Chris Baker is a graduate of both Rice University and UT Austin, with degrees and teacher certification in both math and music.
Chris has over fifteen years of experience as a teacher. His coursework and interests, in addition to math and music, include computer science and physics. Chris' love of science first began in middle-school when he first learned about cosmic radiation and led him to complete an award-winning science fair project on the effects of gamma radiation on plants with the assistance of the Southwest Research Institute. His philosophy as a teacher is to encourage students' natural curiosity- we are all born scientists!
Carrie is a graduate from Texas Tech University with a triple major in English, History and Education, with teaching experience in both public and private schools. Blending History and English is her passion. She enjoys showing students how the study of English and History ideas are intertwined allowing them a greater appreciation for understanding the historical context from which inspire an author's story.
In addition to teaching dual credit English/ History courses for Firelight, Carrie also teaches weekend and summer academic writing classes for Austin Chinese Education Services.
Beverly earned a B.S. in Biomedical Science and a Ph.D. in Genetics at Texas A&M University, where she fell in love with teaching. As a lecturer at the University of Texas from 2000 to 2015, she taught courses in Introductory Biology as well as Genetics. There she earned various teaching awards from both faculty and students, including the College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award and the Senate of College Councils' Professor of the Semester.
She taught courses in Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry I & II , and Introductory Chemistry for Austin Community College, University of Texas, Austin, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. In addition to holding several chemistry patents, she coordinated and managed laboratory safety for the University of Texas, and she earned the Merit Award for the finest teaching in the Department of Chemistry from University of Illinois at Chicago.
For over twenty years, students enjoy her passion and enthusiasm for the Chemistry, who understands the material and can tailor an explanation for students at any level. Along with her extensive research and lab experience, she brings an intense desire in understanding "hands-on" knowledge in a safe environment.
Lissette grew up in Dripping Springs, and has spent most of her life in the Austin area. She is married to a Texas A&M graduate and has three wonderful children. She enjoys all sports and has played volleyball and softball competitively. She is also an avid reader and loves to bake.
June has had both an eclectic education and career: with a dad in the Air Force, she graduated from a high school in Japan, Canadian Academy! She attended her first two years of college at the International Christian University in Tokyo, and then graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Japanese Language and Literature. Her heart was in music, though, so she attended the U. of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and left with only a thesis to write for an M.M. in Music History. While at the conservatory, June fell in love with the Suzuki method of teaching which had only just been applied to her instrument, the flute. (She still continues to teach flute.) After moving to Austin in 1984, she entered UT as a graduate student, first in music education and then in math education. She earned both her M.A. in math ed and a teaching certification in Secondary Math and History.
For over 20 years, June has worked with homeschoolers in one way or another—from flute instruction, to a wide range of subjects, ages and student learning differences. Along the way, she has held a few salaried positions, including: teaching developmental math at UT (1991-94) and writing/editing math textbooks for Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1996-2001). She is also a co-author of Algebra, published in the Barron's College Review Series.
Yiduo Xu is a native of Shanghai (China), with many years of experience teaching Mandarin Chinese from pre-K to AP Chinese exam. She has taught Mandarin Chinese after-school at ACES Academy, at several elementary schools in Georgetown ISD, and at Meridian School. She is the Chinese-language coordinator at FLIEC (http://fliec.com/), a language teaching and teacher-training company that applies the most advanced college-level foreign-language teaching techniques to K-12 language classes. Yiduo is a caring, loving and patient instructor able to energize and motivate students of all ages.


Art in Society is focused in this issue on the Slovak film critic Pavel Branko. Branko has been published on various occasions in this journal. More importantly, he has been involved for many years in reflections on film as an art form. Between 1948 and 1952, his film reviews appeared in such journals and newspapers as Kultúrny život (Cultural Life), L'udovýchova (Vernacular Education), Náš film (Our Film), Pod zástavou socializmu (Under the Banner of Socialism), Práca (Labor), Pravda (Truth), Slovenské pohl'ady [Slovak Views], Smena (Shift), Svet socializmu (World of Socialism) and others.
In 1956, he began to work for the newly founded bi-weekly journal Film a divadlo (Film and Theater) as film editor.
Since 1956, Branko has focused largely on documentary film. He was able to regularly attend the short-film festivals in Karlovy Vary, Oberhausen, Leipzig and Cracow (occasionally as a jury member), as well as the national Pula Film Festival in Yugoslavia.
From the second half of the 1950s until the early 1970s, Branko published film criticism in Divadelní a filmové noviny (Theatre and Film News), Estetika (Aesthetica), Film a divadlo, Film a doba (Film and Time), Filmové a televizní noviny (Film and Television News), Kultúrny život, Mladá tvorba (The Young Generation), Národná obroda (National Revival), Nové slovo (New Word), Práca, Pravda (Truth), Predvoj (Vanguard), Reportér,Rudé právo, Slovenský jazyk a literatúra (Slovak Language and Literature), Tvorba (Creation) and other Czech and Slovak publications.
But his film reviews appeared also abroad, in such foreign media as Les Lettres Françaises (Paris) and Telegram (Zagreb), and in a number of renowned film journals, most notably Deutsche Filmkunst, Ekran Warszawski (Warsaw), Film polski (Warsaw), Filmrutan (Sweden), Filmspiegel (GDR), Filmstudio (FRG), Iskusstvo kino (USSR), Kamera (Warsaw)and Sovetskij ekran.
Pavel Branko taught at the VSMU film academy in Bratislava, the less well-known - but not lesser - "sister institution" of the Prague FAMU.
In this issue of Art in Society, a summary of his book Mikrodramaturgia dokumentarizmu (1991) is presented in both English and German. Even though published nearly 23 years ago, Branko's analysis of documentary films and his theoretical conclusions are still relevant. Microdramaturgy of documentarism remains useful although it focuses mainly on documentary films created in Eastern Europe (Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia) prior to 1990. Students at the film academies in Prague and Bratislava are usually familiar with the book as it continues to be used as a text book.
domain according to information obtained from Vladimir ("Vlado") Branko.
Art in Society takes this chance to highly recommend two other publications by Pavel Branko to our readers (and to publishers outside Slovakia and the Czech Republic). His Straty a nálezy 1948-1998 was published in 1999. The book contains film reviews and other texts focused on the cinema that Branko was forbidden to publish between 1976 and 1989. Blacklisted, Branko published numerous of these articles under the pseudonym Daniel Tisovecký, or by using the names of other prominent authors who had the good luck of not yet being blacklisted at the time.
Readers with a good command of Slovak or Czech who are interested in the biography of Pavel Branko are referred to his book "Proti prúdu (Against the Current)", published in 2011.
Pavel Branko, Mikrodramaturgia dokumentarizmu. Bratislava 1991.
Pavel Branko, Straty a nálezy 1948-1998.
Pavel Branko, Proti prúdy (Against the Current).
In addition to our focus on the Slovak film theorist and film critic Pavel Branko, the present issue of Art in Society pays tribute the painter, sculptor, video artist and incredibly creative performer Tony Morgan (1938-2004).
It offers a review of a recent exhibition of the Belgian painter and print-maker Luc Piron (b.1952), and discusses sculptures and installations by the Swiss artist, poet and novelist Urs Jaeggi (b. 1931).
Last not least, we invite our readers cordially to debate A.B. Meadow's article on Malevich, Rodchenko and - after WWII - Rauschenberg as pioneers of what became Minimalist Painting.
Pavel Branko (r.) receiving the "Golden Camera" Award for his lifetime achievement during the International Art Film Festival in Trenčianske Teplice, in 2001. The director of the festival, Peter Hledik, is seen in the center; to the left of him, the present prime minister of the Slovakian Republic, Mikuláš Dzurinda. Photo: Igor Branko.


Well, it's week #4 and I've come to the realization— that there are different kinds of gratitude. I expected a lot of the kind where you just take stock of whatever awesome thing is happening ... so it doesn't go unnoticed. This week, though, I ran into another kind, which has to be described as more of a perception shift, than anything.
I was staring at my self healing mat (Day 25) and feeling sad about the glue and the lint and who knows what else was stuck all over it. I like to take care of my things and I don't like it when they get battered and worn. I found myself trying to justify buying a new one, even though this still works. And that's when it hit me. There was actually a reason to be grateful for its numerous blemishes. It's a tool of my profession AND my passion and it's been well used over the years. Well, doesn't that make me lucky? Yes. Yes, it does. I'm going to go give my mat some scrubbing and TLC now.
Hubs bringing treats when I'm working late.
Tangerine orange and cherry red, coming together.
Look at my grotty old self-healing mat.
It's seen a lot of projects over the years.
Spud makin' a collage at the Art Gallery.
Morning serenade with new penny whistle.


Fully Synthetic Motorcycle 4 Stroke Engine Oil.
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"Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves" - Eric Hoffer, an American philosopher.
This is an observational film portrait of a small provincial town called Elnya, were people because of their passionate and naive faith in their "heroic" soviet past easily become a typical victims of Putin's regime propagandistic machine.
Elnya is one of thousands of small provincial Russian towns. The only remarkable about Elnya is that it was the first Russian town freed from German forces during World War II. Since then Elnya freezes in time. There is nothing happens in here except endless military celebrations of heroic soviet past. Military propaganda becomes regular background of everyday life in Elnya. Most people still believe in chimeras of Soviet past what is very handy for modern authorities. Unable to provide decent social perspectives, authorities manipulate on patriotic feelings of the common people, cultivating a loyal electorate. They create an image of an enemy, who becomes a good reason of declining living standards. Propaganda infiltrates into all areas of life of an everyman from his childhood to his private adult life. Filming Elnya for several years we catch this process.
The film is woven from observing public events, the everyday life of the town, and a closer look at the lives of several characters of different ages depicting how propaganda poisons their minds. By uniting their stories we paint a holistic picture of provincial life in modern Russia. We dip audience into informational and semantic space in which this provincial town lives.
In this case our main character is the town itself, whose inhabitants like in somnambulistic nightmare are wandering between soviet past and populist false slogans from their present, in fact losing their personality and true history.
Why do they do this and who is a real source of fear mongering? In our film we explore this eternal and painful for each country question.


