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Ending Sexual Violence on Campus
College campuses need new initiatives, strategies and assessment to address issues of sexual violence. These initiatives must go beyond "one-off" events in order to develop a comprehensive prevention strategy. We'll discuss what do campus climate surveys reveal about the state of sexual violence on campus, the value of peer education and certificate programs, and some special considerations for student populations such as LGBTQ and international students. Last, we'll cover which topics and strategies should be included in faculty and staff training initiatives and the challenges and benefits of using technology to move this programming online.
On this episode of Student Affairs Live, host Tony Doody speaks with Holly Rider-Milkovich, Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center at the University of Michigan, Ruth Anne Koenick, Director of the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at Rutgers, and Jody Jessup-Anger, Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Coordinator of the Student Affairs in Higher Education Master's program at Marquette University.
Please contribute to the conversation by emailing questions before the show to tony@higheredlive.com or by tweeting live during the show using the #higheredlive hashtag. We'll do our best to infuse questions from viewers (with attribution) into the live conversation.
Tony Doody has over 25 years of practical experience and oversight in senior leadership positions within the Higher Education industry in the areas of Facilities Management, New Student Orientation, Recreation, Parent and Family Programs, Leadership and Training, Marketing and Communications, Adult Learning, and Major Events and Programs. He currently serves as the Director of Student Centers at the University of Delaware. Over the last six years, Tony has presented at over thirty universities and national conferences on topics of innovation, digital leadership, technology, and unconventional leadership. He received the Diamond Honoree Award from the ACPA Foundation, the highest honor of the American College Personnel Association, recognizing transformative contributions to the field (2017) and earned NASPA's 2017 Technology Emerging Practice Award. In addition, Tony has worked over 20 years as a consultant in the areas of executive coaching, leadership development, presentation skills, risk-taking, innovation, social media, conflict resolution, and team cohesiveness. Past clients include J&J, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Vistakon, Navigant, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, United Way, Merrill Lynch, Tumi International, and Aventis Pharmaceuticals.
Ruth Anne Koenick
Ruth Anne Koenick is the founder and Director of the nationally recognized Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. A graduate of The University of Maryland and George Washington University she is a founder and past president of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She served as chair of the Advisory Committee, charged by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to develop the Campus Sexual Assault Victim's Bill of Rights for all post-secondary institutions in New Jersey and to develop an implementation plan. Ms. Koenick teaches in the Graduate School of Education M.Ed. program in College Student Affairs and in the Rutgers University School of Social Work MSW program. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Rutgers Campus Climate Survey development and implementation. Ms. Koenick is a highly sought consultant and speaker on sexual violence with a specialty in college age students and Bystander Intervention. She is a frequent speaker and presenter at conferences and presented at both ACPA and NASPA in 2015 and will again in 2016. She has contributed to many peer reviewed articles on sexual violence and bystander intervention, particularly those that are theater based. She is the creator of SCREAM Theater and SCREAM Athletes, two student improv theater groups who perform each year about 100 times and reach ten to fifteen thousand people at national and state conferences, colleges and universities throughout the country, and for orientation programs at Rutgers and at colleges in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Florida.
In 2011 Ms. Koenick received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault and earlier that year she received the Wise Woman Award from the American College Personnel Association. Ruth Anne received the Wynona M. Lipman Leadership Award from the NJ Department of Community Affairs and is a recipient of the Rutgers University President's Award for Excellence in Administration and a recipient of the Rutgers University President's Award for Outstanding Service and Contributions to the University Community. In 2000, she was honored as a "milestone of the 20th century" by the Feminist Majority Foundation for her "unique contribution to the historical struggle for women's equality and human rights".
Holly Rider-Milkovich
Holly Rider-Milkovich currently serves as the Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center at the University of Michigan. She is also the co-chair of the Abuse Hurts Initiative, a cross-campus effort to address the effects of domestic violence in the workplace. She is a frequently-sought consultant and speaker on issues related to sexual and intimate partner violence on college campuses and has provided expert guidance to many institutions of higher education and prominent national media outlets. Most recently, Ms. Rider-Milkovich has provided expertise to the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault on best practices for campus-based sexual and intimate partner violence prevention and response efforts. The Department of Education recognized Ms. Rider-Milkovich's expertise by appointing her to represent four-year colleges and universities in the federal negotiated rule-making committee for the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Jody Jessup-Anger
Jody Jessup-Anger is assistant professor of higher education and coordinator of the Student Affairs in Higher Education Master's program in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership at Marquette University. Her research focuses on the effect of collegiate environments on student learning and development. In 2014, Jody co-chaired (with Keith Edwards) ACPA 's Presidential Taskforce on Sexual Violence Prevention in Higher Education. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies at Michigan State University, she provided leadership for victim assistance and gender education at Colorado State University.
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RON TAVALIN
ALL. THINGS. PROG. BASS.
1/7/2020 – RIP Neil Peart
On the train from work today I saw a post on talkbass.com saying "R.I.P Neil Peart." I thought, "Sick joke," ( I hope) but then I googled his name to find out. I saw the Rolling Stone article that said he had indeed died from a glioblastoma and felt punched in the stomach… HARD.
I'm still reeling.
We only found out about his passing two and a half days later, and it blows my mind that we've been living in a world without Neil that long.
He was the greatest drummer who ever lived. He pushed the envelope of drumming and was really at the forefront of drum composition more than anyone before him. Without Neil there would be no Mike Portnoy, or Danny Carey. HIs drum solos with the iconic cowbell "duh (ta) duh-ta-duh-duh-duh" ring in my mind and I think about his speed, his absolute perfection in drumming and the way that his drumming MADE songs. Imagine "Tom Sawyer" as played originally by any other drummer and you know what I mean.
Neil was not just about sticks pounding skins and metal in a perfect way, he was a great lyricist. I loved his lyrics and they influenced me in countless ways. Philosophically lyrics like "Different Strings" moved me towards atheism. His lyrics in "Limelight" "I can't pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend" influenced me about the imperative to be sincere. "Xanadu" introduced me to Coleridge and the English romantic poets. 2112 got me (momentarily) interested in Ayn Rand. And in the shower this morning I was thinking "Lakeside Park," a song that lyrically Peart declared he didn't like. I read his "Ghost Rider" book, I know his lyrics like I know his drum fills – note by note.
This really hurts.
When we lost Keith Emerson I almost cried at work. When we lost Greg Lake and John Wetton, I felt alone and miserable. When we lost Chris Squire, on a night that I had a gig, I was blown away. But I knew Chris was sick, and I know John Wetton battled colon cancer, and that Greg Lake wasn't doing so well, and news of their passing, while horrible and deeply saddening, was not unexpected.
I remember when Elvis died, when John Lennon was murdered, and when Freddie died. When Elvis died, it was a beautiful August day. When John was killed, it was a rainy, ugly afternoon. When Freddie died, I got into a 2 hour fight with a DJ on KDF in Nashville because a woman called in asking the DJ to play something from Queen the day after Freddie died, but the DJ, Ian Case, refused to play any requests for Queen, saying that Freddie had AIDS and deserved everything he got. I laid into that DJ for 2 hours, and my assault on him was played back on air the next day.
This is different. I had no idea that that Neil was sick. I feel angry in a way that I didn't know, which is odd, but he meant so much to me and others that I can't help but feel like we should've known. Neil was an intensely private person, but still I feel a bit selfish that I didn't know he had brain cancer. It's like he was ripped away quickly and I had no idea of the that he had been sick so long.
But that was his choice, and although I don't like it personally, I respect it.
This hits like a ton of bricks. I've spent a lot of time just walking in circles, as Neil called it in "Ghost Rider," I've been homing, trying to get a handle on it. He was such an immense figure in my life that his absence has caused a crisis, and part of that is the seeming suddenness of his passing from this terrible disease.
I am gutted. I miss him already although sadly, I had never met him.
He wasn't just a great drummer, or lyricist, he was a great person.
He respected his fans and while their devotion at times bordered the surreal, he was never derisive or curt. Always thoughtful always poised, always Neil.
Neil Peart is missed, in ways he could never know.
After 3 and a half years of looking, I'm finally in a NEW BAND!
Against my fabled predictions, I actually have joined a new start up prog band!!!
I got a call from a keyboardist who saw my CL ad, and contacted me about a new band he was helping to start up. They had a drummer who wanted to be in a Dream Theater tribute, a fantastic guitarist, and they needed a bass player.
Well, "HELLO SAILOR!!!!"
So we got together at the drummer's house and worked out a songfest we are going to practice on January 27, and we are auditioning singers starting in mid-February (there are 3 or 4 we are considering at this point).
From what I've heard on their Youtube channels, they are the best musicians I have ever played with.
I am ecstatic! So I've got to learn these songs (3 are for auditioning the vocalist, and the other 3 are for helping us get acquainted in a band/rehearsal context.)
We don't have a name yet, but I am really stoked to get the whole thing going and can't wait for our first rehearsal – I finally get to move some gear out of the house!!!
"Mamma I'm so happy, I'm gonna join the band!"
More to follow soon!
Saw some old bandmates/friends last night
Last week a keyboardist from my former band invited me to a club they were playing last night to hear her and my old drummer sit in with another prog project. At first I declined as I already had plans, but then things fell through and I went, "Why not?"
I had not seen anyone in my last band since I quit back in 2016, so I wasn't sure what to expect. After finding the club (somewhere in the black ink unlit pre-Edison backroads of Libertyville, IL), I was delighted to see her and some other friends at the bar, then paid my cover and went to see the rest of my former bandmates and get ready for the show.
After catching up a bit (not much happening here LOL), I learned that they were the second band on the bill that night, and that the first band had a 2 hour set.
oh god. 2 hours.
"Ever hear these guys?"
oh god…2 hours.
Naturally, they were late starting, went way over 2 hours (oh god), and said almost nothing about the next band up (the one I came to see). They had 3 decent vocalists, and absolutely NO harmonies worked out at all. They covered a Queen song (no harmonies there, LOL. To find Queen songs without harmonies is like finding single dads without drinking problems – it can be done but good luck with that) and 2 Beatles songs – "Birthday" and "I've Gotta Feeling." Neither song has any harmony vocals except a bit of octave stuff in "Birthday." They could have done "Help!" or "Paperback Writer" even – something to showcase the vocals. But nooooo.
And the Queen song? One with minimal harmonies – "Under Pressure" (and the lead vocalist couldn't hit the insane high notes that Freddie did, so he just yelled the first note for about half a bar then gave up, never holding the note or trying to catch the more insane 2nd high note LOL).
Whatever. There were no three-part harmonies in that song, anyways. They could've done "Fat Bottomed Girls," or literally almost anything in their entire catalog for crying out loud. Nope. So that was disappointing.
The sound could have benefitted from a lower volume and some HPFs. It was so boomy I felt seasick from the subharmonic waves that were only contrasted with a shrill guitarist, and very little musical content in the middle,. That's hardly the band's fault, for some reason there are FOH sound engineers who feel that unless the bass frequencies are 19Hz and 247 db at 60 feet, it's not "rock n roll." Geez.
When the band I went to see finally took the stage, it was about midnight, and they played a good set, but the vocals were way in the background and the guitar was too loud from the stage (the guitarist, I was told, just picked up an EVH 5150 and I think Eddie could probably hear it from wherever he was last night, too).
Anyhow, they did a good 1-hour set, had vocal harmonies and sounded much better than the first band – the "boom" had been tamed. Of course, the first band fills the club with their families and coworkers, so after 2 hours plus of boom-boom-squeal, there were about 22 people on hand to enjoy the much better part of the night.
But hey, that's prog.
The best part of the night was seeing my old friends and how little they'd changed in a little more than 3 years. Everyone was gracious and friendly – even encouraging to me about finding a band and working with other artists – so this morning I got up, thanked them for a (mostly) lovely evening on my Facebook page and reposted my Craigslist ad for a band.
So let's see if I get any hits this time, or if I spend all my time playing "Hungry Hungry Hippos."
I've been practicing all day on "When the Water Breaks" and going over the murderous parts of "Dance of Eternity" to help get my chops up. I just hope it's so I can join a great band, or find some awesome musicians soon.
Clawing my way back!
ON Sunday November 24 I posted my latest cover, Rush's "La Villa Strangiato," featuring a ripped off Billy Sheehan solo (from "Prime Cuts"), and a lot of fun overplaying. I'm beginning to feel like the funk is starting to clear, and I'm looking forward to adding some new gear very soon (more on that after I get it).
I still have ZERO band opportunities. I jammed with a drummer who thought he could learn "Dance of Eternity" and "Paradigm Shift" in three weeks, but, as I thought, it didn't work out. It didn't help that he had not practiced on his kit in about a year, but was using practice pads in his apartment. This can be fine – but at some point, you need to get behind your kit and play. Besides, he had a jazz touch, which sucks in prog metal. Jazz drummers play prog metal as if they are apologizing every time they hit the skins. Prog metal is something to be overpowered AND overplayed, it's not for the faint of heart, or those who play like the skins are made of tissue.
So that didn't work out.
I reached out to a local guitarist who posted some good videos, and he covered "Limelight" and a Dream Theater song, and we talked a bit but…. crickets.
I don't think the musicians exist in Chicago who can and want (that's the rub – ability AND desire) to play this stuff, so I'm not sure what to do except to keep recording, making videos, and beating my head against the wall.
I feel a bit of relief from the funk with my latest video and the prospect of new gear, so I'm using whatever I can to keep my head above water and stay motivated. If a bass guitar lands in the forest, does it make any sound?
OK – the Big Funk is bigger than I thought
Well, so much for surfacing LOL. My last post was as optimistic as I am ever going to get, and this is why: the funk is bigger than I thought. I've dropped out of working with Jim because what I really want is to be in an outrageously good band, playing insane music. Plus I was really bummed out about some other things that fell through recently, and have been delaying doing any new bass cover videos.
But today I did "The Trees," which isn't a difficult song to play, just a lot of fun and it felt good doing it.
Coming out of The Big Funk
Well it's been a few weeks since I've made any posts or updates here as I've been lost, marooned in The Big Funk for a few weeks.
I've felt rather uninspired (lazy) lately, and TBH it is difficult for me to stay motivated when I'm not in a band, with a regular practice schedule, songs to learn, etc. I enjoy making videos and recording, but it's such isolation from other musicians – there is just no substitute for a band, with the cabs thumpin and the drums pounding and the guitars screaming – you know, rock n' roll.
I've been sitting on a cover of Rush "The Trees," just because it isn't difficult to play and I already knew about 98% of the song – but I haven't felt the motivation to post it yet. I'm also trying to figure out what to work on next – another LTE piece? Side 1 of "Moving Pictures"? "Heart of the Sunrise"? i don't know. I don't have much energy in the way of bass covers, but fortunately, the clouds are breaking up.
I'm starting to find my way out of Big Funk land – not from doing video bass covers, but from the gem.n.i project and our new song, with the working title of "Gotham."
I went to Jim's this past weekend (and a dog nipped me on the calf when I walked in LOL!) We sat in his studio and listened to the tune, which sounds awesome. I began to get goosebumps as I imagined the bass parts that I wanted to play – the heavy, dark, Simon Grove sort of thing that hammers a very intense low end hammer to the whole track (I am even sneaking in a Billy Sheehan style solo from the 17th fret down to the first starting about 35 seconds into it!)
I think I'm on my way out of the Big Funk and back into the lovely Lowlands of bass guitar and bass fun.
"Gotham" (not it's final name) is an intense, powerful prog metal song that just sounds like a dark city in the rain, with crashes of lightning and thunder in the streets, dark clouds writhing over the city's skyscrapers, the moon obscured.
There is a second song we are working on too – a great riff based tune that is largely straightforward (quarter notes, roots, fourths) but is amazing and a great contrast to "Gotham."
As I have been working on it tonight I am grinning ear to ear listening to my rough playback as it is exactly what I heard in my head (so far). I can't wait to get the next couple of minutes under my fingers, and get out of the FUNK for a long time (I hope).
I hope to do more blog/site updates, post the Rush video and start adding some new material soon. This "Gotham" track has really done a lot to get me motivated again!
The Big Funk can funk off.
gem.n.i part iii
Well, it finally happened.
Today there was no blizzard. No National Holiday. No Extinction Level 5 Event. No family or work demands. El Niño said it was copasetic this once.
Consequently, I got together with Jim to hang out, jam and reignite gem.n.i.
I had a terrific time. We worked on some things he has been writing and arranging, some impressively cool new material, and xaught up. At one point he played an old guitar riff {"something I'be had on the back burner") and I was like… "Wow – play that again." The guitar melodies did some very unexpected things while still following a nice set of intervals. After he played it, I added the root notes, then developed a "verse" sort of thing based on it and the existing intervals in a moderate 4/4 quarter ROOT note (I know – GASP!) straight feel rock bass and we pretty much built a really nice song from that riff. I thought Robert Plant solo stuff, or David Coverdale There's a lot more work to do, but I'm hoping we can put the pieces together and have an awesome new rock song.
In other things we worked on a long complex prog piece he is writing, and I'm stoked as he will be adding to the piece over the next few days. The first two minutes we jammed were great. Jim has a fantastic ear for music and is very creative. As he is playing things' he has written or is developing there are frequent "oh wow" moments that catch my ear. Basslines come to me easily as I hear his writing, and when he has a bassline for me to play it is always exactly what the song needed. He is an excellent multi-instrumentalist with drums, guitars, and keys as well as a composer and engineer. I'm very excited about the future of gem.n.i and hope to post more updates soon.
Within the past week I made two new bass covers from Yes' "Drama" album – "Machine Messiah" and "Tempus Fugit." On my Facebook page I put a shortcut to the "Machine Messiah" video and asked people to check it out.
Well, this one guy who sent me a friend request a couple of weeks earlier, someone I had never chatted with met or spoke to added a response that my "Machine Messiah" video brought back horrible memories of children's recitals, some of the worst moments of his life.
I thought," Is this guy kidding me? In the 'Machine Messiah' video, there are 2 and a half missed notes." I replied on the Facebook page, "So, no good?" thinking " I MUST have misunderstood the guy – THAT bad?"
Nope. I misunderstood nothing. "I don't care for this modern stuff, You are no John Entwhistle." He ranted about my playing, comparing it to the worst thing ever,
So I asked, "What was it? My technique? My muting? My tone? BTW this was made in 1980." He replied with a story about a Peavey BlackWidow back in the day that blew out then something about mules.
I thought about the whole thing later then dropped him from my friend's list because really anyone who is going to essentially compare a personally-made video of any kind or quality to cancer on your Facebook page before ever speaking to you at all is not a nice person. Don't like it? The polite thing is to not comment, or find a way to voice your critique in private instead of blasting them on their own page. To get bashed out of the blue ain't cool. And then there were more messages that followed from him about mules and stuff.
And let me just say that i stand by my video. It's a difficult song to play and I play it pretty well. There are more than 2 and a half notes, if I want to be picky the number goes up to well never mind all that, mmmmkay?
Meth is a hell of a drug.
But I also realized what had happened. All of my newer videos have a little goofy "theme song" of me playing a fast over a silly drum machine. Its like the theme to "Cheers" except it doesn't make you feel nearly as white and thin – and it sounds goofy and new-ish. Sorta.
I bet Dave Marsh, Jr (not his real name, a reference that only one other person I know might get) stopped it in the middle of the theme and never made it to the cover song itself, which starts about 12 seconds or so into the video. So he said it stunk – meaning my goofy theme song – not my bass cover "Machine Messiah" – he bailed before the main event. Or he sat through it and totally hated "Machine Messiah," but what's not to love? 😉
Oh well. He still wasn't a nice person.
November 2019 update: I backed out of the gem.n.i. project as the songwriter was always changing things, so I would work for a couple of weeks on stuff then come back to find everything changed, and my work was a waste of time – more than once. Plus, I need to be in a band, up loud, not playing into a computer. It's just me, but I backed out before we got too far along as I'm a rocker at heart who needs the living give and take of other musicians in a live band setting to stay interested.
So that's over. And still no band, and no collaboration.
Long Time (sorta) No See (sorta)
I've been rather quiet on here lately; I haven't updated any videos or anything like that and haven't made any new ones. I have been busy in the background working on Yes' "Machine Messiah," and I've taken the Darkglass plunge with their awesome Darkglass plugins from NeuralDSP.
I hope to finish up "Machine Messiah" this week – it is a beast – and the Darkglass stuff sounds KILLER!
I've dropped my Craigslist band advert and it's really bumming me out. OK – not CL or the ad, but the lack of bands in the area who play Liquid Tension, Vai, Dream Theater, Zappa, etc. VERY disheartening. I've been looking for more than 2 years without anything – in a city of 3 million. Zero. Zilch. Nada. That's really depressing.
Still, I am soldiering on as best I can, although for the past few weeks it has been an uphill push to stay motivated in this "no-playing-prog-metal" town.
More to follow soon (I hope!)
More Project Alcazar stuff
This week has seen a return of Project Alcazar and my work on a new tune. I sent the basic tracks off this afternoon and Chris really liked them, so now I've got the basic ideas together and will develop them.
The tracks for the last tune sound awesome – I can't wait til they're released. This new song will feature Mark Zonder on drums as well, and I'm looking forward to putting my bass to his kit.
I've kinda shifted away from interest in the Roland GR-55 synth (largely due to price… yeee-ouch!) to something far more economical and potentially better sounding.
I'm commandeering one of our daughters unused iPad 4's to set up Garageband and some plugins and see of an iPad, a bluetooth footswitch and a USB interface can replace my pedalboard completely – and add synthesized sampled basses and amp modeling on top of it (there is a dedicated Rickenbacker 4003 bass sampled software with amp modeling for $99 – a Rick for $99 with the samples approved by Rickenbacker).
Can it replace the pedalboard and bring me the stuff a synth bass will offer? And then some?
Yes. Oh yes.
Plini! Project Alcazar!
I have chronic issues sleeping due to stress (if I wake up I can't go back), so Wednesday night April 3 was about the 6th day in a row of really bad sleep and I let my boss know that I wouldn't be in Thursday AM. I had already planned on taking off Friday April 5 and Monday April 8, but couldn't hang on til the official time off began.
So Thursday afternoon I worked on a Project Alcazar song, and Genesis "Eleventh Earl of Mar" from a new video (I'm going to pull the existing one and redo it soon). The next day I worked on it some more, was as giddy as a school girl about my progress, then excitedly sent off my recordings.
SHOTS FIRED! MAN DOWN!
Let's just say that Chris didn't share my enthusiasm, but mostly for technical recording reasons. So I did some fiddling around and found that my Mackie passive mixer, the one on my pedalboard, is a huge bass TONE SUCK. I ran direct from my Radial ABY to the DAW and it sounded great. Now I have to redo my pedalboard, and find a better way to blend stuff
I was a bit bummed out, and did not work on the Project at all Friday night, much preferring to spend time watching goofy Youtube videos and not playing bass. OK, I watched some Scott's Bass Lessons videos on Youtube (which are EXCELLENT), but that doesn't count – check out his website at https://scottsbasslessons.com/).
Saturday morning I worked on the song some more and re-recorded some stuff, but still didn't really feel like playing that much and only practiced about 2 hours.
Sunday I woke up and redid the majority of the song, and this time Chris loved it. I was set to go to the Plini show at Chicago's Bottom Lounge as keyboardist Robert Bone's guest. He and a friend picked me up at 5:15 Sunday night and we went into the rainy city for below par burgers, overpriced beer, and little else… until PLINI!
They encored with Electric Sunrise…!
The INCREDIBLE Simon Grove did 6 bass solos and was astonishing. He leaves me scratching my head… "How'd he do that AND make it look mundane?" He played his Dingwall with the act before his (Mestis) and his LeFay with Plini of course and sounded like a hammer. Selenium Forest was amazing.
I spent the day finalizing the bass tracks for the Project Alcazar song and I think that song is in the can. There is another one (also with Zonder on drums) I am working on, plus the Eleventh Earl of Mar redux, another song from Gary in Nashville, I'd like to work on Zoot Allures and Machine Messiah, and…
Plini last night was great.
Thanks, Robert, for your generosity and company.
More projects lining up now, including gem.n.i.
RON TAVALIN, Website Powered by WordPress.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Watch Scarlett Johansson's Banned SodaStream Super Bowl 2014 Commercial [VIDEO]
You won't be seeing Scarlett Johansson's Super Bowl commercial for SodaStream during the big game on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014. That's because it's been banned. You can, however, watch it right now.
The spot was banned not because it's too racy -- since it's really not. It's super tongue-in-cheek and cute, though it does drip with sexiness because this is pillow-lipped Scar Jo we're talking about. However, the fact that she namedrops Pepsi and Coke caused Fox to pull the plug on the spot.
So while you won't be enjoying this spot about the virtues of homemade soda while Peyton Manning and the Broncos go at Russell Wilson and the Seahwawks, you can be distracted by it now.
In the ad, Scar Jo jokes that like most actors, her real job is saving the world. One way she is doing that is by educating us on a healthier soda alternative with less sugar and no bottle waste. She makes it go viral by sexy sipping!
At the end, she purrs, "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi." Then the Barry White-style voiceover specialist says, "Oh, she done it." He could be talking about the words that were the commercial's fatal blow.
While most advertisers reference their competitors, cola giants Pepsi and Coke wield enough power to indirectly block the ad.
SodaStream's powers-that-be said they will remove the line since they can't get a refund. But you can enjoy the commercial as it was intended.
Next: Did You Know Scarlett Johansson Has a Twin?
Source: Watch Scarlett Johansson's Banned SodaStream Super Bowl 2014 Commercial [VIDEO]
Filed Under: super bowl


