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At The Art Institute of Washington, 90.0% percent of first-time undergrads receive financial aid, 72.0% receive grants and/or scholarships (an average of $3,721), and 83% receive loans ($8,111 on average). On-campus room and board costs about $12,944. Off campus it is around $14,700.
Taking into account total living expenses and financial aid, the average net cost of attending The Art Institute of Washington is $42,518 per year.
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This all started for me in childhood, whether I knew it or not, and it manifested itself through a voracious appetite for books. Why books? Books are, in my eyes, one of mankind's (and womankind's!) greatest achievements, a physical embodiment of personal experience, ideas, and mental fantasy, all written down on pieces of paper purely for the education and enrichment of others. Through books, I was able spend my formative years Journeying to the Center of the Earth with Jules Verne, sailing the high seas to Treasure Island through Robert Louis Stevenson, or braving the Alaskan wilderness with White Fang and Jack London. Books were the kindling that fueled my wild imagination with the desire to see and experience the things that most are resigned to only dreaming of or reading about.
Combine a head full of those fantastic, magnificent adventures with the cold, crushing realization of mortality and the preciousness of our, rather my, existence in this particular moment in the space time continuum, and you have the recipe for the desire to travel. We all only get one shot at this thing called life, and it is up to each and every one of us to make the most of it. What that means is different to each individual, but for me it meant throwing caution to the wind and seizing what was now in my reach.
If you've ever watched a video of, or had the opportunity to ask someone in the later years of their life what their biggest regrets are, the answer is seldom wishing they had spent more hours at the office or having bought that fancy new car. Instead, it's often about the opportunities not seized, love left unexplored, perhaps time missed while children were growing, or chances to travel not taken advantage of. With maturity (a fancy term for age once you start getting up there) comes the realization that one day, if I'm lucky, I too will be old, reminiscing on what I have accomplished in life, and I'll be damned if I let that opportunity pass me by.
So welcome to our journey that I've dubbed "Get Lost, Find Yourself". Follow along as we make our way across the US & Canada, experiencing everything that we can and pushing our boundaries, all in the name of living life to the fullest.
Connected once again, so I will expound upon the first post with some additional thoughts, as well as the "Why" from my wife, Ashley.
When we first started telling people of our plans to live on the road full-time, the most common responses were "Why?" and "How?". Some people looked at our plans to quit our jobs and sell our house and belongings as crazy, maybe even foolish. We had a house we just finished fixing up. We had stable jobs. We had friends and family we didn't want to leave behind. Others wanted to know how we could manage to make this lifestyle work. Every once in a while, we got the advice to travel for as long as we could—there's always more money to make, but there's no guarantee of time or health. So here we go, blog post number one on this journey of ours; our attempt to answer the why and how of living full-time on the road.
Ever since I can remember I've felt like a restless soul; someone who needs change to stay engaged. As a kid, this manifested in the constant rearrangement of furniture in my room. Creating a newly designed environment. As a teenager, I moved on to frequently evolving fashion choices. As an adult, it has developed into wanderlust; the need to travel, explore, experience new things. There's an ever present pull between the desire to settle down and the desire to move. My future dream is to settle somewhere I love, own a lot of property, build a business, and save every animal possible. But the future dream seems impossible until I've sufficiently satisfied the need to wander.
So there we were, heading into our thirties. We had already done some traveling and moved across the country to a state we had never been to. While for some this seemed like a giant leap of faith, for me it was a stepping stone to a larger adventure. Living in Colorado allowed for the further development of my desires. We were able to hike amazing trails, travel down the random dirt roads we happened upon, and visit small towns with all sorts of different personalities. We were introduced to vast expanses of open space to explore, sometimes going an entire day without running into another person. If Colorado has so much to offer, imagine everything you can find elsewhere if you seek it out.
Tim and I had spoken in the past about doing an extended road trip, but our musings had never come to fruition. The timing never felt right, or we didn't have the funding to feel comfortable in that decision. As I entered my 31st year, the North Winds started blowing (anyone know the reference?). I felt complacent. Things were becoming too routine and I started feeling that need to move again. The difference was, this time the timing was right to do something big. We decided to give ourselves a large enough budget to be on the road for at least a year, but we are hoping to be able to stretch that out even longer. This dream of ours may seem crazy to some, but it's exactly what I need.
When we decided to make this adventure happen, we had a number of things in our favor. We were a dual income family without kids who had been doing a decent job at saving. We also bought a house in the Denver area a few years before the housing boom, which meant if we sold we were bound to make a fair bit of money. This is what created the means for us, so the next step was the planning. What do we live in? Where do we go? How much does it cost? How do we move from a three bedroom house to a truck camper?
What do we live in?
It took us a few tries to arrive at the right decision on this one. I will give you the short version, but you can read the extended version of this story under the "Truck and Camper" section of our website, if you're interested. When making the decision to do a road trip, we owned a 2015 Toyota Tacoma that had a ridiculous amount of off-roading add-ons. The name was Battleship Jones, and he was Tim's baby. That truck took us on all sorts of adventures: camping, off-roading, getting engaged. Although Battleship Jones ate speed bumps for breakfast, his towing capacity wasn't the greatest. Our first attempt at creating a tiny towable living space was a used 1994, 20 foot travel trailer. It was outdated and had significant water damage that required months of blood, sweat, and tears to refurbish. But once it was done, it was beautiful inside. We named him Harvey the RV. Shortly after (mostly) finishing, my parents came to Colorado for a week and we took them around the state for the trailer's inaugural trip. While the trailer worked fine, towing it through the mountains with Battleship Jones turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Suffice to say, after returning home, Harvey the RV almost immediately went up for sale.
On to Plan B. Our next attempt was to order a custom light weight cargo trailer with an off-road package to build out into the perfect tiny home. We went with a black and blue 12 foot trailer on 32" mud tires with an RV door and named him Bruiser. We gave Bruiser a skylight above the bed, a tongue box, outdoor lighting, and an awning. But as Tim started running the electrical for inside the trailer, the deadline for our trip was creeping up quickly. In a last minute decision, we did something I'm still surprised about...We sold the beloved Battleship Jones and bought a 2017 RAM 3500 and a 1995 Lance Truck Camper instead. (Bruiser is a bit of a niche item and is still waiting for the right home—if you might be interested, let us know!).
The new set up was (supposedly) move in ready and we named them Lady Godiva and Wobble Baby. With our house under contract and the closing date approaching, we started to move everything into our new house on wheels. Unfortunately, this is where the problems arose. The camper we thought was ready to go had a significant amount of unforeseen issues, including a cracked water tank. On top of that, a week before we closed on the house, we got hit with a hail storm that broke all of the vents and covers on the roof of the camper. Therefore, at the end of June we found ourselves without a house or a working camper. Luckily, we had amazing friends come to the rescue. Our neighbors gave us a place to land for a couple days while we sorted things out and helped us fix everything on the roof before we moved on to friends in Mesa, Colorado where we stayed for 2.5 weeks while the boys fixed the rest of the issues with the camper.
I started the trip planning process months and months in advance of our launch date. I made a trip binder with state road maps and researched each state one by one. As it turns out, it's a bit of a daunting task. Even starting so far in advance, I was only able to research the states we plan to visit in 2018. For every state, I have researched National and State Parks, top attractions, places to hike, must have food, and places to camp, as well as locations of dog parks and vets because I'm a #dogmom. I found the process very helpful because it allowed me to learn the attractions and geography of the different states and gave me a much better idea of the path we would want to follow. Between our launch in July and the end of the year we will move from Colorado through Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, Yukon, Alaska, and British Columbia before taking a winding path across the top of the US and Canada on the way back to Massachusetts for the holidays. In the new year, we plan to swing south and then up the west coast. If anyone has any recommendations of must-see places or has a flat driveway and wants us to swing by, let me know and we'll see if we can make it happen!
This one certainly depends on your priorities. Obviously there is a base monthly cost, which includes things like car and phone payments, storage units, etc. We were lucky enough to be able to pay off Tim's student loans just before hitting the road. While you lose a mortgage, living on the road still costs a fair bit. We like to boondock (find free camping) as much as possible to keeps costs down, but in some places this isn't possible. For instance, when you're visiting large National Parks, it tends to make more sense to stay within the park campgrounds. There's also the cost of gas and food. When you're living in a home on wheels, your gas budget tends to skyrocket. Luckily, since we bought the diesel RAM, our MPGs are much better than they would have been in the Tacoma. We've managed to figure out ways to keep our food budget lower than it used to be by eating less meat (and ice cream *sad face*) and making sure to plan ahead. Since our priorities tend toward activities and staying on the road, we don't plan to take in too much of the restaurant scenes as we travel.
Random costs we also needed to consider are activity costs, health insurance, and dog boarding. Since most National Parks in the U.S don't allow the dogs on trails, we will end up sending them to dog sitters on multiple occasions while we travel. Health insurance was a tricky one for us. We didn't qualify for any good state programs and couldn't afford the cost of Cobra without any income. It took a lot of research, and endless spammy phone calls, but we finally decided on a private plan with nationwide coverage that costs us about $300 a month. All in all, it takes some planning and consideration when deciding on a budget and you can expect to spend at least a couple grand per month while on the road.
This part of the planning process was definitely the most difficult on my end. While Tim did more of the truck/camper planning, I did more of the house selling, packing, and trip planning. As I'm sure many of you can relate to, when owning a house you tend to collect more things than you need. I took a couple months to go through our house room by room and make "keep", "sell", and "donate" piles. If we hadn't used something in a while or didn't love it, we didn't keep it. Even still, we were left with enough stuff to jam pack a 7x15 foot storage unit. Selling things was the majority of my frustration—if you don't need the money, I'd skip that part.
Even harder was deciding what to bring on the road with us. Since we have three dogs along for the ride, we had to make room for their food and accessories, including food (this literally takes up about 1/5 of our floor space), leashes, medications, and jackets. Given that we will be in a camp-like setting the majority of the time, picking out the clothes to bring was less of an issues. We brought mostly the same clothes we would for any other camping weekend, and threw in a few jeans and sweaters. The hardest part was choosing the shoes and jackets. We both had a lot of jackets, so we dedicated an entire bin to them. Still, we could only fit about a third of our closet. Eliminating shoes seemed easy for Tim. Casual, hiking sneakers, hiking boots, and sandals. For me, not so much. I ended up with three pairs of sneakers/hikers, my LL Bean boots, and sandals. So far, I think I chose correctly. I think overall, less is more. Truck campers aren't large and the less clutter the better! Especially when you're constantly maneuvering around a 70 pound dog who insists on laying directly in the only floor space available. I'm looking at you, Marley.
The process to get here took a lot of work and frustration, and through all of the snafus we tended to wonder how our luck was so bad. But in reality, it also took a lot of luck to get us where we are today. Thanks in great part to the Denver housing market, we are in a position not to work for a while. We are lucky to be healthy enough to go on this adventure. And we're also lucky to have found a partner in each other who wants to upheave their entire life and go make the most of it. Let the adventures begin!
After 2.5 weeks of technical difficulties, our trip was officially up and running on July 18, 2018! We waved goodbye and hit the road; destination: Tetons. We decided to weave our way up through Colorado to hit a state bucket list item on our way out, Rifle State Falls. I'd had my eye on this place for a while (thanks, Pinterest) and was pretty excited to see if it lived up to the idea in my head.
We leashed up the puppers and hiked a short trail that lead to the top of the falls, which is a triple, 70 foot waterfall. The trail allows you to cross over the top of the falls and down the other side, where you'll find multiple sections of small caves to check out. A few are large enough to duck or climb into, and the general feel of the area was reminiscent of the jungle in Costa Rica.
Once you reach the base of the falls, there are side trails that will also lead you up behind the falls for a mistier approach. The park allows camping and was a great stopover on our way out of town.
The next day we made our way out of Colorado, through Utah, and up into Wyoming. Ah, Wyoming. Wind, plains, and broken glass. The broken glass is so abundant we've concluded that it must be the state plant of Wyoming. That said, I'll take free camping where I can get it.
For those of you who don't know, in early fall 2017 Tim and I took a dog-free vacation and went up to the Tetons and Yellowstone. We did Yellowstone first and spent a few days searching for all the wildlife we could find in the quiet morning hours and shoving our way through hoards of tourists to see all the other attractions during the day. We enjoyed ourselves, in spite of the growing presence of wildfire smoke from the fires burning in Montana. Sadly, by the time we made it down to the Tetons, the smoke was so thick that the mountains were completely obscured. We ended up heading home early, rather disappointed.
Therefore, even though this was our second time in the park, it was our first time actually seeing the peaks. Consensus: They. Are. Awesome. So craggy and majestic.
Since we arrived on a Friday evening, all the campgrounds were full. Good thing we had an insider tip for a bit of boondocking in the Tetons! (Thanks, Shannon). We headed east from the Moulton Barn and discovered we certainly weren't the only ones in on the secret. Luckily, there was enough room to cozy on into a spot and settle in for the night, mountain view and all.
The next morning we nabbed a spot at Colter Bay Campground and spent the morning puttering around in the rain, crossing our fingers that the weather and haze would move out for our big hike the next day. In the afternoon we headed into Jackson Hole to check out the town and drop the dogs off for their overnight stay.
The next day we got lucky—most of the haze from this summer's fires moved out overnight and we took the first ferry out of Jenny lake around 7am to hike to Lake Solitude. Pro tip—they give a morning discount for paying in cash!
It's like every time we turned a corner the views were more spectacular.
The trail leads up through fields of wildflowers and cascades and ends with a glacial lake and stunning views. And marmots. All the marmots.
The view at the top was just spectacular. The lake is entirely fed by the snow melt, as evidenced by the melting snow fields dotting the valley. It was the perfect place to lay back, close your eyes, and listen to the sounds of nature.
Best part of the hike back down, a new set of views. We exchanged what was in front of us for what was behind us and it was no less breathtaking, perhaps more so.
On our way down we decided that our hike would only be made better if we were able to see a bear. We've been lucky enough to see a lot of the other big game animals, but the bear was still eluding us. About two thirds of our way down the mountain we came around a bend and BAM!
A giant bull moose casually walking up the trail towards us. This was both awesome and terrifying. Statistically, you are more likely to be killed by a moose than a bear. As I am "calmly" making my way back up the trail away from the moose, Tim is trying to get himself killed by taking photos and falling in ditches. Luckily for us, the moose decided to make his way off the trail and disappear. Private moose showing, check.
As we got closer to the end of the trail, whisperings of a bear started to make their way to our ears. With hope in our eyes, we took off running. If there was a bear, we were going to find it. And we did. He was just on the other side of the river peacefully munching on grass and letting us take all the photographs we wanted, before gliding into the water and swimming away. Lake Solitude Trail: Officially the best ever.
Looks like we will have to come back in the cold months, when wildfire smoke is a near impossibility. Maybe with some fresh snow on the ground Although our time in the Tetons was rather short this trip, there was no shortage of smiles and amazement. The bar was certainly set high for the rest of our trip.
Moose on the loose ... hmm. Good stuff!
Inspiring. I'm going to somehow force my wife to read this. I've "finally" talked her into a camping trip next month, baby steps they say. Really, enjoying your journey.
When I first met my wife 10 years ago, she was a definite city girl. Over the years, I was somehow able to talk her into camping and she's slowly become an outdoor kinda girl. I think once she saw how beautiful the world around her could be she was hooked.
Good luck with your wife! And I appreciate the good words.
After leaving the Tetons and heading up into Montana, we traveled the route through Big Sky and Bozeman. We stayed for a few days to hike, attend the Big Sky Farmer's Market for some Flathead Cherries, and catch up on errands.
After passing through Missoula, we landed in Columbia Falls and made a home for the night at the Super 1 Foods, just outside of Glacier National Park. Shout out to Super 1 Foods; this place is awesome, guys. Besides allowing free overnight parking just outside the park, they also have 25 cent soft serve...who has ever heard of such a thing?? We definitely got our money's worth.
In order to enjoy the park, we once again had to board the dogs. We took them over to Three Dog Ranch (http://www.threedogranchmontana.com) in Whitefish and were able to board them for four nights for a super reasonable fee and felt totally comfortable leaving them there, which is a nice change from how I normally feel leaving my babies. How could I not worry about these faces?!
The first hike we did was to the Hidden Lake Overlook out of Logan Pass. Although it's slightly less than 1.5 miles to the overlook, expect a fair bit of climbing. A good chunk of the trail was somewhat consistent with the stair stepper at the gym, just with much better views. The biggest difference, though, is the amount of furry friends you can make along the way. There is an abundant amount of ground squirrels (larger brown version of the typical grey tree squirrel) that are quite used to humans and will come right up to you, as well as mountain goats. The goats varied from big boys to mamas and babies, but all seemed completely indifferent to human presence; going so far as to walk along the trail with us. (Always remember to give wildlife a safe space because it's WILD! You never know how animals will react).
