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Tag: black
Black and British in America
Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
There is something I have observed for decades, its being Black and British. Its something got to reflect on while reading this piece form the Guardian.
The piece is mainly about American & British cultural differences which I got to experience early in the 2000's.
I hadn't even reached Ithaca, the tiny university town in upstate New York – my home for the next six years, as I studied for a PhD – when the confusion over my Blackness and British accent began. I was ill-prepared for Matt, the skinny white American in a cap sitting beside me on the plane. "But you don't seem like you're from London," he said (I'm from Hackney, and very proud). Matt had never been to the UK, let alone London.
I got a lot of this in a different ways.
My best story in this space (which I have told too many times, but can't seem to find on the blog) is when me and my ex drove into a fast food place in the mid-west. She parked the car and I went in to order in advance.
I walked through the door and up to the counter to order. The young short white woman with blonde hair said to me…
"Yo-yo, brother whats up? How ya doing? What can I get ya?"
In that moment, I was really confused thinking this isn't the way to greet someone at all? And let out a "Uhhhh, what?!" in my typical British accent.
At that moment you could see the staff member's face descend into utter confusion. The confusion was made clear as my ex followed me and made it clear what I was thinking.
Although its quite different from the Matt story, there is still something of a disconnect/confusion which is happening. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. Maybe a light touch of stereotyping? (depending how you look at it)
I remember always being called African-American and trying to explain, nope I'm black or UK-Black. Some interesting discussions were had too.
Author IanforresterPosted on January 18, 2022 Categories culture-and-politicsTags america, black, british, fastfood, guardian, stereotypes15 Comments on Black and British in America
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed, watching people shaming others for not working extra hard during the pandemic, employers spying on their employees and our continuing reliance on centralised servers.
You are seeing aspects of this happening with Google implementing Signal's open source E2EE protocol and Google loosening control of the Chromium project
BBC R&D's New forms of value research explained by Max, Alex, Lianne and myself
Ian thinks: Yes this is a bit meta but its great to deep dive into the cutting edge research of BBC R&D's lab. Remember its all for the benefit of the citizens of the UK and far wider. Worth also listening to the Human Values podcast series if you want to know more about what Lianne talks about.
The Solid project hits a mile stone in development
Ian thinks: Following BBC R&D's new forms of value, one of the key research aims is using personal data stores. Solid is one such personal data store and its hit a mile stone with a number of different partners.
Hacking society for the sake society
Ian thinks: Bruce Schneier's talk from Tech Open Air is well worth 20mins of your time. Its a combinations of what goes into these notes. Security, privacy, hacking, dis-information, policy and the internet.
The key for securing our shared water future
Ian thinks: In this sobering Tedx talk, Seth makes clear we are running low on shared water. Seth talks about a rethink of our policy, technology and cooperation around this space.
What black ideas from the past we could take into the future
Ian thinks: Jessica and Douglas talk about how black communities already developed circular economic mechanisms and how effective they have been.
Technology always transforms ethics
Ian thinks: Juan's thoughts are important to take in, he touches on so many points from ethics to politics. All framed within alongside technology disruption. I did find it strange he never used Brexit in his last reply about example of breaking up a nation.
An unscientific look at algorithms and my phone is still listening to me
Ian thinks: Wired magazine creates a quick and dirty test looking at Youtube's recommendation algorithm. Plus that classic notion that your phone is listening to you.
Both are crude but if the social dilemma has taught me anything these actually help convince people
The challenges of IP in the coming world of ubiquitous game engine use
Ian thinks: Found via Simon Lumb, a real in-depth look at the challenges around IP in a world of game engines. There is also a podcast if like me you prefer audio
A musical trip into Nerdcore *explicit language
Ian thinks: Hip-hop artists talk about their reality and Nerdcore is no different. Its impressive and fascinating to hear how integrated internet & hacking culture has become in these artists life.
The archive is available here
Author IanforresterPosted on December 1, 2020 December 1, 2020 Categories culture-and-politicsTags algorithms, bbc, bbcrd, black, bruceschneier, enviornment, ethics, game, hacking, ip, music, nerdcore, newformsofvalue, personaldata, publicservice, publicserviceinternet, publicserviceinternetnotes, recommendations, society, solid, toa, water
Small axe: Mangrove nine
I heard the true story of the Mangrove Nine but to see it play out over a 2 hour TV show is just amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect but with the great director Steve McQueen, I had a sneaky suspicion it was going to be (8/10) great. Its almost so great to see UK black history on the screen, as its usually displaced by American black history.
Really looking forward to the other episodes.
Author IanforresterPosted on November 18, 2020 November 18, 2020 Categories media-and-expressionTags #Blacklivesmatter, black, blackhistory, blacklivesmatter, london, mangrovenine, smallaxe, stevemcqueen, ukblack
Emmanuel Acho sits down to have an "uncomfortable conversation" with white America, in order to educate and inform on racism, system racism, social injustice, rioting & the hurt African Americans are feeling today.
Its still early days but I quite like it, especially the discussion with Matthew McConaughey who brings up the notion of "White Allergies" – I have never heard the term
Where we were raised and how we were raised in our history growing up, there's certain just imported obvious ways that we're prejudiced in ways that we don't even understand. We got white allergies and may not even know it. And so, I was sitting there, you know, looking at my own life, and I go, all right. To me, Longview High School, it's over 50% Black. I applied to Grambling (a historically Black college). I was the first white [person] to ever work at Catfish Station, [a] Black blues bar on 6th Street. I am married to a non-white immigrant. I have Black friends all through my life and still do. But, what prejudices may I have via white allergies that I may not even be aware of?
I think like myself Acho hadn't heard the term but got it… He pointed to a example of backhanded compliments, such as "You don't talk Black," or "You're pretty for a Black girl."
This reminded me of an experience I had in America on the road while getting some food, I think I was in Iowa or Wisconsin
I walked in to a takeaway place, the white woman with blonde hair behind the counter. Says to me
"Yo yo brother, whatsup, how ya doin, whatdu want?"
I looked shocked and said in my normal English accent…
Ummmm what….!?
She was so shocked like I had suddenly changed my form completely. I can't forget the way her face and posture changed.
It was clear she hasn't heard a black man with a British accent and you could see her world view evaporate like a magician.blowing a puff of smoke.
Author IanforresterPosted on June 24, 2020 Categories culture-and-politicsTags #Blacklivesmatter, #blm, black, blacklivesmatter, blackman, conversations, race, sterotyping, worldview
Time to talk about Covid 19 and ethnic minorities…
"This is a health issue with huge ramifications for social welfare, and it's a welfare issue with huge ramifications for public health."
ICYMI: #Newsnight reported on #coronavirus and how the pandemic is widening social and economic divisions
WATCH 👉 https://t.co/enp9I8vouG pic.twitter.com/MX6EAj0taO
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) April 13, 2020
There has been a quite a bit said about the fact ethnic minorities are more likely to catch and die of Covid19. The UK office of national statistics recently released a study which was quite shocking and hard to read. Its a harsh reminder this virus was never a equalizer and as BBC newsnight said, shows the widening divisions.
t discovered that after taking into account age, measures of self-reported health and disability and other socio-demographic characteristics, black people were still almost twice as likely as white people to die a Covid-19-related death.
Bangladeshi and Pakistani males were 1.8 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white males, after other pre-existing factors had been accounted for, and females from those ethnic groups were 1.6 times more likely to die from the virus than their white counterparts.
Personally I am taking a lot of sustainable steps to stay safe. I say sustainable because unlike some people who think we are going to revert back to the old normal, I know this isn't going to happen. Without going into too much depth about PPE, contact tracing and an actual vaccine. If you want that, its worth listening to the Manchester futurists podcast which is going up in the next few days.
I'm washing my hands with liquid soap pretty much all the times, not touching my face (I know its really really hard but not impossible and I have managed it but don't have long hair and have a deep routed thing about dirty hands) and I'm disinfecting everything I have touched and brought back into the house including my headphones, smartphone, pebble watch, keys, etc… However I am not using alcohol hand sanitizer, unless essential because it makes my hands so bloody dry I hate it!
Even before the recent theories about Vitamin D, I have been taking Vit D as its generally good practice for darker skinned people living in northern hemispheres.
I'm very conscious I am at higher risk being a black male, having a survived a bleed on the brain, asthmatic and all with high blood pressure. But I am however very fortunate to have a career which means I can work from home while living in a city centre where I can go out and get exercise and food. I'm not socio-economic disadvantaged thats something which I have going for myself. I have been getting Tesco delivery again (maybe once every 4-6 weeks again). Been avoiding the large supermarkets and going to local high street shops, Booths and M&S food market (This is certainly not true of a lot of people!). I do pop into Aldi but am always aware people are much less likely to social distance unfortunately. Especially around the fruit and veg isle.
There was a decision made not to wear a mask, when the one I ordered for the holiday to South Korea and Japan never came (according to Amazon its still on its way – 4 months later). Me and my partner decided we didn't want to be the westerners not wearing a mask, when we still felt we could go. But for me personally I decided there was more risk in having a mask than not when out and about in Manchester. I expect there will be places in the future where I will have to wear face protection/mask to enter, and thats fine (maybe my mask might actually arrive) but till then taking the mask on and off is just much more risk than not touching my face at all. I'm also very conscious about not coughing, sneezing, etc in and around people.
Whats happening is no joke and clearly points to the horrible inequality. I'm very fortunate to be born in a country which (at least currently) has a national health care system.
But there are clear problems/differences and the people with the power to change the fate of millions are doing little about it! Some would say it could be to the benefit to certain governments even?
Author IanforresterPosted on May 25, 2020 May 25, 2020 Categories culture-and-politicsTags black, COVID-19, covid19, disadvantaged, facemask, manchester, minority, virus2 Comments on Time to talk about Covid 19 and ethnic minorities…
It's hot out here being so geeky
I do like a little Catfish, its one of my guilty pleasures and perfect for when I'm cooking in the Kitchen.
However Episode 11 of season 6 (catfish s6x11) stood out for me
Colleen met Tony online and fell madly in love. Though they've never met, Tony proposed to Colleen over the phone and she accepted. Now, Nev and Max help her finally face the truth to reveal the mystery man she's engaged to.
I'm going to spoil the episode, so if you want to be unspoiled stop now.
Tony is the Catfish and pretends to be a white geeky guy to Colleen. Shes suspicious calls in the Nev & Max to check him out. They find out that he's actually this geeky black guy who has been pretending to be a white geeky guy. Almost everything else is true and when they finally out him, theres a moment of … why did he lie? Usually a clear reason why they Catfish, like they are the opposite sex, super young/old, a friend, ex-partner or even dangerous.
When sitting down with him, Nev & Max uncover a problem which is based around stereotypes. Tony's personality is geeky and shy; from his previous experiences he found some women assume things of a black man and are disappointed when he's honest about who he is deep down (Thats the crux although a lot more is said which I could dig right into).
He then goes on to talk about how his family are not accepting of mixed race relationships and this further blows up in a later discussion with his family. They ask why a white man and when he gives his reasons, they are even more mortified than the whole proposal of marriage to a white woman (Colleen).
The whole thing serves as a reminder of how many people have to live up to these bollox stereotypes, and how we oppose our stereotypes on each other. Its also a reminder of how uncool its still seen to be geeky in black culture. You could argue this is Tony's problem but I'd argue you haven't been paying attention.
Interestingly I finally watched I am not your negro, which is a uncomfortable watch for many as it centres around race relations and power in America.
By and large this film concerns itself with the greater philosophy of why groups in power behave the way they do. This might be the only movie about race relations I've ever seen that adequately explains – with sympathy – the root causes of a complacent white American mindset. And it took a black writer and director to do it.
Watching I am not your negro points at why someone like Tony may feel the need to lie about himself? Lovia from the new republic said…
The last half of I Am Not Your Negro moves out of the lives of Malcolm, Martin, and Medgar and takes a broader look at American culture. Over clips of daytime dramas like The Steve Wilkos Show and The Jerry Springer Show, Jackson reads Baldwin's prescient commentary:
"To watch the TV screen for any length of time is to learn some really frightening things about the American sense of reality. We are cruelly trapped between what we would like to be and what we actually are. And we cannot possibly become what we would like to be until we are willing to ask ourselves just why the lives we lead on this continent are mainly so empty, so tame, and so ugly. These images are designed not to trouble, but to reassure. They also weaken our ability to deal with the world as it is, ourselves as we are."
Americans in the age of Trump are undergoing a painful period of self-reflection. The election of a reality television star to the highest office in the land would be disconcerting on its own. But the fact that this same star proved time and again that he has no respect for women, minorities, and the disabled makes his election that much harder to understand.
Almost feel like some of the works from Andy Curtis could be very fitting too.
Author IanforresterPosted on May 14, 2017 Categories culture-and-politicsTags black, catfish, diversity, dope, internet, interracial, mixedrace, mtv, negro, race
Paul Revere Williams architect to many
I was listening to 99 percent invisible's latest podcast episode about Paul Williams, the famous architect who was never really mentioned or credited in history. His story is quite incredible to hear from many different points of view.
It's hard to say exactly what motivated Williams to pursue architecture. He didn't know of any other architects as he was growing up, and didn't really know that architecture was a profession. He did have a natural talent for drawing, and then somehow decided that this was the job for him.
Hudson says that her grandfather's high school guidance counselor advised him not to pursue architecture, telling him "he should not try to be an architect. He should be a doctor or a lawyer because black people would always need doctors and lawyers. And white people would not hire him as an architect and black people couldn't afford him." Still Williams refused to let go of this ambition.
I always wondered what would have happened if I pursued architecture too, I was put off by 7 years of college, although 6 years of design focused education wasn't far off.
…some clients were taken aback when they first met Williams — people who "came because they may have read about him," Karen Hudson explains, "but didn't realize he was black." They weren't sure whether to sit next to him or even whether to shake his hand. To put them at ease, Williams would keep his distance, sitting across the table from them, and as he asked them what they wanted in their home, he would draw preliminary sketches upside down, so they could see their vision evolve as he drew. This helped put them at ease but was also just impressive in itself.
I have gotten this a few times in the past, mainly before you could look me up online. The name Paul Williams and even Ian Forrester could be anyone but I guess unconscious bias makes people think white males?
The distance thing is also something I'm very aware of… as a black man. Being able to draw upside down is super impressive and I imagine he had a lot of practice.
Williams wasn't the first or only architect to draw upside down, but his consistent use of this skill illustrates the lengths he went to accommodate his white clients. He dressed impeccably, worked tirelessly, and tried to excel in all respects, simply to be accepted.
Enough said, but sadly…
Despite his vast volume of work (and being the first black member of the American Institute of Architects) Williams has remained relatively unknown, at least until recently. "Every black architect I know is familiar with Williams," say Phil Freelon. "And I haven't met a white architect yet who knew who I was talking about if I were to mention that name. And we need to change that." This is why Freelon nominated Williams for the AIA's highest individual award: the Gold Medal.
This is basically the award that welcomes an architect into the cannon of all-time greats. Past winners include Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Thomas Jefferson. Now, 37 years after his death, Paul Williams will officially join their ranks.
This award means a lot to Freelon and other African American architects in terms of general visibility. "There are very few African American architects working in this country, relatively speaking," says Freelon. Just "2% of licensed architects in this country are black. And one of the ways you would want to combat that is to raise the visibility. [You] make sure people know this is a great profession and that young people see it as a possibility and as an option for them."
Hopefully blogging this will encourage people to listen or read the transcript. Its a short story with lots of interesting links and discussion.
Author IanforresterPosted on April 18, 2017 March 11, 2018 Categories design-and-ideasTags america, architect, architecture, black, design, history, paulwilliams
Little diversity changes in the valley?
