ROBIN Trower's latest album is entitled Something's About To Change, but fans knew what they would get from the veteran blues guitarist who has carved out a distinctive sound in a career spanning decades.
The crowd were more than warmed up by support act Joanne Shaw Taylor as she powered through a short but energetic and explosive set. The Birmingham-born guitarist is blessed with a powerful voice and her robust playing style won over a quiet early audience.
Trower then took to the stage and was on sparkling form as he breezed through his set with the relaxed confidence you would expect from the 70-year-old performer. "For my next trick, I'll get in tune," he quipped early on, as he showed minor hiccups would not affect such a seasoned pro.
He ably mixed old and new in a career-spanning set including choice cuts from his 1974 classic Bridge Of Sighs and February's Something's About To Change, his 20th studio release.
Like for much of his career, Trower was assisted in vocal duties, this time by bassist Richard Watts whose soulful voice was easily up to the task.
Much of the guitarist's latest album is a more sombre affair than his previous work but relaxed songs like the title track worked well, balanced with more dynamic, older riffs.
But it was his classic work that pulled the strongest crowd reaction as Day Of The Eagle, Bridge Of Sighs and Too Rolled Stoned let Trower demonstrate once more the skills of one of the greatest guitarists Britain has produced.


text:
Seeds of Hate
it is not the first time that such news has haunted and shattered us all. There is a record of such cases in the past.
By Aqsa Shams
Religious demagoguery and indoctrination is a curse that strips people of their humanity and turns them into vicious beasts.
Hate and extremism are instilled among people to such an extent that they barely think for a second before beheading, chopping, butchering, or burning alive another human being. And the indoctrination is so strong, that the audacity of butchering someone would be something that is actually reinforced by the state.
The Sri Lankan factory manager who was tortured to death and later set ablaze in Sialkot on Saturday, December 3, was accused of desecrating postures bearing the name of Holy Prophet (PBUH).
And yet it is not the first time that such news has haunted and shattered us all. There is a record of such cases in the past.
Only a few days earlier, a police station in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was set on fire after an unruly mob demanded the police to hand over to them a man accused of desecrating the Holy Quran.
The list of such incidents goes on. One dates back to May 2017, Quetta, when in a similar incident, the mob attacked a police station which demanded a 34-year-old accused man, the attack that led to the death of a 10-year-old boy.
How can one forget Mashal Khan, who was lynched and murdered brutally by a mob over the same allegations? But what did the state do to the culprits? Many of them were acquitted, and while the one who shot Mashal Khan was sentenced to death in 2018, in 2019, the Peshawar High Court commuted the death sentence while maintaining the punishments of 32 others who were rewarded with less severe sentences.
In other words, no one was given any harsh punishments for their role in the cold and brutal murder.
The loopholes and lacunas in the judicial system strengthen and abet such incidents. The audacity to murder set ablaze, and mutilate is strengthened by the ignorance and negligence of the state. Who speaks about Mashal today? Who remembers Mashal today? Not enough people. Condemnation and a few statements out of formality will not reduce this poisonous culture of mob lynching. The state has to take some practical steps and adopt a mechanism to put a halt to this.
It is pertinent here to discuss the role of parliament in this regard. The seminaries – the key institutions must be impugned. There must be a mechanism to regulate the courses and the syllabus. One of the attackers who was part of the mob who attacked the Sri Lankan factory manager said, "We have set an example for all."
Referencing books of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet), he added, that it had been written there "to kill those who attack and violate the dignity of our Holy Prophet (PBUH)". This leaves a question in the court of the state and the leaders to reflect over their conduct and role to monitor the so-called Islamic teachings in the country.
Furthermore, it is important to introduce subjects regarding inter-faith harmony at school levels. The state has to shun demagoguery and bring a change in its ideology toward Pakistan and Pakistani society.
Bringing forth a twisted version of Islam will lead the country nowhere. Instead, it will produce only more fanatics.
The writer is a journalist
opinoin
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Discussion in 'Apple Watch' started by democracyrules, Dec 7, 2016.
Let us hope Apple will release new Apple Watch supported by LTE and independent from iPhone. iPhone independent watch will be the best one since dependency of the watch to iPhone, make it just an iPhone accessory.
More like 15 months to go. I don't think the watch is on a yearly cycle, more likely an 18 month cycle like the first one.
Lets not, at least me. No desire for reduced battery life or additional cell charges.
I don't need two "phones".
I hope we have at least more than a year before a redesign. I picked up my second generation Stainless because I want to hang onto the Watch and also have the features of what the 1st Watch should be.
I think the Watch will have a 18 or 24 month cycle. It is hard to come up with compelling new features every year on such a product.
If it goes on 2 year cycles the watch was released Summer 2015, so that would put a redesign in Summer 2017.
For someone who knocks the Apple Watch as much as you have on previous posts, you Surprise me that you care.
Anyways, no, the next likely refresh is March 2018.
You think Apple could be treating this Watch like a new release vs. a refresh this time around? Hence why you say the 2018 date?
I definitely believe the Apple Watch will be a refresh with a new casing, more casing options for metals, colors, etc. Apple traditionally works off of 18 month cycles other than the iPhone. March 2018 is my prediction and being Apple just released the Series 1/2 in September, it wouldn't be logical for them to release a whole new Watch in nine months, in order to avoid consumer exhaustion.
I completely agree. March 2018 is where I see the next Apple Watch refresh. Apple seems to be splitting up products more now, such as iPads now in the Spring instead of the Fall. Probably smarter because its not easy for customers to drop money in September for an iPhone, October for an iPad and November for a Mac. I just hope the new generation (redesign) Apple Watch is compatible with previous bands. That would be really sucky if it didn't.
RadioGaGa1984 and Relentless Power like this.
I just hope the new generation (redesign) Apple Watch is compatible with previous bands. That would be really sucky if it didn't.
Boy me too. I've got 12 Apple Sports bands 2 Woven Nylons and the Milanese loop.
I only need about 2-3 colors/bands.
Anyhow makes total sense on the March 2018 time frame. Couldn't see them dropping a new Watch in Q1/2 2017. Late 2017 I could see a redesign.
You still can't walk in a store and buy a Series 2 watch. Why would they announce a new watch anytime soon when you can't even buy the one they announced three months ago.
Lol... walked in and purchased a SS SB series 2 and a Nike Watch at the same time same store in the colors I wanted. Posted a pic in the Space Black owners thread and can post a receipt. Not sure why others are having such a tough time finding em.
Just because you got lucky doesn't mean it's the norm. It is well documented that the majority of the time you can't just walk in a store and buy exactly what you want. The watch you are speaking about currently on Apples website says a delivery date of Dec 30. There are none available within a 250 mile radius of me. You got lucky, congratulations.
lol call it what you want. Search harder.
Every Apple Store or retailer has different availability. My local retailers and Apple stores still have no stock for Series 2. And with the holidays here, it likely won't improve.
If Apple wait to 2018 the drop in sales next year will be incredible. I still say Sept 2017. Come Feb 2017 interest will have dropped so much after Christmas they will need to give the range a shot in the arm, besides new straps.
Yeah they are tough to come by, just have to stay persistent.
I'm set with what I have for now. I can't see myself replacing this Watch every year.
Nope. Once they screwed this release up like the first one I lost interest. I have to have my phone so I understand when iPhones are difficult to get for awhile upon release. They sell in huge numbers.
Apple Watches aren't a necessity and don't sell in anywhere near the numbers of iPhones yet here we are, three months after "release", and its easier to get an iPhone than a watch. It's one of MANY screw-ups by Apple recently and it makes me reluctant to purchase. I decided against purchasing. Apple lost mine and many others who would have purchased on impulse but gave up after you couldn't actually purchase one. Glad you enjoyed the hunt for yours.
I didn't hunt. I thought about purchasing one when it first made News. Said I'd wait and see how it goes as far as the consumer response. Woke up one day like literally like let me buy one and see if anyone has it. I admit maybe a couple days prior I checked online and noticed the dates pushed back. Looked online and found one locally the same day I wanted to buy both colors I wanted, both bands, both sizes in stock. Agreed not everyone will have that luck.
They say these Apple Watches are selling more than before. It's holiday time, people wanted a water resistant Watch, people wanted GPS. Plus as you stated it's possible Apple didn't anticipate the demand and thus were a little behind on supply.
Either way I don't buy every new apple product that drops every year either. Waste of money if you ask me.


