Being your best; learning to walk.
I love reading inspirational quotes on social media – they resonate with people, for good reason usually. As much as I like reading them, I try and use them to help me develop my own inspiration.
Whilst I don't really personally see that I have done anything particularly amazing with my life, I have overcome a number of challenges. Some challenges fell in my path, some I have set myself. Some I've overcome easily and some have been a real battle. People call me resilient. I don't know anything else, I'm me.
I had been trying, for a while, to develop a thought about how sometimes, occasional success is better than occasional failure. I don't like the word failure. There is not getting to where you want to be, but that isn't necessarily failure. Only the person who is experiencing it can call it failure. And that one label can be so extremely damaging, I honestly don't feel it has a place in most peoples vocabulary of thought.
To totally explain where this blog sits, I think 'success' needs to be explained. Having worked in a National Governing Body for sport that was driven by success being defined by Government criteria I feel very strongly about the definition of this in sport. Success isn't necessarily Gold medals, the top coaching award or number of national caps won. I'd agree that this is the pinnacle of sport for some. In fact a very few. But success is how the participant defines it. It is personal. We can talk about athlete centred coaching. That is important, essential. But what about the 1,000's of people who volunteer at parkrun every Saturday morning. Their contribution, in itself, is success. The run/walker who completes a 5km run for the first time in whatever time, I would suggest is a massive success. A kayaker may not choose an Olympic discipline, but instead be an expedition paddler, or coach educator, or use his skills in a rescue team – more or less of a success than a Gold medal? Who has the right to ask that question?
The same in work, create your own business, create your own success. Earn a squillion pounds, or earn a little. Invest time in your children, grow vegetables, mend cars, stitch blankets, anything, anything that makes you feel proud of yourself. That is success, however you feel it compares to anyone else. Comparison, I think, is nearly as destructive as defining failure, it needs using very carefully.
Being your best then, is about working towards success. There are two parts to this. One is where you're going, but the other bit is how you get there. In formal speak, one is outcome, one is process.
Success is very rarely about hitting the goal first time. Sure, if your dream is small, then yes, it will happen easily. And, that is the important part to why I see myself as resilient. I will often see success in small things on the way to bigger things. Using an example of climbing a mountain in a certain time. That's my big goal. I might not get it the first time, the fifth time or the fiftieth time, but I'll get back up there and give it another go. That isn't necessarily resilience, just stubbornness! I'll look at where I've gotten better, or where I can improve. Sometimes it is as simple as enjoying the view, and knowing that being outdoors is better (for me) than being in front of a laptop.
And, you know what? For most people I can give them a number of examples where they have taught themselves how not to feel that way. How they've been 'resilient' and then forgotten it.
I believe that if I'm talking to someone, walking with someone, then they have lost the ability. Somewhere along the line of life, for whatever reason, the joy of being resilient disappeared. I believe we're all born to succeed. I believe that we teach ourselves to lack belief in achieving our goals. Here's why. The process of learning to walk, and talk is the same as running up a mountain in a certain time. Ever seen a baby learning to walk? The way different babies achieve it is different. Some crawl, some bum-shuffle, but all develop strength over a few months. Then, they develop balance…keeping that relatively heavy head over relatively small feet happens bit by bit. And then, chaos reigns, they walk. Babies don't give up because they can't walk the first time they try. They even chuckle and laugh as they bump back down when they got it wrong. The same with speech, rarely do babies get it right first time, but they keep trying, keep practising.
If you can teach yourself to walk, and talk, what can't you do? Somewhere along the line we get taught what is 'normal'. People who choose to challenge that, not to accept mediocrity can be seen as high achievers, obsessive or something else. Perhaps however, they just haven't forgotten how they learnt to walk?
Once the wall blocking success in our mind has been built, then dreams can be scary, as per the opening quote. However, if you accept that occasionally bumping down taught you to walk, you can also accept that occasionally bumping down when you're chasing a goal doesn't make you a failure. That wall will crumble. Obstacles won't stop you, they might slow you down, but you'll keep moving. Life isn't about occasionally not reaching goals, it's about occasionally achieving success. The journey isn't smooth. But, just like a coach load of kids love a humpback bridge, learn to love the bumpy. It makes the journey less tiring, less stressful.
Set where you want to go. Then remember, you learnt to walk, and talk, against the odds. So, go where you want. Fly!
Life. It just gets in the way sometimes. Kids, Work, Jobs… for most of us it takes priority over our leisure time.
I'm gently working away at changing that, confident that the balance will get driven back the right way.
Every now and then, snatching a run, making it count, but nothing that has been as consistent as the training during 2015.
That said, the moments, and journeys have offered up more views, more memories than the competitive running, and as I take time to capture them, there is a growing portfolio of running shots that I value.
But, the reason to write this note was inspired after a 'big three' 59km, 2,600m of ascent in 6hrs 50 mins – all within 48 hours. I sit here now, my legs feeling 'shelled' but my mind feeling inspired.
Work, volunteering with Dolgellau parkrun, cooking, and jobs, all fit within that 48 hours. But away from the numbers I've seen amazing views, Deer, Raven, Kites, Buzzards, Barn Owls, Frog spawn, Woodcock, Buffalo, Llama, Black Sheep, heaps of tracks, little birds and little animals. And, in those runs, only a handful of people.
As I ran with Katie around y Garn on Sunday morning, I talked about what it is that defines me as a runner. It is very personal. It is not the runs I do to maintain my fitness and mental health. It's not the progressive sprints, or hill sessions.
What defines me is new routes, new places, new views, new experiences. It is adventure through running that motivates me. My love of Navigation, my love of wild places and my love of journeying. The times and distances I accumulate as a runner are useful distractions to the fundamental, vital engagement that running gives me with the outdoors.
Here's to a year of footprints left, and memories taken.
Today I stood on a very pretty crossroads and watched 505 people run Winter Trail Wales. This is a brilliant trail half marathon in Coed y Brenin.
As I stood there watching people racing, and achieving goals it really let me think a little bit more about running for me.
And this is how I thought – in 2015, I ran for 224 hours. 8 hrs and 13 minutes of that was race time.
Now, I really enjoyed my races last year, there were some bits of really important achievement, but I ran for nearly 30 times longer than I raced. And my training last year, whilst I did it, I didn't love it.
So here's my not-quite-finished-thought. Where should my focus be, on the hours that I run in training, or on the events. And why are events important to me.
If you run, or train for something, does your event time, or the feeling you get from the event compensate or give a reason for the time and effort in training?
And the importance of these pictures? Well it is a reminder to me that instead of the stress, and anxiety of lining up on a start line, at a given time, to compare myself to a previous time, or to some other runners there is a deep sense of satisfaction of journeying in wild places, on foot. Challenging myself in a way that feels right for where I am on that given day.
I know I need to focus on the good times between a few events, rather than the events themselves, for now at least!
So, maybe I'll go gentle on myself, or maybe I'll get cabin fever and need an event to push my training. Can't be sure, it's not quite a full thought yet.
Here's a story, it started 20 years ago.
I love travelling – not so much the destination, but the journey. I like backpacking, bike packing, canoe camping, overlanding, multiday running and much more.
But, a family has to slow these things, but not stop them.
Vehicles have their good points and bad points – bad for carbon footprint, good for easy travelling. What I wanted to achieve was something that would fit a lot of different criteria and really add something to me and my daughters life.
I've had Land Rovers, Toyota Hiace, Ford Transits and Transit connects. All good vehicles for their jobs. A lot of outdoor people favour the VW Transporter, and for good reason – however, living in rural North Wales I wanted something that gave a bit of a better fuel return, was well built and would give a few years service.
After a bit of research, my ideal van would be a VW Caddy Maxi Kombi (5 seats and glazing) but it was a good way out of my price range to get something that would have low miles and a good engine.
Then, Clogau Motors, just down the road from me had a Caddy Maxi panel van, with low miles, a 1.6 TDi engine and the right price. A test drive with my daughter and a bit of money calculating later I had the base vehicle.
Now, I had to convert it, to be a five seater, rear windows, lined and a power supply. I wanted to keep the vehicle as flexible as possible so that it can do the job of a van (i.e. load carrier), take people and kit places, and be a small campervan when needed.
The first job was to decide how to have a power supply. I thought about whether I could have a removable leisure battery, what I wanted to power and when. I quickly realised that I was going to have to give up valuable space to make the van powered, and so decided to go off-grid. More on that later on, but the important thing now was that I didn't need to run wires whilst I went through the fitting out process.
I really wanted to fit original manufacturers seats – these fold up, lift out, all on simple fixings that are already in the van floor. So after a bit of negotiation I managed to find a supplier, who could get these from a vehicle that had had them removed to allow wheelchair access. To do this the bulkhead had to be removed, this was an unbolt and trim type job. The windows went in at the same time as the seats, and after a bit of negotiation with my insurance company it was accepted as a 5 seater combi van.
The next bit needed a bit of thinking about – because of the camping kit that I wanted to use, I couldn't box in and insulate the wheel arches, so they got a covering with lining carpet as a first job. Behind the ply-lining on the walls and under the headlining and floor went sheeps wool insulation. On the walls and roof lining went carpet trim, and on the floor went heavy ply, over some ply packers, covered with commercial grade vinyl lining.
There were a few moments of frustration, and the fact I was running out of time before the summer holiday started didn't do too much to keep things calm.
Lining the strip of bare metal round the rear door was the hardest bit, some awkward, tight radii, and a good bit of swearing I got a finish that I was happy with. YouTube was definitely my friend during this bit of work, and this clip seemed to be the one that I kept coming back to.
I really wanted make sure that the engine battery was kept as unused as possible when having a camper, and as I said earlier I had chosen not to install the costly split charge system and spacing eating leisure battery. Instead I went for a set of battery LED lights in 3 strategic locations, and then added a solar charging kit to my carried stuff. This is a power gorilla, solar gorilla and a USB AA/AAA battery charging system. I knew that I was going to need to run my laptop, recharge phones, camera and batteries during the time away as I couldn't not work for the trip. It looked like on bit of the trip was going to tie in nicely with a job – nice to align expenses for work, with a leisure trip.
The range of gear from Power Traveller is well worth considering if you want or need to be off grid for any period of time.
The solar gorilla worked well recharging phones and AAA batteries straight from the sun, and was an important part of keeping the power gorilla (basically a big rechargeable battery) topped off.
The power gorilla can be charged from the mains, as well as the solar gorilla. This gave me about 4 hours extra lap top time, but perhaps critically for number one daughter a seemingly endless supply of iPhone recharges. I've used both for work when I've been away from the office, and the solar charging works really well on the dash of the van inside the windscreen.
The LED lights had about 20 hours on 3 AAA batteries before they started dimming, and again the power gorilla meant that after a couple of hours, what ever the conditions the van would be lit inside again at night. It needed a bit of thought as to how and when what could be charged, but much better for me than the option of a split charge and leisure battery – all the solar kit is all easily transportable and so works in any environment.
The major addition for turning the now, five seat van into a camper was the addition of a boot jump from Amdro. This bit of kit effectively replaced a family tent (that I always hated and wasn't particularly well suited to anything other than a flat field). The small lift in lift out unit maintains the ability to be a van in the morning and then a camper in the evening. Made from ply, with storage boxes, a drawer with an alcohol stove, fold out bed easily long enough for me at 6'2″, seating for four, a table and water supply this kit drew many discussions on the trip – a real testament to the skill and creativity of the guys at Amdro.
With the addition of a quality cool box, we were all set to head off on an adventure. That might need an additional write up – Dover/Calais crossing with tight border controls, Eiffel Tower, Disneyland, Aire's, and the Alps. Great trip!
Mainly French flies making a mess.
This journey starts a year ago at Trail Marathon Wales 2014.
TMW is a local event for me, when it comes to participation events in Dolgellau, it is by far the biggest, and as running events go it is a tough marathon. Also, 2015 was the first year of a 3 years sponsorship deal from Salomon. This is fantastic news, and completes major sponsors for all the trail running events hosted by Run. Coed y Brenin.
2014, I came back from MdS and treated the event with complacency. It took me a good while to recover my feet, and then I just didn't commit to training. A full write up from last year is here, but the brief line is that I had a big lesson, and didn't achieve what I set out to.
I've had two goals in running this year, TMW and Ring o Fire (September). As well as challenges in work and family life it has been a bumpy journey for sure. However I've had a good deal of support from friends and family, and although not as solid as I wanted I followed a training plan, watched what I ate and stayed focussed on that finish line.
What does training mean, it means doing speed work, distance work and also getting my head in the right space. Training in the dark, the rain, between meetings and just whenever I could was a strange constant in amongst all the other noise. Even working out how to combine a few shorter runs with my 10 year old Daughter, all very calming.
Focussing on the food a bit was helpful, getting rid of a lot of processed food, and just being sensible with portions helped me. At the startline of TMW 2014 I was 93 kg, where as this year I was 78 kg. For those still in old money thats a couple of pounds shy of two and half stone. On me, it means instead of wearing 34″ waist jeans, 30″ waist is the order of the day now. I've lost a lot of upper body strength too, but I'll work on that in the winter, maybe. Possibly after Ring o Fire, anyway.
I've never been so anxious on the lead into the race. A couple of big emotional strains in the week leading in were tiring, and general stress levels had reduced sleep to a few hours a week. Hardly the best preparation for an endurance event.
A few friends came to stay the night before TMW, and we headed up to the pre-race party, nice to catch up with a few people, register, and share the atmosphere with Ciara (my daughter). MG Spalton was around with Lucy Bartholomew. Briefly, Lucy is the Junior World Champion in SkyRunning, and a really warm and inspirational character. MG has always been super supportive and warm towards running, and I've always been impressed with how she blends happy, warm, competitive running with duties of being a mum. No mean feat for sure! So after a bit of banter, music from CeadCyf we headed home for fluids and a snooze. With house sharing happening I was treated to my daughters bed, complete with princess net and snuggly blanket. Surprisingly I had a good night sleep, and though I woke feeling jaded the general feeling was good!
We woke to a slight drizzle, so I went with wet weather plan. I'd had two choices to make, shoes and tops. I was absolutely set on my Scott TR10 Trail shorts (no need for a belt). I was between a vest and a t-shirt. The T-shirt won easily. Then the choice was between my newly acquired (after demoing) Salomon Ultra 4 Soft Ground and the tried and tested Salomon Sense Pro. I went for the Soft Ground, knowing that both would struggle a bit on wet rock, but knowing a few soft descents would be quicker in them. I still slathered on the "Skin so Soft" to beat down the midges that are present at this time of year in Coed y Brenin. Breakfast down and then up to the forest.
Parking was even more slick this year (quite an achievement) and we all wobbled down to the event area at around 08:15. We met up with a few people who were also running, and the half marathon an hour later. My mind was all over the place, I just couldn't focus between trying to make sure I was looking after Ciara, but also trying to get my head around what lay ahead. Gratefully my very good (best) friends Jeremy and Kim appeared, and Ciara happily went to hang out with Kim as planned. Phil and I went off for a short warm up and I tried to get "in the zone". Phil was very gentle in encouraging me, and as a runner I greatly look up to this was, in hindsight really important.
I was starting to find my focus as we walked down to the start, underneath the Visitors Centre. This year I chose to start somewhere where I thought there was about 100 people ahead of me. This was very different to where I normally look mid pack. It was hard to hear the commentary own in the start box, the general chatter was loud. I could just glimpse Ciara and about 10 seconds out I waved, and then checked my watch. Glanced at Iori (game keeper with a rifle) and waited for the bang.
My aim was to chase a 5min42sec km the whole way round. I'd set my watch to give me that information every kilometre. I knew the first half needed careful pacing. I wanted to make sure I went fast enough to hit 4 hours, but not too fast that I blew up too early. The initial jostling settled down, and I started running within myself. I could hear Matty Brenin telling me not to fight the hills. I was remembering that downhill were free miles. But, also I didn't want to smash my legs, so held back a bit on the initial downhills.
Where people had gone off fast, I settled into a pace, and was picking people off on the climbs. I'd worked hard on my posture and technique whilst running and this had felt good in training. In the race it felt useful to focus on that and my breathing.
At around 3 miles the marshalls, Elly and Chris, were whooping and hollering. Whilst I always try and say thanks to marshalls, I was still not relaxed into the race, and thing I uttered something about not being able to be friendly. The next long descent to the Mawddach is definitely free miles, and as I crossed the bridge, I was now on my own a bit. I spotted Rhys who was out on his bike supporting Sandra.
Everything was feeling good, and I wanted to get into the single track ahead in a place where I was free to run at my pace. In previous years I'd been held up, so this year I pushed into a bit of clear trail and tried to clear my head a bit too.
Things were feeling good, I was on target with my splits, and had my first feed coming up at the 10km mark (about 40 minutes in). A quick TORQ gel, and some electrolyte from the 'usual team' at feed point 1.
In to the top of one of my favourite descents, down to the Wen, last year I had a bit of a fall here, but this year with a lovely new bench cut trail, and being in the right area of the field the descent went well. The next firetrail shocked me a bit, at an hour MG came into view. Shocked because MG would be on for about a 3:40, and because though she was a good few hundred metres ahead I was closing on her steadily through the climbs.
A quick bit of tidy single track through Penrhos and here I caught MG. A quick hello, then she asked me to pass. I knew from this, and my splits that I was running the first half well. From here through to Sting in the Tail, my head really started going to the "am I going too hard". As I've said before, because I don't race that often, pacing is my biggest battle, but everything was feeling pretty tidy, so trust in my training was order of the day.
A committed run up Sting, a great undulating run through Cefndeudwr saying hi to half marathoners heading out, including seeing Sharon and Jude looking very strong. A quick TORQ gel ready to take on water at half way. Great camaraderie here, then the cheering (and slightly bonkers) Elly and Chris and the descent down the new demo loop to the half marathon. My chip split was 1:46:38. This was great news for a 4 hour target, potentially a lot better! A cup of water and then off under the A470.
I'd practise the next section a bit, early in the morning. Trying to learn the shapes and where to push well. At the top of the long climb, there is a feed station in an old quarry. Electrolyte, and a bit of banana and quickly on.
Some lovely downhill running here to the water point that gets two visits and cheerfully manned by the Hide's. I was chasing a pair of runners, and was still gaining on the technical ground, right to the bottom of "snap, crackle and pop". Well, at least nothing went snap or pop, but coming off the descent into the climb, my right quad started to cramp viciously. I tried shortening up my stride, and this helped a little, but I knew here that it was going to be a tricky run in.
The 20 mile mark was up at about 2hr38, which in theory gave me a decent crack at 3:hr30! This was enough to push on, but coming out of "Heart of Darkness" and starting the descent my left hamstring started cramping really painfully. Again a quick shortening of the stride to try and let it rest. I did manage to run much of the bit in from here, but it wasn't very enjoyable. The single-track descent was ugly, I could hear the PA over in the visitors centre welcoming runners in, but now I was just trying to keep up enough pace to stay under 4 hours.
Al Jones was at the marshal point at the top of the last single track, a quick sip of water, and then down to Mark Atherton who was on the road crossing.
Just here I lost two places to some quick runners, and then onto Pont yr Eden.
Just as I finished the switchback, there was a shout of "Ash!" and MG was catching me up.
Just as the climb on the animal trail reached it's steepest, my left hamstring cramped again and MG came passed looking strong as always. I tried to stay with her, but I had nothing left.
The last little rise to the finish line was lined with plenty of people, my daughter, included. Across the line, and I knew I was under 4 hours, but everything was a bit of a blur. A hug from MG, Es (in charge of all the goodie bag packing) and round the finish funnel to find Ciara.
My chip time 3:43:34, and MG? exactly the same. Couldn't have written it.
Then the meeting, cheering and supporting people coming in. Yes, I'd smashed the 4hrs, but know there is more in there. To have been on schedule for a quicker time, and then to have got my nutrition wrong is a good lesson. Definitely something to build on, in a positive way.
The trip out to mobile signal caused a bit of a jaw drop – 27th overall and 9th in category. That put the effort in perspective.
A really nice evening wearing my cozy new TMW15 hoody with some good friends, a few beers and some good banter. Then a little recovery jog up Foel Offrwm the next day and a great recovery massage from Katie from the Run.Clinic finished a great weekend.
A load of thanks are needed to quite a few people. Thank you all!
Looking forward to 2016 already, though I hope my legs have recovered by then…it's taking a while!