What Does Your Character Depend On?
There are three main questions, powerful, yet short, which an author should ask and answer for each of their characters. The first question is, what does your character want? What does he desire more than anything? What will he give anything for and what is he striving for? Coupled with this question (if the character is a major one) is what does he really need, and is it what he wants?
Secondly, what does your character fear? What will he do almost anything to avoid? Is what he wants more powerful than what he fears or vice versa?
Does your character depend on himself for strength? To get things done? Is he the 'end of the line'? Or does he rely on someone higher than himself. A family. A king. A magical weapon. A nation. A God, either true or false.
Though this question may be very much in the background of your story and plot, it makes all the difference to the character. Even if the actions of a man rescuing his daughter, or a princess taking back her throne end up being the same, the attitudes and emotions coupled with their actions will change drastically depending on who, or what, they rely on.
The degrees of reliance may change too, though for minor characters simply answering the question will be enough. For others, reliance on self, land, or God may shift through their character arc, either for better or worse.
Guest post contributed by Hope Ann. Hope is a Christian fantasy writer and the self-published author of Legends of Light. She has been writing for over five years and enjoys retelling fairy tales, creating worlds, making fun of clichés, and blogging. You can claim a free copy of her Beauty and the Beast prequel here.
Very true. It's the background details, the nuances that make up a person, and it should be the same for a character. Otherwise, they would seem flat and unrelatable.
Vonnegut said, "Your protagonist should want something, even if it's just a glass of water." I like this expansion on that idea. Thanks for sharing.