This light and zesty Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake is made with coconut milk and has desiccated coconut in the batter to add a tropical twist to a lemon loaf!
The days are getting longer and the sun is shining much more frequently… that must mean Spring is almost here!!
I love Spring, the flavours are lighter, Easter is just around the corner, flowers are blooming and you can finally go outside without a coat.
So what is a Spring lover to bake? A Lemon loaf with a tropical coconut twist of course!
This loaf cake is very quick to whip up in your mixer, it has basic ingredients you probably already have in the house and it turns out to be the most delicate, light, tender cake with added coconut on top of the cake.
Adding the coconut milk in lieu of normal milk adds a slight richness to the cake as well as a hint of extra flavour. It marries together beautifully with the lemon zest in the batter.
I did also add desiccated coconut to the batter, this is optional, it depends just how much you love coconut as you can taste/feel it when you bite into the cake.
If you just want a hint, but no texture, then leave it out of the cake batter and just put it onto the top of the cake in the glaze.
To add another note to this cake, I lightly toasted the desiccated coconut that I sprinkled onto the top of the cake. Toasting the coconut adds depth to the flavour and makes it slightly nutty.
A slice of this cake with the lemon, coconut milk, sweet glaze AND toasted coconut on the top equals an explosion of flavour when you bite into it!
I am SO ready to bake all the Spring things, I'll be back with some muffins on Thursday!
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F and spray a 2lb loaf tin with cooking spray. Place a thin strip of grease proof paper along the centre to lift the cake out.
Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
Add in the eggs, scraping down the sides as necessary and mix on medium speed for 1 minute, or until well combined and smooth.
Add in the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and desiccated coconut and mix on low until the mixture starts to come together, then add in the coconut milk. Turn the speed up to medium-high and mix until everything is light, smooth and well combined.
Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf cake and spread into an even layer. Place in the oven for 60-70 minutes, until risen, golden and an inserted skewer into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool completely before transferring the cake to a cutting board. Place the desiccated coconut into a frying pan over a low heat and stir frequently until all the coconut is golden brown. Leave to cool.
Sift the the icing/powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl and add in the coconut milk, whisk until smooth and thick. You want a thick paste that you can spread, but won't run everywhere when you place it on the cake.
Spoon the icing onto the top of the cake and spread with a small angled spatula until you've covered the top in an even layer of icing.
Spoon the toasted coconut onto the icing; you should have enough to completely cover the icing.
The icing will set a little if you leave it out, you can wait for this to happen before serving or serve straight away. Cut into 10-12 slices and dig in!
Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 4 days.
This is so perfect for Spring! Love lemon and coconut together.
I'll be dreaming of summer with every bite! Thanks for the tip about leaving the coconut as a topping. My boys always have a texture issue and this helps.
Hope you get to enjoy it! My husband is the same, so I've made it both ways and because I used coconut milk you don't lose much by not adding the coconut to the batter!!
Particularly a great combination of flavors for spring baking!
Thanks, I'm so exited for Spring baking!!
I just love lemony desserts and combined with the coconut sounds fantastic! Can't wait to try this one!
Thank you! Lemon is a favourite for me too, I love this time of year when I can bake loads of lemon desserts!
Mmm that is one gorgeous sounding cake! Perfect for afternoon tea with a cuppa and a book!
Thank you! Yes definitely perfect to have with a hot drink and book; it's finally warming up here, so I would love to sit outside with a slice and a book!
A perfect recipe for the easter and spring. I love coconut so much and I am going to bake it tonight.
I really hope you get to make it and love it!
Lemon and coconut together sound so perfect! Great spring treat!
It really is a winning combination, thanks so much!


Written by Theresa Sidebotham on March 15, 2012 at 1:30 a.m.
Potential special education or disability issues should be considered both during dependency or neglect proceedings and in foster care to ensure the child has access to appropriate services.
The question of whether special education law and principles are relevant for a particular child should be considered at various points in the course of dependency or neglect proceedings, especially in determining the child's needs, forming the treatment plan, and obtaining services for the child. Although the following discussion is framed primarily in terms of foster care, the same legal and social principles apply to the entire course of child welfare proceedings.
A child's educational needs should be considered from the beginning of dependency or neglect proceedings. Whether or not the child has a disability, it is important that someone considering the child's best interests make educational decisions. Because so many of the rights and procedures under IDEA involve the parent, identifying a parent or educational surrogate parent (ESP) is crucial when the child has a disability under IDEA.
Typically, a parent's educational decision-making rights are terminated only at the final termination of parental rights. If parents are willing to make educational decisions in the child's best interests, or can be educated and supported to do so as part of a treatment plan, no other action is required. However, if reasonable parental cooperation with a treatment plan is unlikely, or is in fact not happening, a court could consider terminating educational decision-making rights, which would allow a foster parent or other caregiver to serve as parent or allow an ESP to be appointed.
A clear appointment of educational decision-making rights by the court would assist the school districts in meeting the child's needs.1 Schools cannot provide services under IDEA without both parental consent for evaluation and for services (though the school district may be able to override lack of parental consent for evaluation with a due process request, in the unlikely event it is willing to invest the energy and money to do so).
parents' attendance at IEP meetings. If a parent is incarcerated, a conference call is still a possibility.
35% had attention deficit disorder.
16% had mental retardation or developmental delay.
On the other hand, children in foster care are sometimes over-identified as special education students because they are troubled and may be removed from the general school population.12 Special education is not a solution for problems not related to disability, and segregation into a special education program can be very damaging.
Children born with disabilities are more often abused and more often relinquished to the child welfare system than children without disabilities.18 One study shows that children with disabilities are abused at about twice the rate of children without disabilities, and other studies document an increased risk of abuse for children with disabilities between four and ten times that of the general population.19 Children who have disabilities may be at increased risk for abuse, partly because they may be more vulnerable.20 Another factor is that children with certain disabilities may be very difficult to handle, causing extraordinary stress on parents and family. The presence of the disability can exacerbate existing dysfunctions in the family system and trigger inappropriate responses on the part of caregivers.
Specific interventions also exist for reading problems, whether or not they are related to disability. For instance, under the Colorado Basic Literacy Act of 1996, Colorado children in the early grades who test below grade level in reading are provided with an Individual Literacy Plan (ILP), which spells out goals and services the child will receive.29 An ILP is provided whether or not the child has a disability.
A foster child may also be gifted and talented, either globally or in certain specific areas, and thus may qualify for special services as a gifted child. Developing a child's gifts and talents can be life-transforming. Failure to identify giftedness can cause as much failure and frustration as failure to identify disabilities. Nor are the two exclusive. Many children are Twice Exceptional. Twice Exceptional students are gifted and also identified as having a disability.30 These students need services in both areas to succeed.
Educational plans for foster children with disabilities should include higher education, where appropriate. Many of these children fall victim to low expectations.31 General and special education services can be designed to prepare students for college.
Where children need to be served by multiple agencies, wraparound services are most effective, where the individualized plan is coordinated between agencies.32 Strong collaboration between the courts, child welfare, and health and mental health systems is essential to serve a foster child with disabilities.33 Educational evaluations should be specific and thorough so that disabilities are not over-identified or wrongly identified.
Each foster child should have an educational advocate, whether that is a parent, foster parent, an educational surrogate parent (ESP) appointed by the court or department of education, his or her caseworker, or a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Juvenile court judges should also consider the foster child's educational needs.41 For instance, judges can ensure IDEA timelines are enforced for prompt evaluation and provision of services.
Child welfare workers, guardians ad litem, and Court Appointed Special Advocates ("CASA") workers should be sufficiently familiar with disabilities to know when a child needs screening, and with whom to collaborate in obtaining services.42 Children with disabilities are often more difficult to interact with and to understand, but need positive interaction even more than children without disabilities.
(1)(a) The judicial department or any agency that performs duties and functions under this title with respect to juvenile delinquency or dependency and neglect cases or any other provision of this title may exchange information, to the extent necessary, for the acquisition, provision, oversight, or referral of services and support with the judicial department or any other agency or individual that performs duties and functions under this title with respect to such cases. In order to receive such information the judicial department or the agency shall have a need to know for the purposes of investigations and case management in the administration of their respective programs. The judicial department or the agencies shall exchange information in accordance with paragraph (b) of this subsection (1).
(b) The judicial department or agency described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall exchange information with the judicial department or similar agencies who have a need to know to the extent necessary for the acquisition, provision, oversight, and referral of services and support and if provided in the course of an investigation or for case management purposes.
Colorado has various provisions to speed up transfer of records and enrollment for children in out-of-home placement, including special education notification.66 Among other things, once the school has been notified of a transfer request from the Department of Human Services, it only has five school days to transfer the records.
The order is presented to the school district. Those persons, agencies, and their representatives who are connected with the case are not only given access to the records but also have "authorization to exchange educational records and information" among themselves.
The following are possible ways to release educational information so that the child can be better served.
A educational surrogate parent ("ESP") (appointed by the court or the educational agency if the child is under IDEA and has no parent available to advocate), who commits to maintain educational records.
To serve the child better, schools and child welfare professionals should collaborate. Attorneys involved in a child welfare case can talk to school staff about the child (if there is consent from a parent, an educational surrogate parent, or a court order).
(2)(a) Each school district and the state charter school institute, created pursuant to section 22-30.5-503, shall designate an employee of the school district or the institute to act as the child welfare education liaison for the district or for state charter schools. In lieu of designating an employee, a school district or the state charter school institute may contract with an individual to act as the child welfare education liaison. The child welfare education liaison shall be responsible for working with child placement agencies, county departments, and the state department to facilitate the prompt and appropriate placement, transfer, and enrollment in school of students in out-of-home placements within the school district or who are enrolled or enrolling in institute charter schools.
Ensuring that records are delivered to a student's new school within five days of receiving a request from a county department (2)(a)(II).
Prior to the change of placement of a child, all parties shall attempt to promote educational stability for the child by taking into account the child's existing educational situation and, to the extent possible and in accordance with the child's best interests, selecting a change of placement that enables the child to remain in the existing educational situation or to transfer to a new educational situation that is comparable to the existing situation.
Significant delay is not permitted under IDEA.
1. Telephone interview with Keith Kirchubel, Principal Consultant, Dispute Resolution, Colorado Department of Education in Denver Colorado (March 2008).
2. State Bd. of Educ. Rule 9.02(1)(a), 1 Code Colo. Regs. 301-8 (2009).
5. National Council on Disability, Youth with Disabilities in the Foster Care System: Barriers to Success and Proposed Policy Solutions, at 4 (2008) available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2008/FosterCareSystem_Report.html (viewed Oct. 15, 2010).
9. Mason Burley and Mina Halpern, Educational Attainment of Foster Youth 8 (Washington State Institute for Public Policy 2001) available at http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/FCEDReport.pdf (viewed Oct. 15, 2010).
10. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 4.
11. Foster Care Alumni Studies, Improving Family Foster Care: Findings from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study 1, 32 (March 2005) available at http://www.casey.org/Resources/ (viewed Oct. 15, 2010).
12. Kathleen McNaught, Learning Curves: Education Advocacy for Children in Foster Care 11 (ABA Center on Children and the Law 2004).
13. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 32.
14. McNaught, supra note 12 at 2.
15. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 4.
16. Foster Care Alumni Studies, supra note 11 at 2.
17. Sarah Geenen and Laurie E. Powers, Are We Ignoring Youths with Disabilities in Foster Care? An Examination of Their School Performance 234, Social Work 51.3 (July 2006).
18. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 4.
19. National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care Services, Factsheet Number 36: Abuse and Neglect of Children with Disabilities, 1 (September 1994) available at http://www.archrespite.org/productspublications/arch.fact.sheets#FS_36 (viewed October 15, 2010).
22. Brandy Miller, Falling Between the Cracks: Why Foster Children are Not Receiving Appropriate Special Education Services, 5 Whittier J. Child & Fam. Advoc. 547, 566 (2006).
24. Angela J. Herrick and Helen D. Ward, Advocating for the Educational Needs of Children in Out-of-Home Care I-4 Colorado Department of Human Services; See 42 U.S.C. § 675(1)(G) (2010).
25. McNaught, supra note 12 at 9-11.
26. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 3-19.
27. Interview with Laura Writebol, Colorado Department of Human Services in Denver, Colorado (May 14, 2008).
28. Office of Special Education Programs, January 21, 2011, http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102276898441-66/OSEP+RTI+memo+01-21-11.pdf (viewed February 19, 2011).
29. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 3-11.
31. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 30.
34. Geenen and Powers, supra note 17 at 234.
36. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 20.
37. Miller, supra note 22 at 566.
38. Cynthia Godsoe, Caught Between Two Systems: How Exceptional Children in Out-of-Home Care are Denied Equality in Education, 19 Yale L. & Pol'y Rev. 81, 95 (2000).
39. Miller, supra note 22 at 569.
41. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 31.
44. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 4-11.
45. McNaught, supra note 12 at 6.
50. 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(5) (2010).
51. McNaught, supra note 12 at 29.
52. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 6-4.
53. McNaught, supra note 12 at 29.
58. Miller, supra note 22 at 554.
66. House Bill 08-1019, C.R.S. § 22-32-138.
67. Provided by El Paso County Best Practices Court Education Committee f/k/a El Paso County Model Court Education Committee and the El Paso County Model Court Steering Committee.
68. Magistrate Regina Walter, Chairperson of the El Paso County Model Court Truancy Committee, established the contacts in each school district.
69. Created and provided by Sherri Piccione, Legal Secretary, El Paso County Office of Guardian ad Litem.
70. Interview with Ed Rodgers, Office of the Guardian ad Litem, in Colorado Springs, CO (March 19, 2008).
71. Written and contributed by Ed Rodgers, Office of the Guardian ad Litem, El Paso County.
72. Kathleen McNaught, Mythbusting: Breaking Down Confidentiality and Decision-Making Barriers to Meet the Education Needs of Children in Foster Care 13 (American Bar Association 2005) available at http://www.abanet.org/child/education/other-pub.shtml (viewed May 5, 2008).
73. Written and contributed by Ed Rodgers, Office of the Guardian ad Litem, El Paso County.
74. Provided by El Paso County Best Practices Court Education Committee f/k/a El Paso County Model Court Education Committee and the El Paso County Model Court Steering Committee.
75. Provided by El Paso County Best Practices Court Education Committee f/k/a El Paso County Model Court Education Committee and the El Paso County Model Court Steering Committee.
76. McNaught, supra note 12 at 6.
78. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 2-2, 2-3.
79. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 28; citing Sarah Woodward, California Moves to Improve Group Home Schools, XXV, 4 Youth Law News (National Center for Youth Law), October-December 2004, Executive Summary at vi.
80. Mason Burley and Mina Halpern, Educational Attainment of Foster Youth 9 (Washington State Institute for Public Policy 2001) available at http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/FCEDReport.pdf (viewed Oct. 15, 2010).
81. Geenen and Powers, supra note 17 at 238.
82. Andrea Zetlin, The Experiences of Foster Children and Youth in Special Education 163, Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 31.3 (Sep. 2006).
83. 42 U.S.C. § 11431, et seq.
84. McNaught, supra note 12 at 5.
85. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 3-5.
86. Id. at 3-4, 3-5; C.R.S. § 22-36-101; § 22-32-116(e).
88. Id.; C.R.S. § 22-1-122.
89. McNaught, supra note 12 at 6.
90. Herrick and Ward, supra note 24 at 3-3, 3-4.
93. Testimony of the National Council on Disability, Juvenile Detention Centers: Are They Warehousing Children with Mental Illness? 4 (July 7, 2004) available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/testimony/2004/juvenile_07-07-04.htm (viewed Oct. 15, 2010).
95. National Council on Disability, supra note 5 at 16-17.
98. Geenen and Powers, supra note 17 at 238.
99. Olmstead v. Zimring, 527 U.S. 581, 600 (1999).
100. Olmstead v. Zimring, 527 U.S. 581, 601 (1999).
101. 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(5) (2005).
102. 42 U.S.C. § 673(a)(2)(A) (2010); Cecilia Fiermonte and Jennifer L. Renne, Making It Permanent: Reasonable Efforts to Finalize Permanency Plans for Foster Children 109 (ABA Center on Children and the Law 2002).
104. Id. at 110-111; 42 U.S.C. § 673.
Featured Image: "Child and Touchscreen" by Freerange Stock.


