Our team is in search of a Senior Back-End Engineer to help us change the way digital products are designed.
The Monetization team builds and owns the user and team subscription lifecycle flows and funnels, like upgrading/downgrading. The team also engineers the end-to-end SaaS billing administration, integration, and processing for our InVision customers.
The Monetization team is part of the Core Zone at InVision. The Core Zone builds the shared architecture, foundation, and pathways that shape the customer experience across the entire product design process. We're a uniquely horizontal department – often integrating with every InVision product area. Join the Core Zone and you'll build relationships with more talented design, engineering, and product thinkers than your typical product team.
You're part of a small team that operates like a mini-startup - you'll implement server-side logic, unit, integration, and functional tests, and deploy to production multiple times a day. Your team is responsible for building and shipping all components necessary for your product.
You'll work closely with Product Managers and Designers to design and develop the product's functionality, look, and feel.
You'll build small, robust backend API services in Go that must be performant under load, scalable, and deliver large sets of data.
You'll frequently work with other Product Engineering and Platform Service teams to incorporate their components, services and tools into your product; as well as, share components, services, and best practices in return.
Every day offers a variety of work, an opportunity to contribute new ideas, and the ability to share your knowledge within and outside of the InVision organization.
Multiple years of full stack experience designing and building high volume, scalable SaaS applications from end-to-end.
Strong proficiency in Go; or professional experience in one of the following backend languages: Java, Ruby, Python.
Multiple years of experience debugging complex issues at every level of the stack; you can debug a web application problem all the way from the browser, through the transport, through the application and servers and databases and asynchronous queues. Logs and core dumps don't frighten you.
Use of continuous integration and delivery technologies at an expert level; you have the ability and interest to teach others best practices.
Motivation to understand the business, our users, their requirements, and to deliver results.
Passion for continued learning and a track record of picking up new technologies and skills as you ship awesome code.


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Cole Plante — The youngest artist to ever perform at Lollapalooza
Click on any image to zoom in
United States — Illinois
Chicago, Illinois USA
Phone: 1-800-977-9020 Toll free in USA
Email: info@lollapalooza.com
Lollapalooza was established in 1991 and has since made its name synonymous with rock festivals. The three-day festival features a medley of rock, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and vendor booths. From 1997 to 2003 the festival toured North American but has since settled in Chicago's Grant Park. The promoters — C3 Presents also produce the Austin City Limits Music Festival, in Austin, Texas. For more information on this festival please visit:
http://kadmusarts.com/festivals/3523.html
http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Festival Events:
Artist feature 2013:
Cole Plante
Performance — August 3, 2013
The youngest artist to ever perform at Lollapalooza will release his next digital single collaboration with Myon and Shane 54 called "Lie To Me" featuring Koko LaRoo. The "Extended Mix" will release exclusively on Beatport on July 30, 2013 with a R3hab remix to follow. The single leads up to Cole's appearance at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2013—as the youngest DJ to ever perform at the legendary festival. The docuseries, "Cole Plante: Unfiltered" follows the 16-year old as he prepares to take the stage at Lollapalooza. The series Episode 1 is available now on Vevo. DJing since the age of 14, Cole's precisely crafted big room, electro-house and dubstep fusion DJ sets are packed with high-octane selections. While his choices are put together to keep the crowd moving, his progression directs the mood to shift just the right amount, constantly evolving and advancing. His style is a natural choice for the Lollapalooza Festival, which from inception has been known for defying convention and pushing boundaries.
http://www.coleplante.com
https://www.facebook.com/ColePlante
https://twitter.com/coleplante
http://instagram.com/coleplante
Emily Stengel, Services Manager for C3 Events
Columbus Drive (between Balbo and Congress Drive)
Lollapalooza venues:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Normally I take Wednesdays to tell you all what project I am backer and why you should to. This week, I'm not going to do that. This isn't the first occasion I have missed a week, though. Normally when I choose not to extol the virtues of a project on my unsuspecting audience (that would be you,) it is tell you why none of the projects measure up for one reason or another.
This week I want to instead recommend a creator to all of you, and let you know about their current project, and why you should keep your eye on them going forward. This week I want to tell you about the awesome individual's behind Albino Dragon.
The final project on that list is currently live, and though 'trick' style card games aren't my alley, I encourage the rest of you to take a look. All these projects have one thing in common: Cards. Two of them are just card decks filled with high end art, while the other three are card driven games with various themes and mechanics.
The first few projects happened to slip by me, as I generally prefer games with a few more fiddly bits. On Albino Dragon's current project, I am actually pledged at their lowest level, the "I'm not interested this time around but I like what you guys are doing and can't wait to see what you come up with next" level. So why bother to share something with the rest of you that I can't even be bothered to invest more than a couple bucks in?
Because these are the kind of creators we need to see more of on Kickstarter. As many of my regular readers know, I have serious problems with the joke projects and the cynical cash grabs that circulate all too often on Kickstarter these days. It thrills me to no end when I see someone buck that trend.
Shane and Erik are passionate creators, invested in the crowd funding process. I had the chance to chat with them last week, and found them to be earnest people that really wanted to interface with their fans, and produce a product that embodies that collaborative spirit. You don't have to take their word for that last point, or even mine – take a look at the projects and see for yourself. More Albino Dragons, and less Star Wars joke projects (there are three of them now) would certainly make the world of crowd funding a better place.
As a side note for those of you that love Kickstarter, but don't care much for card games: check out the blog on their website. I find the first hand discussions on the trials and travails of their projects (especially the notes on shipping of their most successful project) to be engrossing reading. There is no better way to avoid learning a hard lesson than to listen to the wisdom of those who came before you.
Sounds pretty cool. They have a ton of videos on youtube of their hangouts.
I attended one of the sessions, and admit, I loved the live drawing that was occurring in the background while everyone chatted.


I am using the tym script to do backups.
separately as files) it shows a value of 0.
This looks fine so I would expect this to work correctly.
Maybe the call to remember_initial_stats is not happening at the right time.
checksum bytes. That is a bug.
and saw no changes in that area nor other bug-reports on this topic.
I have run rsync with -vvv but I don't see anything strange there.
but not for the --log-file option.
using --log-file to using a combination of --out-format (with "%t [%p] "
expected values even on older rsync versions.


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Old Queer Cinema – Film Review: The Trigger ★★1/2
What an exciting time we had in the 90s when it came to the emergence of what was called "The New Queer Cinema". Films such as Todd Haynes' Poison, Gregg Araki's The Living End, Ana Kokkinos' Head On, or the late great and dearly missed Richard Glatzer's debut with Grief, to name a few, had a scrappy, DIY feel yet with a confident point of view. These films had dark edges and felt entirely devoid of the fluffy "gays are the world's party clowns" vibe, and I loved them for that.
Christopher Bradley, making his feature writing/directing debut with The Trigger (love the cool dime store novel poster), knows a thing or two about that era, having starred in the seminal Leather Jacket Love Story back in 1998. His film takes us back to that era with the story of a two-weeks sober young hustler trying to build a new life for himself after getting sprung from prison and encountering a nonstop barrage of obstacles. Slade Pearce plays Erik, a smudgy-eyed nineteen year old twink who, when we first meet him, hitches a ride from a driver who wants to pay him for sex. Instead of following through, he robs the guy of his cash, belongings and Chekhov's gun. Eventually, Erik makes it back to his small Arizona town, desperate for a place to stay, a job, and to rekindle his romance with Heather (Julia Ann Severance), his ex-girlfriend. As simple as that may sound, Erik just can't catch a break. His former pimp, Dolores (Robyne Richards) won't help him and her drug dealer partner Bennie (Joe Ricci) suspects Erik got an early parole by ratting him out to the police. Then there's Tommy (Daniel Kapinga), one of Erik's johns, who carries a torch for the young man. Tommy thinks Erik will fall in love with him if he sets him up with a job and an apartment. What could go wrong?
Slade Pearce and Julia Ann Severance in The Trigger
With this film, Bradley has not chosen to take the easy way out, first by featuring a main character who constantly lies to everyone and can barely muster to turn on the charm when needed. Pearce has some chilling moments when trying to crack a smile or pretend he's into Tommy. He's not unsympathetic, as anyone who tries to turn things around for themselves can't help but feel relatable, but he's also not oozing the type of charisma you would see in lighter versions of this tale. Bradley wants us to know the vicious cycle of post-incarceration makes it nearly impossible to walk a straight and narrow path. It's no wonder Erik quickly falls back into old habits.
Slade Pearce and Daniel Kapinga in The Trigger
Now don't get me wrong, The Trigger is far from perfect. Obviously made on a shoestring budget, it clearly lacks the big toys like cranes and dollies which would have given the film a less stodgy presentation. It's not a glossy story, however, so I went with its clunky tone and sometimes awkward time jumps. Furthermore, the script feels loaded with too many on-the-nose conversations when visually showing us these dynamics would have sufficed.
Tommy's actions makes him into perhaps the most naive yet creepy gay guy I've seen onscreen in ages, but guys like him exist and Bradley seems unafraid to present him. Moreover, Kapinga manages to make us believe in his romantic yet misguided fantasies. As a story, we pretty much watch Erik flit from one house to another, getting in over his head with each trip. Luckily, all of the pieces do fit together, including a mysterious flashback which may hold the key to Erik's many faults. Bradley puts a new wrinkle on an age-old redemption story with its unexpected conclusion.
Julia Ann Severance as Heather in The Trigger
Although some of the performances play out more one-note than necessary, the two main women, Richards and Severance, bring compelling, conflicting emotions to the table. Severance in particular walks a nice tightrope between sullen and sweet, drawing my attention to her with every scene. When I look back on the indie queer films from 20-30 years ago, many had similar issues of unpolished performances and bizarre blocking. In retrospect, it may have been part of their appeal. If you've already burned through every VHS copy of those New Queer Cinema titles, then stream The Trigger for an antidote to the shiny, happy gay movies flooding your LGBT-Queue (see what I did there?).
Glenn Gaylord's 50 SHADES OF GAY SCALE: The Trigger gets a 30 out of 50. Erik may have a background as a hustler, but the film makes it clear he's strictly gay for pay. It's decidedly a straight story in a slightly twisted gay milieu.
By Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic
The Trigger is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Published by Glenn Gaylord
Senior Film Critic for The Queer Review, filmmaker, film inhaler, Glenn graduated from UCLA Film School and has written and/or directed such films as I DO, LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR, EATING OUT: ALL YOU CAN EAT, IF WE TOOK A HOLIDAY, CAMP MICHAEL JACKSON, BOYCHICK, LOST CAUSE and LITTLE BFFs. His favorite movie of all time is PAPER MOON, but every time the lights go down in a theater, he's hoping the next one will knock it off its pedestal. Here's to hoping. He lives in Los Angeles with his beloved Aussie dog, Sydney, who keeps him sane from those long days of dealing with narcissists and sociopaths.	View all posts by Glenn Gaylord
christopher bradley, daniel kapinga, joe ricci, julia ann severance, Michael Hanelin, Robyne Richards, slade pearce
Exclusive Interview: Making the Cut's Sander Bos "I don't think I give answers with my fashion, I think it poses questions"
SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection Film Review: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me ★★★★★


