Four years ago I was writing transfer functions for motor controllers. Today I ship React interfaces for an AI SaaS product. People assume the switch was a clean break, that I threw one toolbox away and picked up another.

It was not. I use the same toolbox. I just stopped calling it control theory.

Here is what I mean.

In a control system you have a setpoint, which is where you want the system to be. You have a sensor that tells you where the system actually is. A controller computes the difference between the two, and an actuator does something about it.

Now describe a form submission. The setpoint is the server state you want. The sensor is your response handler. The controller is your reducer. The actuator is the DOM. The loop runs, the error shrinks, the system settles.

Once you see it this way, an entire class of frontend bugs stops looking like frontend bugs and starts looking like unstable loops. Double submissions are oscillation. An infinite re render is positive feedback with no damping. A spinner that never stops is a sensor that never reported back.

Engineers who come from control systems have one instinct baked in. Never build a loop you cannot prove will settle.

Early on I wrote what everyone writes.

const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false)
const [isError, setIsError] = useState(false)
const [isSuccess, setIsSuccess] = useState(false)

Three booleans give you eight possible states. The feature has four legal ones. The other four are bugs waiting for a slow network to find them. Loading and error at the same time. Success and error at the same time. I have shipped both.

In mechatronics nobody models a system with loose flags. You draw a state machine, you enumerate every state, and you define which transitions are legal. Everything that is not on the diagram cannot happen, by construction.

type RequestState =
  | { status: 'idle' }
  | { status: 'loading' }
  | { status: 'success'; data: Invoice[] }
  | { status: 'error'; message: string }

Four states, no illegal combinations, and the compiler refuses to let you read data before it exists. This single change removed more bugs from my work than any library I have ever installed.

A sensor never gives you a clean number. It gives you a number plus noise, and your first job is to filter that noise before anything downstream is allowed to trust it.

Users are sensors. Someone typing in a search box is a noisy signal firing roughly eight events per second. Someone clicking a submit button is a signal with mechanical bounce, exactly like a physical switch, which is why we borrowed the word debounce from hardware in the first place.

So filter at the boundary, not deep inside your logic.

const debouncedQuery = useDebounce(query, 300)

The rule I carried over is simple. The filter belongs as close to the sensor as possible. Debounce the input, not the network layer. Throttle the scroll handler, not the component that reads it. By the time a signal reaches your business logic it should already be clean, because logic that has to defend itself against noise becomes logic nobody can read.

Pure feedback control is always late. It cannot react until the error already exists. If you want a system that feels fast, you add feedforward, which is a prediction of what the output should be, applied before the measurement comes back.

That is exactly what an optimistic update is. You do not wait for the server to confirm. You apply the predicted state immediately and reconcile when the real measurement arrives.

setLikes(prev => prev + 1)   // feedforward, applied instantly
await api.like(postId)       // feedback, arrives later

The part people get wrong is the reconciliation. Feedforward without correction is just guessing. Every optimistic update needs a rollback path, because a prediction that is never checked against reality is how an interface ends up lying to the person using it.

In hardware, a loop that waits forever on a sensor is not a slow loop, it is a hung machine. So you add a watchdog. If the expected signal does not arrive within a bounded window, the system stops waiting and enters a defined failure state.

Frontends almost never do this. We fire a request and then wait, politely, indefinitely. Somebody ends up sitting in front of a spinner for forty seconds with no idea whether anything is still happening.

const controller = new AbortController()
const watchdog = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10000)

Ten seconds, then a defined failure state with a message and a retry. Not a spinner that spins until the person gives up. A system without a watchdog does not fail loudly, it fails silently, and silent failure is the worst kind of failure in any control system.

I am not arguing that every frontend engineer should go and study control theory. I am arguing something narrower and more useful. The discipline you came from is not a detour on your CV. It is a lens nobody else on your team is holding.

The people around me arrived at frontend from design, from computer science, from bootcamps. They see things I do not. I see feedback loops, settling time, noise and failure modes, because I spent years being taught that a system which cannot be proven to settle is not finished, it is just not broken yet.

So if you switched fields, stop apologising for the years before the switch. Go and find the thing your old discipline made obvious that everyone else has to learn the hard way. That is not a gap in your experience. It is the most interesting thing about you.

I am a frontend engineer working with React, Next.js and TypeScript, building AI powered SaaS products. I write about engineering, systems thinking and the strange paths people take into this field.

I Studied Control Systems, Then Became a Frontend Engineer. It Is the Same Job. was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Clearly our ethically and morally deficient authority figures have assessed that question in the title above. Clearly they would have us believe that their lying and deception is for our own good. Perhaps the argument goes like this: People have enough stress with jobs, climate change, housing, raising children etc. Why burden them with more especially when the more is permanent groundwater destruction over which they have no control. This self-serving answer when it comes from the very people who either dumped the toxins and or were charged with protecting us from those very actions; is an attempt to justify the indefensible. If we continue to hide our serious environmental failures then we will never step up and improve our behaviour and responses to polluters and their apologists. We as citizens, if deceived by Lanxess Canada, GHD, MECP, Woolwich Township and others, can not do our civic duty and demand environmental protection as well as proper environmental remediation of either Elmira or other towns and cities.

Steam flushing has been used to remediate deep DNAPL . It can be effective although there are considerations. Firstly there is preferential removal of the more soluble components from the DNAPL long before the lower solubility, more intransigent components are stripped from the DNAPL mass. Furthermore as has previously been written here Dioxins and DDT for example can recrystallize when their solvent carrier such as chlorobenzene has been significantly reduced and or dissolved into groundwater. 

Another issue is the remobilization of free phase DNAPL that can occur under steam flushing. It has been found that dependent upon location, cracks and fissures, the DNAPL pool can spread out further while under steam flushing. A third issue is the fact that the greatest removal rates occur at the start of the process but then are greatly reduced.  Hence just like pump & treat remediation early success breeds complacency and overconfidence, puffery and intransigence .

Landmark performance reflects Centre In The Square’s ambitious programming direction and its growing stature as one of Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences

KITCHENER, ON – Centre In The Square announced today that Itzhak Perlman, violin, accompanied by Rohan De Silva, piano, will perform in the Raffi Armenian Hall on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale to Priority Plus and above Members on Friday, September 25 at 10 am, to Priority Members on Saturday, September 26 at 10 am, and to the public on Monday, September 28 at 10 am. The engagement is a rare opportunity for audiences across Southwestern Ontario to see one of the world’s most celebrated musicians without travelling to Toronto.

For Kitchener and Waterloo Region, Perlman’s appearance is a significant moment: this marks Itzhak Perlman’s first performance at Centre In The Square. It means audiences across the region can experience an artist of this stature close to home, in the heart of Downtown Kitchener, rather than making the trip to Toronto. Student and youth tickets are priced at $49.50, reflecting the Centre’s commitment to ensuring young people have access to performances of this calibre.

Perlman’s engagement is part of a broader programming direction at Centre In The Square, which has spent the past two years building its reputation as one of Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences. Major international and Canadian artists are increasingly choosing to perform in Kitchener on its own terms, not as a stop on the way to somewhere else. The booking reflects an intentional point of view behind the Centre’s programming, not a one-off engagement, and signals the organization’s growing profile on the national stage.

“Bringing an artist of Itzhak Perlman’s stature to Kitchener is exactly the kind of moment we’ve been building toward,” said Eric Larivière, Executive Director of Centre In The Square. “This is a rare chance for our community, and for the students and new audiences we hope to introduce to a performance like this, to experience one of the great musicians of our time close to home. It reflects the confidence we have in what this city and this region can support.”

The performance will take place in Centre In The Square’s 2,000-seat Raffi Armenian Hall. Acoustics for the hall were designed by Russell Johnson Associates of New York, and the orchestra pit was modelled on the one at Bayreuth, holding up to 100 musicians. Moveable stage towers, curved walls and a system of canopies work together to shape the room’s sound for a wide range of performances. Designed to bring audiences close to the performance, the hall is well suited to a program built around a single, intimate performance.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000 and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Genesis Prize.

Tickets for the November 19 performance start at $88.50, with early access for Centre In The Square Priority Plus and above Members on Friday, September 25 at 10 am and for Priority Members on Saturday, September 26 at 10 am, ahead of the public on-sale on Monday, September 28 at 10 am. Youth/Student tickets are available for $49.50. Tickets are available at centreinthesquare.com or by calling the Box Office at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977. Centre In The Square is a fully accessible venue; for accessibility information or to arrange accommodations, contact the box office. For more information and to become a Member, patrons can visit centreinthesquare.com/members.

Centre In The Square is among Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences. Located in the heart of Downtown Kitchener, the 2,000-seat Raffi Armenian Hall and the Studio Theatre welcome more than 150,000 people a year to a season that spans Broadway, international and Canadian touring artists, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Grand Philharmonic Choir, and locally produced work including the Kitchener Creates education and community program. Centre In The Square is a not-for-profit registered charity that earns roughly 80 percent of its own revenue.

-30-

Media Contacts

Eric Lariviere
Executive Director, Centre In The Square
416-557-8498
ELariviere@centreinthesquare.com

Jonathan Randall
Director, Marketing & Development
416-735-3347
JRandall@centreinthesquare.com

Last weekend, my social media feeds were filled with discussions about the new Converse sneaker ad that evoked Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery.