Google's head of diversity, Nancy Lee, is retiring from Google after several years of leading the company's global diversity and inclusion team
In Google's latest diversity report, we saw that overall representation of women went from 30 percent female in 2014 to 31 percent female in 2015. But the overall percentage of black and Hispanic people did not increase at all, with overall representation of blacks remaining at 2 percent and Hispanics remaining at 3 percent. In 2015, only 4 percent of Google's hires were black and 5 percent of its hires were Hispanic.
It's not clear who will take over as head of diversity or when Lee's last day is. Google declined to comment for this story.
Although still (at the moment I write this) not confirmed and this isn't a criticism of Nancy's initiatives. But its not great news and looking back at the afrofutures talk I gave a while back, little seems to have changed when it comes to non-white or non-asian people in tech. I would have hoped the increase in women would be higher too, especially with all work and attention.
Seems little is going to change in the valley, at least for diversity and inclusion. I'm sure we will find out about Nancy's difficult position very soon.
Author IanforresterPosted on December 15, 2016 Categories culture-and-politicsTags afrofutures, black, diversity, google, hispanic, inclusion, nancylee, siliconvalley, valley
Interview about Black Culture Applied to Technology
I did a interview off the back of the Afrofutures talk I did in Manchester last year. Its part of a group of interviews on How We Get To Next. Its a good interview and thanks to Florence Okoye for the great questions which leads into my thoughts on black culture, diversity and growing up in a ever-changing world.
I was invited to do a interview off the back of the Afrofutures talk I did in Manchester last year. Its part of a group of interviews on How We Get To Next. Its a good interview and thanks to Florence Okoye for the great questions which leads into my thoughts on black culture, diversity and growing up in a ever-changing world.
Here's some interesting parts, although I have to say the whole thing is good and worth reading in full.
A little background on what made me the person I am today.
I kind of knew I was different from other people at an early age. Yes, there was the challenge of being one of three black people in a junior school, but I also found out I might be dyslexic. Friends could tell you I didn't quite fit in — though I wasn't a misfit. I was popular, kind of sporty, but also geeky and fiercely independent in thought. This meant I tended to find my own way of doing things, and therefore my independence was tied to use of technology. It was only later at university that I learned once and for all that I was dyslexic, and my coping strategies existed around technology.
Remembering the first time I created a webpage for my graphic design course and the conflict I faced. I feel this is similar to the perceptive media idea; its a new medium and we should/could treat it as such.
There was a key moment I will never forget when learning about the web and creating HTML pages. I did one of my design projects as a website and my college lecturer asked me to print it out. I tried to explain and pled with her that this was a different medium and printing it out made no sense. I think it was that moment when I started to side more with the tech.
The effect of dance music/culture on my life, and the start of my distaste and distrust of popular culture… If I was answering this again, I would add something about being you're self, not what others want you to be. This certainly speaks to my inner fire for independance.
I hate popular culture. It winds me up [to] no end! I was a geek but never got into fantasy or really into science fiction. I found it too stereotypical and formulaic for me to take seriously.
I also was massively influenced by dance/rave music, which was a very different culture. I remember hating mainstream radio for not playing rave music. The mainstream press was vilifying ravers and this new culture.
They say house music is a feeling, but it's a whole culture which didn't get its dues till far later, and even now it's been watered down and packaged up into something boring and generic
A little but on how I see [I don't see as such but my mind connects them] the world as one hyper-connected system full of interesting emergent structures and challenges. It hard for others to imagine but I'm imagining its similar to the way synesthesia feels for people who have it. Its just the reality, and it only people telling you again that you are wrong, which makes you dobht.
I see everything as connected. It's just the way my mind thinks, being dyslexic. I see technologies which are not ready for the mainstream, technologies which break rules and change the centralized power structures. They are ignored or rejected till they get too big and the incumbents have to face up to them or outlaw them, as it breaks their fragile business models.
This is classic innovator's dilemma stuff, to be honest.
What excites me… open collaboration with open minded people, as too much effort is wasted settling peoples egos.
There are lots of interesting trends in store for the future. I don't like to dream about [them]; instead, I follow the Alan Kay quote, "the best way to predict the future is to invent it." Instead of inventing it, which makes people imagine people in basements doing funny things alone, I would change the last part to collaborate.
Now if only I could adapt this into my Linkedin profile…
Author IanforresterPosted on January 30, 2016 April 29, 2019 Categories culture-and-politicsTags afrofutures, black, diversity, manchester1 Comment on Interview about Black Culture Applied to Technology
Dope: Its hard out here being a geek
I watched Dope on Sunday afternoon only a few hours before I gave a talk about the lack of black people in the technology sector at Afrofutures.
watching : Dope (http://t.co/6luV4XbTxq) love it already!
Will feature in my @AfroFutures_UK talk at 3pm pic.twitter.com/bTJYK5hqv2
— Ian Forrester (@cubicgarden) October 11, 2015
Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.
There is much I can say I loved about the film which currently has a rating of 7.5 on IMDB (stick that in your IMDB party game)
Warning mild spoilers ahead
Malcolm and his friends are teenagers growing up in LA, they are geeks, play in a rock band, get picked on at school, etc. You would be forgiven for thinking – "this is the start of a typical hollywood coming of age film.."
The big difference is they are black americans and living in a culture which doesn't encourage geekness.
The film starts with the excellent point of, looking at the definition of Dope.
Slang for an illegal drug (you got any dope?)
A stupid person (you are such a dope!)
Affirmation of something's greatness (that is so dope!)
These themes run through the whole film and connect everything. Malcolm attempts to try and avoid being pulled into the society which surrounds him. There is no doubt this is a coming of age film but the class discrimination and racism really lifts it way above the rest. Even when Malcolm is forced into the world of drug dealing, he uses his brain to get out ahead of the crooked society.
I won't lie, dope reminds me of some of the dilemmas I faced while growing up (of course to a far lesser degree). I use to think everybody faces these things but it seems not. The conflict of being geeky and not wanting to make the mistakes others fall into featured in my mind a lot. I came out on top but like Malcolm, there are things which I won't forget and certainly shaped my personality.
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Afrofutures? from Ian Forrester
The presentation I did for Afrofutures is here., the link with Dope comes in about slide 18. I certainly feel its not good enough to blame the tech sector alone. No, we got to look at the the way things shake out in the culture too. Yes there is a big lack of black people in tech, especially in higher positions but also the culture doesn't exactly encourage people to embrace our geeky side. Its almost discouraged I feel.
This has lines or connections I believe with the fact their are amazingly senior black people in many other professions including law, financial services, pharmaceuticals, etc. But very few in the tech sector, especially at CEO level.
"Ordinary people seek entertainment. Extraordinary people seek education…" — @BenjaminPHardy https://t.co/1Y9J3bo8IT pic.twitter.com/nibI7pZ3QM
— Chris Messina (@chrismessina) June 25, 2015
I know this is all a massive generalisation but from what I have seen growing up, it was a fight to be openly curious, interested and switched on or as I prefer, geeky. I imagine lots of black people bury it and ignore it. Or it gets beaten out of you at some point verbally or even physically. You literally have to fight. Some give up fighting and forever regret doing so for the rest of their lives…
When looking at the diversity figures, in every case I found. White people were followed by Asians people. You only have to look at the CEO of Microsoft and Google to see this in full effect. From a outsider view, their culture encourages geeky people. However in black popular culture (generalising again) I am almost embarrassed by the negativity to being geeky and different.
Its was depressing to research but it was worth it because its out there now and its a start of a important conversation for me.
I can only hope the next generation will see right through all this all and make positive strides ending up with a diverse workforce. Originally I was going to submit this to Singleblackmale but I didn't feel it was the right place to host this at this stage. Maybe I'll do a more critical blog for them in the near future.
As the tagline to Dope says: Its hard out here being a geek…
Author IanforresterPosted on October 16, 2015 Categories culture-and-politicsTags afrofutures, asian, black, dope, drugs, film, geek, geeky, growingup, race, tech, white1 Comment on Dope: Its hard out here being a geek
Afrofutures in Manchester next week
Manchester is running Afrofutures next weekend…
Afro Futures UK, a collective of researchers, artists, programmers and activists exploring new ways of examining blackness and futurism. We are hosting an FREE all day Afrofuturist Conference and Exhibition on 10th October 2015 at MADLAB with a special rosta of speakers and workshops from the USA, Europe Africa and the UK.
http://www.northernsoulpowerhouse.xyz/playlista-cubic-garden-aka-ian-forrester-bbc-rd-senior-firestarter/
Author IanforresterPosted on October 3, 2015 Categories culture-and-politicsTags afro, afrofutures, afrofuturist, black, iot, northernquarter, uk5 Comments on Afrofutures in Manchester next week
What's been troubling recently, #Ferguson
Everytime I hear about Ferguson, I grow that little more angry. There are literary no words I can say which sum up the feeling of unease, worry, fear and anger. While most of the people around me carry on their lives not really thinking about the massive injustice which is happening again over the ocean, I wonder about the progress we have and have not made. I wonder about the corruption and how we are going to tackle that? Boycotting Black Friday is a start I guess.
I wasn't going to write anything because I couldn't really put it down (The closes thing I could compare it it to was the killing of Stephen Lawrence, something which keeps on giving) and there is so much better people to hear from.
But then after watching the guys behind singleblackmale.org talking over email, I needed to break the silence on my part and join the rest of the people in solidarity… As Dr J writes…
None of the bloggers on this blog have been immune to interactions with police officers. Most, if not all of us have encountered white police officers in our travels. What troubles me about this issue is that I'd like to think that our police officers are here to keep us safe. What we know now is that isn't always the case and it's not an exaggeration to say we feel like feeling safe is a minority opinion for Black men in this country…
…People always ask me how I'm doing and my response is the same, "Given my circumstance, the best that I could be." That holds true today. Now brothers and sisters in the fight; Black, white or indifferent please channel your efforts positively or at least effectively…
Celeste Little's email caused me to breakdown for a bit while reading it on my phone.
…All I could think about, as I was walking along 7th avenue with the 1600 other people who were hurt and appalled by the decision, was my grandmother.
She was born in Mississippi into a family of sharecroppers and when she witnessed President Obama's 2004 win, she was thrilled, to say the least. She died several years later, and as she was passing all she talked about was how she was happy all of her children and grandchildren were well taken care of.
That's what all of our ancestors have prayed and wished and died for– that we would be better taken care of. And it is absolutely suffocating to think that, after all this time, we might not be.
So I wrote this…
I wanted to share a little perspective from outside the America.
I was really shocked and appalled to hear what happened, I didn't know what to think really and what can a foreigner bring to the table what you guys don't already know?
Nothing much, but there has been a whole discussion about police with cameras and using technology to aid solutions in the British media.
Every time I hear this my hand gets a little tense, as using technology to aid or solve human problems is not a good idea.
Its far too easy to turn off cameras and get around systems which are only there to keep those who play by the rules.
You only have to look at piracy to understand this.
Talking of rules, what makes things worst is the rules don't seem to apply to the police in the states.
You don't think a police officer which has no problem gunning down innocent black men, wouldn't break the camera lens, remove the power or find another way?
Technology can help but only when people are willing to be helped. Its like an addict, you have to admit you need help before you can be helped.
The police are clearly not willing, the courts are clearly not willing and the system just backs them up.
Lawrence Lessig a Stanford lawyer turned his head to understanding the endemic corruption and although not directly applicable is worth thinking about when talking about what's wrong.
I'm not saying the UK is any better but the system out there is so corrupt and so broken, something has got to give…
Keep on fighting the good fight people and never give up.
#MichaelBrown - #Ferguson #TCShutItDown #ShutItDown #JusticeForMikeBrown by Fibonacci Blue, on Flickr" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/15691932038"> #MichaelBrown - #Ferguson #TCShutItDown #ShutItDown #JusticeForMikeBrown" width="500" height="375" />
Author IanforresterPosted on November 28, 2014 Categories culture-and-politicsTags america, black, blackoutblackfriday, brokensystem, corruption, culture, ferguson, lessig, MichaelBrown, notonedime, racism, sbm, singleblackmale, usa2 Comments on What's been troubling recently, #Ferguson
Your name is so ghetto…
This is a great story about a lady who stood up to her colleagues when one of them over stepped the mark by calling up a person because she sounded ghetto…
things were cool until I heard laughter followed by "Let me call Tanneisha and see how ghetto she is."
This area of discrimination bugs the hell out of me. I was very lucky to have parents who used common English names but most of my cousins didn't. Now I remember reading a chapter in freakonomics about how your name effects your chances in life.
there is some evidence that a name can influence how a child performs in school and even her career opportunities. There's also the fact that different groups of parents — blacks and whites, for instance — have different naming preferences…
I wonder if/how this applies to eastern names too? Lots of eastern Asia's and those born in Pan-Asia have names very difficult to say in the English language. Do they have the same chances or is it something else at play? My feelings is there is something else at play. I'll call it ignorance
Anyone who says puff-what a load of crap… Should read the story of Keisha.
Remember that scene in the Oscar-winning "Crash," when the disgruntled client asks the hard-as-nails supervisor of health insurance claims what her name is? She says "Shaniqua," and he says, "Big surprise, that is."
That's the kind of stuff Keisha deals with. She didn't grow up in a diverse community. She wasn't surrounded by a lot of black people. And as she got older, her name started to become a source of jokes. Kids would ask her if there was a "La" or a "Sha" in front of her name. There was a hint of racism and ignorance embedded in their comments.
"It's like they assumed that I must be a certain kind of girl," she says. "Like, my name is Keisha so they think they know something about me, and it always felt negative."
Even a teacher once asked if there was a dollar sign in her name, like the singer Ke$ha. If she couldn't even get through a class without a teacher taking a cheap shot at her name, what would happen in a job interview?
Racism, ignorance whatever it is… Its going to lower her opportunities in life. How much different would my life be if my parents choose Tyrone, Willie or Jamal?
Author IanforresterPosted on November 7, 2013 Categories culture-and-politicsTags black, freakonomics, name, names, race, racism
The most famous speech in human history: Martin Luther King's "I have a dream"
Its been 50 years since Martin Luther King's massively inspirational and moving speech. I was watching some of the programmes from the BBC about the speech and Martin Luther King himself. I didn't really get a chance to blog about it but here's some great stuff Umair Haque wrote on twitter and fb.
On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, here are 10 points on his legacy and what it still means to us today:
If MLK was alive today, wonks would tell him a revolution of love was impossible, politicians would ignore him, and pundits would mock him.
MLK was a great leader. He wasn't a wannabe. He wasn't a cowering flunky. He didn't sell his dream out. He was the real thing.
So I can't tell whether its funny or sad to hear glowing praise for MLK from people who surely would have hated him were he alive today.
It's amazing to me how America misremembers MLK. As a policy "activist". Wrong. He wanted a revolution of love.
MLK didn't want slightly higher taxes, or one new law. He wanted something bigger: revolution in people's hearts. A revolution of love.
So to remember MLK as some kind of policy wonk or activist or lobbyist is laughable. He was more than that. He was a real leader.
MLK was the kind of leader whose memory tells us: we don't have much real leadership left today. Just wimps selling out.
MLK is probably one of the last people in America who called for real institutional change. For that, he was spied on, jailed, and killed.
MLK didn't just want an end to segregation. He wanted an end to poverty, war, anger, and greed.
What MLK's memory should remind us of is: once we had revolutionaries. Now we have analysts. Because we killed our revolutionaries.
In honor of MLK, I'm going do 7 points on dreams. Enjoy!
Each and every one must have a dream. That marry who we are with what we want the world to become.
Your dream is your destination. Without one, you'll always feel lost.
There are better dreams, and worse dreams. Better dreams are bigger than just you, and your aspiration.
Heartbreak doesn't happen when your dreams don't come true. It happens when they do.
Don't cripple your dreams. With evidence or logic or doubt. Dreams are a kind of magic.
Dreams are always impossible. And so we must use a force stronger than our minds to ignite them. We must have faith in them.
Never step on people's dreams. They'll rarely forgive you. Always lift people towards their dreams. They'll love you for it.
Author IanforresterPosted on August 29, 2013 Categories culture-and-politicsTags 50years, anniversary, black, equality, martinlutherking, mlk, race, speech


Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is a CIA officer who swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. When she is accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy, Salt goes on the run to clear her name and ultimately prove she is a patriot. Using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative, she must elude capture and protect her husband or the world's most powerful forces will erase any trace of her existence.


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text:
Why aren't underwater spells more common?
In our world among the most common1 super powers people want will include breathing under water/without an oxygen supply. A lot of common things for ideas for spells in Harry Potter seem to come from ideas of "That would be cool to be able to do", of which breathing underwater certainly falls into.
Is there any reason why the weren't more common usage spells for breathing underwater?
1Probably not near the top but I doubt it's too far away.
harry-potter
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
Relevant question: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/154810/… – tobiasvl Mar 16 '17 at 9:04
@tobiasvl That's what I read before asking this. – TheLethalCarrot Mar 16 '17 at 9:08
Because wizards and witches don't spend any more time underwater than we do? The equivalent question on Wizarding SE would be 'Muggles have invented underwater breathing equipment. Why aren't they all underwater?'. – The Dark Lord Mar 16 '17 at 9:26
Why does there need to be?
You've got one spell - the Bubble-head charm - in addition to things like Gillyweed. It works perfectly fine. Just because Harry & Co. didn't find it doesn't mean that it's not common - in fact, by the time of The Order of the Phoenix, we see that it is common - everyone is doing it. Presumably, it's taught in the fifth or later years,and the older students taught it to the younger ones.
MithicalMithical
In the question that @tobiasvl linked to the implication is that it is only common knowledge after it was used in the tournament. And asking why does there need to be on a spell can be asked to all of them so that point doesn't really stand. – TheLethalCarrot Mar 16 '17 at 10:00
@TheLethalCoder I'm saying that one spell is enough. Having more than one would be... useless. – Mithical Mar 16 '17 at 10:01
And my question is why aren't they more common not why aren't there more. Before the tournament it seemed that not many people knew about them... – TheLethalCarrot Mar 16 '17 at 10:11
@TheLethalCoder and my answer was that it's apparently taught at a later time. Remember, we mostly see a bunch of kids learning, which isn't exactly a realistic representative of what the general population knows. – Mithical Mar 16 '17 at 10:12
Taught later would imply that more people would know about it. Take a real world example that kids in school are aware of upcoming material. – TheLethalCarrot Mar 16 '17 at 10:22
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged harry-potter or ask your own question.
Why didn't Harry, Hermione, and Ron discover the Bubble-Head Charm in advance of the second task?
Barring legal issues, why aren't Portkeys used more often?
In the Harry Potter universe, why aren't there more maps enchanted like the Marauder's Map?
Why aren't Muggles extinct?
What is the effect of nonverbal spells underwater?
If the Triwizard Tournament was so dangerous, why risk more people in the underwater task?
Do louder spells have more power then quieter ones?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Welcome to the Google Genomics Cookbook on Read the Docs.
The official Google Genomics documentation can be found at cloud.google.com/genomics. There you will find information such as What is Google Genomics, Google Genomics fundamentals, and details of the Google Genomics API.
Here on Read the Docs, you will find documentation and tutorials for common tasks including moving, transforming, and analyzing genomic data.


