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After passing The Kingdom of Redonda, we continued overnight, toward Anguilla. I went down for a short sleep before my night watch, and of course, missed another whale sighting..dammit!!
By dark, Howard was through with travel, and restless.
Giving up on sleep, he decided to check the radar, and help Scott keep watch.
Night watch soon became tiring, as it always does, and Howard settled back into his usual passage routine.
I relieved Scott at 9pm, and stayed on until just before dawn. During my early morning nap, the skyline of Sint Maarten came into view. We'd heard from friends that this Dutch side of the popular island had rebounded much better after Hurricane Irma than the French side, referred to as St. Martin.
Even before its extensive damage from Hurricane Irma, we'd decided to skip St. Martin/St. Maarten. The island is popular with both cruising and charter boats, as well as tourists, and we didn't want to deal with the crowded anchorages and busy streets. Our cruising time frame doesn't allow for us to visit every Caribbean island, so some get dropped from the list, and this one just didn't interest us.
I awoke to find us making our way along Anguilla's rocky coast, where many huge, high-dollar houses lined the hills.
In the Eastern Caribbean chain, or the Lesser Antilles, there are two types of islands. Both are volcanic, but the "younger" islands, like Dominica and Grenada, are mountainous and steep, while "older" ones, which were once like the younger ones, have eroded over time. These older, eroded islands became nearly flat, sinking below sea level, where they acquired limestone capping, before being uplifted and resurfacing.
Saint Martin, St. Barths and Anguilla are the older type, and are much more arid than their younger "cousins." The shallow water surrounding these islands allowed for the growth of coral and shells, which over millions of years have become long, white, sandy beaches….huh!
Christopher Columbus named Anguilla after the Spanish word for eel, due to the shallow island's low shape on the water. Today, the island is British, though self-governing, and is one of the most expensive in the Caribbean. In addition to pricey restaurants and shops, Anguilla's cruising fees can add up quickly. Clearing into the island in general is fairly cheap, at approximately $50 U.S. dollars for us. Anchoring overnight is allowed in Road Bay and Crocus Bay. All other anchorages are for day-use only. To visit any anchorage other than Road Bay, day or overnight, a cruising permit is required…and it ain't cheap.
Sea Life fell in the over 20 ton range for a cruising permint, at a fee of $150.00 a day, and $900 a week! As a result Anguilla isn't a popular stop for most cruisers. The good news? Anguilla isn't a popular stop for most cruisers, and the anchorages are generally quiet.
Elvis' Beach Bar is located on Anguilla, and one of the owners, Brett Fetterolf, and I went to the same high school, so the island had been on my radar since the beginning of our journey as a must-stop. Like most cruisers, our budget didn't allow for Anguilla's steep cruising fees, but lucky for us, Elvis' is located on the beach in Sandy Ground…along free-to-stay, Road Bay!
We dropped anchor in the bay, with Elvis' in sight at one end of the long beach at Sandy Ground (Aerial online photo).
It was mid-afternoon, and we were beat, so I left Brett a message that we had arrived, and would see him the following day. After a relaxing evening and a good night's sleep, we did some boat chores during the day, and then headed in to Elvis' for happy hour. It was fun to spend time with Brett, and see the bar he and his friend Elvis had built. It's always good to be with "home folk," as my mom would say.
After happy hour drinks, and dinner at Elvis' (Man, it had been a long time since we'd had Mexican food..yay!) , we headed back to the boat to give Howard some fish light time. An insane amount of sizeable tarpon showed up, their eyes glowing creepy orange in the light..ick.
The next day, we decided to head over to Rendezvous Bay, on the south side of the island, and do a beach bar crawl. We landed the dinghy at Elvis', and asked Brett about getting a cab. He warned us that a cab would most likely run close to $30 each way…welcome to Anguilla. As we mulled it over, a friendly expat who was waiting for take out food offered us a ride, saving us a one-way cab fare! We immediately took Jim up on the incredibly kind offer, climbed into his car and headed across the island.
Along the way, we chatted with Jim, who was deep in the process of fixing damage to his house caused by Hurricane Irma. He was nice enough to stop at the local Ace Hardware, so Scott could look for a part. With no luck, we were back on the road, and soon arrived at Rendezvous Bay. Thanks a bunch, Jim!
Jim dropped us at the Sunshine Shack, where we planned to have lunch and then walk the beach. The open-air, beachfront restaurant had recently re-opened after Irma's damage, and sported fresh paint in bright, happy colors.
Eating lunch with our toes in the sand, we couldn't believe how beautiful the beach was. It was a gorgeous day, and the colorful beach umbrellas popped against the clear-blue sky. The bright-white, powder-soft sand made the turquoise water seem even more brilliant in color. It was definitely one of the prettiest beaches we'd seen in the Caribbean.
We walked the beach, realizing that this area of the island was still visibly recovering from Hurricane Irma, and most of the beach bars we planned to visit were closed. Like Dominica with Maria, Anguilla received a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in September, ravaging the island. With help from the British government, and other countries, the island had recovered well by the time we visited. Aside from the bars resorts and homes along Rendezvous Bay, we saw little damage during our visit, and visual reconstruction was minimal.
We were especially hoping to visit a bar run by local reggae singer Bankie Banx , known as the "Anguillan Bob Dylan." He formed his first band in 1967, taking inspiration from top 40 hits in the UK, that a local radio station transmitted from a frigate ship moored off the coast of Anguilla. Bankie released his first album, Roots and Herbs in 1978, pioneering reggae music in the Eastern Caribbean.
We hoped that Bankie's beach bar, The Dune Preserve, had rebounded as well, but no luck. Like many Caribbean beach bars, The Dune was built from pieces of scrap wood, and an old boat for a bar. Ever growing, it spread from the beach up into the palms. The rustic bar was a staple on the beach at Rendezvous Bay, and we so wanted to spend time there.
Sadly, all that remained of the bar was a partial wooden structure. We could hear the sound of chain saws running in the palms, and knew that there was no chance of reggae music and a cold beer.
Bankie has been hard at work, and as of this spring, The Dune is beginning to take shape again. A new bar is in the works, with the addition of a full-service bar, and a re-opening is planned for November of 2018. I guess we'll have to return!
We turned to head back down the beach, passing the five-star CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, which had temporarily closed due to significant hurricane damage to its grounds, and 98 luxury suites. Tidbit: Dan Brown, who wrote The Davinci Code, spends winters at the resort….but not this winter.
Back at the Sunshine Shack, the owner called us a cab, that took thirty minutes to arrive. The island's not that big, so the wait was a bit frustrating, but we had a beer and took in the view of nearby St. Martin on the horizon.
Back at Sandy Ground, we walked down to the far end of the beach, past many bars and restaurants, most closed until dinnertime. Roy's Bayside Grill was open, so we stopped in for some shade and a drink.
Our friendly bartender had visited much of the U.S., seeing many more states than we have!
The next evening, Scott picked Brett up in the dinghy, and brought him aboard for a tour of Sea Life and some happy hour drinks.
After chatting away for several hours, we headed back to shore and had a drink at Elvis', before Scott and I walked down the beach for dinner at Sandbar. Our tapas meal was soo good, Like our meal at Elvis', it was a nice change from the island-food choices we'd had of late: barbecue chicken, fried chicken, or fried fish. I was without a camera at dinner, but here's a photo of Sandbar during the day, and an evening shot I borrowed online.
Anguilla would be the last island where we'd use the Eastern Caribbean dollar, but we still had a decent amount of it left on board. Brett graciously offered to exchange it for USD, so we headed to Elvis's to do some "banking," and I took the chance to snap some photos of the bar.
Brett arrived on Anguilla via Eldersburg, Maryland; Breckenridge, Colorado; Catalina Island, California; and St. Croix, U.S.V.I. (where he also owned a restaurant). He landed on the island, and soon realized he wanted to put down roots. After seeing an old boat on the side of a road, Brett and his friend, Elvis, hatched a plan to open a beach bar.
Elvis' has grown from just a boat bar, serving beer from a cooler, to one of Anguilla's hottest spots, popular with both tourists and locals. There are televisions throughout the bar, as well as a big screen right on the beach, so sports fans can settle in with their toes in the sand, and live music brings in a nightly crowd ready to dance.
Whether you choose to belly-up to the boat bar, sit at a table with your toes in the sand, lounge under an umbrella by the water or swing in a hammock, Elvis' has it covered.
Brett's commute to work is brutal….all of thirty steps. His tiny house sits just behind the bar!
When Hurricane Irma hit the island, Brett weathered the storm in a friend's house with a higher elevation than his at-sea-level bungalow. Luckily, Brett had stored the boat bar in a container, and with donations from loyal customers, the bar is back up and running, better than ever. Elvis, Brett and his sand-digging, coconut-lovin' dog Blu are back to providing visitors with the quintessential beach bar experience. (was so busy chatting and spending time with Brett, that I forgot a photo of Elvis! I included one from Brett's Facebook page, and one of him in action, that I found online.)
The Travel Channel got wind of Elvis', and recently featured Brett's story, and the bar, on an episode of "Life's A Beach." It's a great piece, with a cool story and beautiful scenery…check it out here! Ok, enough about my island-beach bar-owning friend (for now).
The next day, Scott and I were back on the water, taking the dinghy over to a beach at nearby Little Bay. Not far from our anchorage at Road Bay, we passed a resort nestled in the hills, with rows of white rooms and villas, surrounded by colorful, tropical foliage, that cascaded down to the water.
Houses of all sizes dotted the rocky cliffs.
Many had built stairs stretching down to the water, but one house in particular had quite the set up, with multiple small decks along the way down, maybe for a rest and a scenic view. At the bottom, a large, multi-level deck, just begging for a party.
We rounded the corner, and were met with an awesome view of the seventy-foot cliffs that surround Little Bay, and some swanky villas with amazing views.
Shades of black, gray, orange and white melded together on the rugged cliffs, highlighted by scraggly shrubs and several types of cacti.
The textured surface was full of holes, large crevices, and caves of all sizes at the waterline. And speaking of the water, it was a gorgeous, bright, turquoise-blue, that seemed even more brilliant in color against the cliffs.
The beach at Little Bay was "little" as well, but there was more than enough room for us to pull the dinghy up out of the water, and spread out a towel. Scott went for a snorkel, while I relaxed in the sand, and took in the view.
Before long, it was time to head back to Road Bay. It was our last day on Anguilla, so we wanted to visit Brett one more time. We set the dinghy afloat, climbed in and said goodbye to our little beach, and those beautiful cliffs at Little Bay.
All roads lead to Elvis' on Anguilla, and we were back for a final happy hour. We met this awesome girl, who is also from Maryland, and was on the island attending medical school. It seems every Eastern Caribbean island has a bloody medical school, but why not?…who doesn't want to learn in the sun?
It had been great to spend time with someone from home, and to see Elvis' in person, but it was time for us to move on while the winds were in our favor. Ladies and gentlemen…..Sea Life has left the building (or should I say the island).
Here are some more photos from our visit to Anguilla.
"Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life's Good On Our Boat!"