For the more than 40 million student debtors who, on average, owe $30,000, keeping up with bills every month is next to impossible. In fact, new data released by the Department of Education shows that nearly a third of all student debtors with federal student debt are behind on their bills. As we've reported in the past, in at least 22 states, it can get even worse, because there are laws on the books to revoke professional and driver's licenses for people who default on their student debt.
We helped expose these unjust and punitive laws earlier this year, inspiring a flood of media attention and a wave of efforts to repeal them across the country. In Montana, we partnered with the Montana Organizing Project to build momentum around a bill introduced by state representative Moffie Funk and co-sponsored by state representative Daniel Zolnikov that will repeal one of these laws. The bill was able to gain bipartisan support due to our efforts and recently passed both the State House and Senate, and has just been signed by Governor Steve Bullock.
Montana is the first state to officially reverse course and decriminalize student debt, but others have begun to follow its example. For the tens of thousands of student debtors that lose their ability to work and effectively repay their student debt, this is an immediate solution to a problem that never should have existed in the first place.
Repealing these state laws that criminalize student debt is crucial. Taking away someone's ability to work or drive doesn't make it easier to pay off their student debt, but it doesn't just hurt the debtor. The workers that are being impacted by these laws are often integral members of our communities, keeping hospitals and elementary schools running.
Rather than punishing those struggling to pay off their debt, Jobs With Justice's Debt-Free Future campaign aims at finding solutions for debtors and putting them on a path toward debt-relief through flexible repayment options and forgiveness programs like income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Of the projected 33 million workers eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, only 133,000 workers are currently enrolled in it. Imagine if all of these nurses and teachers who had received letters in the mail saying they were losing their licenses had instead received notices that they could actually have their student debt forgiven. Imagine if the eight million student debtors currently in default and having their wages, social security and tax returns garnished had instead received information about tying their monthly payment to their incomes to make payments affordable.
Montana has taken a huge first step in the process of ending our criminalization and punishment of student debtors. Hopefully the remaining 21 other states with these laws will follow suit.
Who's Behind the Rise of Student Loan Defaults?


