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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'London England' tag.
It is the day after I got home from my little all-American roadtrip and the day before I set off on my quickie Euro-tour to London, England and Barcelona, Spain. How lucky am I? When I read my own words, I get a chill, a good one, down my spine. I have never been "across the pond" and now that I'm within a few hours of leaving, I'm very excited. I am going to visit my friend Chrissey Ansell, who I met eighteen years ago on a beach in Costa Rica, who has come to Canada no less than five times and visited me, and has consistently, patiently invited me to her homes in both of these fantastic European cities. I've always had an excuse why I couldn't go – usually something to do with cancer or book-writing – but finally just bit the bullet and bought the ticket. I've always thought I'd find a two-month period to do Europe properly, but in the end decided that I better just go while I still have some money in the bank (international economic crises make me want to spend not save) and while I have my health and the world is in a lull between international catastrophes. As I've said in past blogs, I tend to plan for the future but live in the moment but here the moment has met the future and tomorrow I'll finally be on a plane and headed over the Atlantic to take advantage of this long-standing invitation.
So I'm taking this opportunity – now that I've unpacked and repacked – to write about the last few days that took me from Ontario, across the border at Niagara Falls through Virginia to Ohio. The first important piece of news was that I bought a new camera so I can post photos again. I suppose the next important piece of news was that the weather was autumnally-beautiful – truly summerlike – we watched the treeline become more colorful as the days went on and actually sweated on occasion. Shirley and I traveled the interstates more than anything because of time. I wanted to do a secondary highway between Staunton, Virginia and Wheeling, W. Virginia but Shirley, my dear older & anxious friend, got thrown off by the CAA recommendation to stay on the interstates. Shirley has gone with me on backroads through northern Ontario and Costa Rica and always loves the back country but as she gets older, she gets more anxious (I believe that as we age, we are simply more condensed versions of our former selves) and got it in her head that this particular highway 250 that crossed the mountains would be somehow more dangerous than the truck-laden interstate. I tried my best to change her mind but in the end gave in and followed I-64 around to Charleston and up I-77 to Barnesville. I don't mind racing the transports and getting into the interstate groove but it is truly much groovier on the backroads. Next time, I'm doing that Highway 250 (I wish somebody reading this would give me a good report that I could convince Shirley, next time we visit her relatives in Virginia, that this is a road worth traveling).
So that is where we went first – to Spotsville, Virginia, where Shirley's kindly kinda-aunt Louise lives on a farm with her black angus cows munching the grass on the rolling fields and her hard-working, lovely family close-by. Louise is 84 years old (I think that is right) and still helping her son Warren unload the corn silage into the silo, cooking up delicious meals, and tending to the needs of her family, cows, neighbours and church. We visited her 94 year-old neighbour, Nellie, who also seems to have a firm hand on the running of the farm there.
For the couple of days we were with these warm friendly Virginian folk, I observed that though the men were hard-working, the women seemed to still run the place! Age un-important! Shirley, who I have known most of my life originally as a friend of my parents and always as my friend, has her roots in this country. She was born in England but was sent here in the second world war to be safe and far away from bomb-blasted London. She and her brother Tony lived in an "orphanage", which was actually more like a home for wayward children, and benefited from being around her extended family. Shirley is now 76 and not willing to drive to Virginia on her own so when I invited her to accompany me to Ohio, I offered to drive her to visit her kinfolk on the way. Of course, I benefited for the experience.
So we stayed in this big ol' farmhouse, ate way too much good food, fed the young angus cow who was being weened but was still happy to slobber all over the bottle, went to all of Shirley's touchstones in the area and enjoyed the Virginian hospitality.
We went to the graveyards that house Shirley's grandfather and Louise's husband, Charles, who I met here in Canada many years ago.
We visited the McCormick farm, home of the reaper (not the grim one, but the pragmatic farm implement). There is also an old grist mill on the site.
Louise's son, Warren, and her son-in-law, Lenny, both work at the nearby Hershey's factory which is non-unionized. They often are working seven days a week for weeks on end, besides running the farm and tending to their families. If they complain, there are many others who will take their jobs, so they just go to work. It is a hard life, making those Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Almond Joy bars that we take for granted as "candy" – although I tended to stay out of political discussions with these kind, country folk, we did talk about the value of unions and the need for socialized health care in the US. I shared my experiences of having cancer which brought so many worries to my life – as in "will I survive?" – but didn't involve worrying about who would pay for the treatments since we have socialized health care here in Canada. Louise's family – Warren Bradley and Linda Lou, Lenny, and Christy Phillips- were all interested in the concept of having medical insurance provided by the government and I was able to share my own experience. When Barack gets in, may he follow through and get the support from the Senate and Congress to implement his promise to provide medical insurance for all Americans. It seems to me to be the most basic of human rights in a civilized society. Perhaps – just a suggestion – cut the military spending and provide for a little nationalized humanity.
When people talk about how politics doesn't affect their lives, I always shake my head. Next time you eat a chocolate bar, remember the guys who are working seven days a week, months on end, to keep the line going – limited medical insurance provided, no job security, tired, but unable to complain. I guess I've lived in Canada too long.
So after the lovely warmth of Virginia, we headed out in the morning through the fog that eventually lifted to reveal the coloring leaves, through Virginia, West Virginia, and across the Ohio River into Ohio. This is very idealic countryside until you see the big smokestacks – I have to admit, I'm not sure what kind of fabrication or energy plant this is, but I have seen the scene often when passing close to the gracious wide Ohio River, and shudder at the sight of the monolithic cauldrons.
We arrived on Friday afternoon at Olney Friends School just outside of Barnesville, Ohio. Anyone who has read Walking with Wolf will know that this is where Wolf grew up and then returned to for high school. He also met his beautiful wife, Lucky, there, who had come from Earlham, Iowa. It was Homecoming weekend at Olney and Wolf and Lucky managed to come up from Costa Rica, as Shirley and I came down from Canada.
Everytime I see this wonderful couple, even after all the years of working on the book, I get a warm rush of love that passes through my body straight to my heart. To have managed for us all to get to Olney for this occasion, for the weather to have cooperated as if it were a fine June day, for the extended family and friends of both of them to have shown up en masse for the occasion – well, it all added up to a beautiful weekend filled with laughter and tears and memories and friendship.
I find it quite amusing that when Wolf and I get together now, we are like a couple of business people, discussing marketing possibilities, exchanging publicity stories, sharing accounting information. Understand – we have been playing around at "writing a book" for years and now we are actually selling it! Wolf has continued to visit the stores in Costa Rica who carry our book, replenishing the stock on the shelves but most likely selling the best while sitting in the parking lot at the Monteverde Reserve waiting for the tourists to finish their guided tours in the forest. I will return to Monteverde in January and we will try to find ways to pick up the pace again, but I know that Walking with Wolf will continue to sell to people who come to Monteverde and are interested in the soul of the place. I believe that is what we managed to convey. What with all our words and history and recollections, Wolf represents the soul of this beautiful, dynamic community and we, luckily, managed to capture it in our tomb.
So here we now were at Olney Friends Boarding School, the place where Wolf met and wooed Lucky, a Friends school that has been teaching young people about reading, writing, 'rithmetic, life and Quaker values since 1837. On Friday night there was a concert by an energetic a capella group of men from Ohio's liberal arts Kenyon College (Paul Newman's alma mater) called the Kokosingers. I think there were thirteen of them – taking turns as the solo guy upstage, providing harmonized, finger-snapping, renditions of both popular and classic songs and a few obscure tunes. They are going to be opening for Miley Cyrus (I won't get into who she is, but if you already know, you should be impressed at least as far as the size of the audience) in a couple of weeks. Maybe I was as impressed by their male beauty as their talent (I digress…) but it was truly entertaining.
Saturday was filled with alumni reunionizing, students taking part in the annual run/walk and field hockey and soccer games (alumni 4/students many more). Bit by bit the alumni, many of them relatives of Wolf or Lucky's, arrived and I could now hear that Guindon/Standing laughter ringing out amid the stately buildings and hardwoods. I have to say that the food at Olney was excellent – having worked for several years at a canoe camp, where the food was great, I was truly impressed with the quality and variety of the food at Olney – I'm not sure of the cook's name but she was well aware of her responsiblity of feeding an international student body with a variety of taste buds and obviously loves to try new recipes. That kale soup was excellent.
Wolf and I presented the book on Saturday night to a packed house – somewhere between 150 and 200. Wolf spoke very clearly and lovingly, and I followed, proud of myself for sticking to my new program which involved slowing the slide images down to fit the readings from the book. We sold all the books I brought and received a lot of great response from those who had already read it.
I met a bunch of people who I've heard about over the years from Wolf and Lucky. Shirley and I lingered with Herbie Smith and Marie Bunty for a long time after the program and exchanged stories – mine of knowing the Guindons in recent times, theirs of sixty years ago.
On Sunday Shirley and I went to the Friends Meeting in Stillwater which was both the same as Monteverde – silent – but more verbally Christian than is Monteverde. The benches weren't in a circular style and the way things proceeded was a little different. My personal Quaker experience has been consistently in Monteverde. When people stood and spoke I was naturally awaiting the Spanish translation that occurs in Monteverde. When we got to the afterthoughts and announcements, I was listening for Wolf's son, Benito, in the background, his low voice simultaneously translating the english to the spanish. In Monteverde there is often an orange trogon – a relative of the beautiful resplendant quetzal – perched on a branch outside the window, perhaps hooting, perhaps silent like the Quakers, its orange breast and striped tail shining. In Monteverde, when the wind is blowing and the tree branches are snapping against the building, I often feel that I am in a tree – if that is so, then here at Stillwater, I was among the roots. I could feel Wolf and Lucky's past all around me and knew that this was where the miracle happened, the life force rising from the seed that germinated into the roots that became the family tree that is Monteverde.
I saw other folks who I have met before – Roy Joe and Ruthie Stuckey, Susie Roth, Sylvia who is Lucky's cousin. Following meeting there was a picnic nearby at Wolf's nephew's, Don Guindon's. Guindons and Standing relatives gathered to celebrate the presence of Wolf and Lucky and to visit with each other.
Sylvia, Rachel & their Aunt Lucky
I had the pleasure of meeting Lucky's oldest sister, Helen, 94 years old and laughing up a storm. I met a multitude of extended family and unfortunately don't remember the names of many of them unless I had managed to meet them on a previous occasion.
One of the most touching conversations I had was with one of Wolf's nieces. On Saturday night, she had implied that she wanted to talk with me but we didn't have the chance until just before I left on Sunday afternoon. What she wanted to share with me was that in the Guindon family there have been chemical imbalances – mental illness – and yet they haven't talked about it.
In Walking with Wolf we do talk about this. Wolf's manic depression was a puzzle to me when I met him, but in the three years after meeting him but before returning to Costa Rica and continuing our oral history project, I bumped into people with this malady a couple more times. Then I lived with a man with a mental disorder for a number of years while I was working on the book. Mental illness is as common as any other illness but has carried a stigma that makes people keep their mouths shut about it.
This lovely woman (and I apologize for not remembering her name) has lived with depression herself, as has one of her two daughters – the other lives with Aspergers syndrome. Wolf's daughter Helena's son, Silvio, also has this affliction yet last year he was awarded as the top scoring student graduating from a Costa Rican high school. The niece had only just bought the book but had heard from sisters and cousins that we discuss the depression that her grandmother experienced and Wolf's own manic depression. The book also includes Lucky's story about living with Wolf in the years before he was properly diagnosed and prescribed lithium.
When I met Wolf and saw some of his behaviour, it was both comical and mystical to me. However, over the years, as I met various other people with a variety of mental illnesses – including my ex-partner who I shared struggles with for eight years – I realized the difficulty of living with this. It was important to me that we talk about it in the book, as it was a very real part of Wolf and Lucky's life. Even though perhaps it was me who insisted we talk about this, it was Wolf and Lucky who provided the honest, candid details of their experience. And neither one ever suggested that we hide it. It is now out in the open and makes it possible for the family – who can share many examples and experiences – to start and continue the dialogue. There is no place for shame in this, only room for love and understanding.
Rich Sidwell and the staff at Olney – Mary, Leonard, Cleda, Ela & my Canadian-cohort Jaya – provided the opportunity and the backdrop for this wonderful weekend. Their invitation helped us sell books, connect with family and link to the broader Quaker community. Olney itself is a very special place with a student population from all over the world. When we sat down for meals, the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural aspect of the place was apparent. For me, a non-Quaker but someone who has lingered among these peaceful, considerate, simple people who are encouraged to be seekers, Olney provided a place to rejoice with a community that was honoring Wolf and Lucky and that very special community in Costa Rica – Monteverde. Every path that this book takes me down allows me to breathe deeply, smile widely and hold my head proudly – to have participated in any small way in this community is a true privilege. The roots and the branches of this large tree of humanity have spread far and wide in my own life and I'm very thankful for that. Today being Canadian Thanksgiving, that will be my grace.
If one must travel, one should at least try to make it worthwhile. Now sometimes, for some people, for their sanity – which is something that affects all those around them and therefore the world – a trip to the Caribbean for a week of sun, endorphins, rest and relax is worth the footprints. If you must spend them then you should try and trade them off by good ecologically-sound behavior at other times. I think that the fact that I gave up my car four years ago, don't have an air conditioner, very seldom use my dryer, turn off my lights, control my general consumption – well, that will have to balance out the fact that in the next while I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling.
Tomorrow I head to northeastern Ontario (in a small rental car). This is where Temagami is, which is a small community and large lake I mention a few times in Walking with Wolf. It is also the area where I lived from 1982 until I left my husband in 1990, on my way to Costa Rica and a changed life. Might I add that I lived without electricity or running water for seven years – kaching! in the carbon bank for me.
I worked at Camps Wanapitei and Keewaydin through the 1990s, two canoe camps on beautiful Lake Temagami. At Wanapitei, where I worked for six years, I would stay at the camp the better part of four months of the year, two of those while camp was in session and two when there was only a handful of us enjoying our isolation in the bush at the northeast end of this huge body of water. I then worked at Keewaydin, an all boys camp at the time, for one summer at the end of my canoe camp career, cooking for a dining room full of grateful boys who would come to my window and sing for extra pieces of dessert – how cute was that. Life at both of these camps allowed me to spend the summer in the north, on water, with groovy people. It all involved a lot of work and chaos, but I loved it.
I am going to be an hour north of there in New Liskeard on Friday night, presenting Walking with Wolf at the Chat Noir Bookstore. Because I lived in the area, I should know alot of people there – it is the third presentation (after Monteverde and Hamilton) where I feel I'm bringing the book home. My friend Dave Patterson, of the Wabi Delta Band, is playing a set before and after my little book talk. It'll be great.
Then on Sunday, I go a bit south to Mattawa. Friends own a colorful new cafe there and I'm presenting the book in the afternoon – at the Moon Cafe at 2 p.m. Once again, I know enough folk in the area so will be happy to see friendly faces.
On Tuesday September 16 in the evening, I do one more presentation at HIbou Boutique in North Bay. I have never been there but friends tell me it is a good space and community with sound eco-practices so I look forward to that.
After the Pearl adventure, the rest gets easier, and really, that was an easy night. Traveling and talking is what I do best. I'm not shy and I'm proud of the book and privileged to tell Wolf and Monteverde's story, so this is fun for me.
I have October booked up but I'm running out of time and will write when I'm through this northern tour. But coming up: Barnesville, Ohio; London, England; Barcelona, Spain; Kingston and Guelph, Ontario. Did I say carbon footprint? – maybe a coalmine worth of bootprint is more like it. Sorry about that.


