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EP Review: Toe – Our Latest Number
To me, Toe are about as close as you can come to a perfect band. They are incredibly talented musicians who create great compositions that appeal to just about everyone. It's never a bad time to listen to Toe, no matter what kind of mood you're in. I have a funny anecdote that I shared in my Masaki Hanakata review, which involved me introducing Toe to American teenage girls at a Summer Camp I worked at, resulting in them all chanting "Toe! Toe! Toe!" until I played some of Toe's music through tinny speakers at the campfire.
Their new EP, Our Latest Number picks up where Hear You (2015) left off. In fact, I feel that the new song "Etude of Solitude" could complete a trilogy started with the 2015 tracks "Premonition" and "A Desert of Human", following similar sounding guitar lines. "Etude…" is my favourite track of this EP, featuring split tapped poly-rhythms, sparing yet effective use of vibraphone, splendid drumming, and possibly even sitar?
We hear light, airy songs that sound simple, but are deceptively complex. The songs are very repetitive, looping around groovy motifs that gradually evolve. Precise poly-rhythms of noodly guitars sit above concise, dry drumming, loaded with explosive energy, yet exuding chilled out vibes.
Most Toe tracks are instrumental, and when they feature vocals the singing is usually diverse and unpredictable. Hear You had male and female vocals, stunning harmonies and even rapping. By comparison, the two songs featuring singing on this EP are relatively straightforward and calm.
Thanos would love this EP because it feels so perfectly balanced. The playing is busy, but the musicians know where to leave space. The music sounds so clean and articulate due to the fact that there are very little sound effects added to the playing . Most post-rock music is saturated in distortion, reverb, delay etc… so these songs sound fresh by comparison.
That is not to say there are no effects or synthetic sounds utilised. "F_A_R" has a weird sliding sound – almost like a robotic heartbeat – at the start of the track. I first noticed it as I was walking to work a few days ago, and I thought the sound was my headphone cord rubbing against my clothes. The track continues to employ interesting sounds from synths and sequencers to add texture.
It says something about the quality of the music when you love a band so much without knowing much about them. I have no idea what they sing about on their songs that contain singing. It's hard to keep track of what they're up to over social media, seeing as most content I find is written in Japanese. I can't understand what their message is, so I simply let the music talk on their behalf.
The only downside of Our Latest Number is that it is too short, last just shy of 20 minutes. And on top of that, some tracks almost feel like rehashed versions of older songs (compare the drumbeat "The Latest Number" against "You Go", from 2009's For Long Tomorrow). But my complacency isn't justified – I just crave more music from this outstanding band!
This is an immaculate EP, in keeping with their previous output. Essential listening for most math-rock and post-rock fans, and I'm sure just as appealing to anyone who doesn't usually listen to instrumental music. Just press play, and bask in the music's genius and clarity.
Toe links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toemusic/
Bandcamp: https://toe-music.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takaakimino/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mino_takaaki
Upcoming US tour dates:
September 07, 2018 – Washington, DC, US @ Black Cat
September 08, 2018 – Brooklyn, NY, US @ Warsaw
September 09, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA, US @ Union Transfer
September 10, 2018 – Allston, MA, US @ Brighton Music Hall
September 12, 2018 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club
September 13, 2018 – Chicago, IL, US @ Thalia Hall
September 14, 2018 – Minneapolis, MN, US @ Fine Line Music Cafe
September 17, 2018 – Seattle, WA, US @ The Crocodile
September 18, 2018 – Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Imperial
September 19, 2018 – Portland, OR, US @ Wonder Ballroom
September 20, 2018 – San Francisco, CA, US @ Great American Music Hall
September 21, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA, US @ Regent Theater
Tags Japan, Math Rock, Our Latest Number, Post-Rock, Toe, Topshelf Records
Live Review: King Brothers, Vottones and DHDFD's at Meow, Wellington
The King Brothers
w/ The DHDFD's
The Vottones
Unsanitary Napkin
I gotta say, before you scroll down, be aware that this review and the photos embedded are not safe for work. Seriously. If your boss catches you looking at some of these images during work hours you are going to have to have a very awkward conversation. This is not appropriate workplace content. This cannot be considered decent by any stretch of the imagination. It's downright depraved. Got it? Well then read on…
Watching Unsanitary Napkin made me regret that I've become estranged from the Wellington punk scene. I used to get along to many more punk shows, but the frequency decreased as many of my friends in hardcore bands disbanded. I still crave a taste of that intense abandon now and again, but don't get my fix nearly as often as I should. Unsanitary Napkin reminded me of when PEARS opened for Strung Out – hyper aggressive and slightly unpredictable. The two guys in the rhythm section sported proper mops – a shaggy one on bass and a Beatles-esque mop on drums. Long hair always has potential to visually enhance a show, and it was great to see the players whip it around as they played. The vocals coming from the girl on guitar came totally unexpected. She was channeling some heavy stuff, because the coarse shrieking didn't sound natural. It was weird seeing these demons tear through violent songs, only to transform into cutesy "aw shucks" embarrassed kids between songs. I'll award points for intensity, but then dock a few for the lack of confidence between songs. Fake it til you make it!
I glanced sideways at my friend Paris. I'd met up with her for dinner last week for a catch up seeing as she had just returned from a big stint abroad. She'd mentioned that she was keen to catch more live music and I invited her to this, the next gig I was planning to go to. Clearly I hadn't put much thought into that, and now the poor girl was getting irreversibly scarred from this experience I'd recommended.
Next up were Vottones. wow… what a band!
They delighted in vulgarity. Raw, unrepentant filth. I didn't understand much of what was said, except for lots of "fuck you"s, an MC5 cover, and repeated chanting of the line "I AM DIARRHOEA". Class, pure class. This is what I've come for.
At one point the singer gestured to his chest as he introduced a song. Is he pointing to his heart? Because if so, it's the wrong side. Moments later I see that, no, not the heart. He is definitely pointing to his nips with both hands. Just to hammer the point home, he walked along to the bassist to jerk his shirt up and put his microphone to a saggy man-breast while he played. What is this, singing titty hour?
Abusing the bassist didn't stop there. The band riffed the tune to Sabbath's "Iron Man" as he removed his own shirt, grabbed the mic and stepped down into the crowd to sing. Although he didn't stop there. He walked through the audience and out of the venue. It got to the point that he'd walked so far the mic lead had pulled out, but that didn't stop him from furiously shouting into it. Upon returning to the front of stage, the singer jumped down and gave poor bass-man the wedgie from hell. As in, pulled the stressed undergarments so hard that he practically tore them in two. He then crouched down and put his head through the undie hole and allowed himself to get dragged around by his new noose, continuing to play guitar.
They also invited someone from the audience up onstage for a guitar duel at one point. I think they knew him – he could definitely play guitar well – but he could have been a random for all I know. I've been in that situation myself, pulled up onstage to play guitar for a band (although I don't know how to play guitar).
People think I'm weird for going to these kinds of things. And they're 100% correct. But they don't know what they're missing out on. Last year I saw a guy dressed as an astronaut duet with puppets. A few months ago I played guitar with the legendary Guitar Wolf. These are the experiences that make you know that you are truly living. Sometimes the path to enlightenment involves watching half-naked foreign men violate all concepts of decency in dimly lit bar on a Wednesday night. I don't make the rules – that's just how it is.
The hilarious thing is that after the set the guys from Vottones got changed from their leather rock gear into standard clothing. It's weird to see a man walking around in baggy jeans and a cute sweater, knowing that just 10 minutes ago he was a vile rock lord. It shatters illusions to see that he was a nice guy in comfy clothes commenting on how good the chicken on the menu tastes.
The DHDFD's came across as a weird cross between Deja Voodoo and The Datsuns. I know, it doesn't make sense to me either, but that's how it was – both terribly dero and stylistic. Scott on vocals was rocking the timeless outfit of only stubbies and a trucker cap, while his bandmates either side of him wore dress shoes. It was snotty punk with odd tangents. "We wrote this one after snorting meth, thinking that it was speed", Scott explained, before popping a Gollum squat on a table amidst the audience for the next song. I would consider this set mad enough on any given day, but sandwiched between two crazy Japanese acts made it look mild by comparison.
Next up were the headliners- the almighty King Brothers. During soundcheck the drummer let loose and I found my attention snatched away from the conversation I was having with Paris. Dude has chops! It's unfair really – borderline cheating. I came here to witness energy, aggression. Wild, untamed insanity. Stage dives and gimmicks. But musical talent? That's just not punk rock!
The trio dressed sharply in suits, adding an edge of sophistication to their set. The started off with a bang, with the bass and guitar players climbing onto speakers and jumping off in unison.
The lead vocalist with greying hair dominated as the life of the party. "COME CLOSER!" he shouted, beckoning to us. "COME CLOSER!" As soon as a mass of bodies had collected in front of him he sprang off the stage, the first of countless croudsurfing sessions during the set.
I'm not sure who was most standout in the King Brothers. The floor adverse singer certainly deserves a mention. A madman front and centre, demanding attention and acting out like a toddler. He shouted and swore, climbing on things and calling for people to put him up and carry him around. But then the other two onstage held it down professionally, with their unceasingly good brand of rock. Usually either the music or the show suffers at expense of the other, but in this case both the madness and the talent impressed.
The most excellent moment was when the vocalist ran into the crowd, snatched a girl's drink, sculled it down, grabbed a dude nearby for a quick pash, and before you know it was back onstage.
Towards the end the band picked up the drumkit and re-assembled it in the middle of the floor, continuing the set in the centre of the crowd. Our madman friend, shirtless by this point, circled his bandmates above their heads, doing donuts whilst crowdsurfing.
It's an overused cliché, I know. But dammit I was speechless after that show. I just stood near the bar, mouth slightly ajar, trying to process everything I'd just experienced. Just… just… uh… woah. That was rock and roll. That was a show.
It's bittersweet really. I had such a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed every wretched minute. But I am sad knowing that I'll unlikely ever see a show that good again.
