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I first tried coffee from Pact, a London-based coffee discovery and delivery company, a couple of years ago. The concept is simple: choose from a small selection of coffee varieties, which are sourced from around the globe and roasted in small batches in the London roastery and which can be delivered to your home or office as often as you like and, if you wish, ground to your specification. If you're a coffee geek or coffee geek in training, you will enjoy the tasting notes card that comes in every package. Most bags cost £6.95 for 250g, making them much more expensive (though much higher quality) than your average supermarket coffee, although a similar price or cheaper than many specialist coffee beans that are easy to source in London. You can usually find a code online or on Twitter to get your first bag for £1.
I liked Pact's coffee a lot but wasn't convinced their service was for me. I live within a few minutes walk of Monmouth's coffee roastery and I like be able to pick out my own beans. However, Pact also offers convenience: they make it very easy to enjoy good coffee. I still buy Monmouth beans for use at home, but I get a Pact delivery to my office every few weeks, with the coffee ready ground for use in my Aeropress, so that I don't need to keep grinding beans at home and taking the coffee in small batches into work.
A few weeks ago, Pact got in touch to see whether I'd be interested in coming to visit their office and roastery, and of course I was! Besides, they are based in Bermondsey, so I didn't have far to go. The Pact HQ is located in the Biscuit Factory, near the bouldering centre I go to sometimes. The office looks like a great place to work and, as you would expect, the kitchen contains every conceivable brewing method. If only my company's facilities department could learn from this! I met Ed, Pact's head of PR, over a coffee and then we went to explore the roastery.
The roaster was hard at work with the latest batch. Pact tend to have seven or eight coffee varieties on the go at any one time, and the beans are stored in colourful containers while they await shipping. The production line, although small, is very efficient. Once the beans are roasted, they are ground, if required, and packaged ready for mailing or delivery by bike courier. I asked whether their next move might be to open up any cafés, but they are focusing on the enjoyment of coffee at home for now, and they seem to be doing remarkably well. The company has grown a lot since I first subscribed.
One of the current coffees is from Bibi Plantation in India. As I had never tried coffee from India before, Ed gave me a bag of beans to take home and try. I finally cracked open the package last week and tried out the coffee. I tend to prefer smoother, more chocolatey Central and South American coffees, although in the summer, I often go for the fruitier African coffees.
I was unsure where India coffee would sit on this spectrum. Bibi was extremely full-bodied, with a slightly bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. I liked it a lot but I think I would wait until the autumn or winter before ordering it again, when such a complex, robust coffee can help to cut through a cold, dark morning.
Find Pact Coffee online here and on Twitter here.
Disclaimer: Pact invited me to visit their roastery and gave me a bag of Bibi beans to try. All opinions are my own.


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First Reviews for Fantastic Four Are Just as Bad as You Imagined
Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot has been getting so much flack since the very beginning, long before anyone had seen any footage from the movie. This is clearly biased and silly, so we'd love to tell you that the naysayers were wrong. But unfortunately, and contrary to those early Twitter reactions, Fantastic Four is probably just as bad as you think it is.
The sequel may very well be better, but will anyone care?
I was only excited for this film to see the cast, especially Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, but apparently the film doesn't take advantage of its best asset:
Some say that the cast chemistry was a highlight, but that still sounds like wasting their talents.
Fantastic Four comes out in theaters on Friday.
Digital Spy
In the face of such bad buzz, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for the finished product, which is a harmless and endearingly cartoonish throwback to more simple comic book movie times. But whatever strengths Fantastic Four has, it does not feel like a movie directed by Trank (who made such a striking debut with 2012's bold anti-superhero fable Chronicle) or for that matter by anyone. It's a muddled and underdeveloped origin story which segues jarringly from light-hearted adventure to heavy-handed grit, grasping for a gravitas that it hasn't earned.
All Build-Up and No Pay-Off
The sequel may very well be better, but will anyone care?
Fantastic Four feels like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens... This third attempt to create a worthy cinematic franchise from the first of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's iconic comic book creations... proves maddeningly lame and unimaginative.
All told, the movie feels like a protracted teaser for a more exciting follow-up that, depending on whether audiences warm to this relatively low-key approach, might never happen.
-The Wrap
It's one thing for a movie to leave you wanting a sequel and quite another to make you wish you were watching that sequel instead. "Fantastic Four"... offers glimmers of good things to come in its final moments, but only after the audience has slogged through yet another dispiriting origin story and yet another Earth-rescuing battle in a bland, CG-created nowhere land.
The Last Act Is a Mess
It's build-up to...nothing at all. A sense of heaviness, gloom and complete disappointment settles in during the second half, as the mundane set-up results in no dramatic or sensory dividends whatsoever. Even if lip-service is paid to some great threat to life on Earth as we know it, the filmmakers bring nothing new to the formula, resulting in a film that's all wind-up and no delivery.
Where many recent superhero movies have risked overstaying their welcome, "Fantastic Four," at 100 minutes, actually feels a tad rushed at the end, with a hasty climax that nevertheless produces some solid moments - at least a few of which, given the slow pace initially, probably should have come at least a half-hour sooner. Instead, filmgoers are treated to a lot of science, with the central characters gazing intently into computer screens.
The Cast Is Criminally Wasted
I was only excited for this film to see the cast, especially Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, but apparently the film doesn't take advantage of its best asset:
Beginning with Teller and Jordan, who have done such promising early work, the cast is utterly wasted here with mostly rote explanatory dialogue and little conflict or nuance to work on a dramatic level.
While comicbook aficionados will likely welcome the seriousness of tone, the near-absence of humor and lengthy emphasis on building the interdimensional portal largely handcuffs the cast, with only a hint, for example, of the ebullience Johnny gleans from his newfound powers.
-The Wrap
Director Josh Trank, whose debut feature "Chronicle" put a smart new spin on superhero tropes, has assembled a quartet of engaging, charismatic performers and stranded them in a miasma of exposition and set-up that sinks the movie. So much time is spent putting the pieces on the board that there's barely any time to play with them.
Some say that the cast chemistry was a highlight, but that still sounds like wasting their talents.
-Digital Spy
The scenes that work best are those that require no effects and minimal action, when the film's appealing young cast are given free reign to play off one another – Teller and Jordan being, unsurprisingly, the charismatic standouts. Even with relationships as surface-deep as the ones here, there's something endearing about their interactions and the film's emphasis on friendship.
-The Wrap
If the screenplay by Trank, Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Days of Future Past") and Jeremy Slater ("The Lazarus Effect") wanted to eschew superheroics in favor of character development, they wound up bringing neither to the table; it's only the inherent charm of the lead actors that make these otherwise archetypal cardboard characters of any interest.
Fantastic Four comes out in theaters on Friday.

subset: commoncrawl


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Episode 45
Accountability with Avoiding the Sweets
July 8th, 2018
3 mins 18 secs
About this Episode
I have been working to maintain my weight loss. One thing that has helped me avoid the sweets is asking for accountability from those around me. I need others to help me, I can't do it by myself.
Have an AWESOME week! Check out our website at http://Be-Great.TODAY. Email me at email@example.com


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For this, one has to buy bar furniture online to decorate their own home bar. You can even go for wine glasses and tumbler online. E-commerce companies dealing in home furniture, furnishing and home decor deals in these materials and deliver all these materials at your doorstep within a few clicks.Having a bar in your home provides you the ease of having your favorite drink as per your convenience. If you are seriously planning to have a bar inside your home to enjoy your precious leisure moments, then you will have to make the proper arrangements step by step in a managed and selective way. To get started with your home bar, you will have to buy bar furniture online at first. It can be either purchased through offline or online mode, but making a purchase in online mode is much better in today's globalized world. It provides an opportunity to explore the worldwide design and also makes the price and quality comparison easier and effective.After successfully ordering bar furniture, the next step would be to buy tumbler and wine glasses online of your own preference, choice and budget. After finding all the bar accessories online, like bar table, bar stool, bar chair, wine glasses, ice ware, beer mugs, bar utensils and all other required stuffs, get them delivered at your home. Now it's the time to decorate them in a proper way and the time to enjoy the delicious drink in a grand way. You can find these items easily by goggling "Bar Accessories Online India" and you will have a plethora of products in the 'Bar' category of the e-commerce websites to fulfill your need.Before making the order online, several facts should be considered. In the current scenario, there are various e-commerce companies in the market offering these bar accessories at very alluring prices. A company having the fast, safe, true and secure delivery services of the quality products in affordable budgets should be preferred. FCML India is one of the fastest growing e-commerce companies of India offering having a wide range of all products related to home accessories. The products being offered by this e-commerce company has been recommended by customers for enchanting designs, wide ranges of exclusive varieties and efficiency. Setting your home bar by choosing your desired products from FCML India seems a wise deal to go for.
Due to extra work required to remove the press-releases we have started charging $1.99 for press release removal.
Your press release will be removed in 24 hours, once the payment has been received.


