text:
/*
 * ModeShape (http://www.modeshape.org)
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package org.modeshape.jcr.query.engine;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import javax.jcr.query.qom.Constraint;
import org.modeshape.jcr.JcrLexicon;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.CachedNode;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.ChildReference;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.ChildReferences;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.NodeCache;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.NodeKey;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.RepositoryCache;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.document.NodeCacheIterator;
import org.modeshape.jcr.cache.document.NodeCacheIterator.NodeFilter;
import org.modeshape.jcr.query.NodeSequence;
import org.modeshape.jcr.query.NodeSequence.Batch;
import org.modeshape.jcr.spi.index.provider.IndexFilter;
import org.modeshape.jcr.spi.index.provider.Index;
import org.modeshape.jcr.spi.index.provider.ResultWriter;
import org.modeshape.jcr.value.Path;
import org.modeshape.jcr.value.Path.Segment;

/**
 * A factory for creating {@link NodeSequence} instances.
 *
 * @author Randall Hauch (rhauch@redhat.com)
 */
public class QuerySources {

    protected final RepositoryCache repo;
    protected final String workspaceName;
    protected final String systemWorkspaceName;
    protected final boolean includeSystemContent;
    protected final NodeFilter queryableFilter;
    protected final NodeFilter queryableAndNonSystemFilter;

    /**
     * Construct a new instance.
     *
     * @param repository the repository cache; may not be null
     * @param workspaceName the name of the main workspace to be queried; may not be null
     * @param includeSystemContent true if the system content is to be included in the query results, or false otherwise
     */
    public QuerySources( RepositoryCache repository,
                         String workspaceName,
                         boolean includeSystemContent ) {
        this.repo = repository;
        this.workspaceName = workspaceName;
        this.includeSystemContent = includeSystemContent;
        this.systemWorkspaceName = includeSystemContent ? repo.getSystemWorkspaceName() : null;
        this.queryableFilter = new NodeFilter() {
            @Override
            public final boolean includeNode( CachedNode node,
                                              NodeCache cache ) {
                // Include only queryable nodes ...
                return node.isQueryable(cache);
            }

            @Override
            public String toString() {
                return "(queryable nodes)";
            }
        };
        if (!this.includeSystemContent) {
            final String systemWorkspaceKey = repo.getSystemWorkspaceKey();
            this.queryableAndNonSystemFilter = new NodeFilter() {
                @Override
                public final boolean includeNode( CachedNode node,
                                                  NodeCache cache ) {
                    // Include only queryable nodes that are NOT in the system workspace ...
                    return node.isQueryable(cache) && !node.getKey().getWorkspaceKey().equals(systemWorkspaceKey);
                }

                @Override
                public String toString() {
                    return "(queryable nodes not in workspace)";
                }
            };
        } else {
            this.queryableAndNonSystemFilter = queryableFilter;
        }
    }

    public boolean includeSystemContent() {
        return includeSystemContent;
    }

    public String getWorkspaceName() {
        return workspaceName;
    }

    /**
     * Obtain a {@link NodeSequence} that returns all (queryable) nodes in the workspace, where each node is assigned the given
     * score.
     *
     * @param score the score for each node
     * @param nodeCount the number of nodes (or an estimate) that will be returned
     * @return the sequence of nodes; never null
     */
    public NodeSequence allNodes( float score,
                                  long nodeCount ) {
        // Use a single batch for the workspace content ...
        NodeCacheIterator iter = nodes(workspaceName, null);
        assert iter != null;
        Batch mainBatch = NodeSequence.batchOfKeys(iter, nodeCount, score, workspaceName, repo);

        // Nothing else to use ...
        return NodeSequence.withBatch(mainBatch);
    }

    /**
     * Obtain a {@link NodeSequence} that returns the (queryable) node at the given path in the workspace, where the node is
     * assigned the given score.
     *
     * @param path the path of the node; may not be null
     * @param score the score for the node
     * @return the sequence of node(s); never null
     */
    public NodeSequence singleNode( Path path,
                                    float score ) {
        String workspaceName = getWorkspaceName(path);

        // Get the node filter to use ...
        NodeFilter nodeFilter = nodeFilterForWorkspace(workspaceName);
        if (nodeFilter != null) {

            // Find the node by path ...
            NodeCache cache = repo.getWorkspaceCache(workspaceName);
            CachedNode node = getNodeAtPath(path, cache);
            if (node != null && nodeFilter.includeNode(node, cache)) {
                return NodeSequence.withNodes(Collections.singleton(node), score, workspaceName);
            }
        }
        return NodeSequence.emptySequence(1);
    }

    /**
     * Obtain a {@link NodeSequence} that returns the (queryable) children of the node at the given path in the workspace, where
     * each child node is assigned the given score.
     *
     * @param parentPath the path of the parent node; may not be null
     * @param score the score for the nodes
     * @return the sequence of nodes; never null
     */
    public NodeSequence childNodes( Path parentPath,
                                    float score ) {
        String workspaceName = getWorkspaceName(parentPath);

        // Get the node filter to use ...
        NodeFilter nodeFilter = nodeFilterForWorkspace(workspaceName);
        if (nodeFilter != null) {

            // Find the node by path ...
            NodeCache cache = repo.getWorkspaceCache(workspaceName);
            CachedNode parentNode = getNodeAtPath(parentPath, cache);
            if (parentNode != null) {
                // Only add those children that are queryable ...
                ChildReferences childRefs = parentNode.getChildReferences(cache);
                List<CachedNode> results = new ArrayList<CachedNode>((int)childRefs.size());
                for (ChildReference childRef : childRefs) {
                    CachedNode child = cache.getNode(childRef);
                    if (nodeFilter.includeNode(child, cache)) {
                        results.add(child);
                    }
                }
                return NodeSequence.withNodes(results, score, workspaceName);
            }
        }
        return NodeSequence.emptySequence(1);
    }

    /**
     * Obtain a {@link NodeSequence} that returns the (queryable) descendants of the node at the given path in the workspace,
     * where each descendant node is assigned the given score.
     *
     * @param ancestorPath the path of the ancestor of all descendants; may not be null
     * @param score the score for the nodes
     * @return the sequence of nodes; never null
     */
    public NodeSequence descendantNodes( Path ancestorPath,
                                         float score ) {
        String workspaceName = getWorkspaceName(ancestorPath);

        // Get an iterator over all acceptable nodes in the workspace ...
        NodeCacheIterator iter = nodes(workspaceName, ancestorPath);
        if (iter != null) {
            if (iter.hasNext()) {
                // Skip the node at our path, which is to be excluded ...
                NodeKey key = iter.next();
                assert ancestorPath.equals(path(workspaceName, key)) : "First node in results does not match the expected path";
            }
            // Finally create and add a batch for this workspace ...
            return NodeSequence.withNodeKeys(iter, -1, score, workspaceName, repo);
        }
        return NodeSequence.emptySequence(1);
    }

    /**
     * Obtain a {@link NodeSequence} that uses the supplied index to find the node that satisfy the given constraints.
     *
     * @param index the index; may not be null
     * @param constraints the constraints that apply to the index; may not be null or empty
     * @param parameters the provider-specific index parameters; may not be null, but may be empty
     * @param batchSize the ideal number of nodes that are to be included in each batch; always positive
     * @return the sequence of nodes; never null
     */
    public NodeSequence fromIndex( final Index index,
                                   final Collection<Constraint> constraints,
                                   final Map<String, Object> parameters,
                                   final int batchSize ) {
        final Index.Operation operation = index.filter(new IndexFilter() {

            @Override
            public boolean hasConstraints() {
                return !constraints.isEmpty();
            }

            @Override
            public Collection<Constraint> getConstraints() {
                return constraints;
            }

            @Override
            public Map<String, Object> getParameters() {
                return parameters;
            }
        });

        return new NodeSequence() {
            private BatchWriter writer;
            private boolean more = true;
            private long rowCount = 0L;

            @Override
            public int width() {
                return 1;
            }

            @Override
            public long getRowCount() {
                if (!more) return rowCount;
                return -1;
            }

            @Override
            public boolean isEmpty() {
                if (rowCount > 0) return false;
                if (!more) return true; // rowCount was not > 0, but there are no more
                readBatch();
                return rowCount == 0;
            }

            @Override
            public Batch nextBatch() {
                if (!more) return null;
                if (writer != null) {
                    // Return a preloaded batch if there is one ...
                    Batch preloaded = writer.popPreloadedBatch();
                    if (preloaded != null) return preloaded;
                }
                readBatch();
                try {
                    return writer.convertToBatch(!more);
                } finally {
                    writer = null;
                }
            }

            @Override
            public void close() {
                operation.close();
            }

            protected final void readBatch() {
                if (writer == null) {
                    writer = new BatchWriter(batchSize, workspaceName, repo);
                }
                more = writer.consumeOperation(operation);
                rowCount += writer.rowCount();
            }

            @Override
            public String toString() {
                return "(from-index " + index.getName() + " with " + constraints + ")";
            }
        };
    }

    protected static class BatchWriter implements ResultWriter {
        private List<NodeKey> keys;
        private List<Float> scores;
        private Float lastScore;
        private LinkedList<Batch> preloadedBatches;
        private final RepositoryCache repo;
        private final String workspaceName;
        private final int batchSize;

        protected BatchWriter( int batchSize,
                               String workspaceName,
                               RepositoryCache repository ) {
            this.batchSize = batchSize;
            this.repo = repository;
            this.workspaceName = workspaceName;
        }