This is How I became Happy with myself. Ok, we're getting personal now. "Stop hating yourself for everything you aren't, and start loving yourself for everything you already are."... By interacting with happy people who share your thoughts, you'll feel better about yourself. And when others love you and your company, you'll love yourself and respect yourself more. And when others love you and your company, you'll love yourself and respect yourself more.
3 Principles for Accepting Yourself and Being Authentically Happy By Paul Dalton "Happiness is really a deep harmonious inner satisfaction and approval." ~Francis Wilshire . It is only in the last few years of my life that I have felt genuinely happy and comfortable in my own skin. Until my early thirties the dominant feeling I carried around with me was one of extreme social awkwardness... Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the mirror and yelling at yourself or hating yourself? Do you understand what it feels like to be completely disgusted with yourself and longing for a change?
1. Shining and smiling. First and foremost, you have to become happy yourself. No one would like to eat an ice-scream which is spoiled. Be fresh and happy and men will recognize you.
When you do, when you free yourself from the need to earn another's approval, you transcend unnecessary weight. There is no one's opinion of you that matters but your own. There is no one's opinion of you that matters but your own.


text:
D.C. Abortion Bill To Get Hearing; Mo. Considers Allowing Employers To Opt-Out Of Contraception Coverage Mandate
The House is considering a bill that would ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Elsewhere, Missouri lawmakers consider allowing businesses to opt-out of a federal mandate to cover contraception in their health plans, and another Catholic university -- this one in Florida -- considers dumping its health plan instead of complying with the mandate.
Politico: Norton Refused Testimony In Anti-Abortion Hearing
House Republicans pushing a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks in the District of Columbia aren't allowing Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to testify at a hearing Thursday. The bill's lead sponsor, Arizona Republican Trent Franks, chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Norton, a Democrat, wrote a letter to Franks last week asking to testify. But Republicans aren't repeating the mistake they made earlier this year, when a male-heavy panel during a hearing on contraception prompted Norton and other Democrats to walk out in protest. Christy Zink, a George Washington University professor who was forced to have an abortion late in her pregnancy due to complications, will testify (Robillard, 5/17).
The Hill: NARAL Vows To Blitz GOP Over DC Abortion Bill
The head of a leading abortion-rights groups promised to "flood" the offices of some House members with messages of opposition to a bill that would criminalize abortions after 20 weeks in the District of Columbia. The message came ahead of a hearing on the bill, sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), that is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. "The politicians behind this bill, who claim to support smaller government, are obsessed with attacking choice and willing to override locally elected officials to undermine the doctor-patient relationship," NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan said in a statement (Viebeck, 5/16).
St. Louis Beacon: Missouri Legislators Close To Approving Bill To Curb Coverage On Contraception, Sterilization
The Missouri General Assembly appears to be on its way to approving a measure to allow businesses to decline to provide coverage for "abortion, contraception or sterilization." The bill would allow any medical professional to decline to be involved in such procedures. Pharmacies also could decline to stock any drug or device (Mannies, 5/16).
Fox News: Florida Catholic School Considers Dropping Student Health Plan, On Heels Of Ohio Decision
On the heels of an Ohio school's decision to abandon its student health insurance plan, another Catholic university in Florida is considering whether to follow suit over concerns about premium costs associated with the federal health care overhaul, FoxNews.com has learned. The school, the private Ave Maria University, is voicing both moral and economic concerns. ... Ave Maria officials are opposed to the so-called contraceptive coverage mandate (Berger, 5/17).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Transom after installing shamrock panels.
Transom before installing shamrock panels.
After I built a transom for his home in West Harrison, New York, Matt asked me to build a set of 5 identical beveled shamrock panels to fit in the transom pictured on the left.


text:
Q: Why doesn't background shorthand work for ids? I have no idea why this doesn't work for ids. If I change #slide1 to body, it works. What's happening here? Thanks.
Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/Q43Sm/1/

CSS
.foo { display: inline-block; }

#slide1 { background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/1') no-repeat top; }
#slide2 { background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/2') no-repeat top; }
#slide3 { background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/3') no-repeat top; }

A: Try adding some CSS to your divs?
JSfiddle
 .foo {
    display: inline-block;
}
#slide1 {
    background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/1') no-repeat top;
    width:100px;
    height:100px;
}
#slide2 {
    background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/2') no-repeat top;
    width:100px;
    height:100px;
}
#slide3 {
    background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/3') no-repeat top;
    width:100px;
    height:100px;
}

A: Body is a large area. Well, not really. Body has no content, so a background wouldn't show. But html (which auto-inflates to the viewport height) inherits (backward) the background. Just some random div with no hight wouldn't have this effect.
You can give the random div a height by making it and it's parents height 100%. For this case (If you want images to be 100% height and width of the viewport),
html, body, .foo, .foo * { height: 100% }

Since your div.foo is inline-block, you also need to se it to width: 100%.

A: Because they don't have width and height. Take a look at the modified fiddle:
.foo { display: inline-block; }

#slide1 {
    width:100px;
    height:100px;
    background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/1') no-repeat top; }
#slide2 { background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/2') no-repeat top; }
#slide3 { background: url('http://lorempixel.com/400/200/sports/3') no-repeat top; }

http://jsfiddle.net/Q43Sm/2/

A:      .foo {
             display: block;height:200px;width:100px;border:1px solid red;
      }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Martin Lawrence (aka Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence) is a 54 year old American Actor with a net worth of $137,740,600. Martin has 3 kids, who has been married 2 times. Martin Lawrence has become popular online, with over 6,256,000 Facebook and Twitter fans. Lawrence has shown that he has control of his cash; he spends less than he makes. Therefore we estimate that Mr. Lawrence earns millions of dollars per year after his management, cars, houses and legal costs. Martin Lawrence is straight.
Bottom Line: By controlling his lifestyle and spending less than he makes, Martin earns $3,389,375 per year after lifestyle, taxes and other expenses.


text:
Q: When using Angular's Resolve Navigation Guard, how can one redirect if error is caught from resolved promise? I've added Angularfire to my Angular project and am using the authentication.
Everything is work however, my Resolve Navigation Guard is stopping activation of the component when the resolve is an error.
Ref: https://blog.thoughtram.io/angular/2016/10/10/resolving-route-data-in-angular-2.html
QUESTION:
How can I make my dashboard route not activate unless auth has been resolved AND the resolve does not catch an error?
This @Injectable is the AuthGuard
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { Resolve } from '@angular/router';
import { myFirebaseAuthConfig } from "./auth";
import { AngularFire } from "angularfire2";

@Injectable()
export class CanActivateViaAuthGuard implements Resolve<any> {
  constructor(private af: AngularFire) {}

  resolve() {
    return this.af.auth.login(myFirebaseAuthConfig)
      .then(data => {
        console.log(data, 'data');
        return data;
      })
      .catch(err => {
        console.log(err, 'err');
        return err;
      });
  }
}

The Module:
@NgModule({
  imports: [
    routing,
    AngularFireClientModule,
  ],
  providers: [CanActivateViaAuthGuard],
  declarations: [AdminComponent, LoginComponent, SignupComponent],
  exports: [AdminComponent],
})
export class AdminRouteModule {}

The Route
import { Routes, RouterModule } from "@angular/router";
import { AdminComponent } from "./admin.component";
import { ModuleWithProviders } from "@angular/core";
import { LoginComponent } from "../login/login.component";
import { SignupComponent } from "../signup/signup.component";
import { CanActivateViaAuthGuard } from "../firebase/auth.service";

export const routerConfig: Routes = [
  { path: '', redirectTo: 'login', pathMatch: 'full' },
  {
    path: 'dashboard',
    component: AdminComponent,
    resolve: [CanActivateViaAuthGuard],
  },
  {path: 'login', component: LoginComponent},
  {path: 'signup', component: SignupComponent},
];

export const routing: ModuleWithProviders = RouterModule.forChild(routerConfig);

A: Guards and Resolvers are two different interfaces and have two different tasks:
Guards: Check a certain condition, only if this condition is met, go to the specified route.
Resolver: Resolve data needed for the specific component.
So if you want to keep a Component from being loaded in a certain condition, you would do this via a Guard:
@Injectable()
export class GuardService implements CanActivate, CanActivateChild {

  // in your case it would be AngularFire and not MyService
  constructor(private myService: MyService,
    private router: Router) {
  }

  canActivate(route: ActivatedRouteSnapshot, state: RouterStateSnapshot): boolean {
    return this.checkAuthentication();
  }

  canActivateChild(route: ActivatedRouteSnapshot, state: RouterStateSnapshot): boolean {
    return this.checkAuthentication();
  }

  private checkAuthentication(): boolean {
    return this.myService.canIGoToThisRoute();
  }
}

As you can see, the Guard implements the canActivate interface. In your RoutingModule you would then have:
export const routerConfig: Routes = [
  { path: '', redirectTo: 'login', pathMatch: 'full' },
  {
    path: 'dashboard',
    component: AdminComponent,
    // -> changed to canActivate, don't forget to add to providers
    canActivate: [GuardService],

  },
  {path: 'login', component: LoginComponent},
  {path: 'signup', component: SignupComponent},
];

export const routing: ModuleWithProviders = RouterModule.forChild(routerConfig);

If you still want to do it in the resolver for some reason, then inject the router and redirect on error.