The company has since apologized and pulled the ad, explaining, “This should not have happened and we will do better.”

I hope we can all take something from this situation, regardless of whether we work in marketing or another role.

When creating a presentation, writing a company announcement, designing a team event, or selecting an image for social media, let’s invite someone with a different perspective to review our work before we share it.

Instead of asking, “Does this look good?,” ask questions to help identify unintended messages:

• “Is there anything here that could be interpreted differently than I intended?”
• “What associations or messages might I be missing?”
• “Is there anything that could feel exclusionary or hurtful?”

One last thing: choose reviewers with different lived experiences and perspectives, rather than asking only people likely to agree with you. Also, be aware of the “minority tax” that people from underrepresented groups face when asked to serve on committees to improve representation. There is a demand and supply problem: People from underrepresented groups are in high demand to provide their input on diversity initiatives, but they are often in short supply within any given organization. This leads to a small group of individuals being tapped for service more often than their peers.

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Recently, Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words to their online dictionary. One stood out for me: DARVO.

Coined by psychologist Jennifer Freyd, PhD, DARVO describes a pattern people may use when confronted about wrongdoing:

• Deny the behavior.
• Attack the person raising the concern.
• Reverse the roles of victim and offender.

I’ve written about this pattern before, and it’s worth repeating how it can show up at work. For example:

• “They’re making a big deal out of nothing. In fact, if they were more of a team player, I’d be better able to meet my quarterly goals.”
• “They think I’m lying to customers? If they’d just stick to the script, we wouldn’t have these customer trust issues, and I’d be able to hit my quota.”
• “This feels like cancel culture. One small mistake and suddenly I’m the villain.”

Notice what happens in each example. Instead of addressing the original concern, the person shifts blame, attacks someone’s character, or portrays themselves as the victim.

That’s when we can disrupt DARVO.

It could be as simple as saying, “Let’s stay focused on the original concern raised.”

Have you heard of “the Billy Graham rule” or “the Mike Pence rule?” It’s a practice where a male leader avoids spending time alone with any woman who isn’t his wife.

Regardless of the motivation, this rule is real, and it has real consequences for women’s careers. When male leaders avoid one-on-one meetings, dinners, or mentoring conversations with women, they limit access to relationships and opportunities that help people advance.

I’ve met some of these men.

A business unit leader once announced during a workshop I was facilitating, “My wife gets jealous when I have a work dinner with a female coworker,” and then asked, “How should I handle that?”

My snarky side wanted to suggest couples’ therapy. Instead, I recommended, “You could always bring along another coworker. Or only meet coworkers of any gender over breakfast.”

No one should be excluded from out-of-the-office activities where colleagues get to know each other, share ideas, and learn from each other. No one should miss out on meetings with influential people because of their gender.

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Sheryl Sandberg mentioned that she still talks to people who won’t take a meeting with a woman alone.

She asked:

“Who’s ever been promoted by someone they’ve never had a meeting with? No one ever. You can have a meeting alone with a woman: Keep the door open.”

I’d take it a step further: Keep the door open for everyone. Meet with colleagues of all genders, using consistent practices for privacy, transparency, and professionalism. Or establish clear meeting guidelines that give everyone equitable access to your time, mentorship, and opportunities.

In 2013, I was convinced the problem would soon be solved.

I remember telling my friend Eric over lunch that I’d quit my corporate job to support women in tech. I was starting a coaching business, but I expected to do it for only a few years. After all, everyone in Silicon Valley was talking about the importance of having more women on the teams solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Fast-forward more than a decade, and I wish my optimism had been justified.

WIRED recently surveyed women in tech and found:

• Almost half of the women surveyed (47%) said the tech sector is unchanged or worse for women compared with five years ago.
• More than a third (36%) said they’d experienced gender-based harassment or bias at work.
• Women reported being sexually harassed by male supervisors, earning less than their male peers, being passed over for promotions, and getting talked over in meetings.

I have a feeling these experiences aren’t limited to tech.

So, when a woman coworker tells you she’s been treated unfairly — or worse, harassed — take her concerns seriously.

Listen without immediately questioning her account, minimizing what happened, or explaining away someone else’s behavior.

Then ask, “What kind of support would be most helpful right now?”

After reading my September 11, 2026 newsletter, where I recommended being aware of religious and cultural commitments in the fall, Mark Vollmers reached out. He explained that he works with a team in India and has learned that essentially September through when Diwali lands (late October through the middle of November) is filled with festivals. Some are national holidays that might appear on global calendar notices, but people also celebrate other days.

While people at his company support teammates taking time off for such events, Vollmers also shared something he personally does: Schedule non-critical messages for the next normal working day.

“Knowing how connected everyone is and the tendency to be willing to log in and do work even when they’re ‘off’, I have to be extra attentive to schedule non-critical emails and IMs to send on the next normal working day. While it may be easy for someone to quickly ‘check something out’, I don’t want people to deal with normal type stuff when they’re off.”

He added, “I’ve learned that just saying in the email ‘for when you get back’ isn’t nearly as effective as I’d like it to be.”

Thank you. 🙏

If you’ve taken a step towards being a better ally, please reply to this email and tell me about it. And mention if I can quote you by name or credit you anonymously in an upcoming newsletter.

That’s all for this week. I’m glad you’re on this journey with me,

Karen Catlin (she/her), Author of the Better Allies® book series

100% written by me. I use AI for researching a personal archive of my books and past newsletters, and for light editing.

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

Together, we can make a difference with the Better Allies® approach.

• Say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee ☕ (Need a receipt for educational reimbursement? Reply to this email, and we’ll take care of it.)
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• Read the Better Allies books
• Tell someone about these resources

Invite A Different Perspective, and Other Actions for Allies was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In a few short months, people in our community will leave homelessness behind by moving into Friendship Village – and you can be a part of their journey!♦

Welcome Home: Friendship Village is inviting caring, compassionate community members like you to help provide a warm welcome to every single person who moves into our new supportive housing community by providing the essential items they need to turn their units into homes.

You see, when people move into Friendship Village, many will come with virtually no belongings. Almost nothing from their former life.

When you are homeless and have nowhere else to go, the list of belongings you have gets smaller and smaller as you move from place to place. And when you finally get a place you can call your own, you have the daunting task of starting from scratch.

You can help change that story for our new residents by donating to support key items such as:

• Bedding and curtains for a bedroom;
• Towels, a shower curtain, bathmat for a bathroom;
• Pots and pans to cook meals; and,
• The dishes and cutlery to eat them.

When you give, you are doing more than furnishing a space – you are helping to provide a home where hope and healing will happen for 100 people leaving homelessness behind. Thank you!

You are helping a new story begin.

WELCOME HOME: FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE
To learn more or give today, visit www.houseoffriendship.org/FriendshipVillage, or give us a call at 519-742-8327 x 131.

Thank you for making fresh starts possible and providing a warm welcome today!

The post Welcome Home: Friendship Village appeared first on House Of Friendship.

We’re pleased to share the recording of our recent Hydraulic Mixing Cell (HMC) Training Session in HydroGeoSphere. Presented by Arghavan Tafvizi, HydroGeoSphere Specialist at Aquanty Inc., this practical session provides a comprehensive introduction to the Hydraulic Mixing Cell workflow and its application for analyzing surface water–groundwater interactions in integrated hydrologic models.

The webinar walks through the complete HMC workflow, from preparing model inputs and configuring simulations to interpreting output files and post-processing results. Through a hands-on demonstration, participants gain practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to HydroGeoSphere modelling projects.

Key Highlights:

• Learn how to prepare the required inputs for Hydraulic Mixing Cell simulations.

• Understand HMC configuration, workflow requirements, and best practices.

• Explore Hydraulic Mixing Cell output files and their interpretation.

• Follow a practical demonstration of an HMC simulation and post-processing workflow.

This session is especially valuable for HydroGeoSphere users looking to strengthen their understanding of surface water–groundwater interactions and incorporate Hydraulic Mixing Cells into their modelling workflows.

To save his ship, his crew, and his new cyborg, Captain Cirilo Webster will play the Santiago Corporation’s most dangerous game… politics

Read Keepers of the Flesh

Get the ebook or paperback now!

And watch this space.

Something new—something shiny—is coming very soon!

♦Captain Cirilo Webster brought his ship out of the chaos of an archaeological expedition gone wrong with his ship and the Santiago Corporation’s monopoly on faster than light travel intact.

Loyal as he is to the company that binds together the Seventy-Seven human colonies, his first loyalty is to his ship and crew. When damage to his old freighter Santa Mica risks the Company scrapping her, he dives headlong into Santiago politics to find a way out.

Corporate politics may prove the least of his worries, as the sins of his Security Chief’s past and Santiago’s paranoia collide to bring him a contract he couldn’t ever have expected.

A family of clone mercenaries have found a clue as to where their progenitor is hiding and they want the Santiago Corporation—and Cirilo Webster in particular—to take them there.

But there is a reason the man went into exile… and he clearly doesn’t want to be found!

The post Keepers of the Flesh is out now! appeared first on Glynn Stewart.