Once you reach the overlook, you get a nice view of Hidden Lake below. At this point, you can choose to hike another mile and a half down to the lake, which I hear has nice clear water and the opportunity to spot a bear or two. We skipped this part due to time constrictions, but we did wander down the path a quarter mile of so for a different perspective of the lake and more mountain goats.
At the end of the hike, we decided to pop across the street to hike a tiny sample of the Highline Trail. This is a 28 mile loop that starts with a narrow shelf trail out of Logan Pass. I've heard great things about it, even if you only do the first 7.5 miles out and back.
For Tuesday's outdoor adventure, we decided to take the shuttle up to St. Mary & Virginia Falls. The Hike to Virginia Falls is about 3.5 miles roundtrip, with St. Mary Falls and other cascades as stops along the way. The first quarter mile of the hike took us through some old wildfire burn and then continued into more dense forest filled with thimbleberry bushes (yes, these are edible!).
It's an easy hike down to St Mary Falls, which is a three-tier waterfall that drops down 35 feet into an beautiful aqua colored pool below. Theres a footbridge that spans the third tier of the falls, where many hikers choose to take a plunge into the icy water to cool off.
As you continue down the path, the crowds lean out and you come across a number of other cascades on your way to Virginia Falls. Make sure to stop and explore those, as well, because they're all noteworthy.
At the top of the path, you reach Virginia Falls, which is a more accessible 50 foot waterfall. You can get quite close and feel the cool mist spray—feels great after hiking up there in the summer!
As we made our way back down to St. Mary Falls, a number of people had started jumping into the pool. After watching other people make the leap, we were convinced there weren't any hidden rocks, and decided to jump ourselves. I call this the Penguin Method, since penguins will push a "test" penguin into the water to ensure there aren't any predators lurking before the rest of them jump in . It was a fun and icy way to end the visit before hiking back out. Although, we did have to stand the entire shuttle ride back to avoid soaking their seats.
On our third day in the park, we got up early to drive the almost 2 hours up to the Many Glacier part of the park and hike Grinnell Glacier. BE WARNED, my people, the road from Two Medicine to St. Mary's is WHACK (are you all able to guess my age now?). This is a narrow, old, shelf road without a barrier that I hope has seen better days. There is a ton of heaving and it's a bit like being on a road rollercoaster. For those of us truck campers who are top heavy, this is less than ideal. Travel slowly.
We arrived at Grinnell Glacier Trailhead a bit before 8am and were already amongst a fair number of other hikers. When it comes to hiking in Glacier, if you want to avoid the crowds, get up with the sun. If you don't get there early, you and your 300 other friends will be hiking together. Also, Pro Tip: Always carry bear spray. You are in bear country. If you come face to face with a grizzly, statistics show bear spray is infinitely more effective at deterring an attack than anything else, including a firearm. Even with bear spray in tow, common sense and avoidance is always your best bet for animal encounters.
Funny Side Story: When we were in the grocery store in Columbia Falls we overheard a woman telling her friend how she had been asked by a tourist if you were supposed to spray the bear spray at the bear, or if you sprayed it on yourself like a bug spray. Please, don't mace yourselves, guys.
Grinnell Glacier is definitely our most recommended hike from our park experience. It's 11.4 miles roundtrip with 2,450 feet of elevation gain, but it's well worth it. You have beautiful views the entire way, including the chance for wildlife. There is also a way to cut down the length of the hike by taking the boat across the lakes, although I'm not sure how much mileage it eliminates. The path up is a steady grind and passes through dense forest, thick bushes, and rock ledges. Once you crest the treeline, you'll be hiking through more of a rocky area (although the trail itself isn't too rocky) to the glacier. Be forewarned, a waterfall drops onto a piece of bench cut trail at one point, so be prepared to get a little wet.
Grinnell Glacier sits above the top of the trail and the run off creates the glacial lake in front of you. Small icebergs float in the waters and give off nice cool breeze, so make sure you bring extra layers. A few brave souls took a polar bear plunge of sorts while we were there. We took our time at the top, eating lunch and laying in the sun on the rocks.
Overall, the hike took us about 5.5 hours, including about an hour at the top. On the way down, we were inundated with people hiking up, but we also had a fun run in with some big horned sheep who put on a show for us, too.
A bike forum friend of Tim's happened to be camping in Many Glacier at the same time we were there, and was generous enough to lend us his water toys. So after we were done hiking, we went over to Swift Current Lake and took out the kayak and stand up paddle board for a trip around the lake. It was nice to add a little water portion to our trip. We also blew up the donut tube Katy gave us for our trip and had a little float after A relaxing way to end our trip!
Our first week in Alaska was all rain. The locals tell us it's the rainiest summer they've seen in a long time. Mother nature chose not to show us Denali, so we moved south in search of better weather. Once we hit Anchorage, we saw a break in the weather forecast and decided to keep pushing south to hike Portage Pass. I was in search of that iconic looking Alaskan view I had yet to witness. Once we started driving south from Anchorage, it was as if the entire landscape transformed. The ocean came into view with giant mountains rising straight out of the water and glaciers appeared to be all around us. The views are incredible, which is also why it's such a dangerous stretch of road. Watch out for drivers with wandering eyes!
The Portage Pass hike leaves out of Whittier, Alaska. This is a tiny coastal town that we knew nothing about before going. As it turns out, the entrance to Whittier is a bit different than most towns. Google Maps didn't give us a warning on this one. "Hmm, the road looks like it goes straight into the mountain. There must be a tunnel." Was there ever. When you pull up to the toll booth ($13 for passenger vehicles, and yes, they do accept credit cards) they give you a lane number and you pull into one of the six lanes based on the type of vehicle you're driving. Then a monitor will tell you when it's ok for your lane to go. Why so intricate? Turns out the only way in and out of Whittier by car is through a single lane train tunnel. Once the train and the cars on the other side of the tunnel have gone through, then it's your turn. The tunnel is about 2.5 miles long straight through mountain rock. You drive with your tires on either side of the tracks and there are emergency shelters every 1,600 feet or so, just in case. It's a trippy and unusual experience.
Portage Pass is a relatively steep hike up to the top of the pass, and once there you can choose to keep going down to the glacial lake. The hike up to the pass runs along hoards of wild raspberry bushes, so if you hit it at the right time of summer you get a free snack along the way. We were relatively late, but Tim climbed through the thorns to snag me one of the last nice red ones.
As we crested the pass we were delighted with the most spectacular views—the Alaska I always imagined. A small pond on the pass, and sweeping mountain views centered on a glacier.
The dogs were loving life as we let them off leash to swim and quickly found out that the pond was a bit deeper than they anticipated.
Continue down to the bottom of the trail and you'll find a black sand beach leading into a large glacial lake. Some people on their way up reported seeing the glacier calve (break off) into the lake multiple times. We spent a lot of time down there playing with the pups and enjoying the stunning surroundings before making our way back up.
If you head to Alaska, put this hike on your list. After all the rain we had in the beginning, I feel like this hike gave me life. It was exactly what I needed at that time and really got me excited for what was to come on the rest of the peninsula.
Soldotna is a landlocked town on the way from Anchorage to Homer. It's a great stop for campers and RV-ers because it's the biggest town in the area and has everything you might need to refuel. There's a Fred Meyer, or Freddy's, in town that the locals tell us is the largest in the country. I'd be inclined to believe them. It's definitely one stop shopping, and as a bonus they allow overnight camping and a dump & fill. For those with diesel rigs, their gas station also has the best price we've seen on DEF. You'll also find a laundromat in town that also offers nice, long showers. Head up the road to Kenai for a yummy pizza at B&H Pizza.
While you're in town, be sure to go check out the wood shop 3 Guys No Wood. We loved our visit here. They will show you the wood shop and how they turn bowls and have all sorts of amazing pieces. They even offer reasonably priced classes if you feel inclined.
On a clear day, the road from Soldotna to Homer will give you great views of the huge volcano across the bay.
We arrived in Homer on another rare sunny day, but it turned out to be our coldest day yet. Who would've known that little spits of land that stick out into the sea in Alaska could be windy? We grabbed a campsite in Mariner Park, which is at the beginning of the spit. It was right on the water, but a bit cheaper than going to the end of the spit. Note, a lot of the town owned parks that allow camping operate on a first come-first serve basis, so get there early. It was here that we met our new friends, Wendy and Tom from Florida.
They've spent many a summer up in Alaska and had loads of advice on where to go and what to see. They even gave us a fresh smoked salmon filet that Tom had caught on the river. Wendy has an unbelievable memory and should probably write a travel book. I have trouble remembering what I ate for breakfast, but Wendy can tell you the campground in Maine she went to a few years ago that will bring a setup to your campsite for cooking lobster over the fire. One of the great aspects of this RV lifestyle is meeting all sorts of people from around the world who have this one thing in common.
After chatting with Tom and Wendy we made our way down the spit for some lunch. The spit is known to be a bit overpriced, but if you're heading that way, you should definitely get some fried halibut. We went to this tiny stand called AK Fish Fry because they had great reviews. Turns out they do, in fact, know how to fry a fish to perfection.
The spit has a bunch of cute shops, my favorite being Salty Girls. We were also lucky enough to spot a lone otter right off the dock with the small boats. He kept diving down and bringing crabs up to munch on. It was simultaneously adorable and disturbing as he ripped their legs off the eat them. This is the one I most regret not having the good camera for, so we took mental photos. Wendy told me that when the water is clear you might also be able to spot starfish in this area, but we didn't see any.
If you have dogs, or even just want a more off the beaten path beach to go to, head down to Bishops Beach down by Old Town. The locals drive their vehicles right onto the beginning of the beach to hang out and the dogs all play off leash. (If you have small dogs this is not recommended because they're snack-sized for the local eagles). The dogs had an absolute blast playing here—Marley's first time at the ocean! If you're lucky you might even spot some seal heads bobbing off shore.
Fun side note, as you walk on the beaches in Homer, you'll notice black lumps of varying sizes all over the place that look like coal. Turns out, they are! There's an underwater coal seam on the Kenai Peninsula near Homer that the ocean breaks pieces off of and washes ashore during high tide. The locals can often be found collecting these hunks of coal; they will later be used to heat houses throughout the winter.
If you're staying at Mariner Park, it's a short walk down the street to Three J's Pizza—we got good pizza and a nice view for dinner. They're located right on the shallows during low tide and tons of birds hang out just outside to have their own dinner.
Our second day in Homer was intermittently rainy, so we decided to head onto the spit to visit a few shops we missed and get a drink at the Salty Dawg Saloon. The Salty Dawg seems like a mix of tourist and local, and includes a patio and pool table in the back. The interesting thing is that the entire bar is filled with signed dollar bills. It appears to be a tradition dating back decades, and if you pass through feel free to pin up your own signed bill. Don't expect a large variety of beers though. It's slim pickings, and although most of it is local, everything is either bottled or canned.
If you're into jewelry, the local tradition is using mammoth tusk and walrus tusk ivory in their pieces. The ivory is harvested from the permafrost in Alaska and has been used in jewelry for centuries. We stopped into High Tide Arts on the spit and the owner, Leslie Klaar, makes all sorts of nice jewelry. Her husband is a hunting guide who collects big game sheds (antlers) and makes knives with antler handles. They were both great at creating traditional pieces with modern flair.
After a couple days in Homer, we were ready to hop to the next place, and headed to the Russian River. We heard whispers of bears here, so we couldn't pass it up. We got a campsite for the night right along the river and hiked a couple miles in to the Russian River Falls. The river is home to one of the hardest races we've ever seen: The Salmon Run. This is one of the most fascinating and gruesome things we've witnessed. Every year, the salmon swim upstream to spawn. They use the protected areas under the river banks to lay and fertilize their eggs, and then they die. Their remains help nourish the entire environment of that area. Lots of the fish don't make it all the way upstream, however. They get badly beaten on the rocks as they launch themselves upstream, they die of exhaustion, or they get scooped up by bear or fishermen. All along the stream and at the falls you can pinpoint the favorite bear hangouts based on the amount of fish remains in that area. That's also where the magpies and seagulls will be.
When we made it to the falls, we were amazed at the sheer number of fish. Thousands of salmon were making their best attempts to jump up the several levels of falls. Some were exhausted and hanging out in little pools to rest. Some had already succumbed to their journey. The falls were relentless and damaging. Their resolve to make it to the top was admirable, to say the least. We stayed there for at least an hour trying to catch a fish on camera at the perfect moment as it leapt from the water. We cheered when they made it. We felt for them when they got washed down a level. Even though we didn't spot any bears, it was quite the experience.
The next morning we got up early to walk the river trails in search of the seemingly elusive bear. It was crisp, with fog coming off the water. The fishermen were quietly reeling in fish up and down the river. We failed on the bear front, though. We were told that a fair number of the fishermen have been charged by the mama bears that frequent the area lately, though, so maybe that's a good thing.
After walking the Russian River that morning, we booked it down to Seward for a noon wildlife boat tour with Major Marine. We were originally going to pay a lot more to go on a small 6 person whale tour because we figured we would get a lot closer to marine life near the shore in the smaller boat. However, after finding out that it was late in the season and most of the whales had already migrated to warmer waters, we decided to go with the cheaper tour. Seward was insanely windy, but luckily once we got out on the water the wind died down significantly. I chose one of the shortest tours offered, but it turns out that 5 hours on a tour boat still feels like an entire day.
We got the first sunny day in Seward in weeks, so we were able to go pretty far out to see Bear Glacier, the longest glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park measuring 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. We also saw what the captain described as "the last whale in Destruction Bay". It was a lone humpback who made a couple appearances for us. Other wildlife included otters, sea lions, sea birds, a puffin, harbor seals, and a bald eagle. It was a great cruise for people who have limited mobility, limited time, or prefer to have sights delivered to them. For us, it was a bit lackluster. Next time we will be more likely to choose one of the kayak tours.
One of the gems we discovered in Seward was our boondocking site. On the road to Exit Glacier & Kenai Fjords National Park we discovered small, free pulloffs in the trees. We were initially deterred by signs that looked like no camping signs, but they turned out to be area use rules. It allowed us to back off the road just far enough that we felt super secluded and a small path lead down to the river so the dogs could play. It was quiet and made for the perfect sleeping conditions.
The next day we drove to the southern part of Seward to hike to Tonsina Point. It's a nice, quiet hike through thick rainforest that leads out to the ocean. Fun fact, the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest runs from southern Alaska all the way to northern California and is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world. I had no idea there was rainforest all the way up here, but it sure shows in the forest. Everything is very green and mossy while the air is cool and damp.
Tonsina Point was a nice section of beach at the confluence of the river and ocean. Some salmon were still hanging around, but they had certainly seen better days. Beautifully worn driftwood dotted the shore. Seagulls hung around the water's edge until Rigby and Marley scattered them.
After our hike we popped over to Lowell Point, which is a common departure point for a lot of the kayak tours. The low tide had stranded a number of moon jellyfish on the shore. They're an odd type of jellyfish without tentacles and look more like a clear, gelatinous hockey puck (Tim contends they look more like breast implants).
Our last stop in Seward was to Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park. If we had more time and less dogs on this trip, we would have hiked up the glacier, but instead we did the small loop around for a view. If you go to this park, you might notice a bunch of signs with years on them, starting on the road in. These are interesting to pay attention to because they're marking the location of the glacier in that year so you can see the extent to which the glacier has receded.
Instead of staying in Seward that night, we decided to head up to the little town of Moose Pass. Moose Pass boasts a few shops as well as a free wet stone powered by the town's old waterwheel on which you can sharpen your knives. They also allow boondocking right down by the large lake just outside of town where you can often spy moose in the early mornings.
Since we had yet to spy any bears in the wild, we decided to stop at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center on our way back to Anchorage. This is a sanctuary for big game animals who have found themselves orphaned or injured in the wild and is SO worth the $15 entry fee. I will be doing a separate post about it soon.
The town of Girdwood is also a small detour on the way back to Anchorage, and although we did not end up stopping, I have heard it's quite nice.
We also got an inside tip from a local about a stop along the road back to Anchorage called Beluga Point. If you hit it at the right time, just before high tide, you might be able to spot Beluga Whales as they come in with the tide to fish. We went out on the point of land in a grove of trees facing the ocean, all alone, and just as we did three whales passed right in front of us. It felt like a private showing and it was really exciting. The views from this point are also really nice.
The weather does what it wants, regardless of season. Bring those layers!
Befriend a local, or someone who has spent significant time in an area. If you're nice and trustworthy looking, they just might share their favorite things with you.
Eat the fish, all the fish. So fresh and so yummy.
The whole peninsula is most definitely bear country, both brown and black. Carry bear spray at all times and know how to use it.


