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Kenneth Ize
Inside The World of Kenneth Ize
Posted on January 3, 2019 January 3, 2019 by Mazzi Odu
Tucked away on a side street in Yaba, a historic part of Lagos that is also home to the city's art school, is Kenneth Ize's studio. It makes sense entirely that the man attributed of single-handedly spearheading Nigerian fashion's revived love affair with woven cloth, contemporising it and designing collections of covetable pieces worn by the global fashion cognoscenti and a smattering of celebrities should choose this corner of the mainland for his base. He elaborates: "I picked here because I like colonial houses , I like old buildings and architecture and I just really wanted to be in a space where my staff and I could be here together." For a designer who is known for the kaleidoscopic nature of his fabric choices and juxtapositions the two storied light filled, white walled and monochrome terrazzo floored house offers a striking and visually calming counterpoint to the pieces he creates. The overall vibe is of a conscientious creative commune, his aforementioned staff, two weavers and an assistant continue to diligently work in the adjacent room, samples are neatly arranged in a corner, and only his dog seems to be allowed to rush in and out as he pleases interrupting us every so often from his base camp of the veranda. Away from the hubbub, the plaudits the clients who keep returning to Alara for another Kenneth Ize fix, he has created the optimum cocoon for him to continue to live and work.
Image: Courtesy of Kenneth Ize
An Education in Aesthetics that's find its way home
As with many designers Ize's path has the aura of predestination. Regarding being drawn to fashion design he explains: I would say it was something I believed I could do best, it is something I saw around me [and] I customised my own clothes." Attention to detail was inspired by his father: "I grew up seeing my dad wearing suits and the alignment was perfect. Even his singlet he would make sure, like, it was proper like flat…He would tell me there are some pants that you wear that it has to be so slick, like your bum has to be so smooth, you can't have the pant line so my dad was rocking g strings to not have a pant line. I mean that guy, I don't know what planet he was from…. But thinking now it is beautiful because it is my Dad who taught me mostly how to dress." Upending the assumption that most African parents are reluctant for their child to embark in a career in the creative industries, much less fashion, he expands: "My parents are very nostalgic but cool… I studied psychology for a year and I never went to class [but] when I called my Mum and I am like Mum I think I know what I want to do I want to be a fashion designer, she was like go for it , this is what you should be doing."
Of course, this was not misplaced optimism on the part of Ize's parents; who had left Nigeria and settled in Austria as a family. He won a place at the prestigious Institute of Design, University of Applied Arts, Vienna where he did his BA under the instruction of Bernard Willhelm and his MA under the tutelage of the legendary Hussein Chalayan. Immersing himself in a demanding programme that was interdisciplinary in its approach and allowed him to explore the semiotics and theory of fashion as much as construction remains evident in his approach, which unlike many who are self-taught possesses an intellectualism and rigour that is every bit as important as the rack appeal of the finished pieces. "I just started playing with yarns during my thesis. I was researching, and I kept asking around where could I get weavers…one of my cousins knew a lady that made fabric and that wove here [in Lagos] so she took me there we did a sample and it was so experimental…I was saying everything I wanted and we sat outside and started doing it. And I was like wait, I could actually just expand this thing into something." For many the finished fabric is aso'oke, a traditional woven fabric technique that is native to the Yoruba of South Western Nigeria but Ize sees his iteration of being an expansion on the traditional fabric. "It took me about two years… I feel like the experimentation we have done with this fabric has now shifted it from being aso'oke to being a woven cloth that should be celebrated everywhere in the world as we have moved this technique to a different level" In experimentation Ize has created a fabric that is 60% silk, 30% rayon and 10% cotton, allowing for more malleability and a glossy sheen in the finish. But this is not to say that he has abandoned the craft aspect in the process as he notes: "We hand weave here, a two-yard scarf for instance to prepare and design the pattern takes about a day and then to weave the actual fabric it takes about seven hours. It's very labour intensive and the lady I started working with, she's getting older, but I am so happy because one of her nieces is really loving this and has gotten into it now. I also have a team in Ilorin so we make the samples here and the team in Ilorin produces to a very large scale." The organic nature of the process and the communal nature of the team behind it results in a more personal piece of luxury. In the age of the 'drop' and an insatiable client base that designers are pressured to feed at all times and costs, Ize's process places skills, sustainability and perhaps most important of all, humanity at the centre.
Asked about his design language Ize is emphatic when he states: "For me the aesthetic is very pragmatic. It's real definitely, and that is the kind of person I am designing for, because it is all comfortable clothes, just put it on and off you go. Also, the brand is very genuine and genuine aligns with one being very pragmatic." Certainly, much of what he has offered on the runway has been classic in cut, from single breasted jackets to city shorts, trousers and jumbo scarves that can be draped and shaped in a myriad of ways. With the colours and textures being so audacious restraint is indicated in the silhouette. It also reveals commercial savvy; colour and print can often frighten the average shopper but made in an easy to wear shape the leap of consideration to purchase becomes easier. He also sees his brand as acting as conduit for others to plug into what is happening in Nigeria culturally and having an ambassadorial role in changing negative perceptions: "I am not just making these clothes for myself, I am making them for every African person. I want people to go Google oh yes, Nigeria, Lagos because they have seen the clothes and it makes them so fascinated." In a world where cultural signifiers hold far greater currency than policy statements or government pronouncements, Ize's thesis of Africa charting a positive course through its creative industries is far from naïve.
Muses, Supporters and the Fashion Eco-System
For a designer working in the 21st century there is something delightfully old-school in Ize's methodology. Similar to the likes of Yves Saint Laurent with Loulou de la Falaise and Betty Catroux or Karl Lagerfeld with Ines De La Frassange and a host of fabled beauties and it-girls since, Ize works closely with a muse. In his case the muse is Baingor Joiner, or as he is known more simply Bai, a creative consultant and photographer and part of the Lagos Cool Set. Ize is effusive in his praise for Bai: "Oh my God, I had a crush on Bai, the first time I met him my fantasies were on Bai, I just wanted to dress Bai…. I saw Bai and it was about clothes, it was about a design and about the runway which is interesting because runway is one thing that makes my collections really cohesive because even before a collection is made I have seen it, I have had the vision. Bai helps me narrate my vision." It also helps that Bai by virtue of his activities as a DJ, model, photographer and fixture in Lagos' creative nexus is in touch with many of the creative and cultural outlets that Ize infuses into his work and reframes via clothing. Ize adds: "We have conversations on design. He tells me how he feels about clothes because he also really understands where my mind is." When asked how long he sees their working relationship lasting, Ize shakes his head at the thought of having a revolving door of muses: "I would love to use Bai in the next 20 years if he is not too busy for me…and even it gets that way Bai is an open spirit and I am too, we just really connect together and he knows how to say yes and never say no to me."
Image Courtesy of Kenneth Ize
The familial energy extends to clients and supporters many whom are also cultural ambassadors in their own right: "I gain support from past relationships I have with people like Reni Folawiyo…friends like Faridah Folawiyo, Jomi Marcus-Bello from Waffles n Cream, Tokini Peterside of Art X and I love Nduka from This Day too." Reni Folawiyo, owner of Alara is not only an early stockist, she has also invested significantly in the Oji Showroom in Paris (which with assistance from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) saw Kenneth Ize and other menswear brands showcase their work) furthermore, Faridah Folawiyo a fine art consultant is a close friend and confidante. By having such a close network of friends and a clear sense of purpose Ize has been able to navigate challenging episodes most recently the rumour mill that went into overdrive when he didn't show at either Lagos Fashion Week or GTB Fashion Weekend this year. He shares candidly: "My mind runs very fast…I am going through a serious depression right now… I had this collection ready before because I follow the international fashion calendar, but these weren't the spaces for me to show anymore in a runway that I can't be able to control or organise…I want to be able to be given the time and to be able to express my feelings and my emotions on the journey of making these clothes." Instead he spent a month at a residency in New Orleans arranged by The Assemble a London based architectural and design collective and funded by two New Orleans based reclusive philanthropists who want to invest in the city's creative possibilities. Ize expands on what the students should hope to experience: "I am really excited to be teaching how to make things more cohesive. I also have a project that I am going to give them… I am going to use the source of what I learnt from my university days because I feel like I have learnt so much from my uni and I am excited because it is a way of me remembering myself and refreshing my spirit and my energy because I really wanted to leave Lagos because I need a break not to see things that I see every day."
He also provides a broadside on the efficacy and relevance of the spate of fashion weeks, shows and events saturating the Nigerian calendar when he adds: "I don't think I have to lash anybody, but I do think maybe we just really have to go back to bed, sleep a bit and wake up again and think things through. I think fashion weeks here, there are too many already….I don't know why this is like this because the fashion industry in Nigeria is just 1% , the 1% we all know each other…Everything I make and every one of my decisions in my life has to be very relevant. So if it is hurting me there is no point in showing. Then I also thought that why do I have to keep running around making this or making that to show? To show for who? Who am I really showing this for if my client isn't really there? I mean I have done shows over four years under Lagos Fashion Week and I don't think I have gotten a buyer from there one time." It is an assessment that whilst not often spoken about overtly, for fear of offending industry leaders, gate-keepers and business leaders is whispered quietly by many designers regarding the different fashion weeks on the Lagos fashion calendar be it LFW or GTB. From the relative absence of buyers vis a vis journalists, influencers and bloggers to the flying in of big names in the international fashion scene that do not offer any ongoing engagement with the local industry beyond excitable social media posts during their brief visits and prestige by association for those who have hosted them. Whilst the flurry of articles and write ups that appear in the international press hailing the Lagos fashion scene might be deemed great for profile building, especially for the brands that get a mention, questions still remain as to why they do not necessarily translate into orders and sales. However, it is a nascent industry, and this too is something Ize concedes noting : "It's a very tricky one, they, the organisers, are doing what they think they can do but it is self-taught. I don't see the fashion shows here to be a business because at the end of the day that designer that has shown for one hundred years or whatever is still a bespoke designer. Ready to wear culture is not really known here…. Where are those clothes going to after the shows? So okay maybe [they are] going to go to Zinkata, Temple Muse, Alara but what else again?" By raising these questions and choosing to pause from the domestic fashion merry-go-round Ize is displaying a bravery that some might seem deem reckless, but conversely, if one does not critique or question, how does one grow?
He is equally passionate about the state of the Nigerian fashion industry and the paucity of opportunities available whether one is starting out in the business or more established. He notes: "We're getting the press but we're not making the money here. There are loads of international designers I won't mention names, but you could show me their collections and I can show you how African designers or our aesthetics have been referenced." And whilst the occasional Social Media 'name and shame' might cause a flurry of activity on threads it does not translate into revenue as he puts it more succinctly: "I mean the fashion industry is growing here but I don't think it is making money. Because for example I do not know any Nigerian fashion designer that is selling in Dover Street Market." He is equally scathing of the Pop-Up model which has seen a number of Nigerian designers be stocked albeit temporarily in prestigious stores overseas as he adds chuckling: "They want to pop you up honey but that's just it. A pop means they don't trust you. They are low-key trying to tell you that 'oh let's give you a pop up you know and then be happy and it's going to be good'. But if someone offered me a pop up I would say no, because I am not willing to make 50 jackets for a pop up as what is really the assurance of me selling? If you really trust in someone's brand you would actually want to have it in that store and buy the collection outright that's my belief." Training is an ongoing issue, something Ize with the benefit of his education feels needs to be urgently addressed: "The lack of education here in our system is a problem. The fact we don't have a fashion school that would teach students how to grow an aesthetic. We need a strong fashion school here. it's time." He also questions the intent of the international spotlight so firmly on Africa currently when he adds ."They are consuming (our creativity) and we are not making the money…We think we are exposing these African brands but we are really not , we are only exposing the continent for people to take from." And whilst his upbringing makes Ize very much an internationalist his warning to Nigeria and in the greater scheme Africa as a whole of needing to chart its own destiny rather than assume an equal playing field will be created on the global fashion landscape is pertinent.
Fame, Fandom and Future Plans
For someone who has seen his client list grow beyond Nigeria to include the likes of Donald Glover, Anum Bashir and most recently Beyoncé, Ize is decidedly muted about the implications for his brand. "You know it's a sustainable brand and I don't think about popularity, not at all. Trust me I didn't know who Childish Gambino was. I don't feel like I know five lyrics from Beyoncé's songs… I know people would assume he would know this he would know that, but I just don't…I am thinking about how can I better myself and better my environment? The way it works in my head is I care more about my staff than chasing celebrities to wear my clothes. I am not a crowd chaser. I am just about being natural. I am also very aware of how destructive this world is already so all I am[focusing on is how can I as an individual person make a change in the world or add to this world so that it can be better." It is for this reason that Ize doesn't engage in sending pieces out to celebrities speculatively or go into PR overdrive during awards season. Instead, stylists approach his team and orders are taken from there, just as with any other client. A contrarian approach but it allows for greater freedom in the long run as he is not enslaved to insta-popularity or the foibles of a few famous clients.
For female fans who have had to content themselves with slipping into menswear pieces of Kenneth Ize's, if they are slender of hip enough to do so, this year brings the arrival of a full womenswear collection. "I have been working on this collection for the past four months I am still not done it's a lot of work I have never made women's wear before…, I want to know the body of a woman because I am making womenswear." He gestures to me and adds: "I want to know your story as a woman I want to know everything…I want to know about your menstruation how you move how you feel everything. This is my headspace right now. I am so excited by this womenswear because my energy is so into it and I love it so much I am telling you it is going to be amazing." His effervescence is infectious and with his meticulous approach to design conception female fans will no doubt flock for more. Womenswear is just one part of a broader expansion that will include lifestyle objects in due course. As Ize notes: "Because my brand is luxury there is a goal and there is a determination. My determination, I am going to be very honest here, is to be the brand that is from Africa that is on everyone's radar globally because I am sick and tired of seeing negative things about Africa."
Of his peers within the industry, there are only a few he admires: "I like Kelechi Odu and Maki Oh and I also like Waffles n Cream and it's very affordable and it's one of the only brands that I feel I own a lot of pieces from, yes Waffles n Cream totally. I would say those are the three brands." Expanding to brands based outside of Africa, once more it is the interdisciplinary visionaries that capture his imagination the most when he adds: "You know in as much as I get that I sound a bit shady but I don't feel like I know or love many brands even international brands….I love Chanel , because I have these conversations with a lot of people and they are like oh, they do the same thing and I am like no, the beautiful thing and the reason why I connect so much with Chanel is that every time you see his shows they are like fucking epic. This guy Karl, he thinks about everything with his shows. Sometimes I will just go on YouTube and be like let me just watch a Chanel show… I also like Christopher Lemaire and Paco Rabanne… it's its own aesthetic, it is alternative, it's a different sexy I can't even explain it." By not being over engrossed with what others are doing Ize's career has to date not suffered from the critique of being derivative or homage heavy and in that lies its greatest strength.
It is clear that Ize has a long-term strategy for his brand and has assembled a team that can assist him in his journey, but he notes that although he is very much part of the renaissance that the creative arts are enjoying in Nigeria, challenges remain to him living a fully authentic life. Outside of the world of fashion, one where sexual orientation and identifying as non-binary barely raises a robed shoulder, society remains obstinately conservative: "I feel like my sexuality is something that will not allow me to be here for a very long time which is very sad… There are a lot of gay people here but at the same time if you have lived somewhere like Europe, lived all your life having this freedom and then someone is taking it away from you, someone you don't even see, I am like why? The other day I was out with like twenty-one gay men at Nok and we were at a table and it was like the most beautiful thing for me in Lagos. It was so nice." It is a poignant conclusion to my time with Ize as one is left with the notion of what does it take to have a truly dynamic fashion industry here in Nigeria? There is talent aplenty and a youth led population that is the breeding ground of innovation globally. Yes, structural challenges remain; capacity building is high up on the to-do and must-do list. But will we lose our greatest talents to other locales because we do not have a truly inclusive society? It would be a tragedy if this was the case. But for now we celebrate the places and spaces such as fashion where talent, beauty, creativity and possessing the ability to distil dreams into apparel still have the power to vanquish, and love and doing the work is enough.
