There's no way that I can fully comprehend what "well-being" means to Canada's First Peoples as I am not indigenous and I have had barely any exposure to the cultures of the original inhabitants of this land, I'm ashamed to say. I also suspect that the original term for which "well-being" is the nearest English equivalent includes a far more expansive worldview than can be captured in translation.
I wonder if the Greek concept of eudaimonia, sometimes translated to mean "the highest human good" or sometimes to mean happiness is compatible with what indigenous peoples mean by well-being? Or is the Japanese concept of ikigai, translated as being "a reason to live" a better fit?
Even though I might not completely understand what First Peoples mean by well-being, I certainly have an acute sense of what it is not. There is no well-being in a classroom with no laughter, a classroom in which students feel lonely in a crowd. There is no well-being when there is extreme anxiety and overwhelming stress experienced by students who find no meaning or purpose in what they're doing other than that it's part of the plot of the story of school.
It's the story that says if you go all the way through school, from kindergarten to Grade 12, and then go to university, and then graduate, you'll get a good job and then you'll be happy. The ridiculousness of this story is perfectly illustrated in Alan Watts' Music and Life analogy in which he exposes the false promise of education's holy grail.
In our society, high purchasing power is equated with high levels of happiness, a necessary myth when our economy depends on increasing consumption of all kinds of stuff from cars to clothing. We are taught to fear a lack of growth in "consumer confidence" as though the worst thing that can happen is for us to stop shopping.
But what is the logical outcome of an unlimited extraction of the earth's resources in order to manufacture the stuff that we are expected to keep purchasing so that we'll be happy?
On 2 August this year, we used up the amount of resources that it takes the planet a year to replenish. We used up in 7 months what it will take 12 months to replace. That's the denouement at the end of the Story of Stuff.
Well-being for our children and for our planet should be the ultimate goal of learning. We can't afford for it not to be.
In her blog explaining the background of First Peoples' Principles of Learning, Jo Chrono explains that it's important that the learning principles operate in a "robust and healthy learning environment". Now that's something I do know about! Creating an environment that is engaging along with building a sense of community in my classroom have been my guiding pedagogical principles ever since I began teaching almost 30 years ago.
It's not always been easy. Focusing on children's well-being means being willing to get into trouble for allowing students to break school rules that disregard their physiological needs. It also means apologizing to students when there are things you know are not good for their well-being but about which you can do nothing.
But the task is not impossible. It's not difficult to encourage laughter while learning. It just takes a little bit more planning to ensure that students are not forced to work when they're fatigued. And it's not too difficult to always keep in mind that the child sitting in front of you is more than just an empty vessel that needs to be filled with facts. That child is one node in a network of connections that include her family, her community, her ancestors, and, perhaps most importantly, the land around her.
As Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, the most amazing fact is that we are connected to the earth chemically, to each other biologically, and to the the universe atomically.
But then First Peoples have always known that. They've always known that our individual well-being is directly connected to the well-being of everything around us.
As the impacts of climate change increasingly affect the world around us, let's help our children to see that in everything they learn at school.
Curriculum for the Age of Climate Change?
Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations.
What if the Class of 2030 was completely immersed in experiences that upheld First Peoples Principles of Learning? Would they be better prepared to face the challenges brought by climate change when they graduate?
The next series of posts will explore these questions.
But before continuing with my thoughts about what First Peoples Principles of Learning could look like in classrooms, I need to write about an incident that happened almost twenty years ago, at the beginning of my teaching career in Canada. It's a memory that makes me feel quite ashamed when I recall it.
I remember that I was in the middle of one of those crazynutsbusy days that are the norm for teachers when I was told that a parent was wanting to speak to me. I remember wondering why she hadn't come to the classroom as I walked to where she was. This part of the memory is so vivid I can see it as though it was happening right now.
I am standing at the top of a short flight of stairs at the entrance of our portable building. At the bottom of the stairs is a woman whom I'm told is the mother of one of my students. We greet each other while I'm wondering about why she'd come.
As soon as she begins to speak she starts crying and I don't understand what she's saying. It takes me a few minutes to hear her tell me that she's so happy that her son, my student, was going to pass Grade 11. That he was the first person in the family to do so. And that she was so grateful that my classroom was the kind of space that helped him to succeed. I don't know what I said in response but it must have been something quite inadequate like "You're welcome" or "I'm so glad that he's enjoyed being with us".
Here's why this memory fills me with shame. I didn't know her son was Indigenous. I didn't know at the time that graduation rates for Indigenous students were abysmally low. And, most important of all, I really didn't know what I had done to deserve her thanks. I didn't think I deserved it at all since I had not consciously set out to make her son's learning experiences any different to the learning experiences of all my students. It took me many years to figure out what possibly could have made the difference to her son.
Because of my own experiences of alienation while being educated in South Africa during the apartheid era, as a teacher I am biased toward collaboration and cooperation. One of the first tasks that my students have to fulfill at the start of each semester is to learn each other's names because they spend a lot of time working together. Building community is the focus of the first part of my planning schedule before it becomes the background to much of what we do in my classroom for the rest of the school year. I do it not only for my own sense of comfort but also because I believe that if we can't learn to be together in public school classrooms, we're not going to be able to be together in the world beyond the classroom where we need to "live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish together as fools" as Martin Luther King Jr. said.
It was just serendipity that what I needed to be able to teach in my classroom was what her son had needed to succeed. It's also what we're all going to need as we face the impacts of climate change, together.
Author Lizanne FosterPosted on August 12, 2017 November 19, 2017 Categories Education for the 21st century2 Comments on Curriculum for the Age of Climate Change?
We have to talk. It's about a topic you really don't want to think about. When it comes up you flip into fear and then slip into denial while you silently hope that someone is going to save the day.
But there's no one here but us. We're all we've got on this tiny blue planet spinning in a dark void.
I know the data is overwhelming. It's difficult to wrap your head around the facts, the statistics, the predictions. I get that. So don't think about all that.
Think about the children. The ones who just got here. The ones who arrived on a warming planet of rising seas, devastating droughts, monster wildfires.
At some point they're going to know that we knew what we were doing. That we knew we were putting too much carbon into the air. We knew that we were using up in 7 months what it took the planet 12 months to replenish.
They'll also know that we knew what we needed to do to mitigate the impacts of the changes. We knew that we needed to stop burning fossil fuels, that we needed to stop shopping for pleasure so that we could stop wasting precious resources. We knew that an economy based on unlimited growth was unsustainable on a planet of limited capacity.
What will we tell them when they ask us why we didn't act?
What story will we tell?
See, that's what I want to talk about. The story that'll be told to the generations to come about this time when we were too afraid to think about how our children will cope in a world of 45 degree summers and dried-up rivers. A world of drowned cities and growing deserts.
It's true that stories like that already exist. Stories that are apocalyptic. Dystopian. Frightening. The kinds of stories that would give children nightmares.
But what if we could tell a different story?
What if we could tell our great-grandchildren about that time when we stopped being frozen in fear, the time when we realized that if we didn't change our present, there would be no future?
It seems to be a good time right now because we're into Back to School season, a time that's always felt like a second New Year, a time for beginnings and future dreams. What collective dream do we have for the children, those returning to school, those just starting their schooling journey, and those who just recently arrived on our planet home?
If we're ready, there's no shortage of topics and themes for new dreams, new stories. In the decades to come we could tell stories of the time we all leaped into a new relationship with our environment or the time a thousand towns transitioned. There's already unfolding stories within the new economy and plenty of fascinating plots in the pursuit of a zero waste lifestyle.
Now, while we're living in the future's prologue, can we think about creating a new plot?
Near the end of this second decade of the 21st century, there is ample evidence that earth's life supporting systems are slipping into crisis. We are in urgent need of all the creative solutions we can get to help us to transition away from the destructive path we're on. The last thing schools should be doing is constraining creativity but that's likely what is happening to many of the children who began their schooling journey a few months ago, the ones who will graduate in 2030.
Ken Robinson's Do Schools Kill Creativity? talk should not be seen as just an interesting thought exercise. With humanity facing the devastating consequences of climate change, his words should sound like a five-alarm fire.
Our students are going to need new ways of coping with the realities of the world they'll inherit: increasingly hotter summers, more frequent droughts, abnormal floods, regular wildfires, scarce resources and a teetering global economy that will likely mean that they'll be "hard at work in a jobless future".
I confess to being impatient with those who believe that children are "too young" to learn about the realities of life. All across the world, there are millions of children who are taking care of younger siblings, because they've lost parents to war or disease. There are an estimated 100 000 unaccompanied child refugees trying to survive in Europe after crossing continents in their flight from war zones. Every year thousands of unaccompanied children flee Central and South America to travel to the United States. An estimated 300 000 children are being used as soldiers around the world. For millions of children, facing difficult realities can't wait until they graduate.
So, when should we let the Class of 2030 know about the challenges they'll face?
What should they learn beyond reading, writing and arithmetic?
Because education systems the world over have been in constant state of "reform" for decades, there's a bazillion possible responses to that question but, despite all attempts at change, schools the world over still look quite similar to the way schools looked in 1917. And, as much as I like to dream of having trillions of dollars to turn all public schools into the kind of creative schools that Ken Robinson has written about, I have reluctantly realized that just wishing and hoping is an indulgent waste of time.
We have to think about what can be done with what we have right now, right where we are. We have to engage the kind of creative thinking that people everywhere are capable of whenever they're faced with a disaster or a crisis.
Something like the kind of thinking that William Kwamkambe engaged when he solved his family's need for electricity by gathering scraps from a dump heap and reading about how to build a windmill from an old textbook.
Or perhaps the out-of-the-box kind of thinking of Kelvin Doe who scavenged through trash to find parts to build generators and batteries for his own radio station.
There is no shortage of examples of young people finding creative solutions to intractable problems all across the world, making do with what they have and what they know to make a difference in the world around them.
Children enter school as natural scientists, artists, makers, doers. They're inquisitive about the world around them, excited to explore its nooks and crannies. But how will they leave after 13 years of being told a thousand times not to stray, to stay within the lines that separate curriculum from curiosity? How much of their childhood creativity will still be alive when they graduate in 2030?
Imagine what could be possible if their capacity for solving problems was nurtured and encouraged in schools everywhere for their entire 13 year journey.
Imagine a world with more Jaylas, Boyans Haileys, Victorias, Ashtons, Ridhimas and Marleys.
It was good to see sunlight and shadows today after too many days under a smoky dome. Days when I developed a soon-to-be-the-new-normal routine: check air quality readings before my first sip of morning tea. A reading of 7 on the 10 point scale meant being inside all day; a reading of 2, some time outside, but not too much. Asthmatic lungs don't breathe well in air filled with too much particulate.
I have no idea what I would have done if I'd been where readings reached 49. On a 10 point scale.
But I suppose people who live in Beijing would know what that's like since they've been living under a dome of smoke for quite a while now. There are even stores there that only sell products to help people, including infants, breathe.
Beijing's smoky skies 'inspired' a Chinese mother to create a documentary, Under The Dome, after she became convinced that the tumour her child developed in utero was caused by the smoky air. 150 million people saw it before it was banned in China.
My few days of living under a smoky dome here in 'supernatural, beautiful British Columbia' has led me to wondering about the kind of world the Class of 2030 will inherit. They'll be starting school in a few weeks, beginning a thirteen-year journey of preparation for a world that will hopefully soon be in full transition to a new economy, one that does not cost the earth.
But how do we prepare them for that transition?
Should they learn about firescience so that they can protect their homes and families when wildfires are common? Perhaps they could learn what Indigenous people have known about wildfires for millennia, what they know about ensuring that fire doesn't devour entire communities?
Should we tell them to think of about becoming a wind turbine mechanic, the fastest growing career in North America today? We should certainly tell them that jobs in 2030 will look nothing like jobs today because by then, if we are to survive, we'll have to be well on our way to containing our cancerous consumption of our planet's resources.
One of the signs that the transition has already started is the rapid growth in forest schools in Europe and North America. More and more parents want their children to have a different relationship with the earth, one based on reverence and respect. They know that children will protect what they have learned to love.
If I could plan the curriculum for the Class of 2030 it would certainly contain a course on ecological literacy because our children will need to learn to read the skies the way they read a book.
What do you think the Class of 2030 should learn?
Firstly, thank you for being here. I have appreciated all the responses to my writing since I started this blog in April 2014 at a time when the relationship between public school teachers and the provincial government in British Columbia was quite fractured.
Between then and May 2017, my writing focus was mainly on concerns about public education in our province although I occasionally explored ideas about the education project itself.
Now that we have a new government, one that does not see public education as a burden on the public purse, I intend to focus a bit more on the "life" part of the "essays on education and on life" in the sub-title for this blog. I'm doing so because I am not only a teacher.
I am also a daughter of a mother who has dementia.
I am someone who lives in co-housing, continually learning what it means to live in community.
I am also quite concerned about climate change and the kind of future we are creating for our children.
And in all these spaces in my life, there are ideas to explore. I'd like to do that more.
But, I will also continue to use writing to untangle the questions that come with being a teacher of teens from whom I learn so much.
I hope you continue to read what I write because without your presence all this will be an empty echo.