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Into The Wild Full Opaque Tights - Sheer Cream
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- Please note: change of mind returns will not be accepted for this item due to hygiene reasons

subset: commoncrawl


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"I'd rather have ten people who are mad for it than ten thousand who aren't." – Peter Hook, Born Feb. 13, 1956. Who wants a lukewarm audience? Who wants readers with only a tepid interest in your topic? Who wants fair weather followers who can take you or leave you? I want people to either… Read More →
The Super Ultimate Overnight "Baby Steps" Guru Transformation Technique (LOL)
"If you want to succeed in the world, you don't have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier." – Leo Szilard, Born Feb. 11, 1898. I'm not about to give you some early bird bullshit. No rise and grind asshattery. No 10x crushing it. To be "early"… Read More →
Why Mistakes Are More Valuable Than Gold (When You Wrangle Them Properly)
"Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good." – Bertolt Brecht, Born Feb. 10, 1898. If you want to be seen as a leader in your market, it's not about always winning. It's about never losing. And if you can make a loss into a win, you'll… Read More →
If You Don't Care About Your Thing The MOST, No One Else Will Care At All.
"I'm not here for your amusement. You're here for mine." – John Lydon, Born Jan. 31, 1956. It's a very important attitude to have toward your audience and your chosen topic as a writer. Though most people would get this backwards. "You're here for the customer! The customer is always right! The customer is king!"… Read More →
How to Warp to the Next Level Without Beating the Boss
"Players like to know that they've discovered things that even the designers didn't know were in the game." – Will Wright, Born Jan. 20, 1960. People who grew up in the original Nintendo Entertainment System era have a unique insight into persuasive language. In particular, an advantage when it comes to the framing of information… Read More →
The Value of Having Haters Is…
"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." – Benjamin Franklin, Born Jan. 17, 1706. What I love about this is that back in Ben's time, printing was expensive, and a huge pain in the ass. A press was a… Read More →
This Blog Post is +2 Against Ridicule and Embarassment
"People don't mind being mean; but they never want to be ridiculous." – Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, aka Moliere, Born Jan. 15, 1622. To make people into allies, make them an accomplice. If you can get them to indulge in complaint and insult (even in private) against their enemies, you create a kinship. Paint those enemies as… Read More →
Leadership is About Follow-ability. Are You Followable?
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." "Do something wonderful, people may imitate it." – Albert Schweitzer, Born Jan. 14, 1875. This is a two-for. Two quotes from the same guy, but I think they are interrelated. If you want to influence people, you may have heard the… Read More →
Content Hack: Go Screw Something Up Really Bad. (Then Fix It.)
"Life is very interesting if you make mistakes." – Georges Carpentier, Born Jan. 12, 1894. The secret to success is building an audience. The secret to building an audience is to be interesting. The secret to being interesting is having something valuable to talk about. This last one intimidates many, who mistakenly think that only… Read More →
Consistency is Uncommon, But It's a Shortcut to Success
"When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." – George Washington Carver, Born Jan. 10, 1864. One of the simplest secrets of success at I know is to do just do the simple things well. Unfortunately, that is uncommon. Show up every… Read More →
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Jacinta Jiménez
What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Women in Leadership
April 8, 2018
By Jacinta Jiménez, Head of Coaching, BetterUp
Everything is quiet except for the rhythmic sound of the four Tanzanian men's feet hitting the ground in unison and my shallow breathing from the oxygen mask on my face. I am very weak, but somehow, I hold on so I don't fall off the back of the porter as he runs at full speed down the tallest mountain in Africa.
How did I let this happen to me? Just a few hours ago I was 19,431 feet up looking down at the world with 30 other women on International Women's Day. Read More →


