text:
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Ranting About Music's (Very Un)official Bunbury Saturday Report
Posted on July 15, 2014 by bgibs122
Confession: I've never been to a music festival.
Ok, that's not quite true: I went to Warped Tour a few years ago (my friends and I sat through bad metalcore to see Katy Perry on a side stage as "I Kissed a Girl" was coming up–2008 was weird), but I've never been to a Coa-Bonna-palooza type multi-day festival with a vowel-heavy name or those obnoxious not-quite-paper-not-quite-plastic wristbands that never feel comfortable.
Enter Bunbury, a music festival that's light on vowels, but makes up for that by being in Cincinnati. Bunbury's in its third summer at Sawyer Point, the Cincinnati park on the banks of the Ohio River, and is able to pull some solid headliners for a small festival (past bill toppers have included Weezer, Death Cab For Cutie, MGMT, and The National). So, after being harangued by coworkers for a month about going, I finally shelled out for a Saturday a one-day pass. Originally, I wasn't planning on writing a field report of the day, but the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. So, between texting different people for meet-ups, getting lost between stages, and sampling some fine local Cincinnati beers, here's who I saw (all photos by me).
New Politics were a group I hadn't heard, but damn near everyone I knew that was going to Bunbury was making a point to see them play relatively early in the day at the main stage. Once singer David Boyd kicked their set off with a backflip off the drum platform, I knew I was in for a good time, and the next 40 minutes did not disappoint. New Politics wheelhouse seems to be sneering, wildly enthusiastic power pop backed by off the charts stage presence. Boyd's gymnastics came back in the form of flips, headstands, and dance moves, all while teasing singalongs, callouts, and motion from a crowd marinating in the heat and humidity of a Cincinnati afternoon in July, including the moment pictured here, when he stood on the crowd. Most of that rambunctiousness translates onto their album A Bad Girl in Harlem, which I've been Spotifying ever since. It was a great start to the day.
Maybe it's because Bunbury's a young festival, maybe Cincinnati isn't quite the right scene, or maybe it's any number of availability factors, but Bunbury doesn't book a lot of Pitchfork-friendly artists. The biggest exception to that rule this year was indie pop group Cults, who I was familiar with at a glance, and played main stage at 5:45 (likely the hottest point in the day). Cults makes solid enough music, but a number of factors were working against them: their mix was more loud than coherent, their more laid back stage presence wilted on the heels of New Politics, and the crowd was almost inert. As someone who cops to being that guy who gets way too fucking into it at shows, it was hard to work through, so I ended up meeting with a friend of mine on the side halfway through Cults' set. My friend pitched that Cults would have done better to swap times with New Politics, and I can't say I disagree.
My girlfriend is a bigger fan of HAERTS than I am, although I still made it a point to see their set in full. Part of that was taste–I still like their music, after all–and as the day went on, it also felt like rooting for an underdog. HAERTS were slated to finish right before Paramore (the day's headliner) started, and were listed as "TBA" on the schedules handed out at the gates of the festival.
If any of this affected the band, it didn't show during their delightfully surprising set. HAERTS have a sound similar to Haim: ostensibly indie pop, but it's expertly made, and there are decades of influences distilled into one graceful package (a coworker of mine texted me during their set, saying singer Nini Fabi reminded her of Stevie Nicks). Like Cults, their sound was bottom-heavy, but here, it served to show that Derek McWilliams' bass playing might be the band's secret weapon. I'm looking to hear more from HAERTS; their set might have been my favorite to just listen to all day.
Full disclosure: when I was choosing which day to go to Bunbury, Paramore on Saturday was the tipping point. Based on the sheer number of Paramore (and Fall Out Boy, but more on that later) shirts and merch I saw people wearing, I was far from the only one. Paramore/FOB included Bunbury in their Monumentour, so they brought the staging with them; in Paramore's case, this meant a scoreboard style lighting display and a two level stage to differentiate Paramore the Band from Paramore the Hired Guns. As Hayley Williams was fond of saying during the show, Paramore's been together for 10 years, and that road experience carries onto their live show. The band fired on all-cylinders during their set, from joyous opener "Still Into You" to the crowd singalong finish of "Ain't It Fun", and treated the show like one big party, complete with confetti, streamers, and balloons.
The band also worked plenty of older material in, too; multiple songs from Riot! came out, as did "Emergency" and "Pressure" from their debut album, plus a pair from brand new eyes. Weirdly enough, the deep cuts they pulled from the self-titled album were songs I've never been fond of ("Last Hope" and "Proof"), but they were still a blast to hear live. I would have liked to see "crushcrushcrush" or "Fast In My Car" make an appearance, but ah well, can't have everything.
Foxy Shazam
I know just enough about Foxy Shazam to assume they're a fun time live (translation: I listened to The Church of Rock and Roll a few times when it came out), and they brought on some of the party I missed by skipping Andrew W.K. They pulled heavily from their new, free album GONZO, and even if GONZO's a bit of a dud, the groove of "Have the Fun" and "Brutal Truth" are serviceable live. The set benefited from being the first real "after dark" affair of the night; between the heavy smoke from the band (and audience), plus the seedy stage lighting and the glowing, red Newport sign from Newport on the Levee, the river stage had the look and sinister mysticism of a 70s dive bar. I'm kind of bummed that my phone was charging, and I don't have any pictures Foxy, but they eventually broke out "Healing Touch", so whatever. Even if the songs weren't grade A, it was still fun, seedy rock and roll.
I don't like Fall Out Boy. I like Fall Out Boy songs, but it took seeing them live to make me finally realize that I kind of can't stand them as an entity. To be fair, I entered their set cranky begin with: I was burnt out and vaguely hungover, and the stocky person in front of me was drunkenly staggering into everyone two songs in. But even without that, it would have been a bum set that didn't have much going for it. "Save rock and roll" applied more to their all black, leather, and fire geyser stage than it did to, well, Save Rock and Roll, which made up a painfully high percentage of their setlist. "The Phoenix" actually benefited from turning into a near-metal number, but the rest of the material felt flat, especially next to punchier numbers like "Dance, Dance", and "I Don't Care".
Patrick Stump is still as great a vocalist as ever, but any stage banter with him and Pete "Every band has commented on the heat and humidity today, but I'm going to wear this zipped up leather hoodie for the next fucking hour" Wentz came off as half-hearted and tedious. The hits were alright, but none of FOB's bloated set felt inspired or essential, so I ended up leaving early with my way lit by the pyrotechnics of (of course) "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light'em Up)".
I don't know how much of the hot, packed, frantic, but ultimately satisfying experience of Bunbury carries over to the bigger festivals, but rest assured, I had a great enough time to come back next year.
About bgibs122
I enjoy music and music culture; I hope you do, too.
View all posts by bgibs122 →
This entry was posted in "Thoughts" and tagged Bunbury, Cincinnati, Cults, Fall Out Boy, Foxy Shazam, HAERTS, music, music festival, New Politics, Paramore. Bookmark the permalink.


Recently I received an email from a customer. She was dismayed that all the icons on her post editor were gone. Instead of seeing the normal visual editor, she saw a white box with no controls. What happened?
I looked at the usual suspects, the plugins and the themes. But with all the plugins turned off and a default WordPress theme selected the error persisted.
Previous Post: Is WordPress 3.8.10 Current?


text:
import mesos
import os
import sys
import time
import httplib
import Queue
import threading

from optparse import OptionParser
from subprocess import *
from socket import gethostname

class MyScheduler(mesos.Scheduler):
  def __init__(self, num_tasks, jar_url, jar_class, jar_args):
    mesos.Scheduler.__init__(self)
    self.lock = threading.RLock()
    self.task_count = 0
    self.num_tasks = num_tasks
    self.jar_url = jar_url
    self.jar_class = jar_class
    self.jar_args = jar_args

  def getExecutorInfo(self, driver):
    execPath = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "daemon_executor.sh")
    return mesos.ExecutorInfo(execPath, "")

  def registered(self, driver, fid):
    print "Mesos daemon scheduler registered as framework #%s" % fid

  def getFrameworkName(self, driver):
    return "Python Deploy Jar"

  def resourceOffer(self, driver, oid, slave_offers):
    print "Got resource offer %s" % oid
    self.lock.acquire()
    tasks = []
    for offer in slave_offers:
      if int(self.task_count) > int(self.num_tasks):
        print "Rejecting slot because we've launched enough tasks"
      elif int(offer.params['mem']) < 1024 or int(offer.params['cpus']) < 1:
        print "Rejecting slot because it is too small"
        print "It had mem=" + offer.params['mem']\
        + " and cpus=" + offer.params['cpus']
      else:
        print "accepting slot of size 1 cpu and 1024MB to launch a jar"
        params = {"cpus": "1", "mem": "1024"}
        task_args = self.jar_url + "\t" + self.jar_class + "\t" + self.jar_args
        print "task args are: " + task_args
        td = mesos.TaskDescription(
            self.task_count, offer.slaveId, "task %d" % self.task_count, params, task_args)
        tasks.append(td)
        print "incrementing self.task_count from " + str(self.task_count)
        print "self.num_tasks is " + str(self.num_tasks)
        self.task_count += 1
    driver.replyToOffer(oid, tasks, {"timeout": "1"})
    self.lock.release()

