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Vic Wharton III and DeVante Wilson tackle fatherhood, school and football
Ethan Epstein/Senior Staff
By Hooman Yazdanian | Staff
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About four miles west of the UC Berkeley campus sits a 58-acre enclave of homes in Albany. There are park benches, playgrounds and street signs straight out of suburbia. The waterfront is within walking distance. Townhomes and apartments line the streets while remnants from pumpkin-carving parties still lie in the neighborhood's patches of grass.
Just about everyone who lives in one of these 974 units is a UC Berkeley student living with their family. Walking around the University Village, you'll spot these student families with their kids. The community is a great place to raise a child — it's still market-rate housing, but there's the added merit that comes with raising a child not only near families in similar situations but also close to the quality elementary schools in the Albany Unified School District.
And here, days such as Halloween are far different from what they are closer to campus. Instead of 20-year-olds flocking to rowdy parties, it's a bunch of 20-year-olds taking their dressed-up children around to collect sweets or holding bowls of candy to give to neighborhood kids while feigning interest in their very, very spooky costumes.
"Halloween was my biggest adult moment," says Vic Wharton III, a father of a 4-month-old son in the University Village. "I'm at home and not going to any parties. I'm holding my son and he's dressed up in his costume. … It's changed so much from going to a party last year to handing out candy this year."
Vic, a wide receiver on the Cal football team, along with his teammate DeVante Wilson — who has a nearly 2-year-old daughter — are among the few residents of the University Village who also hold the lofty distinction of being student-athletes.
Neither DeVante nor Vic started out at Cal — both transferred after stints with other FBS schools. Vic previously played at Tennessee, where he met his now-girlfriend Alexis DeSanto. DeVante met his wife, Brittany Wilson, at Riverside City College, where he ended up after leaving USC.
Brittany, who DeVante first met through mutual friends on Facebook, found out she was pregnant when he was a sophomore at Riverside City College. Though the news came as a shock, the setting of the discovery was actually quite opportune for the young couple. As first-time parents with still largely unsettled lives, DeVante and Brittany benefitted from living especially close to his family.
Ariel Nava/Courtesy
DeVante grew up in Corona, California, a mere 20 minutes away from Riverside, and his family took an active role from the early stages of the pregnancy to right after his daughter, Avery. They let DeVante and Brittany move in with them, and the new parents stayed there for the first two months of Avery's life.
With his parents helping to take care of Avery, DeVante spent time trying to better his daughter's life and find some stability by securing a destination to transfer to.
Though he initially considered quitting the sport to find an immediate job, according to ESPN, DeVante threw himself into football. While balancing school and raising a child, DeVante sought to show top football programs that he belonged back in the FBS.
"Right when she was born, I had to take some visits to colleges. It was tough leaving my wife at home while she had the newborn," DeVante says. "But we knew it was better for our future. … It kind of pushes me to work harder and do extra stuff in the offseason to get good so I can provide a better life for her."
He impressed as a defensive lineman who was capable of halting opposing rushing attacks and was targeted by some teams in the Pac-12. Despite being verbally committed to Washington State for a short time, he signed with Cal in December 2014.
DeVante has excelled with the Bears since then, and though simply receiving a scholarship and a UC Berkeley education may have been his goal upon arriving in the Bay Area, the NFL is now a possibility for DeVante, who married Brittany in July.
"(The NFL) was the goal so I can provide a better life for (Avery) and have the financial means so my wife can continue to stay at home with her," DeVante says.
As for Vic, he also attended school close to home at Tennessee after growing up in Nashville. He met his girlfriend of almost two years, Alexis, there through mutual friends but decided to transfer away from the Volunteer State to play at Cal. Luckily, Alexis was quickly able to find a job in Berkeley as an assistant manager at the Berkeley Central Apartment complex.
Just a couple of months after Alexis, who's from Florida, joined Vic in Berkeley, the couple learned she was expecting a child. The news came as a bit of a jolt at first.
"I was a little nervous. I was nervous how I was going to tell my parents," Vic says. "Neither of us have any family out here. Her family was supportive of the situation and so was mine. Now we've just had more family visits since then."
Their nerves soon gave way to excitement, even without the ready-made support system that DeVante and Brittany had. Despite not having any relatives in his immediate area, Vic benefitted from the fact that he was born when his father was a student-athlete himself. This made Vic's parents more than qualified to offer advice.
Vic Wharton IV was born in July, just a couple of months before his father was set to take the field for the first time as a Bear. Given the additional responsibility, Vic Wharton III recommitted to making the best life he could for his son.
Vic Wharton Family/Courtesy
After having been on academic probation, Vic was inspired to do better by his newborn. He excelled in his summer classes and, now on more stable scholastic footing, also found an expanded role on the football field. With the NFL unlikely to be in his future, Vic is determined to do whatever it takes to bring a stable life to his family.
"It's hard, but it's a good hard," Vic says. "I love going home and seeing my son. It just makes my day better, and it makes me work harder."
Actually navigating the institutional barriers many student-parents face in the search for stability, though, is anything but easy.
Both players, however, have been helped by some of UC Berkeley's programs for student families. One of the most impactful resources made available to student-parents at the school is the Student Parent Center.
The program, which is housed in the César E. Chávez Student Center, is funded largely through registration fees and the Giving Opportunities and Leadership Development fee, a student referendum passed in 2015. The Student Parent Center provides a plethora of accommodations for student-parents and their families. The program is a safe space for student-parents to study and interact, while providing opportunities to commiserate with others in similar situations.
In conjunction with the University Village, the Student Parent Center also helps provide mental health counseling for student-parents — or their families — as they may deal with additional stresses forced by the balancing of an academic workload, potentially a job and, of course, their kid(s).
Additionally, there are two professional staffers, who are student-parent alumni, and a group of students who help fill out the myriad forms for financial aid and child care that can intimidatingly be thrown at a student-parent, in addition to providing academic and emotional support.
Vic's and DeVante's families both make use of the program's resources. Brittany has used the Student Parent Center to file for budget appeals, which can increase financial aid awards to cover child care, housing and other familial expenses.
"(Vic and DeVante) actively participate at the Student Parent Center," says Ginelle Perez, the program's director. "Their families are also always welcomed. They tap into a lot of the workshops that we have."
According to Perez, the program also runs a two-unit class in the education department every semester for student-parents that teaches valuable skills and also helps empower and educate them for county assistance, such as CalFresh.
"It's been helpful," Vic says of the class. "You have a bunch of parents that really talk about how hard it's been for them to really juggle school and being a parent."
Though both Vic and DeVante seem to be ably taking to parenthood, balancing the workload of the typical student-athlete with the additional responsibilities of fatherhood has been no small feat.
"Being an athlete, especially on the football team, is like having a job in addition to being a student," says Joanna Reed, who teaches the campus's Sociology of the Family course. "They're likely to be really involved dads, even given their demanding schedules."
Both enjoy taking a hands-on approach in the raising of their children — a trend that Reed says is increasing in fathers — but they have benefitted from their partners' willingness to take on a primary parenting role: Brittany is a stay-at-home mom, while Alexis is on maternity leave. This doesn't change the players' desire to be involved in the life of their children.
They've embraced some of the quirks of being a parent, whether that be taking monthly pictures as his son's "personal photographer" for Vic — who claims he can now change diapers in less than 45 seconds now — or reading with Avery and experiencing her quickly learn new things for DeVante.
"It's been fun seeing (Avery) grow every day mentally. She does new stuff every day. She's singing songs, doing her ABC's. She knows how to count to 10," DeVante says with a laugh. "Her first word was 'dada.' It was 'dada' everything — 'mommy' was 'dada.' "
The bond of being some of the only players on the team with children has brought Vic and DeVante closer. DeVante, whom players on the team call "Old Man" and "Dad," has been a mentor for Vic, while Brittany has been an important help for Alexis in terms of adjusting to young parenthood. Alexis and Brittany sit together at many of the football games with their children, while Vic IV wears protective earphones and Avery happily yells along with the crowd's cheers.
Both players have pretty thoroughly changed the structure of their lives outside of football. While most teammates may go hang out after practice, Vic and DeVante are often rushing home to take advantage of even the limited hours they can see their children. Some players, however, have taken a special interest in the kids. According to Vic, some of his closer friends on the team, such as Patrick Laird and Chase Forrest, are eager to hang out with his son.
"Everyone loves lil' Vic," says Vic Wharton III. "I have two years (of eligibility) left. He'll grow up knowing them, and they love him being around, so that's also helpful. It's not like I can't have my buddies anymore, either. … It's just a good family atmosphere here."
With so many hours every week devoted just to practice with the team and free time most often spent with the children, it can often be hard to find time for schoolwork. But because of the expectations of most UC Berkeley courses, it's not really an option to completely throw schoolwork aside.
And because the NFL is not a guarantee for either player, excelling in school is especially important to set themselves up for a stable life after football — one that can also support a family and child. Shirking responsibilities with the football team is also not an option, as both are on scholarship, not to mention their passion for the sport.
"It gets almost to the point of impossible to manage it all," says Cal head coach Sonny Dykes, whose wife recently gave birth to the couple's third child. "But I'm really proud of DeVante and Vic for handling it the way that they have. … A challenging situation forces you to grow up, and I think that they have."
Even for normal students, the task of raising a child can often directly conflict with the UC Berkeley workload. For DeVante, and especially Vic — the former is more of a seasoned pro at this point with Avery nearing her second birthday — sleep has fallen by the wayside, as fatherhood is a clear first priority. So it's hard. But to both players, it's worth it.
"You'll really understand how much you can love someone and how much they can change your motivation," Vic says. "I'm thankful for him because maybe some things weren't going right, but now I feel like whatever it is, he's going to make it better."
Hooman Yazdanian covers football. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @hoomanyazdanian
Albany Unified School District, Alexis DeSanto, Brittany Wilson, DeVante Wilson, Ginelle Perez, Joanna Reed, sports profiles, Student Parent Center, University Village, Vic Wharton III


