text:
Boris Johnson is not a details-oriented politician. He's a man with a vision - and no matter how stupid that vision is, he has form for making it a reality: You only have to look at London's stupid cable car, or the super expensive new buses that actually reduce capacity compared to the bendy buses that came before, to see that. (And if you think the cable car is good, then I have a garden bridge to sell you.)
Oh, and there was also his vision for the current national nervous breakdown.
In his current role as Foreign Secretary, it appears that he hasn't stopped thinking big. He's in the news today because he's proposed a new bridge across the English Channel - providing a second fixed link between Britain and France after the Channel Tunnel.
According to The Guardian, he said it was "ridiculous" that two of the world's largest economies are only linked by one railway line. "Our economic success depends on good infrastructure and good connections", he tweeted. (Just imagine how insane it would be if we did something that damaged our good connections?).
In any case, the bridge is almost certainly going to be a non-starter. If not for cost reasons then engineering: The English Channels is the busiest shipping lane in the world, so any bridge would have to be high enough to let the largest oil tankers and container ships pass through it. Crucially our largest ports, Felixstowe and London Gateway, as well as Rotterdam and Hamburg all require English Channel access, or no new iPhones for us.
But... despite all of this. Despite it being Boris, despite the engineering insanity... we can't help but think that massive new infrastructure projects are really cool. And new bridges and tunnels have the potential to bring the world that little bit closer together. And we think there should be more of them.
So here's some of the biggest, most exciting proposals that are currently on the drawing board - or at least inside the deranged brains of eccentric engineers.
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
In 2015 construction began on a new tunnel linking the Danish island of Lolland (yes that's a real island) with the German island of Fehmarn, which is then connected to the German mainland. It's a bit of a no-brainer, as it replaces either a time consuming ferry link, or a very long round trip via Denmark's Jutland Peninsula.
At 18km long, the tunnel will use the equivalent amount of steel to 50 Eiffel Towers - and will employ 3000 people across 8.5 years to build. But what's most interesting is the way it is being constructed. Unlike our Channel Tunnel, which is bored beneath the seabed, the Fehmarn link will be constructed as 79 separate 217m long prefabricated elements, which will be floated out into the sea on a barge, and then submerged and placed in a trench that has been dug at the bottom of the sea. There's an awesome CGI video demonstrating how it it will work here:
Once complete, you'll be able to drive between the two countries in ten minutes, or take the train in seven minutes.
Helsinki - Tallinn Tunnel
Finnish capital Helsinki and Estonian capital Tallinn are just 80km apart, but have historically felt a lot further, as during the Cold War Finland became one of the richest countries in Europe, while Estonia remained poor and oppressed by the Soviet Union.
But soon a new 92km tunnel could restore some balance, as plans are afoot to build a tunnel under the Gulf of Finland. The plans are supported by the Mayors of both cities, and now the hope is the European Union will stump up the cash for the proposed rail tunnel. A feasibility study was concluded in 2015 which sounded promising, suggesting that the tunnel could pay for itself within 40 years. It would also for the first time create a land-link between Finland and the Baltics that does not require travellers to pass through Russia, with all of the associated customs-hassle that would entail (as Finland and Estonia are both in the Schengen Zone, it might not even need a passport check).
A new tunnel would also provide a bonus stop on the proposed new Rail Baltica railway which, when construction begins in 2020, will create faster rail links between Berlin, Warsaw, and major cities in the three Baltic states.
Sri Lanka - India Bridge or Tunnel
The island nation of Sri Lanka and India are divided by the Palk Strait - which is just 32km wide at it's shortest point. In fact, just beneath the surface of the sea there are hidden islands known as Adam's Bridge, which were supposedly once navigable on foot, before a cyclone in 1480 permanently shook things up and left them underwater. So ever since, travel between the two countries has required a boat or a plane.
There are, however, plans to restore this historic link. At the end of last year The Hindu reported that the Asian Development Bank was willing to pay for a bridge, though as of April this year, the Indian government hasn't committed to anything just yet.
Gibraltar - Morocco Bridge
The British outpost of Gibraltar, on the southern tip of Spain, and Morocco in North Africa sit just 14km - or 9 miles - from each other. And the conceivable benefits are obvious and huge: For the first time Africa would have a fixed link with Europe, and trade between the two continents could be hugely enhanced. Finally, the Romans' former Mediterranean Empire would be one again - but this time not united by Roman domination, but by the spirit of cooperation. What a great idea - and hey, 9 miles isn't much… So building a bridge between the two should be trivial, right? Not quite.
The problem is that the Gibraltar Strait between the two continents sits at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. This is a sea passage that needs to remain navigable to the most enormous of container ships and oil tankers, which (thanks to the Suez Canal in Egypt) deliver the fuel and goods we rely on from the Middle East and China respectively. So any bridge needs to be careful not to screw this up.
So far there have been proposals for both a bridge and a tunnel.
In 1996, Prof TY Lin conducted a feasibility study into building a bridge, and concluded that the best way to do it would be to have two 910m tall piers in the middle of the sea - a tall order given that now 20 years later humans are only just managing to construct buildings on land around that height (the Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building is 830m high). Design-wise, it would need to be a hybrid cable-stayed suspension bridge, with road decks of 5km - longer than any ever constructed. And it would have to be built in deep water. Oh… and don't forget that it would sit on top of a tectonic fault, making it prone to earthquakes.
The tunnel proposals have hit roadblocks too, after geological surveys revealed the rock is much harder to bore through than, say, that found beneath the English Channel. According to The Guardian, in order to simply carry out the surveys of the rocks to find this, the engineers had to invent new boring techniques to handle the sea currents. Engineers have also concluded that the tunnel wouldn't simply be able to take the shortest possible route, but would need to take a longer 37.7km route, so that the tunnels have the correct gradients to enable trains the required 300m.
Despite these challenges, the tunnel project appears to be still going as of 2013, with both sides still slowly working on plans for this "Afrotunnel".
The Darien Gap
The Pan-American highway is a 30,000km long network of roads spanning the entire American continent, from Northern Alaska to Southern Chile. It's theoretically capable to drive the whole way - apart from one tiny gap.
Annoyingly for perfectionists, on the border between Panama and Columbia, when the continent is at its most narrow, there is the Darién Gap - a 160km long break in the road due to marshland, swamp and rainforest. The reason no one has thought to spray tarmac all over it is partially due to the difficulty of building, but also because of the completely reasonable explanation that it would be environmentally disastrous, as the area is known for its biodiversity. There's also indigenous people who live there, and fears about drug trafficking and violence.
Sadly it doesn't look like we'll see a tunnel any time soon - but there does appear to be a small group of people lobbying for it, including mad-looking 95 year old one-time Presidential Candidate Lyndon Larouche.
Bering Strait Bridge
Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin once famously claimed that she could see Russia from her house which, even if not strictly true, does underscore that despite America and Russia being worlds apart ideologically, they are really only separated by around 50 miles of Ocean.
And bridging this ocean - the Bering Strait - has long been talked about with varying degrees of seriousness. Prof Lin, who also pitched the Gibraltar bridge proposed a crossing in 1958 as an "Intercontinental Peace Bridge".
Amazingly, despite the strait being just on the edge of the Arctic Circle, conditions might not be too bad - the tidal currents aren't outrageous, and the sea is only 55m deep - much less than, say, Gibraltar. The sticking point, of course, is the temperatures which typically hit -20. Which would make construction a nightmare.
The other big problem, as identified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is that the location of the bridge is very remote, with no towns for 100 miles on either side. This means that there's very little existing infrastructure from where to build a bridge. Simply reaching the construction site would no doubt involve new roads, tunnels and bridges too - let alone the cost of infrastructure to connect up existing railways and roads with the bridge.
Since Prof Lin's call for a bridge in 1958, these days campaigners appear to be instead lobbying for a tunnel, which they reckon would cost only $35bn.
But perhaps it all could be worth it - not because Russia offers a great economic prize to the United States, but because of another country that would stand to gain from such a connection: China.
Japan - Korea Tunnel
Another proposed tunnel that could unite former enemies is the proposed link between Japan and South Korea, which are 128km from each other at their shortest point.
The tunnel would still be the longest undersea tunnel in the world by quite some distance, but it would seemingly make a lot of sense given that both are wealthy democracies that have deep economic ties with each other.
In 2009, the then South Korean President Lee Myung Bak ordered a feasibility study, but such a connection isn't expected to be cheap, at over £50bn.
There are also a number of other obstacles standing in the way, such as the fact that unlike Britain and France, Japan sits on the edge of a tectonic plate - and there are still arguably cultural factors at play, as though the two countries are now friendly they still haven't buried the hatchet over their historical grievances to quite the same extent we have with France (and to be fair, Korea's grievance with Japan is much more recent - up until the end of WWII).
And if they can ever build a tunnel, there's just the small matter of getting their rail systems to play nicely: Whereas South Korea uses 1435mm gauge tracks (same as Britain and much of the rest of the world), Japan uses narrower 1067mm tracks.
Irish Sea Crossing
Closer to home now and over the years there have been a number of proposals to connect Ireland with Great Britain. In 2007, the Centre for Cross Border Studies proposed a bridge from Northern Ireland to Galloway in Scotland. It'd have to stretch for 21 miles, and the idea is that it would connect up with trains heading towards Glasgow (and then, presumably, on to London). The cost was estimated at £3.5bn.
In 2004 meanwhile, the Irish Academy of Engineers proposed a 50 mile tunnel this time going under a much wider stretch of the Irish sea - linking Rossiare in Ireland with Pembrokeshire in Wales. It reckoned the journey would take one hour and ten minutes.
Perhaps where both plans fall down is in the economic question of… why? The Channel Tunnel arguably makes sense because it links London - the capital of Britain - with Brussels and Paris, the capitals of Belgium and France. And once the trains get to Kent, it is a relatively short hop to St Pancras. If you were to catch a train from Belfast to London via Glasgow, or Dublin to London via Pembrokeshire, by the time your train had made the hop under or over the sea, there would still be several hours of sitting on a train to go.
Transatlantic Tunnel
And finally, perhaps the craziest proposal of all: If you have a $12tn - yes, TRILLION, dollars to spare then not only would you control 15% of the world's entire GDP, but you'd also be able to build this completely crazy transatlantic tunnel.
The idea is that rather than tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean, or sit on the seabed (the volcanic Mid-Atlantic Ridge would cause problems), the tunnel would instead float in the water, held in place by a series of cables anchored to the sea floor.
In order to handle collisions with submarines and whales and the like, these cables would be controlled dynamically, giving the tunnel some flexibility - and they would ultimately be positioned by GPS to keep the tunnel in the right place.
As for the sort of trains you'd need, well, conventional trains are simply too slow for such a long journey. So instead we'd have to use Maglev trains, which float above the tracks using magnets… and we'd need to make them capable of travel at 5000mph in order to be viable. And to achieve these speeds? The massive underwater tunnel would have to be a perfect vacuum.
Well, it's ambitious to say the least - but perhaps don't bank on taking a trip on it in your lifetime.
Lead Image Credit: Transatlantic Maglev from Maglev.net