Essay, Fashion Alara, Baingor Joiner, Bernard Willhelm, Faridah Folawiyo, Hussein Chalayan, Institute of Design University of Applied Arts Vienna, Jomi Marcus-Bello, Kelechi Odu, Kenneth Ize, Maki Oh, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Reni Folawiyo, Waffles n Cream
Arise Fashion Week A/W 2018 Day Two Review
Posted on April 6, 2018 April 6, 2018 by Mazzi Odu
Day Two of Arise Fashion Week brought out the style tribes in full force, and clients, friends and muses of the likes of Tiffany Amber, Kenneth Ize and Style Temple wore their sartorial hearts on their sleeves. For those who were not industry insiders these ensembles gave a clue of what to expect once said shows commenced, but it also indicated that Lagos, like any other fashion capital in the world, operated on the twin fuels of patronage and buzz, with enthusiasms flamed furthrt via Social Media. It was also the evening that cemented the intent of Arise Fashion Week which was now clearly sitting on the nexus of fashion event and family entertainment as the likes of Seyi Shey took to the runway to perform in show intermissions. Did this distract from the clothes themselves, maybe, but it did not diminish from the cheers and perhaps this was precisely the whole point; for those who took or indeed still take fashion terribly seriously, to loosen up, have fun and not be staring too intently at the runway for the schedule to run to order and to time.
As with Day One the audience didn't truly come to life until a popular designer's show commenced. And the first to experience such was Funke Adepoju, who sent down the runway a series of pieces featuring fringe aplenty that had already received the stamp of approval of social media influencers, bloggers and socialites with one cobalt jumpsuit already on the back of Ozinna Anumudu, a woman who like the likes of Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung is oft imitated by her legion of followers. It was and indeed is a smart approach for the brand take, but for longevity expanding on the array of ensembles offered would also be beneficial. Not for the first or indeed the last time this evening were we treated to an evening and occasion wear heavy collection with little offered to the working woman, the off-duty but still desiring to look pulled together on the weekend woman or the woman who may actually need some sort of cover-up when travelling from point A to B. But if you want to slay at a wedding reception or a similar function, look no further.
Fresh from providing the suiting for the groom and his men at the society wedding of the year in Lagos between Dangote heiress Fatima and political scion Jamil Abubakar, Kimono Kollection's creative director Hakeem Balogun used his show-time to augment in the minds of his existing clients and potential ones that he was a one stop shop for men's evening wear and contemporary traditional. In doing so he was potentially treading on the toes of more established names such as Mai Atafo and Ugo Monye, but what is fashion without a healthy dollop of competition to motivate designers to push further? It was a confident showing from the menswear brand of the hour, with plenty of his high single breasted and buttoned jackets, a speedy exposition of classic trad silhouettes.
Conversely, Tzar another menswear brand with an established clientele decided to expand into women's pieces with mixed results. Far stronger was creative director Ian Audifferen's continued experimentation with fabric contrasts, layering and fluidity with several high-points including a stand-out shirt ties on the cuff, and praises be, coats and cardigans that did not appear as an afterthought, but were a distinct and necessary part of his vision. This is the lane we wish Tzar to stay in, not that it is good or right to be so didactic, but when the pieces are working as they are, one can't help but psychically say 'Stop, this is it, no need for anything further.' But what is creativity in its truest sense if said creative doesn't continue to push the proverbial envelope and seek other fora for expression? In the meantime there is plenty to pimp a man's Autumn/Winter wardrobe sharply.
Washington Roberts sent down his strongest collection yet, one which had piece after piece of covetable, wearable fashion, that didn't fall into bore-snore territory. As my stylish neighbour said 'the sort of clothes that if a girl was wearing them would make you want to ask her for dinner'. Not because they were sexy in an obvious way either, but because they celebrated the feminine form without descending into sleazy territory. Show opener a slimline black silver and red dress over cigarette pant was an exposition of less is more adage and waist cut outs in a sequence of dresses retained their high fashion credentials by not cutting too deep into the midriff. The collection was held together with a repeated drop shoulder motif and bold visible zips. Hemline shapes were also given a reboot with a knee length, U-shape with a high centre slit echoing the same notion of hinting rather than revealing everything. Pieces also were critically figure kind – the heavy of hip could participate with a fifties full skirted dress and the aforementioned skirts were leg lengtheners. Though the collection was gimmick free it was nevertheless quietly powerful and felt like a watermark from the Washington of old.
Style Temple and Kenneth Ize had both shown at Lagos Fashion Week so it was a question of what else? In the instance of Style Temple, creative director OG Okonkwo took it up a notch with a full collection rather than the abridged one experienced previously and two distinct shapes for wearers to choose from: the 18th century silhouette with exaggerated hip line found itself fully on trousers, dresses and skirts and is an obvious choice for the fashion-girl-about-town. However an alternative silhouette for the less daring was also offered and this skimmed rather than hugged body and came in an array of silk jerseys. Existing fans will be pleased and continue to buy.
In Kenneth Ize's instance the wunderkind expanded his central thesis of re-imagining traditional print techniques, but extended the palette with lemon yellow tie dye also featuring heavily alongside purple and black iterations. The jumbo scarves, that have become the perfect entry-point piece into the world according to Ize were also presented as wrappers, a nod to Southern and Eastern Nigerian traditional attire that has men in such rather than trousers and for the ladies there were more jackets only this time belted tightly at the waist. It was an assured showing and the Kenneth Ize army was in raptures at his close. For the designer whose pieces are currently adorning most of the mannequins in Alara, he can currently do no wrong.
Tiffany Amber is part of Africa's fashion establishment so it was only right and proper that Naomi Campbell should open for her show, which was a paean to the power of a woman. Creative Director Folake Coker has become a mistress of modernising but still retaining the Nigerian female aesthetic, and so on Naomi we saw the traditional iro buba with an oleku silk skirt given a contemporary twist via a button down blouse that had plumed ostrich feather sleeves. The rest of the collection was a veritable greatest hits of some of her signature pieces but with Autumn/Winter taken into consideration hence basket weave cocoon coats and jackets and floor length opera coats with applique flowers. As is the way with Tiffany Amber this was luxury with a capital L and so wide legged palazzo pants were in silk jersey and dresses came with beading and embellishment and if volume could be added to a piece why the hell not? Many of the pieces were worn with hats, harking back to an era when formality and glamour went hand in hand. But to understand Tiffany Amber is to in many ways understand the innate aesthetic of the Nigerian and African woman. We love glamour, we love being properly put together, yes Millennials might embrace off duty, but the fact that Tiffany Amber remains among the ultimate #weddinggoals outfitter of choice in this demographic too speaks to an innate understanding that Folake has for her customers, both existing and potential. The Tiffany Amber Squad were on their feet at the end of the show and there was a mass exodus of the hall, but this is to be expected when the audience felt that they had seen and experienced the fashion promised land.
For those of us who were committed and stayed on, Tinie Tempah's What We Wear collection was a master class in ath-leisure especially on a night when so many designers had toyed with it conceptually to varying levels of success. Capitalising on his credentials as a grime artist who is as comfortable in an underground pirate radio station rapping as he is in an exquisitely cut dinner jacket at the GQ Man of The Year awards he infused his collection with elements of street wear but brought the posh chap vibe via luxe fabric choices, seen in particular effect with a velvet zipped jacket with tailored track pants. Heritage was also explored in the choice of aso'oke and vibrant print which was used to great effect with shirts teamed with slim fit tan pants or oversize fleeces teamed with print pants. Many pieces came tagged with WWW, a logo that cleverly sat between street art and logomania. However, what was most beguiling about the pieces was the credibility, these were not pieces created to jump on the music-meets-runway bandwagon where every pop artist quickly puts together a fashion brand. These were pieces born out of a musician's love for fashion with a deep understanding of exactly what his peers and his fans want to wear.
And so it was left to Ozwald Boateng's closing show to provide a fulsome elucidation of what happens when one fuses African elements with the revered tailoring techniques of Savile Row. A short film contextualised his work thus far with cameos from Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Sir Richard Branson, who of course are all loyal Boateng customers. An opening look of a jacket with another jacket robed was simultaneously arresting and fresh. A cobalt blue single breasted jacket and a forest green iteration hinted at classic Ozwald but were somewhat more muted, an accurate reflection of the times and white Converse plimsolls brought levity and modernity to proceedings. Ozwald still gave a splash of ostentation and also unusually for him, featured women in his pieces quite heavily too; a strong nod in the gender neutral times we now live in with women in men's pieces merely part of the new normal. Texture and cut were also front and centre in every piece, and one could tell that much thought had gone into how each piece would interact on the wearer. Does one need stroke-able sleeves, do hands need to be pretty much enveloped in tangerine silk cuffs, are hats essential? Ozwald answered all these sartorial questions and more. And of course, because it was Ozwald, Ms Campbell walked the catwalk once more. After a number of collections viewed earlier in the day where execution had been patchy it was pleasing to see such beautifully constructed and well finished pieces. It was as if the master had returned for the specific purposes of schooling those younger on exactly how to give and close a show. And for customers young and old, male or indeed female there was a full forty ensembles to choose from. Day two may have ended late, but it was worth it for those interested in a lesson in the good arts of cut and colour wizardry that Ozwald has made his own.
Runway Review Arise Fashion Week A/W 2018 Day Two Review, Folake Coker, Funke Adepoju, Hakeem Balogun, Ian Audifferen, Kenneth Ize, Kimono Kollection, Naomi Campbell, Og Okonkwo, Ozwald Boateng, Style Temple, Tiffany Amber, Tinie Tempah, Tzar, Washington Roberts, What We Wear
Lagos Fashion Week A/W 2018 Day Two Review
Day Two at Lagos Fashion Week will probably be best as the day where epic waits nevertheless yielded visually worth it moments. But far more than moments at fashion week we are seeking first and foremost direction and options. Direction in the form of clearly thought out expositions of what we should be wearing and the transformative effect said items might have on how we feel and second options in how to wear them. Some designers chose to follow this rubric to stunning effect.
The evening commenced with Sisiano, a designer who like many on the night chose to present both women's wear and menswear. In Planet Sisiano Autumn Winter 2018 is all about wandering around in a sea of powder pink, camel, mustard and white with a dollop of bottle and olive green. The silhouette for both men and women was for the most part fluid, think cowl shapes, asymmetric long line cardigans, and trousers that were low in the crotch, but did not delve into costume territory. So far, so pleasing, especially when designed for men with several high-notes including a velvet and chiffon pullover teamed with wide leg trousers which had me, my neighbour and someone behind me let out an audible sigh. Also clever, surprising and ever so wearable was a bottle green trouser with a tuxedo style stripe but a utility fit. The women's pieces though nice enough, seemed more mixed in message and approach, with body con, frou-frou, and retro 70's references all being put into the pot to mixed effect. However, it was no matter as the men's pieces more than made up for it.
Ré too sent out a collection of mixed efforts. Known as a maestro of aso'oke she surprised with an opener of silk aquamarine long wrapped skirt and cropped balloon sleeved blouse before returning to presenting aso'oke pieces of varying lengths and strengths. One can definitely see the white dropped shoulder shirt dress mini finding a way and a special place into many closets. The same could be said for the trapezium rainbow shift dress, however, the a line thigh grazing skirts with matching cropped tops and the chiffon and aso'oke baby doll dresses less so. A series of long line waistcoats with trousers were again an attempt to show versatility – but within this particular collection, felt more like an add-on than an essential ingredient. An electric blue zig-zag cape top teamed with pale grey high waisted cigarette pant was beautifully executed and hinted at where the collection could have gone. Sometimes it truly is a case of less being more.
And then there was Kenneth Ize. The wait was epic, but it was obvious from the start that the show had the makings of something remarkable. Taste makers, style icons and retailers took their perches in the front row with Reni Folawiyo, Nkiru Anumudu, Ozinna Anumudu, Tola Adegbite and Yegwa Ukpo among those keen to see the collection, and presumably purchase. The collection was entirely made from either aso'oke, in this instance fashioned into rich psychedelic palette combinations from teal with mustard to aubergine with a gold shot egg-yolk and tye-dye cottons in indigo, black and canary. But this was not a walk down memory lane with fabrics that are part of Nigerian apparel history, but a re-fashioning and re-purposing which made every piece, seem to psychically shout 'Buy Me And Change Your Life Forever!'. For the bold; there was a series of single breasted double vented jackets for both men and women, with slim-line pants that were oh-so-covetable. For those who preferred things more subdued jumbo scarves, surely a bestseller in and of themselves and a glorious Missoni Who? flourish were teamed with black and white aso'oke pants to giddying effect, and a men's tye dye tunic was a clean re-imagining of trad: be modern and if your ankles can handle it,do it the Ize way and forego trousers. Even the footwear, brushed leather sandals that came in complimentary colours to the pieces they adorned, were straight no chaser, shoe fire. It is rare that a collection feels like a stupefying and delicious cocktail, which you feel you can drink from forever, without a dodgy hangover of overkill. This was definitely it and one feels that the only words fit by way of conclusion are thank you.
Phot: Kadara Enyeasi
Style Temple's OG Okonkwo knows what the modern femme-fatale wants in her wardrobe playbook; pieces that are slinky, sexy and work a charm late in the evening and this season she offered a collection of just ten pieces that would more than fulfil their demands but with some interesting additions. Show opener took us to the 18th Century with a white skirt that had a hoop petticoat silhouette and was teamed with a white bodice that was more adorned bra with capsicum orange lace trailing straps. It was such a strong beginning, but the concept was sadly abandoned for a series of silk jersey culottes, dresses and trousers that came out in palette pairs of electric blue, imperial purple and fuschia pink and white. Sleeves were asymmetric, with trumpet sleeves teamed with bare, some trousers featuring slits and some dresses coming with harness type ties. There were surprisingly, for an Autumn Winter Collection no coats or cover-ups offered, perhaps when you look this hot your life is a series of chauffeurs, private jets and perfect temperature controlled rooms, but the omission was a missed opportunity as too was choosing not to expand on the theme of corsetry, so intriguingly expressed in the first sequence of the show.
With his increasingly growing portfolio in brand ambassador duties it can be easy to forget that Adebayo Oke-Lawal is first and foremost Creative Director of Orange Culture, a brand that has done much to push the conversation of gender dynamics and simultaneously make pieces that are commercially successful. Unlike anyone else, he provided show notes drawing out the themes of precipitation, it's transformative effect and the fact that grown men are never given a space to cry. It is always pleasing to see such touches, as apart from anything else it gives context and sets parameters of purpose not only for the collection, but also for the clothes. What are we seeing here? How will one feel when one wears it? These are important questions to be answered, especially when selling luxury. A set was created, with umbrellas suspended from the roof, perhaps to catch those tears of joy, and to hint at a collection that also offered pieces that indicated a change of season. Standouts, and there were a number, included an abbreviated trench coat with cowries shells on the belt hoops, a mustard single breasted jacket with a sole jumbo purple button as fastening, an oxblood apron skirt worn over trousers and a series of print two pieces that take you from day to evening with élan. Women's wear, which I have always felt was not needed, just wear the men's pieces a la Katherine Hepburn and be done with it, came in the form of long line tunics, which were competent but did not pack as much as a punch as the men's pieces. Knitwear, continues to be a developing and welcome addition to each Orange Culture collection, with a pink and purple sweater with Pierrot style collar, hinting at the theme of emotional expression and inhibition seen in the Commedia Del Arte. The hero piece was however a claret and black long line tunic sweater which was masterful in its tessellation which created a chequer-board of skin and wool.
The close of Day Two definitely felt as if there were plenty of reasons for consumers and industry players to be excited and the men's pieces and collections were particularly strong. As with all creative disciplines fashion is principally about story-telling, and for the designers who conceived and charted a clear narrative arc for us to follow and created must-have pieces in the process, the future is bright not just here in Lagos but globally too. A definite case of watch this space and be happy you were there to witness the magic when it happened.
Runway Review Adebayo Oke-Lawal, Kenneth Ize, Nkiru Anumudu, Og Okonkwo, Orange Culture, Ozinna Anumudu, Ré, Reni Folawiyo, Sisiano, Style Temple, Tola Adegbite, Yegwa Ukpo