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Prenuptial rumor roundup: Nicole Richie to wed?
If the rumors are to be believed, Nicole Richie is somewhere prepping to wed rocker Joel Madden, whom she's been with since 2006 and was confirmed to be engaged to earlier this year.
Supposedly, Richie, 29, and Madden, 31, are set to tie the knot tomorrow at Lionel Richie's Beverly Hills estate which, although it boasts 28 rooms, doesn't have plenty of space on the ground for many guests.
Word on the street is that the guest list has been kept to 75, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail. So while there reportedly will be seats for Ashlee Simpson and Christina Aguilera, there isn't room for one Paris Hilton.
Filed under: Celebrities • Nicole Richie
Obama's 'Mythbusters' episode draws big ratings
Say what you want about President Obama, but the guy can pull in some ratings.
The President made a guest appearance on the Wednesday, December 8 episode of the show and more than 2 million people tuned in to check it out. As we noted earlier, President Obama asked the mythbusting duo to solve the legend of Archimedes' solar ray, which was storied to be one serious weapon.
Although the team had handled such a fiery mission twice before, this time the President wanted them to examine the myth by considering manpower.
With that many people tuning in, the episode landed in the No. 1 spot among cable primetime programs that night among men 25 to 54 and men 18 to 34.
Taylor Lautner set to star in 'Incarceron'
"Twilight" star Taylor Lautner is gearing up to play another hero from a young-adult novel. The actor is set to star in the big-screen adaptation of Catherine Fisher's 2007 sci-fi adventure "Incarceron," reports Deadline.com.
Lautner will play Finn, a 17-year-old who has lived his entire life in the futurist prison society Incarceron. With the help of a crystal key, he can communicate with the warden's daughter, Claudia, who is trapped in a castle in a world resembling the 17th century. Both Finn and Claudia long to escape and vow to help each other.
Besides "Incarceron," Lautner, 18, has plenty of other projects in the pipeline.
The final two chapters of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" will arrive in theaters on November 18, 2011, and November 16, 2012, respectively, and the thriller "Abduction" is set for release next September. In addition, Lautner is also attached to portray Stretch Armstrong in a movie about the popular children's toy.
Post by: Mark Marino -- Special to CNN
Filed under: Casting Chronicles • Celebrities • movies
Nigel Lythgoe says no more mean 'Idol'
Doesn't sound like "American Idol's" Nigel Lythgoe is going to miss Simon Cowell at all next season.
The producer tells Emmy Magazine that "If you like people being mean to people, you'll miss it" – an apparent dig at the acerbic Cowell, who left the show last season.
Lythgoe returns this season to the show, which has seen its ratings dip from the ginormous numbers of the past. He told the publication he thinks the talent competition will go on even without fan favorite Cowell, and he praised new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.
Post by: CNN.com writer Lisa Respers France
Filed under: American Idol 2010 • American Idol judges • Jennifer Lopez • Randy Jackson • Ryan Seacrest • Steven Tyler • television
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'Showbiz Tonight' Flashpoint: Is the Hoff's career in crisis?
"The Hoff" is not having a good day today!
His new reality show,"The Hasselhoffs" - which featured his two daughters, Taylor Ann and Hayley, as they chased their dreams for careers in the entertainment business - just got the proverbial rug pulled from under it.
A&E canceled the show after airing only two episodes! Maybe the Hoff's first lesson to his grown daughters should be, "you gotta roll with the punches!" I can tell you, it hasn't been a good year for the actor.
Post by: Showbiz Tonight's A.J. Hammer
Filed under: TV-Showbiz Tonight
Lady Gaga wax figures revealed 'round the world
Leave it to Lady Gaga to make a statement, even in wax form.
Thursday, Madame Tussauds unveiled eight figures of the singer worldwide, with each statue sporting her signature outrageous styles.
As Marquee previously reported, Madame Tussauds asked Gaga fans to weigh in on which iconic outfits they wanted to see immortalized. Drumroll for the results, please…
Filed under: Celebrities • Lady Gaga

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It feels as if UFC 92 was just held in Las Vegas yesterday, but MMA betting fans won't be angry to know that UFC 93 is just around the corner!
On January 17th some of the best fighters in the world will descend onto one of the toughest cities in the world, Dublin, Ireland, to fight for UFC supremacy!
Only the toughest men on the planet can survive in the Octagon. This should be even more true at The O2 in Dublin where no doubt the Irish home crowd will be screaming bloody murder if they don't see any blood at all!
The BetUS online sportsbook is already offering wagering on four of the bouts on the card. BetUS online sportsbook fight fans should get into the action right now while the online odds are still so fair!
Let's take a peek at the four fights that BetUS is offering wagering on!
Marcus Davis, online betting odds –140, vs. Chris Lytle, online betting odds Even – – Davis's biggest strength is his boxing ability. The home crowd in Ireland is going to absolutely go nuts for this guy because boxing is a huge sport in Ireland. But will he be able to hang with Chris Lytle who has fought in 56 bouts in his MMA career? Davis is 20 and 5 in his MMA career and the fact that his nickname is "The Irish Hand Grenade" should have the Dubliners going bonkers!
Alan Belcher, online betting odds +210, vs. Denis Kang, online betting odds –325 – – Kang is 31-10-1 in his career. Anybody who has followed MMA for a while knows how good this guy can be when he's on. He's a fantastic striker but he'll have to deal with Belcher's Muay Thai style in order to win this. Can Belcher pull off what would be one of the biggest online wagering upsets of the night? Belcher is only 24 years old but his 12 and 4 record in UFC has made him a popular fighter.
Mauricio Rua, online betting odds –400, vs. Mark Coleman, online betting odds +250 – – Rua was the number one ranked light-heavyweight in the world at one time, but a loss to Forest Griffin ended that. Then again, he also lost to Mark Coleman when Coleman broke his arm. That was a nutty fight that online betting fans won't forget soon! Rua is out for revenge and according to the BetUS odds makers, he will probably get it!
Rich Franklins, online betting odds Even, vs. Dan Henderson, online betting odds –140 – – The main event pits two of the toughest men on the planet against each other when Rich Franklin takes to the Octagon against Dan Henderson. Any fan who has been watching the UFC the past few years knows the name Rich Franklin. Franklin is an exceptional fighter that can strike with the best in the business. Henderson is a wrestler but his striking ability has improved and he can knock a guy out with either his left or right. This should be the fight of the night and the fact that the online betting odds are close to what one would expect means that fight fans haven't decided which fighter really is going to win this!


text:
Oosterbuurt is een buurtschap in de gemeente Castricum, in de Nederlandse provincie Noord-Holland. Oosterbuurt ligt aan de zuidoostkant van Castricum, Molendijk en net ten noorden van Heemstee.