Two dates. Eventually, all of us will experience them. The first is the day we're born. The second is the day we'll die. Two dates.
One of the things that came out in our sessions is that, based upon negative/bad experiences (things I did/things done to me/things that happened to others,) we formulate ideas, thoughts, & beliefs that are honest (truly what we think, feel, & believe,) but that aren't based on truth (a.k.a. what God says, what He declares is true of me & my identity.) These beliefs can & do shape our attitudes, thoughts, & behaviors, often in very negative & painful ways. One of those that has once again emerged, (& that I have been fortunate to have people wrestle through with me over the years,) is the belief that I am inadequate, insufficient, & wholly lacking in the areas I need for life, for relationships, for my 'job.' This belief does not have a strong hold on my life — due in large part to the many hours of theophostic prayer with Dennis & Georgia, hours of counseling & talks with Chuck, God's boundless goodness & grace in revealing to me, through His word, through our 'talks' what He thinks of me, & finally through dear friendships full of good words & forgiveness.
Still, during the intensive – as I tracked negative experiences on yellow post-it notes (I will forever associate negative feelings with yellow post-its… so say we all) – I saw this consistent theme of inadequacy & insufficiency surface repeatedly… it got to the point that, as I looked at my years from a birds-eye view, I saw the thread linking them together, a diabolical, dehumanizing thread meant to put me into a shell, consumed with self-doubt & loathing, bound by fear, too timid to DO anything for fear of being discovered for what I was. Not enough.
I saw that thread & it pissed me off. Made me angry at the time I spent dwelling on those negative thoughts. Angry at the damage done TO me & BY me as a result of those beliefs. But most of all, angry at the enemy of my soul, enemy of OUR souls, the one who strikes at us, who looks to keep us from the saving grace of God through Christ if he can, & if he can't, he's the one who looks to steal from us, kill us off slowly, & methodically destroy every area of our lives.
I know why I feel responsible for Johnny, (not to mention Joel & Ben;) its because I'm the oldest. The firstborn. I took on the responsibility when I was 4, & somewhere in there a parental encouragement of "Watch over your brothers while I go to the store," became something never intended: You, Louie, are the one who is responsible to make sure that nothing bad happens to your brothers. And if it does, its because you somehow failed. Or you were inadequate. Or you should have done something better. Or different. Or both.
See what I mean about a crushing weight?
When my parents brought Johnny home from UCSF, I was unaware that he was coming home to die, & would die soon, apart from a miracle healing from God. How was I unaware? Well, if you work hard, don't ask questions, & pretend that life is really normal & nothing bad is happening, & your brother is in San Francisco for treatment but he's really getting better, & then he'll come home & life will resume, it's really pretty easy.
Until I saw him. He was laying in his hospital bed, downstairs at my parents house. His abdomen was distended, & I didn't know why. So I asked. And he told me, "It's my liver." And then I knew. I noticed the yellowish tint to his eyes, his skin. The general overall weakness of his countenance. How much weight he had lost. And then I knew.
And the previous 12 months of denial reproached me like a slap to the face. I had avoided the reality of the situation because it hurt to much to acknowledge it.
I wish I'd spent more time talking with Johnny through his months of treatment, because the conversations I did have are some of the most precious memories I have. Because in the middle of the sickness, the pain, the suffering… my brother found a depth of faith & trust in God, something I can only call true maturity in Christ. I'm thankful for my mom recording & writing down some of the conversations she had with him too. Because they provide an insight to what really matters.
Here's what I mean: Instead of getting bitter or angry at God about his short life, the cancer, & all the things he'd lost or wouldn't get to experience, he fully embraced what he HAD. His life. And his life's purpose – to live for the glory of God, in the middle of WHATEVER circumstances he faced. In the face of death, in the midst of pain, he lived & died for that purpose. To have that kind of resolve, that kind of outlook on life, that kind of focus is something that motivates & inspires me every single day. He lived a good story, the kind of story that makes me want to be a better man.
Two dates. My first one is September 19, 1969. And my second one? Don't know.
But I can tell you this. I will live & strive to live for the glory of God in every area of my life. To live a good story. To be the best husband, father, grandfather, son, & friend that I can be. Because when I do that, I'm honoring Johnny & God.
One of my favorite things at this phase of life is getting together with my family – my kids, their spouses/fiance' & families – for a meal. Being able to gather in one of our houses for a couple hours of good talks, laughter, fun, & of course food. This last Saturday we got together at Joey & Grace's place for an early dinner – tacos. It was a little surreal for theBean & me as we brought drinks & let the rest of the family take care of the cooking. And goodness! Those Locke girls are really great cooks! I could get used to this.
Upon our arrival, we discovered that the girls had planned a surprise for us – not only were we going to eat great food… it was a gender-reveal party for Johnny & Joelle's little 22-weeks-along-or-so biscuit… our grandbaby. They were really creative in how they set up the living room/kitchen… there was a white board where everyone not in the know could place their vote (Mister or Miss)… pink & blue balloons abounded… as did white-chocolate covered pink & blue popcorn… Nuts or No-Nuts M&M's… lots of fun.
And then it was time to find out… a closed box full of chocolate strawberries was produced & Joelle teased the moment just long enough for my emotions to kick-in & my eyes to get misty… & then she popped the lid… IT'S A BOY! They're having a boy. Which means grandson #3 for us. We couldn't be happier.
Up until I was about 30 years old, I would have had a difficult time identifying the majority of emotions I felt. Mostly I cultivated a stoic, Spock-like (or Lt. Data, pre-emotion chip, for you TNG fans,) visage to cope with the overflowing cauldron of unidentified, powerful, & often incapacitating feelings swirling around somewhere near where I'd identify the location of my guts.
Sorting through faded memories I remember some of my early life's painful things: being bullied… I was a pretty small kid who turned his L's & R's into W's, which made me the target of a handful of boys (& one 5th grade girl) at ages 5 & 6. Being mocked for wearing Toughskins jeans sized "Husky" (which evidently got translated as "Fat" by my 3rd grade class). Being picked last for sports. Abuse at the hands of a relative. Being told in 6th grade I didn't have a good voice for public speaking (I had had to do a speech for reading class & after I finished my 'helpful' teacher was evidently trying to point me away from a career path where I'd have to talk in public…) The list goes on.
I also remember GOOD memories. Positive things. Finding out I was going to be a big brother, 3x/over. Excelling in school. Making a real friend who would stand with me. Parents who worked long hours at multiple jobs to provide for our family. Falling in love with the Giants via my transistor radio & a headphone… knowing in the deepest part of me that I knew Jesus Christ, & even more importantly, He knew me too.
Through all of it, good & bad, joy & pain, I never really knew what to do with my feelings when they rose up, other than not being quick to get angry… (learned that from the Bible). So, I kinda just let them be, not realizing the impact that would have on my own life, but especially on my relationships with others. I kept people at a distance (physical & emotional). I rarely shared my real thoughts & feelings with others, & the few times I really risked, my over-correction/self-protection responses kicked in at the speed of a snapping resistance band that'd been stretched too far. This led to me being angry a lot of the time… or at least on the verge of being angry. Loved ones, esp. theBean, Pasty, iDoey, & theWeez, walked on egg-shells around me, never knowing what would make me 'snap.' And I never cried.
So what changed when I hit 30? I came home from work & heard my oldest son say, "Dad's home!" This was accompanied by the sound of little feet scampering… AWAY from the front door. They all ran to hide. In their rooms. I was crushed… & asked theBean if I was really as bad as it seemed I was… & she bravely answered my pop-the-lid-off-the-can-of-worms question truthfully. And hearing her answers, watching her tears, & seeing her pain (& fear) hurt worse than just about anything I'd ever been through… I hated this, & felt powerless to do anything about it.
And then one day I was wrestling with a general feeling of "blah." Like I was stuck in emotional quicksand, aware of the overwhelming-ness of being down in a hole with no real idea or ability to get out. I remember asking myself out loud, "WHAT is wrong with me?" And I got a response from the Holy Spirit… "You need to grieve the loss of your brother." I had no idea what that meant. I thought I'd done that when he'd died 11 years earlier.. How was I supposed to grieve him again?
And the tears started to flow. Like a summer rain, it started slow & then turned into a tempest. I was crying. Snotty-faced, out of control, can't breathe, no sounds coming out/terrible anguish sounds coming out – Crying. The dam in my soul that had been there seemingly my whole life broke. And not just a little. It BLEW UP. And I cried. About everything. Nothing. It felt like I spent the next year crying, & I didn't know how to make it stop. Chuck wisely said, "Well, maybe you're just catching up on all the years you DIDN'T cry." And he smiled when he said it.
I don't think any of my kids remember their dad who didn't cry & who was pissed off most of the time. What they remember (& rehearse to the point that it's an inside joke) is that I am a crier. I cry when I'm happy. I cry when I'm sad. I cry at movies. When I listen to really great music. I cry when I'm proud of them, & I cry when they hurt. TheWeez said she didn't want me to do her wedding because, after all, "You'll just be a crying mess. You can sit in the front row & do that." She knows me :).
And so I go back to Saturday, to the gender-reveal party… I had already cried at finding out they were pregnant. And in that moment right before the pink box was opened to let us know IT'S A BOY!, I felt the flood of emotion overcome me. By this point in my life, I have gotten more comfortable with my feelings & emotions, & its not a foregone conclusion anymore that I'm going to be a weepy & melty mess when it happens. I can remember thinking, "K.I.T. Keep It Together." And I only cried a little bit. A couple tears, rolling down the face in a most-meaningful way.
And we celebrated our soon-coming grandson. And a growing family. And I thought about the journey of emotional discovery, growth, & freedom of the last 16 years… & I'm so thankful for a God who wouldn't leave me bottled up & broken, but who answered my prayers with people to help me.
Musings on a Monday…the hog.
I was in 3rd grade & it was Report Card day. I remember this because Report Card day was a Big Deal at my house, because it meant my parents got to see how I was doing in school… & not just the Academic grade, (which was, of course, important,) but also my Citizenship grade… which may have been the most important one to my parents.
Well, as a 1st born over-achiever, I was already well on my way to developing my perfectionistic tendencies… & I had pretty well dominated all that 3rd grade could throw at me. I had A's on top of A's, & loads of extra credit. I remember distinctly my parents telling me that I'd done well & that they were proud of me. And, as a words of affirmation person, that was the only reward I wanted/needed, & was truly the only inspiration necessary for me to keep pursuing academic excellence.
My parents had other ideas – I was laying on the floor of the living room of our house on Upson Lane watching TV… it must have been a good show, because I can remember hearing the muted roar of what was obviously some time of motorized scooter or bike, & not even turning around or looking to see what the noise was. After all, the sound was a pretty normal one for our house… for as long as I can remember, my dad has had motorcycles/dirt bikes, & pretty soon you learn to kind of tune out the sound.
Not today. It got louder. Drew nearer. I even had to turn the TV up.
Mine. My very own minibike. I put on a helmet & immediately rode it down Upson Lane into Margot Circle, thereby incurring the wrath of several homeowners who did NOT share the joy I was feeling & called the police on me to make sure that such boundless joy was muted & relegated to the appropriate places, namely, far away from them.
I rode the minibike, my "hog," every chance I got – soon after, we moved from Upson Lane to Golden Valley – its dirt roads, vacant lots, & general separation/distance from the City meant most of the world was my racetrack. It was joyous. I rode with friends, with neighbors, with my brother, by myself. I tried jumping it over puddles (& caught absolutely ZERO air.) The memories from a good portion of the next couple of years center on the hog.
And then I grew up.
Really, I don't remember when I stopped riding the hog – it was probably when I realized that it only went about 25 mph… & it was so small. And I was more interested in baseball & football, & the unwritten rule was no motorbikes during the sports seasons. I think my brothers rode the hog too, but I can't draw specific memories with them on it. I just knew that like many things from my childhood, my parents kept the hog in the garage with the thought that Someday they'd get it running again. For the grandkids.
Over the last few months, I'd heard a couple of stories about the minibike's restoration. My dad found a guy who fell in love with it & had been working on it. No other details. Then Friday, I was dispatched by theBean to go to Carson City to pick up a barstool that she'd commissioned my mom to get for her (it's a long story, but it involves multiple visits to ROSS stores all over Reno/Sparks/Carson CIty.) I decided to turn it into a visit – to have some time to talk & have coffee with my mom in celebration of the impending Mothers' Day. Near the end of my visit, my dad said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Want to see something?" We followed him into the garage & lo & behold! in the corner of the garage was the red Honda 50cc minibike… but instead of it being well-used, scratched up, & out of commission, it looked… good. Really good. I examined it closer & found that there had been a lot of work done. Engine. Gas lines. Other technical engine thing-ies. And then my dad started it. As soon as I heard the first roar of the engine I was transported back to being 9. I closed my eyes & listened to the engine purr & enjoyed the flood of memories that bombarded my mind.
And then he asked, "Do you want to ride it?" As silly as it sounds, I hadn't even considered it, but as soon as I knew I had the opportunity, I wanted to. I tentatively climbed aboard, (one doesn't just cavalierly mount a Honda 50,) & re-familiarized myself with the gears, hand & foot brakes… & I took off down the driveway.
Next thing I knew, tears were streaming down my face, whipped & dried by the wind. I don't know what happened, but riding that minibike for those 10 minutes did something in my heart & I felt a joy that was so foreign yet familiar that I almost didn't recognize it… a leftover from days where I used to do things Just Because they were Fun. What happened to that boy? I miss him.
When I went to get dressed this morning, I couldn't find my pants. So, I did what we most like were all taught to do: think. Where was the last time you had your ______? That tactic usually works… except with my pants, I was pretty sure I knew where my pants were, because, hey, I don't normally take my pants off until I get into the privacy of my own room. It's a thing.
So then I had to ask myself the question: Is there any other place I could have taken my pants off? I have to say I couldn't think of ANYWHERE I could have… & then I was sad. REALLY sad. Those were my pants, the pants that I liked, the pants that fit me. It is hard to find pants that fit, & those really did.