DFS is required to handle air traffic in a safe, orderly and expeditious manner in accordance with Article 27c, paragraph 1 of the German Aviation Act.
DFS is required to implement a safety management system in keeping with Annex II, part 3.1 of the Regulation (EC) No. 1035/2011.
In many areas, DFS goes above and beyond what is required by law.


When Chicago birders flocked to Montrose Beach this week for a glimpse of two strange birds not often seen in these parts, they got something far more: a bloody death scene and a queasy feeling they might be partly to blame.
The species -- a burrowing owl and a Brant goose -- were spotted about 9 a.m. Wednesday within 100 feet of each other in the wooded natural area. Within hours, however, the burrowing owl had been torn apart by a hungry Cooper's hawk in front of chagrined bird-watchers.
By Thursday morning, local Web forums on birding were awash with discussions as to whether over-eager birders helped facilitate the doomed owl's death by showing up in numbers and repeatedly flushing it into the air so it could be seen.
"The sad truth is that we birders may very well have been responsible for the demise of the burrowing owl," wrote Robert Hughes, the man who first spotted it and sent out an alert to other bird watchers.
"Since I was the one who found the bird I suppose I could have kept my mouth shut and not have told anyone, but this would not have endeared me to other birders," wrote Hughes, who declined to speak to a Tribune reporter. "I'm not sure how this situation could have been handled differently, but maybe we can come up with some kind of protocol to deal with situations like this."
Spotting a burrowing owl or a Brant goose would be a real feather in the cap of an Illinois birder. The owl normally nests in prairie dog holes a thousand miles west of Chicago. The Brant goose mostly lives in tundra regions of the far north, wintering in saltwater marshes along the Atlantic seaboard.
Thanks to cell phones, BlackBerries and other devices, any sighting of a rare bird species now circulates through the birding community almost instantly. Paul Doughty, 42, a Chicago commercial photographer and an avid amateur birder, saw the alert about the goose and the owl and went to the park late in the morning.
"I was lucky enough to see both birds," he said in an interview, but when he heard about the owl's fate, he too worried if he and others had chased after it too eagerly.
On the Web, Doughty called the death "a gentle way to guide overly ambitious birders like me back in bounds. For me, this can be my litmus test. Just remind me of this the next you see me drooling with vagrant bird fever."
"Vagrants" is the term ornithologists use to describe individual birds spotted far from their normal roosting places and migratory routes. As such, the owl was likely under a death sentence, anyway, said local ornithologists and bird experts.
Nobody knows how the burrowing owl, a small creature about twice the weight of a robin, managed to get to Chicago, said Field Museum ornithologist David Willard (the name as published has been corrected in this text), but the guess is that it was blown here by winds that slammed the city days ago.
Photos taken by birders before the owl was killed showed it was missing many of its primary wing feathers.
"I am not at all certain that a Cooper's hawk would need the help of people to spot this burrowing owl," said Willard. "It was so far out of its normal habitat, it was probably exhausted, and it would be a natural thing for a Cooper's hawk to go after it."
Only 23 burrowing owls have been reported in Illinois since 1952. The last one seen, last year in Pyramid State Park in southern Illinois, also was eaten by a hawk.
Birding has become an increasingly popular hobby among people who like the outdoors and a level of physical exertion that some compare to golf, said Greg Neise, who runs another Web site, the Illinois Birder's Forum.
"It is dedicated birders who have probably done more than anyone else in saving habitat and providing protection for rare species," he said.
As for the Brant goose, it was last seen hanging out with Canada geese at Diversey Harbor.
Is area too famous for birds?
Because migrating birds often use the Lake Michigan shore to guide their travels, many alight in the Montrose Beach area to rest and feed, making it a renowned venue for bird-watchers. Birders come there from all over the world, hoping to help fill out "life lists" of species they have seen.
Some years ago the Chicago Park District put snow fencing around the area where the burrowing owl was spotted. The district was trying to create a migratory bird sanctuary and asking people to stay out. Still, the fence has been trampled in some places, said birder Paul Doughty.
"Now I wonder if there is a question of ethics to address here for birders," he said. "I think that the birding community should address that question and create a working ethic and work to enforce that ethic."
This story contains corrected material, published Nov. 1, 2008.


