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A Wing East Diaries
Writings by Michelle Wuest
Book Snaps
Teaching Snapshots
Category: Non Fiction
Book Snap #93
Title: Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life
Author: Christie Tate
Date Read: December 27, 2020
One and a half snaps.
It is a trope in several films you have likely seen. Pan by the long table with donuts and black tar coffee poured from a large silver urn into small white styrofoam cups; move toward the middle of a large, nondescript room– an abandoned classroom or a large hall in the basement of a church… land on a circle of chairs in the middle. This is group therapy. It is also the central setting of Christie Tate's memoir: Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life.
Tate's invitation to her own personal experiences with years of group therapy, under the direction of Chicago's Joseph Rosen, is unadulterated and unashamedly honest. Tate was a top-of-her-class lawyer and workaholic that just could not seem to get her personal life in order. Dr. Rosen promises healing from several hours of weekly group meetings. Christie is skeptical, insisting that that she is defective, beyond cure. But Dr. Rosen issues a nine-word prescription that will change everything: "You don't need a cure. You need a witness." She has witnesses in the circle, but each reader adds to those who will attest to her unravelling and the miraculous arc of her healing journey.
We do bear witness to Chrsitie's bulimia, her childhood sexual trauma, her relationship disasters, and sex that makes her feel bereft and dirty. The group has no rules around disclosure or fraternizing with others from group. Indeed, we find out that Tate had an affair with a married man from group– a relationship she subsequently points to as evidence that Dr. Rosen is not helping her as he promised. But Rosen's aloofness, his quirky prescriptions, and the weight of the group puts Christie right again.
Christie Tate is a writer and essayist. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Pithead Chapel, McSweeney's, Motherwell, Entropy Magazine, A Perfect Wedding, Together.com, Brain, Child and others. Now married and a mother of two (see Epilogue in Group), she wrote a viral essay about her daughter asking her to stop writing about her on the internet. Read it here.
Title: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White Poeple to Talk About Racism
Author: Robin Diangelo
Date Read: August 27, 2020.
Two snaps.
White people can't really talk about racism. Racism is a loaded and pejorative term that white people go out of their way to shun. The fragility arises in attempting to deflect hard conversations about race by insisting they are 'colour-blind'; 'that they don't see race'; 'that they were taught to treat everyone equally'; 'that they have black friends.'
DiAngelo addresses her book mostly to white people, and she reserves her harshest criticism for those whom she sees as refusing to acknowledge their own participation in racist systems. She makes clear that: "[r]acism is deeply embedded in the fabric of our society. It is not limited to a single act or person. Nor does it move back and forth, one day benefitting whites and another day (or even era) benefitting people of color. The direction of power between white people and people of color is historic, traditional, and normalized in ideology. Racism differs from individual racial prejudice and racial discrimination in the historical accumulation and ongoing use of institutional power and authority to support the prejudice and to systematically enforce disctiminatory behaviours with far-reaching effects." (DiAngelo, 22).
One of the most potent ways that white supremacy is propagated is through media representations which have a profound impact on how we see the world. The people who write and tell these stories (and who are predominantly white, upper class, males) help shape our worldview. All of our societal systems create an inequity that favours and privileges white people. "At the most general level, the racial frame views whites as superior in culture and achivement and views people of color as generally of less social, economic, and political consequence; people of color are seen as inferior to whites in the making and keeping of the nation. At the next level of framing, because social institiutions (education, medicine, law, government, finance and the military) are controlled by white, white dominance is unremarkable and taken for granted (DiAngelo, 34).
Most white people have limited information on what racism is and how it works. But they almost always have predicatable reactions to the suggestion that they benefit from, and are complicit in, a racist system. These reactions are characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue.
Watch this quick video in which DiAngelo explains how white fragility reinforces racism.
The current climate in the United States makes this book extremely important and timely. We need to be open to real conversations about race.
In some ways, what has unfolded on the streets of Kenosha, Wis., over the past week has had a wearying sense of familiarity. There was another demoralizing shooting of a Black man by the police, another angry outcry in the streets, another disturbing trail of destruction that had the potential to overshadow the message of the need to end police violence and racism.
Trevor Noah asks in this video: "Why was Jacob Blake seen as a deadly threat for a theoretical gun, while this gunman, who had already shot people, was arrested the next day and treated like a human being whose life matters?"
Simply, white supremacy. Which means white people need to start having real conversations about race. Use DiAngelo's book as a tool to help navigate real ways to start these important conversations with an open heart and a willingness to accept feedback with grace and a desire to move us toward equality instead of division.
Title: A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
Author: Alicia Elliott
Smart.
Gripping.
Alicia Elliott's collected essays explore a large array of topics that include but are not limited to: poverty, domestic violence, sexual abuse, inter-generartional trauma, colonization, gender, parenthood, mental illness, and racism. Elliott writes with searing precision and a captivating prose. She makes clear perspectives and positions that are often overlooked and underexamined.
Her work posits essential questions about the treatment of Native people in North America while drawing on the intimate details of her own life and experience with intergenerational trauma. What is the relationship between depression, colonialism and loss of language — both figurative and literal? How does white privilege operate in different contexts? How do we navigate the painful contours of mental illness in loved ones without turning them into their sickness? Elliott skillfully navigates these complex problems with intelligence, thoughtfulness, and honesty.
Not only is this an enjoyable read– it is necessary for your anti-racist education; your better understanding of mental illness and a clear vision of how poverty and colonialism link them all.
This book will make it's way to my classroom bookshelf to be shared widely.
Two very loud snaps.
Title: Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Author: Brene Brown
Date Read: June 26, 2020
You have likely heard of Brene Brown from her powerful TED Talk on the power of vulnerability. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston who studies and writes about courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. This book picks up on the vulnerability thread.
While vulnerability is the birthplace of many of the fulfilling expereinces we long for– love, belonging, joy, creativity, and trust, to name a few — the process of regaining our emotional footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged.
Brown, p. xviii
In each of our lives we face situations where we need to rumble with our emotions, and the enivitable stories we make up as we work to handle them. The emotions we feel in response to the shame, guilt, anger, and heartbreaks in our lives require that we address our thinking about the situation, how we feel and how we are behaving– and know that all of these are connected.
Brown writes that our desire to make up stories is a primitive survival wiring. In the absence of data, we make up stories. Meaning-making is our biology. This struck a chord for me. I don't know about you, but I have (on more than one occasion) written the screenplay dialogue between myself and a person with whom I was in disagreement with. I could tell you why my boyfriend acted a certain way; the response my roommate would give to my complaints; the story behind a co-worker's behaviour; and on and on. Truthfully, I wasn't often very good at it. The second thing that seized my attention was her own row with an idea given to her by her psychiatrist in response to a situation she had been in. Instead of taking sides (as Brene had hoped she would) she instead asked her if she believed that people are really just doing the best they can. Brene shirked this explanation with fury but set out to test the theory. The best summation came from her own husband: "I don't know. I really don't. All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is, and not what should or could be." (p.113). I love that thinking, and it was a true take away from this book.
As Brown notes, "We make up hidden stories that tell us who is against us and who is with us. Whom we can trust and who is not to be trusted. Conspiracy thinking is all about fear-based self-protection and our intolerance for uncertainty." Problem is, these stories distort how we relate to others.
But it isn't that we should not capture these first stories– we should. But we need to interrogate them more closely and look at what's really there. We need to be honest about the stories we make up about our struggles, to revisist, challenge and reality check them. This is rumbling with a problem– owning it, looking at the stories we are making up, and getting curious about why we are thinking and feeling that way. This spoke to me. I had written lots of "shitty first drafts" (Brown, p.85) about all kinds of things– but many of them did little capture the real essence of the situations I found myself in. In fact, they often distorted reality and caused further damage.
The Rising Strong Process is really quite simple, but transformative. The goal is to rise when we fall, overcome our mistakes and face our hurt in a way that brings more wisdom and wholeheartedness to our lives. First, we need to recognize our emotions and get curious to figure our how they connect with how we think and behave. Second, we need to get honest about the stories we make up and challenge confabulations and assumptions. Last, write a new end to the story based on what we learned from our rumble. Then, use this new story to transform how we live, love, parent, and lead. (Brown, p.37).
This book came highly recommended to me, and I highly recommend it to you.
Title: Untamed
Author: Glennon Doyle
I think I would like to be friends with Glennon Doyle. She is thoughtful, intelligent, and fierce. She reminds me of many women I am lucky to call friends.
She also has a unique back story that make her all the more interesting to listen to. She suffered with bulimia, alcoholism and drug addicition. She became pregnant and vowed to overcome her addicitons and be the best mother she could. What followed was a prescribed Chrsitian path; she married, had more children and then became a Christian mommy blogger and successful writer.
But, after her husband cheated on her and threw her marriage in to closer inspection , she fell in love with Abby. She is now in a loving marriage with a woman and sharing the raising of her children with her ex and her new partner, whom the children refer to as a bonus mom. I love this picture of Abby's sweatshirt proclaiming her status.
Untamed begins with an explanation of a metaphor that she weaves throughout several of the essays contained in her book; about Tabitha the Cheetah. She talks about visiting the Cheetah Run at a zoo. The zookeeper explained the training they gave Tabitha, and Glennon felt sick to her stomach as she thought of how Tabitha had been tamed– and that she must miss the wild.
She writes:
"I knew what she'd tell me. She'd say, "Something's off about my life. I feel restless and frustrated. I have this hunch that everything was supposed to be more beautiful than this. I imagine fenceless, wide-open savannahs. I want to run and hunt and kill. I want to sleep under an ink-black sky filled with stars. It's all so real I can taste it.
Then she'd look back at the cage, the only home she's ever known. She'd look at the smiling zookeeepers, the bored spectators, and her panting, bouncing, begging best friend, the Lab.