        @Override
        public void add( NodeKey nodeKey,
                         float score ) {
            keys.add(nodeKey);
            if (lastScore == null || lastScore.floatValue() != score) {
                lastScore = Float.valueOf(score);
            }
            scores.add(lastScore);
        }

        @Override
        public void add( Iterable<NodeKey> nodeKeys,
                         float score ) {
            add(nodeKeys.iterator(), score);
        }

        @Override
        public void add( Iterator<NodeKey> nodeKeys,
                         float score ) {
            final Float s = Float.valueOf(score);
            while (nodeKeys.hasNext()) {
                keys.add(nodeKeys.next());
                scores.add(s);
            }
        }

        public Batch popPreloadedBatch() {
            if (preloadedBatches == null || preloadedBatches.isEmpty()) return null;
            return preloadedBatches.pop();
        }

        public long rowCount() {
            return keys.size();
        }

        protected boolean consumeOperation( Index.Operation operation ) {
            if (!keys.isEmpty()) {
                // We've already read some, but have to get ready to read more ...
                preloadedBatches.add(convertToBatch(false));
            }
            keys = new ArrayList<NodeKey>(batchSize);
            scores = new ArrayList<Float>(batchSize);
            return operation.getNextBatch(this, batchSize);
        }

        protected Batch convertToBatch( boolean isLast ) {
            if (keys.isEmpty()) {
                return isLast ? null : NodeSequence.emptyBatch(workspaceName, batchSize);
            }
            try {
                return NodeSequence.batchOfKeys(keys.iterator(), scores.iterator(), keys.size(), workspaceName, repo);
            } finally {
                keys = null;
                scores = null;
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Return an iterator over all nodes at or below the specified path in the named workspace, using the supplied filter.
     *
     * @param workspaceName the name of the workspace
     * @param path the path of the root node of the subgraph, or null if all nodes in the workspace are to be included
     * @return the iterator, or null if this workspace will return no nodes
     */
    protected NodeCacheIterator nodes( String workspaceName,
                                       Path path ) {
        // Determine which filter we should use based upon the workspace name. For the system workspace,
        // all queryable nodes are included. For all other workspaces, all queryable nodes are included except
        // for those that are actually stored in the system workspace (e.g., the "/jcr:system" nodes).
        NodeFilter nodeFilter = nodeFilterForWorkspace(workspaceName);
        if (nodeFilter == null) return null;

        // Then create an iterator over that workspace ...
        NodeCache cache = repo.getWorkspaceCache(workspaceName);
        NodeKey startingNode = null;
        if (path != null) {
            CachedNode node = getNodeAtPath(path, cache);
            if (node != null) startingNode = node.getKey();
        } else {
            startingNode = cache.getRootKey();
        }
        if (startingNode != null) {
            return new NodeCacheIterator(cache, startingNode, nodeFilter);
        }
        return null;
    }

    protected NodeFilter nodeFilterForWorkspace( String workspaceName ) {
        if (this.workspaceName.equals(workspaceName)) {
            // This is the normal workspace ...
            if (includeSystemContent) {
                // We are querying the workspace AND the system content. This is actually quite typical.

                // OPTIMIZATION: since the system workspace is already projected into the other workspace's
                // node cache, we can actually just use all the queryable nodes (including the "/jcr:system" nodes)
                // in the main workspace and completely ignore the system workspace. This is better because
                // we have to only work with one workspace (rather than two) AND the filter is simpler ...
                return this.queryableFilter;
            }

            // Otherwise, we are only querying the content in the main workspace but we need to exclude any nodes
            // that actually live in the system workspace ...
            return this.queryableAndNonSystemFilter;
        }

        // It must be the system workspace ...
        return includeSystemContent ? this.queryableFilter : null;
    }

    protected CachedNode getNodeAtPath( Path path,
                                        NodeCache cache ) {
        CachedNode node = cache.getNode(cache.getRootKey());
        for (Segment segment : path) {
            ChildReference childRef = node.getChildReferences(cache).getChild(segment);
            if (childRef == null) return null;
            node = cache.getNode(childRef);
        }
        return node;
    }

    protected String getWorkspaceName( Path path ) {
        if (includeSystemContent && path.size() > 1 && JcrLexicon.SYSTEM.equals(path.getSegment(0).getName())) {
            // the path is actually in the system area ...
            return systemWorkspaceName;
        }
        return workspaceName;
    }

    private Path path( String workspaceName,
                       NodeKey key ) {
        NodeCache cache = repo.getWorkspaceCache(workspaceName);
        return cache.getNode(key).getPath(cache);
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("QuerySources(");
        sb.append("repo='").append(repo).append("'");
        sb.append(" workspace='").append(workspaceName).append("'");
        if (includeSystemContent) sb.append(" system='").append(systemWorkspaceName).append("'");
        sb.append(')');
        return sb.toString();
    }
}


Disruption is necessary for social movements. It's used precisely to make it clear that business as usual can't move forward without some kind of change. In the end, the growing struggle between antifa and fascism is a material struggle that's going to take place in the streets.
Trying to select a single pull quote from this article was extremely difficult, and I encourage you to go read the whole thing.
Espousing racist beliefs openly in public should come with consequences. Otherwise, racist, xenophobic, and fascist views can metastasize and become much harder to excise from the body politic.
Punks are a little more prepared for this than the rest of the general public. We already fought this battle in our community.
Ignoring the problem will not solve the problem, no matter how much moderates and centrists would like for that to be true.


text:
Michael Jackson tribute ends, Ron Artest switching to No. 15 jersey
By Kurt HelinAug 20, 2010, 5:45 PM EDT
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was a seven-hit wonder, but Ron Artest's tribute to the pop star turned out to be a one-year wonder.
Ron Artest will be switching to No. 15 next season, the number he wore at St. John's in college and his first three seasons in the NBA, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register. Artest actually put in the request late last season.
When he came to the Lakers, Artest said he chose No. 37 as a tribute to the late pop star Jackson, whose "Thriller" was atop the Billboard charts for 37 weeks and spawned seven top-10 singles.
Artest has worn six numbers in his NBA career (15, 23, 91, 93, 96 and 37).
This move is actually a little Kobe-like — Bryant switched from 8 to 24 as part of an image makeover, but he also wore 24 in high school. This is a move back to a number from Artest's roots. How long that lasts is anybody's guess.
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
This summer, the Warriors have on their plate a couple of major decisions that could lead to free agency and change the course of the franchise. One is Draymond Green, who has a $27.6 million player option, didn't get an extension he wanted with the team last summer (while Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins did), and could be the guy standing without a chair when the music stops. The Warriors can't pay everyone.
The other free agent: general manager Bob Myers.
His is an even more complex and nuanced situation — will the Warriors make him the highest-paid executive in the league, and does Myers still want the job — that could be the latest sign that the dynastic Curry era in Golden State is coming to an end.
At the Athletic, Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick break down the situation incredibly well in a story Warriors fans should read.
As the clock ticks and extension talks remain flat, many around Myers are wondering whether – and even predicting that – his days with the Warriors are about to run out…
For all the nuance that surrounds the situation, this much is clear: team and league sources, who like all of the sources in this story were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, say Myers believes he should be among the highest-paid front office executives in the league, if not the highest. He's been the architect of four NBA title teams, was the lead recruiter in the Durant free agency signing, and has been the trusted conduit between players, coaches and ownership. Myers also has served as chief problem solver, the coolant in an ecosystem that periodically overheats…
Part of the equation for Myers, known for his deep conversations and intellectual curiosity, is the contemplation of what's next. After more than a decade of building a dynasty, and managing it through the intensity of modern scrutiny, and living beneath the relentless pressure of the Warriors' championship standard, might Myers be interested in a new challenge? Would it be better for him and his family to move on, build up another franchise away from the Golden State fish bowl? He walked away from a successful career as a player agent to become an NBA executive. Is it now time to leave the front office behind and try his hand in another industry?
While there are other layers, it's always about the money.
The very top NBA executives make north of $10 million a season. While Warriors owner Joe Lacob has said Myers is one of the highest-paid general managers in the league, titles get fuzzy (and somewhat meaningless) around the league — many guys in Myers' role have a president or VP title attached to their name. His pay relative to title can get bogged down in semantics that miss the basic "pay me" bottom line of this.
There are no straight lines and simple answers here, but if Myers gets paid like Daryl Morey or Masai Ujiri he is far more likely to stay. Even if he gets that money, how badly does Myers want to stay on for the final years of the Stephen Curry era and start rebuilding whatever comes next? Does he want to walk away? Hang around for a few years then take his leave?
More than whatever happens with Green, the Myers situation will signal what comes next for this era of the Warriors and what they may look like going forward. He is the ultimate architect. This is the biggest decision the Warriors have this offseason.
Check out more on the Warriors

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to do a matrix dot product between two DataFrame in the GPU with rapids.ai I'm using CUDF it's part of the rapids ML suite from Nvidia.
Using this suite how would I do a dot product between two DataFrame?
a = cudf.DataFrame([[0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4], [0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4]])
b = cudf.DataFrame([[0.1, 0.2], [0.1, 0.2]])
a.T.dot(b) # It doesn't work, cudf doesn't supprot .dot

e.g. how would I perform a dot product on the above Dataframes?