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text:
Part Two of "Over the Tears of the Fallen"
Billy woke to the morning with a shiver, the fire was out, the morning cold and he had not planned on drinking again nor waking with a mist in his head. It was rare now that he drank realising that it was a failing of his, a serious failing. Instead of drinking, most nights, he would sit by himself, quietly on an evening, reading or watching the television and wish to be drinking. When he was drinking he could fall into bed and sleep the sleep of the dead. When sober, as he almost always was these days; he rarely slept. His mind was too active, his thoughts racing and blending, his thoughts, tumbling and imagining and so could not sleep. So even though he had drunk himself into a stupor, last night, a stupor that he loved and had slept for hours on the couch facing the fire he felt guilty.
He had promised himself that he would not be that person anymore. The fool that had lost his wife to a better man.
Under a bruised purple sky, roiling black and grey clouds tumbling one over the other like funereal acrobats, performing, in imitation of the clowns in a circus big top. The bright reds and yellows of their facial make up and garish clothing showing for a millisecond between our visions of the cirrocumulus striations and the much lower and heavily rain laced alto-stratus clouds that promise a downpour of old testament proportions.
Thor's thunderheads shoot across the sky and distant bass rumbles meld with the violence of the storm. Grey daemons scurry in the few places where colour is left to live behind this huge screen of funeral purple, dankest grey and oblivion black; chaos. Now incised with jagged bolts of electrical discharge and a whip to the wind what would scourge the skin from your body had you left an inch bare.
A storm was coming, a storm that would strip the branches from the trees, strip the roofs of the sod that held people's homes firm to the earth, that kept us so close to the earth that we relied upon for our crops, our cattle and even the clothes upon our backs. Yet that storm was one that we had never expected, it would strip away not only our livelihood and living but our flesh from our bones if it had a chance. Yet although no one imagined it at this time, this storm was not coming from the tumbling October sky, it wasn't even coming from that grey, black, man-swallowing sea that lay so close to our homes and fields. The huge black beast that we knew could slay us each and every day with just an intake of its mighty breath and it had taken many of us from day to day and year to year, it had taken us from boats and from the shore,
Stolen children from their beds in the storm of ninety-five, and taken all within a quarter mile of the shore in two thousand and seven. Good people gone for ever to the rampaging monster as so many had before and so many will again. This storm was going to be terrible as most are, it was going to take children with no thought about the pain the parents would feel for the rest of their lives, no thought of the child's last breaths as they are dragged under. The last gasp before water enters their small lungs to cease their expansion and contraction for ever, as that last oxygen goes, the heart stops beating and the most beautiful, the brightest, those loved and those hated all cease to exist forever.
Yet that was life in a seaside town, people died, people drowned, People disappeared, that's just the way it worked. The sea snuffed out peoples lives with a practiced ease as it had taken so, so many before it was the fiercest beast when unleashed.
More will follow soon.
My New Book "The Fisherman's Lament" is also on sale. Buy it here now.
raytwalker@googlemail.com
©2019 by www.raytwalker.com Proudly created with Wix.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mp10 too much flow for a 50 gallon?
I need to get some more corals in my tank.
Well the six line has been evicted due to him goings after my flasher wrasse now. So he has been moved and the purple dotty back is in the main tank now.
Will do. It was out last night but late.
Added some more rock to the evolve 8 kinda just threw it in but just want something to help with filtration.


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Smith & Bassette was an architectural firm based in Hartford, Connecticut. Its partners included H. Hilliard Smith and Roy D. Bassette. It was active from 1911 to 1946.

Biographies of founders

H. Hilliard Smith
Harry Hilliard Smith was born November 16, 1871, in Middletown, Connecticut, to Henry Hosea and Phillippa G. (Hilliard) Smith. He attended the public schools of Middletown and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. After his graduation he returned to Connecticut and entered the office of William C. Brocklesby, a Hartford architect, and formed a partnership with him in 1904. Brocklesby & Smith was active until Brocklesby's death in late 1910. Early the following year, he established his partnership with Roy D. Bassette. He retired from active practice in 1942.

Smith was also a painter and exhibited in Connecticut and New York. He was married in 1902, to Mrs. Grace (Flint) Lephart of Danbury, Connecticut. He died May 24, 1948, in Hartford.

Roy D. Bassette
Roy Donald Bassette was born January 10, 1883, in New Britain, Connecticut, to Frederick Henry and Margaret (Anderson) Bassette. He attended the New Britain public schools, graduating from the high school in 1901. He then went to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he worked for the F. A. Bassette Company, and publishing company founded and owned by his older brother, Frederick A. Bassette. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, studying under Paul Philippe Cret, and graduated in 1908. From 1908 to 1910 he taught architecture in the university. Early in 1910 he returned to Springfield, where he established an architectural practice. Early the following year, he established his partnership with H. Hilliard Smith. After Smith's retirement in 1942, Bassette continued to practice under the name of Smith & Bassette. After 1946 he practiced under his own name until his own retirement in 1954.

Bassette was married in 1914 to Elizabeth Fidelia Hubbard of West Hartford, Connecticut. He died May 18, 1965, in Hartford.

Legacy
It has been said of Smith & Bassette that "[they] became known for [their] design of multi-purpose public buildings and their skill in the Classical and Colonial Revival genres. For example, in 1917 the firm shared first place with Paul P. Cret for the design of a Classical Revival building in the Hartford County Building Competition." The Hartford historian David F. Ransom has indicated that Smith & Bassette was probably the most prestigious architectural practice in Hartford in the period between the two World Wars.