if __name__ == "__main__":
  args = sys.argv[1:len(sys.argv)]

  print "sched = MyScheduler(" + args[1] + ", "+  args[2]+ ", "+ args[3]+ ", "+ " ".join(args[4:len(args)])+")"

  sched = MyScheduler(args[1], args[2], args[3], " ".join(args[4:len(args)]))

  print "Connecting to mesos master %s" % args[0]

  mesos.MesosSchedulerDriver(sched, sys.argv[1]).run()

  print "Finished!"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


MOBILE, Ala. — President-elect Donald Trump made the final stop on his "thank you" tour on Saturday in Alabama, where he made a few cursory policy promises before reminiscing about his victory.
He promised to name a Veterans Affairs secretary "very, very soon," build the border wall, and rebuild what he called the badly depleted military. "But, we will be smart about how we spend our money," he said to applause.
Trump introduced to the crowd Sen. Jeff Sessions, a native son of Alabama and his pick for attorney general, who joined him onstage in a white "Make America Great Again" baseball cap to match Trump's red one.
"What a great honor it is to have you back in my hometown," Sessions said, referring to the August 2015 rally in Mobile during which Sessions was one of the first Republicans to come out in favor of the then-underdog candidate.
Then, Trump spent the majority of his more than hourlong speech reliving the days leading up to the election. "I could give you a beautiful, rhetorical glowing speech, and we could all fall asleep together," he said.
Instead, he opted to tell the crowd the story of how American institutions, from the media to pollsters, incorrectly doubted his candidacy.
He remembered the day in June 2015 when he and his wife, Melania, descended the escalator in Trump Tower to announce his presidential run. He called his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, to the stage and asked her to rattle off statistics about the numbers of counties he won.
He relived his win on election night and spoke about how he "shattered the blue wall" to take states like Pennsylvania and Florida and beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
The final moments of the speech focused on an economic and foreign policy message — of creating jobs, spending money on infrastructure, lowering the business tax rate to 15 percent, re-doing trade deals, and instituting extreme vetting of immigrants to keep out terrorists, all policy promises he's made before with few details offered.
"My administration will follow two very simple rules: Buy American and hire Americans," he said — a line that fired up the audience.
Trump spoke against the backdrop of a 50-foot-tall Christmas tree and overcast skies to a half-full football stadium of supporters. It rained on-and-off throughout his speech.
Earlier in the afternoon, Christian evangelist Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham, gave the opening prayer and explained why he thought Trump won. "I believe it was God."
Press spokesman Hope Hicks and top policy adviser Stephen Miller also made brief appearances at the rally. "Tonight, you're going to show America that we're just beginning to fight," Miller said, just before Trump took the stage.


End 2009 Frederik Croene premiered my Das Wohlpreparierte Klavier I at Transit Festival. It was quite a success, but also marked the end of a period of radical experiment and intensive composing, before getting a phd and moving into other fields. Next performance of Elisa Medinilla and Frederik Croene in DeBijloke may sound like a wake-up call. Indeed, after a compositional break of almost 10 years, book II and III are in the making, hopefully to be premiered towards the end of 2019!
Looking forward to the start-up of three new research groups within my lectorate at the Royal Conservatoire: Fundamentals of Musical Training, Making in Music, Curation and Social Engagement. Festive presentation on January, Friday 25th.
These two young men put their stamp on the twentieth-century history of music and dance with a bang sacré. What is the state of dance-music collaborations today? November Music organised an expert meeting on this subject, I was asked to moderate and make some introductory notes.
Toespraak ter gelegenheid van Musica's 40-jarige bestaan, aan de vooravond van AlbaNova – The Musical Gift, het festival dat ik vijf jaar geleden boven de doopvont mocht houden. Het waren tegelijk ook mijn laatste woorden voor Musica, want mijn afscheid van de organisatie. Dankbaar voor zeven boeiende jaren.
After having worked for more than six years for Musica, my lectorate at The Hague Conservatoire brings me back to artistic research. I've always had an ambiguous relationship with the discourse around artistic research, even more so with the persistently recurring discussions between sceptics and defenders. The arguments on both sides are mostly predictable, and they usually fail to put the phenomenon in a wider context of societal, institutional and cultural evolutions. My view on artistic research has always been pragmatic, although I will try now to approach the topic from a more future-oriented perspective. What better way than starting with conditions and motivations? I made a short introductory text for the programme book of the master research symposium at the conservatoire end March. More to follow.
Around 2004, I started exploring the possibilities of feedback manipulation in live performance. One of the results was Tubes, a piece for two performers, pvc-pipes and digital signal processing. Apart from some concert fragments, I never published any video material from the many working sessions with Cathy van Eck. Here are some fragments from an early version of the piece, below is a compilation from later recording sessions. A full version can be found here. Please listen in stereo or with headphones!


Summer 2018 was amazingly long and hot! At The Insurance Emporium, we enjoyed every minute of it! But the high temperatures that led on from a wet winter were bad news for hay and haylage production. We know that, as a horse owner, you always want to do what's best for your horse. However, with the current threat of a hay shortage leading to rising prices, it could be difficult to know what to do — so we've asked our horse health expert for some useful tips on how to ride it out this winter!
For most horse owners, mention the word forage and the first word that springs to mind is hay! Although hay and haylage are the most common methods of keeping horses fed, they are by no means the only options. A few alternatives could be straw, chopped dried grass, sugar beet and high fibre cubes. Whilst they might not provide the complete nutrition your horse needs, they could be mixed with other forage. If in doubt, always ask for some advice from a reputable feed company to ensure your horse is getting the right amount of fibre.
Manage the green, green grass of home!
When you let your horse outside, be sure to do it efficiently so your horse can munch happily away on the grass that is available! You can rotate which paddocks you use so they can get a rest from all that chewing. Other alternatives could be strip grazing, so that your horse only has access to one part of your pasture at a time, or turning your horse out only on alternate days. All of these might help to ensure that what grass you do have goes in your horse's belly and isn't wasted!
Don't eat like an animal!
Horses may be animals but it doesn't mean they have to eat like one! You could reduce the amount of forage you might be wasting by thinking about how you feed your horse. If you're in the habit of feeding your horse from the floor, why not consider using a haynet? However, if you already use a haynet, perhaps replace it with one with smaller holes. Both of these tips might make your hay last longer and reduce the amount of waste.
Dentists are not just for humans! Make sure that your horse is up to date with their dental checks. If there are any problems with your horse's teeth, for example unevenness or sharp points, it could lead to quidding. This might make chewing really difficult and prevent your horse from being able to close their mouth properly. This could in turn lead to a greater amount of food waste. A healthy mouth could mean healthy hay levels and help put your mind at ease.
One of the most important things you might want to do is make sure you plan ahead! Look at different hay and haylage suppliers — could any of them give you a better price than you pay now? It might be a good idea to work out how much forage you'll need to see your horse through the winter months, and come up with a budget based on this. You could also order in advance, so you can ensure your supplier won't run out of the stock you need during the winter.
At The Insurance Emporium, we know it can be worrying for any horse owner when the threat of a shortage of hay and haylage is looming. Hopefully, these tips will help you plan ahead! If you have any questions about what you should be doing to ensure your horse has enough food throughout winter, you might like to speak to feed companies and your vet for nutritional advice. Also, you could speak to your forage supplier to come up with an idea of what to do going forward. It's all in the planning — don't be caught out with hay-fever!


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[04:33] – How their proposal went viral!
Spoiler alert – they were married after just 13 days!
The Queen of Social Media" – CEO and owner of The Viral Touch marketing agency, Full-time Social Media Consultant and Strategist, Founder of Social Media United. Rachel is a top social media marketer and consultant, worldwide viral sensation, leading authority on story-telling through social media and Facebook ads. Rachel's journey began in 2016 while working in her 9-5 (actually, it was an 8-5) day job. Within 6 months she replaced her income and built a clientele that she loved working with. Rachel is also a mother to 3 beautiful children and wife to her supportive husband Poul! Poul is the constant "behind the scenes" support for the businesses him and Rachel run together. His work as the Managing Director for SMU and as the COO for Rachel's agency (companies doing over $1.5 million in revenue per year) make everything possible in crazy and demanding industries. He is an amazing dad and husband – and is a stellar athlete. Don't challenge him in ping pong, tennis, basketball, or anything else.
This isn't just another "Membership" this is Mentorship.