Oosterbuurt is sinds de uitbreiding van Castricum in de 20e eeuw een onderdeel geworden van Castricum. Toch kent het een duidelijk eigen karakter uit de eeuwenlange periode dat het geheel loslag van Castricum. Dit geldt met name voor het zuidelijke deel van Oosterbuurt. Het noordelijkste deel is een echte nieuwbouw geworden van Castricum, en loopt onder meer over in de Molendijk, dit deel wordt daarom niet altijd meer tot de Oosterbuurt gerekend. Het zuidelijk deel wordt nog als buitengebied gezien. Dat het zuidelijke deel toch in de toekomst mogelijk steeds meer bebouwd geraakt bleek in 2009 toen de gemeenteraad met het plan kwam om de Rollerusstraat vol te laten bouwen. Oosterbuurt vormt samen met Heemstee ook de wijk Castricum-Zuid. Samen met Heemstee valt het formeel onder het dorp Castricum.

Geografie van Castricum
Buurtschap in Noord-Holland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


"The decision to deny the possibility of accreditation to citizens of one participating State is without precedent and contravenes commitments made by all participating States to invite observers from any other OSCE participating States that may wish to observe election proceedings to the extent permitted by law," she wrote in a letter to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, some excerpts from which were quoted in the OSCE ODIHR statement.
Gisladottir noted that observers sent to take part in ODIHR election observations missions do not represent their respective countries, but rather the entire OSCE and are bound by the ODIHR's strict code of conduct for election observers.
On February 7, the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill, which will deny an accreditation to Russian representatives as observers of the OSCE Election Observation Mission in Ukraine.


text:
Wills Trusts & Estates keyed to Dukeminier
Wills, Trusts & Estates keyed to Dobris
Protection of the Family
Contesting the Will
Barnes v. Marshall 467 S.W.2d 70 (Mo. 1971)
In re Hargrove 262 App. Div. 202, 28 N.Y.S.2d 571 (App Div, 1st Dept 1941)
Gonsalves v. Superior Court 19 Cal.App.4th 1366 (Ct. App. 1993)
Haynes v. First National State Bank of New Jersey 87 N.J. 163, 432 A.2d 890 (1981)
In re Will of Moses 227 So. 2d 829 (Miss. 1969)
In re Roblin 210 Or. 371, 311 P.2d 459 (1957)
In re Kaufman
Powers of Appointment
Classification and Construction of Future Interests
The Rule Against Perpetuities
Wills, Trusts & Estates > Wills, Trusts & Estates keyed to Dobris > Contesting the Will
Barnes v. Marshall
Citation. Barnes v. Marshall, 467 S.W.2d 70, 1971 Mo. LEXIS 1027 (Mo. 1971)
Brief Fact Summary. Testator made a will bequeathing a large portion of his estate to several charities, churches and fraternal organizations. Plaintiff, testator's daughter, contested the will on grounds that testator was not of sound mind at the time of execution.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. Evidence showing occurrences involving the testator year prior to the execution of a will can be admissible to show the testator was not of sound mind at the time of execution if such occurrences have a direct bearing on the testator's condition at the time of execution.
Facts. Testator made a will with the remainder of the estate going to a trust with payments to be made to the Defendants; various individuals, charities, churches, and fraternal organizations. Plaintiff, the testator's daughter, was to receive five dollars per year. The estate was appraised at over half a million dollars. Plaintiff alleged that the testator was not of sound mind and did not have the mental capacity to make a will. After testimony from several witnesses that testified that the testator was of unsound mind and suffering from manic-depressive psychosis, the trial court found for the Plaintiff. Defendant appeals the ruling on several points.
Whether the evidenced presented showed that the testator was of sound mind on the day he executed his will?
Whether the trial court erred in refusing certain questions of the Defendants to be asked of the jurors on voir dire?
Whether the trial court erred in admitting evidence of occurrences years prior to the execution of the will because it was too remote to have any probative value?
Whether the trial court erred in permitting lay witnesses to express an opinion that the testator was of unsound mind?
Whether the trial court erred in refusing to permit a defense witness to express an opinion that testator was of sound mind?
Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give jury instructions offered by the Defendant?
Yes. Affirmed. The evidence showed that the testator's views on government, religion, morals, and finances went beyond peculiarities and eccentricities and a reasonable jury could find him of unsound mind.
No. Affirmed. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in rulings relating to the voir dire examination as these rulings will not be disturbed unless there is a clear indication of abuse of discretion.
No. Affirmed. Evidence of a testator's mental condition prior to the execution of the will is admissible if it tends to show his condition at the time of the execution. Here the evidence was that the testator suffered from an incurable mental disease which has a direct bearing on the testator's mental condition at the time of the execution of the will.
No. Affirmed. The refusal to permit this witness to testify was harmless error because ten other lay witnesses were allowed to testify to the same opinion.
No. Affirmed. The proposed instructions were cautionary instructions and these are usually within the discretion of the trial court at to whether or not to include.
Discussion. The Court affirms the trial court's judgment finding that a jury could have reasonably found the testator to be of unsound mind based on the testimony presented to it. The Court notes that in regard to questioning during voir dire, counsel has no right on voir dire to have the prospective juror pledge or speculate what their action will be in certain situations that may arise later during trial.
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Whole wheat flours use every part of the kernel: the fiber-rich bran with its B vitamins, the starch- and protein-rich endosperm with its iron and B vitamins, and the oily germ with its vitamin E.* Because they contain bran, whole-grain flours have much more fiber than refined white flours. However, some studies suggest that the size of the fiber particles may have some bearing on their ability to absorb moisture and "bulk up" stool and that the fiber particles found in fine-ground whole wheat flours may be too small to have a bulking effect.
Finely ground whole wheat flour is called whole wheat cake flour; coarsely ground whole wheat flour is called graham flour. Cracked wheat is a whole wheat flour that has been cut rather than ground; it has all the nutrients of whole wheat flour, but its processing makes it less likely to yield its starch in cooking. When dried and parboiled, cracked wheat is known as bulgur, a grain used primarily as a cereal, although it can be mixed with other flours and baked. Gluten flour is a low-starch, high-protein product made by drying and grinding hard-wheat flour from which the starch has been removed.
Refined flours are paler than whole wheat flours because they do not contain the brown bran and germ. They have less fiber and fat and smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals than whole wheat flours, but enriched refined flours are fortified with B vitamins and iron. Refined flour has no phytic acid.
Some refined flours are bleached with chlorine dioxide to destroy the xanthophylls (carotenoid pigments) that give white flours a natural cream color. Unlike carotene, the carotenoid pigment that is converted to vitamin A in the body, xanthophylls have no vitamin A activity; bleaching does not lower the vitamin A levels in the flour, but it does destroy vitamin E.
There are several kinds of white flours. All-purpose white flour is a mixture of hard and soft wheat, high in protein and rich in gluten.*** Cake flour is a finely milled soft-wheat flour; it has less protein than all-purpose flour. Self-rising flour is flour to which baking powder has been added and is very high in sodium. Instant flour is all-purpose flour that has been ground extra-fine so that it will combine quickly with water. Semolina is a pale high-protein, low-gluten flour made from durum wheat and used to make pasta.
Like whole wheat flour, dark rye flour (the flour used for pumpernickel bread) contains the bran and the germ of the rye grain; light rye flour (the flour used for ordinary rye bread) does not. Triticale flour is milled from triticale grain, a rye/wheat hybrid. It has more protein and less gluten than all-purpose wheat flour.
*The bran is the kernel's hard, brown outer cover, an extraordinarily rich source of cellulose and lignin. The endosperm is the kernel's pale interior, where the vitamins abound. The germ, a small particle in the interior, is the part of the kernel that sprouts.
**Gluten is the sticky substance formed when kneading the dough relaxes the long-chain molecules in the proteins gliadin and glutenin so that some of their intermolecular bonds (bonds between atoms in the same molecule) break and new intramolecular bonds (bonds between atoms on different molecules) are formed.
*** Hard wheat has less starch and more protein than soft wheat. It makes a heavier, denser dough.