A: cuDF doesn't directly support this operation on a Series or DataFrame, but you can zero-copy convert to CuPy arrays using the .values notation, do this operation, and convert the result back to a DataFrame with from_gpu_matrix.
import cudf

a = cudf.DataFrame([[0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4], [0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4]])
b = cudf.DataFrame([[0.1, 0.2], [0.1, 0.2]])
res = cudf.DataFrame.from_gpu_matrix(
    a.values.T.dot(b.values)
)

print(res)
    0   1
0   0.02    0.04
1   0.04    0.08
2   0.06    0.12
3   0.08    0.16

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There's always going to be resistance to change. Behavioral science can help overcome it.
The U.S. Forest Service recently spent thousands of dollars apiece updating its field radios. The new devices, which could store more frequencies and were easier to program, were intended to improve the firefighter experience. But some veteran wildland firefighters grumbled, pawned the new radios off on rookies, and continued to use the old ones. The problem was that in the new design the volume and channel dials had swapped places, and they didn't like it.
We all have seen this kind of thing happen. If you're implementing a new technology in an organization -- even one as simple as an updated radio -- -unconscious resistance could mean the difference between an impactful improvement and end users developing a workaround that defeats the effort.
We've analyzed a diverse set of case studies of new technologies introduced to public-sector organizations and found that the difference between full adoption and technological "tissue rejection" is not always a question of technology or even the basic strategy for piloting it in the organization. It's usually a matter of the attention paid to human behavior.
An organization's technology and strategy are implemented, in the end, by real people. Real people are subject to cognitive biases. To learn how to improve the odds of getting a new technology to stick, we turned to behavioral science, which has explored how basic behavioral "nudges" can encourage people to transform their workflows even in the face of uncomfortable change.
• Intrinsic motivation: Humans often coast along in the tracks of their habits. To remake a habit requires conscious effort. Convincing end users that there is a good reason for that effort can inspire the expenditure of the cognitive energy required to uproot a habit.
It can be as simple as phrasing. Employees at a state human-services center who had to digitize paper applications were evaluated initially based on "number of backlogs resolved." When that measure changed to "number of citizens helped," the employees refocused their energy. Instead of shunting complex applications to the bottom of the pile because they slowed down the case-resolution rate, they addressed them to get aid to families. With simple adjustments to process and behavioral nudges, the workers reduced a six-month backlog to zero.
• Choice architecture: This is the art of presenting alternatives in a way that encourages decision-makers to make the preferred choices. It's classically represented by making the default choice one of opting out rather than opting in, a technique that has been shown, for example, to greatly increase the number of people who agree to donate their organs when they get their driver's licenses or open IRAs when they start a new job. Similarly, choice architecture can be used to adjust workflow to ease the adoption of new technology.
One might even change literal architecture. Medical practitioners who were given barcodes to scan vaccines into electronic health records kept squinting at small fonts and typing the records manually instead. In the first pilot of barcodes, only 25 percent of providers adopted them. So barcode scanning machines were physically moved to a location near vaccine storage; a practitioner would have to walk past them on the way to administer the vaccine. With that and several similar behavioral nudges, adoption rose to 94 percent.
• Feedback and transparency: People like to know why they are doing something and whether it is effective. Transparency works in two places: in the front end, by clarifying an effort's ultimate goals, and on the back end, by revealing an effort's results.
People respond better to immediate feedback, but because public-sector initiatives often involve big-picture projects, long-term societal investments or intangible benefits, sometimes a more immediate measure of success is necessary to motivate them.
The vaccine providers mentioned earlier were given training to explain why the scanned barcodes provided better for their patients: More complete and accurate electronic records, they were told, would help in the case of a vaccine recall or a pandemic. This helped, on the front end, to justify the cognitive work of changing their habit.
The city of Boston offers back-end transparency with its Bos:311 app. Citizens often don't bother reporting problems like potholes if they don't believe that doing so will make a difference. But when a complaint goes up on the app, it tracks the city's progress to address the issue. When a pothole is repaired or a raccoon corpse is removed, municipal workers post a photo, completing the feedback loop.
As these examples illustrate, there are far better ways to introduce new technology into an organization than simply handing firefighters new radios. The process needs to start with research to understand the status quo. Observation, testing and surveys can help reveal how a new technology will affect the workflows of the people implementing it. Understanding the cognitive habits at stake is crucial to removing subconscious obstacles. In a large organization, especially in the public sector, management has to make the best path easy. And that takes hard work.


text:
Stunning Swiatek Makes It Poland Garros
Iga Swiatek said she could do anything – and she has just proved it.
To hear how she conquered her nerves in the second set of her stunning 6-4, 6-1 win over the talented Sofia Kenin is just so refreshing.
She revealed: 'The crowd was having fun and cheering a lot and I realised I could also have fun.
'I was just thankful about it all. I felt like I was having the time of my life and I decided I was going to use it.'
Why don't other top players find the mind games so easy to conquer? Swiatek knows how. And she will continue to reap the rewards.
It seems Iga is already developing a great relationship with the tennis-loving public. Wherever she goes from here, she's likely to get the same warm reception.
Her appreciation of shared energy in tough moments is like an open invitation to support her.
We'll be astonished if Swiatek doesn't receive massive backing at Wimbledon 2021.
It won't just be the patriotic Polish who want her to win. Anyone who just likes happy, positive young people will wish her well.
But how did she take the title in straight sets at Roland Garros? Kenin is such a brave fighter.
The gritty American came back from 0-3 down in the opener to level the scores.
But Swiatek kept her cool and thwarted the comeback. Even when her concentration was temporarily broken by Kenin's medical time-out at 2-1 in the second.
Poor Sofia needed strapping on her left thigh and was clearly hampered by the injury.
But you sensed that somehow Kenin just wouldn't have prevailed anyway. Not against the awesome, free-flowing power she faced from across the net..
The tough American can be proud to have played in two Grand Slam finals in 2020 and won one of them.
But even Kenin couldn't find a way to stop Swiatek and her relentless charge towards glory in Paris.
When a typically natural cross-ccourt winner sealed the impossible dream, Swiatek covered her face with a trembling hand and crouched down to take it all in.
Her attempt to seize a few moments for a little calm reflection didn't actually work.
Even in her television interview about an hour later, she admitted this incredible victory still hadn't sunk in.
Swiatek won't mind. It's the only thing that hasn't worked for her all fortnight.
Asked how she felt, this delightful 19-year-old smiled and said: 'I just came off court and it's all crazy in my head. You have to ask me tomorrow.'
She's thrilled that Poland is going crazy for her too. But all she really wants is see her family and enjoy the moment with them before she faces the more widespread clamour for her attention.
It still feels so unreal to her. And Swiatek didn't start the fortnight feeling super-positive.
In fact she would never have believed anyone who tried to tell her two weeks ago that she would finish the tournament as champion
Swiatek revealed: 'I would have said it isn't logical. I told my psychologist that I had a bad draw.'
That psychologist probably deserves a massive pay-rise for putting Iga on course to thrive so emphatically over these stunning past two weeks.
And any tennis player who doesn't seek out this expert for a session or two before Christmas is clearly missing a trick.
With the right help, Swiatek has developed the perfect mindset. A blueprint for winning big tennis matches.
Suddenly Roland Garros is Poland Garros. A new kid on the block is hitting the ball like a dream.
Iga Swiatek's dreams have come true. What's not to like?
We can't wait to welcome her to Wimbledon 2021! And you too!