• Specifically molded to fit the 41mm diameter Carrera casing with a 20mm distance between the lugs.
• This strap is meant to fit the original Tag Heuer 18mm deployment buckle (not included).
This band is designed to fit the 41mm Tag Heuer Carrera case with a distance of 20mm between the lugs.


text:
Robbie Williams Returns to Wynn Las Vegas For 2020 Residency
Tickets Go On Sale Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 a.m. PT
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 12, 2019) —Wynn Las Vegas and AEG Presents Las Vegas are thrilled to announce that Robbie Williams will return to Las Vegas for a 2020 residency bringing his high-octane showmanship and much-loved music back to Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater. Following the huge success of his 16 sold out shows this year during three residency runs, 'Robbie Williams Live in Las Vegas' will return with eight new dates from March 24 to April 4, 2020. Tickets for the shows will be available for purchase starting Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 a.m. PT.
Robbie said, "I'm so excited to be returning to Las Vegas for new residency dates next year. To have my own run of Vegas shows was a real dream come true and I can't wait to come back."
"Robbie Williams is coming back to where he belongs – Las Vegas," said Bobby Reynolds, Senior Vice President of AEG Presents Las Vegas. "Robbie's personality and style are as unique as this town and we couldn't be happier to have him back at Wynn. Robbie packed the house every night with audience members from near and far. Whether they had seen him one time or one hundred times, the crowd all had one thing in common: They loved the show!"
Fans who pre-order 'The Christmas Present' from the official Robbie Williams Store before 4 p.m. PT on November 18 will receive priority access to the exclusive artist ticket presale for the Las Vegas shows, which begins Tuesday, November 19 at 7 a.m. PT. Official VIP packages and additional artist pre-sale information is available at robbiewilliams.com/tickets.
Williams is one of the most decorated music artists in the world with six of the Top 100 best-selling albums in British history and 80 million album sales worldwide. He has had 12 UK Number 1 albums, 14 Number 1 singles and a record 18 BRIT Awards – more than any other artist in music history. Earlier this year, Williams announced that he will be releasing his first ever Christmas album, 'The Christmas Present', on Nov. 22, 2019. For more information about Robbie Williams, visit www.robbiewilliams.com.
Dates: March 24-25, 27-28, 31; April 1, 3-4 at 8 p.m.
Public On-Sale: Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 a.m. PST
Price: $69.50-$325 plus applicable fees
Points Of Purchase: Wynn Las Vegas Box Office (702-770-9966) or WynnLasVegas.com
For press images of Robbie Williams, please click here: https://wynn.box.com/s/u8b4r84gp0mm9tozb54vw28wwgr9rwxe
About Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world and was once again named the best resort in Nevada on Condé Nast Traveler's 2019 "Gold List," a title received for the twelfth time. Wynn and Encore Las Vegas consist of two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas. The resort features approximately 192,000 square feet of casino space, 22 signature dining experiences, 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 560,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 160,000 square feet of retail space as well as two theaters, two nightclubs, a beach club and recreation and leisure facilities. Wynn Las Vegas recently unveiled the new Wynn Golf Club and 18-hole, 129-acre championship golf course, and in February 2020 will debut a 430,000-square-foot meeting and convention space expansion powered by 100 percent renewable energy. For more information on Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, visit press.wynnlasvegas.com, or follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About AEG Presents
AEG Presents is one of the largest live music companies in the world. The company is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music events and world-renowned festivals. AEG Presents operates in North America, Europe and Asia through 16 regional offices that support its tours which include such artists as Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber, BTS, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney; produce or support over 25 music festivals, including the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Stagecoach, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly; and owns, manages or books more than 80 clubs and theaters. AEG Presents produces and promotes more than 11,000 shows annually worldwide and conducts business under such globally renowned brands as AEG Presents, Goldenvoice, The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Messina Touring Group, Marshall Arts LTD, Madison House Presents and PromoWest Productions. For more information visit www.aegpresents.com.
Jesse Williams, Wynn Las Vegas
Jesse.Williams@wynnlasvegas.com
Murray Chalmers, Robbie Williams
murray@murraychalmers.com
MORE FROM PRESS RELEASES
Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox Joins More Than 800 CEOs in Committing to Advance Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Wynn Las Vegas Set To Open Elio March 2020
Wynn Nightlife And Gryffin Partner For Exclusive Residency

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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In an effort to rectify India's infamous reputation as the country with the deadliest roads in the world, UL, a global safety science organization, through its not for profit arm has launched an online pledge campaign to change bad driver behaviour.
Dubbed #SafetyFirst, the campaign urges the social media user to take a pledge to put safety first at all times - by promising to be responsible, by adhering to basic road safety rules against overspeeding, drunken driving and underage driving, by encouraging the use of helmet and seatbelts and by yielding right of way to emergency vehicles like ambulances.
The pledge, shareable on Facebook and Twitter, can be made at UL's Safety Smart India site http://ulsafetysmart.com/india/index. The microsite educates potential pledge takers about the disastrous ramifications of indulging in unsafe driving practices. For instance, "drivers using cell phones look but fail to see up to 50 percent of the information in their driving environment".
"India's road safety challenges are complex and multifold, the resolution of which requires an impactful, holistic approach. While a lot can be said about stricter enforcement of rules and improvement of road infrastructure, a major part of the road safety problem in India involves increasing accountability of drivers and improving road behaviour. It is this very issue that we want to tackle through this campaign. While people are aware of the rules, when they make a conscious effort to pledge for safety, it brings positive changes to their behaviour on the road. This is the impact we are hoping to achieve with our campaign," says R.A Venkitachalam, Vice President, Public Safety Mission, UL.


Our growing community of over 342,287 store owners, developers, and service providers are there to help you at every stage of running your online store and business. Over 8,896 free Add-Ons have been uploaded by the community to use and customize your online store with.
679 members are active on the forum, right now. Come in and say hi!


text:
The Origins Of The American Chopper Argument Meme
Charles Edwards/Shutterstock
By Joey Keogh/Updated: Feb. 21, 2022 10:22 am EST
Back in 2018, social media users were left flummoxed by a meme gaining traction remarkably quickly, as evidenced by a Guardian headline that asked innocently, "Why do I keep seeing the same two angry men on social media?" The meme in question detailed an explosive argument between father-son duo Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. The two men were the stars of TLC hit "American Chopper," which ran for 12 seasons, from 2003 to 2019 (via IMDb).
The reality show followed the employees of a shop that manufactures custom chopper-style motorcycles, hence the name. TV Guide described it as "the day-to-day work and familial feuds at an upstate New York motorcycle company." The keyword in that sentence is "feuds" since, as you probably gleaned from looking at the meme, things frequently escalated at the company, whether by design or because tempers really were that high at times. The origins of this meme aren't in dispute, but they are pretty fascinating regardless.
The meme captured Twitter's attention in a powerful way
Thanks to the meme, "American Chopper" captured the zeitgeist in a way it never had before, despite its lengthy run — and certainly not during the doomed reboot (via Cinema Blend). The niche reality show came to the attention of essentially everyone on Twitter when a series of images detailing a massive argument between stars Paul Teutul Sr. and son Paul Teutul, Jr. began doing the rounds. Featuring a panel with five photos, arranged like a comic strip with text, the meme references the shocking moment when Paul Jr. was fired by his own father (via YouTube). Their fight was so explosive that certain fans believed it was faked (as per Radar Online, via Inquisitr).
Although it didn't come to most people's attention until more recently, according to Know Your Meme, the "American Chopper" meme actually dates back to 2011, as per a number of Reddit posts. This would make sense since the moment originally aired just a couple years prior. Users initially replaced the angry exchange with wholesome content, which proved enormously popular. The meme gained traction on Twitter thanks to a post nodding to the All Women Are Queens meme. Likewise, one replacing the text with an argument in favor of the long-running comic strip "Garfield" did very well, too. There are tons of different variations, referencing everything from "Harry Potter" to how impossible self-service checkouts are to use.
If you'd like to have a go at creating your own version of the meme, you can do so right here.