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ETH supercomputing for beginners
Aug 25, 2015Categories: Sysadmin, Development
Tags: python, linux
Disclaimer: for this to work, you must be an ETH Zurich affiliated person and own a nethz-account .
So, you wanna play around a bit with machine learning. Or run a crazy particle physics simulation. But you only have a lame Macbook. Your gaming rig would do the job, but its fans are spinning so loud your neighbors complained. Solution? Just use ETHs Euler general purpose super computer ! Even though they explicitely write that Euler is "not a supercomputer", supercomputer just sounds cooler than "general purpose" computer.
So called shareholders (lab groups and ETH departments) invested money to own a reserved percentage of Eulers computing power. However, there is also a slice reserved for us students. The best thing about it? It works without need for any bureaucracy. Just log in and start.
Python example #
We will run an example from the scikit-learn website for demonstration. There will be some some small changes, because we have no GUI. But first, let's log in. Important: you can only log in to Euler from within the ETH network or when connected via VPN.
ssh <your nethz-name>@euler.ethz.ch
You will be greeted with a disclaimer you have to accept by typing
Yes the first time. Then, we can start by loading the python module.
module load python/2.7
# get sample script from scikit-learn
wget http://scikit-learn.org/stable/_downloads/plot_image_denoising.py
Now you'll have to modify the script to make it run without X11. For this, we have to tell matplotlib to write to disk instead trying to display the images directly. Modify the downloaded file at the top and the bottom to look like this:
# at the top of the file,
# after the long introductionary comment
from time import time
# those two lines must be inserted here
import matplotlib
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
# bottom
# replaced plt.show() by the following line
When you submit a job for the batch processing system, it will inherit the current environment. As we already loaded the python module, we are now ready to go:
# submit job
bsub "python plot_image_denoising.py"
> Generic job.
> Job <9613719> is submitted to queue <normal.4h>.
# you can now check the status of your job via bjobs
> 9613719 muejo RUN normal.4h euler01 e1096 *oising.py Aug 25 00:34
After some time, in the directory a file called
lsf.o<jobid> will appear, besides the
plot.png our script generated. That's it, we're done!
- Your job will be killed after 4 hours. You can use an option
-W hh:mmwith
bsublet it run longer, but it will wait longer in the queue.
- Same is valid for CPU cores (
-n 2uses 2 cores instead of 1) and memory (
-R "rusage[mem=2048]"uses 2GB per core). You can use up to 48 cores at the same time (check using
MAX). If you submit several jobs, requiring more than 48 jobs in total, they will be run sequentially. If you submit a single job requiring more than 48 cores, it will probably be stuck in the queue forever.
Further information (only accessible from within ETH network):
If you need some special packages #
You can install libraries via PIP locally in your home dir.
mkdir -p $HOME/python/lib64/python2.7/site-packages
export PYTHONPATH=$HOME/python/lib64/python2.7/site-packages:$PYTHONPATH
module load python/2.7
# now, install e.g. theano
python -m pip install --install-option="--prefix=$HOME/python" theano
Some packages require Euler module dependencies. For example, if you wanna use h5py
, you have to load the
hdf5 module before loading the python module:
module load hdf5
module load python/2.7.2
>>> import h5py
# works!
Only the not publicly-accessible Leonhard cluster has GPU nodes. So if you need that, you will have to ask Cluster Support .
Support #
I am a student who does not know anything about scientific computing, let alone ETHs HPC infrasctructure. This blog post just tries to provide some guidance for students. I do not provide any support. Also, I am not responsible if the admins get angry at you because you ran your stuff on a login node.
For D-ITET students #
There is an additional resource for D-ITET students. You can run jobs on the idling tardis machines (in the ETZ computer rooms). If you ever wondered, that is the reason for the "do not turn off" labels. The batch system is very similar to the one on Euler. Find more infos in the D-ITET Computing Wiki .
Updates #
This post was updated on Jan 26 2017 to reflect the decomissioning of the old Brutus cluster and its Wiki . The new Wiki is now to be found here (Only from within ETH network!).


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Austin Symphony Orchestra & Long Center present the 9th Annual Sarah and Ernest Butler Texas Young Composers Concert, Friday, July 26 in Dell Hall.
The most elite young composers Texas has to offer come together for one night to premiere their compositions for all of Austin to hear. These remarkable pieces of music will be performed by your Austin Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Peter Bay.
The Austin Symphony Orchestra is proud to present the 9th Annual Sarah and Ernest Butler Texas Young Composers Concert.
You don't want to miss this electrifying concert showcasing some of Texas' talented young composers. The program notes for each piece (written by the composers themselves!) will be highlighted on a screen behind the orchestra while their piece is performed live for the first time!
Bring your friends, family, co-workers, for a special evening of music!
For information on how to enter the competition, click here.
Publishing Sponsor: Ars Nova Music
Questions? Call the 3M Box Office at (512) 474-LONG (5664), TTY (800) 735-2989.


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JCC Opening Reception and Benefit Exhibit
Art at the JCC Presents: ArtSEE: 5th Annual Abstract Art Collective (AAC)
Benefit Exhibit for SEE International (Surgical Eye Expeditions Int'l)
+ Margaret Singer Documentary Movie: Seeking Light Screening
Honoring Margaret Singer
Jewish Federation's Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center,
524 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara CA
OPENING RECEPTION: Sunday, June 30, 2:00-4:00 p.m. 2:20 Welcome and announcements, 2:30 Margaret movie screening and Q&A w/producers to follow.
The reception and exhibition is free and open to the public and will include live jazz trio music, appetizers and drinks.
SHOW DATES: June 30 - August 20
The Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara's Art at the JCC presents the Abstract Art Collective 5th Annual ArtSEE fundraiser, an Abstract Art Collective (AAC) juried exhibit and additional art sale to benefit SEE International at the Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center. SEE International is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization whose volunteer eye surgeons generously work to restore sight to disadvantaged blind individuals worldwide.
ArtSEE features a large 100-piece GRID WALL display of original 10" x 10" abstract artworks, created and donated by AAC members and offered for sale at $100 each on a first-come-first-choose basis. 100% of the proceeds from GRID WALL sales will be donated to SEE International. The impact of each $100 purchase will cover two eye operations to those in need.
Also on display is a juried exhibition of larger abstract works by AAC members. Twenty-five percent of sales from the juried pieces will be donated to benefit the JCC.
The juror for the exhibit is Chris Rupp, M.F.A. Instructor of Art and Collections Manager of Westmont Museum of Art. Chris Rupp began working with the museum in 2009, completing a comprehensive inventory of Westmont's art holdings and overseeing the publication of the Museum's first handbook on the permanent collection. As the Museum's registrar, Rupp is the lead art handler for the College, oversees the development and execution of Museum policies, serves as chief exhibition installer, museum photographer, and so much more. An accomplished artist and collector in his own right, Rupp has organized numerous exhibitions for the Museum, notably a series of ceramics exhibitions, and 5X5 - an ongoing fundraising project for the museum every five years. Rupp is a graduate of the art program at Westmont and completed his M.F.A. at Azusa Pacific University. He also teaches ceramics courses for the Westmont Art Department.
The ArtSEE exhibit includes a wide range of abstract media – painting, assemblage/collage, printmaking, photography and digital art. Abstract art encompasses as many processes as there are artists. One artist may work in an intuitive arc – not knowing how a piece will begin or end. Another may have a defined concept and their artwork is not finished until that concept is expressed to their satisfaction.
The juried exhibit and 10 x 10 GRID WALL art sale will be ongoing during the exhibition.
For regular viewing hours, the Jewish Community Center is open Monday–Thursday 9-5 pm, and Friday 9-3:30 pm. Forbest visiting hours, call 805-957-1115.
During the opening reception, the life of the 98 year old (as of June 11), late Margaret Singer is celebrated and honored in the documentary short film, Margaret Singer: Seeking Light. This award winning 20 minute movie was premiered at the Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival and we look forward to sharing with our greater Santa Barbara and arts community (at no cost; donations welcome). We honor, Margaret Singer, the local Santa Barbara artist and poetry icon, who is a lifelong member of the AAC. Movie synopsis: Born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, at the age of 17, tragedy and turbulence flung Margaret Singer far from her roots. With courage and purpose she bent darkness into light utilizing her gifts as an artist and poet and her innate sense of truth and joy. Following her own compass, Margaret broke every mold of expectation for a woman, an immigrant and a refugee. She has created a body of work that that will inspire generations.
About SEE International
SEE International envisions a world where no one is needlessly blind. SEE is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization that provides medical, surgical, and educational services by volunteer ophthalmic surgeons to restore sight and give the gifts of hope, opportunity and independence to disadvantaged blind individuals worldwide. Since 1974, SEE has examined over 3.65 million men, women, and children, and performed more than 440,000 sight-restoring surgeries. www.seeintl.org
About the Abstract Art Collective
The Abstract Art Collective is a group of Santa Barbara-area community members who organized in 2011 to exhibit their abstract artwork in an all-abstract environment. The 100+ member group supports a broad range of media and adheres to a definition of abstract art that includes conceptual work where some forms may be recognizable. For information on joining the Abstract Art Collective or to receive announcements regarding exhibitions, please visit the web site: www.abstractartcollective.com
About Art at the JCC
Art at the JCC is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara. The purpose of Art at the JCC is to provide Central Coast and other artists from all disciplines the opportunity to bring their work to the Santa Barbara community. Because art is a universal language, its programs will cross all boundaries of religion, race, gender and age, and strive to maintain communication. Its mission is to promote identification and connectedness to the Jewish community and the community at large. https://jewishsantabarbara.org/art-at-the-jcc
Artwork by Margaret Singer (Promo Image)
For more info and high resolution images please contact:
[email protected] 805-957-1115