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Rev. Mark Lampley
Associate Pastor for Christian Formation
THE BIBLE EXPLORERS CLASS studies both the Old and New Testament through lecture and other teaching methods to encourage understanding and application of the Scripture. Location: Chapel
THE CHRISTIAN GROWTH CLASS is composed of adults of all ages who explore issues from a Christian perspective. Location: rm. 232 of the Spitzer Education Building
THE FOUNDATIONS CLASS is composed of mostly 30 and 40 year olds. Topics and themes change approximately every five weeks (follows the Kingdom rotation). This class is open to all single or married adults. Location: Room 317 of the Spitzer Education Building
THE YAGOs CLASS (Young Adults Growing Older) is designed for those in the "middle years" of life. The intention is that this will become more than a Sunday class and develop into more opportunities for fellowship and service. Location: rm. 321 & 322 of the Spitzer Education Building
THE ADULT FELLOWSHIP CLASS is composed of mostly 20 through 40 year olds exploring what the Bible teaches about faith, marriage, and the early stages of parenting. The majority of us have children aging from infants to elementary age, and this informs much of our discussion as we travel through this stage of life together. We value Biblical knowledge, lively discussion, and fellowship with one another. Location: rm. 320 of the Spitzer Education Building
Prayer Group
Mondays at 11:00 a.m. & Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. (Room 232)
Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Wednesdays at 10:30-11:30 a.m. (Fowler Conference Room)
Wednesday Evening Women's Bible Study
6:00 p.m. "Women in the Word" (45+) in Room 320; "Younger Women's Study" in the Fowler Conference Room.
Grief Care is an 8-week Christ-centered, grief recovery program that is held twice a year on Mondays from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Men's Small Group Bible Study on Friday mornings
For more information, call 522-9804 or email email@example.com


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Newsflash: It's almost Valentine's Day.
Still trying to think of ways to woo your boo? Listen up. First, pop a bottle of bubbly. Next, whip up a batch of champagne marshmallows. Finally, serve said marshmallows with more bubbly and fresh strawberries.
Sound good? Let's get cooking!
3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup cold pink champagne or sparkling wine
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 egg whites
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Step 1:Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the gelatin, vanilla and 1/2 cup of cold champagne. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Set aside in a small bowl.
Step 3: In a medium saucepan, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup and remaining 1/2 cup champagne.
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of your pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 240 degrees F.
Step 4: Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a standing electric mixer.
Slowly pour the hot sugar mixture over the gelatin mixture. Beat on high until the mixture has nearly tripled in size, 6-8 minutes.Beat egg whites into sugar and gelatin mixture until combined.
Step 5:Pour into baking pan.
Step 6: Dust with powdered sugar. Chill uncovered until firm, 2-3 hours.
Step 7: Cut the marshmallows into squares and roll them in powdered sugar.
Don't forget to serve them up with champagne!


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This is the second part of three articles about 'Scarecrows', the theme of Nunney Open Gardens Day 2014. It accompanies an exhibition about child labour and education in 19th century Nunney.
In the 19th century large quantities of alcohol were consumed. In 1876 beer consumption throughout the United Kingdom reached an all time high when 34.4 gallons per person were drunk.
This calculation includes everyone, regardless of age or sex. The previous year all records for spirits were broken with 1.30 gallons being drunk for every man, woman and child.
With four times more alcohol being consumed than nowadays, little wonder that the temperance movement caught on. The Temperance Movement in England was started initially by James Silk Buckingham, MP for Sheffield, who proposed a motion for a Select Committee inquiry into the causes and results of alcoholism in 1834.
In May 1836 the British and Foreign Temperance Society was founded in London. The first meeting held to form a Temperance organisation in Frome was held within weeks, on 1 July 1836. Members signed the Temperance Pledge:
"We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxication quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine."
On 9 Nov 1837, the first anniversary of the public formation of the Total Abstinence Society was celebrated in Rook Lane Chapel and the following interesting facts are recorded as the work of the year:
"A flourishing branch has been planted at Nunney. Brothers Vickery and Hird amongst the Primatives cultivate it with great care."
"Branches have been attempted at Road, Mells and Leigh on Mendip. Nunney and Leigh are the most promising."
"Drunkards have been reformed, converted and led to join the Christian Church and are now the foremost to conduct our Temperance Prayer Meetings."
The Nunney Temperance movement was very active. It even had its own brass band to accompany members on their processions to the Roman villa at Whatley and back, or as far afield as Cheddar. Meetings were usually held in the Primitive Methodist Chapel behind Horn Street, although the castle was also used on special occasions. A report in May 1859 said:
"A large temperance meeting has been held in the ruins of the stately castle and the temperance flag has been seen to float on the ancient turrets, while a right royal salute was fired by a party of the Yeomanry cavalry".
A typical meeting in Nunney attracted up to 150 local members, who would march around the village in procession before being treated to tea ("the cup that cheers but not inebriates") and cakes at some of the larger houses in Nunney. This would be followed by singing and prayers before impassioned speeches by Mr and Mrs Vickery – lifelong leaders of the Nunney temperance movement -, reformed alcoholics and others.
William Vickery ran the Post Office in Horn Street from 1851 until his death in 1861, when his widow Betsy took over at the age of 73. The couple were described in a profile of pioneers of the western temperance movement as:
"a pious old couple, full to the brim with teetotal zeal which no amount of discouragement could extinguish. These humble Primitive Methodists were, as speakers, in much request both at home and in the country round."
"During the delivery of an address by the more garrulous wife, the husband kept up a running commentary on her oratory by exclaiming, 'That's true, Betsy! Well done, Betsy.' These loving expressions of approval on the part of the husband were of course often ill-timed and out of place; but this the audience kindly excused."
The temperance meetings at the Primitive Methodist Chapel did not always go to plan. According to one report in May 1856:
"The audience was disturbed a little by Mr. J.G., who ascended the platform and not very sober frequently interrupted the speakers by advocating three pints of beer per day; he has been brought before the magistrates."
Nunney made headlines in 1851 when it became the first place in England to persuade employers to stop paying part of wages in cider – a major victory for the very active local Temperance movement and hailed as 'a great reformation' in the press.
Paying labourers part of their wages in beer or cider was standard practice since ancient times. Even workers on the pyramids in Egypt were paid in beer – 1 gallon (4 litres) a day.
Paying labourers in cider at least meant that they didn't go home thirsty and ended up spending more than they could afford in the local pub. The typical diet of a labourer's family in Somerset consisted mainly of dry bread, so cider was also used to dip the bread in.
Previously, labourers who didn't drink alcohol (described as 'vast numbers' in Nunney by the – undoubtedly biased – Bristol Temperance Herald) simply lost part of their pay, since employers were unwilling to pay the equivalent value in cash. This was seen as a great injustice and a barrier to the spread of the Temperance principles.
Instead, now farmers and quarry owners agreed to even pay a premium to teetotallers; those who didn't drink alcohol were more productive and motivated, and were encouraged to recruit likeminded labourers. According to a report in the Bristol Temperance Herald:
"This arrangement has proved very satisfactory all parties concerned, so much so that mowers are at a premium and drinkers at a discount. Farmers now prefer to let their grass to the man of abstinence, leaving him to choose compeers to assist in the work."
"Now mark the result: firstly, the work is done well; secondly, with less bodily exhaustion; thirdly, the men not only get better remuneration, but have less temptation to spend their hard gains foolishly; fourthly, there is an absence of swearing, profanity other concomitants of drinking; and lastly, the families also of the men employed reap the benefit of the change."
"We sincerely trust that the reformation so beneficially introduced into Nunney will spread throughout the country."
The end result of this revolution was more stable families, while the extra cash potentially meant that women and very young children no longer had to work to scrape by. Children were seen as agents of the temperance cause, carrying its message into millions of households. If the parents could be persuaded to give up 'demon drink', the children would have a better life too – or "All gain when the parents abstain", as the slogan went.
Although only 8th in size of the English counties, Somerset had more grassland than any other county except Yorkshire. It also had more breeding stock than any other county except Yorkshire and Lancashire. Dairy farms had far less need for child labour than farms with arable land, while much of the milking was done by men and by farm servants.
In West Somerset wages were far lower than in East Somerset. It was therefore necessary for women and children in West Somerset to make bit of money they could.
According to Mr Fussell, iron-master and churchwarden in Mells, "Farmers do not like women working, they are too independent, and will not submit to any control." He reported that Mr Horner took great care that boys under 14 went to school regularly and did not go out to work too young.
Henry Blathwayt Festing, agent to the Duke of Somerset in Maiden Bradley, claimed:
"I consider the employment of females in agricultural work most detrimental to their morals; and it totally unfits them for their domestic duties, thus driving the husband nine times out of ten to the public house for necessary comforts, which he does not find at home when he returns tired from work."
Girls were often sent to work at a later age than the boys, and in far fewer numbers. They were also expected to stay at home to nurse children while their mothers were out at work. This meant they didn't go to school. If the women worked in the fields, it also meant that the men came home to an unkept, noisy house with no meals ready – and often disappeared to the pub rather than spend time with their offspring.
Girls, and very young boys, were mainly employed to pick stones from the land, set and pick potatoes, and pick apples. Girls were considered more reliable scarecrows, since boys were likely to get a regular job before long. Some farmers complained of boys being generally so lazy that they were of little use. In the words of one farmer, each boy required a man to look after him.
Until the collapse of the cloth trade, women and children supplemented the household earnings by preparing wool during the day for the husband to weave upon his return from the land or quarry. When industry in Frome thrived, work was outsourced to Nunney.
Quite a number of girls went into service too aged 12 or 14, often leaving to go and work in the towns, marrying in the towns and never returning except to visit relatives. Most went into service at local farmhouses though.
They would start by looking after a child, working for their keep at first and with wages gradually increasing. As they became older they would be given dairy work: milking cows, making cream and butter etc. They probably ended up marrying a farmhand.
The older children who continued working in the fields were far fewer, often disabled and unable to compete with other boys and girls for regular farm work.
Manor House Farm
Mr Croome rented Manor House Farm from Mr Theobald. He had 400 acres, of which only 80 were arable – mainly corn and potatoes. He employed only three women and two Cloford boys. All the boys had been to school, albeit only sometimes or occasionally night school. The youngest boy was 12.
He did employ more boys at certain times of year for short jobs, such as crow-keeping and potato setting. More commonly boys did the weeding, led the horses at the plough and picked stones from the field. The women did pretty much the same work and worked for him all year.
Nunney and Cloford also distributed 40l. a year between the girls married in the past year out of money left in trust by Thomas Harris. At Cloford they did not give it to those who had had a child before marriage; in Nunney they did.
Marsh wrote:
"Cottages at Ridgeway very bad. Women not much employed in the fields, not enough for it to exercise a bad effect on the morals of the village; but the worst characters certainly do go out to agricultural labour."
Marsh thought that weeding in wet weather was very bad for women, and brought rheumatism.
"They are not expected to work when it is wet, but many do so for the sake of the money they earn. They earn about half as much as a man."
Moral injury
Witnesses testified almost unanimously to the enquiry that no legislative interference was required to protect young children from personal injury as a result of farm work.
There were, however, concerns about the moral injury that could result from dull, monotonous work such as 'tenting'. The scaring of birds would for the most part employ children from the age of 6 for a few weeks in spring or autumn, but other descriptions of 'tenting' often employed a boy almost all summer and in some areas all winter too.
This employment involved a long day's work from sunrise to sunset. It was passive work, for a boy or girl tenting crows had little else to do but 'to shout'.
"So little is there to occupy the mind in it that the chief complaint against it is that it encourages vacancy of mind and listless habits, and it is of no use in training up a child to work," according to one report.
The Victorians were more concerned that the work continued during the whole of Sunday. Another report said:
"The effects of employing the same boy every day in the week, perhaps for months together, upon his general character and tone of mind is one that only those who have had experience of it can adequately appreciate."
"It is emphatically brutalising. The boy never cleans himself, never puts on his best clothes, loses all reverence for the Sabbath, severs a link that attached him to his teachers and school-fellows, and misses the change that the Sunday school would have given him of having a little intellectual movement imported at least once a week to the stagnant faculties of his mind."
The report therefore recommended that where the same boy or girl was employed in scaring birds for weeks on end, the law should ensure that they were relieved by a family member every other Sunday to go to church and Sunday school.
Somerset in particular was mentioned as an example of a county where "Sunday is no exception" to the days in which children were employed at bird scaring, so that they had no holiday at all during the week.
Even more specific, it was seen as a huge problem in Nunney. On Tuesday 19 April 1836 Lord Roden presented a petition from Nunney in the House of Lords, praying for a better observance of the Sabbath. This was serious stuff. Education and religious instruction were not only seen as important for the soul of the individual, but in the interest of the nation too.
Interestingly, ancient superstitions still played an important part in and around the West Country too. The rector of Walton, near Street, wrote:
"The custom of roasting a cat alive, when one is supposed to be bewitched, has not gone out."
In 1797 the Rev. Samuel Whitchurch, rector of Nunney, left in his will a piece of land and £100 for charitable uses. The rent of the land would pay for a sermon to be preached on Good Friday, or failing that for bread to be given away on Easter Sunday.
"The interest of the £100 to be divided, 25s.to the Boys' Sunday School, 25s. to the Girls', and a half crown piece to the boy and the same to the girl who, in the opinion of the minister, can best say his or her Catechism. Failing this, thou the interest to be divided between eight poor families of the parish."
It would appear that religious instruction came before helping the poor.
Personal influence
In many rural communities it was down to the personal influence of the local clergyman or squire whether boys generally remained at school one or two years longer than in a neglected parish.
In 1867 Parliament set up a Commission of Enquiry into children's working conditions in agriculture. The Commissioners interviewed children and adults around the country, including Nunney.
According to the report published by Her Majesty's Commissioners two years later:
"With the low wages she and her husband receive it is but natural that, as soon as ever a child is capable of frightening a bird, the mother should come to the farmer and ask for work for him. The work is always given, though many a farmer will tell you such a boy is no real good, but that it is customary to employ the son of one of his own labourers."
"On the other hand, the mother will often say the farmer requires the boy, and they do not like to refuse him. When Lady-day comes the clergyman knows as well as possible that the school will be half deserted, and it becomes his object to induce as many parents of children as he has sufficient influence over to suffer their children to remain."
Lady Day (Feast of the Annunciation, 25 March) was a traditional day on which year-long contracts between landowners and tenant farmers would begin and end in England and nearby lands (although there were regional variations). Farmers' time of "entry" into new farms and onto new fields was often this day. As a result, farming families who were changing farms would travel from the old farm to the new one on Lady Day.
Clergymen were often told that they would have to pay the parents compensation for the earnings the child would have brought in as a bird scarer. In addition, there were school fees to be paid. A child would return to school in winter, having forgotten almost all they had learned months earlier. It was common for farm boys not to be able to read or write their own name.
Reports submitted to the Parliamentary Commissioners contain snippets of interviews with children, such as these from around Wells:
"Joseph Allen (19 next month), rather doubtful about his age. Has been to school, but forgot all he learnt; never went to school much, cannot recollect how many years ago he went last."
"Thomas Penny (does not know his age, thinks about 12 or 13), has never been to school, but wants to go. Does the regular thing in work."
"Alfred Foxwell (age 10), has been to school but forgotten. Mason's boy."
Specifically about Nunney, the report said:
"Under these circumstances the maintenance of a good school is very up-hill work, and great credit is due to those gentlemen, who in the face of such obstacles have succeeded; it is not to be done without immense effort, and when once done, great energy is necessary to keep up what has been done."
In the final part of this series of articles we will take a closer look at the struggle to establish proper education and safeguard attendance in Nunney.
This is part 2 of 3 articles on child labour and education in 19th century Nunney. An exhibition on the same themes will take place in Nunney village hall on Sunday 29 June (Open Gardens Day) and in All Saints Church Nunney from Monday 30 June to Saturday 2 August (Nunney Street Market and Fayre).