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Iraqi Literature: The Problems of Rejection and Dependency
Dima Published on August 18, 2022
Iraqis read at Baghdad's Reda Alwan Café, frequented by intellectuals and artists, on June 11, 2021 in the Iraqi capital. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE /AFP.
Ali Al-Ajeel
The debate between the intellectuals and the ruling class remains central to the dialogue in Iraq's modern history. After the Ottomans cooperated with a number of intellectuals in the late 19th century, intellectuals in the opposition criticised their actions. They asserted that the intellectuals should represent the people, not the authority. At the time, poets Maruf al-Rusafi, Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi and others staged demonstrations against the regime.
This rift lasted until the Baath Party came to power in the 1960s. Several prominent Iraqi intellectuals gathered in the Iraqi Communist Party to oppose the regime. The list of writers includes Muzaffar al-Nawab, Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati, Kazem Ismail al-Kata and many others.
The fall of Saddam Hussein's regime marked a significant change in this relationship, as there was no longer a dictatorial authority for intellectuals to join or oppose. However, this temporary freedom soon collapsed after the emergence of many new dictatorships under religious, political and even secular parties, leading to renewed disagreement.
Dictatorial Environment
In the 1960s, the party took a totalitarian approach. When writers did not follow the Baath Party's vision, it was hard to cast aside accusations, surveillance and questioning. As a result, many Iraqi intellectuals of all sects and affiliations were forced to align with the party's ideology in their writings.
Snitching evolved into a culture that spanned decades under the former Iraqi regime. The persecution of authors and literature and the clipping of their wings was not limited to the regime and its informants. The so-called 'parrot intellectual', who displayed sycophantic behaviour to obtain money and power, was the most instrumental in this regard. Fadl Khalaf Jabr says:
In the 1990s, a blacklist appeared called the 'List of Apostates' issued by the former regime that included a large number of Iraqi writers who were forced to leave. We are sure that neither Abid Hamid, Saddam Hussein's secretary, nor Uday Hussein knew or had even heard of these names. They were listed by colleagues and friends who used to share cafes and bittersweet times with us. When the regime changed, the mentality of the Iraqi intellectual, who emerged from enforced subordination into voluntary subordination, did not change. After 2003, several blacklists were issued that rarely didn't include the names of Iraqi writers and intellectuals, following the example of the former regime: "Whoever is not with me is against me."
Financial Dependency
Saddam Hussein's regime possessed key elements that intellectuals sought after. The regime could provide financial support, which was essential at the time. It controlled publishing, highlighting affiliated intellectuals and providing them with quality of life. However, strangely enough, those elements did not change when the regime did. Although the intellectuals gained some 'freedom,' this did not translate into a change in the status quo in the post-Baath period.
For poet Fadl Khalaf Jabr, a large part of this problem lies in the intellectuals' financial dependence on the regime, which forces them to lose a large part of their independence. There is no such dependency in the West, specifically in the United States. For example, intellectuals in America support themselves with reasonably paid jobs or depend on the revenues of their books or artworks.
This financial independence makes sycophancy improbable since the dependency stems primarily from financial need. The intelligentsia must first become financially self-reliant to end the dynamic of dependency.
The regime's intellectuals have continued to falsify facts and provide convincing justifications for inhumane acts, both during and after the Baath Party regime's era. This is most evident in the post-Baath era, where today we see intellectuals practice cultural falsification that often goes against culture, human norms and their own words.
Novelist Ali Badr, who opposed the Baath Party and Islamism, for example, had no problem visiting an institution affiliated with the Islamic Dawa Party because women could smoke in the garden, it had a music hall, an atelier, a café, pictures of Adonis and Sayyab and coffee cups with pictures of Umm Kulthum, among many other things that were not available at institutions of the Communist Party.
In contrast, Badr's silence on the Dawa Party did not align with his heated criticism of Saddam Hussein's regime and the Baath Party. Ironically, the former regime allowed dozens of music halls, music bands, ateliers and cafes to exist in Iraq, so was this enough to remain silent about its practices against Iraqis? Of course not.
In the same vein, Selim Dawla, in his book al-Jirahat wa al-Madarat, talks about what he called the "impossible intellectual," about whom he states: "Their slogans are leftist, their behaviour is Salafist, they have right-wing ambitions, and their worldview is mythical."
This description is quite applicable to poets after 2003. When we, for example, have a closer look at the bibliography of the Iraqi poet Kazar Hantoush, we find that he used most of his writings to praise the dictator and glorify war. After the regime's fall, he wrote poems for the Communist Party in 2004. He then wrote poetry praising religious figures, including Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement.
Other poets were not too concerned with change. They, therefore, omitted Saddam's words from their poems and instead used the names of more topical figures, whether an influential cleric or a politician smitten by sycophancy.
Regression and Deterioration
Mourners carry the coffin of renowned Iraqi poet Muzaffar al-Nawab during his funeral procession near the Imam Ali shrine, in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf, on May 21, 2022. Qassem al-KAABI / AFP
Iraqi intellectuals did not learn from past experiences. They, instead, became increasingly immersed and indulgent in similar practices, flattering tribal leaders, landlords, merchants and failed politicians. On the other hand, in Iraq, an intellectual like Muzaffar al-Nawab once stood up to Saddam Hussein to tell him: "I do not trust you." The fundamental problem lies in the hearts of the intellectuals themselves, considering that the regime – whether just or unjust – tries to recruit intellectuals and influencers to polish its image, exploiting their potential and fame to defend and justify its mistakes.
The Authority of Literature
German writer Bertolt Brecht argues: "Literary works cannot be taken over like factories; literary forms of expression cannot be taken over like patents." By saying this, Brecht suggests that literature derives its authority from the difficulty of controlling it.
Today, despite the many restrictions imposed by successive dictatorial regimes on freedom of speech in Iraq, the genuine Iraqi intellectuals have, perhaps more than others, the ability to break these restrictions and revolt through writing. In doing so, they assert the power of literature. An excellent example of the authority of literature is the spread of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Muthaffar al-Nawab and Ahmed Matar's works in the Iraqi revolutions and the uprisings that continue until today.
In a sense, the authorities create dictatorship by neglecting and falsifying culture to the point of erosion. These dictatorships also focus on religion and conspiracies to justify actions and failures. Herein lies the job of the Iraqi intellectuals, according to French philosopher Michel Foucault; "To disturb the authorities. They will not give up their principles if they don't want to be traitors to their people."
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of our writers. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Fanack or its Board of Editors.
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE ©AFP
QASSEM AL-KAABI ©AFP
Iraq Culture Opinion
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A Return Trip to Maine
We had such a great trip to Maine in 2012 we decided to do it again, focusing on the best parts of that trip, the week-long cabin rentals and the canoeing.
As in that trip, we have 7 locations this time where we will stay 2 or 3 nights. In 2012 we had three week-long cabin rentals. This time, however, we have nine! And each one comes with a canoe or kayaks!
With our new, more compact travel tandem (see our last blog post for details) we chose to fly East for a change, rather than do the three-day Amtrak version of the journey. Ten hours after leaving our condo in Seattle, here we are checking in to the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Mass., a 45-minute cab ride north of Boston's Logan Airport. Except for a few things to be mailed to us when we get to our first cabin in Maine, everything we need for the summer is there: the tandem in many pieces inside the two suitcases, two large panniers hanging from the suitcases, our helmets, and a lightweight backpack each. Our bike shoes and two medium-sized panniers plus all the small bags that go on the bike are also in the two suitcases.
Two and a half days later, here we are taking off from Gloucester. The backpacks are folded away inside the panniers, the bike is fully assembled, and we're ready for our Return To Maine.
One of those days was spent at the Peabody Essex Institute, a marvelous museum in Salem. Though they focus on New England and its connections to the Far East thanks to Salem's early prominence in trade with China, the featured visiting exhibit was about California design from the 1930s to the '70's. Some described how California firms switched from making inexpensive WW II Army supplies from molded plywood to designing and manufacturing postwar goods using similar techniques. Other exhibits explored California's part in design innovation and as a role model for "outdoor living" as it had never been done before.
The tandem, of course, did not just reassemble itself. Perhaps some day we'll get to do it in an hour, but it took a little over two hours this time, only our second time doing it. Our innkeepers Judy and Roy in Gloucester created what they called the "tandem palace," under the back porch and complete with drop cloths, for the task, and posed with Louise afterwards. They even gave us and our two now-empty suitcases a car ride up to the Fedex office, where we put the smaller suitcase inside that larger, together with a few tools and packing materials. A few days later they were at Louise and Masaharu's near Washington DC, where the bike will be packed up four months from now.
We're looking forward to a lot of canoeing this summer. 7 of our week-long cabin stays are on tidewater and the other 2 on lakes. So where better to start our biking and boating summer than with a third type of setting, rivers. We hopped on a shuttle 12 miles up the Ipswich River and had a wonderful paddle downstream with a gentle current, mostly through an Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary. The highlight was certainly the three beaver lodges we passed, two of which are pictured.
Then we spent three nights on the Piscataqua River, where airbnb owners Michael and Petra provided a canoe we took for two adventures. They were demanding efforts on this large tidal river so the camera actually stayed in its waterproof case, except for a shot of our cottage. Taking our hands off the paddles for any length of time after that was not something we cared to do. But after shooting downriver with a four-knot tide past ocean-going vessels, we found quiet cove, took some photos, and stopped at a boat-in cafe for coffee and lunch. That small red canoe on the right was our transport. We waited for the incoming tide for the return, but had quite a time of it. The 4-knot tide going with us and the 12-knot headwind in our face battled mostly to a draw, so it was a hard 7-mile paddle back compared to the trip downstream. The next morning we headed upstream starting at high tide, so we had slack water for half an hour, then an outgoing tide to fight for an hour. When we turned around for the trip back, though, we now had an even stronger current working for us, and even a light tailwind. Tides and wind, wind and tides -- we're going to be thinking about them a lot this summer!
We'll also be seeing a lot of beaches. Maine has few of any size, but there are pocket beaches in most of the areas where we'll be, great for getting out of a canoe and restoring sensation to your legs. We did detour the bike to a beach in Massachusetts, Plum Island. It even has separate areas for birds to breed and for people to -- enjoy the beach. The Parker River Nat'l Wildlife Refuge offered some trails to explore the sand dunes and the marsh lands behind the barrier created by the dunes.
A little further north, Hampton Beach was getting ready for its annual sand sculpture competition. Who knew that sand castles had gone commercial? Some local businesses plus the Disney Corporation provided funding, hence the designs on these first sculptures.
We spent one night in Kennebunk and followed a self-guiding walking tour around town prior to dinner. Both the small house and the mansion partially seen date from about 1790. The first pair of photos are fairly self-explanatory. The second historic photo shows how the Storer family chose to build their barn around a tree. When that barn had to come down, later owners built a new one a little further back, but around another tree! The mansion is up for sale, complete with its one-car, one-tree garage. Also noteworthy is the Congregational church that was sawed in two when the congregation grew, with the back section moved and the church expanded with a new center section. And just outside town is this 1804 farm (now a garden business) in Classic Maine style, all the buildings connected so you can get from the house to the barn even in the worst weather that winter can send you.
At the mouth of the Saco River we had yet another water adventure, this time a ride upriver on a power boat and a 4 1/2 mile paddle back to the boathouse from the mill falls of Saco, Maine. It was our first experience with a sit-on-top kayak, and it was a somewhat wet one. Somehow, we're always more comfortable in a canoe.
In the 19th century, some of the first tourist destinations in America were large hotels built around mineral springs. In Maine, this was Poland Spring. Unlike most of its brethren, it's still in business as a resort, though much changed. The massive Victorian resort hotel shown in the model burned down in the 1970s, vacant and probably beyond salvation in any event, but other buildings on the grounds survived and we spent two quiet nights there, getting in a lake canoe trip past our first loons of the summer, and a hike past two toads (and perhaps another few dozen, but these two guys moved and therefore gave us a chance to see them despite their amazing camouflage). Back when Poland Spring was a Very Big Deal, the owners purchased the Maine State Building constructed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and had it hauled here and rebuilt. It now functions as a history center and art gallery, currently showcasing quilts.
We've been on the go now for 14 days and nights. One more 2-night stay and we reach our first week-long cabin, in Boothbay Harbor. We'll tell you about it in our next blog entry.
A New Tandem !
Our first tandem ride was on a borrowed tandem. After our third ride, we ordered our own custom-made tandem from R&E Cycles in Seattle, which we're now calling "Early Red." It was a great bike, and we rode over 38,000 miles on it in the US and Canada.
However, Early Red didn't come apart. That's not an issue when you're commuting to work, as in the photo to the right, but as we approached retirement and looked forward to even more trips with the tandem, we decided to also retire Early Red and to have a second bike custom-made for us at R&E, "Big Red."
Big Red has also been a very good bike, and taken us another 25,000 miles on three continents, but as a travel bike it had two issues. One was that it took us close to 3 hours to disassemble it, another 2-3 to reassemble. The second issue was that it fit into two cases that just made the size limits for air or train travel as checked baggage, but not for train travel as carry-on. That limit is 28"x22"x14", and Big Red packed up in two cases that were 26"x26"x10".
We were discussing these issues at R&E last Fall when owner Dan Towle suggested we be the first to order a new bike they had been thinking of creating, one that would solve both problems. Hmmmm, a third tandem? Well, with the money we save by not owning a car, why not?
First things first. R&E measured us once again, up and down. Then they dialed in the exact specifications of our current tandem on a bike-fitting device that looks like a bike without wheels, first captain Jeff then stoker Louise, and asked us what we would change, if anything. Well we're not getting any younger, so higher handlebars would be nice. OK, raise this, change that, tweak this other thing, how's that feel? Great. Next, they did detailed CAD drawings, two sets of them in fact: one for the geometry, one to get the placement precisely right for the lock, the air pump and each of the six bottle holders.
Now for the fun part for R&E, fabricating the bike. Once it hit the top of the queu, it went together fairly quickly, in about a week. First the tubes are cut to the correct sizes and the couplings (more about them later) are silver brazed on, then everything is placed on the assembly jig to get the angles and connection points just right, and spot-welded (i.e. in 2 spots per joint to hold it all in place). When the frame is completely assembled it can be moved off the jig to where each joint can be fully welded. Meanwhile chief mechanic John Lehman has been busy lacing up the wheels.
They built "Little Red" so quickly, it was done before the rear hub had arrived from the distributor, so they borrowed a rear wheel from another bike and invited us to take a test ride before it was painted, when it would still be relatively easy to make structural changes. We did a ten-mile ride around town, including some good-sized hills to check it out ascending and descending, and there was nothing we could suggest. OK, let's paint this baby up. What color? Hmmm, since we don't want to change the name of our blog page or email address, we think, maybe . . . red?
So, what's different? First off, of course, the wheels. If the wheels of your travel bike are 26" in diameter, you can't put them in a case any narrower than 26". So these are 20". Yes, lots of kids' bikes have 20" wheels, but so, it turns out, do lots of adult bikes. So much so, that you can get very high quality rims and tires in that size. The tires they found for us are actually better (higher thread count and pressure rating) than any we ever located for 26" Big Red! We had tried a Bike Twosday tandem years ago that also had 20" wheels, but found the steering "twitchy." Because Little Red has much better bike geometry, it actually handles almost the same as its two predecessors.
Next, the rear wheel. No derailleur! It has a 14-speed Rohloff internal gear hub. Each gear is 13% higher than the one before it, with an amazing range. At a cadence of 80 pedal stokes per minute, our average, we move at 5.1 mph in 1st gear, up to 26.6 mph in 14th. For the bike techies, that's a range of 21 gear inches to 111. By comparison, Jeff rode across the US in the '70s with a bike that was considered at the time to have an extreme gear range, 31 to 108 gear inches. Compared to Big Red, Little Red has the same wide range, but is almost one gear lower. Oh, those aging bodies again -- we figure we need more help getting up steep hills, and at this age are less and less inclined to go bombing down them at high speed. Even so, we can pedal up to about 31 mph before it makes more sense to just coast, and that's just fine with us now.
Yes, we used to have a 27-speed, but in fact on any bike with a derailleur there are 2-4 gears that you are not supposed to use (ones that bend the chain too much laterally, such as the biggest chainring with the biggest freewheel ring), and many others that are almost duplicates. Now each jump is an even step. Better yet, the Rohloff eliminates the problem we often had of coming to a stop (particularly a last-minute stop for a traffic light that you didn't quite make) and finding ourselves in too high a gear to easily start. With the Rohloff you can change gears standing still. Jeff has already figured out that that means gear 7 on flat ground, 6 on a small uphill, 5 on a steep uphill, and so on. Since there is no derailleur, there are no more dropped chains to worry about, and both chains, the timing chain from Jeff to Louise and the drive chain from Louise to the rear wheel, can be on the same side of the bike.
As we mentioned, the two things we wanted our new bike to do were to pack smaller and pack faster. Smaller is accomplished with couplings -- LOTS of them. In fact, 14 of them! When you undo them all you end up with 6 tubes, 3 vertical sections (front fork and steerer tube, captain's seat tube and stoker's seat tube) and the so-called "rear triangle." However, since the rear triangle has couplings plus a bolt that comes out, it pivots at a second bolt and becomes a relatively flat piece as well. Bike racks are big and cumbersome, but this rear rack comes apart into three pieces, and the front rack when taken off the bike pivots in the center to become relatively flat. Here, in fact, are ALL the pieces of the bike when fully disassembled, with the five tools that accomplished that, and close-ups of how the couplings work. To help us quickly match up the tubes, R&E stamped one end of each one and of its matching spot on a vertical piece.
And how compactly does it all pack up? Our entire tandem (plus our bike shoes and rainjackets) is in these two suitcases! The larger one is 27"x20.5"x10" and the smaller 24"x18"x10" and both rolled quite easily with the bike inside. When we reach Boston next week and unpack the bike, we will put the smaller one into the larger (it expands to 13" in depth) and only have to ship one case by Fedex to our final destination of Washington DC.
R&E came up with a number of ways to make it faster to take apart and reassemble. Not having a derailleur helps, plus a simpler front handlebar stem. But some even bigger time (and hassle) savings came from quick release bottle cages (in the photo above you can see that the cages stay on the bottles) that slide off sideways with the pressing of a small tab. We used to spend 20-30 minutes undoing two screws for each one, then reinserting them into the tubes to keep them from being lost. The pedals are also quick release, by pulling the red tab out. No more messing with the greasy pedal bolts, not to mention times when the pedals have gotten so tight from riding that you can scarcely get them off. Finally, Big Red had packing material custom cut for each piece that came off the bike. That meant you had to match up each of 20+ parts with its packing. With a little fleece and some nylon reinforcement at the bottom, Louise sewed up four identical bags for four of the straight tubes. Though each of the four tubes is a different length, you just fold the pouch over the top and cinch the excess length with a rubber band. For the two larger tubes (one the fat boom tube, the other the tube that the pump stays attached to) she used different-colored fleece. That left the short and therefore distinctive bag for the (folded) rear triangle and three taller/wider bags for the three vertical pieces, each now labelled. One issue remained, how to protect the ends of the couplings from damage to themselves or damage to things nearby. We cut some pieces of old inner tube into squares and put one at each end, then held it in place with a plastic glove, the kind you buy cheaply at drugstores.
So, how fast is the process now? We don't yet know. We spent 3 hours disassembling and packing it for the first time last week, but much of that time was spent writing out detailed notes on the exact sequence -- what comes off first, second, etc. -- and packing order, including which of the two suitcases each piece goes into. Not to mention a lot of head-scratching time, figuring those things out.
We think we can do it next time in about an hour. And that next time is rapidly approaching. On June 12 we fly to Boston to start our next adventure, in which we spend spend 9 weeks in Maine, each one in a different week-long rental cabin. Seven of the cabins are on tidewater, two on lakes, and every one comes with a canoe or kayaks. Each one is also 32 to 44 miles from the next one, a very do-able distance for each "moving day." After Labor Day we then turn southwards and bike down the coast to Bridgeport CT, take a ferry to Long Island, ride into NYC right down to Wall Street, where we hop another ferry that takes us to the North Shore of New Jersey. We'll take our time down the Jersey Shore to the southern tip, Cape May, where one last ferry brings us to the DelMarVa peninsula. Friends Louise and Masaharu have volunteered to pick us up at the east end of the bridge from Annapolis to the peninsula (since bikes are not allowed on the bridge) and on to Washington DC, where we hope to have about two weeks left for visiting and sightseeing with them before heading home at last.
Look for our first entry in mid-June, as soon as we can hit the pause button on having fun -- and find a library to be able to post a blog. Happy Trails to you 'til then!
Posted by Jeff & Louise Davis at 12:08 PM No comments:


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text:
Publisher: Klei EntertainmentInhalt: Publisher Archiv
Publisher Klei Entertainment
Klei is located in Vancouver, British Columbia and has developed and published games for the PC, Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA) and PC Online.
Klei's creative team is led by Jeffrey Agala, a long standing director for the hit television cartoon series Atomic Betty. Jeff is a published Illustrator for Penguin Books, storyboarded for Disney's Stanley, has directed and participated in dozens of other TV shows and commercials, and has more than 10 years of experience in professional animation.
Today, Jeff has built a creative department that not only builds games, but is trained in bringing a high degree of expression and quality rarely seen in video games. Klei strives to hire and train artists and animators to create content that not only looks good, but breathes personality into the products.
In 2005, Jamie Cheng self-funded Klei by selling his shares from THQ and borrowing $10,000 from his brother. He felt there was a latent demand for quality games built from passionate, small development teams, and has since created a developer-friendly environment that continues to thrive and evolve in a competitive industry.
Prior to founding Klei, Jamie was an avid AI programmer for Relic Entertainment, where he developed the AI for the platinum seller Warhammer 40,000K: Dawn of War, and The Outfit for the Xbox 360. He also co-wrote an article on Planning Systems for Game Programming Gems 5 and bewilderingly found the article in the Best of Game Programming Gems.
Spiele vom Publisher Klei EntertainmentGesamt: 1
AppId:166 Erstellt:10.06.10 11:10 (nilius) Bearbeitet:10.06.10 11:10 (nilius) Betrachtet:1300 PublisheApp v3.0 by nilius