Designer Websites :: Does Your School's Website Reach Your Audience?
Home > DW Blog > Does Your School's Website Reach Your Audience?
Does Your School's Website Reach Your Audience?
1. Is the front page organized by user type?
Website organization is crucial for any enterprise. Frustration and confusion turn people away quickly, especially if they're looking for specific answers. Instead of collecting all of the information every user needs and making a long list of links on the front page, create sections for different users and make it clear what you're doing. Most successful school sites break up their navigation bar into sections 'For Teachers,' 'For Parents,' 'For Students,' and more. This lets you customize a second homepage based on what the given audience is likely to need.
2. Does your site integrate securely with external apps?
Students are using school websites more and more. A teacher's individual homepage often lists the websites students need to go to in order to complete assignments. They even link to password-protected portals that have online activities and tests.
But those log-ins have protected information that can identify students. This can include names, grades, class types, and the specific school they attend. Even if that information is the responsibility of those third-party sites, your district is still seen as responsible for the information and any leaks. Make sure your site has the appropriate security and monitoring software to keep both the students and the district safe and to keep the integration functional.
How audiences interact with your school's site dictates its success. For more problems to keep in mind, and the CMS that can solve them for you, go to Designer Websites here.


Ho ho ho, etc, etc. It's him again! I've just seen the first mince pies in the shops so I better get used to him because he'll be around a lot more over the next few months. I can't believe how fast this year has gone. Luckily I age like fine wine. I think the only part of that sentence that was true was the "I age" bit. Oh well!


John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka were awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work with stem research.
John Gurdon from the UK and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan, were awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine today after the pair discovered that adult specialized cells of the body can be reprogrammed into stem cells.
According to the Washington Post, in 1962 Hurdon proved that the DNA from specialized cells of frogs could be used to generate new tadpoles. That showed the DNA still had its ability to drive the formation of all cells of the body.
In 2006, Yamanaka capitalized off of Hurdon's work. He showed that a mature cell could be turned back into a primitive cell, which in turn could be made into different kinds of mature cells.
Both Gurdon and Yamanaka, along with scientists across the globe, want to use the reprogrammed stem cells to treat diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes.
Gurdon told BBC, "The eventual aim is to provide replacement cells of all kinds starting from usually obtainable cells of an adult individual. For example, we would like to be able to find a way of obtaining spare heart or brain cells from skin or blood cells."
According to the Nobel committee, the pair has "revolutionized" science with their work.
"The discoveries of Gurdon and Yamanaka have shown that specialized cells can turn back the developmental clock under certain circumstances," the committee said in a statement. "These discoveries have also provided new tools for scientists around the world and led to remarkable progress in many areas of medicine."
According to Bloomberg, Last year's Nobel prize went to Jules A. Hoffmann, Bruce A. Beutler and Ralph M. Steinman for research illuminating how the body's immune system recognizes infection and marshals an attack against it. Tragically Steinman died three days before the award was announced. He was never aware he was up for the prize.


text:
News+Opinion » Guest Columnist
Group Think
Resolve to stand up and be heard in 2010
by Dwayne Green
There is a saying that it is not polite to discuss politics or religion. Based on my own experience, people seem to follow this maxim (unless, perhaps, they are with close friends or family). If politics among strangers is rarely discussed, how do we discover the prevailing political beliefs within a given community? More specific to us, what barometers do we have to assess the political climate in Charleston, and to determine whatever it is that can be done to improve that climate?
You can obviously tell a lot about a community by the people it elects. Statewide, based on the fact that our state sends Jim Demint and Lindsey Graham to the U.S. Senate (as opposed to someone like a Dianne Feinstein or Charles Schumer) one could safely assume that the majority of people in our state are conservative. Still, elections happen only every so often, and the elected officials of a community can only tell us so much about political opinion within certain localities. Just because our state elects two particular senators, it does not mean that everyone in South Carolina agrees with them on every issue, nor does it give you a clue as to how citizens feel about other things.
You could go to community meetings and listen. When there is a proposed road widening or tax increase, attendance at a neighborhood or council meeting might give an indication on how people feel about that particular issue. Still, many people are not active in local politics on that level, and unless one could attend all such meetings, there would be no way to ascertain how the community felt as a whole.
Some say that there is no better way to gauge the political temperature of a community that to read its local newspapers. This viewpoint has merit. If a newspaper is doing its job of reporting on the relevant issues within a community, as well as the actions and viewpoints people have with regard to these issues, then it will be an accurate window into a community's political beliefs.
Still, there are several mornings when I read the letters to the editor in our local paper and say to myself: "Do people in Charleston actually think like that?" A casual reading of The Post and Courier editorials and the letters to the editor over a period of time would lead one to believe that a majority of Charlestonians are ultraconservative, hate Obama, want the Confederacy to rise again, despise tourists, and are against development of any kind. The online comments to various newspaper articles only further this impression. Could this be what a majority of Charlestonians think?
I take the position that this is not the reality. Charleston County in 2008 went for Obama, a majority of its residents voted Democratic in the same election, and we have had a Democratic mayor for the past 32 years. There is a wide disparity between what a frequent reading of the local newspaper might tell you, and election results in our city. How then to account for the difference?
This is where political opinions come in. It seems that an extreme conservative mindset (which certainly pervaded Charleston and much of South Carolina in the past) still pervades our area and remains the status quo. To the extent that new thoughts, new ideas, and progressive opinions exist, they rarely are expressed in ways which are broadcast publicly. We need more expression of progressive political opinion to move past this collective mindset.
This is the season for resolutions. The next time you see an extreme conservative opinion in print, resolve to write a response. Our city will benefit as a result.