I went to the gym last night after work, & I hadn't had time to change into my gym clothes before I left work (normally I change before I leave work. It's a thing. But I digress). Maybe I left my pants in the locker at the gym. With no lock on the locker. NOTE: I know it's probably not a good thing to rely solely on a presumed Mens' Locker room etiquette or code that no one would touch my pants (& my black Under Armour polo!), but its been working for me so far.
However, I'd never stretched the limits of this "Mens' Locker Room Code" overnight. So hoping beyond hope, I called the gym & asked if someone would check to see if my pants were still in the locker I used; left the guessed locker number, my name & number & waited for a call back. Figured it would take about 5 minutes or so. I waited 10 & decided to go check the locker room myself.
Arrived at the gym 10 minutes later, identified myself as the caller who may have left his pants overnight in a locker. The girl at the front desk said, "My manager was just in there & couldn't find anything." Wonderful. But I wouldn't believe it until I checked.
Over the years, I have learned that when something doesn't belong to someone, they aren't nearly as diligent in looking for lost things as is the individual who lost it. Those were my pants, & if they were in the locker room, I would find them. I went to the locker number I had guessed & BOOM! There were my pants, still hanging majestically on the hook where I'd left them the night before.
A flood of joy WAY too big for the occasion poured over me. I was giddy. Laughed out loud & danced a little jig. The melancholy was gone as quickly as it had come, & a joy replaced it. I walked from the locker room, pants held high all the way out the front door. The girl at the front desk clapped for me & cheered, "Yay!" (Evidently she values pants nearly as much as I do.) The manager who "looked" for my pants didn't meet my victorious gaze as I walked to my car. This was going to be a good day.
I sat down in my car getting ready to head to work & I heard God say, "You know how happy you are because you found your pants? Think how happy I get when a person who's lost turns back to Me." Made me cry happy tears. Not for my pants, but for a God who could use something as trivial as my pants to remind me how valuable each one of us is to Him.
For more on what God thinks about people turning to Him, check out Luke 15.
Ramblings from my head – from January 22, 2016, the day that would have been John Leavy Locke's 43rd birthday.
But it happened. Johnny grew up. And we DID become best friends – we spent our childhood playing baseball & football from dawn til dusk in the backyard. One of my favorite things was to teach Johnny how to do something – we had a baseball tee in the backyard, & he was trying to hit the ball off the tee, without success. He said, "Help me Louie!?" And I did. And I loved it.
Sometimes the games carried into the house, with the predictable destructive results to the house – & also to Johnny – I remember trying to teach him what form tackling was in the living room. I was on my knees to make it fair – & he ran the football towards the end zone (aka the fireplace) & I launched myself at him & sent him sprawling. I was so proud of my form tackle that I didn't notice him get up & run as fast as he could to the back of the house. I yelled at him, "Come back here you chicken. You have to tackle me now." He didn't come back… turns out when he fell he hit his forearm on a screw sticking out of an open door – & his forearm was sliced open, clean as a whistle, no blood at all, from his wrist to his elbow. Good times.
The older we got, the better friends we became…And the more intense our fights got. I'd wake him up in the morning & he'd welcome me with a baseball aimed at my head. We'd wrestle & somehow I'd end up with a bloody nose because Johnny had 'accidentally" kneed or elbowed me in the face… again. Our conversations shifted towards topics fitting our teen years… Sports. Girls. Music. His interest in "New Wave" fashion – he was a fashion-ista & rocked board shorts, surfer t-shirt & black/white/red Air Jordans as easily as he did cool pegged jeans, top-siders, & pastel button ups. Goodness, he was confident – so sure of himself, much more so than I ever was. I appreciated his strength, his sarcasm, his ability to show compassion, his loyalty, as well as the killer instinct on a football/baseball field. He was my best friend.
The memories whirl around me like I'm in the eye of a hurricane, & they're flying around me, so vividly faint that I feel overcome… & I don't want them to stop.
When Johnny was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, everything in our family got turned upside down. My strong, independent brother became fragile & dependent on others for the most basic of tasks. He spent quite a bit of his last months in San Francisco receiving experimental treatments in the hope that his body would rebound. I didn't know how to deal with the hurt, pain, grief, & other negative emotions I felt, so I did what I knew: I poured myself into work, hoping beyond hope that when I finally lifted my nose off the grindstone, everything would be back to normal. It never happened.
And through it all, I watched my little brother Johnny grow as he experienced the closeness of a God who would never leave or forsake him, even when he was walking through the Valley of the shadow of death. In many ways, my faith in Christ had been theoretical – never before tested; then, right in front of my eyes, I got to see what it looked like to persevere in the face of adversity, to find joy & peace in times of despair & chaos. I got to see & hear the response of a 17 year old who was asked, "So, do you want to die in the hospital or at home?" He said, "I'm going home. And if I die, I will bring God glory. And if I live, I will bring Him glory. Either way, I win." And he meant it.
In his last days, Johnny received assurances from heaven in the form of dreams. He didn't go into a whole lot of detail about them, but there was a calm, a peace, a sort of anticipation present in his eyes & his countenance. He was in & out of consciousness quite a bit – one of the last things he said to my parents was, "Have faith. Have faith." And he meant it.
Within this last year, my two sons have gotten married; myWeez, my little princess, got engaged. So many things like this I wish I could share with my brother. So many things I wish my kids would have gotten to know about him, & having him involved in their lives. I feel like his physcial presence would more readily explain the passion with which my son Johnny attacks life; the fiercely compassionate temperament of my son Joey; the wit, sense of humor, & smile of theWeez. They're a lot like him & don't even know it.
I see Johnny in each of them, & I'm so glad that these parts of Johnny living on into the next generation.
Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting with dear friends, a couple that's been married over 50 years. The wife is recovering from cancer surgery… recovering well. We've believed for a good prognosis & post-surgery update. It turns out the doctor's report said the cancer they went in to get was "got…" but… There were other cancer cells that they found somewhere else. And they weren't contained. And the doctors were in the process of putting together a plan of attack, a plan for treatment. The room swam in front of us.
My friends are faith-filled. Hopeful. Tired. Sad. The whole gamut of emotions. Wanting to hear what the doctors will say, & at the same time knowing that the doctor's prognosis isn't the final word.
I had a flashback. Cancer. My brother Johnny – he had an (at the time) experimental treatment in the attempt to eradicate the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that had ravaged his body… the bone marrow transplant. I remember hearing the all-too-simple sum up of what this procedure entailed: 1st, the docs harvest the bone marrow from the hip; 2nd they bombard him with enough chemo to kill the cancer & hopefully not him; 3rd, they reintroduce the bone marrow & hope that it acts like a 'reset button' allowing him to recover & heal, sans the cancer. Post-procedure, the news came in… it didn't work. And there were more cancer cells, in other places. Not contained. One nurse callously asked him, "So, you want to die here or at home?" I could've punched her.
That was the same general feeling/spirit in my office yesterday – no matter what, we will hold onto the fact that God is in charge, & that He is the one with the final say on our lives & when we go home to be with Him. And in the meantime, we will live with determination, persevering in our trust in Christ. With the knowledge that this faith in Christ really shines in the midst of our difficult times. He's our Rock. Fortress. Deliverer. Healer. Salvation. The One who is with us, even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
This morning I observed the normal hustle & bustle of our start to the week – thePastyGangster dropped Mason on his way to work so that Auntie Weezie could take him to preschool. He entered the kitchen in a whirlwind of energy & didn't slow down. Frank came bounding down the stairs so theBean could take him to school… then rushed back upstairs at least 2 more times because he forgot something. (For such a little guy he sure makes a lot of noise.) iDoey was up & at 'em making breakfast… everyone was headed in different directions at 100 m.p.h. Still, it was a good morning.
The flurry of activity common to our weekday mornings stands in stark contrast to our Sunday afternoons/evenings. The afternoons are peaceful, quiet, & restful, with only the occasional football game related noise (cries of anguish for 49er fans like me,) breaking the silence It's a time for rest, catching up on a good book, eating a favorite snack, or just hanging out. The evenings we gather around the dinner table (or counter,) usually with family & friends for a good meal, even better discussion, & time together to be savored. I love it.
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide & the way is easy that leads to destruction, & those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow & the way is hard that leads to life, & those who find it are few.
I have been on a 'soup' kick for the last few months. Seems like I just can't get enough. My current favorite is made with grilled onions & garlic, cumin, green chiles, diced jalapenos, black & white beans, chicken stock, & the meat of a Costco rotisserie chicken. Lots of flavor & a little bit of spice. I think I've been eating it an average of 2x/day.
Just signed up to be a part of a spiritual direction program for the next 9 months. It's a 1x/month meeting via Skype & I have no idea what to expect, except that I am expecting good things.
I'm convinced that whatever you look for in somebody, you'll find. If you're looking for the good, for the areas that God is at work in & through, you'll be able to uncover it, even if it's small. And if you look for the negative, the bad, the ugly part of us that everyone has, you'll find that too.
On that note, there's always something in life to be complaining about, but really? Why? Why complain about life circumstances, another person who isn't meeting your expectations about how they're living their life, etc… ? It doesn't help, & it makes it not very fun to be around you. Trust me. I've been that guy – & one of the best days of my life was when someone told me, "You are SO negative, & you complain about SO many things. It's tiresome." I was forced to look in the mirror of my soul & I found a lot of discontent – stuff that was for me to address about myself… & the complaining & negativity were just symptoms, a distraction maybe, that oriented me towards living as a pessimist/realist/negative Nancy. a real downer who was very critical of myself & others. No fun. Don't want to go back to that.
Here's to a great day.
In the middle of life's busyness & hectic pace, have you ever had the thought, "I wish I was on a quiet beach somewhere with no noise, no demands. Just the sun, a good book, & a loved one? THAT is where I'll finally be able to get rest." I have… & I've been thinking more & more about what theBean & I going to do on our sabbatical when this quiet beach becomes our reality.
But I know me. It will do me no good at all to get away for 8 weeks, no matter how incredible the beach is or how isolated, quiet, & perfect the surroundings if I don't REST. In my head… you know, find the relief, the mental & emotional tranquility that brings a refreshment to the depths of your soul. I know that the last thing I want to do is be laying on beach next to theBean, all the while going 100 miles an hour in my brain, preoccupied, distracted, worried, & stressed.
…there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
For the word of God is living & active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul & of spirit, of joints & of marrow, & discerning the thoughts & intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked & exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
As I've been pondering the question, "What do I have to do to enter God's rest & to really experience the Sabbath rest this talks about?", I keep coming back to verses 12 & 13 above. You know, the part about the power of the word of God – & its ability to cut through to the very core of our being, even weighing our thoughts, motives, & intents of our heart… & it makes me think that entering God's rest (& finding true rest for my soul) is tied to time with Jesus… meditating on His words… allowing Scripture take root deep in my heart. Because it doesn't seem to be about doing something – its about transformation of heart & mind… not striving… learning to BE & BE dependent on His word.
That's my goal. That's how I want to be becoming, more & more. And I'm gonna find rest.
Think about it. The final 'act' of creation was God creating Sabbath, Holy Time –This was so important that He built it into the fabric of creation by working six days, then on the seventh day, He STOPPED. And then He RESTED.
When we have time off, we use it to get everything done that we couldn't finish during the work week, &/or we pack our free time with all sorts of activities. Technology doesn't help us out here – the modern conveniences of 'staying connected' through our smart-phones, computers, omni-present wifi, mp3 players keeps a constant barrage of stimulation & noise bouncing around our brains.
No wonder silence seems strange.
Do I ever REALLY stop? When was the last time I took a day, set apart as Holy Time, & didn't work… didn't get preoccupied/distracted with something… just intentionally set myself up to BE?
The defense mechanisms kick in quickly. Countless reasons for WHY I do what I do, & WHY taking much time (let alone a day) is just about impossible with all the things that fill my busy schedule come to mind.
And then I think about what I read last week from Matthew 11:25-30, especially the part about finding God's rhythms of grace for life… & I contrast that to the driven, life-sucking pace & practices that lurk around me… And I want that rhythm, God's rhythm for me. And so I invite Him in to the mess of me… & I trust He will FINISH what He starts.
At Hillside, we just finished up our most recent series, "Who am I REALLY?" (You can listen HERE & HERE if you're interested.) It was an exploration of WHO God says we are, in Him, & WHAT the ramifications of that are in our lives. I really enjoyed it, & got to hear lots of feedback from others on the things that they were learning & hearing from God as He did work in helping them grow in Him.
And when one's supervisor says such things, you does them.
BTW: Here's a SUM UP of what a sabbatical is (it's wikipedia – don't sue me:) – & here's some INFO on why sabbaticals are helpful to pastors: – & here's MORE.
This might sound to you like a no-brainer – if the pastor's going to be gone for several weeks, wouldn't it be a good idea to talk quite a bit about it & to prepare the community for it as well? I would say, "Yes. Yes it does." And, to be fair, I have talked about it. A little. And so I repented. Asked God for forgiveness for getting caught up in the speed & race of life. And for dis-remembering what it means to live life at God's unforced rhythm of grace. Cause a sabbath (& a sabbatical) are not just meant to be a recovery time so that we can jump back, helter-skelter, into the out of control mess of life. Rather, they are to form a pattern for how life is lived the rest of the week/month/year, etc… a life lived at God's pace, with His values, purposes, & goals directing every step. It's counter-intuitive to the world-system (& even church-system) & requires both LEARNING to walk at God's pace & REMAINING dependent upon Him for what comes next… Here we go!


