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Entertainment » Movies
by Kilian Melloy
The title of the Forest Whitaker / Harvey Keitel vehicle "Two Men in Town" refers to the characters played by Whitaker and Keitel. But what does that title mean? That they are the only two real men in the town -- presumably Deming, New Mexico, though the town goes unnamed and we hear about the county, Luna (which borders both Arizona and Mexico) instead? Or that the town, as the old Wild West cliche has it, is too small for the both of them?
There are many questions raised by the film, which was directed by Rachid Bouchareb, a French filmmaker of Algerian extraction, and written by Bouchareb and a small committee that includes Daniel Boulanger, José Giovanni, Yasmina Khadra, and Olivier Lorelle. There are not a lot of answers, however -- far fewer, in fact, than there are trite characterizations and cookie-cutter plot points.
Whitaker plays Will Garnett, an African-American man raised by a white adoptive mother (Ellen Burstyn, who gets star billing but only has a cameo appearance) and caught up in a lawless border culture that seems to include drug running and the muling of pregnant women from South of the U.S. border. Garnett has spent eighteen years in prison for killing a Sheriff's deputy; during that time, he has educated himself, mentored other prisoners, and converted to Islam.
Upon Garnett's parole, he is assigned to the supervision of newcomer Emily Smith (Brenda Blethyn, star of Bouchareb's 2009 film "London River"). Smith is far more concerned with Garnett's welfare and successful reintegration into society than is Sheriff Agati (Keitel), who holds a grudge agains Garnett for having killed his deputy. Agati and Smith soon find themelves at loggerheads, with Smith doing everything she can to help Garnett while Agati goes out of his way to try to sabotage Garnett's chances.
Keitel doesn't have nearly as much screen time as we might wish he did -- not because of his performance (which, like Whitaker's seldom rises above adequacy), but because of his character's intriguing contradictions. Agati has a heart, and truly feels for the people who make their way to United States, or die in the desert trying to get here, a capacity of empathy that makes his harassment of Garnett all the more interesting.
But such is the case with the film overall. Why is it meaningful that Garnett has found Allah, rather than Jesus, during his time in the jug? How did he come to be adopted by a (seemingly) single white woman? And what's with his relationship with Terence (a largely wasted Luis Guzmán), who is either a close friend or a family member, and also a known criminal with whom Garnett cannot have any contact lest he lose his parole status and be sent back inside?
There is a paint-by-numbers love interest, too. Garnett falls for Teresa (Dolores Heredia), a bank worker; she's smart and strong, so you have to wonder just why she falls for him in turn, despite their short acquaintance. Teresa is an immigrant, but her story is only suggested, never filled in. She seems less like a character than a device, one more pressure point for Agati and Terence to exploit as each of them tries to bend, or break, Garnett to their will.
The disc's sole special feature (other than TV spots to advertise the film, which don't really count in my book) is a documentary titled "Fences." As though in keeping with the film's hazy themes, the doc has little to do directly with "Two Men in Town," addressing instead a miles-long stretch of border wall between the state of New Mexico and Mexico, the sovereign nation just South of our border. The wall is a debacle; even its supporters acknowledge that the highly porous and expensive barrier (costing $5 million per mile) isn't going to keep out illegal immigrants. (One interviewee hilariously claims that the wall's true purpose is keep U.S. livestock safe from "diseased" Mexican cattle.) Republicans, Democrats, and Tea Partiers all put in their two cents' worth about immigration, gun rights, and what it means to live in a border community; their comments range from contemptible (one Tea Partier reckons it's safe to go to the Mexican side in the morning, while the Mexicans are sleeping off the previous night's drug-fueled orgies of violence) to thoughtfully impotent. It's a fascinating film, but why is it here?
The film was produced with the participation of a number of film entities, among them Cohen Media Group, which must account for Cohen's releasing of the Blu-ray. As with the Australian thriller "Swerve," also released by Cohen, this is a second-rate movie; fans of Cohen's excellent restoration work and re-releases of vintage movies shouldn't come looking for a modern classic here.
"Two Men in Town"
http://cohenmedia.net/films/2-men-in-town
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Assistant Arts Editor. He also reviews theater for WBUR. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
Related Topics: Blu-Ray| movies| drama| Cohen Media Group
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Home /Judge to Rule on Former NJIT Lecturer's Libel Suit Against NJIT
AcademicsJanuary 31, 2019
Victoria Nguyen
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Jason Jorjani, a former university lecturer at NJIT, is demanding $25 million in damages from NJIT
A federal district court judge is expected to rule soon on a libel suit filed by a former NJIT lecturer whose controversial views on race and eugenics were criticized by NJIT administrators and professors last year.
The lawsuit was filed in federal district court last summer by Jason Jorjani, a lecturer in the Science, Technology and Society program. Jorjani began teaching in the Science Technology and Society program in the fall of 2016. He lost his job last spring, when his contract was not renewed after he became the subject of controversy because of his political views stemming from his association with the AltRight Corporation, an organization he had co-founded with white supremacist Richard Spencer.
In his suit, Jorjani claims that NJIT's actions were the "antithesis of academic freedom,'' which, "stifled [his] free search for truth; retaliated against [him] for the exercise of free speech'' and subjected him to "institutional censorship and discipline for speaking and writing as a citizen,'' according to the lawsuit. Specifically, Jorjani accuses NJIT President Joel Bloom, Dean Kevin Belfield, Biology Chairman Gareth Russell, NJIT Faculty Senate President Andrew Klobucar and History Chairman Neil Maher of defaming him when they published statements via email and in The Vector of expressing their rejection of Jorjani's beliefs. He is seeking $25 million in damages.
The suit has sparked a spirited First Amendment defense by the university, which is arguing that just as Jorjani had the right to his opinions, so did Bloom, Belfield, Russell, Klobucar and Maher.
"In the end, Dr. Jorjani seems to enjoy being a small-time, alt-right agent provocateurwho spouts racial drivel; that avocation, however, does not render him immune from either the truth (that his statements are racist based on the dictionary definition of the term) or from the opinions of others,'' university court papers state.
The suit was filed last summer and is before U.S. Federal District Court Judge William J. Martini. He is expected to issue an opinion in the coming week or so, according to Martini's Courtroom Deputy Gail Hansen.
What is libel? What is academic freedom?
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees free speech, is at the heart of this case. This constitutional right protects the interests of Americans to exercise their ideas and opinions, and overall exemplifies the process of democracy. According to thelawdictionary.org, "Without free speech protections, citizens would have a hard time challenging their government or speaking freely about the issues that matter to them. A democratic system can only exist when citizens are free to argue, debate, and voice their opinions without fear of punishment or retribution."
However, the First Amendment does not mean anything goes. Free speech has its limits, one of them being defamation, and in his suit, Jorjani is claiming that the responses that came from the university officials were defamatory, and therefore, not protected by the First Amendment.
Defamation is defined as "a false communication that harms individuals' reputations, causes the general public to hate or disrespect them, or damages their business or employment," according to the Guide to Free Speech on Campus by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an organization that specializes in First Amendment law. To win a libel suit, one must show the statement "must be an assertion of fact (rather than mere opinion) and capable of being proven false,'' according to the FIRE guide.
In the Jorjani case, the university is arguing that all of the statements at issue are statements of opinion, and furthermore, relevant, given that Jorjani's views were matters of public concern.
Jorjani, meanwhile is also arguing that his actions were protected by the First Amendment — as well as academic freedom, a concept that, according to the FIRE guide, has proven to be legally fuzzy.
According to the Fire Guide: "Academic freedom—which one may broadly conceive of as a general recognition that the academy must be free to research, teach, and debate ideas without censorship or outside interference—has proven to be an amorphous concept in practice, but serves nonetheless as a guiding and necessary principle for higher education.'' Specifically, there is no legal consensus about what academic freedom means: ". . . because of the lack of guidance from the Supreme Court, there remains an ongoing debate over who actually possesses the right to academic freedom—students, professors and/or the university itself,'' the FIRE guide states.
How did Jorjani's case unfold?
The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a controversy that began last fall when Jorjani's views were highlighted in a video that accompanied a New York Times opinion piece by Jesse Singal that highlighted the work of Patrik Hermansson, a Swedish graduate student who had done undercover research on the Alt Right.
Jorjani was sought out by Hermansson because of his role as "the architect'' of the AltRight Corp, which Jorjani co-founded with white supremacist Richard Spencer in January 2017, just over two months after the November 2016 presidential election. (Jorjani ended up resigning from the Alt Right Corp. after the Charlottesville "Unite the Right'' rally in August 2017.)
Hermansson's video, which ran as a supplement to Singal's op-ed, profiled Jorjani and his efforts to build an Alt Right media empire. In the video, which was filmed in a New York pub, Jorjani tells Hermannson about his desires to transform the AltRight movement into a "revolutionary force'': "This movement has mass appeal, because it is the counterculture now. It is the underdog. We should go from being underdogs to becoming a revolutionary state, Jorjani is seen saying."
Jorjani immediately took issue with the video, arguing that it had been heavily edited to misrepresent his views, especially in the portion of the tape where he was commenting on Hitler. What he meant, he said, was that if the immigration issue was not dealt with, there will be war and concentration camps, and Hitler will be seen as a great leader—but not that he himself endorsed Hitler's views.
Jorjani claims that all of his actions were protected political activities under the First Amendment and that he became involved with the Alt Right Corporation in order to broaden its message to reflect his views that "European culture[s] are intimately related to those of Greater Iran and the Persianate World, Hindu India and the Buddhist East and are the sources of the world's greatest scientific, artist and spiritual developments,'' according to the suit.
The New York Times piece sparked an email from Bloom, who denounced Jorjani's views in an email as being "repugnant to our institution's core values.'' It also led to a closer examination of Jorjani's published writings, specifically his views on race and eugenics, which he outlined in a blog post called "Against Perennial Philosophy'' where he argued: "Racial difference is real, and it matters. That Africans have an average IQ of around 75 whereas whites have an average IQ of around 100, and Africans who have mixed with whites (for example in North America or South Africa) have an average IQ of 85 has to do not with education or social conditioning but with different genetic inheritances from extinct Hominid species.''
This prompted Maher to issue a statement on behalf of the Federated Department of History, that argued that Jorjani "expresses a view of race and intelligence harking back to eugenic beliefs and "scientific racism long since debunked by scientists.'' Other critical statements were issued by the Faculty Senate and the NJIT biology department.
Why was Jorjani suspended?
A key point of contention in Jorjani's suit is the decision by the university to put Jorjani on administrative leave sevendays after the New York Timesarticle came out in September and then, a few months later, in February 2018, not to renew his contract. Lecturers do not have tenure, and their contracts are for one year at a time.
The contents of the Sept. 25 letter notifying Jorjani that he was being put on administrative leave was included in the suit. The letter states that the New York Timesarticle had caused "significant disruption at the university, and based on our information, we believe that the disruption will continue to expand. Further, the article and subsequent information provided by you reveals your association with organizations that were not disclosed on your outside activity forms, despite being directed by your chair to fully update your disclosure form last spring.''
Jorjani argues the non-renewal of his contract "was not related to any alleged ethical lapses, which were mere pretexts for his severance from NJIT,'' his suit reads. "Rather, Defendant's non-renewal and severance of Plaintiff were due to his engagement in speech which content was disapproved by Defendants and his association with a political movement of which Defendants disapproved.''
TAGS: defamationfree speechjason jorjanilawsuitlibelnjit
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Q: Webapp call to request.get() changes contents of request.body I'm using webapp with Google App Engine.
I recently added a call to request.get('variable_name').  This worked fine, but completely changed the contents of request.body.
Upon closer examination, it looks like if I do not make a call to request.get(), then request.body yields text without any url formatting.  But after a call the request.get(), request.body now contains text that includes URL formatting (a lot of '%' signs, etc...).
Am I using webapp wrong?  should I not be mixing and matching these two methods for information retrieval?
Here is some sample code:
class profiles_resource(webapp.RequestHandler):
    def post(self):
        # Value of request.body in debugger: 'str: {"query":"SELECT..."
        token = self.request.get('token')
        # Value of request.body in debugger: '%7B%22query%22%3A%22SELECT..."

