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Archive for the month "January, 2021"
Kurama to Kibune
A short trip to the north of Kyoto brought me to one very angry face. As was often the case, the meaning was lost in translation, or rather there was no translation. Upon exiting the station at the small township of Kurama, I was met by a giant red head with a giant red nose, and was left a little bemused and bewildered by it. As unwelcoming as it seemed, Kurama was a lovely little quiet hamlet nestled among the trees and it was only a short walk around the corner to the entrance to the Kurama-dera temple where my hike was to begin. There had been several people get off the train with me with the same purpose in mind, but it didn't take long to feel quite alone here and that was just how I liked it.
I ignored the cable car, opting to walk the entire route, and early on the trail through the property led up the hillside. The various shrines were an unusual shade of orange, almost bordering on peach, and every few steps in the lower portion were wooden torii gates marking the entrances to prayer areas or the next part of the trail. Snaking up the hillside, I passed an unusual sculpture known as the Monument of 'Inochi' which was close to the path leading to where the cable car stops. Beyond here, a series of steps led up the next section of the mountainside, lined with pretty vermillion lanterns. Like every day before, it was so hot and once again I was sweating buckets as I made my way through the trees. As the altitude continued to gain, a few breaks in the trees started to offer a little view out across the nearby tree-covered hillsides. Kyoto was not that far away but it might as well have been, as it felt so utterly natural and secluded there out in the forest.
The views eventually started to include rolling mountain tops further away and as I reached the flatness of the grounds of the main part of the temple, a bird of prey was spotted circling above me. The buildings were once again a peach-hued orange colour and statues abounded across the grounds. It was peaceful here, the perfect place to build a place of prayer. I set off back into the forest again and came across a giant bell which encouraged a prayer and then a ringing of the bell. I am not religious but it is not difficult to be overwhelmed by the serenity of many religious sites, so whilst I do not pray, I made an affirmation and rang the bell, the low drone echoing out into the trees.
At the summit, a gnarl of tree roots could be walked amongst before the trail started to descend past more Buddhist temples, eventually leading me down to another hamlet, Kibune. This place was adorable, the old-style buildings so charming. At the far end was Kibune shrine, another impressive-looking building guarded by vermillion lanterns and torii gates. At the top part of the shrine, there was a waterway where for a small fee you could purchase a prediction, a fortune that would be revealed in the water. It was a novelty but I took part, the water revealing the Japanese lettering, and a QR-code that took me to an English translation. At the time of visiting in October 2019, it was a little depressing to read and I dismissed it out of my head, but during the first COVID lockdown of 2020, I happened across the screenshot I'd captured of the translation and was dumbfounded. My future prediction read: 'SICKNESS: Heavy sickness, have faith; DIRECTION: Fortune favours all to the south; TRAVEL: You should practice restraint; STUDY: You are advised to calm your mind and study; BUSINESS: It may suddenly get worse; MOVING RESIDENCE: Postpone your move'. 3 months after my return home from Japan, COVID emerged and within a couple of months it was a pandemic, my country was in lockdown, and my trip home to see my family in Scotland had been cancelled. We have been exceptionally fortunate in New Zealand, down here in the Southern Hemisphere, and have escaped the worst of the mismanagement and farce that has befallen other countries, but still, many businesses have had to fold. As a result of not being able to travel abroad for the foreseeable future, I made the decision to return to university and get a post-graduate qualification. I also decided to buy a house but have been unable to due to a surge in the market. It was rather spooky to re-find this fortune and read it again with everything that happened over the first half of 2020.
After grabbing an early lunch in a deserted eatery, I walked back through Kibune and followed the course of the Kibune river as it flowed downhill, eventually bringing me to the Kibuneguchi train station at the confluence of the Kibune and Anba rivers. A bit of transport-hopping brought me to Ginkakujicho where I followed the Philosopher's path (Tetsugaku no michi) south through the beautiful neighbourhoods. It skirted past many shrines, distinctive houses and some lovely artisan shops. There are simply so many temples and shrines around Japan, and with so many to visit, I had done some reading to pick a few that would hold my attention. Despite the heat, I followed the path for some distance before eventually arriving at Eikando Temple.
It was early autumn so there was the very start of some autumnal colours as I wandered round the grounds. At the back of the complex, some steps led up to a building from which there was a view across the rooftops of the nearby suburbs. The temple itself was simple and I was bemused by the sign warning about roaming monkeys, but it was the garden that captured my attention with a central group of ponds and a gorgeous butterfly that sunned itself on the stones at one end of the complex. As I walked around the ponds, I spotted a grey heron perched atop one of the trees, and with the sun casting down onto the water, the foliage was reflected on the still water. I'd seen photos of this place in full autumn changeover and can only imagine how stunning the place would have been in a few more weeks.
South from here was the grand Nanzenji Temple and the nearby Suirokaku water bridge. The crowds here were notable and the various trails around the concourse, as well as into the surrounding forest were busy with people posing for photos at every turn. The water bridge was impressive and so unexpected and the forest was lush but a little oppressive in the heat. Trails led up into the mountains but I went as far as a small waterfall before returning. Back in the temple grounds I went up to the viewing platform above the entrance gate where there was a view over the nearby temple and suburbs. The sun was already dropping low and I was keen to move on to my next destination before it got dark.
The sun was really low by the time I made it up to the viewing deck of the Kyoto Tower. The space here was cramped and the crowds increased as the sun set making for a rather unpleasant experience being shoved and squashed or blocked from being able to see as the light changed and the city lights came on. Compared to Tokyo, Kyoto is compact but it's surrounded by mountains making for a beautiful setting. With the tower next to Kyoto station, I could watch the shinkansen come and go, zooming through the city as they left and entered. The crowds within the tower got no better so once the lights had gone out of the sky and it was fully dark, I headed down through the market at the base and into the station in search of dinner.
There was a light display on the steps as I headed up to one of the food courts where I squeezed into a small space inside a ramen house for some delicious food. Afterwards, I joined the gathering crowds at the bottom of the steps to watch the display which moved through Hallowe'en-themed images, traditional images, and tourist adverts as people ran up and down, posing for photos. I stayed through several cycles, enjoying the atmosphere before my weary legs dragged me back to my ryokan and a much-needed lie down.
Posted in Asia, Travel and tagged hiking, Japan, Kibune, Kurama, Kyoto, shrine, temple, tramping
A Walking Tour of Kyoto
It's always hard to get your bearings when you arrive in a new place in darkness. By the time I arrived in Kyoto following my day hiking the Nakasendo, it was night time and with the early sunset, I had stepped out of Kyoto's main train station into the dark of the night and almost immediately been faced with the bright glow of the Kyoto tower. As with Nagoya the night before, I had booked my accommodation at a place that on a map looked close enough, but in reality with my 10kg backpack on my back and tired legs, was further away than I'd wished for. Again I felt like I was disappearing into a non-descript part of the city but after 10 minutes I finally arrived at the cute little ryokan that was to be my home for the next few nights. After settling into my morgue-like hole in the wall where my mattress was, I headed out to get a much needed dinner. I was able to grab the last spot in a hip-looking bar-restaurant and asked for the chef's recommendation. Out popped a plate of tasting skewers which I followed up with some Japanese style nachos. Satiated and tired, I headed back for a much-needed sleep ahead of a full day in the city.
I awoke to a bustling Kyoto and made my way to Kyoto station to jump on the JR line to Inari. The packed train should have given it away but when I reached my stop, there was a swarm of people on the platform making their way outside. I had read that it was best to get here early to beat the crowds but I had needed my sleep, so even although it was just after 9am, the place was mobbed. And with good reason. Fushimi Inari-Taisha is one of Kyoto's most famous and most visited sights. I'd seen hundreds of photos of the famous vermillion torii gates that the place is famous for, but hadn't really appreciated the extent of the place. Up an initial walkway, I was presented with a huge multi-story vermillion shrine beyond which were more similarly-styled traditional buildings. I was surprised on looking at a map just past there to find that the torii gates actually snaked all the way up a mountain and down again. I wasn't completely sure that I had time to walk the entire route given everything else I wanted to see, especially as there was a queue just to get into the avenue of gates as so many people were already getting a head start on their Instagram photos by posing right at the entrance.
In the first avenue, walking was very much stop start as people kept abruptly stopping in front of you to pose for a photograph. The crowds here were a little irksome but thankfully the higher I went, the more the crowds dispersed. A decent proportion of the visitors were only walking the lower sections. In part this was because it had started to rain, and as I reached one of the level areas with one of the many shrines, the rain started bucketing down like a tropical storm and I was forced to wait under the tree foliage until it eased off a little. I still got quite wet climbing up to a lookout area where I could just make out the nearby suburbs of Kyoto through the mist. I'd already decided by this point that I was going to continue the whole loop, and as I continued to climb higher, eventually reaching the shrine at the summit, the gentle rain and the lack of people in this upper section meant it was a very peaceful place to be.
The trail plateaued for a little while, arcing round near the summit before starting a descent through another route. The drizzle continued as I walked but it was still a lovely place to walk through with the forest thicker and more natural on this side. There were also a few route options on the way down and I took a detour at one point to take a longer way down, eventually coming out at yet another shrine where I stopped for a matcha ice cream whilst watching some feral cats wander around. Finally the rain ceased and I was able to get out of my rain jacket which I was sweating in, and continue down the slope in a more comfortable fashion. Eventually circling back to the city view point I could see Kyoto a bit better now than I had on the way up so I paused a little to absorb the view.
I took an alternative route down, and at one of the lower shrines I bought a prayer cat, a small ceramic white cat that contained a prayer or fortune. There was a nice bonsai garden here, and after a brief look around, a short descent brought me to a side street with a cute little cafe where I stopped for a delicious lunch. Back through the main shrine at the bottom, I took a side street and found myself in a bustling market area where street vendors cooked fresh food and cute little shops sold all sorts of souvenirs. I was in heaven walking around shops full of Hello Kitty and Studio Ghibli souvenirs and the food looked and smelled delicious. Despite not being overly hungry, I bought a scrumptious sugary dough snack to indulge in as I walked around. By now a little after mid-day, it was time to head back to the city centre.
Kyoto station is a destination in itself. The building itself is grand but sticking only to the platforms misses the majority of its charms and nooks which are spread across the upper floors. From the main concourse I took the multi-leveled escalators up to the eastern end where there was a giant Lego version of the station and a few pieces of interactive artwork. The view out the window was straight across to the Kyoto Tower and nearby, a 'floating' walkway led all the way over to the western end of the station where the roof stopped and stairs led up to a rooftop garden and viewing area. It was still very overcast with the occasional drizzle stopping and starting but the architecture of the station building itself was the star of the show here with crazy arched roof sections and multiple levels leading down into the station proper.
North of the station and a relatively short walk past the Kyoto Tower was the Higashi-Honganji Temple. This huge brown temple was one of the biggest I'd seen so far in Japan and although a few coachloads appeared as I arrived, the concourse was so vast it didn't feel crowded in the slightest. Unfortunately the rain came back heavy again and I had to stand under the shelter by the cleansing fountain until it passed. This fountain was stunningly ornate and as is often the case, was in the form of a dragon. I'd already seen several dragon fountains on my travels but this one was the most beautiful. The temple itself didn't hold my attention for long so once the rain finally eased enough to move onwards, I left the grounds behind and followed the perimeter wall north and then west.