She'd sigh and say, "I should be grateful. I have a good enough life here. It's crazy to long for what doesn't even exist.
I'd say:
Tabitha. You are not crazy. You are a goddamn cheetah." (Doyle, xv-xvi).
It is in this spirit that Doyle uncovers what tames us– what keeps us from what we are longing for. Our work to be good mothers, partners, daughers, employees, friends– we strive so hard to be good, and deny that this work actually makes us feel weary, stuck and overwhelmed. Doyle offers her insights in a series of short essays where she unpacks the thinking that blocks women– the cultural conditioning and institutional allegiances– they are cages, and we don't have to stay in them. Untamed is a feminist manifesto; a parenting handbook; an introspection; a love story; marriage counselling; and thoughtfully and beautifully written. It should be on every woman's to be read pile.
Glennon Doyle is also the founder of Together Rising. Together Rising exists to transform collective heartbreak into effective action. It has raised over $20 million for people in need with a most frequent donation of $25. They have taken on projects such as pulling children out of the sea outside of refugee camps in Greece, providing a single mother access to breast cancer treatment, or reuniting families at the U.S. border. She speaks of the foundation's work in her book, but you can also find and follow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Title: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You
Authors: Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Date Read: May 16, 2020
This. This is the history book, that's not a history book– but a narrative about race interspersed with the history of why black people have been oppressed in the United States; needed by every child of this generation who might have a chance to change it.
You have heard my rally cry about why Jason Reynolds is the best Young Adult writer writing for teenagers right now. And if you haven't, read here, here and here. This partnership with Ibram X. Kendi is no exception.
Award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi wrote Stamped from the Beginning, in it, he argues that racist ideas in America have a long and lingering history, one in which nearly every great American thinker is complicit. As Kendi provocatively illustrated, racist thinking did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Racist ideas were created and popularized in an effort to defend deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and to rationalize the nation's racial inequities in everything from wealth to health. This is a remix of Kendi's book. A book written especially for young people.
In the first chapter, Reynolds invites his readers in (in his usual, laid-back, ultra hip way) by explaining: "Before we begin, let's get something straight. This is not a history book. I repeat, this is not a history book. At least not like the ones you're used to reading in school. The ones that feel more like a list of dates (there will be some), with an occasional war here and there, a declaration (definitely gotta mention that), a constitiution (that too), a court case or two, and of course, the paragraph that's read during Black History Month (Harriet! Rosa! Martin!) This isn't that. This isn't a history book. Instead, what this is, is a book that contains history. A history directly connected to our lives as we live them right this minute. A book about the here and now. A book that hopefully will help us better understand why we are where we are as Americans, specifically as our identity pertains to race." (Reynolds & Kendi, p.1-2). Reynolds has a way of engaging young readers, and that's exactly why he was chosen to remix Kendi's book.
Reynolds delivers on his promises. Stamped presents the history of America's racial inequities spanning the period from 1415 to the present. In his unique style, Reynolds offers historical facts alongside the narratives of the people, the politics, and the popular culture that shaped the racist beliefs that have endured. He also recounts the courageous battles fought by those who eschewed simply 'fitting in' and assimilating in favour of an antiracist future that would embrace Black people as fully human and equals in their country. He does it, all the while speaking directly to his readers: "But whenever people rise up against bad things, bad things tend to get worse. You know the old saying, When the going gets tough, the tough get… racist. Or something like that." (p. 24); "People like Benjamin Rush, a physician from Philadelphia who wrote a pamphlet saying that Black people weren't born savages but instead were made savages by slavery. Record scratch. Pause." (p.45-6); "And the president at the time, Woodrow Wilson, feared that beig treated decently overseas would embolden Black soldiers. Make them too big for their britches. Make them expect fair treatment at home, the home for which they'd just risked their lives. Let that sink in." (p. 142). Reynolds never forgets his audience.
A list for Further Reading is also included. Titles teens can read alongside this include books I have reviewed as well, including: All American Boys; Dear Martin, Long Way Down; and Ghost Boys. The reading list includes many more titles, including many I have read and loved in the past (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; The Color Purple by Alice Walker; Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates; and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; (I would give all of these two snaps, hands down!); offering a wide range of reading experiences, but these titles make for excellent pairings to explore and understand the history of race in America.
This is the most important history book (that is not a history book) that could be read by teens today. Essential reading. As Reynolds closes his Afterword, he asks the reader:
"[This] leads back to the question of whether, you, reader, want to be a segregationist (a hater), an assimilationist (a coward), or an antiracist (someone who truly loves).
Choice is yours.
Don't freak out.
Just breathe in. Inhale. Hold it. Now exhale slowly.
N O W.
(Reynolds & Kendi, p. 247-8).
Title: Kids These Days: A Game Plan for (Re)Connecting with Those We Teach, Lead & Love
Author: Jodi Carrington PhD
Date Read: April 1, 2020
This was a staff book club pick– and a real winner! When we came together (on Zoom) to discuss it — it had our unanimous praise.
If you have not heard of Dr. Jodi Carrington, you are in for a treat. Carrington hails from Alberta, bringing a classic Canadian-girl charm and warm kindness to her philosophy and approach to child psychology. A mom to her own three "babes", Carrington proposes that the most integral step in helping kids who experience grief and trauma is to assist the people who hold them– their parents, educators, and counsellors.
She speaks with a humbling reverence for teachers and the challenging work they do in assisting all of the kids in their care. Above and beyond all else, she posits that it is connection that we all crave– and that many of the kids we serve are terribly disconnected. There was a time when families lived close to and with extended family. They weren't so distracted and busy– there was connection. In fact, she writes: "… every time you hear yourself say, that kid is attention seeking or lying," try to replace that phrase with, that kid is "connection seeking," and see what happens" (p.63).
In teaching, in parenting, in coaching– in any capacity in which we look to help kids learn and become better at something; our job, first and foremost, must be to develop a relationship with the person we want to teach. Kids do not learn from people they think don't like them. I have taught for over 20 years, and I know nothing to be more true. Teaching is about relationships. I think that is why online teaching during a pandemic is so difficult; we miss out on the face-to-face interactions that help us to form strong relationships. In fact, Carrington outlines five keys to (re)connecting with people in our life; and one of those keys is eye contact. She writes, "I talk to educators about doing this every day so they can connect with their students: Meet your students in the morning and greet them with their name and notice if they give you their eyes. The ones who do make contact easily concern me far less than the ones who don't" (p.122). What I wouldn't do to be in the hallway to check in with my students right now!
Another key to reconnection is to "get down on their level." She says that meeting someone face to face is where the magic lies. I know this all too well from parenting. (Have you ever seen a mom kneeling in front of a toddler in the candy aisle? Turns out she knows her stuff. Been there. Done that.) She writes: "Being on the same level as the other person allows for easier access to their eyes. It slows you down too because you're consciously thinking about creating an optimal environment." She notes that fear based techniques certainly have their proponents and do garner some success in times of significant distress; you can threaten or inflict pain and likely get a response– but where do these approaches leave the relationship? Without a relationship, you cannot teach. And I love this, "When compliance from people we love or teach is predicated on what they stand to lose, they will never be motivated by respect. They will be motivated by fear. And fear is very different from respect" (28). You don't learn to get better or to self-regulate when you are fearful of the person holding you.
When kids are dysregulated (or have "flipped their lids") they are in a primitive state of fight, flight or freeze— and they need us, the adult, to offer them soothing connection. Carrington explains the Circle of Security, and our job as regualtor is: "Always be bigger, stronger, kinder and wiser. Whenever possible follow a need. Whenever necessary, take charge" (p.48). Which means, she says, "when your kid is losing their freaking mind, you need to dig deep into the core of yourself and figure it out with them" (p. 49).
Carrington describes so many of the kids we meet in our work: regular lid-flippers; Caillou kids; Flat Stanley kids; attention-seeking; manipulative liars (you need to read her book to get her great descriptions of each of them)… but, as she says, "these babes all have the exact same needs. How they pull for us to meet those needs makes all the difference" (p.71). Carrington is on the mark throughout this book. She spoke to me as a teacher, as a parent, and as a leader in my school. Carrington's experience as a child psychologist allows her to build narratives around each of these kids, suggesting strategies to repair and rebuild relationships. You will see many of the kids you have taught, or coached, or cared for– and you will understand them better. And, hopefully, after reading her book, be in a better place to help them in the future.
She even seemed to narrow in on my own marriage. She explains that "[We] often tell people what to do, rather than showing them. We say to kids, "That's not a good choice" or "Just calm down!" Here's the thing: Never in the history of telling someone to "calm down" has "calm down" ever worked. Telling someone how to behave is never, ever, as powerful and transformative as showing them what you want from them. Think about the last time your partner told you to "Just calm down!" How effective was that? What was your response? The hope, when we yell or hiss "Calm down!" at someone we love is they will, indeed, calm down. The hope is they might even look at us and say, "Oh you're right babe, I didn't realize that I was losing my mind. You always know just how to get me to calm down. I'm just so glad that I married you" (p.29). If, like Carrington, you can agree that never in the history of my spouse telling me to "calm down" (or "relax!") has "calm down" ever worked, then why do we keep trying to make it so, with everyone, including kids, all the time?
Really, Jodi says it best: "The kids are the least of our worries. Seriously. If that sounds blasphemous in a book for concerned parents and educators (and anyone, really, who worries about "kids these days"), then I am so glad you're here. If you own a kid, work with a kid, or love a kid, you will find something inspiring in these pages" (XIX). She is not wrong. If you care about the kids these days… read Jodi Carrington's book!
You can also find Jodi on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram. She does great Facebook Live chats (usually over a glass of wine…) dropping the occasional f-bomb(which I also kind of love) as she wades through the weeds of raising, loving and connecting with kids.
Posted on February 9, 2020 April 26, 2020