text:
Prohibition Lecture
May 4, 2017 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Park City Museum lecture on Thursday, May 4th from 5-6PM. This December marks the centennial anniversary of one of the most ambitious legislative restrictions in U.S. history. The Eighteenth Amendment, which legally prohibited the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors," set the stage for the "roaring twenties," a decade now remembered for speakeasies, flapper dresses, and organized crime. Those who fought for the Eighteenth Amendment, however, had something very different in mind. To facilitate the Tozer Gallery's presentation of "Spirited: Prohibition in America," historian and journalist John Feinauer will be presenting not only on the famously brief era of dry America, but on the important figures and events that preceded it. He'll explore the roots of the anti-liquor movement in nineteenth-century temperance societies and track its evolution through Prohibition and its eventual repeal. Furthermore, Feinauer will tell the story of Utah's role in the fight against alcohol, a story which remains as relevant as ever 100 years later.
« Prohibition Lecture
Prohibition Lecture »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Restart Ruby program internally I'm writing a very simple dungeon adventure game in Ruby (practice for a newb). I want to address the player by name throughout, so naturally I want to be sure that if a player passes an empty name to my Player initialize method if tells them they can't do that and then prompts them to retry.
class Player
    attr_accessor :name, :location

    def initialize(name)
        if name.empty? == false
            @name = name
        else
            puts "You did not enter your name! Try again, please"
            load 'game.rb'
        end
    end
end