A rather strange chain of events has just occurred, which I thought was interesting enough to share. After getting to work, I sat down at my desk and started leafing through the new edition of Library Journal. In the section devoted to audiobooks, I saw a blurb about The Broom of the System, a novel by David Foster Wallace that I just read a few months ago. I didn't love the book, but that's beside the point. The blurb points out that the main character has a "Wittgenstein-obsessed grandmother," referring to Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian philosopher. At the time I read the book, I had no knowledge of Wittgenstein or his philosophical theories, and pretty much glazed over those parts of the book, which I deemed esoteric and boring. Anyway.
I continued skimming through the magazine until I came upon a picture of another book. This one is called Philosophy Bites, and I have most definitely not read it. However, the cover struck me because I recognized the image from a picture book that I've been seeing pretty regularly at my last two jobs.
The name of the picture book is Duck! Rabbit!, and I can't say I've read that one either, but I definitely recognized the cover. I concluded that the duckrabbit image must have some ties to philosophy, so I dug a little deeper. The duckrabbit is cited in a lot of places, namely a book called Philosophical Investigations, written by none other than LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN. Weird, right? I won't pretend to have understood most of what I read during my cursory research of the duckrabbit and the theories behind it, but here's a quick paragraph from Wikipedia that sort of scratches the surface of his ideas.
Wittgenstein discussed figures which can be seen and understood in two different ways. Often one can see something in a straightforward way—seeing that it is a rabbit, perhaps. But, at other times, one notices a particular aspect—seeing it as something. An example Wittgenstein uses is the "duckrabbit," a picture that can be seen as either a duck or a rabbit. When one looks at the duckrabbit and sees a rabbit, one is not interpreting the picture as a rabbit, but rather reporting what one sees. One just sees the picture as a rabbit. But what occurs when one sees it first as a duck, then as a rabbit? As the gnomic remarks in the Investigations indicate, Wittgenstein isn't sure. However, he is sure that it could not be the case that the external world stays the same while an 'internal' cognitive change takes place.
Anyway, Wittgenstein aside, I am left pondering the links that led me to read about him and contemplating the interconnectedness of all things. I think I may need to watch I Heart Huckabees again.
I know, I know–I can scarcely believe it myself. But here it is, yet another bread blog. I must confess, however, that I made this bread months ago and haven't blogged it until now. I guess this new post about an old bread is supposed to mask the fact that I haven't been baking at all lately. Well, that's not entirely true. I've been baking, just not bread. Below you will also find a granola bar recipe that I've been tinkering with for the past couple of weeks. But anyway, bread.
Pugliese is bread #29 and is pretty similar to ciabatta and focaccia. I have to admit, though, that I totally phoned in this bread and it definitely did not come out as desired. After mixing the dough, I used the "stretch and fold" method (see Focaccia post) while it rose on the kitchen table. After the third round of stretching and folding, I transferred it to a bowl for the final rise. I did get a pretty sweet bubble.
I then divided the dough and formed two boules, and after sitting for another hour or so, they were ready to bake.
The result was another decent white Italian loaf, but the dough was way more dense than it should have been. The inside should have been light, airy, and filled with holes, but it was, well, not. Oh well, it still made for some decent toast.
Below are the additional fixins I chose, but there are limitless possibilities!
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease one 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter, applesauce, honey, and brown sugar. Stir in the chocolate chips, cranberries, raisins, rice krispies.
3. Lightly press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. After about 10 minutes, use a spoon or other kitchen utensil to pack down the mixture again, to ensure that the bars stay cohesive, and then continue to bake.
I don't want to leave anybody hanging when it comes to the Bad Neighbor Saga, so I'll give you a quick recap of the last major event that's occurred since the infamous Trash Dump of 2010. A day or so after I wrote that last blog, Michael went over and knocked on their door after work. Their lights were on and their car was in the driveway, but no one came to the door when he knocked. Lame! He went over again the next night—I would have gone with him, but I was working late that night. When I got home, he gave me a summary of what went down. I actually asked him to write a guest blog post so that you wouldn't be getting second-hand information, but he's been busy at work. Perhaps in the coming days he'll be able to supplement this post with some choice quotations or his own personal take on things.
This is the long and short of it: he started out by asking about the box of trash and telling them that we were offended by the note. They instantly began backpedaling and saying that it was really meant for Hugh, which is a load of poo. If it was for Hugh, why was the note addressed to "Everyone"? Please. Then I think Michael told them that the only reason he was bringing up the trash incident was because it was at the top of a very long list of other offenses. They were, of course, incredulous, and were like, "What are you talking about?", which then gave Michael the ability to start rattling off the items on our list: the pile of shoes in the hallway, the dog peeing everywhere, their theft of our shoveled parking spots. Then James did what he always does—he started talking loudly AT Michael. No more chance for a controlled conversation. I think he yelled for a while and then said to Michael, "Okay, it's time to go," at which point Michael was asked to leave.
Since then, things have been okay, by which I mean I have seen James zero times. I saw Andrea once in the hallway—I said a quick hello and kept on walking. The box of trash is still sitting on the floor in the foyer.
In other neighbor news, Hugh called me on Saturday afternoon to ask me if he could use our dryer because his was broken. I told him that it was fine and I appreciated the fact that he asked first (I believe I mentioned in a previous blog that Andrea used our dryer without asking, and I only found out because I caught her in the act!). So, Hugh is now back in my good graces, even though he remains a suspect in the "Who Smoked a Cigarette in My Car" mystery. But that's old news at this point, and I'm pretty much over it.
Upon returning home from work yesterday evening, Michael and I were greeted with this box of trash sitting atop the mail in the foyer of our house.
It's creased and dented because Michael kicked it.
The note is undoubtedly from Andrea, the wife half of the married couple that lives across the hall from us. I have no idea where this sudden burst of passive aggression came from, but let me tell you, it is absolutely ridiculous. Michael and I are very responsible when it comes to throwing our trash away. In fact, more often than not, I will go outside to throw out a trash bag, only to find that most (if not all) of the trash cans (ours included) are already filled with big pieces of cardboard, which most definitely did not come from us. I don't know where she gathered up that stuff, but it's not like we ever randomly throw trash all over the ground—and I certainly resent the implication that we do. If anything, maybe the wind knocked over the can. Maybe an animal pulled stuff out. REGARDLESS, I cannot understand why she would go to the trouble to gather it all up and leave it inside the house, where I GUARANTEE you it will now remain indefinitely, because I sure as hell am not moving it, and something tells me that she won't either.
1. They don't clean up after their dog after it pees in the hallway.
2. They let their dog run into our apartment if it happens to be there when we open the door (even though we have expressly informed them that this was not okay). Most times, it subsequently pees on our kitchen floor.
3. They leave all kinds of crap outside the door to their apartment, in a common hallway, including: shoes, empty pizza boxes, and any other crap that is being disposed of but hasn't made it to the outside trash cans yet.
4. James piles his bikes and bike equipment on top of Michael's beer equipment in the basement, when there is plenty of space for it elsewhere.
5. When their dryer broke, they used ours without asking us.
6. They abandoned their snow-covered parking spots and parked in the spots that Michael and I dug out (see previous blog entry).
They are a couple of phonies who pretend to be considerate but really only care about themselves, and from this point on I will not stand for it.