A few blocks over and across a main road was Ryukokuzan Hongan-Ji-Nishi-Hongan-Ji Temple, another huge and dark brown elongated building within another elaborate wall. I didn't stay here for long, just enough to take in the buildings and the grounds before heading north. I should have caught a bus, but I stubbornly opted to walk what turned out to be a rather long way with tired legs. I followed the side of the main road heading for Nijo Castle, but I got sidetracked by an enclosed market that spread for several blocks away from where I was heading. I found a delicious donut stall that sold creme brulee donuts, and enjoyed having a nosy at the shops and their wares as well as the various food stalls.
As it transpired, by the time I limped my way to Nijo castle which was another couple of blocks to the north, there was only half an hour until its rather early closure of 4pm, and I had just made it to gain the last entry slot of the day. A giant gold-guilded entry gate greeted me into the complex where the large exterior of the palace building stood dramatically in front of me. Inside, I walked the halls around the palace rooms, so very different to any European palace I'd ever visited. The pictures on the walls were intricate and exquisite, the styles varying dependent on the intended use or occupant for the room. Outside, the gardens looped past a series of ponds before crossing a broad moat to the Honmaru Palace which was sadly under industrial wraps as it was being restored. Within the compound though it was possible to climb up the tall and thick stone wall to get a raised view over the area. The masonry was incredible, the stonework tightly packed to form imposing defensive structures. Once across the moat once more, the trail circled back around the northern aspect of the premises, following the moat past a series of gardens to reach the entrance in time for closure.
The sun was getting low as I stepped out the station and made my way into the Gion district. I had a recommended walking route on my phone to catch the highlights, and I passed the little blue post office and distinctive facade of a large theatre before joining the immense crowds that were squeezing their way along the busy sidewalks. The main street was a mass of eateries and souvenir shops, with geisha-themed objects on display everywhere and people littering the margins taking photographs of everything and anything. It was an assault on the senses. I, like so many others, turned onto the historic street of Hanamikoji which was lined with traditional buildings. I eyed up the menus as I went, sussing out my dinner spot for later. Near the bottom end of the street was another huge and ornate theatre, beyond which I cut up another road to Yasui Konpiragu shrine where there is a large wishing stone, before heading back down and into the larger Kenninji temple. It was really beginning to darken now as I wandered round the grounds here. The sun had set and the remaining light was turning the sky purple. Little twinkling lights lit up a myriad of lanterns and the bugs began to come out.
Night brought a desire to eat, and I'd found the perfect place to circle back to where I had an awesome platter of yakatori, tempura and miso soup, all washed down with an Asahi beer. I love tempura and hadn't had much of it yet on my travels, so it was a nice change. Once full, it was time to brave the Gion crowds again as I headed back to the main street. I followed the canal for a while before sticking to the main street, popping into sweet shops to get some local delicacies for later. Finally I reached Yasaka shrine which even in the darkness was a very bright orange colour. The grounds were open to wander through even at night, and there were plenty of lanterns lighting up the place. I spotted the moon shining brightly above one of the buildings at the same time as a Japanese man did. I waited patiently as he got his wife to pose whilst he took some photographs of her standing next to the orange building below the moon. He approached me and asked if I could take a photo of both of them to which I agreed. He lined it up and asked me to replicate which I did and then I did my usual thing when I'm asked to take photos of people, which is to take a couple of extra ones framed differently so they have choice. But the minute I started to do this, the guy started yelling at me, complaining that it wasn't the view he wanted and insisting that I only took the framing he'd requested. I was both bemused and dumbfounded. I've never been told off before when doing a favour of playing photographer, and I sheepishly handed the camera back and waited for them to leave before I could take my own photos.
Despite my aching feet, I walked all the way back down Gion's main street and across the broad Kamo river to reach Poncho Alley. A back street filled with eateries, and more traditional buildings, it took only a few minutes to walk the length of it. As I had already eaten, there was little more to hold me here, so I decided it was time to head back to my ryokan. As I walked past the large shopping malls, I was tempted by a beautiful little patisserie, grabbing a delicious chocolate dessert to take back with me.
I was frustrated at how long it took for my bus to arrive. The transport system in Japan is generally faultless but my tired body just wanted to collapse in a heap. When finally it deposited me close to my accommodation and I dragged myself into the ryokan, it was over 12hrs since I'd left it that morning. Every single day of my time in Japan I'd walked so much. Even with exceptionally comfortable trainers, the heat and amount of walking was leaving me with swollen painful legs and feet that were barely better by the morning. As I lay my head on my mattress, the throbbing was intense, but yet again I had a full day of walking ahead of me the next day.
Posted in Asia, Travel and tagged Fushimi Inari Taisha, Gion, Japan, Kyoto, Kyoto station, shrine, temple
The Nakasendō
Japan's Nakasendō is an ancient route that leads inland between Tokyo and Kyoto, used during the Edo period (17th-19th C.). 中山道 in Japanese, the three symbols literally say central mountain route, and when I first read about this route, and in particular the section between the mountain villages of Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku, I knew that this was a must-do for me during my time in Japan. Away from city hubs, nestled quite far inland, I had originally planned on tackling this from Tokyo, but with research realised that it was much easier to get to from Nagoya. So having jumped off the Shinkansen there on route to Kyoto, I arose early to retrace my steps back to Nagoya train station and negotiate the rabbit warren that all major Japanese train stations are, to find a baggage locker to dump by backpack, and then the correct platform to take the train to Nakutsagawa in the Gifu prefecture.
It didn't take long to leave the city behind and for a large part of the nearly 1hr train trip I was riding through a mix of Japanese countryside and small settlements. Passing arable land and crossing rivers, eventually it pulled in to the small city of Nakatsugawa and outside the train station was the bus stand to catch the mountain bus to Magome and the start of the hike. A decent crowd waited for the bus and once on board it was a half an hour trip out the back of the city and up a winding mountain road. Eventually, I was at the beginning of what transpired to be my favourite hike and one of my favourite days in Japan. Magome was a cute little settlement full of traditional buildings and looking down over arable fields. The Nakasendō was originally serviced by sixty-nine stations or post-towns of which Magome is the 43rd and Tsumago the 42nd. Out here I felt so far away from the hubbub of city life and walking around the main streets I felt like I was in a classic Japanese story.
Up the initial slope and round the first corner I found a water wheel and a continuation of beautiful wooden buildings at the side of a brick pathway. With a little height I could start to see the surrounding mountain tops which were partially hidden by swirling clouds. Further along the road were little eateries and the local post office and as I passed the tourist information kiosk I was surprised to see a warning sign for bears. During my research for hikes in Japan, everything had suggested that bears were much further north and at no point had I expected to have to give them a thought on my trip, but suddenly it twigged why many of the locals I'd seen hiking on my previous hikes had had little bells attached to their backpacks. I've had such a sheltered hiking life. I have hiked in bear country before in the Rocky Mountains of Canada many moons ago, and I do keep a side eye out for snakes whenever I hike in Australia, but the vast majority of my hiking has been in New Zealand where nothing there wants to kill you and eat you, or in Scotland where all you have to do is a tick check at the end of the day. I felt a little unprepared to be in bear country but it was such a busy trail that I doubt there was ever one even close to me.
The trail through Magome led higher and higher past more and more cute little businesses until finally it reached a lookout. The post-town disappeared down the slope below me and I had a nice view across to the cloud-covered mountain tops, and from here at last, I was heading out into the relative wilderness for the nearly 8km walk to Tsumago over the mountain. Past arable fields and giant spiders, the stone trail led down then up and into the forest. When it broke out at a main road I saw a bell on a post which I soon discovered was a bear bell. There were enough people on the trail to make the use of it unnecessary and despite how much it would have been great to actually see a bear in the wild (safely), I took great enjoyment out of ringing every single bear bell on the trail (which considering there was one every half km or so, was a lot).
After a brief forest section, the trail again crossed the mountain road further along and I chuckled as I came across a sign welcoming walkers into somebody's garden whilst also suggesting it wasn't much to look at. I opted to skip the garden like everyone else that passed at the same time, and from here the trail cut through a small mountain village, with scattered homes across the hillside. At the far end was a small shrine, the entrance marked by a stone torii gate. Deeper into the forest and once more across the mountain road where the highest point on the trail was passed, a clearing in the forest revealed a large traditional building that on closer inspection was a tea house. The sign outside said it was free and I, like several other walkers, popped inside. It was dim and smoky and made me think of historic movies I'd seen. Over an open fireplace hung a large cauldron and a lovely man served us all green tea with the biggest smile and welcome.
The long forested section that followed was lovely, deep among tall trees and a babbling water course nearby. I continued to ring every bear bell I came across, but aside from the loud dong when I did so, there was only the occasional chatter from other people to break the silence. Eventually a side trail led downhill to a pair of waterfalls. Only a handful of people took the side trail, probably because it involved a climb back uphill to rejoin the main track, but whilst they weren't the biggest or grandest falls I'd ever seen, they were a welcome change of scenery. Back on the Nakasendō a small group of traditional houses passed by, followed by a large arable field before the path suddenly took a decent drop down in altitude, winding through the forest towards the road again. There was a brief spell of relative civilisation as the trail cut through another settlement with more traditional buildings and a water wheel turning as a stream flowed through to the main river nearby. A noodle shop where the road and trail came together was a popular snack stop but I pressed on.
Before I knew it I was in Tsumago-juku. Initially it didn't amount to much, but after following the trail a little while and crossing the now larger river, more and more people appeared as I reached a car park where buses had dumped coachloads of tourists. Suddenly I was in the hub of Tsumago and the street was bustling. The buildings were very similar to Magome and likewise it focused around one long main street, but the crowds here made it feel very different. I stopped for some ice cream and watched the World go by briefly, resting my feet as I did so before the last stage of the hike. Continuing onwards, there were so many pretty buildings and bonsai trees to look at and a few temples and shrines also. The background was dominated by a green covered mountain as I strolled through the street.
I'm not entirely sure where Tsumago ended, it just seemed to stretch on forever, the houses eventually petering out before the mountain road was crossed again. In order to get back to Nagoya, I had a train to catch, this time from Nagiso, the next town over. The trail cut back into the forest where I came across a side trail leading to the ruins of Tsumago castle. Immediately on taking it, I found myself on a raised path with bamboo canes sprouting up on one side and the main forest sloping off either side. My attention was suddenly caught by a crashing sound in the bushes to my left. I assumed it might be boar but hoped I might get a glimpse of a bear though no matter where or how I craned my neck to look, I saw nothing. When I reached the ruins on the mound at the far end of the earthen bridge, they weren't much to look at but there was an area with a break in the trees that afforded a view down onto Nagiso at the bottom of the hill. I continued to search the undergrowth as I followed the path back to the main trail and shortly after returning to the Nakasendō once more, I was suddenly alerted to something in the undergrowth and out popped a group of macaques. I wasn't quick enough to get a photograph as they disappeared into the trees almost as soon as they had come out of them.
The path gradually worked its way down the hill towards the back streets of Nagiso. The houses grew tighter and tighter together, until I reached a point where the remaining elevation offered a view across the rooftops of the main stretch of the town. A train engine stood on display nearby as the road cut down to follow the train line and lead me to the train station. It began to rain whilst I waited for the train to take me back to Nagoya but I even here there was a lovely view of the surrounding mountains. Eventually I saw the train come down the hill and finally I was on my way, arriving at length to pick up my luggage at the station and board the train to Kyoto.
Posted in Asia, Hiking, Travel and tagged Japan, Magome, Nagiso, Nakasendo, tramping, Tsumago


