh, last week it was five, so you've gotta come up with new stuff, and a way to get people excited for a day of college football, and I think our group's done a good job of that.
The Spun: So this weekend the crew is going to the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis.
Ponder: We're in Indy for GameDay and then I'm doing the ACC Championship with (Chris) Fowler and (Kirk) Herbstreit that night, so we're covering two of the big games this week.
The Spun: The game in Indy obviously has huge ramifications for the Playoff, as does the ACC Championship, but the two teams in the Big Ten Championship can still conceivably make it, and there are two other teams (Ohio State and Michigan) still in the hunt. If you were on the selection committee, what do you think your top four teams would be today?
Ponder: Here's what I'll say—and Big Ten fans do not want to hear this, other than, of course, Ohio State and Michigan—I don't think it matters what happens in that game. I really don't. I think that because Ohio State is already placed at No. 2 right now, I just don't see a way that Wisconsin and Penn State can make a statement to get in there. And in some ways there are so many good arguments on both sides, but what I'm seeing now is there's no point in us having conference championships anymore. If they don't mean more than, let's say, beating a ranked team does, which it seems like they don't, then I'm not sure why we should have them. And maybe if they just want to still have another game this week, that's fine, if they want to add a conference game in some conferences or a non-conference game, I don't know, but I think we're going to have to start coming up with some new ideas about how it should all look. Because it almost feels silly to have a conference championship game that may have zero impact on any of this. Because then it's like, what's this for? To get another trophy to bring back? And I will say, Paul Chryst and James Franklin should get so much credit for the seasons they've had this year. Yeah, they've been overshadowed by Ohio State and Michigan. I think a lot of that is based on the coaches at those schools too and the attention that they draw. To me, it's kind of a bummer that this game may not have an impact on any of that, but I do agree with what the Playoff committee has now in terms of Clemson and Washington being with Ohio State. I don't think there's any debate with Alabama. It's just so hard. We wanted subjectivity, and we got it and then some. And I think that's the concern: maybe now it's too subjective and we need a little more objectivity. The grass is always greener, I just think there's got to be a way to balance it out a little more.
The Spun: As people debate the current Playoff format, I wonder if we might move to expand the field fairly quickly, using automatic bids so that these conference championship games end up meaning more than they do now.
Ponder: That's why I am one of those people who thinks we should have eight. Not because "oh, it's more, and more is always better." I just think if you win your conference, you should automatically be in. If we're going to have conferences, they have to mean something. If not, let's just divide up into divisions based on location and not play a championship game. There has to be a reason to have conference championships. So I do think for Power Five schools, if you win your conference championship you should be in, and then for those remaining three, that's what we can have all the debate about. So it still creates debate, which I know is good for the sport. You want to have something to talk about during the week. So, to me, eight just makes a lot sense. But I can see how people fight against change this quickly.
The Spun: I think this year the debate is always "who's the second best team?" versus "who are the two teams that'll face off?" because Alabama seems like such a different animal this season. I saw today that 'Bama would be more than a touchdown favorite over pretty much anyone else in the country right now. If there's a team out there, which do you think would have the best chance to beat Alabama in the national championship?
Ponder: It just depends on who shows up, you know. J.T. Barrett has struggled a little bit this year, and so has Deshaun Watson, but we've also seen what both of those guys can do, and they have such high ceilings, specifically Deshaun Watson. I think if Clemson is on, and that's been the problem, they've been so inconsistent this year, then I certainly believe they have the talent and the schemes to play with anybody in the country, including Alabama. Like you said, it's such a unique year, because 'Bama's always good, at least in recent history, but normally it's not like there's 'Bama and there's no discussion about anybody else. It's crazy that that's been the case because I did their first game of the year against USC, and before the game I'm talking to some of their coaches and they're like "we have no clue what we've got here." There was so much uncertainty, the guy they started at quarterback (Blake Barnett) didn't even end up playing. They knew the defense was going to be good, but I don't think they knew how good they were going to be, in terms of being a complete team. So I think that's kind of surprised everybody, including them, this year. But my guess is that Clemson would have the best chance in terms of the athletes they have, the experience Deshaun has, but who knows this year? But that's kind of what makes it fun. Who knows, maybe Washington shows up and plays lights out, and that's the great thing about college football. Depending on the day, and whose girlfriend broke up with who, and who had a big test, you never know how these guys are going to show up and play, and it keeps it exciting for sure.