A: request.get looks for request parameters in both the query string and the body of the request, assuming the body is formencoded. If you intend to read the body directly, do not use self.request.get or self.request.POST.

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Give thanks by giving back this holiday season! From donating food to serving meals to the homeless, it's easy to get involved and give back to others. The last half of the word Thanksgiving is in fact "giving". So embrace the spirit of giving and pick one of our favorite places to volunteer on Thanksgiving in Los Angeles.
Food on Foot is a non-profit organization who help the homeless of Los Angeles by providing meals, clothing, jobs and more to those in need. They will be distributing hot meals, bus tokens and sleeping bags to more than 350 people in Hollywood this Thanksgiving and are always looking for volunteers! From 2 – 5 pm on Thursday, you can help them feed the poor and homeless this season. To sign up to be a volunteer on Thanksgiving Day with Food on Foot, visit their website HERE.
Union Station Homeless Services has been hosting holiday events for the homeless for 76 years now. This year, they will be holding Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park at Pasadena Central Park to provide thousands of meals for the homeless, low-income families, seniors and more. In addition to volunteering your time, you are also welcome to donate money, pies or anything on their Thanksgiving Wish List. For more information on how to volunteer or become a sponsor for this year's event, visit their website HERE.
Founded in 1936, the Los Angeles Mission has given more than 375,000 meals throughout the years. Not only do they serve meals to those in need, they also accept donations of food, clothing and gifts. Celebrities also make an appearance at several Los Angeles Mission events, helping serve more than 3,000 pounds of turkey to those on Skid Row in past years. You are also welcome to donate a Thanksgiving meal if you can't be there in person. To volunteer or donate to this year's Thanksgiving Day, visit their website HERE.
Whether you're looking to serve meals to the homeless or simply donate food, there are so many places looking for volunteers on Thanksgiving Day in Los Angeles. What are you most thankful for this year?


Gauhati University Recruitment 2016 – Apply Offline for 34 Professor Vacancy. Gauhati University is the oldest teaching and affiliating university which is situated in Jalukbari, Guwahati. There are approximately 326 colleges/ institutes beneath this university. Gauhati University has distributed an employment notification for engaging dynamic and committed faculties in the existing vacancies of various teaching positions. As per the advertisement of Gauhati University Recruitment 2016, nearly 34 positions are going to be filled in different departments of this university. Graduates who are hunting for teaching jobs in a highly reputed university can use this opportunity.
To start your career at this university, aspirants must succeed in various selection processes. Qualifying faculties will be recruited at the departments of Sociology/ Bengali/ Chemistry/ Applied Science/ Geological Science/ Physics/ ECE/ Environmental Science/ Political Science/ Instrumentation/ Statistics, etc. Keen and eligible person can send your applications to the below stated address.
The minimum qualification required for all the above positions will be based upon UGC norms only. So that, individuals who are applying for the Gauhati University Posts must have completed M.Sc/ M.Tech/ PhD Degree in Chemistry/ Geology/ Petroleum/ physics/ Instrumentation or any similar qualification from a recognized university.
After the closing date of application submission, the documents send by the aspirants shall be scrutinized on the basis on qualification and experience. Individuals who found to be suitable shall be invited for the personal interview.
Contenders appearing for the interview must hold original documents in support of them. The participants will be validated by means of communication skills, subject knowledge, etc at the time of interview.
The selected faculties shall be appointed on contractual or regular basis as per the university's requirements. Meantime, the one who is designated as Professor and Associate professor will get salary as per the pay scale of Rs.37400 to 67000/- per month with grade pay between Rs.9000 to 10000/- and Rs.15600 to 39100/- pm with the grade pay of Rs.6000/- for the Assistant Professor post.
Similarly, Gauhati University Designees who are appointed as Contractual Assistant Professor will get a consolidated pay of Rs.21600/- pm.
Applicants are required to pay an application fee in the form of demand draft, in favour of "Registrar, Gauhati University" payable at SBI Branch, Gauhati University. The general category supplicants have to remit a non-refundable application fee of Rs.1000/- and Rs.500/- for the SC/ ST category.
After reading all the eligibility conditions of Gauhati University Recruitment 2016, interested aspirants can download their application form from the authorized site i.e. "www.gauhati.ac.in" and take the printout of the form.
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Mention the post and department name at the top of the envelope which holds the application. Send these documents to "The Registrar, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014" before the last date of submission. In-Service applicants should submit the applications through their current employer only.
Note: Candidates who wish to apply for more than one position are asked to submit separate application for each post. To get additional details about the Gauhati University Recruitment 2016, you can go through the official advertisement.