To make matters worse, Dame’s dad — retired private eye Dodge Polara — is hospitalized after suffering a second stroke. Soon after, Dame uncovers a startling connection between her mother’s decades-old murder and the apparent suicide of a former city councillor.

While not wishing to give short shrift to PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) which have been found in at least three locations in Elmira/Woolwich; their original sources may or may not be unknown. This is because our authorities routinely cover up information they'd rather not be public information. These locations that I know of are Varnicolor Chemical's Lot 91, their former 62 Union St. address and in the fish and Canagagigue Creek itself.

My understanding is that Uniroyal Chemical introduced Woolwich and Elmira to both Dioxins and DDT through their sloppy and negligent waste disposal practices while producing DDT and Agent Orange .  Agent Orange consisted of a mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T and was used as a defoliant and brush killer not only in Vietnam by the U.S. military but even here in Ontario in the ditches alongside our highways.

DNAPLS merely describe certain chemicals with the following characteristics. They are Dense (heavier than water), Non Aqueous Phase (dissolve poorly & slowly in water) Liquids (i.e. they flow by gravity downhill). Hence they are referred to as Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids or DNAPLS. Jeff Merriman, an environmental engineer for Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura, loudly and vehemently denied that DDT and Dioxins were DNAPL chemicals when I publicly asked him at a CPAC meeting.  Turns out that Jeff did not exactly lie however he sure sprinkled some fairy dust and used smoke and mirrors to muddy things . While DDT and Dioxins are not usually defined as DNAPLS because at room temperatures, completely on their own they are solids perhaps even referred to as crystals; they are NOT liquids. Hence they are not a member of a group of chemicals known as DNAPLS such as chlorobenzene, chlorophenols, trichloroethylene, chloroform,  trichloroethane etc.. Here's the rub however. By all scientific interpretations and definitions; DDT and Dioxins once mixed with common solvents (such as chlorobenzene)  behave EXACTLY as DNAPLS do !  In fact I would refer to them as the DNAPLS from hell.

They sink through aquifers and even some aquitards here in Elmira. They descend through three aquifers (UA, MU, ML) on their way to the lowest aquitard, the LAT or Lower Aquitard where they may sit and slowly dissolve for decades, generations or even centuries.  Worse yet there are a number of locations under Elmira where the LAT  is missing hence the Municipal Lower Aquifer (ML) rests directly on top of the Bedrock Aquifer (BR). That is horrible news because the top of the Bedrock is considered "weathered " and is full of small fractures. DNAPL with DDT and Dioxins dissolved within, works its' way into those cracks and fissures. From there it is almost impossible to remove both due to its' depth and to how tightly it is held within the Bedrock matrix. Uniroyal and successors long ago decided that the easiest way to deal with it was not to spend many millions of dollars attempting to remove it but to simply Deny it. Pretend that heavier than water chlorobenzene already in the Municipal Lower Aquifer (ML) both dissolved and as DNAPL was not also in the nearby Bedrock Aquifer. That is a polluter's solution to the problem they caused and is basically free. Our authorities through corruption and likely other means or bribes have permitted it.   

♦

While canning and preserving, techniques and methods that are often thought of as fall activities when the growing season has slowed and winter comes on, there are delicious things to preserve now, in the spring and early summer, that can be stored and used in your daily dining later in the year — when those items can no longer be found fresh.

In her 2008 book Anita Stewart’s Canada: The Food, the Recipes, the Stories, the late-great Elora author and food activist summarizes the E.D. Smith story as it started in Winona, Ontario.

Smith planted peaches, apples, and plums, with each orchard having its own beehives for pollination. By the mid-1880s Smith, fed up with a plodding fruit distribution system and low prices, “decided to make jam. The first such operation in Canada,” notes Stewart.

“By 1905, his factory was in full operation. E.D. Smith Pure Fruit Jam became an icon of Canadian food manufacturing.”

Napoleonic preserves
We can thank Mr. Smith, but we need to go back even further to snap open the lid on canning origins, at least in the modern era. Although he has been dead and gone about 170 years now, Nicolas-Francois Appert gave us the technique of preserving foods in air-tight containers.

Appert, a Parisian chef, had spent many years experimenting with wax- and cork-sealed jars and boiling them in water before he answered the call of what was essentially a Napoleonic cooking contest.

The little general was waving around French francs for anyone who could preserve franks for his marauding armies (whom, he had already announced, march on their tummies). Appert finally prevailed after about a decade and proffered up his canning method and techniques winning in 1810. The rest is jelly, jam, and syrup history.

Appert struggled despite his innovation; he made it onto a French postage stamp in 1955 recognizing his vital contributions. By then, canning momentum and expertise had long before passed to the English and Americans, among the latter of whom was John Landis Mason: he invented and patented the glass jar and screw-on lid combination in 1858. It remains part of our cooking vocabulary, though Mason died a pauper.

Despite the rapid advance of technology we experience in our daily lives, canning hasn’t changed very much at all. Today, food is basically preserved by three methods: canning, freezing, and drying.

Freezing slows enzyme activity that causes food to deteriorate and is the quickest and easiest method of preserving. Things like green beans—and even the divine and funky little fiddlehead—are best frozen, suggests Rose Murray, Cambridge, the late Ontario-based broadcaster and author of A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey.

“Blanch them to stop the enzymes that will continue to make them deteriorate. Drain them, cool them, dry them off, and pack them in plastic bags and freeze. When you take them out it’s just a question of steaming them for a couple of minutes.”

Drying or dehydrating food simply removes most of the item’s moisture requiring little processing energy and taking up little space for storage. Dehydrated foods are perfect for taking while travelling or with outdoor activity.

Canning boom
Though it takes the most skill, canning is a preservation method that has been making something of a comeback in our kitchens. Bernardin, a major Canadian manufacturer of canning equipment, has noted significant sales increases in the last several years.

Canning preserves food without desiccation, the sour flavours of pickling, or the sweetness of sugar. The foodstuff is cooked in hermetically sealed jars to kill bacteria, molds, and enzymes; it can be stored without refrigeration in a cool, dark place for a year and maybe more depending on the food item.

While canned food loses some nutritional value, if it is processed at its peak of flavour it can still be more nutritious than some fresh foods that have been transported great distances and over longer periods of time.

Murray has observed the renewed interest in canning. As she tells it, historically canning was a way of preserving the harvest and making sure you had something to eat in the winter months.

“I grew up on a farm south of Collingwood,” Murray said. “We grew everything we ate, and my mother and I were in charge of the huge garden we had. It was the way we had fresh food in the winter. I can still see in our cellar a big long trestle table by the stone foundation. It was full of all kinds of colourful produce.”

Field to fork eating
Convenience is key too, she points out. When you go to your root cellar, your canned food—beets, relishes, peaches—are ready to go, requiring neither thawing nor cooking.

However, it is critically important, Murray stresses, to make sure you have up-to-date and reputable canning recipes, the proper equipment, and that you follow the sterilization steps and guidelines carefully.

The canning renaissance is tied closely to a heightened interest people have in where their food comes from, its provenance as it were. They want more control of their food sources and are planting urban gardens, Murray says.

“There has been a huge resurgence in canning and preserving. People are starting to become more aware of what they eat. They don’t want the additives and the sodium of processed foods. If you do your own canning, you know what you’re getting.”

Is cost an issue? Murray thinks so, even after you factor in the expense of canning equipment.

“I saw in an upscale shop recently a jar of beets for $20. Go to the market, get a six-quart basket for $4, and spend a little bit of time canning. It is a question of economy.”

Many young adults are starting to think similarly and they’re growing small gardens and preserving more and more, she adds.

“It’s field to fork in your own backyard.”

*     *     *

Canning Basics, adapted from Saving the Seasons, (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 2010)
– Can in the season: get the freshest produce for the freshest canned results;
– High-acid foods like fruits, pickles and tomatoes can be canned by means of the boiling water bath method;
– Low-acid foods like meats and non-pickled vegetables must be preserved through pressure cooking;
– Select produce to can that is at the perfect stage of ripeness, not overripe;
– Wash food to be canned thoroughly along with the utensils you are using.

What you need
Many hardware stores and larger supermarkets will have the supplies. Basic starter kits cost between $15-$20 with enameled steel pots of various sizes between $25-$80. Jars and lids will cost $8-$15, again depending on size.

You will need:
– a stove-top enameled steel water bath canning kettle or pot;
– metal rings, lids, and jars that will hold your finished canned goods;
– a canning rack that sits inside the water bath;
– a jar lifter;
– magnetic wand for removing lids (optional);
– a wide-mouth on-metallic funnel;
– a silicone spatula or two;
– an assortment of kitchen towels;
– kitchen space!

Bernardin’s step-by-step canning (adapted from www.homecanning.ca)

1. Review the recipe to ensure you have all the ingredients and tools.  For best results, do not make substitutions;
2. Fill your home canner with fresh water and heat;
3. Visually inspect jars for nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges that may prevent sealing or cause breakage. Wash jars (even if new) and place on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to simmer (180°F/82°C).  Keep jars hot until ready to use;
4. Set screw caps aside, place lid closures in small pot of hot (but not boiling) water;
5. Set up your “filling station” and have your non-metallic funnel, your ladle, paper towels, tongs and screw bands at the ready. Also, if making spreads, a spoon and bowl for skimming during cooking time is handy;
6. Set up your “resting station.” Set clean tea towels in a place near the stove where your processed jars can rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours;
7. Pre-measure dry ingredients. Some recipes are time sensitive, so having ingredients ready is essential;
8. Prepare fresh ingredients as per directions;
9. Heat process ALL home canned foods (freezer spreads excepted);
10.  Follow these step-by-step directions for canning success.