The file name is 'game.rb' so I'm basically reloading the entire file here each time the player decides not to enter their name. Which is stupid...
It works, but in the worst way...I had to be 'clever' about where I exited the program so that the player would be insulated from the fact that I'm basically going all Inception on everyone and launching a game within a game every time the player starts a new game and neglects to enter their name. For instance, if they don't notice 3 times that they need to input their name because they're not paying attention, I effectively have 4 games running (the original, and the 3 the prompted by not entering their name) and they'd either need to end each of those games when they're tired of playing, or else I had to basically exit the whole thing hard at one keyword.
My question is this: is there a way to write my error "You did not enter..." exit the current game session, and relaunch the game? All I really want to do is ensure an empty string doesn't get passed to my initialize method, maybe by raising an exception, and then start over at the beginning of the script without having a game-within-a-game.
Here is a link to the full code for more insight: http://repl.it/8QY

A: It's hard to know without seeing the whole game structure, but your main file could look like
game_initialized = false
while ! game_initialized
  begin
    # here, initialize the game, including initialization
    game_initialized = true
  rescue NoNameError
    # do nothing, but it will restart the game
  end
end
# now play the game

And in your constructor, you add
class NoNameError < Exception
end

class Player
  attr_accessor :name, :location

  def initialize(name)
    if name.empty? == false
      @name = name
    else
      puts "You did not enter your name! Try again, please"
      raise NoNameError
    end
  end
end

That should get you going.