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Weddings in
NO New Orders
NO New Orders
NO New Orders
Message me about your own custom cake topper!
For the listing for the topper itself click HERE.
This listing is for the purchase of your sketch without the giant watermark (only a small one in the corner will be added). You can use this as a photo frame for your photo booth, add it to your invitations, programs, or other work. Print it out as large or as small as you want. I don't do sketches for children and pets.
No physical copies will be shipped, a digital copy will be sent to you.
Want more ZING to your wedding?
What is the ordering process?
Shipping & Turn Around Time
- Add a Pet (or 2 or 3!)
- Add a Sign or Upgrade your Platform ("Mr & Mrs" or Your Wedding Date):
- Add a Child (make it family-friendly)
- Visit my Pinterest Board for all my previous projects!
What is the ordering process?
- Decide on some ideas or general theme (Star Wars, HP, Disney, Vintage, Super Hero, Etc)
- You Order and I put you on my queue
- I send a questionnaire guideline to help gather all of your information (ie: hairstyle, color, skin tone, etc)
- I create a sketch for your approval (about 1 week prior to when I start the creation process)
- Final proof is approved
- I start the creation process
- I send you pictures of the completed item & ship!
Shipping & Turn Around Time
- Each piece is uniquely made and requires 1.5-2 weeks to complete when it is your turn in the queue and usually can take at least 2-3 months to get to your turn (Please contact me for the exact shipping date of your item)
- Once it's ready to ship we will send you pictures of the complete piece
- Completely Handmade in California
- Each topper is carefully packed and protected to avoid damage to the piece
Have a Question?
Be the first to ask a question about this.

subset: commoncrawl


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PawHut Cats Wall-Mounted MDF Shelf Bed w/ Fleece Cushion Brown
- Regular price
- Regular price
- Sale price
- Unit price
- per
Rattle up your pet's thirst for curiosity and adventure with this on-wall cat shelf from PawHut. Made from high-quality MDF for long-lasting strength which steadily holds up to 4.5kg in weight, it is crafted into a curved design to allow them to rest peacefully and prevent them from falling off, with a Berber fleece covering for comfort and warmth. Wall mountable in design thanks to the attachment board below the shelf, it comes complete with all the required accessories to set up. Great for utilising your walls and giving them their own space away from other pets.
- Wall-mountable design for efficient floor-space saving, giving your cat/kitten their own spot to relax
- Made from particle board for strength and durability in your home
- Curved design with Berber fleece on the top for safety and comfort
- Pair with another shelf for multiple platforms they can jump on to
- All accessories included to attach and set up, assembly is required Recommended pet weight 4.5kg, assembly required
- Item Name: Cat Shelf
- Brand Name: PawHut
- Colour: Brown
- Material: MDF, Sponge, Berber Fleece
- Max Load: 4.5kg
- Overall Dimension: 41L x 28W x 21H cm
- Net Weight: 2kg
- Certification: E1(MDF)
- Flat Pack: Yes
- Custom Label: D30-224


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Whistle-Blower Protections
Are whistle-blowers protected as they take on South Africa's corruption crisis?
November 18, 2020DownloadsDownload Article
South Africa is experiencing a corruption crisis and whistle-blowers could play a crucial role in addressing this. But the socio-political context is hostile to whistle-blowing and South Africans who witness fraud and corruption often prefer to remain silent for fear of reprisal.
On 5 November 2020, former South Africa Airways (SAA) board chair, Dudu Myeni, revealed the identity of an anonymous whistle-blower who had given evidence in camera at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.
The Commission had ordered the protection of the identity of the whistle-blower, dubbed "Mr X", in February this year.
Despite repeated warnings not to, Myeni named the whistle-blower several times in response to allegations put to her by Advocate Kate Hofmeyr.
Hofmeyr addressed the Commission, submitting that Myeni's conduct amounted to a wilful obstruction of the Commission in the performance of its function and could deter future whistle-blowers.
South Africa's Corruption Crisis
Just last month, Thabiso Zulu, a whistle-blower who had testified at the Moerane Commission about municipal corruption in the Harry Gwala municipality, was shot in an alleged assassination attempt.
Controversial Bosasa whistle-blower Angelo Agrizzi recently told the Daily Maverick that there had been two assassination attempts on his life.
If whistle-blowers are to be protected as they take on South Africa's corruption crisis, the protections afforded to them will need to be strictly enforced.
There is an argument for the increase in protection of whistle-blowers in the current climate.
The South African regulatory framework lacks robust protection of witnesses to fraud and corruption, particularly relating to state governance and public funds.
Related Insights
Related Information
November 18, 2020


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I signed up for the 2016 National Bike Challenge, which goal is "to unite 100,000 riders to pedal 75 million miles from May 1, 2016 until September 30, 2016," according to its web site. The challenge has competitions for prizes. It would be nice to get one, but that will only happen if my name is drawn randomly out of the hat. The reason I'm participating is to help maintain my motivation to pedal Tilda-Hilda on a regular basis.
Tilda-Hilda and I started out again the day after the Mama's funeral services. The short uphill ride to the cemetery was simply hard. Pufff, pufff, pufff. Over the next two weeks, we rode a little bit further every day, stopping by to see the Mama and the Daddy at either the beginning or end of the fun.
If I could've done it without hurting myself, I would've pedaled all day. There is comfort in mindless pedaling, as well as seeing the countryside. As it is, I came down with a cold so today is the first time Tilda-Hilda and I have been out in a week. We didn't have to start all over. Puff, puff. I threw in one hill for us to lumber up. On this first day of the challenge, we pedaled 6.4 miles. Hurrah!
By the way, here's the link for the National Bike Challenge. I think you can sign up any time, if you're interested.


text: deanishe Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 ZotHero Rapidly search your Zotero database and copy citations. https://github.com/deanishe/zothero Features Perform full-text search across your Zotero database, including only searching specific fields Copy citations using any CSL style you have installed in Zotero Copy citations either in citation/note style or bibliography style Copy citations in any locale supported by CSL Citations are copied in multiple formats, so the right data are automatically pasted into the application you're using Trigger search while you type using the Snippet Trigger (you must assign the snippet keyword yourself in Alfred Preferences) Download & installation Download the ZotHero-XYZ.alfredworkflow file from GitHub releases, and double-click the downloaded file to install. Basic usage These are the workflow's default keywords: zot <query> — Search your Zotero database (common fields). zot:[<query>] — Search a specific field. zotconf [<query>] — View and edit workflow configuration. See the README on GitHub for full instructions. Pasting citations When you copy a citation, ZotHero puts both HTML and rich text (RTF) representations on the pasteboard. That way, when you paste a citation into an application like Word, the formatted text will be pasted, but when you paste into a text/Markdown document, the HTML will be pasted. Licence & thanks The workflow is released under the MIT licence. The Zorro icon was created by Dan Lowenstein. Citations are generated by citeproc-js (AGPLv3). Workflow stuff is taken care of by Alfred-Workflow (also MIT licence). cands, Damoeire and dfay 3 Link to comment