At least three of the firm's projects have been individually listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places:

Architectural works

Heublein Tower, Talcott Mountain State Park, Simsbury, Connecticut (1914–15, NRHP-listed 1983)
Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building, Simsbury, Connecticut (1917, NRHP-listed 1986)
Longmeadow Community House, Longmeadow, Massachusetts (1921–22)
Steiger Building, Hartford, Connecticut (1926–28)
Hartford County Building, Hartford, Connecticut (1927-1929)
Connecticut State Office Building, Hartford, Connecticut (1930–31)
Eno Memorial Hall, Simsbury, Connecticut (1931–32, NRHP-listed 1993)
Storrs Library, Longmeadow, Massachusetts (1932–33)
William Stanton Andrews Memorial Town Hall, Clinton, Connecticut (1936–38)
Lucy Robbins Welles Library (former), Newington, Connecticut (1939)
Wickham Memorial Library, East Hartford, Connecticut (1939-1940)

Gallery of architectural works

Notes

References

Architecture firms of the United States
Architecture firms based in Connecticut
Defunct architecture firms based in Connecticut

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Die Windward Performance DuckHawk ist ein einsitziges Segelflugzeug der Standardklasse, das von Windward Performance in Bend entwickelt und gebaut wurde.

Seit 2016 wird das Flugzeug nicht mehr angeboten.

Konstruktion
Die DuckHawk ist eine von der Windward Performance SparrowHawk abgeleitete, strukturell verstärkte Konstruktion mit höherer Flugleistung. Die Zelle des Mitteldeckers in Prepreg-CFK-Schalenbauweise hat einen freitragenden Flügel mit elektrisch aktivierten Klappenstellungen der Flaperons, doppelstöckige Bremsklappen an der Oberseite, ein Kreuzleitwerk und ein elektrisch ein- und ausfahrbares gebremstes Hauptrad. Durch die Verwendung von Hochtemperatur-Prepregs ist die Lackierung in anderen Farben als Weiß möglich. In den Tragflächen befinden sich Ballasttanks für 180 l Wasser.

Versionen
 DuckHawk E – Elektromotorseglerversion, Zulassung durch die FAA am 9. August 2011.
 DuckHawk V (Veloce) – Basismodell mit 180 kg Leer-, 440 kg maximaler Startmasse und +7/−5g Lastvielfache. Zulassung durch die FAA 2014, drei gebaute Flugzeuge.
 DuckHawk SV (Super Veloce) – Projekt mit 64 % dickerem Holm und verstärktem Rumpf, 197 kg Leer- und 440 kg max. Startmasse, +11/−9g Lastvielfache
 DuckHawk VNX – Projekt mit dickerer Flügelschale für 417 km/h Höchstgeschwindigkeit, 206 kg Leer- und 520 kg max. Startmasse, +11/−9g Lastvielfache

Nutzung
Chip Garner gewann die US-amerikanische Segelflugmeisterschaft 2012 in der 15-m-Klasse und wurde Zweiter in der 18-m-Klasse. Im Dezember 2016 waren in den USA vier Flugzeuge – drei DuckHawk V und ein DuckHawk E – durch die FAA zugelassen.

Technische Daten

Siehe auch
 Liste von Flugzeugtypen

Weblinks
 DuckHawk auf der Website von Windward Performance on Archive.org
 DuckHawk auf www.j2mcl-planeurs.net mit Bild und Dreiseitenansicht

Einzelnachweise

Segelflugzeug
Erstflug 2011


text:
Irene Hunt - 2002 - 138 pages
The unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War."An intriguing and beautifully written book, a prize to those who take the time to read it, whatever their ages."—The New York Times"This is a beautifully written book, filled with bloodshe...d, hate, and tears, but also with love, loyalty, and compassion, with unforgettable characters, and with ideas and implications that have meaning for young people today."—Chicago Tribune"A powerfully moving story about the Creighton family of Southern Illinois and their personal struggles in the War Between the States."—Chicago Daily News"Drawing from family records and from stories told by her grandfather, the author has, in an uncommonly fine narrative, created living characters and vividly reconstructed a crucial period of history."—ALA Booklist"An impressive book both as a historically authenticated Civil War novel and as a beautifully written family story...The realistic treatment of the intricate emotional conflicts within a border-state family is superb. The details of battles and campaigns are deftly integrated into letters and conversations, and the characters are completely convincing."—University of Chicago Center for Children's BooksFrom the Paperback edition.
young adult fiction, boys & men, coming of age, historical, united states, civil war period (1850-1877)
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We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for all your kind wishes, cards and presents!
For those that are interested in such things, I've posted a review of one of the books that I've been reading here for your entertainment.
Excited / A Little and Often / The Assault Continues?
I'm feeling pretty excited, as Nathan is coming home today. He's been with my parents for the last week whilst Jill and I have been getting over the lurgy. I'm pretty much recovered now, and Jill is nearly there too, except for a hacking cough with nothing to cough up. I've missed him lots, and loved being able to use iChat and Skype Video to see him during the week. I'm fully expecting to be shocked on how tall he looks, and on his vocabulary having grown. My mum and dad have been absolute troopers looking after him, and Nathan seems to have had a good time to.
I'm trying to get the writing habit back together at the moment, as I've far too many unfinished projects at the moment. The key for me to do this is to start to do a little and often. I guess it's the old 'eating the elephant one bite at a time' analogy (not that I really feel like eating Nelly)! I had a bit of a panic when I started up working on my Traveller scenario for BITS, This Fear of Gods, as whole sections of the draft had disappeared from the binder in Scrivener. Fortunately, I realised that the files were there in the program's trash folder, and that the cause was an artifact of the program that I use to synchronise the folder archive between the iMac and PowerBook. I think this confirms that I'm going to be completing the first draft on my laptop.
Heard something disturbing this morning on the home of the chattering classes, Radio 4. The Today Programme had an article about proposed changes to legal aid. These include means testing access to legal aid (hmm), the option to recover legal aid if the defendant is convicted (okay, can understand this) and the removal of the right to be awarded the legal costs back if the defendant wins the case. Now, the bit here that concerns me is the last one. This gives the state the route to maliciously prosecute – and financially ruin – someone, should they wish too. Another step down the slippery slope. I'll keep an eye on the BBC News site to see if this gets fleshed out, as there was nothing there when I looked just now.
Over the weekend, whilst I was laid up, i worked my way through Halting State, a near future SF novel by Charles Stross. It's very much in the style of a noir-thriller with cyberspace trimmings as originally launched upon the world by William Gibson in the seminal SF cyberpunk novel Neuromancer. Anyway, some of the discussion with the author at the end of the book set me thinking. Stross made an aside about how, by setting the novel in 2012 onwards, he could easily have characters who have never known a world without You Tube and MySpace, Facebook and GPS. I latched onto this, and starting thinking. On Monday, Nathan was playing with my dad and I before going to bed, and I started to think about the gulf in assumptions between my father's birth in 1941, mine in 1971, and Nathan's in 2007.
*The high end power technology was oil fired, and fast propulsion was via propeller driven aircraft (soon to be obsolete).
*Fast mass transport was by rail or ship.
*High end communication was radio (I'm too lazy to check if FM was deployed yet), and the telegram and telephone happily co-existed. Early black & white TV existed, but had been switched off during the war.
*Early computers were being born in Bletchley park to crack the Enigma and other codes.
*Theoretical nuclear power and weapons designs were in development.
*Spaceflight had not yet been achieved.
*Slide-rules and log tables are common.
*High end power technology was nuclear fission, with experimental fusion and fast reactors.
*Fast propulsion is by turbofan (aircraft) and jet (military).
*Fast mass transport is by car (petrol or diesel) or aircraft (and rail if you are on mainland Europe).
*High end communication is still radio, but phones have become ubiquitous. Telegram is dying. The first versions of what will become the internet are being developed by the military.
*Colour TV is about to be rolled out.
*Computers were mainframes or min-systems, with dumb terminals.
*Nuclear power is used globally, and weapons are causing tension between East and West.
*Man had landed on the moon, and NASA was working on a re-usable launcher (The Shuttle).
*LED electronic calculators had appeared, some with the tables in log books included.
*35mm film technology was the most common form of photography.
So, what did Nathan arrive to?
*High end power technology is nuclear fission, with experimental fusion and fast reactors. The use of renewables is increasing again.
*Fast propulsion is by turbofan (aircraft) and jet (military). Hybrid power-trains are being deployed on cars.
*High end communication is still radio, but digital mobile phones have become ubiquitous and starting to challenge the landline network. The internet is everywhere, and also threatening to merge data and voice services through VOIP such as Skype.
*Colour TV is ubiquitous, and digital transmissions are becoming commonplace. Higher definition standards are being developed and the CRT is dying.
*Nuclear power is in decline.
*The Shuttle is close to the end of its life with no defined replacement identified. The International Space Station is the main focus of manned space-flight, and long range observations by Hubble and probes are the focus for unmanned flight.
*Satellite navigation is now common.
*Digital photography is now the norm.
We've all got the lurgy at the moment. Nathan started us off the end of last week with a vomiting virus (lovely!) which resulted in Jill and myself running on a series sleep deficit. I then joined in on Friday night, having spent the day looking after the sick little man, with a fever and tight chest and vicious cough. I limited through the weekend and, somewhat foolishly, went into work on Monday when my mum and dad were here with Nathan. I regretted it by the time I got in, and decided that I wasn't going back into work the next day at least and would work from home if I felt okay. Anyway, got back to find that Nathan had decided to develop a cough and cold too, having been clear of bugs for perhaps 12 hours. Anyway, Tuesday saw the pair of us at the Doctors who diagnosed me as having bronchitis (and being told that I shouldn't be in work for the week) and Nathan as having 'yet another' virus!
Jill had also left us a note when she went out saying she was feeling like she had the same thing as me. She saw the Doctors late afternoon, and they confirmed she had a chest infection too. So, as I write this, Jill is sleeping it off having been sent home by her boss, and Nathan and I are sitting on the sofa, wrapped up well, and watching children's classics on the TV. Trumption, at the moment.
So it's very much the 'House of the Lurgy' with Lemsips all round for the adults, and Calpol for the small one. Normal service should be restored at some point!