The Spun: Shifting gears a little bit, on Tuesday night when the Mark Helfrich news came down, I noticed that you were critical of the move on Twitter. You were citing some of the negative consequences of those quick-trigger firings. The sport seems to be moving from guys getting full four-year recruiting cycles to a case like this, where a coach goes 9-4 with a ton injuries one year, a year removed from a national championship run, and then he has a bad year and he's out. Why do you think this is such a negative development for the sport?
Sad to see Mark Helfrich lose his dream job. 1 of my favorite coaches in CFB bc of the way he treats ppl. Reminder that CFB is business 1st.
Concerned that we've created a market in CFB where u can't have ONE bad year. Think it will impact recruiting, cheating, relationships etc.
Ponder: It's a crazy industry, and first-and-foremost, we have to remember that this is a business and that at the end of the day, if people think they're going to lose money on something, they're not going to let it play out that way. So I get it. I don't fault Oregon for making this decision, because everybody has to make the decision that they think is in the best interest of their business, which obviously they think this was. For me, it was tough to see because I was around Chip (Kelly) a ton when he was at Oregon, and then around Mark a lot the last few years, and Mark is as good as they get, in terms of a representative for college football, and he treats people the right way, and has just been a glowing example of what it can still look like, even when it is that big of a business. My concern is that…look, he was in the national championship two years ago, he found and developed the best player in the country who won the Heisman (Marcus Mariota) a few years ago, and this year was terrible, there's no denying that. And Mark would be the first person to tell you that. I have a problem with not ever letting someone right the ship. I would hope that if I had a rough year in broadcasting, I wouldn't immediately be fired. I would hope there's a chance for redemption, and think with most big companies if you lose people some money there would be some concerns, but over, not even one year but one season, it's just concerning for me for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it creates an environment in college football where people are willing to do anything to win now. It's not about building.
Guys like John Wooden and Bobby Bowden would never make it, they would never be Hall of Fame coaches now. I think John Wooden, it took him 16 years to win a national championship. Are you kidding me? You don't get two. It's just gotten so extreme, and that's all from the amount of money that's being poured into it, which I totally get. It has gotten just absurd when you're talking about people saying that Oregon would be willing to pay $10 million a year for a coach, then don't be surprised when human nature kicks in, and people will cheat and lie and do whatever to win. And the concern with that is not just that that's morally wrong, but also that these are college students who, the whole recruiting process is two things: 1.) I can get your son to the NFL, and 2.) I'm going to take care of and build your son into a man. And how do you do that when all you can tell them is "I have to win this year." And all of these kids are being told "you'll play as a freshman" even when they won't, they have to get these kids in. It's concerning, and I don't know what the solution is, because I don't think that money's going away. There's way too much money to be made for people to ease up on that now, but I do think it's important for people to call it out when we see it. We've got to start talking about this stuff, because it's already out of hand, and I think if we just ignore it, it only gets worse over time.
The Spun: It's tough, especially this year. I don't think you'd find many coaches on a list of 'friendliest people' or 'coaches who are most popular with the media' ahead of Helfrich, Charlie Strong, and Les Miles, and they're all gone. Obviously they're all very different circumstances across the board there, but then you look at a guy like Mike McIntyre at Colorado. It took him a while and now they're No. 8 in the country, and he hadn't had a winning season at Colorado before this year.
