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VIDEO: Yorkshire's Key Fund to invest £10m in 300 worthy projects
Key Fund, which made the announcement as it opened new offices in Sheffield, is the North of England's longest-standing specialist investor in community and social enterprises,.
VIDEO: Watch our interview with Key Fund CEO Matt Smith below and for more on how Key Fund works check out the official YouTube video - CLICK HERE.
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Hide AdIt now aims to invest in 100 enterprises per year, for the next three years.
Key Fund was established in 1999 to help to address social issues created by the demise of major industries in communities across South Yorkshire.
It now provides investment support to community and social enterprises operating across the North and Midlands and has developed into the most prolific social investor in England.
To date it has invested over £40m in more that 2,000 organisations, enabling them to make real impacts in disadvantaged communities.
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Hide AdKey Fund can support a range of activities, from restoring a derelict building to buying equipment or meeting start-up costs. It also helps existing enterprise that need to adapt and shift focus, or create a new service. It can help with immediate cash-flow problems or working capital.
From Derby to the borders of Scotland, Key Fund can provide investment of between £5,000 and £150,000.
The £10M of new funds was announced as Key Fund opened new offices at Jessops Riverside, on Brightside Lane - including a £5.5M Northern Impact Fund, supported by Access, the Foundation for Social Investment, with funding from Big Society Capital and the Big Lottery Fund.
Additionally, Key Fund have also secured £4.5m of new finance direct from Big Society Capital, to support general investment activity.
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Hide AdThe announcement was made along with a brand re-vamp and sharing of its Social Impact Report 2015/16.
The last year saw Key Fund invest a total of £10m in 201 enterprises, which received funds ranging from £5k to £300k. The investments created 37 new businesses, created 293 jobs and safeguarded 188 jobs.
Matt Smith, CEO of Key Fund, said: "Our Social Impact Report demonstrates what a significant impact the sector has.
"There are inspiring businesses and individuals, who are not only generating jobs in some of the most disadvantaged communities, but are also tackling deep-rooted social issues.
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Hide Ad"We're now looking for 300 more community and social enterprises to come forward over the next three years, whether they are start-ups or existing enterprises looking to expand, diversify or grow."
Key Fund's mission is to invest in enterprise that makes a real difference to local communities. All its investments are made to enterprises turned down by mainstream finance providers, particularly those in areas of disadvantage with a high social impact.
Matt Smith added: "We're incredibly proud of our work, and the impact that our investees have on the lives of people in need. We know just how difficult it is to run an enterprise that attempts to balance commercial and financial targets, as just like our clients, we are a Social Enterprise too. Our passion for this work and commitment to our mission has never been stronger."
One of the enterprises who attended the Key Fund launch event was East Street Arts, who received a £110,000 loan to renovate a building in Leeds and create a residential Art Hostel and creative hub.
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Hide AdNicola Greenan, External Relations Director for the Art Hostel, said: "Even though it's a strong business model because it's completely new and we're a charity, it was difficult to get high street lending, especially in the current economic climate. Without Key Fund's support, the project wouldn't have happened."
Catering at the launch event was provided by another Key Fund client, Eudaimonia who operates Super Kitchen and provides outside and event catering. It delivers affordable, healthy 'social' eating to help address social isolation and improve community health. Those who can't afford to pay, can volunteer their services in return for food.
Key Fund invested £90,000 loan to support the purchase a vehicle and ancillary equipment.
Steve Ralf, Chairman of Eudaimonia, said: "Without the money and support from the Key Fund we could not have expanded the Super Kitchen model. Our bank wouldn't support us but the Key Fund were very keen to help. They came over, went through the figures, helped with the application forms and I was very surprised how quickly it happened, it really worked well. We now have five vehicles on the road supporting our work and without the Key Fund we wouldn't be here today, you can't say more than that."To find out more or apply for the Northern Impact Fund, visit www.thekeyfund.co.uk
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Hide AdFor more visit www.thekeyfund.co.uk, follow on Twitter @KeyFund and like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/key.fund.5
Also check out www.access-socialinvestment.org.uk, www.biglotteryfund.org.uk and www.bigsocietycapital.com


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Prague museum displays totalitarian-era surveillance tech
Nov 16, 2019, 8:41 AM
(AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
PRAGUE (AP) — The Iron Curtain was more than just a figure of speech: Communist regimes set up thousands of miles of heavily-guarded, electrified barbed wire fencing to completely isolate Eastern Europe from the West.
That still didn't stop many from desperately attempting to flee the totalitarian East. Some succeeded but many lost their lives.
Among the latter, in what was then Czechoslovakia, was a priest in the brutally-persecuted Catholic Church named Josef Skop. Hoping to reach East Germany, before the Berlin Wall sealed off its connection with the West, he decided to cross the River Elbe undetected by walking underwater in a home-made diving suit complete with rubber boots.
Not being an expert, he used a rubber garden hose as a breathing tube — a fatal mistake as it proved too long and too narrow to ensure a sufficient air supply.
Nearly 300 people are known to have died, many killed by border guards with orders to shoot on sight, while attempting to escape from Czechoslovakia to the West.
Skop's diving suit is on display in "Technology in Dictatorships," a new exhibition at the National Technical Museum in Prague, now capital of the Czech Republic, one of the two countries into which Czechoslovakia split after communism. The display marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution by looking back at the surreal repression the nation underwent and at how it resisted.
It focuses on the technology used by the totalitarian regime to control its citizens — and the innovative means they used to undermine the omnipresent control.
There are typical James Bond-style spy gadgets, such as a microphone concealed in a watch or tiny cameras. But the most commonly-used surveillance equipment was much bulkier and had to be hidden in suitcases, pieces of luggage or even baby carriages.
"Spying was massive," said Jan Hostak, the exhibition's curator. The secret police known as StB — with about 15,000 staffers and a network of up to 100,000 collaborators — could spy on and bug 600 people at the same time.
For decades, this was enough to limit the activities of the relatively small number of dissidents who openly challenged the regime.
"The secret police agents were masters in bugging and eavesdropping on people and no dissidents could be certain that their apartment was not targeted," Hostak said.
But protests intensified in 1989 and the StB could no longer contain them.
On Nov. 17, 1989, fiery speeches at a university campus inspired thousands of students to march toward Prague's central Wenceslas Square. As darkness fell, police cracked down hard. Unbowed, the students went on strike and huge street rallies followed. The government collapsed and President Gustav Husak resigned.
Weeks later, Vaclav Havel became the country's first democratically elected president in decades.
The exhibition includes mimeographs, copying machines that helped Havel and other dissidents spread their message, the Charter 77 human right manifesto among them.
Another centerpiece is a 1960s gyroplane — a helicopter-like super-light aircraft — that should have flown Vojtech Vala to the West. Vala acquired it without the necessary engine and used an old Walter Mikron II light plane engine from the 1930s to power it.
On Oct. 27, 1977, he took off from a highway construction site near Bratislava — now the capital of Slovakia — and was soon heading smoothly for the nearby Austrian border. He landed after a five-minute flight only to find out he was still in Czechoslovakia. Vala was arrested and later sentenced to 13 years in prison.
"It's important to remind people of what it really was like," Hostak said.

subset: commoncrawl


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[ONI] Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Comic Boook
Oni Press presents Dream Daddy, a comics series based on the acclaimed Game Grumps visual novel video game! Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator invites the player to Maple Bay, where they play as a single Dad new to town and eager to romance other hot Dads. The comic series tells five standalone stories, each focused on different Maple Bay Dads, their kids, and their relationships with one another. Dive into entirely new stories featuring the backstories and adventures of your favorite Dads, told by game co-creators Leighton Gray and Vernon Shaw, along with the comic industry's top indie talent like C. Spike Trotman, Josh Trujillo, and Kris Anka!
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'We need to go for growth'
The Prime Minister spoke to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) at their annual conference in London.
We meet at a serious time for our economy – and for business. We are trying to recover from a deep and difficult recession. Yet growth is slow in Britain, France and Germany. In the last quarter, we grew faster than many EU countries, and faster than the average, but we are well behind where we need to be. Of course, we are not alone in this struggle.
In the last quarter growth stalled altogether in some European countries. It is declining in others. Here and elsewhere, unemployment is rising – as last week's figures demonstrated so clearly. There are some encouraging signs.
Recent retail sales are up. Our export performance has improved. But fears about the immediate future are real. Paralysis in the Eurozone is causing alarm in the markets and having a chilling effect on economies in many countries – including our own. When the nightly news is about rising interest rates in Europe and uncertainty about the future, it is not surprising that this affects business and consumer confidence.
But people don't want explanations they want answers. I am absolutely clear about the right answer for the UK economy. It can be summed up in one sentence; we need to deal with our debts and go for growth. Those things aren't alternatives, they are essential companions. We will not get one without the other. Just look at countries in Europe that don't have credible plans for dealing with their debts their interest rates are climbing to levels that will make growth impossible.
In finding the right answer for the UK economy we have to be especially clear about two fundamental points. First, we are recovering from a debt crisis not a traditional recession. People who argue that traditional fiscal stimulus, extra spending funded by even more borrowing, is the right answer are not just wrong – but dangerously wrong.
Second, the previous model of growth in Britain – a debt driven consumer boom stimulating a narrow economic boom – is broken. We need a fundamental rebalancing of the economy: more investment, more exports, a broader base to an economic future. If policy is not directed towards this goal it will fail.
Debt crisis
So, first we must overcome the crisis of debt. The fact that the markets are not convinced that Eurozone countries are able to pay their debts is what lies behind the Eurozone crisis – and the biggest immediate boost to British growth would be a clear resolution of that crisis. On Friday I saw the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the German Chancellor to work towards one.
But I don't blame our ills only on the Eurozone crisis – of course not. Britain is outside the Euro. No one else is responsible for our own debts or our deficit. Eighteen months ago, Italy's borrowing costs were the same as Britain's. Today, they are almost three times higher. We had an Emergency Budget last summer on our own terms, not this summer on the market's terms.
We acted to prevent crisis while others who failed to do so are suffering emergency budgets, deeper austerity and political crisis. And our actions have helped to secure record low interest rates for businesses and consumers – the biggest possible stimulus to the economy.
Dealing with debt
So dealing with government deficits must be line one of our plan for recovery. Yes – getting debt under control is proving harder than anyone envisaged. High levels of public and private debt are proving to be a drag on growth which in turn makes it more difficult to deal with those debts but this also undermines further the case for adding to the national burden of debt with even more borrowing. Yes – there are some who seriously try to argue that additional spending and borrowing will actually lead to less debt in the end despite the fact that no evidence supports this assertion.
These arguments are just a way of avoiding difficult decisions the kind of something for nothing economics that got us into this mess which is why no indebted European country is taking that path. Nor are there any major European opposition parties in high deficit countries arguing for additional borrowing – except here in Britain.
In recent weeks I've heard representations from leading business groups including the CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Institute of Directors, the EEF (Manufacturers Organisation for UK Manufacturing) and the Federation of Small Businesses. The same message came back loud and clear from every single one: "don't divert from the essential task of getting the deficit down".
But dealing with a debt crisis doesn't just mean dealing with government debt. It means recognising that market after market is affected by the credit crunch. Unless you deal with the source of that crunch – and unblock those markets – you won't get anywhere. I know that this is a tough challenge and we need to keep up the pressure to get credit flowing again to business. That's why this year we agreed Project Merlin lending targets with the banks. We said: you lend to businesses large and small and we will give you predictable rules. And we are holding them to their promises.
Already £157bn has been lent in the first three quarters of this year – 11% more than expected. And lending to small and medium businesses is 10% up on last year. I know that credit for SMEs is still tight and that even among businesses that are offered credit there is anxiety about whether this is the right time to expand and invest. We have encouraged the banks to launch the Business Growth Fund and set up the Regional Growth Fund. That's £1.4bn going to support business and financing projects and jobs across the country.
Despite all this I know that it can still be a nightmare for companies wanting to borrow money and that's why next week the Chancellor will say more about plans for a new Credit Easing scheme. This will use the strength of the Government's balance sheet to pump billions of pounds into reducing the cost of loans for small and medium sized businesses.
The shortage of credit and lack of confidence affects some parts of the economy more than others. One of the markets that is particularly blocked is the housing market. The consequence of the credit crunch is that the lenders won't lend, the builders won't build and the buyers won't buy. Nobody wants another borrowing boom but when first time buyers on a good salary can't get a reasonable mortgage the market grinds to a halt. And that ricochets round the economy hitting builders, retailers and plumbers alike.
So this morning the Deputy Prime Minister and I launched a radical new strategy to support new mortgages for up to 100,000 people who would otherwise be locked out of home ownership. We're also selling council houses house again and using the money to build more houses. And we're rewriting planning rules so the construction industry can grow while protecting our green belt and National Parks and ensuring sustainable development.
You have asked for a planning revolution. We are delivering it. We will restart the housing market and get the nation building again.
But dealing with government debt, getting banks lending and unblocking markets is only the start. As I said, we need a different kind of economy and a different kind of growth. Again, I have the clearest possible message for you today. You have called for us to get out there and start getting the infrastructure built that is essential to secure the strength of our economy and we are doing it.
Not wasted spending on vainglorious projects that no one needs but doing the things that will genuinely lift the productive output of the country: better roads, the best superfast broadband network in Europe within four years, fast, reliable rail links, power stations to energise our economy and ports that can take the biggest ships in the world.
So we've protected capital spending. We're building Crossrail under London – the biggest engineering project in Europe. We're planning the High Speed Two to shrink the distance between our great cities. Here in London, the Francis Crick Institute is being built – which will be biggest centre for biomedical research and innovation in Europe.
But we must do more which is why next week the chancellor will be setting out the next stage of our plan to transform the nation's infrastructure, not with more government borrowing, but by using all the other tools at the government's disposal to take a more strategic and proactive approach to infrastructure. That's something this country has long lacked.
So, in short we are putting in the money, leveraging the power of the private sector and reshaping the rules to break decades of failure and build world-class infrastructure to support a world-beating economy.
If we are to build a new model of growth, we need to give a massive boost to enterprise, entrepreneurship and business creation. Put simply Britain must become one of the best places to do business on the planet. That's why we are working with business to track down pointless or harmful red tape that holds business back – sector by sector – and getting rid of it. That's why we are cutting the time it takes to set up a business creating the most competitive corporate tax regime in the G20 and cutting corporation tax to 23 per cent – the lowest in the G7.
And it's why we are rewriting employment law so it encourages vital high growth firms to hire new workers. My message to companies afraid of taking on workers because they fear costly employment tribunals is don't be – look at the action we are taking. People who ask: "what do radical deregulation and reforming employment law have to do with the immediate priority of getting growth?" miss the point. The answer is simple: If we want a new economy and a new type of growth we have to act to make it possible.
I'm not interested in ideological arguments about intervention versus laissez faire. I want an industrial strategy that works. We need government to get behind those high growth, high value sectors which will be the backbone of the new economy. Everyone agrees now that in the past Britain's economy had become lopsided – too dependent on debt, consumption and financial services. Well, we are putting that right.
We're not sitting back hoping that business will come to Britain; we are out there winning it. To back offshore wind energy we're investing in ports, reforming our electricity market and I am personally on the phone to the heads of Siemens, Gamesa and other major turbine manufacturers to get them to invest in Britain. In London, we working with some of the most advanced firms anywhere to develop Tech-City – making it the digital capital of Europe. In the last few weeks alone I have visited an £4.5 billion new investment from BP in the North Sea, a stunning new factory at McLaren and today I hosted Britain and Norway signing a 10 year deal to secure gas supplies and develop together over £1 billion of Norwegian gas fields.
I know government must change the way it does business too. It must become quicker and simpler to sell to – so that small and medium sized businesses don't get swamped by the cost of bidding so today we are announcing plans to direct the huge purchasing power of government to the task of strengthening the UK economy.
While 99% of companies are SMEs – at the moment they win only 6% of procurement spending. And more than that we want to support and strengthen UK-based industrial capability in key sectors where we lack capacity in the rail industry, for instance – as the current example of Bombardier has shown. That means investing in long-term relations with our suppliers so they win orders – just as the private sector does and other countries in Europe do. You have asked us to help drive exports, to encourage British-based businesses to find the confidence to invest and reach out to the world. And that is what we are doing.
Some criticise me for using the power of government and diplomacy to make the case for British business abroad. But I am proud to fill planes with businessmen and women and head off to visit the most vibrant markets on the planet. Last year, I led a delegation to Turkey. This year, British trade with Turkey is expected to reach £9 billion by the end of the year. That's a 40% increase since 2009 and let me add how pleased I am that President Gul is addressing this conference. In the last year, exports to China have grown by 36%. Exports to India are up 20%. We're unleashing government to help business – not hold it back.
This is the challenge for all of us. Yes, I will lead the task of building the new economy. Yes, the government with deal with its debts and drive through reform but we will come through this best together.
That means business must play its part too. With all our effort, I know this country will overcome the great challenges of today. Our country has incredible strengths and if we hold firm and make the right choices have no doubt, Britain will be a stronger and more prosperous nation.


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Quilter wins $200K ArtPrize with 'Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore'
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – A quilter inspired by a Lake Michigan lakeshore near her home was declared the winner Friday of the $200,000 ArtPrize competition in Michigan.
Ann Loveless of Frankfort, Mich., won the public voting at the annual 19-day event in Grand Rapids, Mich., which ends Sunday. Her quilt is titled Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore, named for a national lakeshore in northern Michigan.
It was displayed on a wall at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, one of 168 venues showing ArtPrize entries, but then was moved to an outdoor tent after the federal government shutdown closed the museum. Loveless said she has made art quilts for 10 years, but at 20 feet long, this was the biggest so far. She and her husband own State of the Art Framing & Gallery in Beulah, Mich.
"I have a feeling our gallery's going to be really busy," Loveless said in a telephone interview Friday night. "I'll probably sell out of quilts, but I'll make more. I'll make more."
She said she would use some of her winnings to buy fabric and a new sewing machine and to expand her gallery.
The public participates in two rounds of voting to distribute $360,000 of prize money. There were 1,524 pieces of art by 1,805 artists from 47 countries.
Anni Crouter of Flint, Mich., won the $75,000 second prize for Polar Expressed, three large polar bear paintings. Sculptor Andy Sacksteder of Port Clinton, Ohio, won the $50,000 third prize for UPLifting, a bronze sculpture of two dancers.
In a separate category, a jury of arts professionals awarded a $100,000 prize to Carlos Bunga for Ecosystem, made with cardboard, tape and paint. The work reimagines a gallery in the former Grand Rapids Public Museum. The Portguese-born artist, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, said he had to study and know the space very well to create the site-specific piece at SiTE:LAB in Grand Rapids.
Now in its fifth year, ArtPrize has put Michigan's second-largest city on the international art map, thanks to a unique system in which artists and venues independently connect with each other using ArtPrize's online portal.
It's sort of like online dating for artists, or what ArtPrize executive director Christian Gaines calls "a self-sustained ecosystem."
"ArtPrize is unique to any other art competition in the world, in that curatorial decisions, finalists and winners are ultimately generated by" that ecosystem, Gaines said.
The 2012 winner was Adonna Khare, of Burbank, Calif. She took home the top prize for her carbon-pencil-on-paper drawing called Elephants.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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North Vancouver RCMP say a man in his 30s was arrested for impaired driving, a mere three hours after his licence was suspended for the same alleged offence.
The first incident happened on Thursday, just after noon, when officers received a report from a cyclist who saw an erratic driver crash into a parked car in the area of Capilano Road and Montroyal Boulevard, police said Friday.
When officers arrived at the scene, the man was found, uninjured. Police said that evidence found at the scene prompted officers to conduct a breathalyzer test, which the man allegedly failed.
Officers seized his driver's licence and issued a 90-day driving prohibition. The car, which Mounties said belonged to the man's father, was also seized and impounded for 30 days.
Officers drove the man back to his house.
Three hours later, Mounties found themselves responding to a similar incident – another report of an erratic driver who, this time, almost hit a cyclist before crashing into a parked car on Lonsdale Avenue.
The same officers attended the scene, where police say the same man was found behind the wheel of his mother's car.
Police allege the man had continued to drink after the previous crash, and subsequently failed a second breathalyzer test. Officers impounded the car for seven days, and the man was arrested.
Media spokesperson Sgt. Peter DeVries called the incident "unbelievable."
"And sure, there is something comical about it, but that humour has to pass quickly, he said. "He could have killed someone. Many other drunk drivers have. We need to keep these people off the road, and that's what we try to do every day."
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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced that USDA is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation.
"The 2018 Farm Bill is intended to provide support, certainty and stability to our Nation's farmers, ranchers and land stewards by enhancing farm support programs, improving crop insurance, maintaining disaster programs, and promoting and supporting voluntary conservation," said Under Secretary Northey. "We are seeking input from stakeholders on how USDA can streamline and improve program delivery while also enhancing customer service."
The listening session will be held Feb. 26, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in the Jefferson Auditorium in the South Building located at 14th Street and Independence Ave. S.W. in Washington, D.C.
The listening session is open to the public. Participants must register at farmers.gov/farmbill by February 22, 2019, to attend the listening session and are encouraged to provide written comments prior to the listening session. For those orally presenting comments at the listening session, written comments are encouraged to be submitted to regulations.gov by February 22, 2019. Additional written comments will be accepted through March 1, 2019. Comments received will be publicly available on www.regulations.gov.
"Truly this is a Farm Bill that improves farm safety net programs, protects federal crop insurance, and preserves strong rural development and research initiatives. At USDA we are eager to hear from our stakeholders on policy recommendations, so we can start working on implementing these important Farm Bill provisions," said Northey
For more information on the listening session visit farmers.gov/farmbill.


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Aloha to guest author Anderson Dun! A native of Hawai'i currently living in Arizona, he brings us a delicious review of 'Ama 'Ama at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawai'i. Let's hear it from an expert!
While I didn't have a chance to stay there, I just knew that I had to visit the Disney resort and have a meal there during my trip home to Hawai'i. I thought about eating at Makahiki buffet, but after reading some good reviews of lunch at 'Ama 'Ama, I decided to try it out.
Pre-Lunch Visit to Off the Hook Pool Bar
When we first arrived at 11:10 AM, my mom and I were told that they were closed and didn't have any openings until 12:45 PM. I was a bit surprised, but we took the time to wander about the resort.
The first thing we did was head next door to the Off the Hook Pool Bar. The pool bar is right next to the restaurant and offers food and drinks, but of course, we were just there for the drinks.
It is a little thatched roofed, open air hut with a good number of seats and tables.
My mom decided on the 'Alaea-rita and really enjoyed it. I had a taste of it as well, and thought it was very refreshing. 'Alaea refers to the pink sea salt used to rim the glass. Other than that, it was really your standard margarita.
I decided on the Liliko'i Mojito. Let me preface this by saying that I rarely drink alcohol, but decided to try it. For me, it tasted a bit too strongly of rum. It was sweet, but I couldn't really detect very much Liliko'i, or even lime or mint for that matter. The drinks will run you $9 to $10.
Even with tons of kids splashing around, it was still quite relaxing to be able to sit poolside with a drink. (Although I'll admit that all I wanted to do was to jump in that pool. Maybe someday…)
After doing some shopping at the gift store and meandering about the resort property, we headed back to 'Ama'Ama at around 12:15 to see if they could seat us. Fortunately, they were able to take us to a table right away.
Unlike the rest of Aulani, some of which I find to be fun but over-the-top, the restaurant is decorated minimally. The design is another open-air, thatched-roof hut, while the blue murals on the walls mimic the ocean. I found the entire setting calm and relaxing.
Of course, it's really all about the view. Now, while it is beach side, the restaurant is not right next to the ocean's edge. But who cares? The view of the beach is amazing.
One of the reasons that I decided to eat lunch here was because the prices were much more affordable than dinner. Not cheap, mind you, but still reasonable for a nice resort/hotel restaurant.
I will say that the service was wonderful and attentive — that is, until dessert. Then it seemed like they stopped paying attention to us, taking a good amount of time for us to get refills and the check. Still, they were very friendly.
My mom and I decided to share an appetizer and chose the Crispy Curried Chicken Firecracker with Mango Gastrique. When it came out, we were surprised to see it was sort of like a coconut chicken curry spring roll. It was absolutely delicious. The chicken filling was flavorful while the mango gastrique served as a nice counter to the slight spiciness.
For my entree, I ordered the Kalua-roasted Pulled Pork Sandwich. "Kalua" means "the pit," referring to the method by which pork was traditionally cooked.
Now, having had lots of kalua pig when I grew up in Hawai'i, I can say that this pork was good, not great. It was a bit under-seasoned for my taste; however, what made the dish great were the Chinese steamed buns and the different toppings for each little slider.
From left to right, the tiny buns were topped with pickled onions, kim chee, and chopped lomi tomato ("lomi" means massage, so the tomatoes are "massaged," or rather, chopped finely with onions). They each provided a nice surprise to accompany the roast pork flavor. The sweet potato fries were also very good.
My mom ordered the Ahi Nicoise Salad. She said the salad was "so good," in her own words. She especially loved the tuna, even though she rarely eats rare seared tuna — she usually eats it completely raw or completely cooked from the can. I didn't try any of her salad, but it seriously looked fresh and appetizing, and I don't even eat fish!
After our entrees, we had saved room for dessert. Well, to be honest, we ALWAYS have room for dessert.
Though we were intrigued by the Floating Island, we opted for the Chocolate Cake. The presentation was absolutely beautiful, and this was delicious.
I guess I'm not used to fancy desserts, because this was more like a thick mousse in the shape of a cake. But the coffee cream perfectly complimented the chocolate flavor.
Every time I visit home in Hawai'i, I make a list of favorite places that I must eat…local Hawai'i food that I can't find anywhere else. And even with the many great meals at my old favorites, my lunch at 'Ama'Ama still was one of the most memorable meals. In fact, it was probably one of the best Disney Dining Experiences I have ever had. (It helped that my mom footed the bill, too).
The food and the view were great, each with the perfect touch of Hawaii. The price was not too bad for lunch, either. Next time I visit Hawai'i, I definitely plan on adding 'Ama'Ama to my list.
And seriously, just look at that view.
Is Disney's Aulani Resort on your vacation wish list?? Let us know in the comments below!
Anderson Dun works in higher education as an academic advisor in Flagstaff, AZ. Though this is his 7th year in Arizona, he still considers Hawaii home. He is an avid Disney fan and foodie, and loves to take frequent road trips to Disneyland.


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Don't Waste Money Sending Your Kids To Those Fancy College Summer Camps
Could putting 'Harvard' on your resume actually harm you?
Possibly. The Ivy's $US11,000 two-course, pre-college program is considered just smoke and mirrors for college admissions, according to some experts.
But it's not just Harvard – any of those summer programs that promise a 'real college experience' for eager (and wealthy) high school students aren't all they're cracked up to be.
"When mummy and daddy have spent $US6,000-10,000 dollars so that Johnny can take two courses, when Johnny could have taken those two courses at a local community college for under $US1,000," it looks bad Bev Taylor, founder of Ivy Coach, a New York based college consulting firm, told Business Insider.
Taylor tells her student clients not to attend the programs. And if it's too late and they mistakenly spent the summer taking biology courses in Costa Rica, she tells them to leave it off their applications. "We see it as a big turn off to admissions counselors," Taylor says. "These programs are sleep away camp with a couple of courses. It looks like the kid has no imagination and couldn't come up with something on his own."
However, one could argue that there are major benefits of having direct access to renowned professors or being immersed in a foreign language. Last year, Bloomberg reported how a student thought her recommendations from Harvard summer program helped her get into the University of Chicago.
But all the experts disagree, saying that these programs are neutral at best and harmful at worst.
"The reality of these programs is that they're opportunities for families who can afford them. They're not going to magically make sure you get into an Ivy League college," Elizabeth Morgan, director of external relations at the National College Access Network, told Business Insider.
Taylor even goes so far as to say that they can hurt your admissions chances. "Lets say a student goes to a Brown summer program and applies early decision to Brown and doesn't get in. Now they're applying regular decision to all these other schools and they put Brown summer program on their resume. If you were an admissions person from Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, what would you think?"
But Eric Fuda, Dean of Admissions at University of Pennsylvania doesn't see it so black and white. Fuda told BI that it's more important what you get out of the programs "academically, socially, physically, mentally," rather than just the attendance of them.
When asked about their reputation as grounds for lazy, rich kids who want a resume filler (postured more elegantly), he told us, "I think it's dangerous for us to have knee-jerk reactions at any end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
When you start getting into, I don't want a student because their parents are working hard and gainfully employed – that shouldn't be held against that child."
So what's a prep kid to do?
The thing that everyone recommended doing was something the student is passionate about, preferably in a local, inexpensive setting.
"An admissions officer would be even more impressed with a student who decided that they wanted to explore a particular discipline or take a course and found a way to do it that was free," said Morgan. "That kind of self directed work is going to be much more impressive to an admissions officer."
Taylor agrees. "Find a local private college, or a community college, or do some research helping a professor. We have students who may volunteer their time working in a local museum giving tours. Find something that you're passionate about, and do that. And it's going to have a lot more weight than going to one of these fancy summer camps."
If you're interested in Ivy Coach's college counseling, fill out our free consultation form and we'll be in touch.
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Our work
GreenCape is a non-profit organisation that drives the widespread adoption of economically viable green economy solutions from the Western Cape.
We work with businesses, investors, academia and government to help unlock the investment and employment potential of green technologies and services, and to support a transition to a resilient green economy.
We are a not-for-profit organisation established in 2010 to support the development of the green economy in the region.
Our vision
GreenCape's vision is a thriving prosperous Africa mobilised by the green economy.
Our ambition
In the next 5 years, GreenCape aims to be globally relevant in driving the uptake of green economy infrastructure solutions in the developing world context.
What do we do?
We work at the interface between business, government and academia in order to identify and remove barriers to economically viable green economy infrastructure solutions in developing countries, thereby catalysing their replicable and large-scale uptake to enable each country and its citizens to prosper.
We assist businesses by removing barriers to their establishment and growth. Our work includes:
- helping potential investors understand the local market, connect with the right people and encounter fewer barriers to doing business
- providing policy and regulatory advocacy and support
- facilitating access to funding
- facilitating market access
- establishing skills development partnerships
- networking and information-sharing events
- sharing our expert knowledge through publications
To do this, we work closely with our partners in government, the private sector and academic community. The green economy is new and fast moving and business opportunities may be constrained by issues such as legislation and policy, a lack of credible information, limited market awareness and demand, business finance and skills. GreenCape's team of sector experts make it their business to fully understand these shifting dynamics so they can provide useful and relevant support to existing and potential green businesses.
We also assist local, provincial and national government to build a resilient green economy by providing:
support on the development of standards, regulations, tools and policies
expert technical knowledge on key sectors in the green economy
- access to networks of key players across business, academia, and internationally
Key reading
GreenCape's Model for Regional Economic Development Case Study
GreenCape's Model for Regional Economic Development Appendix
Our flagship market intelligence reports
Atlantis Greentech Special Economic Zone: Annual Report 2017/18


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From Abracadabra to Zombies | View All
There are those who scoff at the school boy, calling him frivolous and shallow. Yet it was the school boy who said, Faith is believing what you know ain't so. --Mark Twain, Following the Equator, "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar"
No faith dies because it is unreasonable, but only because the instincts which it has satisfied find more complete and permanent gratification in other directions. --Amy E. Tanner, Studies in Spiritism (1910)
Faith is a non-rational belief in some proposition. A non-rational belief is one that is contrary to the sum of the evidence for that belief. A belief is contrary to the sum of the evidence if there is overwhelming evidence against the belief, e.g., that the earth is flat, hollow, or is the center of the universe. A belief is also contrary to the sum of the evidence if the evidence seems equal both for and against the belief, yet one commits to one of the two or more equally supported propositions.
A common misconception regarding faith—or perhaps it is an intentional attempt at disinformation and obscurantism—is made by Christian apologists, such as Dr. Richard Spencer, who wrote the following:
A statement like "There is no god, and there can't be a god; everything evolved from purely natural processes" cannot be supported by the scientific method and is a statement of faith, not science (Richard Spencer, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Davis and faculty adviser to the Christian Student Union. Quoted in The Davis Enterprise, Jan. 22, 1999).
The error or deception here is to imply that anything that is not a scientific statement, i.e., one supported by evidence marshaled forth the way scientists do in support of their scientific claims, is a matter of faith. To use 'faith' in such a broad way is to strip it of any theological significance the term might otherwise have.
Such a conception of faith treats belief in all non-empirical statements as acts of faith. Thus, belief in the external world, belief in the law of causality, or belief in the fundamental principles of logic, such as the principle of contradiction or the law of the excluded middle, would be acts of faith on this view. There seems to be something profoundly deceptive and misleading about lumping together as acts of faith such things as belief in the Virgin birth and belief in the existence of an external world or in the principle of contradiction. Such a view trivializes religious faith by putting all non-empirical claims in the same category as religious faith. In fact, it would be more appropriate to put religious faith in the same category as belief in superstitions, fairy tales, and delusions.
Physicist Bob Park explains this difference in a way even the most devious casuist should understand. The Oxford Concise English Dictionary, he notes, gives two distinct meanings for faith:
"1) complete trust or confidence, and 2) strong belief in a religion based on spiritual conviction rather than proof." A scientist's "faith" is built on experimental proof. The two meanings of the word "faith," therefore, are not only different, they are exact opposites.*
There are reasons for trusting science and there are reasons for religious convictions, but the reasons for our trust in science are called evidence and the reasons for our religious convictions all reduce to hope. William James, a scientist and a man of faith, understood this distinction well. In his essay "The Will to Believe," James opines that the evidence for a god and an afterlife equals the evidence for non-belief and that his hope is for survival of the soul. In science when the evidence is equal for two opposing propositions, James argued, we should suspend judgment until the scales are tipped to one side or the other. We don't make a leap of faith in such cases, hoping our favored hypothesis is true. When we do give our assent to one scientific hypothesis over another it is because the evidence compels it, not because we hope it is true.
an erroneous view of faith
If we examine Dr. Spencer's claims, the error of his conflation of two senses of 'faith' should become obvious. He claims that the statement 'there is no god and there can't be a god; everything evolved from purely natural processes' is a statement of faith. There are three distinct statements here. One, 'there is no god'. Two, 'there can't be a god'. And three, 'everything evolved from purely natural processes'. Dr. Spencer implies that each of these claims is on par with such statements as 'there is a god', 'Jesus is our lord and savior', 'Jesus's mother was a virgin', 'a piece of bread may have the substance of Jesus's physical body and blood', 'The God of Abraham is one being but three persons', and the like.
The statement 'there cannot be a god' is not an empirical statement. Anyone who would make such a claim would make it by arguing that a particular concept of god contains contradictions and is, therefore, meaningless. For example, to believe that 'some squares are circular' is a logical contradiction. Circles and squares are defined so as to imply that circles can't be square and squares can't be circular. James Rachels, for one, has argued that god is impossible, but at best his argument shows that the concepts of an all-powerful god and one who demands worship from his creations are contradictory. The concept of worship, Rachels argues, is inconsistent with the God of Abraham (AG) concept.
Rachels makes an argument. Some find it convincing; others don't. But it seems that his belief is not an act of faith in the same sense that it is an act of faith to belief in the Incarnation, the trinity, transubstantiation, or the virgin birth. The first three articles of faith are on par with believing in round squares. They require belief in logical contradictions. Virgin births, we now know, are possible, but the technology for the implantation of fertilized eggs did not exist two thousand years ago. The belief in the Virgin birth entails the belief that AG miraculously impregnated Mary with himself. Such a belief defies experience but not logic. The Virgin birth is conceivable (to make a bad pun), unlike the Trinity.
All arguments regarding these articles of faith are quite distinct from Rachel's argument. To defend these articles of faith, the best one can hope for is to show that they cannot be shown to be false. However, the consequence of arguing that logical contradictions may nevertheless be true, seems undesirable. Such a defense requires the abandonment of the very logical principles required to make any argument and is therefore self-annihilating. The fact that arguments such as Rachel's and those defending articles of religious faith are not empirical or resolvable by scientific methods hardly makes them equally matters of faith.
The statement 'there is no god' is quite different from the claim that there can't be a god. The latter makes a claim regarding possibility; the former is an actuality or existential claim. I doubt that there are many theologians or Christian apologists who would claim that all their faith amounts to is a belief in the possibility of this or that. One can believe there is no god because there can't be a god, but one might also disbelieve--i.e., reject as untrue--the existense of any god while admitting the possibility of AG or any other god. Disbelief in gods is analogous to disbelief in Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny. Yet, those who believe in Bigfoot and Nessie, for example, aren't known for claiming they believe out of faith. To say you have faith in Bigfoot or faith in Nessie sounds ludicrous. Believers in Bigfoot think there is good evidence for their belief. Disbelievers argue that the evidence is not strong at all and does not deserve assent to the proposition that Bigfoot exists. Disbelievers in Bigfoot do not disbelieve as an act of faith; they disbelieve because the evidence is not persuasive. Belief in a god, on the other hand, could be either an act of faith or a belief based on conclusions from evidence and argument. If the theistic belief is an act of faith then the one holding the belief either thinks the evidence against belief outweighs or equals the evidence for belief, or the belief is held without regard for evidence at all. Otherwise, the belief is not an act of faith but of belief that the evidence is stronger for belief than against.
Another scientist, physicist Paul Davies, represents another kind of deceptive misconception of faith: that science and religion are equally grounded in 'faith'. Here is how he puts it:
...science has its own faith-based belief system. All science proceeds on the assumption that nature is ordered in a rational and intelligible way. You couldn't be a scientist if you thought the universe was a meaningless jumble of odds and ends haphazardly juxtaposed. When physicists probe to a deeper level of subatomic structure, or astronomers extend the reach of their instruments, they expect to encounter additional elegant mathematical order. And so far this faith has been justified. ("Taking Science on Faith," New York Times, Nov. 24, 2007)
The claim that the assumptions of science are of the same kind as the belief in the trinity, the virgin birth, or the existence of God is as wrong as Dr. Spencer's belief that the claim that 'everything evolved from natural processes' is an act of faith. Davies uses 'faith' to refer to beliefs that are uncertain or can't be proved to be necessarily true, but that is not the essential characteristic of religious faith. We can't prove that it is necessarily true that the laws of nature won't change drastically tomorrow, but that doesn't make the countless instances of experienced order and pattern by countless individuals of no evidential importance. Assuming that invisible green angels move objects to appear as if gravity were real is not on par with assuming there are laws of nature. Neither can be proved to be necessarily true but the latter is backed by evidence in support of it. To lump evidence-based belief with beliefs not based on any evidence as both being faith-based is absurd.
If the only alternatives are that everything evolved from either supernatural or natural forces, and one is unconvinced by the arguments and evidence presented by those who believe in supernatural forces, then logically the only reasonable belief is that everything evolved from natural forces. Only if the evidence supporting a supernatural being were superior or equal to the evidence and arguments against such a belief, would belief that everything evolved from natural forces be a matter of faith.
Those of us who are atheists and believe that everything evolved from natural forces nearly universally maintain that theists and supernaturalists have a very weak case for their belief, weaker even than the case for Bigfoot, Nessie, the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus. But, more important, we are convinced by the overwhelming nature of the evidence that natural forces have brought about the universe as we know it. Thus, our disbelief in a supernatural creator is not an act of faith, and therefore, not non-rational as are those of theists and Christian apologists. However, if Christian apologists insist on claiming that science is faith-based or that their version of Christianity and the rejections of their views are equally acts of faith, I will insist that the apologists have a non-rational faith, while their opponents have a rational faith. Though I think it would be less dishonest and less misleading to admit that atheists and naturalists do not base their beliefs on faith in any sense close to that of religious faith.
See also atheism, gods, Santa Claus, and theism.
further reading


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I love the reflection in Christian Constant's ice cream ardoise
The REAL thing is nice too on rue de Rennes near Monoprix..
Still...what's not to love about being in Paris?
eh oui, what's not to love ! Carole you always make me feel like i never have enough tarte au citron :-) I'll be in Paris on friday and i'm already thinking of desserts...By the way, thank you for the best tarte au citron link. Gérard Mulot...indeed, i won't forget !
Enjoy it all !
ps : by the way, this is too funny my post title today was, Where was I ?
The #4 looked a treat! Can't wait for your rating when you finish this so important tarte research!
Wow, that macaron is as big as a Moon Pie!
Did Bear sketch with you & Rick? I'm so envious that he can sit drinking coffee & sketching there every day! To think of all the artist who have hung out there since the '20s!
So much in this post! all great!


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Superstar MisShapes DJ and lovably icy ingénue Leigh Lezark may be the Anna Wintour of the downtown scenester set. Does that mean we can't be friends?
When I heard Leigh Lezark was hosting a party at the Tribeca Grand Hotel to hype her new Dossier magazine cover, I thought it would be a great opportunity to help rehab her frosty image. Leigh, as many of you know, is the Queen of the MisShapes, which for several years has been New York's most in-demand deejay trio. Gawker famously nicknamed her "Princess Coldstare," and has been pretty relentless in tweaking both Leigh's haughty 'tude and the MisShapes' coolest-kids-in-the-room status.
As I made my way to the Tribeca Grand on a drizzly Friday night, I wondered if Leigh had gotten a bum rap. Maybe she had become the target of so much mean-spirited internet bile because, well, she was kind of a big deal, and people were jealous. I imagined getting her to open up about what was really going on inside that pretty little head. We'd talk about music and fashion, love and life, and by the end of the night we'd be sharing iPod playlists, clinking Champagne flutes and perhaps even planning a nice, long vacation together. Preferably somewhere warm, and without an extradition treaty!
I was still considering all of this when I saw Leigh holding court at a table near the Tribeca Grand's crowded bar. She went outside to smoke with two pals, and well, I guess I needed one, too. I followed them outside and bummed a light from one of her friends. "Aren't you Leigh?" I asked. "Yeah," she said with a big smile. And then I dropped the rancid stink bomb that I was writing about Fashion Week parties for Gawker and wanted to do a quick interview that would make everyone love her.
"Nope. No thank you." she said, pulling up her jacket's hood and looking away from me, her cigarette hand trembling. I started explaining how I just wanted to talk to her for a minute, but it was too late. Her male friend, a delicate-looking man in a red sweater, hissed, "It's not going to happen." I rambled for a few more seconds. Then a brunette in a black dress, said, wearily, "She said no nicely, so...." Feeling like a pedophile who had just been turned away from a petting zoo, I apologized for bothering them and and finished my smoke on the other side of the crowd in front of the hotel.
Back inside I was nursing my bruised ego with a drink when I was approached by the party's publicist, Krista Freibaum. I said that Leigh had just shot me down. Krista offered to talk to Leigh and vouch for my good intentions. I thanked her, and watched her walk over to Leigh's table. Pretty soon, both women were arguing and gesturing wildly. Clearly, this wasn't going well.
"I told her you were a nice guy and you were trying to change the way she was represented on Gawker," Krista told me when she returned. "And she said, 'I don't care about Gawker. They're just gonna spin it in a way that makes me look bad.'"
I really couldn't argue with Leigh's reasoning, but I still wanted to talk to her. I saw one of her fellow MisShapes, Geordan Nichols, heading outside, and stopped him on the stairs. I asked if there was one song that embodied the ethos of Fashion Week right now.
"I think that's an idiotic question," he said. "There's no song of Fashion Week." Ok, well at least he was having some fun with me. He was explaining that, much like a snowflake, no MisShapes set was exactly the same, when Leigh walked by and snapped, "Geordon!" before stomping away.
"She won't talk to me," I said. "I know, she hates you," he said with a smile. I told him that I was nominating Lele's "Breakfast" as the official song of Fashion Week after I heard the MisShapes play it at a party at the Versace store. "It's a great song, we all love it," he said. I asked what Geordon thought the message of the wonderfully dirty dance jam was. "Breakfast, bitches, pussy....I don't know." Then he said he had to get his friends inside and handed me a drink ticket.
Skye Parrott, the co-founder of Dossier, the biannual arts and culture mag that was throwing the party, photographed Leigh for the cover. Besides having a cool name, Skye was nice enough not to call me idiotic or refuse to talk to me. She even said she was tickled when this website recently wrote about her rash of mentions in New York Times. "I get all my news from Gawker so I was very excited," she said. "The only thing I regret is that somebody told me before I got to see it myself. It's really the first site I check in the morning."
Well, it was nice to know that somebody there loved me. But the party was almost over and I was about ready to bolt. I looked over at Leigh's table and she was yelling into the ear of a tall rocker dude with a shag hairdo. He gave me a conciliatory head nod. Meanwhile, it was just as clear that I was talking about her with my friends. Seriously, this was getting embarrassing.
I went outside for a final cigarette of the night with my friend George before we split for the Tribeca Tavern. I saw Leigh smoking near the scene of my earlier humiliation. She's looking over at me and I'm looking over at her. "Go talk to her, dude," George said. "She wants to talk to you. Give her one last chance."
Then I made my move. I walked over to Leigh and said, "Look, you don't have to be nervous. I'm writing about you and I'm writing about this party, and I just want to find out where your head's at tonight." A male friend of Leigh's urged her to give in and talk to me. "He's a cool guy," he said.
She accompanied me to a empty pocket near the hotel entrance. She is very small and strikingly pretty up close. She wore a black Chanel dress and black Chanel shoes, and her fingernails were painted blue. I turned on my tape recorder.
So how do you stay sane doing these events every night?
"I'm used to it. I've been doing this since I was 17. I'm good to go."
Are you nervous?
"I'm busy, honey! This is work."
Are you sure you're not nervous?
"I'm not nervous. You're saying that I'm nervous. I am not nervous."
I tell her that I'm nervous.
"Good, you should be. You're writing for Gawker."
I say that I've been made fun of by Gawker too. I understand why she was leery.
"Then why are you writing for them?"
Because they asked me. And because I felt like doing something different.
"Do that, then." She points to a short bald guy with devil horns on his head.
Do you think they're permanent or just for the party?
"I hope that they're permanent, but I doubt it. They look like Ricky's stick-on horns"
She starts to relax a little bit. I ask if she has any post-Fashion Week plans. "It's Fashion Month for me. I go to London on the 17th, and then Milan and Paris, and after that I go to Turkey, and then do a whole Asian tour, and then a whole South American tour. I'll be back in New York in the New Year."
Wow, that's like going on a world tour with a band. Do you have groupies?
"I don't know, define a groupie. We have people that will drive pretty far for it, yes. People have come to parties in New York from all over the world. I don't really know about the other countries, they just come."
I mean do you have obsessed male fans that send you, like, a Leigh Lezark diorama, or anything that has really weirded you out?
"I'm not going to tell you."
I'd love for you to tell me!
"I'm not telling you so long as that thing has a blinking red light."
Just then a European guy with frizzy blonde hair asks her to pose for a picture with him. He definitely looks like he has made a Leigh Lezark diorama or two. He's the the first of a stream of fans, both men and women, who approach her during our chat.
"I don't have any stalkers," she says. "I'm a normal person just like you. I'm trying to make a living. I'm trying to have fun."
OK, what do you think about the whole Princess Coldstare thing?
"I love it. Why not? It was silly at the time and still is silly."
So all those Gawker items written about you don't annoy you?
"It doesn't bother me. Its just silly and why would I involve myself in something that I find completely ridiculous."
Well, that's a good attitude, I guess.
"That's the only reason why I told you that I didn't want to talk to you."
What would you be doing if you weren't doing this deejay/model/downtown style icon stuff?
"I'd probably be a doctor. I always liked blood and gore, why not? I love to fix people."
I told her I was nominating "Breakfast" by Lele as the song of Fashion Week.
"I don't agree with you. That's just a fun, funny song that people don't expect to hear."
She wouldn't name her Fashion Week song, but said everyone should download "Animal" by Miike Snow.
"They're three producers from Sweden," she said. "They're good."
A woman kisses her cheek. "We're wrapping it up," she tells me as she heads back inside. And then she was gone. Well, it was fun while at lasted! Actually, not so much. But I truly did appreciate her taking the time to talk to me. Thanks, Leigh.
Now it's up to you to decide which song is better to listen to while fiercely dry-humping Fashion Week!
That's all for now. If you need me, I'll be making a diorama. Top photo of Leigh was taken by Skye Parrott for Dossier magazine. Here are the rest.


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Chris Mullaney shared with us a project he designed for his parent's house in Stroud on a relatively small budget. Through working with form and construction and a chance to put academic work into practice, the Origami Coop sees the ubiquitous chicken coop as an opportunity for experiment. More images and Mullaney's description after the break.
We set out to eliminate the framework found in a traditional build. Therefore we did a series of experiments with folding standard steel mesh. The resulting design is a self-supporting galvanized steel mesh coop that protects the chickens from foxes, snakes and other pests with a small plywood structure for the shelter and egg collection.
The coop currently houses 6 chickens but has been designed for a total of 10 to allow for expansion if required. The pivot door mechanism was a bespoke element designed to maintain the gates non-structural role. Lubricated steel discs provide lateral stability for the gate and double nuts allow for easy removal and re-greasing. Large back doors provide easy access for cleaning and the removal of plywood waste trays that are lined with straw to generate mulch for the adjacent vegetable gardens.
The brief also called for roll-away nesting boxes to simplify egg collection. Artificial turf is used on a shallow incline to facilitate the rolling of eggs. The collection trays employ galvanized steel mesh to cushion eggs and allow for easy inspection. Shade and rain protection is provided by a custom fly-roof made from folded aluminium flashing, designed to neatly interlock with the galvanized mesh structure.
The design draws inspiration from folding paper to create structure and material efficiency. Basic building components were reduced to single sheets of plywood and galvanized steel mesh and all construction is readily repeatable.
Designed By: Chris Mullaney Location: Stroud, Australia Built By: Chris Mullaney, Matt Mullaney, Tim Mullaney, Nathan Moate Project Year: 2011


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Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 31: Matthew, Mark and Luke, Part I, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com
5. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they were now both at an advanced age. 8. And it happened, while he was discharging the priest's office in the order of his course before God, 9. According to the custom of the priest's office, it fell to him by lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right hand of the altar on which the incense was burning. 12. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard: and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luke very properly begins his Gospel with John the Baptist, just as a person who was going to speak about the daylight would commence with the dawn. For, like the dawn, he went before the Sun of Righteousness, which was shortly to arise. Others also mention him, but they bring him forward as already discharging his office. Luke secures our respect for him, while he is yet unborn, by announcing the miracles of divine power which took place at the earliest period of his existence, and by showing that he had a commission from heaven to be a prophet, ere it was possible for men to know what would be his character. His object was that John might afterwards be heard with more profound veneration, when he should come forth invested with a public office to exhibit the glory of Christ.
5. In the days of Herod This was the son of Antipater, whom his father elevated to the throne, and labored with such assiduity and toil to advance, that he was afterwards surnamed Herod the Great Some think that he is here mentioned by Luke, because he was their first foreign king; and that this was a suitable time for their deliverance, because the scepter had passed into a different nation. But they who speak in this manner do not correctly understand Jacob's prophecy, (Ge 49:10,) in which the advent of the Messiah is promised not merely after the royal authority had been taken from the Jews, but after it had been removed from the tribe of Judah. The holy patriarch did not even intimate that the tribe of Judah would be stripped of its supremacy, but that the government of the people would steadily remain in it until Christ, in whose person its permanency would at length be secured. When the Maccabees flourished, the tribe of Judah was reduced nearly to a private rank; and shortly afterwards, John, the latest leader of that race, was slain. But even at that time, its power was not completely annihilated; for there still remained the Sanhedrim, or Council selected out of the family and descendants of David, which possessed great authority, and lasted till the time of Herod, who, by a shocking slaughter of the judges, revenged the punishment formerly inflicted on himself, when he was condemned for murder, and forced to undergo voluntary exile, in order to escape capital punishment.
It was not, therefore, because he was of foreign extraction, that the reign of Herod broke the scepter of the tribe of Judah, (Ge 49:10;) but because whatever relics of superior rank still lingered in that tribe were entirely carried off by his robbery. That its royal dignity had crumbled down long before, and that by slow degrees its supremacy had nearly given way, does not imply such a discontinuance as to be at variance with Jacob's prophecy. For God had promised two things seemingly opposite; that the throne of David would be eternal, (Ps. 89:29, 36,) and that, after it had been destroyed, he would raise up its ruins, (Am 9:11;) that the sway of his kingly power would be eternal, and yet that there should come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, (Isa 11:1.) Both must be fulfilled. That supremacy, therefore, which God had bestowed on the tribe of Judah, was suffered by him to be broken down for a time, that the attention of the people might be more strongly directed to the expectation of Christ's reign. But when the destruction of the Sanhedrim appeared to have cut off the hope of believers, suddenly the Lord shone forth. Now, it belongs to the arrangement of history to mark the date of the transaction; but for no light reason did the word king mark, at the same time, the wretchedness of that period, in order to remind the Jews, that their eyes ought now to be turned to the Messiah, if they would sincerely keep the covenant of God.
Zacharias, of the course of Abia We learn from sacred history, (1 Chr. 24:3, 31,) that the families of the priests were arranged by David in certain classes. In this matter David attempted nothing contrary to what the law enjoined. God had bestowed the priesthood on Aaron and his sons, (Ex 28:1.) The other Levites were set apart to inferior offices, (Nu 3:9.) David made no change in this respect; but his object was, partly to secure that nothing should be done in tumult and disorder, partly to oppose ambition, and at the same time to provide that it should not be in the power of a few persons, by taking the whole service into their own hands, to leave the greater number unemployed at home. Now in that arrangement, Abijah, son of Eleazar, held the eighth rank, (1Ch 24:10.) Zacharias, therefore, belonged to the priestly family, and to the posterity of Eleazar who had succeeded his father in the high priest's office, (Nu 20:28.) In what manner Elisabeth, who was of the daughters of Aaron, could be Mary's cousin, (v. 36,) I will explain in the proper place. It is certainly by way of respect that Luke mentions the genealogy of Elisabeth; for Zacharias was permitted by the law to take to wife a daughter of any private Levite. From the equal marriage, therefore, it is evident that he was a man respected among his own rank.
6. And they were both righteous before God He awards to them a noble testimony, not only that among men they spent holy and upright lives, but also that they were righteous before God This righteousness Luke defines briefly by saying that they walked in all the commandments of God Both ought to be carefully observed; for, although praise is bestowed on Zacharias and Elisabeth for the purpose of showing us that the lamp, whose light went before the Son of God, was taken not from an obscure house, but from an illustrious sanctuary, yet their example exhibits to us, at the same time, the rule of a devout and righteous life. In ordering our life, (Ps 37:23,) therefore, our first study ought to be to approve ourselves to God; and we know that what he chiefly requires is a sincere heart and a pure conscience. Whoever neglects uprightness of heart, and regulates his outward life only by obedience to the law, neglects this order. For it ought to be remembered that the heart, and not the outward mask of works, is chiefly regarded by God, to whom we are commanded to look. Obedience occupies the second rank; that is, no man must frame for himself, at his own pleasure, a new form of righteousness unsupported by the Word of God, but we must allow ourselves to be governed by divine authority. Nor ought we to neglect this definition, that they are righteous who regulate their life by the commandments of the law; which intimates that, to the eye of God, all acts of worship are counterfeit, and the course of human life false and unsettled, so far as they depart from his law.
Commandments and ordinances differ thus. The latter term relates strictly to exercises of piety and of divine worship; the latter is more general, and extends both to the worship of God and to the duties of charity. For the Hebrew word הקים, which signifies statutes or decrees, is rendered by the Greek translator δικαιώματα, ordinances; and in Scripture הקים usually denotes those services which the people were accustomed to perform in the worship of God and in the profession of their faith. Now, though hypocrites, in that respect, are very careful and exact, they do not at all resemble Zacharias and Elisabeth. For the sincere worshippers of God, such as these two were, do not lay hold on naked and empty ceremonies, but, eagerly bent on the truth, they observe them in a spiritual manner. Unholy and hypocritical persons, though they bestow assiduous toil on outward ceremonies, are yet far from observing them as they are enjoined by the Lord, and, consequently, do but lose their labor. In short, under these two words Luke embraces the whole law.
But if, in keeping the law, Zacharias and Elisabeth were blameless, they had no need of the grace of Christ; for a full observance of the law brings life, and, where there is no transgression of it, there is no remaining guilt. I reply, those magnificent commendations, which are bestowed on the servants of God, must be taken with some exception. For we ought to consider in what manner God deals with them. It is according to the covenant which he has made with them, the first clause of which is a free reconciliation and daily pardon, by which he forgives their sins. They are accounted righteous and blameless, because their whole life testifies that they are devoted to righteousness, that the fear of God dwells in them, so long as they give a holy example. But as their pious endeavors fall very far short of perfection, they cannot please God without obtaining pardon. The righteousness which is commended in them depends on the gracious forbearance of God, who does not reckon to them their remaining unrighteousness. In this manner we must explain whatever expressions are applied in Scripture to the righteousness of men, so as not to overturn the forgiveness of sins, on which it rests as a house does on its foundation. Those who explain it to mean that Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous by faith, simply because they freely obtained the favor of God through the Mediator, torture and misapply the words of Luke. With respect to the subject itself, they state a part of the truth, but not the whole. I do own that the righteousness which is ascribed to them ought to be regarded as obtained, not by the merit of works, but by the grace of Christ; and yet, because the Lord has not imputed to them their sins, he has been pleased to bestow on their holy, though imperfect life, the appellation of righteousness The folly of the Papists is easily refuted. With the righteousness of faith they contrast this righteousness, which is ascribed to Zacharias, which certainly springs from the former, and, therefore, must be subject, inferior, and, to use a common expression, subordinate to it, so that there is no collision between them. The false coloring, too which they give to a single word is pitiful. Ordinances, they tell us, are called commandments of the law, and, therefore, they justify us. As if we asserted that true righteousness is not laid down in the law, or complained that its instruction is in fault for not justifying us, and not rather that it is weak through our flesh, (Ro 8:3.) In the commandments of God, as we have a hundred times acknowledged, life is contained, (Le 18:5; Mt 19:17;) but this will be of no avail to men, who by nature were altogether opposed to the law, and, now that they are regenerated by the Spirit of God, are still very far from observing it in a perfect manner.
7. And they had no child By an extraordinary purpose of God it was appointed that John should be born out of the common and ordinary course of nature. The same thing happened with Isaac, (Ge 17:17; Ge 21:1-3,) in whom God had determined to give an uncommon and remarkable demonstration of his favor. Elisabeth had been barren in the prime of life, and now she is in old age, which of itself shuts up the womb. By two hinderances, therefore, the Lord gives a twofold, surprising exhibition of his power, in order to testify, by stretching out his hand, as it were, from heaven, that the Prophet was sent by himself, (Mal 3:1; Joh 1:6.) He is indeed a mortal man, born of earthly parents; but a supernatural method, so to speak, recommends him strongly as if he had fallen from heaven
9. According to the custom of the priest's office The law enjoined that incense should be offered twice every day, that is, every morning and at even, (Exod. 30:7, 8.) The order of courses among the priests had been appointed by David, as we have already explained; and, consequently, what is here stated as to incense was expressly enjoined by the law of God. The other matters had been arranged by David, (1Ch 24:3,) that each family might have its own turn, though David ordained nothing which was not prescribed by the law: he only pointed out a plan by which they might individually perform the service which God had commanded.
The word temple (νὰος) is here put for the holy place; which deserves attention, for it sometimes includes the outer court. Now, Zacharias is spoken of as going into the temple, which none but priests were permitted to enter. And so Luke says that the people stood without, there being a great distance between them and the altar of incense; for the altar on which the sacrifices were offered intervened. It ought to be observed also that Luke says before God: for whenever the priest entered into the holy place, he went, as it were, into the presence of God, that he might be a mediator between him and the people. For it was the will of the Lord to have this impressed upon his people, that no mortal is allowed to have access to heaven, without a priest going before; nay that, so long as men live on the earth, they do not approach the heavenly throne, so as to find favor there, but in the person of the Mediator. Now, as there were many priests, there were not two of them permitted to discharge, at the same time, the solemn office of intercession for the people; but they were so arranged in classes, that only one entered the Holy Place, and thus there was but one priest at a time. The design of the incense was to remind believers that the sweet savor of their prayers does not ascend to heaven except through the sacrifice of the Mediator; and in what manner those figures apply to us must be learned from the Epistle to the Hebrews.
12. Zacharias was troubled Though God does not appear to his servants for the purpose of terrifying them, yet it is advantageous and even necessary for them to be struck with awe, (Ps 33:8,) that, amidst their agitation, they may learn to give to God the glory due unto his name, (Ps 29:2.) Nor does Luke relate only that Zacharias was terrified, but adds that fear fell upon him; intimating that he was so alarmed as to give way to terror. The presence of God fills men with alarm, which not only leads them to reverence, but humbles the pride of the flesh, naturally so insolent that they never submit themselves to God until they have been overcome by violence. Hence, too, we infer that it is only when God is absent, — or, in other words, when they withdraw from his presence, — that they indulge in pride and self-flattery; for if they had God as a Judge before their eyes, they would at once and unavoidably fall prostrate. And if at the sight of an angel, who is but a spark of the Divine light, this happened to Zacharias, on whom the commendation of righteousness is bestowed, what shall become of us miserable creatures, if the majesty of God shall overwhelm us with its brightness? We are taught by the example of the holy fathers that those only are impressed with a lively sense of the Divine presence who shake and tremble at beholding him, and that those are stupid and insensible who hear his voice without alarm.
13. Fear not, Zacharias The glory of God, it ought to be observed, is not so appalling to the saints as to swallow them up entirely with dread, but only to cast them down from a foolish confidence, that they may behold him with humility. As soon, therefore, as God has abased the pride of the flesh in those who believe in him, he stretches out his hand to raise them up. He acts differently towards the reprobate; for at whatever time they are dragged before the tribunal of God, they are overwhelmed by absolute despair: and thus does God justly reward their vain delights, in which they give themselves up to the intoxicating antonness of sin. We ought, therefore, to accept this consolation, with which the angel soothes Zacharias, that we have no reason to fear, when God is gracious to us. For they are greatly mistaken who, in order to enjoy peace, hide themselves from the face of God, whereas we ought to acquaint ourselves with him and be at peace, (Job 22:21.)
Thy prayer is heard Zacharias may seem to have acted an improper part, and inconsistent with the nature of his office, if, on entering the Holy Place in the name of all the people, he prayed as a private man that he might obtain offspring; for, when the priest sustained a public character, he ought, in forgetfulness as it were of himself, to offer prayers for the general welfare of the Church. If we say that there was no absurdity in Zacharias, after performing the chief part of the prayer, devoting the second part of it to private meditations about himself, the reply will not be without weight. But it is hardly probable that Zacharias did, at that time, pray to obtain a son, of which he had despaired on account of his wife's advanced age; nor indeed can any precise moment be drawn from the words of the angel. I interpret it, therefore, simply that his prayer was at length heard, which he had poured out before God for a long period. That the desire of having children, if it be not excessive, is consistent with piety and holiness, may be gathered from Scripture, which assigns to it not the lowest place among the blessings of God.
Thou shalt call his name John The name was given, I think, to the Baptist in order to heighten the authority of his office. יהוהנן, (1Ch 3:15,) for which the Greeks employ ᾿Ιωάννης, signifies in Hebrew the grace of the Lord Many suppose that the son of Zacharias was so called, because he was beloved of God. I rather think that it was intended to recommend not the grace which God bestowed upon him as a private individual, but that grace which his mission would bring to all. The force and weight of the name are increased by its date; for it was before he was born that God inscribed on him this token of his favor.


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The meter will need to be read 2 days prior to the closing. The final bill request form can be accessed here /DocumentCenter/View/7606. We will prepare a final bill for pick up at the office or e-mail to the closing company/realtor. Currently there is no charge for final bills.
At this point Laconia Water Department can only accept check or cash for water bills in the office. However, you may pay online by going to Online Payments and choose Water Department Utility Bill. Online payments can be made using debit or credit cards and electronic check. There is a small convenience fee for this service.
There are two parts to the water/sewer bill. The first part is the base rate. A single family house will be billed a $25 base rate per quarter for water and a $42.00 base rate per quarter for sewer. The second charge is the consumption charge. Water is billed at $2.55 per hundred cubic feet and sewer is billed at $5.90 per hundred cubic feet. Each bill will fluctuate due to the amount of water that goes through the meter.
Quick Reference formula for invoice calculation
- (Number of units times $25) plus (consumption times $2.55/hcf) equals quarterly water invoice
- (Number of units times $42.40) plus (consumption times $5.90/hcf) equals quarterly sewer invoice
- (Number of units times rate of fire protection items) equals quarterly fire protection invoice
Note: Franchise areas (specific service areas outside of city limits) are charged a 15 % surcharge for water. Charges are $24.15 base charge and consumption charges of $2.70/hcf. See Tariff for complete rate schedules. Unmetered Sewer Charges are a flat rate of $280.90 and are billed semi-annually by the tax collector.


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A private company in South Africa has created "Memorial Alert," a microchip-based technology designed to thwart tombstone robberies. There recently has been a spate of these crimes in Johannesburg.
The microchip is inserted into a memorial. When it is disturbed, it will sound an alarm and send a text message to relatives and integrated security companies.
Thieves reportedly are lifting an estimated 20 marble tombstones from cemeteries per month. They pawn them to stonemasons who recycle the materials, simultaneously staking their claim to a seat in the underworld.
[Source: The Associated Press]
PlayStation 4 Sees Strong Early Sales
A cool million units of the new PlayStation 4 console sold within 24 hours of going on sale in the U.S. and Canada, Sony reported.
The console was released in North America on Nov. 15, and will go on sale in Europe and Latin America in a couple weeks.
Sony is in a head-to-head grudge match with Microsoft and its new Xbox One console, which goes on sale Nov. 22. Sony apparently wants to sell 5 million PS4 units — priced at US$399 a pop — by the end of March.
[Source: Reuters]
Google Earth Used to Track Deforestation
A University of Maryland geographer has partnered with Google Earth to map the planet's forests and visualize global deforestation.
The geographer, Matthew Hansen, processed more than 600,000 images taken by NASA satellites over the past decade, creating a series of time-lapse maps and an interactive mapping tool.
While cool, the project is also sobering: Earth reportedly lost nearly 900,000 square miles of forest between 2000 and 2012 — more or less the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi.
It would have taken his computer 15 years to compile the images, Hansen said, so Google gets at least a hat-tip for the effort.
China Now Blocking Reuters
The powers that be in China are now blocking domestic access to Reuters' Chinese website.
Beijing apparently was ticked off by an article discussing JPMorgan Chase's link to the daughter of former Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times also have had their websites blocked in China.
The website that first discovered the Reuters blockade, GreatFire.org, which tracks China's so-called Great Firewall, is offering a mirror site for Reuters China. GreatFire claims that its mirror site can be accessed without any of the circumvention tools — proxy servers, VPNs and the like — that are needed to access other forbidden content in China.
GreatFire created the mirror site by using "a subpath of Amazon and Google's domains that support HTTPS access," according to The Next Web. Therefore, in order to block the mirror site, Beijing would apparently have to block entire domains — and, in the process, take down potentially thousands of other sites.
[Source: The Next Web]
Database for Censored Photos
In other Chinese censorship news, U.S.-based investigative journalism outfit ProPublica set out to create a database of images deleted from Sina Weibo, a Twitter-esque — but heavily censored — social media platform in China.
Teaming with the University of Hong Kong, ProPublica created software that stores posts from a group of 100 users. Said users had had material removed in the past, and most had a significant number of followers.
The study, carried out over two weeks, revealed that the 100 users had a total of 527 images removed. The images included shots of a yawning politician, archive images from the Korean War, shamed former Communist Party big wig Bo Xilai, human rights advocates, and long passages of text.
[Source: BBC]