text:
Anonymous oral history interview and transcript, June 30, 2014
Dillon Chai, Chris Johnson, Interviewer |
Houston Asian American Archives oral history interviews, MS 573, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University |
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0:19 - Overview of his education track
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Direct segment link:
https://scholarship.rice.edu/ohms/viewer.php?cachefile=file_48b00658-6d81-47b4-8a86-288dba55fa8b_wrc05137_ohms.ohms#segment19
Partial Transcript: "Okay, I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. Uh, in a Zoroastrian family. And, I went to school, uh, Zoroastrians are also known as Parsis, so I went to a Parsi school for my first ten years of education."
Keywords: education; family; government college; high school; Karachi; Parsi; school; undergraduate work; Zoroastrian
Subjects: Education; Pakistan; Zoroastrian
1:46 - Going to Parsi school
https://scholarship.rice.edu/ohms/viewer.php?cachefile=file_48b00658-6d81-47b4-8a86-288dba55fa8b_wrc05137_ohms.ohms#segment106
Partial Transcript: "That was, I consider myself very fortunate that I was able to do that. Because, our school was considered one of the best in the sc—in the city."
Keywords: education; Fortunate; Persia; religious; reputation; school
Subjects: education; Parsi
4:53 - His childhood and neighborhood in Pakistan
Partial Transcript: "Well, we played quite a few games in the streets, you know. Like, we played cricket. We played soccer."
Keywords: blessing; Chinese; Christians; cricket; friends; Games; holy days; neighborhood; origin; streets; Sundays; swimming; temple; upbringing; volleyball
Subjects: Cricket; neighborhood; swimming
7:56 - Studying engineering and why he chose it
Partial Transcript: "Yeah. You have—in my school, after the eighth grade, when you enter ninth grade, you have to choose one of three sides."
Keywords: choose; Christians; commerce; engineering; graduation; Hindus; medical school; medicine; minorities; prepare; religion; School
Subjects: Engineering; minorities; religions
10:56 - Coming to the United States
Partial Transcript: "I wanted to come to America to go to school. And I ended up in San Francisco. And the college—and I wanted to study architecture. But the college I ended up in San Francisco was not the..."
Keywords: affinity; America; college; community; competitions; consulate; environment; free time; Houston; intellect; magazines; Pakistan; San Francisco; school; television; ventures
Subjects: America; community; culture; immigration
15:46 - Impressions of Houston
Partial Transcript: "I fell in love. The reason is that jobs were difficult to find in San Francisco. And when I say jobs, I'm not talking about high-paying jobs, I'm talking about odd jobs, minimum wage jobs."
Keywords: California; campus; cheaper; country; difficult; foreign students; Houston; job; minimum wage; nice; OPEC oil crisis; Reason; San Francisco; super friendly; tests; Texas
Subjects: Houston; impressions; oil crisis; U of H
24:22 - Working after graduation and changing studies from architecture to business
https://scholarship.rice.edu/ohms/viewer.php?cachefile=file_48b00658-6d81-47b4-8a86-288dba55fa8b_wrc05137_ohms.ohms#segment1462
Partial Transcript: "Uh, once I graduated I looked for a job, but I couldn't find one. I did off and odd jobs even after graduation."
Keywords: architecture; business; campus; catastrophe work; classroom; college fees; damages; degree; designs; exams; Graduated; graduation; headquarters; insurance adjuster trainee; job; notes; U of H
Subjects: architecture; Graduation; insurance adjuster; jobs
29:10 - Experiences traveling throughout America
Partial Transcript: "Well, when I first get there, I'm too busy to do anything other than work. And when I say work, I'm working normally minimum twelve to sixteen hours a day."
Keywords: Busy; cellphones; Danish; difference; GPS; Kansas; minimum; museums; Norwegian; Swedish; unique; Wisconsin; working
Subjects: America; diversity; traveling
36:11 - Involvement with the Zoroastrian community in Houston
Partial Transcript: "Well, being a Zoroastrian you automatically look for familiarity. And so…back when we were in Houston, there were just 20, 25 families."
Keywords: Corpus; economically; experiences; familiarity; Houston; language; parties; Zoroastrian
Subjects: Houston community; Zoroastrian
41:02 - Being affected by terrorism
Partial Transcript: "Well anytime there is an event that involves terrorism, and f—god damn involves Pakistan, then there is anxiety."
Keywords: affect; anxiety; brother; Iran hostage crisis; murder; news; Pakistan; Terrorism
Subjects: Pakistan; Terrorism
Interviewee: [Anonymous]
Interviewers: DILLON CHAI (Sophomore); CHRIS JOHNSON (Junior)
Date/Time of Interview: June 30, 2014, at 10:00 AM
Transcribed by: DILLON CHAI; CHRIS JOHNSON (Edited by: Taylor Ginter 5/7/17)
Audio Track Time: 45:30
Background: This interviewee requested that his name and identifying information not be included.
Setting: The interview took place in the Zoroastrian Association Community Center. A large focus of the interview was given to the interviewee's post-secondary education, and his experiences thus far in Houston. Occasionally, on the audio, a phone can be heard ringing in the background.
Interviewers:
Dillon is a rising sophomore at Rice University. He was born in Houston and lived there until moving to Shanghai at age five, where he completed the rest of his education at Shanghai American School. His parents were first generation immigrants to the United States and residents of Houston, which is what sparked his interest in the Houston American Asian Archive.
Chris Johnson is a junior at Rice University, majoring in Linguistics. A Houstonian
since childhood, having the opportunity to work with the HAAA project and learn about the city's lesser-known stories has been a particular source of interest for him.
I: Interviewee
DC: Dillon Chai
CJ: Chris Johnson
—: Abrupt stop, false start
...: Speech trails off, pause
Italics: Emphasis
(?): Preceding word may not be accurate
Brackets:	Actions (laughs, sighs, etc) or interview notes
CJ: This is Chris Johnson—
DC: And this is Dillon Chai—
CJ: And we're here today, on June 29th, [2014] here to interview [anonymous] for the Houston Asian American Archive here in the Zoroastrian Association Community center. So, [anonymous] can you start by telling us a little about yourself, maybe your childhood, where you grew up at?
I: Okay, I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. Uh, in a Zoroastrian family. And, I went to school, uh, Zoroastrians are also known as Parsis, so I went to a Parsi school for my first ten years of education. And then the final two years, I went to a government college, or, a government high school. And after that, I came to the United States to do my undergraduate work.
CJ: Um, so, in your household, how many family members lived with you when you were a child?
I: Let's see, my grandparents, my aunt who was unmarried then, so that's three, plus my parents. And later on, my brother was born. So, that's three, and three, six, and me, seven.
CJ: Um, what did your parents do?
I: My father worked in a bank, and my mother was a schoolteacher.
CJ: Okay. Um, can you describe—so, you said you went to Parsi school for the first ten years, can you describe that a little bit for us?
[Interviewee's phone rings]
I: Oh, I'm sorry about that.
CJ: Oh, it's fine.
I: What did you say?
CJ: You said you went to Parsi school for the first ten years.
I: Uh-huh.
CJ: Can you describe that a little bit for us? What was that like?
I: That was, I consider myself very fortunate that I was able to do that. Because, our school was considered one of the best in the sc—in the city. It had a good reputation, and so, therefore, I was able to get a good education. 2:00Uh, and I was able to get a good education right alongside some of my co-religionists, or, people with whom I identified along with. The regular people of Pakistan. And…I was also able to get a little bit of religious education. More specifically, historical education. And, went to our time in Persia. And…it just felt like I was with my peeps, you know. So, that was nice.
DC: So, were your friends mainly Zoroastrians?
I: My friends were Zoroastrians and Muslims. 'Cause back then, Pakistan was a wonderful country. And, so, I had both friends, both type of friends. And a lot 3:00of my friends grew up in neighborhoods that were exclusively Parsi. Whereas, I grew up in a— I was—we lived in a flat, or an apartment. It was quite large, though. But we had all kinds of people in the building. My neighbor, one neighbor was Christian, there were other Parsi families in the building, and then all different types of Muslims in the building. So it was Jesse Jackson's 'Rainbow Coalition' back then. So…and everybody was very friendly and got along well.
DC: So, where are your parents from?
I: Well, originally India.
DC: Okay. So, what language do you speak at home?
I: Gujarati. Do you need me to spell it?
DC: No, I…
I: Okay.
DC: Um…
I: You've had enough of these to know the spelling! [everyone laughs]
DC: What language did you speak at school?
I: The school was what we call 'English medium'. Which means that the teachers used English as the language of instruction, but then, outside of class, I spoke Gujarati if the friend, or classmate was a Parsi; or Urdu, if the friend or classmate was Muslim.
CJ: Um, so during that time in your childhood, um, what types of things did you like to do for fun?
I: Well, we played quite a few games in the streets, you know. Like, we played cricket. We played soccer. Uh, then other games, you know, that we just made up. 5:00Yeah. In school, I liked to play volleyball. And, I was able to go to a club that was established just for us, us Parsis. And I could go, and I learned swimming over there and I used to go Friday—Friday afternoon and Sunday morning was reserved for boys, so I could go and swim there, and in that heat and no air conditioning, swimming was a blessing. [DC and CJ: Mm.] Yeah. So, that's what I did.
DC: So, could you describe your neighborhood in Pakistan growing up?
I: Uh, well, I described the building that I lived in and the buildings next to us were similar, with all kinds of people. Back then, we had quite a few 6:00Christians living there, also. And, there was another neighborhood, where some of my friends lived and there were quite a few people of Chinese origin that lived there. Over the years, they ended up there because of trade, or migration, or whatever. And, so there were Chinese people there. And, I lived on a street that was rather busy during weekdays, but very quiet on Sundays. But it was a main thoroughfare. So, that was my neighborhood.
DC: Did you attend religious service as a child?
I: Yes. Yes, I was forced to [laughs]. Yeah, I was required to go the temple, then we have the ten holy days that come in August, and I had to wake up sometimes at four in the morning to get ready, you know, bathe, and be clean, and go for prayers, that took a long time. So, yes. Intense religious…upbringing.
CJ: Um, so, you mentioned that after attending Parsi school, you went to a government college, is that correct?
I: Well, they call it 'college,' but you would say 'high school' here, freshman and senior year, yeah. But it was government, yes.
CJ: And, so, did you have a particular focus of study at that point in time?
I: Yeah. You have—in my school, after the eighth grade, when you enter ninth grade, you have to choose one of three sides. It's either commerce, medicine, or engineering. So, I took engineering. So, freshman, sophomore and junior and senior years, we had to take physics, algebra, chemistry, all that. In order to 8:00prepare ourselves to go to engineering schools after graduation.
CJ: And so what prompted you to go into Engineering?
I: Well, uh, I felt like I was way more intelligent to not—to go into commerce. But, I did not choose medicine, because back in Pakistan, if I wanted to go to medical school, they had quotas over there. And there was one quo—one seat for minorities. Which, minority would not mean based on skin color, it would mean based on religion. So, I would have to compete with all non-Muslims for that one seat. Including my 9:00co-religionists, and Christians, and Hindus, and all that. And, while I thought that I was intelligent, I didn't think I was the number one in my group. So I didn't want to risk that, so that's why I chose engineering.
CJ: And, so, just out of curiosity, so if someone were to apply, say, to the pre-medical track, and didn't get into it, would they have to repeat a year, or what would happen after that?
I: No, no, no, you only get one shot, which is right after you graduate from high school. You miss that, you're done. So, if you didn't get it, then you could always do BSC, which is Bachelor of Science, and then, you know, try and get into other medicine-related fields. Like, pharmacy, or something like that. You would not make it as a doctor, but you would make it as, in some other related field.
CJ: I see. Um, so following that, where did you go to university at?
I: University of Houston.
CJ: Um, so what prompted you to come to U of H?
I: Well, I wanted to, uh—I wanted to come to America to go to school. And I ended up in San Francisco. And the college—and I wanted to study architecture. But the college I ended up in San Francisco was not the kind of college that I thought I wanted to attend. It was one of those types that you see advertised on daytime television. You know, Massey Business College type thing. There was a car showroom on the ground level, and a college on the second, and that was not my idea of going to a university. So, I was looking around, and somebody 11:00mentioned Houston. Some classmates of mine from, uh, the high school, were in Houston. And I realized that Houston offered architecture also. So, I said, okay. I'll go to Houston, and that's what I did.
DC: So, what made you want to come to the states in the first place?
I: Uh…you know, for some reason, I was always attracted towards America and Americans from childhood. In my free time, I would go to the American consulate. Back then, the relations between Pakistan and America were very good. And, they had an American cultural center, where you could go and they had a library there. And you could read magazines, and you could read books, and it was an awesome place to go. And I loved to go there. Then, the Americans would have all kinds of events there. You know, art shows, or art competitions, and things like that. So I always had an affinity for America and Americans. And, then, I was also kinda tired of my environment, and wanted to get out and seek new ventures and all that, so.
I felt like my life was pre-programmed over there. In my community, you go to 13:00school as far as your intellect can take you. Whether that's ten grades, high school, college, or PhD. You go as far as your intellect can take you, and that applies to both
men and women. And then you find a job, then you get married, then you have children, and then your children do everything that you did. So, I wanted to do something different. So that's why. I came here to make my life better.
CJ: Um, can you tell us a little about—a little bit about when you lived in San Francisco- did you live in an apartment, or was it a student dorm?
I: No, I lived in an apartment, it was a one-room apartment, and I had three 14:00other roommates. Money was tight.
CJ: Can you describe the neighborhood that you lived in for us, a little bit?
I: It's right San Francisco, at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Post Street. It's right there. On the street level, there was a massage parlor. And on the level above that was my apartment. And, you know, this was right San Francisco. It was not the suburbs or anything like that. And the school that I went to, Heald Engineering College, was right on Van Ness. I just had to cross the street, block, block and a half, and I was at school. That's where I lived.