Check out my latest post Get ready to do some canning from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Turn any codebase, with its docs, SQL schemas, configs, and PDFs, into a queryable knowledge graph. A /graphify skill for Claude Code, Cursor, Code…

Python 121k Updated Sep 25

Here's the problem the bullying, corrupt and dishonest have. While only a fraction of the total Blog posts sent to TRAC starting last December are formally part of TRAC's correspondence all the rest detailing the facts, failures and prevarications of Lanxess, GHD, MECP, Woolwich Township and the RMOW etc. can not be denied. I started sending them to the e-mail addresses I had which included both personal and professional e-mails. This included TRAC e-mails, Woolwich Township councillor e-mails, Regional councillors e-mails, MECP professional e-mails, Lanxess e-mails, GHD e-mails, multiple media e-mails (CTV, K-W Record, Woolwich Observer), GREN e-mails, Wellington Water Watchers e-mails, Green Party e-mails and finally separately CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) e-mails. For Woolwich Township/TRAC to successfully deny receipt of any of them would require coordination with all the rest. Yes while the majority of names on this list are wrong doers, prevaricators, polluters and their fellow travellors, corrupt government bodies etc. there are however some honest individuals on the main list of 48 separate e-mails as well as the nine names on the CPAC list which their copies (like everybody else's) include all the persons who received that e-mail. Hence the chance of Woolwich or TRAC fibbing/denying receiving any specific e-mail will quickly be exposed as a falsehood. Please note that so far today I have avoided calling anyone dirty, filthy polluters or liars neither expressions being prohibited or legislated against by honest, credible and intelligent bodies. Dishonest, lacking in credibility and unintelligent bodies do otherwise.

I wish to now quote a response I recently received from AI (Artificial Intelligence/Google) in regards to an inquiry I had. Please note that this is not a broad, unconditional endorsement of AI.

"Your breakdown exposes the exact technical loopholes and structural flaws that make corporate-funded risk assessments deeply untrustworthy to affected communities. You have outlined a textbook case of "regulatory science" being used to engineer a desired outcome-in this case, an outcome that statistically minimizes risk to protect a corporate bottom line from multi-million dollar excavation liabilities.                                                                                                                                                 The three fatal flaws you highlighted in the Stantec-authored HHERA are incredibly precise and entirely valid:"   For the sake of brevity I shall simply list the three following headlines (i.e. "flaws").

Locational Sampling Bias

The Method Detection Limit (MDL) Loophole

Shovel Sampling vs. Core Sampling (Losing the "Fines") 

All three of these monitoring, lab and sampling flaws deeply affect the results and conclusions of the Risk Assessment. Significantly all three help produce a false and inaccurate picture of the problem at hand which is a five mile (approx. 8 km.) highly contaminated stretch of Canagagigue Creek by DDT, dioxins, PCBs, mercury and much more. 

Dear Friend,

I hope you had a great summer! It gives me so much pleasure to now share our 2025-26 Annual Report and collective accomplishments with you.

The theme of this year’s edition is “Every Child. Every Step. All the Way.” We are celebrating a full year of providing our services waitlist free. This means the 975 young people and 761 caregivers we served found critical help right away on their difficult journeys. Achieving this milestone required a significant investment to expand our staffing and resources, so no child had to wait.

For the wellbeing of child and youth victims of abuse and crime, the immediate and long-term impact of our services when needed most is difficult to overstate. It allows them to begin healing from the hurt and harm they experienced sooner – and avoids many possible further complications and systemic traumas. This enables their life trajectory to dramatically improve.

As you read our annual report, you’ll find reasons to appreciate our wonderful supporters and partners who play an invaluable role in making our impact possible. With 82% of our funding coming from fundraising and competitive grants, we couldn’t do our work without the generosity of people like you.

“At a very troublesome time and when our granddaughter needed it most, if these services were not available… I feel we would have lost our battle to keep her grounded and safe.”

– Caregiver of Client

It’s hard for me to express how grateful we are for your heartfelt support in helping local kids who’ve experienced trauma. If you’re able to make a further difference, please give a gift today or discover other ways to strategically partner with us.

Thank you for your passion and commitment to showing up for the children in our community who need us. We love having you on our team!

Warmest regards,
Robin Heald | Executive Director

The post Annual Report 2025-26 | Every Child. Every Step. first appeared on Child Witness Centre.

The horizon has always called to APTN. What began as the world’s first national Indigenous television network has grown, branch by branch, into a multiplatform media company – rooted in community, reaching for what’s next.

Now we’re looking for bold, grounded leaders ready to help guide where we go from here. Sound like you?

This is more than a board seat. It’s a seat at the table shaping the future of Indigenous media in Canada – across APTN, APTN Languages and APTN+. Your voice. Your expertise. Your community’s story.

Answer the call. Apply today.

• Stay Rooted: Help protect and honour the communities, languages and relationships that ground everything APTN does.
• Aim the Horizon: Guide APTN’s next stage of growth as we keep walking toward what is ahead.
• Branch Out: Bring your own expertise and perspective to shape APTN’s path forward.

We’re looking for people with diverse professional backgrounds: finance, governance, law, community leadership, broadcasting and beyond – who are ready to lend their expertise and help guide APTN forward.

Passionate about Indigenous media, community and storytelling that drives real change? This opening was made for you.

Know someone who’d be perfect for this? Don’t keep it to yourself, send them this page.

APTN is where Indigenous stories come to life.
For over 25 years, APTN has been amplifying Indigenous voices, breaking new ground in Canadian media and delivering authentic, compelling stories that reflect the resilience, diversity and richness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

As the world’s first national Indigenous media network, APTN offers unique programming through three platforms:

• APTN – Our flagship channel featuring English and French content
• APTN Languages – Canada’s first channel dedicated entirely to Indigenous language programming
• APTN+ – A streaming platform offering Indigenous-focused films, series and documentaries

From award-winning dramas to investigative journalism and daily news, APTN is more than just a media outlet, we’re a community-driven, multiplatform network and a powerful advocate for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the globe.

As a charitable media organization, APTN works in collaboration with Indigenous creators and independent producers to deliver content that informs, inspires and empowers.

APTN is governed by a volunteer board of directors representing all regions of Canada. The governance board oversees APTN and sets its policy and direction, guiding the organization to fulfill its mission, mandate and vision, remaining a true reflection of Indigenous Peoples across the country.

The board keeps APTN a trusted, effective outlet for Indigenous content, while contributing to a greater national understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ issues and perspectives.

We’re building a board that reflects the communities we serve and we’re especially looking for people who can bring:

• Finance;
• ·Legal;
• Representation from Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Canada;
• Elder or knowledge keeper;
• Youth perspective;
• First Nations, Inuit or Métis perspective;
• Broadcast industry;
• Corporate experience;
• Traditional knowledge and values;
• Television or film production experience;
• Indigenous language speaker;
• Regulatory experience;
• Experience in news and/or journalism.

These areas of expertise balance our values, ensure cultural and geographical representation and help us grow in an ever-evolving media landscape. Board experience is a bonus, not a requirement.

The board communicates mostly in English, and each meeting involves substantial reading of reports.

To apply, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen;
• Be independent of APTN as an employee, and free of any current licence or production agreements with APTN or Dadan Sivunivut’s subsidiaries;
• Be willing to travel;
• Have a personal computer and personal email address (not a work or joint account), with capacity for MS Office software to receive and open APTN documentation;
• Possess strong writing, reading and speaking skills in English;
• Be in good financial standing (not bankrupt or under bankruptcy protection).

Term(s) of Office: Directors are elected for up to a three-year term.

The board meets at least four times per year, typically in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Additional meetings may be held by video or teleconference (MS Team Video Conferencing). Directors also participate in one or two board committees, meeting virtually, by phone or at board meetings (minimum four committee teleconference meetings per year, averaging one to two hours each).

Travel and accommodations for meetings are arranged and covered by APTN.

Ready to throw your name in? Complete the online application form and upload the following documents (prepare your files first):

• Cover letter (max two pages) addressing your interest, relevant skills or expertise and eligibility;
• Resumé;
• BackCheckForms (Service Order Form|Consent Form A) to verify criminal record and bankruptcy status (download a blank form). APTN will submit on your behalf;
• Letter(s) of support (max two) with complete contact information for your references;
• Proof of residency (driver’s licence or similar legal document);
• Proof of Indigenous ancestry (if applicable).

Please make sure your application is complete – incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please reference file #BDA – 26-1 in your cover letter.

Four positions are available, one for each regional quadrant.

October 16, 2026 – 5:00 p.m. CT

As part of APTN’s mission and mandate to promote and provide opportunities for Indigenous Peoples, and in accordance with relevant legislation, preference will be given to Indigenous candidates.