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Renting a property is normally fairly an easy affair. So issues are for the most effective and it could seem that most of property agents have finally understood what this business is absolutely about. If the true estate property is handed in under the reserve value, the agent of the property will first negotiate the highest bidder for the acquisition of that actual property property.
In addition to numerous actions, this metropolis offers quite a lot of lovely Arizona actual estate that features beautifully restored historic properties and model spanking new condos. These attorneys may provide help to understand the legalities involved in the sale transaction, the offer made by the buyer and your rights as a seller.
To start out with, a fast sale is a type of a business deal which includes shopping for a property for a price lower than its regular worth. The United States was based on the principal of every American having the chance and good thing about proudly owning real estate and private property rights.
The vast majority of buyers from North America are in search of larger extra luxurious villas or residences and in line with the British mortgage bank Abbey National, although US purchasers account for under 2 per cent of worldwide consumers on the Riviera they are still the largest spenders averaging 229,000 euros on a property.
What Is A Quick Sale In Real Estate?
One of the quickest rising industries worldwide – real estate is a enterprise which is price investing your capital. As housing costs inflated rapidly on account of all-time low interest rates, any common Joe might buy a house at market worth, hold on to it for a yr and even much less in some cases and still turn a pleasant profit. This may be the primary cause sales at shops in the US open no less than a yr are anticipated a mid single-digit share decline, the first drop ever.
Patrons from other international locations are reaping the benefits of the "British invasion" as the town of Good has critically cleaned up its picture during the last 5 years due to strain from the mainly center class patrons who need a safer, tidier, cleaner atmosphere.
real estate school, real estate school of illinois, real estate license nj
Topic 2 is a approach to buy real property without applying for a house mortgage loan. There will always be good occasions and dangerous, and it's important to know how to keep your composure in each." Two to 3 years in the past it appeared like everybody was jumping on the actual estate investment bandwagon. They need to inform the consumers all the pieces about the real property transaction and observe any direction of the buyer.
How To Write A Actual Estate Bio As A New Agent
Read More
Real property is really a game of supply and demand. Skilled actual property brokers and even associates will surely advise you that as a purchaser you're very more likely to come … Read More..


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Godard - Suite Op. 116 Suite de trois Morceaux for Flute and Piano (Chester)
Regular price
An expressive piece full of spirit with contrasts and intricate writings within the Flute part, which create a variety of moods within the piece. For the advancing flautist, Benjamin Godard's Suite De Trois Morceaux Op.116will provide a wonderful enrichment to your repertoire. For Flute and Piano, as edited by Trevor Wye.


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- J-P. Cointet
- Morphogenesis
- Local networks, local topics: structural and semantic proximity in blogspace
- Social and semantic coevolution in knowledge networks
- Team formation dynamics
- Taxonomy of Socialist Party resolutions
- Phylomemetic Patterns in Science Evolution—The Rise and Fall of Scientific Fields
- Synthetic Biology Emergence
- Semantic Landscapes
- A metric for textual content
- Multi-level Science mapping
- Mapping Science Dynamics: a phylogenetic approach
- Authors and Concepts mapping
- Online press serving local democracy – a morphological analysis of political forums in France
- Food Security Frames
- The emergence and development of gene expression profiling
- Diffusion processes
- Tools and Methods
Tag Archives: spreading
What makes a good information spreader ?
Tracking URLs and their diffusion through citation paths, one can describe information cascades in a blog network. Given these data it is possible to find correlation between the capacity of a blogger to spread new information and her/his position in … Continue reading
Tagged blogs, diffusion, influence, network, socio-semantic, spreading, weak tie Leave a comment
Happy Flu was built as a viral marketing campaign which contained tools to track its propagation on the network. The experiment took place from July 08, 2008 to September 18, 2008. Five bloggers were selected among our relatives and were … Continue reading
Posted in Tagged blogs, diffusion, network, real-world, spreading Leave a comment


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Industrial electrical Contracting
Our expertise allows us to efficiently install and maintain the equipment necessary to keep Mumbai up and running. We're passionate about providing highly specialized services for industrial electrical applications.
With over 25 years of industrial experience, we have proven time and time again that we understand how to bring projects in under-budget and on-schedule. Our goal is understand your production needs so we become more than just a vendor, we become your partner.
What We Do:
- Feeders Installation
- Distribution Panels Installation
- Generator Install
- Lighting
- Plant Moves
- Buss Duct Installation
- Switchgear Installation
- UPS Backup Systems
- Machinery Relocation
Equipment We Work On:
- Conveyors
- Presses
- Process Systems
- Sorting Systems
- Industrial Ovens
- Lathes
- Injection Molding Equipment
- Robots
- Welders
- ASRS Systems
- Paint Lines


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The Forward Plan
The plan contains matters on which the leader of the Council believes that the Cabinet is likely to take decisions on.
The Forward Plan contains matters on which the leader of the Council believes that the Cabinet (or any other executive decision-making body) is likely to take decisions, including key decisions.
A "key decision" is one which:
- is in connection with the discharge of an executive function and
- involves significant expenditure or savings having regard to the budget for the related service or function; or
- has a significant effect on communities in two or more electoral divisions
An 'executive decision-making body' includes the Cabinet or a committee of it, or a joint committee of the executives of 2 or more authorities.
The names and details of members of the Cabinet are set out in the Forward Plan.
Where a report is to be considered in private at a meeting of the Cabinet, the reasons for this are set out in the Forward Plan.
A formal notice and agenda together with reports and supporting documents for each meeting will be published on the Worcestershire County Council Website at least five working days before the date of the meeting.
Subject to any prohibition or restriction on their disclosure, copies of the documents submitted to the Cabinet may be obtained from Legal and Governance, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester WR5 2NP, or the Worcestershire County Council Website or by contacting the Democratic Services Team after the agenda for the relevant meeting has been published.
Other documents relevant to the matters in a report may be added to those listed. All available documents will be published on the Worcestershire County Council Website with the agenda for the meeting at which they are to be considered, at least 5 clear days before the day of the meeting, or details may be requested in the above paragraph.
Representations about why a report should be considered in public should be sent by email to the Democratic Services Team or in writing to the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester WR5 2NP.


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The power is back on in one Stoneham, Massachusetts, community after police said a drunk driver took down multiple utility poles in a car crash.
The crash happened early Sunday morning when 22-year-old Ryan Carney of Woburn hit a utility pole and knocked out power to homes.
Police said this caused a chain reaction, pulling down electrical wires and other poles. Police also believe at least one other car was damaged in the crash.
Stoneham Police Chief Grafton said, "This is the most widespread amount of damage I have seen from a single vehicle crash in my career."
They added there was a male passenger in the car at the time of the accident but no one was hurt.
Carney was at the scene when police arrived and was taken into custody.
He's been charged with OUI and negligent operation of a motor vehicle and will be arraigned in Woburn District Court Monday morning.


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(20 Buck Spin)
Things seem to be going really good with EXTREMITY these days. They have their debut album coming out soon on 20 Buck Spin and they are also opening up for Death Metal gods ASPHYX on their West Coast tour of the USA. Yep, you can say things are on the up and up with them. Hailing from Oakland, California, these old school Death Metal regenerators consist of Shelby Lermo (VASTUM), Aesop Dekker (WORM OUROBOROS, LUDICRA, AGALLOCH), Melissa Martinez-Hoadley (CRETIN, REPULSION), and Erika Osterhout (NECROSIC, SCOLEX, TREPANATION). The band does a nice job of getting a good mix of several 90s Death Metal bands (INCANTATION, ENTOMBED, GRAVE, etc) and shaping it into some entertaining songs even the album cover art is even in the old school vein). The intro from Pet Semetary really sets the atmosphere nicely with a gloom / doom vibe only to have it jump into high gear with the track 'Crepuscular Crescendo' with relentless guitars and tempo shifts. The next track is my favorite on this album, 'Bestial Destiny' runs through like a freight train without a conductor at the helm and is a flat out badass song that really showcases the band. 'Chalice Of Pus' conjures up a that older era INCANTATION sound with fast riffs, tempo changes, and punishing drums. The song also has some sick guitar solos that further enhance the jam. 'Fatal Immortality' and the title track 'Extremely Fucking Dead' round out the rest of the album further continuing the mayhem. At times this album had some solid melodic moments but also have that devastating sound that quickly thrashes things up. The drumming is really killer, but then again I wouldn't expect anything less from Aesop Dekker who kept time for the mighty AGALLOCH. This was my first time checking out EXTREMITY and I have to say that this album was indeed a pleasant surprise as these guys have the right formula while bringing back nostalgia. A solid debut that has 6 tracks and clocks in at just under 27 minutes while at the same time it leaves the listener wanting more. The production and guitar solos really do stand out and kick the album up a notch. This is a must for those that love that old 90s sound and remember they are on tour… check them out if you can. For more info: www.facebook.com/extremedeath, www.facebook.com/20buckspin
Jaime Pérez