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Where is The Jump filmed for Channel 4? – Austria Filming Locations
What location is used to film The Jump on C4?
Channel 4's winter games themed reality TV show is filmed at locations in and around Innsbruck, Tyrol in Austria, including the town of Wörgl.
The live shows are broadcast from the small town of Natters, whose ski jumping facilities were first constructed in 1964. The site features the K15, K24 and now K60 jumps, of varying heights and difficulties.
In addition to being a popular winter holiday destination, the city's sporting venues situated in the Inn Valley have previously played host to the Winter Olympics in both 1964 and 1976.
What the Pro's use: The Bergisel Ski Jump, Innsbruck – Photo by Veit Mueller (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
During the Channel 4 series, The Jump's 12 celebrity contestants will be put through their paces across 6 winter sporting events.
The Jump returns to our screens for series 2 in January of 2015. The competition will again be presented by Davina McCall and The Last Leg's Alex Brooker.
The Natters ski jumps and The Art and Sport Hotel as viewed on Google Earth:
Starring in the new series will be a fresh line-up of celebrities, including 'Pussycat Doll' Ashley Roberts, dance star Louie Spence, ex-cricket player Phil Tufnell, X Factors Stacey Solomon, 'Jackass' star Steve-O, Paul McCartney's ex Heather Mills, JLS singer JB Gill, TOWIE's Joey Essex, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, plus one half of the Gogglebox 'posh couple' Dominic Parker.
References: innsbruck.info, skisprungschanzen.com
Where was The Musketeers TV series filmed? – 2014-2015 BBC Filming Locations
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Where is I'm a Celebrity filmed? – 2014 Jungle Film Locations
Tags:Channel 4 TV Series Filming Locations
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When most of the writings on Martin Luther King, Jr. concentrate on the civil rights movement, tiny work has been produced to location his speeches and worldview in the context the Freedom and struggles in Africa and other Third Planet nations. King was informed and inspired by the liberation struggles in Africa and other Third Planet nations. What has emerged from the voluminous components and books written about Martin Luther King, Jr. is a single, truncated dimension of King and his worldview. For the most aspect, the legacy and correct which means of King has been highjacked by historians and writers and striped of its subversive and anti-establishment content material.
Africa played an essential part in informing each the Civil Rights and Black Energy Movements. African Americans have been effectively conscious and inspired by African nations breaking the hold of European colonialism on Africa. Dating back to Marcus Garvey, who placed Africa at the core of black political consciousness, African Americans have been conscious of their historical and cultural hyperlink with Africa. As Garvey had prophesied the rise of Africa strengthen the political calculus of black in America and all through the planet.
That the calculus of Africa informed Martin Luther King view of the Civil Rights Movement is a footnote in history, talked about only in passing by historians. However, Africa was as essential to King as it was for Malcolm X, who is most normally linked with Africa. King was invited and attended independence celebration of Ghana. "The minute I Knew I was coming to Ghana, King mentioned, "I had a extremely deep emotional feeling. A new nation was been born. It symbolized the truth that a new order was coming into becoming and an old order was passing away." Hence, Africa and the liberation struggles on the continent have been central to King's evolving worldview.
As reflected beneath, King references to Africa demonstrates how he viewed the value of Africa in connection with African Americans and their freedom struggle.