Title: Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Middle Crisis
Author: Ada Calhoun
Date Read: February 2, 2020
This book came highly recommended and I scrambled to get it in my Amazon cart. It did not disappoint. All Gen X women: a must read!
The quote that opens the Introduction to her book sums it up pretty succinctly:
You come to this place, midlife. You don't know how you got here, but suddenly you're staring fifty in the face. When you turn and look back down the years, you glimpse the ghosts of other lives you might have led. All your houses are haunted by the person you might have been.
Hilary Mantel, Giving Up the Ghost
Today's middle-aged women belong to Generation X and the end of the Baby Boom. Gen X birth years are identified as those born between 1965 to 1980. For the longest time, Gen Xers have struggled most with what really defined us as a generation. Douglas Coupland popularized the moniker in his book of the same name, but we have been pretty much been the ignored "middle child"– overshadowed by our Baby Boomer parents and the younger Millineials we babysat.
Calhoun writes that: " Generation X women tend to marry in our late twenties, thirties, forties, or not at all; to have our first children in our thirties or forties, or never. We're the first women raised from birth hearing the tired cliche "having it all" — then discovered as adults that it is very hard to have even some of it." (p. 5-6)
Because so many of our generation delayed marriage and children into their thirties and forties– we also find ourselves caring for parents in decline at the same time we are caring for little children; and asking for raises and 'leaning in' at work. Fused with this stress is a hormonal tumult and the mood swings of menopause. And in a cruel twist, the symptoms of hormonal fluctuation are exacerbated by stress, while the symptoms in turn raise stress levels! At the same time, we are inundated by breaking news alerts, social media feeds that show us how awesome everyone else's life is, increased work obligations, phone calls to return, texts to send, and emails to write. "Our lives can begin to feel like the latter seconds of a game of Tetris, where the descending pieces pile up faster and faster." (Calhoun, 20).
So, yeah– women are facing a midlife crisis. We have it all: marriages, kids, careers, homes… but we are stressed about having it all. We have sky-high expectations for ourselves and as a generation we are also exhausted, terrified about money, and overwhelmed.
Calhoun provides an excellent analysis of this midlife crisis– one in which I know my cohort will see themselves in. As difficult as it was to face some of it, it was also a relief to know that I was not alone– and that many women feel very much the same. It is yet another book that opens up the conversation for women to support one another– to share experiences and to rally around as we push through midlife stronger with a tribe that will reassure us and empower us.
Posted on October 27, 2019 April 26, 2020
Title: Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Author: Trevor Noah
Date Read: October 27, 2019
Two snaps!
I think Trevor Noah is a brilliantly witty and savvy political analyst. I think he does outstanding work as the host of The Daily Show. When I saw his memoir, I knew I wanted to read it– but it was the title that truly caught my eye.
Noah grew up in South Africa during apartheid. He writes: "…which was awkward because I was raised in a mixed family, with me being the mixed one in the family. My mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, is black. My father, Robert, is white. Swiss/ German, to be precise, which Swiss/ Germans invariably are. During apartheid, one of the worst crimes you could commit was having sexual relations with a person of another race. Needless to say, my parents committed that crime." (Noah, 21).
Noah's memoir is written the way you would expect– in a way that helps you make sense of complicated issues, like apartheid; race relations; poverty; domestic abuse– but also with his irreverent sense of humour and masterful wit.
Through his memoir Noah reveals an origin story that is thoughtful, educational, alarming, and wonderfully comedic. His relationship with his mother reveals a complicated and enduring connection between a woman that refused to let racism, apartheid, or rules of any kind guide her life, her love, or her decisions. I fell in love with Trevor's mother, you will too. It says it all in his dedication: "For my mother. My first fan. Thank you for making me a man."
Here is an excerpt from his opening chapter:
Sometimes in big Hollywood movies they'll have these crazy chase scenes where somebody jumps or gets thrown from a moving car. The person hits the ground and rolls for a bit. Then they come to a stop and pop up and dust themselves off, like it was no big deal. Whenever I see that I think, That's rubbish. Getting thrown out of a moving car hurts way worse than that.
I was nine years old when my mother threw me out of a moving car. It happened on a Sunday…
excerpt from Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (p.5).
I loved this memoir for the stories and their wit; but mostly for the illuminating education and analysis of apartheid and the entrenched racism of South Africa. Noah writes: "Relationships are built in the silences. You spend time with people, you observe them and interact with them, and you come to know them—and that is what apartheid stole from us: time."
Title: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Author: Yuval Noah Harari
Date Read: September 7, 2019
One and a half snaps!
I'll admit, this one took me two tries. The first time I gave up much too easily. I picked it up again with the intention of finishing, and I am glad I did.
Harari gives a whirlwind tour of how we have ended up as the singular species to survive over the last 100,000 years. That's a lot of ground to cover! Stay with him, he is a reliable and skillful story teller. And our story is fascinating.
Throughout this examination of our battles for dominance and how we moved from foraging clans to defining ourselves as citizens of cities and kingdoms, Harari also questions how it is that we came to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism. And what will our world be like in the millennia to come?
"How can we distinguish what is biologically determined from what people merely try to justify through biological myths? A good rule of thumb is 'Biology enables, Culture forbids.' Biology is willing to tolerate a very wide spectrum of possibilities. It's culture that obliges people to realize some possibilities while forbidding others. Biology enables women to have children – some cultures oblige women to realize this possibility. Biology enables men to enjoy sex with one another – some cultures forbid them to realize this possibility. Culture tends to argue that it forbids only that which is unnatural. But from a biological perspective, nothing is unnatural. Whatever is possible is by definition also natural. A truly unnatural behaviour, one that goes against the laws of nature, simply cannot exist."
Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens
It will challenge your thinking about what you know about Sapiens and give you much to ponder. A worthwhile read.
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Home/Entertainment/Comedian Seyi Law reveals the real reason his daughter donated to Kemi Olunloyo
Comedian Seyi Law reveals the real reason his daughter donated to Kemi Olunloyo
Iyanu Sunkanmi January 21, 2018
Popular comedian Seyi Law has now stated the reason why his daughter donated to Kemi Olunloyo after she was released from prison.
The controversial social media expert and journalist was recently released from the Port Harcourt Maximum Prison and she begged Nigerians for financial assistance to cater for her medical expenses. According to him, anyone can be of help to anybody.
Comedian, Seyi Law was one of the good Samaritans who came to the aid of the controversial blogger is comedian despite the feud they had before in the past.
The feud started when after Olunloyo expressed concern about the health of Seyi Law's daughter, Tiwa. She said the child was obese, suggesting that she might be suffering from a health disorder, which led to exchange of words from them both. However, they were quick to bury the hatchet between them.
Seyi Law has now further proven that his daughter has totally forgiven Kemi Olunloyo, by offering donating money in Tiwa's account to assist the Kemi Olunloyo.
According to Seyi Law….
"I think our previous issue was due to a breakdown in communication and I am not sure there is anyone who is happy that she was imprisoned for a long time. I didn't even want the news that I gave her money to be made public, but you know Aunty Kemi has a way of doing things. She decided to put the information out there. I feel anyone can be of help to anybody. We've settled our issues and besides, this is a new year."
"I spoke with her and she told me a lot of the things that happened at Port Harcourt Maximum Prison. The stories are not nice at all. She is even afraid for the people she left there. A prison is supposed to be a place where people get reformed. There is a lot to be done in our prisons and we should not forget that prisoners are also human beings.
"No one is perfect, but if someone, who was not supposed to be detained for more than 48 hours, spent six months in prison, then, there is a problem. Whether the person is wrong or not, the judicial system is faulty. Everyone should be given the benefit of doubt, at least until you are proven guilty by the court. Nobody is above the law, but in a situation where you don't follow the recommendation of the law, it is not only an offence to the person involved but to Nigerians as a whole."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 28 acres of the village of Avebury, but not the fine Elizabethan Manor, lie within a late Neolithic circle of vast standing stones or sarsens the largest weighing some 60 tons -which is in turn surrounded by earthworks. Inside the large circle are two smaller, incomplete rings, the stones in all three having been carefully selected from the nearby Marlborough Downs. It has been suggested that the tall, narrow stones represent men and the more diamond shaped ones women, and that the whole thing was an open air temple for fertility rites, but we have no real knowledge of its significance. Many of the stones are missing, destroyed because of medieval superstition or broken up for use in local buildings. The Alexander Keiller Museum, in what was formerly the manor coach-house, contains objects excavated in the village and also at Windmill Hill, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow. The 50ft-wide avenue of megaliths which apparently ran out past West Kennet to OverburyHill seem to indicate the the Avebury circles were part of a larger scheme, involving a number ot=f these ancient religious sites. The approximate date of this complex of stones, 1500 BC, makes it contemporary with parts of Sonehenge 18 miles to the south.
Bradford on Avon has two medieval arches and a chapel – originally provided for pilgrims travelling between Malmesbury and Glastonbury, but used as the town lock-up in the 17th century. The buildings in the steep winding streets, from medieval cottages to the Georgian mansions of the wealthy cloth-makers, are of Bath stone. The Saxon church in Church Street, lost for centuries among the surrounding buildings but rediscovered in the 19th century, was founded by St Adelin in the 8th century and is one of the finest remaining Saxon buildings in the country. A 14th-century Tithe Barn stands in Barton Farm Country Park, near the river.
An old market town on the edge of Salisbury Plain, set in rich agricultural country near the source of the Wiltshire Avon, Devizes had a Norman castle, built by the Bishop of Salisbury on the boundary between manors, so giving the town its name. The original castle was destroyed by Cromwell: the present one is 19th century. The town has some fine old houses and inns, including the Bear Hotel, which enjoyed such a high reputation in the 18th centun that the landlord put posts across the Plain from Salisbury to guide fashionable travellers.
From Caen Hill, Devizes, the Kennet and Avon Canal descends 230ft, by mans of 29 of Rennie's locks – the longest flight in Britain.