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The biggest Mets trade deadline bust this year
By Zachary Rotman
Aug 6, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Mychal Givens (60) delivers a pitch / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
At the trade deadline, the New York Mets were pretty active, but I think everyone agrees that they should have done more.
Acquiring Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf to fix their DH platoon has proven to have been a great move as the Mets offense has looked exponentially better since the deadline.
Adding Mychal Perez as the third catcher proved to be an upgrade over Patrick Mazeika as he had a couple of clutch hits when called upon. Adding Tyler Naquin despite a major slump right now has been a massive upgrade over Travis Jankowski when looking at the fourth outfielder.
What the Mets failed to address was the bullpen. Mychal Givens has to be better, considering he was the only reliever acquired.
The Mets traded young rookie reliever Colin Holderman to the Pirates in exchange for Vogelbach. I thought this was a good move as Vogelbach was a needed piece and I assumed the Mets would go out and get multiple relievers.
When Drew Smith went on the sidelines, I was even more convinced that the Mets would get multiple relievers. The bullpen outside of Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz has been a massive question mark all season, and I assumed the Mets realized that.
The Mets acquired Givens to replace Holderman's spot, but did not replace Smith's spot. Givens to put it lightly, has been horrible since arriving in Queens.
His first appearance in orange and blue came in a lopsided game in Washington. All Givens had to do was get three outs to complete a Mets sweep. He allowed five runs to score while recording two outs, forcing the Mets to burn Seth Lugo to secure the victory.
Givens as a Met has allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits in 9.1 innings pitched. He's seen his ERA rise from 2.66 when they acquired him all the way up to 4.14.
I thought Givens was a fine add, as he'd been a successful middle reliever most of the time. The Mets have their late game trio of Lugo, Ottavino, and Diaz, so I assumed Givens would fit in well as a guy who could pitch the sixth or seventh inning in a close game.
So far, I couldn't have been more wrong. Givens does have a relationship with Buck Showalter and has a track record of success at this level, but so far things have not gone well at all for the 32 year old.
I understand the reliever market was expensive, as some arms the Mets targeted weren't even moved at all. However, for a team trying to win the World Series with the bullpen as the biggest weakness, the deadline did not help them. So far with how he has performed, Mychal Givens has only hurt them which has to change if the Mets want to get where they hope to go.
Next. Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the National League East. dark


In that example Port "01620459-aa05-4a25-9bf3-41a9390d94b1" is configured without tag, which means of course that the network is not working in virtual machine. After restart of neutron ovs agent service, it is recreated with tag and the network is connected. It's Openvswitch 2.7 and Ocata version of hyperv compute on Hyper-V Server 2016.


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Amazon Prime Video to launch Amazon Original Sitcom Mind the Malhotras on June 7, 2019
Mind the Malhotras is a hilarious take on modern marriage and family life showcased by depicting awkward and insane moments from a 'seemingly normal' family of five.
Amazon Prime Video together with Applause Entertainment today announced the nine episode Amazon Original Sitcom Mind The Malhotras which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video across 200 countries and territories starting June 7, 2019.
Amazon Prime Video released a hilarious trailer for the upcoming sitcom today. The show is a humorous take on modern marriages depicted via the life of a married couple Rishabh and Shefali Malhotra (played by the talented Cyrus Sahukar and Mini Mathur), as they take on everyday challenges faced by this quirky family of five. The series showcases the 'seemingly normal' family of five whose daily lives are full of awkward and insane moments.
Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said "We are delighted to present our first sitcom, Mind the Malhotras. The show is a fun take on the everyday lives of a modern, upwardly mobile, suburban Indian couple. Packed with relatable moments and laugh-out-loud humour, we believe that the show will be loved by audiences across the country. We have received great appreciation from our customers for our comedy offering and are excited to continue building on it with this series."
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment said "Sitcoms in India make for a great family watch and we are happy to adapt this Armoza Formats show and present a new story with fresh, relatable characters. The story arcs borrow from real life, and I am sure viewers will find moments and conversations that mirror their lives. At Applause, we strive to develop rich and premium content that will delight audiences. We hope that viewers will enjoy what we have in-store for them with this new Amazon Original Series."
Watch the trailer here :
With another married couple from their friend circle filing for divorce, Rishabh and Shefali Malhotra feel their marriage too might be on the rocks and may come to an inevitable end, if immediate measures are not taken. The couple decides to seek professional help from a therapist who digs up embarrassing moments from the family's past. The sitcom brings to life entertaining instances of the married couple who are trying to raise their family in an urban city, while they are simultaneously influenced by their bizarre friends and neighbors. Through each episode Rishabh and Shefali reflect upon instances from their lives on the 'couples counselling couch', while the therapist tries to make sense of what could possibly cause a hindrance in their marriage.
Also Read : Viu and Keshet International sign a two show deal for Indian audience
While focusing on the couple, the show also brings to life hilarious situations ranging from their sex life, the growing pains of raising three children, Rishabh's annoying mother to the mentally absent house help. Mind The Mahlotras' takes on everyday situations of modern day families and couples humorously. Produced for Applause Entertainment by Born Free Entertainment, the Amazon Original Sitcom, Mind the Malhotras is directed by Sahil Sangha and Ajay Bhuyan and stars Mini Mathur, Cyrus Sahukar, Sushmita Mukherjee, Anandita Pagnis, Nikki Sharma, Jason D`souza, Rahul Verma along with Denzil Smith. The series is written by Karan Sharma and Sahil Sangha.
TAGS Mini Mathur Cyrus Sahukar Mind the Malhotras
Mind the Malhotras Review : This Cyrus Sahukar & Mini Mathur sitcom is a smart modern comedy
10 . Jun . 2019
Mini Mathur makes her acting debut in streaming with End of the World Web Series
Onir's Raise the Bar has a star-studded screening at PVR Juhu
Chef Kunal Kapoor joins the streaming celebrity travel and food bandwagon
All About Mini Mathur's 'The Mini Truck'!


text:
Q: Problem with adding repositories in build.gradle(project) // Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules.
buildscript {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath "com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.0.0"

        // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
        // in the individual module build.gradle files
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
    }
}
task clean(type: Delete) {
    delete rootProject.buildDir
}

This is the error i am getting
A problem occurred evaluating root project 'LuckyMuch'.

Build was configured to prefer settings repositories over project repositories but repository 'Google' was added by build file 'build.gradle'

*

*Try:
Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output. Run with --scan to get full insights.

A: I have the same problem and solved it. Go to settings.gradle file -> change below code:
From this:
repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)

to this:
repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.PREFER_SETTINGS)

and add this line in the repository block: maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }

A: Even I faced this issue, I have updated settings.gradle file with below code it worked for me
dependencyResolutionManagement {
     repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.PREFER_PROJECT)
     repositories {
         google()
         mavenCentral()
     }
}
rootProject.name = "Chat App"
include ':app'

A: dependencyResolutionManagement {
  repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)
 repositories {
     google()
     mavenCentral()
 }

}
rootProject.name = "Chat App"
include ':app'