CJ: Um, did you work any jobs at that point in time?
I: Yes, I worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant. My parents were not rich, so I 15:00had to work.
CJ: Um, so when you came to Houston, following that, what was your first impression of Houston?
I: I fell in love. The reason is that jobs were difficult to find in San Francisco. And when I say jobs, I'm not talking about high-paying jobs, I'm talking about odd jobs, minimum wage jobs. You—being a waiter in San Francisco is considered high-falutin', you gotta be part of a union. Otherwise, you can't get a job. And among my friends and roommates, I was the first to get a job, find a job. And even me, it took 30 days, for me to find one. But the jobs were difficult.
Then I come to Houston, and Houston is the—is in the middle of an oil boom. This is after the OPEC oil crisis. And there are jobs everywhere. I mean, there are help wanted signs—three in one block. It was like being in heaven. And the schools were god-awful expensive in California. They were very cheap in Texas. To the point that, out-of-state tuition was higher than tuition for foreign students, if you can believe that. You of course had in-State tuition, which was the lowest. Then after that was tuition for foreign students. And then after that, tuition for out -of-State students. So if a guy goes to school in Lamar University in Beaumont, and he's from out of the country, he pays less money 17:00than some guy from Lake Charles, right across the border, in Louisiana. I thought that was terrific. For me, anyway [laughs]. So in every way Houston was great. And the apartments were cheaper, everything was cheaper. So, I felt like, when I came to America, I felt like I left a Third World Country and came to America, but then, it was even more so, having moved to Houston, after San Francisco. So, it was great.
CJ: And, what year was that in, that you came to Houston?
I: '75, 1975.
DC: So, could you describe for us, your experience at U of H?
I: Very, very nice experience. They had an international students association. Those people over there were super friendly, super helpful, very nice. I couldn't believe that they would be so nice and helpful. It was a pleasant experience. There was one family that lived close to the campus, and I think during the holidays, they had—they would have a party at their home for foreign students. I thought, 'Wow, they don't owe us anything, and yet they were doing it.' So, it was a very pleasant experience. The—it took me a little while to get adjusted to the campus environment, to the classes, to the way of studying, 'cause, uh, I was used to my tests being, you—they ask a question, I give an answer, you know, essay form. Well, I came here, and all the 19:00tests were true-false, or multiple choice. That requires a different way of studying. And so, it took a little time to do that. There were times, where I would be walking on campus, and I'd look around me, and I'd look at all the students, and I'd say, 'Where am I? Am I really here?' 'Cause it was kinda different, so…But I didn't have any bad experiences, or any negative experiences.
CJ: Um, and so, at U of H, did you live on campus, in a student dorm there, or?
I: No, I lived with roommates in an apartment right off 45 and Wayside.
CJ: How did you initially meet your roommates?
I: One of them, he and I flew to America together. He and I were in Houston—uh in San Francisco together, and we came here together. And, the third roommate, I grew up with him back home. He lived in my neighborhood, so I knew him from back then.
DC: So, what drove your friends to come to America, for similar reasons as you?
I: Similar reasons, yes.
CJ: So, can you describe that neighborhood that you lived in for us, a little bit?
I: It's a bad neighborhood now, but back when I was living there, it was an okay neighborhood. There were all kinds of people there. Anglos, African-Americans, Hispanics. Don't recall any East Asians, but, basically it was a mixed neighborhood, but it was, I would say middle class to lower-middle class. But…I didn't feel like I was in a crime-ridden neighborhood or anything like that, I felt safe, so... But, you know, I basically slept there. I was either in school, doing homework, or going to work, so, not much time to do anything else.
CJ: Um and so you just mentioned that you would go to work, where did you work at?
I: Uh, well I worked as a waiter in a restaurant on the north end of downtown Houston. And then—I think I was there for six months, or a year maybe. And then I found a job at a restaurant at the Hyatt Regency, and that was an awesome job for a student, 'cause I made good money there, enough to pay my share of everything plus the fees, books and all that. Oh I forgot to mention another advantage of moving from San Francisco to Houston. In San Francisco they had—or in California, in all of California, they had quarter system. Then I came to Houston and they had semesters. Now, you struggle to save every penny to pay your fees. And before you can blink, the quarter is over and you got fees 23:00due and books due again. Semester gave me a little breathing room, so forgot to mention that, which was a big deal back then, so.
DC: Did you go back and visit your family at any point during your college days?
I: Yes, I did. And my family once came to United States also, in '79. And we went on a tour of America.
CJ: Um, so following your time at U of H, where did you go from there?
I: Uh, once I graduated I looked for a job, but I couldn't find one. I did off and odd jobs even after graduation. Right across the street where I lived was the headquarters of Oshmann's Sporting Goods. Back then it was a big chain, like Academy, and I worked in accounts payable over there. But then after a year I found a job with a company called G.A.B. Business Services, which later became G.A.B. Robbins, and I got a job as an insurance adjuster trainee. So I joined them, I became an insurance adjuster, and I've been one ever since.
DC: Sorry what was—what did you study at U of H?
I: Business, I got a degree in Business.
DC: So, what made you switch from architecture to business?
I: Oh yeah. Architecture required a lot of time on campus. I had to stay in the lab and come up with designs, and back then make models of my designs, and that required not just classroom time but a lot of time on campus. And I had to go to work, otherwise I can't pay college fees and I starve. I couldn't do that as an architecture major, so eventually I realized that it was futile, so I changed to business. Now I took—attended classes, took notes, did a little homework, aced my exams, and got my degree. Didn't require time on campus after classes, that's why.
CJ: Um, so while on the topic of your time on campus, did you—were you involved in any extracurriculars at that point in time?
I: No, didn't have time. Did not have time.
CJ: So, can you tell us a little about your experience as an insurance adjuster?
I: Well, what I do is—when people have a claim of course, they file a claim under their insurance company's policy. And then I go out and inspect, investigate, and determine what their damages are, come to an agreement, and pay them. That's what I do. And initially I was a multi-line adjuster, which meant that I could do a property claim if somebody's house, or office, or business was damaged, and I did autos also, if somebody was in an auto incident, and I 27:00did general liability also, if somebody slipped and fell or ate tainted food or whatever. But for the last sixteen years I've been doing catastrophe work. So, what that means is that if there's a hurricane on the East Coast someplace, then all of a sudden they need a lot of people there. And so I go and work that area, and when the job is finished I come back home to Houston.
CJ: So, do you spend a lot of your time traveling then, or?
I: Yes, away from home a lot. Yes. I'm on the road living out of a suitcase, in a hotel, and in different places. The advantage is that I have been to more places in America than most Americans. And when I say America, I don't mean New York, Chicago, and L.A., I've done that too, but I go to small towns, you know, remote areas that nobody would go unless they had a specific reason or family. I've been to small towns. So I think, I feel fortunate to have done that, yeah.
DC: And what are your—some of your experiences traveling to so many different parts of America?
I: Well, when I first get there, I'm too busy to do anything other than work. And when I say work, I'm working normally minimum twelve to sixteen hours a day. 29:00But then when things slow down, I try and look at the touristy things, the museums and all that. And…I also get to meet people from different parts of the country, you know, people from Louisiana are different than—well not a lot of different—but there is some difference from let's say Louisiana to people from Wisconsin. And I was in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, one time, which is in western part of the state, and it was as if I was in Scandinavia. Because people were all of Scandinavian descent: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish. Even their—the streets and the stores were designed like you were in Scandinavia. I got to see these old, old dairy barns that had the kind of timber in them that you would not find anywhere today. So it was a unique experience. I've been in areas where everybody, lots of Amish people are there, you don't see that in Houston. I was—once I remember before the advent of cellphones, I was lost, I think in 30:00Kansas, or some place. I had to go— backtrack so I could find a payphone so I could call the people and find my way there. Because you know, no GPS or cellphones. So I found a grocery store and I went to the grocery store and there was an Amish father there with two little toddlers. They had come there in their horse and buggy. And those toddlers couldn't take their eyes off me, 'cause they had not seen anybody like me before, I mean everybody is Anglo-Saxon out there. No Hispanics, no African Americans, nothing, so. I think they were fascinated by me [laughs]. So it was 31:00a—I have those unique experiences.
CJ: So, when did you move to the neighborhood that you live in now?
I: 1999. Uh the company I worked for had transferred me to Corpus Christi, given me a promotion and transferred me to Corpus Christi. And I was there for ten years. After that I decided to leave the company, so I moved back to Houston, where my heart was. And then I lived someplace for six months and then found this apartment where I live, and I've been there since '99.
CJ: Um, and can you tell us about your time in Corpus Christi?
I: Corpus Christi is a very beautiful town, right by the sea. And I, I love the ocean, I love to live next to the water. And here, if I want to go fishing it takes a little planning and effort because I have to drive all the way to Galveston. And over there, it's right there, 10 minutes away. So there were times when it's time for lunch, I'm going to eat a sandwich, and I decide hey, why not just pack it, take it to the pier, do a little fishing and eat my sandwich. If I catch something, fine, if I don't, hey, I had a good lunch. And…I had to get a adjusted, because in Houston if I set an appointment with somebody at 11 o'clock, I have to leave the office at 10. In Corpus Christi if I have an appointment at 11 o'clock, I can leave at 11 o'clock, be there at 33:0011:15, and that's considered being on time [laughter]. So initially, I'd show up at an appointment half hour early or—and people would look at their clock or watch and say 'Oh, you're early.' But…back then, Corpus Christi was 60% Hispanic, so while there are—there were Hispanics in Houston also, the percentage was not that high, so it was a unique experience to be surrounded by Mexican food and Hispanics and Hispanic culture and all that. So that was a new and pleasant experience.
CJ: Um, so you've lived in Houston for quite a while, how have you seen it 34:00change over the years?
I: Well I've constantly watched it grow. And back in the '70s, when I was going to school, and I lived in the Southeast, Wayside and 45. Whenever I came on the Southwest side, near Greenway Plaza, and further southwest, I always find some building that was not there the last time I was there, or being constructed that was not being constructed the last time I was there. And Houston is still growing, and uh…I
don't think I can say that Houston has turned for the worse or anything. I think Houston is still great, so. I love Houston, yeah.
CJ: Can you tell us how you first became involved with the Zoroastrian community in Houston?
I: Well, being a Zoroastrian you automatically look for familiarity. And so…back when we were in Houston, there were just 20, 25 families. We all knew one another, and on our new year or special events, when we had parties it was usually at somebody's apartment's community center, you know, and it was potluck. Well, after that I moved to Corpus and then when I moved back, I 36:00realized the community had exploded, and we had the center, so. And the people had progressed economically also. They were no longer living in apartments; they all had homes and lived in the suburbs and all that, so. But you know, you kind of lean towards familiarity based on language, based on shared experiences and all that, so that's how.
DC: Are you involved with like the Pakistani community in Houston?
I: No I am not, and…yeah I'm not.
CJ: Um, so you mentioned languages just a moment ago. On your consent form you mentioned you spoke several different languages. Do you find yourself still using them recently, or not so much, or?
I: Well, when the occasion comes…I speak Gujarati with my homeboys; I speak Gujarati. I have Muslim friends with whom I speak Urdu. I have Indian friends with whom I speak Hindi, so when the occasion arises.
CJ: Um, so sounds like you have a pretty diverse social circle that you interact with, how do you um, generally find yourself meeting most of them?
I: Through friends. Uh, you know, you know somebody and then they know somebody that you happen to meet. That's how, yeah.
DC: So what do you do in your free time in Houston?
I: Uh, now that I'm getting old, very little, but I have some friends with whom I play poker on Friday nights. I like to go fishing when I can, when it's not too hot, otherwise I get burned. Then I have a small group where we meet and discuss the market, stock market. How to invest, what to invest, options, calls and perks and all that. Those are basically the things I do. I read books in my free time, and also watch television.
DC: Has your job ever taken you out of the country?
I: Uh, no. I mean, my company does send people, they've sent people to England, 39:00Australia, Canada, but I have not gone. I was asked to go to Japan after the tsunami, but I declined that.
DC: And why did you decline?
I: I'm not a big fan of cancer. [laughter] That's why. I didn't want to take the risk, because governments tell you everything is safe, but who knows? That's why.
CJ: You mentioned you had a sibling, a brother is that correct?
I: Yes.
CJ: Do you stay in touch often?
I: No, no he has expired, he's passed away, yeah.
CJ: Oh, oh I see, I'm sorry.
I: He was ten years younger than me and he has expired.
CJ: Mm. So, have there been any big events in U.S. history that you feel have really impacted your life?