Lacock is owned almost entirely by the National Trust; the oldest buildings in its twisting streets date back to medieval times and none is later than the 18th century, the village as a whole presenting an attractive blend of grey stone, red brick, whitewashed and half-timbered constructions. There are a 14th-century church and tithe barn, ancient inns and weavers' houses, a King John hunting lodge, an old lockup, a stepped cross and a packhorse bridge. The most impressive building, however, is the riverside abbey founded by the Countess of Salisbury in the 13th century and converted into a house by Sir William Sharington shortly after suppression of the monastery in 1539. The original sacristy, chapter house and cloisters were preserved and a large courtyard, octagonal tower and twisted chimney stacks were added. A Gothic-style entrance hall and great hall were built on in the 18th century by the Talbot family, into whose hands the abbey had then passed; a museum housed at the entrance to the abbey traces the work of W H Fox-Talbot, the pioneer of photography who produced the first photographic prints in 1838 and was awarded the Royal Society Medal for his achievement.
Longleat House, one of the most visited stately homes in the country, was built in 1568 for Sir John Thynne, an ancestor of the Marquess of Bath, who owns it today.
As a result of 19th-century renovations, the house has exquisite Venetian ceilings and Italian decor, and it contains line paintings, tapesrries and leatherwork. The family's state robes are on show, together with their state coach and a waistcoat said to have been worn by King Charles I at his execution. There are fully equipped Victorian kitchens. A shop sells culinary goods and gifts. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown.
The great attraction at Longleat now, however, is the Safari Park, famous for its lions but also including elephants, tigers, buffaloes and antelope. It is open in summer and visitors can also take a Safari Boat, cruising through groups of sea lions and hippos and passing the ape islands. Additional attractions for children are Leisureland (an exciting adventure playground), donkey and camel rides, and Pets' Comer with its chimps' tea-party.
Lydiard Park is a pleasant, mainly Georgian manor house, for generations the home of the St John family but now the property of Thamesdown Borough. It has fine rococo ceilings and there is a small agricultural museum in the stable block. In the park stands St Mary's, the parish church of Lydiard Tregoze, dating back to the 14th century and rich in memorials to the St Johns. Particularly striking are the Golden Cavalier, a gilded life-size figure of Edward St John, killed in the Civil War, and the vast canopied tomb of St John, his two wives and thirteen children. The church also has ancientstained glass and a triptych cabinet.
Marlborough College, the famous public school attended by Sir John Betjeman and William Morris, to name but two ex-pupils, is said to be the burial place of King Arthur's magician, Merlin. The wide High Street of the town is particularly attractive, with its handsome colonnades and a church at either end. In the 17th century Marlborough suffered a series of disastrous fires which caused the local authorities to ban the use of thatch.
Some time in the 14th century, Heale House at Middle Woodford was built. Charles II took shelter there five days after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. But many years later, in 1835, a fire broke out. Parts of the building survived; others have since been restored. Nowadays, it looks much as Charles II found it. The gardens, covering five acres, are attractive especially the water garden with its magnolias and acers, which surrounds a Japanese teahouse and is spanned by a nicely designed bridge.
Remains of the castle, cathedral, and traces of the surrounding wall are now all that remain of Old Sarum, a site that was inhabited in the Iron Age and became in medieval times a flourishing town and an important Episcopal See. However; a bitter feud broke out between the clergy and the military at the castle, and there was a serious water shortage, so Bishop Herbert Poore decided to move himself and his cathedral. He died before he could accomplish this plan, but his brother and successor, Richard, began to build the new cathedral in 1220 and by 1258 it was finished. A new town, Salisbury, grew up around the cathedral and by the 19th century Sarum had dwindled to a hamlet. It was one of the most notorious of the 'Rotten Boroughs', returning two MPs to parliament, although there were only ten voters, until the Reform Bill of 1832. Among these was William Pitt the Elder the 18th-century Prime Minister.
The 'new' city of Salisbury dates back to the 13th century when Bishop Poore decided to move his clergy and cathedral from Old Sarum, where lack of water and quarrels with the military governor of the castle were making life difficult. There is a story that the new site for the cathedral was chosen by an arrow shot from a bow drawn at a venture, but all the evidence points to a decision taken after long and careful planning and the site, in the middle of the fertile plain and at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Nadder, was an obvious choice. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on 28 April 1220, and the building, one of the finest expressions of Early English architecture in the country, was completed, apart from the spire, cloisters and chapter house, by 1258.
The city grew up around the Cathedral Close, its streets laid out on the usual medieval grid plan, intersecting to form square blocks or 'chequers' where the old houses were packed tightly together. This old plan can still be seen in the streets around The Close, where many historic timbered buildings have survived. The finest of them is probably the 17th century Joiners' Hall, with its intricately carved woodwork; and the most unusual is certainly the house of the wealthy 15th-century wool merchant, John Halle, which is now the foyer of a local cinema.
Salisbury was granted its first charter in 1227 and, thanks to its farsighted bishops, who bridged the rivers and diverted the road to the west country to run through their new town, it became a thriving market and wool centre. There is still a twice weekly market in the spacious market square, and the handsome stone Poultry Cross, dating from the 15th century when fowl were sold there, still stands.
In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh managedto delay his return to London and certain punishment by staying here, following his. failure to discover gold on his expedition to Guiana. Feigning illness, he appeared to eat nothing but was secretly supplied with food from the White Hart Hotel.
Salisbury reached the height of its prosperity in the 18th century from which era many of the most elegant houses in the beautiful, walled Close survive. Although Salisbury owed much to its bishops, in the past, relations were not harmonious, and the clergy had to protect themselves by building a wall, and fortified gateways, still the northern and eastern entrances to the Close, for protection. By the 18th century, however, behaviour was more civilised, and the Close assumed the aspect it has today, of tranquil lawns shaded by trees and ringed by handsome mansions, many of which were formerly the town houses of the wealthiest citizens.
Stonehenge is one of the world's great mysteries. We know that it was built in three phases; that its construction covered a period between 2200 BC to 1300 BC – from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age; that its axis is aligned with sunrise on the longest day of the year 21 June. What we do not know is precisely why it was built. It certainly had nothing to do with Druids: they hadn't yet arrived in Britain when work was in progress; it may have served as a sort of calendar, as well as for religious purposes, but there is no evidence that Stonehenge was ever a place of human sacrifice. The most intriguing problem of all is how those enormous stones were transported to Salisbury Plain from their points of origin on the Marlborough Downs and even further away in the Prescelly Mountains of Pembrokeshire.
Stourhead is a beautiful 18th century Palladian mansion situated in what must surely be one of the most imaginatively embellished parks in the country. Near the gates stands a 13th century stone cross that was removed from Bristol, where it used to mark an intersection of two roads. In its niches are small statues of eight kings of England. The circumference of the lake is about a mile. Walking round it, the visitor comes across a grotto and three little temples one of them copied from the Pantheon in Rome.
But, wherever one walks, there are pleasant new vistas.
The coming of the Great Western Railway did much for Swindon. In 1835, it became the site of a station on the route from London to Bristol. Four years later, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Daniel Gooch the visionary mechanical engineer – chose it as the location for the company's main locomotive depot. Nowadays, the GWR museum is housed in a converted Methodist chapel. The first major locomotive used by the Great Western Railway was the North Star originally built for the New Orleans railway but never used in America.
In the pretty, wooded Nadder Valley, the twin villages of Teffont Evias and Teffont Magna stand by the River Teff, which is crossed by many small stone bridges. Teffont Evias' turreted manor, Tudor and early 17th-century, and St Michael's Church (rebuilt in the early 19th century), with lts graceful spire, together make a lovely sight. The cream Chilmark stone from the local quarry, now closed, was used for Salisbury Cathedral. Teffont Magna is a little more modest, with thatched cottages and a medieval church.
Tisbury, an ancient settlement . traversed by an Anglo Saxon track, is more a town than a village. It is poised on a steep slope by the River Nadder, in the rich valley farmlands of Wiltshire. The church has a lovely panelled and carved roof, and memorials to Lady Blanche Arundel, who defended nearby Wardour Castle in the Civil War, and to Catherine Howard's sister. Rudyard Kipling and his parents are buried in the churchyard. The yew tree, 36ft in circumference, is believed to be 1000 years old. There are two Wardour Castles: the Old, a 14th-century ruin with 16th-century additions; and the New, an 18th-century house designed by James Paine, restored for Cranborne Chase School in 1960. Pythouse, is a fine Palladian mansion.
Tollard's right to call itself Royal was granted by King John, who stayed here to hunt in Cranborne Chase. Despite disafforestation, some attractive woodlands survive, that can be surveyed from 911ft Win Green Hill. Gardiner Forest, 1800 acres, was endowed by Balfour Gardiner, the composer. King John's House, originally 13th-century, was restored by the archaeologist General Pitt-Rivers. He lived in Rushmoor House, now a school, and worked on several sites in its grounds. Pitt-Rivers was responsible for the restoration of Larmer Gardens, named after the larmer tree ~ wych-elm -under which King John would supposedly meet his huntsmen. Here too the Court Leets were held. The old tree blew down in 1894 and was replaced by an oak tree.
Trowbridge is the administrative centre of Wiltshire; a touring centre for the Wiltshire Downs and the Cotswolds; and a centre of the weaving trade since the 14th century. West of England broadcloth is still made here. Among the legacies of Trowbridge's cloth-based prosperity is the clothiers' group of stone houses in the Parade, and it was a clothier who in 1483 endowed the Perpendicular church of St James.
The beautiful houses and attracrive cortages of Warminster, together with two fine inns, are a legacy of the prosperity it gained in the 18th century as a wool town and corn market. The church, though much rebuilt, retains a 14th-century nave, and the grammar school (founded in 1707) numbers Dr Arnold of Rugby and Dean Stanley among its former pupils. Two miles to the west, 800ft Cley Hill rises on the Ridgeway, the prehistoric route which ran from South Devon to the Wash.
Moated Palace Green is believed at one time to have been the site of the residence of the Kings of Wessex. Georgian houses set round the market place reflect a later period of prosperity, when the town was involved in the weaving industry and was famous for its glove-making. The restored Perpendicular church has a central tower and contains a chained New Testament, 17th and 18th century monuments and an interesting modern screen. Above the town stands the oldest White Horse in Wiltshire, probably cut originally in the 9th century but remodelled to a more 'elegant' shape in the 18th century. Chalcot House is a charming Palladian villa just over two miles away near the village of Dilton Marsh.
Wilton is famous for the fine carpets that have been made there since the 17th century. Before that time, however, it was a town of note, the capital of Wessex, set at the point where the Rivers Wylye and Nadder meet. Wilton House, with its well-known double cube room, was originally Elizabethan; Holbein, Inigo Jones and his son-in-law, John Webb, all contributed to it and the collection of paintings is magnificent.