I admittedly have committed the cardinal sin of blogging, not posting. No excuses really, just preoccupied with other stuff and not correctly prioritizing. Will that change? I hope so, but we will see.
So what is this goofy little site supposed to be about? Good question. My vision is to just make it about life, the good life, the bad life, and just taking a bite out of it everyday. I love coffee, so it's about coffee. I like stuff, so it's about some subscription boxes I like. I hate politics, so it's about an occasional rant. I like art so it's about art, (I am of course biased toward the things my artist wife creates). I like hockey, nope, probably no hockey stuff, until of course the Rangers win the Cup this year!. etc. etc. etc. Great! Find a niche and write about it, yeah that's not me. As my instagram profile says "Jack of all trades master of none" @bitethis1 by the way. So onward! and stuff whatever. Oh, bye the way I really love to cook, and I'm told I do it pretty well, so I do have a food blog (along with about 500,000,000,000,000 other people) check it out www.cuisineoflife.com I post on there once in awhile with recipes and other food related stuff.
So, today's rant. I am a Libertarian, both big L and little l. Which means that my political philosophy is libertarian and my party affiliation is Libertarian. They don't always mesh with one another, but they are close enough for me. Definition?
1. Both sides of the statist government and their shills and sheep. Oh that's probably not nice, umm...... R's and D's and the people that vote for them, that's better. They both think that you are nuts. R's see you someplace to the left of Bernie and D's see you out past Rush. They both like to throw out the anarchist label, showing just how dumb they are, that's probably not nice either......oh well.
2 If you are a Christian, being a libertarian can put you at odds with the more conservative folks in your church. "How can you possibly vote for (L) given their stance on (insert favorite conservative talking point)" More on this later.
3. Both sides believe that a vote for (L) is really a vote for (D) or (R). I don't understand how any one can screw this up. If I vote for candidate A, I'm voting for candidate A, not candidate B or C.
It seems simple to me. "yeah, but if enough people vote for A they are taking votes away from B/C then B/C will win!". By definition you can't take something away from someone if they don't have it. (I can't stand B or C so if there wasn't A, I wouldn't vote) And if enough people vote for A, A will win. Like I said, simple.
4. Being libertarian means that you believe in freedom, not just the narrow definition that fits into a political party's ideals. Freedom should win in every conversation. This will at some point put you at odds with just about everyone. A few examples; gay rights, gun rights, education rights, abortion rights, the right to be free from government intrusion, drug rights, the right to free commerce, A few more things, foreign intervention, military spending, welfare spending, tax exemption for religious organizations, privatization of government programs. The list goes on. But what you will not find is hypocrisy, you will either be on the side of freedom or you are on the side of your approved freedoms. Before someone says it, no libertarians do not think you are free to do whatever you want, "Your rights end were my nose begins". If you don't get that, stop reading here, you are to stupid to continue.
And please, please, please don't confuse religious beliefs with political beliefs. If you can use just a tiny bit of logic you can get this. If you think that your religious belief has to be reflected in your government, you are wrong. Very simply, if your religion should be the law for everyone, what you want is a Theocracy not a Democracy. Look around the world, theocracies don't work out to well.
I have just decided to save my rant for the political/religious litmus test for another day. A hint on what I mean, we could also call it "The political right wing's hijacking of 'evangelical' Christianity."
I have been a big "L" libertarian for quite awhile, my little Libertarian party membership card says 2006. I think however I have been a small "l" libertarian for much longer than that. I probably aligned more with conservatives, but I never really felt comfortable with many of the more right wing folks. Likewise, although I agreed with many things the progressives espoused, so much government drove me away. This feeling of not liking either choice is what lead me to look elsewhere and eventually find the Libertarian party. Will I see a Libertarian President in my life time? The odds are no, but maybe in my children's life. That's why I'm a Libertarian now. The two party system has led to massive abuses of power, and is taking us down a road of less and less freedom, regardless of the which of the two big parties are in. To my Republican friends, if you think your party is for smaller government, you haven't been paying attention. My Democrat friends, if you think your party is for inclusion and tolerance, you need to yank your head out of.......the sand.


This is a great product to put in lunch boxes, back packs, purses, etc. Gently cleans hands when water is not available.
In glass measuring cup, measure out the aloe vera gel.
Using a plastic dropper, add correct amounts of tea tree, lemon and lavender essential oils.
Add color of choice. The batch can be split in half and a few drops of each color can be added.
Fill malibu bottles with product using a piping or zip close back with tip cut off.
TO USE: Place small amount of product in hands and rub together. Essential oils naturally cleanse the hands when water is not available.
Note: Other essential oils to use: lemongrass, myrrh, neroli, patchouli, peppermint, rose, sandalwood, thyme, ylang-ylang. Maximum total usage - 4.8 ml.
"Can the Vita Burst Beads be added to this recipe in lieu of liquid color? if so, what percentage? Can a combination of the beads be used or only single application? Thanks!"
Staff Answer Use can use Vita Burst beads in this hand cleaner. There is no specific amount. Just add until you reach the look you want. You can use multiple colors, if you wish. If using in a pump bottle, too many beads can clog the dip tube.
"I was able to easily fill these little bottles by first filling an 8 oz Malibu Bottle with the finished product and then pressing the into the smaller 15 ml bottle. It made fast work. "
Staff Answer Thank you, Nancy, for this helpful hint to fill these tiny bottles!
"This recipe does not contain a preservative. If it is not going to be used immediately, should a preservative be added? Thank you."
Staff Answer No, the aloe vera gel and essential oils used to make this product do not need a preservative.
"Is it necessary to use the tea tree EO? It smells absolutely horrible and takes a lot of the other fragrances to drown it out. Thank you, Lynda"
Staff Answer You can substitute the Essential Oil for another that you prefer. We chose Tea Tree EO for its believed antimicrobial properties. If making a substitution, we recommend researching EOs for another that has similar properties. Be aware that some oils are naturally darker and may change the color of your final product and be conscious of the IFRA safe usage rates of the new essential oil you choose.
"These bottles are the perfect size to slip in your purse or take to the beach. But, they are time consuming and difficult to fill. Partly because the Aloe Vera Gel is thick and the neck of the bottle is so small. I tried a piping bag but the Gel still clogged at the neck of the bottle. Can I heat the Aloe Vera Gel so it's not so thick or will it ruin the Gel? Is there a better way to fill these bottles? Thanks for the help! Michelle "
Staff Answer Aloe Vera Gel really does not thin out when heated, rather it holds its texture and consistency. We found that the best way to fill these bottles was with a piping bag or Zip lock bag.
I found the easiest way to fill the bottle was to cut off the tip on the fat end of a pipette. Then put the small end into a heavy duty ziplock bag which has a tiny hole in the corner. Sorta force it tho go through the hole so you have a really tight fit. Put the gel in the bag and sqeeze out the air. Put the tip of the pipette completely into the bottle and start filling. Bring the tip up slowly as the bottle fills. A bit time consuming but well worth it!