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Walking down to town on Sunday for our shopping. The pavement is covered with autumn leaves.
Observant remark from my daughter as she walked through the leaves. "Hey, it sounds like crisps!" Sigh.
Home » My Daughter » One track mind.
No answer to that, I couldn't for laughing too much anyway : )
She is absolutely right !!
Hi. Yeah, still around. Noticed a lot of people are having problems with the ThinkPoint Scam (seems a lot of people fell for the scareware tactics it uses when it pops up and now their computers don't work so good no more). EVERYONE should have read THIS long ago http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/rogue.aspx
I know I did and I'll bet you did, TG. For everyone else…read it, watch the cute little videos AND REMEMBER—DON'T LET THE HACKERS PANIC YOU!
My pleasure…especially when I see Microsoft posting notices about the large amount of traffic they are getting because of this one. Apparently it fooled a lot of people into thining it was some kind of update from Microsoft Security Essentials (it wasn't).
Here is a page I visit regularly: http://support.microsoft.com/ always a good idea to keep up on the latest, you know. Microsoft Security Essentials is great with 7 or Vista either one (both have a dual firewall anyway) it is only XP and before that require more than MSE


text:
Still basking in acclaim for his visceral documentary on African-American social critic James Baldwin, Raoul Peck has turned his creative energies on another of history's indispensable political minds Karl Marx.
The project comes with the Haitian filmmaker at the peak of his powers, having won best documentary at Sunday's Baftas Britain's version of the Academy Awards for "I Am Not Your Negro," his meditation on Baldwin's racial philosophies.
The 64-year-old was still directing the Oscar-nominated documentary his 15th feature-length release when he began work on "The Young Karl Marx," a dramatization of Marx's early years that hits US theaters on Friday.
A cerebral retelling of the birth of communism, it also works as a high- minded bromance between Marx and radicalized manufacturing heir Friedrich Engels that flourishes in the pubs and cafes of 1840s Paris.
"The Young Karl Marx," says Peck, aims at a realistic worldview in which complex problems require rigorous solutions rather than the short-term thinking the director sees in US President Donald Trump.
"Any problem you can throw at him, it's an easy problem. It's either the fault of certain people or a certain person and you can get rid of the person and the problem goes away," Peck told AFP.
"No, it doesn't work that way. That's why we are in a time of populism, of simplification, of very individualistic reactions. It's because we've lost the big picture."
Before they were 30, Marx and Engles had helped alter society with the publication of their clarion call to the working class, The Communist Manifesto, one of the most widely-read and influential texts of all time.