text:
Exploring Kolkata with Bollywood Director Sujoy Ghosh
For Sujoy Ghosh, one of the top directors working in India today, there is no subject more inspiring than the city of Kolkata. In his 2012 film, Kahaani, he captured all the energy and exhilaration of West Bengal's capital during Durga Puja (one of the most important Bengali festivals). Reviews praised his vision of the city, and its old-meets-new beauty… and Kahaani had such a phenomenal run at the box-office that a sequel is planned for release in November.
Sujoy Ghosh is an actor and screenwriter, in addition to being one of Bollywood's top directors © Daboo Ratnani
Though he now lives in Mumbai, Sujoy Ghosh – who also works as an actor and a screenwriter – can't resist a nostalgic memory trip through the streets of his hometown. Read on to learn about how he got started in the film industry, for tips on his favorite Kolkata locations…and why a book fair might be the best introduction to the city.
Greaves: What are your memories of growing up in Kolkata? How has the culture influenced you as a filmmaker?
Sujoy Ghosh: 'When I was growing up, we were into reading and watching films, and we had time to discuss them. Art and creativity is enhanced and evolves when you interact and engage, and for that you need time – and we had a lot of it back in those days! As a child, I did quaint things like go to the library to borrow books, which my kids find weird (laughs). By definition, Kolkata is hugely art and literature-oriented.
When I make films, I'm hugely inspired by art. A painter sees things differently – when I was shooting for Kahaani, I referenced paintings by various artists. I wanted to see Kolkata through their eyes – which offered me a different perspective on the city.
One thing I love about Kolkata is that a lot of characters and landmarks from the '70s and '80s still exist. I used to buy these spicy lozenges for five paisa as a child and I found them again. Big shops have been built around the little shop that sold them, but it still exists! Heritage architecture has survived – though for how much longer is another question.'
Beautiful and dynamic Kolkata is Ghosh's subject and muse © Rajarshi Mitra/Flickr
Could you recommend authors and filmmakers who have captured the essence of West Bengal and its capital with nuance?
'With the classics, Bengali authors like Sunil Ganguly, Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra captured the world very well. In film, Tarun Majumdar, Satyajit Ray, and Tapan Sinha are brilliant directors who have influenced me.'
What's your favorite local cultural hotspot?
'The Kolkata Book Fair – for me, it begins and ends there. It's now visited by two million people over the course of two days, and there's a lot of nostalgia and childhood memories involved. For me, Bengali culture is Durga Puja, art discussions, and the book fair.'
Durga Puja is one of Kolkata's biggest celebrations © Prithwish Basu/Flickr
Could you describe Durga Puja for a first-time traveler to Kolkata?
'Durga Puja is a festival that is very close to a Bengali's heart. During the season (September or October), you can see the festivities everywhere – and pandal hopping [visiting the Goddess Durga displays, to whom the festival is dedicated] is quite the thing to do. For me, the festival is all about people, happiness and food. No one has problems during the festival – people are happy and stress-free. Maa Durga [the Goddess] is in town – let her solve the problems!
It's also junk food time, as it's a great source of income for people who put up food stalls. Dressing up, eating and going out is part of the culture.'
Kalimpong and the wild northeast of India are among Ghosh's favorite travel destinations © Abhijit Kar Gupta/Flickr
Which places in India are on your bucket list?
'I inevitably end up going to the same places, and am not a very planned traveler. But I'm addicted to the northeast of Bengal – I love the hill stations of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. I also love Goa. And I'd love to go to Kashmir – that's on my bucket list.'
Tell us about the street food culture of Kolkata.
'Street food culture in Kolkata is bigger and cheaper than in Mumbai. Mumbai's street food is a little more international, as it offers dishes like Middle Eastern shawarmas. In Kolkata, it's all about local treats like Mughlai parathas, puchkas and mutton rolls.
I also love Kolkata's pice hotels – the casual restaurants where you eat to your heart's content and pay a maximum of Rs 100. These establishments, which traditionally cater to working-class people, have been around for many years – and you can get a standard (and delicious) thali of fish, dal, mutton, and rice.'
Colorful Kolkata is a must-visit destination © Aotaro/Flickr
Finally, what does India offer that no other place does?
'Warmth – in terms of the people. A place is made not by the architecture, but by the people. They'll make you want to come back again and again.'