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Friday, March 3rd, 2017
Classic Moved to Primetime
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in conjunction with the College Football Playoff and ESPN announced today that the 82nd edition of the Classic will be moved to Friday, Dec. 29th, 2017 and played in an exclusive primetime window on ESPN.
The game was previously scheduled in an earlier window on Saturday, Dec. 30th. The exact kickoff time on Friday night will be announced at a later date.
"When we first moved to AT&T Stadium, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic enjoyed a successful run of games on Friday night," Jay McAuley, Chairman of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic said. "There's a special energy surrounding Friday night games in Texas, and rest assured, come primetime on December 29th, the atmosphere inside AT&T Stadium will be electric.
"This opportunity enables the Classic to stand alone and kick off the holiday weekend as the only bowl game on Friday night. We couldn't be more excited about the move presented to us by the College Football Playoff and ESPN. Our new date gives local fans and those from out of state the best opportunity to come to North Texas and enjoy what will most likely be a battle of Top 10 teams."
The December 29th date will mark the earliest kickoff in the Classic's 82-year history dating back to the game's inception in 1937 and only the third time the game has been played in December. The Cotton Bowl was played on New Year's Eve in 1966 (SMU vs. Georgia), and the Classic hosted the College Football Playoff Semifinal on December 31st in 2015 (Michigan State vs. Alabama).
The Classic last kicked off on a Friday night in 2014 when Missouri played Oklahoma State. This year's game will mark the fifth time the Cotton Bowl has played on Friday night since moving to AT&T Stadium in 2010.
"We've sold out every year since moving to AT&T Stadium, and with this announcement of an exclusive primetime window, we expect that trend to continue", Rick Baker, President/CEO of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic said. "Our goal is to provide the very best experience for our tremendous season-ticket holders, and this will certainly help us maximize their investment in our game. We are grateful to the College Football Playoff and ESPN for this opportunity."
Fans interested in getting on the waiting list for tickets can contact the Goodyear Cotton Bowl ticket office at 888-792-BOWL (2695).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: What is the latest on Microsoft Expression Studio licensing? In the past, there's been an issue with Microsoft not allowing you to deactivate an Expression Studio key. Basically, you get two keys per license. If you assign both keys (say one to a desktop and one to a laptop), then you upgrade to a new machine (say you replace your laptop or upgrade some of the hardware), you have to buy a new copy of Expression Studio ($600 for Ultimate). This seems ludicrous to me, and I'm wondering if anyone knows if this policy is still in place. I can't seem to find a EULA online anywhere, so I don't know where to find this information. I know my laptop is due for replacement soon, and I want to know if I'm going to have to sink $600 into a software product I already purchased.
For background, please refer to this thread on the Microsoft Expression forums:
http://social.expression.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/general/thread/da5587bc-b098-4c6a-9a56-af3608d940d0
Note that this thread is locked. Microsoft doesn't seem to want people to discuss this. This is one reason I'm posting here rather than on that site.