Durga Iyer, 32, is a management consultant in Boston, US. She says the family has not decided on the country in which they want to settle down and has therefore split the investments equally between India and the US.
The savings are for long-term goals, such as retirement and her child's education. So, she has made long-term investments, such as real estate, and a combination of debt and equity funds.
She believes in doing the research herself but takes guidance from her parents, who are in the banking industry.
Iyer is a believer in liquidity. "Having liquidity in your place of domicile is like having financial insurance for any unforeseen turn of events," she says. "Banks in India offer many options, such as NRE and FCNR accounts that are great for investment liquidity and flexibility," she notes.
They also offer higher rates of interest on fixed deposits; and re-investing returns into a SIP is good for long-term returns, she suggests. Other options she likes are India-based mutual funds where one can invest from overseas.
Real estate remains the biggest daunting investment to manage for NRIs, she notes. "There is a lot of lag in meeting deliverables and there are also fraudulent marketing schemes that become a trap for NRIs," she laments.
She recommends having legal counsel and help from local trusted advisers before making any investment in property.


text:
#include <libcgc.h>
#include "handler.h"
#include "protocol.h"
#include "messages.h"
#include "monte.h"

void handle_unrecognized_id(uint8 id);
void handle_check(protocol_frame* rq);
void handle_query();
void handle_double(protocol_frame* frame);

void run_loop() {
  while (1) {
    protocol_with_recv_frame(^uint8 (protocol_frame* frame) {
        switch (frame->id) {
        case TERMINATE_ID:
          _terminate(0);
          break;
        case CHECK_REQ_ID:
          handle_check(frame);
          break;
        case QUERY_REQ_ID:
          handle_query();
          break;
        case DOUBLE_REQ_ID:
          handle_double(frame);
          break;
        default:
          handle_unrecognized_id(frame->id);
          return 0;
        };

        return 1;
      });
  }
}

void handle_unrecognized_id(uint8 id) {
  unrecognized_id_error_contents e;
  e.pos0 = id;
  protocol_frame f;
  f.id = UNRECOGNIZED_ID_ERROR_ID;
  f.length = UNRECOGNIZED_ID_ERROR_EXPECTED_LENGTH;
  f.value = (void*)&e;
  protocol_send(&f);
  _terminate(-1);
}

void handle_check(protocol_frame* frame) {
  check_req_contents *rq = extract_check_req(frame);

  float64 splatter = rq->pos0;
  float64 scaler = rq->pos1;

  monte_adjust(splatter, scaler);

  check_resp_contents e;
  e.pos0 = monte_happy();

  protocol_frame f;
  f.id = CHECK_RESP_ID;
  f.length = CHECK_RESP_EXPECTED_LENGTH;
  f.value = (void*)&e;

  protocol_send(&f);
}

void handle_query() {
  query_resp_contents e;
  e.pos0 = monte_gen();
  protocol_frame f;
  f.id = QUERY_RESP_ID;
  f.length = QUERY_RESP_EXPECTED_LENGTH;
  f.value = (void*)&e;
  protocol_send(&f);
}

void bufcpy(uint8 len, char* in, char* out) {
  for (uint8 i = 0; i < len; i++) {
    out[i] = in[i];
    out[i + len] = in[i];
  }
}

void double_body(protocol_frame* frame,
                 char* output_buf_addr,
                 uint8 output_buf_len) {
  protocol_frame f;
  uint16 input_buf_len = frame->length;

  f.id = DOUBLE_RESP_ID;
  f.length = input_buf_len * 2;
  f.value = (void*)output_buf_addr;

  if (output_buf_len < input_buf_len) {
    _terminate(-1);
  }

#ifdef PATCHED_1
  if (output_buf_len < input_buf_len * 2) {
    _terminate(-1);
  }
#endif

  char* input_buf = (char*)(frame->value);

  bufcpy(input_buf_len, input_buf, output_buf_addr);

  protocol_send(&f);