Ponder: I'm glad you brought Colorado up. When I first started out, I covered a ton of Colorado games because they were terrible and their games were always on lower networks, so I always covered them when Dan Hawkins was there, and I remember, I think it was Dan's third year, and they were calling for him to be fired, and I remember thinking after having these conversations with people "how absurd is it, three years and they would fire someone?" And they were having terrible seasons. And look, even just a few years down the road, now we're looking at one. What's going to happen is what we've already seen glimpses of. Look at the beginning of this year, who did people want to fire? They wanted to fire James Franklin, Gus Malzahn, they wanted to fire Clay Helton after the 'Bama game. We're looking at just a few games and now look at those three programs at the end of the year. Auburn turned out to not be too bad, James Franklin's in the conference championship, SC is one of the hottest teams in the country with potentially one of the best players in college football for the next few years (freshman quarterback Sam Darnold). It's crazy the lack of patience we have, and I've talked to some of my colleagues about this too. It's frustrating kind of seeing the other side of it with a husband who plays, to see how quick we are to call for people's jobs. That's crazy to me, to say James Franklin should be fired in the middle of a season. Can we not let that play out, because I'm pretty sure he turned out alright this year. But we are just a "what have you done for me lately?" society in so many ways, and sometimes we forget about the fallout. We forget about all of the assistant coaches who lose a job, we forget about the kids who have to move schools because a coach is fired. This stuff affects so many people, and yeah it's just a game, but it's people's livelihoods, and I think we have to be a lot more careful when we talk about it.
The Spun: So speaking about assistant coaches, unfortunately one of the other things I saw you've been active with this week is tweeting in support of BYU's Reno Mahe after his family had an awful tragedy, with his daughter passing away. In the week since, a GoFundMe page has raised over $68,000 (update: as of this afternoon, the total is over $75,000) for the family. I saw you tweeted a link to that as well. What do you think it is about the greater college football community that galvanizes fans from across the country and all these different fan bases to support causes like this?
Ponder: First, what this family went through, it'll make me cry right now. It is unimaginable. I think there's something about having a daughter that's that same age, where you picture what happened to that sweet girl happening to your own daughter and it's too much to bear, and I can't imagine what they're going through right now. But to your point, I think that's what's drawn me to college football all these years and it's what keeps me covering college football. Yes it's a business, like we just talked about, there's some negative stuff and some shady stuff that goes on, but there's something about this community that is special, and it doesn't matter what level you coach at in college football what position, how high you are on the totem pole, when something like that happens to one of our group, I think everybody feels it. You get support from all over the country, because we all have this shared love of a game. Like I said, even though it is a business, there's still some kind of purity to college football. There's something about being at a game on a Saturday afternoon, the band is playing, the cheerleaders and all the families are together, there's something kind of, for lack of a better term, 'Americana' about it. I've been to a million NFL games, you don't get that feel in the NFL. You don't get that feel in the NBA. It's unique and special in college football. I think everybody feels for this family right now, and naturally, when you hear someone going through this type of tragedy, you put yourself in their shoes and…I just can't imagine what it's like for them right now. I know they have seven kids so they still have so many responsibilities and financial stuff, so anyway our college football community and family can help, I think we're happy to do so.
The Spun: This season, I know you're partnering with XYIENCE Energy Drink as a spokesperson. What do you think college football fans should know about XYIENCE?
Ponder: For me, I never thought I would represent an energy drink. I'm not an energy drink person, I'm a 30-year old mom. I'm not raging at a club, and that's kind of what I pictured as an energy drink person. But I was totally proven wrong. They sent it to our house, my husband and I both tried it, and we like it. We both drink it on our own. I knew I liked it when, normally they send me a stash of it, and I ran out one time instead of reaching out for them to send it, and bought it down the street, because I actually enjoy drinking it. It kind of mixes it up. I was a coffee every day person. It kind of mixes it up for me, and keeps me going in the afternoon. I think what we're gearing for with the audience is not necessarily college students, but more your working or busy mom, like me, or your businessperson in their late 20s and 30s and beyond. It has no calories, and it actually tastes good. Those are two important things in my book, and anything I can get to get a little more energy to get stuff done during the day is good for me.
You can see Sam Ponder on College GameDay this Saturday morning, live from Indianapolis ahead of the Big Ten Championship Game between Penn State and Wisconsin, and during ABC's broadcast of the ACC Championship between Clemson and Virginia Tech.