A: I have found that if you are unable to activate online, call the Phone Activation call center. After the IVR activation fails, you will be transferred to a representative. I have never been denied after telling them that I got a new machine and need an activation code.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The crew from the Bentley King, operated by Portside Towing.
Crew on the LNG tanker Golar Arctic, anchored at Portland Bight, with their Day of the Seafarer tokens.
Jamaica joined the international community in honouring seafarers during the celebration of Day of the Seafarer on June 25, 2018. Day of the Seafarer is an annual observance designated by the United Nations agency, International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
In recognition of the essential role seafarers play in enabling the shipping industry to transport 90 per cent of world trade, the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) visited five local ports to greet seafarers and to show appreciation for their dedication and commitment to their jobs, and to offer assistance through the provision of professional counselling services.
This year's theme was 'Seafarers' Well-being'. The life of a seafarer requires dedication and commitment, with long periods spent away at sea. The MAJ is committed to playing its part in addressing the mental health and wellness of seafarers, and during the port visits, the team was accompanied by a counselling psychologist to talk with seafarers about their experiences and general welfare concerns.
In his Day of the Seafarer message, MAJ Director General Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Peter Brady, said: "Our seafarers are doing a fantastic job and we are pleased to express our appreciation and honour their contribution to international trade by sea and to economies of the world, while braving the seas which are often tumultuous and unwelcome."
The MAJ team visited the Golar Arctic LNG tanker which was at anchorage in Portland Bight. Captain Mirko Pavlicevic, master on the vessel, said "We are honoured that our vessel was chosen among others for celebrating International Day of the Seafarer. On this special day when we are far away from our home and family, it was our honor to receive this nice gesture from the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. We will remember this for a long time."
The MAJ team also shared with seafarers on two Aegean Bunkering vessels, Kalymnos and Kefalonia, where the crew hail from the Philippines, Peru, Romania, Greece, and Jamaica. Aegean's Managing Director, Captain George Kontogeorgis, expressed the crew's pleasure in joining the activities to recognise "the invaluable service and contribution which seafarers make to our company, shipping on a whole and, by extension, the global transportation network. It is with heartfelt passion that Aegean embraced the opportunity to collaborate with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, in honouring these individuals on Seafarer's Day 2018, under the theme 'Seafarers' Well-being'."
He went on to say that "the crew members expressed great excitement and gratitude for the warm gesture, presentations, and tokens they received.
At the Jamaica Livestock Association Pier on Marcus Garvey Drive, West Indies Petroleum (WIP) collaborated with the MAJ to host an event to honour their all-Jamaican crew. Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Peter Brady acknowledged the support from players in the shipping industry. He said seafarers operate below the radar and essentially render silent but very critical service as they ensure, among other things, that vessels are properly fuelled in a safe and environmentally conscious manner.
Gerald Chambers, chief executive officer of West Indies Petroleum, who also addressed the gathering, honoured the all-Jamaican crew who maintained their fleet of vessels. He recognised these seafarers as the backbone and heart of the company, and was happy for this great opportunity to honour WIP's seafarers.
On their visit to the Bentley King, owned and operated by Portside Towing, Michael Dobson, operations manager, welcomed the MAJ team. He said, "This generous and kind gesture by the MAJ serves as a reminder to seamen that their activities are noted and appreciated."