A: I think Vincent's answer is good, it certainly is more OO than mine but a simple approach would be to do something like this at game start:
print "Welcome!  "
in_name = ""
while true
  puts "What is your name?"
  in_name = gets.chomp
  in_name.empty? ? (puts "You must enter a name before continuing") : break
end

Example:
Welcome!  What is your name?

You must enter a name before continuing
What is your name?
Anthony

A: If you want your logic to be in Player, you can try something like this:
class Player
  attr_accessor :name, :location

  def initialize(name)
    @name = keep_asking_for_name_if_not_already_entered(name)
  end

  def keep_asking_for_name_if_not_already_entered(name)
    return name unless name.empty?
    loop do
      puts 'You did not enter your name! Enter a name, please:'
      name = gets.chomp
      break(name) unless name.empty?
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Georg Feuerstein (27 May 1947 – 25 August 2012) was a German Indologist specializing in Yoga. Feuerstein authored over 30 books on mysticism, Yoga, Tantra, and Hinduism. He translated, among other traditional texts, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita.


text:
Q: magento connection not fully secure I am having an problem securing my site.I went to System - configuration - web and i changed edited the secure  configuration
[![secure][1]][1]
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/dVD4k.png to match the image and my site became secure. the only problem is, everywhere on my site i have a secure connection in the backend and frontend execpt for the home page.It says your connection is not fully secure.  https://truckpartsactions.com/


While it may not receive as much attention or coverage as the American and Chinese automotive markets, Canada's auto industry is a fairly large and stable economic sector. A new report suggests that this industry is growing even larger.
19,000 jobs were reportedly added to the Canadian auto industry during 2018.
The information comes courtesy of Desrosier Automotive Consultants, a Canadian industry consulting firm. According to the firm, the number of jobs in the Canadian automotive sector grew from 803,584 jobs during 2017 to 832,052 jobs at the end of 2018, an increase of 2.7 percent.
Dealership jobs make up the largest share of automotive employment opportunities. There were a total of 159,000 dealership employees in Canada at the end of 2018, a 3 percent increase compared to the prior year.
Maintenance jobs also experienced a significant boost. At the end of 2018, there was a total of 111,500 workers in this automotive field, a 2.8 percent increase.
Even manufacturing added jobs during 2018. Assembly jobs grew a slight 0.9 percent to approximately 44,000 employees by the end of the year. Parts manufacturing jobs experienced even higher yields, with a 3.3 percent and 76,000 jobs.
At the height of the recession back in 2010, Canada had around 128,000 jobs in the automotive manufacturing sector. Since then, Canadian manufacturing jobs have grown to 157,550 jobs.
While employment opportunities in the automotive industry may be on the decline in certain markets around the world, the Canadian automotive industry is demonstrating its resilience by adding jobs with each passing year.