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This Just In
Times Co. Action Could Cost Discovery $135M
Silver Spring, Md. — Discovery Communications Inc. could face a $135 million bill in the next few weeks if its partner in the Discovery Times Channel decides to return its 50% interest in the network to DCI, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to a 10-K annual report filed March 23 by Discovery Holding Co. — the publicly traded vehicle for Liberty Media Corp.'s 50% interest in DCI and its 100% interest in Ascent Media Group — The New York Times Co., DCI's 50-50 partner in Discovery Times, has the right to put that interest back to Discovery beginning in April.
According to the 10-K, the Times' interest in the 36 million subscriber channel would be valued based on a specific formula with a floor of $80 million and a ceiling of $135 million. The Times paid about $100 million for its 50% interest in the channel in 2002, according to the 10-K.
OLN Gets Back on the Bull
Stamford, Conn. — OLN will keep bull riding in its corral through 2010.
The Comcast Corp.-owned network signed a four-year extension, terms of which were not disclosed, with Professional Bull Riders Inc., securing cable exclusivity with the circuit through decade's end.
The contract calls for OLN to air a minimum of 22 regular-season PBR events, as well as the finals. Additionally, OLN has access to three Challenger Series (PBR's version of the minor leagues) events and finals.
OLN, which has been airing the PBR since 2003, has enjoyed solid demo growth with the rough and tumble cowboys. In 2005, the network rode a 10% gain among men 25 to 54, with 74,720 tuning in on average. Through the first 12 events of this year, OLN has averaged 80,571 of those watchers, and 381,093 total viewers, versus 331,164 a year ago.
Typically, OLN airs up to 120 hours of PBR action annually.


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Gourmet Grilled Sandwich Basket
Enjoy comfort food at its finest wherever you may be with this rosewood-handled sandwich basket. Made from nonstick steel, each panel adjusts to your sandwich's height while simultaneously pressing for a perfect melt. Flipping is as foolproof as turning over the basket—perfect for campfires and barbecues alike. Made in China.
This is a demo store. You can purchase products like this from UncommonGoods.