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Lagos Commercial Bus Operators To Pay N292,000 Annually Fee To State Government
President Buhari launches mega rice pyramid in Abuja
Home	Education	I won't bury my son even if it takes 30 years to get justice – Sylvester's dad
EducationLagos
I won't bury my son even if it takes 30 years to get justice – Sylvester's dad
by Meso Ejiofor January 8, 2022
written by Meso Ejiofor January 8, 2022 0 comment
Sylvester Oromoni, the father of the late 12-year-old pupil of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, has stood on the family's commitment to get justice, as he said that he would not bury his son even if it takes 30 years to get justice, Oyogist.com reports.
He also kicked against the report of the autopsy carried out at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, alleging that there was foul play.
Sylvester's death went viral following a social media post by his cousin, Perry Oromoni, who alleged that some senior pupils of the school beat him up in his hostel because he refused to join a cult.
The school refuted the claims, stating that the boy complained of leg pains following an injury he sustained while playing football.
The state government ordered the indefinite closure of the school pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.
Five students and five employees of the school were arrested by the police but legal advice by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Adetutu Oshinusi, cleared the suspects.
The autopsy carried out by a consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital Warri, Clement Vhriterhire, revealed that Sylvester died of "acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma."
But the interim and final autopsy report by LASUTH attributed the cause of death to "Septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis and pyomyositis of the right ankle."
However, the outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, on Friday said the toxicology report of the first autopsy carried out in Warri was released on December 30, 2021, signed by Vhriterhire, attributing cause of death to "acute bacteria pneumonia due to severe sepsis."
Sylvester Snr and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had kicked against the DPP's advice with the latter describing the report as "escapist and hasty."
Falana had said, "The report has not laid to rest the allegations surrounding the gruesome murder of Sylvester Oromoni.
The report is escapist and hasty as the authorities are aware of the fact that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has ordered that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Sylvester Oromoni.
The inquest, which commenced before the coroner on December 16, 2021, has been adjourned till January 15, 2022 for further hearing."
Speaking to our Punch on Friday, Sylvester's father said the case had yet to have a closure, insisting that his son would not be buried until "justice is served" even if it took as long as 30 years.
He said,
"The family does not have power. We only rely on God. If they insist that the school will reopen, there is no problem. If God keeps me for 20 or 30 years, I will follow up this case. Government will come, the government will go. I am not bothered. The soul of that boy is crying round. God is alive; He cannot be bribed.
"My son will never be buried. If it takes me 30 years to get justice, he would remain there (in the mortuary). He is my son; I won't bury him. Nigerians should look beyond what they are saying."
Asked if he had any doubt over the autopsy released by the state government, he retorted
"Do they have any autopsy report? They don't have any. The doctor that did the autopsy in Delta State was recommended by the Area Commander. He is not the family doctor. We don't know him. Our lawyer applied to the Area Command to get a copy of the autopsy."
But Odumosu, during a press briefing held at the police headquarters in Ikeja on Friday and tagged 'Sylvester Oromoni Jnr: Update on Investigation,' dismissed any foul play.
He said eight persons–five pupils and three house masters – were arrested following a petition to the police on the matter, adding that on December 9, 2021, he interviewed the late pupil's family, the school management, and witnesses at the command's headquarters.
He said, "During the open interview, it was unanimously agreed that another autopsy should be carried out where pathologists from all parties would be present. Investigation was extended to Delta State and Abuja. I will like to state here that investigation revealed that the same case was reported at the Area Command Warri, Delta State, on December 1, 2021.
"It has also been established that a post mortem examination was initially carried out on December 2, 2021 by a Consultant Pathologist, Dr. Clement Vhriterhire of the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State. The result of the first autopsy dated December 10, 2021 attributed the cause of death to 'acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.'
"However, toxicology screening was recommended and also carried out. While waiting for the result of the toxicology, another autopsy was ordered by the Coroner Magistrate in Lagos because of the status of jurisdiction. The corpse was, therefore, moved with armed police escorts from Delta State to Lagos State by TOS Funeral and the autopsy conducted at the expense of the Lagos State Government. The second autopsy was carried out at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital on December 14, 2021 in the presence of representatives of all the parties involved in the case."
The CP said the second autopsy was carried out by the Consultant Pathologist and Chief Examiner, Department of Pathology and Forensic Sciences, LASUTH, Dr. S.S Soyemi, witnessed by representatives of all the parties, including Vhriterhire, as well as police officers, among other principal officials.
Odumosu said the final results of the post mortem and toxicology examination conducted at Delta and Lagos states agreed that the deceased died a natural death.
He stated, "Before the expiration of the 21 days remand order, the families of the students applied for their bail at the Magistrates' Court 1 Yaba. The application was approved hence the students who were earlier remanded at Boys Home, Oregun, were granted bail. The house masters were also granted bail after the expiration of the 21 days remand order.
"The result of the second autopsy carried out in Lagos was released on December 21, 2021. The result attributed the cause of death to 'Septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis and pyomyositis of the right ankle.'
On December 30, 2021, the toxicology screening results of the first autopsy carried out in Warri was released. The result issued and signed by Dr Clement Vhriterhire, the same doctor who carried out the initial autopsy, attributed the cause of death to 'acute bacteria pneumonia due to severe sepsis.'
"At the end of diligent investigation carried out so far, there is no evidence to establish a case of torture, bullying and forceful application of poisonous substance against the suspects. All the suspects denied the allegations of torture, bullying and administering of poisonous substance to the deceased. Allegation that the deceased was being forced to join a cult group was also not established as other students interviewed denied this."
Dowen collegeHakeem OdumosuLagos State GovernmentSylvester Oromoni
Meso Ejiofor
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MS Dhoni becomes only player to achieve this big feats
Dhoni achieved the feat against the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) match against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday evening added another feather to his highly illustrious cap as he took the field for the 200th time as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Notably, Dhoni has now become the first-ever captain in T20 cricket to lead a single side or franchise in 200 games. Virat Kohli, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, stands second with 128 appearances as captain for the franchise.
Dhoni, who has played 207 matches in the IPL, has featured for CSK in the tournament and Champions League T20. Under Dhoni's leadership, CSK have won 120 matches and lost 77.
Last week, Dhoni played his 200th game for CSK (IPL 2021) when he took the field against Punjab Kings. In one game, Suresh Raina had captained CSK in the 2012 Champions League T20.
The former India captain also represented Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) 30 IPL matches in the 2016-17 seasons when CSK was serving a two-year ban from the cash-rich league.
The 39-year-old, who has led CSK to three IPL titles, is at the eighth spot in the list of leading run-getters in IPL, with 4,632 runs.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bowl first against CSK.
Both the teams are playing with unchanged XI after winning their respective last games. Interestingly, CSK and RR both lost their opening match of the season.
(IPL 2021)
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar.
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson(w/c), Shivam Dube, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman.
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Senior Manager, Music Clearance & Licensing jobs in Culver City, CA
Senior Manager, Music Clearance & Licensing
Reporting to the Vice President, Music Business Affairs, the Senior Manager, Music Clearance & Licensing provides music rights and music clearance information regarding Sony Pictures' motion picture and television catalogs to various distribution departments within Sony Pictures. The role requires in-depth legal research and an in-depth understanding of music agreements, music licenses, and other documentation to determine the rights granted to or controlled by Sony Pictures. The analysis conducted and conclusions drawn as part of the role are critical to the distribution needs of the studio and are documented on music reports. In certain situations, the Senior Manager will provide estimates for necessary upgrades and/or handle the clearance of music rights, preparing the legal paperwork in connection with the license upgrades. Research will also be performed to determine whether a pre-existing work is in the public domain.
• Research the music used in SPE's motion picture and television catalog
• Review music-related agreements and licenses for music rights granted
• Research public domain status, investigate problem situations, track music replacements
• Prepare music reports containing the clearance information
• Provide music clearance estimates and negotiate and draft licenses to upgrade rights
• Support and communicate with supervisor and be the primary contact person on the Music Affairs team for various distribution areas within the studio
• 7-10 years' experience
• Paralegal certification preferred
• Strong understanding and functional knowledge of Excel and Word
• Knowledge and love of music is a plus
*Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.
*As part of our commitment to health and safety, all U.S. non-union applicants and employees must submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request and obtain approval of a reasonable accommodation based on disability or a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at SPE_Accommodation_Assistance@spe.sony.com.
*As part of our commitment to health and safety, SPE requires all U.S. non-union applicants and employees to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or to request and obtain approval of a reasonable accommodation based on disability or a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at SPE_Accommodation_Assistance@spe.sony.com.
USA - Culver City - Studio Lot - CA01
Marketing/Publicity/PR Music