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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
Photos by Zachary Cross
As a child I loved Brussels sprouts. I don't mean I loved eating them. I'm pretty sure I refused to try them, and unfortunately that's the culinary story of my childhood. I loved playing with them in my dad's huge garden, peeling the tiny cabbages down to their core.
Have you ever seen Brussels sprouts growing? They are pretty comical, a tall plant with the little "sprouts" all along the stalk, sometimes with leaves only on top. Not unlike a tiny palmetto tree in shape. Sometimes farmers bring the sprouts to market on the stems, sometimes off.
As you might expect from their cabbage shape Brussels sprouts are yet another member of the brassica family. Although they can be steamed or boiled, their relatively large surface area to size ratio makes them a fabulous candidate for caramelizing, either by sautéeing or roasting. Roasting means less work, in my opinion, as you just put them in the oven and stir once during cooking.
I recently tried Brussels roasted with grapes at a party. It was a pretty simple dish with just the sprouts and grapes mixed with olive oil, roasted, and balsamic vinegar added at the end. I had never tried it before and was surprised at the plethora of recipes for it online. Many include thyme or nuts but I preferred the simplicity of just the grapes and Brussels (there were folks with nut allergies at the party). Roasting and caramelizing brings out the natural sweetness of a food. This sweetness was complemented by the grapes, and the texture contrast was good, too.
Martha's version includes thyme, as do quite a few others. Some recipes call for the grapes to be cut, and others to roast the grapes separately. Save yourself some trouble and keep the grapes whole, the Brussels, too (unless they're large), and roast them all one the same pan. Do add one more step that many recipes skip: toss your veggies with the seasonings and oil together in a bowl. Yes, it's more to wash but it distributes the oil and seasonings so much more evenly and thoroughly that it's worth it. You can wash that bowl pretty quickly while the roasting is happening.
Although red grapes are recommended for this recipe, it's because of their looks, not taste. I had some of both red and green and used both. The green grapes end up looking like the sprouts once cooked, size and color wise - not a bad thing. The ratio of sprouts to grapes also varies in each recipe. Work with what you have and what seems good to you. I went with Martha's ratio of about equal amounts by weight. A higher ratio of grapes might encourage a sprouts-shy kid while fewer grapes would be more appropriate for someone with less of a sweet tooth. And add nuts if you love them. Suggested nuts are walnuts, pecans, or almonds. Large pieces are preferable over small. Add nuts near the end of cooking if you only have small bits.
Finally, I added the vinegar near the end of cooking and put the pan back in the oven long enough for the dish to brown a little more. If you're not cooking for vegetarians try adding some bacon.
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Happy Thanksgiving!
Photos by Zachary Cross
Happy Thanksgiving week! Today I'm going to link to previous side dish and dessert recipes on the blog that will work well for your Thanksgiving dinner, as well as share a recipe for a new twist on mashed potatoes. I love how you can buy nearly all that you need for your Thanksgiving meal at the market, from the turkey to dessert ingredients and all the side dishes in between.
There's not a turkey recipe on the blog but this recipe for roasted chicken has a yummy-sounding maple-apricot glaze. There's a classic stuffing recipe, a stuffed pumpkin, green beans, Holiday Broccoli Salad, Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cornbread, and Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts. This weekend at a party I sampled some Brussels roasted with grapes and it was a fabulous combination. I don't have the recipe, but this sounds close, minus the soy sauce. Moving on to dessert, there's this technique for cooking your pumpkin. There's apple pie, a Honey Pecan Pie, and Sweet Potato Pot de Creme. For your leftovers there is Second Helpings Pot Pie. Finally, some words of wisdom about hosting large holiday meals, plus another side dish. Also, you can use search bar on the right hand side of the page to help you find dishes to use your CSA share or market finds. Remember to include some ferments to help you digest all that food! Harvest Roots Ferments has fermented veggies and kombucha and Blue Indian Kombucha will fill your growler with their kombucha.
Turnips are a member of the brassica family, like broccoli but more resembling mustard greens on top and kohlrabi on the bottom - or a giant radish. Some turnip varieties are grown specifically for the tops; some mainly for the roots; and some are good for both. Unlike a potato, the top is always edible, so be sure to save your turnip tops to prepare alone or in combination with other greens.
I was looking for a new way to prepare turnips last week. I appreciate them raw, roasted, and braised, but I have not come to love a simple purée. I do love mashed potatoes, though. This recipe from Fashionable Foods calls for roasting turnips and potatoes together. Then they're mashed with butter and milk, though they retain a good bit of texture. This makes for a chunky mashed potato dish with an extra punch of flavor from the browned bits and the turnips. Fresh thyme adds another layer of flavor and a nice color. Note: this is a fairly small recipe but should increase easily.
From: Fashionable Foods
6 Yukon Gold Potatoes (medium in size), peeled and cubed
2 Turnips, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons Extra-Light Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
½ Cup Whole Milk, warmed
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme, leaves removed from stem and finely chopped
Green Tomato Cake
Photos by Zachary Cross
"Then the sun peeped over the edge of the prairie and the whole world glittered. Every tiniest thing glittered rosy toward the sun and pale blue towards the sky, and along every blade of grass ran rainbow sparkles...the bitter frost had killed the hay and the garden. The tangled tomato vines with their red and green tomatoes, and the pumpkin vines holding their broad leaves over the green young pumpkins, were all glittering bright in frost...The frost had killed them. It would leave every living green thing dead...The vines were wilted down, soft and blackening, so they picked even the smallest green tomatoes. 'What are you going to do with the green ones?,' Laura asked, and Ma answered, 'Wait and see.'" From The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
It's that time of year, or nearly so, depending on where you live in the Chattanooga area. The mountains have seen frost, and some of the valleys too. The end of the season potentially leaves unripe summer foods: peppers, squash, and tomatoes, to name a few. Ma Ingalls made good use of those green fruits that year, pickling the tomatoes and making a pie from a green pumpkin.
Yes, fruit. We often eat fruits of plants as vegetables, though pumpkins are as often made into desserts. Less often do people think of tomatoes as fruits or eat them sweet, though it was common in the Ingalls' time to eat ripe tomatoes with sugar and cream. When I told Jeffrey, my husband, about this he tried out ripe tomatoes in his vanilla ice cream and declared it a winner.
Jeffrey's love of tomatoes inspired my hunt for this week's recipe. Traditionally for his birthday I'd made a fairly involved carrot cake, a really yummy recipe from Cook's Illustrated. One year we returned home from vacation the day before his birthday. I did not have enough carrots in the fridge but I did have an abundance of green tomatoes in the garden. A new favorite was discovered! My kids are jealous that their birthdays fall in winter and spring when green tomatoes are not to be found.
There is one aspect to this recipe that resembles our favorite carrot cake: draining excess juices off the vegetable ingredient. The carrot cake recipe uses sugar, this recipe uses salt. Be sure to rinse and drain the tomatoes very well so the cake will be neither salty (the recipe does take into account any trace of residual salt) nor too wet.
Whatever variety of tomatoes you have will work with this recipe: cherries, large tomatoes, paste, any and all. If you don't see green tomatoes at market, ask! That's how I supplied the main ingredient for subsequent years' birthday cakes.
I'm posting this recipe as originally written but my photo is of a cake made with brown sugar, hence the darker color. I also vary with the spices. Jeffrey loves ginger, so I usually include a teaspoon of dried ginger or more of fresh. This makes the cake taste like a moist gingerbread. I also cut back on the nutmeg and sometimes throw in some cloves. Tweak to your liking.
This is a cake made of a lot of tomatoes and a little batter. The batter starts out a little dry but the tomatoes add the final moisture needed. It's a sweet batter, so cut back a little on the sugar if desired. It does not need a frosting but that can certainly be festive. Caramel sauce or chocolate sauce are other options to try as toppings.
From Allrecipes.com
4 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.
Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Go to Allrecipes for a printable recipe.
Autumnal Chili
Photos by Zachary Cross
It's November and that means it's time for our neighborhood's annual chili dinner - and contest. In the past I've usually made the same vegetarian chili, but it's not something I'm eating anymore. My husband Jeffrey still makes it and makes an extra spicy batch to serve alongside it. I've been hunting for a go-to chili that fits my paleo-ish style of eating better.
I had a ham roast from Hoe Hop in the freezer and decided to try a new recipe with it. I'm still learning about cooking with meat and a ham roast has cooked up consistently well in my slow cooker. I couldn't quite find what I wanted so I took ideas from Food Network and Slow Cooker Gourmet and combined them. A lot of recipes called for boneless and cut up pork. I used one with a small bone in it and threw it in whole.
I came up with a recipe that uses not only pork but also the fall flavors of apples, pumpkins, and greens. A couple of recipes called for beer, but I wanted to bring a gluten-free chili to the supper so opted for a hopped hard cider. I used Bold Rock brand but I know there are others. You could also use regular beer, sweet apple cider, or some combination of both. Cider will be sweeter and beer less so.
I wanted a mild chili, so I skipped the jalapeños I originally planned to use, but did sauté them separately with onions and served them on the side. I replaced them with some bell peppers that I had blanched and frozen earlier this year. Peppers are still plentiful at the market and you can use whatever kind you like from sweet to crazy hot - Jeffrey used a combination of habanero, Scotch bonnet, Thai, and ghost peppers for his. Yikes!
The pumpkin purée adds a depth of flavor and some extra nutrition. I had a nice orange purée but the color gets lost in the rest of the chili so don't worry if yours is a different color. For greens I had spicy Asian mustard, though the flavor is mild once long cooked. Here's another area to vary the flavor. I parboiled the greens, stems and all, partly because I wanted a milder flavor, and partly because of the toxins found in greens. Some folks prefer the spicy flavor, and do well with less cooking time. If that's you, throw your greens in at the last minute. Also try different greens if mustard is not available or there's another type you prefer.
For spice I tried Frontier brand chili powder for the first time and it's my new favorite. It has a smooth flavor and is nice and mild for the spice wimps around our house. I wanted to use fresh herbs and chose to add the cilantro and oregano at the end. I would probably add more fresh oregano next time, ¼ cup like the cilantro.
The pumpkin sour cream was a fun garnish. The purée barely tinted the sour cream but gave it a bit of extra flavor that was a nice surprise. More cilantro on top was yummy, and for those who wanted to turn up the heat they could add the browned onions and jalapeños.
I thought it was yummy, and apparently other meat eaters thought so, too; this chili won second place in the neighborhood contest! And there wasn't enough for leftovers so it remains to be seen if it's better the next day. A good problem to have!
If you don't have a slow cooker try the method Paleo Leap uses for their spicy pork chili.
~3 lbs pork roast (I used a ham roast)
3 Tbsp fat (I used trimmed pork fat plus palm oil)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small bell pepper, chopped, or 2 jalapeños
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 28 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 12 oz bottle of hopped hard cider (or use beer, sweet cider, or a combination)
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
1 ¾ cups pumpkin purée
1 bunch mustard greens
Mix 3 tablespoons of the pumpkin, ½ cup sour cream, and salt to taste then chill.
Melt the fat in a skillet and add the onions, salting them lightly. Sauté them for five minutes, then add the peppers and salt lightly. Saute for about five minutes more then add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and saute until all the veggies are soft. Add the sauté to your slow cooker.
Salt the pork roast well and place on top of the veggies. Pour over the canned tomatoes, then the cider or beer. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.
Separate the stems from the mustard greens. Parboil for 7 minutes, then drain and chop. Remove the pork and shred the meat and save any bones or fat for stock. Return the meat to the pot along with mustard, remaining pumpkin purée, ¼ cup cilantro, and oregano. Cook on low for 30 minutes longer, then add salt to taste. Serve with pumpkin sour cream and additional cilantro.
Printable recipe here.
Roasted Pac Choi
Photos by Zachary Cross
While visiting family recently in Portsmouth, Virginia, I went out out to eat at a local, farm-to-table restaurant, Homegrown. There were many yummy-sounding menu items and I enjoyed my appetizer of mixed pickled veggies and my meal of brisket, mashed root veggies, and mixed greens. Someone else in our party had whole, braised (I think) bok choi as as one of their sides and, if I had not had such a fabulous meal of my own I might have been jealous. So when I saw Tant Hill Farms' pac choi I knew what I wanted to make.
Summer Black Pac Choi is a variety of Chinese cabbage which in turn is a type of brassica, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, mustard greens, and many others. Chinese cabbages do not head up like green and red cabbage, but make stalks "...reminiscent of mustard greens or celery" (Wikipedia). As the name implies, the cabbages, are popular in China and throughout Asia. The name is a an Anglicization of the Cantonese and can be spelled bok choy, bok choi, pak choy, or just called Chinese cabbage. They're all basically the same so don't be afraid to try varieties by another name. The leaves range in color from light green to dark, almost black, and the stalks from white to green. Interestingly the summer black variety is all light green.
There are also often a variety of sizes of the heads. Until recently I've mostly seen single large bunches. These are great for chopping and stir-frying, although halving and roasting works well, too. Tiny, "baby" heads are also sold, and these are best cooked whole, whichever method you choose. My bunches were medium-sized and a nice size for roasting.
The first recipe I worked with said that they tasted like mild roasted brussels sprouts. I actually found them, mainly unadorned in this recipe, to be stronger than brussels. That could be because of our hot, dry weather making them stronger. Or perhaps I should have used butter. I liked the flavor much better when complemented with Asian flavors such as sesame and tamari in the second recipe.
Don't make my method mistake; I crowded the pan, thinking the bunches would shrink and leave room between them. Nope, at least not very much. Leave space and the leaves will crisp up nicely and be crunchy like kale chips. If you would prefer the leaves soft (a different but also good texture) then do place the bunches closer together. I left off the sesame seeds but I'm sure they would add an extra touch of taste and crunch.
I'm posting the Asian-flavored recipe but you can make them with just oil and salt, roasting for the same amount of time. See Epicurious for more info. Or EatingWell for a lemony variation. Vary the times and ingredients based on the size and quantity of your cabbage. If baby cabbage, use whole. Halve medium-sized ones, and quarter the larger.
Adapted from The Wheatless Kitchen
4 medium heads of pac choi
2 Tbsp neutral oil (I used sesame and palm)
2 tsp roasted sesame oil
2-3 Tbsp tamari
2 cloves garlic, minced
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Halve the pac choi lengthwise. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.
3. Place pac choi on a large baking sheet and pour the marinade all over the wedges. Gently rub the pac choi with your fingers to make sure the marinade gets under some of those layers.
4. Roast 10 minutes, cut side down. Flip, and roast 5 minutes more.
Serves 4 as a side dish. Printable recipe here.