"Gracing the lobby of the middle school at Notre Dame School of Milwaukee is a colorful mural created by the school's Class of 2007, with painted representations of girls dressed in school uniforms, graduation gowns, lab coats and traditional dresses called vestidosfolkloricos.
Notre Dame School of Milwaukee is featured in the education section of the Journal Sentinel. Check out the full article here!
2019 College Campus Road Trip!


text:
Q: Angularjs Error: $injector:unpr Unknown Provider when injecting factory in controller I'm currently working on a webapp project, and I needed to add a new factory. But when I want to inject the factory in a controller (in the same module) I get the error in the title.
Here's my code :
The Commande factory (commande.service.js)
(function() {
'use strict';
angular
    .module('myApp')
    .factory('Commande', Commande)

Commande.$inject = ['$resource', 'DateUtils'];

function Commande ($resource, DateUtils) {
    var resourceUrl1 = 'url1';
    var resourceUrl2 = 'url2';

    return {
        byNumero : $resource(resourceUrl1, {}, {
            'query': { method: 'GET', isArray: true},
            'get': {
                method: 'GET',
                transformResponse: function (data) {
                    if(data){
                        data = angular.fromJson(data);
                    }
                    return data;
                }
            }
        }),
        byNomMarcheAndNumero : $resource(resourceUrl2, {}, {
            'query': { method: 'GET', isArray: true},
            'get': {
                method: 'GET',
                transformResponse: function (data) {
                    if(data){
                        data = angular.fromJson(data);
                    }
                    return data;
                }
            }
        })
    }
};})()

The PanelCommande controller (panelCommande.controller.js)
(function() {
'use strict';

angular
    .module('myApp')
    .controller('PanelCommandeController', PanelCommandeController);
PanelCommandeController.$inject = ['$scope', 'Commande', '$rootScope', 'Prestation'];
function PanelCommandeController($scope, Commande, $rootScope, Prestation) {
    //A lot of stuff
}})();

Prestation is another factory that has the same structure as Commande, and it works fine.
I have this error message :
Error: [$injector:unpr] Unknown provider: CommandeProvider <- Commande <- PanelRepartitionProductionController <- PanelCommandeController

Does somebody see where is the problem?
Thank you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Français : 10
Education and Child Care : 4
Children and Family Development : 2
Health : 2
Social Development and Poverty Reduction : 2
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness : 1
Government Operations : 10
Surrey : 10
Release : 10
More seismically safe schools start for Surrey students
Monday, June 7, 2021 8:30 AM
Students, teachers and staff at Prince Charles Elementary and Queen Elizabeth Secondary schools will soon have safer learning environments now that seismic upgrades are underway.
Surrey, Langley families to benefit from new child care spaces
Thursday, May 20, 2021 8:12 AM
More parents in Surrey and Langley will have the option to return to work, go back to school or pursue other opportunities as the Province invests in more than 285 new licensed child care spaces, about 200 of which are expected to open by the fall.
Community partnerships provide new opportunities to get vaccinated in Surrey
Sunday, May 16, 2021 9:30 AM
A new partnership between the Province, City of Surrey and Fraser Health is creating new opportunities for people in Surrey to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
New funding helps connect immigrants to rewarding careers
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 8:30 AM
Up to 30 eligible British Columbians will get essential and occupational skills training to prepare them for jobs as dental assistants in the Lower Mainland.
Joint statement on B.C.'s COVID-19 response, latest updates
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia:
Another new school coming for Surrey students, families
Thursday, April 8, 2021 11:30 AM
A new, energy-efficient elementary school is coming to the South Newton neighbourhood, giving hundreds of Surrey students a modern place to go to school as more education investments are made to support one of B.C.'s fastest-growing cities.
Maddaugh Elementary: third new Surrey school to open this year
Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:00 AM
A new school opens in Surrey next week, the third new school this school year in B.C.'s fastest-growing community, providing much needed classrooms for more than 600 students.
Surrey parents to benefit from new child care spaces
Thursday, March 4, 2021 8:30 AM
Families in Surrey will soon have access to nearly 300 new licensed child care spaces as part of the Province's ongoing commitment to increasing access to child care through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Red Seal trades training offered in Surrey
Up to 36 eligible British Columbians will get skills training and certification courses to prepare them for jobs as automotive service technicians, millwrights and welders.
New, expanded schools for Surrey students
More than 1,700 students in Surrey now have better, larger places to learn, with the opening of two new schools and two expansions in the last year.