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Home » Articles » Infrastructure laws on Naval Ports and Airports
Infrastructure laws on Naval Ports and Airports
Reading Time - 3 minutes
by B&B Associates | May 2, 2018 | 0 comments
– This article is about infrastructure laws on Naval Ports and Airports. For Roads and Power; Railways, Telecom and Oil & Natural Gas and Renewable Energy, you may refer to part II and Part III. For further clarity on any point, you may write to our top lawyers for infrastructure laws in Chandigarh.
Introduction of Infrastructure Laws in India
The infrastructure and developmental projects hold a strong footing towards the economic growth of India. The consistent infrastructure growth attracts the big investors from among India and foreign countries which in turn paves a way for the open market economy. There has been a gradual departure from the controlled market towards the open market, wherein, the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is encouraged. This also calls for the governance to avoid a breach of the infrastructure laws in India and the regulations.
The infrastructure sector consists of various sectors. Each sector has its own governing Statue and as such does not bear any harmonisation with the regulations pertaining to other sectors. Under these Statutes, the private developers are provided with the modes and means to participate by granting them the licenses. In some cases, the contractual relationship between the private developer and the government is established for the development of a particular infrastructure project.
Although the Centre and State governments have separation of powers to govern their projects, in some sectors the joint governance is required. A clear study of the regulations and the policies governing different sectors direct towards their impromptu nature. The legal framework pertaining to different sectors is illustrated in separate parts of this article.
Infrastructure Laws on Naval Ports:
The ports serve as a gateway of international trade through the sea and require the development for a smooth running of its operations and activities. The Central and State governments have taken the route of competitive bidding to encourage private sector investment. The Government of India (GOI) while recognizing the high expenditure involved in rather time taking a process of development of ports has made an effort to form public-private-partnerships (PPPs) by encouraging funding schemes which are flexible enough. Major Ports Trusts Act, 1963 as amended time is the governing Act for the ports. Up to 100%, FDI is allowed. Furthermore, 30% rebate on the earning can be availed after the period of Tax holiday of 5 years. This facility is available within the first 12 years of the assignment of the Project. The GOI is also focusing on developing the National Maritime Development Policy to expedite and enhance the private sector investment and stimulate competitiveness for attaining better service quality.
Infrastructure Laws on Airports:
Earlier the GOI was responsible for development and operations of the airports. The Airports are governed by the Aircraft Act, 1934, and the Aircraft Rules, 1937. Thereafter in 1994, the Airports Authority of India Act was enacted, wherein, this power to develop and operate was transferred to the Airports Authority of India. The said Act was amended in 2003, thereby, facilitating the investments of the private sector. Under the governing legislation, the license is issued to the private developer for the development and operations of the concerned Airport.
The Greenfield Airports projects allow the private sector participation and do not require the prior approval from the Government. The private developer also enters into a Joint venture with the Airports Authority of India. An FDI of 100% is allowed under the automatic route in case of the Greenfield Airports projects.
Any Airport project other than Greenfield Airport project, as run by the private developer, requires the approval of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Under PPP route, the Airports are developed on the basis of concession Agreements or as per the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT), Build-Own-Transfer (BOT) or Build-Own-Operate (BOO) contracts. In these projects, the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is required in cases where the proposed Investment is more than 74%. The Foreign Airport Authorities may also participate through equities. The tax exemption of 100% is granted for the period of 10 years.
Thus, the GOI has taken steady steps towards encouraging private investment and participation. The private sector developer is required to meet the criteria as set by the public body in the tender document. Both the Naval Ports and Airports have separate regulations which in turn reduces the risk of the conflict of interest between the central and the state development units.
For more insights and information regarding the above-mentioned sectors, you may contact our expert infrastructure lawyers.
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Leveraging the virtues of small-batch brewing to create distinct ales that encompass their origin, region and community.
Ten Bends Beer Now Open! Stowe Brewers Fest a Success!
Hello Scratchbangers! It's been a while since our last post. We've spent a lot of time in July finalizing the brewery and tasting room, brewing for the Stowe Brewer's Festival and for our August 6th opening. We had a great turnout at the brewers fest. Ten Bends had a huge line on Saturday as word got around about Vermont's newest brewery and the unique beers we poured. We served over 2500 2oz. samples throughout the weekend of July 29th, and it was great fun to meet other brewers and tell festival goers about our opening.
On August 6th we opened our tasting room to the public, and our first weekend was a hit. We were thrilled to start serving at our new bar and begin to work out the kinks that running a beer bar can present.
If you happen to be in Vermont and would like to check us out, we are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1PM.
Keep on Scratchin' and Bangin'!!!
Hi guys! Congrats on a phenomenal 2016... and Happy New Year!
Exciting news... We are starting a brewery called "Ten Bends Beer"
As we begin a new year with our brewing endeavors, we are thrilled to bring you some exciting news about our operation. Spectrum Beer Project is now officially transforming from a home brewing operation to a full scale nano brewery!
We decided that starting a brewery in Vermont called for a name that represented the state's natural wonders, and it's national reputation as a mecca for craft beer. Therefore we have changed our name to "Ten Bends Beer". I will post more information about what the name means for our supporters soon.
We have begun to tackle many of the hundreds of aspects that starting a real craft brewery involves, and we will be posting updates to ScratchBang with more regularity as we continue to develop our brand, facility and products.
For now I leave you with our newly designed logo and a promise that we will be bringing some of the best craft beer our state has to offer to Hyde Park, VT.
Thanks to our current supporters, and if you are interested in what we have to offer, please consider supporting us in our efforts!
Congratulations, guys! This is the coolest thing ever... and that's a sweet logo!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of those who support our brewing endeavor via ScratchBang and beyond. We want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving holiday!
We have a lot of great stuff in the works for the coming year, and soon will update you on some big changes to our operation. Until then, I raise this glass of our Centennial Session Ale to you, our ScratchBang supporters. Cheers!
We were lucky enough to be invited to a brew day at 14th Star Brewing Company in St. Albans, Vermont. 14th Star brewmaster Dan was at the last Arts Riot Homebrew Fest we participated in, and we got to know him a bit. He invited us up for a brew day and we jumped at the offer.
14th Star started out small with a 1 barrel system and their demand was so high that they quickly went from a side project to taking on investors and converting a giant bowling alley into what is now a very impressive brewery. They have around 10,000 square feet with two 30 barrel mash tuns and several fermenters, including some which are 90 barrels in size (which are just huge). For those of you who are not aware, a barrel (bbl) is 31 US gallons. That's 2790 gallons of beer in one fermenter, which they then can using a mobile canning service.
We started out the day at about 7:30 AM and we brewed a barley wine beer on their 3.5 bbl pilot system. The system was made up of two re-purposed maple sap tanks, which reminded us that all brewers are resourceful and creative people. There was also a large boil kettle that was heated by an electric element.
I had never made a barley wine, so I was excited to brew one. Barley wines are high gravity beers that usually have very deep malt flavors and are usually a bit lighter on the hops and range in color from light amber to brown. They are called "wine" because of the high alcohol by volume like a wine. They may have additives to enhance the depth of the beer, and we added belgian candy sugar to the batch in that vain. The beer was declared the "biggest" beer that they'd ever brewed in that system. We used 370lbs of grain in the batch.
Needless to say, Mike and I learned a lot more about different brewing processes, not only by brewing the batch, but by just hanging with the guys there and watching them keg, clean, etc. They were truly hospitible and really awesome to us. We look forward to going back an giving the barley wine a taste. I am posting this post publicly because I want anyone who stumbles on our page to know about 14th Star and how great they are. Go check them out and have some of their quality beers if you are in Northern Vermont.
Just a quick note to let our supporters know that Spectrum returned to the Arts Riot space in Burlington, Vermont earlier this month and we were delighted to take 2nd place for our "Prism Extra IPA". Prism is a wonderfully fruity golden IPA with a bright finish that weighs in at 7.1%.
It was a great time and we were happy to walk away with another winner.
We passed out ScratchBang cards at the event and we hope that some of you who picked them up are here following us. We will let everyone know if / when we return to Burlington for another Arts Riot Homebrew fest.
Recent Wins - The Forces are with Us!
Whenever we create a new recipe or get ready for a brew day, we first take a look at the ingredients we have on hand. Being up in Northern Vermont, the closest homebrew store is an hour away so we have to be very prepared for what we intend to brew. Last week we took inventory on hops and then landed on a new Saison recipe that included Galaxy, Cluster and Crystal hops.
@carl - A little bit of both. We are either re-brewing a beer we know is solid, building on a recipe that is getting more solid, or starting from scratch with a new one. The saison we recently brewed was a new recipe based on what we've seen other brewers doing with some interesting saisons.
You're making me thirsty! When you come up with a new recipe, is it based on trial and error or are you building on previous batches?
We are excited to be a part of the ScratchBang community and hope that you'll consider supporting our craft brewing project. We will use your contribution to purchase ingredients to continue brewing as much as possible and develop our beers into some of the finest craft ales available in the state of Vermont. We've got some pretty big shoes to fill up here in the Northeast, so we are working hard to refine our skills, perfect our recipes and build our equipment collection.
As a supporter you'll be contributing to the ingredients needed to brew our beers, but you'll also be able to view great supporter-only posts about brewing techniques, challenges and successes. We will be posting photos, videos and articles about our brew days and will be sharing our knowledge about homebrewing with you. We hope you'll join us on our journey!
Ten Bends Beer Company brews quality Vermont inspired artisanal ales. We started Ten Bends to transform our fascination with craft beer and brewing into a homegrown small-batch brewery. We create ales that embody the unique nature of Vermont and its culture that keeps craft beer flowing like the rivers that bend through its mountain valleys. We hope Ten Bends Beer will become a part of why you love Vermont. Come enjoy an ale with us, we're just around the bend!
By supporting Ten Bends, you will be enabling us to build a small batch craft ale brewery in one of the best beer states in our nation. We will use the funds we receive from ScratchBang supporters for brewing ingredients and equipment so we can continue perfecting our beer and offer you some of the best craft beer available.


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Our sterilized Golden Oyster birch plug spawn is spiral grooved and completely pre-colonized. These plug spawn are for log, and stump inoculation. It is easy to use and is less susceptible to contamination. You will need a 5/16″ drill bit with a stop collar (which are sold at any hardware store) and a drill. Golden Oyster mushrooms, (Pleurotus Citripileatus) are close relatives to the mushrooms, Pleurotus cornucopiae.