I ran a post on Sunday about a kitchen with a table in it. Well, there was a reason for that. I'm working on a design right now that has a real dining table in the center of it instead of an island. There is plenty of space in the room to take care of all of my appliances and work zones on the perimeter. Ordinarily, I'd propose a large island for the center of the room just 'cause that's what I do. But really, there's no need for one and I like the idea of building a kitchen around a table.
My clients like the idea too and as I work on the design, I keep coming back to a table like this one from Room and Board.
Room and Board has these tables made for them in West Virginia and they are customizable with a minimal lead time. The size I'm looking at is the 30" x 78" but it comes in a bunch of other sizes and is available in a drop-leaf too. The solid walnut table I want to use has a retail price of $1599 and that's a pretty remarkable price tag on a table that will last for a generation or two. While it's not exactly an heirloom, at $1600 it's a table that can take a beating from being in a kitchen and spending half its life being used as a prep counter.
What a great image I have in my mind for this kitchen. I see someone kneading bread dough on one end of the table while somebody else reads the paper at the other end. Later, a houseful of friends comes over for a home-cooked, casual dinner. Everybody sits around that table and laughs and tells stories and lets the dirty dishes pile up around the sink and it doesn't matter. Friends don't care about dirty dishes in the sink and kitchen tables don't leave a whole lot of room for pretense anyhow.
At least that's how I see it. In addition to that table, I want to use six of these Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs in black lacquered oak. The Wishbone chair has been around since 1950 and it looks as good today as when Hans Wegner rolled it out originally.
That Wishbone might be a little complicated for the room I have in mind, despite its status as a classic. I'm thinking that maybe Hans Wegner's Chair 36 from 1962 might work a little better. Here are a couple of shots of Chair 36.
So what do you think? Of this table and the chairs of course, but what do you think of the idea of using a table instead of an island in a kitchen design?
Of course I love it. Kneading bread dough, or making pie, while children do homework or snack on the other end of the table is what I grew up with, and we keep doing now, though the table now is really too small.
Your chair choices are surprising to me, I would not have guessed either to go with that table. Also I worry about those chairs and lumbar support. My back injury in September has made me oddly utilitarian.
I love it too, the idea of a large family table in the kitchen as the gathering place, like the old style farm house and harvest table a la Waltons- instead of a huge bastion-like, granite topped island that seems to dominate kitchen designs thse days. A wood table has much more warmth, and we humans have the proclivity to form personal attachment to objects that can be passed down and engender great intrinsic value for the posessor.
The need to gather is, of course, why the kitchen island phenomenon developed right? Human nature to gather an have interaction in the kitchen- the heart of the home.
If I have anything to say about it, this job will get Wishbone chairs, but I threw the chair options up there to be provocative. I love getting a reaction from folks in the comments section here.
I doubt we'll buy chairs for this project over the internet. Chairs have to be sat in prior to purchase, so we'll go through my favorite mid-century furniture guy locally. He always has a couple of things I hadn't thought about in his showroom. I do want to use a MCM classic chair though and I think the lines of that table are minimal enough that it can handle anything surrounding it. Well, almost anything.
No apologies for verbosity around here Johnna, from somebody for whom it's a life sentence (me), long-windedness is a trait I admire!
It happily reminds me of my mother's kitchen growing up. I would sit with her as she folded laundry on the table in the kitchen.
I think it's great to offer them a space like that to gather.
And that table is gorgeous, especially in the walnut.
You know I like the kitchen table idea. I like both your chair choices and can see that you are looking for something with a low back so that the table can functionally perform like a work island when necessary. The only other option I can think of would be benchs on the long sides of the table. But personally, I think those are cumbersome for people who use the table daily - especially if there are a lot of them (thinking of Susan's Waltons).
Susan, I mis identified you in my earlier comment-on-comment. Apologies!
I love that table in walnut too. Walnut's my favorite hardwood and I like to use it as often as I can.
I grew up sitting at a kitchen table and it's definitely the root of my fascination with them. And Pam, you're absolutely right about the low-backed chairs. The low backs will allow this table to be a kitchen table instead of a dining table. I like the idea of a bench and I know that they are very on trend right now. However, this is for a child-free home and I think it's too much to ask that a middle-aged person sit at a bench.
Chairs work better post-40, don't you think?
We are doing our kitchen and just got the island in...and I have to say LOVE. For rolling out dough, cleaning up messy breakfasts, etc., I am happy to have that hard, cool surface. In our old place my old table didn't hold up to all the abuse (but maybe it was just cheap). It seems like the people you're building for are kidless, though, and that makes a difference!
PS, we are doing a traditional table with mid-century danish chairs, recommended by our designer. I love the look & the chairs you chose.
Well Erika, every kitchen needs a big work surface and I'm happy to hear that you love your island. For you it works and that's fantastic. However, they have become a knee-jerk reaction from this designer's perspective and in my quest for new and novel I seem to have rediscovered the kitchen table.
Good job on the mid-century Danish chairs!
I like kitchen islands myself. Tables are good too but it depends on where you family is-meaning are they all still at the house or own their own. BUT nothing is more delightful to me than to sit around a nice table and talk or play cards. Something is just comforting about it. SO now-maybe I need both!
Clearly, they are not for every room and to each his or her own. I have been a tireless proponent of large islands for years. As I get older though, I remember with increasing fondness the games of pinochle and 500 bid we used to play around the kitchen table when I was a kid. Truly, they are some of my fondest memories.
I like chair 36 better than wishbone, with this table, myself.
I like both the chairs you have in mind. Although benches would be nice, they could be cumbersome.
You know I love a real kitchen table - I also love the Wegner wishbone chairs, although I think the other chair "matches" the table better. (But who needs everything matching?). Do they have children? Will they be kneading and rolling out dough on the table? I have visions of sticky gobs of dough and batter ingrained into the woven seat of the Y chairs. If a chair cannot be just wiped clean it shouldn't be anywhere near a real working kitchen table.
Rachele: Which desk? That place is a toy store, I swear!
Kelly: Wow, gorgeous tables and the media cabinets on their home page are stunning. Thanks for the link.
Clarity: I'm heading into this chair selection process with an open mind. The only thing I don't want them to do is match. I never thought about Wegner's penchant for woven seats and the problem they present with a working kitchen. Hmmm. The Wishbones have an optional leather seat pad, but even that won't cut it I'm afraid. Good point. There are no kids in the house, it's two women but even so, wipe-able seats are definitely the way to go.
As someone who grew up in England in the 1970s I am very familiar with the table-as-island set up. Let me describe two kitchens to you. Kitchen #1 would make any of your readers just weep. While it was a fair sized room (in a 1972 house) with the cabinets placed around the perimeter of the room, the gas cooker(with the grill on top) was huddled in a corner with no cabinets anywhere around it. The fridge was in the opposite corner and surprisingly, not one of those dorm room sized ones favoured at that time by most Europeans. The picture window over the sink had a nice view, which helped overcome the dreadful wallpaper and formica cabinets. The kitchen table stood proudly in the middle of the room and completely compromised the work flow of the kitchen. The whole place had a rather stiff-upper-lip feel to it: i.e., don't complain and get on with your lunch. Now on to kitchen #2. Picture a small mansion in the Surrey Hills called Leith Hill Place, built circa 1740. Now place yourself in an atmospheric kitchen wing, namely in a large room, 20x30 say, with a 20' ceiling. There is an enormous Aga recessed in an old fireplace that once held a spit.(There is also a sheepskin coat in one corner being used as a cat bed!) A modern sink is on another wall so that one doesn't have to take the dishes to the scullery down a rather long hallway. There is a beehive shaped oven in one corner (disused).The fridge is not too large, since many foods are kept in one of the larders (down the hall near the scullery). Naturally, there is a kitchen table in the center of the room. This 12'long, scrubbed pine work horse tells the story of the generations of people that have used it. The table is covered with scratches, ink stains and the like, as well as being dented and nicked in places. One has to move piles of detritus to do homework and have 'Tea'.
While I now cook in a contractor-built kitchen, a space that I have made very much my own, it is the kitchens of my childhood friends that I remember most.
Paul, if your clients picture their dinner guests lolling at table after eating an exquisite dinner, I'd push for the Wegner chairs...they look more comfortable!
Oh man! How do I get a set up like Leith Hill Place?! Anne you are welcome to come back and taunt me with your descriptions and memories of that place any time you'd like. Come to think about it, want to write a column about it? Think about it and let me know.
Write a post about them!
Beautiful desk Rachele. The armoire's really sharp too. I love that mid-high height.
LOVE the idea of using a kitchen table instead of an Island. The only drawback may be, lack of storage.
The tables and the second chair you featured resembles a 2nd-hand set that I had picked up for my son a number of years ago when he 'left the nest'.
The table however had slide-in extension leafs.
Well, if your son is sitting on a set of Wegner originals, it is worth quite a bit more than $200!


For those of you unfamiliar with a photographic scavenger hunt, we provided a list of items that the photowalkers were asked to collect during the photowalk.
For a map of the route that we followed, please take a look here.
What is the Bath Photo Walk?
Every six weeks the Bath Photo Walk takes in a different part of Bath. Photographers of all levels come and meet other snap happy people to make friends or learn more about photography whilst walking around the city.
For general Bath Photography news and chat keep up with us on twitter.
The Bath Photo Walk is sponsored by Spherical Images 360 Virtual Tours. Stunning, HD, Fullscreen, Virtual Tour company, based in London.
The Bath Photo Walk is sponsored by Mango Pie. Bespoke event designers.
The Bath Photo Walk is running on a WordPress engine, with a WhitePlus body kit developed by Militaru.