Ipad apps for ios4 — Welcome to the GameSalad forum!
Im just confused because would they reject it if you put ios4 for an ipad app?
Hi after you upload the binary it has a check box underneath saying "This application is iOS4 compatable" or words to that effect and you just click it.
Sorry mate I see what you mean, good point. What I have done is made it for 3.2 but I have put in the description that it is iOS4 compatable and I have tested the same game, less the graphics on a iPhone 4 so I know it will run within iOS4.


Michigan Farm To School - Blog: FW: MI Farm to School Trainings & National Farm to School Month!
FW: MI Farm to School Trainings & National Farm to School Month!
Just a reminder to sign up for a MI Farm to School training session if you're interested! See below for more information, dates and locations as well as a link to RSVP.
Get ready for National Farm to School Month in October by participating in one of the MI Farm to School Trainings in your area!


text:
Australians are feeling insecure about how robots will effect their livelihoods, for good reason, any number of jobs from stock trading to manufacturing have been heavily impacted by automation.
A survey of 1075 Australians – conducted by YouGov, and commissioned by Unions NSW – found an overwhelming expectation robots will decimate jobs, with 81% of respondents believing automation will replace much of the work now done by humans within 30 years.
More than half of those surveyed (51%) said the type of work they currently do will be done by robots or computers within 30 years.
Australians also believe Government can and should step in, both to help distribute work and act as an employer of last resort, they also prefer to work with most favouring a jobs guarantee over a universal basic income.
Two-thirds of respondents (66%) agreed it should be illegal for employers to require employees to work unpaid overtime for jobs paying less than $100,000.
Slightly more – 67% – backed the concept of "job guarantee", where the government would provide jobs paid at least at the minimum wage to people who could not find one in the private sector.
The research found less support for a universal basic income – a fixed payment made to all adult individuals that allows people to meet their basic needs. Half of all respondents supported a universal basic income. When asked if they prefer a jobs guarantee or a universal basic income, 56% opted for a jobs guarantee, while 32% preferred a universal basic income.
Unions NSW Secretary, Mark Morey, said the research demonstrated deep anxiety about automation, and a hunger for governments to intervene and help.
"Australians have lost faith in the promises of trickle-down economists and small government ideologues. They know a robot army is about to invade the labour market and they want to know the government has a plan to secure their future.
"The OECD estimates more than one-in-three jobs will disappear within 15-20 years. Without a plan, this will unleash social turmoil.
"Jobs are the main mechanism we have for distributing income in this country. Across our supermarkets, banks, public transport and mines, robots are replacing people. This creates a direct transfer of wealth from workers to shareholders.
"Technology must serve people, not the other way around. This research shows that Australians support bold measures, such as a federal jobs guarantee and a ban on unpaid overtime. Political debate in this country is decades behind community sentiment."
Image by Jeff under flicr cc attribution license
Teenagers want technology careers, unsure of how to get there
Nearly half of teens say they would consider a career in tech but run up against perceived barriers and lack of career information.