Photographer Connor Crawford recently posted a photo from King Brother's Auckland show, captioned "King Brothers are the greatest band in the world". I can 100% see where he comes from. Up until now Iron Maiden and Guitar Wolf both laid claim for my greatest live shows, but I think that I may need to revise this now.
And as for my friend Paris? Well yeah, she may need to get therapy at some point down the track, but she had the time of her life, and was grinning from ear to ear by the end of it.
Tags Hardcore blues, Japan, Meow, Nishinomiya, NZ UFO Collective, The DHDFD's, The King Brothers, The Vottones, Unsanitary Napkin, Wellington
Live Review: Guitar Wolf at Meow, Wellington
Guitar Wolf
w/ Huge Mutant
I feel that I need to explain my choice of attire.
Yesterday I posted on Instagram about how I was so excited for the Guitar Wolf gig at Meow tonight, and that I was planning on wearing my finest Hawaiian shirt. Someone from the band Hiboux commented, asking if this was a thing.
In short: no. But there is a weird rationale behind my decision.
You see, this is my third time seeing Guitar Wolf live. The first time was at Bodega. It was the night after seeing Foo Fighters at Western Springs in Auckland – at the time easily the best live act I'd seen. And as amazing as the large-scale Foo Fighters concert was, Guitar Wolf came damned close to topping them in terms of putting on a phenomenal live music experience.
One of the highlights of that night was when the singer pulled me up on stage to join a human pyramid. Another was when he pulled up a guy with a large beard and Hawaiian shirt. He handed his guitar to our lumberjack-looking friend, compelled him to "feel the rock" and instructed him to strum out.
The second time I saw Guitar Wolf was at Mighty Mighty – another defunct Wellington venue. And lo and behold, the same guy – wearing the same Hawaiian shirt and rocking the same awesome beard – was pulled onstage to feel the rock and play guitar. This second time I figured out that he was selected because he won a thumb wrestle.
I vowed to myself that next time, I would like to win the thumb wrestle and transform into a rock god onstage, under tutelage from Japan's finest. And just to somehow enhance my odds, I decided to dress the same as the lumberjack dude. My thought process doesn't make much sense, but oh well.
I'm lucky I even made it to the gig. After a long week at work I was knackered. I work as a preschool teacher, and the combination of heat, hay fever and loud children had given me a severe headache. I decided to have a short nap when I got home.
Turns out I needed that nap more than I'd realised. I woke up at 10pm – four hours later! I quickly threw on the all-important Hawaiian shirt and raced down to Meow. I'd missed the opening acts, but thankfully got to the gig in time for the main act.
And what a beautiful sight it was. Three grown men onstage wearing leather jackets and velociraptor masks. The guitarist cracked a can of beer open and emptied it into the mouth of the dinosaur.
Image: Kay Hoddy
After a short intro track the trio ditched their dino masks. Seiji led the trio on vocals and guitar. He wore wraparound sunglasses and was dripping with sweat for most of the set. Half of the appeal of Guitar Wolf is their energy, and Seiji injects so much of his personality into the show – making exaggerated expressions and motions as he plays. Toru kept the beat on drums, and frantically combed his hair back – rockabilly style – between songs. They also had a new bass player – Hikaru. I remember previous bassist, U.G. had taken to his bass guitar with a saw, cutting off the bottom portion that he didn't need, seeing as he only played three strings. Hikaru was great, energetically flicking his hair around, and supporting on vocals.
Guitar Wolf are not for everyone. They take cues from punk, rock, rockabilly and garage to create their unique "jet rock n' roll" – think Japanese Ramones. They're ear-splittingly loud, with plenty of feedback and distortion. And they're fast too. OK, so they're not the tightest act out, but why let technical ability get in the way of a good show?
Seiji had good banter – or at least from what I could understand. He made a shout out "my cousin, Prime Minister of New Zealand" during their cover of "Summertime Blues". He asked if we had boyfriends/girlfriends/both, before teaching us how to love. He also asked the crowd what the highest mountain in New Zealand is, which had him stumped when he couldn't understand the name Aoraki.
The pick of destiny. Image: Kay Hoddy
If you can't tell yet, the show was great. I had the best time.
BECAUSE THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT WORKED!!!
Ok, so maybe it wasn't the shirt. But I accomplished my goal.
As soon as Seiji removed his guitar strap I knew my time had come. He thrust his arm out into the crowd and I raced forward to grab his hand. He didn't thumb wrestle me as I'd expected, but I clung on hard, trying to gain favour with him.
Seiji pulled me onstage, gave me his guitar, turning a knob so that the volume maxed out, squealing with feedback. Then he placed a guitar pick in my hand, raising it high above me head in a classic rock star stance. He shouted instructions my ear. To be honest I can't even remember what he said – I was on such a buzz – but the gist is that I had to rock out.
I began strumming in time with the band. I'm not a guitarist and had no idea about chords, so I just played open, with my hand resting lightly on the strings on the neck to prevent too much feedback. My apologies to those who attended and had to put up with the cacophony I cause.
Seiji instructed me as I played. I don't know if I understood correctly, but he guided me to wait, before strumming when he cued me. The next challenge was to jump in time with the band as we played. They all crouched down and I followed their lead, unsure of my role.
I have no idea how long I was on stage, but I was having the time of my life. I had bloody fingers and knuckles from the sharp guitar strings, but I didn't care – it was worth it. At one point I noticed that one of the guitar strings had broken, and I wondered if I had done that, or had Seiji broken it earlier?
To finish, Seiji held me and pulled me down to the floor of the stage, removing the guitar from me. A man at the front of the crowd grabbed my legs and hoisted me up, and next thing I know, I was crowd surfing. It was unnerving, but I felt supported and nobody dropped me.
The rest of the set was great. People congratulated me on my newfound rock god status. Guitar Wolf kept playing their furious music. It was fun.
They left the stage, before coming on with an encore of a few more songs, and Seiji wrapped up with a second, solo encore.
Guitar Wolf prove that a rock show needs to be exactly that – a show! They have the look, the attitude, and the energy – as well as the music. If you get the chance to see Guitar Wolf in action, do it! Just don't forget your earplugs!
Rock and roll!
Guitar Wolf have three more dates in New Zealand:
Saturday 25th November, Whammy Bar, Auckland
Sunday 26th November, Kewpie Party Boat, Tauranga
Monday 27th November, Secret Show, West Auckland
Tickets at Undertheradar: http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/tour/7227/Guitar-Wolf-New-Zealand-Tour.utr
Words by Joseph James
Photos by Kay Hoddy (https://twitter.com/KayInNewZealand#)
Tags Guitar Wolf, Japan, Meow, Rock, Wellington, Wild Zero
Album Review: Toe – Hear You
It has been a great year for post-rock. Wellington has recently been visited by some greats like This Will Destroy You, sleepmakeswaves and Mogwai. And some brilliant albums have been released by bands from all ends of the spectrum worldwide.
The latest such release is Hear You, the third studio full length from Japanese rockers Toe.
Although I would classify Hear You as post-rock, it isn't a strictly instrumental album. In fact, many of the songs include singing, like the tracks 'Commit Ballad' and 'Song Silly'. Some songs are softly cooed, some are rapped. There are both male and female singers, making the sound all the more diverse. The singing is also predominantly Japanese, but I think I can identify English in "Song Silly".
This first half of the album sounds like one big song that slowly evolves. The second half is where things begin to mix up. 'Time Goes' actually sound more like rapping than singing, backed by some funky guitar, bass, and organ. The next song, 'オトトタイミングキミト' follows up with the hip-hop feel, this time with jazzy piano parts.
The crisp drumming throughout the album is standout. In fact, the busy drumming during breakdown in "A Desert of Human" is probably the best moment on the entire album. At times drummer Kashikura Takashiit hangs back, waiting. But when the time comes his playing is urgent and hurried, adding pace and filling the emptiness in a tasteful way. He plays around the timing with drags and shuffles, and makes the most of space with varied rolls, fills and flourishes. There is a very math-rock approach, adding colour and vibrancy to some otherwise straightforward sounding songs.
Hear You has a clean, cohesive sound that is soothing but engaging. It is predominantly percussion driven, with jangly picking and light strumming from the guitars. That said, even though there is a ongoing sound saturating the album, it is also incredibly experimental and subtly diverse. Take the track 'G.O.O.D L.U.C.K', for example. It contains tabla drumming, whining Kanye autotune sounds and cheerleader chanting. And somehow it all works in together. There are so many intricacies and subtle layers that only reveal themselves on repeat listens. It's a short album – the 11 songs only add up to 40 minutes of material – but it's a case of quality over quantity.
Hear You may be short, but it's so good that you'll likely find yourself listening to it on repeat anyway.
Tags Ambient, Electronic, Hear You, Instrumental, Japan, Maths Rock, Post-Rock, Toe, Topshelf Records
Live Review: Guitar Wolf at Mighty Mighty, Wellington
Guitar Wolf playing Stinkfest 2013
Mighty Mighty, Wellington
When the opening band has two drum kits and a gimp mask, you know that your night will either be really good, or really bad. Oddly enough, Guitar Wolf's live show came under both categories. The music isn't exactly what I'd call good, but they put on one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Japan's answer to the Ramones; Guitar Wolf are a caricature of all things rock and roll. (Or rather, lock and loll). The band has the image and sound down pat – clad in black leather and sunglasses and playing at breakneck speeds with volume levels to rival Spinal Tap.
Their set started with the singer, Seiji, asking for a beer from the crowd, which he promptly downed in one go. This set the tone for a wild night. One punter earned himself a spot as guest guitarist by winning a thumb wrestle with Seiji. A human pyramid was formed onstage. There was stagediving. One member of the audience sang his school song into the microphone. Seiji hit plastic balls into the crowd wielding his guitar like a cricket bat.
The music was pretty terrible, a torrent of noise and distortion. A shout of "One, two, three!" was the only way to distinguish where most songs started and finished. It was bordering on impossible to decipher anything Seiji said/sung with his thick Japanese accent. ("Did he just say Mt Victoria is poisoned!?")
The thing that set this show apart from the rest is the band's dedication to the lock. No matter how hot they got they wouldn't remove their clothing. They were all dripping with sweat, but rockers wear leather! It almost seemed cartoonish. Drum Wolf (Toru) was a powerhouse with the endurance of a steam engine, and Bass Wolf (U.G.) held down a solid groove.
They gave it their all, continuously playing faster and louder. And when we thought it was over, the band kept coming back for more and more encores. This show was almost two years to the day since Guitar Wolf had last played in Wellington. And this time was just as memorable.
Tags Guitar Wolf, Japan, Mighty Mighty, Stinkfest, Wellington