text:
Beyond the Division
How We Faithfully Engage Politics in 2020
We're living in a moment of unprecedented political division.
It's a moment in which we're increasingly feeling forced to make a choice between two sides, but if we're honest with ourselves, many of us aren't fully comfortable with either. When it comes to our national politics, we're unsure whether to focus on policy or character, results or convictions. Either way, we've come to a moment where we realize we can't confidently get behind the politics of the left or the right.
We don't want to throw away or vote or our voice, but instead, we find ourselves longing for a third option. We want a better way to approach the political arena, to engage the issues that are most important to us, to lead our families and our communities well in a complicated and confusing time.
At the same time, 85 percent of Americans say that U.S. political debate has become more negative and disrespectful in recent years, according to the Pew Research Center. There seems to be no hopeful way forward.
In such polarizing times, this Q Media Politics Playlist is designed to help you thoughtfully engage these kinds of issues and questions, so that we can confidently find the way forward together.
Comprised of six Q Talks delivered by experts in the political arena, these talks won't tell you how to vote or how to think, but they will educate, equip and inspire you to think well in about the future of politics in America and how Christians can live out a faithful witness in this confusing moment.
Through this playlist (available for free this week) you will:
• Learn how thoughtful Christian leaders from across the political spectrum are thinking about our political moment.
• Better understand why political engagement matters for Christians.
• Be prepared to have well-rounded, constructive conversations with friends and neighbors about politics.
• Navigate an uncertain and unprecedented political moment.
• Lead your church, family, community and more through a heated election year.
• Explore the possibility of a new third way to meaningfully engage American politics, beyond the partisan divides.
Current Issue Playlist: Politics
Rising Above Partisanship (Michael Wear) - If "Did Not Vote" would've been a candidate in the last presidential election, it would have won by a landslide. Our polarized political scene has left many feeling politically homeless and disillusioned with America's two-party system. Michael Wear, a former Obama administration staffer and chief strategist of the AND Campaign, shares his experience of political loneliness and helps us imagine how Christians can stand up for what's true, just and good in this divisive season. (Click To View Video)
Democratic Socialism, Communism & Capitalism (Q Panel) - As the 2020 election ramps up, we increasingly find our national conversation and social discourse debating the merits of capitalism versus democratic socialism. In this unique panel discussion, three experts—Elizabeth Bruenig, Andrzej Turkainik and Anne Rathbone Bradley—discuss the merits and failings of these competing economic systems, preparing us to engage these conversations well in the year to come. (Click To View Video)
Confronting Identity Politics (Justin Giboney) - Americans on either side of the aisle have long been divided by party lines, but in recent years, this has filtered into our public square of relationships. The labels and the divisions continue to grow, causing more and more voters to feel entrenched or disenfranchised. Does it have to be this way? Justin Giboney, attorney and co-founder of the AND Campaign, examines the reality—and the limits—of identity politics. (Click To View Video)
Politics Outside the Lines (Scott Sauls) - In our polarizing political moment, more and more Americans are finding themselves tired of taking sides and longing to move beyond the "culture of outrage" that seems to have taken over our public discourse. But many of us are left unsure how to actually do so. Amid this tension, how should faithful Christ-followers best approach the political arena and engage the most divisive issues of our day? In this talk, author and pastor Scott Sauls shares how Jesus offers us a hopeful way forward. (Click To View Video)
Responding to the Trump Election (Q Panel) - The last several years have ushered in a completely new political atmosphere. Amid debates, arguments and upheaval, how do Christians have a prophetic witness on a local and national scale? Instead of being relegated to a voting bloc, how can Christians fight against the tribalization happening in our country—even in our churches—while staying true to our call to do the most good? Following the historic election of Donald Trump, Q President Gabe Lyons leads a thoughtful conversation between Rod Dreher, Justin Giboney, Mollie Hemingway and Russell Moore to help us answer these important questions. (Click To View Video)
Governing the Divide (Bill Haslam & Scott Sauls) - In a society more divided than ever, how does leadership remain a call to work for the best of an entire group—even and especially when members of the group have differing opinions? This is a question former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam provides perspective on in this conversation with pastor and author Scott Sauls. As Haslam shares how he's worked beyond political divides in his career as a public servant, he inspires us to do the same, wherever we've been called. (Click To View Video)
Join Us In Nashville This April
Over three days , gather together to discuss the top issues Christian leaders need to engage in the year ahead.
Learn More About Q 2020
Consider joining us for Q 2020, coming to Nashville, TN this April 22-24.
Over three transformative days:
• You'll learn from a curated selection of 30 crucial talks on the most important ideas for Christian leaders to engage in the year ahead—including topics such as censorship, the Trump dilemma, gender, suicide, the next generation and more.
• You'll further your thinking through expert interaction and constructive debate.
• You'll connect with like-minded leaders from every channel of culture and feel less isolated in your own role.
• You'll enjoy experiences designed to introduce you to new friends and spark your creativity.
• Together, we will build for a future to meet the demand for leadership in our churches, industries and communities.
About Q Ideas:
Q is a nonprofit media and events company based in Franklin, TN that serves leaders through education and mobilization to live informed, thoughtful lives that advance the Christian faith in tangible ways to benefit their communities and future generations. Our long-term goal is to see the Christian faith become increasingly attractive, credible and influential in the church, our communities and the next generation so that our neighbors may know God and flourish as humans.
About Gabe Lyons:
Gabe Lyons founded Q in 2007, a media and events platform that educates and mobilizes Christians to advance the common good in society. Gabe is the co-author of Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks You're Irrelevant and Extreme (2016) and unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity… And Why It Matters (2007). Gabe has also authored The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America (2010). Prior to launching Q, Gabe served on the team that co-founded Catalyst while serving as Vice President for leadership expert John Maxwell's corporation. Described as "sophisticated and orthodox" by The New York Times, Gabe's work represents the perspectives of a new generation of Christians and has been featured by CNN, The New York Times, Fox News and USA Today. He and his wife have four children and live in Franklin, TN.


text:
Q: Log4j2 with Slf4 along with Spring Boot initializes well, but don't log anything else I moved to Spring Boot recently and was using log4j2 along with Sl4j which was working perfectly fine. After I made lot of changes using Feign, hystrix and Spring cloud libraries, at some point log4j logging was broken. My first attempt was to remove those fancy spring cloud libraries i added, but unfortunately that didn't fix the issue. I am seeing some weird stuff during deployment and initializing the logging context. Below is my trace.
   Initializing configuration XmlConfiguration[location=/com/config/my-service/log4j2.xml]
   2016-12-05 15:10:33,748 main DEBUG Installed script engines
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,403 main DEBUG Oracle Nashorn Version: 1.8.0_25, Language: ECMAScript, Threading: Not Thread Safe, Compile: true, Names: {nashorn, Nashorn, js, JS, JavaScript, javascript, ECMAScript, ecmascript}
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,404 main DEBUG PluginManager 'Core' found 101 plugins
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,404 main DEBUG PluginManager 'Level' found 0 plugins
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,413 main DEBUG Starting 1 Log4j2Scheduled threads
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,418 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=property, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Property].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,456 main TRACE TypeConverterRegistry initializing.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,457 main DEBUG PluginManager 'TypeConverter' found 23 plugins
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,472 main DEBUG createProperty(name="log-path", value="/com/logs")
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,473 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=property, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Property].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,474 main DEBUG createProperty(name="module", value="my-service")
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,474 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=properties, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.PropertiesPlugin].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,483 main DEBUG configureSubstitutor(={log-path=/com/logs, module=my-service}, Configuration(SERVICE))
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,484 main DEBUG PluginManager 'Lookup' found 14 plugins
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,486 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=layout, class=com.mycompany.logging.jsonlayout.log4j2.MycompanyJsonLayout].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,487 main DEBUG createLayout(pretty="true", layoutVersion="2", showOrigin="false")
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,894 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.rolling.SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,897 main DEBUG createPolicy(size="100 MB")
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,899 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=Policies, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.rolling.CompositeTriggeringPolicy].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,900 main DEBUG createPolicy(={SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy(size=104857600)})
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,900 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=DefaultRolloverStrategy, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.rolling.DefaultRolloverStrategy].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,902 main DEBUG createStrategy(max="1", min="null", fileIndex="null", compressionLevel="null", ={}, stopCustomActionsOnError="true", Configuration(SERVICE))
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,904 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=appender, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.RollingFileAppender].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,908 main DEBUG createAppender(fileName="/com/logs/my-service.json", filePattern="/com/logsmy-service.json.%i.gz", append="null", name="comjson", bufferedIO="null", bufferSize="null", immediateFlush="null", Policies(CompositeTriggeringPolicy(policies=[SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy(size=104857600)])), DefaultRolloverStrategy(DefaultRolloverStrategy(min=1, max=1)), MycompanyJsonLayout(com.mycompany.logging.jsonlayout.log4j2.MycompanyJsonLayout@41ee392b), Filter=null, ignoreExceptions="null", advertise="null", advertiseURI="null", Configuration(SERVICE))
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,914 main DEBUG Starting RollingFileManager /com/logs/my-service.json
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,914 main DEBUG PluginManager 'FileConverter' found 2 plugins
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,915 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=appenders, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppendersPlugin].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,916 main DEBUG createAppenders(={comjson})
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,917 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=AppenderRef, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderRef].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,918 main DEBUG createAppenderRef(ref="comjson", level="null", Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,918 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=logger, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,927 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="false", level="DEBUG", name="com.mycompany.ecommerce", includeLocation="null", ={comjson}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,931 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=logger, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,933 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="true", level="DEBUG", name="com.mycompany.service.interceptor", includeLocation="null", ={}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,933 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=logger, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,935 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="true", level="DEBUG", name="com.com", includeLocation="null", ={}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,936 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=logger, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,937 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="true", level="INFO", name="performance", includeLocation="null", ={}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,938 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=logger, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,939 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="true", level="INFO", name="com.mycompany.ecommerce.health", includeLocation="null", ={}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,939 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=AppenderRef, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderRef].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,940 main DEBUG createAppenderRef(ref="comjson", level="null", Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,941 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=root, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig$RootLogger].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,942 main DEBUG createLogger(additivity="null", level="INFO", includeLocation="null", ={comjson}, ={}, Configuration(SERVICE), Filter=null)
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,942 main DEBUG Building Plugin[name=loggers, class=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggersPlugin].
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,944 main DEBUG createLoggers(={com.mycompany.ecommerce, com.mycompany.service.interceptor, com.com, performance, com.mycompany.ecommerce.health, root})
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,946 main DEBUG Configuration XmlConfiguration[location=/com/config/my-service/log4j2.xml] initialized
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,946 main DEBUG Starting configuration XmlConfiguration[location=/com/config/my-service/log4j2.xml]
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,948 main DEBUG Started configuration XmlConfiguration[location=/com/config/my-service/log4j2.xml] OK.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,957 main TRACE Stopping org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.DefaultConfiguration@87aac27...
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,957 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration notified 1 ReliabilityStrategies that config will be stopped.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopping root LoggerConfig.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration notifying ReliabilityStrategies that appenders will be stopped.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopping remaining Appenders.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,959 main DEBUG Shutting down OutputStreamManager SYSTEM_OUT.false.false-1
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,959 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopped 1 remaining Appenders.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,960 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration cleaning Appenders from 1 LoggerConfigs.
   2016-12-05 15:10:34,960 main DEBUG Stopped org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.DefaultConfiguration@87aac27 OK
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,019 main TRACE Reregistering MBeans after reconfigure. Selector=org.apache.logging.log4j.core.selector.ClassLoaderContextSelector@15761df8
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,020 main TRACE Reregistering context (1/1): '5b2133b1' org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext@6ab7a896
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,023 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,023 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=StatusLogger'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,024 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=ContextSelector'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,024 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=*'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,025 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Appenders,name=*'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,025 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=AsyncAppenders,name=*'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,026 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=AsyncLoggerRingBuffer'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,026 main TRACE Unregistering but no MBeans found matching 'org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=*,subtype=RingBuffer'
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,029 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,038 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=StatusLogger
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,040 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=ContextSelector
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,043 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,044 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=performance
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,044 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=com.com
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,044 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=com.mycompany.ecommerce
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,045 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=com.mycompany.service.interceptor
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,045 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Loggers,name=com.mycompany.ecommerce.health
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,047 main DEBUG Registering MBean org.apache.logging.log4j2:type=5b2133b1,component=Appenders,name=comjson
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,052 main TRACE Using default SystemClock for timestamps.
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,052 main TRACE Using DummyNanoClock for nanosecond timestamps.
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,053 main DEBUG Reconfiguration complete for context[name=5b2133b1] at URI /com/config/my-service/log4j2.xml (org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext@6ab7a896) with optional ClassLoader: null
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,053 main DEBUG Shutdown hook enabled. Registering a new one.
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,054 main DEBUG LoggerContext[name=5b2133b1, org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext@6ab7a896] started OK.
   2016-12-05 15:10:35,991 main DEBUG Using configurationFactory org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.ConfigurationFactory$Factory@35047d03