A son who never knew his father retraces his footsteps across Europe in an emotional retelling of unique moments in World War II.
Through personal letters sent to his wife and family, Norman Williams recounts his moments in combat flying P61 bombers after D-Day.
Almost 60 years later, his son follows in his father's footsteps across France's Normandy.
The journey of love and discovery ends in a cemetery in the Netherlands where his father and co-pilot are buried after being shot down in their beloved "Husslin' Hussey".


text:
Best and worst case scenario for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam in the 2019-20 NBA season
The expectations for the 2019 Most Improved Player are high for his fourth NBA season as he is the presumptive No. 1 option of the Toronto Raptors. Is he ready to take another leap?
Once you have a Most Improved Player award to your name, it's no longer a shock or a surprise when you come up big.
You've officially arrived.
For Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, the question now is how he'll follow up a breakout 2018-19 season, especially after signing a four-year max extension.
With the departure of Kawhi Leonard via free agency, all eyes now shift to Siakam to become the guy for the Raptors as they defend their first NBA title.
As he embarks on his first season as a full-time No. 1 option in the NBA, let's explore the best and worst case for the 25-year-old in his fourth season in the league.
Best-case scenario
Simply put, the best-case scenario for Siakam this season is making the leap.
But what exactly does that mean?
After averaging a career-high 16.9 points per game last season, Siakam must increase his production to become a player that can get to around 20 points on a nightly basis. In the 2018-19 regular season, he scored at least 20 points in 26 of the 80 games he appeared in, including a career-high 44 points in a win over the Wizards.
While scoring 20 points every game might be a lofty expectation, it's more than realistic to expect Siakam to become a player that meets that threshold in 2019-20.
Even though he made a big leap in the 2018-19 season, there is plenty of room for growth in Siakam's game, which is an encouraging aspect of his long-term potential.
SUMMER WORKOUT PLANS: Siakam's mid-range | Siakam's passing | Siakam as a post scorer
At media day, Siakam told reporters that this offseason, he worked to improve by "Looking back at last season and looking at things that I didn't do so well. Just working on every facet of my game, trying to be a complete player. For me, I think ball handling … being able to be a playmaker. Obviously, shooting and mid-range."
As outlined in the above Summer Workout Plan, adding a reliable mid-range jumper to his game would open up his game even more, allowing him to become a more multi-dimensional scorer.
With an understanding of how he can improve and a commitment to doing so, the best case for Siakam this season would be a display of his hard work paying off, allowing him to seamlessly grow into taking the next step from being the Most Improved Player.
As an opportunistic scorer, Siakam will continue to play well off of Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet with sharp cuts and his ability to thrive in transition. In creating more for himself in different settings, he'll become that 20.0-plus points per game scorer, which should propel him into becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career.
With four of the last five Most Improved Players earning All-Star selections, there's an established precedent of what's to come after breaking out. And for the Raptors, Siakam earning the nod would soften the blow of losing Kawhi in knowing that the future of the franchise is in the hands of a 25-year-old first-time All-Star.
Worst-case scenario
https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/NBA_Global_CMS_image_storage/e8/c0/pascal-siakam-100119-ftr-nba-gettyimages_rf9r5ytmg3r31pozw6ju0ib8g.jpg?t=-2008204611&w=500
Clearly, it's no secret that Siakam is expected to be the No. 1 option for the Raptors this season. Most everyone knows this, including opposing teams.
Can he shoulder that load given the attention he'll receive?
Given the circumstances surrounding last season, Siakam was typically not the focal point of the opposing team's defences, even though he often faced their best defenders. This season, with the offence revolving around him, teams will now key in on Siakam with the chief goal of making things more difficult for him.
The worst-case scenario for Siakam this upcoming season would be the result of an inability to adjust to the increased attention on him. In the 2019 postseason, he experienced struggles when teams adjusted to limit him, namely on two specific occasions:
Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 3 -- 9 points (2-10 FG, 0-4 3FG), 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
NBA Finals Game 2 -- 12 points (5-18 FG, 0-3 3FG), 8 rebounds, 5 assists
If opposing defences find a way to neutralize Siakam by focusing on his perceived weaknesses, it will not only be a difficult season for him on a personal level, the Raptors will be limited as a whole because of how much they will rely on his contributions.
With an increased usage in 2019-20, it's hard to believe that Siakam will regress, at least from a pure production standpoint. He's shown the ability to find his spots despite his limitations, but a failure to improve upon his weaknesses would suggest that his numbers would stagnate while his efficiency takes a significant dip.
Should he make the necessary additions to his game, this shouldn't be a problem at all, but if the load of being the main option is too much to carry, things could become pretty difficult for the rising star pretty fast.
Ultimately, only time will tell.


Translator of Chinese fiction and non-fiction into Swedish (see her collection of front covers on Pinterest). She lives in Stockholm, Sweden, where she works for the Swedish Agency for Accessible Media.
Anna Gustafsson Chen translated for READ PAPER REPUBLIC, week 17, 8 October 2015.


John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth six months before Mike Massimino was even born. But 40 years later, when Massimino made his own first trip to space, he felt the gravitational, inspirational tug of what Glenn had accomplished so many years earlier.
On the occasion of Glenn's 95th birthday, on July 18, Massimino reflects on an American legend.