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We've found 158 wine(s) in our Italian Wine Guide which are good for Roast.Read more
Wine: White wine
Taste: Dry
Volume: Medium
Min. alcohol: 11.5%
Storage potential: 6 years
Fiano di Avellino became a DOCG in 2003 (DOC in 1978) and can without reservation be categorized as some of the finest and most distinguished south Italy can offer in terms of white wine, despite tough competition from Greco di Tufo DOCG, its neighbor to the north.
The main grape is Fiano (85-100%) with addition of Greco and/or Coda di Volpe and/or Trebbiano Toscano (0-15%).
The fields are perfectly situated on the high hills around the city of Avellino, in the middle of Campania, and covers all 26 communes.
The color is a more or less intense straw yellow, and when you first taste a Fiano di Avellino DOCG, your thoughts turn to almonds, hints of pears and spices, which rounds off with a very delicate aroma and nice finish.
An increasing number of wine farmers are developing a lighter, fresher and fruitier wine, which is probably due to the desire to have a faster turnover of wine.
Nonetheless, aging plays a central role in Fiano di Avellino DOCG. After 1-2 years of bottle aging, the wine develops its delightful fruit bouquet, and for the wines that are cultivated in the highest areas of the zone, aging is especially important for a good result. Some producers use barrel aging, and it has proven to give the wine more sweetness and a quicker development of the aroma.
If you drink a very young Fiano di Avellino DOCG, it's very acidic and thus has almost no aroma. So wait…
You might encounter the name, "Apianum", on the label. This is ancient Roman, and refers to the vine's ability to attract bees (api). You might also see the name "Fiano di Lapio", which refers to the fact that the wine is cultivated in the area surrounding the city of Lapio, northeast of Avellino.
The shelf life of Fiano di Avellino DOCG is 3 years or more. From top producers, such as Pietracupa and Picarielli, the wine develops both depth and complexity after 3-6 years.
To be enjoyed with fish.
That Italy in 2011 was the worlds largest wine producer?


text: Roar! It's alright, I'm not really a man eating lion (I prefer women), it's just the fancy dress costume I'm wearing! Look bee-autiful in our Bumble Bee costumes! We have a multitude of animal onesies for you to adopt too! Big foot, big bad wolf, Unleash the party animal in you! Our safari park of fancy dress has far more than the 'bear' necessities. If you're craving to go back to the wild you've come to the right place. We have an open zoo of feral fancy dress and animalistic accessories. Look the bee's knees as a Bee! Ladies we have the purrrrfect costumes for you! The all time favourite, sexy 'sort of a cat' lady dress up! With such choice you'll struggle to pick your favourite feline fancy dress. From feathered to furry, scaly to slimy you're sure to find your inner spirit animal! Monkey around at your next costume menagerie!


text:
About 300 unionists showed up to the "Post Office Court" in Downtown Oakland to protest the Pacific Maratime Association's continued harassment of the ILWU and Neptune Jade picket captain, Robert Irminger. At least 200 of the unionists were Longshoremen from ILWU Local 10 and Ships Clerks from Local 34 who had walked off of the job in protest of the PMA's continued witch hunt.
After a spirited rally, unionists packed the (very small) courtroom. The judge started to offer the defendants a deal where some sort of independant party would review ILWU records and select which documents would be "appropriate" for PMA review. However, the defense's legal team reminded the judge that legal precedent allows the ILWU to reject such a provision. The result: The PMA has been denied their motion to compel for the time being. There will be another court-date sometime in August. Exact dates will be posted in the future.
The legal team seemed optimistic that the ILWU would win this based on First Amendment grounds.
Source: A-INFOS 23 Jul 98
A further report by Ellen Starbird is available on Labournet
Defend RobertIrminger!
Not one container was handled in Oakland! The Neptune Jade then sailed to Vancouver, Canada, where pickets and longshoremen gave her the same 'solidarity' treatment. The shipowner then sought a port in the Pacific to unload the cargo. Attempts were made to discharge the containers in two ports in Japan, Kobe and Yokohama. But the Japanese dockworkers, strong supporters of the Liverpool dockers' struggle, stood fast. Finally, this 'Flying Dutchman' was sent to Taiwan where the ship was sold, renamed, and its cargo discharged.
On February 26, the Liverpool Dockers' Defense Committee and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union organized a rally in front of PMA headquarters in downtown Oakland. The 700-strong union protesters then marched to the courthouse to demand the charges be dropped against all the defendants. ILWU International President Brian McWilliams has pledged, Until then the PMA will face ever-escalating actions by the ILWU and the national and international labor movement.
The judge has already dismissed cases against some of the defendants, citing their right to free speech. However, Robert Irminger, picket captain, is still facing a vindictive PMA lawsuit. The PMA has threatened to file suits against others whose names they have. To bolster their discovery claims against Irminger, where they demand the names of other pickets as well as all union and political affiliations, they subpoenaed documents from the ILWU relating to the picket. The ILWU refused to look for them, so the bosses then filed a motion to compel. They are trying to force the union to turn over whatever documents they may have. The hearing will be July 22 at the U.S. Post Office & Court in Oakland. Irminger has until mid-August to respond to the latest discovery. A hearing on this is likely later this summer or early fall.
This defense case poses such critical issues for the survival of the labor movement in a global economy that we have been able to enlist the support from the broadest sections of organized labor from Dolores Huerta of the Farmworkers to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to maritime unions around the world.
To make this defense campaign a complete victory for all of labor we need you and your unionąs support.
The Neptune Jade Defense Committee is calling on all unionists and supporters in the San Francisco Bay Area to attend the court hearing in solidarity with the ILWU and against this legal attack on the right to free speech and to picket in solidarity with workers around the world.
Statements of support can also be sent to the Committee by email c/o Robert Irminger at <email@example.com>.
For further information about the Neptune Jade struggle please go to http://www.labornet.org/workers/jade.
The Neptune Jade Defense Committee can be reached at
Neptune Jade Defense Committee
P.O.Box 2574
Oakland, CA 94614
Whereas, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has consistently held high labor's banner, "An injury to one is an injury to all" implementing this basic labor principle, by supporting oppressed workers internationally, whether under the gun of South African apartheid or the right-wing military dictatorships of Chile and El Salvador; and
Whereas, presently the ILWU is currently under legal attack from the Pacific Maritime Association, the employer organization representing global shipowners and stevedoring companies, because longshore workers here in the port of Oakland refused last year to cross a picket line of labor activists (against the containership Neptune Jade with scab cargo from England) in support of the Liverpool dockworkers, themselves waging an international struggle against unionbusting, and
Whereas, before the court hearing the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO passed a resolution in support of the Neptune Jade defendants, and
Whereas, the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO helped turn out Bay Area organized labor turned out in force in downtown Oakland on February 26, 1998 to demand the charges be dropped and to protest the PMA's strategy of harassment and intimidation, using McCarthyite tactics to demand defendants "name names" of individuals and unions involved in the protest, and
Whereas, in the wake of this mass labor demonstration Judge Henry Needham Jr., on March 4, dismissed the charges against all but picket captain Robert Irminger, citing their right to exercise the First Amendment, and
Whereas, the PMA, intent on halting future ILWU actions of international labor solidarity and as part of a campaign by global maritime employers to break dockworkers unions around the world has raised the ante, adding new plaintiffs and going to court on July 22, 1998, to compel the ILWU International and ILWU Locals 10 and 34 to turn over internal union documents to gather evidence against Irminger and other possible defendants,
Therefore be it resolved that the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO condemns PMA's anti-union attack and its witch hunt tactics with the full weight of the organized labor movement and demands that this case be dropped once and for all and be it finally
Resolved that the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO reaffirms its support of workers' First Amendment rights and the right to picket and honor picket lines in solidarity with other workers.
Email to Takver 15/7/98
Our fellow workers in Germany are doing a solidarity action, with us in mind. Thanks to Folkert for passing this good news on. I've done an on-the-fly commentary here. I don't have a dictionary next to me.
Abolish wage-slavery; organize One Big Democratic Classwide Union.
|English Commentary
|Subject: Soli-Aktion gegen Hapag Lloyd
|Solidarity action against Hapag Lloyd
|Drop the charges against the docker soclidarity picketers Oakland!
|Solidarität mit den angeklagten Dockern der Neptun Jade-Streikposten, Oakland/USA Flugblätter gegen Hapag Lloyd am 22. Juli 1998
|Solidarity with the accused docker/picketers at the Neptune Jade demo. Leaflet directed against Hapag Lloyd--July 22, 1998
|Die OG Hamburg wird am kommenden Mittwoch, dem 22.7.98 von 7.30 bis 9 Uhr vor der Hauptfiliale des maritimen Konzerns Hapag LLoyd (gehört mittlerweile der Westdeutschen Landesbank) Flugblätter zur Solidarität mit angeklagten Streikposten der ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union - Dockergewerkschaft der USA) aus Oakland verteilen, deren Prozeß am 22.7. um 9 Uhr in Oakland beginnt.
|I'm not sure what the OG is; but it may be something like the area unions of Hamburg. Well, they're going to be out in front of the Hpag LLoyd maritime corporation headquarters (Hapag LLoyd belongs to a bank called the Westdeutschen blah blah) passing out leaflets in support of the accused picketers of the ILWU because these fellow workers trial for solidarity begins that day at 9am in Oakland.
|Die Hapag LLoyd ist eine der Container-Schiffahrtsgesellschaften, die Docker vor Gericht zerren wollen, weil sie aus Solidarität mit den damals streikenden Liverpoolern der Mersey Dock & Harbour Company das Containerschiff ,Neptun Jade' am 28. September 1997 blockierten und deren Entladung verhinderten.
|Hapag LLoyd is one of the container ship corporations responsible for dragging our fellow workers in to court for their solidarity actions on September 28, 1997 when they effectively stopped the unloading of the Jade's cargo.
Die Pacific Martime Association und auch die Hapag Lloyd wollen nun -im Zuge einer richtigen Hexenjagd- die ILWU gerichtlich zwingen, alle relevanten Dokumente herauszugeben. U.a. der IWW-Delegierte Rod Neves sollen Namen der Beteiligten ausplaudern: "Identify all persons, associations, and organizations known to you who participated in one or more of the demonstrations at Yusen Terminal, Berth 23, Port of Oakland ... Identify all labor organisations in which you are or have been a member or with which you are or have been in any way affiliated", außerdem sollen Kopien der mailing lists aller beteiligten Organisationen rausgerückt werden.
McCarthy läßt also schön grüßen!
|This is essentially a condemnation of the witch hunt being conducted by the PMA and its associated Corps, which seeks to indimidate the ILWU and others, including our erstwhile IWW delegate, Rod Neves, into naming names of people and orgs who attended the solidarity picket. McCarthyism is rearing its ugly head.
|Wir werden bis Sonntagabend ein Flugblatt erstellen, in dem wir die Hapag Lloyd-Zentrale auffordern, diese ungeheuerliche Attacke gegen die Kollegen und Genossen zurückzunehmen.
|They, mostly the FAU, are going to pass out leaflets 'till Sunday night demanding that Hapag Lloyd Bosses cease these monsterous attacks on our fellow workers and comrades and drop the charges.
|Welche OG ebenfalls Fluchblätter verteilen möchte, möge uns eine Fax- Nummer mitteilen, damit wir eine Kopiervorlage rübersenden können. Hapag Lloyd gibt's fast überall, wichtig wäre aber sicherlich, in Bremen/Bremerhaven aktiv zu werden.
|This basically is a call to all the area's unions, which wish to add their orgs names to the leaflet to send a fax number to the Hamburg FAU. "H L" is basically everywhere; but it is especially important to get the fw's from Bremen involved. Bremen, like Hamburg, is a big port town.
|Solidarität hat keine Grenzen:
|Solidarity doesn't have any borders:
|An Injury to One is An Injury to All!
Quellen: Soli-Aufruf der IWW, email vom 14.7.98 (Liam Flynn)
Industrial Worker, IWW-Zeitung, Januar 1998, Seite 1
ILWU im internet: www.labornet.org/workers/jade
|Here, the FAU lists the people, lit etc. from which calls for solidarity were issued.
Email to Takver 16/7/98