I am so curious about the Unregistering mBeans. Because my Appenders are unregistered. Also below this one makes no sense to me!
    TRACE Stopping       org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.DefaultConfiguration@87aac27...
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,957 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration notified 1 ReliabilityStrategies that config will be stopped.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopping root LoggerConfig.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration notifying ReliabilityStrategies that appenders will be stopped.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,958 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopping remaining Appenders.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,959 main DEBUG Shutting down OutputStreamManager SYSTEM_OUT.false.false-1
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,959 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration stopped 1 remaining Appenders.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,960 main TRACE DefaultConfiguration cleaning Appenders from 1 LoggerConfigs.
  2016-12-05 15:10:34,960 main DEBUG Stopped org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.DefaultConfiguration

I EXCLUDED unnecessary logging related libraries from my class path like commons-logging, jul-to-slf4j, log4j-over-slf4j and logback stuff.
I do have following jars in my classpath

*

*jcl-over-slf4j: 1.7.21

*jboss-logging: 3.3.0.Final

*log4j-api: 2.6.2

*log4j-core: 2.6.2

*log4j-slf4j-impl: 2.6.2

*log4j-web: 2.4

*spring-boot-starter-log4j2: 1.4.1.RELEASE

*spring-boot-starter-logging:1.4.1.RELEASE

All i see is below in my my-service.json file
{
 "time" : "2016-12-05T21:22:08.742Z",
 "service" : { },
 "message" : {
   "category" : "org.eclipse.jetty.util.log",
   "severity" : "INFO",
   "text" : "Logging initialized @2227ms"
 },
 "v" : "2"
}

Can someone please help me with whats going on here? I see INFO logs in my console too. But appenders doesn't seems to be working.

A: -D option I was using was -Dlog4j.ConfigurationFile.  One of the jars pulled in clashes with spring boot configurations. Using -Dlogging.config option of spring boot solved the issue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package org.apache.pluto.container.util;

import java.util.Enumeration;
import java.util.NoSuchElementException;

/**
 * @author Ate Douma
 * @version $Id$
 */
public class NamespacedNamesEnumeration implements Enumeration<String>
{
    private Enumeration<String> namesEnumeration;
    private String      namespace;

    private String nextName;
    private boolean done;

    public NamespacedNamesEnumeration(Enumeration<String> namesEnumeration, String namespace)
    {
        this.namesEnumeration = namesEnumeration;
        this.namespace = namespace;
        hasMoreElements();
    }

    public boolean hasMoreElements()
    {
        if (!done)
        {
            if (nextName == null)
            {
                while (namesEnumeration.hasMoreElements())
                {
                    String name = namesEnumeration.nextElement();
                    if ( name.startsWith(namespace))
                    {
                        nextName = name.substring(namespace.length());
                        break;
                    }
                }
                done = nextName == null;
            }
        }
        return !done;
    }

    public String nextElement()
    {
        if (done)
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException();
        }
        String name = nextName;
        nextName = null;
        return name;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Polityka zagraniczna Jordanii opiera się na kilku podstawowych celach: zapewnieniu bezpieczeństwa kraju, wspieraniu na Bliskim Wschodzie rozwiązań kompromisowych, umożliwiających powstrzymywanie wzrostu napięć międzynarodowych oraz budowaniu wizerunku Jordanii jako kraju poważanego, postępowego i gotowego do współpracy.

Wprowadzenie
Kwestia aktywnego udziału Jordanii w polityce zagranicznej wynika z położenia państwa, które będąc politycznie w centrum regionu, sąsiaduje z wieloma ważnymi krajami, tj. Izraelem, Egiptem (przez zatokę Akaba), Arabią Saudyjską, Irakiem oraz Syrią. Dodatkowo duże zaangażowanie się Jordanii w sprawy zewnętrzne wymusza fakt, iż większość populacji ma pochodzenie palestyńskie, a od 2011 roku istotny udział populacji to syryjscy uchodźcy. Całość sprawia, że najważniejszy, bliskowschodni, kierunek królestwa skupia się na konflikcie izraelsko-palestyńskim, Iraku, Syrii oraz państwach Zatoki Perskiej.

Gospodarka Jordanu jest poważnie uzależniona od zewnętrznej pomocy, otrzymywanej od USA, UE oraz bogatszych krajów arabskich, ponieważ, mimo wyjątkowej stabilności państwa, kraj stale zmaga się z brakiem wyraźnej ilości surowców naturalnych, wody pitnej oraz z efektami burzliwych wydarzeń zachodzących u sąsiadów. By móc zapewnić sprawność gospodarce król Abdullah II po intronizacji wprowadził królestwo do Światowej Organizacji Handlu w 2000 roku oraz ustanowił dogodniejsze warunki dla specjalnych stref przemysłowych. Nowy władca od początku swoich rządów postawił na zacieśnianie więzi ze Stanami Zjednoczonymi oraz Unią Europejską i uczynienie z nich istotnych partnerów, co jest szczególnie korzystne dla Ameryki postrzegającej monarchię jordańską jako gwaranta pokoju, a jej ewentualny brak jako wielkie zagrożenie dla całego regionu.

Stosunki jordańsko-amerykańskie

Haszymidzka Jordania postrzegana jest przez Stany Zjednoczone, jak sam stwierdził Henry Kissinger, jako jedno z najbardziej przyjaznych państw w regionie, na którym opiera się stabilność całego regionu. Dodatkowo oznajmił, że Amerykę i Jordanię łączy niezawodna oraz wierna przyjaźń, która była bardzo pomocna przy prowadzeniu dialogu izraelsko-arabskiego.

Wspólnota strategicznych interesów Jordanii i USA sprawia, że obydwa kraje mówią podobnym głosem w temacie stabilizacji Iraku oraz powstrzymania wojny domowej w Syrii. Z tego też bierze się stała współpraca obydwu państw w zakresie militarnym, wywiadowczym i dyplomatycznym. Co więcej, Stany Zjednoczone, utrzymując obecny status quo, mogą być pewni, że ich inny wierny sojusznik, Izrael, będzie bezpieczny od strony niemalże całej wschodniej granicy.

Stosunki jordańsko-unijne
Instytucjonalna współpraca między Jordanią, a Wspólnotą Europejską trwa od 1977 roku, wraz z podpisaniem Porozumienia o współpracy między EWG a Jordańskim Królestwem Haszymidzkim. Podobnie jak w przypadku USA wynika ona z potrzeby posiadania stabilnych partnerów na Bliskim Wschodzie.