One of the more exciting things in mission work is seeing young men and women grow up to be leaders and shepherds of the people of God. However, it's bitter-sweet: we're excited to see the Gospel going forward, and at the same time, we're reminded of the dire need for solid teaching and training for the leaders themselves!
This year, our 2015 Congo Bible Camp was held during Easter instead of during the usual summer vacation.
This enabled us to reach attendees who had never had the opportunity to come to our conference in the past. Our focus of study for the week was the book of 1 Peter and the suffering we endure as we await our imperishable glory. Praise God that the teaching was well received, motivating the attendees to be faithful in the face of earthly hardships. We were happy to welcome back Yves Besso and Aaron Kuglin to help with the teaching. Aaron was joined by his wife Kristi and their 6 month old daughter. We were also grateful to have Josh Bonjour with us. He is the pastor of New Life Deaf Fellowship, a church for the deaf right here in Fort Worth, Texas! We're grateful that the Lord has brought together CMD and New Life Deaf Fellowship, and are praying that our collaboration will be a long-term endeavor.
At next year's conference, we'll be tackling 2 Peter and taking a stern look at false doctrine. Prosperity gospel thinking, in particular, is growing like wildfire all over Africa, and the deaf are not exempt from the temptations of material wealth. Over the past year, we've seen a number of deaf leaders in various cities embrace and begin to teach it, doing great damage by confusing the flock. Pray for us that God will give us wisdom to meet this issue head-on. Pray that we will faithfully present the truth of Scriptures and that the attendees will learn the necessity for rigorously examining each and every new doctrine that comes along – and firmly reject those preaching these false doctrines.
Chance Bakunzi studied at our school in Goma and now serves as the director of a new school in Rutshuru, about an hour north of Goma. With the assistance of Jimmy Ntaumenya, they operate a school of about 30 deaf students. The region is a hotbed of violence and guerrilla activity from the dissident group "M23". One of Chance's frequent requests is for sponsorship to go to a Bible school. He is frustrated at the lack of easy-to-read Bible material that delves into deep doctrine. Invariably, the doctrinal material he gets is both simple to read and simplistic in its doctrine – and much of it comes from dubious sources. Next time I'm in his region, I'll bring more books on systematic theology. They're hard for him to read, but he's promised he'll spend the energy necessary to read and comprehend it all. No trivial task!
Shukuru Hertier studied at our school in Uvira, and, with the oversight of Pililo Amani (the director of our school in Uvira), he now heads up a school in the city of Fizi, about two hours south of his home town of Uvira. About 25 deaf students are enrolled in his school.
The parents of the deaf children would rather spend their hard-earned money on their hearing children, and are reluctant to spend any money on their deaf children. Shukuru and his co-worker have no financial sponsors or income, and live day-to-day by the mercies of God.
Jean Pajo studied at our school in Bukavu. With the assistance of former schoolmates, he started a school in Kavumu, about an hour northwest of Bukavu.A prominent city leader in Kavumu was interested in his work and now serves on the school's board. We had the privilege of visiting his school and were stunned on multiple levels. Incredibly, he had leased a building on the main street, purchased three sewing machines for vocational training, purchased a laptop for school administration, and pays a meager salary to his co-workers – all out of his own pocket! Impressive work for a 25-year old deaf man! Although school was out of session when we visited, we were fortunate enough to come across one of his students, a 17-year old who never received any kind of formal education till this year. The young man was overjoyed to see foreigners interested in his education. When he greeted us, he gestured "I don't know sign-language," but it was obvious to see that he was learning how to communicate – and it was just a matter of time till Jean's training would get him to understand abstracts like "God", "Jesus", "sin", and "salvation".
All three of these men (and there are more like them) are in challenging situations, living day-to-day with uncertainty about the future. They want to do so much more, but lack school supplies, funds and most of all, thorough Biblical grounding. Pray that these young men would remin rooted, grow in their wisdom, keeping a close watch on themselves and their teaching (1 Tim 4:16), and desire above all else to see Christ glorified in their service for Him.
We mourn the loss of Brother Madjibe Taigone. He was one of several young men trained by Dr. Foster in Nigeria in 1986, and has faithfully shepherded the deaf in Chad for these past 30 years. He passed away after undergoing bladder surgery in the first week of June. Pray for his wife and nine children.
We had a bit of a health scare last month. Mother Berta was rushed to the hospital with stroke-like symptoms. Thankfully, it was a false alarm, and she is now resting well with my sister Faith. Continue to pray for Faith and her family as they extend loving care to our mother.
Although it's still a year out, plans are underway for the 55th anniversary next December. It's hard to believe that it was in 1960 that my father, Dr. Andrew Foster, opened the first of several schools for the deaf in Nigeria. From those few schools and churches for the deaf, literally tens of thousands of deaf Nigerians have not only gained an education, but more importantly, have had their spiritual ears opened and learned to call on the name of Jesus Christ! We praise God that He has seen fit to use CMD to bring so many Nigerians into His fold.
In the past two decades, we've seen explosive growth in church-planting. From the two deaf churches planted in Lagos and Nigeria, the deaf leaders have struck out on their own, expanding the network of CMD churches. At this time, there are over 25 self-sustaining churches for the deaf across the country, and plenty of opportunities for planting even more churches. The enthusiasm and sacrificial collaboration we've witnessed among the Nigerians is a model that we would love to see in other countries. Pray for us as we work to replicate this kind of growth.
Along with the growth in church planting comes the dire need for leadership training. A few of the deaf leaders have completed university-level Bible study programs, but the need surpasses the supply. The greatest hindrance today is the lack of scholarships, as many of the deaf cannot afford to attend university or Bible college. Pray that God will supply this need, and that many well-qualified leaders will rise to the challenge of shepherding His sheep.
Construction of the new campus continues as funds allow. The first of the dormitories is near completion, and several classrooms and multi-purpose buildings are well underway. There is still much that remains to be done, and we're anxiously looking forward to God providing the means for construction to continue.
Director Yves Beosso reports that electricity is now available in Walia, the village on the outskirts of N'Djamena. Till now, our school's only source of power has been generators – an expensive option. Having electricity as a utility service will be a huge blessing. Over the past few weeks, faithful friends of CMD have done special fund-raising to help cover the $500 utility fee to bring electricity to our school. We're praying that the school will be online before the end of the year.
Earlier this summer, Yves received an invitation from Deaf Ministries International (DMI) to give a lecture at their annual international conference held in Seol, Korea. We thank the Lord for allowing him to share with an international audience, and pray that DMI will be a vehicle through which Yves' insights will be spread to other deaf ministries around the world.
Our summer conference in Bukavu was a heart-warming success, and we thank you for your prayers! We're thankful that attendance was a little higher than usual, but what really fired our zeal was the strong response to the teaching material. This year's topic was the Supremacy of Christ, and we taught from the book of Colossians. I was a little concerned that the first couple of chapters would be too thick on theology, and not readily received.
To my pleasant surprise, not only did they grasp the complexities we taught, but they responded with many profound questions about the nature of Christ, the Trinity and the practical application of these theological truths. A large part of the teaching success is due to this year's small group structure organized by fellow missionary Rene Lindquist. Additionally, the Lindquists were able to arrange for a short-term mission team from Michigan, USA, to help us out for a few days while they worked with other mission projects. We're so thankful for their contribution, and so thrilled to see the Word of God bearing fruit in their lives.
For our 2015 conference, we're exploring options for meeting in the neighboring country of Burundi, at the school Dr. Foster opened in the '70s. Pray for wisdom as we try to attract more Rwandan and Burundi attendees.
Two of our deaf young men have helped start new schools for the deaf in the cities of Rutshuru and Fizi. They are hard-pressed for finances and resources to meet the needs of the deaf. Also, many of the deaf in the region are negatively influenced by the growing influence of prosperity-gospel missionaries and preachers. Pray that the deaf will stand strong, resist the false doctrine, and lean on God alone.
This December, my wife and I will be taking two of our kids to Washington DC. I've been asked to be the keynote speaker for a Nigerian deaf awareness conference, and will also use the time to bring our family to see some of the historical sights of DC. Pray for a safe trip and effective conference. Mother Berta is taking life one day at a time in the comfort of Faith's home, and looking forward to her children and grand children visiting this Christmas season.
It's truly a joy to interact with deaf Africans who have a robust understanding of the word of God. Seeing them take on a leadership role and guide others in a spirit of humility and grace is truly a beautiful thing. But regrettably, it's not a very common thing. This is our ultimate goal and passion: to prepare the deaf for spiritual leadership roles within their communities, and equip them to make disciples for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Every year, our deaf high-school students in Ibadan participate in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Students with high scores are able to proceed to universities in Nigeria and beyond. Recently, a few Nigerians have been able to enroll at SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf (SWCID) in Big Spring, Texas. As it turns out, SWCID is located about 4 hours west of our CMD headquarters in Texas! Last week, my wife and I drove there to visit the deaf Nigerians. It was a good time of fellowship and encouragement. Pray that more graduates may be able to attend SWCID in the future.
Construction of the new campus steadily inches forward. We've received a grant for 100,000 Euros from Siegworks Construction. Praise God! Another fantasic blessing came from a supporter who installed a solar-powered well. Having water on site will help greatly as construction continues at the new the campus.
After many years of service and numerous repairs, our center's electric generator is now in dire need of replacement. The Commissioner's for Women's Affairs and Social Welfare has kindly donated a 6500W generator. It's not powerful enough to run the entire facility, but we're thankful that it helps take a load off the aging primary generator.
Over 220 people attended the 18th Annual Easter Camp for the Deaf. Most attendees had to travel to get to the city of Doba. Although the facility had a shortage of utensils and ran out of water on the 1st day, God showed His loving kindness by having local churches bring in water and utensils to meet the needs of the campers. We praise God that 19 people made a commitment to follow Christ. Pray that they will continue in discipleship.
When some village officials heard about the camp, they brought in 50 deaf people from outlying villages in the region. These deaf villagers had never received a formal education, and were stunned to see so many people, deaf like themselves, yet with advanced education and the ability to read, write and communicate about things they read in a Book. Pray that these deaf villagers will be able to attend a proper deaf school and learn to read, write – and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
As in Nigeria, our Chad school has recently received financial support from some unlikely sources. The US Embassy visited our school in the capital city of N'Djamena one week before the Easter camp, and promised to help with the reconstruction of some deteriorated buildings. Most of the buildings at our center are made of mud-brick (as are most buildings in that part of town). The embassy delegates want to replace four of the deteriorated mud buildings with concrete buildings. Pray that they will follow through on their commitment when construction gets underway this August. While the embassy will be carrying the majority of the costs, we still need to raise several thousand dollars to complete the projects. Pray with us that the Lord will provide.
Staffing at our annual Congo Bible Conference will be interesting this year: A team of 15 people from Michigan – most of whom have never been to Africa – will be traveling in the Kivu region (eastern DR Congo) to help with two hearing conferences, as well as our deaf conference in Bukavu. There is also a possibility that a deaf American from Colorado will join our team. This year, we're going through the book of Colossians, and placing more emphasis on small-group discussions to help the deaf assimilate the material we'll be teaching. We want to capitalize on the additional help by increasing our budget so more deaf Congolese can afford to come. Pray that the Lord will provide mightily, as local transportation is the largest line-item in our conference budget. Pray also for the Michigan team: Traveling in the DR Congo is not exactly safe, and certainly not for the faint of heart.
Our school in Uvira has had some changes in staffing. Director Pililo Amani has added a young deaf high-schooler as a teacher for the primary classes, and so far, he's doing well. They still have a need for sewing machines to teach tailoring and to make uniforms. Pray that God will meet this need.
Our school in Likasi, led by Director Mwamba Pascal, has a pressing need for a computer. We have several laptops on hand that I will be brining to the DR Congo this summer, but because our Likasi school is so remote, it's far cheaper for our director to travel several hours south to Zambia and buy a computer there. Our missionary friend in Likasi, Ruth Willenbrecht, has helped locate a good deal. Pray that God will meet this need.
Mother Berta is staying with us this week while my sister, Faith, is in New York to attend the graduation of her oldest daughter. Alessandra is the first of the Foster grandchildren to graduate from college. Following hot on her heels is our oldest daughter [name withheld]. Lord willing, she will be going overseas next year to work full-time with an evangelical ministry doing outreach to Muslims. Pray for these two as they strike out on their own, that God will continue to bless them and keep them and make His face to shine upon them, and give them peace.