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Most Amazing Mushrooms
1. The Brain mushroom (Gyromitra esculenta)
Gyromitra esculenta, one of several species of fungi known as false morels, is an ascomycete fungus from the genus Gyromitra, widely distributed across Europe and North America. It normally sprouts in sandy soils under coniferous trees in spring and early summer. The fruiting body, or mushroom, is an irregular brain-shaped cap dark brown in colour which can reach 10 cm high and 15 cm wide, perched on a stout white stipe up to 6 cm (2.4 in) high. Although potentially fatal if eaten raw, Gyromitra esculenta is a popular delicacy in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the upper Great Lakes region of North America. Although popular in some districts of the eastern Pyrenees, it is prohibited from sale to the public in Spain. It may be sold fresh in Finland, but it must be accompanied by warnings and instructions on correct preparation. It is eaten in omelettes, soups, or sautéed in Finnish cuisine. Although it is still commonly parboiled before preparation, recent evidence suggests that even this procedure may not make the fungus entirely safe, thus raising concerns of risk even when prepared properly.
2. The Bleeding Tooth fungus (Hydnellum pecki)
Allow me to introduce to you one of the more unusual members of Kingdom Fungi, the Bleeding Tooth Fungus, or Hydnellum peckii which goes by various names often referring to juice or blood. This fungus can be found in North America where it is more common in the Pacific Northwest and resides mostly in coniferous forests. The Bleeding Tooth also makes appearances in Europe and has recently been discovered in both Iran and Korea. Upon a first glimpse of the bleeding tooth fungus, one may dismiss the ruby-red liquid as the blood of some poor forest creature splattered across the white mushroom cap. When inspected more closely, it becomes obvious that the fungus is oozing liquid through its own small pores.
3. The Giant puffball (Calvatia Gigantea)
The giant puffball, Calvatia gigantea, is easily recognized by its size and shape. Typical specimens are about the size of a soccer ball, and more or less round. However, it can be much larger (a 5-foot, 50-pound specimen is on record!), and its shape can be more "blob-ish" than round, especially when it attains enormous sizes. But it is never shaped like an inverted pear, since it lacks the sterile base portion common to many other puffballs.
4. The Devil's Cigar (Chorioactis) – world's rarest fungi
A star-shaped mushroom, called the Devil's Cigar (Chorioactis geaster) is one of the world's rarest fungi. It's also known as the Texas star. These fungi had been detected only in central Texas, two remote locations in Japan, and most recently in the mountains of Nara. The Devil's Cigar is a dark brown cigar-shaped capsule that transforms into a tan-coloured star when it splits open to release its spores. It is also one of only a few known fungi that produce a distinct whistle sound when releasing its spores.
5. Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)
Trametes versicolor, often called the "turkey tail," has the dubious distinction of being the only member of the forest fungal fowl community not named for the full bird, but a feathery fraction. However, the chicken of the woods and the hen of the woods look nothing at all like chickens or hens, while the turkey tail does look (vaguely) like a turkey's tail. Who started this clucking menagerie of mushroom monikers, anyway?
6. Sky Blue mushroom (Entoloma hochstetteri)
Entoloma hochstetteri is a species of mushroom found in New Zealand and India. The small mushroom is a distinctive all-blue colour, while the gills have a slight reddish tint from the spores. The blue colouring of the fruit body is due to three azulene pigments. Entoloma hochstetteri is not edible, but whether or not it is poisonous is unknown. This species was one of six native fungi featured in a set of fungal stamps issued in New Zealand in 2002. It is also seen on the reverse side of the $50 bank note, issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in 1990.
7. Bearded Tooth mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)
This mushroom that looks like noodles or pom-pom are known to a variety of name like Lion's Mane Mushroom, Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Hedgehog Mushroom, Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom, or Bearded Tooth Fungus. It is an edible mushroom in the tooth fungus group. In the wild, these mushrooms are common during late summer and fall on dead hardwoods, particularly American Beech.
8. Dog Stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus)
Mutinus caninus, commonly known as the Dog Stinkhorn, is a small thin, phallus-shaped woodland fungus, with a dark tip. It is often found growing in small groups on wood debris, or in leaf litter, during summer and autumn in Europe and eastern North America. It is not generally considered edible, although there are reports of the immature 'eggs' being consumed.
9. Bioluminescent fungi (Mycena chlorophos)
No, you're not hallucinating; you really are seeing bright green mushrooms, but if you are partial to the odd magic mushie, these images won't faze you in the slightest. These neon green mushrooms, or Mycena chlorophos, to use the technical term, emerge during the rainy season in Japanese and Brazilian forests, scattering the floor with glowing spores. The bases of tree trunks, fallen branches, leaf litter and moist soil provide perfect breeding grounds for the mushrooms. Found mostly on Mesameyama island in Ugui, Japan and Ribeira Valley Tourist State Park, Brazil, the appearance of these garish looking fungi is due to bioluminescence, one of the weird but wonderful reactions that happen naturally in many plants and animals.
10. Fly Amanita (Amanita muscaria) – world's most famous mushroom
Also known as the fly Agaric or the fly Amanita, the Amanita muscaria is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungi, which is one of many in the genus Amanita. There are several subspecies, and each of them has a different cap color. These include the yellow-range flavivolata guessowii, formosa, the pink persicina, and the brown regalis (although it is now considered a separate species).
Fly Agaric's are one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. They have been featured in children's books, films, garden ornaments, greeting cards, and computer games. This toadstool is associated with the famous book turned movie, Alice in Wonderland; the mushroom in Super Mario Bros., and more. It is also known as the mushroom of flies from due to Albertus Magnus' work in De vegetabilibus where he stated, "It is called the mushroom of flies, because crushed in milk it kills flies".
Labels: Amazing, mashrums
Animated Images 274
landscaps
Rolly Polly Babby
Beautiful HD Wallpapers
Animations 213
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flower extras
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Animates Images 269
COFFEE EXTRAS
VENUES - PLACES
Common But Deadly Plants
Vintage photos 001
Betty Boop extras
Cool DOTW
❀ Sweet animated gifs
Religious Thought 270
COOL PHOTOS 033
Picture of the Day 009
It's really HOT!!!
Birds - Amazing Colours
EXTRA-SWAN
Rare Photos of Egypt from the 1870s
Fire horse
GIRLY-EXTRA
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Day to play
BABIS OF ANIMALS
Animated Girls
MINI ANI


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Home/Gaming, Reviews, Video Games/Splatoon
Splatoon: Nintendo's newest IP is an intense, as well as surprisingly addictive, paint ball shooter named playfully after army terms and the sound of ink hitting your opponents. It started out as a small game with only one mode that was updated throughout the summer and is now a fleshed out full size Wii U-only title. It has cute characters, lighthearted single player mode, stylish clothes, and a large competitive community that has stayed with the game since launch.
Upon completing the mandatory tutorial you are first greeted by Inkopolis; the hub world of Splatoon and you will notice that the game has a very colorful world and vibe. When entering the plaza the Squid Sisters will give you live updates of what stages are in rotation as well as updates, DLC and Splatfest theme information. The town is filled with other players, referred to as Inklings in-game, that show you player drawn memes and art. There are shops to buy shoes, shirts, hats and guns to fight and dress your Inkling. There is also a back ally with a shady looking sea urchin named Spyke that offers to help you get an item if you see one you like. There are also weekly events called Splatfests in which you pick between two teams in the plaza, like cats vs. dogs, and play for your team in a 24 hour event to earn super sea snails to add more ability slots to your clothes.
Image source author: Engaged in a battle.
There are two main online modes in Splatoon, casual and competitive, which you unlock only after reaching level 10 by playing in casual. The competitive battles have 4 different game types while casual only has turf war. Turf War is the first mode that you play online and the first mode that was available in the game. In this mode players simply have to help their team cover the most area in the ink color they are representing. Splat zones is the second mode and requires players to control specific areas to earn points. Tower control is the third mode and has players pushing a tower towards the opposing team to win. The last mode, rain maker, has you fighting over one of the game's ultimate weapons of the same name and trying to get it to the enemy base.
The single player mode, or hero mode, is accessed by going down a drain in Inkopolis that Cap'n Cuttlefish is peering out of. Once you have entered the drain you learn that there is a secret coup d'etat going on and you have to help Cuttlefish stop it by defeating the Octolings, who have stolen the Zapfish that powers Inkopolis. The story mode is made up of classic platforming propelled by the path you create with your ink guns. There are 27 stages across 5 platforms with 1 boss fight each that you have to make your way through. Of course there are collectibles that unravel squid history that you can pick up and read along the way.
Image source author: An octoling agent appears.
Fashion and decorating your inkling are a huge part of your game play and can make all the difference in you becoming skilled on the battlefield. There are three types of gear; shirts, shoes, and hats. Each one has up to six ability slots depending on your level or winnings from Splatfest and you unlock the abilities by leveling up the gear. The abilities range from reloading faster to swimming at high speeds in your teams ink. To go along with gear, there is a gun for every style of play.
Ink weapons are in huge supply with a choice between shooters, chargers, rollers, sloshers or splatlings. Shooters are basic guns that are equally effective in everything. Chargers are long-range weapons that need charging in order to fire ink and splatlings are guns that can be charged twice and can be used for either power or speed. Rollers are giant paint rollers that you can use like a melee weapon that are fast and cover wide amounts of area while sloshers are slower and use ink faster. There are also secondary weapons like bombs, ink sprinklers, and ink walls to combine with weapons as well as each weapon coming with an ultimate weapon that can cover huge territory or take down a whole team.
Image source author: Finding a friend's inkling in the plaza.
So who is this game for? This game is the type of game that you look at first glance to buy for your kid and end up trying to play yourself. Despite its kid friendly image it has a huge following from mature gamers and has pulled players from three of the most popular FPS (first person shooter) games – Halo, Battlefield, and Call of Duty. It is an amazing game for anyone who loves the FPS genre since there is always different strategies you can see coming from all the dedicated fans of the other FPS series. Splatoon is also suggested for anyone who can enjoy the more lighthearted casual version that can easily be used as a party or family game.
By Jessica Roar|2015-09-15T01:58:48+00:00September 15th, 2015|Gaming, Reviews, Video Games|5 Comments
About the Author: Jessica Roar
Jessica has been a gamer since she could hold a controller in her hands. She resides in a very small Virginia town that is surrounded by mountains. She loves telling people about the worlds she wanders through and seeing someone's world expand through finding a game they love through her articles. She also really loves furry companions and has taken in several rescues throughout the years, When not playing games you can find her under a warm blanket sampling different teas while reading graphic novels.
IggleGamers 2020 Gift Guide for Gamers
Review: Save Yourselves! (2020)
Now on VOD: Murder in the Woods
Podcast Review: Roll For It
Staff Picks: August 2020


text:
package pl.openrest.core.config;

import java.util.List;

import org.springframework.web.method.support.HandlerMethodArgumentResolver;

import pl.openrest.core.webmvc.RepositoryInvokerResolver;

public interface OpenRestConfigurer {

    void addDefaultMethodArgumentResolvers(List<HandlerMethodArgumentResolver> resolvers);