text:
package org.knowm.xchange.gatecoin.dto.account;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
import java.math.BigDecimal;

public class GatecoinDepositAddress {

  private final String addressName;
  private final String currency;
  private final String address;
  private final String createDateTime;
  private final BigDecimal received;

  public GatecoinDepositAddress(
      @JsonProperty("addressName") String addressName,
      @JsonProperty("currency") String currency,
      @JsonProperty("address") String address,
      @JsonProperty("createDateTime") String createDateTime,
      @JsonProperty("received") BigDecimal received) {
    this.addressName = addressName;
    this.currency = currency;
    this.address = address;
    this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
    this.received = received;
  }

  public String getAddressName() {
    return addressName;
  }

  public String getCurrency() {
    return currency;
  }

  public String getAddress() {
    return address;
  }

  public String getCreateDateTime() {
    return createDateTime;
  }

  public BigDecimal getReceived() {
    return received;
  }

  @Override
  public String toString() {

    return "GatecoinDepositAddress [depositAddress=" + address + "]";
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Category: Do the Write Thing
In Response to the Aurora Theater Shooting Verdict – A Personal Essay
Today the world stood still in the town of Aurora, Colorado. It's not the biggest city in the state. People who don't live here may have never heard of it before 2012, but it's my hometown and it holds some of my best memories. For many people, though, it holds some of their worst.
On July 20th, 2012, James Holmes walked into a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises and he set off tear gas grenades and opened fire just as the film began. Many patrons were unsure if it was a publicity stunt that was part of the show, or if they should be alarmed. James Holmes killed 12 people that night, and injured 70 others. News outlets covered the crime 24 hours a day for many days, questioning why and how someone could do this, and for the first few hours updating the death toll. No one could understand why he would do something like that. Holmes was dressed in tactical gear and had his hair colored as a homage to the Batman villain the Joker, who appeared in the previous film. He was arrested at the scene, and since then a debate has raged on as to whether or not he should pay for his crimes due to mental illness and insanity.
Since Holmes' crime, our nation has suffered through several more unwarranted mass shootings and the issue of mental illness has become a hot topic. It's no secret that there are not always resources available to those who suffer from mental illness, and way too many people fall through the cracks and are left with no other options than to succumb to their illness. I am not here to argue the validity of an insanity plea in this case. My goal is not to sway opinions or cause an argument or debate. As the prosecution said in their closing arguments, what matters here is that James Holmes walked into that theater on July 20, 2012 intending to kill every person in there.
As I mentioned earlier, Aurora is my hometown. I went to high school maybe a few miles away from the Century 16 Movie Theater, and I saw countless movies there in my youth. I should also mention that I suffer from mental illness, and have for many years. It has brought me to some very dark places – drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, unhealthy relationships, self-harm, and even attempted suicide. It makes me feel incredibly vulnerable to share that with the world, but now finally feels like a good time to open up about my struggles. It took me many years to come to terms with my condition, I self-medicated with drugs and alcohol, convinced myself I was fine without meds for many years, and hit some very scary all time lows that lasted for years at a time before I finally accepted that I needed help. I am in control of my illness now, but the ongoing debates about whether or not people like me can be trusted, or held responsible for our actions when we do something wrong always hits very close to home for me. Yesterday, at 4:15 p.m. James Holmes was found guilty of murder in the first degree for all twelve deaths, as well as every count of attempted murder and I couldn't be happier. Now let me explain to you why.
First of all, part of dealing with my illness as an adult is understanding that there are some things about myself I cannot help, but I have to try every day to overcome my demons. In turn, when I fail at defeating the monsters inside I alone am solely responsible for what I've done because as a human I have a choice everyday on how I handle myself. Yes, on many days it is harder for me to do the reasonable thing, but I am still the one in power – not my illness. Whether or not I'm on my meds, that will always be the cold hard truth.
Second, when James Holmes attacked the patrons of that theater – a bunch of excited movie and comic buffs eagerly awaiting their first glimpse of the highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises – he attacked my peers. Not just my peers, my family. I am part of a close-knit group of, shall we say, geeks or nerds. We're fanatic; we're easily excitable about the things we love and the people in that theater were likely in a state of pure elation until Holmes took everything from them. I've gone to those midnight openings, my friends have gone to them and other than the fact that I had to work the next day there was no reason that my husband and I wouldn't have been at that theater with all the other fans. Those victims are people I relate to; they're people that I have shared experiences with. Seeing the midnight release of a film is a fun and exhilarating experience for fans. It used to be a sacred rite for the truly devoted, and on that night, James Holmes demolished that joy for a population and turned it into pain. He attacked my community – my friends, my family, my fellow Batman and movie fanatics, but it goes even deeper than that.
When James Holmes walked into that theater he attacked people, he attacked human kind. He tried to take innocence and bliss from well intentioned human beings that had done nothing to warrant such an unjustified act. He tried to instill fear and terror into the world, to remind us that there was no safe place and he succeeded. Movie theaters now run PSAs before films informing people of how to quickly and safely escape should another armed lunatic try to attack. James Holmes changed our community and he changed our world for the worst. Our children will grow up in a society where knowing that there is no safety from armed maniacs is just a part of life, and that is just too fucked up for me to wrap my head around.
For a long time, something inside of myself rejected learning Holmes' name – I called him John Holmes (famed 70's porn star who died of AIDS) for at least a year because I refused to give him the name recognition he so obviously craved. It was never on purpose; it just kind of happened. But I know his name now – he is a convicted murderer and domestic terrorist James Holmes. He took so much from us that we will never get back. He was found guilty almost exactly three years after that fateful night, but watching the coverage certainly doesn't make it feel like any time has passed at all.
As someone who suffers from mental illness, I completely understand the tragedy of a person being found guilty because they were unable to get help in time. That being said, I am also someone who understands that when that kind of darkness starts to creep into your mind you have a choice – and James Holmes chose to let that darkness take him. When he gave in, he changed the world forever and he took something from all of us. He destroyed countless lives and families and he turned something that should have been so fun into something horrific. Aurora, Colorado is my home and I will never be the same after seeing how something so horrible could happen to my peers, in my community, in my own backyard. Justice was served today, James Holmes deserves to be punished for what he did. It will never give anyone back what they've lost, nothing can ever do that. At least this way there will closure for a community that was forever changed.
Posted on July 17, 2015 July 17, 2015 Author Keriann "Anna" McNamara-McCauliffeCategories Do the Write Thing, Editorial, New This Week, NewsTags aurora theater shooting, essayLeave a comment on In Response to the Aurora Theater Shooting Verdict – A Personal Essay
Denver Comic Con 2014 – From Kitten to Catwoman: How Cosplay Empowered Me
Click on the link to take you to all of our Denver Comic Con 2014 articles
Denver Comic Con 2014 was a weekend I will always remember. I spent it with my roommate, cosplaying with her as Sherlock and John from the BBC Sherlock, attending engaging panels and meeting some of our most beloved stars. One of those stars made a huge impact on me. I was able to tell Julie Newmar (in full Catwoman attire) how she and her character had empowered me; she took my hand and inspired me all over again.
In 2009, I was a freshman in high school and had just escaped a tortuous relationship with my middle school peers. I was only starting to discover that my preconceived notions that being a nerd was something undesirable were wrong. The extreme contrast between the Catholic middle school where liking Star Trek warranted harassment and the arts magnet high school that condoned nerd expression had my head spinning. I had two friends who were exceptionally nerdy. Together we would talk for hours about everything from Harry Potter to Rocky Horror Picture Show. We were a nerd trifecta and they had made me realize that reading comic books wasn't something to be ashamed of. However, it didn't help me become any less timid or socially awkward.
One day, my friends approached me about a Science Fiction convention called "StarFest"and asked if I was going. I told them I had never heard of it and they promptly said, "Then you're going." So I bought my ticket and, a few days after, they asked if I wanted to Cosplay with them. It was as if they were speaking another language. Again, when I told them I didn't know what they were talking about, they made the decision that I was going to join them in their costumed escapade.
They were going to Cosplay as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy so I decided I would complete their femme fatale and go as Catwoman. Their costumes were amazing. Mine was…less so. At the time, my Catwoman Cosplay consisted of a long sleeve black shirt that was fraying at the sleeves, black skinny jeans, my mother's black leather boots and my friend's mask. If it weren't for the mask, I would have looked like just another person attending the convention, but it was the funnest weekend I had ever had. Those leather boots and that mask made me feel like a literal superhero, even though I was Cosplaying as a villain. Nothing could cut through the euphoria of running around the convention center and having our picture taken over and over again. Having been bullied relentlessly for liking Catwoman in middle school, the fact that that character empowered me now felt like I had finally won the battle.
Over the years my Catwoman Cosplay evolved, becoming more complex. One year, I traded my shirt and jeans for an actual catsuit. The next, I got my own cat ears and began painting my mask on. I kept my mother's boots as an homage to her, and because they still worked perfectly for the cosplay. I dawned a belt and this year bought a whip and googles to complete the transformation. To this day, the Catwoman I become every few months is still evolving, much like myself outside the convention center. I've gone from an emotionally scarred girl who didn't think she'd make it to age sixteen to a strong woman on my way to college, determined to achieve my dreams. I've gone from kitten to Catwoman.
"Never let any barriers hold you back, Charlotte," Julie Newmar told me this weekend. "If something feels right, you do it! And if it doesn't, then you don't." I was unable to hold back the tears as she spoke to me. "And look at you! You've got the suit, the ears. You even have the whip!" She then signed my cat ears and though it was supposed to cost money, she got out from behind her booth and took a photo with me. Even at age 80, she is inspiring, sassy and purrrfect as ever. I don't believe in epiphanies, but I think that moment with Julie has set something in motion in me. I no longer have to slip that catsuit on to feel powerful. I am.
Posted on June 17, 2014 June 28, 2014 Author Charlotte RenkenCategories Comic-Con, Denver, Do the Write Thing, Editorial, Random, TVTags batman, catwoman, comic book conventions, comic books, comic con, cosplay, cosplay editorial, dcc 2014 articles, dcc 2014 cosplay, DCC14, denver, denver comic con, finding power in cosplay, Julie Newmar, nerd convention, news1 Comment on Denver Comic Con 2014 – From Kitten to Catwoman: How Cosplay Empowered Me