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►Quiz Archive ►Printer friendly version of this quiz
Q: China's legislature meets this week and was expected to approve a constitutional amendment ending a two-term limit on President Xi Jinping, raising concerns about a return to the one-man rule of past dictators. Where is China?
Q: Abolishing term limits means Xi, 64, could be continually reelected and rule China until he dies – a de facto president for life. Where else has a leader been reelected president multiple times until he died?
A. Cuba
B. Romania
C. United States
D. All of the above
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Opinionated Input Builders for ASP.Net MVC using partials – Part 1
- Part 1 – Overview
- Part 2 – the Label
- Part 3 – the Source Code
- Part 4 – the Partial View
- Part 5 – the Required Field Indicator
- Part 6 – the Performance
- Part 7 – the Performance Take 2
- Part 8 – the AutoForm
It has taken a while to really understand how different pieces and ideas can fit together to give a concise and productive form input helpers for the asp.net mvc framework. I have pulled together this idea from the following sources:
- "opinionated input builders" that Jeremy Miller and Chad Myers presented at the Kaizen Conference in Austin last year,
- The work that Headspring Systems (Jimmy Bogard and Matt Hinze) has done with that concept on some of our big projects.
- Brad Wilson's sample of how Dynamic Data Could work on Asp.Net MVC
- Convention Over Configuration – Ruby on Rails and Jeremy Miller
- Creating partial views as aspx pages with their own nested master pages via Jeffrey Palermo
- The strongly typed helpers from MVC Contrib and the MVC Futures work that the MVC Team has put together.
Now that I have given credit to everyone who has helped me get to the point of understanding how to pull of these pieces together.
The Model comes first.
The goal of these control helpers is to reward you for developing MVC with the Model first. Yeah there is a reason that Model View Controller starts with the Model. Using the strongly typed views in the aspx view engine we can carry the type down to the control helpers with intellisense and then build html input control based on conventions for rendering specific CLR types to specific HTML output. Now my biggest problem with the ways that this has been attempted to date is that once helpers started to take on more mark up beyond the < input > tag it was hard to modify as that markup ended up being written in code rather than in a view file. This is where I abstracted the mark up and the logic to decide which markup to render so that there is a solution that is easy to maintain the markup and it is easy to add new conventions or change the conventions for how a particular type or model property is rendered to a control.
First here is an example of a model rendered in a strongly typed view and the markup used to create this. There are attributes applied to the model to add some specific control over how the UI is rendered. It is important to call out that in this case I have built a (view) Model specifically to represent a single view. I do not intend to reuse this model in another views. I think trying to get reuse out of models is a mistake in most circumstances, it is better to keep your model clean so that it represents exactly what you want for the View. Each of these attributes are used by my conventions to decide which Partial View to render.
This is the example of the view page which is rendering the view and the markup used to create this. The Html.Input uses the LamdaExpression syntax to declare which property needs and input.
It is important to call out that the Guid property is rendered as a Hidden input tag and that is why it does not show up in the UI. This is a model element that is used to carry state in the form between posts.
Walkthrough of the Html.Input( ) method
The syntax for calling into the input method uses a lamda expression like so….. This has full intelisense support.
The helper determines that since the Name is a string data type it decides by convention to render this property using the String.aspx partial view.
Here is the markup of the String.aspx partial view. As you can see it uses a Master Page to control how its label and input is rendered.
Here is the Field.Master Master Page this controls the layout of the input, label, example text, and validation message.
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Offshore Amberjack
May 03, 2015 by Scott Thompson
Trip Info
The offshore water is warming up and the bite is getting hot. Amberjack, Cobia and other pelagics are moving in .
Book your trip with Pipe Dream Charters – Pipedream III
About The Captain
Scott Thompson
Fernandina Beach FL, United States • Member since May 2015
My passion for fishing and being on the water began with my grandfather taking me fishing offshore in Ocean City, Maryland at the age of 6.The enjoyment I get from my clients excitement boating a grouper or my mate gaffing a Wahoo only adds to my passion to continue searching for that trophy wall hanger or bottom bumping for that reminiscent back water flounder.
Response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 98%


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JOIN US for a free lively panel discussion in support of prisoners' rights and justice. Panelists will discuss why prison needle and syringe programs are essential, how they are working in other countries, and how they might be implemented in Canada. Panel speakers: ~Daniela De Santis – Hindelbank Prison, Switzerland ~Ruth Elwood Martin – University … Continue reading
Criminal Justice Policy / drugs / education / event listings / harm reduction / Health Issues / Hep C / HIV / prison / Prison Needle Exchange / Uncategorized


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50 CFR § 665.245 - Gear restrictions.
(a) Permit Area 1.
(1) Lobsters may be taken only with lobster traps or by hand. Lobsters may not be taken by means of poisons, drugs, other chemicals, spears, nets, hook, or explosives.
(2) The smallest opening of an entry way of any lobster trap may not allow any sphere or cylinder greater than 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in diameter to pass from outside the trap to inside the trap.
(3) Each lobster trap must have a minimum of two escape vent panels that meet the following requirements:
(i) Panels must have at least four unobstructed circular holes no smaller than 67 mm in diameter, with centers at least 82 mm apart.
(ii) The lowest part of any opening in an escape vent panel must not be more than 85 mm above the floor of the trap.
(iii) Panels must be placed opposite one another in each trap.
(4) A vessel fishing for or in possession of lobster in any permit area may not have on board the vessel any trap that does not meet the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1), (2), and (3) of this section.
(5) A maximum of 1,200 traps per vessel may be maintained on board or in the water, provided that no more than 1,100 assembled traps are maintained on board or in the water. If more than 1,100 traps are maintained, the unassembled traps may be carried as spares only, in order to replace assembled traps that may be lost or become unusable.
(6) Traps shall not be left unattended in any permit area, except in the event of an emergency, in which case the vessel operator must notify the SAC of the emergency that necessitated leaving the traps on the grounds, and the location and number of the traps, within 24 hours after the vessel reaches port.
(7) A vessel whose owner has a limited access permit issued under this subpart and has an operating VMS unit certified by NMFS may enter Crustacean Permit Area 1 with lobster traps on board on or after June 25, but must remain outside the Crustacean Permit Area 1 VMS Subarea until the NWHI lobster season opens on July 1.
(8) A vessel whose owner has a limited access permit issued under this subpart and has on board an operational VMS unit certified by NMFS may transit Crustacean Permit Area 1, including Crustacean Permit Area 1 VMS Subarea, with lobster traps on board for the purpose of moving to another lobster grounds or returning to port following the closure date, as specified in § 665.252, providing the vessel does not stop or fish and is making steady progress to another lobster grounds or back to port as determined by NMFS.
(9) The operator of a permitted vessel must notify the Regional Administrator or an authorized officer no later than June 15 of each year if the vessel will use a VMS unit in the fishery and allow for inspection and certification of the unit.
(b) Permit Area 2. Lobsters may be taken only with lobster traps or by hand. Lobsters may not be taken by means of poisons, drugs, other chemicals, spears, nets, hooks, or explosives.


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Hongbin Sun is currently a Professor in the School of Electrical and Information Egnieering at Xi'an Jiaotong University. He received the B.S. and Ph.D degrees in electrical engineering from the Xi'an Jiaotong University, China in 2003 and 2009, respectively. He worked as a Visiting Scholar at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during 2007-2008. He worked as a Post-doc at Xi'an Jiaotong University during 2009-2011. He joined the faculty of Xi'an Jiaotong University as an associate professor in 2011, and became a full professor in 2017.
He is a senior member of IEEE (elevated in 2019). His current research interests are integrated circuit and system for computing, memory and video signal processing.
Journal Papers:
Conference Papers


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Download the Diversity Network PDFDownload
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Cody Ross left Wednesday's loss to the Angels with an injury to his right leg (the apparent third sign of the Apocalypse, behind Brian Wilson's injury and the pitching staff's struggles) and it appears as if his MRI didn't turn out well.
Ross, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, will begin the season on the disabled list and miss three weeks with a torn calf, termed a "moderate strain, officially."
Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Ross is currently "walking in a boot with a crutch," and he's expected to be on the crutches for an additional day or two.
"They said probably three weeks, give or take," Ross said.
When Ross got hurt, it didn't necessarily look that serious, as he jumped to pick off a shallow, high liner to right from Alberto Callaspo and then pulled up limp on his way into the infield after making the catch.
He walked off on his own power, and seemed to favor the outer side of his right foot while hobbling his way to the dugout -- clearly, the injury to his leg was worse than it initially appeared.
"Obviously everybody's goal is to be healthy and play Opening Day," Ross said. "But it's not about Opening Day. It's about being ready to play for the majority of the season. I don't want to rush to get back for Opening Day, for the sake of being back, and look up in June and the calf is still bugging me. I want to try to treat it, get it right and get back as quick as I can for the rest of the season.
We detailed following the 8-0 beatdown from LAA that there there could be a pair of small silver linings to Ross' injury: the relative depth that San Fran's got in terms of guys who can play outfield and the possibility that prospect Brandon Belt could start the season with the team.
It's not necessarily the most elite group in the majors, but Aaron Rowand, Aubrey Huff, Nate Schierholtz and Andres Torres can certainly man up and handle the three spots while Ross mends.
If Belt stays with the team, his arbitration clock will start ticking, the front office will keep trying to move Aaron Rowand and Aubrey Huff will get bumped to the outfield to fill the void left by Ross' departure.
Given the success the club had with another prospect who was surprisingly kept in the minors -- Buster Posey, you may have heard of him -- it'd be a pretty big shock if they didn't elect to take the fiscally responsible route and either play Schierholtz or move Torres to right and let Rowand man center.
Based on Thursday night's lineup card, which features Huff at first and Schierholtz in right, it seems pretty apparent that the front office is willing to gamble that the team can survive offensively until Ross comes back and/or they're able to bring Belt up without any long-term repercussions to the payroll.