text:
Integrated Telecommunications Services
December 6, 2010 / 9:38 PM / 9 years ago
NZ govt broadband contracts go to lines companies
WELLINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The first two contracts for ultra-fast broadband in New Zealand's main urban areas have been awarded to electricity lines companies, the government said on Tuesday.
Communications minister Steven Joyce said Northpower Ltd and a subsidiary of WEL Networks Ltd would rollout ultra-fast broadband in the North Island cities of Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei, New Plymouth and Wanganui.
The companies had been selected as the preferred bidders in September.
First work would start before Christmas and was expected to be completed by 2015.
The contracts cover nearly 16 percent of the planned nationwide broadband rollout and are worth more than NZ$200 million ($153 million).
The New Zealand government has committed to spending up to NZ$1.5 billion to provide high-speed internet services to 75 per cent of the country by 2019.
"The access prices... negotiated will ensure the benefits of fibre are within reach of businesses as well as everyday New Zealanders," Joyce said in a statement.
He said the list of preferred partners to provide ultra-fast broadband for the remaining 25 regions would be announced soon.
The country's biggest telecommunications company Telecom Corp Ltd has put up a national plan to supply high speed Internet through fibre-optic cables to the majority of New Zealand homes.
But its plan is dependent on splitting off its network operations, with its preference being a demerger.
Telecom shares last traded down two cents or 0.9 percent at NZ$2.16 in a slightly softer market.
Telecom has also formed a joint venture with mobile competitor Vodafone Ltd provide fast internet services to rural areas, separate to the urban roll out.	(Reporting by Gyles Beckford)


text:
void BG_GetVehicleModelName(char *modelname);
void BG_GetVehicleModelNameDontADD(char *modelname);
char *NPC_CheckNPCModel ( char *NPCName, gentity_t *NPC, char *classname );

//Bobafetts fix:
void JKG_PatchEngine();
void JKG_UnpatchEngine();

// g_client.c
gentity_t *SelectRandomFurthestSpawnPoint ( vec3_t avoidPoint, vec3_t origin, vec3_t angles, team_t team );

int numClientsFromIP[MAX_CLIENTS];

struct connectedClients_t
{
	char	PortlessIp[24];
	int		numClientsFromIP;
} cnctClients[MAX_CLIENTS];

#define MAX_NPC_MODELS 14

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Issues written by Terry Laban
Battleaxes #1
10 copies available from $0.99
Bugs Bunny (2nd Series) #1
2 copies available from $6.99 Collects from Looney Tunes #37, 41, 43-45, 48, 52, 55, 57-59, 63; ca. 2005
Cud #1
Cud Comics #1
Cud Comics Ashcan #1
1 copy available for $0.80 Ashcan promotional giveaway from comic con appearances
Cud Comics Book #1
2 copies available from $1.50 Reprints stories from Dark Horse Presents #93, 94, 95 and Cud Comics #1-4; B&W
Daffy Duck #1
1 copy available for $6.99 Collects Looney Tunes #38, 43, 45, 47, 51, 53, 54, 58, 61-62, 66, 70; ca. 2005
Dark Horse Comics #20
11 copies available from $1.00 Mecha; Predator
Dark Horse Presents #93
12 copies available from $1.00 B&W
Dark Horse Presents #100
4 copies available from $7.99 Issue 100 #0 (supplement to Hero Illustrated); Bob Schreck interview
Different Beat Comics #1
The Dreaming #1
The Dreaming #13
The Dreaming Book #1
1 copy available for $17.00 Beyond the Shores of Night; Collects The Dreaming #1-8 with new introduction
The Dreaming Book #1 Variation A
No copies available Beyond the Shores of Night; Collects The Dreaming #1-8. Published by Titan Books UK (no DC logo)
Eno & Plum #1
Giant Halloween Hex (Disney's…) #2
Green Lantern: 1001 Emerald Nights #1
8 copies available from $2.00 Elseworlds
Grendel Tales: The Devil May Care #1
Grendel Tales: The Devil May Care Book #1
Heavy Metal #146
3 copies available from $3.95 Vol. 30 #7
Looney Tunes (DC) #53


text:
My everyday water decisions
Water catalog
Share the word
The Bog: Alberta WaterPortal Blog
From Latrine to Otohime: A blog worth reading on the toilet!
By Hana Mason
This Saturday November 19th is World Toilet Day. A day dedicated to education and waste management, initiated by the World Toilet Organization, World Toilet Day seeks a world in which everyone has access to clean, safe waste management and disposal systems [1].
Sometimes the forgotten sibling of water treatment, wastewater disposal and management has been an issue for humankind throughout history. So let's take a trip back in time to see where we've come from and where we're going with this critical piece of water management infrastructure!
In Ancient Egypt, in-home latrines filled with sand (much like a human litter-box) provided a private area for Egyptians to do their business. The Indus Valley civilization of c.2600-1900BC had an advanced network of sewers. The Romans used sewer systems to collect rainwater and sewage, and even had a sewer goddess, Cloacina [2].
The Roman sewer goddess Cloacina (no image copyright information available)
During the middle ages in Europe, hole-in-the-ground latrines made way for monasteries with complicated stone and wood lavatories over rivers and oceans, letting waste fall straight into the water. Furthermore, during the castle-building boom, chamber pots and latrines turned to garderobes - vertical shafts in castles which emptied into cesspools and moats. Garderobes were some of the first waste-disposal methods integrated into architecture in Europe.
Throughout this time, though particularly in the Middle Ages, poor waste disposal methods led to widespread illness such as the plague, typhus and cholera. Problems similar to this, mostly regarding waste contaminating drinking water, still affect a third of the world's population [3].
Stepped garderobe shafts at Langley Castle, by Viollet-le-Duc
The move towards modern-day toilets began in the 1500s. Sir John Harrington invented the flushing lavatory and cistern in 1596. Up until then, the use of chamber pots, cesspits and earth closets were popular. In fact, they continued to be popular until 1775, when Alexander Cumming received a patent for the flush toilet, and 1778, when Joseph Brahman created a better design.
"Thomas Crapper" is often cited as the inventor of the flush toilet, but that has be proven a myth.
It's easy to say, of course, that we are much better off in the way of toilets today, but we are missing out on one thing – many chamber pots and porcelain toilet bowls in the early days were lavishly decorated. The fuzzy toilet-seat covers of the 1970s and beyond don't really measure up to the artful works of the 1500-1700s [3].
That's not to say toilets and waste management haven't inspired art. Artist Wim Delvoye has created a series of pieces titled Cloaca. The complicated and artfully designed machines have one unique, seemingly useless purpose – create excrement. Replicating the human digestive system, the machines take in food and pump out waste. 100% real waste, created artificially. The meaning and reason behind these creations are not always clear, but could certainly be a talking point for your Toilet Day conversations! [4]
Modern toilets range from your every-day bowls, to dual-flush, energy efficient toilets, and advanced Japanese "smart toilets".
In Japan and other areas in Asia, squat toilets—essentially horizontal urinals—have been popular for most of history. Historically the same as European latrines but lacking seats, modern-day squat toilets have similar internal plumbing set-ups to western flush toilets. However, western-style toilets have gained some popularity, particularly in areas with heavy western influence.
High-tech "smart toilets", which are called Washlets by Japanese locals, include such features as heated seats, bidet functions, and blow dryers. Tourists may be intimidated, but locals love them so much, they even include them in their homes.
Smart toilet with seat-side and wall-mounted control panels (bestofremodeling.com)
One considerable innovation in Japanese toilet-tech is the Otohime, which plays flushing noises while the toilets are in use. This seemingly bizarre item became necessary when the popular habit of continually flushing to gain privacy began to waste too much water. In Japan, use of the Otohime and similar music-playing toilet devices has helped save an estimated 20L of water each use [5].
In modern-day Europe, you'll find coin-operated toilet booths in the street and public toilets requiring a fee to use.
Here in Alberta, self-cleaning public toilets rooms pepper our downtown landscapes, for instance you can find some along the river in downtown Calgary, near the Simmons building.
A pay-per-use public toilet in London, England
("2010-10-15-09-33-35" by "zmtomako" is licensed under CC by 2.0)
Some more modern innovations in waste management are on their way to helping create healthy, clean and safe waste disposal globally. Mobile Toilets are cheap, portable toilets, often biodegradable bags which can be sealed. Composting Toilets and outhouses create fertilizer from human waste, providing a key ingredient for agriculture. Used not just in the developing world composting toilets are feasible options for everyone. Bio-energy Toilets turn sewage into clean water, electrical power and fertilizer. Solar Toilets are solar powered and break down waste for re-use as energy [6].
To encourage water conservation Alberta has used toilet rebate programs. Up until August 2016, the City of Calgary offered a rebate program for switching to dual-flush toilets, and municipalities such as Airdrie and Athabasca continue to do so. It's worth checking out if your local municipality offers rebates on dual-flush toilets [7].
Toilet designs past, present and future aside; World Toilet Day helps us appreciate the role of sanitation and wastewater management around the world. Not a bad thing considering, on average, we spend three years of our life on a toilet...
Hana was a summer student with the Alberta WaterPortal Society in 2016. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with friends. She is currently in Victoria, B.C, studying Writing at the University of Victoria.
[1] [http://worldtoilet.org/what-we-do/world-toilet-day/
[2]http://www.localhistories.org/toilets.html
[3] [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/turrets-toilets-partial-history-throne-room-180951788/
[4] [https://www.wimdelvoye.be/work/cloaca/
[5]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilets_in_Japan
[6] [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/4-innovative-toilet-designs-to-talk-about-on-world-toilet-day/
[7] [http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Water-conservation/Indoor-water-conservation/Toilet-rebates/Toilet-Rebates.aspx
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The Alta Via of the Ligurian Mountains (AVML) is a hiking trail along approximately 450 km that is developed on the watershed that borders the Ligurian coastal slope.
The original route is divided into 44 stages of varying length and difficulty and is marked with a red-white-red with the words AV in the white part. The path began as trekking on foot but is passable in many places even in mtb. The western end is placed in Ventimiglia, while the eastern is Ceparana, in the plain of Sarzana, on the border with Tuscany.
The trail crosses the Regional Natural Park of Beigua, the Regional Natural Park of the Ligurian Alps, the natural park of Capanne di Marcarolo and the Regional Natural Park dell'Aveto. The point of maximum altitude reached by the Alta Via is Mount Saccarello (2.201 m above sea level).