I: Well anytime there is an event that involves terrorism, and f—god damn involves Pakistan, then there is anxiety. It's like, are you familiar with a guy named Chris Rock? He's a stand-up comic and he's African-American, and I like his comedy and his humor. And one time he was saying that anytime he's watching the news and they talk about some murder or holdup or something he's saying, 41:00'God, let it not be a brother. Please let it not be a brother.' Well when I hear about terrorism I say, 'Oh god please, let not Pakistan be involved.' Because—so 9/11, yes, the Iran hostage crisis, yes. Those are the things that affect me. So.
CJ: Have you ever felt that you faced any…hostility from anyone because of those events, or?
I: Uhh…you know, no, very minor, nothing to write home about. You know, several years ago, a black guy in Jasper, Texas, was chained and dragged behind a pickup truck to his death. That is serious stuff. I haven't faced anything 42:00like that.
CJ: So, do you regularly participate in Zoroastrian religious service?
I: Not intensely, but when I get a chance, yes. In August we have our holy days, the ten days, and if I'm not working and I'm in town, I do. But if I'm working and I'm out of town, I cannot, so I don't.
CJ: And do you find that being a part of this faith community influences your daily life in anyway?
I: Yes, the three essential tenets of my faith are good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, so I follow that. So yes it does affect me.
DC: So like, what's an example of your religion—how your religion would impact like, your daily life?
I: Well…I'm driving on the road and some SOB cuts me off or does something. And I want to yell and scream at him, and then I'm reminded 'Hey, I need to have good thoughts.' So I chill at that point.
CJ: That can be difficult in Houston driving. [everybody laughs]
I: You know it. Yeah.
CJ: So what would you consider one of your biggest accomplishments so far?
I: Well you know, I'm not Hakeem Olajuwon so I can't say I've done this or that, but I guess I've survived. I've made it. I've never taken welfare. I've paid for my own ever— ever since I became eighteen. So I guess that's my accomplishment. And I graduated.
CJ: Great, do you have any other questions?
DC: No, I think.
CJ: All right, is there anything else you'd like to add to the archive?
I: No, I'm kind of glad that you guys are doing it, to document our history, so 45:00thank you for that.
CJ: All right, well thank you so much for your time.
I: You're welcome.
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Iceland's Café Loki Mixes Local Flavor with Heavenly Food
by Paul Ross
Lokastígur 28
www.loki.is
Iceland's Café Loki is a small gem of a restaurant, which––very fortunately–– is easy to find, as it's directly across the street from Reykjavik's most famous landmark, the towering columnar Hallgrímskirkja church, in what's known as "the neighborhood of the gods" (each surrounding street named for an ancient Norse deity). This is appropriate as Loki, son of Odin and brother of Thor, is divine royalty. He's also infamous as a trickster but Loki (the restaurant) is all treats and no tricks.
It's a cozy place with the main upstairs dining area dominated by a mural depicting the various inhabitants of mythical Asgard in characteristic poses up to their culmination in Ragnarok, "the twilight of the gods." In contrast to this rather hellish coda, the food is pure heaven.
Most ingredients are locally sourced (where else would you get "rotten shark" ––but more about that later) and prepared in small home-made amounts. Hrönn Vilhemsdóttir, the chef and owner, prides herself on cooking and serving authentic Icelandic cuisine but, if you're unfamiliar with the offerings or just can't make up your mind, I suggest one of the four "Icelandic Plates," a sandwich smorgasbord of delectable toppings presented open-faced on the restaurant's stellar rye bread. Far from being a mere delivery platform, the Loki rye bread is a 10 to 12 hour process whose yield must be tasted to be believed. There's the crunch of good oven-baked bread (in the olden days, baked in hot springs!), followed by the dark, earthy sourness of the grain which is offset with just enough sugar for a sweet finish. Café Loki also has flatbread sandwiches and even a spelt bagel.
I started with the must have Icelandic lamb soup (Kjotsupa). The sensational lamb is from a breed harkening back to the time of the Vikings and is complimented with slow-cooked vegetables (and sometimes, grains) for a warm and satisfying repast. You may be tempted to, but don't stop there, for you'll miss the sandwiches. Toppings include everything from simple, but oh so fresh and tasty country butter through 3 types of herring, cheese, pates of lamb or smoked fish, ham, and marmalade. Being an island nation, Iceland is swimming in fish. Besides the expected and always delish herrings, the smoked salmon and/or trout are deceptively simple marvels. Rich, dark flavors of smoldering fire are background for a cast of tastes which gracefully take their bows in turns. You can't help but savor the yumminess. When food is this good, you're inclined to trust the kitchen and try things that you ordinarily might not, such as another trad fav: dried fish with butter (!) The stiff fish plank is relatively colorless and odor free and the first bites are cardboard/jerk-like until the flavor kicks in; salty, meaty and both oiled and mellowed by the butter. I works!––and this visitor understood its local appeal. It's a bit of a chewy challenge but worth the effort. While I was busy masticating, Chef Hrönn came by to check in with her customers and Heidi, my city guide, whipped out her phone to research their shared genealogy. "Everyone in Iceland is related," she explained. Sure enough, and within seconds, they'd found only five degrees of separation. I was told that this process is common in the country and that almost everyone carries around their lineage in a phone app. Hugs were exchanged between newfound family as the chef set down a small paper up in front of me. In it were four tannish-gray squared chunks, measuring about a half-inch per side, each skewered with a toothpick. The women looked at me and smiled a challenge. I then knew what awaited: hakarl or "rotten shark." (Iceland tourism references it as "putrefied shark," to vainly make it sound more palatable, and the restaurant menu listed it as "fermented.") I was given one recommendation/warning, "Don't smell it." My wife, normally fearless in the world of exotic cuisine, didn't heed the advice, sniffed, immediately regretted having done so and refused to venture any further. Her near panic look to me was one you'd get from a mate prior to taking on Niagara Falls in a barrel. I, unsniffingly, went for it. They waited. There was no big… anything. It tasted kind of similar to some weird, semi-soft and overripe cheese. When I reached for a second piece, shock set in ––for my audience. I remarked, "It's not that bad,"and my wife suppressed a gag reflex. My hostesses then pushed forward a small glass of brennivin, a highly alcoholic caraway seed-laced grain beverage.
"With hakarl, we always drink it," said my guide. "A lot." I drained the glass –just to be social, you understand. My wife drank some as well, if only to revive herself from a post hakarl-sniffing swoon.
Loki is also renowned for its special dessert of Rye Bread Ice Cream. In fact, a nearby table of young, international journalists were concluding a Reykjavik food tour conducted by a guide whose on-camera recommendations are found on the New York Times website. The group was luxuriating in the unique frozen treat, taking pictures and attempting to find words to describe the taste, "bready sour" and "sweet," "–but not like an ice cream sandwich." "A little tart …and savory." "It makes me smile."
Café Loki is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9 to 9 with lunch specials served between noon and two. Chef Hrönn features meat and fish dishes, but there is a vegetarian plate offering as well as a wide choice of luscious, baked goods, some of which are larded with skyr, a healthy, low fat and mild yogurt that is so Icelandic it's even mentioned in some of the revered Viking sagas.
How Loki can you get!?
(tel.) +354 466-2828
Directly across the street from the Café Loki, a statue of Leif Erikson stands before Reykjavik's landmark Hallgrímskrkja church.
Photo © & courtesy of Paul Ross
Café Loki's full wall mural of the aesir (ancient Norse gods).
Just one of the café's tasty "Icelandic Plate" samplers.
Café Loki's owner/chef Hrönn and guide par excellence Heidi find their common roots.
Rye Bread Ice Cream; sounds weird, tastes great!
A Reykjavik foodie tour concludes with Café Loki's unique Rye Bread Ice Cream.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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It's time to get the "national interest" out of the UK's European debate
As long as the British debate about the EU is framed only in terms of the "national interest", a meaningful and nuanced discussion will be impossible. Stop using the term, "national interest".
Jon Worth
Flickr/Olivier Bacquet. Some rights reserved.
"Our national interest lies in staying in the European Union" says Ed Miliband. Nick Clegg does the same, stating "Liberal Democrats, it falls for us to stand up for the national interest, we will be the party of 'In'." Even Cameron states "Leaving the EU is not in our national interest".
But have any of these politicians, and indeed the dozens of others using such terminology, stopped to reflect on what the term actually means? From pro-EU Tories such as Kenneth Clarke, through Liberal Democrats like Danny Alexander, to Labour politicians such as Douglas Alexander and Emma Reynolds, they all use similar words.
When it comes to the UK's relations with the European Union then, politicians of all colours are applying what George Lakoff (in The Political Mind) described as the Nation is a Person metaphor. The Nation, as an actor in international politics, has its "self interest", and just as a person aims to be strong, healthy and influential, so too should a Nation within the European Union. The Nation is acting in its interests to maximise its economic and political strength. This implies that there is a natural state of competition between the Member States of the European Union, and that each shall seek to achieve influence – over and above others if necessary. To give an example, this very vocabulary is heavily used by the British Influence pressure group.
But is thinking like this about the UK's relations with the European Union either politically sensible, or in communication terms even desirable?
The term "national interest" triggers thinking in a person's mind about what the nation is. There are two problems with this. First, politicians using the term so freely disguise the complexity in defining what a UK national interest is, if indeed it even exists. That the Scottish National Party (SNP) is probably the most pro-EU mainstream political party in the UK underlines this complexity; the definition of national interest varies. Second, in England at least, the term feels rooted in history, and history means wars and emerging victorious. When it comes to the EU, the national interest entails standing up for what is good about the UK against a perceived threat from others.
This then is a strange starting point to try to persuade people that the European Union is a good thing, because membership of the European Union requires the very opposite sort of values. It is about collaboration and compromise, and seeking common solutions between countries, and trusting and respecting others and learning from them. Nurturing values. This approach runs deep in the Brussels political culture – EU politics is collaborative and compromise-based, rather than Westminster style where everyone jousts and the strongest prevails. A country that goes to Brussels and tries to throw its weight about will not succeed because even the largest countries cannot prevail alone.
The European Union is unique among international organisations in that it has a European Parliament that people elect every five years, and most of the time this parliament votes along party-political and not along national lines. Nothing similar is to be found in the UN, NATO or the OSCE. Seeing the European Union in terms of national interest struggles to find a place for the European Parliament – it is about international democracy and ideological interests, the very antithesis of the national interest way of looking at the European Union. Fed this never-ending diet of national thinking, it is perhaps unsurprising that the British have never been keen voters in European Parliament elections.
"National interest" also implies that there is only one way for the British to be pro-EU, that the British have worked out one, national, holistic position on the European Union, and are unified in demanding it. This results in contortions, e.g. that a cut to the EU's budget is good because the UK demanded it. It ought to be possible to be British, and pro-EU, and to want a higher EU budget (or, for that matter, completely different spending, or an even deeper cut), but in the current way the EU is debated this is close to impossible.
The current state of the debate plays into the hands of conservatives (note small c) and not into the hands of progressives. A harsh, winner-takes-it-all, your-neighbour-needs-to-know-the-rules view of the European Union currently dominates in the UK, even drawing Labour's new shadow Europe Minister to focus on limiting freedom of movement within the EU in his first major article since his appointment.
While the Conservatives may be beset by the fight over whether to ultimately leave the European Union or not, the momentum in the debate is only towards their side of the political spectrum – a harsher world in which people in the UK should be happy to be less well protected than their counterparts on the other side of the English Channel. Labour and the Liberal Democrats may wring their hands at this, but they are inexorably pulled in the same direction.
So what needs to be done?
Very simply: stop using the term "national interest". Try also to avoid terms relating to influence, to strength, to victories. Think instead about ideology and how that relates to everyday needs of people, and see the European Union as an extension of national politics rather than an arena of international politics. Try to answer these questions: what does a liberal need from the EU? A conservative? A social democrat? An environmentalist or a business owner? An unemployed person or a retired person? Because all these groups will need different things from the European Union, whether they live in the UK or elsewhere. And a retired person in the UK may well need the same things as a retired person in Italy, and a UK businesswoman the same things as someone in the same business in Poland. With the clock ticking down to a possible referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union, such a change in the way the European Union is talked about cannot come a moment too soon.
Get weekly updates on Europe A thoughtful weekly email of economic, political, social and cultural developments from the storm-tossed continent. Join the conversation: get our weekly email
Published in: Can Europe Make It?
Reframing Europe in unfriendly times
Written by: Giulio Carini All articles by: Giulio Carini
Written by: Marley Morris All articles by: Marley Morris
It's time to bother about Europe
Written by: Alex Sakalis All articles by: Alex Sakalis
People getting along well together is never going to make headlines: An interview with Jean Lambert MEP
Written by: Jean Lambert All articles by: Jean Lambert
Written by: Tristan Sechrest All articles by: Tristan Sechrest
I want my country out of this thing: An interview with Gerard Batten MEP
Written by: Gerard Batten All articles by: Gerard Batten
Drifting apart: where to for Europe and Britain?
Reframing Europe in difficult times