Cosplay, Consent and Those Who Respect Neither
Cosplay is fun! You watch, read about, or play a character that you fall in love with so hard that you decide you have to be them. This involves spending an enormous amount of time and money to create your costume, tweaking it with all the creativity you can muster. It means slaving over the entire ensemble day after day until the convention arrives and you finally get to slip it on. Wearing it makes you feel like a total bad-ass, like you can take on the world the way that character does. When you walk into the convention center you get tons of compliments, people want to take your picture, and you're proud of what you've created. You feel awesome… That is, until you don't – until someone decides to take that feeling away from you and you feel creeped out, violated, and in some cases unsafe. Harassment and stalking has taken Cosplay from a fun, creative hobby to a borderline dangerous one. As we count down the days to Denver Comic Con, this topic is of particular importance.
Charlotte Renken, Catwoman
"Cosplay does not equal consent." You may have heard the phrase before, but some people don't seem to get the message. While this topic has just recently started to be addressed in the media and by convention organizers, Cosplayers have had to deal with all kinds of harassment for years. Mostly directed towards female Cosplayers, it can range from cat calling to stalking to even physical harassment. Being a Cosplayer myself, I've had to deal with this on numerous occasions; being told how I should alter my Catwoman Cosplay to show more skin or being purred at as I walk down the hall. Luckily I have never been stalked. Some people are not so fortunate.
Mike Rosenberg, Bilbo Baggins
One such Cosplayer, who wishes to stay anonymous, was forced to face both harassment and stalking at and leading up to StarFest 2014 in Denver. At Animeland Wasabi, an anime convention in Denver, the Cosplayer had met someone. The two became intimate quickly, but things stopped when the other con goer revealed they were underage. The Cosplayer then turned them down as they did not want to engage inappropriately with a minor. This was the right thing to do; however, the con goer didn't seem to agree. In the next two weeks, the Cosplayer began receiving messages to the point of harassment and asking for their address. The Cosplayer blocked them on all their social media accounts as well as their phone number. At StarFest 2014, the con goer began following all the Cosplayer's friends in an attempt to find the Cosplayer and once the con goer did, cornered them. At this point, the Cosplayer ran away but later that night was chased into an elevator. Feeling panicked, the Cosplayer turned to their friends to calm them down, then later became angry as their stalker had now violated their security in a place they once felt safe.
This same Cosplayer, like many others, has also faced sexual harassment. However, much of this came from larger and older people, making them afraid to say anything. Many Cosplayers feel this way. Trying to balance your need to call someone out on their inappropriate behavior and self preservation is a difficult thing to achieve and the scale is usually tipped towards the latter. Cosplayers are forced to remain silent about these matters for their own safety, which only worsens the feeling of being violated. Con goers must become aware of the harm they are causing by being inappropriate this way. They need to understand that wearing a Slave Leia costume is not an invitation for them to act like Jabba the Hutt.
Jake Lichliter and Meg Coulburn, Superboy and Poison Ivy
Denver Comic Con does not tolerate harassment of any kind towards anyone regardless of their ethnicity, creed, religious background, political background, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, sexual orientation, fandom, etc. They define harassment as "physical assault, verbal harassment, sexual harassment, stalking, unwanted physical contact, unwanted advances, or inappropriate media capture"or anything else that makes someone feel uncomfortable or unsafe. They go on to define inappropriate media capture as "photography, video, audio, or some other form of recording where the subject feels they are being stalked, exploited, degraded, or disrespected through being recorded."
Their harassment policy is detailed on their website and should be read by everyone attending the convention. The important note on this page is that harassment is defined by the victim regardless about how the perpetrator may feel about the situation. If one is determined to be harassing someone, Denver Comic Con reserves the right to ask the perpetrator to leave the convention or even ban them permanently. Con goers are encouraged to report any harassment to the nearest Denver Comic Con volunteer or security personnel or call the police at either 911 or The Denver Police Department District Six non-emergency number 720-913-2800.
Stormy Cone, Human GLaDUS
There are a few rules that should be followed when interacting with Cosplayers. While most Cosplayers are happy to have their picture taken, it is always important to ask first. They may not want their photo taken or simply do not have time. In addition, asking a Cosplayer to pose in a way they are not comfortable with is not okay and can easily be deemed as harassment. It's fine to have fun with the photos you are taking, but when a Cosplayer says no understand that they mean no. When speaking with a Cosplayer one must be respectful and steer away from inappropriate topics. While you may think you are flirting, they may not. Unwanted attention is never a compliment.
While the change needs to come from the perpetrating group, there are things Cosplayers can do to protect themselves both during conventions and outside them. While an online presence is important to grow your audience it's more important to keep yourself safe online. Having Cosplay accounts separate from your personal social media accounts is a good start. Never display your personal information on these pages and keep an eye on who is liking or following your page. If something seems fishy, report it. Better to overreact than under-react.
Raya Jade Lieberman, Sherlock Holmes
Studies suggest that if you are being stalked, to change your routine frequently, instruct friends, family, and employers not to give out your information to strangers, take note of each incident, and in extreme cases, file a restraining order. If you feel your life is in danger, always call the police. If harassment occurs at the convention, remove yourself from the situation. Walk away but stay in a crowded area. Sticking with one or two friends is also a good way to stay safe. It is perfectly fine to report the harassment to a convention volunteer or security personnel, or call the police. They are there to make sure you have a fun, safe weekend.
Never enter the hotel room of someone you don't know especially if you are alone. If you plan to drink at the convention, keep an eye on your cup and toss out anything you haven't been paying attention to. If you come in contact with someone who you feel has been paying an inappropriate amount of attention to you, report them immediately. Too often victims of stalking and harassment ignore what is happening and try to rationalize the situation, and by the time they report something it is often too late for officials to do anything about it.
Conventions are one of the best things about nerd culture. They are exciting, often host some of our favorite actors, artists, and writers, and only come around once a year. They are one place were we undeniably know we can be ourselves without judgement. For some people, it is the only place they feel at home. It is our duty as nerds to keep these safe havens free from harassment and fear. We've faced enough of it already.
In order of appearance photos courtesy of Sydney Nicollette Hall Mayhew, David Chandler and Kat Colvin, Charlotte Renken , Mike Rosenburg Jake Lichliter and Meg Coulburn, Stormy Cone, and Raya Jade Lieberman
Posted on June 12, 2014 June 28, 2014 Author Charlotte RenkenCategories Comic-Con, Denver, Do the Write Thing, EditorialTags comic book convention, comic books, cosplay, cosplay does not equal consent, cosplay harassment, dcc, dcc 2014 cosplay, denver comic con, do the write thing4 Comments on Cosplay, Consent and Those Who Respect Neither
Women's Civil Rights in Islam: A synopsis from the pages of Ms. Marvel
The Women's Rights Movement in Islam is a fight for more than equality and freedom. It, in some ways, is a fight for humanity. The Western world has been put on notice that the women of Islam will no longer suffer the indifference of cruel and stubborn men. We see it everyday in our high schools and malls. Young Muslim women wear colorful hijab and dazzling outfits equipped with Gucci bags and Air Jordans. We hear it in their poetry through the voices of those like Suheir Hammad and Amal Kassir. We see it on the streets of Tehran and Bahrain. Social media has made it impossible to ignore. Sites like Wikileaks and Instagram have given a face to this head covered revolution.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf gives us a haunting description of growing up Syrian-American. When I picked the book up in 2006, I needed it to reaffirm my faith as a practicing converted Muslim. In its pages you can find similarities in almost every civil rights movement in modern history. Couple that with the struggles of assimilation in a society that perceives diversity as a weakness, and you have the basis for a constitution.
This is why Ms. Marvel is more than a comic book. When it was first announced that Marvel would give the secondary title a much needed make-over, most of us were skeptical. In the film age of Avengers and The Dark Knight, there seems to be very little space for the lesser-known heroes. Most of the big companies are keeping their cash grabs going by reissuing past story arcs for future films and keeping the public interested in what the studios are putting out on the silver screen. But Marvel gave writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona a chance to do something out of the ordinary. The result is the tale of Kamala Khan, a teenage girl from Jersey City. She lives in world that doesn't truly see her for who she is. At school, she and her friend Nakia are the subject of ridicule from the female Flash Thompson, Zoe Zimmer. She is not allowed to spend time with boys. Her parents, although not restricting her to strict Sharia law, do not give her the independence she believes she deserves. Her brother Aamir loves her, but is focused on prayer and devotion to Allah. Did I mention that she is nerd? This twist allows us, the reader to fall in love with this character on a very base level. Readers can connect with her through the awkwardness of being a teenager or by being a social outcast in school. She is everyone. Her accessibility gives her a human feel that most comics lack, for obvious reasons. She is empowering. Her character sees the hypocrisy in gender bias and questions it outright. This alone makes her a hero.
But Kamala is obsessed with the Avengers. She daydreams of battles with intergalactic invaders and wants nothing more than to change into her hero, Captain Marvel.
Kamala draws inspiration from the same heroes we do. Justiiiiice!
One night, her wish comes true. She transforms into Ms. Marvel, a super human with the ability to change her shape. How fitting. Whether as a nerd, woman, or culturally disenfranchised youth she dreamed of acceptance. Her newly found powers allow her to be anything she wants physically, but she remains the same inside.
Kamala sneaks out to a party that her parents forbid her to go to. Once there a strange mist envelopes her and she is greeted by the Avengers, speaking Urdu! They tell her that they are of faith, and speak all languages of beauty and hardship. This type of writing gives this book the type of authenticity it needs to be impactful. If Wilson decided to attack Islam for its treatment of woman alone, the book would take a preachy and holier-than-thou stance that would immediately offend. But this book doesn't do that, it shows both sides, from the inside of an Islamic Masjid where women are separated in prayer, to the dinner table of a family with first generation westerners. Her first act of heroism saved the life of her mean-girl tormentor, Zoe Zimmer. This selfless act will shape the type of hero she will become. Wilson could have easily made her first heroic act saving the life of a Muslim kid in the midst of being victimized by a hate crime. But that would be the easy way out. In saving her perceived enemy this book takes a traditional Islamic pretense, to offer enemies love, from Al-Mumtahana, and that saving one life is like saving an entire people, from Al-Maida.