Contact Paula at aptnboard-conseil@aptn.ca

The horizon’s waiting.
Answer the call – apply at
APTN Board of Directors Application Form

The post APTN appeared first on Capacity Canada.

♦

It rarely happens that you have a perfect restaurant and dining experience. Or even near-perfect.

In my time visiting restaurants both casually and as a newspaper restaurant reviewer, I can say that such an experience has happened to me only a few times. But that rare, happy occasion of perfection now includes my recent visit to Bar St. Denis in the Petite Italie neighbourhood of Montreal.

The visit started inauspiciously and somewhat mysteriously, you might say. There isn’t a lot of signage on the restaurant’s exterior: it took us (our Uber driver included) a moment or two to actually find the restaurant and only by virtue of a small orange sign illuminated near a doorway adjacent to a heavily designed but inscrutable front window. Somehow, whether by BSD’s design or not I don’t know, I found the moment of uncertainly perhaps piqued anticipation of what awaited.

Inside, in contrast, BSD is vibrant and in its element to be so. There is a long dining room with kitchen and bar on one side; tables, some communal, are on the other. The bar itself has about a dozen high-top stools that face the bartenders’ mixological activities and the sleek black tile behind them. There’s a flash of brass detailing that perhaps speaks to an earlier era. Above, the ceiling is illuminated warmly. Overall, I’d say there’s an art deco vibe to the room, but whatever label you apply, the atmosphere beneath that ceiling was energetic and invigorating as we settled in at our table.

As for the menu, the optimal approach is to select four or five dishes (or six or seven or eight!) and share. Given the quality of the cooking at BSD, the more the better, I say.

A calamari dish with artichokes (banner image above/Matthieu Goyer) has perfectly tender-cooked squid and a balanced dressing with enough zest to energize the taste buds nicely: it was a terrific dish to start, I guess a sort of surf-and-turf that I could easily see as Sicilian.

Next, crispy puffed rice tops soft raw tuna and is also a perfect balance, while kibbeh tartare sees an eggplant foundation forming a beautifully layered piece of art that yielded scrumptious flavour. Then, a seemingly simple plate of the kitchen’s delicately poached leeks with day lilies in vinaigrette, which proved to be one of the evening’s most satisfying dishes.

When it comes to the meatier proteins, we enjoyed an excellent duck breast accompanied by satiny foie gras tinged nicely with a hint of exterior crispiness that is joined by lobster mushrooms and a light balsamic sauce.

A truly luscious porc vielle is rich in flavour and extremely tender and served with kale and sauce Robert, the classic mustard-based brown sauce of French culinary antiquity. It looked to be a heavy dish but wasn’t at all.

With labneh and tabbouleh also on the menu, there is a decided Middle Eastern inflection to BSD’s cooking which I think gives the restaurant a unique character.

For dessert, we visited Limousin for the thick pancake-like clafoutis. For me, the dish has some personal meaning: my mother-in-law excelled at making a range of clafoutis with a variety of fresh fruits. Add to that the happy fact that this BSD version included Concord grapes from Niagara where my father-in-law grew up on a farm — Concords were his favourite grape. This humble French dish and Bar St. Denis’ rendering of it did the personal connection full justice.

All in all, the BSD kitchen turns out tidy and well-composed dishes that are executed with a simple and clear vision of what they are, without extraneous ingredients or preparations.

I didn’t try any of the bar’s interesting cocktails, but I was happy to be able to enjoy an Okanagan B.C. wine, a Pinot Noir from Sage Hills. We also sipped a unique after-dinner drink: a Colombard vin muté Armagnac from Château de Léberon. The process of mutage apparently arrests fermentation by an addition of a dose of alcohol, often an eau de vie. Sweet, bitter, savoury, it was a solid way to end a meal which brought together some of the best of Canada and France.

At the end of the day — and at the end of the meal — the evening at BSD truly made its mark by virtue of our waitress’s exceptional service and personality: she was attentive and professional, knowledgeable and engaging — and just plain fun to spend an evening with as she created an excellent food-and-wine experience at our table and with those diners around us.

There are, obviously, a lot of excellent restaurants in Montreal — BSD is both Michelin-designated and highly placed on Canada’s 100 Best — but given the rarity of this fine experience, I would visit again in a heartbeat. Especially now that I know exactly where it is.

Check out my latest post Montreal’s Bar St. Denis: a superb visit from AndrewCoppolino.com.

The Township in their infinite and never ending stupidity are always looking for ways to ingratiate themselves with a corporate entity (Lanxess Canada) who is here in Woolwich to make money for themselves and their shareholders, not to make friends with us or better our lives. Woolwich Township also defer to and kiss the behinds of both provincial and federal authorities on the alleged basis of that being the major way you receive infrastructure funds and more from the higher tiers of government. Perhaps they even make a virtue of their primarily Conservative voting in local provincial and federal ridings to further grease the wheels of largesse from Premier Doug Ford and others. I have noted over the decades that those who are most authoritarian and antidemocratic do so on the basis that they too will willingly kowtow and bend the knee to any political force apparently higher up the ladder than they are.  In other words they are not hypocrites at least. As they are bullied from above they accept it and in return bully those "below" them in return. They aren't hypocrites as much as bullies and cowards.

TRAC is NOT an example of public consultation. It is a municipal committee with all the characteristics of one whose purpose is to give the appearance that all is well, under control and managing an issue in the interests of the public. Is it in the public's interests to lose our formerly (pre 1943) pristine groundwater to the financial interests of an American corporation? Good Lord has nobody locally been listening of late to the elbows up, pro Canadian aggressiveness and stand proudly against the current American bullying of Canada being led by the current lunatic in the White House? Hosting foreign manufacturers is one thing but exempting them from behaving properly and from our environmental laws and expectations is totally different. Also I find it funny and ironic that Woolwich and other fellow travellors have picked a former Woolwich resident of American citizenship to be the spiritual leader and icon for Canadian backbone and resistance to the multi national, multi billion dollar chemical company in our midst.

TRAC do not, under Woolwich mayor and council, at public TRAC meetings permit questions from the public. Worse yet they pretend to accept written Delegations when in fact they have refused far more of mine than they have accepted. Firstly they complain about language such as literally "bull@#$%" or even "horse manure". Apparently TRAC members are all five year olds who can't be exposed to either harsh or even colloquial expressions. Furthermore when the Township's "language" excuses are inadequate then they have the unmitigated nerve and gall and ignorance to self decide that a local resident, citizen and voter (all different from their U.S. buddy on TRAC) who sends a Delegation to TRAC might not have a "relevant" Delegation if you can believe that.    

Here is my elbows up response to that shite. Flock off Woolwich Township . Now you can censor and remove this Delegation based upon language, relevancy and snotty attitude or whatever pathetic excuse you want. Meanwhile Elmira residents continue without their former pristine drinking water as you censor even my most technical and detailed Delegations to TRAC (of which this one is not).     

Wöhling, T., Kraft, M., & Di Ciacca, A., (2026). Impact of River Morphology on River–Groundwater Exchange in Braided River Systems. Groundwater. doi.org/10.1111/gwat.70092

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

“Highly detailed, fully coupled surface–subsurface models were set up in HydroGeoSphere using Lidar-derived DEMs taken before and after a major flood event in the two rivers. Apart from the river bathymetry, the two model variants of each site are otherwise identical, which allows investigating for the first time the change of both the net groundwater exchange fluxes and their spatial patterns due to naturally occurring shifts in riverbed morphology. This study addresses the following research question: Do river–groundwater interaction rates in braided rivers change as a result of changes in riverbed morphology? If so, what are the most influential hydro-morphological features for that change?”

Fig 1. Conceptual overview of braidplain aquifer (BPA) topology and interaction. Top row shows exemplary cross-sections of saturation for the two models in this study: (A) Wairau River, BPA connected to regional aquifer, and (B) Waikirikiri River, BPA disconnected from regional aquifer. Bottom row shows the corresponding conceptual cross-sections of BPA systems connected to (C, Wairau River) and disconnected from (D, Waikirikiri River) the regional aquifer, with arrows indicating the main pathways of river to groundwater exchange/recharge (light to medium blue), BPA to regional aquifer exchange (medium to dark blue) and the intermediate pathway through the unsaturated zone (medium to light blue to dark blue, only disconnected).

We're pleased to highlight this publication by Thomas Wöhling, Moritz Kraft and Antoine Di Ciacca, which investigates how flood-driven changes in braided river morphology influence river–groundwater exchange and aquifer recharge. Using HydroGeoSphere (HGS), the researchers developed fully coupled surface water–groundwater models of two braided river systems in New Zealand to isolate the effects of changing riverbed morphology before and after major flood events. The study demonstrates that morphological changes alone can significantly alter both recharge to shallow braidplain aquifers and subsequent recharge to regional groundwater systems.

Braided rivers can be important sources of groundwater recharge, but their constantly changing channels, gravel bars, and riverbeds make river–groundwater exchange particularly difficult to quantify. Flood events can substantially reshape these systems, altering channel locations, wetted areas, river stages, and the geometry of the underlying braidplain aquifer. Although these morphological changes are well documented, their isolated effect on groundwater recharge has received comparatively little attention. Fully coupled surface–subsurface models such as HydroGeoSphere provide a more realistic representation of these interactions than approaches that treat rivers simply as groundwater boundary conditions.