text:
Happiness Is a State of Mind: Kathleen Reinmuth and Cathy Rock on "Inquiring Nuns"
Matt Fagerholm July 25, 2016
In 1968, two nuns roamed the streets of Chicago, walking up to strangers and asking the deceptively simple question, "Are you happy?" They were followed by documentarians Gordon Quinn and Jerry Temaner, who later turned the footage into their acclaimed second feature for Kartemquin Films. "Inquiring Nuns" remains not only an invaluable time capsule, but a provocative meditation on the complexities of happiness as well as a moving ode to the vitality of human connection. It serves as a refreshing rebuke to our modern political climate favoring bullying and division over understanding and unity.
Though both women eventually left the convent and started families of their own, spirituality continues to play a crucial role in their lives. Kathleen Reinmuth (formerly Sister Marie Arné) now lives in New Buffalo, Michigan, while Cathy Rock (formerly Sister Mary Campion) resides in Orlando, Florida. They greatly cherish their memories of making the film and the conversations they had with longtime Chicagoans and foreign tourists, not to mention iconic Hollywood character actor Stepin Fetchit.
In anticipation of the film's outdoor screening in Chicago on Tuesday, July 26th, RogerEbert.com spoke with Reinmuth and Rock about what constitutes a healthy spiritual life, their favorite interviews in the film and the transformative impact that "Inquiring Nuns" has had on their lives.
Would you liken the work of the Nuns on the Bus—chronicled in the recent documentary, "Radical Grace," directed by former Kartemquim intern, Rebecca Parrish—with the social activism you were involved in during the '60s?
Kathleen Reinmuth (KR): Oh absolutely. I've seen "Radical Grace," and I know a couple of those nuns personally. Social activism was what gave my life meaning. It also gave vibrancy to my religious convictions. After I left the convent, I got a master's degree in social work, and then began working with handicapped kids. All of us nuns started out as teachers, but then our attention turned toward social justice issues, mostly because it was the '60s. I entered the convent in 1961, and then Kennedy was assassinated in '63. I was also in Chicago when Martin Luther King was killed, and then in '69, we were in Las Vegas protesting against the Vietnam War. It was a time when the church was changing for nuns, and we were very active in trying to make the church be more open to women and women's roles. We didn't get very far in that. [laughs]
Cathy Rock (CR): I definitely think the vibrance of the church is in the social activism of the nuns all over the country. They're always reaching out to the poor and the unwanted. We are big donors to our Adrian Dominican community as well as the Sisters of Loretto from Denver, and I am so overjoyed that they are continuing that social activism. In our day, it was sisters who taught children in elementary school, but now it's sisters who are reaching out to adults of all ages and are supporting them. I never felt when I left the convent that I was any different a person, and as I continued teaching as a principal and a superintendent of schools, I tried to emulate the same ideals to young people of how they should treat one another.
KR: I keep in touch with the Adrian Dominicans. There's a group I'm a member of called Connections that is comprised of former Adrians. We all stay in touch with what the Adrians are doing and support a lot of their work monetarily. What the Adrians have always preached is that they are a papal community. They were never under the rule of the bishop in any diocese, so no matter what the bishops were saying, the sisters didn't have to obey if they didn't feel it was the right course. That really freed up the Adrians, though it also got them in a lot of trouble. But they just stood steadfast in their beliefs. I graduated high school in 1961, and at that time, you either got married, you went to college to find a man to marry, or you became a teacher or a nurse. That was it, whereas in the Adrian community, everybody was allowed to pursue their education. Most Adrians have a master's degree or a PhD, and they have universities all over the country.
How did the experience of making this film alter your view of the world and yourself?
KR: The film definitely broadened us. I was raised Catholic and I was always just around Catholics. Then here comes Gordon Quinn and Jerry Temaner—Jerry was Jewish and I had never met somebody who was Jewish before. They dragged us all over the city of Chicago, where we met all different types of people, and it was intimidating at the beginning. My changing beliefs on institutional religion really came from working with the Adrian Dominicans, when we were trying to get changes there and then I started a theological degree at the University of San Francisco. That's when I realized how the dangers of institutional religion codified to an extent that made religion exclusionary.
CR: Sisters always went out in twos. We were not allowed out at night, and we'd never go into people's homes and things like that. All of a sudden, [the year that the film was released,] we were out doing what we would call social work, and being in discussion groups and using our own names again. When you have an identity as Sister Campion for eight years, and all of a sudden you are back to being Catherine Farrell, that kind of wakes you up a little bit. The film opened up the world to me in a different way. People were so open with us, and I'd often wonder whether that would've happened if we weren't standing there in our religious garb.
We went to a heavily African-American church, St. Columbanus, and I love how the film shows the families that attended Mass there. I'm always taken by one of the first black women we interviewed who said, "The reason I'm happy is because no one is depending on me." I thought, "Oh yes, the matriarchal society—how many black grandmothers are raising their grandchildren or worrying about their kids?" So many people told us about their concerns regarding the Vietnam War, and it's easy for modern audiences to relate to them, since we've now been in wars for 15 years.
How did you feel on the first day of production?
CR: I was so nervous when we first starting filming. In the car at the beginning, Kathleen was doing all the talking. I was just sitting there nodding my head. Once we got going, things started to feel more natural.
KR: I thought it would take away some of my anxiety by talking and being outgoing. A lot of times, I would start things off so Cathy would have time to think before asking the next question. That worked very well.
CR: I chuckle when thinking about how I didn't know who Stepin Fetchit was. I was too young to know who he was. My parents couldn't believe it when I told them that I had met him. He was so sweet and you could tell his faith meant so much to him. He went to Communion daily and that's what he wanted to talk to us about. Then there was the fellow standing next to him who recited his eloquent poetry. I remember walking away from that interview shaking my head just saying, "Wow, what just happened?" [laughs]
What would you consider your favorite interview in the film?
CR: I just watched the film again with my husband this morning, and we really enjoyed revisiting it. There was an interview Kathleen and I conducted in the rain with a man who had piercing eyes and was asking us piercing questions. For some reason, Jerry and Gordon put the lens right on me, and it's almost uncomfortable to watch. I remember thinking that the man had beautiful eyes and he was a very deep thinker too. He was hesitating before he gave his answers, and you could tell he was really thinking about them. It also struck me, watching the film again, how dressed up people were, whether they were going to church or the Art Institute or the Museum of Science and Industry.
KR: I haven't seen the film in a long time, but I remember a young man who said something that made a light bulb go on in my head.
Was it the young orchestra member who says, "If we only understand each other, there will be a lot less greed and avarice"?
KR: Yes! His words touched me quite a bit.
He also talks of how hippies and communists were being stigmatized, and the same could be said now of Muslims.
KR: Exactly. If you really just stop and ask people important questions and then listen to their answers, it can bring everybody closer together. I think if the film was shown again today to high school or college students, they could connect the issues raised in the film with what's happening now. Religion should be about bringing people together, not separating them out and stratifying them into the "better and best," while excluding everybody else. I think all institutional religions tend to eventually morph into that problem. Institutional religion is a man-made thing, and our flaws get caught up in it. The idea that your beliefs make you better than someone else rather than your beliefs make you better to someone else—that is a problem. It's important to be self-critical and to combat that way of thinking. You hear a lot of Muslims now talking about their core values and how they don't match with what is being said about them, and that is a good thing.
You sent me a missive from the Adrian Dominican Sisters responding to the recent killings of African-Americans and policemen. The sisters were supporting Black Lives Matter while decrying the violence against policemen with a quote from Martin Luther King: "Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars."
KR: I totally love how they stated that, and I think it will speak to a lot of people.
Cathy, what was it like being in Orlando in the days following the nightclub shooting?
CR: The Pulse nightclub shooting was centered around the LGBT community, and there's a shirt I have that my son got me when he went to one of the memorial services where there were thousands of people. The shirt has a big "1" on it, and it says, "1 world, 1 family, 1 unit, 1 love, 1 heart, 1 pulse." I don't get out a lot, but the three or four times I've worn that outside—whether at the YMCA or the hairdresser's or the grocery market—I would immediately have men come up to me and ask, "May I give you a hug?" I realized that they were looking at my shirt, and I said, "Certainly." I've been struck by how people want to have that unity, and by wearing the shirt, I was showing that I have respect for them. I have to only hope that the church will continue to do that.
I think Pope Francis has made some positive statements about the fact that we should be tolerant of one another and that we shouldn't be hating one another. The church has not had a good record of accepting the LGBT community, and I'm sorry for that. I hope that this Pope will begin to change things, but as far as what you hear at church on Sunday, I don't hear changes. That makes me very sad. It doesn't reflect my view or my husband's view of Catholicism. My husband is a former priest. He was at the Second Vatican Council with Pope John XXIII, and he was trained at the seminary in Belgium. They had a much more open view of the teachings of our Lord. American Catholics have become too focused on negative things and separations—whether you are divorced or you are LGBT or you are not marrying a Catholic. Those things are petty to me. That's not my church. It's so important that we go back to inclusion instead of exclusion.
What did the concept of happiness mean to you then and what does it mean to you now?
KR: I'd have to admit that back then, because I was still such an intense believer in God's will, happiness was about following a path that you've been chosen to follow. I was very happy in that framework. Now happiness for me is more about service. It's not service that I'm called to do by someone else. We simply need to be there for other people, and we are happier when we are doing that. It can be just as local as your family, or you can broaden it. When you think of others first, it brings you joy.
CR: That film marked the beginning of my understanding that happiness was more than just a feeling. Happiness is a state of mind, it is a state of contentment. I remember one of the gentlemen we interviewed talking about contentment and fulfillment. If you don't feel good about yourself and what you're doing, you're not going to be happy and you're not going to emulate happiness. I was not as sophisticated in my knowledge of it then, simply because I was 25 or 26 years old, as compared to now at 72. My health isn't the same, my husband's health has deteriorated, but we're happy and content with our lives, and we are so grateful for our children. Two of our children and five of our six grandchildren live very close to us, and our interactions with them bring me happiness.
I never would've thought about that when I was in the convent. Happiness was just about getting through the day sometimes. [laughs] You had to keep everybody happy. People used to describe me as being a "goody two shoes," and that was my idea of happiness. I had to keep the older sisters happy and my friends happy, and I would do whatever was needed to do that. When I thought about it later, I realized that there were times I didn't really want to do that. I just did it for somebody else's sake.
Was there a screening of the film, over the years, that you've found particularly memorable?
KR: There was an anniversary screening held downtown that some close friends of mine attended. They didn't know I had ever done this, and were amazed by the film. Afterward, a man came up to me from the audience and said, "You taught me in third grade, and you were the best teacher I ever had." Then he gave me a big hug. He must've been 45-50 by that time, since I was 19 when I taught third grade.
CR: Before I first met my husband, David, he was teaching in high school and would hold film discussions. He went to see "Inquiring Nuns" because he was considering showing it in the youth group, and his best friend Mark, who was a priest, said, "I know one of these nuns." Of course David didn't know which of the two nuns Mark knew, and he hadn't met me yet. During a scene where someone asks me, "Are you happy?" and I quickly say, "Yes," as my eyes dart back and forth, David turned to Mark and said, "There's a gal who's got a problem." [laughs] Six months later, we met on a blind date. He had chosen to leave the priesthood, and Mark wanted him to meet me. I went home that night and said to Kathleen, "I just met the man I'm going to marry, but he doesn't know it yet." So the film definitely brought us together.
What constitutes a healthy spiritual life, in your view?
KR: People need a lot of meditation. You really need to spend time quietly reflecting on things—taking long walks in the woods and thinking through what's troubling you—because as you do that, you come out with better solutions than you do when rushing into things. I think that humans do have an ability to connect with their inner spirit that calms them and makes them more sane. Spirituality is really more about inner contemplation.
CR: I think a healthy spiritual life has to include an openness to all others and a tolerance of others' way of life—their beliefs, their appearance, their thinking. If you are open to others, you will be happier because you will see the good in them. That's what a spiritual life is. The closer you are to God's children, the closer you are to God.
"Inquiring Nuns" screens for free at the Millennium Park Summer Film Series on Tuesday, July 26th, at 6:30pm in Chicago. Kartemquin's co-founder and Artistic Director, Gordon Quinn, will join University of Chicago professor Jacqueline Stewart and Newcity film critic Ray Pride for an onstage conversation, as well as present a clip from his forthcoming film, "'63 Boycott." RSVP for the event on Facebook.
Matt Fagerholm
Matt Fagerholm is an Assistant Editor at RogerEbert.com and is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association.