}


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Part of HuffPost Black Voices. ©2020 Verizon Media. All rights reserved.
Why We Shouldn't Mourn The Obamas' Departure From The White House
01/19/2017 01:41 pm ET Updated Jan 20, 2017
Eight years are long enough.
By Zeba Blay
Pool via Getty Images
Today, on President Obama's last full day as President of the United States, some Americans are in a state of mourning. There's a huge sense of loss for many Obama fans who are now staring down the next four years under a Trump administration.
During his farewell address in Chicago on Jan. 10, Obama was met with enthusiastic chants from the crowd who called for "Four more years! Four more years!"
"I can't do that," Obama said.
He really can't. And he really shouldn't.
It's important to emphasize that Obama was no saint. He wasn't perfect, and he wasn't infallible. From early on in his 2008 campaign, rife with platitudes about "hope" and "change," Obama became an almost deified figure, a Martin Luther King-esque symbol of peace that said: If America can elect a black man as president then, surely, things can't be that bad after all.
What has become abundantly clear about this country over the last eight years, though, is that there are no quick fixes to the problems of race and gender and class that continue to plague us. The seeds of these problems were planted so long ago and so deeply that it may take generations to see them resolved.
Every American president, from Abraham Lincoln to Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush, has faced disdain, criticism and even disrespect from American citizens unhappy with their policies and how they choose to run the country. This is, after all, a part of democracy.
But what made Obama's presidency different was the both implicit and explicit racialized tone of the disrespect to not only himself but his family. The slings and arrows came in the form of burnt effigies and nooses, grotesque cartoons of the Obamas as terrorists and monkeys in newspapers, racial slurs and epithets.
There were too many instances of blatant hate from both the public and fellow politicians to count, from a Georgia bar owner putting up a sign that read "I do not support the n***** in the White House" in 2012; to the popular slogan/bumper sticker "Don't Re-Nig In 2012" that went viral during Obama's second presidential bid; to The Boston Herald's incendiary "watermelon toothpaste" cartoon in 2014; to the Pennsylvania mayor who compared the Obamas to apes and posted a meme about lynching him in Sep. 2016.
This is only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what the Obamas were subject to.
The Obamas never responded negatively to political trolls whose criticisms were steeped in racist ideology. As Michelle Obama said, "When they go low, we go high." But one can only sustain the kind of patience and dignity and grace needed in the face of this kind of disrespect for so long. Eight years, it seems, is long enough.
so photo of the Obama's as chimps in De Morgen of today is the paper's attempt at satire. I forgot to laugh #racist pic.twitter.com/jc7cW7cbgD
— chika unigwe (@chikaunigwe) March 22, 2014
In her powerful 2016 DNC speech, Michelle Obama spoke about the significance of waking up everyday "in a house built by slaves."
Her recognition of this fact didn't mean that she and her husband were ungrateful to be in The White House, though they were accused of this many times. But there was weight to their presence in the White House that went far beyond politics, a weight intrinsically tied to a kind of underlying hatred of the "other" that we weren't yet fully aware of on the day of President Obama's inauguration so many years ago.
The Obamas meant many things to many people. To some they meant the fruition of the American Dream. To others they meant the destruction of it. There are millions of Americans who are emphatically glad to see Obama go, who are blissfully excited about a Trump presidency and its vague promise to "make America great again."
And there are millions of Americans who feel as if a loved one has just died. But no one has died. If we should take anything away from the legacy of these last eight years, it's that there is no president who can save us from our collective demons. Only we can do that.
For those whose hearts are breaking, it may seem pithy and banal to use the quote: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
But really. Don't cry. Because the Obamas get to be citizens again, for one thing. They get to move out of the line of fire of an almost constant, condensed stream of racial hate. But also ― we got to witness this. For better or worse. We witnessed a black president. And for centuries to come, children of all races and backgrounds will see his face looking up at them from their history textbooks, and they will take for granted the profundity of it.
There's actually a streak of that intangible thing called "hope" to be found in the Obama's departure. For many of us, the prospect of the next four years seems bleak. But if Barack Obama could get through eight years as a black president in America with his sanity and his dignity intact, and even effect a little change, perhaps there is room for some cautious optimism. At the very least, we can try.
President Barack Obama's Final Farewell
Zeba Blay
Senior Culture Writer, HuffPost
Racism Barack Obama United States Michelle Obama White House
First lady Michelle Obama (left) and daughter Malia listen to the national anthem before President Barack Obama delivers his farewell address on Jan. 10, 2017.
NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images


Olde New Jersey Avenue is host to the largest Irish Festival on the East Coast. Celebrate your and everyone's Irish heritage with dancing, music, food and craft vendors from 8am-8pm daily. Visit the local pubs and restaurants and you'll be guaranteed a good time! Bus & Trolley service is available throughout the event dates. Visit www.wildwoodsnj.com for more information.
The Condor Motel is located in North Wildwood and a short drive to Olde New Jersey Avenue. The trolley service stop is just a few short blocks from the Condor! The Condor has great specials that weekend for all of your lodging needs.


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Norman Lamb meets with members of disabled community to discuss their concerns
Eleanor Pringle
Published: 3:30 PM March 9, 2018
Norman Lamb MP. Picture : ANTONY KELLY - Credit: copyright ARCHANT 2017
Some of north Norfolk's most vulnerable members of society have gathered in Cromer to put their questions to their MP.
People with learning disabilities or mental health problems met at Merchant's Place on March 9 to meet north Norfolk MP Norman Lamb, and discuss the biggest issues they faced.
Despite some difficult topics being raised, members of Opening Doors, who organised the event, as well as many other nearby organisations walked away smiling thanks to the support Mr Lamb showed them.
Questions began with questions about Mr Lamb's career, before turning to government cuts.
On the subject of how budget cuts will affect individuals, as well as institutions such as Sidestrand Hall, Mr Lamb said: 'I've just been to see Sidestrand Hall, it's an incredible place.
'What worries me about the budget cuts is that personal budgets are being cut. I'm very worried that some of the more vulnerable people in society may lose out as a result of the financial situation this country is in.
'What doesn't make sense to me is that cutting personal budgets means people can't get out and into their communities, which may lead to more health issues for that person, which ultimately would cost the healthcare service more.'
Questions were also raised about what can be done to improve employability for people with learning disabilities or mental health issues.
Mr Lamb, 60, said: 'We've got to change people's attitudes in society and mental health and learning disabilities.
'I think there's a stigma that people who struggle with mental health or learning disabilities can't do things when actually they're perfectly capable.
'We need more employers to give people opportunities so that they can live a full and happy life.'
Mr Lamb was also asked what his party, the Liberal Democrats, were doing for people with learning disabilities.
He continued: 'What's always been important to me is making sure people's aren't locked away in institutions.
'We find people locked away in large places and never get out or have the opportunity to work and be independent.'
Opening Doors is a user led organisation operating in Diss, Norwich and Cromer.
For more information, contact 01603 631433.