5.7 V8 10/2001 94,765 kms with log books and $14,000 worth of service receipts! Full leather. Museum quality, a future classic in waiting! Still on it's second set of factory correct Turanzas. Invest now and enjoy, nothing to spend.
Single Family Owner. Suit collector. Always Garaged. Lowest Kms VXII Calais in Australia.


Our national motto since the Civil War, "In God We Trust" has reminded Americans of our foundation in Biblical principles and our dependence on God for 155 years. The phrase "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance under President Dwight Eisenhower as one way to distinguish this nation from the atheism of communist countries. The federal House of Representatives reaffirmed our national motto and our dependence on God on November 1, 2011, by a vote of 396-9 with two abstentions. The non-binding resolution was sponsored by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Virginia) and supports and encourages the display of the motto in our public schools and government buildings.
With that in mind, CWA's emphasis on prayer seems especially appropriate in an era when atheists are trying so hard to remove God from our culture. Prayer is CWA's first operating principle and foundational to our work in public policy. Now is the time to pray more than ever, given the attacks on our First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, the exercise thereof, and of religious speech, including the right to pray in public.
CWA of Washington would like to recruit you for two of our programs. The first is the position of Prayer/Action Chapter Leader (PAL) or Home Team Captain. We have many Prayer/Action Chapters and Home Teams around the state, but there are areas where there are no Chapters or Home Teams. Prayer/Action Chapters are an opportunity to gather together monthly with other concerned citizens to share your concerns, to educate each other on the issues, to pray and to fellowship, encouraging one another in our faith. Some Prayer/Action Chapters gather simply to pray, others write letters to their representatives about issues, some invite speakers to educate them on current issues of concern in their area (e.g. bikini baristas). Home Team Captains send information on the issues out to the Home Team members via e-mail and may or may not meet occasionally. Please, won't you consider building a Chapter or Team in your area? You will be amazed at how many people would love to be more informed on issues dear to the Christian heart and which will influence our lives now and into the future. Please contact the state office by e-mail (director@washington.cwfa.org) or telephone (425-869-1923) for an application form or for more information.
The second program I want to encourage you to join is our Encourage-A-Legislator (EAL) campaign to adopt and pray for every one of our 147 state legislators. EAL will begin early this year since Gov. Gregoire has called for a special session beginning November 28. This will be a difficult and painful time dealing with the serious fiscal shortfall for our state government and nerves will be tested. Our legislators need our prayers which we ask you to say daily. Weekly postcards are then mailed to your adopted legislator. CWA of Washington provides the Scriptures or historic quotations as well as a prayer focus for you-you just write out the postcard and mail it in! The program will pick up again in January for the regular session, which this year is sixty days. Please seriously consider involvement in the EAL campaign so that our state is influenced by God. Wouldn't it be grand to see this liberal state become "one state under God"? Your prayers will make a difference because God's Word never returns void.
Also, would you please lift up prayers for Concerned Women for America of Washington and the other pro-family organizations in the state? We have our work cut out for us in the upcoming legislative session and need your prayers, support and engagement with us in order to win the battles into which God calls us. Please check our state website (http://wa.cwfa.org) and the national website (www.concernedwomen.org) for current information on events and issues. You may also donate or renew membership at http://wa.cwfa.org.


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Erik Stafford is an American economist currently the John A. Paulson Professor at Harvard Business School.