}

void handle_double(protocol_frame* frame) {
  uint8 intermediate_len = monte_happy() * 2;
  uint8 output_buf_len = intermediate_len - (intermediate_len % 8);
  char output_buf[output_buf_len];
  char* output_buf_addr = (char*) &output_buf;

  double_body(frame, output_buf_addr, output_buf_len);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The foundation of The Raise Responsibility System* is teaching before problems occur.
The foundation of The Raise Responsibility System* is teaching before problems occur. How young people mature after learning the hierarchy is what makes teaching it so valuable. Rather than focusing on discipline, think of the hierarchy as an OPPORTUNITY for young people to have a rubric for making decisions in life.
Some adults may feel uncomfortable with the vocabulary, but these specific terms are the most effective in empowering students to resist bullying, resist negative peer influence, and make responsible decisions. After the concepts have been explained, reference is made only to the letter. For example, the lowest level, Anarchy, is referred to as Level A.
Occasionally, an adult thinks that youngsters may confuse the letters of a grading scale with the letters of the hierarchy. Since language has meaning in context (e.g., when to spell to, too, two), students do not confuse the hierarchy of D, C, B, A with the reverse order of letters in grading systems.
Two significant advantages in referring to the levels are: (a) the deed is separated from the doer so students never feel a need to defend themselves—which often leads to arguments, and (b) the vocabulary can be used in every grade level and by every staff member.
The hierarchy is NOT an assessment tool for someone on the outside looking in. The motivation of some students during an activity will be at Level C while others will be at Level D. Only individuals themselves can accurately assess their own level of motivation.
As we live, we experience various levels. If you have experienced great anger, chances are that you had little concern for the effect your behavior had on others (Level A).If you ever drove faster than the speed limit, you made your own rules of the road (Level B). If you were courteous and considerate of others, your motivation could have been to do what others were doing (Level C), or your motivation could have been to be courteous and considerate of others because that was the right thing to do (Level D).
To perpetuate a civil society, motivation at Level C is essential, and this is the motivational level at which most of us live our lives most of the time. However, since obedience does not create desire, when working with young people the GOAL is to promote motivation at Level D. The reason is that motivation at this level actuates the greatest desire for responsible behavior and for putting forth effort in learning. Learning requires motivation.
Since rewards change motivation, once a reward is given the reward becomes the focus. Rewarding Level D is both counterproductive and guesswork because no one can know the motivation of another with complete accuracy.
The hierarchy becomes significantly more effective when the FOCUS is on the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOTIVATIONAL LEVELS OF C and D. The more you have students reflect on their motivational level, the more effectively the system serves both you and young people.
Copyright © 2008 Marvin Marshall.


text:
A Report to the Community
July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013
In fiscal year 2013, the Museum celebrated its 121st year—a year which exceeded expectations.
Museum and Film Center staff focused on three pillars—art, access, and accountability—for all activities.
Here is a look at just a few of the successes from the past year.
The Museum acquired more than 1,500 works, including an 18th-century suit of samurai armor.
The Museum also received a bequest of 300 works from Los Angeles collector Judd Hammack, including works by Frank Auerbach, Sherrie Levine, Jasper Johns, and Brice Marden.
An important collection of English silver by celebrated London master silversmith Paul Storr found a permanent home at the Museum.
Additionally, the contemporary art collection was deepened thanks to a major gift of 54 works from Museum patrons Eli and Edythe Broad.
More than 80 percent of the Museum's permanent collection has come through gifts of art, which means that our collection has been greatly influenced by collectors along with our curators.
This year, we premiered a new event to grow the collection by connecting our curators and donors in a single evening with the goal of acquiring new works for the collection. The Museum's seven curators each selected a work of art that they wanted to see added to the permanent collection. During the evening, guests viewed the seven works, heard spirited presentations from the curators, and voted on objects to become part of the Museum's collection.
In 2013, the evening resulted in the acquisition of three works, and Museum supporters secured funds to purchase three additional works after the event. Overall, six of the seven works were added to the collection.
Throughout the year, a number of significant loans enhanced the permanent collection galleries. The year started with the loan of three paintings by Claude Monet, which complemented the two paintings in the permanent collection. For 100 days, Museum visitors were able to see five Monets, providing insights into the painter's development.
The Museum was fortunate to display one of the most significant paintings by Francis Bacon, allowing visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience to view an important work by one of the 20th century's artistic geniuses.
Last year, the Museum presented more than 20 exhibitions, including California Impressionism: Selections from the Irvine Museum, Ellsworth Kelly / Prints, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece, Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video, MAN/WOMAN: Gaston Lachaise, and Cyclepedia: Iconic Bicycle Design.
The Northwest Film Center screened more than 400 films, bringing important works from around the world to 65,000 people. More than 70 visiting artists presented their films during festivals, including the Portland International Film Festival, Northwest Filmmakers' Festival, and Portland Jewish Film Festival. The Film Center also presented a variety of film series exploring unique ideas and themes in the media arts, including Human Rights on Film, Reel Music, Japanese Currents, New German Cinema, and Northwest Tracking. Among many retrospectives and special programs were salutes to Universal Pictures at 100, Film Noir, actress Barbara Stanwyck, Czech animator Jan Švankmajer, and French directors Claire Denis and Pierre Étaix.
Every day the Museum and Film Center connect people with art and film, not only by presenting significant works of art, but also by creating a platform for exploring ideas, cultures, and creative thinking.
The Museum's education staff worked with more than 130 artists on programs and activities to engage visitors and expand their experience in the galleries. More than 25,000 school children visited the Museum, and educator programs helped connect the Museum experience back to the classroom.
Shine a Light, the Museum's annual event, encouraged thousands of visitors to rethink what can happen in a museum through a variety of artist-led programs and activities.
The Film Center's Global Classroom gave 1,200 school kids a window on the world through the screening of international films tied to foreign language, social studies, and other school curricula.
More than 700 people—nearly half of them children—learned the art of filmmaking at the film school.
Project Viewfinder taught young adults, transitioning from homelessness, the art of filmmaking—learning a marketable skill and how to express themselves through film.
Through the Film Center's "Best of the Northwest" and Northwest Filmmakers' Festival outreach programs, more than 5,000 artists and audiences in five states gained access to a thriving media arts community.
The Museum leadership values transparency and fiscal responsibility. Thanks to internal controls, the Museum received a clean report from our auditors. The institution ended the fiscal year with a surplus, reduced debt by $1 million and grew the endowment by $1.3 million.
The Museum has a diversified funding base, and last year 30 percent came from investments, of which 13 percent was used to support the operating budget, 23 percent from contributions and grants, and admissions and memberships contributed 22 percent.
Membership plays an important role in supporting the Museum, and last year we saw a significant increase in renewing members.
Revenue was used to fulfill the Museum's mission.
The majority of expenses were in support of Museum and Film Center programs and to acquire and preserve art. Thanks to internal controls and efficiencies, the Museum reduced overhead again this year.
An important part of the Museum's financial stability is the strength of the endowment and investments.
In order to reduce risk, we have a diversified portfolio and invest for the long-term. Over a 10-year period, the Museum's investment performance is in the top 4 percent of similar-sized endowments.
The Museum's audited financial reports and 990 tax returns are available here.
Fiscal Year 2013 was a successful year for the Museum, and plans are already underway to keep the momentum of great art, compelling programs, and fiscal responsibility moving forward.
Maribeth Graybill, Ph.D., The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Asian Art, discusses the Museum's acquisition of samurai armor.
Bruce Guenther, chief curator and The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, discusses the major gift of artwork from Eli and Edythe Broad.
This video from the 2013 Annual Meeting shows how the Museum connects people with art—and how art connects people.
Shine a Light 2013 encouraged visitors to rethink what can happen in a museum.