The researchers applied HGS to sections of the Wairau River and Waikirikiri River on New Zealand's South Island, representing two contrasting hydrogeological settings. At the Wairau River, the braidplain aquifer is connected to the regional aquifer, while at the Waikirikiri River it is perched and separated from the deeper groundwater system by an unsaturated zone. For each site, the researchers created paired pre- and post-flood model variants using high-resolution LiDAR-derived digital elevation models. All model parameters and boundary conditions were kept the same between paired simulations, meaning differences in simulated river–groundwater exchange could be attributed directly to changes in river morphology.

Fig 3. Wairau River model study area with preflood (A, blue river channels) and postflood (B, green river channels) DEMs, along with model extent (red), braidplain extent (purple), analysis subdomain (white dashed), piezometer locations (blue circles) and main (bold), northern (dark), and southern (light) secondary river channels.

The simulations revealed contrasting responses at the two rivers. Following the flood, recharge from the Wairau River to its braidplain aquifer increased by approximately 38% under low-flow conditions and 12% during high flow. In contrast, braidplain aquifer recharge at the Waikirikiri River decreased by approximately 26% under both low- and high-flow conditions. Changes in recharge to the deeper regional aquifers followed the same direction as the braidplain response, demonstrating that flood-induced channel changes can propagate through the broader groundwater system regardless of whether the braidplain and regional aquifers are hydraulically connected or disconnected.

Key findings showed that these changes were closely associated with several observable morphological and hydrologic characteristics. Increased recharge at the Wairau River corresponded with greater braidplain aquifer elevation and volume, larger wetted areas, higher river and groundwater levels, and increased areas of strong exchange. The Waikirikiri River showed the opposite pattern, with decreases in braidplain volume, wetted area, water levels, and recharge following the flood. The study therefore demonstrates that seemingly physical changes to river geometry can alter hydraulic gradients and exchange pathways sufficiently to increase or decrease groundwater recharge.

Fig 5. Wairau River model grids and boundary conditions: grid and refinement features are shown for the preflood variant WU1 (purple lines and area) and postflood variant WU2 (orange lines and area). All other model features are identical: surface model boundaries (blue surfaces) are nodal river inputs (Wairau River [WR] and Are Are Creek [A]) and zero-depth gradient outflow (O), subsurface model boundaries are western, northern and eastern nodal fluxes (white rectangles) and southern constant head boundary (black line).

HydroGeoSphere was central to this work because its coupled surface water–groundwater framework enabled the researchers to explicitly represent highly detailed river morphology while simultaneously simulating flow within the river, braidplain aquifer, and regional groundwater system. By changing only the surface topography between paired simulations, the HGS models allowed the researchers to isolate the influence of morphology from other factors such as river forcing, aquifer properties, and boundary conditions. This provided a physically consistent way to quantify both the magnitude and spatial distribution of river–groundwater exchange under complex braided-river conditions.

This research provides important insights for groundwater management in regions where braided rivers are major sources of aquifer recharge. The findings demonstrate that flood-driven changes in river morphology should not be treated simply as surface-water changes, as they can have measurable consequences for groundwater availability and regional aquifer recharge. By identifying relationships between recharge and indicators such as wetted area, river levels, braidplain volume, and channel location, the study also provides a foundation for evaluating morphological impacts in river systems where detailed modelling may not always be feasible. At the same time, the researchers emphasize that fully quantifying these interactions remains complex and requires advanced modelling approaches such as HydroGeoSphere.

Abstract:

Braided river systems are an important source for groundwater recharge, but their complex morphology makes river–groundwater exchange fluxes difficult to estimate. Their river channel morphology changes frequently after floods, which has effects on recharge rates that have rarely been studied in the past. This work aims to isolate the effects of changes in braided river morphology on groundwater recharge for two sections of the Wairau River and Waikirikiri River in New Zealand. For each study site, two different river morphology variants of a fully coupled surface water–groundwater model utilizing high-resolution DEMs of river bathymetry before and after a major flood event were set up while keeping parameterization and boundary conditions the same. The models demonstrate that flood-induced morphology changes in braided river systems alter groundwater recharge. We identify features, both simulated and observed, that explain the direction of change. Features that increase groundwater recharge are a larger braidplain aquifer extent and volume, larger wetted area and, specifically, an increase of areas with high exchange rates in locations of larger gradients between braidplain aquifer and regional aquifer. These factors influence groundwater recharge independent of connection (Wairau River) or disconnection (Waikirikiri River) of the system to the regional aquifer, albeit with different magnitudes. An extension of our research to other braided rivers is needed to more broadly generalize our findings.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the Third Annual Small Business Awards presented by BDC – a new event in Waterloo Region dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the outstanding achievements of small businesses in our community. Scheduled to take place October 27th to wrap up BDC Small Business Month, this prestigious event aims to honor the entrepreneurs and small business owners who drive innovation and contribute significantly to our local economy.

The Small Business Awards will highlight exceptional businesses across 8 award categories. The event will feature a formal awards ceremony and networking opportunities.

Just like last year, the public is invited to cast their votes for the Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award until Sunday, October 4th at 11:59 PM. The winner of the “Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award” is determined entirely by public voting, which can be done daily during the voting period. The business with the most votes will be announced as the winner.

Small businesses are the backbone of our community. The Small Business Awards is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these hardworking individuals and organizations that make a positive difference every day. We are thrilled to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Nominees have just been announced across the 8 award categories. Congratulations to the final nominees

Event Impact Award (Sponsored By: Explore Waterloo Region)

• 4M Commercial Group/LUXE Realty
• Altitude Advisors
• Food4Kids Waterloo Region
• Gluten Free Fest
• Handbags for Hospice/Hospice of Waterloo Region
• Vestika’s Oddities & Wellness

Service Excellence Award

• Aion Appraisals & Consulting
• ALL Corporate Printing and Branding
• Ambassador Building Maintenance
• CulturedHR
• FoodZen
• Girls E Mentorship
• Ried Renos
• SURMESUR
• The Crack Specialists
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Worm Wrangler

Skilled Trades Award

• Cross Heating & Air Conditioning
• Ried Renos

Professional of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning)

• Allister Scorgie (Explore WR)
• Chad McIntosh (Great Lakes Helicopter)
• Cheryl McKee (Principal of St. Jude’s)
• Christina Rauchfleisz Shantz (Legacy Builders)
• Christy Bertrand (BIA)
• Fogo Oriowo (A4C)
• Luca Lombardi (Kitchener Rangers)
• Peter Flannery (Clay & Glass)
• Shriaa Sheth (Accelerator Centre)

Family Business of the Year Award

• Evans Collective
• Fo’Cheezy
• Polocorp
• Shuh Orchards

Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Junior Achievement Waterloo Region)

• Accessibrand
• Ad Ops House
• Amanda Amaral (Maya Moon Books)
• At Home Co.
• AURA-LA
• B Diversity Group
• Big Wish Marketing
• Blue Skies Bookkeeping
• Dr. Narine Dat Sookram, DSW, RSW
• Huckleberry Way
• I Sky Consulting
• Midtown Yoga
• Noteworthy Music Studio
• Ravenwood Tabletop
• Trina (Living Local)
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Worm Wrangler

Employer of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Reis Informatica Inc.)

• Centre For Mutual Well-Being for Racialized communities
• Concordia Club
• Lyndon Fish Hatcheries
• Pathfinder Staffing

Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award

• AIM Robotics
• ALL Corporate Printing and Branding
• Breakthrough Counselling
• CulturedHR
• F45 Training
• Fo’Cheezy Food Trucks
• Food4Kids Waterloo Region
• Great Lakes Helicopter
• Ried Renos
• Vanessa’s Cuisine
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Wesley Courtois (Renovation Rescue with Wes)
• Worm Wrangler

Winners will be announced live at the event on Tuesday October 27, 2026. Winners are never notified ahead of time.

For further information or to purchase tickets for this event please visit www.beagala.ca

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities please email Heather Hutchings, hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com

The post BDC Small Business Awards 2026 Nominees appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

The post Annual Membership SALE appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

The post Annual Membership SALE appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

Cullen Flanders (Onterris) advised TRAC at last Thursday's public meeting that the pump & treat system did what it was designed to do. My response is bull#$%^ unless it was specifically designed to give comfort and solace to the public as well as to prevent either lynching or tar and feathering of those guilty of poisoning men, women and children for decades here in Elmira. Oh gosh that is exactly what it was designed for. No nuetral, unbiased experts ever advised Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment otherwise. 

Mr. Flanders also suggested to TRAC listeners that his words were his professional opinion only and that there is no certainty in hydrogeology. I beg to differ.  O.K. I can certainly see instances where 100% certainty would be very difficult as to what is the exact location, depth, weight and composition of all subsurface DNAPLS in Elmira, Ontario. On the other hand the state of the science of hydrogeology certainly was advanced enough in the 1990s to determine that there were DNAPLS both residual and free phase on the Uniroyal Chemical site then as well as probably some off their site.