text: LAUDA-Brinkmann, located in Delran, NJ, is one of LAUDA's eleven global subsidiaries, supporting the North American market. LAUDA, founded in 1956, and headquartered in Lauda- Königshofen, Germany, is the leading manufacturer of premium temperature control equipment and analytical measuring devices including static water baths, low and high temperature recirculating baths, lab-scale and industrial chillers, custom industrial heating and cooling systems, process viscosity instruments, and innovative thermoelectric heating and cooling solutions. Our products provide precise temperature control from -100 oC to 400 oC with up to 400kW of cooling capacity. Contact LAUDA-Brinkmann via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or call(856) 764 7300.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The VA offers educational benefits through numerous GI Bill programs:
Post 9/11 GI Bill—Chapter 33
Follow current changes made by the Harry W. Colmery "Forever GI Bill" Act here
Yellow Ribbon Program
Currently available at the Hammond campus only
Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty (MGIB-AD)—Chapter 30
Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR)—Chapter 1606
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E)—Chapter 31
To qualify for this benefit, the service member must have a service-connected disability.
Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Entitlement
Fry Scholarship
Dependent Education Assistance Program (DEAP)—Chapter 35
This program is for dependents or spouses of veterans who have died or are totally and permanently disabled as the result of a service connected disability or died while evaluated as having a total and permanent disability, or dependents or spouse of a person who is listed as a POW or MIA.
A complete explanation of GI Bill Benefits is available at the Department of Veterans Affairs website or call the VA's Education Call Center at (888) 442-4551.
For further questions or concerns, please contact your school's Veteran Certifying Official.
State Benefits
National Guard Supplemental Grant
Child of Disabled Veteran
Purple Heart Recipient
To apply for these state benefits you must complete your FAFSA then you may go to the scholar track website and create a user login before completing the application. NGSG application typically opens 60 days before the semester start date with the exclusion of the summer term.
Questions and concerns regarding these benefits should be addressed with the PNW Financial Aid Office, at email@example.com or via phone at 219-989-2301 on the Hammond campus or 219-785-5460 on the Westville campus.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance (TA) is offered for individuals who are still serving. Start with your unit's education office to determine your eligibility based on your branch of service and to ensure you take the proper steps needed to apply.
Getting Started
- Complete the appropriate application per your unit's military branch/education office instructions:
- Army, Army Reserves and Army National Guard applicants visit Go Army Ed.
- All others please communicate with your unit's education office.
- When your TA is approved, please contact the Bursar's Office at your campus to complete the process.


text:
London Zoo Deals
0 Current Deals
300+ attractions
If you register and print a voucher from Days Out Guide then buy a National Rail ticket, you can get 2for1 entry to over 300 UK attractions, including SeaLife Centres, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor when you present both at the attraction. See the full theme park list or the zoo and wildlife list.
You need to print a voucher for the relevant attraction (follow the link above and search for it) AND have a valid rail ticket bought from National Rail on the same day for a single or day return ticket, or within the days of travel for a return ticket.
What if I live near the attraction/am travelling by other means?
It's worth doing this even if you are not travelling by train as a cheap single ticket can be available for a couple of quid, far cheaper than the entry ticket price (Legoland Windsor is the most expensive at up to £60 on the gate).
Just stop by the nearest station on your way and pick one up, then present both to get your 2for1. Crucially, your rail ticket must show that you have travelled to one of the stations nearest the attraction. So for Thorpe Park, you need to have a ticket with an end destination of Staines or Chertsey.
The offer's ongoing, but check the voucher for each individual attraction's restrictions, as these vary. See the full T&Cs including which tickets are valid.
Excludes Oyster cards, Freedom Passes, and tickets and travelcards bought from London Underground. Can't be used with other offers or promotions.
Get Our Free Money Tips Email!For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes - join the 12m who get it. Don't miss out
If you book tickets online at London Zoo, you can get up to 10% off the gate price.
Adult tickets are £24.30 online without a donation (£27.04 at the gate) and child tickets are £18 without a donation (£20 at the gate).
£2.50 = £7.50
Every £2.50 of Tesco Clubcard points is worth £7.50 in days out tokens for ZSL London Zoo. Adult tickets cost up to £27.04 and kids up to £20 (without donations).
To get the offer, visit the ZSL London Zoo Clubcard rewards page* and enter the amount of points you want to convert.
Tesco Clubcard says you should recieve your tokens in the post within seven working days and will be valid for six months.
Tokens can only be used on individual standard entry tickets and can't be used to purchase family tickets.
Excludes season tickets, family tickets, special events/shows, other promotions, discounts or offers, group bookings, online bookings, annual memberships, car entry, car parking and birthday parties.
Latest Expired Deals
London Zoo 2for1 with National Rail
Buy National Rail tickets & print voucherBuy a National Rail ticket, register and print vouchers. The key here is you need to print a voucher AND have a valid rail ticket with a London station as the final destination, for the same day. It's worth doing this even if you're not travelling by train a cheap single ticket is available for a couple of quid, far cheaper than the entry ticket price.
So just stop by the nearest station on your way and pick one up, then present both to get your 2for1.
National Rail tickets only - excludes London Underground tickets/travelcards/Oyster. Can't be used with other offers or promotions.


text:
Museums can be transformative teaching spaces. Whether through hands-on experiences with objects, behind-the-scenes tours, or discussions inspired by exhibitions, instructors can create incredible learning opportunities for their students.
Visit the Museum
We encourage instructors to schedule a guided or self-guided exploration of the current exhibitions in Manning Hall by emailing [email protected] at least three weeks in advance. Museum staff can work with instructors to develop and facilitate course-specific assignments, tours, and seminar sessions in the gallery.
Located in Manning Hall, the Culture Lab offers students an opportunity to directly interact with objects from the Museum's collection. Museum staff work closely with instructors to select objects for class visits and assignments, and we ask interested instructors to email a Research Request/Collection Access form to [email protected] at least three weeks in advance.
Please note that, while the Culture Lab is best suited for groups of 12 or fewer students, we can accommodate larger classes as scheduling and space allows.
"The hands-on approach to highly meaningful objects allowed the students to overcome the traditional framing of the museum experience ... The class proved to be extraordinarily enriching to all the participants, and to raise several issues that will stay with us throughout the semester."
- Pedro Lopes de Almeida, Ph.D. Student, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
POBS 0620: Mapping the Portuguese-Speaking Cultures: Portugal and Africa


text:
Date: 26/08/2006
Competition: FAI Cup
Round: FourthRound
Venue: Richmond Park
Ryan; Brennan, Rutherford, Mulcahy, Maguire; C Foley, M Quigley (Murphy 63), M Foley, O Connor; Keegan (Armstrong 75), Molloy (Grogan 82)
Bennion; Flanagan, Marney, Lynch, McCauley; R Dunne, Finn, Hughes (Connor 44), Hoey (Kearns 59); K Dunne, Hynes (Vaughan 70)
Referee: Damien Hancock
Assistants: Dave Wogan & Rhona Daly
4th Official: Derek Tomney
It was the visitors who had the better start and twice they went close within the opening seven minutes. On six, Robert McAuley struck a low and very hard free kick from 25 yards out that went inches wide of Barry Ryan s right post while Sean Finn tried his luck from the right of the box a minute later but he put to much weight in the effort and it grazed the crossbar as it went over.
Pat's took their time but soon settled in and Keegan had their first decent shot on target on 15 minutes but Dundalk keeper Chris Bennion got down well to block his strike. Trevor Molloy then had a snap shot on 19 minutes but again Bennion made a fine save. At the other end Robbie Dunne's header hit the crossbar on the half-hour.
Following intense pressure, Pat's opened the scoring on 38 minutes. After good work from Molloy, Michael Foley and Colm Foley, Keegan headed past Bennion from close range.
McAuley thought he had put Dundalk level on 56 minutes when he headed past Ryan but ref Damien Hancock ruled the goal out after seeing pushing in the crowded goalmouth. McAuley was then given a yellow card for protesting.
Pats boss Johnny McDonnell replaced Mark Quigley with Anto Murphy after 63 minutes and Murphy sealed the win for Pat s with a close range strike from the right just three minutes after coming on.
© www.fai.ie


text:
Get detailed movie theater listings including start times, movie synopsis and ratings.[*]
Movie Listings is part of SiriusXM Travel Link, which also brings you weather, sports scores [*], and fuel prices, as well as stock information. This suite of services works with your vehicle's navigation system to find nearby destinations, and can even guide you there.[*]
Trial Subscription Ending? Subscribe Now [*]
Get more information on SiriusXM Travel Link Movie listings [*]
Explore SiriusXM NissanConnect Features >
The SiriusXM Travel Link Movie Listings service covers the top 40 movies in theaters across the country, with detailed descriptions, ratings, and running times.[*]
The SiriusXM® Travel Link® suite of services brings a wealth of information right to your NissanConnectSM system. [*]
Find theaters, movie listings, and showtimes with SiriusXM® Travel Link Movie listings. Select a theatre, then click 'Go Here' to get directions. [*]