text:
The Big Red One
Having previously fought in World War I, an unnamed sergeant (Lee Marvin) now leads soldiers of the U.S. First Infantry Division through World War II. The film follows his unit as they try to serve in and survive the war.
Stars: Lee Marvin Mark Hamill Robert Carradine
The Grey Zone
Based on actual events, the film tells gripping true story of a group of Jewish prisoners who conspire to destroy the crematoriums at Auschwitz, all the while appearing to be Nazi collaborators.
Stars: David Arquette David Chandler Velizar Binev
Death in Love
The film depicts the devastating legacy of a liaison between a concentration camp inmate and a Nazi doctor reflects on the lives of her sons whom the doctor experimented on.
Stars: Jacqueline Bisset Josh Lucas Lukas Haas
A Better Tomorrow 3: Love and Death in Saigon
Cheung meets a beautiful gang-leader with a dangerous ex while trying to bring his family from wartime Saigon to Hong Kong. This film emphasizes romance in a greater way than the previous two films.
Stars: Anita Mui Tony Ka Fai Leung Yun-Fat Chow
Late in 1944, the Allies seem to have the upper hand in the European land war. The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines. However, mismanagement and poor planning result in its failure.
Stars: Michael Caine Sean Connery Ryan O'Neal
Tigerland
Set in 1971, at Tigerland, a U.S. Army training camp during the mid-1960s to early 1970s located at Fort Polk, Louisiana, a young man tries to fight the military system only to find it fighting back in unexpected ways.
Stars: Clifton Collins Jr. Colin Farrell Matthew Davis
Angels One Five
The film is a look at life in an RAF fighter station during the Battle of Britain. Instead of taking viewers up in the planes, it places them in the control rooms that use plotted maps, flashing lights and giant boards to follow the deadly flights.
Stars: Jack Hawkins Andrew Osborn Michael Denison
A Woman in Berlin
A nameless woman keeps a diary as the Russians invade Berlin in the spring of 1945. In her desperation, she decides to look for an officer who can protect her. She meets a Russian officer, an encounter which develops into a complex symbiotic relationship that forces them to remain enemies until the bitter end.
Stars: Evgeniy Sidikhin Irm Hermann Nina Hoss
All Quiet on the Western Front follows a group of German schoolboys, talked into enlisting at the beginning of World War I by their jingoistic teacher and sent to the Western Front, where their patriotism is destroyed by the harsh realities of combat.
Stars: Louis Wolheim Lew Ayres John Wray
During Japan's invasion of the Philippines in 1942, Capt. Henry Lassiter (Lee Bowman), Sgt. Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) and a diverse group of American soldiers are chosen to blow up a bridge on the Bataan peninsula and keep the Japanese from rebuilding it.
Stars: Lloyd Nolan Robert Taylor George Murphy
Back to Bataan
This World War II film sees American army colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne) stationed in the Philippines to organize an underground resistance movement against the Japanese invaders.
Stars: Anthony Quinn Beulah Bondi John Wayne
The Midwife
Set during the Lapland War, in the middle of WWII, the film follows a hot-blooded young midwife named Helena. Hungry for passion and escape, Helena's life takes a dramatic turn when she falls for Johannes, a handsome German-Finnish officer with divided loyalties and, perhaps more importantly, killer cheekbones.
Stars: Krista Kosonen Pirkka-Pekka Petelius Lauri Tilkanen
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
The harrowing true story of the USS Indianapolis that was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine, taking 300 crewmen with it to the bottom of the Philippine Sea. As they awaited rescue, they endured extreme thirst, hunger, and relentless shark attacks.
Stars: Nicolas Cage Thomas Jane Tom Sizemore
Hart's War
The film is based on the truth story. It is about second-year Harvard Law School student enters into army during World War II. He becomes a prison-bird and discover surprise, dangerous truths.
Stars: Bruce Willis Colin Farrell Terrence Howard
Beyond Valkyrie: Dawn of the 4th Reich
Set near the end of World War II, the film follows American and British Special Forces as they work together to stop a group of Nazi Officers from fleeing to Argentina and establishing the Fourth Reich.
Genre: Action History War
Stars: Kip Pardue Sean Patrick Flanery Tom Sizemore
The Lucky Ones (2008)
A meaningful story of three veterans who come back home from the cruel battlefiled is directed by Neil Burger. They have to learn how to pass over the obsessed memories and move on. TK seeking confidence to confront his wife after the injures has negative impact on his sexual function and middle-aged Cheever attempts to pay for his son's college tuition.
Stars: Michael Peña Rachel McAdams Tim Robbins
During World War I a mining engineer (Brendan Cowell) and his team of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, tunnel beneath German fortifications and bunkers to detonate massive explosive charges.
Stars: Brendan Cowell Harrison Gilbertson Steve Le Marquand
Napoleon's tumultuous relations with Russia including his disastrous 1812 invasion serve as the backdrop as members of the Russian aristocracy face a myriad of personal tragedies.
Stars: Audrey Hepburn Henry Fonda Mel Ferrer
When Trumpets Fade
Promoted to sergeant and assigned to lead a new platoon of young inductees against his will, a U.S. soldier (Ron Eldard) learns about survival, bravery and morality in World War II Germany.
Stars: Frank Whaley Ron Eldard Zak Orth
A German submarine is boarded by disguised American submariners trying to capture their Enigma cipher machine. Forced to take the crew hostage, the Americans lay their explosives and prepare to destroy the German vessel before the Nazis can send naval backup.
Stars: Bill Paxton Harvey Keitel Matthew McConaughey
Underground 1995
Black marketeers Marko and Blacky manufacture and sell weapons to the Communist resistance in WWII Belgrade, living the good life along the way. Marko eventually abandons Blacky, steals his girlfriend, continues to sell illegal arms and drugs when the war is already over.
Stars: Predrag Manojlovic Lazar Ristovski Mirjana Jokovic
The film portrays the 1746 Battle of Culloden, the final act in the attempted Jacobite Rebellion and among the first major steps in Great Britain's near-genocide of the original Highland clans of Scotland.
Stars: Don Fairservice Tony Cosgrove Olivier Espitalier-Noel
The Haunting of Emily
After being missing for over a year, Emily returns home to her mother and stepfather... but she doesn't go home alone. A family struggling with the lack of knowledge about their missing daughter fights to keep her safe. Who can be trusted?
Genre: Horror War
Stars: Taylor Pigeon Jolene Kay Nathan Polzin
Second in Command
In this film directed by Simon Fellows, Jean-Claude Van Damme played the role of an official appointed as Second In Command to the U.S.Ambassador at an American Embassy in a small, turbulent Eastern European nation. One day, the palace is stormed by the insurgents; it's now up to the official to protect the Embassy.
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme Alan McKenna Julie Cox