Santiago de Chile's neighborhoods are decorated with plenty of colorful graffiti.
If you live in a neighborhood were this is a common means of expression, such as Barrio Yungay or Barrio Brasil, and you want to protect your house's facade from graffiti youngsters that don't know what they're doing, the best way to go about is to let good painters leave their mark. Graffiti artists never taint one another's work.
Take a walk around Santigo's and appreciate some of its street art, scrolling through this visual essay!
And see part 2/2 here!


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01/28/2020 06:00 PM ISAW Lecture Hall
The Death of the Individual:
Wholeness and Fragmentation in Ancient Greek Burials
Cicek Tascioglu Beeby
Ancient Greek beliefs about death and afterlife held firm on the notion that the deceased must receive burial in order to be accepted into the underworld. The manner of burial or the type of grave that received the deceased, however, appear to have been immaterial with regards to religious belief. Greek burial customs showed great variation regionally, temporally, or sometimes even within a single cemetery at any given time. Was the preservation of the mortal remains of the dead completely inconsequential in Greek religion? What level of care was shown to retain a degree of the bodily cohesion, individuality, and personhood of the deceased? This paper uses two case studies—the commingled inhumations in the crowded graves of Argos and the carefully sealed monolithic sarcophagi of Corinth—to explore the attitudes towards the human body after death in Greek thought and mortuary behavior.
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Chris Bell: The TT Interview
The 2006 Democratic nominee for governor talks about suing Rick Perry and the Republican Governors Assocation over illegal contributions and pocketing a settlement and judgement of more than $2.4 million.
by Ross Ramsey Sept. 24, 2010 5 AM Central
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Houston attorney Chris Bell, the 2006 Democratic nominee for governor, won a $2 million judgment against the Republican Governors Association earlier this summer and received a $426,000 payment from Gov. Rick Perry's campaign earlier this year — all as a result of allegedly illegal RGA contributions to Perry at the end of the 2006 governor's race. Those awards don't go to Bell's campaign; under Texas law, they go straight into the candidate's pocket. Bell, a former congressman and Houston city councilman, finished in second in the four-way '06 contest, which also included Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who both ran as independents. Neither of the other candidates sued over the contributions, though they now might wish they had. The RGA has said it will appeal this summer's ruling.
Bell talked to the Tribune by phone recently about the lawsuit and its aftermath; an edited transcript follows.
TT: Tell us what the infraction was and why there was a settlement.
Bell: In the closing days of the 2006 race, when all of those reports have to be filed, a million-dollar contribution was made, or showed up as having been made, by the RGA to the Perry campaign. We thought it was a little strange at the time. R.G. Ratcliffe [of the Houston Chronicle] apparently had some of the same feelings and after the race decided to make note of it and track it and see what the RGA filed with the IRS, and learned that just prior to the contribution to Perry being made, that Bob Perry, the developer in Houston, had contributed over a million bucks to the RGA. So it looked like a fairly clever way to funnel Bob Perry's money into the Rick Perry campaign.
Audio: Chris Bell
Which would have been fine, if all the T's had been crossed and the I's had been dotted. But Buck Wood [Bell's attorney] agreed to look into it and thought there was bound to be some explanation for it and kept probing — and there wasn't an explanation for it. The RGA was not authorized to contribute money in the state of Texas and had no treasurer. And the proper forms that have to be filed if you're an out-of-state committee were not filed in this particular instance.
Many of the ethics laws in Texas are somewhat lacking. But there has always been a concerted effort to ensure transparency, and all of the laws are designed that way so that an opponent — or really, any member of the public — can find out who's contributing to political campaigns. In this particular case, there was absolutely no way for us to find out prior to the election who was really contributing that money to Rick Perry, and that's really the basis of the finding.
After the Oct. 6 debate, when the momentum started shifting in our direction, and John O'Quinn gave us — originally a million dollars, turned out it was $3 million — the Perry campaign immediately went on TV blasting us for taking all that money from a trial lawyer. That was a big part of their campaign.
O'Quinn had also vowed to give us all the money that we needed, and [Perry's campaign] had no idea what that meant. He wasn't going to just write a blank check, but they didn't know that. And so I think that a lot of their money was already committed, and they didn't know what that race was going to look like in the closing weeks, and I think they thought they needed to get a little bit more money in the coffers. The quickest way to do that was through Bob Perry, but I don't think they wanted to be guilty of the exact same thing that they had been banging us with for several weeks.
TT: What do you think the Perry campaign saw that the RGA didn't? They decided to settle and the RGA decided to fight.
Bell: I don't really know exactly what the motivation of the Perry campaign was, and they weren't required to say. We were set for trial last fall. That's when we went to mediation, and they opted to settle the case. This has been one of the misunderstandings of the whole thing: why the damages are so high. Well, the damages are statutory, and there's no real discretion there on the part of the court. It's set in law that if an infraction is found, then the damages are twice the amount of the contribution, and both the giver and the receiver of the contribution are liable for that amount. Since we were talking about two million bucks, it could start adding up.
TT: When did you realize the money would go not to your campaign but to Chris Bell?
Bell: Buck had told me that. I was a little bit surprised. I've never been in this situation before, and I never really had to look at it. I guess I kind of knew. I remember a guy who used to run for mayor here in Houston who would turn around and allege reporting violations.
TT: Kind of a money-maker?
Bell: Right.
TT: You weren't the only guy who ran against Rick Perry. Were you the only guy who had an action here?
Bell: No. Anyone who was a candidate in the race can file, and Carole and Kinky were certainly well aware of it, I believe. It was in the newspaper. It wasn't any big secret what was going on. They maybe just didn't research it or maybe just didn't care to pursue it. I don't know.
TT: Does it change your feeling about the outcome of the race? You won the lottery, but you lost the governor's race.
Bell: No, you know, the funny thing about it [is] I never really had a bad feeling about the governor's race. I entered that race with head held high and bright prospects for the future. The governor's race was a fascinating experience. I wouldn't trade the last month of that campaign for anything else in the world. I will admit that the preceding year and a half or so could be pretty grim at times. It was a fascinating, exciting home stretch that I greatly enjoyed. I don't have any regrets about the governor's race at all.


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Flourishing ethnic diversity; thriving New Zealand
What's been happening
The Office of Ethnic Communities is government's authoritative advisor on ethnic diversity in New Zealand. Our purpose is that Ethnic Communities are strong and the benefits of ethnic diversity for New Zealand are realised.
Kia ora, malo e lelei, talofa lava, namaste, ni hao, mabuhay, anyoung haseyo and very warm greetings!
It is my honour to be able to provide you with my first message since becoming your Minister for Ethnic Communities – a portfolio I am immensely humbled to have been given by our Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, and one which I am excited about.
Kia ora tātou
The Office of Ethnic Communities warmly welcomes our Minister, the Hon Jenny Salesa, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Ethnic Communities, Michael Wood MP. We will be supporting the Minister and Under-Secretary to deliver the Government's priorities to ensure that ethnic diversity is a source of strength for New Zealand, and brings new insights, skills and opportunities to everyone in our society.
Defining moments: Women in leadership
The Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) is a group that was formed in 1991 to cater specifically for the needs of Muslim women around New Zealand. Maysoon Salama, National Coordinator, and Anjum Rahman and Aliya Danzeisen, Assistant National Coordinators, are leaders within their own ethnic communities, serve on a range of boards, have a wealth of experience and knowledge and are highly entrepreneurial. They share some of their thoughts about their own journeys, life and leadership
Ancient instrument played at festival
Candy Wu Zhang played the guqin, an ancient seven-string Chinese instrument, at the Gold Silk International Musical and Cultural Festival 2017. The guqin has a three thousand year history so is often referred to as the "instrument of the ages". It is noted for its great subtlety of sound and revered for its association with scholars and literati particularly the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
In remembrance: Councillor Philip Yeung
The Office of Ethnic Communities was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Councillor Phillip Yeung on 29 September in Hamilton, aged 60.
On 3 October 2017, Statistics New Zealand released an update of their population projections, which states that the four largest ethnic population groups in New Zealand are projected to grow between 2013 and 2038.
Have you seen SmartStart? Given the projections for New Zealand's increasing population, it's a very smart way for new parents to get step-by-step information to help them and their babies get off to the best start!
Potting Up for Khaled
Office of Ethnic Communities Senior Services Advisor, Craig Nicholson and son Noa recently spent a few hours volunteering to support Khaled Al Jouja and family – along with around 500 other volunteers.
New Connections Inspiring Christchurch
Isaac Winsley from the social enterprise Inspiring Stories Charitable Trust, visited the Office of Ethnic Communities in Christchurch recently to talk about the trust's vision - "To see every young New Zealander unleash their potential to change their world". A key topic of discussion was the trust's desire to expand its connections with young people from diverse communities in the South Island.
Justice promoting diversity in the workplace
More than 200 people from Wellington's Courts and Ministry of Justice offices got together on the 13 October and enjoyed an authentic Indian lunch to celebrate Diwali, the annual Hindu Festival of Lights.
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text:
package org.elasticsearch.persistent;

import org.elasticsearch.Version;
import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.node.tasks.cancel.CancelTasksResponse;
import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterChangedEvent;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterName;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.Metadata;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodes;
import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.RoutingTable;
import org.elasticsearch.common.UUIDs;
import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsExecutors;
import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
import org.elasticsearch.persistent.PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Assignment;
import org.elasticsearch.persistent.PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.PersistentTask;
import org.elasticsearch.persistent.TestPersistentTasksPlugin.TestParams;
import org.elasticsearch.persistent.TestPersistentTasksPlugin.TestPersistentTasksExecutor;
import org.elasticsearch.tasks.Task;
import org.elasticsearch.tasks.TaskId;
import org.elasticsearch.tasks.TaskManager;
import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.TestThreadPool;
import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
import org.junit.After;
import org.junit.Before;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;

import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.empty;
import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.sameInstance;
import static org.hamcrest.core.IsEqual.equalTo;
import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyLong;
import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyString;
import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;

public class PersistentTasksNodeServiceTests extends ESTestCase {

    private ThreadPool threadPool;

    @Override
    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        super.setUp();
        threadPool = new TestThreadPool(getClass().getName());
    }