Dalszy rozwój wspólnych kontaktów zaowocował procesem barcelońskim z 1995 roku, podpisaniem umowy o stowarzyszeniu Jordanii z UE (1997-2002), wzięciem udziału w programie Europejskiej Polityki Sąsiedztwa, a później, w 2008, powołaniem Unii na rzecz Regionu Morza Śródziemnego, umożliwiającej dalsze rozszerzenie zakresu wspólnie tworzonych projektów.

W październiku 2010 roku Jordania uzyskała specjalny, "zaawansowany status" w relacjach z Unią, o który wystąpiła dwa lata wcześniej. Była pierwszym krajem regionu śródziemnomorskiego, który otrzymała taką pozycję. Kontynuując kooperację, w 2012 roku zaczęto planować powołanie strefy wolnego handlu UE-Jordania, a także przyjęto królestwo jako członka do Europejskiego Banku Odbudowy i Rozwoju, co pomogło w prowadzeniu dalszych inwestycji w kraju.

Stosunki jordańsko-syryjskie

Relacje pomiędzy Jordanią, a Syrią, od czasów uzyskania niepodległości przez obydwa państwa, pozostają pełne nieufności, jeśli nie wrogości. Obydwa kraje, mimo dawnych aktów współpracy w postaci działań prowadzonych przeciwko Izraelowi, pozostają w ciągłej rywalizacji przez konflikt interesów (pokrywające się strefy wpływów), różnice ideologiczne oraz odmienne kierunki prowadzonej polityki zagranicznej, szczególnie po normalizacji stosunków z Izraelem.

Stosunki jordańsko-polskie

Okres PRL
Polska nawiązała stosunki dyplomatyczne z Jordanią 20 lutego 1964 roku, poprzedzone jednak chwilowym zawieszeniem rozmów z powodu upadku rządu Sulejmana al-Nabulsiego, odpowiedzialnego za prace nad porozumieniem. Powrót do rokowań nastąpił w czerwcu 1962 roku, po złożeniu propozycji powołania stałego delegata Ministra Handlu Zagranicznego w Ammanie, na co Jordańczycy wyrazili zgodę w grudniu 1963 roku, zapowiadając przy okazji przyszłe nawiązanie stosunków dyplomatycznych. Pierwszym reprezentantem MHZ został Franciszek Onichowski.

Na ofertę powołania placówki dyplomatycznej strona polska przystała dopiero po dokonaniu tego samego przez Związek Radziecki. Ośmielony pozytywnym stanowiskiem ZSRR rząd polski zlecił Witoldowi Skuratowiczowi zostanie ambasadorem w Ammanie poprzez akredytację, co zostało formalnie zatwierdzone decyzją Rady Państwa 19 października 1964 roku. Z uwagi na stałe rezydowanie Skuratowicza w Bejrucie tymczasowo funkcję zastępcy ambasadora nadzwyczajnego i pełnomocnego Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej w Haszymidzkim Królestwie Jordanii obejmował Franciszek Onichowski.

Okres III RP
W czasie transformacji ustrojowej powiązania Rzeczypospolitej z Jordanią miały minimalne znaczenie, chociaż w tym okresie doszło do zmiany siedziby ambasady RP. Z czasem relacje zaczęły ulegać poprawie, wraz z tworzeniem głębszych powiązań politycznych, naukowych i ekonomicznych. Jednym z objawów nadania większego priorytetu kontaktom polsko-jordańskim była wizyta Witolda Waszczykowskiego, ówczesnego ministra spraw zagranicznych, w lipcu 2016 roku, a następnie wizyta prezydenta RP w listopadzie tego samego roku, w trakcie której Andrzej Duda nawiązywał bezpośrednie kontakty z królem Abdullahem II. Następna wizyta przedstawiciela MSZ, Jacka Czaputowicza, odbyła się w maju 2019.

Handel
Jordania należy do największych importerów polskich towarów na Bliskim Wschodzie. Charakterystycznym elementem wymiany handlowej między obydwoma krajami jest bardzo wysoki deficyt handlowy dla królestwa. Z tego powodu UE w lipcu 2016 r. zmniejszyło prawne wymogi dotyczące jordańskich towarów. Mimo to obroty handlowe uległy osłabieniu w 2017 roku do 70 mln euro przez pogorszenie się kondycji gospodarki.

Od stycznia do marca 2019 roku polski eksport wzrósł o 3,9% w stosunku do zeszłego roku.

Struktura towarowa

Kultura
Polska placówka regularnie bierze udział w Festiwalu Filmów Europejskich w Ammanie, tworzonym przez UE. Oprócz tego Ambasada RP samemu organizuje konferencje naukowe oraz koncerty. Działania te jednak pozostają bez odwzajemnienia, ponieważ Jordania nadal nie posiada swojego stałego przedstawicielstwa w Polsce.

Nauka
Polsko-jordańska współpraca w dziedzinie nauki opiera się przede wszystkim na archeologii. Na terenie królestwa stale pracują archeolodzy z Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego oraz Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Efekt ich prac omawiany potem jest na specjalnych konferencjach.

Członkostwo w organizacjach międzynarodowych

Przypisy

Stosunki międzynarodowe Jordanii


The creamy palate displays green apple, citrus & honey suckle with notes of lemon myrtle playing a secondary role. The fine creamy mousse & mineral line is framed by toasted brioche derived from its extended time on lees.
2013 vintage – began with a cool, wet Winter, ensuring ample moisture in the soil. As cool humid Spring opened up into an exceptional sunny and dry January, February and March bringing an early harvest – Outstanding Vintage!
Hand harvested and chilled overnight to retain the acid, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were whole bunch pressed to extract just the most delicate juice. Stabilized, settled and filtered, the wine was tiraged (the addition of 7g per litre sugar & yeast in the making of sparkling wine) September 2011 and disgorgement (entails removal of dead yeast cells) commenced in April 2016, therefore spending 48 months on lees allowing the development of flavours and a fine elegant bead from the yeast cells. This is the traditional French Style of production which gives a rich creaminess to the palate.


"La Nuit des Jeunes" became a tradition. Every year, Jaz Enterprise, other entertainment companies, and media joined their effort to put together a show to promote Haitian music Kompas in its form. "La Nuit des Jeunes" isn't only for the young, but you see people from all ages, background, and nationalities, all on the same floor, dancing, networking, and enjoying the moment in it's fullest.
If you are one of the people who doesn't go dancing and partying because of an unsafe and filthy environment, then let me you that I used to be one of you until I went to this party last night. Let's talk about security check: each individual entering Amazura last night was checked thoroughly, this not only give you peace of mind but also you will know that you can have a good time and not be afraid of the person standing next to you.
First, Michael Guirand and Vayb hit the stage, as Micheal is making his entrance through the crowd, singing a smooth melody, everybody followed him to the front stage, for one second you wonder where all these people came from. The band performed its hit songs and the dancers where amazing.
Now, years in a row, Tico Armand has been hosting this show, after each band she wore a different outfit, she did try hard to entertain the audience in between, doing a lap dance for someone from the crow which a lot of people think was inappropriate to do on a stage while hosting.
Up next comes Harmonik, with a marching band and dancers, they did a great performance while inviting the crowd to enjoy Carnaval with a "Band Rara" dancing through the crowd, that ending from Harmonik really set the place on fire, it was unexpected. Bravo Harmonik.
"La Nuit de Jeunes" honored Ralph Condé, guitarist and composer. Ralph has years of experience in the music industry, it was nice of the Jaz Enterprise team to show love and appreciation to that talented musician.
The lineup included Gabel, Klass and Coralie as a guest artist but the organizers had the chance to squeeze Paul Beaubrun in the show, he added a different flavor to the show which was what the event was missing. Paul Beaubrun and Annie Alerte on the stage singing "Ayizan", they were beautiful up there.
We surely encourage promoters to organize events like this to keep our culture alive. Haitian might disagree with each other on so many levels, but music and culture are what bring us together as one.