text:
Find Your Perfect Home.
Riverdale Real Estate
Riverdale is located in Michigan. Riverdale, Michigan has a population of 2,344. Riverdale is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 28% households with children. The county percentage for households with children is 28%.
The median household income in Riverdale, Michigan is $37,678. The median household income for the surrounding county is $38,455 compared to the national median of $49,877. The median age of people living in Riverdale is 42.3 years.
Riverdale Weather
The average high temperature in July is 82.8 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 12.9 degrees. The annual precipitation is 31.74.
View Homes for Sale in Riverdale
Riverdale Map
Real Estate Near Riverdale
Nearby Cities
Nearby Cities Homes for Sale
Riverdale Zip Codes


text:
How Donald Trump's "Wall" Is Hurting These Two 12-Year-Old Girls In Michigan
In the weeks since Donald Trump won the presidential election, it's been easy to forget in the midst of startling news about his cabinet appointments and diplomatic flops that backlash against minorities has increased steadily as well. It hasn't, however, been far from the minds of Josie Ramon and Isabelle Castilla — two Latina students at Royal Oak Middle School outside of Detroit, Michigan, who filmed their classmates chanting "Build a wall!" the day after Trump won the election. Trump's "wall" hurt these 12-year-old girls profoundly, and their fellow students' support of it has troubled them, their parents, and their community since Nov. 9.
In an interview with CNN, Ramon, who filmed the now-viral "build a wall" video and Castilla, her best friend, spoke about the incident and the fallout from it. A tearful Ramon, who said she'd witnessed racism at their mostly-white school before, said she filmed her classmates to have evidence, but was afraid while doing so. The video went viral after she sent it to her mother, who shared it with some other parents who then shared it on Facebook.
Ramon, who is Mexican-American, became the subject of backlash with some of her fellow students and their parents saying she should have been suspended or expelled for sharing the video. She said she was shunned by many in the school, and the ostracizing led her to withdraw from Royal Oak Middle and begin attending private school. Castilla's mom, along with other parents, has been working in the community and within the school system to ensure their children's safety, but the slow-moving process of diversity training and inclusive curriculum won't be able to reverse the pain experienced by minority kids in their suburban community.
The "build a wall" incident at Royal Oak Middle was followed soon after by another startling act of racism when a noose was found in a boy's bathroom at the same school about a week later. The student who fashioned and planted it was expelled, but not before a wave of fear rocked the school and its students. "At Royal Oak Schools, we will not tolerate intimidation, threats, harassment or bullying," the school said in a statement, adding, "We will also have additional counselors and social workers to support students affected by this incident. We will be deploying an additional school safety officer to our middle school, as well."
Though the Royal Oak video was perhaps the most viral example of student harassment inspired by Trump's rhetoric, it's far from the only one. An uptick in public incidents of bigotry in schools linked to the "Trump Effect" was already on the rise before the election, and similar acts of hatred have increased exponentially since Nov. 9. The impact on American kids has been clear: not only has an overgrown schoolyard bully been elected president, but students within his cross-hairs — be they female, Muslim, Latino, queer or any other of the myriad groups targeted by Trump's hateful campaign talk — have lost any semblance of security in an increasingly divisive and divided nation.
The meteoric rise in bigoted bullying in schools that's dogged Trump's trajectory from wild card candidate to president-elect doesn't just point to the twisted mindsets of those who helped his rise to power — it's also a chilling reminder of just how many people who had no say in his election are being hurt because of it. For these two girls in Royal Oak, it meant having to live in fear of their classmates. There's no telling what it will mean for the millions of other American kids who will suffer similar (or worse) situations under the incoming administration.


text:
Future events happening here
- - No events -
Past events that happened here
WednesdayOct 2 2019CNPDX October: Microservice Network Security
This meetup is generously hosted by Autodesk!
Topic: Network Security for Microservices
Speaker: Karthik Prabhakar, Director of Solution Architecture at Tigera
Leveraging experience from the design and deployment of network security across numerous high profile deployments, Karthik will provide a demo-driven walkthrough of recent network security architectures for microservices. Specifically, this will highlight: 1. Transitioning to declarative policy-as-code for security controls. 2. Automating security and compliance workflows and adapting them for microservices. 3. Integrating Kubernetes and Envoy/Istio/Service-Mesh capabilities to enable zero-trust.
TuesdayJun 11 2019CNPDX June: Machine Learning and Example Kube Apps
Autodesk is hosting us for the first time for an application-centric meetup! Learn how to build Kubernetes projects. First we'll show you an end-to-end example Kubernetes application using Helm, and then we'll show you a Machine Learning/NLP project.
PLEASE RSVP on Meetup.com if you have an account for food ordering reasons.
Devstats: An example end-to-end Kubernetes application.
Presenter: Josh Berkus, Red Hat
You may know DevStats as a repository of contributor statistics for Kubernetes (devstats.cncf.io), but you're about to find out that it is also a great demonstration case of migrating a complete application to orchestrated microservices. Our community has lacked solid, production-quality, end-to-end, all-open-source application examples, so we decided to make DevStats into one.
NLP for fun and profit. Story of end to end machine learning project on Kubernetes.
Presenters: Michał Jastrzębski, Hamel Husain, Github
Abstract: Machine learning makes waves again, we are being constantly amazed by new feats neural networks can achieve. Models, while important, are a small part of the whole machine learning system. The infrastructure it runs on, the dataset itself and data cleaning/preprocessing pipeline are often omitted in news articles, but they are critical components of any machine learning project. Infrastructure, in particular, is a hard problem and there are few good examples of running cloud-native machine learning. In GitHub, we are building a full platform for machine learning based on Kubernetes. In this talk we will walk through such end to end project, one anyone can replicate at home (code is open source and data is available), we will tackle hard natural language problem - automatically labeling GitHub issues as bug or feature. We will deep dive into our Kubernetes use case and walk through different components we have used for every step of ML project lifecycle - from data preprocessing to serving model for the application.
TuesdayJan 22 2019Indie.vc v 3.0 - Winter Tour 2019
Over the last few years, we've had the chance to host many events that expose founders to an alternative universe where companies they've been told can't be built without massive amounts of VC funding are thriving with little, to no, outside investment. We often start these events by warning attendees that they won't be able to unsee what they're about to see. Many leave these events with a whole new perspective on not only what is possible, but why limiting exposure the traditional venture business model is beneficial for founders, employees and the cultures and values they're hoping to embody with their businesses.
Rather than write another blog post or clever FAQ, we wanted to bring that same in-person experience to those considering investment from Indie.vc.
Over the next 2 months, we'll be embarking on a tour of most major metros in the US (we tried picking towns that were a short-ish road trip away from just about anywhere). Our goal with these info sessions is to share our experiences and motives directly with the Indie-curious. They are open to founders interested in taking investment from Indie.vc and Angels/Funds interested in funding companies the way we do. We're planning to have some founders we've backed, and founders who've built and scaled profitable businesses, join us for these events to answer questions and share their experiences embracing the values and tactics we preach.
RSVP at https://indie.vc
Proudly hosted by PIE and PIE Shop in collaboration with Autodesk
ThursdayNov 1 2018Autodesk - Fusion 360 Meetup
Don't call it a comeback !
We are excited to be reintroducing the Fusion 360 Meetup in our new Portland Autodesk space located in the Central Eastside. Please join us and help set the agenda for future Meetups.
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm Arrive, socialize, eat and drink, check out the space including the PIE Shop - ask questions 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm Welcome, Meetup going forward, Fusion updates, and Portland Autodesk Space o Mike Aubry Intro/Kick Off o Meetup restart (meetup council, platform going forward, follow up survey, ideas etc.) o Tier Consolidation o Fusion updates o Portland Autodesk Space / PIE Shop o More fun things! 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Socialize, Network ... did we mention to ask more questions ?


text:
At Burberry February 2017 Collection Presentation, the emphasis was all about the shoulder. This was exemplified with a finale of one-of-a-kind series of made-to-order only capes that look more like theatrical costume than fashion pieces. Each of them embodied British craftsmanship and influences from traditional British costumes from armours to Elizabethan gowns to contemporary everyday wear. Although they were stunning at the finale worn by all the models, their true beauty were best appreciated when they are seen up close at Makers House, where the whole collection were displayed as art form.
Here are some of the highlights of pieces on display, for those of you who cannot visit Makers House before the exhibition ends on Monday 27th February 2017.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Julia Jevzikova