    @Override
    @After
    public void tearDown() throws Exception {
        terminate(threadPool);
        super.tearDown();
    }

    private ClusterState createInitialClusterState(int nonLocalNodesCount, Settings settings) {
        ClusterState.Builder state = ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName("PersistentActionExecutorTests"));
        state.metadata(Metadata.builder().generateClusterUuidIfNeeded());
        state.routingTable(RoutingTable.builder().build());
        DiscoveryNodes.Builder nodes = DiscoveryNodes.builder();
        nodes.add(DiscoveryNode.createLocal(settings, buildNewFakeTransportAddress(), "this_node"));
        for (int i = 0; i < nonLocalNodesCount; i++) {
            nodes.add(new DiscoveryNode("other_node_" + i, buildNewFakeTransportAddress(), Version.CURRENT));
        }
        nodes.localNodeId("this_node");
        state.nodes(nodes);
        return state.build();
    }

    public void testStartTask() {
        PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService = mock(PersistentTasksService.class);
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") PersistentTasksExecutor<TestParams> action = mock(PersistentTasksExecutor.class);
        when(action.getExecutor()).thenReturn(ThreadPool.Names.SAME);
        when(action.getTaskName()).thenReturn(TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME);
        int nonLocalNodesCount = randomInt(10);
        // need to account for 5 original tasks on each node and their relocations
        for (int i = 0; i < (nonLocalNodesCount + 1) * 10; i++) {
            TaskId parentId = new TaskId("cluster", i);
            when(action.createTask(anyLong(), anyString(), anyString(), eq(parentId), any(), any())).thenReturn(
                    new TestPersistentTasksPlugin.TestTask(i, "persistent", "test", "", parentId, Collections.emptyMap()));
        }
        PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry registry = new PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry(Collections.singletonList(action));

        MockExecutor executor = new MockExecutor();
        PersistentTasksNodeService coordinator = new PersistentTasksNodeService(persistentTasksService,
                registry, new TaskManager(Settings.EMPTY, threadPool, Collections.emptySet()), executor);

        ClusterState state = createInitialClusterState(nonLocalNodesCount, Settings.EMPTY);

        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder tasks = PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder();
        boolean added = false;
        if (nonLocalNodesCount > 0) {
            for (int i = 0; i < randomInt(5); i++) {
                tasks.addTask(UUIDs.base64UUID(), TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, new TestParams("other_" + i),
                        new Assignment("other_node_" + randomInt(nonLocalNodesCount), "test assignment on other node"));
                if (added == false && randomBoolean()) {
                    added = true;
                    tasks.addTask(UUIDs.base64UUID(), TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, new TestParams("this_param"),
                            new Assignment("this_node", "test assignment on this node"));
                }
            }
        }

        if (added == false) {
            logger.info("No local node action was added");
        }

        Metadata.Builder metadata = Metadata.builder(state.metadata());
        metadata.putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE, tasks.build());
        ClusterState newClusterState = ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(metadata).build();

        coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));
        if (added) {
            // Action for this node was added, let's make sure it was invoked
            assertThat(executor.executions.size(), equalTo(1));

            // Add task on some other node
            state = newClusterState;
            newClusterState = addTask(state, TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, null, "some_other_node");
            coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

            // Make sure action wasn't called again
            assertThat(executor.executions.size(), equalTo(1));
            assertThat(executor.get(0).task.isCompleted(), is(false));

            // Start another task on this node
            state = newClusterState;
            newClusterState = addTask(state, TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, new TestParams("this_param"), "this_node");
            coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

            // Make sure action was called this time
            assertThat(executor.size(), equalTo(2));
            assertThat(executor.get(1).task.isCompleted(), is(false));

            // Finish both tasks
            executor.get(0).task.markAsFailed(new RuntimeException());
            executor.get(1).task.markAsCompleted();

            assertThat(executor.get(0).task.isCompleted(), is(true));
            assertThat(executor.get(1).task.isCompleted(), is(true));

            String failedTaskId = executor.get(0).task.getPersistentTaskId();
            String finishedTaskId = executor.get(1).task.getPersistentTaskId();
            executor.clear();

            // Add task on some other node
            state = newClusterState;
            newClusterState = addTask(state, TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, null, "some_other_node");
            coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

            // Make sure action wasn't called again
            assertThat(executor.size(), equalTo(0));

            // Simulate reallocation of the failed task on the same node
            state = newClusterState;
            newClusterState = reallocateTask(state, failedTaskId, "this_node");
            coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

            // Simulate removal of the finished task
            state = newClusterState;
            newClusterState = removeTask(state, finishedTaskId);
            coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

            // Make sure action was only allocated on this node once
            assertThat(executor.size(), equalTo(1));
        }
    }

    public void testParamsStatusAndNodeTaskAreDelegated() throws Exception {
        PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService = mock(PersistentTasksService.class);
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") PersistentTasksExecutor<TestParams> action = mock(PersistentTasksExecutor.class);
        when(action.getExecutor()).thenReturn(ThreadPool.Names.SAME);
        when(action.getTaskName()).thenReturn(TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME);
        TaskId parentId = new TaskId("cluster", 1);
        AllocatedPersistentTask nodeTask =
                new TestPersistentTasksPlugin.TestTask(0, "persistent", "test", "", parentId, Collections.emptyMap());
        when(action.createTask(anyLong(), anyString(), anyString(), eq(parentId), any(), any())).thenReturn(nodeTask);
        PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry registry = new PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry(Collections.singletonList(action));

        MockExecutor executor = new MockExecutor();
        PersistentTasksNodeService coordinator = new PersistentTasksNodeService(persistentTasksService,
                registry, new TaskManager(Settings.EMPTY, threadPool, Collections.emptySet()), executor);

        ClusterState state = createInitialClusterState(1, Settings.EMPTY);

        PersistentTaskState taskState = new TestPersistentTasksPlugin.State("_test_phase");
        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder tasks = PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder();
        String taskId = UUIDs.base64UUID();
        TestParams taskParams = new TestParams("other_0");
        tasks.addTask(taskId, TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, taskParams, new Assignment("this_node", "test assignment on other node"));
        tasks.updateTaskState(taskId, taskState);
        Metadata.Builder metadata = Metadata.builder(state.metadata());
        metadata.putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE, tasks.build());
        ClusterState newClusterState = ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(metadata).build();

        coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

        assertThat(executor.size(), equalTo(1));
        assertThat(executor.get(0).params, sameInstance(taskParams));
        assertThat(executor.get(0).state, sameInstance(taskState));
        assertThat(executor.get(0).task, sameInstance(nodeTask));
    }

    public void testTaskCancellation() {
        AtomicLong capturedTaskId = new AtomicLong();
        AtomicReference<ActionListener<CancelTasksResponse>> capturedListener = new AtomicReference<>();
        Client client = mock(Client.class);
        when(client.settings()).thenReturn(Settings.EMPTY);
        PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService = new PersistentTasksService(null, null, client) {
            @Override
            void sendCancelRequest(final long taskId, final String reason, final ActionListener<CancelTasksResponse> listener) {
                capturedTaskId.set(taskId);
                capturedListener.set(listener);
            }

            @Override
            public void sendCompletionRequest(final String taskId, final long taskAllocationId,
                                              final Exception taskFailure, final ActionListener<PersistentTask<?>> listener) {
                fail("Shouldn't be called during Cluster State cancellation");
            }
        };
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") PersistentTasksExecutor<TestParams> action = mock(PersistentTasksExecutor.class);
        when(action.getExecutor()).thenReturn(ThreadPool.Names.SAME);
        when(action.getTaskName()).thenReturn("test");
        when(action.createTask(anyLong(), anyString(), anyString(), any(), any(), any()))
                .thenReturn(new TestPersistentTasksPlugin.TestTask(1, "persistent", "test", "", new TaskId("cluster", 1),
                        Collections.emptyMap()));
        PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry registry = new PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry(Collections.singletonList(action));

        int nonLocalNodesCount = randomInt(10);
        MockExecutor executor = new MockExecutor();
        TaskManager taskManager = new TaskManager(Settings.EMPTY, threadPool, Collections.emptySet());
        PersistentTasksNodeService coordinator = new PersistentTasksNodeService(persistentTasksService,
                registry, taskManager, executor);

        ClusterState state = createInitialClusterState(nonLocalNodesCount, Settings.EMPTY);

        ClusterState newClusterState = state;
        // Allocate first task
        state = newClusterState;
        newClusterState = addTask(state, "test", null, "this_node");
        coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

        // Check the task is know to the task manager
        assertThat(taskManager.getTasks().size(), equalTo(1));
        AllocatedPersistentTask runningTask = (AllocatedPersistentTask)taskManager.getTasks().values().iterator().next();
        String persistentId = runningTask.getPersistentTaskId();
        long localId = runningTask.getId();
        // Make sure it returns correct status
        Task.Status status = runningTask.getStatus();
        assertThat(status.toString(), equalTo("{\"state\":\"STARTED\"}"));

        state = newClusterState;
        // Relocate the task to some other node or remove it completely
        if (randomBoolean()) {
            newClusterState = reallocateTask(state, persistentId, "some_other_node");
        } else {
            newClusterState = removeTask(state, persistentId);
        }
        coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

        // Make sure it returns correct status
        assertThat(taskManager.getTasks().size(), equalTo(1));
        assertThat(taskManager.getTasks().values().iterator().next().getStatus().toString(), equalTo("{\"state\":\"PENDING_CANCEL\"}"));

        // That should trigger cancellation request
        assertThat(capturedTaskId.get(), equalTo(localId));
        // Notify successful cancellation
        capturedListener.get().onResponse(
            new CancelTasksResponse(Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList()));

        // finish or fail task
        if (randomBoolean()) {
            executor.get(0).task.markAsCompleted();
        } else {
            executor.get(0).task.markAsFailed(new IOException("test"));
        }

        // Check the task is now removed from task manager
        assertThat(taskManager.getTasks().values(), empty());
    }

    public void testRegisterTaskFails() throws InterruptedException {
        CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);

        final Client mockClient = mock(Client.class);
        final ThreadPool threadPool = mock(ThreadPool.class);
        when(threadPool.getThreadContext()).thenReturn(new ThreadContext(Settings.EMPTY));
        when(threadPool.generic()).thenReturn(EsExecutors.DIRECT_EXECUTOR_SERVICE);
        when(mockClient.threadPool()).thenReturn(threadPool);
        when(mockClient.settings()).thenReturn(Settings.EMPTY);

        PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService = new PersistentTasksService(null, null, mockClient) {
            @Override
            public void sendCompletionRequest(String taskId, long taskAllocationId, Exception taskFailure,
                                              ActionListener<PersistentTask<?>> listener) {
                assertThat(taskFailure, instanceOf(RuntimeException.class));
                assertThat(taskFailure.getMessage(), equalTo("Something went wrong"));
                listener.onResponse(mock(PersistentTask.class));
                latch.countDown();
            }
        };