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Recent Posts
- Memorial Day- 2020
- In Congress, July 4, 1776
- #MemorialDay2019
- Connection Between Antisemitism, antiZionism, Judaism and Israel
- How UNRWA Perpetuates War
- The Untold Exodus of Jews from Arab Lands
- The Meaning of Israel's Nation-State Law
- The Origins of the Boycott Against Israel
- Memorial Day 2018 #USA
- Questions about Gaza….
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Tag Archives: UN
Chart: The Difference between antisemitism and anti-Zionism
Thanks to Elder of Zion for this useful graphic.
Posted in antisemitism, antizionism, cultural relativism, EU, extremism, facism, freedom of speech, genocide, geopolitics, Israel, Jew-hatred, Jewhatred, Jewish community, Jewish People, Judaism, lawfare, leftist, Middle East, Moslem Brotherhood, Nazism, political correctness, progressive, Progressives, racism, Shoah, SJP, terror, terrorism, UK, UN, Uncategorized, United Nations, United States, US, USA, war crimes, West Bank, western civilization, western democracy, world history, Zionism Tagged anti-Israel, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism, Arab world, genocide, geopolitics, hatred, HRW, human rights, islamism, Israel, MENA, oldest hatred, political fringe, racism, Red-Green alliance, UN, Zionism
UN Watch Speaker Stuns UN Heads into Silence
EPIC MOMENT: U.N. stunned, Palestinian delegates in shock, as UN Watch brings surprise guest speaker—Palestinian Mosab Hassan Yousef (the Green Prince)—to expose PLO lies. Watch heads turn & eyes bulge!
Posted in antisemitism, human rights, Israel, Jew-hatred, Jewhatred, Palestine, PLO, UN, Uncategorized Tagged anti-Israel, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism, Israel, Jew-hatred, Mosab Hassan Yousef, PLO, UN, UNHCR
"Where are your Jews?"
The UN Human Rights Council is known for its blatant antiIsrael lies. The most damning one they try to promote is the lie that Israel is an apartheid state, ethnically cleansing Palestinians. Vociferously pushed by the worst human rights abusers … Continue reading
Posted in antisemitism, antizionism, apartheid, Arab society, arab world, civil rights, ethics, extremism, facism, Fatah, feminism, first amendment, foreign policy, freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, genocide, Hamas, human rights, international law, Israel, Jerusalem, Jew-hatred, Jewhatred, Jewish community, Jewish nakba, Jewish People, Judaism, lawfare, liberty, Middle East, Moslem, Nazism, NGO, PA, Palestine, Palestinians, political correctness, racism, refugees, religion, religious freedom, terror, terrorism, UN, war crimes, West Bank, western civilization, western democracy, women's rights, Zionism Tagged Algeria, antisemitism, Arab society, Arab world, Egypt, ehtnic cleansing, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, Hillel Neuer, human rights, human rights abusers, humanity, Islam, Israel, Jew-hatred, Jewish nakba, Judeophobia, knesset, Palestine, politics, society, Supreme Court, Syria, UN, UN Watch, UNHRC, United Nations, women
Yes, BDS is antisemitic, and has nothing to do with human rights
From Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain
Posted in antisemitism, antizionism, BDS, cultural relativism, democracy, education, ethics, extremism, Fatah, foreign policy, Gaza, genocide, Hamas, Holocaust, human rights, ideals, international law, Iran, ISIS, Islam, Islamism, islamists, Islamo-fascist, Israel, Jerusalem, Jew-hatred, Jewhatred, Jewish People, Judaism, Judea and Samaria, lawfare, leftist, liberal, Middle East, Moslem, Moslem Brotherhood, national security, PA, Palestine, Palestinians, PLO, political correctness, progressive, Progressives, racism, refugees, religion, selfdefense, Shoah, SJP, terror, terrorism, UK, UN, Uncategorized, war crimes, West Bank, western civilization, western democracy Tagged antisemitism, BDS, civil rights, democracy, Gaza, genocide, Hamas, holocaust, human rights, Iran, ISIS, islamism, islamists, islamo-fascist, Israel, Jerusalem, Jew-hatred, Jewishpeople, Judaism, Judea and Samaria, MENA, Moslem, PA, Palestinians, PLO, progressive, racism, refugees, Shoah, SJP, terrorism, UK, UN, West Bank, Zionism
Holocaust Remembrance Day 2017
The world remembers the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp today 72 years ago. And when the Jewish people say NEVER AGAIN we mean it
Posted in Holocaust, Israel, Jerusalem, Jewish People, Judaism, Judea and Samaria, Nazism, political correctness, Progressives, racism, refugees, selfdefense, Shoah, terror, terrorism, UN, United Nations, United States, western civilization, western democracy, women's rights, Zionism Tagged Auschwitz death camp, feminism, freedom, history, holocaust, human rights, humanity, Israel, Jewish people, Judaism, military, Never Again, politics, self-determination, Shoah, society, UN, women, Zionism


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A blog to explore my thoughts, feelings and opinions, mostly about Aspergers Syndrome/autism but also pretty much anything else that captures my attention.
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Why We Need Autistic-only Groups
2 comments:
- Anonymous20 April 2013 at 19:13
The dynamics of any closed group allowing members to be true to themselves and to each other is so subtly and yet radically changed when others are permitted entry or view. In fact to the very same extent as would inviting one's extended family into a hotel honeymoon suite after the banquet to observe the inaugural conjugal act sans clothes or any bedclothes for that matter either. Love becomes a performance - a joke. Intimacy becomes feigned and distracted. Willingness becomes fear and caution. Freedom becomes a dirty tangled web. Fascination transfers to interlopers. Focus is smudged. Beauty is left sundered beyond all recognition. Mechanics - going awkwardly through the motions of pretence of it all is left. And, as we all know, Autistics have done that for decades without it bringing a moment of real joy. Let us be who we really are together, and we will share the offspring of those moments with you later on. Please.ReplyDelete
Great clear writing Penni, exploring a difficult area. Well done.ReplyDelete


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I'm taking an online course called Klein Artist Works. He asks all the artists that speak via webinar and the ones taking the course, did they always know they were an artist? or when did they know they were artists. Tonight I'm thinking about that.
I remembered something.
I stayed after Mrs. Wriggles' art class to help clean up. 3rd or 4th grade. We had been doing something with India ink and I'd made a mess. I ended up staying in the art room the whole afternoon and no one noticed I was gone. Mrs. Wriggles wasn't even there.
Mr. White was the custodian and he had a huge barrel of clay in the basement. It was covered with sawdust and a damp cloth to keep it wet. He would give me a lump of it anytime I asked.
Once they had a kid's carnival at Edison School and they had a cake walk. I won and got to choose what I wanted and I chose the camera. It was plastic. It took 120 film I had to order from the drug store. I was 11 years old and I chose the camera instead of a cake.


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Phil Rhodes takes a look at the Canon CN7x17, a 17-120mm 'cinema' zoom with ENG roots and probably the Fujinon 19-90mm's principal competitor, plus the CN20x50 - Canon's normal-to-super-telephoto zoom (50-1000mm).
We've talked a lot, recently, about the availability of suitable lenses for handheld shooting, given the number of super-35mm cameras that now exist in form factors that are suitable for that sort of work. Last year, we looked at the Fujinon 19-90mm Cabrio zoom in conjunction with AJA's Cion camera.
Canon's alternative to the Fujinon 19-90mm
It's long past time that we also look at that Fujinon's principal competitor: the Canon CN7x17 (17-120mm). Both are short zooms covering big-chip cameras, they're promoted as being ready for 4K work (that is, they have reasonable contrast at a high enough MTF) and, crucially, they each come with a servo grip, making them suitable for off-the-shoulder work. They're also both expensive, even by the standards of small-chip, 2/3-inch broadcast lenses, which themselves are generally well into five figures.
The 7x17's servo grip is a key feature.
Before we get down to brass tacks, the first thing to make clear is that I'm not here to shoot charts and attempt to separate devices based on absolute performance. At these prices, all lenses are essentially good enough that the differences are barely relevant, although someone will disagree. It's impolitic to say so, but at this level, if you can't get a decent picture out of it, the problem is not the equipment. What's more, at these prices, the small details start to matter. One not-so-small detail is that the Canon is fractionally wider on its short end and reaches out to 120mm on the long, which, given the nonlinear relationship between magnification and focal length, means it feels a lot longer. The caveat is that Canon's lens ramps a towards t/4 at the long end, darkening noticeably beyond about – perhaps not coincidentally – 90mm, the point at which the Fuji hits the end stop.
Aperture ramps slightly beyond 90mm, but the extra focal length is worth it.
This is fairly normal behaviour for a fast, lots-to-one zoom, of course; ENG lenses often do exactly the same thing and a lens designed to provide a constant stop over such a long focal length would end up being ridiculously bulky. Given that the purpose of a lens like this is to provide maximum capability in a single, easily-toted package, this seems like a sensible engineering compromise.
CN20x50 Mini-Review
The mighty CN20x50 is a wildlife cinematographer's dream
Speaking of bulk, I'm going to wedge another lens into this equation – Canon's mighty CN20x50, which they supplied unasked-for alongside the CN7x17. This reminds us that both Fuji and Canon's ENG-style big-chip lenses are part of a fleet, with 30-300mm and 14.5-60mm options also offered in the CN range. Naturally, the 20x50 is a specialist device indeed, being the best part of eighteen inches long and weighing in at over six and a half kilos. The main reason I shot only very briefly with it is that Canon supplied only a trembling C300 camera, with no accessories, which was clearly inadequate to support such a beast without risking significant harm to the PL mount.
Big numbers, although a modest maximum aperture.
Naturally, this lens is a tool for the deadly-serious wildlife cinematographer and relies quite heavily on the sensitivity of modern cameras, being limited to a t/5 at the widest end and t/8.9 at the long. A servo module is included, although the provision of a rocker control implies a degree of hand-holdability that probably doesn't really exist with such a piece of equipment. I shall expect hoots of derision from experienced feature film camerapeople who, being used to anamorphic zooms which can only be carried by two large people, would consider this thousand-millimetre monster a lightweight, but it'll still be necessary to build the whole outfit on a sturdy set of 19mm rods to make it practical. Either way, with the 1.5x extender in play for an effective focal length of 1500mm (at commensurately reduced stop), it becomes possible to take spectacular pictures of things which are very far away.
The CN20 offers a 1.5x extender for those moments where 1000mm isn't quite enough.
It is, incidentally, impossible to take pictures of things that are not at least somewhat far away without using the macro setting, as the minimum object distance in conventional mode is more than eleven feet. The performance of the 20x50 at maximum telephoto, with the extender in, wide open, does suffer from some degree of glow and flare as any lens would when operating at its absolute maximum performance, but it's entirely within the realms of normality.
CN7x17's ENG design
Both Canon lenses lack precision focus marks, which is a pity at this price.
While Canon's CN range is promoted as being for 'cinema' use, whatever that strictly means, there are a couple of design decisions of the CN7x17 lens that are the products of an ENG mindset. First is the fact that the focus rotation is short – about half a turn, by my estimation – which is a very, very good thing. The difficulty of self-focussing on 35mm film was partially down to the high resolution and optical viewfinding, which, in the very best cases, can betray mistakes the film won't necessarily see. However, it's down to the fact that 35mm-format movie lenses often have enormous focus rotation, sometimes almost a full turn. Feature film people love this for its precision, but the lone camera operator would struggle, without quintuple-jointed wrists, to get the lens to the desired spot fast enough, accuracy concerns aside.
The other thing about focus on both these lenses is that there are no precision markings for focus distances, just numbers, although they're in both traditional and metric units of measure. Again, this is typical for an ENG-style lens and the short focus rotation means the marks would be packed closely together at the far end, but this omission feels inappropriate on a lens this far from the bargain bin. The lens becomes slightly less general-purpose inasmuch as feature film people like marks to line up on if there isn't time to tape a lens out.
The cost of doing proper marks can be quite high, since individual examples generally need to be specifically measured and engraved on a unit-by-unit basis, a time-consuming and labour-intensive process. Even so, the plaint feels justified – at this price point, that's the sort of thing we're paying for. The Fuji, by comparison, has proper markings, although its shorter focal length makes things (fractionally) less critical at the long end.
Usage notes
Breathing? Well, it's a zoom, but again, no more than on a similarly-specified ENG lens. Personality? Precious little, but again, this is supposed to be a general-purpose device.
As an expensive lens that is nonetheless the sort of thing that self-employed individuals might conceivably own, the last thing many owners will want is brightly-coloured flare imposed on every frame. That's what filters are for.
It's much bigger and heavier than most ENG lenses (including the Fuji) and people used to performance down to f/1.3 will be disappointed, but that extra long end may make the decision for a lot of people. It's available in both PL and EF mount, with significant electronic connectivity according to both Canon's protocols and Cooke's /i technology, although there's no word on aftermarket mount interchangeability. One might reasonably worry that the EF mount would be physically insufficient to the job of holding such a lens down, anyway, and especially in a shoulder-rigged configuration.
What this does highlight is the need for an option of broadly similar capability that's not quite so much gold. If your clients can afford it, though, the Canon CN7x17 is a very reasonable answer to a commonly-asked question.