text:
🎁 Gift
Nest Update - July 2021
A field report on the wildlife visiting our eagle nest platforms
Rewilding Projects
Building Eagle Nest Platforms
First year expectations
Who stopped by the nest?
After eight months in the field we retrieved the camera traps we set up to monitor the artificial eagle nest platforms constructed back in October last year. Though we had intended to monitor the nests for a full year, a pesky red squirrel damaged one of the cameras and we decided to bring them in. We are delighted to report back that an array of other wildlife found our nest attractive and paid us a visit, which we'd like to share with you.
We had no expectations that eagles would occupy the nests within the first year, as it usually takes a number of years before any birds move in, but we wanted to see whether they would at least visit the nests. We were also interested to know what other species would check out our newly constructed nests.
We were pleasantly surprised to see a variety of wildlife using our nests even though we didn't expect a visit from eagles in the first year.
Unsurprisingly we got a lot of passerines, great tits, dunnocks, and meadow pipits. Scottish crossbills, an endemic species to the Scottish pinewoods, were among the most frequent visitors, who were often seen foraging among the moss and soil that the nests were constructed out of. Another highlight was a kestrel, that used the nest as a perch. We would also have been happy about seeing the red squirrel checking out the nest, had it not chewed through the flash on the camera.
As this table indicates, our nest platform has provided a welcome pit stop for a variety of local wildlife.
The cameras have been brought in from the field and the team at Alladale will now be monitoring the nests from a distance, regularly checking on them to see if one year a pair of adult eagles decides it's the perfect place to raise their young.
The team at Alladale Wilderness Reserve will be keep an eagle eye on the nests for more exciting visitors.
Rewilding Blog
Low Impact Living Guides
Eco Side Podcast
© 2021, Mossy Earth. Ltd.


1. The Singapore International Mediation Centre ("SIMC") provides a list of technical experts on its website (the "Panel of Experts"), for the use of parties and mediators involved in mediation proceedings at SIMC.
2. The information regarding each technical expert available on/through the SIMC website has been provided by the technical expert. All information provided by SIMC on/through its website regarding the Panel of Experts is provided in good faith for information only.
3. SIMC does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of the information provided.


text:
Saint Lucia's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) is responsible for disaster preparedness and disaster response co-ordination.

History
Disaster Management, though called by numerous names over the years has manifested itself
constantly in Saint Lucia. As far back as June 10 – 20, 1979 Saint Lucia was host to the
Caribbean Disaster Preparedness Seminar, where over one hundred and fifty delegates from the
Caribbean, North and Latin America assembled to discuss the concerns of the day. The following year Hurricane Allen hit Saint Lucia.

A year later in 1991 Saint Lucia, together with fifteen other Caribbean States signed the Articles
that created the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)
Disaster Management in Saint Lucia is conducted on a voluntary basis and during an event
NEMO is part of a larger network that comes into existence to respond to a disaster. There are
various Ministries that are essential to a response action. There are also eighteen (18) District
Committees that are composed similarly to the national committees, which are composed of
representatives of various Ministries and Social Groups. For a response action the national
personnel contact his/her local counterpart and together execute an action.

Statutory Authority
Emergency Powers Act 5 of 1995
Provided NEMO with the power to commandeer resources during a state of emergency.

Disaster Preparedness and Response Act 13 of 2000
Consolidated and placed in law the actions of NEMO.

Cabinet Conclusion 1149/96
Authorized the National Emergency Response Plan for Saint Lucia.

Disaster Management Act No. 30 of 2006
Replaced Disaster Preparedness and Response Act of 2000.

Mission statement
The role of the National Emergency Management Organisation [NEMO] is to develop, test and implement adequate measures to protect the population of Saint Lucia from the physical, social, environmental and economic effects of both natural and man-made disasters.

Its responsibility is to ensure the efficient functioning of preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response actions.

Disaster Response Plans
The National Response Plans for Saint Lucia are all at various levels of approval. Once they
have met the full approval process they shall be available to the public. The plans are all "stand
alone" documents that may be activated to support hazard management plans. They are inter alia:
STANDING OPERATING PROCEDURES [SOPs]
1. SOPs: General [Approved 1149/96]
2. SOPs: EOC [Approved 1149/96]
3. SOPs: Declaring a Disaster [Laws of Saint Lucia]
4. SOPs: National Shut Down
5. Telecommunications Procedures [Approved 1149/96]
6. Mass Crowd Events Guidelines
POLICIES & GUIDELINES
1. A Policy Framework on Disaster Management
2. Donations and Importation of Relief Supplies Policy [Part 1 approved 1149/96]
3. Emergency Shelter Management Policy [Approved 1149/96]
4. Emergency Housing Policy
5. Hazard Mitigation Policy
6. Mass Fatalities Policy
7. Mass Crowd Events Policies and Guidelines
8. Governmental Officers Security Travel Policy
9. Backup Policy
10. National Policy on Ambulance Operations
11. National Incident Management System [NIMS] Policy
COMMITTEE PLANS
1. Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Guidelines
2. Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Plan
3. Crisis Communication Guide
4. Media Plan for Disasters and Emergencies
5. Telecommunications Plan
6. Relief Distribution Plan
7. Shelter Management Program
8. National Plan for Transportation in Disasters
9. Welfare Emergency Management Support Plan
10. Stress Response Team Plan
11. Emergency Action Plan for Agricultural Pests And Diseases
12. Disaster Auxiliary Corps Guidelines
13. Hospitality Industry Crisis Management Plan
14. Model Plan for the District Disaster Committees
HAZARD SPECIFIC PLANS
1. Hurricane Plan [Approved 1149/96]
2. Earthquake Plan
3. Volcanic Eruption Plan
4. Landslide Plan
5. Oil Spill Contingency Plan
6. Strategy on the Management of Used Oil
7. Hazardous Materials Plan
8. Hazard Mitigation Plan
9. Response Plan for Refugees and Displaced Persons
10. Maritime Search and Rescue Plan
11. Land Search and Rescue Plan
12. Drought Response Plan
13. Flood Response Plan
14. Fire Response Plan
GOSL PLANS
1. GOSL Continuity of Operations Plan [COOP]
2. The Ministry of Works Plan
3. The Ministry of Health Plan
4. Private Sector Response Plan
5. Borderlais Prison Emergency Plan
6. GFL Charles Airport Emergency Plan
7. Hweanorra International Airport Emergency Plan
8. Seaports Contingency Plan
9. Guidelines for Debris Management in a Disaster
10. Ministries of External Affairs - Guidelines in case of Disasters
11. National Incident Management System [NIMS] Plan
AGREEMENTS
1. Articles Establishing the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency [CDERA]
2. St George's Declaration of Principals
3. Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations
4. United Nations Millennium Goals
5. Agreement Between Member States and Associate Members of The Association of
Caribbean States for Regional Cooperation on Natural Disasters
LEGISLATION
1. The National Emergency Powers Act (5/1995)
2. The Disaster Preparedness & Response Act (13/2000)

PAHO on NEMO
In praise of Disaster Management in Saint Lucia, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has stated the following on its website.