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As I read Warnock's "Tech Tools and Strategies: Use Only What You Need," I realized how insane it was to jump into teaching online while being a digital immigrant.
Seriously, who does that?
I did.
Warnock chapter makes it seem as if teaching online can be "easy" not the nightmare that I experienced using Blackboard. If technology is not a professor's first language, of course, he or she will feel like jumping out of a one-story building. Such was my case.
Using several LMS, including Blackboard, Canvas, and Cougar Courses, has allowed me to see that teaching online can be simple as Warnock describes in his table that assesses an online class's use of technology: Pedagogical Need, Technology for That Purpose, Availability, and Training? Your Learning Curve (20-21).
Several years ago if I had read Warnock's suggestion "use only what you need" (19) teaching online would have been less intimidating.
From using Blackboard, I learned that it is important for a company to continue to improve its product. The Blackboard team, unfortunately, did not fulfill that demand. Although I am grateful Blackboard was the LMS that I allowed me to experiment with OWcourses. I'm glad I no longer have to use Blackboard. Adios Blackboard—never again.
To begin, Blackboard had awkward glitches. At times, I was unable to delete spaces. Spaces. Other times I could not change a font. A font. I would was waste 30 to 50 minutes fixing a silly little error. Locura.
However, what I do miss from Blackboard is the ability to compile journal entries. I want the online experience to be the same for my online students as it is for my f2f students. In my f2f classes, my students compile their journal entries in a Green Book, where they can witness their growth as critical thinkers and writers.
I also miss the Blackboard Wikis tool. Students could all work on a single document and edit their work and all the information would stay within Blackboard. Canvas did away with Wikis, unfortunately. (I will continue to explore Canvas.)
I was going to give up online teaching, but luckily for me Mt. San Jacinto College transitioned to Canvas. The new LMS allowed me to be patient with technology. The awkward Blackboard glitches went away! (Remember I shared that I had two questions since the beginning of this spring semester. I revisited my 24-Hour Q&A Discussion Forum, and it was really one question. With Blackboard, I had quite a few questions . . . .
Canvas has organized my course design and allowed to me easily access student work when I am inputting grades. (I used to open five windows or more to tally up students grades. I no longer have to waste my time doing that. When I access Canvas's SpeedGrader, a student's work shows up in one thread. Marvelous!) Canvas has simplified my life as an online professor.
I was happy to see that my online English class does meet the needs Warnock presents in his table with exception of "Create audiovisual materials for students" (I could use more) and "Facilitate group projects." I used to have an avitar when I first started teaching online in order to avoid seeing videos of me. Awkward. About group projects, how would I approach group projects online? Help.
Cougar Courses
I used Cougar Courses to teach WMST 350: Chicana/Latina Feminism at CSUSM, and I just went with it. I figured it out on my own. Once you are familiar with one LMS, you simply look for a similar tool. The only issue I had with Cougar Courses was the Gradebook. The Gradebook. I talked to two math instructors about the issue; they told me it was too complicated and, therefore, did not use CSUSM's gradebook. Ha!
It's a locura to teach online if you are a digital immigrant. But it is rewarding and simple if similar to students if we professors "make sure that all participants have the necessary skill level with the communications tools" (qtd. in Warnock).
As I have matured in the online setting, what can I imagine or would like to see in an online class?
Online Prerequisite
I would require students to take a free one unit prerequisite course prior to taking an online class. Over the years, I observed that the students who dropped did not necessary lack the skills that an online class required. Instead, students lacked self-discipline. For this reason, I would require students to learn that they must be self-disciplined, self-motivated online students. If students could practice in an online one-unit class what it feels to work, do homework, and engage in an online class, perhaps, less students would drop.
A prerequisite component of the class would allow students to practice taking a quiz, submitting assignments including an essay, and participating in discussions, among other activities.


text: The Kolkata Police will be making special arrangements for smooth traffic flow in the city on the day of the vote result. Several roads will be blocked or converted into a one-way for the day due to security reasons. Along with these restrictions, normal traffic restrictions will also be implemented. The Kolkata Police will be following the same sets of special rules and regulations on the result day that it followed on the day of the elections. No vehicles except election service vehicles will be allowed to park near any of the counting centers and the traffic sergeants have been instructed to take serious actions in case of violation of this no parking rule. Vehicles might as well be diverted through other roads or lanes if required. Vehicles approaching Auckland Road will be diverted north from All India Radio along Govt. Place and buses will be diverted from Chittaranjan Das's Statue along Kingsway. Vehicles approaching Judges Court Road will be diverted along Baker Road from Gopal Nagar Crossing. Vehicular movements along Hazra Road will also be diverted from Hazra Crossing and Harish Mukherjee Road and Hazra Road Crossing. The Traffic Department has requested passengers who are scheduled to catch flights or trains to start their journey with at least half an hour in hand. A senior traffic police official said, "Measures will be taken for smooth traffic movement. Passengers, who need go to airport or railway stations, are requested to keep some time in hand. Airport-bound passengers may avail Eastern Metropolitan (EM) Bypass for their journey".


text:
Celebrating a loss really isn't weird, honest
This is one motherhood statement you're never likely to hear from politicians, but to coin a Scotty from Marketing phrase: How good are losses?
No, really. You need to engage a different part of your sporting brain than the part that houses the usual "win-win-win" ethos, but with a touch of mindfulness it works.
First of all, let's head to the tennis court that's been front and centre for the last couple of weeks.
Say with me: How good was Nick Kyrgios' loss at the Australian Open?
Taking the emotion out of the equation (be that positive or negative energy), it was one serious fourth-round match. Over the course of more than three-and-a-half hours, Nadal - a 19-time Grand Slam winner - won 22 points more than the kid from Canberra.
But it was about so much more than the points.
Rafa was Rafa - a human backboard.
For his part, Kyrgios swashed and then he buckled. But then, as unlikely as it seemed, he swashed again. And that was the joy.
That he managed to take that fourth set to a tie-break was simply remarkable.
It should give the year-round tennis lover more than a sliver of optimism.
Was this the purest form of Kyrgios' talent that we've seen?
Who knows, but just as that single sweetly hit drive off the tee is enough to get me tromping around a golf course in the hope of repeating it again this decade, so was that Kyrgios performance.
Ash Barty's semi-final loss, well, there was good in it, too. Just for the record, Sofia Kenin won just three more points in total.
No, she didn't play to the standard she set herself, but Barty advanced an extra round on her 2019 performance and did lose to the eventual winner. (I know that's not a consolation either, really).
But the loss that could well mean more than both of those put together was the Australian women's cricket team's T20 loss to England on Saturday. It was a fantastic loss. It was drama-plus. Chasing an achievable target, the Aussies' generally reliable batting wasn't reliable and it was left to Annabel Sutherland, who, on debut no less, smacked Australia to cricket's equivalent of a tiebreak, the super over.
In a twisted way, coach Matthew Mott must have been delighted. Instead of clapping his champion team on the metaphorical back, he must have been invisibly rubbing his hands together in delight at the prospect of learning opportunities as the Women's T20 World Cup looms large on cricket's horizon.
Janine Graham is an ACM journalist