text:
The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB) is a non-profit organization that provides education and training to individuals and organizations on issues related to systemic racism and social justice. The organization was founded in 1980 by civil rights activists Ronald Chisom and American scholar and activist, Dr. Jimm Dunn. The organization is based in New Orleans, Louisiana and has trained numerous individuals across the United States and internationally.

Programs/Initiatives

Undoing Racism
The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond offers an Undoing Racism program that tries to address the systemic and institutionalized nature of racism in our society. The program uses a multi-dimensional approach that incorporates historical analysis, group participation, and community organizing strategies. Participants in the program engage in a series of workshops and discussions that are designed to challenge their assumptions about race, privilege, and power. The program is designed to be accessible to a broad range of individuals and organizations, including community groups, non-profits, government agencies, and businesses. It has been implemented in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, and social service agencies.

In 2019, the Undoing Racism workgroup was established as part of the organizations Undoing racism program.

People's Institute Youth Agenda (PIYA)
PIYA is a program by People's Institute for Survival and Beyond through which young left-wing activists and community organizers are recruited to help the organization in their trainings and workshops. The program was started in 1996 by the young activists and is tailored for youths aged 12-18 years.

European Dissent
This is a program that specifically designed for individuals of European descent who are interested in working towards racial justice and equity. The program seeks to address the ways in which white privilege and racism operate in our society and to empower participants to take action to dismantle these structures.

References

External links
Organization website

Non-governmental organizations
Social justice organizations
Social justice activists
Nonpartisan organizations in the United States
Civil rights movement
1980


Visit ReThink911.ca to view the full survey results and questionnaire.
30-second video shown to 503 survey respondents across Canada.
A new Canadian survey by polling firm YouGov reveals popular support and little opposition to a Parliamentary review of the 9/11 Commission Report, with 33% in favor, 26% neither for nor against, and 19% opposed.
The review was called for in a petition submitted to Parliament on December 3, 2014. The government must officially respond by January 17.
The poll was commissioned by U.S.-based Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, an organization representing 2,300 professionals calling for a new investigation into the World Trade Center destruction, and by ReThink911 Canada, the group responsible for the petition bearing 1,427 signatures.
The two groups, together with the international 24-member 9/11 Consensus Panel, held a press conference on December 10 to call upon the government to go forward with the Parliamentary review.
Among the petitioners' concerns is the destruction of 47-storey World Trade Center 7 (WTC 7), which collapsed smoothly into its own footprint at 5:20 PM on 9/11. It was not mentioned in the 2004 9/11 Commission Report.
While a 2008 report by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded that office fires caused WTC 7's collapse, critics such as the 24-member 9/11 Consensus Panel present peer-reviewed evidence that a controlled demolition, not fires, was the cause.
According to YouGov's survey results, almost three times as many people suspect controlled demolition over fires after viewing video footage of WTC 7's collapse. 52% are either sure or suspect that it was caused by a "controlled demolition" versus 18% who are sure or suspect ordinary fires caused it.
Critical questions about 9/11 are at this moment also before the U.S. Government.
House Resolution 428, currently before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee with the support of 21 cosponsors, calls for the release of 28 classified pages of a 2002 Joint Congressional Inquiry report implicating the Saudis in financing 9/11.
Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham, Chair of the Joint Congressional Inquiry, called for the release of the 28 pages at a press conference yesterday on Capitol Hill.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 503 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between December 18 and 22 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Canadian adults (aged 18+).


text:
Q: Dual of axiomatic cohesion for polynomial functors over sets Write $\mathsf{Poly}$ for the category of polynomial functors (sums of representables) and natural transformations between them (a full subcategory of $[\mathsf{Set},\mathsf{Set}]$).
We have functors $\mathsf{Poly}\underset{\mathrm{ev}_1}{\overset{\mathrm{ev}_0}{\rightrightarrows}} \mathsf{Set}$ given by evaluating the "polynomial" at zero and at one.
In the other direction, we have two fully faithful functors $\mathsf{Poly}\underset{Ay}{\overset{A}{\leftleftarrows}} \mathsf{Set}$ (defined by their action on a set $A$).
The functors above form an adjoint quadruple $Ay\dashv \mathrm{ev}_1\dashv A\dashv \mathrm{ev}_0$.