text:
|About Spring
Creek & Pam Chambers
Meet the Spring Creek Pack
Spring Creek 2014 Litter: Raksha & Kody Joe
In the early 1960s my parents, Ben and Virginia, started Spring Creek Kennels, named after the small creek running through the property where I grew up. They raised and showed beautiful white miniature Poodles and later brown toy Poodles. By the time I was ten I had my own Poodle, was in 4H, and was very good at grooming those high-upkeep coats. In Junior High and High School I earned my spending money and supported my horses with my job in local grooming parlor, my silver toy Poodle Nanette lying under my table every day that I worked. After High School graduation, I came to Tacoma and lived and worked for Johnny Long and his wife; Johnny was a well respected professional handler specializing in Poodles and later a judge for AKC.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic to discover the wash and wear Chinook in 1997. Although it's no longer Poodles, I am very proud to be carrying on the Spring Creek name with beautiful dogs.
A significant Specialty win for a Spring Creek pup.
Pam's dad, Ben, doing what he and the dogs did best -- napping.
Pam's mom, Virginia, sitting next to Spring Creek on their
property near Yakima, Washington where Pam grew up.
Pam Chambers met and fell in love with Chinooks in 1997 when she was "just going to look at a litter" and the biggest of the pups ended up going home with her. The floodgates were opened. First was a Chinook Cross male, Kolby, followed shortly by WoodsRunner Brandy, a beautiful Chinook bitch from the prominent WoodsRunner kennel in Maine. Brandy and Kolby got Pam hooked on sledding and back into the swing of obedience work. Pam soon was itching for more, more, more! Brandy was bred to Rain Mountain Tonasket Thunder and produced the first Spring Creek litter, from which Pam kept Mocha, and so on. Really you need to let Pam tell the story of each of the dogs.
Kolby was one of nine pups resulting from a German Shepherd jumping the fence into the yard of a blue-blooded Chinook girl. He was the biggest of the pups, known as "Hummer" as a baby because he was as big as one of the legendary vehicles. Pam had her heart set on a purebred Chinook but only wanted to stop by and see the pups. Perhaps it was the fact that she had her teenage son with her at the time that resulted in Kolby going home with them from that visit.
In Pam's words: "Kolby was out first introduction to Chinooks and a whole new way of life. We saw an article in Dog World and the dogs looked and sounded like the ideal breed. We contacted Ginger Corley of Rain Mountain Chinooks and met her and her dogs. She knew of a nearby accidental litter that was half Chinook. We were really just going to look at the pups but ended up coming home with Kolby, the largest of the pups in the litter. Kolby was a lean guy at 90 pounds and everyone was his his best friend. He was great in obedience and soon mastered carting too. I fostered a wolf hybrid for friends and with the two of them, I had my first sled team. The three of us would spend many wonderful hours on a trail enjoying the feel of the runners on the pristine snow."
"Kolby could always bring a smile to our faces and when he left, he left a big hole in our hearts. I've always told my children when they've lost a friend that God has promised we will be forever happy someday and if that's what it takes to be happy, our friend will be waiting for us. So I know Kolby and I will be together again someday."
In the summer of 1998 Ginger Corley of Rain Mountain Chinooks met up in Denver with Connie Jones of WoodsRunner Chinooks of Maine. Connie had brought three Chinook pups to Denver where she handed them over to Ginger, who brought them back to the Seattle area. These three Chinooks went on to make a significant mark on Chinook breeding in the West and in the whole Chinook world. One of those was a little bundle of blond fur who came to be known as WoodsRunner Golden Brandy and the absolute Princess of the Chambers household. Brandy was game for anything, be it playing dress-up with Pam's granddaughters or throwing her weight into harness with Kolby. She was also a dainty princess in the show ring (though she was usually beat out by her bigger and flashier litter sister, Lady). She was Pam's constant companion but only until Mike got home from work. Then she was his. No dog was ever so fussed over. Was she eating enough or should she be fed some chicken breasts? Was she getting the right amount of exercise? Brandy soaked it all up as her birthright. She was made to be worshiped after all.
Sweet Brandy even got along well with the family's many cats
A few months before she passed away, Brandy was
still happy to see company and visit a while.
Patient Brandy was often dressed in costume.
Left to right: WoodsRunner Golden Brandy, WoodsRunner Lady Rain, and WoodsRunner Rorik
In February of 2001 Brandy gave birth to the first Spring Creek Chinook litter, presenting Pam with two tawny baby girls, who were named Mocha and Chaim originally. Mocha stayed and kept her name and Chai became Bailey and moved to Minnesota, where she earned kudos in the show world and as a demo dog for trainer and behaviorist Kathleen Riley-Daniels.
Brandy lived out her life at Spring Creek, dying peacefully in early 2014 at age 15. She was very well loved and will always be missed. It is with thanks to WoodsRunner Chinooks, who, though they are no longer breeding, gave Spring Creek their start in the world of Chinooks and showed them that there are a lot of fun things to do with your dogs instead of spending all that time grooming them.
Mocha has the special sort of confidence that comes in a dog that grows up in the same place as it was born. She easily earned her UKC Championship title as a one year old, finishing with a Reserve Best in Show and being ranked in Top Ten in 2002. Mocha loves snow and considered sledding wonderful fun in her younger years. She also enjoyed herding and qualified for her Herding Instinct Certified certificate. Mocha's greatest desire is to be by Pam's side and Pam used that to gain her UKC weight pull title. Mocha would do anything to get next to Pam and it didn't matter how much she had to pull to get there. Pam stopped her at 2,000 pounds, meaning she was quite close to her much larger sire's personal best of 2,200 pounds.
Mocha produced a beautiful litter for Spring Creek September 11, 2004. Out of that of four males and two females, perhaps the most notable pup was Grand Ch. Spring Creek's Lambeau Leap, aka "Brett Farve," who earned a great following both in the Chinook world and the dog fancy in general as the demo dog for dogscooter.com and later for chalosulky.com with Daphne Lewis. Brett was also a notable stud dog, siring several litters for Moonsong Chinooks, Frontier Chinooks, and Laughing Mountain Chinooks before sadly dying of lung cancer in the prime of life.
After Brandy passed away, Mocha became the reigning diva of Spring
Creek, ruling the pack, lying in the most choice spots in front of the
fireplace, and running beside Pam's electric scooter. Just ask
her and she would tell you how very important she was. It was a huge
shock to the Chambers family when a stroke laid waste to her body and
neurological functions in the late fall of 2015. Mocha went from being
fine one day to being physically devastated the next. The decision was
made to free her from her body with heavy hearts in October of 2015.
Ch. Hickory Hill Spring Rain HIC, aka, Belle
Belle is a golden treasure from Maine, riding to Seattle under Pam's seat on a trip that took twice as long as it should, what with being so soon after 9/11. Belle is co-owned by Ginger Corley of Rain Mountain Chinooks. She is truly a princess with exquisite looks and a regal manner about her. As soon as she arrived at the Chambers' home, she jumped into the play yard with Pam's granddaughter Madison and the two became a tightly bonded pair. They are friends forever.
Belle was such a lovable dog that while in Ginger's van, along with
her cousins Kodi and Taaku, a car prowler was able to steal Ginger's
purse while she was inside registering them for the dog show. Chinooks,
especially when just 12 to 18 months old, just are not ferocious. They
probably licked the prowler gratefully, especially if s/he offered them
treats. But if anyone would have harmed a hair on any of Belle's
children, she would have died to save them. Chinooks just are not
materialistic but they truly love their people.
Belle is a Chinook who has mastered many jobs. She received her Championship in the ring, she loves the snow and sledding but found her true niche pulling a cart usually with Madison in it. She was always willing to offer a ride to little legs that were too tired to walk while picnicking, carrying hot drinks during Christmas caroling or local parades, and did promo work for the beautiful tulip fields. (You could say that Belle was the belle of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.)
Pam's health declined and she needed a Service Dog for mobility, Belle
stepped up to the job and never left her side until she was retired
when she was ten years old. Even so, when at home, Belle was still
at Pam's side, her dedicated Service Dog forever. Even after she lost
the use of her rear legs, she was determined to be near Pam, always
with a happy smile and a wagging tail. It was only when she could no
longer hide her pain, and Mike and Pam were having to carry her from
her bed to the outside potty yard (Mike throwing out his back in the
process but never complaining), that the final decision was made to let Belle leave her body behind, mere weeks after they said goodbye to Mocha. She is missed by many and the house is far too quiet.
The elegant Hickory Hill Spring Rain, aka Bella
Belle loves cuddling with Pam's grandchildren
Photos of Bella carting with then-toddler Madison were
used by the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for promotions.
Raksha is a very striking young Chinook girl from the Moonsong Chinooks' Jungle Book Litter. Co-owned with her breeder, Carie Taylor, Raksha is line bred on Moonsong and Rain Mountain bloodlines. She gives Pam the opportunity to breed to several young males in the Northwest as well as breeding back to the genes of Brett Farve from her 2004 litter.
When Belle retired, Raksha stepped in as Pam's Service Dog, providing mobility assistance and even more tasks as Pam's skill as a trainer has increased; she's intelligent and has a lot of energy and drive. Her stunning looks and carriage tend to stop people wherever they go. Raksha is diligent about her jog but when she's not working, she is always up for a good game of tag with Pam's grandchildren, begging them to chase her. She also loves her Chinook friends and Pam provides scheduled playmates with Moonsong Kayla and Frontier Luck of the Draw (Penalize). She still whines when they pass her brother Watson's house, though he has moved to Oregon with his owner.
Raksha has just produced her first litter, sired by Atholl Hurricane Nakoda Rain, otherwise known as Kody Joe. Two males and three females were born on February 28, 2014. Raksha has been a devoted mother though as the pups have gotten older, she is torn between her duty to her babies and her job as Pam's Service Dog. To visit with the Raksha x Kody Joe Litter, please go to their webpage.
Creek 2014 Litter: Raksha & Kody Joe
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Ironman Triathlon – 10 things I wish I knew before I started training
I have recently completed an Ironman triathlon. I haven't had a chance to summarize this experience yet, but I will.
So stay tuned! Bye…. Just Kidding
Triathlon is an interesting sport, and for someone who never did it before, some of the things about it seemed weird to me at first. In this post I will share with you 10 things that I wish I knew before I have started my training.
1. Bike pedals will give you both – pain and embarrassment
Bike pedals have cleats, that clip to your bike shoes to make your riding more efficient. I love riding with cleated pedals now, but when I started… It took me a while to get used to unclipping. When you don't unclip on time you will fall, and it will hurt. Also it is pretty embarrassing!
See for yourself:
2. Swimming makes you dizzy
When you get out of the water after swimming in choppy conditions – often you feel really dizzy. One of the tips that helped me to avoid it is to put swim cap over my ears.
3. Same Trisuit for 17 hours
I usually don't wear my t-shirts for more than 8 hours, but during long events such as Ironman triathlon, most athletes wear same trisuit for 10-17 hours. To avoid chafing athletes use vaseline based glides and creams.
4. Following feet when swimming gives you superpowers
When you draft behind someone during the swim – you spend much less energy and its totally legal. They say that drafting can save you up to 37% of your energy! That's huge!
Want to know how to draft efficiently ?
Check out this video:
5. Shifting gears is weird
On tribikes gear shifters are located on the aero-bars, which is great when you are in aero-position, but it does create a little bit of a problem when you are climbing hills.
6. No Tribikes are allowed in cycling groups
Most of the cycling groups would not allow people on tribikes as those are considered more dangerous. So if you want to train with cycling groups, you would have to buy a road bike.
7. Running after bike feels weird
When you start running after bike, your legs are wobbly and it feels like you already ran a lot The good news is that this feeling it passes after first couple km.
8. Sometimes you have to run during the swim portion of the tri
In some races while doing multiple laps of swimming, you have to run out of the water and jump back in
9. Wetsuit is your secret sauce
Wetsuit makes you swim faster – it gives you extra buoyancy and you don't have to move your legs that much, I find that with wetsuit I am at least 10 seconds/km faster.
10. You don't have to be young or fit to finish an Ironman triathlon
I met many people on the Ironman race, many of them were less fit than me, older than me and most of them still finished. I met a guy on the race who did his first Ironman in 67.
Don't believe me that it is possible ? Check out this video of 86-year old nun, who did 40 Ironman triathlons:
Leave me feedback!
These are my 10 things that I did not know about triathlons, before I have started. Your feedback is super valuable to me, so if you have something to share, please put it in comments!
Also if you enjoy such posts, you will enjoy my Productivity Hacks & Tools newsletter, where I send you 1 email a week with 3-5 tools, that I use myself to be productive. Some of them helped me to finish my first Ironman this year, so please subscribe!