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We ensure every measure is taken to safeguard all of our pupils and we have a very experienced team in place to support our most vulnerable students and young people who are at risk.
We accept that we have a primary responsibility for the care, welfare and safety of the pupils in our charge, and we will carry out this duty through our teaching and learning, extra-curricular activities, pastoral care and extended activities.
The Child Protection Team at the Academy work closely with many different services to support the needs of our students and families.
Any child we believe to be at risk of significant harm is reported to the appropriate service.


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*2019 Social Media Calendar
Fallahween!
KM & Fallah Bahh
KM and Fallah Bahh are in for a monstrous surprise when a spooky clown dares them to spend the night in an old, haunted house. With the help of their pets, Francis the Panda and Dexter the Ferret, the daring duo discover that sharing takes the scary out of making new friends. Join KM & Fallah Bahh for a hair-raising "Fallahween" adventure that's sure to melt your heart.
Visit Author Website
Veteran pro wrestlers KM & Fallah Bahh have been friends in and out of the ring for more than a decade. Teaming up to create fun stories and books is the next exciting chapter in their journey of friendship, as well as a side of the sumo duo that fans will love.
Mark Poulton is a freelance comic book writer/children's book author who most recently worked on Savage Hawkman for DC Comics and Avengelyne for Image Comics. His children's book, A Cat Named Haiku, was nominated for Best Single Issue Story in the 2011 Eagle Awards, and was selected to be part of the TogetheRead Program by teachersandfamilies.com. His Arcana Studio's series Koni Waves is in development for television. He currently lives in Lindenwold, NJ with his wife Chrissy and son, Chase. In his spare time, he hosts the popular comics' podcast, Talking About Our Issues.
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Photo credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal Media, LLC via Getty Images
Amber Dowling - Jan 6
Brad Pitt, 'Fleabag', Tom Hanks steal the show during the 2020 Globes
We didn't get the Brad and Jen reunion we wanted but it was a heck of a party.
The 77th Golden Globes were the official start of awards season, and let's just say they definitely set the tone for all the glitter to come in 2020. From upsets and wacky speeches to some really memorable presentations (we love you Tom Hanks!), the night was everything we could hope for from an awards shows.
We've all got that Fleabag itch
If you haven't gotten your fill of angsty female characters and hot priests yet, well what the heck are you waiting for? Even Barack Obama is on the Fleabag train and for good reason: it's one of the buzziest shows of the season. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her ace team took home the trophy for Best Comedy, while the star/producer also nabbed a trophy for Best Actress in a Comedy. (Check out the full list of Golden Globe winners here.)
Watch : Fleabag thanks Obama
Considering the collective love for PWB and her dry sense of humour it was icing on the cake to see her so well-frosted on stage; now if only we could all collectively convince her to please, please, please do a third season already.
Olivia Colman really is the queen
Olivia Colman's run is far from over. The Oscar winner not only appeared in a pitch-perfect supporting role in Fleabag, she took home Best Actress for playing Queen Elizabeth in The Crown. That's a big deal, since she took over the role from another Golden Globe winner, Claire Foy. But it's an ever bigger deal that on Sunday night Colman bested A-listers Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman for the hardware.
Watch: Olivia Colman had money on her not winning
No Brad and Jen drama, or… anything
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won Brad Pitt the Golden Globe for acting in a comedy or musical, and the cameras didn't pan to Jen Aniston once. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement, especially considering all of the hype leading up to those two being in the same room in a post-Angelina world. We got glimpses of her nodding to his clever Titanic joke but it was not the reunion we were dreaming about.
Brad Pitt just called DiCaprio "LDC," made a Titanic door joke, gave double fingerguns, took off using a jet pack and crashed into the cocktail shrimp bar. #GoldenGlobes
— Toss a Coin to Your Fowler (@TheMattFowler) January 6, 2020
Watch: Brad Pitt to Leo—I would have shared the raft
Ellen DeGeneres and the power of television
Was there anything better than Kate McKinnon introducing the Carol Burnett Award to Ellen DeGeneres? Sure, modern audiences know the daytime talk show host as the funny lady that she is, but back in 1997, she made some history when she played the first gay lead on television and McKinnon thanked her for paving the way: "I would've gone on thinking that I was an alien and that maybe I didn't even have a right to be here, so thank you Ellen for giving me a shot."
.@TheEllenShow winning the #CarolBurnett award is perfect and #KateMcKinnon's intro was so lovely. @goldenglobes
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) January 6, 2020
"All I ever wanted to do was make people feel good and laugh and there's no greater feeling than when someone tells me I've made their day better with my show or that I've helped them get through a sickness or a hard time with their lives," DeGeneres said during her moving acceptance speech.
"The power of television for me is not that people watch my show, but that they watch my show and then they're inspired to go out and do the same thing in their own lives. They make people laugh or be kind or help someone that's less fortunate than themselves and that is the power of television and I'm so, so grateful to be a part of it."
Watch: Ellen DeGeneres receives the Carol Burnettt TV Achievement Award
Tom Hanks is everyone's dad
Guys, even Charlize Theron thinks Tom Hanks is her dad. When she presented him with his Cecil B. deMille Award, she told a story of freaking out during an audition for him back in the day for That Think You Do!. Instead of calling her out, he pretended that he needed five minutes so that she could compose herself, something she's never forgotten.
Even better than that introduction though was the amazing clip package some genius editor put together featuring all of Hanks' best roles. Seriously, that thing could have been a movie in and of itself. It was enough to make Hanks tear up as he did the most DAD thing ever and used his platform to basically thank everyone for showing up and doing their job.
I'm a simple human being, I see tom hanks crying I cry pic.twitter.com/LTVw7uQE4O
— gina (@eyesvvideshut) January 6, 2020
Michelle Williams gave voice to feminism
When Michelle Williams walked the red carpet with fiancé and baby daddy Thomas Kail earlier in the evening we were pretty obsessed. But then Williams won Outstanding Actress in a miniseries for her work on Fosse/Verdon and made a pretty darn amazing speech, as she is wont to do, and our hearts grew in size.
"Women, vote in your own self-interest," she urged. "It's what men have been doing for years. It's why the world looks so much like them."
What a speech by #MichelleWilliams! Thank you for being a champion of women, you are an inspiration 🙌🏼 #GoldenGIobes https://t.co/J72vlv9Si0
— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) January 6, 2020
Let's just say Busy Phillips wasn't the only Williams fan tearing up over those spot-on words.
Watch: Michelle Williams appreciates a woman's choice
Rocketman rode sky-high
The critics may have been skeptical about another musical biopic taking home top honours at the awards this year, but the Globes proved them all wrong when it celebrated Rocketman in style. Taron Egerton won a Best Actor award while Sir Elton John and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin got some hardware for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again."
"It's the first time I won an award with him. Ever," John said from the podium. "We never won a Grammy, we never did win anything together except for this and I'm so happy, thank you very much."
Watch: I'm Gonna Love Me wins the Golden Globe
Awkwafina made history
Um, did we need another reason to love Awkwafina? No, not really. But now that she's made history as the first woman of Asian descent to win the award for Lead Actress in a Comedy/Musical at the Globes we got one anyhow. Also, her genuinely down-to-earth speech where she gave a shout-out to her dad Wally was pretty perfect.
Watch: Awkwafina is proud to prove her dad wrong
Quentin Tarantino thanks himself
Yup, that really happened.
"Normally the thing is when I win a writing award, I kind of don't have anyone to thank. I did it," he #humblebragged.
Yup, okay. It's probably a good thing that the director decided NOT to speak when the movie also won the best musical or comedy of the year. When even Lorelei Gilmore isn't impressed you know things are bad.
Watch: Quentin Tarantino actually has people to thank
Joaquin shouts out the plant-based menu
Was anyone really surprised at Joaquin Phoenix's win for Joker? Well, no. But we were tickled at his exceptionally long acceptance speech, which was slightly jumbled and made us wonder if he enjoyed a few too many sips of champagne or if that's just his regular MO. We mean, we get it—it is a long night, but when you start thanking the catering and need to be played off stage because the show is already over time, it means you should start fine-tuning that acceptance speech before the Oscars.
Fill in the blank…#GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/doINGrWwoB
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 6, 2020
Watch: Joaquin is going to rock the f******g boat
Stars. They really aren't like us at all, but that's why we love them.
Tags: Awkwafina brad pitt etalk golden globes tom hanks trending