text:
jp-rutter.com
writer. musician. journalist. genius. かっこいいねー。
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HomeBowie's 'The Next Day': Forgiveness on a global scale
Bowie's 'The Next Day': Forgiveness on a global scale
February 10, 2014 February 10, 2014 jprutter article, music, televisiondavid bowie, five years, opinion, the next day
I've been listening to every Bowie album I own back-to-back in the closed sound booth that is my car. There's an 80s-shaped gap in the discography with the exception of Scary Monsters and Super Creeps. 90s? No Tin Machine, Earthling or the drab Heathen and Hours. Check out Last.fm kids: listeners steer well clear of these albums like they've been sprayed with hot excrement.
When the Beeb aired the nearly-excellent documentary Five Years a few months back, it was rather telling that they didn't bother to cover anything after the release of the Niles Rodger's produced Let's Dance album. Five years in a period of ten, basically. There's been no critical reappraisal of his Nine Inch Nails-inspired industrial concept album 1. Outside, nor did follow up 2. Contamination see release likely because Mr. Jones feared a further critical mauling. I have a soft spot for Outside because it coincided with my own discovery of the Duke and the Rez, but it is ten tracks too long. There's a great album trapped in filler. For an artist that has always been tight when it comes to extras and never released a double LP, Outside is unusually flabby and suffers from a lack of self-editing. Now we've got playlists, so the Segue dross can be happily excised.
Five Years was knackered for me by the inclusion of total gobshite and public masturbator John Harris, hilariously credited as 'journalist and author'. Bowie doesn't give interviews and loathed giving them during his prolific periods, so it's incredible that the documentary makers included this utter bellend who has no credentials other than ownership of a Best Of from the HMV Christmas sale. "It's magical – he's seen the cosmos in the bus stop" spurts forth the strangled cock on 'Life On Mars'. "To be on Dick Cavett meant you had arrived." How do you know, Harris? You're British, for fucks sake. You weren't even born or in the right country when this interview aired. Nor did any Brits know who the hell Dick Cavett was, or is. Thank you for wasting valuable screen time when we could have been watching the Dame strut around in a feather boa or hanging out in a Berlin drag club. Excellent writer and ex-NME columnist Charles Shaar Murray is permitted three brief voxpops, and Cameron Crowe disappointingly absent. Both of these journalists are important to contextualise Bowie having met and interviewed the man in person during the period the doc covers. I'm wondering if the running time was an issue and they ended up using footage from Dicksplash Harris simply because they were stuffed for material. Then again, I imagine that the current Bowie management were involved and didn't want to include too much material that could taint his legacy or focus on all the powder he put up his beak.
That brings us to the latest album, The Next Day. Allegedly EMI didn't realise a new album was due until a week before the release date, which is a little unbelievable. However, you're not exactly going to balk when one of your biggest stars and money-spinners decides to drop a new record for the first time in nearly 10 years. And while there are some great songs on there, over repeated listens I've become more jaded with what now comes across as a pastiche of his previous self. The appalling album sleeve, which quite rightly has been slated from Beckenham to New Brunswick, is completely baffling. If the implication is that everything Derek has released post-Heroes is shit, then he could have at least used another photograph by Sukita Masayoshi (an exhibition of whose work I sadly missed in Osaka recently).
There are great tracks like 'The Stars Are Out Tonight' and 'Valentine's Day' which I'd play over and over. Then there's stuff like 'I'd Rather Be High' and 'Dirty Boys' which cause me to grimace at the thought of a pensioner snorting blow off teenage girls, or worse. No overanalysis of the lyrics are required. This is the problem for the aging musician. Is he drawing in new fans or appealing to the old guard? The latter, I'm sure is the case. The album is as a whole a more enjoyable listening experience than the previous two, yet the positive reviews that emerged after the media scrum were all positive. SPIN gave it 5/10, and Mark Fisher called The Next Day an album of "quotidian mediocrity", saying it was entirely undeserving of its wide acclaim and that the "wave of hyperbole it generated point to a wider malaise in contemporary music" because it proved that anything of low artistic merit could achieve success via "artfully timed PR". That previous sentence was lifted from Wiki entirely because I couldn't find a link online. THAT'LL DO.
Yawningly, The Independent, The Telegraph and Q gave it 5 stars and The Guardian 4 stars (and whose pre- and post-release coverage was daily and mind-numbing). Publications that all appeal to the dull demographic I belong to: white, male, 18-34. Though I doubt many 18 year olds were buying either the record or reading about it.
Yet I haven't eradicated The Next Day from my iPod. I didn't go so far as to buy the vinyl or the double CD set, which I'm thankful as I recently purged my entire CD collection. Perhaps it's still too new to appreciate. It took me five years (bumtish) to understand what the hell Tool were doing with Aenima. It's bland, it's inoffensive and oft unmoving. But it's Bowie, and we have to be thankful that he could be arsed to give it one more push before he heads off to the great big cloud in the sky for multi-millionaires. We aren't invited.
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Welcome to TickPick's detailed Talking Stick Resort Arena Seating Chart. Here you will find everything you need to know about Talking Stick Resort Arena, including row and seat numbers, Phoenix Suns seat views, where the best seats are, plus Cheap Suns Tickets.
Seat number one in a given section will always be closest to the lower numbered section adjacent to it. This same rule applies for 100 and 200 level sections. For example, if seat number one in section 115 will be closest to highest seat number (seat 22) in section 114, and the highest seat number is section 115 (seat 16) will be closest to seat number 1 in section 116.
The 100 level sideline sections have between 16-22 seats in a row and the 200 level sideline sections have between 17-22. The corned and sideline sections in both levels have numbers that vary between 12-24 seats.
The Phoenix Suns Bench is located in front of section 101 and the visitors bench is located in front of section 103.
Talking Stick Resort Arena has a few options for those seeking a luxury experience. These options include Luxury Suite Tickets, renting out the Club Annexus, or purchasing Courtside Club Seats. The Luxury Suites are located in suite levels A and B which surround the arena and have padded seating. You can purchase catering packages in these suites.
The Club Annexus is located behind sections 117-123 features an open space bar and upscale food menu. This a great place to host a corporate or group outing. Finally the Courtside Club seats offer the same amenities as the luxury suites, but they are of course much closer to the action. The Courtside Club is located along the sidelines in rows A-C.
The Phoenix Suns mascot has his own play area inside Talking Stick Resort Arena called the Gorilla Greenhouse. Located behind section 219 this 7,000 square area is great for entertaining kids during Suns games. The greenhouse includes several baskets to shoot on, pop a shot, and other arcade games for the entire family to enjoy.
The best seats for the Phoenix Suns are located in sections 102 and 114, which of course are positioned at center court. For any NBA you should aim to sit as close to center court as possible for the best view of the action. If you are looking to save money the 200 level is closer to the floor than most NBA arenas, but you should aim to sit in row 5 or closer.
The Phoenix Suns do not release their E-Tickets until 7 days prior to tip off. If you purchase seats for a 7 pm game on February 27th, you can expect to receive the tickets no earlier than 7 pm on February 20th.


Now responsible for growing the Cesab brand in the UK, John brings extensive material handling experience, with previous roles in other companies including regional management, overseeing sales activity, development and training in the North East. Prior to that John was a fleet sales manager for the North of England, where he successfully grew the number of multiple site and multiple users across the region.
John's arrival comes after Cesab UK sold a record volume of forklift units to April 2014 through its 20 dealer network.
John: "The opportunity to be part of a steadily growing, successful brand was too good to refuse. Cesab has been attracting dealerships from around the UK and has a fantastic offering for customers looking for local, dedicated support and a product range manufactured to the highest quality standards.
"My ambition now is to strengthen and steadily grow our network and ensure that we maximise our opportunities with the 80% market coverage we already have. I believe I will be able to bring great value and support and I am looking forward to working with the Cesab network, helping dealers grow their sales and continue the success we've been experiencing to date."


text:
Ron Davis uses tragedy to help other families
Four years after the death of his son Jordan, father continues a quest for justice
An still from the documentary "3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets" that was produced by Dogwoof Films. Courtesy of Dogwoof Films
Ron Davis smiled as he watched the younger attendees of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement's Rumble Young Man Rumble (RYMR) event. Seminar after seminar, the younger kids sat and listened to their elders speak about the importance of education, self-love, health and well-being.
Davis was impressed by how focused the young men were, and paid especially close attention to the dialogue that stemmed from these conversations.
"When they come to RYMR, they teach them to achieve love and achieve growth as human beings," Davis said. "If we get these young people and teach them to love themselves first and then you can spread love to other people, I think that's resounding. A lot of the young men and women out here, they don't understand life is difficult. If you love yourself and spread love to other people and you give to other people, you can make it in this world."
Davis saw his son, Jordan Davis, in many of the young men. While observing the young men, Davis had no doubt that if Jordan Davis were here, he would be engaging in the intellectual conversations going on in those groups.
If Jordan Davis were here, the teen — described as a silly, fun-loving, and a leader among his peers — would be able to receive and retain the knowledge in order to remain a successful and productive member of society.
If only he were here.
Nov. 23 marked the fourth year that Jordan Davis had been gone — his life taken by then-45-year-old Michael Dunn outside of a Gate gas station in Jacksonville, Florida, following a dispute over loud music. He was 17 years old.
Although Dunn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, and an additional 90 years for shooting at the three other teens in the car, Davis vowed to continue to tell his son's story and help other families who have lost loved ones to senseless violence.
Davis and Jordan's mother, Lucia McBath, started with the documentary 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets directed by Marc Silver. The 90-minute documentary, which aired on HBO last year, features exclusive interviews with Davis and McBath, highlights moments of Jordan Davis' life, and never-before-seen footage of the trial.
"We did that film to show how black and brown families have to navigate the justice system to get justice for their child," Davis said. "We were the few, maybe the only ones to get full justice in the courtroom. But we made the hour-and-a-half docudrama to show the other families that you keep fighting for your child. Keep fighting. Navigate through the justice system. It took us a year and a half to completely get justice. It's not something that's gonna be urgent to the public, but it's urgent to you and your family, so you don't stop fighting for your child or your loved one."
Now, Davis has joined the fight for other families to receive justice.
"We fight for the Oscar Grants of the world," Davis said. "We fight for the Michael Browns of the world. Eric Garners of the world. We fight for them because they did not receive justice. The Trayvon Martins of the world whose killers are still at large. The fight is still ongoing because we have to keep the attention to all these loved ones who lost loved ones that don't get platforms."
Last month, on the day his son died, Davis, along with friends and family members of Jordan Davis, revisited the Gate gas station where the tragedy occurred. At Davis' suggestion, a plaque with Jordan Davis' picture now hangs on the gas station's wall in remembrance of the slain 17-year-old.
On the outside of the gas station, there was a mini-party to celebrate a life cut short. It was a jovial scene, complete with the sharing of memories and blaring music. Smiles and laughter replaced the hurt and trauma that Davis and others felt four years ago.
Though the pain still lingers from a void that will never be filled, Davis finds time to enjoy life — one his son will never get the chance to.
"The city of Jacksonville is still celebrating Jordan and people around the country are still celebrating Jordan," Davis said. "People didn't think we could go back to the gas station, but we did. We did with love."
This Story Tagged: Daily Uplift Get Lifted Jordan Davis Ron Davis Rumble Young Man Rumble