text:
← Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe and Fall by John Preston
The Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2022 →
Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet is set in the 1960s and consists of a fictional biography of Arthur Collins Braithwaite, a radical psychoanalyst with a practice based in north London, interweaved with notebooks written by one of his patients which have been purportedly "discovered" by her cousin and passed on to the author. The patient believes Braithwaite is responsible for the death of her elder sister, Veronica, and poses as Rebecca Smyth in order to find out more about him. As with the Booker Prize-shortlisted His Bloody Project, Burnet displays his impeccable narrative skill in presenting the story as authentic source material. There is plenty of satire in the depiction of Braithwaite's rivalries with his contemporaries, reminiscent of the spoof biographies in Their Brilliant Careers by Ryan O'Neill, while pertinent questions about the nature of identity and reality are posed in "Rebecca's" pursuit for answers. 'Case Study' is another outstanding novel by one of my must-read authors.
Seashaken Houses by Tom Nancollas is a history of eight rock lighthouses built on reefs situated off the coast of Great Britain and Ireland. Each chapter focuses on a specific lighthouse and a different aspect of their history and architecture, such as how they were designed and constructed (which was no mean feat particularly for the earliest ones built a few centuries ago), the technology that was developed in Blackwall in London, and the lives of the lighthouse keepers whose roles have been made redundant through automation. The final chapter sees Nancollas spend time in the lighthouse at Fastnet off the south coast of Ireland. There is an obvious yet appealing romanticism in the isolation of rock lighthouses, and Nancollas is very good at conveying what it is actually like to spend time in them as well as their symbolism as a beacon of hope in difficult conditions (yesterday's pictures of Storm Eunice were a good example of that). His enthusiasm for his subject is evident in this fascinating book, which is suitable for a general non-fiction reader with no prior knowledge of lighthouses.
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara is one of my most anticipated books of 2022. Her third novel is consists of three parts set in 1893, 1993 and 2093, all featuring different characters named David Bingham in an alternative version of New York. The first part is set in the late 19th century where New York is part of the Free States and in which same-sex relationships and marriages are accepted as the norm. David's wealthy grandfather has set up an arranged marriage for him to Charles Griffith while David is drawn to Edward Bishop. The second part addresses AIDS and sees Hawaii-born David having an affair with Charles, with flashbacks to the life of David's father and the third part is about the impact of a series of pandemics across the 21st century. The novel was already well developed by the time COVID-19 came along, with the consequence that the second half feels less speculative than it was probably intended to be. Despite the connections and recurring motifs in each of the three parts, the vastly different settings means that in some ways I find it more appealing to consider the book as three stand-alone novellas. Although I wasn't completely convinced 'To Paradise' hangs together coherently as a single novel, Yanagihara's prose is consistently excellent throughout and explores some interesting themes which are ultimately about what it means to be free. Many thanks to Picador for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.
Tagged as Book, Book Review, Book Reviews, Fiction, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Hanya Yanagihara, Literary Fiction, Non fiction, Novels, Reading, Reviews, Tom Nancollas
11 responses to "Books I Read in January"
kaggsysbookishramblings
Loved Seashaken Houses – such a good book!!
Both still in hardback! They will be an anticipated read for me. In the meantime, this reminds me how much I enjoyed Adele Bedeau and I am off to reread this evening!
I found a copy of Case Study in a local charity shop which was very unexpected! I really liked Adele Bedeau too.
WendyW
These all sounds great. Seashaken sounds especially good to me.
Rebecca Foster
I'm interested in Seashaken Houses. I started To Paradise with enthusiasm but bogged down partway through the first section and haven't managed to pick it back up yet.
The first part was my favourite of the three, and I thought the second part was the weakest… interested to hear your thoughts if you ever pick it up again!
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Diana @ Thoughts on Papyrus
I am adding Seashaken Houses to my TBR, sounds like such an eye-opening great book, thank you!
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Politics and Society | Iceland Monitor | Thu 21 Jul 2016 | 19.54 GMT | Modified 22 Jul 2016 4.27
Westman Islands festival in uproar as bands pull out of line up
Over 15 thousand people attended the festival last year and eighteen sexual offences were reported. Photo/ Guðmundur Sveinn Hermannsson
Several big Icelandic bands have threatened to pull out of the popular Þjóðhátið festival in the Westman Islands which takes place on the bank holiday weekend at the end of July. The reason is a controversial statement by the local chief of police on sexual offences at the festival.
Chief of police in the Westman Islands, Páley Borgþórsdóttir repeated last year's view: to not report sexual offences which occur at the festival to the press and furthermore adding tha most rapes "occur between people who know each other in enclosed spaces."
The statement has received a lot of criticism in Iceland and has been called "silencing of the victims of rape." On top of that, the statements were issued only two days before the Reykjavik Slut Walk which takes place on Saturday which aims to put the blame where it belongs, on the perpetrators of sexual offences and not the victims.
The Þjóðhátið festival in the Westman Islands is an annual festival of music and partying on the bank holiday weekend. Rapes are reported every year at the festival and last year, five sexual offences were reported, three of them rapes and since 2004, nineteen rapes have been reported at the festival.
The Icelandic bands, who include Retro Stefson, Dikta, Úlfur Úlfur, Dikta and Emmsjé Gauti have released statements saying that they will be pulling out of the line-up unless the local authorities of the Westman Islands change their policies and work according to the rape response units of Landspitalinn National University Hospital and Stígamót, the women's shelter in Reykjavik.
Several other bands are also contemplating to pull out of the line-up, including Icelandic rap superstars Quarashi. Notably, not a single female artist is performing at the festival.
Organisers of the festival are currently having a crisis meeting given the circumstances.
The rappers of Úlfur Úlfur were the first to make a statement about the festival's policies towards rape. Iceland Monitor/ Eggert Jóhannesson
Slut walk
New Retro Stefson video to get you dancing into summer
Cocktails and concert at Kaffitár