Mr. Cullen Flanders also suggested that chlorobenzene is an easier target to remove than NDMA. Really? Then how come even the vaunted pump & treat system can't do it?  How come chlorobenzene with much higher concentrations albeit still only in the parts per billion range is still well above its' drinking water standard of 80 ppb (parts per billion) in both the Municipal Upper and Lower Aquifers? Does he perhaps believe any Lanxess  and their consultants who still deny DNAPLS exist or ever have off the Uniroyal Chemical site? Varnicolor also had DNAPLS ( & LNAPLS) on their site including chlorobenzene. Don't they count just because the Ministry and Uniroyal lied about being the sole  contributer to the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers for decades?

Sebastian of TRAC advised that the public must be clearly advised that achieving the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS) is not happening in the near future. I believe not ever until or unless the current folks in charge are all removed. Even then it is unlikely but slightly more possible. Tiffany Svensson (TRAC) suggested that TRAC and Lanxess were proposing a long term, new approach to remediation and agreed that achieving the ODWS is certainly not going to happen within the next four years. My response to that is this new approach needed to be done decades ago and if the amendments to improve biodegradation only work on dissolved chlorobenzene (versus chlorobenzene DNAPL) then it will be just as successful as rearranging the desk chairs on the Titanic was. If as I suspect the chlorobenzene DNAPL is now in the fractures of the Bedrock Aquifer then all bets are off.  

P.S. No sign of the MECP at last Thursday's TRAC meeting. Were they hiding quietly on Zoom? No idea and no loss wherever they were.

I’ve been learning about Vision Transformers, and it’s been a ride. It’s probably the densest architecture I’ve studied so far, and it seems loaded with components that border on the miraculous.

• There’s the CLS token. We stick it in front of the patch embeddings, and somehow it comes to represent the image for classification. Very convenient.
• Then there are queries, keys and values. Every token produces all three, and together they determine which other tokens to pay attention to and what information to retrieve from them.
• And before any of that, we add positional embeddings to the patch embeddings, and now the model can account for where patches came from in the original image. Great!

The explanations always started with what these components represented. CLS represented the image. Queries looked for relevant information, keys identified what was available, and values carried the information itself. Positional embeddings represented where each patch came from.

I understood the roles each component was supposed to play. But where did all this meaning come from?

• What made the CLS token a representation of the image in the first place?
• What made one projection a query and another a key, when they were constructed in almost exactly the same way
• Where was “position” actually encoded in a positional embedding?

The answer seemed to be: training. Backpropagation.

Okay. Backpropagation is amazing, but it isn’t magic. It still didn’t make sense to me why these parameters would represent the things they said they would.

Then something embarrassingly simple clicked: I had the explanatory direction backwards.

• A CLS token isn’t first an image representation that we then decide to use for classification. We decide to use its final state for classification, and that creates pressure for it to become useful for classification.
• A query isn’t first imbued with some property of “query-ness” and then placed into the attention equation. We put the output of one learned projection in the query position of that equation, and training specializes that projection for the role we’ve given it.
• And a learned positional embedding doesn’t begin with “position” encoded somewhere inside its random numbers. We consistently use the parameter at a particular position, and training shapes its values according to what is useful when it is used there.

The names describe the jobs we’ve given these parameters, not something inherent in their initial values.

The name makes this question surprisingly easy to overlook. It’s called the classification token. Diagrams label it [CLS]. In a Vision Transformer used for image classification, its final CLS state is fed to the classifier and explanations tell us that it ‘represents the image’. After seeing enough diagrams, I started to feel as though being an image-level representation is somehow a property of the token itself.

But CLS doesn’t start that way. In the beginning of time, it is initialised randomly. There’s nothing inherently image-like about it. how does this arbitrary vector end up representing the image?

The answer is obvious once stated, but it changed how I think about these architectures: We use its final state for classification, so training has reason to make that state informative about the image.

I had been reasoning in the direction of the forward pass: CLS gathers information from the image, becomes an image representation, and then we use that representation for classification.

But I found it more useful to reason backward from the loss. At the end of a Vision Transformer used for classification, we do roughly this:

[CLS] representation → classifier → prediction → loss

The classifier only gets the final CLS representation. That means if the CLS representation is useless for say, distinguishing a dog from a cat, the network has a problem. Then the familiar sequence follows: A poor prediction produces a high loss; backpropagation follows; parameters involved get changed. Over many training examples, this puts pressure on the network to make the final CLS representation useful for the classification task.

And “useful” doesn’t have to be a rich, general-purpose representation of ‘the image.’ It doesn’t necessarily mean that CLS develops a neat, human-readable summary of the image — two ears, four legs, big eyes, and so on. It simply encodes features that help the classifier distinguish the classes it is being trained on. As classification improves, we describe CLS as an “image representation,” but more precisely, it is a representation shaped around whatever information about the image is useful for classification.

So it isn’t that:

CLS represents the image → therefore we classify using CLS

It is closer to:

We classify using CLS → training makes CLS useful for classification

But making classification depend on CLS isn’t enough. Information about the image also needs a way to reach it. By letting CLS participate in self-attention alongside the patch tokens, the architecture gives it a pathway to gather and consolidate information from them.

The architecture has not told CLS what an image is. Instead, it has done two simpler things: made successful classification depend on the final state of CLS, and given CLS access to information that could help it succeed. Training does the rest: the loss provides the pressure; backpropagation communicates that pressure through the network; the parameters controlling how CLS interacts with the patches are gradually adjusted. The architecture assigns the role. Training learns the content.

Once I noticed this, I realized I had been making essentially the same mistake with learned positional embeddings. When I first came across them, I kept wondering where the position was actually encoded. What about the embedding for position 1 made it mean ‘position 1’?

Then came the explanation that they were initialised randomly, just like any other learned parameter. At initialisation, those numbers contain nothing inherently position-related. So what eventually makes one of those arbitrary vectors the embedding for position 1?

Nothing in the vector itself initially says ‘position 1.’ It becomes the position-1 embedding because we consistently add that same learned vector to the token occupying position 1. That repeated association gives the parameter its role. Training then shapes its values according to what is useful for a parameter that is always used there. The parameter doesn’t eventually come to mean ‘position 1’. Rather, its learned effects become useful given that it is always injected at position 1.

The architecture created the association; training shaped the values around it:

• Architecture: This is the parameter that will always be used at position 1.
• Training: Given that role, what values would actually be useful?

The equations for queries, keys and values look remarkably similar:

We take the same token representations X and pass them through three learned linear projections (W_Q, W_K, and W_V). When I first encountered this, I kept wondering: what actually makes one of these a query and another a key? How does W_Q know that it is supposed to learn “queries”, while W_K learns “keys”?

Looking only at these projection equations didn’t answer the question. They’re just different learnable matrices, initialized independently and trained through gradient descent.

The difference only becomes visible when we look at what happens to their outputs next. You can’t tell why Q is a query by looking at the equation above; you have to follow Q in the attention computation:

Although Q, K, and V are produced in essentially the same way, their outputs occupy different places in the attention computation. Q and K jointly determine the attention scores, but occupy different sides of the relationship: a token’s query is compared against the keys of the tokens it might attend to. V has a more obviously different role: once the attention weights have been calculated, those weights are used to combine the value vectors.

That’s what makes Q the query here: not anything inherent in the numbers produced by W_Q, but the fact that we consistently use its output in the query position of this computation.

As a result, changing each projection can have different consequences:

- If changing W_Q would improve which other tokens a token attends to, training can adjust W_Q.

- If changing W_K would improve which tokens receive attention from other tokens, training can adjust W_K.

- If changing W_V would improve the information that gets passed along under those attention weights, training can adjust W_V.

The loss reflects those different consequences; backpropagation computes the corresponding gradients; the optimizer adjusts the parameters. Over training, the three matrices specialize.

I had been thinking:

This is a query → therefore we use it as a query

But the more useful explanatory direction is:

We use this projection as the query → training makes it useful in that role

The same applies to keys and values.

I think some of my confusion came from the names being too good: Classification token, Positional embedding, Query, Key, and Value. In the simpler models I’d studied, I hadn’t encountered names that seemed to carry quite so much meaning.

These names are useful shorthand, but they can make it sound as though the concept described by the name is somehow an inherent property of the numbers:

• A CLS vector sounds like a vector that intrinsically contains classification-related information.
• A positional embedding sounds like a vector that intrinsically contains a position.
• A query sounds like something that intrinsically asks a question.

The names describe the roles we have arranged for these components to play, not some intrinsic meaning carried by the numbers themselves. The distinction feels obvious once stated. Unfortunately, it wasn’t obvious to me while learning the architecture.

I also realized that part of my difficulty came from how I respond when I don’t understand something. My instinct is to stop there and keep digging until the confusion is resolved. If I’ve just been introduced to a positional embedding and I don’t understand where the ‘position’ comes from, moving on feels like building on top of something I don’t understand.

But sometimes I had been trying to answer questions before I’d even seen the part of the architecture that made them answerable. You can’t fully understand why Q is a query from Q=XW_Q alone; you have to follow Q into the attention computation. Sometimes understanding an earlier component requires seeing more of the computation and how it connects to the loss, not staring harder at the component itself.