"National Disaster Management is very active and well developed. Saint Lucia has achieved Disaster Management capabilities which other Caribbean countries can follow. Numerous agreements with the private sector, NGO's, Service Organizations, and neighbouring French Departments have been implemented. Health sector mitigation activities have begun and are expected to continue. St. Lucia has all possible disaster plans available and updated thanks to the National Emergency Management Office Saint Lucia

References

External links
NEMO website

Emergency services in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia


text:
Slaughter transfers to South Dakota
By Courtesy: NU Media Relations |
Posted: Thu 3:31 PM, Dec 20, 2018 |
Updated: Thu 10:53 PM, Dec 20, 2018
Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook confirmed on Thursday that Sami Slaughter plans to transfer to the University of South Dakota.
Slaughter, a native of Harrisburg, South Dakota, played two seasons with the Huskers and will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Coyotes, who made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level this season. The 6-1 outside hitter played in 10 matches for the Huskers this season, totaling 25 kills and 11 digs, as Nebraska reached the NCAA Championship match for the third time in four years.
Slaughter was the 2016 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, leading Harrisburg High School to a state title.
"We appreciate all that Sami has done for our program the last two years and hope she has a great finish to her collegiate career at South Dakota," Cook said.
Royals sign Alex Gordon to one-year deal
Lincoln Southwest to host 'Takedowns for the Troops'
HS Basketball Scoreboard (Jan. 21)
Wisconsin makes 18 3-pointers, Huskers lose fourth straight
Huskers hope to snap out of funk at Wisconsin
Video: Crime Stoppers on 10/11 This Morning
Video: Slushy conditions on main roads around Lincoln
Video: Periods of rain and Snow This Morning


Mr SN Rogers and Mr CJ Butterworth both hold clinics at the Liverpool Dental Hospital.
It is the main site for maxillofacial prosthodontic treatment following oral cancer.
Click here to visit the hospital's website for further information.
There is a variety of bus services which operate from the surrounding areas and drop off at the hospital or within walking distance. To find information about times and services please contact the Merseytravel Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or visit the Merseytravel website.
The hospital is approximately 1 mile from Lime Street Station which serves the main city line. Taxis are readily available from the station and Merseytravel (see details above) can provide details of bus services linking local train stations and the hospital.
The National Express Coach Station is less than 1 mile away from the hospital.
The Royal Liverpool University Hospital and parking facilities are well signposted throughout the city. As the dental hospital shares the site, please follow these signs. The Dental Hospital is signposted from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and staff on the main reception will be happy to direct you.


I haven't posted in some time, as our family has been going through a major transition period. We relocated halfway across the country, and this involved a six week separation while my husband moved with all of our stuff, and I stayed behind with all of our dependents. Finally, we are all together in our new house, and slowly life is getting back to our new normal.
Our new normal. As if relocating was not enough of a shock to the system, our entire routine has now changed. Seven weeks from the arrival of our second child, I am now at home full-time. This is an entirely new experience for me – I am not used to being home and handling domestic concerns fulltime. I arrived to a large stack of administrative task to handle, as I will be the "administrator" in our household now. I have taken a backseat to most things of this nature for years in our relationship, so this is very new for me. I am embracing the challenge and looking forward to getting my own "system" organized and running smootlhly.
A major change in our routine is having our daughter home. She has been in daycare since she was 6 months old, and has been in preschool this past year. We have spent the last two months preparing her for the change to her schedule, and so far she seems to be enjoyoing it. Because there is so much initial stuff to handle with relocating (insurance, doctors, new homeowner stuff etc.) we haven't gotten into a normal routine yet, but I have made our initial steps in that direction. I have involved us with our local homeschool group so that she gets to socialize with other kids in her age group (and I get involved locally as well). We have also found our local library, and found out the Storytime schedule. I've really tried to make the effort keep her engaged during the day with educational activities, though I am sure I am leaning a little too much (out of necessity at this point) on computer games and educational shows. I think the mound of paperwork should be handled by week's end, though, and we can have a much better routine in place.
I am also enjoying the more domestic aspect of our new routine. Even though I have a lot on my plate now, with getting our home unpacked and organized, and handling all of the administrative tasks, I am home to make dinner at a reasonable time, and have time in the morning to pack my husband a lunch, and get our breakfast made. For too long, our morning rush has been a source of stress, and long days resulted in quick meals thrown together after work, or a willingness to dine out and eat substandard food at a ridiculous price. Being at home will be a great opportunity for me to try out a bunch of new recipes I have earmarked in my cookbooks (once I find out which box they are in!).
I am reading Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, and following the book club over at Clean . I'll be posting some thoughts as I work through the book. So far it is a great read. We are working to simplify our routine and lifestyle (all around, but definitely with regard to our daughter) as we can see firsthand the effects the 'too much, too fast" lifestyle has on her behavior and our sanity.
Diving headlong into home crafts – being at home full time is affording me the time (and financial motivation) to transition our family more toward homemade items, such as soap and personal care products, as well as baby items such as cloth baby wipes. I've been really looking forward to this, and am really excited to get started!
Simplifying our food even more. Two hectic work schedules have not really allowed for the amount of home prepped food we would like. I much prefer homemade, but have had to pick and choose based on what has been realistic for our lifestyle. I am looking forward to more home-prepped food – bread, pasta, preserves, etc. My goal is to minimize our processed food as much as possible – I'm not giving up my Tofurky deli slices, but I would like to find a good vegan sausage recipe that my family enjoys. And for the amount of bread we go through in a week – I definitely need to be baking my own. I will finally start canning, and hope to invest in a smaller second freezer for food storage. The only short coming in this part of my plan is the late start to gardening. The growing season starts early here in south Texas, and I still need to put in a couple of raised beds. But minimally, I plan to have at least some tomato plants, peppers, and squash plants growing soon. Being 8 1/2 months pregnant also limits how much gardening I can manage this summer (i can only put so much on the hubby's to-do list…), so I may be at the mercy of my local farmers market (once I find it this weekend!).
We have been discussing homeschooling our daughter for the past several months. Our discussions have ranged from whether it was the best option for our family, to the financial impact this decision would have on our family, as I would be leaving work to do this. The impending arrival of our second child this summer, coupled with relocation to a different state for my husband's job, has really put us in a position to move forward with this decision. I will not be working once we relocate since I will be so far along in the pregnancy. I am also wary of putting such a small baby into daycare just to rejoin the workforce. We were able to juggle our schedules when our daughter was small, so we did not have her in daycare until she was six months old. So this move has really put us on the road to becoming a homeschooling family.
Our four-year-old is currently in preschool, and once we move, we will continue a preschool-level school plan for her at home. This will be a comfortable way to adjust to homeschooling, and will be more relaxed, which I will need at a late stage of pregnancy.
I plan to move into a kindergarten-level curriculum starting in the fall. Our daughter will turn five in November. In the public school system, her late birthday would have her in pre-K for this coming year, and starting kindergarten next Fall. I don't think this is necessary, as she is already excelling at many things, and I think starting at this level now can only help her succeed. I really like the idea of not being limited by a school system's calendar, and expected milestones. I also like the idea of moving along at the pace that is needed by the individual, not by the needs of a diverse group of students.
Now that we know where and when we are relocating, and have committed to the idea of homeschooling, I have begun to research and organize the vast amount of information available on the internet. While there are general home schooling sites out there, dealing with discussions ranging from organizational approaches, different teaching styles and curricula available, there are also state- and city-specific sites dealing with laws regarding homeschooling and parents' rights to educate their children at home. Additionally, there are many wonderful blogs out there, with insight into daily struggles, successes, curriculum ideas, etc. I am slowly assembling my resource page and organizing many of the sites available, as well as a blog roll of homeschoolers I enjoy reading.
I am really looking forward to this experience. Our daughter is excited that once we move, mommy will be her teacher at home. She's already asked me if she can call me Miss Mommy! I feel lucky that we are starting this at the preschool/kindergarten level. In my opinion, it will be easier to adjust and adapt, rather than starting at a later grade, or mid-year. While I will have some structure to my approach, I will not be using a packaged curriculum for kindergarten. I also like having a little time to explore what curriculum approach I will take for later grades. Most importantly, I am taking this one step at a time. I'm willing to try new things and see what works best for the family. My first step (before even getting started with the actual teaching) will be to draft a written statement of purpose. I think sitting down and really thinking about what is most important in what we hope to accomplish as home educators is vital. It will ground us in our planning for the future and keep us focused on what we want to get out of homeschooling. It will also establish what approach or philosophy our family will use in planning our home education.