text:
Dan Donovan
Publisher and Managing Editor
Dan Donovan is the founding Publisher of Ottawa Life Magazine, the capital's largest and longest running (est. 1996) general interest and lifestyles magazine. His work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Masthead Magazine and The Hill Times. He is a regular guest commentator on public policy matters on CFRA, 1310 AM and the Corus networks Charles Adler Radio Show. He is a former Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Magna International. He served as Chief of Staff to the former federal minister of youth and labour and as Director of Publications and Communications at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. He is a former Director of Environment Policy at The International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France. Dan holds degrees from both the University of Ottawa and the Université de Strasbourg (Institut d'Etudes Politique et Economie). He is a past member of the Executive Committee and the Board of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, former member of the Board of the National Cycling Centre and a former governor of the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. His first book, True Grits, New Grits was published by Hemlock press in 1993.
LeBreton Flats part deux, the Château Laurier and a 'let them eat cake' attitude by public servants
Photo: RendezVous proposal for LeBreton (supplied by RendezVous LeBreton Group) After managing and overseeing the LeBreton Flats debacle, The National Capital Commission (NCC) sent out a notice in June in what appears to be LeBreton Part Deux. Apparently, it will "be open to a flexible real [...]
Written by: Dan Donovan
Meet Mario Dion - Canada's overpaid political eunuch
From left: Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion and Ottawa West Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld Mario Dion is a career Civil Servant with an undistinguished record whose previous work was scorned by Canada's former auditor general in 2014. He found that Dion was responsible for the "gross mismanagement" [...]
Obtuse - The Only Word for Ottawa Councillors on the Château Laurier File
Rob Snow is one of Ottawa's best interviewers and listening to his popular morning show on CFRA is like tapping into the pulse of our region. Yesterday, Snow had an interview with Ottawa Councillor Alan Hubley that was so incredible I had to go online to confirm what was actually said. Snow was [...]
Politics June 25, 2019
Graphic by Karen Temple There is a wise proverb that says, "If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you do is stop digging." Sadly, when it comes to the Trudeau government's arrest and detention of Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer, Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver [...]
Canada's Northern Light: John Turner at 90
From left to right: Paul Martin, Elizabeth Turner, Justin Trudeau, John Turner, Joe Clark, Fiona, Jean Chertien (credit: Jean-Marc Carisse) "Civility does not mean the mere outward gentleness of speech cultivated for the occasion, but an inborn gentleness and desire to do the opponent good." [...]
Seamus O'Regan's Failure at Grassy Narrows Proves Systemic Racism is Alive and Thriving at Indian Affairs
Photo credit: Allan Lissner/FreeGrassy.net) If Tembec, Papier Masson or any other pulp and paper plant illegally dumped 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the Ottawa River in the 1960s and early '70s and poisoned the river, the fish and put at risk the health of the people in Ottawa who live along [...]
Why Canada Needs a Royal Commission on the Role of Media in the 21st Century
Politics May 31, 2019
The media landscape in Canada has changed dramatically in the past decade. The newspaper industry is slowly collapsing as readers transition fully from print to digital formats for news and other information. Advertisers have abandoned traditional media in droves, which in turn has flatlined revenues. [...]
New Brunswick – Simply Delicious
Travel May 24, 2019
I have had the immense fortune of travelling across this great country. I've seen the energetic and diverse city of Vancouver with its mountainous backdrop and coastal shorelines, the great Canadian Rockies, beautiful Banff and the picturesque town of Canmore. I've been across the Saskatchewan [...]
Mayday, Mayday . . . Fed up Liberal and NDP supporters are going Green.
Green is gold heading into the fall 2019 election A Léger Marketing poll conducted between April 18-22 for The Canadian Press that surveyed 1,522 eligible Canadian voters suggests that Justin Trudeau and his government will be tossed from power after just one term. The results were weighted [...]
Despite Stormy Waters, the Canada-China Friendship is in Full Bloom at the Canadian Tulip Festival
Top Stories May 19, 2019
The start of the annual Canadian Tulip Festival each May is synonymous with the arrival of spring and the kick-off of the festival season in the nation's capital. Since 1953, the tulip has symbolized the strong bond that formed when Canada liberated the Netherlands during the Second World War. Princess [...]


text:
A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia or emblem and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, they might be given to prove membership when asked and to enhance morale.  They are also collected by service members and law enforcement personnel. Historically, challenge coins were presented by unit commanders in recognition of special achievement by a member of the unit.  They could also be exchanged in recognition of visits to an organization.

Modern day challenge coins may feature popular culture attributes or organizational values. Modern challenge coins are made in a variety of sizes and are often made using popular culture references, including superheroes and other well-known characters in a way that creates a parody.

Origins

There are several stories detailing the origins of the challenge coin. Many originate in popular culture based on current events.

The Roman Empire rewarded soldiers by presenting them with coins to recognize their achievements. In Rome, if soldiers excelled in battle one day, they would receive their typical day's wages along with a separate bonus coin each. According to some accounts, these bonus coins were specially minted, featuring the marks of the legions from which they came. As a result, some soldiers apparently kept their coins as mementos, instead of spending them.

Challenge coins were also known as "Portrait Medals" during the Renaissance and were often used to commemorate specific events involving royalty, nobility, or other types of well-to-do individuals.  The medals would be given as gifts or awards, and people also exchanged them with friends and associates.  The most common format was for one side to depict the patron while the other showed something that represented that individual's family, house, lineage, and/or seal.

The first instance of using a coin as a response to an actual challenge may come from the 17th century religious wars in France. Following King Louis XIV's 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, French Protestants began to suffer persecution by the state for their illegal religion. Many Protestants fled France to find religious freedom elsewhere. Among those who chose to remain in France were some from a Protestant group known as Huguenots who were forced to conduct their religious services in secret. In order to avoid infiltration by state spies the Huguenots began to carry their méreau communion coin. When challenged while trying to gain entry to Protestant church services the Huguenot would produce his méreau coin as a token to show allegiance with the Protestant Church and be admitted entry.

According to one story, challenge coins originated during World War I. Before the entry of the United States into the war in 1917 American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons of the Army and Naval Air Service. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war.

In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck. Shortly after acquiring the medallion, the pilot's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. However, he was without personal identification. He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. Saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him. He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners and one of his French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.

Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through challenge in the following manner: a challenger would ask to see the medallion, if the challenged could not produce a medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the member who challenged them. If the challenged member produced a medallion, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued throughout the war and for many years after the war while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.

According to another story, challenge coins date back to World War II and were first used by Office of Strategic Service personnel who were deployed in Nazi held France. Similarly, Jim Harrington proposed a Jolly sixpence club amongst the junior officers of the 107th Infantry.  The coins were simply a local coin used as a "bona fides" during a personal meeting to help verify a person's identity. There would be specific aspects such as type of coin, date of the coin, etc. that were examined by each party. This helped prevent infiltration into the meeting by a spy who would have to have advance knowledge of the meeting time and place as well as what coin was to be presented, amongst other signals, as bona fides.

Others argue the tradition started in Vietnam, when an Army infantry-run bar tried to keep non-infantrymen away by forcing "outsiders" to buy drinks for the whole bar if they couldn't prove they had been in combat. The "proof" started with enemy bullets, then got a little out of control with grenades, rockets and unexploded ordnance. So, a coin-sized item emblazoned with the unit's insignia became the accepted form of proof. This tradition, now known as a coin check, continues today, hence it being called a "challenge" coin.

While a number of legends place the advent of challenge coins in the post-Korean Conflict era (some as late as the Vietnam War), or even later, Colonel William "Buffalo Bill" Quinn had coins made for those who served in his 17th Infantry Regiment during 1950 to 1958. The 17th Infantry Regiment "Buffalo" coin is the oldest challenge coin known in existence. On one side of the coin is a picture of a buffalo with the date 1812, which signified the year the unit was formed. On the other side was the 17th Infantry patch with the dates 1950 – 1958 and the word Korea to signify the tour. The cross and fort icon represent the unit's heritage which started in Cuba during the civil war. This coin is recognized as one of the oldest and most valuable challenge coins in circulation. Very few remain available, and most are thought to be in private collections.

Colonel Verne Green, commander of the 10th Special Forces Group-A, embraced the idea.  He had a special coin struck with the unit's badge and motto in 1969.  Until the 1980s, his unit was the only unit with an active challenge coin tradition.

There is another story about an American soldier scheduled to rendezvous with Philippine guerrillas during WWII.  As the story goes, he carried a Philippine solid silver coin that was stamped on one side with the unit insignia. The coin was used to verify, to the guerrillas, that the soldier was their valid contact for the mission against the Japanese.

The challenge coin tradition has spread to other military units, in all branches of service, and even to non-military organizations as well as the United States Congress, which produces challenge coins for members of Congress to give to constituents. Today, challenge coins are given to members upon joining an organization, as an award to improve morale, and sold to commemorate special occasions or as fundraisers. In the Air Force, military training instructors award an airman's coin to new enlisted personnel upon completion of their United States Air Force Basic Military Training and to new officers upon completion of the Air Force Officer Training School.

U.S. presidents

Challenge coins issued by presidents date back to the late 1990s. Separately, the White House Communication Agency (WHCA) has issued challenge coins for foreign heads and military during Presidential visits. In May 2018, controversy arose when WHCA released a coin featuring President Donald Trump and North Korean head Kim Jong-un ahead of peace talks scheduled for June 2018 in Singapore.

President Bill Clinton displayed several racks of challenge coins, which had been given to him by U.S. service members, on the credenza behind his Oval Office desks. These coins are currently on display at the Clinton Library. The challenge coins appear in the background of his official portrait, now hanging in the White House.

President George W. Bush received a challenge coin from a Marine combat patrol unit during his short but unexpected visit to Al Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq, 3 September 2007.

President Barack Obama, in addition to handing challenge coins to U.S. service members, would leave coins on the memorial graves of dead soldiers.