        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") PersistentTasksExecutor<TestParams> action = mock(PersistentTasksExecutor.class);
        when(action.getExecutor()).thenReturn(ThreadPool.Names.SAME);
        when(action.getTaskName()).thenReturn(TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME);
        when(action.createTask(anyLong(), anyString(), anyString(), any(), any(), any()))
            .thenThrow(new RuntimeException("Something went wrong"));

        PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry registry = new PersistentTasksExecutorRegistry(Collections.singletonList(action));

        MockExecutor executor = new MockExecutor();
        PersistentTasksNodeService coordinator = new PersistentTasksNodeService(persistentTasksService,
            registry, new TaskManager(Settings.EMPTY, threadPool, Collections.emptySet()), executor);

        ClusterState state = createInitialClusterState(0, Settings.EMPTY);

        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder tasks = PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder();

        tasks.addTask(UUIDs.base64UUID(), TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, new TestParams("this_param"),
            new Assignment("this_node", "test assignment on this node"));

        Metadata.Builder metadata = Metadata.builder(state.metadata());
        metadata.putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE, tasks.build());
        ClusterState newClusterState = ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(metadata).build();

        coordinator.clusterChanged(new ClusterChangedEvent("test", newClusterState, state));

        // Failed to start the task, make sure it wasn't invoked further
        assertThat(executor.executions.size(), equalTo(0));

        assertTrue(latch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
    }

    private <Params extends PersistentTaskParams> ClusterState addTask(ClusterState state, String action, Params params,
                                                                       String node) {
        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder builder =
                PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder(state.getMetadata().custom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE));
        return ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(Metadata.builder(state.metadata()).putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE,
                builder.addTask(UUIDs.base64UUID(), action, params, new Assignment(node, "test assignment")).build())).build();
    }

    private ClusterState reallocateTask(ClusterState state, String taskId, String node) {
        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder builder =
                PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder(state.getMetadata().custom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE));
        assertTrue(builder.hasTask(taskId));
        return ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(Metadata.builder(state.metadata()).putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE,
                builder.reassignTask(taskId, new Assignment(node, "test assignment")).build())).build();
    }

    private ClusterState removeTask(ClusterState state, String taskId) {
        PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.Builder builder =
                PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder(state.getMetadata().custom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE));
        assertTrue(builder.hasTask(taskId));
        return ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(Metadata.builder(state.metadata()).putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE,
                builder.removeTask(taskId).build())).build();
    }

    private class Execution {

        private final PersistentTaskParams params;
        private final AllocatedPersistentTask task;
        private final PersistentTaskState state;

        Execution(PersistentTaskParams params, AllocatedPersistentTask task, PersistentTaskState state) {
            this.params = params;
            this.task = task;
            this.state = state;
        }
    }

    private class MockExecutor extends NodePersistentTasksExecutor {
        private List<Execution> executions = new ArrayList<>();

        MockExecutor() {
            super(null);
        }

        @Override
        public <Params extends PersistentTaskParams> void executeTask(final Params params,
                                                                      final PersistentTaskState state,
                                                                      final AllocatedPersistentTask task,
                                                                      final PersistentTasksExecutor<Params> executor) {
            executions.add(new Execution(params, task, state));
        }

        public Execution get(int i) {
            return executions.get(i);
        }

        public int size() {
            return executions.size();
        }

        public void clear() {
            executions.clear();
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In 1980 and 1981 NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 space probes passed for the first time over the planet Saturn, located 1,500 million km from the Sun. Among their numerous discoveries they observed a strange, hexagon-shaped structure in the planet's uppermost clouds surrounding its north pole.
The hexagon remained virtually static, without moving, vis-à-vis the planet's overall rotation that was not accurately known. What is more, the images captured by the Voyager probes found that the clouds were moving rapidly inside the hexagon in an enclosed jet stream and were being dragged by winds travelling at over 400 km/h.
Thirty years later –the equivalent of one Saturn year, in other words, the time the planet takes to go all the way around the Sun– and over more than six consecutive years, researchers in the UPV/EHU's Planetary Sciences Group, in collaboration with astronomers from various countries, were able to observe Saturn's northern polar region in detail once again and confirmed that the hexagon continued in place.
After measuring the positions of the hexagon vertices with great precision, they determined that its movement remains extremely stable, and on the basis of the cloud movements, that the jet stream inside it remains unchanged.
For this study the researchers used images taken from the Earth between 2008 and 2014; they used, among others, the astronomical cameras PlanetCam (developed by the Planetary Sciences Group itself) and Astralux, fitted to the telescopes of the Calar Alto Observatory in Almería (Spain); in addition, they used the very high resolution images obtained by the Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004.
Due to the tilt of approximately 27º of the planet Saturn, its polar atmosphere undergoes intense seasonable variations with long polar nights lasting over seven years, followed by a long period of 23 years of variable illumination.
However, the seasonal variations do not affect the hexagon and its jet stream at all, so both are part of an extensive wave, deeply rooted in Saturn's atmosphere. The UPV/EHU researchers suggest that the hexagon and its stream are the manifestation of a "Rossby wave" similar to those that form in the mid-latitudes of the earth. On our planet the jet stream meanders from west to east and brings, associated with it, the system of areas of low pressure and anticyclones which we have been seeing regularly on weather maps.
On Saturn, a hydrogen gas planet, ten times the size of the Earth, cold in its upper clouds, without a solid surface, and with an atmosphere as deep as that of an ocean, "the hexagonal wavy motion of the jet stream is expected to be propagated vertically and reveal to us aspects of the planet's hidden atmosphere," pointed out Agustín Sánchez-Lavega, Head of the Planetary Sciences research group.
"The movement of the hexagon could therefore be linked to the depths of Saturn, and the rotation period of this structure, which, as we have been able to ascertain, is 10 hours, 39 minutes and 23 seconds, could be that of the planet itself," he added.
Saturn is the only planet in the Solar System whose rotation period is not yet known.


text:
Jeff Wasowicz
Community Liaison
When you grow up in a great neighborhood, where kids on the block play all day building forts in the woods, playing sandlot baseball, climbing trees, and a sparking a pickup game of stickball in the middle of the street – you are destined to fit into the family at Fain Signature Group. From his roots in Michigan to the call of the majestic southwest, Jeff brings to the job a down-home traditional style in an ever-changing industry.
After working for a time as a public-school educator and small business owner, Jeff turned his attention to earning his MBA, and migrating westward. And the rest is history. Jeff started working in the family business over 20 years ago when the decision was made to construct an 18-hole golf course, then Jeff went on to work in the municipal water distribution system, Shamrock Water Company, that they operated for decades before selling the system to the Town of Prescott Valley.
Known by many as Waz, Jeff's style and substance is continually shaped by his brother and best friend, his family, and one stand out teacher, who also coached his cross country team – whom he remains close with today.
As with all Fain Signature Group team members, Jeff is an avid outdoorsman, family man, gives back to the community by serving on the Central Arizona Partnership Board, regional economic development efforts; the Yavapai Exceptional Industries Board, which provides employment for handicapped adults… and loves to indulge in a robust cigar at the end of a busy day.


text:
Q: How to dynamically convert strings in an array into variables using Apps Script? In order to find the largest dataset among others and concatenate them, I'm sorting them by their lengths.
Now, I'd like to concatenate them, but I'd need to turn these strings into the variable name, so that I can iterate through each of these datasets, concatenating them.
I've seen that window[] is used in JavaScript, but what about in GAS?
function concatenateData() {
  let dataSizes = [];

  //Separated datasets
  let finalFabricData = [
    ["A", "C", 3],
    ["S", "R", 4],
    ["C", "O", 3]
  ];
  dataSizes.push('finalFabricData', finalFabricData.length);

  let finalDecorationData = [
    ["T", "D", 3],
    ["F", "F", 4],
    ["G", "O", 3]
  ];;
  dataSizes.push('finalDecorationData', finalDecorationData.length)

  let finalHtData = [
    ["A", "C", 3],
    ["S", "R", 4],
    ["K", "O", 3]
  ];
  dataSizes.push('finalHtData', finalHtData.length);

  let finalOrderData = [
    ["Z", "C", 3]
  ];
  dataSizes.push('finalOrderData', finalOrderData.length);

  //Attempt to grab the variable names, but they come as strings
  let data1 = dataSizes[0][0];
  let data2 = dataSizes[1][0];
  let data3 = dataSizes[2][0];
  let data4 = dataSizes[3][0];

  //Attempt to concatenate them, but data1 is not iterable
  let finalDataset = [];
  data1.forEach(function(row, i) {
    row = row.concat(data2[i], data3[i], data4[i]);
    finalDataset.push(row)
  });
}

Exected Result
let res = [
  ["A", "C", 3, "T", "D", 3, "A", "C", 3, "Z", "C", 3],
  ["S", "R", 4, "F", "F", 4, "S", "R", 4, "", "", ""],
  ["C", "O", 3, "G", "O", 3, "K", "O", 3, "", "", ""]
];

A: In your situation, how about the following sample script?
Sample script:

// These are from your script.
let finalFabricData = [
  ["A", "C", 3],
  ["S", "R", 4],
  ["C", "O", 3]
];
let finalDecorationData = [
  ["T", "D", 3],
  ["F", "F", 4],
  ["G", "O", 3]
];;
let finalHtData = [
  ["A", "C", 3],
  ["S", "R", 4],
  ["K", "O", 3]
];
let finalOrderData = [
  ["Z", "C", 3]
];

// I modified the below script.
const arrays = [finalFabricData, finalDecorationData, finalHtData, finalOrderData];
const res = arrays[0].map((_, c) => arrays.flatMap(r => r[c] || Array(3).fill("")));
console.log(res)

*

*When this script is run, your expected values are retrieved.