text:
My Evening with Michelle Obama
By Joel Gilbert
I attended Michelle Obama's final book release event this week in Los Angeles at sold-out YouTube Theater. Her celebrity interviewer was Oprah Winfrey. This evening was ostensibly produced to promote Michelle's new book, The Light We Carry. In fact, it was just another "under the radar" 2024 presidential campaign event for Michelle.
I arrived two hours early and saw thousands of excited Michelle Obama fans already waiting in line to get in. The vibe was clearly that of a campaign rally. At one hour until showtime, the crowd was let in and swarmed Michelle's tour merchandise and book sales kiosks, forking out money for swag and books. Finally filtering into their seats with 15 minutes to showtime, the fans heard Michelle's voice over the loudspeakers, "Please welcome America's DJ, D-Nice!" D-Nice had a DJ set up on stage and played disco songs while whipping the crowd into a frenzy. The entire audience danced and sang along to the hits for the next 30 minutes. Michelle's two primary target groups -- women and minorities, often overlapping -- dominated the audience.
Finally, a video introduction was shown on the big screen, narrated by Michelle. The crowd oohed and aahed at photos of Michelle and Barack while she described her feel-good messages about her previous Becoming book tour. Michelle said it was interrupted by Covid, and she lamented the separation from her fans. Then, after the benevolent pretense, the video turned political. Michelle mentioned the George Floyd riots as "a long overdue reckoning with race in America." In reference to the Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade, she claimed that "an erosion of our rights" has left us "shaken and angry, despondent and alone." Finally, images of Michelle dancing and speaking on stages flashed as she introduced Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah suddenly appeared on stage to greet a now hysterical crowd. After a few words, she introduced "our forever first lady, Michelle Obama" who appeared stage left to even more adulation. The two sat down for the one-on-one discussion that everyone came to see. However, it was quickly apparent that the interview questions were all pre-planned and rehearsed, as still photos of whatever Michelle was saying appeared on the big screen as she spoke. Although the stagecraft made for good theater, it took away any sense of authenticity.
Though Michelle claimed to have written a new self-help book, the interview focused largely on politics. Regarding the Obama White House years, Michelle declared, "We set the bar high with hope." She constantly referred to everything from health care to the economy to foreign policy as things that "we did," meaning she and Barack. The idea of a co-presidency came as news only to those who don't pay attention, which was just about all of the audience. In fact, in 2008 Michelle was the co-candidate with Barack. She crisscrossed the country making fiery political speeches to huge crowds for months, stating what she and Barack were focused on what they would do in office. It was only when Michelle went too far over the top with her comment, "For the first time in my life I'm proud of my country," that the public backlash required a new strategy. That strategy was to put Michelle into the background with the laughable excuse "Michelle hates politics." This strategy successfully cast the highly political Michelle Obama as just another First Lady, a role that continues to this day. The media choose not to notice that she is even more instinctively eloquent, authentic, and political than her husband.
Racial issues were covered to a great extent in the interview. Michelle's attempt to become accepted and relatable with Black Americans is clearly one of the main goals of her books and tours. The reason for this is that Michelle wants to cement support from Black voters with whom she has little in common with, her newly platted braids notwithstanding. As I chronicle in my new book and film of the same name, Michelle Obama 2024, Her Real Life Story and Plan for Power, Michelle spent her childhood running away from the Black community for her education. Later, as the Black "front woman" for the Mayor of Chicago and then University of Chicago hospitals, she exploited the community that she had been avoiding. These endeavors are ones that Michelle never speaks about on tour, and certainly ones she wants to keep from Black voters.
Nonetheless, Michelle spoke freely about "growing up as a Black woman" and "my DNA as a Black woman." She repeated the canard she had been racially profiled by her high school counselor regarding her Princeton application, a story I exposed as phony, given that the counselor was a church-going Black woman! Michelle talked about growing up Black, saying she experienced racial "cuts" her whole life. She told of how difficult it was to be held back in life and to feel she didn't belong, due to her skin color. All this is of course total nonsense. Her skin color got her into an exclusive high school, Princeton and then Harvard Law.
As Michelle got into a groove with her racial "cuts" talk, she went off script and asked Oprah about her childhood as a Black kid. Oprah responded, "Oh, I was one of two Black kids out of 2,000 students." A pleased Michelle went for affirmation of her racial "cuts" narrative, "And did you feel the cuts?" Oprah answered honestly, "no, there was never anything like that." The air went out of the room for a few seconds, and Michelle quickly changed topics. Oprah is ten years older than Michelle and grew up in the South, yet experienced no racism. Oprah made it in life on her own abilities and never needed to allege racism to get ahead. Michelle, on the other hand, has made a political career making up racial slights.
In a deliberate homage to Democrat party woke political forces, Michelle used the metaphor of her young daughters sharing an apartment in Los Angeles to launch an attack on traditional marriage. Michelle said she wanted all kids to understand that all types of lifestyles are fine, and that marriage is no more a valid life aspiration that any other lifestyle. Having a family was not something necessarily that brings happiness, she said, using Oprah herself as an example, awkwardly exclaiming, "Oprah's happy!"
Oprah asked Michelle about the title of the final chapter of her book, "Going High." Michelle famously attacked Donald Trump in 2016 and concluded her vitriol, saying, "When they go low, we go high." Oprah quoted Michelle's comment in her book that because of their race she and Barack "couldn't afford to screw up" in the White House. Oprah then stated that Michelle and Barack screwed up "not even once." To this, the audience roared their approval and Michelle smiled widely.
Another prepared question in the midway point of the event surprised me. Oprah told Michelle that every time people talk to her about Michelle, they want her to run for President. "Would she do it?" Oprah asked. The audience became quiet. Michelle had written a self-help book. If she had no interest in seeking the Presidency in 2024, why would this prepared question be part of the evening? In response, Michelle quipped that she should be the one who gets to decide. She then claimed, falsely, that politics was never in her soul, but that she does believe in service and helping children. She added that the country was too divided politically for her to be interested in seeking the presidency. The question and response was in fact perfect for Michelle's under-the-radar campaign and her future declaration of being a 2024 candidate. Michelle is building up her image as someone who cares deeply about the nation and people, but is not interested in power. Donald Trump had used a similar and very effective line in his speeches, "I had a great life, I didn't need any of this." In other words, the reluctant and beloved "good person" is doing everyone else a favor by running. For Michelle this is a much preferred position to be in than her true self -- a lifelong radical politician who craves power and has an extreme agenda that even her fans might reject if they knew what it was.
Overall, Michelle is playing her hand well. To her credit, Michelle sounded natural and relaxed. She has come a long way developing her public persona. The super serious and angry Michelle has been traded in for a more likable model. The book tour is a roll-out of that model. Expect to see the tour recommence in January.
Currently there is near consensus among Democrats that Joe Biden should not seek a second term. Biden, I suspect, is talking about running in 2024 lest he appear to be a lame duck. Michelle meanwhile campaigns on the down low. There is no other Democrat candidate with Michelle Obama's appeal and who delivers the Obama magic that Democrats love and miss so much. And, only Michelle can provide Democrats and their media allies with their most beloved weapon, race, to fend off criticism.
For its first primary, the Democrats have replaced campaigning in every county in Iowa with one-stop shopping in South Carolina. Michelle Obama traces her roots to South Carolina and campaigned there for her husband in 2008, who won the state easily. Some 60 percent of Democratic voters there are Black and "kingmaker" Rep. Jim Clyburn has huge sway over that voting bloc. In short, no Democrat could hope to beat Michelle in South Carolina, and that includes Joe Biden. Like the Clintons, the Obamas are never going away, and Michelle will be playing her hand for the White House in 2024 sometime next year.
Hollywood film director Joel Gilbert is president of Highway 61 Entertainment. Among his many films are political documentaries including The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America; Trump: The Art of the Insult; There's No Place Like Utopia; Dreams from My Real Father; Atomic Jihad; and Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran and the Revolt of Islam and the new film and book MICHELLE OBAMA 2024: Her Real Life Story and Plan for Power.


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Articles written by Amir Avivi
By Amir Avivi Opinions December 23, 2022
A new Judea and Samaria policy will promote security
(JNS) — Due to the incoming Israeli government's declared intention of transferring civilian issues in Judea and Samaria to the relevant ministries, alarmists are coming out of the woodwork, using their security credentials to further political...
By Amir Avivi Opinions January 1, 2021
Benny Gantz's dangerous position
(JNS) — Anyone who cares about Israel's security and future should be concerned by the initial buds of an attempt to return to the dangerous path of reliance on international forces to protect the country. These poisonous seeds have begun to...


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ZEISS Vision Care International Newsroom
Dynamic Gaze Study
Taking a Fresh Look at the Smartphone
New ZEISS study shows digital companions are significantly changing how we move our eyes
Aalen/Tübingen, Germany | 17. February 2020 | ZEISS Vision Care
Our eyes never stay still. Humans change their gaze roughly three times per second with quick, targeted movements of the eye known as saccades.1 The direction of our gaze depends on the current object of interest, and naturally also on the current situation2, be it a conversation, a stroll through the city or focused physical activity.
Head movements play a role in our gaze behavior as well. In the case of natural gaze behavior, the head tends to move slower than the eyes3, and head movement is often initiated after eye movement. Only in very rare cases do the eyes and the head face in exactly the same direction when one's gaze is aimed at a specific object. That is relevant for the design of eyeglass lenses. If the movement of the head always perfectly match that of the eyes, the eyes would always gaze through the centers of the lenses. If the head does not move with the eyes, or if this movement is minimal, other areas of the lens are used. It is therefore of central importance when designing innovative eyeglass lenses to know which areas of the lens are used in the current form of gaze behavior and in different use cases of the lens.
Precision eyeglass lenses designed for pre-presbyopes and presbyopes and optimized for everyday use with digital devices have been available on the market since 2014/2015 in the form of ZEISS Digital eyeglass lenses and Digital Inside Technology for all ZEISS progressive lenses. But just as daily life continues to change dynamically as a result of digitalization, research and development activities at ZEISS Vision Care and at the ZEISS Vision Science Lab, located at the University of Tübingen, continue to pursue the question of how to incorporate measurable changes in gaze behavior into the design and function of modern eyeglass lenses.
Smartphones and gaze behavior
Smartphones are an undeniable part of everyday life. While early cell phones were designed merely for making and receiving mobile phone calls—and in some cases also for writing text messages—today's smartphones demand both our auditory and visual attention to a much greater extent. In 2015, ZEISS introduced Digital Inside Technology in response to the significantly shorter viewing distances used with digital devices as compared to other objects such as books, as well as to the fact that the user's gaze is forced to switch more frequently between long-distance and close-distance viewing. Today, smartphone use has become more dynamic - indeed, more varied and diverse. Seventy percent of consumers, for example, use more than one device4. Smartphones are often used in conjunction with other activities - we use them to read while eating breakfast, they serve as navigational tools on strolls through the city, and we use them throughout the day to communicate. A good example of the broadening functional scope of smartphones is IoT (Internet of Things) devices5, which can be controlled remotely and independent of location.
Not only are smartphones often held closer to the user's eyes than books6, they also impact gaze behavior. The ZEISS Dynamic Gaze Study, conducted by the ZEISS Vision Science Lab in Tübingen, Germany, looks at the effects that smartphones have on gaze behavior in everyday situations.
Dynamic Gaze Study: Method
The Dynamic Gaze Study tracked the eye movements of eleven test subjects (aged 22 to 29) during three everyday situations. Each situation - working at a desk, engaging in a conversation, and walking through a building - was performed for ten minutes, once with a smartphone and once without. The test subjects were asked to use the smartphone as they would in their everyday lives. The study collected 600 minutes of video and eye-tracking data.
The data were analyzed using various parameters, including gaze distribution; the center, width and height of the gaze distribution; the duration of fixations on the smartphone; and the length and rate of saccades.
The results: Smartphones significantly impact our gaze distribution
The false color plot shows how often the gaze dwells in a specific direction, with and without the smartphone. One can easily see that the gaze distribution is altered by the use of the smartphone. Calculations performed on the data show a significant vertical widening of the gaze distribution, as well as a significant downward shift in the gaze distribution average. This is – to the best of our knowledge – the first time this has been demonstrated in a scientific study.
Further analyses performed on the data, in which gazes at the smartphone were evaluated separately from independent gaze behavior7, showed that smartphone gazes undergo a significant downward shift relative to the center, straight-line gaze. This can be clearly seen in the contour line diagrams8 shown below. The separate, red smartphone gazes are consistently directed downward, meaning that head movement mimics eye movement less, or barely at all. As this relates to the design of eyeglass lenses, this means that smartphones are viewed primarily through the lower region of the lens.
Further calculations also showed that the gaze fixates on the smartphone longer than it would in the given periphery if no smartphone were present.9 This means that the head does not move towards the periphery as much when the smartphone is present as it would in similar situations without a smartphone. Hence, smartphones have a very specific, demonstrable effect on our gaze behavior.
Conclusion: Designing eyeglass lenses to meet new demands
The results of the ZEISS Dynamic Gaze Study have been incorporated into the new design of the ZEISS SmartLife eyeglass lenses. The fact that smartphones significantly impact gaze distribution means that lens designs need to be optimized accordingly - across all lens types.
ZEISS SmartLife Single Vision is a unique, single vision lens designed for the dynamic lifestyles of today which features an optimized region for close range viewing located specifically in the lower area of the lens. Smartphone use and its associated gaze distribution are incorporated into the design of the lens by means of an optimization to the room-object model. Given the widespread use of smartphones across all age groups, all SmartLife designs—including ZEISS SmartLife Digital lenses and progressive lenses—have been improved to meet these new challenges.
ZEISS is a foundation company with focus on science, investing roughly 11 percent of sales revenue in research and development. The ZEISS SmartLife range of eyeglass lenses is just one example of ZEISS' commitment to incorporating scientific findings and knowledge about consumers and consumer behavior into its products. For more information about ZEISS SmartLife, click here.
SmartLife and Digital Inside Technology are registered trademarks of Carl Zeiss Vision GmbH.
Press Kit ZEISS SmartLife
Maria Conrad
Phone: +49 7361 591-1378
maria .conrad @zeiss .com
ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 6.4 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2019).
With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership.
With over 31,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 sales and service companies, 30 production sites and 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.
ZEISS Vision Care is one of the world's leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and develops and produces offerings for the entire eyeglass value chain that are distributed globally under the ZEISS brand.
One portfolio for a whole lifetime
To meet the visual challenges of our day, ZEISS researchers have developed a completely new portfolio designed for wearers of all lens types: ZEISS SmartLife.
Background Article about the Development of ZEISS SmartLife
ZEISS SmartLife - a smart portfolio
Three facts which make the eye care professional's life easier
Press Release about Advantages of ZEISS SmartLife
Peripheral vision makes it possible
How we navigate through everyday life in spite of gazing at our smartphone
Interview with Dr. Christian Lappe
Why now is the right time for a new single vision lens design
ZEISS SmartLife is extending the eye-lens model by a new dimension
Press Release about Lens Design
A new eyeglass lens portfolio for all ages that takes new visual challenges into account
All you need to know about ZEISS SmartLife
1 Amit, Roy, Dekel Abeles, Izhar Bar-Gad, and Shlomit Yuval-Greenberg. 2017. "Temporal Dynamics of Saccades Explained by a Self-Paced Process." Scientific Reports 7(1):886.
2 Castelhano, M. S., M. L. Mack, and J. M. Henderson. 2009. "Viewing Task Influences Eye Movement Control during Active Scene Perception." Journal of Vision 9(3):6–6. / Yarbus, Alfred L. 1967. "Eye Movements During Perception of Complex Objects." Pp. 171–211 in Eye Movements and Vision. Boston, MA: Springer US.
3 Zangemeister, Wolfgang H., Ashby Jones, and Lawrence Stark. 1981. "Dynamics of Head Movement Trajectories: Main Sequence Relationship." Experimental Neurology 71(1):76–91.
4 The Vision Council. (2016). Eyes overexposed: The digital device dilemma. 2016 Digital eye strain report: https://visionimpactinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016EyeStrain_Report_WEB.pdf (US Survey)
5 For example, Bosch sold over 50 million IoT devices in 2018 alone: https://www.bosch-presse.de/pressportal/de/de/bosch-bringt-das-internet-der-dinge-iot-voran-182336.html
6 Bababekova, Yuliya, Mark Rosenfield, Jennifer E. Hue, and Rae R. Huang. 2011. "Font Size and Viewing Distance of Handheld Smart Phones." Optometry and Vision Science 88(7):795–97.
7 Independent: gaze behavior when there is no specific gaze task being performed in the test situation
8 Curves connecting points of the same value or similar appearance on geographical, meteorological and similar maps.
9 That is, if there were another visual target in this area.