text:
Siemens: What We've Done For National Inclusion Week
Category: Events, Siemens, National Inclusion Week 2019, Cultural Inclusion
Have a look at what we've done for National Inclusion Week
Across Siemens 80+ networks came together to promote inclusivity, with groups forming worldwide to support individuals of different ethnicities, genders and ages and to encourage diversity within our business. In the UK alone, there are Diversity and Inclusion Champions, Siemens UK Autism Network, Siemens PRIDE, with smaller groups such as D&I and Mental Health First Aiders.
Our Managed Applications and Services site in Nottingham has a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) group which meets monthly to discuss ways to challenge existing working and promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace. It is made up of like-minded individuals who wish to see active change continue within Siemens and are willing to take control of such changes. Employee networks like these are supported throughout the year in an effort to constantly strive for creating a more inclusive workplace.
Our current plans are about getting on board with celebrating National Inclusion Week. We hosted events throughout the week to get colleagues involved and to gain awareness and understanding about topics that are potentially new to them such as Allyship.
We created a huge network of Allies across Siemens to listen, intervene and challenge language to ensure our culture is as inclusive as possible for every marginalised group. It kicked off with a workshop that was held at multiple sites around the country to explain what Allyship is and what it is not and how colleagues can get involved. To show this in action, we conducted 'The Privilege Walk'. We firmly believe that in order to be an effective Ally we must first acknowledge and understand our own privilege – the Walk is a way of showing people what this means, in action.
Following the workshop, we signed people up to become an Ally. Through this network, we want to show those working in Siemens from typically more marginalised societal groups, such as women, neurodiverse individuals, those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and colleagues of different ethnicities that they have a group of allies there to help them feel respected and valued as individuals and that we have created equal opportunities within the workplace and we appreciate and respect that people have different perspectives and ideas that can enhance day to day business at Siemens.
Another great event in Managed Applications and Services in Nottingham, during National Inclusion Week is a mini X-Factor competition between the employees here and those based in Chennai, India that we work with through our partnership agreement with ATOS. The idea behind this is to celebrate the two different cultures through music. Music has historically been used to engage individuals, to express feelings and of course to entertain. Our UK and India colleagues were encouraged to get involved with submitting musical entries and to attend the voting to determine a winner. To further build links with and promote the culture of our Indian counterparts, we displayed photographs of Chennai and had an array of traditional Indian snacks for colleagues to try.
And it doesn't end there! We also hosted a charity event during National Inclusion Week which celebrates cultural diversity through food whilst raising money and awareness for the Trussell Trust (which provides support for many people through its network of foodbanks). We wanted to bring everyone together by encouraging colleagues to bring in dishes that they love from all around the world. This is a celebration of diversity as through the sharing of food it shows colleagues that there are different cultures within our Nottingham site, and we want to encourage and celebrate them all.
Finally, Siemens UK held various virtual events throughout National Inclusion Week such as; Women in Engineering, [email protected], Disability Inclusion and setting up an Employee Network. These virtual sessions were available for all Siemens UK employees to access and participate in.
All events were headed up by passionate individuals within Siemens who wish to take their interests further by encouraging their colleagues to get involved in becoming more aware about diversity and inclusion within the workplace. We take pride in our colleagues inspiring change within our business through the increased awareness and promotion of such groups and networks. It is great to see how powerful these groups are and what they can and have achieved across Siemens. However, there are ways to continually improve and so we place diversity and inclusion as an initiative at the forefront of the business because having an inclusive environment is a necessity in a modern workplace, not just a nice-to-have.
Tags: clicking on links loads other articles with the selected tagevents cultural inclusion National Inclusion Week Siemens NIC 2019 Siemens Allies Workshops
Social Responsibility (Charity/ Volunteering)
Ex-Armed Forces & Veterans
Gender Equality & Identity
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Last weekend I spent over 30 hours in a van with half of Team Beauties and the Beast(s) at Ragnar Cape Cod. With only a couple of hours of sleep during that time frame, I'm still exhausted. I was part of a fabulous team. As I posted before, I was in van 1 with some real life friends and some now new friends.
The only downside to a 12 person team is that spending a lot of time with the other van isn't really possible. I would have loved to spend more time with them as well! From our texts, it sounded like they were having a great time.
Meanwhile, back in Van 1. We were also having a blast. We were quite fortunate to have a driver - Gerard - who may or may not have been tricked into this gig. He was a real trooper to get in a van with 6 complete strangers who were sure to get quite stinky. All in all, Gerard was a life saver. He got us all around Cape Cod like it was nothing. Driver G was the best.
Due to the time we needed to leave Maine, I had to pick up the van the night before. Izzy and I made the trek to Lisbon, which seems to be the only place that rents vans in Maine, and picked up a 15 passenger van. Immediately, Izzy was in love. When we picked up Tucker, his response was "can we buy this?"
Friday morning, Angela met me at my house just before 7 am. From there we went to Jill's house and then to Andy's house. Luckily, Jill and Andy live within 3 miles from me so this part was rather easy. We dropped Izzy and Scout off at daycare, which was on the way, said a quick goodbye to our girls and we were off. Our next stop was Lowell, MA to get Ben. Ben has done many relay races before and he came quite prepared, with air fresheners, clipboards, timers and all. He was awesome at keeping track of our paces so we really had a good idea when our runner was coming in when to be ready. The only time we really struggled with this was when he was the one out running. But since he's well over 6 foot, it was easy to see the tall guy coming in to the exchange.
After 4 hours of driving, we arrived in Hull, MA, and this was our view. Even on a drizzly, foggy day, it was gorgeous. I can only imagine what it's like on a gorgeous day. I guess I need to plan another trip there soon on a sunny day.
We made a quick stop in a local hotel to pick up my mod kit for the Noxgear vest most of us wore for our night runs. Thank you Noxgear for overnighting it for me! The vest was an absolute hit! I've got to say we had the coolest vest around.
The girls of van 1 - we are tutu cute. Corny. I know. But we loved our tutus.
After getting the Noxgear mod kit, we walked down to the starting line area to check in and go through the safety meeting. In the mix of all that, we met up with Kyle, and his mother, who awesomely volunteered for our team. Then we had our entire van 1 together.
By this point it was drizzling a bit. The weather had been calling for rain all weekend and we were all prepared for it. Perhaps over-prepared. I brought 3 pairs of shoes and tons of clothing, towels, rain jacket. I guess I'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared After a short wait, it was our turn to take off. Jill headed to the starting line and before you knew it, it was go time and Jill was running!
Here's Angela super excited for her leg! I believe it about this point where we started losing Kyle. He would be standing near us and then suddenly he'd be gone.
We especially got a little nervous when it was going to be his turn to run and we couldn't find him. No worries. We never really lost Kyle. Somehow he always showed up.
Although we did joke that our next team is going to be named "Where's Kyle?". He was such a great sport!
Driver G and I while we waited alongside the road to give Kyle some water.
Shortly after 4, we were at transition 5, waiting for Ben to come in so I could take off for my 1st leg. I just had to get this leg done before we could get some dinner and get to the next exchange to wait for van 2 to finish their first set of legs. We didn't really eat lunch, just snacked a bit since we started running right around lunch time.
My first leg was 4 miles. I only passed a couple of people and then I didn't have anyone in front of me. That's when I started getting nervous that I had taken a wrong turn. I hadn't seen a Ragnar sign in awhile but then I started seeing chalk messages written on the sidewalk and knew I was heading in the right direction. Then I came to a beach area and I was there! The end of leg 1 and Lisa was standing there waiting for her turn!
We found an awesome restaurant to eat that we though would have been out of the way, but apparently it was not. There were several other teams there as well. The 15 minute wait turned out to be more like an hour wait. But that gave us time to roll, call our families, and just hang out. But the food was delicious so it was definitely worth the wait. After that, we went to the next exchange and hung out. It was getting dark so we thought we'd try to sneak in a few zzz's. I am thankful I had my earplugs because it drowned out most of the noisy parking lot action going on. But it was still quite hard to get in some sleep. I may have gotten in a 30 minute nap. Then I heard a van door open and close and some random noise on the roof. Soon we were all up wondering what that noise was. It took us a few minutes and we realized it was Kyle on the roof. He thought it was too hot in the van and was trying to cool off. But he came down shortly after that because it is apparently against the rules.
After we got the warning text that Nancy was on her way, we got Jill ready to go in the Noxgear vest and walked down to the transition area. Jill was not impressed to see that the start of her leg was down a dirt path with lots of roots and rocks. Soon she was off and then we looked at the map to see where we could meet her at her midpoint. Sadly we noticed, after she had left, that she was running on a trail and we couldn't get to her at all. We felt super bad about this because running at night is scary enough, then add in a new, unfamiliar place and strangers all around. Not a good feeling. But, she toughed it out. She really didn't have a choice. And made it through her leg like the badass she is. Then went Angela, Andy, Kyle, then Ben.
The Noxgear vest was a hit and most of us shared it for our night running. It was pretty cool to choose between a solid color of your choice or a flashing combination. We even took the 5 seconds pause in between handoffs to take the vest off and hand it to the next runner because it was that awesome. I'm so happy I had won this vest and could bring it along and share with the van. Maybe I will have to do some night running just to use it more because it is that cool.
Soon enough it was after 2am, and I was getting ready for my 2nd leg. This one was my longest leg - 5.8 miles. I was not thrilled about running at that time. Again, I hardly saw anyone on this leg. I passed 2 runners and then one super speedy gal passed me. I almost took a wrong turn, because again, there were not enough Ragnar directional signs out there. I almost crapped my pants when a possum crossed the road in front of me. And then shortly after that there was a rustling noise in the woods. I did let out a scream because it startled me. I did have my phone with me. As I neared the exchange, I passed 4 more runners and then there was the lovely Lisa.
I handed her that slap bracelet and van 2 was off....and we were off. To Kyle's house. Because we lucked out BIG time. He lived about 10 minutes from this point and only 20 minutes to our next exchange. His mom is also the bomb because she put out a huge pile of pillows, blankets, and towels for us. As soon as we got to Kyle's house, I might have run Andy over and grabbed a bed. No worries. I did share, with Jill. I wasn't that greedy! We were able to get in about 1.5 hours of sleep before we got our warning text to get to the next exchange.
We were able to get to the exchange to meet van 2 in no time. We actually had plenty of time here. And I had plenty of time to roll. My IT band was not very happy with me.
We were all thankful to be sponsored by ShowerPill. Especially this guy. Yes. He had the highest mileage for our van. But he could have had the lowest and still come back to us looking like he had run through a rain storm. After his last leg, which was over 9 miles, we would not let him in the van until he bathed in the ShowerPill.
See why??? That's the sweat he left behind on the ground!!!
Perhaps I was feeling a little excited for my last leg to be coming up in a few minutes. I think I was also excited to be wearing more Spandits - this time my galactic shorts (under the tutu) and my Spandits Ambassador singlet. I just feel bad (sorta) because I made Jill take about 40 shots of me with my phone to get this shot.
Then I was off. Only a 5k. My legs were feeling rather tired, but I wanted to get there fast. Then I came around the corner and there was Lisa! I was always so happy to see her! And then I was done. Van 1 was done.
After my final leg, we were at an exchange that had showers. While I did have the ShowerPills to wipe down after my prior two legs, I still had quite a buzz going. I was so happy to get the stink washed off of me. Even if I did forget my towel in the van and had to dry off with my small face towel. Better than nothing!
After we had finished showering and found Kyle again, we piled in the van and went out for lunch. We were done and we were clean. Now we just had to get to the finish so we could wait for van 2.
We made it to Provincetown, or as everyone calls it, P-town, without a problem thanks for Driver G and co-pilot Ben. Imagine a small crowded space with TONS of large white vans. I am thankful I was not driving. I am so used to my little beetle.
P-town was such a beautiful place. We only saw a small part of it, but again, I need to go back! At this point we saw some sun and it was starting to get a little warm. We grabbed our free drinks, free beer, and sat at a great table overlooking the water.
After being able to kick back and relax for a while, we received our final text saying van 2 was on their way and Nancy was on her last leg! We gathered up the troops and met up with the other half of our group. We got to hang out with them for a while (well, except for poor Nancy who was still running). And then before we knew it, Nancy had arrived and we joined her for the final stretch (at the top of the hill she had to run up!).
And then we all received our awesome Ragnar medals. Team Beauties and the Beast(s) had completed Ragnar Cape Cod. We were the 71st team to cross the line and our finish time was 27:28:26.8.
Sadly, the Maine folks still had another 5 hour drive home, after very little sleep, so we parted ways rather quickly. I was super anxious to get home, kiss the kids and Ward, and sleep in my bed.
One last team shot before we parted ways. After dropping various teammates off at their locations, we finally made it back to Gardiner and I finally opened the door to my house at 12:01 am Sunday morning. That was a long 2 days with probably less than 3 hours of sleep total.
Obviously, Sunday was Mother's Day. Before I had left for Ragnar, Ward asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. My response was to come home to a clean house and be able to sleep all day. Now, I didn't get to sleep all day, but I did get to lay around and relax with the kids. They did let me nap a bit on the couch too.
All in all, I had an absolute blast. We had an awesome team! I will definitely do another relay again. Just not in the immediate future. I'd really LOVE to have a Spandits team someday. That would be so much fun!
In addition to the Spandits and ShowerPill awesomeness, I did bring along a few more favorite items.
While I had prepped for rainy weather, it turns out we didn't get much rain at all. Only a couple of sprinkles here and there. So thankfully I was able to run all three of my legs in my most favorite Skechers of all. I did switch up my socks throughout my legs, because really, that would have been just cruel to make my van mates smell that grossness. But I was happy I had my Stable 26 socks for one of these legs. These socks add so much more stability to my run.
I was also super happy to have my Tommie Copper compression capris and BioSkin compression sleeves to wear between legs for faster recovery.
I think they definitely made a huge difference in how I felt for the next leg and how fast I've recovered physically this week. I still haven't recovered from the lack of sleep though. Now I need to gear up for two more late nights coming up this month - prom and project graduation. This old lady is going to be so sleep deprived!
What are some of your must have gear choices or products you would bring along for a relay race? Have you ever done a Ragnar Relay or other relay? This was my first Ragnar and definitely will not be my last.
Disclaimer: Our team did receive ShowerPill to use during our Ragnar Relay. We were not required to give a positive review. As always, it is always 100% my own thoughts when talking about a product on my blog.
I am an affiliate for BioSport, and if you do purchase anything from their site from my link on the side, I do earn a small commission. I wouldn't endorse an item unless I felt it really was worth endorsing.
Ahh the Ragnar adventure is always so exhausting but SO much fun. I'm impressed you got a little sleep AND a shower!
I loved reading this post! I've been wanting to participate in a Ragnar event for a while, and I lived in Boston during grad school, spending much of my summers on the Cape.
This sounds so fun and that Kyle seems like a blast. I didn't know that relays had their own drivers, I always thought the runners had to take turns driving. Congrats to you all!
You did awesome Jen!!! That's so funny that you kept losing Kyle!!!
I really wish we had been able to spend more time with you guys, our whole team was awesome! Great job!!! Those vest really do look cool :) And here's a little trick to make jumping shots easier - if you press and hold down the picture taking button on the iPhone, it puts it in shutter mode!
A Ragnar is on my bucket list for sure.
I'm glad you had such a great time! I really can't wait to do our next relay, and I definitely want to do another overnight relay again! The photos of Andy with the ShowerPills are really funny!