When we dream of beginning our own business, we envision the freedom of having creative control over our lives. We imagine working on our terms, spending days doing what we love and working for our dream rather than someone else's. We get excited about the beginning and look forward to its success, imagining the years ahead in which we will be happily making a living doing something we love.
Thinking about retirement or selling a business at the start sounds terribly unromantic. However, when we plan for the eventual transition of ownership a business will undergo from the beginning, we create a business with a strong investment value and a structure that will live beyond its creator. This article is not about crafting an exit strategy, but implementing a framework that will allow a business to become a legacy.
Unlike most coffee house owners, it has never been my ambition to own a coffee shop. Our patrons often ask why we have built Maeva's and I know they are looking for that beautiful story in which a life-long dream has blossomed into success. The reality is I knew nothing about coffee when we decided to undertake this venture. My passions do not lie in owning or operating food service businesses like the grand restaurateurs that dazzle me in every city I visit. We built Maeva's because it was a sound investment; because The Milton Schoolhouse needed a business with heavy foot traffic to support our other start ups and our neighborhood needed a gathering place to grow.
As Maeva's continues to blossom, I already look forward to new ventures beyond this beautiful shop. From the beginning, my business partner and I have had a plan to transition Maeva's to a new owner (or to a full time operations manager) within five years- allowing us the time to dedicate to new ventures in our community. Whether you are hoping to start and sell your business quickly or wish to be involved for decades, one of the greatest things you can do to ensure the longevity of your work is to make your operation attractive to its next owner and do everything you can to enable their success.
This is a personal manual outlining the expectations and general rules of conduct for staff. Each staff member should be briefed on this manual and sign a written statement of their understanding. This manual should cover your company's sexual harassment policy, dress code, any employee benefits, job expectations, and other general conduct policy. Keep signed records of any modifications you make to your manual to show that staff have been briefed on evolving policies. Don't forget a signed release of name/voice/and likeness if you intend on using photos that include your staff for promotional purposes. If any financials, recipes, trade secrets, etc. are available to your staff, a signed statement of confidentiality should also be included.
While there is no law regulating the requirement of an employee handbook, having a clear handbook of policies can provide some legal protection in unemployment and workman's comp cases.
Most corporate handbooks are available online. Instead of starting from scratch, find handbooks from companies in similar industries to your own and use them as a template for your business' handbook.
This manual should be essential information available to staff and managers. It's exactly what the name implies; a detailed outline for every possible thing someone may have to do in the general care and maintenance of the shop. The Maeva's Coffee Process Manual includes stated methods for sanitizing the ice bin, how often food is ordered and in what quantity, technical manuals for trouble shooting our equipment, maps for emergency water/electrical shut offs, and basic shop troubleshooting. Include MSDS sheets for any chemicals used in your operation and the appropriate response for potential accidents. Check this link if you are unsure whether or not your chemicals require MSDS sheets to be made readily available to your staff.
This manual is private information, reserved for an operations manager or owner. It should include account information for each of your suppliers, up to date material cost sheets, contacts for subcontractors or people you often work with in your local business network, hiring and termination guidelines, information on scheduling and payroll, as well as contracts and outstanding leases. This manual may also include trade secrets such as exclusive food and beverage recipes.
This manual may be reserved for an operations manager or released to the entire staff depending upon the openness of your business structure. It should be a brief description of your company's history and influences, the core principles of what you represent, and guidelines for how that brand is kept fresh. Our brand management manual outlines how often and when seasonal specials are released, how often and what types of events are hosted in the shop, and information on how and what to post on our Facebook, Instagram, and Website.
You should also have your tax records, annual P&L and Balance Sheets, any past or current business plans, and staff files in order as well.
Creating a culture of internal collaboration will keep your business from becoming stale. When you hire staff who work together and cultivate an environment that encourages communication, new ideas and better processes will become a constant in your business. Staff you are able to trust and who can facilitate projects without constant management are a valuable resource when a business undergoes a change of ownership. A strong culture can easy the rockiness of leadership change and prevent your company's growth from stalling. Whether your business is six months or sixteen years old, vivacity, clarity, and strength in a business' culture will make your business attractive to prospective buyers and increase the chance of its survival once you are gone.
The start-up phase is thrilling. As an owner, you have your hands in everything. You and your first few staff wear a thousand hats, taking on responsibilities defined by necessity and circumstance, not necessarily skill. There will be a point in your company's growth where and honest evaluation will show that you do not have the talent in your current team to grow further. It can be a difficult situation to face but at some point in your wild success you will no longer be able to wear all of the hats.
Accounting is my weakness. It's taken me twenty months of operation to admit it, but as much as I want to be able to do everything for Maeva's, the day to day numbers don't come naturally to me. Accounting is stressful; it's something I dread. I put it off and cripple my ability to calculate decisions when I can't readily access current data. This year, I'm resolving to hire a local accountant to handle our books so that I can concentrate on strengthening our business in the ways for which I have a true talent. You can't be an expert in everything; use your energy to be a better expert in areas in which you naturally excel and hire an expert to take care of your weaknesses.
Just as an owner should understand if not be able to perform all aspects of a business, there should be an outline, if not a staff member trained, to perform the vital processes the owner oversees. If you intend on selling your business through traditional avenues rather than coaching someone to operate it in your stead, make sure you not only have a process manual in place but have trained your staff in how to take care of each of your responsibilities.
The first time a business changes hands it takes an incredible risk in failing due to loss of direction. Great companies are built by great leaders; you've worked to instill your passion in your work and your staff. Corporate examples abound- Apple's struggle with the loss of Steve Jobs or Starbucks bringing back Howard Shultz after the company was on the verge of failure. Small companies face the same challenge.
Create a vision for your company and coach your staff to follow that vision- not you. The vision of your business should be a permanent, core reason for its existence, the foundational value supporting every decision made during its life. Maeva's vision is to bring quality coffee and revolutionary community to our neighborhood. The strategy for achieving this beyond my time of leading her is highly entrepreneurial; I seek to create a culture of collaborative staff, teach them how to listen to the needs of our community, and give them the confidence and power to make decisions regarding those needs.
Like every small business, Maeva's Coffee has been a deeply personal venture. More than just time and money, she is a product of the talents and personalities of its owners, staff, and the community she serves. It's my responsibility and privilege to do everything possible to ensure whomever comes after me steps into a strong culture and every available resource to take her beyond my own abilities. This duty guides my current operating decisions but also insures her financial stability and success- ultimately allowing her to fund the creation of new ventures in our community.


is a UX designer/full stack developer/inbound marketing strategist working with startups and small businesses to help create great companies and products by designing amazing customer experiences.
I have a passion for growing companies with scientific testing and continuous improvement methods. I have collaborated across a variety of B2B & B2C industries to deliver growth driven design and inbound marketing projects across the globe.


text:
NewsJeff Davis Parish
Elton man killed in crash involving a train in Jeff Davis Parish
Jaromir Chalabala
An Elton man was killed after State Police say his vehicle was stopped on train tracks and was struck by an oncoming train in Jeff Davis Parish
State Police say that on May 5, 2021, shortly before 9:30 p.m., Troopers responded to a crash involving a single-vehicle and a train at the crossing located at Bornsdall Road and US Hwy 190.
The crash claimed the life of 42-year-old Brandon Ortego of Elton.
An investigation revealed a jeep, driven by Ortego, was stopped on the train tracks, facing northbound without any lights on. The Jeep was struck by a Union Pacific train, troopers say.
According to State Police, Ortego was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No other injuries were reported. The crash remains under investigation.


text:
Working on Android
==================

This page gives details on accessing Android APIs and managing other
interactions on Android.

Storage paths
-------------

If you want to store and retrieve data, you shouldn't just save to
the current directory, and not hardcode `/sdcard/` or some other
path either - it might differ per device.

Instead, the `android` module which you can add to your `--requirements`
allows you to query the most commonly required paths::

      from android.storage import app_storage_path
      settings_path = app_storage_path()

      from android.storage import primary_external_storage_path
      primary_ext_storage = primary_external_storage_path()

      from android.storage import secondary_external_storage_path
      secondary_ext_storage = secondary_external_storage_path()

`app_storage_path()` gives you Android's so-called "internal storage"
which is specific to your app and cannot seen by others or the user.
It compares best to the AppData directory on Windows.

`primary_external_storage_path()` returns Android's so-called
"primary external storage", often found at `/sdcard/` and potentially
accessible to any other app.
It compares best to the Documents directory on Windows.
Requires `Permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` to read and write to.

`secondary_external_storage_path()` returns Android's so-called
"secondary external storage", often found at `/storage/External_SD/`.
It compares best to an external disk plugged to a Desktop PC, and can
after a device restart become inaccessible if removed.
Requires `Permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` to read and write to.

.. warning::
   Even if `secondary_external_storage_path` returns a path
   the external sd card may still not be present.
   Only non-empty contents or a successful write indicate that it is.

Read more on all the different storage types and what to use them for
in the Android documentation:

https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/files

A note on permissions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only the internal storage is always accessible with no additional
permissions. For both primary and secondary external storage, you need
to obtain `Permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` **and the user may deny it.**
Also, if you get it, both forms of external storage may only allow
your app to write to the common pre-existing folders like "Music",
"Documents", and so on. (see the Android Docs linked above for details)

Runtime permissions
-------------------

With API level >= 21, you will need to request runtime permissions
to access the SD card, the camera, and other things.

This can be done through the `android` module which is *available per default*
unless you blacklist it. Use it in your app like this::

      from android.permissions import request_permissions, Permission
      request_permissions([Permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE])

The available permissions are listed here:

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission

Other common tasks
------------------

Dismissing the splash screen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the SDL2 bootstrap, the app's splash screen may be visible
longer than necessary (with your app already being loaded) due to a
limitation with the way we check if the app has properly started.
In this case, the splash screen overlaps the app gui for a short time.

To dismiss the loading screen explicitly in your code, use the `android`
module::

  from android import loadingscreen
  loadingscreen.hide_loading_screen()

You can call it e.g. using ``kivy.clock.Clock.schedule_once`` to run it
in the first active frame of your app, or use the app build method.

Handling the back button
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Android phones always have a back button, which users expect to
perform an appropriate in-app function. If you do not handle it, Kivy
apps will actually shut down and appear to have crashed.

In SDL2 bootstraps, the back button appears as the escape key (keycode
27, codepoint 270). You can handle this key to perform actions when it
is pressed.

For instance, in your App class in Kivy::

    from kivy.core.window import Window

    class YourApp(App):

       def build(self):
          Window.bind(on_keyboard=self.key_input)
          return Widget() # your root widget here as normal

       def key_input(self, window, key, scancode, codepoint, modifier):
          if key == 27:
             return True  # override the default behaviour
          else:           # the key now does nothing
             return False

Pausing the App
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the user leaves an App, it is automatically paused by Android,
although it gets a few seconds to store data etc. if necessary. Once
paused, there is no guarantee that your app will run again.

With Kivy, add an ``on_pause`` method to your App class, which returns True::

  def on_pause(self):
      return True

With the webview bootstrap, pausing should work automatically.