Question. What is the geometry underlying this adjoint quadruple, and how to interpret the dual cohesion?


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Street Soldiers
Street Soldiers is stark and disturbing. It's a story of immigrant dreams built on fragile foundations getting caved under by misfortune. It's the story of Sunny, a young lad who goes astray when fate punctures his cocooned world.
After his policeman father is killed in a random act of violence, Sunny, his mother and his brother are forced to move in with their grandmother, and Sunny has to change his school. In the school, he is bullied relentlessly, and in trying to escape his tormentors, he accepts help and support from a gang of drug peddlers.
This starts a chain of events leading to his mother throwing him out of their grandmother's home, and Sunny getting increasingly involved with the drug business. On the way to the denouement, he falls in love with and marries the gang leader's sister.
Soon, his world collapses when internecine gang warfare erupts, and his comrades are shot dead. In trying to save his friend's life, Sunny unwittingly kills the big don's son. This leads to inevitable violence as the story moves towards a macabre conclusion with everyone except Sunny dying in a shootout.
The directors Jay and Lily Ahluwalia have a commendable eye for detail, and are able to capture the closeted, claustrophobic world of drugs and guns. The quiet desperation with which every member of the gang lives his life is clinically and unglamorously portrayed.
There are no redeeming features in this life of the young gangsters that is largely lived in cars, garages and warehouses. The young foot soldiers who work for the don know that they are mere pawns and have no future, and would rather snort cocaine than do anything else.
For a first time effort, Street Soldiers is good. Sid Sawant who plays Sunny is easily the most impressive of the cast. To an author-backed role, Sawant brings vulnerability, uncertainty, and tenuousness. The young actor underplays his role and is at ease and controlled in depicting the quick spiral of destruction that the character's life becomes. Nish Raisi as Jassi, and Lionel Boodlal as Ronnie, are also competent.
The women in the film – Priya (Sachel Metoo), Neha (Shruti Shah), grandmother (Jasmine Sawant) – don't have a major part to show their talent; Shruti Shah effectively modulates her voice while conveying the desolation of a woman who has lost everything.
The cinematography is stark and brutal, and eschews depicting Toronto through a touristy prism. The stark suburbia that forms the urban sprawl of Greater Toronto Area is hammered with an unblinking monotony. The music score is contemporary, and often pulsating; the editing, however, is occasionally patchy.
Directors: Lily Ahluwalia and Jay Walia
Writer: Jay Walia
Cast: Sid Sawant, Nish Raisi, Lionel Boodlal, Steve Kasan, Afroz Khan, Sechal Metoo, Shruti Shah, Jasmine Sawant
Executive Producer: Surindar Ahluwalia
Producer: Jay Walia, Ron Walia
Original Music: Andre Mina, Emad Mina, San Thurai, Manjeet Uppal
Cinematography: Chris Berry
Editing: Jay Walia
Sound Department: Agah Bahari
About Time Productions
Labels: Jay Ahluwalia, Lily Ahluwalia, Sid Sawant, Street Soldiers
Tahir Gora's Rang Mahal
River of Flesh and Other Stories
Diversity in the media


fine a study's inclusion criteria. By helping analysts see how pretreatment covariate distributions relate to the estimated probabilities of treatment assignment (propensity scores), the app lets analysts make pruning decisions based on patterns that are otherwise hard to discover. The app yields a set of transparent covariate-based inclusion criteria that can be easily applied in any statistical software package. Thus, while the app is interactive and facilitates iterative decision-making, it can also easily be incorporated into a reproducible-research workflow.