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well, no, actually i don't – sorry! i'm the one who received a surprise in the mail. i just muchly love that "package" line from the movie legally blonde (classically wonderful movie, btw, if you've never seen it).
so what arrived via canada post??
none other than…
my cheerios beach towel!
wow, my shorter term memory must be going…i had completely forgotten about how i had ordered free towels back on august 11th, thanks to the cereal box giveaway offer.
the towel is super cute. unfortunately, it's also
super cheap and thin … not the highest of quality (not that i was expecting a brian gluckstein-quality plushness when you receive something like this, for free).
i ordered three towels, total, so the other two should be on their way! i'll show "the collection" once my set is complete!
third time's the charm
i realized last friday that there was only one week left in september.
and dad and i had not yet enjoyed our outing of the month.
then i looked at my calendar, and thought about dad's schedule.
ugh-oh. the pickings were looking incredibly slim for how we were going to fit in a get-together.
dad's idea for september had been to go for lunch to zoup. this soup-sandwich-salad-neat-o restaurant is right across from us, and i haven't been there yet, either (dad has, once). i was thumbs up on that plan…until i realized there were zero lunch slots available to us between now and september 30th.
my suggestion was to go to a movie together. that would be a new experience as i have never gone to a movie with just dad. now, the kink in that plan was that the only movie i really want to see that is playing right now is…
i just couldn't bring myself to inflict this film on poor dad – plus, he's not a sjp fan (i am!). moneyball, the new release starring brad pitt, would be more dad's style…but, i am not crazy about dear brad, and the movie is 2 hours 15 minutes!
movie problem solved when we couldn't come up with a suitable evening for both of us.
which brings us to option #3 – a sunday afternoon break at starbucks. wouldn't you know, we got there and all tables were full! so we
hopped across jaywalked across king street to the gelato place.
yes, we invited mom to join us – the vibe was just right. we all had a wonderful visit – even though we are next-door neighbours (condos in side-by-side buildings) it had been two weeks since we had all seen each other!
dad, i think we need to plan october NOW!
whose line is it anyway?
[tangent: contrary to legally blond, i do not care for drew carey nor the game show "whose line…" and one of my fave game shows ever, the price is right, is simply unwatchable with mr carey as host. bob barker -> irreplaceable].
anyway, on friday, janetha blogged a funny post based on an email her mom had forwarded on to her. j has no idea as to the origins of the "adult truths" listed in the email; therefore, i have no clue either as to who to credit, obviously! so, just read and laugh – here are my favourite ten:
1. nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
2. mapquest really needs to start their directions on #5. i'm pretty sure i know how to get out of my neighbourhood.
3. bad decisions make good stories.
4. i keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so i know not to answer when they call.
5. how many times is it appropriate to say "what?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
6. i love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. stay strong, brothers and sisters!
7. shirts get dirty. underwear gets dirty. pants? pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever…
8. there is a great need for a sarcasm font.
9. you never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to be productive for the rest of the day.
10. the first testicular guard, the "cup," was used in hocky in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. that means it took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
received anything fun in the mail lately? my mail is so boring! i don't even have magazine subscriptions anymore!
sarah jessica parker: like or unlike? me = a big fan. ever since her "square pegs" tv show in the 80's. i would kill for her hair!
which truth is your favourite? me = #5 -> i'll say "pardon" two times, then i'm out.


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Agriculture 'doesn't have to be long-term Brexit loser'
Food and agriculture is easily the sector most vulnerable to Brexit, with a potential move to World Trade Organisation tariffs looking set to inflict an €800m hit on the beef sector alone.
But it doesn't need to be like that, according to a new report from the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), a Dublin-based policy and economic think-tank. It said agriculture can leverage the same kind of post-Brexit dynamics that have already been seen in areas like finance.
In order to maintain access to European markets after Britain leaves the EU, financial firms have been setting up operations in Ireland, many establishing regional operations here.
While it isn't going to be an overnight solution to the huge problems facing the agriculture sector in the event a hard Brexit sees hefty tariffs imposed on exports to Britain, it does offer a way out.
"The parallel between UK financial services firms establishing in Ireland and Irish agri-business firms investing in the UK suggests an avenue of opportunity," Frank Barry, professor of international business and economic development at Trinity, wrote in the report.
"Some of the damage of a hard Brexit would be offset if UK agri-food firms were to establish export platform facilities in Ireland to service their existing EU markets."
Although the UK is a huge market for exports in the dairy sector, for example, UK dairy exports to the rest of the EU are 150pc of Irish dairy exports to the UK. A large proportion are branded products, which means they have high degrees of customer loyalty.
Items from industries such as confectionery, dairy, animal products, soft drinks and distilling are among the industries which are advertising and brand intensive, according to the IIEA report, which cited the prior use of Irish chocolate crumb in Cadbury's confectionary.
Also Read
The ingredients of those brand name products are precisely what Ireland will have in excess post-Brexit.
Add some products which are research and development intensive – chemicals and medical instruments among them – which will also attract high tariffs, and there is an opportunity for UK firms to invest here.
"Some of the UK firms that will suffer diminished market access may be relatively small and have little experience of overseas production: to these the familiarity of the Irish environment will be particularly appealing," Prof Barry wrote.
Ireland will be the worst-hit of any country by the Brexit shock and the Central Bank estimates economic growth this year could be just 1-1.5pc.
Irish Independent


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The Brooklyn Hospital Center is committed to providing the highest level of education for physicians and nurses in training, licensed medical professionals, and the community. Each week the Ground Rounds lectures cover a wide range of current and clinically significant topics. Lectures feature specialists and physicians from The Brooklyn Hospital Center, as well visiting doctors and professionals from all areas of medical expertise. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for our patients.
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Glittering Shanghai
Glittering Shanghai
Shanghai, just the name conjurors up an exotic, exciting city of vice, business, trade and history.
Of glamorous Chinese women in vintage posters, of narrow alleys of opium dens and shops, of colonial powers and glittering skylines.
The Shanghai of today is a vast, modern city but it's not hard to find the Shanghai of the romantic imagination.
The Bund:
To walk along the Bund, with its magnificent colonial buildings and the neon-lit skyscrapers of Pudong across the river is to see a different side of China, a modern, East-meets-West China.
The Chinese tourists wandering up the Bund look as awestruck as the foreign, western visitors, for each it is both familiar and exotic.
Our accommodation was a Youth Hostel off East Nanjing Road, a historic thoroughfare of shops and shoppers, a vibrant street, partially pedestrianized, of neon signs and commercialism. East Nanjing Road leads off the Bund through to People's Square, People's Park and the Shanghai Museum, a well-trodden road I used every day.
We arrived with our sweet Canadian friend Caley and reunited with Sean {who we traveled across Russia and Mongolia with} in the hostel reception. It's wonderful to collide with traveling friends.
The Bund at night was our first view of this famous Shanghai stretch, we were naturally drawn down to it after dinner.
The illuminated towers and skyscrapers of Pudong look so modern across the river, yet a little retro-sci-fi.
The Oriental Pearl Tower, a space-age rocket-like structure, gives the skyline a sixties futuristic twist.
Behind us were the grand, substantial European buildings along the Bund, a fine colonial legacy of beautiful, imposing architecture.
We strolled along the promenade to the large communist monument, admiring the brightly lit tourist boats plying the river.
People's Square:
The next day the four us took a walk up East Nanjing Road to People's Square, stopping in Shanghai No1 Food Store on the way.
This old colonial department store is now a five floor temple to food shopping.
From traditional Shanghai delicacies to imported food and sweet snacks, the store is a hectic whirlwind of sights, smells and tastes.
I bought some superb Portuguese egg custard tarts from a counter on the top floor, a popular Chinese snack that was introduced from Macau.
At People's Square there is a small park, it used to be a race course and is surrounded by skyscrapers.
Under the shade of the trees are winding paths, small waterfalls and a pond.
Groups of older men were playing cards and birds twittered noisily in the canopy above, it was a pleasant escape from the city for a while.
The French Concession:
We made our way to the area known as the French Concession, here can be found many of Shanghai's old residential buildings, some of which are wonderfully art deco, there are restaurants and bars as well as shops and boutiques.
Walking to Tianzifang we paused en route at Fuxing Park to watch a small group of locals dancing, resting our weary legs on a park bench.
Tianzifang is a small block of low, narrow longtang alleys {like Beijing's hutongs} crammed with hip shops, tea rooms, bars and eateries.
It was teeming with younger tourists, mostly Chinese and was a quirky place to wander.
Feeling hungry and tired, we took a small table on the street outside a little restaurant and ordered pizza and a jug of beer, a great spot to people-watch. Yet how western could we possibly look, eating our pizza and supping our beer?
We became the people to watch!
The day was ended on the rooftop at Captain's Bar, just behind the Bund and overlooking the gloriously illuminated Pudong.
Two-for-one beers {happy hour} and that skyline, perfect!
Pin it for later:
Try these posts:
Shanghai. Gardens, Art and the Smog from Hell The air suddenly became lethally toxic!
Shanghai Museum A slick museum in a building shaped like a dish!
Pretty Zhujiajiao, a Day Trip From Shanghai a gorgeous old watertown.
Food and Culture in the Muslim Quarter, Xi'an So delicious, so wonderful, so different.
The Army of Terracotta Warriors Burial planning to the extreme!
China's National Treasure: The Pandas of Chengdu Yes, there's baby pandas!