text:
Grover Norquist Loses It, Lashes out to NRA Board
News, Rebel Pundit
After the recent piece here on Rebel Pundit detailing his longstanding connections to anti-Israel activists, Grover Norquist sent the following letter to board members of the National Rifle Association. Below is my response.
NRA February 2015
Dear Fellow Board members of the NRA,
One of the "benefits" of achieving some success in fighting for liberty in the city of Washington D.C. is that some people come to believe you can do anything.
Sadly this includes some sad individuals who convince themselves that you are responsible for their personal failings.
I have such a stalker whose conspiracy theory is that I ran the Bush White House and presidency. And that I used my superpowers to one single end. To keep him (Frank Gaffney) from being employed in the Bush Defense Department and from being recognized as this generation's Winston Churchill.
In the past he attributed his failures to Brent Scowcroft, the Bush NSC director. Now me.
Now he spins conspiracy theories that I am gay, a Muslim, responsible for the Bush foreign policy failures. (For the record, No. No. and No.) One of his staffers told me I was part of the Russian Jewish Mafia. (Also no, but I think that would pay better.)
I understand that one of the followers of my stalker sent out an e-mail to the board of the NRA.
I know that this nonsense would not confuse you about my real work in life, but I certainly wish to make it easy for you to deal with anyone who might be confused by this nonsense.
Several thoughts. The stalker has been pushing this line for 15 years now. Every major newspaper and magazine was approached and found his thesis beneath contempt. Most didn't dignify it with an article.
The Washington Jewish Week did a two part series debunking the conspiracy theories.
The Bush White House had a one sentence response: "There is no there there."
The fellow pushing this met for hours with former NRA board member and lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Having examined his entire spiel, she has been public in denouncing it as dishonest nonsense.
The Weyrich meeting, a weekly conservative group expelled Mr. Gaffney from their meeting because of his attacks on me and others.
The American Conservative Union board of directors condemned his efforts as dishonest.
Years ago this fellow unloaded his conspiracy theory on our fellow board member David Keene. David was not impressed.
If you or anyone you know have any concerns or questions please contact me directly at gnorquist@atr.orgor 202-785-0266 work.
This has risen to a new level as one of Gaffney's folks has sent out my wife and daughters pictures on twitter etc. There have over the years been death threats from hopefully harmless idiots who follow Gaffney. The authorities have followed up on ones that pass their threshold of specificity.
My goal is to respond to any real concern any real person has without exciting the crazies. They feed on attention as it makes them think they are not nuts.
This has been going on for fifteen years now and will continue until Mr Gaffney decides someone else is responsible for his life challenges. Then General Scowcroft and I can pass on the "honor" of this attention.
Grover Glenn Norquist
Powerful Republican lobbyist Grover Norquist has written a letter to National Rife Association board members attacking those who have raised legitimate, grounded concerns about the Islamic Institute group he cofounded in 1998. Mr. Norquist is currently running to retain his position on the NRA Board of Directors, by the way.
Grover Norquist's dishonest response comes on the heels of my recent article exposing never before revealed evidence that Mr. Norquist's connections to Palestinian, anti-Israel activists go back to 1980s; much further than ever reported before.
Although he doesn't mention me by name, it's clear he's referring to me at several points in his letter.
I'd like to respond to Mr. Norquist's letter and ask the board and membership of the National Rife Association an important question myself.
The fact that Grover Norquist is the cofounder of a group called the Islamic Free Market Institute (usually referred to as the Islamic Institute) is beyond question. It's not in dispute but of course, Norquist doesn't mention this anywhere in his letter to the NRA board member.
While this connection was previously reported on, I dug up something that had not been known about Grover Norquist: his link to man named Majed Tomeh who has been married to Norquist's sister Loraine for decades and who was a co-founder of Norquist's Islamic Institute.
Earlier this month, I released the article based on that research. It was extensively documented with ample links to primary source material.
There's no doubt that Harvard educated Grover Norquist is clever. His response to the NRA shows an almost Clintonian level of skill in deflection.
Rather than address a single, solitary fact in my work, his letter uses a classic misdirection technique: the straw man fallacy. He brings up a number of points that I have never once made about him and then proceeds to refute the points that he himself made. In his letter, Norquist says refers to "conspiracy theories that I am gay, a Muslim, responsible for the Bush foreign policy failures. (For the record, No. No. and No.)"
For the record, I've never said nor do I believe that Grover Norquist is a gay Muslim who was responsible for some unnamed Bush foreign policy failure. I have no personal animus towards Mr. Norquist. I deal in facts…facts that Mr. Norquist is loathe to even bring up to the National Rife Association since he can't refute them.
Norquist closes his letter by asking the NRA board to get in touch with him privately and ask him any questions they may have. I believe in tranparency, so allow me to ask Mr. Norquist some questions publicly. I'll make it easy and even supply the answers complete with links that you check yourself if you doubt any of the facts.
1) Were you, Grover Norquist, the cofounder a group called the Islamic Institute in 1998? (Yes.)
2) Were the other cofounders of the Islamic Institute Kahled Saffuri and Norquist sister's husband Majed Tomeh? (Yes and Yes.)
3) Is your brother-in-law Majed Tomeh a board member of the Islamic Institute? (Yes.)
4) Have you, Mr. Norquist, ever talked about your brother-in-law, the Palestinian activist Majed Tomeh and his connection as cofounder and board member of the Islamic Institute? (No, not anywhere I've been able to find.)
5) Was your Islamic Institute founded with financial help from a man named Abdurahman al-Amoudi? (Yes.)
6) Was Abdurahman al-Amoudi sentenced in 2004 to a 23 year prison sentence in what the U.S. attorney called "a clear victory in the war against terrorism?" (Yes.)
Those few facts alone should be enough to give people pause. It's a fact: Grover Norquist cofounded a group called the Islamic Institute that was funded by a convicted terror funder. Norquist used his power to help bring his Islamic Institute associates into the Republican Party inner circle. Full stop. That happened.
If a prominent Democrat had these clear, direct connections and had used their influence to bring them into the seat of American power, any even moderately rational, patriotic American might have a few questions about it. It's worth nothing that when legitimate questions were raised about longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, Grover Norquist defended Ms. Abedin and attacked Michele Bachmann.
I'll close with a question for the voting membership of the National Rifle Association: the decent, patriotic, grassroots men and women that decide whether Grover Norquist will be on the NRA board.
In the light of everything going on the world today—from the ISIS beheading & burnings to the anti-free speech, anti-Semitic murder sprees in Copenhagen and Paris to the Democrat Party's open hostility to Israel— wouldn't you like some real answers from Grover Norquist on his longstanding, non-conspiratorial, completely verified professional & personal associations with anti-Israel Palestinian activists and a convicted terror funder?
In short, Mr. Norquist: if you want NRA votes in the current election to put you back on the board of directors, stop deflecting and start answering questions.
The President's Exploitation
Alleged Communist Forces Rahm Emanuel into Runoff Election
JESSE YBARRA February 19, 2015
I personally will not renew my membership with the NRA until they get this INFILTRATOR completely out of the NRA, and while I'm at it the NRA must sever all ties to any and all progressives. I.e my STATE SENATOR, JOHN CORNYN , and others such as SEN. MITCH McCONNELL must go. The NRA has lost its way since the inception back in 1871. WAKE UP AMERICA!!
YOUR BROTHER IN FREEDOM,
H-TOWN KID
Erin Hatch March 28, 2015
I'm from Texas too and I'm glad to see that you are on to Cornyn. Can anyone name one significant piece of legislation this guy has gotten passed in his years in the Senate?
All I see him do is stand behind McConnell ready to wipe the drool from the old fool's chin.
JESSE YBARRA March 29, 2015
LOL !! You're correct about the Old Fool. I'll be doing what I can to get rid of Cornyn on this upcoming election cycle. He's nothing but a fraud as is my House Rep (R) BRADY, they both have to go. Ted Cruz is the answer. WAKE UP AMERICA !!
Al February 20, 2015
Yet another reason I will not give any money or support to the NRA.
Lori White February 25, 2015
He's a loser
Zachary caulkett March 11, 2015
I am currently in a payment plan to become a life member to the nra and have been a member for a couple years now BUT i can not continue my membership if grover norquist becomes a board member its bad enough our government is heading down a road of lawlessness and to think the nra is going the same direction i will not support that
Laurence March 14, 2015
I just upgraded life membership to endowment to patron and when I can to benefactor. Why? Because I want to support the NRA combat these commie gun grabbers. Through membership we can change for the better a good group supporting our 2nd amendment rights. Are there bad members, probably, but so what. Quit whining and jump in and help.
On another point, I voted for a replacement for Grover N.
Frank Rizzo August 16, 2015
Remove and jail Norquist
rex thurlkill August 24, 2015
I have never thought Norguist had the American peoples interest at heart .. His main interest seems to further the interest of Grover Norquist ! He certainly does nor need a spot on the board of the NRA. ,, Frankly I'm surprised the nra would even consider him. Sincerely,, Rex Thurlkill
JESSE August 24, 2015
Grover is an operative for the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. He lead George W. to believe that by reaching out to the enemy (muslim brotherhood) that it would change the thinking about wanting to destroy us, but it was foolish thinking on W's end. Grover infiltrated all of the government, all the way to the white house. He now is doing what he can from the inside to destroy our second amendment rights or he is doing something to make it easy for the enemy (muslim brotherhood) a foot in the door to the NRA. BETTER WAKE UP AMERICA !
YOUR BROTHER IN FREEDOM


'Frame by Frame' Photography Conference, hosted by the Regina Shutterbugs, happens in Regina, SK this coming weekend, November 1 and 2, 2014. On Saturday, I will be presenting 'Meditations' , my reflections on the natural world. I will be in the company of some great photographers and friends. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Freeman Patterson's presentation on 'Embracing Creation', based on his new book and retrospective exhibition of the same name that came out last fall. Freeman is arguably Canada's finest photographic artist. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the launch of 'Embracing Creation' because of prior commitments so I will be savoring the images on Sunday. I purchased a copy of the book the first day it was released as I just couldn't wait. I am also looking forward to seeing the works of Dennis Fast, Mufty Mathewson, Larry Easton and more!
One of the images I will be presenting is 'Milky Way', created at Klotz Lake in northern Ontario a few weeks ago. My friend and colleague, Peter Blahut, had stopped on the shores of this lake just after the sun had sunk below the horizon. We decided to make a few images of the Milky Way that was beginning to emerge through the darkening sky. As time wore on, we began to notice a tinge of northern light activity until it became quite pronounced and is seen here as a 'green glow' throughout much of the image. I made three relatively quick exposures of the Milky Way, taking care to include some overlap so that I could stitch a panorama as the final image. The night sky is just so inspiring, mysterious and too often overlooked.


> in the older pair has an active firewall, neither of the newer do.
> pinned it and my default version is testing.
My test wheezy systems do get the updates.
> tells me why it is failling.
terminated and winswitch closes the session.
The "session debugging" documentation may help you to solve this.


text:
Written by Mobile Horror Companion April 3, 2009
UFC Prez Dana White Implodes
Well, as a fan of the UFC since 1994, it stinks to see president/part-owner Dana White set the sport back 10 years with this hate-speech rant against a reporter. White makes some good points — points that are obscured through his 10th-grade taunts. What a tool. Video here (warning: most f-bombs dropped since DeNiro-Pesci desert […]
Written by Mobile Horror Companion March 4, 2009
UFC fighter Dan Cramer
Here is a reprint of a story I did on Dan Cramer, the dude from Bethel who appeared two seasons ago on "The Ultimate Fighter" on SPIKE TV. BETHEL — Dan Cramer, a 2003 Bethel High School graduate, won his first Ultimate Fighting Championship bout in front of 15,000 people at the MGM Grand in […]
Written by Mobile Horror Companion June 6, 2008
Had the chance Thursday to interview Dan Cramer, the 22-year-old Bethel dude who was one of 16 guys on this season's "The Ultimate Fighter." I've been a UFC fan since the early 90s, when watching UFC tapes on VHS was as close you could come to watching a snuff film. The sport has changed […]


Actress Angelina Jolie is excited about her upcoming film "Maleficent" as she gets to wear horns for her role and says the character of the villainous fairy will actually be good for young girls.
"I start it in June, and it's a really great script. I'm having a lot of fun. I've already got my horns fitted. My kids are very happy. We're still figuring out the look. We're experimenting with different things. But the horns are the horns. You have to have horns," femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying.
The actress will be seen as villainous fairy in the Disney production, which re-imagines the classic "Sleeping Beauty", and thinks the story depicts her character in a positive way.
"It's not anti-princess, but it's the first time they're looking at this epic woman," she told ew.com.
"I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn't mean she can't have other [warmer] qualities. You have to figure out the puzzle of what she is.
"It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that's good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you're saying they should be a villain. [Maleficent] is actually a great person. But she's not perfect. She's far from perfect," added.