text:
Building a PWA with Glimmer.js
We recently set out to build a progressive web app with Glimmer.js. Instead of building it with Ember.js, which is our standard framework of choice, we wanted to see how suitable for prime-time Glimmer.js is and what we'd be able to accomplish with it. To put it short, we are really happy with how building the app went and the result that we were able to achieve. In this series of posts, we will give some insights into how we built the app, why we made particular decisions and what the result looks like.
If you're facing challenges with Ember.js and need a helping hand, reach out!
We can help with mentoring, training, team augmentation, and custom development.Contact us!
While this project was mostly meant as a technology spike to validate Glimmer's suitability for real projects as well as testing some techniques for running and serving web apps that we had in our minds for some time, we wanted to build something useful and meaningful. What we came up with is Breethe, a progressive web app that gives users quick and easy access to air quality data for locations around the world. Pollution and global warming are getting worse rather than better and having easy access to data that shows how bad the situation actually is, is the first step for everyone to question their decisions and maybe change a few things in their daily lives.
The application is open source and available on GitHub.
Glimmer.js is a thin component library built on top of Ember.js's rendering engine, the Glimmer VM. It is optimized for small application bundle sizes and maximum runtime performance and thus a great fit for situations where a full-featured framework like Ember.js is not needed and too heavyweight.
Glimmer.js provides functionality for defining, composing and rendering components and keeps the DOM in sync with the component tree's internal state. It uses Ember CLI, the battle-tested command-line interface tool (CLI) from the Ember project, to help create and manage applications. Glimmer.js is written in TypeScript and so are applications built with it.
Glimmer.js templates use Handlebars-like syntax, e.g.:
{{#each measurementLists.first key="@index"}}
anchorBuilding Breethe with Glimmer.js
The Breethe app consists of two main screens, the Start page with the search form and the results page that shows the data and an air quality score for a particular location. These two screens are implemented via two components so that depending on the current state of the app, the correct one is rendered.
As Glimmer.js is "only" a UI component library and does not include any routing functionality, we used the Navigo router to set up logic that maps the current URL to the corresponding application state and vice versa:
_setupRouting() {
this.router = new Navigo();
.on('/', () => this.mode = MODE_SEARCH)
.on('/search', () => this.mode = MODE_SEARCH)
.on('/search/:searchTerm', (params) => {
this.mode = MODE_SEARCH;
this.searchTerm = params.searchTerm;
.on('/location/:locationId/', (params) => {
this.mode = MODE_RESULTS;
this.searchTerm = params.locationId;
First of all, we create a new router instance. We then map URLs to the corresponding states of the app. The routes
/search and
/search/:searchTerm all map to the
MODE_SEARCH mode that renders the search form and search results if there are any. The
/location/:locationId route maps to the
MODE_RESULTS mode that renders a particular location's data and quality score. We use the
mode property in two tracked properties
isSearchMode and
isResultsMode. Tracked properties are Glimmer's equivalent to Ember's computed properties and will result in the component being re-rendered when their value changes.
get isSearchMode(): boolean {
return this.mode === MODE_SEARCH;
get isResultsMode(): boolean {
return this.mode === MODE_RESULTS;
These tracked properties are then used in the template to render the respective component for the current mode:
{{#if isSearchMode}}
<Search @searchTerm={{searchTerm}} />
{{else if isResultsMode}}
<Location @locationId={{locationId}} />
You might notice the
@ prefix of the
searchTerm and
locationId properties that are set on the components. This prefix distinguishes properties that are to be passed to the component instance as opposed to attributes that will be applied to the component's root DOM element.
Search component renders the
SearchForm component that implements the text field for the search term and the button to submit the search:
<SearchForm @term={{searchTerm}} @onSubmit={{action searchByTerm}} />
@onSubmit={{action searchByTerm}} assigns the
searchByTerm method of the
Search component as an action to the
@onSubmit property of the
SearchForm component. Whenever the search form is submitted, the
SearchForm component invokes the assigned action:
submitSearch(event) {
let search = event.target.value;
The last line calls the assigned action and thus invokes the
searchByTerm method on the
Search component. That method enables the loading state on the component, loads locations matching the search term, assigns them to its
locations property and disables the loading state again:
async searchByTerm(searchTerm) {
this.loading = true;
let url = `${__ENV_API_HOST__}/api/locations?filter[name]=${searchTerm}`;
let locationsResponse = await fetch(url);
let locationsPayload: { data: Location[] } = await locationsResponse.json();
this.locations = locationsPayload.data;
this.loading = false;
loading and
locations properties are tracked properties so that changing them results in the component to be re-rendered. They are used in the template like this:

{{#if loading}}

{{#each locations key="id" as |location|}}

This is just a brief overview of how an application built with Glimmer.js works. We will cover some of these things in more detail in future posts, particularly how we load and manage data with Orbit.js. For a closer look on the inner workings of Breethe, check out the code on github.
anchorFrom Glimmer.js to Ember.js
Besides making the Glimmer VM available to be used outside of Ember.js and offering a solution for situations where bundle size and load time performance is of crucial importance, Glimmer.js also serves as a testbed for new features and changes that will later make their way into the Ember.js framework. It is not bound to the strong stability guarantees that Ember.js offers and thus a great environment for experimenting with new approaches to existing problems that will usually require a few iterations until the API becomes stable.
Some new things that originate in experiments done in Glimmer.js have already found their way back into Ember.js (at least in some form):
- The
@syntax as shown above that clearly distinguishes properties that are set on a component instance vs. attributes that are set on a component's root DOM element - this PR enables the feature flag by default.
- The possibility to use ES2015 classes instead of Ember.js' own object model - see this blog post for more information.
- Template-only components that do not have a wrapping

- can be enabled as an optional feature.
Eventually it will be possible to seamlessly use Glimmer.js components in Ember.js applications (see the quest issue for more information). That will also enable "upgrading" Glimmer.js applications to Ember.js once they reach a certain size and complexity and the additional features and concepts that Ember.js provides over Glimmer.js justify a more heavyweight framework.
Glimmer.js' testing APIs are very similar to what Ember.js uses for component tests. The idea is to render a particular component with a given set of properties and attributes and assert on the generated DOM:
import { module, test } from 'qunit';
import hbs from '@glimmer/inline-precompile';
import { setupRenderingTest } from '@glimmer/test-helpers';
module('Component: MeasurementRow', function (hooks) {
test('PPM Case', async function (assert) {
await this.render(hbs`
let label = this.containerElement
let value = this.containerElement
let unit = this.containerElement
assert.equal(label, 'PM25', 'Parameter is rendered');
assert.equal(value, '12', 'Value is rendered');
assert.equal(unit, 'ppm', 'Unit is rendered');
This test case tests the
MeasurementRow component by passing a set of properties and asserting that the DOM contains the expected elements with the expected content. The key element to notice is the invocation of
setupRenderingTest which sets the test case up as a rendering test. Rendering tests have a
render method that takes a template and renders that into the testing container. The rendered component's root element can then be accessed via the test's
containerElement property.
We use
data-test- attributes in this test to select elements in the DOM (e.g.
this.containerElement.querySelector('[data-test-measurement-label]')). That allows using expressive selectors in tests without relying on DOM structure or CSS class names. As these attributes are only needed for testing, we strip them from the templates in production builds so that we don't grow the bundle size unnecessarily. For a full-featured addon that makes that approach conveniently available for Ember.js applications, check out the
ember-test-selectors addon.
Glimmer.js' testing APIs still have some shortcomings (see this issue) and are not entirely ready for prime time. In order to test some more advanced component behaviors, we use Puppeteer to run the entire application in a headless browser.
Stay tuned 👋
If you're facing challenges with Ember.js and need a helping hand, reach out!
We can help with mentoring, training, team augmentation, and custom development.Contact us!