text:
There can be only… The Goldbergs?
The hit ABC comedy and its creator pay a special tribute to Highlander in their 20th February episode...
Highlander Worldwide were contacted earlier this week with the exciting news that the fantasy franchise is going to be the focus of next week's episode of ABC's hit comedy The Goldbergs…
Adam F. Goldberg, executive producer and creator of The Goldbergs, is living out a life-long dream of writing an homage to the Highlander movie, and producing the only sitcom episode that's ever been made about the movie. His tribute will air on The Goldbergs on Wednesday, February 20 on ABC-TV at 8 p.m.
"Ever since The Goldbergs began, one of my dreams was to write an homage to Highlander," said Goldberg. "In high school, I was so obsessed with the movie that I started an actual Highlander club with my two best friends Mike Levy and David Sirota. What began as a few geeks hitting each other with swords we made in wood shop soon became a school-wide game with 20 people playing. It became so disruptive that the administration had to shut it down."
"My Highlander obsession never died and it's why I ended up casting Clancy Brown (from Highlander) as Mr. Crosby the shop teacher two years ago," said Goldberg. "I've been a longtime fan of his talent and The Goldbergs marks his first network comedy. It was perfectly fitting to put Clancy Brown — The Kurgan — in our Highlander episode which I've been waiting to tell ever since the show began. "
"We not only perfectly replicated the costumes and sword choreography, we got Queen's approval to use their song from the soundtrack," added Goldberg. "It's one of my favorite episodes we've ever made, and I can safely say the only Highlander sitcom episode that's been made!"
The Goldbergs' executive producer Adam F. Goldberg often creates "totally surreal" highlights featuring life-long friends, heroes, idols, and other well-known celebrities from his personal life of growing up in a suburban Philadelphia neighborhood in the 1980s into his show. Look for Levy and Sirota to make an appearance at the conclusion of this episode.
Follow The Goldbergs on Twitter and Instagram.
Facebook: @TheGoldbergsABC Twitter: @TheGoldbergsABC Instagram: @thegoldbergsabc Hashtag: #TheGoldberg
ABCClancy BrownGoldbergs
NEWSTELEVISION
by John Mosby - Dec 31, 2018
Dante's Infernal? Adrian Paul shoots to villainy with 'Arrow' debut…
by John Mosby - Mar 6, 2019
Highlander: The Series writer and Associate Creative Consultant Gillian Horvath looks to be swapping swords for wands with the confirmation that an animated version of Jaymin Eve's Supernatural Academy...
Jim Byrnes who, of course, played Joe Dawson on Highlander: The Series is featuring in not one but two seasonal Christmas movies on Hallmark marking part of their 'Countdown...
Over the years, the Highlander franchise has produced one of the most passionate and – let's be honest – patient fandoms around. Despite the genuine love for the original...
John Wick 4 adds more 'Highlander' alumni…
It looks as if the fourth chapter in the John Wick franchise is starting to be even more star-laden that the previous outings. After martial-artist Mark Dacascos made such...


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August 9, 2012 andrewcferguson
Camille O'Sullivan – Changeling: Assembly Rooms, Tuesday 7th August
Camille O'Sullivan is the kind of woman your mother would've warned you about if only she'd had the imagination.
On Tuesday night Camille set the newly corporate-bland Assembly Rooms alight with her performance. If an evening of songs by the likes of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits sounds like a gloomfest, then you need to catch this Irish singer's interpretations of them.
Backed by her superb five-piece band, she took us on an emotional and musical rollercoaster through this dark material. It almost goes without saying that O'Sullivan's voice is a powerful, versatile instrument, capable of anything she chooses to set it to. Cave's Red Right Hand rocked out with the band at full throttle; while Dylan's Don't think Twice It's Alright started with just her and fingerpicked guitar, slow burning through the verses until the last verse was a joyous whoop of disdain for the song's discarded lover, singer and band fully engaged with all guns blazing.
For other performers in the audience, it was a masterclass. Waits's All the World is Green started with O'Sullivan winking as she pulled herself aboard the perilous-looking swing that formed part of the stage set; by the song's end though, there were tears in her eyes, and not just hers, as the pathos of the lyrics struck at every beating heart in the auditorium. Jacques Brel's masterpiece Port of Amsterdam was sung a cappella, delivering a similarly huge emotional punch.
Throughout, the Changeling theme was interwoven with the songs as O'Sullivan worked the hall. A shawl became a scarf became a veil; plastic animals and music boxes were toyed with; at one point she donned a pair of woolly bear ears and a fox mask worn on the back of her head. 'Second date,' she told the audience of that outfit. Her banter, seemingly artless, played its part in bringing the moods up and down for the next song: light and shade, soft and brittle, sexy and serene and downright shameless.
At the end of night, the whole hall was singing Cave's The Ship Song as the band joined hands with her at the front of the stage. One final encore courtesy of Leonard Cohen, and our heroine apologised for keeping us for keeping us so late on a school night. At 12.40, after two electrifying hours, we would have had her singing till the sun came up.
Previous Camille is Amongst Us
Next Opening Day at the Book Festival


Film and Media Conservatory is an eye-opening introduction to all aspects of the art of making film, video and media. Foremost, this conservatory emphasizes the art and design principles utilized in filmmaking.
Students first explore the building blocks of film and video making and other short-topic formats in order to gain an appreciation and respect for the electronic visual/audio media in all forms and genres.
Students take a hands-on approach with video software and digital technology to create video presentations, music videos and short films. Throughout the course they create original works using newfound artistic and technology skills, including video shooting techniques, lighting and sound; utilizing storyboard and script formats; and editing in a variety of software.