References

Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Harvard Business School faculty
American economists
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home » Blog » MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010
MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010
Posted By Saimatkong on Jul 29, 2010 | 1 comment
MTV World Stage is a global series that brings multi-genre talents with global relevance to an audience in over 550 million households. Recorded "live" at the most exclusive gigs, world renowned music festivals and unique concert locations from around the world, MTV World Stage is the "front row seat" for music lovers to experience the biggest artists on the globe without leaving the comfort of their sofas.
Yes! The most awaited concert is here! The MTV World Stage 2010 will be happening this Saturday @ Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach, Malaysia, are you ready to party?
MTV World Stage 2010 will be featuring Katy Perry, Tokio Hotel, Wonder Girls and our local boys Bunkface altogether to perform in the same night at Sunway Lagoon Resort in Malaysia!
Pop icon Katy Perry is well-known for louder than life performances in her eccentric outfits and of course, infectious pop songs. Katy's debut album One of The Boys hit the charts and went platinum in the UK, US and Australia, and double platinum in Canada. Over 5 million copies of the album have been sold with many smashing singles including "I Kissed A Girl," "Hot N Cold," "Thinking Of You" and "Waking Up In Vegas."
During the recent MTV Movie Awards 2010, Katy Perry performed her latest single "California Gurls." Stealing the show, Katy gave California a new theme song and a new sense of cool with her sparkling outfit and heart pumping dance moves. The single "California Gurls" has been No. 1 on Billboard Digital Songs for week of June 12, 2010 and is also now No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100. The song will be featured in her upcoming album Teenage Dream, slated for release on 24 August 2010 (in US and Canada) and 30 August 2010 (for the rest of the world).
Among the awards won by Katy include MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 for Best New Act; and in 2009 the BRIT Awards for International Female Artist, MTV Australian Music Awards for Best New Artist, NRJ Music Awards for International Album Of The Year and MTV VMAJ for Best New Artist In A Video.
Tokio Hotel, the biggest act to come out of Germany in 20 years, has gone a stunning 45x platinum and 65x gold, scored five No. 1 singles and three No. 1 albums. Their rocket to success launched in 2001 when Bill Kaulitz and his twin brother Tom – the band's hip-hop-tinged guitarist – formed the band along with bassist Georg Listing, and drummer Gustav Schaefer.
In 2005, they released their German debut album Schrei, including their worldwide hit single "Durch den Monsun (Monsoon)." since then they've caught on like wild fire and gained the attention of an entire generation. In France, the group's popularity exploded. They went from playing small club gigs for 500 to performing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for a crowd of 500,000 screaming fans phonetically belting out the words to Tokio Hotel's German hits. Soon after they made history by becoming the first German band to score a No. 1 hit on the Israeli radio charts and in 2007, Tokio Hotel received their first MTV Europe Music Award. Over the last few years, the four rock stars won almost anything a group could possibly win in Europe (a total of 36 awards) including two further MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Headliner (2008) and Best Group (2009). Even in the US, Tokio Hotel scored big time! They received an MTV Video Music Award in Los Angeles for Best New Artist (2008) and from South America they took home an incredible four MTV Latin Music Awards in 2008, amongst others in the categories Best International Newcomer and Best Song (Monsoon).
Tokio Hotel's current album Humanoid – including their hit singles "Automatic" and "World Behind My Wall" – topped the German charts right from day one and entered at No. 2 in the Billboard European Album Charts. To date, Tokio Hotel has sold more than 7 million records worldwide.
Asian pop sensation Wonder Girls are South Korea's girl group (made up of Sun, Yenny, Yubin, Lim and Sohee) who has become the very first Korean group from Asia to enter Billboard Hot 100 in 30 years. The Wonder Girls were introduced through the channel's programme called MTV Wonder Girls which was filmed and directed by MTV Korea. Debuted in 2007, the Wonder Girls became very popular with their songs "Tell Me," "So Hot" and "Nobody." The infectious hit "Nobody" peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 4 on Billboard Heatseekers Song, and No. 1 on Billboard 2009 Year-End Hot Singles Sales chart, which rose the girls to instant fame. "Nobody" sold over 32,000 albums, was downloaded over 30,000 times on the internet, and has over 13 million views to-date on across popular social media platforms.
With their rising success, Wonder Girls opened the U.S. leg of The Jonas Brothers World Tour last year (along with Honor Society and Jordin Sparks) for over 50 concerts in North America. From June 4 to July 20, 2010, Wonder Girls is having their their own U.S. tour concert called 'Wonder Girls World Tour'. Their accolades won in 2009 included Artist Of The Year at the Seoul Music Awards, Best Asia Artist Of The Year at MTV Style Gala in China and Group Of The Year at the 6th Annual Korean Music Awards.
Bunkface
Vocalist Sam, bass guitarist Youk and lead guitarist Paan are the young Klang lads who formed Bunkface in 2005. In only a year, they have won two Battle of the Bands organized by ROTTW and University Malaya respectively. Their first song "Silly Lily"was No. 1 on FLY FM's Campur Chart for an astounding 10 weeks in a row. The new indie rock band stormed on to the local scene when they swept 3 Shout! Awards – Rockstar, Breakout and Ultimate – last year. Bunkface then went on to win Most Popular Group/Duo award at Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2009. The band continues to gain accolades in 2010, winning an AVIMA award for Best Rock Vocalist. At the 2010 AIM17 Awards, they picked up Best Rock Song for "Situasi" and the Anugerah Kembara, an award which honors musicians who have taken their music beyond Malaysian shores. This unstoppable group recently released their first full-album Phobia Phoney in March. The local indie band's most popular songs include "Bunk Anthem," "Situasi," "Extravaganza," "Prom Queen" and "Revolusi."
Have you got your tickets yet? If not don't be too sad… =p Here, I will tell you how you can get / win tickets to this awesome MTV World Stage Live.
Want to know when you can win passes and get all the latest updates on MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2010? Follow MTVAsia on Twitter. If not you may try your luck to check who is selling this MTV World Stage Ticket here or you can also purchase your ticket here.
Want to join in the Twitter buzz? Hashtag your tweets with #worldstagemy and your tweets will appear in worldstage.mtvasia.com official page! Join MTV Asia Facebook page here.
See you 6pm at Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach 31st July 2010!
Emeryn
woohoo..i'm lucky that my colleague gave 2 to me! =D

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Part of the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA), designed to support reforms in countries in the process of joining the EU, IPA rural development programmes (IPARD) focuse on rural areas and the agri-food sectors of those countries.
aligning them with the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and EU standards.
IPARD also helps set up good governance for rural development.
The current candidate countries and beneficiaries are Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
For the period 2014-2020, the total indicative allocation for the IPARD programmes has been 1.1 billion EUR as follows: Albania- 39 million EUR, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 15 million EUR, Montenegro: 39 million EUR, Turkey: 801 million EUR. The actual amounts are decided annually in the EU budget procedure Each country also contributes through national public co-funding. The applicants also have to fund a share of the project.
Measure 9 Technical assistance supports training, analyses, programme monitoring, capacity building, rural development networks and preparation of Local Action Groups.
Each country presents their programmes to the European Commission for approval. Once approved, they are managed by national institutions and IPARD agencies. Those ensure the execution of the programmes and that funds are transferred to applicants. This contributes to build national institutions and governance in rural development.
Find more information on how to apply for funding in this other article.


As the manufacturing environment brightens, we are seeing a return to plant safety and productivity system upgrades. Let us survey your facility for paging coverage and clarity. We can rid you of under served areas, overly loud and garbled pages. All we need is a floor plan and the time to walk the floor. We will respond with a proposal of equipment and coverage parameters to make your company safer and with better communication.


Make-up by Bextacy!: Cosmopolitan Festival Glam!
Hey guys! So this is a look that I totally stole from Cosmopolitan Magazine! It was from a beauty feature that showcased simple but effective festival looks! This is a simple look, but it would be alot simpler if I actually owned a purple liner, and didn't have to use an eyeshadow. I also added false lashes on the outer corner for dramatic effect. Hope you like it!
I also need to try the Collection 2000 cream puff thingies!


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Access Bank Enters Into Definitive Agreement With Cavmont Capital
Access Bank Signs Definitive Agreement With Cavmont Bank Ltd
Following July 8, 2020 announcement, the Board of Access Bank Plc on Thursday said its subsidiary, Access Bank Limited (Zambia) has entered into a definitive agreement with Cavmont Capital Holdings Zambia regarding the acquisition of Cavemont Bank Ltd.
In the statement released through the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the bank said the proposed acquisition will position Access Bank as one of the top 10 banks in Zambia and improve the bank's momentum to advance its strategic objectives.
The bank said "This is a highly complementary transaction, combining ABZ's wholesale and trade finance capabilities with Cavmonth Bank's retail and commercial banking operations. Customers of the enlarged bank will benefit from greater security offered by what will be one of the most capitalised banks in Zambia with a more diversified product and service offering and a broader geographical footprint and infrastructure. The enlarged bank will be well-placed to participate in the long-term economic growth of Zambia, predicated on the country's vast reserves of natural resources and fast-growing young population."
The transaction agreement showed Access Bank Zambia will acquire the entire issued share capital, assets and liabilities of Cavmonth Bank while Capricorn Group Limited, majority shareholder of Cavmonth Capital Holdings, will invest around $16.5 million or ZMW300 million of preference shares into Access Bank Zambia.
According to the bank, the transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Speaking on the transaction, Herbert Wigwe, the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, said "Access Bank is focused on building the scale needed to become a leading bank in its key operating markets through leveraging the right partnerships. This transaction underscores our approach and is another stepping stone towards delivering on our strategic aspirations of becoming the World's Most Respected African Bank and Africa's Gateway to the World. It will strengthen our presence in Zambia, while furthering our footprint for growth in the COMESA region, Africa's largest free trade area.
"Over the years, we have worked hard to build a sustainable international bank of African origin that can expand the potential of businesses, support economic prosperity, facilitate trade and investment and extend the power of banking to millions of people who do not yet have the financial tools to achieve their dreams. This proposed transaction aligns with that strategy".
Thinus Prinsloo, Managing Director of Capricorn Group, also said: "Access Bank is an African banking group with an impressive growth trajectory and geographic reach across Africa and internationally. This transaction is an excellent strategic fit with Cavmont Bank's presence in Zambia and will strengthen the capital base from which to achieve long-term sustainable growth. Zambia is an economy with th potential that is poised for a robust recovery, and this combination best positions the combined bank to harness these opportunities".
Peet van der Walt, the Managing Director of Cavmont Bank, explained that: "Cavmont Bank's vision is to be a world-class bank, rated amongst the best in Zambia. This proposed merger with Access Bank Zambia accelerates our strategy and positions us as a top ten bank in the country. As a subsidiary of one of the largest banking groups in Africa, Access Bank Zambia has the scale, capabilities and ambition to enable the combined bank to pursue exciting strategic opportunities in Zambia.
"Our customers will benefit from greater security offered by one of the most capitalised banks in the country, increased scale in Zambia, access to a broader digital and retail offering, and a geographic network across the continent. We look forward to working closely with Access Bank to deliver the benefits of the merger to all the stakeholders." Shareholders should note that the cautionary announcement dated July 8, 2020 is hereby withdrawn and shareholders are no longer required to exercise caution when dealing in the group's shares in relation to the potential transaction."
9mobile Joins MTN, Launches E-Sim Service
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Access Bank Completes Acquisition of Cavmont Bank Limited in Zambia
Tunde Thomas: FCMB Commences Review Into Allegations of Unethical Behavior Against MD Nuru
Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe Takes Over as Fidelity Bank CEO
CBN Policy, Macroeconomic Challenges to Pressure Banks in 2021
Banks to Experience Severe Credit Losses in Late 2021 – Mckinsey & Company
Military Storms Bobi Wine House After He Rejects Election Results
Naira1 hour ago
Government2 hours ago
Heartbroken American Mistress Displays Dangote's Buttocks in a Viral Video