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What is the Bahá'í Faith?
Building Spiritual Communities
Study Circles
Devotional Gatherings
Informal ("Fireside") Presentations on the Bahá'í Faith
HomePlaces in TimeLast Continental Bahá'í Temple nears completion
Last Continental Bahá'í Temple nears completion
The upcoming completion of a Bahá'í Temple in South America will mark an important milestone in the History of the Bahá'í Faith. On completion of this edifice, continental Bahá'í Houses of worship will have been located on the five continents of the Earth together with temples marking three other geographically important regions: Panama, Australia and – representing the important Island cultures – Western Samoa.
This Continental House of Worship, located on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile:
" …uses light for its spiritual and design inspiration. Its billowing, structurally robust form won a two-phase international competition requesting a nine-sided, domed structure with nine entries—a requirement for the design of Bahá'í Temples. This is the final continental Temple to be built. Designed through physical models in conjunction with state-of-the-art digital technology, the Temple combines advanced engineering solutions, cutting-edge material innovation, and computerized fabrication methods to create a light-filled space for prayer and meditation at once monumental and intimate."
(source: Chile House of Worship Architect Website)
Chile House of Worship overlooking the city of Santiago
(Image: Bahá'í World News Service)
Where the Bahá'í Houses of Worship are located
The image below shows the location of the Continental Bahá'í Temples including the soon-to-be completed House of Worship in Chile:
Significance of the nine sides
Like the other Bahá'í Temples throughout the world, the new House of Worship in Chile has nine sides and nine entrances. The number nine is significant because nine is the highest digit; hence it symbolizes culminations, perfections, comprehensiveness and unity.
Welcoming architecture
Bahá'í Houses of Worship are open to people of all Faiths – to all who worship the One True God. Ever since earliest times persons familiar with this important aspect of the Bahá'í teachings have tended to mentally associate the many doors of the Temples with the peoples from the world's many cultures, religions and outlooks whose diverse and seemingly irreconcilable backgrounds have experienced the powerful uniting force of the Divine Message for this day and age.
Gathering together for Prayer
One of the important fundamental Bahá'í teachings is the principle that Religion must be reasonable and that dogmas must be abandoned. And so the Bahá'í teachings maintain that in the building of these Houses of Worship there is a great wisdom:
"The wisdom in raising up such buildings is that at a given hour, the people should know it is time to meet, and all should gather together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, engage in prayer; with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection shall grow and flourish in the human heart."
(Abdu'l-Baha -from the Bahá'í writings)
"Among the institutes of the Holy Books is that of the foundation of places of worship. That is to say, an edifice or temple is to be built in order that humanity might find a place of meeting, and this is to be conducive to unity and fellowship among them. The real temple is the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of unity for all mankind. It is the collective center, the cause of accord and communion of hearts, the sign of the solidarity of the human race, the source of eternal life. Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force so that when the people gather there in the House of God they may recall the fact that the law has been revealed for them and that the law is to unite them…."
"Every city in which, during the days of the Manifestation, a temple was raised up, hath created security and constancy and peace, for such buildings were given over to the perpetual glorification of God, and only in the remembrance of God can the heart find rest."
Views of the Temple and construction details:
Continental Bahá'í House of Worship of South America (Santiago, Chile)
Images: copyright©Bahá'í International Community(Bahá'í World News Service), Gonzalo Sepulveda(Google Earth),
©2016:Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de los Bahá'ís de Chile
For more information about the Chile House of Worship:
New website launched for Chile House of Worship
Exhibition featuring Chile House of Worship
Article in "Azure" – Magazine of Architecture and Design
The Bahá'í Calendar
Excellent overview of the Bahá'i Faith on BBC
Community Devotional at 7:30 pmCommunity DevotionalTime: 7:30 pm
Community Devotional
7:30pm Community Devotional
From the Bahá'í Writings
…every one of the divine religions contains essential ordinances, which are not subject to change, and material ordinances, which are abrogated according to the exigencies of time. But the people of the world have forsaken the divine teachings and followed forms and imitations of the truth. Inasmuch as these human interpretations and superstitions differ, dissensions and bigotry have arisen, and strife and warfare have prevailed. By investigating the truth or foundation of reality underlying their own and other beliefs, all would be united and agreed, for this reality is one; it is not multiple and not divisible.
— Abdu'l-Baha
Bahá'í World News Service
"This homeland shelters all": Bahá'ís mark 100 year history in Tunisia
On the centenary of the Tunisian Bahá'í community's establishment, some 50 social actors explored coexistence and the issue of violence in contemporary society.
Officials and other dignitaries in Holy Land honor 'Abdu'l-Bahá
Abdu'l-Bahá's enduring legacy of service to humanity was honored by officials, diplomats, and faith leaders at a reception held last week in Haifa.
Counsellors' return marks start of new journey for Bahá'í world
The Counsellors are now departing the Holy Land ready to infuse Bahá'í communities worldwide with the wealth of insights gained over the past days of discussions.
"Glimpses of a Hundred Years of Endeavour": New film looks at journey of global Bahá'í community
A film commissioned by the Universal House of Justice provides glimpses of the Bahá'í community's efforts over the past century to contribute to the oneness of humanity.
Counsellors look ahead as conference concludes
Counsellors from across the world spent the past six days consulting about how Bahá'í efforts to foster social transformation can further intensify in the years ahead.
2021 in review: A momentous year
BWNS looks back on a historic year of intense efforts by countless people and communities, including marking the centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing.
Counsellors' conference begins
Over the coming days, Counsellors from all parts of the world will be consulting on the development of the worldwide Bahá'í community, preparing for the years ahead.
Bahá'í Media Bank: Photo of opening pages of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament published
An image of the opening pages of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament has been published for the first time, coinciding with the period of the centenary of His passing.
Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Plans for marble presented at press conference in Italy
The president of marble company Margraf and architect Hossein Amanat spoke about the complexities of the construction project and fabrication of the marble
BIC New York: UN Calls on Iran to end religious discrimination
The UN General Assembly calls on Iran to observe human rights for all its citizens, including members of the Bahá'í Faith.
Turkey: Mayor of Edirne marks centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing
The centenary was recently honored in Edirne, where Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and a small band of believers lived as exiles for over four years.
Papua New Guinea: Bahá'í Most Holy Book published in Tok Pisin
Bahá'u'lláh's Kitáb-i-Aqdas has been translated into the most widely spoken language in Papua New Guinea after a decades-long process.
Centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing: Short documentary on centenary commemoration in the Holy Land released
The documentary provides highlights from the spiritually charged centenary gathering recently held at the Bahá'í World Centre.
Centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing: National commemorations honor herald of peace
National Bahá'í communities around the world have been bringing together diverse social actors to explore some of the universal principles embodied by 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing: A look at worldwide commemorations
Centenary gatherings encircled the globe on Saturday, inspiring countless people to consider the implications of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's call for universal peace for their lives.
Houses of Worship: Bahá'í temples become focal points of commemorations
On Saturday, Bahá'í Houses of Worship became focal points of centenary commemorations, bringing diverse people together for profound reflection on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's life.
Unfolding developments and news
Videos from the 114 Youth Conferences
Iran and Egypt: Human Rights update (Bahá'í World News Service)
Education Under Fire
Persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran
Social and Economic Development efforts
Nearby Bahá'í Communities
Eastside Bahá'í Center
Bahá'ís of Seattle
Bahá'ís of Redmond
Bahais of South King County
Bahá'ís of Bellevue
Bahá'í Faith National/International Level
Bahá'í International Community
Bahá'ís of the United States
Bahá'í Reference Library
More information on the Bahá'í Faith
One Country – Newsletter; International
US Bahá'í Newsroom
"Bahá'í Gardens" Website
Abdu'l-Baha in America
Information Resource on the Bahá'í Faith
Videos on the Bahá'í Faith
Statistical Information on the Bahá'í Faith
Ocean – Downloadable Library
Bahá'í Communities around the World
Log in | Copyright © 2022 Bahá'ís of Issaquah


I am a former Royal Marine and have always kept myself physically fit. Running was my 'thing', but that came to an abrupt end in 1982 when I lost my right leg below the knee. I remained in the Marines and continued running but in 1990 I decided that it was time for me to leave the comfort of my Royal Marine family. I ventured forth into Civvy Street and at the same time bought my first cycle.
I have never looked back and over the years I have become a very accomplished Mountain and Road bike endurance racer – one of the few amputees in that world doing this. Prior to 2012 I entered around 15 big races a year – from the 85k off road Welsh Marathon Series to a 24 hour solo off road ride – my forte. These days, at nearly 55, I cannot imagine doing another 24 solo. I bike more for pleasure rather than the pain of the 24's.
Last year I entered the BC Bike Race in Canada, a 7-day stage race over the Rocky Mountains. I didn't intend to enter to race, I just wanted to ride and enjoy the scenery. But you know what it's like, you see another rider in front and you just have to try and pick them off! There were times where I really pushed myself and after seven days I was 16th out of 50+ riders in my age group, all able bodied and from all over the globe. Most of my experience for this race was gained from the 2008 Transrockies race. It's much harder. So much so that I ended up having a hip replacement on my good side!
Since retiring from the Marines I have cycled with other injured veterans from the UK and the States with BLESMA (British Limbless Ex Serviceman's Association). Every year we have Soldier Ride UK that includes American veterans. It's a great social experience, sharing stories and generally having a good time.
Being an accomplished cyclist I tend not to JUST ride: I coach individuals who are struggling. I start verbally, but more often than not it ends up with a hands on approach, physically pushing them to the front to keep up with the others. You cannot believe the personal satisfaction that I achieve from doing this – it's amazing.
In 2012 Jenny Sealey recruited me on to the Paralympics opening ceremony. After 6 weeks intensive conditioning training at Circus Space, Hoxton Square we moved to 3 Mills, then to Dagenham and finally the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony. I was chosen to do the sway pole, which still remains my forte. The sway pole is such an artistic, beautiful piece of equipment, which though it looks very effortless, is rather hard work. All the training certainly kicked our bodies into shape. Since then I have performed at the Liberty Festival with Graeae's "Limbless Knights" Show.
I intend to keep pushing those pedals at all costs. As I write I'm at Warner Bros doing some extra work in a film. I sit here in my B&B kicking myself because I have the afternoon free and I never thought to bring my bike. The rain has stopped, and I have missed the opportunity to explore the muddy local trails around Watford…..