text:
Story Highlights
- Mainline Protestants more accepting of gay relations and abortion
- Episcopalians are particularly more liberal than others regarding gay relations
- Pentecostals tend to be the most conservative on all issues measured
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Protestants' views on moral issues such as abortion, gay and lesbian relations, and premarital sex differ sharply, depending on their denominational affiliation. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans -- the "mainline" denominations -- are distinctly more liberal on a number of moral issues than are Baptists, Pentecostals and those identifying with nondenominational Protestant groups.
These findings are based on an analysis of aggregated data from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs surveys, conducted each May since 2001. The 2001-2017 aggregate provides large enough samples for individual analysis of the major Protestant denominations. The Values and Beliefs surveys include a wide variety of questions about moral issues; those included in the analysis here are the ones most prominently involved in recent public discussion.
The differences across Protestant denominations on three of the four issues reviewed for this analysis are substantial.
Mainline Protestants -- who make up about 11% of the U.S. adult population -- are significantly more accepting of abortion, premarital sexual relations, and gay and lesbian relations than the other groups. For example, between 60% and 71% of the mainline Protestant groups say premarital sex is morally acceptable, while less than half in the other denominations agree. No less than 56% of those in mainline denominations say gay or lesbian relations are OK, but no more than 36% of those in other denominations share that view.
Views on the death penalty show greater similarity across denominations, with Baptists and nondenominational Protestants joining mainline Protestants in strong majority acceptance of the practice. Pentecostals stand alone with a significantly lower acceptance of the death penalty than any other denominational group.
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As with U.S. adults more generally, mainline Protestants are less likely to find abortion morally acceptable than premarital sex or gay/lesbian relations. But mainline Protestants are still roughly twice as likely as other Protestants to say abortion is morally acceptable.
Although those who identify with one of the mainline denominations hold more liberal positions than those who identify with the other denominations in this analysis, Episcopalians are somewhat more liberal on the issue of gay and lesbian relations than are Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans. Differences among these four mainline groups are less significant on other issues.
Protestants who identify as Southern Baptists -- about 3% of the overall population during the years when these data were collected -- tend to be slightly more conservative on these issues than the 9% of American adults who identify as Baptists, but not Southern Baptists. Pentecostals are the most conservative of these eight denominational groups: 13% of Pentecostals say abortion is morally acceptable, 15% say gay/lesbian relations are OK, and 30% say the same about premarital sex.
Because of the large time span involved in this aggregation, the absolute percentages of those who find behaviors acceptable are not necessarily the same as where the attitudes stand today. For example, Americans as a whole, and Protestants as a group, have become more accepting of gay and lesbian relations and of sex outside of marriage since 2001. The aggregated figures in this analysis are useful in terms of identifying differences across the denominations -- differences that have generally held steady over time, even as acceptance on certain issues has shifted.
Protestants regardless of denomination are often combined into a single group for survey analysis purposes. For example, the 2016 presidential election exit polls divided voters broadly into Protestants and Catholics. But the current analysis documents major differences within the broad group of Protestants on a set of important policy issues relating to moral values, underscoring the need for caution among those attempting to characterize Americans by their religion.
The broad swath of the population identifying as Protestant contains disparate groups of denominations with substantially different views on specific issues. There are a number of reasons for these distinctions, based on the historical traditions of the denominations, the ways in which they interpret and teach the Bible, and -- importantly -- the types of people who identify with each. Episcopalians, for example, have one of the highest levels of educational attainment of any religious group, do not assume the Bible is literally true, and generally tend to identify as more socially liberal than other Protestant groups. Southern Baptists, by contrast, have lower educational attainment on average, are more likely to be biblical literalists, tend to be socially conservative and live in more conservative areas of the country.
Understanding Protestants remains an important research objective because they constitute the largest category of religious identification in the U.S. today, about twice the size of those identifying as Catholics, the second-largest religious group. And more broadly, religion continues to be an important component of understanding the nation's contemporary political scene.
Survey Methods
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs surveys each May between 2001 and 2017. Most of these surveys were conducted with random samples of approximately 1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of 17,765 national adults in the aggregated sample, the margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The results based on the aggregated samples of denominational groups vary in sample size from 222 to 1,450, with margins of sampling error between ±3 and ±8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.
Protestants are those who indicated they were Protestant in response to an initial religious identification question or in response to a follow-up probe asked of those who did not initially classify themselves with a religious identity. Each respondent who identified as Protestant was asked to indicate their specific denomination.
Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.


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text:
Promoting entrepreneurship and the creation and growth of companies is a cornerstone in European regions. However, in addition to the many services and resources that are made available to citizens and businesses, we want to highlight some initiatives that we understand are particularly susceptible to export to other European regions due to their uniqueness or innovation.
Entrepreneurial culture
One of the first regional commitments we want to emphasise is the Entrepreneurial Culture Plan. Since 2004 we offer an entrepreneurial route into formal education with some programmes involving students from primary school to university. We also work with teachers, families and the entire educational community in an exercise to raise awareness of the whole society towards entrepreneurship. In this framework, own teaching materials are also made to promote entrepreneurial skills in the classroom, and the faculty participating in the programmes who are interested in this skill are offered support, mentoring, connections and knowledge.
This school year, about 4000 students from throughout the region participate in the Junior, Teen and Expertemprende programmes.
Administrative simplification
The Regional Government of Extremadura has been working for years to simplify formalities for businesses, such as its LINCE law (Law to Promote the Creation and Consolidation of Enterprises) or through the Commission of Experts which established 17 Directorates General involved in the process of starting up businesses. These actions serve to reinforce the 3rd SBA principle, like the creation of the Entrepreneurial Municipalities Network, a pioneering nationwide initiative that launched the Extremadura Entrepreneurial Municipality Symbol, a regional certification managed through AENOR, national leader in the certification of management systems, products and services, and responsible for the development and dissemination of UNE standards. This Seal aims to help Local Authorities to know what the key elements are to facilitate the creation of businesses in the area, and get a diagnosis on the points to be improved.
In relation to the 4th SBA principle, it is relevant to note the recent creation of the Regional observatory for Administrative Simplification. Its purpose is the ongoing study and analysis of the procedures and formalities applicable to the creation and consolidation of companies within the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, and to develop proposals for administrative simplification and elimination of bureaucratic obstacles.
Public procurement
In facilitating the participation of SMEs in public procurement (5th SBA principle), the Regional Government of Extremadura, in addition to having a public procurement portal in which all tenders are gathered, is promoting the development from the different regional councils of databases for different service providers to ensure proper dissemination of public procurement. In addition, it has recently been approved at the regional level to incorporate social and environmental criteria, for the promotion of SMEs and sustainable public procurement in contracting by the Regional Government of Extremadura and by the entities included in its public sector. The inclusion of these clauses has as primary objective to facilitate access of small and medium enterprises in the region to the regional public tenders, which represent almost 98 percent of the sector in the region. It is aimed to bid in batches within the legislation on public procurement, simplifying the documentation and not base the award solely on economic criteria and improving the information to be provided by the Regional Government to the companies on the bidding process. Another of the major goals would be to improve the quality of employment ensuring respect for collective agreements and labour rights, in addition to promoting occupational health and safety.
Social innovation and new funding models
One of the most developed areas in Europe in recent years, which is an international reference, is social innovation. For years, Extremadura has been promoting a Social Entrepreneurship programme to encourage the creation and consolidation of innovative social enterprises to help generate an ecosystem that promotes sustainable, inclusive and integrating growth in our region. Its objectives include training for entrepreneurs and businesses, and the launch of new business models in new business sectors to create new sources of employment, particularly among vulnerable groups.
This Social Entrepreneurship programme is currently articulated through three initiatives:
- A Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator aimed at promoting sustainable enterprises in Extremadura seeking to offer products and services with social impact, and at facilitating the implementation of business models for social enterprises to generate new sources of employment.
- A Social Entrepreneurship Consolidation Programme consisting of a training, mentoring and support process by experienced professionals, to implement action plans aimed at improving business competitiveness and management skills of the people leading social enterprises.
- A Social Innovation Entrepreneurship Network of Extremadura consisting of public and private entities working collaboratively by generating knowledge and action for promoting a comprehensive strategy to support social entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. To encourage the creation and consolidation of social enterprises, promotion and training sessions for key agents for Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Networks of Extremadura will be developed.