Finally I have finished with designing, developing and deployment of my new web site for "Daily .NET Tips" and this is now live at http://dailydotnettips.com . A single tip can improve productivity of work while coding. Daily .NET Tips is aiming to sharing useful coding tips and tricks for .NET Developers. This site completely design for sharing Tips and Tricks, useful Code Snippet which anyone can use in their daily development work. I had this plan for a long time for launching this site after seeing great response on my different tips at my blog itself. Finally It's done.
You will find Tips on Daily basis.Not only from me you will find tips and tricks for different MVP's like Kunal, Abhishek in coming days. If you want to share your tips please contact with me via Contact Me page. Your post will be published on Daily .NET Tips site with your blog reference.
You can follow Daily .NET Tips @ Twitter and Facebook as well.
Please share your feedback or suggestion to make .NET Tips better !
This web site has designed and deployed very fast to make it live on Today. I would like to thanks Jebarson for his great help related with hosting , Kunal , Abhishek, brij , Ankur, Sandesh for their quick pre live review and suggestions on different intermediate update on the site, and and finally, great thanks to my wife Ananya for her continuous support, BTW, Today is also her birthday ! Don't forget to wish her as well !


This year for Christmas we had a big dinner at the house with our friends. I made a large ham, and had a small gift exchange game afterwards.
Some photographer friends of ours offered to take some pictures of us in traditional Japanese wedding outfits. Although it was 3 years after we signed our wedding papers it was still a great opportunity and an interesting experience. We went and walked around the local park as well as took pictures around our house. I was surprised at just how many different layers they dressed me up in and how long it took. It took even longer to get Suzuna's hair done and her dressed up as. Melina even dressed up and we got some nice family pictures.


A lounging sofa from Eilersen promises comfort. Comfort with no compromises. In strong, well-conceived lines and with soft upholstery that hugs the body. But how can this be harmonised and balance with the desire for the lightness of expression?
Next time you buy a new sofa should it be heavy and substantial? Light and airy? Or would you rather have one leg in each camp and have it all? You should test out a Savanna, in which Jens Juul Eilersen supports your back with a pot belly without the rest of the sofa's body gaining weight.
"Savanna is built up as a normal frame with normal seat cushions. On the face of it, this sounds firm and this was just my intention" emphasises Jens Juul Eilersen. "I wanted to create a sofa with a world of opportunities for expansion and a design which is so classic that the sofa will always modern. Taut lines are good for the eye but the sofa must also be really great to sit and lounge in. The art was to optimise the comfort without compromising on the lightness.
First I upholstered the seating with down. Then came the back with ends they are the same but with a "belly" in the middle - just like a stout man well held in by his belt. This rounded shape fits the back perfectly and the chaise-longue and cushion provide additional comfort. Compared with our previous modular sofas the chaise-longue has an extra 10 cm of depth so that your feet do not dangle off the end when you are watching TV or relaxing with a book. The range of down cushion has also been extended with additional sizes so you can build just the right nest to suit your home".
Versatility is absolutely one of the strengths of Savanna. All seating elements are 100 cm deep and the chaise-longue goes right up to 170 cm. In width, Savanna varies flexibly in small steps of 10 cm from 100 to 220 cm. Together with corner elements, this allows you to build your sofa or sofa group within very precise dimensions so that it matches exactly the room and the furniture it is to interact with. The elements come with and without armrests. This means that you can utilise the strong lines and self-esteem of Savanna to achieve the freedom that free-standing sofa elements can provide. Completely in line with its classic lightness Savannah is supported on Eilersen's 10 cm high steel legs.
Comfort with no compromises. In strong, well-conceived lines and with soft upholstery that hugs the body. But how can this be harmonised and balance with the desire for the lightness of expression?