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All Press Releases for February 09, 2018
Dr. Howard Sobel, a Specialist in Dermatology, is Named a Top Doctor: New York Metro Area 2018
Dr. Howard Sobel, a NEW YORK, NY physician specializing in Dermatology, has been selected by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. for inclusion in its authoritative online database of the Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area 2018.
Dr. Howard Sobel, Dermatology, is named a Top Doctor: New York Metro Area.
NEW YORK, NY, February 09, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., America's trusted source for identifying Top Doctors, has released Top Doctors: New York Metro Area 2018 and has selected Howard Sobel, MD for this honor.
Top Doctors: New York Metro Area 2018 includes more than 6,500 top primary care physicians and specialists in a twenty county area spanning three states: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Selected physicians, including Dr. Sobel, represent the top 10% of doctors in the area in 67 medical specialties and subspecialties.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are selected each year by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. after being nominated by their peers in an online nomination process. Nominations are open to all licensed MDs and DOs; and each year many tens of thousands of physicians cast hundreds of thousands of nominations. Nominated physicians are selected by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team based on criteria including medical education, training, hospital appointments, disciplinary histories and much more.
About Howard Sobel: a short profile by and about the honoree:
A leader in the industry, Dr. Howard Sobel has pioneered the union of dermatology and cosmetic surgery. He has a masterful touch and an artful eye. Dr. Sobel wants to help you be your best, most refreshed self. He can help his patients prevent the effects of time or roll them back using the latest proven technology.
For more information about this Castle Connolly Top Doctor, please visit Howard Sobel's profile on www.castleconnolly.com.
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.'s President and CEO Dr. John Connolly has this to say about Dr. Sobel's recognition: "Roughly ten percent of area physicians were selected for our Top Doctors: New York Metro Area 2018. Being nominated by peers and then selected by our experts is an accomplishment worthy of recognition. The New York Metro area is home to a great number of very high quality medical professionals, yet some stand out. My congratulations to Dr. Sobel."
To find out more or to contact Dr. Howard Sobel of NEW YORK, NY, please call call 212 288-0060.
This press release was written by American Registry, LLC and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., with approval by and/or contributions from Howard Sobel.
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. identifies Top Doctors in America and provides consumers with detailed information about their education, training and special expertise in their online directory and through print features with magazine and newspaper partner. It is important to note that doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle Connolly guide or online directory. Learn more http://www.castleconnolly.com.
American Registry, LLC, recognizes excellence in top businesses and professionals. For more information, search The Registry at http://www.theamericanregistry.com.
Dr. Howard Sobel
Email Address: drsobel@sobelskin.com
Website: sobelskin.com
Rhonda Kokoris
American Registry


Hello all! I hope you are enjoying your time off from high school season but are getting just as eager and excited as we are to kick off our summer workouts and camps come May!
We will also be going to the Pleasant Grove team camp from July 8-10th and would love as many of you to come as possible! This camp is just for Varsity and we will be taking about 10 girls.
UVU Skills Camp July 15th-17th for anyone who would like to come! All girls invited. This camp will be taught by the UVU girls volleyball coaches. We will have them in our gym for 3 days to learn and refine all skills and aspects of the game. This is truly an incredible opportunity. We highly recommend that any athlete wanting to try out for the team this year comes to this camp.
We cannot wait to see all your faces in our gym again!!


Every day in every classroom, teachers take on incredible challenges. Some are big, like bridging significant cultural differences, moving back into a school building after a shooting, or learning how to successfully navigating delicate institutional politics. Others are smaller, like keeping first graders on task, or figuring out how to keep teenagers from cussing all the time. Whether in the Mississippi Delta or Malawi; Alaska or Los Angeles; whether in their first day or their tenth year on the job—every day, educators reach deep to find strength and grace they didn't know they had.


Indie game developer Horrible Unicorn Game Studios (HUGS) has released its first full gameplay trailer for Legacy of the Copper Skies the first game from this new studio formed by AAA creators from Relic Entertainment, WB Montreal, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft.
Legacy of the Copper Skies has already passed through the Square Enix Collective approval process with an 83% rating from game fans eager to play the proposed title. Since then the team of industry veterans have been hard at work building the game and are excited to show off this first in-depth look at the game.
"The Square Enix Collective provided us access to a braintrust of some of the most passionate gaming fans around. The feedback that we've received was invaluable for helping to shape the progress of Legacy of the Copper Skies," said Eric Foster HUGS' founder and CEO. Having been a producer on Relic's Warhammer 40:000 – Space Marine and level designer on WB's Batman: Arkham Origins Foster brings years of experience to the table.
"It told us that Legacy of the Copper Skies is a game that gamers were as excited to play, as we were to make," he said.
The game features two unique heroes, Tir and Isen, who must work together to save their worlds all of reality is threatened. Facing challenging puzzles and an assortment of enemies the heroes each wield their own unique abilities to meet the dangers that face them.
Legacy of the Copper Skies is a pixel art adventure game that combines the classic genre with modern design and game development techniques.
For more information on Legacy of the Copper Skies visit Horrible Unicorn Game Studios' website at www.horribleunicorn.com, follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
For additional media information or to arrange interviews contact Jeffery Simpson.