References:

*

*map()

*flatMap()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home / Art & Culture / Kuchipudi : Dance-Drama Performance Art of Andhra Pradesh
Kuchipudi : Dance-Drama Performance Art of Andhra Pradesh
Anirudh Singh November 10, 2016 Art & Culture Comments Off on Kuchipudi : Dance-Drama Performance Art of Andhra Pradesh
Kuchipudi is a popular Dance-Drama Performance art of Andhra Pradesh. The word Kuchipudi is derived from the name Kuchelapuram, a village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. "Kusilara" in Sanskrit means a travelling bard or a dancer. Most of the Indian classical dance forms are very ancient and have evolved from dancing rituals at the temples. Kuchipudi involves story telling of Gods and Goddesses. Kuchipudi is one of the eight dance forms recognized by "Sahitya Natak Academy".
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Kuchipudi : Andhra Pradesh's Dance-Drama Performance Art
Kuchipudi is described in the ancient text of Natya Shastra written by Bharat Muni, who is considered as the father of Indian theatrical art forms. The dance – drama performance arts was adopted by Bhakti tradition of Vaishnavism which grew in the second millennium and the devotees were called Bhagvatees in Andhra. This performing art later evolved into Kuchipudi.
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According to Manohar Vardpande, Kuchipudi emerged in the 13th century by Ganga rulers who were patrons of performing arts based on Gita Govinda by Jaidev. The modern version attributes to its origin by Tirtha Narayanayati and his disciple Sidhyendra Yogi. Narayanayati is said to present Kuchipudi in Tanjore temple. The "All India Dance Seminar" held by- "Sangeet Natak Academy" in 1958; put Kuchipudi on the national stage.
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About the Dance / Repertoire
Kuchipudi is a team performance involving extensive stage movement. Here the drama is mimed by the gestures (mudras) of hands, eyes and face movement. Traditionally it was performed by men who moved from places to places and performances were given near by the temples. Today females have outnumbered the males in this dance form. The repertoire of Kuchipudi follows three categories of performance – Nritta, Nritya and Natyam. Nritta – aims to attract the senses of the audience, Nritya – communicates feelings and storyline with spiritual themes. Natyam – It is a play.
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Kuchipudi is traditionally performed at night after the rural families come from their fields and are free from work. It has been performed in or near a temple. The dance begins with the invocation of Lord Ganesh or other deities or one's own guru.
A male dancer wears Angivastra, female dancer wears Sari with pleated fall stitched in front. Jewellery includes ornaments of hair, ear, nose, waistband, armlets, necklace and ghungroo.
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The forehead is adorned by round "Bindi" or "Tilaka" and they have elongated eyes with the elaborate hairstyle. Flowers are used to decorating long plaits. Some special Kuchipudi plays may have unusual costumes and other props.
Kuchipudi is performed to classical Carnatic music. The orchestration includes mainly "Mridangam", a clarinet and Violin. The performance is led by the conductor who is in charge of the cymbals and also recites the musical syllabus. The conductor of the performance is present throughout. First, he introduces each actor who performs a short dance called "Pravesadam" accompanied by musicians and vocalist. After the introduction, the "Nritta" part or pure dance starts. Thereafter "Nritya" the expressive part or abhinaya begins. The dancer uses the hand mudras and expression to communicate the storyline. Kavutums are a distinctive feature of Kuchipudi where the dancer does some acrobatics for a –balancing of pots on the head along with burning lamps on both hands.
Famous dancers like Ragini Devi (originally Esther Sherman) and her daughter Indrani Bajpai have been amongst a few to save and preserve this dance form. Yamini Krishnamurti too took Kuchipudi to another level. Kuchipudi performance has now spread throughout the world.
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Dandiya Raas – The traditional Folk Dance form of Gujarat


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TPN credit- getting rid of non paying tenants
Michelle Dickens
[WATCH] Ali Bacher discusses history and future of South African cricket Cricket legend Dr Ali Bacher has seen South African cricket come a long way. He reflects on the country's best bowlers and more. 17 January 2020 5:42 PM
Last season ever at Newlands: 'We've got 7 Springboks and a new playing style' Refilwe Moloto interviews Stormers coach John Dobson and his scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and flyhalf Damian Willemse. 14 January 2020 9:52 AM
New laws and regulatory body proposed for fitness trainers and gyms Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has called on the public to submit their comments on the draft bill aimed at the fitness industry. 13 January 2020 1:56 PM
SAA cancels several flights, says Flight Centre Flight Centre SA has issued an advisory informing clients that SAA has cancelled several domestic and international flights. 21 January 2020 9:58 AM
Giant cigarette butts on Cape beaches, don't toss your stompies!
by Barbara Friedman
Cape beaches
Clive Amsel explains the Kick Butt Campaign to raise awareness around not throwing cigarette butts on the ground.
If you see giant cigarette butts scattered on gorgeous Llandudno beach or even strewn across the face of Lion's Head this Festive Season – it's not your head playing tricks on you.
The giant cigarette butts have been placed there deliberately to not only deface the natural beauty of your surroundings but to get you thinking and talking about the impact of litter on the environment.
CEO of Waste Removal and Recycling (WRAPP) Clive Amsel explains the Kick Butt Campaign.
It is about breaking habits and these installations are something real people can see.
Clive Amsel, CEO - Waste Removal and Recycling (WRAPP)
He says the butts are small but very toxic, containing plastic and arsenic.
It gets into the environment in micro-sized bits once it is decomposed.
The butts are also a fire hazard, he says.
The traffic in these areas is quite busy and we have found a lot of butts in those areas, like the beaches, and the mountains.
He says this is a campaign to raise awareness about tossing cigarette butts on the ground rather than in a bin.
They end up in the oceans, rather than the landfills.


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Stories about "gamelan"
Artist-in-residence Darsono brings lifetime of expertise to gamelan
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 4:51 pm
Darsono, a prominent Javanese performer and an artist in residence at Bates, has found that the college is surprisingly well-equipped for his teaching.
Vietnamese and Indonesian performance arts and a choral classic share the Olin stage
Friday, November 8, 2013 3:31 pm
Mid-November concerts at Bates reflect the diversity and international scope of the arts at the college.
Mebarung! Bates Gamelan and guests Galak Tika join forces March 24
The Bates Gamelan Orchestra welcomes the Massachusetts group Gamelan Galak Tika for a joint performance on March 24.
Jazz band, steel pan orchestra, gamelan orchestra wrap up semester
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 4:42 pm
Three musical ensembles featuring Bates students will perform Dec. 5, 6 and 8 in the Olin Concert Hall.
Faculty members Matthews, Dan featured in gamelan concert
Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:39 pm
Bates College Gamelan Orchestra plays music from central and west Java, in Indonesia.
Gamelan Orchestra, guests cross musical boundaries with Harrison's Double Concerto
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 2:37 pm
The Bates College Gamelan Orchestra, a student ensemble that plays music of Indonesia, and special guest artists perform Lou Harrison's remarkable Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Javanese Gamelan at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St. Titled Cross-Currents in Bronze, the orchestra's program of contemporary music for the gamelan also features performances by Balinese dancer Shoko Yamamuro and a world premiere of music by composer Peter Steele.
Student musical achievement showcased during December
Monday, November 22, 2010 12:44 pm
As the semester draws to a close, Bates concerts in early December spotlight student achievement across a diverse array of musical styles.
Byers, Kaluba recount Phillips Fellowship experiences in Indonesia, Central America
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:12 pm
Barbara Byers '10, a resident of Elkins, W.V., offered a performance native to West Java, Indonesia as part of an Oct. 7 presentation on student experiences made possible by the Phillips Student Fellowship program at Bates. Also presenting was Chomba Kaluba '10, originally from Mpika, Zambia, and now a resident of Long Island, Maine.
Guest artists to join Bates Gamelan performance
Thursday, February 26, 2009 2:10 pm
The Bates College Gamelan Orchestra, joined by professional guest artists from Indonesia, will perform a concert on March 14.
Indonesian shadow puppets, orchestral concert make for intriguing evenings in Olin Concert Hall
Thursday, November 11, 2004 12:29 pm
At 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, the Bates College Orchestra presents a program including a work by conductor Philip Carlsen, a setting of poems by renowned Maine writer Wesley McNair. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, Indonesian puppet master Joko Susilo will present a shadow-puppet performance of "The Abduction of Sinta," a central story from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Susilo will be accompanied by the Bates Gamelan Mawar Mekar ("blossom of inspiration"), an Indonesian-style gamelan orchestra, and guest musicians from New Hampshire and Minnesota. Both events take place in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall at Bates, 75 Russell St., and are open to the public at no charge. For more information, please call 207-786-6135.


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Benjamin Lessennes (Huy, 1999. június 29.–) belga autóversenyző.

Pályafutása

Kezdeti szakasz: 2010–2015
Lessennes gokartozással kezdte meg versenyzői pályafutását 2010-ben. Egy évvel később elérte első komolyabb eredményét: a belga gokartbajnokság KF5 kateógriájában második lett. Két évvel később francia gokartbajnokká vált a KF Junior osztályban. 2014-ben a nemzetközi IAME gokartbajnokság X30 Senior kategóriájában második helyezést ért el.

Első próbálkozások a Túraautózás világában: 2016–2018
2016-ban bejelntették, hogy Lessennes a TCR BeNeLux túraautó bajnokság mezőnyének tagja lesz  Boutsen Ginion Racing csapatával. 1 győzelemmel és 283,5 ponttal a hatodik helyen zárta a szezont. 2017-ben továbbra is a bajnokságban versenyzett. A Zolder-i, és a Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet versenypályán rendezett futamokon sikerült diadalmaskodnia. A szezon során 420 pont sikerült összegyűjtenie, ezzel a teljesítménnyel megnyerte a bajnokságot. Az év során Lessennes bemutatkozhatott TCR nemzetközi sorozat-ban is egy forduló erejéig. A forduló első versenyén a második pozícióban végzett.

2018-ban bejelentették, hogy Lessennes lesz Tiago Monteiro helyettese a Boutsen Ginion Racing csapatánál a Túraautó-világkupában. Többször is pontszerző helyen zárta a versenyeket. A magyarországi forduló 3. versenyén az ötödik pozícióban, míg a Németországban rendezett 3. versenyen a negyedik helyen látta meg a kockás zászlót. A szezon során összesen 17 versenyen vett részt. A bajnokság 19. helyét szerezte meg, 48 ponttal. Emellett még a TCR Európa-kupa monzai fordulóján is részt vett.

Folytatás a GT-kategóriában: 2019–
Lessennes a 2019-es idényt az Európai GT4-ben töltötte az  Equipe Verschuur csapatánál. A szezont egy kettős győzelemmel indította Monzában és további négy alkalommal állhatott fel a dobogóra. A harmadik helyen zárta az évet.

Eredményei

Karrier összefoglaló

* A szezon jelenleg is zajlik.