NIOS Deled Result 2019: All you know that the 4th semester examination of NIOS D.El.Ed 2017-2019 session was held from 15th March to 16th March 2019. The form fillup for the 4th sem exam ended on October 2018. You can download Nios Dled Admit Card Online to attend the 4th semester exam. In this article, we will tell you "how to check Nios Dled 4th Semester Exam Result, Release Date and more. Just Keep reading the article.
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) D.E.Ed 4th semester examination results will be declared in the month of May 2019 (Expected). In order to check results, all the teachers who have appeared for examinations have to access their results from the official website of NIOS i,e, Nios.ac.in. Your result will be displayed after entering the roll number. We have added detailed steps on how to check Nios Deled Result in this post.
D.El.Ed 4th Sem Results will be available soon. The candidates who appeared for the 4th Sem examination for the subject code 508 and 509/510 will be able to check their result online.
You can print out the result.
The results consist of details such as Enrolment Number, Your Name, Father's/ Mother's Name, Year of the examination, Name of the Subject with Code, Marks obtained in the Theory/ Practical examination etc.
How to Check Deled Assignment Results/ SBA Marks?
508, 509/510 Assignments results might be uploaded on the official site like 1st sem assignment marks. Each assignment carries 30 marks out of 30 and Pass Mark is 12.
Stay tuned with us. We will update the article once 4th sem result date announced officially. Keep visiting us. Also, don't forget to share the article with your friends.
please mere result firse check korana sahte hu subject code 502.is subject me 20 marks mila he .
when will be the result of 2nd se,mester decleared?????
WHEN WILL COME 2ND SEMITOR RESULT OUT?
How many times wait for d.el.ed second-semester result. Plz, notify me.
How many times wait for the second-semester result. Plz, notify me.
Why is nios taking much time in declaring the result?So shame to u all.
When your nios deled exam will be declare ? Please declare within a few day .
Please make available the deled 2018 May- June Exam. Result to the Study Centre sections Coordinators.
If result will come then sent me email.


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News: Latest AMP expansion approved
A planning application for the next stage of commercial development at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) has been approved by Rotherham Council and is set to see the creation of a further 73,000 sq ft of space at the UK's centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing.
Developers, Harworth Estates is transforming a reclaimed former industrial site at Waverley into a thriving new 740 acre development which includes the AMP - dubbed "the elite "Mayfair" address for advanced manufacturing."
With industrial space on the AMP in high demand, at least one occupier for the latest space has already been lined up.
Detailed plans were submitted for Phase II of the R-evolution development by Harworth Estates Investments Limited earlier in 2016 which include three separate buildings on Plots 6, 7 and 8 and proposes high quality business, manufacturing and office floorspace in classes B1/B2/B8.
The application site is located within an Enterprise Zone and to provide flexibility, plans show that two of the units could be subdivided, creating units from 11,000 to 26,000 sq ft. They are set to be constructed in the same style as the surrounding units.
The plans, drawn up by consultants at Barton Willmore and approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council last week, state: "R-evolution represents the current development being undertaken at the AMP and is aimed at providing flexible floorspace to new and established businesses in the advanced manufacturing sector.
"These exciting proposals will further enhance the AMP and will continue to assist in the economic development and regeneration of this area of the Borough and help the Council to positively prepare for growth over the coming plan period. In this respect the application is entirely consistent with the area's Enterprise Zone designation and its requirements."
The first phase of the R-evolution development secured lettings from X-Cel Superturn, Maher and Nikken Kosakusho Europe.
Plots 7 and 8 are being built to accommodate general market interest in the advanced manufacturing sector and provide up to 10% office floorspace.
Planners discussed that Plot 6 is set to include 50% of the 10,000 sq ft space for offices, above what guidelines normally recommend for commercial developments outside of town centres. The layout is due to a "specific occupier requirement for this building from an international company involved in advanced manufacturing."
Nigel Hancock, assistant planning manager at Rotherham Council, told the meeting: "This is the AMP. The principle of advanced manufacturing units here is well established. The main issue really between this development and previous developments is the amount of office space, specifically in unit 6 which is 50% office space, a little bit more than what we would consider to be normal, ancillary offices.
"The proposed occupier has put forward the reasons why they need that and there's a clear correlation between advanced manufacturing unit and the office space as well but because it's 50% office space and we can't guarantee who the occupier is going to be, they still need to do the sequential test for any normal town centre use."
Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.
Hancock, continued: "They've looked at all the town centre sites where there may be suitable office accommodation but there was only one available of this size [Westgate Chambers] but it's part of a larger regeneration plot that the council is selling in the town centre so it doesn't really meet the profile of what the company needs and is not a modern, bespoke office space so, whilst it might be available, it doesn't satisfy the needs of the occupier. And clearly it doesn't have the locational requirements of being on the AMP."
Planning officers deemed the development to be appropriate, stating in a report to the planning board that: "The nature of the AMP is such that it is important that the floorspace is flexible in nature in terms of the size and type to meet specific requirements of its users; be that a company which require the space for a bespoke project or to incorporate a company which may need to expand in the coming months.
"In most cases the floorspace offered also needs to be linked with the rest of the business. In this instance the applicant argues that it makes little sense for the floorspace to be disaggregated into separate units and indeed it would prove unviable and impractical for them to develop the proposed floorspace over multiple sites/units to provide the required accommodation; especially as there is an active requirement for advanced manufacturers to collaborate across the AMP and so the notion of clustering is seen as important."
In approving the plans unanimously, Cllr. Alan Atkin, chair of the planning board, said: "I think we all put both hands up for more advanced manufacturing space."
There are nearly 1,000 people employed at the AMP, with the potential for over 2,000 new jobs to be created through further development.
Advanced Manufacturing Park website
Harworth Estates website
Images: Nikken Kosakusho Europe / twitter
Labels: Advanced Manufacturing Park, commercial property, council, economy, Harworth Estates, Nikken Kosakusho Europe, Rotherham, Waverley


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Free currency converter use actual rates for conversion. Exchange rates of Macedonian Denar and Chinese Yuan was updated 2019-04-20.