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On Saturday, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens shot down any remaining hope of a Gordon Hayward return this season.
Stevens told reporters very clearly that Hayward is "not playing this year" and that he's a "super long way away from even being in a 1-on-0 workout where he's cutting," via ESPN's Chris Forsberg:
Brad Stevens with his most definitive "he's not playing this year" in regard to Gordon Hayward at shootaround this morning. pic.twitter.com/HxBr69ssXj
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) March 3, 2018
Hayward, who fractured his ankle on opening night, released a video on Friday revealing the progress he's made.
Gordon Hayward Watches Paul George Highlights For Daily Motivation


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Q. Could you tell me how to make it so that I receive a warning when the battery is getting low? I have searched the power options, but can't find anything like that. Currently, my laptop just shuts down with no warning when the battery is depleted.
A. By default, your laptop should give you a visual notice in the form of a pop-up that lets you know your battery is low. If you're like me, you probably just tune out the little pop-up.
If you want something extra, you can enable an alarm to notify you with a unique sound when battery power is waning.
Open the Control Panel and then Sound and Audio Devices and then click on the Sounds tab.
In the window marked Program events you will see an entry for Critical Battery Alarm. Here you can assign a specific system sound or even upload an audio file of your choosing to give you a heads up when your system is in need of a recharge.
Unfortunatly, this will not work in Vista. If you want a sound to accompany your low battery warning you'll have to install a third party battery monitor.
Check out PCTipsBox for a recommendation on a free utility that should do the job quite nicely.


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City Council rejects possible roadway through Isabella Woods
May 16, 2017
Members of City Council voted Monday to reject a possible roadway through Isabella Woods, an undisturbed oak forest in northwest Evanston.
Isabella Woods is located north of Isabella Road and is currently leased to the city by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways asked the MWRD in April to build a road through the woods for a housing developer.
The property is owned by the Keefe family trust, which seeks to develop residential homes on the vacant land, according to city documents. The Department of Transportation and Highways requested a 75-year lease on the property April 28 to build the road.
"The easement is for the construction, operations, maintenance, rehabilitation, and removal of an access road to reach private property in Wilmette," the request reads.
Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) said at the meeting that the Keefe family began requesting easements in the 1980s to build a number of homes that would require an access road. She said the family requested to build the road several times but was ultimately turned down.
According to a provision in the original 1965 lease between Evanston and the MWRD, Evanston must give up its possession of any part of the land required for the construction of highways or access roads.
The portion of Isabella Woods that would be affected by the easement contains 55 trees in an undisturbed forest, which provides a habitat for birds and other wildlife. A tree survey by city staff determined that for the road to be constructed, 33 trees will have to be removed, and an additional 15 adjacent trees may die.
City documents state that if the easement is granted, the trees must be replaced or paid for under the Tree Preservation Ordinance.
Wendy Pollock, co-chair of the Evanston Environment Board, stressed the importance of Isabella Woods as "green infrastructure." She warned that planting a grove of young trees would not make up for the oak trees that have been growing there for hundreds of years.
"The lands that Evanston leases from MWRD fill a lot of community needs, from clean air to recreation; they provide crucial habitats for birds," Pollock said. "They're sponges that divert huge amounts of stormwater from our strained sewer system."
Carl Bova, an Evanston resident and civil engineer, said he agreed with Pollock's assessment.
If the access road is constructed, he said it would affect the wet parcel of Isabella Woods and take away its stormwater diversion properties.
"It is very possible that the City of Evanston would have to upgrade its storm sewer system to account for the lost storage and to preserve a roadway," Bova said.
The MWRD Board is set to consider whether to grant the easement in a May 18 meeting.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @kristinakarisch


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- July 21, 2010
- Posted by Marc
Announcement: Wooster Collective Contributing to USA Network's Character Approved Blog
Sara and I are thrilled to let you know that starting today we will be contributing twice a week to USA's newly launched "Character Approved blog", joining an amazing roster of though leaders that includes Chad Smith (writing about architecture), Stefan Boublil (design), Alyse Wax (fashion), Bags Hooper (television), Terry Boyd (food), Matt Jordan (music), Jerri Chou (social good/giving), Rohit Bhargava (tech), and Ann Kingman (writing)
Each day, USA Network's CHARACTER APPROVED BLOG celebrates the people, places and things that are transforming the American cultural landscape. The project is an outgrowth of USA Network's annual Character Approved Awards that pay tribute to the innovators who are influencing our opinions, our style, and our view of the world.
We're thrilled to be a part of it and do hope that you check it out. Our article today is a celebration of the photography of Dennis Hopper.
(Disclosure: USA Networks is a client of my agency, Electric Artists)


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Thousands of people got together in Madrid today to voice their opposition to government plans to take away abortion rights.
Under pressure from the Catholic Church, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government announced on December 20 it would roll back a 2010 law that allows women to opt freely for abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
The new law — yet to pass parliament, where the ruling People's Party enjoys an absolute majority — would allow abortion only in cases of rape or a threat to the physical or psychological health of the mother.
Other than that, laydeez, tough shit – you're stuck with it unless god sends you a miscarriage. No whining. It doesn't matter if you're poor and can't afford it, if you're in school and don't feel ready to be a mother, if your husband or boyfriend just left you, if you just have absolutely no desire at all to have a child – you are stuck with it. If you don't like it you should have plugged that sinful thing up with cement.
The move has outraged pro-choice campaigners, who say the legislation would roll back the decades in Spain, returning to conditions similar to those of a more restrictive 1985 law or even the 1939-1975 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
"I would never have imagined we would find ourselves back here, fighting for something we thought we had won," said 57-year-old protestor Maria Pilar Sanchez.
"We don't want to turn the clock back 40 years. Having an abortion used to be a crime in Spain. We don't want to return to that."
You don't, but the fascists and the Catholics and the falangists and the "family values" bullies do.
Opposition politicians joined the march, including United Left party leader Cayo Lara, who said the proposed law represented only "the most fundamentalist sectors of the religious hierarchy and the most fanatic Francoists".
The new bill would toughen the conditions for aborting in cases of malformation of the foetus, which the current law authorises freely up to 22 weeks.
Because that's a decision for legislators, not for the woman who has to take care of the eventual baby.
In Spain, Rajoy's government has repeatedly postponed the abortion reform, reportedly struggling with internal dissent, after promising in its 2011 election campaign to tighten the rules.
The delay has drawn cries of impatience from the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy.
Last April, the head of Spain's Catholic Church, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, said the 2010 law had "led to a rise in the number of abortions to terrifying levels".
Well clearly it's the job of a Cardinal to decide whether women can get an abortion or not. Cardinals are ideally placed to decide that because they are officially unmarried and childless and celibate, all of which makes them experts on what's best for women who don't want to be pregnant right now.
Proponents of the bill have called their own demonstration for Sunday in Madrid to fight what they call a "phobia of family".
Oh yeah? Have they said anything to the church about that? The church is officially family-phobic. The church is an institution based on all-male all-bachelor all-celibate rule. It's run by men who are officially permanently outside of families. That's more family-phobic than anything else I can think of.
There's also the fact that wanting to be able to decide for oneself when and if to marry and when and if to have children is not the same thing as affirmatively wanting never to marry and never to have children. There's also the fact that even affirmatively wanting never to marry and never to have children isn't necessarily the same thing as being family-phobic: it can be a matter of just not wanting it for oneself, while still thinking it's a great thing for people who do want it, and/or a matter of wanting forms of family that don't involve child-rearing.
I hope their demonstration tomorrow is a complete dud.