The Ride: A regular commuter ride through Downtown L.A., to the start of the LA River Bikeway in Vernon, down to Long Beach. I'lll guide you through the tricky part: getting to the bike path, and you can relax and cruise down the bike path. Perfect if you work in Long Beach, like I do. I hope to see you there.
Ride Starts at 7th and Alvarado and ends at 4121 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach CA 90807.
What to bring: Bring your bicycle. Dress comfortably; carry sunscreen and water.
The Ride: This will be a casual-paced ride that will be mostly on bike routes (but not bike lanes).
Ride Starts at Avenue 50 and York Blvd., Los Angeles.
Ride Ends at Union Station, Los Angeles.
Metro Sponsors Made in LA Ride III: LA River Edition, led by C.I.C.L.E.


I adore Rome for the history, culture, architecture, cuisine and fashion but on a recent trip to Rome I was blown away by the MAXXI museum for the sheer beauty of the contemporary structure designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid.
The MAXXI is a stunning modern structure amid Rome's historical structures. The juxtaposition of the MAXXI with the surrounding area is jarring. I am a huge fan of Zaha Hadid and at the MAXXI she has taken an abandoned area and turned it into a cultural resurrection. A risk to place such a contemporary museum in Rome but no one better than Zaha Hadid to have accomplished this feat.
With a permanent collection, rotating exhibits, courtyard for sculptures, café/restaurant and an auditorium, the MAXXI provides a great view of 21st century art. Having visited all the beautiful artifacts in Rome It was refreshing to be in this modern structure that I feel is one of Zaha Hadid's best.
As I walked around the museum and looked at the exterior and interior I realized that I felt transported by the scale. The large galleries allowed me to take in all the art while the exterior was mesmerizing.
The MAXXI allowed me the space to learn & reflect. To get another important perspective on the art scene in Rome and to be inquisitive about the future of contemporary art in Italy.