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A Principal's reflection on NTAC 2018
I just returned from my first New Tech Annual Conference, (one of my featured 7 summer conferences). It was 5 days of deeper learning about deeper learning, and I'm exploding with excitement to start the new year. This years theme was "The Power of Us" and I got to bond with my staff, learn new ways to approach developing teams and build some quality projects. Here are some of my reflections and thoughts about leading PBL in schools.
See what I learned!
We partnered with the New Tech Network as a part of a PBL pilot in 3 of our middle schools, that serve low income (high potential) students of color in the southeastern quadrant of San Francisco. I initially jumped at this opportunity, from my experience being a PBL teacher and knowing its effects on engagement, empowerment, and achievement. We just completed our first year piloting PBL in our 6th grade and this coming year, the plan is to go whole-school. I attended the conference to learn more about the NTN model and how I can support my teachers to make it happen.
Structure-wise, there is time built in for teachers to learn about the NTN model, participate in project simulations, and plan future units. There are morning kick-offs, awards to best projects, and best in the network schools. Also, there are optional workshops on leading schools, using their personalized learning platform ECHO, and assessing student work. In addition, there is plenty of time to socialize, eat, and network.
Takeaways and lessons learned
1) Work side by side with teachers
Instead of following the leadership track for Principles and Practice, I decided to join my humanities teachers and their session and it was amazing. I got to see a quick simulation of a high school project about exploring the south, including the problem statement and how to lead Need to Knows.
This space allowed me to bond with my teachers and work shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Who else eyes' should I be looking through to think about PBL? I was able to help my teachers draft a cross-curricular project and create an entry events involving a subpoena. Now, as a leader, I can think about how I can help clear hurdles for my teachers, like contacting lawyers and creating Greek costumes.
2) It's all about the learning outcomes baby
I mean, I knew it was about the outcomes and skills, but this conference overall reminded me that this is where the power lies. And conversely, students of color have been working towards lower expectations and shallow outcomes for decades. Zaretta Hammond would push us to work towards creating independent learners, and letting students carry the cognitive heavy load. Rubrics make our goals and state standards more transparent and scaffolded. And once we have our academic goals in mind, we can work backwards from there. Now we can talk about writing strong essays, giving presentation skills, and productive collaboration. We are not just planning Projects that are interesting or engaging, but we are also developing skills.
We even had some time to work on a Unit 0 for the whole school, where we all teach foundational skills and orient students to the learning outcomes and rubrics. This will be a cross-curricular endevor to unite grade level teams as well as give students their first taste of a project. 6th graders will prepare a presentation for their parents at Back to School Night, 7th graders will present to 6th graders, and 8th graders will set goals for their last year and think about future careers. This Unit will also serve as an introduction for students to our school, an opportunity to build community, and give teachers a beta run at doing projects.
3) PBL can help to close the opportunity gap
Oftentimes we have such low expectations for our students of color, our poor students, and our immigrant students. We lower the bar on academics and sometimes opt for completely different work. We spend much of our meeting time talking about discipline and making excuses as to why we cannot get to the teaching/learning.
I was surprised and impressed with seeing leaders from the network name the opportunity gap. Thanks Jim May for going there. I will be honest and saying that I was not expecting this because this is a national organization and I know that the idea that the system is at fault for our students failure is not a widely held belief. Also, I know that many of our predominately white organizations struggle with the concept of taking ownership and coming up with an action plan. The opportunity gap and addressing systemic oppression is the reason why I signed up to be an educator, why I tried to develop deeper skills as a PBL teacher, and why am passionate about leading my school in using PBL as an instructional model for student success. This is probably one of my highlights of the four day conference, because I know the power of seeing leaders on stage pushing the envelope. This means that over a thousand educators (the vast majority white) will be going back to the schools thinking about the opportunity gap, reflecting on their responsibility in closing it, and developing an academic plan to do so. Boom.
4) Remember to keep it relevant and culturally responsive
I was happy to see social justice placed front and center in project-based learning. Seeing the spotlight project be about race relations in St. Louis, and tasking students with determining how to best move forward as a society is powerful. For me, there is no separation between social justice and education.
In addition, truly authentic projects must apply to social issues. I personally am not impressed with students building robots that pick up trash, figuring out how skateboard ramps work, or determining how to have a strong argument. I believe if we are not working towards liberation and the transformation society, then we are working toward status quo and maintaining a system of oppression.
If we push our students to solve the very issues that are affecting them there's many positive outcomes. One, they will see their issues relevant to the learning. Two, they will see a purpose for something that is affecting them. And three they will see that the purpose of learning and education is to make a change not for personal gain or simple exploration.
Freire, Emdin, and Duncan Andrade would be happy. This pushed me to make sure that we are not just doing PBL for PBL sake. But we are learning for liberation, becoming more literate from liberation, and building skills to work towards liberation. Maybe that's my San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley philosophy, but I think it might make our society little bit better if we were all held this idea.
- Although this will smack dab in the middle of the summer, it was well worth my time. If I believe the changes are necessary I as a leader, need to be part of it.
- High quality professional developments and capacity building does not happen in 60 minute staff meetings. We need extended time and there's nothing like getting four days without the distractions of your second period class.
- Having the time to bond with my educators is priceless. As I've gotten older, started my family, and taken on other responsibilities, it has been hard to find the time for staff socials and retreats. But, I was able to spend a lot of time talking to people that I've worked with for years but now I know more about their interests, family, and immigration story.
Related blog posts:
- How to hack towards PBL and how to transform schools for big changes (coming soon)
- What is the intersection between PBL and culturally responsive teaching


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A report has this week highlighted the economic benefits of UK immigration, suggesting that political efforts to appear to be working hard to curb the number of UK visas issued risk damaging the country.
Published by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr), the study focused on the recent introduction of restrictive immigration policies and found that they are "likely to be damaging".
Niesr forecast that if net migration is reduced to 105,000 a year, then there will be an 11 per cent reduction in the size of the UK economy by 2060 compared to how things would look if migration were allowed to continue at current trends.
Both sides of the political spectrum in the UK are now taking a restrictive approach to UK immigration, with Labour and the Conservatives keen to be seen to be reducing net migration figures. A lone figure among this trend has been London Mayor Boris Johnson, who recently announced his plans to stand as an MP in 2015. Johnson has stressed the benefits of UK immigration for London's economy in particular.
The Mayor's viewpoint is backed up by the Niesr research, which noted that by cutting back on the number of UK work permits and visas issued there is a real risk of reducing the talent pool for British businesses.
A spokesman for Johnson told City AM: "The mayor's position is that controlled immigration has been and will continue to be good for London."
He added: "Migration is an important part of the capital's history and plays a vital role in making this the greatest big city in the world. [Johnson] wants London to be the first choice of the brightest and best international students and skilled workers who can make an important contribution to our economy."