text:
Can you believe Easter is just around the corner??
This year is already flying by and it just started! But, even though it's darn near the middle of March already, we got a snow storm and I wasn't able to get the groceries I needed for our monthly veganized recipe.
So, this week I thought it would be super fun to bring you another DIY!
And to keep in the spirit of warmer weather and adorable little springtime animals I wanted to show you how you could make a baby chick and a bunny!
The fun thing is, you only need things you have already laying around the house!
- 3 Toilet paper rolls
- scissors
- glue gun
- paint brush
- Pen or pencil
- White Paper
- 1 Cotton ball
- yellow, orange, pink, white and black acrylic paints
Directions (for the bunny):
- Glue the paper to one of the toilet paper rolls and roll the paper around the toilet paper roll. Then glue that side down as well.
- Cut off a small amount of excess paper at the ends of the toilet paper roll.
- Push in the excess paper into the inside of each side of the toilet paper roll so their not sticking out anymore. Try your best to reduce lumps.
- Glue the bottom of the toilet paper roll to the piece of paper and cut it out. Do this on both sides of the roll. This will give you a top on each side of the toilet paper roll.
- Paint your bunny pink. Of course, this is your craft so feel free to use any color you want!
- Draw out two ears on the unused toilet paper roll and cut them out. I also cut out two smaller cutouts for the insides of the ears.
- Paint your bunny ears pink or again, whatever color you want! Also, paint the inside of the ear cutouts using whatever color paint but I used white paint to make them stand out a bit.
- Glue the ears to the head and paint on your bunny face! Have fun with this and be creative! I added whiskers to give it a fun touch!
- Using the unused toilet paper roll again, draw and cut out some feet for your bunny and glue them onto the bottom.
- Lastly, glue on a cotton ball tail and there you have it! An adorable little bunny you can display in your home and create with your family!
Directions (for the chick!):
1. Follow steps 1-4 from above!
2. Paint your baby chick yellow or any other color you prefer!
3. Cut out feet from the unused toilet paper roll and paint them orange. Also, paint on an orange beak and two eyes. Googly eyes would be cute too!
4. Cut out two wings from the unused toilet paper roll and glue them to both sides of the baby chick.
5. This is optional. Take a small piece of fluff from a cotton ball and glue it to the middle of the chicks head. I think this looks cute and fun but of course, make it your own!
6. Now you have a baby chick to display in your home for the holidays!
This DIY is super fun, easy and the best part is you can use things you already have in your very own home!
I actually did this DIY during a snow day so why not get your family together and make some fun holiday inspired crafts!
If you enjoyed this project make sure to share the love and spread it around!
If you would like to check out any of our other holiday-inspired DIY crafts, I have linked them below for you to check out and try out for yourself!
How to Make a Faux Wood Spring Sign
Three Mason Jar Gifts your family and friends will love


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Disaster Recovery Plans and Drills Help Restore IT Systems in Times of Emergency: Part One
Do you have a data disaster recovery (DR) plan?
Have you conducted a disaster recovery drill to make sure your DR plan is effective?
Whether it's sophisticated cybercrime, such as ransomware attempting to steal data, or natural disasters that halt emergency management systems – it's more urgent than ever for municipalities to protect their IT infrastructures and data.


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Now, out of all the hotels and getaways I've seen in France so far, the rates at the Chateau Marteret are not outrageous, but it would still include a flight to the south west of France and is therefore not an option for me. I'm so broken hearted. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep admiring the photos and settle for now.
And it's in the south, so expect the sun to always shine. Sounds like heaven to me.


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This job posting is no longer active.
Location: Burlington, MA
Job ID: 141602-1A
Date Posted: Apr 3, 2020
Category: Clinical Technician
DAYS, 10 hours Tuesdays
We are open to FT, PT, per diem and on-call hours.
Under general supervision, performs Electroencephalographs and Evoked Potentials to obtain data for use in the diagnosis of clinical disorders of the nervous system.
Education: High School Completion of a formal Neurodiagnostic Technology Program (NDT) or equivalent.
Licensure, Certification, Registration: Registration (R.EEG.T) or Registry eligible is required. Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/Basic Life Support (CPR/BCLS) Certification.
Experience: At least one full year in an EEG Lab
O-About Us
At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, as one of the world's premier health care organizations, we provide superior health care leading to the best possible outcome for every patient. We exceed our patients' high expectations for service each day. We also help advance medicine through research and the education of tomorrow's health care leaders
We care for our patients with compassion and openness, unsurpassed expertise, a drive for continuous learning improvement, and with respect, caring, teamwork, excellence and commitment to doing our personal best.
Join our team and our mission of excellence by applying today!


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A couple of days ago, I said that Euclid talks about ratios of line segments without using numbers to measure them. So how does he define ratios of line segments if he doesn't use numbers? Definition 5 of book 5 gives his method, an abstract method of imagination: The ratio of segments A and B is equal to that of C and D if, when A and C are each multiplied by the same arbitrary number and B and D are each multiplied by another arbitrary number, the "equimultiples" of A and C are both greater than or both equal to or both less than the equimultiples of B and D, respectively.
Yeah. I didn't get it at first, either. Trying to understand the significance, I thought about two pairs of line segments, each pair in a ratio of 1:2. Maybe the first pair measured 6 inches and 12 inches, while the second pair measured 5 and 10. Multiply each of the first pair by 5 and each of the second pair by 6, and you come up with 30 and 60 in each case: the two pairs are equal. Why bother with less-than and greater-than?
Only partway through book 5 as Euclid used this definition did I understand that it meant that if you performed this operation using every imaginable pair of multipliers (an infinity of possibilities) the results would always come out equivalent: both greater than or both equal to or both less than. Anachronistically using decimal fractions to measure segments, let's imagine a unit square and its diameter, whose length is the square root of 2: 1.4142135623. . . . Now imagine a square built on a side twice as long. Its diameter is also twice as long: 2.8284271247 . . . . Knowing as we do that the lengths of the diameters are irrational, we can never find a pair of integers to use as multipliers that will make the results equal. But imagine multiplying the sides (1 and 2) by 14 (results: 14 and 28), and imagine multiplying the diameters each by 10 (results: 14.1421. . . and 28.28427 . . . ). Each of the first numbers is less than its corresponding number in the second pair. Now try multiplying the sides by 141 (141 and 282) and the diameters by 100 (141.421 . . . and 282.842 . . . ). The first pair is still less than the second pair, but the difference is proportionally less. We could go on and on, getting the two pairs as close as we like to each other, but they will never be equal. That wording of our situation reminds me of what I've learned at the beginning of several calculus books. (I've never made it very far in any of them.) So Euclid doesn't exactly anticipate Descartes's geometry on a measurable grid, but definition 5 does give hints of the theory of limits.
Imagining an infinite number of monkeys multiplying two numbers by an infinite combination of integers over an infinite amount of time makes for a fun thought experiment (and probably reproduces Hamlet), but it hardly provides a practical way to reproduce a given ratio. Fortunately, Euclid offers a quick, practical method. If you have one line segment (A) divided at some point (P) and you want to divide another line segment (B) by the same ratio, make any triangle out of those two lines and a third (C), and draw a new line (D) parallel to C going through point B. The point at which line D intersects line B divides B into the desired ratio.
Forgive this ludicrous post. No one wants to read about geometry with no pictures. I could learn to insert graphics into my blog, or I could just apologize, and I'm much better at the latter. I'm just recording the things I've been thinking about prompted by my reading, and recently, this is it, I'm afraid. And on top of all these problems with today's post, I could be totally wrong. Music theorists don't usually have to count higher than 12, so my math skills are rusty -- although not as rusty as they would be if I didn't read Euclid every year and try a calculus book every once in a while.
Since I'm close to the end of book 6, I peeked ahead yesterday at the beginning of book 7 (next year's assignment) and saw immediately that I was wrong about one thing in my last post. Book 7 starts with definitions about numbers and primes and such, and the proofs all use line segments to represent the numbers, something I thought Euclid never did. My new guess is that while he thought any sets of numbers (by which he meant counting numbers: 1, 2, 3, and so on) could be represented by corresponding line segments, he knew that not every set of line segments could be assigned to numbers, since some line segments (like the diameter of the square) could not be measured by integers.
I have now exceeded all proper proportions and will stop for the day.


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Delights by Dawn founder Dawn Belisle is our guest for this week's Cool Soror episode.
She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – West Palm Beach Alumni Chapter.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Attorney Dawn Belisle is a Criminal Defense Lawyer by profession and a delightful, creative cupcake lady by passion.
She practiced law for over two decades. While she had a very successful career in this space, her passion was pulling her to take a leap of faith.
Dawn put her prestigious law career on hold and let God take the wheel. She found herself starting her life anew and enjoying more than ever, baking alcohol infused cupcakes.
Now holding two kiosks at the Georgia Dome, Dawn is a testament that sometimes resets in life are necessary to find yourself and feel the happiness yearned for.
This 35-minute podcast touches on Dawn's life and experiences and hear about:
How the cupcake project goes as far back to her childhood and why despite such inclinations, she still pursued Political Science, then Law (3:14).
How her career as a lawyer started (4:54), bloomed (6:25) and slowly dissipated (8:01, 12:32).
The set of events that led to leaving the law practice (31:40) and her advice to anyone who might be interested in re-paving the paths of their lives (13:18).
How she landed the gig at Georgia Dome (15:50) and how Keith Olbermann, Twitter and Facebook worked together into marketing her cupcake kiosk (18:02, 18:59).
Her bestselling infused cupcake flavors (22:30) and her dreams and visions on expanding Delights by Dawn (19:30, 21:48).
The narrative behind joining Delta Sigma Theta (26:49), who influenced her (27:17) and her motivations to become a Delta (29:03).
To get in touch with Dawn and Delights by Dawn:


text: Meet Rubus Gin. When you open the bottle it appears as if Leo and Alex have stolen all the berries from their Grandma's garden and put them into this Gin. 10 regional botanicals from the Kaiserstuhl create the character of Rubus, incluing juniper, rasperries, lemon peel, grapefruit peel and lavender.Contains: 500 ml (69,80€ / 1l)43 % vol.Must be of legal age to order.