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De With Studio's
Plan your overnight stay in De With Studios, a beautiful and modern furnished studio in the heart of Rotterdam. Surround yourself in one of the nicest area of Rotterdam. An excellent location in which you not only enjoy the location, you become part of it. Within walking distance of the best restaurants in the Witte de Withstraat – which is especially popular with locals and thursdays and saturdays – you will never make the wrong choices.
Looking for an Italian restaurant in the Witte De Withstraat?
The Location
De With Studio's is located at the Witte de Withstraat, which runs between the Schiedamse Vest and the Eendrachtsweg. The street was named after the Rotterdam Witte Cornelisz de With in the 17th century. Because in the seventies there were many dubious cafes and illegal gambling houses in the Witte de Witstraat, it wasn't known for its cleanliness. It had a bad reputation. Nowadays the street is still bursting with cafés, restaurants and museums. It has boosted its image considerably and tourists even come from far to experience Rotterdam's hospitality themselves.
The Service
Private short stay design studio's in Rotterdam city center, completely serviced. That's what characterizes Studio de With. in advance there is contact with the customer service who will prepare your booking and send you an email with instructions. Because the Studios doesn't have a reception, it is important that you read the e-mail properly. This contains the code of a locker in which you will find the key to your studio. Fast and efficient. We like that.
Tips for a fancy hotspot in Rotterdam!
The Studio
After a slight climb of an x-number of stairs, you will be pleasantly surprised when you open the door. Once inside, the trendy interior immediately stands out. Upon entering, you'll run into the uber-modern stove, installed with a luxury Quooker. The long curtains that rise to the high ceiling, the bright wall wallpaper, the extremely comfy boxspring and the original stone wall. But that's not all. Because this room is equipped with a spacious kitchen table including a stove, colorful crockery and a semi-filled fridge. No matter how beautiful Rotterdam is, in general you could entertain yourself all night in this studio.
The Facilities
As I mentioned before: these studios are all equipped with an extensive kitchen where you can cook deliciously. It has a fancy boxpring and a small corner where you can relax. Everything you need to make your stay as good as possible. Oh, and before I forget: do not forget to bring your camera. The studios are equipped with the most beautiful details that do well on photos.
Looking for more tips in Rotterdam? Go here!


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Regular price
Your Kantha Bag will be totally unique! The photos of bags on this page are examples to stir your creative passion and show some of the One-Of-A-Kind Village Artisan pieces others are wearing around the world. You can chose from your favorite color range but your bag will be uniquely yours.
By using a Village Artisan Kantha Bag you are sharing the story of women in North India whose hearts and dreams are carried in this piece. Add one to your cart so you too can wear and share the story!


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I have blogged about 17 previous Afternoon Tea experiences at O'Mara's Restaurant in Berkley, MI [beginning March 2013 and onward]. In the past, Chef Anita's cooking demos were the program, but since she's no longer working there, the management changed the format to a different speaker each month, and they asked me to speak about Detroit's beloved J.L. Hudson department store for their October Tuesday teas [14th, 21st, and 28th].
The dining room was set up for 52 ladies yesterday.
Fall mums decorated the table tops reminiscent of what might have been on the tables of Hudson's 13th floor Riverview Dining Room. The green napkins were perfect for the occasion since their color is what I refer to as "Hudson's green."
The tea began with an Apple Cinnamon Scone, and a choice of Black Currant or Cranberry Autumn tea, both from Harney Teas. I chose Cranberry Autumn.
Next came the soup - Wisconsin Cheddar or Irish Cream of Potato. I chose Wisconsin Cheddar.
Sandwiches were Chicken Salad on Wheat Rounds, Ham Salad on Rye, and Egg Salad on White, all selections that were on Hudson's Mezzanine Tea Room menus.
~ Ladies enjoying the Hudson's themed menu ~
~ Hudson's famed Maurice Salad ~
While the ladies were enjoying their salad, I began the program.
Hudson's was also known for their Chicken Pot Pie.
A blueberry muffin also accompanied the meal. A 1942 Mezzanine Tea Room menu listed the price as .10 cents!
~ Dessert was a Banana Split ~
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing information about Hudson's and stimulating fond, nostalgic memories. I also had fun wearing my newly acquired "Hudson's green" outfit to really get into the spirit of the presentation.
One of the afternoon's highlights for me was having a lady come up to me afterwards to ask if I'd like to tour J.L. Hudson's former home on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. It's now a convent, and her husband does website work for them, so she said he'd be able to arrange a tour. I'll keep you posted.
My girlfriend and tea buddy, Lori.


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As from the 1st of March 2017, it is a reality: through a French initiative, Arthur Andersen is reconstituted, with 26 offices on 5 continents and in 16 Countries.
Arthur Andersen encompasses offices in the following countries & states from the first day of their launch: United States (Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco), Europe (Cyprus, France, Greece), India, Brazil, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar), Egypt, Indonesia and Nepal. Discussions are underway for setting up offices in China, Canada, Australia, Israel, Russia, Ukraine and in a number of countries in the European Union.
After receiving more than 200 candidacies since the launch of their campaign for affiliation last June, interviews for selecting its first members were conducted in Paris and around the world.
"In each country, we are setting up an inter-professional member firm with high-quality players who are fully up to meeting the current needs of clients with a focus on a vision of the future, while maintaining the spirit and historical values of our historic firm founded in 1913 in Chicago", said Stéphane Laffont-Réveilhac, Global Managing Partner.
Since 2013, the firm has been reconstructing on the basis of an innovative business model and a sound ethical, governance and legal framework. Arthur Andersen aims to double our presence around the world by the end of 2017.
"Our firm is the rightful holder of the 'ARTHUR ANDERSEN' and 'ANDERSEN' historical trademarks, logos, visuals and slogans at a global level and are systematically instituting all legal initiatives necessary to defend our network and secure its development", explains Carlo Brusa, Partner, Spokesperson and Pilot of the Project.
"We have a moral responsibility of success and loyalty towards the values and Alumni, both Partners and employees, of the firm that disappeared from the business world in 2002. Arthur Andersen needs to become once again a synonym for world excellence in Professional Service" concludes Véronique Martinez, Partner.


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HÀ NỘI — Many sections of Quảng Điền dyke, worth VNĐ312 billion ($13.7 million), in Central Highlands Đắk Lắk Province's Krông Ana were severely damaged after a flood hit the locality late May.
The concrete covering the 1-km stretch from pump station T21 to pump station T22 was sloughed and several holes having diametres ranging from 30cm to 40cm have appeared on this section. In the next 1-km section, the dyke was severely eroded, the Voice of Việt Nam online newspaper reported.
Lê Văn Sơn, a local resident said, he suspected the quality of the dyke was poor.
"The proportion of sand and stone used to build the dyke was probably higher than the proportion of cement, so the dyke was vulnerable to the flood," he said.
Sơn said he worried that another flood would totally destroy the dyke.
Y Hương Niê, vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said the dyke's erosion was triggered by the prolonged flood that lasted nearly a month late last year.
Another prolonged flood early this year exacerbated the situation, he said.
Data from the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development showed that erosion had occurred at 30 places due to the flood last November, including 20 spots that had suffered from severe erosion.
The department said it had consulted the committee to fix the situation before the rainy season this year.
Mai Trọng Dũng, deputy head of the agricultural department, said that in the short term, the provincial administration had started repairing the most damaged sections of the dyke.
In the long term, the department has submitted to the People's Committee of the district the requirement for more funds to fix the situation soon, he said.
The dyke, which started construction in 2009 and became operational in 2014, was designed to protect over 3,000ha of crop and transport infrastructure in the locality. — VNS


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As her recent memoir proves Edna O'Brien has what decent writers aspire to; page-turnability without sacrificing literary muscle. I got her recently published memoir, Country Girl as a Christmas pressie. It was the savior book that got me through the seasonal lockdown. The memoir is packed with stories; a childhood in Ireland with a drinking father and an overprotective but loving mother, a fractious marriage with divorced writer Ernie Gébler who was so usurped by the success of her first novel that he told her You can write and I will never forgive you, the ensuing anxiety ridden battle to gain custody of her kids, her famous (or infamous?) parties where she entertained the literary elite, bohemian characters of all ilks, Hollywood royalty and actual royalty.
All this while raising children, dealing with impossible lovers that gave her both joy and despair and writing novels that brushed her native Ireland up the wrong way, a country, she reminds us that meted out monstrous treatment to James Joyce, 'whom the authorities and Irish undertakers were so repelled by that his remains were never brought back.'
The memoir tells much about where she drew inspiration for her writing. I was aware that The Country Girl Trilogy was informed to some extent by her earlier life, but a mystery was solved for me as to how her exceptional stream-of-consciousness novel Night came about. Not to give it away for those who haven't read the memoir yet, (and for those who already know, bear with me!) it arose following a life-changing experiment with Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing, an episode she describes lucidly and brilliantly in the memoir. It was an event that sent her packing with 'an opened scream…[that]…would become the pith of the novel … Night…'
I'm a fan of Night. The astonishing change in style to her previous books is something of an event and I always keep it in mind as an example of how you, as a writer too can change your style if that's what the context needs you to do.
Edna's memoir tells of many fascinating relationships she had over the years, but one emerges stronger than all others — her relationship with her writing. She struggled against a disapproving mother, an envious husband and the punitive demands of domesticity before finally putting pen to paper and when she did she wrote the first draft of The Country Girls, in three weeks. 'The words tumbled out, like oats on threshing day that tumble down the shaft…I cried a lot while writing The Country Girls but scarcely noticed the tears.'
For anyone struggling to keep the dream of writing alive this book will bring hope. On the flipside, one line about writer's block sent shivers up my spine: To ease the block, Edna tells us, she kept a diary, even though she had read with misgivings that 'only the very young and the very mad keep diarys.'
Duly noted (in my diary)!