On our way back from Traverse City on Saturday afternoon, a police officer along the side of the two-lane road we were driving turned around and tailed us for eight miles. The police were out in full force over the Memorial Day weekend, Gary watched his speed, and I had déjà vu.
"Okay," I thought. "Rub it in!" I had just begun reading 210 pages of the Basic Driver Improvement Course of the State of Michigan in preparation for a fifty question "Final Exam." Determined not to be cynical, I decided to make this a fun time. It was early July of 2015.
Sigh. Less than two years after driving into a speed trap in the town where I live, I did it again. In both instances, every day for a week after I was stopped, I saw the same police officer pull over motorists for the same infraction. I only had one ticket in the previous forty years of driving.
Just the day before I didn't quite stop, I was on the interstate and cars were driving so fast I prayed for God to protect us all. Why are police officers not ticketing motorists for driving 90 to 100 miles an hour or weaving in and out of four lane highways but catch us for a second or two of extra motion at a stop sign?
I paid the fine and got over it … until I received a letter in the mail, informing me that my stop sign violation would be reported to my insurance company unless I took a six hour in-person driving course or completed an online class. I had two months to complete the course, which I decided to do so that my insurance rate wouldn't increase.
After procrastinating, and with just two weeks left, I realized I had to get started. I registered for the online course, paid my $49 and checked out the FAQ's.
I gave myself a pep talk. "You will benefit from this course, Laurie. And you will have fun doing it because driving is a privilege." There were ten sections to the course, so I began to read. An hour later, I finished section one and completed the quiz. Only nine more chapters to go. Amazed at what I was learning over the course of five days, I squeezed in my reading late into the night and early in the morning. Naturally, I couldn't help but make connections between driving and the Christian life.
The church is the body of Christ where each one is valuable and necessary to the whole.
The church isn't the church if we don't care for and nurture the spiritual, emotional, relational and physical health of others inside and outside the church.
Don't be an "almost Christian," according to John Wesley. Be an "altogether Christian." Give your whole self to Christ and God's work in the world.
Just like on the road, people occasionally lose it at church as well. While church should be a safe place for everyone to express themselves, it's no excuse for flying off the handle at Joe because the sound system failed or Mabel because she overcooked the pies or Sally because she inadvertently left someone off the list of volunteers at the soup kitchen.
Greet people warmly when they sit in "your" pew; turn off your phone; don't make paper airplanes out of the bulletins; feel free to nap if you need the rest; don't talk to your friend during the sermon; and introduce yourself to guests.
Alcohol-related collisions accounted for 10,228 fatalities nationwide in 2010, or about one casualty every fifty-one minutes.
Rejoice that United Methodist churches don't serve alcohol.
Be a patient driver: always arrive safe.
This is where things got a bit dicey. I was losing my patience. After ten hours I had read 210 pages of facts about who yields to whom on a hill, how to back up; how to drive in snow and ice, animals on the highway, and braking, passing, railroad crossings and cyclists on the road. I completed ten practice tests and was ready for it to be done.
I arose early one morning to take the final exam. I needed to get 80% of the fifty questions right. If I failed, I could retake the test as many times as I needed to. This was an "open computer" test where I could search for the answers.
I went through the ten question security log-in one last time (the last of 36 times) and began the test at 6:30 a.m. with 210 pages in front of me. By 8:45 a.m. I only had two more questions to answer but had to reply to an email first. Alas, as soon as I opened my email, my computer froze, and I lost the test.
I rebooted my computer and logged in once more, expecting that I could recreate all the answers in a short amount of time. I clicked the button that says, "Take the test," only to discover an entirely new test. NOOOOOOOOO!
I went out for a run to clear my mind. An hour later, I logged in one more time, found yet another new test, completed it and passed. What did I learn?
Despite my tickets, I am deeply grateful for the courage, compassion and skill of our police officers, who protect and keep us safe.
It would have been so much easier to take the six-hour class in person.
If I ever have to take the test again, I will not be a perfectionist. 80% is enough.
Driving is a privilege, not a right, and stop means stop.
I pray for the day when every person in our world will live in a country where practicing their own religion is a privilege, a right and a gift. And I pray that when it comes to criticizing, judging and mistreating others, we will remember that Jesus was always clear when stop means stop. But, rejoice! God never issues tickets, just grace. How is grace at work in you?
This is a classic! It is assigned reading for my 15 yr. old grandaughter who will be taking drivers' ed. this summer.
Thank you, as always, for your good and wise words.
Driving home from Glen Lake is hazardous to your license — 35 MPH in Mesick enforced, no more than 65 MPH on M-115, 75 on Us-10 and I-75, all while being passed by drivers doing at least 20 MPH over the speed limit on all these roads. Never a cop in sight — until the next time. Pray for me.
Been there done that ! Oh so frustrating, BUT I did STOP ! I had a broken fuel injector pump on my brand new vehicle so I went to court to set things straight.
Not the case, the judge begins with, "Why would I believe you, when Officer so-in-so has been serving here for 26 years?" Needless, to say, it didn't go well.
End of email. I wonder if the 'lame excuse' was intended as a pun. You're right Laurie, life isn't fair and people can be mean and hurtful.
Life isn't fair, but we can't quit trying to make a difference, a meaningful caring DIFFERENCE.


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it, by which the Object will be discerned, when the Eye in its Motion comes to A, is at C when the Eye is atB. Joining the Points B,C, I supposed the Line CB, to be a Tube (inclined to the Line B D in the Angle D B C ) of such a Diameter, as to admit of but one Particle of Light; then it was eafy to conceive, that the Particle of Light at C (by which the Object must be seen when the Eye, as it moves along, arrives at A) would pafs through the Tube B C, if it is inclined to B D in the Aqgle D B C, and accompanies the Eye in its Motion from B to A 5 and that it could not come to the Eye, placed behind such a Tube, if it had any other Inclination to the Line BD. If instead of supposing CB fo Small a Tube, we imagine it to be the Axis of a larger; then for the same Reafon, the Particle of Light at C, could not pals through that Axis, unless it is inclined toBD, in the Angle CBD. In like manner, if the Eye moved the contrary way, from D towards A, with the fame Velocity ; then the Tube must be inclined in the Angle B DC. Although therefore the true or real Place of an Object is perpendicular to the Line in which the Eye is moving, yet the visible Place will not be fo, since that, no doubt, must be in the Direction of the Tube ; but the Difference between the true and apparent Place will be (cateris paribus) greater or lefs, according to the different Proportion between the Velocity of Light and that of the Eye. So that if we could suppose that Light was propagated in an Instant, then there would be no Difference between the real and visible Place of an Object, altho' the Eye were in Motion, for in that case, A C being infinite with Refpect to A B, the Angle A C B (the i Du-
( 64* )
ference between the true and visible Place) vanishes. But if Light be propagated in Time (which I presume will readily be allowed by most of the Philosuphers of this Age) then it is evident from the foregoing Considerations, that there will be always a Difference between the real and visible Place of an Object, unless the Eye is moving either directly towards or from the Object. And in all Cases, the Sine: of the Difference between the real and visible Place of the Object, will be to the Sine of the visible Inclination of the Object to the Line in which the Eye is moving, as the Velocity of the Eye to the Velocity of Light.
If Light moved but i ooo times faster than the Eye, and an Object (fuppoSed to be at an infinite Distance) was really placed perpendicularly over the Plain in which the Eye is moving, it follows from what hath been already said, that the apparent Place of such an Object will be always inclined to that Plain, in an Angle of 89° ^6't ; 10 that it will constantly appear 3' > from its true Place, and seem fo much less inclined to the Plain, that way towards which the Eye tends. That is, if A C is to AB (or AD) as 1000 to one, the Angle ABC will be 89° 56' *, and A C B = 3' *, and B C D = i A C B = 7'. So that according to this Supposition, the visible or apparent Place of the Object will be altered 7', if the Direction of the Eye's Motion is at one time contrary to what it is at another.
If the Earth revolve round the Sun annually, and the Velocity of Light were to the .Velocity of the Earth's Motion in its Orbit (which I will at present suppose to be a Circle) as 1000 to one; then tis easy


US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken considerable heat for her recent trip to Damascus. While its not a surprise she was attacked on Fox News, this scathing editorial in the Washington Postcuts pretty deep.
Meanwhile in Damascus, those attending Pelosi's reception at the vacant American ambassador's residence say that while members of the delegation were talking about lifting sanctions on Syria to gain its support for stabilizing Washington's troubled projects in the region, Pelosi reiterated to those in attendance that on Lebanon and negotiations with Israel, her differences with President Bush were miniscule.
Interesting. Two questions: 1- who was talking about lifting sanctions. And 2- who is the source for this, embassy staff?


The British Society of Scientific Glassblowers was founded in 1960 for the benefit of those engaged in scientific glassblowing and its associated professions, and to uphold and further the status of scientific glassblowers .Scientific glassblowers are charged with manufacturing laboratory equipment in glass, using glass rods, tubes and prefabricated components. Although the Society is primarily for scientific glassblowers, we encourage anyone with an interest in glass working to join – glass as a material holds an interest for many, and glassworkers provide a huge range of products, from glass beads and jewellery, to paperweights, decorative and practical vessels of every shape, size and colour, and sculpture intended for purely aesthetic effect. Were it not for these artists and craftsmen throughout history, scientific glassblowing would not exist as a craft. The Society holds a quite sizeable library, to which members have free access.
Scientific glassblowing is a specialty field of glass blowing used in industry, science, art and design used in research and production. Scientific glassblowing has been used in chemical, pharmaceutical, electronic and physics research including Galileo's thermometer, Thomas Edison's light bulb, and vacuum tubes used in early radio, TV and computers. More recently, the field has helped advance fiber optics, lasers, atomic and subatomic particle research, advanced communications development and semiconductors. The field combined hand skills using lathes and torches with modern computer assisted furnaces, diamond grinding and lapping machines, lasers and ultra-sonic mills.


CANFIELD - Vincent J. Luce, 71, passed away Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital after suffering a heart attack at his home.
Vincent, who was known to all as "Vince," and was affectionately known as "Butch" to his father and to his old friends was born April 13, 1947, in Ashtabula, and was a son of the late Donald and Sara M. Doyle Luce. He was raised in Warren and lived in Canfield for the past 33 years.
Vince was a 1966 graduate of Warren Harding High School and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He worked for many years in collections for Farmers National Bank and for Home Savings & Loan, retiring in 2009. He also worked part-time for over 30 years in security for the Mahoning County Career Technical Center.
Mr. Luce was a member of Highway Tabernacle in Austintown. He collected baseball cards, enjoyed yardwork and being outdoors, and he truly enjoyed his 1968 Pontiac Catalina. Most importantly, he loved his grandchildren and spending time with them.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Janet Oleyar Luce, whom he married Oct. 23, 1971; his son, Donald M. (Stacey) Luce of Canfield; his daughter, Dawna M. (Tim) Toth of Canfield; and four grandchildren, Vincent and Julianne Luce, and Michael and Genevieve Toth.
Private memorial services were held Friday, Nov. 30, at Highway Tabernacle Fellowship Hall.
A committal service with military honors was held at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown.
Memorial contributions may be made to Highway Tabernacle, in Vince's name.