I've got a new crochet pattern for y'all today! It's my slouchy cactus hat crochet pattern! It's on Etsy and Ravelry as usual.
So excited about this one, it came out even better than my sketch!
This one is easy to zone out on while making, since the fpdc create really defined repeats.
Grab the pattern on etsy or ravelry!


text:
namespace omaha {

namespace fsm {

AppStateWaitingToDownload::AppStateWaitingToDownload()
    : AppState(STATE_WAITING_TO_DOWNLOAD) {
}

const PingEvent* AppStateWaitingToDownload::CreatePingEvent(
    App* app,
    CurrentState previous_state) const {
  ASSERT1(app);
  UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(previous_state);

  // Omaha 3 reports this ping later than Omaha 2 because the COM server does
  // not know the client's intent when doing the update check.
  const PingEvent::Types event_type(app->is_update() ?
      PingEvent::EVENT_UPDATE_APPLICATION_BEGIN :
      PingEvent::EVENT_INSTALL_APPLICATION_BEGIN);

  const HRESULT error_code = app->error_code();
  ASSERT1(SUCCEEDED(error_code));

  return new PingEvent(event_type, GetCompletionResult(*app), error_code, 0);
}

void AppStateWaitingToDownload::Download(
    App* app,
    DownloadManagerInterface* download_manager) {
  CORE_LOG(L3, (_T("[AppStateWaitingToDownload::Download][0x%p]"), app));
  ASSERT1(app);
  ASSERT1(download_manager);

  app->SetDownloadStartTime();

  // This is a blocking call on the network.
  HRESULT hr = download_manager->DownloadApp(app);

  app->LogTextAppendFormat(_T("Download result=0x%08x"), hr);
}

void AppStateWaitingToDownload::Downloading(App* app) {
  CORE_LOG(L3, (_T("[AppStateWaitingToDownload::Downloading][%p]"), app));
  ASSERT1(app);

  ChangeState(app, new AppStateDownloading);
}

void AppStateWaitingToDownload::DownloadComplete(App* app) {
  CORE_LOG(L3, (_T("[AppStateWaitingToDownload::DownloadComplete][%p]"), app));
  CORE_LOG(L3, (_T("[Did not download anything - likely because all packages ")
                _T("were cached - or OnProgress callback was never called.]")));
  ASSERT1(app);

  ChangeState(app, new AppStateDownloadComplete);
}

}  // namespace fsm

}  // namespace omaha

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
• "Did you know 14 muscles are activated when opening a bottle of wine? Fitness is my passion" (1/16)
• "George Washington is the only president to have been drawn and quartered" (1/16)
• "Sprinkles are just glitter for food" (1/16)
• "I had a lot of stuff to do today. Now I have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow" (1/16)
• "Am I perfect? No. But am I trying to be a better person? Also no" (1/16)
Big Apple Dance Hall (formerly at Wathena, Kansas)
There used to be a building (restaurant/dance hall) in the shape of a big apple at Wathena, Kansas. The building was built a few years before the 1937 big apple dance craze, but is not the source of New York City's nickname. A fire destroyed the structure in the 1940s.
25 November 1937, McKean County Democrat (Smethport, PA), pg. 3, col. 2 photo caption:
Here's the Original "Big Apple"
Dancers everywhere are doing the "Big Apple," but few know about the original which happens to be this unique country cafe and ballroom near Wathena, Kan., the capital of the apple country.
1 May 1938, New York Journal-American, American Weekly, pg. 4:
An Architect's Clever Version of the Big Apple
Photo caption:
Wathena, Kansas, Is Proud of Its "Big Apple" Restaurant and Dance Hal, Which Is in the Heart of An Orcharding Region and Was Erected Before the Big Apple Dance Became Nationally Popular.
WHENEVER a new dance craze, a popular radio or movie character or other much publicized figure is thrust into the limelight, restaurants and night-clubs are immediately named after it. From Maine to California, a man motoring over state highways is confronted with signs recommending that he try the culinary delights at the "Three Little Pigs," the "Garbo," the "Charlie McCarthy" and other places named after the great, and near great.
In fact one can almost tell the year in which the eating place was opened by the name given to it and transcontinental motorists have eased the boredom of their long trips by playing a guessing game with the restaurants they pass along the way.
They all fall down when they pass through Wathena, Kansas, and glimpse the Big Apple. While the dance itself is a recent one, the Big Apple, a large, two-story dance hall and eating place shaped like an apple, with a coat of rosy colored paint and a chimney in the form of a stem, has been a Kansas land mark for many years.
Long before the Big Apple dance craze swept over the country from Dixie and set thousands of youngsters to swaying, bending and going through contortions, the folks of Wathena and its environs were pointing to the Big Apple dance hall with pardonable pride.
Living in a section of the state where big, luscious apples are grown, they felt the dance hall proprietor was doing his bit to publicize this fruit and the farmers who own the orchards.
The Walthenans showed their appreciation by patronizing the Big Apple and on Saturday nights, young blades with their hair slicked down and girls in their very best frocks, drive into town from miles around to meet at the novel dance hall to step to the latest dance tunes.
When the Big Apple craze hit Kansas recently, it found a dance hall already built to match it.
New York City • The Big Apple • 1970s-present: False Etymologies • (2) Comments • Wednesday, February 15, 2006 • Permalink
My parents met at the Big Apple Dance Hall in Wathena, Kansas. I have a fabulous picture of the place taken around 1935. May I email it to you?
Posted by Paula Grant on 05/24 at 01:24 AM
Nice article. My father in law who will be 94 this may worked at the Apple Orchard and frequented the Big Apple in Wathena KS. I have a large photo of the Apple which I have restored. If you have any interest in a photo of the APPLE let me know.
Paul Grant
Posted by Paul Grant on 03/21 at 08:19 PM
Page 1 of 1 pages