On December 10th, 2012, the Sonoma County Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved programming $6.6 million of the County's $9.9 million pot of federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds to Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) for the purchase of an additional train set.
We know you are probably having some feelings about this decision, among them anger and confusion.
SCBC's here to provide for you some context, describe the circumstances around the vote, explain what the vote means for bicycling in Sonoma County, share our position on the vote, and our strategy moving forward.
Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) coordinates transportation planning and funding throughout the County. Most of the transportation funding that SCTA receives is programmed through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), SCTA's Regional counterpart, which manages transportation planning and funding for the 9 Bay Area Counties.
SCTA works to bring to Sonoma County funding for highways, roads, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. This is a complex and wonky process comprising many pieces. There are various "pots" of federal and state money that filter through MTC to SCTA.
One of these pots is CMAQ. These federal funds can be used for projects that help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. A variety of project types are eligible for CMAQ funding, including, but not limited to, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects. In Sonoma County, CMAQ has historically been a significant (if not the top) source of funding for bicycle pedestrian projects. SCTA programs these funds to eligible projects through a competitive process in 2-4 year cycles.
The concerned $9.9 million pot of CMAQ funding (mentioned in the introduction) is for projects through 2016, and is set to be programmed starting in 2013. Over the past year, each of the nine cities in Sonoma County, the County of Sonoma, and SMART itself, have been able to submit projects to be considered for CMAQ funding. These jurisdictions submitted to SCTA by a November 30th deadline $38 million worth of projects deemed eligible for CMAQ funding. Under the normal SCTA process, these eligible projects in 2013 would have to compete for shares of the $9.9 million of available CMAQ funding.
On Thursday, December 6th, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition learned that SMART was to make a special request to the SCTA Board of Directors at the latter's December 10th meeting. Based on our understanding, other stakeholders and the members of the SCTA Board of Directors learned of this request the same day as did SCBC.
SMART's request was that the SCTA Board agree to put ahead of all other CMAQ-eligible projects its own eligible request for $6.6 million to purchase an additional train set. The SCTA Board was asked to vote on whether to program this funding without putting SMART 's request through SCTA's regular competitive process.
SMART asserted that it needs the train set in order to provide full service to the North Santa Rosa station at the time the Initial Operating Segment (the "IOS" – North Santa Rosa to San Rafael) opens in 2015 or 2016. SMART asserted that full service to this station (rather than the 2/3 service possible without it) is critical because North Santa Rosa station represents 80% anticipated ridership for the Sonoma County portion of the IOS.
SMART argued that going outside the normal SCTA process was necessary because SMART must order the train set by the end of 2012 for two reasons: 1) SMART will be able to get the additional train set for the same price as those it has already ordered; and 2) If SMART does not order now, the new train set will not arrive until 2018, well after SMART begins service on the IOS.
After asking some good questions, hearing public comment by 7 people (including SCBC Outreach Director Sandra Lupien), and a good amount of discussion, the SCTA Board voted 10-2 to approve SMART's request. Almost every member of the Board said they were unhappy with the ramifications of their decision for available bicycle/pedestrian funding, and expressed that it was a very difficult decision to make.
By approving SMART's request for $6.6 million, the SCTA Board has left just $3.3 million in CMAQ funds available for about $31 million in CMAQ eligible projects. It is hard to tell based on the project list overview what portion of the projects submitted by cities and the County are bicycle projects. It looks like most of them are multi-use projects that include some combination of roadway improvements that may include bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalks. There are a few multi-use Class I projects on the list. The largest share of bike/ped projects on the list are segments of the SMART Multi-use Pathway.
These bicycle-pedestrian projects will, through SCTA's normal process, have to compete against each other and the other eligible projects for a much smaller pot of money. That could mean that important bicycle-pedestrian projects could be more likely to be delayed until a later funding cycle.
When voting on SMART's request on December 10, several members of the Board expressed hope that SCTA would prioritize the bicycle-pedestrian projects for the remaining $3.3 million in funding. The Board also directed staff to allow jurisdictions to re-submit their CMAQ-eligible projects to enable jurisdictions to prioritize projects based on the smaller pot of money.
Finally, SCTA staff did mention that there is $1.4 million in potential bike/ped funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and $11.4 million available in Surface Transportation Projects (STP) funding that can be used for bike/ped.
This decision SMARTs for sure, but we want to be sure that SCBC's position is clear. There are parts of this whole situation that we don't like, parts we think are not a huge deal, and parts that we think need a little clarifying.
1. SMART jumped the queue with an 11th hour request – Based on the conversation on December 10th, SCBC can understand why SMART needs to buy the train set by the end of the year, particularly because a 2018 arrival of the train set would be too late. What we don't understand is why SMART waited until the last minute to make the request. When SMART announced in early 2012 that it was able to add the North Santa Rosa Station to the Initial Operating Segment, it announced that it could only offer 2/3 service to that station with its budgeted equipment. That left nearly a year to figure out how to get the train set needed to offer full service to North Santa Rosa. A few months – rather than a few days — lead time on SMART's request would have allowed the SCTA Board of Directors to make a more well-reasoned decision, explore other options, etc.
2. SMART did not notify stakeholders (other agencies, public works departments, SCBC) that it planned to make this significant request. The lack of communication left SCBC – and probably other stakeholders – feeling blindsided.
3. This process has made clear that SCTA's CMAQ-eligible project list does not include a satisfactory number of competitive, deliverable bicycle projects. This, in spite of the fact that each municipality has excellent bicycle/pedestrian projects planned. This means that jurisdictions are not submitting their bike/ped projects for funding.
4. This vote by the SCTA Board threatens to delay some projects for several years. We don't like to see any bicycle/pedestrian project delayed. We think that the need to increase safe bicycle access must be prioritized and that jurisdictions must build out their bike/ped plans.
1. Using CMAQ money to support important transit project in our County — SMART — is a legitimate use of this funding source.
1. The availability of the $1.4 million in TAP funds is a good thing, and so is the potential availability of $11 million in STP funds. Both of these funds are also competitive and by no means limited to bike/ped projects.
Many people appear to be under the mistaken notion that this decision somehow means that SMART has cut the multi-use pathway from the project. This decision is not related to the MUP in any way. That said, SCBC does hear concerns from the bicycle community as to whether SMART does in fact intend to build the pathway as planned. While we are aware that segments of the MUP are currently under construction, and more will be under construction in the Spring, we believe that SMART owes the bicycle community a strong and direct commitment. Therefore, we will meet with SMART next week and demand that SMART provide public assurances that the MUP is, was, and always will be a part of the SMART project. We will also urge SMART to make a public statement as to the status of the various segments of the MUP and when they're expected to be completed.
We will explain to SMART that the agency must be a transparent, communicative community partner that engages key stakeholders in key decisions.
As noted above, some members of the SCTA Board expressed hope that bike/ped projects would be prioritized for the remaining CMAQ money. We will push SCTA to honor this sentiment with action. We will also push SCTA to fund bike/ped projects with the $1.4 million in available TAP funds, and with some of the $11m in available STP funds.
As noted above, this decision has made clear that for some reason, the various jurisdictions are not submitting their compelling bike projects for CMAQ funding. We are going to work with public works departments to find out why they're not bringing forth their bike projects, and to provide support and encouragement to help them do so moving forward. Every community in Sonoma County has great plans for bikes; we need the jurisdictions to prioritize getting those projects funded, implemented, and open to the public!
1. Join Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. We are your voice! We're here to fight for bicycle projects. Your membership makes SCBC more influential.
2. Get everyone you know to join Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
3. Make an end-of-the-year donation to Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. We're not kidding around. Donations and membership dues make it possible for us to represent the bicycle community. We get grants for programs like Safe Routes to School, but grants are not available to fund our advocacy efforts. It's up to you!
4. Write to your elected officials, to the SCTA Board of Directors, and to the SCTA Executive Director. Let them know you want them to prioritize funding for bicycle projects in Sonoma County and in your city. If you need help finding these email addresses, please contact SCBC.
Please call us at 707-545-0153 if you have any questions. You may also email Sandra@BikeSonoma.org.
SCBC is here to fight to create the safe, accessible, amazing bicycle community we want to see; together with you, we're making it happen!
This piece was cross-posted from the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition blog.


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Load Up On Candy, Skip The Eggs & More Celebrity Halloween Pro Tips
Here's your unofficial guide to totally nailing Halloween, with help from Meghan Trainor, Jake Miller, Nico and Vinz and more.
Christina Garibaldi 10/31/2014
Halloween is upon us, and many of you will be cutting loose, dressing up as something (or someone) completely unrecognizable and drowning yourself in piles of candy.
But before you slip on that mask and head to your Halloween bash, we want to give you some useful tips on having the best Halloween ever, and at the same time, making sure that you don't wake up the next morning with a serious case of regret.
RELATED: Um, Jake Miller Was A Playboy Bunny For Halloween? What?
We've enlisted some of our favorite celebs to give you a full list of "do's and dont's" to get you through the Halloween holiday.
Do: Get A Lot of Candy
I mean this is what the Halloween is all about, right? So if you're like Jake Miller, you'll be stocking up on Snickers, Butterfinger and Skittles. Today is the day that it's OK to indulge.
Don't: Dress Too Scandalously
It's inevitable you'll run into a sexy doctor or a scandalous cop this Halloween, but one person you won't see wearing that is Meghan Trainor, who told us she's "just not good at it." But for those of you that are on the fence about whether to go super sexy or keep it tame, listen to "Jane The Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez's wise words: "It's not necessary; be creative."
Don't: Wear Uncomfortable Masks
You are going to be in your costume for the better part of the night so take Magic!'s advice: "Don't wear a mask you can't breathe out of. That's very important because you're dancing and you can't breathe." Breathing is important!
Do: Dress Up
There's always that one person that just doesn't want to commit to Halloween, so if you're thinking about doing that then listen closely to the Property Brothers and "don't be that lame person that doesn't dress up." You just end up drawing more attention to yourself.
Don't: Get Too Scared
Halloween is all about doing things that frighten you, but don't scare the sh-- out of yourself, which is exactly what Austin Mahone did, but definitely not something "Saturday Night Live's" Cecily Strong would do. "What I do not do is haunted houses because I am a big pansy -- just someone next to me in the dark is too much," she said.
Don't: Throw Eggs
Yeah, this isn't a good look, and take it from Nico & Vinz, who've had it done to them: "It was mad annoying."