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We've put jordan in return wants years NYSJ michael
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Bears QB Nick Foles: 'There custom basketball uniforms never a discussion about opting out' Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles was never opting out of the 2020 NFL season regardless of what some internet sleuths had to say on the matter.
New England Patriots NFL $4B 8.
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Malik is ready to move forward.
The $15 million hard court ATP Cup event is similar to the FIFA World Cup, matching 24 nations and their respective top players against each other in an elimination tournament.
Ten, 20 points.
Bryant will be the focus of a global ad campaign scheduled to break during the first quarter of 2011 in the U.S.
in addition, during its inaugural season on Twitter, the WNBA averaged 613 unique viewers per game.
Katelyn Ohashi By Barry Janoff The upcoming U.S.
In that weekend, LeBron took the toughest assignment in both games.
In addition, the new partnership will provide both airlines' frequent flier members the opportunity to obtain special PGA Tour-related benefits, including unique PGA Tour player experiences; perks at PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour tournaments; and private and semi-private hospitality areas at select tournaments.
Guard Rodger Saffold and slot receiver Adam Humphries upgrade the attack, while the signing of veteran defensive end Cameron Wake should still pay dividends on the other side of the ball.
THE SITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE DELIVERED ON AN AS-IS AND AS-AVAILABLE BASIS.
Alonso and Toyota team-mates Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi were on course to clinch the overall WEC crown with second place into the penultimate hour of the prestigious Le Mans race, but a double puncture for the long-time leading sister car, shared between Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez, swung the race in their favour.
If a counter-notice is received by the Designated Agent, we may, at our discretion, send a copy of the counter-notice to the original complaining party informing that person that we may reinstate the removed content or cease disabling it in 10 business days.
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With: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Abe Vigoda, Dan Hedaya, Barry McGovern, Ossie Davis
Written by: John Patrick Shanley
Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
MPAA Rating: PG
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Playwright John Patrick Shanley made his movie directing debut with this defiantly strange, totally under-appreciated, yet completely wonderful romantic comedy. The movie's design is astounding, beginning with a buzzing, miserable office setting and heading quickly toward a multicolored tropical paradise. Tom Hanks stars as Joe, who works a soul-sucking job and learns he is dying of a "brain cloud." He agrees to be the human sacrifice for an island of volcano worshippers, granting them another century of peace; Abe Vigoda playing the island chief is one of my favorite things in the world. Joe's decision is financed by a wealthy industrialist (Lloyd Bridges) who wants mining rights on the island. On the way there, he meets three women, all played by Meg Ryan (arguably her best role), in very different ways. Shanley's visual rhythms match his weird, warm dialogue; he seems to be a natural-born filmmaker. Sadly, in the 25 years since, he has only made one other film, Doubt (which proves my point). The movie was met with confused and indifferent responses, but maybe if they saw it in Hawaii, as I did, they would have loved it as much as I did, and still do.


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Blog / Performers
Paul Byrom – raising money for a PBS special
by Guest writer · Published 16/10/2012 · Updated 20/05/2013
Paul Byrom
Former Celtic Thunder star Paul Byrom is set to launch the next chapter of his solo career.
He's inviting fans to help him along the way as he raises funds for a PBS Music Special – the kind of American TV spectacular that helped launch Celtic Thunder and numerous other acts.
Byrom enjoyed great success with Celtic Thunder and performed for hundreds of thousands of people across the world, including President Barack Obama. After three years with the group, he decided the time was right to resume his solo career.
He was grateful for the fantastic success he had enjoyed with Celtic Thunder but wanted to branch out and see if he could recreate that success on his own.
PBS helped launch Celtic Thunder & Celtic Woman
He's built up a loyal fan base since going solo but in order to reach out to more people, he says he needs to do a show on the PBS channel in the United States. This would help introduce him to a whole new audience.
The careers of both Celtic Thunder and Celtic Woman took off after appearing in PBS specials.
However, PBS has had a number of funding cuts over recent years and in order to appear on the station, Byrom needs to raise $50,000 to bring the show to air. The money is to pay the production costs including pre-production planning, set design, studio and equipment rental, to filming, musician fees, engineering, mastering, mixing and distribution.
Without the backing of a major label, he is looking to raise the money through the kick starter website. Kick starter is a site that allows people to make donations to support their favourite artists.
Imagine Byrom in concert at your house
Speaking on his website, Byrom said: "I'm asking you today to possibly help me. Every dollar you donate will be hugely appreciated and will go an awful long way in what I hope will be a very successful career for me."
Fans who pledge money to the cause will be able to claim various exclusive pledge incentives depending on the amount of money they donate. For example, for a $25 donation a fan would receive an exclusive signed photograph and a personal message of thanks on Facebook and Twitter.
For a $10,000 pledge, Byrom would come to your house to perform an hour long concert. He would stay after the concert to chat with the guests.
There are plenty of other incentives including personalised video greetings for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries for a $100 donation.
For more information on how you can make a donation and the different exclusive pledge incentives you will receive visit Paul Byrom's Kickstart page.
Singing Cork barman has fans across the world - a video of the Irish music loving barman singing while he poured a pint went viral as people became enchanted by his easy going style and great voice. Check out his video.
Irish people warned about the 'Celtic curse' - a potentially deadly blood condition, that harms the liver, heart and pancreas, has been labelled the 'Celtic Curse' because more people in Ireland are prone to it than people from other countries. Find out more.
'Irish giant' Tom Crean was one of the bravest and toughest explorers of the early part of the 20th century. Thanks to his positivity and faith, he managed to not only survive horrific conditions but also save the lives of his colleagues. Find out more.
Audition for exciting new Irish musical
by Michael Kehoe · Published 16/06/2014
by Michael Kehoe · Published 13/02/2019 · Last modified 30/11/2019
Justin Timberlake's Auld Triangle splits the fans
by Patrick Kehoe · Published 14/11/2013 · Last modified 03/12/2013
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Time Stamps
"Update" Girl(s) of the Week
The Man, the Myth, the "Hawk"
Today (11/22/13) is the 50th Anniversary of one of the biggest tragedies in United States history the assassnation of our 35th President, John F. Kennedy. People who were around, and old enough to remember the news can remember vividly where they were, or what they were doing when they heard the news. For example my mom will tell the story of her hearing the news over the loudspeaker in her high school typing class.
J.F.K.
I wasn't born yet when the J.F.K. assassination occurred, but I can remember where I was when other major News events broke… the assassination attempts on Pope John Paul II, and President Ronald Reagan, as well as the Challenger exploding… just to name a few.
Challenger 1/26/1986
Since my articles mainly deal with sports, I wanted to incorporate remembering major sporting events, since they also play huge roles in our lives, and create their own "time stamps" in our minds. I remember where I was when Doug Flutie threw the "Hail Mary" in the Orange Bowl, and the US Hockey Team beat the Russians in the Olympics at Lake Placid, as well as other major sporting events throughout the years.
Before all of those events, there was my first…it occurred on October 18th, 1977, the night Reggie Jackson became "Mr. October."
Reggie Jackson 1977 World Series
I was 9 years old, my family and I were at my Aunt and Uncle's for my Cousin Jeff's 6th birthday. Between singing "Happy Birthday," watching the opening of presents, eating cake and ice cream, we were watching the World Series on ABC. It was also my first year in little league, and all I did was eat, drink, and sleep baseball. The home town Milwaukee Brewers were my team…but baseball is baseball and it was on T.V., so I was all over it.
I remember watching the game unravel with my dad, and rest of the male relatives. Nothing seemed different, or special until my dad said as we were stood there (with my right hand to God) "Reggie is going to hit number 3 right here…watch." Ten seconds later on the first pitch from Charlie Hough in the bottom of the 8th Jackson went yard for his third home run of the night!
Mr. October is born vs. Charlie Hough
Reggie hit three bombs, off of three first pitches, from three different pitchers. Yankees won game 6 of the 1977 World Series over the L.A. Dodgers, 4 games to 2. Reggie Jackson became "Mr. October," was named the Series MVP, got a candy bar named after him…and I got one of my fondest and first baseball memories via electronic media.
"Reggie…Reggie…Reggie…"
I'm curious what is your first sports media delivered memory?
This entry was posted in Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, sports and tagged 1977 World Series, 1980 Olympics, Challeger, J.F.K., JFK 50th Anniversary, Reggie Jackson, Ronald Reagan. Bookmark the permalink.
2 thoughts on "Time Stamps"
fred kopp says:
2…no 3. johnny logan (shortstop milwaukee braves….my idol) 9 base hits in a row. joe Adcock (1st baseman Milwaukee braves) hits 4 home runs and a double in one game. then Milwaukee braves take game 7 vs new York yankees to win 1957 world series. I listened to so many of those games including the Adcock game and game 7.
bigbuck says:
Mine was listening to the Brewers game on Easter 1987 in the car with my dad and brother while we were visting my other brother at Northwestern University. The Brewers trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the 9th and one out, Rob Deer blasted a 3-run homer to tie it at 4-4. Three batters later Dale Sveum launched a 2-run homer that gave the Brewers a 6-4 victory and a 12-0 start to the season. I also went a few of those games during the 13 game win streak.