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WWTW May Newsletter
Posted on May 22, 2020 by newdesk
This month marked an important date in our calendars as the country came together to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day. Europe fell silent for a moment to honour those who served their country. This year, the message was particularly poignant as we face a different threat, with the spread of coronavirus.
http://brn.firetrench.com
This week also marks Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme this year is 'kindness'. During the recent weeks of lockdown, we have witnessed and received some incredible acts of kindness, expressions of care and gratitude towards others, particularly from our supporters. From those volunteering as part of our volunteering initiative- OP-REGEN, to people going above and beyond to fundraise on our behalf.
Despite the challenges that we all face, WWTW continues to adapt, overcome and discover new ways of working to ensure that we continue to support those who served in the best possible ways.
WWTW CEO Responds To Government Support For Military Charities
On 8th April the Chancellor pledged £750m of support to the charity sector. This amount is small compared to the loss in revenue sustained by the Third Sector (estimated at £4bn in the first quarter alone by the NCVO). Since then, it has been announced that military charities will receive £6 million from the UK Government. Charities like Walking With The Wounded play a vital role in supporting the ex-military community and this amount is considerably smaller than expected.
And, how are we adapting as a charity?
The wellbeing of our clients, our staff and our volunteers is paramount. Walking With The Wounded has always been a pioneering organisation, demonstrating our ability to be flexible and think laterally, and to be able to deliver effective care to our beneficiaries.
We continue to carry out our objectives and all staff are well set up for flexible and remote working to ensure that the day-to-day delivery of the charity, supporting those who served and their families, does not change. Whilst we have naturally had to adapt our services in line with Government advice, putting 'Client First' remains at the heart of our key values and the complex needs of our beneficiaries remains our priority. During these uncertain times, we will continue to work closely with our Principal Partner, the NHS, and will ensure we continue to provide the resource necessary to ensure veterans in need of care are supported.
Walking With The Wounded are still here. We recognise the challenge of COVID-19 but providing care and support to our clients is why we exist.
Support WWTW
WWTW Steps Up COVID-19 Response
The coronavirus pandemic has caused untold disruption to our daily lives. As a result of restrictions, we have created new ways of maintaining all front line services throughout the charity. We are also ensuring that we reduce social isolation and create a support platform for those who need it.
In the past 8 weeks, the team has:
Made over 3,500 welfare calls to our beneficiaries to ensure that they are coping in the current climate
Delivered over 600 hours of mental health therapy sessions to our clients across the country
Secured over 40 paid employment outcomes with jobs ranging from health care, manufacturing and security.
The challenge of dealing with coronavirus is impacting ex-military, families and communities across the country in a way that most of us have never seen in our lifetimes. We have put together some resources to support you during this time. From top tips to help you with your mental wellbeing, to adapting to a working from home environment.
OP-REGEN Supports Manchester City Council With COVID-19 Response
As part of our OP-REGEN project, WWTW is working with the Global Production Squad, providing ex-servicemen and women to work on the front lines to assist those affected by coronavirus.
Manchester City Council stated they were in desperate need of volunteers and most notably, larger vehicles to deliver vital food parcels to vulnerable residents across the city. WWTW and OP-REGEN stepped up, using our connections to secure 4 vans from Thrifty Van Hire. OP-REGEN will now lend support every Thursday along with a team of committed volunteers. As it stands we have delivered 837 emergency parcels to 351 of the most vulnerable households. We anticipate that over the next 12 weeks we will deliver over 5000 parcels to around 1800 households.
WWTW aims to increase this support going forward, expanding to other regions around the country.
Find out more about OP-REGEN
Morrisons Donates £10,000 To WWTW From VE Day Veterans Pie Sales
To mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, Morrisons brought back their popular VE Day Veterans Pie and generously donated £10,000 from the sales to Walking With The Wounded.
The campaign which was initially launched last year to celebrate Armed Forces Week, made a comeback thanks to Morrisons' ongoing support for the Armed Forces Community. Their customers were once again given the opportunity to eat like a soldier.
This donation will enable us to support more ex-servicemen and women to successfully engage through our employment and mental health programmes.
WWTW Transforms A House Into A Home For Young Family
Last month, we shared a story about a young mother of three who was left homeless after fleeing domestic violence. Her estranged husband served in the army before being medically discharged after suffering from mental health issues.
Since WWTW made contact with her, the charity has secured a tenancy in a council house for the family and sourced just over £6,000 of funding to furnish her home.
Over the past few weeks, WWTW has been working with a number of organisations including The Rifles, ABF The Soldiers' Charity, The Royal British Legion, TRBL Women's Section and SSAFA to carpet, decorate and furnish the property, and the family has recently moved in.
The mum said, "It has helped us more than I can put into words. We have everything we need to start our new chapter and I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for WWTW."
The photos above show the incredible transformation of the family's new home. Thanks to the collaboration of other organisations and your continued support, you have helped them to create a new home to enjoy for years to come.
Find out more about our programmes
Book Your Complimentary Video Talk With WWTW Ambassador Duncan Slater
We know that times are tough right now and we hope we can help.
Would your organisation's staff or clients benefit from a video chat with ex RAF Sgt Duncan Slater on themes of resilience, overcoming obstacles and teamwork?
Duncan is a wounded veteran who became the first ever double amputee to race to the South Pole as part of Walking With The Wounded's expedition team in 2013. Since then he has also become the first double amputee to compete in the world's toughest marathon, The Marathon Des Sables in 2017.
Get in touch to book your talk today! Please email: Andy@wwtw.org.uk.
Book Your Talk


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Defense ministry signs LMT arms contract in the US ({{contentCtrl.commentsTotal}})
Priit Soosaar (seated, left) and LMT CEO Karl Lewis signing Tuesday's procurement deal in Davenport, Iowa, while Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Estonian ambassador to the US Jonatan Vseviov (standing, second from right), and other representatives, look on. Source: Ministry of Defence
A contract to supply the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) with automatic rifles was signed this week, marked by a ceremony in the U.S., and bringing to an end a lengthy procurement process dogged by challenges from another supplier.
Lewis Machine Tool Company (LMT) concluded the contract with Estonia's Centre for Defence Investment on Tuesday, with a ceremony taking place in Davenport, Iowa, where LMT is based.
"For our regular troops, as well as for our reservists, the rifle is the most crucial weapon, and with the contract signed today the defense forces will be getting new generation rifles which are accurate, ergonomic, reliable and modern," Kusti Salm, departmental director at the Ministry of Defence said, according to a ministry press release.
The Centre for Defence Investment falls under the ministry's aegis.
The tender, for 5.56mm and 7.62mm automatic arms, was first announced in 2017, seeing four bidders emerge from the original lineup of 14 applicants. While the contract was awarded to LMT, it was soon met with a challenge from U.S. arms manufacturer Sig Sauer Inc., revolving partly around claimed quality issues with the LMT weapons.
The contract was initially taken away from LMT in January, following the first Sig Sauer Inc. appeal in December 2018, only to be reinstated the following month. A second Sig Sauer Inc. appeal was rejected by the Tallinn Administrative Court in March. Although Sig Sauer Inc. could have contested this decision as well, it had not, when the deadline for making such a move passed in mid-May.
The LMT contract was reported to be valued at €22.7 million, compared with €27.6 million from Sig Sauer Inc. German company Heckler & Koch had quoted a reported €45.5 million.
Kusti Salm noted that LMT has invested heavily in its product development over the past few years, adding that their firearms are among the most state-of-the-art worldwide.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) attended the ceremony and noted its significance.
"Estonia is one of our most reliable allies in international operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. We are greatly honored that Estonia will start using weapons manufactured in the U.S.," Sen. Ernst said at the ceremony, adding that she was proud of Estonia, standing as it is on the front line against Russian aggression.
Initially, Estonia is to acquire 16,000 automatic, customized firearms, plus accessories. The first weapons will arrive in the country at the beginning of 2020, slated for the active service Scouts Battalion.
Conscripts and reservists of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, and members of the voluntary Defence League (Kaitseliit) are also to receive the weapons, later on, as are both the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and the justice ministry.
LMT Defense was founded 1980, manufacturing small arms used by several U.S. military and related structures, as well as by U.K. special forces unit, the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), the New Zealand Army, and the armed forces of several NATO member states.
Priit Soosar, head of the procurement at the Centre for Defence Investments, signed the contract on behalf of Estonia, with Karl Lewis, founder and CEO of LMT, signing on the company's behalf. Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Jonatan Vseviov also attended the ceremony.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
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US defense budget to allocate $50 million to Baltic air defense
Estonia wants increased US involvement in backing Baltic region security
Gallery: Allied units in joint amphibious landing exercise
Prime minister hails Baltic Protector international cooperation
SIG Sauer issues no further challenge on court tender decision
Sig Sauer sees second arms procurement appeal overturned
Sig Sauer Inc. contests LMT firearms procurement for second time
Riigikogu defence committee not commenting on defence procurement in future
New automatic firearms may not reach EDF by 2021