President Donald Trump's coin broke with tradition, omitting the presidential seal, the motto "E pluribus unum" and the thirteen arrows representing the thirteen original states. His campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" appears on both sides. It features a banner at the bottom, which also serves as a base allowing the coin to stand upright.

President Joe Biden's coin depicts his home state of Delaware and "261st" for the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade of the Delaware Army National Guard, his late son Beau Biden's unit.

Challenging

The tradition of a challenge is the most common way to ensure that members are carrying their unit's coin. The rules of a challenge are not always formalized for a unit, and may vary between organizations. The challenge only applies to those members that have been given a coin formally by their unit. This may lead to some controversy when challenges are initiated between members of different organizations and is not recommended. The tradition of the coin challenge is meant to be a source of morale in a unit, and forcing the challenge can cause a reverse effect.  The act of challenging is called a "coin check" and is usually loudly announced.

The challenge, which can be made at any time, begins with the challenger drawing his/her coin, and slapping or placing the coin on the table or bar. In noisy environments, continuously rapping the challenge coin on a surface may initiate the challenge. (Accidentally dropping a challenge coin is considered to be a deliberate challenge to all present.) Everyone being challenged must immediately produce the coin for their organization and anyone failing to do so must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and everyone else who has their challenge coin. However, should everyone challenged be able to produce their coin, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for the group.

While most holders of challenge coins usually carry them in their pockets or in some other readily accessible place on their persons, most versions of the rules permit a challenged person "a step and a reach" or if an individual has an extra coin to pass it off to the person closest to them.  Coins on belt buckles or key chains are not acceptable for meeting a challenge.  However, a coin worn in a pouch around the neck is acceptable for meeting a coin challenge.

Variants of the rules include, but are not limited to, the following: If someone is able to steal a challenge coin, everyone in the group must buy a drink for that person. During a challenge, everyone in the group must buy a drink for the holder of the highest-ranking coin.

A coin's rank is determined by the rank of the giver of the challenge coin. For example, a coin presented by an Admiral would outrank a coin presented by a Vice Admiral, while both would outrank a coin presented by a Captain. Traditionally, the presentation of a coin is passed during a handshake. Some units provide strict time limits to respond to a challenge. Also, coins are ranked in level of difficulty in attaining them. An Infantryman coin would outrank a logistical coin. A Ranger coin would outrank an Infantryman coin.

Traditionally, rules of a challenge include a prohibition against defacing the coin, especially if it makes it easier to carry at all times. If the challenge coin is attached to a belt buckle or key ring or has had a hole drilled in it to attach to a lanyard, it no longer qualifies as a challenge coin.

Appearance
There are many finishes available—from a simple pewter to 24K gold.  While there are only a few base metals, the patina (finish) can range from gold, silver, or nickel to brass, copper, or bronze—plus the antiqued variations. Soft or hard enamel or a printed inset with an epoxy coating may add color (the epoxies are often more resilient and scratch resistant than the metal surfaces).

Cost
Challenge coins are moderately inexpensive to design and produce. There are two basic processes by which to manufacture: zinc-alloy castings or die struck bronze.

Zinc alloy castings offer the advantage of low cost. Zinc casting also allows more flexibility in design like cutouts found on spinner coins or bottle opener coins. While a die struck bronze or brass coin is more expensive, the result renders a far superior product (numismatic quality).

, coins manufactured in China and South Korea typically cost between US $2.50 to US $7.00 per coin, depending on production process and complexity of design, laser engraving, enamels, voids, etc. The dies must be sculpted by an artist and can range in cost from US$50 to US$300, depending on complexity.  The cost of domestic manufacture can be many times this amount.

In order to be competitive, most North American companies offering challenge coins rely on having the product manufactured offshore. Many challenge coins are fabricated in South Korea, as the connection to the US military bases there is strong, and costs are cheaper than those made in the US.

Uses

Besides using coins for challenging, they are also used as rewards or awards for outstanding service or performance of duty. As such, they are used as a tool to build morale. Military officials occasionally give them to non-military personnel for outstanding service or rewards, like the case of student athletes at Northeastern University.

In the context as they are used by the modern U.S. military, the tradition probably began among special forces units during the Vietnam War.  The tradition spread through the Airborne community, and by the early 1980s also into the 75th Ranger Regiment.  As officers were reassigned as their careers progressed, they carried with them the tradition of awarding a unit coin for acts that were worthy of recognition but yet lacked enough merit to submit the soldiers act for an official medal.

One widely known challenge coin in the United States Air Force  was the "Bull Dog" challenge coin that was exclusive to B-52 enlisted tail gunners.  Since the B-52 gunner position was phased out in 1991, this famous challenge coin has become rarer.

This coin was presented to gunners upon graduation from their Air Force technical training and their entry into the "Gunners Association". In the earlier days of bombers, a bean or a nugget was used. The coin represents the attributes of strength and courage as reflected in the Bulldog, the gunner's official mascot. The coin was also given to certain "honorary gunners", usually commanders and leaders who portrayed the spirit of the bulldog.

Some collectors buy them for their numismatic value.

Coins given as awards for accomplishments are normally given to the recipient during a handshake, passing from the right hand of the giver to the right hand of the awardee. It is also normal for the giver to offer a brief explanation of the reason for awarding the coin.

Outside the military

Challenge coins are also exchanged outside the military. NASCAR, the NFL, cadets of the Civil Air Patrol, Eagle Scouts,  Canine Companions, and World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins. They are also becoming popular with police departments, fire departments and fraternal organizations. In 2007, the Utah Symphony and Opera gave challenge coins to all of its staff and musicians, making it the first symphony organization in America to do so. Franklin Public School in Ontario has a coin that is given to graduates, featuring its mascot 'Frankie'. Many non-profits, especially those with connections to the military, give challenge coins to donors to acknowledge their support of the organization.
The FBI's Crisis Response unit was the first unit in the FBI to issue coins to unit members in late 1980s. Memorial coins can be used to commemorate fallen officers.

Officially licensed challenge coins

Louis "Uncle Louie" Gregory has created coins that are officially licensed by Topps Trading Cards, Ghostbusters, and Cobra Kai.

New York City Police Department

Coins have been created by the Police Benevolent Association for NYPD precincts. One of these coins was used as a fundraiser dedicated to an officer in the 67 Pct. who was injured in the line of duty, has been criticized for containing racist imagery despite the officer being of Afro American West Indian descent.

Motorcycle Clubs

Another organization in which challenge coins have gained popularity is the "National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club" (NABSTMC), which has over 85 chapters totaling over 2,000 members. The coin must be earned by the members for a noteworthy accomplishment.

In 2009, the Harley Owners Group (HOG) created and made available its own challenge coin to Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners.

Science
In the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM), participants that won the 'Grand Prize' are given a challenge coin from 2016 on.

Varian Medical Systems, a medical device manufacturer, awards challenge coins for notable accomplishments by its service personnel.  A significant number of Varian's employees have military backgrounds, where many of them learn the electronics and mechanical skills needed to support Varian equipment.

Media, Business, and Education

Numerous examples illustrate challenge coins handed out in the media industry:

In 2020, a challenge coin went viral when America's largest challenge coin retailer released a coin about an incident that occurred in Connecticut with Trooper Spina.

In 2020, the Secretary of the State of Virginia sent a cease and desist to Louis "Uncle Louie" Gregory regarding a challenge coin he created.

In his audio commentary for the DVD release of Iron Man 2, film director Jon Favreau notes that he had Iron Man 2 challenge coins made to distribute to United States Air Force personnel as a gesture of thanks for their cooperation while the production (and its predecessor, Iron Man) filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base.

Bill Prady, executive producer of The Big Bang Theory, gave the Big Bang Theory "executive producer's challenge coin" to the crew of the last space shuttle.

On the "Rockets" episode of Lock N' Load with R. Lee Ermey, R. Lee (Gunny) Ermey presents a challenge coin to Second Lieutenant Carr as a reward for being the "top gun" in his class with the Javelin Portable Rocket Launching System.

Members of the American Radio Relay League who are volunteer examiners may carry the VEC (volunteer examiner coordinator) challenge coin. These members are responsible for administering Federal Communications Commission sanctioned examinations that allow successful applicants to qualify as amateur radio operators in the three different license categories of: technician, general, and amateur extra.

The crew of Breaking Bad were given challenge coins designed by show creator Vince Gilligan for each new season. Another challenge coin was also included in the Blu-ray set of the entire series of the show.

Video game companies like Treyarch gave these coins with certain packages for the release of Black Ops 2.

The crowdfunded movie Lazer Team gave challenge coins to its backers as an optional perk of funding the movie.