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Government-Sponsored Enterprises: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Today
by Amy Lillard
Aug 2, 2007 - We've all heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in various tones and across different topics. But who are they? How do they operate in the world of mortgages, money, and home ownership?How are they different from other banks and lenders? In a series of articles, we examine the good, the bad, and the curious about government-sponsored enterprises, otherwise known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the two government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) working to expand home ownership across the country. For several years now the housing market has been booming, due to increased opportunity through entities like the two GSEs, pricing, and other factors. But it began to cool in the last year, and felt major shockwaves from a crashing subprime market sector. The effects in the greater financing and real estate industries, and in the national economy are still being felt, and will be for some time.
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Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are now aiming to be part of the solution.
Subprime Primer
Subprime mortgages are those made to borrowers with credit scores that traditionally denoted a risk. Credit scores are awarded on a scale of 300-850. Prime borrowers are those with scores around and above 700. Those with scores below 620 have credit issues and are considered a risk by lenders.
On the basis of a strong and growing stronger housing market in the last few years, lenders began taking another look at potential borrowers with low credit scores. These "subprime" borrowers were offered home loans at higher interest rates than those paid by prime borrowers.
In 2005 the Federal Reserve began a series of 17 hikes in the short-term interest rate, rising from 1% to 5.25%. Most subprime loans are based on floating interest rates that change as the short-term interest rates change. From this series of hikes, then, many homeowners who received loans before or around this time are now facing 30-50% increases in their monthly payments.
The problem came to a head in March as late payments on U.S. mortgages reached their highest level in over three years, particularly in subprime markets. The news confirmed what many in the industry had known for months – the subprime market was struggling, even teetering on the precipice of a major fall. One of the largest subprime lenders, HSBC Holdings, announced early in February that bad debts in 2006 exceeded $10.5 billion in 2006. Dozens of smaller companies have been falling by the wayside everyday.
And for homeowners? The result is an increasing number of loan defaults and delinquencies. Depending on the source, subprime loans made up as much as 23% of the housing market in 2006.
Subprime Collapse
Many think tanks and organizations are predicting that the subprime collapse is only starting. The Center for Responsible Lending predicts that almost 20% of subprime mortgages originating in the last two years will end in foreclosure. Many more defaults and delinquencies will occur, as the first rate adjustment on adjustable-rate mortgages come due.
To stem the bleeding, four groups of banking regulators have proposed a guidance to restrict subprime mortgage loans. The guidance calls for lenders to impose tougher standards, and to research a true and accurate picture of the potential borrower's ability to repay a loan.
For Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the leaders in the secondary mortgage market and in the housing market overall, the time had come to make a significant move.
Follow the link to continue reading this article.
Government-Sponsored Enterprises: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Today, Part 2
Fannie Mae Eases Down Payment Requirement
Get the Updated and Improved Mortgage Rates App from ERATE.com
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac new mortgage loan limits
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Today, Part 1
Jumbo Loans Get Little Help from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
New Rules for Fannie Mae Loans
Fannie Mae Homestay Program - Subprime Bailout?
What Does the Fannie and Freddie News Mean for You?
Bailout Required for Fannie and Freddie After All
Fannie-Freddie Bailout: What it Means for Taxpayers & Consumers
Fannie Mae's Work to House America
Trouble Hits GSE Giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
As the Bailout Bonanza Continues, Shouldn't Borrowers Participate Too?
The Next Chapter for Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
National Average Mortgage Rates
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4. Application of Chapter II to all future Acts.
5. Commencement of future Acts.
6. Making of rules and issue of orders between passing and Commencement of Act.
7. Provisions regulating the making of rules after previous publication.
8. Effect of repealing an Act.
8A. Effect of repeal of Act making textual amendment in previous Act.
9. Revival of repealed enactments.
10. Expressions used in rules, bye laws and orders to have same meaning as in Act under which they are made or issued.
11. Necessary extension of prescribed periods.
12. Application of Chapter III to all Acts.
13. When powers and duties to be exercised and performed.
14. Exercise of power and performance of duty by temporary holder of office.
15. Revocation and alteration of rules, bye laws and orders.
16. Duty leviable pro rata.
17. Mode of conferring powers and imposing duties.
18. References to provisions in Acts repealed and re-enacted.
20. Punishment for offences under more than one enactment.
21. Publication of orders and notifications in the Official Gazette.
22. Determination of the times at which Acts or provisions of Acts extended or applied by Government to certain places shall come into force.
23. Application of Act to Regulations and Ordinances.
Substituted for the original short title by the 1st Schedule, Act 9 of 1961.
Received the assent of the Governor on 3-4-1891 and of the Governor General on 14-5-1891.
An Act for further shortening the language used in [certain Acts of the State of Andhra Pradesh] and for other purposes.
(b) Commencement:. - It shall come into force on the first day of January, 1892.
2. Saving clause:. - Notwithstanding anything contained in [the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) General Clauses Act, 1867], the provisions of that Act shall not apply to this Act or to any [Act of the State of Andhra Pradesh] which may be passed subsequent to the commencement of this Act.
(38) "Year" and "month" shall, respectively, mean a year and month reckoned according to the Biritsh calendar.
4. Application of Chapter II to all future Acts:. - This Chapter shall apply to all [Acts of the State of Andhra Pradesh] made after the commencement of this Act, unless a contrary intention appears in such Acts.
6. Making of rules and issue of orders between passing and Commencement of Act:. - Where, by an Act to which this Chapter applies and which is not to come into force immediately on the passing thereof, a power is conferred on Government or other authority to make rules, or to issue orders, with respect to the application of the Act, or with respect to the appointment of any officer thereunder, such power may be exercised at any time after the passing of the Act but rules or orders so made or issued shall not take effect till the commencement of the Act.
(e) Publication to be proof of due making of rules:. - The publication in the [Official Gazette] of a rule purporting to have been made in exercise of a power to make rule after previous publication, shall be conclusive proof that the rule has been duly made.
(f) affect any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, fine, penalty, forfeiture or punishment as aforesaid; and any such investigation, legal proceeding or remedy may be instituted, continued or enforced, and any such fine, penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be imposed as if the repealing Act had not been passed.
(f) Application of a Law to persons for time being filling an office:. - For the purpose of indicating the application of a law to every person or number of persons for the time being executing the functions of an office, it shall be sufficient to mention the official title of the officer at present executing such functions, or that of the officer by whom the functions are commonly executed.
10. Expressions used in rules, bye laws and orders to have same meaning as in Act under which they are made or issued:. - Where an Act, to which this Chapter applies, confers power to make rules or bye laws or to issue orders, expressions used in such rules, bye laws or orders, have the same respective meanings as in the Act conferring the power.
11. Necessary extension of prescribed periods:. - Where, by an Act to which this Chapter applies, any act or proceeding is directed or allowed to be done or taken in a Court or office on a certain day or within a prescribed period, then, if the Court or office is closed on that day or the last day of the prescribed period, the act or proceedings shall be considered as done or taken in due time if it is done or taken on the next day afterwards on which the Court or office is open.
This Section does not apply to any act or proceeding to which [the Indian Limitation Act, 1908] applies.
General Provisions Applicable to all Acts.
12. Application of Chapter III to all Acts:. - This Chapter shall apply to all [Acts of the State of Andhra Pradesh] unless a contrary intention appears in any such Act, but it shall not affect anything done or commenced prior to the commencement of this Act under any enactment now in force.
13. When powers and duties to be exercised and performed:. - Where an Act confers a power or imposes a duty, then the power may be exercised and the duty shall be performed from time to time as occasion requires.
14. Exercise of power and performance of duty by temporary holder of office:. - Where an Act confers a power or imposes a duty on the holder of an office, as such, then the power may be exercised and the duty shall be performed by the holder for the time being of the office.
15. Revocation and alteration of rules, bye laws and orders:. - Where an Act confers a power to make any rules or bye laws, or to issue orders, the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like consent and conditions, if any, to rescind, revoke, amend or vary the rules, bye laws or orders.
16. Duty leviable pro rata:. - Whenever by an Act any duty of customs or excise or in the nature thereof is leviable on any given quantity, by weight, measure or value, of any goods or merchandise, a like duty shall be leviable according to the same rate on any greater or less quantity.
17. Mode of conferring powers and imposing duties:. - Whenever by an Act authority is given to confer powers or impose duties, such powers may be conferred or duties imposed by name or by office or on classes of officials generally by their official titles.
18. References to provisions in Acts repealed and re-enacted:. - Where an Act repeals and re-enacts,with or without modification, all or any of the provisions of a former Act, references in any other Act to the provisions so repealed shall be construed as references to the provisions so re-enacted, and if notifications have been published, proclamations or certificates issued, powers conferred, forms prescribed, local limits defined, offices established, orders, rules and appointments made, engagements entered into, licences or permits granted, and other things duly done, under the provisions so repealed, the same shall be deemed, so far as the same are consistent with the provisions so re-enacted, to have been respectively published, issued, conferred, prescribed, defined, established, made, entered into, granted or done under the provisions so re-enacted.
19. Recovery of fines:. - The provisions of Sections 63, 68, 69 and 70 of the Indian Penal Code shall apply to all fines imposed under the authority of any Act.
20. Punishment for offences under more than one enactment:. - Where an act or omission constitutes an offence under two or more enactments, the offender shall be liable to be prosecuted and punished under either or any of those enactments, but shall not be liable to be punished twice for the same act or omission.
Proviso:. - Provided that no order postponing the time at which an Act or provision shall come into force, or cancelling an order for extending or applying the same, shall be made after the Act or provision has actually come into force in the place or portion of the [State] to which such order relates.
(b) in relation to any Ordinance promulgated by the Governor under Article 213 of the Constitution or any Regulation made by him under paragraph 5 of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, in like manner as they apply in relation to [the Acts] made by the State Legislature.


The National Museum of Japanese History (NMJH, popularly known in Japanese as Rekihaku) is a museum on Japanese history located in Sakura, Chiba, Japan. This museum is currently conducting its core research, "Constructing Integrated Studies on Cultural and Research Resources" by developing a comprehensive digital network of Japanese historical resources. This project enables access to data in universities and museums across Japan through interdisciplinary studies in the humanities and sciences using information infrastructure. This digital network includes links to relevant information and the search results can display advanced information globally. It will be launched in 2017.
This paper illustrates NMJH's digitalized, open resource information, indicating the range of those available in this project. Our emerging application is also demonstrated. This system uses Linked Data and International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF). These international standards enable our system to operate with other systems globally. Here we display the new digital network, accessing data in Japanese universities and museums worldwide.


Opt in: Your local credit union (following the results of a member referendum that you voted against) send all investors with savings accounts, including yourself, optional paperwork to fill out that -- should you choose to submit it -- will transfer half of your savings to effective charities (which can be expected to save several lives, without leaving you destitute). Might you be morally required to do so? How demanding would such a requirement be?
Opt out: Your local credit union (following the results of a member referendum that you voted against) send all investors with savings accounts, including yourself, notice that they will transfer half of your savings to effective charities (which can be expected to save several lives, without leaving you destitute), unless you file some paperwork to opt out of the scheme. Might you be morally required to refrain from opting out? How demanding would such a requirement be?
I want the main difference between the cases to be that "opting in" requires more willpower on your part than refraining from opting out does. So we can further stipulate that you really hate paperwork, and the thought of filling out forms fills you with dread. And although you'd rather keep the money yourself, you do feel some pull towards promoting the impartial good, so you're not horrified by the thought of losing half your savings to this end (even though you wouldn't go out of your way to bring it about). Now, it's important to be clear about the verdict I'm aiming for with this pair of cases: I'm not committed to the claim that you're required to refrain from opting-out while not being required to opt in. Rather, I'm just going for the comparative judgment that a requirement to opt-in seems more demanding than a requirement to refrain from opting out.
Does that verdict seem intuitively plausible to you? Is there a better way to present or tweak the cases to bring out this intuition? (E.g., does it also seem plausible that a requirement to opt in would be more demanding for an agent who really loathes paperwork than the same requirement would be for, say, a contented accountant?) Suggestions welcome!
This seems to me like a situation where the hypothetical is so far distant from the way things actually work that the results of the thought experiment don't tell us much. Even before we get to having to stipulate a fear of paperwork, credit unions just don't do the "opt out" sort of thing (and at least in the US I expect that it'd be highly illegal).
Anyway, my sense is that I'd be more likely to make the donations in the "opt in" case than the "opt out" case--the "opt out" case seems coercive enough that I think it'd be worth resisting on principle. I think it's OK for financial institutions to distribute charitable donation forms, but that they shouldn't be in the business of seizing their members' accounts, even for a good cause and even with an opt-out.
I do think that the mental burden model sounds promising! I just don't think that this hypothetical is a good way to get there.
Yeah, it's difficult to get a good pair of cases. Perhaps the better move is that suggested in the concluding parenthetical, i.e. hold fixed the situation but vary the psychology of the agent and see how that alters our judgments of demandingness?
Yeah, something along those lines would be simpler. (A minor complication is that the "dislike" factor is itself a minor hedonic cost, so would need to be compensated down the line to keep the cases equal in terms of their welfare effects. But that should be possible, I think.) Thanks for the suggestions!
The situation is... messed up.
I think a better option is the Amazon referral program. If you like, you can opt in to Amazon Smile and give a tiny bit of all your purchases to a charity that you choose. You can not opt-in, and nobody gets your referral dollars.
Opting in takes proactive effort and work. You have to sign in and fill out some virtual paperwork to get it all set up.
I think you could build a more productive example with this as the backbone. People are going to object to being robbed, which is we call it when someone takes your money without your permission, regardless of what they want to do with it.
Look into Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely in which he raises the case of organ donation.
In short, the US and many other countries have an opt-in system: check the box if you want to donate your organs after you die. The result is 10-25% participation, a waiting list for organs, people dying from the wait, expensive and only moderately effective advertising to try and convince people, as well as research into ethically questionable alternatives i.e. genetic engineering. Alternatively, some European countries have an opt-out question and there is 85-95% participation, no waiting list, and very few people dying for want of an organ.
Which question is ethical: "After death, do you want to give an organ to another?" or "After death, do you not want to give an organ to another?" And which question is a moral dilemma?
There are 100,000+ people in the U.S. on the waiting list and the majority of them will die. If 85% of Americans participated then the probability that your body would be used to give someone life is rare and if done then you have saved somebody despite being dead yourself.
The slight difference in wording creates a profound difference in effect and in the assumptions of society. What is our social contract? In both cases the individual has the option to give or not give, yet the burden of willpower is reversed and what is seemingly a difficult and arduous moral question becomes a simple ethical response: why would I not want to help another? In the opt-out situation we are neither coerced nor incentivized to help another, the difference is the question assumes you are a good person and you will do the right thing: nothing. It makes the right choice the easy choice.