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"Alongside the development of self motivated projects, the focus lies on producing promotional, editorial and documentary features, working on all stages of photo
and film production, for Institutional, Corporate and Media entities."
João Pedro Marnoto from Porto, Portugal, has developed along the years a work within the grounds of documentary while using it towards a means of personal exploration. With nearly twenty years of professional practice, his approach intents to be an intimate exercise of awareness and consciousness, with his projects reflecting on issues of identity and the human condition within an environmental and sociological perspective.
Extending his tools of trade from still into moving image, with the intent of developing projects on a wider scale and reach, regarding the creation of contents but also its diffusion in various outlets, from classic print to present digital platforms, he therefore has been collaborating alongside a group of trusty and capable professionals of different tools and fields of creativity, setting up a platform that goes by the name of MediaUtopia.
Alongside the development of self motivated projects, the focus lies on producing promotional, editorial and documentary features, working on all stages of photo and film production, from art direction and screenwriting to post-production in sound, image and graphics animation, for Institutional, Corporate and Media entities, such as SIC national broadcast TV channel (Portugal), New York Times (USA), Le Monde (France), Douro Museum (Portugal), Centre National du Cinéma et de L´Image Animée (France), Red Bull (Portugal), Graham´s Port (Portugal) and Doctors of the World (Portugal).
Having received awards such as Best Portuguese Documentary at 2012 Cine'Eco International Environmental Film Festival, or the Gold Award Video category from Graphis Advertising Annual 2016, it is always rewarding and a stimulus on moving forward. But ultimately and primarily, it is the belief, passion and commitment in the all process that make it all possible, to both overcame the challenges that are faced, and create the ideas that are desired, in an always ambitious and unique manner.


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Is Sheldon Adelson really Hyman Roth Incarnate?
Posted on July 30, 2012 by AZModerate Rants
Hyman Roth
Alright, I'll admit it, with my Italian background, two of my favorite movies are The Godfather and Godfather Part 2 (we won't talk about part 3). One of the central characters in Godfather Part 2 was Hyman Roth. The Roth character was based on real life gangster Meyer Lansky. Lansky was a Jewish underworld mobster who was in league with Charles "Lucky" Luciano and helped "Murder Incorporated" grow into the mafia syndicate as their accountant. Meyer was part of the "Jewish Mafia" and developed a gambling empire from Saratoga, New York to Miami to Council Bluffs to Las Vegas. He also oversaw gambling in Cuba.
The Hyman Roth character was a Jewish Investor and associate of Vito Corleone and later his son Michael Corleone. Hyman's good friend, Moe Greene "invented" Las Vegas and became a millionaire from the gambling operations there, in Miami and Cuba. Hyman never forgave Michael Corleone for killing Moe Greene so he used Michael's brother Fredo to set Michael up for assassination. It's a good movie and if you never watched it, go rent it and see if you can pick up the parallels to Sheldon Adelson.
Now there is nothing out there that I'm aware of showing that Sheldon has arranged any assassinations of any underworld crime bosses out of revenge. However, there are some interesting things to note here. Sheldon is big into gambling. Very big. It's made him a billionaire. He has casinos in Las Vegas and a real profitable one in Macau China. In March, 2012 ABC News did an expose on the operation. "Watchdog: Mob Ties at Chinese Casinos Owned by US Firms?" Here's the link if you're interested:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/watchdog-mob-ties-chinese-casinos-owned-us-firms/story?id=15871379
It speaks of violent Chinese underworld mob bosses, American Corporations and their ties to Sheldon Adelson who at the time was Newt Gingrich's major financial backer. Adelson denies any wrong doing and states that the Federal case is built "on a foundation of lies." But the investigation by the Feds and by investigative reporters (real ones, not the drones from Rupert Murdoch and FOX) continue. Here is a recent post:
http://www.propublica.org/article/new-questions-about-sheldon-adelsons-casino-operations-in-macau
Sheldon is in hot water and one can only speculate his interest in this year's presidential campaign. He once backed Newt Gingrich and now fully back Mitt Romney. Is it possible that Sheldon wants more friendly investigators at the Department of Justice? Adelson has said he's willing to spend up to $100,000,000.00 to defeat President Obama. Since he's worth by some estimates of around $50,000,000,000.00 he can afford it. His Macau operations brings home billions. But if there is something to the allegations, then Sheldon would think that a $100,000.000.00 is a small price to get the Feds off your back. Poor Hyman wasn't so lucky. The Feds were after him and Israel wouldn't let him return there due to his underworld connections. Upon his return to Miami, Michael Corleone's hitman got him at the Airport. I don't think Sheldon has to worry about that. However, who really knows.
Anyhow, the one fact that intrigues me about this man who is so interested in American politics and the political process of the country he is a citizen of is that he's not so much the American you would think of. Although he served in our Armed Forces, unlike his protégé Mitt Romney, Sheldon is on record saying that he would have preferred to have served in, and worn the Israeli Defense Forces' uniform.
Watch this link about the "American" who is one of Mitt Romney's biggest backer:
Even though Hyman wasn't allowed to avoid American Justice by fleeing to Israel as "a returning Jew" Sheldon might still want to consider that option if the Department of Justice files criminal charges against him. Israel would love to have access to his billions and their progressive tax code. This apparent, underworld gambling casino mobster would make a great new character if there was to ever be a Godfather 4. But hey, at least Hyman made sure everyone got a piece of his birthday cake. Sheldon would never be that generous to anyone who couldn't help him personally.
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.@Mike_Pence chief of staff defends @realDonaldTrump's racist tweets about congresswomen. Only a like-minded racist… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 46 minutes ago
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@scl120 @akim_eckert @realDonaldTrump @GOP 50 million Americans live below the poverty line, under right wing econo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 hours ago
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Fruko Shop is located in Prague. Work out when and for how long to visit Fruko Shop and other Prague attractions using our handy Prague day trip planning website .
A small but very comfortable, liquor store. Like the mainstream, especially yogurt drinks are served for free. Buy a gift of wine with honey. Czech Republic's beer, beer, plum distillate, absinthe.
The Shop was closed during the operaton hours.
Prodejna alkoholických nápojů s posezením, zajímavý výběr hlavně rumů, např. z ostrova Mauricius, velmi příjemná obsluha s výkladem, doporučuji.
Store alcoholic beverages with a seating area, an interesting selection of mainly rums, for example. from the island of Mauritius, very pleasant service with commentary, I recommend.
Every day, we help thousands of travelers plan great vacations. Here are some tips on how to use your Listing Page to attract more travelers to your business - Fruko Shop.
Promote your permanent link - https://www.inspirock.com/czech-republic/prague/fruko-shop-a8291068107 - on your website, your blog, and social media. When a traveler builds a plan from this page, the itinerary automatically includes Fruko Shop. This is a great way for travelers looking for a great vacation in your city or country to also experience Fruko Shop. Promoting your link also lets your audience know that you are featured on a rapidly growing travel site. In addition, the more this page is used, the more we will promote Fruko Shop to other Inspirock users.
For best results, use the customized Trip Planning Widget for Fruko Shop on your website. It has all the advantages mentioned above, plus users to your site can conveniently access it directly on your site. Visitors to your site will appreciate you offering them help with planning their vacation. Setting this up takes just a few minutes - Click here for instructions.


What better way to say "Happy Holidays" with our elegant and festive ornament shaped box. Gold foil greeting of Happy Holidays and festive ornaments with sprigs of holy berries and mistletoe on a metallic bronze background will be a warm welcome to the holiday season.
These boxes are well suited for the holiday season, favors, large stocking stuffers, office gifts and coordinates beautifully with our companion pieces; Elegantly Ornamented Towers, Cubes and Rectangles.
Add this coordinated ribbon and our decorative berry trim to complete the look.
Ribbon and decorative trim are sold separately; see SKU RibbonNovelty.


Thanks, I have the midwife tomoro so will ask her then I guess, this pregnancy malarky has so many symptoms.
Hi I have them a lot and they see to stop me in my tracks a lot of the time. I have been told its basically the babys head knocking on your pelvic area. It is definately a strange feeling.


Seniors are often more tech-savvy than they are given credit for. In fact, technology use among seniors has sky-rocketed. Today, seniors live more digitally-connected lives than ever. According to the Pew Research Center, 4 in 10 adults 65 years and older report owning smartphones. Additionally, almost 70% of seniors use the Internet today. That's a 55% increase in less than two decades! The accessibility of technology teaching tools has also facilitated the exponential increase in tech-savvy seniors. Below, we discuss the most useful 3 devices for seniors in Brooklyn and their caregivers.
Many seniors balk at the idea of wearing medical ID bracelets. However, these devices come with definite benefits. First, a medical ID bracelet provides crucial information to first responders during an emergency. They reveal the wearer's name, address, and emergency contact number. Additionally, they also provide a summary of the wearer's medications, health conditions, and allergies. All of this information reduces the likelihood of treatment errors in an emergency.
Today, seniors can wear these personal identification (PI) bracelets in a variety of styles. Women will love this beautiful bracelet from Things Remembered, while men will appreciate this stylish dog tag necklace from ForAllGifts.
access the Drop-In feature to allow you to visit someone digitally.
play Food Network cooking shows while you follow along in the kitchen.
show you a list of shopping, flight, or restaurant options.
call you an Uber ride and provide you updates about your ride.
A GPS tracker or receiver reveals your location by calculating its distance from at least 4 satellites in the Global Positioning System. There are 27 satellites in the system. The United States military developed the GPS as part of its own war arsenal but later declassified it for civilian use.
The Webeauty GPS Tracker tracker is light and can be worn around the wrist. In the event of an emergency, seniors can simply press the SOS button to send their current location to an emergency contact. The tracker also enables caregivers to call their loved ones, if necessary. Seniors who suffer from neurocognitive disorders will particularly benefit from this tool.
For more about how the right tech devices can make a difference for seniors, be sure to explore David York Agency's blog.