Sometimes, the worst bullies are those that think they are being good people.
The reality of our world is harsh. Women in most countries on this planet are subjugated to cruelty and treated as subservient. And before our glorious Stars and Stripes have their say, let's not forget the shadow it still casts on our history. The Slavocracy of the South and Jim Crow laws that proceeded allowed for the ownership, rape and torture of African American women. Hell, the ruling class didn't even allow their women to vote until 1920 and sexual health issues are still being fought today on a Congressional level. But Ms. Marvel is a glimmer of hope in a small pocket of our society. It's pages are meant to inspire the oppressed, and objectified. Bravo for Marvel Comics, and Al-ḥamdu lillāh.
Below is my review of issue #3 that I wrote for the weekly reviews (see all the week's reviews here). The five part introduction to the new Ms. Marvel is entitled Meta-Morphosis. I suggest you purchase from comiXology or support your local comic book shop and strike a conversation with the guy behind the counter!
Ms. Marvel #3 – A
I can already envision the "What if" issue where Zoe Zimmer drowns. Tell me you saw the somewhere on the west side ave JC electronics sign or you noticed the sarcastic look on the New Jersey pigeons? This book screams of nuance. More than the cultural tension of growing up Muslim so close to Manhattan, I find the awkwardness of being a teenager compelling. Kamala frantically searches the web for answers…"Super-powers, Shape-shifting powers, Woke up as a polymorph, Embiggening. Come on interwebs, don't fail me now–I can't be the first person this has happened to–" The book feels real because we would ALL do the same thing. Still subservient in a world where woman are not allowed to worship with their male counter parts, Kamala struggles to find her purpose. It's been a while since we have seen a hero's genesis story. Watching Kamala awkwardly try to control her powers is like watching an eager tadpole.
After responding to his text, she heads to the Circle Q to meet Bruno. When she looks in the window she notices a masked man flashing a gun. Assuming that he's being held up, she springs into action and makes a magnificent declaration.
"I am 911!"
"Strange things are afoot at the Circle Q."
Shout out to the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure quote from Bruno.
Kamala learns a valuable lesson about being a hero this issue, if she makes it out alive she won't make the same mistake again.
Post originally from John Soweto's blog
Posted on April 18, 2014 May 12, 2014 Author John SowetoCategories Comic Books, Do the Write Thing, Editorial, Weekly Comic Book Reviews, You Nerd Like A GirlTags comic books, egypt, feminism, g willow wilson, gender equality, head covered revolution, hijab, islam, kamala khan, marvel comics, ms. marvel, muslim american, muslim americans, muslim feminist revolution, muslims in comics, women's civil rights1 Comment on Women's Civil Rights in Islam: A synopsis from the pages of Ms. Marvel
In Defense of Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager
I've been hitting my head against a wall the last couple of days trying to figure out the best introductory article I could write. I always hope for something that would awe and amaze. However, all of my ideas could be dissertations and long drawn out tangents better suited for a bar. So, for now I'll start with something I can always talk about: Star Trek. More specifically Voyager, because if I'm going to go on a tangent, Captain Janeway seems like a good place to start.
I'm a fan of most Trek series, but for me, my first obsessive relationship with Star Trek began with Voyager. It was the first series I was old enough to watch as it aired on television. Countless actors and writers have talked to the fact that seeing certain characters on Trek have deeply impacted their creative adult lives. The biggest example being Whoopi Goldberg and her first introduction to Lt. Uhura of the original Star Trek series. Uhura gave Whoopi a female black role model that existed outside positions of service help. It seemed plausible that there was a future where white people could get past racial bias and stereotypes. For a child this kind of inspiration is monumental. When Whoopi was older, she went to Gene Roddenberry asking for a part on the The Next Generation and thus Ginan was born. She in turn inspired many more sci-fi watchers.
Seeing Captain Janeway on the screen was my Lt.. Uhura moment. As much as I love other Trek characters, there will always be a special place in my heart for the cast of Voyager. Janeway stuck with me in a way that still clings to me in adulthood. I think Trek was the first place viewers saw women who talked less about their romantic relationships and more about the dynamics of their careers and their relationships to the scientific world around them. Janeway was the ultimate role model for me. Here was a woman who was not only a Captain in charge of star-ship but first and foremost a scientist. On top of being a scientist, there was the added burden of getting her crew out of the Delta Quadrant and back home.
Watching Captain Janeway talk to Da Vinci in order to work out scientific problems made my heart giddy. While I never grew up to be a scientist, watching Janeway was the first time I felt my mind was represented in media. What I mean by this, is that while I can be a romantic, what I valued more was my creativity and my intelligence. Janeway let me know that this was okay. I finally felt it was okay to be intelligent first and something that my emotional relationships could exist in tandem with. She taught me I didn't have to be alone in my mind, that I could base my relationships off of intellectual interests. To this day I haven't compromised my need to connect to people in an intellectual level.
Janeway was constantly discussing and debating with Kess, B'elanna, and Seven of 9 in ways that were complex and dynamic and reached past romantic love. These women were her go to experts, the ones who saw her plans through. Then, there was Chakotay, a man who was okay with being second in command. He respected her power wholeheartedly as an authority and as a scientific thinker. In the seven seasons she was on air, her character was never compromised or changed to fit a mold our culture needs women to belong to. In turn, I never compromise my intelligence in order to fit in with what others expect of me. That is why Science Fiction exists, to give us a future that is socially evolved and different from our own. It is the last place where we can hold on to our optimism that says we will one day exist in a better world and in one where we are fleshed out and dynamic individuals. For some of us nerds, Science Fiction is the last home we have.
There is a reason Science Fiction doesn't get the respect it deserves; it's trying to articulate what other stories ignore. That there is a place for everyone, that there are people who will fight for it. These are the stories that inspired millions to be the change the want to see in futures to come.
Voyager may be the least liked series of the franchise, but it will always remain my favorite. There, I've said it! Voyager is my favorite Star Trek series and I will continue to defend it until the end. Many more tangents on the subject to come later. Till then, cheers!
written by Jené Conrad
Posted on November 29, 2013 April 23, 2014 Author Jené ConradCategories Do the Write Thing, Editorial, TV, You Nerd Like A GirlTags Captain Janeway, Janeway, kate mulgrew, kathryn janeway, Star Trek, Voyager, Whoopi Goldberg1 Comment on In Defense of Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager
Using Fear to Prey on the Fearful
"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."
Christopher Nolan released this statement earlier yesterday about the "Aurora Batman Shooting," a phrase that will come to describe the events that unfolded at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colorado – and will ultimately ruin anything with the words "Aurora" and "Batman" in the same breath. In a neighborhood we grew up in, in a movie theater we have frequented since we were getting rides from our parents to sneak into movies they would not approve of, our city's safety and well-being were violated by a gunman who shot 71 people, killing 12, in pre-meditated act of cruelty in Theater 9.
That night, the Hush Comics (Adrian Puryear, Panama Soweto, Evan Lowe, Sara Elkhatib, a couple other friends, myself) family were excitedly awaiting the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. We had decided on the Arapahoe Crossings Chinese Mann theater, choosing it over Century 16 because Fandango would not allow me to buy tickets for Century. The reality is that we were very close to going to that theater and it is a fact that I am very grateful for. Unfortunately, we all had friends in the theater and many of them will be scarred for life, physically and emotionally.
People inside, and outside, of Aurora always joke that Century 16 is and always has been the "ghetto" theater. Being the most heavily populated black community, those jokes are always thrown around. We said it when my parents had their catalytic converter stolen from under their 4Runner in broad daylight a few years back. We definitely said it eight years ago when I, a scrawny 16 year old at the time, was stabbed and robbed of my car after a midnight showing of Aliens vs. Predators by a group of desperate kids. But this, this was much worse. This hit so close to home. I think what makes me feel the sickest about it, is that it wasn't just a group of desperate kids, nor a rise of testosterone. This was a planned attack on a movie theater full of young people. This coward walked into a dark room, trapped and killed defenseless members of our community while wearing full ballistics armor. A 24 year-old PhD neuroscientic, James Holmes goaded police officers with his master plans as if he were Jonathan Crane. Oh, and by the way, asshole, the Joker has green hair.
To add insult to injury, the response I get from everybody is, "well yeah, it's Aurora." This kind of this should never happen in Aurora, never anywhere. When I went places today, it was business as usual. No empathetic looks, no common courtesy; it's like the whole world has been numbed to tragic violence. There needs to be more to this than Facebook statuses and news coverage. There must be real substance in our reaction as a society, not just a gilded excuse to push gun control and political agendas.
In time, our wounds will heal. Just as New York City has with the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Aurora will become hardened from the scars left. After that night, 8 years ago, when my sense of security was violated, my parents forbid me to go back. Understandable from their point of view, but I needed to face my demons. If I allowed my demons to keep me from feeling safe in my own hometown, how much longer would I go on running from things that scare me? It was very similar to taking the same route home from school as a kid, even if it means the school bully was waiting for me every day. To sum it up, I will not allow anybody to make me feel weak, and I implore the city of Aurora to stand behind this landmarked theater, instead of allowing it to wither into a frightening reminder of that night.
I am pretty sure now that, although a superior movie, The Dark Knight Rises will not outsell The Avengers. I can only predict that somebody will trick the ignorant into believing that Batman somehow caused this massacre (much like the way he is accused of causing the sociopaths of Gotham to exist in the comics). I also would like to point out that, at the time of writing, I have not seen any Marvel social media that has raised any awareness of the situation, losing my money and support for quite a while. DC Comics and Warner Bros., however, have been very understanding in the matter, canceling shows, supporting blood drives, as well as showing an overwhelming amount of support from writers, artists and publishers through various social media outlets. What we should take this as is a wake-up call. We have been fooling ourselves, thinking that we can disappear into a digital world, in effect disconnecting ourselves from our community with this bullshit "not my problem" mentality and expect those in power to take care of us.
I will take it one step further to infer that from the ashes those bullets laid at our feet to say that we need a Batman to rise from the pit of despair we find ourselves in. We cannot let Aurora become Gotham City. To give in to the fear is to stop believing in Batman.
written by Sherif Elkhatib
Posted on July 22, 2012 April 23, 2014 Author Sherif ElkhatibCategories Comic Books, Denver, Do the Write Thing, EditorialTags batman, TDKR, theatershootingLeave a comment on Using Fear to Prey on the Fearful