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Geeks won Gold at UK Digital Experience Awards 2014
by RUTH THOMAS - Sep 22,2014
We are delighted to announce that Geeks have been successful to beat a very difficult competition to win the award for Best B2B Solution, and also Best Innovation in Digital Experience at the UK Digital Experience Awards 2014.
The awards ceremony was hosted on 9th July at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London with over 200 representatives from other finalist organisations. This was a brilliant achievement as we were up against many leading organisations including big companies such as BT, SKY, Barclays, RBS, Nationwide, Monarch, Ticketmaster, TFL and many more.
Best B2B Solution Award
These unique awards are designed to recognise and celebrate the use of digital media channels to provide excellent customer service. Geeks were acknowledged as offering the best B2B Solution for demonstrating business rationale and innovation in their creative approach as a digital initiative to meeting customer needs.
Judging by customer insight into how these needs were met, and the standard of employee/customer engagement, Geeks have been recognised as using excellent time and budget management as well as staff engagement to continuously deliver outstanding customer service.
Best Innovation in Digital Experience Award
Whilst all of the finalists were recognised as leading organisations in the digital industry for creativity and innovation, but Geeks stood out to win this top prize above all competition.
What made Geeks different was invention of a breakthrough software called VisualSpec™. It enables UX experts and system designers to visualise customer requirements for any new software application or website project. This approach enables both parties to effectively communicate, document and express the requirements about 8 times faster and more efficiently than was possible before. VisualSpec™ solves an age-old problem of the IT industry in relation to requirements ambiguity, and so it's a massive enabler of success.
Choosing the Winners
Winners of the awards were decided by a judging panel of over 50 industry practitioners. Each of the finalists from the 11 Categories presented their entries to the judges in the morning, with winners being announced over a sit-down meal later that afternoon. There were over 200 people, including singer Heather Small, celebrity ambassador for Barnardo's.
Neil Skehel, Managing Director of Awards International, congratulated the winners of the 2014 Awards, saying:
"We are delighted with the best practice showcased by entries received for the UK Digital Experience Awards. We have seen some shining examples from companies who are at the forefront of using digital technology to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Today gave us the opportunity to acknowledge those companies and celebrate with the finalists and winners."
All funds raised from the event went to Barnardo's, and Sponsors of the Awards included Usability247, Rant & Rave and Spectrum Insight, with the UK Digital Experience Awards partnering with Customer Experience Magazine, Cranfield School of Management, Global Reviews and Awards Systems.