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satmu satmu.com
Home/unitedkingdom/Madeleine McCann: Gertrude "became a man" when his daughter disappeared from the United Kingdom News
Madeleine McCann: Gertrude "became a man" when his daughter disappeared from the United Kingdom News
united kingdom March 24, 2019 unitedkingdom
Madeleine McCann disappeared in the afternoon of 3 May 2007, with her family at the holiday resort of Praia da Luz in Algarve. The young man disappeared from apartment 5A from Ocean Beach, while his parents drank a few yards away. Last week, the controversial series Netflix was released, trying to make a clear case of the 12-year issue.
Madeleine McCann's "Divide Madeleine McCann" series of eight episodes offers original interviews during Madeleine's absence, as well as new accounts for those involved.
He also talks with Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swann: "This book:"Looking for Madeleine "became the bestselling.
A chapter their own The text explains how Gerry McCann has explained how he has "changed" his whole point of view.
It reads: "It Gerry's attitude was a turning point About crisis
"While the couple paused in the local church, he recalled:" I started to think very well about how I felt and I do not know how to follow.
"I had this mental image to be in a tunnel, and the clearance at the end of the tunnel was very narrow and remote, the light was opened and the tunnel was wider."
The book continued on how experience Gerry helped her to find her daughter instead of helping her.
He specified details: "It was almost something similar, and I did not say that it was the Holy Spirit – I went in and gave it this image.
"I can not see it as a vision, I do not know what a vision is.
"& # 39; But I had a mental image and definitely decided to help me.
"That night I became aware of a man and the next day I got up at dawn."
The same book also describes Kate McCann's emotions that he had lived on tonight's daughter.
He says: "5A in the apartment, McCann's emotions remained uncontrollable.
"Both were Kate and Gerry, Rachel Oldfield reminded her," it was a great nightmare for the most hysterical politics and screams. "
"Fiona Payne, an anesthetist at the hospital, said Kat:" I never saw raw emotions in my life.
"It was only, Madeleine was very scared."
Despite the coverage of the new Netflix series, Kate and Gerry McCann did not accept the release.
The statement on behalf of the couple argues that the show could interfere with police investigations.
He reads: "We have not seen and we still do not see how this program is going to be searched by Madeleine and, above all, because it has an active police investigation, would hinder it.
"As a result, our views and preferences are not reflected in the program.
"We do not report or talk about it program. "
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Main » 2015 » January » 12 » "Friends of the Police" Program Concludes in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
"Friends of the Police" Program Concludes in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
With the participation of 120 students
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, January 8th 2015 [ME NewsWire]
The Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, represented by the Clubs Department, concluded the 'Friends of the Police' Program for children of officers, non-commissioned officers, and civilians working at Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters. A total of 120 officers' children took part in the program, which was organized during the first semester vacation of the year 2014-2015 at Abu Dhabi Police Officers' Club.
The Clubs Department distributed certificates and commemoratives gifts to the 'friends of the police' participants during the two separate ceremonies recently held at the Police Officers Club in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
In his address on the occasion, Colonel Aref Saif Al Shamesi, Head of Clubs Department, stressed the importance of the program in promoting patriotism in young people's spirit, enabling them to invest their leisure time with purposeful and beneficial activities, empowering them with skills and developing their talents, in a bid to encourage them to avoid bad and objectionable behaviors.
Colonel Al Shamesi said, "The Abu Dhabi Police has adopted this approach in an effort to qualify and train young generations and provide them with skills that would benefit them in their future life, through a regular and elaborate program throughout the school year. The programs include a wide variety of sports, cultural, recreational and heritage activities that contribute to ingraining the spirit of belonging to the homeland, developing their skills and boosting their security and culture awareness. This falls in line with the strategy of the Abu Dhabi Police in strengthening public confidence and reinforcing its relationship with the community."
The closing ceremony, which took place in Al Ain, was attended by Colonel Hareb Khamis Al Khaili, Deputy Head of the Clubs Department, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 'Friends of the Police' Program; and Colonel Mohammed Suhail Al Rashidi, Deputy Director of the Al Ain Police Directorate. During the ceremony, participants in the program were honored; attendees screened a documentary film showcasing the various visits and activities carried out as a part of the program, which contribute to strengthening patriotism in young people.
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Cathryn j. Prince
Author of "American Daredevil: The Extraordinary Life of Richard Halliburton, the World's First Celebrity Travel Writer"
Cathryn J. Prince is the author of several nonfiction history books.
Her newest book "American Daredevil: The Extraordinary Life of Richard Halliburton, the World's First Celebrity Travel Writer" was published by Chicago Review Press, and the focus of our interview. Her previous book, "Death in the Baltic: The WWII Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff" received the 2013 Military Writers Society of America Founders Award. We discussed this book in an earlier interview. For years Prince was a contributing correspondent to The Christian Science Monitor. While she continues to contribute to the CS Monitor, she also regularly contributes to The Times of Israel.
Prince holds a B.A. from The Elliot School of International Affairs, The George Washington University; an M.S. from The Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University; and an M.A. in American Studies from Fairfield University.
http://www.outofboundsradioshow.com/audio-mp3/%20out-of-bounds-Cathryn-Prince2-journalist-author-american-daredevil.mp3
S.K. List
Ute Ritz-Deutch "Framing Our Democracy" series
Carl Johengen
Maria Klemperer-Johnson


Last May I bought a dress. I bought it, not because of what it was, but because of what I could make from it.
I loved the bright color and the full swing of the skirt. It reminded me of all those long dresses that Ginger Rogers used to wear when dancing with Fred Astaire. Or perhaps the fancy dress Grace Kelly wore in High Society. I knew I could make something from it, but first I had to get rid of the lace and ruffles.
You can see that the skirt was extremely sheer. There must have been a slip or underskirt which got separated from the dress. My first step was to solve that problem by adding additional layers of chiffon. I chose a yellow with a hot pink underskirt. The different colors would show through creating shifting highlights as the skirt moved.
I used the skirt of the dress as a pattern. It was pretty simple since the skirt was a full circle.
The skirt was also far too long. Its original owner must have been taller than me or habitually wore seven inch platform shoes. So I trimmed the skirt and hemmed it.
There is a lot of sewing involved when you have three layers of full-circle skirt. Particularly when you have to hem around twice to get the proper narrow roll. The resulting dress was wearable, but exceedingly simple. It was time for me to take some of that ruffle and some of the left over yellow chiffon and make the dress much more attractive.
I played with draping and wrapping the fabric that I had available. The waist of the dress was high, so I knew that I wanted to add a wide belt to create a better silhouette. I also decided that those triangle sleeves needed to go. Unfortunately none of the pieces of orange chiffon were wide enough to make sleeves. So I got creative.
I sewed together two segments of ruffle so that the hemmed bits were together.
I used the sleeve piece from a dress pattern I had, making sure that the seam ran down the center of the sleeve. Once the sleeve was constructed, I slit open this sleeve seam so that it gaps open attractively along the top of my arm only being joined at the top of the sleeve and at my elbow. I'll try to get a picture of this the next time I try on the dress.
I decided to make long drapes off my shoulders to add interest in the back. Besides I had to do something with all that left over ruffle. You can see the huge pile of it on the floor. I still have a pile of it even after the dress is done. I'll hold it against future alterations or repairs.
The next steps involved a lot of hand sewing. Most of the things could have been done on machine, but tacking things into place by hand made unpicking and re-sewing much easier. I did a lot as I was figuring out the best ways to accomplish the look I'd hoped for.
I am pleased with the result. I'll take pictures when I'm wearing it and all dressed up, but for now you can see it on the hanger.
I loved this project. I loved breathing new life into an old dress. I loved taking it apart and re-using the old pieces. My brain is already burbling with ideas about how to do this again, only with a completely different dress. For now I need to put my dress aside until a week from Saturday when I get to wear it to the Hugos.
Wow Sandra. That turned out GREAT! You really had a vision. I look at the start, and would have NEVER seen the end result.
It looks amazing! The color is perfect.
Sandra, the dress is stunning. You are an artist!
Sandra, it's gorgeous! I so envy you talent for sewing and your artistic eye, and I'm so excited to see it on you! So beautiful!


If a child becomes ill or is injured while at school or while being supervised by a member of the school district's staff, the staff member shall take reasonable steps to render assistance and, when appropriate, summon medical assistance. Staff will notify a student's parent or guardian when a student needs medical attention.
The school district is not qualified under law to comply with directives to physicians limiting medical treatment and will not accept such directives. School district staff members will not honor "do not resuscitate/do not intubate" (DNR/DNI) orders, requests for transport to particular medical facilities, and any similar requests. . Parents/Guardians must arrange for all such requests with rescue squad and medical providers directly.


The spot: Longitude, 347 14th St., Oakland; http://longitudeoakland.com.
The vibe: A former Forbidden Island bar manager has opened a tropical oasis — and it's as exotic as the Alameda tiki bar. Longitude bills itself as an Oakland refuge that celebrates the adventurer. Grab your spouse and sip away in the bar with its bamboo pillars and moss-colored stools. Rather than stick to a Polynesian theme, Longitude evokes the tropics in general, drawing inspiration for its tropical drinks ($9 to $13) from the classic Mai Tai to the Black Orchid (house-flambéed rum cordial with Angostura 7-year-old rum and citrus, topped by an edible orchid and a real pearl). Yes, it's yours to keep. They also pour rare Japanese whiskeys and offer bites beyond pupu platters.
For the couple who: Needs to get away.