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Q: Gulpfile not outputting to correct location So I'm trying to set up the basic gulp workflow with sass and I am missing something, but I can't find it. I've searched the web for a workflow example with dist/src folders, NOBODY takes you step by step on how and why things are done.
Anyway, I have a basic folder project with dist, src, node_modules, gulpfile.js and package.json.
My main problem is that the outputted src/sass/main.scss is not outputted into dist/css/main.css. This works only if I create a src/css/main.css file and the outputted .css file is generated there, although I clearly have .pipe(gulp.dest("dist/css")) in my gulpfile.js.
Here's my gulpfile.js
var gulp        = require('gulp');
var browserSync = require('browser-sync').create();
var sass        = require('gulp-sass');

// Static Server + watching scss/html files
gulp.task('serve', ['sass'], function() {

    browserSync.init({
        server: "./src"
    });

    gulp.watch("src/scss/*.scss", ['sass']);
    gulp.watch("src/*.html").on('change', browserSync.reload);
});

// Compile sass into CSS & auto-inject into browsers
gulp.task('sass', function() {
    return gulp.src("src/scss/*.scss")
        .pipe(sass())
        .pipe(gulp.dest("dist/css"))
        .pipe(browserSync.stream());
});

gulp.task('default', ['serve']);

And in my html file I'm linking the .css with this:
 <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/main.css"/>

I haven't even tried to add more plugins into gulp because for the life of me I can't figure out why this doesn't work.
Directory tree to make things easier to understand:
|-dist
    |-css
        |-main.css
    |-img
    index.html
|-node_modules
|-src
    |-css
        |-main.css
    |-img
    |-sass
        |-_custom.scss
        |-main.scss
    index.html
gulpfile.js
package.json

Can someone please explain why I need to run the server in src and not dist?
Does gulp generate the sass and then knows how to copy it to dist?
What is actually wrong in my gulpfile?

A: in src there is no scss folder that you are targeting with
return gulp.src("src/scss/*.scss")

try to fix that first

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
What is Rideshare?
Uber Articles
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Skip The Dishes Driver – Special "Day in The Life" Edition
by Commercial Driver HQ
We reached out to one of our readers to get their take on a typical shift as a Skip The Dishes driver. Hopefully anyone looking to sign up as a Skip The Dishes driver can get some insight on how it works, some pain points and why drivers like Pascale love it so much! We hope you enjoy!
A Day in the Life of a Skip The Dishes Driver
As I come around the side of the building for the third time, trying to figure out where the lobby is, I notice two kids running towards me. It was getting dark and the rain was heavy, creating a gloomy, eerie scene in which I could barely distinguish anything, let alone a few worn-out digits on a brick wall.
A couple of kids in the parking lot look me over, notice my delivery bag and point me in the right direction. A quick reverse maneuver leads me to the main entrance where I proceed to park illegally. I put my hazards on and a handwritten "Skip The Dishes Driver – Back in a Flash" note on my dashboard. I doodled a smiley face on it thinking it might help me avoid a ticket or disgruntled property manager.
Making The Delivery
There are instructions from the customer requesting that I call upon arrival so we can meet in the lobby. No apartment or buzzer number. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't answer when I ring his number, which is generated automatically through the app. I leave a voicemail and wait. Minutes go by before I ring him again, to no avail.
Suddenly I get a glimpse of a man stepping out of the elevator, holding an overly excited dalmatian at the end of a leash. At last, here comes my guy! It's not him though, but I do appreciate his sympathy for my situation. "Woah, that sucks," he says. I use the encounter to enter the building's lobby and place the food in a little seating area.
At this point, I've contacted driver chat support through the app and they approve of my efforts. I'm good to go. Sorry I missed you buddy but I'm not exactly paid by the hour. After all, everything is supposed to be "contactless" and this is a low-end order for me at seven bucks.
Parking, Proximity and Pay
As soon as I've checked my "delivered order" box in the Skip The Dishes driver app I am immediately matched to a new order. It is a $14 one at a small restaurant just down the road. Perfect. Those are the ones you strive for. It will take me less than five minutes to drive to their ample parking lot and hopefully pick up the order straightaway.
The next client's address appears to be a house, not a building, thankfully. It's less than 3km away from the restaurant so if I can complete this order from start to finish in under fifteen minutes I'll be a happy camper. That's easy money right there. Skip The Dishes drivers aren't under any obligation to accept all orders but they advise you to maintain an 80% acceptance rate to keep the algorithm working in your favour, or so they say.
What's the difference between driving for Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats? We break it all down for you!
UberEATS vs Skip The Dishes: What is the difference for Drivers?
I turn the volume up on my old iPod, it's jacked into an actual boombox that I've rigged up via an inverter in my old Toyota that only had a CD player to offer. I prefer to keep my devices separate on the road; fewer things to juggle, and my iPhone's battery can hardly keep up as it is anyway. The Skip The Dishes driver app sure seems to drain it fast, especially when the GPS is running.
By now it is almost dark, the rain has intensified and the Radiohead song that comes on seems fitting to the atmosphere. I quickly capture a picture of the raindrops on my window.
Skip the Dishes Driver Pay and Shifts
Now I am off to collect my 12th order on today's shift. I picked it up last night on the fly, a 4:30-8:30 Tuesday shift. Open shifts are always available, that's how most couriers roll. You just sign in and pick them up if you want to work, or you can schedule in advance. It's currently 8:15, so I'm calling it quits after this order.
Just before my shift is scheduled to end, I got a pop-up window in the app offering me to extend it; it's a high-volume night. If I accept, I get to pick for how long. Another hour or more, it's up to me. Tonight, however, I'll swipe the "no thanks" option as I'm looking forward to going home. My clothes are damp, I'm getting the chills and to be fair, my night vision just isn't what it used to be.
With this last order, my earnings, shown in real-time as I go about my driving, are at just under $130. I still have to pull off a thirty-minute drive out of this delivery zone to reach the safe haven I call home, a remote piece of land in the woodlands. For an extra two bucks, I'll get tonight's earnings directly deposited. If not, it happens weekly on Tuesdays.
Being my Own Boss
I've been running my own little housekeeping one-woman show for seven years. It's been amazing being able to make my own schedules and not answer to a boss or even just coworkers. But the work is physical and I've been suffering from chronic back problems.
I chose to cut back quite a bit, from four days to three. It was either that or I'd be seeing a lot more of the walker and cane I borrowed. I needed to find another way to make ends meet. Without compromising on the flexible independence that I've grown accustomed to.
The A-ha Moment
We were out dining when I noticed this never-ending coming and going of Skip The Dishes drivers. All shapes and sizes and it just flicked a switch for me. I used to work for Dine-In Victoria, which was the analog version of these ultra-sophisticated online delivery services. There was an office with dispatchers who communicated through text with drivers in uniform. Most of the orders to the restaurants went through fax! Many of these places couldn't keep up when Skip arrived on the scene and shut down.
Now as a Skip The Dishes driver it has been like going from an old Nokia to the newest iPhone. With that being said, even the newest device will occasionally make you cringe. There's the slow shifts, the glitchy app, and the hard-to-find houses. The dark roads and traffic jams, the wait times, and the generally rare "no tippers". Still, when you're out there on your own terms making a living, listening to music and observing this strange new world from the comfort of your car seat, it really isn't that bad… In fact, it's pretty good.
Learn more about the requirements and pay for a Skip the Dishes driver with this a step by step walk-through of the sign-up process.
Skip The Dishes Courier: A Complete Guide
DoorDash vs Skip The Dishes: For Drivers
Class A California License – 2022 Guide
Uber Eats vs DoorDash: 2022 Canadian Driver Guide
The Uber Eats Bike Delivery Guide
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The WRHG® has been created to look at preservation opportunities of the Woodhead Railway Route that ran between the cities of Manchester & Sheffield, we are also exploring the feasibility of reopening Dinting Railway Centre Glossop, working with local Council & Community Groups. The WRHG® are currently in the process of negotiating to have the use of a vacant building which would be developed into a Woodhead Railway Heritage Centre at Guide Bridge Station working with Network Rail, Northern Railway & ACoRP. If you would like to get involved then please do get in touch via our contact page or you can join as a member by visiting the membership page on this website.
Is the Group looking to reopen the woodhead railway?
The WRHG will be looking at the feasibility of a Heritage Railway Line between Hadfield Station & the Woodhead Tunnel, the Feasibility Study will look to see if the Heritage Line can be sustainable relying on tourism using the Railway.
Will there be working parties to carry out any work?
Yes, the Group will be looking to having Working Parties in due course to carry out any work that may be required.
Will there be membership for the Group?
Yes, there will be membership with a Fee for Joining, to which money raised will help towards any expenditure required for the Group.
Will the Group be working with Large Corporations / Companies to help with the Preservation projects?
Yes, the Group will be liaising with Key Players who may be able to offer support in any way with our Projects.
Will dinting railway centre reopen?
The WRHG are currently working with the owners of the site who have confirmed that they are open to suggestions from the WRHG as how best to develop the site. We are currently holding various meetings with key players to enable to progress with this project and also comes down to available funding from the National Lottery & Heritage Railway Grant Funding Schemes.