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Monday, October 31, 2016
Bibliophile's Corner
Well of Witches
by J. A. White
Amazon Description:
The third novel in the Thickety series, Well of Witches, is an epic quest on the edge of a magic crusade, into an enchanted kingdom with new kinds of magic, old enemies, and only one way out.
Kara and Taff know that only Grace Stone has the power to reverse her terrible Last Spell on their father and in order to save him, they have to rescue their foe from the Well of Witches first. Forgiving Grace should be the hardest part of their journey…but soon the children are confronted by creatures called the Faceless, mysteries as old as magic, and an ancient secret that threatens their very lives.
Back in the World, a war against magic is brewing that endangers everyone they care about. Can Kara and Taff find Grace, find their way out of the Well, and make it back to their father in time?
My Thoughts:
J. A. White has penned another well-written and entertaining novel in The Thickety Series. Well of Witches includes compelling characters, an Old World setting, & a quintessential fantasy plot, making this upper middle grade novel a must read for lovers of enchanting, magical tales. I highly recommend Well of Witches to readers aged eight to eighty!
Click here to learn more about the author, J. A. White.
Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 28, 2016
Storyteller's Journey
|Photo Credit: Public Domain
Ghosts have fascinated me for a long time. The intrigue has nothing to do with Halloween, it has to do with my own paranormal encounter. Really!
Many years ago, right after my maternal grandmother passed away, I purchased her small home. (I was extremely close to my grandmother and had lived with her in that house while attending Clark College.)
One autumn afternoon, not long after I'd moved into the quaint house, I found myself in the throes of a personal crisis. I'll not go into it here, but suffice it to say, it was a monumental time in my life. I was lying on the very bed that had been my grandmother's, in the bedroom that a few months prior to that day had been hers, when I saw her - my dear grandmother! Her spirit was standing in the corner of the room. Her appearance filled my soul with love and peace. Somehow, I knew I would get through the difficult situation I was experiencing - which I did.
Since that day, decades ago, she's appeared to me one more time - in the house where I now live. Again, it was an emotional time, and again, her presence encouraged me with peace and love. I truly miss her.
Psychology was a course I enjoyed while in college. I know a bit about what psychologists say regarding these sorts of experiences. Stress, mental illness, etcetera can contribute to a person seeing an illusion of a lost loved one. What I saw was no illusion - it was my grandmother.
My belief in ghosts has only added to my already fertile imagination, and helped immensely when I sit down to create a story. It's no coincidence that the protagonist in my middle grade novel, Livvi Biddle, has supernatural powers and also sees ghosts and angels.
It is often said to aspiring authors, "write what you know." As you can see, writing about ghosts is something I feel I know a little bit about.
Men and women have long pondered over the possibility of an afterlife, time travel, and even ghosts and angels. On this Halloween weekend I've chosen to share my personal paranormal encounters with you!
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Whimsical Word of the Week
a silly or unimportant idea.
Example: It mattered not how creative the apprentice's ideas were, his master considered them all bugwhiffles.
(From the Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary)
Monday, October 24, 2016
Bibliophile's Corner
by Kelly Barnhill
Flap copy Description:
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.
One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she's always known.
My Thoughts:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is an incredibly intricate tapestry of character, plot, and setting. However, the heart, or theme, of the story takes center stage on every page: Love. Ms. Barnhill has created a timeless tale for children that is not only captivatingly fantastical, but heartwarming and inspirational. I highly recommend this upper middle grade novel to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
NOTE! In January 2017 this enchanting novel won the Newbery Medal!
Click here to learn more about the author Kelly Barnhill.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Storyteller's Journey
|Photo Credit: Public Domain
As I mentioned in last Friday's post, I was scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday of this week - all went well. However, I do have to take it easy for several days, which means staying off my feet for as much as possible. It would have been a great excuse to take a break from writing, but I felt if I went down that path I might lose the momentum I've worked so hard to maintain.
I believe it's important to write every day. But there are a variety of ways to do that. Here's my list to maintain consistency as a scribe:
*A blog post
*A magazine article
*A poem
*A journal entry
*A short story
*A chapter for a new project
*A letter to a friend
*A to-do list
*A comment on your favorite blog
*A new bio
*A synopsis
*A query letter (Which is one of the items I worked on this week!)
The possibilities for the scribe to maintain a daily writing regime are endless. But, why is it important to write in a variety of ways?
Because sometimes location, commitments, or physical predicament require us to pursue our writing in a different fashion. Then too, it's good to just mix up our routine occasionally - it can rejuvenate creativity. (In my case, my routine got mixed up for me!) It can also ensure a scribe's passion for writing remains fresh, not humdrum.
Woody & Stick have been my constant companions this week. I was doing so well that, unfortunately, I overdid my post-op exercises and strained my left leg. Must adhere to my surgeon's instructions better!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Whimsical Word of the Week
feeling puzzled, or confused.
Example: The schoolmaster left the young boys biffsquiggled with his rambling lessons.
(From the Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary)
Reminder! Click here for the link to my current giveaway. One lucky person will win a signed copy of my book: The Scandinavian Santa!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Bibliophile's Corner
by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Flap copy Description:
It's 1929, and twelve-year-old Martha has no choice but to work as a maid in the New York City mansion of the wealthy Sewell family. But, despite the Gatsby-like parties and trimmings of success, she suspects something might be deeply wrong in the household—specifically with Rose Sewell, the formerly vivacious lady of the house who now refuses to leave her room. The other servants say Rose is crazy, but scrappy, strong-willed Martha thinks there's more to the story—and that the paintings in the Sewell's gallery contain a hidden message detailing the truth. But in a house filled with secrets, nothing is quite what it seems, and no one is who they say. Can Martha follow the clues, decipher the code, and solve the mystery of what's really going on with Rose Sewell?
My Thoughts:
When I discovered that the award-winning author of Under the Egg had penned another children's novel I purchased my copy that day! And while an author's previous publishing record doesn't always assure a reader of another tantalizing tale, The Gallery delivered big time. This scrumptious blend of genres includes one part historical fiction, one part art history, and one part mystery, with plenty of pure entertainment throughout its 300+ pages. Laura Marx Fitzgerald's middle grade novel is written with all the expertise of a master storyteller and is one not to miss. I highly recommend The Gallery to readers - and art lovers - from the ages of eight to eighty!
Click here to learn more about the author, Laura Marx Fitzgerald.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Storyteller's Journey
|Photo Credit: Public Domain
As I've padded down the path of my storyteller's journey there have been numerous bumps along the way. Like all writers, the challenge has been to pick myself up and keep going. One way I've been able to do that is to try my best to view unexpected obstacles as surprises, not setbacks.
Like most of us, over the years I've heard my share of motivational messages. However, like so many things in life, those inspirational ideas must be diligently worked at...even when we don't feel like it.
For a writer it is imperative to view the bumps along the path to publication as surprises, not setbacks. If she doesn't, she runs the risk of being knocked off the path and never proceeding any further.
I've lived long enough to have a great perspective from my life's "rear-view mirror." What I now see, is that the most difficult times in my life have taught me the most, made me the strongest, and created in me a passion for life. I'll admit that it's now easier to view obstacles as surprises because I've seen how even the most painful life experiences have become part of my story; they've made me a more interesting and compassionate person. (Due to a career-ending injury nearly ten years ago, I found the courage to finally become a writer!)
Life can set us back, or surprise us. It's our choice.
Note: My current "surprise" is that I'll be going in for arthroscopic knee surgery next week. (Several months ago I injured the meniscus ligament of my left knee and have been hobbling around ever since!) My sweet husband has offered to stay home with me for a few days until I am literally back on my feet. We'll also be collaborating on the illustrations for our current picture book: Journey to Snowdonia.
"It will be messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you." ~ Nora Ephron
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Whimsical Word of the Week
to wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery.
Example: Since the writer felt the forest was her muse, she spent much of her time in the act of werifesteria.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Bibliophile's Corner
by Matthew Jobin
Flap Copy Description:
In a vast kingdom divided by power-hungry lords, land equals power. With the Nethergrim now awake, her limitless wellspring of evil means opportunity for those willing to do her bidding. One ambitious Lord, eager to overthrow his counterparts and rule the north, succumbs to temptation, helping to let loose the Skeleth, forces of energy that absorb whole anyone who attempts to kill them. In this way the slain end up as slayers, a vicious cycle that never ends.
Yet that will not stop young Edmund--an apprentice wizard--and his friends Katherine and Tom, from trying to stop the evil threatening to overtake their kingdom. Together, they team up with the legendary Tristan in a battle of courage, brains, determination, and sacrifice to stop the Skeleth and save the Barony of Elverain from being conquered.
My Thoughts:
The Skeleth is the much anticipated sequel to Matthew Jobin's The Nethergrim - I found it to be fantastic! The author has penned another captivating medieval tale, one with vivid settings, multiple points of view, and a plot that keeps you guessing right up until the last page. One of the attributes I most admire about this companion book is its complexity. The characters have matured since the debut book, and the author has revealed their growth with a more textured and poignant prose. While the first book was upper middle grade, The Skeleth is a true young adult novel. I highly recommend The Skeleth to readers aged twelve & up. (Mature readers aged ten or eleven will love it too!)
Friday, October 7, 2016
Champions of Creativity
|Photo Credit: Public Domain
It seems appropriate to feature the author who has been called "the Stephen King of Children's Literature" during this Halloween month. R. L. Stine is a true Champion of Creativity, in part since he has worn so many creative hats: American novelist, children's book author, short story writer, T.V. producer, screenwriter, executive editor, & actor, to name just of few!
His Twitter bio probably describes him best: My job: to terrify kids!
(You can follow Mr. Stine on Twitter at: @RL_Stine.)
Robert Lawrence Stine was born on October 8, 1943 in Columbus, Ohio to Jewish parents. When he was nine-years-old, he began writing after discovering a typewriter in his family's attic. Following his graduation from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in writing.
I'd say it worked out pretty well for Mr. Stine - he has sold over 400 million books. (Any author who gets that many children to read books is a champion!) He has also been honored with numerous awards in his long career as a best-selling author. One of his most familiar and successful children's book series - Goosebumps - went on to become a popular television series, and in 2015 a feature film starring Jack Black, with a cameo appearance by R. L. himself. Mr. Stine's freaky & frightening books have made a profound impact on American culture.
Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story is his most recently released book for children, and it's just in time for the holidays!
Click here to visit the spooky website of R. L. Stine.
Happy birthday, Mr. Stine!
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Whimsical Word of the Week
the scent of the earth after rain.
Example: The naturalist loved to wander through the woods in autumn, enjoying the petrichor.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Bibliophile's Corner
by Evan Turk
Flap Copy Description:
Long, long ago, like a pearl around a grain of sand, the Kingdom of Morocco formed at the edge of the great, dry Sahara. It had fountains of cool, refreshing water to quench the thirst of the desert, and storytellers to bring the people together.
But as the kingdom grew, the people forgot the dangers of the desert, and they forgot about the storytellers, too. All but one young boy, who came to the Great Square for a drink and found something that quenched his thirst even better: wonderful stories. As he listened to the last storyteller recount the Endless Drought, and the Glorious Blue Water Bird, he discovered the power of a tale well told.
My Thoughts:
There is so much to savor in the picture book, The Storyteller by Evan Turk! His imaginative illustrations vividly bring the country of Morocco and the Sahara Desert to life in a time long ago. That setting is wondrously woven together with a tale of magical generosity - a much needed message for all of us. Mr. Turk is quite a master storyteller himself; this exquisite tale reads like lyrical poetry. I highly recommend this beautiful book - The Storyteller - to readers of all ages!
Click here to learn more about author/illustrator, Evan Turk.
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