Keswick has another history full of murder, intrigue and tortured souls. From slate built houses to the surrounding lakes and fells this is an area steeped in legend and mystery. Follow "The Lady"… if you dare. Keswick Ghost Walks are written with an adult audience in mind but are broadly accessible to children 10 years and above. Please ensure that children are suitably clothed for the conditions.
Carlisle Farmers Market, managed by Sustainable Brampton, provides delicious fresh produce at affordable prices. We have everything you need including free range meat, fish, eggs, cheese, bread, vegetables, cakes, jams, honey and chutneys, mostly produced within 50 miles of Carlisle. Our market is always an enjoyable social occasion too so come along and meet our friendly, knowledgeable stall holders for ingredients and advice on how to cook them.
Ever wondered how magnets work, where anti-gravity comes from and what's inside those mysterious black holes? Come along to our interactive science exhibition 'Feel the Force' and discover for yourself, with experiments and machines for you to have a go on.
The forces of nature are invisible, but they affect every moment of our lives. You can feel them when driving round corners, ice skating or riding a bike. And you can see their effects in smoke rings and bubbles, even the way water flows when emptying the bath. These large-scale exhibits help explain how they work and give the chance to try out some experiments with friends and family.
Feel the Force is an all ages interactive science exhibition creatively devised by Science Projects ltd.
Enjoy wonderful views as you learn about our fantastic upland nature reserve and the wildlife and geology that make it so special. Sturdy wellington boots recommended as the route is over very wet and uneven ground.
The Beatrix Potter Magic Lantern Show is a traditional Victorian magic lantern performance in the Old Laundry Theatre studio at the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, in which Beatrix Potter tells her own story from childhood onwards, discovering herself as an illustrator, story writer, biologist, conservationist and farmer.
This unique and intimate theatrical performance is accompanied by an enchanting slide show with beautiful scenes of the Lake District and fascinating original black and white film footage of Victorian London that you will not have seen before. At this event you can discover more about Beatrix Potter's fascinating life and then enjoy a quintessentially English Afternoon Tea before browsing the acclaimed World of Beatrix Potter Attraction exhibition.
Tickets £15 (to include Magic Lantern show, Afternoon Tea and entrance to the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction). This event is created for an adult audience or for children of at least 12 years old.
Join an evening diesel departure from Ravenglass at 6pm and enjoy a Fish and Chip Supper at Fellbites Cafe, Dalegarth for Boot Station. Ticket price £10.50 includes a Fish Supper at Dalegarth. Call Dalegarth to book on 019467 23192.
A one day friendly, practical course to teach you how to read a map.
If you have never looked at a map or if you need some help planning and following a route along paths and tracks then this is the course for you.
We run courses starting in Bowness-on-Windermere and also in the northern Lake District starting in Keswick. Our courses have a maximum of four participants so you will not be overlooked in a large group.
You will be amazed how much detail there is on an Ordnance Survey map and we will teach you how to make the most of it all. It's a very friendly, practical course and you will come away inspired and with the confidence to get out walking much, much more.
Date: 18th – 19thMar Time: 10:00-16:00 Where: Hayes Garden World Price: FREE!!
Get your orchid MOT'd at Hayes Garden World!
Chris Channon, Orchid Expert and RHS Gold Medallist, gives advice and demonstrations on all aspects of orchid care at this FREE weekend event, open to all.
Chris said: "I'm delighted to be representing Growth Technology at Hayes Garden World's Orchid Weekend.
In between the formal sessions Chris will be on hand to answer questions & give advice.
Date:18-19th Mar Time: 09:45 Where: Glenridding Cost: FREE!!
It's back and bigger than ever. Bring along that jar of marmalade to board the 9.45 cruise from Glenridding and enjoy a cruise on us with complimentary toast too! The home of the Marmalade Festival, Dalemain Historic Mansion & Gardens are offering those passengers discounted festival entry over the weekend. Jars will be donated to the Salvation Army.
Date: 18th Mar Time: 10:00-16:00 Where: Penrith Cost: FREE!!
Marmalade, bears and all things orange… put a date in your diary for Saturday 18 March 2017, as Penrith celebrates the World's Original Dalemain Marmalade Awards & Festival.
Penrith Goes Orange sees the town centre festooned in this brightest of hues and fizzing with market stalls, music and entertainment. It's quite simply the stickiest day out in Cumbria – for humans and bears alike!
This free event gives you a glowing opportunity to taste and buy marmalades from some of the country's best producers, along with quality artisan foods and crafts.
The town will be bursting with street entertainers, magicians, musicians, dancers and storytelling, with special activities for bears, too.
Date: 18th Mar Time: 10:30-12:30 Cost: FREE!!
Discover different ways to use paint in this fun screen printing session where you can make lots of amazing pictures by repeating the same design. Learn how to screen print and put your own print design on a tea towel to take home. Grown-ups are welcome too! We recommend you visit The Great Print Exhibition in our Gallery first, it's free and you can see a wide variety of Printmaker styles in the 380 works of art on display, which will give you some new ideas ready for the activity.
Date: 24th – 26th Mar Where: Hardknott Bar Cost: FERE!!
This weekend, there are over 35 Gins to sample by the glass at the Woolpack Inn and Hardknott Bar & Café's Gin Party, with accompaniments you would never think of trying!
Sample this spirit traditionally made in Cumbria with local ingredients and sample the wares of some top local and international distillers.
On Saturday night 25th we've live music with Atlas, featuring Evie Plumb.
Gin Cocktails will be 1 – 2 – FREE, try Harry's homemade infused gin and don't forget Mothers' Ruin for Mothers Day on Sunday 26th! Try our Mothers Day Menu or how about a G & (Afternoon) Tea to spoil your mum.
With the Woolpack's B&B letting rooms also available, enjoy the event and stay over in beautiful Eskdale. For more information about the event or to book to stay, please see the website or give us a call.
For mums who deserve something special, book Mothers' Day lunch or dinner at the Michelin-Guide recommended Bistro at the Distillery.
You and your mum will be spoilt for choice with a varied three-course menu to suit all tastes, from mouth-watering mains such as Cumbrian roast lamb and wild mushroom linguine to delicious chocolate tart or rhubarb and ginger desserts. Available from 12pm – late, this menu can be enjoyed from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th March.
In addition, all mums receive a complimentary welcome pack full of Lakes Distillery vouchers worth £50.
Booking is essential, please contact via email or telephone to make your reservation.
For a very special treat; bring your mothers for an Afternoon Tea in the beautiful surroundings of the Castle Drawing Room or the Billiard Room. Both these elegant rooms with their ornate plaster ceilings overlook the Castle lawns.
With a glass of Prosecco as an optional extra, the Mothers Day Afternoon Tea comprises a selection of sandwiches, homemade cakes and scones with jam & cream, plus choice of tea or coffee and is served in the Castle at 2.45pm.
This year, Mothers Day falls on our first full season opening day so included in the price is general entry for the day to Muncaster's Gardens and Hawk and Owl Centre (from 10.30am) with bird of prey displays at 11.30am and 2.00pm plus the Castle visit (from 12 noon). This experience is available on Sunday 26th March only.
To support WWF's Earth Hour Forestry Commission England is hosting a series of twilight activities throughout March, allowing visitors to the forest, to explore it after dark!
Earth Hour is a global annual celebration which inspires millions of people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the planet. It's a symbolic and spectacular lights out display with a big message – we want to protect the future of our planet!
Embrace the dark by switching off your lights from 8.30 – 9.30pm on 19 March 2016, and attend one of our many Earth Hour events. Enjoy a guided star walk through the forest, led by professional Astronomer, Robert Ince. Robert will explain the constellations and their mythology, unlocking the mystery of the night's sky.
What will you discover after dark? Our forests are the perfect place for night-time magic, star-gazing, storytelling and animal spotting. Wrap up warm, grab your torch and head along to one of our forests for an after dark adventure!