"Step Aboard!" and take a trip back in time when wooden speed boats & flying fish ruled the waters surrounding Catalina Island… This vintage look sign features a yellow neon arrow showing you where to board this excusion. The fish seem to fly off of the sign as they head for open waters fleeing the bow searchlight. The Historic Avalon Casino can be seen in the background as well.


A completely natural, biodegradable, exfoliating sponge.
Replace synthetic shower scrubbies with this natural Loofah. Made from the Luffa plant, it is an organic and biodegradable sponge.
Regular exfoliation leaves skin looking radiant and healthy. This sponge works a treat on tough skin generally found on elbows and knees.
Wet sponge and rub in a circular motion. Use with or without soap.


text:
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  # Prevent CSRF attacks by raising an exception.
  # For APIs, you may want to use :null_session instead.
  protect_from_forgery with: :exception

  def current_coach
    @current_coach ||= Coach.find_by(id: session[:coach_id]) if session[:coach_id]
  end

  def current_client
    @current_client ||= Client.find_by(id: session[:client_id]) if session[:client_id]
  end

  def coach_logged_in?
    !!current_coach
  end

  def client_logged_in?
    !!current_client
  end

  def password_gen
    @pass = []
    sample_set = %w{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Q W E R T Y U I O P}
    5.times do
      @pass << sample_set.sample
    end
    return @pass.join("")
  end

  helper_method :current_coach, :current_client, :coach_logged_in?, :client_logged_in?, :password_gen
end


text:
Michelle Carlin
Michelle is an experienced leader and strategist who specialises in consumer behaviour, brand and marketing strategy and building high performance teams. She leads the customer and cultural experience at Argenti.
What have you learnt in the past five years?
That life never goes where you think it will. Sometimes everything is turned upside down and you have to use everything you've learnt to put it upright again.
What three traits define you?
Storyteller/coach, optimistic/generous, I am a philosopher/strategist (always seeing the bigger picture). And rule breaker, couldn't stick to three.
How do you define success?
When I wake up looking forward to the day ahead because I work with/live with/hang out with amazing people.....and get to travel the world.
"Imagination is more powerful than knowledge", Albert Einstein
A conversation with entrepreneur & businessman, Bernhard Hürzeler
Written by Jonathan Watcham
It's not hard to understand what drives entrepreneur, businessman and visionary, Bernhard Hürzeler. Over lunch in a sunny park near to one of his biggest clients, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bernie Hürzeler speaks about life, business, technology, society and his other major interest, paragliding.
Yes, paragliding. It's an adventure sport not for the faint-hearted, where a solo-pilot, launches on foot from the side of a mountain, flies free without an engine and uses air currents to lift and glide while suspended beneath a lightweight wing created from aluminium and fabric. It sounds fascinating, scary and quite intoxicating.
It's also one of Bernie's enduring passions. That coupled with kite surfing, it brings him alive. His face becomes animated, and his eyes shine as he shows you a recent video he shot, while soaring high above the cliffs near Stanwell Tops, just south of Sydney.
It's like a special form of meditation
Bernie describes paragliding as both a sport and a special form of meditation. It takes total focus and involves a pleasurable sensory overload that means three hours of flying will go by in what seems like just minutes. "It's great for clearing the mind and for dealing with stress," he says. "I always feel renewed and I do it as often as I can."
To the casual observer, Bernie looks fit, motivated and energetic. Dressed in a sailing jacket and trainers, he says he is now working on one of the biggest consulting projects his company has ever undertaken. And it will require a clear head and total focus to help Commonwealth Bank (CBA) modernise and integrate its IT systems.
In his conversation, he uses words like 'passion, intelligence and authenticity'. That is what he looks for in his team. "You need passion and intelligence," he says, "the two go together. If you have those two characteristics, then authenticity is a natural result."
Technology and the IT sector is not just for technicians and scientists, he adds. "We need people who are passionate, willing to keep educating themselves and able to try things to find answers for our clients. We also need people who know their limits and know when to look for and call in extra resources to help them. That's authenticity in action."
Another word Bernie often uses, is 'professional'. He wants people working in IT to see themselves as professionals – in a complex, challenging and ever-changing IT world. It's not just a job, he stresses. It requires persistence, patience and thinking. Also, a willingness to seek and find solutions, and look for opportunities to reshape a client's business.
We need to be able to solve problems for clients – before they even know they have them…
That's what ICM does best, he says. That's what he encourages his people to strive for with their customers and clients. He wants them to stretch themselves, take responsibility and solve problems, as he says, "…before they even know they have them."
The Swiss-born businessman is now Chairman of ICM, soon to be rebranded ARGENTI. He founded ICM in 1997 and since then it has grown steadily, taking on bigger and more complex projects. Like a recent multi-platform APT integration project for the State Library of New South Wales, in Sydney. Here the ICM/ARGENTI team worked alongside other partners to create an integration gateway for the State Library, one of the largest information and data-collection agencies in the Southern Hemisphere.
An integration gateway allows various IT systems and platforms to interface and talk to each other. Which sounds simple, but it's a highly complex process. There's a lot of design thinking, development and coding. It's often made more complex by organisational layers and all the people and resources that need to be part of it and actively factored in.
That's where a lot of the exploring, planning and recognising potential problems comes in. In the early stages Bernie describes it as, "An abstract engagement – where you have to first explore and think through what has to be done in the project."
Now chief advisor, thinker and mentor to the team
The business has grown steadily and has now passed a milestone where it is moving into its next phase of expansion and focus. Bernie's role too has changed. He's now the chairman, with a board of directors and a CEO. The CEO, Simon Cheadle strategically manages and directs the business, while Bernie assumes the role of chief advisor, thinker and mentor to the team.
With his Swiss heritage, Bernie also speaks passionately about 'Swiss Principles' he has tried to imbibe in the business and will continue to do so. Principles such as precision, quality, creativity and innovation. "It's easy to talk about it," he says, "but it's something I've always tried to implement and follow in my businesses."
Long ago, as an engineering student in Switzerland, Bernie dreamed of owning a software company. He loves automation and the possibilities it creates for enhancing user experiences. Automation is something that clearly motivates and drives him. He loves what he calls the 'perfection of automation' – something that can help and benefit society, and make life easier and more accessible for everyone.
Bernie seems to be relishing his new role as chief motivator and mentor.
"We have great people," he says, "and we'll need more." Probably another 15 to 20 by the end of the year. Technology is constantly evolving, but the problems are often the same, he says – just more widespread and complex.
Our point of difference? Qualified, impartial assessment – coupled with great implementation.
When asked who else offers what the ARGENTI business does best, he thinks for a minute and then answers: "Not many do what we do. Vendors can provide advice and solutions. I think what we do best is offer highly qualified, impartial assessment. We are also great implementors."
"Bigger organisations like banks, government bodies and public organisations will always need solutions to integrate ever-evolving systems and they will need to make these platforms talk to each other. They will also need intelligent people to develop software applications and create ideas to help them leverage new technologies, and take advantage of global phenomena like Cloud engineering."
"That's what ARGENTI will always do best. We started out writing code, but now we also solve complex, multi-platform problems for big organisations," Bernie says. "And that's exciting."
"Whatever the challenges," he smiles, "we will be able to come up with answers."
With that he jumps up, packs away what's left of the lunch packages and heads back to work with the team at CBA. He's a man of passion and action …and clearly he loves a challenge.
© 2021 ARGENTI CLOUD


This recipe is an easy summer favorite and can be made with as much or as little prep time as you have! Check out our 3 marinade options depending on your time frame, and get the kids in the kitchen to help put the kebabs together. No matter which options you choose, this recipe is full of protein, vitamins, and fiber and is delicious too! Happy grilling!
Whatever veggies (or fruit- pineapples and peaches are excellent grilled) you have and love!
Medium: Make a quick Indian-style sauce- mix plain yogurt, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, and dried coriander, and slather onto skewers before cooking.
Fancy: If you have planned ahead, marinate your protein with citrus, honey, garlic, ginger and a little bit of soy sauce up to 24 hours before. This is particularly good if you're using tofu.
Heat up grill and place skewers on BBQ. For shrimp cook 3-5 minutes per side, for tofu cook 5-7 minutes per side, and for chicken cook 7-10 minutes per side and check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
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