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Energy Conservation signs to remind employees and visitors to conserve energy and water, or identify no idling zones.
Recycled Water signs identify spigots with recycled or non-potable water that's not safe to drink.
Trash / Litter signs that include OSHA, ANSI and standard headers on topics ranging from dumpster rules to maximum load level, to private container signs and even video surveillance warnings.
Surface-mount Recycling Signs to identify recycling areas and instructions, as well as a plastic recycling chart that explains the various plastic types.
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The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Park / Charge page is also available from the Environmental tab. It features 36 signs designating electric vehicle charging stations, alternative fuels available, hybrid and carpool parking spaces and more.


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« Action: concerning methane emissions, pollution fines, forced child labor, and the Grand Canyon. | Main | Action: concerning voting rights, public lands, and immigration. »
Around the table: concerning Democrat weakness, Presidential misbehavior, and rich folks whining.
Oh, look at this BS: super-rich folks in England whine about how they'll leave the country if Labour wins the national elections next month. And over some piddling changes proposed by the Labour leader Mr. Corbyn, which include raising the top 45% marginal tax rate all the way to (drumroll, please) 50%. Boy, it sure is a good thing for these super-rich that they're all completely indispensable and there are literally no hungry people in all of England looking to take their place.
Speaker Pelosi thinks "Medicare for All" doesn't play well in the Midwest, and issues a general warning that taking up too many "far-left" proposals will doom Democrats with the Great American Center. Strange that running as far right as possible never seems to bite Republicans in their collective backside! Also, she's wrong -- Medicare for All does actually play well in the Midwest, particularly with the rural voters Democrats constantly write off as unreachable. Of course, if you don't actually try to do the right thing, it's a lot easier to convince yourself that doing the right thing never works.
In a related note, Colorado Senator/somehow-still-running Democratic Presidential candidate Michael Bennet says, of Ms. Warren's now fully- and realistically-funded Medicare-for-All plan, that "(r)egardless of whether it's $21 trillion or $31 trillion, this isn't going to happen, and the American people need health care." Yeah, that'll move the needle on his Presidential bid, since history shows that if there's one rallying cry voters can't resist, it's it can't be done! Also, too, we're going to spend $47 trillion over the next decade on health care, so if Ms. Warren can capture that money, as her plan would, then "the American people need health care" is an utterly nonsensical statement. I know, that's a surprise.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) -- the man who gives the Citizen Legislator a bad name -- demands that our National Archives produce email correspondence between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and not at all because he, of all Senators, is uniquely enmeshed in this whole sordid business with the Ukraine. Mr. Johnson's letter doesn't really explain why he needs to look at the emails, except that the law says he can and that Peter Strozk says they exist. I guess BUT HER EMAILS!!!! is all the reason he needs.
Our President, at a Mississippi rally, not only declares that the Democrats' impeachment vote is "an attack on democracy itself" but also an effort to "nullify the votes of 63 million Americans," i.e., those of his supporters. How he feels about the over 73 million Americans who voted against him he did not say, so we are not only compelled to note, once again, that the President is not America, but also that the President's supporters are not the only participants in a democracy. (He also told his audience that he "can't believe" the Mississippi gubernatorial race is "competitive." Does he not think he might have something to do with that?)
Finally, our President says, out loud, in a fundraising email, that his supporters should contribute bigly to the campaigns of three Republican Senators who have supported a resolution condemning the impeachment inquiry. Perhaps not coincidentally, these three Senators are members of the very same body who will be trying this impeachment inquiry in the Senate. When a Bush Mobb ethics chief calls such a thing "criminal" and "a bribe," well, I'm not sure what else one has to say about the matter.
Posted at 03:04 AM in around the table, campaign finance, Democrat weakness, health care, law and order, Medicare-for-All health insurance, tax cuts for the rich, taxes, waaaaah! | Permalink


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Jane Austen Adjacent Books That Lead Me to P&P Variations
Posted byAmanda Bennet October 21, 2020 October 21, 2020 Posted inBook reviewTags:Book Reviews, Jane Austen, Jane Austen adjacent books, Jane Austen Variations, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Variations
I know Pride and Prejudice variations is a pretty niche genre, so I'm aware that doing reviews of these books isn't going to be a hugely popular feature on my blog. However, when I first got into them, I looked for recommendations, and I had a hard time finding any. Of course, there are reviews on individual books on Amazon. But there are a surprisingly large number of P&P variations out there, and I didn't know where to start. Eventually I did find someone who had a recommendation list, and I was grateful that I did. So that's why I want to do this. Also, I have now read over 150 variations, and I need to do something with all this information!
I've taken some steps towards this before. I've already posted the list of my absolute favorite variations: https://amandadowntherabbithole.wordpress.com/2020/03/06/my-favorite-pride-and-prejudice-variations/. But before I forge ahead with more variations lists, I'm going to take a step backwards and talk about the books that lead me to P&P variations: what I call, Jane Austen Adjacent books. These are books that are not strict adaptations or modernizations or variations on Jane Austen's works but works that were influenced by Jane Austen or that heavily reference Jane Austen.
It was because I enjoyed these books and wanted more that I ended up discovering P&P variations, which admittedly are not at all like these books. All of these books are light, charming, and fun.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Courtney Stone, a young, brokenhearted modern Los Angeles woman, wakes up after a night of drowning her sorrows in vodka and the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, to find that she's in the body of woman in Regency England. She's not in Jane Austen's literary world, she's in Jane Austen's literal world. At first she thinks she's dreaming, but quickly realizes she's now inhabiting the body of Jane Mansfield, and if she doesn't want to be sent to an asylum, she's going to have to figure out how to live without toilets and telephonesd, what to make of the eligible Mr. Edgeworth, and ultimately how and if she'll get her old life back.
This is a really charming, fish-out-of-water story: Modern American woman in Regency England. It's fun to see her navigate the unfamiliar world. But you do also feel the danger she's in if she can't convince everyone she's the woman whose body she possesses. As she gets to know her suitor, she has to try to see past rumors and her own past experience with men. There's an interesting mystical element that helps explain what happened. There's also a fun cameo by Jane Austen herself.
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
This is more a parallel story than a sequel to Rigler's Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. In the previous book Courtney Stone wakes to find herself in Regency England in Jane Mansfield's body. Here is the story of what happened to Jane: she wakes up in Courtney's body in modern day L.A. She suddenly goes from a privileged and rather pampered lifestyle to living on her own, having to navigate modern technology and getting a job. And then there are the modern dating rituals.
This is another fun fish-out-of-water story: Regency English woman in Modern America. Her initial reaction to her new life is entertaining. I enjoyed seeing her really take to the independence of her new position and create a life for herself—something different from what Courtney had been doing. And it's fun to see her reaction to film versions of Jane Austen's books. Delightful read.
Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
The eponymous club is made up of five women and one man.They are different ages and situations in life, and over the course of the novel, as they meet to discuss JA's works, they deal with their own issues. Each chapter is a JA book and the month in which the group discusses it. The month's books is also a sort of frame through which to see the characters and events. The characters can be seen as analogs to JA's characters, for instance Jocelyn is a sort of Emma, yet the story as a whole is not trying to modernize/update any one of JA's novels.
It is an engaging read. I love the opening line "Each of us has a private Austen." And I really like how each character is introduced by detailing both how they all know each other and what each of their "private Austen's" is. Plus there's a bit of a mystery in that the first person narrator is one of the book club members, but you don't know which one yet.
First Impressions by Charlie Lovett
This is a dual story: A "what if" tale of a formative friendship between Jane Austen and the elderly Reverend Richard Mansfield, and a modern literary mystery. The modern part of the novel is about how an employee of an antiquarian bookshop in London, Sophie Collingwood, becomes embroiled in the mystery of an obscure book written by Richard Mansfield. Along the way she must sort out the mystery of the book and what it might mean for the provenance of Pride and Prejudice and also her feeling for the two men she meets along the way.
Despite its suspense and mystery, this is a light story. It's fun and charming. It could appeal to bibliophiles as well as JA fans, and to people who are ignorant of both. It does have it's own P&P influence in the characters of Sophie's suitors, who are basically Darcy and Wickham.
Austenland by Shannon Hale
In Austenland, a young American woman, Jane, whose love life suffers because she is constantly comparing the men she meets to Mr. Darcy, gets a chance to spend a three weeks at an Austen-themed resort where she and the other female guests dress in Regency fashions, use Regency etiquette, language, and technology, and are "courted" by actors who seem to be gentlemen lifted straight from the pages of Austen's novels.
This is fun and funny. Jane at first struggles to get into the spirit of the thing and finds herself drawn to a seemingly "real" gardener rather than to the obviously "fake" gentlemen. She must determine, what, if anything, in a constructed reality is real and how much it matters.
Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
Yet another American woman (Emily Albright) for whom Mr. Darcy has set too high a bar for real men to meet who finds herself in England, this time on a Jane Austen bus tour. Her tour companions are mostly older woman, but there is also a slovenly, but funny and handsome journalist trying to understand Mr. Darcy's allure for a piece he's writing. There is a slight supernatural aspect to this story that allows Emily to meet and be courted by Mr. Darcy.
It's fun to see what happens when someone who holds Mr. Darcy up as the ideal man actually meets him. Is he everything she thought he would be? Would a relationship with him really be what she wants? Potter answers these questions in a likable story with likable characters.
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
This story deals with the most serious issues: orphans and abuse in foster care. Main character, Sam, has learned to deal with those issues by retreating into classic literature. She wants to be a journalist and is given a scholarship to a prestigious journalism school, the only catch is she must write letters, detailing her progress, to her benefactor, Mr. Knightley. Along the way, she meets and befriends the author Alex Powell. Over time her letters become more confessional, and through her friendship with Alex she starts to open up and trust more.
I have a bit more to say about this book than the others because it disappointed me. I would still say it is good and worth reading, but I was frustrated by the end. I've read other reviews of this book from people who found the beginning disappointing and the end redeeming, but I feel exactly the opposite.
I like the premise of someone who hides from their trauma and protects themselves from further harm by retreating into books so completely that they no longer know how to speak for themselves. The many literary quotes and how they're used is fun and creative. And overall, it was well written and engaging.
One of the things that didn't work for me was the pace of the protagonist's recovery—it is a little on the fast side: 15 months and no ongoing counseling felt unrealistic. I felt the ending got a little too preachy without earning it, as if the God stuff was added just so it could get published by a Christian publisher. And the happy ending didn't feel earned either—not that it shouldn't have ended the way it did, but it was too quick, making it feel too pat.
"Boxes with Bicycle"