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Q: visual studio 2017 professional - references not resolving (on some machines) It started with one dev needing to solve some versioning issue. He changes some System.xxx references from standard definition now pointing into "packages" folder. We use FW 4.7.1, and this is Web Api project.
<Reference Include="System.Runtime">
  <HintPath>..\..\..\packages\System.Runtime.4.3.0\lib\net462\System.Runtime.dll</HintPath>
  <Private>True</Private>
</Reference>

Usually reference like this comes in this form
<Reference Include="System.Runtime" />

Problem: yellow warning signs next to references. Looking into property window - no information is found. Project compiles, however. Obviously, against some other DLLs, not ones from hintPath. The problem is, even though it compiles, it doesn't copy DLLs into bin and app fails to run.
This is something environmental as we have 2 Server 2016 machines where it is working. 1 Win10 as well. But other Win10 machines where it doesn't work.
I thought to use MsBuild to see if that will build properly. But neither MsBuild nor Devenv command lines have not worked. This suggests that issue is more general for the specific OS and VS installations. The reason it compiles is because Devenv and MsBuild are good at walking GAC and then directories until it finds suiting DLL.

A: After some research I found what the issue was. This is a bug in VS. I submitted a ticket to VS Dev team and it is now "Under Consideration"

If I set reference in project file to a packages folder and this reference is "System.[name]" or "Microsoft.[name]", for example "System.Runtime", such reference does not resolve. The project can build but the specific reference is not getting copied into "bin" folder
This started to happen after VS2017 v15.5. Installations v15.2-15.4 resolve references fine.

The resolution came with VS2017 update7. v15.7 and up resolves this issue

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Be a Fan of Inclusion. Help create opportunities for inclusive activities in your school or community.
For the past 10 years, Spread the Word to End the Word has started the conversation on respect. To continue our conversation on respect, we want to go boldly into the next ten years. Spread the Word for Inclusion is continuing our success through an ongoing effort by Special Olympics, Best Buddies and our supporters to inspire respect and acceptance by advocating for inclusive words and actions so that we can end discrimination of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Why Spread the Word: Inclusion?
We've made progress to spreading the word to end the r-word, but we have a long way to go in ending all types of discrimination for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Our Spread the Word community is leading the way in inclusive activities in over 4,500 schools across the country through pledge events, student rallies, and videos that bring together students with and without ID to help create a more inclusive world for all — and this is a fraction of more than 3 million schools worldwide.
Over 77% of U.S. high school students believe that their school should focus on social and emotional skills — such as empathy for others. Our STW campaign has provided opportunities for young people of all abilities to build these skills through the promotion of Spread the Word. With Spread the Word Inclusion, students find their voice and teaches them to be change agents In striving for Inclusion.
Over 60% of people still believe that people with Intellectual disabilities should be segregated In schools and I n the workplace. With Spread the Word Inclusion, we can combat this intolerable attitude towards people with intellectual disabilities.
Hurtful language and actions of exclusion are hurtful and painful — whether intended or not. Most people do not realize their words or and actions affect not only people with intellectual disabilities, but their friends and family.
As we move forward, we need to know you're with us!
Share Your Story! Share why you Spread the Word Inclusion.
Many Unified Champion Schools observe Spread the Word Day in March or hold Respect or Kindness campaigns sometime during the school year as part of Whole School Engagement efforts. Since every school is different, it's up to you to decide the fit for your school.
You may already have an event planned or maybe you are looking for some ideas for a small activity for your school's first effort. Every new unified event/activity is a step towards a more accepting and inclusive community and state. Typical elements might include a school-wide rally, signing a banner or pledge to be respectful/kind to all, and a Unity Day or Awareness Day. You can start with something as simple as morning announcements and work up from there.
We've linked a toolkit full of information to help you plan activities to generate enthusiasm for promoting a respectful school climate.
Another great resource available to all Unified Champion Schools is a Respect apparel available at a special discount! Purchase shirts, sweatshirts, pledge stickers and more at low prices by using the code: school.
We are so excited to see campaigns at schools around the state, please you're your social media posts with @specialolympicswisconsin.
We'd love to partner with your school to create a Spread the Word to End the Word promotional video that will spotlight the GREAT WORK our UCS program schools are doing to spread an inclusive school culture. Check out the details!


Posts tagged with "Hugh Jackman"
December 9, 2018 Meet Hugh Jackman, pop star. The Wolverine actor is hoping to make some strong connections with fans when he launches his first world tour – dubbed The Man. The Music. The Show. – next year.
August 8, 2018 Actor Hugh Jackman speaks about his long relationship with Montblanc as the global ambassador, and the reason why he is so inspired by the brand.
January 25, 2018 Album review: The Greatest Showman may be fraught with historical inaccuracies but one thing the film gets right is its gorgeous soundtrack.
December 28, 2017 A musical feature starring Hugh Jackman with a message that every person is special.
December 17, 2017 Oscar-nominated and Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman hopes 'The Greatest Showman' will leave audiences celebrating who they truly are.
December 12, 2017 Montblanc's Holiday Campaign shines a light on ambassador Hugh Jackman, in his role as PT Barnum in the upcoming movie musical 'The Greatest Showman'.
April 19, 2017 Montblanc reaffirms its support for child literacy with a new campaign highlighting the importance of writing.
March 9, 2017 Hugh Jackman talks about his final outing as Wolverine.
March 2, 2017 The 'last Wolverine flick' is a gritty superhero Western road movie that shows, once again, what can be achieved when folks are allowed to just ... cut loose.
January 26, 2017 Aussie actor Hugh Jackman talks about retiring Wolverine in the upcoming movie Logan.
May 25, 2016 Drawing from its past, the maison continues to rewrite the rules of design and craftsmanship.
February 10, 2016 Skin cancer is very real and protection is needed, take it from Hugh Jackman who battles with basal cell carcinoma.
November 5, 2015 Heritage, tradition and the exceptional quality of the products are just some of the things Montblanc's brand ambassador, actor Hugh Jackman, loves about the brand.
Does Hugh Jackman act better in fancy costumes?
October 18, 2015 From Wolverine to Les Miserables, the Aussie actor has donned on some interesting outfits and wigs.
October 10, 2015 We just can't bring ourselves to pan this retelling of Peter Pan's origins.
October 8, 2015 The Australian actor stars as Blackbeard in Pan.
October 7, 2015 Oscar-nominated Australian actor Jackman is the new global ambassador of Qantas.
July 9, 2015 Hugh Jackman fronts Montblanc's new campaign celebrating modern trailblazers.
March 4, 2015 The Australian actor is destructive, angry and vengeful in new film.
December 18, 2014 Hugh Jackman in talks for 'X-Men Apocalypse', Neil Gaiman suggests Tom Hiddleston for 'Sandman'.
May 21, 2014 The X-Men universe forges ahead with a time travel story and a large cast in 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'.