If you like what you see/read here, Kurt is working on his own blog with a focus on city planning issues. Be sure to check it out over at Urban Scouting. Thanks, Kurt!
This trip has been a few years in the making. My boss's father Lani began this project in 2006 with the support of Rotary International. The project is focused on providing water tanks for the Village of Falelima in Samoa. The village does not have any access to well-water, so all potable water must be either collected from the rain or purchased and delivered - for much more than a dollar a bottle (even though the water is coming from no farther than the main island).
At terrain our primary focus has been to raise funding for the project. My boss, Steven, went on the first volunteer work-trip back in the spring of 2006 and helped with surveying the first phases of the project. Each time Steven's parents come to New York City to visit we get together and discuss Lani's recent travels to Samoa, how the project is coming along. One time we watched a documentary that a friend of his did on a work-trip. And for the past year or so we'd been discussing how and when I could make my way to Samoa for a work-trip. Finally in February Lani called and said everything was lined up for a late April, early May trip. There was no hesitation on my part, I could not wait to go!
I hope you enjoy the documentation of the trip.
At around 1 PM NYC local time on Wednesday the 18th, which is 7 AM local time Thursday the 19th in Auckland, I tossed my bags on my back and headed for the subway (then NJ Transit and then Newark AirTrain) for the Newark Airport. My 28 hour door-to-door journey to some islands in the midst of the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the equator had just begun.
As with most good things the photos begin 36,000 feet above my beloved home state of Ohio. I can't even begin to explain how well I know that river valley and those roads.
Our flight also flew directly over the Grand Canyon!
Los Angeles. I've never been and after flying over I feel that I'll never need to go either.
Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER. I could've booked a Quantas flight for $150 less, but a) what's $150 when you're spending $1,600?! and b) everyone with experience claimed Air NZ was the greatest flight experience they'd ever had.
It was. Everything about the interior of the aircraft was so well designed, from stainless steel silverware etched with the Air NZ logo to the incredible personal touch-screen tv (with loads of entertainment) and the cool bookshelf wall print in the bathrooms. And the food was nothing to complain about, oh yea, and unlimited wine, beer and liquor.
13 hours in (even a well designed) time-capsule, is mind-numbing - double that when you mistakenly watch this movie at the start. Nevertheless I arrived in Auckland! It was 6 AM local time Friday (pesky international date line cost me Thursday) which was 2 AM Thursday in NYC.
It was pretty much straight to work. I met my boss's (Steven) parents (Lani and Beryl) and sister (Sandra) at the airport. We had breakfast, a bacon and egg pie and a flat white, before going home and getting to work. We met with veteran Falelima Water Project volunteer Roy and went supply shopping!
We arrived very late Saturday evening/Sunday morning. Fortunately the Samoans moved the pesky International Date Line, which kept things a bit simpler.
We stayed the night at the Airport Lodge.
Fresh fruit for breakfast - not pictured were the stack of pancakes and maple syrup Lani ordered as well.
All of our gear loaded into the rental truck (in NZ they call a pickup truck a 'ute').
Roy and me on the ferry from Upolu (main island) to Savaii (larger but much less 'main' island).
Satuiatua (website & Facebook page, no kidding) is a great little 'resort.' Not super developed, traditional open-air fales (fale - pronounced fah-lay - means house) right on the beach, open-air dining/restaurant/bar area and a sort of nice outhouse style bathroom and shower setup.
Roy and I slept in the fale on the right of this image, it was the closest one to the water. I recommend sleeping to the sound of the ocean sometime!
Shortly after our arrival to the village was a welcoming ceremony with the chiefs of the village. The ceremony was very formal and followed what seemed to be a very well-defined structure - every chief had their turn to speak and they all seemed to have a lot to say (Lani managed to do some translating).
Folasa is the primary chief of the village and is Lani's first cousin.
At the ceremony we were fed breakfast, I only call it breakfast because we still ate lunch and dinner later that day - I went to bed with a full tummy. In the photo above we have several different types of meat covered, chicken in the pink bowl, then beef and pork in the other two (take your pick, I don't know which was what!). At the right is breadfruit, tastes like paper, but when dipped in something (like coconut cream) it's pretty good.
Opening all of the presents we brought the newly formed 'water tank maintenance committee' (there's literally a committee for everything in the village).
We went to visit the primary school that evening.
Originally the water project began with Rotary International funding - through the Auckland local club. So given my history as a foreign exchange student through Rotary I went back to my local club in Ohio and pitched this project to them for their funding support. They never hesitated to jump on-board. Lani was kind enough to be certain the club in Salem, Ohio received credit!
Malu (the chief's wife) and Fa'atupu (son) setting the dinner table (the kids were incredibly disciplined when it came to helping their mother set the table, I've never seen anything like it). This is not at all customary for Samoans. Families always eat seated on the floor of the fale (house) in a circle, but when they have visitors they pull out all the stops.
This was the day I began to learn about island time. Shortly after breakfast I went back to my room, grabbed my work gloves then went to find Roy, I thought it was time to get to work! Roy was seated in the fale, reading a paper he'd brought from NZ and I asked what the plan was for the day. He said he had no idea, but I shouldn't worry. Just sit down, relax Lani will come to get us or "the work will come to us." I was a little confused for a moment, but then I could feel the heat and myself beginning to sweat without having done anything at all. So I decided, "yea, sitting down and relaxing for a few sounds like a good idea!"
To my surprise I had my own bedroom, complete with a mosquito net!
Malu has every major family event framed around the fale.
Fa'atupu posing. I found that almost all Samoans love to pose for the camera.
Roy and I set out with the maintenance committee to assess the condition of a number of the tanks at different family's houses. This is a pretty typical water tank although all of the new ones are plastic.
We encountered a lot of leaking spigots.
It was good to see some bleach at the tank of this family's house to sanitize their water.
This woman is weaving a fine-woven coconut mat. The broad-woven mats (on the floor) are for everyday use whereas the fine-textured mat that she's working on is only for weddings, funerals or a significant village event. These mats can take up to a year to weave!
There are no refrigerators in Falelima, so food sits out between meals.
Wow. I never knew what sugar cane looked like. You basically just gnaw away at the stalk, sucking the sugary liquid out, then you spit out the pulp left behind.
Beryl and Lani buying bread at a store along the way. We took the bread back to the village, it was a treat for them as they rarely have bread.
Vaisala Beach Resort which is at the far tip of Savaii, about 20 a minute drive from Falelima.
The gang: Lani, Kosena, Roy, Fa'atupu, me, Marjorie and Beryl.
Salt water does wonders for allergies and the sinuses!
Another day, another lesson in island time. The delivery of new gutters and water tanks that was supposed to arrive Tuesday arrived on Wednesday. But what arrived was only half of what was supposed to arrived, and one of the tank lids was broken. It was incredibly frustrating for Lani. Organizing a trip like this where you have to coordinate so many moving parts a very long time in advance from one country to another is far from easy. Adding to that is the necessity to be as efficient as possible with the time of the volunteers on the trip - you want to have things in order to get as much done while you have the people there to do the work.
While the men in the village worked to unload the delivery. Lani, Roy, Folasa, Fa'atupu and myself headed off to Salelaloga (pronounced: sa-lay-la-longa, the 'g' in Samoan is actually 'ng') to get some more work supplies. Our main focus was to investigate the cost of constructing wood frames to lift the water tanks up higher off the ground so that the maximum amount of positive water flow from a tank is utilized.
One of the views along the main (only) road that wraps around the island - Coast Road.
The Home Depot of Samoa: Bluebird.
Browsing the aisles I saw some green boxes that looked very familiar, after closer inspection I confirmed that there is something in Samoa from Ohio.
Roy and I spent a good amount of time calculating how much wood we would need to build a frame to support a 1,000 liter tank of water with the random assortment of lumber that Bluebird had in stock (another funny thing about Samoa is that they're half metric half imperial, which made everything pretty confusing. I don't know for certain but it's probably from historical influence from American Samoa).
BBQ stand in Salelaloga. Probably BBQ chicken.
Love this advertisement for Vailima.
Religion in Samoa is an interesting and tricky topic. Steven had explained to me that going to church on Sunday was a very important thing for Samoans. This initially struck my as very odd, I would've thought they had their own indigenous religion. In fact they did, until the late 1700s and early 1800s when the first western missionaries began arriving to islands in the Pacific.
Even given this knowledge the number of churches in Samoa was surprising. And not just the quantity, but also the immaculate nature of them (and their respective pastor's houses) in contrast with the living conditions of the villagers.
The most prominent were the Mormon churches (above image). They were clearly the most well-funded, these buildings were monstrosities the likes of which you could've never imagined after seeing how the common people of Samoa live their day-to-day lives.
So naturally this was a topic of conversation that I was eager to learn more about from Lani and the others who have great insight of the Samoan culture. Among the things we discussed was that the Samoans, who have so very little money, will give so much of it to the church. Even when we westerners give them money to help with their everyday needs - like water - they will give that money to the church rather than use it to help themselves. This may be one of the reasons that our water project is very focused on delivering goods and supplies and working with the villagers to install and maintain them instead of just sending them money - it's the only way to ensure that the resources go towards that which they need most.
In front of houses along the roadside families would put up for sale different items, stacks of coconuts were very common.
One in a million photograph.
We stopped by Satuiatuta on our way back to the village for a beer and swim. Great way to end the day.
This was the final day for Beryl, Marjorie and myself in Falelima.
Before setting out in the morning for the Sataua Hospital with Beryl and Marjorie I snapped a few more pics around the village.
I have to be honest, I never got a complete understanding of the functions and uses for all of the different fales around the village.
I believe the men's gathering fale is nearest on the left.
I think I saw her later at the dinner table. Local and free-range!
View on the drive to the Hospital.
Japan had also donate the ferry that runs between the two islands. Marjorie cynically interpreted the gift of this hospital as a place for the Japanese loggers to receive treatment for injuries when they were logging on this part of the island.
There were some amazing views out to the water.
One of the newer buildings was funded by the European Union.
I was told: don't pet the dogs! Samoans don't have the same concept of pet animals that we have. Stray dogs are everywhere.
A leaking water tank. Also a good example of a platform used to get the tank up off of the ground so that any lines running from the tank will have ample pressure and gravity feed.
I had a lot fun with GoPro.
Back at the village a woman was husking (I guess that term works) cocoa beans from the pod. She took great delight in showing me the process! First you get a knife and hack into the pod.
Then inside you find the cocoa beans. At this point their fine to pop in your mouth, soft and sort of gooey and as sweet as a lolli-pop.
Finally Marjorie and Beryl had a meeting with the village elders. Their aim was to talk with them about the importance of simple hygiene, like washing hands before eating and to be certain that they're teaching these practices to the children.
The meeting was filled with some pretty funny moments, mostly stuff that you had to be there for - sorry. There was one classic in which Marjorie sincerely asked the audience what do you do when you don't have water to drink? Lani translated for everyone and there was an immediate response back from one of the chiefs: we just wait until we die! The room erupted in laughter. The honesty was too perfect.
Since it was our final evening we went to our favorite beach resort for a swim and beer. I also spent some more time playing with GoPro. The kids didn't join us and we didn't understand why until after dinner.
I understood after our final dinner with the family why Fa'atupu didn't come swimming, he broke his piggy bank to go to the store (I don't know which one or where because there wasn't one anywhere nearby that I knew of) to get me a lava lava as a gift. It was just incredible. Such great kids!
Friday morning we bid our farewells to Falelima and our wonderful hosts.
The volunteers and the chief's family.
We stopped by the school on our way so Beryl and Marjorie could drop off some materials to the teachers.
Looking south from the ferry. Manono is the island on the left and Apolima is on the right. Despite being tiny, people do live on these islands.
Because Roy and Lani weren't returning with us (they stayed for another few weeks), we had to get ourselves from the ferry to Apia. We could take a taxi or a bus. As I recall the first taxi said something like 20 or 30 Tala. The bus was 2 Tala. Beryl and Marjorie made no hesitations in choosing the bus. While it only cost 2 Tala, we nearly paid with our lives!
The brewery! Western Samoa was known as German Samoa in the early 1900s, without getting into too much of a history lesson, this is what the Germans left behind.
Aggie Grey's Hotel. This is the most historic and popular hotel in Apia, and really, all of Samoa. It has quite an incredible history (NY Times article from 1982!). Aggie Grey was the daughter of a British immigrant who married a Samoan. She opened a sandwich stand in Apia during WW2 which catered to American GI's, the stand eventually became the hotel we know today.
The place was incredible. Such an incredible contrast from village life!
After some relaxing at Aggie's I quickly headed back out to explore Apia.
The most commericial/touristic part of Apia.
A main street of Apia and a McDonald's, naturally.
Strange new building in construction.
Apia has a massive market full of food vendors in one half and produce vendors on the other.
Ice cream truck, Samoan style.
There are beautiful patterns everywhere in Samoa.
They're estimate is pretty close.
Back at Aggie's for dinner - their special that evening was a Mongolian BBQ which was delicious. There was a great Samoan band playing in the background and there were also an incredible number of Mormon missionaries.
Then it was off to the airport. I took a shuttle bus from the airport - the bus was nothing like the one we took earlier.
When you go on a trip like this there are bound to be photographs which you weren't able to get. One of those for me was on the shuttle ride to the airport. Along the way we went through a residential neighborhood in Apia to pick someone up from a house. Along the way at a random street corner there was a very traditional fale that was glowing in light in which two men standing around a pool table. There could be no better illustration to describe the crossroads of traditional Samoa with modern Samoa.
I finally met airport security that I liked. I don't understand why it isn't this simple everywhere.
The runway the ocean and the black night sky beyond.
This is the end. Incredible. I flew happily back to New Zealand and met up with my brother Erik and tour the north island. My week in Samoa was just spectacular. The people, the places, the conversations, the food, the hospitality...it was all just unbelievable and I really look forward to returning.
Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed all of the images!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful guest post!


text:
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. On Ramrod to Stettin, section bounced 40+ enemy fighters, A/C was hit in coolant system, pilot Lt Vol R Harris Jr abandoned A/C. 20-6-44. POW. MACR 6249.
8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...
4th Fighter Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...
Vol Harris
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. On Ramrod to Stettin, section bounced 40+ enemy fighters, A/C P-51B 42- 1067-6 hit in coolant system, Harris abandoned A/C. 20-6-44. POW. MACR 6249.
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons' of volunteer American pilots...
Crashed Szczecin, Poland 20 June 1944 – 20 June 1944
Failed to Return - On Ramrod to Stettin, section bounced 40+ enemy fighters, A/C was hit in coolant system, pilot Lt Vol R Harris Jr abandoned A/C. 20-6-44. POW. MACR 6249.
P-51B-10-NA
Coded WD-R.
17 April 2016 19:56:31 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations and place associations
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=42-106706
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmacr.asp?MACR=6249
https://www.fold3.com/image/29400978
MACR 6249 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database