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Going to Rome with 2 grown daughters, where can we go for shopping, local people watching, and wine ?
1 Answer
Well it depends what do you want to shop. Here is a website where you can find valuable information and suggestions about shopping and restaurants - http://www.rome.info/shopping/
One of the places to go shopping is Piazza di Spagna. There are a lot of botiques there to choose from. As for the Wine you can try some of those two
Antico Forno Roscioli, via dei Giubbonari 21. 22, Phone: 06/6875287
Trimani, via Goito 20, Phone: 06/4469661
http://www.rome.info/restaurants/#wine about 6 years agoAnswered by Amie Cole via WorldNomads.com


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Chef Robert Irvine is known for creating outstanding meals under the toughest of circumstances. Now, you can pick up some of his best tips with the following "Kitchen Impossible" infographic!
Whether you need to scale up to feed 150 people or know when its time to throw it out, you'll find the answers to your trickiest kitchen situations below:


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AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) The Air Force Academy says racial slurs posted outside the dorm rooms of five black students were written by one of those students.
The announcement Tuesday was a jarring turn in an episode that prompted the academy's superintendent to make a widely viewed speech warning that racists were not welcome at the school.
The academy says the student is no longer at the school, but a spokesman declined to say whether the student withdrew or was expelled.
The student's name wasn't released.
The slurs were found in September at a dormitory that houses students attending the academy's prep school. The prep school is separate from the academy and helps promising students meet the academy's entrance requirements.
Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria's speech to cadets was posted online and viewed thousands of times.


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After months of being homebound — their offices relocated into houses while renovation took place — West Springfield District Station captain Dorian Portee and Supervisor Elaine McConnell (R-Springfield) are ready to move back into their new offices.
The $10,840,000 renovation updated and reconfigured the police, fire and supervisor's offices, adding about 18,000 for a total of 41,500 square feet. Funded with a 1998 bond, the renovation includes increased facilities for the police and supervisor as well as the fire department, which is gaining another truck bay long enough for a hook-and-ladder unit, which will be an addition as well. It breaks down into 49 percent for police facilities; 34 percent for fire; 10 percent dedicated to lobby, community room and public facilities; and 7 percent going to the supervisor's office.
Katayoon Shaya is the project manager of the building design division at the Fairfax County Department of Public Works. Although the building is relatively on schedule, Shaya attributes some of the delay to work going on around an operating fire facility. The original February move-in date has been pushed back to April.
"The progress here has worked around the existing personnel," said Shaya. "It has not been an easy renovation, but the police, supervisor and fire have been good sports. Anybody who had seen the old police facility could attest to the need. The existing station was totally inadequate."
The architectural firm Grimm and Parker, based in McLean, designed the renovation features with wide windows, vaulted ceilings and an ability to blend old and new, according to Shaya. That included leaving old cinderblock walls for needed support while attaching drywall and blending the two.
"I think they've done a really good job blending the old and new," she said.
It was the space that Portee missed in his temporary office in the house.
"We're on top of each other," he said, adding that they are still operating at their same efficiency.
"We haven't had any impact on delivering services," Portee said.
Over in McConnell's office, administrative assistant Steve Edwards shared the dining room area with staff assistant Peyton Onks. The location of the houses, for both police and supervisors, is behind the Post Office on Rolling Road.
"It's been a little challenging for our constituents to find us," he said.
FROM THE ENTRANCE, the supervisor's office and police station will open up into the lobby, which is spacious like some of the other district stations in the area. Franconia is a good example. McConnell's office will have access to the community room, which has a partition so it can be divided into two rooms if necessary. Then the supervisor's suite, as Shaya referred to it, contains a reception area, conference room, three assistant's offices, a work room and kitchen.
The men's and women's bathrooms have a door from the supervisor's suite but will be accessible only from the lobby, according to Shaya.
The police station will have an arched window overlooking the lobby, where the dispatcher will sit, as well as a citizen interview room off to the side. Included in the police station is an office for the captain, conference room, several offices, an evidence room, a work/copy room, a roll call and reports room, as well as two police bays. One is for the bicycle team and the other is a secure "sally-port," as Shaya called it, which is a bay where a police car can transfer suspects with minimal disruption. The bike team did house its office in the jail cells in the old station, but now it will have a garage with lockers and a separate office space. There is also a biohazard room, so officers can wash off chemicals they encounter, and four interview rooms. In the locker rooms, extra space is available in case the staff is increased, but Portee said that decision would be made on the county level.
The bond paid for all the structural facilities, but there will be updated computers and telecommunications equipment with the police, as well.
"We will have new equipment, new computers, because we'll have the space," said Portee. "We're targeting to have it within several months of the station opening."
"This is going to be such an improvement," Shaya said.
ON THE FIRE department side, the construction is going on around the existing front office and garage, while the two trailers out back are used for "day-room functions," said Shaya.
New bunk rooms will be split, one on either side of the truck bay, and the existing wall under the new wall out front will be torn down.
Although the original time frame to move back in was February, the facility will be up and running by mid-April. Shaya noted the weather and the "unexpected," as reasons for the delay.
"Renovations are always complicated, you go in not knowing," she said, indicating that refinishing some walls while leaving others exposed called for some of the decisions.
"There are little things that add up," she said.
McConnell's staff is looking forward to getting new furniture as part of the office reconfiguration. Age is one of the factors surrounding their furniture request.
"My desk was so old, I found a McGovern pin in it," Onks said. McGovern was Richard Nixon's democrat opponent in the 1972 election.
According to Shaya, the houses the offices are presently in will be leveled and the area landscaped.
"The area will be reforested and put in a conservation easement," she said.


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Windows Vista system sounds
Windows vista final system soundes have been released. But if u ask me for one thing they are not loud enough compared to the xp soundes and everyting seems to be toned down or if i may say so feminne versions 🙂 of the xp soundes (no offense to our other halfs). So checkit out for yourselfs.


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United Airlines adds additional flights to Chicago
Related Story
COLUMBIA - United Airlines has confirmed that it added an additional daily flight to Chicago from Columbia Regional Airport (COU).
The airline now has three flights from Columbia to Chicago each day, due to "customer demand," according to a statement from United.
Community members voiced concerns and asked questions about Columbia Regional Airport at the All Things Airport coffee chat Thursday morning.
Airport manager Michael Parks said these conversations led to more American Airlines flights from Columbia to Chicago.
Thursday's meeting was the first since COU shut down for several days to facilitate renovations on its runways. The closure caught the community off guard and followed a number of canceled flights by United and American Airlines.
Columbia Community Relations Director Steven Sapp said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not yet approved funding for the runway repairs. The airport is in the process of submitting reports and requests for the money.
If the FAA denies the request, the airport will have to seek other sources of funding.
On Thursday, community members focused on questions regarding additional destinations and routes out of COU, construction of the new terminal and parking.
Parks said the airport is planning to add up to 200 additional parking spaces this summer, if weather allows.
COU hopes to have a design for the new terminal by the end of this year, begin construction next year or in 2021, with a grand opening in 2022.
Members of the community brought up interest in flights from COU to Charlotte, Las Vegas and Atlanta. Parks said there's a lot of trips that depart out of COU that connect to East Coast airports, so Charlotte is a popular suggestion.
Parks also said there are some things the airport doesn't control, including the scheduling and pricing of flights. Airlines make those decisions.
"As we continue to grow, the airlines are consistently changing flights. They're always looking at where there is more need in the future," Parks said.
Sapp brought up COU's growth over the last 10 years.
"I think we'll continue to see growth, thanks to the support from the 17 counties that Columbia Regional is designed to serve," said Sapp.
Parks said he and his staff take the questions and comments from the coffee chats to an annual conference with airlines currently serving Columbia. Airlines then make a decision about plans for future flights and expansion of flight destinations.
"It can take years to figure out new routes," said Parks. "It takes a lot of coordination and planning between COU and the airlines."
"We continue to talk to the airlines about future expansion and future needs from the community. It ties back into community conversations and the requests that they have," said Parks.
Parks said these meetings are also in other areas of the state.
"We don't just have meeting in Columbia. We've visited Jefferson City, Fulton, Moberly, Boonville. We go to surrounding communities as well because we understand it's not people just in Boone County who are using Columbia," Parks said.
He said the airport wants to make sure everyone's questions are answered.
"We've got great momentum going forward. We just want to make sure we're as transparent as possible with passengers and ensuring that we're getting out as much information as we can about the benefits of flying out from Columbia," Parks said.