Are your walls empty? Oversized clocks might be just what you need. These unique accessories can add instant character to your room and create a focal point. They can also make your room appear larger. Whether vintage, rustic, chic or retro we have a clock for you.
Is this décor trend for you?
I really think this is a great information for me. I should bookmark to your RSS feed. Thansk.
Absolutely – I have two oversized clocks from Urban Barn – both Umbra, if I'm not mistaken – and they fit in seamlessly with my decor. Great trend!


Abishek Singh Sheku is a 26 year old who has a medical condition due to which his right leg is stunted and lacks muscle growth. This condition however, does not stop him from training hard every day. He is a cyclist who has already conquered the Asian Championship title. Due to the lack of competitors in Indian Para Cycling, he competes against able bodied cyclists in local races, and finishes ahead of many of them.
Abishek's first road bike was sponsored by the AMF. Our relationship has now gone one step further, as we sponsored a new Merida Mountain Bike worth Rs.60,000 for him, to cater to his off road competitions! He is one of India's fastest para athletes on 2 wheels, and is itching to have a go at many more International events.


Shimabukuro's wholly unique approach to the ukulele started early. As a youngster growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, Shimabukuro started playing the instrument at the age of four, learning the basics from his mother, Carol, and then developing his craft further by studying the likes of musical masters such as Eddie Kamae, Ohta-San and Peter Moon. As he matured, Shimabukuro also found inspiration from guitar players, drummers, pianists, and singers.


The Canon EOS-1D Mark III and the Nikon D1 are two professional cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2007 and June 1999. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-H (1D Mark III) and an APS-C (D1) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 10.1 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 2.6 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
The physical size and weight of the Canon 1D Mark III and the Nikon D1 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D1 is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Canon 1D Mark III. Moreover, the D1 is markedly lighter (5 percent) than the 1D Mark III. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (1D Mark III) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D1).
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera's release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer's line-up and the competition. The 1D Mark III was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 18 percent) than the D1, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 1D Mark III features an APS-H sensor and the Nikon D1 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the D1 is 30 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.3 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
With 10.1MP, the 1D Mark III offers a higher resolution than the D1 (2.6MP), but the 1D Mark III has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 7.21μm versus 11.93μm for the D1). However, the 1D Mark III is a somewhat more recent model (by 7 years and 8 months) than the D1, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.
The Canon EOS-1D Mark III has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 50-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D1 are ISO 200 to ISO 1600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 200-6400..
The 1D Mark III offers Live View, so that it can project the live image that the sensor receives onto the rear screen for framing. The D1 lacks this capability. Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1D Mark III and the D1 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the 1D Mark III offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D1 (96%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the 1D Mark III has a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.53x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 1D Mark III and Nikon D1 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.
The 1D Mark III writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or SDHC cards, while the D1 uses Compact Flash cards. The 1D Mark III features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D1 only has one slot.
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS-1D Mark III and Nikon D1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Both the 1D Mark III and the D1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The D1 was replaced by the Nikon D1X, while the 1D Mark III was followed by the Canon 1D Mark IV. Further information on the two cameras, as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon and Nikon websites.
So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 1D Mark III or the Nikon D1 – has the upper hand? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.
More detail: Offers more megapixels (10.1 vs 2.6MP) with a 95% higher linear resolution.
More modern: Reflects 7 years and 8 months of technical progress since the D1 launch.
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 1D Mark III is the clear winner of the match-up (9 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision.
Do the specifications of the Canon 1D Mark III and the Nikon D1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing.
In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 1D Mark III or the D1 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.


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Philip Zimbardo Audio & Video
How Ordinary People Become Monsters... or Heroes
by Philip Zimbardo
Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials.
Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition
Highlighting major new developments in the field, this updated edition of Discovering Psychology offers high school and college students, and teachers of psychology at all levels, an overview of historic and current theories of human behavior.
Man, Interrupted
In 2011, Philip Zimbardo gave a TED Talk called "The Demise of Guys," which has been viewed by over 1.8 million people.
Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd on The Time Paradox
Your every significant choice -- every important decision you make -- is determined by a force operating deep inside your mind: your perspective on time -- your internal, personal time zone.
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Here are answers....
Philip Zimbardo: The Secret Powers of Time
Professor Philip Zimbardo reveals how our individual perspective on time affects our work, health and well-being.
Philip Zimbardo on The Lucifer Effect
What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Where is the line separating good from evil, and who is in danger of crossing it? Renow-ned social psychologist Philip Zimbardo has the answers, and in The Lucifer Effect he explains how---and the myriad reasons why---we are all susceptible to the lure of "the dark side."
Journey From the Psychology of Evil to the Psychology of Heroism
Why do good people turn evil? In what sense are evil and heroism comparable? How could the little old Stanford prison experiment reveal parallels and insights about the abuses by military guards at Abu Ghraib?


Please contact call 01372 465 277 or use the online booking form below to arrange your consultation at The Norup Clinic, Esher.
The Norup Clinic is a highly specialised, privately owned, fully comprehensive medical cosmetics clinic based in a Grade II Listed building on Esher High Street in Surrey.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please call 01372 465 277 and reschedule to avoid a cancellation fee.