Teljes TCR nemzetközi sorozat eredménylistája

Teljes WTCR-es eredménysorozata

Teljes TCR Európa-kupa eredménysorozata

GT Európa Sprint-kupa eredménylistája

Jegyzetek

Belga autóversenyzők
1999-ben született személyek
Élő személyek

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Být kreativní je jeden z hlavních požadavků dnešní doby, ať už se to týká studia či zaměstnání. Naštěstí schopnost tvořivosti nevlastní jen vyvolená skupina talentovaných lidí. Každý člověk má určitý potenciál, který může rozvíjet.

Kdo a co má vliv na rozvoj tvořivosti?
Na rozvoj či utlačování tvořivosti má vliv spousta aspektů - od biologické výbavy (například jaký je náš genový potenciál pro tvořivost), přes zdravotní stav (psychické poruchy, stres,..), kognitivní schopnosti (například konvergentní, divergentní myšlení), osobnost (autonomie, konformita, otevřenost zkušenostem,...), motivaci (vnitřní, vnější,...), kulturu (pravidla, konvence,...), sociální prostředí (rodina, přátelé, atd.) či vzdělávání (tradiční, volnější,...). Největší vliv na naši tvořivost mají rodiče a učitelé.

Metody podporující tvořivé myšlení

Kreativní řešení problému
Podle tohoto modelu je důležité nejdříve prozkoumat situaci. Dalším krokem je shromáždění potřebných informací. Pokud už tedy máme dobře zmapovanou situaci a získali jsme dostatek relevantních informací, můžeme najít problém a definovat ho. Po tomto kroku už se více na řadu dostává tvořivé myšlení. Po nalezení problému je totiž důležité vymyslet všechna možná řešení daného problému. Následně se vybere nejlepší a nejvhodnější řešení, které nakonec uplatníme.

Postel, koupelna, autobus (Bed, bath, bus)
Už podle názvu lze pochopit hlavní myšlenku této metody. Ta předpokládá, že na ty nejlepší nápady člověk přijde v posteli, koupelně či v autobusu. Děje se tak prostřednictvím denního snění. U této metody je nutné mít u sebe nějaký poznámkový blok. Protože stejně rychle, jak nápad přijde, také odletí. Doporučuje se ale tyto nápady zhodnotit až s určitém časovým odstupem.

Brainstorming
Asi nejznámější metodou k podpoření tvořivého myšlení je brainstorming. V českém překladu se tato metoda nazývá bouřka mozku, což i celkem vystihuje podstatu této metody. Skupina lidí volně vyjadřuje své nápady. Všichni jsou si rovni. Nápady nesmí být ostatními kritizovány. Hodnota nápadů se posuzuje až později. Od členů skupiny se vyžaduje, co nejvíce nápadů. Mohu navazovat či vylepšovat nápady svých kolegů. Hlavní v této metodě je stimulační efekt, díky kterému roste počet nápadů.

25 strategií na rozvinutí tvořivosti
Robert Sternberg a Wendy Williams vymysleli pětadvacet strategií, které se mohou využít při rozvíjení tvořivosti. Tyto strategie jsou hlavně doporučení pro učitele, kteří chtějí tvořivost rozvinout u svých studentů. Ale dají se také využít při různých kurzech. Může je také člověk využít doma pro svůj vlastní rozvoj.

Předpoklady

1. Vzor tvořivosti
Sám učitel by měl být pro studenty vzorem tvořivosti. Nestačí jen o tvořivosti mluvit. Studentům nestačí znát jen teorie. Učitel musí jít příkladem, nesmí nápady studentů odsuzovat, zavrhovat. Musí je v jejich tvořivosti podpořit. Sám musí být do tématu zapálený, svojí energií pak strhne i své studenty. Učitel se prostě musí do procesu tvořivosti zapojit sám. Když se sám nezapojí, ani studenti se nebudou snažit rozvíjet svou tvořivost.

2. Vybudování víry ve vlastní schopnosti
Člověk vytvoří vše, v co věří, že dokáže vytvořit. Často největší překážkou pro lidskou tvořivost je nedůvěra ve vlastní schopnosti. (V angličtině označované self-efficacy). Úkolem učitele (ale i rodiče) je budovat ve studentovi důvěru ve své schopnosti. Podporovat ho a ujišťovat, že je v jeho silách něco nového vytvořit. Příkladem této strategie může být Pygmalion efekt - když učitel věří, že student je nadaný, daný člověk se opravdu projeví jako nadaný. Protože učitelova důvěra odstranila pomyslné hranice studentových schopností. Student díky učiteli věří, že tyto hranice již pro něj neplatí a tudíž mu nebrání v projevení tvořivosti.

Základní techniky

3. Zpochybňování předpokladů
Tvořivý člověk se nespokojí s obecnými ustanoveními, pravidly, předpoklady, se kterými ostatní přirozeně počítají. Tvořivý člověk se o tyto předpoklady zajímá, zpochybňuje je, vyptává se na jednotlivé aspekty těchto předpokladů. Učitel nesmí tuto tendenci potlačovat. Učitelé mohou reagovat 7 nejčastějšími způsoby (seřazeno od nejméně vhodného po nejlepší). Obecně se týkají komunikace se studenty. Čím větší komunikace probíhá mezi učitelem a studenty, tím účinnější způsob reakce učitel zvolil.
 Otázky studenta odmítá - reaguje na ně negativně (např.: "To nepotřebuješ vědět." "Na takové blbosti se neptej." "Teď ne!").
 Odpovídá parafrázováním položené otázky - tím pádem ve skutečnosti neodpoví na otázku (např.: "Proč jsou Asiati menší než Evropani?" "Protože jsou to Asiati.")
 Přizná se, že neví. Nebo odpoví na základě svých znalostí - student tak zjistí, že ani učitel nemusí všechno vědět, nebo se dozví něco nového. Učitel ještě může studenta za otázku pochválit, což zvýší u student na jistotu, že se může ptát na cokoliv.
 Podpoří k vyhledání dalších informací - buď nové informace vyhledá sám učitel, nebo tento úkol zadá studentovi, který se zeptal. Druhá varianta je pro studenta přínosnější. Když informace sám vyhledá, lépe si je zapamatuje, také se může poučit, kde lze získat nové informace.
 Navrhne alternativní vysvětlení - učitel se přizná, že něco neví. Ale navrhne studentovi nápady, které by otázku možná zodpověděly a o kterých by si student mohl najít více informací. Nejlepší varianta je, když alternativní vysvětlení vymýšlí učitel ve spolupráci se studenty. Ti se tak naučí formulovat své hypotézy.
 Navrhne a ohodnotí alternativní vysvětlení - nejen, že studenti s učitelem přijdou na nová vysvětlení, zároveň jsou přinuceni o nich přemýšlet. Například, které vysvětlení je spíše správné, co by spíš fungovalo apod.
 Navrhne, ohodnotí a zabývá se jimi podrobněji - učitel může studenty vyzvat, aby k jednotlivým řešením našli více informací, které pak mohou dohromady prodiskutovat. Nakonec by se tak společně mohli dopátrat skutečnému vysvětlení.

4. Definování a předefinování problémů
V této strategii učitel vyzve své studenty, aby definovali či předefinovali problémy, projekty, kterými by se ve výuce společně zabývali. Díky tématům, problémům, způsobům řešení, které si zvolí sami studenti, se zvyšuje tvořivé myšlení. Samozřejmě se při výběru témat musí dodržovat cíl daného předmětu. Studenti mají ale možnost ukázat, kolik se toho naučili. A mají také možnost získat dobrou známku.

5. Podpora vytváření myšlenek
Při tvoření projektů i jiných částech výuky nesmí být studenti kritizováni za své nápady. Samozřejmě, že některé nápady budou lepší, jiné horší. Učitel ale nesmí shazovat myšlenky studentů, už vůbec ne je zesměšňovat. Učitel by měl studenty pochválit za jakýkoli nápad, i když některé mohou být slabší.

6. Navzájem se ovlivňující obory
Tvořiví lidé se při přemýšlení nesoustředí jen na jedinou oblast. Přínos tvořivosti spočívá právě v tom, že člověk myslí i mimo rámec dané oblasti.  Proto je i lepší naučit studenty propojit znalosti z více předmětů, z více oborů. Propojení více oborů může studentovi v mnohém prospět. Například když má student problémy s dějepisem, ale baví ho literatura, je dobré určitou historickou událost propojit s literárním dílem. Díky tomuto propojení pak bude studenta historické téma bavit a zvýší se tak u něho i tvořivé myšlení. Student také může vzít své silné stránky z oblasti, ve které se mu daří, a použít je v oblasti, ve které je spíše slabší.

Tipy pro výuku

7. Dostatek času na tvořivé myšlení
V dnešní době lidem neustále chybí čas, jsou stále ve spěchu. Rychlé tempo se udržuje i při výuce. Jenže tato uspěchanost utlačuje tvořivost. Je proto dobré, aby učitel dopřál žákům určitý čas na přemýšlení, například po zadání úkolu. Je ale třeba studentům zdůraznit, že tato doba je vymezená pouze na přemýšlení a na nic jiného. Někomu se může tato doba zdát jako zbytečné plýtvání drahocenným časem. Ve skutečnosti ale uvažování před samotným plněním zadaného úkolu, zvyšuje kvalitu finálního řešení. Proto by si člověk měl před každým úkolem (testem, seminární prací apod.) nejdříve sednout a popřemýšlet o úkolu, pomůže tak tvořivému myšlení.

8. Tvořivé instruování a hodnocení
Otázky s danými možnostmi je jednoduchá forma testů pro učitele. U studentů je také oblíbená, protože si vždycky při nejhorším mohou tipnout správnou odpověď. Ale tato forma otázek vůbec nepřispívá efektivnímu učení a kreativnímu myšlení. Učitelé by měly zadávat takové otázky, které u studenta podpoří tvořivé a analytické myšlení a které zjistí, co se doopravdy student naučil. Učitel by měl studenty podporovat, aby vymýšleli alternativní vysvětlení, hypotézy.

9. Odměny za tvořivé nápady a výtvory
Velmi důležité pro rozvíjení tvořivosti, je studenta něčím odměnit za jeho tvoření. Odměnou může být třeba jen slovní pochvala. Učitel by měl ocenit jakoukoli snahu, například když student předloží nápad, který už někdo vyslovil. Učitel by totiž měl uvažovat, co je tvořivé z pohledu studenta, ne z globálního pohledu. Neměl by tedy odměňovat jen ty nápady, které jsou opravdu originální a nikoho jiného ještě nenapadly.
Učitel by také neměl zůstávat pouze u tradičních známek (1-5), ale měl by vlastním tvořivým způsobem ohodnotit tvořivé snahy svých studentů.