A challenge coin is presented in a handshake to Gerard Butler's character in the 2018 film Hunter Killer.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 had challenge coins available for purchase commemorating their 30th anniversary on their 2018 30th anniversary "Watch Out For Snakes" Live Tour.

Meanwhile, examples can also be found in the realms of business and education. Many businesses are using corporate coins to recognize staff achievements, improve employee morale and reduce turnover,

For example, the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) issued a challenge coin highlighting their core values: "recruit, retain, grow."

Also, St Mary's University issued a coin honoring the Public Safety Administration.

Canada

One of the first appearance of a challenge coin within the Canadian Forces (CF) was that of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Although conceptualized in the early 1970s, it was not officially adopted until the regiment returned from Cyprus in 1974.

Recognized as an "Americanism", the widespread use of challenge coins is new to the Canadian Forces and was introduced by General Rick Hillier as the Canadian Army began to work more closely with the US military. While many regiments and military establishments purchase them as 'challenge coins', most branches and schools within the CF use them for presentation purposes.

The first RCAF coin belonged to 427 Squadron. Back in the Second World War, 427 and the film studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) shared the lion as their respective symbol. During a ceremony held on 27 May 1943, a bronze statuette of a lion was presented to the squadron as were MGM's coins for the squadron members. These coins granted free access to the MGM's theaters in Britain and were popular with aircrew and ground crew alike. In 1982, the custom was reintroduced by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Cunnigham, then the squadron commanding officer; it has since expanded widely within the RCAF tactical aviation community.

Every new officer cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, is issued a challenge coin upon completion of First-Year Orientation Period. The coin is engraved with the name of the college in French and English surrounding the college's coat of arms on the obverse. The cadet's college number and the Memorial Arch is on the reverse surrounded by the motto in both languages.

Members of the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) Fund are issued challenge coins with the current RCEME badge and the member's branch fund membership number on the obverse side, and the original pre-unification RCEME badge and branch motto on the reverse side. Usually, these are issued to craftsmen at the Canadian Forces School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, in Borden, Ontario, where branch fund membership is first offered.

The coin from Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command is a dull colour, but distinct by its pierced sections.

Many of the CF training centres and staff colleges have a distinct coin—some available for the students to purchase, others available only by presentation by the establishment or the commandant for exemplary achievement while attending the facility. General (retired) Walter Natynczyk, when he was Chief of the Defence Staff, and the Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer often presented their personalized coins to deserving soldiers.

Police, corrections, security and fire departments have embraced the concept, and have found coins to be an excellent means of team building and creating a sense of brotherhood or belonging. Many feature a patron saint, badge or representative equipment.

Switzerland

The challenge coin tradition was introduced into the Swiss Armed Forces by American officers on training missions and other assignments for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which Switzerland is a member. Coins are not issued, but rather ordered and paid for by Swiss officers of various branches within the Army.

Australia and New Zealand

Coins have come into use by various Australian and New Zealand political leaders, senior officers and NCOs, under the influence of presentations from American personnel. Several hundred types of New Zealand challenge coins have been produced in recent decades.

United Kingdom
Exchange officers and British military visitors to US units and formations in recent decades have often been presented with challenge coins. The British Army has had challenge coins for recruiting purposes since the mid-2000s - for example the Special Air Service and Royal Engineer units have such challenge coins. British military medical units also discovered the tradition while working with American units in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Military Anesthesia and Critical Care has been issuing a coin since 2006.

Tradition dictates that challenge coins are shown within social environments (see above) with the loser of the "coin check" purchasing drinks for those others involved.  Following a turbulent period of change within the British Military, commanders have tightened restrictions on the consumption of alcohol and any activity that encourages drinking, leaving the traditional challenge coin as a collection item.

See also

References

Further reading

External links

  Art of Devastation, Metallic Art of WWI
  Podcast: Coin Check - 99% Invisible - Featuring COINFORCE CEO, Jordan Haines

Military life
United States military traditions
Exonumia
Militaria

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
George Ionuț Dumitrică (n. 1 august 1981) este un politician român care a ocupat funcția de deputat în legislatura 2008-2012.

În perioada 21 decembrie 2012-1 februarie 2021 George Dumitrică a ocupat funcția de secretar general adjunct al Camerei Deputaților.

În perioada 1 februarie 2021-13 decembrie 2021 George Dumitrică a ocupat funcția de secretar general al Camerei Deputaților.

Note

Nașteri în 1981
Deputați români 2008-2012


text:
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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Hassan Ziadi
By wpengine
in Entrepreneur Spotlight, Small Business Entrepreneur
Hassan Ziadi
Owner of Moroccan Flavors
Midtown Global Market
920 E. Lake Street, #126
moroccanflavorsmpls.com
NDC SERVICES ACCESSED
Entrepreneur Training, Small Business Loan, Business Services
Morocco has been shrouded in mystique since Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman hit the silver screen in the 1942 film Casablanca. In Minnesota, where most people have only experienced Hollywood's studio representation of the country, one man has made it his mission to bring the flavors of Morocco mainstream.
Hassan Ziadi, owner of Moroccan Flavors is known for his culinary creations and caring smile. Most people do not know he's a world-class chef who has been honored with prestigious culinary awards. His humility and kindness shines through in his incredible customer service, which includes making sure customers find the items that suit their taste. He enjoys interacting with people who discover the restaurant during their visits to the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.
"When I was a lad, I wasn't doing very well in school. My dad said, "Hassan, if you're not doing well you need to find a profession." – Hassan
As a young kid in Morocco, Hassan Ziadi craved adventure. With the encouragement of his father, he chose to forego sitting in a classroom to explore the world through food. Hassan remembers vacationing as a young child, observing the exemplary service patrons received, and aspired to one day help create the smiles he saw on people's faces. At the age of seventeen, he left home for culinary school and embarked on a career that brought him around the world. He has lived and worked as a chef in Morocco, Washington DC, France, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and eventually Minneapolis.
Hassan's passion for cooking is responsible for more than just professional success, for it was in a restaurant kitchen that Hassan met his wife.
"We met in a kitchen," Hassan says admiringly, referring to his wife. "I told her, 'One day we will open a restaurant and work together, side-by-side.'"
In 2013, Hassan left Qatar to build a life for his family in Minneapolis. "I told my wife, the best place for us to raise a family is Minneapolis." Like most immigrants to the US, he realized there would be tremendous obstacles to overcome. "I was new to this country, I had nothing. No one will give me a loan." Through a friend, Hassan learned about NDC and all it could offer to aspiring businesses.
With one of the coveted spots in the Midtown Global Market up for grabs after the departure of Sonora Grill, Hassan sprang into action. Working with NDC, Hassan has received comprehensive business support, including training, financing, interior design, web design, and restaurant management support.
"I told Kris (NDC Client Manager & Business Advisor), 'I like the color blue.' She took care of the rest." – Hassan
She took those words and created a Moroccan oasis that includes crafted silver lamps, wooden tables and authentic ornaments. The interior design is based off of variations of a serene shade of blue, very different from the red and orange color palettes typically seen in Moroccan design.
"I always tell my friends what I miss most about Morocco is the cuisine."
After securing a loan with NDC, Hassan focused on creating a restaurant that honored his heritage. His Mediterranean style dishes are unlike anything the Twin Cities have ever seen, creating the first traditional Moroccan restaurant in town.
663 University Avenue West Suite 200 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
Copyright Neighborhood Development Center 2021


text:
Q: Redirecting in before_filter and go on with original request In my app I use OAuth to authenticate in other sources, so that I need to keep their tokens for each user. I store tokens in entities I call openids. In that way, I want to check if openid is valid (token is not expired) before creating and updating some models' objects. If token is expired, I want to redirect user to logging in and then go on with the action that was interrupted by login (creating, updating, etc).
My idea was to save request.fullpath in cookies and then, when the authorization is over, in the method that called when callback of login method initiated, redirect user to previous action by using redirect_to cookies[:auth_back_path].
The thing is for example, update method needs PATCH request to be called. redirect_to provides only GET methods.
So that in one of the controllers I have (ones_controller.rb):
before_filter :check_openids, except: [:relogin, :show]

....

def check_openids
  unless current_user.openid_actual?
    cookies[:auth_back_path] = request.fullpath
    redirect_to '/auth'
  end
end

Can, please anyone tell, how can I make it in a right way? I really want to realise how it all's going.
P.S.:
I read here that force doing patch or delete (when I will call destroy method) is not a good idea.


text:
Public Skate in St. George
Sunday, February 5, 2023 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2023 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 5, 2023 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Gaukel Memorial Community Centre
$3.00 per skater
$27.00 for a 10 visit Public Skate pass | $62.00 for Season Public Skate pass | Passes can be purchased online at www.brant.ca/COBConnect or in person at Brant Sports Complex.
7 Gaukel Dr, St George, ON N0E 1N0
Public Skate