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Ivar 3-Drawer Mobile Vertical Filing Cabinet by Comm Office Savings
Reference: 4c9f8b140b36a14e51d4d6e559c8e7cd
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Ivar 3-Drawer Mobile Vertical Filing Cabinet product by Comm Office
If your desk if full of papers, notebooks, and other clutter, it's time to get that memo mess under control with a filing cabinet like this! Perfect for rounding out your home office in a clean-lined contemporary style, this piece is crafted from manufactured wood, and features three full-extend drawers, including a legal drawer. This piece features a lock for the bottom two drawers for additional security. This piece also features removable wheels, so it can be easily added to a variety of...
- File Size Accommodated: Legal; Letter
- Fully Extendable Drawers: Yes
- Primary Material: Manufactured Wood
- Fire Resistant: No
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© 2014, pp. 1017
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This 5-day, lecture-and-lab course presents object-oriented programming with Visual C#. Key topics include the Visual Studio 2012 Express IDE (or Visual Studio 2012), classes, objects, encapsulation, interfaces, inheritance, polymorphism, abstract classes, creating class libraries, Language Integrated Query (LINQ), generic collections, event-driven programming, Windows Forms graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) GUI and graphics, exception handling, file processing and generics. The object-oriented concepts in this course are presented with a focus on the differences between C# and other programming languages. Students create Visual C# applications, understand C# object-oriented programming, learn to use various .NET Framework Class Library classes and participate in extensive laboratory assignments for hands on experience. After taking this course, students will be prepared to take VC#300—Advanced Visual C#.
Review of C# syntax and concepts presented in the following chapters of Visual C# 2012 How to Program, 5/e:
Introduction to LINQ and Generic Collections
Classes and Objects: A Deeper Look
Object-Oriented Programming: Inheritance
Polymorphism, Interfaces & Operator Overloading
Exception Handling
Graphical User Interfaces with Windows Forms
GUI with Windows Presentation Foundation
WPF Graphics and Multimedia
Files and Streams
Optional Object-Oriented Design (OOD) with the Unified Modeling Language (UML) Case Study
An optional topic for our object-oriented programming classes is our case study on object-oriented design using the UML in which we design and fully implement the software for a simple automated teller machine (ATM). We introduce a subset of the UML 2.0, then guide the reader through an end-to-end first object-oriented design and implementation experience which ends with a walkthrough of the complete code.
Courses in the Visual C# Curriculum


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The Cabinet minister said Britain was "heavily exposed" to potential problems and could be among the next targets for market speculation.
He also hit out at the US for failing to contribute more to bailout funds, suggesting Barack Obama's administration was "paralysed" by looming elections.
The comments, in an interview with Sky News' Murnaghan programme, came after the Prime Minister used a meeting of G8 world leaders at Camp David to step up calls for action on the eurozone crisis.
Mr Clarke, a former chancellor, signalled that fresh elections due in Greece next month would be critical.
"The Greek voters have really got to face up to reality - it is very very difficult for them, they are having a terrible time," he said. "These are hardships inflicted on them by the irresponsibility of their former politicians.
"But they cannot just vote for saying, 'could people just carry on giving us some money so we do not have to change anything'."
Mr Clarke said the consequences would be "serious" if the Greek people elected "cranky extremists" and defaulted on their debts as a result.
"Everyone says they will leave the euro," he added. "Actually that is quite likely but doesn't necessarily follow."
He went on: "No-one knows exactly what will happen in the rest of Europe. But the banking system is in tatters, it is weak in very many places.
"We don't know what the knock on effects would be, they could be very serious and of course people will start barking at the door of Portugal, Ireland, Italy and here in Britain.
"Our banks are heavily exposed to some of these countries, we have recapitalised them so far...
"I obviously hope the Greeks will vote responsibly and that we can avoid turmoil."
Mr Clarke defended the coalition's decision to increase the UK's contribution to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - despite the US refusing to follow suit.
"The IMF exists to enable the nations of the world to act together to avert economic consequences whether the problems are coming from the eurozone or wherever," he said.
"On this occasion we must contribute along with other major powers.
"It is a pity that the Americans are so paralysed by their pre-election arguments that they are not able to contribute, but all the more reason for the British, the Brazilians, the Chinese and others to be persuaded to put in because it is quite essential.
"The idea we all watch each other go down is wrong."
Another former chancellor, Labour's Alistair Darling, warned Europe was in a "very dangerous position".
"It's going to take a crisis, an absolute crisis, to make Europe's leaders act. That's what happened four years ago. I'm afraid that's what's going to be needed in the future," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme.
Referring back to the unfolding of the banking crisis of 2008, he said: "That is how dangerous this cocktail is. I am very worried about it, because it could happen without notice.
"I don't think whilst Europe could deal with Greece, it would struggle to contain Spain and if it spread wider than that, I think it would be in real difficulties."


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Raina's Story (Angels in Pink Series #2)
Temporarily Out of Stock Online
Raina is happy and relieved that her friends Kathleen and Holly found volunteering at the hospital rewarding. They loved their summers at the hospital so much they will be working for credit during their junior year.
Raina is also looking forward to spending as much time as possible with Hunter during their last year of high school together. Kathleen is still dating Carson, but they are at different schools and she's worried it won't last. And poor Holly's still waiting for her parents to let up on their rules so she can actually go out on a date.
Everything is going well until Raina's old boyfriend Tony shows up and threatens to ruin the thing that matters to Raina the most—her relationship with Hunter. But she isn't the only one with a secret. When Raina's mother reveals her family secret, Raina feels betrayed. Luckily she has Holly and Kathleen to lean on.
Product Details
|Random House Children's Books
|Publication date:
|Angels in Pink Series , #2
|Product dimensions:
|4.50(w) x 7.13(h) x 0.74(d)
|Age Range:
|12 Years
About the Author
Lurlene McDaniel is the #1 author of inspirational fiction for young adults. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Read an Excerpt
"Is everything all right?" Raina St. James asked as soon as Kathleen McKensie had climbed into the car and shut the door.
"Sure," Kathleen said halfheartedly, turning her head so that Raina couldn't see her eyes filling with moisture. "Everything's fine. It's hard coming here, that's all." She had just toured the inside of her home while her friends waited for her in the car. She'd gone from room to room checking everything out, as she had every day for the past few weeks. Nothing was disturbed. Everything looked orderly and, except for some dust buildup, seemed the same as when she had been living there.
From the backseat, Holly Harrison reached out and patted Kathleen's shoulder. "Your mom won't be in the hospital forever. Didn't you say Dr. Kiefer was thinking of transferring her to the rehab center this week?"
Kathleen nodded, still gazing longingly out the car window at the front of her home. "It's just that I can't remember one time that my mom wasn't around for a first day of school. Ever since kindergarten."
"Well, we're here for you now, girlfriend," Raina said, backing her car out of the driveway.
"And . . . and I appreciate it," Kathleen said, finding a tissue and dabbing her eyes. She knew that Raina could have gone to school that morning with her boyfriend, Hunter, Holly's brother, but Raina had elected instead to face day one of their junior year with her best friends. Twisting in her seat, Kathleen told Holly, "And I know your mom tried hard to make the day special for us. It was nice of her to make waffles for breakfast because she knows I like them."
For the past several weeks, while her mother recovered from heart surgery, Kathleen had lived with Holly and her family. Because her father had died tragically years before, she and Mary Ellen had only each other. It had been fun being a part of Holly's family, but Kathleen was ready to go home. Only, her mother had weeks of rehabilitation to go through first, and Kathleen had to remain at Holly's.
"Mom lives to force-feed her family," Holly said, bulging her cheeks out in an exaggerated imitation of overeating. "I could have done just fine with cereal. The first day of school always makes me nervous, and when I'm nervous, I get sick to my stomach."
"Not in my car," Raina said, glancing in the rearview mirror at Holly. "Day one makes me excited," she added. "According to my schedule sheet, I can meet Hunter between three classes."
"Whoopee," Holly said without enthusiasm. "We get to meet him coming out of the bathroom every morning. Not a pretty sight."
This made Kathleen smile. "It's not that bad, Raina."
"And don't think I'm not jealous about it either." Raina was crazy about Hunter, now a senior at their high school, and she couldn't imagine facing the next year without him when he went off to college. "Speaking of boyfriends, what do you hear from Carson? I guess today's his first day too."
"He called last night," Kathleen said. "To wish me luck." Since Carson Kiefer attended the prestigious Bryce Academy on the other side of Tampa, she didn't expect to see him often. She figured it was only a matter of time before he forgot about her completely. Wasn't that what the nasty-tempered Stephanie Marlow had predicted to Kathleen at the end-of-the-year banquet for the Pink Angels hospital volunteers just a couple of weeks before?
The words buzzed in her memory. "Don't think that just because he's fooled around with you all summer, I'm out of the picture. This has happened before, you know. He finds some new little plaything for a few months and keeps himself busy. But he always comes back to me."
"Why don't you invite him to our first football game next Friday night? You can double with me and Hunter." Raina's voice pulled Kathleen into the present.
"Maybe I will. He told me he likes the two of you."
"Hey!" Holly interjected from the backseat. "What about me? Who will I go to the game with if you all double?"
"Is there anyone you could ask? We could make it a triple date," Raina said.
"As if my father will allow me to date anyone. I'll be an old dried-up prune before Dad ever lets go." Holly rolled her eyes. Mike Harrison was known for his strictness, especially when it came to Holly. Since she was the youngest of her friends and wouldn't be sixteen until mid-May, she knew she was facing another dateless year. "Is it going to be like this all year?" she groused. "You two running off on dates and me sitting home all alone?"
"We still have our volunteer jobs at the hospital," Raina offered. "We'll be together then."
"And don't think I'm not glad about it, but that's only two afternoons a week."
"And on Saturdays, if you want. I know I'm going to volunteer most Saturdays," Raina said. Hunter worked on Saturdays at a fast-food place, so she'd already decided to volunteer at the hospital while he was busy, because it allowed her to miss him less. "What do you say?"
"Count me in," Holly said, still unhappy about her solo status. "Anything's better than hanging around the house being bored and getting into my parents' way."
"I don't think I can commit," Kathleen said. "At least not until Mom's home and I see what her needs are going to be." Even before Carson's father had performed heart surgery on Mary Ellen, Kathleen had hesitated to be away from her mother too long. Because Mary Ellen was a victim of multiple sclerosis and Kathleen was her primary caregiver, much of her mother's care fell on Kathleen's shoulders.
"Well, don't let her tie you down too much," Raina said in a lecturing tone. "You're just now getting a real life."
"Raina . . ." Kathleen's voice held a warning note.
"Just a caution," Raina added quickly. By now they were in front of the high school, and she whipped the car into the student parking lot, which was already filling with returning students' vehicles. "I have to go to the office and get a parking permit for this school year," she announced.
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Ditto. Nite.
I want to join this clan thing! My name is pickle and just plz let me know soon
Ok. Good night
Hello Im Mosstree ( brown-moss colored she-cat with light brown "socks" beautiful green eyes) Im currently a loner and Im looking for a clan to join, so I thought i would see if i could join this one. Thanks! -Mosstree
Helps kit and patches her.
Testing-I might be blocked.
Dusktsar purrs in amuement. "Good," she asks as she starts in on a mouse of her own.
Moe info at 'learning the sky'
Hi my name is leafheart i am a brown she cat with green eyes and would like to know if i can join your clan if i am able to what position would i be in thank you - Leafheart
Do you know where Dawnclan is?
*A thin lanky pretty jet black shadowy she cat padded in. Her eyes were a light green color* im Rosefang. Can i stay here. *her tone was crisp*
Yupp frikin awesome
But still deseves 5stars
i love the series and i love how his author writes
i have always been a huge fan of this author. the story starts out very slow. i kept reading because i nomally love her books. the end picked up quite a bit. still not an amazing story though. hoping the next in th seres is better