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I don't know about you but I am having some trouble thinking and acting as if today is Friday and not Monday. After the holiday which was on Thursday, it is natural to feel that way. I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July with all of the noise and the laughter.
This 4th of July ran very smoothly here on the lake. There were ever so many people on the beach all day, at least 3x as much as normal. The children were having so much fun in the water and digging in the sand. The teens threw around a small football, then a regular ball and then some game like tennis but at closer range. There was a lot of boat activity, in fact I was out in my kayak at 8am to avoid all the traffic there would be later in the day. This year appears to be a year of big blow up balloons in all forms, even a huge mermaid with this tail that wagged up and down and sideways. Only the human's head appeared so it did appear real.
This is the first 4th of July that some person or persons could not resist setting off fireworks at all hours of the night. The noise was only from 8:30pm to 10:00pm. Since the chemicals in the smoke bother me, I get to watch the fireworks display from inside my home on my recliner through the safety of my bow window. It was fun to watch the comradery and the competitors who were showing their displays. On the left side where two homes, in the middle of the lake was a boat and there were three homes to the right who were all taking turns shooting off their displays. Sometimes one a time and sometimes at the same time, it felt like a band of light in concert with one another. I wonder if they planned it that way ahead of time. None of the children had sparklers so it was a safe time for all.
It is fun to observe the traffic on the beach right in front of my home. Most of the time, there is only one family at a time or one person at a time. It is almost as if they are synchronized as one leaves the beach and then another one shows up. But yesterday was a day of all being there at the same time. What a reunion and what fun to watch. I sincerely hope your day was as joyful as mine.
Matt Kahn has a video about The Will of Your Heart. It is inspiring to watch or listen to and there is a lot of food for thought. I like to write some profound sayings on little pieces of paper and put them on the table in front of my toilet. If something really hits my heart as I am listening to these teachers, I write it down and rotate them when they no longer have an impact on me. Instead of reading magazines or books in this special room. I use it as my special alone time to let these great sayings sink deeper into my being.
New Moon Total Eclipse was here two days ago and this is a short explanation from Kate Spreckley of all the energies that are surrounding you and I right now.
Patricia Diana Cota-Robles is giving new meaning to integrating our own Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine as we are truly both. This video also includes what Earth is going through right now and perhaps might explain some events that you are being exposed to.
Hang in there while Jim Self explains his awareness of what irritates you and what irritates me.
Do you know anyone with ALS? Perhaps you could learn what glucose can actually do. I am always amazed with these new discoveries because they are happening so fast. Perhaps it does not feel fast to though who so desperately need it but I like to share the knowledge as this is really a small world and most likely there is someone who needs to know this new breakthrough.
This really touched me, the look on that dog's face could melt a glacier. It also made me accurately aware of just how kind and thoughtful humanity is. A perfect example of why we celebrate the 4thof July because we are totally free to think or be who we are.
I know this is a little longer newsletter but there seems so much I would like to share. I wanted to leave you with a smile. Enjoy,
Love and Light
Mary Grace


text: This is our yearly calendar. Please use the arrow buttons on the top of the app to thumb through the months. If you click on an event, the time and place as well as a short description of the event will pop up. Please let us know if we should add any other events to our calendar! 🙂


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Teacher Profile
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I moved across the country after high school to attend St. Mary's College in the San Francisco Bay area. I taught in several independent schools in California before going international with my husband in 1999. I have lived in Casablanca, Mumbai, Beijing and I am loving the Hong Kong experience. I have a grown daughter living in Portland, Oregon and a son who will be in grade 10 at CDNIS next year. I am very excited to join the CDNIS team!


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Long Ago, In A Not Too Distant Land…
The historical backdrop of humankind is inseparably connected with the historical backdrop of gambling, as it appears that regardless of how far back in time you go there are signs that where gatherings of individuals assembled betting was certain to have been occurring. Presently, we are not going to endeavor to follow each and every curve and turn in the advancement of betting in this article, yet what we will do is to choose the absolute most essential dates to go about as achievements headed straight toward the present betting knowledge.
Law On The Streets Of Ancient Rome
The Greek artist Sophocles guaranteed that dice were designed by a fanciful legend amid the attack of Troy, and keeping in mind that this may have to some degree questionable premise truth be told, his works around 500bc were the main notice of shakers in Greek history. We realize that dice existed far sooner than this, since a couple had been revealed from an Egyptian tomb from 3000bc, yet what is sure is that the Ancient Greeks and Romans wanted to bet on all way of things, apparently at some random chance.
Truth be told all types of betting – including dice recreations – were prohibited inside the antiquated city of Rome and a punishment forced on those got which was worth multiple times the stake being wagered. Thus, smart Roman natives designed the principal betting chips, so on the off chance that they were seized by the gatekeepers they could profess to play just for chips and not for genuine cash. (Note that this trick won't work whenever endeavored at a Vegas gambling club).
Earliest Evidence Of Gambling
While it is practically sure that a few types of wagering have been occurring since the beginning of mankind's history, the most punctual solid proof originates from Ancient China where tiles were uncovered which seemed to have been utilized for a simple round of shot. The Chinese 'Book of Songs' makes reference to "the illustration of wood" which proposes that the tiles may have shaped piece of a lottery type diversion.
We have proof as keno slips which were utilized in about 200bc as some kind of lottery to support state works – potentially including development of the Great Wall of China. Lotteries kept on being utilized for metro purposes from the beginning of time – Harvard and Yale were both set up utilizing lottery reserves – and keep on doing as such until the present day. We now have casinos stacked with tables, slot machines and such, and online sites such as Grand Hotel Casino or 918kiss to satisfy the regular gamblers needs.


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Are you interested in learning more about home massage? Do you wish you had the skills so you could give massage to your loved ones? If so, there is good news. This article has several hints to help you improve your techniques. Continue reading to learn more and become more skilled.
If you suffer from back pain, especially in your lower back, having regular massages could be very beneficial. Having a professional relax your muscles can really work wonders and prevent you from further back injuries. It can also help with back spasms, which can be very painful and sometimes debilitating.
If you enjoy massages, you should try using massage tools. You can enjoy a better massage experience, or help your subjects enjoy a better experience if you are giving the massage, by using various kinds of massage tools. Check the Internet to see what you can find, in a price range that you can afford. Try different accessories to find out which ones you enjoy the most.
When you want a massage, give in to the entire process. If you are getting a massage for the first time, you might find the whole process a bit unusual. However, you should not allow this to turn you away from enjoying a massage. Just let them do the work and relax.
Keep the room at a good temperature throughout the entire massage. If you are giving a massage during the winter, try to have the heat on so that things are not uncomfortable. On the other hand, if it is very hot outside, keep the air conditioning on at a reasonable level.
Now you have some great suggestions to help you get started in giving a massage at home. Whether your loved one has a specific issue or you are just wanting a relaxing way to bond, good massage techniques will help you. So, start practicing these ideas in your own home today. For those who want massage near Los Angeles or within the area, you can book a reservation for a great massage.


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Coach Olivares
Social Studies/ Athletics
Contact InformationEmail Address: email@example.com Phone: 817.306.4230Conference Time: 1:40-2:25
My name is Jessica Olivares, and I am in my 5th year teaching U.S. History. I was born and raised in El Paso, Tx where I attended Franklin High School home of the cougars. While in high school I dabbled in different activities, and was also a 4 year Varsity soccer player. After high school I attended West Texas A&M in Canyon, Tx to continue my soccer career and major in History for Secondary Education. In 2009 our college team played in the elite eight of the national soccer tournament in San Diego, Californina.
Upon graduation I took my first job teaching and coaching job at Odessa High School for 3 years. While at Odessa High I was the Varsity assistant/ Jv volleyball coach as well as the varsity assistant/ jv soccer coach. I taught both World and U.S. History while in Odessa. On top of teaching I was on the district curriculum writing team, PLC team leader, and a member of the district textbook selection committee.
This is my second year at Lake Worth High School serving as the Social Studies Department chair while also the Head Cross Country Coach, Head Boys and Girls Soccer Coach, and the Girls Athletic Coordinator.
I happily live in Krum, Tx with my Fiance Josh and our 2 puppies Brady and Theodore. I love to travel whenever possible with my parents and sister, as well as spend time with my family who live close by.