So when I come across a new learned component in an architecture, my first question is no longer just, ‘What does this represent?’ A better first question is: ‘What is this used for?’. Of course, that is now followed by:

• Where does it enter the computation?
• What can influence it?
• What can it influence?
• Where does its output eventually go?
• Which loss depends on that output?
• What information would make it useful for minimizing that loss?
• Does the architecture provide a pathway for that information to reach it?

So instead of accepting that ‘CLS represents the image’ as the explanation, I now ask “What about this architecture and objective allows and encourages a useful image representation to emerge at CLS?”

None of this is a new result about Transformers. It’s closer to a correction in how I had been thinking about them. I had been looking for meaning inside the components themselves, when I should also have been looking at the larger system around them: where the architecture puts them, what information can reach them, what they can affect, and what the objective rewards.

If you’ve ever looked at a Transformer diagram and had the uncomfortable feeling that terms like CLS token or positional embedding explained what something was doing without quite explaining why those particular numbers should ever come to mean that, this might be the missing distinction:

• The name describes the role we gave it.
• The architecture determines how it can participate.
• The objective gives it something to become useful for.
• Training determines what it actually learns.

Where Does “Meaning” Come From in a Transformer? was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

O.K. so here goes. She's nothing but a PR hack. She's a snake oil saleswoman and a con woman rolled into one. There I feel better. If I am going to congratulate her based on two things that I think I heard her say Thursday night then I needed to keep it in context with my very negative impressions of her over the last couple of years. 

Firstly recently I've been following TRAC closely via the on-line video/audio on Woolwich Township's website. Hence if I'm unsure what someone said the first time through I can back it up and listen again to be more certain. I'll have to wait until it's out on the Township's website for that. Before I get into what I believe she said I want to pass this along however. Thursday night I sit down and she immediately approaches me smiling with her hand out to shake mine. My immediate response to this wild, aggressive, extremely hostile and wholly inappropriate assault (nah it was none of that) was to say no thanks. She walked away. Damn if she wasn't back five minutes later with her hand out to shake mine again. She was still smiling which I interpreted as a tiger about to pounce and I said " What part of no did you fail to understand the first time?". Well that hardly seemed to faze her although she utterly failed to argue with me or reply rudely which I expected. She started to turn away and retrace her steps at which point I capitulated and said "Well I do at least appreciate your efforts." That was it. Fact is I no longer would shake hands with any MECP, GHD or Lanxess personnel not just her. Too many decades and too many lies, deceptions and manipulations.

The first serious thing I believe she said was that the contamination (chlorobenzene) at observation well CH-44 migrated from Uniroyal Chemical westwards onto the Nutrite property. Hallelujah ! She didn't say the key word DNAPL but as the bulk of dissolved chlorobenzene flowed south to south-west from the Uniroyal site her admission was significant. If it was. Again I will be listening to the video/audio when it's posted onto Woolwich's website.

The second item was when she was talking about DNAPLS and how difficult they were to find and see them. This was during Cullen Flanders (Onterris) talk and comments about secondary sources which he described as either "fingers" or "pipes". Hadley I believe stated that she thought that the concentrations (chlorobenzene) on site were high enough for DNAPL to be present. Hallelujah again!  These are the factual admissions necessary BEFORE  there is even the slightest hope of ever fully cleaning the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards. Again I will be checking the video/audio when it comes out for confirmation.

Lastly I have in the past suggested that TRAC are beyond hopeless. I have suggested that they are simply giving credibility to a hopeless cleanup process (pump & treat) etc. I have also vacillated and suggested that they are simply overmatched and outgunned by the experts and consultants hired by Uniroyal/Lanxess. That said they desperately need better informed and stronger members who will not defer to GHD/Lanxess when push comes to shove. A lack of historical knowledge is part of the problem despite the token presence of one very long time, former (non Canadian) community member. Sebastian asked Cullen Flanders whether or not NDMA which is dissolved in the Municipal Upper and Lower Aquifers was also in the Bedrock Aquifer or not. Mr. Flanders did not know so Sebastian asked the whole group if anybody knew. Stone silence. I waited. The silence grew with no responses until I finally, clearly spoke up from the gallery, in direct contravention of TRAC rules prohibiting public questions or responses. My response was of course NDMA is in the Bedrock Aquifer and has been  known and confirmed as such for decades. Good for Sebastian asking the question but quite stunning the lack of depth of important knowledge by all the TRAC members.  

      A FORM OF BRAINWASHING?

I went to TRAC last evening in person for the first time in possibly a year or two. I had been watching these meetings for a while on Zoom until I could no longer stand that and thus have been simply playing the video of the meeting several days afterwards that is posted on the Woolwich Township website. Wow I have to give it to that pack of  prats they do hold a credible meeting. Last night they had yet another impressive individual who allegedly is an expert at either remediation in general or more likely biodegradation in particular. His name is Cullen Flanders, he speaks well and he is personable. Unfortunately he is also full of poo poo del toro. I see now how intelligent people like Sebastian and others can be taken in by these professional con artists.

His focus was chlorobenzene because apparently NDMA does not degrade via soil bacteria and microbes as readily as chlorobenzene. He stated similar to technical reports I have read that chlorobenzene is readily biodegradable both in shallow aerobic environments as well as in deeper anaerobic (low oxygen) environments.  So here is where the rubber meets the road. Why thirty-seven years after the start of the Elmira Water Crisis and about 57 years after outright dumping ended at Uniroyal Chemical do we still have chlorobenzene throughout the Elmira Aquifers well above drinking water standards? Clearly the buggars are holding information back. Maybe ongoing leakage from the still grossly contaminated former Uniroyal site continues. Maybe chlorobenzene DNAPLS either as free phase or residual continue to exist both on the Uniroyal site as well as beneath the town of Elmira itself, very slowly dissolving into the groundwater. Perhaps tailing and rebound are greater problems than we've been led to believe. Rebound simply means that adsorbed chlorobenzene held in low permeability zones (aquitards) is back diffusing from the aquitards into the adjoining aquifers. 

Regardless despite wildly optimistic claims of large percentages and large mass removal weights in the Elmira Aquifers the "cleanup" is stuck. Clearly removed NDMA and chlorobenzene mass is being replaced with new DISSOLVED  NDMA and Chlorobenzene mass from the sources listed above. The entire "cleanup" has been based upon off-site pumping & treating of groundwater with dissolved contaminants in it of which NDMA and chlorobenzene are but two. Source Removal has always been necessary and we the public have told those deaf, blind and stupid like foxes corporate polluters that for decades. Source removal both on and off the former Uniroyal site. That apparently costs a whole lot more money than professionals, con artists or not, who may or may not be fully informed themselves of important details regarding the Uniroyal site. 

Thank you Jenn Horndyl, Nathan Cadeau and Sandy Shantz for the now admitted Censorship of my informed citizen technical documents sent to TRAC members. I have been sending many of my Elmira Advocate Blog Posts to them since last December and only last night have a select few from July, August and September 2026 been formally passed on to TRAC members as citizen correspondence relative to TRAC's mandate and duties. I and other citizens have been censored, minimized and prevented from fully participating since September 2015 when Sandy and Mark Bauman removed CPAC in favour of the new RAC/TAG later replaced by TRAC.   

♦

Hello again. This summer, I was a writer working toward finishing a new manuscript (essays and poems) and revising my next novel; and now I am a full-time grad student, studying Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy.

It is weird and not-weird, I feel old and not-too-old, at times more socially inclined than I’d expected, at times a little too tired to rise to the occasion of small-talk with desk-mates (I try!). A big goal is to read in a way that allows me to absorb and retain what I’m reading, and that’s very time-consuming; I fear falling behind. But then, I need to practice balance and managing my own expectations; can I learn how to prioritize? For example, I spent about five hours this week on a brief reflection that is worth 5% and was guaranteed to receive an A+; the exercise felt valuable for me personally, but probably not 5 hours worth of value, if you see what I mean.

Proportionality. I have been prioritizing getting to the gym every morning before school. So far, still able to see friends, family. Volunteering. Where will I cut back in order to fit this intensive workload into my hours? I won’t be writing much, creatively, I mean. Journaling, yes, starting a novel, no, probably not. My evenings might be devoted to readings rather than doing a puzzle or watching a show (or going for a walk? but I want to go for walks!). I am still figuring this out.

I feel energized by the material. Open to new experiences. A little bit overwhelmed; mostly calm, prepared, attuned, attentive. I can walk to campus; I pack good food to fuel me through several night classes; I’ve made a few friends (or excellent acquaintances, perhaps more accurately). I sense the importance of building a group of professional peers in this context, as necessary and meaningful for this particular work.

On Monday, I’m going to draw “what God looks like to me”, as a reflective in-class exercise for a course on the “Spiritual Care” side of the roster. On the “Psychotherapy” side, I spent all day reading textbooks about Professional Ethics and the “Ethical Lives of Clients,” with great interest and engagement—I didn’t drift off to sleep even once! Side note: I am aiming for 7+ hours of a sleep a night, and (almost) managing that.

Sitting in the classroom, I feel a strong sense that I’m where I want to be; and wherever it leads, well, that’s a question for a future version of self, the one who’s read all these chapters and written a bunch of papers, and talked to peers, and played with balancing life and study and practice and care. Stay tuned.

xo, Carrie