Vyhnutí se zablokování

10. Podpoření rozumného rizika
Tvořiví lidé se nebojí a jsou ochotní riskovat. Riziko ovšem musí být rozumné. Tvořiví člověk tím přijímá, že se občas může splést nebo že jeho plán může selhat. Učitel by měl studentům pomoct naučit se rozeznat rozumné riziko, podle čeho vlastně ohodnotit míru rizika. Učitel by měl také naučit studenty, aby se nebáli "jít proti proudu". Protože i to patří k rozumnému riziku a neodmyslitelně patří k tvořivosti.

11. Tolerování nejasnosti
Tvořiví lidé si uvědomují, že svět není černobílý. Ví, že spousta věcí není jednoznačná a jasná. A tento fakt přijímají a tolerují. Nejasnosti ve světě nejsou pro člověka příjemné. A proto jejich přijímání není snadné. Učitel by měl studentovi pomoct překonat tyto nepříjemné pocity. Měl by je podporovat ve vyhledávání nejasností ve světě, v přemýšlení o nich. Učitel by měl také pomáhat studentům v procesu přijímání těchto nejasností, ať už prostřednictvím svého příkladu nebo pomocí příběhu slavné tvořivé osobnosti.

12. Dovolení si chyb
Chybovat je lidské. To by měl přijmout každý tvořivý člověk. Učitel by neměl studenty za chyby trestat. Neměl by u studentů vyvolávat pocit, že chybovat je špatné a že se to nesmí. Měl by naučit studenty, jak své chyby rozpoznat, analyzovat je, prodiskutovat. Jak se ze svých chyb poučit. A jak je využít ve své budoucí tvořivosti.

13. Identifikování a překonání překážek
Každý člověk ve svém životě naráží na překážky. Ani tvořivý člověk není výjimkou. Možná na ně naráží ještě častěji kvůli svým nekonvenčním, alternativním nápadům. Učitel by proto neměl chválit jen za dokončené úkoly, ale také za snahu. Může také pomoct s identifikováním překážky a vymyslením strategie pro její překonání. Nejlepší variantou je, když do identifikování překážky a vymýšlení různých strategií zapojí celou třídu. Například formou brainstormingu.

Komplexní techniky

14. Vedení k odpovědnosti sama za sebe
Tvořivý člověk nese odpovědnost za svoje chování, za své úspěchy i neúspěchy. Učitel by měl naučit studenty převzít tuto odpovědnost za sebe. To znamená, že student by měl porozumět procesu tvořivosti, dokázat se konstruktivně zkritizovat a přijmout kritiku ostatních a také být pyšný na své výsledky. Často pomůže, když učitel půjde sám příkladem. Učitel, který nenese odpovědnost sám za sebe, to nenaučí ani své studenty. Pokud ale bude vzorem, studenti ho budou napodobovat a sami se tak naučí odpovědnosti.

15. Zvyšování sebeřízení
Učitel ale nemůže být každou chvíli nablízku svým studentům, aby jim se vším v průběhu procesu tvořivosti pomohl. Proto je potřeba, aby učitel studenty naučil, jak mohou sami tento proces řídit. Měl by jim vysvětlit, jaké existují strategie. Jak člověk vyhodnotí, kterou strategii v dané situaci zvolit. A jak strategie použít.Na závěr je důležité, aby student zhodnotil efektivnost užití dané strategie a svůj celkový výkon.

16. Oddálení potěšení
Tvořiví člověk dokáže pracovat na určitém úkolu po delší dobu a dokáže si počkat na zaslouženou odměnu. Učitel musí studenty naučit, že ne vždy po splnění úkolu čeká na člověka odměna. Také jim může představit výhody, které spočívají v oddálení radosti, potěšení, odměny. Schopnost oddálit potěšení totiž souvisí s dlouhodobými cíli a úkoly. Pokud je člověk zvyklý získat odměnu ihned, nevydrží u úkolu, který vyžaduje práce po delší dobu.

Využití životních vzorů

17. Využití profilů tvořivých lidí
Pro inspiraci studentů může učitel vyprávět o příběhu tvořivého člověka. Neměl by si ale vybírat jakýkoli příběh. Ideální je takový příběh, který obsahuje dostatečné informace o řešeném problému (případně problémech) postupech řešení daného problému a jak se tyto informace vztahují právě ke studentům, kterým učitel příběh představuje. Dobré je také příběh pouze nepředložit. Učitel by o něm měl se studenty diskutovat. Měl by se zajímat, co si studenti z příběhu odnesli, co jim přišlo zajímavé, co by například udělali jinak.

18. Podpoření tvořivé spolupráce
Ačkoli se většinou bavíme o tvořivých jednotlivcích, ve skutečnosti se tvořivé procesy odehrávají ve pracovních skupinách. Učitel by měl studenty naučit, jak spolupracovat ve skupině. Studenti se totiž mohou inspirovat tvořivostí svého kolegy, jeho přístupem, strategiemi. Studenti nemusí spolupracovat jen se svými vrstevníky. Učitel může pozvat dospělé tvořivé lidi, se kterými mohou studenti diskutovat, zkusit si s nimi práci ve skupině apod.

19. Pohled z jiné perspektivy
Tvořivý člověk se dokáže na daný problém podívat z různých pohledů, dokáže zapojit alternativní vysvětlení. Učitel musí pomoct žákům pochopit různé pohledy na jednu věc. Pochopení se musí odrazit i v chování studenta. Může se to týkat například kritiky. Člověk se často myslí, že jeho kritici se mýlí. Ale musí pochopit, že mýlit se nemusí jen kritici, ale i on. Této změny pohledu pak může využít při příštím tvořivém myšlení.

Hledání v prostředí

20. Rozpoznání shody v prostředí
Tato strategie je důležitá pro učitele i pro studenty. Reflektuje skutečnost, že hodnocení kreativity není objektivní. Záleží na prostředí, ve kterém se člověk nachází, a na očekávání, které mají ostatní. Tyto dvě podmínky se nemusí shodovat se schopností tvořivosti daného člověka. Učitel by měl se studenty prodiskutovat, v jakých prostředích se cítí dobře, v jakých cítí podporu. A v jakých naopak se moc dobře necítí. Také je dobré prodiskutovat strategie, jak se těmito prostředími vyrovnat.

21. Vyhledání vzrušení
Učitel musí pomoct studentům najít, co je pro ně vzrušující. Musí upustit od svého pohledu a zaměřit se pouze na daného studenta. Nesmí studenta ovlivňovat, musí s ním spolupracovat a najít shodu se zájmy, schopnostmi a příležitostmi studenta. Vzrušující témata totiž podporují a udržují schopnost tvořivosti. Učitelé se ale musí obrnit trpělivostí, protože nemusí být snadné najít něco, co by se studentovi líbilo.

22. Hledání stimulujícího prostředí
Ve škole se učitel snaží, aby studenti měli, co nejlepší prostředí pro svoji tvořivost. Studenti ovšem netráví všechen svůj čas ve škole. Proto je důležité je naučit, že si mohou vybírat ta prostředí, které jim vyhovují, které v nich podporují tvořivost. Učitel může ukázat na příkladu, že vhodné prostředí může tvořivost výrazně zvýšit (například výlet do přírody, do galerie).

23. Spoléhání se na silné stránky
Pro úspěšné fungování ve světě se musí člověk naučit využívat své silné stránky. To je z dalších úkolů učitele. Opět může studentům prezentovat své silné stránky a v čem mu pomáhají, kdy se na ně může spolehnout, jak je využívá. Skrze příklad studenti spíše pochopí a úspěšněji přenesou tyto znalosti na sebe. Učitel může se studenty vést diskusi a společně mohou přijít na různé strategie, jak využít svých silných stránek.

Dlouhodobý pohled

24. Tvořivý růst
Důležité je nezakrnět. Nespoléhat se na svoje expertní znalosti. Občas je dobré nechat se vytlačit ze své oblasti, získáme tak nový pohled a můžeme objevit zcela nová řešení k problémům, které jsme v naší oblasti vůbec neřešili.

25. Získávání nových tvořivých lidí
Nenechávat si svoje znalosti o rozvoji tvořivosti jen pro sebe. Naučit ho více lidí, kteří zase mohou ovlivnit tvořivost jiných.

Reference

Externí odkazy
 Kreativita a inovace na stránkách EU
 Rozvoj kreativního myšlení

Údržba:Články s referencemi v nadpisech
Vzdělávání


DigitalNZ brings together more than 30 million items from institutions such as Radio New Zealand so that they are easy to find and use. We added this one from this URL on 09 April, 2018, and last updated what we know about it on 12 April, 2018.
This item is an article. It was created by an unknown creator on or around the date 05/04/2018.
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Meet Rod, he is 29 years old and has suffered from male pattern balding since he was 21. Like most people who suffer from hair loss and thinning when they are young, Rod was very self-conscious. Rod felt his hair loss was aging him and he constantly wore hats to cover his balding scalp.
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Luckily, a recent ice storm didn't produce the amount that was forecast.
A thin layer of ice encrusted most surfaces.
While walking a loop around the backyard, a short dead tree with lots of lichens caught my attention. One of my lichen books calls this a blister lichen, and my other one calls it a star rosette lichen. It also goes by Physcia stellaris. It is commonly found on deciduous trees.
A lichen is actually two plants living in a symbotic relationship — a fungi and algae. The fungus provides a moist habitat for the algae to live in, and it also supplies the algae with nutrients as it decomposes the surface it's growing on.
Nature has such artistic abilities.
My recent interest has included lichens.
I have two books on lichens — Walk Softly Upon the Earth, published by the Missouri DOC, and Lichens of the North Woods by Joe Walewski.
The Missouri book has the name blister lichen for this common lichen. Walewski's book calls it a star rosette lichen.
Both use the scientific name Physcia stellaris.
Spores develop in the disc-shaped fruiting bodies. It commonly grows on deciduous trees. It's a foliose lichen, meaning it looks leaflike and has only a few points of attachment to the surface.
Very few scientific names make it into my permanent memory. Images easily become a visual memory.
That being said, I plan to call this one blister lichen.