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'Soup guy' has big heart
By David J. Hill The Tonawanda News
By David J. Hill The Tonawanda News
TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Every week for nine years, Don Horan has given a few hours of his time to Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels, where he's known around the kitchen as "the soup guy."Like many of his Meals on Wheels colleagues, Horan's story extends far beyond the simplicity of making kettles of soup for clients' weekend meals. And if it weren't for a heart transplant nearly a decade ago, Horan likely wouldn't be able to share his story.
Nine years ago this month, Horan was preparing to leave Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he had undergone three days of testing to determine whether he would need a new heart. "My doctor said, 'You're not going anywhere. Your heart's too weak,'" Horan recalls.He was placed on a waiting list for a heart transplant and told that it could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months to find a matching donor.
Horan recounts what happened moments later: "I had just ripped open the silverware package on my dinner tray when the nurse walked in and said, 'The doctor will be in in a moment.' He came in and told my wife to take a seat. We thought it was going to be bad news. He said, 'We found a heart for you,' and six hours later I was in for surgery. I was very lucky. I was the fastest one they've ever had."
At a hospital that has performed more than 80 heart transplants since its Transplantation Program began in February 2001, Horan was No. 5.A few months after the surgery, Horan, who as 49 at the time, said he was feeling a little down. After having worked a steady job for 30 years, Horan had to leave in the wake of his surgery. "I would sit down sometimes and wonder why I went through all of this. I told my wife, 'I don't know if I'm going to make it.' I was taking 40 pills a day. It was hard," he said, adding that his wife Sandra, who works at HSBC Bank, helped him through those tough times. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here," he said.
At the suggestion of his landlady's mother-in-law, who worked at Meals on Wheels, Horan decided to give it a try and started the January after his transplant. The experience has helped enrich his life."I'm glad I went through all this. I have a lot to live for now," he said. Volunteering at Meals on Wheels has given him a sense of accomplishment. "It gives me the feeling that I went through all of this for a reason, for a purpose."Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels Director Amanda Crotty said Horan's story speaks volumes about the organization. "It's a telling thing about the organization, that people come here to give but they also get," Crotty said. "Everybody here's got a story. He stands out and yet he's incredibly typical."After starting out volunteering three or four days a week, Horan has cut down his schedule to spend more time watching his four grandchildren. Horan's efforts at Meals on Wheels enabled the agency to include soups in its weekend meals. Horan comes in early in the week and makes the soups, which are then frozen until they are ready to be delivered on Fridays.
Thanks to his new heart, Horan hopes to be able to deliver on a goal he established immediately after receiving the transplant. "I'd love to stay alive to see my grandchildren graduate from high school," he said.Horan also hopes to use his success story to shed light on organ donation. "One person can save so many lives," he said. "It changed the quality of my life. If it wasn't for organ donation, I wouldn't have a chance."But because of that, Horan said there's no reason he won't be able to proudly watch his grandchildren accept their diplomas in a few years."I feel really good," he said.


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My name is Amna Mehanovic, but my friend's call me Amber, I answer to either so its your choice! I was born in Bosnia but I have lived in Sydney, Australia all my life. I am currently completing the final of year of my Bachelor of Commerce/Arts degree. I will be living in Aarhus for the next 6 months then travelling around Europe during the summer break and finally I will move to Copenhagen to complete my final semester. It's a very exciting year! Although I absoutely adore Denmark I miss the beach and surfing, to make up for it I plan to drop in to Hossegor, France for a couple of days during the summer to get some surf in before returning to Denmark.
Growing up in Sydney, the city is very familiar and a significant aspect to my daily life. The word ''city'' brings connotations of lights, cars, people, interaction, culture, music, fashion, clubs.
Communicating, in my eyes, is an interaction between a human and anything else in the world, that is, interaction between two or more people, interaction between a person and an animal, a technological device, between a medium of media, between art and the environment.
This is my subjective map of Aarhus. The map is a representation of the places I like to chill out at in town…


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AmberEAmber Eden, Brooklyn
craft interests: crochet, embroidery, fashion, gifts, holidays, home decorating, jewelry making, knitting, memory making, paper crafts, quilting, restyle, sewing
Gender: Female
Member Since: 03/24/2008
Check Out the New American Sewing Expo Website
The darling new site for ASE is a cinch to navigate.
Enter the American Sewing Expo/Baby Lock Passion for Fashion Challenge
The American Sewing Expo sponsors a really cool fashion challenge a la Project Runway. Maybe this is your year.
Lonely sewers, take heart
Do you, like me, find yourself in a sewing fix all too often in the wee hours? Find solace with the international (24/7!) crowd at the Threads Gatherings forum.
Sew with the Divas
If you're looking for a die-hard fashion sewing blog, TheSewingDivas.WordPress.com is it.
Martha Stewart Launches Embroidery Designs Line
Look for elegant and graceful patterns in Martha's new designs.
Shear Spirit: Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns and Miles of Yarn
Check out this great new knitting travel/pattern book!
Meet the Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery
Get some face time with Designs in Machine Embroidery editor Eileen Roche this week in Arlington, Texas.
Calling All Sewing and Embroidery Fans
Check out Martha's Sewing Market this week in Arlington, Texas.
Summer CHA Show: Paper Crafts Heaven!
When it comes to paper, it's hard to beat the Craft and Hobby Association's summer show in Chicago.
Whip Up is a Craft Blogger's Blog
Cool and sophisticated, the WhipUp.net blog offers up a lovely smattering of projects, reviews, interviews, news and more.
Pre-Renegade Kickoff: Book and Printing Party at Lotta Jansdotter's Brooklyn Studio
All the crafties in town for this weekend's Renegade got an early start with a printing party celebrating Lotta Jansdotter's new book.
Check out "Handmade Nation" clips and more tonight in NYC!
Get ready for Renegade Fair with a D.I.Y. shorts and video screening, as found in New York Times' Urban Eye.
The Puyallup Report
Every March the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, Washington brings together thousands of sewers from across the country. Our booth was very popular this year, giving away our entire allotment of magazines within a half hour.
Inside the Tents
Join our editors as they make the pilgrimage to New York's Fashion Week.
Take a Peek at Portland's Vibrant Crafty Scene
Portland is one charmer of a hip city, and its crafty venues are downright cool. Come along for a native-led tour.
Madame Gres: Sphinx of Fashion
A museum exhibit delves into the couture of Parisian master Madame Alix Gres.
A Sewing Spa
Expert Sewers Louise Cutting and Linda Lee hosted a three-day sewing retreat in Orlando - I'll tell you all about the night we worked until 3 a.m.!
Pulling Up at Puyallup
Threads staff members recently flew to the always fabulous 2008 Sewing and Stitchery Expo near Seattle for a few days of fashion shows, sneak peeks at the latest sewing products and classes.
Not Your Average Fabric Store
Manhattan's Metro Textile is my favorite fabric store ever.
One Pattern, Eleven Outfits...Seriously!
Learn how to create an entire wardrobe from just one Simplicity pattern in our Designer Basics issue.
Re: The Quilt Show is About Fashion, Too
Thanks Mary---it's so great to get a behind the scenes view!
Re: Find Amazing Handmade Jewelry and Accessories at Renegade Brooklyn!
Thanks for the update Susan! Can't wait! I'll be there along with the rest of the CraftStylish team at our booth!
Re: How to Choose the Perfect Needle Type for Your Sewing Project
Thanks, Shannon! Very helpful!
Re: Twisted Gives a Shout out to Craft Magazine
Wish I had been there!
Re: How to Reverse Applique a Tote Bag
One of the best! Go, Diane G!
Re: How to Make Pretty Pincushions
smoose003, you have permission as long as you give credit to author and CraftStylish.com
Re: Take a Peek at Portland's Vibrant Crafty Scene
Thanks Diane!


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Secure Products has been providing products for Rapid Armored customers for over 5 years. The relationship has been an overwhelming success. We are here to make sure the buying experience is easy, quick, and allows customers to order anything they need to send their deposit with the trusted Armored Services of Rapid Armored.
For over twenty three years, Secure Products Corporation (SPC) has served financial Institutions, retail and all cash transaction businesses throughout the United States and abroad. Our family-owned company was established in 1990.
Since we began in 1990 it has been the mission of Secure Products Corporation to be the "premier" provider of products and services to businesses in each of the industries and communities we serve. We have been family-owned and woman-owned since our inception.
Our mission has challenged and tested us over the last 23 years. The mission is worthy of the highest individual and collective efforts of employees at Secure Products. To fulfill our goals in an outstanding way, our employees must exhibit traits of character and commitment.
Secure Products has four fundamental values that represent what we stand for and that serve to guide us in the accomplishment of our mission. These values are:
- Customers must receive superior service
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- We must work together as a team
The observance of our goals and our values will not only contribute to success with our customers, but it will also enable Secure Products to provide its employees with job security, personal and financial growth, and meaningful careers within the company.


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01 What The Hellon August 1, 2011 at 12:01 am
Well, here it is – the first "Time Nerds" comic!
I know it doesn't look like much right now, but this page sets the stage for the whole comic! Something terrible is happening, and it looks like Kevin and Rob caused it. We'll get to the bottom of it through the story as it unfolds.
For more info on what Time Nerds is exactly, check out our About Page. We've given you the basics there, as well as bios on all the creators.
Time Nerds is scheduled to be released one page a week (Mondays), and it will be a long-form, continuous narrative story. It doesn't have a set end date at this time. So stick around and enjoy the weekly adventures of Rob, Kevin, Torin Bal, and Stadium Comics!


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In my college Speech class, we had to give a presentation on our favorite song, starting with a thirty second clip of music. My choice was "Straight Edge", by Minor Threat. It was a funny moment, playing that clip. In class, I was always in the front row, my hand was always up, but I was otherwise plain and quiet. None of my classmates expected a burst of angry, fast, loud punk rock to blast from those speakers. They probably thought I would play Debussy or something. No offense to Claude, but "Straight Edge was, and still is, the most meaningful song. Why? Well, read the lyrics:
* Explicit material.
I'm a person just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don't even think about speed
That's something I just don't need
I've got the straight edge
I'm a person just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and smoke dope
'Cause I know I can cope
Laugh at the thought of eating ludes
Laugh at the thought of sniffing glue
Always gonna keep in touch
Never want to use a crutch
I've got the straight edge
I've got the straight edge
I've got the straight edge
I've got the straight edge
This might seem like a strange song to lean on, but I grew up around drugs and severe alcohol use. I've been through some very scarring and traumatic experiences as a result of having addicts for family members. I know that I have a predisposition for addiction, and coupled with a struggle with depression and anxiety, I'd be on a highway to rock bottom instantly if I were to use drugs or alcohol. Moderation is not a possibility for me, so I stay away from drugs and alcohol altogether.
Labeling myself as Straight Edge has been instrumental in my self-development. I am so thankful for Minor Threat and for the concept. (I'm also pretty darn thankful that they fought underage kids not being able to get into shows. That "X" on your hand to designate you as a non-drinking minor thing? Minor Threat started that. Hence the tattoo.)
Many people think that it's unnecessary to put a label on a choice like this, but choosing to be labeled as Straight Edge helped me through a time when I didn't know anyone my age that was making the same choice. When I was in high school, I didn't have a single friend that didn't drink. Most of them did other drugs as well: marijuana being the most prominent, but there was plenty of meth, ecstasy, mushrooms, and prescription drugs floating around as well. My friends lovingly labeled me "Mom" at the time for worrying about them, but most didn't care either way about my personal choice. This acceptance wasn't common across the board, however. When you're young, the concept of peer pressure seems ludicrous, but peer pressure really was very prominent at any social gatherings. I didn't spend a ton of time at parties (the majority of my time in my teenage years was spent studying, doing extracurriculars, and going to concerts), but I was living in a world where kids were drinking screwdrivers out of a Sunny D bottle in first period Biology. It didn't really matter that I didn't go to it, it came to me.
There was always a place without pressure, though. Punk shows. At a punk show or after party, if a person asked me if I wanted a drink, and I said, "No thanks, I'm Straight Edge," and the person would say, "Alright, cool." And that was it. Abstinence is usually seen as something to beat out of a peer, but people who knew about the concept respected it, because they knew it was a practice of self control. This was useful for boyfriends as well, because being Straight Edge (for most) is just as much a hands off message as a Christian's purity ring.
I'm not crazy hardcore about it. There are people who take the concept to extremities, who won't even take mild pain medication (these "hardliners" also tend to be vegans or vegetarians and some abstain from sex entirely). There are even violent gangs centered around the concept (mostly in Utah, from what I've heard), but this is not the majority.
I do take medicine for headaches, I really really like epidurals, and I'm not above taking a pain killer if I'm not tough enough. But I use these things as a last resort (I didn't use my pain killer prescription for fracturing my finger, for instance. I was given a VERY unnecessary amount of pain killers for that.) I sometimes use alcohol when cooking and while most of it reduces out, there's still a bit left over when the food is consumed. I'm fine with that. But I've never been drunk, I've never taken drugs recreationally, and I've only slept with one person. I'm pretty darn proud of all that, because it took an extraordinary amount of self-control to get here.
Jake doesn't drink either. I was so thankful for this when we started dating. The smell of alcohol on someone's breath takes me to a bad place. Jake abstinence wasn't helped along by the Straight Edge movement. He just simply doesn't like alcohol. He doesn't like the taste, doesn't like the feeling of being drunk, doesn't want to spend money acquiring a taste for something he doesn't like just to fit in socially.
It's harder for him, because his family has a very strong drinking culture. His family parties always include drinking (which was weird for me at first, because there is never alcohol at my extended family functions). It's not a negative thing, it's more that his family is one big friendship network and his huge family likes to relax and hang out into the night. That's cool. But it makes it hard for them to understand his choice, and throws us even further into black sheep territory.
What most people don't get is that just because we don't drink doesn't mean that we think YOU shouldn't. We don't even mind being around it: we consider ourselves the memory keepers of all the super silly things our friends do at parties (and believe me, there are some funny stories remembered now that would have been otherwise forgotten). We're not here to be judgmental about drinking and drugs and promiscuity. Neither of us made the decision to be this way because we think that not being abstinent is wrong. We both view those things as health rather than moral issues, for the most part. Our only moral objections to these things are when others are being put into unsafe situations: we object strongly to drinking and driving, having unprotected sex when you know you have an STD, or negligent parenting as a result of drug use, for example. Otherwise, we think it's a personal choice.
But we do feel that the personal choice to be abstinent has made us stronger. And having full mental facilities at all times may just give us an edge.
What has your relationship with drinking and drugs been? Are either normal in your family? Decriminalized in your country? What do YOU think?
Let's Get Serious is a blog series where we share our opinions and put ourselves out there. We get that not everyone thinks the same way; the same things don't work for everyone. These are our opinions. They don't have to be your opinions. We'd like to hear about what you think, but please don't be mean to us. Let's respect each other and talk about it!
Some other related posts:
Find more Let's Get Serious posts here.


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Civic Holiday Monday, August 4th, Historic LaSalle Park
Burlington- Look forward to another spectacular year for Joseph Brant Day, a five hours day filled with fantastic line-up of new music, activities, performances and acts! The event runs from 10:00am to 5:00pm at La Salle Park.
Joseph Brant Day is the regionally recognized annual festival put on by the Museums of Burlington. The event always draws a large and diverse crowd. It fosters a great sense of community by encouraging them come out and celebrate the city we live in, the history of our various cultures and one of the area's earliest and most famous settlers—Joseph Brant Thayendanegea.
To start off the day and the exciting scheduled line-up of music and entertainment at Joseph Brant Day, the Burlington Teen Tour Band will get hearts racing! After our opening ceremonies, you can expect to see: a dazzling Taiko performance of traditional Japanese drumming, a presentation by Strength Dale and other First Nations performances, brilliantly costumed performance by the Shamrock Academy of Irish Dancing alongside live music and special shows!
Great attractions will include: REMAX Hot Air Balloon Rides (10am-1pm ONLY * subject to weather conditions) TFC on the Road inflatable sports field, Tiara Princesses Tea Party tent, activities with Kicks for Kids, Putting Edge mini golf, Burlington Bay Hawks, kids' water games with Bradbury Real Estate, Museum's craft and discovery workshops and fair-style games with prizes. Also enjoy participatory drumming with the Naked Beat Drum Circle and demonstrations by the Canadian Fencing Academy.
ALL DAY LONG: Artisans & Vendors! Exhibitors & Heritage Demonstrators! A summer BBQ, cool treats and refreshment stands! Splash park for kids (small cost associated) Fantastic Public Silent Auction! … and more to come!!
Visitor shuttles will transport visitors from local parking lot of the Aldershot GO Station once parking at LaSalle Park is filled. And last but not least, admission to the event will remain free!