This little bub is definitely loved and wanted but I just hate being pregnant... I hate feeling so tired alllllll the time and today I had to go home sick from work to rest, I've never ever done that before.
My life has always been about my job and what I can do for other people. It just feels so selfish to let my job and everyone down with my low energy levels and feeling sick because it was my decision to get pregnant.
Is this a normal feeling??
don't be too harsh on yourself! I definitely don't enjoy this pregnancy thing either!! the nausea, being constantly tired, everything hurts or is weird.. urgh!
I didn't know that you would have soo many symptoms, soo early on..
I don't enjoy pregnancy either, this is my second.
I hate being pregnant too, but I love being a mom! I just keep reminding myself that I won't be pregnant forever!
I definitely hate the first trimester. I've had 3mc (0 live babies) & did IVF — this definitely a planned and desired pregnancy. And I'm still miserable.
Having had so much loss, that this one will be successful still just seems surreal to me. I think if I could become more confident that I won't lose it, I might enjoy pregnancy more. Right now, it just feels like another course of fertility treatment. Here's hoping for bright and happy 2nd trimesters for us all.
I totally hated my first pregnancy! Was so sick also a lot heavier! This time I don't even notice I'm pregnant! I never thought this would happen!
I complain to my mom all the time. I always say I can't wait until February. I am happy that we are pregnant because I've been trying for 6 years. O just feel like my body has no energy for anything. We have 4 boys and praying for a girl this time.
I'm not enjoying it right now because I feel so exhausted all of the time and no one (except my husband) knows I'm pregnant yet. I can't wait to tell people so they will hopefully understand why I'm just constantly drained. I feel overall happy, but tired, and just hoping the second trimester will both restore my energy and also others around me will understand more.
Today I feel really guilty for not having any energy to workout anymore. I've basically felt like I've had the flu for 3 months 😕 my desk job takes all the energy I have and I basically rest the whole time I'm home. Hoping it gets better!
The hormones make me nuts! My kids don't understand why they have to eat what I want or why I don't want to do anything.
I love my babies but I despise being pregnant! I have not feeling myself or feeling out of control with all of my crazy symptoms. I also have a hard time with all the bodily changes.
It is funny how some of us waited so long (mine was stepdaughter/husband issues, not fertility) to conceive and then feel like crap for months? One of life's really not funny games! I am 13w6d and starting to feel better some days, but those first weeks were hard! I love carrying this little one and feeling it grow, and I am just over the moon to be a mommy, but it is not easy!
That's how I mainly feel for the first trimester and a little after after....I feel like that until i start feeling better, and I start feeling the baby move on a regular and consistent basis. Last year when I was pregnant, I was also depressed which didn't help me enjoy the pregnancy that I tried for 2.5 years to get. This pregnancy the depression isn't as bad, but still has me unmotivated to do much if anything....plus I'm still recovering from my first, so that really isn't helping this pregnancy either. I still haven't had my first doctor's appointment, but so far I feel like everything is progressing like it should so I'm not worried about not having the appointment yet. I think once I see the baby on the ultrasound at my first appointment on the 15th, I might start to enjoy my pregnancy more. I'm 11wks, and 4 days, and I have a. 8-month-old son that I'm breastfeeding. I do remember though that I didn't really start enjoying being pregnant until the second half of my pregnancy last year so I'm kind of hoping that will be the case with this one also.
On the same page as you. I am so miserable and tired. And I go to sleep and can't sleep. It's torture.
Body Image and Changes During Pregnancy Things no one tells you about pregnancy: Your relationship with your body might change. Here, seven women talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to your changing body.
Anyone else hating being pregnant?


Plus more shots and highlights from The FADER's presentations at the Mastercard House.
Grammy fever was in the air last week, and Mastercard celebrated the moment by opening the doors to the Mastercard House, a limited-time home base in NYC featuring custom art installations, exclusive shows from the likes of SZA and St. Vincent, and panels featuring some of the biggest influencers in the music industry. The FADER was on the scene to present two crucial conversations on hip-hop culture and the songwriting business, plus custom art from Jgoldcrown and live DJ sets from Noodles.
Rapper, founder, photographer, designer, and presenter — we brought together a cross-section of hip-hop's finest to discuss the risks you take in building culture that matters.
The Stereotypes have an increasingly familiar story: they're a songwriting and production team with credits all over your favorite songs (think 24k Magic and "Finesse"), but little immediate name recognition outside of the industry. That's all changing now (especially with their recent Grammy win) but The Stereotypes still have plenty of experience struggling hard behind the scenes. They sat down with Miss Info to talk the real story behind making hits in the business.


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Q: How to compute a pair of closest points on two 3d circles? I have two 2d circles in 3d space (defined by a center, normal, and radius) and I'm trying to come up with a pair of points that is one of the set of closest pairs of points.  I know that there are anywhere from 1 to an infinite number of point pairs, I just need a single matching pair.
Is there a simple way to do that?  Precision is not essential. The radius of both circles are the same, non-zero value.
In case the background is helpful, my overall algorithm takes in a NURBS curve in space and extrudes a 2d polygon along the curve, yielding a deformed cylinder.  I just sample several points along the curve.  The normal of each circle is the NURBS curve tangent, and I'm trying to figure out how to align adjacent samples, so I don't get weird twisting.  It seems that the closest points on adjacent samples should be aligned.

Thanks for all the responses here.. this part of the project got a little delayed, which is why I haven't tested all the answers yet.  I'll be sure to toss up some images here and mark an answer when I get to work on this again.

A: What you are really trying to compute is the pair of points that minimizes the distance between points that lie on 2 different circles in 3 dimensions. The method that you should be employing to find the exact solution (as in almost all optimization problems) is to represent the distance as a function of all possible points and to take its derivate with respect to the independent variables and set the resulting expressions to 0. Since you have 2 circles, you will have 2 independent variables (ie. the angle of a point on one circle and one on the other circle). Once you have solved the minimization equations you would have also found the points on the circles that will satisfy your constraint. (Basically you will find the angles on the circles for the pair of points you are looking for.)
I have found a paper online (at this site) that rigorously goes through with the calculations but the end result is solving an 8th order polynomial equation. You might try to simplify the equations and come up with a less exact solution that satisfies your needs.
There is also an paper that claims to have a much faster algorithm for finding the distance between two circles in 3d; however, I cannot view the contents and, thus, cannot tell if it also gives you the pair of points that satisfy that condition.
UPDATE: Having re-read your question, I see that even though you are asking for a way to find the closest pair of points on two circles in 3 dimensions, I think, you should pay more attention to the properties of the NURBS curve that you are trying to extrude the 2D polygon along. You mention that the orientation of the circle at a given point on the curve is specified by the tangent vector at that point. However, there is more to 3D curves than just the tangent vector; there is the normal (or curvature) vector that points towards the center of curvature of the curve at a given point and then there is the torsion vector that basically specifies the amount of "lift" of the curve from the plane given by the tangent and the normal vectors. All of these define a (what is called) Frenet frame. You can read up more on these at the Wikipedia article.
My suspicion is that you can achieve the effect you desire by joining the points of consecutive circles that each lie along the the normal vector direction of the underlying 3D curve. That way, you will have twisting only when the curve is actually twisting, ie when the torsion vector is non-zero and the normal vector is changing direction as well. In other circumstances, this should satisfy your actual need.
You probably don't need the overkill of finding closest points on consecutive circles.

A: Yikes, unless the circles happen to be on the same plane or parallel planes I think the only way to do it is to find a minimum on the equation of the distance between two points on the circle.
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=123168
That link shows how to get the equation of each circle in 3D space, then minimize for the distance formula between those equations. Not pretty though, hopefully someone will come up with something more clever.

A: For what you describe, it is sufficient to select a point on the perimeter of the first circle and find the point on the perimeter of each circle along that is closest to the one selected for the previous circle; this will completely constrain the polygonization, with no twisting, and should be much easier to solve than the general case - simply find the point on the plane containing the second circle that is closest to that selected in the first, and intersect the line passing through that point and the second circle's center with the second circle's perimeter.
However, this might not yield as pleasing a polygonisation for the extruded cylinder as keeping the polygon area constant as possible, and to do that will require some twisting between adjacent circles.

A: I think with the two closest points you might still get weird twisting... An extreme example: Let's assume both circles have the R=1. If the first circle's centre is O, and it is sitting on X-Y plane, and the second circle's centre is sitting at X=1,Y=0,Z=0.01, and it just slightly tilted in the growing direction of X, the closest points on the two circles will for sure get the "weird twist" you are trying to avoid. Since the closest points would not get you the weird twist in case the second circle is at X=0,Y=0,Z=0.01 and is equally tilted, then at some point the statements "aligned to two closest points on two circles" and "no weird twisting seen" no longer correspond to each other.
Assuming this can happen within the constraint of NURBS, here's another idea. In the start, take the three points on the NURBS curve - two that belong to the centers of your circles, and the third one precisely inbetween. Draw a plane between the three. This plane will cross the two circles at 4 points. Two of these points will be on the same "side" of the line that connects the centers of the circles - they are your alignment points.
For the next alignment points you would take the alignment point of the "previous circle", and draw the plane between the center of the "previous circle", this alignment point, and the center of the "new circle". From this you get the "next alignment point" based on the intersection with the other circle.
Next step - "previous circle" = "new circle", and the "new circle" - your next one according to the NURBS curve.
If the radii from the centers of the circles to the selected alignment points cross, you know you the picture will look a bit ugly - that's the scenario where with the "closest point" algorithm you'd still get the weird twisting.
I think the coordinates of the point on the circle that is intersection with the plane going via its center should be easy to calculate (it's a point on the line made by intersection of the two planes, one of the circle and the target plane; at the distance R from the center).
I don't have the rigorous proof to fully assert or deny the above - but hopefully it helps at all, and I think it should be quick enough to verify, compared to calculating the closet points on the two circles... (If there are any flaws in my logic, the corrections in the comments are very welcome).

A: The thread here, mentioned in another answer gives the parameterization formula for a 3D circle: P = R cos(t) u + R sin(t) nxu + c, where u is a unit vector from the centre of the circle to any point on the circumference; R is the radius; n is a unit vector perpendicular to the plane and c is the centre of the circle, t goes from 0 to 2pi, and by nxu I mean "n cross u".  Parameterize one circle this way, and another similarly with a different parameter, say s.  Then each point Pt on the first circle will have coordinates in the variable t, and each point Ps on the second circle will have coordinates in the variable s.
Write the distance function d(s,t) between Ps and Pt in the usual way (or better, the square of the Euclidean distance so you don't have to mess with the square root when you take derivatives).  The graph of this function d of two variables is a surface over a 2pi by 2pi square in the s,t plane, and it's minimum is what you're after.  You can determine it with the standard calculus methods, e.g. as explained here.