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text:
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April 9, 2015 8:33AM PT
'Lego Dimensions' Game from Warner Bros. to Meld Batman, 'Lord of the Rings' and More
By Todd Spangler
Todd Spangler
NY Digital Editor @https://twitter.com/xpangler	FOLLOW
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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is this fall slated to launch "Lego Dimensions," a videogame that includes physical toy figurines and fuses together universes from multiple WB and Lego brands, including DC Comics' Batman, "The Lord of the Rings," "The Lego Movie, "The Wizard of Oz," Lego Ninjago, "Back to the Future" and others yet to be announced.
The game, set to launch Sept. 27, is developed by TT Games in partnership with Lego Group. "Lego Dimensions" will be available for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 4 and PS3, and Nintendo's Wii U.
With "Lego Dimensions," characters from multiple entertainment franchises will, for the first time in a Lego videogame, join forces to battle in worlds outside their own — a concept borrowed from such titles as Disney Infinity, the Mouse House's very successful game property. "Dimensions" is WB's entry into the "toys-to-life" category, which combines physical toys with a videogame; others in this space include Disney Infinity, Activision's Skylanders and Nintendo's Amiibo.
See More: Warner Bros. to Launch New Batman, 'Game of Thrones' and 'Mortal Kombat' Mobile Games
"'Lego Dimensions' expands our Lego videogame franchise with a breakthrough, immersive interactive entertainment experience that will redefine the toys-to-life games category," Jeff Junge, Warner Bros. Entertainment's senior VP for Lego and TT Games. "'Lego Dimensions' will bring fans innovative and joyful gameplay with an amazing mashup of huge brands in both the physical and digital worlds."
In addition to the game, the "Lego Dimensions" starter pack will include the Lego Toy Pad, letting players transport special Lego minifigures and other Lego objects into the game; bricks to build the Lego Gateway; and three Lego minifigures: Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle from "The Lego Movie"; plus the Lego Batmobile.
The "Lego Dimensions" starter pack will be priced at $99.99. Additional level packs will be listed at $29.99, with "team packs" at $24.99 and "fun packs" at $14.99 each.
The game's expansion packs, beyond what's included in the baseline product, will provide new buildable characters, vehicles, tools and gadgets, plus game content with mission-based levels and unique in-game abilities.
The expansion packs for "Lego Dimensions" to be available in 2015 include a "Back to the Future" level pack with a Lego Marty McFly minifigure; a Lego Ninjago team pack with Kai and Cole minifigures; three Ninjago "fun packs" with Jay, Nya and Zane minifigures; two DC Comics fun packs with Wonder Woman and Cyborg minifigures; three "Lord of the Rings" packs with Gollum, Gimli and Legolas minifigures; four "Lego Movie" packs with Emmet, Bad Cop, Benny and Unikitty characters; and a "Wizard of Oz" pack with a Wicked Witch of the West minifigure.
"'Lego Dimensions' is unlike anything that we have ever done," commented Niels Jørgensen, VP of digital games for Lego. "It further extends the Lego play experience into the digital world with all of the characters, humor and action of Lego videogames now combined with the fun of Lego minifigure and model building."
Separately, WB Interactive last month announced plans for mobile game "Lego Batman: Beyond Gotham," also produced by TT Games, in which the Caped Crusader joins forces with superheroes of the DC Comics universe.
Watch the launch trailer for "Lego Dimensions," featuring "Community" star Joel McHale:
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Disney promoted Justin Connolly to the new role of president, media distribution, overseeing a single organization that combines all of the company's media sales and TV channel distribution operations. Connolly previously served as EVP, affiliate sales and marketing, Disney and ESPN Media Networks. Based in New York, he will report to Kevin Mayer, chairman of [...]
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The ARI-NARIT joint development team. Left to right: Bovornpratch Vijarnwannaluk, Pathompong Butpan, Utane Sawangwit, Marco Lam, Andrzej Piascik, Chris Copperwheat, Robert Smith, Iain Steele.
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) recently hosted a 3-week Newton Fund collaboration workshop with the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT). LJMU and NARIT both own and operate their own 2-metre class telescopes: LJMU's Liverpool Telescope, and NARIT's Thai National Observatory.
Both institutes developed a common interest in exploiting new technologies for data management and archiving. These new systems will be used for their existing telescope facilities, and also for LJMU's proposed 4-metre class New Robotic Telescope (commonly known as "Liverpool Telescope 2"), on which NARIT is collaborating.
The joint development team compared the feasibility of using PostgreSQL (PSQL) and Elasticsearch (ES) as the core engine of a new archive system for astronomical data. LJMU developers Dr Marco Lam and Dr Andrzej Piascik worked with Bovornpratch Vijarnwannaluk and Pathompong Butpan from NARIT, to compare the efficiency of an ES search engine to that of a conventional relational database.
In the final week, Dr Utane Sawangwit from NARIT also joined us to conclude the project. This entailed the production of a complete prototype web front end for the demonstrator archives. A poster paper describing the work was presented in the Software Session of the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science 2018. A joint research paper will also be presented at the June SPIE 2018 Astronomical Telescopes conference in Austin, Texas.