How Satan Assumed the Likeness of a Bear in the Presence of Father Norbert.
86. If the members suffer these struggles, what will the head endure? If the subjects suffer these what will the master suffer? Certainly greater, inasmuch as Norbert inflicted the greater loss on the enemy, and still foresaw inflicting an even greater loss on Satan in the future.
Hence when the Man of God had spent a whole night sleepless in prayer, standing before the altar of the poor oratory which he had accepted at Prémontré in the beginning of his conversion, Satan stood behind him in the form of a frightful bear, a fearful sight with its teeth and claws. When the man turned and wanted to leave in order to rest his limbs which were tired from little sleep, unexpectedly seeing the beast standing there he was frightened. Very quickly, however, he recovered himself and, observing that the door of the oratory was closed and realizing that he had not previously heard the sound of anyone entering, he recognized that these were the snares of his persecutor. After a while he regained his courage with prayer and said: "What do you want, bloody beast? Your claws are without substance, your frightful teeth are air, and your hairy pelt empty smoke and vapor passing away and like the shadow which vanishes with the sun. You were formed in the image and likeness of God[41-1] and, although you were light, by your pride you merited the darkness. Depart now, I command you, because there is nothing in common between Christ and Belial, between light and darkness, between the faithful and the unfaithful.[41-2] Depart quickly! You know you can harm no one without permission, and then only those who have been subject to your power by the demands of their sins." The Liar then disappeared, unable to endure the truth.
The Circumstances That Brought Norbert to the Place Where he was Elected Archbishop.
87. The time had come when the above mentioned Count Theobald was, at the set time and place arranged by internuntios, to meet his future wife, her father and a large number of her relatives. Father Norbert, who had recommended this marriage, had also been invited and the Count brought him along to this meeting place. When they arrived they did not find her, for she had stopped along the way detained by a grave illness.
Therefore, the Count and all who were with him were wondering, suspecting that the reason was some regret or deception. After taking counsel, they asked Norbert to go to meet her and report whether the explanation for this delay was true. Norbert agreed to their request thinking it would be a disgrace to himself if he did not bring to a close the business of this marriage which he had undertaken to arrange.
88. Next Norbert moved on to that for which he was sent. Coming to Speyer[42-3] he found the Saxons and a large part of the clergy of Magdeburg gathered before King Lothair[42-4] to elect an archbishop. When they heard that the man, whom people from different nations of the world acclaimed as holy,[42-5] had arrived, they sent for him to come and give a sermon which people enjoyed hearing. But they also sent for him to hear his advice on certain business which required that some of them be there.
First the case of the people of Magdeburg was dealt with. They were left without their spiritual father. Present at the meeting were a certain Cardinal[42-6] who had recently come from Rome and a large number of other princes. These men had proposed three names[42-7] for the election, one of which was Father Norbert. However, Norbert was unaware of this. While they were undecided and looking for the best of the three candidates, Albero, the Primicerius[42-8] of the Diocese of Metz -- afterwards Archbishop of Trier[42-9] -- from the opposite side secretly indicated with his finger that they should choose the Man of God, Norbert. They immediately seized him with their outstretched hands and cried out loudly: "We elect this man as our father; we approve him as our shepherd."
89. The frail man could not defend himself. Norbert was not permitted to think nor by thinking to decide anything in his own regard. He was quickly caught up, praised by the king, approved by all who were standing around and even confirmed by the legate of the Roman Church. The man was led away carrying with him a very heavy burden. He was led to a place he did not know. He was dragged, I say, to a people of a depraved and perverse nation, namely among the Slavs and Saxons. Both peoples derive their name from their situation. The former, if you remove the "s", signifies the puncture of infidelity made by the point of nails (clavorum). The latter testifies to the weight of rocks (saxorum) and the blindness and harshness of a stone-like heart. He who, after seven years of labor performed for Laban, expected Rachel[42-10], or had chosen the better part of Mary[42-11], inasmuch as his body was frail, now found the work of Martha and the labor of Liah, because "there is no wisdom, no prudence, no counsel against the Lord".[42-12] And for this reason he who had neglected the unbelieving race of pagans to which he had decided to go at the beginning of his conversion, so that he might recall some people from the error of infidelity[42-13], now, bearing with him the authority and the office from which he thought to flee the divine plan, was clearly forced to submit to obedience.
How Norbert Was Received into the City.
90. As is customary, at Norbert's entry there was a great assembly of people. All were joyful, both old and young: the old because they had elected someone who was well-known and respected; the young because they were receiving in this man someone who would sympathize with their infirmities. From a distance he gazed at the city to which he was being led and entered it barefoot. Barefoot he entered the sanctuary with the procession. Barefoot he was led to the palace. But as a poor man, poor and garbed in a cloak, while others were entering he was rejected by the doorkeeper since he was unknown to him. The doorkeeper said to him: "The other poor people were admitted long ago. It isn't proper for you to intrude rudely along with this throng of princes.
Those who were following exclaimed: "Wretch! What are you doing? Let him go, wretch. What have you done? Don't you know that this is our bishop and your master?" The man quickly fled and hid but Father Norbert, calling him back, said with a smile: "Don't be afraid and don't flee, my brother. You know me better and see me more clearly than those who force me, appearing so poor and simple, to this lofty palace to which I should not have been elevated."
How Norbert Gathered What Had Been Dispersed.
91. After Norbert was consecrated bishop[44-1] and elevated to the episcopal chair, he was mindful of the apostolic command that a bishop should be the steward of his house.[44-2] He called together the administrators of his house and all its ministers and inquired about the sources of the episcopal income. He asked where these properties were located and who was in charge of each of them. When everything had been listed in writing and the amount of income to be expected from it there was barely enough to cover four months of the year.
The Priest of God was dumbfounded. He carefully inquired whether the church was earlier on endowed with more ample property or had these possessions been dispersed by some who previously held the reigns of government and less carefully preserved what belonged to the diocese by right.
After Norbert learned the truth that this was a noble church both founded and elevated by royal power and generously endowed and enriched, he said, "Where is all of this? How has the property been alienated from the church and from you to whom it belonged?" They answered, "Some of your predecessors, giving in to weakness, yielded up some property to their blood brothers and some of their relatives and friends, while some property they gave away outright. Others, in like manner, gave some property as fief holdings. Still others who were weaker, overcome by the powerful, were not able to defend the rights of the church and they lost some property. Thus all the property has been diminished and almost reduced to nothing. All these things used to serve the honor and good of the Church."
92. Hearing this, Norbert remembered that "cursed is the one who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and removes his heart from the Lord".[44-3] He gathered his strength in Him and through Him by Whom he did not doubt he had been called to administer this office. He fearlessly assumed his authority and sent legations everywhere ordering that whoever unjustly held the possessions of the church, over which he presided by the will of God, should in no way dare any longer to put his hand to them unless he first showed that they were his by hereditary right and inherited from his long-held paternal property.
When the robbers and sacrilegious men heard this they were highly indignant that an unarmed and poor man who arrived on a donkey dared to give so strong and so hasty an order. They disregarded his order, thinking to lose nothing through him of these things which they had taken over violently. But he pursued them with the spiritual sword with which he was girded. Sitting quietly he attacked, struck, cast down and bound them with the bonds of anathema.
They came to the conclusion that this persecution was easy for the bishop but for themselves long-lasting and weighty. Authority decreed that those who suffered anathema for one year were, after that year, to be considered outside the law and to have no hearing at court. Thus for the most part they handed over the property which they had unjustly usurped for themselves from the benefices of the church. But they did this unwillingly and because of this they secretly stirred up enmity and hatred against the bishop however and wherever they could.
All of this was the beginning of Norbert's suffering and the occasion of persecutions. Day after day each one acknowledged the trouble which he bore reluctantly. They asked, "Why did we want this outsider, whose customs we didn't know, to govern us? He is contrary to our work and customs beyond what we can bear. These complaints were spread about among the old, the young, the rich and the poor. Some felt oppressed, others feared oppression, still others only agreed with what was generally being said. Thus he who was first exalted with great praise was now cast down with censure and reproach, only in words, however, and without his knowing it. Nevertheless, these words became actions under the control of Him who arranges all things inwardly before they take place.
How Norbert Transferred the Canons from the Church of Blessed Mary and Replaced Them with His Own Confreres.
94. In front of the episcopal palace and not far away there was a church in honor of Mary the Holy Mother of God in which there were twenty secular canons living from of old under a provost.[45-1] The Priest of God foresaw that this church was necessary for him. He thought if his confreres were installed there he might relax sometimes from the pressure which came with his duties. He frequently requested this church from the king and the canons of the cathedral and the canons of the church itself. He offered in exchange another place with an equal or better income. Unanimously they all refused, saying that a church with such a name should not be changed nor should the royal power, to which the church was subject, be diminished. Neither should he place there men of another order and custom who would not be acquainted with the royal rights, due submission and obedience according to their custom.
For several years he suffered rejection by these men but finally, humbly persevering in his petitioning, he won. He won by his reasoning. He won by his constancy. They knew that he never wanted to leave off from a good beginning until he attained his goal. When those clerics had been removed and all of them relocated, each according to his wish, he placed the confreres of his order in this church as he had long desired. He arranged for the service of God to be held according to a determined life-style during his lifetime and after his departure into eternity.
The Persecutions Which Norbert Sustained.
95. The number of confreres grew and multiplied in Saxony, where religion had grown lukewarm, and in Sclavonia, where it did not exist. After taking root they flourished and multiplied like the Hebrews.[46-1] The Saxons and the people of Magdeburg grumbled. Hatred and envy towards the Man of God grew. Having hope and confidence in God, Norbert did not cease to expand his own community as well as congregations with other customs. For this reason the wolves raged against the lambs, the sheep against the shepherd. The wolf shared its fierceness with the mild sheep, the sheep shared its mildness with the fierce wolf. Both agreed to lend a cruel fierceness to the death of the shepherd.
96. The day was at hand, that most holy and festive day of the Lord's Supper on which the authority of the Holy Fathers decreed that penitents be reconciled to God, and on which that innocent lamb was taken captive and led away to be sacrificed in order to reconcile the enmity between God and man. And lo, at the door of the place where the Priest of God was hearing the confessions of penitents, there stood a man clothed in penitential garments persistently asking the porter to be allowed access to the bishop for confession. When the porter informed the Man of God, he said, "Don't let him in." When the porter responded that his master requested that the man wait, he insisted more and more on being admitted. Thus the man continued knocking but was not admitted until the rest of the crowd which had gathered for confession departed. Then, finally, he was given permission to enter.
The Man of God looked at him carefully from a distance and said, "Do not come any closer, but stand there and don't take a step." Norbert called the palace servants who were outside and ordered them to remove the young man's cloak. When the cloak was removed the man was discovered to have a sharp knife secured to his side. It was about a foot and a half in length. At the bishop's request, while everyone present looked on, the man with the knife was brought before him. When asked why he had come armed like that, trembling and stunned -- inasmuch as he was aware of his unspeakable and abominable cruelty -- and fearing death, he fell at Norbert's feet and confessed that he had been sent to kill him. After hearing the names of those who had hired the man, and by whose prompting and advice he had come to commit such a horrible crime, the rest who were present and those who were gathering for this novel spectacle were shocked to hear that the perpetrators of this betrayal were those who dealt with Norbert regarding serious matters and were his trusted counsellors.
97. But this just man joyfully and calmly looked at them and said, "Why are you surprised that the old enemy recognized his instrument and tried to carry out his work among his members? He did not fear to do this on this most sacred night to our holy head, Jesus Christ. Oh, how fortunate he would be who at some hour of this day would be betrayed and die at the hand not of enemies but of friends such as these whom you have heard named!"
"This is the day on which mercy is given to those without hope, pardon to sinners and life to the dead. On this day because you have prevented this death, you have prolonged my grief, brought labor, and deferred my rest. These were and are my friends, they do not deserve to be enemies because of this, for it is fitting that we imitate our head and beginning, Jesus Christ. He said, "Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you"[46-6] and elsewhere, 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."[46-7] The traitor was locked up not for punishment but to uncover the plan of his supporters, in order that they might be punished by the shame of such a crime inasmuch as they felt no remorse or grief in their hearts. What should we conclude? Could the Man of God have known what this man, who came for confession and penance, brought unless abundant grace had taught him? Those who had armed themselves with shameful evil and obvious injustice failed, overcome by an unarmed man.
The Cleric Who Wanted to Kill Norbert.
98. The envious evil done in secret did not cease. In public there was a pretense of tranquility. However, this evil was the more serious and wicked the more it was acted out by domestics and members of the household. We are really speaking of the trusted members of the household since, when Norbert had risen one night, as was his habit, to celebrate Matins with his clergy, one of his house clerics had come and positioned himself behind at the door in ambush. He was filled with evil and cruel malice, inasmuch as he was armed with appropriate weapons and ready to cautiously and deceitfully strike and kill an innocent man.