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Vermont's sixth annual Free Ice Fishing Day is Saturday, January 26, 2019. The day is geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try ice fishing before purchasing equipment, but any angler may ice fish on any waterbody open to ice fishing statewide without a fishing license.
To celebrate, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding an Ice Fishing Festival at Knight Point State Park in North Hero, Vermont. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages as well as families with kids.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife staff, as well as instructors from Vermont's Let's Go Fishing Program, will be on-hand to teach ice fishing skills. These include knot tying, baiting and using an ice fishing rod, and most importantly, how to stay warm on the ice. They'll also discuss fishing regulations and go over fish identification. Rooted in Vermont will also be there to talk about the importance of locally-caught fish as a sustainable source of food. And new this year, the Coast Guard will be performing self-rescue demonstrations through a hole in the ice!
Department staff will operate a fish fry station to cook up participants' catch, and there will also be other refreshments on hand including plenty of hot cocoa. There will be several warming huts available.
The Fish & Wildlife Department will lend equipment needed for this fun day on the ice, or participants may bring their own equipment. For more information, contact Corey Hart at 802-265-2279 or corey.hart@vermont.gov. Registration can be completed online in advance at https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/132707 or people may register when they arrive, although registering in advance will enable participants to get on the ice faster!
Free Ice Fishing Day and the Free Ice Fishing Festival are held annually on the last Saturday in January.


Photo caption: The 2017 class of the Xavier and Tina Williams Summer Youth Business Academy.
Drawing upon the success of the past five years, Edinboro University will again invite high school students from Pennsylvania and across the nation to participate in the Xavier and Tina Williams Summer Youth Business Academy.
Hosted by EU's School of Business, the Academy will be held June 10-14 on Edinboro's main campus and is open to all students entering grades 9, 10 or 11. Through the generosity of the Academy's namesake benefactors, AT&T executive and EU alumnus Xavier Williams, '89, and his wife, Tina, scholarships will be available for each participant.
Academy students gain business acumen through immersive seminars focused on team building, business strategy, management, finance, marketing, problem-solving and financial planning for college. Throughout the program, students will have access to faculty from EU's School of Business as well as local business leaders.
During the camp, students will work in groups to create a product or service that solves a common problem in society. Each team will then devise a plan for building and marketing their product or service. At the conclusion of the Academy, a panel of judges comprised of EU faculty and regional business leaders will select a winner.
Students are required to stay in Edinboro University's campus residence halls during the Academy. The cost of this residency is included in the student's scholarship.
To be considered for the Xavier and Tina Williams Summer Youth Business Academy, students must complete an application form by Monday, March 19. A teacher or guidance counselor must also nominate the student. The Student Application Form and link to the teacher/counselor recommendation can be found at www.edinboro.edu/businessacademy.
One of the leading undergraduate business and economics institutes in the region, Edinboro University's School of Business is invested in providing a high-quality educational experience guided by knowledgeable faculty.
For more information on the Business Academy, please contact Dawn Dillen or Seth Hembree in the School of Business at (814) 732-2460. To learn more about EU's Business and Economics Department, visit www.edinboro.edu/business.


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HomeNEWSAMC to start accepting Shiba Inu for payments
AMC to start accepting Shiba Inu for payments
By Oluwapelumi Adejumo
Adam Aron, CEO of Movie Theater AMC, announced the company's plan to start accepting Shiba Inu as payment. According to him, there was a need for the company to watch and see if it would be able to gain any benefits from adopting cryptocurrencies. He claims, "only time will tell how big cryptocurrency is".
Remember Aron previously announced through a tweet that AMC would start receiving Shiba Inu and Dogecoin. Both being popular and large meme coins by market caps; like AMC which is also a meme stock.
According to the tweet, the company's IT unit " says that BitPay will be live for AMC online payments on the website by March 19, and on mobile apps by or before April 16."
With about 1,004 movie theaters in 15 nations, the company attributes 50% of its online ticketing to Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
AMC to consider venturing into cryptocurrencies
Furthermore, Aron reiterates AMC's plans to issue its own cryptocurrency, but the plan still remains a dream; as there are no schedules yet. He claims the unstoppable change in regulatory frameworks surrounding cryptocurrencies, is the reason for the company's late entrance into the industry.
Also that the company always wants to be on the right side of the law; hence its focus on obeying the already laid down regulations.
Moreover, the company is still celebrating its success at showing "The Batman" movie; which has yielded about $129 million in its domestic debut. AMC's sales of The Batman movie ticket accounts for approximately one-third of the movie's overall sales.
Meme Stock AMC meets Meme Coin Shiba Inu
Sometime in 2021, AMC CEO, Adam Aron created a poll on Twitter asking the people if they want the company to start receiving Shiba Inu, popularly addressed as "the Dogecoin killer".
The poll aims at helping the company decide whether or not they want Shiba Inu; as a means of payment for movie tickets and other purchases at the cinemas. Even though Dogecoins and Shiba Inu are already being used to buy AMC gift cards.
AMC's journey as a meme stock started in 2021 as a result of group action of traders from the WallStreetBets group on Reddit; who were buying and influencing others to buy some particular stocks of which AMC is included. The stock continued growing after the CEO, Adam Aron; was allegedly caught not wearing pants on a live interview on Youtube.
Oluwapelumi Adejumo
Oluwapelumi believes blockchain technology have the potential to change the world for the better.
ShibaInu


The Shasta County Office of Education supports schools and the community to ensure Shasta County students receive a quality education preparing them for high school graduation and success in career and college. Student services are provided directly to special education and at-risk K-12 students. In addition, Early Childhood services provide support to over 20 County Office run preschools as well as support to qualifying families for private childcare programs. Professional development and mentoring programs are provided to teachers and administrators in the North State. Any donations to this fund can be designated for a specific County Office program to support students and educators in our region. Please note, the Community Foundation maintains separate funds for donations designated to the Whiskeytown Environmental School or the Schreder Planetarium.


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Woman Asks Reddit If She's a Jerk for Accidentally Ruining Her Sister-in-Law's Gender Reveal
After a woman accidentally shared the baby's sex before a Thanksgiving gender reveal, the expectant mom ripped her to shreds on social media. Reddit had plenty to say.
By Maressa Brown
Jacob Lund - Adobe Stock
From serving Jell-O to a hippo to starting forest fires, many couples have gone to extremes for the sake of a gender reveal party. It's no wonder the trend has been questioned as potentially harmful for a variety of reasons, such as leading to problematic assumptions and limiting stereotypes about a baby's gender. It's also caused far too many parents-to-be to get totally freaked about the time, place, and other details around sharing the simple, but surely exciting news of their baby's sex with loved ones.
Case in point: One expectant mom seems to have completely lost her cool after her sister-in-law accidentally spilled the beans ahead of her Thanksgiving-timed reveal. In a new post in the Am I the Ass**** subreddit, the mom-to-be's SIL asked whether she's a jerk for ruining the surprise.
RELATED: This Woman Revealed Her Baby's Gender Through a Fart and I'm Officially Done With The Internet
Writing under the handle ctreasure, the original poster (OP), shared, "I can't believe I'm about to type this crap, but my sister-in-law asked me to be the 'secret keeper' for her baby (first one) and have a gender reveal at Thanksgiving." She went on to explain that the ultrasound tech was going to give the parents an envelope which would then be mailed to her, and then she "planned a whole part of Thanksgiving to be a big hoorah where they and everyone else find out what they're having." She said she planned it for weeks, set it up days in advance, took every precaution not to tell anyone one. "I was gonna kill it," she wrote.
But the night before Thanksgiving, she was going through how it would all go down. "I had an indoor set-up and then an outdoor setup, since we were using smoke bombs for the big reveal. SIL asked me something about the smoke bombs, and I said, 'Once you pull the pin, it'll smoke white for ten seconds, and then it'll smoke blue.' ... and before I could recover, we both realized I had slipped," the OP wrote.
RELATED: 'Gender Reveal' Goes Terribly Wrong When Air Cannon Injures Dad-to-Be's Groin
The expectant mom locked herself in the bathroom, saying it's all ruined, and she doesn't even want to do it now because there's no point, refusing to talk to her SIL, according to ctreasure. "I gave her some space, obviously felt HORRIBLE." The OP tried to apologize and point out that people would be at the party who didn't know, and no one would know that she found out.
Following the heart-to-heart, the OP thought the dust had settled. But after returning from a dinner that her sister-in-law didn't attend, she saw a post on Facebook, in which the mom-to-be wrote about her gender reveal being accidentally ruined. "It was supposed to be a special moment and it was ripped away and I'll never get it back," she wrote, according to ctreasure. Someone asked how it was ruined, and the expectant mom pointed the finger at the OP, noting that she accidentally said the color.
RELATED: Mom Explains the Invisible Load Mothers Carry in Moving Reddit Post
"Mind you, her parents didn't know, his parents didn't know, our other SIL didn't know, and she really just wanted it on Facebook Live and to have the stupid pics anyway," ctreasure said.
Ultimately, they went through with it as planned, the OP shared. "It was streamed live so her 'intimate' gathering could get all the likes and comments," she noted. "Normally, she tags me and everyone in her posts but this time it was noticeably not tagged. So, Reddit, am I the ass**** for spilling the beans? Or is my SIL overdramatic and petty for blasting me all over social media?"
The post has since been deleted by the OP, but it was screenshot and tweeted.
Most of the 1.3K commenters who weighed in agreed that the OP was, indeed, not the ass**** (NTA).
Plenty of people chalked it up to run-of-the-mill human error. One Redditor named Mother_of_Salmon wrote, "One of my friends had an ultrasound tech ask, 'So do you want to know if she's a boy or a girl?' Mistakes happen, and it really shouldn't be a big deal."
RELATED: Allison Holker Is Getting Called Out for Photo of Her Postpartum Body—and That's Not Cool
Wandlore agreed, writing, "It was an honest mistake. She's completely overreacting. On the plus side, now you guys are safe from any unforeseen injuries that are now par for the course with these reveal parties."
Redditor Used_Patience even noted that in most cases, it seems the couples doing the reveal are in on the sex, writing, "Every gender reveal party I've ever been to—thankfully not many—has had the couple knowing and this is how they tell everyone. Who wants to find out their own child's gender on camera? I can't stop thinking about the posts we get here about people who want one specific gender more than the other and imagine their face dropping. This is a horrible idea."
RELATED: This Influencer Gets Honest About the 'Ugly' Side of Being a New Mom
Many Redditors were critical of gender reveals in general. Hanks_Hill said, "Gender reveal parties are some of the most narcissistic events I've ever heard of to be quite honest, so NTA even if it isn't a mistake." And XxmilleniumXx said they're problematic, "especially in an era where society is increasingly realizing that gender isn't black and white or, as the case may be, blue and pink."
The bottom line summed up by PM_ME_YOUR_FLAIR: "NTA and f*** her for not just being grateful to have a child on the way."
Who knows how long it'll take for the expectant SIL to realize this, but in the meantime, here's hoping the OP heard her fellow Redditors' messages of support loud and clear—and forgives herself.
This article originally appeared on Parents.com