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The fast-changing global business environment, and the need to collaborate and manage transformation in the spices sector was the core agenda for the third International Spices Conference, ISC 2018. ITC Executive Director, Ms. Arancha González, inaugurated the conference – themed "Managing Disruptions through Transformation and Collaboration" – held from 4 – 7 February in Jaipur, India.
ISC 2018 was hosted by the All India Spices Exporters' Forum (AISEF), which represents about 80 percent of spice exports from India, in association with the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Mr. Prakash Namboodiri, Chairman, AISEF, Mr. Shaji Varghese, President, CCCI, and Mr. Surampudi Sivakumar, Group Head of Agri Business, ITC Limited were among those present at the opening ceremony.
'Disruption is nothing new to spice farmers. Typically, small-scale, they have long had to cope with volatile prices and production losses due to plant disease and unexpected weather. But the pace of change is accelerating,' observed Ms. González in her inaugural address. Further she explained how ITC, through its Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA) project, is working directly with MSMEs in the spices sector in India and Africa to improve incomes and livelihoods through increased trade and investment.
'Disruption, if harnessed and used to empower the base of the agriculture pyramid can bring tremendous economic and social progress,' Ms. González observed.
The 3-day conference deliberated on effective strategies to foster sustainable farming, improve the livelihood of spice farmers, address spice industry challenges, food safety concerns and demand-supply imbalances in the spices industry. Over 45 speakers and 750 delegates from nearly 50 countries, including industry leaders, representatives of international spice associations, policy-makers, farmers and end users participated in the conference. The 11-member SITA delegation included farmers and representatives from spices companies in Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Following the opening ceremony, Ms. González inaugurated the exhibition organised as part of the event – 38 exhibitors participated. The SITA booth, presenting the products of the project beneficiaries from Ethiopia and Rwanda, registered a good turnout sparking the interest of many spices producers and traders from India and other parts of globe.
Telling his story, Mr. Giscard Tuyishime – a Rwandan smallholder farmer who also serves as Chairman and National Coordinator of Spice Production project, Bugesera Farmer's Cooperative -said, 'I started farming in 2012 after my Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture. Earlier I was producing several horticultural crops – tomatoes, watermelons etc, selling them at the local market, often facing major price fluctuations and losses.
'Through our association with SITA, we got connected to the Indian company Akay Flavours and Aromatics, who introduced us to chilli farming. The trials gave us confidence to pursue chilli farming as a business. We definitely had challenges in the trial such as chemical residue and aflatoxin – which were addressed through various training programmes. We see great potential as Akay has now agreed to buy all that we produce, once we meet the quality standards. The requirement is for 1000 tonnes of hybrid chilli, then Akay will set up a processing plant in Rwanda. That will be great win-win situation.
'However, we still have a long way to go… Value addition and post-harvest handling are the two areas where we need continued assistance from SITA,' Mr. Tuyishime said.
'Before SITA, we were supplying fresh birdseye chilli to the local market through middlemen with high risk of losses. The SITA intervention helped us connect directly with the buyers. We have also received training on drying technology as well as support for value addition to chilli oil,' said Mr. Dieudonne Twahirwa, another young Rwandan farmer who is the Managing Director of Gashora Farm.
'Here at ISC also, we have received potential enquires for chilli oil as well as hybrid chilli varieties developed with SITA assistance. Now samples need to be sent for approval,' Mr. Twahirwa said.
'Here at ISC 2018, we have received a confirmed order for one container (6 MT) of rosemary from an Indian buyer for shipment in March. We are also getting samples approved for the supply of 10-15 containers of turmeric,' Dr. Meskel added.
'Going forward, SITA will be working on developing these spices in the two countries in phases,' Dr. George said.


I'm thinking about fitting a new motor to my older Warn M8274 high mount winch, do I need to change the pinion gear?
Some of the old Warn high mounts have a keyway pinion gear, usually those with the 2.1HP Prestolite motors. The Bosch motor [MRV-B-4] 2.5HP was fitted from around 1987 and this motor has the splined armature shaft. To convert your high mount to the newer motors, the splined pinion gear part number 15879 is required. The 4.6 and 6hp motors all use the splined pinion gear. Changing the pinion gear is easy. We always have the splined pinion gear in stock. The image below shows the splined pinion gear.


A belly bump!! I love helping a couple document such an exciting and special time in their journey, so last weekend, I met up with Michelle and Richard at Piedmont Park to do just that! With Music Midtown going on at the park, we had dancing music in the background of our shoot and saw some *interesting* things on our walk! The weather was perfect and these two are great together. I can't wait to meet the new member of the family in a few weeks!
Talk about glowing!! Isn't she gorgeous!
Michelle and Richard each collected Smurfs as kids, and the baby's nursery is also Smurf-themed, so we had to sneak the little blue guys into a few shots!
I love the reflection of the city in this one. Right after this shot, the wind picked up and the city rippled away into a million little pieces.
I really enjoyed meeting both of you. You guys are so easy-going (a great quality for soon-to-be parents!) and so loving towards each other. Good luck in the next few weeks - I'm giddy at the idea that I'll be snuggling your little peapod soon!


text:
Зборник Института за педагошка истраживања је један од водећих часописа у области васпитања и образовања. Издавач је Институт за педагошка истраживања. Први број Зборника објављен је 1967. године и све до 2004. године, излазио је као годишњак , а од 2005.излази у две свеске годишње. У часопису се објављују теоријски, прегледни и оригинални истраживачки радови сарадника Института као и аутора из Србије и света. Радови у часопису се штампају на српском и енглеском језику.

Током 2006. Зборник је стекао статус међународног значаја верификован посебном одлуком Министарства просвете, науке и технолошког развоја Републике Србије.
Тренутни главни и одговорни уредник је Славица Г. Шевкушић.

Уредници
1. Стева Крњајић;
2. Снежана Јоксимовић;
3. Нада Половина;
4. Славица Шевкушић.

Референце

Спољашње везе
 Зборник института (online)

Стручни часописи
Научни часописи
Медији у Београду

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Welcome to our second week of Travelers Tuesdays where we love to introduce new families who travel full time! This week, we are joined by Storm and Rebeka from "Alaskan Gypsies". Their family is originally from Kasilof, Alaska, but they are currently chasing their dreams and passions across our great nation.
Meet the family: Storm and Rebeka have three kids and two of them are traveling full time with them. Their daughter (18) is away at college but their two sons (10 and 7) are loving roadschooling. Right now, their favorite curriculum to use is Trail Guide to Learning, an American History based curriculum that focuses on the Charlotte Mason style of teaching. Their favorite subjects are science and geography and they both love getting artistic!
What are your favorite or least favorite things about traveling full time? Our favorite part of traveling together is experiencing all these places and learning about them together. We have always been close but I do believe we have bonded more as a family. The connections and memories we are creating with each other makes it all worth while. One of the hardest parts about being on the road is when Storm goes to work. I have to be really creative on how to get my alone time and I do need it sometimes. I love to run so that has been a challenge because I can't just go for a 1-2 hour run and leave the kids alone. I have found it helpful to map out short routes or I will run in circles in the campgrounds so that I can get a little run therapy.
How many states or countries have you visited? So far, we have driven from Alaska through Canada on the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) and Cassiar Highways down to San Diego. We were there for a family reunion and then traveled back through California hitting several large parks on the way through. We visited Joshua Tree, Sequoia, and Redwood Parks just to name a few. We then drove the 101 from Northern California to Washinton and, after a small stay in Washington, went south to Oregon for my first trail run (13.1 miles!) up a mountain. From Oregon we moved on to Idaho and this is where we will be camping for a small while but we will move on again soon. We started traveling full time in June of 2015 and since my husband works 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, we move during his times off.
What has been your favorite (and least favorite) trip, site, or experience so far? I know it sounds silly but I have loved everywhere we have gone. It is one of the reasons we decided to travel because every time we visited somewhere new, we just loved being there. We love new places and new adventures! Our boys would probably say California was there favorite because we visited LEGOLAND and went boogie boarding. I did really love Oregon though.
What are your ultimate travel goals? Our travel goals are to see as much of our great country as possible while also learning as much about it as we can along the way. We also want to use this opportunity to visit many of our friends and family across the states.
Why did you start a website/blog and what are your goals for it? I started the blog to share my home business but then decided to write about preparing to travel full time and also our adventures. I have not been very faithful with it but that is one of my goals, to become more diligent. It is has been harder than I originally thought but I would eventually like to earn money while blogging about our lifestyle.
A glimpse into the mom behind the family: Do you have a favorite book? My favorite book is the Bible. I love to read aloud to my kids and I tend to enjoy junior novels. I also love historical fiction and could get lost in a good series. I'm always looking for a new read to fall in love with if anyone has suggestions! What is your favorite thing to write about? I think I really like to write about homeschool, running, and travel. I have to be in the right mood though so it may not be good for a successful blog. What is your favorite season? My favorite season is fall if I am in the states with all of the beautiful fall colors. I grew up in upstate New York and Alaska has never stood a chance in comparison to New York for fall beauty. In Alaska, summer is my favorite. Now that we are in the states, I love following the sun. What is your favorite food? Is there something you've found somewhere that you can't easily find elsewhere? My favorite foods are cake and coffee. Cake, I am not picky, but when I find a yummy moist cake then I relish it. Coffee has been a challenge since I am a bit of a coffee snob. When we started traveling, one of the first things we did was purchase an espresso machine. I needed a good cup of coffee! Now that I think of it…maybe I should go fix a cup right now. See you down the road!


The FY15 Curriculum Integration Summit took place from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on April 8, 2015, at the Illinois State University, Alumni Center in Normal. Attendees joined Illinois experts for a day-long dialogue on how Illinois Community Colleges are modeling Academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) integration. Current national trends related to academic and CTE integration and alignment and review recommendations for institutional structure to promote academic and CTE integration were discussed. The target audience included Career and Technical Education Administrators, Coordinators, Faculty and Teachers and Special Populations Coordinators.