When the chaplains who preceded had gone forth, as was the local custom -- for chaplains precede their lords -- jumping forth from his hiding place and thinking the last one to be the bishop, he struck one of the clerics and ripped his garment. The man cried out, "Who is it who harms me?" The attacker, knowing from the sound of the voice that it was not the one he sought, said, "I thought this last man was the one I was planning to kill."
The bishop had gone ahead, mixed in among the others, fearing just such an event as though having advanced knowledge of the future. The attacker quickly turned and fled. When others tried to capture him, the Man of God said, "Let him flee. You should not render evil for evil.[47-1] He did what he could and what God permitted. My hour has not yet come.[47-2] But those who sent him will not sleep nor rest until they are weary with their abuse and they either kill me or, if the work done by me is God's work, they clearly find me approved."
How Norbert Arranged for a Successor at Prémontré.
99. The little flock at Prémontré, left, without their spiritual father, for two years patiently awaited him following the example of Him who said, "I shall not leave you orphans, I am going and I will return to you".[48-1] Some of the confreres as well as some laymen said, "We will never be able to survive because without the shepherd the sheep usually disperse."[48-2] Some wanted no master but him, others, despairing of him, wanted to elect another. They argued back and forth, putting forth a like case both for truth and reason. They lacked the comfort of faithful exhortation. Since they were not yet firmly rooted, they were still capable of wavering rather than thinking of themselves as stable.
When this had been reported to the Man of God, he feared that what God had planted through him might dry up if it were not still steeped in the dew of divine counsel. He called together some of the priors and sensible confreres and inquired of them what needed to be done. He looked into their desires one by one so that he might be more certain about his course of action.
After Norbert understood that some wanted to live with him, some wanted to live elsewhere by his counsel, still others wanted to hold to the proposed vow of poverty, yet most wanted to observe the same tenor of poverty under a definite master and discipline, he sent them back, but kept a few of the men with him. Again and again he encouraged them to pursue the pattern of unanimity so that, when he granted them permission to elect a father, the harmony of Christ Jesus and the love which he taught might be found among them.
The men departed, and the good shepherd did not forget the sons whom he had begotten in Christ.[48-3] Lest they remain long without a teacher, he shortly thereafter sent faithful messengers to them to announce the permission to elect and to indicate his wishes regarding the election. We must not linger here as to how and what was done in the election because those who had been taught well by their master did not lack instruction from the messengers whom he sent.
100. When the election had been confirmed by the sons, just as assent had been given by the father, those who had been sent returned to Norbert announcing that his wishes had been carried out. The one who was elected[48-4] was with him. Nevertheless, he ordered that the matter be kept secret for a few days. The one who was elected was not told so that the curiosity of some who were with him could be observed. They were curiously awaiting his response. It was Norbert's practice that, when such matters had to be dealt with, changed or confirmed, or if other events requiring action occurred, he inquired of the individuals who were around him concerning these affairs. He did this in order not to make a rash decision without first -- as much as one is able - seeking out the will of God and drawing out the best views from those around him.
Norbert's intention for the time being was hidden. Nevertheless, the one elected was not unaware of what had been done in his regard. He silently considered the matter, having been instructed by a revelation from God. He later explained that in the morning of the day on which he was elected, he stood in a vision before the Son of God, Jesus Christ, with his father and master, Norbert. Jesus, extending his right hand, received the confrere, who was elected by the rest of the confreres, from the hand of the Man of God who said, "Lord, this man whom you committed to me, I present to Your Most Holy Majesty."
101. No doubt through this he was able to know what else the divine mercy was planning in his regard. What else needs to be said? The day arrived on which the Man of God was pleased to complete what he had begun. Calling together the confreres whom he had with him he told them his decision. He called the one elected and said, "Through election by your confreres you will succeed me in the house of our poverty." The elected responded, "It is fitting to obey you and especially the Father of all. I shall go and consider the progress and fulfillment of God's mercy. If I am able to advance and succeed, thanks be to God. Otherwise, without offense, allow me to return to you whom I have chosen after God the Father as the guardian of my soul." Then Norbert said, "Go, for the hand of the Lord will be with you until the end."
After receiving Norbert's blessing, he departed taking two companions with him. Of these two the Man of God ordered that one be placed as abbot in the church at Antwerp[48-5] and the other in Floreffe. And so it was. He himself was installed and blessed as Abbot at Prémontré, and the other two in the two above mentioned churches. Another two were blessed in two other churches, those of Blessed Martin in Laon[48-6] and Viviers.
These five men and a sixth, whom the Abbot of Prémontré, immediately after his installation, sent to Bonne-Esperance, gathered on a set day in a determined place. Seeing impending dissolution of the order in several places, they feared a greater one ahead. They cut back whatever for the present seemed superfluous in their houses. Thereafter, following the model and example of the Cistercians, they determined to come together annually to correct the wrongs of their order. When word of this spread about in other houses there were six in the first year, nine in the second, twelve in the third and eighteen in the fourth year. From then on they increased throughout the world as their voices, actions and works bear witness even to the present day.
102. Pope Honorius[49-1] of blessed memory was called to his eternal reward. Innocent[49-2] was canonically elected to the Holy Roman See, but was unable to take possession of the See because of the intrusion of Pierleoni[49-3] and the sedition of the latter's family. Innocent left Rome and went to France where, as fitting, he was honorably received.
Innocent called a council at Rheims[49-4] and from all over bishops gathered from the various nations. Father Norbert also came and there the interloper Pierleoni was excommunicated. After approving the election of Innocent, they handed this Pierleoni over to the roaring lion to be devoured[49-5] unless he repented.
To deal with the Roman Pontiffs in this tract will seem to some to be superfluous, but I am not otherwise able to discuss in proper order certain things which ought not be omitted regarding the Soldier of Christ, things which are known to be wonderfully and laudably done by him in modern times.
After the Council was ended, Norbert returned to his own See. What he had done was now partially revealed, namely how he had armed himself[49-7] against them with the spiritual sword and with the walls and ramparts of castles. They raged all the more, saying to one another, "Our kingdom will not stand[49-8] and our glory is nothing. Our honor and the dignity of our predecessors will be destroyed unless we remove this man from our midst[49-9] as soon as possible and this subtle power of his is removed from our land." From then on they sought an opportunity[49-10] to act cautiously according to what they were planning in an unorganized and foolish way.
103. It now pleased God, who had chosen and accepted Norbert for the work of His ministry, to test his perseverance. He had already tested his faith and patience".[49-11] He did not delay long before introducing an opportunity and time to satisfy the fury of the bloodthirsty and purify His novice with the fire of obvious tribulation.
Some misfortune occurred in the cathedral at that time. This had been secretly revealed to the Man of God. When he indicated this to the seniors of the church and protested that for such a deed the church must be reconsecrated according to the authority of the canons, they disagreed with him. They said that the church, which was certainly consecrated on the authority of many kings and bishops, must not be consecrated again. They forbade this. Norbert, on the contrary, declared that he would never celebrate the divine mysteries in this church unless they allowed him to expel the infestation of demons with which it had been enmeshed. They argued in this fashion but the man, who was not afraid of their wiles, as long as God was involved, from the pulpit announced to all the people the outcome of the affair. He also pointed out that they were forbidding him to do what was valid and what the custom of the holy fathers had decreed in cases of this sort.
104. Norbert stated his position and on the following night he took two bishops who were with him[49-12], the provost of the church who agreed with him on this"[49-13], and many of his clerical confreres. They entered the church in sacred vestments and, with holy water, carried out with sincere devotion that ceremony according as the circumstances required. Using the proper rite, they consecrated the place for the consecration of the Lord's Body and Blood with a divine blessing as it should be done. But his aforementioned adversaries, who were dead set against this action, hastened to fill their hands with the blood of the innocent priest. Others had watched to gather the blood of the lamb; these men watched to shed the blood of the innocent one.
As soon as the ceremony was completed, while those who had attended were still in their vestments, much shouting and a great commotion among the people was heard outside. The whole city was in an uproar and in a very great and indescribable rage because some of Norbert's adversaries had given them a malicious and startling report, namely that the bishop had smashed the altars, had opened the sanctuary, had broken up the tombs and reliquaries and laid them aside for himself and, under the darkness of this night, had decided to flee with all of these, as well as the treasures of the church.
Some of them, trusting in this confidence, were not afraid, but others, continuing to cling to the world and their flesh, groaned loudly and said, "Oh! Why did we follow this man here to die with him in our sins?"[49-19] The holy man consoled and exhorted them as much as he was able. "Don't be frightened, my dear brothers. What we have endured is of God, what we are enduring is of God. When some good work of God is assailed by His enemies it is by His permission." Norbert said this but meanwhile he prayed more fervently that they might not grow weak and despair. And from their lack of devotion his own devotion increased. He later claimed that he feared not so much death as that they might give up in despair.
When they saw him, still clothed in his purple episcopal and priestly vestments, they were frightened and stepped back a bit. In a moment, God, at whose assent all things are arranged, through the manifest firmness -- as much as he had -- of His martyr[49-22], struck the minds of those pursuers with such a change that, falling at his feet, they begged for and received pardon for such a daring attempt. Once his adversaries, they now became his defenders.
107. But when the man who had struck down the servant saw Norbert, filled with diabolical rage and evil, and still holding his bloody unsheathed sword, he reached out his hand against the bishop and boldly struck him on the shoulder. The sword glanced off as if it had struck against hard rock but stained the fringes of the episcopal miter which he wore with the fresh blood remaining on it. As long as Norbert lived the blood could be seen on this miter.
Some who stood there awaiting the outcome were expecting the man to die rather than live. When they saw that he did not die because he was spared by some of the men -- he was struck but not harmed -- some ran and quickly brought out the relies of the saints and placed them in their midst. They said it was inappropriate for the shepherd to be so unbecomingly attacked by his sheep. This was said out of false compassion. They too were trying to force him, while he was in this predicament, to remove from the Church of the Blessed Mary his confreres who, as mentioned, were stationed there. He refused, however, affirming that as long as he lived this act, which they regretted had been confirmed by royal power and Roman authority[49-24] would never be countermanded by them.
Thus the Lord rescued him, fulfilling the promises of him who said, "Many are the tribulations of the just, and from all of these the Lord has delivered them."[49-29] He seeks the faith of his soldier but in no way thirsts for his blood.
The Drunkenness of the People of Magdeburg.
109. It is the practice of the envious that when they have been provoked on some occasion by those whom they envy, they do not immediately express what they find hard to take and what weighs heavy on their hearts. Afterwards, however, when they are separated, embittered with the pain, they wait for a better opportunity[50-1] to take their vengeance in word or deed. Thus the undaunted bishop's adversaries, who found the peace that he preached to them distasteful, once again called their malevolent groups together. Each expressed his grief and said he had been deluded. They had left, this man alive, they said, because their senses had been snared by magical art and because of the darkness of the night.
When this was brought to the ears of certain princes of the territory who in a way loved the Man of God because they knew he was a just and holy man, they advised him to leave for a while on the example of his master who hid himself from the face of those persecuting him, as it is written, "Jesus hid himself and left the temple".[50-3] But when he refused and rejoiced over a possible martyr's palm, they argued with him and eventually convinced him to leave.
110. The appointed day arrived and when the signal was given the citizenry began to shout and make a lot of noise. The Man of God asked what it was about and was told that a large mob wanted to expel his confreres from the Church of Blessed Mary. He smiled and said, "It is not to be, because a foundation which the Heavenly Father has planted will not be able to be uprooted".[50-4] Nevertheless they forced him to leave, and when horses were prepared he left for an abbey of monks[50-5] dedicated to Saint John which is located on a mountain in the suburbs of the city. When he had disposed of his affairs, he moved on to a fortress of his called Halle[50-6] where he could rest from all the turmoil. But he found it locked. His enemies had preceded him and taken over the fortress.
What should the man do who found nowhere to rest? What should he do, destitute of human aid? He went to a church of canons regular which was nearby and for several days prayed that God would direct his way in accord with His will. But He who said through the prophet, "Cursed be the one who trusts in man and places flesh as his arm and turns his heart from the Lord"[50-7], saw the humility and constancy of His novice. God looked upon the prayers of his integrity and granted peace as he wanted it and when he wanted it.
Just as the enemy had eagerly gathered for destruction, just so they hastened to gather to make satisfaction. They offered satisfaction of every sort, they even offered money in abundance. But Norbert had come more to seek souls for God than money. Lest he incur the offense of the Lord his God, he refused the money so that he might gain their souls which were in danger of being lost due to this excess.
Finally, he said the offense was his not theirs. What they did harmed themselves not him. And in particular they harmed him whom they left lying wounded and half dead. He sought satisfaction for this man, not at all for himself, taking the example of his Lord who said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do"[50-8], and of the Apostle, "Rendering to no one evil for evil".[50-9] He grieved inwardly for he who had not deserved death lay gravely wounded, doomed to die.