text:
Q: python count rows from csv pandas colors.csv
id  name    rgb         is_trans
0   -1  Unknown 0033B2  f
1   0   Black   05131D  f
2   1   Blue    0055BF  t

How do you count how many f & t, (something like below)
colors_summary = colors.count('is_trans')
print(colors_summary)

Looking for Result
is_trans    id  name    rgb
f   107 107 107
t   28  28  28

A: let say you have
color_df # dataframe object

you can do that:
result_df = color_df.groupby('is_trans').count()
print(result_df) # should give you what you ask for.

A: and an alternative with stdlib csv & Counter.
color_csv = """id  name    rgb         is_trans
0   -1  Unknown 0033B2  f
1   0   Black   05131D  f
2   1   Blue    0055BF  t"""

import csv
from collections import Counter
from io import StringIO

settings = dict(delimiter=' ', skipinitialspace=True)
creader = csv.reader(StringIO(color_csv), **settings)
headers = next(creader)
counter = Counter((row[-1] for row in creader))
print(counter)

Counter({'f': 2, 't': 1})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I loved this story! I read it in one day, rarely putting the book down. The story was very well written, completely believable, and the characters were unique and engaging. Pastor Jared struggled with what he wanted and what he knew was right — being a pastor didn't make him perfect. When Natalie accepted God into her life everything didn't miraculously get better — she did in fact get offered her dream come true, but accepting it would only make things harder.
This book didn't have a "happily-ever-after" ending. It left us with a soon-to-be maaried couple committed to dedicating their marriage and their ready-made family to God. They knew there were tough times ahead, but they had their faith and one another to rely on.
Deborah Vogts and her husband have three daughters and make their home in Southeast Kansas where they raise and train American Quarter Horses. As a student at Emporia State University studying English and journalism, Deborah developed a love for the Flint Hills that has never faded. In writing this series, she hopes to share her passion for one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world, showing that God's great beauty rests on the prairie and in the hearts of those who live there.
Metal scraped against metal, waking Natalie from a restless sleep. Again, the screech came from outside. With a reluctant groan, she forced herself from her cotton sheets and fumbled in the dark to find her boots.
What was out there? And why wasn't Jessie barking?
She slipped her bare feet into leather ropers, then hurried from the bedroom down the stairs, hoping she wouldn't rouse her younger siblings. An instant foreboding caused her to grab the shotgun her dad always kept behind the back door. Natalie loaded it with a couple of shells before heading to the porch — just in case. As her eyes adjusted to the outside darkness, she distinguished the faint outline of a truck backed up to the barn entrance. She crept through the barnyard.
"Who's there?" Her voice wavered as she clutched the wooden forearm of the aged Winchester, prepared to fire a warning shot at the moon if necessary.
A small beam of light darted inside the old limestone barn, then disappeared.
"Tom, is that you?" Natalie eased her finger closer to the trigger.
Silence. Then the hollow clamor of feed buckets knocked to the ground as though someone had tripped over them.
Natalie held her breath. Her heart thumped wildly against her chest as she thought about the recent thefts in the county. If only her dad were here.
But he's not, and you're in charge. Slow, mechanical breaths helped her to see this might be nothing more than their hired hand returning from a night at the bar. She knew little about Tom Walker, but the idea that he'd been out with friends on a Friday night was more probable than not.
A tall figure edged from the shadows. Natalie recognized the pale shock of curls highlighted by the luminous night.
He dropped his arms, and she noticed Jessie at his side. No wonder the faithful border collie hadn't barked. Suddenly aware of how she must look, she combed her fingers through her wayward locks. Dressed in baggy shorts, a torn T-shirt, and a pair of pink boots, she held little resemblance to her former title as Miss Rodeo Kansas, or of a rancher either.
And that's what she was now — a twenty-two-year-old ranch owner in the Flint Hills of Charris County, Kansas. She shook her head, confounded by the turn of events her life had taken in the past week. "Well, I'm sorry for interrupting your work. I'll let you get back to your business." Hoping he wouldn't sense her despair, she turned toward the house. As she did, an engine revved in the near distance. Tracing the noise, she saw a truck tear from behind the barn, its headlights aimed for the lane.
The truck vaulted onto the dirt road and spun gravel as it sped away. Speechless, Natalie lowered the gun and whirled toward the hired hand, expecting him to go after the culprits sneaking around her father's barn.
Then she acknowledged the panic in the man's eyes.
"What were you and your buddies doing in there?" Her brows crinkled, and she instantly thought the worst. Dark barn, suspicious behavior. Had they been doing drugs, or were they stealing?
"It's not what you think." The hostility in the air pricked her skin as the man stepped closer. He stood a half-foot taller than her own five-foot-eight.
"The boys and I –we were just having some fun –talking was all." His gentle voice caressed her.
"No law against talking in the dark." He reached in her direction, much too close for her comfort.
She shoved his lanky body back with the metal barrel and thought of all the work they needed to accomplish the next day unloading and sorting cattle. Could she and the kids get along without his help if she fired him? Could she trust him to tell the truth?
Natalie searched the man's eyes for a hint of sincerity. "Swear on your mama's grave?" Even as the words came from her mouth, she knew she was a fool to trust him.
Natalie disregarded his remark, finding no comfort in it. Her gut twisted at the vulnerable position her father's death had placed her in as Tom drifted back to the darkness of the barn. With a weary sigh, she studied the moon above. Like a shooting star, her life had changed in an instant and no matter how much she wished it, not even the crickets or the moaning bullfrogs could set it right again.
Returning to the house, she peeked in on her twelve-year-old brother, asleep in his upstairs bedroom. His tranquil face reflected no worries, no hint of strain from their recent ordeal.
Oh, that her rest could be as peaceful.
When Natalie opened the door to her sister's bedroom, she failed to make out a form under the covers. A flick of the light revealed Chelsey's bed hadn't been slept in. She glanced about the room, and then noticed the splay of curtains caught in a warm breeze from the open dormer window. Natalie darted back to Dillon's room.
"Where's Chelsey?" She jiggled her brother's leg and watched the young boy rouse from a deep sleep.
Natalie's mouth grew taut. Nothing good ever happened past midnight, and it was now close to two. She hoped the reckless teenagers weren't in a ditch somewhere.
A loud thump from Chelsey's room caused those thoughts to evaporate.
Natalie rounded the hallway to find her fifteen-year-old sister crumpled on the bedroom floor.
This sounds like another good read.
Enjoyed reading your thoughts on this good read!
Thanks for having me on your blog, Quilly. I'm delighted that you enjoyed Seeds of Summer. Many blessings to you & your readers!


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