If you have a passion for the arts at Providence Day School and want to show your support for our incredibly talented students and faculty, we invite you to join Friends of the Arts!
This emerging Parents' Association group provides volunteer support to the Performing and Visual Arts departments. Everyone is welcome to join -- including parents, faculty, alumni and grandparents! There is no membership fee.
Music - Choral, Strings and Band. Welcome guests and hand out programs as a Friends of the Arts usher during the Winter and Spring concerts for 5th grade, Middle and Upper School.
Theater - Be part of the Friends of the Arts behind-the-scenes crew! Volunteers sell concessions, distribute tickets, serve as ushers, decorate the lobby, offer production photographs for purchase, sell production T-shirts, coordinate production parties, and much more!
Lend a helping hand to our busy faculty by setting up and taking down student and faculty artwork displays across our campus. Promote visual art displayson the Friends of the Arts Facebook page.
Providence Day School's Performing Arts Department has announced a great lineup of shows for the 2018-19 school year.
All performances are free and will take place in the McMahon Fine Arts Center theater.
All concerts begin at 7:00pm except for the 5th grade concerts. Please visit the Friends of the Arts page in Charger Commons for more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities e-mail Friends of the Arts here.
We're on Facebook: Check out the Friends of the Arts page here.
Interested in volunteering? If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities or receive Friends of the Arts news through e-mail, please click on the button above or email pds.friendsofthearts@providenceday.org.


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Wilbur Evans (1913-1987)
Wilbur Evans spent his career as the highly-respected sports editor of the Austin American-Statesman and executive sports editor for The Dallas Morning News before becoming sports information director for the Texas Longhorns and later the Southwest Conference. In between stints with the SWC, Evans served as press secretary for Governor John Connally and publicist for the Dallas Cowboys.
In 1969, Evans was named executive director of the Cotton Bowl Association, where he served for the next 10 years. Upon retirement, Evans joined the executive committee of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and was later inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and the National Football Foundation's Honors Court.
In honor of his long career in the sports world, at state and national levels, Evans received top awards from the Football Writers' Association of America and the College of Sports Information Directors. He authored three books on U.T. baseball, track and field, and Texas A&M football. Mr. Evans was twice president of the Texas Sports Writers Association.Evans was a highly respected figure in the Texas sports and newspaper world.
Evans was known as a principled newspaperman, patient teacher and keen humorist.


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Sat 20th Nov 2021 @ 21:51:16 (163 Views)
Charnock Girls U12 Reds (11) v (1) Middlewood Rovers Girls JFC U12
Today we welcomed Middlewood Rovers to Springs in the first round of the cup. Middlewood only formed over the summer so this marked our first game against them.
For the second week in a row we had a full squad of 12 players available and we started the game with Jessica in goal, Emily, Lacey and Olivia in defence, Merci played through the middle, Lola and Hera on the wings with Honey and Niamh up front.
The girls immediately started with a real purpose and were rewarded almost immediately with Niamh slotting home the opening goal with our first attack of the game following good work down the wing from Merci. Not happy to rest on their early good work Charnock were 2 goals up after just five minutes with Niamh and Merci again combining well and Niamh slotting home her second of the game after the Middlewood goalkeeper failed to hold onto Merci's powerful cross.
This galvanised our visitors who started pouring forward in numbers, but were thwarted by some strong tackling from Emily and Lacey.
A couple of changes saw Evie C and Evie M introduced to the game. Some excellent passing out of defence from Olivia saw her and Evie C combining well enabling Evie C to make a number of surging runs down the wing. It was following one of these runs the ball was crossed in and we were awarded a penalty when the ball struck the Middlewood defender on the arm. Up stepped Evie M to coolly slot home from the spot to make it 3.
The girls weren't done there and the first half scoring was rounded off when Merci netted a fine solo effort just before the break.
Half time Charnock (4) v (0) Middlewood.
We took the opportunity to change things round a little in the second half with Jessica coming out of the net and Evie M going in and Olivia and Sienna playing up front.
The changes didn't affect the girls rhythm with Honey sliding home a 5th soon after half time and Jess coolly firing in a 6th following a marauding solo run through the middle.
This seemed to open the floodgates, Honey notched her 2nd of the game soon after, closely followed by an 8th team goal by Hera who shielded the ball well, shrugged off a couple of defenders before firing home from the edge of the area.
Our visitors didn't let their heads go down and were on the score sheet with a powerful strike. Once again this seemed to galvanise our girls with Merci hitting a quick fire double to complete her hat trick. The last goal came courtesy of a mazy run from Merci who unselfishly laid the ball off to Lola for her to score her first goal for the Reds.
Today's player of the match was Lola.


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How A Paris Graffiti Mecca Was Transformed Into An Immersive Digital Experience
On the eve of its destruction, a legendary landmark is opened up to the world.
By Jeff Beer 2 minute Read
Street art, graffiti, whatever you want to call it, is inherently ephemeral. The fragility of its existence is part of the charm. And it's no coincidence that the rise of street art and artists in popular culture consciousness has paralleled unprecedented access to web publishing tools and social media. Now a piece of art may only exist for a few hours, but the web is able to preserve and exhibit it far beyond its original street corner and physical lifespan.
Ad agency BETC Paris faced a dilemma when it decided to locate its new headquarters in a building that had been abandoned since 2004, but also happened to be a mecca for street artists from around the world. Construction on the 215,000 square-foot Magasins Généraux is set to start, but given the size and scope of the building and the sheer amount of art on its walls, it's impossible to physically preserve every piece, let alone the experience of the place as it once was. But unlike New York's iconic 5 Pointz, these new owners wanted to try.
"When a temple to graffiti art is transformed into an advertising agency, the question of the transmission of heritage is inevitably raised," says agency founder and global creative director Rémi Babinet. "By choosing to install our agency in the Magasins Généraux, we were conscious of our duty to preserve as much as possible, these thousands of artworks."
The solution is Graffiti Général, an immersive 3-D digital tour of the Magasins Généraux as it stood on the eve of destruction, including detailed information on over 40 of the artworks and artists. It is the biggest building surface ever modeled in WebGL, but also offers a wide-open experience allowing you to stroll around the place as if you were actually there.
"We could have done a static gallery, gathering pictures of the graffiti, but there's something special about this building that we wanted to capture," says BETC Digital president and creative director Ivan Beczkowski. "When you visit the building you understand that what makes it so special is not only the graffiti on its walls, but also the atmosphere, the sound and the space. It was clear to us that if we wanted to give a virtual experience to the building, that's what needed to be captured and modeled."
The agency worked with artist Karim Boukercha to get in touch with prominent artists to contribute to the project and talk about what the Magasins Généraux meant to them. Boukercha also helped select about 30 of the most outstanding pieces to save, as well as bits of walls, windows, and large metal doors to be cut out and saved. "We're not sure exactly what we will do with them afterwards, perhaps an exhibition," says Babinet. "Whatever is decided, it will be a nonprofit scenario that aims just to preserve and keep the best works, and share them with the public."
Jeff Beer is a staff editor at Fast Company, covering advertising, marketing, and brand creativity. He lives in Toronto.
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Elegant and unique, this fashion pendant from the Unstoppable Love™ collection makes a sparkling statement of style. Created in sleek sterling silver, this gracefully twisting oval-shaped frame is centered with a shimmering 6.0mm lab-created white sapphire in a unique setting that allows it to 'dance' with every beat of her heart or turn of her head. Designed to complement any attire, this pendant is polished to a brilliant shine and suspends freely along an 18.0-inch cable chain that secures with a spring-ring clasp.