The web mapping application developed as part of this work will provide a user-friendly resource to view and download spatial social and economic datasets produced by researchers in SEGS. Our research activities included an external workshop held in Edinburgh on the 3rd October 2016 ("Exploring online mapping applications for socio-economic data: their use and impact"), which explored the needs and preferences of professional end users with regards to online mapping. In addition, three mini-workshops were held with social, natural and computer scientists at the James Hutton Institute in order to explore the "Greener" objective in Scottish policy, and its quantification and measurement for small geographical areas.
Included below are downloadable reports and other project outputs. For further information on this work, please contact the investigators Jonathan Hopkins or Andrew Copus.
Infographics for the SEP Index values and Strategic Objective scores for data zones in rural areas and small towns. These include graphs which show average values/scores for different regions, based on the 8-fold version of the Scottish Government's Urban Rural Classification. (Please note that the analysis in the final report used the 6-fold version of this classification, and the Executive Summary does not therefore distinguish between "remote" and "very remote" types of rural area and small town).
This project was funded by the Macaulay Development Trust.


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Involved | Inspired | Invested
Home > Links & Resources
Youth Development Institute
The Youth Development Institute "supports the growth and development of young people by strengthening the quality and increasing the availability of experiences offered by the organizations that serve them."
New York City Department of Youth and Community Development
This city agency works with community based organizations to provide structured programs for youth and families during out-of-school-time hours.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Founded in 1948, the mission of the Annie E. Casey Foundation is "to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families."
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
The statewide agency responsible for foster care and adoption programs, juvenile justice, child welfare, and a range of daycare and early childhood education programming.
New York City Administration for Children's Services
New York City's child welfare agency, working to protect children and youth from abuse and neglect. With its community partners, ACS provides neighborhood-based services to help ensure children grow up in safe, permanent homes with strong families.
How 2 New York Schools Became Models for Coping in a Pandemic
NYC vows to provide child care for 100K families to ease burden of part-time school schedules
Most NYC students will go to school 1, 2, or 3 days a week this fall. But key reopening details remain scarce.
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Fibergalss plain woven Insect Screen is made of glass fiber and used on windows and doors to against insects. This fiber glass insect screen allows aire and light to pass very easily and washable.
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Aglais lucida är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Fritsch 1913. Aglais lucida ingår i släktet Aglais och familjen praktfjärilar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

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lucida


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MexicoNews
Parrot Raises US$9.5 Million; Seeks To Digitize Restaurants in Mexico
Mexican startup offers software to centralize all restaurant operations on a single platform, and reduce the margin of errors and losses
Sandra Perez
The global experience over the last two years has shown us that one necessity is the digitalization of the restaurant industry. It is in this context that Parrot, a startup from Monterrey, Nuevo León, emerged. They are offering software services to exactly this sector.
Parrot has just raised a Series A financing round of US$9.5 million. The series was led by F Prime Capital, according to Crunchbase, with whom the startup has already raised a total of US$11.7 million. The funding will be used to further develop its ParrotConnect platform, and continue expanding in Mexico.
Parrot Wants To Reduce Order Errors
The pandemic caused many restaurants to enter into crisis. In fact, by the end of 2020 – the year that saw the most critical point for the industry – around 90,000 restaurants closed in the country, according to the Cámara Nacional de la Industria de Restaurantes y Alimentos Condimentados (Canirac).
Those that survived had to modify their business or operating model. Some of the most common implementations were to build websites or digital solutions so that their customers could buy online; expand the number of delivery drivers; and, of course, rely on delivery platforms, said Deloitte Mexico.
While many of these businesses work with the most popular food delivery services, Roberto Cebrian, co-founder of Parrot, told TechCrunch that there are often connectivity issues and menu errors. This has led to 10% to 15% of orders being incorrect and having delays.
The solution ParrotConnect brings to the table (sic) is to centralize all the operations that restaurants have fragmented on a single platform. These include services per-diner, online ordering, menus, kitchen management, payments and even reporting.
There are around 581,530 restaurants in the country, according to the report Conociendo la industria restaurantera by Canirac and INEGI. Of this figure, Parrot is already working with 500.
Parrot is just one of the companies that has seen this need among restaurants and proposed software solutions. Other players include Brazil's Zak, which optimizes delivery and payment operations.
There is also the newcomer to Latin America from Spain, Katoo, which allows restaurants to have better control and communication with their suppliers.
The company, founded by Roberto Cebrián and David Villarreal, started operating with 10 employees in 2021. And now, it already has 60 people on the team. It also has a presence in Monterrey, Mexico City, and the Riviera Maya.
You may also be interested in: Last-mile revolution: The restaurants taking on the delivery establishment
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Q: How to pass data on click to modal's backdrop to receive in onDidDismiss callback function? Ionic 3 Angular 6 How do I can pass data to modal's onDidDismiss by clicking on modal's backdrop?

A: After some research, I cannot found the answer for title's question. So I will post here how I did resolve this problem and received modal's data on onDidDismiss function on modal's invoker page:
On the caller page:

@IonicPage()
@Component({...})
export class ExamplePage {

  constructor(...){...}

  private _showModal() {

    let modal = this._modalCtrl.create(
      'ModalPage',
      {...},
      {
        showBackdrop: true,
        enableBackdropDismiss: false,
      });
    modal.present();

    modal.onDidDismiss((res)=>{
      console.log("_showModal.modal.onDidDismiss: ", res);
    });

  }

}

And on modal's page:

@IonicPage()
@Component({...})
export class ModalPage{

  constructor(...){...}

  ionViewDidLoad() {
    let _modal = this._elRef.nativeElement;

    while (_modal.tagName != "ION-MODAL") {
      _modal = _modal.parentNode;
    }

    let _unlistenBackdrop = this._renderer.listen(_modal.querySelector('ion-backdrop'), "click", e=>{
      this._dismiss();
    });

  }

  private _dismiss(){
    let obj = {};

    // ... feed the object with whatever you need;

    obj = {test: true};

    this._viewCtrl.dismiss(obj);
  }

}

Hope to help some coder who came here with the same doubt. :)
If someone knows a better way to reach the same result, please, post it in an answer below. ;D
Thanks!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Alexa! Play Apple Music on my Amazon Fire TV! Wait... what?
Apple Music has been available on your run-of-the-mill Alexa devices, namely Echo and Dot and the like, for a while now. New, as of today, is Apple Music on the also Alexa-enabled Amazon Fire TV.
From CordCutters.com:
Apple Music is now available on Amazon Fire TV. Sort of. It's actually the Apple Music Alexa Skill — the same as what you'd use to listen to Apple Music on an Amazon Echo speaker. And given that a Fire TV is basically an Alexa with a big-ol' display attached to it, this kind of all makes sense.
You have to go into the Alexa app, enable the Apple Music skill, and then log into your Apple Music account to get it to light up. But once it does, it's all Apple Music for you, all the time. Well, as long as you ask Alexa, of course.
Apple Music has been available on Android since launch and continuing to push it out across Amazon's product line just makes the same kind of sense: Get the service into as many ears as possible, while simultaneously making it more valuable to Family Plan subscribers who live in multi-platform households.
Same reason iTunes is coming to Samsung televisions, and Airplay 2 to LG, Sony, and Vizio sets. (There have been rumors of Apple Music for Google Home as well but nothing official yet.)
It'll be interesting to see if Apple follows the same strategy when Apple News Premium and Apple Video launch some point following their announcement, expected to come at Apple's Show Time event on March 25.
Meanwhile, if you have Apple Music and Amazon Fire TV, let me know how it works — and sounds — for you.
More: How to connect Apple Music to your Amazon Fire TV


It's just as much about who we are as what we do. That's what it means to be creative that works. We're a team of artists and writers who really love what we do and are driven to create and execute excellence for our clients every day.
When we approach a client's brand, we approach it both as artists and strategists. We break down the minutiae of a customer's needs and their audience's needs and we map out a path for the brand that is creative, focused and flexible. For us, creativity is in the details.
Our work is about our client's growth. When we create a marketing campaign or marketing piece, we create it like an artist would a painting: massaging and adding to the first draft until it's a masterpiece. Let's talk about uncovering the full potential of your brand.
From the launch or refresh of your brand identity to the business cards you hand out each and every day, solid, well-executed graphic design is vital to your company's image. We approach our graphic design strategically by evaluating color psychology, typography choices and demographic analysis to truly understand what your audience will respond best to.
Studies show that over 80 percent of customers will research a company online first before making a decision. With your website, we make first impressions a priority. We'll design a website that is responsive to mobile, tablet and desktop screen sizes and that always delivers the most valuable, engaging content first.
Whether it's a short, five second video loop for the background of your website or a fully produced national TV spot, you need a video partner that not only has the right technology, but the creative gumption to go along with it. There's a reason why 55 percent of people watch videos online each and every day. Make sure yours is one they'll remember.
Content precedes design. If you've spent any amount of time with a designer, you will have likely heard that adage, and for good reason. The right words have the power to enact movement. We'll back your brand up with a messaging arsenal that's impenetrable.
All of those hours spent playing video games are finally being put to good use. We're taking virtual reality out of the gaming world and applying it to brands that need a better, more visual way of describing what they do. Through training exercises, virtual walkthroughs and completely immersive experiences, we're launching our clients into the future of marketing.
Here's just a small sample of some of our most noted work.
How Can Virtual Reality Help Your Business?


text:
Laryngeal Biomechanics
B. Raymond Fink
Robert J. Demarest
26 line drawings, 13 halftones
Commonwealth Fund Publications
MEDICAL: Physiology
For its size, the larynx is the most complex and versatile mechanical device in the body. In this remarkable book, a distinguished medical illustrator and a world authority on laryngeal biomechanics collaborate to provide both an atlas and a treatise on the behavior of the larynx. In separate chapters, the authors consider the functions of the larynx—as safeguard for the free passage of air, to protect the airway from invasion, as a plug that resists expiration during effort, and as the instrument of speech and song. They replace the traditional view of the larynx as a sphincter with a more accurate model. The laryngeal tissues are seen as folding and unfolding in response to respiratory excursion of the trachea, action of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles, the respiratory air current, and the elastic recoil of ligaments, membranes, and articular capsules.
The illustrations include unretouched xrays, halftone sketches, structural drawings, and diagrams; together they present as complete a picture as possible of the larynx in all its various functional states. Innovative and systematic, the work forms the basis for planning radical and reconstructive surgery, quantitative approaches in voice therapy, treatment of laryngospasm in anesthesia without use of relaxants, and design of an artificial larynx.


there is a large number of dating sites and apps nowadays, because companionship is a instead fundamental demand for the most of individuals. Needless to say, compensated it often do offer some user that is extra to justify the high cost. The internet site also allows users to decide on non-negotiable criterias, including no gambling that is extra ingesting. The Jewish site that is dating singles the possiblity to find matches according to a selection of faculties. Throughout the last few years, online dating services have actually turned out to be a hot trend for their ease of use of good use and accessibility, affording users the opportunity to upload your own profile and get in touch with scores of potential matches through the opposite side for the earth. Severe internet internet dating sites are being among the most internet that is popular solution for folks to search out love!
Your website sticks up to a design that is simplistic, which makes it much simpler for both beginners as well as experienced users to obtain the most from it. Internet sites have actually gotten so popular the chance has been had by them to specialize. It shall be interesting to see whether that web web site will probably be accepted among Japanese people. Web dating internet sites provide you with all sorts of singles an abundance of opportunities to generally meet somebody and a platform that is excellent start looking for love.
You will would you like to pick a totally free web site that likewise offers you all of the needed characteristics to meet up with individuals online. All dating websites cater to distinct demographics and could n't have what you are looking for. After you have situated just the right dating internet site it is only going to take a couple of minutes to register and you are going to be all set up to begin your love journey for you, the one which sounds the most interested based on your requirements!
Even yet in the function the net has made the love hunt way easier, there keep on being some guidelines that have to be followed. The net has totally changed the method we begin flirting. Due to its totally membership that is free's regarded as the most famous internet dating site in america and British since its launch.
You do not want to select an application due to the fact it seems enjoyable. Whenever it regards the apps on our phones, we now have a propensity to grow into devoted up to a choose few. If dating apps should choose the frustration away from trying to fulfill somebody, it isn't outstanding indication that every one of these daters start thinking about them an important evil at the best and simply simple wicked at worst. The application is very popular, ensuring you've got a huge set of individuals to choose from. Although the application have not yet moved the grade of the internet version, it nevertheless provides an excellent group of faculties which allows you to definitely find amazing matches as well as perhaps love. Most of the really best dating apps provide a entirely free trial offer or completely free account (or both). Generally speaking, it really is a good unique dating application that positively worth your own time especially if you are a freak that is audio.
Web dating sites are quickly changing into a way that is good meet brand brand new people, by focusing on various pages and using all its various functions. Finding singles on the web is quite simple and you can find online dating services aiimed at audiences that are certain. Online relationship is not a concept that is new. Online relationship has developed for the full years additionally. Finding love on the net just isn't an impossible mission.
among the absolute most critical items to think of whenever deciding which dating software to download would be to always check at its market. Therefore, finally when you log in to the application, it will give you individuals predicated on proximity along side quantity of shared buddies in your Facebook pages. The software runs by matching users with various users which can be well aligned in conditions of the sign of the zodiac. The application can also be organized, user-friendly, and will be offering protection features. If used right, dating apps could be the tool that is fastest to commence a relationship with an individual who shares comparable preferences or even to get yourself a sporadic encounter without dedication. Before considering to down load a dating application you need to note what type you prefer. The best relationship app employs a character test to coincide with all the feasible lovebirds.
The software is not difficult to utilize with an extremely profile that is simple and it also allows you to demonstrably show your desire for individuals https://asian-dating.org, message them and in the end question them away. OKCupid software can also be intended for Apple Watch that could explain to you matches which are nearby. The dating application asks a lot of concerns to your users in an effort to provide them a match based on their liking. Numerous dating apps had been created with all the concept it might be a lot easier to generally meet individuals.


iPad 2 with an incredible responsive Multi-Touch screen, and an amazingly powerful Apple-designed chip is now widely used for surfing the web, gaming, and going from application to application, watching movies. This tutorial is with the purpose to show you how to convert YouTube files to iPad 2 for Mac with the best Mac YouTube to iPad 2 Converter.
YouTube to iPad 2 Converter for Mac is a free trial application that accomplishes the task quickly and easily. It just takes a few clicks to convert YouTube files to iPad MP4 files on Mac.
Before converting YouTube to iPad 2 on Mac, Please make sure you have downloaded and installed YouTube to iPad 2 Converter for Mac on your computer and then follow this guide to convert YouTube to iPad 2 for Mac.
Step 1: Download YouTube video files for iPad 2.
CatchYouTube is free for converting online videos to several formats including .mpg, .mov, .dvd, .flv etc. Certainly it also includes the iPad 2 supported formats .mp4. What you need to do is to simply paste the video URL from YouTube and select the output format as you need.
Step 2: Import the YouTube video that you want to convert to iPad 2 on Mac.
Run Mac YouTube to iPad 2 Converter, and you will go into an interface. Click the icon like a disc to import YouTube video files which you want to convert to iPad 2 on Mac. Besides, you can tick the box in front of the each file and click them to have a preview.
Step 3: Select a compatible output format for iPad 2 and set the output files.
Click on the dropdown menu of "Format" and then click on "iPad", and then choose the format you wish which is compatible with iPad 2. Here we set the iPad Video H.264 (*.mp4) as the output format. Afterward, you can set the output files by clicking "Browse" icon as you need.
Click the "Setting" icon to have the Profile settings box. Adjust the Size in the Video list to make the perfect playback effect, and adjust the Codec in the Audio list to aac and select the Frame as 30. In the setting interface, you are allowed to adjust codec, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate and audio channel to optimize the output file quality.
Click the "Convert" icon and the conversion from YouTube to MP4 for iPad 2 on Mac will be started immediately.
When the converting work is finished, click "Open" button to find out the output MP4 video with ease.
Next step you need to do is that connect your iPad 2 to your Mac, and then sync the MP4 videos to iPad 2 via iTunes.
Guide: How to sync the MP4 videos to iPad 2 on Mac?
To put videos to iPad 2, iTunes 10 is necessary. You can download iTunes 10 from Apple and follow the steps below to put videos to iPad 2 on your Mac.
Step 1. Open iTunes 10, and press "File"-"Add File to Library" to add movies to iTunes Library. Copy the converted movies to iTunes 10 movie library.
Step 2. Connect iPad 2 with your Mac computer, and you'll find iPad 2 in DEVICS section of iTunes source list.
Step 3. Check the converted movies for iPad 2 in "LIBRARY"-"Movies" of iTunes list. To put videos or movies to iPad 2, just drag the movie you want to transfer to iPad 2 in library list and drop onto "Movies" tab under "DEVICES- Your iPad 2" and it will sync movies to iPad 2 soon.
. How to convert all TOD,MOD, MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, MP3 etc formats of video/audio for Mac?
. How to Convert/Edit Videos to AVI/MP4/WMV/MOV/VOB/MKV/MPG/MOD/Divx/Xvid/MP3, etc on Mac?
. How to convert AVI to MP4?


NEW! Take this pretty pollutant and turn it into vibrant art for your home! Make your own hanging sea glass sun-catcher using some basic supplies and tools. Bring your own pieces or choose from our collection. Materials and instruction provided. Pre-registration required by calling (302)-227-6991.


When you are ready to experience the thrill of Igniter Mini™, Spark Color™, or Spark™ for your own saber, you can use the PayPal shopping cart. Just add each item that you would like to buy, and then complete your checkout with PayPal. Note that PayPal will open a new window each time you add an item to the cart; simply close the window to return to this page and add more items.


text:
Climate change 'single greatest threat' to Pacific
Submitted by WW4 Report on Wed, 09/12/2018 - 02:25
The 18 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum held their 49th summit in Nauru, issuing a statement asserting that "climate change presents the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and wellbeing of Pacific people." Leaders at the Forum urged world leaders to comply fully with their commitments to mitigate emissions. Among projects discussed at the summit was redrafting the 2000 "Biketawa Declaration" on regional security in the Pacific as a "Biketawa Plus," with a greater emphasis on environmental security and climate-related disasters. Under the slogan "We are not drowning, we are fighting," community leaders across the Pacific Islands have been pushing for world action on climate change and adherence to the Paris Accords.
Photo: 350.org
See full story...


text:
Q: Need Example Transaction handling in Spring 3 I need step by step guide to handle transactions in spring sqltemplate. Transaction handling has to be implemented in my project. Guide me. Need to use the transaction Managment with SqlTemplate.

A: I suggest you use @Transaction annotation than code it manually. You may follow example here. For its best practice, you may read here. If you plan to spend few hours to study Spring Data JPA, you almost no need to handle transaction manually for most cases.
Thanks.

A: if you are using Programmatic Transactions then use below
<bean id="transactionManager"   class="org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceTransactionManager">
<property name="dataSource">
    <ref local="dataSource"/>
</property>
</bean>

Programmatic means you have transaction management code surrounding your business code.
This gives  extreme flexibility, but is difficult to maintain.
Declarative means you separate transaction management from the business code.
You can use annotations or XML based configuration.
Declarative Transaction Management allows to eliminate any dependencies on the transaction framework from the Java code.
The four participants to provide the transaction support are transaction manager, proxy factory, transaction interceptor, and a set of transaction attributes. below is an example
<bean id="boxOffice" class="org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionProxyFactoryBean">
<property name="transactionManager"><ref bean="transactionManager"/></property>
<property name="target">
    <ref bean="boxOfficeService"/>
</property>
<property name="transactionAttributes">
    <props>
        <prop key="get*">PROPAGATION_SUPPORTS,readOnly</prop>
        <prop key="allocate*">PROPAGATION_REQUIRED</prop>
    </props>
</property>
</bean>


Webinar: Does the future need schools?
What is education really for?
Last March, we asked a deceptively simple question, does the future need schools? As we look 10, 20, or 50 years into the future, will 'school' be relevant?
Once you've viewed our webinar, why not earn an hour of continuing professional education? After all, you've already done half the work. Just go to educationfutures.com/learn, and sign up for the Does the future need schools Moodle course. After you post your thoughts in response to the questions we have for you in the sound off forum, you can download your certificate of completion. It's free, and it's our gift to you for joining the conversation.
From a respondent who said, "no, the future does not need schools."
Does the future need schools? The future will find its form anyway; whether there are schools or not. But I guess when you say future, you think of an acceptable future for human kind. I think the future of human kind does not need schools; I think we will even be better off without. The question for societies then is: what will we do with all these wild, creative, rebellious, active, exploring young people in society? What will be their place, or better: their role, in the community of men if schools seize to exist?
As Jean Pierre Lepri says: "Schools are prisons, for the students as well as for the teachers. Democratic schools are nice prisons, but still prisons." We put in all this time and money and effort and good intentions in the educational system, but it is a crappy system and gets worse by the day. But the problem is: so many people are completely caught up in it and have their lives depending on it.
So on a individual scale school is a disasterous invention for many people (people being paid to do the job, convinced it is their responsibility to make others learn; as well as students, convinced they need these paid adults to learn in order to succeed in life). Everybody is unhappy in their role and I think it does not help people to get the best out of their lives. So I think for the future of the individuals involved the best thing would be to quit, like deciding to break up a marriage that does not work.
On a society scale I can see that schools are beneficial to society to a certain degree, because of the structure. Society can use schools to get where it wants to get. It is an old rotten vehicle, but it still drives. Better an old car that's slow and does not steer very well, than no car at all. Question: does democracy need schools?
Back to the future of human kind. Schools will pass; the educational system will implode, topple over; too much weight on a bad foundation. So I think it is time we start to think about what comes next. Not democratic education. Democratic education (I have been working in democratic education for the last 15 years) is a way to wake people up, but it is not the future. It is a step towards the grave of the educational system, but it will not carry us far into the future.
From a respondent who said, "yes, the future needs schools."
I believe school settings will experience disruptive changes, similar to the radical changes observed over the last two decades in creative companies' workspaces.
In the future, students shall only attend a school building part time, which is the essence of the space-time concept – the space they need for the time they need. (Please find the SpaceTime concept developed by Chadwick- Space Strategy, Architecture + Design, who implemented the SpaceNet® configuration for Andersen Consulting West Europe, hereinafter Accenture West Europe, as the company changed its name).
Our current education system has its roots in the industrial age society. Today students are much more social and enjoy to learn in a less structured way, anytime, anywhere. Learning is no longer limited to the confines of a traditional classroom.
The new learning space environment shall offer a variety of settings, as catalysts for changing classrooms into authentic research & experimentation workshops, moving away from the postindustrial revolution settings, conceived for mass production.
This change in structure will emphasize the concept that the school student is at the core of the learning experience, rather than the teacher. Educators will then focus on what matters most: creating opportunities and environments in which students learn and thrive, establishing the foundation of a learner-centric education.
And, another respondent who said, "yes, the future needs schools."
At the elementary level, schools act as "in loco parentis." Many children need an adult in their lives when responsible parenting is absent. Schools provide a shelter and caring environment when this is missing. Schools act as in loco parentis and provide opportunities to develop social, group, and communication skills. Ideally they are a respite from less than ideal home and neighborhood environments. At the secondary level schools need to provide relevant vocational skills for those who may not think a college track is for them. Secondary schools need to revamp their curricula with proper funding to realize variation in curricula. At the college level, and I will use a personal example, my family never attended college and most didn't complete a 4 year H.S. curriculum. Therefore college was never encouraged and upon H.S. graduation I did not have a clue as to my future. Attending college following military service opened up a world to me that I never knew. The idea of sharing ideas with other students is something I'll always cherish. Yes, schools are necessary but schools need to adapt to change.
Finally, from a respondent who said, "no, the future does not need schools."
John, You're asking the wrong question. The question should be; "in the future, what role will the school play in preserving and building our society?" There will always be a 'need' for schools- 10 years, 20 years, 50 years and beyond. Humankind is inherently social. It's built into our DNA. From its very foundation, schools have served the role of providing a social setting through which children could learn how to assimilate into a broader society. Initially, it centered around teaching the '3r's' at a level sufficient to allow them to capably interact in a marketplace and be self-sufficient. School buildings weren't necessary. Churches would do; incorporating a system of instilling values into one's character. Eventually, as societal needs changed, curriculum and instruction followed- historically it's never led. Industrial age brought industrial age buildings; replicas of the manufacturing world. Soon, buildings came to 'represent' schools and all that went into them. Today, the question of the need for schools only arises because of the focus and interdependence of curriculum, instruction and facilities. Once this relationship is broken, the more appropriate question of what role the school will play in the future can be addressed. Recognizing the social nature of our inner being and the 'breakdown' of the 19th and 20th century family, a place where children can gather will always be a necessity. What happens in that 'place' will be different than what we call a school today. This new place will need to provide socialization opportunities; aided by facilitators and experts in this area. This new place will provide opportunities for learning, learning in ways beyond simple 'sit and git' as well as beyond 'stare, glare and prepare.' This place called school will include planned opportunities for children (and adults in need of retooling) to collaborate on areas of particular interest. It will be a place where community resources will be found, available and used. It will be a place to share, build and grow ideas that will lead to a better society and world to live in. So, does the future need schools? Yes, just a lot different!
Want to read more? This is an open research project. You are invited to review the entire dataset, anonymized to protect respondent identities.
Slides from the webinar are also available vis SlideShare.


1. I left a bowl full of queso dip in my refrigerator for over a week just to avoid cleaning it. I hate washing dishes. Especially dishes with queso in them.
2. I only have one visible scratch on my two-year-old car. And I caused it. In our old garage, I had to open the garage door in order to open my trunk (hatchback). One time I closed both of those doors simultaneously. The trunk got caught on the garage door and I panicked while trying to figure out which one to move first.
3. Before I stayed home with Ethan, I almost never made my bed. It's actually not like me at all, but we were gone all day and it just didn't seem worth the effort. Now, I make it every day. And most recently, with a little boy's help.
4. I left a pot of chili out on the counter all night last night because I fell asleep on the couch and didn't even think about it as I stumbled to our bedroom in a stupor.
5. I had to put a dirty diaper back on my child the other day (briefly), while I refilled the wipes container because I couldn't leave him on the changing table in the meantime. Someone (daddy) had forgotten to refill the wipes after they (he) used the last one. At least I can say that he changes diapers.
And Jason and I have often mourned over an entire meal we wasted because we forgot it was sitting on the stove and didn't put it in the fridge. I hate that! It feels so wasteful!


Only about 70 percent of recalled vehicles are in fact repaired, and raising recall remedy rates is a priority for NHTSA, especially because the Takata airbag recall has affected as many as one-third of vehicles nationwide.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded a $222,300 grant to the Maryland DOT Motor Vehicle Administration to help reach more consumers with messages to repair open recalls on their vehicles. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced it Oct. 27.
Only about 70 percent of recalled vehicles are in fact repaired, and raising recall remedy rates is a priority for NHTSA, especially because the Takata airbag recall has affected as many as one-third of vehicles nationwide. Calling it the largest and most complex recall in automotive history, with NHTSA engaged in an aggressive campaign to educate consumers about the importance of repairing recalled vehicles, DOT noted the FAST Act provided grants for as many as six states that agreed to notify consumers of open recalls on their vehicles at the time of registration. Maryland was the only state to apply for the grant and will begin the process of developing a pilot program.
"The Department of Transportation is working with Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan and his administration to focus on improving safety on our nation's roads, and a key component of that is addressing recall remedy rates. As many as three out of every 10 recalled vehicles have not been repaired," Chao said. "Recalls are serious. Recall repairs are completely free to the consumer. This first-in-the-nation grant will serve as an example to the rest of the country as we continue to work across government to reach consumers in new and creative ways with potentially life-saving information about their vehicles."
The award to Maryland is a part of a two-year pilot grant program to test the feasibility of providing open recall information to consumers when they complete vehicle registration, but the pilot program doesn't replace the vehicle manufacturer's obligation to alert consumers about recalls on their vehicles and to provide a remedy free of charge.
"Maryland is proud to pilot this important initiative to protect our citizens and make our roadways safer," Hogan said. "The safety and security of Marylanders is our top priority, and this program will allow us to alert vehicle owners to potentially dangerous safety recalls."
As part of its program, Maryland has agreed to determine open recalls on all motor vehicles registered by the state and to notify owners and lessees of the open recalls at the time of registration at no charge. Maryland also will give owners and lessees a brief description of the defect, the nature of the recall, and inform the owner or lessee that the remedy should be obtained immediately at the manufacturer's authorized dealer.
At the end of the two-year performance period, the state will provide an evaluation of the notification program.
Consumers can check their VIN for open recalls by contacting their vehicle manufacturer or by using the VIN look-up tool at www.nhtsa.gov.