Who shall live and who shall die, the Jewish New Year approaches and we pray for a good year, for life. Each year we wonder who will pass from the world this year, we never know.
On Friday September 23 I was sitting at the airport in Cleveland, passing the time while waiting for my flight. George from Canada sent me a message, "Did you hear that Gary died?"
Gary who? I do not know anyone named Gary who was in critical condition, which Gary are you speaking of?
No! It could not be.
As always when the Angel of Death appears I have a difficult time welcoming him. I assume there was a mistake. Rewind, let's try this again. It simple can't be true.
I checked the sources, I contacted a few people, it was true.
Gary had written asking us to pray for his dear wife, but there was no indication that anything was wrong with him. Not until his last posting. It came as a surprise, a shock to us all.
We lost a sweet kind man. We lost a humble man. We lost a real man.
Dear Gary, sweet kind humble Gary, my first real friend with a Southern drawl. We go back a long time. Gary was one of our first IKI members and then instructors. He was on his ninth year with IKI. He was there at the very beginning and we grew together. He would often write how he was there at the very beginning and been part of the process and now look where we are. He reminded me where we started and how long we have come. I needed this reminder. We shared troubles and ideas.
We remained close the entire time and it was always a great thrill to see him at seminars. When I heard he was coming to a seminar it just elevated my spirit.
Gary with his classic thumbs up. That was his pose, his way of life, thumbs up. No matter what life dealt him - Thumps Up! Last photo we took with him we did the Thumbs Up together. He was looking forward to the future, he was eager to learn and grow in Krav Maga. He picked up all our latest DVD and was determined to master them all.
He missed the next seminar. I was disappointed, Gary contacted me and said some health issues came up. Who knew that would be the beginning of the end.
Gary was pure, there was no falsehood about him. He cared about people.
In an era of false bravado and false machismo Gary represented a true man, and one I was proud to have as an IKI instructor, and a man I was proud to call my friend.
Gary, we shall remember you, and your words appear often in my book, "Footsteps from Judea."
Gary was one of the first people to buy my book, Israel: A Nation of Warriors. He was so proud of this. Be printed out the entire book when it was only an e book. He made it into a really nice project. And then when the real paperback came out he purchased that as well. He was so connected with Israel and IKI. He wanted to visit Israel but knew he did not have the means but his heart was with us. He was a loyal student and true friend. It made me feel so proud the way Gary valued that book. If I had written it only for him it would have been worthwhile.
Gary understood our method of Krav Maga and was a great advocate and proponent of our approach. On at least one occasion he used a gun defense to disarm a man and save the lives of his co workers. At the point we promoted him to second dan, which he truly deserved.
Although these are private correspondences I am using certain excerpts to shed light on this wonderful person. I am sure Gary will approve.
I have turned away many groups over the years even in my small town and as bad as the economy was. My goal is and has always been for the greater good. Fortunately I know most of my small crew very well. A few years ago when I had no building and trained outside I was approached by a Hispanic man and he wanted me to train his CREW the way he worded that and the Tattoos on his neck with the 13 etc was unsettling. I politely told him that I worked out of town which I did and wasn't available. He was polite but said he would check back latter and see if I had a slot for them. Thankfully we haven't saw each other again- In my small gym that I mainly do personal training and fitness programs there is a 3x5 foot Israeli Flag proudly displayed-When you come through the door you cant miss it. Google Christians and Krav Maga and you will see my picture with dog and some friends that I trained with. We must be careful who we empower with a skill that in the wrong hands could be dangerous for those we wish to protect. I am not politically correct,the older I get the more what I think comes t of my mouth verses what someone wants to hear. I feel that with the skill sets we have been blessed with from our lives experiences and IKI Krav Maga we are The sheep dogs who defend our sheep from the wolves .Through training and confidence our sheep become sheep dogs and the protection spreads to good people for the greater good. I agree Moshe if we film all our skills for anyone to see the wrong people may get them and it will defeat the purpose.
... I am a life long IKI Krav Maga Practitioner I love to train under pressure and in diverse conditions,I thrive in scenario training. The IKI has helped mold me into a better person,I thank you for allowing me to be a part of it-its a family. In my town I am mainly a personal trainer and run fitness programs but when we do our self defense we take it serious- Thank you for all you do- I can promise I will never ask for rank for myself when you think I am ready I will start polishing up every technique from a-z and do my best to perform.
...I thank you for the generous offer. I hope you have a great week.
I just went all the way back to the very first email exchange we had when I joined IKI 7-12-08.( That's when you had the hotmail email address) Time has flown by and hundreds emails later I am still here. Its been a great journey and much progress has been made-IKI has really grown.
Every since the loss of my father in 2013 I have been in a depression and plagued with one medical set back after another. I have finally started to bounce back with a renewed fire for Krav and I want to be an asset to the IKI. At my lowest point when I felt I was nothing and my life was worthless I saw my Brown belt diploma. It brought tears to my eyes I started looking through all of my IKI material and seeing the 2nd Dan Black Belt Certificate I realize I am somebody and I am worth something. I read the letter that came with my Blackbelt certificate that you signed with a pen your dad had left. It made me feel like I was a part of something special something that can change the world a couple of people at a time. Moshe my depression was deep I was in a very dark place no one could tell I put on a happy face but as soon as I was alone the silence became unbearably loud. I have been blazing a trail to get back on track and reach my full potential where ever you think that will be. I want to thank you for the IKI it was the life jacket that got me out of troubled waters.


Reivers Fish Bar in Duns scored 100% for its fish in the 2019 Fry Magazine competition to find the best fish and chip shops, mobile vans and restaurants in the UK.
A secret shopper visited the Duns take-away in February to score its fish and chips on quality, customer service and appearance, and reported back that its food was "outstanding" and gave it an overall score of 91%.
"So far all customers who have mentioned our Facebook post have said they like the wee crispy bits in the chips, so we've left them in.
Keen to hear how they can improve their service to customers Rhona and Andrew outline areas where they dropped points during their Fry Magazine secret shopper visit - disabled access, no name badges - on their Facebook page and have asked for suggestions on changes they could make.


text:
Brad Pitt's dig at Angelina during SAG acceptance speech
Jen's reaction is priceless! - by Mark Brook
Brad Pitt has seemingly taken a subtle dig at his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, while delivering his acceptance speech at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.
WATCH: Brad Pitt's dig at Angelina during SAG acceptance speech
The 56-year-old actor made the elusive remarks, while accepting the gong for Best Supporting Actor In A Movie for his role in Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.
After thanking the usual suspects, including producers, directors and loved ones, Brad then cheekily referred to how he prepared for the movie role.
"Let's be honest, it was a difficult part," he began, before adding: "A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn't get along with his wife…"
With a cheeky smile on his face, he continued: "It was a big stretch," before the audience began to laugh, including Jennifer Aniston, who let out a "woo-hoo" while clapping.
Jennifer, who was nominated in the category of Female Actor in a Drama Series, also took out the gong for her portrayal in The Morning Show.
WATCH: Brad Pitt looks in love with Jen Aniston
Rumour has it that things between Brad and Jen are beginning to heat up, with the pair apparently getting quite close at the recent Golden Globe awards.
After their flirt-fest at the Globes, Brad and Jennifer appear to be inching closer to officially going public with their relationship.
The former married couple were the talk of the night at the star-studded event, with the pair apparently spending significant time together at an afterparty.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000.
Jennifer, 50, caused further excitement on the red carpet when she arrived wearing a designer ring that was identical to the original engagement sparkler that Brad, 56, once used to propose.
What's more, a source previously told New Idea that the pair could even be planning to adopt a baby together!
Rumours are swirling Brad and Jen also made a top-secret visit to an orphanage in Mexico, where they were both spotted over the holiday period on January 1.
PICK UP THE BRAND NEW ISSUE: Inside the couple's second wedding!
Entertainment And Showbiz
Angelina Jolie just launched her own television show
Inside the SAG Awards afterparty
CONFIRMED: Jennifer Aniston tells all about her reunion with Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt CONFIRMS he's back with Jennifer Aniston
Brad and Jen caught kissing on set
Jen and Brad's secret island getaway!
Jen's heartbreak over Brad and Gaga
Dumped again! Brad moves on from Jen
Jen Aniston's toyboy scandal
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt tells all: 'Jen's my new stepmum!'
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's surrogate bombshell!
Adele makes a move on Brad Pitt!
Brad Pitt & Jen Aniston's secret daughter revealed!
Brad and Renee: 'Yes, it's true!'