A: Extend the circles to planes (using the center points and normals).  If the planes are parallel, then any points will do.  If the planes are not parallel, then they intersect in a line.  Construct the plane through the two centers of the circles perpendicular to the line.  The two circles intersect this new plane in four points.  These four points are the two nearest points and the two farthest points on the circles.

A: Isn't this just a matter of constructing the line between the two centers of the circles/spheres and finding the intersection of the line and the circles?  The solutions that are closest are it (unless the circle intersect, then the answer depends on how you want to interpret that case).


There's something so wonderful about baking during the holiday season! Homemade sweets make the perfect gift for coworkers and friends. Of course, they are a great addition to any holiday party as well. Everyone loves these dream bars and they are so simple to make!
Place all of your dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces, and add them into the flour mixture.
Gently combine the flour and butter using your fingers until it resembles the texture of cornmeal.
Press the mixture firmly into a sheet pan, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Let the crusts cool completely before moving on to the next step!
Distribute all of the ingredients on the cooled shortbread crust evenly, and then drizzle the can of condensed milk across all ingredients.
Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake until the condensed milk begins to bubble and turns slightly brown. Remove them from the oven and let cool before cutting into squares.
Bag them up if you are taking them as gifts, or arrange them on your best holiday tray. Enjoy!


If we wish to cultivate harmony among the religious, spiritual and other traditions of the world, without which there can be no peace on earth, it would be helpful if more of us understood that universal brotherhood is not just an ideal towards which we might strive, it is the truth about reality. Universal brotherhood as a fact in nature has the potential to heal cultural, religious and social rifts. It refers to our physical and spiritual oneness, to our shared origins and shared IDENTITY in the âtman or universal Self which permeates all of matter and nature as the source of our lives, the final goal of our endeavours and the space from which all of matter arises.
This identity of origin and goal is the ultimate rationale to the brotherhood of mankind: each of us is literally made of the same stuff. The physicist David Bohm once remarked that the truth about reality is undivided wholeness, if we are fragmented we must blame it on ourselves. This paper presents some of the scientific evidence for wholeness and unity, in support of the first Object of the Theosophical Society.
The first World's Parliament of Religions was held in 1893 in Chicago, in connection with the Chicago World's Fair, which was partly a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' landing in the "new world", and in part the resurrection of a city that had been practically razed to the ground in the great fire of 1871. This year it is to be held in Melbourne, Australia; as it happens, not long after another terrible conflagration.
As the now confessed object of the promoters of the Parliament of Religions was the vindication of the superiority of Christianity, we can understand the very strong bias of this religion which pervades Dr Barrows' work. However, as many visitors at the Congress were of opinion that the religions of the East were by no means thrown into the shade by the blaze of Christianity, we may safely leave readers to judge for themselves whether the lesser object of vindicating Christianity was accomplished, or the far greater and nobler one of emphasizing the underlying unity of all religions.
How great a success it was for us and how powerfully it stimulated public interest in our views will be recollected by all our older members. Theosophy was presented most thoroughly both before the whole Parliament, an audience of 3,000 people, and at meetings of our own for the holding of which special halls were kindly given us. A profound impression was created by the discourses of Professor G.N. Chakravarti and Mrs Besant, who is said to have risen to unusual heights of eloquence, so exhilarating were the influences of the gathering. Besides those who represented our Society especially, Messrs Vivekananda, V.R. Gandhi, Dharmapala, representatives of the Hindu Vedanta, Jainism, and Buddhism respectively, captivated the public, who had only heard of Indian people through the malicious reports of interested missionaries, and were now astounded to see before them and hear men who represented the ideal of spirituality and human perfectibility as taught in their respective sacred writings. Said one Chicago editor: 'We have been for years spending millions of dollars in sending missionaries to convert these men, and have had very little success; they have sent over a few men, and have converted everybody'.
The Theosophical Society was represented by William Q. Judge, Annie Besant and Isabel Cooper-Oakley, among others.
 H.S. Olcott, Old Diary Leaves, Volume V, TPH, Adyar, Madras, 1975, p.35-7.


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Posted on September 22, 2015 by Point Pleasant Register
Heritage Days in New Haven steps back into history
Mindy Kearns - For the Register
NEW HAVEN — New Haven Elementary School students, as well as local residents, took a step back into history Friday when Heritage Day was conducted at the school.
Although it was the school's third year for the event, it was the first year it was open to the public.
Members of the West August Volunteers taught about animal trapping and the Civil War, as well as blacksmithing and working a 100-year-old telegraph. Those attending could also taste apple butter and bacon cooked over an open fire.
"I cooked bacon for 500," said Whitney Metcalf, a member of the Volunteers. Deep fried over the fire, she said she went through more than 20 pounds of the crispy meat.
Red Dog Monroe told the story of a man who started out as a trapper, showing many animal pelts of what the man would have caught during the time period. He said the man later joined the Union Army as a soldier, while demonstrating the century-old telegraph he might have used.
Thad McClung, of Hamlin, demonstrated the forge, showing his blacksmithing skills. He brought along sons Ayden, 11, and Sawyer, 4, as his helpers. Ayden spoke about melting pewter in the forge to around 500 degrees to cast the toy soldiers he offered for sale. The McClung family has appeared on The History Channel three times, including Kevin Costner's "Hatfields and McCoys" mini-series.
The Volunteers also included a more local member, Joe Smith of Point Pleasant, who showed the art of making buckets. Smith showed the children how the wood was shaped in earlier times. He even threw in a little math lesson as the students tried to figure the radius to determine the bucket size.
Monroe said the Volunteers visit about a dozen schools a year, but attend many festivals and events.
"We've all been doing this for over 20 years," he said.
Members of the Heritage Farms Museum and Village in Huntington, the Volunteers appear there the first Saturday of each month during "Way Back Saturdays." They will also have a living history camp at the Pumpkin Festival in Milton, Oct. 1-4.
Monroe said the Volunteers work hard to keep their clothing and props authentic to the period. The clothing is all handmade. Monroe added he strives to use products made in West Virginia, including his tents.
Monroe described his trip to New Haven as "wonderful," with a "good crowd." Thad McClung said the day was "amazing."
"The students were extremely well-behaved and attentive to what we were doing," McClung added.
In addition to the Volunteers, Bob's Market and Greenhouses Inc. of Mason was on hand preparing apple butter. Doug Riley of the West Virginia Humanities Council's "History Alive" portrayed Stonewall Jackson.
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Mindy Kearns
For the Register
Mindy Kearns is a freelance writer for Ohio Valley Publishing who lives in Mason County.
Point Pleasant WV, 25550
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I made the switch from an iBook to Macbook Pro. Ofcourse, my audio units don't work and my audionews is up for this month and proaudiotorrents.org isn't open. MagesY blows and others are too small.
Anyone send me in the right direction?


This MERCURY CAPRI Convertible is being offered as a "Mechanic's Special" as while it is a nice little car it needs some mechanical attention. The car starts, runs, drives out nice and stops good but it burns oil and the compression is low. But it isn't all beat-up or in terrible condition otherwise. Old fashion values, sales, and service!


Doctor's are almost universally concerned with how they appear online. And almost universally, few have the time to invest in content creation, curation and conversation. At a minimum physicians should be building out their public facing profiles. Claiming these profiles represents a quick and reliable way to control an important piece of the digital landscape.
While writing, taping and creating represents the best way to build an online presence, profiles are a quick way to get out of the gates.
This voiceover format is something new for me. I'd love to know what you think.


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Earth to Ned Season 2 Release Date
It's been 2 years since Disney+ released the last season of Earth to Ned, and fans of the comedy series are asking when is Earth to Ned Season 2 coming out?
As of January 2023, Disney+ has not officially announced the premiere date of Earth to Ned season 2. The show has yet to be renewed for a second season.
As we continue to monitor the news, below, we've collected everything you need to know about the potential next season, including cast, rumors, and news.
Earth to Ned is a comedy TV show. The show stars Paul Rugg, Michael Oosterom, Colleen Smith and Raymond Carr.
There's one season(s) of Earth to Ned available to watch on Disney+. On September 4, 2020, Disney+ premiered the very first episode. The television series has about 20 episodes spread across one season(s). New episodes typically come out on Fridays. The show received an 6.5 rating amongst the viewers.
Earth to Ned is rated TV-PG, which means the content may be inappropriate for children under 13. The show may include one or more of the following: some provocative conversation, infrequent crude language, some sexual scenes, or moderate violence, depending on the topic.
Earth to Ned has yet to be officially renewed for a second season by Disney+, according to Shows Streaming.
→ Was Earth to Ned cancelled? No. This doesn't necessarily imply that the show has been canceled. The show may be on hiatus, and the premiere date for the next season has yet to be disclosed. Disney+ did not officially cancel the show.
→ Will there be a season 2 of Earth to Ned? There is no word on the next season yet. This page will be updated as soon as more information becomes available. Sign up for updates below if you want to be alerted when a new season is announced.
Earth to Ned Season 2 Cast
Here are the main characters and stars of Earth to Ned:
Paul Rugg plays as Ned (voice)
Colleen Smith plays as BETI (voice)
Michael Oosterom plays as Cornelius (voice)
The current status of Earth to Ned season 2 is listed below as we continue to watch the news to keep you informed. For additional information, go to the Earth to Ned website and IMDb page.
Show Name Earth to Ned
Parental Rating TV-PG
→ Watch Earth to Ned video trailers
→ Where to buy Earth to Ned on DVD?
→ View popularity of Earth to Ned in the US
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