Under SDL2, you can handle the `appropriate events <https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL_EventType>`__ (see SDL_APP_WILLENTERBACKGROUND etc.).

Observing Activity result
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. module:: android.activity

The default PythonActivity has a observer pattern for `onActivityResult <http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Activity.html#onActivityResult(int, int, android.content.Intent)>`_ and `onNewIntent <http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Activity.html#onNewIntent(android.content.Intent)>`_.

.. function:: bind(eventname=callback, ...)

    This allows you to bind a callback to an Android event:
    - ``on_new_intent`` is the event associated to the onNewIntent java call
    - ``on_activity_result`` is the event associated to the onActivityResult java call

    .. warning::

        This method is not thread-safe. Call it in the mainthread of your app. (tips: use kivy.clock.mainthread decorator)

.. function:: unbind(eventname=callback, ...)

    Unregister a previously registered callback with :func:`bind`.

Example::

    # This example is a snippet from an NFC p2p app implemented with Kivy.

    from android import activity

    def on_new_intent(self, intent):
        if intent.getAction() != NfcAdapter.ACTION_NDEF_DISCOVERED:
            return
        rawmsgs = intent.getParcelableArrayExtra(NfcAdapter.EXTRA_NDEF_MESSAGES)
        if not rawmsgs:
            return
        for message in rawmsgs:
            message = cast(NdefMessage, message)
            payload = message.getRecords()[0].getPayload()
            print('payload: {}'.format(''.join(map(chr, payload))))

    def nfc_enable(self):
        activity.bind(on_new_intent=self.on_new_intent)
        # ...

    def nfc_disable(self):
        activity.unbind(on_new_intent=self.on_new_intent)
        # ...

Activity lifecycle handling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. module:: android.activity

The Android ``Application`` class provides the `ActivityLifecycleCallbacks
<https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Application.ActivityLifecycleCallbacks>`_
interface where callbacks can be registered corresponding to `activity
lifecycle
<https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/activity-lifecycle>`_
changes. These callbacks can be used to implement logic in the Python app when
the activity changes lifecycle states.

Note that some of the callbacks are not useful in the Python app. For example,
an `onActivityCreated` callback will never be run since the the activity's
`onCreate` callback will complete before the Python app is running. Similarly,
saving instance state in an `onActivitySaveInstanceState` callback will not be
helpful since the Python app doesn't have access to the restored instance
state.

.. function:: register_activity_lifecycle_callbacks(callbackname=callback, ...)

    This allows you to bind a callbacks to Activity lifecycle state changes.
    The callback names correspond to ``ActivityLifecycleCallbacks`` method
    names such as ``onActivityStarted``. See the `ActivityLifecycleCallbacks
    <https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Application.ActivityLifecycleCallbacks>`_
    documentation for names and function signatures for the callbacks.

.. function:: unregister_activity_lifecycle_callbacks(instance)

    Unregister a ``ActivityLifecycleCallbacks`` instance previously registered
    with :func:`register_activity_lifecycle_callbacks`.

Example::

    from android.activity import register_activity_lifecycle_callbacks

    def on_activity_stopped(activity):
        print('Activity is stopping')

    register_activity_lifecycle_callbacks(
        onActivityStopped=on_activity_stopped,
    )

Receiving Broadcast message
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. module:: android.broadcast

Implementation of the android `BroadcastReceiver
<http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/BroadcastReceiver.html>`_.
You can specify the callback that will receive the broadcast event, and actions
or categories filters.

.. class:: BroadcastReceiver

    .. warning::

        The callback will be called in another thread than the main thread. In
        that thread, be careful not to access OpenGL or something like that.

    .. method:: __init__(callback, actions=None, categories=None)

        :param callback: function or method that will receive the event. Will
                         receive the context and intent as argument.
        :param actions: list of strings that represent an action.
        :param categories: list of strings that represent a category.

        For actions and categories, the string must be in lower case, without the prefix::

            # In java: Intent.ACTION_HEADSET_PLUG
            # In python: 'headset_plug'

    .. method:: start()

        Register the receiver with all the actions and categories, and start
        handling events.

    .. method:: stop()

        Unregister the receiver with all the actions and categories, and stop
        handling events.

Example::

    class TestApp(App):

        def build(self):
            self.br = BroadcastReceiver(
                self.on_broadcast, actions=['headset_plug'])
            self.br.start()
            # ...

        def on_broadcast(self, context, intent):
            extras = intent.getExtras()
            headset_state = bool(extras.get('state'))
            if headset_state:
                print('The headset is plugged')
            else:
                print('The headset is unplugged')

        # Don't forget to stop and restart the receiver when the app is going
        # to pause / resume mode

        def on_pause(self):
            self.br.stop()
            return True

        def on_resume(self):
            self.br.start()

Runnable
~~~~~~~~

.. module:: android.runnable

:class:`Runnable` is a wrapper around the Java `Runnable
<http://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/Runnable.html>`_ class. This
class can be used to schedule a call of a Python function into the
`PythonActivity` thread.

Example::

    from android.runnable import Runnable

    def helloworld(arg):
        print 'Called from PythonActivity with arg:', arg

    Runnable(helloworld)('hello')

Or use our decorator::

    from android.runnable import run_on_ui_thread

    @run_on_ui_thread
    def helloworld(arg):
        print 'Called from PythonActivity with arg:', arg

    helloworld('arg1')

This can be used to prevent errors like:

    - W/System.err( 9514): java.lang.RuntimeException: Can't create handler
      inside thread that has not called Looper.prepare()
    - NullPointerException in ActivityThread.currentActivityThread()

.. warning::

    Because the python function is called from the PythonActivity thread, you
    need to be careful about your own calls.

Advanced Android API use
------------------------

.. _reference-label-for-android-module:

`android` for Android API access
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As mentioned above, the ``android`` Python module provides a simple
wrapper around many native Android APIS, and it is *included by default*
unless you blacklist it.

The available functionality of this module is not separately documented.
You can read the source `on
Github
<https://github.com/kivy/python-for-android/tree/master/pythonforandroid/recipes/android/src/android>`__.

Also please note you can replicate most functionality without it using
`pyjnius`. (see below)

`Plyer` - a more comprehensive API wrapper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plyer provides a more thorough wrapper than `android` for a much larger
area of platform-specific APIs, supporting not only Android but also
iOS and desktop operating systems.
(Though plyer is a work in progress and not all
platforms support all Plyer calls yet)

Plyer does not support all APIs yet, but you can always use Pyjnius to
call anything that is currently missing.

You can include Plyer in your APKs by adding the `Plyer` recipe to
your build requirements, e.g. :code:`--requirements=plyer`.

You should check the `Plyer documentation <https://plyer.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`_ for details of all supported
facades (platform APIs), but as an example the following is how you
would achieve vibration as described in the Pyjnius section above::

    from plyer.vibrator import vibrate
    vibrate(10)  # in Plyer, the argument is in seconds

This is obviously *much* less verbose than with Pyjnius!

`Pyjnius` - raw lowlevel API access
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pyjnius lets you call the Android API directly from Python Pyjnius is
works by dynamically wrapping Java classes, so you don't have to wait
for any particular feature to be pre-supported.

This is particularly useful when `android` and `plyer` don't already
provide a convenient access to the API, or you need more control.

You can include Pyjnius in your APKs by adding `pyjnius` to your build
requirements, e.g. :code:`--requirements=flask,pyjnius`. It is
automatically included in any APK containing Kivy, in which case you
don't need to specify it manually.

The basic mechanism of Pyjnius is the `autoclass` command, which wraps
a Java class. For instance, here is the code to vibrate your device::

     from jnius import autoclass

     # We need a reference to the Java activity running the current
     # application, this reference is stored automatically by
     # Kivy's PythonActivity bootstrap

     # This one works with SDL2
     PythonActivity = autoclass('org.kivy.android.PythonActivity')

     activity = PythonActivity.mActivity

     Context = autoclass('android.content.Context')
     vibrator = activity.getSystemService(Context.VIBRATOR_SERVICE)

     vibrator.vibrate(10000)  # the argument is in milliseconds

Things to note here are:

- The class that must be wrapped depends on the bootstrap. This is
  because Pyjnius is using the bootstrap's java source code to get a
  reference to the current activity, which the bootstraps store in the
  ``mActivity`` static variable. This difference isn't always
  important, but it's important to know about.
- The code closely follows the Java API - this is exactly the same set
  of function calls that you'd use to achieve the same thing from Java
  code.
- This is quite verbose - it's a lot of lines to achieve a simple
  vibration!

These emphasise both the advantages and disadvantage of Pyjnius; you
*can* achieve just about any API call with it (though the syntax is
sometimes a little more involved, particularly if making Java classes
from Python code), but it's not Pythonic and it's not short. These are
problems that Plyer, explained below, attempts to address.

You can check the `Pyjnius documentation <https://pyjnius.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`_ for further details.