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The Politics of Caring
Contemporary United States (1965 - present)
Historical Issues - Analysis & Decision-Making
This Brain Has a Mouth was a publication started by Lucy Gwin to advocated for disability rights. Gwin dedicated her life to advocacy after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a car accident and experiencingacceptable treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Cortland, New York. She brought about significant changes to disability policies through her work as an activist and publisher. This political cartoon was created for the magazine in 1997.
The Medicaid Community Attendants Services Act or Mi Casa was proposed in 1997. However, it never became law. It would have given recipients of health services the choice of entering a facility or seeking services in their home and community. Elderly individuals and people with disabilities were forced to obtain care from institutions like nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals. Mi Casa was considered a major step forward in civil rights for disabled and elderly individuals in the United States.
In 2000, the Americans Act Caregiver Program was established which provided grants states to provide support to caregivers to care for their loved ones at home.
Show this video from pbslearningmedia.org to begin a discussion about disability rights.
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/mti17.history.ada/history-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-ada-move-to-include
To learn more about Lucy Gwin, read the article "This Brain Had a Mouth" in the Winter 2022 issue of New York Archives magazine.
Connections to the NYS Social Studies Framework
8.9 DOMESTIC POLITICS AND REFORM: The civil rights movement and the Great Society were attempts by people and the government to address major social, legal, economic, and environmental problems. Subsequent economic recession called for a new economic program. (Standards: 1, 4, 5; Themes: TCC, SOC, CIV, ECO)
11.10 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE/DOMESTIC ISSUES (1945 – present): Racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities were addressed by individuals, groups, and organizations. Varying political philosophies prompted debates over the role of the federal government in regulating the economy and providing a social safety net. (Standards: 1, 4, 5; Themes: ID, TCC, SOC, GOV, CIV, ECO)


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GE takes electric cars on feel good tour
General Electric (GE) has a general interest in all things electric, the future of the electric vehicle (EV) in particular.
"Towards that end, the global research and manufacturing giant recently announced that it will host an "electric vehicle experience tour" in seven U.S. cities.
The tour events are scheduled to occur in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle during the month of March.
They will bring together GE experts, local businesses, industry leaders, and public sector stakeholders for educational workshops, test drives, and dialogue on the business case for "EV ecosystems."
Additional EV Experience Tour dates will be announced soon for Austin, New York City, and Washington, D.C. this spring.
Plans are in the works to involve GM, Ford, Toyota, Navistar, Smith Electric Vehicles, Mitsubishi, Coda, Smart, THINK and other EV-oriented organizations on the tour.
This tour is also part of "its ecomagination business strategy to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology though innovation and R&D investment."
* Susan DeFreitas, EarthTechling
EarthTechling
Technical Issues, Codes, and Connectivity aspects To Improve SEO Of an E-commerce Site
The Importance of Medical SEO in Digital Marketing
How To Get Great APR On Personal Loans
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William Joe Sagues
wjsagues@ncsu.edu
D. S. Weaver Labs
Twitterprofile
Dr. Sagues is the Principal Investigator of the Biocarbon Utilization & Sequestration (BUS) Lab in the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department at NC State University. He has experience in research, development, and demonstration of innovative bioprocessing technologies at corporations, universities, and national labs. During graduate school, he conducted independent research as a Technology-to-Market Scholar at the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) and as an Office of Science Graduate Student Research Fellow (SCGSR) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The BUS Lab takes an integrated approach to innovating technologies that utilize and sequester biogenic carbon. The aim of our work is to leverage the bioeconomy for carbon drawdown. We are bridging fundamental advances in synthetic biology and chemical catalysis with bioprocess engineering to innovate carbon-negative bioproducts that range from feed, chemicals, fuels, and materials.
When developing a new technology, the BUS Lab takes into account the entire technology-to-market pathway, starting with fundamental research and ending with commercialization. Such a comprehensive approach increases the odds of commercial success by eliminating developmental hurdles and pitfalls at an early stage.
PhD 2020
Forest Biomaterials
Agricultural & Biological Engineering
A simple method for producing bio-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Sagues, W. J., Yang, J., Monroe, N., Han, S.-D., Vinzant, T., Yung, M., … Park, S. (2020), Green Chemistry, 22(20), 7093–7108. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0gc02286a
Decarbonizing agriculture through the conversion of animal manure to dietary protein and ammonia fertilizer
Sagues, W. J., Assis, C. A., Hah, P., Sanchez, D. L., Johnson, Z., Acharya, M., … Park, S. (2020), BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, 297, 122493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122493
Depolymerization of Lignin into Monophenolics By Ferrous/ Persulfate Reagent Under Mild Conditions
Bao, H., Sagues, W. J., Wang, Y., Peng, W., Zhang, L., Yang, S., … Tong, Z. (2020), ChemSusChem, 10. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202002240
Prospects for bioenergy with carbon capture & storage (BECCS) in the United States pulp and paper industry
Sagues, W. J., Jameel, H., Sanchez, D. L., & Park, S. (2020). Prospects for bioenergy with carbon capture & storage (BECCS) in the United States pulp and paper industry. Energy & Environmental Science, 13(8), 2243–2261. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee01107j,
Are lignin-derived carbon fibers graphitic enough?
Sagues, W. J., Jain, A., Brown, D., Aggarwal, S., Suarez, A., Kollman, M., … Argyropoulos, D. S. (2019), Green Chemistry, 21(16), 4253–4265. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9gc01806a
Enhanced carbon dioxide removal from coupled direct air capture-bioenergy systems
Sagues, W. J., Park, S., Jameel, H., & Sanchez, D. L. (2019), SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS, 3(11), 3135–3146. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9se00384c
Potential for ethanol production from different sorghum cultivars
Castro, E., Nieves, I. U., Rondón, V., Sagues, W. J., Fernández-Sandoval, M. T., Yomano, L. P., … Vermerris, W. (2017), Industrial Crops and Products, 109, 367–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.08.050
Techno-economic analysis of ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse using a Liquefaction plus Simultaneous Saccharification and co-Fermentation process
Gubicza, K., Nieves, I. U., Sagues, W. J., Barta, Z., Shanmugam, K. T., & Ingram, L. O. (2016), Bioresource Technology, 208, 42–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.01.093
Optimization of dilute-phosphoric-acid steam pretreatment of Eucalyptus benthamii for biofuel production
Castro, E., Nieves, I. U., Mullinnix, M. T., Sagues, W. J., Hoffman, R. W., Fernández-Sandoval, M. T., … Ingram, L. O. (2014), Applied Energy, 125, 76–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.03.047
Seed train development for the fermentation of bagasse from sweet sorghum and sugarcane using a simplified fermentation process
Geddes, C. C., Mullinnix, M. T., Nieves, I. U., Hoffman, R. W., Sagues, W. J., York, S. W., … Ingram, L. O. (2013), Bioresource Technology, 128, 716–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.09.121
Getting to Carbon Neutrality - A National Assessment
US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(11/24/21 - 9/30/23)
Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)
The recent LLNL report Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Emissions in California was the first economy-wide evaluation of how carbon removal could be used to complete the job of getting to true net zero and meeting our climate goals. It is now appropriate to expand that analysis to the entire nation, producing a technical evaluation of both the options and costs for removing carbon dioxide from the air. This report will bring together experts around the country to evaluate opportunities in natural solutions, biomass solutions with permanent storage, and direct air capture. Key partners have been assembled from the national labs, the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, and universities. These partners will help ensure accuracy and balance in the report. The feasibility and costs will be evaluated on a county level for the entire nation. This will identify how much of each approach can be used in specific areas, which we anticipate will vary dramatically around the nation. Cumulative costs and volumes will be provided by region for the 2050 time frame. The report will evaluate direct removals from the air. This project will evaluate the national opportunities to remove CO2 from the air by evaluating feedstocks, technologies, and limits. This will enable EERE and BETO to coordinate with FECM and ARPA-e to research and develop the most available and cost-effective means to achieve negative emissions.
Ethanol Fermentation Assessment
Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc.(11/01/21 - 3/31/22)
Sponsor: Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc.
An ethanologenic, WT, non-GMO strain of yeast from Rayonier will be assessed for viability. If viable, cells will be propagated and cultured for further fermentation work. A multitude of culture tubes will be placed in a -80C freezer for preservation. A liquid sample from an existing pulp mill, termed "liquor", will be characterized and assessed for biotoxicity. The soluble sugars in the liquor will be fermented to ethanol using RYAM's yeast strain. If needed, commercially available yeast, such as Ethanol Red, will also be used per RYAM's instruction. A series of process variables, as prescribed by RYAM, will be assessed to identify optimal parameters for ethanol productivity and yield.
Electrifying Animal & Fish Feed: Leveraging Microbes in Food Waste Anaerobic Digesters to Produce Single Cell Protein via Assimilation of CO2-Derived Formic Acid
NC Biotechnology Center(1/03/22 - 1/02/23)
Sponsor: NC Biotechnology Center
If funded, this early-stage research will establish the groundwork to ultimately develop an innovative bioprocess that decouples land- and ocean-use from protein feed production by converting air-derived CO2 and N2 into an alternative source of protein to supplement, or possibly replace, certain animal and fish feed products that are currently made in an unsustainable fashion. The potential for economic impact is profound given that animal agriculture and associated industries generate revenues of ~$1.25 trillion each year in the US.21 Electrification of protein via A+B systems has exciting potential to address critical issues in agriculture and aquaculture, and, if successful, this particular project will help realize this potential.
Enzyme Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion (2E-AD) of Source Separated Organics and Municipal Solid Waste
Novozymes(10/11/21 - 5/13/22)
Sponsor: Novozymes
Utilization of various organic waste materials for low-carbon energy production has made significant contributions to environmental protection and sustainable development. Novozymes and North Carolina State University (NCSU) have a common interest in promoting and optimizing bioenergy production from organic waste materials with enzymes. Specifically, we will work collaboratively to develop and optimize an enzyme enhanced anaerobic digestion (2E-AD) bioprocess from source separated organics (SSO) and municipal solid waste (MSW) in this proposed project.
Butanol & Nanocellulose from CRISPR-Edited Poplar
We propose an innovative bioprocess that will produce high value cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and butanol fuel from sustainable biomass feedstocks. Specifically, we will assess two biomass feedstocks: 1) poplar-derived market pulp and 2) CRISPR edited whole poplar biomass, as shown in Figure 1. Tailored hemicellulase and cellulase enzymes will be provided by Novozymes to selectively hydrolyze the hemicellulose and amorphous cellulose to generate free sugars and cellulose nanocrystals. The free sugars, both 5- and 6-carbon, will be fermented to butanol fuel via Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. After fermentation, butanol will serve two beneficial purposes for downstream separation operations: 1) butanol will act as a dispersant inhibiting hydrogen bonding and reducing nanocellulose agglomeration1 and 2) butanol will partially solubilize lignin thereby enhancing liquid/solid separation.2,3
Scaling Up Biocrude Derived Anode Material (BDAM)
US Dept. of Energy (DOE) - Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)(10/01/20 - 12/31/21)
Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE) - Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
We will improve and validate the critical unit operations needed for producing high-value carbon materials (graphite and hard carbon) used for lithium ion and sodium ion batteries from a faction of the biocrude produced by biomass fast pyrolysis. This work will bring together two innovations, 1) production of high-value carbon materials from the biocrude heavy residues fraction, which are often difficult to convert into biofuels, and 2) process innovations that should lower the costs for producing these high-value carbons. In order to produce high-value carbons, the biocrude residues are sequentially heated to remove volatiles and oxygen, polymerize the biomass carbons into graphene sheets, and in a second step form either highly crystalline graphite or disordered hard carbon. The graphite can be used in as drop-in anode material in existing commercial lithium ion battery (LIB) applications such as portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs), while the hard carbon can be used in emerging and advancing battery applications, such as sodium ion battery (SIB) for grid electrochemical energy storage and LIB for hybrid batteries in EV with high capacity and good rate capability. The team has demonstrated that both graphite and hard carbon can be produced from pyrolysis biocrudes at laboratory scale and has measured their electrochemical performance in batteries. This work will optimize the range of operating parameters, with a focus on the complex interactions between the chemical changes and the heat and mass transfer characteristics of the reactor and increase the production scale to obtain mass and energy balances that are relevant for modeling commercial potential. The performance of the carbon materials will be evaluated to define their values in commercial systems. Both techno-economics (TEA) and life cycle analysis (LCA) will be performed to understand the economic and environmental impact of the proposed technology. Preliminary revenue analysis suggests diverting 15-25% of the biocrude, essentially all of the heavy and less valuable fraction, into high-value carbons like graphite or hard carbon can significantly improve the profits of a biorefinery and lower the cost of making biofuels. The goal of this project is to optimize and scale-up the process for producing graphite and hard carbon that meet the requirement for LIB and SIB, respectively. Performance specification will be measured, including electrochemical performance under varying conditions (e.g., operating voltage range, current density, and c-rate) using coin-type and pouch cells. We will use a suite of advanced analytical tools to develop a more detailed understanding of 1) how the chemical composition of biocrude and the carbonization process impact the macromolecular ordering of the final products and 2) how the changes in carbon structure influence on the ion storage behavior (e.g., (de)insertion and adsorption/desorption) and subsequent electrochemical performance. In addition to the performance of the carbon materials, we will determine yields in order to close the mass and energy balances of the process. This data will be used to conduct rigorous TEA and LCA models to demonstrate the target FOA metrics such as $3.00/GGE fuel selling price and 60% reduction in emission. Successful completion of the scale up of bio-based graphite and hard carbon production will enable commercialization of these processes and will have an important impact on several sustainable technologies, 1) the low cost biocrude, the bio-based graphite will reduce the cost for LIB that can be used in EVs, 2) the low cost of hard carbon production will enable SIB for energy grid storage and LIB for advanced batteries for EVs, supporting continued growth of PV and wind electricity generation, and 3) commercial production of graphite and hard carbon as biorefinery co-products will improve the overall economics of producing biofuels.
Sub-topic 3.1: Integrating Carbon Capture and Utilization into Industrial Processes. Our concept involves integrating alkaline CO2 capture into kraft pulping. [PI to replace with concept paper title]
US Dept. of Energy (DOE) - Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)(8/01/21 - 1/31/23)
We propose an integrated technology of low capital intensity that will capture, utilize and sequester carbon dioxide in wood pulping processes. CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) will be utilized by converting two waste streams to mineral carbonate fertilizer. The carbon in the mineral carbonates is derived from carbon dioxide generated in recovery boilers and lime kilns. Excess carbon dioxide that is not utilized as fertilizer will be pumped deep underground into suitable geological reservoirs for permanent sequestration. Retrofitting lime kilns to oxy-fuel will enable low-cost generation of high purity carbon dioxide. If fully implemented at every large chemical pulp mill in the United States, approximately 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be captured, utilized, and sequestered per year.