text:
package ro.isdc.wro.cache.impl;

import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import org.apache.commons.lang3.Validate;

import ro.isdc.wro.cache.CacheStrategy;

/**
 * Default CacheStrategy implementation using a {@link Map} to store values
 * in memory.
 * <p>
 * Memory caches are thread-safe in all operations.
 * </p>
 *
 * @author Alex Objelean
 * @created Created on Nov 18, 2008
 */
public class MemoryCacheStrategy<K, V> implements CacheStrategy<K, V> {
  /**
   * Aliased used by provider for this implementation
   */
  public static final String ALIAS = "memory";
  /**
   * Map containing cached items.
   */
  private final Map<K, V> map;

  /**
   * Default constructor. Uses a {@link HashMap} as memory cache.
   */
  public MemoryCacheStrategy() {
    this(new HashMap<K, V>());
  }

  /**
   * Constructs a new {@link MemoryCacheStrategy} and sets the Map that will be
   * used as memory cache.
   *
   * @param cacheHolder Map to use as memory cache. It cannot be null.
   */
  public MemoryCacheStrategy(final Map<K, V> cacheHolder) {
    Validate.notNull(cacheHolder, "The cache map cannot be null.");
    map = Collections.synchronizedMap(cacheHolder);
  }

  /**
   * {@inheritDoc}
   */
  public V get(final K key) {
    return map.get(key);
  }

  /**
   * {@inheritDoc}
   */
  public void put(final K key, final V value) {
    map.put(key, value);
  }

  /**
   * {@inheritDoc}
   */
  public void clear() {
    map.clear();
  }

  /**
   * {@inheritDoc}
   */
  public void destroy() {
    clear();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub