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Frozen Caramel Crunch Torte– Graham cracker crust, creamy filling, butter brickle crunch, and ooey gooey caramel all combined into one stellar dessert. Every bite is heavenly!
This Caramel Crunch Dessert is crazy delicious! It is like an ice cream pie, but made in a springform pan so it's even more pretty. It makes a stunning presentation. Of course if you don't have a springform pan, you can actually make it in two pie pans instead. Not quite as stunning, but every bit as tasty.
I don't know why I don't make frozen desserts more often. I love that they can be made ahead of time for fuss-free entertaining. And who doesn't love a frozen treat? Especially one this decadent.
It takes a little extra time to make the butter brickle crunch, but trust me, it's worth it!! It is so good. I dare you not to sneak some as it's cooling in the pan. 🙂
And then of course there's the caramel. You can use store bought, but homemade is so much better. I realized that I haven't posted the recipe for this particular caramel sauce, but this caramel sauce will work. Doesn't that dripping caramel just make your mouth water? Oh so good.
More decadent caramel recipes you'll love:
- No-Bake Caramel Cornflake Cookies
- Creamy No-Bake Chocolate Caramel Pie
- Caramel Filled Bon Bon Cookies
- Sinful Caramel Sauce
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
- Mud Pie Recipe
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Sauce for ice cream
Frozen Caramel Crunch Torte
Decadent frozen torte with creamy layers, graham cracker crust, and butter brickle.
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 full crackers)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Butter Brickle Crunch
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup oats (quick or regular)
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/2 cup soft butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup caramel topping (I use homemade)
- For crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes. Let cool completely
- For butter brickle crunch: Mix all ingredients together and pat into a 9x13" pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or till lightly browned. While still hot, crumble up with two forks. Let cool.
- For filling: Whip cream till soft peaks form. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat for another minute. Set aside.
- Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl till smooth. Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk. Mix well, then fold in whipped cream.
- To assemble: Spread half of the filling over the cooled crust. Sprinkle with half of the crunch topping. Drizzle with half of the caramel.
- Spread on the remaining filling, then sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over the top. Cover and freeze for several hours, or till firm.
- Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle remaining caramel sauce over slices as you serve.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 253mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 4g


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RCC will be hosting its annual Jazz Festival May 12-13, featuring guest artist Bobby Shew.
The festival will also serve as a celebration for RCC's Jazz Ensemble winning the Reno Jazz Festival in April and being honored in Down Beat magazine as one of the nation's best among community colleges.
The festival is free and open to the public.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pages 83-86
A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5, Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1976.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.
In 1086 a priest held a virgate in Kingsbury. (fn. 1) The church had been appropriated to the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem by c. 1244-8 (fn. 2) and the benefice thereafter remained a donative or curacy in the gift of the hospital and, after 1544, (fn. 3) of the chapter of St. Paul's cathedral until 1834 when it became a perpetual curacy, (fn. 4) after 1868 styled a vicarage. (fn. 5) In 1884 a new parish church, Holy Innocents, was built and the old church of St. Andrew became its chapel of ease. (fn. 6)
The Knights Hospitallers were regarded as rectors and the rectorial glebe and parsonage house have been treated under Freren manor (q.v.). The curates were instituted by the hospital and chapter, except for a short period after 1650 when Sir William Roberts exercised the patronage. (fn. 7)
Roger, chaplain of Kingsbury, was apparently living there in 1291 when his 'houses' and the church were burgled. (fn. 8) Although it was never effected, the lease of Freren manor in 1505 was to John Nelson, a chaplain, (fn. 9) which suggests that early leases were made to clerks who were expected to serve the cure themselves. From 1506 the leases were made to laymen who had to find a chaplain to serve the cure, (fn. 10) and the close connexion continued with Freren farm-house, described in 1650 as 'commonly called Kingsbury parsonage house'. (fn. 11) In 1588 the curate lived in a loft in the church-house which then belonged to Michael Page, the lessee of Freren; (fn. 12) but it is not clear whether the building was the small one near the church (fn. 13) or Freren farm-house. In 1650 the minister had 'two chambers' (fn. 14) and in 1661 the lessee had to allow him a room with a chimney, called the church loft, or pay him an extra £5 a year. (fn. 15) In 1699 a lease reserved a cottage and two pightles near the church for the accommodation of the curate. (fn. 16) Like all subsequent leases, it said that the property was then in the occupation of Thomas Gosling, who lived in the 1660s. (fn. 17) The cottage probably fell into disuse when curates were non-resident. When they began again to live in the parish in the 19th century, it was usually in a private house. Henry Atcheson lived at Hill House in 1851 (fn. 18) and at the Hyde in 1872. (fn. 19) The two pightles, Little and Great Church field, were in 1839 described as glebe worth £3 10s., owned by the incumbent. (fn. 20)
The minister was paid an annual stipend of £20 by the lessee of Freren in 1650 (fn. 21) and an additional £20 was approved in 1657 by the trustees for the maintenance of ministers. (fn. 22) The lessee of Freren had to pay the curate £30 a year in 1661, (fn. 23) £40 a year from 1720 to 1834, (fn. 24) when a grant of £200 was made by Queen Anne's Bounty, (fn. 25) and £80 a year thereafter. (fn. 26) In 1851 the perpetual curate's endowment was described as £4 10s. in land, £6 10s. from Queen Anne's Bounty and £80 from other endowment. (fn. 27)
In 1423 it was said that William Bury and his wife Margaret, William Page's daughter, had been granted Page's property in Hendon on condition that they found a suitable chaplain for the church of Kingsbury to pray for the souls of Page and his ancestors for 10 years after the death of Page, who was still alive in 1410. (fn. 28) In 1531 John Edward surrendered property worth 20s. a year rent to the use of his wife, on condition that she provided an obit with a dirge and mass in Kingsbury church for him and his parents. (fn. 29) Elizabeth Frowyk, by will proved 1516, provided for torches in several churches, including Kingsbury. (fn. 30) Michael Roberts left 3s. 4d. for Kingsbury altar by will proved 1544. (fn. 31) In 1547 it was said that John Edward had given a close to maintain a church-house, (fn. 32) perhaps a small building which adjoined the churchyard in 1597. (fn. 33)
Little is known about the parish priests of Kingsbury. In 1435 John Ingram, chaplain, was amerced in the manor court of Kingsbury for striking Maud Chalkhill. (fn. 34) In 1503 Thomas Chalkhill was pardoned for killing John Fell, chaplain and curate of Kingsbury, in self-defence. (fn. 35) In 1525 William Cheshire, who may have been a former curate of Kingsbury, attacked John Bishop, curate of Kingsbury and later vicar of Willesden. (fn. 36) John West, curate in 1538, was a supporter of Henry VIII's religious innovations. (fn. 37) Robert Whiting, curate 1580-92, was 'simple'. (fn. 38) Thomas Fox, appointed curate in 1639, was ejected (fn. 39) and replaced in 1650 by Thomas Gardiner, a learned Presbyterian. When Gardiner moved to a more important post in 1654, (fn. 40) he was succeeded by Samuel Stancliffe, late rector of Great Stanmore. (fn. 41) The last of Kingsbury's 'Puritan' curates was James Prince, appointed in 1657 and ejected in 1662. (fn. 42)
Most early curates, often young men straight from university, were either poor or undistinguished, but from the late 17th century there were many pluralists, often incumbents of neighbouring parishes or canons of St. Paul's. Joseph Wilcocks, curate 1683-1702, was at the same time vicar of Harrow; William Hawkins, curate 1702-36, and Henry Fly, curate 1821-33, were also vicars of Willesden and canons of St. Paul's; Thomas Hilman, curate 1736-64, was another canon. William Clarke held Kingsbury in plurality with Willesden from 1795 and his successor, Thomas Woodman, held it with Twyford in 1820. (fn. 43) Moses Wight, curate 1764- 95, vicar of Willesden and canon of St. Paul's, was a fashionable London preacher who appointed the learned Samuel Parr, then a master at Harrow School, as assistant curate with a salary of £25 a year. (fn. 44) Robert Dillon, assistant curate of Kingsbury and Willesden in 1824, was also a popular preacher, especially favoured by women. (fn. 45) In 1833 after complaints about non-residence (fn. 46) the chapter appointed Henry Atcheson, an extreme Evangelical, who was resident in the parish for over 40 years. (fn. 47)
In 1497 a Welsh boy of about five years of age was found bound in the cemetery of Kingsbury church. After adoption by a tenant of the manor, he was named David Welch and apprenticed. (fn. 48) In 1685 orders were given that the communion table was to be railed in. (fn. 49) During the 18th century there was one service on Sundays, usually in the afternoon, except three or four times a year when communion was administered. (fn. 50) A morning service was introduced in 1833 after complaints by the parishioners (fn. 51) and on census day 1851, the morning and afternoon services were attended by 55 and 36 people respectively, (fn. 52) presumably including the choir of redhooded girls who occupied the gallery after it was built in 1840. (fn. 53) In 1883 a morning service at 11.0 a.m. was held at St. Andrew's while a service at 3 p.m. and a choral service at 6.30 p.m. were held at the chapel at the Hyde. Church activities included a guild of St. Andrew and Kingsbury clothing club. (fn. 54)
The old church of ST. ANDREW, (fn. 55) called in 1393 the church of St. Andrew and St. John the Baptist, (fn. 56) presumably because of its connexion with the Hospitallers, is situated in the southern extremity of the ancient parish of Kingsbury. The small church is built of flint rubble and Roman bricks and tiles and consists of undivided nave and chancel, west turret, and short spire. The modified long-and-short work of the western quoins may be a Saxon feature but other evidence, including the position of the 12th-century doorway, suggests a post-Conquest date. The chancel and nave contain 13th-century work with 14th- and 15th-century additions, including a trussed rafter roof. The parish was always too poor to enlarge the church and a relaxation of penance granted in 1393 to those who contributed to the conservation of St. Andrew's, (fn. 57) suggests that even the existing fabric was sometimes in danger. Pictures of 1796 (fn. 58) and 1822 (fn. 59) shows a dilapidated small country church. In 1840, however, it was drastically restored. The 14th-century timber south porch, the carved roof bosses and the rood screen were removed; the exterior was covered with roughcast and the roof with plaster; plain glass replaced quarries, a gallery was added, and a brick vestry was erected in front of the priest's door. In 1870 the wooden bell-turret and spire were rebuilt (fn. 60) and in 1888 the church was again restored; the midVictorian roof plaster and brick vestry were removed and a new vestry was built on the north side. The roof was re-tiled in 1906 and further restoration took place in 1955. (fn. 61)
The font, a circular bowl with octagonal rim, is probably 13th-century. It has no drainage hole and may have been a domestic mortar. According to local tradition, it was thrown into a pond in 1840, whence it was rescued by the owner of Lewgars, who used it as a flower pot until he was persuaded, on his death-bed in 1905, to restore it to the church. The pedestal is modern. The church contains a late-17th-century oak lectern, which was taken from a City church in the 1880s and from which Gladstone read the lesson when he was staying in Willesden at the end of the 19th century. There are three original brasses, including one in the chancel to John Shepherd (d. 1520), his wives, and 18 children. There is a floor-slab to John Bull (d. 1621) (fn. 62) in the chancel and a table-tomb to Mary Scudamore (d. 1669) in the churchyard. There are three bells: (i) c. 1350, by Peter de Weston; (ii) 1604, by James Butler; (iii) 1708, by Samuel Newton. (fn. 63) The plate and registers have been transferred to Holy Innocents church.
When L. C. Edwards, a master at Harrow School, became curate of Kingsbury in 1883, St. Andrew's church was too small and the population was concentrated in the northern part of the parish and especially at the Hyde. There was a chapel at the Hyde where his predecessor conducted afternoon and evening services in 1883, (fn. 64) but it was on Edwards's initiative that a new church was built by subscription on a site given by All Souls College. (fn. 65) The church was consecrated in 1884 as the parish church of Kingsbury, all the endowments and rights of St. Andrew's being transferred to the new benefice, which was ordained a vicarage in the patronage of the chapter of St. Paul's. (fn. 66) It was attended on census day 1903 by 96 people in the morning and 92 in the evening. (fn. 67) The old church became a chapel of ease, against the wishes of many of the parishioners who, led by one of the churchwardens, sang psalms and hymns there while the vicar officiated at the first service in the new parish church. (fn. 68)
In 1887 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners granted a perpetual annuity of £205 and for the rest of the century the vicar's income was about £300 a year. The commissioners also granted £60 for a curate during the absence of the vicar. (fn. 69) The glebe, the two fields on either side of St. Andrew's church, which produced a rental of £7 a year, was sold in 1900 for use as an extension to the burial ground. (fn. 70) In 1887 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners made a grant of £1,500 for a parsonage, a large but insanitary building north of the church. (fn. 71) The London Diocesan Fund purchased a site at Roe Green in 1929 for a church, vicarage and hall. A hall was built there and used for public worship in the 1930s. A site opposite was purchased for a new, smaller, vicarage, which was built in 1931, the old vicarage being used successively by the Children's Adoption Society, the Jewish Children Refugees, and Dr. Barnardo's Homes (fn. 72) until it was demolished between 1956 and 1963. (fn. 73)
The church of HOLY INNOCENTS stands at the highest point of Kingsbury Road, opposite its junction with Townsend Lane. The nave, chancel, Lady chapel and south porch were built in the Gothic style by William Butterfield in 1884 in yellow stock brick with varicoloured brick patterning. A small western turret was added in 1895 and a vestry in 1909; narthex, north aisle and choir vestry were added in 1957. There is one bell. (fn. 74) The plate, transferred from old St. Andrew's, includes a silver cup and paten cover, dated 1704, given by Richard Bowater. (fn. 75) Although an order was given to keep the registers in 1685, (fn. 76) the registers of births and deaths are complete only from 1732, and of marriages from 1735.
In 1885 old St. Andrew's became a consolidated chapelry under the name of Neasden-cum-Kingsbury, formed from parts of the parishes of Kingsbury and Willesden. It was a chapel of ease in the gift of the vicar of Kingsbury until he surrendered the right of presentation to the chapter of St. Paul's, (fn. 77) who retained it until the benefice became a vicarage in 1934 and the patronage passed to the Crown. (fn. 78) The Ecclesiastical Commissioners granted £1,500 in 1885 (fn. 79) for a vicarage house, for which a site was found in 1887. An annuity of £95 was granted to the perpetual curate in 1887 (fn. 80) and an annuity of £30 was added in 1907 to maintain an assistant curate. The benefice was worth £285 a year in 1903, by which date it had a chapel of ease, St. Catherine's Neasden-cum-Kingsbury. (fn. 81) With the development of southern Kingsbury after 1924 old St. Andrew's church could not accommodate the expanding population and a large church from Wells Street (St. Marylebone) was moved to an adjacent site to become the parish church. (fn. 82)
The new church of ST. ANDREW was originally built by S. W. Dawkes and Hamilton in 1847 and moved to Kingsbury by W. A. Forsyth in 1933. One of the earliest neo-Gothic churches, it is built of limestone rubble with freestone dressings in the Somerset Perpendicular style and consists of aisled and clerestoried nave incorporating the chancel, south porch, and north-west tower and spire. (fn. 83) As a centre of Anglo-Catholicism, (fn. 84) it acquired many interior embellishments. The metal chancel screen and pulpit are by Street, who also designed the reredos, which was sculptured by James Redfern. J. L. Pearson designed the font-cover and W. Butterfield the lectern. Most of the windows are by Clayton and Bell, except for the east window, a modern one designed by Goddard and Gibbs to replace a Pugin window, which was destroyed during the Second World War. Eight bells were presented to the church in 1880. A temporary church hall, built near the old church after 1907, was replaced by a permanent building in 1950. (fn. 85)
The parish of All Saints, Queensbury, which grew out of a Home Mission, was created in 1932 as a conventional district with a priest-in-charge. It was formed from the old parishes of Kingsbury and Little Stanmore, and includes all the area between Honeypot Lane and Edgware Road, between Camford Avenue in the north and Girton and Homstall avenues in the south. In 1941 it became a parochial district, the benefice becoming a vicarage in the patronage of the Crown. Worship was conducted in a hall in Dale Avenue, Little Stanmore, then in a marquee erected as part of a mission in Waltham Drive, and from 1938 in a wooden hut built on the site of the marquee. The church of ALL SAINTS, built next to the hall, was consecrated in 1954. Built by Romilly B. Craze, it is a brick building in a plain style and has a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, north-east chapel, and north tower. (fn. 86)


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I am a Computing Inspector/Advisor HIAS, CAS Regional Coordinator and CAS Primary Computing Master Teacher. I teach computing science at three primary schools in Hampshire, England. I love introducing children to computational thinking skills through programming and other activities. I think this an essential literacy that every student should comprehend.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Computational Thinking in the Primary Computing Curriculum
Over the summer I have been reflecting on what computational thinking is and how it affects primary computing understanding and practise. In this short article I am going to look at the following questions.
· What is computational thinking?
· Who first thought of the term?
· Is it a new idea?
· What thinking skills are included?
· What do these thinking skills mean for primary pupils and teachers?
· Computational thinking in the Computing National Curriculum
· Cross curricular?
What is computational thinking?
Wikipedia2 describes it as "problem solving method that uses computer science techniques"1a
Who first thought of the term?
The first3 person to popularise computational thinking and call for computational thinking skills to be taught to all was Jeanette Wing,4 a prominent American computer scientist. She argued that, "To reading, writing, and arithmetic, we should add computational thinking to every child's analytical ability."5
Is it a new idea?
The idea that problem solving methods used by computer scientists should be taught to every child is relatively new (2006) however the toolkit of useful critical thinking tools are much older.
What thinking skills are included?
Computer scientists and educationalist are in broad agreement as to what should be included. Miles Berry6 included algorithms, decomposition, patterns, logical reasoning and abstraction. A recent CAS working group included algorithmic thinking, evaluation, decomposition, abstraction and generalisation in their very helpful framework document7.
What do these thinking skills mean for primary pupils and teachers?
I am going to limit myself to the CAS working group list of computational thinking skills as I find these particularly helpful.
Algorithmic Thinking
Defining a precise set of instructions or rules to achieve an outcome or solve a problem. A recipe can be an algorithm, musical notation can be an algorithm. Instructional writing can be an algorithm. All working computer programs started life as human ideas that were expressed as algorithms in thoughts, words, symbols or flow charts. Programming is the challenge of turning precise ideas (algorithms) into code that can be read by a machine. When we define a precise set of instructions we save time as this algorithm can be reused to solve a problem over and over again and adapted to solve similar problems.
Evaluation is how we look at algorithms and determine how useful they are, how adaptable, how efficient, how correct. There may be many algorithmic solutions to a problem, evaluation asks which one was best and why? Evaluation is also concerned with the people who use an algorithm. Did it solve their problem? Was it better on paper than in practice? Evaluation is also a very useful skill to extend into programming as well. Getting pupils to think about an end user in the design (algorithm) stage can help focus ideas. I think there is a lot of similarity between logical thinking in the national curriculum and evaluation.
Decomposition is the skill of breaking a complex problem up into smaller manageable chunks and solving these chunks separately. I have found this to be a wonderfully useful skill in games design. Faced with the task of creating a new game8 pupils are often overwhelmed by the amount to think through. We use a decomposed planner where they jot down what they want the game to do first before circling objects and ideas and describing these in detail. This allows them to focus on designing a small parts of the game separately before recomposing these ideas into the whole.
Abstraction is the skill of reducing complexity by hiding irrelevant detail and focussing on the most important element. This is a really useful computational skill as once the irrelevant detail has been stripped away computer scientists can focus on what really needs doing. Imagine I wanted to turn the game matching pairs into a computer game. The most important element is; you win if items are the same. This can be abstracted further into A = B win, A ≠ B lose. We recently used abstraction to turn a musical sound track on a video into an algorithm and then into musical programming in Scratch. We started by listening to a video and identifying all the elements on the video, singing, high and low pitch notes, moving pictures, backing track etc. We then looked at what detail was important to turn into notes on Scratch and what was irrelevant. We ended up only keeping the high and low pitch notes. We swapped to a much simpler music track with notes only and listened to this to write a musical algorithm before converting this into code.9
Generalisation is adapting a solution that solved one problem to solve another. In our abstraction example earlier we reduced matching pairs to A = B win A ≠ B lose. We could then use generalisation to adapt this solution to think about creating a quiz. In a quiz, if the answer we have thought of is the same as the users answer we say it is correct. If the answer is not the same we say it is wrong. This is almost identical to A = B win A ≠ B wrong so we can adapt one solution to solve a similar problem. In our Scratch perimeter program10 we discover a simple way to calculate the diameter of a circle by multiplying the radius by two. Pupils then use the principle of generalisation to adapt this solution to calculate the perimeter of regular 2D shapes.
Computational Thinking in the National Curriculum
The opening statement of the introductory paragraph of the 2014 computing national curriculum11 says, "A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world." This is a wonderful opening statement which highlights the importance of computational thinking. I also like the way it highlights that computer science is both a science and an engineering discipline. Understanding the world is a scientific endeavour and changing it is an engineering one. Computer science doesn't just think about things it turns this thinking into digital artefacts to be tested and evaluated by society.
In the aims we find mention of abstraction, logic, algorithms and evaluating and the exhortation to "analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems"
In KS1 we find mention of algorithms and logical reasoning. In KS2 we find decomposition and logical reasoning. In KS3 abstraction, algorithms and logical thinking are included.
I see the national curriculum as a minimum entitlement and would urge teachers to make full use of the full range of computational thinking skills when they are appropriate.
Cross curricular?
The good folk at the Barefoot12 project are developing some cross curricular computational thinking activities and I think it is a laudable aim to include computational thinking ideas into the wider primary curriculum. In my code-it.co.uk resources I have mainly focused on computational thinking through algorithm design and programming. I think ideally we should do both. Recognising that these ideas are special because they have grown out of computer scientists desire to create artefacts and systems to evaluate and change the world but that there is real traction in understanding that is broad and multidisciplinary.
1 David Barr, John Harrison, and Leslie Conery (2011). "Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill for Everyone" https://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/LLCTArticle.pdf
2 Wikipedia Computational Thinking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_thinking#cite_note-1
3 Seymour Papert mentions computational thinking but doesn't really expand what it means or call for these skills to be taught to all. However I haven't read all of his works so am happy to be corrected. He mentions computational thinking in "An exploration in the space of mathematics educations". International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning (1996) http://www.papert.org/articles/AnExplorationintheSpaceofMathematicsEducations.html I couldn't find a comprehensive treatment of computational thinking in this journal.
4 Jeanette Wing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Wing
5 Jeanette M Wing Viewpoint (2006) https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~15110-s13/Wing06-ct.pdf
6 Miles Berry (2014) http://milesberry.net/2014/03/computational-thinking-in-primary-schools/
7 Professor Paul Curzon, Mark Dorling, Thomas Ng, Dr Cynthia Selby & Dr John Woollard (2014) Developing computational thinking in the classroom: a framework http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/2324 (second document link on right)
8 Primary Games maker planning including decomposed games planner http://code-it.co.uk/scratch/primarygamesmaker/primarygamesmakeroverview.html
9 Scratch music as code planning http://code-it.co.uk/scratch/musicscore/musicscoreoverview.html
10 Scratch perimeter program http://code-it.co.uk/scratch/perimeter/perimeteroverview.html
11 Computing National Curriculum https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study
12 Barefoot Computing Project http://barefootcas.org.uk/
3 comments:
A very clear and comprehensive article. Thanks Phil!ReplyDeleteReplies
- Denise Phillips22 September 2014 at 19:22
Hi Phil,Delete
Thanks for this - if only you had written it two months ago before I wrote my dissertation!
Hi Denise,Delete
I am currently carrying out a dissertation regarding Computational Thinking. By any chance have you posted your dissertation online? It would be of great help to have some references.
Thanks in advance :)
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Hope you have been getting into the spirit with my previous Valentine's Day themed posts; I know I have! Today's "theme" is February Nail Art Challenge is "You Pick", so pink holo stamping, here I come!
Polishes Used:
-OPI - Nail Envy
-Essie - Need A Vacation
-Sally Hansen - Magenta Magic
-Konad Plate - m83
I really loved this mani, the stamping and holo was subtle but elegant and pretty for Valentine's Day. I am wearing a nice black top with bright flowers on it in pinks and reds so this is understated and complex but without competing with my outfit.
My husband and I got a "joint gift" this year for V-day, a new camera lens (hence some of the cute macro shots) and we signed up for a photography class next weekend! Should be a really fun time where we will learn cool camera stuff, and we don't normally do stuff like this so it will be fun. He also bought me this nice bouquet of white vidalia roses. Here is a shot from last night when he first brought them home and they hadn't opened up yet:
Hope you all have a great day whether you have a Valentine or not, do something special for yourself :)


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Tim Eitel, Untitled (Interior) © Tim Eitel / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Pace is pleased to present Untitled (Interior), an exhibition of new and recent oil paintings and watercolors by leading German contemporary painter Tim Eitel. Eitel is celebrated for his open-ended pieces that mirror or reframe our reality to invite considerations of individual and collective perception. His depictions of isolated figures in contemporary public spaces are, on one hand, subjective windows onto our own experience, and, on the other, objective scenes relayed through overt compositional or formal conceits such as the modernist grid: another kind of window.
Expanding upon themes of partition and connection present in recent solo exhibitions including Tim Eitel Untitled (Interior) (2001–2020) at the Daegu Art Museum in South Korea, Tim Eitel: Sites and Attitudes at Pace in Beijing, and Tim Eitel: Open Walls at Museum der bildenden Künste in Leipzig, Germany, Untitled (Interior) takes Eitel's psychological portraits into the space of the modern art museum. His painted portrayals of lone figures in arts venues turn our vision toward human interiority itself. The show will run from November 25, 2020 to January 30, 2021 at Pace in Seoul.
Tim Eitel, Packing/Unpacking, 2020, oil on wood panel © Tim Eitel / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Tim Eitel, Interior (Shadow), 2020 © Tim Eitel / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Eitel, who works in Paris, rose to acclaim as a member of the New Leipzig School, a group of figurative painters including Neo Rauch and Matthias Weischer that coalesced at the Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts in post-reunification Germany. After studying painting under Arno Rink, Eitel moved to Berlin and co-founded the cooperative gallery Liga in 2002, cementing the prominence of the group globally. For the past two decades, the artist has culled and simplified elements from a rich repository of photographs and memories to formulate his atmospheric paintings. Methodically layered and meticulously composed, his work is a matter of utmost precision.
The works in Untitled (Interior), all made in 2020, take place in an unspecific modern art museum painted using flat planes of pure color and horizontal and vertical lines that abut, intersect with, layer, and mirror one another. The result, which approaches abstraction, is a dreamscape that recalls the lived experience of being in arts spaces, by virtue of its photorealist elements, but is distinct from it, in terms of its emptying or vacating of the space, which places emphasis on perception and reflection as phenomena. Unnecessary details that might tip these paintings too far toward narrative specificity are pared back to direct the viewer's attention to the theaters of contemplation in which art is housed, spaces dedicated not only to the objects of our gaze, but at the same time to the act of gazing itself, movement in thought and attention in between stimulus and events.
Tim Eitel, Interior (Ghost), 2020, oil on canvas © Tim Eitel / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Tim Eitel, Untitled (Interior) © Tim Eitel / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
The works on view range in size from Packing/Unpacking, an intimately scaled image of an art handler kneeling before the back of a stretched canvas, to Interior (Ghost), which measures over six feet or nearly two meters in height and depicts a phantom imprint of a man walking through an art museum, viewed through a large, gridded window. The individuals in these images are unreachable. Seen from behind or from the side, they deflect the viewer's gaze and conjure up a sense of alienation or strangeness in a simulacrum of reality. The artworks that the figures behold, too, are inaccessible to us as viewers: we observe these artworks from the back, or blotted out by the glare of the sun, or, as in Interior (Shadow) and Interior (Passage), just beyond our field of vision. As we mentally follow the museum visitor through painted space, it is in fact that suggestion of time as also evidenced by the attention Eitel commands to the quality of surfaces and scenes he constructs, that leads to an open ended proposal for the relevance of signifiers as a counterpoint to the aesthetic material qualities innate to environment, as drivers of the understanding of these interior spaces depicted if not our individual perspective.
Installation view, Tim Eitel / Untitled (Interior)
Installation view, Tim Eitel / Untitled (Interior)
Tim Eitel conveys a deep command of color, technique, and form in his figurative paintings inspired by his observations of contemporary life and art history.
He studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig from 1997 to 2001 and was a Meisterschüler (Master Student) of Professor Arno Rink from 2001 through 2003. He has received a number of prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Landesgraduiertenstipendium, Saxonia, Germany (2002) and the Marion Ermer Preis (2003). Cofounder of the collective Galerie LIGA in Berlin, he was one of the leading protagonists of the New Leipzig School before gaining a reputation as one of the most important painters of his generation.
Tim Eitel / Untitled (Interior)
November 25, 2020 – January 30, 2021 / Pace, Seoul
Visit the exhibition page >


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52 Weeks #9
This week we had two hawk visitors in our neighborhood and it was wonderful. I am always amazed as I watch them fly overhead and hear them call out to one another. When I looked at the canvas I had prepared for this week's image all I saw was the shape of a hawk...and so this guy appeared. I've spent quite a bit of time reading about animal symbolism and decided to also incorporate the words that relate specifically to hawk.
Hawk tells us to remain fully aware and that we may require a new perspective. Pay attention to details. Let go of anything that may limit you whether it is a belief or attitude or something material. Your potential is waiting to be fulfilled.
When I was in high school, one of the art projects was a series of drawings that began as one image which slowly morphed into another...something inanimate into something living. My project consisted of a ship turning into a hawk and I loved working on it...this reminded me of it. The hawk I drew when I was 16 years old is still beautifully framed and hanging over a fireplace in the home of the gentleman who purchased it from me in the first place. Thirty years ago. My first art sale.
12/19/2013 06:36:26 am
Beautiful. I love this series. Amazing work.
12/20/2013 06:08:55 am
Thank you very much Barbara...it is definitely work of the heart.
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Youth Tempest Thermal Tube – Snowflakes
The Youth Tempest Thermal Tube from Phunkshun Wear is a compact neck tube featuring an ergonomic shape and lined with cozy Polartec® Micro Fleece. This pint-sized tube takes on icy chills and wintry conditions effortlessly, thanks to its PFC-Free DWR Outer Shell. Keep young adventurers warm and comfortable while they explore, all while enjoying the practicality of its thoughtfully designed form.
• Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles using Repreve® Recycled Fiber
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• Size: OSFM because the fabric we use has incredible stretch!
Only 6 Left in Stock!


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Husqvarna Automower® 405X - a reliable and high-performance model in the X-line series, suited for the smaller lawn. It mows complicated lawns up to 600m2, featuring systematic passage mowing for perfectly cut narrow passages and it easily handles slopes with an incline of 40%. Carefree operation thanks to electric cutting height adjustment, TargetHeight function, frost guard and weather timer. Easily cleaned and washed off with a hose. As a member of our premium X-line range, it features Automower® Connect with GPS theft tracking and GPS-assisted navigation to keep you in control where ever you are and X-line design with LED Headlights, front bumper and special coloured wheel caps. Also equipped with FOTA (automatic firmware updates over the air)
- Working area capacity 600 m² ±20%
- Maximum slope performance inside installation 40 %
- Maximum slope performance at boundary 15 %


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As love becomes a key focus in this period of ascension upon the Earth it is wonderful to take a moment and one cycle of breathing to examine and familiarise ourselves with the energy of love.
The love you experience, receive and share with loved ones, family members, friends, animals and so forth is only a small aspect of the Creator's extensive love.
The love of the Creator in many ways doesn't need a physical expression as it is simply present powerfully and eternally, yet as humans you are encouraged to express the love of the Creator in order to fully experience and embody the energy.
Imagine for a moment that the love you share with yourself and loved ones is only a small aspect of the love readily available within you, you begin to allow yourself to contemplate how powerful, valuable and expansive love is. Your capacity to express and receive love is one hundred times greater than you are currently experiencing and even then you wouldn't truly be able to embody the immense love of the Creator at a physical level.
Love for self and others is similar to the energy of the Creator and yet it is also completely unlike the vibration of the Creator.
Imagine for a moment the love you have for yourself or a loved one. Imagine you strip away for this relationship or friendship all thoughts, emotions, as well as energies of want or need whether they are seemingly bad or good, allow them to be discarded until you are in truth taking away all the human aspects which cause, create, justify or verify the energy of love you experience.
As you continue to experience the energy of love without the human aspects allow yourself to imagine that the loving energy you are feeling is not for the person or soul, let them fall away as well. Within you there is an energy of love which is not attached to anything or anyone. It is simply present and its presence will remain for as long as you are accepting.
I now wish for you to imagine that you let go of the label and title which you have given to this loving energy, let the word, 'love,' go so that it is almost as if the energy doesn't have an identity, it simply exists. As you allow this to gently occur you may observe that the energy within you alters, the once labelled love energy within you will take on a new and maybe more truthful form. You will be observing the energy of the Creator within you.
As you ask this energy to grow, expand and become its truth you can continue to observe with acceptance and free from judgment recognising with your soul the magnificent energies of the Creator evolving.
Love is a doorway to experiencing and recognising the Creator more fully within your being and surroundings, yet the love experienced on the Earth isn't the truth of the Creator. It is akin to an imprint of a greater source of energy.
As we on the inner planes invite you to experience and create the Era of Love we are of course inviting you to become, embody and experience love. However we are inviting you to do so with the idea of moving beyond love into the source of the Creator.
Love is merely a title for an energy which cannot be labelled or defined and yet can be fully experienced when you allow yourself the freedom to do so. This freedom is to see, sense or acknowledge love as an energy which is greater than any human physical expression or understanding and yet it can be present in physical form.
With the practices of stripping away ideas and concepts of love in order to experience the essence of the energy which is beyond even its label of love you begin to remember and reform your direct link and alignment with the Creator. As you become accustomed to the essence of the Creator you can begin to notice how your own energy alters as it is being impacted in numerous ways by the essence of the Creator
In truth everything is moving into harmony within your being, this is the joy of ascension bringing forth experiences such as health, abundance, joy, fulfilment, peace, wisdom and synchronicities. Through recognising the healing shifts taking place within your begin this will encourage you to recognise that the same essence of the Creator exists within every person, soul, plant, animal and presence around you.
With a more truthful observation of the Creator within you then you allow yourself to experience the same in everything around you which will dissolve separation and allow you to feel connected in oneness with everything, recognising all as the Creator.
You begin to feel that which is within you within everyone and everything thus connecting you with the vast universe of the Creator. Anything that you feel, sense and acknowledge within you can always be recognised and sensed within everything and anyone around you, this has been the case throughout your entire lifetime.
Sometimes that which you experience outside of you validates your truth and other times it verifies the illusions you hold as truth.
When you begin to acknowledge the essence of the Creator through the gateway of love then a new perspective which is free from attachment, misunderstanding, illusions and false identities rises from within you and is reflected back at you from others. Thus you are encouraging yourself to have a deeper relationship with the Creator within your human form and your surroundings. This is what you may label the ascension and the enlightenment process.
The simplicity of love has the ability and offers you the opportunity to carry yourself into the very truth and core of the Creator's essence as you exist in physical form. Imagine all the ways that love can be created and activated within your being through acts of kindness, caring, generosity and so forth.
Love is not the truth of the Creator however it is a valuable journey to the source of the truth of the Creator. This in truth is my message to you, it is time to see the experience of love not as the ultimate energy of the Creator more so as the key to unlocking the essence of the Creator.
With this perspective and knowledge you will encourage yourself to push boundaries in your alignment with the Creator at a physical level encouraging greater journeys into the core and truth of the Creator. Love for you will become more truthful likened to an inner plane experience on the Earth, thus bringing the inner planes/heavens to the Earth, creating a bridge of light.
This journey to remembrance of the Creator is not a long and arduous experience as you might perceive, if you wish to be it can be as simple as love in its greatest form and expansion. It is time to realise and perceive that life, ascension and enlightenment are easy because mastery has already been achieved within you.
You may feel as if you are always striving to be your truth and yet your truth is simply who you are in your most expansive form, there is simply a need to re-familiarise yourself with your true form. Your true form is the Creator and therefore does not have any identity, character, wisdom or form, it simply exists, and in its existence everything is present.
In many ways I am offering you an easy and truthful pathway to the Creator and yet it will require you to let go of the need to over think and analyse yourself and ascension, to heal and let go of emotions belonging and not belonging to you as well as dissolving attachments and actions of the ego. This will all take place with ease and perfection with the simplicity of love.
"Through love I access the expansive nature of my truth and the Creator. I free myself from the energy of striving and struggling to achieve my ascension because I remind all aspects of my being that with the development of love within my being I am creating a gateway which I can easily enter into and embody. Through this gateway is all that I wish to experience and embody in my ascension.
I recognise love as a journey to my conscious unity with the Creator, a journey which is easy and fulfilling in all ways. With love I allow myself to be, experience and expand my truth. I now encourage myself to recognise the essence of the Creator within and all around me, acknowledging that this essence positively impacts my being and is an energy I feel most comfortable with. I allow myself to be and experience my truth in my present moment. I am fulfilled."
You are so much more than love as is the Creator and this is important to humbly recognise as it will transport you in a very pure way to new highs of your ascension with perfection.
Do not mistaken my message to you as unimportant due to its simplicity, allow yourself to contemplate the processes of embodying and exploring that which I speak of.
With the power and simplicity of love,
Mary Magdalene
"Mary Magdalene: The Simplicity of Love," Channelled through Natalie Glasson, September 11, 2015, https://www.omna.org/Latest_Free_Weekly_Message.html
Source: Sacred School of OmNa


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It was hard to think of anything to write today. At least, to write anything about birds in Costa Rica because that's not what's on the forefront of my mind but I'm going to try anyways. I wish that I could talk about waking up to the piercing, shameless calls of Southern Lapwings, the whistles of a Spot-bellied Bobwhite, the gurgling song of a Blue Grosbeak.
I wake up to those and am grateful, especially that grosbeak. Every time I hear or see one of those deep blue birds, I am grateful because while I was growing up birding in Niagara Falls, NY, it was one of those more southern birds that were just out of reach.
The range map in the Peterson guide edged up towards us but fell short somewhere in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I eventually got my lifer during a fall visit to Cape May, a female that looked more like a female Indigo Bunting but still a much appreciated lifer! Since then, I have seen lots; deep blue birds giving warbling gurgling songs in the green riparian zone of a canyon in southeastern Colorado, Blue Grosbeaks in weedy fields while surveying birds in southern Illinois, other places and finally here in Costa Rica where I see and hear them in many sites with brushy fields.
A pair have been recently making appearances in weedy lots across the street adjacent to heavy machinery building another residential area. A common, resident species in Costa Rica but every sighting still accompanied by that tinge of excitement from wanting, hoping to see one while looking at bird books in urban Niagara Falls, New York.
That's where I grew up and that's where, so far, protests have been peaceful. I am so proud and relieved that people from my hometown held a peaceful protest and I think they in part did so because the police from Niagara Falls, New York took a knee with them. Officials spoke with protesters and listened to them, and before the protest was over, they shook hands with police. Maybe being a small place had something to do with it, or maybe the local police department has made efforts to make better connections with the public and say, not use illegal holds that end up killing people. I am sure that listening and communicating with people and not taking an authoritarian response that involved spraying random people in their faces and shooting others with rubber bullets (like a journalist who lost one of her eyes) and unconstitutionally suppressing free speech by arresting journalists had something to do with it too.
But instead of talking about leaders and one in particular who encourages suppression of the media and free press, someone who would rather take violent, authoritarian approaches to situations that may have been reduced or prevented by (1) recognizing a very serious problem in the first place and (2) making any bit of effort to provide solutions to said problem, I will mention two other vastly more positive things:
BlackBirdersWeek– This is an initiative created by Black birders aimed at changing the narrative regarding Black people and their connections and experiences with the outdoors. The Audubon Society sums up this virtual initiative quite nicely. I love this because the outdoors and communication with nature is a basic cherished right for every person, no one should ever have to worry about feeling threatened or deterred from partaking in nature. The more people we support in learning about and communing with our natural world and science, the better this world will be. Those who have been denied the chance to connect with nature because they felt threatened, lacked role models, or didn't have the means of reaching wild places are the people who merit the utmost in support and acknowledgement.
I will just also mention that the support of people who would like to appreciate nature is of serious importance, particular in these overpopulated, nature-deficit times because without increased connection with and understanding how to live in balance with nature and putting that knowledge to active use by society as a whole, civilization will eventually, certainly collapse.
A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean– Not exactly a field guide but a celebration of birds from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean by way of a ten track album. The songs feature vocalizations of birds and any purchase will help with bird conservation in the Caribbean.
Costa Rica setting protocols for tourism– The borders might still be closed but local tourism ventures are opening with strict health restrictions in place. Paraiso de Quetzales is one of those special places, recently, friends of mine had a great visit and reported on the protocols and experience in the Howler Magazine. I hope this and other local lodges and businesses can get enough visitors to keep going until borders reopen because at the moment, tourism in Costa Rica is near zero and as with so many other places, a heck of a lot of people have become recently unemployed.
Despite these challenging sad times, I will end by saying that it's not too early to start planning for a trip to Costa Rica. Right now might be the best time to look into itineraries, tours, and other ideas for an eventual escape to a place that beckons with the promise of beauty and fantastic birding in a safe and welcome setting for all. You can start planning your trip of a lifetime and support this blog by getting my 700 plus page e-book, How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica.


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"If one venue could represent a region or even, indeed a country, this would be it."
Cardiff, United Kingdon
"Once in a lifetime-experience!"
Gothenburg, Sweden
"We called it "perfect" in our calendar – and it lived up to expectations"
San Francisco, CA
"Words cannot describe the fantastic experience my family and I had at Villa Montecastello... Jens and Barbara are incredibly hardworking people who bent over backwards to accommodate every need we could have possibly ever imagined making our stay unforgettable."
Vancouver, Canada
"Worth coming back to Italy just for this!"
Jerusalem, Israel
"The grounds are gorgeous, which you can see from the photos, but they really don't capture the complete sense of peace you feel when you are there in person... Jens also catered a formal dinner for us one night. He let me choose the menu from some suggestions and let me add a course. It included the best asparagus soup I have ever tasted, cured meats from their farm, ravioli, pork roast, cheese plate, berries and cream and birthday cake! The food was above excellent, Michelin star quality."
San Francisco, CA
Sausalito, CA
"The most relaxing vacation I ever had!"
This was my first trip to Italy and I know there will be many more to follow. We booked the trip because I was interested in taking a week long cooking class at the Villa with a chef from a large USA city. The chef was unable teach the class, however, I still wanted to take the class and inquired if anyone else could do it. I was very happy to learn that the owner, Jens, teaches cooking classes. It could not have turned out any better. I had the best time when I was in the kitchen learning to cook authentic Tuscan food.
New York City, NY
"My wife and I as well as my two daughters, their husband and my grandson and granddaughter... spent the most amazing week in Villa Montecastello... Jens and his staff worked tirelessly preparing the meals and caring for us as family. We really didn't want to leave. There are vacations and then there are unforgettable vacations...there is only one word to describe this vacation to Villa Montecastello and that word is PRICELESS!!!"
Miami, FL
"We spent 6 nights at Villa Montecastello in a 3 bedroom apartment (Frantoio). Everything about this place was fantastic - the views, accommodation, location, food and maybe most of all the hosts, Jens & Barbara. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Our kids (ages 5 & 3) loved the pool, the animals, exploring the farm and making their own pizzas on our pizza night with Jens! "
Melbourne, Australia
"A trip, a wedding, an experience of a lifetime!"
New York City, NY
"Heaven on earth!"
San Francisco, CA
"As a family we have collected some great vacations of the past five decades and at locations all over the world. It was certainly one of the best. Without hesitation I recommend Villa Montecastello with highest marks."
Bozeman, MO, USA
"Beyond excellent"
Brooklyn, NY
"Our Second Visit – Just as fantastic as the First"
Rockville, Maryland
"Our 7 night stay at Villa Montecastello was absolutely the best vacation we've ever had. There simply are not enough superlatives to describe how stellar every element of our stay was. Jens and Barbara are wonderful hosts and create an inviting, comfortable and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy the best of Tuscany."
Brooklyn, NY
"Wonderful, peaceful, beautiful……"
"Mindblowing amazing!"
New York, NY
"The views from the bedroom windows were exceptional. The charm of the Villa something out of the movies. Family meals around a glowing fireplace at night. The whole experience was magical and wonderful."
Philadelphia, PA, USA
"Montecastello is everything a family would want in Tuscany. The staff were unbelievably accomodating, the food challenged my preconceptions of good food and the bed linens were the most comfortable I slept on in all of Italy. I'd recommend this location for anyone whose looking to relax, enjoy spectacular views and fresh meals. I'm looking forward to returning soon."
New York City, NY
"Italian dream come true."
Madisonville, LA


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The World Health Organization has launched global access to the WHO Global Medicines Safety Database. "VigiAccess is a new web application that will allow anyone to access information on reported cases of adverse events related to over 150 000 medicines and vaccines. More than ten million cases from over 120 countries are held in VigiBaseTM , the WHO database of suspected adverse reaction reports maintained by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre in Sweden."
Useful for a given value of useful. But cool: Star Wars emoji.
Wha? Scary story about SoundCloud. "Here's a wakeup call to audio creators everywhere: SoundCloud does not recognize your fair use rights under U.S. copyright law. If your content contains any copyrighted material to which you haven't secured the rights — even if you have a valid fair use claim — SoundCloud may take it down at any time."
10 ways to check facts when using search engines and social media. Some of this stuff is blindingly obvious, but not all.
Google's country search filter apparently has or had a bug. I have a similar problem when trying to search Google news for state-specific sources. In fact, Google News has gotten sadder and sadder in comparison to Bing News.
Is France going to try to force Google to reveal how its algorithm works? "…the upper house of parliament yesterday voted to support an amendment to a draft economy bill that would require search engines to display at least three rivals on their homepage. And also to reveal the workings of their search ranking algorithms to ensure they deliver fair and non-discriminatory results. Given that Google has a circa 90% share of the search market in France these amendments, although not specifically naming any companies, are aimed squarely at Mountain View."
Speaking of algorithms, check out this timeline of Google algorithm updates. It starts in 2000. Wow I'm old.
Wow. Google's push notifications for Chrome are getting plenty of early love. "Today, Google has revealed that early adopters have already signed on to leverage the feature in Chrome for desktop and Android. These include Beyond the Rack, eBay, Facebook, Pinterest, Product Hunt, SI.com's Fansided, and Vice News. Furthermore, Roost and Mobify have started letting developers integrate web-based push notifications into their sites."
From Mashable: Google is having a bad year. A rundown of all Google's challenges, regulatory and otherwise. There's an f-bomb.
An interesting blog post from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on the challenges of digitizing video. Good afternoon, Internet…
I love your comments, I love your site suggestions, and I love you. Feel free to comment on the blog, or @ResearchBuzz on Twitter. Thanks!
Categories: afternoonbuzz


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The Buffalo Bills on Monday announced that second-year offensive guard Michael Jasper has been released. A popular player with fans from the second he was made a seventh-round draft pick in 2011, Jasper was the last offensive lineman to see playing time in the team's pre-season opener against Washington, and head coach Chan Gailey gave a blunt assessment of his performance over the weekend.
"Michael is struggling," Gailey said after the Redskins game. "Michael has got to learn his assignments. He's got to learn to play physical every snap. A big, strong guy that's got a lot of talent as we all know, but he's got to be more physical and he's got to continue to push through on assignments."
Buffalo now has 15 offensive linemen on the roster, and are down to 89 players in total on the team. They can carry 90 through August 27, with the first cut-down to 80 coming two weeks from today. That means they can sign a player, and we know that the team has expressed interest in bringing in a veteran safety.
Jasper, popular because of his size (he weighed well over 400 pounds in the pre-draft process) and his personality, was given a shot at defensive tackle during his rookie training camp before transitioning to guard as a member of the practice squad. He appeared in one regular season game as a member of the Bills, but didn't get onto the field.


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Tulloch Engineering and A.J. Clarke Join Forces
One-stop shop for infrastructure and land development projects
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario – Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 – Tulloch Engineering and A.J. Clarke and Associates Ltd. are pleased to announce that they have joined forces. A.J. Clarke will be a division of Tulloch Engineering, but will continue to operate as A.J. Clarke & Associates from Hamilton, Ontario.
"We are excited about our partnership with Tulloch enabling us to capitalize on their expertise and expand the services we provide to include Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Environmental Science, and Mapping Services," said Barry Clarke, President, A.J. Clarke & Associates. "Our ultimate goal is to continue to be a one-stop shop for our client base," added Clarke.
"This marks our first step into Southern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe," said Mark Tulloch, Chief Operating Officer, Tulloch Engineering. "We are quite honoured that A.J. Clarke is joining our team, and we are eager to continue the legacy that Mr. Clarke started 54 years ago."
Tulloch and A.J. Clarke are family founded and run businesses. They provide public and private clients with solutions to their infrastructure and land development needs. Their respective organizations have grown from a single enthusiastic professional to a combined enterprise employing over 250 technical and professional staff.
A.J. Clarke is unique in the industry as it provides an integrated approach for surveying, planning and engineering services to the building and development community. They have been located in the heart of downtown Hamilton for the past 54 years.
Tulloch is a multi-disciplinary engineering firm with services in civil engineering, environmental studies, geomatics engineering, LiDAR and mapping services, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and forestry engineering. Tulloch was founded over 20 years ago and presently has eight office locations throughout Ontario. Seven are situated in Northern Ontario with the eighth in Ottawa.


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The 14x32m oval tent has four center poles and gives you several options for the set up inside the tent. This tent is suitable for a maximum of 255 seated guests, or a non-seated event up to 495 guests.
If you desire to have a wooden floor supporting this tent, we recommend 15 x 32,5m.
Silhouette tents, or sailcloth tents, are beautiful and unique in their kind. They radiate elegance thanks to the wave-like peaks, the luscious sailcloth and the massive wooden poles.
These sailcloth tents distinguish themselves by the translucent character of the sailcloth and their different shapes. Most of all because of excellent craftsmanship, as all tents are handmade by specialized sailmakers.
The wooden poles are laminated pine wood which makes them ultra strong and they are coated with a rustic varnish to protect them.
On top of the center poles, there is an option to install unique pennant flags, these flags can also be personalized (in your desired color or logo)
Keep in mind that an extra space of 1,5m around the tent is needed to anchor and install the tent.
Available colors are ivory & midnight blue.
Silhouette tents can all be fully closed with an easy to adapt sidewall system, where you can choose between clear and / or solid sidewalls. This makes it easy to heat or air condition the tent. You can thus enjoy the feel of both an open or closed tent.
A Silhouette walkway can connect 2 Silhouette tents, and can also be closed on the sides with solid or transparent sidewalls.
1x 14x32m Oval Canopy + Tentbag
- 2x 6,70m centre pole
- 2x 7,62m centre pole
- 28x 2,30m Sidepoles
- 48x Steel Pegs (1,00m)
- 48x Peg Covers
- 28x 50mm Ratchets
- 10x 3-hole stakeplate
- 4x Bamboo Flagstaff & Flag
- 28x Sidewalls (6,00m) - solid or clear
- 2x Sidewalls (3,00m) - solid or clear
For (semi-)permanent builds we recommend adding baseplates under the poles for extra protection. This will greatly increase your pole's lifespan and structural integrity. For this tent, you will require following quantities (not included in a standard set):
- 28x Small Baseplates
A Silhouette tent has an estimated lifespan of 5-6 years when permanently installed. To extend this lifespan, an upgrade to a ferrari sailcloth tentsail is recommended.
In case of a long term installation it is advised to add security accessories to your tent. It's important to regularly check the tension on the tent (at least every month).
The tents are able to carry high winds up to 120km/h (75 mph / 65 kts). When winds reach more then 75km/h (46mph / 40 kts) its important to open the sidewalls so that the wind can blow through the tent. At that moment it is very important that the tent is still firmly anchored all around.
In case of snowfall the snow should be removed either manually or by means of heating the tent to prevent the tent from collapsing under the weight of the snow. Ideally the tent should be heated before it starts snowing.
Certain products can be reserved by paying a 10% deposit at check-out and a subsequent 40% down payment by invoice. These items follow the order process below:
1. You request an order to be processed by paying 10% deposit + shipping costs
2. Within 1-2 working days we confirm your request and send a 40% deposit invoice.
3. Once the entire 50% deposit + shipping costs is received, we will move your order into the production schedule and will be able to communicate an expected lead time. Only at this stage your order is considered as confirmed
4. Once your order is ready, it will be shipped after the remaining 50% balance invoice is fulfilled.


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Tag Archives for " New Music Gear Monday "
There are a lot of great audio interfaces available for your computer but most of them are limited in the number of inputs and outputs. If you have a home studio that's usually not a problem, but if you plan on doing some serious tracking or using a real console for mixing then a normal […]Continue reading
There are lots of great microphones available today that either try to directly copy one of the vintage classic mics, or use it as a starting point for an updated version. So why does the world need another one? Well, when it comes from the mind of the super inventive David Royer, its something that […]Continue reading
One almost essential accessory for any computer-based DAW is the monitor controller, and there are a lot of them to choose from these days in just about all price ranges. Most of them in the sub-$1,000 range, while quite capable, are usually without some feature or features that you wish it would have. That's what […]Continue reading
It's rare when a modern compressor becomes a standard, but after 20 years, the Empirical Labs Distressor can be found in every major studio, as well as many smaller and home studios, and is as widely used as any of the "classics." The Distressor has a sound that's different from everything else, and is one of the few […]Continue reading
Buying an audio interface can often be a confusing process. There are now so many choices that it often comes down to features rather than sound. Antelope Audio's new Zen Tour interface is one that doesn't skimp on either, providing far more features than most interfaces while providing the renowned Antelope Audio sound. The Zen […]Continue reading
Vocal tuning can be a touchy subject. Many think that it's putting a big band-aid on a problem while others feel that it's just a normal by-product of today's music production. But tuning a vocal in the studio is something completely different from doing it live on stage, where many see that as cheating of the highest order. […]Continue reading
Remember a few years back when "modeling" the sound of a vintage piece of audio equipment was looked on with suspicion? Well, those days are over as we now have successful plugin models of just about any piece of popular gear that even the hardened pros are impressed with. One of the last avenues for modeling […]Continue reading
When it comes to outboard summing mixers, there are two distinct camps. There are the mixers who claim that a summing mixer is essential to giving their in-the-box mix that analog console sound, and there are those that claim they can do just as well without one. That said, more mixers that fall into the later camp would find a […]Continue reading
We've been used to the keyboard, mouse and trackpad as our main computer interface for a long time now, but didn't you ever wish for more control than these single dimensional input devices provide? Meet the Sensel Morph, a multi-touch pressure sensitive controller that rethinks the way we input data in just about any application. The […]Continue reading
There are a lot of plugins that monitor a single aspect of your mix, like dynamic range, frequency response or headroom, but until now there hasn't been one that looks at everything and more within the same plugin. That's where Mastering The Mix LEVELS plugin comes in, a neat bit of kit that instantly tells you […]Continue reading
Anyone who doesn't use a console has the same problem while recording. You have to manually mute the talkback or listen mic when recording starts, and you have to unmute it when recording stops. Doesn't seem like much, but doing it dozens of times during a session can be a complete pain. The clever boffins […]Continue reading
I'm always surprised when I change something as simple as a cable and the sound lights up. That's because there's much more to cables that you'd ever think (check out my interview with Larry Smith from Wireworld Cable Technology for a great explanation between the differences in cables). The one thing that most guitar players […]Continue reading
Back in the old days of multitrack tape, we used to have a trick that would add a little bit of air and sparkle to vocals. It was an unorthodox technique and for a long time no one talked about it, but it was used on many of the classic records that you know and love […]Continue reading
Let's face it, when it comes to a new piece of gear or plugin we're often enamored because it's brand new, or because of the name on it, or what we've read about it. How often do we do real blind testing? The answer is probably "Not much" since blind testing is pretty hard to […]Continue reading
OK, this is pretty wild. What if you want to add some extra ambience to your acoustic guitar, but hate the idea of plugging into an amp or adding effects pedals. If that's the case, then the Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar might be the thing for you. The Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar lets you add reverb and chorus […]Continue reading


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Milenco 10 by Optimate – Multi Step Smart Charger/ Maintainer
Ideal 12V care for auto / recreational vehicle size batteries.
A true 'connect and forget' automatic temperature controlled 6 step pulse charger-maintainer that optimises the performance of modern sealed 12V Leisure batteries and automotive batteries, as well as optimising the performance of your deep cycle leisure battery. This charger can also recover (desulphate) 'dead' (sulphated) batteries
- Automatic reactive programming for superior battery care
- Constantly analyses battery status and adjusts pulse charge accordingly
- Optimised for long term maintenance on 12V leisure and automotive batteries
- Can desulfate and charge a near dead battery automatically to restore and maintain battery performance.
- Saves batteries with as little as 2V output
- Controls battery temperature to avoid overheating.
- No risk of overcharging
- Totally safe for vehicle electronics
- Fully sealed weatherproof case6FT / 180cm A/C lead and 6FT / 180cm charge lead
- 3 Year Warranty Included
When a vehicle battery is left uncharged a process called battery sulfation occurs.
This is when sulphate builds up on the lead plates within the battery, this process starts almost immediately, and if left even over a relatively short period of time this sulphate will not only reduce battery performance, but dramatically shorten the life of the battery.
The only solution to remove sulphate from the lead plates and restore battery performance is to use a Desulfating Deep Pulse Charger/Maintainer.
The Milenco Optimates are the world's most efficient and advanced Desulfating Charger/Maintainers available.
This is the ideal product to protect, charge and maintain your recreational vehicle battery for those periods when the vehicle is not in use.
The worlds most advanced fully automatic battery care.
Can also be used on cars, caravans, motorhomes, vans, motorcycles and boats.
Product Code: 5517All Content © Copyright Big White Box Ltd - All rights reserved


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January 9, 2015
Twenty Fifteen
19 comments :
Beautiful pictures!!! I miss the snow since we moved down south a couple of years ago. This last photo of the lake reminds me of Schroon Lake, NY where I spent my summers & winters. Thank you for sharing!! Happy New Year!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Happy New Year to you as well, Debbie! And there is a very good reason that the last picture reminds you of Schroon Lake. It is Schroon Lake!! We spend as much time as we can up there. It is our favorite place :)Delete
It sounds like you had some good family bonding time, Courtney! I think our best family vacation was when we rented a lake cottage in Maine one summer (with another family) and really spent time together. I don't think we put the television on the whole week! Love that picture of you and your hubby. : )ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you, Kathy. I just value the time we get to spend together up there so much. It is amazing how much more connected everyone is when there are no distractions and we are surrounded by nature. Your vacation in a lake cottage in Maine sounds perfect! I would love to do that.Delete
Have a great weekend,
So nice to be able to get away from the daily grind and the constant hustle and bustle of life. I'm sure Forrest and Keeper had a blast in the snow up there. I love to cook and bake but, I don't know the house just seems more cozy doing it at this time of year. Happy New Year to you and your family!ReplyDeleteReplies
I agree about the house feeling cozy in the winter, Jeanette. I just love staying at home this time of year. The dogs did have a blast in the snow. They just love it up there. Happy New Year!Delete
You must have had nice holiday season:-) I envy you all the snow, we had just a little bit of it and now it's raining and it's very chilly here in Poland:-( So it's more like the Fall than winter:-(ReplyDelete
I love your Golden Boys:-) They are really great:-)
All the best for you and all your boys in the New Year.
Thank you, Anita! So glad you enjoyed the pictures. It is VERY cold here in NJ (and throughout much of the US), but not too much snow yet this winter. Happy New Year!Delete
Happy Happy New Year Courtney. Love all these wonderful pictures. The picture of you and your hubby is so sweet. Here's wishing you a new year full of fun and creative things to come. Love the little house in the woods what a wonderful retreat for you and your family to go to.ReplyDelete
Thank you, Kris. That little house in the woods has been so wonderful for our family and we are forever thanking my mother and father in law for allowing us to use it so frequently. Happy New Year to you too!Delete
Have a great weekend,
What beautiful pictures! Just confirms to me as to why I love upstate NY so much. Love the pics of your puppy's in thier buffalo check covers. It certainly looks like the perfect way to end 2014. Happy new year Courtney!!ReplyDelete
XO BarbaraReplies
Hi Barbara,Delete
Thank you! Upstate NY just never disappoints us. It is so great to get away. Happy New Year to you as well!
Courtney, great pictures and making memories along the way. What a great start to 2015..Happy Weekend..JudyReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Judy,Delete
Thanks! Yes, lots of great memories in the mountains for us. I hope 2015 is off to a great start for you as well.
Have a great weekend,
Courtney....so happy that you had such a great time with your boys.......what a wonderful break from the normal routine. What is it about cold weather that gets us nesting and cooking????? Cant wait to hear what you are reading!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Andrea! I don't know what it is, but I love the slower pace at this time of year. I will definitely share what I am reading soon.Delete
It looks so lovely there...sounds like a wonderful family getaway!ReplyDeleteReplies
It really is lovely there, but the best part is just getting away from it all. Have a great weekend, Linda!Delete
What a gorgeous new year! Hope the new year is treating you well!!ReplyDelete


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Sam's Blog entries for category 'template-sandbox'
October 2010 Perl Template Roundup Released
Date: Sunday, 7 November 2010, 16:10.
Categories: perl, ironman, template-roundup, template-sandbox, job-hunting.
Having been a little busy for the past month and a half, my attempts to do the next Perl Template Roundup got delayed from September into October, partly by adding a number of new engine plugins to Template::Benchmark:
Support for pure-perl mode Text::Xslate was also added and two new cache-types for Template::Sandbox (Cache::FastMemoryCache and Cache::Ref::FIFO).
Then I had to sit around and wait for spare CPU time to actually run the multiple-days of benchmarks, unfortunately this clashed with me using that computer as I rushed to release stable versions of my other projects in anticipation of being too busy starting my new job.
Once the projects were out the door I could run the benchmarks, which completed mid-October, just in time for that whole "too busy" thing to kick in as I tied up loose ends before my start date.
Anyway, it's now November, and I figured I ought to do something about these reports... so here you go: the October 2010 Perl Template Roundup (belatedly).
Perl Template Roundup Announced
Date: Thursday, 1 July 2010, 07:28.
Categories: perl, ironman, template-roundup, template-benchmark, template-sandbox.
Having gone quiet for a month, I've managed to avoid distraction enough to release a project which had been stubbornly stalled for the past couple of months: a Perl Template Roundup.
Based on Template::Benchmark it's an exhaustive (and exhausting) bunch of benchmarks for a collection of Perl template engines, sliced this way and that way by feature, caching, phase of the moon, and anything else I could measure.
Template::Benchmark.pm v1.00 Released
Date: Monday, 10 May 2010, 16:22.
Categories: perl, ironman, template-benchmark, template-sandbox, benchmarking.
Well, after 13(!) point releases, I'm happy enough with Template::Benchmark to make the first stable release.
v1.00 should be hitting a CPAN mirror near you sometime soon.
Now that it's officially released, I thought I'd go into a little more detail about what Template::Benchmark does, how it can be useful to you, what motivated me to write it in the first place, and some thoughts on where to take the project next.


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Yorkville, Virginia, Luna's physical therapists specialize in helping post-op patients return to throwing. As experts in proper exercise form, your PT can help you avoid re-injury and return to the throwing activities you enjoy.
Best of all, Luna provides the simplest, most seamless recovery experience available — physical therapy on demand. It's physical therapy, delivered to you.
When patients experience a painful throwing injury, like a tendon or rotator cuff tear, a physical therapist will work with them to ensure the injury heals correctly. At this point, many patients will believe they are ready to get back in the game. However, the truth is that stepping up to pitch too soon could quickly land you back in the PT's office.
This stage of the recovery process is critical for preventing reinjury. Patients should continue to work with a physical therapist who can advise you on proper form and offer techniques to ensure a seamless and safe return to throwing.
Source: NCBI
It can take some time to heal from a throwing-related injury. Many patients go through weeks of physical therapy just to find relief from the pain and discomfort. Understandably, patients are impatient to return to throwing, whether for sports games or everyday activities.
However, stressing an arm, shoulder, or back too soon can easily reaggravate the injury and set back recovery. If a patient returns to the throwing activity that caused the injury, they are more likely to experience the same issue all over again — especially if they don't have a clear understanding of what they were doing wrong the first time around.
That is why it's strongly advised that patients continue to work with a physical therapist to return to throwing, even if their pain and stiffness has subsided. Post-rehab physical therapists specialize in helping patients safely ease back into their typical throwing activities while avoiding mishaps and further injury.
The most common reasons for seeking therapy before you return to throwing include:
Source: OrthoInfo
A post-rehab specialist can help patients return to throwing with a personalized routine. Whether you're a professional athlete or just want to ensure mobility, our PTs take your injury, age, and lifestyle into account as they design your healing process. Post-rehab specialists focus on improving your range of motion and increasing your muscle strength. They will both analyze and correct your throwing technique to ensure you're on the right track.
By working closely with a qualified PT, patients should be able to return to throwing without pain — and without risking reinjury. Whether you're a professional pitcher or just want to play catch with your kids, the right PT can ensure you return to throwing without a relapse down the road.Source: RobertGrumetMD


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A crock pot chili recipe with tender steak, smoky chipotle peppers, Mexican spices and the perfect blend of beans.
The development of this recipe was sponsored by Hurst's Beans. As always, all opinions are my own.
This recipe has been on my bucket list for years! You may remember I set out to make it once before but my beans went missing (dang kids!) and I made the Beef & Lentil Stew instead (which was blow-your-mind delicious so it all worked out).
I am utterly obsessed with making chili recipes but had never ventured into making it with steak. I had a grilled ribeye at a restaurant once that had been marinated in smoked chipotles and adobo sauce that made a SERIOUS impression on me so I had that kicking around in my brain when I set out to craft a recipe for this chili.
And I knew I wanted to use the slow cooker chili beans from Hurst's because they have the perfect blend of beans and seasoning. I wanted to use dried beans because I knew letting the steak slow-cook with the beans would made for bites of steak that were as tender as butter!
Now, I have to tell you what happened to this batch of chili once I was done cooking it. We were headed to visit some friends so I decided to bring the chili for everyone to try.
Loving food like I do (and maybe because I love that everyone expects something good from my kitchen) I prepared dishes of chopped scallions, shredded cheese and sour cream in pretty, coordinating bowls to bring with me.
I made a big skillet of cornbread and brought a basket of Fritos (lined, of course, with a decorative towel that matched the pretty bowls). I loaded everything on a great big baking pan and set it in the back of my car.
I secured the lid of the crock pot down tight then wedged it in the car next to the other supplies. Husband jumped in behind the wheel and off we went.
On the way there I said, "I SMELL THE CHILI!" As he's taking a curve on two wheels I hollered at him to drive careful or there's going to be chili slung from here to Kingdom come!
You know how well husbands react to their wives telling them how to drive right?
Well… during the drive the lid came loose on the crock pot so when we got to our friends' house it looked like a Taco Bell exploded in the back of my car. There was chili sloshed all over the little bowls of toppings, soaking into the cornbread and in every nook and cranny of the basket of Fritos.
Husband told me that's what I get for being Ms. Fancy Pants.
I told him that's what I get for letting Mario Andretti drive.
Lord, help us.
The good news was there was still PLENTY of chili to go around and chili-topped cornbread is actually very delicious 😁
Slow Cooker Chipotle Steak Chili
- 1 15.5-oz bag Hurst's Slow Cooker Chili Beans, with seasoning packet
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 pounds sirloin steak or London broil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil
- 1 large or 2 medium onions, diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic (I used an entire bulb)
- 1 7-oz can chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (see notes)
- 1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Add beans WITHOUT seasoning packet (set aside to add later) and beef broth to a large slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours (see notes below about alternative cooking method).
- Cut steak into bite-sized pieces, season liberally with salt and pepper then sear in a large skillet coated with oil. Cook the steak in 2-3 batches – don't overcrowd the pan. Don't cook the steak all the way through, just get a nice sear on the pieces. Place steak and all pan juices into the slow cooker.
- To the same skillet, add a little more oil then sauté onion for 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.
- Remove 2 chipotle peppers from adobo sauce then dice (see notes about spiciness!). Add diced chipotles, 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce and remaining ingredients (including reserved seasoning packet) to slow cooker. Reduce heat to low then continue cooking for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender.
- Let chili rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes before serving (this will thicken the chili).
- If you need to leave for the day and can't wait the four hours for the beans and broth to precook, this recipe can be cooked all together. Once you sear the steak and sauté the onion and garlic, add everything to the crock pot then cook on low for 8 hours.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are pretty spicy! I made the recipe exactly as I have it written above and, while it certainly had some heat to it, it wasn't too spicy for the crowd I fed it to (which included half a dozen kids). If you don't want yours spicy, remove the seeds from the peppers before dicing (they're very soft but they slit open just like a fresh pepper – just use the back of a knife to slide the seeds out of the pepper once you cut it open). If you want things MORE spicy, use more than two peppers (each can has about 5-6) and use every last drop of that yummy adobo sauce.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are located in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store.
- If you like more tomato flavor in your chili, consider adding 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste.If you can't find Hurst's Slow Cooker Chili Beans in your market, please ask your grocer for them. Until then, you can also substitute 2 cups Hurst's Dried Pinto Beans plus 1 packet chili seasoning mix.


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Metropolitan Grigory (Chukov) and recreation of spiritual schools in Leningrad in 1944 - 1946
In the article the process of recreation is traced Leningrad to the spiritual academy and seminary in 1944 - 1946, in that an enormous merit belongs to the metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Grigory (Chukov). In a great deal due to his efforts it was succeeded not only to revive spiritual school in city on Neva but also do her one of anchorwomen in the Orthodox world. The special attention is spared to illumination of basic tasks that had to be decided to the metropolitan to Grigory and guidance of academy - skilled question constrained, foremost, with the set of teaching staff, adjusting of educational process, including fundamentally new educational program development, implementation of necessary repair-restoration works in the tumbledown half of building of theological seminary, and also development of theological science


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A chance meeting on a plane from Nairobi to Amsterdam resulted in a visit to Mombasa and in particular The GLO & SBM School for The Grubb Family from Utah in the U.S.A. last month. Kevin had met Timothy on the plane and both has discussed what had brought them to Kenya, Timothy was returning to Salt Lake City after spending time on a humanitarian tour with his wife Carrie and a group from their hometown. They were very interested in setting up a centre for making reusable sanitary packs for girls and although they had the knowledge they had no premises where they could operate the project from.
Kevin explained that we were just completing our new Technical Block which would house a sewing room and we had just had a batch of sewing machines donated by Umoja Shoes in nearby Kikambala, a golden opportunity for both The Grubb Family and GLO/SBM School. Twelve months after this initial meeting between Timothy & Kevin, we were very happy to be welcoming them to Mombasa. We were even more surprised to meet their lovely daughter Elle who was shattered after a very busy two weeks travelling around other projects in Kenya, all she wanted was a bed and a good night's sleep before embracing the Coast Province and The Good Life Orphanage the following morning. Our first stop the following morning was breakfast at Cafesserie at City Mall in preparation for a very busy few day ahead.
Although Timothy, Carrie and Ellie were only staying in Mombasa for a few days we tried to fit in as much as we possibly could to the short time frame including a visit to a women's co-operative at St Patrick's Parish in Bangla slum who make the reusable sanitary protection kits and meeting the very enthusiastic team including the inspiration Judy Walter who run the day to day operations there. Kahidi who is teaching the students in our new sewing room was very interested in the way the packs were made and is aware of the high standard require on the finished products so they last between three and five years. Madam Pauline, Madam Elizabeth & Lucy our counsellor were all in attendance as well to start spreading the word in our area.
Carrie also spent time at SBM School with our older girls explaining about the kits, the importance of menstrual hygiene and staying safe in what can be a very hostile environment to young girls at puberty and beyond. Even our teachers were amazed at the information in the talk and all agreed it gave the girls very positive vibes about what was actually happening to their bodies. It was a very enjoyable morning for everyone involved and all were very keen to start using the kits which hopefully we will be producing very soon.
Timothy, Carrie & Elle have returned to the U.S. after their visit and are very keen to get the project up and running, funding will have to be sourced to enable the smooth running of the project and we are looking forward to getting our young students trained so they can start producing the reusable kits in the very near future.
Elle has written a piece about her time at The GLO, it sums up the warmth of our project and also how important we view each and every visit by a volunteer.
We were on a humanitarian trip to Kenya and visited The Good Life Orphanage. It was my favourite part of the trip because everyone was very kind and the children were fun to spend time with. They get along really well with each other. They understand English really well and seem super smart.
It was fun to play soccer, make crafts with them and just spend time visiting. I also loved being apart of their whole day and seeing what their responsibilities are and how they joke around but also obey the Momma's and Aunties. There is a good spirit at The Good Life Orphanage. I loved just being there. I miss them very much and hope to come back soon!
3 Comments
I just love reading stories like this it amazes me that there are such wonderful people like yourselves out there doing so much for other people.
i do believe in fate and you were meant to meet the Grubb family .
Teacher Kahindi is doing very well with the girls in sawing. Lavenda now knows how to cut and sawing the reusable sanitary pad. All the way from Salt Lake has make a different at GLO.
God bless.
Great to hear. God bless that family abudantly.


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Please visit the Adaptable Architecture, Developer's Toolkit, SQL Database, and Server/Hosting Options pages of this section of our website to learn more about these important aspects of Fitrix ERP technology.