Looking to get rid of a lot of bits and pieces. The key to this sale is combining items.
Shipping is not included and is dependent on the size of the items in your selection and location.
It is not economical to ship anything from Montreal where the total value of the purchase isn't more than $25usd.
As always- message me with any questions and additional pictures (provide an email) and check out my other sale posts. I usually answer within a few hours.
Paypal. All prices are in USD.
40usd shipped. Pm me with any questions.
What size is the warrior 1/4 zip?
bump. lots of interest but no bites yet.


In this page you can find all presentations from the TNA-1 event on Information Multipliers held in Ankara on 18 Mar 2019. It was a 1-day with more than 70 participants. Below you can find the agenda items of the events and all presentations given.


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King full tester with custom design covers, living room sets, Bassett sectional sofa, sofas, 12'x16' silk and wool carpet, a pair of 19th C. twin French beds, 19th C. Asian antiques, pair of Armorial decorated and gilded Chinese porcelain, large round entry table, silk carpets, benches, 19th C. ebony "handkerchief" table, coffee tables, end tables, Victorian side chairs, chairs, armchairs, Chinese medicine cabinet, Victorian stand, a pair of bronze and marble French vase, table lamps, jades, rosewood carving, glassware, crystal, "Underwood" type writer, desk, chandeliers & light fixtures, drapes, designer jewelry, man & woman designer clothes, elegant bric a brac, computers, printer, high tech gadgets and much more!
Art: Lithography by Himel, 19Th C. Japanese wood blocks, Terracotta female bust, water color by Torrome (1912), paintings and prints.
Car: '08 Mercedes CLS 550 35,000 miles.
From 59 S: Exit toward Kirby Dr,Take Kirby Dr (going South) 1.1 mi, Turn right onto University Blvd 0.4 mi, Turn left onto Belmont St, Destination will be on the left.
Another successful Estate Sales in Houston, organized by Texas Estate Sale, the "Premier Estate Sale Company" for Houston TX 77005.


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Journal Films
Our Vision Our Team Advisory Board Steering Committee Events
Partner Cities Join the Network
Exploring Biophilic Cities From the Experts
About Our Vision Our Team Advisory Board Steering Committee Events The Network Partner Cities Join the Network JournalFilms Resources Exploring Biophilic Cities From the Experts
Biophilic Cities Welcomes Reston, VA as Partner City
The Biophilic Cities Network is pleased to welcome The Community of Reston, Virginia as a new partner city. This past summer, Reston's Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) released the first Reston Annual State of the Environment Report (RASER), which launched the process of joining the Biophilic Cities Network. Among the fifty recommendations from the RASER report was the determination that becoming a part of the network would help Reston to fully integrate connections with the natural world into the daily lives of residents. Leading the effort was EAC member Doug Britt, who confirmed that membership in the Biophilic Cities Network would "enable our community to share experiences and lessons learned with other network urban centers regarding ways of integrating nature with the urban landscape to promote the health and wellbeing of our citizens."
Reston is located in the bustling Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Reston has high regard for its natural resources and preservation and enhancement of the ways in which residents connect with nature. Reston has its roots in ecological planning, as its conception was inspired by Ebenezer Howard's garden cities movement and emerged from an idea of planning to combine the best elements of the city and the country. Reston was established by Robert E. Simon in 1964 as a planned community with greater amounts of high density housing, conserved open space, and mixed use areas than other suburban developments of its time.
As the population of the D.C. metropolitan area continues to increase, Reston has been under pressure to increase development to accommodate new growth. Despite the unprecedented demands for new development, Reston is continuing to hold its core value of protecting and enhancing its natural resources. In keeping with its roots as a city that works to incorporate nature into the daily lives of citizens, Reston continues to uphold its values as an ecologically grounded and environmentally focused community through the work of the EAC and other community based organizations.
Reston already possesses biophilic qualities that ensure residents are able to incorporate nature into their daily lives. As part of its initial design, Reston has extensive urban forests and water features throughout. As Reston continues to grow, 11% of Reston's landmass is managed as meadows, wetlands and urban forests. Rooted in its garden city design, the natural areas of the city connect the residential, commercial and recreational areas. In addition, Reston has over fifty-five miles of paths for hiking, walking and biking. Reston's urban forests have contributed to an expansive tree canopy. Urban forests cover 53% of Reston's total area and increase the beauty, health and economic vitality of the area.
In addition to environmental design, Reston has countless programing opportunities that connect residents with the natural world. There are projects and programs dedicated to planting native species, citizen science projects, and conservation. The Walker Nature Center is an integral part of the community as it encompasses seventy-two acres of woodlands and 250 acres of open space.
Stated in RASER, the Reston Association hopes that participation in the Biophilic Cities Network will help them learn about "urban development strategies and projects that may be applicable to Reston's growth while benefiting the environmental health of its residents." Reston has the fundamental goal of continuing to give residents a high quality of well-being through ecological services, particularly as development and population increases. In addition, Reston plans to develop guidelines, policies and programs that will continue to further its progress as a Biophilic City.
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Capturing the charm, spirit and nuance of America's farmlands has never been this easy. Rural USA features a full line of HO structures and accessories based on those that stretch across America's countryside and back through our memories.
Widen your scope of modeling possibilities with three exciting mediums! Rural USA features Cornerstone plastic and Lasercut wood kits along with a versatile cast resin base that can be used with two of the main structures. You can mix and match them to create a fully realized farm theme, or use them as stand alone pieces to add detail and character to your layout.